News – Page 47 – 7th Level Music

Debauch-a-Reno 2023 announces lineup schedule.

Both weekends of DEBAUCH-a-ReNO are set in stone and nearly sold out as of this announcement. Here’s a summary of expectations, and scroll down to see the official schedule.

The first weekend kicks off on the night of June 16th over at Cypress with four powerhouse local groups demonstrating there’s still a burgeoning DIY scene happening throughout the Biggest Little City In The World. The bands scheduled to grace the stage that evening include the contemporary post-punk neanderthal-ism of Clarko, the jangling garage beat-meets-jugular slash punk attack and sarcasm of The Juvinals, the trashcan glam n’ roll of Pussy Velour, and the urgent, mudslide sound of Rotary Club.

The following day’s event begins in the afternoon at Wingfield Park Amphitheatre. It culminates with a co-headlining bill with notorious Belgium punks, The Kids, playing their first US show in seven years alongside San Bruno’s anchormen of the trash rock netherworld, The Mummies, and Sacramento garage rock titans, The Troublemakers, who mark three decades together this year. Playing in support is Tucson’s own Farfisa a-go-go power quartet, The Okmoniks, making a return to DEBAUCH-a-ReNO, and local quartet Thee Saturday Knights opening the afternoon. However, the budget rock n’ roll onslaught doesn’t end upon the final chord ring out from Kids frontman Ludo Meriman’s guitar; the after-party returns to Cypress, where Holland blues-punk trio, Lo-Lite makes their long-awaited US return alongside the unhinged antagonism of Jamie Paul Lamb’s sardonic alter ego, Puppy and The Hand Jobs, and the Bay Area’s own Just Head, in addition to A SPECIAL SURPRISE GUEST!!!!

Closing out the weekend is another pair of co-headliners hailing from San Diego county as revered Chula Vista punks The Zeroes will make a return to Reno to headline June 18th’s performance at Wingfield Park alongside the twang guitar and power tools action of fellow San Diegans, Deadbolt. Support will be provided by a band that L7 helped push into the masses with their “American Society” cover on Smell The Magic as Eddie & The Subtitles will perform alongside Reno psych-punks, Spitting Image, and Los Angeles rockers, Tube Alloys.

The second weekend’s one-night stand soiree will occur south of Reno in the time-stamped silver mining town of Virginia City on July 14th and anchored by a man whose work crosses music, publishing, and painting AND whom Kurt Cobain, Jack White, Graham Coxon, and Kylie Minogue have paid tribute to in their own right with Wild Billy Childish & CTMF, making their exclusive US performance for 2023 at Piper’s Opera House (est. 1863) alongside Sacramento’s garage-mod screamers, Th’ Losin Streaks. A goodclosing lineup, right? Well, those two weren’t enough because we’ve got one of America’s more criminally underrated bands flying in from one sweatbox to another, with the gutter minimalist bump n’ grind of Subsonics making a rare and special appearance from Atlanta.

DEBAUCH-a-ReNo 2023 June Weekend Schedule
*Headliners
Non-Headliner schedule subject to change
DJs include Jello Biafra, Vivi Martian, Tony The Tyger, Bazooka Joe, and Slovenly Pete
Friday, June 16th (8:00 p.m. – 4:00 a,m.) – OPENING PARTY with bands / DJs**
Venue: Cypress Reno (directions + info here).
Lineup: The Juvinals, Clarko, Pussy Velour, Rotary Club

Saturday, June 17th (2:00 p.m. -10:00 p.m.) – MAIN EVENT with bands, DJs, and record fair
Venue: Wingfield Park Amphitheater (directions + info here).
Lineup: The Kids*, The Mummies*, The Troublemakers*, Okmoniks, Thee Saturday Knights

Saturday, June 17th (10:00 p.m. – 4:00 a.m.) – AFTERPARTY with bands / DJs
Venue: Cypress Reno
Lineup: Lo-Life, Puppy and The Hand Jobs, Just Head + SURPRISE SPECIAL GUEST!

Sunday, June 18th (2:00 p.m. -10:00 p.m.) – MAIN EVENT with bands & DJs**
Venue: Wingfield Park Amphitheater
Lineup: The Zeros*, Deadbolt*, Eddie & The Subtitles, Spitting Image, Tube Alloys

DEBAUCH-a-ReNO 2023 July One-Nighter Schedule
Friday, July 14th (7:00 p.m – Midnight) – MAIN EVENT with bands & DJ Bazooka Joe
Venue: Piper’s Opera House (directions + info here)
Lineup: Wild Billy Childish & CTMF*, Subsonics, Th’ Losin Streaks

CLICK HERE TO HEAR THE DEBAUCH-a-ReNO MIXTAPE FOR KWNK RADIO!

Tickets
Full passes (access to both Wingfield & Cypress shows), Park (Wingfield only), and Virginia City tickets are available through Eventsmart. That’s a good thing; they’re the kind of company who don’t blindside customers with the insane hidden fees the larger ticket companies are notorious for.

GET YOUR DEBAUCH-a-ReNO PASSES HERE
Room Deals
Hotel deals for DEBAUCH-a-ReNO are available through RENO SUITES in Downtown Reno (a 10-minute walk from Wingfield Park) for $109/nightly (that price includes taxes and fees). The reviews at this place are solid, and to get this rate, you’ll need to book through the link below.

BOOK YOUR DISCOUNTED HOTEL ROOM HERE

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

[Thanks to Matthew at Shattered Platter PR.]

The Mary Onettes return with a new double single – “Forever Before Love / Future Grief.”

Swedish indie-pop masterminds The Mary Onettes return with a new double single, “Forever Before Love” b/w “Future Grief” on Welfare Sounds. These songs mark a return to the dreamy, overcast pop that has been The Mary Onettes’ trademark since first forming over 20 years ago, reiterating the signature craft that has put their music in the hearts of indie-pop connoisseurs around the world.

“‘Forever Before Love” is about finding the way back to yourself after a very long relationship. The process of trying to connect with the person you were before that,” explains The Mary Onettes’ main song writer Philip Ekström.

While “Future Grief” contains a guest appearance from Adnes Aldén, a close friend of brothers Philip and his brother Henri Ekström, an addition that gives the song an extra vocal dimension. “This track has been around for quite some time. We recorded the vocals with Agnes in 2016 and we have been waiting eagerly to share this one. Agnes wrote the lyrics for the verse and I wrote the words for the choruses, which gives the story a nice two angel perspective.”

Following the release of “Forever Before Love” b/w “Future Grief”, The Mary Onettes will embark on a headlining tour of Sweden, and perform a homecoming festival show in Huskvarna, before starting to work on their upcoming album.

The Mary Onettes formed in 2000 and quickly gained a devoted following with their unique brand of indie-pop, drawing comparisons to bands like The Smiths and Echo & the Bunnymen. Over the years, they’ve released a string of critically acclaimed albums and singles, earning praise from publications like Pitchfork and NME. Although development is crucial for a band, one thing has remained the same — the songs. The band revolves around Philip’s songwriting and although some songs have been stripped down, rebuilt or even thrown away throughout the years, they have kept coming.

With the recent release of the singles “What I Feel in Some Places” and “Easy Hands,” as well as the long-awaited vinyl treatment of their 2018 smash hit Cola Falls EP, The Mary Onettes have gained both creative momentum and international praise.

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[Thanks to Patrick at Pitch Perfect PR.]

Charm School release “Simulacra” ahead of new “Finite Jest” EP due July 21, 2023.

Today, post punk band Charm School share their fire-y new track, “Simulacra” from their forthcoming debut EP Finite Jest out July 21 via sonaBLAST! Records.

“Simulacra” was tracked and mixed by Nick Roeder, and features drum programming by Matia Simovich “INHALT” who worked on MIA’s “Paper Planes” as well as on several Boy Harsher tracks. Both Simovich and famed Chicago engineer Steve Albini did alternate mixes of “Simulacra” which will come out later this year.

Andrew of Charm School says, “‘Simulacra’ is our attempt at skewering the politics of now over a good dance beat. By way of Jean Baudrillard the song addresses our society’s profound sense of disconnection resulting from our constant interaction with fabricated representations of reality. Aka the disquieting fact that these counterfeit depictions of life are increasingly valued over reality itself, and the even more troubling reality that social media companies are profiting handsomely from this exploitative situation.”

Charm School is Andrew Sellers’ (aka Andrew Rinehart) new music project with longtime collaborators Matt Filip and Drew English and drummer and multi-instrumentalist Jason Bemis Lawrence. The name change signals a move away from Sellers’ folk and pop-based songwriting (as evidenced by his recent duet with Bonnie “Prince” Billy) toward a much darker and more aggressive sound. Think 70s post-punk mixed with 90s post-rock and you’ll be close. Originally from Louisville, KY, Sellers has paid his dues in both the NYC and LA DIY music scenes, co-founding The Body Actualized Center in Bushwick and booking shows at Basic Flowers in Downtown LA. Charm School represents a return to his punk and hardcore roots, to the kind of music that shaped his musical consciousness as a teenager (bands like Slint, The Jesus Lizard, Nation of Ulysses, Fugazi, etc.).

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[I’d be charmed if you subscribed.]

[Thanks to Alex at Terrorbird Media.]

Kedr Livanskiy send her new single “With Love K…”

Producer / musician Kedr Livanskiy (neé Yana Kedrina) returns with a dance-floor-ready new EP, K-Notes. It’s an expert fusion of drum and bass, trance, and alt-pop anchored by Kedrina’s signature crystalline vocals. K-Notes feels at once nostalgic and remarkably current: Livanskiy filters today’s UK revivalism through her own unique lens, shaped by her upbringing in Russia’s underground music scene and her personal love of early electronic and alternative music.

Kedrina’s longstanding fascination with the natural world is still apparent in her lyrics, sung in her native Russian. Throughout these tracks, lovers disappear into clouds, seek shelter from the rain, and look back fondly on summers past. As always, Kedrina has a remarkable knack for world-building: her rich compositions envelop the listener in a dream-world so visceral that it transcends the barriers of language. Concise but immersive, K-Notes is a fresh dose of ebullience from an artist at the top of her craft.

Its vivacious lead single “With Love K…” is a melodic drum-and-bass love song and is out today alongside its amorous / nostalgic video which Kedrina directed herself.

Watch / Share “With Love K…” (Official Music Video)

Bright and upbeat, K-Notes is more akin sonically to Kedrina’s 2019 album Your Need than her recent work. Where Your Need was a neon-tinged ode to early house, dub, and breakbeat, Liminal Soul saw her infuse her electronic compositions with organic textures and hone in on her vocal technique. More recently, she chased that inspiration further and teamed up with her partner Flaty to form the indie duo Kosaya Gora, experimenting with guitar-based folk and dream pop compositions on their debut record Kosogor. Her artistic focus has once again found the dance floor, and on K-Notes she channels the sounds of her spirited live show into a dynamic new collection.

K-Notes sees its release solely across digital platforms on Thursday, June 22 via 2MR. Pre-save it here.

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[Thanks to Bailey at Another Side.]

Snõõper’s new single, “Fitness,” is your new favorite workout song.

Today, Nashville-based DIY outfit Snõõper present the rousing new single/video, “Fitness,” from their forthcoming debut album, Super Snõõper, out July 14th on Third Man Records. “Fitness” maintains the high octane speed of frantic lead single “Pod,” and its accompanying video — directed by vocalist Blair Tramel — showcases the puppetry used in their live performances. Almost all of the props and puppets in the video were made and reassembled by Tramel, and the video offers a glimpse of the playful mayhem that can be expected at one of their storied concerts. Of “Fitness,” Tramel states: “‘Fitness’ was written just for fun without much thought, which is exactly the way I think working out should be. This song is about competition, doing things for the validation of others, and how ridiculous that can be. Before our first show, I made a paper mache weight to use during this song. It was our very first prop and the only prop we used for a while. ‘Fitness’ is a special song to us because it is still one of our most fun songs to play live.”
Watch Snõõper’s “Fitness” Video
Snõõper is a band who, in a 33 ⅓ RPM world, make 45 RPM music they play at 78 RPM. They maintain super precise instrumentals and skillfully melodic vocals, even though they’re flooring it almost the entire time. Snõõper doesn’t play fast; they play at the speed of Snõõper. The project began in 2020 as a collaboration between local Nashville punk mainstay Connor Cummins (guitar) and Blair Tramel (vocals), an early education teacher with a sideline in wickedly funny animation and art. As their cassette tapes and homemade videos began to find scattered fans around the world, the duo brought the project to the live stage in late 2021 with the addition of Cam Sarrett (drums), Happy Haugen (bass), and Ian Teeple (guitar). Thus, Snõõper was born. Their debut album, Super Snõõper, was recorded at The Bomb shelter in Nashville. It follows EPs “Music For Spies” (2020), “Snõõper” (2021), and “Town Topic” (2022), as well as the live album LIVE AT EXIT/IN 11-23-22, released this past February. Given the brief glimpses into Snõõper’s music from their 7”s, EPs, and thrilling live performances, one might wonder if the group could hold the line for a full album. The answer is an enthusiastic yes. In the words of Henry Rollins, “Speaking selfishly, I want Snõõper to hurry up and make another album. Super Snõõper is a really cool record.” This summer, Snõõper will play a handful of shows in the US before embarking on an Australian tour. A full list of dates is below, with more to be announced soon.
Watch “Pod” Video
Listen to “Fitness”
Pre-order Super Snõõper

Snõõper Tour Dates
Fri. June 2 – Athens, GA @ 40 Watt
Sat. June 3 – Savannah, GA @ Dog Days Fest ^
Sun. June 4 – Atlanta, GA @ Sabbath ^
Mon. June 5 – Nashville, TN @ Soft Junk ^
Fri. June 16 – Gold Coast, AU @ Vinnies Dive Bar #
Sat. June 17 – Brisbane, AU @ The Bearded Lady #
Thu. June 22 – Wollongong, AU @ La La La’s
Fri. June 23 – Sydney, AU @ Oxford Art Factory #+
Sun. June 25 – Newcastle, AU @ Hamilton Station Hotel
Thu. June 29 – Canberra, AU @ Sideway Bar
Fri. June 30 – Melbourne, AU @ Last Chance Rock & Roll Bar
Sat. July 1 – Melbourne, AU @ Nighthawks %
Sun. July 2 – San Francisco, CA @ Mosswood Meltdown
Wed. July 5 – Vancouver, BC @ Green Auto
Fri. July 7 – Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge
Sat. July 8 – Seattle, WA @ Clock Out Lounge
Fri. Oct. 13 – Sun. Oct. 15 – Austin, TX @ Austin City Limits Festival

^ w/ Prison Affair
# w/ Gee Tee
+ w/ RMFC
% w/ Parsnip

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[Thanks to Ahmad at Pitch Perfect PR.]

Girl Ray lift us “Up” with their new single.

Last month, London band Girl Ray announced their third LP, Prestige (out August 4th on Moshi Moshi). The three-piece comprising Poppy Hankin, Iris McConnell and Sophie Moss, made an immediate impact with the release of their 2017 debut Earl Grey on the influential indie Moshi Moshi (Anna Meredith, Florence & The Machine, Kate Nash), which channeled the baroque 70s soft pop of Todd Rundgren through the scrappy aesthetics of 80s UK indie and earned high praise from outlets like Pitchfork, The Guardian, Stereogum and FADER among many others. Their second LP, 2019’s Girl, saw the band change direction dramatically, taking on a kind of indie-fied R&B that The Guardian described as “the great sound of a band getting pop wrong,” and in 2021 the band returned in yet another new guise, releasing the one off, house-adjacent single “Give Me Your Love” that was produced with Hot Chip‘s Joe Goddard and Al Doyle.

Their latest album, which they made with the revered producer Ben H Allen (Gnarls Barkley, Animal Collective, MIA, Belle & Sebastian), sees the band adjust the formula once more, incorporating a disco influence that in Girl Ray’s hands led FADER to describe their sound as the music “Dua Lipa would make if she was more used to playing pubs than arenas.” The early response to their new direction has been extremely enthusiastic in the press, with the lead single “Hold Tight” and pre-announce track “Everybody’s Saying That” earning praise from outlets like FADER, Billboard, Paste, Consequence, BrooklynVegan, Line of Best Fit, Clash, The Guardian, Under The Radar and Stereogum who described the lead single as “like if Haim were hopping on Vampire Weekend tracks when Rostam was still in the band.”

Today, the band are sharing a new preview of their new album, the groove-oriented “Up” that recalls Young Americans-era Bowie as filtered through the blended synths and strings aesthetic of early Giorgio Moroder.

LISTEN: to Girl Ray’s “Up” HERE

About the track, Poppy Hankin, says:

“This song was written at the beginning of my current relationship, and it deals with all the emotions of a fledgling romance: adoration, self-doubt, and everything in between! Musically we wanted to pay homage to the sparseness of Queen’s ‘Cool Cat’, and the groove of Bowie’s ‘Fame.'”

In support of the new LP Girl Ray have announced a UK tour that will begin in November. Full details can be found below.

Prestige will be released August 4th on Moshi Moshi. It’s available for preorder/presave here.

Tour Dates
04/08 – London, Rough Trade East
09/08 – Nottingham, Rough Trade Nottingham
10/08 – Bristol, Rough Trade Bristol
17/08 – Brecon Beacons, Green Man Festival
12/11 – Amsterdam, Paradiso
13/11 – Hamburg, Aalhaus
14/11 – Copenhagen, Ideal Bar
16/11 – Berlin, Marie-Antoinette
17/11 – Brussels, Witloof Bar
20/11 – Paris, Boule Noire
21/11 – Brighton, Patterns
22/11 – Bristol, Fleece
24/11 – Manchester, The Soup Kitchen
25/11 – Glasgow, Room 2
26/11 – Dublin, The Workmans Club
28/11 – Leeds, Belgrave Music Hall
29/11 – Nottingham, Rescue Rooms
03/12 – London, Village Underground

Keep your mind open.

[You can lift me up by subscribing.]

[Thanks to Tom at Hive Mind PR.]

Margaritas Podridas’ new single hits you in the “Corazon.”

The Hermosillo, Mexico-based quartet Margaritas Podridas have been riding a rare wave of excitement in 2023. An underground sensation in their native Mexico, the band began to make inroads in the US with their 2022 KEXP session, which has racked up over 500k views, and showcased the band’s ferocious live show and transfixing blend of shoegaze, grunge and punk influences. 2023 has seen the group hit the road consistently, playing the SXSW, opening for The Smashing Pumpkins at Mexico City’s The World Is A Vampire festival and opening touring in support of Mannequin Pussy and Protomartyr in the US. The American press has taken notice as well, with the band featured in Rolling Stone, Spin, Brooklyn Vegan, and last month their single “Filosa” was given a glowing write up from NPR when it was released as part of the Sub Pop Singles Club series.

Today, following a triumphant headlining show in LA over the weekend, the band are sharing a new single entitled “Corazon” which is accompanied by a video directed by the group’s leader Carolina Rivera.

WATCH
Margaritas Podridas – “Corazon” video on YouTube

Rivera says of the track:

“I made this song when I was angry. It’s about being hurt by the words of someone you love. I wrote it at El Corazon venue in Seattle. It is a very personal song about how my heart was at the time. I felt like nothing made sense anymore; being there wasn’t enough even although it was my dream I wasn’t happy. Probably lack of sun and all my bad choices in life.”

In July Margaritas Podridas will embark on their first European tour. Full details can be found below.

Tour Dates
7/10 – Berlin – Reverberation Fest
7/17 – Groningen – VERA
7/20 – London – The Lower Third
7/22 – Bristol – Crofter’s Rights
7/23 – Brighton – The Hope & Ruin
7/25 – Paris – Supersonic
7/27 – San Sebastian – Dabadaba
7/28 – Oviedo – Edificio Histórico de la Universidad de Oviedo
729 – Madrid – Sala Clamores
7/31 – Barcelona – Upload
8/1 – Marseille – La Molotov

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[It would warm my corazon if you subscribed.]

[Thanks to Tom at Hive Mind PR.]

quickly, quickly releases new single – “Falling Apart without You.”

Today, Portland, Oregon multi-faceted musician quickly, quickly shares dreamy, jazz-influenced single “Falling Apart Without You”. The track follows funky lead-single “Satellite” and the announcement of his new EP, Easy Listening, out May 26th via Ghostly.

On the track, Jonson shares: “This song started out as sort of a joke, a tongue in cheek breakup song leaning heavy on the camp. I wanted to make something that sounded like a weird 70’s song from a different planet with the sensibilities of a blossom dearie track or something similar. I made the whole track in a night and forgot about it for a while and upon re-listening I figured it would fit perfectly on the EP as campy as it is.”

The new quickly, quickly EP finds Portland, Oregon’s Graham Jonson back in his home studio, engrossed in ‘60s psychedelic soul music, imagining some bygone era where it was all about the drum sounds and tape decay. He calls itEasy Listening; the songs are short and inviting, modest yet loaded with ideas. Each started with the drum part, a loose grid for Jonson to paint his idiosyncratic psych-pop across, again playing nearly every instrument.

The set follows his 2021 LP, The Long And The Short of It, the 22-year-old musician’s debut on Ghostly International, a coming-of-age jump from the chill beats-oriented corners of the internet to a full-fledged songwriting project with hi-fi sophistication. The moment culminated with Pitchfork’s Rising profile, “quickly, quickly’s Technicolor Pop Bursts Beyond the Algorithm,” and kickstarted the formation of his 6-piece live band for a run of exploratory shows along the west coast. But as the tangible demands for his music pulled him outward and some growing pains in his personal life ensued, Jonson focused his energy back inside; to the comforts of home recording, filling his space with more gear and sessions with friends. Maybe a bit of a droll title for a hard time, Easy Listening briefly pauses for air, offering five of his breeziest basement jams for public enjoyment.

That basement is home to racks of synthesizers and an array of drum machines, guitars, bongos, xylophones, and the like. One notable addition to the Easy Listening setup was the Teac reel-to-reel tape machine he found on eBay and hooked up to Ableton. “I used it frequently to add color/texture to the project by running individual instruments through and warping the tape with my finger. After I had finished all the songs, I ran the full mix of every song in a row through the tape to add one more layer of low-fidelity weirdness.”

“Colors” opens the portal to Jonson’s retro-tinged dream world; a symphonic section pulls the curtain back to reveal a drum kit spattering rapid fills as the bassline grooves deeply between organ shimmers and hazy hums. The din of what sounds like a ‘60s church service appears here and throughout the collection; the words are blurred by decades of tape mold, adding to an overall hypnotic, disorienting feel.

“Satellite,” one of Jonson’s funkiest and catchiest tracks to date, is either a love letter to technology or a tongue-in-cheek song about surveillance. The jazzy percussion taps from the get-go as he peppers clever lines to his subject in the sky, at one point losing his wallet (evoking the comedic tone of Thundercat’s “Captain Stupido”), before riding out on a squealing synth solo.

The campy, softly psychedelic “Falling Apart Without You” is in the vein of Stereolab. It started out as a fictional breakup song but ultimately became a self-fulfilling prophecy. The only cut from the EP that Jonson and his band have played live so far, it’s easy to picture it translating on stage; the lovesick singer flanked by a tight ensemble on keys, bass, and drums. Next, he slows it down for “Photobook,” the first half is an organ-led ballad for self-improvement — “I think I can, think I can…” Jonson trails off into a rhythmic reverie. We end on the wistful, soulful “Natural Form,” featuring The Long And The Short of It collaborator Elliot Cleverdon on strings. “I can’t say goodbye,” are Jonson’s parting words; it’s a sweet outro, some healing for him, and for us as fans, it’s a lovely place to leave quickly, quickly for now.

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[Thanks to Andi at Terrorbird Media.]

Madeline Kenney’s new single is a “Superficial Conversation” with us, her ex, and herself.

In the quiet surrounding the pandemic, Madeline Kenney made sonic sketches in the basement studio she shared with her then-partner. She arranged phrases that called her—the sharp knife of a synth cutting a path along a blooming arpeggio, drums stuttering firm and tight. Working this way, she amassed a collection of songs she had no particular aims for. Some formed her 2021 EP Summer Quarter, others languished.

But in 2022, Kenney’s partner left suddenly and without warning, plunging her into the solitary act of untangling what happened. In the wake of her ensuing depression, she revisited these songs and found in them something prescient. She’d already laid the foundation for A New Reality Mind, her fourth LP (due out July 28th via Carpark Records) which she is announcing today with the album’s first single “Superficial Conversation,” alongside the track’s self-directed video.

WATCH
Madeline Kenney’s “Superficial Conversation” video on
YouTube

That her relationship’s end came without warning is only half true, though. The warnings were in the feelings and fears that inspired Kenney’s critically-acclaimed third album, Sucker’s Lunch (2020), which was co-produced by Jenn Wasner (Flock of Dimes) and centered around the idea of flinging oneself freely into the seemingly-assured destruction of new love, come what may.

If sonically Sucker’s Lunch was letting yourself be pulled into the warm bath of a good story, A New Reality Mind reflects the harsh light of truth coming to break the spell. But as sobering as morning light can be, there’s brilliance to it, too. To see in the clarity of day is a gift. A revolution.

This is Kenney’s most expansive work, while also her most solitary. Produced and recorded alone in her basement, these songs are manifestations of what it feels like to be transformed by pain. Textures collide and collude; sonic ornaments emerge and dissipate capriciously; saxophones soar untamed. There’s a propulsive power in the album, and there’s also acceptance, self-forgiveness, and a willingness to move forward into life, with all its ways of making a sucker of you. “That way of living, I’m over it,” Kenney declares of the habits that hold her back on “Superficial Conversation.” “I do not need to be reminded of what I did,” she assures, the song opening wide and beaming, like a smile expanding to taste a new breath of air.

“‘Superficial Conversation’ is my way of looking back at the ways I shrunk myself or ignored my own needs in favor of the needs and desires of others,” Kenney explains. “While I wish I had acted differently, I want to be kind and forgiving to my past self and be able to grow and move forward with more power and love.

I wanted the video to show a forced transformation, from the inside and out. Jess Bozzo’s choreography really captured what I wanted to evoke; a painful change that becomes a pretty joyous opening with room for desire and play.“

A New Reality Mind Will be released on Carpark Records on July 28th. It is available for pre-order/pre-save HERE.

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[Thanks to Tom at Hive Mind PR.]

Kevin Morby releases the Salvation Choir’s version of his song, “This Is a Photograph.”

Kevin Morby and The Salvation Choir are proud to present “This Is A Photograph (The Salvation Choir Version),” a new reimagining of the title track from Morby’s acclaimed 2022 album. The Salvation Choir is a Congolese rumba choir from Congo and Tanzania based in Kevin’s hometown of Kansas City. “This Is A Photograph (The Salvation Choir Version)” is a stirring iteration of Morby’s original, and is presented alongside a new website on which others can access stems, instrumentals, tutorials and templates so they can make their own family history epics. Kevin Morby elaborates:

At some point last year, a few of you reached out with the request of getting the music to my song “This Is A Photograph” so you could make your own version and tell your own family’s history. I found this incredibly interesting and had never gotten such requests about any of my other songs before. I have decided to heed the call of those few who reached out and I have made a website

In celebration of this website, and to lead with an example, I reached out to one of my favorite bands, Kansas City’s own The Salvation Choir, to see if they would want to make their own version of ‘This Is A Photograph’ and was over the moon when they agreed. They created their own version in which they reinterpreted the music in their Congolese Rumba style and reworked the lyrics to their own story and sang in both English and Swahili to provide the listener with a window into their past.

Pelo King Wilondja, The Salvation Choir’s 15-year-old drummer, states: “We met Kevin at one of our practices. I didn’t know who he was at first but then our friend played us his music and I started really liking his songs. Now he’s in my top ten. He invited us to his concert and I was actually sweating because it was so good. Kevin asked us if we wanted to remake his song to be about our family’s history and play it in our style. It was my first time recording drums in a real studio. We loved his idea because photographs are really important to our family and we’re always playing music together. There are over 20 members in the choir and everyone has their own story. The song starts out in Africa and it ends in Kansas City where we all live now. It’s about our family’s history and how we got here.”

LISTEN TO “THIS IS A PHOTOGRAPH (THE SALVATION CHOIR VERSION)”

VISIT THISISAPHOTOGRAPH.COM

This month will also see the release of More Photographs (A Continuum), Morby’s companion piece to last year’s This Is A Photograph. Here, Morby returns to his landmark album’s bottomless themes with new wisdom, new imagination, and the winking, looping callbacks that tie his full body of work together in uniquely special ways. “With every collection of songs,” says Morby, “I feel I have to cast them out of me before moving onto the next project, and here I knew that what I had begun with This Is A Photograph was not finished. Releasing this collection is me tying a bow on that time and place in my creative life.” With a luxurious nine tracks – three re-imaginings and six brand new songs – More Photographs (A Continuum) is prequel, sequel and primer to an already rich and generous record from one of our most luminous modern songwriters. More Photographs (A Continuum) will be available on vinyl in the fall and is available to pre-order now.

LISTEN TO “THIS IS A PHOTOGRAPH II” B/W “FIVE EASY PIECES REVISITED”

PRE-ORDER MORE PHOTOGRAPHS (A CONTINUUM)

PURCHASE THIS IS A PHOTOGRAPH
“THIS IS A PHOTOGRAPH” VIDEO
“ROCK BOTTOM” VIDEO
“A RANDOM ACT OF KINDNESS” VIDEO
“BITTERSWEET, TN” VIDEO
SUBSCRIBE TO KEVIN MORBY’S SUBSTACK

KEVIN MORBY TOUR DATES (NEW DATES IN BOLD)
Fri. June 2 – Aarhus, DK @ Northside Festival
Sat. June 3 – Malmö, SW @ Plan B
Mon. June 5 – Manchester, UK @ New Century
Tue. June 6 – Bristol, UK @ SWX
Wed. June 7 – London, UK @ Roundhouse
Fri. June 9 – Gent, BE @ Vooruit
Fri. June 9 – Sun. June 11 – Hilvarenbeek, NL @ Best Kept Secret
Mon. June 12 – Zurich, CH @ Dynamo Saal
Tue. June 13 – Milan, IT @ Giardino Della Triennale
Wed. June 14 – Ferrara, IT @ Ferrara Sotto Le Stelle
Thur. June 15 – Munich, DE @ Strom
Fri. June 16 – Sun. Jun 18 – Vilnius, LI @ 8 Festival
Fri. June 16 – Dresden, DE @ Beatpol
Mon. June 19 – Warsaw, PL @ Proxima
Tue. June 20 – Poznan, PL @ Tama
Wed. June 21 – Berlin, DE @ Columbia Theater
Fri. June 23 – Vienna, AU @ Akzent
Sat. June 24 – Krakow, PL @ Kwadrat
Sun. June 25 – Budapest, HU @ Akvárium Klub
Tue. June 27 – Ljubljana, SL @ Kino Siska
Wed. June 28 – Geneva, CH @ Usine
Fri. June 30 – Paris, FR @ Days Off Festival
Sat. July 1 – Petit Couronne, FR @ Theatre de Verdure
Sun. July 2 – La Rochelle, FR @ La Sirene
Mon. July 3 – Toulouse, FR @ Le Bikini
Wed. July 5 – Lisboa, PT @ LAV
Thur. July 6 – Porto, PT @ Hard Club
Fri. July 7 – Madrid, ES @ Mad Cool Festival
Sat. July 8 – Six-Fours-les-Plages, FR @ Pointu Festival
Aug. 25- Aug. 27 – Tisbury, MA @ Beach Road Weekend
Sun. Aug. 27 – Rockville Centre, NY @ Madison Theatre at Molloy University
Wed. Sep. 27 – Auckland, NZ @ Hollywood Avondale
Thur. Sep. 28 – Wellington, NZ @ Meow
Sat. Sep. 30 – Sydney, AUS @ Factory Theatre
Sun. Oct. 1 – Sapphire Coast, AUS @ Wanderer Festival
Tue. Oct. 3 – Melbourne, AUS @ Northcote Theatre
Thur. Oct. 5 – Eltham, AUS @ Eltham Hotel
Fri. Oct. 6 – Brisbane, AUS @ Princess Theatre
Sat. Oct. 7 – Adelaide, AUS @ Summertown Studio
Sun. Oct. 8 – Perth, AUS @ The Rechabite
Sat. Dec. 2 – Riviera Maya, MX @ Wilco’s Sky Blue Sky

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Jacob at Pitch Perfect PR.]