Category: News

Khruangbin’s new album due January 25th. First single, “Maria Tambien,” out now.

KHRUANGBIN SIGN TO DEAD OCEANS,
ANNOUNCE NEW ALBUM CON TODO EL MUNDO OUT JANUARY 26TH 

NEW VIDEO FOR “MARIA TAMBIEN”
CELEBRATES IRANIAN WOMEN PRIOR TO 1979 REVOLUTION
https://youtu.be/7hlGqj3ImQI
(photo credit: Mary Kang)

“This is the rare record that lands on both a conceptual and instinctual level, and the disparate references feel almost deceitful in their cohesion: how could this weird idea, which snakes global influences across one another, coalesce so well?” — The New Yorker, on The Universe Smiles Upon You

“That sense of spaciousness, together with the Thai-inflected tunes, means Khruangbin sound like no one else, even as their songs shimmer with echoes of ‘Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)’ by Marvin or Curtis Mayfield’s score for Super Fly.” — The Guardian

After two years of worldwide success, unassuming Texan trio Khruangbin announce their highly anticipated second album, Con Todo El Mundo, out January 26, 2017 via Dead Oceans. Continuing their world music pedigree, the band has expanded their global influences on this record from Thai funk to sounds of Spain and the Middle East, particularly Iran, from the 1960’s, 1970’s and beyond.

Formed of Laura Lee on bass, Mark Speer on guitar, and Donald “DJ” Johnson on drums, Khruangbin’s sounds have historically been rooted in the deepest waters of world music. Their 2015 debut album, The Universe Smiles Upon You, was heavily influenced by 60’s and 70’s Thai cassettes infused with classic soul, dub and psychedelia. This unusual mix created a powerful, hypnotic signature sound that’s entranced listeners around the world.

Their second album, Con Todo El Mundo, takes its name not from a grand global idea, but from a simple one. It’s in part dedicated to bassist Laura Lee’s Mexican-American grandfather, who was a big influence on her life. She says, “My grandpa would always ask me ‘Como me quieres?’ (how much do you love me?) And he’d only ever accept one response: ‘Con todo el mundo’ (with all the world). He created his own world to live in. Khruangbin is the world we’ve created.”

Since the release of The Universe Smiles Upon You, Khruangbin have spent the past two years playing non-stop worldwide. The band’s live history ranges from a European tour with FatherJohn Misty to supporting Tycho on a US tour, a string of festival dates including Glastonbury, Bonnaroo, ACL, Outside Lands, Desert Dazed, SXSW as well as extended headline excursions. In a nod to their travels, Laura and Mark have been presenting a weekly “AirKhruang” DJ set live each Friday on their Facebook page, where the pair play a selection of music by artists from a particular city. They also hold a monthly NTS radio show called “Cabin Pressure”.

The music video for the album’s first single, “Maria Tambien,” tells the story of Iranian women prior to the revolution of 1979, celebrating their creativity, freedom and ability to express themselves, and showing a side of women in the Middle East that often isn’t seen in the Western world.

The women in the video are all part of a large network of artists, singers, dancers and songwriters who have been either exiled or silenced since the revolution. With their new video, Khruangbin hopes to bring these remarkable women back into the spotlight and honor the artistry of silenced women everywhere.

Watch Video For “Maria Tambien” —
https://youtu.be/7hlGqj3ImQI

Con Todo El Mundo Tracklist:
01. Como Me Quieres
02. Lady And Man
03. Maria Tambien
04. August 10
05. Como Te Quiero
06. Shades Of Man
07. Evan Finds The Third Room
08. A Hymn
09. Rules
10. Friday Morning

Pre-order Con Todo El Mundo — https://khruangbin.lnk.to/contodoelmundo

Download hi-res images & album art for Khruangbin — pitchperfectpr.com/khruangbin

Shopping release one of the catchiest singles of the year, “The Hype,” from upcoming album.

SHOPPING ANNOUNCE NEW ALBUM, THE OFFICIAL BODY,
OUT JANUARY 19th ON FATCAT RECORDS

WATCH VIDEO FOR LEAD SINGLE, “THE HYPE”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnAm6AphanY
[photo credit – CJ Monk]
“The Hype” is Shopping at its best: barbed invective set to a prickly, dancefloor-ready groove.”
— Pitchfork
“one of Shopping’s loosest, funkiest songs to date. . . ‘The Hype’ is a great sign of things to come.”
— NPR Music

London/Glasgow-based post-punk trio Shopping stay true to their minimal dance-punk ethos while “amping up the party vibe” on their third full-length album, The Official Body, set for a January 19th release via FatCat Records. In conjunction with the album announcement, the band — Rachel Aggs (guitar, vocals), Billy Easter (bass, vocals) and Andrew Milk (drums, vocals) — share the video for the album’s first official single, “The Hype,” which “has them on display in all kinds of beautiful ages, shapes, and sizes” (The FADER). It’s a song about thinking for yourself, taking matters into your own hands and not listening to other people or institutions that try to take advantage and tell you what to think or how to be.

After the release of their debut album, Consumer Complaints, and follow up, 2015’s Why Choose, Shopping found themselves in an unrelenting cycle of touring. Meanwhile, in London, Power Lunches, a hub for the city’s DIY scene and the band’s usual rehearsal and writing space closed down. Upon returning from tour, Milk relocated to Glasgow. The distance added an element of pressure: “As a band that only ever writes collaboratively, it’s essential for us to actually be together in the room before any songs start to formulate. It can be a little daunting when we all turn up, and we only have an afternoon to pull a song out of thin air.” Add to that a sprinkling of Brexit, Trump, a principally imploding world, and you’ve got yourself The Official Body.

Recorded and produced over 10 days by Edwyn Collins at his Clashnarrow studio, The Official Body is an album in which the thematic gravitas contrasts with the band’s evolving sound. “We’ve always felt like what we do is political in that it’s cathartic and healing in some way, but at some point it just felt like making ‘political’ music was a bit like putting a tiny band aid on an enormous wound,” says Aggs as she describes the sense of disorientation that lies at the foundation of the album. While it may have been tempting to adopt a more serious tone, Shopping remained humorous in their approach — the album’s title, The Official Body, is a play on the idea of official bodies of power and control, “the mystical powers that be” as Easter deems them, as well as the construct of a physical body that fits within the societal paradigm of what is “acceptable.”

Shopping will tour the UK and Europe this November. They’ll make their way stateside in early 2018, including performances at SXSW.

Watch Shopping’s “The Hype” Video –
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnAm6AphanY
The Official Body Tracklist:
1. The Hype
2. Wild Child
3. Asking for a Friend
4. Suddenly Gone
5. Shave Your Head
6. Discover
7. Control Yourself
8. My Dad’s a Dancer
9. New Values
10. Overtime
Shopping Tour Dates:
Mon. Nov. 6 – Glasgow, UK @ The Art School
Tue. Nov. 7 – Leeds, UK @ Wharf Chambers
Wed. Nov. 8 – York, UK @ Crescent
Thu. Nov. 9 – Cardiff, UK @ Gwdihw Cafe Bar
Fri. Nov. 10 – London, UK @ Kamio
Sat. Nov. 11 – Paris, FR @ La Mécanique Ondulatoire
Sun. Nov. 12 – Villefranche-de-Rouergue, FR @ Les Haut Parleurs
Mon. Nov. 13 – Bordeaux, FR @ l’Avant Scène
Tue. Nov. 14 – San Sebastian, ES @ Dabada
Thu. Nov. 16 – Alicante, ES @ Sala Marearock
Fri. Nov. 17 – Barcelona, ES @ Be Good
Sat. Nov. 18 – Lyon, FR @ Grnd Zero
Sun. Nov. 19 – Biel, CH @ Le Salopard
Tue. Nov. 21 – Esslingen, DE @ Komma
Wed. Nov. 22 – Bamberg, DE @ TBC
Thu. Nov. 23 – Leipzig, DE @ Tiff
Fri. Nov. 24 – Nuremberg, DE @ Desi
Sat. Nov. 25 – Berlin, DE @ Zukunft Am Ostkreuz
Fri. Nov. 26 – Hamburg, DE @ Goldener Salon
Mon. Nov. 27 – Groningen, NL @ Vera
Tue. Nov. 28 – Liege, BE @ Kulturaliege
Wed. Nov. 29 – Antwerp, BE @ Het Bos
Thu. Nov. 30 – Rotterdam, NL @ Worm
Fri. Dec. 1 – Saarbrücken, DE @ Das Modul
Download hi-res album art and press images –
www.pitchperfectpr.com/shopping/

Perpetual workhorse Ty Segall releases another single and is announced for Levitation Austin.

LISTEN TO TY SEGALL’S NEW SINGLE, “MEANING”

Ty Segall reaches deep down into his deep bag of rocks and pulls out an uptempo dance number, an armload of guitars and a hardcore jam, urging us ultimately to jailbreak from the self-imposed thought prison we’ve all been raised in. No, tonight’s not the night, do it now! Denée Segall‘s lead vocals hammer home “Meaning” with unbridled strength: “I see fear in freedom…” Is this what’s holding us back? Ask yourself, man!
Listen to Ty Segall’s “Meaning” –
https://tysegall.bandcamp.com/track/meaning
https://itunes.apple.com/album/id1296428037

Ty Segall Tour Date:
Fri. Nov. 3 – Los Angeles, CA @ Lodge Room (LA United for Puerto Rico benefit)
Sat. Dec. 9 – Mexico City, MX @ Hipnosis Festival

Segall has also been announced as the headliner for the first Levitation Austin 2018 kick-off party.  He’ll be playing April 26th at Stubb’s BBQ in downtown Austin with Parquet Courts and A Giant Dog.  Tickets for that show are already on sale.
Keep your mind open.

All Them Witches to start second 2017 North American tour November 3rd.

Nashville’s All Them Witches will be returning to the U.S. and Canada for another tour in support of their excellent album Sleeping Through the War.  The tour starts November 3rd in North Carolina and ends November 18th in Milwaukee.  Don’t miss them if you get the chance to see them.  They are great live and amiable chaps to boot.

NOV 3 • Cat’s Cradle • CARRBORO, NC
NOV 4 • The Southern Cafe and Music Hall • CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA
NOV 5 • Rock & Roll Hotel • WASHINGTON, DC
NOV 7 • The Foundry at The Fillmore • PHILADELPHIA, PA
NOV 8 • Music Hall of Williamsburg • BROOKLYN, NY
NOV 9 • Higher Ground • SOUTH BURLINGTON, VT
NOV 10 • Fairmount Theatre • MONTREAL, CANADA
NOV 11 • Lee’s Palace • TORONTO, CANADA
NOV 12 • The Bug Jar • ROCHESTER, NY
NOV 14 • Ace of Cups • COLUMBUS, OH
NOV 15 • Hi-Fi • INDIANAPOLIS, IN
NOV 16 • The Mill • IOWA CITY, IA
NOV 17 • Turf Club • ST. PAUL, MN
NOV 18 • The Back Room at Colectivo Coffee • MILWAUKEE, WI

Keep your mind open.

[Don’t forget to subscribe before you go.]

Blacktop Records to release 12th anniversary compilation. Kill Surf City’s track on it now available.

Blacktop Records has recently signed Kill Surf City with a cassette tape release planned for later this year. To celebrate the signing and the 12th
anniversary of Blacktop Records the label will be releasing a compilation album Oct 27th on compact disc/digital featuring a brand new unreleased
song from Kill Surf City titled “Transistor.” The compilation also features tracks from Kevin Seconds (7seconds) Jonah Matranga (onelinedrawing) Open Hand, Wheatus, MC Lars and Green Jelly.

Keep your mind open.

[Don’t forget to subscribe before you go.]

Django Django’s new album due January 26th, but the catchy first single from it is already here.

DJANGO DJANGO ANNOUNCE NEW ALBUM, MARBLE SKIES,
OUT JANUARY 26 VIA RIBBON MUSIC

WATCH VIDEO FOR LEAD SINGLE, “TIC TAC TOE”
http://smarturl.it/PreMarbleSkies

Photo credit: Fiona Garden
Django Django – David Maclean (producer/drummer), Vincent Neff (vocalist/guitarist), Jimmy Dixon (bass) and Tommy Grace (synths) — return, exploring new sounds with their third full-length album, Marble Skies, out January 26th on Ribbon Music. It’s a concise and focused album that recalls their dynamic, genre-blurring debut and its handmade, cut-and-paste approach. Today, the album launches with lead single, “Tic Tac Toe,” a rousing, trippy rock number, and its accompanying video.
Following the release of Django Django’s 2012 Mercury Prize-nominated debut and 2015’s Born Under Saturn, the process for Marble Skies began with a back-to-basics approach in line with the DIY ethos of the band’s early days. In late 2016, Django Django (minus Maclean) assembled at Urchin Studios in Tottenham, London with Metronomy drummer Anna Prior to experiment with new material. After ten days of recording, there was plenty of raw material to send to Maclean for him to edit, refine and evolve before the band rejoined for recording proper. Marble Skies was completed in mid-2017 in their small, equipment-crammed studio in north London – a similar environment to the first record, which was recorded in Maclean’s bedroom.
While Marble Skies features hazy Zombies-like summer pop, hypnoic Krautrock grooves, Jamaican dancehall influences and electro pop, lead single “Tic Tac Toe” nods to Django Django’s more rockabilly-inclined influences. It was cut from the same long recorded jam that produced “WOR” and “Shake and Tremble.” Directed by John Maclean, brother of Dave and director of the critically acclaimed modernist western film Slow West,  the “Tic Tac Toe” video depicts Neff enjoying a day-trip to a beach town which takes a turn to the sinister, when a ghost train puts him on a collision course with a grim reaper inspired by Ingmar Bergman’s The Seventh Seal. As John Maclean explains: “The film could be about the fading era of the beach arcades, time moving too fast, love and games, horror and happiness but it is actually about a man who needs to go buy a pint of milk to make a cup of tea.”
Marble Skies will be released digitally, CD, standard LP and a deluxe colored starburst vinyl via the Ribbon Mart.

Watch and Listen to Django Django’s “Tic Tac Toe” Video –
http://smarturl.it/PreMarbleSkies

Marble Skies album tracklisting:
1. Marble Skies

2. Surface To Air
3. Champagne
4. Tic Tac Toe
5. Further
6. Sundials
7. Beam Me Up
8. In Your Beat
9. Real Gone
10. Fountains
Pre-order Marble Skies:
http://smarturl.it/PreMarbleSkies

Makeness releases new single, “Loud Patterns,” on new label – Secretly Canadian.

Makeness Signs To Secretly Canadian
& Shares New Single “Loud Patterns”
Listen Here

November/December North American Tour Dates With Jungle

Up and coming Scottish producer Makeness, aka Kyle Molleson, has signed to Secretly Canadian and debuted his new single, “Loud Patterns.”

“Loud Patterns” is framed by thundering, low-end frequencies that capture a raw, frenetic energy. It offsets this abrasive shell with intricate synthetic soundscapes and vocal melodies, teasing elements from his forthcoming record. This marks Makeness’s first new music following support slots with Holy F**k, Midland and Avalon Emerson and June’s self-released Temples Works EP.

From the expansive electronica of his debut four track Rogue EP in 2015 — a record that drew comparisons to Jon Hopkins — to 2016’s collaboration with Tri Angle Records’ Adult Jazz, and the post-punk flecked disco of single “Other Life,” Makeness has always been keen to explore new landscapes. “Loud Patterns” is a testament to this exploratory spirit and with it, his continued musical evolution.

Starting next month, Makeness will support Jungle on a two-week North American tour. These shows mark Makeness’ first time performing live in the states. A full list of dates is below.

Listen To Makeness’ “Loud Patterns”:
https://youtu.be/RZF0rp1Ujbc
https://makeness.lnk.to/loudpatterns
Makeness Tour Dates:
Sat. Oct. 28 – Amsterdam, NL @ London Calling
Fri. Nov. 3 – Leeds, UK @ Beacons Metro
Tue. Nov. 28 – Toronto, ON @ Mod Club
Wed. Nov. 29 – Montreal, QC @ Corono Theatre
Thu. Nov. 30 – Boston, MA @ Paradise
Sat. Dec. 2 – Brooklyn, NY @ Elsewhere
Mon. Dec. 4 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
Wed. Dec. 6 – Miami, FL @ The Ground
Thu. Dec. 7 – Los Angeles, CA @ El Rey Theatre

Neon Coven covers Depeche Mode.

NEON COVEN RELEASE COVER OF DEPECHE MODE “NEVER LET ME DOWN AGAIN”
October 12th, 2017  –  Neon Coven, the new industrial rock band from Los Angeles, CA, featuring Jacob Bunton (Adler/ Lynam) and Ace Von Johnson (Faster Pussycat) has released their take on Depeche Mode’s “Never Let Me Down Again” today.  Produced by Bunton, the song is available on the band’s official YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38RXFOPqtpw
Neon Coven is comprised of Anthony Montemarano (vocals), Jacob Bunton (bass), Ace Von Johnson (guitar), and Kyle Cunningham (drums).
From Los Angeles, CA, Neon Coven abandoned much of the ethos of the tradition of heavy rock to create an intellectual and theoretical sound, linked to an emphasis on anthemic, synth-heavy dance-rock.  The band’s debut EP Risen was released in February via New Ocean Media. The EP can be streamed at this location:  https://open.spotify.com/album/1DSKprFqDMWhoj8ttiY5d8
For more  information, check out the band’s Web Properties:

Chicago’s NE-HI have a sharp new single – “Rattled & Strange.”

NE-HI ANNOUNCE NEW 7″, SHARE VIDEO FOR
“RATTLED AND STRANGE”

US TOUR CONTINUES WITH HEADLINE SHOWS AND DATES WITH WHITNEY, CHAD VANGAALEN, & MORE

Today, NE-HI announce a new 7″ featuring the songs “Rattled and Strange” and “Long Time,” and they share the video (a Weird Life Films production) for the former. “When you’re on the road as much as we are, it’s crucial to have something to occupy your time in between gigs,” says bassist James Weir. “As dive bar aficionados, the game of pool has become that activity. The ‘Rattled and Strange’ video is an homage to The Hustler sequel aka 1986 pool hall drama The Color of Money. The reason being that it’s about the combination of three of the Earth’s most revered treasures: the game of pool, Chicago, and Martin Scorsese.”

The 7″ is out November 3rd on Grand Jury, which happens to be the same week they launch their tour. This will include headline dates, as well as support slots for friends Whitney and Chad VanGaalen. The band also recently recorded a studio session for the AV Club, which can give fans an idea of what to expect on the upcoming dates. Watch it here, here, and here.

WATCH “RATTLED AND STRANGE” VIDEO / PRE-ORDER 7″
http://smarturl.it/nehi.rattled

NE-HI TOUR DATES
Wed. Oct. 18 – Urbana, IL @ Pygmalion Festival (Canopy Club)
Thu. Oct. 19 – Dekalb, IL @ The House Cafe w/ Surfer Blood
Sat. Oct. 28 – Gambier, OH @ The Horn Gallery (Kenyon College)
Thu. Nov. 2 – Chicago, IL @ Metro w/ Whitney, Mt. Joy (Red Bull 30 Days In Chicago)
Sat. Nov. 4 – Sioux Falls, SD @ Total Drag
Sun. Nov. 5 – Fargo, ND @ The Aquarium
Wed. Nov. 8 – Spokane, WA @ The Bartlett
Fri. Nov. 10 – Seattle, WA @ Sunset Tavern w/ Chad VanGaalen
Sun. Nov. 12 – Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge w/ Chad VanGaalen
Tue. Nov. 14 – San Francisco, CA @ The Chapel
Wed. Nov. 15 – Los Angeles, CA @ Satellite Club
Thu. Nov. 16 – San Diego, CA @ Soda Bar
Fri. Nov. 17 – Phoenix, AZ @ Valley Bar
Sat. Nov. 18 – Albuquerque, NM @ Sister Bar
Sun. Nov. 19 – Denver, CO @ Hi Dive
Tue. Nov. 28 – Milwaukee, WI @ Turner Hall w/ Whitney
Wed. Nov. 29 – Madison, WI @ Majestic Theater w/ Whitney
Thu. Nov. 30 – Minneapolis, MIN @ First Avenue w/ Whitney
Fri. Dec. 1 – Omaha, NE @ The Waiting Room w/ Whitney
Sat. Dec. 2 – Davenport. IA @ Raccoon Motel
Sun. Dec. 31 – Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall w/ Twin Peaks