Wednesday Music News

• of Montreal stopped by Comedy Central's new satirical right-wing talking-head show The Opposition with Jordan Klepper last night to perform two songs off their recently released album, White Is Relic/Irrealis Mood. Dressed in drag, frontman Kevin Barnes chose "Soft Music/Juno Portraits of the Jovian Sky" to perform on-air and "Paranoiac Intervals/Body Dysmorphia" for the web-exclusive performance. The band is kicking off their US tour this Thursday and will find their way to Seattle on Tuesday, May 1 to play Neumos. [ Under the Radar ]

• Hot Chip founding member/lead vocalist Alexis Taylor is releasing a new solo album called Beautiful Thing this Spring. He's previously shared the title track off the album and today he's followed that up with the second single, "Oh Baby." The song comes accompanied by a cute video by Simon Owens, in which Taylor's eyes pop off his face and go on an adventure of their own before returning safely to the head they belong to. Alongside the video release, Taylor has announced a North American tour, which includes a stop in Seattle at Barboza on Tuesday, June 12. Beautiful Thing is out April 20 via Domino. [ BrooklynVegan ]

• Garage-rocker Kyle Thomas is releasing a new King Tuff record next month called The Other, which based on the singles released so far, sees him going in a very new direction. Thomas has previously shared "The Other," "Psycho Star," and "Raindrop Blues," and today another one has been unveiled entitled "Thru the Cracks." It features Jenny Lewis and Springtime Carnivore's Greta Morgan on backing vocals, while the lyrics speak of suicide. Thomas said this of the song: "About two years ago I lost a good friend to suicide...I had this song laying around for 7 years or so, but sadly it wasn’t until he was gone that it came into focus and I realized what it was all about. It’s one of my favorites I’ve ever written, and one of the truest. And it all comes back again to this thing, the Other. Maybe death is just a passageway to something else. Maybe in death we finally, once and for all, join the Other. I dunno, but I think Jeremiah is probably hanging out on the metaphysical stoop right now with none other than the Other itself. Wherever you are, I’m singing to you." The Other is out April 13 via Sub Pop. [ Consequence of Sound ]

• Speedy Ortiz have shared the second single their forthcoming third studio album Twerp Verse, "Lean In When I Suffer." The song follows lead single "Lucky 88" and comes with a colorful video from director Ari Ratner. Frontwoman Sadie Dupuis explains the song: " 'Lean In When I Suffer” is about that fun breed of 'ally' who wears out their already exhausted friends by relying on us for excessive emotional labor. They want props for their wokeness, but don’t want to put in any actual work or divest themselves of power." Ratner exemplified this in the video via a group of clowns who call themselves The Happiness Consultants, and give typical ineffective suggestions people tend to give to someone battling depression such as “choose happiness,” “try yoga," "others have it worse than you," or “just smile.” Twerp Verse is out April 27 via Carpark. Speedy Ortiz will play the Vera Project on Wednesday, June 13. [ Paste ]

• British experimental duo Let's Eat Grandma returned last month with a single called "Hot Pink," that showed a departure from the folk-experimental of their debut album I, Gemini towards a synth electropop sound courtesy of producer SOPHIE. Today, the teenage duo have announced their sophomore album I'm All Ears, to be released this summer. They've also shared the second single, "Falling Into Me," a climactic textural club jam that seems like a surefire hit. Rosa Walton, of the band, said of the song: “It’s about getting to know someone and getting over your fears about feeling insecure,” while Jenny Hollingsworth explained it as: “Some of the lyrics reference being in control as a woman in a romantic relationship, and being the one to initiate,” Hollingsworth said. “It’s the importance of if you feel something, tell them. Because you don’t know what’s going to happen in life, you might as well just do it.” I'm All Ears is out June 29 via Transgressive. [ Pitchfork ]