Category: News

Marlon Williams creeps in and releases one of the best singles of 2017 – “Vampire Again.”

MARLON WILLIAMS RETURNS WITH NEW SINGLE, “VAMPIRE AGAIN”

WATCH VIDEO HERE

NEW YORK, LOS ANGELES & TORONTO FALL SHOWS ANNOUNCED
“Channeling Roy Orbison at moments with a good sense of humor, great songs and one of the best voices at Newport, New Zealand’s Marlon Williams.” – Bob Boilen

“His songwriting is prolific—he paints songs as characters and remains gender-fluid throughout his nine-song masterpiece. Williams is such a gifted storyteller that there is no telling which tracks are autobiographical and which are fictional.” — Paste

Marlon Williams returns with “Vampire Again,” his first new material since releasing his acclaimed debut album early last year via Dead Oceans and touring relentlessly around the world, including performances on CONAN, Later…with Jools Holland, opening for Bruce Springsteen and picking up both an ARIA Award nomination and two New Zealand Music Awards.

In creating “Vampire Again,” Williams returned home to Lyttelton, New Zealand to re-engage in the writing process and work again with producer Ben Edwards. Below he discusses the story behind the song. Watch the accompanying video, directed by Williams in collaboration with UK cinematographer Steve Gullick. It’s a tragicomic vignette of a societal outcast – misshapen, uncomfortable, humorous and a little touching.

Following Williams’ recent performances at the Newport Folk Festival and Pickathon, he’ll hit the road throughout the rest of the month supporting City & Colour, before playing headline shows in New York, Los Angeles and Toronto this fall.

The germination of this song began in LA last year. It was indeed Halloween again, and I was bored, having spent a week locked away in an Airbnb by the airport trying in vain to write a song. Any song. Nothing came. So Halloween comes around and I figure, “Hey, I’m gonna go out tonight. Alone. Comfortably alone. Comfortably alone to see the LA Opera performing a new score to accompany my fave scary flick Nosferatu at the Ace Hotel. I’m gonna dress as the spindly creep himself. What’s more, I’m gonna get super blazed before I go. And be comfortably alone.”

So, off I go, having spent far too much on a last minute outfit, and step out of the Uber and onto the red carpet with a nauseating air of self-confidence. “This is my night. I am strong. I am human and it is my right to express myself how I see fit.” Turns out I was running late, and when I finally enter the theatre everyone was already seated and the overture had begun. What’s more, no one else was dressed up. Well they were, but in tuxedos and lovely dresses. And there was nowhere for stoned ole spindleboots to sit. So, I hunched and crawled my way down the aisle and sat on the floor like it was the most reasonable thing to do at an opera.

I made it through the whole film and then calmly turned tail, satisfied that I’d had a good time and sure that I’d heard whispers of “bad-ass” as I left the building. I’d like to believe that this was, at least in part, the catalyst for a whole new period in my life and my art. But that’s bullsh*t.

Anyway, here it is, my own demented tale of New Age self-affirmation; “Vampire Again.”

Watch Marlon Williams’ “Vampire Again” Video –
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsQCYvS-RC0

Purchase/Stream “Vampire Again” –
https://marlon-williams.lnk.to/vampireagainPR

Marlon Williams Tour Dates:
Fri. Aug. 11 – Boulder, CO @ Triple A Festival
Sat. Aug 12 – Sun. Aug. 13 – Edmonton, AB @ Edmonton Folk Festival
Tue. Aug. 15 – St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant #
Wed. Aug. 16 – Omaha, NE @ Slowdown #
Fri. Aug. 18 – Denver, CO @ Paramount Theatre #
Sat. Aug. 19 – Bellevue, CO @ Mishawaka Amphitheatre #
Mon. Aug. 21 – Kansas City @ Arvest Bank Theatre at the Midland #
Tue. Aug. 22 – Springfield, MO @ Gillioz Theatre #
Thu. Aug. 24 – Tulsa, OK @ Cain’s Ballroom #
Fri. Aug. 25 – Dallas, TX @ House of Blues #
Sat. Aug. 26 – San Antonio, TX @ Aztec Theatre #
Mon. Aug. 28 – Houston, TX @ House of Blues #
Tue. Aug. 29 – Austin, TX @ Stubb’s #
Sat. Sep. 2 – Rutbeek, NE @ Tuckerville Festival
Tue. Oct. 24 – London, UK @ Omeara
Wed. Oct. 25 – Paris, France @ Espace B
Thu. Oct. 26 – Berlin, Germany @ FluxBau
Sat. Oct. 28 – Amsterdam, Netherlands @ London Calling Festival
Mon. Oct. 30 – New York, NY @ Rough Trade
Wed. Nov. 1 – Toronto, ON @ The Drake
Thu. Nov. 2 – Los Angeles, CA @ Moroccan Lounge
Fri. Nov. 10 – Auckland, NZ @ Point Chev RSA
Sat. Nov. 11 – Welllington, NZ @ San Fran
Sun. Nov. 12 – Christchurch, NZ @ Blue Smoke
Wed. Nov. 15 – Sydney, Australia @ Oxford Art Factory
Thu. Nov. 16 – Melbourne, Australia @ Howler
Fri. Nov. 17 – Mullumbimby, Australia @ Mullumbimby Music Festival

# = with City and Colour

Download hi-res jpegs – pitchperfectpr.com/marlon-williams/

Official Website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Dead Oceans

(“Vampire Again” Single Cover Art)

The Orwells announce new tour dates and releases video for “Vacation.”

THE ORWELLS SHARE NEW VIDEO FOR “VACATION”,
TOUR WITH WEEZER & PIXIES THIS FALL

TERRIBLE HUMAN BEINGS OUT NOW ON CANVASBACK MUSIC

Today, The Orwells share their video for “Vacation,” from their recently released album Terrible Human Beings (Canvasback Music). Coming off some big shows in the US and Europe, including Governor’s Ball, Bonnaroo, and a Barclaycard British Summer Time show with Green Day in London’s Hyde Park, the Chicago five-some continue to bring their electrifying performances to audiences on both sides of the pond. This fall will see the band joining up with Weezer and Pixies (whose frontman they honored on their recent record with the song “Black Francis”).  The boys were also the subjects of an in-depth and illuminating multi-media profile by The Washington Post. If you missed it, you can read it here.
WATCH “VACATION” VIDEO
https://youtu.be/9cLa9ZZgLTc

ORWELLS TOUR DATES:
Sat. Aug. 19 – St. Louis, MO @ Jefferson Barracks State Park
Thu. Aug. 24 – Charleville-Mézières, FR @ Cabaret Vert
Fri. Aug. 25 – Reading, UK @ Reading Festival
Sat. Aug. 26 – Leeds, UK @ Leeds Festival
Sun. Aug. 27 – Newcastle upon Tyne, UK @ The Cluny
Mon. Aug. 28 – Nottingham, UK @ Bodega
Tue. Aug. 29 – Sheffield, UK @ The Leadmill
Wed. Aug. 30 – Cardiff, UK @ Clwb ifor Bach
Fri. Sept. 1 – Vlieland Island, NL @ Into The Great Wide Open
Sat. Sept. 2 – Masstricht, NL @ Muziekgieterij
Fri. Sept. 8 – Dana Point, CA @ Ohana Music and Arts Festival
Sun. Sept. 17 – Chicago, IL @ Riot Fest
Sun. Oct. 15 – Berlin, DL @ Columbiahalle w/ Weezer
Mon. Oct. 16 – Cologne, DL @ E-Werk w/ Weezer
Wed. Oct. 18 – Brussels, BE @ Ancienne Belgique w/ Weezer
Thu. Oct. 19 – Paris, FR @ Olympia w/ Weezer
Sat. Oct. 21 – Tilburg, NL @ 013 w/ Weezer
Mon. Oct. 23  – Leeds, UK @ O2 Academy Leeds w/ Weezer
Tue. Oct. 24 – Glasgow, UK @ O2 Academy Glasgow w/ Weezer
Wed. Oct. 25 – Manchester, UK @ O2 Academy Manchester w/ Weezer
Fri. Oct. 27 – Birmingham, UK @ O2 Academy Birmingham w/ Weezer
Sat. Oct. 28 – London, UK @ SSE Arena, Wembley w/ Weezer
Thu. Nov. 30 – Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater w/ Pixies
Fri. Dec. 1 – Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater w/ Pixies
Sun. Dec. 3 – Seattle, WA @ The Paramount Theatre w/ Pixies
Mon. Dec. 4 – Vancouver, BC @ Queen Elizabeth Theatre w/ Pixies

Numero Group to release rare Jackie Shane records.

NUMERO GROUP ANNOUNCES JACKIE SHANE REISSUE, ANY OTHER WAY, OUT OCT. 20TH;
2xLP/2xCD + EXTENSIVE LINER NOTES & ARCHIVAL PHOTOS

The first artist-approved collection of Ms. Shane’s work features all six of her 45s and every highlight from the legendary 1967 live sessions at the Sapphire Tavern,
including three previously-unreleased tracks 

LISTEN TO “ANY OTHER WAY”
https://youtu.be/wiDVfi5dVp0
(Any Other Way album art)

Recognized by genre aficionados as one of the greatest singers and most riveting stage presences in soul music, Jackie Shane has remained largely unknown outside of Toronto, where her career briefly flowered in the 1960s. Ms. Shane is a star without parallel — a pioneer of transgender rights born in a male body, living her entire life as a woman at a time when to do so seemed unthinkable. Any Other Way, out October 20th via the Numero Group, is the first artist-approved collection of Ms. Shane’s work, collecting all six of her 45s and every highlight from the legendary 1967 live sessions at the Sapphire Tavern, including three mind blowing, previously-unreleased tracks.

Ms. Shane’s identity and sexuality were never a secret. She wore makeup, silk shirts and jewelry onstage and off, projecting a sense of refined femininity, and did so in a manner exuding class, self-respect and dignity. Her identity was never an act designed to play with an audience’s sense of exotica.

With her last appearance taking place onstage in Toronto in December of 1971, the city which Ms. Shane considers her second home and where she lived during the peak of her success, this collections marks Ms. Shane’s first communication with the public in nearly half a century. Extensive liner notes tell, for the first time ever, Ms. Shane’s story in her own words, copiously illustrated with never-before-seen pictures from a career and life unlike any other.

Listen To “Any Other Way” — 
https://youtu.be/wiDVfi5dVp0

Watch Any Other Way Teaser Video — 
https://youtu.be/ygsw3RdQ-r4

Any Other Way Tracklist:
01. Sticks And Stones
02. Any Other Way
03. In My Tenement
04. Comin’ Down
05. Money (That’s What I Want)
06. I’ve Really Got The Blues
07. Send Me Some Lovin’
08.  Walking The Dog
09. You Are My Sunshine
10. Stand Up Straight And Tall
11. New Way Of Love
12. Cruel Cruel World
13. Intro [Live]
14. High Heel Sneakers [Live]
15. Barefootin’ [Live]
16. Knock On Wood [Live]
17. Money (That’s What I Want) [Live]
18. Raindrops [Live]
19. You’re The One (That I Need) [Live]
20. Don’t Play That Song (You Lied) [Live]
21. Papa’s Got A Brand New Bag [Live]
22. Any Other Way [Live]
23. You Are My Sunshine [Live]
24. I Don’t Want To Cry [Live]
25. Shotgun [Live]

 

Download hi-res images & album art — pitchperfectpr.com/jackie-shane

Pre-order Any Other Way — numerogroup.com/products/jackie-shane-any-other-way

Numero Group Online:
numerogroup.com
twitter.com/numerogroup
soundcloud.com/numerogroup
facebook.com/numerogroup
instagram.com/thenumerogroup

Buy Ty Segall’s new EP and support the ACLU.

TY SEGALL RELEASES NEW “FRIED SHALLOTS” EP VIA BANDCAMP!

ALL PROCEEDS GO DIRECTLY TO THE ACLU

In order to survive this long, hot season of discontent, you gotta have something new to turn up and tune into! It’s vital to chew down on stuff that’s not just all negativity, you know? If you wanna stay positive, throw Ty Segall’s “Fried Shallots” into your brain pan and flame on for a quick snack.

“Fried Shallots” is a handful of numbers from different times and places over the past few years that all work together in a weird way. That’s something we should all be striving for: all working together in a weird way. For Ty, that requires rock with the gears shifting and stripping, tempos and tropes mashing up; a primal outburst, a quick-and-fuzzy soundtrack of rock, folk, r’n’b and pure power pop, to give us a chance to chill and do the new century twist for just a minute. That’s good, for in twist we trust!

“Fried Shallots” isn’t simply just good fun. The profits from this release will be donated to the American Civil Liberties Union, whose defense of our rights is badly needed now – especially in the face of the government pigs who don’t care about the constitution and are determined to thin our herd so that they and their corporate sugar-daddies can grow ever fatter off the deprivations of the common man-clan! Don’t you let ’em do it! Organizations like the ACLU help secure freedoms that allow individuals to stay individual in the face of the choking tides of oppression. Ty Segall’s “Fried Shallots” is here to help us surf those tides and not be swept under.

“Fried Shallots” is available for digital purchase exclusively on Bandcamp and a physical release will follow on August 25th!

“Fried Shallots” EP Tracklist:
1. Big Man
2. Dust
3. When The Gulls Turn To Ravens
4. Is It Real
5. Another Hustle
6. Talkin’Purchase “Fried Shallots” Digitally — 
https://tysegall.bandcamp.com/album/fried-shallots

Pre-Order “Fried Shallots” 12” EP — 
http://www.dragcity.com/products/fried-shallots

Ty Segall & The Freedom Band Tour Dates:
8/2/17 at The Capitol Theater in Olympia , WA, USA
8/3/17 at The Vogue Theatre in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
8/5/17- 8/6/17 at Pickathon in Happy Valley, OR, USA
8/17/17 at Pukkelpop Festival in Hasselt, Belgium
8/18/17 at Lowlands Festival in Biddinghuizen, Netherlands
8/19/17 at Festival Paredes de Coura in Paredes de Coura, Portugal
8/20/17 at La Route du Rock Festival in Saint Malo, France
8/23/17 at Den Graa Hal in Copenhagan, Denmark
8/24/17 at Astra Kulturhaus in Berlin, Germany
8/25/17 at Le Cabaret Vert in Charleville Mezieres, France
8/26/17 at Nox Orae Festival in La Tour de Peliz, Switzerland
8/27/17 at Rock En Seine in Paris, France
8/29/17 at Atabal in Biarritz, France
8/30/17 at Le Bikini (Bikini Fest) in Toulouse, France
8/31/17 at Ebrovision Festival in Miranda De Ebro , Spain
9/1/17 at The Coronet in London, United Kingdom
9/2/17 at End Of The Road Festival in Larmer Tree Gardens, Dorset, United Kingdom
10/5/17 at 191 Toole in Tuscon, AZ, USA
10/6/17 at Meow Wolf in Santa Fe, NM, USA
10/7/17 at Summit Music Hall in Denver, CO, USA
10/8/17 at The Fox Theatre in Boulder, CO, USA
10/10/17 at The Bunkhouse Saloon in Las Vegas, NV, USA

Alex Lahey to release debut album October

ALEX LAHEY ANNOUNCES DEBUT ALBUM, I LOVE YOU LIKE A BROTHER,
OUT OCTOBER 6TH ON DEAD OCEANS

WATCH VIDEO FOR “EVERY DAY’S THE WEEKEND”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBj_magluuc
(photo credit: GiuliaMcGauran)

 

“The 24-year-old from Melbourne, Australia, has a knack for spinning the tiny, unremarkable details of everyday existence into riveting portraits of twenty-something life — and then topping it all off with a gale-force indie-rock hook.” — Entertainment Weekly (“Breaking Big”)

“This single by Melbourne’s Alex Lahey has got to be one of the peppiest songs about rejection ever—a song about being disliked, and yet it is only likable.” — Pitchfork, on “You Don’t Think You Like People Like Me” (“Best New Track”)

“It’s one of the most impressive indie rock introductions in recent memory…” — Stereogum, on “B-Grade University” (“Artist To Watch”)

“Post-grad ennui and the bizarre feeling of being out of school are topics that have been tread by plenty of artists, but Alex Lahey’s specificity, wry humor, and sun-streaked guitar melodies (not to mention her brilliant, tongue-in-cheek music videos) breathe new life into these universal experiences.” — NYLON

“I’m just some random from Melbourne.” Alex Lahey likes to keep it real. The 24-year-old Australian musician takes her rise up the ranks from music student to ‘an artist with one of the most highly anticipated debut albums of 2017’ in stride.

Lahey’s debut album, I Love You Like A Brother (out October 6th on Dead Oceans), drops fresh off the back of Lahey’s breakthrough EP in 2016, “B-Grade University”, which earned her a slew of glowing press from the likes of Entertainment Weekly, Stereogum, NYLON, Noisey, and beyond. Last year, Lahey’s “You Don’t Think You Like People Like Me” single was inescapable and landed a “Best New Track” on Pitchfork, as well as a spot in the Australian radio network triple j’s prestigious Hottest 100 of 2016.

Born and raised in Melbourne, Lahey initially studied jazz saxophone at university but unimpressed with “learning music in such a regimented way” she switched to an arts degree. Her tenure with cult music collective Animaux allowed Lahey the musical anarchy she yearned – hell, she booked the band their first gig before they’d even prepared a single song.

Brother finds Lahey back in the studio with production partner, and one-half of Holy Holy, Oscar Dawson (Ali Barter, British India). The pair pushed each other to create an intimate sonic experience that comprises scuzzy guitars thrumming over pop melodies, helmed by Lahey’s unfussy but arresting vocals. The album’s songs traverse the everyday themes of family, heartbreak and identity. Lahey tells her stories with character and dry humor – “I’ve figured it out,” she sings in “Awkward Exchange”, “you’re a bit of a dick” – but there are also moments of darkness. In “Taking Care” she muses, “I’ve gained weight and I drink too much, maybe that’s why you don’t love me as much.” The poignant “Backpack” is a tribute to Lahey’s latest relationship, and the unsure start it got off to.

The themes of Alex Lahey’s album might be universal, but it’s the unique approach she takes unpacking them that’s earned her millions of Spotify streams, buzz-worthy showcases at SXSW and festival sets alongside the likes of Flume, The Kills, At The Drive-In and James Blake as well as guesting on tours with Catfish & The Bottlemen, Tegan & Sara and Blondie.

Lahey will bring her tour in support of I Love You Like A Brother stateside this November, kicking off in Boston on Wed. November 15th. A full list of tour dates are below.
WATCH VIDEO FOR “EVERY DAY’S THE WEEKEND” — 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBj_magluuc

 

ALEX LAHEY TOUR DATES (US DATES IN BOLD):
Tue. Oct. 26 – Brussels, BE @ Botanique Witloofbar [tix]
Fri. Oct. 27 – Rotterdam, NL @ V11 [tix]
Mon. Oct. 30 – Cologne, DE @ Blue Shell [tix]
Tue. Oct. 31 – Hamburg, DE @ Molotow Musikclub [tix]
Wed. Nov. 1 – Berlin, DE @ Privat Club [tix]
Wed. Nov. 3 – Munich, DE @ Kranhalle [tix]
Sat. Nov. 4 – Stuttgart, DE @ Keller Klub [tix]
Sun. Nov. 5 – Fribourg, DE @ Espace culturel Le Nouveau Monde [tix]
Mon. Nov. 6 – Paris, FR @ La Mécanique Ondulatoire [tix]
Wed. Nov. 8 – London, UK @ Boston Music Room [tix]
Tue. Nov. 9 – Bristol, UK @ The Louisiana [tix]
Fri. Nov. 10 – Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Social Club [tix]
Sat. Nov. 11 – Manchester, UK @ Deaf Institute [tix]
Sun. Nov. 12 – Glasgow, UK @ King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut [tix]
Wed. Nov. 15 – Allston, MA @ Great Scott [tix]
Thu. Nov. 16 – Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg [tix]
Fri. Nov. 17 – Philadelphia, PA @ World Cafe Live [tix]
Sun. Nov. 19 – Washington, DC @ DC9 [tix]
Wed. Nov. 22 – Toronto, ON @ The Drake Hotel – Underground [tix]
Fri. Nov. 24 – Chicago, IL @ Subterranean [tix]
Sat. Nov. 25th – Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry [tix]
Wed. Nov. 29 – Dallas, TX @ Club Dada [tix]
Thu. Nov. 30 – Austin, TX @ Barracuda [tix]
Sat. Dec. 2 – Denver, CO @ Lost Lake Lounge [tix]
Sun. Dec. 3 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court [tix]
Tue. Dec. 5 – Phoenix, AZ @ The Rebel Lounge [tix]
Wed. Dec. 6 – San Diego, CA @ The Casbah [tix]
Fri. Dec. 8 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Echo [tix]
Sat.Dec. 9 – San Francisco, CA @ Bottom of the Hill [tix]
Mon. Dec. 11 – Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios [tix]
Tue. Dec. 12 – Vancouver, BC @ The Cobalt [tix]
Wed. Dec. 13 – Seattle, WA @ Chop Suey [tix]

 

I LOVE YOU LIKE A BROTHER TRACKLIST:
01. Every Day’s The Weekend
02. I Love You Like A Brother
03. Perth Traumatic Stress Disorder
04. I Haven’t Been Taking Care Of Myself
05. Backpack
06. Awkward Exchange

07. I Want U

08. Lotto In Reverse

09. Let’s Call It A Day

10. There’s No Money

Pre-order I Love You Like A Brother — https://alexlahey.lnk.to/brother

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

(I Love You Like A Brother album art)

Alex Lahey online:
alexlahey.com.au
facebook.com/alexlaheymusic
twitter.com/alexlahey
instagram.com/alex_lahey
pitchperfectpr.com/alex-lahey

Briana Marela’s shares new single from upcoming album due August 4th.

BRIANA MARELA SHARES NEW SONG, “FEEL WHAT I FEEL,”
AND ANNOUNCES SEPTEMBER TOUR

https://youtu.be/oK0_TlZ1P1c

NEW ALBUM, CALL IT LOVE, OUT AUGUST 4TH ON JAGJAGUWAR

(photo credit – Eleanor Petry)

“an exciting and exhilarating new terrain for Marela” — Stereogum

Olympia-based Briana Marela explores the sounds of love in beautiful, striking new ways on her forthcoming album, Call It Love, out August 4th via Jagjaguwar. Produced by Juan Pieczanski and Ryan Heyner of Small Black, the album presents both her ambient, ethereal side and brighter, beat-driven pop leanings. Following the release of “Quit” and “Give Me Your Love,” Marela now shares “Feel What I Feel,” a song initially written about her first big breakup when she was barely twenty. In the recorded version, it bears a new sophistication; the lyrics dare the subject to jump back in, even as the music reminds them Marela doesn’t need their love to be happy.

Catch Marela on the road in September supporting San Fermin.

Stream Briana Marela’s “Feel What I Feel” –
https://youtu.be/oK0_TlZ1P1c

“Give Me Your Love” –
https://youtu.be/mV21zXLoT2s
http://open.spotify.com/album/1qVsrYXGsyCbZC8T0lTHiC

“Quit” –
https://soundcloud.com/jagjaguwar/briana-marela-quit-2/s-9KqDG
http://open.spotify.com/album/3ksYQpIUvO7bMmvH4JpShh

Briana Marela Tour Dates:
(all shows with San Fermin)
Thu. Sep. 14 – Detroit, MI @ Magic Stick
Fri. Sep. 15 – Kalamazoo, MI @ Bells Brewery
Sat. Sep. 16 – Indianapolis, IN @ Hi-Fi Lounge
Sun. Sep. 17 – Madison, WI @ High Noon Saloon
Mon. Sep. 18 – Des Moines, IA @ Vaudeville Mews
Wed. Sep. 20 – Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theater
Thu. Sep. 21 – Ft. Collins, CO @ Downtown Artery
Fri. Sep. 22 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The State Room
Sun. Sep. 24 – Phoenix, AZ @ Valley Bar

Pre-order Call It Love –
https://brianamarela.lnk.to/callitlovePR

The Damned announce UK winter tour dates.

British punk legends the Damned have announced winter tour dates for the United Kingdom.  They put on a great live show, and catching them in their homeland would be outstanding.  Tickets are on sale now for the Evil Spirits tour, so don’t wait to snag some if you’re in the UK or planning a trip there this winter.

Keep your mind open.

Desert Daze 2017 announces a great lineup.

The 2017 Desert Daze music festival in Joshua Tree, California is boasting one of the best festival lineups of 2017.  This four-day festival of psychedelic and stoner rock is well worth the trip if you don’t live close to the west coast.

Just some of the stand-outs in my book are Eagles of Death Metal, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, the Thurston Moore Group, Liars, Boris, Allah-Las, La Femme, the Budos Band, Deap Vally, Holy Wave, Froth, L.A. Witch, Death Valley Girls, Jjuujjuu, and Dahga Bloom.

Get your tickets now.  I’d be there if I could, but I’ll probably have used up most of my vacation time by the time October 12th arrives.

Keep your mind open.

[Don’t get caught in a daze by missing music news and reviews.  Subscribe.]

Oh Sees deliver new single, “Animated Violence,” from upcoming album.

OH SEES SHARE “ANIMATED VIOLENCE” OFF UPCOMING ALBUM ORC

CASTLE FACE AUCTIONS OFF HAND-PAINTED TEST PRESSINGS FOR DOWNTOWN WOMEN’S CENTER

ORC OUT AUGUST 25TH ON CASTLE FACE

Today, Oh Sees share one of their heaviest songs yet, the punishing “Animated Violence.” It comes to us off their forthcoming album (their 19th album is 20 years!), Orc, out 8/25 on Castle Face.

LISTEN TO “ANIMATED VIOLENCE”
http://bit.ly/2sMKAT7

Also, Castle Face has listed 14 Dwyer-hand-painted test pressings for auction on eBay, with all the proceeds going to the Downtown Women’s Center in Los Angeles. Castle Face’s co-captain Matt Jones:

We here at Castle Face are committed to making positive change in our community, and the homelessness epidemic in downtown Los Angeles is a tragic and complex issue. Homeless women in particular are an especially vulnerable population and we are happy to help out in any way that we can to assist in permanent solutions for them and our community. This auction features test pressings of the last smattering of John Dwyer’s projects with the label – Coachwhips, Oh Sees, and Damaged Bug are all represented – and feature one of a kind artwork on the jackets by the man himself, rendered in black and glow in the dark ink. 
BID ON HAND-PAINTED TEST PRESSINGS
http://ebay.to/2uOB6Ik 

Finally, the band has announced a second show at Warsaw in Brooklyn. Don’t miss to see the greatest live band of the decade as it enters its third decade of existence!
LYRICS TO “ANIMATED VIOLENCE”

OLD IS WARRIOR
DRINK THE POISON
I AM WARRIOR
CRUSH YOUR HEAD IN

WHO IS AT THE DOOR
BLASTING LIFE AWAY?
I AM WARRIOR
FEAST ON FAMILY

WHY IS WARRIOR
SWINGING BLUDGEON?
HOW DOES WARRIOR
SWALLOW DYNASTY?

AND WOE IS WARRIOR
CRACKING ARMOR
SWOLLEN BELLY UP
ON DISMAL VISTA

WHO IS THE WARRIOR?

LISTEN TO “THE STATIC GOD”
http://bit.ly/2s27Yix

OH SEES TOUR DATES
Sat. July 22 – Sun. July 23 – Los Angeles, CA @ FYF
Sun. Aug. 6 – Katowice, PL @ OFF Festival
Tue. Aug. 8 – Hamburg, DE @ Molotow
Thu. Aug. 10 – Oslo, NO @ Oya Festival
Fri. Aug. 11 – Gothenburg, DW @ Way Out West Festival
Sat. Aug. 12 – Copenhagen, DK @ Pumpehuset
Fri. Aug. 18 – Saint Malo, FR @ La Route du Rock
Sat. Aug. 19 – Brecon Beacons, UK @ Green Man Festival
Fri. Sept. 1 – Phoenix, AZ @ The Crescent Ballroom
Sat. Sept. 2 – Albuquerque, NM @ Sister Bar
Mon. Sept. 4 – Austin, TX @ Hotel Vegas Outside
Tue. Sept. 5 – New Orleans, LA @ One Eyed Jack’s
Wed. Sept. 6 – Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playhouse
Fri. Sept. 8 – Philadelphia, PA @ Trocadero Theater
Sa. Sept. 9 – Brooklyn, NY @ Warsaw
Sun. Sept. 10 – Brooklyn, NY @ Warsaw
Wed. Sept. 13 – Cambridge, MA @ The Sinclair
Thu. Sept. 14 – Montreal, QC @ La Tulipe I Le National
Fri. Sept. 15 – Toronto, ON @ Danforth Theater
Sat. Sept. 16 – Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Ballroom
Sun. Sept. 17 – Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall
Tue. Sept. 19 – Milwaukee, WI @ Turner Hall
Fri. Sept. 22 – Missoula, MT @ Monk’s
Sat. Sept. 23 – Seattle, WA @ Neumo’s
Sun. Sept. 24 – Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom
Mon. Sept. 25 – Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom
Wed. Sept. 27 – San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall
Thur. Sept. 28 – San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall

Pre-order Orc – https://www.midheaven.com/item/orc-by-oh-sees
Hi-res photos/album art: http://pitchperfectpr.com/thee-oh-sees/

Melkbelly’s debut album due October 13th.

MELKBELLY ANNOUNCE DEBUT ALBUM, NOTHING VALLEY, OUT 10/13 ON WAX NINE/CARPARK

WATCH THE VIDEO FOR “KID KREATIVE”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mJoRmdYTo0

Noisy, subversively catchy and rhythmically sophisticated, Chicago quartet Melkbelly emerge from Chicago’s DIY spaces with their debut album, Nothing Valley, out Oct. 13th on Wax Nine Records, a sister label to Carpark Records headed by Sadie Dupuis of Speedy Ortiz.

Melkbelly’s members live and breathe Chicago’s art and music underground where their paths crossed and alliances were forged. Vocalist/guitarist Miranda Winters played solo in folk rock project reddelicious. Brothers Bart and Liam Winters (the tall fellas playing guitar and bass in Melkbelly) ran an influential show space in Chicago. Drawn together by their passion for East Coast noise, particularly the flavor originating from Miranda’s previous homebase of Providence, RI, Miranda and Bart of Coffin Ships recruited James Wetzel, who studied jazz drums in college, from improvisational free-drum/noise duo Ree-Yees. This new group of friends orbiting the loft and art scene, began collaborating on each other’s projects, formalizing in a more guitar-driven quartet Melkbelly in 2014.

Melkbelly’s debut EP Pennsylvania came out that same year. Engineered by Cooper Crain of Cave/Bitchin’ Bajas, the record came easily. The Chicago Reader enthused for single “Doomspringa” with its “noisy guitar freak-outs” and “beautifully melodic verses” and compared Melkbelly, accurately, to a hybrid of the Breeders and Lightning Bolt.

In 2016, the band tested the waters with new material. Inspired by the geography of a West Coast tour, shared band experiences, the van “as a magical place” and failed touristic detours at a meteor crater (it was closed) and Spiral Jetty (not van-friendly), the band gathered material written by Miranda and spawned from recorded jams for its next album. In early 2017, Melkbelly recorded with Dave Vettraino at Chicago’s Public House, writing about half the album in the studio and tracking it to 8-track analog tape. The result is Nothing Valley, organized noise and thoughtful freneticism, a fusion of dreamy vocal lines and cantankerous guitar racket. Today they share the video for “Kid Kreative.” “Kid Kreative is about creating a unique aesthetic in art or music only to have it hijacked and manhandled by someone else who reaps the rewards,” explains Miranda Winters. “It was inspired by existing as a woman in the predominantly male space of loud-music where it’s easy to be both looked over and ‘borrowed’ from.”

WATCH “KID KREATIVE” VIDEO
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mJoRmdYTo0

PRE-ORDER NOTHING VALLEY
wax nine – smarturl.it/nothingvalley_wax9
itunes – smarturl.it/nothingvalley_itunes
apple music – smarturl.it/nothingvalley_apple

NOTHING VALLEY TRACKLISTING
1. Off The Lot
2. Kid Kreative
3. R.O.R.O.B.
4. Greedy Gull
5. Petrified
6. Middle Of
7. Twin Lookin Motherfucker
8. RUNXRN
9. R2PCM
10. Cawthra
11. Helloween

MELKBELLY TOUR DATES
Wed. Sep 6 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Cattivo w/ Protomartyr
Thu. Sep. 7 – Baltimore, MD @ Metro Gallery w/ Protomartyr
Fri. Sep 8 – Raleigh, NC @ Hopscotch Festival
Sat. Sep. 9 – Asheville, NC @ Mothlight w/ Protomartyr
Sun. Sep. 10 – Cincinnati, OH @ Northside Yacht Club w/ Protomartyr
Fri. Oct. 13 – Chicago, IL @ The Hideout (Record Release Show)
Melkbelly Online:
https://melkbelly.bandcamp.com
https://www.facebook.com/melkbelly/
https://www.instagram.com/melkbelly/
https://twitter.com/melkbelly
http://www.waxnine.com/artists/melkbelly/