The Black Keys – Run Right Back

Check out a radio rip of The Black Keys’ “Run Right Back,” the B-Side to “Lonely Boy” which will be released on Record Store Day on vinyl. The forthcoming album El Camino drops December 6th.

The Black Keys – Run Right Back

Drake – The Ride

Drake’s forthcoming album Take Care has leaked in full. Since “The Ride” was the only song not included on the earlier leak, I figured I’d share it here.

Enjoy.

Drake – The Ride

Childish Gambino – Camp

You probably know him as Troy Barnes from NBC’s hit show “Community.” And if you don’t, then you should. Donald Glover (no relation to Danny) is a hilarious and fantastic actor. Which is why I was initially hesitant when I heard that he also rapped. How many times are actors/musicians/athletes able to shine when they cross over into another form of entertainment? Shaq and Allen Iverson’s rap albums were terrible. Some people like Bon Jovi’s acting, but I think he’s horrible. Ludacris was great in “Crash” but that’s the exception to the rule.

New Music: Mumford and Sons, The Mountain Goats, and Amy Winehouse

Despite the weather turning sour and the year drawing to a close, we have no shortage of new music these days. I haven’t been able to post that much this week (NaNoWriMo is occupying much of my free time), but there are a few great songs that I couldn’t not share.

• I’m not the hugest Mumford & Sons fan. But since I’ve recently begun playing mandolin, I’ve been trying to dabble in music that has more of a bluegrass tinge to it. Though this is mostly indie alt rock, there’s definitely a bluegrass taste to this band and this track – “Ghosts That We Knew,” which they debuted on Philly’s Radio 104.5.
• John Darnielle of The Mountain Goats captivates my attention whenever he releases anything at all. The ID3 tags that Mr. Darnielle put on this track before releasing in on Twitter define the genre as “plaguecore” as the song does happen to be about a plague. The song is called “Thucydides II-58” so my guess is that JD is talking about the Plague of Athens, which Thucydides – the Greek historian and inventor of scientific history – survived. History aside, it’s a great lo-fi acoustic track.
• And finally, two of Ms. Amy Winehouse‘s songs have been posthumously released. We have a collaboration with Nas called “Like Smoke” which juxtaposes Amy’s soulful voice with Nas’ flow, and a poppy soulful number called “Our Day Will Come.” Hearing the tracks is bittersweet; that they’re so good only shows us how great of a talent we truly lost.

Mumford & Sons – Ghosts That We Knew

The Mountain Goats – Thucydides II-58

Amy Winehouse (feat. Nas) – Like Smoke

Amy Winehouse – Our Day Will Come

Damien Rice – One

I’ve already posted Jack White’s cover of “Love Is Blindness” for the U2 cover album AHK-toong BAY-bi. But after hearing Damien Rice’s stunning version of “One,” I couldn’t not share it.

you can’t be holding on to what I’ve got when all I’ve got is hurt

Beautiful. Haunting. Emotive. Perfect.

Damien Rice – One (U2 cover)

The Black Keys – Lonely Boy

The Black Keys have done it again, this time with a hilarious video for the first single off their forthcoming album El Camino. Just watch.

The Black Keys – Lonely Boy

 

Jack White – Love Is Blindness

Jack White is ruddy brilliant. Vocally. Instrumentally. Interpretationally (sic). His cover of U2’s “Love Is Blindness” for the album AHK-toong BAY-bi, a cover album of of Achtung Baby, celebrating the seminal album’s 20th anniversary.

Thanks to Consequences of Sound for posting the track, and be sure to check it out below, as well as a live version of the U2 original.

Jack White – Love Is Blindness

U2 – Love Is Blindness

T.I. – I’m Flexin’

T.I. was released from his post-prison halfway house on September 29th and released “I’m Flexin'” the very next day, featuring Big K.R.I.T.

T.I. – I’m Flexin’ (feat. Big K.R.I.T)

Lou Reed & Metallica – The View

Metallica was my favorite band in middle school. And then I saw Pearl Jam in concert, they put out St. Anger, and I moved on. It was time, and they were really beginning to suck.

However, the news of a collaboration with Lou Reed – which surfaced almost two years ago, after the two groups played together at the 2009 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 25th Anniversary Concert, was intriguing, to say the least. The first full track to be released of the forthcoming album Lulu, is called “The View” and it’s, well, really bad.

Lou Reed has done some weird stuff in the past (Metal Machine Music was described by Rolling Stone as “the tubular groaning of a galactic refrigerator”) and Metallica has put out some pretty horrible stuff as well (anything after 1999). But both have also created some of the greatest and most innovative rock albums – taking their respective genres to new levels, spawning scores of imitators, and changing the face of music as we knew it. A collaboration that combined aspects of the latter would be mind-boggling. Sadly, this song is a strange combination of the former – spoken word nonsense by Reed over a sludgy Metallica riff, sans all of the speed-metal brilliance that made Metallica great, and without any of Mr. Reed’s talent.

The potential for this collab was so high, and that the result is this abysmal should be saddening to music fans everywhere.

Lou Reed & Metallica – The View

James Vincent McMorrow – Wicked Game

Last week I shared an iPhone-recorded version of James Vincent McMorrow’s cover of Chris Isaak’s “Wicked Games.” Now, for your listening/download pleasure is fantastic version of the the song as performed at the Kilkenny Arts Festival in Ireland.

Grab/stream the track below, and if you haven’t purchased James’ album Early In The Morning, you can do so here. Additionally, check out his Tiny Desk Show and remaining tour dates.

James Vincent McMorrow – Wicked Game

TOUR:
9/23 San Francisco, CA @ Slim’s
9/24 Los Angeles, CA @ Bootleg Theater
9/25 Los Angeles, CA @ Bootleg Theater