It was hot and humid in Chicago on September 04, 2026. The whole Museum Campus area was busy with two different crowds: One was going to see Kanye West perform his rumored AI-derived new music for the second night at Soldier Field, and the other was a bunch of metal heads and J-rock fanatics heading to Huntington Bank Pavilion to see a triple bill of female-led metal bands.
First up was Violent Vira, who all wore keen matching white cross outfits that reminded me of early goth bands.
Violent Vira and her bandmates.
They played a solid set of nu-metal with some slight goth touches. Their rhythm guitarist is their secret weapon. He was locked in for the entire set and glued the whole thing together. Ms. Vira has a good voice that is well-suited for angry ballads and growling love songs.
Violent Vira delivering a metal sermon.
Speaking of vocal chops, Lizzy Hale of Halestorm has enough of them to power a land-mover. Halestorm put on a powerful set of raging metal tracks, most of them about crazy sex, bad love, good love, and weird love. Their wall of Marshall amps was also impressive.
Halestorm performing in the setting of your next D&D campaign.
The opening track alone was stunning, with Hale belting out her vocals so loud and proud (with just simple keyboard chords behind her) that I thought they were doing an obscure soul or gospel cover. Ms. Hale could release a soul album if she wished (and I’m surprised she hasn’t). Give her a horn section and a funky rhythm duo and you’d have a winner.
It was good to see a wide age-range of metal fans at this show. I saw plenty of eight-year-olds and a couple six-year-olds as well. An adorable girl was head-banging and dancing near my stepdaughter and I through all three sets while her parents lounged nearby. “That kid rules,” I said. My stepdaughter agreed. The future of metal is assured.
Many of those kids, and plenty of adults, were there for Babymetal – the Japanese metal giants who haven’t been kids for a while now and are still creating a lot of interesting spins on the metal genre.
They came out to a roaring crowd, with their backing band, KAMI, delivering wild thrash metal riffs that were probably causing waves on the nearby boat harbor. “Megitsune” was a big hit only two songs in, and “Song 3” even included a story about the three singers using magic to scare off a giant bear.
A big surprise for me (but probably not for longtime kawaii-metal / “cute metal” fans) was their song “Sunset Kiss,” which, somehow, combines metal with Japanese city pop (a genre of which I am rapidly becoming a fan). The guitar solo in it is also a stunner.
“METALI!!” had the mosh pit and crowd surfers happy, and “RATATATA” was another fan-favorite that had everyone cheering. Of course, “Gimme Chocolate!!” closed the set and is still the best (only?) metal song about how good chocolate is.
Su-Metal grabbing our attention and not letting go.
They came back with the delightfully named “Headbangeeeeerrrrr!!!!!” and “Road of Resistance.” The crowd was still buzzing afterwards, and I saw a good number of kids still bouncing (and one zonked out from so much head-banging) as we left. It was a fun night. Metal crowds are often good crowds with a lot of community in them. This one was no exception.
Margate, UK’s Tokyo Tea Room release “Always In The Sun,” the third single from their new album, Feel Forever, out September 18th via Nice Guys. Following the “slinky, funky” (Brooklyn Vegan) “All Night,” “Always In The Sun” has future live favorite written all over it, evoking Random Access Memories-era Daft Punk with its fluid funk guitar, swaggering bass and shimmering synths. Vocalist BethDunn sings about a love so intense and radiant that it completely transforms her life. Almost utopian in spirit, “Always In The Sun” captures all of love’s joys.
Tokyo Tea Room— Dunn, Daniel James Elliott, Ben Marshall, Sam Teather, and Sam Ewens—is a timeless project whose message transcends the music itself. The band arouses passions and emotions, taking listeners on a journey within a tender, comforting bubble. Their debut album, No Rush, established them as one of the most compelling emerging acts in alternative music, resonating with a growing global audience. With millions of monthly listeners and a sold-out debut North American tour, the band are rapidly building momentum, particularly in the US, where their audience continues to expand. With Feel Forever, Tokyo Tea Room are entering a defining new chapter, evolving their sound while staying rooted in the emotional depth that defines their work.
Feel Forever was written and produced by Elliott with co-production by Kristofer Harris, marking the first time Elliot worked with a producer. Of the recording process, Elliot says, “We took a yacht rock approach to the recording, taking our time to smooth all the edges and make something that felt more polished than the last record. Both of us spent hours obsessing over the smallest detail, which felt very apt for this album. The result is something that we are all very proud of, it’s a different kind of Tokyo Tea Room that has come out the other side of it, but it feels right and I hope people enjoy listening.”
Tokyo Tea Room will return to North America this fall touring in support of forthcoming new music. A full list of dates are below and tickets are on sale now here.
Tokyo Tea Room Tour Dates: Thu. Sep 24 – Vancouver – Hollywood Theatre Sat. Sep 26 – Seattle WA – Neumos Mon. Sep 28 – San Francisco CA – Bimbo’s 365 Club Wed. Sep 30 – Los Angeles CA – Teragram Ballroom (SOLD OUT) Thu. Oct. 1 – Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom Fri. Oct 2 – San Diego CA – Quartyard Sat. Oct 3 – Tucson AZ – Club Congress Mon. Oct 5 – Austin TX – 29th St. Ballroom Tue. Oct 6 – Houston TX – White Oak Music Hall Wed. Oct 7 – Dallas TX – Club Dada (indoors) Fri. Oct 9 – Atlanta GA – Terminal West Sat. Oct 10 – Durham NC – Motorco Music Hall Sun. Oct 11 – Washington DC – The Atlantis Tue. Oct 13 – Brooklyn NY – Music Hall of Williamsburg Wed. Oct 14 – New York NY – Bowery Ballroom Thu. Oct 15 – Boston MA – The Sinclair Fri. Oct 16 – Montreal QB – Bar le Ritz Sat. Oct 17 – Toronto ON – Mod Club Mon. Oct 19 – Chicago IL – Lincoln Hall Sat. Oct. 31 – Amsterdam, NL @ London Calling Festival Sun. Nov. 1 – Hamburg, DE @ Nochtwache Mon. Nov. 2 – Berlin, DE @ Mikropol Wed. Nov. 4 – Cologne, DE @ Yard Club Thu. Nov. 5 – Paris, FR @ Bellevilloise Thu. Nov. 19 – Brighton, UK @ Dust Fri. Nov. 20 – Southampton, UK @ The Joiners Sat. Nov. 21 – Bristol, UK @ Exchange Sun. Nov. 22 – Manchester, UK @ YES (Pink Room) Tue. Nov. 24 – Glasgow, UK @ Mono Wed. Nov. 25 – Leeds, UK @ Hyde Park Book Club Thu. Nov. 26 – Nottingham, UK @ Bodega Wed. Dec. 2 – London, UK @ The Garage
Keep your mind open.
[I’ll feel like I’m always in the sun if you subscribe.]
Dummy—the Los Angeles-based band of Alex Ewell, Emma Maatman, Nathan O’Dell, Joe Trainor, and Lance Umble—announce the new album, do you love the color of the sky?, out October 16th via Polyvinyl, with lead single/video “Full Spectrum Dominance” and a fallNorth American tour. With do you love the color of the sky? Dummy crafts the perfect anti-zeitgeist record, freezing you into their incorporeal moment of time, freed from the rat race and trendiness, embracing insularity to the point that it somehow becomes the future.
If 2024’s Free Energy (and its subsequent remix album, Bubbelibrium DLC) evoked the spirit of Madchester and the optimism of the rave, then do you love the color of the sky? couches itself in a lyrical skepticism that recalls the best of post-rock and drone—think Seefeel, Windy and Carl, Laika, or Disco Inferno—while playfully adorned in jubilant pop hues of early Björk, The Sundays, and Madonna’s Ray of Light.
do you love the color of the sky? is Dummy’s most politically trenchant record, and yet their most inviting. Breakbeats and the captivating voice of keyboardist Emma belie a sleight hand—as the listener becomes enveloped by Dummy’s unshakable grooves, they’ve subconsciously accrued a vision of a new radical politic. Lead single “Full Spectrum Dominance,” for example, comments on A.I. and the devaluation of art. Guitarist Joe comments, “ I was trying to make something just heavier, and we joked it was our nu metal song, during the recording we added the tambourine that gives it a more dancey vibe, Deee- Lite meets Deftones.”
Emma adds, “This is the Technofeudalism bop. Tech billionaires are treating AI like the new Alchemy, using it as a source of power and magic. This supposedly soon-to-be all-powerful technology could not exist without harvesting all of humanity’s intellectual property and collective work. ‘Prima Materia’ is the building block of all alchemical matter, so in the canon of the song, we humans are the Prima Materia.”
The accompanying video directed and animated by Matt Wells (POST MAN) is an experimental montage of 3D animation, found imagery, and motion graphics exploring AI as a modern form of alchemy. Wells drew on the fears and frustrations surrounding the rise of A.I. and its hostile attempt to erode the human experience. Aesthetically, the video is inspired by everything from late 90’s UK music videos and cyberpunk films to early CGI demonstration.
Despite all the allusions to futurism, Dummy are a classic band. Not in the retrofetishist, nostalgia- trapping sense, but in their work ethic and commitment to the music. As Joe recalls of their time since the release of Free Energy, “We toured a lot, around 150 days, and played approximately 113 shows,” with numerous treks around the US and two trips to Europe, “…and on larger stages than ever before,” Alex adds. “Touring has had a huge impact on us and our music.” That is a staggering amount of touring and roadtripping, a feat that can only be achieved if you truly believe in your art and the power of music itself. It stands to reason, then, that their latest release has also completely shucked the idea of being recreated cleanly in the live setting.
“Making music shouldn’t be fun.” It’s a haughty claim, but when Dummy jokingly asserts this, it comes from a sentiment of earnestness and true love for the game. The blood, sweat, and tears of ‘putting in the work’ is what propels do you love the color of the sky? to a triumph—a byproduct of shedding skins through live performance. It’s not a vast departure from their discography, unmistakably them, and yet constitutes a creative leap forward which almost sounds effortless from the group. It’s a treat to witness a band this creatively in-tune with themselves, whose experiments and ideas always hit, who, when they describe a concept, actually stick the landing. Maybe the future of music comes with the type of deep self-actualization Dummy possesses.
do you love the color of the sky? Tracklist: 1. April Limousine 2. Alluvial Fan 3. Full Spectrum Dominance 4. Squeaky Wheel 5. Touch the Perfect Speed 6. Song of Mana 7. Omen Globe 8. C.B.B.S.I.M.M.P.W.M. 9. N of 1 10. Heaven’s What You Make of It
Dummy Tour Dates: Tue. Oct. 13 – Fresno, CA @ Tower Lounge * Wed. Oct. 14 – San Francisco, CA @ The Chapel * Thu. Oct. 15 – Sacramento, CA @ Café Colonial * Fri. Oct. 16 – Reno, NV @ Holland Project * Sat. Oct. 17 – Arcata, CA @ Miniplex w/ Dilies Tue. Oct. 20 – Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios * Thu. Oct. 22 – Vancouver, BC @ The Wise * Fri. Oct. 23 – Seattle, WA @ Tractor Tavern * Sat. Oct. 24 – Boise, ID @ Neurolux * Mon. Oct. 26 – Salt Lake City, UT @ International Bar * Tue. Oct. 27 – Denver, CO @ Hi-Dive * Wed. Nov. 4 – Los Angeles, CA @ Sid The Cat Ballroom
Cor de Lux, who recently announced their signing to Ipecac Recordings, release their label debut, Year Of The Horse, on Sept. 18.
A preview of the nine-song album arrives today with “The Cringe” and its accompanying video (https://youtu.be/GL1308BBhKI). The snarling single charges forward at full blast before veering into an atmospheric passage where the intertwined guitars of Dawn Moraga and Tim Lusk drift into haunting territory.
Moraga says of the track: “Living in a developing country really engraved in my heart about knowing what is important and what is not,” referencing her time abroad in Nicaragua. “Materialism fades like bad jeans. The exploitation of the poor to make the rich richer makes my blood boil.”
Bass player John Bliven adds: “’The Cringe’ explains our disdain of the billionaire ‘elite’ and the system that keeps them rapidly gaining. ‘I make a dollar a day’ refers to CEOs giving themselves a tiny salary while obtaining massive share value. Those shares aren’t taxed unless sold, and even then, that tax rate is less than the income tax everyone else pays.”
Produced by J. Robbins (War on Women, Mary Timony), Year Of The Horse captures Cor de Lux’s competing impulses: abrasion and melody. Atmosphere and momentum, chaos and control. Across nine songs, the Kill Devil Hills quartet balances post-hardcore urgency, shoegaze bliss, and guitar-driven catharsis. Recorded with Robbins, the album preserves the raw chemistry that defines the band while pushing their songwriting into sharper, more immediate territory.
Year Of The Horse is available for pre-order now with the album available on multiple limited vinyl variants (including a hyper-limited Bandcamp exclusive swirl vinyl and Ipecac/Cor de Lux orange effect vinyl), standard black vinyl, cassette, CD, and digitally: https://cordelux.lnk.to/horse.
The band ventures out on a brief tour this Fall, joining SLIFT for a handful of dates:
Preeminent prophets of societal decline Protomartyr announce their new album, Hotel Usona, out September 25th via Domino, and release the lead single/video, “Sounds We Cannot Hear.” Recorded with legendary producer Dave Fridmann (Sleater-Kinney, MGMT, The Flaming Lips) at his own Tarbox Road Studios in western New York, Hotel Usona is an effort that finds the Detroit post-punk outfit reckoning with the horrors of our current moment. It is not easy listening. It’s essential.
Over the last two decades, Protomartyr—vocalist Joe Casey, drummer Alex Leonard, bassist Scott Davidson, and multi-instrumentalist and co-producer Greg Ahee—have built one of the most rewarding and often exhilarating bodies of work in recent memory by veering in and out of darkness, grappling with what most frightens us, saddens us, disgusts us, embarrasses and enrages us, and with a gallows humor for the ages, gives a sense of the comedy inherent in so much that we encounter. Essentially, the stuff that makes us human.
Casey has imagined his country as an aging hotel here, each song a room haunted by its own troublesome guest, as on today’s “Sounds We Cannot Hear,” which arrives with a video starring Nate Varrone (Maddie’s Secret and “The Bear”). The song finds Casey examining the slow paralysis of modern life: “The scroll deforms the day // Poet screamed, “Goodbye everybody!” // Leaping from the liner Orizaba // As it traversed the Caribbean Sea // A new vulgar company is targeting me.”
Musically, Ahee has built worlds within a world, drawing new influence from the Middle East and ‘50s exotica, finding common ground between dread and joy, a speciality. All of it—Leonard’s drumming in particular—is rendered more tangible and terrifying by Fridmann, whose son, Jon, contributes horns. You can feel the stakes in every song, feel the band levitating to meet them. They’ve never sounded more powerful. Take it from someone who knows: Iggy Pop.
What is a Protomartyr? I don’t really know, but I imagine it may refer to an earthly being who wants a little more than the usual shit out of life. A person or persons who want to be part of something beautiful and interesting, with the understanding that you may pay a price for that, and that others who come after will have an easier time. Kind of like Jesus.
So then there is Protomartyr the band. Four guys who are very, very skilled musicians and creators who I suspect would be totally fucked without the intervention of their talents, which are considerable. They are, to put it crudely, a kind of rock band out of Detroit. That’s a subject I know something about. And they’ve made a new album. It is highly themed and symphonic in its reach. I could call it a kind of drive-through Sgt. Peppers, but that would miss the mark. This record is Wagnerian, it reminds me very much of the Opera Tristan and Isolde (by Richard Wagner). Musically, it sounds modal, and kind of chromatic, like I imagine Celtic war horns might sound in some forgotten battle. The singer, Joe Casey, is blessed with a beautiful voice that you want to listen to, but he stays perverse enough to keep things interesting when he wants to get petulant or a little bitchy.
One of my favorite moments on the record is when he simply announces, all alone, “We got a bad review.” Which presides a furious outpouring from the entire group. Wow! I wish I thought of that! And in today’s world, how relatable! Who hasn’t gotten a bad review? Plumbers, shoe salesmen, etc etc etc. right up to Influencers. All is reviewed… I’m trying hard not to let this attempt at biography turn into a review, but hey, I’ve been listening to these guys for quite a while now and I get the feeling that they are a slow growth item, something that is gaining followers, listeners, and respect little by little, over the long haul. There’s a lot of content here. The four of them can shift rhythms and harmonics very, very smoothly in a way that seems effortless. It’s the mark of fine arts in a popular group. — Iggy Pop
This fall, Protomartyr will embark on a world tour, making stops in major cities throughout the United States, EU/UK, and Canada. Tickets are now available here. Protomartyr will also support The Jesus and Mary Chain in Austin. A full list of tour dates is below.
Hotel Usona Tracklist 1. The Old Hotel 2. Sounds We Cannot Hear 3. Converts 4. Exalted Eagles 5. The Knife Dream 6. Feed the Sewer 7. Lavender – Gospel 8. Third Country 9. Checking Out
Protomartyr Tour Dates: Mon. Oct. 19 – Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom * Tue. Oct. 20 – San Diego, CA @ Casbah * Thu. Oct. 22 – Los Angeles, CA @ Regent * Fri. Oct. 23 – San Jose, CA @ the Ritz * Sat. Oct. 24 – San Francisco, CA @ August Hall * Tue. Oct. 27 – Seattle, WA @ Neumos * Wed. Oct. 28 – Vancouver, BC @ The Pearl * Thu. Oct. 29 – Portland, OR @ Aladdin * Sat. Oct. 31 – Austin, TX @ Far Out Lounge ^ Sat. Nov. 7 – Toronto, ON @ Concert Hall # Sun. Nov. 8 – Montreal, QC @ Les Foufounes Électriques # Tue. Nov. 10 – Boston, MA @ Crystal Ballroom # Wed. Nov. 11 – Philadelphia, PA @ First Unitarian Church Thu. Nov. 12 – New York, NY @ Webster Hall # Fri. Nov. 13 – Washington, DC @ Black Cat # Sat. Nov. 14 – Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle # Sun. Nov. 15 – Asheville, NC @ Eulogy # Tue. Nov. 17 – Nashville, TN @ Basement East # Wed. Nov. 18 – St. Louis, MO @ Duck Room # Thu. Nov. 19 – Chicago @ Metro # Fri. Dec. 4 – Detroit, MI @ Majestic Thu. Feb. 11 – Leeds, UK @ Irish Center Fri. Feb. 12 – Glasgow, UK @ The Garage Sat. Feb. 13 – Manchester, UK @ Band on the Wall Mon. Feb. 15 – Bristol, UK @ The Lantern Tue. Feb. 16 – London, UK @ Electric Brixton Thu. Feb. 18 – Lille, FR @ L’Aeronef Fri. Feb. 19 – Paris, FR @ Le Trabendo Sat. Feb. 20 – Brussels, BE @ Le Botanique Mon. Feb. 22 – Amsterdam, NL @ Paradiso Tue. Feb. 23 – Hamburg, DE @ Bahnhof Pauli Wed. Feb. 24 – Copenhagen, DK @ Pumpehuset Fri. Feb. 26 – Berlin, DE @ Bi Nuu Club Sat. Feb. 27 – Leipzig, DE @ UT Connewitz Sun. Feb. 28 – Prague, CZ @ Meet Factory
* w/ Accessory ^ w/ the Jesus and Mary Chain # w/ J.R.C.G
Just off the heels of their soaring single “Always You”, burgeoning trio Deux Visages has announced a direct support slot on Sweet Pill‘s upcoming Summer run in addition to joining The Linda Lindas as special guests on the East Coast in October. The dates cover Los Angeles, New York City, Texas, the Pacific Northwest and more. See below for a full list of dates, and find more info on tickets here.
Deux Visages is vocalist Daphney Hanono, guitarist Jack Chiu and bassist Tony Jouvin. Their emergence has been a whirlwind. Founded over a thread of DMs in high school, they were hastily signed to Atlantic Records after word of their rampant and immersive live shows hit. Fast-forward >> a series of singles, an EP, support tours with Mannequin P*ssy, julie and Wunderhorse, plus an uproot from Miami to Philadelphia >> the three have now perfected their chemistry and eclectic, earnest dream-pop rock that is singularly Deux Visages.
Last month they announced their signing to Pure Noise Records alongside their sentimental, infectious track “Always You”. Frontwoman Daphney Hanono enthuses “’Always You’ is the song that we always wanted to write. It’s about being a fly on the wall and watching over someone you love. It’s about longing, uncertainty, and fear. Essentially, a song that’s written to be a cry for someone that won’t hear.”
“Always You” taps into Deux Visages’ visceral experience of grieving your childhood – and the duality of trying to hold onto it while also tearing yourself away from it. It’s the first preview into their debut studio album which is due Fall 2026.
Aug 17: Dallas, TX – AM/FM * Aug 19: Houston, TX – White Oak Music Hall * Aug 21: Austin, TX – Mohawk * Aug 22: San Antonio, TX – Paper Tiger * Aug 25: Mesa, AZ – The Nile * Aug 27: Los Angeles, CA – El Rey Theatre * Aug 28: San Francisco, CA – August Hall * Aug 30: Portland, OR – Hawthorne Theatre * Aug 31: Seattle, WA – Neumos * Sep 03: Denver, CO – The Oriental Theater * Sep 05: Omaha, NE – The Slowdown * Oct 02: Pittsburgh, PA – Mr. Smalls Theatre ~ Oct 04: Philadelphia, PA – Theatre of Living Arts ~ Oct 06: Boston, MA – Paradise Rock Club ~ Oct 07: New Haven, CT – Toad’s Place ~ Oct 08: Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Steel ~
For ten years Spike F*ck has existed more as a messy myth than an artist; sporadic works forever poised on the precipice of triumph, rumours of death or insanity and so on. His Smackwave EP (Partisan), now a decade old and certified cult classic was aptly censored by media outlets. The release addressed themes as literal as the title suggests; drug use, gender identity, Catholicism and existentialism.
Soon after, Spike was swept up in the whirlwind of unexpected success, going from underground warehouse parties and impromptu performances on Melbourne trams to catching the eye of Rick Owens, draped in high fashion and editorial photoshoots accompanied by interviews in which he gave unrelenting and uncensored details of his life. On the precipice of breakthrough, Spike disappeared. It had all happened in a flash, he was gone; and it seemed as if the artist witnessed by others was merely a relic of that time period, or possibly a figment of their imagination. Bootleg uploads and comments on old YouTube videos discussed possibilities that seemed wild but believable, given Spike’s nature, fueling rumours of monastic solitude, relapse, or reinvention. Only the most sincere kept the myth alive. Their recent return to performance showcased that Spike had been thoroughly consecrated in underground memory with three sold out LA shows and two sold out nights in NYC.
Luckily, the devotion to his music persevered, somewhat bolstered by his inconsistency and inaccessibility. This inexplicable goodwill towards his artistry is perhaps partly due to Spike’s timeless, pained and confessional lyricism, though more pointedly, the fragility of a life mired in addiction. His being or works does not question the virtue of life, but simply addresses the numb, pragmatic and far more immediate matter of surviving another day, an almost ineffable sentiment only justified by his distinct, poetic audaciousness.
Today Spike F*ck returns. He’s signed with Sacred Bones Records and has announced his long anticipated debut album evidence, due October 2. The album is a brazen proof of life statement. Convicted by the outlandish idea of evidencing a ‘you had to be there’ mentality, the record honors the presence in body, a record to be felt, never to be rationalized. evidence isn’t forthcoming in providing explanations of Spike’s absence. It isn’t a tell-all collection of songs about obsession, guilt, nor is it a document of the subsequent transformation, or enlightenment. Spike’s prior fixations on the questions of man or woman, drug addict or ascetic, trickster or rockstar, have driven an unmitigated pursuit of knowing a ‘true self’. This pursuit is no longer his chief concern, nor is he plagued by over conceptualization of who he is but simply, when he is. For this is Spike F*ck, and this is evidence.
Lead single “ALL BY MYSELF” is an expert fusion of new wave, glam and soul with a vocal performance that oscillates between being blasé, vulnerable and manic. With its feelgood, family-friendly punk doo-wop production, Spike is misleading on if his joy comes from the pride in solitude, or from loneliness and a ‘give me everything’ mentality in the act of shooting heroin. Of “ALL BY MYSELF” and its video, Spike tells –
“If someone asks: what does it mean? We’ve done the job.
As society has abandoned mythologies, we must create our own… that sounds trite and I’m not quite sure how to defend that statement really. We’re not existentialists. In any case, we also live in a completely schizophrenic society in this sense, so the idea to create a story of a war hero/criminal undergoing an absurdist spiritual transformation seemed almost obligatory. Purgatorial musings, heaven and hell, redemption, fantasy, a mushroom that talks so on and so forth.
People understand truth through analogy, moreover, parables. We sought to create something about redemption, forgiveness, faith, hope and charity that is available to whomever seeks it. I may not be the most reliable narrator, I admit that freely, yet the fantasy of it all is healthy. So is a dose of whimsy or even a small dash of grand delusion.
So this video, along with the entire record, is a series of clues, a collection of pieces of evidence… Hopefully this video raises more questions than it answers.”
While plans had been in motion to release his now-shelved, ‘original’ debut record, Pure O, Spike was gripped by an insatiable urge to complete and present evidence. Written and recorded in 3 months alongside producer Adam Hyde (Keli Holiday), the record is informed by the realization he could not think his way into a state of emotion, only graduate into it; a process outside his control. There was a desire to evidence the mix of frustration, confusion and resentment; all too familiar feelings Spike had tried in vain to repress.
As Spike says, “this record is carnal and confident. I wanted to approach songwriting in the same way a director shooting a slasher film does. Get to the point and make people feel it all. I want this record to cut like a sharp knife”. Citing Pere Ubu, New York Dolls, The Temptations and Bettye Swan as key influences, and inspired by the banned 1971 manual, The Anarchist Cookbook, Spike sought to create something unsettling and perplexing, yet simple. It’s a rush to listen to, as if tagging along on a particularly wild night out. At once it is fun and memorable, but also truly life-altering as if you hit a pedestrian in your car and fled the scene, left to grapple with the thrill, guilt and fear of being caught.
evidence is an album that lives outside the limits of discourse; its purpose is eponymous and self-evident. It is what it is, and is subject to interpretation. There is no point in interrogating attachments, virtue or value. The only rightful way to live is to be.
Oct 02: Sydney, AU – Oxford Art Factory Oct 03: Brisbane, AU – Crowbar Oct 04: Wollongong, AU – Yours & Owls Festival Oct 09: Perth, AU – Wyola Club Oct 10: Adelaide, AU – Jive Oct 18: Melbourne, AU – Thornbury Theatre Oct 23: Rotterdam, NL – Left of the DIal Oct 24: Rotterdam, NL – Left of the DIal Oct 27: Bruges, BE – Cactus Club Oct 29: Bristol, UK – The Croft Oct 30: Sheffield, UK – Hallamshire Hotel Oct 31: Newcastle, UK – Zerox Nov 01: Glasgow, UK – The Hug & Pint Nov 03: Manchester, UK – The Abbey Nov 04: Leeds, UK – Oporto Nov 06: London, UK – The Dome Nov 07: Athens, GR – Illion Plus Nov 08: Thessaloniki, GR – Eightball Club Nov 10: Skopje, MK – Cafe Kotur Nov 11: Zagreb, HR – Molotow Industrial Bar Nov 12: Munich, DE – Mills Nov 15: Berlin, DE – Urban Spree Nov 16: Hamburg, DE – Molotow Top Ten Bar Nov 17: Krakow, PL – Klub RE Nov 18: Ostrava, CZ – Barrak Club Nov 20: Bologna, IT – Freakout Club Nov 24: Dublin, IL – Whelan’s Nov 27: Paris, FR – Le Hasard Ludique Nov 29: Amsterdam, NL – Paradiso (Upstairs)
Keep your mind open.
[You can subscribe by yourself. It’s okay. No one else needs to know.]
CEREMONY—the seminal California-based punk band of Ross Farrar, Anthony Anzaldo, Andy Nelson, Justin Davis, and Jake Casarotti—release the new single/video, “Dark Summer” from their seventh album, Tell Me Your Dream, out August 7th via Relapse. Following “Death Destruction Mayhem,” which Consequence says “tak[es] the band’s developed and matured post-punk sound and reappl[ies] it to the hardcore and punk rock that motivated their earliest work,” “Dark Summer” is a jet-black post-punk rumination.
On the track, Farrar says: “In Rock ‘n Roll music, feedback occurs when a guitar is purposely moved too close to an amplifier – like a dark summer – when dread finds you amid brilliant sunshine, it feels disorienting, confusing, and chaotic. What you’re left with is malaise, doldrums of sorts that are both beautiful and terrifying.”
Tell Me Your Dream reunites CEREMONY with producer John Reis, a punk lifer whose eclectic noisemaking in Rocket from the Crypt, Hot Snakes and other legendary bands runs in parallel to CEREMONY’s multitudes. After working on CEREMONY’s acclaimed 2015 album, The L-Shaped Man, Reis maintains a unique perspective on the quintet — as a hardcore punk band, as participants in the greater California rock-and-roll tradition, and as friends. “John sort of joined the band on this one,” says guitarist-keyboardist Anzaldo. “We could not respect him more as a guitarist, as a singer, as a songwriter. He understands what it’s like to be in every position. So we really gave him the keys.”
Tell Me Your Dream is a reflection of the enduring sense of trust forged within the band. This is no surprise considering CEREMONY’s roots date all the way back to a grade-school friendship between Anzaldo and Farrar. “We’re bound together like family,” says Anzaldo. “Our relationships are beyond the band. CEREMONY is going to live no matter what. We’ve shifted into this dynamic where the choice isn’t ours anymore.”
Deep connections in a shallow world. A clear sense of purpose in uncertain times. These are the reasons CEREMONY continues to grow, to expand, to adapt, to endure. This band can’t stop. And it won’t. To meet the moment, you have to be there for it.
On the heels of back to back weekends playing Coachella earlier this year, CEREMONY’s North American tour will kick off September9th inMontreal and includes stops in Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and more throughout the fall. Tickets are now available here.
CEREMONY Tour Dates Wed. Sept. 9 – Montréal, QC @ Les Foufounes Électriques Thu. Sept. 10 – Toronto, ON @ East End United Basement Fri, Sept 11 – Detroit, MI @ Russell Industrial Center Lot (Supporting Turnstile) Sat. Sept. 12 – Chicago, IL @ Metro Sun. Sept. 13 – Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line Thu. Sept. 24 – Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom Sat. Sept. 26 – Vancouver, BC @ The American Thu. Oct. 1 – Boston, MA @ The Sinclair Fri. Oct. 2 – New York, NY @ Warsaw Sat. Oct. 3 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer Sun. Oct. 4 – Washington, DC @ Black Cat Fri. Oct. 16 – Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade – Hell Sat. Oct. 17 – Orlando, FL @ The Abbey Sun. Oct. 18 – Miami, FL @ Churchill’s Thu. Oct. 22 – Denver, CO @ Marquis Thu. Nov. 5 -San Antonio, TX @ Paper Tiger Fri. Nov. 6 – Austin, TX @ Mohawk Sat. Nov. 7 – Dallas, TX @ Trees Fri. Nov. 13 – San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore Fri. Nov. 20 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Novo
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[It will feel like a dark summer if you don’t subscribe.]
For a decade-plus, Caroline Rose’s “Yip Yip Yow” has existed as an esoteric fan-favorite, performed at live shows to ravenous crowds, but never officially released. Today, Rose (they/she) finally unveils a recorded version of the song via SUCK Records, their new independent label. “I like to imagine this song being performed by four teenagers in a garage who are equally obsessed with The Gun Club and Britney Spears,” says Rose of the single. “Yip Yip Yow” effortlessly blends elements of psychobilly, pop, alt-country and rock — all tied together by Rose’s commanding, snappy vocals and biting lyrics. Produced by John Congleton, the theatrical track captures the loose, raucous energy that has made it an in-demand staple of their shows.
Reflecting on the song and its legacy, Rose says, “I wrote ‘Yip Yip Yow’ 10 years ago about feeling like I was born in the wrong time, in the wrong place and probably in the wrong body. 10 years later the only thing that’s different is I finally have a recording of it I like. I think what’s taken me so long to put it out is a fear of how simple and nonsensical it is, but now that’s a lot of what I listen to. I love to hear all the freaks making two minute songs about rejecting cultures they never really fit into and building their own little worlds instead.” “Yip Yip Yow” reinforces Rose’s singular artistic vision built upon reinvention, exploration and a penchant for the eccentric.
Rose is a critically acclaimed, genre-defying artist and producer with a career built on reinvention, strong visual identity, and a deeply engaged fanbase. Across four studio albums – I Will Not Be Afraid, LONER, Superstar, and The Art of Forgetting – Rose has moved fluidly between alt-country, psychobilly, synth-pop, and experimental songwriting while maintaining a distinct voice and perspective.
The Art of Forgetting, released in 2023, marked a commercial and critical high point, earning a Grammy nomination for Best Recording Package with art direction by Rose. The album was praised by NPR Music, The New York Times, them., Paste, Stereogum and The Washington Post., who lauded the record as “confessional and cathartic, full of shimmery swells that match the lyrical mood.” Last year saw the release of year of the slug, a lo-fi project recorded entirely on an iPhone and distributed exclusively via Bandcamp with no traditional marketing or DSP support. With the launch of their own record label distributed by Redeye, SUCK Records, Caroline Rose is entering a fully independent phase of their career.
In July, Rose will host a series of pop-up shows built around independent spaces and zero ticketing fees for fans. Locations will only be announced to ticketholders on the week of each performance. In the fall, Caroline will support Modest Mouse on a series of dates across the U.S. and Canada. Tickets are available for purchase here.
Caroline Rose Tour Dates Fri. July 10 – New York, NY @ TBA + Sat. July 11 – Washington, DC @ TBA + Sun. July 12 – Washington, DC @ TBA + Tue. July 14 – Nashville, TN @ TBA + Sat. July 25 – Minneapolis, MN @ TBA + Sun. July 26 – Milwaukee, WI @ TBA + Tue. July 28 – Chicago, IL (Early Show) @ TBA + Tue. July 28 – Chicago, IL (Late Show) @ TBA + Tue. Sept. 29 – Madison, WI @ The Sylvee* Wed. Sept. 30 – Cleveland, OH @ Jacobs Pavilion* Thu. Oct. 1 – Cincinnati, OH @ MegaCorp Pavilion Outdoor* Fri. Oct. 2 – Grand Rapids, MI @ GLC Live at 20 Monroe* Sun. Oct. 4 – Ottawa, ON @ HISTORY Ottawa* Mon. Oct. 5 – Toronto, ON @ Meridian Hall* Wed. Oct. 7 – Boston, MA @ Roadrunner* Thu. Oct. 8 – New York, NY @ The Rooftop at Pier 17* Fri. Oct. 9 – Baltimore, MD @ Pier Six Pavilion* Sat. Oct. 10 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Citizens Live at The Wylie* Mon. Oct. 12 – Memphis, TN @ Satellite Music Hall* Tue. Oct. 13 – New Orleans, LA @ The Fillmore New Orleans* Thu. Oct. 15 – Austin, TX ACL @ Live at The Moody Theater* Fri. Oct. 16 – Irving, TX @ The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory* Sat. Oct. 17 – San Antonio, TX @ Boeing Center at Tech Port* Mon. Oct. 19 – Phoenix, AZ @ Financial Theatre* Tue. Oct. 20 – Hollywood, CA @ Hollywood Palladium* Thu. Oct. 22 – Avila Beach, CA @ Avila Beach Golf Resort* Fri. Oct. 23 – Sacramento, CA @ Channel 24*
Vacations—the Australian indie rock band of lead songwriter and vocalist Campbell Burns, bassist Jake Johnson, guitarist Nate Delizzotti, and drummer Joseph Van Lier—announce their new album, Pursuit of Anything, out October 2nd on Nettwerk, and release the lead single/video, “Holy Grail.”
Pursuit of Anything captures Vacations at a turning point as Burns reflects on the disorienting, often contradictory experience of growing up, tracing his path from Newcastle (Australia) to Los Angeles and New York—caught between ambition and the more traditional lives unfolding back home. Written by the band and produced by Burns, the album finds Vacations operating as a fully creative force with Burns drawing constant inspiration from his bandmates’ lives and perspectives: exploring how they’re each living out different lives yet share a common experience, all in their own “pursuits.”
Mixed by Beatriz Artola (Geese, Caamp), the result is a richer, more intricate, and emotionally expansive sound. Pursuit of Anything arrives as the band solidifies their place as one of the most globally resonant indie acts of their generation with sold-out world tours, double-platinum certified hits, and over 3.5 billion streams. The record turns inward, driven by the push and pull of devotion to music, relationships, and self-discovery. It is this tension that fuels an earnest, dreamy pop album that feels instantly classic.
This is on display on today’s single, “Holy Grail,” a diamond of a pop song, the sort of music you want to listen to while lying out in the sun. The track is impressionistic and melancholy: “How can I fool myself,” Burns sings in the song’s opening moment. The synths around him twinkle and the song lilts.
“‘Holy Grail’ was based on a stressful Zoom call we had together as a band last year,” Burns reflects. “We were in this period of wanting to write and record new material, but then also being stuck in a loop of unsustainable touring. So many people I know have devoted their entire lives to music, and yet, at times it can feel as if you’re in pursuit of anything just to make it work for you. This push and pull dynamic of something I love so much is fascinating to me. I may struggle at times, but I will always return to it because it brings so much joy and fulfillment and ultimately outweighs any negative.”
Pursuit of Anything is a labor of love, the product of a group of friends who have been making music together since they were barely out of their teenage years. On it, there are weddings, families, reflections on the past, and hope about the future. “It’s about happiness as a feedback loop,” says Burns of the record’s title, “How you keep chasing the next thing.” It’s a record that feels classic the first time you listen to it, it feels like chasing that rush, that sense of self discovery and rediscovery. And it shows Vacations at the height of their songwriting powers. It’s a pop record that takes pop music seriously. Lovely, earnest, dreamy and hopeful as they come.
This summer, Vacations will embark on their Holy Grail Tour across the U.S., Asia and Australia. The run of dates also includes the band’s very own MATES Festival with the third installment taking place at Knockdown Center in NYC on Saturday, June 20th. The all-day, full-building, multi-stage event will take over the Main Hall and Ruins at Knockdown Center, and feature Vacations, grentperez, girlpuppy, Mamalarky, Alex Lahey, Horse Jumper of Love, Thelma Plum, and Winter. Tickets for all dates are on sale and available here.
Vacations Tour Dates: Thu. July 9 – Jakarta, ID @ M Block Live House Sat. July 11 – Perth, AUS @ Freo.Social Sun. July 12 – Adelaide, AUS @ The Gov Thu. July 16 – Brisbane, AUS @ The Triffid Fri. July 17 – Melbourne, AUS @ 170 Russell Sat. July 18 – Sydney, AUS @ Metro Theatre Sun. July 19 – Newcastle, AUS @ The Act at Earp Distillery
