It’s all been happening over the past seven days. Country sensation Taylor Swift and classic rock heroes AC/DC have made headlines this week, while Klaxons played their final UK headline show. Not forgetting the return of Pink Floyd and Wu Tang Clan have been highlighted with some new music from both acts. Meanwhile Compton rapper Kendrick Lamar unveiled the music video for his new single ‘i’.Jonathan Hatchman@JonHatchman
Arguably this week’s biggest music new story, Taylor Swift has followed in the footsteps of Radiohead’s Thom Yorke and The Black Keys by removing her music from Spotify, just as she released her fifth studio album 1989. Though she wrote a piece in July discussing the value of her art, on this occasion the singer has so far been silent about the reasons behind her boycott, though her pal Ed Sheeran, has defended streaming. The British singer-songwriter explained that the revenue and exposure gained from streaming sites has helped to fund his tours. So stream one of his songs, Sing.
Also in favour of Spotify are Pink Floyd who premiered their new single Allons-y (1) via the service. They release new album The Endless River on Monday (10 November), the band’s first studio album to surface in 20 years… and possibly their last ever according to David Gilmour. This track is an instrumental that falls just short of the two minute mark and boasts space-age electric guitars with a marching bass line.
Also making a grand return were Staten Island’s Wu-Tang Clan. Still number one, as the crew’s Method Man constantly feels the need to remind us throughout new cut Ruckus In B Minor, the track is the opener to the outfit’s forthcoming album A Better Tomorrow, which is due out next month. Starting with an intro sampling the late, beloved Ol’ Dirty Bastard, Inspectah Deck, RZA, GZA, Cappadonna, and the gang then serve-up their verses with razor sharp Shaolin precision.
Having announced last month they’re calling it a day, Klaxons played what is expected to be their final UK headline show at London’s Shepherds Bush Empire on Tuesday (4 November) watched by the likes of Kate Tempest, The Chemical Brothers, James Murphy and more. Here’s a reminder of their new rave high-water mark, Golden Skans… Rihanna even appeared on a live version of this once at the Brits…
As if the news of founding member Malcolm Young’s dementia diagnosis wasn’t already devastating enough for AC/DC and the band’s legions of fans, news has broke that drummer Phil Rudd has been arrested. However with their 15th internationally available album Rock Or Bust out next month, the hard-rock titans have insisted they will not Rudd’s situation interfere with the plans for its release. Remind yourself of the band’s glory days with this 1980 hit You Shook Me All Night Long, taken from ‘Back In Black’, still one of the highest selling albums of all time.
Returning at the tail end of September with the lead single from his as-of-yet untitled follow up to 2012’s Good Kid, M.A.A.D City, Dr Dre protege Kendrick Lamar has released new music video for i. Heavily sampling The Isley Brothers’ That Lady and even featuring Ronald Isley himself in the Alexandre Moors, the Little Homies directed clip pitches Lamar as a modern-day Pied Piper as he dances his way from a night-club, across a city and up on to a rooftop to continue his party. An urban ode to self expression, the video makes sure we never forget that Kendrick Lamar does, in fact, love himself ever so dearly.
