As the world collectively commiserates to figure out where we go from here, Impose’s Week in Pop remains steadfast in supplying art & inspiration beyond borders & the petty politics of self-important/self-inflated demagogues. With a host of breaking world exclusives to present, we first deliver your rundown of top stories with news that Beyoncé expressed her support for the Women’s March on Washington taking place tomorrow, January 21; watch Blood Orange perform at the Boiler Room Weekender at Pennsylvania’s Poconos Mountains that was shut down by the authorities; CocoRosie dropped the anti-Trump track “Smoke ‘em Out” featuring ANOHNI with word of an upcoming album; Fiona Apple dropped her own anti-Trump track with “Tiny Hands”; Audioslave reuniting for the Anti-Inaugural Ball; Waka Flocka Flame displayed his own form of protest at the Georgia Theatre in Athens; Young Thug dropped the Pomp&Clout video for “Wyclef Jean” off JEFFERY & dropped the video for “Guwop” ft. Migos; Pile announced the new album A Hairshirt of Purpose available March 31 from Exploding in Sound & dropped “Texas” with an upcoming spring tour running from April 2 through May 14; J. Cole dropped “High for Hours”; PVT announced the album New Spirit available February 17 from felte & cast a light on matters of cultural intolerance via the single “Another Life”; Dan Deacon to score the New York City Ballet’s The Times Are Racing featuring choreography from Justin Peck debuting January 26 at the Lincoln Center’s David H. Koch Theater & talked to Andrew W.K.; The Internet’s own Matt Martians announced the debut solo album The Drum Chord Theory (ft. Syd that Kyd, Steve Lacy, production by Tyler, the Creator & more) available January 27 & dropped “Diamond in da Ruff”; Dirty Projectors announced their new self-titled album available February 24 from Domino & dropped “Up in Hudson”; a l l i e dropped “Wildcat” off Young Art Sound, a compilation from TOKiMONSTA’s label; LCD Soundsystem album update; Kelly Lee Owens announced the self-titled debut album available March 24 from Smalltown Supersound & dropped “Anxi” ft. Jenny Hval; Diamanda Galás announced the new albums All The Way & At Saint Thomas the Apostle Harlem & dropped “All The Way” & “O Death“; Conor Oberst announced Salutations available March 17 from Nonesuch & dropped “Tachycardia”; Sigur Rós announced an open casting call for Los Angeles based fans; Rae Sremmurd dropped a weather report on French television; Mega Bog’s Erin Birgy dropped “Diznee” off the new album Happy Together available February 3 from Nicey Music; Big Sean dropped “Halfway Off the Balcony” off I Decided available February 3; John Dwyer’s Damaged Bug announced the new album Bunker Funk available March 10 from Castle Face Records & dropped the track “Bog Dash”; Los Campesinos! dropped “5 Flucloxacillin” off the upcoming album Sick Scenes available February 24 from Wichita Recordings, & touring in February/March; Bonobo dropped the Oscar Hudson video for “No Reason” ft. Nick Murphy, fka Chet Faker; Fleet Foxes’ Robin Pecknold covered Curtis Mayfield’s “The Makings of You” & album updates; Arcade Fire returned with “I Give You Power” ft. Mavis Staples; Charli XCX x Kyary Pamyu Pamyu dropped the Japanese DJ Yasutaka Nakata track “Crazy Crazy”; Willow Smith covered Joanna Newsom’s “The Book of Right-On”; Nick Cave & Warren Ellis are scoring the movie Wind River; Parquet Courts dropped the video for “Outside” & a 360 degree performance video as well; Ty Segall’s new self-titled album will be available January 27 from Drag City & dropped “Break a Guitar”; Chairlift’s Caroline Polachek’s dropped her first solo release with the instrumental album Drawing The Target Around The Arrow; Ryan Adams dropped “Doomsday” off the new album Prisoner available February 17 with word of tour; Joey Bada$$ dropped “Land of the Free” off the upcoming album AABA; Gorillaz dropped “Hallelulah Money” ft. Benjamin Clementine; 2 Chainz dropped the video “Good Drank” ft. Gucci Mane, Quavo; Angel Olsen dropped “Fly On Your Wall” off Our First 100 Days; Spoon dropped “Hot Thoughts” off the upcoming album of the same name; Tidal launched “Track Edit”; Flying Lotus to curate this year’s Sled Island Music and Arts Festival on June 24 & dropped the first trailer for his film Kuso premiering tomorrow, January 21 at Sundance; Tupac Shakur biopic All Eyez on Me drops June 16; Radiohead announced March & April US dates; John Lydon announced Mr Rotten’s Songbook; 59th Annual Grammy Awards hyped for February 12; Skrillex & the Culture Abuse cover art kerfuffle; Run the Jewels dropped EU/UK tour dates; George Harrison – The Vinyl Collection box set will be available February 21; we applaud the commuted presence sentence of Chelsea Manning, courtesy of Barack Obama; iLoveMakonnen announced “I’m gay”; Sufjan Stevents talked Ten Commandments & more; Nick Soulsby’s upcoming We Sing a New Language: The Oral Discography of Thurston Moore available March 13 from Omnibus Press; an alleged restraining order has been filed against Eagles of Death Metal’s Jesse Hughes by a former friend; Paul McCartney versus Sony/ATV Music Publishing to re-assert & reclaim copyright ownership of the Beatles’ catalog; Istanbul record store Velvet Indieground that was attacked by extremists during a Radiohead listening party to close indefinitely; BPM Festival turned deadly; we mourn the loss of Mark Fisher; & lament the passing of Nigeria’s synth pop maven William Onyeabor.
As we look forward to brighter days ahead, it is our pleasure & privilege to present the following exclusives, interviews & insights from Future Twin, Hooveriii, Joe Gorgeous, Trace, Two Moons, Lushlife, Bryson Cone, Fast Romantics, featuring guest selections by Austra & more—in no particular order.
