Alexander Laurence's Blog, page 179
December 19, 2024
HOMER Shares Wes Anderson-Inspired Video ft. girl names GOLDEN | Kendrick Lamar, Clairo, Sharon Jones-Collaborator's Debut Album Out Now
HOMER
Acclaimed Musician (Clairo, Kendrick Lamar, Adele, More)
Shares Melodic Wes Anderson-Inspired Cinematic Adventure
Watch Official Video for “Wishing Well” ft. girl named GOLDEN
ENSATINA
Debut Album Out Now via Big Crown Records - LISTEN NOW
Today, Big Crown Records shares the official video for “Wishing Well (ft. girl named GOLDEN).” The video is the latest from Ensatina, the debut album from Grammy-nominated drummer, multi-instrumentalist and producer Homer, whose distinctive stickwork helped blend the raw-but-receptive soul sound back into the mainstream via the likes of Amy Winehouse and Sharon Jones. He is also currently one of the most in demand drummers in the world, playing with everyone from Solange, Remi Wolf, Kali Uchis and Fleet Foxes to Kendrick Lamar, Adele, Silk Sonic and Jonas Brothers, to name a few. With Ensatina, Homer has stepped to the forefront as both musician and producer.
“Wishing Well” features Brooklyn-based rising artist / songwriter, girl named GOLDEN, who appears on several of Ensatina’s tracks. girl named GOLDEN and Homer were drawn together as collaborators via their same spirit of adventure and musical interests. For the “Wishing Well” video, the pair collaborated with director Ben Steiger Levine and Jordan Fein on a melodic Wes Anderson-inspired cinematic adventure diving into their adventurous and misfit-like energy.
Watch “Wishing Well (ft. girl called GOLDEN)” here: https://youtu.be/X78CjLNqTU0.
WATCH & SHARE “WISHING WELL” OFFICIAL VIDEO
As he began recording Ensatina, Homer had to deal with considerable personal turbulence around this time: his band Holy Hive broke up coupled with a rupture in his personal life that ended a relationship of 20+ years. This all put Homer in an uncertain place mentally, and the fallout was significant enough for him to seek professional help. "I was going through these super manic highs and then very depressive lows," Homer describes. "And being in all that, it's just so tough to imagine that the other side is there, that it'll be ok." But, with time, professional help, and support from friends and family, Homer did make it through and has been forever changed. Armed with this experience and the self-knowledge that came with it, this new album is a testament to that shift.
Homer (aka Homer Steinweiss) Ensatina is not only a heady bricolage of Homer's experience and knowledge from playing music professionally since he was 16—it's also a personal snapshot of who he is now, as well as how struggle often brings about a needed change. Listen to Ensatina here: https://lnk.to/Ensatina.
FOLLOW HOMER
Pleasure Forever (Sub Pop, Red Sparowes, ex-The VSS) streaming 25th Anniversary album reissue early w/ interview
Pleasure Forever streaming forthcoming 25th Anniversary album reissue early w/ interview
Early 2000s trio on Sub Pop, ex-The VSS, Red Sparowes, Marriages, Andrew Rothbard
Hear/share The Devil's Pleasures album (PsychBaby) (Bandcamp)
Hear/share "Chemical Priest" single (DSPs)
"They don't sound like much you've heard before... This is not rote, predictable stuff." 8.4 -- Pitchfork
“Soliloquy meets psychedelia as the SF semi-goths ‘timely rip’ us a new album, Distal, genre-blended and aged like a fine Zinfandel. Solid gold via Solid Brass.” — Echoes & Dust
“[Taps] into the haunted atmosphere of their early recordings while imbuing them with a hypnotic, psychedelic glow… A thrilling return that marks a new era of creativity for the group.” — Treble
Former Bay Area trio Pleasure Forever are streaming their forthcoming 25th Anniversary reissue of their 1999 album The Devil's Pleasures early today alongside an interview with Psychedelic Baby Magazine. This release concludes the band's reissues of their early catalog and rarities, all of which is for the first time on streaming services. Hear/share The Devil's Pleasures HERE. (Direct Bandcamp)
Hear/share singles "Chemical Priest" and "An Exact Seance" on all DSPs HERE.
The band’s two debut 12” EPs (1997 and 1999 respectively) were originally released in 1999 as The Devil’s Pleasures on CD via Troubleman Unlimited. On December 20th, 2024, the band releases those 11 tracks, remastered and with reconfigured artwork, for the first time on streaming services.
In 2007, the band released an LP & CD called Bodies Need Rest, which compiled rare and unreleased tracks via Conspiracy Records. Those tracks have never been available on streaming services, until now. Bodies Need Rest has an updated master and hit streaming services on November 8th, 2024. Hear/share on all DSPs.
in 2023, 20 years after the band’s last proper album Alter was released on Sub Pop — with the catalog number Sub Pop #666, no less — Pleasure Forever released a new mini-album titled Distal via Solid Brass Records.
Pleasure Forever remains as hard to characterize as they’ve always been. Moments of heavy hitting rock tendencies tie together their continuing exploration of spooky 60s psychedelia and their peculiarly warped feel of classic rock from an alternate universe, dashed with hypnotic and minimal rhythms reminiscent of heady Krautrock. Distal will appeal to fans of Roxy Music, The Doors, The VSS, CAN, Amon Düül II, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds…
Pleasure Forever is vocalist/keyboardist Andrew Rothbard, drummer Dave Clifford and guitarist Joshua Hughes. The band is not currently active or playing any live shows.
In the two decades between proper albums, Rothbard has released multiple solo albums under his full name Andrew Douglas Rothbard, Clifford played drums in instrumental post-metal band Red Sparowes, as well as Emma Ruth Rundle vehicle Marriages, Jail Weddings and more, Hughes sang and played guitar in Relapse Records sludge metal trio Rabbits and currently in Ssold. The three members formerly played together in synth-punk pioneers The VSS in the mid-90s.
The Devil's Pleasures will be available for download and streaming on December 20, 2024. Bodies Need Rest is available for download and streaming, released on November 8th, 2024 via Permanent Teeth Records. Pre-orders are available HERE.
Artist: Pleasure Forever
Album: The Devil's Pleasures
Label: Permanent Teeth Records
Release Date: December 20th, 2024
01. Osculum Infame
02. An Exact Seance
03. On Your Belly You Shall Crawl
04. Honeycomb Communique
05. Name of Man
06. Untitled
07. Chemical Priest
08. Slender Spires
09. Kill a Pony
10. Calling the Loa
11. Penumbra Hadabra
Artist: Pleasure Forever
Album: Bodies Need Rest
Label: Permanent Teeth Records
Release Date: November 8th, 2024
01. King Cobra in the Guts of Valhalla
02. Miles Underneath
03. Capricorn Blue
04. Right Back Down in the Middle
05. Black Juju
06. The Bars
07. Our Way
08. Honey Honey
On The Web:
instagram.com/pleasureforevermusic
Mad Cool Festival announces Olivia Rodrigo, Iggy Pop, Weezer, Gracie Abrams and more for 2025
Mad Cool Festival
Announces First Names For 2025
Including Olivia Rodrigo, Iggy Pop, Alanis Morrisette, Weezer, Kings Of Leon, Thirty Seconds To Mars, Gracie Abrams, Noah Kahan, St. Vincent, Justice, The Blessed Madonna, Bloc Party, Future Islands and many more
Today, Mad Cool Festival is thrilled to unveil the first artists confirmed for its 2025 edition, set to take place from 10-12 July in Villaverde, Madrid. This first wave announcement includes huge names across a variety of genres and more set to be revealed soon.
Headlining the festival is Gen-Z phenomenon Olivia Rodrigo, one of the most influential artists in contemporary pop right now. With just two albums, the American singer has captivated a global audience by blending introspective lyrics with sounds inspired by 90s alternative rock, creating a bridge between generations.
Legendary ‘Godfather of Punk’ Iggy Pop will return to Mad Cool with a set packed with classics from his influential career spanning more than five decades. Another iconic artist, Alanis Morrisette, will return to Madrid with performances from her landmark album Jagged Little Pill.
Rock fans can look forward to a long-awaited performance from Weezer, who are appearing in Madrid for the first time in 20 years; as well as Kings of Leon, who will perform both classic anthems and tracks from their latest album. Thirty Seconds to Mars also join the lineup, led by Jared and Shannon Leto, will perform songs from their new release It’s the End of the World but It’s a Beautiful Day.
Another exciting pop addition, Gracie Abrams will join the lineup, hailed as one of the most promising singer-songwriters of her generation. Since her 2019 debut, her delicate voice and emotionally charged lyrics have won over a global audience. Joining her is Noah Kahan, who has brought contemporary folk to new heights with a blend of lyrical honesty and modern influences. American musician and singer St. Vincent, renowned for her acclaimed live performances and her ability to explore complex human emotions, promises to deliver one of the festival’s standout moments.
French electronic duo Justice will return to Mad Cool with a new album that reinforces their place at the forefront of electronic music.
The festival is also embracing nostalgia and the resurgence of indie sleaze, with performances from iconic British bands Bloc Party, Kaiser Chiefs and The Wombats. Glass Animals will also showcase their distinct psychedelic sound, while Australian rockers Jet will bring the explosive energy of their early 2000s rock classic Get Born.
Fans of American alternative music can look forward to sets from Foster the People, Future Islands, Bright Eyes, and FIDLAR.
Rising stars such as Benson Boone, Girl In Red, Finneas, Tanner Addell, Artemas, PVRIS and Royel Otis represent a fresh wave of global talent redefining the musical landscape at Mad Cool, as well as national acts like Arde Bogotá, Natalia Lacunza, and Alcalá Norte.
Soulful sounds will also take center stage, with Leon Bridges delivering his signature blend of classic and contemporary soul, The Teskey Brothers showcasing their heartfelt blues-inspired tracks, and Hermanos Gutiérrez are set to transport listeners with their evocative instrumental landscapes.
Mad Cool continues to celebrate the diversity of the music scene, with performances from electronic acts like The Blessed Madonna, Miss Monique, and Krystal Klear, alongside genre-spanning names such as The Backseat Lovers, Mother Mother, and Circa Waves.
Hardcore legends Refused, will bid farewell to the stage at Mad Cool with their final tour. Meanwhile, Residente will bring incisive rap and thought-provoking lyrics, cementing his status as a global voice for the Latin community, tackling issues of justice, identity, and freedom.
The lineup is rounded out by ARGY, SALUTE, BLONDSHELL, MARK AMBOR, LUVCAT, DEAD POET SOCIETY, SAMMY VIRJI, DEADLETTER, NSQK, ALESSI ROSE, JERUB, HANNAH WANTS, ALMOST MONDAY, LAST TRAIN, TSHA, MYCHELLE, MYD, BATTLESNAKE, POLE POSITION, AKRIILA, and FAKEAR.
Mad Cool Festival 2025 will feature three full days of live music performances by Spanish and international bands marking an essential stop on the national and international music festival circuit.
Mad Cool Festival 2025 will take place at the Iberdrola Music venue in Villaverde, south of Madrid, a space that combines leisure, culture, and innovation. Designed as a model of sustainability, it spans over 185,000 square meters and aims to become a central cultural and social hub for southern Madrid.
TICKET SALE INFO
MAD COOL MEMBER PRESALE
If you're a Mad Cool member, from the 20th of December at 9.00am GMT/ 10.00am CET until the 23rd of December at 8.59am GMT/ 9.59am CET, you can get your 3-day ticket with a special price at www.madcooltickets.com
General 3-Day Ticket - 189€ + booking fee.
VIP 3-Day Ticket - 350€ + booking fee.
GENERAL SALE
General 3-Day Ticket - 210€ + booking fee.
VIP 3-Day Ticket - 399€ + booking fee.
December 18, 2024
The Brian Jonestown Massacre SPRING EU TOUR DATES 2025
SPRING EU TOUR DATESWe are delighted to announce new tour dates across Europe in 2025! Tickets go on sale at 10am on Friday 20th December 2024, unless otherwise stated, from thebrianjonestownmassacre.com
4th May Prague Lucerna Music Bar *
5th May Vienna Arena >
6th May Milan Alcatraz *
8th May Zurich Komplex 457 <
9th May Munich Technikum <
10th May Lausanne Les Docks <
11th May Lyon LeTransbordeur >
13th May Barcelona Razzmatazz <
14th May Madrid La Riviera <
16th May Toulouse LeBikini *
17th May Biarritz Atabal *
18th May Nantes Stereolux *
20th May Paris La Cigale *
22nd May Antwerp De Roma <
24th May Malmo Plan B <
25th May Gothenburg Pustervik <
27th May Stockholm Fallan <
28th May Oslo Rockefeller <
29th May Copenhagen Amager Bio /
30th May Aarhus Voxhall /
31st May Berlin Huxley's <
ON SALE NOW >
General sale Thursday 19th December at 10am CET *
General sale Friday 20th December at 10am CET <
General sale Friday 17th January 2025 at 10am CET /
SHOP BJM MERCH
Kate Nash Talks “Butts For Tour Buses” OnlyFans Campaign & the Music Industry Crisis w/ Rolling Stone
Kate Nash
Discusses “Butts For Tour Buses” OnlyFans campaign
London Protests at Spotify & LiveNation,
Skyrocketing Concert Ticket Markups
& the Music Industry Crisis with Rolling Stone
"Women being in control of their bodies is vital and something
we should all be standing by & fighting for.” - Kate Nash
9 Sad Symphonies LP out now via Kill Rock Stars
9 Sad Symphonies purchase link
Singles: “
Millions of Heartbeats
” “
Ray
” “
Space Odyssey 2001
” “
Change
”
Credit: Alice Baxley
Multi-talented artist Kate Nash has always charted her own path and used her voice to lift up fans and draw attention to important issues. Eager to connect with her fans directly, she recently toured the US for the first time in 6 years and just wrapped an EU/UK leg of dates. This jarring experience activated her to speak up about the crises artists are experiencing across the music industry and take action in seeking out solutions.
For the majority of artists, making music is financially unsustainable. In response, Kate has launched a “Butts For Tour Buses” OnlyFans campaign after tour costs proved otherwise insurmountable. This move both bolstered her feminist stance on bodily agency and afforded her the ability to tour and pay staff fair wages. With the support of Save Our Scenes who provided a fire truck to follow with a poster of her bum on it, Kate also led a protest the afternoon of her sold out London show on November 28 with stops outside of Live Nation, Spotify & the House of Commons. In a statement, Nash said of the protest: “The cost of presenting live music has gone up by 30.3% over the past 2 years. There were 125 venues that closed last year in the UK. And, the value of recorded music is extremely low. You’re paid 0.003 of a penny per stream.”
Recently becoming a US Citizen, Kate Nash spoke about the global state of the industry and more in an exclusive conversation with Rolling Stone, out today.
(Kate Nash protesting in London on Nov 28, 2024)
Credit: Emily Marcovecchio
Kate Nash released her acclaimed new album 9 Sad Symphonies with legendary label Kill Rock Stars marking her valiant return with acclaim spanning NPR, PEOPLE, The Needle Drop, Rolling Stone, The Wall Street Journal, BrooklynVegan and more. From starring in HBO's hit wrestling drama, GLOW to co-creating the acclaimed Off-Broadway musical, Only Gold, with Hamilton choreographer Andy Blankenbuehler to her 2007 debut breakthrough album Made of Bricks, which featuring the hit single “Foundations,” Kate is an unstoppable force. 9 Sad Symphonies is a testament to the resilience, creativity, unyielding passion and evergreen charm of Kate Nash.
Instagram | TikTok | Facebook | X | YouTube | Website
Bandcamp | Spotify | Apple Music
December 17, 2024
Louisville's Charm School shares new single, "Happiness Is A Warm Sun" ahead of new LP
Louisville's Charm School shares new single, "Happiness Is A Warm Sun" ahead of new LP
STREAM: "Happiness Is A Warm Sun" -
YouTube
Today Louisville post-punk band Charm School shares their new single, "Happiness Is A Warm Sun." While the band usually works in the same lane as bands like Metz or Protomartyr, "Sun" finds the band sounding more like Lou Reed fronting a krautrock band like Can or Faust. The song will appear on the band's debut LP, Debt Forever, out in 2025.
***
Charm School is the latest project from Andrew Sellers (aka Andrew Rinehart) and longtime collaborators Matt Filip, Drew English, Brian Vega, and Jason Bemis Lawrence. The name change signals a move away from Sellers' previous songwriting efforts (as evidenced by his recent duet with Bonnie Prince Billy) toward a much darker and more aggressive sound. Think 70s Post-Punk & No Wave mixed with 90s Post-Rock and you’ll be close.
Originally from Louisville, KY, Sellers has paid his dues in both the NYC and LA DIY music scenes, and his various bands have played with seminal acts like Joan of Arc, Grizzly Bear & At The Drive-In.
Charm School's 1st EP Finite Jest was released in 2023, and their forthcoming LP (titled Debt Forever) is due out in January of 2025.
Press photo by Destiny Robb
“Charm School has tapped into a well of influence that includes both The Fall and Pere Ubu and more modern No Wave-esque post-punkers Lithics and Protomartyr." - Queen City Sounds & Art
“Emanating from a place where the B-52s, PIL, The Fall, and Gang of Four might find a shared sonic playground.” - Post-Punk.com
The band gives more context for the song:
"This song is kind of an outlier on the record. It's the only song that was basically improvised in the studio, and the only one where the lyrics were written sort of "automatically." They're all ideas that have been swirling around in the collective unconscious for awhile now, pertaining to the intense state of the world: the rise of fascism, ongoing wars, financial pressure, overpopulation, media at a million miles per hour, the spectre of the algorithm, the total lack of empathy online, etc."
Charm School
Debt Forever
(Self-Released)
Out January 24, 2025
Pre-order it HERE
Track List:
1. Debt Forever
2. Je t'aime (A Quoi Bon)
3. Boycott Everything Everywhere
4. Crime Time
5. Cherry Red
6. Breaking The Waves
7. I Wanna Feel It
8. Without A Doubt
9. Youthquaker
10. Figure 8
11. Happiness is a Warm Sun
RELATED LINKS:
IG: https://www.instagram.com/charmschool.band
FB: https://www.facebook.com/CharmSchool777
Twitter: https://x.com/CharmSchoolUSA
Bandcamp: https://charmschool777.bandcamp.com
Kathryn Mohr Shares New Single, “Elevator”
Kathryn Mohr Shares “Elevator”
The song appears on debut LP for The Flenser, Waiting Room, out January 24th.
Photo by Senny Mau
"Overtop the reverbed, reversed soundscape, Mohr delicately sings, with her voice delaying back and forth until it ultimately gets swallowed into the abyss."- Consequence
"...will likely appeal to fans of acts like Grouper and Midwife... may burrow its way into your brain even more effectively than Mohr’s haunting coos." - Stereogum
Oakland-based artist Kathryn Mohr will release her debut LP Waiting Room January 24, 2025 on The Flenser. The album was written and self-recorded over the course of a month in eastern Iceland, within the walls of a disused fish factory surrounded by remote nature. Mohr spent hours immersed in the writing and recording of this album in a windowless concrete room lit with a string of multicolored light bulbs (which made their way into the album art), taking breaks to wander the factory or disappear up the shoreline—field recorder in hand. What came out of those recording hours are songs inspired by horror as extravagant as limb amputation by a faulty elevator and lyrics as maze-like and misguided as the torturous love and fears they depict.
The album’s second single “Elevator” embodies this end result. Mohr laments, “Young people are exposed to all sorts of media, without reason or care. It's the same in life— you never expect what will happen next or how horrible it might be. One second you're watching a nature documentary, the next moment autoplay is showing someone getting their arm ripped off in an elevator. The unexpectedness of horror, how its thrust upon you, imposed, by other people, governments, personal demons, algorithms or pure chance is a shocking to me. Sometimes I find it hard to escape the feeling that terrible things come from a sinister source, something or someone who feeds off of suffering, takes pleasure in it. It's a really dark place to be, when I start to feel that way."
Listen / share "Elevator" on YouTube
During her period of isolation in the tiny fishing village of Stöðvarfjörður, Mohr was all too aware of a feeling of waiting, attuned to all the worm-like emotions and memories that crawl out of the ground when there is nothing and no one to distract. She spent most time in the factory, which had sat derelict for a decade, and was in the process of being repurposed into a space for artists, with many parts left untouched since the last days of fish production and other rooms made new with heat and light. This state of incompleteness, of loss of meaning, and repurposing became a mirror of her inner world, her abandoned ideas of home, love, affection, and meaning dissolved by traumatic memories of violence. Waiting Room is a processing of nearly untouchable emotions-- of rebuilding the foundation for which elusive words like affection, passion and home can have a meaning weatherproof to and detangled from the direct, physical and emotional violence that permeates our experiences on earth.
The lyrics, drawn from her dream-like surroundings and non-linear memories depict the disturbing and intricate world of her mind as it grapples with the violence and horror of human nature while in a far away, otherworldly, landscape where sheep outnumber people. Mohr turns the dull discomfort of waiting for nothing into a resource, a spring of creativity and pushes her world outside of herself— Mohr made the album to let go of it.
Pre-order Waiting Room here.
Waiting Room, track list:
DiverRatedDrivenPetrifiedTake ItElevatorProve ItHorizonlessCorneredWheelWaiting Room
The Clamor Share "Staircase Stomp" Stop-Motion Video via Magnet | Read Chorus.FM, V13 and It's Psychedelic Baby Features | More New Music Coming Soon
via Magnet
Read Chorus.FM, V13, and It's Psychedelic Baby Features
More New Music Coming Soon
Photo by Piama HabibullahWATCH/LISTEN & SHARE: The Clamor - "Staircase Stomp"
Stream | Watch
LISTEN & SHARE: The Clamor - "You Bring Out the Demon in Me"
Stream
LISTEN & SHARE: The Clamor - "Trick and Bout"
Stream"Aggressive yet infectious"
- Earmilk
"A record that refuses to sit in one box"
- Distorted Sound
"An infectious, upbeat, and obsession-worthy track"
- The Honey Pop
"Get ready to fall in love with The Clamor"
- chorus.fm
"An adventurous, shape-shifting set of eight songs that embrace everything from swaggering guitar-rock and twitchy post-punk to soulful ska and rugged, rude-boy reggae-rock"
- Tinnitist
"Punk spirit with strong early/mid '80s elements that recall art-punk, New Wave and other independent-minded, adventurous yet accessible sounds"
- Scene Point Blank
"Ramshackle excitement"
- Backseat Mafia
"A compelling mix of genres that, despite seeming like it wouldn’t work, is engrossing"
- Jersey Beat
The Clamor, outfit of NYC based musician, producer, author (and more) Aaron Louis, are back with a stop-motion video for "Staircase Stomp". "Staircase Stomp" delves into the allure of self-destructive behavior, and a call to reconsider those darker tendencies. The song navigates the recognition of a sense of emptiness and unmet desires in life, coupled with an internal rebellion and the quest for comfort and connection.
Aaron Louis on the music video, "The Staircase Stomp music video by The Clamor brings together the meticulous stop-motion artistry of Jody McKee and the dynamic digital animation of Scotty Hull to explore themes of identity and inner conflict. With the animator's haunting visuals, and lyrics that delve into psychological tension, the video blurs the lines between external chaos and internal struggles, offering what I hope is a meaningful reflection on the complexity of self-awareness."
The Clamor’s single “Staircase Stomp” is meticulously crafted, with production, tracking, and mixing helmed by Jeff Berner at Studio G in Brooklyn, NY. The Clamor's musical lineup boasts Aaron Louis on vocals, guitar and organ, accompanied by Gary Atturio on bass, Omer Leibovitz and Kirk Schoenherr on guitar, Aleida Gehrels on viola, Nicole Williams on cello, Shin-Yi Yang on guzheng, and Layton Weedeman on drums. Assisting in the engineering process are Ross Colombo and Leah Gutman, while mastering is expertly handled by Alan Douches at West West Side Music in NYC. Cover art is by Bill Smith who is responsible for over 2000 music covers from the likes of Kate Bush, Genesis, The Cure, The Jam, Led Zeppelin, King Crimson, Van Morrison, Queen, The Rolling Stones and many others.
The Clamor - Staircase Stomp (Official Video) Stop-Motion
Single Art by Bill SmithTHE CLAMOR LINKS
Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube
December 16, 2024
Midlake Celebrate "The Trials of Van Occupanther" with Limited-Edition Vinyl Release
MIDLAKE CELEBRATE THE TRIALS OF VAN OCCUPANTHER
WITH SPECIAL NEW VINYL REISSUE
RE-MASTERED LIMITED EDITION OF TIMELESS SECOND ALBUM
FEATURED ORIGINAL LAYOUT AND LABELS FROM ORIGINAL 2006 PRESSING
OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO FOR THE CULT CLASSIC OPENING TRACK,
“ROSCOE,” PREMIERES TODAY ON YOUTUBE - WATCH
THE TRIALS OF VAN OCCUPANTHER ARRIVES ON OPAQUE MARIGOLD,
180-GRAM VINYL LP VIA THE BAND’S OWN MIDLAKE RECORDS
ON FRIDAY, JANUARY 17
PRE-ORDERS ARE AVAILABLE NOW
Midlake have announced a very special new vinyl pressing of their landmark 2006 second album, The Trials of Van Occupanther, available Friday, January 17 on the band’s own Midlake Records. Limited to 750 copies on Opaque Marigold, 180-gram vinyl, available at Indie Retailers, and 250 Black vinyl copies, which will be available on Midlake’s webstore, the new LP edition – re-mastered by Christopher Colbert (Nathaniel Rateliff, Richard Swift) and lacquer cut by Amy Dragon (Big Thief, Richard Thompson) will feature the 44-minute album’s original layout and labels from the very first pressing. Pre-orders are available now.
PRE-ORDER THE TRIALS OF VAN OCCUPANTHER (LIMITED EDITION VINYL)
To celebrate, Midlake have shared, for the first time, the official music video for the album’s classic opening track, “Roscoe,” directed by filmmaker Dan Fernbach and streaming now on YouTube.
“This video was shot on an absolutely beautiful piece of land in Oxfordshire, England while we were on tour in Europe,” says Midlake’s Eric Pulido. “We only had a day to shoot the video, so time was of the essence. We had worked with Dan before with Kingfish Pies, and loved his work on that, but didn’t have the chance to actually be a part of the video like we did with ‘Roscoe.’ It was an enjoyable process for all of us to dress up and ‘act’ together. The last scene where we’re all having a feast was quite nice. It was the end of the day, and although we were tired and hungry, I thought it was a perfect way to celebrate the day’s work. So don’t be fooled by the acting, the jubilation and hunger was pretty genuine.”
WATCH “ROSCOE” OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO
Originally released on July 25, 2006, The Trials of Van Occupanther proved an immediate milestone for Midlake, winning the Denton, TX-based band worldwide praise for their stunningly imaginative, meticulously crafted blend of high-concept invention, wondrous arrangements, and evocative pop songcraft built upon the archetypal sounds of bucolic folk, hazy psychedelia, and heartfelt soft rock. Suffused with a romantic yearning for the simpler life progress leaves behind, this was a record pitched between 1871, 1971, and somewhere out of time – between Henry David Thoreau and Neil Young, between Laurel Canyon thinking and a longing for something more mysterious. Rich reserves of wistful melody, dreamy horns, rolling guitars, and plaintive pianos fuel its elusive, idiosyncratic narratives: a couple long to be robbed by bandits so they can start anew, an outcast scientist ponders his pariah status, a woman chases a frisky deer, a river leads who knows where yet leaves you little choice but to follow…
Hailed by MOJO as “an unimpeachable record,” The Trials of Van Occupanther earned Midlake a passionate fan following – including such famous admirers as Thom Yorke, Beck, The Flaming Lips, Paul Weller, James Dean Bradfield, St. Vincent, and The Chemical Brothers – thanks in part to such timeless favorites as “Young Bride,” “Branches,” and of course, “Roscoe,” the latter named by Rolling Stone as one of the “100 Best Songs of the 2000s.” Midlake went on to explore new vistas throughout a still-evolving body of work that now includes 2010’s The Courage of Others, 2013’s shape-shifting Antiphon, and 2022’s critically acclaimed fifth album, For The Sake Of Bethel Woods. Now, the special new vinyl pressing of The Trials of Van Occupanther serves to remind what fertile seeds were sown with their visionary sophomore outing: a modern classic, made of vintage craft and enduring magic.
# # #
PRAISE FOR MIDLAKE AND THE TRIALS OF VAN OCCUPANTHER
“A bona fide classic…its very existence makes the world seem a better place.”
– NME
“From the remote rock outpost of Denton, Texas, Midlake look lovingly to Fleetwood Mac and the Eagles, but also to the darker genius of Peter Hammill. They have clearly listened closely to the Blue Nile’s debut and Radiohead’s OK Computer. However, they bring it all together in a vision of their own…The songwriting is rich, delivering an almost hallucinatory mix of pianos, horns, guitars and painfully wistful reminisces.”
– THE GUARDIAN (****)
“As with Sufjan Stevens’ Illinois, we’re dealing with an invigorating,
many-faceted work of diverse instrumentation and durability.”
– MOJO
“The Trials of Van Occupanther jumps with both feet into the ‘70s of Laurel Canyon troubadours and soft rock balladeers…becoming one of the best examples of the sound and style you’ll ever hear, date of release notwithstanding…Indeed, it has lasting power that many records that sound so good on first listen lack.”
– ALLMUSIC
“A nuanced, finely layered work…Midlake excels at carefully adorning their songs with just enough extras – a synth here, a piano there, a string section peeking through – to make the songs extraordinary.” POPMATTERS (9/10)
“The full-cream harmonies recall CSNY in their early pomp…Much of it sounds like the spiritual cousin of Neil Young’s After the Gold Rush and Harvest, sharing the same back-to-nature rusticity.”
– UNCUT (****)
“Firmly planted in the idea-space of 1970s pastoral Americana/soft rock (though narratively nearer the 1870s), the pioneer ruralism of Thoreau rubs shoulders with blissed-out West Coast harmonies, CSNY, rolling piano, scuffed guitars and the English folk sensibilities of Richard Thompson, Sandy Denny et al…
Its greatest achievement however is how utterly authentic and credible it sounds,
mercifully free of copycat trappings, try-hard stylings or retro-hucksterism.”
– CLASSIC ROCK (****)
“This is pop music for isolated log cabins, distant settlements with their own quasi-religions and individuals roaming with no real direction; it’s outsider songs and torch lamentations for those lacking a true guiding light. Midlake have, with The Trials Of Van Occupanther, crafted a truly delectably odd album of archaic echoes and future-classic choruses that’ll resonate from the next age to ones that no science fiction can inaccurately picture.”
– DROWNED IN SOUND
“With The Trials Of Van Occupanther, Midlake has built a fragile fantasy world out of pieces of American history, the resonant sounds of churches and small-town music halls, and a basic sense of compassion…It’s earned the pangs of recognition it’ll get from those listeners who grew up with music seeping into the mystery-infatuated compartments of their subconsciouses.”
– AV CLUB
“From electro-pop to classic-rock textures and alluring vocal harmonies, Denton fivepiece Midlake continues to elevate music, maturing structure and echo, this time without the maneuvering of technology…
Nostalgic, sure, but comforting, meticulous, and complex.”
– THE AUSTIN CHRONICLE
“The Trials of Van Occupanther flawlessly heralded a melodic potency of 1970s harmonies akin to Fleetwood Mac, and mined motifs from British prog-rock along the way.”
– THE QUIETUS
“Despite all the shag-carpet throwbacks, (The Trials of Van Occupanther) rises above retro pastiche to probe its central character, the lovelorn, calendar-confined Van Occupanther;
spacey production and allusive songwriting mark the album as a present-day artifact.”
– PITCHFORK
“A world unto itself: a magical and mysterious place in which the listener can lose themselves…
Even today, the record’s beautiful mysteries remain intact.”
– PROG
# # #
MIDLAKE
THE TRIALS OF VAN OCCUPANTHER
(Midlake Records)
Tracklist:
SIDE A
Roscoe
Bandits
Head Home
Van Occupanther
Young Bride
SIDE B
Branches
In This Camp
We Gathered in Spring
It Covers the Hillsides
Chasing After Deer
You Never Arrived
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SHEHERAZAAD shares video for "Lehja" ft Seven Sisters dance collective & directed by Raghavi Agarwal. Mini-album 'Qasr' out now on Erased Tapes.
SHEHERAZAAD- Shares video for "Lehja"
- Directed by Raghavi Agarwal featuring Seven Sisters dance collective
- Mini-album 'Qasr' released earlier this year on Erased Tapes
"Sheherazaad is intent on being known and on making the women she represents in her music known too.Her tool for doing so is the music she makes and the stories she tells through it." - SPIN
"[Lehja is] a ballad that feels like a desolate island with gentle wisps of kanun passing through a limestone bedrock of soft piano keys as Sheherazaad describes a young woman who is ostracized for being herself, yet endures." - The Fader
"A haunting commentary on displacement, immigration and imagined homelands…
Sheherazaad sings to decolonise her tongue” - Vogue India
Today, Sheherazaad wraps up a pivotal year, sharing a new video for the track "Lehja", taken from her mini-album 'Qasr' , which was released at the start of the year via Erased Tapes.
Fresh from tour dates across Europe which saw Sheherazaad and her live band stun crowds at Mutations Festival, Pitchfork London, Le Guess Who? and more, today she shares the expressive new visual. The final track on 'Qasr', the arresting seven minutes long "Lehja" (related to language and speaking-style), is a foray into Sheher’s literal storytelling ability. The song brings to life a mythical city she refers to as “Sheher” (a meta-reference to her artist persona). Lehja examines the turmoil that may surround mother tongue, pronunciation, and the fight to preserve disappearing ancestral languages. The song culminates in a refrain of “azaadi”, a chant that serves as an unequivocal call for freedom across much of South and Southwest Asia, closing the album as mysteriously as it begins.
Of the track, Sheherazaad comments: "I have always battled with “Lehja”, the final, lengthiest track from my debut album Qasr. Considering the song’s themes of estrangement and mutiny, it seems fitting that Lehja was the most stubborn piece to compose, the last to wrangle out of production, and the number I perform most hesitantly in live settings.
And yet Lehja, soaked in grief over linguistic violence and immigrant longing, is a personal portal for my own sense of artistic futurism that exists beyond this first album. It feels so sweet then, that I get to honor this ominous, honeyed folktale with a kind of handcrafted visual anthology. Through the genius of Raghavi Agarwal, the piece (of dance theater format) has been filled with a feminine placidness, intertwined with multiple glorious deaths, and so much else explored in the heroine-ic story of Lehja, my silent icon."
The accompanying video was directed by Raghavi Agarwal and stars the evocative dancing of Seven Sisters Group. Agarwal comments: "The moment I witnessed the Seven Sisters performance taking shape, I felt an instant connection to the track Lehja. The choreography and the music seemed to be woven from the same thread, each enhancing the other’s narrative. As the performance unfolded on stage and through the lens of my camera, I found myself viewing it through the auditory filter of Lehja, allowing the music to guide my visual storytelling. Lehja is a track I deeply resonate with, understanding its tale and the emotions it conveys.
This intimate knowledge influenced my direction, as I sought to reflect the song’s essence through the dancers’ movements and the film’s visual composition. The synergy between the choreography and the music created a seamless blend of sound and motion, where each frame and beat aligned perfectly."
Watch the video for "Lehja" here: https://youtu.be/2RmJF3TNO5w
Listen to ‘Qasr’ in full here: https://idol-io.ffm.to/qasr
Today, migration seems to be encoded into everyday habits. As so many of our minds and bodies aggressively globalise in unprecedented ways, previously fixed “genres” and identities of any kind are constantly being dismantled, made redundant, and born anew.
It’s from this space of flux that American composer and vocalist Sheherazaad derives song. Produced by Arooj Aftab, her mini-album, ‘Qasr’, was engendered during a time of family estrangement, grief over a lost elder, and the racial polarisation of her country as she knew it.
Translating to “castle” or “fortress” in Urdu, ‘Qasr’ is indeed a monument — like encapsulation of the real strains of displacement, the push and pull of diaspora, and the depravity of erasure and forgotten roots. These experiences and their inherent violence, hysteria, and romance imbue her sonic deep-dive into the world of the so-called in-between. “It was maddening” Sheherazaad says, “that the music of my origins didn’t yet exist. So I knew I would have to make it.”
On ‘Qasr’, Sheherazaad gives us a beguiling new soundscape, not yet of this world. But she also stokes the flame of fantasies inherent to the nomadic experience, which may finally be brought to the fore. Overall, the bewitching album finds an artist building her own fortress, while enticing us to forge our own castles, musical queendoms, and impossible dreamlands.
Sheherazaad press shot by Zayira Ray:
Links:
https://www.sheherazaad.com/
https://www.instagram.com/sheherazaadofficial/
facebook.com/sheherazaadofficial
https://www.youtube.com/c/Sheherazaad
https://www.erasedtapes.com/
