ICYMI:

Just in time for the iTunes Festival segment of SXSW this weekend, headliner Coldplay has released new music for their upcoming album via YouTube. Ghost Stories, the follow-up to 2011's Mylo Xyloto, is set to premier May 19th and the first two singles barely push the envelope die-hard Coldplay fans come to love from albums past. Newest track "Magic" is a bit too pop-infused, nearly butchering Chris Martin's signature croon with lyrics so basic we pray they weren't influenced by Gwyneth Paltrow. "Midnight" is echo-y and reminiscent of Bon Iver, drifting from their typical guitar/drum driven sound. With these two tracks Ghost Stories may have Parachutes fans hoping it's all a dark fable, with mild EDM a figment of Coldplay's imagination.

What do you think? Should fans of pre-Mylo Zyloto Coldplay be afraid of their change?

On the Radar:

Kitten

Grunge-pop band Kitten is known for their electric live performances and youthful energy in their musicality. The band has yet to pull together a full LP, but that will all be a thing in the past when their self-titled album drops in a few months. Loose cannon and frontman Chloe Chaidez talks about their side project used to preoccupy Kitten's (and their fans) time before the album releases:

In the process of recording the Kitten album we kept coming up with really cool ideas/beats that didn't quite fit but  were really where I was at the moment.  Old Missy Elliot, Arca, Drake, Future, Yeezus, etc...I thought it might be a cool idea to release a few of the tracks. Just a way let loose and have a good time making music with different friends while waiting for the album to come out. Ariel stopped by for the video and we just shot us hanging out together. This video was directed by Kaitlin Christy. She's a student at NYU and a close friend. It was a shot at an old Hollywood motel for about $300 and we had a great time making it.

"Money," the newest track below, is one of their more risky and peculiar divergences. Spontaneously shot and overwhelmingly low budget--Chaidez and Ariel Pink (Girls) are filmed in a motel seemingly under the influence as Chaidez's barely audible lyrics whisper through the late night swims and chain smoking. Is this what is to come of Kitten's fast approaching LP?

Foster the People

Alternative-melodic rock band Foster the People have been teasing their new album for months and in January the unveiling of the title, Supermodel, was finally dropped. After the whirl-wind success of their debut album and a nearly three year wait, audiences around the world have been anxiously anticipating the March 18th sophomore LP date. Single number one (posted below) from Supermodel is upbeat "Coming of Age". It's chalk-full of all the pop and pizzaz fans of Foster adore and the rest of the album shares that infectious, positive vibe, according to a Rolling Stone interview with the band. Currently they are on a tour around North America with St. Lucia:

March 14: Austin, TX—Butler Park (SXSW)
March 21: Toronto, Canada—The Horseshoe Tavern
March 24: London, England—Troxy
March 28: Paris, France—Gaité Lyrique
April 8: Pomona, CA—Fox Theater
April 9: Solana Beach, CA—Belly Up Tavern
April 12: Indio, CA—Coachella
April 15: Tempe, AZ—Marquee Theatre
April 16: Tuscon, AZ—The Rialto Theatre
Apr 18: Las Vegas, NV—Boulevard Pool at The Cosmopolitan*
Apr 19: Indio, CA—Coachella
Apr 25: Nashville, TN—Ryman Auditorium*
April 25-27: Kingston, GA—CounterPoint Music Festival
Apr 28: Tulsa, OK—Cain’s Ballroom*
Apr 29: Dallas, TX—South Side Ballroom*
Apr 30: Houston, TX—Bayou Music Center*
May 2 - 4: Tampa, FL—Big Guava Music Festival
May 3: New Orleans, LA—New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
May 5: Charlotte, NC—The Fillmore Charlotte*
May 9: Boston, MA—House of Blues*
May 10: Columbia, MD—Sweetlife Festival
May 11: Camden, NJ—Susquehanna Bank Center
May 13: Toronto, ON—Massey Hall*
May 15: Detroit, MI—The Fillmore Detroit*
May 16: Chicago, IL—Riviera Theater*
May 21: Vancouver, BC—Queen Elizabeth Theatre*
May 22: Portland, OR—Roseland Theater*
May 23-25: Quincy, WA – Sasquatch Music Festival
June 6-8: New York, NY—Governors Ball Music Festival

Painted Palms

Psychedelic pop duo Painted Palms turns winter upside-down with summer-punched tracks (minus misplaced, jingle-belled "Here It Comes") from their latest album Forever. The group creates their unique sounds by utilizing nearly every abstract instrument in their grasp. They've been compared to acts like Panda Bear and Animal Collective with vocal inspiration from the Beach Boys. It's hard to imagine, but somehow all the mixed sounds seem to come together. If you're heading to Austin for SXSW be sure to catch them in their festival debut.

ICYMI:

theguardian.com

Swedish singer Lykke Li reveals the title of her upcoming, dream-pop album I Never Learn via YouTube. The trailer hued and slightly faded, shows a displaced Li clad in all white pensive on a hilltop overlooking a distant city. It's disheartening and stark with dying flowers and tears shed over lost love, a low banter (an unnamed single) soundtracking the clip. Li told NME, "It's always about me and the guilt and the shame and the hurt and the pride and the confusion of being a woman." The singer also mentioned that this is the last installment in the trilogy of her past three albums. I Never Learn is set to drop May 6th.

In Review:

Phantogram

Voices

Sprouted in 2007, the electronic rock duo Phantogram has turned heads and sparked the interests of music lovers from all spectrums.

The natives of New York, Sarah (lead vocals and keyboards) and Josh (vocals and guitar) have an impressive touring track record: acts include supporting The xx, Beach House, School of Seven Bells, and Metric plus appearances at a few of the world’s greatest music festivals. Everyone wants a piece of what Phantogram has to offer and the other half of Outkast, Big Boi, is no exception. In February the rapper collaborated with Phantogram to create three remixes as part of a #MashupMonday segment—to eventually be made into an EP. Phantogram’s schedule proves to be tightly packed with working on a song for the Catching Fire soundtrack and their second LP Voices, which debuted February 18^th.

ghostly.com

The lead single off Voices is choppy, grunge tune Nothing But Trouble. The track opens up the album—powerful and dangerous, it stacks many digitized elements creating the dark foundation for the rest of the coming songs. Immediately proceeding Nothing But Trouble is catchy Black Out Days. Jingling and drumming, the synth-dripped track blends subtle piano trills into a complicated mixture: a producer’s paradise and musical labyrinth. Lest we forget the ever-haunting vocals of Josh in Never Going Home. He croons a heart-breaking ballad over hollow bass, amidst Sarah’s inaudible mutters and stitched echoes.

Headed down a caliginous road, Phantogram pours liquid melancholy into their icon-inspired track “Bill Murray”. Sarah’s vocals are beautifully, smooth and distant. They flow simultaneously with somber guitar strums and texturized synth—moaning “We’ll be tall.” A Lost in Translation vibe coated thick throughout its verses.

Voices boasts versatility through its eleven tracks. The album may be brooding with darker tones, but Phantogram artfully constructs each song by building its insensity with multiple instrumentals and layered synth. The album is a vessel taking its audiences on an abstruse journey of tenebrously enticing feats. Not only has innovative Phantogram managed to enrapture fans and critics, but their work will continue to forefront generations of musicians to come.

Phantogram is currently on a North American tour with a few stops in Europe during the late spring.

In Review:

Farewell Dear Ghost

We Colour the Night

When one finds a new artist they really start to dig, the first step is to look them up--scope out their Facebook and Twitter, sample their discography, watch some videos or read their interviews. All of this was grueling to obtain when it came to getting to know a bit more about Farewell Dear Ghost.

After a couple of days searching the web for background on the band I stumbled across a few interviews of the surfacing act. The up-and-coming Austrian band, which is lead by Philip Szalay, was originally a solo act until he chose to take his musical career in a different direction and experiment with his sound alongside a band. In November 2013,Farewell Dear Ghost's debut album We Colour the Night dropped in Europe. The album muses trailblazers The National and English rockers Bloc Party with Philip’s vocals providing a cue to the lyrics he calls “optimistic melancholy” which can be adequately said of his musical inspirations. His writing stems from every bit of emotion and experience, he tells an interviewer for the Redbull music site in response to comments made about his “sad” lines. 

The first single “Fire” starts off buttery, with lightly distorted vocals—smooth as water. Then the track flips 180° and transforms into a pounding, energetic rock anthem. Other tracks like “Words” and “Cool Blood” slow burn all the alternative elements reminiscent of The Boxer Rebellion with heavy drums and contemporary guitar solos. The sound is understated, simple and refreshing in this day and age of genre smashing and risky experiments with synth and bass. It could be called “safe”, but for the listener indifferent about the fluff We Colour the Night hones in on all the qualities giving heavy hitting indie-alternative bands like The National and Bloc Party their musical longevity. Farewell Dear Ghost’s album digitally debuted in North America this past January and, unfortunately, the group hasn’t made any plans to tour in the US for the Spring. In regards to the group being so recent to the music scene it may have been difficult to find information on them, but there is nothing lost in translation when it comes to FDG’s promising musical path.

In Review:

Broods

Broods EP

New Zealand might end up taking over the world with breakout artists like Lorde and The Naked and Famous. Accompanying the kiwis are newcomers Broods. Hailing from Lorde's native Auckland the brother and sister collaboration (Caleb Nott providing the instrumentals and backup vocals and Georgia Nott taking the lead) capitalize on whispers echoed over pop-filled house beats worthy of nods from hardcore fans of Ellie Goulding and CHVRCHES. Formed in 2013, the very new band has already been signed to Capitol Records and have received recognition from the producer, Joel Little,  of Lorde's chart-topping debut album Pure Heroine. "Bridges", the first single off the EP, rippled through social media in 2013. The track features vocals from both Caleb and Georgia, layered thick over distorted bass and subtle taps of piano keys. Then the EP composes itself with slower tracks "Sleep Baby Sleep" and "Taking You There" hauntingly Crystal Castles-esque with less grit. It only takes Broods six songs to whirl through a complete metamorphosis of multifaceted sounds and the band can hardly be labeled as "novice". 

Their full LP is expected to be released sometime this August and they have announced a few US dates for the Spring. Broods is sophisticated and beautifully complex and this is just a taste of what we can expect in the near future. Lorde has already expressed her excitement. August can't come soon enough.

In Review:

Young the Giant

Mind Over Matter

Back in 2011, alternative rock band Young the Giant literally crowd-surfed into the spotlight and became a modern twist on the typical alternative band and a force to be reckoned with when they took to the MTV stage for their explosive VMA performance. Since then their musical journey has sky rocketed, putting them at the forefront of mainstream rock (I mean, come on, they were covered by Glee). The quintet, opting to drop out of university to pursue music, deliver eclectic sound and their many ethnic backgrounds (Indian-American, French-Canadian, British, Persian-American, and Italian) contribute to the diversified takes on every track in both their self-titled 2010 album and January's Mind Over Matter. Just like their debut album, Mind Over Matter infuses new-wave alternative with experimental, gritty rock. Yet, demonstrating chameleon-like talents Young the Giant takes a risk with almost disco inspired "Eros" and psychedelic guitar saturations in single "Crystalized". Lead vocalist, Sameer Gadhia's abstract lyrics nearly rival the many dynamics of the instrumentals, but never clashing. With the constant shift of tones on every track, you would think that Mind Over Matter would jerk and pull its listeners to the point of overwhelmed confusion. However, the tracks seamlessly blend and flow providing a cultured sound that can be applied to nearly any setting.

When the band isn't on the stage they're collaborating with cinematographers from In the Open to perform stripped-down versions of their energetic songs. Young the Giant has proved over the years that their art can stand out in any medium--whether it be live, acoustic and intimate, or covered in popular shows. Mind Over Matter makes a positive name for itself and steps from behind the shadow of their highly successful debut album. Just like their beautiful, scenic photos on the band Instagram every creative outlet put in Young the Giant's grasp turn out to be a captivating work and it only seems to be getting better from here.

In the past they've supported heavy-hitting acts like Marina and the Diamonds and Kings of Leon, but perfectly able to hold their own--this Spring they embark on another lengthy North American tour. Stream their sophomore album in its entirety on the band's Soundcloud.

In Review:

Wild Cub

Youth

Wild Cub may be new on the music scene, but their electro-pop is nothing short of radiantly infectious. The American band released their debut LP Youth back in 2013, then added a few new tracks and commentary late this January with Mom + Pop records ( famous for indie alums: Andrew Bird, Flume, Neon Indian, and Metric). Wild Cub's lead singer Keegan DeWitt proves to be a man of many talents, having composed the score for 2013's indie documentary "Inocente" which took home an Academy Award for Best Documentary Short. Don't be fooled, this isn't a one-man show: DeWitt's decision to leave his day job and mesh with multi-instrumentalist Jeremy Bullock, drummer Dabney Morris, bassist Harry West, and keyboardist Eric Wilson united captivating lyrics with the construction of a fresh wave of synth-pop dramatizing the fast-paced life we all aspire to have in our youth. Every track weaves and builds intensely and you can't help but bop along with every catchy trill. DeWitt's lyrics paint the scenes of seemingly dark and never-ending summer nights and love gone miscommunicated while intricate instrumentals pulse in harmony on every track. Single "Straight No Turns" is euphoric of the soul and raw funk emitted by Daft Punk's Random Access Memories, but breathes its own flavor with almost tropical-like influences and timeless synth that hasn't been on the market in decades. 

Since the album's release, the band has collaborated with Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. and Twin Shadow for remixes of their songs and covering Atlas Genius. Then later year the American band was spun into the spotlight with their hit single "Thunder Clatter" endorsed by Bose and used in their summer commercial.  We not only see many more endorsements in their future, but an incandescent home in their forever young fans' hearts and a blossoming musical career.  Youth not only lives up to its title, but it encompasses its  seasoned listeners with jives of the early 80's; yet, keeping it modern enough to be enjoyed by today's demanding teens. Wild Cub has announced a few dates for the UK and US, with two festival stops at Firefly and Hangout. They'll be supported by indie-rockers American Authors. Want a dance party that will domino into early hours? Check out Wild Cub's Youth on the road and download their album on iTunes. 

In Review:

James Vincent McMorrow

Post Tropical

The stage is set: minimal with very dim lighting; guitar, keyboard, banjo, and a few other instruments crowded, then one lone skinny, half-balding man saunters on to beloved cheers. He takes his place at the keyboard, hands trembling ever-so slightly. He begins in whispers and with every crescendo of his trademark falsetto the audience sways and quivers, silently, at his will. His listeners are in trance with every verse as hallow slow-claps in "Cavalier" resonate and fill the venue. James Vincent McMorrow is a master at captivating audiences of all sizes, with no flash and fluff or even a band to fall back on. His sophomore album Post Tropical stands for everything James is all about: the simple art of music and the allure of it alone.

Back in 2011 the Irish-bred indie folker released his debut LP Early In the Morning.  Boasting slow, simplistic love ballads and lullaby-like tracks soft enough to keep a child sleep through the night--James barely strayed from his roots three years later with slightly more modern Post Tropical. Post Tropical takes cool, artistic notes from R&B musicians like The Weekend and the creative linguistics of Bon Iver--to the reverberating drums in his mid-album track "All Points" to the stacked harmonizations of his inconceivable vocals in "Post Tropical". Listeners can't help but just close their eyes and let Post Tropical subdue and lap over in cold waves, carrying them to James' world which is strangely more frigid than anywhere tropical. 

"And I was someone else, I was something good," he croons in one of his darker tracks "Glacier". 

James has been known to do extraordinary covers of popular songs and his talent isn't just limited to any genre structure. Post Tropical breaks all the rules and doesn't come across as pretty, but gorgeous as it reflects not only the winter season, but beauty in that less can truly be more with slow-building zenith and cascading of harpsichords paired with humming guitars trumping overworked, mainstream pop.

Not only are James' live performances bewitching, but his studio albums tell tales of the sad and beautiful with his sheer panache being the climax with no let down. Post Tropical is a versatile soundtrack to anyone's life and it provides just the right touch of magic and isn't at all shallow or too brash--natural perfection and complete musical transcendence. 

56th Annual Grammy Awards

Music's biggest celebration is here! Tonight is the 56th Annual Grammy Awards and every genre from R&B to Pop to Country is showing up in hopes of winning that glittering, gold (heavy looking) Gramopone. Colored in red our BassLine's guess for who will win in each category, but live we will be highlighting in gold who actually took home the Grammy! Check my twitter page for live tweets during the night! Are you excited because we are!

Album of the Year
Sara Bareilles – The Blessed Unrest
Daft Punk – Random Access Memories
Kendrick Lamar – Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis – The Heist
Taylor Swift – Red

Record of the Year
Daft Punk feat. Pharrell Williams – "Get Lucky"
Imagine Dragons – "Radioactive"
Lorde – "Royals"

Bruno Mars – "Locked Out of Heaven"
Robin Thicke feat. Pharrell Williams & T.I. – "Blurred Lines"

Song of the Year
Pink feat. Nate Reuss – "Just Give Me a Reason"
Bruno Mars – "Locked Out of Heaven"
Katy Perry – "Roar"
Lorde – "Royals"
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis feat. Mary Lambert – "Same Love"

Best New Artist
James Blake
Kendrick Lamar
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
Kacey Musgraves
Ed Sheeran

Best Pop Solo Performance 
Sara Bareilles – "Brave"
Lorde – "Royals"
Bruno Mars – "When I Was Your Man"
Katy Perry – "Roar"
Justin Timberlake "Mirrors"

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance 
Daft Punk feat. Pharrell Williams – "Get Lucky"
Pink feat. Nate Reuss – "Just Give Me a Reason"
Rihanna feat. Mikky Eiko – "Stay"
Robin Thicke feat. Pharrell Williams & T.I. – "Blurred Lines"
Justin Timberlake feat. Jay Z – "Suit & Tie"

Best Pop Vocal Album
Lana Del Rey – Paradise
Lorde – Pure Heroine
Bruno Mars – Unorthodox Jukebox
Robin Thicke – Blurred Lines
Justin Timberlake – The 20/20 Experience – The Complete Experience

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album 
Tony Bennett & Various Artist – Viva Duets
Michael Buble – To Be Loved
Gloria Estefan – The Standards
Cee Lo Green – Cee Lo's Magic Moment
Dionne Warwick – Now

Best Country Solo Performance 
Lee Price – "I Drive Your Truck"
Hunter Hayes – "I Want Crazy"
Miranda Lambert – "Mama's Broken Heart"
Darius Rucker – "Wagon Wheel"
Blake Shelton – "Mine Would Be You"

Best Country Duo/Group Performance 
The Civil Wars – From This Valley
Kelly Clarkson feat. Vince Gill – "Don't Rush"
Little Big Town – "Your Side of the Bed"
Tim McGraw, Taylor Swift, and Keith Urban – "Highway Don't Care"
Kenny Rogers with Dolly Parton – "You Can't Make Old Friends"

Best Country Song
Taylor Swift – "Begin Again"
Lee Brice – "I Drive Your Truck"
Miranda Lambert – "Mama's Broken Heart"
Kacey Musgraves – "Merry Go Round"
Blake Shelton – "Mine Would Be You"

Best Country Album
Jason Aldean – Night Train
Tim McGraw – Two Lanes of Freedom
Kacey Musgraves – Same Trailer, Different Park
Blake Shelton – Based on a True Story
Taylor Swift – Red

Best Dance Recording 
Duke Dumont feat. AME & MNEK – "Need U"
Calvin Harris feat. Florence Welch – "Sweet Nothing"
Kaskade – "Atmosphere"
Armin Van Buuren feat. Trevor Guthrie – "This Is What It Feels Like"
Zedd feat. Foxes – "Clarity"

Best Dance Album
Daft Punk – Random Access Memories
Disclosure – Settle
Calvin Harris – 18 Months
Kaskade – Atmosphere
Pretty Lights – A Color Map of the Sun

Best Rock Performance 
Alabama Shakes – "Always Alright"
David Bowie – "The Stars (Are Out Tonight)"
Imagine Dragons – "Radioactive"
Led Zeppelin – "Kashmir"
Queens of the Stone Age – "My God is the Sun"
Jack White – "I'm Shakin'"

Best Rock Song
Gary Clark Jr – "Ain't Messin Round"
Paul McCartney – "Cut Me Some Slack"
The Rolling Stones – "Doom and Gloom"
Black Sabbath – "God Is Dead?"
Muse – "Panic Station"

Best Rock Album
Black Sabbath – 13
David Bowie – The Next Day
Kings of Leon – Mechanical Bull
Led Zeppelin – Celebration Day
Queens of the Stone Age – …Like Clockwork
Neil Young With Crazy Horse – Psychedelic Pill

Best R&B Performance 
Tamar Braxton – "Love and War"
Anthony Hamilton – "Best of Me"
Hiatus Kaiyote feat. Q-Tip – "Nakamarra"
Miguel feat. Kendrick Lamar – "How Many Drinks?"
Snark Puppy with Lalah Hathaway – "Something"

Best R&B Song
Anthony Hamilton – "Best of Me"
Tamar Braxton – "Love and War"
PJ Morton feat. Stevie Wonder – "Only One"
Justin Timberlake – "Pusher Love Girl"
Fantasia feat. Kelly Rowland and Missy Elliot – "Without Me"

Best Urban Contemporary Album
Tamar Braxton – Love and War
Fantasia – Side Effects of You
Salaam Remi – One: In the Chamber
Rihanna – Unapologetic
Mack Wilds – New York: A Love Story

Best R&B Album 
Faith Evans – R&B Divas
Alicia Keys – Girl on Fire
John Legend – Love in the Future
Chrisette Michele – Better
TGT – Three Kings

Best Rap Performance 
Drake – "Started From the Bottom"
Eminem – "Berzerk"
Jay Z – "Tom Ford"
Kendrick Lamar – "Swimming Pools (Drank)"
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis feat. Wanz – "Thrift Shop"

Best Rap/Sung Collaboration 
J. Cole feat Miguel – "Power Trip"
Jay Z feat. Beyonce – "Part II (On the Run)"
Jay Z feat. Justin Timberlake – "Holy Grail"
Kendrick Lamar feat. Mary J. Blige – "Now or Never"
Wiz Khalifa feat. The Weeknd – "Remember You"

Best Rap Song
ASAP Rocky feat. Drake, 2 Chainz, and Kendrick Lamar – "F***in' Problems"
Jay Z feat. Justin Timberlake – "Holy Grail"
Kanye West – "New Slaves"
Drake – "Started From the Bottom"
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis – "Thrift Shop"

Best Rap Album 
Drake – Nothing Was the Same
Jay Z – Magna Carta… Holy Grail
Kendrick Lamar – Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis – The Heist
Kanye West – Yeezus

Best Song Written For Visual Media 
Coldplay – "Atlas" from The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
Jessie J – "Silver Lining" from Silver Linings Playbook
Adele – "Skyfall" from Skyfall
Colbie Caillat feat. Gavin DeGraw – "We Both Know" from Safe Haven
Lana Del Rey – "Young and Beautiful" from The Great Gatsby
Regina Spektor – "You've Got Time" from Orange Is the New Black

For the full list of winners check The Grammy's official site and congratulations to all the winners and nominees! It's going to be a beautiful year for music!