News – Page 115 – 7th Level Music

Possible Humans’ quirky-cool debut album, “Everybody Split,” is due out August 2nd.

LISTEN TO “ASPIRING TO BE A BLOKE” https://tinyurl.com/y5dyjlpl

Melbourne’s Possible Humans have announced their debut album, Everybody Split, will be out August 2nd via Trouble in Mind. They also share the lead single from the album, “Aspiring To Be A Bloke.” Formed in 2012 as a loose amalgamation of some solo projects, they existed mostly by way of reckless and ambitionless improv jams in the city’s most notorious third-rate rehearsal space (now defunct). The group was initially four – Leon Cranswick and Hewitt brothers Steve, Mark and Adam – but soon Adam’s longtime partner in crime Samuel Tapper started showing up to fan the flames.

Demos of actual songs soon circulated, with all members contributing. The earliest recorded result was a 7″ made on 8 track reel-to-reel and cassette at the old Kensington Wool Sheds and released by Sydney pal Sam Wilkinson on his Strange Pursuits label. “Cuz” and its flip “Toroid” were written by Mark and Steve respectively, though lines of authorship in the group were blurring.

The improvised tape Ringwood/Ozone followed, released as spontaneously as it was played. Of all its preposterous details the most ironic is that Steve, the band’s ‘spiritual leader’ and original creative force, did not play on it. Did not even turn up that night. Which was an interesting twist to the band’s new Stooges-like communism. No one, least of all PH members, can tell who was playing what on it. Instrument-swapping was rife in the early days. These days, however, usually find Mark on drums, Sam and Steve doing most of the singing, and Adam and Leon doing everything else. Influences have probably always included Guided By Voices, Neil Young and Wire.

A lot of the songs on Everybody Split were first recorded – or demoed, in hindsight – at Sound Recordings, Alex Bennett’s splendid all-analogue studio in Castlemaine. But the songs needed more time, and the tunes hit their stride some years later alongside new ones with Alex Macfarlane (Twerps, The Stevens) at the helm, whose DIY approach to recording did the trick. Macfarlane, a longtime fan of the band, released this debut LP on his own Hobbies Galore imprint and the limited 200-pressing run sold out in a day.

During the album’s short time of availability, it caught the ear of Pitchfork, who, despite the album not being widely available yet, chose to bestow it with a praise-filled review. Comparisons to bands like The Clean or fellow Melburnians Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever are apt, but, as with most RIYL suggestions, limiting. Like Rolling Blackouts C.F., the frequently carefree and propulsive music is replete with deeply philosophical and sharp-witted lyrics. The lyrical content touches (among other things) paranoia, the comedies of insect social media use, freedom and other existential complications, sympathetic galloping, and leaving the amusement park after “too many goes on the gravitron.” As far as lead single “Aspiring To Be a Bloke,” Steve Hewitt describes it as “the whimpering man in the strong dog and vice versa… sarcasm and paradox at the roots of depression.”

PRE-ORDER EVERYBODY SPLIT https://bit.ly/2KtvtJY

Keep your mind open.

[Aspire to subscribe today.]

Mamby on the Beach releases first 2019 lineup announcement.

Chicago’s annual Mamby on the Beach festival has announced its first wave of acts for 2019, and there are some doozies on the list.

Santigold and Flying Lotus have played the festival before and are sure to put on another great performance. Flying Lotus’ show is in 3-D, no less. Bring your glasses. You won’t regret it. I’d also be keen on seeing Phantogram, and I’m sure Sylvan Esso, Quin XCII, Zhu, and Brockhampton will have jam-packed sets.

It’s a fun festival on a beach in the summer. What’s not to like?

Keep your mind open.

[Don’t forget to subscribe while you’re here.]

Bleached’s upcoming album is going to be great if “Kiss You Goodbye” is any indication.

“[‘Hard to Kill’] rolls with a dance rock energy, and its accompanying video feels beamed straight from MTV, circa 1984.” – Los Angeles Times

“This newfound perspective has sonically opened new doors for [Bleached]. . . ‘Hard to Kill’ is a catchy, disco-tinged banger about looking death in the face and saying, ‘Not today.’” – MTV News

Bleached – the Los Angeles-based duo of sisters Jessie and Jennifer Clavin – share a new single and video, “Kiss You Goodbye,” from their forthcoming album, Don’t You Think You’ve Had Enough?, due July 12th via Dead Oceans. Following the “bold and cowbell-dotted” (Vulture) “Hard to Kill” and “Shitty Ballet,” “Kiss You Goodbye” is an empowering and rambunctious bid farewell: “Kiss you goodbye // for the last time // return to sender // feeling so alive // some things are meant to die.” For the video, sister duo Giraffe Studios maintain the vibrant, cohesive aesthetic of Don’t You Think You’ve Had Enough?.

As described by Juliana Giraffe: “We all saw ‘Kiss you Goodbye’ as an opportunity to pay homage to our roots in the valley. Not only are we all sibling sisters coming together, but also all San Fernando valley girls at heart. What better way to celebrate that than a quick shout out to backyard bbqs, body builders and a little boogie nights on a Sunday in beautiful Woodland Hills.”

Don’t You Think You’ve Had Enough? is Jessie and Jennifer Clavin’s first LP written from a place of sobriety. That clear-eyed perspective serves as the guiding force in every corner of its sound, yielding a courageous, honest, and sonically ambitious album.

Bleached returned to their dynamic as sisters – Jessie handled the bulk of the instrumentation and Jennifer handled the lyrics and melodies. Sometimes, Jessie would go into the practice space first to lay down guitars and instrumentals with Jennifer going in the next day to find a new file waiting for her, opening it, and writing her lyrics and melodies. Producer Shane Stoneback (Vampire Weekend, Sleigh Bells) helped open every door to experimentation, wanting to be exploratory while keeping the sound singularly Bleached. The album glimmers with inspiration found in touring with the likes of The Damned and Paramore whose arena-ready, incisively catchy pop was a palpable influence helping to push Bleached’s sound in a new realm.

Bleached just returned from presenting a slew of new songs at sold out shows across the country supporting The Hives and Refused. Following a hometown record release show in Los Angeles, they’ll kick off their North American tour in September. All dates are below.

Watch “Kiss You Goodbye” Video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=InvEKijp7WM

Watch: “Hard To Kill” Video – https://youtu.be/bQYgcc02m5c

“Shitty Ballet” Video – https://youtu.be/v8pGMcSylH4

Pre-order Don’t You Think You’ve Had Enough? – bleached.ffm.to/dontyouthink

Bleached tour dates: Thu. July 11 – Los Angeles, CA @ Moroccan Lounge Thu. Aug. 22 – London, UK @ The Lexington Sat. Aug. 24 – Reading, UK @ Reading Festival Sun. Aug. 25 – Leeds, UK @ Leeds Festival Thu. Sept. 5 – San Diego, CA @ The Casbah Fri. Sept. 6 – Pomona, CA @ The Glass House Sat. Sept. 7 – Phoenix, AZ @ Valley Bar Mon. Sept. 9 – Austin, TX @ Barracuda Tue. Sept. 10 – Dallas, TX @ Club Dada Wed. Sept. 11 – Houston, TX @ Satellite Bar Fri. Sept. 13 – New Orleans, LA @ Gasa Gasa Sat. Sept. 14 – Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade (Hell) 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/ Dude York

Keep your mind open.

[Kiss missing music news goodbye by subscribing.]

Ty Segall’s new album, “First Taste,” is due August 2nd, but you can get a “Taste” of it now

“Our salivating makes it all taste worse,” croons Ty Segall in “Taste,” the lead single / video from his forthcoming album, First Taste, due August 2nd via Drag City. He’s talking about us: how we’re the masters of our own destiny, tellers of our own prophecy, makers of our own sickened choices. It’s a warning, but this time, the finger is pointing back at him too. He’s one with us. First Taste is an introspective set for Segall after the extroversions of 2018’s Freedom’s Goblin. Lines of struggle wind through the songs as Segall reflects on family, re-encountering pasts, anticipating futures. He skates through oneness, self-esteem, the parents – all the joys of a rain-filled childhood – while reaching outward in the here and now, feeling for a shared pulse.

Meanwhile, the production is far out! Segall’s creative juices suggested some radical (in the older sense of the word) new instrumental territories: koto, recorder, bouzouki, harmonizer, mandolin, saxophones and brass, voices, and a sprinkling of keys. Segall occupies the drumset whenever it’s heard on the left speaker, while Charles Moothart plays the kit on the right side. Segall’s vocal prowess sits in fresh relief against his mutant orchestra, spooling tension through some of his most patient songs, his feral scream in complete control. Whatever the mood is, the pedal is pushed cleanly to the metal — and that means to the max of the lightest ballads ever, OR through the most raging rocks yet. Segall’s song designs are all over the place, but unlike the freewheeling feast style of Freedom’s Goblin, these twelve numbers form a tightly revolving cycle of song and sound that focuses thoughts.

Ty Segall and the Freedom Band will bring their electrifying live shows to LA, NYC, and Europe later this year. During these residencies, Segall will play First Taste in full, alongside select albums from his expansive catalogue. All tour dates, including newly-announced support and specifics on which album Segall will be playing each night, are below.

Watch “Taste” Video – https://youtu.be/7tmOr2yWaSs

Pre-order First Taste – https://ffm.to/firsttaste

First Taste tracklist: 1. Taste 2. Whatever 3. Ice Plant 4. The Fall 5. I Worship The Dog 6. The Arms 7. When I Met My Parents (Part 1) 8. I Sing Them 9. When I Met My Parents (Part 3) 10. Radio 11. Self Esteem 12. Lone Cowboys

Ty Segall & Freedom Band tour dates: Fri. July 26 – Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom (Ty Segall plays First Taste + Melted) w/ Warm Drag Fri Aug. 2 – Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom (Ty Segall plays First Taste + Melted) w/ Richard Rose Fri. Aug. 9 – Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom (Ty Segall plays First Taste + Melted) w/ Vice Cooler Fri. Aug. 16 – Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom (Ty Segall plays First Taste + Goodbye Bread) w/ The Intelligence Fri. Aug. 23 – Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom (Ty Segall plays First Taste + Goodbye Bread) w/ Oog Bogo Fri. Aug. 30 – Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom (Ty Segall plays First Taste + Emotional Mugger) w/ Lamps Fri. Sept. 6 – Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom (Ty Segall plays First Taste + Emotional Mugger) w/ King Tuff (solo) Fri. Sept. 13 – Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom (Ty Segall plays First Taste + Manipulator) w/ Ruth Garber Fri. Sept. 20 – Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom (Ty Segall plays First Taste + Manipulator) w/ DMBQ Fri. Sept. 27 – Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom (Ty Segall plays First Taste + Manipulator) w/ DMBQ Tues. Oct. 1 – Brooklyn, NY @ Warsaw (Ty Segall plays First Taste + Melted) w/ Lamps Wed. Oct. 2 – Brooklyn, NY @ Warsaw (Ty Segall plays First Taste + Melted) w/ White Fence Thurs. Oct. 3 – Brooklyn, NY @ Warsaw (Ty Segall plays First Taste + Goodbye Bread) w/ DMBQ Fri. Oct. 4 – Brooklyn, NY @ Warsaw (Ty Segall plays First Taste + Emotional Mugger) w/ DMBQ Sat. Oct. 5 – Brooklyn, NY @ Warsaw (Ty Segall plays First Taste + Manipulator) w/ DMBQ Wed. Oct. 9 – Paris, FR @ La Cigale (Ty Segall plays First Taste + Melted) Thu. Oct. 10 – Paris, FR @ La Cigale (Ty Segall plays First Taste + Manipulator) Fri. Oct. 11 – London, UK @ Oval Space (Ty Segall plays First Taste + Melted) Sat. Oct. 12 – London, UK @ Oval Space (Ty Segall plays First Taste + Goodbye Bread) Sun. Oct. 13 – London, UK @ Oval Space (Ty Segall plays First Taste + Manipulator) Tue. Oct. 15 – Berlin, DE @ Festsaal Kreuzberg (Ty Segall plays First Taste + Melted) Thu. Oct. 17 – Haarlem, NL @ Patronaat (Ty Segall plays First Taste + Melted) Fri. Oct. 18 – Haarlem, NL @ Patronaat (Ty Segall plays First Taste + Manipulator)

Keep your mind open.

[Get a taste of music news by subscribing.]

Warish release new two-song single to shred your face.

“Remember when indie rock sounded all grimy, corroded and metal-sludgy — the last thing you’d hear in a commercial or being played at an arena show? Warish do. It’s music to the ears of anyone who wants to damage their ears.” — Rolling Stone

“Warish totally rules… An awesome mixture of punk energy, biker rock fuzz, and grunge growl.” — Kerrang!

“Sludgy and punk-y at the same time, with an Iggy and the Stooges meets Misfits vibe, plus a bit of stoner rock and metal mixed in, as well.” — Consequence of Sound

Southern California trio Warish share the lead track from their forthcoming second EP on RidingEasy Records today. Hear and share “Runnin’ Scared” / “Their Demise” HERE.

Rolling Stone recently featured the lead track “Fight” from the band’s self-titled debut EP HERE.

Imagine if Incesticide era Nirvana were crossed with Static Age era garage-punk Misfits. You’d have sinister low budget horror rock with a visceral, twisted weirdness and bludgeoning riffs. Some might call it nightmarish, we call it Warish.

Warish is a very newly minted SoCal trio formed in early 2018 that has wasted no time making its presence known. The band formed when guitarist/vocalist and pro-skater Riley Hawk (son of skating legend Tony Hawk) and drummer Bruce McDonnell decided they wanted to try their hand at something more distinct than they’d done previously. “We wanted to do simpler riffs and a fun live show,” Riley explains. “A little more punk, a little bit of grunge… a little evil-ish.” Their sound takes cues from a variety of cool underground sounds and twists it all into an energetic and exciting fist to the face of dark fury. Hawk’s effect-laden vocals hearken to early Butthole Surfers and David Yow’s tortured caterwaul in Scratch Acid. The guitars are heavy and powerful, though decidedly not straightforward cookie cutter punk; more like Cobain’s and Buzz Osbourne’s wiry contortions. The rhythms bash and pummel right through it all with aggressive force ensuring that nothing gets overly complicated and the horrors keep coming throughout the band’s uh, warlike assault.

“Runnin’ Scared/Their Demise” is now available on 7″ vinyl and download via RidingEasy Records.

WARISH LIVE 2019: 06/21 Los Angeles, CA @ House of Machines L.A. 06/27 Solana Beach, CA @ Belly Up Tavern 07/05 San Diego, CA @ Casbah 07/06 San Diego, CA @ Casbah + 09/20 Portland, OR @ Star Theater – Hesh Fest * 09/21 Seattle, WA @ Highline * 09/23 Denver, CO @ Marquis Theater * 09/24 Omaha, NE @ Slowdown * 09/25 Chicago, IL @ Reggies * 09/26 Indianapolis, IN @ Black Circle * 09/27 Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop * 09/28 Buffalo, NY @ Mohawk Place * 09/29 Boston, MA @ Sonia * 09/30 New York, NY @ Knitting Factory * 10/01 Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s * 10/02 Richmond, VA @ Richmond Music Hall * 10/03 Raleigh, NC @ Kings * 10/04 Asheville, NC @ Mothlight * 10/05 Atlanta, GA @ The 529 * 10/06 New Orleans, LA @ One Eye Jack’s * 10/07 Dallas, TX @ Gas Monkey * 10/09 Albuquerque, NM @ Sister * 10/10 Mesa, AZ @ Club Red * 10/11 Los Angeles, CA @ Satellite * 10/12 San Francisco, CA @ Chapel * 11/09 Austin, TX @ Levitation Fest * w/ Acid King + w/ Earthless

Keep your mind open.

[Run over to the subscription box and subscribe while you’re here.]

Monomotion releases “Ecoline Patterns” from upcoming EP – “Fujisan.”

Monomotion, the project of French electronic musician Erol Engintalay, announces his new EP, Fujisan, due for release July 26th via FAKE MUSIC, and shares lead single, “Ecocline Patterns”.

Stream “Ecocline Patterns” — https://soundcloud.com/monomotionmusic/ecocline-patterns/s-EcsS0

A rippling, gorgeous collection of beat-driven compositions that radiate warmth and light, Fujisan completes the thematic EP trilogy kicked off with 2015’s Behind the Moon and continued with 2017’s Leaving—and it also represents a full-circle for the artist himself, years after surviving a life-threatening accident that he persevered beyond to continue pursuing his artistic passions.

Written and recorded over a year and a half, the seven-track Fujisan is a reflection on the positive aspects of life—a sense of breaking through and moving forward that imbues the project as a whole, from the evocative thump of “Ecocline Patterns” to the squishy, effervescent sway of closing track “Luck of the Mountains.”

“It’s more shiny, less melancholic—more hopeful for a bright future,” Engintalay explains. “I wanted to get out of my comfort zone and bring some new sounds. I always have the same way of creating. We compose a lot of tracks and then look at the message I want to give through the project. I wanted to close this triptych with a seven-song EP.”

Inspired by a warm Japanese spring, Engintalay describes Fujisan as “a life test after every challenge I’ve gone through, physically and musically. It’s very spiritual, representing climbing mountains and breaking through walls to get further in life.” And Feynman is along for the ride, too; along with contributing to sound and art direction, he lends his talents to the lusciously unfolding tick-tock techno of “Mango.” “He’s always giving me strength to put the final point on the project,” Engintalay enthuses about Feynman’s contributions.

“I’m always trying to bring some faith and hope—it’s always love,” Engintalay explains. “They told me I’d never walk again, and now I’m walking and running. It’s about going through the difficulties of life and challenging yourself to be the best. Sometimes, if you work for it, you can get it. ”

Fujisan tracklist: 01. North Cascades 02. Mango (Feat. Feynman) 03. Seed 04. Ecocline Patterns 05. Fujisan 06. Borders 07. Luck of the Mountains

Pre-order Fujisan — http://smarturl.it/FM024_FUJISAN

Keep your mind open.

[Establish a subscription pattern while you’re here.]

Ash Walker’s “Under the Sun” is a delightful trip.

London-based multi-instrumentalist Ash Walker is pleased to announce his third album, Aquamarine, due July 19th via Night Time Stories. Designed to inspire good energy, Ash hopes to bring a sense of calm and tranquility to the listener amongst the chaos of life. This idea is clear in lead single, “Under The Sun” (Feat. Laville), a smooth meditation on love.

Aquamarine follows Walkers 2016 album, Echo Chamber, and 2015’s Augmented 7th. A cosmic explosion of sound and color, rhythm, shape, and patterns, Aquamarine is the take-off of an audial spaceship, a sound discovered in the grooves of thousands of records, united in one. Recorded at home with the freedom of time and space, it combines analogue and digital, and a fondness for normally unwanted shapes and textures such as fuzz, hiss, and crackle. Also featured across the album are trumpet and flugelhorn auteur Yazz Ahmed, bassist Marc Cyril (Keiziah Jones, Jr Walker & The All Stars), and renowned musician and producer Jonathan Shorten.

“My previous albums have felt to me more like ventures on land,” says Walker. “This one feels more like a deep sea voyage into the subconscious. Living to dream with visions of grandeur. Manifesting a beautiful path to walk on. It was inspired by everything around me, from friends and family to art and design, engineering and architecture, movement and we use our five senses. I love to try and push my own boundaries of what I perceive to be right and wrong, seeing mistakes as innovations, and obstacles as inspiration.”

An avid collector of jazz, blues, soul, funk, reggae, and all things in-between, Walker has DJed far and wide, spinning vinyl in the UK with The Specials to scattering dub across San Francisco and LA. Walker’s production output is similarly exploratory: his journeys have taken him far and wide, from tunnels under the river Thames to recording local percussionists in the Atlas mountains of Morocco. His musical palette is widened even further by his live shows. Collaborating with Ezra Lloyd-Jackson, each of Walker’s performances is turned into a vibrant, multi-sensory experience, combining live reactive projections and carefully crafted frequency complimenting fragrances.

Stream “Under The Sun” (Feat. Laville) — https://youtu.be/Uy_9g3v8uhw

Pre-order Aquamarine — https://orcd.co/aquamarine

Aquamarine Tracklist: 1. Under The Sun (Feat. Laville) 2. Time (Feat. Laville) 3. Come With Us 4. Brave New World 5. Finishing Touch (Feat. Laville) 6. Aquamarine 7. Sanity (Feat. Laville) 8. I Need Money 9. Fat King Smoke 10. Ain’t Got You (Feat. Laville) 11. The Dagon’s Cashmere Jumper

Keep your mind open.

[Subscribe before you set sail.]

Cross Record’s new single, “PYSOL My Castle,” is a lovely meditation.

“What is your wish? What do you expect?” begins Cross Record’s self-titled album, due August 2nd via Ba Da Bing! Throughout, Emily Cross attempts to answer these questions as she guides the listener, delivering a textured soundscape of meditative curiosity. The album is primarily anchored by Cross’s singing, as she pushes her range and engages with a multitude of different approaches, detuning her voice and obstructing its clarity in specific moments. Cross Record presents the lead single, “PYSOL My Castle,” and an accompanying, self-directed video.

Since the release of Cross Record’s last album, 2016’s Wabi Sabi, the Austin, TX-based Cross has divorced, quit drinking, become a death doula, started the observational podcast “What I’m Looking At,” and toured and recorded with Sub Pop’s Loma, the trio she formed with Dan Duszynski and Jonathan Meiburg (Shearwater). Having recorded Wabi Sabi at home between work and sleep hours, Cross did the opposite for Cross Record, writing the album while living on a secluded part of Mexico’s coast. The album was recorded with musician Andrew Hulett and co-producer Theo Karon, and the songs realized their ultimate forms at Hotel Earth, Karon’s studio in Los Angeles. The collaborative atmosphere of Loma challenged Cross to experiment with her sound, leading to a collection of fully-developed songs with percussion, string arrangements, and an expanded production. Though her voice is always central, the instrumentation is equally nuanced and experimental.

In her songs, Cross reconciles her present state of being with her experiences of the past few years. Themes of departure and separation were inspired by her new role as a death doula, which helps clients navigate decisions and hardships at the end of life. Cross’s work in helping others face their greatest fears inhabits the same space as her art, which has always explored the metaphysical in the everyday. Across the album, she looks inward and observes the transcendental – framing death as a spiritual departure and considering the fragility and resilience of the mind. The eerie experience of listening to Cross Record and the unsettling sense of songs slipping from coherent grasp share these same sensibilities.

Lead single “PYSOL My Castle” is immediate proof of Cross’s introspection. Inspired by a visit to an overstimulating Mexican street market, the track describes her search for an unencumbered mindspace: “Walking through the plaza in a dream // All these people reaching out // touching me. I cannot take what you are giving // You cannot break the bubble I’m living in.”

Watch the Video for “PYSOL My Castle” – https://youtu.be/5s4-B4h6ANQ

Pre-order Cross Record – https://bit.ly/30MqQjK Cross Record Tracklist: 1.What Is Your Wish? 2. Licorice 3. Face Smashed, Drooling 4. PYSOL My Castle 5. I Release You 6. The Fly 7. Hollow Garden 8. Y/o Dragon 9. An Angel, a Dove 10. Sing the Song 11. I Am Painting

Keep your mind open.

[Put your shoes on and walk over to the subscription box while you’re here.]

Ezra Furman’s new single, “Calm Down,” is a punk rock rager.

Ezra Furman is pleased to announce his new album, Twelve Nudes, due August 30th via Bella Union. 2018 was a championing year for Furman – since the release of the “layered, baroque pop melodrama” (Billboard) Transangelic Exodus, Furman has garnered immense praise, both for Transangelic Exodus and the soundtrack he created for Netflix’s Sex Education (he and his band also appeared in an episode). Twelve Nudes, his new and “spiritually queer” punk record, continues this same wavelength, and is an incendiary and inspiring follow-up. Across the album, Furman channels pent-up energy, distinguished by sharp, lacerating observations, confessions and proclamations. Additionally, Furman shares the lead single / video, “Calm Down” (aka “I Should Not Be Alone”) and announces a North American and European tour (all dates below).

Twelve Nudes was recorded quickly in Oakland in Fall 2018 and was mixed by venerated producer John Congleton (Sharon Van Etten, St. Vincent). The result is an album that is less stereotypical punk than raw, raucous rock’n’roll. The album has two spiritual heroes – the late great punk Jay Reatard and Canadian writer and philosopher Anne Carson. The title stems directly from Carson, who used the term “nudes” to describe the meditations she used to deal with intense pain in her life.

Throughout Twelve Nudes, Furman uses both personal and outward experiences to communicate intense frustration. On punk-rock track “Rated R Crusaders” he explores his Jewish identity and the Israel/Palestine conflict, while “Trauma” seethes with the spiritual malaise brought on by watching wealthy bullies accused of sexual assault rise to power. Furman is well-aware that America is balanced on a knife-edge between white male supremacy and the dream of universal opportunity; hence the references to Mexico, slave-owners and US “founding father” Ben Franklin in “In America.” “One of my goals in making music is to make the world seem bigger, and life seem larger,” Furman explains. “I want to be a force that tries to revive the human spirit rather than crush it, to open possibilities rather than close them down. Sometimes a passionate negativity is the best way to do that.”

Immediate proof is offered by “Calm Down.” The track, insanely catchy and bound up in a compact two minutes and 22 seconds, is a cry of panic and despair. “Desperate times make for desperate songs,” says Furman. “I wrote this in the summer of 2018, a terrible time. It’s the sound of me struggling to admit that I’m not okay with the current state of human civilization, in which bad men crush us into submission. Once you admit how bad it feels to live in a broken society, you can start to resist it, and imagine a better one.” The accompanying video, directed by Beth Jeans Houghton, follows the same hand drawn aspect of previous videos, but with vibrant color and a comic book style.

“This is our punk record,” says Ezra Furman. “We made it in Oakland, quickly. We drank and smoked. Then we made the loud parts louder. I hurt my voice screaming. This was back in 2018, when things were bad in the world. The songs are naked with nothing to hide.”

Ezra Furman will shortly embark on a European tour. Then, he will bring his energetic live shows stateside before returning to Europe later this year.

Watch the Video for “Calm Down” –
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLecVxlnZG8

Pre-order Twelve Nudes –
http://smarturl.it/ef_twelve

Twelve Nudes Tracklist:
1. Calm Down aka I Should Not Be Alone
2. Evening Prayer aka Justice
3. Transition From Nowhere to Nowhere
4. Rated R Crusaders
5. Trauma
6. Thermometer
7. I Wanna Be Your Girlfriend
8. Blown
9. My Teeth Hurt
10. In America
11. What Can You Do But Rock n Roll

Ezra Furman Tour Dates:

Sun. July 21 – Benicassim, ES @ Benicassim Festival
Tue. July 23 – Cork, IE @ Cyprus Avenue
Wed. July 24 – Dublin, IE @ Button Factory
Thu. July 25 – Galway, IE @ Galway Festival
Sun. July 28 – Topcliffe, UK @ Deer Shed Festival
Thu. Sept. 5 – St. Paul, MN @ Turf Club
Sat. Sept. 7 – Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall (TICKETS)
Sun. Sept. 8 – Detroit, MI @ El Club (TICKETS)
Mon. Sept. 9 – Toronto, ON @ Lee’s Palace (TICKETS)
Tue. Sept. 10 – Montreal, QC @ Bar Le Ritz P.D.B. (TICKETS)
Wed. Sept. 11 – Cambridge, MA @ Sonia (TICKETS)
Thu. Sept. 12 – Brooklyn, NY @ Warsaw (TICKETS)
Sun. Sept. 15 – Philadelphia, PA @ Underground Arts (TICKETS)
Mon. Sept. 16 – Washington, DC @ Union Stage (TICKETS)

Riot Fest releases 2019 lineup.

Chicago’s Riot Fest has released the lineup for its 15th anniversary festival, and early price tickets ($129.00) are nearly sold out. Don’t wait too long to get yours.

There are some heavy-hitters on the lineup this year. The Flaming Lips playing Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots in its entirety is almost worth the price of admission by itself. The Raconteurs are sure to put on a solid set, and I’d be keen to see Bloc Party (who are playing Silent Alarm in its entirety, and that’s a good record to be sure), Die Antwoord (as I’m sure their live shows are nuts), the B-52’s, Bob Mould for a second time this year, RIDE, Caroline Rose, Ganser, and how could you not at least check out the set by Village People?

Keep your mind open.

[Subscribe before you split. Please?]