Photo by Phil Emerson
Back in 2013, Nite Jewel featured on "N the Traffic," a track by Bay Area rapper/producer Droop-E. Now, they've teamed up for a full EP as AMTHST. Euphoria is out February 17 via Sick Wid It, the label of Droop-E's dad, E-40. The pair produced the record themselves, with additional production by BatmanOnTheBeatz. Listen to "Thug Passion" above.
Euphoria:
01 Euphoria
02 Let it Go
03 Thug Passion
04 OverZone
05 I Wonder
Martin Shkreli has recorded a video in which he disses Ghostface Killah and threatens to erase his contributions from Once Upon a Time in Shaolin, the one-of-a-kind Wu-Tang Clan album he paid millions for. In the video, Shkreli sips from a glass while being surrounded by three masked men. He also plays Once Upon a Time in Shaolin in the background. Watch it below, via TMZ.
Their beef began last week, when Ghostface called him a "shithead" and said he should release Shaolin for free. Later, he also made fun of Shkreli's nose. In the video, Shkreli refers to Ghostface as "Dennis"—his real name is Dennis Coles—and generally talks like a wrestling viillain would.
"At the end of the day, I'm very sorry for you," he said. "You're an old man—an old man that's lost his relevance, and you're trying to claim the spotlight from my spotlight. That's not going to work, Ghost—Dennis. In fact, I think that if you ever say some dumb shit again, this album, this Shaolin, I'm going to erase all your shit from this album. I'm going to erase you from the record books."
Another tidbit: "Ghost, stop pretending, stop acting, stop lying. Be real, as your video once said, and uh, don't ever fucking mention my name again, or there will be more of a price to pay than just this video."
It's worth noting that in a recently published profile, Shkreli said he wanted to be "the world's heel." (In pro wrestling, "heels" are bad guys.)
Shkreli is currently waiting trial on charges of securities fraud.
As mentioned in my video, I expect a written apology, @GhostfaceKillah. At least 500 words, no grammatical errors and Shaolin stays intact.
— Martin Shkreli (@MartinShkreli) January 28, 2016
A @GhostfaceKillah response tomorrow evening. Don't cry, Ghost. All rap careers come to an eventual end. Long time coming, motherfucker.
— Martin Shkreli (@MartinShkreli) January 26, 2016
Martin Shkreli has recorded a video in which he disses Ghostface Killah and threatens to erase his contributions from Once Upon a Time in Shaolin, the one-of-a-kind Wu-Tang Clan album he paid millions for. In the video, Shkreli sips from a glass while being surrounded by three masked men. He also plays Once Upon a Time in Shaolin in the background. Watch it below, via TMZ.
Their beef began last week, when Ghostface called him a "shithead" and said he should release Shaolin for free. Later, he also made fun of Shkreli's nose. In the video, Shkreli refers to Ghostface as "Dennis"—his real name is Dennis Coles—and generally talks like a wrestling viillain would.
"At the end of the day, I'm very sorry for you," he said. "You're an old man—an old man that's lost his relevance, and you're trying to claim the spotlight from my spotlight. That's not going to work, Ghost—Dennis. In fact, I think that if you ever say some dumb shit again, this album, this Shaolin, I'm going to erase all your shit from this album. I'm going to erase you from the record books."
Another tidbit: "Ghost, stop pretending, stop acting, stop lying. Be real, as your video once said, and uh, don't ever fucking mention my name again, or there will be more of a price to pay than just this video."
It's worth noting that in a recently published profile, Shkreli said he wanted to be "the world's heel." (In pro wrestling, "heels" are bad guys.)
Shkreli is currently waiting trial on charges of securities fraud.
Photo by Cybele Malinowski
Flume's new album Skin is due out later this year on Mom + Pop in the U.S. and Transgressive in the UK/Europe. Following the LP's first single "Never Be Like You," he's shared "Smoke & Retribution," a collaboration with Vince Staples and Kučka. The track premiered today on Zane Lowe's Beats 1 radio show; listen to it above.
Flume has also announced that he'll headline Red Rocks on August 18, in addition to sets at Coachella and Hangout Festival.
Watch the video for "More Than You Thought":
MusicNOW is a collaboration-focused music festival held each year in Cincinnati, Ohio, founded by the National's Bryce Dessner. It will celebrate its 11th year March 18-20. Today, the lineup has been announced.
To accompany the announcement, MusicNOW has shared a highlight from the festival's history. Below, watch professionally-shot video of a 2010 performance where Bon Iver's Justin Vernon, Bryce and Aaron Dessner, Colin Stetson, and yMusic teamed up to cover Sharon Van Etten's "Love More." Fan footage has floated around previously, and audio of the cover was featured on a MusicNOW compilation last year.
This year's MusicNOW will feature the world premiere of Bryce Dessner's full orchestra version of his piece Aheym, as well as the U.S. premiere of his piece Réponse Lutoslawski, both performed by the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. The lineup also includes Kronos Quartet, Punch Brothers, Sam Amidon, Julia Wolfe, Luluc, and more. You can check out the full details here.
Naughty by Nature are celebrating their 25th anniversary with a tour and the making of a new EP. They're seeking funding via Kickstarter for the recording, mixing, and mastering of their new record.
Incentives for backing their Kickstarter include autographed memorabilia, dinner with the band, a private concert, appearances on the album and in their video, and partying onstage with the trio during select dates of the tour. Or you can go with Treach to get tattoos together, shoot pool with Vin Rock, or play basketball with Kay Gee. ("Experiences to be documented and shared on the Naughty by Nature YouTube," the listings specify.)
The group said in a press release:
Kickstarter ensures that we will be able to have complete creative control over our new music. We will be able to do it the way that we want. More than anything we want to deliver a fresh new EP that also has that classic Naughty vibe. It has been years since we’ve all been in the studio together and the process of working on these songs has been really exciting creatively.
Naughty By Nature:
01-28 Charlotte, NC – The Fillmore
01-29 Miami, FL – LIV
01-31 Atlanta, GA – The Masquerade
02-02 New Orleans, LA – Republic
02-03 Houston, TX – Warehouse Live
02-04 Austin, TX – Warehouse Live
02-05 San Antonio, TX – Paper Tiger
02-06 Dallas, TX – South Side Music Hall
02-09 Albuquerque, NM – Sister Bar
02-10 Phoenix, AZ – Crescent Ballroom
02-11 Los Angeles, CA – Regent Theater
02-14 Denver, CO – Marquis Theater
02-16 Des Moines, IA – Wooly's
02-17 Minneapolis, MN – Mill City Nights
02-18 Milwaukee, WI – The Rave II
02-19 Columbia, MO – Blue Note
02-20 Chicago, IL – House of Blues
02-21 Louisville, KY – Mercury Ballroom
02-23 Cleveland, OH – House of Blues
02-24 Buffalo, NY – Waiting Room
02-25 Washington, DC – The Howard Theatre
02-26 Reading, PA – Reverb
02-27 New York, NY – Webster Hall
02-28 Philadelphia, PA – TLA
Photo by Hisham Bharoocha/Abby Portner
Animal Collective release their new album called Painting With on February 19. Today, they released a free app for iOS, which is also called "Painting With." It's a collaborative tool that allows you to create an image with someone else in real time, and it features an unreleased song called "Lying in the Grass." Grab it here. Watch a tutorial video below.
Users are encouraged to share their creations via Twitter or Instagram using the #PaintingWith hashtag. Submissions will be posted on the Animal Collective website. The app also includes a strobe light which animates the turntable slipmat that comes with the deluxe edition LP.
"Lying in the Grass" gets an official, traditional digital release on Monday (February 1).
Read our interview with Animal Collective, "Primitive Future."
Watch Animal Collective perform "Today's Supernatural" at Pitchfork Music Festival:
Photo via Questlove's Instagram
Leonard "Hub" Hubbard was the Roots' bassist from 1992 until 2007. He left the band after he was diagnosed with blood cancer. He's now suing the band's Questlove and Black Thought, as well as their current manager, as TMZ reports.
In the lawsuit, Hubbard says he is owed money from a deal that made him a co-owner of the band.
The Roots joined "The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon" as the house band in 2009, two years after Hubbard left.
Photo via Damon Albarn's Instagram
Back in 2014, Icelandic band Fufanu supported Damon Albarn at London's Albert Hall; the following summer, Albarn recruited them again for a support slot at Blur's Hyde Park show. Now, Albarn has remixed the group's latest single, "Ballerina in the Rain." The original track, released as a single backed by the Albarn remix on March 11 on One Little Indian, was produced by Yeah Yeah Yeahs' Nick Zinner and features dj. flugvél go geimskip on backing vocals. Hear it above.
Fufanu frontman Kaktus Einarsson is the son of Einar Örn Einarsson of the Sugarcubes. He also worked on Albarn's album Everyday Robots.
Revisit our interview with Albarn.
"Ballerina In The Rain":
01 Ballerina In The Rain
02 Ballerina In The Rain [Damon Albarn Remix]
03 Northern Gannett [President Bongo Remix]
After dropping the Lost Angeles EP on Skrillex's NEST imprint back in October, producer/singer Ducky has shared the video for "Winter Song." Directed by Quinn Tucker, the clip sees the artist setting out across town to uncover the secrets of an old map. Before arriving at her final, magical destination, she dances poolside with models, swipes a decorative fox off a bench, and follows a string of christmas lights into a wintry paradise. Watch the clip below.
Here's what Ducky had to say about the video in a press release:
The concept for this video came to me in a dream. I was a winter girl lost in the middle of summer, searching for snow. It was so fun working with Quinn AKA Quasar Media to make my dream a reality - even though it was 90 degrees when we shot it!
Lost Angeles can be downloaded for free here.
In the latest escalation of their war of words, astrophysicist Neil DeGrasse Tyson appeared on "The Nightly Show" to rebuke B.o.B's insistence that the Earth is flat. After host Larry Wilmore initated the "science emergency defense program," Tyson showed up to deliver a quick lesson on why we perceive the Earth as flat when we stand on it, despite its roundness, as well as shame B.o.B for his unscientific approach. After quoting Isaac Newton, Tyson said: "That's right, Bo.B, when you stand on the shoulders of those who came before, you might just see far enough to realize the Earth isn't fucking flat." He also demonstrated how gravity works by fittingly dropping the mic. Watch his appearance below, via Vulture.
Here's the backstory: Earlier this week, B.o.B went on a Twitter monologue about how the Earth is flat, prompting Tyson to respond to him with science. B.o.B then released "Flatline," a song that dissed Tyson as well as promoted several other conspiracy theories (and the work of Holocaust denier David Irving). After that, Tyson's nephew dropped his own diss track, "Flat to Fact."
Pitchfork Radio is back on February 1-4, and this time, we're broadcasting live from Manhattan. Presented by Shinola and powered by TuneIn, we'll be located at the Shinola booth in the Skylight Clarkson during Men's Fashion Week. The broadcasting hours are 9:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. Today, we've got the schedule for you. Find full details below.
The station will be produced by Elia Einhorn and Ted Shumaker. Listeners can access Pitchfork Radio by downloading the free TuneIn Radio app for their mobile device or by visiting TuneIn.com. Follow the station on TuneIn before we start broadcasting live.
Monday, February 1
9:00 - 10:00 a.m.: Pitchfork Radio signs on
10:00 - 11:00 a.m.: "Twitter Request Live" with Pitchfork's Charlotte Zoller
11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.: LNZNDRF (ft. members of the National/Beirut)
12:00 - 1:00 p.m.: Brett Davis
1:00 - 2:00 p.m.: TEEN
2:00 - 3:00 p.m.: Lenny Kaye of the Patti Smith Group spins "Cool Runnings '70s Reggae"
3:00 - 4:00 p.m.: "Rock'n'Roll Girls Revisited" with Pitchfork's Amy Phillips
4:00 - 5:00 p.m.: J.G. Thirlwell
5:00 - 6:00 p.m.: DJ Premier
6:00 - 7:30 p.m.: Martin Rev's "Rev Reviews"
7:30 - 8:00 p.m.: Torres
8:00 - 9:00 p.m.: Kamasi Washington
9:00 - 10:00 p.m.: The Range
Tuesday, February 2
9:00 - 9:30 a.m.: Hannibal Buress
9:30 - 10:00 a.m.: Joey Bada$$
10:00 - 11:00 a.m.: "Down Is Up" with Pitchfork's Jenn Pelly
11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.: Frankie Cosmos
12:00 - 1:00 p.m.: Porches
1:00 - 2:00 p.m.: Duane Harriott from WFMU
2:00 - 3:00 p.m.: Beyond Beyond is Beyond
3:00 - 4:00 p.m.: The Silent Barn
4:00 - 5:00 p.m.: Veronica Vasicka
5:00 - 6:00 p.m.: Flatbush Zombies
6:00 - 7:00 p.m.: Arto Lindsay
7:00 - 7:30 p.m.: Television's Richard Lloyd gives a guitar lesson
7:30 - 8:00 p.m.: "Twitter Request Live" with Pitchfork's Charlotte Zoller
8:00 - 9:20 p.m.: "Battles' Battles" With Ian Williams of Battles
9:20 - 10:00 p.m.: St. Vitus
Wednesday, February 3
9:00 - 9:30 a.m.: T. Cole Rachel's "Rainbow in the Dark"
9:30 - 10:00 a.m.: Casey Legler (Female Male Model)
10:00 - 11:00 a.m.: Ted Schumaker
11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.: Kevin Corrigan
12:00 - 1:00 p.m.: Cheap Shots With J, & Jay
1:00 - 2:00 p.m.: Matt Sweeney
2:00 - 3:00 p.m.: Justin Strauss
3:00 - 4:00 p.m.: "High School High" with Pitchfork's Ryan Dombal and Matthew Schnipper
4:00 - 5:00 p.m.: Dapwell (of Das Racist)
5:00 - 7:00 p.m.: Pitchfork's Ryan Schreiber
7:00 - 8:00 p.m.: Captured Tracks' Mike Sniper
8:00 - 9:00 p.m.: Prince Rama's "Best New Music of the 12th Century"
9:00 - 10:00 p.m.: "The Dilla Files" with Pitchfork's Ryan Dombal
Thursday, February 4
9:00 - 10:00 a.m.: Richard Hell in conversation with Pitchfork's Brandon Stosuy
10:00 - 11:00 a.m.: "Elia's Indiepop Student Disco" with Elia Einhorn
11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.: True Panther's Dean Bein
12:00 - 1:00 p.m.: KPISS Radio's Sheri Barclay
1:00 - 2:30 p.m.: Kip Berman (Pains of Being Pure at Heart), Jen Goma (Sunny Day in Glasgow)
2:30 - 3:00 p.m.: "Twitter Request Live" with Pitchfork's Charlotte Zoller
3:00 - 4:00 p.m.: Pitchfork's Zoe Camp
4:00 - 5:00 p.m.: Tim Sweeney (Beats in Space)
5:00 - 6:00 p.m.: Perfect Pussy's Meredith Graves
6:00 - 7:00 p.m.: Ted Leo
7:00 - 8:00 p.m.: Afrika Bambaataa
8:00 - 9:00 p.m.: TBA
9:00 - 10:00 p.m.: Calvin Johnson
Photo by Brantley Gutierrez
Last year, Colin Stetson released Never Were the Way She Was, a collaborative album with Arcade Fire violinist Sarah Neufeld. Now, he's announced SORROW, his first solo record since New History Warfare Vol. 3: To See More Light. The album, which features Neufeld, Greg Fox, and others, is a reimagining of Gorecki's Third Symphony. Read Stetson's statement about the release below, and scroll down to see the album art, a trailer, and an excerpt of the record.
We all have those moments when we experience a piece of music that transforms us, and this was one of those moments for me. Over the years, I went on to listen to this record countless times, always determined to absorb every instance of it, to know it throughout and fully. And this dedication to a thorough knowledge of the piece eventually gave way to a need to perform it.
The concept was simple, and true to the original score. I haven’t changed existing notation, but rather have worked with altering instrumentation, utilizing a group consisting heavily of woodwinds, synthesizers, and electric guitars, as well as retaining an element of the orchestral in a string section of violins and cellos, which features prominent and decorated Canadian musicians Sarah Neufeld (Arcade Fire, Bell Orchestre) and Rebecca Foon (Saltland, Esmerine).
My approach was “additive”, in that I imagined certain sounds or parts, though not present in the original, were (to me) extensions of the emotional core of the piece. For example, the instrumentation is rounded out by the most extreme of those sonic/timbral/musical additions, the drum set. Performed inimitably here by NYC drummer/percussionist, Greg Fox (Liturgy, Guardian Alien, Z’s). My background and education in classical concert music is here, as well as a focus on group improvisation. The arrangement draws heavily from the world of black metal, early electronic music, and from my own body of solo saxophone music.
The result is an intact rendition of Henryk Górecki’s 3rd Symphony, though one which has been filtered through the lens of my particular musical aesthetic and experience.
It's long been rumored that David Bowie wanted a part in Lord of the Rings; director Peter Jackson reportedly turned him down for the part of Elrond, the elf king, because he was too famous in his own right. It seems the rumors were true: In a new interview with Huffington Post, cast member Dominic Monaghan, who played the hobbit Merry, says he spotted Bowie in the casting agency's office after his audition.
"I was at the Hubbard's, which is a pretty notorious casting agency office in London, doing an audition for Lord of the Rings," Monaghan told Huffington Post. After his audition, he says he was asked to wait at reception for feedback. "As I was reading a magazine waiting, David Bowie came in and signed his little list and went in. And I'm assuming he read for Gandalf. I can't think of anything else he would've read for. He may have read for something else, but I'm a huge David Bowie fan, and I was lucky enough to know his son now so just seeing him in person was pretty special to me."
It was recently reported that a sequel to Bowie's 1986 film Labyrinth is in the works.
Read our "Afterword" feature on Bowie and "Anthems for the Moon: David Bowie's Sci-Fi Explorations."
Photo by Anton Corbijn
Coldplay released their new album A Head Full of Dreams late last year. After announcing a series of world tour dates, they've just announced a new series of North American tour dates. Find a full itinerary below.
Coldplay:
03-31, 04-01 Buenos Aires, Argentina - Estadio Unico de La Plata
04-03 Santiago, Chile - Estadio Nacional
04-05 Lima, Peru - Estadio Nacional
04-07 Sao Paulo, Brazil - Allianz Parque
04-10 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - Maracana
04-13 Bogota, Colombia - Estadio El Campin
04-15-17 Mexico City, Mexico - Foro Sol
05-24 Nice, France - Stade Charles-Ehrmann
05-26-27 Barcelona, Spain - Estadi Olimpic
06-01 Gelsenkirchen, Germany - Veltins-Arena
06-04-05 Manchester, England - Etihad Stadium
06-07 Glasgow, Scotland - Hampden Park
06-11-12 Zurich, Switzerland - Stadion Letzigrund
06-15, 16, 18-19 London, England - Wembley Stadium
06-23-24 Amsterdam, Netherlands - Amsterdam Arena
06-29 Berlin, Germany - Olympiastadion
07-01 Hamburg, Germany - Volksparkstadion
07-03 Stockholm, Sweden - Friends Arena
07-05-06 Copenhagen, Denmark - Telia Parken
07-16 New York, NY - MetLife Stadium
07-23 Chicago, IL - Soldier Field
07-30 Boston, MA - Gillette Stadium
08-06 Philadelphia, PA - Lincoln Financial Field
08-20 Los Angeles, CA - Rose Bowl
08-27 Dallas, TX - AT&T Stadium
09-03 San Francisco, CA - Levi's Stadium
Watch their "Birds" video:
Photo via Twitter
Four years after "Harlem Shake," Baauer has announced his debut album. Aa (pronounced "double a") is out March 18 via LuckyMe. It features M.I.A, Future, Pusha T, Rustie, and more. Last night, he debuted his track "Day Ones" on "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert" alongside Leikeli 47—the song is available now on iTunes.
The album also features "GoGo!," his previously shared single.
Aa:
01 Church
02 GoGo!
03 Body
04 Pinku
05 Sow
06 Day Ones [ft. Novelist & Leikeli 47]
07 Good & Bad
08 Way From Me [ft. Tirzah]
09 Temple [ft. M.I.A. & G Dragon]
10 Make it Bang [ft. TT the Artist]
11 Kung Fu [ft. Pusha T & Future]
12 Church Reprise [ft. Rustie]
13 A,a
Here's the video for "GoGo!":
Last week, Massive Attack launched an iPhone app called Fantom which contained snippets of four songs. They've now released Ritual Spirit, an EP containing all four tracks, on Virgin/EMI. It features collaborations with Tricky, Young Fathers, Roots Manuva, and Azekel. Below, watch the Hiro Murai-directed video for Tricky collab "Take It There," which stars a beleaguered John Hawkes stalking through the city at night.
A second EP, written and co-produced by Daddy G, is coming in Spring, with an album to follow later this year.
The release was first teased in an Instagram post by the group's 3D.
Massive Attack's last record was Heligoland in 2010.
Ritual Spirit:
01 Dead Editors [ft. Roots Manuva]
02 Ritual Spirit [ft. Azekel]
03 Voodoo in My Blood [ft. Young Fathers]
04 Take It There [ft. Tricky]
Last week, Massive Attack launched an iPhone app called Fantom which contained snippets of four songs. They've now released Ritual Spirit, an EP containing all four songs. It features collaborations with Tricky, Young Fathers, Roots Manuva, and Azekel. Below, watch the video for Tricky collab "Take It There," directed by Hiro Murai and starring John Hawkes.
A second EP, written and co-produced by Daddy G, is coming in Spring, with an album to follow later this year.
The release was first teased in an Instagram post by the group's 3D.
Massive Attack's last record was Heligoland in 2010.
Ritual Spirit:
01 Dead Editors [ft. Roots Manuva]
02 Ritual Spirit [ft. Azekel]
03 Voodoo in My Blood [ft. Young Fathers]
04 Take It There [ft. Tricky]
Earlier this year, J. Cole got his own concert film/documentary on HBO. Today is his birthday, and to mark the occasion, he released a live album featuring songs from that film. Find Forest Hills Drive: Live From Fayetteville, NC here, and check out the tracklist below.
![Massive Attack Release Ritual Spirit EP, Share Video for "Take It There" [ft. Tricky]](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_tSZbyws8vIur79W9gkREUkeB1Sr4fVVzwu1vjXlnbmPAmkAl-dL55-Pckc5wNDsxy_sSdiXhImKQ=s0-d)
History turned into an album. Forest Hills Drive Live available now https://t.co/E3pQGn14rv What a year. Hip hop deserves a live album
— J. Cole (@JColeNC) January 28, 2016
Forest Hills Drive: Live From Fayetteville, NC:
01 Intro
02 January 28th
03 Wet Dreamz
04 03' Adolescence
05 A Tale of 2 Citiez
06 Fire Squad
07 St. Tropez
08 Intermission [ft. Missy Elliott]
09 G.O.M.D.
10 No Role Modelz
11 Hello
12 Apparently
13 Love Yourz
Here's the trailer for the HBO special:
On tonight's "Tonight Show," Jimmy Fallon welcomed musical guest Sia. Before she performed "Cheap Thrills" off her forthcoming album This Is Acting, she sang the New Orleans standard "Iko Iko" with the Roots, Natalie Portman, and Fallon. Naturally, everybody wore Sia wigs.
