“Art always sustains and nourishes the soul. But for me, music and storytelling felt especially urgent during this pandemic year,” President Obama wrote. “I’ve always enjoyed listening to a wide variety of music, so it’s no surprise that I listened to a little bit of everything this year. I hope you find a new artist or song to add to your own playlist.”
Earlier this year, Obama shared his annual summer playlist, which featured tracks by Jazmine Sullivan, Arooj Aftab, Erykah Badu, Jay-Z, and more.
Recorded at Denver’s World Famous Studios, Timewave Zero will comprise two tracks, ‘Io’ and ‘Ea’, which clock in at around 20 minutes each. A limited CD edition will include a 27-minute bonus track titled ‘Chronophagia’. “An astute listening to our previous recordings reveals a gradual and deliberate increase of Experimental, Progressive and Psychedelic components,” Blood Incantation explained in a statement. “Timewave Zero is the distillation of these elements into a concentrated piece; stripping away the Metal and emphasizing the Dark, Cinematic, and exceedingly Cosmic atmosphere our music is known for.”
TNGHT – the duo of Hudson Mohawke and Lunice – have returned with a new song called ‘Brick Figures’, released as part of the Glaswegian label LuckyMe’s annual advent calendar series. The track, produced by TNGHT and mastered by Joker, arrives with an accompanying video directed by Dan Streit and Christopher Rutledge. Check it out below.
“This is the kind of music Lego characters would be listening to on their own time,” Lunice said in a statement. Hudson Mohawke added: “Really good beat we made.”
Last month, TNGHT released their song ‘Tums’, the duo’s first in two years.
Roddy Rich is back with a new album called Live Life Fast. Following his 2019 debut Please Excuse Me for Being Antisocial, the 18-track project features guest appearances from Future, Lil Baby, 21 Savage, Kodak Black, Jamie Foxx, Ty Dolla Sign, Gunna, Fivio Foreign, Bibi Bourelly, Takeoff, and Alex Isley. Producers who contributed to the album include TM88, Mustard, Boi-1da, Kenny Beats, Cardogotwings, Ronny J, and G-Ry. The Compton rapper previewed the LP with the Mustard-produced single ‘Late at Night’.
Nick Cave & Warren Ellis, Les Panthère Des Neiges (Originial Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Nick Cave and Warren Ellis composed the original score for Les Panthère Des Neiges, a film by Marie Amiguet and Vincent Munier. The film is set for release in the US on December 22, but the soundtrack is out digitally today via Invada Records and Lakeshore Records. “There is something about the heart of this film that draws you in,” Ellis said in press materials. “I realised after a day, that I wanted to do whatever it took to compose an entire original score. The film deserved to have its own musical voice. I booked five days and asked Nick if he could come in for a day to write a theme song and play some piano. He saw the film and stayed for four days. In the end we made what I think is one of the most beautiful films we have ever worked on. One of my favourite experiences ever working on a project. The stars are the animals in all their wild glory, as we have never seen them before, and man in reverence and wonder.”
Dartland is the debut full-length album from Seattle emo band Worst Party Ever. Following their 2020 EP here, online, the LP is out now digitally via No Sleep, with a physical release coming in January. Previewing it with the single ‘Prism on a Window’, the band’s Andy Schueneman said in a statement: “We’ve spent the last 2 years recording and writing this album. It feels like the only release we’ve ever done that I am ready to actually release. I made ‘Prism’ the first single and track because it helps give context to what the record is about and how I’ve been feeling for the last few years. We all finally had the ability to make something together as we planned back in high school. I’m looking forward to showing everybody the rest of the record as it means so much to us.”
Boldy James and The Alchemist have once again joined forces for a new album titled Super Tecmo Bo. The 9-song LP follows the duo’s previous collaborative efforts, 2020’s The Price of Tea in China and August 2021’s Bo Jackson. The first four tracks on Super Tecmo Bo appeared as bonus cuts on the physical deluxe edition of Bo Jackson, but were previously not available on streaming services.
Other albums out today:
John Dwyer, Ryan Sawyer, Greg Coates, Wilder Zoby, and Andres Renteria,Gong Splat; Chief Keef, 4NEM.
“‘Stop Speaking’ is about wanting to be left alone… regardless of the mistakes you are going to make, somehow you know you will sort it out without the nagging of others,” JennyLee explained in a press release. “’In Awe Of’ is a song about authenticity. Sometimes you lose the plot, but find yourself through the struggle.”
Last month, Snail Mail‘s Lindsey Jordan postponed a portion of her upcoming tour due to the immediate need for vocal cord surgery. Now, the singer-songwriter has announced rescheduled UK and European tour dates for June 2022. The UK leg kicks off June 23 in Manchester and will include a show at London’s Kentish Town Forum on June 29. For shows that could not be rescheduled in Brussels, Copenhagen, and Bologna, refunds will be available from the point of purchase. Tickets are on sale now here; check out the full list of dates below.
Snail Mail’s sophomore album, Valentine, arrived earlier this year. Check out where it landed on our 50 Best Albums of 2021 list.
Snail Mail 2022 Tour Dates (Rescheduled Dates in Bold):
Tue Apr 5 – Philadelphia PA – Union Transfer
Wed Apr 6 – Philadelphia PA – Union Transfer#
Thu Apr 7 – Brooklyn NY – Kings Theatre
Fri Apr 8 – Boston MA – Royale
Sat April 9 – Montreal QC – Club Soda
Mon Apr 11- Toronto ON – Phoenix Concert Theatre
Tue Apr 12 – Cleveland OH – Agora Theatre
Thu Apr 14 – Chicago IL – Riviera Theatre
Fri Apr 15 – Minneapolis MN – First Avenue
Sat Apr 16 – Lawrence KS – Liberty Hall
Sun Apr 17 – Denver CO – Ogden Theater
Wed Apr 20 – Seattle WA – Moore Theatre
Thu Apr 21 – Vancouver BC – Vogue Theatre
Fri Apr 22 – Portland OR – Wonder Ballroom
Sat Apr 23 – Portland OR – Wonder Ballroom
Sun Apr 24 – Oakland CA – Fox Theater
Wed Apr 27 – Los Angeles CA – Hollywood Palladium
Thu Apr 28 – San Diego CA – The Observatory North Park
Fri Apr 29 – Mesa AZ – The Nile
Sat Apr 30 – Santa Fe NM – Meow Wolf
Mon May 2 – Austin TX – ACL Live at the Moody Theater
Tue May 3 – Dallas TX – The Factory Studio
Thu May 5 – Atlanta GA – The Masquerade – Heaven Stage
Fri May 6 – Asheville NC – The Orange Peel
Sat May 7 – Carrboro NC – Cat’s Cradle
Sun May 8 – Nashville TN – Brooklyn Bowl – Nashville Mon Jun 6 – Cologne – Gebäude 9 Tue Jun 7 – Hamburg – Knust Thu Jun 9 – Gothenburg – Oceanen Sat Jun 11 – Stockholm – Slaktkyrkan Mon Jun 13 – Berlin – Columbia Theater Tue Jun 14 – Dresden – Groovestation Wed Jun 15 – Munich – Ampere Thu Jun 16 – Milan – Santeria Toscana 31 Sat Jun 18 – Zürich – Bogen F Sun Jun 19 – Paris – Le Trabendo Tue Jun 21 – Amsterdam – Paradiso Noord Thu Jun 23 – Manchester – The Ritz Fri Jun 24 – Glasgow – QMU Tue Jun 28 – Bristol – Marble Factory Wed Jun 29 – London – O2 Forum Kentish Town Thu Jun 30 – Brighton – Chalk Tue Jul 5 – Lyon – Epicerie Moderne
Fri Aug 12 – Providence, RI – Fete Music Hall
Tue Aug 16 – New Haven, CT – Toad’s Place
Wed Aug 17 – Asbury Park, NJ – The Stone Pony
Fri Aug 19 – Richmond, VA – The National
Sat Aug 20 – Norfolk, VA – The NorVa
Sun Aug 21 – Charlotte, NC – Neighborhood Theatre
Tue Aug 23 – Orlando, FL – The Beacham Theater
Wed Aug 24 – Tampa FL – The Ritz Ybor
Fri Aug 26 – Birmingham, AL – Saturn
Sat Aug 27 – Knoxville, TN – The Mill & Mine
Sun Aug 28 – Louisville, KY – Headliners Music Hall
Tue Aug 30 – Bloomington, IL – The Castle Theatre
Wed Aug 31 – Madison, WI – Majestic Theatre
Fri Sep 2 – Milwaukee, WI – Turner Hall
Sat Sep 3 – St Louis, MO – The Pageant
Sun Sep 4 – Columbus, OH – The Athenaeum Theatre
Tue Sep 6 – Detroit, MI – Majestic Theatre
Wed Sep 7 – Millvale, PA – Mr. Smalls Theatre
Fri Sep 9 – Silver Spring, MD – The Fillmore
Leonard ‘Hub’ Hubbard, longtime member of the Philadelphia hip-hop collective the Roots, has died. He was 62 years old. The news was confirmed by Hubbard’s step-daughter India Owens, who told the Philadelphia Inquirer that the bassist’s cause of death was multiple myeloma, a form of blood cancer that Hubbard was diagnosed with in 2007.
The Roots issued a statement about Hubbard’s death on their official social media accounts on Thursday evening, writing: “It’s with the heaviest of hearts that we say goodbye to our brother Leonard Nelson Hubbard. May your transition bring peace to your family to your friends to your fans and all of those who loved you. Rest in Melody Hub.”
Originally from West Philadelphia, Hubbard joined the Roots in 1992, when the band was known as Square Roots. That same year, they moved to London and issued their debut album, Organix, in 1993. Hubbard went on to perform with the group for 15 years and played on every one of their albums until 2007, including 1993’s Organix, 1995’s Do You Want More?!!!??!, 1996’s Illadelph Halflife, 1999’s Things Fall Apart, 2002’s Phrenology, 2004’s The Tipping Point, and 2006’s Game Theory.
In addition to his work in the Roots, Hubbard composed the score for Bertha Bay-Sa Pan’s 2002 indie film Face and the 2006 documentary Darfur Diaries: Message From Home. In 2016, he sued former Roots bandmates Questlove and Black Thought, as well as the band’s manager Shawn Gee, alleging that he was owed money as a co-owner of the group. Last year, Roots co-founder Malik “Malik B.” Abdul-Basit died at the age of 47.
It’s with the heaviest of hearts that we say goodbye to our brother Leonard Nelson Hubbard. May your transition bring peace to your family to your friends to your fans and all of those who loved you.
A new single from Aaliyah has been released via Blackground Records 2.0 and Empire. ‘Poison’, featuring the Weeknd, arrives ahead of Aailyah’s upcoming posthumous album, which is due at a later date. Listen to the track below.
Back in August, Blackground Records announced they were finally bringing Aaliyah’s entire back catalog to streaming services and digital retailers. In an interview with Billboard earlier this year, Barry Hankerson, Blackground founder and Aaliyah’s uncle, also detailed plans to release a posthumous album from Aaliyah with features from Drake, Future, Ne-Yo, Chris Brown, and Snoop Dogg.
Also today, the Weeknd shared a new collaborative single with FKA twigs, ‘Tears in the Club’.
FKA twigs and the Weeknd have teamed up for the new song ‘Tears in the Club’, which was co-produced by Arca, Cirkut, and El Guincho. The track is out today alongside an accompanying video directed by Amber Grace Johnson and featuring FKA twigs and the Weeknd. Check it out below.
FKA twigs teased the song earlier this week on social media, writing: “Are u ready for capri sun takeover?? us capri babies be so cute and prolific but don’t cross us cause we never ever forget.”
‘Tears in the Club’ follows FKA twigs’ recent single ‘Measure of a Man’, which appears on the soundtrack to the upcoming film The King’s Man. Over the past few months, the Weeknd has shared collaborations with Post Malone (‘One Right Now’), Rosalía (‘LA FAMA’), and Swedish House Mafia (‘Moth to a Flame’).
Olivia Wilde’s Booksmarthas become something of a cult classic since its 2019 release. The teen comedy follows best friends Amy (Kaitlyn Dever) and Molly (Beanie Feldstein) on the eve of their high school graduation when they realize that they’ve never been to a party. They have excelled in their academic studies but, as Molly points out, nobody knows that they’re also fun. Amy is skeptical but joins Molly on a quest to attend at least one party before graduating. The night takes them on a series of unexpected adventures, some of which highlight flaws in their friendship and individual characteristics.
The original screenplay by Emily Halpern and Sarah Haskins was completed in 2009, but by the time the film finally went into production, almost ten years had passed. Screenwriter Katie Silberman was hired to update the script for 2019 audiences. The result is a hilarious, well-paced story about two overachievers who don’t just want boyfriends, but want the same high school experience as their classmates who partied and also managed to land spots at Ivy League schools. Here are sixteen of the best quotes from Booksmart.
Ryan: Sharp elbows. Amy: Not as sharp as your…chin.
Alan: Mark thy calendars and make thy plans to attend the drama department’s summer program, Shakespeare in the Park…ing lot.
Molly: You guys don’t even care about school! Triple-A: No, we just don’t only care about school.
Molly: We didn’t party because we wanted to focus on school and get into good colleges. Amy: And it worked. Molly: But the irresponsible people who partied also got into those colleges – they did both Amy: So?
Molly: We have to go to a party tonight. Amy: What? Molly: Let’s go to Nick’s party. Amy: No. Are you kidding? No. No way. Molly: Amy, we only have one night left to have studied and partied in high school. Otherwise, we’re just going to be the girls that missed out.
Molly: We haven’t broken any rules! Amy: Okay, we’ve broken a lot of rules. One, we have fake IDs. Molly: Fake college IDs, so we can get into their twenty-four-hour library. Amy: Name one person whose life was so much better because they broke a couple of rules. Molly: Picasso. Amy: He broke art rules. Name a person who broke a real one. Molly: Rosa Parks. Amy: Name another. Molly: Susan B. Anthony. Amy: Goddammit!
Molly: Nobody knows that we are fun. Amy: We know. Molly: They need to know. Amy: Who’s they?
Molly: I think it’s healthy for a relationship to have secrets, and now we have one! Do I have a secret for you? Okay, yes. I once tried to masturbate with an electric toothbrush but I got a horrible UTI. Horrible. Like, horrible. Amy: I wish that had been a secret, but you’ve mentioned it many, many times.
Molly: Who allowed you to be this beautiful? Amy: Who allowed you to be this beautiful? Molly: Who allowed you to take my breath away?
Amy: I’ve never lied to my parents before. You know when I lie, I just add too many details. Just make up a story, but don’t say we’re having a date night or anything. Molly: Why? It’s funny your parents think we’re boning. Amy: No, it’s not, because you’re not the one who has to deal with their creepy smiles when I tell them I’m meeting you at the library when I’m actually meeting you at the library.
Molly: You know, they say you never forget your first… Amy: Friend.
Molly: Special friend.
Amy: Normal friend.
Amy: We’ll probably just do a Korean facemask. Charmaine: I don’t need to know all the words.
Jared: Ladies, we are headed to the biggest, coolest grad night party in town. Can I get a what-what?
Jared: …I brought you to the best party – which is my party! Prepare to get bashed! Not in, like, a violent way. Completely consensual bashing. I don’t know if that was clear. Prepare to get consensually bashed…
Principal Brown: I’m thinking about doing a detective novel…A lady detective, how about that? And she’s pregnant. Still working. And, you know, the baby, whenever she’s like close to a clue…the baby kicks…I don’t know what to do once, you know, when she gives birth.
Nick Cave
Dartland is the debut full-length album from Seattle emo band 
Boldy James
