Alexander Laurence's Blog, page 162
January 30, 2025
José González' US Tour Starts On 3/21
JOSÉ GONZÁLEZ’ US TOUR STARTS ON 3/21
photo credit: Kalle Gustafsson
José González will soon embark on a US Tour, kicking off on March 21st in Charlottesville, VA, that will carry through the end of the month.
Additionally, a reminder that José’s October 2024 US tour, which he was unfortunately forced to cancel due to illness in the family, has been rescheduled for November 2025. If you had tickets for the October 2024 tour, they will be valid for the rescheduled 2025 show in your city. The tour will see González visit many cities that he has not performed in for over a decade and will span his entire career and catalog. Full dates are listed below.
2025 TOUR DATES:
3/21/2025 - Charlottesville, VA - The Paramount
3/22/2025 - Richmond, VA - The National
3/24/2025 - Huntington, NY - The Paramount
3/25/2025 - Montclair, NJ - The Wellmont Theater
3/27/2025 - Beverly, MA - Cabot Theater - LOW TICKET WARNING
3/28/2025 - Great Barrington, MA - Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center - LOW TICKET WARNING
3/29/2025 - Ithaca, NY - State Theatre
3/30/2025 - Buffalo, NY - Asbury Hall
11/10/2025 - Oklahoma City, OK - Tower Theatre
11/11/2025 - Little Rock, AR - Little Rock Hall
11/13/2025 - Nashville, TN - Ryman Auditorium
11/14/2025 - Asheville, NC - The Orange Peel
11/15/2025 - Durham, NC - Carolina Theatre
11/16/2025 - Atlanta, GA - Variety Playhouse
11/18/2025 - St. Louis, MO - The Hawthorn
11/20/2025 - Royal Oak, MI - Royal Oak Music Theatre
Watch the Mikel Cee Karlson-directed creative documentary about José, A Tiger In Paradise, HERE.
Purchase Veneer 20th Anniversary Deluxe edition HERE.
CONNECT WITH JOSE GONZALEZ:
FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | WEB
FACEBOOK | TWITTER | BLUESKY | INSTAGRAM | WEB
HOZIER CONTINUES RECORD-BREAKING MOMENTUM WITH 2025 'UNREAL UNEARTH' TOUR EXPANSION ACROSS NORTH AMERICA
HOZIER CONTINUES RECORD-BREAKING MOMENTUM WITH 2025 UNREAL UNEARTH TOUR EXPANSION ACROSS NORTH AMERICA
Sign up for Artist Presale Now at Livemu.sc/Hozier
General On Sale Begins Thursday, February 6 at 2PM Local Time at LiveNation.com
Building on the unprecedented success of his Unreal Unearth Tour in 2023 and 2024, Hozier returns in 2025 with an extended run of dates across North America. This exciting new leg of the tour will see the acclaimed singer-songwriter touring stadiums for the first time along with his return to amphitheaters and festivals around the country. In addition to the new dates, rescheduled dates have also been announced for his previously postponed shows in Casper, Wyoming and Billings, Montana. Routing and ticketing information can be found below.
Over the course of its 2023-2024 North America run, the Unreal Unearth Tour has drawn over one million fans, with record-breaking ticket sales over the 83 performances and countless sold-out shows across 72 cities. In response to extraordinary demand, the 2025 extension promises to deliver even more unforgettable nights of music, including performances in previously unvisited venues and additional opportunities for fans to experience Hozier’s breathtaking live artistry.
TICKETS: Fans can sign up for the Artist Presale now through Wednesday, February 5 at 7AM PT / 10AM ET time at livemu.sc/hozier. The Artist Presale begins February 6 at 10am local time, while the general onsale starts February 6 at 2pm local time at livenation.com.
Hozier’s live shows have become a beacon of raw emotion and artistry, captivating audiences with their blend of soulful energy, rich storytelling, and dynamic musicianship. As his music continues to evolve, the Unreal Unearth Tour serves as a testament to his enduring connection with fans and his ability to translate deeply personal themes into once-in-a-lifetime live moments backed by his band. This new run continues his celebrated journey of connecting with fans through powerful live performances.
Released on August 18, 2023 via Columbia Records, his third album Unreal Unearth has been celebrated as a defining work, praised for its exploration of resilience and humanity amid life’s uncertainties. The album debuted at #3 on the Billboard 200 and has garnered acclaim from outlets such as Rolling Stone, Esquire, and Billboard.
UNREAL UNEARTH TOUR NORTH AMERICA 2025 DATES:
*with Gigi Perez as Special Guest
@with Amble as Special Guest
+Rescheduled Show
^Festival Performance
~Non-LN Date
Sun Jun 8 – New York, NY – Governors Ball Music Festival^
Tue Jun 10 – Camden, NJ – Freedom Mortgage Pavilion*
Thu Jun 12 – Ridgedale, MO – Thunder Ridge Nature Arena*
Sun Jun 15 – Manchester, TN – Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival^
Wed Jun 18 – Columbus, OH – Historic Crew Stadium*
Fri Jun 20 – Milwaukee, WI – Summerfest~*
Mon Jun 23 – Boston, MA – Fenway Park*@
Mon Jun 30 – Casper, WY – Ford Wyoming Center+@ - *RESCHEDULED DATE
Wed Jul 2 – Billings, MT – First Interstate Arena at MetraPark+@ - RESCHEDULED DATE
Fri Jul 4 – Missoula, MT – Zootown Music Festival^
Fri Jul 18 – St. Paul, MN – Minnesota Yacht Club Festival^
Sun Jul 20 – Commerce City, CO – DICK’S Sporting Goods Park*
Thu Jul 24 – Tinley Park, IL – Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre*
Fri Aug 01 – Salt Lake City, UT – Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre
Thu Aug 07 – South Lake Tahoe, NV – Lake Tahoe Outdoor Arena at Harveys~*
Tue Aug 12 – Portland, OR – Moda Center*
Thu Aug 14 – Seattle, WA – T-Mobile Park*
Wed Sep 10 – Toronto, ON – Rogers Stadium*@
Sun Sep 14 – Green Gables, PE – Sommo Music Festival^
Tue Sep 16 – Bristow, VA – Jiffy Lube Live*
Fri Sep 19 – Hershey, PA – HersheyPark Stadium*
About Hozier
Hozier finds harmony and melody in the midst of chaos. The GRAMMY® Award-nominated Diamond-certified Irish singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist tunes into raw blues spirit, unrestrained soul, rock energy, and folk eloquence. At 22, he delivered a generational anthem in the form of “Take Me To Church.” It reached 13x-Platinum status and earned a rare Diamond certification from the RIAA, climbed to the #2 on the Billboard Hot 100, became one of the Top 30 “Most-Streamed Songs on Spotify,” and notched a GRAMMY® Award nomination in the category of “Song of the Year.” It paved the way for his 2014 full-length debut, Hozier, which debuted at #2 on the Billboard 200 and went double-Platinum. The 2019 Gold-certified follow-up, Wasteland, Baby!, bowed at #1 on the Billboard 200 and spawned the Platinum single “Almost (Sweet Music)” as well as “Would That I,” which has been the featured sound of recent viral trends on TikTok.
With over 14 billion streams worldwide and countless late-night television performances, Hozier landed on President Barack Obama’s annual “Favorite Songs” list with “Nina Cried Power” featuring Mavis Staples, performed at The Kennedy Center Honors, and served up original compositions for everything from the blockbuster Legend of Tarzan to Sony Playstation juggernaut God of War: Ragnarök in collaboration with composer Bear McCreary. He has collaborated with Mavis Staples, Annie Lennox, Tori Kelly, Maren Morris, MEDUZA, and Noah Kahan. Additionally, Hozier has impressively sold over 1 million tickets globally – selling out legendary venues such as The Hollywood Bowl and Madison Square Garden, to name a few. This dyed-in-the-wool troubadour has never shied away from social commentary, addressing injustices suffered by the LGBTQ+ community, women’s rights, domestic violence, climate change, and the endless fight for social justice.
In 2023, Hozier released Eat Your Young EP featuring three songs including the titular lead track. This EP was inspired by the nine circles of Hell from Dante’s Inferno. He then released his third full-length LP, Unreal Unearth [Columbia Records], which debuted at #3 on the Billboard 200. The following year, he continued his success with his second EP of this cycle, Unheard, featuring the track “Too Sweet.” The song became Hozier's first number one on the US Billboard Chart, making him the first Irish artist to reach that spot in 34 years. “Too Sweet” also went Platinum twice in the UK , 4 times in US and Australia, and has now surpassed 1 billion streams on Spotify. Hozier then released his third EP of this cycle, Unaired, which features the current new single “Nobody’s Soldier”. On December 6, 2024 Hozier released Unreal Unearth: Unending, a cumulation of the EPs and album, thus, completing Dante’s nine circles of Hell.
FOLLOW HOZIER:
Website | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok | Twitter | YouTube
J Mascis Covers The Cure’s “Breathe”
J Mascis has released a digital cover of The Cure’s deep cut, “Breathe.” This single is available today on all DSDPs worldwide from Sub Pop. In a recent interview Mascis did for Uncut about The Cure, he shared: “Robert Smith’s guitars have a washy sort of sound that encompasses you, and his voice has a great pure tone. I related to the music. It made me feel “Oh yeah, this is where I’m at, this guy’s out there feeling the same thing, it comforted me.”
Mascis will embark on a 4 date solo tour, beginning with a SOLD OUT show on Feb. 08 at the Sinclair in Cambridge, with additional shows on Feb. 12th at Underground Arts in Philadelphia, Feb. 13th at Racket in NYC, and February 20th at Foro Indierocks in Mexico City.
“Breathe” follows the release of his 2024 full-length What Do We Do Now, which featured the standout singles “Can’t Believe We’re Here”, “Set Me Down”, “Old Friends,” and “Right Behind You.”
What people are saying about What Do We Do Now:
“It all sounds so perfect with Mascis’ weary vocals and, just when you’re thinking this is a viable new direction for him, he lets a ragged solo rip to remind you who’s making this racket.” - Brooklyn Vegan
“A continually absorbing counterpoint to his work with Dinosaur Jr, J Mascis’ solo output finds the guitarist leaning towards his acoustic. Effects pedals are never far away, however, and he wails on this new release.” - CLASH
“Mascis sure knows the power of simple words… it’s an LP of insight and empathy, a hand on the shoulder that says: ‘Yeah, me too.’” - [4 out of 5] MOJO
“Mascis’ most fully formed and direct solo set to date.” - [8 out of 10] Uncut
“a record of beautifully put-together songs.” - The Quietus
“Not only is he capable of some truly soul-crushing, devastating lyrical turns of phrase, but the emotion both his voice and guitar exude is so primal and visceral that it brings those emotions fully to life.” -FLOOD
The Jungle Giants know that love is changing, but not lost on "Hold My Hand"
ON THEIR FIRST RELEASE IN 18 MONTHS
THE JUNGLE GIANTS KNOW THAT
LOVE IS CHANGING, BUT NOT LOST
“HOLD MY HAND” OUT TODAY — STREAM
FIRST SINGLE FROM UPCOMING
FIFTH STUDIO ALBUM
PREMIERED TODAY BY TRIPLE J
“Their sound effortlessly fuses tropical and electronic elements, creating an irresistible blend that’s both refreshing and dance-worthy.”
“The Jungle Giants couldn’t come at a better time.”
“Funny and personable, at every opportunity, the band blurred the lines between being artists and simple lovers of music…”
Today, Australia’s The Jungle Giants return with their first release in over a year, “Hold My Hand.” The foundational taste of the group’s upcoming fifth album, a lot of life has been lived since 2021’s #1 ARIA Chart-topping Love Signs. In 2024, frontman Sam Hales was thrown headfirst into a phase of self-discovery following the end of a decade-long relationship and a jet-ski accident requiring surgery and two months of recovery. Searching for something that felt real in a period of numbness, “Hold My Hand” was the first time he was able to surface for a breath of air and punctuate an old chapter of his life.
He shared, “These are all beautiful, beautiful, positive memories that changed me for the better. It was just really hard to figure out a way to write about it and figure out a way to define how I felt. This song really helped open up a lot of the writing for the album. All the songs I wrote before weren't feeling real enough. Once I landed on ‘Hold My Hand’, a lot of things fell into place for me. I had this real emotional reaction to it.”
From its inception, The Jungle Giants wanted “Hold My Hand” to feel like a collage of sounds. Bolstered by a live orchestra and layers upon layers of strings, the instrumentation of the song emotes in a way that words can’t. With a hypnotic, repeating mantra pleading “hold my hand,” you feel Hales’ conversation-like pain and release; an experience that will undoubtedly hit a live audience like a wall of sound and emotion — Stream.
“Things have changed, but there's beauty to all this. I would not do anything differently," said Hales. "This is really important to me as an artist, really important to me as a friend, and a lover and everything. ‘Hold My Hand’ really captures the feeling of 10 years with someone, and watching the love just evolve.”
Press photo by Byron Spencer
With The Jungle Giants’ fifth album arriving later this year, Hales is more emotionally grounded than he has ever been. Hales has spent the past few years traveling the globe with his bandmates, playing major festivals and meeting fans from all over, but the place he needed to settle in for the new album was internal. The Jungle Giants’ genre-agnostic sound has taken a memento from everywhere they’ve been, resulting in a pluralism of alternative pop, dance, rock and experimentalism all informed by the experiences that brought them here.
ABOUT THE JUNGLE GIANTS:
In their almost decade and a half of existence, Australia’s The Jungle Giants have traveled to all corners of the globe for inspiration, but never had the time to sit still and look within themselves. Life has a tricky way of working and will stop you in your tracks when you need it the most, even if that moment seems to disrupt your perception of reality. Out of a year of life-altering heartbreak, and a jet-ski accident requiring surgery and two months of recovery, frontman Sam Hales from The Jungle Giants reemerges hopeful and emotionally grounded. From this was born the band's upcoming fifth studio album.
The crux of the album is its first single “Hold My Hand.” Hales describes the circumstances it was written within as, “It was just love changing. It wasn't love being lost. It was about the hope of what is to come.” The rest of the LP follows suit allowing for self-discovery to have the driver’s seat for the first time.
Built up by Sam Hales (vocalist/ guitarist/ songwriter/ producer), lead guitarist Cesira Aitken, bassist Andrew Dooris and drummer Keelan Bijker, The Jungle Giants have pocketed nearly a billion streams worldwide, have a #1 ARIA-charting album, and toured in front of adoring fans globally. Grateful and centered, the upcoming album zooms in on the matters of the heart.
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For more information on The Jungle Giants, please visit:
Instagram | Twitter | YouTube | Spotify | Apple Music | Website | TikTok
Stereophonics return with new album ‘Make ‘em Laugh, Make ‘em Cry, Make ‘em Wait’ out 4/25
RETURN WITH NEW ALBUM ‘Make ‘em Laugh,Make ‘em Cry,Make ‘em Wait’ RELEASED ON APRIL 25TH 2025PRE-ORDER HERE NEW SINGLE‘THERE’S ALWAYS GONNA BE SOMETHING’OUT NOWSTREAM HERE 
Photo credit: James D KellyWORLD TOUR KICKS OFF IN MARCH THROUGH TOAUGUST 2025 Over 300,000 Tickets Sold This Year January 30, 2025 - Today, the legendary Stereophonics announce details of their thirteenth studio album ‘Make ‘em Laugh, Make ‘em Cry, Make ‘em Wait’. Due for release on April 25, 2025 via EMI, the album is available to pre-order here. The announcement comes alongside a new single taken from the forthcoming record, ‘There’s Always Gonna Be Something’. Listen here. 'There's Always Gonna Be Something’ evolves Stereophonics' signature sound. Chorus affected guitars chime and weave between suspended bass lines. Kelly Jones’ husky vocals draw listeners to the lyrics which intrigue and unveil new depths on each listen, with lines including “The bayonet tongue of silence, whispering just to remind us” and “I leave nothing for death but bones and the solitude Jester jokes, igniting my energy and bringing me to my knees, in this 21st century, so help this sinner please, this is only one part of me – There’s Always Gonna Be Something, So What’s it Gonna Be Today”. Kelly comments: “There’s Always Gonna Be Something” is a song that could be describing the restlessness in uncertainty, struggling to arrive at acceptance. A part within all of us.” With three decades and a wealth of record-breaking achievements under their belts, including 8 number 1 albums, Stereophonics have earned their status and respect amongst their fans, peers and artists from across the musical generations, ranging from Bob Dylan to David Bowie to Dua Lipa. In 2025, the band mark their anticipated return with ‘Make ‘em Laugh, Make ‘em Cry, Make ‘em Wait’, a tight and heavy-hitting eight track record. Written and recorded in London, it is an album devoid of any fat or filler. It is at once clean and precise. Hopeful and joyous. It does what it says on the cover. You Laugh, You Cry, You Wait. As with previous album artwork, Kelly has gravitated towards different art forms to influence the project's aesthetic, whether that be paintings, books or films. For “Make ‘em Laugh, Make ‘em Cry, Make ‘em Wait”, it was a similar process, Kelly recounts. “I went to New York, I visited some galleries, I saw ‘ART IS A GUARANTY OF SANITY’, a painting by Louise Bourgeois. She believed art was a form of mental healing and a way to process difficult emotions. The spelling caught me first, then the simplicity of the words etched onto a pink tile. So I tried scratching my title, inspired by my own art school teacher thirty years ago. And I loved it. I loved the simplicity of the pink. The pink album was born”. With a world tour imminent this year which has already seen the band sell over 300,000 tickets, as well as play some of their biggest shows around the world to date, the band continue to cement their position as one of our most enduring and loved bands. Their knack for blending rock sensibilities with soaring melodies keeps their sound vital, while Kelly Jones’ ever-introspective lyrics continue to resonate with each passing year. Stereophonics have never been content to rest on their laurels, and this year’s performances promise to be some of their most dynamic yet.
‘Make ‘em Laugh, Make ‘em Cry, Make ‘em Wait’ Tracklist: 1. Make It On Your Own2. There’s Always Gonna Be Something3. Seems Like You Don’t Know Me4. Colours Of October5. Eyes Too Big For My Belly6. Mary Is A Singer7. Backroom Boys8. Feeling Of Falling We Crave Stereophonics Live Dates: Mar 21, 2025 Théâtre Beanfield, Montreal, QCMar 22, 2025 Massey Hall, Toronto, ONMar 23, 2025 Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PAMar 25, 2025 Brooklyn Paramount Theater, New York, NYMar 26, 202 House of Blues Boston, Boston, MAMar 28, 2025 Lincoln Theatre, Washington, DCMar 29, 2025 Agora Theatre and Ballroom, Cleveland, OHMar 30, 2025 The Vic Theatre, Chicago, ILApr 2, 2025 Vogue Theatre, Vancouver, BCApr 3, 2025 Neptune Theatre, Seattle, WAApr 4, 2025 McMenamins Crystal Ballroom, Portland, ORApr 6, 2025 The Regency Ballroom, San Francisco, CAApr 8, 2025 The Wiltern, Los Angeles, CAApr 9, 2025 Humphreys Concerts by the Bay, San Diego, CAApr 11, 2025 Teatro Metropolitan, Mexico City, MexicoApr 28, 2025 Cirque Royal, Brussels, BelgiumApr 29, 2025 Zenith La Villette, Paris, FranceApr 30, 2025 AFAS Live, Amsterdam, NetherlandsMay 2, 2025 Sporthalle, Hamburg, GermanyMay 3, 2025 Uber Eats Music Hall, Berlin, GermanyMay 5, 2025 TonHalle München, Munich, GermanyMay 6, 2025 Live Music Hall, Cologne, GermanyMay 8, 2025 X-TRA, Zürich, SwitzerlandMay 9, 2025 Transbordeur, Lyon, FranceMay 11, 2025 Sala La Riviera, Madrid, SpainMay 12, 2025 Razzmatazz, Barcelona, SpainMay 14, 2025 Alcatraz, Milan, ItalyMay 25, 2025 Neighbourhood Weekender, Warrington, EnglandMay 30, 2025 Vestrock Festival, Hulst, NetherlandsMay 31, 2025 Dauwpop Festival, Hellendoorn, NetherlandsJun 5, 2025 Belsonic, Belfast, UKJun 6, 2025 St. Anne's Park, Dublin, IrelandJun 7, 2025 Virgin Media Park, Cork, IrelandJun 14, 2025 The John Smith's Stadium, Huddersfield, UKJun 21, 2025 Isle of Wight Festival, Seaclose Park, Newport, Isle of WightJun 28, 2025 Bellahouston Park, Glasgow, UKJul 4, 2025 Finsbury Park, London, UKJul 11, 2025 Principality Stadium, Cardiff, UKJul 12, 2025 Principality Stadium, Cardiff, UKAug 16, 2025, Sandringham Estate, Norfolk, UK Follow Stereophonics: Official | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube
Rosetta Stone - Goths don’t fear the Reaper
Rosetta Stone - Goths don’t fear the Reaper
Los Angeles, California: One of the longest surviving of all the second wave goth bands, Rosetta Stone return with a sensational new single, trailing the release of their latest full length, Nothing Is Sacred, with a song that truly lives up to the album’s title. Nothing is sacred, and that includes half-century old Blue Oyster Cult classic rockers.
The opening track on the album, “Don’t Fear The Reaper,” of course, requires no introduction.
Even if someone has avoided ever hearing the original, they need still to negotiate covers from as far afield as Apollo 440, Goo Goo Dolls, Heaven 17 and the unmatchable union of Lydia Lunch and Clint Ruin!
From the moment Rosetta Stone’s version kicks in, however, it’s clear that they have taken the song to a whole new level. That familiar guitar pattern - described by frontman Porl King as “one of music's greatest riffs of all time” - is utterly sublimated by the sonorous seductivity of his so-understated vocal, and the lyrics take on whole new determination, too. And, if that’s not enough, King reveals something else about this new version.
“I think perhaps the most controversial aspect of this track was deciding not to include a cowbell.”
SINGLE: https://orcd.co/rosettastone_dontfearthereaper
Rosetta Stone’’s second album in less than a year, a lightning fast successor to 2024’s acclaimed Under The Weather, Nothing Is Sacred kicks off with audacity, then - and it doesn’t let up.
Rosetta Stone translate, too, the music of Soundgarden, Cream, Black Sabbath, The Beatles and Fleetwood Mac (a deliciously dark reinvention of “The Chain” - you will never describe Mac as an AOR band again!), all piling up alongside a pounding, near martial ride aboard Hawkwind’s “Silver Machine” - goths in space indeed!
ALBUM: https://orcd.co/rosettastone_nothingissacred
CD/VINYL: https://cleorecs.com/search?q=rosetta+stone+nothing+is+sacred
CLEOPATRA RECORDS, INC.
Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube | Spotify | Cleopatra Records Store
www.CleopatraRecords.com
TUNDE ADEBIMPE ANNOUNCES DEBUT ALBUM THEE BLACK BOLTZ
Tunde Adebimpe, the multi-hyphenate talent and critically acclaimed lead singer of the renowned band TV on the Radio, has announced his long awaited debut solo album. Thee Black Boltz will be released on April 18th via Sub Pop Records. The album is produced by Tunde Adebimpe & Wilder Zoby, and executive produced by Zoby, with additional production and contributions from Jaleel Bunton & Jahphet Landis (of TV on the Radio), and more. Showcasing his unique voice and visionary soundscapes, Thee Black Boltz is a nod to Adebimpe’s propensity to write and sing about the human condition – in all its forms, under all its stressors, both big and small. Thee Black Boltz is available for pre-order HERE.
Today, Adebimpe has shared the album’s vivid and introspective “Drop,” produced by Jahphet Landis. The song begins with beatboxing before its lyrics question: “ But will I feel it when I drop? / Restless hours / The ticking of a clock / On my life / And my life’s just a dot / On a timeline / And my soul / Is fading tonight.”Thee Black Boltz is not a TV On The Radio album. But in a lot of ways, the excitement of doing something on his own for the first time ignited a similar spark in him as during the early TV On The Radio days. The songwriting process is the same, he says, but with his TVOTR bandmates, Adebimpe knows he doesn’t always have to complete his ideas. “I’ve been doing this thing with this group of people for so long, that I can just have a vague sketch of a concept and I know Jaleel or Kyp will have five brilliant ideas on where it can go,” he says. “But for Thee Black Boltz, I didn’t have that scaffolding to hang on. That was both terrifying and exhilarating.”
At the heart of the album is its title. It is his response to the macro unease of a post-pandemic world careening towards violent authoritarianism and the personal grief that has come from loss in recent years, specifically the sudden passing of his younger sister while making it. Thee Black Boltz is Adebimpe’s desperate grasping of small moments of joy amidst the dissonance and sadness, any way he can. Making this album, he says, was his way of processing everything: “It was my way of building a rock or a platform for myself in the middle of this fucking ocean.”
And thus, Thee Black Boltz. As he writes in his notebook, “The sparks of inspiration/motivation / hope that flash up in the midst of (and sometimes as a result of) deep grief, depression or despair. Sort of like electrons building up in storm clouds clashing until they fire off lightning and illuminate a way out, if only for a second.”
“Also,” he adds. “it’s a good name for a cool metal band, and I think that most people would describe me as akin to a very cool metal band.”
Photo credit: Xaviera Simmons
Thee Black Boltz tracklisting:
1. Thee Black Boltz
2. Magnetic
3. Ate The Moon
4. Pinstack
5. Drop
6. ILY
7. The Most
8. God Knows
9. Blue
10. Somebody New
11. Streetlight Nuevo
Laurel Smith - 'pink gun', an exhilarating expression of female rage
Photo credit: Tom SeagarWATCH, 'pink gun' visualiser:
https://youtu.be/B330lrhXbhk
STREAM, 'pink gun':
https://linktr.ee/laurelsm1th
"Captivating - a cinematic and anthemic experience"
Wonderland
"Vampire-esque glam punk"
Ones To Watch
"Atmospheric trap-slash-hyperpop aesthetics...gloriously satisfying"
Dork Magazine
"A fabulous concoction of alt-pop, hyper-pop, emo, and industrial influences"
1883
"Avante-popstar...touches many cornerstones of the electronic music spectrum"
Notion
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(30th January) Today, North-London alt-provocateur Laurel Smith releases her incensed new single 'pink gun'.
An exhilarating expression of female rage, on 'pink gun' Laurel gives a voice to the suppressed anger and frustration of women who consistently experience sexism, gaslighting and disrespect, through a torrent of breathless vocal runs and cavernous, brooding beats.
Speaking more on the release of her new single - Laurel said:
"I wrote pink gun when I was holding in a lot of anger from my experiences as a woman throughout life. I have felt spoken over, belittled, not taken seriously, gaslit (and at times) unsafe, uncomfortable and taken advantage of. I know most girls and women have felt and experienced all these things too and internalise these feelings. I want them to let it out. pink gun was my outlet and something that made me feel empowered so I hope it will do the same for my listeners."
Grapples with identity, explorations of female empowerment, examinations of human relationships; the protagonists within Laurel Smith's music are rebelling against expectations, challenging societal norms, finding their place in the world.
A "hip-hop kid" at heart, Laurel Smith was born into a family with rock and heavy metal at its core. Those two disparate worlds can be heard within Laurel's potent, shapeshifting creations, with her new music radiating an energy and confidence of an artist revitalised.
Taking inspiration from Swedish rap-pop experimentalist Bladee and his Drain Gang affiliates, as well as her 'hero' SOPHIE, elsewhere the otherworldly cinematic aesthetic of production house A24, the dark, grungy elements of Deftones and shadowy psychedelia of Yves Tumor are all present.
Laurel Smith's new single 'pink gun' is out now.
– More about Laurel Smith –
North-London 22 year old Laurel Smith released her debut EP ‘TRASHSTARWRLD’ in 2023. A genre-defying project which heralded a new artist on the precipice of something special, the release drew praise from alternative tastemakers including Kerrang!, Dork Magazine, The Line of Best Fit, CLASH Magazine, Notion, Wonderland and more; radio airplay on BBC Radio 1 (Future Alternative), BBC Introducing Rock (Alyx Holocombe), BBC Introducing (Jess Iszatt), and Apple Music Radio (Travis Mills), as well as being the coverstar of Spotify’s Misfits 2.0 playlist, further solidifying Laurel as a shining beacon within London’s alternative-pop space. Outside of the world of music, Laurel has modelled for brands such as Stich and Criminal Damage, and is an equally exciting newcomer in the world of streetwear.
'pink gun' single artwork–Follow, Laurel Smith
Instagram: @laurelsm1th
TikTok: @laurelsm1th
January 29, 2025
Mercury Rev's North American Tour Kicks Off Feb 24 | New Dates Added
Mercury Rev
2025 North American Tour Kicks Off Feb 24
New Dates Added Today
Tour dates below here .
Critically Acclaimed New Album
Born Horses Out Now via Bella Union
Born Horses album purchase link
[image error]Credit: Joe Magistro
“an atypical orchestral-pop delight” - Pitchfork
"this is a terrific record … easily Mercury Rev’s biggest, most ambitious record to date." - BrooklynVegan
"15 Sadcore Albums to Get You Through the Fall" - VOGUE
"Over three decades removed from the release of their debut album, Mercury Rev
have become a buzz band all over again" - FLOOD Magazine
“‘Ancient Love' is celestial, dreamy, and backed by wailing guitars and horns." - Consequence
“‘A Bird Of No Address’ is a real melodramatic ballad with lots of piano and even more reverb.” - Stereogum
Singles: “ A Bird of No Address ” “ Ancient Love ” “ Patterns ” “ Born Horses ”
Legendary psychedelic rock band Mercury Rev released their new album Born Horses via Bella Union to acclaim spanning Pitchfork, Stereogum, BrooklynVegan, Consequence, Under The Radar, Talkhouse, Uproxx, NME, FLOOD Magazine and Clash. The band is thrilled to bring their riveting live show stateside, kicking off their North American tour February 24 in Vancouver with stops in NYC, LA, Seattle, Boston, DC and more. Tickets on-sale now!
Recently hailed by Pitchfork with a 9.3 for their 1991 classic Yerself Is Steam, Mercury Rev has been revered for their experimental artistry and challenging the status quo throughout their career. The new collection is a glistening psych-jazz-folk-baroque-ambient quest highlighting the band’s sophisticated instrumentation, met with heroic indie rock chops and offering a fresh new poetic perspective.
Born Horses is vocally inspired by the spirits of art minimalist Tony Conrad (LaMonte Young’s Dream Syndicate w/ John Cale and a close friend to The Velvet Underground) and beat poet Robert Creeley (one of the most influential American poets of the 20th century and an associate of Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg and the Black Mountain poets), acolytes of progressive thought and action who both taught at the University at Buffalo, the city where the band was formed.
2/24: Vancouver, BC @ Hollywood Theater *
2/25: Seattle, WA @ Madame Lou's *
2/26: Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios *
2/28: San Francisco, CA @ Noise Pop Festival / Rickshaw Stop *
3/1: Los Angeles, CA @ Zebulon *
3/2: Pioneertown, CA @ Pappy and Harriet’s *
3/4: San Diego, CA @ The Casbah *
4/11: Kingston, NY @ Assembly %
4/12: Brooklyn, NY @ National Sawdust # *
4/13: Washington, DC @ The Atlantis #
4/15: Carrboro, NC @ Cat's Cradle *
4/16: Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda's #
4/17: Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall #
4/18: Montreal, QC @ Théâtre Outremont ^
4/19: Toronto, ON @ The Great Hall #
4/22: Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle #
4/25: Buffalo, NY @ Town Ballroom #
* Liz Lamare
# Ryley Walker
Wild Pink
% Hannah Cohen
^ Elephant Stone
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The Lumineers share "You're All I Got" and "So Long"
THE LUMINEERS SHARE “YOU’RE ALL I GOT” AND “SO LONG”
FROM UPCOMING ALBUM AUTOMATIC
LISTEN TO “YOU’RE ALL I GOT” AND SO LONG”
FIRST SINGLE FROM THE ALBUM “SAME OLD SONG”
ROCKETS TO TOP 10 AT BOTH
AAA AND ALTERNATIVE RADIO
AUTOMATIC ARRIVES VIA DUALTONE
ON FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14
PRE-ORDERS ARE AVAILABLE NOW
The Lumineers share two new songs from their highly anticipated new album, Automatic: “You’re All I Got” and “So Long.” Automatic arrives via Dualtone worldwide on Friday, February 14. Pre-orders are available now.
LISTEN TO “YOU’RE ALL I GOT” AND “SO LONG”
PRE-ORDER AUTOMATIC
The Lumineers’ highly anticipated fifth studio album, Automatic, marks their first new collection in over three years and showcases the band at the height of their artistry. The album was introduced with the standout single “Same Old Song,” which has entered the top ten at both the Alternative (#8) and AAA (#9) radio charts, cementing their continued impact on the modern music landscape.
After twenty years of musical partnership, Automatic finds Wesley Schultz and Jeremiah Fraites traveling new sonic and thematic terrain with their most raw and personal collection thus far. Both men, now dads, fully embraced the life-altering, unromantic challenges and rewards of family life. When they reconvened to write, the emerging songs featured a new, aching vulnerability, sly humor, and bold acknowledgments of need – for love, respect, and connection in an increasingly chaotic world.
Wesley Schultz describes the raw immediacy of “So Long”, explaining, “We truly did that song live, in the moment. I think there’s a magic in there, and that’s what you hear coming off that track.” For “You’re All I Got”, Schultz pushes his vocal range to its limits. He explains, “It’s on the edge of where I can hit a note, so you feel that tension. When you’re saying to someone, ‘You’re all I got,’ it carries that same raw emotion.” Both tracks exemplify The Lumineers’ ability to channel authenticity and emotional depth into their music.
Inspired by Peter Jackson’s 2021 Beatles documentary Get Back, the band, with the help of co-producers David Baron and Simone Felice, set up shop in the expansive tracking room at Woodstock's Utopia Studio. Multiple set-ups – with two sets of drums, three different pianos, and an array of amps, guitars, vocal mics – were laid out, allowing the musicians to pivot and capture as much as possible with minimal delay. The process further freed The Lumineers to perform the songs as a unit, allowing the band to capture the raw, organic presentation of the anthemic new tracks. For the first time on a Lumineers album, the band is credited as co-producers alongside Felice and Baron, who also engineered and mixed, as he did on the band’s last two albums.
Recorded in less than a month, the album, as Schultz says, feels “very much of this era.” While songs like the self-effacing “Asshole” and the spartan, wry “Better Day” reveal a risky intimacy and heretofore untapped undercurrent of humor, Automatic remains what fans around the world have come to love about The Lumineers – shadowy themes wrapped in upbeat, infectious melodies, sky-high choruses destined to be sung by tens of thousands each night on the road, and what Fraites calls “a palpable sense of connection between Wes and me. There’s lots of love on this record.”
THE LUMINEERS
AUTOMATIC
(Dualtone)
Release Date: Friday, February 14, 2025
Tracklist:
Same Old Song
Asshole
Strings
Automatic
You’re All I Got
Plasticine
Ativan
Keys On The Table
Better Day
Sunflowers
So Long
Credit Noa Griffel
ABOUT THE LUMINEERS:
Founded in 2005 by Wesley Schultz (lead vocals, guitar) and Jeremiah Fraites (drums, percussion, piano), The Lumineers have risen to become one of the most successful and influential bands of their generation, blending alternative rock, Americana, and heartfelt storytelling. Over five studio albums, including their upcoming 2025 release AUTOMATIC, the band has achieved 24 #1 hits across multiple radio formats, earned over 6 billion streams, sold more than 1.5 million albums in the US, and built a Spotify following of 22 million monthly listeners with a social media reach of 6.5 million.
Their accolades include two GRAMMY® nominations, five Billboard Music Awards nods, an American Music Award nomination, and an iHeartRadio MMVA win for their #1 hit “Stubborn Love.” Known for their electrifying live performances, The Lumineers have sold out arenas, amphitheaters, and stadiums across the globe, headlined festivals like Bonnaroo, Glastonbury, and Fuji Rock, and sold over 1.1 million tickets during their 2022 BRIGHTSIDE World Tour.
Beyond music, The Lumineers are dedicated to driving social impact, championing environmental sustainability, and supporting causes such as human rights, youth mental health, music education, and hunger relief. Their pandemic-era Colorado Gives Back benefit raised critical funds for live music and service industry workers affected by COVID-19. With major festival appearances, an EU/UK tour, and additional dates slated for 2025, The Lumineers continue to captivate audiences while building a legacy of creativity, advocacy, and impact.
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