Courtney Barnett wins Australian Music Prize

Courtney Barnett has won the Australian Music Prize, an annual award that is given to an album made by an Australian artist. Her album Sometimes I Sit and Think and Sometimes I Just Sit came out on top, beating out Tame Impala and Royal Headache, and others. She was given the award by Henry Rollins, and she will take home $30,000 Australian ($22,450).

“I respect so many Australian artists so to be picked as the one that wins is pretty amazing,” she told the audience, according to Triple J. “Plus, I’ve never had a novelty cheque before – I’m a bit nervous to hold it. One thing I like about this award, it’s judged on the art and the music and it’s not on sales or other boring shit like that; so thanks.”

Record Store Day 2016 announces release list

Record Store Day will return on April 16th. The list of releases available at independent record stores exclusively that day was announced today. Find the full list here for the U.S. and here for the UK. Artists like David Bowie, Run the Jewels, the Weeknd, Outkast, J Dilla, Mac DeMarco, Bob Dylan, Chvrches, the Flaming Lips, Jay Reatard, the Shaggs, Big Star, Fleetwood Mac, Foals, Best Coast, Jason Molina, and many more are included. Here are a few of the highlights of what is coming out:

David Bowie reissues of “TVC 15” and “The Man Who Sold the World” on picture disc, and the 50th anniversary release of his singles, I Dig Everything – The Pye Years 1966
A 16-track album of Mac DeMarco demos, Another (Demo) One, which were in his bedroom
Unheard songs by the Shaggs on a 7″, “Sweet Maria” b/w “The Missouri Waltz (Missouri State Song)”
J Dilla’s long-lost vocal album The Diary
Big Star’s reunion show Complete Columbia: Live at Missouri University 4/25/93, on double-LP
Patti Smith’s Horses Live Electric Lady Studios, a live version of the classic album, recorded last year in the same studio
The Weeknd’s The Hills Remixes, which features Eminem and Nicki Minaj
Run the Jewels’ own virtual reality viewer (for watching their “Crown” VR video, which is coming soon)
Metz and Mission of Burma cover one another on “Good Not Great” b/w “Get Off,” available on starburst 7″
Florence + the Machine’s “Delilah / Only Love Can Break Your Heart,” which has studio and demo versions of “Delilah” alongside the Neil Young cover
Outkast’s “Elevators (Me & You),” reissued as a “glow-in-the-dark alien vinyl” for the 20th anniversary of ATLiens
The Feelies’ Uncovered, which features covers of Bob Dylan, Neil Young, the Doors, Patti Smith, and more
Fleetwood Mac’s (Alternative) Tusk, that features the alternative version of the album on double-LP
A 7″ including new songs from Mazzy Star’s Hope Sandoval
Best Coast’s “Late 20s” b/w “Bigger Man” 7″, including two previously unreleased B-sides
Chvrches’ Every Open Eye Remix EP, including takes on the song by Four Tet and others
Low/S. Carey’s 10″ single “Not a Word” b/w “I Won’t Let You,” including two exclusive seven-minute collaborations
The Flaming Lips’ alternate mix for Cloud Tastes Metallic, which also includes an accompanying comic written and illustrated by Wayne Coyne, and an 8xLP albums boxset called Heady Nuggs Vol.II Studio Albums 2006 – 2012
Jay Reatard’s Blood Visions 10th anniversary reissue on red vinyl, with a bonus demos 7″
A Bob Dylan EP called Melancholy Mood backed by four tracks from his upcoming Fallen Angels album
Husker Du’s “In A Free Land” with the long out-of-print 1982 single to 7″
A 7″ featuring Townes Van Zandt covers by the late Jason Molina
Death Cab for Cutie’s “Tractor Rape Chain”/”Black Sun,” two live tracks that also includes a Guided by Voices cover
The Runaways’ single “Right Now/Black Leather” reissued on cherry-red vinyl
Lush’s five album reissues in the Origami boxset
New York performances by Sun Ra and His Arkestra, recorded in 1966 and ’68, on colored vinyl
Foals’ “Rain” 7″ backed by a cover of Mark Ronson and Kevin Parker’s “Daffodils”

Fleet Foxes’ Robin Pecknold joins Joanna Newsom for “On a Good Day”

Robin Pecknold from Fleet Foxes is currently opening on tour for Joanna Newsom while she supports her 2015 album, Divers. Last week, at a show in Dublin, Pecknold joined Newsom for a version of Newsom’s “On a Good Day.” Watch the video below, via Consequence of Sound. Also, check out the pair’s upcoming tour dates below. Pecknold has previously covered the Have One on Me song when he toured with Newsom in 2010.

Joanna Newsom and Robin Pecknold:

03-25 Los Angeles, CA – Orpheum Theatre
03-26 Los Angeles, CA – Orpheum Theatre
03-27 Oakland, CA – Fox Theater
03-28 Portland, OR – Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall
03-29 Seattle, WA – Paramount Theatre
03-30 Vancouver, British Columbia – Vogue Theatre
03-31 Spokane, WA – Bing Crosby Theater
04-01 Boise, ID – Egyptian Theatre
04-02 Salt Lake City, UT – The Depot
04-03 Boulder, CO – Boulder Theater
04-05 Sacramento, CA – Crest Theatre
04-06 Big Sur, CA – Henry Miller Library

The Melodic Tree’s Weekly Playlist

1. When the Season Ends – Hibou

2. Snack Attack – A Great Big Pile of Leaves

3. Every Night You’ve Got To Save Me – Mass Gothic

4. Bitter – Palace

5. So Sad, So Sad – Varsity

6. Mock Origami – Matthew and the Arrogant Sea

7. Prozac & Merlot – The Sea Life

8. Devil Like Me – Rainbow Kitten Surprise

9. Robotic – Hannah Georgas

10. Holy Toledo – Vundabar

11. jake – keep it together – Josh Hodges

12. Boy in Blue – The Eastern Sea

13. I’m Not Crying. You’re Not Crying – Deer and the Headlights

14. Turnstile – Lionlimb

15. Be Apart – Porches

16. Cinnamon – Palehound

17. Pariquel – Peter Cat Recording Co.

18. Old & Gray – Maps & Atlases

19. Loro – Pinback

20. Anecdote – Ambulence LTD

Watch The Who perform “Who Are You” on Fallon

The Who performed on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon last night to promote their The Who Hits 50! Anniversary Tour, which marks their first appearance on American late-night TV since their 2006 Letterman performance (and their first full-band performance since their appearance in 1967 on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour). The band played the full seven minutes of their classic “Who Are You.” Watch here. Watch their last full-band explosive performance from The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour below.

New Elliott Smith tribute album will feature J. Mascis, Lou Barlow, Sun Kil Moon, more

Many of indie’s music’s greatest are paying homage to Elliott Smith with a new tribute album on October 14th.

Named Say Yes! A Tribute to Elliott Smith, the 15-track album features artists like J. Mascis,Waxahatchee, Lou Barlow, Juliana Hatfield, and Yuck take on songs from all over the late singer-songwriter’s discography. The American Laundromat Records release will also feature a collaborative cover of “Condor Avenue” by Jesu and Sun Kil Moon. The is artwork above.

Check out Hatfield’s cover of “Needle in the Hay” below. The track is the only non-exclusive cover on Say Yes!.

For more information on Say Yes!, including pre-order bundles with CD, LP, cassette, and digital formats, go here.

Last month, the soundtrack to Smith documentary Heaven Adores You had hit stores, featuring by previously unheard demos and rarities.

Say Yes! A Tribute to Elliott Smith Tracklist (alphabetized by song):
01. Waxahatchee – “Angeles”
02. Julien Baker – “Ballad Of Big Nothing”
03. Tanya Donelly – “Between The Bars”
04. Yuck – “Bled White”
05. Jesu/Sun Kil Moon – “Condor Ave”
06. Lou Barlow – “Division Day”
07. Wild Sun – “Easy Way Out”
08. Tomo Nakayama – “Miss Misery”
09. Juliana Hatfield – “Needle In The Hay”
10. Caroline Says – “No Name #3”
11. Adam Franklin – “Oh Well, Okay”
12. Amanda Palmer – “Pictures Of Me”
13. William Fitzsimmons – “Say Yes”
14. Escondido – “Waltz #1”
15. J. Mascis – “Waltz #2”

Santigold performs “Can’t Get Enough of Myself” on “The Tonight Show”

Santigold performed her 99¢ single “Can’t Get Enough of Myself” last night on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.” She wore a dress that had her own face on it and was joined by two back-up dancers. Watch it here.

Santigold tour dates:

03-21 Houston, TX – House of Blues
03-22 Dallas, TX – House of Blues
03-24 Denver, CO – Ogden Theatre
03-26 Salt Lake City, UT – In the Venue
03-28 Tempe, AZ – The Marquee Theatre
03-29 San Diego, CA – House of Blues
03-31 Los Angeles, CA – Hollywood Palladium
04-02 Las Vegas, NV – The Foundry Hall
04-03 Anaheim, CA – House of Blues
04-04 San Francisco, CA – The Masonic
04-06 Portland, OR – Wonder Ballroom
04-09 Seattle, WA – Neptune Theatre
04-11 Vancouver, British Columbia – Vogue Theatre
04-13 Calgary, Alberta – Flames Central
04-16 Minneapolis, MN – Mill City Nights
04-17 Chicago, IL – Concord Music Hall
04-19 Cleveland, OH – House of Blues
04-20 Columbus, OH – Newport Music Hall
04-22 Nashville, TN – Marathon Music Works
04-23 Charlotte, NC – The Fillmore Charlotte
04-25 Tampa, FL – The Ritz Ybor
04-26 Fort Lauderdale, FL – Revolution Live
04-28 Atlanta, GA – The Tabernacle
04-30 New York – NY – Hammerstein Ballroom
05-01 Philadelphia, PA – Theatre of the Living Arts
05-03 Boston, MA – House of Blues
05-04 Baltimore, MD – Baltimore Soundstage
05-06 Silver Spring, MD – The Fillmore – Silver Springs

Mitski announces new album, Puberty 2, releases lead single “Your Best American Girl”

Today, the Brooklyn rock artist, Mitski, has announced the follow-up to her debut Bury Me At Make Out Creek named, Puberty 2, which due out June 17th throughDead Oceans.

According to the press release, Puberty 2 shows the artist born as Mitski Miyawaki exploring how happiness can be virtually as damaging as sadness. “When you realize you can’t have one without the other, it’s possible to spend periods of happiness just waiting for that other wave,” she explains. Considered “kind of a two parter” with its predecessor, the record has a similar vibe to the previous one. “I had a certain confidence this time,” Mitski says. “I knew what I wanted, knew what I was doing and wasn’t afraid to do things that some people may not like.”

You can hear that on lead single “Your Best American Girl.”

Take a listen below.

Pubert 2 Artwork:

mitski puberty 2

Puberty 2 Tracklist:
01. Happy
02. Dan the Dancer
03. Once More to See You
04. Fireworks
05. Your Best American Girl
06. I Bet on Losing Dogs
07. My Body’s Made of Crushed Little Stars
08. Thursday Girl
09. A Loving Feeling
10. Crack Baby
11. A Burning Hill

Mitski has also announced an extensive leg of North American and European tour dates in support of Puberty 2.

Mitski 2016 Tour Dates:
03/12 – McAllen, TX @ Galax Z Fair V at Yerberia (South by Southwest)
03/16 – Austin, TX @ Hype Hotel – YVYNYL x S&S x Hype Machine (South by Southwest)
03/17 – Austin, TX @ Barracuda – Secretly Group & Friends (South by Southwest)
03/18 – Austin, TX @ PEN – Portals SXSW 2016 (South by Southwest)
03/18 – Austin, TX @ Hole in the Wall – Stereogum x Exploding In Sound’s Austin Invasion 2 (South by Southwest)
03/19 – Austin, TX @ Studium – She Shreds x Punctum Records Presents (South by Southwest)
04/17 – Brussels, BE @ Ancienne Belgique (solo show)
04/19 – London, UK @ Birthdays (solo show)
04/21 – Paris, FR @ La Mécanique Ondulatoire (solo show)
04/23 – Amsterdam, NL @ Paradiso Basement (solo show)
06/20 – New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom
06/22 – Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall
06/23 – Philadelphia, PA @ Boot & Saddle
06/24 – Philadelphia, PA @ PhilaMOCA
06/25 – Washington, DC @ Rock & Roll Hotel
06/26 – Durham, NC @ The Pinhook
06/28 – Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade: Purgatory
06/29 – Birmingham, AL @ The Syndicate Lounge
07/01 – Houston, TX @ Walter’s Downtown
07/02 – Austin, TX @ The Sidewinder
07/03 – Dallas, TX @ Three Links
07/05 – Phoenix, AZ @ The Rebel Lounge
07/06 – Santa Ana, CA @ The Constellation Room
07/07 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Echo
07/08 – San Francisco, CA @ Bottom Of The Hill
07/09 – Oakland, CA @ Starline Social Club
07/11 – Portland, OR @ Analog Theater
07/12 – Vancouver, BC @ The Cobalt
07/13 – Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile
07/15 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court
07/16 – Denver, CO @ Larimer Lounge
07/19 – Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry
07/20 – Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall
07/22 – Toronto, ON @ Horseshoe Tavern
07/23 – Montreal, QC @ Bar Le Ritz

Free Press Summer Fest reveals 2016 lineup

Free Press Summer Fest have announced its 2016 lineup. The two-day music festival will take place June 4th – 5th at Eleanor Tinsley Park in Houston, Texas.

The lineup features The National, Modest Mouse, Refused, Jamie xx, Mac DeMarco, Built to Spill, Big Grams (Big Boi and Phantogram), ASAP Ferg, Against Me!, Thee Oh Sees, and The Black Angels

Also playing are deadmau5, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Leon Bridges, Young the Giant, Big Giantic, Gogol Bordello, Matt and Kim, Violent Femmes, Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls, San Fermin, Matthew Logan Vasquez, Chicano Batman, White Denim, BØRNS, and more.

Single-day and two-day tickets are on sale now.