Category: News

Clutch releases some killer pre-order bundles for their upcoming album, “Book of Bad Decisions.”

NEW ALBUM PRE-ORDER AND MERCH BUNDLES AVAILABLE NOW!
CLUTCH TO RELEASE THIRD SINGLE TRACK
FROM THE NEW ALBUM “BOOK OF BAD DECISIONS” TODAY
Maryland rockers CLUTCH are now offering a variety of exclusive “Book of Bad Decisions” pre-order bundles such as the “Limited Edition Collectors Bundle” which includes rare picture disc vinyl, flask, flag, shirt, long sleeve, HATCHET with autographed box, and more!  Bundles will be delivered on or before the album release date of September 7th.
All “Book of Bad Decisions” pre-order bundles, music and merch options are available now exclusively at www.clutchmerch.com
CLUTCH are releasing the third single from their upcoming album Book of Bad Decisions as an instant gratification track at iTunes (https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/book-of-bad-decisions/1376829212&app=itunes) and Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CNYD1R7).  Spotify has it here (http://open.spotify.com/album/7fJuTpSrV3TYbSExbo3emk)
Clutch’s song “Hot Bottom Feeder” is, in essence, a recipe for Maryland crab cakes set to Clutch’s inimitable style.  Watch the accompanying lyric video here https://youtu.be/SOTrHrGSeNM.
Each of the single releases from Book of Bad Decisions is accompanied by a Spotify playlist put together by one of the band members.  In this instance Dan Maines who asks you to “Check out our latest release Hot Bottom Feeder and beat the heat with these stone cold classics.”
CLUTCH:
Neil Fallon – Vocals/Guitar
Tim Sult – Guitar
Dan Maines – Bass
Jean-Paul Gaster – Drums/Percussion
For more  information, check out the band’s website:
Official: www.pro-rock.com
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Desert Daze 2018 lineup released…and it’s almost more psychedelia than you can handle.

The annual Desert Daze music festival in Lake Perris, California has unveiled a whopper of a lineup for their October 12-14th event.  Tame Impala are headlining while promising new material in 2019.  Shoegaze legends My Bloody Valentine are also playing new material nowadays.  Unstoppable touring machines King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard are continuing their roll across the United States.  Other must-see acts include Ty Segall, A Place to Bury Strangers, Earthless, Follakzoid, All Them Witches, True Widow, Imarhan, and Here Lies Man.

I don’t know if I can make it to this one, but you should if you can.  It might be a new annual destination for me.

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Fat Possum Records to remaster and re-release four classic X albums.

FAT POSSUM RECORDS TO RELEASE REMASTERED X ALBUMS IN 2018
‘LOS ANGELES’
‘WILD GIFT’
‘UNDER THE BIG BLACK SUN’
‘MORE FUN IN THE NEW WORLD’

Photo: Gary Leonard

Fat Possum Records and X are teaming up.  Effective immediately, Fat Possum Records will begin distributing for the world four classic X albums; ‘Los Angeles’ (1980), ‘Wild Gift’ (1981), ‘Under The Big Black Sun’ (1982), and ‘More Fun In The New World’ (1983). There are plans to release remastered versions of all four albums by the end of 2018. More details to come.
Formed in 1977, X quickly established themselves as one of the best bands in the first wave of LA’s flourishing punk scene;  becoming legendary leaders of a punk generation.  Featuring vocalist Exene Cervenka, vocalist/bassist John Doe, guitarist Billy Zoom, and drummer DJ Bonebrake, their debut 45 was released on the seminal Dangerhouse label in 1978, followed by seven studio albums released from 1980-1993. Over the years, the band has released several critically acclaimed albums, topped the musical charts with regularity and performed their iconic hits on top television shows such as Letterman and American Bandstand.  X’s first two studio albums, Los Angeles and Wild Gift are ranked by Rolling Stone among the top 500 greatest albums of all time.  The band continues to tour with the original line-up fully intact.  In 2017, the band celebrated their 40th year anniversary in music with a Grammy Museum exhibit opening, a Proclamation from the City of Los Angeles and being honored at a Los Angeles Dodgers game where Exene threw out the first pitch and John Doe sang the National Anthem. The band continues to tour with the original line-up and are currently on the road, including select dates with The Psychedelic Furs.
X Tour Itinerary:
July 25  SOMO Village Event Center – Rohnert Park, CA (w/The Psychedelic Furs)
July 27  Oregon Zoo Summer Concerts – Portland, OR (w/The Psychedelic Furs)
July 29  Woodland Park Zoo – Seattle, CA (w/The Psychedelic Furs)
July 31  The Rockwell/The Complex – Salt Lake City, UT (w/The Psychedelic Furs, The FIXX)
Aug 2 The Ogden – Denver, CO (w/The Psychedelic Furs)
Aug 17 The Cave – Big Bear, CA
Aug 18 Burton Chase Park – Marina Del Rey, CA
Aug 19 North Park – San Diego, CA
Aug 22 Marty’s -Tustin, CA
Aug 23 Marty’s – Tustin, CA
Aug 24 Weins Family Winery- Temecula, CA
Aug 31 Del Mar Hall – St. Louis, MO
Sept 2 Muddy Roots Music Festival – Cookeville, TN
Sept 3 The Masquerade – Atlanta, GA
Sept 4 The Cat’s Cradle –  Chapel Hill, NC
Sept 5 The Neighborhood Theatre – Charlotte, NC
Sept 7 Sidetracks – Huntsville, AL
More Dates To Be Announced!
Los Angeles (1980)
1. Your Phone’s Off the Hook, But You’re Not
2. Johnny Hit and Run Paulene
3. Soul Kitchen
4. Nausea
5. Sugarlight
6. Los Angeles
7. Sex and Dying in High Society
8. The Unheard Music
9. The World’s a Mess, It’s In My Kiss
Wild Gift (1981)
1. The Once Over Twice
2. We’re Desperate
3. Adult Books
4. Universal Corner
5. I’m Coming Over
6. It’s Who You Know
7. In This House That I Call Home
8. Some Other Time
9. White Girl
10. Beyond and Back
11. Back 2 the Base
12. When Our Love Passed Out On the Couch
13. Year 1
Under the Big Black Sun (1982)
1. The Hungry Wolf
2. Motel Room In My Bed
3. Riding With Mary
4. Come Back To Me
5. Under the Big Black Sun
6. Because I Do
7. Blue Spark
8. Dancing with Tears In My Eyes
9. Real Child of Hell
10. How I (Learned My Lesson)
11. The Have Nots
More Fun in the New World (1983)
1. The New World
2. We’re Having Much More Fun
3. True Love
4. Poor Girl
5. Make the Music Go Bang
6. Breathless
7. I Must Not Think Bad Thoughts
8. Devil Doll
9. Painting the Town Blue
10. Hot House
11. Drunk In My Past
12. I See Red
13. True Love Pt. #2
For more information on X live shows, please contact:
For Fat Possum/reissue press inquiries, please contact:
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Introducing one of your new favorite artists – Black Belt Eagle Scout

INTRODUCING BLACK BELT EAGLE SCOUT

DEBUT ALBUM, MOTHER OF MY CHILDREN,
OUT SEPTEMBER 14TH ON SADDLE CREEK

LISTEN TO LEAD SINGLE, “SOFT STUD”
https://youtu.be/LXsfiYigeg4

photo credit – Jason Quigley

“Having this identity—radical indigenous queer feminist—keeps me going. My music and my identity come from the same foundation of being a Native woman.” Katherine Paul (aka KP) is Black Belt Eagle Scout, and Mother of My Children is her debut album, out September 14th on Saddle Creek. Recorded in the middle of winter near her hometown in Northwest Washington, Paul’s connection to the landscape’s eerie beauty are palpable throughout as the album traces the full spectrum of confronting buried feelings and the loss of what life was supposed to look like. Paul reflects, “I wrote this album in the fall of 2016 after two pretty big losses in my life. My mentor, Geneviève Castrée, had just died from pancreatic cancer and the relationship I had with the first woman I loved had drastically lessened and changed.” Heavy and heartbroken, Paul found respite from the weight of such loss in the creation of these songs that “are about grief and love for people, but also about being a native person in what is the United States today.”

On Mother of My Children, the songs weave together to capture both the enduring and fleeting experiences of loss, frustration, and dreaming. The structures are traditional, but the lyrics don’t adhere to any format other than what feels right in the moment. Mother of My Children begins with lead single  “Soft Stud,” which Paul describes as her “queer anthem.” It’s “about the hardships of queer desire within an open relationship.” “It’s a sprawling six minutes that feels surprisingly compact, tight nerves and circuitous guitars and muddy drums building and breaking” (Stereogum). “Indians Never Die,” a call out to colonizers and those who don’t respect the Earth, follows. As Standing Rock was happening, many people in Paul’s life were coming together to fight for the most basic necessity to sustain human life: water. “Our treaty rights weren’t being honored. Imagine hearing on the news that the government doesn’t support you as a human being and never has. They don’t care about the water, they don’t care about how they are destroying what is around them. Indigenous people are the protectors of this land. Indians never die because this is our land that we will forever protect in the present and the afterlife.”

Paul grew up in a small Indian reservation, the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community, surrounded by family focused on native drumming, singing, and arts. From an early age, Paul was singing and dancing at powwows with one of her strongest memories at her family’s own powwow, called the All My Relations Powwow. Paul reminisces, “When I was younger, my only form of music was through the songs my ancestors taught the generations of my family. Singing in our language is a spiritual process and it carries on through me in how I create music today.” With the support of her family and a handful of bootleg Hole and Nirvana VHS tapes, Paul taught herself how to play guitar and drums as a teenager. In 2007, she moved to Portland, Oregon to attend college and get involved with the Rock’n’Roll Camp for Girls eventually diving deep into the city’s music scene playing guitar and drums in bands while evolving her artistry into what would later become Black Belt Eagle Scout.

Mother of My Children is a life chapter gently preserved. The access listeners have to such vulnerability feels special and generous.

Listen To Black Belt Eagle Scout’s “Soft Stud” —
https://youtu.be/LXsfiYigeg4
Mother of My Children Tracklist:
1. Soft Stud
2. Indians Never Die
3. Keyboard
4. Mother of My Children
5. Yard
6. I Don’t Have You In My Life
7. Just Lie Down
8. Sam, A Dream
Pre-order Mother of My Children —
Black Belt Eagle Scout Tour Dates:
July 23 – Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios
July 24 – Seattle, WA @ Barboza

Mother of My Children cover art
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Wild Nothing’s groovy new single, “Partners in Motion,” is a sweet track for the summer.

Wild Nothing Presents “Partners In Motion,”
New Single Off Indigo, Out August 31st On Captured Tracks

Listen HERE

photo credit – Cara Robbins
 “a project that has virtually perfected the art of writing about romance”
– Vulture, Summer Music Preview

“an intoxicating, pristine cut of melancholy pop”
– The A.V. Club, 2018’s Second Half Preview

“A retro sensibility is nothing new for Tatum, but the urge sounds more fleshed out on
[‘Letting Go’], more bright and ambitious. . . The effort to stay true to his digital
creations shines through in the tight, sparkly rendering.” — Stereogum

“[‘Letting Go’]s chiming guitar and Tatum’s sweet falsetto in the chorus bring you to a pastel-painted room where there’s a slow-motion pillow fight going on.” — Paste

“On ‘Letting Go,’ Jack Tatum’s Wild Nothing project is working in familiar dreamy and nostalgic territory, though this is a little more frenetic and muscular than usual. By the time the bridge hits, though, Wild Nothing shows a willingness to experiment and wade into uncomfortable waters. It’s enough to pique interest into what’s to come.” – Uproxx

Wild Nothing, the project of Los Angeles-based Jack Tatum, will release his fourth album, Indigo, on August 31st via Captured Tracks. He’ll tour North America for a month beginning mid-October with newly announced support, Men I Trust. After presenting the chiming guitar and sweeping synths of lead single, “Letting Go,” Wild Nothing now shares the ’80s-heavy “Partners In Motion” featuring saxophonist Taylor Plenn. As discussed with FADER, it’s a song he’s been inching towards for years.

Recorded at LA’s Sunset Sound and produced by Tatum and Jorge Elbrecht, Indigo is its own cyborg world, utilizing the artful mechanisms of human touch with the precision of technology to create the classic, pristine sound Tatum has been seeking his entire career. After a decade of making music as Wild Nothing, Indigo finds Tatum at his most efficient, calculated, and confident. It’s both a return to the fresh, transcendent sweep of his debut, 2010’s Gemini, and a culmination of heights reached, paths traveled, and lessons learned while creating the follow-ups, Nocturne and Life of Pause.

To make Indigo, Tatum confronted the Man vs. Machine dichotomy by seizing on the surrounding synergy. In his studio, he would write pieces of songs with whatever instruments and programs held his interest on any given day. He built a series of highly detailed demos, intending to record the final package swiftly with a live band in a studio and in a clear, bright, 1980’s-inspired fidelity. “I wanted it to sound like a classic studio record, as close as I could get it there. It just boils down to me wanting to fit into some larger narrative, musically, in terms of these artists I love,” says Tatum. “I think about how my music will age. Ideas of ‘timeless’ are going to be different—so if Indigo is not timeless then it’s at least ‘out of time.’”

Stream “Partners In Motion” –
https://youtu.be/6ksagHpqCKo

Stream “Letting Go” –
https://WildNothing.lnk.to/LettingGo

Pre-order Indigo –
https://WildNothing.lnk.to/Indigo

Wild Nothing Tour Dates:
(all shows with Men I Trust)
Tue. Oct. 16 – Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle
Wed. Oct. 17 – Atlanta, GA @ Terminal West
Thu. Oct. 18 – Birmingham, AL @ Saturn
Fri. Oct. 19 – New Orleans, LA @ Gasa Gasa
Sat. Oct. 20 – Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall
Sun. Oct. 21 – Austin, TX @ Mohawk
Tue. Oct. 23 – Santa Fe, NM @ Meow Wolf
Wed. Oct. 24 – Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom
Thu. Oct. 25 – Santa Ana, CA @ Observatory
Fri. Oct. 26 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Regent Theater
Sat. Oct. 27 – San Francisco, CA @ The Independent
Tue. Oct. 30 – Portland, OR @ Revolution Hall
Wed. Oct. 31 – Vancouver, BC @ Imperial Vancouver
Thu. Nov. 1 – Seattle, WA @ Neumos
Fri. Nov. 2 – Boise, ID @ Neurolux
Sat. Nov. 3 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge
Sun. Nov. 4 – Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theater
Tue. Nov. 6 – Omaha, NE @ The Slowdown
Wed. Nov. 7 – Minneapolis, MN @ Cedar Cultural Center
Thu. Nov. 8 – Madison, WI @ Majestic Theatre
Fri. Nov. 9 – Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall
Sat. Nov. 10 – Detroit, MI @ El Club
Mon. Nov. 12 – Toronto, ON @ Opera House
Tue. Nov. 13 – Montreal, QC @ Corona Theatre
Wed. Nov. 14 – Boston, MA @ Royale Nightclub
Fri. Nov. 16 – Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel
Sat. Nov. 17 – Philadelphia, PA @ Underground Arts
Sun. Nov. 18 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club

Download hi-res press images and cover art –
www.pitchperfectpr.com/wild-nothing/

Indigo cover art
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Kalamazoo, Michigan’s Audiotree Music Festival releases lineups for 2018.

AUDIOTREE MUSIC FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES WIDR STAGE LINEUP

CO-BOOKED BY WMU’S STUDENT RADIO STATION, WIDR-FM

SEPTEMBER 22-23 IN KALAMAZOO, MI

TICKETS AVAILABLE NOW

 
Audiotree Music Festival is returning to Kalamazoo’s Arcadia Creek Festival Place on Saturday, September 22nd and Sunday, September 23rd for the 6th year in a row. The main stage lineup was announced last month, featuring Father John Misty, Local Natives, Real Estate, Khruangbin, and more. Now, the festival has shared its WIDR Stage lineup, featuring Slow Mass, Michigander, Pool Holograph, McKinley Dixon, and Miranda Winters amongst others.

Booked in collaboration with Western Michigan University’s student radio station, WIDR-FM, The WIDR Stage will present a dozen up-and-coming artists that are predominantly from Kalamazoo, Grand Rapids, and Chicago. ATMF has worked with WIDR-FM for the last 5 years, but this is the first time that the station has participated in the festival’s booking process.

Audiotree Music Festival and its namesake company, Audiotree, were founded by Kalamazoo natives Michael Johnston and Adam Thurston. The duo have always  made an effort to ensure that the company and the fest share a unifying goal: to provide a platform for artists and fans to discover one another through live performances. With the addition of the WIDR Stage, ATMF attendees now have an opportunity to see new artists from their hometown and neighboring cities.

In addition to music, the festival will offer a variety of craft beer, food trucks, and specialty vendors from the Kalamazoo area. The fest is all ages and children under the age of 10 get free admission with an adult.

PURCHASE TICKETS
Single Day General Admission – $45
Two Day General Admission – $80
Single Day VIP – $75
Two Day VIP – $135

WATCH AUDIOTREE MUSIC FESTIVAL TRAILER

LEARN MORE ABOUT AUDIOTREE

WIDR  STAGE LINEUP
Michigander – Grand Rapids
Slow Mass – Chicago
Miranda Winters – Chicago
Pool Holograph – Chicago
McKinley Dixon – Richmond
REZN – Chicago
Maybe April – Nashville
Moss Jaw – Kalamazoo
Lume – Michigan & Chicago
Jake Simmons & The Little Ghosts – Kalamazoo
Lushh – Kalamazoo
V.V. Lightbody – Chicago

MAIN STAGE LINEUP
Father John Misty
Local Natives
Khruangbin
Real Estate
Blitzen Trapper
Chicano Batman
Diet Cig
The Regrettes
Stuyedeyed
Flaural
Basement
Palm
Caamp
Common Holly
Major Murphy
NE-HI
Melkbelly
Post Animal

LINEUP BY DAY

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 22
Local Natives
Khruangbin
Basement
Diet Cig
The Regrettes
NE-HI
Melkbelly
Stuyedeyed
Flaural
Michigander
Miranda Winters
Maybe April
McKinley Dixon
V.V. Lightbody
Moss Jaw

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 23
Father John Misty
Real Estate
Chicano Batman
Blitzen Trapper
Post Animal
Palm
Caamp
Major Murphy
Common Holly
Jake Simmons
Lume
REZN
Pool Holograph
Slow Mass
Lushh

Audiotree Music Festival FAQ

Audiotree Music Festival Socials
Twitter | Instagram | Facebook

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Steve Hauschildt releases “Alienself” from album due this August.

STEVE HAUSCHILDT SHARES “ALIENSELF”
OFF UPCOMING ALBUM DISSOLVI

GHOSTLY INTERNATIONAL DEBUT OUT AUGUST 3

 
(photo credit: Maria Tzeka)

 

Today, electronic musician Steve Hauschildt shares “Alienself,” the second song off his new full-length and Ghostly International debut, Dissolvi (out August 3rd). “Alienself is a song that began in my live set and so I had the luxury of developing it gradually over the last two years,” says Hauschildt. “The final version features guitar by Rafael Irisarri in the first half of the track which then transitions into synthesized voices in the latter half. The song title refers to a psychoanalytical term which has to do with the development of a false aspect of the self and how mental states are not only envisioned in others but how they’re externalized or projected.”

The album’s title — a reference to cupio dissolvi, the Latin phrase meaning “I wish to be dissolved” — needn’t be taken one-­dimensionally or as purely solipsistic. Physiological phenomena are of interest to Hauschildt. These back­-of-­mind ruminations find their way out. Songs are cerebral in orientation, but beyond explanation, the music is truly visceral.

Late last month, Steve shared the first single off the record, the sublime “Saccade,” which featured vocals from Julianna Barwick. The album, which is his most collaborative work to date, also features a song with Gabrielle Herbst, aka GABI.  Watch visuals for “Alienself” and “Saccade” below (art by Robert Beatty).

LISTEN TO “ALIENSELF”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-7Y–KRHvQ&feature=youtu.be

LISTEN TO “SACCADE” (FEAT. JULIANNA BARWICK)
https://youtu.be/Tt7JiZutEDU
Pre-order Dissolvi:
Ghostly International — https://ghostly.com/products/dissolvi
Or at the retailer of your choice — https://Ghostly.lnk.to/steve-hauschildt-dissolvi

 

Download hi-res images & album art of Steve Hauschildt —
http://pitchperfectpr.com/steve-hauschildt/
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Bandcamp | Ghostly International

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Howard release “Oh Dear Brother” from album due this September.

Howard Share “Oh Dear Brother” From New Album, Together Alone, Out September 14th On Fashion People
https://soundcloud.com/listentohoward/oh-dear-brother/
(photo credit: Sonya Kitchell)

As the song starts out, Howard mixes a folksy riff with a choppy syncopated beat. When the horn section comes in, the song transforms into a rounded out, funk groove. This is the first album from Howard to be recorded with a full band, and the extra instrumentation adds full-bodied warmth, helping the song blossom.” — Stereogum, on “Oh Dear Brother”

“The video’s kitschy collage-style animation, as well as the zany, exaggerated expressions of the band’s characters, elevate the classic outsider-falls-for-girl narrative into something refreshing and whimsical.” — NPR Music, on “Your Honor” video
Today, Howard are thrilled to share, “Oh Dear Brother,” the newest single from their forthcoming album Together Alone, out September 14th on Fashion People. “The song started more personally and gradually became more about the political state of affairs when things were coming to a climax around the election,” says guitarist/vocalist Howard Feibusch. “It is about our growing inability to listen to each other and the sense of turmoil that happens when our dialogue becomes a screaming match. It is not a topic I’m entirely comfortable writing about because I fear that it’s just polluting the atmosphere with more noise on a topic too many people have an opinion about.”

 

Stream Howard’s “Oh Dear Brother” — 
https://soundcloud.com/listentohoward/oh-dear-brother/
Watch a Behind-The-Scenes Video On The Making Of “Oh Dear Brother” — 
https://youtu.be/YrdJa6mTpVU

 

Together Alone follows Howard’s debut album, 2015’s Religion, and it’s companion EP, Please Recycle. It’s the first album from 30-year-old multifaceted bandleader Howard Feibusch’s project to be recorded with the full band — composed of Feibusch (guitar, vocals), Alex Chakour (guitar, synth, backup vocals), Myles Heffernan (bass), and Chris Holdridge (drums) — that so capably toured behind Religion. It’s also an aching, restless, and altogether lovely document of the paradoxical sensation in which we feel more isolated than ever in the face of increasing togetherness and connectivity—a modern sentiment wrapped in music that’s timeless in its timbre.

Listen/Share:
“Your Honor” video — https://youtu.be/JXRHCs5ZZms
“Mother’s Wedding” stream — https://spoti.fi/2xJ1Wab



Pre-order Together Alone — https://howard.pmstores.co/

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

(Together Alone Cover Art)

 

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Soundcloud

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Blackwater Holylight release new single and announce west coast tour dates.

BlackWater HolyLight share first video from RidingEasy debut album, announce West Coast tour dates
 Rewiring “heavy music” w/ hints of Sonic Youth, Chelsea Wolfe, Raincoats, Stooges, Beefheart, et al.
  Watch “Wave of Conscience” video (YouTube)
Hear & share Blackwater Holylight album (Bandcamp) (Brooklyn Vegan)
“Flat out it’s one of the best heavy psych debut albums you’ll hear in 2018.” — The Obelisk
“This quartet has been burning up stages all around their hometown, fueled by their abrasive blend of doom metal, psych rock, goth and a tangy soupçon of pop music… They landed a spot on the 2018 Best New Band poll in alt-weekly Willamette Week, but could quickly take over the world.” — Paste Magazine
“They mesh elements of doom, Krautrock and atmospheric indie into one bewitching rock whole.” –Classic Rock Magazine
Portland, OR quartet BlackWater HolyLight share the first video from their breakout debut album today. Watch and share “Wave of Conscience” via YouTube.
BlackWater HolyLight also announce West Coast tour dates starting August 3rd. Please see current dates below.
 
Their self-titled RidingEasy Records debut has received unanimous press praise and continues to grow. Brooklyn Vegan recently streamed the entire album HERE. (Direct YouTube.)
The notion of “heavy music” is continuing to expand of late, with many intrepid artists finding new ways to incorporate the power of traditional metal into new music, but without all of its trappings. Enter Portland, OR quartet BlackWater HolyLight to further swirl musical elements into a captivating hybrid of emotional intensity. Heavy psych riffs, gothic drama, folk-rock vibes, garage-sludge and soaring melodies all collide into a satisfying whole with as much contrast as the band’s name itself.
“I wanted to experiment with my own version of what felt ‘heavy’ both sonically and emotionally,” says founder and vocalist/bassist Allison (Sunny) Faris. “I also wanted a band in which vulnerability of any form could be celebrated.” BlackWater HolyLight — Faris, guitarist/vocalist Laura Hopkins, drummer Cat Hoch and synth player Sarah Mckenna — formed upon the breakup of Faris’ longtime band and she sought a fresh start. “In my last band I was the only female in a group of 6, so I wanted to see how my song writing and vulnerability could glow taking the drivers seat and working with women.”
The band’s self-titled debut begins with a simple, almost grunge-like riff as a chorus of voices introduce a melodic line in call-and-response until the band kicks in, slowly building into crescendo like a lost outtake from Led Zeppelin‘s Houses of the Holy. Elsewhere, “Sunrise” begins with a chorus-drenched post-punk groove until a sonic boom of heavily distorted guitar skree erupts out of nowhere. Nearly as suddenly, the song returns to its lulling core, subtly building the tension until it ruptures completely in a blast of noise. Likewise, “Carry Her” establishes a dark, sparse melody and distinctly thin sounding drums not far removed from early work of The Cure. However, BlackWater HolyLight’s penchant for surprise attack finds a sudden shift into a doom-like dirge, colored with eerie synth notes and pounding shards of fuzz. Throughout the album, their songs shirk traditional verse-chorus-verse structure in favor of fluid, serpentine compositions that move with commanding grace. The band expertly, yet subconsciously, incorporates hints of Chelsea Wolfe, Celebration, Captain Beefheart, The Raincoats, The Stooges, Pink Floyd, Jane’s Addiction and more to form their unique brand of dark’n’heavy transcendence..
BlackWater HolyLight was recorded by Cameron Spies at Gold Brick Studios and The Greenhouse, and with Eric Crespo at Touch Tourcher Recording in Portland. The album is available on LP, CD and download, released April 6th, 2018 via RidingEasy Records on LP & CD at www.ridingeasyrecs.com and digital at blackwaterholylight.bandcamp.com.
BLACKWATER HOLYLIGHT LIVE:
08/03 Nevada City, CA @ Cooper’s
08/04 Oakland, CA @ Elbo Jack London
08/07 Las Vegas, NV @ Bunkhouse
08/08 Los Angeles, CA @ Zebulon w/ Zig Zags
08/09 Oceanside, CA @ Pourhouse w/ Red Wizard
08/10 Fresno, CA @ Full Circle

08/11 Arcata, CA @ Alibi

Artist: BlackWater HolyLight
Album: BlackWater HolyLight
Label: RidingEasy Records
Release Date: April 6th, 2018
01. Willow
02. Wave of Conscience
03. Babies
04. Paranoia
05. Sunrise
06. Slow Hole
07. Carry Her
08. Jizz Witch

On The Web:

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Japanese post-punkers CHAI to reissue debut album on Burger Records.

INTRODUCING: CHAI

JAPANESE SENSATIONS TO PHYSICALLY REISSUE
DEBUT ALBUM PINK VIA BURGER RECORDS

NEW YORK & LOS ANGELES SHOWS IN SEPTEMBER;
WATCH VIDEOS FOR “N.E.O.” AND MORE

Today marks a very special day. It is the day that a larger American audience is introduced to Japanese sensations CHAI. Fusing sonic elements of artists like Basement Jaxx, Gorillaz, CSS, and Tom Tom Club, with lyrics focused on self-empowerment and re-defining the definition of “kawaii,” or cute in Japanese, CHAI have amassed a devoted following in their home country. Those lucky enough to catch them on their all-too-brief visits to the US around SXSW understand what those on the other side of the globe already know: CHAI are incredibly special and should probably be the biggest band in the world.

On September 7th, Burger Records is pleased to physically reissue CHAI’s debut album, PINK, appearing in the US on vinyl, CD, and cassette for the first time. Additionally CHAI (identical twins Mana and Kana and former school classmate Yuna and Yuuki) will come to the US for their first-ever headlining show in New York and will return to Los Angeles later this year. Dates and venues are listed below; tickets go on sale Friday, June 22nd, at 10AM EST.

To give you an idea of what is in store, check out the amazing video for “N.E.O.” (which is well on its way to 2 million views), as well as an incredible live performance for a YouTube Music Session. Additionally, watch the videos for “Boyz Seco Men” and “I’m Me,” but be warned, this might spur a CHAI Youtube hole from which you may never extricate yourself.

WATCH “N.E.O.” OFFICIAL VIDEO
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMGf3zyhG94

WATCH “N.E.O.” YOUTUBE MUSIC SESSION
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFSspQc2Tzw

WATCH “BOYZ SECO MEN” VIDEO
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psHh6OsA-mU

WATCH “I’M ME” VIDEO
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-aKOc5nN2c

STREAM PINK
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2t3dNKV | Apple Music: https://apple.co/2t0s0YV
CHAI TOUR DATES (US dates in bold)
Mon. Sept. 10 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Echo [tickets]
Wed. Sept. 12 – Brooklyn, NY @ Rough Trade [tickets]
Mon. Oct. 15 – Bristol, UK @ SWX w/ Superorganism
Tue. Oct. 16 – Liverpool, UK @ Arts Club w/ Superorganism
Wed. Oct. 17 – Belfast, NIR @ Limelight 1 w/ Superorganism
Thu. Oct. 18 – Dublin, IE @ The Academy w/ Superorganism
Sat. Oct. 20 – Glasgow, UK @ SWG3 w/ Superorganism
Sun. Oct. 21 – Sheffield, UK @ The Leadmill w/ Superorganism
Mon. Oct. 22 – Leeds, UK @ Stylus w/ Superorganism
Wed. Oct. 24 – London, UK @ 02 Shepherd’s Bush Empire w/ Superorganism
Thu. Oct. 25 – Manchester, UK @ 02 Ritz w/ Superorganism
Fri. Oct. 26 – Cambridge, UK @ Cambridge Junction w/ Superorganism
Sat. Oct. 27 – Portsmouth, UK @ Pyramids Centre w/ Superorganism
Sun. Oct. 28 – Brighton, UK @ Concorde 2 w/ Superorganism
Tue. Oct. 30 – Oxford, UK @ 02 Academy w/ Superorganism

PINK Album Art

PINK TRACKLISTING
1. Hi Hi Baby
2. N.E.O.
3. Boyz Seco Men
4. Horechatta
5. Fried
6. She Is Kitty
7. Gyaranboo
8. Kawaii Hito
9. Walking Star
10. Sayonara Complex
11. Flat Girl

PRE-ORDER PINK ON VINYL: http://burgerrecords.11spot.com/chai-pink.html

CHAI Online:
http://chai-band.com/
https://www.instagram.com/chai_official/
https://twitter.com/2525_chai
https://www.facebook.com/CHAIJAPAN/

Keep your mind open.

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