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The controversial artist and political activist reveals the first song from his forthcoming album.

A leading contemporary artist known for his irreverent, politically-charged installations and sculptures, Ai Weiwei was also the victim of state oppression in China, where he was forcibly detained for over three months in 2011.

Earlier this year, Ai (and musician Zuoxiao Zuzhou) announced plans for an album, with songs that run the gamut from heavy metal to punk to pop. ‘Dumbass’ falls into the metal category, with a sludgy riff and a derisive, political message (“Stand on the frontline like a dumbass, in a country that puts out like a hooker,” according to an English translation).

Directed by Ai with cinematography by Christopher Doyle, the video dramatizes and then satirizes Ai’s imprisonment. Stark recreations of prison life quickly descend into images of sex dolls, lingerie-clad models, and several bits of eye-catching roll reversal.

Watch the video below; the song and video are available for download on Ai Weiwei’s website, as are the song’s lyrics. ‘Dumbass’ appears on The Divine Comedy, due out June 22.

Even before CHVRCHES turned the Game of Thrones theme into a slice of bedroom-born synth-pop, frontwoman Lauren Mayberry was churning out left-of-center covers like it was going out of style. Case in point: this rendition of Rage Against the Machine’s classic “Killing in the Name” alongside her pre-CHVRCHES outfit Blue Sky Archives.

Mayberry and company transformed the once angsty, riotous anthem into a sweet and delicate gem of jangly folk-pop, muting the rage while upping the sheer adorableness. (It’s about an 8.0 on the “Romantic Songwriter” meter). I double dare anyone not to absolutely swoon when she sings “Fuck you, I won’t do what you tell me.”

[soundcloud url="http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/93219397" params="" width=" 100%" height="166" iframe="true" /]

Photo by Heather Kaplan

West Londoner, Elliott Power,  shows he’s something of a complex character on debut track, ‘Sink/Swim’.

On the one hand we’ve got that sinister, Tricky-recalling vocal – a sort of clandestine threat, an assassins blade to the throat – while on the other we’ve got textured melodies; comprised of elastic popping synthesizers, muscular bass throbs and exotic hand percussion. Part trip-hop, part contemporary soul; it’s an intriguing amalgam and by the time we hit the smooth, RnB licked chorus, ’Sink/Swim’ is already bobbing away on the waves like a chest of 90′s encrusted lost treasure.

‘Sink/Swim’ is out 24 June via Marathon Artists, home to Jagwar Ma, Jamie Isaac and Childhood.

Imprisoned Pussy Riot member Maria Alekhina has declared a hunger strike after a Russian judge prohibited her from attending a parole hearing scheduled for today, according to Radio Free Europe.

Alekhina refused to take part in the hearing via video-link, saying it violated her rights. She also asked for the judge and prosecutor to be replaced.

A new hearing has been scheduled for tomorrow (May 23rd). However, Alekhina’s lawyer Irina Khrunova indicated that her client would not be participating.

Last year, Alekhina and fellow Pussy Riot members Yekaterina Samutsevich and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova were sentenced to two years in prison after being found guilty of

For the second night in a row last night, Tom Petty And the Heartbreakers gave the audience at Beacon Theatre what they’d been waiting for since the tour was announced last winter: well-oiled musicianship and an American Girl encore. The audience sang along, relieved that all that three-beer karaoke was finally paying off.

The sold-out show was part of the group’s summer tour through North America and a five-night run at the Beacon. The band plans to release a new album in 2014. Photos by Adela Loconte.

The post Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers @ Beacon Theatre: May 21, 2013 appeared first on CMJ.

The 17th Annual Webby Awards went down last night at Wall Street’s cavernous Cipriani’s. Hosted by Patton Oswalt, the ceremony featured a performance by Tanlines, who played their song “All Of Me,” as well as the presentation of awards to the previously-announced winners, including Frank Ocean and Grimes. Ocean was unable to attend, so he accepted via video while Grimes’s was given to her by a fawning Fred Armisen. Watch Tanlines’ performance and check out Ocean and Grimes accepting their awards below.

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by Fred Pessaro

The UV Race @ DbA, 5/21/2013

Annnnnnd all of a sudden it is disgusting outside. Australia's The UV Race played the soupy-hot Death By Audio last night (May 21) along with local support from Warthog (mem Nude Beach, ex-The Men), fellow Aussies Scott & Charlene's Wedding and local post-punks Household. The show saw the six-piece  punk team perform to a packed house radiating heat/humidity mostly due to dancing and bopping around to the band's insanely catchy tunes. Pictures of the former three (no Household, sorry) are in this post.

The show was part of UV Race's current US tour that has them in Brooklyn tonight screening their film Autonomy & Deliberation (but not performing) at Spectacle Theater. Meanwhile, Australia's Total Control (with whom they share members and are touring with outside NYC) play their first of two NYC shows at Mercury Lounge tonight (5/22) and tickets are still available.

More pictures from Death by Audio are below.

Continue reading "The UV Race played Death by Audio with Warthog, Scott & Charlene's Wedding, and Household (pics)" at brooklynvegan

Boards of Canada continue on in their own cryptic way. After announcing their first album in eight years, Tomorrow

The bizarre case takes an even crazier turn.

Last week, Memphis

Iceland's Ólafur Arnalds (again, not to be confused with Olof Arnalds) was last here in April, playing a trio of NYC shows to celebrate the release of his new album, For Now I Am Winter, which takes a classical composer view of pop. One of those shows was at Le Poisson Rouge with orchestration courtesy the LPR Ensemble. NPR filmed that show and you can watch the whole thing below.

Ólafur Arnalds is coming back to America this summer for a short tour that will bring him to select cities. That includes another NYC show: Glasslands on July 16 with opener Vio/Miré. Tickets to that show are on sale now. All tour dates are listed below.

Continue reading "Olafur Arnalds announces US tour dates ++ stream his LPR show from April" at brooklynvegan

Sometimes Chief Keef sings and it doesn’t really work out all too well. Other times, like Macaroni Times, it works really well, especially in the verses, spliced in with his drawl raps and menacing monotone. The beats real fun too, and the video is oddly English we reckon (small glass greenhouse you know?):