Out this week, Killing Joke’s The Singles Collection 1979 – 2012 captures the ever-evolving KJ story with a series of dark, apocalyptic songs.
The Singles Collection… is initially being released as a Limited Edition three-CD set (33 career-spanning singles plus a third disc of rarities, including previously unreleased studio tracks), plus a Super Deluxe Cigar-Boxed Edition.
Check out all the abovementioned 33 tracks from The Singles Collection… via the stream below.
Killing Joke, with their original line-up of Jaz Coleman, Geordie, Youth and Big Paul continuing to hold firm, have now signed a new deal with Spinefarm. They will soon set about recording a third studio album for the label, with Youth once again at the production helm. The release date is likely to be early 2014.
Cleveland rapper Kid Cudi announced today on Power 106 that he’s ending his nearly 5-year relationship with G.O.O.D. Music. Unlike a lot of other artists who leave their labels, Cudder has absolutely no beef with Kanye or anybody else. He cited his reason for leaving as essentially desiring to start on a new path. Cudi’s forthcoming album “Indicud” is being released April 23.
Check out what he had to say in the video above.
Complex reached out to Def Jam to get the official word on Cudi’s departure, and they responded by saying, “G.O.O.D. Music supports Kid Cudi’s decision to leave the label.”
For the next episode of “VEVO originals,” 50 Cent goes into discussing his passion for music after being a recording artist for over 15 years. With the recent launch of his SMS boxing promotions, he compares it to the music game in a sense of being trained, disciplined and stay focused to succeed when you hit the ring with no teammates. Like most athletes, the sport they decide to play opens doors for other opportunities after their career is over as in comparison, 50’s used music for opportunities he would’ve never seen before having a successful career which is why it’s his sport.
Stay tuned for 50 Cent’s return to the ring with his upcoming album fifth studio album “Street King Immortal” coming later this year.
Metallica asked the US military to stop using their tracks as instruments of torture, reveals the Navy SEAL who shot Osama Bin Laden.
Named only as The Shooter, he’s told how James Hetfield’s band made contact after discovering their music was being used in war zones.
He tells Esquire (via Spin): “When we first started the war in Iraq we were using Metallica music to soften people up before we interrogated them.
“Metallica got wind of this and they said, ‘Hey, please don’t use our music because we don’t want to promote violence.’
“I thought, ‘Dude, you have an album called Kill ‘Em All.’”
Commanders responded to the band’s requests, however, and instead began using music by Christian metal band Demon Hunter after they made contact.
The Shooter reports: “Demon Hunter said, ‘We’re all about promoting what you do.’ They sent us CDs and patches. I wore my Demon Hunter patch on every mission – I wore it when I blasted Bin Laden.”
In 2008 Hetfield discussed reports that his music was being used to torture prisoners in Guantanamo Bay, saying: “Part of me is proud they chose Metallica, and then part of me is bummed about it. We’ve got nothing to do with this and we’re trying to be apolitical as possible – I think politics and music, at least for us, don’t mix.”
Demon Hunter say: “We have no specific knowledge of our music being used, nor have we ever volunteered it to be used. The debate about enhanced interrogation techniques is for politicians, military intelligence, pundits and others.
“The members of Seal Team 6 and The Shooter are American heroes who deserve our support. We are honoured, humbled and blessed that Demon Hunter was of any support or comfort to Seal Team 6 or anyone in the US military at any time.”
The Black Angels are back and they’re offering the following wise words: Don’t Play With Guns.
The Texas band have announced the upcoming release of their hotly anticipated new album. Indigo Meadow will arrive in UK stores and online on April 1.
Indigo Meadow is heralded by the high-powered Don’t Play With Guns. Penned just days before last year’s mass shooting in Aurora, Colorado, you can check it out below.
“Our music has always tried to shed light on issues that may be hard to deal with or confront,” says singer/multi-instrumentalist Alex Maas. “If people think they can ignore the issues they are wrong. Don’t play with guns, don’t touch a hot stove, don’t give your child a poisonous snake, don’t turn the cheek when artists are willing to discuss these issues.
“In Don’t Play With Guns the antagonist is a female who has the power of persuasion over a man,” he continues. “Substitute the female antagonist with a nation, substitute the manipulated man with yourself. Heed the warning: Don’t Play With Guns.”
Indigo Meadow marks the Black Angels’ fourth full-length release, following 2010’s acclaimed Phosphene Dream.
We pick our 25 favorite videos from 2012, across both major label and indie releases.
25. Waka Flocka Flame – “Rooster In My Rari”; Dir. Morocco Vaughn- So bad, it’s good.
24. Cypress Hill x Rusko – “Can’t Keep Me Down” (feat. Damian Marley); Dir: Kristofer Ström – It’s no secret that both Cypress Hill and Rusko have, uhhhh, tried drugs before, so this intense mushroom trip visual of the urban boom box is a perfect fit for their collaborative EP.
23. Nicki Minaj – “The Boys” (feat. Cassie); Dir. Colin Tilley – The song is whatever. The video? We can’t look away.
22. Phonte – “Eternally” (feat. Median); Dir. Kenneth Price – We think this might be the first time Mormon missionaries were parodied in a rap video. Except the difference here is that Phonte is trying to preach that good music.
21. Xzibit – “Napalm”; Dir. Matt Alonzo – All you rappers that talk tough have never been in a war zone. Xzibit shot his video in one.
20. Rick Ross – “Hold Me Back”; Dir. TAJ – As far as balls-out, hood snapshot videos go, this one took the cake, with a shirtless Rick Ross shaking his titties like the most well-endowed stripper. BET turned this down. We turnt it up.
19. Snoop Lion – “La La La”; Dir. Eli Roth – Not what were used to from either Snoop or Eli, but definitely one of the coolest videos of the year, Rushmore-style.
18. Lil Wayne – “My Homies Still” (feat. Big Sean); Dir. PARRIS – Surreal suburban yard-sale with style-to-spare. Purple elephants would make Kool Keith proud. Or angry, actually.
17. Tyga – “Faded” (feat. Lil Wayne); Dir. Colin Tilley – Another crazy Colin Tilley directed clip, highlighted by NBA Jam style big heads, hypnotic images, and skin tight gold pants.
16. Action Bronson – “The Symbol” – Dir. Rik Cordero – Not quite “Sabotage”, but equally awesome for different reasons. This is the cinematic equivalent of the Rare Chandeliers album cover.
15. Rick Ross – “3 Kings” (feat. Dr. Dre & Jay-Z); Dir. DRE Films – Billed as a “visual piece”, this brilliantly constructed cut-and-paste video references countless classic hip-hop moments in the careers of each Dr. Dre, Jay-Z, and Rick. Sensory overload for longtime fans of the game.
14. 2 Chainz – “No Lie” (feat. Drake); Dir. X – Super visual black and white video that takes an otherwise hood track and adds some clean, artistic flare to it.
13. Jean Grae – “Kill Screen”; Dir. Jean Grae- Ms. Grae’s murder-mystery / secret agent short film is filled with clues and subliminal messages, making it one of the most intriguing rap videos of 2012.
12. Jay-Z & Kanye West – “No Church In The Wild” (feat. Frank Ocean); Dir. Romain Gavras – Occupiers take on the cops in this clip. We haven’t seen this kind of stuff since
Public Enemy era. Power to the people and the beats.
11. Drake – “H.Y.F.R.”; Dir. X – Drake celebrates his “re-bar mitzvah”, as friends from both his Black and Jewish sides comes together to celebrate.
10. Steve Aoki – “Cudi The Kid” (feat. Kid Cudi & Travis Barker); Dir. Jam Sutton – Super fresh video featuring the track’s collaborators, each Steve Aoki, Kid Cudi, and Travis Barker as kids, dodging creepy clowns and angry nuns.
9. Murs – “Animal Style”; Dir. HOBOSTEWD – Murs takes on closeted homophobia on this track, where he plays a gay high-school student, complete with a “gay kissing scene”. Props for Murs for taking a bold risk and helping stamp out intolerance with this video.
8. Aloe Blacc – “You Make Me Smile”; Dir. Eric Coleman – Heart-warming clip of Aloe Blacc and his daughter at Breakfast. Anyone with a kid can relate to this song and this clip.
7. RZA + The Black Keys – “Baddest Man Alive”; Dir. Chris Marrs Piliero – RZA takes on The Black Keys in this homage to old school kung fu flicks. We liked this better than his movie.
6. Evidence – “Falling Down”; Dir. Todd Angkasuwan – The video game “Limbo” was an obvious influence in this side-scrolling, black-and-white clip, as the Weatherman walks in the rain.
5. Macklemore – “Thrift Shop”; Dir. Jon Jon Augustavo, Ryan Lewis, Ben Haggerty – Mack’s ode to thrift store digging was not only a millennial re-imagining of Eminem-levels of visual silliness, but also the biggest indie video to hit in nearly two decades. That’s a cold-ass honkey.
4. Gangrene – “Vodka & Ayahuasca”; Directed by Jason Goldwatch – Decon’s Jason Goldwatch keenly sews together footage of an actual police chase, with his own scenes of Alchemist piloting the vehicle, and Oh No rhyming in the back. Simple, yet very effective.
3. Lupe Fiasco – “Bitch Bad”; Directed by Gil Green – Probably the most socially conscious video of the year, Lupe’s poignant song examines the long-term effects that irresponsible rap lyrics have on children’s minds.
2. El-P – “The Full Retard”; Dir. Timothy Saccenti – El’s evil alter ego comes to life as an uzi-welding, cocaine snorting, murderous puppet. Low budget special effects make this one extra fun to watch.
1. Nas – “Daughters”; Dir. Chris Robinson – Awesome video for Nas’ poignant track, as seen through the eyes of his daughter, Destiny Jones.
Dave Grohl has issued From Can To Can’t as the new single from the soundtrack to his film Sound City.
This hyperdramatic ditty features guest stars Corey Taylor (Slipknot/Stone Sour) on vocals, Rick Nielsen of Cheap Trick on guitar and Pat Smear joining Grohl on drums.
The Sound City movie tells the story of the studio of the same name in Van Nuys, California. It’s where Nirvana recorded their iconic Nevermind album.
Former Replacements leader unceremoniously unveils new track.
Track: Paul Westerberg – My Road Now
File under: a string-laden piano ballad that gets off to a typically disjointed start (“Fuck me!”) but settles in just fine
My Road Now showcases the always enigmatic Replacements bandleader solo at the piano, and features the great line in the refrain: ‘This is my road now and you can hit it baby’. Prime-time Westerberg.
This track is part of an ongoing series of music that Westerberg’s recorded in his basement and is casually distributing on the web.
G.O.O.D. Music stops by 106 & Park as a part of their promo run their Kanye West presented G.O.O.D. Music Cruel Summer album.
Common, Pusha T, Big Sean, CyHi Da Prince, Teyana Taylor and Travi$ Scott all got their chance to speak, before hitting the stage to perform various tracks from the album.
It was a pretty cool setup, the whole entire including the count down dedicated to G.O.O.D. Music.
Like Hawkwind? Tangerine Dream? Magic mushrooms? OK, then – meet Mugstar, an instrumental rock band from Liverpool in thrall to krautrock, Pink Floyd, Neu!, Sonic Youth and Oneida.
Black Fountain is like Peter Gunn if it was played by an orchestra of mutant Evelyn Glennies, conducted by Anton Le Vey and remixed by the Master Musicians of Goo Goo G’Joob. You know that bit in the film The Kill List with the dark and the chasing and the tunnels and weird masks? This would be the perfect soundtrack.
Fifth album Axis is out on October 29 via Agitated Records, but before that they appear at The Liverpool International Festival of Psychedelia on September 29. Wolf People, nominated in the Best New Band category for last year’s Classic Rock Roll Of Honour, are one of the headliners and it looks, like, well freaky maan. And well good.
