“You are the music while the music lasts.” -T.S. Eliot
…And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead – “Catatonic”
Jason Reece rails against American complacency on “Catatonic”, the latest track from …And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead’s upcoming album, Lost Songs (out October 23rd via Richter Scale/Superball Music). “We need something new every day, something to make us feel alive,” Reece told Rolling Stone. “That was kind of the impetus, the fuel for the song — that, in a sense, everybody’s pretty complacent in America.” Thrashing noise and sing-shout vocals compliment the pointed words. For Trail of Dead, it’s a return to the post-hardcore stylings of their earliest output, and perhaps revisiting that abrasion has kept Reece from getting complacent. He certainly sounds alive here. -Jon Hadusek
Cold Cave – “A Little Death To Laugh”
Philadelphia synth-pop maestro Wes Eisold needed to cobble together a new lineup for his band Cold Cave, and from the sound of the new “A Little Death To Laugh” the veterans of AFI, Blood Brothers, and LCD Soundsystem he chose are in for some fun. Eisold’s low tones murmur in the midst of some dark, insistent synths and squeaky beats. The track (said to be inspired by deceased poet Tristan Corbiere) comes from a new three-song 7″, which you can pick up on one of the band’s tour dates or on their website. -Adam Kivel
FIDLAR – “At the Chacha”
Earlier this year, skate punks FIDLAR (short for Fuck It, Dog, Life’s A Risk) had a riot break out at one of their shows and the LAPD shut the shit down. In a way, this legitimized FIDLAR as a drunk, party-rousing punk band, not unlike the Dead Kennedys. On “At the Chacha”, FIDLAR celebrate their bad behavior and burnout lifestyle. “Walk right in with a fake I.D. and your teenage angst and anxiety,” sneers frontman Zac Carper. It’s an adorable, sing-song-y tune, with handclaps, locked rhythms, and a bouncing beat. But that’s the studio version. When these guys get on stage after a few beers (and whatever else they might intoxicate themselves with), “At the Chacha” probably doesn’t sound so cute and fluffy. -Jon Hadusek
Frank OceanTumblr’d “Blue Whale”, his first new song since the release of the blockbuster channel ORANGE. The new cut has a decidedly homemade feel — similar to his mixtape tracks — as Ocean casually raps over pretty guitar lines and a thin, lithe beat. His voice sounds groggy and exposed, as if he’d just woke up, flipped open the MacBook and improvised these verses straight into Audacity. -Jon Hadusek
Neil Young & Crazy Horse – “Walk Like A Giant”
Neil Young & Crazy Horse are no spring chickens, but they’ve got enough piss and vinegar left that three tracks from their second album of the year, Psychedelic Pill (due October 30th via Reprise Records), clock in at over 16 minutes. One of those is the “desert wind” blown “Walk Like A Giant”, a four minute radio edit of which hit the web recently. Young’s distinctive vocals lead the expansive, swirling cut, psychedelic, fuzzed-out guitars and whistling taking equally prominent places in the mix. The song tries to recaptures life’s happy moments, as Young fears “the big fire coming/ coming to burn down all my ideas.” -Adam Kivel
Paul Westerberg – “My Road Now”
The Replacements’ Paul Westerberg does things at his own mysterious pace these days, and “My Road Now” comes out of nowhere to end a two year silence (not counting a bizarre 7″ released under the moniker Mr. F). It’s only Westerberg and a piano, likely recorded in his home studio. Fans of Westerberg’s patchwork journey 49:00 will appreciate the barebones-ness of “My Road Now”. The song opens with a (tactfully unedited) false start before he launches into a broken ballad: “Wherever it takes you, yeah, you’re going/ you can guess, but you should already know.” –Jon Hadusek
Pharoahe Monch – “Damage”
Few people produce as high concept, complex, intensely multi-syllabic rhymes as Queens rapper Pharoahe Monch, and he’s back at it with “Damage”, the final installment of his gun violence analysis triology. “You know exactly what I am, murderer,” he menaces, taking on the persona of a bullet about to be fired, later warning that “I will maim those that change the gun laws.” The beat’s intense, claustrophobic blend of gunfire clacks, swarming synths, and chugging guitars perfectly emphasizes the inescapability and terrible allure of violence in today’s society, all while Monche outs it for the demon that it is. -Adam Kivel
Soundgarden – “Been Away Too Long”
Chris Cornell and Soundgarden have indeed “Been Away Too Long”, and the lead single of that title from their reunion album (King Animal, due November 13th via Seven Four/Republic) rocks like they never left. Matt Cameron’s thundering drums lead the way, Kim Thayil’s guitar licks stumble into swanky mid-Eastern territory, and Cornell’s perfectly howled note that “I only ever really wanted a break” is the kind of emotive power that Soundgarden were always known for. This is the first full track from the group’s reunion, and its the perfect way to re-coronate a lost King. -Adam Kivel
The Sword – “Veil of Isis”
When they’re not too busy hanging out with Anthony Bourdain or selling hot sauce, The Sword are destroying eardrums with their epic metal onslaughts. The hard-charging, rifftastic “Veil of Isis” comes off of their upcoming Apocryphon (due October 22nd via Razor & Tie), and it burns with the intensity of one thousand bottles of Tabasco. John Cronise’s wailed discussion of the Egyptian goddess Isis and Kyle Shutt’s sky-cracking guitar lines may take the most attention, but Jimmy Vela’s headbanging drums are the song’s adamantium backbone. Stream it via Rolling Stone. -Adam Kivel
Wiz Khalifa feat. The Weeknd – “Remember You”
Weed-obsessed rapper Wiz Khalifa’s latest single, “Remember You”, opens with a verse by The Weeknd, who seems to be embracing his new distinction as a major label artist. But that’s not to say the quality of his work has dropped off, because this opening is hazy, seductive, and beautiful — just like the vast majority of The Weeknd’s previous material. “She’s about to earn some bragging rights/ I’m ’bout to give it up like I’ve been holding back all night,” he croons softly, his voice warbling up and down the register. Khalifa’s subsequent raps are serviceable, but The Weeknd is the real star on “Remember You”. -Jon Hadusek
