Electronic indie three piece, SAFIA, have gone from strength to strength. Since forming in mid 2012, the Canberra trio have supported The Presets, The Aston Shuffle and Peking Duk – to name but a few. Blending cosmic synths, samples and charismatic vocals, their lush production and solid live performances are earning them all the right buzz. This is their latest track, “Listen To Soul, Listen To Blues”. You can call it electro soul, you can call it chill glitch – I just call it awesome.

For their special June 2013 issue, Beastie Boys: A Visual History + Tribute to MCA, Juxtapoz Magazine conducted interviews with the various artists responsible for the design of each Beastie Boys album cover. Through  the experiences and artwork of each artist, the interviews uncover the inside stories of how each album came to fruition and became part of the Beastie Boys legend. The artists who share their story include Cey Adams, Haze, Arabella Field, World B Omes, Glen E Friedman, Ricky Powell, Todd James, Mike Mills, Matteo Pericoli, Bill McMullen, Bruce Davidson, Alex Grey, Kiino Villand, and Sunny Bak. Take a look at the teaser trailer above which includes excerpts from some of the interviews.

Commander Chris Hadfield, a Canadian astronaut on board the International Space Station, cut this version of David Bowie’s classic, ‘Space Oddity’. Just brilliant!

This one snuck by me! Jeremiah Jae’s album, Raw Money Raps, was one of the best hip hop releases of last year. Mumbled lyrics that get lost in a bass heavy mix and a matter of fact delivery created a unique and original style. In March this year it appears Jeremiah dropped the video for the track, “Cable”. I didn’t catch it, but no matter, my friend Molly pasted it up on Facebook so I had to share it here. It’s got an old school VHS quality to it – like you’re watching something from the early 80s late at night on, er, cable.

This year at Oppikoppi, a popular music festival held annually in the Limpopo Province of South Africa, punters won’t have to wait in line for their beers. Instead, they’ll have them delivered via drone technology. Attendees in the District 9 campsite will be able to order beers from their phone. At the moment, during early tests, it is hand guided, but it will eventually fly on a GPS grid. Coachella take note!

The Lonely Island crashed the latest episode of the Zach Galifianakis faux talk show, “Between Two Ferns”. It’s all part of the new video clip for their latest track, “Spring Break Anthem”.  Edward Norton and James Franco also cameo. Jizz your pants.

This is awesome! For this ongoing project, Jay Shells creates official-looking street signs that quote famous rap lyrics that shout out specific street corners and locations. He then installs them at those specific street corners and locations. I really love this concept! It combines the poetry of hip hop with a sense of cultural context while simultaneously making the experience social and interactive. Check out the video above and a selection of the signs below!

[via ANIMAL]

Like so many people, I’ve been hanging out for the release of Baz Luhrman’s The Greaty Gatsby. Luhrman’s films are a sensory feast –  and the soundtracks are no exception. As I posted previously, Jay-Z has been working with Jeymes Samuel of the Bullitts on the film’s score. And, today, the xx dropped their new track “Together” which was written for the film. The track is typically minimalist until the 3 minute and 40 second mark where a crescendo of lush strings kicks in. Listen to “Together” below.

[via Mashable]

I am slightly obsessed with this song right  now. Straight out of Glasgow, Chvrches (pronounced “Churches”) were on a lot of critics “best of” lists in 2012. Describing their music as “electro pop” does not do them justice. The marriage of vocalist Lauren Maybury’s voice with ambitious synths and lush production makes for a very satisfying aural cocktail. These guys are going to be large.

At HTC’s One launch party this evening, Pharrell surprised fans by performing his brand new Daft Punk collaborative track, “Get Lucky”. Daft Punk weren’t present…but the anticipation builds!