UK psych-punk Dez Dare shares the first single and video today from his forthcoming new album A Billion Goats. A Billion Sparks. Fin worldwide. Watch & share “Got a Fire In My Socket” via YouTube HERE & hear on all DSPs HERE.
Dez Dare kicks off UK tour dates in April, with more to follow in the EU and Australia. Please see current dates below.
A Billion Goats. A Billion Sparks. Fin. features 11 songs that delve further into the void than previous records, leaving the sardonic frustration behind for sarcastic existentialism, zeroing in on the big philosophical questions, and the pedantic shards of nonsense that make up our existence.
This track is a fuzzed up, bass and synth driven, stomper that tackles the biggest question of all… as the wires fray from the burden of existence + the last sparks shimmer in your consciousness, the void has one simple question… “What tunes do you want playing on the way out?”
The Stooges ‘Real Cool Time’?
The Triffids ‘A Trick of the Light’?
Judy & the Jerks ‘Good Time’?
Nicki Minaj ‘Red Ruby Da Sleeze’?
Whatever your taste, the small things matter. Make it a strong choice!
The self-produced Australian has spent over 3 decades producing music, releasing and touring bands, and doing live sound for z-grade metal bands. Growing up in the coastal town of Geelong (Djilang) in Australia, he was introduced to the DIY punk and rock scene at 15 and this community and the ideas rooted in the underground music scene have guided his output and ethics throughout his career.
This year Dez will be joining forces with label titans God Unknown (Cassels / Duke Garwood / James Johnston + Steve Gullick / KLÄMP / Oneida / Laura Loriga / Monster Magnet / Wellwater Conspiracy [Soundgarden + Monster Magnet]) and will be producing a deluxe version of the album on blob color vinyl and includes a comic book illustrated by Mike Keane. In true nerd fashion the comic also features Top 10s by Dez, Jason Stoll (God Unknown), Matthew Barnhart (Chicago Mastering Service), Mike Keane, and the album illustrator MALMALL.
A Billion Goats. A Billion Sparks. Fin. will be released on LP, CD and download on March 1st via God Unknown Records.
I didn’t get to see as many bands last year as I would’ve liked thanks to many work conflicts and other travel that kept me away from music festivals, but there were some gems. Here’s the first half of the top ten.
#10: Mac Sabbath – The Vogue, Indianapolis, IN – October 18th
I’d been meaning to see Mac Sabbath for a couple years, and they finally came close by (relatively speaking), so a buddy and I went to see them in Indianapolis. I knew there would be lots of Black Sabbath parody songs, but I didn’t know there was going to be so much performance art and comedy. It was a fun mix, not unlike a Harlem Globetrotters show.
#9: King Buffalo – Bell’s Eccentric Café, Kalamazoo, MI – April 22nd
I don’t know how King Buffalo have the time to make new records because they always seem to be touring – giving Reverend Horton Heat a run for their money. Seeing them in a small venue like this is becoming rarer and rarer a treat, because they’re playing more festivals in the U.S. and Europe each year. Don’t miss them.
#8: The Well – Reggie’s, Chicago, IL – April 05th
Speaking of bands you don’t want to miss, The Well are among them. They never disappoint and always put down a heavy doom set. They also are always smiling whenever I see them play, clearly having a good time while playing songs about creepy things in the shadows, weird cults, and groaning spirits.
#7: Playboy Manbaby – The Vogue, Indianapolis, IN – October 18th
No one at the Vogue knew what to make of these guys as they began their set. Were they an emo band? A punk band? A new wave band? I still don’t know. I just know they were a blast and had the whole crowd engaged within three songs, even holding a small election at one point.
#6: The Cybertronic Spree– The Vogue, Indianapolis, IN – October 18th
The middle band of this triple bill turned out to have the best set, as these robots-in-disguise rockers shredded the entire time, leaving a lot of us slack-jawed with amazement. The lead guitarist played most of the set with one broken string, and barely anyone noticed. You have to be good to pull off a gimmick like this, and The Cybertronic Spree are very good, indeed.
Who made the top five? Come back to tomorrow and see!
Sheer Mag break significant musical ground on their forthcoming album Playing Favorites, elevating their signature approach to rock and roll to lushly cinematic new heights. Their latest single “Moonstruck” lives up to its titular reference of Hollywood-sized surprise romance, spooling out a charming story of desire. Guitarist and lyricist Matt Palmer tells, “‘Moonstruck’ is about how invigorating it is to have a new crush. After too long lost in the wilderness, it’s gratifying to find a beacon of tenderness to help reorient yourself in the maze of love. Written in 2021 and originally intended for a disco EP, ‘Moonstruck’ has been reworked as a more expansive and lush arrangement and features some of our favorite guitar work on the new record.”
The accompanying video for “Moonstruck” was inspired by Rush’s “Limelight“ visuals which featured footage from their wintertime recording sessions at Le Studio in Quebec. Sheer Mag enlisted director and longtime friend Ryan Schnackenberg (Cult Images) to bring it to life. Watch below.
Sheer Mag have labored to carve out a discernibly singular position within the canon of contemporary rock: toggling with ease between the refined flourishes of a “connoisseur’s band” and the ecstatic colloquialism of populist songwriting—yet displaying no strict loyalty to either camp—their sound, while oft-referenced, is unmistakably and immediately recognizable as theirs alone. On Playing Favorites, Sheer Mag’s third full-length and first with Third Man Records, the band capitalize on a decade’s worth of devotion to their own collective spirit—a spirit refined in both the sweaty trenches of punk warehouses and the larger-than-life glamour of concert halls—emerging with a dense work of gripping emotions, massive hooks, and masterfully constructed power-pop anthems. This is the record the Philadelphian rock and roll four-piece has always been destined to make.
Playing Favorites expands with a sense of undeniable vitality, buoyed by rock and roll’s singular capacity to channel a relentless compassion for human life. While at times marked by an intensified sense of melancholy, this newest offering takes stock of the confusing flow of daily life without moralizing, refusing to fall into antagonistic cynicism. Sheer Mag leans into the chaotic thrall of city living, of a life subdivided by the jagged highs and lows of bars, parties, and nightlife culture, with sweetly empathetic remove.
The album burns with a sweetened gratitude for the lot one has been given in life: the luck of coming up punk; the luck of living an unalienated life; the luck of feeling love, and losing love. Sheer Mag began to work in earnest on their follow up to 2019’s A Distant Call in the summer of 2021, which they originally imagined would take the shape of a tautly constructed 4-song disco EP. Before long, the band realized this new material would perhaps be better served within the context of a fully fleshed out rock LP, bracketed by the support of a wider array of juxtaposing psychic moods and sonic textures.
Over a six-month stretch spanning the fall of 2022 to the winter of 2023, guitarist Kyle Seely and his brother Hart Seely (bass) set about tracking the instrumentals for the record, resetting their studio configuration each week in order to impose a more tailored, multi-session atmosphere upon the record’s acoustic landscape. Palmer rejoined vocalist Tina Halladay in Philadelphia the following spring to write and record the vocals for Playing Favorites, which depart rather markedly from the band’s prior material, placing an added emphasis on pronouncedly existential, interpersonal storytelling and ornate background harmonies.
Playing Favorites is undoubtedly a record by the same Sheer Mag that audiences of all stripes have spent the last decade falling in love with. In fact, for all of its sonic departures and evolutions, this record is perhaps the most “Sheer Mag” release yet. Not so much a return to form, but rather a realization of those greatest promises that the band has up until now only hinted at. With Playing Favorites, Sheer Mag cater to their tastes and their tastes alone: so long as they continue to do so, the future of rock and roll, that great human tradition, is in the best of hands.
Sheer Mag embark on an extensive headlining tour this Spring which kicks off in D.C. late March and routes them coast to coast through early May. Today they’ve confirmed performances at NYC’s Bowery Ballroom, a hometown show at Philadelphia’s First Unitarian Church and more. See below for a full list of dates. For tickets and updates, go here.
Mar 29: Washington, DC – Songbyrd Mar 30: Carrboro, NC – Cat’s Cradle – Back Room Mar 31: Asheville, NC – Eulogy Apr 01: Nashville, TN – The Blue Room at Third Man Records Apr 02: Atlanta, GA – The Masquerade, Purgatory Apr 04: New Orleans, LA – Siberia Apr 05: Houston, TX – The End Apr 06: Austin, TX – Far Out Lounge Apr 07: Dallas, TX – Double Wide Apr 09: Mesa, AZ – The Underground Apr 10: Tucson, AZ – Club Congress Apr 11: San Diego, CA – The Casbah Apr 12: Santa Ana, CA – Constellation Room Apr 13: Los Angeles, CA – Lodge Room Apr 15: San Francisco, CA – Rickshaw Stop Apr 17: Portland, OR – Star Theater Apr 18: Seattle, WA – The Vera Project Apr 19: Boise, ID – The Shredder Apr 20: Salt Lake City, UT – Kilby Court Apr 22: Denver, CO – Hi Dive Apr 24: Omaha, NE – Reverb Lounge Apr 25: Minneapolis, MN – 7th St. Entry Apr 26: Madison, WI – High Noon Saloon Apr 27: Chicago, IL – Sleeping Village Apr 29: Kalamazoo, MI – Bell’s Eccentric Cafe May 05: Somerville, MA – Crystal Ballroom May 06: East Haven, CT – Beeracks May 08: New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom May 10: Philadelphia, PA – First Unitarian Church May 01: Toronto, ON – Velvet Underground May 03: Buffalo, NY – Mohawk Place May 04: Troy, NY – No Fun May 31 – Jun 02: Northampton, MA – Field Day Music Festival
Now that 2023 has passed us, it’s time for my annual countdown of some of my favorite stuff of the previous year. Who made the top 25? Read on and discover!
#25: Cavaran – Nights at Josan
Named after a bar near their recording studio they’d frequent after recording sessions, Belgium’s Cavaran returned with a solid record of desert / stoner rock that was a badly need dose of rocket fuel into our collective veins.
#24: Gimenö – Movement Remixes
Just like 2022, there was a lot of good EDM released last year, and this album of remixes by pals of DJ / producer Gimenö was among it. There isn’t a bad track on here. It’s all floor-fillers.
#23: Big Miz – Where I Belong
Another excellent EDM EP, this one from Big Miz on the Homage label. Miz combined house with trance and does it with subtle, slick skill.
#22: Bodywash– I Held the Shape While I Could
Shoegaze made a fine return this year, and that makes me happy – as did this cool record by Bodywash that bathes you in guitars, reverb, and clove cigarette smoke vocals.
#21: Eaves Wilder – Hookey
Another fun EP, this one about break-ups, screw-ups (in the world of mental health care), and drink-ups. Eaves Wilder might be “the next big thing.” Get in on her stuff now and become one of the cool kids.
Who makes the top 20? Come back tomorrow to find out!
Caroline Rose’s live show “explodes in color. Angry reds, deep blues, vibrant yellows, and every shade in-between flex and melt onstage in a dazzling light show dance that only grows in intensity as the set goes on” (NYLON). Today, Rose announces a 2024 North American tour in support of “their strongest and most resonant record yet” (Under The Radar), The Art of Forgetting, out now on New West Records. The Art of Forgetting was released earlier this year to a wealth of praise from the likes of The New York Times, NPR, and Document Journal, who hailed it as “a confessional, layered with personal anecdotes, Southern storytelling sensibilities, and unreserved exploration of the ever-evolving self.”
Rose’s 2024 tour includes stops in Chicago, Washington, DC, and Boulder, plus two-night stints in Los Angeles, Portland, Seattle, and San Francisco. Metropolis Ensemble, founded by Grammy award nominated conductor Andrew Cyr, will join Rose in Brooklyn and Northampton for a special set-up featuring eight auxiliary players. Fans will also have the opportunity to attend VIP screenings of Rose’s The Art of Forgetting short film, taking place in many of the venues following soundcheck. The film has earned many accolades, including the title of Best Music Video at Hollywood Shorts Fest, New York Indie Shorts Awards, and ARFF Amsterdam, in addition to being a semifinalist at Indie Shorts Awards Cannes and an official selection at Hollyshorts Film Festival. A full list of tour dates are below, and tickets are on sale to the general public now.
Caroline Rose 2024 Tour Dates Sun. March 31 – Portland, ME @ State Theatre Tue. April 2 – Northampton, MA@ Bombyx Wed. April 3 – Northampton, MA @ Bombyx Fri. April 5 – Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel Sat. April 6 – Fairfield, CT @ The Warehouse Sun. April 7 – Boston, MA @ Royale Tue. April 9 – Montreal, QC @ Studio TD Wed. April 10 – Toronto, ON @ Concert Hall Fri. April 12 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer Sat. April 13 – Washington, DC @ 930 Club Sun. April 14 – Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Ballroom Tue. April 16 – Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall Fri. April 19 – Madison, WI @ High Noon Saloon Sat. April 20 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Ave Tue. April 23 – Iowa City, IA @ Englert Theatre Wed. April 24 – Kansas City, MO @ RecordBar Fri. April 26 – Fort Collins, CO @ Aggie Theatre Sat. April 27 – Boulder, CO @ Fox Theatre Sun. April 28 – Santa Fe, NM @ Meow Wolf Fri. May 3 – Tucson, AZ @ Congress Plaza Sat. May 4 – Solana Beach, CA @ Belly Up Mon. May 6 – Los Angeles, CA @ Lodge Room Tue. May 7 – Los Angeles, CA @ Lodge Room Fri. May 10 – Santa Cruz, CA @ Rio Theatre Sat. May 11 – San Francisco, CA @ The Chapel Sun. May 12 – San Francisco, CA @ The Chapel Tue. May 14 – Sonoma, CA @ Gundlach Bundschu Barn Thu. May 16 – Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom Fri. May 17 – Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom Sat. May 18 – Seattle, WA @ The Showbox Sun. May 19 – Seattle, WA @ The Showbox
Recording for the first time with a full band, Art Feynman (Luke Temple) took on new energy after relocating to Los Angeles from northern California and decided to create a record that dives into why he, and so many of us, have a fear of missing out (FOMO) and not a joy of missing out.
“Early Signs of Rhythm” bumps and clicks with Talking Heads-like beats, and they are a fully acknowledged inspiration on the album. Temple sounds like he’s looking for signs of true fun in a world that pushes false narratives of what joy really is as he spots a woman so lovely she can melt the frozen ground. Shane McKillop‘s bass on “In CD” is great, pushing the song into a happy mania. The post-punk paranoia of “Therapy at 3pm” is delightfully catchy.
“All I Can Do” has Temple singing about how he’s barely getting by at the rat race runs all around him. Kosta Galanopoulos‘ drums on it are razor sharp and the secret weapon of the whole track. “He Dances” might as well be called “You Dance,” because McKillop puts down a Barney Miller theme-like bass lick and the next thing you know you’re at least tapping your toes and nodding your head in his rhythm.
“Don’t have light to burn,” Temple sings on “Passed Over” – but he might actually be singing “Don’t have life to burn.” Both lyrics fall into the FOMO theme of the record, and the beats encourage us to dance before the end of the night, or our lives, gets here. “Chasing My Life” has Temple trying to catch up with something he can’t define. He likens it to a precious diamond he’s searching for in the dark. It’s the struggle of the ego, an ultimately fruitless task we all stumble into now and then. You can’t help but think he’ll find it, however, as the song is so peppy you end up cheering for him.
By the time we get to “Desperately Free,” Temple is worried about how he’s going to adapt to leaving his ego behind (“Desperately free, I don’t wanna be.”) or how he’s still trapped in FOMO and choice paralysis. The closer, “I Do,” brings us back to Temple’s love of Talking Heads with its simple beats, chimes, keyboard chords, and lyrics about love, hope, and release from stress that’s ours for the taking if we’ll just reach for it.
Reach for this album as well. It’s worth your time.
Returning after eleven years when we needed them most, The Hives emerged from their Swedish tombs and brought us The Death of Randy Fitzsimmons to remind us that they are one of the fiercest rock bands on the planet.
The album starts off like a pipe bomb exploding with “Bogus Operandi” – a powerful, strutting rocker, and then takes off like the Road Runner on “Trapdoor Solution,” which proves that The Hives have lost none of their punk rock flair since their first album. “Countdown to Shutdown” shows off the heavy bass of newest member The Johan and Only as the band sticks their fingers in the eyes of 1%ers.
“Rigor Mortis Radio” has lead singer Howlin’ Pelle Almqvist letting everyone know he has no time for bullshit (“I got your e-mails say you’re warnin’ me. I got your e-mails. Delete, delete.”). “Stick Up” sounds like it has some New Orleans blues influence to it, which shouldn’t surprise us considering the frequent themes of death throughout the album. “Smoke & Mirrors” skewers illusions, and “Crash into the Weekend” has great handclap percussion that gets you fired up for that party, concert, or roadtrip you’ve been craving all week.
“Two Kinds of Trouble” has that distinctive Hives swagger, as does “The Way the Story Goes.” Nicholaus Arson‘s guitar work on “The Way the Story Goes” is especially fuzzy and gritty, which means it sounds great. “The Bomb” lets us all know that we’re all going out to party with The Hives and none of us are going home until we’re done getting down. Chris Dangerous‘ drums on it are flat-out frantic.
“What Did I Ever Do to You?” brings in programmed drums and spaghetti western guitar to a song in which Almqvist sings about just wanting to chill while some random dude goes off on a rant and blames him for everything. The album ends with “Step Out of the Way,” which could be a gauntlet thrown down to younger bands trying to emulate The Hives. Just get out of the way, young’un. You’re likely to be trampled by The Hives’ spotless dress shoes as they head into the club for the sole purpose of leveling it to the ground.
I wouldn’t wait much longer if you plan on seeing Sleater-Kinney‘s “Little Rope” tour, as two dates on the east coast are already sold out, and I’m sure other venues already have low ticket warnings in place. Joining them will be Black Belt Eagle Scout and, it was recently announced, Palehound.
Tickets are on sale for all shows now, so grab them while you can.
Sessanta, an untraditional tour that sees Puscifer, A Perfect Circle, and Primus joining forces, and sharing band members, is slated for April of 2024.
The Western U.S. outing is a resurrection, and expansion, of the 2014 Los Angeles event, Cinquanta, which was originally a one-time only celebration. Much like that fabled evening, which commemorated Maynard James Keenan’s landmark 50th birthday, Sessanta celebrates the Puscifer and A Perfect Circle frontman as he turns 60.
Sessanta’s unique format sees the musicians from the trio of bands joining each other’s performances throughout the concert. While each group will have their own distinctive set, the players will continually transform as the night unfolds.
“It took some massaging, and some long days in rehearsal, but we managed to seamlessly pull off this three-song rotation at Cinquanta, my 50th birthday shows, at The Greek Theatre in 2014,” says Keenan of the seven-date run that also sees A Perfect Circle’s first live performances since 2018. “Bands aren’t used to simultaneously sharing the stage with other bands, but if anyone can do it, it’s Primus, A Perfect Circle, and Puscifer.”
Tickets are on-sale now, with VIP options available via Tour.puscifer.com.
Recorded live in Glasgow, Scotland in 1995, Julian Cope‘s Barrowlands is almost seventy minutes of Cope and his four-piece band (Richard “K-R” Frost – bass and vocals, Michael “Mooneye” Watts – lead guitar and vocals, Mark “Rooster”Cosby – drums, Timothy “Thighpaulsandra” Lewis – vocals, piano, Mellotron 400, and synths) performing what was a three-hour set that’s been whittled down to this album. It marked a heavy synth influence on Cope’s live shows, as he’d recently acquired a vintage 1966 Mellotron 400 and dove head-first into synth-psych.
As a result, the live show is a wild freak-out (as, I’m sure any Cope concert is) heavy on synths and keys, but not skimping on raucous guitar riffs, tight bass, or near-panicked drum beats.
The album opens with blasting versions of “East Easy Rider” and “Spacehopper” before they slow things down a bit on “Nineteen Ninety-Five” (which Cope dedicates to a rowdy man in the crowd as Cope offers to throw him some meat). It’s a song that encourages us to open our minds and explore, and the heavy piano chords behind the message have a hint of danger to them (and the journey).
“Sleeping Gas” is downright manic, with Mooneye’s guitar sounding like an industrial saw one moment and a thrash metal solo the next. “Don’t Take Roots” is wonderfully loopy, and tracks like “Leli B.” and “Passionate Friend” (a Teardrop Explodes track, no less) keep the crowd rowdy. “Torpedo” features Cope’s unique voice supported by Thighpaulsandra’s Mellotron chords. Cope’s vocals can go from crooning to punk rage and then dreamy stylings that almost become spoken word pieces. “Torpedo” is a good example of this last one. “Julian H. Cope” is a solo acoustic track that’s like a warm-up before the sonic blast of “Out of My Mind on Dope & Speed.”
“Double Vegetation” sounds even better live than I’d hoped. Cope’s band brings a strange, haunting energy to it. Afterwards, Cope tells the crowd there won’t be an encore. “It’s really hard to go offstage after three hours and then come back,” he says. , claiming there will be only two more tracks. There are actually four.
“Reward” is first, another Teardrop Explodes classic. “It’s coming to an end,” Cope says before he and his crew launch into “Hanging Out & Hung Up on the Line.” Cope’s vocals take on an angry snarl while Mooneye’s guitar buzzes like someone just threw a beehive on the stage. “World Shut Your Mouth” roars with heavy bass from Frost and Thighpaulsandra’s synths are at times bright and other times skronky. The album ends with Cope’s wild, trippy, frenetic classic “Reynard the Fox” – which must have caused a near riot when they played it at this show because it’s like ending a marathon with a kickboxing match. It’s always been one of Cope’s best songs, and getting a live version of it on this record is a treat.
The whole thing is a treat if you’re a fan of Cope’s work. I hope the Archdrude releases more live cuts. He’s a bit of a hermit nowadays, and has mostly given up the rock life, but maybe, just maybe, he’ll come out of hiding and surprise us.
