WXRT &#187; Full Album Streams

Vampire Weekend Streaming New Album ‘Modern Vampires Of The City’ [First Listen]

Zack Nechvatal // Staff Writer — Wed, 08 May 2013 22:07:47 +0000

After premiering a handful of songs in videos and in a live performance, Vampire Weekend is streaming their new album Modern Vampires of the City one week ahead of its May 14 release date.

While premiering new albums with a live stream has become something of an industry standard, few current releases have generated the anticipation of Vampire Weekend’s third full-length album.

The band has stoked the excitement with a series of comedic videos featuring actor Steve Buscemi. The clips led up to a live-streaming show New York’s Roseland Ballroom that was directed by the Boardwalk Empire star.

The album’s first single “Diane Young,” that puts on display frontman Ezra Koenig’s Elvis Presley-styled vocals, has already worked its way onto radio playlists and blog charts around the world.

Vampire Weekend is set to perform at KROQ Weenie Roast 2013 on May 18 in Los Angeles alongside such acts as the Black Keys, Thirty Seconds to Mars, Jimmy Eat World and more.

Their new album, Modern Vampires of the City, is streaming on iTunes now.

Fitz and the Tantrums, ‘More Than Just a Dream’ [Full Album Stream]

Zack Nechvatal // Staff Writer — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 21:09:24 +0000

Los Angeles band Fitz and the Tantrums has racked up a lot of hearts from Hype Machine users and made regular appearances on our Popular charts over the years. Following their 2010 debut, the long-awaited sophomore album is now here.

Listen LIVE Now

Stream Dave Grohl’s ‘Sound City: Reel To Reel’ Soundtrack [Full Album]

mreal197 — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 21:11:42 +0000

The soundtrack to Dave Grohl’s documentary Sound City is now streaming in its entirety on NPR, one week ahead of its scheduled release date.

Sound City: Reel to Reel features collaborations between Grohl and Nine Inch Nails’ Trent Reznor, Queens of the Stone Age’s Josh Homme, Slip Knot’s Corey Taylor, former Nirvana members Krist Novoselic and Pat Smear, multi-instrumentalist Alain Johannes, the Foo Fighters’ Taylor Hawkins and Nate Mendel, Rage Against the Machine’s Brad Wilk, Tim Commerford along with rock legends Stevie Nicks, Paul McCartney and Rick Springfield. Until now, fans have only heard snippets of the songs within the film or if lucky, live versions played at one of the Sound City Players’ select appearances.

While the Sound City documentary is now available for download, the soundtrack is scheduled to hit stores March 12 and available now for pre-order via Grohl’s Roswell Records.

Sound City: Real to Reel tracklist:

“Heaven and All” – Dave Grohl, Peter Hayes, and Robert Levon Been
“Time Slowing Down” – Dave Grohl, Brad Wilk, Chris Goss, and Tim Commerford
“You Can’t Fix This” – Dave Grohl, Rami Jaffee, Stevie Nicks, and Taylor Hawkins
“The Man That Never Was” – Dave Grohl, Nate Mendel, Pat Smear, Rick Springfield, and Taylor Hawkins
“Your Wife Is Calling” – Dave Grohl, Alain Johannes, Lee Ving, Pat Smear, and Taylor Hawkins
“From Can to Can’t” – Dave Grohl, Corey Taylor, Rick Nielsen, and Scott Reeder
“Centipede” – Dave Grohl, Alain Johannes, Chris Goss, and Joshua Homme
“A Trick With No Sleeve” – Dave Grohl, Alain Johannes, Chris Goss, and Joshua Homme
“Cut Me Some Slack” – Dave Grohl, Paul McCartney, Krist Novoselic, and Pat Smear
“Once Upon a Time… The End” – Dave Grohl, Jessy Greene, Jim Keltner, and Rami Jaffee
“Mantra” – Dave Grohl, Joshua Homme, and Trent Reznor

Since the film’s debut at the Sundance Film Festival in January, Grohl’s has toured his all-star band, dubbed the Sound City Players, hitting select cities and late night television shows. The band will shut down Hollywood Blvd. on March 5 for a performance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!

Hear Johnny Marr’s Proper Solo Debut, ‘The Messenger’ [Full Album Stream]

Zack Nechvatal // Staff Writer — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 15:45:41 +0000

After the Smiths’ breakup in 1987, guitar maestro Johnny Marr spent the better part of 26 years working in collaborative efforts as a member of Modest Mouse and the Cribs—and even worked with Hans Zimmer on the score for 2010’s Inception. While he certainly made his mark in these realms, his first solo album The Messenger, set to be released on February 26, is worth the wait. One of Rolling Stone’s “100 Greatest Guitarists,” Marr has already struck a chord with his solo project.

Early reviews have noted Marr’s characteristically superior guitar components, but even more important is the opportunity this album presents to see what else Marr has to offer. Check out the live stream via Rolling Stone.com.

Marr will arrive in Chicago to play an XRT show at Metro on April 24. Tickets go on sale this Saturday, February 23 so make sure to get them early!

Atoms For Peace, “Judge Jury & Executioner” – Live At Fuji Rock [Free Download]

Stream Atoms For Peace New ‘AMOK’ Album [First Listen]

Zack Nechvatal // Staff Writer — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 20:46:35 +0000

Stream the brand new Atoms For Peace album, ‘AMOK‘.

Describing his role in the sessions as “conducting”, Yorke would show the other players electronic music he had created and they would recreate it with live instruments. He said: “The music I do on my laptop is so angular. When you get people to play like that, it’s so peculiar. Most of it, technically speaking, they can play. But there were times when we used the electronic sounds, because it was more brittle, more exciting … One of the things we were most excited about was ending up with a record where you weren’t quite sure where the human starts and the machine ends.”

Yorke and producer Nigel Godrich spent two years processing, editing and arranging the recordings to create the album. Stream The Full Album Here

Atlas Genius, ‘When It Was Now’ [Full Album Stream]

Zack Nechvatal // Staff Writer — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 16:38:17 +0000

Atlas Genius has a gift for you and it’s better than a bouquet of red roses or a box of chocolates (and those are pretty hard to beat). A box of chocolates lasts what, 15 minutes tops maybe? Roses last a couple weeks at best?

Atlas Genius has for you a preview of their new album ‘When It Was Now‘ and music is forever.

These Australian Indie rockers are offering songs thick with upbeat tempos as well as lovely lyrics and vocals.

A gift that keeps on giving, share it with your sweetheart and friends because this album is sure to impress! You can stream the entire album here and pre-order it here.

Stream Foals New Album & Win Tickets To Their Show In Chicago

Zack Nechvatal // Staff Writer — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 22:49:08 +0000

With the release of their third studio album, Holy Fire, today, Foals have made their way across the internet music scene. The album features the lead single, “Inhaler” which gained attention for the new album.

You can stream the band’s full album here . Also be sure to listen and download some of Foals previous singles here. Don’t forget the Foals are coming to the Vic Theatre on Saturday May 18th and for this week only you can enter to win a pair of tickets beginning February 15th courtesy of JAM Productions.

Tickets go on sale February 15th at 10am, but you can Win A FREE Pair Here.

Matt and Kim’s Lightning Tour Documentary [Watch]

Emma Mac // Staff Writer — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 20:00:33 +0000

One of the most high-energy touring shows right now is the Brooklyn-based duo, Matt and Kim, coming to the UIC Pavilion for a show with Passion Pit on Friday, February 22nd. It may be a bold statement, but they really do bring everything they’ve got when they play live, and if you’re not convinced you can catch a glimpse of the madness through their Lightning Tour Documentary.

The 10-minute Youtube video was published Thursday and shows the final weeks of their Lightning Tour, which they did this past Fall in promotion of the 4th studio album.

Check out the Lightning Documentary:

If they’ve caught your attention, you can still grab tickets for the 2/22 UIC Pavilion Show with Passion Pit here.
You can also stream the Lightning album here.

Eels Return with “New Alphabet” [Album Steam, Free Download]

Zack Nechvatal // Staff Writer — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 17:42:16 +0000

Look out for the Eels’s upcoming album, ‘Wonderful, Glorious” hitting physical shops and digital outposts on February 5.

This marks the tenth studio album for the indie-rock band, and a worldwide tour is scheduled to accompany the album. The album features thirteen tracks, with the hit-single, “Peach Blossom” which swept the internet in November. The group is scheduled to make a tour stop in Chicago, Febrary 23rd at the Vic theatre, tickets are on sale now!

Eels, “New Elphabet” [DOWNLOAD]

Also, be the first to listen and preview their album here

Stream Foxygen’s Sophomore Album, We Are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace & Magic

Emma Mac // Staff Writer — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 16:53:53 +0000

The up and coming California Duo, Foxygen, is releasing their sophomore album, We Are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace & Magic, next Tuesday, a quick 6 months after their debut Take The Kids Off Broadway came out last Summer. The group has been releasing EPs since 2005 but are garnering more attention since they’ve been “discovered” by The Shins’ Richard Swift, who has also produced acts like Damien Jurado, The Mynabirds, Kissing Cousins and Laetitia Sadier of Stereolab.

The band has released a free online stream of the album through Pitchfork Advance, which you can listen to here: http://t.co/89P6atov

Check out the video for “Shuggie” from We Are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace & Magic

21 Free Christmas Songs! [Free Download]

Emma Mac // Staff Writer — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 17:44:38 +0000

Classic Christmas songs are untouchable, but dare I say it, they can become tiresome year after year. Just hearing them once or twice around Christmas is plenty. For the sake of reserving the prestige of those classics, and saving Christmas altogether, Paste Magazine is offering a free Christmas sampler. That’s right kids, you can download a free playlist of fresh new Christmas songs. These aren’t even covers of classic Christmas songs by new artists, they’re new songs altogether. It’s just what you needed to freshen up the season.

The 21 song sampler features tracks by Sufjan Stevens (below), Great Lake Swimmers, JD McPherson, Hey Rosetta!, John Roderick & Jonathan Coulton, and more. Shake off a little tradition, and shake down to this new playlist.

DOWNLOAD HERE

New Music From Matt & Kim, “Now” [Free Download]

Matt & Kim Stream New Album, “Lightning” In Its Entirety [Listen, Download]

Zack Nechvatal // Staff Writer — Thu, 08 Nov 2012 07:48:53 +0000

Happy New Music Thursday!

Matt Johnson and Kim Schifino are the New York duo simply known as Matt & Kim. The self-proclaimed DIY artists are set to release their fourth album Tuesday, titled Lightning, which can be previewed in its entirety below.

Johnson, a “country boy from Vermont,” carries the vocal and keyboard duties while a tattooed, punk rock-spirited Schifino handles the percussion duties. Having met and started dating while in college, the two began collaborating on artwork for other bands, and soon tried their hand at playing music together.

“About five years ago,” says Schifino to Dutch music blog FaceCulture, “I wanted to learn how to play the drums and Matt wanted to learn how to play keyboards so we started doing that together cause it just seemed to make sense.” To which Johnson laughs, “And by accident, boom, here we are!”

In 2011, the band gained much deserved attention touring with pop-punk giants, Blink-182 and My Chemical Romance on the Honda Civic Tour.

Shicfino, famous for standing atop her drum kit, has a knack for getting the crowd on their feet dancing.

With one foot in Indie and one in dance music, Matt & Kim also share a love of hip hop which can be felt in small doses throughout the new album.

“We find an energy there in hip hop music that’s not in a lot of indie music, that’s sort of the category we fall into, says Johnson in an interview for Vitamin Water’s Uncapped series. “Let’s just say, anything I can drop my bottom to, I’m a fan of,” adds Shifino.

Lightning Tour Dates

10/3 – South Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground
10/4 – Syracuse, NY @ Westcott Theater
10/5 – Toronto, ON @ Phoenix Concert Theatre
10/6 – Buffalo, NY @ Town Ballroom
10/7 – Philadelphia, PA @ Electric Factory
10/9 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
10/11 – Charlotte, NC @ The Fillmore
10/12 – Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playhouse
10/13 – Orlando, FL @ The Beacham Theatre
10/14 – Miami Beach, FL @ The Fillmore at Jackie Gleason Theatre
10/16 – Tallahassee, FL @ The Moon
10/17 – Tampa, FL @ The Ritz Ybor
10/18 – New Orleans, LA @ House Of Blues
10/19 – Houston, TX @ House Of Blues
10/20 – Austin, TX @ Stubbs
10/21 – Dallas, TX @ House Of Blues
10/23 – Tempe, AZ @ Marquee Theatre
10/24 – San Diego, CA @ House Of Blues
10/25 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern
10/26 – Oakland, CA @ Fox Theater
10/27 – Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater
10/28 – Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom
10/30 – Seattle, WA @ Neptune
11/1 – Salt Lake City, UT @ In The Venue
11/2 – Denver, CO @ Ogden Theatre
11/3 – Lawrence, KS @ Liberty Hall
11/4 – St Louis, MO @ The Pageant
11/6 – Omaha, NE @ The Slowdown
11/8 – Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave
11/9 – Indianapolis, IN @ The Vogue
11/10 – Chicago, IL @ Congress Theater
11/11 – Detroit, MI @ Majestic Theatre
11/13 – Cleveland, OH @ House Of Blues
11/14 – Columbus, OH @ Newport Music Hall
11/15 – New York, NY @ Terminal 5
11/16 – Boston, MA @ House Of Blues
11/17 – Montclair, NJ @ Wellmont Theater

Lightning is available Tuesday worldwide.

– Jay Tilles, CBS Local

Rachael Yamagata and Friends [Free Album Download]

Zack Nechvatal // Staff Writer — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 18:21:50 +0000

In anticipation of her new EP Heavyweight that will be released later this November, singer-songwriter Rachael Yamagata is offering fans a free album dubbed “Rachael Yamagata and Friends.”

Yamagata got her start as a musician in Chicago acting as a vocalist for the group Bumpus for over six years. Beginning her solo career in 2002, she has released five EP’s and three full length albums while collaborating with artists such as Bright Eyes, Ryan Adams, Toots and the Maytals, Jason Mraz, and Ray LaMontagne. Her music has also been featured on numerous television shows and appeared on an episode of the hit sitcom 30 Rock as part of a musical ensemble with the cast and other musicians.

After years on a major record label, Yamagata’s 2011 album Chesapeake was her first independent release through her own label Frankenfish Records. As part of the production of the album, Yamagata utilized the fan-funded music platform PledgeMusic to secure funds. As a way of saying thank you to her fans for the support and allowing her the freedom to produce and release her music independent of a major label, Yamagata is giving fans a free copy of her album “Rachael Yamagata and Friends”

DOWNLOAD

Ghost Beach, “Miracle” [Free Download Exclusive]

Zack Nechvatal // Staff Writer — Mon, 29 Oct 2012 20:55:41 +0000

Ghost Beach is a band that you may want to become familiar with and quick. The New York duo of Josh Ocean and Eric Mendelsohn have been playing music together for only a few months, but that’s not apparent when listening to their EP Modern Tongues. The crisp sound of the group is something that is to be admired given the effect laden rhythms and synthesizer based melodies the band relies on.

Upon first listen, these three bands popped into my head. The Police, Daft Punk, and Passion Pit. Not bad company to surround yourself with. Ghost Beach employs the shrieking vocals of Passion Pit, the funky rhythms of The Police, and the dance heavy synthesizers of Daft Punk to create sonically pleasing dance floor anthems. A blend of disco, punk, and dance rock, Ghost Beach’s music seems to be in a constant identity crisis between the 1980’s and the modern day.

Download: 01-miracle.mp3

Ghost Beach, “Miracle” [DOWNLOAD]

The group released their EP Modern Tongues today and is available to listen via stream below.

Matthew Mayfield, ‘A Banquet For Ghosts’ [Free Album Download]

Zack Nechvatal // Staff Writer — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 17:15:26 +0000

Since his debut in 2008, acclaimed Birmingham, AL artist Matthew Mayfield has released 8 EPs and two full-length albums, including 2011’s Now You’re Free, which reached #1 on iTunes’ Singer/Songwriter chart. A Banquet For Ghosts (released May 2012) was produced by Grammy-nominated Paul Moak (Martha Wainwright) and reached #15 on Billboard’s Heatseakers Chart, #13 on Billboard’s Folk Albums Chart and #2 on iTunes’ Singer/Songwriter chart. Additionally, Matthew’s music has been featured in multiple television shows, including the 100th episode of “Grey’s Anatomy” and CW’s “Ringer.”

Known for his captivating, emotional and brutally honest live performances, Matthew has toured nationwide, including special dates with The Civil Wars, Pete Yorn, Switchfoot, Sister Hazel and Will Hoge, amongst many others. Watch the making of Matthew’s new album below and click here to download the new album.

Matthew Mayfield, ‘A Banquet For Ghosts’ DOWNLOAD

Stream Gary Clark Jr.’s New Album, ‘Blak and Blu’ [First Listen]

Zack Nechvatal // Staff Writer — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 18:49:22 +0000

Austin’s Gary Clark Jr. has been gracing us with his seductive blues sound and grizzled voice for more than four years at this point, but the 28-year-old sounds like he has a lot left to show and say. He’s been hailed by SPIN and Rolling Stone as one of the young guns to watch in rock music and has helped bring together traditional blues influences and a slicker, more modern delivery.

His Bright Lights EP has been a big record at XRT and he’s built quite the following here in the home of the blues. Now he’s finally released his first full length album, ‘Blak and Blu,’ just days ago. Clark stopped by backstage during XRT’s Live from Lolla broadcast this past summer to speak with Marty Lennartz about his inspiration and his forthcoming album.

“It’s all over the map—blues, soul, rock & roll music,” Clark told us backstage at Lollapalooza. “It’s my first time working with a producer and with other artists. I really learned about making a record. It was a really good time.”

Listen to all the tracks off Gary Clark Jr’s new album ‘Blak and Blu‘ for free on iTunes here: http://smarturl.it/GCJStream

‘Blak and Blu’ Tracklist:
01. Ain’t Messin ‘Round
02. When My Train Pulls In
03. Blak and Blu
04. Bright Lights
05. Travis County
06. The Life
07. Glitter Ain’t Gold (Jumpin’ For Nothin’)
08. Numb
09. Please Come Home
10. Things Are Changin’
11. Third Stone From The Sun/If You Love Me Like You Say
12. You Saved Me
13. Next Door Neighbor Blues

Everything Lollapalooza – Backstage, On Stage & More

Trey Anastasio Covers Gorillaz, Streams New Album, ‘Traveler’ [First Listen]

Zack Nechvatal // Staff Writer — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 18:43:00 +0000

Phish frontman Trey Anastasio is set to release his ninth studio album Traveler on October 16th. Coming in at 10 tracks, Traveler is a mixture of new material from Trey, studio versions of songs that have been performed live, and a cover of the Gorillaz classic “Clint Eastwood.” Much like his work with Phish and the Trey Anastastio Band, Traveler highlights Trey’s ability to mix and match different styles of music while creating a sound that is unmistakably Anastasio.

Traveler was co-produced by Anastasio and Peter Katis (The National, Interpol, Jonsi) at Tarquin Studios in Bridgeport, CT and features a host of guest musicians. Members from Mates Of State, Bon Iver, The National, and other bands contribute a variety of instruments to Traveler. Fans of both Phish and Trey Anastastio will be pleased with the album as it retains many of the funk and jazz based sounds heavily infused in his music. Traveler is available to stream now at rollingstone.com and can be pre-ordered on iTunes

Preview Benjamin Gibbard’s New Album, ‘Former Lives’ [Album Stream]

Zack Nechvatal // Staff Writer — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 15:36:32 +0000

Benjamin Gibbard is streaming his debut solo album ‘Former Lives’ ahead of its release on November 12. Just a few days before that, The Death Cab for Cutie frontman plays an XRT Show (November 2) at Chicago’s Athenaeum Theatre. Tickets are still available.

Experimenting with new and different tools like vintage keyboards on the album, newly-divorced Gibbard explains, “These songs span eight years, three relationships, living in two different places, drinking then not drinking. They’re a side story, not a new chapter.”

“Every song I’ve ever written, my relationship to it has changed over the years. That’s not meant to be cagey, it’s the absolute truth. With these songs, there’s going to be a lot of time between when they were written and when people are finally going to hear them.”

Stream the album below:

‘Former Lives’ Track Listing
‘Shepherd’s Bush Lullaby’
‘Dream Song’
‘Teardrop Windows’
‘Bigger Than Love’
‘Lily’
‘Something’s Rattling (Cowpoke)’
‘Duncan, Where Have You Gone?’
‘Oh, Woe’
‘A Hard One To Know’
‘Lady Adelaide’
‘Broken Yolk In Western Sky’
‘I’m Building A Fire’

The Wallflowers “Reboot” With The Clash’s Mick Jones [Free Download]

Stream The Wallflowers Forthcoming Album, ‘Glad All Over’ [Listen, Download]

Zack Nechvatal // Staff Writer — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 19:06:27 +0000

Eager to hear the new Wallflowers album? No need to wait until October 9th to pick up your copy as fans will now be able to stream the album to get a sneak peek.

Fresh off a performance this past July at Schubas’, The Wallflowers are set to release their first album since 2005’s Rebel, Sweetheart. Jakob Dylan is joined by original band members Greg Richling (bass) and Rami Jaffee (keyboards) for Glad All Over with longtime members Stuart Mathis (guitar) and Jack Irons (drums) rounding out the rest of the lineup. The album’s first single “Reboot the Mission” features Mick Jones on vocals and guitar behind a groovy, upbeat rhythm.

The Wallflowers are set to return to Chicago on November 2nd at the Park West. With two Grammy awards and over seven million records sold, The Wallflowers are a surefire bet to deliver a quality album. If you like what you hear, you can purchase Glad All Over on October 9th. Glad All Over was produced by Jay Joyce (Emmylou Harris, Cage The Elephant) and will be released via Columbia Records.