The Shins Announce New Album 'Heartworms,' Release Tour Dates and Second Single "Name For You"

Sometimes it's amazing to reflect on how abstract and seemingly random band names become unquestionably normal to us over the years. We give no second thought to Spoon being a music group first and a utensil second, and the oddly conflagrant face value of Arcade Fire is but a distant memory.

So too with The Shins, about as veteran an act as the indie circuit gets with any remaining relevance, can we take a moment to smile at their curious name with fresh eyes. "What's in a name?" is also the repeated question James Mercer asks in "Name For You," the second single from their finally announced fifth LP Heartworms.

Following "Dead Alive," "Name For You" is a sunny track dealing with labels and societal pressures on women today that does what Mercer does best; combining depth in meaning with a flawless pop exterior. There's still no release date, but the forthcoming record due out this year via Columbia now has cover art and some supporting tour dates, both of which you can find below after pressing play.

Pre-order HEARTWORMS: http://smarturl.it/Heartworms Follow The Shins: http://www.theshins.com http://www.facebook.com/theshins http://www.twitter.com/theshins http://www.instagram.com/theshins

Dirty Projectors' David Longstreth Is at His Most Isolated and Brooding on New Single "Little Bubble"

Following the biting first taste of new music from Dirty Projectors that was "Keep Your Name," David Longstreth has released a second single from his still unannounced forthcoming release.

"Little Bubble" explores R&B-leaning tones with gentle piano and violin instrumentation over lines as bare and dark as "I wanna sleep with no dreams / I want to be dead." Alternatingly introspective and aimed outwardly to, assumedly, former partner and bandmate Amber Coffman, Longstreth both deals in themes of isolation and continues to be the only musician credited on the tracks.

Somewhat less cerebral and glitchy than usual, "Little Bubble" has an apparently solo Longstreth at his most straightforwardly brooding, and while Dirty Projectors are keeping the details close to their chest so far, it seems safe to say there is more to come in 2017.

Dirty Projectors - Little Bubble (Official Video) Stream Little Bubble: http://smarturl.it/LittleBubbleStrm Download: http://smarturl.it/LittleBubbleDL Directors: David Longstreth & Adam Newport-Berra Production Co: Ways & Means Executive Producers: Jett Steiger & Lana Kim Producers: Rachel Nederveld & Sarah Winshall DP: Adam Newport-Berra Creative Consultant: Elon Rutberg Production Designer: Almitra Corey Editor: Sean Patrick Leonard Colorist: Kristopher Smale (MPC LA) Color Producer: Rebecca Boorsma (MPC LA) VFX: Stephen Pagano 1st AC: Sarah Lankford Drone Operator: Mike Bishop Hair & Makeup: Teresa Dorothea Production Assistant: Major Dorfman For more Info visit http://dirtyprojectors.net/ http://vevo.ly/p9aMdh

WHY? Announces New Album, 'Moh Lhean,' Drops Lead Single, "This Ole King"

Yoni Wolf and co. are back - WHY? will officially follow up 2012's Mumps, Etc. with forthcoming full-length, Moh Lhean, via Joyful Noise on March 3, 2017.

The first album recorded in Wolf's home studio since his 2003 debut, Oaklandazulasylum, and his first release since Testarossa, his side-project collaboration with Serengeti earlier this year, Moh Lhean looks set to be a forward-facing return to some familiarity.

The new record, co-produced by Wolf's brother Josiah, is introduced by lead single and opening track, "This Ole King." Filled with warm acoustic and xylophone melodies and vocal echoes, it's a lush track on the more organic side of WHY?'s instrumentation and delivery. "This ole king will be rising," Wolf sings with a somewhat uncharacteristically simple optimism. Thankfully the sentiment seems autobiographical.

Check out the the track and tour dates below. You can preorder Moh Lhean here.

From the album "Moh Lhean", released on Joyful Noise Recordings 3/3/17.

Sykoya Combines With RJ Pickens for an Enticing Remix Of "Shiver"

Chicago-based producer RJ Pickens has linked up with the London's vibrant indie pop act Sykoya for a remix of “Shiver," which originally appeared on Sykoya's Strange Night EP earlier this year.

The eerily beautiful vocals of frontwoman Anna Marcella blend excellently above the synth melodies and constant drum pulse while the electronic samples pair with their organic piano and bass to bring out a refreshing twist that makes “Shiver (RJ Pickens Radio Edit)” a track that you can dance to and also relax with at the same time.

RJ Pickens has been active in shaping Chicago’s dance scene with over 15 years of live DJ and production experience, during which he's supported Eric Prydz, Hernan Cattaneo, and Jody Wisternoff.

“Shiver (RJ Pickens Radio Edit)” is out today by Vested Recordings. Listen below.

Sylvan Esso Drops Glitchy Pop Single "Kick Jump Twist"

After releasing the single “Radio” a little over two months ago, the Durham, NC based duo Sylvan Esso has dropped another thumping, pop-oriented groove. "Kick Jump Twist," like "Radio," begins with vintage, even nostalgic, synthesizers and samples. The bleeps and bloops are emblematic of Atari 8-bit videogames, and it’s hard not to imagine lead singer, Amelia Meath, punching hovering brick blocks with shimmering gold coins popping out.

This plunky beginning, however, quickly combines with Nick Sanborn’s quintessential production. The song masterfully builds, and in comparison to their first record, the latest singles of Esso demonstrate an evolution in composition. Esso seems comfortable with not giving the full drop till much later in the song, creating more complex layers of synths, and playing rhythms off Meath’s voice.

As of yet, there no definitive date for a new LP, but one imagines that with these new singles the sophomore album isn’t far off. You can, however, buy the two tracks out right now as a 12’’ via Loma Vista/Concord/Caroline International.

Listen to "Kick Jump Twist" below, and read our interview with Nick Sanborn here.

The Shins Return at Their Most Playful and Spooky on New Music Video "Dead Alive"

It turns out The Shins are still alive after all... or sort of. While we may not be getting LP5 until some time next year after the release date was pushed back to secure a more favorable position on Coachella's lineup, Columbia Records threw fans a bone today with "Dead Alive," a new music video fronted by a skeleton James Mercer and some classic dream sequence trickery.

Appropriately spooky for the Halloween season, it's their first release since 2014's contribution to Zach Braff's Wish I Was Here, "So Now What," and signals a proper followup to 2012's Port of Morrow. There's some white in Mercer's beard now (!) but the indie mainstays still exude a youthful energy (and wear checkerboard vans) on the new single as they play around with various illusory effects and horror film tropes set to wistful melodies and glowing vocals.

Listen to STRFKR's Third 'Being No One, Going Nowhere' Single, "Open Your Eyes"

STRFKR implore you to "Open Your Eyes" with the steadily uplifting locomotion of their third Being No One, Going Nowhere single, and as always the pop masters are smooth enough to convince you to listen.

Following "Never Ever" and "Tape Machine," "Open Your Eyes"'s synth beats are catchy and consistent enough to carry us over to their fourth LP's release on November 4th via Polyvinyl.

"Who doesn't need another friend?" they ask. Dancing is always better together.

"Open Your Eyes" is taken from our new album, Being No One, Going Nowhere, out 11/4. Pre-order LP/CD/TAPE/DIGITAL: http://plyvnyl.co/beingnoone Pre-order on iTunes - http://smarturl.it/beingnoone Pre-order on Bandcamp - http://plyvnyl.co/beingnoone-BC Stream/download "Open Your Eyes" - https://STRFKR.lnk.to/open-your-eyes

Man Man's Honus Honus Releases New 'Use Your Delusion' Single, "Oh No!"

"Happiness is just an accident," sings Man Man / Mister Heavenly maverick Honus Honus on "Oh No!". Following "Heavy Jesus" and continuing the rollout of his "apocalyptic LA pop" solo record Use Your Delusion, the single is a classic example of sad sentiments stuck in a sunny song.

"Oh No!" combines such lines as "Your heart is bubble-wrapped in permanent depression" with a deft touch of sax, an almost reggae pulse, and some of Honus' most nimble, surfy guitarwork to date for a deceptively delightful package.

Honus explained to Consequence of Sound,

“[Producer King Cyrus King] wasn’t a fan of the song when I initially brought it to the table so it took a bit of convincing to get him onboard. It truly was a situation where when he first heard me demoing it out he went, ‘Oh no, not this song!’ The name was sort of born out of that moment even though the lyrics in the bridge already hinted at a title. Also, ‘Ono’ in this pronunciation is Hawaiian for delicious. Food for thought.

Going into this making this record I wanted to play around with different synth sounds, experiment with brighter, maybe even ‘cheesier’ tones that would draw a sharp contrast to some of the non-breezy lyrical content. I’ve always been a fan of juxtaposing opposing vibes and I love how the tune has a bouncy, summer feel but if you actually listen to what I’m singing, the sentiment is rather melancholy since it’s a song dealing with a breakup and post-breakup healing. But…if you’re someone who just hears the music and could care less about what the song is about, it’s a feel-good jammer and sounds even better when you pump up the volume! True story.”

You can preorder Use Your Delusion, the self-release of which has been pushed back to October 28, through the Pledge Music campaign.

Read our in-depth interview with Honus, in which we discuss his solo record and more, here.

Listen to Dear Blanca's Somber New Single "Some Hearts Never Heal"

South Carolina trio Dear Blanca, fresh off of previous release I Don't Mean to Dwell, two national tours (one of which included opening for Killer Mike and Bernie Sanders), and more, continues the roll-out for their forthcoming EP with the third single, "Some Hearts Never Heal." The track joins "Out Of View" on To Tell A Half-Truth, which is due out September 16 via Post-Echo.

"Some Hearts Never Heal" is a gritty, trembling take on lost love set to coursing guitar jabs and, later on, a layer of somber strings. Its aching lyrical laments of "a hopeless means to no end" were posthumously co-written by deceased family, adding to the depth of emotion.

Frontman Dylan Dickerson, whose vocals often flirt with a crossroads between The Walkmen, Neutral Milk Hotel, and The Decemberists, explained to Transverso,

“‘Some Hearts Never Heal’ focuses almost exclusively on the mental state of Scott Crane, the protagonist of this EP and late uncle of our bassist Cam Powell. His collection of poems and lyrics titled ‘Songs for Jeanette’ served as the source material for this record. This song is meant to portray the fragile condition of a man who is far too consumed with despair to see the good that is left in the world around him.

My earliest songwriting was heavily romantic and in recent years I have strayed away from that. When I got my hands on Crane’s book of poetry I quickly realized it was drenched in romanticism. Having to wrap my head around someone else’s romantic views while molding them into my own interpretation was a unique challenge. The result is what I would consider to be my proudest musical accomplishment.”

Dear Blanca "Some Hearts Never Heal" To Tell A Half-Truth (Pre-Order album here- http://bit.ly/2chblv8) (09/16/20160 http://Post-Echo.com http://DearBlanca.com Facebook- http://on.fb.me/1Pgyb1n Spotify- http://spoti.fi/29uuokY Bandcamp- http://bit.ly/1nfZFsD

Listen to Devon Welsh's Stunning Solo Single "Go Go"

We're still reeling a bit from Majical Cloudz's sudden breakup earlier this year, but former frontman Devon Welsh has been releasing more than enough solo material to patch the holes. Following his A+ debut "collection of songs," Down the Mountain, the brooding Montrealer released "Go Go" on his Bandcamp - an alternatingly languid and uplifting track that is lovely all the way through.

Laid over a delicate bed of synth drawl, "Go Go" sounds as if it's come from an adjacent planet in the same galaxy that spawned Beach House's "Norway," as Welsh's bold vocals wax dynamically over the space.

"If you hold the hand of God / Life's a problem love will solve," he groans. Listening to Welsh has always felt like doing just that.