Audio/VisualLike a lot of people, my first introduction to Robyn was her song “Dancing On My Own,” when it was featured in the hit HBO series “Girls.” Used perfectly in the soundtrack’s sequencing, it’s my only indicator of Robyn’s prowess as one of Sweden’s most notable exports. Regardless, Robyn ventured to create an EP with Norwegian electronic duo Röyksopp (Do It Again), and now they’ve released a video for album track “Monument.” Have a looksie below …Givin’ it away … It’s free music, y’all! Free music! Well, not in physical form, but still, it’s free! DJ Shadow has released his new EP (Liquid Amber), available for streaming, as “an opening salvo” for future snippets of sonic fancies. Fans better eat it up, considering this is his first release since 2011’s The Less You Know, The Better. Should make it feel more sacred, right? You can listen to the EP below. Enjoy!Deadly illsMy rap game could use a little work. OK, maybe a lot of work. But that’s even more reason to mention that rap aficionado Nas announced a while back that he was going to commemorate his intricate verbage on legendary album Illmatic by coming out with a full-length documentary as well as a tour. On tour, which kicks off Oct. 2, he’ll perform the album in its entirety. The documentary (Nas: Time is Illmatic) hits theaters on Oct. 1 (Oct. 3 for on demand and iTunes), so check your local theater listings. While the tour doesn’t make a stop in the Duke City, it’s worth it to plan a possible trip around it, no?Vile riffsIf you’re not familiar with Matt Sweeney’s online show “Guitar Moves,” I’d recommend some viewage. It’s cool if you like seeing various guitar devotees share some tricks of the trade, especially when you’re attempting to learn the instrument (like myself). Now the show is titled “Guitar Power,” and Sweeney’s latest incarnation sees Kurt Vile showing off his prowess as an axe man and songwriter. Check out Vile’s episode below.Why Friday?Most people who still buy albums know that they almost always hit stores on Tuesdays. Well, that might change. In an effort to battle music piracy (and taking a note from Australia), the record industry is making a push to make Friday a “standard, global album release day.” According to Billboard, some digital music venues have given the release day their blessing, though the change is already being met with opposition from indie record labels and stores. Apparently, having a release day earlier in the week is better for sales. If this comes to pass, that’ll be put into effect in July of 2015.The Foo is backWhile I’m not a huge Foo Fighters fan, I can attest that they put on one of the best shows of any band around. After seeing an epic, mind-blowing set at ACL a few years back, I’d convinced myself that I’d seen something akin to my generation experiencing Led Zeppelin in their heyday, which is a fairly bold statement. Regardless, the Foo Fighters have announced their upcoming record Sonic Highways (out Nov. 10). The album was apparently recorded in eight studios in eight different states, and the band is also coming out with an HBO doc series about the process (premiering Oct. 17). View a teaser for the record below, and head to NME to read more ’bout it.Full circle listenFugazi is one of those bands that has always escaped me, though bands I’m a fan of have always lauded them and their influence on rock and roll. And now people can partake in a listening session with the music that started the group on its course to take over the world: their first demo. Titled First Demo, it’ll be the release of music recorded in 1988 from their original demo tapes. Talk about the rough and ready. That’ll get a proper release some time this Winter, so keep an eye out for it.Cohen’s 80thLeonard Cohen is one of those musicians that really doesn’t need any sort of introduction, as the man has been in the game for numerous decades. Still, his track “Hallelujah” is one of the most covered and revered tracks ever to hit the music-sphere. The singer-songwriter’s webmaster Jarkko Arjatsalo recently announced that in celebration of Cohen’s 80th birthday, he’s coming out with a new record in September, titled Popular Problems. No word yet on what songs will be featured, but he did add that Cohen has no plans to tour the album. Bummer. Have a listen to “Hallelujah” below.Music for the inmatesTalk about bringing music to the masses … John Dwyer’s Castle Face Records (which has released records by Dwyer’s Thee Oh Sees, Ty Segall, White Fence, etc.) is now conducting a program where they send free CDs from their catalog to prison inmates. All you gotta do is send them the prisoner’s info and mailing restrictions, and they’ll take care of the rest. Click here to read more about Castle Face For the Incarcerated.Actor-singer-somethin’Those actors and their music … you know, the ones who think they’re talented enough to take a stab at the golden glory of releasing a record, playing shows and being a straight-up rock n’ rolla. Well, a lot of the time, they’re not even rock musicians when they transfer from the big screen to the small stage, but more often than not, they still have the chops to back it up. (Zooey Deschanel, Charlotte Gainsbourg (even though she was a musician before she was an actress), Michael Cera). That last one is what this is about. Michael Cera released a surprise album, titled true that, which is now available to stream online. Head over to his Bandcamp page to give that a listen. I’m sure, to some, the lo-fi, folky intonations are reminiscent of his work in Juno (viewable below).
Rooster Roundabout: This Week’s Music Highlights
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