by Philip Moss, Joseph Purcell and Phil Scarisbrick
Paul McCartney – Come On To Me / I Don’t Know
It may be almost fifty years since the Fab Four broke up, but The Beatles are still the most celebrated band in history. As such, any new release from them – be it a reissue or solo project – is newsworthy. This week, Sir Paul McCartney has unveiled two new songs from his forthcoming album: Egypt Station.
Come On To Me and I Don’t Know couldn’t be more different. The former is a foot stomping rocker, while the latter is a mournful ballad. At 76 years-old, McCartney still has a superb ear for melody, as these songs prove. Speaking of the new album he said, “I liked the words ‘Egypt Station.’ It reminded me of the ‘album’ albums we used to make… Egypt Station starts off at the station on the first song and then each song is like a different station. So it gave us some idea to base all the songs around that. I think of it as a dream location that the music emanates from.”
The record – McCartney’s 17th solo album – is largely produced by the very much in vogue, Greg Kurstin (Adele, The Shins, Ellie Goulding, Liam Gallagher), while one track is helmed by One Republic’s Ryan Tedder. It will be released by Capitol Records on 7th September.
Dirty Projectors – That’s A Lifestyle
Brooklyn natives, Dirty Projectors return this week with new track, That’s a Lifestyle, which is the second release from forthcoming album Lamp Lit Prose, following on from first single Break-thru.
The new single has been described by the band as ‘a protest song, wrapping fiery, passionate lyrics in a beautiful melody, and guitar arrangement finds acoustic 12-strings exploding into electric bursts and squelches’.
Building upon a back catalogue of exciting innovative collaborations with artists such as Bjork, Solange & David Byrne, the theme is set to continue on Lamp Lit Prose, with appearances from Rostam (ex-Vampire Weekend) & Robin Pecknold (Fleet Foxes) amongst others. Produced by lead singer and guitarist Dave Longstreth, Lamp Lit Prose promises to be one of the summer’s most eagerly anticipated new releases.
Lamp Lit Prose is out through Domino Records on 13th July.
Tunng – Crow
Fresh from his side project with British indie folk songstress Laura Marling, Tunng frontman Mike Lindsay re-unites with founding member Sam Genders for the first new material since 2007’s Good Arrows.
Taken from the upcoming album, Songs You Make At Night, second single Crow is classic Tunng, contrasting dark and light on a track of touching gentle moments.
Speaking through a press release ,Sam Genders explained- ‘Crow was inspired in part by Max Porter’s book, Grief is the thing with Feathers, which I loved. In the song the Crow represents all the good and bad that life has to offer. The love of old friends and the seeming cruelty of fate right there in the mix with everything else, giving us what we need to grow and become who we are.’
Songs You Make At Night will be released on August 24th through Full Time Hobby.
The Molochs – I Wanna Say To You
Having just announced their new album, Flowers In The Spring, through Innovative Leisure – the label that brought us BADBADNOTGOOD and The Allah-Las – LA band, The Molochs channel the best of The Byrds, Pavement and the baggier side of early Oasis on the album’s lead single, I Wanna Say To You.
Flowers In The Spring is out on 7th September through Innovative Leisure (BADBADNOTGOOD)
TSHEGUE – Muanapoto
TSHEGUE’s new single, Muanapoto, is taken from their debut EP, Survivor, and has already picked up the Paris-based, French-Congolese band column inches on the likes of i-D and Noisey. And it’s not difficult to see why, as Muanapoto is an infectious slab of groovy Afro-punk that’s jam packed with frenetic Congolese drum loops .
Following head-turning appearances at last year’s Afropunk Festival in Paris and this year’s The Great Escape, their first ever UK tour is due to be announced imminently. We can’t wait to hear more!
Yo La Tengo – Shades of Blue / Time Fades Away (Neil Young cover)
As part of the Spotify singles club, Yo La Tengo have recorded a special version of Shades of Blue – which is taken from their critically acclaimed new album, There’s A Riot Going On – and tackled Neil Young’s Time Fades Away.
After recently finishing a US tour on the West Coast, Yo La Tengo will be returning to the UK in August for End Of The Road and Komedia festivals.
There’s A Riot Going On is out now through Matador Records.
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