Earlier this week we heard a new remix of Rocko’s “U.O.E.N.O” by Black Hippy, the group consisting of Ab-Soul, Jay Rock, Kendrick Lamar, and Schoolboy Q. Now, Schoolboy Q has also released a new track of his own, “Hell Of A Night”. Check it out below.
Driving to the Sasquatch! Festival on Thursday I opted to skip out on I-90 from Seattle and instead drive way up north and take Route 2. It still gets you where you’re going, but the traffic-congested two-and-a-half hour trip you get with 90 becomes an isolated six-hour journey if you choose Rt. 2. It’s completely worth it considering what you get instead: over 100 miles of absolutely stunning forests. Bright spring weather shifts into snowy mountains, freight trains chug by, so long they seem to lack a beginning or end — the forest completely surrounds you. It’s a real experience (playing Mount Eerie and Agalloch records loud certainly helps, too) and it sort of sums up what makes Sasquatch! so special.
The big sell on a music festival beyond the lineup is the idea that it’s not just about seeing bands you like – it’s the environment, the community, it’s seeing bands you like in this setting. And that’s where Sasquatch! shines over many other festivals, and really delivers. There’s an indescribable feeling when you walk up the steep hill to the main stage, and look down the other side, like it’s the peak of a roller-coaster, for the first time. You get this view, as far as you can see, of mountains, rivers, and valleys — even the massive main stage where Macklemore would headline tonight (more on that soon) looked like a footnote to everything else you’re taking in. It must put everyone, artists and fans alike, in a unique frame of mind. There have already been a few killer shows after one day.
Kelly Ripa and Michael Strahan dedicated a few moments of Live! With Kelly and Michael to Daft Punk this week. Ripa brought out a copy of the new Rolling Stone with Daft Punk on the cover, before commenting, “They’re saying it’s the return of Daft Punk. First of all, I said to myself, ‘Return of? I love Daft Punk! Where did they go?’” Kelly and Michael also talked about the Daft Punk-inspired helmets fans have been buying and making recently, before donning helmets of their own and dancing to “Get Lucky”. Check out the clip below.
Last night, Baroness played their first show as a full band since a bus accident in England last August that injured every member of the group. It was also the band’s first show with a new line-up: Nick Jost on bass and Sebastian Thomson on drums. Below, watch fan footage of the first song the band performed last night at Union Transfer in Philly, “Take My Bones Away”.
Frontman John Dyer Baizley recently spoke to Stereogum about his long recovery process. “This accident worked its way out on everyone on a different way,” said Baizley. “We were all affected in different ways. Getting back to rehearsals and even the concept of touring has been, at times, challenging. The most immediate challenge I faced was physical. But my anticipation and excitement is building. It’s been fun playing music and practicing again. We started doing this because we enjoyed the outlet. There was something rehabilitative just in the pure rehearsals. We’re excited to pay again. Our lives and livelihood were nearly taken away from us.”
Stone Temple Pilots are suing Scott Weiland. The band filed a lawsuit again him on Friday, claiming to have lost millions of dollars on the Stone Temple Pilots 20th anniversary tour because Weiland was late for shows and promotional events. “Enough is enough,” says band’s lawsuit. “Without relief from the court, Weiland will continue violating STP’s rights, misappropriating STP assets and interfering with the band’s livelihood.” Stone Temple Pilots recently fired Weiland and replaced him with Chester Bennington, the singer of Linkin Park. Below, read a letter that Weiland recently posted on his website.
Sigur Rós have a new album out soon via XL, Kveikur, out internationally on June 17 and in the US June 18. Last night the band stopped by The Tonight Show with Jay Leno to play the album’s title track. Check it out below.
One week ago, Kanye premiered Yeezus‘s ferocious “New Slaves” by projecting his face onto buildings throughout the world. (He performed it the next day on SNL, too.) It was the best video of the week and you can watch it on the side of a building IRL tonight in these cities. The rapper’s new music was Stereogum’s most discussed topic this week, but you guys also had a lot to say about our Queens Of The Stone Age review, Fiona Apple’s 10 best songs, and the band name Pity Sex. Your best and worst comments are below. But first, your Moment of Zen:
The theatrical Swedish metal band Ghost B.C. have already shown that they have a way with the incongruous cover song; we posted their version of Abba’s “I’m A Marionette” back in January. And apparently, the Japanese version of their new album Infestissumam includes a cover of Depeche Mode’s gloomy 1990 synth ballad “Waiting For The Night” — which, it turns out, already has-kinda-metal lyrics, and which can be turned into a crunchy metal track without altering the music too much. Listen to the Ghost B.C. version below.
