The diva herself is back to claim her spot on the music charts. Mariah Carey came out with a new single this week, and the accompanying video finds Carey embracing the tropical outdoors as she sings this longing-for-love ditty. The song is titled “You’re Mine (Eternal),” and it’s pretty much up to par with the stuff she showcased on The Emancipation of Mimi (see “We Belong Together” and “Shake It Off”), which isn’t a bad thing. It just means Ms. Carey knows her niche, and she’s stickin’ to it. Watch the video below.‘Member how I mentioned Thee Oh Sees were going on temporary hiatus … and how frontman John Dwyer was coming out with a solo electronic LP under the name Damaged Bug … and how I expressed regret that such garage-psych weirdos are hard to find—at least good ones. Well now Thee Oh Sees are coming out with a new record titled Drop, which is scheduled to “drop” April 29. While this is good news … great news, in fact … a part of me is still wondering whether the band is back together or just giving fans one last hurrah before they leave us lonely. Head to Stereogum to view the cover art and tracklist, and listen to the album’s opening track below.My first recollection of Dolly Parton was seeing her musical cameo in the film adaptation of “The Beverly Hillbillies.” And I remember as a kid being shocked at the revelation that she was the original singer of “I Will Always Love You.” No offense, Dolly, but Whitney nailed it. Regardless, I’ve always had this fondness and appreciation for Parton, and old roommates used to have “Jolene” blasting because the Austin hipsters caught on to old country … for about a week. Back to the topic at hand, Parton has announced a new album (Blue Smoke) that’s set to come out May 13, and the singer iterates that, “On this CD I think there are all of the colors of my life in all the areas of music that you’ve allowed me to dabble in through the years.” For more info, surf on over to Billboard.Bright Eyes emerged within my circle of friends during junior year of high school, and most alternative, hip kids caught on to Conor Oberst’s project pretty quick, trading copies of Digital Ash in a Digital Urn, among others. I really only fell into the deep trance of music love when I heard I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning. (See “Landlocked Blues”). But Oberst is fairly prolific and a great songwriter, so it’s only appropriate that he’s still putting out material. He’s announced a new album (Upside Down Mountain) and has debuted a track off the record. It’s titled “Hundreds of Ways,” and you can listen to it below.It looks like Kelis is officially back! I mentioned a while back that Kelis was coming out with a new record (titled Food), which was produced by TV on the Radio’s Dave Sitek. And now Kelis has released a track from the album. Judging from these sounds, this woman has come a long way from “Milkshake.” Not like that was a bad song or anything, but you get the idea. Listen to “Rumble” below.The lineup for Austin Psych Fest has surfaced, and just from glancing at it, I can authoritatively predict this year’s fest is going to be friggin’ sweet. It’s okay, Burqueños; Austin’s only about a 12-hour drive away … and that’s only if you drive like old people screw. But just to give you a minor glimpse as to the reputable names gracing them stages with their presence(s), the performing groups include The Brian Jonestown Massacre (who are great live!), The Dandy Warhols, Black Lips, The War on Drugs, Pure X, The Horrors and much, much more. You can check out the full lineup over at Stereogum. The festival itself happens from May 2 to 4 at Carson Creek Ranch.I’d never listened to Metronomy before watching their video for the track “Love Letters,” off their upcoming record of the same name. And I’ll admit that the only reason I even watched the video was because of its director: Michel Gondry. An old roommate had a DVD compilation of Michel Gondry-directed videos from names like The White Stripes, Beck and Bjork, and it’s nice to see his aesthetics are consistent and constantly evolving at the same time. As for Metronomy, I probably won’t give them more than the time I’ve already invested in writing this, but you can view the video below.Brody Dalle: That’s a name I haven’t come across in some time. Granted, when I was a big fan of The Distillers, it was Brody Armstrong, but that’s neither here nor there. Needless to say, Ms. Dalle has been working on some new material for an upcoming album. Music blogs don’t seem to know the name of the album or when it comes out, but Brody—we’re on a first-name basis—has come out with a new track (titled “Meet The Foetus / Oh The Joy”). That’s a mouthful, and you can stream the track below.I’ve always been a fan of music biopics. From What’s Love Got to Do with It to La Bamba to The Temptations, I’m all about them. And I’m especially excited about the forthcoming Tupac biopic because it’s going to be directed by John Singleton (of Boyz n the Hood fame). No word yet on who is playing the man himself or when the film will hit theaters, but this is exciting news nonetheless.Just in time for spring, The Walkmen’s Walter Martin delivers a track that’s so twee you might hate it so much that you’ll end up loving it forever, snuggling with it under a blanket and singing along to it till you hate it once again. But right now, I love it. And it features Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ Karen O, so it’s got that added oomph factor. But don’t take my word for it. The track (titled “Sing to Me”) comes off Martin’s upcoming solo LP We’re All Young Together, which hits stores and online markets on May 13. That’s plenty of time for you to love it, then hate it and then love it again.
Rooster Roundabout: This Week’s Music Highlights
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