Goodbye Honolulu release new single, “Back to Me,” from upcoming EP.

GOODBYE HONOLULU (Toronto Garage Pop)
– Share new single “Back To Me
No Honey EP out September 01, 2017 via Fried Records
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Goodbye Honolulu – No Honey
(out September 01 via Fried Records)

Share new track “Back To Me” – SoundCloud // Clash

Band Quote
“Back To Me stemmed from when I [Jacob] first started getting panic attacks and I was feeling super whack and would do anything to get back to feeling normal again. And then we wrote a song about it. That’s it basically. Trying to get back to yourself.” – Goodbye Honolulu

PRAISE FOR GOODBYE HONOLULU

“Just about containing their feral energy, the lo-fi production is allied to some serious pop hooks, and only the most righteous of riffs.”
Clash

“Featuring a slight stoner vibe — a perfect companion to the laid-back guitar jangling of the tune.”
The 405

“Toronto’s Goodbye Honolulu may fall into the “slacker rock” category, but they’re hard workers when it comes to churning out new tunes.”
Exclaim!

No Honey EP out September 01, 2017 via Fried Records, produced by Mike Turner (Our Lady Peace).

RIYL – The Black Lips, Ty Segall, New Swears, Cage the Elephant, Beck

We all know how these band biographies go, right? Friends meet in high school, start jamming, form band in parents’ garage and everyone lives happily ever after.

Well Goodbye Honolulu DID meet in high school but they didn’t just form one band. They formed 5 individual projects and started their own record label while still in school, the 100% local Toronto label Fried Records. While other kids were cramming for exams or wasting away playing video games, the Goodbye Honolulu boys were busy playing in bars (attempting to sneak their underage friends in), honing their live skills, writing songs and self releasing multiple albums a year.

These teenage years were laying the foundations and as they hit their 20s Emmett, Jacob, Fox and Max decided to join forces and focus their song-writing and energy to one project, say “hello” to Goodbye Honolulu.

Goodbye Honolulu, evoke a 90s slacker vibe mixing vintage garage rock n roll history with modern elements, it’s not exactly pop and it’s not exactly punk.

Goodbye Honolulu is best known for their live shows and in best form when every member is screaming their heads off with shout along choruses. Whether it’s Emmett’s fuzz-layered guitar, Jacob’s gnarly vocals, Fox’s Bowie-inspired vocal inflections or Max beating his drum kit to death, Goodbye Honolulu make their audience the VIP guests to their rock n roll party.

Highlights of Goodbye Honolulu’s ride so far include a USA tour supporting their pals Hinds and releasing their debut album Heavy Gold in 2016.

Goodbye Honolulu
Emmett Webb (Guitar/Bass/Vocals)
Fox Martindale (Guitar/Vocals)
Jacob Switzer (Guitar/Bass/Vocals)
Max Bornstein (Drums)

Tour Dates:
August 31 – Roachella, Smiling Buddha, Toronto ON (Record Release)
September 07 – Trent University, Peterborough ON
October 18 – The Warehouse, St Catharines ON*
October 19 – Divan Orange, Montreal QC*
October 20 – Pressed, Ottawa ON*
*w/ Billy Moon

Goodbye Honolulu – No Honey (Fried Records)
Release Date: September 01, 2017
Pre-Order: https://goodbyehonolulu.bandcamp.com/

Goodbye Honolulu Links
Official: http://www.goodbyehonolulu.com/
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/goodbye-honolulu
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GoodbyeHonolulu/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goodbyehonolulu/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/goodbyehonolulu

New Pornographers release new video and N. American tour dates into October.

THE NEW PORNOGRAPHERS DEBUT NEW VIDEO FOR “WHITEOUT CONDITIONS”

NEW RECORD WHITEOUT CONDITIONS OUT NOW ON COLLECTED WORKS RECORDS

WORLD TOUR CONTINUES THROUGH FALL

Critically acclaimed supergroup The New Pornographers debut a new video for the track “Whiteout Conditions” from their critically acclaimed album of the same name; watch/share the video at https://youtu.be/v2XvW38UKEI. Of the video, director Kevan Funk explains, “I wanted to tell a set of stories featuring characters who could act as conduits to explore that tension, each of them repressing some sort of tormenting emotion (guilt, shame, self-loathing) that they haven’t been able to reconcile internally. The facade of the mall, with its surreal fantasy elements, provided an effective metaphorical backdrop.”

Earlier this summer the band performed the song on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

Whiteout Conditions— the first release on the band’s own Collected Works Records imprint in partnership with Concord Records— continues to receive critical praise:

“Pure, blissfully irresistible power pop…the band would be forgiven for receding into legacy-act status at some point. Instead, its catalog just gets more formidable: now seven albums strong, with as little patience for filler as ever.’”
NPR Music

“The New Pornographers’ seventh album is a peppy team effort, rich with new wave synths and closely blended harmonies…this, plus a singularly bright and skipping tempo, creates an almost forcibly energetic mix.” –Pitchfork

“…uplifting three-to-four-minute indie-pop numbers, imbued with lush vocals.” –Rolling Stone

“A.C. Newman and Neko Case don’t miss a beat; Whiteout Conditions provides another dose of power-pop with quirky synth accents from a collective that hasn’t faltered yet this century.” –New York Magazine

“Expect flawless harmonies, precisely arranged power pop, and more Neko Case vocal wizardry than any mere human deserves to hear in one lifetime.” –Cosmopolitan

“A parade of hook-laden songs.”
Whiteout Conditions [is] a characteristically punchy and catchy LP with more than a few jams set to become worthy contenders in the New Pornos’ canon.” –Stereogum

“loud, infectious, and energetic—classic New Pornographers” –Entertainment Weekly

“power-pop phenoms” –Vice Noisey

Whiteout Conditions contains some of The New Pornographers’ most interesting musical ideas.” –The Onion’s A.V. Club

“It is Newman’s steady creative hand and brilliant understanding of pop music’s beating human heart that once again win the day on Whiteout Conditions…a typically neat package that sits comfortably and appropriately in one of rock’s greatest band catalogs. 9 (out of 10)” – Magnet

“More than ever before, the Pornos feel like a legitimate band rather than an all-star union.” –Relix

“Finest yet from Carl Newman, Neko Case et al. 4 stars (out of 5)” –MoJo

Whiteout Conditions made its Billboard debut at #2 on the Alternative Albums Chart, #13 on the Current Album Chart and #35 on the Top 200. Additionally, the album hit #6 on Billboard’s AAA Radio Chart. The band’s world tour in support of the new album continues this summer and fall, including shows with Born Ruffians in select cities. Tickets for all headlining U.S. shows include a free download of the new album; see below for a list of dates.

Of writing the new record, founder and frontman A.C. Newman notes that, “At the beginning of this record, there was some thinking that we wanted it to be like a Krautrock Fifth Dimension. Of course, our mutated idea of what Krautrock is probably doesn’t sound like Krautrock at all. But we were thinking: Let’s try and rock in a different way.” Newman recently discussed the new record and the band’s 18-year career in a pair of Salon Talks here, here and here.

Since their debut in 2000, The New Pornographers have released six studio albums including their most recent, Brill Bruisers, hailed as an “exuberant, synthpop-infused set” by Rolling Stone, “infectious” by Harper’s Bazaar and “the grand and purposeful hookfest that you would hope these guys would come back with” by Stereogum. Pitchfork went on to note that “with the futurist sound of Brill Bruisers, the whole band embraces a more electric version of itself—bulked-up in chrome-plated armor, firing on all cylinders, and ready to steamroll anything in its path.” The band celebrated the release with a special NPR Music “First Listen Live” concert at the legendary Brill Building, and performed songs from the album on both “Conan” and the “Late Show with David Letterman.”

For more information, please contact Joe Cohen, Krista Williams or Carla Sacks at Sacks & Co., 212.741.1000.

THE NEW PORNOGRAPHERS, WHITEOUT CONDITIONS
1. Play Money
2. Whiteout Conditions
3. High Ticket Attractions
4. This is the World of the Theater
5. Darling Shade
6. Second Sleep
7. Colosseums
8. We’ve Been Here Before
9. Juke
10. Clockwise
11. Avalanche Alley

THE NEW PORNOGRAPHERS LIVE
†with Born Ruffians


August 17 /// Kalamazoo, MI /// Bell’s Beer Garden
August 18 /// Madison, WI /// Majestic Theater
August 19 /// Omaha, NE /// MAHA Music Festival
August 25 /// Mexico City, MX /// Pabellon Cuervo
September 23 /// Cincinnati, OH /// Midpoint Music Festival
September 28 /// Victoria, BC /// Sugar Nightclub†
September 29 /// Vancouver, BC /// Commodore Ballroom†
September 30 /// Kelowna, BC /// Kelowna Community Theatre†
October 1 /// Nelson, BC /// Spiritbar at the Hume Hotel†
October 2 /// Calgary, AB /// MacEwan Hall†
October 4 /// Edmonton, AB /// Winspear Centre†
October 5 /// Saskatoon, SK /// O’Brians Event Centre†
October 6 /// Regina, SK /// The Exchange†
October 7 /// Winnipeg, MB /// Burton Cummings Theatre†
October 9 /// Detroit, MI /// Crofoot Ballroom†
October 10 /// Cleveland, OH /// Beachland Ballroom
October 11 /// London, ON /// London Music Hall†
October 12 /// Ottawa, ON /// Bronson Centre Theatre†
October 13 /// Montreal, QC /// Corona Theatre†
October 14 /// Toronto, ON /// Massey Hall†

www.thenewpornographers.com

Keep your mind open.

The Orwells announce new tour dates and releases video for “Vacation.”

THE ORWELLS SHARE NEW VIDEO FOR “VACATION”,
TOUR WITH WEEZER & PIXIES THIS FALL

TERRIBLE HUMAN BEINGS OUT NOW ON CANVASBACK MUSIC

Today, The Orwells share their video for “Vacation,” from their recently released album Terrible Human Beings (Canvasback Music). Coming off some big shows in the US and Europe, including Governor’s Ball, Bonnaroo, and a Barclaycard British Summer Time show with Green Day in London’s Hyde Park, the Chicago five-some continue to bring their electrifying performances to audiences on both sides of the pond. This fall will see the band joining up with Weezer and Pixies (whose frontman they honored on their recent record with the song “Black Francis”).  The boys were also the subjects of an in-depth and illuminating multi-media profile by The Washington Post. If you missed it, you can read it here.
WATCH “VACATION” VIDEO
https://youtu.be/9cLa9ZZgLTc

ORWELLS TOUR DATES:
Sat. Aug. 19 – St. Louis, MO @ Jefferson Barracks State Park
Thu. Aug. 24 – Charleville-Mézières, FR @ Cabaret Vert
Fri. Aug. 25 – Reading, UK @ Reading Festival
Sat. Aug. 26 – Leeds, UK @ Leeds Festival
Sun. Aug. 27 – Newcastle upon Tyne, UK @ The Cluny
Mon. Aug. 28 – Nottingham, UK @ Bodega
Tue. Aug. 29 – Sheffield, UK @ The Leadmill
Wed. Aug. 30 – Cardiff, UK @ Clwb ifor Bach
Fri. Sept. 1 – Vlieland Island, NL @ Into The Great Wide Open
Sat. Sept. 2 – Masstricht, NL @ Muziekgieterij
Fri. Sept. 8 – Dana Point, CA @ Ohana Music and Arts Festival
Sun. Sept. 17 – Chicago, IL @ Riot Fest
Sun. Oct. 15 – Berlin, DL @ Columbiahalle w/ Weezer
Mon. Oct. 16 – Cologne, DL @ E-Werk w/ Weezer
Wed. Oct. 18 – Brussels, BE @ Ancienne Belgique w/ Weezer
Thu. Oct. 19 – Paris, FR @ Olympia w/ Weezer
Sat. Oct. 21 – Tilburg, NL @ 013 w/ Weezer
Mon. Oct. 23  – Leeds, UK @ O2 Academy Leeds w/ Weezer
Tue. Oct. 24 – Glasgow, UK @ O2 Academy Glasgow w/ Weezer
Wed. Oct. 25 – Manchester, UK @ O2 Academy Manchester w/ Weezer
Fri. Oct. 27 – Birmingham, UK @ O2 Academy Birmingham w/ Weezer
Sat. Oct. 28 – London, UK @ SSE Arena, Wembley w/ Weezer
Thu. Nov. 30 – Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater w/ Pixies
Fri. Dec. 1 – Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater w/ Pixies
Sun. Dec. 3 – Seattle, WA @ The Paramount Theatre w/ Pixies
Mon. Dec. 4 – Vancouver, BC @ Queen Elizabeth Theatre w/ Pixies

Rewind Review: TV on the Radio – Seeds (2014)

TV on the Radio returned in 2014 after taking time to mourn the loss of their bass player, Gerard Smith, who lost his battle with lung cancer in 2011. The album they released, Seeds, is a bright affair that not only pays tribute to Smith, but also embraces life and love after loss.

The first four lines of the opener, “Quartz,” are “How much do I love you? I’ll tell you no lie. How deep is the ocean? How high the sky?” It is a beautiful track with wicked beats that get your feet tapping within seconds.

“Careful You” (a play on “care for you”) is the most direct tribute to Smith barely hidden within a love song. The opening verse, “Oui, je t’aime, oui je ta’ime, a demain, ala prochaine (Yes, I love you, yes, I love you, tomorrow, and the next), I know it’s best to say goodbye, but I can’t seem to move away.” is both heartbreaking and tender. The throbbing synths drive the song through any fog that may be surrounding your head and bring you to out of your reality, at least momentarily.

“Could You,” with its big brass horns, has lead singer Tunde Adebimpe pleading for love (“Could you love somebody? Could you strip the ego bare and let love take flight? Could you open up your heart?”). The first single, “Happy Idiot,” is a sizzler with hot drums and lyrics about a man preferring ignorance and losing his mind to thinking of a life without his former lover. “Test Pilot” is another song about lost love and heartbreak, although by the end it seems the lovers involved may be willing to work through the rough skies and come in for a safe landing after all.

“Love Stained” is an epic song with lovely lyrics about a man terrified by his feelings and seemingly the world at large, but whose lover is always there for him (“In the middle of the night, when fear comes calling singing it all dies, always scared, alone, I’m looking into your eyes to feel the call, pretty thing that catches me so strong when I fall.”). The synths in this rise and fall like waves and eventually drift out like the tide. It’s almost as haunting as opening to the follow-up track, “Ride,” in which the piano and violins sound like a funeral dirge until the drums kick in and the song bursts open to become an affirmation of moving beyond grief and embracing the future. It’s a telling statement from the band considering the loss of Smith.

“Right Now” is another song of renewal and embracing of life. It is a directive from TVOTR to live in this moment and the leave behind the “imaginary need for the silly little things.” “Winter” has blaring guitars that sound designed to reach the back of the concert hall; and, yes, it’s another love song. It has the sauciest lyrics on the album – “Can’t think of nothing better than a union in the afterglow. Let it go, all the thinking and the reason. Here we go, to the lovin’ and the pleasin’.” Meow.

If all the synths are too much for you and you’re whining about the album not having a “real” TVOTR song, don’t worry. “Lazerray” sounds like something the band might’ve put on Return to Cookie Mountain. It’s is the most straight-up rocker on the record and a strong message about the impermanence of everything (“Chop down your master plan in nanoseconds, man. I hope you understand that nothing living lasts forever.”). “Trouble” seems to be a song about a man realizing his lover’s going to break up with him and there’s nothing he can do about it, but I can’t help but think it’s also about the impending death of Smith, especially when the song ends with “Everything’s gonna be okay” repeated over and over. The title track closes out the record, bringing back the thick synths and TVOTR’s great layered vocals. It’s another beautiful love song about a man planting the seeds to build a relationship with a woman who’s been stung in the past.

Seeds might be the best collection of love songs released in 2014. It was a great return for a great band.

Keep your mind open.

[I’d be a happy idiot if you subscribed.]

Alex Lahey to release debut album October

ALEX LAHEY ANNOUNCES DEBUT ALBUM, I LOVE YOU LIKE A BROTHER,
OUT OCTOBER 6TH ON DEAD OCEANS

WATCH VIDEO FOR “EVERY DAY’S THE WEEKEND”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBj_magluuc

(photo credit: GiuliaMcGauran)

 

“The 24-year-old from Melbourne, Australia, has a knack for spinning the tiny, unremarkable details of everyday existence into riveting portraits of twenty-something life — and then topping it all off with a gale-force indie-rock hook.” — Entertainment Weekly (“Breaking Big”)

“This single by Melbourne’s Alex Lahey has got to be one of the peppiest songs about rejection ever—a song about being disliked, and yet it is only likable.” — Pitchfork, on “You Don’t Think You Like People Like Me” (“Best New Track”)

“It’s one of the most impressive indie rock introductions in recent memory…” — Stereogum, on “B-Grade University” (“Artist To Watch”)

“Post-grad ennui and the bizarre feeling of being out of school are topics that have been tread by plenty of artists, but Alex Lahey’s specificity, wry humor, and sun-streaked guitar melodies (not to mention her brilliant, tongue-in-cheek music videos) breathe new life into these universal experiences.” — NYLON

“I’m just some random from Melbourne.” Alex Lahey likes to keep it real. The 24-year-old Australian musician takes her rise up the ranks from music student to ‘an artist with one of the most highly anticipated debut albums of 2017’ in stride.

Lahey’s debut album, I Love You Like A Brother (out October 6th on Dead Oceans), drops fresh off the back of Lahey’s breakthrough EP in 2016, “B-Grade University”, which earned her a slew of glowing press from the likes of Entertainment Weekly, Stereogum, NYLON, Noisey, and beyond. Last year, Lahey’s “You Don’t Think You Like People Like Me” single was inescapable and landed a “Best New Track” on Pitchfork, as well as a spot in the Australian radio network triple j’s prestigious Hottest 100 of 2016.

Born and raised in Melbourne, Lahey initially studied jazz saxophone at university but unimpressed with “learning music in such a regimented way” she switched to an arts degree. Her tenure with cult music collective Animaux allowed Lahey the musical anarchy she yearned – hell, she booked the band their first gig before they’d even prepared a single song.

Brother finds Lahey back in the studio with production partner, and one-half of Holy Holy, Oscar Dawson (Ali Barter, British India). The pair pushed each other to create an intimate sonic experience that comprises scuzzy guitars thrumming over pop melodies, helmed by Lahey’s unfussy but arresting vocals. The album’s songs traverse the everyday themes of family, heartbreak and identity. Lahey tells her stories with character and dry humor – “I’ve figured it out,” she sings in “Awkward Exchange”, “you’re a bit of a dick” – but there are also moments of darkness. In “Taking Care” she muses, “I’ve gained weight and I drink too much, maybe that’s why you don’t love me as much.” The poignant “Backpack” is a tribute to Lahey’s latest relationship, and the unsure start it got off to.

The themes of Alex Lahey’s album might be universal, but it’s the unique approach she takes unpacking them that’s earned her millions of Spotify streams, buzz-worthy showcases at SXSW and festival sets alongside the likes of Flume, The Kills, At The Drive-In and James Blake as well as guesting on tours with Catfish & The Bottlemen, Tegan & Sara and Blondie.

Lahey will bring her tour in support of I Love You Like A Brother stateside this November, kicking off in Boston on Wed. November 15th. A full list of tour dates are below.
WATCH VIDEO FOR “EVERY DAY’S THE WEEKEND” — 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBj_magluuc

 

ALEX LAHEY TOUR DATES (US DATES IN BOLD):
Tue. Oct. 26 – Brussels, BE @ Botanique Witloofbar [tix]
Fri. Oct. 27 – Rotterdam, NL @ V11 [tix]
Mon. Oct. 30 – Cologne, DE @ Blue Shell [tix]
Tue. Oct. 31 – Hamburg, DE @ Molotow Musikclub [tix]
Wed. Nov. 1 – Berlin, DE @ Privat Club [tix]
Wed. Nov. 3 – Munich, DE @ Kranhalle [tix]
Sat. Nov. 4 – Stuttgart, DE @ Keller Klub [tix]
Sun. Nov. 5 – Fribourg, DE @ Espace culturel Le Nouveau Monde [tix]
Mon. Nov. 6 – Paris, FR @ La Mécanique Ondulatoire [tix]
Wed. Nov. 8 – London, UK @ Boston Music Room [tix]
Tue. Nov. 9 – Bristol, UK @ The Louisiana [tix]
Fri. Nov. 10 – Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Social Club [tix]
Sat. Nov. 11 – Manchester, UK @ Deaf Institute [tix]
Sun. Nov. 12 – Glasgow, UK @ King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut [tix]
Wed. Nov. 15 – Allston, MA @ Great Scott [tix]
Thu. Nov. 16 – Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg [tix]
Fri. Nov. 17 – Philadelphia, PA @ World Cafe Live [tix]
Sun. Nov. 19 – Washington, DC @ DC9 [tix]
Wed. Nov. 22 – Toronto, ON @ The Drake Hotel – Underground [tix]
Fri. Nov. 24 – Chicago, IL @ Subterranean [tix]
Sat. Nov. 25th – Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry [tix]
Wed. Nov. 29 – Dallas, TX @ Club Dada [tix]
Thu. Nov. 30 – Austin, TX @ Barracuda [tix]
Sat. Dec. 2 – Denver, CO @ Lost Lake Lounge [tix]
Sun. Dec. 3 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court [tix]
Tue. Dec. 5 – Phoenix, AZ @ The Rebel Lounge [tix]
Wed. Dec. 6 – San Diego, CA @ The Casbah [tix]
Fri. Dec. 8 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Echo [tix]
Sat.Dec. 9 – San Francisco, CA @ Bottom of the Hill [tix]
Mon. Dec. 11 – Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios [tix]
Tue. Dec. 12 – Vancouver, BC @ The Cobalt [tix]
Wed. Dec. 13 – Seattle, WA @ Chop Suey [tix]

 

I LOVE YOU LIKE A BROTHER TRACKLIST:
01. Every Day’s The Weekend
02. I Love You Like A Brother
03. Perth Traumatic Stress Disorder
04. I Haven’t Been Taking Care Of Myself
05. Backpack
06. Awkward Exchange

07. I Want U

08. Lotto In Reverse

09. Let’s Call It A Day

10. There’s No Money

Pre-order I Love You Like A Brother https://alexlahey.lnk.to/brother

Download hi-res images & album art — http://pitchperfectpr.com/alex-lahey/

(I Love You Like A Brother album art)

Alex Lahey online:
alexlahey.com.au
facebook.com/alexlaheymusic
twitter.com/alexlahey
instagram.com/alex_lahey
pitchperfectpr.com/alex-lahey

The Orwells – Terrible Human Beings

Elmhurt, Illinois’ the Orwells (Grant Binner – bass, Henry Binner – drums, Dominic Corso – guitar, Mario Cuomo – vocals, Matt O’Keefe – guitar) have this neat blend of Chicagoland grit, snotty punk, psychedelia, and Midwestern garage rock that is riff heavy and really catchy. Their newest album, Terrible Human Beings, is a great example of it.

The opener, and first single, “They Put the Body in the Bayou,” is a powerhouse of a tune and one of the best rock singles of 2017. It starts out slow at first, but then bursts out with psychedelic reverb and funky bass. The song is about the pitfalls of the music industry (“All right, make it quick. Good songs make you rich.”) and our culture’s love of sharing others’ misery with our friends (“I came by to see. I just had to know who put the body in the bayou.”).

“Fry” has sizzling guitar throughout it as Cuomo sings about people addiction to television and frying their minds on empty pop culture. “Creatures” depicts us as people “fading, creating, losing all control. Spinning and grinning, looking for a soul. Rollin’ and flowin’, tryin’ to find a role. Before you know it, you’re livin’ in a hole.” A “Vacation” should be a good time, but the Orwells know that often you need a vacation from your vacation.

I’m not sure if “Black Francis” is a takedown on the Pixies’ lead singer, or a what the Orwells think the Pixies (who do seem to be an influence) would think of them: “Have you heard that band? / Yeah, I think they’re shit. / And the way they dress? / Yeah, they think they’re hip. / And the things they say? / Yeah, it’s all a bluff. / And where they’re from? / Yeah, it ain’t that rough. / Black Franky’s got my world in his hands.” It’s really catchy and I’d love to know the story behind it. “M.A.D.” has a nice surf sound to it. The sharp bass of “Buddy” is some of Grant Binner’s best work on the record, and I like how the guitars soar around it at all times. “Hippie Soldier” and “Heavy Head” have great rock hooks throughout them. Both sing about different generations and the faults of each, with “Heavy Head” (a takedown of their own Millennial generation) being the most searing.

The guitars on “Ring Pop” shred as Cuomo sings about things in plain sight being “not quite right.” “Last Call (Go Home)” is a salute to barflies seeking romance. “Double Feature” has Cuomo singing about how he could’ve had any other career than a rock singer, but he “came from the wrong side of the tracks” and was doomed to a rock and roll life.  It becomes a wild, cosmic freak-out by the end.

The running theme of Terrible Human Beings is that we are our own worst enemy. We constantly put limits on ourselves or continue behaviors we know are detrimental. We like to point the finger at anyone else, but we forget about all the other fingers pointing back at us. The Orwells’ new album is an examination of conscience, a Zen story, a therapy session, hidden in a smart, sharp rock record.

Keep your mind open.

[I put the updates in your inbox when you subscribe.]

Melkbelly’s debut album due October 13th.

MELKBELLY ANNOUNCE DEBUT ALBUM, NOTHING VALLEY, OUT 10/13 ON WAX NINE/CARPARK

WATCH THE VIDEO FOR “KID KREATIVE”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mJoRmdYTo0

Noisy, subversively catchy and rhythmically sophisticated, Chicago quartet Melkbelly emerge from Chicago’s DIY spaces with their debut album, Nothing Valley, out Oct. 13th on Wax Nine Records, a sister label to Carpark Records headed by Sadie Dupuis of Speedy Ortiz.

Melkbelly’s members live and breathe Chicago’s art and music underground where their paths crossed and alliances were forged. Vocalist/guitarist Miranda Winters played solo in folk rock project reddelicious. Brothers Bart and Liam Winters (the tall fellas playing guitar and bass in Melkbelly) ran an influential show space in Chicago. Drawn together by their passion for East Coast noise, particularly the flavor originating from Miranda’s previous homebase of Providence, RI, Miranda and Bart of Coffin Ships recruited James Wetzel, who studied jazz drums in college, from improvisational free-drum/noise duo Ree-Yees. This new group of friends orbiting the loft and art scene, began collaborating on each other’s projects, formalizing in a more guitar-driven quartet Melkbelly in 2014.

Melkbelly’s debut EP Pennsylvania came out that same year. Engineered by Cooper Crain of Cave/Bitchin’ Bajas, the record came easily. The Chicago Reader enthused for single “Doomspringa” with its “noisy guitar freak-outs” and “beautifully melodic verses” and compared Melkbelly, accurately, to a hybrid of the Breeders and Lightning Bolt.

In 2016, the band tested the waters with new material. Inspired by the geography of a West Coast tour, shared band experiences, the van “as a magical place” and failed touristic detours at a meteor crater (it was closed) and Spiral Jetty (not van-friendly), the band gathered material written by Miranda and spawned from recorded jams for its next album. In early 2017, Melkbelly recorded with Dave Vettraino at Chicago’s Public House, writing about half the album in the studio and tracking it to 8-track analog tape. The result is Nothing Valley, organized noise and thoughtful freneticism, a fusion of dreamy vocal lines and cantankerous guitar racket. Today they share the video for “Kid Kreative.” “Kid Kreative is about creating a unique aesthetic in art or music only to have it hijacked and manhandled by someone else who reaps the rewards,” explains Miranda Winters. “It was inspired by existing as a woman in the predominantly male space of loud-music where it’s easy to be both looked over and ‘borrowed’ from.”

WATCH “KID KREATIVE” VIDEO
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mJoRmdYTo0

PRE-ORDER NOTHING VALLEY
wax nine – smarturl.it/nothingvalley_wax9
itunes – smarturl.it/nothingvalley_itunes
apple music – smarturl.it/nothingvalley_apple

NOTHING VALLEY TRACKLISTING
1. Off The Lot
2. Kid Kreative
3. R.O.R.O.B.
4. Greedy Gull
5. Petrified
6. Middle Of
7. Twin Lookin Motherfucker
8. RUNXRN
9. R2PCM
10. Cawthra
11. Helloween

MELKBELLY TOUR DATES
Wed. Sep 6 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Cattivo w/ Protomartyr
Thu. Sep. 7 – Baltimore, MD @ Metro Gallery w/ Protomartyr
Fri. Sep 8 – Raleigh, NC @ Hopscotch Festival
Sat. Sep. 9 – Asheville, NC @ Mothlight w/ Protomartyr
Sun. Sep. 10 – Cincinnati, OH @ Northside Yacht Club w/ Protomartyr
Fri. Oct. 13 – Chicago, IL @ The Hideout (Record Release Show)
Melkbelly Online:
https://melkbelly.bandcamp.com
https://www.facebook.com/melkbelly/
https://www.instagram.com/melkbelly/
https://twitter.com/melkbelly
http://www.waxnine.com/artists/melkbelly/

Rewind Review: Big Audio Dynamite – Megatop Phoenix (1989)

Big Audio Dynamite (Dan Donovan – keyboards and vocals, Mick Jones – guitar and vocals, Don Letts – effects and vocals, Greg Roberts – drums and vocals, Leo “E-Zee Kill” Williams – bass and vocals) were a big part of my high school years, and their final album, Megatop Phoenix, was a great way to go out on top. I had it on a mix tape for years, so it was high time I bought a proper copy of it. Recorded not long after Mick Jones nearly died of pneumonia (special thanks are given to his doctors and nurses in the album’s liner notes), the album is a reflection on the band’s history and a look to the future.

“Rewind” is a battle cry to all of us to stay strong in the face of adversity and to never count out the underdog. The kick-in of Williams’ bass after the first verse still gives me chills. It’s a great blend of their raga / post-punk / new wave / electro mix that made them so innovative. “Union, Jack” is Jones, Letts, and Williams’ call to British people to get back up on their feet in the Reagan / Thatcher years that were grinding them down into complacency. It opens with a sample of the British national anthem and then kicks in some of the slickest beats by Roberts. Lyrics like “Now in the classroom I was told about the Empire, how you were bold. A pint of beer, life passes by, your spirit’s squashed just like a fly.” continue to resonate today.

“Contact” is a song about Jones’ inner struggle to express himself to perhaps a lovely lady or even his own band mates. This was B.A.D.’s last album, after all. His guitar has nice heaviness to it when it comes in during the chorus. “Dragon Town” has Jones expressing the band’s wonder at being lost in a Chinatown while looking for an exotic woman.

“Baby, Don’t Apologize” is, on its surface, about Jones telling a lover not to be sorry things didn’t work out because he can’t or won’t change. It’s probably a veiled reference to the end of the band, however. Jones had a life-changing experience with his pneumonia, Don Letts was becoming a producer and DJ, and the other band members were also involved in other projects. Jones was worried about how he might be perceived (“My head is in the stock. It rains refuse, some shout abuse, and others throwing rocks.”), but as he puts it, “What I am is loud and clear for all to see, for all to hear.”

“Around the Girl in 80 Ways” is a straight-up love song from Jones and Letts as they teach how to woo the lady of your choice. They suggest everything from “a bunch of flowers” to playing it cool. “James Brown” was written after the Godfather of Soul was involved in a domestic violence case and a police pursuit that landed him in jail. Jones and Letts tell the story from Brown’s perspective, paying tribute to him and calling him out on his bad behavior at the same time. The beats are wicked, as is the verbal takedown of American celebrity culture (which is just as bad in Britain nowadays).

“Everybody Needs a Holiday” sounds better than ever in this world that has only gotten smaller, busier, and less personal since 1989. “House Arrest” is a tale of partying on Saturday night until six in the morning when the cops show up. It’s a floor-bumper with heavy bass and kick ass drum licks. Letts gets to take lead vocals on it as he sings about “bouncers, bimbos, lager louts” and “cops and dogs in transit vans.”

“The Green Lady” is a clever and slightly bittersweet song (with great guitar work by Jones) about a man who falls in love with a Chinese woman in a mass-produced photograph hanging in his flat. “London Bridge” is about the Americanization of London, but Jones professes his love for his town with catchy hooks. “Stalag 123” is about Jones and crew being stuck in the studio working on a record while the building’s basement is flooded and they have to deal with “no windows, no air, and secondhand gear.”

B.A.D. didn’t sound like anything that came before them, and no one has really matched their mix of genres since. They had a successful reunion tour a few years ago, and we can always hope for another. If not, there’s always their excellent catalog and this fine end to it.

Keep your mind open.

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Omni’s new album due out Sept. 22nd, but you can hear the first single now.

 

OMNI ANNOUNCE NEW ALBUM, SHARE “EQUESTRIAN

MULTI-TASK OUT SEPTEMBER 22ND ON TROUBLE IN MIND

Atlanta, GA trio Omni charged out of the gate in 2016, stunning everyone within earshot with their debut long-player, Deluxe, a dizzyingly refreshing amalgam of wiry post-punk jitters & a dash of zen cool. Multi-task, being released September 22nd via Trouble in Mind, is their latest offering & all signs point to the coveted goal of “next level.” As with Deluxe, Multi-task was recorded with friend & engineer Nathaniel Higgins at his studio as well as a remote cabin in the woods near Vienna, Georgia. “It gave a true peace/piece of mind away from the city” Frobos says, “We could work with no distractions or limitations at our own pace.”

Multi-task is a more musically adventurous step forward for the band, keeping the frantic, fleet-fingered fingerpicking of Broyles’ guitar work & Frobos’ dead-cool delivery while expanding their musical palette & to include whispers of post-Roxy glam & Postcard Records pop. Multi-task balances the band’s trademark off-kilter & unconventional jams with an elegance not found with many of their contemporaries. Their underlying seductive sophistication creates an aura of romance that many post-punk bands dare not tread, and Omni pulls it off with grace & style.  Their minimalist funk-fused agit-pop whirrs while simultaneously creating an album that is awash in the excitement of new love, or fleeting attraction. Listen to the first single, “Equestrian,” which the band say is “a song for and about the privileged and self-loathing. It can be unknowingly fun and disgusting at the same time to live in the now. Despicable/Applicable.”

STREAM “EQUESTRIAN”
http://bit.ly/2uqHRQu

WATCH A TEASER FOR THE RECORD:
https://youtu.be/9ZXgJ-I234s

MULTI-TASK TRACKLISTING
1. Southbound Station
2. Equestrian
3. Choke
5. Tuxedo Blues
5. After Dinner
6. Supermoon
8. Date Night
9. Calling Direct
10. Heard My Name
11. Type

OMNI TOUR DATES:
Thu. July 20 – Atlanta, GA @ The Earl: Irrelevant Music Fest
Wed. July 26 – Nashville, TN @ 5 Spot
Thu. July 27 – Indianapolis, IN @ State Street Pub
Fri. July 28 – Madison, WI @ The Terrace: Univ. of Madison
Sun. July 29 – Chicago, IL @ The Hideout
Thu. Aug. 3 – Athens, GA @ Caledonia Lounge
Fri. Aug. 4 -Birmingham, AL @ Secret Stages
Mon. Aug. 7 – Asheville, NC @ The Mothlight
Tie. Aug. 8 – Bloomington, IN @ The Bishop Bar w/ Kevin Krauter / Peter Oren
Wed. Aug. 9 – Memphis, TN @ Growler’s
Thu. Aug. 31 – Amsterdam, NL @ OT301
Fri. Sep. 1 – Larmar Tree Gardens, UK @ End of the Road Festival
Sat. Sep. 2 – Manchester, UK @ Strange Waves Festival
Sun. Sep. 3 – Bristol, UK @ Louisiana
Mon. Sep. 4 – Paris, FR @ Point Ephemere
Tue. Sep. 5 – Toulouse, FR @ Pavilion Sauvage
Wed. Sep. 6 – Madrid, ES @ Sirocco
Thu. Sep. 7 – Santiago De Compostela, ES @ WOS
Fri. Sep. 8 – Barcelona, ES @ Altaveu
Sat. Sep. 9 – Marseille, FR @ L’Emeobineuse
Mon. Sep. 11 – Basle, CH @ Renee
Wed. Sep. 13 – Zurich, CH @ Katakombe @ Sender
Thu. Sep. 14 – Bologne, IT @ Freakout
Fri. Sep. 15 – Lyon, FR @ Le Sonic
Sat. Sep. 16 – Orleans, FR @ Hop Hop
Sun. Sep. 17 – Lille, FR @ DIY
Mon. Sep. 18 – London, UK @ Moth Club
Tue. Sep. 19 – Birmingham, UK @ Hare & Hounds
Wed. Sep. 20 – Dublin, IRE @ Whealan’s
Thu. Sep. 21– Glasgow, UK @ Hug & Pint
Fri. Sep. 22 – Liverpool, UK @ Liverpool Psychfest
Sat. Sep. 23 – Brighton, UK @ Sticky Mike’s Frog Bar

PRAISE FOR DELUXE

“Atlanta trio Omni is only on their first album, but they’ve already caught that essential combination of steely rigor and fiery energy, ripping out quick gems that exude control without sacrificing guts.” – Pitchfork

“On Atlanta trio Omni’s debut album, Deluxe, nothing was surplus. Every snare, every inquisitive, jagged little guitar line, every melody from Philip Frobos’s throat—it was all essential.” – Noisey

“A modern-day paragon of the infinite possibilities, and rewards, of the post-punk form.” – Aquarium Drunkard

“Channeling the likes of Devo and Pylon, their music is a blissful trip back in time to the arty, danceable rhythms of the new wave movement, but with a rough lo-fi flair.” – Stereogum

Hi-res images/album art – http://pitchperfectpr.com/omni/

Pre-order Physical – http://bit.ly/2u4th0D
Pre-order Digital – http://apple.co/2sWcrT6

Omni Online:
https://www.facebook.com/omniatl
https://www.instagram.com/omnideluxe/
https://soundcloud.com/omni-band
http://www.troubleinmindrecs.com/
http://pitchperfectpr.com/

Jane’s Addiction to release live version of “Ritual De Lo Habitual” this August.

Alt-rock legends Jane’s Addiction recently announced they’ll release a live version of their classic album Ritual De Lo Habitual on August 25, 2017.  This was recorded on their 2016 tour and features all the original members of the band.  They play the album in its entirety and include four encore tracks (“Mountain Song,” “Just Because,” “Ted, Just Admit It,” and, of course, “Jane Says”).

The album will be available for download (for a mere nine bucks) and on red or blue vinyl.  Get it while it’s hot.

Keep your mind open.

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