St. Vincent Announces 'MASSEDUCTION' LP, Drops Second Single "Los Ageless"

"Before we go further, a brief tutorial on the title: It's 'Mass Seduction,' not 'Mass Education,' St. Vincent informed at the start of the mock press conference that announced her forthcoming album on Facebook Live this morning. "You're probably wondering, and the answer is yes, I did toy with calling the record 'Ass Education,' but it seemed to me that was much better suited to be the title of the sequel."

Teased through a series of clever bits co-produced with Carrie Brownstein, Annie Clark's 5th solo record under her holy moniker is due out October 13th via Loma Vista Recordings. (There are more than a few gems in that announcement video if you watch all the way through, including an penalty saving anecdote from her soccer days and something about a giantism fetish.)

With the news comes new song "Los Ageless." Debuted live in Tokyo a few weeks ago, this companion track and bicoastal foil to stunning lead single "New York" dispels any concerns fans may have had with the previous lack of guitar. Wildly distorted, St. Vincent's signature Ernie Ball axe slinks devilishly over an electronic beat more unabashedly dancey that anything she's done before. Lyrically, a liquid chorus of "How can anybody have you and lose you / And not lose their minds?" shows a rare glimpse of vulnerability as the hushed outro "I try to write you a love song but it comes out a lament" explains its origins.

Clark finished her Facebook Live speech with about as straight forward of a conclusion as one could expect: "The record's about love. At its best and at its core, it's about love. That's it. That's all. That is literally the only point. And I do mean literally to mean literally." In the press release she elaborates, “Every record I make has an archetype. Strange Mercy was Housewives on Pills. St. Vincent was Near-Future Cult Leader. MASSEDUCTION is different, it’s pretty first person. You can’t fact-check it, but if you want to know about my life, listen to this record.”

St. Vincent seemingly aims for pop power with the loudly neon rollout backed by production from Jack Antonoff (Bleachers, fun.), who's recently worked with Lorde and Taylor Swift. Notable features include saxophonist Kamasi Washington (John Legend, Kendrick Lamar), singer Jenny Lewis, pianist Thomas Bartlett (The National, Sufjan Stevens), and even vocals from ex and likely lyrical subject Cara Delevingne (credited as Kid Monkey).

Listen to "Los Ageless" below and scroll down to see MASSEDUCTION's cover art, tracklist, and tour dates (which will be "dominatrix at the mental institution kind of bonkers").

MASSEDUCTION

1. Hang On Me
2. Pills
3. Masseduction
4. Sugarboy
5. Los Ageless
6. Happy Birthday, Johnny
7. Savior
8. New York
9. Fear The Future
10. Young Lover
11. Dancing with a Ghost
12. Slow Disco
13. Smoking Section

Grizzly Bear Detail New LP 'Painted Ruins,' Release "Mourning Sound" Single, Tour Dates

"I made a mistake / I should have never tried," opens Ed Droste on Grizzly Bear's "Mourning Sound." Accompanied by the announcement of an extensive tour and their fifth full-length album, Painted Ruins, for which this new track is the second single after "Three Rings," that lamentation is oddly juxtaposed with long-awaited excitement.

"Mourning Sound" is a rollicking exploration of each member's contribution to the whole; Christopher Bear and Chris Taylor's drum and bass steadily guide Droste's croons before Daniel Rossen brings it home with the chorus and some trumpeted electric guitar, all over a steady buzz of synth for a very on-brand level of cohesive complexity.

Their major label debut, Grizzly Bear's Painted Ruins is due out August 18 via RCA Records. Their forthcoming tour kicks off this October, for what will be the band's first shows since performing in support of Bernie Sanders last year. The lack of a Chicago date suggests a future festival appearance.

"Mourning Sound," the album art, tracklist, and tour dates are all below. Enjoy it all while you can, because if the new press photo is any indication, poor Dan seems to be fading off into space at an alarming rate. Either that or the printer started running out of ink.

Grizzly Bear "Mourning Sound": iTunes - http://smarturl.it/PAINTEDRUINSi?IQid=yt Apple Music - http://smarturl.it/PAINTEDRUINSa?IQid=yt Spotify - http://smarturl.it/PAINTEDRUINSs?IQid=yt Spotify pre save - http://smarturl.it/PAINTEDRUINSspr?IQid=yt Amazon - http://smarturl.it/PAINTEDRUINSaz?IQid=yt Google Play - http://smarturl.it/PAINTEDRUINSg?IQid=yt http://grizzly-bear.net/ https://twitter.com/grizzlybear https://www.facebook.com/grizzlybear/ https://www.instagram.com/grizzlybear/

Painted Ruins

1. Wasted Acres
2. Mourning Sound
3. Four Cypresses
4. Three Rings
5. Losing All Sense
6. Aquarian
7. Cut-Out
8. Glass Hillside
9. Neighbors
10. Systole
11. Sky Took Hold

Listen to Future Islands' Aggressive Mourning on New Single "Cave"

Future Islands' forthcoming 5th full-length The Far Field is one of 2017's most anticipated releases, and, following "Ran," we now have a second single to hold us over until April 7.

"Cave" prowls the deeper, darker side to Future Islands' pulsing synthscapes as Sam Herring growls "I don't believe anymore" with increasing severity. Those lucky enough to have seen the track performed live in recent weeks can attest that it's already a deserving set staple, with its vein-popping SXSW displays readily proving its place alongside "Tin Man" and "Seasons (Waiting On You)."

The accompanying lyric video is unique in that it's conveyed solely through ASL via New York City mayor Bill De Blasio’s fittingly expressive sign language interpreter Jonathan Lamberton. Though not quite to the level of a certain Letterman performance, Lamberton's signing has had its own viral fame.

Listen and watch "Cave" and check out the band's newly expanded touring itinerary below.

The official video for 'Cave' by Future Islands, from new album "The Far Field", out April 7th 2017 on 4AD: http://smarturl.it/The_Far_Field Starring: Jonathan Lamberton Directed by Jay Buim DP - Kyle Repka Editor - Captain & the Fox Producer - Marisa Gesualdi Special thanks to Andria Alefhi Lyrics: CAVE In

Mac DeMarco Announces New Album 'This Old Dog,' Tour, and Releases First Two Singles

Mac is back! Adding to the staggering list of beloved artists returning in 2017, DeMarco and his band will be releasing a new LP titled This Old Dog, due out May 5 via Captured Tracks, and embarking on an international tour lasting at least from March through November.

The gap-tooth goon has always been a gracious giver, and DeMarco has blessed us with not one but TWO singles from his forthcoming record including the title track and "My Old Man." They may be short and sweet, but it seems ol' Mac is already feeling the weight of time; The lovely and lazy tunes delve into staying true to a lover forever and the coming-of-age realization that one has begun to increasingly resemble their own father, respectively.

So click play, revel in the digital ripples on the curious videos below, and check out the This Old Dog's cover art and tour dates underneath that.

"This Old Dog" is from Mac DeMarco's forthcoming album, This Old Dog, out May 5th, 2017, on Captured Tracks. All iTunes pre-orders come with Instrumentals of This Old Dog and instant grat downloads of lead singles, "My Old Man," and "This Old Dog."

"My Old Man" is from Mac DeMarco's forthcoming album, This Old Dog, out May 5th, 2017, on Captured Tracks. All iTunes pre-orders come with Instrumentals of This Old Dog and instant grat downloads of lead singles, "My Old Man," and "This Old Dog."

Listen to Tennis' Third 'Yours Conditionally' Single, "Modern Woman"

Don't let the '70s aesthetic and affinity for boats that still use sails fool you, Tennis' Alaina Moore is a modern woman. In their newest song, the third single and penultimate track from the band's forthcoming fourth LP Yours Conditionally, Moore and her partner Patrick Riley combine shimmering guitar with angelic vocals for a delicate sort of power that seems to capture it perfectly.

Lyrically, "Modern Woman" is addressed to a woman called Kate as the speaker reaches out to repair a damaged relationship. When the offer sounds this lovely it's hard to deny.

Yours Conditionally is due out March 10 and is slated to be the first release from Tennis' own newly formed label, Mutually Detrimental. Listen and check their tour dates below.

Man Man's Honus Honus Releases New 'Use Your Delusion' Single, "Oh No!"

"Happiness is just an accident," sings Man Man / Mister Heavenly maverick Honus Honus on "Oh No!". Following "Heavy Jesus" and continuing the rollout of his "apocalyptic LA pop" solo record Use Your Delusion, the single is a classic example of sad sentiments stuck in a sunny song.

"Oh No!" combines such lines as "Your heart is bubble-wrapped in permanent depression" with a deft touch of sax, an almost reggae pulse, and some of Honus' most nimble, surfy guitarwork to date for a deceptively delightful package.

Honus explained to Consequence of Sound,

“[Producer King Cyrus King] wasn’t a fan of the song when I initially brought it to the table so it took a bit of convincing to get him onboard. It truly was a situation where when he first heard me demoing it out he went, ‘Oh no, not this song!’ The name was sort of born out of that moment even though the lyrics in the bridge already hinted at a title. Also, ‘Ono’ in this pronunciation is Hawaiian for delicious. Food for thought.

Going into this making this record I wanted to play around with different synth sounds, experiment with brighter, maybe even ‘cheesier’ tones that would draw a sharp contrast to some of the non-breezy lyrical content. I’ve always been a fan of juxtaposing opposing vibes and I love how the tune has a bouncy, summer feel but if you actually listen to what I’m singing, the sentiment is rather melancholy since it’s a song dealing with a breakup and post-breakup healing. But…if you’re someone who just hears the music and could care less about what the song is about, it’s a feel-good jammer and sounds even better when you pump up the volume! True story.”

You can preorder Use Your Delusion, the self-release of which has been pushed back to October 28, through the Pledge Music campaign.

Read our in-depth interview with Honus, in which we discuss his solo record and more, here.

Listen to Dear Blanca's Somber New Single "Some Hearts Never Heal"

South Carolina trio Dear Blanca, fresh off of previous release I Don't Mean to Dwell, two national tours (one of which included opening for Killer Mike and Bernie Sanders), and more, continues the roll-out for their forthcoming EP with the third single, "Some Hearts Never Heal." The track joins "Out Of View" on To Tell A Half-Truth, which is due out September 16 via Post-Echo.

"Some Hearts Never Heal" is a gritty, trembling take on lost love set to coursing guitar jabs and, later on, a layer of somber strings. Its aching lyrical laments of "a hopeless means to no end" were posthumously co-written by deceased family, adding to the depth of emotion.

Frontman Dylan Dickerson, whose vocals often flirt with a crossroads between The Walkmen, Neutral Milk Hotel, and The Decemberists, explained to Transverso,

“‘Some Hearts Never Heal’ focuses almost exclusively on the mental state of Scott Crane, the protagonist of this EP and late uncle of our bassist Cam Powell. His collection of poems and lyrics titled ‘Songs for Jeanette’ served as the source material for this record. This song is meant to portray the fragile condition of a man who is far too consumed with despair to see the good that is left in the world around him.

My earliest songwriting was heavily romantic and in recent years I have strayed away from that. When I got my hands on Crane’s book of poetry I quickly realized it was drenched in romanticism. Having to wrap my head around someone else’s romantic views while molding them into my own interpretation was a unique challenge. The result is what I would consider to be my proudest musical accomplishment.”

Dear Blanca "Some Hearts Never Heal" To Tell A Half-Truth (Pre-Order album here- http://bit.ly/2chblv8) (09/16/20160 http://Post-Echo.com http://DearBlanca.com Facebook- http://on.fb.me/1Pgyb1n Spotify- http://spoti.fi/29uuokY Bandcamp- http://bit.ly/1nfZFsD

Listen to Devon Welsh's Stunning Solo Single "Go Go"

We're still reeling a bit from Majical Cloudz's sudden breakup earlier this year, but former frontman Devon Welsh has been releasing more than enough solo material to patch the holes. Following his A+ debut "collection of songs," Down the Mountain, the brooding Montrealer released "Go Go" on his Bandcamp - an alternatingly languid and uplifting track that is lovely all the way through.

Laid over a delicate bed of synth drawl, "Go Go" sounds as if it's come from an adjacent planet in the same galaxy that spawned Beach House's "Norway," as Welsh's bold vocals wax dynamically over the space.

"If you hold the hand of God / Life's a problem love will solve," he groans. Listening to Welsh has always felt like doing just that.

Sylvan Esso Drop New Single, "Radio," Have Second Album on the Way

Grab your dancing shoes and thinking caps, folks, the Durham Duo is at it again. After successful splash onto to scene with their self-titled debut in 2014, Sylvan Esso is back with a new single. “Radio” which will leave their fans tingling with excitement for the sophomore album, which is set to release sometime in 2017.

The track certainly feels like a continuation rather than a departure (the bouncy bass lines and high hat sounds will be all to familiar), but producer Nick Sanborn (Megafaun, Made of Oak) has also added new textures, synths, and patches creating a fresh sonic landscape. Singer Amelia Meath (Mountain Man) is also in excellent form lyrically, maintaining catchy hooks alongside incisive commentary. “Radio” cuts, rather ironically given its own presumably hit single intentions, the pop-music-machine at the knees:

"Now don't you look good sucking american dick
You're so surprised they like you
You're so cute and so quick
Singin' I've got the moves of a TV queen
Faux girl hero in a magazine
Faking the truth in a new pop song
Don't you wanna sing along"

The single will be released on a 12” along with “Kick Jump Twist,” a song that has cropped up occasionally in their live sets, on 11/18.  In the mean time, the band has announced a Fall US tour, likely featuring new music along the way. So keep your ears open, there are sure to be some more groovy tracks coming your way soon enough.

"Radio / Kick Jump Twist" 12" single available 11/18 via Loma Vista Recordings.

Read our interview with Nick Sanborn here.

Bon Iver Debuts Tempestuous New Single, "33 'GOD,'" off '22, A Million'

Justin Vernon has released another single to precede Bon Iver’s highly anticipated September 30th release, 22, A Million, out on Jagjaguwar, conspicuously titled “33 ‘GOD.'” Arguably the most tamely titled track on an otherwise baffling slate of album tracks, “33 ‘GOD'” is magnificently nebulous in its genre depiction of this newest iteration of Bon Iver.

Where For Emma Forever Ago presented a solitary Vernon coming to terms with myriad personal crises (and creating never ending apocrypha of “the cabin”) and Bon Iver, Bon Iver offered a more musically magnanimous version of Bon Iver (and continued to challenge perceptions of “Bonny Bear”), “33 ‘GOD'” combines both.

The track almost comes off as a combative confluence of Bon Iver new and old - seemingly more expansive (a la Bon Iver, Bon Iver) in its warping musicality, all the while seeming more and more enclosed within Vernon’s personal narratives (For Emma), but being something wholly foreign to previous Bon Iver efforts as well.

Musically, the song is all over the place, but in the most ethereal of compositions – the track opens with soulful piano and heavily distorted samples of Paolo Nutini’s “Iron Sky,” along with Lonnie Holley’s “All Rendered Truth.” Sampling is new territory for Bon Iver, but not Vernon, as his famous collaborations with Kanye West have undoubtedly exposed the Eau Claire native to the act quite a bit.

When Vernon’s trademark Bon Iver falsetto comes in, its familiar, but with a more Kanye-esque auto tune timbre, which warps into a brooding howl at certain points as the heavily modded percussion rumbles toward spiritually pitched breaks that recall a less tempestuous Bon Iver; a Bon Iver far less realized than the one “33 ‘GOD'” present.

It should be noted that lyrically, the song features what is arguably Vernon’s most tangible allusion to personal experience – the Ace Hotel. But even with such a fact, The Ace Hotel is a chain, featuring 9 different locations, so insight into what personal allusion the reference holds in Vernon’s journey is still entirely shrouded – as Vernon undoubtedly would prefer it to stay.

It seems unlikely that Vernon will release any more tracks from 22, A Million considering there have already been three singles released prior to the album’s release, and “33 ‘GOD'” just so happened to release on the evening of the same day 22, A Million had its first substantial leak.

That being said, 22, A Million appears to be shaping up as a titan of the 2016 release schedule, and a certifiable top-5 album of 2016 contender.

http://smarturl.it/BI_22AM 22, A Million Out September 30 on Jagjaguwar Created/Produced/Directed by Aaron Anderson & Eric Timothy Carlson Artwork by Eric Timothy Carlson Source Video by Kyle Frenette