Canadian '90s radio mainstay Matthew Good is pressing ahead with his solo career, and the latest in his steady string of releases will arrive this fall. Good's new disc is called Arrows of Desire, and it's out on September 24 through FrostByte Media/Universal Music Canada. According to a press release, the album finds Good venturing in new musical directions. While Arrows of Desire's sound isn't described in detail, it was apparently inspired by alt-rock vets the Afghan Whigs. "I had come across an old playlist on my computer... and was listening to it while I was...Read More
The recently released debut album from Jamaica-Toronto collective the Courtney John Project is something its frontman dubs "rootstronic," a blissful blending of reggae and EDM influences. Appropriately dubbed Future, the LP represents a digitally-forward sound that comes organically, Courtney John tells Exclaim! — one with which the band intends to continue pushing boundaries. "We created this sound and didn't know what to call it," says John of the rootstronic tag. "We said we'd call it [that] because of the indigenous [Jamaican] elements and the innovative 'tronic' kind...Read More
Having just served a 60-day prison stint over parole violation that ended in March, troubled rap teenager Chief Keef is back in the news after being arrested in Atlanta last night (May 20). TMZ initially reported that the rapper born Keith Cozart was arrested for disorderly confuct, though they're now saying he was busted for allegedly smoking weed in a fancy hotel. In the early hours of the morning, he tweeted, "Jus Got Out Of Dekalb County jail In Atlanta Mad As fuck." Here's hoping he won't have to spend any more time in the slammer. Since getting out of his last...Read More
Legendary punk rock group the Clash disbanded in 1986, but their music has stood the test of time, influencing generation after generation of performers since. It only makes sense, then, that their discography would be reissued in a massive deluxe box set. The enormous collection includes remastered versions of the band's first five albums (their 1985 effort Cut the Crap has been excluded), along with three discs' worth of demos, rarities and B-sides, a double-disc best-of album, and a DVD full of rare and previously unseen footage. In addition to the music, the set also...Read More
Last month, we learned that Amber Webber and Josh Wells will deliver their third Lightning Dust LP, Fantasy, on June 25 through Jagjaguwar. Now, the band have announced a few concert dates to support their latest set, which has now spawned its first music video. The duo's summer tour plans begin in Calgary on July 24. The next night, they'll play another Canadian gig in Edmonton, but the rest of the band's onstage activity this summer will take place beneath the border. You'll find the details down below. Lightning Dust have also just premiered the video for their previously...Read More
Imaginary Cities' debut album, Temporary Resident, earned the Winnipeg band plenty of accolades, including a Polaris Music Prize nomination, and now the group are back with the follow-up. Fall of Romance is out on May 28 through Hidden Pony Records, and the entire thing is available to stream ahead of time right here on Exclaim.ca. The album features the core duo of Rusty Matyas and Marti Sarbit joined by a host of notable collaborators. Andrew Scott of Sloan plays drums on two songs, and Ewan Currie of the Sheepdogs lends his voice to a track. Plus, several members of...Read More
Ray Manzarek, founding member of the Doors, passed away today (May 20) due to complications from bile duct cancer. He was 74 and died at a hospital in Rosenheim, Germany. He was surrounded by his wife Dorothy and his brothers. Manzarek founded the Doors alongside Jim Morrison, John Densmore and Robby Krieger in 1965. His iconic keyboard sound proved to be a backbone of the band, anchoring hits like "Light My Fire" and "Break on Through." Outside of that group, Manzarek was also an accomplished solo artist, with four albums on his own and two in collaboration with Roy Rogers. He was...Read More
It was nearly a year ago that we first heard about Explosions in the Sky's plans to score David Gordon Green's Prince Avalanche film. Now, we've finally got details for the soundtrack's official release. The soundtrack will be available on August 6 via Temporary Residence and will feature 15 tracks. The project sees the group reuniting with their Austin, TX compatriot musician David Wingo. Both acts appeared on the soundtrack Green's 2003 film All the Real Girls, but this time around they're working together on the whole soundtrack. Prince Avalanche...Read More
Good news if you missed out on James Blake's spring tour: the golden-throated UK tunesmith makes his way back to North America this fall. Blake revealed a number of new dates today (May 20) over on his website that confirm he'll be back our way by the end of October. The next North American leg of Blake's Overgrown trip kicks off in Los Angeles, but he'll make his way to both Montreal and Vancouver before closing the concert tour in Portland. You can see the North American dates down below, and check out his upcoming run of overseas performances over here. Tour dates: ...Read More
After touring the world with his semi-recent Refused reunion and issuing a new hardcore record with AC4, Swedish music hero Dennis Lyxzén has formed a new alt-rock group called INVSN. The group, which is rounded out by Andre Sandström (DS-13), Sara Almgren (The International Noise Conspiracy), Richard Österman and Anders Stenberg (Lykke Li, Deportees), are currently completing the final touches on their debut album. The record's being mixed by Nick Launay (Arcade Fire) and Jacob Hansen (Volbeat). They've also signed with Razor & Tie. In a press release, Head of A & R Pete Giberga...Read More
Since releasing their career-making breakthrough Lonerism last year, Aussie psych group Tame Impala have maintained a remarkably busy tour schedule. Enough so that their bassist Nick Allbrook has decided to quit the band. A statement on Tame Impala's website explained that "Nick Roland Paisley Adams Allbrook is hopping off the Tame Impala band wagon so that he can try and screw his head back on, and make an attempt to assimilate back into society. A task the rest of us fear we will one day have to perform...." Naturally, there are no hard feelings between the parties...Read More
Long after his initial January release date, rapper J. Cole is finally gearing up to release his next album Born Sinner on June 18 — one week earlier than the most recent June 25 drop date. To prove he's serious, he's shared the album's cover art. The stark black and gold image above will serve as the standard edition's cover art, and boasts some subtle-yet-powerful line work atop a barely there black pillar in the sky. The deluxe artwork, available below, is no less iconic, with a devilish statue wearing a gold crown. Stay tuned for more information, including the...Read More
The time has come once again for Exclaim! to sift through the growing piles of album streams, music videos and tracks to find you the best content the Internet has to offer. Take a look at our weekly roundup below to hear all the greatest new music hitting the web. Then, head on over to our Music/Video section for more.
Since forming in 2010, Toronto quartet Decades have shifted their focus from garage rock to adopt a more '90s-inspired, shoegaze and post-punk sound. Now you can hear the culmination of all their hard work by streaming their self-titled debut in all its glory.
Fans still have a few weeks to go before the June 4 release of electro-soul singer A K U A's newest EP, One's Company. Until then, get a hint of what's in store by checking out her cinematic new video for "Gravity."
Up-and-coming indie-folk quartet Young Benjamins release their self-titled debut tomorrow (May 21), but you can stream the whole album in full right now.
Montreal-based singer-songwriter Anna Scouten is stepping away from the covers game to offer her first collection of original material on her self-titled EP, while dance music veterans Daft Punk are streaming their long-awaited fourth album, Random Access Memories, before its official release.
Last but not least, indie-rock newbies Poor Young Things are on the cusp of releasing their first LP, The Heart. The Head. The End., but you can stream the powerful pop rock debut in its entirety a day before it hits shelves.
Click on Exclaim!'s Music/Video section to see all the latest songs, albums, and videos available.
Anthony Moore, the influential house producer better known as Romanthony, has passed away at the age of 46. He reportedly died at his home in Austin, TX, on May 7. Moore's sister recently confirmed the news on Facebook; however, a cause of death has yet to be revealed. Moore was an accomplished producer, singer and performer whose work spanned many decades. He was probably best know for his vocal contributions to Daft Punk's Discovery tracks "One More Time" and "Too Long." More recently, he had collaborated with Teengirl Fantasy and Boyz Noise. In addition to running...Read More
Kanye West's not the only rapper gearing up to release a highly anticipated new album this year, as Toronto rapper Drake also has a new record on the docket. That's not where the similarities end, either, as Drake's borrowed Yeezus's main collaborator. Drake was photographed in the studio with Jay-Z over the weekend. While it's unclear whose album their work is intended for, the above image was posted to a Roc Nation affiliate's Instagram account with the caption "Warning: Please be very afraid of the music we're working on. OVO x ROCNATION." Drake is also booking similar film...Read More
Yesterday was a big one for Kanye West after word got out that his new album would be called Yeezus before performing two songs on Saturday Night Live. Now, he's shared the album's artwork. Far from a hi-res version of the cover, the above image was shared on Kanye's site along with a pre-order link, though both were quickly removed. The jewel case cover is packed with black and gold, and what looks like a melted statue, while it's held shut with red tape. Seemingly confirming both the album cover and release date, Yeezy's celeb girlfriend Kim Kardashian shared an...Read More
We're still unsure if Kanye West will release his new album on June 18, but the confirmation edges closer each day as more information leaks. After last night's premiere of a "New Slaves", some blogs are reporting that the album also has a confirmed title. Originally thought to be called I Am a God, the new alleged title continues to hold up Kanye's God complex. According to Rap-Up, the album's called Yeezus. No other sources have confirmed the information, but with Kanye West set to perform on tonight's Saturday Night Live season finale, we're guessing...Read More
If you live up in Canada, congratulations: you just earned yourself a long weekend. Still, just in case you missed something, here is our news roundup for the week, gathering up all our recent top stories.
First off, there was once again a lot of festival news up here in Canada. Leading the way was Drake's OVO Fest, whose fourth edition will feature Frank Ocean, James Blake, Drake himself and, of course, "special guests." The two-day event doesn't take place until August 4 and 5, but tickets are already up for grabs. Also this week, we had a lineup announcement from Ottawa's Arboretum Arts Festival, as well as another batch of bands for Toronto's NXNE, which will now also feature Dan Deacon, Braids and No Joy, among others.
The long weekend is here, so treat yourself to a weekend spent in the cozy, air-conditioned confines of your local theatre. We take a close look at some of the new films hitting theatres this week, but don't forget to head on over to our Recently Reviewed section to read reviews on all of this week's newest releases.
First up is Star Trek Into Darkness (pictured), the hyped-up sequel to director J.J. Abrams' 2009 silver screen reboot. But can newcomer Benedict Cumberbatch save this faltering franchise before it plunges into mediocrity? Read on to find out.
Next up is the Matthew McConaughey drama Mud, which finds director Jeff Nichols maturing as a filmmaker by "capturing worldly disappointment and self-doubt with wonderful sagacity" in this lyrical coming-of-age story.
One-time music video director Michel Gondry returns with the colourful, '90s hip-hop-inspired The We and the I, while directors Sandra Feldman and Colin Carter could have spent a little more time injecting personality into the mostly unfunny Please Kill Mr. Know It All.
And finally, Ray Liotta and Michael Shannon star in Iceman, the true story of Polish assassin Richard Kuklinski. But is there more to this Ariel Vromen gangster film than just a pair of high profile actors? You'll have to click through to find out.
Of course, those aren't all the movies in theatres this week. Check out our Recently Reviewed section for reviews on even more films.
Kid Millions and Bobby Matador have delivered a ton of music over the years with their full-time band Oneida, but the psych dabblers return to their side-project People of the North next month to release their third LP, Sub Contra. It's the twosome's first full-length for Thrill Jockey, and it arrives on limited-edition LP June 11. A press release explains that the record, which follows 2012's Steep Formations, "fully embraces tumult and darkness in startling and dramatic ways." The band recorded the album themselves at the Ocropolis in Brooklyn, had it mixed by Colin...Read More
CONCERT: Colin Stetson The Great Hall, Toronto ON, May 19
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