video: Ab-Soul - Pineal Gland

Ab-Soul drops another track, with a video this time. We've got the album title and release date now too: Control System, out May 11th.

track: Hot Chip - Night and Day

Another low-quality rip of a song off the upcoming Hot Chip album, In Our Heads, called "Night and Day". In Our Heads is out June 12th on Domino.

album stream: Suckers - Candy Salad

You can't find much press on Suckers. After a very strong EP and LP (self-titled and Wild Smile, respectively), people took notice of the band. But after the obligatory "Brooklyn-based," details get scarce real quick. Some might mention that they have a pretty solid live show. Some might pull out the name of their vocalist, Quinn Walker. But how many have listened to his fever dream double album, Laughter's an Asshole/Lion Land? What about the albums he put out for ten years before that?

Until Suckers, Quinn Walker was a bedroom project in the vein of Ariel Pink or R. Stevie Moore, making album after album of similarly warped music (with more of a freak folk lean), burning it on CD-Rs, and mailing it out to fans who wrote him. You can't find these albums on RateYourMusic or What.cd, and you can't find his stuff on Youtube (beware of that other Quinn Walker who had a song on Scrubs). I've got a stack of these discs, and while most of them aren't worth searching out, they do give you an idea of where Suckers is coming from. Any fan of Suckers should at least check out Laughter's an Asshole/Lion Land. I'm sure the band will continue to move away from their roots towards a poppier, more accessible sound, as they've done on Candy Salad. And they'll no doubt find more success in that. But Suckers will always be that weirdo on Music That Fears for It's Life and This Umbrella Doesn't Work and People Are Full of Blood to me.

Candy Salad is out April 24th on Frenchkiss Records.

video: Pond - You Broke My Cool

Pond is the psych-rock side project of several Tame Impala members. The album is produced by Dave Fridmann, who is, in my opinion, one of the most recognizable producers. He's done stuff by MGMT, the Flaming Lips, Tame Impala, and Black Moth Super Rainbow, and you can instantly hear that it's the same producer on this album. If those connections sound like a good thing to you, and you enjoy some throwback psych-rock, then check out this excellent Pond album, Beard, Wives, Denim.

live: Hologram Tupac at Coachella

Take a trip into Uncanny Valley with Hologram Tupac. And follow @HoloPac on Twitter while you're at it.

"2pac" did "Hail Mary" and "2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted". The guest-heavy party of a set from Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg also featured "Nate Dogg", 50 Cent, Eminem, Wiz Khalifa, Kendrick Lamar, Warren G, and more. They covered "Jump Around" and "In the Air Tonight", along with tons of hits from everyone involved. There really wasn't a lowspot, except for Wiz Khalifa's song, which made me feel bad. I hate that Bride of Frankenstein-lookin' mother.... Watch most of the full set here.

track: Black Lips - Dance with You

The b-side to their "Sick of You" single, both of which are outtakes from Arabia Mountain. It's lo-fi and ends with a psychedelic shitstorm.

live video: Ty Segall + White Fence - Scissor People

Yea this is gonna be good. Hair is out on Drag City April 24th. Check the tour dates after the jump.

tracks: Kanye West - Mercy feat. Big Sean, Pusha T, 2 Chainz + Theraflu feat. DJ Khaled

Kanye released a pair of tracks this week, one of which has already pissed off both PETA and the Theraflu company. Fuck 'em, G.O.O.D. Friday's are back!

"Mercy" features G.O.O.D. Music labelmates Big Sean and Pusha T - as well as 2 Chainz, a guy Kanye has been pushing pretty hard. It's produced by Hit-Boy, who also did "Theraflu" and "Niggas in Paris".

"Theraflu", on the other hand, features DJ Khaled hollering over the track like a dumbass like he does. It's no "DAMN SON, where'd you find this?!" Kanye's also bragging about ridiculous shit on this one, so if that turns you off then steer clear.

track: Ab-Soul feat. Danny Brown + Jhene Aiko - Terrorist Threats

Ab-Soul has been, thus far, the quietest member of the Black Hippy crew - which also includes Schoolboy Q, Kendrick Lamar, and Jay Rock. So far, Schoolboy and Kendrick Lamar have put out two of my favorite rap albums of 2012 and 2011, respectively. We don't have a title or date for Ab-Soul's album yet, but this track has just raised my anticipation level.

video: Jack White - Sixteen Saltines

Jack White's long-awaited solo album, Blunderbuss, is out April 24th. The video for "Sixteen Saltines" has a bunch of ragamuffins acting like hooligans. It's a lot of fun.

track: King Tuff - Bad Thing

A good song to listen to while driving around on a sunny summer day (with or without a few beers). I'm hearing Wavves, Hunx & His Punx, Jay Reatard, and Ted Leo on this track.

video: Unknown Mortal Orchestra - Nerve Damage

Some fuzzy occult shit happens to a guy in the streets of Portland. Trippy mane! I'm surprised that UMO is still pumping out videos nearly a year after the album was released; their Twitter feed makes it seem like the follow-up album isn't too far off. Bandleader Ruban seems to think it's pretty good....and evil.

album preview: Natural Child - For the Love of the Game

Might just leave this post at the top for a while. That's the album cover of For the Love of the Game, the sophomore release from carefree young garage-rockers Natural Child. It will also be the second album they've released on 4/20, if that tells you anything. It's coming out on Burger Records, and we already have 3 tastes of the album:

"DTV" via The Needle Drop
"8 AM Blues" and "Ain't Gonna Stop" via Everybody Taste

If you like those, just stream the whole thing from Spotify.

track: Killer Mike - Don't Die

Another killer track from Killer Mike's upcoming album, R.A.P. Music. Everything I've heard from this so far has sounded great. I'm starting to think that Killer Mike might put out the classic album he's always had in him. Pissed off political Killer Mike is good Killer Mike (see also: "That's Life").

track: Black Moth Super Rainbow - Spraypaint

Black Moth Super Rainbow have a new song. Guess what? It sounds like Black Moth Super Rainbow. Which, if you're a fan of their sugary vocodered synthy psych rock sound, is more of a good thing.

Check the song out on Soundcloud.

video: Alabama Shakes - Hold On

Soul-rockers Alabama Shakes have written a fucking TUNE, and this live version is even better. They're opening for Jack White on an upcoming tour. (Speaking of Jack White, I don't know whether to love him or hate him for this stuff. Someone persuade me one way or the other.) The album, Boys & Girls, is out April 10th on ATO.