More content-themed music from the week on DiS. Click here for this week's vast and varied Spotifriday playlist.
1. Paramore - 'Playing God'
Earlier in the week we reported that Paramore are well on their way to securing a pretty damned decent chart position. Though, at time of writing, we aren't sure exactly where they'll figure. This particular track is taken from their new record brand new eyes which is, annoyingly, devoid of capitals but thankfully for fans of the band, not devoid of capital songs. Here's just one of them.
2. The Shins - 'Spilt Needles' (alternative version)
It doesn't get much bigger than James Mercer in the indie-verse. Though perhaps there is one man who comes close - Dangermouse. These two trusty soldiers are to collaborate for a new project called Broken Bells, as we reported in the week. Though you could loosely describe Dangermouse as a hip-hop producer, he's done more than his fair share of work in other realms, so it probably won't be TOO much of a surprise how it ends up. For what it's worth, the alternative version of 'Spilt Needles' vomits over the original from a great height, no?
3. Muse - 'Undisclosed Desires'
We spoke to Muse - or more specifically Dom - earlier in the week, who went through what they've been listening to lately (APC!), and talked about their tour of America with fellow stadium giants U2. This track is Muse's attempt to sound like Beyonce (as someone, somewhere, who isn't me, recently wrote).
4. Dangerdoom - 'A.T.H.F'
This particularly peculiar track is taken from Dangermouse and DOOM's project, titled The Mouse & The Mask which, you may remember, was a concept album. That concept was the [Adult Swim] series of cartoons and this particular track was a half-skit, half-BOMB around the absolutely bizarre-o 'toon Aqua Teen Hunger Force which you should, really, start watching.
5. Ghost Cauldron ft. Antipop Consortium - 'Fear'
Antipop Consortium happened to be one of the bands which Muse mentioned as gaining heavy rotation at the moment. We reviewed their new LP Fluorescent Black here and had the UK premiere of their mini-doco The Cut, which you should WELL watch. Though there were no APC tracks proper, this little get -together with Ghost Cauldron is more than worth a couple of minutes of your time.
6. Throbbing Gristle - '20 Jazz Funk Greats'
Throbbing Gristle are a band who should never be forgotten by anyone. Ever. What they've done this time to endear themselves to us is release their own version of the Buddha Box thingamy, branded by the band and called a 'Gristleism'.. This is just one of the thirteen tracks which feature on it, though, we understand, in a very different form to here.
7. Melvins - 'Lexicon Devil'
Not really sure Melvins need much of an introduction so let's not waste our time. NOISE. This week they release, and we reviewed, Chicken Switch but we've gone for a lesser-known track here, their cover of The Germs' 'Lexicon Devil'.
8. Dirty Projectors - 'The Bride'
The Dirty Frickin' Projectors get everywhere these days. Including onto Jimmy Fallon's chat show though, with performances like that, they can go wherever they like and do whatever they like, whenever they like. 'The Bride' features more trademark trio-harmonia of the female variety, as well as bird-like warblings from the front dude.
9. Vessels - 'Walking Through Walls'
Certainly one of the more minor news stories from the week, Vessels will be touring with the mighty, mighty Oceansize later in the year. Minor, but still good. Here, the post-rockers take you through some particularly bleak soundscapes via the popular method of the DRONE.
10. Amorphous Strums, Elf Power, Vic Chesnutt - 'Mystery'
Lil' Vicky Chesnutt only gone and got his album reviewed by us this week. He also featured on the super-super Constellation Records Cloudcast, something worth a listen. Here's the album opener from his project with Elf Power and the Amorphous Strums last year, the haunting slow-core tune that is 'Mystery'.
11. Will Oldham - 'Can't Take That Away'
Absolutely amazing though 99 per cent of his back catalogue may be, ol' Bonny Billy has also released and recorded some songs of a questionable quality. I include his cover of 'Thunder Road' which threatens, at times, to send you bonkers due to its badness. This cover, part of a Guilty Pleasures compilation, is, thankfully, above that standard by at least gnats knob, as we hope his new album will be.
12. J. Tillman - 'Vessels'
Another man who possesses a whisky-drenched voice is Fleet Foxes drummer Josh Tillman, who has been going solo, rumours say, for quite some time now. This week we reviewed his new one, Year In The Kingdom, which is actually his second release of the year, following-up Vacilando Territory Blues, from which 'Vessels' is taken.
13. Final Fantasy - 'I'm Afraid Of Japan'
YES! Final Fantasy's new record, Heartland, is coming out early next year! Heart warming news that certainly is. In 'I'm Afraid Of Japan' we see Owen Pallett do some inspiring stuff with a violin, as usual. Pretty standard stuff then, right?
14. Hope Sandoval & The Warm Inventions - 'Butterfly Mornings'
Not heard any of Hope Sandoval and her Warm Intentions? Nope, well this is as good a place to start as any, I guess. Downbeat, yes. Beautifully heart-tearing, also. We reviewed Hope's current record with much positivity this week, giving it 8/10.
15. Lou Barlow - 'The Right'
And now onto the triumvirate of This Week's Singles, reviewed, as ever, by the as-hard-working-as-she-is-endlessly-enthusiastic Wendy Roby. This is Lou Barlow's new single and, it's...alright, I guess.
16. Ringo Deathstarr - 'Summertime'
SINGLE OF THE WEEK ALERT! Yeah, so this one won the coveted prize of Single Of The Week, with WR describing it as "sounding like it has been recorded through several layers of wispy gauze, and is not only lush with a capital L, but a breathy, self-celebratory joy." I concur.
17. Stricken City - '5 Metres Apart'
Any song which starts off with a bassline as featured here in '5 Metres Apart' gets my attention instantly. That may because I'm a bass-freak. Still, Stricken City are certainly aware the '80s have finished but aren't bound by and don't care about this particular time constraint. And nor do I.
Click here for this week's Spotifriday playlist. Enjoy it and maybe even post your own (better ones) below. That is a challenge, by the way.