David Gilmour Releases Title-Track from and Details Forthcoming Solo LP 'Rattle That Lock,' Announces Tour

Former Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour has released the title-track from his forthcoming solo LP Rattle That Lock which is due out September 18 via Columbia Records.

The song itself begins with four notes from the intercom system in French SNCF railway stations, curiously enough, which Gilmour captured on his phone while at the Aix-en-Provence station. Combined with a roving bass groove, a backing choir, and a quintessentially Gilmour guitar solo, "Rattle That Lock" is a sign of good things to come.

The record features Roxy Music’s Phil Manzanera and Jools Hollands, and contains lyrics primarily written by Gilmour's wife, novelist Polly Samson (who also worked with him on his preceding LP, 2006's #1 platinum album On An Island) that are inspired by John Milton's Paradise Lost.

In addition to the usual formats, Rattle That Lock will be available in a deluxe box edition, which includes a staggering four Barn Jam films, four non-album audio tracks, four documentaries, two promo clips, two hardback books, a double-sided poster, a postcard in a dedicated envelope, and a David Gilmour plectrum (which is the fancy word English rock legends use for guitar picks).

Hear the single and check out the tracklist and tour dates below.

Rattle That Lock

1. 5 A.M
2. Rattle That Lock
3. Faces Of Stone
4. A Boat Lies Waiting
5. Dancing Right In Front Of Me
6. In Any Tongue
7. Beauty
8. The Girl In The Yellow Dress
9. Today

David Gilmour Tour Dates:

09/12 – Pula, HR @ Arena Pula
09/14 – Verona, IT @ Verona Arena
09/15 – Florence, IT @ Teatro Le Mulina
09/17 – Orange, FR @ Theatre Antique
09/19 – Oberhausen, DE @ König Pilsener Arena
09/23 – London, UK @ The Royal Albert Hall
09/24 – London, UK @ The Royal Albert Hall
09/25 – London, UK @ The Royal Albert Hall
03/24 – Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Bowl
03/31 – Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre
04/08 – Chicago, IL @ United Center
04/11 – New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden

Rattle That Lock is available for preorder here.

Bon Iver Ends Eaux Claires Fest With Two New Songs

In spite of Justin Vernon’s insistence that there are no future plans for Bon Iver, the band played two new songs last night during their headline set at Vernon’s own Eaux Claires Music and Arts Festival. Maybe this means they’re at it again. We’ll have to wait and see.

Listen to them below:

Cold War Kids Release New Music Video for "One Song At A Time," New Tour Dates, Put 'Five Quick Cuts' EP Online

Cold War Kids' special Record Store Day release Five Quick Cuts, a compilation of tracks left off of the band's 2014 LP Hold My Home, is now available outside of its originally exclusive vinyl format on iTunes and Spotify, which you can stream below.

One of these five quick cuts, "One Song At A Time," has also been given a frenetically kaleidoscopic music video in which frontman Nathan Willett belts out the vocals while miming every instrument as a one man show.  

Check out the entire EP and full set of tour dates below.

Cold War Kids Tour:

07/17 – Louisville, KY @ Forecast Festival
07/24 – Clifton Park, NY @ Upstate Concert Hall
07/30 – Chicago, IL @ Park West
07/31 – Chicago, IL @ Lollapalooza
08/07 – San Francisco, CA @ Outside Lands
08/15 – Los Angeles, CA @ Annenberg Space for Photography
08/22 – Wantagh, NY @ Billboard Hot 100 Festival
08/28-30 – Denver, CO @ Riot Fest Denver
09/12 – Sterling Heights MI @ Freedom Hill Amphitheatre
09/13 – Sterling Heights, MI @ Chill On The Hill @ Freedom Hill Amphitheatre
09/18-20 – Clayton, GA @ Campfest @Camp BlueRidge
09/24 – Tempe, AZ @ Summer Ends Music Festival
10/17 – Reno, NV @ Retrac East
10/23 – New Haven, CT @ Toad’s Place 
10/24 – New York, NY @ Terminal 5
10/25 – Washington DC @ 9:30 Club
10/28 – Philadelphia, PA @ Fillmore
10/28 – Boston, MA @– House of Blues

Wilco Just Surprise Released a Free New Album Called 'Star Wars'

No, this actually isn't a joke.

Wilco, the band, have just released an album named after Star Wars, the movie series. They did it today, with no notice, and are giving it away for free, here, for a "limited time." Definitely no questions there, right?

"Why release an album this way and why make it free? Well, the biggest reason, and I'm not sure we even need any others, is that it felt like it would be fun. What's more fun than a surprise?” Jeff Tweedy said in a Facebook post.

The surprise LP consists of 11 original tracks and makes you wonder if Wilco aren't from Chicago after all, but rather a galaxy far, far away. Marina Towers always did remind me a little of Cloud City.

Arcade Fire Announce Debut Feature Film Containing New Music 'The Reflektor Tapes,' Release Previews

Arcade Fire will release their first feature film, The Reflektor Tapes, in theaters worldwide on September 24th for a limited time, according to an official statement.

The film is directed by 2013 Sundance Grand Jury Prize for Short Films winner Kahlil Joseph (who has also worked with artists including Kendrick Lamar, FKA Twigs, and Flying Lotus) and will be "a unique cinematic experience, meeting at the crossroads of documentary, music, art and personal history."

According to a press release, The Reflektor Tapes will contain footage from Arcade Fire's recent tour in support of their last album Reflektor, as well as 20 minutes of film shot specifically for the project, and, perhaps most excitingly, a new, previously unreleased song from the band.

Two previews have been released so far, including a "First Look Trailer" and an eight-minute excerpt of the film based around one of Reflektor's best tracks, "Porno." Both are absolutely entrancing and exhilarating, and you should check them out below.

Ticket information and theater listings will be posted on the project's official website when made available.

Curiously, both the site and trailer were temporarily taken down, but have since been made available again.

Dale Earnhardt Jr Jr Are Changing Their Name

When we interviewed the Detroit-based duo now formerly known as Dale Earnhardt Jr Jr we, like most people who met them, asked them about their name. Specifically, we asked:

“TRANSVERSO MEDIA: So I have to ask, what’s the story behind the name?

DALE EARNHARDT JR JR: We wanted a name that wouldn’t restrict our sound. It’s so outrageous that it gives us freedom to sound like anything we want.

TM: Will your children carry on the legacy as Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. Jr.?

DEJJ: Never.

TM: Is Dale himself a fan?

DEJJ: He is. He says so in a video on Tumblr via Fox Sports. ”

It seems they no longer feel the same way about their peculiar moniker as they did then however, as they have announced today that they will now be known simply as JR JR instead. It remains to be seen if their children will carry on the legacy as JR JR JR or not. Check out the full statement pulled from the band's website below.

““Hey Guys,

First off let me say that it’s pretty cool to hear from you. I was made aware of your work through some friends as you have become more popular over the last year. Even Jimmy Johnson, a fellow driver and teammate sent me a link wondering if I had come across your music.

I was not quite sure what had prompted you to choose the name Dale Earnhardt Jr, Jr…..but I thought it was clever and I personally have no problem with your band’s name. You will not hear from any lawyers on our end should you choose to keep the name. At this time I’m under the impression you wish to change the name (per you manager). But in all honesty, who wouldn’t be flattered? I certainly don’t see it as mockery or anything of that sort. And your letter further states your intentions as being nothing but the best.

I have listened to some of your work and do enjoy it. I wish you all the best in the future, and you have gained a fan here.

Best of luck and be safe.”

-Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Dear Friends, Fans, Internet Users, And Everyone Else Out There

We wish to address you one final time as Dale Earnhardt Jr Jr.

The above message was one we received in 2011 from Dale the driver himself, and well… a lot has happened since then.

A bit of backstory is probably in order…

What started out as a basement recording project in 2009 has become a full time career for us, and we are eternally grateful for the opportunity that it has given us to make music and work on art the past few years.

As we prepared to release our first full length album on Warner Brothers Records back in 2011, our band name became a topic of concern among people who work with us. The concerns were y’know… legal ones. Bands stuck in courtrooms have a tough time touring and making records so it was decided that the name needed to be addressed, and possibly even changed. As much of a hail mary as it seemed as the time, our solution was to just write Dale Earnhardt Jr himself and explain we were in no way making light of him or his family, that we were fans of his and hoped he wouldn’t take offense to our existence.

What’s crazy is he actually wrote us back…

The note you see at the beginning of this email is what we received after we were able to get our message to him about our intentions. The exceptionally good natured spirit of the man himself lifted everyone’s spirits about the name. We were proud to keep it, and create under it. To this day, Dale Earnhardt Jr has been nothing but gracious and cool about things. And y’know…he didn’t have to be. It was perfectly within his right to look at these two weird kids from Detroit and say ’no way’, or to just have an intermediary shut things down on his behalf. But he didn’t. He was a legitimately warm human being about it all. He was kind. A couple of times when asked about us, he even mentioned that he likes the music we make. This, we thought, was the best case scenario.

When we initially chose the name Dale Earnhardt Jr Jr, the feeling was that it gave us an amazing flexibility. We were just meeting as people, and hadn’t begun to scratch the surface of knowing what our voice, as a band or each individually, would be. Band names are a weird thing to begin with, but we figured if we named our band Dale Earnhardt Jr Jr there would be no expectations for what we were meant to sound like. Something that bizarre would just have to be listened to and judged without preconception. And realistically, we never thought so many people would be up for taking that sort of a listening experience on.

But people really did. You guys did. And since then we’ve been continually overwhelmed by seeing so many people around the world having such a passionate connection with the things we have made. What we’ve been able to do, as a result of our amazing fans, fills us with a lot of pride.

The flip side is that as things have grown, so has the amount of confusion caused by the name Dale Earnhardt Jr Jr. Some of it is no big deal and easily cleared up. But sometimes we get sad and bizarre requests sent to our social media sites or emailed to people we work with. We’ve had people drive long distances to shows only to be disappointed when they realize it’s a neurotic Jew and wild haired gentile from Detroit they’ve paid to see. A number of times now we’ve received hope filled inquiries from people who have dying relatives that only want to meet Dale Earnhardt Jr (the driver) before they pass. Those sorts of interactions feel a little voyeuristic and eerie, and even attempting to simply clarify the situation means you’ve added a moment of embarrassment to someone’s day when they’re already going through a lot.

We recognize that we created this situation and that the name has been a part of getting to where we are now. It stirred up some attention for us in the modern internet world of over-stimulation, and we aren’t complaining about any of it–good and bad. The name has become it’s own personality, though. Almost, another member of the band.

But as time has passed, we have grown into ourselves, both as artists and individuals. Each of our perspectives have gotten stronger, and we’ve found that there is no longer room for a third, ubiquitous member of the project.

So recently, after a lot of thought and discussion, we made the decision to shorten our band name to the much more brief moniker of…

JR JR

We hope this doesn’t bum you guys out too much. In our mind, changing our name to JR JR allows us to take back our voice in a way. To us It is all about empowerment, and being who we feel we need to be moving forward.

At the same time, we don’t want to run away from what we’ve done under this name with all of you in the past. If you need us to remain Dale Earnhardt Jr Jr for your own reasons, we have no problem with you calling us that. After all, nobody is forcing us into this change, so we’re able to do it at our own pace. Functionally, we will go on performing as Dale Earnhardt Jr Jr for a short while longer so that nothing feels imminently different when we announce shows. We probably even have a few t-shirts with the old name left that we’ll burn through the last of in the coming months.

But in the long run we’re going to transition into just being JR JR. We encourage you all to come out to the next show near you and celebrate another phase of life with us. The past is passed, and we are so excited about the future. We hope there is nothing mournful about this.

ESPECIALLY… because we’ll have another announcement very very soon. One that we hope gives all of you out there a reason to move forward with us as JR JR.

Ok, this has gotten lengthy so we’ll leave it at that for now.

Thank you for allowing us into your worlds…We are eternally grateful for the privilege

yours truly,

Josh & Daniel

who at times have referred to themselves as Dale Earnhardt Jr Jr

but are now going to be known as the much easier to say…

JR JR”

Read out interview with JR JR and see photos from their recent tour here.

Youth Lagoon Releases New Single "The Knower," Details Forthcoming Album 'Savage Hills Ballroom'

Trevor Powers, better known as Youth Lagoon, recently released a 7" for free through select record stores called "The Knower." This record contained a handwritten URL that led fans to this site that announced a forthcoming LP titled Savage Hills Ballroom.

That album now has a release date, September 25 via Fat Possum Records, and that single has now been put online for your listening pleasure. You can check it out, along with the tracklist and current tour dates, below.

On new track "The Knower" Powers continues to oscillate within his peculiar mixture of mousey and bold as he has in prior releases, but now branches out beyond his typical introspection, crooning more outward lyrics including "Oh, everybody wants to think that they're good at heart / When they're full of hate."

Musically, Powers has added some brass instrumentation and seems to have moved away from the lower-fi tendencies that so characterized his psychedelic tunes in the past. According to NPR, he relocated to Bristol where he lived and worked with producer and engineer Ali Chant (Perfume Genius), taking "a more focused turn toward dark, bittersweet electronic pop."

Savage Hills Ballroom

1. Officer Telephone
2. Highway Patrol Stun Gun
3. The Knower
4. No One Can Tell
5. Doll's Estate
6. Rotten Human
7. Kerry
8. Again
9. Free Me
10. X-Ray

Current Tour Dates:

9/10 - Bozeman, MT @ Filling Station
09/11 - Missoula, MT @ Top Hat
09/12 - Boise, ID @ Egyptian Theatre
09/21 - Brooklyn, NY @ Rough Trade
09/24 - London, England @ XOYO
09/26 - Paris, France @ Cafe De La Danse
09/28 - Brussels, Belgium @ Rotonde, Botanique
09/30 - Amsterdam, Netherlands @ Bitterzoet
10/2 - Berlin, Germany @ Magnet Club
10/4 - Copenhagen, Denmark @ Jazzhouse

Stream Forthcoming Tame Impala Album 'Currents'

Tame Impala's much anticipated third LP Currents that you certainly didn't have any way of hearing before now has officially become available for streaming over at NPR ahead of its release via Interscope this Friday, July 17. Check it out below.

Youth Lagoon Announces New Album 'Savage Hills Ballroom'

Just hours after psychedelic dreampop master Trevor Powers, better known as Youth Lagoon, released a free 7" through select record stores worldwide today, it was discovered that the records contained a handwritten URL that led here, announcing the name of the his now forthcoming third LP, Savage Hills Ballroom.

The album will contain 10 tracks and follow The Year of Hibernation which came out in 2011 and 2013's Wondrous Bughouse, both on Fat Possum Records.

Youth Lagoon is Releasing a Free 7" in Record Stores Today

The official Youth Lagoon Facebook page has announced a new single called "The Knower" will be released as a toffee-colored 7" in select record stores worldwide for free (but "get there early," the post warns) today. You can see the full map of locations here.