…might just be the album of the year. So far.

I don’t consider myself a huge Portishead fan. I own Dummy and its follow-up and I enjoy them quite a lot but I’ve never been passionate about the band. I was not holding my breath for Third (in fact, I don’t think I ever really thought they’d ever release a third album) and I’m not one of the many who had been clamouring for Portishead news items over the past DECADE since their last recorded output.

Yet here I am, listening obsessively to the new Portishead album nearly every day (and it’s not exactly a cheery “everyday” type of record). The record is dark, even bleak at times. In fact, it sometimes makes me feel uneasy. The first single, Machine Gun, is jarring enough when considered on its own, but when it follows the beautiful, serene, ukulele-led Deep Water it becomes absolutely terrifying.

I love it.

Deep Water is itself a highlight. The very short song features backing vocals which sound as though they were recorded in 1928…it’s incredibly haunting. Stuck in the middle of the album, it also serves as a brief moment of respite from the pervading shadows that lurk all over the record. From the opening drum loop of Silence through the gorgeous Threads, Third does not stumble. In fact, against all odds, Third is Portishead’s best record.

If your favourite Massive Attack record is Mezzanine and your favourite Radiohead album is Kid A, then you are going to love Third. It’s dark, it’s fucked up, and it sounds best late at night on headphones when your mind is starting to wander off into the abyss.

The Rip

Machine Gun

It’s no secret that I love the Broken Social Scene. So I’m pretty excited at the prospect of the next record in the awkwardly-titled Broken Social Scene Presents… series and this time it is Brendan Canning’s turn. Canning has played in nearly every Canadian band over the last fifteen years so it’s about time he gets his own turn in the spotlight with a solo* record. The first taste of the record, Something For All of Us…, below.

Download
Brendan Canning - Hit the Wall

Not bad, I must say.

*If by solo you mean a record made with 25 of your friends (including most of the Broken Social Scene regulars, Stars-types, Jason Collett, and Liz from Land of Talk…amongst others).

You can hear/see Sigur Ros mastering a song from their new album in the clip below.

Click here.

It sounds beautiful.

The widget will be updated often with new clips of the band in the studio, so check back.

GOOD NEWS: Sigur Ros have announced Splendour sideshows in both Sydney and Melbourne.

BAD NEWS: Sydney people will have to see them at the friggin’ Hordern Pavilion. Who the hell thought this was a good idea? Sydney is a city filled with great theatres yet someone thought a vacuous shed would be a better place for Sigur Ros?

Regardless, hopefully we can hear some new stuff from that forthcoming, Flood-produced (!!!) album which should drop in the not too distant future.

Friday 1 August – Festival Hall, Melbourne
Saturday 2 August – Hordern Pavilion, Sydney

Tickets on sale May 23. From Ticketek I assume.

Just be thankful they are coming, just be thankful they are coming…

Download
Sigur Ros - Nýja lagið (live in Hamburg, 2000)

Radiohead played their second show on the first leg of their North American tour earlier today. The setlist was similarish to yesterday’s show but did feature Lucky, Pyramid Song, You and Whose Army?, The Tourist (!), and The Bends. Full setlist from the Ford Amphitheatre in Tampa, Florida.

Still no sign of the three singles off OK Computer. Has the EMI Best Of made them drop the hits?

So the official In Rainbows victory lap began tonight in West Palm Beach, Florida. The band took the stage in front of a large screen while Tibetan flags were draped over their gear. The band have rehearsed about 60 songs for the tour so expect them to mix it up quite a bit over the next few months.

Radiohead
West Palm Beach, Florida
May 5, 2008

Setlist
01 All I Need
02 Bodysnatchers
03 There There
04 Reckoner
05 The Gloaming
06 Morning Bell
07 Nude
08 How To Disappear Completely
09 15 Step
10 Weird Fishes/Arpeggi
11 Idioteque
12 Bulletproof…I Wish I Was
13 Where I End And You Begin
14 Airbag
15 Everything In Its Right Place
16 The National Anthem
17 Videotape
———
18 Optimistic
19 Just
20 Faust Arp
21 Exit Music (for a film)
22 Bangers + Mash
———
23 House of Cards
24 Street Spirit

Predictably, nearly the entirety of In Rainbows was played, as well as Bangers + Mash from CD2. Amnesiac was totally forgotten while Kid A was represented by over half the album. OK Computer and The Bends combined for 5 songs. Bulletproof was definitely a nice surprise…I’m pretty sure the last time that was played was in Japan in 2004 when a few of us requested it.

Download
Radiohead - Videotape (live at the BBC)

I’m sure a bootleg from tonight’s show will surface in a few hours.

UPDATE
Pitchfork have some great photos up.

The Slip

as a thank you to our fans for your continued support, we are giving away the new nine inch nails album one hundred percent free, exclusively via nin.com.

I’m not even much of a Nine Inch Nails fan, but this is pretty damn awesome. Kudos to Trent Reznor for pushing the Radiohead envelope even further.

Now is the record any good? Off to my email to check.

Download
Nine Inch Nails - 1,000,000

It’s been a long, long time since Spiritualized last released a record…five years, in fact. In that time Jason Pierce toured a bit, put out some stuff under his solo moniker (J. Spaceman), recorded a new album, and nearly died in hospital. So while the five year gap seems long to me, it surely seems even longer to Spaceman.

Later on this month, the new Spiritualized record, Songs in A&E (oh the puns!), will finally be released. Despite the fact that most of the record was written and recorded before Spaceman fell ill, the hospital theme is evident in not only the album’s title but also the album’s artwork. And, as always, the artwork for this Spiritualized record looks to be fantastic.

The Creative Review blog has a great article/interview with both Jason Pierce and sleeve designer Mark Farrow who has been reponsible for most of Spiritualized’s artwork. Medical packaging, hospital green and needles all feature in A&E. The needles below were inspired by Pierce’s stay in the hospital, a far cry from the “spike” of I Think I’m In Love.

The special edition of the album comes in a hard back book that I can’t wait to pick up. If you find yourself in the same position then you should know that this version of the album will not be released until mid-June, a few weeks after the conventional jewel-case version hits the shops. The vinyl lovers/SPZ collectors should also note that Rough Trade have a very limited green-vinyl edition of the album available for preorder. Only 500 are being made and at the moment there are only 27 left for preorder, so get on that. Pitchfork has all the details regarding editions and release dates.

The album’s first single, Soul On Fire is out now and the video is below.

And I will take any chance I have to post this song.

Download
Spiritualized - Shine A Light (unreleased mix)

You can also download last week’s Spiritualized performance at Coachella here. Now how about an Australian tour?

The Grates have been keeping a blog documenting the recording of their second record in Connecticut
You know how Radiohead make recording sound hellish? The Grates are pretty much the opposite.

Massive Attack album details continue to trickle in
If this thing actually gets released this year (they are going on tour!) then we’d have new records by Massive Attack, Portishead (and how amazing is Third?), and Tricky all in the same year. And that year is not 1998. Bizarre.

Brisbane Music Videos is a blog about Brisbane music videos
Is this a good time to mention I really didn’t like the Yves Klein Blue EP? Yes it is.

Deaf Indie Elephants has mp3s of Spiritualized’s Acoustic Mainlines performance at Coachella…
…as well as Portishead’s.
Both these bands need to come here this year. Please.

Pitchfork premiered the new Radio Dept. song
Download: The Radio Dept. - Freddie and the Trojan Horse
It’s really quite good.

While Stereogum have a new Sloan song from their forthcoming album, Parallel Play
Download: Sloan - I’m Not A Kid Anymore

And finally, the new Wolf Parade album leaked this week.
Dan > Spencer. And the album cover…oh my.

It looks like something a parent wouldn’t even stick on the fridge.

And I should have been at The Mess Hall tonight…but then I sat down. Lame.

I’m not sure when I first heard the name Santogold. It might have been on Rolling Stone’s Artists to Watch List for 2008. Maybe I heard she opened for Bjork in New York. Maybe I read Creator was on Grey’s Anatomy. Regardless, there has been much digital ink spilled all over the shop about this Philly/Brooklyn artist and her debut record is just coming out this week. Basically enough hype to make you never want to hear her music.

Fortunately, the record arrived in my mail box a couple weeks ago and I gave it a listen without really knowing what to expect as I assumed I had not heard anything by Santogold. Then L.E.S. Artistes started and I realized I could sing along…obviously the song had snuck into my brain somehow over the past few months without me knowing it. But now that I actually listened to it I realized that the song is really, really fucking awesome.

And it didn’t stop there.

You’ll Find A Way starts off sounding like The Police. I hate The Police but I did not hate You’ll Find A Way. Well played, Santi, well played. Shove It expands on the reggae influence of You’ll Find A Way by showing off Santogold’s love of dub while Say Aha kicks up the pace with a chorus you will be singing in a few months.

By the time Lights Out finished I was convinced I’d heard the best pop song of 2008. I still am. Hell, one song even made me think of Pixies (can you spot the Kim Deal-esque bassline?). The album closes with Anne, another highlight and a surprisingly mature ending to what is a pretty great album.

While Santogold’s debut is far from perfect (there are a few songs that scream “average”) it never stops being fun. I will be incredibly surprised if Santogold isn’t kinda huge before 2008 draws to a close.

Download
Santogold - Say Aha

Watch the video for L.E.S. Artistes:

And finally, according to the cover story in this week’s Brag, Santogold may be heading Australia’s way in July. Expect the kids do go apeshit.

Just before I took off to Victoria this week I had the extreme pleasure of seeing Die! Die! Die! at the Oxford Art Factory. I had trouble writing my review…it was just too hard to put into words. I also forgot to mention the supports (The Ripping Dylans and Talons). Thankfully, others in attendance did a much better job and some have photos that better explain the madness of the gig:

Polaroids
Twelve Major Chords
FasterLouder
Joe Hardy (who is all over this post)

Joe has also started a petition to bring Yeasayer to Australia…
…and he is also sorting out all the details of Gotye’s impending invasion of Europe…
…while Tim has the promo shot to prove this invasion will succeed.

On Wednesday the Splendour in the Grass lineup got announced. I’m not super thrilled with the lineup and won’t be heading up to Byron, but the thought that Sigur Ros may return to Sydney soon has me very, very excited.

And from a bit further afield, Conor Oberst will be releasing a solo album in August on Merge.

And OMG Spoon cover The Smiths’ Panic…

OK, I think that’s enough catching up. I took the photo above while we were gallivanting around Victoria…it’s a beautiful place.