Best MP3 Music

Filed under: News, New Music

Fresh off a massive 2009 behind '21st Century Breakdown' and the 'American Idiot' musical, Green Day revealed they're already working on new material. In an interview with Kerrang, frontman Billie Joe Armstrong said that the punk trio is in the early stages of working on the as-yet-untitled record.

"We did some demos in Berlin, some in Stockholm, some just outside of Glasgow and some in Amsterdam," Armstrong said. "We wanted get [the songs] down in some early form."

Filed under: Concerts and Tours, News

Straight-up rock bands have it easy at SXSW compared to a group like Fanfarlo, whose baroque chamber-pop sound requires a more exacting and time-consuming setup. Put the London-based band on a bill with similar acts and it was no surprise that they went on later than their scheduled start time Wednesday night. Also no surprise: it was worth the wait.

A sizable crowd had collected by the time Fanfarlo went on. The group played lush, lilting songs blending acoustic guitar, violin, trumpet, mandolin, glockenspiel, keyboards, bass, percussion and handclaps. Frontman Simon Balthazar shared vocals with his bandmates, yielding stunning harmonies from violinist Cathy Lucas on 'Harold T. Wilkins, or How to Wait a Very Long Time,' the latest single from Fanfarlo's debut LP, last year's 'Reservoir.'

Filed under: News, New Music

While U2 still hasn't released their promised follow-up to 'No Line on the Horizon,' the band has something to hold fans over, as they've released a new album of remixed tracks called 'Artificial Horizon.'

The triple-vinyl album features 13 songs remixed by some of today's top DJs and producers, including Influx, Justice and Hot Chip. Even Nine Inch Nails mastermind Trent Reznor makes an appearance with a new version of 'Vertigo.' The collector's set is similar to 1995's 'Melon: Remixes for Propaganda,' which was a fan club exclusive.

Filed under: Concerts and Tours

Canadian pop-punk rock heroes Sum 41 have been busy in the studio working on the band's forthcoming album, which frontman Deryck Whibley says is "a whole different animal" from anything they've ever done.

Before the band unveils their new music at SXSW, Whibley took some time to chat with Spinner about his love of Sinatra, his ex-wife and almost being killed in the Congo.


Describe your sound in your own words.

Cocky.

How did your band form?

We started in tenth grade in high-school, we were the only ones in school who really played any instruments. I hated everyone in my school and they hated me so I radiated towards the musicians... we became Sum 41.

Filed under: Concerts and Tours, News

Trust us -- you're going to be hearing a lot about Flying Lotus in the next several months. FlyLo capped off the Warp Records showcase by pulling out an unprecedented move: starting 10 minutes early, a SXSW record or miracle. But up close, you could tell he was excited to get going, as this was the first time he was debuting visuals to go along with his set, at least in the United States.

All we can say is do not look directly into the visuals if you experience any form of seizures. While FlyLo's forthcoming release 'Cosmogramma' showcases an intense layering of high and low-range sounds, his SXSW set honed more into the low ranges, with beats taken on a fast yet shifting tone throughout. At many points, while flashes of strippers and body parts and kaleidoscope style squares and rectangles showered viewers' eyes, Flying Lotus himself was simulating the part of mad scientist onstage, literally.

Filed under: Concerts and Tours, News

Das Racist, the New York hip-hop duo who broke out last summer with their infectious child-rap 'Combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell,' opened their stint at SXSW 2010 by telling the crowd that they were not Nas or Damian Marley, who were special surprise guests at the Fader Fort across town.

Instead, they claimed to be the Cool Kids, then Vivian Girls, then Dum Dum Girls and then Vampire Weekend. No one seemed to buy it. Also mentioned was a bit of trouble they ran into with the venue's staff who apparently didn't let them inside for 20 minutes. Das Racist had only one explanation for this: "they're racist."

Filed under: Concerts and Tours, News

On Wednesday night, the Scissor Sisters played their first show of 2010 at New York's Bowery Ballroom, and what a show it was. The electro-glam quintet pulled out all the stops, mixing new songs with older hits, as well as a cover of Pink Floyd's 'Comfortably Numb.'

With fans gawking at attendees Lou Reed and Alan Cumming, the highlight of the 15-song set was an appearance by Sandra Bernhard. The comedian, actress and musician helped out on vocals on 'Tits on the Radio' from the band's self-titled debut. Check out a highly-distorted video of the song after the jump.

Filed under: Concerts and Tours, News

Even a hurt leg isn't going to stop Nneka from performing at SXSW. "I wish I could dance," the Nigerian singer-songwriter reluctantly told the crowd at the Austin Day Stage before plunging into the song 'Kangpe,' complete with a scat solo from her bassist.

Nneka has already heralded countless comparisons to fellow alternative soul sisters Lauryn Hill and Erykah Badu for her ability to bridge neo-soul, reggae and hip-hop on her debut 'Concrete Jungle,' but with only a handful of US shows under her belt, she has yet to display her convictions -- rooted in the pangs and struggles of Africa -- live.

Filed under: Concerts and Tours, News, UK

Everyone's favourite whiskey-swigging, wart-faced rock 'n' rollers Motorhead have announced a plethora of UK dates in commemoration of their 35th anniversary.

Lemmy and his merry men will be bringing their infamously loud volume levels to venues across the country in November as part of their familiar end of the year trip around England, Scotland and Wales.

The three week jaunt begins up north in Aberdeen on Nov. 8 before closing down at the other end of the country in Brighton on Nov 28.

Filed under: Video, Exclusive

In anticipation of the release of 'I Speak Because I Can', the new LP from folk-pop singer-songwriter Laura Marling, fans can see a unique interactive video premiered here on Spinner.

Click on the objects bound for the suitcase to preview tracks from the forthcoming album, watch behind the scenes footage and the video for the first single, 'Devil's Spoke'. Certain objects will also reveal details on how to enter competitions to win tickets to an upcoming show and artwork signed by Marling. The exclusive film also acts as a prequel to the next single from 'I Speak Because I Can', entitled 'Rambling Man.'

Watch the exclusive interactive video after the jump.

Filed under: Concerts and Tours, News

You know what you don't see too often (and not nearly enough of) at SXSW? Smoke machines. Sure, the logistics of bringing them to several small bars that may or may not be actual venues is where the problem lies, but that didn't stop Oklahoma City's Stardeath and White Dwarfs from bringing the haze.

The killer flashing light contraption behind them which only raised the bar even more, but for those in attendance who knew Stardeath's origins, this made perfect sense, as three of the four band members spent years as roadies for the Flaming Lips and lead Stardeather (or Dwarf?) Dennis Coyne is the nephew of Lips frontman Wayne Coyne. So in a weird way, it would seem almost odd if they didn't bring a smoke machine to a tiny bar on Sixth Street and utilize it to its fullest and smokiest.

Filed under: Concerts and Tours, News

Although his band was running behind its scheduled start time Wednesday night, Choir of Young Believers singer and guitarist Jannis Noya Makrigiannis found a few moments for a quick tribute to Big Star co-founder Alex Chilton. Chilton died Wednesday of an apparent heart attack. He was 59.

Alone on stage at the Galaxy Room Backyard, Makrigiannis played and sang through a verse or two of Big Star's 'Thirteen,' so softly that few in the crowd seemed to realize what they were hearing. He made no mention of the song during his band's set of lush folk-pop tunes.

Filed under: R.I.P.

Alex Chilton of Big Star, who has died at the age of 59 in New Orleans, La. after suffering heart problems, left an indelible mark on pop music with a literate but accessible sensibility and a masterful_thumbnail.gift for songwriting.

Certainly he and Big Star never achieved the fame many of their songs deserved, but his legacy is assured due to the prestige he was held in by both his peers and critics alike. It is a testament to Big Star's critical and commercial revival in recent years that the reformed band were due to play SXSW this weekend (March. 20), and that a 98-track box-set, 'Keep An Eye On The Sky.' was released last year.

Chilton was born on Dec. 28, 1950 in Memphis, Tenn. into a musical family. He became lead singer of the Box Tops as a teenager in the '60s, who achieved worldwide acclaim on the back of hit single 'The Letter.' The Box Tops disbanded in 1970.

Filed under: Concerts and Tours, News, Exclusive

John O'Regan, aka Toronto one-man show Diamond Rings, has one thing in common with legendary basketball player Michael Jordan: they're both 6'6". One thing the two don't have in common: O' Regan doesn't shy away from lipstick and zebra-print spandex. No stranger to SXSW, last year O'Regan made an appearance at the Austin festival with his indie-rock band the D'Urbervilles. "It's lonely," he tells Spinner of doing it solo in 2010, "but there is less to carry."

With only a 7" single to his name, O'Regan exemplifies the promise of this festival. With no financial backing, his budget keeps things lo-fi, allowing for him to only perform with a purple electric Stratocaster -- borrowed from some pals also playing the fest -- as he flip-flops between a Yamaha keyboard and a laptop that holds his backing tracks. No-frills it is, but take his dry baritone, unique look and his no-shame approach to rocking out -- that included high kicks during his mellow numbers -- and O'Regan is one of the most promising acts SXSW has to offer. In layman's terms, he's a male version of Lady Gaga or David Bowie 2.0, for the glitter-loving generation that has Ke$ha's 'Tik-Tok' playing non-stop on the radio. O'Regan's mass appeal is that he's a bona fide musician that can craft a catchy song that grabs your attention just as easily sans make-up and with an acoustic set, which he plays Friday at SXSW.

Filed under: News, UK

Remember, kids, when you download illegally, it isn't just millionaire pop stars that you hurt.

According to a new study, up to 1.2 million jobs in the European Union could be lost thanks to music and entertainment piracy over the next five years.

The report, commissioned by the International Chamber of Commerce and backed by the EU and union the TUC, insists that some £218 billion of potential income for Europe's so-called creative industries may evaporate unless serious regulation occurs.

Filed under: Concerts and Tours, News

Malian musical duo Amadou and Mariam will kick off the 2010 FIFA World Cup, performing at the opening ceremony at Johannesburg's Orlando Stadium, which takes place on the eve of the first match on June 10.

Along with Amadou and Mariam, other acts performing at the ceremony include Alicia Keys, South Africa genre-melding quartet BLK JKS, Black Eyed Peas and Columbia's Shakira. What with it being the football world cup and everything, the event will also feature soccer stars past and present, but not musically, presumably. A larger celebration of African music is also a must, given that it's the first World Cup to be held in the continent.

Speaking about playing the opening ceremony, Amadou Bagayoko said, "As African artists we are proud to be invited to perform at the first World Cup to take place in Africa, and we are happy to be there to support all the African players."