Lust For Youth – the Scandinavian duo of Hannes Norrvide and Malthe Fischer – shares their new single “By No Means” with an accompanying video shot and edited by the band itself. “The video is a tribute to Mexico City and the beautiful people we met on our first trip there earlier this year,” they explain.
The band returns to North America in October for a string of shows beginning at Elsewhere in Brooklyn, NY, and wrapping up at Sleeping Village in Chicago, IL. The tour will mark the first time Lust For Youth perform many of the songs from their new album, a self-titled collection of eight songs, being released June 7th on Sacred Bones. They sound brighter than they ever have before, taking tips from some of the flirtiest Eurobeat to aid their new direction.
Watch “By No Means” Video – https://youtu.be/ThUsUME78Os
Pre-orderLust For Youth – https://lustforyouth.bandcamp.com/album/lust-for-youth
Lust For Youth Live: Thu. Oct. 17 – Brooklyn, NY @ Elsewhere Fri. Oct. 18 – Washington, DC @ U Street Music Hall Tue. Oct. 22 – Somerville, MA @ ONCE Ballroom Wed. Oct. 23 – Montreal, QC @ La Vitrola Thu. Oct. 24 – Toronto, ON @ The Garrison Fri. Oct. 25 – Detroit, MI @ UFO Factory Sat. Oct. 26 – Chicago, IL @ Sleeping Village
“Their most intimate, darkly personal record yet… Taking them out of the doom corner and giving it a raw, post-punk feel. “Raven” sounds like a Satanic, downtuned Steppenwolf, and frankly we can’t get enough.” — Kerrang!
“An intoxicating mix of stoner metal and occultist rock — it’s dark n’ doomy, sure, but it’s also as catchy as fly paper coated in industrial strength glue.” — Metal Sucks
Austin trio The Well share a new track from their forthcoming third album Death and Consolation via Metal Injection. Hear and share “This Is How The World Ends” HERE.
Kerrang Magazine also recently launched lead single “Raven” HERE. Metal Sucks hosted the crushing album opener “Sabbah” HERE.
Death and Consolation is without a doubt a weighty album title, and The Well is among the heaviest heavy psych bands in existence. So when we say that there’s even more darkness and intensity to the band’s third album than previous efforts, take heed. It’s a deep sea diving bell of enveloping heaviness and longing. “This one is a little more personal,” says guitarist/vocalist Ian Graham. “2018 was a strange, dark year. A lot of change going on in my life, there was a lot of depression and coming out of it over the last year. I wanted to call this Death and Consolation, because in life that’s a constant.”
While The Well continue to walk an intriguing line between authentic early 70s doom/heavy psych and frayed weirdness of dark folk – especially with their haunting unison male/female vocals – the new album also adds the stark vibe of post-punk acts like Joy Division and early The Cure. “I feel like this album is almost more gothic. We’re big fans of post-punk,” Graham says. There’s also much less jamming, the songs are tight and concise. And, did we mention, heavy? The band tuned down a full step to C-standard tuning for this album, which gives the proceedings its monstrous sound. Sonically, Death and Consolation picks up where The Well — Graham, bassist/vocalist Lisa Alley and drummer Jason Sullivan — left off with their widely heralded 2016 RidingEasy album Pagan Science.
The band once again recorded with longtime producer/engineer Chico Jones at Estuary Studio in 2018, who has turned the knobs for all three of their albums (Jones engineered the band’s debut album Samsara with producer Mark Deutrom [Melvins, Sunn0)))] in 2013.) Samsara, released late September 2014 was ranked the #1 debut album of 2014 by The Obelisk and Pagan Science among the Best of 2016 from the Doom Charts collective. Likewise, the band’s intense — some even say “possessed” — live performances have earned them featured slots at Austin’s Levitation Fest, as well as tours with Kadavar, All Them Witches, Black Tusk and more. “This album might be a little less produced, because I didn’t want to push technical stuff as much,” Graham says. “I’m so scared of getting too complicated when getting better at guitar. This is still kind of punk rock.”
Death and Consolation will be available on LP, CD and download on April 26th, 2019 via RidingEasy Records. Pre-orders are available HERE.
THE WELL TOUR 2019: 04/24 Dallas, TX @ Club Dada * 04/25 Austin, TX @ Barracuda * – album release party 04/27 Austin, TX @ Independence Brewery 04/28 Austin, TX @ Waterloo Records 04/29 San Antonio, TX @ Paper Tiger 05/01 Omaha, NE @ Slowdown * 05/02 Denver, CO @ Hi-Dive * 05/03 Phoenix, AZ @ Yucca Tap Room 05/04 Los Angeles, CA @ House of Machines 05/05 Long Beach, CA @ Alex’s Bar 05/06 Sacramento, CA @ Blue Lamp 05/07 Nevada City, CA @ Cooper’s 05/08 San Francisco, CA @ Elbo Room 05/09 Portland, OR @ High Water Mark 05/10 Seattle, WA @ Substation 05/11 Vancouver, BC @ Static Jupiter 05/12 Calgary, AB @ Palomino 05/13 Edmonton, AB @ Temple 05/14 Winnipeg, MB @ The Windsor 05/15 Minneapolis, MN @ Cabooze 05/16 Des Moines, IA @ Vaudeville Mews 05/17 Colorado Springs, CO @ Triple Nickle 05/18 Taos, NM @ Monolith on the Mesa Fest 05/19 El Paso, TX @ Monarch * w/ Monolord
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“. . . a compact reflection on loss, queer desire, and the endurance of sacred native traditions. Though Mother of My Children captures a specific moment in Paul’s life, it has the power to stick around for a long time.” — Pitchfork, Best Rock Albums of 2018
“There’s a universality to Paul’s soul-searching, a yearning that transcends the boundaries between people and speaks to the human condition in general.” — Stereogum, 40 Best New Bands of 2018
“Paul has a knack for making very specific, personal anecdotes feel universal.” – Paste, 20 Best New Artist of 2018
Black Belt Eagle Scout, the project of Portland-based multi-instrumentalist Katherine Paul, will release the “Loss & Relax b/w Half Colored Hair” 7” single April 26th via Saddle Creek.
“Loss & Relax” is an ode to Paul’s ancestors, past, present, and future, and informed by the experience of traveling home. It was first written in Anacortes following the recording of 2018’s Mother of My Children when Paul was particularly full of emotion and pride. The song was held off Mother of My Children for further exploration and continued to evolve as it was performed live by various members of Paul’s band.
As described by Paul: “As I was writing the guitar line, I kept seeing the water of the Salish Sea and the local ferries drifting people in and out of place. Ferries are such a beautiful part of my childhood and served as a major form of transportation. Thinking about my home and how canoes have turned into ferries is a sad, but also beautiful thought. Nowadays with Canoe Journeys, canoes are alongside ferries, roaming our waters to lands, sharing customs and culture. That is what I think about now when I listen to the fully recorded version of the song. I see a strong and fierce community of my people continuing to thrive in whatever comes our way. That is how I feel about myself, a survivor and thriver of this land, a water protector, a womxn, the future.”
The record’s B-side, “Half Colored Hair”, is a love song that explores the preciousness of moments we share with others. Together, the two songs display the next-step in what Black Belt Eagle Scout first instigated last year on Mother of My Children, while also providing an intriguing glimpse into what we have to look forward to in the years to come. As previously announced, Black Belt Eagle Scout will tour North American extensively, including dates supporting Julia Jacklin. All dates are below.
Thu. April 18 – Sioux Falls, SD @ Total Drag Records Fri. April 19 – Madison, WI @ Communication # Sat. April 20 – Bloomington, IN @ Culture Shock ^ Mon. April 22 – Athens, OH @ Union Bar and Grill Tue. April 23 – Brooklyn, NY @ Rough Trade * Wed. April 24 – New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom * Thu. April 25 – Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s * Fri. April 26 – Allston, MA @ Great Scott * Sat. April 27 – Montreal, QC @ Bar Le Ritz PDB * Sun. April 28 – Toronto, ON @ Horseshoe Tavern * Tue. April 30 – Washington, DC @ DC9 * Wed. May 1 – Richmond, VA @ Strange Matter * Thu. May 2 – Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle – Back Room * Thu. May 3 – Charlotte, NC @ Snug Harbor * Sat. May 4 – Atlanta, GA @ 529 Club * Mon. May 6 – Nashville, TN @ Third Man Records * Tue. May 7 – Columbus, OH @ Ace of Cups Wed. May 8 – Chicago, IL @ Schuba’s * Thu. May 9 – Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry * Fri. May 10 – Omaha, NE @ Reverb Lounge * Sat. May 11 – Kansas City, MO @ recordBar * Mon. May 13 – Denver, CO @ Larimer Lounge * Tue. May 14 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge * Fri. May 17 – Vancouver, BC @ The Fox Cabaret * Sat. May 18 – Everett, WA @ Fisherman’s Village Music Festival * Sat. May 18 – Seattle, WA @ Tractor Tavern * Sun. May 19 – Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios * Tue. May 21 – San Francisco, CA @ Swedish American Hall * Wed. May 22 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Roxy * Thu. May 23 – Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom * Mon. June 3 – Dallas, TX @ Club Dada * Tue. June 4 – Austin, TX @ Barracuda * Wed. June 5 – Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall * Thu. June 6 – New Orleans, LA @ Gasa Gasa * Thu. Aug. 1 – Sun. Aug. 4 – Happy Valley, OR @ Pickathon # = w/ Disq ^ = w/ Lala Lala *= w/ Julia Jacklin
“Equal parts Black Flag and Thin Lizzy.” — Rolling Stone
“Combines elements of hard rock, punk, metal, psychedelic, garage rock and more for a powerful sound that’s both heavy and catchy.” — Consequence of Sound
Los Angeles skate-rock trio The Shrine share the first track from their forthcoming Cruel World EP via Consequence of Sound’s Heavy Consequence. Hear and share “Dance On a Razor’s Edge” HERE.
The band also announces a huge EP release and tour kickoff party in downtown L.A. on April 19th at House of Machines. The release party also features the Paranoyds and DJ sets by artist Shepard Fairey, Tony Accosta and Judith Priest. The Shrine then play shows in Toronto and New York City before heading to Europe for shows surrounding their performances at DesertFest London and DesertFest Berlin. Please see all dates below.
The Shrine return in May with Cruel World, a filthy groove that sends a nod to both ZZ & Sabbath while attacking the atrocities of the modern age. On this 4 song EP the Venice, California rockers have grown heavier & simpler in a primitive yet defiant way. The Shrine come across more aware and in control of their power, mixing their favorite 70’s & 80’s in a fresh way that you don’t quite hear in today’s digital landscape. Cruel World was mixed at Henson Studios by Tom Syrowski (who won a Grammy in 2018 for his work with Mastodon).
From their warehouse skate parties and guitar shop beginnings in Venice, California to their Ozzfest appearances, Slayer/Ghost/Dinosaur Jr. support slots and repeat headline Japanese and Australian tours, The Shrine have thrived in the cemetery that is the music industry. On top of an official Dogtown Skateboard and a signature Converse shoe, and their debut TV performance on Norman Reedus’ Ride show on AMC; their last album cover was illustrated by Shepard Fairey. The world renowned street artist is a Shrine fan who hand-picked the band to headline his Damaged art show in Los Angeles to 8000 people.
Shepard Fairey on The Shrine: “The things that attracted me to skateboarding, punk, and metal in the 80s were their complete rejection of mainstream conformity and their embrace of aggression, rebellion, and do-it-yourselfing ripped to shreds danced on the razor’s edge. As subcultures became accepted and co-opted over the years, I craved music and a scene with the raw intensity of Black Flag, Black Sabbath, Suicidal Tendencies, Motorhead, the Circle Jerks, etc.. When I discovered The Shrine I realized that the kind of feral, sleazy, high-octane, fun as hell band and scene that I was looking for was out there, not in their 50s, but in their 20s. The warehouse record release party for The Shrine’s Rare Breed was the most awesome steaming pile of sweaty, surly, rock gods and goddesses in denim and leather I’ve been to in years! There were more kick-ass rock and skate t-shirts in that room than I’d seen in the last five years in Echo Park and Silver Lake combined. I’ve seen a lot of great shows in my life, but to have that particular crowd pogoing and stage diving to The Shrine with Nik Turner from Hawkwind on stage improvising psychedelic punk saxophone was pretty surreal. Someone dove on my head and sprained my neck at one point but I was so hopped up on adrenaline that I didn’t feel it much until the next day. So yeah, I guess I could say the Shrine shred and I think they’re OK.”
The Shrine recently added their new bass player Corey Parks (Nashville Pussy, Chelsea Girls). “We had jammed with Corey before on a Motorhead cover, and she actually took me to hang out with Lemmy in the studio during their final album,” says frontman Josh Landau. “There isn’t anyone else we could imagine doing The Shrine with other than Corey now. She brings a touch of class, charisma, and fire to the stage that pushes our chemistry into a whole new epic realm.”
Cruel World will be available on vinyl and download, released on May 3rd, 2019 via Eliminator Records. Pre-orders are available.
THE SHRINE TOUR 2019: 04/19 Los Angeles, CA @ House of Machines – EP release party & tour kickoff 04/23 Toronto, ON @ Baby G 04/24 NYC, NY @ Baby’s All Right 04/26 Munich, DE @ Backstage 04/27 Kaprun, AT @ Castle 04/30 Zurich, CH @ Z7 05/01 Savigliano, IT @ ARCI Mezcal 05/02 Marseille, FR @ Cabaret Aleatoire 05/03 London, UK @ Electric Ballroom – DesertFest UK 05/04 Berlin, DE @ Arena – DesertFest Berlin 05/05 Karlsruhe, DE @ Alte Hackerei 05/09 Bilbao, ES @ Kafe Antzokia 05/10 Madrid, ES @ White Lab 05/11 Barcellona, ES @ Rocksound
‘Claude Fontaine’ promises 10 tracks of artful reverence and tasteful reimagining of globetrotting sounds.” — Noisey
Los Angeles-based singer and songwriter ClaudeFontaine shares a new single, “Hot Tears,” from her forthcoming debut, self-titled album, out April26th on InnovativeLeisure. Following the “hypnotic and romantic” (Noisey) “Pretending He Was You” and lead single “Cry For Another”, which the Los Angeles Times described as “a straight-up rocksteady song that conjures the essence of Kingston, Jamaica, in the late 1960s,” “Hot Tears” is another standout nod to the early 1970s StudioOne, Trojan, and TreasureIsle records of Jamaica. Over muted percussion and flutters of trumpet, Fontaine tells a story of unrequited love.
Claude Fontaine was tracked in two potent sessions with guitarist TonyChin, whose playing with Althea and Donna, KingTubby, DennisBrown and so many more very arguably defined a significant part of the classic reggae sound, and AirtoMoreira, the Brazilian drummer whose work both solo and in collaboration—with MilesDavis, AstrudGilberto, ChickCorea, AnnettePeacock—make him an actual living legend. They also enlisted a murderer’s row of additional session players—bassist RonnieMcQueen of SteelPulse and ZiggyMarley drummer RockDeadrick, NowAgainRecords guitarist FabianoDo Nascimento, SergioMendes percussionist GibiDosSantos and FloraPurim bassist AndreDeSantanna. The ten tracks that comprise ClaudeFontaine were tracked at both KingsizeSoundLabs in Northeast Los Angeles and SageandSound, Chet Baker’s legendary old studio in Hollywood.
Fontaine will celebrate the album’s release with a show at ZebuloninLosAngeles on Fri. April 26th. Tickets are available here.
“[‘Into The Iris’ EP is] equal parts protest, post-impressionist imagery, even reactionary as it responds to the world around it—it’s a culmination and a dismantling at once.” – LA Record
“Into the Iris is a Wire-like collision of angular chords and shards of noise that are occasionally topped with compelling shout-along choruses.” – LA Weekly
“With a wave of twitchy, heavily distorted guitars, lead vocalist Will Ivy exudes a stark, smirking calmness amongst the electrifying storm.” – Paste on “Shouting At The Wall”
Flat Worms – the Los Angeles-based trio of bassist/vocalist Tim Hellman (Thee Oh Sees), drummer Justin Sullivan (Night Shop), and guitarist/ vocalist Will Ivy (Dream Boys) – share a video for “Into The Iris,” the title track from their recently released EP, out now via Drag City imprint, GOD? Records. “Into The Iris” is a frenzied, high-energy track about channeling inspiration. The video was recorded at their record release show at Zebulon in Los Angeles, and presents the band’s frenetic live performance. Directed by Joshua Erkman, the video also features lighting tricks by Ty Segall.
The “Into The Iris” EP was recorded by Ty Segall in his home. The six tracks comprising the EP are a persistent, determined response to an apocalyptic era, one that sees deserted strip malls and surreal headlines. The EP follows their self-titled album, released via Castle Face in 2017.
Flat Worms will tour the west coast in support of the “Into The Iris” EP. They will play dates in Europe later this summer. All dates are below.
Watch “Into The Iris” Video – https://youtu.be/nHtDMkrH8OM
Listen to “Shouting At The Wall” – https://youtu.be/6dEDRwJwT7U
Purchase “Into the Iris” EP – http://www.dragcity.com/products/into-the-iris
Flat Worms Tour Dates: Tue. April 23 – Seattle, WA @ Screw Driver Wed. April 24 – Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios Fri. April 26 – Chicago, CA @ Valley Fever Festival Sat. April 27 – San Francisco, CA @ The Knockout Sun. April 28 – Ventura, CA @ The Tavern Mon. April 29 – Los Angeles, CA @ Non Plus Ultra Sat. June 22 – Paris, FR @ La Maroquinerie Sun. June 23 – Brighton, UK @ TBD Mon. June 24 – Manchester, UK @ Yes (Pink Room) Thu. June 27 – Glasgow, UK @ Broadcast Fri. June 28 – Newcastle, UK @ The Cluny Sat. June 29 – Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Social Club Sun. June 30 – Nottingham, UK @ Rescue Rooms Mon. July 1 – Bristol, UK @ Fleece 2P Tue. July 2 – London, UK @ Dingwalls
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Flat Worms will tour the west coast in support of the “Into The Iris” EP. They will play dates in Europe later this summer. All dates are below. Watch “Into The Iris” Video – https://youtu.be/nHtDMkrH8OM
Listen to “Shouting At The Wall” – https://youtu.be/6dEDRwJwT7U
Purchase “Into the Iris” EP – http://www.dragcity.com/products/into-the-iris
Flat Worms Tour Dates: Tue. April 23 – Seattle, WA @ Screw Driver Wed. April 24 – Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios Fri. April 26 – Chicago, CA @ Valley Fever Festival Sat. April 27 – San Francisco, CA @ The Knockout Sun. April 28 – Ventura, CA @ The Tavern Mon. April 29 – Los Angeles, CA @ Non Plus Ultra Sat. June 22 – Paris, FR @ La Maroquinerie Sun. June 23 – Brighton, UK @ TBD Mon. June 24 – Manchester, UK @ Yes (Pink Room) Thu. June 27 – Glasgow, UK @ Broadcast Fri. June 28 – Newcastle, UK @ The Cluny Sat. June 29 – Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Social Club Sun. June 30 – Nottingham, UK @ Rescue Rooms Mon. July 1 – Bristol, UK @ Fleece 2P Tue. July 2 – London, UK @ Dingwalls
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“End of World Party” is the newest single by London-based electronic quartet HÆLOS off their sophomore album, Any Random Kindness, out May 10th via Infectious. Following a string of previously released tracks including the “anxious and melancholic” (Stereogum) “Boy / Girl,” “Kyoto,” and “Buried in The Sand,” “End of World Party” is a satirical look at disregarding the apocalyptic aspects of humanity and focusing on the now.
“‘End of World Party’ went through a few different versions, and then we took things from other songs and these new melodies materialized that we ran with. There’s a lot of fun production in it,” Arthur Delaney explains regarding the song’s unique sonic spin. Lotti Benardout elaborates on its themes, “It’s a bit more tongue-in-cheek than some of the other tracks on the record. We’re all humans in the end—you often need to turn yourself off from the news and enjoy the moment.”
STREAM “END OF WORLD PARTY” — https://haelos.lnk.to/EndPartyVidPR
The follow up to 2016’s Full Circle, Any Random Kindness is an astoundingly textured record and a huge leap forward for HÆLOS’ band members Lotti Benardout, Arthur Delaney, Dom Goldsmith, and Daniel Vildósola. The shivering, gorgeous atmospheres conjured on Full Circle are more warm-blooded and varied than ever, the result of a new approach to live instrumentation the band took in-studio. It was recorded in a variety of locations—from Benardout’s basement and Delaney’s house to a studio in the English countryside, miles away from their city digs. Throughout, the album touches on themes ranging from the permanent destruction caused by climate change to the ephemeral emotions projected onto social media.
HÆLOS is in the midst of their pre-release tour. All dates are below.
Stream/Watch/Share: “Buried In The Sand” Video – https://Haelos.lnk.to/BITSVidPR “Kyoto” Video – https://Haelos.lnk.to/KyotoVideoPR “Boy / Girl” – https://youtu.be/aFOhIKJf4GM
Pre-order Any Random Kindness – https://haelos.lnk.to/BITSVidPR
HÆLOS Tour Dates: Thu. May 9 – Sat. May 11 – Brighton, UK @ The Great Escape Thu. May 16 – London, UK @ EartH (Hackney Arts Centre) Fri. June 7 – Sat. June 8 – London, UK @ Field Day
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“North Carolina-based folk and blues guitarist Jake Xerxes Fussell creates music that resides at the seams of Appalachia and the cosmos.” — NPR Music
“Jake Xerxes Fussell is a national treasure.” — Aquarium Drunkard
“Achingly beautiful. He has an uncanny ability to illuminate the present by propping up a window against the past.” — Uncut
Jake Xerxes Fussell is pleased to announce his third album, Out of Sight, out June 7th on Paradise of Bachelors, alongside the album’s first single, “The River St. Johns.” Of the track, Jake writes: ‘The River St. Johns’ comes straight from one of Stetson Kennedy’s Florida WPA recordings of a gentleman named Harden Stuckey doing his interpretation of a fishmonger’s cry, which he recalls from a childhood memory. What compelling imagery there: “I’ve got fresh fish this morning, ladies / They are gilded with gold, and you may find a diamond in their mouths.” I can’t help but believe him.
Listen “The River St. Johns” — https://youtu.be/RaJCnhbVM64
On his third and most finely wrought album yet, guitarist, singer, and master interpreter Fussell is joined for the first time by a full band featuring Nathan Bowles (drums), Casey Toll (bass), Nathan Golub (pedal steel), Libby Rodenbough (violin, vocals), and James Anthony Wallace (piano, organ). An utterly transporting selection of traditional narrative folksongs addressing the troubles and delights of love, work, and wine (i.e., the things that matter), collected from a myriad of obscure sources and deftly metamorphosed, Out of Sight contains, among other moving curiosities, a fishmonger’s cry that sounds like an astral lament (“The River St. Johns”); a cotton mill tune that humorously explores the unknown terrain of death and memory (“Winnsboro Cotton Mill Blues”); and a fishermen’s shanty/gospel song equally concerned with terrestrial boozing and heavenly transcendence (“Drinking of the Wine”).
Read Bonnie “Prince” Billy’s essay on Fussell below.
“In our house we’ve listened to more Jake Fussell than any other individual artist over the past year, with the possible exception of Laurie Spiegel. We’ve had the opportunity to witness several intimate performances of Fussell’s (to my mind, he creates a new standard for the value of up-close musical experience) here in Louisville. As long as Jake Fussell is making records and playing shows, there is ample cause for optimism in this world. Fussell’s repertoire, and the manner in which he creates, constructs and presents it, displays such a beautiful and complex relationship to time and currency. He’s able to listen to and understand the presence of an old recording, of crusty dusty written-out pieces of music and memories of musical encounters. And then he overlays his own now-ness on those pre-existing presences so that the lives of older musical forces, in effect, link arms with Fussell’s in-progress trajectory and skip down the brick road, picking up desperate and willing compatriots along the way. Meaning: Jake lives in music as a true time-artist, using the qualities of time itself as irreplaceable elements of content.
“When Jake sings a sad song, he presents it in such a way that makes me want to say “Hey, but everything’s okay because you’re Jake Xerxes Fussell!” Hopefully it’s okay by him that I wouldn’t accept full-fledged nihilism from him even if he were standing naked on the ledge of a tall building with “this World is Shit” written on his shaved chest in, well, shit. His deal with his songs is too strong and blatantly valuable.” — Bonnie “Prince” Billy
Out of Sight Tracklist: 01. The River St. Johns 02. Michael Was Hearty 03. Oh Captain 04. Three Ravens 05. Jubilee 06. Winnsboro Cotton Mill Blues 07. The Rainbow Willow 08. 16-20 09. Drinking of the Wine
Pre-order Out of Sight: From PoB (LP/CD): http://www.paradiseofbachelors.com/pob-042
I’d heard a lot of good things about Nigerian guitarist / Tuareg musician Mdou Moctar before seeing him live for the first time. I knew he opened for Jack White on some of his tour dates, and that he’d made his own version of the Purple Rain film, and that he plays all sorts of gigs – from big festivals to weddings. I also heard that he shreds. After seeing him live in Kalamazoo, I can confirm this. Boy, does he ever shred.
Opening for Mr. Moctar and his band with the NYC new wave / post-punk / psychedelic outfit Guerilla Toss. They put on a wild set that mixed all three of those genres that left the crowd wowed and weird. I especially liked their tunes that wandered into psychedelic jams.
Guerilla Toss
Mr. Moctar and his sharp backing band were a contrast to Guerilla Toss’ style. Moctar and crew brought in fierce African rhythms, heavy bass, and fiery guitar solos that could barely be contained by the small venue.
He mostly played cuts from his excellent new album, Ilana (the Creator), a stunning record that has him exploring new guitar techniques and singing about love of fellow man. He laid down multiple stunning solos throughout the show.
He’s a nice chap as well. He was at his merchandise table before and after the set and chatted with anyone who wanted to chat. That friendly energy became bigger onstage as he encouraged everyone to rock out with him and his band.
Speaking of his merchandise, he’s selling handcrafted jewelry from Niger while on tour to support a school he’s building there. The guy plays a mean guitar and he’s building a school. Your argument is invalid.
One of those rings is now mine.
Don’t miss him live, and be sure to support his charitable efforts. He’s secretly one of the biggest upcoming stars on the world music scene playing small venues near you.
The title of Priests‘ excellent new record, The Seduction of Kansas, refers to a 2004 book by Thomas Frank entitled What’s the Matter with Kansas? That book discussed how the political leanings of Kansas more or less predicted the political leanings of the country at large for a century. Priests hail from the nation’s capital and are thus front and center for the political circus there, so it’s no surprise that The Seduction of Kansas lashes out at elitism, “bro” culture, 1%’ers, xenophobia, consumerism, and pretty much everything John Carpenter predicted in They Live.
The album opens with the hard-hitting “Jesus’ Son,” which is both a reference to Lou Reed and the Velvet Underground (who are definite post-punk influences on Priests) and a middle finger to douchebags who think they can get away with anything (i.e., “I am Jesus’ son. I’m young and dumb and full of cum. I am Jesus’ son. I think I’m gonna hurt someone.”) because they’re rich dudes. The title track practically has the subliminal “CONSUME” message from They Live woven through it as vocalist Katie Alice Greer sings about how corporations and mass media try to seduce us every day and convince us that they are really all we need.
“Youtube Sartre” is a slick takedown of dehumanizing technology and online trolls (and G.L. Jaguar’s guitar work on it is excellent – blending shoegaze and post-punk riffs). Drummer Daniele Daniele takes over the vocals on the sexy / scary “I’m Clean” – a song about a murderess who snaps after the pressures of modern society finally become too much for her to bear. Bassist Janel Leppin’s groove on it is the sheath and Daniele’s vocals are the knife. “Ice Cream” is almost an industrial goth track thanks to the creepy fuzz bass and Daniele’s machine-like beats.
The snappy “Good Time Charlie” is about the U.S. war machine and how war is, for some, damn good money. Daniele comes back to sing lead on “68 Screen” – a sharp song about objectification with the rhythm section going to the forefront and Jaguar smartly backing them up because he knows how damn good Leppin and Daniele are working together.
In an interesting turn, Priests follow a song about objectification of women and being held up to standards found in media with a song called “Not Perceived” – a song about how easy it is to fade into loneliness and obscurity despite having access to devices that let us connect to anywhere in the world in a few seconds. “I’m a haunted house made of marrow and bone.” is one of the best, and for some people, truest lyrics of the year regarding the subject of loneliness and being disenfranchised.
Greer gets her Patti Smith groove on in “Control Freak” – a track that comes at you like a thunderstorm. Leppin’s rumbling bass is the thunder, Jaguar’s guitar the lightning, Daniele’s drums the driving rain, and Greer’s voice the raging wind. “Carol,” on the other hand, is almost a dreamy cruise on a summer day…but with a hint of mystery you can’t quite describe. The album ends with “Texas Instruments” – a lyrically searing takedown of xenophobia with Jaguar’s guitar work coming back to the lead with roaring riffs.
This is one of the best albums of the year so far. It’s packed with intriguing lyrics that reveal more with each listen and is a vital diary of modern times in not only the nation’s capital, but the rest of the country.
