The New Music

Blur will release their first new song in seven years on April 17th, as part of Record Store Day. The recently reunited Brit band will put out a currently untitled 7″ that will be limited to 1000 copies. Frontman Damon Albarn said, “We want independent record stored to continue, they’re an important part of our musical culture. Music is a simple way for Blur to show our support and we hope people like it.” Meanwhile, Liam Gallagher, formerly of Blur’s arch rival Oasis, has commented on Albarn and Co’s return, telling Shortlist: “Them gigs weren’t as good as our gigs. No way. But, they’re all right. They’re in it for the money, aren’t they? The f*ckers. You won’t catch Oasis reforming, y’know. Never.”

Caribou has launched a remix contest for his new single, “Sun.” Over at Soundcloud you can download all of the song’s components and get started. The winner will receive Caribou’s new album Swim on both 2LP + CD, the “Odessa” 12″, a T-shirt and two guestlist places when the band play a show where you live. Contest ends May 7th.

Four years ago a precocious young rapper from Paris-via-Miami named Uffie made her debut with a single called “Pop the Glock” and now she’s FINALLY releasing her first album. Titled Sex Dreams and Denim Jeans, the album will feature guests such as Pharrell Williams and former bassist of The Rapture, Mattie Safer, as well as a cover of Siouxsie & The Banshees’ classic “Hong Kong Garden.” The album drops June 8th via Ed Banger/Because/Elektra.

One of indie rock’s most beloved members and coolest drummers ever has assembled a list of the “10 WAYS TO BE A KICK-ASS DRUMMER” (all-caps is necessary). Janet Weiss, formerly of Sleater-Kinney and currently of The Jicks and Quasi, has written the ways for Self-Titled, dropping such helpful hints as “KICK SOME ASS,” “PLAY LONG FILLS,” “TRY NOT TO MAKE FUNNY FACES/LOOK GOOD” and “IMITATE THE GOOD BANDS’ DRUMMERS.”

After a decade of silence, Montreal’s massively influential post-rock doomsayers and Constellation Records founders Godspeed You! Black Emperor will return to curate ATP’s “Nightmare Before Christmas” festival in England this December (3rd to 5th). In a very no-frills, dead-serious kind of announcement on the band’s website, they added that GY!BE will also perform “a handful of British and European shows, and then nine American shows.” Unfortunately, they don’t say anything about Canada. This is bad news, because they follow it up with: “Until further introspection, WE WILL NOT BE FIELDING ANY OTHER OFFERS.” And if there’s one band that sticks to its guns, it’s that band.