“How could they see anything but the shadows if they were never allowed to move their heads?” – Plato
“You find yourself in a room with a locked door. You have always been there. It is all you have ever known. You have no reason to believe you could leave, no reason to believe you would ever want to. And then one day you hear the murmurs. Faint at first, you can’t make out the words. But their very existence tells a truth that you have always known. There is something else. And you search and search and just when you are feeling spent and the bright beam of hope has faded to a glimmer, it reveals itself to you, miraculously. The key. And so you cast aside your doubt and grin with victory. But when you slide the key in, behind the door there is another locked door. The search continues.
We wrote this song over the course of about a year. We had long wanted to explore the idea of hiding, of hidden truths. A chance phrase from our friend Alfred set this song in motion. We hope you enjoy our newest offering.” – Partner 2020
Partner, the loveable guitar shredding Canadian stoner goofballs Lucy Niles and Josée Caron are back and ready to rock, with a new single for a new decade. The band spent the end of 2019 in the studio and have some surprises for 2020.
Hala, the project of Detroit-based musician Ian Ruhala, announces his new album, Red Herring, out May 1st on Cinematic Music Group, and a North American tour. Today, he shares the lead single, “Emotional R&B,” and an accompanying video. Ruhala’s music is at once precise and playful, skipping breezily between decades and their musical aesthetics while executing them with care and sincerity. On Red Herring, which is his studio debut, he elevates this formula, applying his genre-agnostic blueprint to a set of songs that comprise a no-concept concept record. It’s a varied album which explores the tragedy and comedy—often, both at once—that color and confound the modern 22-year-old’s existence.
To execute his wide-lens vision, Ruhala worked with producer Ryan Hadlock (The Lumineers, Vance Joy, Ra Ra Riot) at his legendary secluded Bear Creek Studio in Woodinville, Washington. Over a few months in late 2019, Ruhala and Hadlock sifted through a stockpile of prepared demos and assembled the 12 songs that comprise Red Herring. Apart from strings—played respectively by Andrew Joslyn and longtime Brandi Carlile-collaborator Josh Neumann—Ruhala wrote and performed each instrument on the record, including guitar, piano, bass, drums, baritone ukulele, xylophone, vibraphone, and all vocals.
Ruhala’s singular operating style is a credit to Red Herring’s simultaneous idiosyncrasy and unity: each track bears the earmarks of his tendencies for saccharine melodies, clear instrumentation, and a sort of ethereal, out-of-time placelessness—and yet each could also be from a different artist.
Lead single “Emotional R&B” showcases this infatuation with kaleidoscopic tonalities and narrative double-entendres. The track is about the early stage people go through in relationships, when things begin to become more intimate. “Things feel a lot more cinematic, maybe because these moments of a relationship are portrayed and documented in countless Romantic Comedies,” says Ruhala. “It’s the feeling of riding a romantic high, perhaps turning a blind eye to things that would normally set you off in pursuit of what could possibly become a substantial, long lasting relationship.”
Red Herring is a coming-of-age record from an artist recognizing that cohesiveness need not only be expressed in structural sameness. It can and should be found in other experiences, in the complex, poignant, life-and-death fleetingness of a three-and-a-half-minute pop song. Or better yet, 12 of them back-to-back.
Hala will tour across North America in support of Red Herring. A full list of dates is below. Watch “Emotional R&B” Video: https://youtu.be/bHHHbpQnd-4
Red HerringTracklist: 1. Turn Out Right 2. Making Me Nervous 3. Somehow 4. Camera5. Why Do You Want Anything To Do With Me? 6. We Can Start Again 7. Emotional R&B 8. Lies 9. Nobody-Body Knows 10. With You Now (It’s The Only Place I Want To Be) 11. Red Herring 12. True Colors
Hala Tour Dates: Fri. May 8 – Detroit, MI @ Deluxx Fluxx- (Record Release Show) % Sat. May 9 – Columbus, OH @ The Basement % Sun. May 10 – Washington, DC @ Songbyrd % Tue. May 12 – Brooklyn, NY @ Rough Trade % Wed. May 13 – Philadelphia, PA @ Creep Records % Thu. May 14 – Boston, MA @ Once Ballroom % Fri. May 15 – Montreal, QC @ L’Esco % Sat. May 16 – Toronto, ON @ The Drake Hotel % Thu. May 28 – Chicago, IL @ Schubas * Fri. May 29 – Milwaukee, WI @ The BackRoom at Colectivo Coffee * Sat. May 30 – Minneapolis, MN @ 7th St. Entry * Tue. June 2 – Seattle, WA @ Barboza * Wed. June 3 – Portland, OR @ Lola’s Room * Fri. June 5 – San Francisco, CA @ Bottom of the Hill *Sat. June 6 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Echo * Sun. June 7 – San Diego, CA @ Che Cafe * Wed. June 10 – Denver, CO @ Larimer Lounge * Fri. June 12 – Kansas City, MO @ recordBar * Sat. June 13 – St. Louis, MO @ Blueberry Hill Duck Room *
Toronto’s Goodbye Honolulu might be one of the most well connected bands… They’ve toured the USA twice with Hinds; they are Selena Gomez‘s favourite band, they have releases on Burger Records, they’ve also toured with Kate Nash, SWMRS, Miya Follick, The Beaches and their live show is a rambunctious ball of energy with each member switching instruments and sharing vocal duties, making the crowd dance and sweat to Goodbye Honolulu’s catchy slacker vibes rock n roll.
Today, Goodbye Honolulu are starting a new decade with new single “Cut Off“, recorded in Toronto and produced by Ben Cook (Fucked Up) and Anthony Price (US Girls).
“Cut Off represents the turbulence between people. Whether it be a friendship, a relationship or a family member. It’s about the loss of control that you feel when stressed out or anxious, the frantic feeling of running around not feeling like yourself.”
Goodbye Honolulu kick off a USA tour next month including SXSW in Austin TX.
USA Tour Dates
April 03 – The Roxy Theatre, Los Angeles^ April 04 – Soda Bar, San Diego^ April 06 – The Rebel Lounge, Phoenix, AZ^ April 08 – Paper Tiger, San Antonio TX^ April 09 – Club Dada, Dallas TX^ April 10 – Barracuda, Austin TX^ April 11 – White Oak Music Hall, Houston TX^ April 14 – Masquerade, Atlanta GA^ April 16 – First Unitarian Church, Philadelphia PA^ April 17 – BlackCat, Washington DC^ April 18 – Market Hotel, Brooklyn NY^ April 19 – Brighton Music Hall, Boston MA^ ^w/ Hockey Dad
UK May 2020 May 08 – FOCUS Wales, Wrexham UK *more TBA
“Goodbye Honolulu is one of those bands that you’re like ‘dang, I wanna party with these gents.'” – Alt Citzen
“Just about containing their feral energy, the lo-fi production is allied to some serious pop hooks, and only the most righteous of riffs.” – Clash
“Featuring a slight stoner vibe — a perfect companion to the laid-back guitar jangling of the tune.” – The 405
“Toronto’s Goodbye Honolulu may fall into the “slacker rock” category, but they’re hard workers when it comes to churning out new tunes.” – Exclaim!
Austin-based band Why Bonnie announces their new EP, Voice Box, out April 10th on Fat Possum. Via The FADER, they have premiered its title track and an accompanying video. “Voice Box” fumes with quiet wisdom, and is “about the societal pressure to silence yourself, and the frustration and self doubt that comes with battling sexism,” says the band. Its video, directed by Shelby Bohannon, features the band and highlights the rift between reality and what is expected of a person.
The Voice Box EP celebrates unhindered expression through beguiling, propulsive guitar pop. Fuzzed-out guitars and crystalline vocals drive a tough-edged struggle in the space between suppression and artistic liberty. Front woman Blair Howerton explains: “It encapsulates a disconnect between my inner and outer world, and not being able to express myself authentically because of that. But, ultimately knowing I will crash and burn if I don’t.”
Why Bonnie is the dazzling, full-band emotional release of Howerton. In a decisive step to start performing her backlogged material, Howerton moved back home to Texas after graduating college in 2015. In Austin, Howerton joined lifelong best friend Kendall Powell, who she met in preschool. Powell’s classical piano chops swapped to synth for the new project. Both active in the Austin scene, guitarist Sam Houdek and bassist Chance Williams later joined to complete the lineup.
In 2018, the band emerged on petite indie outlet Sports Day Records with In Water. The EP eulogized Howerton’s older brother, who passed away years prior. Follow-up Nightgown expanded the effort, pulling lush Mazzy Star and Cranberries influences.
This spring, Why Bonnie will tour in support of Voice Box, including SXSW and dates with Squirrel Flower and Kevin Krauter. A full list of dates can be found below and tickets are on sale now.
Voice Box EP Tracklist 1. Bury Me 2. Voice Box 3. Athlete 4. Jetplane 5. No Caves
Why Bonnie Tour Dates Wed. March 18 – Austin, TX @ Beerland (High Road Touring Showcase) Sat. March 21 – Austin, TX @ Hotel Vegas (Burgermania) Mon. March 23 – Phoenix, AZ @ Rebel Lounge * Wed. March 25 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Echo * Thu. March 26 – San Francisco, CA @ Bottom of the Hill * Sat. March 28 – Seattle, WA @ Barboza * Sun. March 29 – Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge * Tue. March 31 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court * Thu. April 2 – Denver, CO @ Larimer Lounge * Fri. April 3 – Omaha, NE @ (drips) Sat. April 4 – Iowa City, IA @ Mission Creek Festival Mon. April 6 – Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry * Tue. April 7 – Chicago, IL @ Schubas * Wed. April 8 – Cleveland, OH @ Mahall’s * Fri. April 10 – Brooklyn, NY @ Elsewhere Mon. April 13 – Asheville, NC @ The Mothlight Tue. April 14 – Oxford, MS @ Proud Larry’s Thu. April 16 – Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall (Upstairs) Fri. April 17 – Austin, TX @ Mohawk Indoors Sat. April 18 – Dallas, TX @ Ruins Tue. April 21 – Bloomington, IN @ The Bishop Bar Wed. April 22 – Cincinnati, OH @ MOTR Pub Thu. April 23 – Detroit, MI @ Sanctuary # Fri. April 24 – Toronto, CA @ Baby G # Sat. April 25 – Montreal, QC @ Brasserie # Mon. April 27 – Allston, ,MA @ O’Brien’s Pub Tue. April 28 – Philadelphia, PA @ Boot & Saddle # Wed. April 29 – Washington, DC @ Pie Shop # Thu. April 30 – Richmond, VA @ Richmond Music Hall # Fri. May 1 – Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle (Back Room) # Sat. May 2 – Atlanta, GA @ Drunken Unicorn # Sun. May 3 – Nashville, TN @ DKRMTTR #
* = w/ Squirrel Flower # -w/ Kevin Krauter
Keep your mind open.
[Head over to the subscription box while you’re here.]
The annual Levitation Francemusic festival will fall on the weekend of September 18-19th this year. It will be held in the Le Quai performing arts center in Angers – a great venue across from the Maine River. Tickets aren’t on sale yet, but I highly recommend going to this festival if you can make it. Angers is a lovely town and the lineup is always top notch.
Back in 2006, Detroit psych-rockers Sisters of Your Sunshine Vaporwere known as the garage rock band SikSik Nation. They record a four-song EP that never saw the light of day…until now.
The EP opens with power drumming and chords on “Power Couples,” with vocalist Sean Morrow sounding a bit like The Cult‘s Ian Astbury. Drummer Rick Sawoscinski beats his kit like he expects the rented studio time to end at any second. Morrow’s guitar and Eric Oppitz‘s bass on “New Face” has some of the psychedelic touches (space rock guitar solo in Morrow’s case) and heady fuzz (Oppitz’s bass line) the band would later refine when they became SOYSV. The honky tonk piano in it is another great touch.
“You’re rising up now, but she’s always got you down,” they sing on “Murder on My Lips,” which ups the fuzz and power even further from the last track. This must flatten walls when its played live, as must “Sold Gold Souls.” The final track screeches like a Detroit auto plant’s assembly line at full production during an earthquake. The whole track rumbles with menace and chants of “Sell my soul, it’s solid gold.” before it melts into a weird warp that wouldn’t be out of place on a doom album.
It’s great to hear SOYSV so raw, angry, and hungry. SikSik Nation is the map to the psychedelic trips they would later take. It’s must-hear stuff for fans of the band, or anyone else.
Chicago-based band Melkbelly will release their new album, PITH, on April 3rd via Wax Nine / Carpark Records. Today, they release their second single/video, “Humid Heart.” It follows the album’s lead single, “LCR,” “an intricately put-together tower of noise, filled with bleary moments of relief” (Stereogum). “Humid Heart” is “about how the grief of losing someone suddenly disorients everyday life,” says frontwoman Miranda Winters. The video was directed by Weird Life Films.
“For ‘Humid Heart,’ we wanted to let the mood and tone of the song guide our direction, rather than forcing anything too specific into the video,” says Weird Life. “Loosely based upon the notion of going through everyday life with any sort of heightened emotions can weigh someone down, we followed our hearts and that of the song and fell down a rabbit hole. That being said, we have no regrets.” WATCH MELKBELLY’S VIDEO FOR “HUMID HEART” https://youtu.be/4hMYGDBE7sg
After two years touring internationally, Melkbelly felt comfortable enough to rearrange songs they knew well, their renewed closeness guiding them. Their literally familial relationship was crucial for support, as PITH was summoned from a place of mourning following the loss of a close friend. Miranda Winters drew from diverse scenes—Grimm-like children’s stories too dark for kids; thorny, mossy forests—to create stories that feel distinctly Melkbellian: philosophically strange, strikingly textural, funny and sad and open-hearted.
Recording in two short sessions six months apart, the band worked with longtime collaborator Dave Vettraino, this time at Bloomington, Indiana’s Russian Recording. Alongside an arsenal of rock gear and airy synth layers coaxed from a Moog Prodigy, PITH’s multidimensionality was refined by the studio’s collection of rare Russian tube mics, which were placed in every corner to capture Melkbelly’s unabashed loudness.
Since their 2017 debut Nothing Valley, the members of Melkbelly have an even better understanding of their sonic motivations. On PITH, Melkbelly sought space, and succeeded in crafting it. In support of PITH, the band will tour across North America this spring. A full list of dates can be found below and tickets are on sale now. WATCH THE VIDEO FOR “LCR” https://youtu.be/sw5IEA8ju88
Convention-blurring techno producer/musician Kelly Lee Owens will release her second album, Inner Song, on May 1st via Smalltown Supersound. Alongside the announcement, she presents its lead single/visual, “Melt!” Inner Song finds Owens diving deep into her own psyche—working through the struggles she’s faced over the last several years and exploring personal pain while embracing the beauty of the natural world. It’s a leap in artistry from a musician who burst forth on the scene with a confident, rich sound, and is steadily enticing. Inner Song follows the 2017 release of her much laudedself-titled debut, as well as remixes of St. Vincent and by Björk, last year’s “Let It Go / Omen” 12”, and her recent collaboration with Jon Hopkins.
The hair-raising bass and tickling textures of Inner Song drive home that, more so than ever, Owens is locked in to delivering maximal aural pleasure and is adept at containing musical and emotional multitudes within just one song. The album features an unconventional Radioheadcover, the voice of fellow Welsh artist John Cale over a psychedelic lullaby, an electro-pop number that glimmers with yo-yo synths and a tough as nails backbeat, and techno banger “Melt!” Although sonically distinct from the rest of Inner Song, “Melt!” is an essential piece of the album. Throughout, Owens comments on the ever-pressing issue of climate change, right down to its structural composition, which includes samples of melting glacial ice and people skating on thin ice. “I wanted to create something that sounded hard but with organic samples.I felt those were great representations of what’s happening in the world, that every moment you’re breathing and sleeping, this is taking place,” says Owens. Its accompanying video, directed by filmmakerLaneya Billingsley (aka Billie0cean), creates a connection between our bodies and the earth, and shows how the two are not separate. Watch Kelly Lee Owens’ Visuals for “Melt!” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kW0vbVEIXE
Stream “Melt!” https://kellyleeowens.lnk.to/melt Inner Song came out of what Owens describes as “the hardest three years of my life. . .my creative life and everything I’d worked for up to that point was deeply impacted. I wasn’t sure if I could make anything anymore, and it took quite a lot of courage to get to a point where I could create again.” The evocative title of the album, borrowed from free-jazz maestro Alan Silva‘s 1972 opus, “really reflects what it felt like to make this record. I did a lot of inner work in the past few years, and this is a true reflection of that.”
Inner Song is available for pre-order now. The vinyl is being released as a sesquialbum, or triple-sided album, with the fourth side etched by Kim Hiorthøy. Pre-order Inner Song https://kellyleeowens.lnk.to/innersong
Inner Song Tracklist: 1. Arpeggi 2. On 3. Melt! 4. Re-Wild 5. Jeanette 6. L.I.N.E. 7. Corner Of My Sky 8. Night 9. Flow 10. Wake-Up
Kelly Lee Owens Tour Dates: Fri. Feb. 28 – London, UK @ Southbank Centre (DJ) Sat. Feb. 29 – Milan, IT @ Contemporary Art Pavillion (DJ) Fri. March. 6 – London, UK @ 6 Music Festival (DJ) Sat. March. 7 – Graz, AT @ Elevate Festival (DJ) Sat. March. 21 – Istanbul, TU @ Babylon (DJ) Fri. March. 27 – Rome, IT @ Manifesto Festival (DJ) Wed. May. 06 – Brighton, UK @ Patterns – Warm Up Show Fri. May. 08 – Manchester, UK @ YES – Warm Up Show Sat. May. 09 – Berlin, DE @ Pitchfork Music Festival Wed. May. 13 – London, UK @ Rough Trade East Sat. May. 23 – London, UK @ All Points East Festival Sun. June. 14 – Dhërmi, AL @ Kala Festival Sat. June. 27 – Perk, BE @ Paradise City Festival Fri. July. 10 – Bilbao, ES @ BBK Live Festival Thu. July. 30 – Amsterdam, NL @ Dekmantel Festival
Thanks to all who listened to my first radio shows of the spring last night. I did a Deep Dive of David Bowie and then two hours of my Nocturne mix. Here are the playlists.
Deep Dive of David Bowie
David Bowie – Let’s Dance
Little Richard – Tutti Frutti
Ronnie Ross – Smoke Gets in Your Eyes
The Konrads – Slide
King Bees – Liza Jane
Mannish Boys – I Pity the Fool
Lower Third – You’ve Got a Habit of Leaving
The Buzz – Do Anything You Say
David Bowie – The Laughing Gnome
Oscar – Over the Wall We Go
Billy Fury – Silly Boy Blue
T. Rex – Cosmic Dancer
David Bowie – Space Oddity
David Bowie – Black Country Rock
David Bowie – Changes
Mott the Hoople – All the Young Dudes
Lou Reed – Vicious
David Bowie – Life on Mars? (live)
David Bowie – John, I’m Only Dancing
David Bowie – Don’t Bring Me Down
David Bowie – Rebel Rebel
David Bowie – Young Americans
Iggy Pop – Fun Time
David Bowie – Golden Years
David Bowie – Sound and Vision
David Bowie – Joe the Lion
David Bowie – Look Back in Anger
David Bowie – Fashion
David Bowie – Blue Jean
Tin Machine – Under the God
Nocturne
Us3 – Chilli Hot
Com Truise – Air Cal
Caribou – Sister
Hound Dog Taylor – The Sky Is Crying (live / request)
Battle for the Planet of the Apes radio ad
Daft Punk – Something About Us
Caroline Rose – Got to Go My Own Way
Thundercat – Dragonball Durag
Love at First Bite radio ad
Jamiroquai – Where Do We Go from Here
Temples – Hot Motion
Diagonal – Detroit
The Flaming Lips – All We Have Is Now
Radiohead – Anyone Can Play Guitar (live)
Drive-in intermission ad
Diagonal – Are “Friends” Electric?
The Shivas – Gloria
Mountain – Theme for an Imaginary Western (request)
I first heard most of Elephant Stone‘s new album, Hollow, at the 2019 Levitation Music Festivalin Austin, Texas when they played a good chunk of it on the inside stage at Barracuda. I’d heard a couple of tracks ahead of the gig and was intrigued by the heavier-than-normal sound. That sound was even heavier live, and the theme of the album – a story set in an apocalyptic future in which people are trying to flee a dying Earth to another planet – takes on even more weight when you hear it live and / or in its entirety.
The album opens with “Hollow World” – a track brimming with Elephant Stone‘s trademark psychedelia and lyrics about having to finally say goodbye to Mother Earth because the human race has succeeded in destroying it. “Darker Time, Darker Space” is a quick interlude as doomed Earthlings fly into unknown space in hopes of finding something better.
“The Court and Jury” decide who leaves, however. Lead singer / bassist / sitarist Rishi Dhir‘s vocals sound like they’re coming through a faulty intercom system on an old spacecraft and his sitar sounds like circuits working overtime as the ship lands on the “Land of Dead.” This was the first track I heard off Hollow. The bass and drums are heavy and the guitar shreds for just under two minutes of raw power.
“Keep the Light Alive” brings in a children’s choir to represent the new generation of Earthlings alone on what could be a hostile new world. “This place is far too cold,” Dhir sings on “We Cry for Harmonia.” The Earthlings are quickly realizing the new planet might end up as wasted as the old one (“How can you fill this space with air you cannot breathe?”). Gabirel Lambert‘s guitar solo on this track is top-notch, by the way, and the backing synths and hand percussion only elevate the song higher.
“Harmonia” is dreamy psych accented by Dhir’s sitar and more of that groovy hand percussion. Dhir’s bass takes center stage on “I See You” (and how about that wicked high-hat work by Mile Dupire, too?) – a groovy track with some light pop touches that could be a radio friendly smash if enough DJs give it a chance.
“The Clampdown” isn’t a cover of The Clashsong (although that would be great), but rather a song about the Powers That Be coming after those of Earth living in underground communities. The dark synths underline the menace of the lyrics. The synths are bright on “Fox on the Run” – the title of which seems to reflect the hunted Earthlings making another run for it. “House on Fire” has the Earth, or is it the new world, burning while people try to ignore it. The guitar on it is like a distant warning klaxon, but the synths are still bright – giving us some hope while things crumble around us. The album closes with more hope on “A Way Home.” The Earth has been all but abandoned, but the ones who remain realize they can repair it and build something new while old karma continues to build new paybacks on the new world inhabited by the privileged few.
It’s a wild record, and I don’t think anyone expected a concept album with doom overtones from Elephant Stone, but it’s great that they’re pushing the envelope and exploring new avenues.
