Pitchfork Music Festival artist spotlight: Tame Impala

Australian psych-rockers Tame Impala have a huge following.  They’ve been together since 2007 and have produced quite a bit of material in the last 11 years.  I missed them in Austin a few years ago when they played the Levitation festival there, but they’re closing the Pitchfork Music Festival on Friday.  I’m sure it will be a packed set and a big freak-out for a crowd dehydrated, sunburned, and fuzzy from alcohol, fried chicken, and other odd substances.

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Pitchfork Music Festival artist spotlight: Tierra Whack

Replacing Earl SweatshirtPitchfork Music Festival , who has cancelled his upcoming performance at Chicago’s (possibly due to recent depression issues over the death of his father, some sources say), Tierra Whack is a welcome addition with her experimental hip hop and visual artistry.  She has a lovely voice, fine mic skills, and a neat aesthetic that combines hip hop culture with 80’s retro, glam, and soul.

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Pitchfork Music Festival artist spotlight: Mount Kimbie

The British electro duo Mount Kimbie make neat music that combines synthetic beats with dream-pop vocals, guitar, and some live percussion.  They’re another band that’s new on my radar.  I love discovering new bands through festivals, and their performance at the Pitchfork Music Festival might be a nice surprise.

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Pitchfork Music Festival artist spotlight: Open Mike Eagle

Hometown artist Open Mike Eagle will be working the Blue Stage on July 20th at this year’s Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago.  Mr. Eagle has a good blend of electronic beats and a smooth flow that discusses issues serious to him, his hometown, and the world in general.  I haven’t heard much of his material, but I do like the few things I have heard.  It should be an interesting set.

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Pitchfork Music Festival artist spotlight: Joshua Abrams and the Natural Information Society

It’s a bit hard to describe Joshua Abrams and the Natural Information Society, but the best word is probably “minimalist.”  They play an interesting form of minimalist jazz and low rock that’s centered around Abrams’ love and mastery of a three-stringed African guimbri lute.  Their stuff can be both meditative and danceable.  I first caught them at Levitation Chicago a while back, and they put on a good show then.  It will be interesting to catch them in an outdoor venue this year at the Pitchfork Music Festival.

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Pitchfork Music Festival Artist Spotlight: Melkbelly

Chicago noise-punk outfit Melkbelly are playing one of the earliest sets (1:45pm on Friday) at this year’s Pitchfork Music Festival in their hometown, and it would be well worth leaving work early to see them.  Their fierce rock has an edge to it that will slap you out of your doldrums and fire you up for the rest of the festival.  Their 2017 album Nothing Valley was one of the best of the year, and I’ve heard their live performances are game-changing.  Don’t miss them.

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Kalamazoo, Michigan’s Audiotree Music Festival releases lineups for 2018.

AUDIOTREE MUSIC FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES WIDR STAGE LINEUP

CO-BOOKED BY WMU’S STUDENT RADIO STATION, WIDR-FM

SEPTEMBER 22-23 IN KALAMAZOO, MI

TICKETS AVAILABLE NOW

 

Audiotree Music Festival is returning to Kalamazoo’s Arcadia Creek Festival Place on Saturday, September 22nd and Sunday, September 23rd for the 6th year in a row. The main stage lineup was announced last month, featuring Father John Misty, Local Natives, Real Estate, Khruangbin, and more. Now, the festival has shared its WIDR Stage lineup, featuring Slow Mass, Michigander, Pool Holograph, McKinley Dixon, and Miranda Winters amongst others.

Booked in collaboration with Western Michigan University’s student radio station, WIDR-FM, The WIDR Stage will present a dozen up-and-coming artists that are predominantly from Kalamazoo, Grand Rapids, and Chicago. ATMF has worked with WIDR-FM for the last 5 years, but this is the first time that the station has participated in the festival’s booking process.

Audiotree Music Festival and its namesake company, Audiotree, were founded by Kalamazoo natives Michael Johnston and Adam Thurston. The duo have always  made an effort to ensure that the company and the fest share a unifying goal: to provide a platform for artists and fans to discover one another through live performances. With the addition of the WIDR Stage, ATMF attendees now have an opportunity to see new artists from their hometown and neighboring cities.

In addition to music, the festival will offer a variety of craft beer, food trucks, and specialty vendors from the Kalamazoo area. The fest is all ages and children under the age of 10 get free admission with an adult.

PURCHASE TICKETS
Single Day General Admission – $45
Two Day General Admission – $80
Single Day VIP – $75
Two Day VIP – $135

WATCH AUDIOTREE MUSIC FESTIVAL TRAILER

LEARN MORE ABOUT AUDIOTREE

WIDR  STAGE LINEUP
Michigander – Grand Rapids
Slow Mass – Chicago
Miranda Winters – Chicago
Pool Holograph – Chicago
McKinley Dixon – Richmond
REZN – Chicago
Maybe April – Nashville
Moss Jaw – Kalamazoo
Lume – Michigan & Chicago
Jake Simmons & The Little Ghosts – Kalamazoo
Lushh – Kalamazoo
V.V. Lightbody – Chicago

MAIN STAGE LINEUP
Father John Misty
Local Natives
Khruangbin
Real Estate
Blitzen Trapper
Chicano Batman
Diet Cig
The Regrettes
Stuyedeyed
Flaural
Basement
Palm
Caamp
Common Holly
Major Murphy
NE-HI
Melkbelly
Post Animal

LINEUP BY DAY

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 22
Local Natives
Khruangbin
Basement
Diet Cig
The Regrettes
NE-HI
Melkbelly
Stuyedeyed
Flaural
Michigander
Miranda Winters
Maybe April
McKinley Dixon
V.V. Lightbody
Moss Jaw

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 23
Father John Misty
Real Estate
Chicano Batman
Blitzen Trapper
Post Animal
Palm
Caamp
Major Murphy
Common Holly
Jake Simmons
Lume
REZN
Pool Holograph
Slow Mass
Lushh

Audiotree Music Festival FAQ

Audiotree Music Festival Socials
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Steve Hauschildt releases “Alienself” from album due this August.

STEVE HAUSCHILDT SHARES “ALIENSELF
OFF UPCOMING ALBUM DISSOLVI


GHOSTLY INTERNATIONAL DEBUT OUT AUGUST 3

 

(photo credit: Maria Tzeka)

 

Today, electronic musician Steve Hauschildt shares “Alienself,” the second song off his new full-length and Ghostly International debut, Dissolvi (out August 3rd). “Alienself is a song that began in my live set and so I had the luxury of developing it gradually over the last two years,” says Hauschildt. “The final version features guitar by Rafael Irisarri in the first half of the track which then transitions into synthesized voices in the latter half. The song title refers to a psychoanalytical term which has to do with the development of a false aspect of the self and how mental states are not only envisioned in others but how they’re externalized or projected.”

The album’s title — a reference to cupio dissolvi, the Latin phrase meaning “I wish to be dissolved” — needn’t be taken one-­dimensionally or as purely solipsistic. Physiological phenomena are of interest to Hauschildt. These back­-of-­mind ruminations find their way out. Songs are cerebral in orientation, but beyond explanation, the music is truly visceral.

Late last month, Steve shared the first single off the record, the sublime “Saccade,” which featured vocals from Julianna Barwick. The album, which is his most collaborative work to date, also features a song with Gabrielle Herbst, aka GABI.  Watch visuals for “Alienself” and “Saccade” below (art by Robert Beatty).

LISTEN TO “ALIENSELF”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-7Y–KRHvQ&feature=youtu.be

LISTEN TO “SACCADE” (FEAT. JULIANNA BARWICK)
https://youtu.be/Tt7JiZutEDU
Pre-order Dissolvi:
Ghostly International — https://ghostly.com/products/dissolvi
Or at the retailer of your choice — https://Ghostly.lnk.to/steve-hauschildt-dissolvi

 

Download hi-res images & album art of Steve Hauschildt —
http://pitchperfectpr.com/steve-hauschildt/

Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Bandcamp | Ghostly International

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Howard release “Oh Dear Brother” from album due this September.

Howard Share “Oh Dear Brother” From New Album, Together Alone, Out September 14th On Fashion People
https://soundcloud.com/listentohoward/oh-dear-brother/

(photo credit: Sonya Kitchell)

As the song starts out, Howard mixes a folksy riff with a choppy syncopated beat. When the horn section comes in, the song transforms into a rounded out, funk groove. This is the first album from Howard to be recorded with a full band, and the extra instrumentation adds full-bodied warmth, helping the song blossom.” — Stereogum, on “Oh Dear Brother”

“The video’s kitschy collage-style animation, as well as the zany, exaggerated expressions of the band’s characters, elevate the classic outsider-falls-for-girl narrative into something refreshing and whimsical.” — NPR Music, on “Your Honor” video
Today, Howard are thrilled to share, “Oh Dear Brother,” the newest single from their forthcoming album Together Alone, out September 14th on Fashion People. “The song started more personally and gradually became more about the political state of affairs when things were coming to a climax around the election,” says guitarist/vocalist Howard Feibusch. “It is about our growing inability to listen to each other and the sense of turmoil that happens when our dialogue becomes a screaming match. It is not a topic I’m entirely comfortable writing about because I fear that it’s just polluting the atmosphere with more noise on a topic too many people have an opinion about.”

 

Stream Howard’s “Oh Dear Brother” — 
https://soundcloud.com/listentohoward/oh-dear-brother/
Watch a Behind-The-Scenes Video On The Making Of “Oh Dear Brother” — 
https://youtu.be/YrdJa6mTpVU

 

Together Alone follows Howard’s debut album, 2015’s Religion, and it’s companion EP, Please Recycle. It’s the first album from 30-year-old multifaceted bandleader Howard Feibusch’s project to be recorded with the full band — composed of Feibusch (guitar, vocals), Alex Chakour (guitar, synth, backup vocals), Myles Heffernan (bass), and Chris Holdridge (drums) — that so capably toured behind Religion. It’s also an aching, restless, and altogether lovely document of the paradoxical sensation in which we feel more isolated than ever in the face of increasing togetherness and connectivity—a modern sentiment wrapped in music that’s timeless in its timbre.

Listen/Share:
“Your Honor” video — https://youtu.be/JXRHCs5ZZms
“Mother’s Wedding” stream — https://spoti.fi/2xJ1Wab



Pre-order Together Alone https://howard.pmstores.co/

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

(Together Alone Cover Art)

 

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Blackwater Holylight release new single and announce west coast tour dates.

BlackWater HolyLight share first video from RidingEasy debut album, announce West Coast tour dates
 Rewiring “heavy music” w/ hints of Sonic Youth, Chelsea Wolfe, Raincoats, Stooges, Beefheart, et al.
  Watch “Wave of Conscience” video (YouTube)
Hear & share Blackwater Holylight album (Bandcamp) (Brooklyn Vegan)
“Flat out it’s one of the best heavy psych debut albums you’ll hear in 2018.” — The Obelisk
“This quartet has been burning up stages all around their hometown, fueled by their abrasive blend of doom metal, psych rock, goth and a tangy soupçon of pop music… They landed a spot on the 2018 Best New Band poll in alt-weekly Willamette Week, but could quickly take over the world.” — Paste Magazine
“They mesh elements of doom, Krautrock and atmospheric indie into one bewitching rock whole.” –Classic Rock Magazine
Portland, OR quartet BlackWater HolyLight share the first video from their breakout debut album today. Watch and share “Wave of Conscience” via YouTube.
BlackWater HolyLight also announce West Coast tour dates starting August 3rd. Please see current dates below.
 
Their self-titled RidingEasy Records debut has received unanimous press praise and continues to grow. Brooklyn Vegan recently streamed the entire album HERE. (Direct YouTube.)
The notion of “heavy music” is continuing to expand of late, with many intrepid artists finding new ways to incorporate the power of traditional metal into new music, but without all of its trappings. Enter Portland, OR quartet BlackWater HolyLight to further swirl musical elements into a captivating hybrid of emotional intensity. Heavy psych riffs, gothic drama, folk-rock vibes, garage-sludge and soaring melodies all collide into a satisfying whole with as much contrast as the band’s name itself.
“I wanted to experiment with my own version of what felt ‘heavy’ both sonically and emotionally,” says founder and vocalist/bassist Allison (Sunny) Faris. “I also wanted a band in which vulnerability of any form could be celebrated.” BlackWater HolyLight — Faris, guitarist/vocalist Laura Hopkins, drummer Cat Hoch and synth player Sarah Mckenna — formed upon the breakup of Faris’ longtime band and she sought a fresh start. “In my last band I was the only female in a group of 6, so I wanted to see how my song writing and vulnerability could glow taking the drivers seat and working with women.”
The band’s self-titled debut begins with a simple, almost grunge-like riff as a chorus of voices introduce a melodic line in call-and-response until the band kicks in, slowly building into crescendo like a lost outtake from Led Zeppelin‘s Houses of the Holy. Elsewhere, “Sunrise” begins with a chorus-drenched post-punk groove until a sonic boom of heavily distorted guitar skree erupts out of nowhere. Nearly as suddenly, the song returns to its lulling core, subtly building the tension until it ruptures completely in a blast of noise. Likewise, “Carry Her” establishes a dark, sparse melody and distinctly thin sounding drums not far removed from early work of The Cure. However, BlackWater HolyLight’s penchant for surprise attack finds a sudden shift into a doom-like dirge, colored with eerie synth notes and pounding shards of fuzz. Throughout the album, their songs shirk traditional verse-chorus-verse structure in favor of fluid, serpentine compositions that move with commanding grace. The band expertly, yet subconsciously, incorporates hints of Chelsea Wolfe, Celebration, Captain Beefheart, The Raincoats, The Stooges, Pink Floyd, Jane’s Addiction and more to form their unique brand of dark’n’heavy transcendence..
BlackWater HolyLight was recorded by Cameron Spies at Gold Brick Studios and The Greenhouse, and with Eric Crespo at Touch Tourcher Recording in Portland. The album is available on LP, CD and download, released April 6th, 2018 via RidingEasy Records on LP & CD at www.ridingeasyrecs.com and digital at blackwaterholylight.bandcamp.com.
BLACKWATER HOLYLIGHT LIVE:
08/03 Nevada City, CA @ Cooper’s
08/04 Oakland, CA @ Elbo Jack London
08/07 Las Vegas, NV @ Bunkhouse
08/08 Los Angeles, CA @ Zebulon w/ Zig Zags
08/09 Oceanside, CA @ Pourhouse w/ Red Wizard
08/10 Fresno, CA @ Full Circle

08/11 Arcata, CA @ Alibi

Artist: BlackWater HolyLight
Album: BlackWater HolyLight
Label: RidingEasy Records
Release Date: April 6th, 2018
01. Willow
02. Wave of Conscience
03. Babies
04. Paranoia
05. Sunrise
06. Slow Hole
07. Carry Her
08. Jizz Witch

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