A photo posted by Modest Mouse (@modestmouse) on Jan 16, 2015 at 3:49pm PST

Today Modest Mouse released its official video for new song Coyotes, the second song (on the heels of fiery single Lampshades On Fire) to be heard off of the band’s impending new album Strangers To Ourselves.  Check it out below in all its ambling-coyote beauty.  Oddly, the band’s official video features a coyote.  The band’s fans’ site Interstate 8 advises: “The video is inspired by the true story of a coyote that rode Portland’s MAX light rail train in 2002,” the same incident that inspired Sleater-Kinney’s “Light Rail Coyote.”  Check it out below.

A few months after the fantastic first single (Every Age) and video off his impending new Vestiges & Claws album (due out on Mute on February 17th), Jose Gonzalez is back with another uplifting new song Leaf Off/The Cave.  Below you can  watch Gonzalez’s performance of the song this past weekend with an eight-piece band and a 27-person choir.  Listen to the studio version after.  We once again love the deft propulsion and build of the song, all in support of much-needed encouragement for the listener.  Go forth, encouraged!

Gonzalez will kick off his North American tour in support of the new album on April 6th.  Check out the dates at bottom. You can get tickets HERE.

José González Complete 2015 Tour

February
18 – Madrid – La Riviera
19 – Lisbon – CCB
20 – Barcelona – L’Auditori

March
2 – Berlin – Heimathaften
4 – Prague -­ Lucerna Music Bar
5 – Vienna – Ottakringer Brauerei
6 – Munich – Muffathalle
7 – Zurich – Kaufleuten
8 – Frankfurt – Mousonturm
9 – Amsterdam – Melkweg Oude Saal
10 – Paris – Cabaret Sauvage
11 – London – Scala
13 – Coventry – Warwick Arts Centre
14 – Manchester – Academy 2
16 – Brussels – Cirque Royal
17 – Hamburg – Uebel & Gefarlich

April
6 – Philadelphia – Union Transfer
7 – Washington, DC – 9:30 Club
10 – New York – Webster Hall
11 – Boston  – Paradise – SOLD OUT
12 – Montreal – Corona Theatre
13 – Toronto – Phoenix Concert Theatre
14 – Chicago – Lincoln Hall – SOLD OUT
15 – Chicago – Lincoln Hall – SOLD OUT
16 – Minneapolis – Cedar Cultural Center
18 – Madison – Majestic Theatre
21 – Englewood – Gothic Theatre
22 – Salt Lake City – The Depot
24 – Portland – Wonder Ballroom
25 – Vancouver – Imperial – SOLD OUT
27 – San Francisco – Bimbo’s 365 Club – SOLD OUT
28 – San Francisco – Bimbo’s 365 Club – SOLD OUT
29 – Los Angeles – The Regent – SOLD OUT
30 – Los Angeles – The Regent

Not resting on the laurels of her sensational album Are We There, one of our highest-placed Best Albums of 2014 (soon come), Sharon Van Etten appeared on Ellen yesterday and performed a great new song, I Don’t Want To Let You Down.  The song supports the sense that Van Etten is ever-more coming into her own as a songwriter-performer.  We love the propulsion (from 2:15 on, in particular) and fuzz-guitar, closing-countdown of the live performance, which should continue to power-up live, beyond the limitations of a TV studio.

Watch Van Etten’s powerful performance and stream the studio recording of the song below.  In addition to this performance, SVE will head out next month on a tour of the globe (dates at bottom).

TOUR DATES:

Wed. Feb. 18 – Brooklyn, NY @ Warsaw # — SOLD OUT
Thu. Feb. 19 – Brooklyn, NY @ Warsaw # — SOLD OUT
Mon. Feb. 23 – Tokyo, JP @ Billboard Live (2 shows)
Thu. Feb. 26 – Perth, AU @ Chevron Festival Gardens
Sun. March 1 – Sydney, AU @ Factory Theatre
Tue. March 3 – Melbourne, AU @ The Hi-Fi
Wed. March 4 – Brisbane, AU @ The Zoo
Fri. March 6 – Adelaide, AU @ Womadelaide Festival
Sat. March 7 – Melbourne, AU @ Golden Plains – SOLD OUT
Sat. March 7 – Sun. March 8 — Tas, AU @ A Festival Called Panama
Thu. March 12 – Auckland, NZ @ King Arms
Fri. March 13 – Wellington, NZ @ Bodega
Sat. March 14 – Lyttelton, NZ @ Wunderbar
Sun. March 15 – Dunedin, NZ @ Chicks Hotel
Fri. March 27 – Mexico City, MX @ El Plaza Condesa
Thu. April 16 – Liege, BE @ The Reflektor @
Fri. April 17 – Brussels, BE @ Botanique – Orangerie @
Sat. April 18 – Luxembourg, LU @ Rockhal @
Sun. April 19 – Amsterdam, NL @ Paradiso Noord (Tolhuistuin) @
Tue. April 21 – Bristol, UK @ Trinity @
Thu. April 23 – Dublin, IE @ Whelans @
Sat. April 25 – Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Social Club @ — SOLD OUT
Sun. April 26 – Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Social Club @
Mon. April 27 – Gateshead, UK @ Sage @
Wed. April 29 – London, UK @ O2 Shepherds Bush Empire @
Fri. May 22 – Sun. May 24 – Boston, MA @ Boston Calling
Fri. June 5 – Sun. June 7 – New York, NY @ Governors Ball

# w/ Leon Bridges
@ w/ Sam Amidon

Preeminent producer (for U2, Bob Dylan, Emmylou Harris, etc.), multi-intrumentalist, and songwriter Daniel Lanois has successfully mined a new vein with his 2014 electronic/ambient album, Flesh and Machine.  Despite initially having two strikes against it with us (first, Lanois is stuck behind an electronic gear-stack, and second, the album is sans-vocals), we have slowly been won over by the electric-avenue album.  We implicitly trust Lanois when it comes to music and the emotional heft thereof.  Rarely has an artist held a divining rod so masterfully and accurately dowsed the musical waters so well for its heart.  Initially nonplussed by Lanois’s new format, with stricter attention and time we have come full circle on Flesh and Machine.  Today NPR released its Tiny Desk Concert (set list at bottom) featuring Lanois, deft drummer Brian Blade, and nimble bassist Jim Wilson performing three songs from the album.  Check out their performances below and pay close attention.  You will likely find, as we did, that Lanois has overcome the soul-less mien of electronic/ambient music.  An impressive performance by a master.

Lanois and crew will begin new legs of their tour in March, and you can check the dates out HERE.  You can purchase Flesh and Machine HERE.

Way below, also watch Lanois’s captivating video for Sioux Lookout off the album.

Tiny Desk Concert Setlist:

Sci Fi
Elevator
Apres Calypso

With 2014’s phenomenal album You’re Dead!, Flying Lotus both broadened and intensified his subtle musical world-domination efforts.  Not only did he broaden his reach by adding in particular outside talent (Kendrick Lamar, amongst others) and diversified sounds, but he also intensified his songs’ effects by releasing a string of crazy-creative, attention-garnering music videos therefor (including the Best Music Video of 2014, Never Catch Me by Hiro Murai).

To prove that he’s not letting up in 2015, FlyLo today released the superb official video for one of the album’s centerpieces, Coronus, the Terminator.  The song is a deceptively-soothing masterpiece that would not have been that out of place (to these ears) on Marvin Gaye’s stretching What’s Going On period.  But this new end-of-life video adds on challenging, thought-provoking visuals (why the one-armed son to begin, versus the full-limbed son’s mercy-killing, perhaps, at the end? Etc.), including afterlife, ashen “ghosts.”  The artist said this about the song and video:  “For me, Coronus is one of the most important moments on You’re Dead! and holds ideas I’m planning to explore in my future work.  I’m happy that the visual encapsulates the meaning of the record and this ambition.”  Check it out below.

Next week Brit-pop faves Belle and Sebastian will release Girls In Peacetime Want To Dance, their first album since 2010’s Write About Love.  From what we’ve gathered, the new album will feature more dance-oriented synthesizer-play to augment leader Stuart Murdoch’s usual, affecting lyricism.   Go over to NPR HERE to stream the new album.

Below are the band’s just-announced tour dates.  Unfortunately, they won’t be coming back to the Santa Barbara Bowl where they wowed the crowd in 2013.

Belle and Sebastian 2015 Tour Dates:
01/26 – Auckland, NZ @ Laneway Festival
01/28 – Brisbane, AU @ Tivoli
01/29 – Sydney, AU @ Enmore Theatre
01/31 – Sydney, AU @ Taronga Zoo
02/01 – Melbourne, AU @ Palais Theatre
02/03 – Perth, AU @ Astor Theatre
02/10 – Hong Kong @ World Arena
02/12 – Seoul, KR @ AX Club
02/14 – Singapore @ Fort Canning
02/16 – Taipei, TW @ Hostess Club
02/21 – Tokyo, JP @ Hostess Club
03/30 – Boston, MA @ House of Blues
04/01 – Toronto, ON @ Massey Hall
04/02 – Royal Oak, MI @ Royal Oak Music Theatre
04/03 – Chicago, IL @ Riviera Theatre
04/04 – Madison, WI @ Overture Hall
04/07 – Seattle, WA @ Paramount Ballroom *
04/08 – Vancouver, BC @ Vogue Theatre *
04/09 – Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater *
04/11 – Indio, CA @ Coachella Music Festival
04/12 – Berkeley, CA @ Greek Theatre *^
04/14 – Davis, CA @ Mondavi Center *
04/17 – San Diego, CA @ The North Park Theatre
04/18 – Indio, CA @ Coachella Music Festival
05/03 – Wales, UK @ St. David’s
05/04 – Bristol, UK @ Colston Hall
05/05 – Portsmouth, UK @ Guildhall
05/07 – Cambridge, UK @ Corn Exchange
05/08 – Norwich, UK @ Open
05/10 – Birmingham, UK @ Symphony Hall
05/11 – London, UK @ Westminster Central Hall
05/12 – London, UK @ Westminster Central Hall
05/14 – Manchester, UK @ Albert Hall
05/16 – Newcastle, UK @ City Hall
05/18 – Buxton, UK @ Opera House
05/19 – Leeds, UK @ City Hall
05/22 – Glasgow, UK @ Hydro Arena
05/24 – Liverpool, UK @ Sound City
06/09 – Upper Darby, PA @ Tower Theartre
06/10 – New York, NY @ Radio City Music Hall ^
06/11 – Washington, DC @ Echostage
06/14 – Columbus, OH @ LC Pavilion
06/17 – Morrison, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre
06/18 – Kansas City, MO @ Uptown Theatre
07/02 – Keflavik, IS @ ATP Iceland

* = w/ Perfume Genius
^ = w/ Real Estate

The much-loved Oregon band, The Decemberists, will attempt to erase the bad taste left in Oregonians’ mouths (following Oregon’s loss last night in the college football national championship) when they release their seventh studio album, What A Terrible World, What A Beautiful World, on January 20th on Capitol.  You can now stream it in its entirety HERE.

According to the band’s press release, the new album is their “most varied and dynamic work, both musically and emotionally.”  Leader Colin Meloy has further said that the album is more personal than prior efforts and addresses “having a family, having kids, having this career, getting older — all of these things have made me look more inward.”  In addition to streaming the new album, check out below the just-released lyric video for A Beginning Song, an additional lyric video for Lake Song, the official video for Make You Better, and a recent unplugged performance (on WFUV) of the first track released from the album, The Wrong Year.  Great stuff, as usual, from The Decemberists, destined undoubtedly to appear on our Best Albums of 2015 list.

The band will embark on a worldwide tour in support of the new album.  Unfortunately, their participation in  Corpchella currently has them bypassing all other California venues.  ‘Tis a shame and a crime.

We don’t like Mondays, but this one has begun well with the news that one of our favorite artists, Sufjan Stevens, will release a new, 11-track album, entitled Carrie & Lowell, on March 31st on Asthmatic Kitty.  The new album is his first non-Christmas album since 201o’s Age of Adz.  Watch/listen-to a brief trailer for the album below.

The new album is named after Stevens’ mother and stepfather and evidently revolves around growing and aging and passing with and through the generations, all as spurred by the passing of his mother.  Stevens has this to say after he lost Carrie: “I was all dark matter, dark energy after my mother’s death. I had convinced myself I was a disease to the world and to myself. There was no hope in the universe, not even in my art.”  Despite or because of this loss, The New Yorker’s writer Hilton Als, sums up the new album as a “beautiful solitary and rich record filled with faith and disbelief and the resurrection of trust and dreams.”  We can’t wait.

You can pre-order Carrie & Lowell HERE.  The album’s tracklist is at bottom.

Tracklist:

1. Death With Dignity (3:59)
2. Should Have Known Better (5:07)
3. All Of Me Wants All Of You (3:41)
4. Drawn to the Blood (3:18)
5. Eugene (2:26)
6. Fourth of July (4:39)
7. The Only Thing (4:44)
8. Carrie & Lowell (3:14)
9. John My Beloved (5:04)
10. No Shade in the Shadow of The Cross (2:40)
11. Blue Bucket of Gold (4:43)

One thing that became clear in 2014  is that director Hiro Murai is consistently making the best music videos on the scene, including the Best of 2014, Flying Lotus’s Never Catch Me, which you can also watch below (and we wrote about HERE).

We were reminded again of Murai’s talent today when his video for Childish Gambino’s Sober was released.  Check it out below as Gambino (actor Donald Glover) uses pantomime, dance and magic-tricks in an attempt to woo a woman in a cafe while tossing off some nice dance moves.

Following Sober and then Never Catch Me (with the incomparable Kendrick Lamar) below, check out some of Murai’s other superb 2014 music videos, including Gambino’s Telegraph Ave. (“Oakland”)) and Sweatpants (check out Murai’s beautiful change-up thrown at 3:04), and one of our other Best Videos of 2014, Spoon’s Do You.

Bravos all around to Hiro Murai.

As has been written about repeatedly, Brit-sister group The Staves will soon release a new album entitled If I Was produced by Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon.   Today the group released the album’s track Steady.  As expected, the fruits of The Staves’ and Vernon’s combined labors constitute an exponential leap of faith yielding powerful results.  After Steady, if you haven’t already, check out another great song off the album, the opening track Blood I Bled.  Superb stuff that bodes well for the new album.  Listen in below.