Diffuser.fm » Beck

Celebrate Brooklyn! 2013 to Feature Jim James, the Roots, Beck + More

Gina Vespa — Wed, 08 May 2013 18:56:12 +0000

Celebrate Brooklyn! is back for its 35th go-round with an array of internationally acclaimed artists in tow. This year’s summer-long New York City festival features performances by the likes of Jim James, the Roots, Beck and many more. The fest is heavy on free shows, though some events -- the Beck and James gigs among them -- are ticketed benefits.

News Bits: Beck Announces Acoustic Album, Tricky Plans U.S. Tour + More

Diffuser.fm Staff — Wed, 01 May 2013 21:24:27 +0000

After an album of sheet music, Beck is prepping an acoustic set. Progress! [NME] Here’s a treat: Tricky is plotting a U.S. tour. [Consequence of Sound] What’s more relaxing than yoga? Yoga with Floyd and lasers! [Ultimate Classic Rock] Learn about African-American rodeo culture and hear new Flying Lotus jams at the same time! [Death+Taxes] [...]

Newport Folk Festival 2013 to Feature Beck, Avett Brothers, Feist + More

Gina Vespa — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 17:47:36 +0000

The Newport Folk Festival returns to Fort Adams State Park in Newport, R.I., on July 26-28 with a variety of folk, bluegrass and folk-rock musicians in tow, among them Beck, the Avett Brothers, Feist, the Lumineers, Jim James, Andrew Bird and the Decemberists' Colin Meloy.

19 Years Ago – Beck's 'Mellow Gold' Album Released

Michael Gallucci — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 15:00:34 +0000

Was there a more surprising hit in 1994, or in the first half of the 1990s for that matter, than Beck’s ‘Loser?' When it was released early in the year, it sounded at first like any one of the disposable alt-rock goofs that mixed and matched music genres for yuks and was given the green light during the post-Nirvana signing frenzy. But ‘Loser’ turned out to be so much more.

News Bits: Beck Reveals Interactive Video for David Bowie Cover + More

Diffuser.fm Staff — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 23:10:41 +0000

Beck has a crazy-complex interactive video for ‘Sound and Vision,’ his new Bowie cover. [Consequence of Sound] Sorry, Smiths. British Prime Minister David Cameron is gonna keep on loving you. [The Guardian] Kaiser Chiefs are being upstaged by the Boss, and they’re not happy about it. [NME] See Iron & Wine in the flesh this [...]

Instant Expert: Beck

Michael Gallucci — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 16:00:25 +0000

You’ve seen them at parties, lurking in the corner, waiting to engage in battle disguised as conversation. They’re indie rock know-it-alls, and no matter what band or musician you mention, they’ve got an opinion — strong and almost certainly negative — ready to ram down your throat. With Instant Expert, we offer preparation for these [...]

Beck Covers Bowie in New Commercial

Michael Gallucci — Sat, 02 Feb 2013 17:16:36 +0000

Beck recently covered David Bowie’s ‘Sound and Vision’ for a new commercial campaign launched by the Lincoln car company. It’s part of a new series called ‘Hello, Again,’ in which newer artists cover older classics. The first video in the new series will premiere on Feb. 10. But a two-and-a-half-minute trailer is now available. You can [...]

Beck Modeling Yves Saint Laurent Menswear

Dave Lifton — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 19:49:20 +0000

The blurring of the indie rock and fashion worlds continues. Last year, Lana Del Rey helped break down the wall when she became the "global face" for an H&M ad campaign. Now, legendary designers Yves Saint Laurent have hired Beck to model part of their new menswear collection.

Beck Releasing Two Albums in 2013?

Amy Sciarretto — Fri, 28 Dec 2012 18:19:17 +0000

Beck hasn’t released a new studio album since 2008′s ‘Modern Guilt,’ but he may make up for lost time — and his lack of conventional releases — by dropping two brand new albums in 2013. While Beck recently released a 20-track, sheet-music-only album called ‘Song Reader,’ it was anything but the traditional or typical type [...]

Beck's 'Song Reader' Fan Interpretations Posted Online

Joe Robinson — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 16:36:10 +0000

Earlier this year, when Beck announced plans to release his 'Song Reader' book, which features sheet music for 20 songs he wrote but hasn't recorded, he hoped other musicians would take on the challenge of piecing together the tunes and maybe even try recording them. Now that 'Reader' is out -- it hit shelves earlier this month -- some musicians are doing just that, and Beck has started a website, songreader.net, which features videos of various musicians -- most of them amateurs -- trying their hand at interpreting the songs.

Beck Recording New Album

Joe Robinson — Wed, 21 Nov 2012 17:34:08 +0000

Beck certainly hasn't been resting on his laurels. He's been working on a variety of new songs and projects, and he recently contributed to the an art installation at the Hirshhorn Museum, lent a song to the 'Jeff Who Lives at Home' soundtrack, recorded another with Jack White for White's Third Man Records and even composed tunes for a video game soundtrack. But there's been little in the way of news on the follow-up to his last full-length album, 2008′s ‘Modern Guilt.' That is, until now.

13 Years Ago: Beck's 'Midnite Vultures' Album Released

Michael Gallucci — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 15:00:43 +0000

Depending on how you slice up Beck’s discography, ‘Midnite Vultures,’ from 1999, is either his fourth or seventh album. (Those way-below-the-radar indie records he quietly released with the major-league ones can be tricky.) Either way, alt-rock’s resident oddball’s funkiest and funniest LP came out a year after ‘Mutations,’ a super-serious homage to Brazilian tropicalia music that, following 1996’s terrific, genre-busting ‘Odelay,’ was a major comedown. ‘Midnite Vultures,’ which celebrates its 13th anniversary today, set things right.

Beck's Three 'Sound Shapes' Video Game Tunes Surface

Joe Robinson — Tue, 14 Aug 2012 19:43:56 +0000

It was just last month that we received word that Beck would be offering up three original tunes to the soundtrack of the new Playstation 3 video game 'Sound Shapes,' and not long after that that we got a preview of one of the cuts, titled 'Cities.' Now that 'Sound Shapes' is actually out, we have actual game play videos featuring all three tunes in their entirety, so check them out below.

10 Best Beck Songs

Dave Kim — Thu, 09 Aug 2012 21:37:04 +0000

Beck just announced the details about his new sheet music-only album, 'Song Reader,' but he's been pleasing critics and fans alike with his genre-bending work for years. After breaking out in 1994 with his the hit 'Loser,' Beck has infused folk, country, hip-hop, electronica and rock across 11 a

Beck to Release New Album 'Song Reader' as Book of Sheet Music

Joe Robinson — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 21:14:02 +0000

Fans eagerly awaiting a new album from Beck, your time has come -- only with one little catch: You have to play the tunes yourself. The alt-rock icon has announced plans to release something called 'The Beck Hansen Song Reader,' featuring 20 previously unheard songs existing only in the form of sheet music. You do know what sheet music is, don't you?

Beck Contributing to Philip Glass Remix Album + More

Joe Robinson — Tue, 07 Aug 2012 23:31:32 +0000

– Beck, Dan Deacon, Amon Tobin, Memory Tapes and ex-Battles member Tyondai Braxton are among the musicians contributing to ‘Rework: Philip Glass Remixed,’ a compilation album featuring a dozen remixes and alternate versions of tunes from the contemporary composer. The disc drops Oct. 23. [Rolling Stone] – You’ve sampled ‘Angels.’ Now are you ready to hear another [...]

Beck – Rockers We Want to See as 'The Voice' Mentors

Joe Robinson — Fri, 03 Aug 2012 17:37:05 +0000

Boho beatmeister Beck's got mad musical skills and miles of style -- isn't it about time he shares some of his sonic secrets with a younger generation of hungry up-and-comers? We can't wait for the first mentored contestant to try his hand at singing 'Loser,' busting a rhyme with two turntables and a microphone or even sticking 'One Foot in the Grave.'

Beck Song 'Cities' Previewed in New 'Sound Shapes' Trailer

Dave Lifton — Sun, 22 Jul 2012 17:00:50 +0000

On Wednesday (July 18), we got word that Beck has contributed three songs to a video game, 'Sound Shapes,' that will be available on Aug. 7. Since then, a trailer was released that gives us a preview of one of those songs, 'Cities.'

Three New Beck Songs Featured in 'Sound Shapes' Video Game

Jeff Giles — Wed, 18 Jul 2012 15:39:23 +0000

He hasn’t released a new album since 2008′s ‘Modern Guilt,’ but Beck has been on a recording tear lately, surfacing in a variety of unusual and/or unexpected places — and for his latest trick, he’s decided to contribute three new songs to the PlayStation game ‘Sound Shapes.’ The game, which combines classic side-scrolling action gameplay [...]

Beck – Best Animated Album Covers

Chad Childers — Mon, 18 Jun 2012 13:47:14 +0000

‘Odelay’ What exactly is that creature that’s jumping the hurdle? For those still wondering, it’s a Komondor that takes a running jump on the cover art for Beck‘s ‘Odelay’ album. A Komondor is a Hungarian dog that’s known for its thickly matted hair. As is often the case with musicians, it’s the smallest details that [...]