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Rufus Wainwright: “Montauk”

Rufus Wainwright debuted a cut off his forthcoming album, Out of the Game, last week in the form of “Montauk,” a lush piano ballad addressing his 1-year-old daughter. Complete with a poignant allusion to his late mother, Kate McGarrigle, this is an incredibly personal introduction to the 12-track set — though perhaps a more pop-inflected single from what he called “the most pop album I’ve ever made” is on the way as well.

Get ready for the April 24th-due LP — which features guest performances by Nick Zinner, Nels Cline, Martha Wainwright, Sean Lennon, and more — with KCRW‘s world premiere below:

Introducing: Paul Stewart – “Glass Skull”

Permanence, the new EP from Alberta, Canada singer-songwriter Paul Stewart, has been on repeat around here ever since it was spotted over on Friends With Both Arms yesterday. It’s unclear where this 5-song set of self-described “defeatist folk” came from exactly — save for a 5-day session “in a Vancouver basement in the summer of 2011” — but I sure am bowled over by the subtle beauty therein. A quick scan of influences listed on Stewart’s page goes a long way in explaining the familiar feel (we share mutual appreciation for the likes of Jim O’Rourke, Will Oldham, and an abundance of songwriting legends), but there’s more than just that caught on tape here; there’s purity of expression at work and fine musicianship as its vehicle to boot. Get to know one of this week’s favorite emerging artists with a personal standout, opening cut “Glass Skull,” below:

Watch: Bon Iver at AIR Studios

Associated Independent Recording, a studio company co-founded by Sir George Martin in the mid-1960s, played host to Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon and Sean Carey at their historic Lyndhurst Hall facility recently for a 5-song set featuring new material from their sophomore LP, a Blood Bank EP cut, and another stripped-down take on Bonnie Raitt’s “I Can’t Make You Love Me.”

There’s been a lot of chatter surrounding Vernon lately after those big wins at the Grammy Awards last week, but most of the ranting and raving we’ve come across hasn’t revolved around the music. Here’s hoping this stunning, 25-minute clip acts as a friendly reminder that all the praise for the tunes, recordings, and performances themselves was well-deserved. Check out the setlist and full video below:

01. “Hinnom, TX”
02. “Wash.”
03. “I Can’t Make You Love Me”
04. “Babys”
05. “Beth/Rest”