The Velvet Underground. No band inspires wonder in the way they did. Their opus, The Velvet Underground & Nico, is probably one of the most influential albums in the late 20th Century. If Brian Eno is to be believed, while only 30,000 people bought the album, and “Everyone who bought one of those 30,000 copies started a band.”
So when I heard that John Cale played the entirety of that album, live, along with other songs from White Light/White Heat, I was crushed I didn’t hear about it sooner. Of course, it was at Philharmonie de Paris, so I wouldn’t have been able to go anyway, but it’s the thought that counts right? Cale was joined on stage by some very special guests throughout the concert: Pete Doherty and Carl Barât from The Libertines, Mark Lanegan, Lou Doillon, Etienne Daho, and Nick Franglen of Lemon Jelly.
Another notable guest was Animal Collective, whom Cale appeared with on Hocus Pocus off their album Painting With. Cale and Collective also appeared in conversation together on The Thread.
You can watch the performances of I’ll Be Your Mirror, White Light/White Heat, and Femme Fatale below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejaGPh6FcZE]
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_UBcddi5rY]
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYMQ9VFjTAA]
Read our Flashback Friday feature on The Velvet Underground & Nico
Image: The Velvet Underground
There are some things you just can’t make up. The kinds of things that make you sit back in your chair and just mouth “What the fuck?” Sentences like “Australian hard rock legends AC/DC being used to treat cancer” is one such thing. When I saw that this was something that existed in the world, I couldn’t resist. I had so many questions: How? Why? Has science gone too far?
Needless to say, I was intrigued.
Researchers at the University of South Australia have been using Thunderstruck to adapt the way that the chemotherapy-related drug Camptothecin (say it five times fast, I dare you) is delivered to patients. The track is being used to vibrate microparticles of the drug, which allows a thin polymer (plastic, but I like using science-y words) coating to be applied, increasing the time taken for the drug to reach the patient. Basically, the track is being used to make the drug kick cancer’s ass faster.
If you’re feeling like a more in-depth look at the research, there’s a paper which can be read here (warning, super science-y). Currently, it’s just a proof-of-concept, but sounds promising, and may lead to it being used in other areas of drug delivery.
Image: Stereogum
In a recent interview with The Lead South Australia, Professor Nico Voelcker (one of the researchers on the project) explained the choice of music:
“Normally we would ignite a plasma onto the surface. The problem with doing that is you only form the coating on one side of the particle, the side that is exposed. But the side of the particle on the surface, the other side, is not going to get coated.”
“That is where we came up with the idea of using a loud speaker that we would play into the system. We would turn that loudspeaker to a song that it would vibrate and the particles would bounce up and down. The chaotic frequencies worked well and gave you a more homogenous coating.”
“We used a cold plasma, but an example of a hot plasma would be the rays of thunder. We ended up using Thunderstruck because we liked how it linked thunder and plasma gas.”
So that’s really cool! Although I would be lying if I said I wasn’t slightly disappointed to hear no mention of electroshock therapy, but it’s probably for the best.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2AC41dglnM]
AC/DC are currently searching for a touring replacement for Brian Johnson, with rumours of Axl Rose being the man to step in. Personally, I’m still hoping for Pelle Almqvist of The Hives, because oh my god.
Image: ABC
The Vines are back!!! Returning to your ears with a magical little retro-inspired psych-rock number, the Aussie alt-rock group have name dropped a fantastic little video game. In Miracle Land is the latest snippet of the band’s unreleased and currently untitled LP coming later this year. It will be their 7th studio album, and judging from this track, it’s shaping up to be pretty delightful.
The game in question is Sega’s retro classic Alex Kidd In Miracle World, also known as that game that was built into your Sega Master System II that was practically impossible because you couldn’t save the fucking thing.
The song itself is pretty fun. It’s reminiscent of The Beatles in their heyday, and there’s also a pretty clear psychedelic pop, Tame Impala feel to it. Overall, it’s a solid, if short, slice of what’s to come. This would be a great song to wake you up, just screaming at you to be happy in a technicoloured rainbow way. I for one am excited to see an entire EP of Aussie alt-rockers try to make more sugary “Tame Impala music” than Tame Impala themselves.
But, while I wait for that, I think I’ll just listen to The Vines’ back catalogue and cry tears of nostalgia for old video games. Join me by listening below.
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Image: Sophie Howarth
March Madness. A time where basketball fans get to geek out, and the world just kind of… lets them. It’s also a time hip-hop heads get excited for, because basketball inevitably draws the hip-hop greats to get out and show their support for their favourite teams. Oh, and there’s also a music festival, which for three days draws some pretty huge names, so that’s fun too.
It was at this festival, creatively titled “March Madness Festival,” where King Kendrick Lamar had the live debut of his standout untitled 07 | levitate. The track comes from his phenomenal untitled unmastered released earlier this year, the follow up to his opus, To Pimp A Butterfly. His set played directly ahead of the University of North Carolina vs. Syracuse Final Four game, and was being live broadcast on both TV and online. With a massive audience, Kendrick went for a massive performance. Watch the track below, it’s pretty great.
As always, it’s hilarious to see sweeping overhead shots of hundreds of arms bobbing in unison, but it really goes to show the effect that Kendrick’s music has on so many people. Having been in Australia recently for just three shows (one of which we were lucky enough to be at) for Bluesfest, we can confirm just how incredible it is to see K.Dot in action. Check out the performance at March Madness below, and prepare yourself for some goosebumps.
Image: Dani Hansen for Howl & Echoes. Check out the full gallery here
Radiohead‘s new album may be titled Dawnnchoruss, fans are speculating, in the wake of the formation of a new company, Dawnnchoruss Ltd. The British rock group have a history of forming companies with the same names as their albums. They previously had fans guessing their upcoming record was titled Dawn Chorus with the creation of Dawn Chorus LLP earlier this year, but it looks like the spelling has been refined.
But hey, no matter what the album is eventually called, the band will be touring this year to support it, with dates announced for a world tour (read: Not Australia). Don’t bother looking for tickets however, as they sold out within literally minutes.
Collaborator Stanley Donwood recently called the album a “work of art,” but also remarked that it wasn’t quite finished yet. Whilst this may seem to be some cause for alarm, fans shouldn’t worry too much. Radiohead is notorious for recording a large amount of music and whittling it down to fit into an album. The new material will be the first music from the band in four years, since their 2012 full length album The King Of Limbs. It also recently surfaced that they had recorded a theme for the latest Bond film, Spectre, which was (sadly) rejected.
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If anyone ever questions whether music is magical, I point them to either Mark Pritchard‘s work, or to Radiohead. So when I heard that Pritchard was working with Thom Yorke, I was both delighted and scared. What if this created the most beautiful sound in existence? Would I fall in love instantly? I informed my girlfriend, and she said she understood if I had to leave her for this song. Now, after hearing the six-minute collaboration, I’m about to go out and buy an engagement ring to marry the song. Beautiful People is astonishingly good.
Following the remarkable Sad Alron, this track is decidedly more haunting. It opens with a minimalist flute-sounding intro, building into a marvellous layered track. Yorke’s vocals begin distorted, but clarity emerges. It’s mellow music, but in the end, it’s lovely. Pritchard says that “Beautiful People is a personal song about loss, hopelessness and chaos, but ultimately the message is love and hope.”
Pritchard will be part of this year’s Red Bull Music Academy in New York, where he will be showcasing his upcoming album, Under The Sun. If you get the chance, consider check it out, as it will be part of an “immersive audio visual installation” developed in collaboration with artist Jonathan Zawada.
Under The Sun is out May 13 on Warp. Listen to Beautiful People below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6rW2GpQLQE]
Under The Sun Tracklist
1. ?
2. Give It Your Choir (feat. Bibio)
3. Infrared
4. Falling
5. Beautiful People (feat. Thom Yorke)
6. Where Do They Go, The Butterflies
7. Sad Alron
8. You Wash My Soul (feat. Linda Perhacs)
9. Cycles Of 9
10. Hi Red
11. Ems
12. The Blinds Cage (feat. Beans)
13. Dawn Of The North
14. Khufu
15. Rebel Angels
16. Under The Sun
DJ Scream‘s latest mixtape, Legend, is a 17-track compilation, featuring new music from Killer Mike of Run The Jewels, 2 Chainz, Shawty Lo, and Young Dolph amongst others. Narketed as “a collection of DJ Scream classics and rare exclusives,” there’s a significant amount of what sounds like older tracks, but all in all, it’s a solid mixtape from the Atlanta mainstay. Aside from the Killer Mike track, exclusives include the Spinz-produced 2Chainz track Lotta Hoes and the monolithic Zayoten-produced Migos joint Think Twice. Special mention also to Rich Kidz‘ Housewife, produced by DJ Mustard. It’s superb.
Clocking in at about three minutes, the solo cut from Mike is essentially a hookless verse coupled with about a minute and a half of rambling/talking that is very Killer Mike. It’s not overly special, and it doesn’t really sound like much of his newer catalogue, so it’s pretty safe to say that Scream has been keeping this one in the vault for a while.
Listen to the whole mixtape below, and it’s also available as a free download.
Legend Tracklist
1. Hoodrich Pablo Juan – The Hunger (Prod. By Will A Fool) (Unreleased Intro From Hunger Pains)
2. Criminal Manne – Hoodrich (Prod. By Lil Lody)
3. Young Dolph – Heavy N Da Streets (Prod. By Young Neiman)
4. Killer Mike – Saks Fifth
5. Gucci Mane & Stuey Rock – Shinin (Prod. By Nard & B & DJ Spinz)
6. 2 Chainz – Lotta Hoes (Prod. By DJ Spinz)
7. 2 Chainz & Cyhi The Prynce – Stand Still (Prod. By Blunt)
8. Big Rube – Unreleased Hunger Pains Interlude
9. Cyhi The Prynce – DJ Scream Freestyle (Prod. By O Dizzy)
10. Shawty Lo – Bricks Freestyle (Prod. By Zaytoven)
11. Shawty Lo – DJ Scream Freestyle (Prod. By DJ Pooh)
12. Ox From Belly – Unreleased Long Live The Hustle Interlude
13. Migos – Think Twice (Prod. By Zaytoven)
14. DJ Scream – One Hell Of A Hustla Feat. Young Scooter (Prod. By Mizfitz)
15. Rich Kidz – Housewife (Prod. By DJ Mustard)
16. 2 Chainz – Hoodrich Anthem (Prod. By DJ Spinz Full Unreleased Verse)
17. Lil Hot – R.I.P Lil Hot DJ Scream Freestyle
Bitterness Centrifuge, the latest from Scottish post-rock legends Mogwai, opens strong. Grating synths act as a warning toll to the atrocity that is about to occur. Not the song, but rather the act that it soundtracks.
Mogwai has never had an issue with setting a scene. They’ve never had a problem with creating tension either, and Bitterness Centrifuge is a perfect example of such suspense. It builds steadily, incorporating a slow beat and heavy, slightly unpleasant synths to install what can only be described as fear in the listener.
The third release of their upcoming soundtrack to a BBC documentary, Bitterness Centrifuge is also the third track on their upcoming album. Sitting just before U-235, I think it’s pretty safe to say that the subject of this track is less the dropping of the bomb than the lead up to enrichment. It’s an interesting approach, and I’d say it pulls it off well. The beauty of the track lies in its elemental simplicity, achieving power through patience and careful restraint rather than reckless abandon and sheer noise. Mogwai is often at their best when they hold back, and it makes the explosive aspects of their work all the more effective.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_HNUTYSVvTI]
One other observation, in a larger sense, is that there is a very prominent electronic presence to not only this track, but also Ether and U-235, the two other tracks released so far. Coming off the back of 2014’s Rave Tapes, as well as a 6 track EP (half of which were remixes), this may signify a broader shift towards more electronic music from the band. Mogwai have always had a solid relationship with synths, but it seems like there’s an increase in the use of such instruments in later releases.
Atomic is released April 1st on Rock Action Records/Temporary Residence Ltd.
Atomic Tracklist
1. Ether
2. SCRAM
3. Bitterness Centrifuge
4. U-235
5. Pripyat
6. Weak Force
7. Little Boy
8. Are You A Dancer?
9. Tzar
10. Fat Man
Image: Brian Sweeney