Rock – Page 120 – 7th Level Music

Protomartyr’s “Being Processed By the Boys” is a stunning new single.

Today Protomartyr announce their fifth album, Ultimate Success Today, out May 29th on Domino. Following the release of Relatives In Descent, the band’s critically acclaimed headlong dive into the morass of American life in 2017 (featured on myriad “best of” lists, including The New York Times, Esquire, Newsweek, and more), Ultimate Success Today continues to further expand the possibilities of what a Protomartyr album can sound like. Along with today’s album announcement, the band shares the video for their first single “Processed By The Boys,” and announces a summer North American tour.
WATCH THE VIDEO FOR “PROCESSED BY THE BOYS”
http://smarturl.it/PBTBYT

LISTEN TO “PROCESSED BY THE BOYS”
http://smarturl.it/PBTBStrm

PRE-ORDER ULTIMATE SUCCESS TODAY
Domino Mart | Digital
“There is darkness in the poetry of Ultimate Success Today,” says punk legend, founding member of the Raincoats, and friend of the band Ana da Silva. “The theme of things ending, above all human existence, is present and reminiscent of Cormac McCarthy’s The Road. Our world has reached a point that makes us afraid: fires, floods, earthquakes, hunger, war, intolerance…There are cries of despair. Is there hope? Greed is the sickness that puts life in danger.”

“The re-release of our first album had me thinking about the passage of time and its ultimate conclusion,” says singer Joe Casey of Ultimate Success Today. “Listening to No Passion All Technique again, I could hear myself hoping for an introduction and a long future, but also being cognizant that it could be ‘one and done’ for us. So, when it came time to write Ultimate Success Today, I was reminded of that first urgency and how it was an inverse of my current grapple with how terribly ill I’ve been feeling lately. Was that sick feeling coloring how I felt about the state of the world or was it the other way around?”

“This panic was freeing in a way. It allowed me to see our fifth album as a possible valediction of some confusingly loud five-act play. In the same light I see it as an interesting mile marker of our first decade of being a band – a crest of the hill along a long highway. Although just to cover my bases, I made sure to get my last words in while I still had the breath to say them.”

“There are exquisite, subtle gifts from other instruments that always heighten the guitar, instead of fighting with it,” explains da Silva. “They help to create a harmonious wall of sound all of its own. This was intentional. Greg Ahee wanted to use different textures other than pedals, and the drone quality of some of those instruments colours the guitar and the whole sound with a warm, rich in reverb, yet all-consuming landscape for Joe Casey’s voice.”

The video for “Processed By The Boys,” directed by David Allen & Nathan Faustyn and produced by HLPTV & LooseMeat.Biz, is a play on a bizarre Brazilian TV clip the band became infatuated with. A man sings to a studio audience, while a member of the audience becomes enraged by a puppet, leading the whole situation to devolve into total chaos. “As soon as we heard the concept, we knew how to take the band’s ideas and coalesce them into this sort of timeless public access chaos,” says Faustyn. “Because of the nature of HLPTV & LooseMeat.Biz and who we are – professional and hobbyist technicians – we knew we could pull off a really strange, funny and sardonically dark compendium to this song that is equally such.”

Protomartyr is Joe Casey (vocals), Greg Ahee (guitars), Alex Leonard (drums), and Scott Davidson (bass guitar). Ultimate Success Today was recorded at Dreamland Recording Studios, a late 19th century church, in upstate New York and co-produced by the band and David Tolomei (Dirty Projectors, Beach House) with mixing by Tolomei. Featured guest musicians on the album include Nandi Rose (vocals) a.k.a. Half Waif, jazz legend Jemeel Moondoc (alto sax), Izaak Mills (bass clarinet, sax, flute), and Fred Lonberg-Holm (cello).

Ultimate Success Today is available to pre-order now on LP, CD and digital formats. A limited blue-in-red colored edition of the LP is available exclusively on the Domino Mart.

ULTIMATE SUCCESS TODAY TRACKLISTING

1. Day Without End 2. Processed By The Boys 3. I Am You Now 4. The Aphorist 5. June 21 6. Michigan Hammers 7. Tranquilizer 8. Modern Business Hymns 9. Bridge & Crown 10. Worm In Heaven

PROTOMARTYR TOUR DATES (new dates in bold)

Mon. April 27 – London, UK @ Peckham Audio – SOLD OUT
Tue. April 28 – London, UK @ The Lexington – SOLD OUT
Wed. April 29 – Paris, FR @ La Boule Noire – SOLD OUT
Thu. April 30 -Utrecht, NL @ Ekko – SOLD OUT
Sat. May 2 -Berlin, DE @ Ubran Spree
Sun. May 3 – Berlin, DE @ Urban Spree
Mon. May 4 – Groningen, NL @ Vera
Tue. May 5 – Brussels, BE @ Nuits Botanique
Mon. June 1 – Toronto, ON @ Lee’s
Tue. June 2 – Montreal, QC @ Le Ritz
Wed. June 3 – Boston, MA @ Sinclair
Thu. June 4 – Brooklyn, NY @ Elsewhere
Sat. June 6 – Philadelphia, PA @ Underground Arts
Sun. June 7 – Washington, DC @ Black Cat
Tue. June 9 – Raleigh, NC @ Kings
Wed. June 10 – Atlanta, GA @ Earl
Thu. June 11 – New Orleans, LA @ Gasa Gasa
Fri. June 12 – Dallas, TX @ Club Dada
Mon. June 15 – Tucson, AZ @ Hotel Congress
Tue. June 16 – Phoenix, AZ @ Rebel Lounge
Wed. June 17 – San Diego, CA @ Casbah
Thu. June 18 – Los Angeles, CA @ Lodge Room
Fri. June 19 – Los Angeles, CA @ Lodge Room
Sat. June 20 – Oakland, CA @ Starline Social Club
Mon. June 22 – Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom
Tue. June 23 – Seattle, WA @ Crocodile
Fri. June 26 – Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry
Sat. June 27 – Milwaukee, WI @ Cactus Club
Sun. June 28 – Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall
Protomartyr Online:
https://www.facebook.com/protomartyr
https://soundcloud.com/protomartyr
http://pitchperfectpr.com/protomartyr
https://protomartyr.bandcamp.com
http://www.dominorecordco.us/artists/protomartyr

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The Chats drop a new single – “Dine and Dash.”

Australian punk band The Chats will release their debut album, High Risk Behaviour, on March 27th via Bargain Bin Records/Cooking Vinyl Australia. Ahead of their North American tour, which kicks off next month, they present a new single, “Dine N Dash,” and its accompanying video. Following lead single “The Clap,” “Dine N Dash” is fierce, funny, and sweaty. The video, directed by Matt Weston, finds The Chats in an unfamiliar environment, eating a succulent steakhouse meal while embracing the piss poor status of their wallets and outright brazenness to get a decent feed.

“We filmed at Walters steakhouse in Brisbane,” says Josh Price. “It was the best steak I’ve had. Definitely gave the bowlsie a run for its money. No mushy gravy though.” Eamon Sandwith adds: “Ya know you’re in a fancy restaurant when the chips and salad aren’t included.”

WATCH THE CHATS’ VIDEO FOR “DINE N DASH”
https://youtu.be/I3jAJHRW_Yo

The Chats – made of Eamon Sandwith, Matt Boggis, and Josh Price – formed in 2016 while still in high school. Since then, they’ve released a self-titled EP in 2016 and 2017’s Get This In YaEP, and have accrued a fanbase that includes Dave Grohl, Queen of the Stone Age’s Josh Homme, and Iggy Pop – the latter two who asked the band to open on their respective Australian tours. And despite being the subject of a record label bidding war, they’re releasing High Risk Behaviour on their own label (Bargain Bin Records). It’s indicative of a band that has embraced DIY culture since day one. Their determination to do things “our way” extends to their music, which is why High Risk Behaviour delivers everything you’ve come to love from The Chats – only more of it – and confirms their status as Queensland’s greatest ever export.

To create High Risk Behaviour, the band worked with engineer Bill Gardner in his studio on the Australian coast. It took nearly 18 months to finish and several, quick-paced sessions. “If we’d just done a week and slogged it out we could have had an album before now but we just kept going in there and making newer and better songs so it’s hard to put a stop on it,” says Sandwith.
WATCH VIDEO FOR “THE CLAP”
https://youtu.be/POM_98oi0oo

LISTEN TO “THE CLAP”
https://orcd.co/highriskbehaviour

PRE-ORDER HIGH RISK BEHAVIOUR
https://orcd.co/highriskbehaviour

THE CHATS TOUR DATES:
Fri. April 10 – Indio, CA @ Coachella
Sat. April 11 – Berkeley, CA @ The UC Theatre
Sun. April 12 – Sacramento, CA @ Ace of Spades
Mon. April 13 – Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom
Tue. April 14 – Seattle, WA @ El Corazon
Fri. April 17 – Indio, CA @ Coachella
Sat. April 18 – San Diego, CA @ Observatory North Park
Sun. April 19 – Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom
Mon. April 20 – Santa Fe, NM @ Meow Wolf
Wed. April 22 – Dallas, TX @ House of Blues
Thu. April 23 – Austin, TX @ Emo’s
Fri. April 24 – Houston, TX @ Bronze Peacock at House of Blues
Sun. April 26 – Denver, CO @ Marquis Theatre
Tue. April 28 – St. Paul, MN @ Amsterdam Bar & Hall
Wed. April 29 – Chicago, IL @ House of Blues
Thu. April 30 – Nashville, TN @ Exit/In
Fri. May 1 – Atlanta, GA @ Buckhead Theatre
Sat. May 2 – Charlotte, NC @ Epicenter Festival
Sun. May 3 – Washington, DC @ The Fillmore Silver Spring
Tue. May 5 – Philadelphia, PA @ Theatre of Living Arts
Wed. May 6 – Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club
Thu. May 7 – Brooklyn, NY @ Warsaw
Wed. Oct. 7 – Amsterdam, BL @ Melkweg Max
Sat. Oct. 10 – Paris, FR @ Maroquinerie
Sun. Oct. 11 – Cologne, DE @ Gloria
Mon. Oct. 12 – Hamburg, DE @ Gruenspan
Tue. Oct. 13 – Berlin, DE @ Festsaal Kreuzberg
Fri. Oct. 16 – Southampton, UK @ 1865
Sat. Oct. 17 – Nottingham, UK @ Rock City
Mon. Oct. 19 – Dublin, IE @ Olympia
Tue. Oct. 20 – Belfast, UK @ Limelight
Thu. Oct. 22 – Glasgow, UK @ Galvanizers
Fri. Oct. 23 – Manchester, UK @ O2 Academy
Sat. Oct. 24 – Newcastle, UK @ Boiler Shop
Sun. Oct. 25 – Leeds, UK @ Stylus
Mon. Oct. 26 – Brighton, UK @ Dome
Tue. Oct. 27 – Bristol, UK @ O2 Academy
Wed. Oct. 28 – London, UK @ Electric Brixton
Thu. Oct 29 – London, UK @ Electric Brixton
THE CHATS ONLINE:
https://www.thechatslovebeer.com/
https://www.facebook.com/thechatsband/
https://thechatslovebeer.bandcamp.com/
https://www.instagram.com/thechatslovebeer/?hl=en

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Wilco and Sleater-Kinney announce co-headlining tour.

Wilco photo by Annabel Mehran, Sleater-Kinney photo by Nikko LaMere

Wilco and Sleater-Kinney are pleased to announce their “It’s Time” Summer 2020 co-headlining tour. After their respective North American and European runs in support of last year’s Ode To Joy (out now on dBpm Records), Wilco will return stateside, closing out each night of their co-headlining tour with Sleater-Kinney, who just closed out their The Center Won’t Hold tour. The entirety of the tour is made up of outdoor amphitheatres and venues, including a show in Wilco’s hometown of Chicago at Millennium Park’s Pritzker Pavilion, Nashville’s Ascend Amphitheater, Morrison, CO’s Red Rocks Amphitheatre, and more. Tickets for these newly-announced shows are on sale now.

Watch Wilco & Sleater-Kinney’s “It’s Time” Summer 2020 Tour Teaser –
https://youtu.be/JTe0GE19wRg

Wilco Tour Dates (new dates in bold):
Sat. March 21 – Vancouver, BC @ Orpheum Theatre &
Mon. March 23 – Portland, OR @ Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall &
Tue. March 24 – Portland, OR @ Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall ^
Thu. March 26 – Santa Rosa, CA @ Luther Burbank Centers For The Arts ^ – SOLD OUT
Fri. March 27 – Oakland, CA @ Fox Theater ^ – SOLD OUT
Sat. March 28 – Oakland, CA @ Fox Theater ^ – SOLD OUT
Sun. March 29 – San Jose, CA @ San Jose Civic ^
Tue. March 31 – San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore – SOLD OUT
Wed. April 1 – Los Angeles, CA @ Orpheum Theatre ^
Thu. April 2 – Los Angeles, CA @ Orpheum Theatre % – SOLD OUT
Sat. April 4 – Las Vegas, NV @ Brooklyn Bowl %
Sun. April 5 – Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Palladium %
Wed. April 15 – Jackson, MS @ Thalia Mara Hall $
Thu. April 16 – Mobile, AL @ Saenger Theatre $
Sat. April 18 – St. Augustine, FL @ St. Augustine Amphitheatre $
Sun. April 19 – North Charleston, SC @ High Water Festival
Fri. May 15 – Chicago, IL @ Vic Theatre (JEFF TWEEDY SOLO SHOW)
Sat. May 16 – Chicago, IL @ Vic Theatre (JEFF TWEEDY SOLO SHOW)
Fri. June 19 – Kent, UK @ Black Deer Festival
Mon. June 22 – Merignac, FR @ Krakatoa
Tue. June 23 – Nimes, FR @ La Paloma
Thu. June 25 – Murcia, ES @ Plaza de Toros
Fri. June 26 – Madrid, ES @ Noches Del Botánico
Sat. June 27 – Valencia, ES @ 4ever Festival
Sun. June 28 – Barcelona, ES @ Suite Festival
Tue. June 30 – San Sebastian, ES @ Auditorio del Centro Kursaal
Thu. July 2 – Werchter, BE @ FestivalPark Rock Werchter
Wed. July 3 – Beuningen, NL @ Down the Rabbit Hole Festival
Thu. Aug. 6 – Spokane, WA @ First Interstate Center for the Arts @
Sat. Aug. 8 – Big Sky, MT @ Peak to Sky @
Tue. Aug. 11 – Morrison, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre @*
Thu. Aug. 13 – Kansas City, MO @ Arvest Bank Theatre at The Midland @*
Fri. Aug. 14 – Maryland Heights, MO @ Saint Louis Music Park @*
Sat. Aug. 15 – Atlanta, GA @ Cadence Bank Amphitheatre @*
Sun. Aug. 16 – Nashville, TN @ Ascend Amphitheater @*
Tue. Aug. 18 – Asheville, NC @ Salvage Station @*
Wed. Aug. 19 – Richmond, VA @ Altria Theatre @*
Fri. Aug. 21 – Columbia, MD @ Merriweather Post Pavilion @*
Sat. Aug. 22 – Forest Hills, NY @ Forest Hills Stadium @*
Sun. Aug. 23 – Philadelphia, PA @ Mann Center for Performing Arts @*
Tue. Aug. 25 – Boston, MA @ Rockland Trust Bank Pavilion @*
Wed. Aug. 26 – Portland, ME @ Thompson’s Point @*
Thu. Aug. 27 – Lewiston, NY @ Artpark Amphitheater @*
Sat. Aug. 29 – Chicago, IL @ Millennium Park Pritzker Pavilion @*
Thu. Sept. 17 – Des Moines, IA @ Water Works Park #
Fri. Sept. 18 – Ashwaubenon, WI @ Capital Credit Union Park #
Sat. Sept. 19 – Welch, MN @ Treasure Island Amphitheater #

!=w/ Young Fresh Fellows
&=w/ Kacy and Clayton
^= w/ James Elkington
%= w/ White Fence
$= w/ Ratboys
#= w/ Trampled by Turtles
@=w/ Sleater-Kinney
*= w/ NNAMDÏ

Watch/Listen/Share:
“Everyone Hides” video – https://youtu.be/P2Gbbd6pVMg
“Love Is Everywhere (Beware)” stream – https://youtu.be/VamTQr4kcKA
“Before Us” video – https://youtu.be/BIWSGlvnbkU

Purchase Ode to Joy –
https://wilcoworld.net/otj

Download Wilco hi-res press images –
https://pitchperfectpr.com/wilco

Praise for Ode To Joy:

“[Ode to Joy is] sometimes dank…sometimes warm and Westerberg-ian”
– The New York Times

“The group’s 11th LP, their best in years, is a beautiful exercise in downhearted uplift.”
– Rolling Stone

“[Ode to Joy] is Wilco’s best album in over a decade, and solid proof there’s room for bands to grow even when they’re already ten albums in.” – Vulture

“[Ode To Joy] is direct and spacious, centering on the beauty of quiet revelation.” – Pitchfork

“Ode to Joy, is mostly a slower-paced album that shows appreciation for the small, beautiful moments in life.” – NPR

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Partner release new single – “Good Place to Hide (at the Time”)

BandCamp // SoundCloud

“How could they see anything but the shadows if they were never allowed to move their heads?” – Plato

“You find yourself in a room with a locked door. You have always been there. It is all you have ever known. You have no reason to believe you could leave, no reason to believe you would ever want to. And then one day you hear the murmurs. Faint at first, you can’t make out the words. But their very existence tells a truth that you have always known. There is something else. And you search and search and just when you are feeling spent and the bright beam of hope has faded to a glimmer, it reveals itself to you, miraculously. The key. And so you cast aside your doubt and grin with victory. But when you slide the key in, behind the door there is another locked door. The search continues.

We wrote this song over the course of about a year. We had long wanted to explore the idea of hiding, of hidden truths. A chance phrase from our friend Alfred set this song in motion. We hope you enjoy our newest offering.”
– Partner 2020

Partner, the loveable guitar shredding Canadian stoner goofballs Lucy Niles and Josée Caron are back and ready to rock, with a new single for a new decade. The band spent the end of 2019 in the studio and have some surprises for 2020.

BandCamp // SoundCloud

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Goodbye Honolulu release “Cut Off” ahead of U.S. tour dates

Toronto’s Goodbye Honolulu might be one of the most well connected bands… They’ve toured the USA twice with Hinds; they are Selena Gomez‘s favourite band, they have releases on Burger Records, they’ve also toured with Kate Nash, SWMRS, Miya Follick, The Beaches and their live show is a rambunctious ball of energy with each member switching instruments and sharing vocal duties, making the crowd dance and sweat to Goodbye Honolulu’s catchy slacker vibes rock n roll.

Today, Goodbye Honolulu are starting a new decade with new single “Cut Off“, recorded in Toronto and produced by Ben Cook (Fucked Up) and Anthony Price (US Girls).

“Cut Off represents the turbulence between people. Whether it be a friendship, a relationship or a family member. It’s about the loss of control that you feel when stressed out or anxious, the frantic feeling of running around not feeling like yourself.”

Goodbye Honolulu kick off a USA tour next month including SXSW in Austin TX.

USA Tour Dates

April 03 – The Roxy Theatre, Los Angeles^
April 04 – Soda Bar, San Diego^
April 06 – The Rebel Lounge, Phoenix, AZ^
April 08 – Paper Tiger, San Antonio TX^
April 09 – Club Dada, Dallas TX^
April 10 – Barracuda, Austin TX^
April 11 – White Oak Music Hall, Houston TX^
April 14 – Masquerade, Atlanta GA^
April 16 – First Unitarian Church, Philadelphia PA^
April 17 – BlackCat, Washington DC^
April 18 – Market Hotel, Brooklyn NY^
April 19 – Brighton Music Hall, Boston MA^
^w/ Hockey Dad

UK May 2020
May 08 – FOCUS Wales, Wrexham UK
*more TBA

“Goodbye Honolulu is one of those bands that you’re like ‘dang, I wanna party with these gents.'”
– Alt Citzen

“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!

Goodbye Honolulu Links
Pre-Save: http://smarturl.it/29ywqd
Pre-Sale: https://goodbyehonolulu.bandcamp.com/album/cut-off-single
Official: http://www.goodbyehonolulu.com/
BandCamp: https://goodbyehonolulu.bandcamp.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GoodbyeHonolulu/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goodbyehonolulu/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/goodbyehonolulu

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Why Bonnie release title track from upcoming EP – “Voice Box.”

Austin-based band Why Bonnie announces their new EP, Voice Box, out April 10th on Fat Possum. Via The FADER, they have premiered its title track and an accompanying video.
“Voice Box” fumes with quiet wisdom, and is “about the societal pressure to silence yourself, and the frustration and self doubt that comes with battling sexism,” says the band. Its video, directed by Shelby Bohannon, features the band and highlights the rift between reality and what is expected of a person.

Watch the Video for “Voice Box”
https://youtu.be/Ptt9ZEne38Q

The Voice Box EP celebrates unhindered expression through beguiling, propulsive guitar pop. Fuzzed-out guitars and crystalline vocals drive a tough-edged struggle in the space between suppression and artistic liberty. Front woman Blair Howerton explains: “It encapsulates a disconnect between my inner and outer world, and not being able to express myself authentically because of that. But, ultimately knowing I will crash and burn if I don’t.”

Why Bonnie is the dazzling, full-band emotional release of Howerton. In a decisive step to start performing her backlogged material, Howerton moved back home to Texas after graduating college in 2015. In Austin, Howerton joined lifelong best friend Kendall Powell, who she met in preschool. Powell’s classical piano chops swapped to synth for the new project. Both active in the Austin scene, guitarist Sam Houdek and bassist Chance Williams later joined to complete the lineup.

In 2018, the band emerged on petite indie outlet Sports Day Records with In Water. The EP eulogized Howerton’s older brother, who passed away years prior. Follow-up Nightgown expanded the effort, pulling lush Mazzy Star and Cranberries influences.

This spring, Why Bonnie will tour in support of Voice Box, including SXSW and dates with Squirrel Flower and Kevin Krauter. A full list of dates can be found below and tickets are on sale now.

Pre-order Voice Box EP
WhyBonnie.lnk.to/VoiceBoxEP

Voice Box EP Tracklist
1. Bury Me
2. Voice Box
3. Athlete
4. Jetplane
5. No Caves

Why Bonnie Tour Dates
Wed. March 18 – Austin, TX @ Beerland (High Road Touring Showcase)
Sat. March 21 – Austin, TX @ Hotel Vegas (Burgermania)
Mon. March 23 – Phoenix, AZ @ Rebel Lounge *
Wed. March 25 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Echo *
Thu. March 26 – San Francisco, CA @ Bottom of the Hill *
Sat. March 28 – Seattle, WA @ Barboza *
Sun. March 29 – Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge *
Tue. March 31 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court *
Thu. April 2 – Denver, CO @ Larimer Lounge *
Fri. April 3 – Omaha, NE @ (drips)
Sat. April 4 – Iowa City, IA @ Mission Creek Festival
Mon. April 6 – Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry *
Tue. April 7 – Chicago, IL @ Schubas *
Wed. April 8 – Cleveland, OH @ Mahall’s *
Fri. April 10 – Brooklyn, NY @ Elsewhere
Mon. April 13 – Asheville, NC @ The Mothlight
Tue. April 14 – Oxford, MS @ Proud Larry’s
Thu. April 16 – Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall (Upstairs)
Fri. April 17 – Austin, TX @ Mohawk Indoors
Sat. April 18 – Dallas, TX @ Ruins
Tue. April 21 – Bloomington, IN @ The Bishop Bar
Wed. April 22 – Cincinnati, OH @ MOTR Pub
Thu. April 23 – Detroit, MI @ Sanctuary #
Fri. April 24 – Toronto, CA @ Baby G #
Sat. April 25 – Montreal, QC @ Brasserie #
Mon. April 27 – Allston, ,MA @ O’Brien’s Pub
Tue. April 28 – Philadelphia, PA @ Boot & Saddle #
Wed. April 29 – Washington, DC @ Pie Shop #
Thu. April 30 – Richmond, VA @ Richmond Music Hall #
Fri. May 1 – Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle (Back Room) #
Sat. May 2 – Atlanta, GA @ Drunken Unicorn #
Sun. May 3 – Nashville, TN @ DKRMTTR #

* = w/ Squirrel Flower
# -w/ Kevin Krauter

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Review: Sisters of Your Sunshine Vapor – SikSik Nation

Back in 2006, Detroit psych-rockers Sisters of Your Sunshine Vapor were known as the garage rock band SikSik Nation. They record a four-song EP that never saw the light of day…until now.

The EP opens with power drumming and chords on “Power Couples,” with vocalist Sean Morrow sounding a bit like The Cult‘s Ian Astbury. Drummer Rick Sawoscinski beats his kit like he expects the rented studio time to end at any second. Morrow’s guitar and Eric Oppitz‘s bass on “New Face” has some of the psychedelic touches (space rock guitar solo in Morrow’s case) and heady fuzz (Oppitz’s bass line) the band would later refine when they became SOYSV. The honky tonk piano in it is another great touch.

“You’re rising up now, but she’s always got you down,” they sing on “Murder on My Lips,” which ups the fuzz and power even further from the last track. This must flatten walls when its played live, as must “Sold Gold Souls.” The final track screeches like a Detroit auto plant’s assembly line at full production during an earthquake. The whole track rumbles with menace and chants of “Sell my soul, it’s solid gold.” before it melts into a weird warp that wouldn’t be out of place on a doom album.

It’s great to hear SOYSV so raw, angry, and hungry. SikSik Nation is the map to the psychedelic trips they would later take. It’s must-hear stuff for fans of the band, or anyone else.

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Melkbelly releases new single, “Humid Heart,” from upcoming new album.

Chicago-based band Melkbelly will release their new album, PITH, on April 3rd via Wax Nine / Carpark Records. Today, they release their second single/video, “Humid Heart.” It follows the album’s lead single, “LCR,” “an intricately put-together tower of noise, filled with bleary moments of relief” (Stereogum). “Humid Heart” is “about how the grief of losing someone suddenly disorients everyday life,” says frontwoman Miranda Winters. The video was directed by Weird Life Films.

“For ‘Humid Heart,’ we wanted to let the mood and tone of the song guide our direction, rather than forcing anything too specific into the video,” says Weird Life. “Loosely based upon the notion of going through everyday life with any sort of heightened emotions can weigh someone down, we followed our hearts and that of the song and fell down a rabbit hole. That being said, we have no regrets.”
WATCH MELKBELLY’S VIDEO FOR “HUMID HEART”
https://youtu.be/4hMYGDBE7sg

After two years touring internationally, Melkbelly felt comfortable enough to rearrange songs they knew well, their renewed closeness guiding them. Their literally familial relationship was crucial for support, as PITH was summoned from a place of mourning following the loss of a close friend. Miranda Winters drew from diverse scenes—Grimm-like children’s stories too dark for kids; thorny, mossy forests—to create stories that feel distinctly Melkbellian: philosophically strange, strikingly textural, funny and sad and open-hearted.

Recording in two short sessions six months apart, the band worked with longtime collaborator Dave Vettraino, this time at Bloomington, Indiana’s Russian Recording. Alongside an arsenal of rock gear and airy synth layers coaxed from a Moog Prodigy, PITH’s multidimensionality was refined by the studio’s collection of rare Russian tube mics, which were placed in every corner to capture Melkbelly’s unabashed loudness.

Since their 2017 debut Nothing Valley, the members of Melkbelly have an even better understanding of their sonic motivations. On PITH, Melkbelly sought space, and succeeded in crafting it. In support of PITH, the band will tour across North America this spring. A full list of dates can be found below and tickets are on sale now.
WATCH THE VIDEO FOR “LCR”
https://youtu.be/sw5IEA8ju88

PRE-ORDER PITH
https://smarturl.it/melkbelly_pith

MELKBELLY TOUR DATES:
Sat. April 4 – Chicago, IL @ Sleeping Village
Wed. April 22 – Toronto, ON @ Baby G
Thu. April 23 – Montreal, QC @ Le Ritz
Fri. April 24 – Providence, RI @ Columbus Theater
Sun. April 26 – Brooklyn, NY @ Union Pool
Wed. April 29 – Washington, DC @ Comet Ping Pong
Thu. April 30 – Philadelphia, PA @ Boot & Saddle
Fri. May 1 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Mr. Roboto Project
Melkbelly Online:
http://melkbelly.net/
https://twitter.com/melkbelly
https://melkbelly.bandcamp.com/
http://pitchperfectpr.com/melkbelly/
https://www.facebook.com/melkbelly/
https://www.instagram.com/melkbelly/

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Review: Elephant Stone – Hollow

I first heard most of Elephant Stone‘s new album, Hollow, at the 2019 Levitation Music Festival in Austin, Texas when they played a good chunk of it on the inside stage at Barracuda. I’d heard a couple of tracks ahead of the gig and was intrigued by the heavier-than-normal sound. That sound was even heavier live, and the theme of the album – a story set in an apocalyptic future in which people are trying to flee a dying Earth to another planet – takes on even more weight when you hear it live and / or in its entirety.

The album opens with “Hollow World” – a track brimming with Elephant Stone‘s trademark psychedelia and lyrics about having to finally say goodbye to Mother Earth because the human race has succeeded in destroying it. “Darker Time, Darker Space” is a quick interlude as doomed Earthlings fly into unknown space in hopes of finding something better.

“The Court and Jury” decide who leaves, however. Lead singer / bassist / sitarist Rishi Dhir‘s vocals sound like they’re coming through a faulty intercom system on an old spacecraft and his sitar sounds like circuits working overtime as the ship lands on the “Land of Dead.” This was the first track I heard off Hollow. The bass and drums are heavy and the guitar shreds for just under two minutes of raw power.

“Keep the Light Alive” brings in a children’s choir to represent the new generation of Earthlings alone on what could be a hostile new world. “This place is far too cold,” Dhir sings on “We Cry for Harmonia.” The Earthlings are quickly realizing the new planet might end up as wasted as the old one (“How can you fill this space with air you cannot breathe?”). Gabirel Lambert‘s guitar solo on this track is top-notch, by the way, and the backing synths and hand percussion only elevate the song higher.

“Harmonia” is dreamy psych accented by Dhir’s sitar and more of that groovy hand percussion. Dhir’s bass takes center stage on “I See You” (and how about that wicked high-hat work by Mile Dupire, too?) – a groovy track with some light pop touches that could be a radio friendly smash if enough DJs give it a chance.

“The Clampdown” isn’t a cover of The Clash song (although that would be great), but rather a song about the Powers That Be coming after those of Earth living in underground communities. The dark synths underline the menace of the lyrics. The synths are bright on “Fox on the Run” – the title of which seems to reflect the hunted Earthlings making another run for it. “House on Fire” has the Earth, or is it the new world, burning while people try to ignore it. The guitar on it is like a distant warning klaxon, but the synths are still bright – giving us some hope while things crumble around us. The album closes with more hope on “A Way Home.” The Earth has been all but abandoned, but the ones who remain realize they can repair it and build something new while old karma continues to build new paybacks on the new world inhabited by the privileged few.

It’s a wild record, and I don’t think anyone expected a concept album with doom overtones from Elephant Stone, but it’s great that they’re pushing the envelope and exploring new avenues.

And, yeah, the new stuff sounds great live.

Keep your mind open.

[I’ll feel hollow if you don’t subscribe.]

Elephant Stone announces spring North American tour.

Following the release of their new concept album, Hollow, Elephant Stone have announced a spring North American tour starting with a free show in Winooski, Vermont and ending in Chicago, Illinois. All tour dates are with DJ Al Lover, with whom Elephant Stone‘s lead singer / bassist / sitarist Rishi Dhir has worked in the past with their Acid House Ragas project. Tickets are available for all dates.

4/29 Winooski VT @ Foam Brewers FREE SHOW
4/30 New Haven CT @ State House TICKETS
5/1 Brooklyn NY @ The Sultan Room TICKETS
5/2 Allentown PA @ Muhlenberg College TICKETS
5/3 Washington DC @ Comet Ping Pong TICKETS
5/5 Cleveland OH @ Beachland Tavern TICKETS
5/6 Indianapolis IN @ Square Cat Vinyl TICKETS
5/7 Windsor ON @ Meteor TICKETS
5/8 Milwaukee WI @ Milwaukee Psych Fest TICKETS
5/9 Chicago IL @ Sleeping Village TICKETS

Keep your mind open.

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