Cohen meets Lana

Three days ago Lana Del Rey posted a new video on her YouTube channel, and simply tweeted “new video.” No cigarette ban in this simplistic video, nor in Lana’s life. The song is a cover of of Leonard Cohen’s Chelsea Hotel No. 2, a song which appeared on Cohen’s 1974 album New Skin for the Old Ceremony. It reflects a fling with Janis Joplin in the famous New York joint The Hotel Chelsea, also known as the Chelsea Hotel, or simply the Chelsea. The Manhattan hotel has always attracted numerous actors, musicians, writers and other artists, such as Iggy Pop, Bob Dylan, Janis Joplin, and Cohen.
As there has been no further press release, it’s not clear whether the song is a one-off remake or if it announces a new full length album. Del Rey now residing in the UK has been busy writing new material in Santa Monica, working with the same producers that worked on Born to Die. The singer told BBC Radio 1 the new tracks are “a little more stripped down but still cinematic and dark, and lyrically more spiritual.” The record has come quite together already but needs finishing up. Summer would be a good time, don’t you agree. For now, here’s the new video.

Hot Shot: Glasvegas

Glasvegas – I’d Rather Be Dead (Than Be With You)
(James Allan)
Directed by James Allan
>  Later… When The TV Turns To Static (Go Wow Records)

Mrs. Carter, if you’re Nasty

Preparing to embark on a world tour, with tickets selling out in minutes, Beyoncé is getting ready to release her fifth studio album Mrs. Carter. The title, obvious as it is, refers to her hubby Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter. Earlier this month a dreamed up track listing surfaced. Fake, as it turned out. What we wouldn’t do for the Bey to hook up with Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Justin Timberlake and little sister Solange! All on one album.
Knowles, or say Carter, has never been out of the spotlight, performing at the Super Bowl Halftime and the president’s inauguration, and the documentary Life Is But a Dream, directed and produced by the singer herself, premiering on HBO last month. The previous album 4 let down in sales figures, though critically acclaimed. It is now time for some new music.
To wet our appetite, the first single just dropped. Actually, two songs have been set free. Supposedly the intro and outro of the upcoming full length. On Bow Down, produced by Hit-Boy, the singer takes her Diva-self to another level: “This my sh*t, Bow Down bitches”. The track fades halfway into the Timabaland-produced I Been On. Tease your ear buds.

Hot Shot: Theme Park

Theme Park – Tonight
(Miles & Marcus Haughton, Oscar Manthorpe)
Directed by Colonel Blimp
>  Theme Park (Transgressive Records)

Everybody Loves Naté

With a career of 20 odd years, jack of all trades Ultra Naté has proven to have staying power, alongside Dance Divas such as Taylor Dayne or Kristine W.  Over these two decades she has collaborated with big names such as Quentin Harris, Todd Terry, David Morales, Tony Moran and Marlon D, creating sounds ranging from R&B/pop to electro/dance. Besides being a singer, ready to release her sixth studio album this spring, Naté is also producer, label exec and DJ, a passion she picked up only a few years ago, mixing both at clubs and on French radio.
Naté delivered the follow up to her debut album Blue Notes in the Basement, which included her first dance hit It’s Over Now, in 1993. With Show Me, off One Woman’s Insanity, she scored her first #1 on Billboard’s Hot Dance Club Play chart. Naté’s big break came with the ‘97 smash hit Free. Shortly after, she teamed up with Amber and Jocelyn Enriquez to form Stars on 54, recording a rendition of If You Could Read My Mind.
The 2001 album Stranger Than Fiction saw the artist working with Lenny Kravitz, N’dea Davenport and producers D-Infliuence. It contained one of Naté’s most memorable singles Twisted (Got me Goin’ Round).
Nate’s fifth studio album Grime, Silk & Thunder (2007) included the #1 club hits Give It All You Got (featuring Chris Willis) and the Pointer Sisters’ Automatic, the 2005 collaboration with StoneBridge entitled Freak On, and the massive anthem Love’s the Only Drug. Last year Naté participated in the Swiss selection for Eurovision. My Love was not short listed however.
The first singles to be featured on the new full-length Hero Worship were already released back in 2011: Turn It Up, and the duet with former Destiny’s Child member Michelle Williams Waiting on You. The latest solo effort to prequel the new full-length is called Everybody Loves The Night. Check out the original mix, and a slamming Wawa Remix after the jump.

Hot Shot: Willy Moon

Willy Moon – My Girl
(William Sinclair)
Directed by Focus Creeps
>  Here’s Willy Moon (Universal Island Records)

Sound City: Real to Reel

Dave Grohl’s documentary Sound City about the history of Los Angeles recording studio Sound City Studios premiered at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival January 18th. The recording studio founded in 1969, was located at what had previously been a showroom and recording studio of the British musical equipment manufacturer Vox, best known for its amplifiers. Until its commercial studio services were discontinued in May 2011, over a hundred certified gold and platinum albums were recorded there. 
Grohl was inspired to direct the documentary after purchasing several items from the studio when it closed in 2011, including the studio’s custom analog console, which he moved to his personal studio, Studio 606. He recorded the album Nevermind with Nirvana at Sound City Studios. Other legendary recordings include albums from Fleetwood Mac, Tom Petty, Neil Young, Pat Benatar, Queens of the Stone Age, Metallica, and Triggerfinger’s All This Dancin’ Around.
The film captures the story of the studio throughout its existence and follows Dave as he incorporates the console at 606. It features interviews and performances from some of the famous musicians who made rock history at the studio, such as Lindsey Buckingham, Mick Fleetwood, Lars Ulrich, Paul McCartney and Stevie Nicks.
To commemorate some of rock’s greatest albums, Grohl united an impressive line-up of artists to collaborate on a new album, recorded at Studio 606, using Sound City’s legendary console. The official soundtrack Sound City: Real to Reel is set to be released on March 12.
To get a feel of rock’s studio of fame, watch the trailer. One of three songs already streaming on YouTube is You Can’t Fix This, featuring Foo Fighters’ drummer Taylor Hawkins and keyboardist Rami Jaffee, with Stevie Nicks on vocal. She wrote the track when dealing with the death of her godson. Listen to it here, and watch a Live performance on Letterman’s Late Show.

Hot Shot: David Bowie

David Bowie – The Stars (Are Out Tonight)
(D.Bowie)
Directed by Floria Sigismondi
> The Next Day (Columbia Records)

Valtari, Mystery Film Experiment

Valtari, Sigur Rós’ sixth and latest, was released last year. To see what thoughts and emotions their music evokes, the band invited a bunch of talented directors to make whatever sprung to mind when hearing the album. These 16 films as a result were released online from May all through to December 2012.
Jónsi and the others feel (their) music shouldn’t dictate someone’s emotional response. They gave the film makers a modest budget and full artistic freedom. The outcome is a beautiful collection of creativeness and emotions. The bundle, Valtari Film Experiment, is now available as download, and on dvd. 
Writers and directors include Dash Shaw, John Cameron Mitchell, Floria Sigismondi, Nick Abrahams, Inga Birgisdóttir, who also directed the music video to Ekki Múkk and designed the album art work for Valtari.
Mid November the fourteenth mystery film Valtari was released. Written & directed by Christian Larson, the extended video shows a couple intimately dancing in an old abandoned factory, in a choreography by Belgian creative genius Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui. The mini film features parts of Ekki Múkk, Valtari, Rembihnútur and Varúð, the only film to incorporate so many different tracks, and include a track from a previous Rós album. Watch this bewildering experience below, and check the trailer for a further tease.