It’s the week of Blur! The brit-pop heroes are reissuing special editions of their classic albums Think Tank, 13, Parklife, The Great Escape, and debut Blur, but of course, there’s a ton of other excellent music just waiting to be heard: dance-pop crooner Conor Maynard’s full-length hits Rdio this week, as do new EPs from eclectic hip-hop duo Blackalicious and former Red Hot Chili Pepper John Frusciante.
Want even more? Check our playlist notes, sample this week’s releases on the New Music Tuesday playlist, below, and find all of this week’s new albums in the Rdio New Releases.
Playlist Notes
Rick Ross - God Forgives, I Don’t
The Teflon Don’s new gangster opus is finally finished, including “Three Kings,” the track featuring him, Jay-Z, and Dr. Dre. Other guests include Drake, Usher, Andre 3000, and other hip-hop heavyweights.
Joss Stone - The Soul Sessions, Vol. 2
The British soul-pop chanteuse is releasing her second volume of soul standards, sung in her sultry alto. Perfect for a romantic evening, or a night of wine on the patio.
Yellowcard - “Here I Am Alive”
The Florida pop-punks are quickly following up their 2011 album with another batch of energetic beach music. First single “Here I Am Alive” is a bouncy, guitar-driven summer anthem, and it’s on Rdio now.
Mastodon/Feist - Split Single
Ever wondered what folk-pop singer Feist would sound like covering a song by prog-metal outfit Mastodon, and vice-versa? Find out on this intriguing split single.
Calexico - “Splitter”
The new single from the alt-country sextet is uplifting and grand, the perfect way to entice fans to check out their forthcoming seventh album, Algiers.
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Back in March, post-hardcore quartet The Used dropped their fifth album, Vulnerable at a special album release party at Los Angeles’ The Troubadour. Rdio was at the exclusive event, and now we’ve got a special souvenir: an Rdio-only recording of four songs from the evening’s setlist.
If you missed the show, here’s your chance to relive the sounds — the Rdio Presents Vulnerable Release Show EP is below.
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This week, future pop duo Purity Ring, spiky indie trio Eternal Summers, energetic guitar-wreckers Fang Island, metal troupe Slipknot, and comedian Todd Barry all have new albums, and Jennifer Lopez is releasing her greatest hits.
As always, there’s tons more: check our playlist notes and sample this week’s releases on the New Music Tuesday playlist, below, and find all of this week’s new albums in the New Releases.
Playlist Notes
The Antlers - Undersea
The Brooklyn indie rock act made their name with emotive, propulsive tracks that reached towering climaxes. Their latest EP finds them in a more introspective mood, happy to float along mesmerizing, synth-y passages with warbling melodies.
Passion Pit - Gossamer
Michael Angelakos’ electropop outfit hit it big with debut Manners, but its follow-up, Gossamer, is earmarked to be even bigger. Angelakos’ knack for pop hooks remains intact, but he’s put even more of himself into this one, meaning there’s more emotion infused into these dance-floor tunes than ever.
Rodriguez - Searching for Sugar Man
The psychedelic folk-rocker brings his guitar stylings and gravely voice to a soundtrack for the film Searching for Sugar Man.
The Gaslight Anthem - Handwritten
The Jersey band’s fourth album harkens back to their first — big, Springsteen-esque choruses and arrangements, and more punk leanings than folk.
The-Dream - “Dope Bitch”
The R&B auteur’s new track is a cruising, piano-led beat featuring his trademark mellifluous tenor.
Two Door Cinema Club - “Sleep Alone”
The Irish dance-y post-punk trio debuted “Sleep Alone” at last year’s Glastonbury, and now it’s available for your Rdio collection, in all it’s hi-hat tapping glory.
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South Carolina duo Shovels & Rope play a timeless, freewheelin’ brand of alt-folk that hearkens as far back as Johnny & June Cash and as modern as Jack White. Their first single, “Birmingham,” was a clattering, joyous affair, punctuated by harmonica and junkyard drums. Next week, the duo will release their debut full-length, O’ Be Joyful, but why wait? The album is on Rdio now, a week before the official release date.
The duo have also been busy putting together a playlist of their favorite songs. The 1-2 album-playlist punch is below.
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Personalize your playlist on Rdio with one of the most popular features from our last Hack Day: Custom Playlist Artwork.
Open one of your mixes and hover over the existing artwork at the top. Click on the pencil icon to upload your own image. Make sure the image is at least 72 dpi for the best results. For those with high resolution displays, upload a hi-res photo and prepare to see music in a whole new way.
Try out the new feature and enjoy designing your own playlist cover art.
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Today we're pleased to share the new Notifications feature on our web and desktop apps.
Simply click on the new bell icon in the upper right-hand corner to find out what notifications are waiting for you. The number next to the bell represents how many new notifications you have.
What will Notifications tell you?
- You have a new follower
- A song, album or playlist has been shared with you
- Your playlist has been subscribed to, reviewed or updated
- A Facebook or Twitter friend joined Rdio
Stay up to date with all your notifications in one place now on Rdio.
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Storming stages since 1985, Texan rockabilly outfit Reverend Horton Heat bring the energetic rockabilly maelstrom. Finally, someone had the good sense to document the experience — next week, the group will release 25 to Life: Live, a compilation of live tracks by the band.
But why wait? The album is on Rdio now, a week prior to its official release. Listen to their countrified bluster now.
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It’s a big week for new releases, so let’s get right to it: fuzzed-out party-rockers JEFF The Brotherhood, afro-pop outfit The Very Best, and Aussie singer-songwriter Missy Higgins all have new albums this week. Folkies The Be Good Tanyas are releasing a career retrospective, and avant-R&B crooner Frank Ocean is releasing his long-awaited studio debut.
For more, check our playlist notes and sample this week’s releases on the New Music Tuesday playlist, below. As usual, you can find all of this week’s new albums in New Releases.
Playlist Notes
Baroness - Yellow & Green
The progressive metal outfit has eschewed sheer volume in favor of pushing genre boundaries. Their latest, a double-album, is their biggest release yet, giving them plenty of room for further experimentation.
HELLYEAH - Band of Brothers
HELLYEAH is the hard-rock supergroup featuring members of Pantera, Mudvayne, Nothingface, Damageplan and Rebel Meets Rebel. Their third album is titled after their thunderous new single, which signals a darker sound for the band this time around.
Nas - Life Is Good
Unlike the rapper’s recent albums, Nas’ new one is concept-free, a back-to-basics collection of beats and slice-of-life storytelling.
Com Truise - In Decay
The chopped-up beat-maker follows up his 2011 breakout with another album of fractured, synth-heavy soundscapes.
Singles
This week brings new singles from a wide array of artists, all hinting at what’s next for them. The songs below provide a first taste for big bands close to revealing new full-lengths.
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Reggae veteran Jimmy Cliff has had an enviable career. The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer and Jamaican Order of Merit holder helped bring reggae to the popular consciousness in the early ‘70s and continues to make music to this day. His new album, Rebirth, is his first studio full-length since 2004. The album is produced by Rancid’s Tim Armstrong, with whom Cliff developed a healthy working relationship during the recording of this year’s Sacred Fire EP.
Rebirth is on Rdio now, along with an exclusive bonus track — a cover of Bob Dylan’s “A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall.”
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Whether it’s the experimental pop sprawl of Dirty Projectors’s new album, the solo work of System of a Down’s Serj Tankian, the dance-pop of Marina & the Diamonds, or the spacious indie rock of Deep Time, there’s plenty to sink your teeth into on this week’s New Music Tuesday playlist. For more, check out our playlist notes below, and browse all of this week’s New Releases.
Playlist Notes
Zac Brown Band - Uncaged
Brown himself has described his group's fifth album as “your basic country-Southern rock-bluegrass-reggae-jam record.” We couldn’t have put it any better ourselves.
Woody Guthrie - Woody At 100: The Woody Guthrie Centennial Collection
To celebrate the folk legend’s centenary, Smithsonian Folkways compiled his best-known songs, unreleased live performances, and some never-before-heard gems from the archives. His music is your music.
Twin Shadow - Fortune
Twin Shadow’s second album takes the same influences — David Bowie and ‘80s new-wave — and amplifies them. The result is an album as emotionally affecting as his first, but with added volume, speed, and bombast.
Band of Horses - “Knock Knock”
The Americana quintet embraced country twang and employed grandiose pop hooks on their last album. “Knock Knock” is the first look at the band’s fourth yet-unnamed album.
Iggy Pop - “Let’s Boot and Rally” (feat. Bethany Cosentino)
Iggy Pop and Best Coast singer Bethany Cosentino’s new song for True Blood is all propulsive guitars, drawling vocals, and maybe just a little bit of gasoline. Music lovers, start your engines.
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