Canadian psych-rockers Elephant Stone have released “Land of the Dead,” the first single from their upcoming 2020 album. The song was premiered at Brooklyn Vegan, where you can hear it now.
The track is surprisingly heavy for an Elephant Stone tune, and frontman Rishi Dhir has admitted it’s “much heavier than anything we’ve ever done. It wasn’t intentional. I just had this sitar riff and then it evolved / devolved from there.”
Stoner metal fans rejoice!
Elephant Stone are also soon to embark on their fall tour. Dates are below.
11/5 San Diego, CA @ The Casbah 11/6 Phoenix, AZ @ Yucca Tap Room 11/8 Austin, TX @ Barracuda/Levitation 11/9 Dallas, TX @ The Foundry (FREE SHOW) 11/11 Santa Fe, NM @ Rufina Tap Room (FREE SHOW) 11/12 Denver, CO @ Hi-Dive 11/13 Fort Collins, CO @ Surfside 7 11/15 Portland, OR @ Doug Fir 11/16 Seattle, WA @ Freakout Festival 11/17 Vancouver, BC @ Wise Hall 11/19 San Francisco, CA @ The Chapel 11/20 Los Angeles, CA @ Lodge Room
Pitchfork Magazine has announced its first ever Pitchfork Berlin music festival coming May 08 – 09, 2020. This makes the second European festival for them, with the other being Pitchfork Pariscoming up Halloween weekend this year.
No artists have yet been announced for Pitchfork Berlin, but Pitchfork has written that the festival “will tap into the city’s electronic and progressive music culture.” That alone makes it sound pretty cool.
Never ones to rest on their laurels, the Reverb Appreciation Society (the group behind Austin, Texas’ Levitation Music Festival, as well as the Levitation France festival in Angers, France coming up this weekend) have added three more shows to their November 7 – 10, 2019 Texas lineup.
That Damo Suzuki Network show should be a trip. Nots put on a packed show the last time I saw them in Austin, and that Chelsea Wolfe / Ioanna Gika show is an added show because the first quickly sold out. I wouldn’t wait to get tickets to this second show if you missed the first one.
Clutch announce the release of “Electric Worry.” The single is the third in a series of new studio recordings that comprise the newly launched Weathermaker Vault Series and the first new official music Clutch is making available since the release of their critically acclaimed album, Book Of Bad Decisions.
The new live video uses footage from various 2019 European Summer festivals and can be seen at https://youtu.be/mtuVGOnX868
When “Electric Worry” was released in 2007 on the album From Beale Street to Oblivion nobody knew that this track would turn into one of Clutch’s most recognizable songs. It is a fan favorite and a staple at live shows. Over the course of time, the song went through changes. What you are listening to here is a brand new studio recording of the 2019 live version of the song without the keyboards and harmonica that are on the 2007 rendition. This is “Electric Worry” in its purest form.
“Electric Worry” was mixed by 6X Grammy Award winner and Clutch collaborator, Vance Powell (Wolfmother, The Raconteurs, Arctic Monkeys).
“All in all it’s just a leaner, meaner song” states vocalist Neil Fallon. “We wanted to put something out there that was representative of what we do these days since it happens to be one of our most popular songs.”
Clutch has curated their own Spotify playlist “Clutch’s Heavy Rotation”: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3NlZsjNNOoCvwjCv58mcNR
On Friday, September 20th, Clutch will embark on a Fall tour of the US with Dropkick Murphys along with metalcore veterans Hatebreed as direct support.
Clutch Fall Tour with Dropkick Murphys: Tickets available here. (headline** and festival* dates) = no Dropkick Murphys Fri/Sep-20 Springfield, MA MassMutual @ Center Arena Sat/Sep-21 Erie, PA Erie @ Insurance Arena **Sun/Sep-22 Wilmington, DE @ The Queen (support: Lionize, Kingsnake) Tue/Sep-24 Raleigh, NC @ Red Hat Amphitheatre Wed/Sep-25 Charlotte, NC Charlotte @ Metro Credit Union Amphitheatre Thu/Sep-26 Birmingham, AL @ Avondale Brewery **Fri/Sep-27 Clarksville, TN O’Connors Outdoor Stage (support: Hatebreed, Cane Hill) Sun/Sep-29 Detroit, MI @ Masonic Temple Theatre Mon/Sep-30 Chicago, IL @ Aragon Tue/Oct-01 Minneapolis, MN @ The Myth Thu/Oct-03 Moorhead, MN @ Bluestem Center For The Arts Fri/Oct-04 Council Bluffs, IA @ Westfair Amphitheatre Sat/Oct-05 Broomfield, CO @ FirstBank Center Sun/Oct-06 Salt Lake City, UT @ The Union Tue/Oct-08 Los Angeles, CA @ The Palladium Wed/Oct-09 San Diego, CA @ Park at the Park *Fri/Oct-11 Sacramento, CA @ Aftershock Festival **Sat/Oct-12 Bend, OR @ Midtown Theater (support: Red Fang, Mos Generator) **Sun/Oct-13 Eugene, OR @ McDonald Theater (support: Red Fang, Mos Generator) Mon/Oct-14 Boise, ID @ Outlaw Field at Idaho Botanic Gardens Tue/Oct-15 Seattle, WA @ WAMU Theatre ** = HEADLINE SHOW * = FESTIVAL
LISTEN TO “SIT DOWN MEAL” https://youtu.be/2zd2K4_UykQ
Today South London’s Dry Cleaning have announced their second EP, Boundary Road Snacks and Drinks, following the critical success of summer 2019’s debut Sweet Princess. As well as available digitally, both EP’s will be compiled together for a 12″ vinyl release on October 25th (pre-order HERE).
Sweet Princess saw the band arrive fully-formed, and in the brief two months or so since a debut single – their paean to Meghan Markle, “Magic of Meghan” – landed, the band have seen significant international press and radio support, including a 7.8 for the EP at Pitchfork and playlisting at BBC 6 Music. Additionally, Stereogum has named them a Band to Watch today, check out the interview here.
The band have also announced an EP launch show at The Lexington on October 23rd and released “Sit Down Meal,” the first single from the release. Lyrically, “Sit Down Meal” is about being lost for words; there is some reference to both the language of placeholder text and greetings cards throughout the song. Vocalist Florence Shaw has said the following about the inspiration for the single:
“It’s set at the moment just after being suddenly dumped. You cling to details, things you did together and reel at their significance. If you smell their perfume on someone else you feel overwhelmed, but immediately and painfully aware of how lightning quick a relationship can evaporate into thin air.”
“Boundary’s” collection of songs takes its name from the location and context of a shared genesis, and marks a significant chapter for the band as the last tracks to be written in their original rehearsal space. The offering displays a more evolved sound than its predecessor; more textured and confidently realized without overlooking the melodic subtleties or minimal approach implicit on their debut. There is a pop sensibility to the lyrics and a sense that this writing process has become more fluid; words are consciously used with more economy and are often repeated. With this new recording, Dry Cleaning seek to expand the palette of their sound without nagging the simplicity and directness of their songwriting.
While there are currently only UK shows on the schedule, the band plans to make their US debut soon.
DRY CLEANING TOUR DATES: Oct. 17th – Dublin, IE @ Workman’s Club Oct. 19th – Bristol @ Simple Things Festival Oct. 20th – Cardiff @ SWN Festival Oct. 23rd – London @ The Lexington Nov. 23rd – Glasgow @ Great Western Festival Nov. 24th – Sheffield @ Picture House Social
BOUNDARY ROAD SNACKS AND DRINKSEP TRACK LISTING: 1. Dog Proposal 2. Viking Hair 3. Spoils 4. Jam After School 5. Sombre One 6. Sit Down Meal
Moon Duo shares the final pre-release single, “Eternal Shore,” from their new album, Stars Are The Light, out September 27th on Sacred Bones. It follows the previously released title track and “Lost Heads.” Across “Eternal Shore,” Sanae Yamada’s hazy vocals drift over reverberating synth and flitting guitar licks. She says, “The lyrics are about the search for a sense of belonging and for the truth of one’s inner being, beneath the masks we’re conditioned to wear in order to function in society.” “We were experimenting with a lot of different rhythms for this record, and this one is in 5/8ths time, which is a real departure for us,” continues Ripley Johnson. “It moves us further away from the classic motorik beat. And it’s special because it’s the first song on which Sanae wrote the lyrics and sings lead.”
Stars Are The Light has a sonic physicality that is at once propulsive and undulating; it puts dance at the heart of an expansive nexus that connects the body to the stars. These are songs about embodied human experience rendered as a kind of dance of the self, both in relation to other selves and to the eternal dance of the cosmos. Johnson’s signature guitar sound is at its most languid and refined, while Yamada’s synths and oneiric vocals are foregrounded to create a spacious percussiveness that invites the body to move with its mesmeric rhythms.
“We have changed, the nature of our collaboration has changed, the world has changed, and we wanted the new music to reflect that,” says Yamada.
After playing dates in Europe, the duo will bring a new live audio-visual show across North America. All dates are on sale now and can be found below.
“Don’t You Think You’ve Had Enough? is one of the year’s best rock albums, and far more than a survival tale.” – Billboard
“The evolution from raw to polished is a common one for rock bands, but on Bleached, it sounds positively inspired.” – AV Club
“the grit and grime has been wiped off in favor of a style that, while still giving off the same dangerous edge, often has the glittering sheen of some femme fatale’s soundtrack” – Paste
“Don’t You Think You’ve Had Enough? reveals the sophisticated songwriting Bleached has matured into. The songs seem familiar…but they contain unrestrained personality, which froths and ferments as it resolves into intimate portraits of living.” – LA Record
Bleached – the Los Angeles-based duo of sisters Jessie and Jennifer Clavin – present a video for “Daydream,” off Don’t You Think You’ve Had Enough?, released earlier this year via Dead Oceans. Propelled by Clavin’s defiant vocals, anthemic drums, and a refined version of their distorted guitar sound, “Daydream” is about realizing that living in the past, daydreaming of what could have been, is just a waste of time. The video, once again directed by Giraffe Studios, the sister team Bleached has worked with for all facets of Don’t You Think… visuals, presents the sisters and their band performing in the middle of a vast, hilly setting in Santa Clarita, CA.
“‘Daydream’ was born from a premonition about driving to the desert to write a song. It is my favorite song on the record,” says Jennifer. “While it can be interpreted as a love song at its core, it’s about how our minds are our masters. We tend to dwell on the past, live in regret with ‘what ifs’ but what’s the point? It’s a waste of our time and takes us out of the present. Letting go can be challenging but it’s worth it when the weight lifts and you finally feel free.”
Bleached have just kicked off their North American tour in support of Don’t You Think You’ve Had Enough? All tour dates can be found below.
Watch Bleached’s “Daydream” video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pc9b35XulJQ
Watch: “Hard To Kill” video – https://youtu.be/bQYgcc02m5c
“Kiss You Goodbye” video – https://youtu.be/InvEKijp7WM
“Shitty Ballet” video – https://youtu.be/v8pGMcSylH4
PurchaseDon’t You Think You’ve Had Enough? – bleached.ffm.to/dontyouthink
Bleached tour dates: Sun. Sept. 15 – Raleigh, NC @ Motorco ^ Tue. Sept. 17 – Washington, DC @ U Street Music Hall ^ Thu. Sept. 19 – Brooklyn, NY @ Elsewhere ^ Fri. Sept. 20 – Philadelphia, PA @ PhilaMOCA ^ Sat. Sept. 21 – Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall ^ Mon. Sept. 23 – Toronto, ON @ Horseshoe Tavern ^ Tue. Sept. 24 – Columbus, OH @ The Basement ^ Wed. Sept. 25 – Nashville, TN @ Exit In ^ Fri. Sept. 27 – Urbana, IL @ Pygmalion Festival Sat. Sept. 28 – Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry ^ Sun. Sept. 29 – Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall ^ Mon. Sept. 30 – St. Louis, MO @ Firebird ^ Tue. Oct. 1 – Kansas City, MO @ Riot Room (Outdoors)* Thu. Oct. 3 – Denver, CO @ Globe Hall* Fri. Oct. 4 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The State Room* Sat. Oct. 5 – Boise, ID @ The Olympic* Mon. Oct. 7 – Seattle, WA @ Crocodile* Tue. Oct. 8 – Vancouver, BC @ Biltmore Cabaret* Wed. Oct. 9 – Portland, OR @ Star Theater Fri. Oct. 11 – Oakland, CA @ New Parish* Sat. Oct. 12 – Los Angeles, Ca @ The Lodge Room* ^ = w/ The Paranoyds *= w/ Dude York
Straight out of San Francisco, the Dead Kennedys became punk legends with a slew of classic singles, such as “Holiday in Cambodia” and “California Über Alles.” Any punk fan worth their salt, knows and loves these songs, but may not have heard these early, alternate versions.
Due Sept. 27th on Los Angeles-based Manifesto Records, the rare Iguana Studios Rehearsal Tape — San Francisco 1978, captures the band bashing out these classics in their earliest-known incarnations. The take on “Holiday in Cambodia” is a bit slower in tempo, more melodic, but no less fierce. “California Über Alles” takes on a more ominous tone in this lo-fi rendition. This release is the latest in a series from Manifesto marking the iconic punk band’s 40th anniversary.
The 13-song collection, which also includes such notable tracks as “I Kill Children” and the DK’s infamous cover of “Rawhide,” features the band’s original lineup of singer Jello Biafra, guitarists East Bay Ray and 6025, bassist Klaus Flouride, and drummer Ted, in its first year of existence. This set was recorded two years prior to the release of the band’s 1980 debut album, Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables.
Previously available only as a bootleg and finally legitimately released on vinyl for Record Store Day in 2018, the Iguana Studios Rehearsal Tape – San Francisco 1978 makes its debut on CD for the first time due to overwhelming demand. As the title indicates, the recordings were captured on tape at the legendary Iguana Studios on Folsom Street, where such DK contemporaries as The Avengers also rehearsed.
Aside from the aforementioned songs, the Iguana Studios Rehearsal Tape features such rarities as the punky reggae “Dreadlocks of the Suburbs,” the aural assault known as “Cold Fish,” the captivating “Kidnap” and punk-prog rocker “Mutations of Today,” which make their first official release here. No DK’s collection is complete without this aural artifact. Take a journey back to Iguana Studios in 1978 and hear the band in their infancy, before they became the punk legends you know and love.
Iguana Studios Rehearsal Tape – San Francisco 1978 track listing: 1. Man With the Dogs 2. Kepone Kids 3. Forward to Death 4. Kill the Poor 5. Your Emotions 6. Dreadlocks of the Suburbs 7. I Kill Children 8. Cold Fish 9. Holiday in Cambodia 10. Kidnap 11. Mutations of Today 12. Rawhide 13. California Über Alles
Live shows: Oct 3 San Luis Obispo, CA Alex Madonna Expo Center Oct 4 Ventura, CA Majestic Ventura Theater Oct 5 San Pedro, CA So Cal Hoedown/Port of Los Angeles, Berth 46
Mikal Cronin releases a new single, “Shelter,” from his forthcoming album, Seeker, out October 25th via Merge. Following the lead single/video, “Show Me,” “Shelter” features buzzy guitar and blooming string arrangements. “This is a song about searching for answers in an uncertain world,” says Cronin. “It’s about the observer reluctantly stepping out of their comfort zone and looking around, while trying to keep their head straight. Musically, it’s dense and polyrhythmic. The string line weaves it all together for me. When writing a song with a lot of additive looping rhythmic parts, I think of Brian Eno.”
Following a period of heartbreak and writer’s block, Cronin packed up and retreated to Idyllwild, a small town in the mountains of southern California, where he spent a month in the cabin, alone. The bulk of Seeker was written during this time period. After a series of fires sparked by an arsonist forced Cronin to evacuate, he returned a few days early to LA and began the recording process at Palmetto Studios. There, engineer Jason Quever and a crew of close friends helped bring the album together. The record was backed by Ty Segall’s Freedom Band. Nature fresh on his mind, he was driven to use organic sounds. “I wanted to bring you into the room. Jason and I talked about the Beatles’ White Album a lot when placing mics,” says Cronin. “I brought a charred pine cone from the woods to the studio, just in case it would help. Fire—specifically its cycle of purging and reseeding the landscape—is a central theme to the record. Death and rebirth.”
This fall, Cronin will bring his live show across North America in support of Seeker. Then, he will tour Europe. All tour dates are on sale and can be found below. Additionally, Mikal has launched the Mikal Cronin Fan Club. Fans who sign up will receive tour updates and access to exclusive tracks for fan club members only. Mikal has recently shared some amazing covers, including Neil Young’s “Heart of Gold” and Sharon Van Etten’s “All I Can.” Only fans signed up for the fan club receive these, so sign up here.
Listen to “Shelter” – https://youtu.be/IEk9UL19GS4
Watch the video for “Show Me” – https://youtu.be/GAC9bZjGv-U
Pre-orderSeeker – https://smarturl.it/MC-Seeker
Seekertracklist: 1. Shelter 2. Show Me 3. Feel It All 4. Fire 5. Sold 6. I’ve Got Reason 7. Caravan 8. Guardian Well 9. Lost a Year 10. On the Shelf
MIKAL CRONIN TOUR DATES Fri. Oct. 25 – Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom Wed. Nov. 6 – San Francisco, CA @ The Independent Fri. Nov. 8 – Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios Sat. Nov. 9 – Vancouver, BC @ Fox Cabaret Sun. Nov. 10 – Seattle, WA @ Tractor Tavern Mon. Nov. 11 – Missoula, MT @ The Badlander Thu. Nov. 14 – Saint Paul, MN @ Turf Club Fri. Nov. 15 – Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall Sat. Nov. 16 – Detroit, MI @ Deluxx Fluxx Sun. Nov. 17 – Toronto, ON @ Horseshoe Tavern Mon. Nov. 18 – Montreal, QC @ Bar Le Ritz Tue. Nov. 19 – Boston, MA @ Great Scott Wed. Nov. 20 – New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom Fri. Nov. 22 – Philadelphia, PA @ Underground Arts Sat. Nov. 23 – Washington, DC @ U Street Music Hall Sun. Nov. 24 – Durham, NC @ Motorco Music Hall Mon. Nov. 25 – Atlanta, GA @ The Earl Tue. Nov. 26 – New Orleans, LA @ One Eyed Jacks Wed. Nov. 27 – Austin, TX @ Barracuda Sat. Nov. 30 – Tucson, AZ @ 191 Toole Sun. Dec. 1 – San Diego, CA @ Casbah Mon. Feb. 10 – Munich, DE @ Milla Tue. Feb. 11 – Cologne, DE @ Bumann & SOHN Wed. Feb. 12 – Berlin, DE @ Kantine am Berghain Thu. Feb. 13 – Aarhus, DK @ TAPE Fri. Feb. 14 – Copenhagen, DK @ Loppen Sat. Feb. 15 – Stockholm, SE @ Nalen Mon. Feb. 17 – Oslo, NO @ Ingensteds Tue. Feb. 18 – Gothenburg, SE @ Oceanen Wed. Feb. 19 – Hamburg, DE @ Molotow (SkyBar) Thu. Feb. 20 – Amsterdam, NL @ Bitterzoet Fri. Feb. 21 – Brussels, NE @ Botanique Sat. Feb. 22 – Paris, FR @ Petit Bain Mon. Feb. 24 – Bristol, UK @ The Louisiana Tue. Feb. 25 – London, UK @ Moth Club Wed. Feb. 26 – Manchester, UK @ Soup Kitchen Thu. Feb. 27 – Glasgow, UK @ The Hug & Pint Fri. Feb. 28 – Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Social Club Sat. Feb. 29 – Brighton, UK @ The Hope & Ruin
“…unimpeachable, dripping in decadent four-part harmonies.” — RollingStone
“…immaculate and eternal soul.” — TheGuardian (5/5 Stars)
“It’s reverent soul and never comes close to being just a pastiche of a bygone era.” — Noisey
Today, Durand Jones & The Indications release a video for their new standalone single, “Cruisin’ To The Park.” The song follows their “romantic, political, honest and idealistic” (Paste) sophomore album, American Love Call, released earlier this year via DeadOceans/ColemineRecords. “Cruisin’ To The Park” is lush with harmonizing vocals, lilting guitar, and steady-going percussion. The video presents a celebration of lowrider car culture, which the band was introduced to through their fans:
“We put together our first record in our basement, messing around with different styles of soul music. But it was our sweet-soul tunes that got an overwhelming response from people who introduced us to the world of Chicano soul and lowrider car culture. We’ve gotten so much support from lowriders who love bumping our music in their cars, so we wanted to record a song in celebration of those people who enjoy cruising with friends and loved ones in ranflas across the world.”
The video was directed by JudeGonzalez. “‘Cruisin’ to the Park” to me shows hard work, dedication and family,” says Gonzalez. “Working with the band and bringing our ideas together helped me bring the lyrics to life. Knowing the lowrider community and being able to bring them together was pretty straight-forward, as they were familiar with the band and the music and they were eager to be apart of a band they love.”
“Morning in America b/w Cruisin’ to the Park” limited edition gold vinyl 7″ will be released October18th and is available to preorder now on Colemine Records.
The Indications will bring their famed live show, full of “old-school soul with a new-school honesty” (NPR’s AllThingsConsidered), to the West Coast next month. Additionally, they will tour across Europe later this year. All dates can be found below.
Durand Jones & The Indications’ Tour Dates: Sun. Sept. 15 – Telluride, CO @ Telluride Town Park Tue. Sept. 17 – Tucson, AZ @ 191 Toole Wed. Sept. 18 – Solana Beach, CA @ Belly Up Tavern Thu. Sept. 19 – San Luis Obispo, CA @ Fremont Theater Fri. Sept. 20 – Pioneertown, CA @ Pappy & Harriet’s – SOLD OUT Sun. Sept. 22 – Las Vegas, NV @ LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL Thu. Sept. 24 – San Francisco, CA @ The Regency Ballroom Wed. Sept. 25 – Petaluma, CA @ Mystic Theatre Thu. Sept. 26 – Sacramento, CA @ Ace of Spades Sat. Sept. 28 – Santa Cruz, CA @ The Catalyst – SOLD OUT Sun. Sept. 29 – Santa Cruz, CA @ The Catalyst Sat. Oct. 5 – Lagrange, CA @ Rockweave Festival Mon. Oct. 7 – Stockholm, SE @ Nalen Klubb Tue. Oct. 8 – Copenhagen, DK @ Loppen Wed. Oct. 9 – Hamburg-nord, DE @ Stage Club Fri. Oct. 11 – Berlin, DE @ Lido Sun. Oct. 13 – Amsterdam, NL @ Paradiso Mon. Oct. 14 – Brussels, BE @ Orangerie Tue. Oct. 15 – Paris, FR @ Trabendo Fri. Oct. 18 – Manchester, UK @ Manchester Academy Sun. Oct. 20 – Birmingham, UK @ O2 Academy Mon. Oct. 21 – London, UK @ Islington Assembly Hall Tue. Oct. 22 – Bristol, UK @ Thekla Wed. Oct. 23 – Brighton, UK @ Concorde 2 Sun. Jan. 19 – Wed. Jan. 22 – Quintana, MX @ Sky Blue Sky Festival
Keep your mind open.
[Cruise over to the subscription box while you’re here.]
