SoundBites: Summer Thieves, The xx, David Bowie, Phil Collins, Leonard Cohen

Coast Roads by Summer Thieves

Dunedin group Summer Thieves are set to top off a big year with the release of new single Coast Roads.

The four-piece, who have supported acts including Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Six60, David Dallas and Sticky Fingers, are working on their debut album Warped, set for release in the new year.

The album will include collaborations with Tiki Taane.

"It was awesome to get in the studio with him," said guitarist Jake Barton. "We clicked musically, and are on the same vibe personality-wise."

Coast Roads has a summery vibe, a reggae-based number with nods to other genres. It's available from Tuesday this week.

The xx have announced details of their third album. I See You, the follow-up to xx and Coexist, was recorded between March 2014 and August 2016 in New York, Marfa TX, Reykjavik, Los Angeles and London.

The lead single from the album, On Hold, is out now, while I See You will be released January 13.

As well as standard formats, the album will be available in various vinyl options including a Deluxe Box Set with silver mirri board debossed box containing the album on 180g heavyweight vinyl, with an extra 12" including 3 bonus tracks, album CD, enhanced CD featuring a live video of bonus track 'Brave For You (Marfa Demo)' and 3 exclusive prints by Alasdair McLellan.

Two new compilations chronicle the careers of music icons. Legacy is a collection of 40 David Bowie singles, from 1969's Space Oddity to this year's I Can't Give Everything Away. The album includes a previously unreleased version of Life On Mars.

Meanwhile, The Singles charts Phil Collins' entire solo career from 1981's In The Air Tonight to 2010's Going Back. The compilation coincides with the release of Not Dead Yet: The Autobiography.

Revisit a classic artist:
The late Leonard Cohen, loved by many, was perhaps known by many others best through other artists' versions of his songs, particularly, of course, the beautiful Hallelujah which Jeff Buckley notably covered.

Concrete Blonde's Everybody Knows is worth checking out, as is Tori Amos' take on Famous Blue Raincoat. But if you only listen to one Leonard Cohen cover this week, make it Straitjacket Fits' amazing version of So Long Marianne.