Depeche Mode announces Global Spirit world tour.

Electro legends Depeche Mode have announced a world tour in support of their first album in four years – Spirit (which comes out March 17th).

The tour starts May 5th in Stockholm, Sweden and ends October 27th in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.  It includes many dates in the U.S. that will surely sell out quick, so get your tickets as soon as possible.

Keep your mind open.

Pitchfork Music Festival announces 2017 headliners.

Chicago’s Pitchfork Music Festival has announced its nightly headliners – and they’re a power trio: LCD Soundsystem, A Tribe Called Quest, and Solange.

The festival is July 14-16 in Union Park and will surely sell out, so get your tickets now while you can at a decent price.

Keep your mind open.

Boss Hog set to release first album in 17 years this March.

Boss Hog in New York City on June 5, 2016.

Noise punks Boss Hog are set to release their first album in 17 years, Brood X, next month.  Fronted by Jon Spencer and his wife Christina Martinez, the band’s original lineup is back together and just wrapped up a European tour.  They only have five U.S. dates slated through spring, so don’t miss them if they’re in your town.

You can hear “17” off the upcoming album at the band’s website.  It’s a welcome return of rock and roll.

Keep your mind open.

Bleached release first single, “Flipside,” from upcoming EP.

BLEACHED SHARE “FLIPSIDE,” NEW SONG OFF “CAN YOU DEAL?” EP

http://open.spotify.com/track/1D9CY5ZaXZ5zOnnaVrmnKy
https://soundcloud.com/deadoceans/bleached-flipside-1/s-iIauE

“CAN YOU DEAL?” EP AND ZINE OUT MARCH 3RD VIA DEAD OCEANS

NEW ZINE CONTRIBUTORS ADDED + MORE ZINES BEING PRESSED!

(above image of Bleached by Nicole Anne Robbins)
Los Angeles band Bleached – the punk band lead by sisters Jennifer and Jessica Clavin — are set to release the “Can You Deal?” EP on March 3rd via Dead Oceans. Recorded quickly in the midst of a break between months of touring, the EP captures the raw energy the band had been experiencing on stage. After sharing the title track “Can You Deal?” which dealt with the band’s frustrations with gender being used to define their music and the reductive habit of referring to them and others as “girl bands,” Bleached now present “Flipside,” one of their best songs to date. Jennifer Clavin describes the song below.

“I was thinking about the relationship we have with an album or a song and how we connect them to what is happening in our lives, like falling in love, being fascinated by a new friend, or some kind of pivotal moment in life corresponding with the record I’m listening to. Once the comedown of that time hits I can’t even listen to that record without thinking about that time or that person. Albums are the soundtrack to our lives, and this song is an ode to the nostalgia certain albums bring.”

As previously announced, Jennifer Clavin is publishing the limited edition “Can You Deal?” Zine, a collection of shared experiences on this subject through essay, visual art, poetry, lyrics and more from artists. An additional 500 copies of the zine will be printed as the first 500 sold out in 4 days! Newly added contributors include JD Samson, Bethany Cosentino (Best Coast), Cassie Ramone (Vivian Girls), Suzy Gardner and Donita Sparks (L7), Shannon Funchess (Light Asylum), Jenny Eliscu, and more. For a full list of contributors, visit http://www.canyoudealzine.com/. All net proceeds will go to Planned Parenthood.

Both the “Can You Deal?” EP and Zine are available for pre-order now. Bleached will tour North America supporting The Damned this spring.

Listen to Bleached’s “Flipside” –
http://open.spotify.com/track/1D9CY5ZaXZ5zOnnaVrmnKy
https://soundcloud.com/deadoceans/bleached-flipside-1/s-iIauE

“Can You Deal?” single stream –
https://soundcloud.com/deadoceans/can-you-deal/

Bleached Tour Dates –
Thu. Apr. 6 – Los Angeles, CA @ Echoplex
Fri. Apr. 7 – San Diego, CA @ House of Blues*
Sat. Apr. 8 – Anaheim, CA @ House of Blues*
Sun. Apr. 9 – Las Vegas, NV @ House of Blues*
Tue. Apr. 11 – San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore*
Wed. Apr. 12 – Sacramento, CA @ Ace of Spades*
Fri. Apr. 14 – Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom*
Sat. Apr. 15 – Vancouver, BC @ The Commodore*
Sun. Apr. 16 – Seattle, WA @ The Showbox*
Tue. Apr. 18 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Depot*
Wed. Apr. 19 – Denver, CO @ Summit Music Hall*
Fri. Apr. 21 – St. Louis, MO @ Delmar Hall*
Sat. Apr. 22 – Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line*
Sun. Apr. 23 – Chicago, IL @ House of Blues*
Mon. Apr. 24 – Louisville, KY @ Mercury Lounge*
Wed. Apr. 26 – Indianapolis, IN @ Deluxe (Old National Center)*
Thu. Apr. 27 – Cincinnati, OH @ Bogart’s*
Fri. Apr. 28 – Cleveland, OH @ House of Blues*
Sat. Jul. 29 – New York, NY @ Panorama Music Festival

*w/ The Damned

Pre-order “Can You Deal?” EP –
https://bleached.lnk.to/canyoudeal

Pre-order “Can You Deal?” Zine —
http://www.canyoudealzine.com/

[“Can You Deal?” Album art]

[“Can You Deal?” Zine cover art]

Midnight Oil announce first world tour in over 20 years.

How’s this for a bombshell?  Australian rock legends Midnight Oil announced not long ago that they had some big news coming soon.  Most of us figured it would be a new album, but they’ve announced a globe-spanning world tour instead.

The Great Circle tour is going to be a celebration of the band’s work and will start and end in their home country.  The band will play everywhere from Brazil to the Czech Republic in-between those dates, so catch them if you can.  I plan to catch them in Chicago.

Keep your mind open.

Burger Boogaloo 2017 announces lineup with John Waters returning as host.

BURGER BOOGALOO, JULY 1-2 IN OAKLAND, ANNOUNCE 2017 LINE-UP!

IGGY POP, JOHN WATERS, X, BUZZCOCKS, GUITAR WOLF, AND MORE!

“I’ve been a punk at heart even before there was such a thing and hosting Burger Boogaloo always ups my street cred. I’m the oldest juvenile delinquent there.”
– John Waters

Today, Oakland’s favorite music festival (as voted by the readers of the East Bay Express), Burger Boogaloo, which happens July 1st & 2nd at Mosswood Park, announces its line-up for 2017, and whoo-boy it’s a doozy. The most ambitious lineup yet, Burger Boogaloo is celebrating its 5th year at Mosswood by announcing Iggy Pop, Buzzcocks, X, Guitar Wolf, and many more will be joining this year’s festivities. And naturally, the event will be hosted by the inimitable John Waters yet again (his third year as host! If that’s not a seal of approval, we don’t know what is!). Every year the Burger Boogaloo surprises the audience with its unique, over-the-top stage sets and productions. Last year the Mummies drove in to the park in their 1966 Pontiac Bonneville Mummies Mobile, and played their headlining set on top of the car. What surprises are in store this year? Who the hell knows?

Because Mosswood Park has always been so generous to the Boogaloo, this year, the festival donated 100% of the first week of early bird ticket sales to the park to help rebuild their recreation center, which burned down last year. If you’d like to contribute to Mosswood Park’s Rec Center fund, you can do so here. Burger Boogaloo would like to thank all who purchased those tickets for their donations to Mosswood.

Tickets go on sale at 10 AM PST/1PM EST, with 2-day general admission passes for $129 and VIP 2-day passes for $199 (includes a swag bag with mixtape, a college diploma, and more, as well as unlimited exit/reentry privileges!). Single-day tickets can be purchased for Saturday and Sunday at $99 and $69, respectively. Tickets can be purchased here: http://burgerboogaloo.com/.

 SATURDAY, JULY 1ST
Iggy Pop
Guitar Wolf
NoBunny
Baby Shakes
Bloodshot Bill
Personal & The Pizzas
Wounded Lion
Car Crash

SUNDAY, JULY 2ND
Buzzcocks
X
NRBQ
Roy Loney (Flamin’ Groovies)
Shannon & The Clams
Quintron & Ms. Pussycat
La Luz
Jacuzzi Boys
Glitter Wizard

Burger Boogaloo Online:
http://burgerboogaloo.com/

The Black Angels’ new album, Death Song, due April 21, 2017.

Austin, Texas’ psych-rock wizards The Black Angels are dropping their newest album, Death Song, on April 21st and have announced a spring tour starting in Nashville and ending in Austin.  The first single off the new album, “Currency,” is already out and a great listen.

You can find all the tour dates, album pre-sale bundles that include things like T-shirts and posters, and the lyric video for “Currency” here.

Oh yeah, they’re also touring with A Place to Bury Strangers, so don’t miss this tour.

Keep your mind open.

Kane Strang’s first U.S. tour starts in March.

Kane Strang Shares New Single, “Oh So You’re Off I See”
Listen Here
Debut North American Tour Starts Next Month

“Strang has a gift for pulling diamonds from the rough” – Pitchfork
Kane Strang has shared new music for the first time since 2016’s Blue Cheese in the form of “Oh So You’re Off I See.” It’s the first single from the New Zealander’s forthcoming album that he is currently putting the finishing touches on. That record is due out later this year on Dead Oceans.

On “Oh So You’re Off I See,” Strang has moved away from the bedroom and into the studio. The song is robust and bright, showcasing his new collaborative approach to recording and writing with his band. The four-piece twists Strang’s melodies upside down and pushes his hooks inside out.

Strang’s North American tour kicks off next month at Baby’s All Right in Brooklyn and takes him to Savannah Stopover, SXSW and Treefort. These are his first shows ever outside of New Zealand. A full list of dates is below.

Listen to Kane Strang’s “Oh So You’re Off I See”:
https://youtu.be/l1VLO17X3Is
https://soundcloud.com/deadoceans/kane-strang-oh-so-youre-off-i-see

Kane Strang Tour Dates:
Thu. Feb. 23 – Dunedin, NZ @ None Gallery
Fri. Feb. 24 – Auckland, NZ @ Cassette 9 (w/ Fazerdaze)
Sat. Feb. 25 – Wellington, NZ @ Caroline (w/ Fazerdaze)
Fri. March 3 – Brooklyn, NY @ Baby’s All Right
Sun. March 5 – Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s
Mon. March 6 – Washington, DC @ DC9
Tue. March 7 – Richmond, VA @ Strange Matter
Wed. March 8 – Durham, NC @ The Pinhook
Thu. March 9 – Savannah, GA @ Savannah Stopover Music Festival
Fri. March 10 – Tallahassee, FL @ The Wilbury
Sat. March 11 – New Orleans, LA @ Gasa Gasa
Sun. March 12 – Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall
Mon. March 13-Sun. March 19 – Austin, TX @ SXSW
Mon. March 20 – Santa Fe, NM @ Meow Wolf
Tue. March 21 – Denver, CO @ Lost Lake
Wed. March 22 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court
Thu. March 23 – Boise, ID @ Treefort Music Festival
Fri. March 24 – Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios
Sat. March 25 – Vancouver, BC @ The Cobalt
Sun. March 26 – Seattle, WA @ The Vera Project
Wed. March 29 – San Francisco, CA @ Swedish American Hall
Thu. March 30 – Los Angeles, CA @ Bootleg Theater
Fri. March 31 – San Diego, CA @ Soda Bar

Cold Beat’s new album due out April 07, 2017.

COLD BEAT ANNOUNCES NEW ALBUM, CHAOS BY INVITATION, OUT 4/7 ON CRIME ON THE MOON

LISTEN TO FIRST SINGLE “62 MOONS

Today, Hannah Lew signals the return of Cold Beat with the announcement of her third album, Chaos By Invitation, out April 7th via her own Crime on the Moon label. As compared with previous releases, Chaos By Invitation began in Lew’s home, alone, with additional tracking done later by Phil Manley (Trans Am) at El Studio and Mikey Young (Total Control) – only to return to Lew’s home for completion over the course of many months. As a result, the offering is much more personal and direct than Into The Air, which was more of a band effort.  Collages from Lew’s home environment make up many of the textures of Chaos By, woven in to create an intimate atmosphere, a sort of chaos by necessity and design. The album also features performances by her friends Kyle King, Alex Shen, Jackson Blumgart, and Mikey Young.

Inspired musically by bands such as NEU! and Tubeway Army, Lew was also influenced by her own burgeoning interest in astronomy. The first single, “62 Moons,” is a song about love taken for granted, analogous to the 62 moons of Saturn, which are in constant loving orbit around a beautiful siren planet with many satellites. The artwork (above), done by Kevin McCarthy – of legendary Bay Area post-punk band Rank Xerox – was made to be machine readable, with some far distant expectation some synthetic intelligence would be able to understand this extremely personal and human album.

LISTEN TO “62 MOONS”
https://youtu.be/23PgtrBYOi8

“’62 Moons’ is the first single, a synth-pop song that swims in crystalline guitars a la Modern English, with a Brill Building romanticism. In its final minute, a wistful, whistling monosynth lead launches the track from Earth, as Lew exhales her ‘fade to black.'” – NPR Music

CHAOS BY INVITATION TRACKLISTING:
1. In Motion
2. Thin Ice
3. Don’t Touch
4. Black Licorice
5. UDW
6. 62 Moons
7. False Alarm
8. Chainmaille
9. Ivory Tower
10. Strawberry Moon
11. In Motion Reprise

PRAISE FOR INTO THE AIR

“Over the four years of its existence, San Francisco’s Cold Beat has made simultaneously dynamic and atmospheric post-punk that plays to Lew’s songwriting acumen and surreal lyricism.” – NPR Music

“Cold Beat’s second album, Into the Air, reaffirms Hannah Lew’s penchant for writing songs that are at once ebullient and subtly sinister.” – Rolling Stone (10 Artists You Need To Know)

“Only two albums in, Cold Beat have nailed wiry, wistful post-punk so well; they can already play with their sound in unexpected ways.” – Pitchfork

“For as much chemistry as this four-piece has, it’s still Lew’s sugar-sweet vocals — now soft and yielding, then tough and brittle — that convey the frustration [‘Cracks’] encompasses. Cold Beat whip these emotions into a beautiful storm, fusing anger and destruction into a glassy, pulsing missive.” – Stereogum

Preorder Chaos By Invitationhttp://apple.co/2kp7UVh

Cold Beat Online:
https://www.facebook.com/coldbeatsf
http://coldbeatsf.tumblr.com
https://soundcloud.com/cold-beat-2
http://www.crimeonthemoon.com/
https://twitter.com/ColdBeatSF

Clutch announces May U.S. tour.

CLUTCH ANNOUNCE MAY HEADLINE TOUR DATES ALONG WITH FIRST ANNUAL EARTH ROCKER FESTIVAL AT SHILEY ACRES IN INWOOD, WV 
February 8th, 2017 – Clutch has just announced a string of headline tour dates for May.  Supporting the tour will be Lucero and The Sword.  The band is also pleased to announce their first annual Earth Rocker Festival at Shiley Acres in Inwood, WV on May 20th.  Full line-up to be announced soon.  Pre-sale tickets will start at 10am ET today, public stale starts 10am ET on Friday.
Ticket info available here: https://ticket.artistarena.com/events/24585.
“We did a whole bunch of touring in 2016” states the band’s front man Neil Fallon.  “Right now, we’re cooling our heels and starting to kick around some riffs for the next record.  We hope to be recording the LP come the end of the year.  Where and with whom is yet TBD.  At the moment though, we’re really just at the beginning phase of writing and we already have a surplus of ideas.”
“In other news, this Spring we will be hosting the first annual Earth Rocker Festival.  It’ll take place in Shiley Acres, West Virginia.  We played at Shiley Acres last year and it was a real blast. Our intent is to have a really diverse bill.   If all goes as planned,  Earth Rocker Festival will continue as an annual event, hopefully growing in scope over the years.”
Psychic Warfare is the latest and eleventh studio effort from Clutch.  The disc debuted at No. 11 on the Billboard 200, No. 2 on the Billboard Independent,  No. 1 on the Billboard Hard Rock and Billboard Rock charts.  On Record Store Day this past April 16th Clutch released a limited edition numbered etched vinyl 12 inch that included two previously unreleased tracks from the Psychic Warfare sessions:  “Mad Sidewinder” and “Outland Special Clearance“.   Psychic Warfare was produced by longtime producer Machine (Lamb Of God, Every Time I Die).
Clutch, Lucero and The Sword May Tour Dates:
05-10-17 in Asheville, NC at Highland Brewing Company
05-12-17 in Louisville, KY at Palace Theatre
05-13-17 in Grand Rapids, MI at 20 Monroe Live
05-15-17 in Brooklyn, NY at Brooklyn Steel
05-16-17 in Providence, RI at Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel
05-17-17 in Port Chester, NY at The Capitol Theatre
05-19-17 in Norfolk, VA at The NorVa
05-20-17 in Inwood, WV  at “Earth Rocker Festival” at Shiley Acres
CLUTCH:
Neil Fallon – Vocals/Guitar
Tim Sult – Guitar
Dan Maines – Bass
Jean-Paul Gaster – Drums/Percussion
For more  information, check out the band’s website:
Official: www.pro-rock.com