Alexander Laurence's Blog, page 1173
July 8, 2020
Kate Bollinger - 'A word becomes a sound' EP out 8/21 - Listen to Lead Single "Grey Skies"
INTRODUCING: KATE BOLLINGER
ANNOUNCES A WORD BECOMES A SOUND EP, OUT 8/21
LISTEN TO “GREY SKIES”
Photo Credit: Jonathan Roensch
“Kate Bollinger writes smart, melodic indie pop music. It makes for easy listening, but there's real insight in her lyrics. Dig deeper and you'll discover a thoughtful songwriter coming into her own.” - NPR Music
Charlottesville, VA-based musician Kate Bollinger has announced a new EP titled A word becomes a sound. A breathtaking five-song collection that touches on pop, folk, jazz and beat-driven experimentation, A word becomes a sound, the follow up to Bollinger’s 2019 EP, I Don’t Wanna Lose, is due August 21st via House Arrest. Pre-order HERE.
Today Bollinger shares the EP’s R&B imbued lead single, “Grey Skies.” Provoking a sense of ease though it contemplates the inevitability of oncoming sorrow, Bollinger explains: “The lyrics are a self critique about how indecisive I am and how self sabotaging it can be. And then the later part of the song is about losing steam, becoming apathetic, becoming cold and unworried which can happen after being so anxious for a long period of time. As a whole it’s kind of about looking for warning signs, like ominous clouds or grey skies, and not letting them bother you and convincing myself that they don’t mean anything, I tend to get really anxious about things 20 steps in advance and waste a lot of energy when nothing bad even happens in the end.”
LISTEN TO “GREY SKIES”
For Kate Bollinger, knowing how to articulate exactly what she means would take a seemingly unattainable level of communicational prowess. Because of this, her nuanced songwriting gives listeners a framework within which they can project their own experiences. “I try to write in a way that leaves each song open to interpretation because I want people to hear their own relationships reflected back at them when they listen to my music,” she says.
The forthcoming A word becomes a sound is, in some ways, Bollinger’s first proper release. While she was happy with how her EP I Don’t Wanna Lose turned out, she says “everything was so new to me, so I didn't take things where they could have gone. Every song you hear is a live take and I was so excited to record the songs as I had written them, so there wasn't much in the way of production after the fact. When we recorded A word becomes a sound, I really pushed myself to actualize what I heard in my head.” Recording the EP was hard-fought; the COVID-19 crisis hit before the band was able to finish, so Bollinger and her collaborator John Trainum were forced to complete the project under unprecedented circumstances.
A word becomes a sound flits between sonic sensibilities, never once settling on a single sustained mood. The EP grounds itself in Bollinger’s nimble voice, which fits a torrent of emotion inside of it. “My music has a really soft center and when I write I am finding a balance between something delicate and the darker feelings surrounding it,” Bollinger says. “Many of my songs are about childhood, because I am lucky to have had a pretty idyllic one.”
But what happens when childhood ends and the anxieties of adulthood come to dominate a once-carefree mind? “My songs, and the sadness in them, comes from reflecting on an easier time.” And the end result makes for one of the most exciting introductions to a new artist you’ll hear all Summer.
KATE BOLLINGERA WORD BECOMES A SOUNDHOUSE ARRESTAUGUST 21, 2020PRE-ORDER
1. A Couple Things2. Grey Skies3. Feel Like Doing Nothing4. A word becomes a sound5. Queen to Nobody
katebollinger.com | facebook.com/katebollingermusicTwitter @katebsongs | Instagram @keetiebee
ANNOUNCES A WORD BECOMES A SOUND EP, OUT 8/21
LISTEN TO “GREY SKIES”
Photo Credit: Jonathan Roensch “Kate Bollinger writes smart, melodic indie pop music. It makes for easy listening, but there's real insight in her lyrics. Dig deeper and you'll discover a thoughtful songwriter coming into her own.” - NPR Music
Charlottesville, VA-based musician Kate Bollinger has announced a new EP titled A word becomes a sound. A breathtaking five-song collection that touches on pop, folk, jazz and beat-driven experimentation, A word becomes a sound, the follow up to Bollinger’s 2019 EP, I Don’t Wanna Lose, is due August 21st via House Arrest. Pre-order HERE.
Today Bollinger shares the EP’s R&B imbued lead single, “Grey Skies.” Provoking a sense of ease though it contemplates the inevitability of oncoming sorrow, Bollinger explains: “The lyrics are a self critique about how indecisive I am and how self sabotaging it can be. And then the later part of the song is about losing steam, becoming apathetic, becoming cold and unworried which can happen after being so anxious for a long period of time. As a whole it’s kind of about looking for warning signs, like ominous clouds or grey skies, and not letting them bother you and convincing myself that they don’t mean anything, I tend to get really anxious about things 20 steps in advance and waste a lot of energy when nothing bad even happens in the end.”
LISTEN TO “GREY SKIES”
For Kate Bollinger, knowing how to articulate exactly what she means would take a seemingly unattainable level of communicational prowess. Because of this, her nuanced songwriting gives listeners a framework within which they can project their own experiences. “I try to write in a way that leaves each song open to interpretation because I want people to hear their own relationships reflected back at them when they listen to my music,” she says.
The forthcoming A word becomes a sound is, in some ways, Bollinger’s first proper release. While she was happy with how her EP I Don’t Wanna Lose turned out, she says “everything was so new to me, so I didn't take things where they could have gone. Every song you hear is a live take and I was so excited to record the songs as I had written them, so there wasn't much in the way of production after the fact. When we recorded A word becomes a sound, I really pushed myself to actualize what I heard in my head.” Recording the EP was hard-fought; the COVID-19 crisis hit before the band was able to finish, so Bollinger and her collaborator John Trainum were forced to complete the project under unprecedented circumstances.
A word becomes a sound flits between sonic sensibilities, never once settling on a single sustained mood. The EP grounds itself in Bollinger’s nimble voice, which fits a torrent of emotion inside of it. “My music has a really soft center and when I write I am finding a balance between something delicate and the darker feelings surrounding it,” Bollinger says. “Many of my songs are about childhood, because I am lucky to have had a pretty idyllic one.”
But what happens when childhood ends and the anxieties of adulthood come to dominate a once-carefree mind? “My songs, and the sadness in them, comes from reflecting on an easier time.” And the end result makes for one of the most exciting introductions to a new artist you’ll hear all Summer.
KATE BOLLINGERA WORD BECOMES A SOUNDHOUSE ARRESTAUGUST 21, 2020PRE-ORDER1. A Couple Things2. Grey Skies3. Feel Like Doing Nothing4. A word becomes a sound5. Queen to Nobody
katebollinger.com | facebook.com/katebollingermusicTwitter @katebsongs | Instagram @keetiebee
World-pop singer Naïka is Lost in Paradise on debut EP
NAÏKA RELEASES DEBUT EP, LOST IN PARADISE PT. 1
"HEAD IN THE CLOUDS" LYRIC VIDEO OUT TODAY
“Truly a child of the world, French-Haitian pop ingénueNaïka is a breath of fresh air.”- LADYGUNN
“What happens when a little girl obsessed with music spends her life traveling all over the world? In the case of Naïka, she grows up to serenade her listeners’ ears with global sounds they may not have heard before in pop music.”- Frontrunner
World-pop singer-songwriter Naïka's debut EP is out now. Lost In Paradise, Pt. 1 is the French-Haitian singer's debut and will be the first of two EPs to be released this year. Together, they take the listener on her personal journey through self-discovery and inner growth. Part 1 tells the story of feeling lost on this journey -- navigating through insecurity, instability and feeling lost in one's own skin. Part 2 will celebrate arriving at a place of confidence and security -- a personal oasis...Paradise.
"My dream is to bring people together through my music," says Naïka. "I want to shatter stigmas and to encourage human connection that goes beyond religion, ethnicity, and gender."
LISTEN TO LOST IN PARADISE PT. 1
WATCH "HEAD IN THE CLOUDS (OFFICIAL LYRIC VIDEO)"
Naïka heralded the arrival of Lost in Paradise, Pt. 1 with the release of the song, "Vultures." The song was joined by an official companion video, streaming now at the Miami-born, Los Angeles-based artist’s official YouTube page. “The stunning visuals and carefully constructed characters portray Naïka’s complex inner struggle,” raved LADYGUNN in its exclusive video premiere, “and eventually, she finds a way to come to terms with it.” STREAM/DOWNLOAD “VULTURES”
WATCH “VULTURES”
In June, Naïka announced the premiere of “African Sun.” The song was joined by an official lyric video, streaming now. Sung in both Haitian Creole and English, the song was written by Naïka as a celebration of her Haitian roots after last year’s massive series of anti-government protests and commemorates Haitian Heritage Month.
“In May, we celebrated Haiti,” Naïka says in an exclusive Audiofemme feature published last week. “The history of the country was a pivotal influence in the Western Hemisphere – Haiti was the first successful slave revolt in the world; the only slave uprising in history to end with the foundation of a new country.They overthrew the colonizers and became the first black independent nation in 1804. Because of this, they were ostracized by the rest of the world for fear that they could influence slave revolts in the rest of the Caribbean and the New World. Since then, the country has experienced trials and tribulations, but the people still maintain their strength, spirit, and liveliness through it all.” STREAM/DOWNLOAD “AFRICAN SUN”
WATCH “AFRICAN SUN” Naïka has already earned acclaim and attention for her distinctive fusion of sounds, a sonic approach she describes simply as “world-pop.” Born in Miami, the gifted singer-songwriter fell in love with music at an early age, absorbing inspiration from her French and Haitian heritage as well as her family’s wide-ranging travels around the globe, from Guadeloupe to Kenya, from South Africa to Vanuatu and beyond. Indeed, the influence of African, European, and Caribbean cultures has shaped her both as an artist and as a citizen of the world, evidenced by her hugely popular cover of the Haitian classic, “Papa Gèdè (Bel Gason),” as well as recent tracks like “Oh Mama,” “Déjà Vu,” and the worldwide streaming hit, “Ride.” International applause has already come from such publications as Germany’s MYP Magazine, which wrote, “Naïka wants to add more color to her favorite thing in the world: pop music…Blessed with an incredible voice, she is free of pretension and seemingly doesn’t have a boring bone in her body.” “Naïka isn’t a typical American pop artist,” declared Frontrunner. “She’s here to bring her own sound…and maybe even do it in French.”
photo credit: Michael AdanCONNECT WITH NAÏKA:FACEBOOKINSTAGRAMSOUNDCLOUDTWITTERYOUTUBE
"HEAD IN THE CLOUDS" LYRIC VIDEO OUT TODAY
“Truly a child of the world, French-Haitian pop ingénueNaïka is a breath of fresh air.”- LADYGUNN“What happens when a little girl obsessed with music spends her life traveling all over the world? In the case of Naïka, she grows up to serenade her listeners’ ears with global sounds they may not have heard before in pop music.”- Frontrunner
World-pop singer-songwriter Naïka's debut EP is out now. Lost In Paradise, Pt. 1 is the French-Haitian singer's debut and will be the first of two EPs to be released this year. Together, they take the listener on her personal journey through self-discovery and inner growth. Part 1 tells the story of feeling lost on this journey -- navigating through insecurity, instability and feeling lost in one's own skin. Part 2 will celebrate arriving at a place of confidence and security -- a personal oasis...Paradise.
"My dream is to bring people together through my music," says Naïka. "I want to shatter stigmas and to encourage human connection that goes beyond religion, ethnicity, and gender."
LISTEN TO LOST IN PARADISE PT. 1
WATCH "HEAD IN THE CLOUDS (OFFICIAL LYRIC VIDEO)"
Naïka heralded the arrival of Lost in Paradise, Pt. 1 with the release of the song, "Vultures." The song was joined by an official companion video, streaming now at the Miami-born, Los Angeles-based artist’s official YouTube page. “The stunning visuals and carefully constructed characters portray Naïka’s complex inner struggle,” raved LADYGUNN in its exclusive video premiere, “and eventually, she finds a way to come to terms with it.” STREAM/DOWNLOAD “VULTURES”
WATCH “VULTURES”
In June, Naïka announced the premiere of “African Sun.” The song was joined by an official lyric video, streaming now. Sung in both Haitian Creole and English, the song was written by Naïka as a celebration of her Haitian roots after last year’s massive series of anti-government protests and commemorates Haitian Heritage Month.
“In May, we celebrated Haiti,” Naïka says in an exclusive Audiofemme feature published last week. “The history of the country was a pivotal influence in the Western Hemisphere – Haiti was the first successful slave revolt in the world; the only slave uprising in history to end with the foundation of a new country.They overthrew the colonizers and became the first black independent nation in 1804. Because of this, they were ostracized by the rest of the world for fear that they could influence slave revolts in the rest of the Caribbean and the New World. Since then, the country has experienced trials and tribulations, but the people still maintain their strength, spirit, and liveliness through it all.” STREAM/DOWNLOAD “AFRICAN SUN”
WATCH “AFRICAN SUN” Naïka has already earned acclaim and attention for her distinctive fusion of sounds, a sonic approach she describes simply as “world-pop.” Born in Miami, the gifted singer-songwriter fell in love with music at an early age, absorbing inspiration from her French and Haitian heritage as well as her family’s wide-ranging travels around the globe, from Guadeloupe to Kenya, from South Africa to Vanuatu and beyond. Indeed, the influence of African, European, and Caribbean cultures has shaped her both as an artist and as a citizen of the world, evidenced by her hugely popular cover of the Haitian classic, “Papa Gèdè (Bel Gason),” as well as recent tracks like “Oh Mama,” “Déjà Vu,” and the worldwide streaming hit, “Ride.” International applause has already come from such publications as Germany’s MYP Magazine, which wrote, “Naïka wants to add more color to her favorite thing in the world: pop music…Blessed with an incredible voice, she is free of pretension and seemingly doesn’t have a boring bone in her body.” “Naïka isn’t a typical American pop artist,” declared Frontrunner. “She’s here to bring her own sound…and maybe even do it in French.”
photo credit: Michael AdanCONNECT WITH NAÏKA:FACEBOOKINSTAGRAMSOUNDCLOUDTWITTERYOUTUBE
July 7, 2020
GUIDED BY VOICES Announce New LP 'Mirrored Aztec' Share 1st Track "Haircut Sphinx” Via Rolling Stone "World Tour" Full Electric Streaming Concert 7/17
GUIDED BY VOICES Announce Sunny Summer Album
MIRRORED AZTEC
Pre-order album at Rockathon Records
Share "Haircut Sphinx” Via RollingStone
"World Tour" Full Electric Streaming Concert Friday July 17th
LISTEN/WATCH & SHARE: Guided By Voices - "Haircut Sphinx" Guided By Voices
Mirrored Aztec
(GBV Inc)
August 21, 2020
When we last heard from Guided by Voices, they had released an astonishing four albums in just over 12 months. Each has a distinctive creative identity: Zeppelin Over China was a meat-and-potatoes double album, Warp and Woof was a return to the band’s low-fidelity roots and under-two-minute earworms, Sweating the Plague was a slice of moody stadium rock, and Surrender Your Poppy Field was an unpredictable grab-bag of all of the above. After venturing through the tangled brambles of Plague and Poppy Field, we’re treated to a sunny Summer reprieve, a relentless barrage of hooks.
Mirrored Aztec, out Aug 21, 2020, is the latest stop on this runaway train. Like its immediate predecessors, it’s both its own entity and unmistakably GBV. It’s also their most immediately welcoming and inviting offering in years. For the GBV uninitiated, the clean, confident hooks will resonate immediately.
If Robert Pollard’s discography—107 albums and counting—seems intimidating, do not fear! With a brand-new, high-quality, all-the-way-there album every several months, it’s abundantly clear that no band’s fanbase has more fun.
Mirrored Aztec
**** 4 stars “Genre-bending insanity” - Shindig
Surrender You Poppy Field:
**** 4 stars "GBV's 30th full-length juggles home-made lo-fi recordings with sculpted studio tracks, but the songs themselves are of a piece, prizing hooks and focus over abstraction, while never losing Pollard's trademark ramshackle charm." - Mojo
**** 4 stars "The towering power hooks, the seismic 4-track charm, and all the psych / pop / punk / prog weirdness in between, proud dizziness abounds, familiar and surprising at once." - Shindig
Sweating The Plague:
Sweating the Plague delivers a compelling statement about both Robert Pollard's legacy as a singer-songwriter and his band's own live reputation that is as coherent as it is goosebump-inducing.” - Popmatters
“Sweating the Plague shows Robert Pollard achieving the near-impossible” - Exclaim!
Warp & Woof:
"It's up there with some of their best... this is the pinnacle so far of the current GBV reformation, reaching in parts the high calibre of classic era albums like Alien Lanes and Under The Bushes Under The Stars." - The Quietus
"Their hot streak continues with this new record." - Paste Magazine
"Grips the listener and refuses to let go. This album plays as a consistent, brilliant album from beginning to end." - Spill Magazine
Zeppelin Over China:
"The opening stretch alone offers babbling, sinewy post-punk, dreamy jangle pop and an ominous dirge in quick succession, while other stretches yield delicate filigrees of chamber pop, lysergic behemoths and heavy slabs of concrete rock. It's everything you've ever loved about Guided By Voices, all smashed together in one record.” - The Line Of Best Fit
"It is somehow surprising that a release from an artist with over 100 albums to their name can sound so inventive and new, but at the same time, it’s completely unsurprising and outright expected when that artist is Robert Pollard." - The Spill Magazine
GUIDED BY VOICES
World Tour 2020
One Night Only!
Streaming concert in your home. BYOB!
Friday July 17 (5pm Eastern time)
Plus 96-hour post-show streaming on demand
Tickets at Noonchorus.com and finer venues
Guided By Voices will be playing a full-electric concert from an empty venue in Dayton Ohio, with a top-notch audio / video crew. No acoustic guitars in pajamas in the living room!
Due to the pandemic, the band has canceled a number of tour dates this year. They’ll be partnering on this web concert with numerous US indie venues, some of whom they’ve worked with for over 25 years. 20% of the ticket price purchased at the venue sites will go to the venues, to help them keep afloat during these tough financial times.
The set will highlight tracks from the February release Surrender Your Poppy Field as well as a few songs off the not-yet-released Mirrored Aztec.
MIRRORED AZTEC
Pre-order album at Rockathon Records
Share "Haircut Sphinx” Via RollingStone
"World Tour" Full Electric Streaming Concert Friday July 17th
LISTEN/WATCH & SHARE: Guided By Voices - "Haircut Sphinx" Guided By VoicesMirrored Aztec
(GBV Inc)
August 21, 2020
When we last heard from Guided by Voices, they had released an astonishing four albums in just over 12 months. Each has a distinctive creative identity: Zeppelin Over China was a meat-and-potatoes double album, Warp and Woof was a return to the band’s low-fidelity roots and under-two-minute earworms, Sweating the Plague was a slice of moody stadium rock, and Surrender Your Poppy Field was an unpredictable grab-bag of all of the above. After venturing through the tangled brambles of Plague and Poppy Field, we’re treated to a sunny Summer reprieve, a relentless barrage of hooks.
Mirrored Aztec, out Aug 21, 2020, is the latest stop on this runaway train. Like its immediate predecessors, it’s both its own entity and unmistakably GBV. It’s also their most immediately welcoming and inviting offering in years. For the GBV uninitiated, the clean, confident hooks will resonate immediately.
If Robert Pollard’s discography—107 albums and counting—seems intimidating, do not fear! With a brand-new, high-quality, all-the-way-there album every several months, it’s abundantly clear that no band’s fanbase has more fun.
Mirrored Aztec
**** 4 stars “Genre-bending insanity” - Shindig
Surrender You Poppy Field:
**** 4 stars "GBV's 30th full-length juggles home-made lo-fi recordings with sculpted studio tracks, but the songs themselves are of a piece, prizing hooks and focus over abstraction, while never losing Pollard's trademark ramshackle charm." - Mojo
**** 4 stars "The towering power hooks, the seismic 4-track charm, and all the psych / pop / punk / prog weirdness in between, proud dizziness abounds, familiar and surprising at once." - Shindig
Sweating The Plague:
Sweating the Plague delivers a compelling statement about both Robert Pollard's legacy as a singer-songwriter and his band's own live reputation that is as coherent as it is goosebump-inducing.” - Popmatters
“Sweating the Plague shows Robert Pollard achieving the near-impossible” - Exclaim!
Warp & Woof:
"It's up there with some of their best... this is the pinnacle so far of the current GBV reformation, reaching in parts the high calibre of classic era albums like Alien Lanes and Under The Bushes Under The Stars." - The Quietus
"Their hot streak continues with this new record." - Paste Magazine
"Grips the listener and refuses to let go. This album plays as a consistent, brilliant album from beginning to end." - Spill Magazine
Zeppelin Over China:
"The opening stretch alone offers babbling, sinewy post-punk, dreamy jangle pop and an ominous dirge in quick succession, while other stretches yield delicate filigrees of chamber pop, lysergic behemoths and heavy slabs of concrete rock. It's everything you've ever loved about Guided By Voices, all smashed together in one record.” - The Line Of Best Fit
"It is somehow surprising that a release from an artist with over 100 albums to their name can sound so inventive and new, but at the same time, it’s completely unsurprising and outright expected when that artist is Robert Pollard." - The Spill Magazine
GUIDED BY VOICESWorld Tour 2020
One Night Only!
Streaming concert in your home. BYOB!
Friday July 17 (5pm Eastern time)
Plus 96-hour post-show streaming on demand
Tickets at Noonchorus.com and finer venues
Guided By Voices will be playing a full-electric concert from an empty venue in Dayton Ohio, with a top-notch audio / video crew. No acoustic guitars in pajamas in the living room!
Due to the pandemic, the band has canceled a number of tour dates this year. They’ll be partnering on this web concert with numerous US indie venues, some of whom they’ve worked with for over 25 years. 20% of the ticket price purchased at the venue sites will go to the venues, to help them keep afloat during these tough financial times.
The set will highlight tracks from the February release Surrender Your Poppy Field as well as a few songs off the not-yet-released Mirrored Aztec.
An Anniversary Gift Becomes A Break-Up Song In MATT COSTA’s New Single, “Last Love Song”
ACCLAIMED CALIFORNIA SINGER-SONGWRITER MATT COSTA RELEASES
NEW HEARTBREAKING ACOUSTIC ELEGY, “LAST LOVE SONG,”
FROM FORTHCOMING ALBUM, YELLOW COAT COSTA TO PERFORM AS PART OF NPR MUSIC’s LIVE SESSIONSON THURSDAY, JULY 9 AT 2 P.M. EST YELLOW COAT, COSTA’s SOULFUL FOLK AND TIMELESS POP-INSPIRED ALBUM
PRODUCED BY ALEX NEWPORT, AVAILABLE VIA DANGERBIRD RECORDS ON FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11 WATCH: “LAST LOVE SONG” MUSIC VIDEO (ON YOUTUBE) PRE-ORDER/PRE-SAVE: YELLOW COAT (ON ALL PLATFORMS)Dangerbird Records and acclaimed California singer-songwriter Matt Costa are pleased to present “Last Love Song,” the latest track to be lifted from the Friday, September 11 release of his brand new full-length album, Yellow Coat ( pre-order/pre-save ). “Some feelings stick with you forever,” says Costa of “Last Love Song,” one of the most bare and vulnerable moments found on this new album. When he first wrote what became “Last Love Song,” it had a different title and was meant to be an anniversary gift. Instead, it turned into a break-up song. With its almost church-like fragility, the song is a tender folk tune that speaks to the concept that songs can evolve and take on new meaning over time. Watch the video for “Last Love Song” on YouTube HERE .
Additionally, Costa will perform “Last Love Song” along with a few other intimate tracks as part of NPR Music ’s Live Sessions on Thursday, July 9 at 2 p.m. EST from his home studio in Los Angeles. Watch Costa’s upcoming performance via NPR Music’s Live Sessions page HERE .
Produced by Alex Newport, Yellow Coat is a masterpiece of heartbreak, equal parts lost Sixties AM radio hits, folk-pop beauty and dark night of the soul music. Taking inspiration from Van Gogh’s Dear Theo along with John Steinbeck’s A Life in Letters, and stamped with the honesty and intimacy of something not meant to be heard, Yellow Coat is the product of Costa penning letters to himself about the end of a relationship that had lasted almost a decade.
Photo credit: Minh PhamAs his second LP for Dangerbird Records and the follow-up to his well-received concept record
Santa Rosa Fangs
– an album that revealed similar storytelling qualities present in the work of other likeminded American songwriters such as Kurt Vile and Damien Jurado – the forthcoming
Yellow Coat
channels Costa’s raw emotion into a 12-track collection of hooky love songs, most of them awash in strings, Mellotron, harmonies and groove.
At the time that Costa started writing, he had stripped things down considerably, not only emotionally but in terms of his surroundings. He had moved into a Laguna Beach studio apartment with just the bare minimum of furniture and instruments. Instead of a bedside table, a Wurlitzer Sideman drum machine stands.
After connecting with notable producer Alex Newport (Death Cab for Cutie, At the Drive-In), the songs of Yellow Coat took shape with Costa enlisting the help of touring musicians and friends from afar. From the insinuating acoustic riffs and lo-fi beats of the album’s lead single “Avenal” to the snappy fatalism of “Slow,” Yellow Coat is brimming with bittersweet narratives of love’s power to both soothe and devastate.
Life does go on, however. The album ends with the last song Costa wrote for it, “So I Say Goodbye,” which provides a sense of closure, its piano-driven tunefulness feeling both uplifting and melancholic. And while Yellow Coat may have started as an album about heartbreak, its sense of sadness, continued hope and perseverance also feels completely universal right now. “My songs have always been something that transcends a feeling into something that is healing,” Costa adds. “I hope listeners and fans find these songs as personal and honest as they are to me.”
###
NEW HEARTBREAKING ACOUSTIC ELEGY, “LAST LOVE SONG,”
FROM FORTHCOMING ALBUM, YELLOW COAT COSTA TO PERFORM AS PART OF NPR MUSIC’s LIVE SESSIONSON THURSDAY, JULY 9 AT 2 P.M. EST YELLOW COAT, COSTA’s SOULFUL FOLK AND TIMELESS POP-INSPIRED ALBUM
PRODUCED BY ALEX NEWPORT, AVAILABLE VIA DANGERBIRD RECORDS ON FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11 WATCH: “LAST LOVE SONG” MUSIC VIDEO (ON YOUTUBE) PRE-ORDER/PRE-SAVE: YELLOW COAT (ON ALL PLATFORMS)Dangerbird Records and acclaimed California singer-songwriter Matt Costa are pleased to present “Last Love Song,” the latest track to be lifted from the Friday, September 11 release of his brand new full-length album, Yellow Coat ( pre-order/pre-save ). “Some feelings stick with you forever,” says Costa of “Last Love Song,” one of the most bare and vulnerable moments found on this new album. When he first wrote what became “Last Love Song,” it had a different title and was meant to be an anniversary gift. Instead, it turned into a break-up song. With its almost church-like fragility, the song is a tender folk tune that speaks to the concept that songs can evolve and take on new meaning over time. Watch the video for “Last Love Song” on YouTube HERE .
Additionally, Costa will perform “Last Love Song” along with a few other intimate tracks as part of NPR Music ’s Live Sessions on Thursday, July 9 at 2 p.m. EST from his home studio in Los Angeles. Watch Costa’s upcoming performance via NPR Music’s Live Sessions page HERE .
Produced by Alex Newport, Yellow Coat is a masterpiece of heartbreak, equal parts lost Sixties AM radio hits, folk-pop beauty and dark night of the soul music. Taking inspiration from Van Gogh’s Dear Theo along with John Steinbeck’s A Life in Letters, and stamped with the honesty and intimacy of something not meant to be heard, Yellow Coat is the product of Costa penning letters to himself about the end of a relationship that had lasted almost a decade.
Photo credit: Minh PhamAs his second LP for Dangerbird Records and the follow-up to his well-received concept record
Santa Rosa Fangs
– an album that revealed similar storytelling qualities present in the work of other likeminded American songwriters such as Kurt Vile and Damien Jurado – the forthcoming
Yellow Coat
channels Costa’s raw emotion into a 12-track collection of hooky love songs, most of them awash in strings, Mellotron, harmonies and groove.At the time that Costa started writing, he had stripped things down considerably, not only emotionally but in terms of his surroundings. He had moved into a Laguna Beach studio apartment with just the bare minimum of furniture and instruments. Instead of a bedside table, a Wurlitzer Sideman drum machine stands.
After connecting with notable producer Alex Newport (Death Cab for Cutie, At the Drive-In), the songs of Yellow Coat took shape with Costa enlisting the help of touring musicians and friends from afar. From the insinuating acoustic riffs and lo-fi beats of the album’s lead single “Avenal” to the snappy fatalism of “Slow,” Yellow Coat is brimming with bittersweet narratives of love’s power to both soothe and devastate.
Life does go on, however. The album ends with the last song Costa wrote for it, “So I Say Goodbye,” which provides a sense of closure, its piano-driven tunefulness feeling both uplifting and melancholic. And while Yellow Coat may have started as an album about heartbreak, its sense of sadness, continued hope and perseverance also feels completely universal right now. “My songs have always been something that transcends a feeling into something that is healing,” Costa adds. “I hope listeners and fans find these songs as personal and honest as they are to me.”
###
Ted Leo describes how to "throw out your ego" on Past, Present, Future, Live! podcast
TED LEO DISCUSSES HIS MUSICAL JOURNEY ONNEW PODCAST SERIESPAST, PRESENT, FUTURE, LIVE!
FEATURES INTERVIEW, LIVE PERFORMANCESAND CURATED PLAYLIST
“Making a semi-conscious step to not really care about being part of any world of music allowed us to do what we wanted to."- Ted Leo
Osiris Podcasts releases the third episode of a new, multidimensional podcast series, Past, Present, Future, Live! featuring Ted Leo. Since the early 90’s, Ted Leo has been one of the most progressive forces in independent music. From his band Chisel to Ted Leo and the Pharmacists to his solo work, he's always stayed true to his punk roots, musically and politically. In this episode, he talks to RJ about the music that influenced him over the years, how his style has evolved, and the ‘seatbelt removing moments' that feed him creatively. Ted discusses his decision to use Kickstarter to fund his last album, The Hanged Man, and why ‘deep collaboration makes you throw out your ego’.
At the end of the episode, Ted performs “Rave On” by Buddy Holly, “The Nice People Argument”, and “William Weld In The 21st Century”. Video of the live performance is on YouTube and the playlist from this episode can be found on Spotify and includes 10 songs from Ted’s Front of House playlist.
WATCH TED LEO PERFORM "RAVE ON," "THE NICE PEOPLE ARGUMENT" AND "WILLIAM WELD IN THE 21ST CENTURY"
Ted Leo is an American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. He is the frontman and lead guitarist of rock group Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, and in 2013, he and Aimee Mann formed the indie rock duo the Both. He and Aimee also have a podcast called The Art of Process.
Upcoming Episodes of Past, Present, Future, Live! include conversations with Dani Markham and more. This podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you like this podcast, please be sure to leave us a rating or review on iTunes.
From their first music lesson to the first paid gig, these are stories from the unique journey that is the life of an artist. We’ll discuss early inspirations, creative process, what’s driving them towards the future, and everything in between. Full audio episodes will drop every Tuesday, and video of each live performance will be available on the Osiris website and YouTube. An accompanying curated playlist chronicling the music and artists mentioned in each episode will also be available on the Osiris site and on Spotify.
EPISODESEp 1: Eric Krasno (OUT NOW)Ep 2: Rhett Miller (OUT NOW)Ep 3: Marco Benevento (OUT NOW)Ep. 4: Maggie Rose (OUT NOW)Ep 4: Ted Leo (AIRS TODAY)
AND MORE TO BE ANNOUNCED
# # #
FEATURES INTERVIEW, LIVE PERFORMANCESAND CURATED PLAYLIST
“Making a semi-conscious step to not really care about being part of any world of music allowed us to do what we wanted to."- Ted LeoOsiris Podcasts releases the third episode of a new, multidimensional podcast series, Past, Present, Future, Live! featuring Ted Leo. Since the early 90’s, Ted Leo has been one of the most progressive forces in independent music. From his band Chisel to Ted Leo and the Pharmacists to his solo work, he's always stayed true to his punk roots, musically and politically. In this episode, he talks to RJ about the music that influenced him over the years, how his style has evolved, and the ‘seatbelt removing moments' that feed him creatively. Ted discusses his decision to use Kickstarter to fund his last album, The Hanged Man, and why ‘deep collaboration makes you throw out your ego’.
At the end of the episode, Ted performs “Rave On” by Buddy Holly, “The Nice People Argument”, and “William Weld In The 21st Century”. Video of the live performance is on YouTube and the playlist from this episode can be found on Spotify and includes 10 songs from Ted’s Front of House playlist.
WATCH TED LEO PERFORM "RAVE ON," "THE NICE PEOPLE ARGUMENT" AND "WILLIAM WELD IN THE 21ST CENTURY"
Ted Leo is an American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. He is the frontman and lead guitarist of rock group Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, and in 2013, he and Aimee Mann formed the indie rock duo the Both. He and Aimee also have a podcast called The Art of Process.
Upcoming Episodes of Past, Present, Future, Live! include conversations with Dani Markham and more. This podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you like this podcast, please be sure to leave us a rating or review on iTunes.
From their first music lesson to the first paid gig, these are stories from the unique journey that is the life of an artist. We’ll discuss early inspirations, creative process, what’s driving them towards the future, and everything in between. Full audio episodes will drop every Tuesday, and video of each live performance will be available on the Osiris website and YouTube. An accompanying curated playlist chronicling the music and artists mentioned in each episode will also be available on the Osiris site and on Spotify.
EPISODESEp 1: Eric Krasno (OUT NOW)Ep 2: Rhett Miller (OUT NOW)Ep 3: Marco Benevento (OUT NOW)Ep. 4: Maggie Rose (OUT NOW)Ep 4: Ted Leo (AIRS TODAY)
AND MORE TO BE ANNOUNCED
# # #
My Morning Jacket to release new album this Friday, July 10
MY MORNING JACKET TO RELEASE THE WATERFALL IITHIS FRIDAY, JULY 10
ALBUM LISTENING PARTY CONFIRMED FORTHIS THURSDAY, JULY 9 AT 9PM ET VIA THE BAND’S YOUTUBE AND FACEBOOK
CD AND VINYL OUT AUGUST 28 - ALBUM PRE-ORDERS AVAILABLE NOW
PERFORMING ON THE TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JIMMY FALLON JULY 15
Photo Credit: Danny ClinchMy Morning Jacket are releasing their new album, this Friday July 10. Out via ATO Records, The Waterfall II was massively inspired by the band’s idyllic surroundings in Stinson Beach, CA — and a sense of charmed isolation that frontman Jim James likened to “living on our own little moon.” There, the Kentucky-bred five-piece ended up creating over two dozen songs at the mountaintop studio known as Panoramic House. Though they flirted with the idea of putting out what would have been a triple album, the band ultimately decided that less would be more at the time and divided the project into two halves, releasing the first segment as The Waterfall: a 2015 full-length that earned a Grammy Award nomination for Best Alternative Music Album. My Morning Jacket are now set to share the second half of the project as The Waterfall II, an unforeseen and timely continuation of a psychic and sonic journey begun long ago.Fans will get to hear The Waterfall II in its entirety during an online listening party being hosted by the band on Facebook and YouTube at 9pm ET this Thursday, July 9 before the album arrives at all DSPs on July 10. Album pre-orders, including both standard and deluxe versions featuring 180-gram vinyl with Zoetrope labels in a gatefold foil jacket, are available now. The Waterfall II will be released on CD and vinyl on August 28.
SET REMINDER: THE WATERFALL II LISTENING PARTY
PRE-ORDER THE WATERFALL II
As James reveals, the decision to unearth The Waterfall II was sparked from a bit of serendipity in the early days of self-quarantine. While out on a walk, he placed his music library on shuffle and soon stumbled upon “Spinning My Wheels,” a tender rumination on the struggle for presence, its lyrics confessing to feeling “hypnotized from doing the same old thing.” Struck by the song’s enduring relevance, James revisited the other tracks reserved from the Panoramic House sessions and found that they invited a welcome moment of self-reflection—an outcome perhaps even more perfectly suited to the chaos of the current day than the circumstances of their recording.
Like its predecessor, The Waterfall II mines its mood of dreamy contemplation from certain heartbreak James had recently experienced, including the demise of a monumental relationship. Unfolding in a loosely threaded narrative of loss and recovery, the album conjures an indelible pain but never drifts into despair, gracefully conveying James’s message that “there is hope beyond the pain and loss, if you learn to flow with life like water.”
Even in its most heavy-hearted moments, The Waterfall II radiates an undeniable sense of wonder, a testament to the wild-mindedness that’s long imbued the music of My Morning Jacket. With their unabashed curiosity infinitely stirred by their time at Stinson Beach, the band hopes that the album might lead others to look beyond what’s human-made in the search for solace and renewal. “As so many of us feel out of tune and long for the world to be a better place, we have to look to nature and the animals and learn from them: learn to love, accept, move on, and respect each other,” says James. “We gotta work for it and change our ways before it’s too late, and get in harmony with love and equality for all of humanity and for nature too.”
My Morning Jacket will perform on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Wednesday July 15.
MY MORNING JACKETTHE WATERFALL II(ATO)RELEASE DATE: JULY 10, 2020
Tracklisting:Spinning My WheelsStill ThinkinClimbing The LadderFeel YouBeautiful Love (Wasn’t Enough)Magic BulletRun ItWastedWelcome HomeThe First Time# # #
CONNECT WITH MY MORNING JACKET:MYMORNINGJACKET.COMFACEBOOK TWITTERINSTAGRAM
# # #
DMA'S Release New Track "Criminals"
RELEASE NEW TRACK "CRIMINALS"LISTEN HERETHE GLOW OUT JULY 10TH
"Triumphant." - Q Magazine"
"Everything you'd expect and more...packed with emotional bangers." - DORK
(Photo credit Andy Cotterill)DMA’S have today released new track "Criminals" taken from their forthcoming album THE GLOW, due for release on July 10th. "Criminals" was written during the last few days of the album recording sessions & perhaps the most surprising track on the record. It begins as a subtle piano based offering and builds quickly into an uplifting pop banger with a punchy, groove-focused hook.
THE GLOW was produced and mixed by Grammy award winning producer Stuart Price (Madonna, The Killers, New Order) in the historic Westlake Recording Studios, a long way from the band’s early days in Sydney. From their emotive heart to their towering hooks, the core traits that have earned DMA’S a huge following are still prominent in new album THE GLOW, but now their anthemic sound is infused with a euphoric flood of alt-pop flair with pulsating synths and taut beats. While the huge choruses will prove to be electrifying highlights of future live shows.
The new album is a mission statement that the trio immediately encapsulate within the opening two tracks. A swaggering mash-up of Screamadelica-era attitude, big beat dynamics and modern alt-pop flair, "Never Before" immediately sets the tone. The title track then keeps that energy firing, a rapid-rush of melodic energy, joyous optimism and a new-found confidence in Tommy O'Dell's vocals. As suggested by the first single "Silver" DMA'S are expanding the scale of their sound. And yet DMA'S save the biggest surprise for last. "Cobracaine" is a celebration of everything the band can be. It's a maximalist melting pot of sounds: an escalating wall of guitars the foundation for a tense, almost trancelike beat with vocals filtered through harmonies and vocoders. And as it hurtles to its mesmerizing conclusion, one thing is certain: this is the most fully realized of the band's three albums to date.
Fans can pre-order THE GLOW now. There are also exclusive merchandise bundles with signed prints plus a few limited edition heavyweight transparent green vinyl & cassettes still available through the band’s official store; https://dmas.lnk.to/storePR
****
DMA’S are made up of Tommy O’Dell, Matt Mason and Johnny Took. The band formed in Sydney and made an immediate impression with their 2014 debut EP. Their full-length debut Hills End saw them crash into Australia’s Top 10, before For Now cemented them as a force to be reckoned with. The album earned three ARIA Music Award nominations for Best Group, Best Rock Album and Best Independent Release.
In 2018 they became one of the first Australian bands to play the iconic MTV Unplugged session, following in the footsteps of all-time greats such as Nirvana, Oasis and R.E.M. The performance was captured in this summer’s MTV Unplugged Live album.
THE GLOW ALBUM TRACKLIST1. Never Before2. The Glow3. Silver4. Life Is A Game of Changing5. Criminals6. Strangers7. Learning Alive8. Hello Girlfriend9. Appointment10. Round & Around11. Cobracainehttp://dmasdmas.com/https://www.facebook.com/DMAsDMAshttps://twitter.com/dmasmusichttps://www.instagram.com/dmasmusic/https://www.youtube.com/c/DMASmusic
Chicano Batman - NPR Tiny Desk Concert New Album ‘Invisible People’ Out Now
Chicano Batman - NPR Tiny Desk ConcertNew Album ‘Invisible People’ Out Now
WATCH HERE
WATCH THE BAND’S PERFORMANCE ON THE LATE SHOW WITH STEPHEN COLBERT #PLAYATHOME SERIES
(New York, NY) Chicano Batman’s NPR Tiny Desk Concert (from home) is out now. Filmed in sync with every band member playing in separate rooms, this special socially distanced edition of the Tiny Desk series features four songs performed from this year’s critically-acclaimed Invisible People (ATO), out now.
Pitchfork says the record is “their most accessible...with big hooks and definitive statements to match,” while the LA Times praises the “mix of borderless 1960s and ‘70s rock and percussive contemporary tones.” Invisible People was also recently No. 1 in college radio, making it the first record at No. 1 to feature people of color since Brittany Howard last fall.
Watch the full performance: https://www.npr.org/2020/07/07/887684231/chicano-batman-tiny-desk-home-concert
NPR TINY DESK SETLIST:
1. I know It
2. Moment of Joy
3. Color my life
4. Polymetronomic Harmony
PRAISE FOR CHICANO BATMAN:
"Retro-tinged resistance funk"
– ROLLING STONE
"Supremely groovy"
– FADER
“Beautiful mix of love songs, psychedelia to political consciousness”
– NPR MUSIC
“Progressive lyrics with hard-hitting synth-funk beats”
— V MAN
“A cross of Tame Impala and Neon Indian...shape their tropicalia-bent indie rock into a glossier pop-style”
— CONSEQUENCE OF SOUND
"Perfect musical accompaniment for summer cruisin'”
— AV CLUB
ABOUT CHICANO BATMAN:
Like all the most iconic music born from the West Coast, Chicano Batman’s 'Invisible People' offers an instant escape into the beautifully strange world they inhabit. Throughout their fourth album, vocalist/keyboardist Bardo Martinez, guitarist Carlos Arévalo, bassist Eduardo Arenas, and drummer Gabriel Villa channel the kinetic spirit of their city into a wildly shapeshifting sound, ultimately finding an unstoppable joy in following their most outrageous instincts. Produced by Leon Michels (The Carters, A$AP Rocky, Lee Fields & the Expressions) and mixed by Shawn Everett (Vampire Weekend, Alabama Shakes, Beck), 'Invisible People' taps into the unbridled creativity Chicano Batman previously brought to their 2009 self-titled debut, 2014’s 'Cycles Of Existential Rhyme,' and 2017’s 'Freedom Is Free' (their first release since signing to ATO Records). But as evidenced on songs like lead single “Color My Life” and on the album’s emotionally raw title track (whose lyrics examine race as a scientific fallacy), 'Invisible People' embodies elements of everything from krautrock to hip-hop—all while capturing the powerful energy the band’s shown in touring with artists like Alabama Shakes, Portugal The Man, and Jack White. The result is Chicano Batman’s most imaginative body of work yet, a collection of songs that could only come from their own idiosyncratic minds.
CHICANO BATMAN ON THE WEB:
https://www.instagram.com/chicanobatman/
https://www.facebook.com/chicanobatman/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCX_d31bxww8NGANPDV_yuRw
Emma Swift releases "Queen Jane Approximately" video; new Dylan covers album out Aug 14
EMMA SWIFT UNVEILS VIDEO FOR “QUEEN JANE APPROXIMATELY”
NASHVILLE-BASED SINGER-SONGWRITER’SNEW COLLECTION INTERPRETING THE SONGS OF BOB DYLAN,BLONDE ON THE TRACKS, OUT AUGUST 14
FIRST SINGLE, “I CONTAIN MULTITUDES,” ALSO AVAILABLE NOW
Photo Credit: Autumn DozierAcclaimed singer-songwriter Emma Swift has announced the release of a new animated lyric video for the song, “Queen Jane Approximately.” The song is taken from her new album, BLONDE ON THE TRACKS – a collection of the Nashville-based artist’s interpretations of Bob Dylan songs, arriving via Tiny Ghost Records on Friday, August 14.
BLONDE ON THE TRACKS is available for pre-order now, including classic black 12” vinyl and limited edition CDs and orange 12” vinyl. All pre-orders are joined by the album’s remarkable first single, “I Contain Multitudes,” recorded at home during lockdown, as well as “Queen Jane Approximately.” Both animated lyric videos are available now.
WATCH “QUEEN JANE APPROXIMATELY”
WATCH “I CONTAIN MULTITUDES”
PRE-ORDER BLONDE ON THE TRACKS
Emma Swift has been hailed for the strength and beauty of her songcraft and a resilient yet vulnerable voice that is both heartbreaking and heartbroken all at once. BLONDE ON THE TRACKS was first begun at Nashville’s famed Magnetic Sound Studio in 2017 but only recently brought to fruition, with Swift working alongside producer Patrick Sansone (Wilco, The Autumn Defense) via email in April and May to finesse the unfinished material and record two further songs to complete the project. Swift’s “reimagining” of Dylan’s songs bring a balancing gentleness – clear and soft where the songwriter might rasp; plaintive and emotive where he may perhaps be more sanguine. Indeed, Swift’s vocal on “I Contain Multitudes” is so immediate and clean that it’s almost as if you feel her breath in your ear. It’s striking in its intimacy, especially as heard during this time of communal isolation.
Furthermore, BLONDE ON THE TRACKS marks another chapter in Nashville’s deep connection with Dylan, a long, proud legacy encompassing such timeless LPs as BLONDE ON BLONDE, JOHN WESLEY HARDING, and of course, NASHVILLE SKYLINE. Swift’s “Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands” harkens back to that distinctive sound, while other tracks call to mind Dylan’s celebrated work with The Band. Sansone’s masterful production provides the perfect light touch, supporting Swift’s vocals with instrumentation by some of the finest session players Nashville has to offer, including pedal steel guitar from Thayer Serrano, Steelism’s Jon Estes and Jon Radford (on bass and drums, respectively), and guitar by legendary British singer-songwriter – and inveterate Dylanologist – Robyn Hitchcock.
“The idea for the album came about during a long depressive phase,” says Swift, “the kind where it’s hard to get out of bed and get dressed and present to the world as a high-functioning human. I was lost on all fronts no doubt, but especially creatively.
“I’ve never been a prolific writer, but this period was especially wordless. Sad, listless and desperate, I began singing Bob Dylan songs as a way to have something to wake up for. Interpreting other people’s emotions is how I learned to sing and I’ve always enjoyed hearing Dylan’s songs from a female perspective. You can learn a lot about melody and feeling by the way a singer chooses to interpret someone else’s song. You can learn alot about words by singing someone else’s. I’m very influenced by singers like Sandy Denny, Joan Baez, Billie Holiday, Sinead O’Connor. There’s an art to interpretation, and for me, these women are the masters. I’m as indebted to them on this record as I am to Bob Dylan.”
EMMA SWIFTBLONDE ON THE TRACKS(Tiny Ghost Records)RELEASE DATE: FRIDAY, AUGUST 14
TRACKLISTING:Queen Jane ApproximatelyI Contain MultitudesOne of Us Must Know (Sooner or Later)Simple Twist of FateSad Eyed Lady of the LowlandsThe Man In MeGoing Going GoneYou’re A Big Girl Now
All Songs By Bob Dylan
CONNECT WITH EMMA SWIFT:EMMASWIFT.COMBANDCAMPINSTAGRAMTWITTER
NASHVILLE-BASED SINGER-SONGWRITER’SNEW COLLECTION INTERPRETING THE SONGS OF BOB DYLAN,BLONDE ON THE TRACKS, OUT AUGUST 14
FIRST SINGLE, “I CONTAIN MULTITUDES,” ALSO AVAILABLE NOW
Photo Credit: Autumn DozierAcclaimed singer-songwriter Emma Swift has announced the release of a new animated lyric video for the song, “Queen Jane Approximately.” The song is taken from her new album, BLONDE ON THE TRACKS – a collection of the Nashville-based artist’s interpretations of Bob Dylan songs, arriving via Tiny Ghost Records on Friday, August 14.BLONDE ON THE TRACKS is available for pre-order now, including classic black 12” vinyl and limited edition CDs and orange 12” vinyl. All pre-orders are joined by the album’s remarkable first single, “I Contain Multitudes,” recorded at home during lockdown, as well as “Queen Jane Approximately.” Both animated lyric videos are available now.
WATCH “QUEEN JANE APPROXIMATELY”
WATCH “I CONTAIN MULTITUDES”
PRE-ORDER BLONDE ON THE TRACKS
Emma Swift has been hailed for the strength and beauty of her songcraft and a resilient yet vulnerable voice that is both heartbreaking and heartbroken all at once. BLONDE ON THE TRACKS was first begun at Nashville’s famed Magnetic Sound Studio in 2017 but only recently brought to fruition, with Swift working alongside producer Patrick Sansone (Wilco, The Autumn Defense) via email in April and May to finesse the unfinished material and record two further songs to complete the project. Swift’s “reimagining” of Dylan’s songs bring a balancing gentleness – clear and soft where the songwriter might rasp; plaintive and emotive where he may perhaps be more sanguine. Indeed, Swift’s vocal on “I Contain Multitudes” is so immediate and clean that it’s almost as if you feel her breath in your ear. It’s striking in its intimacy, especially as heard during this time of communal isolation.
Furthermore, BLONDE ON THE TRACKS marks another chapter in Nashville’s deep connection with Dylan, a long, proud legacy encompassing such timeless LPs as BLONDE ON BLONDE, JOHN WESLEY HARDING, and of course, NASHVILLE SKYLINE. Swift’s “Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands” harkens back to that distinctive sound, while other tracks call to mind Dylan’s celebrated work with The Band. Sansone’s masterful production provides the perfect light touch, supporting Swift’s vocals with instrumentation by some of the finest session players Nashville has to offer, including pedal steel guitar from Thayer Serrano, Steelism’s Jon Estes and Jon Radford (on bass and drums, respectively), and guitar by legendary British singer-songwriter – and inveterate Dylanologist – Robyn Hitchcock.
“The idea for the album came about during a long depressive phase,” says Swift, “the kind where it’s hard to get out of bed and get dressed and present to the world as a high-functioning human. I was lost on all fronts no doubt, but especially creatively.
“I’ve never been a prolific writer, but this period was especially wordless. Sad, listless and desperate, I began singing Bob Dylan songs as a way to have something to wake up for. Interpreting other people’s emotions is how I learned to sing and I’ve always enjoyed hearing Dylan’s songs from a female perspective. You can learn a lot about melody and feeling by the way a singer chooses to interpret someone else’s song. You can learn alot about words by singing someone else’s. I’m very influenced by singers like Sandy Denny, Joan Baez, Billie Holiday, Sinead O’Connor. There’s an art to interpretation, and for me, these women are the masters. I’m as indebted to them on this record as I am to Bob Dylan.”
EMMA SWIFTBLONDE ON THE TRACKS(Tiny Ghost Records)RELEASE DATE: FRIDAY, AUGUST 14
TRACKLISTING:Queen Jane ApproximatelyI Contain MultitudesOne of Us Must Know (Sooner or Later)Simple Twist of FateSad Eyed Lady of the LowlandsThe Man In MeGoing Going GoneYou’re A Big Girl NowAll Songs By Bob Dylan
CONNECT WITH EMMA SWIFT:EMMASWIFT.COMBANDCAMPINSTAGRAMTWITTER
Daniel Blumberg Shares Three More Tracks From New Album "On&On"
DANIEL BLUMBERG
SHARES THREE MORE TRACKS
FROM NEW ALBUM
ON&ON
OUT DIGITALLY JULY 31
VINYL AND CD AVAILABLE AUGUST 28
LISTEN TO “BOUND”
“A song may move around, expand, come apart in its limbs and joints and skin to sink back into the room space, where strings are vibrating, snares rattling.” - David Toop on On&On
Daniel Blumberg has shared the next three tracks to be taken from his new album, On&On . “Bound,” “Silence Breaker,” and “On&On&On&On” continue a gradual unfurling of the forthcoming album, a consolidation of the deconstructed song aesthetic he has been developing, one that finds the artist operating at the intersection between conventional song structures and free improvisation. On&On is set for release July 31 on digital platforms via Mute with vinyl and CD formats to follow on August 28.
Listen to “Bound,” “Silence Breaker,” and “On&On&On&On.”
Pre-order the album here.
These new tracks follow last month’s launch which unveiled the opening three tracks, drawing us further into Daniel Blumberg’s world, confirming the musician and visual artist as a unique creative force.
The album is accompanied by an essay written by the author David Toop, available to read here.
MORE ABOUT ON&ON
On&On - which follows 2018’s Minus, Blumberg’s debut for Mute - incorporates recurring, shape-shifting motifs and at times the boundaries dissolve between songs altogether. Title track ‘On&On’ appears four times across the arc of the record as if coming in and out of focus, an infinite song that encapsulates the paradox of the circle, existing in a liminal space between perpetual motion and stasis, as Daniel sings: ‘On and on and on and on and on…’
The album was born out of live sessions with the same core group of players as Minus: Daniel Blumberg (vocals, guitar, harmonica), Ute Kanngiesser (cello), Billy Steiger (violin), Tom Wheatley (double bass) and Jim White (drums), with the addition of electronic maverick Elvin Brandhi (vocals). As such it represents a deepening of relationships and distillation of techniques for this tight-knit group of free-playing musicians, who are loosely based around Café OTO.
It was recorded by Peter Walsh (Scott Walker), who captures the group’s extraordinary performances - encompassing the full expressive range of their instruments from softly-bowed melodies and tender vocal harmonies to rough-hewn scrapes, plucks and rattles - while the sound of the room and the outside world spill naturally into the sound field, as Toop puts it “as if a window has opened”.
ON&ON TRACKLISTING
1. On & On
2. Sidestep Summer
3. On&On&On
4. Bound
5. Silence Breaker
6. On&On&On&On
7. Teethgritter
8. On&On&On&On&On
9. Pillow
FURTHER LISTENING
Daniel Blumberg performing live at Café OTO (link)
Daniel Blumberg performing “The Bomb” on Later… with Jools Holland (link)
Daniel Blumberg & Keiji Haino present SILVER DINNER: (link)
RECENT QUOTES
"A modern masterpiece" - 5/5 The Times
"Minus is a statement of intent from an artist who has found his voice" - The Quietus
“Traces lines between drawing and improvised music” - The Wire
“One of London’s most exciting emerging artists” - Hans Ulrich Obrist
SELECTED DISCOGRAPHY
Daniel Blumberg: On&On (Mute, 2020)
GUO: GUO4 (Mute, 2019)
Daniel Blumberg: Minus (Mute, 2018)
Daniel Blumberg & Hebronix: Liv (Mute, 2018)
Daniel Blumberg: Live at Café OTO (OTOroku, 2018)
GUO: GUO2 (OTOroku, 2018)
GUO: GUO1 (self-released, 2017)
Daniel Blumberg & Neil Michael Hagerty: HEB-HEX (ATP Recordings, 2013)
Hebronix: Unreal (ATP Recordings, 2013)
SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY
The World To Come (dir. Mona Fastvold, 2020)
GUO4 (dir. Peter Strickland, 2019)
GYUTO (dir. Brady Corbet, 2019)
Brigitte (dir. Lynne Ramsey, 2019)
Gleaning Truths (dir. Agnes Varda, 2018)
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS
Black Album / White Cube, Kunsthall, Rotterdam (2020)
Dance, Stanley, Dance with Marianna Simnett, Matt’s Gallery, London (2020)
JOMO, Macro, Museum of Contemporary Art, Rome (2020)
MK Calling, MK Gallery, Milton Keynes (2020)
Hyper!: Deichtorhallen, Hamburg (2019)
Union Gallery, London (2019)
Ways of Listening with [Assemble]: British School at Rome (2018)
LINKS
boiledegg.org
http://mute.com
https://www.brigittelacombe.com
https://davidtoopblog.com/
Pre-order On&On
Listen to the album’s first six tracks
Watch the “On&On” videoDANIEL BLUMBERG: WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | SPOTIFY | APPLE MUSIC
MUTE: WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | SOUNDCLOUD
SHARES THREE MORE TRACKS
FROM NEW ALBUM
ON&ON
OUT DIGITALLY JULY 31
VINYL AND CD AVAILABLE AUGUST 28
LISTEN TO “BOUND”
“A song may move around, expand, come apart in its limbs and joints and skin to sink back into the room space, where strings are vibrating, snares rattling.” - David Toop on On&On
Daniel Blumberg has shared the next three tracks to be taken from his new album, On&On . “Bound,” “Silence Breaker,” and “On&On&On&On” continue a gradual unfurling of the forthcoming album, a consolidation of the deconstructed song aesthetic he has been developing, one that finds the artist operating at the intersection between conventional song structures and free improvisation. On&On is set for release July 31 on digital platforms via Mute with vinyl and CD formats to follow on August 28.
Listen to “Bound,” “Silence Breaker,” and “On&On&On&On.”
Pre-order the album here.
These new tracks follow last month’s launch which unveiled the opening three tracks, drawing us further into Daniel Blumberg’s world, confirming the musician and visual artist as a unique creative force.
The album is accompanied by an essay written by the author David Toop, available to read here.
MORE ABOUT ON&ON
On&On - which follows 2018’s Minus, Blumberg’s debut for Mute - incorporates recurring, shape-shifting motifs and at times the boundaries dissolve between songs altogether. Title track ‘On&On’ appears four times across the arc of the record as if coming in and out of focus, an infinite song that encapsulates the paradox of the circle, existing in a liminal space between perpetual motion and stasis, as Daniel sings: ‘On and on and on and on and on…’
The album was born out of live sessions with the same core group of players as Minus: Daniel Blumberg (vocals, guitar, harmonica), Ute Kanngiesser (cello), Billy Steiger (violin), Tom Wheatley (double bass) and Jim White (drums), with the addition of electronic maverick Elvin Brandhi (vocals). As such it represents a deepening of relationships and distillation of techniques for this tight-knit group of free-playing musicians, who are loosely based around Café OTO.
It was recorded by Peter Walsh (Scott Walker), who captures the group’s extraordinary performances - encompassing the full expressive range of their instruments from softly-bowed melodies and tender vocal harmonies to rough-hewn scrapes, plucks and rattles - while the sound of the room and the outside world spill naturally into the sound field, as Toop puts it “as if a window has opened”.
ON&ON TRACKLISTING
1. On & On
2. Sidestep Summer
3. On&On&On
4. Bound
5. Silence Breaker
6. On&On&On&On
7. Teethgritter
8. On&On&On&On&On
9. Pillow
FURTHER LISTENING
Daniel Blumberg performing live at Café OTO (link)
Daniel Blumberg performing “The Bomb” on Later… with Jools Holland (link)
Daniel Blumberg & Keiji Haino present SILVER DINNER: (link)
RECENT QUOTES
"A modern masterpiece" - 5/5 The Times
"Minus is a statement of intent from an artist who has found his voice" - The Quietus
“Traces lines between drawing and improvised music” - The Wire
“One of London’s most exciting emerging artists” - Hans Ulrich Obrist
SELECTED DISCOGRAPHY
Daniel Blumberg: On&On (Mute, 2020)
GUO: GUO4 (Mute, 2019)
Daniel Blumberg: Minus (Mute, 2018)
Daniel Blumberg & Hebronix: Liv (Mute, 2018)
Daniel Blumberg: Live at Café OTO (OTOroku, 2018)
GUO: GUO2 (OTOroku, 2018)
GUO: GUO1 (self-released, 2017)
Daniel Blumberg & Neil Michael Hagerty: HEB-HEX (ATP Recordings, 2013)
Hebronix: Unreal (ATP Recordings, 2013)
SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY
The World To Come (dir. Mona Fastvold, 2020)
GUO4 (dir. Peter Strickland, 2019)
GYUTO (dir. Brady Corbet, 2019)
Brigitte (dir. Lynne Ramsey, 2019)
Gleaning Truths (dir. Agnes Varda, 2018)
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS
Black Album / White Cube, Kunsthall, Rotterdam (2020)
Dance, Stanley, Dance with Marianna Simnett, Matt’s Gallery, London (2020)
JOMO, Macro, Museum of Contemporary Art, Rome (2020)
MK Calling, MK Gallery, Milton Keynes (2020)
Hyper!: Deichtorhallen, Hamburg (2019)
Union Gallery, London (2019)
Ways of Listening with [Assemble]: British School at Rome (2018)
LINKS
boiledegg.org
http://mute.com
https://www.brigittelacombe.com
https://davidtoopblog.com/
Pre-order On&On
Listen to the album’s first six tracks
Watch the “On&On” videoDANIEL BLUMBERG: WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | SPOTIFY | APPLE MUSIC
MUTE: WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | SOUNDCLOUD
