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Hit Singles

U of Soul Embraces Identity and Resilience in Latest Release “The Outsider”

San Francisco-based band U of Soul delivers a powerful message of self-discovery and perseverance with their newest single, “The Outsider.” Through classic vocals and a melodic, catchy chorus, “The Outsider” serves as more than just a song; it’s a poignant lesson in life. With lyrics urging listeners to remain strong and keep moving forward, U of Soul captures the essence of resilience amidst life’s challenges. The track explores themes of identity and belonging, portraying the journey of an individual navigating the complexities of existence. While the lead vocals narrate the tale of a solitary figure, the instrumental track sets a mood that is simultaneously hopeful and uplifting. “The Outsider” is a testament to U of Soul‘s musical prowess and their ability to craft authentic, soul-stirring performances. The band’s meticulous attention to detail is evident in every aspect of the song, from the tight, solid arrangement to the soulful lead vocals that channel deep emotions reminiscent of blues and jazz roots. Incorporating traditional band instruments like drums, bass, piano, and percussion, U of Soul infuses the song with rich layers of sound. Strings, Hammond B3 organ, guitar, synthesizers, and background vocals add depth and texture, creating a dynamic listening experience. Throughout… Read More →

News

Questlove defends Sexyy Red appearing on Roots Picnic 2024 line-up

Questlove has defended Sexyy Red appearing on the Roots Picnic 2024 line-up, saying “I’m still shocked yall got energy for ‘”oh hell no isms’.” The line-up for the annual Philadelphia music festival was revealed yesterday (February 20) and featured the likes of Lil Wayne, Jill Scott, Nas, André 3000 and more. The event will return to The Mann in Fairmount Park in Philadelphia, PA on June 1-2. ]The announcement of Sexyy Red’s appearance at this year’s edition of Roots Picnic was met with criticism due to her support for Trump as well as comments of her being “trashy”. Advertisement The Roots drummer took the time to respond to one of the hateful comments about Sexyy Red’s inclusion on the lineup, saying that he was “shocked” at the reactions. “Damn…..hell hath frozen over when I like a Mel post. There is always that one aft on the show everyone hates because it serves as a reminder the hip hop THEY like is from 30 years ago. I mean I get it it but look: we gotta round and balance the day out: there are other stages & podcasts and events to see,” Questlove wrote in the comments section (per Stereogum). He continued:… Read More →

Hit Singles

I’m New Here – Conchúr White

The term ‘dreampop’ is often used in these pages, but it seems to apply to Conchúr White’s work in a slightly different way to that of his ethereally inclined contemporaries. In the songs of his debut album Swirling Violets, dreams – surreal visions and imaginings of the afterlife – form a recurring theme, framed within beautifully soft-sung acoustic vignettes and chamber pop confections. TALKING HEADS ARE ON THE COVER OF THE NEW UNCUT – HAVE A COPY SENT STRAIGHT TO YOUR HOME “I got friends who died a thousand different times, strewn across the sky,” run the first words of opening track “The Holy Death”, luring us into a world of “surreal settings with tangible messages”, as he has previously put it. Northern Irishman White (his first name is pronounced “Conor”) has seen his profile grow over the past couple of years thanks to slots opening for the likes of John Grant, John Cale and The Magnetic Fields. Meanwhile, last year’s “Atonia” single, inspired by studies of sleep paralysis, proved an enticing precursor to Swirling Violets. Advertisement “I’ve long had an interest in filmmakers like David Lynch and stuff like Carl Jung’s The Red Book,” says White. “I spent a… Read More →

News

Check out this previously unreleased Avicii remix ‘Beautiful Drug’

A new Avicii remix has been released six years after his tragic death. READ MORE: Avicii – ‘TIM’ review Released on February 16, ‘Beautiful Drug’, was first written and released by the Zac Brown Band in 2015. Shortly after, Avicii – real name Tim Bergling – remixed the track that has sat “in the vault” for the past nine years. Zac Brown said on social media ahead of the track’s release: “Before Avicii’s passing, he and I worked together on a song called ‘Broken Arrows’. And in return, he promised to do a remix on one of my songs.” In 2015, @Avicii remixed “Beautiful Drug” from our Jekyll & Hyde album, and we’re finally releasing it from the vault this Friday, February 16th. Pre-save now: https://t.co/9fX7rhXXBI pic.twitter.com/5ZsSgAGnIY — Zac Brown Band (@zacbrownband) February 14, 2024 Advertisement Brown also said of the remix: “It’s very special to us.” Listen to the Avicii remix of Zac Brown Band’s ‘Beautiful Drug’ below. [embedded content] The Grammy-nominated DJ and producer died by suicide back in 2018. He was 28 years old. Avicii’s parents subsequently set up The Tim Bergling Foundation in his memory. The charity “focus[es] on supporting people and organisations working in the field of mental… Read More →

Hit Singles

Illie Vega’s Debut Single “Straight to It”: A Raw Narrative of Urban Realities

In the heart of New York City’s concrete jungle, Illie Vega emerges as a voice unapologetically rooted in the streets, delivering a gritty narrative through his debut single, “Straight to It.” Far from the glossy façade of mainstream hip-hop, Illie’s raw and unfiltered portrayal of urban realities offers listeners a compelling glimpse into his world. “Straight to It” isn’t just a song; it’s a sonic journey through the alleys and avenues of Illie’s hometown. With beats that pulsate like the rhythm of the city and lyrics that cut through the noise, Illie paints a vivid picture of life in the urban sprawl, where survival is a daily battle and resilience is a badge of honor. Drawing inspiration from the raw energy of his surroundings, Illie Vega’s music is a reflection of the struggles and triumphs of his community. Influenced by the likes of Central Cee, A Boogie, Russ, Gunna, Nas, Lil Wayne, and 50 Cent, Illie channels the storytelling prowess and wordplay mastery of his predecessors, infusing his own unique perspective into the mix. In “Straight to It,” Illie Vega confronts the harsh realities of street life with unflinching honesty, offering a voice to those who are often overlooked and… Read More →

News

The Mysterines share single ‘Stray’ and tell us about “unapologetic” new album ‘Afraid Of Tomorrows’

The Mysterines have announced their second album ‘Afraid Of Tomorrows’ and shared lead single ‘Stray’. Check it out below, along with an exclusive interview with singer Lia Metcalfe. Due for release June 7, ‘Afraid Of Tomorrows’ is the follow-up to 2022’s debut album ‘Reeling’ and follows on from a stint supporting Arctic Monkeys in UK stadiums last summer. “It’s almost feels like it would have made more sense if our albums were released the other way round,” Metcalfe told NME, with ‘Reeling’ focussing more on massive hooks and big singalongs while ‘Afraid Of Tomorrows’ sees the band leaning more on their psych, grunge and alternative influences. Advertisement “I prefer to create a more intimate connection with fans rather than blowing their heads off with a huge riff. That’s fun, but it’s not why I listen to music and we’ve really embraced that with ‘Afraid Of Tomorrows’.” She continued: “‘Afraid Of Tomorrows’ holds a lot of darkness and there’s more weight to it than ‘Reeling’, which was driven by character and narrative. I didn’t want to be so literal this time around. There’s a lot of fear and paranoia across the record, but it takes you on a journey to the title… Read More →

Hit Singles

Four Beatles biopics to be directed by Sam Mendes

Separate biopics of each of the four Beatles will be the directed by Sam Mendes. TALKING HEADS ARE ON THE COVER OF THE NEW UNCUT – HAVE A COPY SENT STRAIGHT TO YOUR HOME According to Mendes’ creative vision, the four feature films – one from each band member’s point-of-view – will intersect to tell the Fabs’ story. “I’m honoured to be telling the story of the greatest rock band of all time, and excited to challenge the notion of what constitutes a trip to the movies,” said Mendes. This is the first time Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and the families of John Lennon and George Harrison – have granted full life story and music rights for a scripted film. According to a statement, ‘the dating cadence of the films, the details of which will be shared closer to release, will be innovative and groundbreaking.’

Hit Singles

When Pirates Ruled The Waves

A misty November morning in 1964. Radio Caroline’s 21-year-old breakfast DJ Tony Blackburn awoke early in his cabin and wandered up on deck. The sight that greeted him was like a scene from Powell & Pressburger’s The Battle Of The River Plate. The thick sea mist slowly cleared, revealing a huge ship – twice the size of Caroline’s – anchored a fair distance away. Three-and-a-half miles off the coast of Essex, Caroline suddenly had company. TALKING HEADS ARE ON THE COVER OF THE NEW UNCUT – HAVE A COPY SENT STRAIGHT TO YOUR HOME The new arrival was the MV Galaxy, a 780-ton former WWII minesweeper. Now it was to be the home of Radio London (‘Big L’), an American-financed station that would give Caroline – the original UK pirate, launched seven months before – a serious run for its money. Radio London would play an all-day diet of the best ’60s pop (Beatles, Stones, Who, Kinks) as well as helping to ‘break’ many important bands of that decade, notably The Byrds, The Animals, The Small Faces, The Move and Cream. The Perfumed Garden, a show hosted by John Peel from March to August 1967, would earn a dedicated late-night… Read More →

Hit Singles

17-track Brian Eno compilation to accompany new doc

Gary Hustwit’s experimental “never the same twice” documentary about Brian Eno will get its UK premiere at London’s Barbican on April 20. TALKING HEADS ARE ON THE COVER OF THE NEW UNCUT – HAVE A COPY SENT STRAIGHT TO YOUR HOME The day before that, UMR will released an accompanying soundtrack album, featuring 17 Brian Eno tracks culled from throughout his career, including three previously unreleased recordings. Hear one of those, “Lighthouse #429”, below: You can pre-order the album on double black vinyl, double pink and blue vinyl or CD here. If you place an order by 4PM GMT on Wednesday (February 21), you will receive exclusive access to the ticket pre-sale for the Eno film premiere at the Barbican on April 20, including a live discussion with Brian Eno, Gary Hustwit and the film’s creative technologist Brendan Dawes. Watch a trailer for Eno below:

Hit Singles

Grandaddy – Blu Wav

The great gift of Grandaddy records has always been their ability to immerse the listener in a distinct musical landscape. The small-city drift of Under The Western Freeway, the humidity of 2000’s The Sophtware Slump. TALKING HEADS ARE ON THE COVER OF THE NEW UNCUT – HAVE A COPY SENT STRAIGHT TO YOUR HOME The band’s sixth studio album belongs to somewhere new again: in part rooted in Modesto, the California city where songwriter Jason Lytle was raised, and to where he returned in 2016, setting up a home studio. It belongs, too, to neighbouring Nevada, where in recent years Lytle has liked to take long desert drives. And in some way it is a record of Tennessee – on one of his roadtrips, Lytle having heard Patti Page’s 1950 recording “Tennessee Waltz” spilling out of the car radio, and wondering whether maybe heartbreak didn’t sound something like pedal steel. Advertisement Various heartbreaks run through Blu Wav. Not least the loss of long-term Grandaddy member Kevin Garcia, who died suddenly of a stroke in 2017. Garcia’s passing was the latest downswing in the life of a band that had often been unsettled, and was sometimes barely a band at all…. Read More →

Hit Singles

Brittany Howard – What Now

Following the release of their second album, Sound & Color, Alabama Shakes were slated to scale even greater heights than a US Number One album and four Grammy Awards. However, Brittany Howard had reached a crossroads. Her decision to step away in 2018 wasn’t a move against the band – “incredible” is how she described the Shakes’ achievements to Uncut – but rather towards creative and personal fulfilment. The wisdom of that move was borne out by Jaime, her 2019 solo debut, which landed as a tour de force of funk, jazzy R&B, soul and blues-edged rock, corralled into songs about everything from racism to a childhood crush on an older girl. TALKING HEADS ARE ON THE COVER OF THE NEW UNCUT – HAVE A COPY SENT STRAIGHT TO YOUR HOME If that stylistic departure both surprised and impressed, Howard has trumped it with the follow-up, a Jaime 2.0 likely to secure her status as an auteur in terms of both conception and execution. It’s a bigger, freer-thinking and more dynamically audacious record; one which uses lessons learned from her debut – chiefly, to forget any fear and trust herself – while uniting her disparate musical loves and, with long-term… Read More →

Hit Singles

Pearl Jam: “10 million records, that’s such a crazy number”

With news that Pearl Jam are releasing Dark Matter, their 12th studio album, on April 19, we dip back into the Uncut archives for this Album By Album feature from Take 109, from June 2006. Pearl Jam are, along with Mudhoney, grunge’s great survivors. Guitarist Stone Gossard and bassist Jeff Ament were in the Seattle genre’s first band, Green River, then Mother Love Bone, whose singer Andy Wood, in what would become a Seattle disease, fatally overdosed on heroin on the verge of success. But when charismatic, beautiful, tortured singer Eddie Vedder joined the pair in 1990, alongside co-guitarist Mike McCready and a succession of drummers (Soundgarden’s Matt Cameron took the seat with 2000’s Binaural), Pearl Jam swiftly became America’s biggest rock band. Sometimes sneered at in the UK for perceived self-pity, in the US Vedder’s sympathetic lyrics of teen sufferation made him a generational figurehead second only to Kurt Cobain. Later refusal to release singles, videos or even tour for a time shed millions of fans. But their albums have actually improved, seeing them bloom into a classic, morally concerned, spiritually questing American band. When Uncut visits them at their Seattle office, founders Gossard and Ament pair up, then… Read More →

Hit Singles

The Making Of “Bra” by Cymande

A key scene in new documentary Getting It Back: The Story Of Cymande shows how DJ Jazzy Jay used to cut between two turntables to extend the exuberant breakdown of “Bra”, sending a Bronx block party into raptures. It’s no surprise that the track became a foundation stone of hip-hop, sampled by Sugarhill Gang, Gang Starr and De La Soul, as well as on Raze’s early house hit “Jack The Groove”. TALKING HEADS ARE ON THE COVER OF THE NEW UNCUT – HAVE A COPY SENT STRAIGHT TO YOUR HOME [embedded content] Advertisement So who were the impossibly funky crew behind it? Surely they were from Harlem or New Orleans? Or maybe Kingston or Lagos? Nope. “Bra”’s co-writers Patrick Patterson and Steve Scipio grew up on the same street in Balham, south London, after their families emigrated to the UK from Guyana when they were kids. Coming of age in the late ’60s, they envisioned a band that would capture the spirit of the times – black pride, peace and love – while celebrating their Caribbean heritage. Their name came from a popular calypso about “a dove and pigeon fighting over a piece of pepper” – Cymande was the dove… Read More →

Hit Singles

Neil Young & Crazy Horse announce album and tour dates

The tour and FU##IN’ UP are both due in April Neil Young & Crazy Horse are back on tour in April and May this year, with an album called FU##IN’ UP due as well. TALKING HEADS ARE ON THE COVER OF THE NEW UNCUT – HAVE A COPY SENT STRAIGHT TO YOUR HOME Advertisement The 16-date Love Earth tour begins in San Diego. The line-up features Young, Ralph Molina and Billy Talbot with presumably Micah Nelson once again deputising for Nils Lofren, who’ll be fulfilling his E Street Band duties with Bruce Springsteen at that time. Wednesday, April 24 – San Diego, CA – Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air TheatreThursday, April 25 – San Diego, CA – Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air TheatreSaturday, April 27 – Phoenix, AZ – Talking Stick Resort AmphitheatreWednesday, May 01 – Austin, TX – Germania Insurance AmphitheaterThursday, May 02 – Dallas, TX – Dos Equis PavilionSunday, May 05 – Huntsville, AL – Orion AmphitheaterTuesday, May 07 – Atlanta, GA – Ameris Bank AmphitheatreWednesday, May 08 – Franklin, TN – FirstBank AmphitheaterSaturday, May 11 – Bristow, VA – Jiffy Lube LiveSunday, May 12 – Camden, NJ – Freedom Mortgage PavilionTuesday, May 14 – Queens, NY –… Read More →

Hit Singles

Nick Mason’s Saucerful Of Secrets annouce new tour dates

Set the controls! Nick Mason’s Saucerful Of Secrets will head out on a new UK tour later this year, including a show at London’s Royal Albert Hall. TALKING HEADS ARE ON THE COVER OF THE NEW UNCUT – HAVE A COPY SENT STRAIGHT TO YOUR HOME Advertisement This is the Saucers first UK tour since their May 2022 Echoes Tour. Since then, they have since played extensively through America and Europe. Their stop-off at the Royal Albert Hall is significant: The Pink Floyd first played there on December 12, 1966, as part of an Oxfam benefit evening. They subsequently returned to the venue in 1967, 1969 and 1970. Meanwhile, Nick Mason’s Saucerful Of Secrets made their Royal Albert Hall debut in 2022. Says Mason, “Six years ago when I got behind the drums again and we started playing the early Pink Floyd material, it was a real pleasure on so many levels. Many of the tracks had never actually been played live, so to have performed them all over the world has been something we’ve all enjoyed immensely. To get the opportunity to come back to the UK for another tour is something the band and I had been hoping we would be… Read More →

News

Indie-Pop Songstress Lavi Soars with Emotional Depths in “Got Me High”

In the ever-evolving soundscape of indie-pop, Canadian singer-songwriter Lavi emerges as a captivating force, blending introspection with raw emotion in her latest single, “Got Me High.” With roots tracing back to Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario, and now based near Toronto, Lavi infuses her Romanian-Canadian heritage into her music, creating a distinct cultural fusion that sets her apart in the industry. “Got Me High” is a poignant exploration of love’s complexities and the journey of self-discovery. Lavi‘s haunting chorus, repeating the lines “You hit me up high when I’m at my best, then you tear me down at my worst,” resonates deeply, reflecting the tumultuous nature of relationships. Throughout the track, Lavi‘s vocals exude vulnerability, echoing the introspective nature of her lyrics. Lines like “I just stopped thinking how I’m feeling, about you, I don’t know where I’m going, but I’m trying to be better,” encapsulate the inner conflicts experienced when navigating love amidst personal growth. Drawing from her diverse background, Lavi infuses “Got Me High” with a sonic tapestry that pays homage to her Romanian roots while embracing contemporary indie-pop sensibilities. Collaborating with producer NAWMS, the song strikes a delicate balance between melancholy and euphoria, mirroring the emotional depth of Lavi’s storytelling…. Read More →

Hit Singles

Inside this month’s free Uncut CD

Julia Holter, Phosphorescent, The Jesus And Mary Chain and more appear on our Real Live Wire compilation All copies of the March 2024 issue of Uncut come with a free, 15-track CD – Real Live Wire – that showcases the wealth of great new music on offer this month, from The Jesus And Mary Chain, Julia Holter and Phosphorescent to Rosali, Sam Lee and Dean McPhee. Now dive in… TALKING HEADS ARE ON THE COVER OF THE NEW UNCUT – HAVE A COPY SENT STRAIGHT TO YOUR HOME Advertisement 1 ROSALIRewindOn her fourth album, Bite Down, Rosali Middleman has created one of the first great LPs of 2024, a wildly inventive breakup record. Head to page 54, where we catch up with the singer-songwriter in her new home of North Carolina. 2 SHEER MAGMoonstruckAfter years on their own label, the Philly gang have signed to Third Man for their new album, Playing Favorites. As our lead review reveals, on page 22, it’s an eclectic, bounding journey of a record, with Tina Halladay in fine voice over the group’s garagey amalgamations of punk, country and disco. 3 THE HANGING STARSDisbelievingStraight from Edwyn Collins’ studio in the Highlands comes the latest from this London country group,… Read More →

News

NCT’s Ten to make solo debut self-titled mini-album next month

NCT member Ten has shared more details about his upcoming solo debut. Today (January 26) at midnight KST, NCT’s Ten announced the release date and new details for his forthcoming solo debut. Titled ‘TEN’, his first mini-album will be released on February 13 at 6pm KST. Released alongside the announcement was a teaser poster that seems to tease the lyrics of an upcoming song: “When the midnight comes / Pulling the strings / Beautiful monster royalty energy / I am yours” NCT TENThe 1st Mini Album ‘TEN’ 【TEN – The 1st Mini Album】➫ 2024.02.13 6PM (KST)#TEN #李永钦 #텐#NCT #WayV #威神V#TEN_TEN #NCT_TEN_TEN pic.twitter.com/7WYHbxSI4H — NCT (@NCTsmtown) January 25, 2024 Advertisement Ten has previously released several solo tracks, mainly through SM Entertainment’s SM Station project, the first being 2017’s ‘Dream in a Dream’. Other solo songs include ‘Paint Me Naked’ and ‘Birthday’. However, the upcoming record will mark his official solo debut. In support of the upcoming release, SM Entertainment previously announced that Ten will be going on his first ‘1001’ Asia fan-con tour. The tour will kick off on February 17 in Seoul, before heading to Bangkok, Hong Kong and Jakarta in the following months. Ten made his debut as a… Read More →

News

The Armed announce 2024 UK and European tour: “Let’s get messy”

The Armed have announced a 2024 UK and European tour which is set to begin this summer. READ MORE: The Armed – ‘Perfect Saviors’: complex and forward-thinking sonic shift The band will kick off their tour with a performance at Barcelona’s Primavera Sound Festival on May 30. From there, Tony Wolski and co. will make stops in Clermont Ferrand, Nimes, Milan, Lausanne, Hilvarenbeek, Paris, Lille, Leeds, London, Helsinki, Roskilde, Hamburg, Berlin, and Warsaw. The run of dates will wrap up on July 12 with their set at the Pohoda Festival in Slovakia. To announce the tour, the band took to their official X/Twitter account and shared the tour poster with the caption “Let’s get messy”. General ticket sale will commence this Friday, January 26 at 10am local time. Visit here for tickets and check out the full list of dates below. THE ARMED IN EUROPE. SUMMER 2024. Tickets for headliners go up for sale Friday at 10 am local. LET’S GET MESSY. pic.twitter.com/DN9WvV3Huv — The Armed (@thearmed) January 24, 2024 Advertisement The Armed 2024 UK and Europe tour dates are: MAY30 – Barcelona, Spain – Primavera Sound Festival JUNE1 – Clermont Ferrand, France – La Cooperative de Mai2 – Nimes, France… Read More →

News

Jay Weinberg announces return to live music after Slipknot firing

Former Slipknot drummer Jay Weinberg has announced his first show since being fired by the band late last year. Yesterday (January 24), Weinberg took to Instagram to announce that he will be back behind the drum kit with Infectious Grooves, a supergroup consisting of members of Suicidal Tendencies, Faith No More, and Metallica, for the band’s appearance at the Byron Bay, Australia festival, Bluesfest. Advertisement “I’m honoured and thrilled to head to Australia with the legendary Infectious Grooves for a special performance at Bluesfest,” wrote Weinberg in the caption, before suggesting that he had other projects yet to be announced: “Stay tuned for more.” The poster depicted in the Instagram post states “Australian Tour ’24”, suggesting that Weinberg may be joining the band for a full-length tour of the country. Infectious Grooves is a funk metal supergroup consisting of vocallist Mike Muir and guitarist Dean Pleasants of Suicidal Tendencies and Rob Trujillo of Metallica. Weinberg will be filling in for original drummer, Brooks Wackerman of Avenged Sevenfold, who will supposedly be unavailable to play the Bluesfest date. According to Bluesfest’s official website, Dave Kushner of Velvet Revolver will also fill in for one of the band’s guitarists, Jim Martin of… Read More →

News

Nintendo announces ‘The Legend Of Zelda’ orchestra concert

Nintendo has announced that it will be streaming both a Legend Of Zelda concert and a Splatoon concert next month. The concerts were originally supposed to take place at two different Nintendo Live events which were scheduled to take place on December 16-17 2023 and January 20-21 2024 respectively. However, the events were both cancelled due to “persistent threats targeting our employees”, with the announcement of the cancellation spotted by Eurogamer. In a translated version of the full statement by VGC, Nintendo explained their reasoning for the cancellation. Advertisement Splatoon 3. Credit: Nintendo. “Our company has been persistently receiving threatening behaviour targeting our staff. Recently, these threats have extended to the audience and staff of the Splatoon Koshien 2023 National Finals event as well. With consideration to the safety of our customers as a our top priority, we have decided to postpone the event,” the statement read. “Nintendo Live 2024 Tokyo has been cancelled due to the inability to ensure the safety of our customers.” As announced on X (formerly Twitter), the concert for The Legend Of Zelda franchise will be pre-recorded, and will be uploaded to the Nintendo YouTube channel on February 9. Meanwhile, the Splatoon 3 Deep Cut concert will take place on February 10, a… Read More →