Monday Music News

01/07/2013

Dillon Sturtevant

M.I.A.'s much-anticipated album Matangi has been rejected by Interscope for being "too positive". The album was supposed to be released last month, but now with apparently some "darkening up" needed, the release is expected around April 15th, in time for the Tamil New Year. It turns out M.I.A.'s ex-manager, whom she fired, is now the head of Interscope, which one can assume only adds to the miscommunication between label and artist. The rapper admits being confused as to what Interscope is expecting in regard to revisions to the album, which she considered finished, but she seems to be taking it in stride and is considering their advice because, "that's the point of being positive." [Stereogum]

Philadelphia's Free Energy are currently streaming Love Sign, due to be released next week, on rollingstone.com. The group's powerfully catchy rock and roll, complete with blistering power chords and double guitar leads, is largely unchanged on the new record, but it's certainly updated. In an interview about the record with Consequence of Sound, lead singer Paul Sprangers explains the band's attitude as "Like, fuck it, we have nothing to lose. If it’s going to be big and dumb, it should be the biggest and dumbest it ever could be." [Rolling Stone]

Rap-punk group Death Grips have released a short film that documents the group living on their advance from Epic at the ritzy Chateau Marmont in LA, which after nine minutes of mostly silent footage becomes a video for the song "Come Up and Get Me". The track is off of Death Grips' NO LOVE DEEP WEB, which they released for free, without the Epic's consent, and got them kicked off the label. Check it out below. [Stereogum]

The Black Keys and the Flaming Lips have announced a mini joint tour in 2013, starting in Kansas City and continuing for a total of four shows to Pittsburgh, Atlanta, and Nashville from April 28 to May 3. Should be an awesome pairing of two bands at the top of their game. [Consequence of Sound]

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, whose new album Push The Sky Away is out on Bad Seed Ltd. on February 19, have released an eerie Gasper Noe-directed video for the album opener "We No Who U R". A shadow figure wanders dark woods alone as the melancholic song plays over it, and the solemn melody is complete with the unsettling lyric "We know who you are, and we know where you live, and we know there's no need to forgive." Watch for yourself below. [Stereogum]

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