photo by Moses Namkung (view set)
- New Beck songs! Well, new-ish. Back in 2011, Beck contributed two original pieces for the film soundtrack to D.J. Caruso’s thriller, I Am Number Four. Over the weekend, Caruso shared two of those songs online, which you can stream below. No definite news on the long-awaited follow-up to 2014’s Morning Phase; late last year, the New York Times shared a November release date for the still-untitled LP. [ Consequence of Sound ]
- Last night in Portland, Sleater-Kinney tore into a cover of the Credence Clearwater Revival classic “Fortunate Son,” backed by Colin Meloy of the Decemberists and Pearl Jam/Soundgarden drummer Matt Cameron. Watch fan-shot footage of the performance below. The star-studded line-up was for the benefit aptly-titled Hell No! at the Crystal Ballroom; all proceeds and ticketing fees will go to the ACLU and Unite Oregon. [ Spin ]
- The iconic Robyn Hitchcock continues to share new songs from his forthcoming 21st album, a self-titled LP out April 21st on Yep Roc. Earlier this month, we heard the track “I Want To Tell You About What I Want,” and below, you can stream the single “Mad Shelley’s Letterbox.” The album has a slew of guest vocalists, including Emma Swift (natch), Grant Lee Phillips, Gillian Welch, and Wilco’s Pat Sansone. Robyn will be LIVE on KEXP on Monday, May 1st at 9:30 AM PT. [ Under the Radar ]
- Jack White — the Willy Wonka of the music world — has opened Third Man Pressing, a new vinyl pressing plant in Detroit. And, you don’t need a golden ticket to see inside: you can watch this video below, which gives a tour of the eco-conscious state-of-the-art facility. The press is capable of crafting 5,000 records every 8 hours, and they’re offering their services to not just the Third Man Records label, but anyone: “customers off the street, whether it’s punk bands doing their first release, mid-level indie labels looking to get increased capacity due to back-logged vinyl turnaround times; Third Man Pressing really wants to be the plant for everybody.” [ Pitchfork ]