D-Tension is an award winning musician/vocalist/producer from Lowell, MA. He first made a name for himself as a hip hop artist, touring North America and Europe regularly for two decades. However, like most sample based hip hop producers, D’s love of music was not limited to hip hop. Always a multi instrumentalist, D began to write and record rock and roll songs and took a greater interest in playing the guitar. This passion lead to two “Secret Rock and Roll Projects” that featured D’s songs with collaborations with a team of musicians including guitarists Frank Pino (Watham/Andrew WK) and Craig Silverman (Agnostic Front) and drummer Brian Viglione (Dresden Dolls/Violent Femmes). The Secret Project featured the 2021 single “Kenmore Square,” an ode to the glory days of the Boston rock scene. The song was well received and the video was viewed 125,000 times on Youtube, Facebook and Instagram.
Always up for a challenge, D-Tension is poised to release his first all-solo rock record, Tales from the Pub. D wrote and performed the record in its entirety and the record is set for a spring 2023 release on Boston record label Red On Red Records. His first single, released independently in January 2023 “The No Name Song” was featured on radio, blogs and newspapers nationwide. The first single with Red On Red, “Charlie” manages to be upbeat and catchy despite its dark subject matter; the mysterious deaths of three Lowell women who all happened to disappear while dating the same guy. Known for his use of humor, the song is a bit of a departure for D but showcases his ability to be a multidimensional artist.
Today, Chicago-based band Ratboys return with “Black Earth, WI,” a new single/video out today via Topshelf Records. This is their first new piece of music since 2021’s Happy Birthday, Ratboy and 2020’s beloved Printer’s Devil. Clocking in at eight-and-a-half minutes, “Black Earth, WI” is their most expansive and adventurous track to date. It opens with a country-tinged sound, and as the instrumentation swells, so does Julia Steiner’s voice: “Singin’ hey now // What was that sound // Lighting a match // Just to freak you out // Then on the other side // I saw fifty yellow lines // Pushing up against the window // And with one almighty lightning strike // The Great Lake rose up behind // Said, ‘Baby, you best turn around.’” The self-produced video is made of manipulated, found VHS storm chaser footage.
“We recorded ‘Black Earth, WI’ live off the floor in Seattle last year at the amazing Hall of Justice and it was our first time recording straight to tape,” says vocalist/guitarist Julia Steiner “We had to be conscious of how many takes we could fit onto a reel, but lucky for us, take two was the one.”
Ratboys is made of Julia Steiner (vocals/guitar), Dave Sagan (guitar), Marcus Nuccio (drums), and Sean Neumann (bass). The band will bring their vivacious live show to SXSW later this month. A list of all shows and confirmed showcases can be found below.
Ratboys Tour Dates Sun. March 12 – St. Louis, MO @ Central Stage Tue. March 14 – Austin, TX @ Cheer Up Charlie’s Indoors (High Road Touring Showcase) – 12:30AM Wed. March 15 – Austin, TX @ Hotel San Jose (South by San Jose) – 3:00PM Thu. March 16 – Austin, TX @ Cheer Up Charlie’s Outdoors (Topshelf Records Showcase) – 12:00AM Fri. March 17 – Austin, TX @ The Ballroom (SmartPunk Showcase) – TBD Thu. March 30 – Notre Dame, IN @ University of Notre Dame – Stepan Center Sat. April 22 – Iowa City, IA @ Strauss Hall at Hancher
Pittsburgh trio Love Ethic announce their forthcoming debut album The Thinking Man’s Redux, sharing the first single — a fitting Valentine’s Day tune — “Let Me Count The Ways” via Punk News. Hear “Let Me Count The Ways” HERE. (Direct Bandcamp.)
The influence of punk history on Love Ethic’s music is no secret. The band wields angular texture, guitar eruptions, non-sequitur genre-bending, and an arresting holler from frontman/guitarist The Inevitable Mr. Chris that would fit seamlessly next to their predecessors (e.g. Minutemen, Nomeansno, The Birthday Party, Fugazi, Melvins, etc.)
The ferocity, however, is punctuated by exhalations of pop sensibility, delta moans, and a crooning allure that have attracted a broad mix of listeners to this dynamic music.
The band revived its musical enterprise just over a year ago in its birthplace of Pittsburgh, PA with a young, hungry rhythm section comprised of Anthony Capozzi’s searing drum battery and complex counterpoints provided by bass virtuoso Ethan Zajac-Woodie. Since then, they have quickly garnered glowing attention performing alongside a variety of established groups including Jon Spencer + The Hitmakers, Ed fROMOHIO (of fIREHOSE), Sponge, The Schizophonics, and Beechwood.
Love Ethic has recently completed a reworked album of their early oeuvre engineered/produced by Spotlights (Ipecac) helmsman extraordinaire Mario Quintero and mastered by Seth Manchester of Machines with Magnets studio (METZ/IDLES, Mdou Moctar, Full of Hell), intent on expanding their territory in audiences’ hearts and record collections both domestically and abroad.
The Thinking Man’s Redux will be available on LP, CD and download on April 28th, 2023.
The Bobby Lees, who recently released their Ipecac Recordings’ debut, Bellevue, head out on their first North American tour in support of the album, which Pop Matters dubbed their “most scorching and essential recording to date.”
“This will be our first time playing Bellevue in all of these cities,” said the band, collectively. “Come watch us play like it’s our last night on earth!”
The Bobby Lees tour dates:
February 3 Atlantic City, NJ Anchor Rock Club (w/ Jon Spencer)
March 30 Chicago, IL Schubas Tavern
March 31 Columbus, OH Rumba Café
April 1 Athens, OH Ohio University
April 3 Cleveland, OH Beachland Ballroom
April 4 Toronto, ON Monarch Tavern
April 6 Philadelphia, PA Kung Fu Necktie
April 7 New York, NY Mercury Lounge
April 8 Troy, NY No Fun
April 11 Washington, DC DC9
April 12 Carrboro, NC Cat’s Cradle
April 13 Atlanta, GA The Earl
April 14 Nashville, TN The Basement
May 2 Seattle, WA Barboza
May 3 Portland, OR Mississippi Studios
May 5 San Francisco, CA Bottom of the Hill
May 6 Los Angeles, CA The Echo
May 7 San Diego, CA The Casbah
May 11 Austin TX Mohawk
May 12 Dallas, TX Three Links
May 13 Tulsa, OK The Vanguard
Tickets for all shows are on sale this Friday at 10 am local time. Ticketing links can be found via Ipecac.com/tours.
Today, UK-born and now New York-based artist Fenne Lily announces Big Picture, her new album out April 14th on Dead Oceans, and presents its lead single/video, “Lights Light Up.” She also announces a month-plus North American co-headlinetour with Christian Lee Hutson, as well as a UK and EU run, on sale this Friday, January 20th at 10am local time. A gorgeous and gripping portrait of Fenne’s last two years, Big Picture was pieced together in an effort to self-soothe and offers a brilliant catharsis. Tracked live in co-producer Brad Cook’s North Carolina studio, the album delineates the phases of love and becomes a map of comfort vs. claustrophobia. “Writing this album was my attempt at bringing some kind of order to the disaster that was 2020,” Fenne states. “By documenting the most vulnerable parts of that time, I felt like I reclaimed some kind of autonomy.” This collision of repose and harsh reality is laid bare in Big Picture’s lead single “Lights Light Up,” a prophetic and insightful account of love at its temporary best. Written partially as a conversation, it tracks the tender details of a burgeoning relationship and recognizes the transitory nature of any shared thing; the bittersweet truth that you can only walk hand in hand with someone as long as you’re going in the same direction. With delicately interwoven guitar lines, propulsive rhythm and a chorus that offers the feeling of a voicemail left by someone from your past, it feels at once deeply personal and universal (“and you said so do you ever wanna leave here / and I said well that depends on the day / and you said oh do you even wanna be here / and I said well that depends on the way”)
“I’d never really written about love in the present tense before this, but even though I was still in love and not thinking about the end, there was something else going on subconsciously that led to a song about moving on before the moving on had begun,” comments Fenne. “When it came time to record, the band and I had been playing it live for a while and it’d become something joyful and positive, but when I started recording vocals, the lyrics made me cry. By that point the song was over a year old and I thought those wounds had healed but I guess it hurt to admit I’d been letting go of something while still trying to hold on.” The song’s accompanying video, shot throughout Brooklyn, was directed by Haoyan of America.
Though its creation took place amid personal and global turmoil, the ruminative yet candid Big Picture is Fenne’s most cohesive, resolute work to date, both lyrically and sonically. “This isn’t a sad album — it’s about as uplifting as my way of doing things will allow,” she says. “These songs explore worry and doubt and letting go, but those themes are framed brightly.” With confidence and quiet strength, each track provides insight into Fenne’s ever-changing view of love and, ultimately, its redefinition — love as a process, not something to be lost and found. Notably, these 10 songs are Fenne’s first and only to have been written over the course of a relationship; 2018’s On Hold and 2020’s BREACH both confront the pain of retrospection, saying goodbye to a love that’s gone. Big Picture does the exact opposite — rooted firmly in the present, it traces the narrative of two people trying their hardest not to implode, together. After writing Big Picture in the solitude of her Bristol flat, Fenne consciously aimed to make the recording process her most collaborative thus far. Co-producing with Brad Cook (Waxahatchee, Kevin Morby, Snail Mail) at his Durham studio, Fenne’s core intention was to make something that sonically reflected the kind of compact space the songs were written in; something warm, honest and comforting. Alongside Fenne’s touring band, the album features Christian Lee Hutson (guitar), Katy Kirby (vocals), and was mixed by Melina Duterte of Jay Som. Big Picture’s cover art, constructed on a miniature scale by the artist Thomas Doyle, shows the collapse of a home confined within a bell jar and features several inch-high models of Fenne in various places throughout. This physical representation of a self-contained disaster is a reminder that we are small in the grand scheme of things which, for Fenne, is a relief: “We only really know the one world we find ourselves in at any given time” Fenne expands. “It’s only when that world changes or collapses that we realize there are other narratives available — that we’ve known only one of many possible ways to exist.”
Pre-order Big Picture Big Picture Tracklist: 1. Map of Japan 2. Dawncolored Horse 3. Lights Light Up 4. 2+2 5. Superglued 6. Henry 7. Pick 8. In My Own Time 9. Red Deer Day 10. Half Finished Fenne Lily Tour Dates: Sat. Apr. 15 – Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Social Club Sun. Apr. 16 – Dublin, IE @ Workman’s Club Tue. Apr. 18 – Glasgow, UK @ St Luke’s Wed. Apr. 19 – Manchester, UK @ YES Thu. Apr. 20 – London, UK @ Islington Assembly Hall Fri. Apr. 21 – Bristol, UK @ Trinity Sun. Apr. 23 – Brighton, UK @ Patterns Mon. Apr. 24 – Brussels, BE @ AB Club Tue. Apr. 25 – Amsterdam, NL @ Bitterzoet Thu. Apr. 27 – Hamburg, DE @ Nochtspeicher Fri. Apr. 28 – Copenhagen, DK @ VEGA Ideal Bar Sat. Apr. 29 – Berlin, DE @ Frannz Mon. May 1 – Munich, DE @ Ampere Tue. May 2 – Cologne, DE @ Stadtgarten Wed. May 3 – Paris, FR @ FMR Thu. May 11 – Santa Ana, CA @ Constellation Room * Fri. May 12 – Felton, CA @ Felton Music Hall * Sat. May 13 – San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall * Mon. May 15 – Seattle, WA @ Neumos * Tue. May 16 – Portland, Oregon @ Aladdin Theater * Wed. May 17 – Vancouver, BC @ Hollywood Theatre * Fri. May 19 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court * Sat. May 20 – Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theater * Mon. May 22 – Lawrence, KS @ The Bottleneck * Tue. May 23 – Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line * Wed. May 24- Milwaukee, WI @ Back Room at Colectivo Coffee * Thu. May 25 – Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall * Fri. May 26 – Kalamazoo, MI @ Bell’s Eccentric Cafe * Sat. May 27 – Toronto, ON @ The Legendary Horseshoe Tavern * Tue. May 30 – Portsmouth, NH @ 3S Artspace * Wed. May 31 – Cambridge, MA @ The Sinclair * Fri. Jun. 2 – Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg * Sat. Jun. 3 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer * Sun. Jun. 4 – Washington, DC @ Black Cat * Mon. Jun. 5 – Durham, NC @ Motorco Music Hall * Tue. Jun. 6 – Atlanta, GA @ Terminal West * Wed. Jun. 7 – Nashville, TN @ The Basement East * Fri. Jun. 9 – Fayetteville, AR @ George’s Majestic Lounge * Sat. Jun. 10 – Fort Worth, TX @ Tulips * Sun. Jun. 11 – Austin, TX @ The Parish * Tue. Jun. 13 – Santa Fe, NM @ Meow Wolf * Thu. Jun. 15 – Phoenix, AZ @ Rebel Lounge * Fri. Jun. 16 – West Hollywood, CA @ Troubadour * * = co-headline with Christian Lee Hutson
D-Tension releases the first single, “The No Name Song,” from the upcoming (April 2023) album Tales From The Pub. The album is the one thing D-Tension has yet to do: make a 100% solo album. No guests, no features, no help. D just locked himself in his home studio (his wife’s closet) and wrote, performed and produced an album of fresh new material. D plays guitar, bass, drums and drum programming, keys and sings every note on this record. When the album was done D wasn’t sure what to call it. Then mixing engineer Nick Zampiello of New Alliance East commented “these songs sound like tales from the pub”. That’s because they are. The album is about people watching and bar-life experiences.
“The No Name Song” is about a universal dilemma: That feeling when you meet someone but can’t remember their name ten seconds after they just told you what it was. How friendships and relationships never happened because you can’t remember their name. The song is also a secret easter egg / ode to songs that mention names.
The first full album from shoegaze / post-punk rockers Skull Practitioners, Negative Stars, is as wild and mind-bending as the cover image suggests.
“Dedication” opens the record with thundering drums from Alex Baker and guitar work from Jason Victor that sounds like he set his instrument on fire. Kenneth Levine, not be to outdone, growls the lead vocals on the track and pumps out enough fuzz on his bass to potentially blow out your speakers. Victor takes over the vocals on “Exit Wounds” (something he and Levine will trade back and forth throughout the record, with Victor singing the majority of the tracks) – the album’s first single that has a heavy garage-surf influence to its riffs and beats.
Levine’s bass rolls all over “Leap.” The chorus has a bit of a pub rock feel to it, which I like. The long (over seven minutes) and fuzzy “Intruder” is a great track for the middle of the record (or end of side A, if you prefer), combining shoegaze, goth rock, and dark punk. Post-punk Gang of Four-style bass and guitar riffs rip through “What Now” – which seems to be an angry rant against people who take, take, take. This song makes me want to see them and Protomartyr on the same bill.
“Fire Drill” is one of two instrumentals on the record, the other being the album’s closer, “Nelson D.” Both are sharp. “Fire Drill” has some Joy Division vibes to it with its sparse and haunting bass, precision drumming, and predatory guitar licks. Victor’s guitar work on “Nelson D” sounds like it has a bit of a Johnny Marr influence, and Levine’s bass is like a lion’s roar throughout it. “Ventilation” amps up the band’s appreciation for Joy Division even more.
It’s great to finally get a full album from these guys. I’m sure all of these sounds are even louder and wilder live, so I hope they get on the road soon to promote an album this well-crafted.
Wild, weird, and wonderful, Gustaf put on a fun late afternoon set under the Angers sun. You could tell they were having a great time. I spoke with Lydia Gammill after the set and she told me they still couldn’t quite believe they’d just played a set in France.
This was the second time I’d seen Death Valley Girls in the same year, with the first being at Levitation France just two months prior. This set was more up close and personal (which is every show at Chicago’s Empty Bottle) and a bit more dangerous to boot. Lead singer Bonnie Bloomgarden delighted in walking out into the crowd to sing and mingle with fans.
Speaking of dangerous shows, Warm Drag‘s set at Levitation Austin was sexy and deadly, not unlike a panther. Blending dark electro with sultry vocals, the set had a lot of people grooving and trembling at the same time.
This was the second time I saw Automatic last year. Yes, the first time was in France in June. The trio had only improved in that short time, and they wowed the Austin crowd. The number of Automatic band shirts and tote bags we saw after their set was extensive.
This short set from Welsh power trio The Joy Formidable packed more wallop than most sets I saw from other bands that were twice as long. They were so fierce that lead singer / guitarist Ritzy Bryan headbutted bassist Rhydian Daffyd in the chest twice during the set.
Who’s in the top 15? Well, you’ll have to come back tomorrow to find out!
Having just completed shows in the UK, Ireland, Europe and North America playing select dates and as main support to The Lemonheads, Bass Drum Of Death (John and JIm Barrett, Ian Kirkpatrick) announce a US headline tour beginning February 8th, in support of their forthcoming album, Say I Won’t, released January 27th via Fat PossumRecords.
The band have revealed three tracks/videos from the album so far; the Zeppelin-esque ‘Head Change’, the midtempo bruiser ‘Say Your Prayers‘ (a collaboration with Mike Kerr of Royal Blood) and the hi-octane ‘Find It‘ (the video features live footage from the band’s sold out New York show in June of this year). Today, to accompany the tour announcement, they share a blistering live version of ‘Head Change’, to give a taste of what to expect on the road.
Say I Won’t is the first Bass Drum of Death album written, demoed, and recorded with the touring band, instead of bandleader John Barrett doing everything on his own. He found a freedom in working with collaborators that wasn’t available to him before, opening different aspects of the songwriting. It was a process of live recording, layering on different parts and overdubs, and then stripping it all back to the bones of the song, keeping the raw wild heart of the music intact. “My first two records were made entirely by me alone with my gear, my laptop, and a Snowball USB mic,” says Barrett. “They were just made quickly, cheaply, as an excuse to tour. I wanted to take my time with this record. Make something good that I was proud of in itself.”
The band recorded the new record with Patrick Carney of The Black Keys at Audio Eagle Studios in Nashville and the result is a groove-oriented, 1970’s-indebted collection of rock songs, with tempos set for cruising and scuzzy guitars galore. There’s an energy and vitality to the music that feels in line with the best of the Bass Drum songs, but with an added boost that comes from new bandmates and a new perspective.
The albumfinds a reinvigorated Barrett firing at all cylinders, backed by his best band yet. It’s Bass Drum of Death at their loosest and scuzziest and most tuneful, a true rock record in all the right ways. It’s a throwback by way of moving forward, sporting a maturity and swagger that comes from a decade of playing music on the road and surviving to tell about it. More than anything, Say I Won’t is a blast to listen to, music built for driving with your stereo cranked.
2023 dates are below – tickets can be found on the band’s website.
The epic Mosswood Meltdown is returning July 1st and July 2nd, 2023 to Oakland’s Mosswood Park. Today, the festival announces its first wave of the lineup, which features Le Tigre for their only Bay Area appearance of the year, Gravy Train!!!!, The Rondelles, and Tina & the Total Babes for their exclusive, only shows of 2023, Quintron & Miss Pussycat, and more. And of course, it wouldn’t be a Mosswood Meltdown without our iconic and punkeriffic host, John Waters. The lineup thus far can be found below and early bird tickets for the festival (for a holiday special pricing) are on sale this Friday at 9am PST/noon EST.
MOSSWOOD MELTDOWN 2023 TEASER Le Tigre (1st Bay Area gig in 15 years!) Gravy Train!!!! (Only gig 2022/2023) Tina & the Total Babes (Only gig 2022/2023) The Rondelles (Only gig 2022/2023) Quintron & Miss Pussycat
