Here’s a new one from The-Dream entitled “ROC” (short for Roc Your Body). It’s apparently the lead single off his upcoming fourth LP, The Love, IV: Diary of a Madman, the follow up to last year’s 1977 mixtape. Hear the stream at Radiokilla Records’ website.

The Love, IV: Diary of a Madman is due sometime this year via Radiokilla Records. Stay tuned for more.

Two decades from now, how do you think 2011 will be remembered? As the year we lost Amy Winehouse? How about the year three of music’s most iconic outfits – The White Stripes, R.E.M., and LCD Soundsystem — all decided to call it quits? Maybe Lana Del Rey will prove a sustainable force and then we can all tell our children about the great collagen debate of 2011. Or try to explain to them how two rock and roll hall of famers came together to create the worst piece of music imaginable.

Yeah, 2011 was a fucking weird year. Like, a total mindfuck. We lost some great ones, both literally and figuratively, and we wrote or read about them in between stories about Wayne Coyne’s gummy fetus and Nick Oliveri’s standoff with a S.W.A.T. team. Along the way, we were presented with a legal way to listen to a jazilion songs for free, watched that dude from Nine Inch Nails win an Oscar, and witnessed the return of not just Kate Bush and Tom Waits, but Jeff Mangum as well. Yet, at the end of the day, Lana Del Rey’s collagen lips and Odd Future’s misogynistic tendencies won the award for stories with the longest shelf life on my Twitter feed.

Then again, four weeks from now it’ll be 2012′s turn and who knows what that year has in store. Maybe some scientist will be able to revive Jim Morrison’s frozen head so that we can have a true collaboration between The Doors and Skrillex. Whatever the case may be, Consequence of Sound will be here, 24/7/365, ready to bring you all the major headlines. Until then, though, we remember the last 12 months, categorized by themes, in the pages that follow. And, as always, thanks for reading.

– Alex Young
Publisher

R.I.P.: The Ones We Lost in 2011

Amy Winehouse (1983-2011): The soulful, sultry songstress was the first British female to win five Grammy awards. Unfortunately, she also became a member of the infamous “27 Club” when police found her dead in her London home on July 23rd. An autopsy later confirmed her death as the result of accidental alcohol poisoning.

Clarence Clemons (1942-2011): Founding member and saxophonist of Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band, Clemons was a larger-than-life figure, and he’ll forever be remembered for his solos on “Jungleland” and “Born to Run”. Clemons died on June 18th from complications caused by a stroke. He was 69.

Bert Jansch (1943-2011): Acclaimed Scottish folk singer who was both a celebrated solo musician and member of the band Pentangle. Jansch died on October 5th following a lengthy battle with lung cancer. He was 67.

Gil Scott-Heron (1949-2011): A celebrated musician, poet, and author who was largely credited as one of the leading influences of hip-hop and neo soul. Scott-Heron died on May 27th. He was 62.

Heavy D (1967-2011): The founding member and leader of Heavy D & the Boyz helped bridge the worlds of hip-hop and R&B in the ’90s before transitioning to a career in film. Heavy D (born Dwight Arrington Myers) died on November 8th reportedly from complications of pneumonia. He was 44.

Nate Dogg (1969-2011): West coast crooner collaborated with Dr. Dre, Eminem, and Snoop Dogg. Nate Dogg (born Nathaniel Hale) died from complications of multiple strokes on March 15th. He was 41.

Poly Styrene (1957-2011): The former singer of X-Ray Spek was described as the “archetype for the modern-day feminist punk.” Styrene died on April 25th following a battle with breast cancer. She was 53.

Trish Keenan (1968-2011): Founding member and singer of British electronic band Broadcast. Keenan died from complications with pneumonia on January 14th. She was 42.

Hubert Sumlin (1931-2011): Legendary guitarist and longtime collaborator of blues icon Howlin’ Wolf is ranked at number forty-three in the Rolling Stone list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time. Sumlin died on December 4th. He was 80.

Cory Smoot: (1977-2011): Guitarist for the shock rock band GWAR was the longest-serving member to play the character Flattus Maximus. Smoot was found dead on the band’s tour bus on November 3rd; as of December 5th, his cause of death is still unknown. He was 34.

DJ Mehdi (1977-2011): French hip-hop and electro producer was a member of Ed Banger Records and collaborated with Chromeo, Cassius, and Carte Blanche. DJ Mehdi (born Mehdi Favéris-Essadi) died on September 13th when the roof of his Paris home collapsed during a friend’s birthday party. He was 34.

Michael “Würzel” Burston (1949-2011): The former Army corporal served as guitarist for Motörhead from 1984-1995. Würzel died from complications of heart disease on July 9th. He was 61.

Mike Starr (1966-2011): The founding member and bassist of Alice in Chains contributed to two studio albums — including the 1992 classic Dirt — before departing in 1993. Starr was found dead on March 8th, with an autopsy later finding traces of drugs in his system. He was 44.

Suze Rotolo (1943-2011): The former girlfriend of Bob Dylan inspired many of the songwriter’s early love songs and appeared on the iconic cover of his 1963 classic, The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan. Rotolo died of lung cancer on February 25th. She was 67.

Gerard Smith (1974-2011): The TV on the Radio bassist appeared on the band’s celebrated albums Return to Cookie Mountain, Dear Science, and Nine Types of Light. Smith died from lung cancer on April 20th. He was 36.

John Barry (1933-2011): The Academy Award-winning composer soundtracked 12 James Bond films between 1962 and 1987 in addition to Born Free, The Lion in Winter, and Out of Africa. Barry died of a heart attack on January 30th. He was 77.

Mikey Welsh (1971-2011): The former Weezer bassist appeared on the band’s 2001 The Green Album. Welsh was found dead on October 8th. He was 40.

Welcome Back: 2011′s Reunions

Photo by Colin Athens

While 2011 was a particularly harsh year for band breakups (see the next slide), at least Pulp came back. Long a dream on festival message boards, the legendary UK outfit finally reunited in the summer of 2011 for their first live performances in nine years. Our own Frank Mojica was at the band’s comeback show at Barcelona’s Primavera Sound and declared it “an explosive set that cemented Pulp’s status as the essential festival band of 2011 and will be remembered as fondly and regarded as definitive as their Glastonbury 1995 performance.”

However, Pulp wasn’t the only celebrated outfit to return in 2011. Buffalo Springfield — the folk rock supergroup comprised of Richie Furay, Stephen Stills, and Neil Young — reunited after 43 years for a brief West coast tour and headlining performance at Bonnaroo. Wrote our own Carson O’Shoney of their Bonnaroo appearance: “Even those who weren’t familiar with the band’s work were surely impressed. Seeing Neil Young wail on guitar is simply one of the better things in all of music. But the final three knockout punches of ‘Broken Arrow’, ‘For What It’s Worth’, and ‘Rockin’ in the Free World’ were what really solidified it as one of the best sets of the weekend.”

Other 2011 reunions:

After inciting a riot during their first live performance in five years at South by Southwest, hard-hitting Canadian outfit Death From Above 1979 played any and every summer festival, including Coachella, Sasquatch!, Quebec City Summer Fest, Lollapalooza, FYF Fest, ACL, and Treasure Island.

Post-punk icons New Order reunited after five years with a pair of benefit shows in Europe.

Mazzy Star unleashed a two-song single, their first pieces of new music in 15 years.

Ben Folds reunited Ben Folds Five for their first new material in a decade.

UK glam rock outfit The Darkness reunited for their first live performance since 2006 at UK’s Download Festival.

In celebration of their 45th anniversary, The Monkees hit the road for their first live performances since 1997. Unfortunately, the final eight dates of their trek were canceled “due to internal group issues and conflicts.”

Chicago’s own Hum delivered their first performance in a decade.

San Diego-based post-hardcore outfit Hot Snakes reunited at ATP’s Nightmare Before Christmas in December.

Austin, TX, noise rock pioneers Scratch Acid toured extensively for the first time in over two decades.

NYC punk band D-Generation hit the road in the fall for their first performances since 1999. A new album is also in the works.

Mexico City rock band Caifanes reunited after 15 years for a performance at Coachella.

The End of An Era: 2011′s Breakups

Bands, like trends, come and go. Some last for decades with deep catalogs, and others only survive a couple years with an album or two. Their presence has a lasting impact on our lives and ears, and thus their disbandment has the same. To the greats we lost this year: Thanks for the tunes. -Ben Kaye

R.E.M. (1981-2011): Seminal, legendary, and unequaled, Georgia’s alternative rock icons ended their career after three decades. From their 1983 debut, Murmur, to their 2011 finale, Collapse Into Now, to the world’s first GIF album cover, the band exemplified how to be successful, innovative, and cool while remaining uncompromising. Their legacy will be felt for decades more to come.

The White Stripes (1997-2011): One of the greatest bands of the era, this garage blues-rock duo left an indelible mark on music with six albums. Jack White will continue on in his myriad of forms, but The White Stripes will be remembered as the band that started it all and his most widely celebrated triumph.

LCD Soundsystem (2001-2011): These modern dance-punk virtuosos left us with three full-lengths and a year-long swan song, culminating in a finale at Madison Square Garden. And we still wish we were getting more.

Rilo Kiley (1998-2011): Fourteen years of indie rock ended rather unceremoniously. Regardless, their sophomore full-length, The Execution of All Things, will go down as one of the best albums of the last decade.

The Stills (2000-2011): These Canadian indie rockers released three albums over 10 years. They will likely be best remembered for 2008’s Juno Award-winning Oceans Will Rise.

The Academy Is… (2003-2011): These Warped Tour regulars dispersed while in the process of recording album #4. At least they got to tour with KISS before it ended.

Dear and the Headlights (2005-2011): Two full-lengths and extensive touring proved too much for this Arizona indie pop rock band. Scared by all the lights.

The Felix Culpa (2003-2011): Unsung heroes of the Midwest post-hardcore scene. Despite the success of last year’s self-released sophomore effort, Sever Your Roots, there will be no more happy mistakes.

Thurston Moore and Kim Gordon (1984-2011): Founding members of Sonic Youth and godparents of indie rock. What the power couple’s separation means for their iconic band is yet to be seen, though side projects abound.

Ben Gibbard and Zooey Deschanel (2009-2011): This pair of indie darlings split after only two years of marriage amidst heavy work schedules for each. While separations are always sad, we can’t help but swoon over the idea that Deschanel is technically available…

Digital Takeover

On July 14, 2011, millions of music fans sighed in relief: Spotify hit U.S. shores, and the end of the war on music drew closer to its end. Now, that’s not entirely true – the labels still aren’t too happy, neither are the artists – but the idea that “music is free” has never been more agreed upon until now. Thanks to Spotify, users can legally check out a variety of new releases in addition to a fully digestible catalog that spans everyone from ABBA to John Zorn, at any time — even on their phones, though that option will cost them. But it’s a price that many will pay, simply because it’s the way of the future.

It’s the death of the mp3 and the dawn of the truly, strictly digital age, where music listeners can immerse themselves in digital clouds of music. This year, Apple, Amazon, and Google Music all introduced similar formats, asking users to upload their collections into digital lockers, where they’ll always have access. Anywhere. Anytime. Where else can you go from there?

How about interactivity? Online forums evolved this year, too. “You should check this band out” is so passe. Instead, online users are opting for more media savvy formats, where they can turn their textual suggestions into aural delights. Through a service like Turntable.fm, which surfaced earlier this year, users now create rooms, throwing online soirees, where they DJ their own stations. All of this comes at little to no price and with zero trouble (although, there are always exceptions). So, it’s been a pretty transitive year in the music industry. A game changer, if you will. -Michael Roffman

An Odd Future, Indeed.

There’s that wonderful exchange at the end of Batman Begins, when Lt. Gordon digresses on The Caped Crusader’s influence over Gotham City, calling attention to like-minded criminals with a “taste for the theatrical,” stating plainly, “You really started something.” So true of the internet. Most of the time, you’ll find a chunky, melting pot of deep-seeded opinions, but sometimes, just sometimes, they all come together to agree on something. That’s when true change is had. And it can happen overnight.

Case in point: Odd Future and Lana Del Rey.

Controversy played a big role in the successes of these two – the former because of obscenities, the latter because of collagen – but, really, it only fueled it. The real credit, however, goes to the blogosphere. It’s the classic “she tells her friends” routine – only to an ungodly nth degree. One blog hypes a track, one site swears by another, and all of a sudden you’re trending on social networks nationwide, then worldwide, then… yeah, it sort of stops there. It’s nothing new. That’s the true nature of a fad (see: Trapper Keepers, Pogs, LA Gear). But, it’s never seen extremes such as this.

And as polarizing as these acts may be – “Aren’t they being misogynistic?”; “She’s not real! Her real name’s Lizzy Grant! OMFG, hate her!!1!” – it’s the way they came to fruition that’s far more interesting. It reveals a true power within the internet, one that may or may not be good. Regardless of its moral worth, though, it’s here to stay. As the Joker, essentially a by-product of Batman, ominously declared in the film’s follow-up, “There’s no going back. You’ve changed things… forever.” Yep. Deal with it, folks. -Michael Roffman

The Return of R&B

Some guy somewhere jokingly called it “PBR&B” and that gained traction for a little while — R&B for “hipsters.” If we take one thing away from this, let it be this: The resurgence and strength of R&B in 2011 had nothing to do with “hipsters,” a word I apologetically use here (and if I had two wishes for Christmas this year, it would be that I never hear that word again). The strength of The Weeknd, Frank Ocean, The-Dream, How To Dress Well, Active Child, and tangentially Drake this year was born from little else than a defibrillator to a dormant art form using a bit of indie sentiment.

The Weeknd’s sudden and (not so) mysterious arrival drew the highest peak in the EKG chart with the hedonistic, dripping-wet jams of his House of Balloons mixtape, sampling Beach House and Siouxsie and the Banshees, which of course reached across the aisle to white tumblrites more ostensibly than Aaliyah and R. Kelly ever did in the 90’s. From there, Frank Ocean bowed out of producing pop hits for Biebs and made known his association with OFWGKTA for his Nostalgia Ultra mixtape, a damp and druggy confessional. Kanye took a liking to him, as well.

The cross-cultural movement was just as strong for Active Child’s choir-boy jams and How To Dress Well’s shrouded pangs, both of whom collaborated with each other on the song “Playing House”. There are many more artists working with these tools: production rooted in current trends, voices like butter, beats like woah. Perhaps the response to the hidden vocals of last year’s genre de l’année Chillwave is that these artists are putting the spotlight back on the soul of the human voice.  -Jeremy D. Larson

The Return of the Legacy Act

It’s been seven years since Tom Waits released his 23rd album, six years since Kate Bush released her 9th, and 13 years since Jeff Mangum (as Neutral Milk Hotel) released his second. Not all acts that resurface have to have page-long catalogs, and like Mangum, not all comebacks have to include new material, but these three artists made the biggest impact in 2011 after some time away from the spotlight.

Not even just away from the spotlight, but in some cases purposefully reclusive. Before this year, Jeff Mangum appearances were becoming lore, like seeing the face of Mother Mary in a Crunchwrap Supreme. Mangum only did some one-off shows in barns or was seen looming backstage at some gig. But last January, he announced his reemergence for ATP New Jersey at the “I’ll Be Your Mirror” event — a festival! He went from barns to a major festival in like a year! He then went on a small U.S. tour and released a career-spanning Neutral Milk Hotel box set, and there are no signs of him stopping with tour dates already stretching into 2012.

For Kate Bush, pace is the trick. With 10 albums in over 30 years, we’re running on her press cycle — releasing her babies into the world only when they’re ready to leave the nest. With a flurry (ahem), she dropped two albums in 2011 — her self-explanatory Director’s Cut and her acclaimed new studio album, 50 Words for Snow. With no tour or late-night performances, Bush is still staying out of the limelight for now. But it’s not like she needs the press.

And then there’s the categorical Tom Waits, doing his thing for the 24th time with not a hint of phoning it in. Bad As Me is another trophy for his buckling shelf and his most commercially successful album to date, peaking at #6 on the U.S. Billboard charts. Twenty-four albums in 37 years with rarely a misstep or an eye roll, soundtracking movies, musicals, German surrealist plays, and with his release this year, he’s only further cementing himself as an American cultural icon. We await for “Waitsian” to be added to dictionaries. -Jeremy D. Larson

The Return of Radiohead

Photo by Nate Slevin

It’s a predicament: A member of Radiohead posts something online (e.g. new track, obscure art, a haiku-like blog entry, et al.), and you’re a.) out at lunch, b.) four hours into a deep sleep, or c.) at your own wedding. Whatever the situation, you’re finding the closest computer and fast. That sort of conundrum plagues every blogger’s life annually, but especially in 2011. As of today, Consequence of Sound has 10 pages of Radiohead-related news for this year alone. Quite a lot. To think, it all started in the eye-tweaking, early morning hours of February 14th, 2011. That’s when the group announced the release of their eighth LP, The King of Limbs, set to deliver only four days later. Naturally, the ‘net exploded soon after; in fact, as one reader put it that morning, “I just pooped my pants.”

That reaction turned sour (or just downright polarizing) when the LP eventually surfaced. Some complained about its length (a copious 37 minutes), speculating on a second part (which never materialized), while others wondered where the band went, calling it a Yorke-centric effort. A week after it was announced, Consequence of Sound awarded the album four stars, hailing it as “one of their most absorbing efforts to date.” (Currently, the album has a Metacritic score of 80.) Despite the general acclaim, critics everywhere levied their slight disappointment between their words.

But that hardly stalled the group. Since 2007′s event release of In Rainbows, the UK collective has stayed ahead of the curve, and this year was no different. Things just got weird. They issued a free newspaper, their “Lotus Flower” video sent dance enthusiasts on edge, and Yorke started hitting the DJ scene hard. But, on the other hand, they struck all the right nerves by releasing an exclusive Record Store Day 7″, “surprising” festivalgoers at Glastonbury, endorsing an album of remixes, and media blitzing NYC for a week (which included stops at Fallon, SNL, The Colbert Report, and two sold-out nights at The Roseland Ballroom). It doesn’t look like it’ll end for 2012, either, what with another LP and a proper tour on the way. That’s okay, though. Our stomachs, sleep schedules, and loved ones won’t appreciate it, but hey, more Radiohead, right? As the old adage with this group goes, “Stay tuned.” -Michael Roffman

The Day Trent Reznor Won An Oscar

When first approached by director David Fincher to score his film about the founding of Facebook, Trent Reznor had just wrapped up Nine Inch Nails’ lengthy farewell tour and was planning to take time off. However, as Reznor later explained, “When I actually read the script and realized what he was up to, I said goodbye to that free time I had planned.” Undoubtedly attracted by the film’s sentiments on isolation, greed, and entitlement (all familiar issues to the Nine Inch Nails frontman), Reznor graciously accepted his new role as film composer.

Teaming with longtime collaborator Atticus Ross, the duo would go on to create a masterpiece of “alternative-rock infused ambient electronic music” that as our Drew Litowitz writes, “mimics the anxious ambivalence that Sorkin’s script and Fincher’s direction convey so similarly.”  The score amplified the angst and turmoil that accompanied the success of Mark Zuckerberg. For a movie with no ostensible “action” sequences, the score built tension to great heights alongside Aaron Sorkin’s signature verbose script. One question remained: Would movie critics give praise to an outside artist who once sang, “God is dead and no one cares/ if there’s a hell, I’ll see you there”?

With 15 nominations for Best Original Score, it seemed Reznor and Ross had created a score that struck an international cord. Even after winning the Golden Globe, skeptics wondered if The Academy would give Reznor and Ross the Oscar over perennial favorites Hans Zimmer and Alexandre Desplat. All doubt dissipated when Nicole Kidman and the all-too-pleased Hugh Jackman called the duo up to accept each one’s first Academy Award. “Wow, is this really happening?” Reznor asked during his acceptance speech.

Reznor’s now working on the score for the Fincher-directed The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Will he need to make more room on his trophy shelf? Plus, with an alt-rock artist taking home the coveted award, might Reznor’s win, combined with the efforts of Daft Punk and The Chemical Brothers, be incentive for more contemporary artists to try their hand at composing film scores? We’d like to hope so. -Derek Staples

Who is Arcade Fire??!!?

Sunday, February 13, 2011. Talk about a tumultuous 24-hour news cycle: Hours before Radiohead resurfaced to wreak havoc on the ‘net with The King of Limbs (see page nine), Arcade Fire walked home with a Grammy for Album of the Year for their 2010 album, The Suburbs. As Win Butler & Co. cooked up an impromptu cut of “Ready to Start” over the ceremony’s closing credits, fingers raced across keyboards, mouses clicked, and emotions ran wild. Some praised the news – Kanye West tweeted, “#Arcade fire!!!!!!!!!! There is hope!!! I feel like we all won when something like this happens! FUCKING AWESOME!” – while others, many others, updated their Facebook and Twitter accounts in utter confusion. Thus, one of 2011′s most popular internet memes came to fruition: Who Is Arcade Fire??!!?

For days following the Grammys, the widely celebrated Tumblr account reposted countless social media updates from users everywhere, all of whom had no clue who these Canadian indie rockers were. Some were angry, some were frustrated, and some felt victimized – as if the Grammys robbed Lady Antebellum, Eminem, Lady Gaga, or Katy Perry of a truer win. Naturally, as with anything this insubstantial to normal, everyday life, the wake calmed and most of the anger turned to curiosity. This partly speaks for the thousands upon thousands of fans that arrived in droves to catch them headline festivals, or take over their nearby venues. Creation through chaos, so to speak.

So, while recent Grammy-nominee Justin Vernon (of Bon Iver) might think otherwise, the Grammys proved that they do still hold some weight, turning an indie rock icon into a household name. Admittedly, you might not appreciate your mother keeping The Suburbs on rotation with Taylor Swift, but hey, it’s an improvement, right? Yep, Jimbo: “Strange days have found us.” -Michael Roffman

Lulu and more WTF collaborations

We’re generally all for unique, head-turning collaborations, but some instances of teamwork insanity in 2011 really had us going “WTF?” For instance, just last week director Darren Aronofsky glorified Lou Reed and Metallica’s Lulu, which our own Jeremy D. Larson so bluntly described as ”a complete failure on every tangible and intangible level of its existence,” with a music video for “The View”. But not even a video by a top-notch director can save an album doomed by its concept and only further hindered by poor production that awkwardly abandons Reed’s vocals on top of the mix

If Metallica and Lou Reed would have spent a bit more time exploring other odd collabos of 2011, they possibly could have avoided their joint tragedy all together. Back in July, SuperHeavy, the supergroup made up of Mick Jagger, Joss Stone, Dave Stewart, A. R. Rahman, and Damian Marley, dropped their first single, “Miracle Worker”. The bloated, inorganic track felt stapled together, with many critics and listeners calling it a marketing ploy by Warner Music Group.

Then in August, profanities flew left and right when we were presented with this picture of Jack White and Insane Clown Posse. If the pic wasn’t awful enough, whoever chose to listen to the White-produced “Leck Mich Im Arsch” and “Mountain Girls” were subjected to ICP at their crudest and most bizarre. Once again, we were left with two very important questions: Was this some maniacal plan each shared during their days in Michigan, or was this collaboration the strange payoff of a backroom bet?

Arguably, Re:Generation takes the prize for most “WTF”-worthy collaboration. Presented by the Hyundai Volster, the concept of Re:Generation was to explore jazz, R&B, country, classical, and rock through the eyes of five modern DJ/producers. Pairings included the Crystal Method and Martha Reeves, Pretty Lights, Leann Rimes, and Ralph Stanley, and the most noteworthy, Skrillex and the remaining members of The Doors. All that bass resonating from “Breakin’ a Sweat” had Jim Morrison rolling in his Parisian grave.

Here’s hoping 2012 finally brings us that Celebrity: Apprentice-inspired boy band featuring Meat Loaf, Lil Jon, and Mark McGrath. -Derek Staples

The Year of the Gummy Fetus

This past January, the often-unconventional Flaming Lips did something decidedly conventional: re-sign with Warner Bros. Records for a multi-year deal. However, with the deal came a newfound level of creative freedom, which Wayne Coyne and co. used to build their wildest and wackiest year to date. Seriously, some weird stuff’s ahead.

The band’s 2011 was marked by decidedly gimmicky ploys to sell music. If they weren’t schlepping tunes inside of gummy skulls or gummy female anatomy, they were creating songs that were six and 24 hours long (though proceeds from those massive, massive “songs” did go toward charity). That, or the group was busy crafting tunes about copulating blobs with the use of YouTube. Some of their releases, like where they wrote people’s name into songs, were decidedly hokey (even if, once again, they were for a good cause). If there were any legit music-making endeavors, like collabos with Prefuse 73, Neon Indian, and Lightning Bolt, not to mention super-shows with Weezer and Yeasayer, they were outshined by graveyard gigs and playing human Whack-A-Mole with SUNY students. If it made headlines while generating mass confusion this year, The Flaming Lips were undoubtedly behind it.

There’s no way to catalog these decisions and projects as true artistic exploration. If anything, nearly everything the band did this year were either jokes and goofs or absurd, almost harebrained marketing schemes. But when someone gives the inmates the keys to the asylum, should anyone be surprised when they smear the walls in green paint and dress up like penguins? We, for one, applaud Wayne Coyne and company for doing what they do best: entertaining us with their increasingly batshit hijinks. Here’s to the kooky things the band will cook up in 2012. -Chris Coplan

Stage Collapses

In the span of two months between July and August 2011, a freak trend hit the music world. Four stages in three separate countries collapsed, killing a total of 11 and injuring many more. The first collapse occurred on July 17th at the Ottawa Bluesfest, where strong winds caused the festival’s main stage to implode 20 minutes into Cheap Trick’s set. Gusts blew the stage backwards, which pushed the scaffold to teeter under the force. Three people were reported injured, and the remainder of the fest – one headlining spot by Death Cab for Cutie – was canceled.

Then, just weeks later on August 7th, a similar occurrence befell Tulsa, Oklahoma’s Brady District Block Party. Moments before local heroes The Flaming Lips were scheduled to go on, a lighting rig was struck by wind and fell into the stage. Though the stage was evacuated beforehand, preventing injury to fans, band members, and road crew, some $800,000 worth of the Lips’ equipment was damaged or destroyed.

The summer festival circuit’s worst incident occurred six days later during country duo Sugarland’s set at the Indiana State Fair. A massive gust of wind toppled the stage, sending steel scaffolding, lighting, and sound equipment into the audience. The destruction of the stage had come just minutes after organizers had announced the storm and outlined evacuation plans. Seven people died as a result of the collapse, with another 44 receiving treatment for various injuries at nearby hospitals.

The fourth and final collapse took place on August 18th at the Pukkelpop festival in Hasselt, Belgium. As Chicago-based indie rock band Smith Westerns were playing on The Chateau Stage, bursts of wind uprooted trees and collapsed several festival tents. The band was evacuated offstage just prior to its collapse. (A second construct, the Shelter stage, was also damaged by weather.) Four people were killed, with another 75 reported injured. The festival, scheduled to run until the 20th, was canceled Friday morning (August 19th).

Late last month, in the aftermath of the incident in Indiana, 51 individuals connected to the collapse sued Sugarland, concert promoters, and those who built the stage for breach of reasonable care. The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages. A state-sponsored investigation of the collapse will be completed before the case moves forward.

On a more positive note, following the tragedies, fans, musicians, journalists, and festival promoters alike have all emerged to sound the call for increased safety measures, demanding better crowd accommodation and weather preparedness. While festivals will always contend with X-factors, better preparation can only benefit subsequent summer festival seasons. -Chris Coplan

And the Rest…

Clearly, as you’ve just read, a lot of things happened to the musical landscape in 2011. Some occurrences, though, were so darn awesome, head-turning, or just downright strange that they can’t be classified anywhere else. So, here they are, the rest of the biggest news stories of the year. -Ben Kaye

Kanye: The Musical: Ya know, this was probably bound to happen. Students at Australia’s Sydney University told the tale of Ye, from making beats for Jay-Z to his solo ascension, in this September production “about a guy who took a shot at the throne and didn’t miss.”

Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks hold a “blowjob” contest: Seems the lyrics to “Senator” weren’t exactly FCC-approved. The line “I know what the senator wants/what the senator wants is a blowjob” needed a rewrite for the radio, so Malkmus reached out to fans for help. Turns out the senator actually wanted a corndog (who doesn’t?).

Bon Iver Day: Even a perfunctory listen to Bon Iver’s music reveals Justin Vernon’s strong affections for Wisconsin. That love was returned on July 22nd when Milwaukee’s Mayor Tom Barrett christened the day “Bon Iver Day” in celebration of Bon Iver’s WI ties, musical accomplishments, and the beginning of their world tour.

Beavis and Butt-Head: America’s favorite slackers/social commentators returned to MTV this year for all-new animated episodes. With a whole new slew of modern musicians and pop-culture to mock, this news… hee… errm.. uhh huhuhuh… rules.

2011: A Rock Odyssey featuring Jack White: For three epic nights, Stephen Colbert joined Jack White at the musician’s Third Man Records. The goal was to revive Colbert’s “music career,” and it ended up giving us three awesome segments, a Catholicism-off, and a duet of The Star-Spangled Banner.

Nick Oliveri arrested after S.W.A.T. standoff: When his girlfriend called the police, ex-Queens of the Stoneage/current Kyuss Lives! bassist Nick Oliveri refused to let her leave the residence or let the cops in. Four hours and a L.A. county S.W.A.T. team later, he was arrested for felony domestic violence. While the case awaits trial, Kyuss still lives, though Oliveri, out on $100,000 bail, won’t be joining them for any international tour dates.

Mic Todd arrested for armed robbery: On tour with Soundgarden, Coheed and Cambria bassist Mic Todd went out and robbed a Walgreens in Attleboro, MA, by telling the pharmacist he had a bomb. He was arrested that night at the Comcast Center on charges of armed robbery and unlawful possession of prescription narcotics. A month later, he was looking for a new band.

Courtney Love dates SALEM’s Jack Donoghue: So, Courtney Love thinks Dave Grohl is a dick, but witch-house is sexy. You know, sometimes I just don’t understand that woman.

Metallica Monopoly: Because nothing says “metal” like family game night.

Luther Campbell runs for mayor of Miami-Dade County: Admittedly, it takes some cajones to choose the eighth-most populous county in the country as your first foray into politics. Probably takes more to try to tax strippers. He lost, by the way.

Joe Jonas says he’s influenced by Daft Punk: The middle Jo Bro cites Daft Punk’s Tron: Legacy work as an influence on his solo debut. So, in essence, you’re saying this led to this.

Back in September, Terius Nash (aka sex-crazed sanger The-Dream) dropped the R&B Fellini flick that was “Long Gone”. Now, another sensual cut from Nash’s 1977 mixtape is getting the music video treatment with the down-home clip for “Ghetto”. Unlike its predecessor, this latest clip isn’t as epic, merely featuring Nash and Big Sean singing in front of fancy cars and partying in the club. However, Nash does show off his gang affiliations by riding around town with a group of young hooligans on BMX bikes, striking fear in the hearts of thugs and gangsters everywhere. Check out the music video below (via Rap-Up.com).

If you haven’t already, download 1977 for free here.

Terius Nash (AKA sex-crazed sanger The-Dream) released 1977 as a way to be free from label restrictions in order to create and pervert as he saw fit. The video for “Long Gone” is an extension of that freedom, a black-and-white cinematic mish-mash of gritty performance shots, roses, and people breaking up on a car. It’s an R&B Fellini flick if we’ve ever seen one (and we’ve seen tons). Check it out below.

If you haven’t already, download 1977 for free here.

But here’s the thing: Nash comes off like an asshole on the first three songs of 1977. As The-Dream, he’s a flawless, cocky playboy who pulls ladies and gets money. With this record under his real name (which Nash made available for free online in defiance of Def Jam), Nash more than ever shares his vulnerabilities and imperfections. It’s not pretty. But unlike another deeply imperfect and confessional producer-performer (his name rhymes with “Blanye Jest”), he neglects to take himself to task for it.

Take the lyrics on lead-off track “Wake Me When It’s Over,” which ostensibly addresses Nash’s romance with and subsequent Internet-documented cheating on singer/actress Christina Milian, baby mama and collaborator of Nash’s: “Life on the internet/I look like a devil/But you wearing the red dress/Holding a shovel.” Nash sounds like a two-timer deflecting his shitty behavior with insults and accusations of his own. His ex- and you, the listener, aren’t perfect, so don’t you judge him.

But that doesn’t change the fact that he did a shitty thing. “Now I’m fucking somebody else,” Nash sings on the record’s second track, “Used to Be”. “But go ahead and blame me if it helps/I’m just being honest/ I know, I know, I know, I know sometimes I’m wrong/But am I really the only one?”

If this review is starting to sound like moral judgment of Nash and his actions, it’s only by circumstance. As with R. Kelly, Michael Jackson, and other public figures with publicly aired personal flaws, it’s possible separate the artist and his or her art. But as a listener/critic, it’s a tougher needle to thread in this age of oversharing. When the artist’s nearly flawless music is centered very honestly on his or her flawed personal life, as with Kanye West or Drake, it makes me wish Nash would quit oversharing so that I wouldn’t be in that uncomfortable position. Still, my artist-art separation stands, which Dave Chappelle summed up on Chappelle’s Show when he said about Jackson, “He made ‘Thriller.’ ‘Thriller.’”

Dirty laundry aside, it’s really about the music on 1977. And the clicky, ATL crunk beat (with a nice, fat acoustic guitar sound) on ”Long Gone” is still compulsively listenable. The chopped-and-screwed vocal intro, giant swag, and big ol’ synths on “Ghetto”, featuring G.O.O.D. Music rapper Big Sean, sound like pure triumph and braggadocio, a refreshing break from the oversharing that plagues the first 15 minutes of 1977.

Halfway through the record and killer stuntin’ anthem “Rolex”, Nash is largely done exorcising relationship demons and ready to party. Radio Killa up-and-comer Casha is notable on the track, too, throwing in a nice little flow. OMD-influenced synth banger “Wish You Were Mine” is the record’s best example of why Nash’s production rivals many of his producer-performers contemporaries in rap and R&B (like Kanye, T-Pain, and Pharrell, who guests on the excellent, rock guitar-infused “This Shit Real Nigga”).

Nash, like Kanye, deserves praise for showing continual artistic and personal depth. Unlike Kanye, though, Nash doesn’t seem like he’s willing to fully own up to his shortcomings and take a full and deep-enough personal-via-lyrical inventory. It works against him on 1977, but the music, as usual, is on point.

In light of the recent VMAs, I’d like this to read like a bit of a cheesy award acceptance speech. “We’ve gotta keep this ship afloat somehow, folks. And were it not for the great music rolling in constantly, that wouldn’t be a possibility. So I’d like to thank the music industry on the whole. And I’d be totally ungrateful if I didn’t thank my friend and partner in crime, Jeremy Larson. Thank you.”

-Winston Robbins
Senior Staff Writer

Ben Folds Five – “Tell Me What I Did”

Ben Folds Five: the OG band, the true sound from way back. Alt-piano-rock actually sounds good with this much fire under its ass, even if those pitch-shift synth lines sound straight out of a Reggie and the Full Effect song. Of note: This song was actually written by bassist Five bassist Robert Sledge and was slated to appear on the now scrapped fifth Ben Folds Five LP. This version was recorded by the original Ben Folds Five earlier in June for placement on Ben Folds’ huge look-back,  The Best Imitation Of Myself: A Retrospective. Listen to the memories here.  -Jeremy D. Larson

DJ Shadow – “Warning Call (Feat. Tom Vek)”

 
If DJ Shadow’s forthcoming is half as awesome in real life as it is on paper, we’re in for quite an album. We’ve already heard tracks that feature Talib Kweli, De La Soul’s Posdnuos, and Afrikan Boy, and they were quite palatable. This one’s a bit of a paradigm shift (with eerie vocals straight out of a darker side of the 80s compliments of Tom Vek), but it’s just as good, and another great sign for the upcoming album.  -Winston Robbins

Terius Nash (The-Dream) – “Used To Be”

Terrius Nash, or The-Dream, is putting the “b” back in subtle. With the influx of heady, atmospheric R&B that’s been released 2011, this is the otherside of the coin. Alongside heaping portions of melodrama and scene chewing, Nash hits us a vulgar hook that boils down girl problems to its bare essentials. 1977 is a triumphant addition to the fruitful bounty of R&B 2011 has offered, but this track is equal parts emotion and humor and is infinitely enjoyable. -Jeremy D. Larson

Terius Nash (The-Dream) — “Used To Be”

Dum Dum Girls – “Bedroom Eyes”

Go ahead, tell that special someone, “I need your bedroom eyes” and see if that doesn’t garner you more affection than you’ve had in months. Unless their stoned, then everyone kind of has bedroom eyes. On topic: Only In Dreams is shaping up to be something far beyond the summery sounds of their EP. The power of Dee Dee’s voice steals the spotlight just enough to draw focus but not steal the show, and suddenly even a bubbly summer skip-a-long like this is rich with emotion. -Jeremy D. Larson

Dum Dum Girls – “Bedroom Eyes”

Purity Ring – “Belispeak”

Above the imported UK electro bass and a bastard cousin of a dirty south drum loop, Megan James sings to a grandma with a violent current flowing under her lyrics. The song wraps around the ears, and it would be unnerving or even calming if it wasn’t so crunk. The multi-layer cake of styles offers the same fantastic dilemma that we had with Sleigh Bells last year: How exactly do we want to move and react to this? I can tell you that my hands are up. -Jeremy D. Larson

Purity Ring – “Belispeak”

Röyksopp – “Shores of Easy”

What a joy it is to write about an mp3 just for the sake of being an mp3. All too often I find myself almost writing advertisements for upcoming EPs and full lengths, but Röyksopp has given me a breather. Not anything from a future release, “Shores of Easy” is 14 minutes of calming electronic bliss, and is probably my favorite mp3 of the week.  -Winston Robbins

Röyksopp – “Shores of Easy”

Supreme Cuts – “Fools”

SuperCuts: $12 haircut Supreme Cuts: $1,000,000 haircut.  This really is some high end sound, here, like you don’t want to dance or you’ll get dirt all over it. Futuristc sterile beats fly under vocal samples in a series of sections that build off each other’s ideas until the peak at the end, where its stately elgance never goes Full Climax, but inches just enough toward satisfaction that you have to admire its restraint. Also, dope artwork. -Jeremy D. Larson

Surfer Blood – “Miranda”

Surfer Blood dropped one of the best albums of 2010 and has mostly been on tour since, but that doesn’t mean they haven’t got time to drop a couple more tunes on you. This October will see the release of Tarot Classics, an EP from one of our favorite-to-be sophomores. Spoiler alert: “Miranda” is every bit as good as anything on Astro Coast.   -Winston Robbins

thenewno2 – “Live A Lie (Feat. Regina Spektor)”

You didn’t think we would? Come on, we’re named after something the gal something once said. Plus it’s George Harrison’s kid. Double bias. The big, bold track is ripe and further proof that Dhani Harrison is no joke.  -Winston Robbins

thenwno2 feat. Regina Spektor – “Live A Lie”

Wavves – “I Wanna Meet Dave Grohl

Not just a cleverly (and logically) titled song, “I Wanna Meet Dave Grohl” is one of Wavves’ best efforts to date and shows nothing but progress in the coming future the San Diego punk rockers. I’d bet dollars to dimes the forthcoming EP, Life Sux, is just as satisfying. -Winston Robbins

Wavves – “I Wanna Meet Dave Grohl”

Right on schedule, the R&B crooner born, and temporarily known as Terius Nash (you may know him as The-Dream) has released his new studio album, 1977. The 11-track effort, which preempts his long-delayed LP The Love, IV: Diary of a Madman, is available as a free download at his official website. We have the lead track, “Wake Me When It’s Over”, streaming below; the tracklist is after that.

“Wake Me When It’s Over”

1977 Tracklist:
01. Wake Me When It’s Over
02. Used To Be
03. Long Gone
04. Ghetto (feat. Big Sean)
05. Wedding Crasher
06. Rolex (feat. Casha)
07. Silly (introducing Casha)
08. 1977 (Miss You Still)
09. Wish You Were Mine
10. This Shit Real Nigga (feat. Pharrell)
11. Form of Flattery

“I love the way you smell but you’re always on some bullshit,” sings R&B crooner The-Dream on the new track, “Wake Me When It’s Over”. The latest offering from his upcoming album 1977, the self-proclaimed “Love King” attempts to “bite the bullet” for her love but must come to terms with a botched-relationship in which he was made out to be the bad guy. “I look like the devil but you wearing the red dress, holding the shovel,” he adds. But like Dylan’s “Idiot Wind” or any great post-break up song, the love-machine does not simply point the finger in one direction. “Now I’m feelin’ crazy and foolish. I hate that I’m impatient. Damn, we look so stupid.” Indeed, The-Dream. Indeed.

The 11-track 1977 is set to hit the web tomorrow (August 30th) under The-Dream’s real name, Terius Nash. Head on over to The-Dream’s website for more information on the album including lyrics for all eleven songs.

1977 Tracklist:
01. Wake Me When It’s Over
02. Used To Be
03. Long Gone
04. Ghetto (feat. Big Sean)
05. Wedding Crasher
06. Rolex (feat. Casha)
07. Silly (introducing Casha)
08. 1977 (Miss You Still)
09. Wish You Were Mine
10. This Shit Real Nigga (feat. Pharrell)
11. Form of Flattery

With The-Dream’s dream of a new LP being held up by “contract negotiations,” the auto-tuned soulster born Terius Nash is gearing up for the free release of a new mixtape titled Terius Nash Est. 1977. Ahead of its scheduled August 30th release, Nash has offered our first taste of the 10-track effort with “The Murderer”.

According to Nash, “The Murderer” was inspired by the upcoming film Columbiana, which explains why he packaged the track with visuals from the film’s trailer. As he noted on Twitter, “Hopefully the power of music Opens the Door of Original Music Together with Films Again.” Or, someone can just introduce this guy to Trent Reznor.

A good lover must be sensitive, open, and giving. And if there’s anything R&B singer The-Dream is, it’s a booty-rockin’ love machine. So, just before he lays the world down by the fire with The Love, IV: Diary of a Madman later this year (the album was originally slated for release in September), The-Dream will tease us, squeeze us, and hopefully please us later this month with a 10-track free album entitled, Terius Nash Est. 1977 (via Rap-Up.com).

To be released under his real name (that’d be Terius Nash), the record is said to be “very personal and to [his] Fans!” Two songs from The-Dream surfaced back in June in the form of  “Body Work” and “Fuck My Brains Out”, but no word yet on which of the two releases they will appear on. The singer also clarified that the release date for Diary changed due to “contract negotiations” but will be out by the fourth quarter of 2011.

Terius Nash Est. 1977 is scheduled to hit the Web on August 31st. According to Dream’s recent tweets, his label, Def Jam, is attempting to block the album’s release for as-yet undisclosed reasons. As always, stay tuned for more on both albums as they’re announced.

The sheer volume of music disseminated every week always freezes me in my tracks, like, deer-in-the-headlights anxiety and over-stimulus. Twitter feeds roll, emails pile up, and that stray text from a friend saying “did you hear that new [...] track? duuuuuude…”  Full transparency: this new feature is partially a therapeutic compartmentalization tool for myself and Winston Robbins here, as we try to find the tracks that demand to be invested in, that excite and invent, that stick and delight, and most importantly, bring some outstanding tracks that got our attention this week directly into your ear brains.

Without further ado, and in no particular order, here is the first installment of our Top 10 mp3s of the week.

Active Child  - “Playing House” (feat. How To Dress Well)

Pat Grossi, under the recording alias Active Child, has supreme vocal prowess, and here is no deviation from the norm. And couple that with the uncharacteristically assured tones of Tom Krell, under the recording alias of How To Dress Well, and it’s another reason we’re excited about white dudes who listened to more r&b than most growing up.

Male Bonding – “Bones”

British fuzz punks are back with a new album coming out, and its first noise is four chords for six-and-a-half minutes of fifth gear, first rate music. That lazy guitar line that seeps in at the three minute mark is something special and it only gets better from there on out.

G-Side – “I’m Sorry” (feat. P.H.)

Dirty south gets a fresh paint job with G-Side. He claims he’s not ATL, and it shows, as the Alabama rapper exhibits an earnest flow and markedly more atmospheric production. “Smart gangster,” he says, and we say it, too.

Beiruit – “East Harlem”

“And sound of your breath in the cold,” Zach Condon sings, amid down-stroked guitars and chamber-pop orchestration, “And oh, the sound will bring me back home again.” Beirut is back.

Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks – “Senator”

It sounds like he’s just having fun, tossing off acerbic lyrics, reveling in alt-pop, and saying “blowjob” a whole bunch. It’s a great thing.

Stephen Malkmaus and the Jicks - "Senator"

Pretty Lights – “Pretty Lights v. Radiohead vs. Nirvana vs. Nine Inch Nails”

Pretty Lights is appearing basically everywhere this summer/fall, especially in the festival circuit. Thus, you should get to know him. And what better way than with a dubstep mash-up (using both terms very loosely) which includes samples of three songs already inducted into rock and roll’s canon: Radiohead’s “Everything In Its Right Place”, Nirvana’s “All Apologies”, and Nine Inch Nails “Closer”.

Pretty Lights vs Radiohead vs Nirvana vs NIN

Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground – “World’s Entire”

The first showing from their sophomore effort Introducing Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground, “World’s Entire” is a track fraught with bright landscapes (and an immensely catchy chorus) just in time for summer. Truly, Kay Kay live in a blissful world of baroque pop all their own.

Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground - "World's Entire"

The-Dream – “Body Work/F*** My Brains Out”

Playful (and filthy) as the title may be, this epic nine minute jam by The-Dream is no joke. His high tenor rolls slowly over the “Body Work” portion of the track, and he pushes into the next realm of sexy (and filthy) with his vocals on the “Fuck My Brains Out” segment.

Jamie xx – “Far Nearer”

Jamie xx’s first solo track since remixing the late Gil Scott-Heron’s I’m New Here, is as promising as his work with his full-time project, The xx. ”Far Nearer” takes his signature dubstep into a realm of calypso and dreamy bass beats previously undiscovered that leaves one aching for more.

Kasabian – “Switchblade Smile”

And, so it is, Kasabian is back. But far more exciting (all due respect to Kasabian) is the resurgence of the somewhat solitary producer Dan The Automator, who provides the dark, borderline industrial beat that drives this gleefully ominous track. It’s the first taste of Kasabian’s forthcoming, Velociraptor!, set for release in September.

Thus concludes the first week of what we’re sure will be many. An eclectic week, as far as genres go; from Beirut’s sweet baroque brass to The Dream’s paradoxically debonair “F*** My Brains Out”, no base is left uncovered. As long as the ubiquitous mp3s keep pouring in, we’ll keep our ears to the ground and keep you up to date on what’s hot.

As Big Sean prepares to drop his first album, Finally Famous: The Album, we’ve already heard the Detroit MC share his thoughts on everything from how to properly party to his skills in the bedroom and even the peculiarities of karma. Now, though, on the eve of his grand debut comes Sean’s biggest test: a one-on-one collabo with mentor/G.O.O.D. Music head honcho Kanye West in the track “Marvin & Chardonnay”. The live cut comes courtesy of another of Ye’s oh-so-famous secret free shows in NYC last week. And, as its name implies, it’s a classy little number about sensuality and the art of making love to a woman. And if you believe that, we’ve got a bridge someone might be interested in buying. Update: You can now stream the the album version of the song below (via Rap Radar).

Along with the track, check out the album’s tracklist below (via Complex.com). The 12-track effort features production from the likes of No I.D. and The Neptunes, plus additional cameos from Lupe Fiasco, John Legend, Wiz Khalifa, Chiddy Bang, and The-Dream. And while it won’t make this LP, Sean has a collabo with Common and Nas he’s saving for album No. 2. He must have learned that from Ye: Always keep ‘em wanting more.

Finally Famous: The Album hits stores June 28th via G.O.O.D. Music/Def Jam.

Finally Famous: The Album Tracklist:
01. Intro
02. I Do It
03. My Last f. Chris Brown
04. Don’t Tell Me You Love Me
05. Wait For Me f. Lupe Fiasco
06. Marvin & Chardonnay ft. Kanye West & Roscoe Dash
07. Dance (A$$)
08. Get It (DT) ft. Pharrell
09. Memories pt.2 ft. John Legend
10. High ft. Wiz Khalifa & Chiddy Bang
11. Live This Life ft. The-Dream
12. So Much More

Ladies, the doctor is in: just days after announcing his upcoming album, R&B sanger/producer extraordinaire The-Dream is streaming two tracks from The Love, IV (Diary of a Mad Man) on his official site. Head there right now to check out “Body Work” and “Fuck My Brains Out” (or as we call them “Subtle” and “So blatant we need to take a shower afterward.”) Call The-Dream what you will, but he’s nothing if not direct.

The Love, IV (Diary of a Mad Man) is out September 20th via Radio Killa Records/Def Jam.

His 2009 sophomore album, Love vs. Money, inspired a plethora of artists (including Swedish pop duo, jj) to try on their best auto-tuned crooner voices, and his third solo effort, last year’s Love King, was one of 2010’s sleeper albums. Now Complex reports that after some intense speculation, his fourth LP, The Love, IV Diary of a Mad Man), will officially hit store shelves and hard drives on September 20th. That date also happens to be Nash’s birthday, and he recently told MTV News that he plans on asking for some high profile presents in the form of guest spots.

“This album is gonna have more features, which is unique for me, ‘cause I usually don’t carry a lot of features,” he said in February. “I’m gonna try and get everybody. Wayne, [Kanye], Jay-Z, Drake, Mary [J. Blige], anybody that I’ve worked with or [loaned] and hand to.” He’s also reportedly trying to get Dr. Dre to contribute and has promised that an R. Kelly-assisted track, “T.S.S.”, would be tickling our eardrums within the coming weeks. This is coming from a guy who said (in a song albeit) that his new album would drop on “6-7-20-11,” so just keep the fingers crossed. In the meantime, check out this year-old cover of Aaliyah’s “One In A Million” to hold you over.

Aaliyah – “One In A Million” (Cover by The-Dream)

As far as weeks go, Beyoncé probably has fairly stellar ones all the time. But this week in particular seems extra special. After dropping the epic video for “Run The World (Girls)” and being named one of the richest musicians in the game, Mrs. HOV capped it all of with a performance of her new single at the Billboard Music Awards last night.

Prior to her performance, a short clip aired that had music’s biggest names gushing over Beyoncé, including mad propage from Babyface, Bono, Barbara Streisand, Stevie Wonder, Lady Gaga, The-Dream, and many more. Proving she was worth every word, Beyoncé then knocked one out of the park with a dynamic, powerful outing. It’s no wonder mommy dearest Tina Knowles presented her with the Billboard Millennium Award afterward. We gave her our own award tonight as well: Pop queen of every known dimension.

4 hits stores June 28th via Columbia Records.

Despite the simplistic title, it does actually have meaning beyond this being her fourth solo LP. “We all have special numbers in our lives, and 4 is that for me,” she told Billboard. “It’s the day I was born. My mother’s birthday, and a lot of my friends’ birthdays, are on the fourth; April 4 is my wedding date.”

While there’s no word yet on a definitive release date (though it could be as early as June), the album’s rumored list of collaborators and producers is already reason enough to be excited. Along with production from Switch on the album’s lead single, the rumor mill was recently abuzz with talk of Sleigh Bells’ Derek E. Miller making a guest spot. Other rumored songwriters/producers include Jim Jonsin, Ne-Yo, The-Dream, and Frank Ocean (the OFWGKTA member, who wrote on his blog, “[Beyoncé's] singing my songs. If time were to stop right now, the past couple weeks would be near the top of the highlight reel for my short time on earth.”)

Beyoncé has also been getting in touch with the work of Afrobeat legend Fela Kuti, who inspired the singer-actress to open up creatively. “I recorded more than 60 songs: everything I ever wanted to try, I just did it. I started off being inspired by Fela Kuti,” Beyonce told Billboard. “I actually worked with the band from “Fela!” [the hit Broadway musical based on his life] for a couple of days…what I learned most from Fela was artistic freedom: he just felt the spirit.” Other sources of inspiration include Adele, Earth, Wind & Fire, Teena Marie, Florence and the Machine, and DeBarge

Meanwhile, Beyoncé will release the video for “Run the World (Girls)” on Friday at 12:01 a.m. EDT.

Moral of the story? There’s no time to give her hubby a haircut.

While the nearly four-minute track doesn’t stray too far from the version on Love vs. Money, Benon and Kastlander do manage to simultaneously keep The-Dream’s vocal melody intact while stripping the actual vocal of auto-tune and making the cut’s instrumentation hauntingly bare-boned. Kastlander sings the opening line “I fell in love/ with a real heartbreaker/there’s nothing I can do to shake her,” like she wrote it and she makes the pre-chorus into what amounts to the auditory equivalent to a trigger on an emotional teenager’s tear ducts.

The video is just as stripped down and melancholy and pretty much shows jj sitting in a living room and tooling around on an organ in slow-motion.  It’s all available for your viewing pleasure below.

The story goes that Jay-Z enticed Jay Electronica to sign with Roc Nation by sending him the following song in an email. With their deal now official, Jay Electronica has added his own verse to the track and thanks to Rap Radar, we can now check it out for ourselves below. And if you’re wondering, yes, that’s French singer/songwriter Charlotte Gainsbourg you hear near the end.

“Shiny Suit Theory” (feat. Jay-Z & The-Dream)

Though he has yet to release an official studio album, Electronica has gained a strong underground following thanks to the release of several well-received singles — stream the track “Exhibit C” below — and mixtapes. His resume also includes a tour with Nas and an appearance at the Bonnaroo Music Festival in 2010.

In recent months, there were rumors Electronica had signed to Kanye West’s G.O.O.D. Music label. It’s unclear what the rapper’s first endeavor will be as a member of Jay-Z’s Roc Nation, but we’ll surely keep you updated.

Update: Jay Electronica has just dropped a new track titled “The Announcement” and yes, it features a sampling of President John F. Kennedy.

“The Announcement” (feat. John F. Kennedy)

According to Rap-Up.com, we can expect to see guest spots from Eminem, Christina Aguilera, Kanye West, The-Dream, and Chris Brown, along with production from Dr. Luke and Jim Jonsin. The collabo with Brown, “Get Back Up”, which you can hear below, is expected to be the next single. And while there’s no tracklist yet, the album cover — featuring a very somber looking Tip — did recently surface.

Hmmm, wonder what he’s trying to say with that…

As always, stay tuned for more info and news as it’s announced. No Mercy hits stores December 7th via Atlantic Records.

This time, it’s official. As per his Twitter account, Kanye West has completed his new studio album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, and the tracklisting which follows is what will be heard when the album’s receives release on November 22nd. Everything else you need to know about West’s fifth LP can be found here.

My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
01. Dark Fantasy
02. Gorgeous (feat. Kid Cudi & Raekwon)
03. Power (feat. Dwele)
04. All of the Lights (Interlude)
05. All of the Lights (feat. Alicia Keys, Charlie Wilson, Elly Jackson, Elton John, Fergie, John Legend, Kid Cudi, Rihanna, Ryan Leslie, The-Dream & Tony Williams)
06. Monster (feat. Jay-Z, Rick Ross, Nicki Minaj & Bon Iver)
07. So Appalled (feat. Jay-Z, Pusha T, Cyhi Da Prynce, Swizz Beatz & RZA)
08. Devil in a New Dress (feat. Rick Ross)
09. Runaway (feat. Pusha T)
10. Hell of a Life
11. Blame Game (feat. John Legend)
12. Lost In The World
13. Who Will Survive In America
14. See Me Now (Bonus)

The Kanye West publicity train apocalypse continued Tuesday as the Chicago MC sat down with Ellen DeGeneres for his first television interview in more than a year. It wasn’t so much a discussion of his forthcoming album or any of his other current endeavors as it was a personal recounting of the Taylor Swift incident and the subsequent events that followed — you know, moving overseas for nearly a year. The pair also discussed Kanye’s teeth — the same ones that set off an airport metal detector over the weekend.

In much more exciting news, West is also using this week to screen premieres of his Runaway film in three different cities — Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York — before its worldwide premiere this Saturday at 8pm EST on MTV/VH1/BET. Last night was Los Angeles’ turn and like screenings’ past, West hosted a Q&A session shortly following. According to AP, the rapper revealed that the track “All The Lights” will serve as My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy‘s next single and will feature a star-studded list of contributing artists. Star-studded as in Elton John star-studded. And Rihanna and Alicia Keys, too. And Fergie. And Elly Jackson of La Roux, Kid Cudi, John Legend, The-Dream, Tony Williams, Charlie Wilson, and Ryan Leslie. So, yeah.

West didn’t say when “All The Lights” might see release, but it’ll probably happen before My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy hits stores on November 22nd via Def Jam.

Update: Kanye shared a 30-second teaser of Runaway on Ellen today. Video follows:

Tentatively titled Thank Me Later, Drake explained in a recent interview with Billboard that the album hasn’t come together quite as quickly due to a July knee injury and subsequent surgery. Since then, it’s been anything but the hip-hop life.

“Sitting at home in your apartment and having a doctor come over every day and eating healthy and going to the gym — there’s not much of a rap album to be made off that,” Drake said. “I have to get my inspiration and start seeing things and going to dinners and meeting people again and just finding stories to tell for this album. I’m trying to make something timeless”.

That effort includes releasing the album’s first “story,” a song entitled “Shut It Down”. Featuring The-Dream, Drake said the song is for the ladies and is to show them “…even though I’m up here and have the option to mingle with these ‘upper-echelon’ women, if you will, that sometimes I’d rather be with the girl from back home or a student or a girl that works at Wal-Mart”. Tre romantique.

As for guest spots, include the ever-popular aforementioned rap impresarios plus a few surprise guests which he promised will blow our collective minds. And in case you think he’s forgotten his roots, Drake says he’ll never leave the acting thing behind and even has dreams of doing a buddy pic with pal Jamie Foxx.

“Shut It Down” should be out in January. Thank Me Later is scheduled for February 2010.