Watch Father John Misty Share His Enduring Love for Josh Tillman in New Music Video

The ever esoteric, but endlessly engaging Father John Misty has released the music video for “The Night Josh Tillman Came to Our Apt.” off his sophomoric (and sardonic) effort I Love You, Honeybear.

The video opens with two iterations of Josh Tillman in a bar - one charming and debonair, the other detached and unencumbered. As the video progresses, the two Joshes partake in a variety of vacuous hipster rom-com tropes - pool swimming, drug sharing, and three part “Silent Night” harmonies - leading up to the most irreverent of narcissistic embraces.

Witness the unholy coupling for yourself below:

I Love You, Honeybear is out now on Sub Pop.

Big Boi + Phantogram Collab Big Grams Fall in the Sun With First Single

While Atlanta rapper Big Boi and New York electronic duo Phantogram are strong artists in their own right, both seem to thrive on collaboration. After Phantogram contributed three of the standout tracks from Big Boi’s 2012 album Vicious Lies And Dangerous Rumors, the trio has reunited under the Big Grams moniker and announced the Big Grams EP, set to drop later this month. And while the group’s previous collaborations are enough to make this exciting news, first single “Fell In The Sun,” (which premiered on Beats Radio 1) suggests that this team-up has brought out the best in both parties.

The genius of “Fell In The Sun” lies in the interplay between these seemingly disparate artists, as Sarah Barthel’s exuberant hook mingles with Daddy Fat Sax’s playful verses over a warm, crackling beat from Josh Carter that sounds like Big Boi’s “Shine Blockas” playing on warped vinyl. On the bridge Barthel sings, “Dealt this dope from ATL to New York,” but what Big Grams has cooked up might be even more addictive.

Big Grams EP is out September 25th via Epic/Republic

After Three Year Silence, Last Dinosaurs Finally Speak on 'Wellness'

Three years ago Brisbane quartet Last Dinosaurs released their debut album In A Million Years, setting their sound as light, guitar-based indie pop. In the time since, this hidden Australian jewel has gone through band reorganizations with a bass player replacement and intense musical rediscovery before finally releasing their sophomore album, Wellness. 

Opening with “Take Your Time," which starts with a forest of sounds that mimicking tongue clicks and raindrops, Wellness then glides into the lead single reminiscent of their debut sound, “Evie." Wellness continues to track a sporadic lineup throughout, yet the album stands as a cohesive collection due to the ethereal dance-floor rhythms present within each track, similar to the sounds of early-80’s pop projects. With silky electric guitars and a vocals that are over-mixed in both volume and pitch to stand out, this album lifts with its riffs without losing the Last Dinosaurs sound that fans grew to love three years ago. 

Throughout the writing process, Last Dinosaurs built unique, in-house pedals from scratch, naming them, and eventually the songs made with them, "Evie" and the title-track "Wellness." Each song has a specific backing sound created with a specific pedal, unique to the band and the story, a tedious process that paid off. It’s this attention to detail that builds Wellness into the great piece of music it really is.

For example, “Wellness” itself is one of the slower beat tunes on the record, holding an ever-present, wavering silver string that quivers with the sadness of the afterlife of a lost lover. Followed with the second single, “Apollo”, a quickstep guitar song, the softness of “Wellness” is even more impressive while the upbeat nature of “Apollo” is even harder to miss up against it. Without disrupting the singularity of each track, Last Dinosaurs pulls together the full story of loving, losing, and moving on.

'You’re The Worst' S02E01 – "Sweater People": Jimmy and Gretchen Haven’t Quite Settled Down In Season Opener, But That Doesn’t Stop It Being Hilarious

After plenty of laughs, losses and pre-written heckles, FXX comedy You’re The Worst made a triumphant return to television in this week’s season opener, "Sweater People."

To recap, last season’s finale "Fists and Feet and Stuff" brought on all kinds of change for our protagonists (heroes may be a bit of a stretch); Lindsay (Kether Donohue) continued her downward spiral as long-suffering husband Paul (Allan McLeod) demanded a divorce, Edgar (Desmin Borges) moved back in with Jimmy (Chris Geere) after a brief and ultimately doomed attempt to show that he’d moved on (lovingly consummated by brutal sleeper hold), and an intense finale ended with Gretchen’s (Aya Cash) apartment burning down thanks to a rogue vibrator. Jimmy and Gretchen took this as the universe’s cue to move in together, and although neither will admit it, the final shot of the two with boxes in their hands and fading smiles on their faces show us that there was a fair bit of trepidation in their decision, and that not all things are going to be rosy for our toxic romantic couple. Also, Becca (Janet Varney) and Vernon (Todd Robert Anderson) are having a baby, and though those two really are the worst, it’s going to be interesting to see how their pregnancy plays out among the group (in particular with Lindsay) over the following season.

For now, though, it’s episode one, and it’s time to see how Jimmy and Gretchen are doing as a couple living together. You’re The Worst is at its most effective when we see Jimmy and Gretchen subvert romantic convention, whether that’s by bringing Chinese food and beer to a romantic movie date or by banging strangers in an attempt to one-up one another. It’s in full force here, as our two lovebirds try desperately to avoid relationship ennui by partying non-stop, escalating from drinking to cocaine to a “new synthetic thing - Belgian” that ends up with them stealing a Google Street View car and driving it into the woods.

You get the feeling that it’s due to fear more than immaturity (though they look almost identical in the right circumstances), and this is backed up by the fact that neither party are having a particularly good time. Jimmy is literally “pissing blood,” and Gretchen’s falling asleep at her job, and “sleepy bitches lose their right to use normal people phones,” according to Sam, who gives her a burner phone for her narcolepsy and swiftly slides hers into the garbage. Not that Gretchen would have minded much; ever since she moved to Jimmy’s she’s had awful reception, but a trip to the electronics store brings up suggestions of sharing a Family Plan with. A sentimental (if not slightly creepy) monologue by the sales person gives us an insight into the collective minds of Jimmy and Gretchen, as they high-tail it before the guy’s even turned around.

For whatever reason – Jimmy’s still smarting from his dalliance with Becca and Gretchen’s parents hint at deep insecurities within Cash’s character – the couple can’t bring themselves to be comfortable enough to actually be fully into this relationship, and though they don’t confront it fully, there’s a moment of understanding at the end, whether they share a goodnight kiss and settle into bed. Almost. They resort to only drinking clear liquor to chase away their nine hours of beauty sleep, but for these two, that’s a romantic gesture on par with the end of The Notebook. Despite moving in together, this relationship is going to need a lot more fleshing out, and the sight of Chris Geere’s Jimmy subtly placing a coaster underneath Gretchen’s mug indicates there’s a lot more conflict in the works as they both really get to know one another.

This episode gets its title from Lindsay, who’s doing okay after her divorce from Paul, living alone and… whatever “assing everything” means. She makes Gretchen vow to never become part of a boring couple as she allowed herself and Paul to become, making clear her dislike of “sweater people”. A visit from Paul, however, shows that the independent single girl was just a façade, as within two minutes of showing up at her house to deliver some subscription termination papers, the couple are upstairs in Lindsay’s bedroom, doing the business. Although she’s in her underwear, we see Lindsay slip on her sweater as she urged Gretchen not to, but Paul’s having none of it; he’s clearly moved on from Lindsay, who does not take this well. Another interesting loose thread from the end of season one was the potential feelings Edgar has for Lindsay, and he drops by with breakfast lasagna to find her in her garage, drinking apple cider in her wedding dress. So much for “assing everything”. An Edgar-Lindsay coupling would scream of “Pairing the Spares”, but Desmin Borges and Kether Donohue have enough on-screen chemistry that this wouldn’t be completely cringeworthy. A nice moment wherein Edgar helps Lindsay to pack away the rest of Paul’s stuff in an effort to move on is tainted slightly by the discovery and freezing of a used condom, but we’ll see what will be made of this sticky situation (pun intended). 

All in all, it’s nice to see the vision Stephen Falk has for You’re The Worst. The show has lost none of this caustic charm, while sowing seeds for greater story developments that I can’t wait to see. 

Delta Spirit Discuss Unorthodox Instruments, Writing in a Rat-Infested Rehearsal Space

Amidst the heat and crowds of Chicago's flagship festival, Lollapalooza, I got the chance to sit down in the shade with Californian rockers Delta Spirit as part of GRAMMY Pro's series of interviews with some of the top acts to perform this year.

Watch below as bassist Jon Jameson and vocalist Matt Vasquez discuss their most recent record, 2014's Into The Wide, the evolution of their live shows, and writing in a flooded, rat-infested rehearsal space.

Into The Wide is out now via Dualtone Records.

Youth Lagoon Gets Bitter In Third Single, "Rotten Human"

Trevor Powers, AKA Youth Lagoon, continues the rollout of his forthcoming third record Savage Hills Ballroom with "Rotten Human," his bitter third single behind "Highway Patrol Stun Gun" and "The Knower."

Showcasing increasingly dynamic and vulnerable vocals juxtaposed with a still introspective yet more unwavering drive, Youth Lagoon has newfound conviction but is still just as dissatisfied, itching to set the record straight over a cruising tide of dark melodies.

When asked what the new song means to him, Powers told Nerdist,

“Throughout the process of writing this album—about two years—I’ve gone on this spiritual journey to learn more about myself and my faults and all this stuff that I’ve tended ignore for a really long time. It’s so much easier to go through each day and forget the previous day or forget the hurtful things you said to someone or whatever it might be, just the shitty parts of your life. This song is addressing that. It’s really examining what it is that makes me who I am, and what parts of that are disgusting.”

"You are the habit I couldn't break," Powers laments later on in the track. As excited as we are for the new LP, I think we could say the same about him.

"Savage Hills Ballroom" in stores September 25, 2015 iTunes: http://smarturl.it/ylshb LP/CD: http://smarturl.it/YLSHB-preorder

Savage Hills Ballroom is out September 25th via Fat Possum. Check out Youth Lagoon's tour dates here.

Majical Cloudz Doesn't Blink Once In "Silver Car Crash" and It's Lovely

Majical Cloudz's new music video for "Silver Car Crash," the first single from his forthcoming sophomore album Are You Alone?, is a playfully off-putting and genuine little black-and-white journey with Devon Welsh as he balances on a railroad track and stares directly into your soul.

Earnest and simple, it eschews the grand production of moving masterpieces "Childhood's End" and "Bugs Don't Buzz," more resembling the DIY charm of "Savage," all without one. single. blink.

Are You Alone? is out October 16 via Matador.

Foals Elevate Power and Control on 'What Went Down'

Foals’ reputation as one of the best live acts of the current generation should by no means detract from their recorded efforts; what is kinetic energy on stage drips and pulses through the grooves of both the vinyl and the music itself. Even their spinning wax can elicit more rapture than many live acts today, still you can’t help but feel What Went Down is the best advertisement for an impending tour a band could hope for.

Absolutely massacring the starting gate with the title track, guitarist and vocalist Yannis Philippakis and co. conquest straight through the heavier territories they had only previously visited with “Inhaler.” Complete with cover art evoking the horror movie style of The Ring, it’s a downright animalist and violent first impression. Recorded in the same village in the south of France where, according to the press release, "Van Gogh was hospitalised after savaging his own ear,” you have to wonder if there's something in the water; “What Went Down” savages your ears just the same, one steamrolling riff and punchy howl at a time. Philippakis claims to have "buried his heart in a pit in the south,” and if he’s truly left part of himself in that soil we can only imagine what will grow out of it next.

In terms of the track listing it's quickly revealed what follows, however. “I drive my car without the breaks,” Philippakis recklessly informs in the radio ready yet earnest “Mountain At My Gates,” but with the way he expertly steers through the hazardous path you can enjoy the throttling ride. "Birch Tree” then implores “Meet me by the river / See how time flows,” nodding to the evolution of the Oxfordshire rockers’ discographical transition. 

“The city I was born in / Left a long time ago,” he recalls over jumpy guitar reminiscent of “Total Life Forever.” Having come far from their mathy and youthful debut Antidotes to the angsty, self-exploratory sprawl of Total Life Forever, Foals breakout album was arguably 2013’s Holy Fire on which they honed their seeping vulnerability and visceral guitar hooks into a full-bodied masterpiece. That veteran professionalism expands on their newest LP, and while its newfound comfort verges on the slippery slope to arena rock at times it never falls prey to the completely jaded polish of rock stars past their prime. The scent of blood and the hunger that drives them towards it is still there, even if it’s smeared across Philippakis own face now post-fistfight. Aggressive, confident, and tight, they’ve unabashedly taken "over your town;” no longer looking for space, Foals have found it and are asserting dominance over it.

It may be the fullest sounding record they’ve made, but with this increase in depth comes the least dynamism they’ve exhibited in a while, slowing down from then on to hit a bit of a midrange that consumes the majority of the record. “Give It All” explores a hint of oriental melodies behind its unequivocally English breakup lament “But you’re there by the tube stop in the freezing rain / You caught the bus and I caught the train / All that remains are words in the rain,” while “Albatross” carefully ascends like a more bombastic Coldplay. This lull is still just "the shade of a thunder cloud,” though, as the smooth sailing soon thrusts us over the rocky rapids adorning a sheer cliff-face, leaving us to hold on for dear life.

Unlike the name suggests, “Snake Oil” is the real deal, giving What Went Down its second peak to rival the high-flying opening. Rumbling along before lashing out venomously, “Snake Oil” is an earthquake in a hurricane and it takes hold of you with a most raucous and primal eruption of adrenaline, leaving you longing for that date circled on your calendar when Philippakis can smash it into your face in person. With lyrical moments of classic pop platitude like "You cast a spell that keeps me wired / Keeps me red, keeps me on fire,” it’s not the deepest of sentiments in Foals’ repertoire, but it’s one of the most boldly presented, and with a body like that, who cares?

From “Night Swimmers” superb afrobeat drive to the vaguely twisted-Lorde sway of "London Thunder”’s emotional self-awareness, the sea storm then settles to gently lapping waves with “A Knife In The Ocean”'s rolling takeoff into a restless end.

So what went down? A turntable stylus, a hapless swimmer, and 49 minutes of unadulterated power that never seems heavy handed, valleys that never seem lazy, and, if you’re lucky enough to be there, Philippakis himself as his body leaves the stage and lands on top of you.

What Went Down is available now via Warner Music. You can buy it here.

A Look Back: Uncle Kracker First Asked Us To Follow Him 15 Years Ago

Anyone with ears can attest to the brilliance that is Matthew Shafer’s voice.

Shafer, or Uncle Kracker for you simpletons, was fresh and unknown until that day that will forever be remembered in history, the day on which he released what is now considered the greatest album to ever be heard. June 30th of the year 2000 marked the world’s first impression of Uncle Kracker with the instant classic, Double Wide.

Double Wide peaked at Number 7 on the Billboard Top 200, but will forever be remembered as Number 1 to his musical nieces and nephews. With a lineup consisting of no one that matters other than Kid Rock and our avuncular caucasian hero himself, they slowly rapped/rocked their way into our ears, and straight through to our hearts.

Uncle Kracker's music: so good its soundwaves are visible

Album highlight, “Follow Me,” was my idea of the ideal smooth-talker’s anthem. The song, which has undertones of excessive drug use and cheating on a spouse, was the big hit of the summer and was the first three tracks on my summer 2001 mixtape. Seven-year-old Jonathan learned every single word and would recite them upon request or any time he felt like it.

“Follow me everything is alright,
I’ll be the one to tuck you in at night,
And if you want to leave I can guarantee,
You won’t find nobody else like me.”

Beautiful. Just hearing it now gives me shivers. Cockiness with just the slightest tone of comfort. That is exactly how I wanted Michelle Duncan in my 3rd grade class to feel as I sat her down and stared into her eyes, mouthing along the words to the song. Was she uncomfortable? No, she loved it. Besides, all the weird undertones (or blatant tones) went right over our heads.

We all thought the song was comparable to things like “I Want it That Way” or other classic Backstreet Boys hits like, “I’ll Be the One” or “I Need You Tonight.” We didn’t want to know what types of drugs Kid Rock and Uncle K were lighting up to when they were recording it, all we cared about was that little three minutes and thirty-five seconds we could share while she sat on the swing at recess listening to the song through my portable CD player. (Remember those?) Luckily for her, once the song ended, she got to enjoy it two more times.

Michelle wasn’t the only one that got the “Follow Me” love. Rembold family, remember our American Idol night? Remember how I made it through four rounds singing the same song every time? The reason I get so specific with these examples is because I know everyone shares one thing in life: We all love Uncle Kracker, specifically “Follow Me.” The names and faces are different, but the experiences are universal.

Is he the strongest performer? Absolutely. Do his lyrics imply that he cheated on his wife (who was his childhood sweetheart) while he was probably coked out of his mind? Definitely. Does that mean we can’t enjoy this masterpiece that is the defining song of the 2000s? The biggest no. There isn’t a day that goes by without me humming along to the iconic guitar riff. Dun-dun dun dun dun dun dun dun, dun dun, dun-dun dun dun dun dun dun dun. duun dun. So great.

M. Night Shyamalan Returns to Form in Horror-Comedy 'The Visit'

Academy Award-nominated screenwriter and director M. Night Shyamalan became an overnight phenomenon following the debut of his third feature, The Sixth Sense. To this day, any and all advertisements for his movies will feature the words, “From the writer and director of The Sixth Sense.” Following up on it proved simple for Shyamalan, releasing two more films that received similar acclaim, Unbreakable in 2000 and Signs in 2002, yet in the 13 years that have passed, he has (arguably) not made nor been involved in a single film reaching anywhere near the success of those three. (The Village has its defenders, but I am not one of them).

That is, at least, until now.

Shyamalan’s latest work, The Visit, is a found-footage horror-comedy about two young children who go to meet their estranged grandparents on a weeklong trip. The film starts off in an interview with the Mom (Kathryn Hahn), who has not spoken to her parents in 15 year following a massive falling out due to her relationship with an older man. 10 years later, the man leaves her with their two children, Rebecca (Olivia De Jonge) and Tyler (Ed Oxenbould). Mom has a new boyfriend, and he decides to take her on a cruise, so, after a seemingly spontaneous invitation, the kids decide to make the trip to Nana (Deanna Dunagan) and Pop-pop’s (Peter McRobbie).

But there’s something a little off about grandma and grandpa. No one is allowed in the basement, nor out of their rooms after 9:30 PM. When the kids decide the break curfew, they find that grandma sleepwalks at night and vomits everywhere. She makes strange noises and claws at the walls. When the kids come clean to grandpa, he writes it off as her just being an old lady. 

Unfortunately, grandpa’s not a shining example of normalcy either. One day, taking the kids into town, he gets paranoid and attacks a stranger. The kids call their mother and explain what’s going on. Mom says they’re just old.

Figures.

There’s one scene that stands out among the rest in this movie in terms of both horror and humor and effortlessly blending them. The kids are playing hide and seek in the crawl space beneath the house. We switch between their POVs throughout, and as one is being terrorized, we may cut back to the other, who has no idea what is going on. It’s a great scene that really showcases the directorial skill of Shyamalan. 

The Visit's script is an absolute return to form for Shyamalan, delivering what is easily his best work since The Sixth Sense, complete with fittingly outstanding performances. Oxenbould is especially notable, for giving a believable and hilarious performance, while De Jonge pulls us in as a young aspiring filmmaker who wants to stay ethical and true to her creative vision. Dunagan, however, is the true star of the movie, putting in a captivating, haunting, and profoundly entertaining performance, with McRobbie's character being off-putting throughout, coming up with half-baked explanations for the strange goings-on at the house.

Pay no attention to the trailers for this one. Remember in 2012 when Drew Godard’s horror-comedy masterpiece The Cabin In The Woods was about to be released? Or Adam Wingard’s 2013 You're Next? The trailers we got made it seem as if they were straight-up slasher flicks. Going into the theaters to actually see them proved disappointing for many, as what they ended up getting were dark comedies. This is a very similar situation to the campaign for The Visit. The trailer tries to sell the movie as something that will terrify you, but the truth is you will be laughing a lot more than jumping.

This movie is scary when it’s supposed to be, and it’s funny when it’s supposed to be. The Visit is M. Night Shyamalan’s first step toward a massive comeback. Here’s hoping he can keep it up.