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GRUFF RHYS “Limited Edition Heart” NEW TRACK FROM HIS UPCOMING ALBUM BABELSBERG
“Limited Edition Heart” is the second song to be released from Babelsberg, the fifth album by Gruff Rhys and his first record for Rough Trade since 2007’s classic Candylion. Gruff said “I wrote Limited Edition Heart whilst walking along a polluted yet beautiful river. It has beautiful orchestral arrangements thanks to Stephen McNeff and the BBC NOW orchestra.”
Babelsberg’s ten tracks were initially recorded in early 2016 in a whirlwind three-day session, then hibernated for eighteen months, awaiting orchestral scores by Swansea born composer Stephen McNeff and the incredible work of the 72-piece BBC National Orchestra of Wales.
The result is Gruff’s best record to date – a ten song index of modern times, each track set to timeless, indelible melody. Over the course of Babelsberg’s songs, Gruff manages to perfectly document our troubled and troubling times with humour, grace and always addictive melody. The lyrics on it take on subjects such as the smoke and mirrors of division at the heart of our major cities, the 21st century’s new forms of state sponsored murder, the numbing effect helplessness of the 24-hour news cycle and the rise and rise of the delusional male ego. To counterbalance Babelsberg’s lyrical themes, each of these ten tales of the fear-and-now is set against gorgeous, honeyed sound.
In a career that’s spanned three decades, two languages, multiple bands, offshoots, collaborations and one boundless imagination, Babelsberg is Gruff’s finest set of songs to date.
Jungle RETURN WITH TWO BRAND NEW SONGS
Towards the end of 2013 Jungle burst onto the scene with their first two singles: The Heat and Platoon.
Appearing out of nowhere and propelled by feverish word of mouth online and IRL, Jungle would transform over the next few years from an anonymous production duo to a kaleidoscopic, personality-filled seven piece live band built around the core duo of Josh Lloyd-Watson and Tom McFarland, whose debut album 2014’s self-titled Jungle was one of the year’s defining debut records; one that would end up nominated for the UK’s Mercury Music Prize and go on to sell over half a million copies.
Today, Jungle return with a set of new songs, each showcasing a very different side of their sound.
AA sided single cuts ‘Happy Man’ and ‘House In LA’ are the first tracks to be revealed from Jungle’s forthcoming second album which was recorded in London; Josh and Tom describe it as “a post-apocalyptic radio station playing break up songs.”
If Jungle’s first album was their imaginary soundtrack to the places they had never been, their new record captures the landscapes they had so often dreamed of.
To write and record the new album, J and T swapped Shepherds Bush for the Hollywood Hills. Their romanticisation of The California Dream clashed with the reality of living it—although the experience led them back home to London to finish the album, the journey itself ultimately defined the music it produced.
‘Happy Man’ sees the band visiting themes of disenfranchised youth in an era where the dreams of the Baby Boomers are out of reach for a younger generation (lyrical terrain previously explored in Jungle’s crossover anthem ‘Busy Earnin’). It’s accompanied by a stunning video that, for the first time ever, gives you a glimpse inside Jungle’s world by introducing the band and new Jungle member Zangi who can be seen dancing in the video.
‘House In LA’ is a complete 180 handbrake turn from ‘Happy Man’. It finds the band holed up in the hills of Los Angeles, choppers whirring in the background, heartbroken, regrouping and soul searching (“I feel alive in the sunlight / All my fears are only real life…two whole years on a re-write / tell my friends I’m gonna be right there…”). And from that a modern psychedelic anthem emerges that is Jungle’s finest production moment to date, making full use of the armoury of live sounds they developed touring the world over the previous five years.
Following recent appearances at Coachella, Jungle are currently out on a European headline tour. The band will return to Toronto’s Danforth Music Hall on Friday June 15th
New video from Princess Nokia
A Girl Cried Red is the new self-described “emo mixtape” from Princess Nokia . The mixtape is out now via Rough Trade Records and will be available on limited edition red vinyl on June 22.
Today, the dynamic and outspoken New York rapper—aka Destiny Frasqueri—released the video for track “For the Night,” picking up where the video for first single Your Eyes Are Bleeding leaves off.
A Girl Cried Red showcases another fully formed side of Destiny that still taps into the uncompromising feminist ideology of Princess Nokia, and will undoubtedly cement her place in the alternative underground as well as the hip-hop world.
STARCRAWLER launch video for “Loves Gone Again” filmed in Japan during their sold-out tour there.
Starcrawler has launched a new video, for their song “Loves Gone Again.”
Filmed mainly at two shows in Tokyo during their recent sold-out tour of Japan, the video is a fun view into their stunning and impressive live shows, and the amazing reaction from audiences in Japan.
The band will also spend plenty of time on the road soon, including a show at Toronto’s Bovine Sex Club for Canadian Music Week on May 11th.
Starcrawler recently were awarded the 2018 SXSW Grulke Prize for Developing U.S. Act after blowing minds at each of their nine shows at SXSW.
Starcrawler’s self-titled debut was recently released by Rough Trade Records to rave reviews. They are a 4-piece band. The members are lead vocalist Arrow de Wilde, guitarist Henri Cash, drummer Austin Smith and bassist Tim Franco. The youngest member is 16 and the oldest is 22.
Greg Kot wrote this about one of their SXSW shows in the Chicago Tribune…“The best new band of the night was Starcrawler, a quartet of Los Angeles teens, that dished out swagger and feedback in three-minute blasts. With a ravenous rock trio at her back, willowy singer Arrow de Wilde came on like a wild-eyed demon, and finished the set by dancing on the bar, leaping into the arms of a stranger, and parading out the back exit into the night.”
PARQUET COURTS SHARE NEW VIDEO FOR "MARDI GRAS BEADS"
Last week was a whirlwind for Parquet Courts. They flew to Los Angeles for a brief visit to serenade Ellen and her TV studio audience with a jubilant performance of Wide Awake, the title track off their forthcoming album (out May 18th on Rough Trade).
After that, they headed straight to Houston for quick jaunt through Texas around Levitation Fest in Austin.
Today, they share their new single, “Mardi Gras Beads.” The song is the first Austin Brown-penned Wide Awake! track revealed thus far, and the sonic difference cannot be denied. While the A. Savage songs have presented a “D. Boon-meets-Dee-lite” vibe, Brown’s songs represent a more tender and emotionally exposed side to the album.
The video picks up where “Wide Awake” left off, focusing on Austin as he contemplatively walks the streets and lots of New Orleans.
“It’s a song about commitment to yourself for better or worse,” says Brown. As with “Wide Awake,” Brother Willis directed “Mardi Gras Beads” during Mardi Gras. The song was released as a Record Store Day exclusive two weekends ago, so fans who purchased the 7” got an early listen.
