Alexander Laurence's Blog, page 1164

Cailin Russo Releases New Single 'Santa Fe'

CAILIN RUSSO DEBUTS NEW SONG, “SANTA FE” – OUT NOW

‘THE DRAMA’ EP AVAILABLE EVERYWHERE LISTEN
“SANTA FE”

LISTEN
“IT’S COOL”

LISTEN
“ASSUME”

LISTEN
‘THE DRAMA’


Cailin Russo returns today with the release of a hazy new song called “Santa Fe.” Cailin penned the track, alongside friends Micah Jasper and Jesse Thomas, with Jasper also serving as producer.

Speaking about the new song, Cailin reveals, “Santa Fe is a metaphor for authentic romance. The whole song was about a boy I was chasing that gave me just enough to string me along, then would leave me questioning whether anything he said to me was real,” she explains. “’Is this the first time that you’ve been to Santa Fe, is this the first time that you’ve ever felt this way? I would have loved you if you hadn’t slipped away.. was it original?’ I’m naively hopeful the whole time until the last chorus / tempo switch where the ego war kicks in and I confront both sides of my brain saying that ‘This man will always love me’ and ‘this man will never love me’ then tie it up with ‘bitterness is another heartbeat’ meaning these feelings are fleeting but very intense.”

Listen to “Santa Fe”  HERE .

“Santa Fe” is the latest in a string of new songs from Cailin this year, and serves as follow up to her most recent release, “It’s Cool” which Refinery 29 praised for its lyrical depiction of the end of a relationship, saying “irony is back and Russo is the master of the medium….this song hits on the crux of that feeling that you know it’s over.” “ Assume ,” came before, which Alternative Press lauded Cailin’s “delicate and emotional delivery.”  Listen to “It’s Cool”  HERE  and check out the visualizer  HERE .

Speaking about the origins of the new song, Cailin reveals “It’s Cool” actually has a funny story. I wrote it the day I signed my very first record deal. Making me an official artist. I was over the moon. I was at my lawyer’s office and had someone record me signing the contract,” she explains. “I immediately called someone I loved dearly and they kind of ripped me apart and made me feel bad about my newest endeavor and maybe the most exciting day of my life up until then. I drove to the studio from my lawyer’s office It took about an hour. It started to rain as I pulled up to Speak Easy Studios. I had my first session with Kyle Ross. I walked in and said ‘Fuck everything that was geared up to write on today... do you play guitar?’ He said yes… I asked him play 4 sad chords. And thus ‘It’s Cool’ was born. The song to me is about when you’re passed the point of upset. You’re passed the point of anger, you’re so over heated that it’s cool.”

The new music comes on the heels her latest EP, ‘The Drama’ which was released last Valentine’s Day. The six-track collection was executively produced by Chris Coady (Beach House, Yeah Yeah Yeahs), with additional production from The Invisible Men (Charli XCX, ZAYN), Michael Percy and Gianluca Buccelatti and features Nick Zinner from the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s on guitar. Talking about the new project, Cailin explains, “The whole EP is a play by play of everything I went through during my crumbling relationship. The highs, the lows, the confusing fucked up parts, and in conclusion, The Drama. The story starts at the demise, from a place of defeat…but the hero perseveres, and regains her power. I like to think of the whole experience as a sad triumph, sonically and spiritually.”

The EP features two previously released tracks, including first single, “Declaration,” and follow-up track “Fade.” Also included on the EP was lead single, “You Touch Me, I Touch You Back,” which MTV hailed as “a sexy slice of Thriller-esque pop that you might hear in a horror movie.” Rounding out  The Drama  are ”Sicko,” “Good Bad Decisions,” and “No Time.” Along with the new EP came a brand new video for the single, “You Touch Me, I Touch You Back,” which serves as the third and final part in the trilogy, following “ Declaration ” and “ Fade .” Cailin wrote the treatments for and co-directed/edited all three videos alongside Ganna Bogdan with production from Rebecca Hearn. Watch the video for “You Touch Me, I Touch You Back”  HERE .

2018 saw the release of Cailin’s debut EP,  House With A Pool  (“Joyride” and “Bad Things” both recently surpassed 1 million streams on Spotify)  as well as tours supporting Dream Wife in North America and Gomez and Black Honey in the UK. She also made her US festival debut this past summer at Lollapalooza in Chicago, having previously played on the renowned BBC Introducing Stage at the Reading and Leeds Festivals.

Stay tuned for more new music from Cailin Russo, coming soon.

-------------------------------------------------------
“Russo continues holding a mirror up to herself with undressed lyrics, grungy aesthetics, and a razor-sharp voice.” – MTV

“[Cailin] has the rare ability to transport the raw emotions she feels into something tangible and relatable for a wide range of strangers.” – V Magazine

“Cailin Russo carves her own generous cross-section of human desire.” - NYLON

"Russo's greatest strength isn't found in her audacious vocals or ability to make punk more accessible. It's in the fearless way she dives right into a song, ignorant to the rules and accepting of any words that come to mind." – Earmilk

“A collection of songs that defy time.” – Ones To Watch

 
  ‘The Drama’ EP is  out everywhere now .

TRACKLIST
Declaration
Fade
Sicko
You Touch Me, I Touch You Back
Good Bad Decisions
No Time
 

 INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | TWITTER

The Stooges share "Fun House" from legendary last show with original lineup

THIRD MAN RECORDSSHARES "FUN HOUSE" FROMTHE STOOGES'LIVE AT GOOSE LAKE: AUGUST 8TH, 1970OUT ON VINYL, CD AND DIGITAL ON AUGUST 7, 2020
PREVIOUSLY-UNHEARD SOUNDBOARD RECORDINGOF THE ORIGINAL STOOGES LINEUP'S FINAL PERFORMANCEAT GOOSE LAKE FESTIVAL

Third Man Records has shared "Fun House" from The Stooges' Live At Goose Lake: August 8, 1970. This previously-unheard, high-quality soundboard recording of the original Stooges lineup's final performance -- recorded just before the release of their earthshaking 1970 album Fun House -- will be available on vinyl, CD and digital on August 7, 2020, nearly 50 years to the day after the performance. Hear "Fun House" HERE, and pre-save the album HERE.
The audio was lovingly restored by Vance Powell (The White Stripes, Chris Stapleton) and mastered by Bill Skibbe at Third Man Mastering, and liner notes were written by Jaan Uhelzski (Creem Magazine). There will be two limited-edition colored vinyl variants available as well -- the Rough Trade version will be on purple-colored vinyl with a standard LP jacket, and the indie exclusive version will be on cream-colored vinyl with a screen-printed LP jacket. Pre-order the album on CD HERE and vinyl HERE.
LISTEN TO "FUN HOUSE"
The apocryphal tale of the Stooges performance at the Goose Lake Festival has been told countless times  over  the  past  five  decades.  Bassist  Dave  Alexander,  due  to  nerves  or  overindulgence  or whatever  you  choose  to  fill  in  the  blank,  absolutely  spaces  in  front  of  200,000  attendees.  He  does not play a single note on stage. He is summarily fired by Iggy Pop immediately following the gig. Here starts the beginning of the end of the Stooges.
But  what  if  that  simply... wasn’t  the  case?  What  if  you  could  prove  otherwise?  Well,  it’d  be  the  proto-punk equivalent of having an immediate, on-the-scene, man on the street report of all those folkies  booing  Dylan’s  electric  set  at  Newport  in  ‘65.  Irrefutable  evidence  of  what  ACTUALLY  went down.
Found buried in the basement of a Michigan farmhouse amongst other tasty analog artifacts of the same era, the 1/4” stereo two-track  tape  of  the  Stooges  complete  performance  at  Goose  Lake on August 8th, 1970 is the Rosetta Stone for fans of this seminal band.
Not only is this the last ever performance of the original godhead Stooges line-up, but it is the ONLY known soundboard recording of said line-up. Playing the entirety of their canonical 1970 masterpiece Fun House, the sound, the performance, everything about this record is revelatory.
Would you believe that... Alexander actually DID play bass on this occasion? Or that, despite grievous failures on some songs, Alexander is damn solid on others? Especially on the bass-led songs “Dirt” and “Fun House”? Does Iggy provoke the crowd to tear down festival barriers? Did the powers that be pull the plug on the Stooges? So many questions are answered only to have more arise.
Released to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the performance, Live at Goose Lake: August 8th 1970,  is  the  rare  release  that  literally  rewrites  the  history  of  these  Rock  and  Roll  Hall of Fame inductees.LIVE AT GOOSE LAKE: AUGUST 8TH, 1970 TRACK LISTSIDE A1. Intro2. Loose3. Down On The Street4. T.V. Eye5. Dirt
SIDE B1. 1970 (I Feel Alright)2. Fun House3. L.A. Blues

JORJA SMITH RELEASES NEW SINGLE "BY ANY MEANS"

JORJA SMITH RELEASES NEW SINGLE
"BY ANY MEANS"

LEAD RELEASE OFF UPCOMING ROC NATION REPRISE PROJECT,
AIMING TO BRING AWARENESS TO SOCIAL JUSTICE ISSUES



PHOTO CREDIT: Rashidi Noah

British singer-songwriter Jorja Smith today shares her new track "By Any Means", the lead single off Roc Nation's upcoming Reprise project. Smith is no stranger to gracefully addressing social issues; her 2016 breakout hit "Blue Lights" speaks to police brutality, and "By Any Means" accurately tackles the urgent energy swirling in 2020 around a larger civil rights movement. "By Any Means" is a bittersweet ballad with an operatic backdrop, reflecting on experience in the moment and offering encouragement to stand together and fight. The lyrics Smith sings speak to her experience as a young Black woman actualizing the change in the world, "I take pride in the things that we've done / Side by side in the revolution / Won't stay silent for things that I love".

Smith states, "The inspiration behind 'By Any Means' really came from going to the Black Lives Matter protest and leaving thinking, what can I do to keep this conversation going? It's not just a post on social media, its life."




Reprise, a collection of songs curated by Roc Nation, is a forthcoming initiative, comprised of multiple artists uniting to let their voices be heard in musical protest. This collection of songs was compiled with hopes to bring awareness to social justice issues. A portion of proceeds will go to funding organizations that support victims of police brutality, hate crimes, and other violations of civil rights.

Over the past two years since the release of her Grammy-nominated debut album Lost & Found, Smith has been celebrated unanimously across the world for her evocative song-writing, powerful delivery, pure emotion and unbridled talent as a young woman navigating her way through the world. Smith has graced covers of magazines, performed at awards ceremonies and on late night TV, and sold out shows across the world, now surpassing over one billion streams across the world. Her 2019 hit single "Be Honest" featuring Burna Boy has become her biggest song to date at almost 200Mstreams worldwide. Smith continues to hone her craft and "By Any Means" serves as a much anticipated prelude for more new music from Smith to come in 2020.


Stream "By Any Means" today to support the Reprise project's efforts and watch for more from Jorja Smith coming soon.

STREAM / PURCHASE & WATCH THE LYRIC VIDEO FOR "BY ANY MEANS"

https://orcd.co/byanymeans






FOLLOW JORJA SMITH

INSTAGRAM
FACEBOOK
TWITTER

HAIKU HANDS ANNOUNCE DEBUT ALBUM OUT SEPTEMBER 10TH ON MAD DECENT

ANNOUNCE DEBUT SELF-TITLED ALBUM OUT SEPTEMBER 10TH ON MAD DECENT
SHARE NEW TRACK “FASHION MODEL ART” (FEAT. SOFI TUKKER)(Photo Credit: Cole Bennetts)
Praise for Haiku Hands:
“We eagerly await the group's debut album and we're certain that Haiku Hands is a name we will see at every festival lineup" - VOGUE
“Soundtracked by a mix of brash house, high energy hip hop and a mutation of riot grrrl previously unheard this side of the Atlantic, Bea Lewis, Claire Nakazawa and her sister Mie, aka Haiku Hands, have proven themselves one of the biggest musical revelations of 2018." - CLASH
“When Haiku Hands become one of the most hyped live acts on the planet, it should come as a shock to nobody" - NME
“The Australian trio...bring a truly eclectic melting pot of styles to the table, all ending up in a brilliantly fun, intoxicating end product...they proceed to give the trio the best reaction that Horatio's sees all weekend." - DIY
The Australian dance-pop group Haiku Hands have announced their highly anticipated, self-titled debut album will be out September 10th on Mad Decent. To celebrate the announcement, they have shared the latest track from the album, “Fashion Model Art (Feat. SOFI TUKKER).” 
Rebellious, experimental and wildly unconventional, Haiku Hands was primarily recorded in Melbourne with Joel Ma (Joelistics) and features emblematic collaborations with SOFI TUKKER, Mad Zach, Machine Drum, Mirac, Elgusto of Hermitude and Lewis CanCut. Featuring lead singles “Not About You,” “Manbitch” and “Onset,” the 12-track LP probes themes including technology, relationships, the absurd and social commentary. “The record explores an attitude of empowerment, humour and positivity whilst also delving into darker themes and expressions. We aimed to be original in our creative choices, we were influenced by multiple genres and artists but were aiming to create something that sounded new and different,” muses Haiku Hands of the album.
Haiku Hands had this to say about the track: “The chorus of ‘Fashion Model Art’ was created on the train coming home from the Sydney Biennale. It was the moment we swapped from being our composed observant art critiques to our boisterous playful selves. We ended up having half the carriage chanting fashion fashion, model model, art art art art on the train. This song celebrates the fashion model art character within ourselves. We revel in the hilarious, tense, fun, ridiculous and utmost seriousness of these moments. SOFI TUKKER jumped on this song after we toured with them for a month in the US. We ask ourselves, what should we do with our hands?”
"We met Haiku Hands on tour in Australia.” says SOFI TUKKER, “After seeing them literally once live, we immediately asked them to go on tour with us. We’ve been good friends ever since. It was so fun working on this track with them. We love how they build in humor and choreography into their music. " 2019 saw Haiku Hands make their way to the US for the first time, winning over audiences nationwide with a series of shows at SXSW, tour support for feminist Japanese punk quartet CHAI across both coasts, opening for Aussie psych kingpins Tame Impala, Chicago rapper CupcaKke, footwork producer DJ Taye and a tour with dance duo SOFI TUKKER.
Based across Melbourne and Sydney, the core of Haiku Hands is Beatrice Lewis, Claire Nakazawa and Mie Nakazawa. Together, they curate, perform and work as a collective of artists, engaging and exploring social norms with their lyrical and visual content. Their influences range from hip-hop to pop, electronic to dance, and everything beyond.
Haiku Hands have brought their singular, rebellious, and outright fun sound across multiple continents over the past two years. On the heel of their breakthrough performances at the UK’s Great Escape, Haiku Hands has been touted by NME as “Australia’s most electrifying pop prospect” and “a thrilling pop hybrid” who combine the pure pop attitude of Charli XCX with the energy and swagger of The Beastie Boys.
With their debut album right around the corner, stay tuned for more exciting news and infectious tunes from Haiku Hands.FOLLOW HAIKU HANDS:Instagram / Facebook / Twitter / SoundCloud / YouTubeSpotify / Apple Music / Official Website

mxmtoon Announces 'dusk' EP out 10/31 + Shares Videos for "bon iver" + "almost home"

ANNOUNCES dusk EP OUT OCTOBER 1ST
Shares New Track + Video “bon iver” Following The Release of “almost home” Video(Photo Credit: Cesar Balcazar)
Today mxmtoon, also known as Maia, announced the follow up to her dawn EP, dusk will be released October 1st. The singer-songwriter will be sharing more details from the highly anticipated release over the coming weeks but today fans were treated to a new song, the gorgeous “bon iver.” It’s the first new music we are hearing from the 20-year-old since dawn was released this past spring and hails a new chapter for her musically. “bon iver” Video
“bon iver” charms with it’s elegant and swirling guitars, a song perfect for late summer evenings. Maia tells us “when we think of nightfall, we often associate it to the “end” of something. the “bon iver” music video is meant to counter that notion, and to spark thought over the possibilities that are ahead instead. a day does not just end when the sun goes down, you continue to find wonder and joy despite the dark, and a whole other world awaits you as the moon glides overhead. new beginnings are not limited to a rising sun, your world is what you make it whenever you choose to begin."
“bon iver” follows the release earlier this week of the video for “almost home,” the final release from the dawn EP. The videos signify the closing of a chapter and the start of another. 
On “almost home” Maia tells us "right now we find ourselves in uncharted waters, unsure of how to navigate to shore. as i’ve spent my quarantine with my family, i’ve watched in awe of the resiliency of my younger cousins. a five and eight year old who have maintained their optimism and wonder for a world that seems otherwise terrifying. the “almost home” music video is meant to encapsulate the spirit of curiosity that i think we could all benefit from as we grow up and come across challenges. the world may be scary and bleak, but finding the voice of your five year old self may be the answer to getting through the hard moments.” “almost home” Video
mxmtoon has spent the last few months writing and preparing her latest work while keeping busy connecting with fans through her vast online community. Her unique ability to use platforms like Twitch, TikTok, Youtube has enabled her to become a consistent voice for millions of people around the world on issues of social justice and equality, using her platform to not only share her art but important messages of hope and solidarity. 
mxmtoon will also play Lollapalooza’s Virtual Festival taking place this weekend where she will give fans an exclusive musical performance on Friday July 31st 6:10PM Central.
Praise for mxmtoon:mxmtoon’s music has the intimate, conversational folk-pop simplicity of the Moldy Peaches or Regina Spektor, mixed with the Gen-Z, postgenre bedroom instincts of Clairo, girl in red and Beabadoobee - The New York Times "The lyrics could sound didactic in other hands, but they’re delivered with the tenderness and feather-lightness of a young person discovering these things for the first time — and meaning them." Time Magazine
"California artist mxmtoon's "fever dream" is a nostalgic song about wanting more than, as she sings, "restless mornings." The '90s-leaning singer-songwriter production and her sweet melodies make sure mxmtoon eventually breaks out of her malaise. She comes out on the other side with an empowered message for her listeners: "Take your time, enjoy it/ Every fleeting moment." PAPER Magazine 
"mxmtoon has developed into a reliable songwriting presence since her 2018 debut, and new single “Lessons” offers a lush arrangement and message of not overthinking what you cannot control -- sage advice for us all right now." Billboard 
“‘dawn’ marks the start of something bolder for mxmtoon” NME
"...it showcases the blissful beauty of making a space for yourself amidst a busy world." Uproxx
"Her new EP dawn is her most ambitious collection to date, showcasing the artist’s range over seven tracks that touch on love, anxiety, authenticity, and self-acceptance." American Songwriter 
"mxmtoon's music is akin to an emotional revelation” Ones To Watch 
"Her gentle wave of self-reflections are both uplifting and grounding at the same time." LADYGUNN
“Her lyrics are wise in their simple depictions, and her vulnerability is similarly straightforward, making her relatable to not only her Gen Z fans, but listeners of all ages yearning for something that’s direct and still serene. " Cinnamon Magazine
The California-raised and Brooklyn-based musician known as Maia, started playing music at six years old and was trained classically on violin and cello. As her musical studies continued, Maia eventually gravitated towards the guitar and ukulele—the latter instrument shaping the very foundation of her musical career. "That's how I started doing covers of songs," she remembers. "I'd take home the ukulele from music class and try to learn how to play the songs that I loved."Maia's transformation into mxmtoon further developed when she was being bitten by the songwriting bug after receiving a school assignment to write a song: "I wrote a song about not knowing what to write a song about," she laughs. Eventually, private toiling turned public as she began posting her music online as mxmtoon in 2017. 
"At that point, I already used social media to express myself," she explains, "and making songs was something that felt like another aspect of expressing who I was." Although Maia cites kindred musical spirit Rex Orange County an influence, she stresses the personalness of her music above all else: "Writing music feels like a diary entry to me—a way to keep track of my thoughts. I'm too concerned with sounds or styles, just writing what makes sense to me."
Her first EP, plum blossom, was released in 2018 right around the time when she graduated high school and decided to focus on music full-time. The EP clocked more than 100 million streams on Spotify alone—not bad for songs recorded by herself in her parents’ guest room. Since then she’s sold out her US tour, is amassing millions of streams per day across DSP’s and gained millions of followers and subscribers across YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram, making a point of using her ever-growing platform to speak out on issues close to her heart. “As a young bisexual woman of color from a family of immigrants, a lot of current events directly affect who I am,” says maia, who’s mixed Chinese-American. “I firmly believe it’s my obligation and opportunity to speak on issues that affect us all.”
Last year's debut album, the masquerade, received praise from the likes of The New York Times, NPR and The New Yorker who point to "an emotional sophistication that reminded us that there are some things we never outgrow.” Sonically it found Maia moving forward from the ukulele-led bedroom recordings of her early work towards a fuller and thrilling sheen thanks to studio time with producer Robin Skinner. "Everything to this point was acoustic, and I wanted to make something that sounded more produced, polished, and thought-out," she explains while discussing her collaborations with Robin, "It was really exciting to work with him—an insanely new experience and a pivotal point in my life. I didn't have the vocabulary to talk about what I wanted in my music, so working with Robin so collaboratively helped me figured out what I wanted in my own music."
"Each project I've done in the past has been a level up from where I was in the past," Maia continues while discussing what dawn means to her as an artist—and, potentially, to her listeners. "This is my era of taking the production to another level, but also working with others to help me realize even more about the type of music I could make. I'm always striving to challenge myself to progress more—to have a better understanding of other people's experiences and to write songs that express that. I've made a lot of the music I've been most proud of making.”
Follow mxmtoon:Facebook | Spotify | Instagram | Twitter | TikTok | YouTube | SoundCloud

Johnny Thunders - Que Sera Sera Resurrected

Johnny Thunders - Que Sera Sera: Resurrected

35th Anniversary 3CD Box Set featuring a remixed version with extra tracks, the live version, the original album plus a 36-page booklet
Coming September 11th
FULL TRACK LISTING and PRE-ORDER HERE
LISTEN: Alone In A Crowd & I Only Wrote This Song For You In 1985 Johnny Thunders went into the studio in London, to record his third and final solo album. He gathered friends Mike Monroe, Patti Palladin, John Perry, Wilko Johnson, Henri-Paul Tortosa, Nasty Suicide, JC Carroll,Stiv Bators, Glen Matlock and others, and the resulting album was christened  Que Sera, Sera . 
It wasn't all plain sailing - with Johnny it rarely was. Johnny had spent the previous two years in relative stability. He'd been gigging around the world, and between tours he was filming in France. Life was a series of nice apartments and hotels shared with his constant companions - his girlfriend Susanne and his manager Christopher.
Now circumstances meant he had neither. Without a new release, touring slowed, and his high-maintenance lifestyle led him to seek friend favors for somewhere to live. The major labels that Christopher hoped would provide financial support hadn't materialized.In a row with Susanne, she complained that Johnny had never written a song for her. Johnny obliged, and along with new songs from his live set, he recorded "I Only Wrote This Song for You." Before the album was finished, as soon as he had a rough monitor mix of the song, he flew to Sweden to attempt a reconciliation.
Those remaining at the studio were left to put the pieces together. Patti Palladin oversaw the mixing with the engineer, and found there wasn't really enough for an album. Patti added "Tie Me Up" from the b-side of her Crawfish project, and "Blame It On Mom" was found from an earlier session. The title-track was actually an afterthought; recorded as a single 16 months later.
The album was well-received, and it got Johnny touring again, but there was always a sense that it could have been better, and that the guitar was restrained - in '85 many artists were seeking mainstream crossover. Two tracks were left off - Jerry Nolan's "Countdown Love" song was unused as he hadn't yet recorded it; and "Talk About You," a lengthy blues workout that didn't seem to fit.
With those two tracks in mind as bonus tracks for a reissue, Pat Collier, former Vibrators' guitarist, was asked to mix them. When the results came through, it became obvious that Pat should remix the whole album using today's technology and viewpoint.In the multi-track tapes a few outtakes were discovered, and last year the  Resurrected  version was released as a Record Store Day double-vinyl with 5 bonus live tracks. After interruptions, the CD version was reappraised and expanded to a three-disc box set. The original album is included, reinstating "Tie Me Up" and the old, familiar mixes. Three live gigs were uncovered, and they became the live version of the album as a bonus CD.
Johnny Thunders' biographer, Nina Antonia, has written new notes with interviews for the 36-page booklet. It also includes lyrics and unseen photos from the recording sessions, the cover session and from one of the featured live gigs. #   #   #

THE YUMMY FUR: 90s Scottish cult-indie rock royals and their much championed heraldry

THE YUMMY FUR: 90s Scottish cult-indie rock royals and their much championed heraldryReprobate Media - Jul 29thThe Yummy Fur ( Photo: Phil Smith) ORDER "PIGGY WINGS" YUMMY FUR DISCOGS Hailing from Glasgow, Scotland, The Yummy Fur were a wild and weird mix of angular riffs, super-short songs and savage vitriol / sardonic social commentary. Singer/guitarist, John McKeown, fronted the band from their 1992 inception (scores of cartoon melodies under a minute long delivered at high velocity) until their demise in 1999 (after morphing into a more muscular beast armed with eerie Eno-esque synths and longer, more hypnotic grooves.)Along the way they recorded three albums:   Night Club   (1996),   Male Shadow at Three O'Clock  (1998) and  Sexy World  (1999). Firm favorites of  John Peel , they recorded two sessions for the much-revered DJ and regularly featured on his show. Known for their disconcertingly direct approach to lyrics and performance, the band can seem like quite a ferocious proposition if it wasn't for their friendly onstage demeanour and good humour. On the few occasions when they've performed in recent years the live show seems bizarrely to have only increased in intensity.After splitting in 1999, McKeown went on to sign to Rough Trade with his band 1990s whilst drummer Paul Thomson and floating member Alex Kapranos formed Franz Ferdinand. Now, with the imminent release of   Piggy Wings ( Rock Action ), a compilation of the best 7" and album tracks including cult hit, Policeman, the band have reformed to play with a line up featuring original members McKeown on vocals, Paul Thomson (Franz Ferdinand) on drums, lead guitarist Brian McDougall plus the addition of bassist Dino Bardot (1990s / Franz Ferdinand)."We could be like Micheal Stipe and say we liked the Yummy Fur a lot, but that would be a lie because we LOVED the Yummy Fur with all of our heart! Being able to join them on stage for the reunion tour when they played in Portland stands out to us as one of our greatest achievements in our band's career. We didn't just like them, we adored them & obsessively collected anything that had to do with them. They were a beautiful mystery to us in America. Who were these strange weirdos that sang about Lydia Lunch and wrote these 2-minute post-punk masterpieces? Yes, the Yummy Fur were the greatest British group in our humble opinions." - Beth & Nathan (The Gossip)
The Yummy Fur are John McKeown, Paul Thomson, Brian MacDougall and Dino Bardot.Piggy Wings Tracklisting:
1. Department2. Plastic Cowboy3. In The Company Of Women4. Kirtsy Cooper5. The Canadian Flag6. Roxy Girls7. Sexy World8. Policeman9. St John of the Cross10. The Career Saver11. Supermarket12. Colonel Blimp13. Chinese Bookie14. Death Club BUY "PIGGY WINGS" HERE
Share on social media      

Pink Martini Celebrating International Friendship Day, New "Let's Be Friends" Merch Available at the Pink Martini Store

PINK MARTINI CELEBRATING INTERNATIONAL FRIENDSHIP DAY 
NEW “LET’S BE FRIENDS” MERCH AVAILABLE AT THE PINK MARTINI STORE
“LET’S BE FRIENDS” SINGLE OUT NOWIn celebration of today’s International Friendship Day, Pink Martini are asking fans to purchase an MP3 of their new single “Let’s Be Friends” (Heinz Records) and pass along a copy to a friend as a token of their friendship.  The band have also made friendship bracelets. Those, along with “Lets Be Friends” buttons, are now available at the Pink Martini merch store here: https://pink-martini-heinz-records.myshopify.com/
Earlier this summer Pink Martini released “Let’s Be Friends” which brought back together the songwriting duo responsible for the band’s biggest hits - bandleader Thomas Lauderdale and singer China Forbes. At release, China said: "'Let's be Friends' is the first song Thomas and I wrote with writer/producer Jim Bianco; we challenged ourselves to write an old-fashioned song that was NOT about love. We tried to make a song about friendship and all the ways friends can complement each other, but in the end it still has an undercurrent of romance because, well, that’s unavoidable!”  Listen to “Let's Be Friends” here:  The New York Times has called singer China Forbes “an unpretentious, pitch-perfect chanteuse” and that sentiment holds true for “Let’s Be Friends.” The track also highlights the band’s penchant for crafting music that led Variety to say, “impressive at every musician’s station, this ensemble produces music that’s charming and elegant … " and The Washington Post notes, "this is rich, hugely approachable music, utterly cosmopolitan yet utterly unpretentious. And it seems to speak to just about everybody.” 
In 1994 Lauderdale had finished college and returned to his hometown of Portland, OR.  He was working at City Hall with an eye towards running for office. Being a classically trained pianist, music was always in the background, and he formed his “little orchestra” Pink Martini as a means to provide music for political fundraisers for progressive causes near to his heart - including civil rights, affordable housing, the environment, and public broadcasting. China Forbes, Lauderdale’s friend from their college days at Harvard, joined the group the following year, and the first song they wrote together, “Sympathique” (Je ne veus pas travailler), became an overnight sensation in France, where it remains a mantra (“Je ne veux pas travailler” translates to “I don’t want to work”) for striking French workers. Politics continues to be a focal point for the band, as both Lauderdale and Pink Martini lend their voice to progressive causes.    
Throughout their history, on record and live in concert, Pink Martini has featured a dozen musicians with songs in 25 languages, and they perform their multilingual repertoire on concert stages and with symphony orchestras throughout the world. Pink Martini’s albums have collectively sold over 3 million copies worldwide, all on the band’s own label, Heinz Records.
Follow Pink Martini:Website * Instagram * Twitter * Facebook

Juanita Stein shares new video - New album 'Snapshot' out on 2nd October

JUANITA STEIN NEW ALBUM 'SNAPSHOT' OUT ON 2ND OCTOBER VIA NUDE RECORDS WATCH TITLE TRACK VIDEO HERE PRE-ORDER/PRE-SAVE ALBUM HERE   Striding out of Howling Bells’ long shadow, Juanita Stein emerges from the rolling plains of ‘America’ and ‘Until The Light Fades’, clinging to the tracks of her tears on album three, ‘Snapshot’, set for release on 2nd October via Nude Records. Juanita has now shared the video for the album's title track - recorded using an iPhone and a homemade green screen during the lockdown.  WATCH 'SNAPSHOT' VIDEO HERE  “It feels fundamental to understanding the devastation and eerie silence thrust upon us after his sudden death,” begins the Brighton-based, Australian songwriter Juanita Stein, discussing the moment of great sadness that inspired her new record. “It was a daunting task to sum up the life of one man such as my father. He was endlessly inspiring, charming, deeply talented and passionately spiritual. He admirably, and at times frustratingly, carried the torch for his own musical career until the very end.” It’s within this processing of a life well-lived and attempting to wrestle with the tides of her own grief, that what would become the album began to ebb and flow out of Stein, who first became known for her work as singer and guitarist in Howling Bells. “After I felt I had enough songs,” Juanita explains, “I was moved to reach out to producer Ben Hillier, who I’d been a fan of since hearing records he made with Clinic, Elbow ad Doves to see if he might be interested in making this album with me.” Unlike her first two solo albums, “America” (2017) and “Until The Lights Fade” (2018), which were made in just a few weeks and both at studios in the US, ‘Snapshot’ was recorded over the course of eight months at Agricultural Audio, not far from Juanita’s home. As she says, “This allowed me the time and distance I so craved. Ben was deeply concerned with allowing the songs to breathe and to take the right shape. We laid down all the defining guitar parts and vocals which were then beds for the band to come in and lay their parts on.” As the record began to take shape, Juanita “called on my brother, Joel Stein, (guitarist in Howling Bells) to play lead guitar, I knew only he could harness the exact frenzied energy needed for the songs. Both he and I were both going through something pretty momentous and I wanted to shift that energy into the music. Evan Jenkins on drums alternated between freeform and thunderous on some tracks, light and barely-there on others. Jimi Wheelwright on bass held it all together beautifully.” The result is a record that feels crafted from a life lived as much as it was clearly excavated from loss. It’s a record that strives to capture more than a passing moment and succeeds in laying its hands on something bigger than most of us will ever fully understand.  HEAR 'SNAPSHOT' HERE AND ON SOUNDCLOUD  PRE-ORDER/PRE-SAVE ALBUM HERE  www.juanitastein.com www.facebook.com/msjuanitasteinwww.twitter.com/msjuanitasteinwww.instagram.com/msjuanitasteinwww.nuderecordlabel.com  
WEBSITE  |  FACEBOOK  |  TWITTER  | INSTAGRAM 

The Mommyheads announce new album; release new song and Rotoscope animated video

THE MOMMYHEADS RETURN WITH NEW ALBUM
NEW KINGS OF POP ARRIVES AUGUST, 28 2020
NEW SINGLE AND VIDEO, "OUT FROM UNDER THE GLASS,"AVAILABLE NOWPhoto credit: Juliet Rose"A progressive act whose sound and lyricism have consistently been ahead of the curve... New Kings of Pop, is as colorful as it is nuanced""The Mommyheads were 20 years ahead of their time"
Art pop legends the Mommyheads have released their aching new single, "Out From Under The Glass." The video features front-to-back RotoScope animation and is streaming now on the band’s official YouTube HERE following its exclusive premiere with Atwood Magazine. “Out From Under The Glass” heralds the Mommyheads’ new album New Kings of Pop, due out on August 28, 2020 via Fan Records and Mommyhead Music. “Out From Under The Glass” is an open letter to modern struggles, exploring the impact of technology, isolation and distractions on people’s psyche. “The song speaks to my own struggles as a parent as I witness my children slip into the highly addictive virtual-world,” says the Mommyheads’ Adam Elk. “Collaborating with my family on this project, as well as the 5,000 hand-drawn RotoScoping frames, proved therapeutic. I hope this video inspires families to be creative and make art together during these trying times.”  WATCH | “OUT FROM UNDER THE GLASS”
ADVANCED LISTEN | NEW KINGS OF POP - FULL ALBUM New Kings of Pop marks the Mommyheads’ third release in the span of two years, following 2019’s critically acclaimed Future You. Despite its progressive heights, the album has a decidedly acoustic heart, rendering it a unique entry in the group's canon. Where previous releases saw the Mommyheads dabbling with harder, funkier electrics and synth textures, the new album boasts an earthen, open sheen. Songs like “Greta Thunberg,” "Take Me as I Am," and "Flame to the Moth," burn with a cohesive conviction -- this is music about connection in a climate where standard forms of communication have begun to alienate. They deconstruct societal preconceptions about who and what has the power and wisdom to guide us in times of peril while working in multi-layered pop vocals, horn-laden riffs, and prog infused tracks. While the Mommyheads are having plenty of fun, the sentiment remains tangible and heartfelt.  The acoustic core coincides with a recurring sentiment; one of feeling genuinely lost on planet Earth despite having spent years on it. The lyrics serve as less of a call-to-action in troubled times and more as a compassionate acknowledgment of our collective cry for stability, clarity, and new beacons of reason to look up to. New Kings Of Pop further solidifies the Mommyheads as a singular force in independent pop music. 
THE MOMMYHEADSNEW KINGS OF POPFanFar RecordsRelease Date: August 28, 2020 Tracklisting:1. Speaker Heart2. Speck Among Giants3. Take Me as I Am4. New Kings of Pop5. Ugly Things6. Greta Thunberg7. Forensic Hero Deconstruction8. Out From Under the Glass9. Flame to the Moth10. Focus Group # # #CONNECT WITH THE MOMMYHEADSWEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER