Canadian garage rockers Dead Ghosts have announced that their new album Automatic Changer, will be available on vinyl, cassette, CD, and streaming on April 24, 2020. The album will be Dead Ghosts 3rd release with southern California independent label, Burger Records.
Automatic Changer is a record that formed over the past half-decade, and serves as a sort of collage of the band’s experience and changing songwriting over that period. Vocalist/guitarist Bryan Nicol said of the writing/recording process and the resulting album, ”parts have been recorded in a studio, our basement, and a barn. Some songs are abstract, lyrically built around words we like the sounds of and others are more personal.”
Formed nearly a decade ago in Vancouver, Canada, Dead Ghosts grew out of founders Byran Nicol (vocals/guitar), Drew Wilky (guitar), and Mike Wilky’s (drums) desire to hang out, listen to records and play music. After the trio uploaded a few demos to Myspace, this was 2008, after all, the group were offered the opportunity to release a single via a small Iowa-based punk label. The single quickly led to the group’s first full-length self-titled album. By 2015 the group had joined the Burger Records roster and released two more albums, Can’t Get No and Love and Death and All the Rest. With time the band added two members, bass player Mauricio “Moe” Chiumento and organist Craig Pettman. Playing a distinctive brand of swaggering, blues- infused lo-fi rock, the five-piece quickly won over transatlantic fans and scored fresh fodder for their lyrics with their punk-rock antics.
In preparation for their upcoming release, the group has decided to embark on a short West Coast tour starting in late October. The show set will include several songs from Automatic Changer. Oct 26 – Olympia – Cap City presents @ Le Voyeur Oct 28 – Reno – HP presents @ The Holland Project Oct 29 – Costa Mesa – Live Nation Presents @ Constellation Room Oct 31 – LA – Minty Boi Presents Halloween @ El CID Nov 1 – Phoenix – Psyko Steve Presents @ Lunchbox Nov 3 – SF – Folk YEAH Presents @ The Chapel Nov 4 – Portland @ Star Theatre Nov 5 – Seattle – The Crocodile presents @The Sunset Nov 6 – Vancouver – MRG Presents @ The Biltmore
Keep your mind open.
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Australian quartet Holy Serpent share a new track from their forthcoming third album Endless on RidingEasy Records today via CvltNation. Hear and share “For No One” HERE. (Direct YouTube.)
Brooklyn Vegan recently hosted lead single “Lord Deceptor”HERE.(Direct YouTube.)
The forthcoming third album by Melbourne, Australia’s Holy Serpent could likely be its defining moment. Seemingly bottomless in its relentless heft, with billowing and suffocating riffs leading glistening melodies, it’s the sound of a band that has locked on to something unique. Endless is fully conceptualized throughout, encapsulating an oceanic theme from the lyrics and art, even to the very structure of the sounds themselves.
“Lyrically, it’s heavily influenced by the ocean,” explains vocalist/guitarist Scott Penberthy. “Lots of ocean metaphors and imagery was used. Also the title of the album Endless, is an homage to the ocean: Its mystery, power and its ability to give and take life.” The album loosely follows the lyrical theme of two lovers, oceans apart, waiting for each other on the shores of eternity. Their love is so strong, they eventually walk into the water, ending their lives to be together in the afterlife.
Fitting to these themes, the band experiments with sound throughout the album, such as layering in a wobbly synth sound reminiscent of tape push and pull, mixed just loud enough to blend with the instruments. “It’s sort of a haunting sound which gives the album an ebb and flow, much like an ocean’s current or tide,” Penberthy says.
The 6-song, 40-minute album finds Penberthy, guitarist Nick Donoughue, bassist Dave Bartlett and drummer Lance Leembruggen expanding their melodic hooks while simultaneously taking listeners on a rigorous journey. It was written over the course of 2 months, then recorded in seclusion at Beveridge Road Recording Studios near Australia’s beautiful Dandenong Ranges with head engineer Marc Russo and mixed by Mike Deslandes. Surrounding themselves with nature and no distractions allowed the band to focus on every detail of the album as a coherent whole.
In the time since their self-titled RidingEasy debut in mid-2015, Melbourne, Australia’s Holy Serpent have gained a lot of attention for their rather punk version of heavy psych and metal. Their 2016 skate-metal leaning album Temples further defined their more experimental blend of early Soundgarden, Saint Vitus and Kyuss that eschews simplistic 70s-worship in favor of shimmering sonics and uncommon production techniques. Nonetheless, Endless is like all of the band’s earliest visions fully realized and honed into an album beyond easy classification.
Starting with the slow, exaggeratedly compressed 4/4 drum lead in to “Lord Deceptor” — something of a hi-dive anticipation before we plunge headlong into the ensuing depths — crushing and crackling guitars burst in as Penberthy sings in low baritone, “ocean grave, carry me upon a wave / I’m hypnotized in prophecy, what Is left for you and me?” Harmonies drift in and out of the main motif as it sways along into the tempest of “Into The Fire.” Here, a churning riff gathers intensity as the rhythm section builds to a lurching 3/4 time. Reverb-soaked vocals sing, “where the ocean meets the sand, I’ll be waiting, I’ll be waiting there.” Elsewhere, on “For No One,” impossibly low droptuned guitars slink along as the music swells with space rock abandon. Album closer, “Marijuana Trench” is a play on the Mariana trench, the deepest place on earth. Appropriately, the song plunges from gently strummed acoustic guitar into a tsunami crest that pulls the listener under the dark and enveloping weight of sound as Penberthy’s soothing vocals seem to ease us into the end, subsumed in the album’s powerful allure.
Endless will be available everywhere on LP, CD and download on October 18th, 2019 via RidingEasy Records. Preorders are available HERE.
Jacques Greene has released his new single, “For Love,” from his forthcoming album, Dawn Chorus, out October 18th via LuckyMe. “For Love” follows the “spacious and breakbeat-heavy” (SPIN) lead single “Do It Without You” and it’s accompanying video, as well as early single “Night Service” (Feat. Cadence Weapon).
Watch Video For “For Love” – https://youtu.be/GzdMcHhM7tQ
Greene approached the making of Dawn Chorus as if he were a band. He lived in the studio for five months this past winter – half the time at home in Toronto, the other half in Hudson Mohawke’s studio in L.A. – and wrote these songs in a sprint to capture this chapter in his life. While samples played a big part in his early output, his creative process for Dawn Chorus revolved around recording a stellar cast of musicians, arranging new parts. As a result, it’s his most collaborative project to date, featuring additional production and instrumentation from film composer Brian Reitzell (Lost In Translation), cello by London’s Oliver Coates, additional production from Clams Casino and original vocal contributions from ambient artist Julianna Barwick, rapper Cadence Weapon and singers Ebhoni and Rochelle Jordan, all sampled, processed and stitched back into the album.
To craft the sound of the record, he thought about the artists he held dear and researched the gear they used as a means of being in dialogue with their emotional tenor. Some of the gear he sourced included the delay that My Bloody Valentine was renowned for, as well as a compressor used by French Touch producers Alan Braxe and Fred Falke. Working with mix engineer Joel Ford (of Ford & Lopatin), he created a rule book for the album’s sonics that saw each part, from the drums to the pads, be processed in a specific way, through guitar pedals and outboard equipment.
Surrounding the release of Dawn Chorus, Greene will play select shows in Europe and the UK before returning to North America. All dates can be found below and tickets are on sale now.
Jacques Greene tour dates: Thu. Oct. 17 – Berlin, DE @ Burg Schnabel Fri. Oct. 18 – London, UK @ St. Pancras Old Church – SOLD OUT Fri. Oct. 18 – Manchester, UK @ Warehouse Project (DJ set) (late show) Sat. Oct. 19 – London, UK @ Five Miles (DJ set) Wed. Oct. 23 – Brooklyn, NY @ National Sawdust Fri. Oct. 25 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Echo Sat. Oct. 26 – Montreal, QC @ Ausgang
Pre-order Dawn Chorus – https://jacquesgreene.com/
Watch/Listen/Share: “Do It Without You” video – https://youtu.be/ftBguTzzVYI
“Do It Without You” stream – https://bit.ly/2mRYy8n
Brooklyn-based BODEGA releases a new single, “Knife On The Platter,” from their forthcoming EP, Shiny New Model, out October 11th on What’s Your Rupture?. Following the “pirouetting guitar line and an intimate bass groove” (Paste) of the title track, “Knife on the Platter” charges forward with resounding bass and sharp, nearly-shouted vocals.
“‘Knife On the Platter’ is a narrative song. I was imagining a top notch Gena Rowlands-esque actress who is cast in a mediocre gothic who nonetheless elevates the script’s schlocky material through her absolute commitment to authentically live each moment of the play,” says Ben Hozie. “She performs as if the gods are watching – she ‘acts’ as if each gesture will be set in stone for the future to see. That’s a show business trick – when performing imagine your heroes are in the room. You will no longer mess around. Twice in the song Zeus responds via the lightning striking from Madison’s guitar. That’s the thing: even when you are totally alone and lost – someone is (or will always be) watching your actions. Choose wisely.”
Following Endless Scroll, their “debut full of danceable, pop-smooth punk” (The AV Club), the Shiny New Model EP marks a lush new sonic direction for the group – widescreen multi-tracked guitars and a giant sounding rhythm section complement sharp songwriting and yearning vocal melodies. With wild minimalism and laughing wit, they revitalize the rock and roll vocabulary under the influence of post punk, hip-hop, kraut rock, and folk-derived narrative songwriting.
BODEGA is comprised of Ben Hozie (conductor, vocals, guitar), Nikki Belfiglio (art director, vocals, samples, hi hat), Heather Elle (bass), Madison Velding Vandam (lead guitar, producer), and the new addition of Tai Lee (stand-up percussionist). The EP is the band’s first recording done with Tai Lee, its first session at a proper studio, and the first BODEGA release produced within the group (production was handled by Vandam).
The band will tour across North America, kicking off next week at O+ Festival in New York. All dates can be found below and tickets are on sale now.
Listen to “Knife on the Platter” – https://youtu.be/cR9AlXgvNSc
Watch the “Shiny New Model” video – https://youtu.be/h7_A8fqHNBQ
Pre-orderShiny New Model – https://bodegabk.bandcamp.com/
BODEGA Tour Dates: Fri. Oct. 11 – Kingston, NY @ O+ Festival Wed. Oct. 23 – Somerville, MA @ Once Ballroom * Thu. Oct. 24 – Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg * Sat. Oct. 26 – Philadelphia, PA @ Boot & Saddle * Sun. Oct. 27 – Washington, DC @ Pie Shop * Mon. Oct. 28 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Club Cafe * Fri. Nov. 1 – Atlanta, GA @ Aisle 5 * Sat. Nov. 2 – New Orleans, LA @ Gasa Gasa * Tue. Nov. 5 – Austin, TX @ Barracuda * Fri. Nov. 8 – Phoenix, AZ @ Valley Bar * Sat. Nov. 9 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Fonda Theatre * Mon. Dec. 2 – Toronto, ON @ Adelaide Hall & Tue. Dec. 3 – Brooklyn, NY @ Elsewhere & Thu. Dec. 5 – Philadelphia, PA @ Kung Fu Necktie & *= w/ Starcrawler &= w/ Yummy Fur
Keep your mind open.
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UK quartet Dry Cleaning share the second single off their forthcoming EP Boundary Road Snacks and Drinks (their second EP in just over 4 months), entitled “Viking Hair.”
Trademark repetitive, melodic guitar motifs ring out over an energized rhythm section that builds to a gradual crescendo. The result is invigorating and driven yet thoughtful and emotive.
Lyrically, Viking Hair is inspired by romantic ideas about someone you’re attracted to but don’t know well, and distracting things seen in the street. The ‘oooohs’ are intended to sit somewhere between a heart monitor flat-lining and feedback from a microphone.
The song is accompanied by a video shot and edited by the band and Pedro Pina. The band provides the following context:
“Cactus Club is a weekly LGBT line dancing class and club where everyone is welcome. Based in Clapham, South London, it was established in 1993 and is run by Michael, Anne and Peter. Whilst recording ‘Viking Hair,’ we noticed the mood and rhythm of the song brought line dancing to mind. We found Cactus Club online and approached them to see if they would be interested in helping us to make a video. Dry Cleaning wish to thank the Cactus Club organizers and all the dancers who took part for sharing the fantastic atmosphere at their club with us, and for their enthusiasm and expertise.”
WATCH “VIKING HAIR” VIDEO https://youtu.be/d5MNSuhiIGM
LISTEN TO “SIT DOWN MEAL” https://youtu.be/2zd2K4_UykQ
Both EP’s, July’s Sweet Princess and October’s Boundary Road Snacks and Drinks, will be compiled together for a 12″ vinyl release on October 25th and can be pre-ordered HERE.
DRY CLEANING TOUR DATES: Oct. 17th – Dublin, IE @ Workman’s Club Oct. 19th – Bristol @ Simple Things Festival Oct. 20th – Cardiff, UK @ SWN Festival Oct. 23rd – London, UK @ The Lexington Nov. 23rd – Glasgow, UK @ Great Western Festival Nov. 24th – Sheffield, UK @ Picture House Social Wed. Feb. 12 – Manchester, UK @ Gulliver’s Thu. Feb. 13 – Edinburgh, UK @ Sneaky Pete’s Fri. Feb. 14 – Glasgow, UK @ The Hug and Pint Sat. Feb. 15 – Leeds, UK @ Hyde Park Book Club Thu. Feb. 20 – Cambridge, UK @ Portland Arms Fri. Feb. 21 – Liverpool, UK @ The Shipping Forecast Sat. Feb. 22 – Birmingham, UK @ The Sunflower Lounge Fri. Feb. 28 – Brighton, UK @ Green Door Store Sat. Feb. 29 – Bristol, UK @ The Louisiana Sun. March 1 – Southampton, UK @ Heartbreakers Tue. March 3 – London, UK @ Village Underground
San Diego trio The Schizophonics share a new single from their forthcoming sophomore album, People in the Sky, today via The Talkhouse. The song, “Steely Eyed Lady,” and the band, gets a fittingly astounding introduction courtesy of beloved performance artist El Vez (a.k.a. Robert Lopez): “Hits you like a train with all the passion of a young Little Richard floating through the clouds with so much raw energy. Your new favorite band should hit you like a campaign slogan. Like a religious cult or an anti-hero movie star that you fall in love with.”
BrooklynVegan recently premiered the first single “Battle Line” available to hear and share via BrooklyVegan, YouTube, Bandcamp and Spotify.
The band takes its jaw-dropping live show on the road for headlining dates throughout North America this October. Please see current dates below.
Over the last few years, The Schizophonics have built up a formidable reputation around the world as an explosive live act. Tapping into the same unstoppable combination of rock ‘n’ roll energy and showmanship that fueled The MC5 in the heyday of the Grande Ballroom, their wild live show is heavily influenced by artists like James Brown, Iggy Pop, Jimi Hendrix, Little Richard, and The Sonics. Singer/guitarist Pat Beers and drummer Lety Beers formed the band in San Diego in 2009 and have worked tirelessly since then, playing hundreds of shows around the globe and winning 7 (SEVEN!) San Diego music awards.
In 2013 they were recruited as the backing/opening band for El Vez, which helped the band make a name for itself in Europe. Since then, they’ve played in fourteen countries, and supported tours by like-minded acts like Rocket From The Crypt, Little Barrie, and The Woggles and have opened for The Damned, The Hives and Cage The Elephant. Shindig magazine described their live show “Like watching some insane hybrid of Wayne Kramer, James Brown, and the Tazmanian Devil.”
“One of my favorite live bands ever,” proclaims Tim Mays, who has run the Casbah in San Diego for 30 years and has seen literally thousands of live bands come through his doors. “The Schizophonics bring the goods every time they play,” he enthuses.
The band is more than just an outstanding live act, they’re also committed to writing great, memorable songs.
After releasing 2 singles and an EP over the last few years on Munster, Ugly Things, and Pig Baby Records, they put out their first full-length album in July 2017 titled Land of the Living on the label Sympathy For The Record Industry with famed record man Long Gone John. In January of 2019 they started work on their second LP recruiting Dave Gardner (Hot Snakes, RFTC) mixing engineer Stephen Kaye (JD McPherson, Mike Krol) and Pierre De Reeder (Rilo Kiley) to put their live, raw sound to tape. The album, titled People in the Sky, will be released on October 31st, 2019 on Pig Baby Records. Pre-orders are available HERE.
THE SCHIZOPHONICS LIVE 2019: 10/10 Los Angeles, CA @ Harvard & Stone 10/11 San Diego, CA @ Casbah 10/12 Long Beach, CA @ Alex’s Bar 10/13 Phoenix, AZ @ Rhythm Room 10/14 El Paso, TX @ The Neon Rose 10/17 Denton, TX @ Harvest House 10/18 Austin, TX @ Nicolaza’s/Far Out 10/19 Houston, TX @ Rudyards 10/20 New Orleans, LA @ TBA 10/23 Miami, FL @ Gramps 10/24 St. Petersburg, FL @ The Bends 10/25 Orlando, FL @ Wills Pub 10/26 Atlanta, GA @ Star Bar 10/27 Memphis, TN @ DKDC 10/30 New York, NY @ Union Pool 10/31 Baltimore, MD @ Otto Bar 11/01 Washington, DC @ The Pie Shop 11/02 Philadelphia, PA @ Ortlieb’s 11/03 New Haven, CT @ Café Nine 11/04 Providence, RI @ Dusk 11/05 NYC, NY @ Illegal Mezcal Private Party 11/06 Pittsburg, PA @ Get Hip 11/07 Toronto, ON @ The Baby G 11/08 Detroit, MI @ The Outer Limits 11/09 Chicago, IL @ Liars Club 11/10 Madison, WI @ Mickey’s Tavern 11/12 Appleton, Wi @ The Cold Shot 11/15 Wenatchee, WA @ Walley’s 11/16 Seattle, WA @ Freakout Festival 11/17 Portland, OR @ Twilight Café
Keep your mind open.
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Rituals of Mine, the electronic recording project of Los Angeles-based songwriterTerra Lopez and percussionist Adam Pierce, shares a new single, “Heavyweight,” from their forthcoming EP, SLEEPER HOLD, out October 4th on Carpark Records. It follows the lead single / video, “BURST.” “Heavyweight” is inspired by the after effects of grief and trauma in relation to the body and mind, particularly Lopez’s own surrounding her father’s suicide and the unexpected loss of her best friend. To accompany the single they share visuals by Hightechlowlife.
“Once the shock shifted away, my body started to feel the real, tangible effects of grief. For over 2 years, I felt a heavy ring around my temple. I couldn’t focus, I couldn’t concentrate. I had lost my ability to articulate properly,” says Lopez. “I was existing and actually was a very high functioning depressed person but my body and voice felt alien and lost to me. In 2018, I read a book that changed my life called The Body Keeps the Score. It is a detailed, scientific look at how trauma transforms, alters and ultimately changes not only your chemical makeup but your physical makeup. I thought I was going crazy for nearly 3 years and then here comes this book that validates every feeling, every emotion, every physical ailment I had felt but couldn’t prove. This song is the expression of grief work I had to do over the last 3 years in order to get to a place where I could see beyond the loss, beyond the depression and finally look at a life that will never be the same but that can be better if I let it.”
SLEEPER HOLD follows their minimalist debut, Devoted, and is as tense and captivating as its name suggests. Lopez began writing the songs that would eventually inhabit the EP during one of the most harrowing and self reflective times in her life. She flew from California to Florida to work with her longtime collaborator and producer Wes Jones, and began developing a brooding sound that would match the emotional intensity of her writing. Having the intimate space of a studio, occupied by only her and a producer, meant that Lopez could write from the heart in a way that didn’t feel possible when there were more people in the room. Over the course of a few months the two would craft some of the project’s most cavernous and vulnerable songs to date. “This new material is very direct and focused on what I want to express with things I’ve held in for so long.” says Lopez. “It’s finally me addressing all of that trauma because I finally had the space to do so.”
Rituals of Mine will tour across North America this fall. All dates are on sale and can be found below.
Watch “HEAVYWEIGHT” lyric video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nq0Yf7iHsk
Watch the video for “BURST” – https://youtu.be/XpKZ1FtFmzk
Pre-orderSLEEPER HOLD EP – http://smarturl.it/rom_sleeperhold
Rituals of Mine tour dates: Mon. Sept. 30 – Bend, OR @ Volcanic Theatre Pub – Tickets Sat. Oct. 5 – Sacramento, CA @ Harlow’s – Tickets Sat. Oct. 12 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Hi Hat – Tickets Sun. Oct. 13 – Oakland, CA @ The New Parish – Tickets Fri. Nov. 15 – Seattle, WA @ Freakout Festival – Tickets
LuckyMe proudly present Dawn Chorus, the new album from Jacques Greene (out October 18th), and present lead single, “Do It Without You.” A bold step forward, Dawn Chorus is also Greene’s most collaborative project to date, featuring additional production and instrumentation from film composer Brian Reitzell (Lost in Translation), cello by London’s Oliver Coates, additional production from Clams Casino and original vocal contributions from ambient artist Julianna Barwick, rapper Cadence Weapon and singers Ebhoni and Rochelle Jordan, all sampled, processed and stitched back into the album.
Stream “Do It Without You” – https://soundcloud.com/jacquesgreene/do-it-without-you/
If Greene’s 2017 debut album, Feel Infinite, was the soundtrack to a dream pregame – amping you up to lose yourself in the club – then Dawn Chorus resides in the post-rave reflective moment. A time of heightened sensuality and latent possibility.
Greene approached the making of Dawn Chorus as if he were a band. He lived in the studio for five months this past winter – half the time at home in Toronto, the other half in Hudson Mohawke’s studio in L.A. – and wrote these songs in a sprint to capture this chapter in his life. Ten years into the game and not yet in his thirties, his perspective on the value of dance music and where it rests with his daily life and inspiration bare out on this album. While samples played a big part in his early output, his creative process for Dawn Chorus revolved around recording a stellar cast of musicians, arranging new parts.
To craft the sound of the record, he thought about the artists he held dear and researched the gear they used as a means of being in dialogue with their emotional tenor. Some of the gear he sourced included the delay that My Bloody Valentine was renowned for, as well as a compressor used by French Touch producers Alan Braxe and Fred Falke. Working with mix engineer Joel Ford (of Ford & Lopatin), he created a rule book for the album’s sonics that saw each part, from the drums to the pads, be processed in a specific way, through guitar pedals and outboard equipment. Dawn Chorus opens with “Serenity,” an all-back-to-mine breaks tune that Greene describes as “a weird, euphoric take on Chemical Brothers.” “Night Service” is a neon-lit hip house anthem helmed by Canadian rapper Cadence Weapon, who drapes a love letter to the club around Greene’s acid-dipped synths. Elsewhere, “Distance” blends ambient textures with sampled birdsong and the snaking lines of Oliver Coates’s cello.
Now 29, Greene has been making music “about the club” for over a decade. His sound could be described as an emotional haze, in that its balance of sonic elements work to illuminate the overlapping feelings that lie between the familiar binaries. Outside of his own releases, Greene has explored his relationship with the club in a variety of contexts, from remixing Radiohead to producing for Katy B and Tinashe and touring with The xx.
He will tour Dawn Chorus in Europe and North America this October. An intimate first live show at the St Pancras Old Church is already sold out in London and another show has been added.
Jacques Greene tour dates: Thu. Oct. 17 – Berlin, DE @ Burg Schnabel Fri. Oct. 18 – London, UK @ St. Pancras Old Church – SOLD OUT Fri. Oct. 18 – Manchester, UK @ Warehouse Project (DJ set) (late show) Sat. Oct. 19 – London, UK @ Five Miles (DJ set) Wed. Oct. 23 – Brooklyn, NY @ National Sawdust Fri. Oct. 25 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Echo Sat. Oct. 26 – Montreal, QC @ Ausgang
“Night Service” (The Remixes) – Whatever/Whatever Night Version – https://youtu.be/_x3Ysk3po4k
Whatever/Whatever Day Version – https://youtu.be/iltM5sg-f8g
Pre-orderDawn Chorus – https://jacquesgreene.com/ Dawn Chorus
Tracklist: 1. Serenity 2. Drop Location 3. Do It Without You 4. Night Service 5. Sel 6. Let Go 7. For Love 8. Sibling 9. Whenever 10. Understand 11. Distance 12. Stars
Portland, OR quintet Blackwater Holylight have shared the second single from their forthcoming sophomore album Veils of Winter (RidingEasy Records). Hear and share the pop-hook laced “Death Realms” via YouTube and Bandcamp.
The band previously dropped the immediately classic lead track “Motorcycle” via YouTube and all streaming platforms last month. Blackwater Holylight hit the road later this month, supporting Thou for a handful of Southern dates, followed by the full US with former RidingEasy label mates Monolord in November. Please see complete dates below.
Blackwater Holylight, as the name suggests, is all about contrasts. It’s a fluid convergence of sound that’s heavy, psychedelic, melodic, terrifying and beautiful all at once.
As a heavy band, their songs aren’t anchored to riffs, but rather riffs come and go in waves that surface throughout the band’s meditative, entrancing songs. It’s a hypnotic sound, with orchestral structures that often build tension and intrigue before turning the song on its head — not by simply getting louder or heavier, nor by just layering elements. They expertly subvert the implied heaviness of a part, dissecting it and splaying the song’s guts out to seep across the sonic spectrum. Now, having toured extensively following the band’s wildly-successful breakout self-titled debut in 2018, Blackwater Holylight has honed their sound and identity to a powerfully captivating beast. Their live set is all about the slow build, seeming to combine the melodic tension of early Sonic Youth crossed with the laconic fever-dream blues of the first Black Sabbath album and wiry experimentation of post-punk and krautrock. The lineup on this album is Allison (Sunny) Faris (bass/vocals), Laura Hopkins (guitar/vocals) and Sarah McKenna (synths), with new guitarist Mikayla Mayhew and drummer Eliese Dorsay fleshing out their sound in exciting ways.
“The process of this album was vastly different from our first record,” says Faris. “One, because we recorded it over the course of a few weeks, whereas the first record was over the course of about a year. And two, this album was a true collaboration between the five of us. Each of us had extremely equal parts in writing and producing, we all bounced ideas off each together, and we all had a say in what was going on during every part of the process.”
“One of our favorite things about this album is that because it was so collaborative, we didn’t compartmentalize ourselves into one vibe.” She continues. “It’s heavy, psychedelic, pop, shoegaze, doom, grunge, melodic and more. The whole process was extremely organic and natural for us, we were just being ourselves.”
Veils of Winter opens with fuzzed-drenched, drop-tuned bass and baritone guitar leading a dirge riff on “Seeping Secrets.” Faris’ lilting and funereal vocals drop in, adding to the mournful atmosphere until a short turnaround progression hints at changes to come, as Faris and Hopkins harmonize eerily and the tune suddenly turns into a krautrock charge. “Motorcycle” kicks off deceptively with a heavy grunge riff building up for about 40-seconds before the song abruptly shifts gears into a synth-led post-punk harmony, sounding something like Lush meets Syd Barrett era Pink Floyd. “Death Realms” is perhaps the poppiest track, based around soaring shoegaze guitars and interwoven light vocal harmonies. Soft piano notes, occasional woozy whammy bar dives and a driving tom-tom beat solidify its hooks. “Spiders” is a creepy-crawly guitar riff and counterpoint keys, while “Moonlit” explores prog-structures with a shredding guitar solo crescendo. The penultimate track, “Lullaby” is exactly that, a lulling, expansive tune exemplifying Blackwater Holylight’s genre smashing sound as it subtly moves across a vast sonic landscape atop a hypnotic 6/8 beat and repetitive 3-note motif. Throughout the album, their songs shirk traditional verse-chorus-verse structure in favor of fluid, serpentine compositions that move with commanding grace.
Veils of Winter will be available on LP, CD and download on October 11th, 2019 via RidingEasy Records. Pre-orders are available at www.ridingeasyrecs.com.
BLACKWATER HOLYLIGHT LIVE 2019: # 09/28 Gainesville, FL @ The Atlantic # 09/29 Pensacola, FL @ Chizuco # 10/10-13 Lake Perris, CA @ Desert Daze Festival 10/24 Portland, OR @ Star Theater – Album release show 11/05 San Diego, CA @ Brick By Brick * 11/06 Tucson, AZ @ Club Congress * 11/07 Albuquerque, NM @ Sister * 11/09 Austin, TX @ Barracuda – Levitation Fest – RidingEasy Stage 11/10 Lafayette, LA @ Freetown Boom Boom Room * 11/11 New Orleans, LA @ One Eyed Jacks * 11/12 Atlanta, GA @ 529 * 11/13 Asheville, NC @ Mothlight * 11/14 Richmond, VA @ Camel * 11/15 Baltimore, MD @ Metro Gallery * 11/16 Philadelphia, PA @ First Unitarian Church * 11/17 New York, NY @ Saint Vitus * 11/20 Chicago, IL @ Reggie’s * 11/21 Indianapolis, IN @ Black Circle Brewing * 11/22 St. Louis, MO @ Fubar * 11/23 Lawrence, KS @ The Bottleneck * 11/25 Denver, CO @ Marquis Theater * 11/27 Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom * 12/05 Seattle, WA @ Neumos ^ 12/06 Eugene, OR @ WOW Hall ^ 12/07 Portland, OR @ Bossanova Ballroom ^ # w/ Thou * w/ Monolord ^ w/ Yob
Keep your mind open.
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The greatest surviving British punk band, The Damned, are set to release their most comprehensive collection of songs yet, with a new greatest hits collection, Black Is the Night, via BMG on November 1st. Pre-order the album here.
[Taken from the album’s liner notes]: Black Is the Night is the first truly comprehensive Damned anthology, spanning their entire career. These tracks have been specifically chosen by the band themselves and every track and every Damned album tells a different story. They are a band that never repeats themselves, with every record charting new territory and breaking new ground.
Designer Phil Smee was chosen to create the gothic artwork. Smee has worked with the band numerous times throughout their long-lasting career, as well as creating legendary designs for Motörhead, Elton John and Madness, amongst many others. Smee commented: “I loved working with the band back in the 80’s and I like to think we came up with some iconic designs. Certainly, I see the many Damned logos I came up with still used on t-shirts to this day. I’ve not cut corners with this new album, even setting all the sleeve copy by hand, which took me back to ‘The Black Album’ which I hand-lettered with a shaky pen. The Damned are a totally unique band, I’ve always loved everything they’ve done. I still get excited about every design project that comes along, but I was particularly pleased to be asked to work on The Damned’s Black Is the Night album.”
The band play Madison Square Garden with Misfits and Rancid on October 19th.
TRACKLISTING: 1. Love Song 2. Wait For The Blackout 3. Generals 4. I Just Can’t Be Happy Today 5. Bad Time For Bonzo 6. Democracy? 7. White Rabbit 8. Anti-Pope 9. Ignite 10. Melody Lee 11. Smash It Up Pt 1 & 2 12. New Rose 13. Machine Gun Etiquette 14. Neat Neat Neat 15. Stretcher Case Baby (produced by Shel Talmy) 16. Sick Of Being Sick (produced by Shel Talmy) 17. Born To Kill 18. Rabid (Over You) 19. Problem Child 20. 1 Of The 2 21. So Messed Up 22. Disco Man 23. Fan Club 24. Suicide 25. Eloise 26. Plan 9 Channel 7 27. Grimly Fiendish 28. The Shadow Of Love 29. The History Of The World (Part 1) 30. Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde 31. Streets Of Dreams 32. Curtain Call 33. Alone Again Or 34. Lively Arts 35. Standing On The Edge Of Tomorrow 36. Stranger On The Town Fun Factory (previously deleted feat. Robert Fripp) 38. Under The Floor Again 39. Black Is The Night (new song)
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