[Watch] Queens of the Stone Age on David Letterman

Last night, following the release of their mind numbingly good album, ...Like Clockwork, Queens of the Stone Age were the musical guest on the Late Show with David Letterman. This would be enough to feed many fans' hunger, however Homme and his merry men also performed a full live webcast as part of the Live on Letterman concert series. On the show they performed a ground shaking rendition of "My God Is The Sun" which you can catch at the top via *drum roll please* our very good friends over at The Audio Perv.

Below you can watch the entire concert too. Treat yourself. The weekend is only a day away.

[Watch] The Lonely Island - "Spell It Out" (Official Video)

The Lonely Island return with yet another installment of their #WackWednesdays with a track which on the surface is funny just in its delivery. Then "Spell It Out" takes a dark and perverted turn when you realise what Andy Samberg, AKA Lenny, is actually spelling out in his one minute long letter vomit. The video's above. The stuff he's spelling out is below. Lenny is gross.

They call me: dude that has sex with pigs for money but only as a side thing right now, I'm just short on cash and have irons in the fire but in this economy it'll have to do

my name is

LENNY!

[Watch] The xx - "Fiction" (Official Video)

At times music, for me anyway, can take me back to a time when I first heard it. Maybe even a time that I was listening and something significant in my life happened. A time when I was maybe doing absolutely nothing but I heard it and upon hearing it again that moment in time returns to the forefront of my mind once again. The xx's "Fiction" was playing last year while I sat reading George RR Martin's A Storm of Swords. Those of you with a television may have recently been watching HBO's Game of Thrones, which is based upon the Martin book series. Well last week's episode was what I was reading when I was listening to this song, and every time I hear it I'm thrown back into that blood filled room, open mouthed at what I'd just read. 

The video from The xx however is a far less bloody number and it features Oliver Sim walking around a lovely looking nighttime location. With a black and white aesthetic, it works wonderfully with the track. Check it out above. Also, fuck you Walder Frey.

[Watch] Sigur Rós - "Kveikur"

Sigur Rós have already given us a few tasters of what to expect on their upcoming album Kveikur, which apparently sees them taking a "more aggressive" direction. We've enjoyed "Brennisteinn" and "Ísjaki" tremendously in the months since March but today they give us the album's title number accompanied by the live visuals the band will use on tour.  Director Sarah Hopper chops together footage from the British Film Institute Archive at a rapid pace creating a mind melting visual which is sure to be a delight to see in a live setting. The track is just as aggressive as promised.

Kveikur is set for release on the 18th of June.

[Sasquatch! 2013] Recap: Day Four

Monday arrived, the final day of Sasquatch! 2013. Despite worsening weather conditions, the upbeat attitudes were still going strong. After a decent Friday and memorable performances on Saturday and Sunday, day four continued to impress. Seriously, who could complain with bands like CHVRCHES, Disclosure, Alt-J, Steve Aoki, Dirty Projectors, Toro Y Moi, P.O.S and The Postal Service? The final day proved a worthy close to the festival, solidifying the heartiness of attendees and the strong breadth of its lineup. It also revealed the downfalls of four days of continuous music and intoxicants. Read below for my take on the closing day of Sasquatch!.

Photo by Christopher Nelson.

We awoke on Monday morning to the sound of pattering rain on our tents, a disheartening thought but not enough to completely dampen our spirits. Pulling together all of our leftover breakfast food—mostly bacon and eggs—we enjoyed one last feast at The Gorge. There was little time for me to hang around in the campground, though, as I had media duties to attend to. With a joint in one hand and my iPod in the other I began my solo trek to the festival grounds, striding eagerly to the upbeat sounds of Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros' "Man on Fire."

A while later I emerged from the media area, fully satisfied with the people I'd met and the interviews I had. Stoned, I made my way to Honda Bigfoot where CHVRCHES were throwing down a dynamic set on a rain-covered stage. Immediately impressive was lead singer Lauren Mayberry, a petite woman with a voice much more grand than expected. Whereas other bands had audio problems at this stage, Mayberry had no problem ensuring her vocals were the center of attention. Amidst fantastic electro pop production, she was able to completely command the surprisingly large crowd before them. There was no better example of this than the band's hit single "Recover," which had the whole crowd dancing in their rain jackets and ponchos. It was only once Mayberry took a step back that CHVRCHES started to falter. For one song, producer Martin Doherty decided to give an attempt at singing, but it really fell flat. He was honestly not good. It got me thinking about the other members of P.O.S in the crowd. Photo by Christopher Nelson.the band: Why hadn't they told him that his singing voice was... well, shit? Thankfully, it only lasted one song, with Mayberry returning to the mic for a few last closing tracks. Overall, it was a surprisingly good set.

As the CHVRCHES crowd diffused, it made room for fans of Doomtree collective's P.O.S to rush to the front barriers. Stefon Alexander made his way on stage, greeted by a mass of cheering admirers and an increasing downpour. The rain tooks its toll on him, as he slipped on the wet stage and fell onto his side. He quickly returned to his feet, joking that it was entirely "intentional." But that didn't affect him at all, as he began tearing into his new album We Don't Even Live Here. For the majority of the set Alexander was right up against the barriers, grabbing the hands of an excited audience as his verses and flows spewed out. The set was made even more energetic by the beats underlying his raps, some grimey, electronic production that got people dancing their asses off at three in the afternoon.

P.O.S left us in a great mood, such that all we wanted to do was party. Realizing our campsite was stocked with plentiful alcohol and good food, we headed back for some R&R. With rain pouring overhead, we happily ate spaghettti and smoked weed until everyone succumbed to the toll of a weekend's worth of drinking and lack of sleep. Unfortunately, while passed out in my tent, I missed a few shows I wanted to see—Dirty Projectors, Death Grips, Toro Y Moi, Twin Shadow and Odesza—but hey, sometimes there are sacrifices we need to make. Especially for the sakes of our bodies.

With food in my stomach and alcohol sifting through my liver, I gathered our group and we all headed to the festival grounds for one last night of music and partying. We had a very direct goal, to go directly to the El Chupacabra tent to see Disclosure. My girlfriend and I are huge fans of these guys and missed them while they were in Vancouver, so seeing them at Sasquatch! was a definite priority. The El Chupacabra tent was packed, but we edged our way around the outside straight to the left side of the stage. After one hour of body-jacking electronica, I just wanted Guy and Lawrence Howard to DJ the rest of the festival. I mean, holy shit, these brothers can really manipulate a crowd. The excitement felt when they began playing "Latch" and "White Noise" was electric, and every song played saw one brother plucking basslines on his guitar while the other triggered claps and high hats on his drum kit. It was a subtle inclusion that added a lot to the overall experience of seeing these guys live. It also helped that every song they played was fantastic.

Exiting the sweaty confines of the Chupacabra tent, we heard Alt-J plucking the first note of their set at the not-too-distant Bigfoot stage. Rushing over, our group found a good spot on the right side of the stage, just outside of the tightly-packed masses. I'm hoping it was Alt-J. Photo by Matthew Lamb.just because of our spot—it was at around a 170° angle facing out from the stage—but the band suffered from similar problems to others who performed at Bigfoot. You could hear the versatile talent of vocalist Joe Newman, but his voice lacked the punch it needed and was often overshadowed by a drum kick or bassline. Perhaps for the stage to sound perfect you had to be facing it directly, but it was still disappointing for these sound issues to appear again and again over the course of the weekend. Small gripes aside, I was still enthusiastic to hear Alt-J perform. Relying solely on their debut album An Awesome Wave, each song played was met with cheers from a crowd anxious to hear their favorites. "Tesselate," "Breezeblocks," "Taro," "Fitzpleasure," and "Matilda" were all there, and they were all great. I can't help but imagine how fantastic these guys would sound playing at a mid-to-large-sized indoor venue. Guess I'll have to wait till their fall tour.

As Alt-J's set drew to a close, the sounds of Steve Aoki at the El Chupacabra tent took over. We meandered over, lifted up the side of the tent and crawled under. When we emerged, it was to the sight of Steve Aoki popping champagne bottles all over the crowd, an inflatable boat with a girl in it skimming the tops of the audience. It was a raging party, and props to Aoki for his undeniable talent at partying, but it really emphasized an issue I have with a lot of producers. So many of them are great at making music, at using production programs to remix and create fantastic beats. But, and this is a big but, they rarely have a clue of how to be a live performer. Sure, Steve can blast his electronic stylings and revel in the drunken crowds ready to consume, but he's not really doing anything. He's mostly pressing play, fiddling with knobs when the song is about to drop and then crowd-surfing on an inflatable boat. It's fun, yeah, but it's not impressive from an artistic standpoint. There's no talent in pressing play.

I wasn't about to dedicate the rest of my time at Sasquatch! to Steve Aoki, so I opted for The Postal Service instead. A much better choice, I think. It's been ten years since I got hooked on their lone album Give Up, but I never got the chance to see Ben Gibbard and Jimmy Tamborello (aka Dntel) live. I jumped on the opportunity this time around. With ten minutes to go until the band's set time, the main floor of the Sasquatch stage still offered pockets of space ready to be occupied. My friends and I found one with ample view of the stage and held our place. Applause was overwhelming as the newly reunited outfit took to the stage, comprised of a svelte Gibbard, an upbeat Tamborello and the beautiful Jenny Lewis (of Rilo Kiley).

They performed nearly all of Give Up's ten tracks, as well as a fantastic rendition of "A Tattered Line of String." I listened in excitement as Gibbard hopped on the drums for "This Place Is a Prison," or as Lewis and Gibbard exchanged playful looks as the sung a duet on "Nothing Better." The crowd's excitement elevated my elation, cheering wildly as "Brand New Colony" began with its echoing synthesizers or as "Clark Gable" shifts from soothing melodies to quick-tempoed synth pop. The sound during this show was simply outstanding, and each element—the bass, vocals, guitars, drums and synthesizers—came through crisp and clear. Even though the bass was loud it didn't take away from Gibbard's singing. It all resonated perfectly. Ten years later, I'm still a sucker for Gibbard and Tamborello.

The Postal Service. Photo by Matthew Lamb.Returning to Vancouver, we were exhausted, wet and hungover. Despite this, there was a definite sense of fulfillment. No matter how battered and bruised we were, we left The Gorge feeling more excited than when we arrived. All this thanks to so many incredible performances, (mostly) good weather, cheap alcohol and great friends. Sasquatch! 2013 was memorable in a lot ways, so many that it deserves a return visit. I will gladly return to The Gorge again soon.

By Adrian McCavour.

[Sasquatch! 2013] Recap: Day Three

Following a tired Friday and an outstanding Saturday at Sasquatch! 2013, Sunday kept the good vibes going. The sun continued to beam down, festival goers were in high spirits, and day three promised great things. The diverse lineup was really showcased this day, with such a great breadth of performers ready to get the Sasquatch crowds moving: Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros, El-P, Earl Sweatshirt, Mumford & Sons, Killer Mike, The Tallest Man On Earth, Dropkick Murphys, Grimes, Baths, Elvis Costello & The Imposters, Primus and many more were ready to provide a continuous barrage of fantastic music. Not everyone was in top form, though. Sound problems ran rampant and drugs rattled performers' abilities. Read below for my high points and low points of the third day at Sasquatch!.

Photo by Christopher Nelson.

Starting the day off right, my friends and I heartily devoured breakfast, ready for drinking and debauchery. Ladder golf was played, beers were consumed, marijuana was smoked, and we continued making new friends around the campgrounds as well as running into old ones. The overall sense of friendliness was really great, and everyone was eager to offer a thoughtful "Hello." This was only apparent in the campgrounds, though. Once you began the journey to the festival grounds, people became focused on two things: which bands they were going to see and where their immediate group was. I'll admit, that was the mindset I fell into. It became stressful if you lost your friends, but in the end the buddy system always proved reliable.

Katherine and I made our way to the media area around 1:30pm, ate some snacks, gathered ourselves and got ready for the day. She had one goal that day, to see Mumford & Sons. That was the one concert we decided we would see from start to finish. Mumford and co. wouldn't be on for another eight hours, though, so we headed to the main stage for our first show of the day, Danny Brown. We arrived a bit early, enoughDanny Brown. Photo by Matthew Lamb. to see the end of Youngblood Hawke's set. We heard their hit single "We Came Running," but I wasn't overly impressed. This band wasn't for me, I decided. Then came time for Mr. Brown. Meeting up with my friend Nathan, we headed into the crowd, easily finding a good spot in the crossover. We had some time to wait for Danny Brown's set, and Nathan relayed how impressed he was with Capital Cities' performance earlier that day. He wasn't the first person we heard that from.

Danny Brown started at 3:15pm, exactly when he supposed to. Good sign. Clearly, though, he was pretty fucked up. My observations proved right as he jokingly admitted he smoked "...some of the best weed I ever had..." just before performing his first song, and repeatedly telling us how fucked up he was throughout. But that's just Danny Brown, right? Sure, he's charming in his weird, high-as-fuck kind of way, but it became annoying when almost every song consisted of him harshly rapping into the mic to the point of it being incomprehensible. That, and he would often forget lyrics and start over or just switch songs entirely. These are mistakes that a goofy, stoner laugh doesn't make up for.

Thankfully, the bro'd out, trap-loving crowd of Danny Brown quickly cleared and made way for The Tallest Man On Earth. I had never seen Kristian Matsson live, but his alias immediately proved to be very ironic. A short, thin man, you would think his stage presence to be lacking. He swiftly pushed that thinking out of my head. His lone presence on stage, armed only with an acoustic guitar and the shoes on his feet, is very unassuming, but he completely owns that environment. His limbs stretched and he never seemed able to sit still, with every guitar pluck garnering a reaction in Matsson's face. What he lacks in size, he surely makes up for in emotion and animation. That, and the simple combination of his voice and his guitar is mindbogglingly good. His vocals boomed outward from the main stage, drawing in a massive crowd. It was humbling seeing his reactions to the crowd, who reacted to his music with such great enthusiasm. "I’m not high or drunk or anything but I know I stare at you guys from time to time just to make sure you like what I’m doing. I’m a little weird but I try to do good by you cause I am so grateful that this is my job," he said to his fans as his set drew to a close. Keep doing what you're doing Matsson.

The Sasquatch stage saw such a drastic turnover this day. One minute, it was Danny Brown. One hour later, it was The Tallest Man On Earth. As that crowd dispersed, it cleared room for the energetic, wild crowd of Dropkick Murphys. I'd only ever heard of these Boston boys through their hit single "I'm Shipping Up to Boston," but I was thoroughly impressed at how proud and passionate they are. It really comes through in their music. They kicked things off with "The Boys Are Back," and the energy never let down till the band left the stage. Apparently this was their first show together in quite some time, but that was never apparent. Banjos, bagpipes, guitars, drums, bass, piano and accordions assualted my eardrums for an hour straight, and when it finished on a cover of ACDC's "TNT" I couldn't help but raise my voice in cheering applause. The boys delivered one hell of a show.

Snaking through the departing Dropkic Murphys crowds, we planted ourselves in front of the main stage ready for what Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros had to offer. I've had friends see them live and come away disappointed, but that was nowhere close to the experience I had here. I'm stating this now, this was easily one of the best shows of the festival. The energy that Alexander Ebert and co. brought to the stage was infectious and spread throughout the surrounding masses immediately. They lit up The Gorge with "Man on Fire," causing the whole crowd to joyously and passionately sing along. "40 Day Dream" really highlighted the charm of this mismatch musical collective, as they crowded the stage, jumping and playing with vigor and joy. "Home" really brought it all together, though. Every person in the crowd was clapping along, pleased as all hell to be here at The Gorge with the people they love and enjoy. It was a genuinely special moment. What was truly special was the breaking of the "crowd-musician" barrier, as Ebert and vocalist Jade Castrinos made their way down to the crowd and handed the mic off to fans eager to tell their stories. "You just heard our story, it’s time to hear yours," he said. While some of these stories were laughably cheesy, others were truly touching. It was amazing to see the band extend beyond the stage and bring fans into the experience.

Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros. Photo by Christopher Nelson.

Following Edward Sharpe's fantastic performance, we were left with a good deal of free time and numerous options to choose from. We decided we would quickly stop by the Bigfoot stage to check out Earl Sweatshirt. I previously mentioned the sound problems at this stage, and it definitely took away from my enjoyment of his show. The beats laid out beneath Earl's voice were really good, but there were times where the bass was cranked up way too high. As well, Earl's raps were too often drowned out by the overpowering bass. It sounded like his mic levels just weren't high enough to match everything else. After hearing a few songs, we didn't bother sticking around. Annoyed by audio issues we made our way to a beer tent and forgot all about it.

With liquor fueling our bodies, our group took off to the Yeti stage to see Killer Mike. His sixth LP R.A.P. Music was one of my top hip-hop releases of last year, so it was great to finally get the chance to hear him in Killer Mike. Photo by Christopher Nelson.the flesh. I was expecting great hip-hop, but not to the degree that Mike delivered. He began his set by cooly stating, "Two things: first, I'm fat, get over it, and second, my doctor says that performing on stage is cardio." It was a charming and hilarious start to a great performance. For a man his size, he moves nimbly across the stage, dancing and pouring his heart out on stage. The ATL rapper tore through his newest album, delivering high-octane raps like "Go!" and "R.A.P. Music" and "Reagan." Raps aside, Mike made the most of his time on stage to show his appreciation to his fans. He humbly thanked us for our support, how he feels redeemed and thankful for everyone around him. It was emotional and truly grounding to hear his words, a moment that, for me, set Killer Mike above any other rapper I've ever seen live. He thanks us for our support but I thank him for his music.

Next up was Grimes. She performed at the Honda Bigfoot stage, and the sound issues were never more apparent than her set. We listened to two or three songs at the rear of the crowd and Claire Boucher's voice was nearly non-existant, struggling to seep through the overpowering presence of bass. Every other aspect—the basslines, the synthesizers, etc.—sounded good if not great, but her voice never managed to find a place above the instrumentation. I've seen her live before and she excels in smaller spaces and enclosed venues, but she just couldn't find her footing here. After the problems with Earl's set, it was pretty disappointing to hear them persist.

Leaving Grimes early had its benefits. It gave us plenty of time to catch up on some drinking as well as the chance to get to the main stage and secure a decent spot for Mumford & Sons. We carved a path towards the main floor in front of the stage, finding a spot on the right with a good view of the stage. As 11pm approached, the crowd grew larger by the minute. Cheers exploded as Marcus Mumford, Ben Lovett, Winston Marshall and Ted Dwane walked on stage but subsided as the band eased into the slow ballad "Lovers' Eyes." The calm didn't last for long, being completely replaced with roarous excitement as the band's hit single "I Will Wait" was ushered in by frantic banjo plucks. What is most apparent seeing these guys live is their unrelenting passion. Marcus Mumford tears apart his guitar with furious energy all the while his feet thump away peddles attached to a kick drum and a tambourine. Meanwhile, Lovett plays piano, Marshall's fingers pluck his banjo a mile a minute and Dwane drives the underlying bassline. On top of it all, every member raises their voice alongside Mumford, adding a great depth of harmony to every chorus line sung. It's truly impressive how energetic the four of them are, standing mere feet apart in front of thousands upon thousands of fans. "Little Lion Man," for instance, was a sight to behold, as every person in sight of stage was up on their feet dancing and cheering enthusiastically. The enthusiasm never left the amphitheatre. "Awake My Soul" was extended from four minutes to ten, with every voice in the crowd singing back to band to the point that it drowned out his own voice. That's what you get what when you cheekily ask, "Shall we have a sing-a-long now?," Marcus. Returning for an encore, the craziness continued to escalate. The band performed "Babel," the title track from their sophomore album. It was sheer excitement on stage and in the crowd. Excitement continued to build when they performed fan-favorite "The Cave," the second song that saw Marcus playing the drums. By the end of the song, everyone was in a state of euphoria, completely caught off guard by the arrival of Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros. The two bands, together in a moment of elation, delivered a loud, unexpected cover of Fleetwood Mac's classic song "The Chain." Holy crap, what an end it was.

Mumford & Sons. Photo by Christopher Nelson.

Day three ended on an incredible note, with Edward Sharpe and his Magnetic Zeros and Mumford and his Sons hightening the moods of thousands to an incredible high. There were a few disappointments throughout the day, but they were completely overshadowed by the plentiful awesome experiences that were had. What was most exciting was the diversity of these experiences, that at one moment I could be watching an amazing hip-hop show and the next be blown away by the energy of a group of Boston rockers. It really highlights what is so amazing about Sasquatch!, something that became even more apparent on the final day. The story concludes tomorrow with a recap of day four.

By Adrian McCavour.

[Watch] Flume Visualizes His Rise to Fame in the Video for "On Top"

Flume has risen quickly this past year, going from a lesser known producer to a formidable name in electronic music. His song "On Top," featuring T.Shirt, perfectly captures his rise to fame, and the video does a great job of visualizing it. It focuses on Flume performing live in front of thousands of hyped fans interspersed with vivid visual effects and a bright hologram of T.Shirt rapping. Check it out below.

[Listen] Hot Chip - "Dark & Stormy"

Hot Chip get dark and stormy with a new cut premiered on Zane Lowe's BBC Radio 1 programme. The official audio of "Dark & Stormy" has made its way online, and it is so, so good. It's always a great day when there's new Hot Chip, and this new cut is a tight, dance-ready jam. Unfortunately, it'll just be released as a lone single, so no new album or anything like that. Still, can't complain with new music.