Alexander Laurence's Blog, page 114
April 16, 2025
Panda Bear Performs NPR Tiny Desk Concert
PANDA BEAR
Performs NPR Tiny Desk Concert
Sinister Grift Out Now on Domino
Second Leg of North American Tour Starts Next Month
Photo credit: Kara Frame
Panda Bear, the solo project of Noah Lennox, makes his NPR Tiny Desk Concert debut today with a set featuring the singles “Defense” and “Ferry Lady” from his new album Sinister Grift and the unreleased track “Song For Ariel.” Lennox on vocals and guitar was joined by his live band - Rivka Ravede (vocals, Roland SP-404), Maria Reis (vocals, keyboard), Tim Koh (bass), and Tomé Silva (drums).
Watch Panda Bear’s NPR Tiny Desk Concert here.
Sinister Grift was released earlier this year to some of the best reviews of Lennox’s career, including Pitchfork, who awarded it Best New Music and hailed it as “his most straightforwardly beautiful record—and also his most emotionally complex,” and The Needle Drop, who gave it a 9/10 score and called the songs “his catchiest solo tracks to date… so melodic, so well written, groovy and wonderfully textured.” Stream Sinister Grift HERE.
Panda Bear continues his North American tour next month with a run of dates including festival appearances at Just Like Heaven in Pasadena, CA and Kilby Court Party in Salt Lake City, UT. All upcoming dates are below and tickets are available here.
PRAISE FOR SINISTER GRIFT
“Sinister Grift is a reminder of something that’s always set Lennox apart: He’s an exceptionally gifted songwriter. Nearly every track on Sinister Grift feels like it could’ve been written at any point in the last 50 years.” - Pitchfork (Best New Music)
“It’s his best album in years, with a layered richness, expansive harmonies and playfulness that recall 2007’s Person Pitch… Sinister Grift feels like a new period of real inspiration for Lennox.” - NPR
“The most pellucid and poignant album of Lennox’s career.” - GQ
“An adventurous yet accessible solo record, employing expansive arrangements and exhibiting his undiminished ear for melody.” - Wall Street Journal
“Panda Bear’s warmest, most pleasurable, and colorful yet.” - Under the Radar
“There’s so much uplifting brightness in this album, but as you might expect from an album with ‘sinister’ in the title, there’s almost always an underlying darkness and weirdness too.” - Brooklyn Vegan
“Where past Panda Bear albums have channeled some heavenly ideal of aching guitar pop with rich vocal harmonies, this one sometimes actually sounds like it could have been blasting out of someone’s radio on a boardwalk in the early 1960s.” - Hearing Things
“A listening experience that keeps you wondering what is around the next corner.” - Tape Op
PANDA BEAR ON TOUR
2025
North America
5/08: The Van Buren - Phoenix, AZ *
5/09: Humphreys Concerts By the Bay - San Diego, CA *
5/10: Just Like Heaven - Pasadena, CA
5/12: Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheater - Austin, TX *
5/13: White Oak Music Hall - Houston, TX *
5/14: House of Blues - Dallas, TX *
5/16: The Fillmore - Denver, CO *
5/17: Kilby Court Party - Salt Lake City, UT
5/19: The Chapel - San Francisco, CA - SOLD OUT
5/20: The Chapel - San Francisco, CA - SOLD OUT
5/21: Wonder Ballroom - Portland, OR - SOLD OUT
5/22: The Showbox - Seattle, WA
5/23: Hollywood Theatre - Vancouver, BC
* w/ Toro y Moi
IRELAND/UK
5/31: Button Factory - Dublin, IE
6/1: Slay - Glasgow, UK
6/2: Brudenell Social Club - Leeds, UK
6/3: Castle & Falcon - Birmingham, UK
6/4: Gorilla - Manchester, UK
6/5: Bristol Beacon - Bristol, UK
6/6: Chalk - Brighton, UK
6/7: Victoria Park - London, UK
8/15: Green Man Festival - Crickhowell, UK
WAR Celebrates 50 Years of Why Can’t We Be Friends?
3LP Box Set Debuts at Record Store Day, Deluxe 3CD & Digital Editions Arrive June 6 via Avenue/Rhino
Featuring Previously Unreleased Bonus Tracks, Jam Sessions & Unedited Mixes, Plus Remastered Audio & Revelatory Recordings From The Making Of The Album
Hear “Low Rider (Original Unedited Mix)” Now
WAR Hits the Road for Dozens of Tour Dates Across the US & UK
This June, WAR will release Why Can’t We Be Friends? (50th Anniversary Collector’s Edition), celebrating the multi-million-selling, blockbuster album that topped charts and left an indelible mark on music history. This deluxe 3CD and digital set commemorates 50 years of some of the band's most iconic songs, including its timeless title track, “Why Can’t We Be Friends?,” the perennially cool “Low Rider,” “So” and more. First released in 1975, Why Can’t We Be Friends? remains a groundbreaking record—defined by unforgettable melodies, a powerful message of unity, and an enduring influence that continues to shape music, film, and social movements today. On June 6th via Avenue/Rhino, the arrival of this special edition will not only honor the album’s milestone anniversary, but celebrate WAR’s 55-year legacy as cultural trailblazers whose impact still resonates across generations today. They are "one of the most seminal bands in music" (Billboard), and "when it comes to low rider Cali-cool multiculturalism, WAR wrote the biggest, loudest book" (Variety).
Pre-Order Why Can’t We Be Friends? 50th Anniversary (Collector’s Edition) , and listen to the previously unheard “Low Rider (Original Unedited Mix),”
available today: HERE
Newly remastered by Bernie Grundman, Why Can’t We Be Friends? (50th Anniversary Collector’s Edition) presents the original album alongside two additional discs. Featuring seven unearthed bonus tracks, rare jam sessions and unedited mixes, as well as a revelatory recording about the making of “Why Can’t We Be Friends?,” the collection offers a deeper look into the record than ever before. The 3CD and Digital editions follow the stunning Why Can’t We Be Friends? (50th Anniversary Collector’s Edition) 3LP set that just debuted as a 2025 Record Store Day Vinyl Exclusive. WAR's previous box set, honoring 50 years of The World Is a Ghetto, was named Best New Reissue by Pitchfork, and hailed as one of the best of the year by The New York Times, Variety and more. Why Can’t We Be Friends? (50th Anniversary Collector’s Edition) continues that streak.
WAR’s signature fusion of funk, soul, jazz, Latin, rock and street music is what first propelled them to prominence 55 years ago, but it was their ability to craft songs of social consciousness that further cemented their place in the modern American songbook. The immediate global impact of “Why Can’t We Be Friends?” was so profound that NASA transmitted the title track into space during the historic Apollo-Soyuz mission in 1975. Since then, WAR have continued to sing out against racism, hunger, crime and conflict, while their music has been sampled by Janet Jackson, Tupac, Beastie Boys, Method Man, Sublime, Redman, Cypress Hill, Shaggy, A$AP Mob, Scarface, The Geto Boys, De La Soul, Flo Rida, Liam Payne, Thomas Rhett and more, and covered by everyone from Willie Nelson to The Muppets, George Clinton, Phish, ZZ Top and The Isley Brothers.
With more than 50 million albums sold, 20 gold, platinum and multi-platinum records, three Rock & Roll Hall of Fame noms, a GRAMMY Hall of Fame entry, four #1 LPs, nine Top 10s and twenty Top 40 songs, WAR didn’t just define the sound of the 1970s—they became a lasting voice for creative collaboration and social change, with a mission of love and harmony that resonates now more than ever. From the prophetic message of “Why Can’t We Be Friends?” to the timeless groove of “Low Rider,” this collection captures WAR at their most innovative and socially impactful. More than just a musical milestone, Why Can’t We Be Friends? (50th Anniversary Collector’s Edition) reaffirms the album’s relevance—both as a reflection of the polarizing era that inspired it, and as a beacon of hope for our present and future.
As WAR enters its sixth decade, their influence remains undeniable. Recent honors—including their debut in the 2024 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade—further cement WAR’s status as musical and cultural giants. Meanwhile, WAR will hit the road for dozens of tour dates across the US and abroad, including a hometown, headline performance at the LA County Fair, and many more you can find at https://war.com/tour.
Photo Credit: © Far Out Productions, Inc.
Militarie Gun and Dazy share collaborative single + video "Tall People Don't Live Long"
MILITARIE GUN AND DAZY TEAM UP FOR
NEW SONG AND VIDEO
“TALL PEOPLE DON’T LIVE LONG”
OUT NOW
photo credit: Kevin Allen
“Tall People Don’t Live Long”
LISTEN: https://i.militariegun.com/TPDLL
WATCH: https://i.militariegun.com/TPDLLVid
(April 16, 2025) - Los Angeles’ Militarie Gun teams up with Richmond’s Dazy for their new collaborative song “Tall People Don’t Live Long.” This track marks the highly anticipated, second joint offering from the contemporaries, following their fan favorite track “Pressure Cooker” released in 2022, which Stereogum raved, “It’s about the big riff, the slippery groove, the monster chorus. It’s about the big picture. It wants to be your favorite song. Give in.” “Tall People Don’t Live Long” arrives alongside a video directed by Militarie Gun’s Ian Shelton where he and Dazy’s James Goodson don suits and dance in the shadows. Last week, Shelton joined Dazy at their show in New York City to premiere the song live on stage.
Speaking about the new collaborative song, Shelton shares, “James is taller than me so you can guess how I came up with the title of this song. What started as a joke between us turned into a real conversation about how sometimes people who have reached certain heights in life begin to look down on others. ’Tall people’ became our tongue-in-cheek term for anyone that’s lost so much perspective that they think it’s alright to make someone feel less-than. This song is about rejecting that attitude—the bigger they are, the harder they fall.”
Goodson offers, “Ian and I wrote this song shortly after ‘Pressure Cooker’ came out and it made us realize how daring we could actually be with songwriting. It came together really quickly in an afternoon of us sending ideas back and forth, and I’ll never forget how we couldn’t stop listening to the demo and saying ‘I can’t believe we wrote this.’ Years later we were finally able to get together and take the song over the finish line with Justin Raisen. We see Dazy & Militarie Gun as basically its own band, a separate body of work from our other music with its own identity, and I think this song really solidified that idea for us.”
“Tall People Don’t Live Long” marks the first new music from Militarie Gun since the standalone single “Thought You Were Waving,” which arrived with a cheeky Neta Ben Ezra-directed video last year. 2024 also saw the release of Militarie Gun’s track “Gun Under The Gun (MFG),” which was created for the WWE 2K24 video game as the walk-in music for Post Malone’s wrestling character. Post Malone also included “Do It Faster” on his curated playlist for the WWE 2K24 soundtrack.
Militarie Gun traversed the globe last year to celebrate their 2023 debut album Life Under The Gun, with performances in North America, Australia, Europe and the United Kingdom. Additionally, Militarie Gun released their mini-documentary Live Under The Sun last year, which sees the band and a host of their Life Under The Sun EP collaborators reunite at Manchester Orchestra’s Atlanta studio to further reimagine the tracks featured on their aforementioned EP, with guest performances from Manchester Orchestra, Marisa Dabice of Mannequin Pussy, and Christine Goodwyne of Pool Kids, who steps in for Alicia Bognanno of Bully for a performance of “Never Fucked Up Twice.”
Life Under The Sun strips back a selection of songs from Militarie Gun’s breakout debut album Life Under The Gun, putting Ian Shelton’s intensely personal songwriting center stage. Life Under The Sun includes "Never Fucked Up Twice" featuring Bully's Alicia Bognanno, "Very High (Under The Sun)," "My Friends Are Having A Hard Time" featuring Manchester Orchestra, "Will Logic" featuring Mannequin Pussy, and the cover of NOFX track "Whoops I OD'd."
Life Under The Gun was one of 2023's most celebrated albums, released to praise from the likes of Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, NME, Revolver, Stereogum, SPIN, Paste, The FADER, and more. The album landed on multiple best albums of 2023 lists including Alternative Press, The Ringer, UPROXX, Stereogum and Rolling Stone, who said Life Under The Gun has "taken everything that’s uniquely cathartic about the hardcore and lacquered it with insanely catchy melodies." That catchiness has been on full display on TV with Taco Bell's ad campaign that prominently features Life Under The Gun's "Do It Faster."
Earlier this month, Dazy released a kaleidoscopic new single “Pay No Mind (To The Signs),” which saw praise from Stereogum (“It’s a banger”), The FADER ("mixes the swagger of Britpop with lo-fi slacker rock"), Consequence (’Songs of the Week’), Brooklyn Vegan, The Alternative, Alternative Press, and many more – and wrapped up a tour with Liquid Mike and Graham Hunt. The song followed the prolific songwriter’s dual 2024 EPs, I Get Lost (when i try to get found) and It’s Only A Secret (if you repeat it), which drew attention from Pitchfork (‘Selects’), Stereogum, The FADER, Paste Magazine, Uproxx, and more.
Check out “Tall People Don’t Live” above and stay tuned for more from Militarie Gun coming very soon.
"Tall People Don't Live Long" single artwork
Connect with Militarie Gun:
Instagram | YouTube | Facebook | Twitter | TikTok
Listen to The Bug Club’s “How to Be a Confidante” The New Single From Very Human Features
On Very Human Features, The Bug Club continues their habit of presenting as a collective mind. Two-in-one. Rarely do you find a band with two creative forces that have such a singular, shared perspective, sense of humor, and knack for a pop melody. “How to Be a Confidante” does that-thing-The-Bug-Club-really-know-how-to-do where they speak as two voices from the same mind and pluck out common aspects of how we all live and make them sound ridiculous. The surreal is in the familiar, not in ignoring the familiar - The Bug Club knows this, and that understanding joins an unrelenting bassline in forming the backbone of this garage-infused belter.
The Bug Club will spend a good deal of time on the road in 2025 performing “How to Be a Confidante” along with other choice highlights from Very Human Features and their previous Sub Pop release, 2024’s On the Intricate Inner Workings of the System by Means of Popular Music, or the Contemplation of Pretty Faces, Tinned Bubbles and Strife. PLUS! Some of their older songs.
And today, the band is announcing new North American dates with Sub Pop labelmates Omni, which begin Friday, June 13th in Montreal, QC at Cabaret Foufounes and run through Friday, June 27th in Philadelphia, PA at Johnny Brenda’s.
Additional international touring highlights for the Spring and Summer of 2025 include The Bug Club’s European club shows (April 29th-May 15th), and festival appearances (May 15th-September ; select dates). Please find a complete list of current tour dates below.
UK | EU
Headlining Dates + Festivals, Spring 2025
Tue. Apr. 29 - Brugge, BE - Cactus Club [Sold Out]
Wed. Apr. 30 - Eindhoven, NL - Altstadt
Thu. May 01 - Nijmegen, NL - Doornroosje
Fri. May 02 - Utrecht, NL - De Nijverheid [Sold Out]
Sat. May 03 - Groningen, NL - Vera
Mon. May 05 - Berlin, DE - Privatclub
Tue. May 06 - Hamburg, DE - Molotow Skybar
Wed. May 07 - Köln, DE - Blue Shell
Fri. May 09 - Milan, IT - Arci Bellezza
Sat. May 10 - Ravenna, IT - Bronson
Tue. May 13 - Paris, FR - Supersonic
Wed. May 14 - Lille, FR - L’Aeronef
Thu. May 15 - Brighton, UK - The Great Escape Festival @ Paganini Ballroom (Early)
Thu. May 15 - Brighton, UK - The Great Escape Festival @ The Old Market (Late)
Sat. May 24 - Walton-on-Trent, UK - Bearded Theory, Festival
Sat. May 31 - Cheltenham, UK - Wychwood Festival
North American | UK
Headline Dates, Festivals + Support Shows, Summer 2025
Fri. Jun. 13 - Montreal, QC - Cabaret Foufounes *
Sat. Jun. 14 - Toronto, ON - The Garrison *
Sun. Jun. 15 - Detroit, MI - Third Man Records *
Tue. Jun. 17 - Chicago, IL - Empty Bottle *
Wed. Jun. 18 - St. Louis, MO - Sinkhole *
Thu. Jun. 19 - Nashville, TN - DRKMTTR *
Fri. Jun 20 - Nelsonville, OH - Nelsonville Art & Music Festival
Sat. Jun. 21 - Nelsonville, OH - Nelsonville Art & Music Festival
Mon. Jun. 23 - Atlanta, GA - Terminal West *
Tue. Jun. 24 - Raleigh, NC - King’s *
Wed. Jun. 25 - Washington, DC- DC9 *
Thu. Jun. 26 - New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom*
Fri. Jun. 27 - Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda’s *
Sat. Jul. 26 - Thirsk, UK - Deer Shed Festival
Wed. Aug. 27 - Sheffield, UK - Don Valley Stadium ^
Fri. Aug. 29 - Dorset, UK - End of the Road Festival
Sat. Aug. 30 - Manchester, UK - Psych Fest
Sat. Sep. 13 - Burton-on-Trent, UK - Sonic Boom Festival
* w/ Omni
^ w/ Queens of the Stone Age
The Bug Club’s Very Human Features includes the only-very-recently mentioned “How to Be a Confidante,” along with “Appropriate Emotions,” “Jealous Boy,” and ten other excellent songs. It was produced and mixed by Tom Rees at Rat Trap Studios in Cardiff, Wales, and mastered by Mikey Young.
Very Human Features is available to preorder now on CD/LP/all DSPs from Sub Pop. LP preorders from megamart.subpop.com in North America, MM2 in the UK + EU, and your local record store, will receive the limited Loser Edition on Purple (NA) or Bio Pink (UK/EU) vinyl (all vinyl color editions whilst stock lasts!).
In February, The Bug Club released “Have U Ever Been 2 Wales,” a joyous ode to their beloved home country that features upbeat, regionally referential lyrics like “Have you ever been to Wales? It’s good, it’s goo-ooh-ooh-ooh-hood” and “…every choir from Caldicot to Treorchy will sing it proud.” The spirited song, doubtless soon to be the new ad jingle for Visit Wales, is also out now worldwide (including Wales) on all DSPs from Sub Pop.
The Bug Club has seen support from the likes of NME, BBC, KEXP, Bandcamp Daily, Brooklyn Vegan, PASTE, Stereogum, see/saw, Dusted, The Stranger Rosy Overdrive, Glide, and more. NME said of their 2024 release On the Intricate Inner Workings of the System…., “…its 11 songs crackle with incisive melodies and funny pop culture-addled lyrics – they reference The Great Escape’s Virgil Hilts one minute, and move on to the horror of Lonsdale slip on daps the next – but they’re in and out in under 26 minutes. Zero fat.”
The Bug ClubVery Human Features
Tracklisting:
1. Full Grown Man
2. Twirling in the Middle
3. Jealous Boy
4. Young Reader
5. Beep Boop Computers
6. Muck (Very Human Features)
7. When the Little Choo Choo Train
Toots His Little Horn
8. How to Be a Confidante
9. Living in the Future
10. Tales of a Visionary Teller
11. The Sound of Communism
12. Blame Me
13. Appropriate Emotions
Maiya Blaney shares new single + video "Honey I"
MAIYA BLANEY SHARES NEW SONG & VIDEO
CHECK OUT “HONEY I” NOW
Maiya Blaney by David Murray
“Honey I”
LISTEN: https://maiyablaney.lnk.to/honeyi
WATCH: https://maiyablaney.lnk.to/honeyi-vid
(April 16, 2025) - New York City-based producer, songwriter, and vocalist Maiya Blaney shares her new song “Honey I” via Lex Records, today. Alongside the track, Blaney shares David Murray-shot and Nora Cammann-edited video of Blaney exhuming rage with bats and sledgehammers. “Honey I” closely follows Blaney’s recently shared single “Fumbled,” which was co-produced with Emerson Fossett and Harlan Steed of Show Me The Body alongside Blaney and arrived with a video directed by Fiona Kane shot through the streets and shadows of New York City. “Honey I” and “Fumbled” tease a larger project from Blaney slated to arrive later this year from Lex Records.
Speaking about the new song and video, Blaney shares, “‘Honey, I’ is one of the most vulnerable, doubtful, and unsure songs I’ve ever written. It was this feeling that felt endless, a never ending sinking. And I was like, I don’t even want to find a way out of this because I don’t know if I can right now. I just need to name it.
The song and its visuals are all opposites attracting. I’m smashing shit to bits to what sounds like a lullaby. The production is slowed down jungle drums in the pocket of what would otherwise be a lonely acoustic guitar ballad. There are moments of play and performance (to camera) in the video and also moments of pure rage that I didn’t even know would make it in. And mainly, to one of the sweetest sounding songs I’ve written in the last 2 years, I’m admitting some of the saddest fears I’ve ever had about myself.”
Since 2019, Blaney has been releasing music lacquered with emotion. 2021 saw the release of her album 3, which meditated on neo-soul and R&B sonics. With her new material, Blaney fully dives into her unsavory feelings of anxiety and unease, creating a tumultuous and intricate sound where drum n bass weaves with droning guitars, blips of glitch ping pong against grating synth, and Blaney’s vocals range from searing punk exclamations to gentle, exploratory croons.
Check out “Honey I” above and stay tuned for more from Maiya Blaney coming very soon.
“Honey I” single artwork by Nikita Garmash
Connect with Maiya Blaney:
LA's Shunkan previews new album with crushing single "Prettier"
SHUNKAN SHARES NEW SINGLE
“PRETTIER” - LISTEN
LATEST PREVIEW OF UPCOMING RECORD
PROVIDES A LOOK INTO COMPLICATED EMOTIONS
WITH HEAVY GUITARS
FIRST STUDIO ALBUM IN OVER FIVE YEARS
KAMIKAZE GIRL ARRIVES MAY 6, 2025
VIA RITE FIELD RECORDS
Photo credit: Rae Mystic
“Indie-pop with sweetness but also with nerve and muscle.”
- STEREOGUM
“Fully-formed, confident and glorious.”
- DIY
“Straight up hi-fi rock.”
- VICE
“Shifts between sadcore balladry and uplifting indie rock, all covered in a layer of fuzz.”
- BROOKLYN VEGAN
“A punchy rock-out reminiscent of the grunge heyday.”
- UNDER THE RADAR (NZ)
Shunkan, the LA-based rock project of Marina Sakimoto, is excited to share “Prettier,” the third single off Kamikaze Girl, her new album out May 6, 2025 via Houston’s Rite Field Records. “Prettier” is packed with meaning, featuring heartfelt lyrics that grapple with self-identity while navigating the complexity of relationships. The song moves from melancholy to anger, communicated by initial slow-pulsing beats that transform into gritty, emotional guitar.
“Originally, Prettier didn’t have a chorus like it does now, and Alex (Newport) really encouraged me to find a melody that would complement the rest of the song,” Sakimoto explains. “I naturally gravitate toward writing bubblegum hooks, and I was worried it might become limiting—but I’ve learned to lean into my strengths while still feeling free to explore. Prettier feels like an exposed nerve, but I hope it resonates with anyone else who feels like they don’t fit into conventions.”
LISTEN TO “PRETTIER”
PRE-ORDER KAMIKAZE GIRL
Recorded last year in Joshua Tree, CA and produced by Alex Newport (Death Cab for Cutie, Melvins, The Mountain Goats), the forthcoming record inspects how to put things back together after falling apart. Heralding the announcement was “Hellbound,” a hazy, melancholic track that expects the worst and wants the best. Grounded by Sakimoto’s honeyed vocals, brightly toned guitar riffs reverberate like late-night memories and desire-driven mistakes. Following “Hellbound” came the single “Usual Suspects,” a high-energy, punchy track reminiscent of early 2000s emo. Sakimoto’s powerful voice and heavy guitar riffs center around lyrics that navigate life amid chaos.
LISTEN TO “USUAL SUSPECTS”
LISTEN TO “HELLBOUND”
Shunkan signed to Rite Field Records last fall and quickly mapped out her first full-length offering since 2019’s Cumberland Falls. Sakimoto first debuted the project in 2014 with her first EP, Honey, Milk and Blood, which earned praise from the likes of DIY, Brooklyn Vegan and Far Out Magazine. Shunkan’s critically acclaimed first LP The Pink Noise, arrived in 2014 with fan favorite tracks, “Garden” and “S.A.D.” This year will mark the release of her most refined and introspective album yet, Kamikaze Girl.
SHUNKAN
KAMIKAZE GIRL
RITE FIELD RECORDS
Release date: May 6, 2025
TRACKLIST
1. Hellbound
2. Sidekick
3. Usual Suspects
4. INALYNAF
5. Frogtown
6. I Did My Part Today
7. Arm’s Length
8. Talk Is Cheap
9. Prettier
10. Gilligan’s Island
ABOUT SHUNKAN:
Born on the Gemini-Taurus cusp and raised in a bicultural household, Marina Sakimoto has always felt the pull of duality — a sense of being both split and whole. This theme is the heartbeat of Shunkan, the Los Angeles-based rock project she leads with raw emotion and unflinching honesty. In 2024, Shunkan signed to Rite Field Records and collaborated with GRAMMY®-nominated producer Alex Newport (Death Cab for Cutie, At the Drive-In, Bloc Party) to craft a record that captures a pivotal moment in Sakimoto’s life. Written during one of her most challenging years, the album reflects on fleeting friendships that echoed her adolescence, coming to terms with an unwinding love, and wandering through the streets of LA in search of herself.
Shunkan’s sound melds angular, emotive guitar work with anthemic melodies, channeling the raw intensity of second-wave emo and the vibrant hooks of early-2000s alternative rock. It’s a dynamic style that has earned critical acclaim for her EP Honey, Milk and Blood and debut album The Pink Noise, praised by outlets such as The Guardian, NME, and Spin. In 2019, The Pink Noise was archived by the National Library of New Zealand for its cultural significance. The upcoming album pays homage to the music that first inspired Sakimoto, exploring themes of connection, nostalgia, and transformation. With a foot in the past and an eye on the future, Shunkan continues to explore the beauty of being caught in a moment.
ABOUT RITE FIELD RECORDS:
Rite Field Records is a musician-led independent record label, music consultancy and merchandise distributor based in Houston, Texas.
CONNECT WITH SHUNKAN
Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Bandcamp | Youtube
CONNECT WITH RITE FIELD RECORDS
Neko Case Announces Fall 2025 US Tour, Best-selling Memoir Out Now
NEKO CASE ANNOUNCES FALL 2025 NORTH AMERICAN TOUR
THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING MEMOIR
‘THE HARDER I FIGHT THE MORE I LOVE YOU’
OUT NOW
Photo Credit: Ebru Yildiz
GRAMMY-nominated indie icon Neko Case — “one of America's best and most ambitious singer-songwriters" (Rolling Stone) and “a badass of the highest order” (Pitchfork) — is announcing her fall North American tour today, crisscrossing the continent throughout October and November. Artist presale begins tomorrow, April 17th at 10am local time, and tickets go on sale Friday, April 18th at 10am local time. All dates are listed below and tickets will be available here: https://nekocase.com/tour
These are Case’s first live musical performances since the January publication and book tour in support of her critically acclaimed memoir ‘The Harder I Fight The More I Love You’ which debuted at #5 on The New York Times Bestseller list. Case has also teased that a new studio album, her first in over seven years, is in progress in a recent profile by The New York Times pop critic Lindsay Zoladz.
Case has long been revered as one of music’s most influential artists, whose authenticity, lyrical storytelling, and sly wit have endeared her to a legion of critics, musicians, and lifelong fans. She is a founding member of Canadian indie-rock supergroup The New Pornographers, authors the weekly Substack newsletter “Entering The Lung” and is currently composing the musical theater adaptation of the Academy Award-winning motion picture Thelma & Louise.
Released in 2022, ‘Wild Creatures’ — a twenty-three-song career-spanning compilation album celebrating Neko's two decades of solo work — is available now and accompanied by an immersive website containing animated artwork by Laura Plansker, short essays and track-by-track commentary. Contributors include long-time collaborators A.C. Newman, Dan Bejar and M. Ward, culture-defining contemporaries David Byrne, Shirley Manson, Jeff Tweedy and Rosanne Cash and new generations of artists like Waxahatchee, Julien Baker, Kevin Morby, Allison Russell and Margo Price. Read about ‘Wild Creatures’ at https://wildcreatures.nekocase.com
TOUR DATES
October 1 - Woodstock, NY @ Levon Helm Studios #
October 2 - Washington, D.C. @ Lincoln Theatre #
October 4 - Philadelphia, PA @ The Met #
October 5 - Durham, NC @ Durham Performing Arts Center #
October 7 - Richmond, VA @ The National #
October 8 - Asheville, NC @ The Orange Peel #
October 9 - Pelham, TN @ The Caverns #
October 10 - Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playhouse #
October 11 - Charleston, SC @ Charleston Music Hall #
October 14 - Cincinnati, OH @ The Taft Theatre #
October 15 - St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant #
October 16 - Chicago, IL @ The Salt Shed #
October 17 - Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue #
October 18 - Milwaukee, WI @ The Pabst Theater #
October 20 - Toronto, ON @ Massey Hall #
October 22 - New York, NY @ Beacon Theatre #
October 23 - Boston, MA @ The Wilbur #
October 24 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Carnegie of Homestead Music Hall #
October 25 - Cleveland, OH @ The Agora #
November 7 - Tucson, AZ @ Rialto Theatre %
November 8 - Solana Beach, CA @ Belly Up %
November 10 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Bellwether %
November 11 - San Francisco, CA @ The Masonic %
November 13 - Vancouver, BC @ The Vogue %
November 14 - Seattle, WA @ The Paramount %
November 15 - Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater %
November 18 - Boise, ID @ Knitting Factory %
November 19 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Eccles Theater %
November 20 - Denver, CO @ Paramount Theatre %
November 21 - Albuquerque, NM @ El Rey Theater %
November 23 - Dallas, TX @ Longhorn Ballroom %
November 24 - San Antonio, TX @ Tobin Center %
November 25 - Austin, TX @ Paramount Theatre %
w/ Des Demonas #
w/ John Grant %
PRAISE FOR NEKO CASE
“Renowned for her indomitable singing, [Case] has always demonstrated an equally commanding voice as a songwriter, spelunking further and further into the human condition.” — Pitchfork, The 200 Most Important Artists of Pitchfork’s First 25 Years
“Case is known for her distinctive, flaming contralto and gothic Americana... Her lyrics – filled with folkloric wisdom, wildlife and natural imagery – invoke a world where human logic ranks second to animal instinct, and “civilization” is only a flimsy veneer over red-in-tooth-and-claw reality.” — The Guardian
“A cult-favorite singer-songwriter with a gale-force voice and a spiky, irreverent personality, Case has been releasing acclaimed solo and collaborative albums for nearly three decades and has built an adoring fan base.” — The New York Times
“Neko Case is one of those musicians that people have really strong personal attachments to, especially indie music lovers of a certain generation... what’s most distinct about her are her lyrics, which are often oblique. Like, a song seems to be about a car crash, but maybe it’s really about incomplete grief. You have to listen a few times before you get closer to it.” — The Atlantic
“Everything from country to folk, punk, rock and blues drew young Case into a musical orbit. Those same influences reverberate throughout her eclectic albums — unmistakably threaded through with her gravelly, gorgeous voice.” — Los Angeles Times
“Her songs are unique in their blend of menace and magic, throbbing with life that’s often diffusely under threat. The incantatory melodies of favorites like “Deep Red Bells,” which refers to Washington’s notorious and never-found Green River serial killer, or “Last Lion of Albion,” which locates the dormant spirit of an ancient beast on a British coin, create an aura of protection that counters the darkness.” — NPR Music
https://nekocase.com/
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Annahstasia shares new single + debut album 'Tether' due 6/13
ANNAHSTASIA SHARES NEW SINGLE “SILK AND VELVET”
DEBUT ALBUM TETHER DUE JUNE 13TH
VIA DRINK SUM WTR
NORTH AMERICAN TOUR KICKING OFF JUNE 4TH
Annahstasia by Zhamak Fullad
“Silk and Velvet”
LISTEN: https://drinksumwtr.lnk.to/annahstasia-silk-and-velvet
WATCH: https://youtu.be/85nNjT4YaKM
Tether
PRE-SAVE/PRE-ORDER: https://drinksumwtr.lnk.to/annahstasia-tether
“Her bewitching vocals bend and build to earth-shattering crescendos as effortlessly as they collapse to mere whispers, transforming the simplest confessions of admiration into deeply romantic pleas”
NME
“Gentle in sound and approach, power folk musician Annahstasia stirs up intense emotions but lands softly in her work”
BET
“a commanding new take on a vintage-hued troubadour style”
KCRW
(April 16th, 2025) - Today, Annahstasia shares her new single “Silk and Velvet”, the latest offering from her forthcoming debut album Tether, out June 13th via drink sum wtr. Annahstasia also surprised fans last week, starring in Kendrick Lamar and SZA's video for "luther". On "Silk and Velvet," Annahstasia embraces a stark punk sensibility as she turns the perspective of her incisive songwriting inward, pointedly analyzing her own relationship to the dynamics between artist and audience, and the complications that relationship presents.
Speaking about what she’s addressing in the song, Annahstasia says, “‘Silk and Velvet’ is a nod to the 4th wall between performer and consumer. Dream and reality. I understand that much of the time I am a hypocrite and there are limited strides that I can make in absolving that – while still chasing this dream I have. So instead of attempting to hide the elephant in the room I need a song that expressed it plainly.”
“Yes this is a game, a game I would rather not play and I do not entirely enjoy it. As an artist, I sell parts of myself to the world, begrudgingly sometimes. All so that I can have what most people want and chase their entire lives, some level of comfort and security, to cultivate beauty and joy in peace. I maintain self-awareness of my place in the matrix with the endgoal being to always find my North Star, to get to the mountain peak and see the view and still remember the version of myself that started the journey.”
Throughout the month of June, Annahstasia embarks on her North American tour across the continent beginning in New Orleans on June 4th and concluding with a hometown show in LA on June 28th. Tickets are available now at Annahstasia.com.
Annahstasia’s debut album Tether, includes previously-released lead single “Villain”, which was accompanied by a stunning music video conceived by Annahstasia and directed by Adam Davis. Peers and like-minded artists including Grammy-nominated poet and artist aja monet and Obongjayar make feature appearances on the album, which features production from Jason Lader (ANOHNI and the Johnsons, Frank Ocean, Lana Del Rey), Andrew Lappin (Cassandra Jenkins, L'Rain, Luna Li), and Aaron Liao (Liv.e, Moses Sumney, Raveena).
Annahstasia assembled the pieces of Tether slowly and with deep intention, letting the early iterations of each song germinate in the world and find their true meaning before they were cemented on the album. "The song is written, and then I have to live with it and see if I really believe what I'm saying," she explains. The recording, at the storied Valentine Studios in Los Angeles, was instinctual, done only in live takes to capture the feeling of the room and the community surrounding the music.
Upcoming Live Dates:
6/4 - New Orleans, LA @ Church at Hotel Peter & Paul
6/5 - Atlanta, GA @ Vinyl
6/9 - Toronto, ON @ Longboat Hall
6/11 - Montreal, QC @ Le Ministére
6/12 - Brooklyn, NY @ Public Records
6/18 - Washington, DC @ Songbyrd
6/20 - Chicago, IL @ Szold Hall at Old Town School of Folk
6/21 - Seattle, WA @ Fremont Abbey
6/22 - Portland, OR @ Old Church
6/26 - San Francisco, CA @ Swedish American Hall
6/28 - Los Angeles, CA @ Pico Union Project
April 15, 2025
GOLDIE @ Fonda Theatre 04.14.25 // THE PORTABLE INFINITE
All photos taken by Martin Worster
Ethel Cain's Preacher's Daughter debuts at #1 on Billboard Top Album Sales, #10 on Billboard 200, #10 in U.K. following vinyl release
DEBUTS AT #1 ON THE BILLBOARD TOP ALBUM SALES, #10 ON BILLBOARD 200, #10 IN THE U.K. FOLLOWING VINYL RELEASECOMPLETELY SELLS OUT WILLOUGHBY TUCKER FOREVER TOUR, MORE THAN 170,000 TICKETS ACROSS EUROPE AND NORTH AMERICANEW ALBUM WILLOUGHBY TUCKER, I’LL ALWAYS LOVE YOU COMING AUGUST 2025
Album artwork: photo by Silken Weinberg, artwork by Hayden AnhedöniaApril 15, 2025—Ethel Cain’s massively acclaimed debut album
Preacher’s Daughter
debuts at #1 on the Billboard Top Album Sales chart, #10 on the Billboard 200 and #10 overall in the U.K. following its first ever vinyl release on April 4. Released on May 12, 2022, the album’s enormous success catapulted Cain onto the global stage, becoming one of the most lauded albums of the century so far. In the years since, she has taken the world by storm. Order Preacher’s Daughter via Cain’s webstore here.Furthermore, Cain’s massive Willoughby Tucker Forever tour across North America and Europe is completely sold out, with more than 170,000 tickets globally. Kicking off in August, Willoughby Tucker Forever will see Cain headline New York’s Radio City Music Hall and Kings Theatre, two nights at Los Angeles’ Shrine Auditorium, Berkeley’s Greek Theater, five nights at London’s Eventim Apollo, two nights at Paris’ L’Olympia and many more. See below for full tour routing and visit www.daughtersofcain.com for more information.Cain’s sophomore album,
Willoughby Tucker, I’ll Always Love You
, is set for release in August 2025.ETHEL CAIN—WILLOUGHBY TUCKER FOREVER TOURAugust 12—Paramount Theatre—Seattle, WAAugust 13—Paramount Theatre—Seattle, WAAugust 15—Queen Elizabeth Theatre—Vancouver, BCAugust 16—Edgefield—Portland, ORAugust 18—The Greek Berkeley—Berkeley, CAAugust 20—Shrine Auditorium—Los Angeles, CAAugust 21—Shrine Auditorium—Los Angeles, CAAugust 22—Arizona Financial Theatre—Phoenix, AZAugust 24—The Bomb Factory—Dallas, TXAugust 25—713 Music Hall—Houston, TXAugust 26—Moody Amphitheater at Waterloo Park—Austin, TXAugust 28—The Eastern—Atlanta, GAAugust 29—The Eastern—Atlanta, GAAugust 30—Asheville Yards—Asheville, NCSeptember 4—Stage AE —Pittsburgh, PASeptember 5—The Anthem—Washington, D.C.September 6—The Met—Philadelphia, PASeptember 9—Radio City Music Hall—New York, NYSeptember 10—Kings Theatre—Brooklyn, NYSeptember 12—Roadrunner—Boston, MASeptember 13—Outer Harbor Live at Terminal B—Buffalo, NYSeptember 15—Queen Elizabeth Theatre—Toronto, ONSeptember 16—Queen Elizabeth Theatre—Toronto, ONSeptember 17—Masonic Cathedral Theatre—Detroit, MISeptember 19—Palace Theatre—St. Paul, MNSeptember 20—The Salt Shed (Fairgrounds)—Chicago, ILOctober 2—O2 Apollo—Manchester, EnglandOctober 3—O2 Apollo—Manchester, EnglandOctober 4—O2 Academy Glasgow—Glasgow, ScotlandOctober 6—Eventim Apollo—London, EnglandOctober 7—Eventim Apollo—London, EnglandOctober 9—Eventim Apollo—London, EnglandOctober 10—Eventim Apollo—London, EnglandOctober 11—Eventim Apollo—London, EnglandOctober 14—Ancienne Belgique—Brussels, BelgiumOctober 15—TivoliVredenburg—Utrecht, NetherlandsOctober 16—TivoliVredenburg—Utrecht, NetherlandsOctober 18—L’Olympia—Paris, FranceOctober 19—L’Olympia—Paris, FranceOctober 21—Carlswerk Victoria—Cologne, GermanyOctober 23—Tempodrom—Berlin, GermanyOctober 24—Docks—Hamburg, GermanyOctober 25—Vega—Copenhagen, DenmarkOctober 27—Sentrum Scene—Oslo, NorwayOctober 28—Fållan—Stockholm, SwedenOctober 31—Stodola—Warsaw, PolandNovember 1— Velký sál Lucerna—Prague, Czech RepublicNovember 2—Gasometer—Vienna, AustriaNovember 4—X-tra—Zurich, SwitzerlandNovember 5—Alcatraz—Milan, ItalyNovember 7—Razzmatazz—Barcelona, SpainNovember 8—Teatro Eslava—Madrid, SpainNovember 9—LAV Warehouse—Lisbon, Portugal
