Monday Music News

Mitski has announced her highly anticipated follow-up to 2016’s acclaimed Puberty 2. Titled Be the Cowboy, the album is slated for release August 17 via Dead Oceans. She also shared the first single off the album, “Geyser,” as well as a Zia Anger-directed video for the song. Recorded with longtime collaborator, Patrick Hyland, Mitski says she "experimented in narrative and fiction" and had in mind "a very controlled icy repressed woman who is starting to unravel. Because women have so little power and showing emotion is seen as weakness, this 'character' clings to any amount of control she can get. Still, there is something very primordial in her that is trying to find a way to get out." [ Under the Radar ]

The always prolific Ty Segall and White Fence (aka Tim Presley) are releasing a collaborative album this summer titled Joy. The garage rock acts previously teamed up for 2012’s Hair. A press release states the difference between the two albums: “Hair grew out of a simpler time, man! If, as the dyphrenic duo indeed affirm on Joy, rock in 2018 is dead, don’t come around here looking for no burial. Instead, find Tim and Ty caught up in the commencement of on-beyond rock; arriving without traveling from the same place, occupying one single headspace, finishing the other’s phrases, pulling licks from each other’s places.” The duo have shared the first single off the album, “Good Boy” and announced a joint tour, with a stop at Neumos on Monday, October 8. Segall will make a second stop at Neumos on Saturday, October 27 during his solo acoustic tour. [ Consequence of Sound ]

Yesterday, Lykke Li shared a timely video for new song “Utopia,” which celebrates motherhood. Directed by Clara Cullen, the video shows home video footage showing snapshots from Li's childhood as well as her own motherhood to her young son. Li gave birth in 2016 and her mother, singer Kärsti Stiege, died the following year in July 2017. Li wrote on Twitter about the song: "Mother to mother to mother. Utopia is all my mother ever wanted for me and all I ever want for him." Li is releasing her fourth studio album, So Sad So Sexy, on June 8 via RCA. [ Rolling Stone ]

Grimes has shared a tentative tracklist for her new album to help prove its legitimacy after recent posts claiming complications with the album release and her self-described “shit label.” Titles include “Nymphs At Versailles,” “Darq Souls,” and “adore u (beautiful game).” She wrote, “Working titlez. Subject to change but just so y’all know its real.” Later, on Twitter, the musician asked fans which song she should drop first: “Wanna drop song soon ish so wud u pref super dark heavy ballad about fighting balrog in the center of earth that is a sex metaphor or a very not pg13 ethereal shadow of colossus demon nu metal song art insomnia?” She then later adds, “or a super lame love song i hate but other ppl dig or an elven take on train spotting soundtrack. those prob 4 main closest to being done rn.” Grimes’ last release was 2015’s Art Angels. She’s recently been in the news for dating Elon Musk. [ Stereogum ]

Experimental synth-pop musician John Maus has unveiled a new single called “Running Man,” off his forthcoming LP Addendum. The repetitive song repeats the phrase, “I am, I am the running man,” on top of a frantic synth line. Addendum follows 2017’s Screen Memories and is out this Friday, May 18 on Ribbon Music. [ Paste ]