Webcuts Music

Ahead of the release of their second album, Future This, The Big Pink have recorded a set of five songs as part of the 4AD Sessions series. Bringing to life the anthemic qualities of the new album, the session is a showcase of the unabashed step towards stadium dynamics the band have made on Future This, while also displaying the often-curveball influences that continue to underpin their best work. The session captures what makes The Big Pink such an intriguing band. Effortlessly moving between the outre sounds of the underground and their love for shameless pop hooks, the band display the full scale of their creative ambitions.

In September of this year, St. Vincent took a giant leap forward with the release of third album, Strange Mercy. This time out Annie Clark was to combine her long-celebrated musical virtuosity with ambitious songwriting that ran a gamut of emotional cadences, all the while underpinned by a colourful sense of melody. Recording these songs live for the first time, St. Vincent has performed four tracks from Strange Mercy for the tenth visual instalment in the 4AD Session series.

Electro-rockers The Big Pink follow up their 2009 debut, A Brief History of Love, with a new single “Stay Gold” taken from the forthcoming album Future This, due out November 7 with the album to follow in January on 4AD. You can download both the track and a remix by AraabMUZIK for free right here. [...]

Electro-rockers The Big Pink follow up their 2009 debut, A Brief History of Love, with the new single “Stay Gold” taken from the forthcoming album Future This, due out November 7 on 4AD. You can check out the clip for “Stay Gold” below as well as download both the track and a remix by AraabMUZIK. [...]

Over the past few years 4AD have been posting specially recorded studio performances from artists in their roster. They’re now releasing a compilation of those sessions, featuring tracks by Deerhunter, Twin Shadow and Ariel Pink, in a limited vinyl release. Download a free digital version here and possibly win a copy on vinyl.

Having reeled us in with the provocative teaser track “Surgeon”, we’ve now been given “Cruel” the first proper single taken from Strange Mercy, Annie Clark aka St. Vincent‘s third studio album due out September 12 on 4AD. Directed and produced by long-time collaborator Terri Timely, the video provides the perfect visual accompaniment to the sinister lyrical themes that cut through the song. Seeing Annie Clark situated in various stages of domestic anguish, the video evokes the off-kilter suburban ennui of The Stepford Wives, and is proof positive that Strange Mercy will be St. Vincent’s most memorable work yet. She’ll be touring the UK with a full band this autumn, starting November 10 at Queen Elizabeth Hall, London and finishing up on the 16th at Brudenell Social Club in Leeds.

It’s become tradition for Deerhunter fans to expect a new Atlas Sound album to follow a Deerhunter album. Given the success of Deerhunter’s Halcyon Days who could begrudge Bradford Cox not wanting to strike while the muse is still hot and prep an entirely new (ie: non-blog leaked) release? Due out on 4AD on November 8 will be the third Atlas Sound album entitled Parallax, the follow-up to 2008′s Logos. No word as yet if this is Bradford alone or with special guests. The website for Parallax offers scant details, bar a scrolling landscape and genre-defining the album as ‘Science Fiction’. Well, alright then.

With a brand new Throwing Muses album waiting in the wings, the 25th anniversary of their self-titled debut has arrived, with 4AD issuing the first ever compilation of the band’s work, simply entitled Anthology, on September 5. Compiled by the band, the first American act to sign to 4AD, the twenty-one track selection eschews most of the singles in favour of personal favourites, and enjoys a non-chronological sequence which makes for interesting juxtapositions and encourages a reassessment of the music. The initial release comes in a hardback book with a bonus CD of B-sides and rarities.

Can Bon Iver live up to expectation with his self-titled follow-up to the celebrated For Emma, Forever Ago?

Subtle and beautifully and unexpectedly intriguing is “Calgary”, the first single to be lifted from Bon Iver‘s long-awaited (and due any day now) follow-up to For Emma, Forever Ago out June 20 via 4AD. With a little surrendering of your digital details, you can download the track now from www.boniver.org. The physical format will be released on July 4 on 12″. Exclusive to this release will be a cover of Bonnie Raitt’s ‘I Can’t Make You Love Me’. Also confirmed is Bon Iver’s first UK tour dates since 2009. For the shows, Justin Vernon will perform with an 8-piece band that feature many musicians who contributed to the album, including regular Bon Iver contributors Sean Carey (piano), Mike Noyce (guitar) and Matt McCaughan (drums), as well as a well-travelled band of supporting players who’ve done time in Anthony & The Johnsons, Arcade Fire and Sufjan Stevens. The UK tour starts on October 19 at Manchester Apollo, with a show in London at the Hammersmith Apollo on October 24.