28 December 2023
American songsmith FATHER JOHN MISTY released a live album for the 9th straight time. This time he did on Xmas. It’s a registration of his solo show at the Sunset Cultural Center in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, a couple of weeks ago, on 15 December.
Stream/buy.
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FJM: Facebook – Instagram
5 July 2023
Scottish psych pop legends THE JESUS AND MARY CHAIN just announced
a live LP, titled SUNSET 666, due for release August 4th, 2023 via Fuzz Club.
It was recorded live at the Hollywood Palladium in 2018, whilst the
brothers were touring North America in support of Nine Inch Nails.
It’s a discography-spanning set that includes tracks from ‘Psychocandy’, ‘Darklands’, ‘Automatic’, ‘Honey’s Dead’, ‘Stoned and Dethroned’, ‘Munki’ and ‘Damage and Joy’.
Here’s an appetizer. TJMC performing SOMETIMES ALWAYS
featuring magnific Scottish voice Isobel Campbell (former Belle
and Sebastian vocalist).
Tune in.
.
Studio version/clip (feat. Mazzy Star‘s voice Hope Sandoval)
TJMC: Instagram – Website
21 April 2023
Band: THE MARS VOLTA
Who: Former At The Drive-In members
Cedric Bixler-Zavala and Omar Rodriguez-Lopez
Active: 2001 present / 6 LPs so far
Last September they released their critically praised self-titled comeback album.
The experimental prog-rock duo stripped that album down to the bone afterward
and recorded an acoustic version of all songs. They named the collection QUE DIOS
TE MALDIGA MI CORAZON (May God Damn Your Heart). Order info here.
Artwork
Rodríguez-López (guitarist, producer): “It was a fun process. And it made me think about the history of record music in the United States. There was ‘traditional music’, which became ‘Americana’, or country music. And the other genre was ‘race music’, which was exactly what it sounds like: music made by anyone who was an ‘immigrant’, mostly meaning black people. So that means everything that wasn’t ‘country’. In other words, all the interesting shit: r&b, blues, rock’n’roll, electronic music… It says a lot about this country. It was super-fun. I feel like The Mars Volta is finally beginning – that’s why the last album was self- titled, because we’ve finally stripped everything away and arrived at what the whole concept was at the beginning. And this acoustic version comes from a profound place, with its own meaning and philosophy, and its own reason for being.”
TUTV: Imagine Bixler-Zavala and Rodriguez-Lopez playing late at night in a cozy small bar with dimmed lights and cigarette smoke floating around playing on a tiny stage seated on barstools.
Stream it here.
.
The 2022 electric album.
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THE MARS VOLTA: Facebook – Instagram
8 April 2023
BAXTER DURY commincated details of his new album, his 7th.
It’s named I Thought I Was Better Than You and is slated for
release on 2 June via. Pre-order info here.
Press info: “I Thought I Was Better Than You marks a new era for Baxter, and with this
new era comes a new character. “Faux- confrontational,” Baxter calls him. Here, not only is he recounting his childhood, but he’s also reckoning with it. Instead of just swinging at his past blindfolded with a baseball bat, he talks openly about the toxic cocktail of being born into unfortunately fortunate circumstances, with a persuasive surname but no structure or sense of responsibility with which reap the rewards of it. “Really, it’s about being trapped in an awkward place between something you’re actually quite good at, and somebody else’s success.” That ‘somebody else’ being his dad, Ian Dury. As one of the album centrepieces – Shadow – agonisingly puts it: “But no one will get over that you’re someone’s son/Even though you want to be like Frank Ocean/But you don’t sound like him, you sound just like Ian.”
Singles/clips (so far): Leon / Aylesbury Boy
– LEON –
– AYSLEBURY BOY –
Ft. JGrrey
BAXTER DURY: Facebook – Instagram
5 April 2023
Lauded noise rockers HÜSKER DÜ (1979–1988) come
up with a live album named TONITE LONGHORN
It’s a collection of previously unheard live performances taken from
the early days of their career from across four different shows that took
place between July 1979 and September 1980 at Jay’s Longhorn Bar in their
hometown of Minneapolis.
The album (CD/Digital) will be out on 25 August via their own Reflex Records.
But a limited-edition 2xLP vinyl will already be available on this year’s
Record Store Day, April 22. It has original artwork by drummer Grant Hart
and liner notes from ex-Sonic Youth hero Thurston Moore.
More info via the Record Store Day website right here.
Bob Mould (HD’s singer/guitarist) “Most artists begin their careers by looking to their heroes for inspiration. ‘Tonite Longhorn’ is a comprehensive overview of three teenagers paying homage, experimenting with different genres, and — most importantly — building a foundation for things to come. We knew what we had: good chemistry, great melodies and harmonies, and an overabundance of young (and sometimes dumb) enthusiasm. We knew we were different, and we knew we were on to something different.”
One of the 28 tracks: Do You Remember?
HÜSKER DÜ: Bio – Discography – Facebook
Artist: THE TALLEST MAN ON EARTH
Who: The stage name of 39-year old,
Swedish singer-songwriter Kristian Matsson.
New album: HENRY ST. – his 6th
Out: 14 April 2023 – order details here
Matsson: “Henry St. is the most playful, most me album yet, because it covers so many
of the different noises in my head. When you overthink things, you get further away from
your original ideas. And God knows I overthink things when I’m by myself. Having been away from it taught me that making music and performing is what I’m doing for the rest of my life, and I’m so grateful for it. It has given me new confidence and playfulness. This is what I do.
It’s unconditional.”
Singles: Every Little Heart / Henry St.
– EVERY LITTLE HEART –
– HENRY ST. –
TOUR 2023
25 March 2023
Album artwork
Wayward NYC collective SWANS led by mastermind/multi-instrumentalist
Michael Gira is around for a long time now, actually since 1982.
On 23 June they’ll share their 16th LP, baptized
THE BEGGAR via Young God Records.
(Photo by Turn Up The Volume)
The Beggar will come as a double vinyl in a brown chipboard sleeve
with a download card for accessing an additional 44 minutes of music
(a 44-minute piece of music called The Beggar Lover (Three) that is
included on the CD), and as a double CD in a brown chipboard digi-pack.
The first run of 2CD copies purchased via Young God Records will feature
a booklet signed by Gira. The initial run of 2LP copies purchased via Young
God Records will feature a poster signed by Gira.
All info here.
Along with all this news comes an almost 10-minute hypnotic
slo-mo jam called PARADISE IS MINE that gets under your skin
slowly but surely.
Listen.
SWANS: Instagram – Bio – Discography
16 March 2023
Band: THE MARS VOLTA
Who: Former At The Drive-In members
Cedric Bixler-Zavala and Omar Rodriguez-Lopez
Active: 2001 present / 6 LPs so far
Last September they released their critically praised self-titled comeback album.
The experimental prog-rock duo stripped that album down to the bone afterward
and recorded an acoustic version of all songs. They named the collection QUE DIOS
TE MALDIGA MI CORAZON (May God Damn Your Heart) and it will be out on 21st April.
Pre-order info here.
New artwork
Rodríguez-López (guitarist, producer): “It was a fun process. And it made me think about the history of record music in the United States. There was ‘traditional music’, which became ‘Americana’, or country music. And the other genre was ‘race music’, which was exactly what it sounds like: music made by anyone who was an ‘immigrant’, mostly meaning black people. So that means everything that wasn’t ‘country’. In other words, all the interesting shit: r&b, blues, rock’n’roll, electronic music… It says a lot about this country. It was super-fun. I feel like The Mars Volta is finally beginning – that’s why the last album was self- titled, because we’ve finally stripped everything away and arrived at what the whole concept was at the beginning. And this acoustic version comes from a profound place, with its own meaning and philosophy, and its own reason for being.”
Listen to first taster Black Condolences.
The 2022 electric album.
.
THE MARS VOLTA: Facebook – Instagram
Coming up
15 February 2023
Band: A CERTAIN RATIO (Greater Manchester)
Who: Art-funk collective who started their journey
back in 1978.
Active: 1977–present / 11 LPs (new one included)
New album: 1982
Out: 31 March 2023 – pre-order info here
(Press credit)
Info: “Looking backwards and forwards all at once, drawing on influences from across every spectrum, 1982 is an unpredictable record that will reward a dedicated listener dozens of times over.
Even by the band’s high standards – which includes a gleeful disregard for boundaries of style and genre, their eye fixed firmly on constant movement forwards – their latest studio album 1982 is multidimensional. Recorded by the core ACR line up of Jez Kerr, Martin Moscrop and Donald Johnson, alongside Tony Quigley, Matthew Steele and Ellen Beth Abdi, it shoots off in every direction, whether via searing Afrobeat, mind-melting jazz breakdowns or moody electronic experiments.
And the album title? Although 1982 might conjure memories of the year that saw ACR put out both the acclaimed Sextet and the cult favourite I’d Like To See You Again, it’s more of a playful red herring than an invitation to nostalgia.”
Singles/clips (so far): Samo / Waiting On A Train / Afro Dizzy
– SAMO –
Funky as hell
– WAITING ON A TRAIN –
(feat. Ellen Beth Abdi & Chunky)
Massive Attack vibes
– AFRO DIZZY –
(feat. Ellen Beth Abdi)
Jungly breakbeats
ACR: Facebook – Instagram
12 February 2023
Band: WHITE REAPER
Who: Garage punks from Louisville, Kentucky
Active: Since 2012 / 4 LPs (new one included)
New album: Asking For A Ride
Released: 27 January 2023 – order here
Pitchfork says: “The Louisville rock band refines its major-label sound on a brief but
charming new album: It hits hardest when you don’t think too much about it. It’s a refinement of the Major Label White Reaper Sound, where the hooks and melodies are undeniable and now include some Kiss-sized muscle. At its best, Asking for a Ride confirms that they have evolved from writing songs daydreaming of playing stadiums to writing songs that would sound huge in one. But at 29 minutes, this is their shortest album, and for the first time, there’s some filler.
The van is a lot nicer, but the destination feels unclear.” Score: 6.5/10.
TUTV: Tons of riff extravaganza but too much on automatic pilot.
Singles/clips: Pages / Fog Machine / Pink Slip
– PAGES –
– FOG MACHINE –
– PINK SLIP –
FULL ALBUM
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WHITE REAPER: Facebook – Instagram
