Finally, a snippet of what Jenny Lewis has been up to for the past few years. You see, I mentioned a week or two ago that her new record (The Voyager) is set to hit the music-sphere on July 29. Little did I know that Lewis was getting ready to release a lyric video of an album track a short time later. Fate or not, I’m glad for it. The song is called “Just One of the Guys,” and it’s produced by none other than Beck himself. If we’re judging Lewis’ sound off this one track, it definitely lacks the grit of Acid Tongue, but hey: evolution, right? Listen to that below.Talk about cute: Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy has formed a group with his 18-year-old son. They’re simply called Tweedy, and their debut record (Sukierae) hits stores on Sept. 16 (aka my birthday). The duo have made a song from said record available on the interwebz. Have a listen to “I’ll Sing It” below, and look out for more news about the record in the coming months. Cheers!I was one of those people that listened to Interpol’s first LP (Turn On the Bright Lights), obsessed over it and never paid much attention to what they came out with afterwards. It wasn’t necessarily from lack of interest … or maybe that’s exactly what it was. Regardless, they’ve been steadily releasing records over the years, and they’re preparing the release of their fifth studio album El Pintor. That record drops on Sept. 9. Head over to Pitchfork for album details and whatnot.Though there’s been leaked videos galore all over the internet (all of them having shitty quality, I might add), the official video of Nirvana’s induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has now appeared online. The ceremony aired on HBO on May 31 and included other inductees like Peter Gabriel, Hall & Oates, Linda Ronstadt and Cat Stevens. However, since the late Kurt Cobain obviously wasn’t in attendance, there was a lot of speculation over who would perform as lead singer. In short, Joan Jett (who provided an underwhelming version of “Smells Like Teen Spirit”), Kim Gordon, Annie Clark (of St. Vincent) and Lorde performed vocals. The best performance was definitely Lorde singing “All Apologies.” You can view the performances, induction speeches and more below.I first found out about Common after seeing him on HBO’s “Def Poets.” By the way, they need to bring that back. Now, Common is set to release his upcoming record Nobody’s Smiling on July 22. And like most artists trying to build some buzz over a forthcoming LP, he’s made album track “Kingdom,” which features Vince Staples, available online for listeners and the like. So get to listening.Unless you’ve been following her career, which I haven’t, you probably know Sinead O’Connor mostly from “Nothing Compares 2U” or her tearing up a photo of Pope John Paul II. Regardless, she’s preparing to release her 10th full-length effort, which recently got retitled as I’m not Bossy, I’m the Boss, after Sheryl Sandberg’s “Ban Bossy” campaign. The album is set to hit stores on Aug. 12. For more info on that, head over to Billboard.It’s no secret that people are seriously itching for the release of Lana Del Rey’s third full-length effort (Ultraviolence), seeing as how every week a new song becomes available. It’s almost as if the countdown to the Mother Ship docking into the Atlantic will coincide with the record’s release. And judging from the title track, it’s clear that Del Rey has honed her skills to make sultry, noir-pop that aims for some semblance of controversy (ie. “he hit me, and it felt like a kiss”). I can already see headlines asserting she’s glorifying abuse. But whatevs, it’s one of the better tracks she’s put out in a hot minute. Take a listen below, and look for the album on July 17.I can’t remember how I first heard of indie-pop duo Tennis. I want to say it was one of those momentary lapse of Pandora-predicted listens that brought me to them. While I wasn’t wowed, I thought their cutesy vibe was enough to sustain a few more songs from their repertoire. And now the band is coming out with a new record titled Ritual in Repeat. To give fans a taste of the LP’s vibe, they’ve shared the song “Never Work for Free.” The album doesn’t hit stores ’til Sept. 9, so that gives you some time to reacquaint yourselves to the sound of balls … uh, I mean Tennis. Head to Stereogum to listen to that little number.Hey there, album streamers. We’ve got what some good ones for ya. First is Jack White’s Lazaretto. If you’re too impatient to wait ’til Tuesday to pick up a physical copy, iTunes Radio has you covered. But since I lack the hardware, have Pitchfork guide you to the land of free music … or rather, free music streaming. PS: You can watch the video to “Lazaretto” below. And while you’re at it, why don’t you stream First Aid Kit’s latest LP (Stay Gold), which also comes out on Tuesday. That one’s over at NPR.Fresh off her last release (The Worse Things Get, The Harder I Fight, The Harder I Fight, The More I Love You), Neko Case has come out with a new track that also features Kelly Hogan. The song (“These Aren’t the Droids”) comes off a compilation titled 2776: A Millennium of American Asskickery. The release is a “comedy-musical benefit compilation” that hits stores on July 4, and proceeds from purchases will go to OneKid OneWorld. Other folks appearing on that record are Patton Oswalt, Andrew W.K., Aimee Mann, Reggie Watts and much more. Head to Pitchfork to give that a listen.
Rooster Roundabout: This Week’s Music Highlights
5 min read
