Ferry’s pullin’ inTo be perfectly honest, I’ve never been that much of a fan of Bryan Ferry. The one time I decided to buy a Roxy Music record, I regretted it when it failed to provide that killer hook that would welcome me into the pantheon of folks who considered themselves worthy of such art-rock fancies. No regrets through. Mr. Ferry is still going strong. So strong, in fact, he’s coming out with a new record (Avonmore), which is set to hit the music-sphere on Nov. 17 and will feature such sonic aficionados as Ronnie Spector (!), Maceo Parker and Johnny Marr. He’s even shared the album’s opening number (“Loop De Li”), which is up for listening below.Thank God for MidlerMy familiarity with Bette Midler’s musical career pretty much spans the soundtrack of Beaches … you know “The Wind Beneath My Wings” and all that jazz. But she’s had a steady album-releasing career for the past few decades, and now she’s following up her 2006 release with a new record, titled It’s the Girls, which drops Nov. 4. The album consists of covers from various girl groups from the 1930s onward. So if you like cover songs from girl groups from the 1930s onward, this is your bag. Head over to Billboard to read more ’bout it.Don’t butcher the messengerDamn the people over at Consequence of Sound for tricking me into watching the video for Le Butcherettes’ “Demon Stuck in Your Eye.” I’m not gonna go into detail, as the concept itself can be thought of as gruesome; however, the way the video goes, it ends on an ironically different note. No spoilers here. Just watch the video below. PS: The track comes off their sophomore LP Cry is for the Flies, which is out and about now.Casablancas + OAs the turn of the millennium approached, numerous garage- and art-infused rock bands started to emerge. Among them were The White Stripes, The Vines, The Hives, yadda yadda yadda. Two notable bands that rose from the ashes of 1,000 years’ worth of sound were Yeah Yeah Yeahs and The Strokes. And just in case you want to brush up on the history of NYC bands at such a booming point in music, read a piece from TimeOut Magazine, in which Julian Casablancas and Karen O interview each other. And talk about good timing/marketing, considering they’ve both just released new records. Sleepy timeIn a game of 6 Degrees of Music Nation … it was noted that experimental hip-hop group Death Grips had decided to call it quits … and in a random turn of events (well, not so random), the Grips’ drummer Zach Hill is teaming up, once again, with Chino Moreno, the front man for Deftones. Deftones … Death Grips … get it? Me neither. But I’m sure there’s some sort of connection, other than these two dudes reforming under the guise of Team Sleep to release a second full-length outing. And to shed some light on that upcoming mixture of aural collaboration, they’ve posted some snippets of tracks “No,” and “Dreamland,” which you can hear below.The Endless FloydThe Floyd is back y’all! Pink Floyd, that is. The legendary rock group is coming out with their first record in 20 years, titled The Endless River, which hits stores on Nov. 10. It should be noted, however, that Roger Waters isn’t involved in this “mostly instrumental” endeavor. Regardless, it’s still a seminal affair, considering … well just considering. For more info on the record, including the track list, cover art, etc., head over to Pitchfork.Tears for SelwayI mentioned a while back that Radiohead drummer Philip Selway is coming out with a solo record (Weatherhouse), which drops Oct. 7. And like many smart musicians that have come before him, he’s come out with a music video for one of the album’s tracks to give fans a taste of the LP before they take the risk of buying it. It’s called marketing. Watch the video for “It Will End in Tears” below.Elephant in the roomMy introduction into the work of the Elephant 6 Recording Co. was discovering Neutral Milk Hotel my sophomore year of high school. And seeing them in concert this past year at Kiva was the completion of an era in which I thought that scenario was an impossibility. Goes to show that shit can always surprise you. Regardless, a documentary about the record collective is in the making stages and is titled A Place We Have Been To. It features interviews from members of The Olivia Tremor Control and other members of this ingenious conglomerate of music weirdo geniuses. The film is trying to secure funds via PledgeMusic, so head there to watch a trailer and read more about it.Bankin’ on BanksAzealia Banks is another one of those rap contemporaries who has built a kingdom of buzz around a long-delayed album (Broke With Expensive Taste) that may never see the light of day. That sounds pessemistic, but where the hell is it already? This is like Rye Rye 2.0. Regardless, Banks has come out with another track from said supposed album. The track, titled “Chasing Time,” is a nice little club-infused rap ditty that will definitely make many DJs go cray, cause why not? Have a listen to the track below, and buy the album whenever Banks sees fit.Elba/MandelaWhen most actors get so entwined in their historically relevant characters, they usually make themselves feel better by joining some nonprofit or the UN or taking a trip to Africa. Idris Elba, on the other hand, is recording an album. After playing Nelson Mandela in Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, Elba decided to oversee the writing and recording of songs inspired by his experience of playing the former president of South Africa. The LP (Mi Mandela) was concocted with the help of British and South African producers and will feature help from Mumford & Sons and James Blake. That’ll drop on Nov. 24.
Rooster Roundabout: This Week’s Music Highlights
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