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
The organizers behind the travelling Rock the Bells festival have been planning on resurrecting Ol' Dirty Bastard later this year with a Tupac-style hologram, but this plan may be in jeopardy, as ODB's widow Icelene Jones has filed a cease and desist order to stop this from happening. While she's isn't opposed to the idea of an ODB hologram outright, she criticized Rock the Bells' organizers for not consulting with her about their plans, since she is the administrator of the late Wu-Tang rapper's estate and says that she's the only one who can approve the use of his image. "I am...Read More
It's been a while since Sparrows kicked off their post-hardcore recording career with their 2011 EP Goliath, but the Ottawa outfit have now come through with their first full-length. Titled Cold Ground, it arrives July 30 through Broken Heart /Kat Kat Records. A press release explains that the band recorded the eight-song effort with Jay Maas (Defeater, Polar Bear Club, Title Fight) at Getaway Studios in Wakefield, MA. This latest song cycle apparently mines similar territory as Goliath and is described as a "pummelling and powerful" record that pulls influence from...Read More
In recent years, Don Pyle has reunited with his old surf rock band Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet, documented Toronto's punk scene with a photo book and lent his skills as a producer to more than a few bands. Now, the Canadian music vet is preparing a debut album with a mysterious project called Black Heel Marks, whose Feel Free album is out June 25 through Northern Research/Outside Music. The album's press materials are quite vague in regards to the group's membership, but Pyle is credited with producing and directing Feel Free, in addition to playing drums and synths....Read More
Earlier this week, bassist Eric Avery announced that he had pulled out of the upcoming Nine Inch Nails reunion tour, citing a busy schedule playing with Garbage and outside film work as a couple of reasons for his departure. But, just like a hydra, Trent Reznor's current live lineup has already rebounded from the loss by adding another member: longtime collaborator Robin Finck. Reznor revealed the news via Twitter this morning (May 17), posting a picture of the band rehearsing with Finck along with the message: "It just didn't feel like @NineInchNails without Robin Finck. Now it does." ...Read More
As you may remember, Calgary pop-punk greats Chixdiggit celebrated their twentieth anniversary in 2011. Better late than never, Fat Wreck Chords is now marking the milestone occasion this summer by reissuing a pair of early platters. The label announced that it will celebrate the 20th anniversary of "Canada's proudest pop-punk band" by serving up vinyl represses of 1998's Born on the First of July and its follow-up From Scene to Shining Scene, as well as a two-for-one CD package of the full-lengths titled Double Diggits!, on July 23. A press release explains that...Read More
Bloc Party's last album, 2012's Four, was preceded by some confusion about whether frontman Kele Okereke was still in the band. It looks as if the UK act are taking a more no-nonsense approach to their next collection of tunes, since they've already got new material in the works. Speaking with Miami New Times [via Contact Music], guitarist Russell Lissack said, "We literally were just in the studio this week actually. We still need to do the vocals, but we've been working on six new songs. Depending on how the finished things pan out, we're either going to put out a...Read More
Bay Area punk vets Swingin' Utters came into 2013, well, swinging when they issued their eighth full-length LP, Poorly Formed, and took to the road to support it. That trip included a couple of Canadian stops out west, but now the act have announced another North American leg of dates that will bring them further out east. Swingin' Utters recently unveiled the tour schedule, and it kicks off next week in Las Vegas for the annual Punk Rock Bowling event. In between a number of U.S. stops, the band will head up to Canada for shows in London, Toronto and Montreal. The bulk of the U.S....Read More
Peter Hook has been performing New Order's first two LPs —1981's Movement and 1983's Power, Corruption & Lies — during shows, and even released a recent live album of that material. Now, Hook has confirmed plans to bring these albums to our continent. Featuring Hook and his band the Light, the outing takes place in September. In addition to number of U.S. dates, he has three Canadian shows: Montreal on September 18, Toronto on September 19, and Vancouver on September 23. See the schedule below. A press release promises that these gigs will find Hook and...Read More
Critically touted as "the next Adele" in her native UK for her dreamy debut project Sing to the Moon, orchestral soul singer-songwriter Laura Mvula tells Exclaim! that she hopes listeners on this side of the pond are as receptive following the record's long-awaited physical release on North American shores this week. "I think that because the UK release of the album was such a moment for me, I thought that was the world. It's been amazing to go to the different territories and have people look forward to the music," says Mvula during a recent stop in Toronto. "The vibe in North...Read More
CONCERT: Colin Stetson The Great Hall, Toronto ON, May 19
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