Mess of Sounds

New video for 'Chained' - The xx

2012-10-16T14:47:00.000+01:00

Watch the awesome new video by The xx for the song 'Chained'. It was directed by Young Replicant and made in conjunction with The Creators Project. 'Chained' is part of The xx's most recent work 'Coexist', released in September. You can fully listen 'Coexist' if you go over the Best Albums of 2012 page.

You liked the new video? Watch a few more at the band's official website.

YesYou to release self-titled debut EP

2012-10-15T22:57:00.004+01:00

YesYou's EP cover

YesYou is an indie dance-pop band from Brisbane, Australia, founded in 2010 by Jono Kirkham and Gav Parry. YesYou first appeared in the musical scene with the debut track 'Half Of It' in 2011 and recently they've been in the studio writing and producing new tracks. Their major influences are Foster the People, Friendly Fires and Mark Ronson.

YesYou's self-titled debut EP is finally finished and it will be released on November 2. Have a listen to the first brilliant single 'Frivolous Life' below.

[ YesYou's official website ]

Crystal Castles' new album (III) announced

2012-10-09T15:06:00.001+01:00

Crystal Castles have finally revealed details on their new album (III).

Accordingly to Ethan Kath, who enterily produced the new album, (III) will sound like a completely different and new experience - he worked with a new pallete of sounds and everything was recorded to tape in the first take (no computers were used).

(III) is coming out on November 5. Plague and Wrath of God were the first two tracks to be released and there's already an official video for Plague.

Take a look at the album's tracklist below.

1 Plague
2 Kerosene
3 Wrath of God
4 Affection
5 Pale Flesh
6 Sad Eyes
7 Insulin
8 Transgender
9 Violent Youth
10 Telepath
11 Mercenary
12 Child I Will Hurt You

Best New Music Releases – October 2012

2012-10-02T17:59:00.001+01:00

New month, new music! Here are some new music releases I suggest you to listen this month…

Andrew Bird doesn’t seem to stop for a minute! Break it Yourself was released March this year, but he’s already back with a new record! I guess one album wasn’t enough to contain all the music he created this year! Hands of Glory is out on October 30 and if you’re curious you can have listen to the opening track – Three White Horses.

Bat for Lashes will release her third studio album, The Haunted Man, on October 15. The producer, Natasha Khan stated that she had enough songs to put out as an album in 2010, but she chose to spend more time working on new material. Two years were certainly more time than expected, but such dedication will surely result in a great album. Check out three tracks: Laura, All Your Gold, Marilyn.

Lonerism, the new album from Tame Impala is out on October 5! Kevin Parker revealed that his recent obsession for pop melodies and pop chord progressions influenced the band’s sound. While in Innerspeaker they’ve used mainly guitars and no synths, in Lonerism they’ve surrendered to synths, drum machines and samples. The whole album is available over NPR, check it out!

Boys Noize’s new upcoming album Out of the Black will be released on October 16. Listen to the two awesome tracks available: XTC and What You Want. While XTC is a classic Boys Noize track with a touch of weirdness that makes it feel like a trip, What You Want attempts to catch the raw and rough sound of Ridha's earlier music.

Flying Lotus’ new album was released today (October 2). Until the Quiet Comes is an electronic jazz album influenced by african percussion, psychedelic music, human-subconscious and dream world concepts. It was very well received my music critics so you should definitely have a listen to the full album here.

Muse New Songs Revealed One Week Before The 2nd Law Release

2012-09-23T01:08:00.002+01:00

Muse new songs were revealed at E-Work gig in Cologne (Germany) on September 20th.
The band played five new songs that are part of their upcoming album The 2nd Law, to be officially released on October 1st.

Muse - The 2nd Law Cover Art

If you're a big fan of Muse and you are desperate to listen some new material, even if it is a poor live recording, follow these links to the songs: Supremacy, Panic Station, Animals, Save Me and Follow Me.

Muse also started the Connectome project to reveal the album's last track - The 2nd Law: Isolated System. The more people join the project, the more of the new song will be revealed.
At the moment, 35% of the track has been unlocked and made available at the website in decent quality!

Carly Rose Sonenclar - Amazing Audition On The X Factor

2012-09-21T01:40:00.000+01:00

Carly Rose Sonenclar is the newest superstar born on the american tv show The X Factor. For her audition in Providence, she chose to sing Feeling Good by Nina Simone and her performance was so good The X Factor judges approved the contestant immediately.

Carly is only 13 years old but she is really confident and her voice is absolutely amazing. She began singing when she was 2 and during her childhood she took singing, dancing and acting classes.
Carly worked a lot to reach this level and she's undoubtedly one of the favorites to win the competition.
Even if it doesn't happen, thanks to her amazing talent she will certainly have a very successful career in the music business.
In fact, she already has - she played roles for several musicals - but The X Factor audition granted her a big exposure and a passport to fame! Clever move, uh? Good luck Carly!

The xx 'Coexist' Full Album

2012-09-04T05:42:00.006+01:00

The xx's new album Coexist is finally available for streaming, one week before its scheduled release date (September 11). If the player above isn't working, you can listen it at NPR.org.

The first listen left me a bit disappointed. After a three year hiatus I was hoping the band would have searched and explored a new kind of minimalistic sound, different from their debut's.

They don't sound enough experimental. I think they have repeated themselves a bit, making use of the same soft and quiet melodies that guaranteed them universal acclaim in 2009.

I guess with a couple of more listens it will eventually grow on me. One thing is certain though: Coexist won't be as memorable as xx.

Muse: the first band to play in space?

2012-09-03T23:24:00.005+01:00

In a recent interview for MTV News, Muse's bassist Chris Wolstenholme talked about their latest work and made a surprising revelation.

When questioned about the band's ambitions for the future, Chris said that hopefully they will be the first band to play in space. He wasn't sure if gravity would allow him to play though.
Someone must have been skipping physics classes back in High School!

Well, I admit I skipped a few classes too and his sentence left me so curious I had to do research on this.

Is it possible to play any instruments in space?

Accordingly to Kate Becker, graduated with a Masters in Astronomy from Cornell University, instruments should work fine in zero gravity.

However, there is an essential requirement: they must be played inside of a spacecraft or space station, because there isn't air in outer space, and it's quite obvious that sound waves need air to travel through!

Can you imagine a concert in outer space? It sure sounds surreal... Good luck on that Muse!

August 2012: Best New Music Releases

2012-08-30T20:01:00.014+01:00

September is just around the corner and school summer holidays are almost over. Sadly, it's time to return to our boring daily routines... But not before spending some time listening the best new music selection! Check out the top songs for August 2012 (to listen a particular song press the headphones icon).

Grizzly Bear - Yet Again

Wild Nothing - Shadow

Animal Collective - Today's Supernatural

The xx - Chained

Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Only In My Dreams

King Krule - Rock Bottom

Two Door Cinema Club - Beacon

2012-08-28T02:40:00.006+01:00

Two Door Cinema Club are a three piece rock band from Northern Ireland. The trio was formed in 2007, when they decided to give up their university degrees to try their luck in the music business.

They spent three years working hard and releasing studio material, when they finally caught everyone's attention in 2010 with Tourist History, their debut album.
The record was positively received by critics and soon they achieved success with popular hits such as Something Good Can Work, What You Know and I Can Talk.

Now, Two Door Cinema Club returns with their sophomore album, Beacon.

The fans that became really attached to their debut's sonority won't certainly be disappointed since the band used the same winning formula: short, clean and catchy.

Fans who look for creativity will get tired after a couple of listens, since it sounds all the same. It's likable and listenable, but they basically attempted to replicate Tourist History.

The album is out September 4, but you can already listen to it below. Enjoy!

The 27 Club: Jim Morrison

2012-08-24T16:56:00.004+01:00

Jim Morrison is one of the most iconic frontmen in rock music history. Following The Doors' explosive rise to fame in 1967, Morrison developed a severe alcohol and drug dependency that burned him out. He was sentenced to jail because of his rebel behavior in a Miami concert that nearly derailed the band. He started a revolution that ended up with two warrants: one for indecent exposure and the other for use of obscene language.

In the months following the incident, he decided to take a break from his wild lifestyle and told his band mates and friends that he and his long-term companion, Pamela Courson, were going to Paris to be alone. Back in Los Angeles, The Doors continued to rehearse without him.

On July 2 of 1971, in Paris, he went to see a movie and came back home complaining of chest pains. In the middle of that night, Pam found him dead in the bathtub.

Only Pam and the doctor who signed the death certificate ever saw Jim Morrison's body. There was no autopsy. That prompted endless speculation: did Morrison fake his death and disappeared to get away from the courts and the spotlight? Did he buy heroin from a french dealer and overdosed? The exact cause of his death is still disputed.

Listen to new Muse song "Madness"

2012-08-20T10:58:00.014+01:00

Muse will be releasing their first single of The 2nd Law today. Zane Lowe will be premiering Madness at 19:30 BST (British Summer Time) on BBC Radio 1, followed by an interview with Matt, Chris and Dom.

If the waiting is killing you, you can hear a 1 minute sample from a Korean music website here.

Madness sounds like a really simple electro-pop song, based on 12-bar blues chord progression, which is typically used in gospel, soul and rnb.

UPDATE: Listen to the full song below!

Muse's dubstep song revealed: Unsustainable

2012-08-10T01:20:00.004+01:00

A new Muse song was released just now!!! It's called Unsustainable and it is the 12th track of their new album!

Do you recall hearing a dubstep based song in The 2nd Law album trailer? That song was made available in its entirely to select fans who pre-ordered the band’s sixth studio album, and it has been leaked to Youtube! Everyone was left surprised and shocked because of its sonority (something not usual from Muse)!

But the most conservative fans shouldn't be worried: Muse said that this is the only dubstep song on the album! Press play and enjoy this brand new song from Muse!

I recall you The 2nd Law will be out on October 2nd! Make sure you stay tuned, because on August 20th the English band will release the first single of the album: Madness! Meanwhile give Unsustainable a couple of listens!

Live music concerts

2012-08-09T03:15:00.006+01:00

A few days ago, back when I posted the link for Lollapalooza stream, some of my readers really liked it and thanked me for letting them know about the live transmission of the music festival.

Due to the positive feedback of that post, I've decided to search for live music concerts, and I've found a channel over Youtube that will broadcast concerts from some pretty decent bands: Bloc Party, Yeasayer, Quicksand, Wye Oak, Bon Iver and Metric.

The live stream is provided by The Bowery Presents, and you can watch the shows right HERE.
Bloc Party's show has just finished, and I'm sorry for being a little late... but! It will be available on-demand on bowerypresents' channel for 24 hours starting at 9AM EDT tomorrow morning (August 9th)! So you'll have plenty of time to watch it!

Anyway, here is the schedule for the upcoming shows:

August 15th: Yeasayer (9PM EDT @ Music Hall of Williamsburg)
August 25th: Quicksand (9PM EDT @ Music Hall of Williamsburg)
September 20th: Wye Oak (9PM EDT @ Music Hall of Williamsburg)
September 21th: Bon Iver (8PM EDT @ Radio City Music Hall)
September 23th: Metric (8PM EDT @ Radio City Music Hall)

New The xx: Chained

2012-08-07T19:23:00.007+01:00

The xx have revealed today the second track of their upcoming new album Coexist. The track is called Chained and the band stated the song was written towards the end of the recording process of the album. Mark your calendars folks, because the release date is near! Coexist is coming on September 10th/11th (US)!

Do you want to sing along? Here are the lyrics!

...And this isn't all! I've been searching for live performances of the songs included in Coexist track listing and only four are missing! I hope you enjoy!

01. Angels (Studio Version!)
02. Chained (Studio Version!)
03. Fiction
04. Try
05. Reunion
06. Sunset
07. Missing (not available)
08. Tides (not available)
09. Unfold (not available)
10. Swept Away
11. Our Song (not available)

Lollapalooza 2012 live stream!

2012-08-03T19:09:00.005+01:00

Lollapalooza 2012 starts today! The band who will open this well known american music festival will be on stage in a few minutes! If you're reading this, you probably aren't going to attend the music festival, but do you know what? Good news!
A live stream of Lollapalooza will be available during all the weekend at a dedicated channel over Youtube, transmitting a great number of performances. Make sure you stay tuned!

UPDATE 1: Lollapalooza was suspended due to dangerous weather conditions!

According to an announcement in Lollapalooza's official website, the festival has been suspended until the staff determines when the park is safe for attendees to return.

Due to an approaching storm and warnings from the National Weather Service (NWS), Lollapalooza organizers have suspended the festival until further notice. Festival-goers are being evacuated from Grant Park and are being directed by staff and the Chicago Police Department to pre-established underground evacuation and shelter sites along Michigan Avenue.

The three emergency evacuation shelters are the Grant Park North, Grant Park South and East Monroe Street Garages. All can be entered through vehicle entrances on Michigan Avenue.

Lollapalooza officials are continuing to coordinate with the Chicago Office of Emergency Management and Communications (OEMC) to monitor weather conditions and determine when the park is safe for festival-goers to return.

“Our first priority is always the safety of our fans, staff and artists,” said Shelby Meade, communications director for C3 Presents, the promoter behind Lollapalooza. “We regret having to suspend any show, but safety always comes first.”

Source: Lollapalooza's website

UPDATE 2: Lollapalooza's doors are open again and the bands are back on! Check out the updated schedule for today here!

New music by Tame Impala, Crystal Castles, Bloc Party and TDCC

2012-07-29T15:39:00.003+01:00

Tame Impala return with their second album, Lonerism, out October 2012. Following Innerspeaker, their 2010 debut album, Lonerism is a whole new level of cosmic sounds. The lead single was finally revealed!

If you liked it, have a listen to Apocalypse Dreams, another track off the album!

Crystal Castles will return in late September with their still untitled third album. They have unveiled a new single, Plague, the first one off their upcoming album. Have a listen!

Bloc Party released a new song from their upcoming album Four, coming out August 21 in the US and August 20 in the UK. Listen to Day Four below!

Two Door Cinema Club will release their second album, Beacon, on September 4. The album's first single, Sleep Alone, is already available! It seems the band chose to stick with the winning formula of their 2010 debut album... I guess they thought "If it ain't broke, don't fix it".

New music videos!

2012-07-24T14:34:00.002+01:00

Bat For Lashes will release her new album, The Haunted Man, in the UK on October 15 and in the US on October 23. She has recently released a studio version of the lead single, Laura, along with its music video. The song is a piano ballad and the clip creates a romantic scene that fits with the melody.

The Gaslight Anthem's fourth album, Handwritten, was finally released today (July 24)! The band have also released the music video for the track Handwritten a few days ago. The clip shows us how a musician builds up a record and how can it influence other people's lives.

Finally, let me show you another one from Lana Del Rey's Born to Die! It's the music video for the track Summertime Sadness, which tells the story of Alma Mahler's life, a Viennese-born socialite well known in her youth for her beauty and vivacity.

Three hot new singles!

2012-07-18T02:03:00.015+01:00

The Killers are back, and at their best! The band have made their grand return with the finest comeback single you could ever hope to hear - Runaways. Battle Born is officially out September 18 and it won't disappoint.

On August 21st, the British rockers Bloc Party will be releasing their new album, Four.
The official first single, Octopus, has finally arrived. Putting aside the electronic sonority of Intimacy, the band seems to be returning to their origins, which certainly pleases the fans of Silent Alarm (their debut album).

The xx have finally revealed the official artwork and the tracklist of their upcoming new album Coexist, which will be released on September 10/11. It has been three years since the band released their masterful debut album, which rated highly in several publications' lists of the best albums of 2009.
The lead single from Coexist, Angels, was also announced and released by the band. Have a listen in the player below!

Album Art and Track Listing for Coexist:

Angels
Chained
Fiction
Try
Reunion
Sunset
Missing
Tides
Unfold
Swept Away
Our Song

Stay tuned for the hottest new releases!

Muse unveils The 2nd Law tracklisting

2012-07-13T14:16:00.005+01:00

Muse finally revealed, in an official announcement, The 2nd Law tracklist:

Supremacy

Madness

Panic Station

Prelude

Survival

Follow Me

Animals

Explorers

Big Freeze

Save Me

Liquid State

The 2nd Law: Unsustainable

The 2nd Law: Isolated System

Their upcoming sixth studio album is set to be released worldwide on 17 September 2012. The band's latest song, Survival, is the official song of the London 2012 Summer Olympics. You probably have already listened to it, since I posted it a few weeks ago, but you should definitely have another listen to get ready for this highly anticipated new release!

EDIT: The 2nd Law official cover art was revealed on 30/7. Here it is:

July 2012: Best New Music Releases

2012-07-07T23:26:00.014+01:00

For almost a year I've been gathering the list of albums being released every month, but I realized that was not worthy. Some of my readers often tell me they don't even know some of the bands from the monthly lists. Thanks to their feedback, from now on I've decided just to mention the best new music releases. Check out below the recommended albums for July!

Baroness - Yellow & Green

Yellow & Green is the third studio album by the American rock band Baroness. The album will be out on July 17. Three singles have already been released! Make sure you check them out: Take my Bones Away, March to the Sea, Eula.

Blood Red Shoes - In Time To Voices

In Time To Voices is the third album by Brighton based rock band Blood Red Shoes, and it will hit USA/Canada stores on July 24 (the album is out now in the rest of the world though). Check out two official music videos the band have released for two tracks off the new album: Cold and Lost Kids.

Fang Island - Major

The Brooklyn party-rock band Fang Island are about to return with a new album! Major is the follow-up to their debut record and it will be out on July 24! Have a listen to Asunder and Sisterly, two tracks off the album!

Marina and the Diamonds - Electra Heart

Electra Heart is the second studio album by Marina and the Diamonds, coming out July 10 on US stores. Check out Power & Control official music video!

Passion Pit - Gossamer

Passion Pit will finally return on July 24. Their brand new album is called Gossamer and a few songs can be listened already. Here are some of them: Take A Walk, I'll Be Alright, Cry Like Ghost.

Serj Tankian - Harakiri

Serj Tankian, best known as the lead vocalist of the rock band System of a Down, will release a new solo album on July 10! Serj created a medley so we can preview the album before it comes out. Follow this link and enjoy!

The Antlers - Undersea

The Antlers' new EP Undersea is a four-track release and it will be available on July 24. Have a listen to Crest and Drift Dive, two of the four tracks.

The Gaslight Anthem - Handwritten

Handwritten is the fourth studio album by New Jersey based rock group The Gaslight Anthem, and it is set to be released on July 24. Check out the official music video for the lead single 45.

Listen to Survival by Muse (new single)

2012-06-27T16:59:00.006+01:00

The first single from Muse's next album - The 2nd Law - will make its debut today on BBC Radio 1 (7:30 PM, UK time).

The band have also announced the new song Survival has been selected by the Olympic committee to be the main official song for the London 2012 Olympic Games.

The album trailer released 3 weeks ago left the fans surprised. Some fans seem to dig the dub-step based song, while others don't like it at all and beg for a heavy guitar riffs album.

Will Muse be able to please everyone? Do not miss the debut of the song on BBC Radio 1 or later via iTunes.

UPDATE: Survival has surfaced Youtube. Check it out!

Swedish House Mafia break up

2012-06-24T19:32:00.006+01:00

Today is a sad day for Swedish House Mafia fans. The house trio announced via their official website that when their current tour comes to an end, they'll split up and go separate ways.

No one truly knows the reason why they broke up, but rumors say they got tired of each other's company and they started to feel uncomfortable working together.

For now they stated only three show dates. The final part of their tour will be announced in August.

Swedish House Mafia Last Tour Dates:

Milton Keynes Bowl, England (July 14)

Ushuaia, Ibiza (July 4 – August 29)

Friends Arena, Sweden (November 24)

Listen to DIIV's debut album Oshin

2012-06-19T01:02:00.004+01:00

DIIV are a four piece Brooklyn indie rockers who have recently appeared in the music scene.

The band was formed in 2011, when Zach Cole Smith decided to start a project of his own, later recruiting three of his childhood friends.

They were previously known as Dive, but unfortunetly there was a 90s Belgian band named Dive already, and they had to change the band's name (there was no lawsuit though).

Their music is a mix of dream pop and shoegaze with sounds of early 80s British bands like The Cure.

After releasing three singles, DIIV will finally release its debut full-length album, Oshin, on June 26. Guess what... good news! The record is fully available for streaming, via Hype Machine. Just press play in the player below and let yourself float through the sound waves.

Green Day to release three new albums

2012-06-17T17:03:00.003+01:00

Green Day claim they are living the most creative moment of their lives. And it really seems so because the band will release a triology of albums titled ¡Uno!, ¡Dos! and ¡Tré!. The albums are scheduled to be released on September 25, 2012, November 13, 2012, and January 15, 2013 respectively.

Why a triology? The band said the songs just kept coming and coming, until they realized they had plenty of good material that wouldn't fit in just one album.

The band have recently released the official trailer for ¡Uno! as well as the album cover. Check it out below!