Iceland Airwaves, the country’s longest running festival and the world’s Northernmost music showcase, returns to downtownReykjavík Wednesday, November 4 through Saturday, November 7 and reveals its first wave of performers. This year, Courtney Barnett will play a rare intimate solo set, Metronomymake a triumphant return to Iceland with their latest album Metronomy Forever, and recent Grammy-nominated Texan psychedelic soul duo Black Pumas will make their Airwaves debut. Experimental punk band Squid, British outfit Dry Cleaning, over-the-top pop artist Dorian Electra, and many more will also appear. Icelandic-based billings include Iceland’s most famous 9-strong all female rap collective Daughters of Reykjavik, the Westman Islands’ freaky folk pop songwriter Júníus Meyvant, revered Seabear member Sin Fang, plus more. The first wave of announced artists is listed below.
LISTEN TO ICELAND AIRWAVES FIRST ROUND PERFORMERS PLAYLIST HERE
Iceland Airwaves is firmly back to its best and will be inviting thousands of music lovers from over 60 countries for an unmissable global gathering. Attendees can experience shows in spaces as varied as art galleries to churches and concert halls, all in easy walking distance within downtown. With the festival’s forward thinking, collaborative approach and positive local influence, Reykjavík has developed into a thriving and globally recognised music city.
Super early-bird tickets have sold out. Iceland Airwaves Music Festival early-bird tickets are on sale nowfor 14.900 ISK (around $136) for a four-day pass. Travel packages from the USA, Canada, UK and Europe, are available from Icelandair.
International Acts Black Pumas (UK) CHLOBOCOP (UK) Courtney Barnett (solo) (AU) Dorian Electra (US) Dry Cleaning (UK) Erika de Casier (DK) Lynks Afrikka (UK) Metronomy (UK) Squid (UK) Tami T (SE) The Murder Capital (IE)
Icelandic Acts ADHD Andavald Andy Svarthol Benni Hemm Hemm BSÍ Daughters of Reykjavik dj. flugvél og geimskip Gugusar GRÓA Halldór Eldjárn Júníus Meyvant Kiriyama Family K.óla Krummi MSEA Myrkvi Omotrack Oyama Pale Moon Sólveig Matthildur S.hel Sin Fang Sinmara
Keep your mind open.
[Slide over to the subscription box while you’re here.]
Acclaimed UK producer and engineer MattKarmil is pleased to announce his new album, STS371, out March27th via SmalltownSupersound, and today presents the album’s lead single, “PB.”STS371 is his most concise album to date, with his signature mix of minimalism and reverb-drenched house still being the backbone of his warm, rich, atmospheric and melancholic sound.
STS371 was made largely while Karmil was travelling. Anticipating the completion of his music studio in The Cotswolds in England, Karmil favored “on the fly” production methods to finish his album. “It was not a linear process of recording,” says Karmil, “and in the end the majority of the work was to arrange and choose the right sounds and vibe.”
While his works fit within the tradition of techno’s timeless anonymity, Karmil’s highly personal music is anything but a xerox on dance music’s previous life. As Karmil puts it – minimally, simply and functionally: “I made a conscious effort to up the energy, and found a collection of tunes that felt coherent to me”.
Of “PB”, Karmil states: “I made ‘PB’ over an extended period, having made a 120bpm tune with the same texture and then resampled it and upped the tempo one evening in Cologne. I wanted to make a committed acid track that draws you in and worked hard to get the drums, percussion and main melody working in harmony, but swapping roles a little.”
STS371 follows 2018’s Will. Since the release of Will he has co-produced and mixed KornélKovács’ acclaimed StockholmMarathon. He has also worked with, among many others, Matias Aguayo for Crammed Discs and Talaboman for R&S, as an engineer, mixing and mastering.
Today, Too Free releases a new single, “Elastic,” from their forthcoming debut album, Love In High Demand, out February 21st on Sister Polygon. It follows “No Fun,” “another piece of earworm dance-pop” (Stereogum), and lead single “ATM.” “Elastic” is driven by a bouncing beat and jaunty percussion. “‘Elastic’ is an attempt to define those intangible spaces between seduction and letting go of your inhibitions,” says Awad Bilal. “Unlearning generations of conditioning to explore the different kinds of love that we are capable of feeling without stigma or fear.”
In conjunction, the band announces additional North American tour dates. Following their shows in Washington, D.C. and New York, they’ll play Chicago, Montreal, Winooski, and Bloomington. More dates will soon follow.
Too Free is the Washington, D.C.-based trio of Awad Bilal (Big Freedia, Vasillus), Carson Cox (Merchandise), and Don Godwin (Callers, Impractical Cockpit). Their only mission is a desire to connect with others in the space that music creates. Drawing from improvisation and experimentation, they deconstruct their songs to their most necessary elements, leaning into their collective punk ethos and DIY backgrounds. Drawing equally from elements of South Florida freestyle and Jersey electro into DC’s signature polyrhythms, the record is a continuous refinement of the virtue of motion – each composition rooted in propulsive energy that envelops. Aiming to make something with a more utopian outlook that counters the pervasive pessimism, archaic ideologies and dystopian timelines we interact with on a daily basis, they approach this project with an open-endedness that incorporates higher concepts of what pop art can sound like.
TOO FREE TOUR DATES Sat. Feb. 22 – Washington, DC – U Street Music Hall Thu. Feb. 27 – Brooklyn, NY @ Trans Pecos Wed. April 1 – Bloomington, IN @ The Bishop Thu. April 2 – Chicago, IL @ CoProsperity Sphere Sun. April 5 – Montreal, QC @ La Sotterenea Mon. April 6 – Winooski, VT @ The Monkey House
Rage Against the Machine have announced their first full tour in almost ten years, starting with three shows in the American southwest that will benefit immigrant charities. Most of the tour includes opening support from Run the Jewels, and there’s also a headlining spot for RATM at Coachella this year. Tickets are on sale now, and I’m sure many dates (if not all of them) will sell out. Here’s the list:
03-26 El Paso, TX – Don Haskins Center 03-28 Las Cruces, NM – Pan American Center 03-30 Glendale, AZ – Gila River Arena 04-10 Indio, CA – Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival 04-17 Indio, CA – Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival 04-21 Oakland, CA – Oakland Arena 04-25 Portland, OR – Moda Center 04-28 Tacoma, WA – Tacoma Dome 05-01 Vancouver, BC – Pacific Coliseum at the PNE 05-03 Edmonton, Alberta – Rogers Place 05-05 Calgary, Alberta – Scotiabank Saddledome 05-07 Winnipeg, Manitoba – Bell MTS Place 05-09 Sioux Falls, SD – Denny Sanford Premier Center 05-11 Minneapolis, MN – Target Center 05-14 Kansas City, MO – Sprint Center 05-16 St. Louis, MO – Enterprise Center 05-19 Chicago, IL – United Center 05-23 Boston, MA – Boston Calling 06-19 Dover, DE – Firefly 07-10 East Troy, WI – Alpine Valley Music Theatre 07-13 Detroit, MI – Little Caesars Arena 07-17 Ottawa, Ontario – Ottawa Bluesfest 07-18 Québec City, Québec – Festival d’Été de Québec 07-21 Hamilton, Ontario – FirstOntario Centre 07-23 Toronto, Ontario – Scotiabank Arena 07-27 Buffalo, NY – KeyBank Center 07-29 Cleveland, OH – Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse 07-31 Pittsburgh, PA – PPG Paints Arena 08-02 Raleigh, NC – PNC Arena 08-04 Washington, DC – Capital One Arena 08-07 Camden, NJ – BB&T Pavilion 08-10 New York, NY – Madison Square Garden 08-11 New York, NY – Madison Square Garden 08-28 Leeds, England – Leeds Festival 08-30 Reading, England – Reading Festival 09-01 Paris, France – Rock En Seine Festival 09-04 Stradbally Laois, Ireland – Electric Picnic Festival 09-06 Berlin, Germany – Lollapalooza Berlin Festival 09-08 Prague, Czech Republic – O2 Arena 09-10 Krakow, Poland – Tauron Arena
Girl Talk, aka Pittsburgh’s Gregg Gillis, is excited to announce his first North American tour in eight years. Throughout the past two decades, Girl Talk has been known for his wholly energetic, sweat soaked, confetti-covered live shows and festival performances. Once again, he will bring this exuberance across the states, playing Chicago’s Metro, Los Angeles’ Echoplex, the 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C., and more. A full list of dates can be found below and tickets go on sale later this week at girltalkmusic.com.
Gillis built his reputation from his meticulous construction of sample-based music and specific style of genre-smashing, breakneck-paced party jams. With each Girl Talk album, from his breakout Night Ripper (2006) to Feed The Animals (2008) and his last, All Day(2010), his work has become increasingly detailed and complex. The last several years have seen Gillis focusing on collaborative work producing hip hop for some of his favorite rap artists. In 2014, he and Philadelphia’s Freeway released the “Broken Ankles” EP, and since then, Gillis has steadily earned an impressive list of production credits and collaborations with his artistic contemporaries, including Wiz Khalifa, T-Pain, Tory Lanez, Young Nudy, Bas, Cozz, Erick The Architect (from Flatbush Zombies), Smoke DZA, and Don Q.
As Noisey so aptly describes him, “The tracks he’s released over the last year show, more than anything, that Gillis is adaptable as a producer. The people he’s worked with are about as different as you can get in the wider rap world, but no matter the circumstance, he’s been able to find palettes that work for each of their voices. . . Given the encyclopedic knowledge of music from across styles and eras, it’s not all that surprising that he’s good at this.“
Girl Talk Tour Dates: Wed. April 29 – Cleveland, OH @ House of Blues Fri. May 1 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Stage AE Sat. May 2 – Toronto, ON @ Phoenix Concert Theatre Sun. May 3 – Chicago, IL @ Metro Tue. May 5 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue Thu. May 7 – Kansas City, MO @ The Truman Fri. May 8 – Denver, CO @ Ogden Theatre Sat. May 9 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Depot Mon. May 11 – Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom Tue. May 12 – Seattle, WA @ The Showbox Wed. May 13 – Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom Fri. May 15 – Los Angeles, CA @ Echoplex Sat. May 16 – San Diego, CA @ House of Blues Mon. May 18 – Austin, TX @ Emo’s Austin Tue. May 19 – Dallas, TX @ Granada Theater Thu. May 21 – Asheville, NC @ The Orange Peel Fri. May 22 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club Sat. May 23 – Boston, MA @ Royale Sun. June 7 – New York, NY @ Governors Ball
“Lahey may be stuck in the thick of it now, but her ability to see as though she’s already beyond, to address life’s essential contradictions with thoughtfulness and humor, makes her an insightful storyteller.” — Pitchfork
“There’s an immediacy to Alex Lahey’s music so urgent that it’ll hook you before you even notice it’s happening.” — GQ
“Alex Lahey is quickly becoming the queen of big, catchy pop-rock hooks” — MTV News
Today, Melbourne-based songwriter Alex Lahey releases a new track, “Sucker For Punishment.” “Sucker For Punishment” follows her sophomore album, The Best of Luck Club, “a witty and confessional pop-punk gem” (Uproxx), out now on DeadOceans. The song, about self-delusion, is written from the perspective of the deluded. Throughout, Lahey’s exasperated vocals are backed by buzzing guitar and a jaunty bass line.
“We’re living in an era we’re the micro has become the macro,” says Lahey. “I don’t think there has ever been a time where our actions and attitudes as individuals have had such an impact on broader humanity and the planet. Whether it’s a ‘think about it later’ attitude towards climate change, the undemocratic consequences of sharing personal data to big business online, a lethargicness in the face of political engagement or the need to be validated as a worthwhile individual through obtaining arbitrary units of engagement on social media – we need to catch ourselves out before we suffer greater consequences.”
In conjunction with the new single, Lahey is pleased to announce she’ll return stateside for a for a slew of tour dates along the west coast, kicking off the run in San Diego on Sat. May 30 at Casbah. All new dates go on-sale Fri. Feb. 14 at 10am local time. A full list of tour dates are below.
Alex Lahey Tour Dates (new dates in bold): Fri. March 13 – Nottingham, UK @ Rescue Rooms ^ Mon. March 16 – Glasgow, UK @ The Garage ^ Tue. March 17 – Manchester, UK @ Gorilla ^ Wed. March 18 – Birmingham, UK @ O2 Academy2 Birmingham ^ Thu. March 19 – London, UK @ Electric Ballroom ^ Sat. March 21 – Amsterdam, NE @ Paradiso Noord ^ Sun. March 22 – Antwerp, BE @ Kavka ^ Mon. March 23 – Hamburg, DE @ Molotow ^ Tue. March 24 – Düsseldorf, DE @ Zaak ^ Thu. March 26 – Mainz, DE @ Kulturklub schon schön ^ Fri. March 27 – Paris, FR @ Nouveau Casino ^ Wed. April 15 – Adelaide, AU @ Thebarton Theatre * Fri. April 17 – Fremantle, AU @ Fremantle Arts Center * Mon. April 20 – Sydney, AU @ Enmore Theatre * Wed. April 22 – Brisbane, AU @ The Fortitude Music Hall * Fri. April 24 – Melbourne, AU @ Forum Theatre * Sat. April 25 – Melbourne, AU @ Forum Theatre * Tue. April 28 – Hobart, AU @ Odeon Theatre * Sat. May 30 – San Diego, CA @ Casbah Sun. May 31 – Costa Mesa, CA @ The Wayfarer Mon. June 1 – Los Angeles, CA @ Moroccan Lounge Tue. June 3 – San Jose, CA @ The Ritz Fri. June 5 – Oakland, CA @ Starline Social Club Crystal Cavern Sat. June 6 – Sacramento, CA @ The Starlet Room at Harlow’s Mon. June 8 – Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios Tue. June 9 – Seattle, WA @ Barboza
Hull-based indie rockers Girl Afraid released their rocking new track, “Dutch Courage” on February 7th.
First we had Hull-based LIFE, who took the U.K by storm and now we have Girl Afraid who are storming onto the British indie scene. Their sound draws influences from the likes of Queens of the Stone Age to fellow indie newcomers Fontaines D.C. Nevertheless, they have crafted a remarkably inimitable sound of their very own.
As its title indicates, “Dutch Courage” oozes confidence from the very start. It’s a hard hitting track with huge drums which would make even the sternest of listeners tap their foot. Also slick guitar riffs which take a new dimension of early indie as well an awe-inspiring vocal from front man Sam Mellors.
Girl Afraid are taking no hostages with this release. Therefore, if you are seeking the finest catchy indie rock then look no further than “Dutch Courage.”
Rebsie Fairholm and Marvin B. Naylor have released the charismatic new single ‘Ark’ taken from their forthcoming album.
Rebsie is an artist who delves into a dark realm of psych-folk while Marvin comes from a background of early indie and pop. Combined together and they have created a hybrid sound which cannot be sniffed at.
The track kicks off with a guitar hook which grabs you and does not let go. Vocally, the pair complement each other both mirroring their words with confidence. It’s a catchy number, one which does not leave you for some time and for the right reasons. It’s a very British sounding 70s influenced track but yet it stays current to the modern scene providing just about something for everybody.
A song which delivers a story about finding something amazing unexpectedly ‘finding rainbows in the dark’. Well, this collaboration comes as a surprise but yet it works very well.
If you are seeking the finest indie folk then look no further than this release from Rebsie Fairholm & Marvin B Naylor. You can buy the single here https://rebsiefairholm.bandcamp.com/album/ark.
Sharon Van Etten follows 2019’s Remind Me Tomorrow, “an album of hope, intimacy and perseverance” (New York Times), with a new single, “Beaten Down,” and its gorgeous accompanying video. “‘Beaten Down’ is about love, patience and empathy,” says Van Etten. “It’s about making life-changing choices and remaining strong enough to see them through.” Produced by John Congleton, the song opens with dark, minimalistic percussion and Van Etten’s smoldering voice before growing more textured, expanding with layered vocals, synths and keys.
The “Beaten Down” video was directed by Nicky and Juliana Giraffe at Giraffe Studios and features Van Etten and the dancing duo of Allison and Veronica Huber. “Our goal was to create a striking and psychedelic video set in the California desert, a welcoming of Sharon’s next chapter here,” explains Nicky and Juliana Giraffe. “Upon hearing the song, our minds automatically drifted into stark black and white, fever dreams, dark silhouettes contrasted against a barren desert landscape. Our intention was to give Sharon’s song and performance space to breathe and echo. It was important to us that the dancers were strongly connected and we’re so lucky to have worked with the talented Huber Twins on this project.”
As previously announced, Van Etten guest stars in Eliza Hittman’s new film, Never, Rarely, Sometimes, Always,which premiered at Sundance last week to a great deal of industry praise and won the U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for Neorealism. The film opens in theaters in North America on March 13th, 2020. Watch the trailer here.
Van Etten will tour the southeast this April playing cities she has not yet visited in support of Remind Me Tomorrow. Additionally, she’s just announced a return to New York this summer. She’ll headline Central Park SummerStage on Wednesday, July 29th and be joined by Real Estate and Grace Ives.
Sharon Van Etten Tour Dates: Fri. April 17 – Baltimore, MD @ Ram’s Head Live Sat. April 18 – Asheville, NC @ The Orange Peel Sun. April 19 – North Charleston, SC @ High Water Festival Mon. April 20 – Saxapahaw, NC @ Haw River Ballroom Wed. April 22 – Nashville, TN @ Ryman Auditorium Fri. April 24 – New Orleans, LA @ Civic Theatre Sat. April 25 – Fort Worth, TX @ Fortress Festival Sun. April 26 – Austin, TX @ Stubb’s Tue. April 28 – Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playhouse Fri. May 22 – Boston, MA @ Boston Calling Wed. July 29 – New York, NY @ Central Park SummerStage w/ Real Estate, Grace Ives
“Encased in swirls of dream-pop production, [At the Party With My Brown Friends] represents a softer, more subtle sort of resistance.” — NPR Music
“Paul is free, so long as she sings, to draw no lines around who she is and what she loves. . . She makes no apologies, feels no inadequacy. Over the course of [At the Party With My Brown Friends], this near-hour spent in the presence of the people she loves, she is reminded that she is equal to any challenge which may befall her.” — Pitchfork
“Throughout [At the Party With My Brown Friends], her voice cascades gently, acting not just as a carrying case for emotion, but as a soothing instrument in itself. It’s a transformation that makes Black Belt Eagle Scout sound more assured and driven, building off last year’s breakout moment.” — The AV Club
Black Belt Eagle Scout – moniker of Portland-based multi-instrumentalist Katherine Paul – announces a North American tour and releases a video for “I Said I Wouldn’t Write This Song,” off last year’s At the Party With My Brown Friends. As described by Paul, the song “is about an initial thought that you don’t think will come to fruition, but for whatever circumstances, does. It’s about that kind of craving emotion within oneself that just turns up and has to come out of you no matter what.”
Its animated video was edited and directed by Chantal Jung (Inujuk Nunatsiavutimi), and is meant to raise awareness of the Alaskan coastline and its deep connection with Indigenous people and animals. “The video features Northern imagery that shows aspects of Inuit life, including cloudberry picking, animal relatives and Arctic landscapes,” describes Jung. “People often forget that our livelihoods are extremely connected to the environment, including the animals and plants that live among us. This video is meant to bring awareness of the land, the animals and the people who protect the land.”
Black Belt Eagle Scout will tour North America and Europe this spring. She’ll play many cities not yet visited in support of At the Party With My Brown Friends. A full list of dates can be found below and tickets are on sale this Friday, February 7th at 10:00AM local time.
Black Belt Eagle Scout Tour Dates: Sat. Feb. 22 – Austin, TX @ OUTsider @ The Vortex Tue. Feb. 25 – Seattle, WA @ The Showbox (w/ Death Cab for Cutie) Wed. Feb. 26 – Bellingham, WA @ The Shakedown Thu. Feb. 27 – Anacortes, WA @ The Business Fri. Feb. 28 – Vancouver, BC @ Fortune Sound Club Sat. Feb. 29 – Victoria, BC @ Lucky Bar Thu. March 26 – Calgary, AB @ The Palomino Smokehouse and Social Club Fri. March 27 – Edmonton, AB @ The Rec Room Sat. March 28 – Saskatoon, SK @ Amigos Cantina Tue. March 31 – St. Paul, MN @ Turf Club Wed. April 1 – Iowa City, IA @ Mission Creek Festival @ The Mill Fri. April 3 – Cudahy, WI @ X-Ray Arcade Sat. April 4 – Bloomington, IN @ The Bishop Sun. April 5 – Tallahassee, FL @ Word of South Festival (solo) Tue. April 7 – Lakewood, OH @ Mahall’s Wed. April 8 – Toronto, ON @ The Monarch Thu. April 9 – Ottawa, ON @ Club SAW Fri. April 10 – Montreal, QB @ L’esco Sat. April 11 – Portsmouth, NH @ 3S Artspace Sun. April 12 – Allston, MA @ Great Scott Mon. April 13 – Philadelphia, PA @ Boot & Saddle Tue. April 14 – Washington, DC @ DC9 Thu. April 16 – Brooklyn, NY @ BRIC House Fri. April 17 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Mr. Roboto Project Sat. April 18 – Cincinnati, OH @ Northside Yacht Club Sun. April 19 – Columbia, MO @ Café Berlin Tue. April 21 – Denver, CO @ Lost Lake Wed. April 22 – Colorado Springs, CO @ Colorado College Fri. April 24 – Albuquerque, NM @ Sister Bar Mon. May 18 – Berlin, DE @ Burg Schnabel Tue. May 19 – Hamburg, DE @ Uebel & Gefährlich Thu. May 21 – Utrecht, NL @ Brewpub De Kromme Haring Fri. May 22 – Paris, FR @ Supersonic Sat. May 23 – Brighton, UK @ Patterns Sun. May 24 – Leeds, UK @ Hyde Park Book Club Mon. May 25 – Glasgow, UK @ Broadcast Tue. May 26 – Manchester, UK @ The Deaf Institute Wed. May 27 – London, UK @ Colours Fri. May 29 – Heidelberg, DE @ Queerfestival @ Karlstorbahnof Sat. May 30 – Brussels, BE @ Witloof Bar
