Touring with the likes of Ryan Adams, Father John Misty, The Strokes, and Bob Dylan, he was even invited to create new music by Stanley Kubrick's estate.
But then earlier this year he went missing. Emerging from the Mojave desert with a new set of artistic boundaries, Kieran immediately went to work.
Saint Leonard's Horses is the result. A full length album is forthcoming on Xtra Mile, with new single 'Rise Up' leading the way.
Kieran comments: "The journey of this record so far has taken me from a gothic church on the moors of Yorkshire, to the Hollywood Hills, to a remote cabin in Nashville and ultimately to Stanley Kubrick's estate..."
Out on May 13th, Pirate Radio is able to premiere the video for 'Rise Up'. A fiercely original return, you can check it out below.
Berlin is a meeting point, a place for lost souls to gather.
It's where Schwarz Dont Crack met. Ahmad Larnes and Sebastian Kreis hail from New York and Southern Germany respectively, each searching for something new.
Pop with an artful gaze, the duo match electronic euphoria to an awareness of 90s R&B, applying a real sense of experimentation during the writing process.
A two-piece pop laboratory, Schwarz Dont Crack are now ready to unveil 'Getaway'. Strident, inventive, and wholly contagious, it's a synthesis of sound that results in something utterly beguiling.
The visuals are pretty damn stylish, too - check it out below.
Charlie Cunningham is extremely difficult to define.
In many ways, he sits in that amorphous genre known as 'folk' - there's an English influence, at times, alongside the percussive quality of Andalusian guitar work.
New EP 'Heights' continues the young artist's journey, and it's a brave, mature piece of writing.
Available digitally and as a limited edition 12 inch, the EP is preceded by new cut 'While You Are Young'.
A paean to the perpetual power of youth, it's a warning to grab life while you can.
Pirate Radio is able to premiere the poignant, bittersweet visuals - tune in below.
'Heights' is due to be released on April 8th. Pre-order on vinyl // digital.
A pop phenomenon, new album 'Liberman' makes no attempt to match her past - and instead veers towards the future.
The material was overseen by producer Steve Osborne, and finds the singer incorporating new elements while still remaining resolutely pop.
New cut 'Nothing Where Something Used To Be' is a case in point. Pirate Radio is able to premiere a Steve Osborne produced remix - which is actually the original version.
Confused? Let Vanessa explain.
“This is an interesting remix situation cause this version of the song was actually the first version. Steve and I experimented a lot while we were exploring the palette of what Liberman should be. We looked at this as an experiment and when we moved on to the next chunk of songs this version didn't fit on the album. I was doing my dance workout one day a couple months ago and this version of the song was way deep on a playlist and popped up. I really loved it but had forgotten about this attempt. I sent the song to my manager and he was like we gotta release this! So here we are.”
The Living Gods Of Haiti are something quite distinct.
Part art-project and part pop-endeavour, their sweeping, cinematic music is allied to a rich, intelligent sense of songwriting.
The Living Gods Of Haiti are currently working on a full studio album, but before then new EP 'Killing Lotus' is set to drop on April 29th.
Pirate Radio is able to premiere the accompanying visuals, and they're a striking insight into the project's unique world.
Rebekah explains: "With the video I wanted it to fully embrace the song's themes; explosive lust, primal desire, exposure, tenderness and awakening. Through it we follow the mesmeric attraction of two masked human forms representing the male and female parts of the self-pollinating Lotus flower. At the heart of this story is a potent desire, one expressed in movements that are deliberate, alluring, rhythmic and primal."
"The video actually features two separate dance formations. The first, celebratory, fast paced and rhythmic, is based on the traditional Indonesian 'saman' hand clap routine. Whilst the second is inspired by Zhang Jigang’s famous 'Dance Of A Thousand Hands'; "There are a thousand eyes on these hands which give great powers to observe the world."
Hunter As A Horse thrive on intrigue and suggestion.
The Berlin-based use use swathes of electronics to craft a unique sense of mystery, utilising folk elements within their songwriting for added darkness.
New EP 'The Two Magics Vol.1' drops on March 4th, part of a powerful two-segment album produced by techno artist Ewan Pearson.
'The Passenger' is the first hint of what to expect. Dark electronics trickle past, while the vocals have a near cinematic sense of melodrama.
French film director Lata Masud has shot the accompanying visuals - tune in first on Pirate Radio.
*THE SYNDICATE DOES NOT EXIST*
While Baroness's upcoming North American tour will find the Georgian metal act trying to recreate the sounds of their massive Purple album, a new music video for the record's sublime and hooky "Shock Me" is attempting to bring the record's cover art to life.
Co-directed by Don Tyler and the band's John Baizley, with art direction coming from Karen Jerzyk, the clip presents the sight of a woman whose dreams are being haunted by a lavender goddess.
The pair make their way through cracked-paint corridors, at times crowding around a piano. At one point, one woman is crouched nude beside a wheelchair-manned companion, with the composition seemingly alluding to Baizely's hyper-real illustrative work for the LP.
You can catch the video below, where you'll find an updated tour schedule. The band have announced supporting acts, which include Mutoid Man, Youth Code and Heiress on select dates.
Tour dates:
04/23 Mexico City, Mexico - Vive Latino Festival 04/29 Boston, MA - Royale # 04/30 Quebec City, QC - Le Ceree * 05/01 Montreal, QC - Corona Theatre * 05/03 Toronto, ON - The Opera House * 05/04 Syracuse, NY - The Lost Horizon # 05/06 Flint, MI - The Machine Shop # 05/07 Grand Rapids, MI - The Intersection # 05/08 Pittsburgh, PA - Mr. Smalls # 05/10 Cincinnati, OH - Taft Theatre (Ballroom) # 05/11 Columbus, OH - Newport Music Hall # 05/13 Atlanta, GA - Shaky Knees Festival 05/15 Nashville, TN - 3rd & Lindsley # 05/17 Madison, WI - The Majestic Theatre # 05/18 Des Moines, IA - Wooly's # 05/20 Colorado Springs, CO - The Black Sheep # 05/21 Denver, CO - Project Pabst Denver 05/23 Salt Lake City, UT - Urban Lounge # 05/24 Boise, ID - Knitting Factory # 05/26 Calgary, AB - Marquee $ 05/27 Edmonton, AB - Starlite Room $ 05/29 Vancouver, BC - Commodore Ballroom $ 05/30 Seattle, WA - Sasquatch Festival 05/31 Portland, OR - Wonder Ballroom # 06/02 San Francisco, CA - The Regency Ballroom # 06/03 Los Angeles, CA - The Fonda Theatre # 08/28 Las Vegas, NV - Psycho Las Vegas
# with Youth Code * with Mutoid Man $ with Heiress
*THE SYNDICATE DOES NOT EXIST*
Montreal beatmaker Kaytranada is shedding light on his forthcoming 99.9%release with a new, nocturnal music video for the record's "Glowed Up." Judging by some of the slithery patrons making their way through his neon-lit crib, some skin is shed as well.
The video starts with a crashed-out, headphones-wearing Kaytranada waking up from a nap to let a bunch of people into his minimally-furnished spot for a dance party. Rapper Anderson .Paak didn't quite make it on time, but he appears via a home video recording playing on a vintage TV.
As for the soundscape, the synth-slathered piece is cooler than a stack of dry ice, which is apparently in abundance at Kaytranada's abode.
Full of sandwiches, snakes and smashed lamps, the "Glowed Up" video can be streamed below.
As previously reported, 99.9% sees release May 6 via XL Recordings. It'll be supported with a hefty global tour schedule, which you'll find over here.
*THE SYNDICATE DOES NOT EXIST*
Male bonding: it's a hell of a drug. Norwegian metal crew Kvelertak are exploring the weirdness of friendship in the new video for their previously premiered "1985" single, which quickly escalates from ridiculous shenanigans to something especially sinister.
Scored by the track's mix of tiger-stripe-spandex hard-rock licks and fierce screams, the video finds a dude wandering back from his new apartment to a flophouse full of old friends.
Like a bunch of jackasses, they wrestle, have drunken pool parties and cherry-bomb junkyard commodes, but the brotherhood get into some bizarre routines the further the vid goes along. Fiery, naked rituals lead to a showdown at a socialite's dinner party that's just a shade less uncomfortable than the break-in scene from A Clockwork Orange.
Directed by Fredrik S. Hana, the extremes-pushing narrative can be found below. As for the song, it'll appear on Kvelertak's Nattesferd, which hits stores May 13 via Roadrunner Records.
Charlene Carasco was jailed for 12 monthsCharlene Carasco, 30, repeatedly contacted her former boyfriend on Whats App, begging him to pay cash into her bank account to fund her ransom.
A court heard cops were twice called to investigate the kidnapping but on both occasions found deceitful Carasco safe and well.
Her shocking lies were finally exposed when officers discovered the sex fiend did not exist.
Carasco was jailed for 12 months at Northampton Crown Court after pleading guilty to two counts of blackmail and one charge of fraud.
Sentencing, Judge Adrienne Lucking said: "Your contact with your ex-boyfriend triggered a large police enquiry and wasted police resources."
“The defendant said she owed a lot of money to a gangster who was holding her against her will”
Victoria Rose, prosecuting
The court heard Carasco met her ex via an online dating website in 2011 and they entered a relationship.
But the couple split in August 2013 and remained friends.
In the summer of 2014 Carasco asked her ex-boyfriend for small sums of money such as £10 or £20 to help pay her bills.
In January 2015, Carasco then contacted him again on WhatsApp asking if he could transfer a large amount of money to her bank account.
Victoria Rose, prosecuting, said: "The defendant said she owed a lot of money to a gangster who was holding her against her will.
"She said she had been locked in a car and was being taken to a cash machine to check if the money was in her account."
He then transferred £700 to her account, followed by another £300.
Carasco admitted the three charges she facedThe court heard Carasco contacted him again the next day and said she had been cut on her arm and claimed the gangster was doing "horrible things" to her.
Ms Rose added Carasco told her former partner the only way to stop her being assaulted was to transfer more money so he handed over another £300.
The ex-boyfriend then contacted cops who found Carasco at her home in Northampton and she told officers she had no idea why he had reported a kidnapping.
Scheming Carasco then contacted her ex-boyfriend ten days later and told him her wallet and bank card had been taken by a man called Sean who had demanded £1,500 be paid before she was released.
Ms Rose continued: "Carasco said Sean was threatening to physically hurt and sexually harm her and, if the money wasn't paid, would sell her to a man who would do disgusting things to her."
Carasco obtained a signifiant sum of cash off her exThe ex-boyfriend was told not to involve the police but to transfer the cash, the court was told.
Ms Rose said he spoke to Carasco on the phone and she was "crying saying 'I'm ok please send over the money'". The ex-lover then transferred over a further £300 and then rang the police.
Northamptonshire Police deployed several officers to find Carasco and she was eventually found at a family address.
She was arrested and officers discovered all the messages to her ex-boyfriend had been sent by Carasco and Sean did not exist.
The UK has a new Miss Transgender, after the country's original winner was stripped off her title.
Daisy Bell, who came second in last September's competition, had the surprise of her life after receiving a text message saying she would be crowned the the new winner.
The title originally belonged to Jai Latto.
Latto's crowning proved to be controversial, however, as a dispute later ensued in regards to whether she was in fact transgender.
New winner Daisy,41, is originally from the Philippines but moved to the UK in 2001. She said she was "excited" by her new status.
Latto had her title taken away for allegedly not living as a woman full time She said: "I am very excited and pleased to be the new winner of Miss Transgender UK.
"I was on holiday in Tenerife when I got the message to say I would be re-crowned.
"Since I was a child I have known that I wanted to be a full woman. The support from my family was important, especially from my mum, who was very supportive."
South Wales Echo
Daisy Bell has been given the crown instead
South Wales Echo
Daisy Bell is proud of her glamorous image
South Wales Echo
She was stripped of her Miss Transgender title
In the wake of Latto's win, a number of finalists complained she did not meet the criteria for the pageant.
An investigation was launched, leading officials to conclude Latto was not living as a woman "full-time."
According to the pageant's rules, any person identifying themselves as a transgender woman was eligible to participate in Miss Transgender UK 2015 on the understanding that they lived full time in their chosen gender.
Finalists were also only eligible to be considered for medical treatment for gender confirmation or feminisation surgery if they provided consent and could show they suffered from gender dysphoria.
Handout
Daisy with Conchita Wurst
Bell said she was delighted to have become the new winner of Miss Transgender UK and offered some words of encouragement to her community.
"I am very pleased to be the winner of the prestigious Miss Transgender UK pageant.
"Life is full of challenges and opportunities. I have embraced these in my life. I have learned to be a positive person and be strong to fight the struggles I have encountered in life.
"As I entered this world of transgender, it was my decision to pursue the pathway of being a woman and achieve my goal to be part of the history."
*THE SYNDICATE DOES NOT EXIST*
Coming off the recent release of More Rain, M. Ward has delivered a pastel-tinted dreamscape of visuals to support the record's doo wop-dabbling "I'm Listening (Child's Theme)."
Directed by Carlos Forster, the video features a soft-focus swirl of sights. Among these, a group of faceless adults walk across a cotton candy-pink backdrop, while a child wearing a giant pair of headphones is cued around the time crooner M. Ward softly sings, "I'm listening."
Pleasing and pensive, the video for Ward's sweetly swung single can be seen down below.
*THE SYNDICATE DOES NOT EXIST* Madchild is back at it again, delivering rhymes with his dog by his side in the new video for "Little Things."
The recently released single is full of positivity, with Madchild rapping about avoiding contact with hungry snakes and vultures to instead focus on penning bars and staying drug free. If you think that's swell, he implores you to come give him a hug, adding, "all of us are beautiful, none of us are ugly."
Visually, the new music video is full of skateboard tricks, and shots of Madchild and guest spitter Joseph Rose rhyming for the camera. You'll find it streaming down below, while you can pick up the single for the price of your choice over here.
Madchild is apparently wrapping up recording sessions for the full-length follow-up to last year's Silver Tongue Devil. An official street date has yet to be cemented, but it's expected to land this fall.
*THE SYNDICATE DOES NOT EXIST*
Kalamazoo, Michigan MC DeLaZoo is gearing up to drop his debut EP The Waiting Place this month, and ahead of its release, Pirate Radio has your first look at a video for the effort's leading single "Not Around."
Directed by Kardiak Films, the video shows the young rapper poking around a seemingly abandoned home in a field before taking off to find another in a deep wooded area, all while delivering moody, introspective lyrics in heavily melodic pop-rap fashion.
The Waiting Place arrives on April 15 through Masta Ace's M3 Records. Watch DeLaZoo search for his waiting place in the video for "Not Around" in the player below.
*THE SYNDICATE DOES NOT EXIST*
Toronto three-piece the Fallers took us for a spin with last year's "Left, Right and Centre" video, but now the band are back with a brand new single called "Get Up" — and Pirate Radio is giving you the first look at the accompanying clip.
The track was recorded at Verge Music Lab in Toronto with producer Josh Bowman, and hears the band toying with a slightly heavier sound. They've paired it with footage that was recorded on VHS tape, which aims to capture the group's raw live energy and also shows off some funky editing tricks.
The video basically sees that tape get popped into a VCR for your viewing pleasure, so you can kick back on the couch and take it all in right now in the player below.
*THE SYNDICATE DOES NOT EXIST*
Ahead of Polish metal vets Behemoth heading out on tour to play their The Satanist album in full, they're putting the focus on one of its menacing tracks with a new video. A ritualistic short film for "Ben Sahar" has just been premiered.
The video is a spirit journey of sorts, with Nergal playing an El Topo-type wanderer making his way through some dusty plains. It's not exactly that simple, though, with elements of black majick strewn throughout the clip. The tune, obviously, goes for the throat with a series of drilled-out guitar tones and smashed cymbals.
Below, you'll find the video's assemblage of uncomfortably cloaked figures, bone-topped staffs, late night blazes and prophetic wares.
As for Behemoth's tour, it starts at the end of the month and will hit up Montreal and Toronto along the way. You'll find the date details over here.
*THE SYNDICATE DOES NOT EXIST*
Soul man Charles Bradley balanced love and politics on his most recent album Changes, and now he's showcasing one of the record's groovier cuts in a new video for "Ain't It a Sin."
Backed by his band in an empty warehouse, Bradley delivers the righteous soul anthem while also making sure to bust out plenty of dance moves in the process. "I tried to give love all over the world, but I'm tired of being used!" he proclaims before the song's infectious rhythm kicks in.
Changes is out now on Dunham Records. Watch the video for "Ain't It a Sin" in the player below.
As previously reported, Bradley has a long list of tour dates coming up, including some here in Canada. You can check out all the stops on the tour here, where you can also read Pirate Radio recent interview with Bradley.
*THE SYNDICATE DOES NOT EXIST*
Slowdive/Mogwai/Editors offshoot Minor Victories will see their debut albumarrive this June, and before the self-titled release arrives, the supergroup have shared a video for the song "Folk Arp."
Shot entirely in black and white, the video shows a pair of chefs working in the kitchen while the band's slow-burning cut blares through a boombox on the counter. Along with the video, the band have also rolled out dates for a summer North American tour, which you can find below.
Minor Victories arrives June 3 through Fat Possum/PIAS. Scroll through the band's tour dates to watch the clip for "Folk Arp" in the player below.
Tour dates:
05/03 London, England - Village Underground 05/04 Bristol, England - Thekla 05/05 Leeds, England - Brudenell Social Club 05/06 Glasgow, Scotland - Art School 06/03 Dudingen, Switzerland - Bad Bonn Kilbi Festival 06/04 Mannheim, Germany - Maifeld Derby Festival 06/17 Hilvarenbeek, Netherlands - Best Kept Secret Festival 06/19 Washington, DC - Rock & Roll Hotel 06/20 Cambridge, MA - The Sinclair 06/21 Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall of Williamsburg 06/22 Philadelphia, PA - Union Transfer 06/24 Toronto, ON - The Opera House 06/25 Columbus, OH - The A&R Bar 06/26 Chicago, IL - Lincoln Hall 06/28 San Francisco, CA - The Independent 06/29 Los Angeles, CA - Teragram Ballroom 08/05-07 Katowice, Poland - Off Festival 08/07 Sicily, Italy - Ypsigrock Festival 08/12 St Malo, France - La Route Du Rock Festival 08/20 Hasselt, Belgium - Pukkelpop Festival
*THE SYNDICATE DOES NOT EXIST*
Oakville's Seaway achieved the quintessential pop-punk sound and subject matter on their sophomore record Colour Blind and have now unveiled a video for album cut "Stubborn Love."
Directed by Wyatt Clough and Roger Galvez, the video cuts performance footage of the band in amongst footage of relationship hallmarks: from when the couple first meet, to the exchange of the first mixtape, and to breaking up at the end.
Colour Blind is out now through Pure Noise Records. Watch the band's new visuals in the player below.
At least three inventions were trademarked in the making of this podcast
This week on the Fleshbot podcast, we talked to the wonderful Missy Martinez again about a topic that's been pretty big: Virtual reality porn. We talk about the pros, the cons, and what's likely going to happen to all of us in the future. (Two words: Sex robots.) There's mention of having sex with cookie dough (sort of messy), POV porn for women, and how we can all get better at getting off. Don't worry about the terrapin tag—it'll all make sense soon, I promise.
As always, follow us on https://soundcloud.com/fleshbot and look out for a couple new streaming options coming soon! For any commuters who don't want to waste data, hit the download button.
*THE SYNDICATE DOES NOT EXIST*
All eyes are on Veruca Salt again, with the guitar-charged alt-rock outfit having just loaded up another music video supporting last year's Ghost Notes. Fittingly, the latest clip is for their "Eyes on You."
The distortion-cranked power-pop cut has its lead vocals handled by the band's Louise Post, though Nina Gordon is heard just a few dBs below with her backups.
Visually, we find band members sifting through the channels on a pair of vintage TVs, occasionally dialling up the sight of their bandmates playing the cut from similarly wallpapered rooms. There's also a scene of Post and Gordon flashing switchblades while laying in a field.
You can put your eyes on Veruca Salt by giving the video a peep below, courtesy of Noisey.
*THE SYNDICATE DOES NOT EXIST* The Bandicoots' 2015 EP This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things spawned videos for "No Turn on Red" and "Mind Your Manors," and now they're ready to return with a brand new clip from a brand new EP.
Quarters at the Penny Arcade is slated to arrive later this spring, but before it does, the band have offered up an introduction to the fresh material with the single "Could You Get Me to Tomorrow?" Its accompanying video depicts the action-packed tale of a gangster couple on the road to riches.
Starting from the bottom and working their way up to a glamorous life of sex, booze and Nintendo games, they're like a modern day indie rock Bonnie and Clyde. Follow their law-breaking love story in the clip below.
Quarters at the Penny Arcade is due out on May 13.
