“Neptune” — Azealia Banks
Our favourite up and coming Princess of Hip Hop, Azealia Banks, is at it again, this time releasing a new track “Neptune,” off her underwater-themed mixtape Fantasea. “Neptune,” featuring English rapper/songwriter Shystie, is a charming track that mixes Banks’ Caribbean influences with R&B, her laidback, sultry vocals, with Shystie’s feisty rhymes. All accompanied by a whimsical beat and production that makes the whole jam sound like it was recorded underwater. Check out Fantasea for 19 new Banks tracks.
“It’s Only Life” — The Shins
The Shin’s second single off their newest album Port of Morrow comes in the form of a post-apocalyptic music video. “It’s Only Life” is a slower ballad about overcoming inner demons and troubled times, and The Shins knocked it out of the park with this unconventional video. We see a young boy and his dog being the last survivors in the area, taking advantage of their lonely surroundings, while Mercer slowly gets dragged away by a group of creatures that look like a way scarier version of the monster from M. Night Shymalan’s The Village. The song is sublime and the metaphoric video works perfectly.
“Runaways” — The Killers Read more…
The Shins’ new music video for “The Rifle’s Spiral” is a dark tale of the battle between good and evil magicians, told in stop-motion animation. The video was directed by Emmy Award-winning director Jamie Caliri and has a Tim Burton vibe.
The video follows a bejeweled magician playing to an invisible crowd who “borrows” a rabbit from a cruel sorcerer. When they track down the thief, things get a little wild.
“The Rifle’s Spiral” is the lead track from their latest album, Port of Morrow.
Watch it below:
In andPOP’s new Monday column, Azra Kassam will compile a weekly dose of pop culture to help get you through a rough week. It’s your weekly prescription.
Gotye’s new video for “Easy Way Out”
Director Darcy Prendergast said his goal with Gotye’s music video for his second single was to have the “viewer’s cerebral cortex sliding down the computer screen.” His combination of real-life and stop-motion animation definitely achieves this.
The Shins perform “Simple Song” on Saturday Night Live
Last Saturday, The Shins performed their new single “Simple Song” on SNL. During the past five years the band completely reshuffled, with James Mercer as the only original returning band member. Still, the group performed tightly with a fresh, euphoric sound. Their new album Port of Morrow will be released Mar. 20 and if the rest of the album is anything like “Simple Song,” it’s sure to be a good one.
Beach House drops “Myth”
If the previous songs are too upbeat for you, try Beach House’s “Myth” on for size. Their sophomore album Bloom will be released May 15 and judging from the first single “Myth,” the band stays true to their wistful sound. With soft drums, an acoustic guitar and a rolling piano line, “Myth” will take you on a swirling adventure.
Beach Fossils release video for Shallow
Boys will be boys…while making sweet music and showing off their fun lives as musicians. Brooklyn band Beach Fossils’ homemade music video for “Shallow” will make you want to attempt parkour with them, write obscenities on mirrors, and indulge in their foolish antics on tour. Oh, and the song rocks too. [ChartAttack]
The Walkmen cover U2
Remember U2? Indie rockers The Walkmen certainly do, and they created a charming medley of U2’s “Pride (In the Name of Love),” “With or Without You,” and “Sunday Bloody Sunday.” Apparently, the band was fooling around after a long day, and they spontaneously came up with this medley as their producer secretly recorded it. The result is an obviously rough track, but shows off their creativity and inadvertently makes U2 relevant again. Listen to it at their website. [ChartAttack]
The setting in the new video for the Shins’ Bait and Switch is a high school rock band’s paradise, a step up from their parents’ garage. The video features the band rocking out in a wood-panneled room at night. It’s comparatively simple (go figure) than the morbid video for their previous release Simple Song.
The two songs are taken from their upcoming fourth studio album Port of Morrow, which is out on March 20. James Mercer’s quirky and charming lyrics are perfect for a chill-out weekend morning.
Watch the video below:
Family battles and a hidden property deed are the main subject matters of The Shins’ new music video for “Simple Song.” Singer and instrumentalist James Mercer stars as a recently deceased and formerly sadistic father who pulls one last menacing prank on his three children. The practical joke is even worse because he doesn’t get to see how it’s played out.
Though the subject matter is disturbing, it’s handled with humour. I also love that it’s shot in a home-video style. [ChartAttack]
The Shins are getting closer and closer to releasing their long-awaited third album. The band has decided on a final track-list for the record, their first since 2003′s “Chutes Too Narrow.”
Billboard reports that “Wincing the Night Away” will feature 11 tracks, with the first single, “Phantom Limb,” hitting iTunes on November 14. The release will also feature exclusive b-side “Nothing at All” and an alternate take of “Spilt Needles.” Non-digital versions of the single will be in stores the following week.
The record itself is currently slated to hit streets January 23, 2007, though it has already been pushed back numerous times.
The band plans to tour in support of the record sometime next year.
Here’s the full track-list for “Wincing the Night Away,” out this January on SubPop:
1. “Sleeping Lessons”
2. “Australia”
3. “Pam Berry”
4. “Phantom Limb”
5. “Sea Legs”
6. “Red Rabbits”
7. “Turn on Me”
8. “Black Wave”
9. “Spilt Needles”
10. “Girl Sailor”
11. “A Comet Appears”
The Shins (otherwise known as the cash register sound to their indie label, Sub Pop) has finally revealed the details of their long-awaited third album.
Billboard reports that “Wincing the Night Away” will actually be released in January (as had been tentatively scheduled), and will probably hold 10 tracks.
“It would have been great to have released this a year ago, but the benefits [of waiting] are big,” said front-man James Mercer on Wednesday. “I’m constantly reminded of how much better the project gets as new discoveries are made.”
A number of song titles have also been announced, including “Red Rabbits,” “Sea Legs,” “Spelling Lessons,” “Spilled Needles,” “A Comet Appears” and the Jesus and Mary Chain-influenced “Phantom Limb.”
According to Mercer, the band stretched their style on this follow-up to 2003′s “Chutes Too Narrow.” He says that both “psychedelic” and “hip-hop” influences have found their way on to the final cuts.
The album is set to be mixed over the coming weeks in Portland, OR.
The long-awaited third LP from The Shins has been pushed back again. Originally expected this summer and then slated for release in October, the album is now set to drop in early 2007.
Billboard reports that the newest anticipated release date for the record was confirmed by a spokesperson for Sub Pop, the band’s label.
As for the band members themselves, they say the increased wait time will be well worth it for fans.
“We have never been more happy with anything that we’ve ever recorded before,” the group said in a posting on their web site. “And we can definitely say that it is due to the fact that we’ve been given so much time to perfect it. The record is the best we’ve ever done.”
The Shins have debuted a number of new songs during recent tour dates, including “Circus Walk, “Australia,” “Phantom,” “New Step” and “Won One Too Many Fights.” It is not known which tracks, if any, will end up on the record.
Their last release, 2003′s “Chutes Too Narrow,” has sold almost 400,000 copies in the U.S.
