For the last couple of years Lady Gaga has been focusing on her acting career (it’s going pretty well btw, she won a Golden Globe last year), but she’s back to doing what she does best: making monster pop hits like her new single Perfect Illusion. According to Gaga, her role in American Horror Story had a significant influence on the creative process for her 5th solo album, which is due later this year, claiming “I have returned to something I’ve believed in so much, which is the art of darkness”. Sounds ominous, but we can’t wait.
In other comeback news: Kings Of Leon announced their upcoming 7th album and shared lead single Waste A Moment; Grandaddy surprised us all with two new singles, Way We Won’t & Clear Your History (they split up 10 years ago); and, after years of speculation, Rage Against The Machine frontman Zack De La Rocha has finally gone solo with the El-P produced digging for windows — presumably a result of the amazing Run The Jewels collaboration, Close Your Eyes (And Count To Fuck).
And as if that wasn’t enough, Röyksopp teamed up with the amazing Susanne Sundfør on Never Ever; Paul Valensi from The Strokes shared Ways To Fake It from his new band CRX; Dan Deacon showed us how much fun his concerts are with Change Your Life (You Can Do It); Nick Cave made us all cry (again) with I Need You; plus we’ve a bunch of new tracks from Die Antwoord, Green Day, Sia & Kendrick, Mac Miller & Ariana Grande, Drugdealer & Ariel Pink, Regina Spektor, Slaves and many more.
Dive into them individually below or listen to them all in one handy playlist here.
Perfect Illusion
by Lady Gaga
Perfect Illusion is the long-awaited lead single to Lady Gaga’s upcoming 5th solo album, which is expected later this year and follows up 2013’s ARTPOP.
Gaga co-produces the song with Mark Ronson, Kevin Parker from Tame Impala, and Bloodpop (formerly known as Blood Diamonds) who has previously worked with Grimes on Go (feat. Blood Diamonds), Madonna and Justin Bieber.
This is her first new music since her Oscar nominated Til It Happens To You (written for documentary The Hunting Ground) and her 2014 duets album with Tony Bennett, Cheek to Cheek.
digging for windows
by Zack De La Rocha
After years of speculation and rumoured projects with DJ Shadow, Questlove from The Roots and Trent Reznor from Nine Inch Nails, Zack de la Rocha from Rage Against the Machine is finally going solo!!
digging for windows is the lead single to his as-yet-unnamed debut album, which will be produced by El-P and is due early next year.
Last year Zack appeared with El-P and Killer Mike on Close Your Eyes (And Count to Fuck), the standout track from the 2nd Run The Jewels album and presumably the collaboration that sparked El working on his new album.
Waste A Moment
by Kings Of Leon
Waste A Moment is the lead single to Kings Of Leon’s upcoming 7th album, Walls (it stands for We Are Like Love Songs apparently), which is out October 14th and follows up 2013’s Mechanical Bull.
Way We Won’t
by Grandaddy
It’s been 10 years since Grandaddy released their farewell album, Just Like the Fambly Cat, but we’re delighted to tell you that the indie legends are back with 2 new singles and an album on the way.
Way We Won’t joins Clear Your History on a new Double A-Side that is out for purchase today and is a prelude to an upcoming album on 30th Century Records, the label run by Danger Mouse (not sure if he’s producing or not).
Here’s what Danger Mouse had to say about his new signing:
“Grandaddy have always been one of my favourite bands. I think their new single is up there with their best work and I’m proud to have them become part of 30th Century.”
If you’re as excited as we are by this news, why not celebrate by revisiting their seminal album, The Sophtware Slump.
Nick Valensi from The Strokes has a new band called CRX and this is the lead single to their upcoming debut album, New Skin (out October 28th), which was produced by Josh Homme of Queens of the Stone Age and Eagles of Death Metal.
If you like this sound of this, they will be supporting Beck on his upcoming US tour so grab yourself some tickets on Songkick (not that you really need another excuse to see Beck).
Take Control is the 2nd single and title track to Slaves upcoming 2nd album, Take Control, which is out September 30th and follows up their Mercury Prize nominated debut, Are You Satisfied?.
If you missed it, be sure to check out their excellent (and very noisy) lead single Spit It Out.
Fat Faded Fuck Face
by Die Antwoord
Fat Faded Fuck Face is the 2nd single from Die Antwoord’s upcoming 4th album, Mount Ninji and da Nice Time Kid, which is out September 16th and follows up 2014’s Donker Mag and this year’s SUCK ON THIS mixtape.
The new track follows the recently released lead single, Banana Brain, and comes with the sad news that they are planning to break up in September 2017. Here’s what Ninja had to say:
“Die Antwoord dies on that day. It’s all over. I feel beautiful about it. I’m not scared of the end. I’m a Ninja. I’m not scared of death.”
Hopefully that still gives us time for album number 5 though!!
Revolution Radio
by Green Day
Revolution Radio is the 2nd single and title track to Green Day’s upcoming 12th album, Revolution Radio, which is out October 7th and follows up their 2012 ¡Uno!, ¡Dos!, ¡Tré! trilogy.
If you missed it, be sure to check out lead single Bang Bang.
Black and White
by Regina Spektor
Black and White is the 3rd single from Regina Spektor’s upcoming 7th album, Remember Us To Life, which is out September 30th and follows up 2012’s What We Saw from the Cheap Seats and You’ve Got Time, her theme song to Netflix’s Orange Is The New Black.
If you missed it, be sure to check out the excellent lead single Bleeding Heart and recently released Small Bill$.
I Need You
by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
I Need You is the 2nd single from Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds’ 16th album, Skeleton Tree, which was released on Friday and follows up 2013’s Push the Sky Away.
Skeleton Tree — which also features the recently released lead single Jesus Alone — is Nick’s first album since the tragic death of his teenage son last year, so expect things to get even darker than usual.
Change Your Life (You Can Do It)
by Dan Deacon
We don’t know about you, but the video for Dan Deacon’s new song got us immediately checking for concert tickets — sadly he’s not coming to London any time soon, but if you’re in the US he’s touring right now so grab some tickets if you can.
The video for Change Your Life (You Can Do It) was filmed during the tour for last year’s Gliss Riffer album and (from everything we’ve heard) it perfectly captures the euphoria of his live shows. The song’s pretty great too btw!
Here’s what Dan had to say about his new track:
“Sometime in late 2015 a good friend and long time collaborator, Dave Hughes, asked me to write a new song for the New Year’s Eve episode of his show Off The Air. The theme for the show was ‘NEWNOW’ and it couldn’t have come at a better time for me as I was going through some pretty heavy shit at the time and was very depressed, confused and alone. The theme helped me realize I was in a transitional phase of my life and to try to pull myself together and remove the aspects of life that I was in conflict with. Writing the song became an opportunity to motivate myself to change myself.”
Easy To Forget
by Drugdealer & Ariel Pink
Drugdealer — the latest incarnation of Michael Collins of RUN DMT, Salvia Plath & Silk Rhodes — is joined by Ariel Pink on the latest track to surface from his upcoming debut album, The End of Comedy.
Easy To Forget will be joined on the new album (out September 9th) by the amazing lead single Suddenly, which features the equally amazing Weyes Blood.
Je suis d’ailleurs
by Alcest
Je suis d’ailleurs is the latest track to surface from Alcest’s upcoming 5th album, Kodama, which is out September 30th and will also feature the previously released Oiseaux de proie.
Kodama is the first new album from the French atmospheric-metal outfit since 2014’s Shelter.
The Greatest
by Sia & Kendrick Lamar
Sia has teamed up with Kendrick Lamar on The Greatest, her first new single since last year’s This Is Acting album (though oddly his verse doesn’t appear in the video?!).
The Greatest follows up her updated version of Unstoppable, which she recorded for the 2016 Rio Olympics with Pusha T and producer Ariel Rechtshaid.
My Favorite Part
by Mac Miller & Ariana Grande
Ariana Grande is the latest in an impressive roster of guest artists to feature on Mac Miller’s upcoming 4th album, The Divine Feminine, which is out Sep 16th.
My Favorite Part will join the previously released Dang! feat. Anderson .Paak and We feat. CeeLo Green on his follow up to 2014’s GO:OD AM, which will also feature guest spots from Bilal, Ty Dolla $ign and Kendrick Lamar.
Never Ever
by Röyksopp & Susanne Sundfør
Röyksopp have teamed up with the amazing Susanne Sundfør again for their first new single since they stopped making albums — 2014’s The Inevitable End was their last in the “traditional album format”.
Never Ever is the first in a series of upcoming tracks that delve into using analog synthesizers and drum machines in combination with acoustic instruments, exploring “a counterpoint to the super-clean sound of modern electronic music”.
If you’re new to Susanne Sundfør, you simply must check out her 2015 album Ten Love Songs, it was easily one of the best releases that year. You should also listen to her previous collaborations with Röyksopp: Running To the Sea and Save Me, both from their The Inevitable End album.
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