LINDSTRØM ANNOUNCES NEW ALBUM, IT’S ALRIGHT BETWEEN US AS IT IS, OUT OCTOBER 20TH ON SMALLTOWN SUPERSOUND
LISTEN TO LEAD SINGLE “SHININ” FEAT. GRACE HALL
http://bit.ly/2wrQrm3
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LINDSTRØM ANNOUNCES NEW ALBUM, IT’S ALRIGHT BETWEEN US AS IT IS, OUT OCTOBER 20TH ON SMALLTOWN SUPERSOUND
LISTEN TO LEAD SINGLE “SHININ” FEAT. GRACE HALL
http://bit.ly/2wrQrm3
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Debut Album Backwater Out October 20th On Ghostly International
“Downfall” is the leadoff track on Backwater, due out October 20th on Ghostly International. It was also the last song written for Backwater. “We wrote it on a balcony in Croatia overlooking the water,” say Kllo. “It was very beautiful there, warm and still. We were in a good space, reflecting on everything we’d gone through, but also how much we’d grown through making Backwater. It’s a reminder to not get too caught up in your head, to not dwell on the negative things.”
As a result, Kllo’s full-length debut depicts inner adjustment to outer change. Songs were written partially on the road and developed back at Lam’s bungalow, a haven that harbors creative spontaneity and catharsis.
“It’s the first time we hadn’t felt like kids anymore,” says Kaul. “We were really able to dive in deeper and bring out a lot more of us into the music.”
Kllo first emerged with a sound beyond their years; fully formed, fusing elements of R&B, UK garage, and 2-step. Well-versed students of artists like James Blake, Lauryn Hill, and The xx, the duo extend an amalgamation of established pop elements with modern sensibilities and wide-eyed sincerity. Backwater arrives as a refined, coming-of-age account. The LP format finds Kllo with more room to breathe and sync their rhythms with emotions. Kaul’s smoky voice emanates with assurance and leisure. Lam’s production invents brooding, steely undercurrents hemmed with charming crescendos.
Kllo have officially come out the other end of the stilted estuary with twelve compositions cultivated to feel timeless and crafted, and equally current. The duo’s second release on Ghostly International — and their most realized work to date — Backwater celebrates the ephemeral and the enduring changes in emotion, the downfalls and the dissolves. It’s an album that parts course with its flow, and flourishes in a lowland.
Backwater is out October 20th on Ghostly International.
Backwater artwork
Listen To New Single “Light” (Feat. Tropics)
https://soundcloud.com/
World Headline Tour Announced
Work on Float began during a trip to Iceland. Slow Magic cites the surreal change in light that far north as an inspiration. “The sun never really went away. It was eternal,” Slow Magic explains. “I wanted to approach this album in ways I never had before.” That meant recording live drums at a studio in Stockholm normally reserved for metal bands. Once the instrumentals took shape, Slow Magic enlisted vocalists Peter Silberman (from The Antlers), Kate Boy, Tropics, Toulouse, and MNDR to help complete Float.
“My last album How To Run Away was about my life at that time, really just moving at all times, running away from any reality and problems. I wanted to capture that feeling of freedom of youth when nothing really seems to matter in the long term. A lot of the songs were about specific places in the world I was able to experience for the very first time.”
“On Float I wanted to go back to the beginning of Slow Magic. I wanted to capture the raw sounds and feelings and freedom of my first albums ▲ and How To Run Away while expanding and evolving into something completely new. Most of the songs started very stripped down, just with piano and organic instruments. I let the songs write themselves without forcing them to go anywhere they didn’t naturally go.”
Slow Magic will tour the world for the rest of 2017 in support of Float headlining his biggest rooms yet. “I’m planning a lot of new things that I haven’t done before. There will be a completely revamped live show with a ton of new music. I’m hoping people that have been to my show and people that never have will all feel like they are experiencing something they never have imagined.”
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The last time I saw the New Pornographers live was in 2007 at Chicago’s Metro. Lead singer Carl Newman commented during the show about a strong thunderstorm happening outside during the gig, and you could hear thunder between songs now and then. It was a great show, and my wife and got back to our hotel room still buzzing from it. I noticed I had a voicemail from work, so I listened. The storm that had rolled through Chicago during the show had become a tornado by the time it reached our hometown. Nearly every home on the southeast side of town had either been destroyed or damaged. A factory and a convenience store were wiped off the face of the Earth. Amazingly, no one was injured. Our house was fine, but we returned home early the next day to help with the rebuilding and cleaning efforts.
Thankfully, the only thing dire that happened during my second time seeing the New Pornographers was that the brewery in which they played, Bell’s in Kalamazoo, didn’t serve cider, radlers, or even their own root beer.

Unfortunately, I missed nearly all of opening band Ought‘s set. I walked in during their last song (Thanks, Google Maps, for directions that were fine until the last two steps of the journey.), which sounded like some good shoegaze. I need to check out their material.

The New Pornographers came out sharp and quick with crowd favorites like “High Ticket Attractions,” “The Laws Have Changed,” and “Sing Me Spanish Techno.” They sounded great. They haven’t lost anything in ten years. In fact, the additions of more electro touches from keyboardist Blaine Thurier and keyboardist / co-vocalist Kathryn Calder and violin and vocals from Simi Stone bring the band a new brightness.



“Whiteout Conditions,” the title track of their new record, sounds even better live, and I was delighted to hear “Dancehall Domine” from Brill Bruisers live for the first time (They nailed it, by the way.). The show cruised along well until a string broke on John Collins‘ bass and the band had a brief on-stage break while Mr. Collins worked some magic and had his axe swinging again in moments. They were soon they were back to a fine rendition of “Adventures in Solitude.”

The encore included “Challengers,” “Brill Bruisers,” “The Slow Descent in Alcoholism” (which I found funny considering they were playing in a brewery), and a rousing version of “The Bleeding Heart Show” that had us all cheering.

It was a fun night, and much needed by all. It’s no secret that depression and the 2016 presidential election fueled much of Newman’s songwriting for Whiteout Conditions, so the crisp sound, fun vibe, and power pop the New Pornographers brought were, for one night at least, an escape from the miasma of news, Tweets, rumors, and anger.
Keep your mind open.
Willowbank Out October 6th On Cascine
Catch Them On Tour This October;
European Dates Added
“it’s Perfect Pop” – NPR Music
Charlie Ryder from the band comments, “‘Depths’ is a song about life, love and temporary loss, and all the little moments in between that drag us to the edge of our existences. The people that take your crazy and run with it, turning life upside down in the process, with no regard for the consequences when they forget about you for the day. In parallel, the song explores the ways that we hopelessly fight against this process, as we try to cling onto reality and our sense of self, when really, we should all be letting go before it’s too late.”
For the making of Willowbank, the members of Yumi Zouma settled on a plan to head home for the New Zealand summer. To complete what would become their first significant work written and recorded entirely in their home country, they rented a studio in Christchurch’s semi-demolished CBD, on one of the few remaining blocks that still characterizes the city from before it was destroyed by a series of earthquakes.
Guitarist, keyboard player and vocalist Josh Burgess says, “It was as though there was a brief pause in all of our lives and we finally felt like a band from New Zealand. We were on home turf and creating from a place that felt fundamentally natural.” That sensation was further underscored by Willowbank’s recording sessions falling over the cherished holiday season, during which the Yumis were surrounded by family. Burgess credits some of the small, often mundane Kiwi traditions of the time for influencing their mindset. “New Zealand has a distinct feel from Christmas to the end of January. Things shut down. It has a calming presence, it’s very peaceful.” That sense of holiday can be heard on lead single “December” where the melodies float and stir themselves into a series of swelling refrains that culminate in horns and handclaps.
When you know it’s there, the feeling of rootedness is undeniable on Willowbank. Being connected to their origins on the bottom of the earth allowed the band’s members, Charlie Ryder, Josh Burgess, Christie Simpson and Sam Perry to craft another essential chapter in the Yumi Zouma storybook.
*w/ Chad Valley
Pre-order Willowbank:
Spotify –
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THE NEW PORNOGRAPHERS DEBUT NEW VIDEO FOR “WHITEOUT CONDITIONS”
NEW RECORD WHITEOUT CONDITIONS OUT NOW ON COLLECTED WORKS RECORDS
WORLD TOUR CONTINUES THROUGH FALL
Critically acclaimed supergroup The New Pornographers debut a new video for the track “Whiteout Conditions” from their critically acclaimed album of the same name; watch/share the video at https://youtu.be/v2XvW38UKEI. Of the video, director Kevan Funk explains, “I wanted to tell a set of stories featuring characters who could act as conduits to explore that tension, each of them repressing some sort of tormenting emotion (guilt, shame, self-loathing) that they haven’t been able to reconcile internally. The facade of the mall, with its surreal fantasy elements, provided an effective metaphorical backdrop.”
Earlier this summer the band performed the song on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.”
Whiteout Conditions— the first release on the band’s own Collected Works Records imprint in partnership with Concord Records— continues to receive critical praise:
“Pure, blissfully irresistible power pop…the band would be forgiven for receding into legacy-act status at some point. Instead, its catalog just gets more formidable: now seven albums strong, with as little patience for filler as ever.’” –NPR Music
“The New Pornographers’ seventh album is a peppy team effort, rich with new wave synths and closely blended harmonies…this, plus a singularly bright and skipping tempo, creates an almost forcibly energetic mix.” –Pitchfork
“…uplifting three-to-four-minute indie-pop numbers, imbued with lush vocals.” –Rolling Stone
“A.C. Newman and Neko Case don’t miss a beat; Whiteout Conditions provides another dose of power-pop with quirky synth accents from a collective that hasn’t faltered yet this century.” –New York Magazine
“Expect flawless harmonies, precisely arranged power pop, and more Neko Case vocal wizardry than any mere human deserves to hear in one lifetime.” –Cosmopolitan
“A parade of hook-laden songs.”
“Whiteout Conditions [is] a characteristically punchy and catchy LP with more than a few jams set to become worthy contenders in the New Pornos’ canon.” –Stereogum
“loud, infectious, and energetic—classic New Pornographers” –Entertainment Weekly
“power-pop phenoms” –Vice Noisey
“Whiteout Conditions contains some of The New Pornographers’ most interesting musical ideas.” –The Onion’s A.V. Club
“It is Newman’s steady creative hand and brilliant understanding of pop music’s beating human heart that once again win the day on Whiteout Conditions…a typically neat package that sits comfortably and appropriately in one of rock’s greatest band catalogs. 9 (out of 10)” – Magnet
“More than ever before, the Pornos feel like a legitimate band rather than an all-star union.” –Relix
“Finest yet from Carl Newman, Neko Case et al. 4 stars (out of 5)” –MoJo
Whiteout Conditions made its Billboard debut at #2 on the Alternative Albums Chart, #13 on the Current Album Chart and #35 on the Top 200. Additionally, the album hit #6 on Billboard’s AAA Radio Chart. The band’s world tour in support of the new album continues this summer and fall, including shows with Born Ruffians in select cities. Tickets for all headlining U.S. shows include a free download of the new album; see below for a list of dates.
Of writing the new record, founder and frontman A.C. Newman notes that, “At the beginning of this record, there was some thinking that we wanted it to be like a Krautrock Fifth Dimension. Of course, our mutated idea of what Krautrock is probably doesn’t sound like Krautrock at all. But we were thinking: Let’s try and rock in a different way.” Newman recently discussed the new record and the band’s 18-year career in a pair of Salon Talks here, here and here.
Since their debut in 2000, The New Pornographers have released six studio albums including their most recent, Brill Bruisers, hailed as an “exuberant, synthpop-infused set” by Rolling Stone, “infectious” by Harper’s Bazaar and “the grand and purposeful hookfest that you would hope these guys would come back with” by Stereogum. Pitchfork went on to note that “with the futurist sound of Brill Bruisers, the whole band embraces a more electric version of itself—bulked-up in chrome-plated armor, firing on all cylinders, and ready to steamroll anything in its path.” The band celebrated the release with a special NPR Music “First Listen Live” concert at the legendary Brill Building, and performed songs from the album on both “Conan” and the “Late Show with David Letterman.”
For more information, please contact Joe Cohen, Krista Williams or Carla Sacks at Sacks & Co., 212.741.1000.
THE NEW PORNOGRAPHERS, WHITEOUT CONDITIONS
1. Play Money
2. Whiteout Conditions
3. High Ticket Attractions
4. This is the World of the Theater
5. Darling Shade
6. Second Sleep
7. Colosseums
8. We’ve Been Here Before
9. Juke
10. Clockwise
11. Avalanche Alley
THE NEW PORNOGRAPHERS LIVE
†with Born Ruffians
August 17 /// Kalamazoo, MI /// Bell’s Beer Garden
August 18 /// Madison, WI /// Majestic Theater
August 19 /// Omaha, NE /// MAHA Music Festival
August 25 /// Mexico City, MX /// Pabellon Cuervo
September 23 /// Cincinnati, OH /// Midpoint Music Festival
September 28 /// Victoria, BC /// Sugar Nightclub†
September 29 /// Vancouver, BC /// Commodore Ballroom†
September 30 /// Kelowna, BC /// Kelowna Community Theatre†
October 1 /// Nelson, BC /// Spiritbar at the Hume Hotel†
October 2 /// Calgary, AB /// MacEwan Hall†
October 4 /// Edmonton, AB /// Winspear Centre†
October 5 /// Saskatoon, SK /// O’Brians Event Centre†
October 6 /// Regina, SK /// The Exchange†
October 7 /// Winnipeg, MB /// Burton Cummings Theatre†
October 9 /// Detroit, MI /// Crofoot Ballroom†
October 10 /// Cleveland, OH /// Beachland Ballroom
October 11 /// London, ON /// London Music Hall†
October 12 /// Ottawa, ON /// Bronson Centre Theatre†
October 13 /// Montreal, QC /// Corona Theatre†
October 14 /// Toronto, ON /// Massey Hall†
Keep your mind open.
Detroit psych-rock trio Sisters of Your Sunshine Vapor have announced the release date of their new album, Lavender BloodBandcamp page – October 27, 2017. You can pre-order the album now and even hear one track, “Milky Water Jesus,” on their Bandcamp page.
The album was at least partially inspired by a trip the band took to Greece during which their plane depressurized during the descent. The plane landed safely once pressure was stabilized, but an experience like that certainly changes your perspective on things. Two of the album’s tracks are “Die Die Die” and “Sky Greece,” so it will be interesting to hear the music inspired by their near-death experience.
SOYSV also plan to tour to support the album, starting with shows in the Midwest and Canada. Keep your eyes peeled for them. They always put on a great set.
Keep your mind open.
ORB ANNOUNCE NEW ALBUM, NATURALITY, OUT 10/6 ON CASTLE FACE
LISTEN TO “YOU ARE RIGHT“
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