Damn teensSt. Vincent’s had a great year, what with releasing what I consider to be her best album yet (and receiving a Grammy for it) and ending up on many year-end “Best of” lists at the end of 2014, while also lending a hand to Nirvana at their Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction. Not too shabby, Ms. Clark. Now the singer/songwriter has written a tune for the HBO show “Girls,” titled “Teenage Talk.” And she stopped by “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” this past week to perform the ditty. Have a looksie at the performance below.Dalton’s spirit lives onIf you’ve not yet listened to Karen Dalton, then you might consider the fact that there’s a gaping hole in your heart, a piece of tissue left ruminating in the snow. I know that when I discovered her record In My Own Time, I was astounded at her voice, the way she could convey so much depth, pain and triumph all within just a few notes. It’s magic, really. And now, some unheard lyrics that Dalton never recorded are finally going to see the light of day: but with contemporary women artists at the helm, singing Dalton’s tunes. Lucinda Williams takes on “Met An Old Friend”; Laurel Halo sings “Blue Notion”; and Sharon Van Etten adds her vocals to “Remembering Mountains,” plus more. The compilation is titled Remembering Mountains: Unheard Songs by Karen Dalton, and you best believe I’m going to be making a purchase when this comes out on May 26. Until then, read more ‘bout it over at Stereogum.Conor Oberst goes punk?Did you know that Conor Oberst (most notable for his work in Bright Eyes) had a punk band called Desaparecidos? Me neither! Apparently, they released an album in 2002, but it looks like the band is gearing up to release a second full-length LP (Payola) on June 23. Go figure! They’ve even released a song from the record: “City on the Hill.” And you can hear it. Right now. By listening below. What a world!It ain’t a copyLike a lot of people, I didn’t really hear about Cut Copy until the release of their second LP In Ghost Colours. And even then, I only paid attention to them for about five minutes. Not that they’re a bad band; it’s just that throwback ’80s new wave revivalists don’t really strike my fancy, and that seemed to be their schtick at the time. But the band has been going strong over the years, still consistently releasing material. Get it! Now band member Ben Browning has announced a solo album (Turns), which his getting released some time this summer, and to get folks amped about it, he’s shared a single from said record, titled “Make It Easy,” which you can hear below. Enjoy!The Mumford separationIf ever there was a time to apply the “good-not-great” tag onto something, Mumford & Sons’ new track “The Wolf” is probably the perfect opportunity. The song comes off their forthcoming LP Wilder Mind, which hits stores and online markets on May 4. It was announced a while back that the band was abandoning the acoustic, banjo-rific territory that made them famous in the first place, and heading toward a more “electric” sound. Sticking true to their promise, they’ve made the aforementioned track available for your listening pleasure. It’s not bad. But it’s not great. It’s not mediocre, but it’s not revolutionary. It’s just … meh. Either way, don’t take my word for it. Have a listen to the tune below.
Rooster Roundabout: This Week’s Music Highlights
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