Foo Fighters Return From Hiatus With Live Show

After a year off the stage to take a break from the limelight, it seems that alternative rockers Foo Fighters are back in action!

The band held a private fundraiser open to very limited individuals (presumably some very generous donors) at an unknown venue in Los Angeles, California on October 15, with several special guests and a plethora of covers (including The Police, David Bowie, and Sex Pistols).

The band has been on indefinite hiatus since the end of 2015's Sonic Highways tour. Producer Butch Vig said in an interview that Dave Grohl had told him "I am toast - I need to go home and stop and just recuperate, I need to go dark for a while." Speaking to KROQ, guitarist Chris Shiflett added: "We were on the road for at least a year or so for [Wasting Light], but then we were also traveling when we made [Sonic Highways], so that kind of felt like we were on the road [for another] year and a half or so." It seems the band are ready to get back at it, or are at least getting the juices flowing.

The band's setlist was as follows:

1. Learn To Fly
2. My Hero
3. Stay (I Missed You) (Lisa Loeb cover) (w/ Lisa Loeb)
4. Moonage Daydream (David Bowie cover) (w/ Lisa Loeb)
5. Times Like These
6. Bodies (Sex Pistols cover) (w/ Steve Jones)
7. Silly Thing (Sex Pistols cover) (w/ Steve Jones)
8. Stay With Me (Faces cover) (w/ Steve Jones)
9. All My Life
10. Excesses (Klark Kent cover) (w/ Stewart Copeland)
11. Message In A Bottle (The Police cover) (w/ Stewart Copeland)
12. Everlong
13. Monkey Wrench
14. I Can't Drive 55 (Sammy Hagar cover) (w/ Sammy Hagar)
15. Finish What Ya Started (Van Halen cover) (w/ Sammy Hagar)
16. Rock and Roll (Led Zeppelin cover) (w/ Sammy Hagar)
17. Miss You (The Rolling Stones cover) (w/ Jeff Probst)
18. Been Caught Stealing (Jane's Addiction cover) (w/ Perry Farrell)
19. Time Is On My Side (Kai Winding & His Orchestra cover) (w/ Perry Farrell)
20. Had A Dad (Jane's Addiction cover) (w/ Perry Farrell)
21. Best Of You
22. Detroit Rock City (KISS cover) (w/ Paul Stanley)
23. Do You Love Me (KISS cover) (w/ Paul Stanley)
24. I Was Made For Lovin' You (KISS cover) (w/ Paul Stanley)
25. Whole Lotta Love / Rock and Roll (Led Zeppelin cover) (w/ Paul Stanley) 

Are the Foos back? What do you think? It's been a long while since Sonic Highways - hopefully this is a sign of things to come!

Depeche Mode Announce Album + Tour Plans For 2017

The forerunners of electronic rock Depeche Mode are getting geared up for a busy year in 2017. They announced a new album today, slated for release next year, as well as a tour in support of it.

The band's new album Spirit will be their fourteenth record, the follow-up to 2013's Delta Machine. There is no confirmed release date yet, but the band have claimed they are looking at a spring 2017 release.

Along with details of the album came a massive 32-date tour in support of the record, entitled the Global Spirit Tour. The tour starts up in May and will see the band performing throughout Europe until July. The proceeds of the tour will go to charity:water, an organization aimed at bringing safe, clean water to those around the globe who can't easily access it. The tour dates are as follows: 

• May 5, 2016 - Stockholm, Sweden (Friends Arena)
• May 7, 2016 - Amsterdam, Netherlands (Ziggo Dome)
• May 9, 2016 - Antwerp, Belgium (Sportpaleis)
• May 12, 2016 - Nice, France (Stade Charles-Ehrmann)
• May 14, 2016 - Ljubljana, Slovenia (Dvorana Stožice)
• May 17, 2016 - Athens, Greece (Terra Vibe Park)
• May 20, 2016 - Bratislava, Slovakia (Štadión Pasienky)
• May 22, 2016 - Budapest, Hungary (Groupama Aréna)
• May 24, 2016 - Prague, Czech Republic (Eden Aréna)
• May 27, 2016 - Leipzig, Germany (Festwiese)
• May 29, 2016 - Lille, France (Stade Pierre-Mauroy)
• May 31, 2016 - Copenhagen, Denmark (Telia Parken)
• June 3, 2016 - London, England (London Stadium)
• June 5, 2016 - Cologne, Germany (RheinEnergieStadion)
• June 9, 2016 - Munich, Germany (Olympiastadion)
• June 11, 2016 - Hannover, Germany (HDI Arena)
• June 18, 2016 - Zurich, Switzerland (Letzigrund Stadion)
• June 20, 2016 - Frankfurt, Germany (Commerzbank-Arena)
• June 22, 2016 - Berlin, Germany (Olympiastadion)
• June 25, 2016 - Rome, Italy (Stadio Olimpico)
• June 27, 2016 - Milan, Italy (Stadio San Siro)
• June 29, 2016 - Bologna, Italy (Stadio Rentao Dall'Ara)
• July 1, 2016 - Paris, France (Stade de France)
• July 4, 2016 - Gelsenkirchen, Germany (Veltins-Arena)
• July 6, 2016 - Bilbao, Spain (BBK Live Festival)
• July 8, 2016 - Lisbon, Portugal (NOS Alive Festival)
• July 13, 2016 - St. Petersburg, Russia (SKK)
• July 15, 2016 - Moscow, Russia (Otkritie Arena)
• July 17, 2016 - Minsk, Belarus (Minsk-Arena)
• July 19, 2016 - Kiev, Ukraine (Olimpiyskiy National Sports Complex)
• July 21, 2016 - Warsaw, Poland (PGE Narodowy)
• July 23, 2016 - Cluj-Napoca, Romania (Cluj Arena)

Before 2017 rolls around, the band will also be releasing a collection of their videography on November 11, entitled the Video Singles Collection. In a statement, the band said "It's been amazing to go back and relive all the experiences and memories these videos evoke after all these years. It's incredible to have all our videos finally together in one place, and we're hoping our fans enjoy this journey through time as much as we did." We'll keep you updated on the band's upcoming album and 2017 antics.

Pink Floyd "Reunite" For The Women Of The Gaza Freedom Flotilla

Members of the legendary progressive rock band Pink Floyd are "reuniting" in support of the Women Of The Gaza Freedom Flotilla Coalition, an global organization aimed at ending the siege of Muslim women's rights in Gaza, Egypt. The organization was illegally arrested and stopped in international waters by the Israeli Defense Force.

The band released a statement on their Facebook page Thursday stating the following:

The Women Of The Gaza Freedom Flotilla Coalition recently announced the details of their "Women's Boat To Gaza" initiative, in which a series of ships will set sail to challenge the Israeli blockade, as well as give hope to the Palestinian people. The boats set sail to Gaza in mid-September. For more information, see the organization's website.

The band also released a remix of the classic track 'Childhood's End' from the seventh album, Obscured By Clouds which was originally released in 1972. The new mix was done by Andy Jackson and Damon Iddins, and serves as a promotional single from the band's upcoming collection Pink Floud: The Early Years (1965-1972), which will be released this November.

The extent of this "reunion" is unknown - whether it is nothing beyond this statement or if it means shows in support of the cause or new music is on the way is yet to be seen, but what we do know is that it's great to see a band of this caliber support such a cause.

Bruno Mars' New Album Is Done + A New Single Ahead

Early this morning (October 3), Bruno Mars announced that he has finished his third album on Twitter! The album marks the pop sensation's first record since 2012's Unorthodox Jukebox.

MY ALBUM IS DONE!

— Bruno Mars (@BrunoMars) October 3, 2016

Mars has been working on the new record throughout 2016, remaining quiet about his work. While no date was announced with the album announcement, a date for the album's first single, '24k Magic' was announced - that's dropping this Friday, October 7. In an Instagram caption, Mars stated, "You can call it my first single, but I call it the invitation to the party," along with some firework and champagne emojis. The hype is on!

Excited to announce 24k Magic, out this Friday!! You can call it my first single, but I call it the invitation to the party. #24KMagic 💥💥💥🍾🍾🍾

A photo posted by Bruno Mars (@brunomars) on Oct 3, 2016 at 3:33am PDT

Ready for some new Bruno Mars? It's been awhile since we've seen his own material, and people are getting sick of 'Uptown Funk'. It's time for a new wave of funk to wash through!

Brand New Push Back Album Release, To Perform Iconic Record In Full

Alternative rock band Brand New have been busy working on a new record - rumored to be their last - and touring, but fans may need to wait a bit longer to hear the new material.

The band released a statement (as shown below) on the progress of the record, stating that "there exists a collection of songs that, right now, would call fit to be an album," but go on to say the album isn't complete to them, yet. While they planned to release a record this year, the ending sentence of the paragraph confirms "Brand New will not release a record in 2016."

What the band will be doing, however, is performing their major label debut third effort, The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me in its entirety on their upcoming fall tour in honor of its ten-year anniversary. The band has been touring North America since June, and are gearing up for another excursion across the country in October and November. It is unknown if the band will continue to perform the album in December when they head to Europe.

Read the full statement released by the band below:

Catch The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me performed in its entirety at these shows in October and November:

• October 13, 2016: Rochester, New York (Main Street Armory)
• October 14, 2016: Glens Falls, New York (Glens Falls Civic Center) 
• October 15, 2016: Portland, Maine (Cross Insurance Arena)
• October 17, 2016: Wallingford, Connecticut (Oakdale Theater)
• October 18, 2016: Ithaca, New York (Ithaca College and Events Athletic Center)
• October 20, 2016: Cleveland, Ohio (Wolstein Center)
• October 21, 2016: Grand Rapids, Michigan (Deltaplex)
• October 22, 2016: Milwaukee, Wisconsin (Eagles Ballroom)
• October 23, 2016: St. Paul, Minnesota (Roy Wilkins Auditorium)
• October 25, 2016: Sioux City, South Dakota (The District)
• October 27, 2016: Missoula, Montana (Adams Center)
• October 28, 2016: Garden City, Idaho (Revolution Event Center)
• October 29, 2016: Reno, Nevada (Grand Sierra Resort)
• October 31, 2016:  San Jose, California (Event Center @ San Jose University)
• November 1, 2016: Las Vegas, Nevada (The Chelsea @ The Cosmopolitan)
• November 3, 2016: El Paso, Texas (El Paso County Coliseum)
• November 5, 2016: Corpus Christi, Texas (Concrete Street)
• November 7, 2016: Birmingham, Alabama (Alabama Theater)
• November 8, 2016: Greenville, South Carolina (Ben Secours Arena)
• November 10, 2016: Fairfax, Virginia (Eagle Bank Arena)
• November 11, 2016: Allentown, Pennsylvania (PPL Center)
• November 12, 2016: University Park, Pennsylvania (Bryce Jordan Center)

You can purchase tickets on the band's website.

Excited to see the band's album performed in full? Who's going? We'll keep you updated on that new album they have on the backburner now. Only a matter of time.

Lady Gaga Announces New Album 'Joanne'

It's been a long time coming, but Lady Gaga's comeback album is finally here! After releasing 'Perfect Illusion' a week back (see our review here!), details of her next album Joanne have finally been revealed.

Gaga announced in an interview with Beats 1 Radio with Zane Lowe that her next album - the follow up to 2013's ARTPOP - is hopefully in its final hours of recording, sitting in the studio for the last 48 hours of the sessions for Joanne tinkering with things while mixing and mastering the record. In the interview, she also spoke about a few songs and revealed the release date.

Speaking on the latest single 'Perfect Illusion' and the bittersweet feeling of finishing the process, Gaga claimed that it's hard to leave it and part ways with producers Mark Ronson, BloodPop, and Tame Impala's Kevin Parker, but "this isn't the end, it's just the end of this moment... It's also the beginning of this moment, because we can share this with the world." Gaga goes on to talk about a collaborator on the album Hillary Lindsey who hasn't been mentioned before the interview.

Joanne gets its title from Gaga's late aunt, who died of lupus at only 19. The death truly shook her entire father's side of the family, and it's always been an important thing to her - her middle name is also Joanne. Gaga claimed the album's title track 'Joanne' is, appropriately, "the true heart and soul of the record," and while stepping away from her fame for awhile, she was able to bring together "the experiences of [my] family and our challenges that make us who we are. It’s everything about Joanne... It’s all the toughness of the pain of losing her that made us all strong and made us who we are. She is the woman of my past who is becoming and helping me bring more of my honest woman self into the future."

Gaga announced that the album will be out on October 21, 2016 via Interscope/Streamline. She went on to talk about some songs on the album, including surprising collaborations: 'John Wayne' features Queens Of The Stone Age's guitarist Josh Homme and Father John Misty features on 'Sinner's Prayer' are the notable ones she mentioned. She always discussed the influences of Bollywood and country influences with Nashville singer Hillary Lindsey on the record.

Excited for the return of Gaga?! We'll review it as soon as it's dropped. Listen to the interview below and listen to 'Perfect Illusion' above, too.

Site Changes + Announcing Throwback Reviews

Hi guys! In case you haven't noticed, the site has changed in last month or so. It's finally at a stable place where we're done updating (for now) and can share what we've been up to.

Here's what's new:

• New Template - We've made the site's look a lot more fine and compact.
• Easier Navigation - Instead of cluttering the Navigation Bar link section with all the different categories, you can conveniently find a list of all the types of reviews and news in the right half of the navigation bar.
• Instagram Page - It's been up for awhile, but in case you haven't seen it. we are now on Instagram! Be sure to follow our page.
• New Staff - We have a new writer who's shy; she'll write something eventually. 

We've been thinking of ways to make the site's content fresh and current, so we're introducing TBT Reviews! Every Thursday we'll be reviewing an older album instead of a new one, which we haven't done much of. This'll open up a lot more ground for content we can share with you guys - there's been plenty of requests for reviews of older records and now we can comply!

That's all for now. Thanks for reading our content and coming back again to read more. Be sure to follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to make sure you don't miss the latest reviews and news!

Sia Teases Mysterious New Single

It's hard to be enigmatic in the world of pop, but Sia has always has mystery surrounding her. That mystery continues as she has now started teasing a new single!

The artist has uploaded a 14 second clip to her VEVO channel, titled "The Greatest - Coming Sept. 6 - #weareyourchildren" consisting of a droning sound as the camera pans onto her go to dancing girl Maddie Ziegler lying in a pile of bodies. She slowly opens her eyes at the end of the clip before the last two seconds of the clip features what's presumably the beginning of Sia's new single, 'The Greatest'.

The single is preceding her tour that starts in Seattle, Washington on September 29. Sia has previously teased the hashtag #wearethechildren on Twitter, as well as 'The Greatest', but it was speculated the hashtag was the name of the song and she would be releasing a greatest hits record. It seems the hashtag is more of a campaign, and the video coming on September 6 will have a message backing it.

What do you think is coming? Is this a one-off single, or is something bigger coming with the release? Be here on September 6 to find out!

Lady Gaga's New Single Coming Next Week?

Over the past few years, Lady Gaga has taken some time away from the limelight. Ever since her collaborative jazz album in 2014 - Cheek To Cheek with the legendary Tony Bennett - and an isolated single release last year, Gaga has kept relatively quiet since the hype of the album simmered down. People began asking "What happened to Gaga?" before earlier this year, at the 2016 GRAMMYs where she performed a breathtaking and awe-inspiring tribute to the late David Bowie.

Now, thanks to the detective work of her fans, a brand new Lady Gaga single may be near! A user at the fansite GagaDaily recently uncovered two pages, with the category /perfectillusion tacked at the end. One page revealed inconclusive results, while the other may have given away a release date!

If you type in /perfectillusion2 as an extension to Gaga's website, you'll find the words "NEW SINGLE / PERFECT / ILLUSION / SEPTEMBER 9" written across the screen. It seems Lady Gaga is planning to release her latest single, 'Perfect Illusion' on September 9 - next Friday! 

The pop star's fans are already eating up the news - a GoFundMe campaign has started and asks for $10,000 in order to get Gaga's single to the number one spot on the iTunes chart by manipulating iTunes and buying thousands of copies of the song. 

Are you ready for Gaga to make a musical comeback? It's been a long while since a major release from the pop queen has blessed the radio. 'Perfect Illusion' is rumored to be out on September 9 - don't miss our review on it!

Memphis May Fire Release New Single + Album Details

Post-hardcore outfit Memphis May Fire has kept things under wraps lately, but details of their next album are finally here! This Light I Hold is due out later this year.

The band keeps the music heavy and their messages personal, bordering Christian Metal. But that's by no means anything bad; Memphis May Fire writes some of the most heartfelt songs in the genre. Their last album was 2014's Conditional, which had some amazing music. This Light I Hold is the follow up, and even the title promises something great.

The album's first single also shows that. 'Carry On' is a big an eclectic track, beginning with a big instrumental and a brutal first verse complete with unrelenting screams from frontman Matty Mullins, trading off with cleanly sung chorus. The bridge is a quiet moment before the song concludes in one more hopeful burst of noise. The message is uplifting: nothing can hold you back, and that you can fight for what you believe in.

The album will be out on October 28, 2016 via Rise Records. The album features guest spots from Papa Roach's Jacoby Shaddix and the former vocalist for the rock band My American Heart, Larry Soliman. You can purchase bundles which include vinyl, cassette, and exclusive merch from the album's website. The album's art and tracklist are as follows:

View fullsize

1. Out Of It
2. Carry On
3. Wanting More
4. Severing The Ties
5. The Enemy
6. This Light I Hold (ft. Jacoby Shaddix)
7. That's Just Life
8. Letting Go
9. The Antidote
10. Better Things
11. Not Over Yet (ft. Larry Soliman)
12. Unashamed
13. Live It Well

Excited for the new record? Be sure to look out for our review of it, and the new single 'Carry On'.

You Me At Six Reveal 2017 Album Details + UK Tour

Alternative rockers You Me At Six are finally back with new music. Their follow up to their big 2014 effort Cavalier Youth is sounding big and confident, and it'll be bringing 2017 into a big stride.

The band has Night People penned in for a release on January 13, 2017. The band worked on the record this year in Nashville alongside producer Jacquire King, known for working with Kings Of Leon. 

Along with the album announcement came the release of the new single 'Night People', the album's title track. It has an almost punk rock appeal to it and sounds huge - definitely a crowd pleaser we'll hopefully be seeing on their upcoming UK Tour - more details on that below.

Night People is out on January 13, via Virgin Records. Pre-orders are available on their website, with bundles and formats including vinyl, digital, CD, and even cassette. The album's art and tracklist is as follows:

1. Night People
2. Plus One
3. Heavy Soul
4. Take On The World
5. Brand New
6. Swear
7. Make Your Move
8. Can’t Hold Back
9. Spell It Out
10. Give

Alongside the album announcement came the announcement of a massive UK Headlining Tour, spanning all of October. Indie rock band Vant will be supporting the band on the tour. The tour dates are as follows, and you can purchase tickets here.

• October 4, 2016: Bristol, England (Bristol O2 Academy)
• October 5, 2016: Folkestone, England (Leas Cliff Hall)
• October 6, 2016: Swansea, Wales (Brangwyn Hall)
• October 9, 2016: Belfast, Northern Ireland (The Limelight)
• October 10, 2016: Dublin, Ireland (The Academy)
• October 13, 2016: Nottingham, England (Rock City)
• October 14, 2016: Oxford, England (O2 Academy)
• October 15, 2016: Cambridge, England (Corn Exchange)
• October 17, 2016: Inverness, Scotland (Ironworks)
• October 18, 2016: Leeds, England (O2 Academy)
• October 19, 2016: Liverpool, England (Guild Of Students)
• October 20, 2016: Sheffield, England (O2 Academy)
• October 21, 2016: Middlesbrough, England (Empire)
• October 23, 2016: Southampton, England (O2 Guildhall)
• October 24, 2016: London, England (O2 Shepherds Bush Empire)

Excited for new YMAS music? Don't miss our review on the new single 'Night People', coming soon!

American Football Announce First Album in Nearly Two Decades

The emo rock legends from Chicago American Football are finally following up their debut LP! The band will release their second eponymous debut American Football on October 21 of this year.

American Football is something of a myth in punk rock. They defined the structure of what their brand of music would become, morphing varied tie signatures, confessions in the form of spoken word, and math rock into some revolutionary hybrid. After the release of their debut 1999 LP (also titled American Football), they decided to stop recording together and eventually became inactive.

The band returned to the spotlight in 2014 when they reformed to perform at the Pygmalion Music Festival in Chicago and a series of headline dates, and have been active ever since. They recorded their new album earlier this year.

The band have shared the first new song from the record, 'I've Been Lost For So Long', which starts with reverberating guitars and a driven beat under vocalist Mike Kinsella's warm vocals. The time signature changes in the chourses, showing that the band's creativity and style hasn't faltered in all of these years.

American Football will be released on October 21 via Polyvinyl in the United States and Wichita in Europe and the UK. The album artwork and tracklist is as follows:

1. Where Are We Now? 
2. My Instincts Are The Enemy
3. Home Is Where The Haunt Is
4. Born To Lose
5. I've Been So Lost For So Long
6. Give Me The Gun
7. I Need A Drink (Or Two Or Three) 
8. Desire Gets In The Way
9. Everyone Is Dressed Up

American Football has a few tour dates spanning over the next few months in both the United States an United Kingdom - see them here. Check out our review of the band's new single 'I've Been Lost For So Long' too!

Architects Guitarist Dies After 3-Year Battle With Cancer

English post-hardcore outfit Architects has lost on of it's founding members. Guitarist Tom Searle has passed away after a three-year battle with cancer. He was 28.

The band was amidst their tour for their new record All Our Gods Have Abandoned Us, released earlier this year. The album has been critically acclaimed and is revered as the band's best record so far. Several tour dates have were cancelled earlier on the cycle, including European and U.S. Headlining appearances, as a result of Searle's illness.

A statement posted on Facebook by twin brother and bandmate Dan Searle reads:

“It is with unbelievable pain and sadness that I have to announce that at around twelve minutes past midnight on August 20th my amazing brother, Tom, passed away after over 3 years living with cancer.
He was an incredible songwriter and guitarist. He was my closest and oldest friend. He was a funny, intelligent and sweet man and he leaves an enormous void in all of our lives.

Many of you will be aware that Tom has been absent from various shows over the past 15 months and I can now let you know that this was due to various surgeries that he had to have to treat the cancer. When we left for our European Festival tour on June 2nd Tom was very unwell. He had been advised to stay in hospital to receive care but ultimately there was nothing that they could do for him and he signed himself out of the ward two days before we departed for Germany. Some of you might view this as reckless but this is the way Tom wanted to do things throughout his last year because he never wanted the cancer to get in the way of what he loved. He got on stage and performed his last two shows at Rock Am Ring and Rock Im Park, which took him an incredible amount of strength but those are two shows that we will never forget.

We had to cancel our European festival tour and US headline tour because on June 8th, in Luxembourg, Tom was extremely sick, we called an ambulance and he was taken into ICU. The following day he was placed into a medically induced coma and the doctors told us that it was unlikely that they’d ever be able to wake him. Five days later, against all the odds, he was awake again, and in a few short days following that, myself and Tom cancelled the air ambulance that was due to take him home and we got the Eurostar train home. Classic Tom Searle.
He spent the last 2 months of his life fighting with everything he had to overcome the disease once and for all, and things appeared to be moving in the right direction, but in the last 2 weeks it suddenly took a turn for the worse and finally he left us.
I don’t know what will become of Architects. Me and Tom started playing in a band together when we were 13 and, really, Architects is just an evolution of the band that we started all the way back then, over half my life ago. To pretend that Tom wasn’t at the heart of everything that the band created would be to show a complete lack of respect to the amazing talent that he was. The band will never be the same and there is simply no denying it.

We will 100% tour All Our Gods Have Abandoned Us, there is no doubt about that. We will be going to Australia in a few weeks and we will be doing our UK and European headline tour in October and November. We hope that these shows will be an opportunity for everyone out there to show their respects to my wonderful brother. It won’t be easy for us to get on stage and play every night without him, but its something that we must do.

We want to carry on, that is important to say, and we will strive to do so, but we will not release any music unless we truly believe that it is something that Tom would have been proud of. Whether or not we can achieve that is something that we will have to discover in time.

For now we need to begin to process what has happened. Myself, Sam, Ali and Adam will need time to fully come to terms with the loss of our brother and we hope that everyone out there will continue to respect our privacy during this terribly difficult time.”

— Facebook

The band has started a donation page for the hospice that cared for Tom through his illness, the Marlets Hospice. You can donate here.

Architects will continue the tour without Tom in September when they head to Australia; see all of their tour dates here. A fill-in guitarist has not yet been announced. Read our review for All Our Gods Have Abandoned Us, too - it's one of our favorite records of the year.

Rest in peace, Tom Searle.

'Boys Don't Cry' from Frank Ocean Dropping This Weekend?

While Frank Ocean may have just dropped his new visual album/experience Endless, a lot more music may be right on the horizon.

Endless went up by surprise last night at the cusp of midnight. The visual album, featuring plenty of artists including Radiohead's Jonny Greenwood and Sampha is being streamed on Apple Music now (see more details, including the tracklist, here). This came as a huge surprise, considering Ocean announced previously that his next album would be titled Boys Don't Cry, but, according to Rolling Stone, that project is coming, and it'll be here very soon.

Rolling Stone claims "Endless is a different project from Boys Don't Cry, the singer's highly-anticipated follow-up to 2012's Channel Orange. Apple will release that album this weekend." So, we will get both his second and third records within the span of a few days. The exact date of the album's release is unknown, and the tracklist and more is yet to be revealed, but we'll have the details as they come in.

Frank Ocean Releases Visual Album 'Endless'

The long wait is over for new Frank Ocean music. After fans kept creating theories on when the follow up to 2012's channel ORANGE, Ocean set up boysdontcry.co, where a stream with some background music could be found, showing a scene of a warehouse. After the stream was left up for two weeks, he finally appeared on it and built a staircase of wood, with music from his new visual album Endless playing in the background for the first time.

Fans have finally gotten new music, but not in the way they'd expect it. Endless is available for streaming via Apple Music, but without individual tracks - you have to watch the visual experience that comes with it.

The video can be streamed entirely from iTunes (Apple Music link here), and features a woodwork project being worked through - Frank's staircase. The tracklist is jam packed with a lot of guests, too - Radiohead's Jonny Greenwood and the accompanying London Contemporary Orchestra lend their expertise on the cover of Isley Brothers' 'At Your Best (You Are Love)', with James Blake also offering his voice on the track. Other guests include Sampha, Jazmine Sullivan, and Alex G. The tracklist is as follows:

1. Device Control
2. At Your Best (You Are Love) (Isley Brothers cover; ft. James Blake, Jonny Greenwood, & London Contemporary Orchestra)
3. Mine (ft. Arca)
4. Alabama (ft. Sampha & Jazmine Sullivan)
5. U-N-I-T-Y
6. Ambience 001: In A Certain Way
7. Commes Des Garcons
8. Ambience 002: Honeybaby
9. Whitter 10 Hubolts (ft. Alex G & Jazmine Sullivan)
10. In Here Somewhere
11. Slide On Me (ft. Alex G)
12. Sideways
13. Florida
14. Deathwish (ASR) 16 Rushes
15. Rushed To (ft. Alex G and Jazmine Sullivan)
16. Higgs (ft. Alex G)

Be on the look out for our review of the record soon, and a possible non-visual release on the record. More music is expected to follow this weekend, as well...

Metallica Announce New Double LP

The long-awaited new effort by Metallica is finally in sight! The band will release Hardwired... To Self Destruct, the follow up to 2011's collaboration with Lou Reed, Lulu, and their first original material since 2008's Death Magnetic on November 18. The record is a double LP (with an additional disk for the deluxe edition) featuring 12 tracks and over 80 minutes of new music. Pre-orders are available in the format of CDs, vinyl, and digital downloads.

The band has also shared the first single from the record, 'Hardwired', a riff heavy track with a thick tone and an early Metallica flair. It's world debut was at 93X in Minneapolis, ahead of their return to the stage on Saturday at the U.S. Bank Stadium there.

Speaking of the album, Metallica posted on their website:

“Hardwired… represents the next phase of our journey as Metallica and we are so excited to share it with you. If anyone was tuned into radio station 93X in Minneapolis earlier today, you heard the world debut of the first track, “Hardwired” and we’re hoping you’ll hear a lot more of it in the coming days. Produced by Greg Fidelman, along with James and Lars, this is our 11th studio album and is available for pre-order in a variety of configurations including 12 songs on a double CD, vinyl, digital download, as well as a deluxe version with the riffs that were the origins of the album.”

— Metallica.com

The album features two disks, as well as a deluxe edition that features riffs that were created at the start of the album process that inspired the rest, as well as the previously unveiled 'Lords Of Summer'. The artwork is pictured above, and the tracklist is as follows:

Disk 1:

1. Hardwired

2. Atlas, Rise!

3. Now That We're Dead

4. Moth Into Flame

5. Am I Savage?

6. Halo On Fire

Disk 2:

1. Confusion

2. Dream No More

3. ManUNkind

4. Here Comes Revenge

5. Murder One

6. Spit Out The Bone 

Deluxe Edition:

1. Lords Of Summer

2. Riff Charge (Riff Origins)

3. N.W.O.B.H.M. A.T.M. (Riff Origins)

4. Tin Shot (Riff Origins)

5. Plow (Riff Origins)

6. Sawblade (Riff Origins)

7. RIP (Riff Origins)

8. Lima (Riff Origins)

9. 91 (Riff Origins)

10. MTO (Riff Origins)

11. RL72 (Riff Origins)

12. Frankenstein (Riff Origins)

13. CHI (Riff Origins)

14. X Dust (Riff Origins) 

Are you ready for new 'Tallica? Check out our track review for 'Hardwired', which will be coming out soon.

Bon Iver Shares Two Tracks From Newly Announced Album

Indie folk outfit Bon Iver has just dropped two tracks from their newly announced record, 22, A Million. The release follows the promises of teases the band posted yesterday of new material.

The two tracks, '22 (OVER S∞∞N)' and '10 d E A T h b R E a s T ⚄ ⚄' seem the be extended versions of those found on the record, being dubbed the "Bob Moose Extended Cab Version" and the "Extended Version," respectively. Both tracks only seem to be around 30 seconds longer than the studio versions, so nothing too significant is expected to change. Both tracks feature electric elements, though "22" has a more pure folk rooting then the distorted beats and harmonies of "10". 

This record marks Justin Vernon and co's third record release together, and the first since 2011's eclectic Bon Iver, Bon Iver. The album is scheduled for release for September 30 via Jagjaguwar, but lucky fans who attended the Eaux Claire Music & Arts Festival in the band's hometown heard the album in its entirety as the band performed it. The tracklist for 22, A Million is as follows:

1. 22(OVER S∞∞N)
2. 10 d E A T h b R E a s T ⊠ ⊠
3. 715 - CRΣΣKS
4. 33 “GOD”
5. 29 #Strafford APTS
6. 666 ʇ
7. 21 M♢♢N WATER
8. 8(circle)
9. _45_
10. 00000 Million

Ready for more music from these folk legends? Be sure to check our the review of the two new songs, as well.

Green Day Announce New Album, Share New Single 'Bang Bang'

Punk rock icons Green Day are back with brand new music following a three-year studio silence. Their new album Revolution Radio has been given a release date and the band has shared the first single from the record.

Speaking with Rolling Stone, Billie Joe Armstrong spoke of the experience that granted the album its title:

“Two years ago, Billie Joe Armstrong was driving into Manhattan when he came across a throng of protesters. Outraged by a Missouri grand jury’s decision not to indict a police officer for the killing of Michael Brown, they filled the streets and backed up traffic for miles. Armstrong was inspired. ‘I got out of my car and marched with the people,’ he says. ‘It was a trip to see people rebel against the old order.’”

— Rolling Stone

Despite it's political background, Armstrong continued to say the album isn't strictly driven as such: there are more personal tracks on it, such as the teased 'Still Breathing' and the relatable 'Too Dumb To Die', but, Armstrong claims there are many tracks that press on current social issues as well. The album's first single, 'Bang Bang' was inspired by "the culture of mass shooting that happens in America mixed with narcissistic social media," and features blistering guitar riffs and a driving beat. The album concludes on the previously revealed 'Ordinary World', a short and sweet track Armstrong has performed live in the past.

The album is also said to contain some experimentation, such as the use of bow guitar on 'Outlaws' and 'Forever Now'. The whole recording process, according to Armstrong, took around six months. The songs on the record evolved from metaphor to having literal meaning, as if the lyrics were predicting the future, as he put it.

Revolution Radio is the band's first record since the infamous trilogy of ¡Uno!, ¡Dos!, and ¡Tré!, and the band's first self-produced record since 2000's Warning. The album is due out on October 7th. The album's artwork can be seen above and the tracklist is as follows:

1. Somewhere Now
2. Bang Bang
3. Revolution Radio
4. Say Goodbye
5. Outlaws
6. Bouncing Off The Wall
7. Still Breathing
8. Youngblood
9. Too Dumb To Die
10. Troubled Times
11. Forever Now
12. Ordinary World

Are you ready for the new Green Day record? Check out the track review for the lead single 'Bang Bang', too!

Are My Chemical Romance Reuniting?

UPDATE 7/21: The band responded to the rumors by stating:

“We’ve been really touched and blown away by the response to the teaser trailer. We are not touring and there is no reunion planned - only a release for the anniversary of The Black Parade.

Thank you for continuing to keep MCR in your minds and in your hearts.”

— https://twitter.com/MCRofficial/status/756198047638401024

The emo music scene was in shambles when My Chemical Romance broke up in 2013, many fans begging for it not to be true... Three years later, things may finally be changing.

My Chemical Romance have uploaded a video and new images to their Facebook page, the images branding a new logo featuring "MCR X" (MCR 10?) around a cross figure. The video shows the same figure waving on a flag with the signature piano intro of 'Welcome To The Black Parade' over it, the cryptic date "9.23.16" (September 23, 2016) appearing at the end. What could it mean?

My Chemical Romance broke up in 2013 following the release of the Conventional Weapons series of releases. The band has stayed mostly quiet since then, releasing their Greatest Hits compilation May Death Never Stop You and some isolated merch along the way. Gerard Way launched his solo career and took time to focus on his comics, while guitarist Frank Iero also continued on with his solo career.

There are many possibilities as to what this could mean. The most logical answer: a ten-year anniversary tour for The Black Parade, which was released October 23, 2006. October 23 is exactly a month off of September 23... it all seems to align. Whatever the band has in store, it's bound to be a big moment for fans.

Is a New Tool Album Closer Than We Think?

Fans waiting for Tool's long sought for follow up to 2006's 10,000 Days may see their long wait come to an end. A Reddit user who goes by 77ohio recently posted a a tracklist, complete with track names and lengths.

He claims Tool will be releasing a double album in October of 2016, titled Decem ("ten" in Latin). Decem will feature twelve tracks, all clocking in above twelve minutes - the shortest track on the alleged tracklist is 12:01 (see the full tracklist below). The album is said to now be in its mixing phases - a good a time as any to get the press ready. The Reddit user claims he has a reliable source (apparently working a position for some press), but cannot reveal what exactly the source is.

The full tracklist for Decem is as follows:

Side 1:

1. Abscissa (13:47)
2. The Awakening (12:03)
3. Gematria (Act I) (14:33)
4. Regresolution (13:56)
5. Divinotus (12:45)
6. Astral (Act II) (12:21)

Side 2:

1. Descending (13:53)
2. Decem (12:22)
3. Lesous (Act III) (12:43)
4. Principles Of March (12:01)
5. Pascal's Wager (13:46)
6. Zeta (Act IV) (14:27)

If this tracklist is real, seems like this album alone is long enough to keep us listening for the next one to come (who knows how long that one will take...). The tracklist has some interesting things going on - a four part piece, perhaps some sort of sonic odyssey? 'Descending' was performed as a short instrumental jam on Tool's recent tour, debuting at the Monster Mash festival in Tempe, Arizona on Halloween day last year.

Something to consider, though, is that this isn't the first time a tracklist has leaked before the album. Back before Lateralus, a fake tracklist with fake files were leaked online to throw off file sharers. A fake tracklist was also released leading up to 10,000 Days, as well. Maybe this is no different. We don't yet have a real source for this yet. Only time will tell.

There's no telling if this rumor is true or not, but as we get closer and closer to a new Tool album, we'll take anything we can get. What do you think about the rumors? Are you excited for new Tool music?