[News] Biffy Clyro, System of a Down, Foals and Fall Out Boy Announced for Reading and Leeds Festival

Well isn't this a turn up for the books. Following them scoring their first ever number one album this past weekend with, Opposites, Biffy Clyro have just been announced as the second headliner this year at Reading and Leeds festival set to take part over the bank holiday weekend in August. Eminem has previously been announced to be headlining with Deftones, Boy Better Know, Alt-J and Subfocus also already being announced.

Along with the headliner slot beign announced, System of a Down, Foals, Bring Me The Horizon have been added to the slot. Last time SOAD played Leeds festival, the crowd went so nuts the barrier at the front collapsed. The bar is set pretty high, and I'll expect it to be just as crazy in the pits this time around some 8 years after their last set at the festival. Following the news of Fall Out Boy's return yesterday they too have been added to the weekend. Hundreds of more bands are yet to be added to the weekend including one more headliner of the main stage. We'll update you once they're announced.

For more info and to purchase tickets head over to the Reading/Leeds official site.

[News] Iron & Wine Announce New Album, Stream First Single

Iron & Wine, the moniker of Samuel Beam, has announced his fifth studio album Ghost on Ghost, his debut release with his new label Nonesuch Records. Due out on April 16th, the follow-up to 2011's Kiss Each Other Clean was produced by Brian Deck and will span 12 tracks. According to Beam, it is a departure from his previous albums, saying, "[t]his record felt like a reward to myself after the way I went about making the last few."

The album also sees Beam employing the help of a slew of talented folks, such as Rob Burger, Steve Bernstein, Brian Blade, Curtis Fowlkes, Tony Garnier, Marika Hughes, Briggan Kraus, Maxim Moston, Tony Scherr, Doug Wieselman, Kenny Wolleson, Anja Wood, and more.

For an initial sense of what Ghost on Ghost will sound like, Beam is streaming the first single titled "Lover's Revolution", a brass-heavy, jazz-infused number that sounds more carefree and improvisational than past efforts. Stream it below, where you can also find the tracklisting for the upcoming LP.

Ghost on Ghost Tracklist:
01. Caught in the Briars
02. The Desert Babbler
03. Joy
04. Low Light Buddy of Mine
05. Graces for Saints and Ramblers
06. Grass Windows
07. Singers and the Endless Song
08. Sundown (Back in the Briars)
09. Winter Prayers
10. New Mexico’s No Breeze
11. Lovers’ Revolution
12. Baby Center Stage

[News] Coachella 2013 Sells Out in 21 Hours

Just 21 hours after Coachella tickets became available to purchase, the Indio, CA festival has sold out. Announcing its official lineup just last week, passes for the festival went on sale yesterday at 1:00pm ET. This morning, at 9:40am ET, the Coachella Twitter account confirmed that the festival had sold out.

Coachella organizers have not disclosed how many passes were made available for sale, but nonetheless, it's an impressive feat. Although not as impressive as last year, which sold out in three hours. For those who were unable to get a pass and are still aching to go, Craigslist may be your best friend.

Coachella Festival takes place on two weekends, April 12th-14th and 19th-21st, in Indo, California.

What are everyone's reactions to this year's festival and its lineup? Do you even care? Let us know.

[News] The Strokes Announce New Album 'Comedown Machine', Set to Release on March 26th

The Strokes announce that their fifth studio album will be titled Comedown Machine, with a release date set for March 26th. Pre-orders for the album started today, so head here to ensure yourself a copy.

Our first taste of the album came in the form of "One Way Trigger", a falsetto-heavy track with a synth line reminiscent of A-Ha's "Take On Me". Another song, titled "All The Time", will be released on February 19th and will serve as the lead single for Comedown Machine. Stream "One Way Trigger" below, and farther down you can check out the band's b-movie-inspired lyric poster for the song.

[News] MGMT Announce New LP Tentatively Due in June

Spending the past year at producer Dave Fridmann's Tarbox Road Studios outside Buffalo, New York, MGMT have been hard at work on the follow-up to 2010's Congratulations. The duo, Andrew VanWyngarden and Ben Goldwasser, recently spoke to Rolling Stone, where they revealed a tentative June release date for their third album.

When speaking on their sophomore album, VanWyngarden said, "[p]eople thought we took too many drugs, which was not the case at all. We were less naive after Congratulations." The mentalities they adopted after making Congratulations continue this time around, as the pair are recording the whole album themselves without the help of a full band. VanWyngarden and Goldwasser are picking the best aspects of their freeform jam sessions, which have apparently been inspired by Aphex Twin and other house artists.

Stay tuned to hear the fruits of their labor, but as the pair admits they are "not trying to make music that everyone understands the first time they hear it."

[News] Surfer Blood Announces New Album, Drops Lead Single

Surfer Blood will follow up their debut album Astro Coast with a new LP set for release this summer. For a fresh taste of the sophomore effort, entitled Pythons, the band is streaming "Weird Shapes," the first single from the album. Frontman JP Pitts describes the song as "a left of center pop song about someone who is about to go through a manic episode." Continuing, he says, "[i]t's one of the most dynamic songs we've ever written."

After a couple of listens, the song is starting to grow on me. It's got a much cleaner sound then previous Surfer Blood releases, which works well, but my major issue is the real lack of the band's signature surf rock vibe. It seems a bit wasteful for them to toss aside a style that worked so well on their debut (not to mention it's in their name), but I'll hold back full judgment until they release more songs. For now, you can stream "Weird Shapes" below.

[News] Wavves Release New Track "Demon to Lean On", Detail New Album

Fuzzy surf pop ahoy. Nathan Williams' Wavves return with another new track and also detail new album to follow up 2010's King of the Beach. Titled Afraid of Heights it's set for release on March 26th and sounds pretty bleak in terms of content. Regarding the release Nathan said:

The general theme of the record is depression and anxiety, being death-obsessed and paranoid of impending doom. I feel like the narration is almost schizophrenic if you listen front to back; every word is important, even the constant contradictions and lack of self-worth. That’s all a part of this record-questioning everything not because I’m curious, but because I’m paranoid."

Sample "Demon To Lean On" below. It follows up the already teased "Sail To The Sun" and you can hear the darkness of the lyrics creeping through already. The LP is available for pre-order now, make the jump for the tracklisting and upcoming Wavves tour dates.

Afraid of Heights Tracklist:
01. Sail to the Sun
02. Demon to Lean On
03. Mystic
04. Lunge Forward
05. Dog
06. Afraid of Heights
07. Paranoid
08. Cop
09. Beat Me Up
10. Everyhting Is My Fault
11. That’s On Me
12. Gimme a Knife
13. I Can’t Dream
14. Hippies Is Punks (iTunes Bonus)

Wavves 2013 Tour Dates:
03/17 – Dallas, TX @ Prophet Bar *
03/19 – Tucson, AZ @ Club Congress *
03/20 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Echo *
03/21 – San Diego, CA @ The Casbah *
03/22 – San Francisco, CA @ Bottom Of The Hill *
03/23 – Santa Barbara, CA @ Velvet Jones *
03/27 – Denver, CO @ Larimer Lounge *
03/28 – Omaha, NE @ The Waiting Room Lounge *
03/29 – Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry *
03/30 – Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave Bar *
04/01 – Chicago, IL @ Subterranean *
04/02 – Columbus, OH @ The Basement *
04/03 – Cleveland Heights, OH @ Grog Shop *
04/04 – Detroit, MI @ Magic Stick *
04/05 – Toronto, ON @ Horseshoe Tavern *
04/06 – Montreal, QC @ La Sala Rossa *
04/08 – Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall *
04/09 – Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s *
04/11 – Brooklyn, NY @ Glasslands Gallery *
04/12 – Flushing, NY @ Shea Stadium *
04/13 – Washington, DC @ Rock and Roll Hotel *
04/15 – Atlanta, GA @ Drunken Unicorn *
04/16 – Nashville, TN @ Mercy Lounge *
04/18 – Houston, TX @ Fitzgerald’s *
04/20 – Phoenix, AZ @ The Crescent Ballroom *

* = w/ FIDLAR

[News] Beacons Festival Announces Initial Line-Up

We've just got a little excited for the Live at Leeds announcement and now Beacons Festival has added to the good vibes. The festival is set festival takes place in August on the 16th to 18th August, 2013 at the Funkirk Estate, Skipton. It's up in t'Yorkshire Dales. Hills and countryside as far as the eys can see. For details on the bands announced so far make the jump and head over to the official website for details regarding tickets and pricing. Grab them early and you'll save some pennies too, just so you know. 

Django Django, Theo Parrish , Eats Everything, David Rodigan Obe, Oneman, Floating Points, Ben Ufo, Moon Duo, Andres, Dutch Uncles, Bondax, Esben & The Witch, Bicep, Egyptian Hip Hop, Machine Drum, Channel One Sound System, Move D, Chad Valley, Jon K (hoya Hoya), Hookworms, Childhood, Temples, Drenge, Wolf Alice, Jaws and Thumpers.