The Wrap-Up brings you the 5 largest music news stories of the week as well as information about new album and music video releases.

HEADLINES OF THE WEEK

 

1. Passion Pit share “Until We Can’t (Let’s Go)”

In the latest follow up to previous 2015 singles “Lifted Up (1985)” and “Where the Sky Hangs,” Michael Angelakos of Passion Pit created a joyous, synthy summer jam in the spirit of “Don’t Stop (Color on the Walls)” by Foster the People or Passion Pit’s earlier hits “Sleepyhead” and “Take a Walk.” The sound is dense but aggressive; steady but exuberant. The lyrics talk about escaping from a suffocating relationship, moving on to something free. It urges, “Let’s go out and find ourselves a home.” We’re all for moving on to better things, and this frenetically hopeful renewal anthem is our new soundtrack as we wait for summer to come.  

2. Tame Impala debut second single of 2015.

A few weeks ago, Tame Impala released “Let it Happen,” a 7-minute long, progressive, trance-like introduction to Kevin Parker’s new work. The latest release is a little more traditional and manageable, but it still features a relaxed and vibey tempo and chords that seem to float into their transitions. The Australian band played “‘Cause I’m a Man” and “Let it Happen,” the first single off the new album, live for the first time at Fox Theatre in California on Wednesday evening. The two songs mark a shift towards a more electronic sound for the band. As much as we love their classic rock work, we’re excited to see what’s coming on Currents, set to be released later this year. As they continue to tour, we bet more new music will work its way into the setlist alongside our old favorites like “Feels Like We Only Go Backwards” and “Elephant.”  

3. Florence and the Machine release “Ship to Wreck”

Florence and the Machine are on a roll: they just shared their fourth single of 2015, “Ship to Wreck.” It doesn’t have a video yet, but stay tuned for its release next week. The new single is upbeat and driving, somewhere between the grandiosity of “What Kind of Man” and the intimacy of “St. Jude.” However, frontwoman Florence Welch hits all the high notes with her singularly soaring voice. “Did I build this ship to wreck?” she asks, seemingly doubting herself or the direction of the band she helped make into a cornerstone of alternative rock. But if these first singles are a sign, her ship isn’t going to wreck anytime soon.  

4. Rock Hall of Fame induction to feature Beck, Miley Cyrus

No, Miley Cyrus isn’t in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (at least not yet…). However, she will be getting a taste of Cleveland when she inducts Joan Jett at the Hall of Fame induction ceremony later this month. The two women have met before–they even performed on Oprah together back in 2011–and we certainly see some connections between the two. Just take Jett’s “Bad Reputation”: “I don’t give a damn ’bout my reputation/You’re living in the past, it’s a new generation/A girl can do what she wants to do and that’s what I’m gonna do.” Sound like anyone we know, Miley? Also being inducted are Ringo Starr (by Paul McCartney), The “5” Royales, The Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Green Day (by Fall Out Boy), Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, and Lou Reed (by Patti Smith). Also performing are Beck and Karen O, Dave Grohl, Nate Ruess, John Legend, and others.  

5. Jack White, Robert Redford to release documentary, film, and albums

Robert Redford, Jack White, and T. Bone Burnett are teaming up to produce a genre-bending, era-transcending historical music project called “American Epic” because, you know, it’s going to be epic.  How epic? Well. It’s touches on history (the project focuses on the impact of 1920s recording technology), music (Beck, Elton John, Nas, and the Alabama Shakes are just a few of the artists scheduled to participate), media (the producers will create a series of TV documentaries as well as a full-length film and albums). Jack White, as always, is reflective about the project:

“In American Epic, we can examine how important the fact is that when phonograph records were invented, for the first time ever, women, minorities, poor rural men and even children were given the opportunity to say whatever they wanted in song, for the whole world to hear, shockingly without much censorship. What they were allowed to say on phonograph recordings, they were not allowed to speak in public or in person. That is an astounding thought.”

 

And here are your 12 CUTS ABOVE THE REST!