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She & Him – “I Could’ve Been Your Girl” Video

For certain segments of the population, including some of us who may be reluctant to admit such things, an adorable Zooey Deschanel dance routine is pretty much audio-visual crack cocaine. And that group of people (which, let’s be honest, probably encompasses Stereogum’s entire readership, as well as its staff) should enjoy the living hell out [...]

Sally Shapiro – “If It Doesn’t Rain (Dan Lissvik Remix)” (Stereogum Premiere)

Today, Sally Shapiro released Elsewhere, a remix album of her most recent full-length Somewhere Else. Among refits from Young Galaxy, Little Boots, and Nite Jewel is this Dan Lissvik’s flip of Shapiro’s “If It Doesn’t Rain.” Both versions are darkly emphatic, but Lissvik takes it late night, seedy Miami. Check it out below. 01 “I [...]

The Great Escape 2013: Lab Coast

 These guys are another of the bands I tipped when I wrote my Ones to Watch post for The Great Escape this year. And, a little like Glass Animals before them, I found them good live, but no better than that, which was a little disappointing. Recorded, their tunes are strong and hummable, and the [...]

When Saints Go Machine – “Iodine” Video

In the video for “Iodine,” the latest single from Copenhagen electro-poppers When Saints Go Machine, a mysterious radiation-suited figure drives an old-school ragtop out to the middle of the desert, descends into a bottomless pit, and explores the crystalline cave he finds down there. You know, normal Sunday-afternoon stuff. Kristian Nordentoft and William Reynish direct [...]

This Bird Doesn't Sing

Year of Birds From: Middlesbrough, United Kingdom There's a real ornithological feel to the blog this week. After Sparrow and The Workshop last night, tonight I give you the noisy, odd and strangely endearing Year of Birds. These feathered friends own the left-field. Show More Summary

The Great Escape 2013: The Hundredth Anniversary

 The Hundredth Anniversary weren’t officially on the Great Escape bill anywhere, but being a Brighton band they still found somewhere to play anyway. When I made my way out to Brighton Electric Studios – a taxi ride away from the centre – I was very much reminded of the way the Edinburgh Festival seems so [...]

Watch The-Dream & Kelly Rowland Play Leno

The-Dream’s new album IV Play is now a week away from release, and on its latest single, the slippery but heartfelt “Where Have You Been,” he teams up with the former Destiny’s Child singer Kelly Rowland. Both singers showed up on The Tonight Show last night to perform the song and to show surprising levels [...]

Stream TEEN Carolina EP (Stereogum Premiere)

BTW alumni TEEN’s Kickstarter-funded EP Carolina is out next week, but you can stream it with us first. The sisters have crafted five tracks of complex psych-influenced but wholly unique indie pop that was produced by Daniel Schlett, who was also responsible for DIIV’s Oshin. I would tell you “Circus” is a stand-out, but I’d [...]

Book Notes - Charles Newman and Ben Ryder Howe "In Partial Disgrace"

In the Book Notes series, authors create and discuss a music playlist that relates in some way to their recently published book. Previous contributors include Bret Easton Ellis, Kate Christensen, Kevin Brockmeier, George Pelecanos, Dana Spiotta, Amy Bloom, Aimee...

Five More '70s Metal Bands Better Than Sabbath

Our last article on metal bands better than Sabbath got quite a response. Some people were angry that we would even suggest that there are better bands than Sabbath. Other people tripped over t...

The Thermals – “The Sunset” Video

In Portland punks the Thermals’ video for “The Sunset,” the second single from their new album Desperate Ground, badass bassist Kathy Foster gets a star turn. She plays a boxer training for a big fight with, as far as I can tell, the camera operator, and she also gives us her version of Rosie Perez’s [...]

video: Lightning Dust – “Diamond”

[directed by Helen Reed. Fantasy is out June 25 on Jagjaguwar / via]

Stream The-Dream IV Play

We’ve been waiting a while to hear a new album from the sex-obsessed, hitmaking R&B weirdo The-Dream, and that album, IV Play, is finally here. We’ve already heard the early singles “Slow It Down” and “IV Play,” as well as the Jay-Z collab “High Art,” and the album also has appearances from Beyoncé, 2 Chainz, [...]

Mikal Cronin – Change [music video]

Good God, Merge is a great label. I knew nothing of Mikal Cronin prior to reading this review at The AV Club. Based on that and the fact that he’s on Merge, I just went online and bought it. And damn, I’m glad I did. I would review the album, but frankly speaking – I’m [...]

Best DIY & Small Label Debut Albums of 2013, Vol. I – Great White Buffalo, Tournament of Hearts, Make Haste, Constant Supply, Will and the Indians

There have been many albums released in the past few months that we either did not have time to get to when they were initially released or that we only learned about after they were initially released. Many of the albums highlighted in this new installment of Recent Releases We Almost Missed are debut EPs [...] Read more, get songs or stream the entire mix on Indie Rock Cafe

Austra – “Home (Ital’s Immersion Mix)” (Stereogum Premiere)

Austra and Ital are both feel-good stories about the nice things that can happen when punks pick up computers. Austra’s frontwoman Katie Stelmanis was a shining light of Toronto’s art-punk scene for years before she put together her icy electro-goth group, and Daniel Martin-McCormick spent time in the great percussive skree bands Black Eyes and [...]

Shorties (The Best Books About Haiti, The Greatest Alternative Music Drummers, and more)

Ben Fountain lists the top 10 books about Haiti at the Guardian. SPIN lists the 100 greatest drummers of alternative music. Morning Edition interviews basketball coach Phil Jackson about his new book, Eleven Rings: The Soul of Success. Music Ruined...

video: James Blake – live on KEXP

Trouble Will Find Me

The National have come out with a new album, Trouble Will Find Me. My first thoughts are good ones. The album is filled with beautiful slow anthem melodies, mixed with calm melancholy lyrics. The National always do a great job of blending Berninger‘s deep remorseful vocals with a minimalist guitar and beat driven arrangement. The [...]

Watch The National Play Letterman

The members of the National are gracefully-aging Midwestern-transplanted New Yorkers who wear suits a lot, and the same is also true of David Letterman. They’re a natural fit for one another. Today, the National release their grand and confident new album Trouble Will Find Me. And last night, they came through Letterman’s show, playing a [...]