Shoegaze – 7th Level Music

Blushing drop another killer single – “Slyce” – from their upcoming album.

Blushing — the Austin, TX-based band consisting of the double husband and wife pairs of Christina and Noe Carmona and Michelle and Jacob Soto — present a new single/video, “Slyce,” from their forthcoming album, Sugarcoat, out May 3rd via Kanine. Following singles “Tamagotchi” and “Seafoam,” “Slyce” shows Blushing at their most sonically experimental. The verses splash around elements of psych and shoegaze that rise towards an anthemic chorus. Lyrically, the song uses imagery of cuts and breaks to convey the damage that can be caused by engaging in toxic relationships, even when you just can’t help yourself.

The last song to be recorded during the Sugarcoat sessions, the band’s only option for recording was to utilize the Austin Community College recording studio where their producer and engineer Elliott Frazier happened to be a teacher. The recording sessions would occur during Frazier’s classroom time, so that meant the band performed and recorded in front of a classroom of kids and adults, all while Frazier explained to the class what he was doing at the console, incorporating it into his lessons. The track also features Christina’s dad Carlos Fernandez, a classical pianist who lends his piano playing talents over the song’s bridge.

Watch the Video for “Slyce”

Sugarcoat is the follow-up to two EPs, 2017’s Tether and 2018’s Weak, their self-titled debut, and 2022’s Possessions. They didn’t want to create an album where each song was made to fit into the same mold. Instead, they decided to run with each idea no matter which direction it was facing, resulting in an album that is somewhat of a sampler of the group’s collective influences. While there are certainly tracks immediately recognizable as “Blushing” songs, this album is where the band get to explore their love for expanding genres, from post-punk, psych-gaze, grunge-pop, indie-pop, slowcore, and beyond. Lyrically the album asks many questions, reaching out for someone to provide answers or for the answers to come from within. There is a lot of uncertainty in the world as well as personally. Getting older, questioning past decisions, and the constant unknown of the future.

On Sugarcoat, Blushing’s dynamism is on full display, flitting effortlessly from spacey psychedelia to twee pop jangle with finesse and panache. Having enlisted Elliot Frazier (Ringo Deathstarr) and Mark Gardener (Ride) for engineering, mixing, and mastering duties, Sugarcoat is a dense, reverb-laden exploration of alt-rock’s 40 year history that conjures up concord from chaos.

This summer, they’ll support Slater and Airiel across North America, along with headline dates in Chicago, Seattle, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and more. Tickets are on sale now and a full list can be found below.

Watch Blushing’s Video for “Tamagotchi”

Watch Blushing’s Video for “Seafoam”

Pre-order Sugarcoat

Blushing Tour Dates
Thu. May 2 – Austin, TX @ Hotel Vegas (album release show)
Wed. May 15 – San Antonio, TX @ Vibes Underground *
Thu. May 16 – Dallas, TX @ Club Dada *
Sat. May 18 – Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall *
Sun. May 19 – McAllen, TX @ The Gremlin *
Fri. June 14 – Oklahoma City, OK @ Resonant Head
Sat. June 15 – Fayetteville, AR @ George’s Majestic Lounge
Sun. June 16 – Nashville, TN @ 5 spot
Tue. June 18 – Washington, DC @ Pie Shop %
Wed. June 19 – Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s %
Thu. June 20 – Brooklyn, NY @ Baby’s All Right %
Fri. June 21 – Boston, MA @ Deep Cuts %
Sat. June 22 – Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground %
Sun. June 23 – Montreal, QC @ Bar Le Ritz %
Mon. June 24 – Toronto, ON @ The Garrison %
Wed. June 26 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Mr Smalls Funhouse %
Thu. June 27 – Detroit, MI @ Small’s %
Fri. June 28 – Cleveland, OH @ Beachland
Sat. June 29 – Chicago, IL @ Schubas
Mon. July 1 – Denver, CO @ Skylark Lounge
Wed. July 3 – Seattle, WA @ Chop Suey
Thu. July 4 – Portland, OR @ The Six
Fri. July 5 – San Francisco, CA @ Kilowatt
Sat. July 6 – Los Angeles, CA @ Moroccan Lounge
Sun. July 7 – Phoenix, AZ @ Rebel Lounge
Mon. July 8 – El Paso, TX @ Rosewood
Sun. Sept. 1 – Cambridge, UK @ Portland Arms ^
Mon. Sept. 2 – Leeds, UK @ Old Woollen ^
Tue. Sept. 3 – Glasgow, UK @ Room 2 ^
Wed. Sept. 4 – Stockton-on-Trees, UK @ Georgian Theatre ^
Thu. Sept. 5 – Manchester, UK @ The Deaf Institute ^
Fri. Sept. 6 – London, UK @ O2 Academy Islington ^
Sat. Sept. 7 – Brighton, UK @ Dust ^

* = w/ Slater
%= w/ Airiel
^= w/ Ringo Deathstarr

Keep your mind open.

[Don’t forget to subscribe.]

[Thanks to Jaycee at Pitch Perfect PR.]

REZN open up a dark, doomy “Chasm” with their newest single.

REZN – the Chicago-based band of Rob McWilliams (vocals, guitar), Phil Cangelosi (bass), Patrick Dunn (drums), and Spencer Ouellette (synth/saxophone) – announce their new album, Burden, out June 14^thvia their new label Sargent House. In conjunction, they present its massive lead single/video, “Chasm.” Since their inception, REZN have mined the stark monochromatic depths of underground metal and fused them with the kaleidoscopic delights of psychedelia, prog rock, and shoegaze. With their latest album Burden, they plumb the deepest, bleakest trenches of their sound while retaining a lifeline into the cosmos. Staking a claim at the crossroads of the hazy dimensions of modern psych acts like Black Angels, the cavernous gloom and reverb-drenched guitar of bands like Spectral Voice, and the lurching low-end meditations of artists like OM, REZN have created Burden—an album of immense amp-worshipping weight and intoxicating instrumentation.

Burden was recorded simultaneously with their previous album Solace back in July 2021 at Earth Analog Studios in Tolono, IL by Matt Russell. Rather than release a double album, REZN divided the material into two separate records, each with its own distinct emotional timbre. Whereas Solace was meant to uplift and create a sense of narcotic dreaminess, Burden skews towards the themes of delirium, claustrophobia, and misery. Musically, Burden favors riffs over atmosphere, percussion over ether, dissonance over beauty, but there is still an undeniable cohesion between it and its predecessor. The marriage of brute force and sublime textures has always been a key tactic in REZN’s approach—a duality that may explain their touring history with fellow synesthesia-inducing metallurgists Elder and Russian Circles—but the spectrum of the band’s mercurial temperaments has never felt as clearly defined and fully explored as it does on Burden.

Burden’s artwork is a literal continuation of Solace’s landscape painting, showing the fiery depths at the foot of the mountain range. Even Burden’s most reserved moments feel like the calm before the storm, a gathering of momentum before the punishing closer and lead single “Chasm,” a megalithic weedian crusher further bolstered by a scorching guitar solo courtesy of Russian Circle’s Mike Sullivan. “We wrote ‘Chasm’ to depict the final phase of an existential descent, when you’re on the last few steps of the spiral staircase and realize there’s no going back,” says Rob McWilliams. “We wanted it to sound like walls closing in on all sides and you’re looking at the exit getting further and further away. Mike’s melodic finger-tapping style blurs the section into a kind of dizzying, infernal panic attack. In the final moment of the song you’re faced with the repetitive churning of a molten, fuzzed-out wall of sound that builds until the audio itself starts to singe and catch fire, then abruptly self destructs.”

Watch REZN’s Video for “Chasm”

As knowledgeable gear heads, experienced sound engineers, and seasoned DIY veterans, REZN were able to create an early body of work devoid of any sonic compromises in their speaker-rattling dirges and heady lysergic forays. Their four self-released albums—Let It Burn (2017), Calm Black Water (2018), Chaotic Divine (2020), and Solace (2023)—have all gone through multiple vinyl pressings without any distribution or retail presence, and the international underground heavy psych world has routinely selected the band for distinguished festival slots across North America and Europe. From their inception, REZN have been a fiercely independent band with a fully realized aesthetic and a fervent cult following. Now ready to take things even further, REZN have teamed up with Sargent House to release Burden unto the world.

This summer, REZN will tour across North America with Pallbearer. Following, they’ll tour in Europe with new label mates Russian Circles as well as performing at multiple festivals. A full list of dates can be found below and tickets are on sale now.

Pre-order Burden

Burden Tracklist
1. Indigo
2. Instinct
3. Descent of Sinuous Corridors
4. Bleak Patterns
5. Collapse
6. Soft Prey
7. Chasm

REZN Tour Dates
Sat. May 11 – Oslo, NO @ Desertfest Oslo
Tue. June 11 – Durham, NC @ The Fruit %
Wed. June 12 – Asheville, NC @ Eulogy %
Thu. June 13 – Virginia Beach, VA @ The Bunker Brewpub %
Fri. June 14 – Baltimore, MD @ Metro Baltimore %
Sat. June 15 – Lancaster, PA @ Tellus360 %
Sun. June 16 – Philadelphia, PA @ Underground Arts %
Tue. June 18 – Hamden, CT @ Space Ballroom %
Thu. June 20 -Brooklyn , NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg %
Fri. June 21 – Cambridge, MA @ The Sinclair %
Sat. June 22 – Montreal, QC @ Theatre Fairmount %
Sun. June 23 – Toronto, ON @ Velvet Underground %
Tue. June 25 – Milwaukee, WI @ Vivarium %
Wed. June 26 – Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall %
Thu. June 27 – St. Paul, MN @ Turf Club %
Fri. June 28 – Lawrence, KS @ Bottleneck %
Sat. June 29 – Little Rock, AR @ The Hall %
Fri. July 26 – Indianapolis, IN @ Post. Festival
Wed. Oct. 9 – Berlin, DE @ Astra $
Thu. Oct. 10 – Koln, DE @ Kantine $
Fri. Oct. 11 – Munich, DE @ Keep It Low Festival $
Sat. Oct. 12 – Prague, CZ @ Archa $
Mon. Oct. 14 – Vienna, AT @ Arena $
Tue. Oct. 15 – Bologna, IT @ Estragon $
Thu. Oct. 17 – Metz, FR @ La Bam $
Fri. Oct. 18 – Antwerp, BE @ Desertfest $
Sun. Oct. 20 – Gothenburg, SE @ Monument $
Mon. Oct. 21 – Oslo, NO @ Parkteatret $
Tue. Oct. 22 – Stockholm, SE @ Slaktkyrkan $
Thu. Oct. 24 – Copenhagen, DK @ Vega $
Fri. Oct. 25 – Aalborg, DK @ Lasher Fest $
Sat. Oct. 26 – Hamburg, DE @ Uebel & Gefaehrlich $
Tue. Oct. 29 – Birmingham, UK @ O2 Institute2 $
Wed. Oct. 30 – Glasgow, UK @ Slay $
Thu. Oct. 31 – Belfast, N-IRE @ Limelight 2 $
Fri. Nov. 1 – Dublin, IRE @ Button Factory $
Sat. Nov. 2 – Manchester, UK @ Damnation Fest $
Sun. Nov. 3 – London, UK @ EartH $
Tue. Nov. 5 – Paris, FR @ Le Trianon $
Wed.Nov. 6 – Rennes, FR @ L’Antipode $
Thu. Nov. 7 – Bordeaux, FR @ Krakatoa $
Sun. Nov. 10 – Madrid, ES @ Nazca $
Mon. Nov. 11 – Barcelona, ES @ Salamandra $

%= w/ Pallbearer
$= w/ Russian Circles

Keep your mind open.

[Don’t forget to subscribe!]

[Thanks to Jaycee at Pitch Perfect PR.]

Camera Obscura release “Liberty Print,” the opening track to their first album in ten years.

Today, the legendary Scottish indie-pop band Camera Obscura releases the new single “Liberty Print” from their first new album in over ten years, Look to the East, Look to the West, out May 3rd on Merge Records. The group, led by guitarist and vocalist Tracyanne Campbell, have reunited with Jari Haapalainen, producer of the band’s 2006 album Let’s Get Out of This Country and 2009’s My Maudlin Career, and crafted an album that simultaneously recalls why longtime fans have ferociously loved them for decades while also being their most sophisticated effort to date.

The opening track to the album, “Liberty Print” shows off Camera Obscura’s uncanny dexterity in juxtaposing genres, moods, and emotions. Written about Campbell’s brother who died tragically at the age of 34, the track is an elegy that breaks itself open over a crushing synth line. A daringly constructed song, “Liberty Print” showcases Campbell’s command of lyrical narrative that allows space for grief within the structure of pop music. “I like ‘Liberty Print’ because I think it’s the song that sounds most unlike anything we’ve done before,” Campbell explains. “It introduces a new direction. It sounds fresh and exciting, and it introduces Donna [Maciocia] on keys in a big way. It was important to us that if we were to have a new player, that she be allowed to make her own creative stamp on the songs.”

Listen to Camera Obscura’s “Liberty Print”

Look to the East, Look to the West was the most hard-fought album of Camera Obscura’s career. Following the 2015 passing of founding keyboardist and friend Carey Lander, the band went into an extended hiatus. They remained in contact, but their status was uncertain until they announced their return, having been invited to perform as part of Belle & Sebastian’s 2019 Boaty Weekender cruise festival, along with a pair of sold-out warm-up shows in Glasgow. Donna Maciocia (keys and vocals) joined founding members Kenny McKeeve (guitar and vocals), Gavin Dunbar (bass), and Lee Thomson (drums and percussion) for those shows and has since become a regular songwriting partner of Campbell’s.

Recorded in the same room where Queen wrote “Bohemian Rhapsody,” Look to the East, Look to the West feels big, a widescreen reframing of Camera Obscura’s sound that, paradoxically, saw the band go back to basics—there are no string or brass arrangements, with more emphasis placed on piano, synthesizers, Hammond organ, and drum machines, and, perhaps most strikingly, the group have dropped the veil of reverb that characterized their previous albums. Look to the East, Look to the West is the sound of a band that has grown more confident in its sound and purpose than ever. It is Camera Obscura at their best and most evocative, an album that completely rearranges the listener’s emotional core, leaving them sad and exhilarated at the same time.

Pre-order Look to the East, Look to the West

Watch Camera Obscura’s “Big Love” Video

Listen to Camera Obscura’s “We’re Going to Make It in a Man’s World”

Camera Obscura Tour Dates:

Thu. May 2 – Hebden Bridge, UK @ The Trades Club

Sat. May 4 – Leeds, UK @ Stylus

Mon. May 6 – Manchester, UK @ Academy 2

Tue. May 7 – London, UK @ Koko

Thu. May 9 – Brighton, UK @ Concorde 2

Fri. May 10 – Birmingham, UK @ O2 Academy 2

Sat. May 11 – Glasgow, UK @ Barrowland Ballroom

Wed. May 29 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer

Thu. May 30 – Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club

Fri. May 31 – Montreal, QC @ Theatre Fairmont

Sat. Jun. 1 – Toronto, ON @ The Concert Hall

Mon. Jun. 3 – Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall

Tue. Jun. 4 – Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line

Fri. Jun. 7 – Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile

Sat. Jun. 8 – Portland, OR @ Revolution Hall

Mon. Jun. 10 – San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore

Tue. Jun. 11 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern

Wed. Jun. 12 – Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom

Fri. Jun. 14 – Dallas, TX @ Studio at the Factory

Sat. Jun. 15 – Austin, TX @ Scoot Inn

Mon. Jun. 17 – Atlanta, GA @ Variety

Tue. Jun. 18 – Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle

Wed. Jun. 19 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club

Thu. Jun. 20 – New York, NY @ Webster Hall

Sat. Jun. 22 – Mon. Jun. 24 – Mexico City, MX @ Foro Indie Rocks!

Fri. Aug. 2 – Sat. Aug. 3 – Glasgow, UK @ The Glasgow Weekender

Thu. Aug. 29 – Sun. Sept. 1 – Dorset, UK @ End of the Road Festival

Fri. Aug. 30 – Cardiff, UK @ Tramshed

Keep your mind open.

[Don’t forget to subscribe!]

[Thanks to Patrick at Pitch Perfect PR.]

Rewind Review: Failure – Wild Type Droid (2021)

Failure have long been fascinated with science fiction and how we’ll be living in the future (especially the one that’s already here). Their last full-length album, Wild Type Droid, refers to how we humans will be looked upon as wild types of androids and cyborgs in years to come. Robotics, cybernetics, artificial intelligence, space exploration, and, yes, music eventually will be so far advanced that what we have now will seem like it was created by people living on primitive plains.

“If everything’s true, then nothing is real. If nothing is true, then everything’s real,’ Ken Andrews sings on the album’s opener – “Water with Hands.” Right away, they start with a song that creates a sound only Failure seem capable of making: a combination of shoegaze, space rock, prog, and something indefinable that alters your perception. It’s not really psychedelia. It’s almost something alien.

Then along comes “Headstand” to lift you from the ground (“The simulation’s about to meet its maker.”). I can’t determine which causes more transcendence, Andrews’ bass, Greg Edwards‘ zero-gravity guitar work, or Kellii Scott‘s afterburner drumming. “A Lifetime of Joy” is almost a classic Failure “Segue” that bursts into another display of Scott’s excellent drumming on “Submarines” – a song about Andrews processing the COVID-19 pandemic (“I was so innocent before the plague…Can’t live in submarines forever.”) that crushes live.

“Bring Back the Sound” starts slow and a bit quiet, but it slowly builds the tension and fuzz around Andrews’ excellent vocal track on it. “Mercury Mouth” has Andrews angry at someone (possibly Donald Trump?) for distorting the truth and refusing to accept further deception (“You are a liar. Shut your mouth. There’s nothing silver about your tongue.”). The band crushes it, with Scott dropping some of his biggest fills on the album in it.

“Still undecided on the flight back from Seoul,” Andrew sings in the beginning of “Undecided,” instantly dropping us into a mystery. Why is he uncertain? And about what? It seems to be about a relationship, but not necessarily a romantic or sexual one – more one with himself and his relationship with the world, the rat race, and reconnecting with nature.

“Long Division” is the longest track on the album (five minutes-eleven seconds) and gets trippy the entire time. “We are hallucinations,” they sing on “Bad Translation.” This became the title of their live album and concert film, and it’s a concept Failure love to explore – Who are we, really? Where does technology end and humanity begin (or vice-versa)? “You cannot trust your senses,” they sing, “but you can let them go.” We don’t have to be inexorably linked to technology that only separates us. We can embrace what’s here and now.

The album closes with Edwards singing lead on the mostly acoustic “Half Moon.” It sounds melancholy at times and uplifting at others, distant at times and warm and fuzzy in certain moments.

The whole album is like that – bringing the coldness of space and loneliness and mixing it with the warmth of the sun and the strength found in presence and mindfulness. It’s cosmic and grounded, roaring and whispering, bright and dark.

Keep your mind open.

[Don’t fail to subscribe.]

Blushing present another luscious single, “Seafoam,” ahead of new album due May 03rd.

Blushing — the Austin, TX-based dream pop band consisting of the double husband and wife pairs of Christina and Noe Carmona and Michelle and Jacob Soto — present a new single/video, “Seafoam,” from their forthcoming album, Sugarcoat, out May 3rd via Kanine. Following lead single “Tamagotchi,” “Seafoam” is an intoxicating blend of post-punk, dark dream pop and nineties riot grrrl. It features former Smashing Pumpkins guitarist Jeff Schroeder, who was able to record lead guitar during some down time while on tour with Smashing Pumpkins. His guitar is laser focused over a brooding bass line and sweet then scalding vocals, as Christina sings of the anger that comes with a dwindling romance. “While chatting after a Smashing Pumpkins concert one night, we made a joke about Jeff playing lead guitar on the next album,” says the band. “A few years later when Sugarcoat was being recorded we decided to see if Jeff would be interested in making the suggestion a reality. He enthusiastically accepted and later sent over a guitar track that flowed perfectly with ‘Seafoam.’”

Watch Blushing’s Video for “Seafoam”

Sugarcoat is the follow-up to two EPs, 2017’s Tether and 2018’s Weak, their self-titled debut, and 2022’s Possessions. They didn’t want to create an album where each song was made to fit into the same mold. Instead, they decided to run with each idea no matter which direction it was facing, resulting in an album that is somewhat of a sampler of the group’s collective influences. While there are certainly tracks immediately recognizable as “Blushing” songs, this album is where the band get to explore their love for expanding genres, from post-punk, psych-gaze, grunge-pop, indie-pop, slowcore, and beyond. Lyrically the album asks many questions, reaching out for someone to provide answers or for the answers to come from within. There is a lot of uncertainty in the world as well as personally. Getting older, questioning past decisions, and the constant unknown of the future.

On Sugarcoat, Blushing’s dynamism is on full display, flitting effortlessly from spacey psychedelia to twee pop jangle with finesse and panache. Having enlisted Elliot Frazier (Ringo Deathstarr) and Mark Gardener (Ride) for engineering, mixing, and mastering duties, Sugarcoat is a dense, reverb-laden exploration of alt-rock’s 40 year history that conjures up concord from chaos.

This summer, they’ll support Slater and Airiel across North America, along with headline dates in Chicago, Seattle, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and more. Following, they’ll head over to the UK to play shows with Ringo Deathstarr. All dates can be found below.

Watch Blushing’s Video for “Tamagotchi”

Pre-order Sugarcoat

Blushing Tour Dates (new dates in bold)
Thu. May 2 – Austin, TX @ Hotel Vegas (album release show)
Wed. May 15 – San Antonio, TX @ Vibes Underground *
Thu. May 16 – Dallas, TX @ Club Dada *
Sat. May 18 – Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall *
Sun. May 19 – McAllen, TX @ The Gremlin *
Fri. June 14 – Oklahoma City, OK @ Resonant Head
Sat. June 15 – Fayetteville, AR @ George’s Majestic Lounge
Sun. June 16 – Nashville, TN @ 5 spot
Tue. June 18 – Washington, DC @ Pie Shop %
Wed. June 19 – Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s %
Thu. June 20 – Brooklyn, NY @ Baby’s All Right %
Fri. June 21 – Boston, MA @ Deep Cuts %
Sat. June 22 – Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground %
Sun. June 23 – Montreal, QC @ Bar Le Ritz %
Mon. June 24 – Toronto, ON @ The Garrison %
Wed. June 26 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Mr Smalls Funhouse %
Thu. June 27 – Detroit, MI @ Small’s %
Fri. June 28 – Cleveland, OH @ Beachland
Sat. June 29 – Chicago, IL @ Schubas
Mon. July 1 – Denver, CO @ Skylark Lounge
Wed. July 3 – Seattle, WA @ Chop Suey
Thu. July 4 – Portland, OR @ The Six
Fri. July 5 – San Francisco, CA @ Kilowatt
Sat. July 6 – Los Angeles, CA @ Moroccan Lounge
Sun. July 7 – Phoenix, AZ @ Rebel Lounge
Mon. July 8 – El Paso, TX @ Rosewood
Sun. Sept. 1 – Cambridge, UK @ Portland Arms ^
Mon. Sept. 2 – Birmingham, UK @ Academy 3 ^
Tue. Sept. 3 – Leeds, UK @ Old Woollen ^
Wed. Sept. 4 – Glasgow, UK @ Stereo ^
Thu. Sept. 5 – Manchester, UK @ The Deaf Institute ^
Fri. Sept. 6 – London, UK @ O2 Academy Islington ^
Sat. Sept. 7 – Brighton, UK @ Dust ^

* = w/ Slater
%= w/ Airiel
^= w/ Ringo Deathstarr

Keep your mind open.

[Don’t forget to subscribe!]

[Thanks to Jaycee at Pitch Perfect PR.]

Blushing announce new album, “Sugarcoat,” and single, “Tamagotchi.”

Blushing — the Austin, TX-based dream pop band consisting of the double husband and wife pairs of Christina and Noe Carmona and Michelle and Jacob Soto — announce their new album Sugarcoat, out May 3rd via Kanine, and a North American tour. In conjunction, they present an infectious lead single/video, “Tamagotchi.” On Sugarcoat, Blushing’s dynamism is on full display, flitting effortlessly from spacey psychedelia to twee pop jangle with finesse and panache. Having enlisted Elliot Frazier (Ringo Deathstarr) and Mark Gardener (Ride) for engineering, mixing, and mastering duties, Sugarcoat is a dense, reverb-laden exploration of alt-rock’s 40 year history that conjures up concord from chaos.

Blushing as a band would not exist if not for a dive bar in Austin. Coincidentally, both couples met each other there on different nights. Eventually, the band began in 2015. Michelle had been casually writing songs and had a few rough melodies forged over her rudimentary guitar skills. Soon after reaching out to and jamming with Christina, a classically trained vocalist, they had a batch of ideas and regular practice. While trying to fill out the rest of the band, they were unable to ignore the fact that their husbands happened to be a guitar player (Noe) and a drummer (Jacob). By 2018, Blushing had released two EPs, 2017’s self-released “Tether” and 2018’s “Weak” (Austin Town Hall Records), and were playing shows in Austin fairly regularly. Following a chance encounter with Elliott Frazier (Ringo Deathstarr), who was a fan of Blushing’s prior work, he invited the group to his recording studio, which led to rough demos of what would ultimately be tracks for Blushing’s first full length, self-titled record. Blushing would work with Frazier again on 2022’s Possessions, which channels the dreamlike qualities of 4AD’s most ethereal bands paired with the guitar-forward approach of early 90s American indie rock.

Immediately after the band wrapped the recording sessions for Possessions, they began writing songs that would become Sugarcoat. Noe or Christina would upload a new song idea to a Google Drive almost daily, and within the hour Michelle would have melody and lyrics fully formed. They didn’t want to create an album where each song was made to fit into the same mold. Instead, they decided to run with each idea no matter which direction it was facing, resulting in an album that is somewhat of a sampler of the group’s collective influences. While there are certainly tracks immediately recognizable as “Blushing” songs, this album is where the band get to explore their love for expanding genres, from post-punk, psych-gaze, grunge-pop, indie-pop, slowcore, and beyond. Lyrically the album asks many questions, reaching out for someone to provide answers or for the answers to come from within. There is a lot of uncertainty in the world as well as personally. Getting older, questioning past decisions, and the constant unknown of the future.

Bursting with playfulness, today’s first taste “Tamagotchi” crunches and wails through an energetic, anthemic chorus harkening back to the most feverish nineties alt-rock style. It tells a tale of indecision of the heart and the desire to be a playable character in the game of love and have the big decisions made for you. Would you still feel heartache if someone else was pushing the buttons? The accompanying video, directed by and featuring the band, is vibrant and charming.

Watch Blushing’s Video for “Tamagotchi”

Between their recent Japan tour with Softcult, extensive stateside touring, multiple appearances on live-session staples like LEVITATION, SXSW showcases, and sharing stages with Snail Mail, Blonde Redhead, Beabadoobee and countless others, it’s clear that Blushing’s mastery of their craft is hardly mysterious. On their newly-announced North American tour, they’ll support Slater and Airiel, along with headline dates in Chicago, Seattle, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and more. Tickets are on sale now and a full list can be found below.

Pre-order Sugarcoat

Blushing Tour Dates
Fri. March 15 – Austin, TX @ Hotel Vegas (SXSW official showcase)
Thu. May 2 – Austin, TX @ Hotel Vegas (album release show)
Wed. May 15 – San Antonio, TX @ Vibes Underground *
Thu. May 16 – Dallas, TX @ Club Dada *
Sat. May 18 – Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall *
Sun. May 19 – McAllen, TX @ The Gremlin *
Fri. June 14 – Oklahoma City, OK @ Resonant Head
Sat. June 15 – Fayetteville, AR @ George’s Majestic Lounge
Sun. June 16 – Nashville, TN @ 5 spot
Tue. June 18 – Washington, DC @ Pie Shop %
Wed. June 19 – Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s %
Thu. June 20 – Brooklyn, NY @ Baby’s All Right %
Fri. June 21 – Boston, MA @ Deep Cuts %
Sat. June 22 – Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground %
Sun. June 23 – Montreal, QC @ Bar Le Ritz %
Mon. June 24 – Toronto, ON @ The Garrison %
Wed. June 26 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Mr Smalls Funhouse %
Thu. June 27 – Detroit, MI @ Small’s %
Fri. June 28 – Cleveland, OH @ Beachland
Sat. June 29 – Chicago, IL @ Schubas
Mon. July 1 – Denver, CO @ Skylark Lounge
Wed. July 3 – Seattle, WA @ Chop Suey
Thu. July 4 – Portland, OR @ The Six
Fri. July 5 – San Francisco, CA @ Kilowatt
Sat. July 6 – Los Angeles, CA @ Moroccan Lounge
Sun. July 7 – Phoenix, AZ @ Rebel Lounge
Mon. July 8 – El Paso, TX @ Rosewood

* = w/ Slater
%= w/ Airiel

Keep your mind open.

[Why not subscribe while you’re here?]

[Thanks to Jaycee at Pitch Perfect PR.]

A Place to Bury Strangers urge us to “Change Your God” with their new single.

Today, the long-running New York band A Place To Bury Strangers announce the single/video, “Change Your God,” from their new 7-inch series, The Sevens, via Dedstrange. “Change Your God” appears alongside “It Is Time” in the first installment of the series, out digitally today and physically this Friday, February 23rd. The Sevens are four 7-inch vinyl records on white vinyl being released each month from now through April. They unveil a treasure trove of previously unreleased tracks from A Place To Bury Strangers’ critically acclaimed sixth album, See Through You. Renowned for their visceral sonic assault and immersive live performances, A Place To Bury Strangers has cemented the end-all-be-all space for over-the-top post-punk/shoegaze destruction. With this special vinyl collection, the band invites listeners to delve deeper into their sonic universe, exploring uncharted territories and hidden gems.

“When looking back at the recordings that were done around the time of See Through You, there were a bunch of great tracks that just captured life back then and really had something incredible going on,” says frontman Oliver Ackerman. “Even though they are a bit raw and a bit personal, I thought it would be a mistake if they didn’t come out. I thought it would be best to go back to my roots and put out a series of 7-inches the way A Place To Bury Strangers started. That strange weird format where the tracks each speak for themselves; no album context to muddy the water. These tracks are such a contrast to the way I am feeling now and the current songs we’ve been working on so slip back into this moment in time.”

Watch the Video for “Change Your God”

Fans all over the globe know: Oliver Ackermann always brings surprises. The singer and guitarist of New York City’s A Place To Bury Strangers has been delighting and astonishing his audience for close to two decades, combining post-punk, noise-rock, shoegaze, psychedelia, and avant-garde music in startling and unexpected ways. As the founder of Death By Audio, creator of signal-scrambling stomp boxes and visionary instrument effects, he’s exported that excitement and invention to other artists who plug into his gear and blow minds. In concert, A Place To Bury Strangers is nothing short of astounding — a shamanistic experience that bathes listeners in glorious sound, crazed left turns, transcendent vibrations, real-time experiments, brilliant breakthroughs.

And just as many of his peers in the New York City underground seem to be slowing down and settling in, Ackermann’s creativity is accelerating. He’s launched a label of his own: Dedstrange, dedicated to advancing the work of sonic renegades worldwide. He’s also refreshed the group’s lineup, adding bassist John Fedowitz and drummer Sandra Fedowitz, and the band has never sounded more current, or more courageous, or more accessibly melodic. The Hologram EP was the first release from the new lineup, and the group released their highly anticipated sixth album See Through You in 2022 to critical acclaim, touring incessantly since then. In addition to The Sevens, the group is preparing for seventh album due out this fall.

Stream/Purchase “Change Your God”/“It Is Time” + The Sevens:

A Place To Bury Strangers Tour Dates:

Thu. Mar. 21 – Boise, ID @ Treefort Festival [The Sevens Release Show]

Fri. Apr. 5 – Nijmegen, NL @ Doornroosje $

Sat. Apr. 6 – Köln, DE @ Club Volta &

Sun. Apr. 7 – Karlsruhe, DE @ P8 &

Tue. Apr. 9 – Milan, IT @ ARCI Bellezza &

Wed. Apr. 10 – Bologna, IT @ Coco Club &

Thu. Apr. 11 – Rome, IT @ Monk &

Fri. Apr. 12 – Palermo, IT @ Candelai *

Sat. Apr. 13 – Messina, IT @ Retronouveau †

Mon. Apr. 15 – Zurich CH @ Bogen F &

Tue. Apr. 16 – Bern, DH @ ISC Club *

Wed. Apr. 17 – Marseille, FR @ La Make &

Thu. Apr. 18 – Toulouse, FR @ Le Rex &

Fri. Apr. 19 – Barcelona, ES @ Barcelona Psych Fest [The Sevens Release Show]

Sat. Apr. 20 – Madrid, ES @ El Sol *&

Sun. Apr. 21 – San Sebastián, ES @ Dabadaba &

Tue. Apr. 23 – Paris, FR @ Petit Bain ^

Wed. Apr. 24 – Lille, FR @ Le Grand Mix ^

Thu. Apr. 25 – Maastricht, NL @ Muziekgieterij ^

Fri. May 31 – Brooklyn, NY @ TBA [The Sevens Release Show]

* With Ceremony East Coast

& With Maquina (PT)

^ With Plattenbau (DE)

† With Patriarchy (US)

$ With ERRORR (DE)

Keep your mind open.

[Don’t forget to subscribe.]

[Thanks to Steven at Dedstrange.]

Review: Failure – We Are Hallucinations

Recorded during the 2022 “Wild Type Droid” tour, Failure‘s We Are Hallucinations is the live album version of the concert film of the same name. The production is sharp as a razor, which is no surprise from Ken Andrews, Greg Edwards, and Kellii “Motherfucking” Scott.

The set covers new and classic tracks, starting with the hammering, powerful “Submarines” to knock you back in your seat. “Mercury Mouth” is just as stunning, with Andrews’ vocals filling the room during the verses and then breaking down walls on the choruses. “Macaque” is a Failure classic that always has a bit of a menacing undertone to it. “Wonderful Life” is a good example of their deceptive lyrics that often reflect themes of struggle and loneliness. It’s also a good example of how Kellii Scott locks in on a groove and will not release it for any price.

“Sent away to have my head checked, no more playing in the sands. Frogs are leaping off my brain stem. They don’t seem to understand,” Andrews sings on the walloping “Frogs” – a song about madness that is so good it’s almost frightening. All three members deliver more power than bands with twice as many members on it. Edwards and Andrews share lead verse vocals on “Atom City Queen,” and Scott’s beats on it are like a Chinese puzzle box in their complexity.

“Counterfeit Sky” is one of many Failure tracks that sounds like an alien transmission, or perhaps what you’d have playing as you entered a strange planet from orbit. The guitar work on it blends psychedelia and shoegaze with masterful skill. The opening guitar on “Force Fed Rainbow” reminds me of early 2000’s David Gilmour riffs. The guitar on “Bring Back the Sound” swirls around you like a slow-moving disco ball casting languid lights in a dark club.

The bass on “Bad Translation” is like some creature rising out of a dark pool of water at the back of a temple on a cold moon. Andrews singing “We are hallucinations.” is almost a sermon to us to remember we are more non-physical than physical. Edwards sings lead on “Half Moon,” a haunting track that seems to reveal his (and, I’m sure, the band’s) love for George Harrison. The live version of “Headstand” on this is nothing short of stunning, with the trio clicking on every level. You can’t really pick out one particular element because everything is perfect.

The last six tracks are selections from their classic album Fantastic Planet. Starting with “Segue 3” to warm up the already-frenzied crowd and then roaring into favorites like “The Nurse Who Loved Me,” “Another Space Song,” “Stuck on You,” “Heliotropic” (in which it sounds like Edwards’ guitar is going to die from exhaustion at any moment), and a crushing rendition of “Daylight.”

This is a must not only for Failure fans, but also fans of shoegaze, 1990s rock, and high-quality music in general. Do not miss it, and never miss Failure when they tour.

Keep your mind open.

[Don’t fail to subscribe!]

Robber Robber debuts first single – “Sea or War.”

Today, Burlington-based band Robber Robber — Nina Cates (vocals / rhythm guitar), Zack James (drums), Will Krulak (lead guitar), and Carney Hemler (bass) — share their new single/video, “Sea or War.” Co-produced by James, Cates, and Benny Yurco (Grace Potter), “Sea or War” speaks to the moments of confusion and reflection that happen as you try to navigate a messy world, represented through relentless percussion contrasted with fluid melodies. Of the track, the band explains: “‘Sea or War’ explores how fine the balance feels between comfort and futility. There are various opposing forces being fused together, which can be felt in the lyrics, musical arrangement, and production.”

Watch Robber Robber’s “Sea or War” Video

James and Cates have been playing music together since they were kids. Immersing themselves in the eclectic Burlington scene, they began writing songs and formed Robber Robber. The past few years has given the project time to “live and breathe” while the band honed in on their songwriting and captured the tangible group dynamic they’ve cultivated on stage: “With this curiosity-driven approach, we were able to really conceptualize and fine-tune what we wanted Robber Robber to be,” says the band. “This project is very conceptual, and therefore can be difficult to pinpoint, and that’s part of what we find refreshing about it. We feel a lot of freedom in having loose parameters to fit into.”

Next month, Robber Robber will play shows in Burlington, Northampton, and Brooklyn previewing new music to be released later this year.

Robber Robber Live Dates
Thu. Feb. 1 – Burlington, VT @ Radio Bean
Fri. Feb. 2 – Northampton, MA @ 90 King St.
Sat. Feb. 3 – Brooklyn, NY @ The Sultan Room
Thu. March 28 – Boston, MA @ O’Briens Pub *

* = w/ Thus Love and Native Sun
Keep your mind open.

[Don’t forget to subscribe while you’re here.]

[Thanks to Ahmad at Pitch Perfect PR.]

Review: Melody Fields – 1991

I’m not sure if calling Melody Fields‘ 1991 album a “companion piece” to their 1901 album is correct. It feels more link a continuation of 1901, or perhaps a better world is a transformation of it, not unlike the flower on 1991‘s cover opening to reveal things previously hidden.

1991 also has plenty of guest collaborators, whereas 1901 was all Melody Fields all of the time. The opening track, “Hallelujah,” (a remix / re-edit / re-imagining of “Jesus” from 1901) is a spaced out team-up with Snake Bunker. “Blasphemy” is a wall of My Bloody Valentine-inspired sound – beautiful, loud, and somewhat intimidating. Psych-DJ Al Lover teams up with Melody Fields on “Jesus Lover,” bringing up the drum beats and bass to turn “Jesus” into a dance track.

“Dandelion” rolls along like a cool van painted with some kind of wild ancient warrior artwork on the side. You can envision warm wind whipping through your hair, perhaps with a dandelion tucked behind one ear, as you drive out to a coastal music festival. Human Language joins Melody Fields, appropriately on “Talking with Jesus.” They slow down “Jesus” almost to a crawl, turning it into a dark wave track that beckons you from behind a curtain at the back of a weird store is some forgotten rust belt town.

The bold guitars on “Diary of a Young Man” bring images of dusty ghost towns to mind…and then it suddenly hits you with vocals that could be from an actual ghost for all I know. Get your incense ready for “Bhagavana Najika Cha,” because it might lift you off the ground, and the closer, “Son of Man” (guest-starring fellow Swedish psych-giants GOAT), keeps you afloat until after the album is done.

It’s a neat record that shows off Melody Fields’ different music influences, loves, and talents. Where else are you going to hear a record that blends psychedelia, dark wave, and dance grooves?

Keep your mind open.

[I’ll sing your praises if you subscribe.]

[Thanks to Melody Fields!]