Hello kiddiwinks, Mandy here with another stellar music news update! I’ve finally recovered from this past weekend’s Electric Zoo Festival – the music was great; Major Lazor and Pretty Lights were my favorite, and talk about some incredible people watching – everything from Jersey Shore wannabes, girls in tutus, to a guy painted like a tiger. There was even a naked man dancing around who, unfortunately, was arrested for said nudity however still kept dancing even when the cuffs were slapped on. Hero. Be sure to check out some photos from it on the Red Bull Music Academy website (after you finish reading this epic piece of online literature that is).
Fewer things in life make this girl happier than the phrase “new Kings of Leon song”. Needless to say I totes did a little happy dance when I stumbled across those very same words on Monday night. “Radioactive” is the first single off KoL’s upcoming album, Come Around Sundown. It’s not their best track but it’s definitely solid and has that great quintessential KoL sound. The more I listen to it, the more I like it.
Hardly surprising but awesome nonetheless; on September 7 The xx took home The Barclaycard Mercury Prize for Album of the Year! Really, really happy about this. I’ve listened to their album countless times, seen them live and they never ceases to amaze me. They’re positively wonderful.
Massively looking forward to this: Iron And Wine are finally releasing a new album entitled, quite awesomely, Kiss Each Other Clean; unfortunately it won’t be out until 2011. Le sigh *Mandy goes and puts on “16, Maybe Less” to satiate her Iron And Wine Cravings.*
Lou Reed isn’t feeling the love for Susan Boyle. According to the always reliable and never inaccurate or over-dramatic TMZ, Ms. Boyle requested to sing Reed’s “Perfect Day” on “America’s Got Talent” to which he said “Umm… Not so much.” (Or something to that effect.) Ms. Boyle subsequently burst into tears, walked off the set and apparently was still crying the next day….? I know it’s snarky, but I kind of love this and love Lou Reed even more now. (No offense to any SuBud fans.)
So many wonderful bands releasing new material! Next up is the long awaited album from Belle And Sebastian, Write About Love. Check out the eponymous first track here. Really looking forward to this album; randomly, actress Cary Mulligan guests on the aforementioned song, and not-so-randomly, Norah Jones is on another one, “Little Lou, Ugly Jack and Prophet John”. Write About Love comes out October 11th in the UK and 12th in North America. Magic.
THIS IS AWESOME. Electric Method created a song using sound effects from Nintendo video games (with a little Biggie thrown in). This made me want to play Super Mario, Donkey Kong and Zelda all at once (on Super Nintendo, obviously).
In honor of what would have been John Lennon’s 70th Birthday, EMI will release Gimme Some Truth. Overseen by Yoko Ono, Gimme Some Truth is a deluxe 11 CD set which includes “…13 previously unreleased home recordings and Yoko Ono, Sean Lennon and Julien Lennon have each written personal essays for the lavish collection.” They had me a “lavish collection”. Gimme Some Truth will be released October 4th in the UK and stateside on the 5th (why do they get everything first?! AND they have better chocolate! It’s just not fair.). Read more about it here.
Song of the week is “Getting Nowhere” by Magnetic Man (Skream, Benga and Artwork) and features vocals by croontastic crooner, John Legend. I swear, anything that Skream touches turns into music magic; been listening to this nonstop since I found it on Monday. Enjoy!
That’s it for today all you lovely party people! Have a wonderful weekend.
Cheers,
Mandy
Mandy Boyd is the newest member of the ChinaShop family! She’ll be coming at you every Friday with her awesome list of music madness that you don’t want to miss!
