I've been a music fan since my parents gave me a record player for Christmas when I was still in grade school. The first record I remember owning was "Sesame Street Disco." I've been a professional writer since 2004, but writing long before that. My first published work was in a middle school literary magazine and was a story about a zoo in which the animals could talk.
Recorded in an attic in a house where an exorcism took place and inspired by science fiction and mind expansion via psychedelic drug trip, Evolfo‘s Site Out of Mind is a pretty groovy record. I mean, how could it not be with an origin story like that?
Opening with Cure-like guitar chords that mix with thick electro-bass and reverbed vocals on “Give Me Time,” the album instantly feels far more expansive than an attic. The crunchy guitars and humming of the first single, “Strange Lights,” will make you stomp the pedal to the metal. Evolfo goes from Temples influences to Osees within two songs, which is nothing but cool to me. The warped, wobbly beats of “Zuma Loop” are disorienting at first and then hypnotic.
“Towers rise, towers fall,” they sing on “Blossom in Void” – a song that seems to be about staying present in order to emerge from sorrow and end up in a place of joy. Jangly acoustic guitars and vintage psych-synths start the funky “Drying Out Your Eyes” – a top-notch groovy cut. “In Time” parts 1 and 2 are a nice psychedelic combo – like pretzels and curry. “Let Go” is a dreamy float down a hazy river.
“Broken Hills” has this neat, weird beat that I love, and the change to a trippy Yes-like sound for the end (complete with string section) is gorgeous. “Orion’s Belt” is appropriately spacey, with guitars sounding like buzzing UFOs. The closer, “White Foam,” reminds me of Psychedelic Furs by the end if the Furs were even more psychedelic.
It’s a nice record, and I’m curious to see and hear where these chaps go next.
London & Manchester-based duo Oh Baby are set to release their new album ‘Hey Genius‘ on July 23rd via Burning Witches Records The pair, made up of distant cousins Rick Hornby & Jen Devereux met via a chance meeting at distant relatives funeral. Today they’re sharing their new single “I Need Somebody To Love Tonight“.
Speaking about the track, the band said “I Need Somebody To Love Tonight is a cover of an obscure track by Patrick Cowley who was a composer and electronic musician/producer in 70’s San Francisco and who’s music formed part of the New York underground post-disco scene of the early 80’s. When we discovered his early instrumentals and demos had been re-released we devoured all that homemade analog charm. Finding out that the original track was part of music commissioned for gay porn films gave the sound even more beautiful late-night sleaze.”
Last month, London-based band Dry Cleaning released New Long Leg, their 4AD debut and one of 2021’s most praised albums thus far. The album was immediately met with much fanfare and glowing reviews from Pitchfork(Best New Music), The New York Times, NPR Music, Rolling Stone, Entertainment Weekly, Bandcamp, and more. Today, they announce a fall tour in support of New Long Leg. Dry Cleaning will play select shows across the states, performing for the first time ever in San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, and Chicago, plus return appearances in Los Angeles and Brooklyn. Following in early 2022, the band will tour Europe and the UK. Their live energy was previewed during their television debut on Later…with Jools Holland earlier this year, plus their 2021 KEXP session.
Dry Cleaning is Nick Buxton (drums), Tom Dowse (guitar), Lewis Maynard(bass) and Florence Shaw (vocals). Buoyed by the universal acclaim they received for 2019 EPs “Boundary Road SnacksandDrinks” and “Sweet Princess,” New Long Leg “arrives fully formed, ready to evacuate the contents of your brain and replace them with the odd images, bizarre obsessions, vivid sense memories, and banal judgements that live rent-free in the mind of another” (Pitchfork).
oday, Sharon Van Etten and Angel Olsen unveil a true knockout of a song, “Like I Used To,” with a gorgeous accompanying video. The track opens less with a chord than with a crash, an announcement to stop what you’re doing and stand at attention: Sharon Van Etten and Angel Olsen are singing together. “Like I Used To” takes its place among the great anthems: a powerful and joyful ode to reclaiming one’s own space. Sharon’s troubadour swagger is sure-footed and stadium-sized. Angel’s inquisition is piercing, evocative, impossible to dodge. The combination of their voices is so beautiful and electric, it’s almost destabilizing, and it’s only furthered by John Congleton’s production, who has worked closely with both in the past: Sharon on her most recent album, Remind Me Tomorrow, and Angel throughout her career on Burn Your Fire for No Witness and All Mirrors.
The song’s stunning accompanying video, directed by Kimberly Stuckwisch and shot in Los Angeles and Joshua Tree at various locations, elevates the overall vibe and free spirit of “Like I Used To.” It is a visual representation that truly celebrates the collaborative nature of these two special songwriters and performers. Watch Sharon Van Etten and Angel Olsen’s Video for “Like I Used To” Both Sharon and Angel have long-admired one another from the close-but-far distance of life on tour, a life that unifies them even as they’ve spent years criss-crossing each other from miles, countries, continents apart. Ask them each about the song’s origin story and they inadvertently stitch a mirror together, a story of mutual admiration and, lucky for us, eventual collaboration. “Even though we weren’t super close, I always felt supported by Angel and considered her a peer in this weird world of touring. We highway high-fived many times along the way…I finally got the courage in June of 2020 to reach out to see if she would want to sing together. I got greedy and quickly sent her a track I had been working on,” says Sharon.
“I’ve met with Sharon here and there throughout the years and have always felt too shy to ask her what she’s been up to or working on,” says Angel. “The song reminded me immediately of getting back to where I started, before music was expected of me, or much was expected of me, a time that remains pure and real in my heart.” To call it magic is to cheapen the connection between these two masters, but when you listen it’s hard to call it anything else.
Las Vegas, Nevada’s Psycho music festival has revealed its updated lineup for 2021, and it still includes plenty of heavy-hitters in the metal world, psychedelic bands, shoegaze groups, and even bossa nova musicians.
Danzig, Emperor, and Down are the main headliners, but there’s plenty to keep you occupied if you want to avoid the headliners’ crowds. The Flaming Lips never disappoint live, and Thievery Corporation will be a delightful show of trip hop and makeout music. Ty Segall and Freedom Band will probably be a raucous set, and there’s no doubt that Osees will have a lot of pent-up energy to unleash after a year of not touring.
The Sword are a nice addition to the revised lineup, Health is powerful live, as is Zola Jesus‘ voice in any venue. TSOL will bring classic punk to the festival, Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears will bring funk, Dengue Fever will bring Southeast Asian psych-disco grooves, Frankie and the Witch Fingers will supply psychedelic jams, Guantanmo Baywatch will serve up surf, and Claude Fontaine will sing bossa nova and dub tracks to make you melt.
There’s plenty of metal, to be sure. Warish will flatten any venue in which they play. High on Fire will shred everything, and Cannibal Corpse will burn whatever’s left to ashes. Flavor Crystals and Highlandswill add shoegaze to the mix, and there’s even a Queen cover band – Mother Mercury – to boot.
The “Psycho Swim” pre-party will also be worth your time. Death Valley Girlsare ruling right now, Blackwater Holylightare also equally creepy and enchanting, and Here Lies Manwill have everyone jamming in the pool.
Tickets are rapidly selling, so don’t wait to get some.
Durand Jones & The Indications announce their new album, Private Space, out July 30th on Dead Oceans in association with Colemine Records, and a fall North American tour. Following the “immaculate and eternal soul” (The Guardian) of The Indications’ 2019 album, American Love Call, Private Space unlocks the door to a wider range of sounds, boldly launching the band into a world of synthy modern soul and disco beats dotted with strings. Anchored by the high-low harmonies of AaronFrazer (drums/vocals) and DurandJones (vocals), and rounded out by BlakeRhein (guitar), SteveOkonski (keys), and MikeMontgomery (bass), The Indications are true masters at melding revival sounds with a modern attitude. The ten tracks across Private Space provide for both an escapist fantasy and a much-needed recentering after a tumultuous 2020.
In conjunction with today’s announcement, they share Private Space’s lead single/video “Witchoo.” Reflective of the track’s vibrant, playful energy, the Weird Life-directed video features the five band members and close friends, transitioning from a live performance to an electric backstage soirée.
“At the end of the day, I just want people to close their eyes and forget where they are. Just the way a Stevie Wonder album does for me,” says Jones. Developed after being apart for much of the year, Private Space is creatively explosive and delights in upending expectations. Throughout, The Indications highlight a collective resiliency – as well as the power of a good song to be a light in the darkness. From an Indiana basement (where the band recorded their 2016 self-titled debut LP as college students), The Indications have catapulted into the soul limelight and an international stage. Following their sophomore album American Love Call — a dreamy but pensive record of big string arrangements and sweet soul stylings — The Indications became revered by vintage music fans, the lowrider community and late-night television.
Between production work, solo efforts and major sold-out shows, Durand Jones & The Indications continue on an unstoppable upswing. With live music temporarily out of the equation, The Indications were able to dive deep into recording their third LP. Uptempo tracks like “Witchoo,”“The Way That I Do” and “Sea of Love” practically manifest the flicker of a disco ball, their pop-funk grooves recalling IdrisMuhammad and RaphaelSaadiq as well as PeteRock and DJPremier. You’ll slow it down as the group evokes the likes of TeddyPendergrass, the IsleyBrothers and Sylvia on “Ride or Die” or “More Than Ever” (“I’ve never felt so sexy as when I was singing that track,” says Jones).
While Private Space is an intentional departure from The Indications’ roots in ‘60s funk and soul, its exploratory vibe is true to their origins and evolving tastes. “There’s a lot of the band’s original DNA, but it’s not a time capsule,” says Rhein. The sound of Private Space isn’t a stretch, Frazer adds. “We’re actually revealing more of ourselves, a deeper and broader look into who we are as musicians and fans.”
Settled in a cabin in upstate New York, the five-piece spent significantly more time experimenting with sound than previous releases. “It was like this buildup of all the ideas, the love, and the need to make music with these guys again,” Jones says. They leaned into songwriting and brought in vibraphonist JoelRoss (BlueNote), an eight-piece string section and friends from the group 79.5 to sing backups. From ideation to the final album cut, Private Space is a meditation on what gets us through isolation and loss: community, love and friendship.
Each Indications album opens with a statement of political consciousness; a musical State of the Union that sets a tone. As Nina Simone once declared, “I choose to reflect the times and situations in which I find myself. That to me is my duty.” Private Space leans into hope, coalescing around the idea that joy can set us free. “I want listeners to know that through really rough times something beautiful can be birthed,” says Jones, who proclaims on “Love Will Work It Out” that “All the people lost made me fall right onto my knees/all I could do was cry and shout/I knew I had to trust the faith that love would work it out.”
As the world slowly resets from the chaos of the past year, Private Space is arriving at just the right time. “I feel we’ll be arriving into people’s lives as they’re exiting a really tough period,” Frazer theorizes. “We’re not out of the woods, but hopefully this allows people to get together again, to share and experience catharsis.”
Private Space Tracklist 01. Love Will Work It Out 02. Witchoo 03. Private Space 04. More Than Ever 05. Ride or Die 06. The Way That I Do 07. Reach Out 08. Sexy Thang 09. Sea of Love 10. I Can See
Durand Jones & The Indications Tour Dates (on sale this Friday at 10am local time) Tue. Sept. 7 – Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club Wed. Sep. 8 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer Fri. Sept. 10 – Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel Sat. Sept. 11 – Washington DC @ 9:30 Club Mon. Sept. 13 – Chicago, IL @ Vic Theatre Tue. Sept. 14 – Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line Thu. Sept. 16 – Denver, CO @ Gothic Theater Fri. Sept. 17 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Commonwealth Room Mon. Sept. 20 – San Diego, CA @ Soma Wed. Sept. 22 – Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Palladium Fri. Sept. 24 – Dana Point, CA @ Ohana Fest
TORRES (moniker of Mackenzie Scott) announces her new album, Thirstier, out July 30th on Merge Records, and a North American and European tour. In conjunction, she unveils the album’s first single/video, “Don’t Go Puttin Wishes in My Head.” Thirstier, the follow-up to 2020’s Silver Tongue, is Scott’s most exuberant and daring record to date, showcasing her in thrilling freefall. “I’ve been conjuring this deep, deep joy that I honestly didn’t feel for most of my life,” says Scott. “I feel like a rock within myself. And I’ve started to feel that I have what it takes to help other people conjure their joy, too.” The album revolts against the gray drag of time, a searing and life-affirming eruption of an album that wonders what could happen if we found a way to make our fantasies inexhaustible. Thirstier explodes the borders of imaginative possibility.
Recorded in the fall of 2020 at Middle Farm Studios in the UK, Thirstier marks a turn towards a bigger, more bombastic sound for TORRES. The anxious hush that fell over much of Scott’s previous music gets turned inside-out in songs tailored for post-plague celebration. Scott co-produced the album with Rob Ellis and Peter Miles, drawing on her experience self-producing Silver Tongue to push her music onto an even broader scale. Guitar-driven walls of sound, reminiscent of producer Butch Vig’s work with Garbage and Nirvana, surge and dissipate like surf in high winds, carrying Scott’s commanding voice to the fore.
“I wanted to channel my intensity into something that felt positive and constructive, as opposed to being intense in a destructive or eviscerating way,” Scott notes. “I love the idea that intensity can actually be something life-saving or something joyous.”
This massive sound and celebratory mood is evident in lead single “Don’t Go Puttin Wishes in My Head,” a sparkling country romp. Bolstered by glistening synth, it’s a defiant yet disarming number that sees Scott singing of a love that knows no bounds, while sharing her vulnerabilities with remarkable candor. Its charming video was shot in Scott’s apartment with her partner. In her own words, it’s “my relentless arena country star moment—my shameless Tim McGraw cheeseball hit.” Watch TORRES’ “Don’t Go Puttin Wishes in My Head” Video Thirstier clasps together love songs from all angles. Romantic love, platonic love, familial love, self-love, and freeing spiritual love all commingle, all feeding one another and vaulting toward the horizon. Scott sings of love that never knows scarcity. With Thirstier, TORRES clears the way to that wellspring and invites others to follow her there. Pre-order Thirstier
Thirstier Tracklist 1. Are You Sleepwalking? 2. Don’t Go Puttin Wishes in My Head 3. Constant Tomorrowland 4. Drive Me 5. Big Leap 6. Hug From a Dinosaur 7. Thirstier 8. Kiss the Corners 9. Hand in the Air 10. Keep the Devil Out
TORRES Tour Dates (tickets on sale May 12 @ 10am Eastern) Sun. Aug. 29 – Fairfield, CT @ StageOne Mon. Aug. 30 – Portsmouth, NH @ Press Room Tue. Aug. 31 – Cambridge, MA @ Sonia Fri. Sept. 3 – Buffalo, NY @ Mohawk Place Mon. Sept. 13 – Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Tavern Tue. Sept. 14 – Columbus, OH @ Ace of Cups Wed. Sept. 15 – Detroit, MI @ Marble Bar Thu. Sept. 16 – Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle Fri. Sept. 17 – Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry Sat. Sept. 18 – Kansas City, MO @ Record Bar Sun. Sept. 19 – St. Louis, MO @ Off Broadway Tue. Sept. 21 – Denver, CO @ Larimer Lounge Wed. Sept. 22 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court Sat. Sept. 25 – Boise, ID @ Treefort Music Festival Mon. Sept. 27 – Seattle, WA @ Tractor Tavern Tue. Sept. 28 – Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge Thu. Sept. 30 – San Francisco, CA @ Brick & Mortar Music Hall Fri. Oct. 1 – Santa Cruz, CA @ Atrium @ Catalyst Sat. Oct. 2 – San Diego, CA @ Soda Bar Sun. Oct. 3 – Los Angeles, CA @ Troubadour Mon. Oct. 4 – Phoenix, AZ @ Rebel Lounge Wed. Oct. 6 – Dallas, TX @ Deep Ellum Art Co. Thu. Oct. 7 – Houston, TX @ Bronze Peacock Fri. Oct. 8 – Austin, TX @ 3TEN @ ACL Live Mon. Oct. 11 – Chattanooga, TN @ House Show Tue. Oct. 12 – Atlanta, GA @ The Earl Wed. Oct. 13 – Asheville, NC @ ISIS Asheville Thu. Oct. 14 – Nashville, TN @ EXIT/IN Fri. Oct. 15 – Knoxville, TN @ Open Chord Sat. Oct. 16 – Durham, NC @ The Pinhook Sun. Oct. 17 – Washington, DC @ Union Stage Mon. Oct. 18 – Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s Thu. Oct. 21 – New York, NY @ The Bowery Ballroom Fri. March 11, 2022 – Glasgow, UK @ Mono Sat. March 12, 2022 – Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Social Club Sun. March 13, 2022 – Manchester, UK @ Night & Day Mon. March 14, 2022 – Bristol, UK @ Exchange Tue. March 15, 2022 – London, UK @ Bush Hall Thu. March 17, 2022 – Paris, FR @ La Boule Noire Fri. March 18, 2022 – Gent, BE @ Charlatan Sat. March 19, 2022 – Utrecht, NL @ Ekko Mon. March 21, 2022 – Berlin, DE @ Frannz Club Tue. March 22, 2022 – Hamburg, DE @ Uebel & Gefährlich (Turmzimmer) Wed. March 23, 2022 – Cologne, DE @ Bumann & SOHN Thu. March 24, 2022 – Heidelberg, DE @ Karlstorbahnhof Fri. March 25, 2022 – Zürich, CH @ Rote Fabrik Sat. March 26, 2022 – Bologna, IT @ Locomotiv
Keep your mind open.
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Today Max Bloom (previously of Yuck) has shared a second single from his forthcoming solo record ‘Pedestrian’, which is set for release on June 18 through Bloom’s own new label, Ultimate Blends. He will also be playing a socially-distanced show at London’s Oslo on July 2nd.
“Palindromes“ is a wistful, understated love song. Bloom explains: “This song is about how I got together with my girlfriend Anna, who also plays bass in my live band (and co-wrote two songs on the album). We were best friends for years, then she broke up with her boyfriend and we got together quite suddenly. It was completely unplanned, but when it happened it felt like a lucid dream. I wanted to write something to commemorate it (Anna has also written a few songs about it too), and after the darkness and grief of Perfume, it felt cathartic for me to write this song.”
The album ‘Pedestrian’ takes its listener into the outside world. And it was here, wandering the city streets and parks against the surreal backdrop of the last twelve months, that Bloom discovered his inspiration for this latest collection of songs. He found himself observing his surroundings and people’s behaviour in a new light.
Over the months, a regular cast of companions (namely Spoon, Beck, and Yellow Magic Orchestra) accompanied Bloom on his increasingly lengthy runs. These references, alongside core influences like Wilco, George Harrison, and Grandaddy, helped bring a fresh pallet of sonic colours and textures to ‘Pedestrian’.
‘Pedestrian’ is the first release on Bloom’s new label, Ultimate Blends, which will be a home to all of his future projects and productions. Bloom has also designed individual artworks for every song on this album, and animations for its forthcoming singles. He also hosts podcast JEW-ISH, a series of one-to-one interviews with Jews from a range of different cultures and backgrounds, aiming to show the nuance that exists within the Jewish world. Listen here.
‘Pedestrian’ will be released on June 18th via Ultimate Blends. Max Bloom will play Oslo in London on July 2nd. Ticket info here.
‘Pedestrian’ track list: 1. Pedestrian – Official video 2. Palindromes – Official video 3. All The Same 4. America 5. The Weatherman 6. Imposter Syndrome 7. Under Green Skies 8. How Can I Love You 9. Twenty-Two 10. Cat On Your Lap
Chicago-based band Bnny, led by Jess Viscius alongside her twin sister Alexa Viscius, plus best friends Tim Makowski and Matt Pelkey, is Fire Talk’s newest signing. In conjunction with their signing announcement, they present their new single, “Time Walk.” The song is featured in the finale of the new season of Shrill, which drops in its entirety tomorrow.
Jess Viscius started Bnny in the moment, after someone’s guitar had been left at her apartment. After teaching herself a few chords, she quickly found songwriting to be therapeutic in ways visual art couldn’t touch. Eventually, her sister Alexa and former Bnny drummer Drew Ryan persuaded Jess to start a band, and it ultimately stuck, along with a newfound community and friendships.
Their new song, “Time Walk,” is a taste of Bnny’s crackling energy, clocking in at just over a minute and a half. It layers in quick succession with plucky bass, uncomplicated drums, and jumpy guitar lines. Throughout, Viscius’ half-whispered vocals are cool to the touch. It was produced by fellow Chicago musician and Fire Talk artist, Dehd’s Jason Balla. The video, which features Jess, was partly shot on the Lake Michigan coastline. It offers a glimpse of Bnny’s strong visual aesthetics.
“‘Time Walk’ is about the clarity you find when in motion—walking, driving, running,” says Jess. “It’s about a friendship ending, but still feeling connected to the person. It’s about looking back while moving forward in slow motion. Time walk is a wake-up call.”
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard proudly announce their second album of 2021, Butterfly 3000, which will be released on June 11th via the band’s own KGLW label. The band have decided to play this one close to the vest, and will drop the album in its entirety on June 11th without any advance singles, or sharing the album artwork, which will be a cross-eyed autostereogram created by long-time collaborator Jason Galea. The countdown to Butterfly 3000 begins today.
Their 18th studio album, Butterfly 3000 might be their most fearless leap into the unknown yet; a suite of ten songs that all began life as arpeggiated loops composed on modular synthesisers, before being fashioned into addictive, optimistic and utterly seductive dream-pop by the six-piece. The album sounds simultaneously like nothing they’ve ever done before, and thoroughly, unmistakeably Gizz, down to its climactic neon psych-a-tronic flourish. This is undoubtedly the most accessible and jubilant album of their career.
