photo by Bebe Labree Besch (view set)
- Earlier this year, Bryce and Aaron Dessner of The National curated the compilation Day of the Dead, a whopping 59 song, 5 and a ½ hour long tribute to the Grateful Dead. Today, NW-via-NZ band Unknown Mortal Orchestra share a video to go with their rendition of the 1978 track “Shakedown Street.” Directed by the Business Company, the clip is pretty appropriately weird. Watch below. Day of the Dead it out now via 4AD with proceeds going to benefit the Red Hot organization. [Pitchfork]
- Another cover to share comes from Katy Goodman of La Sera (and formerly, Vivian Girls) and Greta Morgan of Springtime Carnivore: hear their take on The Misfits’ “Where Eagles Dare” below. It’s part of the collection Take It, It’s Yours, an entire album of punk covers, out August 26th via Polyvinyl. [Pitchfork]
- Dinosaur Jr. just can’t stop with the clever music videos. Earlier this summer, they featured a skateboarding bulldog in the clip for “Tiny,” and today, we’ve got skateboarding humans in the video for “Goin Down.” Director Atiba Jefferson captures professional skateboarders Christian Hosoi and Harry Jumonji doing some tricks while the band members applaud politely. Then, a crowd shows up out of nowhere, and now it’s a concert… sorry, spoiler alert! The new album Give a Glimpse of What Yer Not is out now, and the band stop by The Showbox on Saturday, October 1st. [Under the Radar]
- As we get closer to the album release date, M.I.A. continues to tease out new tracks and information. Today, we get the track “Bird Song” produced by Blaqstarr, a mildly-irritating song with a kazoo-esque rhythm, the sound effect of wings flapping, and lyrics like “rich like an ostrich” and “I’m cuckoo for you.” Listen below. The new album AIM is out September 9th via Interscope. [Under the Radar]
