Alexander Laurence's Blog, page 177
January 7, 2025
Cloakroom Announce New Album on Closed Casket - Share "Bad Larry" Video / Single
Cloakroom Announce New Album Last Leg of the Human Table
Coming February 28 via Closed Casket Activities
Release “Bad Larry” Single / Video
Announce Chicago Release Show April 12 - More Dates TBA
For Cloakroom the world of modernity is in polycrisis and America has lost its soul. Narrative fetishism is all too usual of a literary mechanism for Cloakroom. If you listen closely you can hear the concern; not just for the teetering social structure but for what it means to be human and the high cost of the human experience.
The Indiana three return next month with their next studio album, Last Leg of the Human Table – the follow up to 2022’s post-apocalyptic space western Dissolution Wave, and label debut for Closed Casket Activities. Each song showcases Cloakroom’s genre-bending capabilities and seemingly vast array of influences; whether it be the sampling of the post-disco Detroit group Was (Not Was) or the lifted NASA recording of the humming of Saturn’s rings. Recorded in December of 2023 at Electrical Audio in Chicago and Rec Room Recording in Des Plaines, Illinois, engineer Zac Montez (Whirr, Turnover) aided in smoothing out the rough and turning up the quiet.
Pop, shoegaze, doom, post-punk, folk only scratch the surface on Cloakroom’s shortest yet most essential release to date. Its title Last Leg of the Human Table may sound sardonic in its nature, but this group has always found some wonder in the scurrying chaos of modern life. In 37 minutes, the album imbues a sense of responsibility to the listener as if one leg were to falter, the whole table will fall.
Today Cloakroom share lead single and video “Bad Larry”. Lyricist and guitarist Doyle Martin explains, “It was written about a fabled character out of folklore like ‘Diamond Joe’ composed by Baldwin ‘Butch’ Hawes.. if that’s who even wrote that song first. Bad Larry roams free and wants for nothing; living a life of experience and lives by his own rules and dying on his own terms; a life to vilify or envy.”
Last Leg of the Human Table sees its release February 28 via Closed Casket, pre-order / pre-save it here.
Listen / Share / Playlist “Bad Larry”
Watch Official Music Video Here
After wrapping an extensive North American tour with Full of Hell last month, Cloakroom have announced a special Chicago album release show happening April 12 at Empty Bottle. More dates and news to come. For updates follow Cloakroom on Instagram here.
L-R Doyle Martin (Lyrics, Guitar), Tim Remis (Drums), Bobby Markos (Bass)
Photo By Vin Romero
Last Leg of the Human Table Tracklist:
01 - The Pilot
02 - Ester Wind
03 - On Joy and Unbelieving
04 - Unbelonging
05 - The Lights Are On
06 - Bad Larry
07 - The Story of the Egg
08 - On Joy and Undeserving
09 - Cloverlooper
10 - Turbine Song
Cloakroom Live Dates:
Apr 12: Chicago, IL - Empty Bottle (Album Release Show)
More Dates TBA.
Laibach Share Their Interpretation Of "I Want To Know What Love Is" || Out Today On Mute
LAIBACH SHARE THEIR INTERPRETATION OF
“I WANT TO KNOW WHAT LOVE IS”
CONTINUES IN FEB/MARCH
Photo courtesy of Laibach
Today Laibach have shared “I Want To Know What Love Is", a 3-track release featuring their interpretation of Foreigner’s track, out now on Mute.
Watch the video for “I Want To Know What Love Is” HERE.
“I Want To Know What Love Is”, which follows their recent interpretations of “Strange Fruit” and “White Christmas”, has been performed as an encore on the Slovenian provocateurs Opus Dei Revisited tour, which continues in Feb/March. Full dates are listed below. The track, well documented through countless social media posts by bewildered and enthralled attendees, has sparked the first -a Laibach-a-long- as audiences join in with the classic track.
Listeners curious as to what led this track to be plucked from middle-of-the-road radio, and placed alongside reworked versions from Laibach’s 1987 international breakthrough album Opus Dei, might look for clues in the recent trilogy of releases. “Strange Fruit”, another highlight from the current shows, was refracted to examine how tyranny, hatred and murder pervades in human history as well as today. “White Christmas” examined the vacuum that the joyous holiday can intensify within those ‘without’ and the magnification of loss that it creates.
Is there a further clue in the name of the band who originally sang “I Want To Know What Love is”? Perhaps a demand for understanding, empathy and acceptance is not what would be expected from a band known for its challenging and complex treatise. But then again, in the current world there is little that could be more challenging and complex than achieving peace and love.
Irony is a word often used by people clamoring to understand and explain Laibach, but across the three versions on the single you get a sense of a simplicity and pleasure pervading through these new interpretations. The arrangement by Laibach and their Slovenian collaborators, Silence, and the mix by famed Grammy-winning US producer Marc Urselli (Nick Cave, Foo Fighters, Lou Reed, U2), don’t waver, but instead play things straight and true throughout.
After stating “Love Is Still Alive” on the EP of the same name in 2023, Laibach proves it now with this song. They ask their audience to show them love and you can hear for yourselves, on the Extended Mix included on the single, the heartfelt response they receive back.
“I Want To Know What Love Is” is out today on Mute across all digital platforms. Purchase or stream it HERE.
LAIBACH – OPUS DEI TOUR:
2025:2/7/2025 - Ljubljana, Kino Šiška, SI
2/8/2025 - Ljubljana, Kino Šiška, SI
2/16/2025 - Krakow, Kwadrat, PL
2/18/2025- Ostrava, Barrak, CZ
2/19/2025 - Vienna, Arena, AT
2/20/2025 - Jena, F-Haus, DE
2/21/2025 - Sittard, Poppodium Volt, NL
2/22/2025 - London, Islington Assembly Hall, UK
2/23/2025 - Manchester, Ritz, UK
2/24/2025 - Southampton, The 1865, UK
2/25/2025 - Bristol, Trinity Centre, UK
2/27/2025 - Lausanne, Les Docks, CH
2/28/2025 – Bologna, Link, IT
3/1/2025 - Nova Gorica, SNG Nova Gorica, SI
3/4/2025 - Skopje, Macedonian Philharmonic, MK
3/5/2025 - Athens, Gazarte, GR
3/6/2025 - Sofia, Pirotska 5, BG
3/7/2025 - Bucharest, Quantic Club, RO
3/8/2025 - Beograd, Dom Omladine, RS
3/21/2025 - Maribor, Narodni dom, SI
Tickets and further information: https://www.laibach.org/future-events/
“I Want To Know What Love Is” single art:
Track listing:
1. I Want To Know What Love Is
2. I Want To Know What Love Is (Extended Mix)
3. I Want To Know What Love Is (Distorted Love Mix)
Purchase or stream HERE.
RECENT RELEASES:
Opus Dei Revisited: https://mute.ffm.to/laibach-odr
“White Christmas”: https://mute.ffm.to/laibach-silence-wc
“Strange Fruit”: https://mute.ffm.to/laibach-sf
Opus Dei (Remastered): https://mute.ffm.to/laibach-od24
The Engine of Survival: https://mute.ffm.to/laibach_teos
Love is Still Alive EP: https://mute.ffm.to/lb-lisa
The Future: https://mute.ffm.to/laibach-tf
Love Is Still Alive I (Moon, Euphoria): https://youtu.be/lQSqCvpAVQQ
CONNECT WITH MUTE:
FACEBOOK | BLUESKY | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | WEB
FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | WEB
Deep Sea Diver’s New Album Billboard Heart Will Be Available February 28th, 2025
Seattle’s Deep Sea Diver will release Billboard Heart, their fourth album, and wide-screened Sub Pop debut worldwide on Friday, February 28th, 2025. The new long-player includes the previously released title track, along with highlights “What Do I Know,” “Emergency,” “Let Me Go,” her collaboration with Grammy-winner Madison Cunningham, and today’s offering, the guttural new single “Shovel.”
Billboard Heart immediately puts Deep Sea Diver in the company of St. Vincent, TV on the Radio, and Flock of Dimes, bands that have found newly ornate and magnetic ways to make indie rock by discarding notions of how it must sound or what it must say. Dobson punches through her past here. As she howls during Billboard Heart’s rapturous title track, she is “welcoming the future by letting go of it.”
It is a coup, a triumph over self-doubt in which what first felt like failure became an opportunity to find new freedom, belief, and strength. You can hear it in each of these eleven songs, the beating heart that makes everything here feel like a new anthem for finding your own way forward.
Billboard Heart was written and performed by primary songwriter and guitar player Jessica Dobson, and her partner, drummer and band co-writer Peter Mansen, and synth player Elliot Jackson. Additional contributions include former The Shins’ bandmate Yuuki Matthews, Caroline Rose, and Greg Leisz. Billboard Heart was produced by Jessica Dobson and Andy D. Park, with additional production from Adam Schatz, mixed by Park, and mastered by Greg Calbi and Steve Fallone.
You can now watch the single-take official video for “Shovel,” directed by Tyler Kalberg and Deep Sea Diver. Dobson says of the track and visual, “‘Shovel’ is one of the most angular and dualistic songs I’ve written, and I wanted to do a one-shot video that captured the grit, rawness, and intensity of the song. Simply put, it is me digging and dancing with a shovel in the middle of the night, desperately looking for beauty in dark places. Influenced by Lynch, the Cohen brothers, Nick Cave, and the sweet dance moves of Kate Bush.”
Deep Sea Diver has also announced a headlining North American tour in support of Billboard Heart, which begins Saturday, March 29th in Walla Walla, WA at The Motor Co. and runs through Saturday, May 17th with a hometown show in Seattle at the Showbox at the Market. Fan presales begin Wednesday, January 8th at 10 am ET, with tickets for these shows on sale to the general public on Friday, January 10th at 10 am (local). For more information on tickets, visit Deep Sea Diver’s tour dates page. Please find a complete list of dates below.
Sun. Mar. 30 - Boise, ID - Treefort Music Fest
Tue. Apr. 01 - Sacramento, CA - Harlow’s
Thu. Apr. 03 - Los Angeles, CA - Teragram Ballroom
Sat. Apr. 05 - Pioneertown, CA - Pappy & Harriets Indoors
Sun. Apr. 06 - San Diego, CA - Belly Up
Tue. Apr. 08 - San Francisco, CA - The Independent
Fri. Apr.11 - Portland, OR - Wonder Ballroom
Sat. Apr. 12 - Vancouver, BC - Biltmore Club
Thu. Apr. 24 - St. Paul, MN - Turf Club
Fri. Apr. 25 - Chicago, IL - Empty Bottle
Mon. Apr. 28 - Toronto, ON - Horseshoe Tavern
Wed. Apr. 30 - Burlington, VT - Higher Ground Lounge
Thu. May 01 - Allston, MA - Brighton Music Hall
Fri. May 02 - Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall of Williamsburg
Sat. May 03 - Washington, DC - The Atlantis
Sun. May 04 - Pittsburgh, PA - Thunderbird Music Hall
Tue. May 06 - Indianapolis, IN - Hi-Fi
Wed. May 07 - St. Louis, MO - Off-Broadway
Fri. May 09 - Denver, CO - Globe Hall
Mon. May 12 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Urban Lounge
Sat. May 17 - Seattle, WA - The Showbox at the Market
Billboard Heart will be available on CD/LP/DSPs from Sub Pop. LP preorders from megamart.subpop.com (US), Mega Mart 2 (UK/EU), Deep Sea Diver’s Official Website, Bandcamp, and your local record store will receive the limited Loser edition vinyl on Transparent Pink (North America), Glacial Blue (Bandcamp North America), and Opaque Pink (UK/Europe) (All limited edition vinyl colors available while stock lasts!). The Billboard Heart cover image is shot by photographer Neil Krug and from his “Spirit II” photo series.
Skeleten shares "Let It Grow" single. New album 'Mentalized' on 2MR out Feb 7th
SKELETEN RELEASES "LET IT GROW"
LATEST SINGLE FROM NEW ALBUM MENTALIZED
COMING FEBRUARY 7 VIA 2MR / ASTRAL PEOPLE
Photo By Rudolf Zverina @rvsf
Today, Eora/Sydney-based artist Skeleten (aka Russell Fitzgibbon) unveils his final single "Let It Grow" from his forthcoming second album, Mentalized, out in one month via 2MR / Astral People Recordings.
Amidst a record absorbed in the ways we’re disconnected from ourselves every day - “mentalized for better or worse” - "Let It Grow" immerses in a dissociative surrender. Over a sensual synth line, Skeleten breathes life into the inexplicable weight of intimate connection. It’s a submission to that feeling of an "it" that cannot be denied. The song hangs heavy in the air, unmoving like the heat of an overpacked club, and the only way out is up.
Skeleten concludes, “‘Let It Grow’ was so natural it just kinda started existing without me even realising it. Which I guess is the whole vibe of the song. Surrender and acceptance??”
Listen / Share / Playlist “Let It Grow”
"Let It Grow" completes a lineup of adored singles "Deep Scene", "Love Enemy", "Viagra" and "Bodys Chorus" alongside respective remixes by Axel Boman and Spray, in laying the foundations for Mentalized. The releases have earned tastemaker nods from Pitchfork, Stereogum, Paste, Brooklyn Vegan, KEXP, KCRW, BBC 6Music, FBi Radio, Apple Music’s ‘Best of 2024’ playlists and more.
This month Skeleten will complete a 3-month residency at Sydney’s Pleasure Club, spotlighting local talent across the city’s different scenes, alongside Skeleten and his full live band. Having already united acts like Hugh B and the Modern Pop Ensemble, Dylan Atlantis, Scruffs and Killian, stay tuned via Skeleten’s socials for the final surprise announcement. Skeleten will also perform at Golden Plains Festival in March, alongside esteemed artists PJ Harvey, Fontaines D.C, Kneecap and more.
Pre-Order / Pre-Save / Playlist Mentalized
Mentalized Tracklist:
1 - These People
2 - Love Enemy
3 - Bodys Chorus
4 - Crack In The Shell
5 - Deep Scene
6 - Raw
7 - Let It Grow
8 - Viagra
9 - Ravers Dream
10 - Mindreader
Skeleten Live Dates:
Mar 8 - 10, 2025: Golden Plains Festival, Meredith Supernatural Amphitheatre, VIC
David Steinhart Releases New LP Shares "This Last Go-Round" Single + Video
Shares "This Last Go-Round" Single + Video
Released Out Now via All DSP's
LISTEN & SHARE: David Steinhart - ReleasedStream
WATCH/LISTEN & SHARE: David Steinhart - "This Last Go-Round"
Stream | Watch
LISTEN & SHARE: David Steinhart - "Did You Say The Words?"
Stream
WATCH & SHARE: David Steinhart - "Row"
Stream
WATCH & SHARE: David Steinhart - "It's Just Not Set Up That Way"
Stream | Watch“soft, finely crafted, windswept pop, warm, literate, sober, preoccupied folk pop, always well-crafted, and full of small, conspicuous, workmanlike extras and an aptitude for unpretentious, poppy hooks.”
-The Big Takeover
"Shimmering acoustic guitars and assured vocals all over the place, but above all there are some excellent melodies to wrap around, showing what being rooted into a sound and having experience within it really means when it is transferred into sound."
-Spill Magazine
"The richly detailed lyrics deserve a careful listen, David Steinhart’s lead vocals are excellent, and the acoustic guitar work, which reminds me of Aztec Two-Step, is a treat."
- The Morton Report Release Bio:
Today, David Steinhart releases his latest single, "This Last Go-Round". This track will leave you feeling a mix of melancholy and empowerment. The steady drum beats and soulful vocals are a driving force, while the lyrical content offers an emotional catharsis. The song highlights the realization that while the relationship is over, the emotional journey has led to self-awareness and perhaps even a sense of relief or acceptance.
David on the track, “This song sounds like a straight up breakup song, and it is to a degree. The only difference being that this song is written about a guitar that I loved for a long time and finally lost my feel for. I decided to sell it and once I did the song just wrote itself. “The soft curve of your neck/my fingers danced acrosss your strings/you knew just what to expect/and I know just how to make you sing"
David Steinhart - "This Last Go-Round" (Lyric Video)
TRACKLISTING
1. It’s Just Not Setup That Way 3:10
2. The Curve in the Bar 4:24
3. Get Used to It 4:00
4. This Last Go Round 4:55
5. Row 3:46
6. Did You Say the Words 4:23
7. Light of Love 4:26
8. Oh Well 4:30
9. Goodbye Again 4:06
10. Orange Moon 4:03David Steinhart Links
Instagram | Facebook | Bandcamp
Half Waif Shares Deconstructed "Ephemeral Being" (claire rousay) Remix, Tour Starts This Week
HALF WAIF SHARES DECONSTRUCTED
“EPHEMERAL BEING” (CLAIRE ROUSAY REMIX),
LISTEN
HERE
NEW ALBUM ‘SEE YOU AT THE MAYPOLE’ OUT NOW
US TOUR BEGINS THIS WEEK
Photo Credit: Logan White
"I believe Nandi Rose is our greatest living songwriter—if only because, when I listen to her sing through the complicatedness of empty, upsetting existence, I think she puts me closer to God." - Paste
"A gorgeous appreciation of life in the wake of deep trauma." - NPR Music
“On ‘See You at the Maypole’, Rose dreams beyond her immediate feelings into the vast potential of who she can become and how she can relate to others. In the process, she cultivates her own reasons to feel hopeful.” - Pitchfork
In May 2022, Half Waif aka Nandi Rose was standing on the ridgeline in northeastern Wyoming. The landscape was a layer cake of strata, the colors of compressed geologic time. Rose was at an artist residency, where she found herself grappling with loss and looking for answers in the sagebrush. At a solo retreat in the Catskills the previous summer, Rose had found out she was pregnant and anticipated nine months of writing through a new, maternal lens, speckled with the verdure of certainty. But when a soundless morning arrived in December 2021, the music that became her latest album, See You At The Maypole, took on a new life, one that would seize the uncomfortable reigns of uncertainty. Now, gazing out at the wide plains, she felt the beneficence of the passing of time. I’m not a failure, she thought. I’m an ephemeral being.
Today she is sharing a remix of the song “Ephemeral Being” created by experimental musician and composer claire rousay. Often working with found sounds and field recordings, rousay released her own critically acclaimed album in 2024 titled ‘sentiment’. Listen to the remix below.
Listen to “Ephemeral Being” (claire rousay remix): https://youtu.be/5mCwzptbZCM
“I'm a big fan of Claire's music, particularly her capacity to transform everyday textures and sound bites--pieces of sonic ephemera--into gorgeous, scintillating song forms,” Rose explains. “While working on the remix, Claire emailed me to ask if I'd record a little bit of audio, talking about the background of the song, which she then quickly and brilliantly wove into the ending of the piece. It was a fun back-and-forth, and I think the remix sheds new light on the song, as if it were shattered into stained glass shards and then mosaic'd back together again.”
This week, Half Waif embarks on the East Coast section of their US tour, followed by February dates in Europe and a brief West Coast run in early March; all upcoming dates are listed below.
TOUR DATES
1/10 - Philadelphia, PA @ Milkboy
1/11 - Washington DC @ Songbyrd
1/13 - Asheville, NC @ The Grey Eagle
1/14 - Nashville, TN @ Soft Junk
1/15 - Louisville, KY @ Zanzabar
1/16 - Chicago, IL @ Sleeping Village
1/17 - Grand Rapids, MI @ Calvin University
1/29 - Brattleboro, VT @ Stone Church
1/30 - Portland, ME @ One Longfellow Square
1/31 - Boston, MA @ Arts at the Armory
2/10 - Berlin, Germany @ Privatclub
2/11 - Amsterdam, Netherlands @ Paradiso
2/12 - Antwerp, Belgium @ Trix
2/13 - Paris, France @ Le Hasard Ludique
2/14 - London, UK @ King’s Place
2/22 - Montclair, NJ @ Outpost in the Burbs
3/1 - Los Angeles, CA @ Pico Union Project
3/2 - San Francisco, CA @ Cafe Du Nord
3/4 - Portland, OR @ Polaris Hall
3/5 - Seattle, WA @ Madame Lou’s
Photo Credit: Logan White
Order ‘See You At The Maypole’
https://halfwaif.com/
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
January 6, 2025
Indie-pop artist Rosie Darling Shares "Roomful Of People (ft. Jake Scott) + Announces New EP
ANNOUNCES NEW EP ROOMFUL OF PEOPLE OUT APRIL 25, 2025
SHARES NEW SINGLE/VIDEO “ROOMFUL OF PEOPLE (FEAT. JAKE SCOTT)”
Photo Credit: Laura-Lynn Petrick
January 6th, 2025 – LA-based indie-pop singer-songwriter, Rosie Darling, arrives with her new single “Roomful Of People (feat. Jake Scott).” The track arrives with the announcement of her forthcoming EP Roomful Of People out April 25, 2025 via Nettwerk. The single is accompanied with an official music video. Watch the video HERE.
“Roomful Of People” explores the bittersweet experience of moving on while still feeling deeply connected to someone from the past. The song’s organic guitar accompaniment creates a poignant backdrop for Rosie’s heart-on-her-sleeve lyrics, as she confesses the magnetic pull that draws her back to a former love. Produced by Justin Gammella (FINNEAS, Ashe), the track reaches its emotional climax through the powerful back-and-forth vocals between Rosie and Nashville-based singer Jake Scott. The duo’s chemistry is palpable, elevating the song’s impassioned depth to greater heights.
Rosie explains, “‘Roomful Of People’ is about the act of trying to move on but still feeling the connection to someone that feels impossible to let go of despite your efforts to leave them behind. I think everyone has been there at some point in life where you walk into a room and there is someone there who knows you better than anyone, but you're not as close anymore or you broke up. It's a bittersweet feeling and I wanted to capture that in this song."
On her collaboration, Rosie reveals, “I’ve been a fan of Jake Scott’s for a long time so it’s really special that he’s featuring on this song! I love the idea of seeing two perspectives from a ‘break up’ in one song, and I think having Jake singing with me as a duet brings the storytelling to life so much more.”
“Roomful of People (feat. Jake Scott)” follows her late 2024 singles, "Joanna" and “This Is Me Letting You Go.” “Joanna” is a nostalgic journey through formative years, capturing the essence of a bond that has stood the test of time. With a touch of nostalgic reflection, Rosie shares a message to her younger self: “If I could go back, I would tell myself to ‘Slow down’.” The song is a beautifully crafted ode to female empowerment and the enduring power of friendship. With “This Is Me Letting Go,” Rosie’s breathy delivery weighs heavy on softly strummed acoustic guitar. As emotion overflows, the lesson of the song is one of liberation and learning to disassociate from someone who wasn't right for you.
In order to bring her next chapter to life, Rosie stole away to Dana Point, CA with a group of close friends and collaborators. During this casual writing camp, she crafted the bulk of her forthcoming EP intoxicated by the serenity of the ocean breeze, steady waves, and familial vibes. “My last album was very serious and emotional, but I was able to have more fun on this project. It feels more playful and upbeat. It’s energized, and it’s like a reset for me,” shares Rosie. “With this EP, I was more carefree across the board. I hope it’s a fun listen. Maybe, you sing along in the car, or maybe you tap into your own feelings and resonate however you can.”
With each new song off the project, she invites listeners to connect with their own emotions and experiences, offering solace and understanding in return. Rosie Darling continues to be the kind of anomaly who pushes pop music forward by uncompromisingly embracing her own artistic impulses and following them to unprecedented heights.
“Roomful Of People (feat. Jake Scott)” is available at all digital retailers here: https://rosiedarling.ffm.to/roomfulofpeople
“Roomful Of People (feat. Jake Scott)” music video is available here: https://youtu.be/72lZWDchIig
Roomful Of People EP Tracklist:
1. This Is Me Letting You Go
2. Joanna
3. Roomful Of People (feat. Jake Scott)
4. It Is What It Is
5. Smoke & Mirrors
6. I’m Scared
PRAISE FOR ROSIE DARLING:
"Sonically, 'This Is Me Letting You Go' channels the best of singer-songwriter pop, with a minimalism that spotlights the vulnerable lyricism." – Ones To Watch
“’This Is Me Letting You Go’ comes steeped in Darling’s melancholic songcraft, with her vocals lilting above meditative acoustic chords, minimal synth drums, and flickering electronic production.” – Under The Radar
“It’s Darling’s country-inflected vocal timbre—reminiscent of artists like Kacey Musgraves—that lends a refreshing, authentic weight to the song.” – EARMILK
About Rosie Darling:
Boston-born, LA-based singer-songwriter Rosie Darling is quietly confident, exuberantly passionate, and creatively inclined to infinity. Known for her emotionally raw and introspective music, her songs blend pop, indie, and alternative influences, often exploring themes of love, loss, and self-discovery. Darling gained significant recognition with her 2021 debut EP Coping with the title-track cracking the Top 20 of the Spotify Global Viral Chart. She followed up the project with 2022’s Golden Age EP and 2023’s debut LP Lanterns. Working alongside producers such as Justin Gammella (FINNEAS, Ashe) and Andy Seltzer (Chelsea Cutler, Joan), Darling’s discography has amassed over 325M+ streams, received praise from likes of Billboard, V Magazine, The Line of Best Fit, FLAUNT, Ones To Watch, Under The Radar, performed alongside the likes of Ashley Kutcher, Katelyn Tarver, Caleb Hearn, and attracted major co-signs courtesy of Halsey, The Chainsmokers, Andrea Russett, and more.
Follow Rosie Darling:
Greg Freeman Adds NYC Show, Plays Night Club 101 1/24 + Union Pool 1/25 (Sold Out) With Ekko Astral | 'I Looked Out' Re-release Out Now
Plays Night Club 101 1/24 + Union Pool 1/25 (Sold Out) With Ekko Astral
'I Looked Out' Re-release Out Now via Canvasback/Transgressive
Photo Cred: Justin GordonLISTEN & SHARE: Greg Freeman - I Looked Out VinylPre-Order
LISTEN & SHARE: Greg Freeman - I Looked Out
Stream PRAISE FOR GREG FREEMAN
"Some musicians make you wonder if what they’re doing is some sort of ironic mischief. Not Greg Freeman. He really means every word, bashing away on his electric guitar as bandmates on bass, drums, saxophone, and pedal steel guitar add rich colors to his visions."
- Rolling Stone
"There’s a certain Vermonter who made a really tremendous singer-songwriter record in 2022, and his name is Greg fucking Freeman—he also happens to be one of the best guitarists alive. I Looked Out is dripping with feedback, distorted by the reliquary of Florida men, sobering, end-times-ridden folklore and a Holy War of the interpersonal woven into the God-fearing and mysterious."
-Paste
"'The Celtic thrum of noise that kicks off his album is a bit of a red herring (it’s full of hopelessly addicting indie-rock bops), and while a track like “Colorado” is missing shoegaze tenets like “glide guitar,” the voluminous crescendos (packed in tight with warm, tattered horn blasts) create a shoegaze-like effect, and “Souvenir Heart” indeed uses the unmistakable yowl of a distorted ‘gaze guitar."
- Stereogum
"I’m late on this one — it’s my favorite album of 2022 that I discovered in 2023... It’s obvious that Freeman has worshipped at the altar of the late, great Jason Molina, though he also brings his own influences (particularly ’90s indie rock in the form of Neutral Milk Hotel and Guided By Voices) to the table. What I’m saying is that this is yet another blown-out country-rock record that sometimes delves into pure noise. (I can’t get enough of this formula lately.)"
- Uproxx
Greg Freeman's I Looked Out Re-release has officially made its mark, with his album debuting at #12 and his song "Colorado" at #15 on the Official SubModern Top 25 charts. With two tracks featured in the same charting period, Freeman's album has secured a spot among the top performers in the genre.
Vermont's finest, Greg Freeman, has recently signed with Canvasback/Transgressive Records. To celebrate this exciting partnership, his critically acclaimed debut LP, I Looked Out, was re-released, complete with two bonus tracks. The vinyl version is scheduled for release on January 17, 2025. This reissue features a new rendition of "Long Distance Driver (Acoustic)," which includes a special collaboration with Merce Lemon. Additionally, the final bonus track, exclusive to the vinyl release, is a captivating mashup titled "Sound Tests, Scraps, Lists," which weaves together sounds, songs, and snippets collected during the creation of this masterful debut.
Greg on the track, "I wrote this song a few years ago, when the world was entering a scary and uncertain time, and hope seemed fleeting and very far in the distance. The song is about wanting to find connection in such a world. In a way, it feels like an old song to me at this point, but that place of uncertainty feels even more pronounced than when I wrote it. The acoustic version is just more sparse. There's a harmonica instead of a saxophone. There's no drums either. Merce does the high part and I do the low part. I also play the concertina in the recording. Our friend Nate Campisi recorded the song at Mr. Smalls studio in Pittsburgh (where we also recorded the video). It used to be an old church."
His noisy art-rock Americana will be put on display for his London debut at The Line Of Best Fit Show with Greg Mendez on January 15th in London and in New York with Ekko at Night Club 101 on January 24th and at Union Pool on January 25th.
Tickets for these dates are on sale now. Find more information and tickets HERE.
Look Out For New Music in 2025.
Tour Dates:
1/14 - London UK - Servants Jazz Quarters
1/15 - London UK - LOBF Show w/ Greg Mendez
1/16 - London UK - Rough Trade East - Solo Acoustic + Vinyl Signing
1/24 - New York, NY - Night Club 101 w/ Ekko Astral
1/25 - New York NY - Union Pool w/ Ekko Astral
Greg Freeman - Long Distance Driver Acoustic (Feat. Merce Lemon) Live
Vinyl Tracklisting:
Side A
1. Horns
2. Right Before the Last Waves Took Vestris
3. Long Distance Driver
4. Colorado
5. Come and Change My Body
6. Connect To Host
7. Tower
Side B
8. I’ll See You In My Mind
9. Souvenir Heart
10. Palms
11. Sound Tests, Scraps, Lists
Digital Tracklisting:
1. Horns
2. Right Before the Last Waves Took Vestris
3. Long Distance Driver
4. Colorado
5. Come and Change My Body
6. Connect To Host
7. Tower
8. I’ll See You In My Mind
9. Souvenir Heart
10. Palms
11. Long Distance Driver Acoustic (feat. Merce Lemon)
12. Sound Tests, Scraps, Lists
ALBUM BIO:
When Greg Freeman quietly released his debut album I Looked Out in 2022, it was immediately clear to the small community who heard it that the Vermont songwriter captured something intangibly exciting and distinctly American. Across 10 explosive songs that meld knotty indie rock with pastoral twang, he sings with a zealous urgency of shipwrecks, biblical visions, doomed drifters, dams breaking, and lives left in rearview mirrors. His evocative writing paints a world where revelation or ruin is behind every corner but it always leaves room for hope and human connection. A resoundingly confident LP, it’s a testament to Burlington’s vibrant music community and the pure magic of opening yourself up to creative risks and collaboration.
Now, for the first time, I Looked Out has been pressed to vinyl. Out digitally on Nov. 20 and on vinyl Jan. 17 via Canvasback/Transgressive, two bonus tracks are also available. On the digital release, there’s an acoustic duet version of “Long Distance Driver” with Merce Lemon, and on the vinyl, there’s the noisy sound collage “Sound Tests, Scraps, Lists.” Greg Freeman will release new music and this album’s full-length follow-up in 2025.
Though I Looked Out arrived seemingly fully formed, the album is the product of a transitional period for Freeman. When he started writing its songs in 2020, he graduated from the University of Vermont studying religion and anthropology. Unsure of what to do next, he worked in museums, was a bread baker, and even had a stint as a cemetery groundskeeper. While he’d played in bands around Burlington, namely with Lily Seabird and the experimental rock outfit Rockin’ Worms, his own music was sparse and solo. “Before I Looked Out, I had just done everything myself: recording a lot of layered guitars and layered vocals,” he says. With that year’s societal upheaval leading to an abundance of alone time, Freeman decided to double down on writing. He soon came out of isolation with two finished songs: “Long Distance Driver” and “Colorado.”
“Long Distance Driver” is a woozy, minor key dirge that finds Freeman’s voice somewhere between a croak and a coo. He sings, “I don't care where you've been / I just want you to smile / Or at least pretend.” It’s a dark and near-menacing tune that highlights Freeman’s propensity for vivid, lyrical world-building. “That song came out of a year where I was just writing without any pressure,” he says. “I didn't even know if I was going to record it.” Eventually, Freeman decided to try something he’d never done before: bring on a cast of collaborators.
While recording I Looked Out, Freeman and his co-producer Noah Kesey were content just to see where the creative process took them. “The most defining thing about the creation of that record is that we didn't really try to do anything with it,” says Freeman. “There was no specific intention with how we were going to put it out, or timeline, or even how it was going to sound.” Instead, they leaned on welcome surprises and happy accidents. Take the thundering “Colorado,” which bursts through with a careening, overwhelming energy. Inspired by maximalist production on Leonard Cohen’s Death of a Ladies Man, Freeman wanted to stack the song with as many instruments and players as possible: strings, horns, keys, etc. The result is a cathartic and chaotic orchestra that never veers off track. The experiment paid off. “It's so hard to convince yourself that you're writing a record, but then you have one song you really believe in so it helps you get to that place,” he says. “‘Colorado’” is definitely that song for me.”
With that north star guiding the process, the experiments didn’t stop. The propulsive squall that ignites “Connect to Host” came out of a jam from a discarded tune, repurposed with tape warble, roaring guitars, and barreling drums from Zack James (Dari Bay). “Towers” simmers with a roiling intensity that eventually rips apart at the seams: strings clashing with the blistering, feedback-laden guitars. Elsewhere, closer “Palms” boasts biblical imagery taken from Freeman’s studies of Christian mysticism, heretics, and prophets. At times, it feels apocalyptic but he yelps, “If it's not the end of it all / It must be a strange kind of grace” before soothing pedal steel and guitars stumble on a sense of closure. The through line of I Looked Out is how he resonantly balances interpersonal struggle with global calamity, raising the emotional stakes while holding a mirror to the self and society.
Following its release, which had no PR campaign, label, or music industry promo, it still received raves from Stereogum and Uproxx. Since then, Freeman’s toured relentlessly with a backing band featuring bassist Lily Seabird, multi-instrumentalist Cam Gilmour, pedal steel player Ben Rodgers, and drummer Scott Maynard. While many of those players also guest on the album, the palpable and expansive energy of their live show has found Freeman sharing the stage with A. Savage, Empty Country, Florry, and Sadurn. “The music scene is so good in Burlington that it didn't feel like I was doing anything remarkable with I Looked Out because everybody had great bands there,” says Freeman. “You gotta try a little bit harder in this city.”GREG FREEMAN LINKSWebsite | Bandcamp | Instagram
January 4, 2025
Pussy Riot's Nadya Tolokonnikova "PUNK'S NOT DEAD" at Honor Fraser Gallery
Punk's Not Dead
Honor Fraser Gallery in Los Angeles
Jan 10 — 25, 2025
Pussy Riot Siberia Will Perform
Honor Fraser is pleased to announce an artist residency with Nadya Tolokonnikova — Siberian artist and a creator of the feminist protest art collective Pussy Riot. Tolokonnikova’s political actions and wide-ranging performance interventions have established her as a leading voice in the fight against authoritarian power. During her residency, she will compose a series of artworks and performances that demonstrate her multifaceted approach to resisting systems of oppression and dehumanization.
Honor Fraser will serve as a sounding board for Tolokonnikova’s unruly compositions, featuring artworks that underscore the shifting tonalities of political unrest. Please join us for an opening reception, including a live performance by Pussy Riot Siberia on January 10th at 7PM. RSVP for free entry HERE.
Born in Norilsk, Russia in 1989, Tolokonnikova emerged as a critical voice in contemporary art following her imprisonment from 2012 to 2013 for staging a protest performance at Moscow’s Cathedral of Christ the Saviour. Her practice, which centers the body as a dynamic site for political revolution, spans performance, experimental music, video, calligraphy, and sculptural installation. In her new series at Honor Fraser, Tolokonnikova explores the delicate choreographies of resistance—revealing how embodied action, language, and collective ritual intertwine to forge new pathways for political liberation.
The exhibition features sculptural installations created from objects related to sites of protest and imprisonment, displayed alongside large-scale Tolokonnikova’s self-portraits wearing a mask. Rather than recreating the literal confines of a prison cell, these works transmute Tolokonnikova’s experience of confinement into a symbolic vocabulary of resistance and renewal. The portraits showcase the group’s signature balaclavas rendered through calligraphed phrases—transforming this iconic protest symbol into a new tool for political messaging.
Throughout the exhibition, Tolokonnikova will activate these artworks through performances and live music, creating a temporal archive where acts of resistance are documented, organized, and reperformed.
Find more here:
https://honorfraser.com/programming/nadya-tolokonnikova-punks-not-dead/
https://www.instagram.com/ nadya
https://twitter.com/ pussyrrriot
NOISE POP EXPANDS ‘25 FESTIVAL LINEUP: Danny Brown, DIIV, American Analog Set, Earliment & More
NOISE POP FESTIVAL EXPANDS 2025 MUSIC LINEUP
CONCERT TICKETS ON SALE THIS FRIDAY AT NOISEPOPFEST.COM
WITH FESTIVAL BADGES ON SALE NOW
DIIV, Danny Brown, The American Analog Set, Reverend Horton Heat,
DāM-FunK, Earlimart, Flamin' Groovies, Zzzahara & Four-Night-Takeover of SF Jazz
Join American Football, Soccer Mommy, Lankum, Mercury Rev, Cymande, Les Savy Fav & More
Iconic Independent Music & Arts Festival Celebrates 32nd Anniversary
With Return to San Francisco Bay Area on February 20 - March 2, 2025
SAN FRANCISCO, CA (December 19, 2024) – Hometown organizers behind Noise Pop Festival, the San Francisco Bay Area’s premier independent music and arts festival, have just unveiled the next phase of music performers joining this year’s lineup as the multi-venue music festival returns for its 32nd anniversary beginning Thursday, February 20 through Sunday, March 2, 2025.
Joining the previously announced acts like American Football, who will celebrate the 25th anniversary of their debut album LP1 with a rare two-night gig at the Great American Music Hall (March 1-2); indie rocker Soccer Mommy who will soon headline the iconic Fillmore post fall 2024 album-release (February 28); and Irish folk music group Lankum, who will perform in support of their Mercury Prize-nominated album False Lankum (February 27); Noise Pop will proudly welcome today over a dozen new acts to this year’s lineup.
As part of Noise Pop Festival’s expanded lineup, critically acclaimed MC Danny Brown has been invited to headline the 2025 festival with a special one-night performance at Public Works (February 22), following the release of his latest new critically-acclaimed, long-teased sixth studio album Quaranta earlier this spring.
Playing true to the festival's indie rock roots, Noise Pop Festival will also host DIIV, a festival alum (2016) who recently released their first new album in five years called Frog in Boiling Water; lo-fi rock pioneers The American Analog Set as the band return to SF after a 20-year hiatus to perform two nights of “Magic Hour”, an intimate and immersive 90-minute live show of thoughtfully selected songs from their first six albums (February 26-27), following a ; and one of SF’s most legendary bands the Flamin’ Groovies (February 22).
Following several years of successful festival collaborations, Noise Pop Festival will be partnering again with SF Jazz to host a multi-night takeover featuring acclaimed musicians like Dani Offline (February 27), Sirintip (February 28), August Lee Stevens (March 1), MeloDios (March 2), each of whom will perform two concerts each night.
Also included in today’s announcement is the official festival opening night party taking place at the Cal Academy of Sciences on Thursday, February 20, featuring an incredible roster of talent with the likes of modern-day funk maestro DāM-FunK set to usher in the new edition of Noise Pop Festival 2025.
Newly announced Noise Pop Festival 2025 concerts are listed below in chronological order, with tickets on sale tomorrow via www.noisepopfest.com:
Noise Pop Festival’s Opening Night Party at NightLife featuring DāM-FunK: February 20 at Cal Academy of Sciences
Reverend Horton Heat: February 21 at Great American Music Hall
Danny Brown: February 22 Public Works
Flamin’ Groovies, The Losin' Streaks & Peter Case (of Nerves, Plimsouls): February 22 at 4 Star Theater
The American Analog Set’s “Magic Hour”: February 26-27 at Gray Area
Zzzahara: February 26 at Bottom of the Hill
DIIV: February 27 at Gray Area
Noise Pop @ SF JAZZ: February 27 - March 2 at SF Jazz
Dani Offline (February 27)
Sirintip (February 28)
August Lee Stevens (March 1)
MeloDios (March 2)
Earlimart’s 20th Anniversary of “Treble & Tremble”: March 1 at Bottom of the Hill
With dozens of artists now having been confirmed to perform at the 32nd annual event, fans can look forward to a final wave of lineup additions to be announced early next year, which will feature dozens of local bands as Noise Pop continues to champion the Bay Area’s music and arts community through its flagship festival.
“We’re very excited for these new additions to the festival and hope Noise Pop fans will enjoy everything that our team has added for Phase 2. We encourage fans to check out all of the new festival artists that we’ve added, some of whom might just end up becoming their favorite new artists,” said Noise Pop’s CEO Michelle Swing.
Tickets to each newly announced concert will be available for purchase tomorrow, December 20 at 10:00 a.m. PST via www.noisepopfest.com, with festival badges on sale now.
Along with VIP and SuperFan badge packages also available, festival badge-holders will have complimentary access to a full schedule of happy hours, art exhibitions, retail pop-ups, exclusive after-parties, and more throughout the week. Available in limited quantities, these festival badges ultimately offer music lovers a rare opportunity to explore many of the Bay Area's most iconic concert halls and landmark performance venues next February
Noise Pop would like to thank this year’s venue partners for playing host to so many of its festival events including returning venues like Great American Music Hall, The Fillmore, August Hall, 4 Star Theatrer, 1015 Folsom, Public Works, Rickshaw Stop, Bottom of the Hill, The Lab, Gray Area, Grace Cathedral, SF Jazz and Cal Academy of Sciences, as well as first-time venue participant Space 550 and the long-awaited return to The Independent.
Organizers would like to also show appreciation for the many sponsors supporting this independently-produced festival including Montucky Cold Snacks, Fords Gin, Slane Whiskey, Diplomatico Rum, Chambord Black Raspberry Liqueur, Waterloo Sparkling Water, Groover, Crossroads, SF Symphony, Culture Pop, and Z Hotels including Hotel Zelos, Hotel Zetta, Hotel Zeppelin.
As part of Noise Pop Festival’s 30-year-plus tradition of supporting artists, celebrating fans, and creating community, organizers will be donating a portion of proceeds to the Sweet Relief Musicians Fund, a nonprofit that assists all types of career musicians and music industry workers who are facing financial challenges amidst physical or mental health issues or disability. Since 2020, the organization has provided over $450,000 to Bay Area residents working in the music industry with more information available at sweetrelief.org.
Stay tuned for more festival announcements by visiting the official festival website at www.noisepopfest.com and following along on social media channels at @NoisePop.
# # #
