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Track List: June – The Sounds Of Summer
Welcome back to Track List, your monthly dose of 30 songs aimed to match the time of year, sequenced into a playlist for you to vibe out to however you see fit. Hopefully some names will be familiar, and hopefully some will give you a new discography to dive into. Drop me a line with some of your seasonal favorites and check back every month for a new playlist.
You can find the playlist on Spotify and Apple Music and read more about the selections below.
Madonna Tops the Billboard Charts
Madonna has the number one album in the country this week:
Madonna lands her ninth No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart as Madame X enters atop the tally. The set, released via Interscope Records on June 14, launches with 95,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the week ending June 20, according to Nielsen Music. Of that sum, 90,000 were in album sales.
Hot Chip – “Spell” Video
The Chain Gang of 1974 – “YDLMA”
The Chain Gang of 1974 has released the new song “YDLMA.”
Snail Mail Reissues Debut EP
Snail Mail has reissued her debut EP, Habit. It’s now up on Apple Music and Spotify and pre-orders for physical copies are now up.
The 1975 Still Working on New Album
The 1975 will be releasing new music before Reading, according to their manager:
“The record is coming together. We’ve had this recording studio tour bus on the American tour which has been great for productivity…The boys have been constantly working. I can’t say exactly when it will come, there are a few elements coming together, but we will be releasing music before Reading.”
He continued: “It feels like it will be a long record. Will it be a double album? I don’t know what that means any more, it’s definitely going to a long album but I can’t possibly commit to whether it will be a double album or not. That’s a decision that happens when everything is almost completed.
Manchester Orchestra Cover Frightened Rabbit
Manchester Orchestra have shared their cover of Frightened Rabbit’s “My Backwards Walk.”
Julien Baker Working on New Album
Julien Baker talked with Uproxx about working on a new album:
I’m working on a new record through the end of this year. I’ve been making demos with friends in town, and traveling to visit friends who have studios in other places, and just taking my time on a record because the last two records that I put out were made in under a week because that’s the only way that I knew how to make records. So now I’m trying to accrue songs in a very organic way, and just see where it goes. But I’m probably going to be finishing up a record at the end of this year.
Noah Gundersen – “Robin Williams” Video
Noah Gundersen has released a video for “Robin Williams.”
Spotify Says They Overpaid Songwriters and Publishers in 2018
Tim Ingham, writing at Music Business Worldwide:
Because of this additional complexity, Spotify has now calculated that, retrospectively, according to the CRB decision, many music publishers actually owe it money for 2018, due to an overpayment based on the prior rates. And guess what? It wants that money back.
Spotify told the publishers the news this week and, as you can imagine, these companies – already up in arms over Spotify’s CRB appeal – are fuming about it.
One senior figure in the music publishing industry told MBW: “Spotify is clawing back millions of dollars from publishers in the US based on the new CRB rates that favor the DSPs, while appealing the [wider CRB decision]. This puts some music publishers in a negative position. It’s unbelievable.”
Tegan and Sara Finish New Album
Tegan and Sara have completed their new album.
Prophets of Rage – “Made With Hate”
Prophets of Rage have shared the new song “Made With Hate.”
Avril Lavigne Announces New Tour
Avril Lavigne is heading out on tour.
Juliet Simms – “Bad Love” Video
Juliet Simms has released a video for “Bad Love.”
The Damned Things – “Something Good” Video
The Damned Things have released a video for “Something Good.”
Snail Mail Shares Simlish Version of “Pristine”
Snail Mail has shared a version of “Pristine” sung in
“simlish” for The Sims 4: Island Living.
Liner Notes (June 21st, 2019)
This week’s newsletter is brought to you by the immortal phrase, “I wish it were longer.”
A whole lot of music stuff to write about this week, including thoughts on the new Blink-182 single, the three-album drop from Dashboard Confessional, a bunch of new music, and my first impression of the new Banks album. Plus, I go through my regular media diet rundown, share a playlist of ten songs I loved last week, and write about some other stuff. This week’s supporter Q&A post can be found here.
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Isaiah Dominguez Releases New Song “When I’m Gone”
In an era where so many bands are creating their 1975 sound-alike records, Isaiah Dominguez has found a way to marry an ambient, 80’s inspired ballad, with a modern alternative twist. His new single, “When I’m Gone,” gives listeners a ballad rife with lush chorus driven guitars while still staying true to himself. Describing the process, Isaiah said, “It was really important for me to sound like myself, no matter how much this track wanted to deviate to the ‘Spotify sound’.” The single was mixed by Rian Dawson (All Time Low/Track Happy Studios), and released on Evergreen Noise Records today. The song comes from the full-length album due out next week. The single’s pulsing bass line and ethereal instrumentals makes it an ideal late-night, mood-setting tune.
Stream the song on Apple Music, Spotify, or Google Play.
Valencia Share Two New Songs
Valencia have released “California” and “RX” on streaming platforms.
Review: Baroness – Gold & Grey
In just around four months, it’ll be ten years since Baroness released their breakthrough second album Blue. A critical darling through and through, the twelve-track album explored a sound beyond metal that few if any bands could match – then and now. Over the course of their sixteen-year career, Baroness have transcended multiple styles ranging from sludge to proggy psychedelics while maintaining the aggressive sincerity that’s attracted so many passionate fans. Never a band to rest on its laurels, the Savannah, Georgia quartet once again look to reinvent their sound and re-contextualize what a metal record can be with their boldest and most triumphant effort yet – Gold & Grey.