Latest news with #BeautifulPeople
Forbes
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Sunday Conversation: The Black Keys Gear Up For A Big Year
HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 13: (L-R) Patrick Carney and Dan Auerbach at THE BLACK KEYS launch ... More of their new single 'Beautiful People' at Chateau Marmont's Bar Marmont on January 13, 2024 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by) Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney, also known as The Black Keys, are getting ready for a huge rest of 2025. The beloved alternative rock band hit the road for a major tour next Sunday (May 23) and they just announced their superb new album No Rain No Flowers, out August 8. Buoyed by the spirit of collaboration, the duo tell me that 20 years into their career they feel like they're making their best music. After collaborating with the likes of Beck and Oasis' Noel Gallagher on last year's underrated Ohio Players album, this time around they brought in industry heavyweights such as Rick Knowles, Desmond Child and Scott Storch. I spoke with Auerbach and Carney about their now iconic record hangs, the new album, collaboration and more. Steve Baltin: Congratulations on the new record. We really gravitated to the last song 'Neon Moon.' It's so different. Dan Auerbach: Thank you. We wrote that one with our buddy Daniel Tashian who lives in town and is one of the first people that Pat met here in town. But that one happened so quickly, we almost overlooked it. We've got our buddy Leon Michaels and Tommy Brennick playing on that track. We cut it live, and it was one take Baltin: Did you work with a lot of different people on this record again? Because when we talked last year you brought in a lot of new energy? Auerbach: Yeah, we continued that to a certain degree. I don't think we over did it, I think each song relied on maybe a couple key people. We find it really fun to do the collaborating. Like you said, there's an energy there and we really feed off of that. Baltin: You guys have both produced and worked with other people so much. You understand the spirit of collaboration. Auerbach: Absolutely, it's more fun for us. We really like it. Patrick Carney: What really was effective on this record was that we were really proud of the work we had just done on Ohio Players. And then we're aware, even though we felt this is one of our strongest albums what can happen if things aren't all completely lined up appropriately. We can only do so much on our side; the writing, the recording, the performing live, overseeing artwork, picking the band, rehearsing the band. And on top of that there are other pursuits that we have. We have families, Dan has a label, so when it comes to like the rollout of a record to see something fall flat for various reasons it adds a little bit of fire to us to just want to make more music. In this instance, for No Rain No Flowers, it started with the idea that the last album we'd worked with some heroes of ours like Noel Gallagher and Beck and we did a lot of material with those guys. I think for this one we wanted to do something similar, but we went right to the source. We're trying to look for some songwriters that have stuck around and been putting out good work for a long time. The guy that came to mind first was Dan suggested we check out Rick Knowles, who when Dan produced the Lana Del Rey record Ultraviolence, he had noticed that Rick was involved in quite a few of Lana's tracks and we reached out to Rick and like a week later he happened to be coming to Nashville for the first time in his 50-year career. He had never been here before and we happened to be like, 'Do you want to work?' He said 'Of course.' He came to the studio and within two days we had written four songs. It became a really fruitful collaboration and component of the album. One of the first songs we wrote was the title track 'No Rain No Flowers.' It was great to get in a room with this heavy-hitter songwriter, who was just there. The way that song started was Rick asked Dan, 'Do you have any song titles? I like to start with a song title.' Dan threw out the title, "No Rain No Flowers." Then from there, Rick's like, 'Well, how would you sing that?' So, in the space of nothing, Dan now has the title and the melody happening. And Rick then just helps us compose it. Auerbach: With chords that we never would have come up with on our own in a million years. But it was also very easy and quick. Baltin: At what point did you realize that these pairings you were doing for this album were really coming together? Auerbach: Instantly with Rick, I think we knew. It was very strong because it just started on such a high. And being in the studio with Scott and Desmond, we mentioned that we need some strings for this song because it has a Philly soul type of feel to it or something like that. And he gets us on FaceTime with Larry Gold, who did all the strings for the Philly Soul Records (laughs). It was incredible. It was multiple generations of music makers in the room FaceTiming, it was incredible. And the whole experience with the collaboration, what you end up hearing is us reacting to the person in the room. Carney: Yeah, I think when you're assembling these guys, like a guy like Scott, we didn't we didn't know him. So, we invited him to Nashville, and we spent five days with him just trying to feel him out and getting to understand what his real strengths were. So, by the time he came back we knew to pair him up with Desmond and pair him up with Daniel and jump off on this stuff. But I think that the cool thing that Dan and I realized is that if the core of the song is Dan and I then people can come in and we can work with them and it ends up still feeling like The Black Keys, cause we're only playing the stuff that we want to play and stuff we like cause we're editing the whole thing and pushing ideas through. So, it's like getting to filter your idea through someone else's brain and then getting someone else to sit there and show you like how they would approach it. Auerbach: It's such a thrill, honestly. And it makes it so exciting. Just knowing that every day when you walk into the studio, anything is possible. When I know that I'm about to walk into the studio with somebody like Scott, I'm excited, like it's Christmas. Carney: I feel like that just happens a lot for us. There's an interesting thing though, too, a lot of times bands, throughout history, would go work with a new producer and a new studio and all of a sudden the band would have a whole new sound, like every sonic element is now different. Whether it's like Nirvana, Nevermind to In Utero or something like that. Sometimes it's really fascinating and works and sometimes it doesn't work. I think what's fascinating about Dan and I is that we've recorded our stuff ourselves the entire time. So, there's this aesthetic change that happened over time as we've gotten different abilities or tastes, but it's all rooted in this kind of sonic template. So, as we bring in influences to songwriting and stuff, it's always going to sound like us. Baltin: Talk about your record hangs. Carney: We have definitely been heavily influenced also by spinning records collecting 45s and DJing playing records out and how crowds react to different records. I think it definitely opens our minds to sonic possibilities. Auerbach: That's been a huge thing, doing our record hangs, spinning our 45s, realizing what works. If you're playing something to somebody that they don't know then you're at a disadvantage. It's got to have all these components. And the records that work in that context are records that have an economy of space where it just hits in. There's this great intro. There's a verse. There's maybe a solo section. There are these things. Well, no matter it's a real formula, but what it is is that it never drags. And when it does drag, the whole room drags down and you see it. And so that was like a nightmare when that happens. And you're spinning records, but you can't make every song like that. That doesn't apply to 'Neon Moon.' 'Neon Moon' is not one of those songs. That's a go for a nighttime drive type of song or something. But 'Baby Girl' for sure, 'No Rain No Flowers, you know. So, it's just exciting to be doing something for over 20 years and feeling like at least personally, we feel like we're doing our greatest s**t. I think that's all that matters. Baltin: Talk about the upcoming tour. Carney: We have made some lists of songs you want to learn and songs of ours we want to play, and I think it is important to us on this tour to get in there and mix it up a bunch. That's the plan, have fun. That's the real key, if you're having fun on the road and you're enjoying what you're doing on stage I think it translates pretty heavily to the fans. And I think part of that is picking the right venues, making sure that it's an enjoyable experience. If you're going to go out of your way to leave your house and go see a band let's make it memorable.
Hamilton Spectator
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Hamilton Spectator
Music Review: Radiohead's Thom Yorke and Mark Pritchard team up for inventive ‘Tall Tales'
'Tall Tales,' the first full-length collaboration between Radiohead singer Thom Yorke and electronic music pioneer Mark Pritchard, captures two prolific artists without much to prove and whole worlds left to explore. The project was conceived during the COVID-19 pandemic, when Yorke and Pritchard, both working remotely, began exchanging and modifying sound files. A half-decade later, the collaboration journeys back into the isolation of that period and far beyond. (And the partnership shouldn't come as too much of a surprise: Pritchard previously worked with Yorke on the 2016 track 'Beautiful People.') 'Tall Tales' captures their shared, endearing spirit of experimentation in a collection of dystopian, prog electronics that will satisfy fans of both artists. Across the album, Pritchard's inventive productions often serve as a perfect foil for Yorke's darker lyrics and mournful vocals. Pritchard is a synthesizer sommelier, too, utilizing classic vintage electronic instruments dating back many decades, such as the Arp Odyssey, Wurlitzer Sideman and the Minimoog. Yorke returns to themes of tech dystopia, consumerism and alienation that he has explored since the 1997 Radiohead album 'OK Computer,' evidenced in tracks like 'Gangsters' and 'The Men Who Dance in Stag's Heads.' On the later, a droning satire of billionaire self-indulgence, he sings, 'We sign their papers/We line their pockets.' The opening track, 'A Fake in a Faker's World,' serves up a mission statement for the project. There, Pritchard presents a whirlwind of digital sounds, with Yorke's human voice the sole organic element. The two tracks that follow are ambient works that seem destined for IMAX films or A24 soundtracks. 'Ice Shelf' is cold and glacial as Yorke sings 'Standing solo on an ice shelf.' 'Bugging Out Again' follows, haunting and dense with retro-futuristic effects. A strong middle section begins with 'Back in the Game.' The opening lyrics evoke the project's genesis: 'Have you missed me? How've you been? Back to 2020 again.' As in so much of Yorke's work, the track blends emotional despair with an infectious musicality. It is anchored by the album's two catchiest tracks. 'Gangsters' evokes 1980s video games with its use of a Mattel Bee Gees rhythm machine. The wonderfully titled 'This Conversation Is Missing Your Voice' follows, with a propulsive electronic pop energy that falls somewhere between Gorillaz and Squeeze. The final third houses the oddball tracks. The overlapping voices in 'Tall Tales' evoke a bardo of unsettled spirits. 'Happy Days' features a bouncy carnival beat. The late songs gradually add analog instruments to the mix, and by the finale, 'Wandering Genie,' the initial musical premise seems almost inverted: In the beginning, Yorke's voice was the only organic sound; by the end, it's all recognizable instruments and his voice has been digitized beyond recognition. Atop analog flute, bassoon and pipe organ, a mechanical Yorke brings the journey to its coda, repeating the single lyric, 'I am falling.' And in 2020, who wasn't? ___ AP book reviews:
Winnipeg Free Press
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Winnipeg Free Press
Music Review: Radiohead's Thom Yorke and Mark Pritchard team up for inventive 'Tall Tales'
'Tall Tales,' the first full-length collaboration between Radiohead singer Thom Yorke and electronic music pioneer Mark Pritchard, captures two prolific artists without much to prove and whole worlds left to explore. The project was conceived during the COVID-19 pandemic, when Yorke and Pritchard, both working remotely, began exchanging and modifying sound files. A half-decade later, the collaboration journeys back into the isolation of that period and far beyond. (And the partnership shouldn't come as too much of a surprise: Pritchard previously worked with Yorke on the 2016 track 'Beautiful People.') 'Tall Tales' captures their shared, endearing spirit of experimentation in a collection of dystopian, prog electronics that will satisfy fans of both artists. This cover image released by Warp Records shows 'Tall Tales' by Thom Yorke and Mark Pritchard. (Warp Records via AP) Across the album, Pritchard's inventive productions often serve as a perfect foil for Yorke's darker lyrics and mournful vocals. Pritchard is a synthesizer sommelier, too, utilizing classic vintage electronic instruments dating back many decades, such as the Arp Odyssey, Wurlitzer Sideman and the Minimoog. Yorke returns to themes of tech dystopia, consumerism and alienation that he has explored since the 1997 Radiohead album 'OK Computer,' evidenced in tracks like 'Gangsters' and 'The Men Who Dance in Stag's Heads.' On the later, a droning satire of billionaire self-indulgence, he sings, 'We sign their papers/We line their pockets.' The opening track, 'A Fake in a Faker's World,' serves up a mission statement for the project. There, Pritchard presents a whirlwind of digital sounds, with Yorke's human voice the sole organic element. The two tracks that follow are ambient works that seem destined for IMAX films or A24 soundtracks. 'Ice Shelf' is cold and glacial as Yorke sings 'Standing solo on an ice shelf.' 'Bugging Out Again' follows, haunting and dense with retro-futuristic effects. A strong middle section begins with 'Back in the Game.' The opening lyrics evoke the project's genesis: 'Have you missed me? How've you been? Back to 2020 again.' As in so much of Yorke's work, the track blends emotional despair with an infectious musicality. Winnipeg Free Press | Newsletter Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. Sign up for The Warm-Up It is anchored by the album's two catchiest tracks. 'Gangsters' evokes 1980s video games with its use of a Mattel Bee Gees rhythm machine. The wonderfully titled 'This Conversation Is Missing Your Voice' follows, with a propulsive electronic pop energy that falls somewhere between Gorillaz and Squeeze. The final third houses the oddball tracks. The overlapping voices in 'Tall Tales' evoke a bardo of unsettled spirits. 'Happy Days' features a bouncy carnival beat. The late songs gradually add analog instruments to the mix, and by the finale, 'Wandering Genie,' the initial musical premise seems almost inverted: In the beginning, Yorke's voice was the only organic sound; by the end, it's all recognizable instruments and his voice has been digitized beyond recognition. Atop analog flute, bassoon and pipe organ, a mechanical Yorke brings the journey to its coda, repeating the single lyric, 'I am falling.' And in 2020, who wasn't? ___ AP book reviews:
Yahoo
14-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Song of the Week: Thom Yorke and Mark Pritchard are 'Back in the Game'
The post Song of the Week: Thom Yorke and Mark Pritchard are 'Back in the Game' appeared first on Consequence. Every week, Consequence's Songs of the Week column spotlights great new songs from the previous seven days and takes a look at notable releases. Find our new favorites and more on our Top Songs playlist, and for other great songs from emerging artists, check out our New Sounds playlist. This week, Thom Yorke and Mark Pritchard are back in the game on, well, 'Back in the Game.' So, like, things are bad, right? Like, between downright silly proposals like 'Red, White, and Blueland' and genuinely distressing changes like the CDC quietly removing LGBTQ terminology from their webpages and datasets in the wake of Trump's day-one executive order, it's feeling bleak out here. Thom Yorke and Mark Pritchard certainly seem to think so, as their new collaborative track 'Back in the Game' embodies the darkly absurd, sinister feelings of today. The tone is set from the onset, with the icy synths and thumping drum tracks starkly contrasting the airy, ethereal vibes of Yorke and Pritchard's previous collaboration, 'Beautiful People.' As the tune develops, it becomes something of a nightmarish march, which has been wonderfully translated into a wild music video by Jonathan Zawada. (At the risk of making too niche of a reference, the video looks like it's trying to warn us that Floop is a madman — and it doesn't take a spy kid to figure out who the Floop of 2025 is.) Yorke, not one opposed to injecting his songs with a political edge, then supplements the menacing instrumental with lines that reflect societal backsliding. Hell, there's even a reference to 'Everything in Its Right Place,' seemingly hinting that in 25 years, the issues of 2000 have only worsened. All the while, Yorke leans on his lower register, with Pritchard distorting his vocals via an H910 Harmonizer. The result is an eerie, ominous electronic banger, one that concert-goers in New Zealand, Australia, Singapore, and Japan got to hear before its official release during Yorke's solo tour at the end of last year. That run, notably, included one particularly contentious show where the artist faced off with a pro-Palestinian activist who disrupted the concert. Despite a history of supporting progressive policies and penning his fair share of politically charged songs, many fans have taken issue with the artist's view on the conflict in Palestine. Yorke's projects have continued to perform in Israel despite cultural boycotts, with his Radiohead and The Smile bandmate Jonny Greenwood posting a lengthy defense to mixed reception. Yorke and company's relative passivity toward the matter struck some as surprising and disappointing, especially given Radiohead's history of strongly supporting Tibet. While Yorke fans are likely to be sympathetic to his feelings of political distress on 'Back in the Game,' it also may serve as an opportunity to re-examine his stances. To strip the track of its thematic context, though, it is a genuinely compelling composition. It doesn't hurt that it comes accompanied by one of the best music videos of the year thus far, too. — Jonah Krueger Editorial Coordinator Ben Kweller (feat. Waxahatchee) — 'Dollar Store' The ease with which Ben Kweller switches modes from earthy to clamorous remains his strongest asset. On his latest release, the artist summons Waxahatchee to help him further master that transition and showcase the art of steering a composition. Additionally, 'Dollar Tree' illustrates the value of discretion and restraint as the singer-songwriter from Alabama augments the tune with just a gentle touch. — Karan Singh Circuit des Yeux — 'Canopy of Eden' 'Canopy of Eden,' the second single from Circuit Des Yeux's upcoming album Halo on the Inside, pulses so intensely you can feel your bones vibrating. Overtop the distressing synth tones and scattershot percussion, Haley Fohr drapes her characteristically haunting, near-operatic vocals. As more and more elements are introduced into the instrumental, the track only gets more unsettling — and that's what makes it so exciting. — J. Krueger clipping. (feat. Aesop Rock) — 'Welcome Home Warrior' In the lead-up to their fifth studio LP, clipping. have joined forces with human thesaurus Aesop Rock to give Dead Channel Sky its most compelling boost yet one month before release. A stimulating rumination on consciousness, the experimental hip-hop trio and their guest MC probe the digitization of reality as we know it on this bar-heavy joint. Leaving no doubts about their suspicions, Daveed Diggs urges listeners to tighten their grip on the lives they submit to: 'The world you're living in is sketched by people who disrespect your expertise.' — K. Singh Florist — 'Gloom Designs' Florist are back with another spellbinding cut from their forthcoming album Jellywish. Emily Sprague's tender voice is our guide, their gentle timbre floating above the band's finger-plucked guitar line. But despite the smaller presentation, 'Gloom Designs' also asks big questions, with Sprague noting plainly, 'It's been a bad time for a lot of humans.' Even through such caustic existential uncertainty, Florist's peaceful and harmonious aura still make living feel easy. — Paolo Ragusa Fusilier — 'U N I NO' Fusilier's debut album, AMBUSH, is set to arrive next month on March 28th, and the highly creative artist has offered the latest preview with 'U N I NO.' The Brooklyn alt-rocker is known to pluck from the odd and uncanny, and this new release is no different; the song is impossible to predict or pin down, careening through heavy guitars, distorted vocals, and energetic percussion at a driving pace. — Mary Siroky Joy Crookes (feat. Kano) — 'Mathematics' UK singer-songwriter Joy Crookes has penned the next chapter in her sophomore album rollout, returning with 'Mathematics,' a song tangled in the anguish of a girl in love who aches to find her feelings reciprocated. The hurt echoes from the song as she soulfully sings, a blend of smoky rich tones: 'Ooh, I'm pretty fucking miserable / Goodbye, good luck trynna work it out / Oh, baby, it's not mathematics it's love.' As Crookes offers an unfiltered glimpse, her storytelling and sound continue evolving. — Nicolle Periola Oracle Sisters — 'Marseille' Paris-based Oracle Sisters – a three-piece band composed of childhood friends Lewis Lazar and Christopher Wallat, along with Finnish musician Julia Johansen – usher in a new era with 'Marseille,' a lead single from their latest album, Divinations. Although based in a landlocked city, there's a beachside brightness to the song that builds a groove through cyclical guitar riffs and a melodically rich baseline. Combined with the harmony of their soothing voices, the track offers a mood-boosting soundtrack to go toe to toe with winter's chill. — N. Periola Panchiko — 'Honeycomb' Panchiko continues to expand their sonic narrative with 'Honeycomb,' venturing into a pop-rock slash neo-psych space that proves they've got range and are here to show it. There's a radiance to the track, uplifting its listener in a bliss that lingers, creating a sense of comfort that feels like a warm hug in sonic form. Don't miss the charming visual accompaniment animated by Leah Putnam, which depicts the heartwarming tale of the sun and moon falling in love. — N. Periola Role Model — 'Sally, When the Wine Runs Out' As Role Model, Tucker Pillsbury has lived many lives. But the current iteration of his artistic identity, defined more by singer-songwriter and country-adjacent aesthetics than anything else, is the best chapter so far; the arrival of the deluxe version of his 2024 album, Kanas Anymore, has all but confirmed it. 'Sally, When the Wine Runs Out' is the warm, upbeat accompaniment to a February day that makes easily into escapism. Narrative and effortless in nature, the track is a beam of hope. Sunnier days are on the horizon. — M. Siroky Sam Fender — 'Remember my Name' It may be a romantic weekend, but Sam Fender is back with a devastating new track about two grandparents reaching the end of their time together. In his signature raw, wailing tenor, Fender aches as he puts himself in these old folks' shoes: 'To them, it's a council housе, to me, it's a home/ And a home that you madе where the grandkids could play/ But it's never the same without you…' he sings as the arrangement beneath him patiently blooms. With several singles out already, Fender's new album People Watching is shaping up to be an emotionally riveting document on par with his 2021 breakout, Seventeen Going Under. — P. Ragusa Star 99 — 'Pushing Daisies' Star 99 haven't been in business for that long, yet they have already gained tons of momentum with only two projects to their name. Having recently added multi-instrumentalist Aidan Delaney to the lineup, the indie rock outfit from San Jose is now set to release 10 new songs packaged as Gaman. The album's latest single 'Pushing Daisies' is a high-stamina cut teeming with opaque guitar tones and percussive rustlings, which all come together seamlessly from five different directions. — K. Singh Yukimi — 'Stream of Consciousness' Yukimi forges ahead and beyond her Little Dragon fame, although that hasn't stopped her from using her trusted band as her instrumental foundation. For her fourth single, 'Stream of Consciousness,' Yukimi taps Lianne La Havas for a transcendent melding of angelic voices. Their chemistry on the track is unparalleled as they find themselves in a moment of introspection, intertwining narratives to form an exploration of identity and personal growth. — N. Periola Song of the Week: Thom Yorke and Mark Pritchard are 'Back in the Game' Consequence Staff and Jonah Krueger Popular Posts Taylor Swift Booed at Super Bowl Kid Rock Storms Off Stage After Audience Doesn't Clap Kanye West and Bianca Censori Getting Divorced: Report Ben Folds Resigns from Advisory Position at Kennedy Center Plane Owned by Mötley Crüe Singer Vince Neil Involved in Fatal Crash Elon Musk Finally Pulls the Plug on Kanye West's Hate-Filled Twitter Account Subscribe to Consequence's email digest and get the latest breaking news in music, film, and television, tour updates, access to exclusive giveaways, and more straight to your inbox.
Yahoo
14-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Thom Yorke unveils new collaboration with electronic artist Mark Pritchard
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Radiohead and The Smile mainman Thom Yorke has again collaborated with electronic musician Mark Pritchard on a new single, Back In The Game, for which they have shared a particularly trippy new music video. Yorke debuted Back In The Game at his first solo show in Christchurch in New Zealand, which was reviewed back in issue 155 of Prog Magazine and the song remained a part of his live set throughout his subsequent tour of Australia, Japan and Singapore. Yorke and Pritchard first collaborated on the song Beautiful People from Pritchard's 2016 album Under The Sun. Prior to that, Pritchard, who has remixed the likes of Depeche Mode, Slowdive and Aphex Twin, remixed Radiohead's Bloom back in 2011. Visual artist Jonathan Zwanda, who has worked with Pritchaerd before, also directed the accompanying video. "On first hearing the original demo of Back In The Game I was immediately struck by the deranged bassline that made me think of the final scene of Staying Alive where John Travolta is cockily strutting through the New York streets but I saw it with a more sinister overla," he says. "Slowly a version of that visual arose around a character wearing a kind of giant parade head with a fixed expression of mania stuck on their face, such that you couldn't tell if their endless march was one of aggression or celebration. The more I paid attention to the lyrics the more details began to fill themselves out and the overall concept began to form of parade of many characters marching past a building from within which everything was being thrown out of a window and into a giant bonfire."Ultimately the film for Back In The Game ended up depicting a sort of blind celebration taking place as civilization slowly deteriorates around it, a kind of progression through regression. Overlaid onto this is an exploration of how and where we choose to place value in our collective cultural expression and how we collectively confront major cultural shifts in the 21st century."
