Alexander Laurence's Blog, page 1954
January 17, 2017
Hippo Campus Drop Video w/ VICE's Noisey, Internat'l Tour Incl. Bonnaroo, Bottlerock, Debut LP Out 2/24
Hippo Campus
“ way it goes ” Video Premiered via VICE’s Noisey Today
Debut Full Length Album landmark Out February 24
On Grand Jury Music. Pre-Order Here
International Tour Includes Bonnaroo & Bottlerock Festivals
Photo Credit: Alice Baxley
Fresh from a breakthrough 2016 which saw them announce their debut record, landmark , Hippo Campus have unveiled “ way it goes ” and it’s accompanying music video, directed by Hyper House, with VICE’s Noisey today. The single follows Hippo Campus’ recent critically acclaimed singles “boyish” and “monsoon” which marked the band’s first studio recordings in over a year and picked up substantial support from the likes of BBC Radio 1’s Annie Mac, NPR’s Bob Boilen, Consequence of Sound, AV Club, Alternative Press and more, while the tracks currently sit at over 1,000,000 combined Spotify streams.
One of the band’s most immediate songs to date, ” way it goes ” is an exploration of the human condition and self perception, whilst considering the idea that the culture of cool is rapidly becoming something of a religion in its own right. Discussing the track, Jake Luppen of Hippo Campus offered:
"Set in early spring on a frozen lake in Cumberland, Wisconsin, "way it goes" was a moment of clarity; a realization that we are comedy. We exist in a world where our main news source is a social media website. Materialism is our dogma. We seek to control the way our peers perceive us. We engage social issues as a backdrop for our personal drama. It’s the rare moments when we can escape from this artificial reality, that really matter."
The band’s forthcoming debut landmark was written and recorded over the past twelve months and produced by the fast-rising BJ Burton (Bon Iver, Francis & The Lights, Low). The record marks a true coming of age for the band, exploring an intimate world of universal concepts; love and loss, family and friendship, hope and self-doubt, amongst many others. A milestone at the time in life of which certain questions are answered, but so many more are asked.
Following a near non-stop run since the band’s first dates outside of their hometown back at SXSW 2015 and tours with the likes of Real Estate, Walk The Moon, Saint Motel and Modest Mouse, the band kick off an international tour this month which includes a 2-night stint in their hometown of Minneapolis, performances at Bonnaroo & Bottlerock Festivals as well as stops in NYC, Los Angeles, DC, Philadelphia, Portland and more! Their ecstatic live show has lead to performances on CONAN, CBS This Morning Saturday, KCRW Morning Becomes Eclectic , and more. Be sure to catch Hippo Campus live in a city near you.
Hippo Campus 2017 Tour Dates
BUY TICKETS HERE
1/27: Bristol, UK @ Thekla
1/28: Manchester, UK @ Sound Control
1/29: Glasgow, UK @ Stereo
1/31: Leeds, UK @ Belgrave Music Hall
2/1: London, UK @ Dingwalls
2/15: Fargo ND @ Sanctuary Events Center,
2/16 : Omaha, NE @ The Waiting Room Lounge
2/17: Kansas City, MO @ recordBar
2/18: Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theater,
2/20: Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court,
2/21: Missoula, MT @ Top Hat Lounge,
2/23: Vancouver, BC @ The Cobalt,
2/24: Seattle, WA @ Neumos,
2/25: Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom,
2/28: San Francisco, CA @ Slim's
3/2: San Diego, CA @ House of Blues
3/3: Los Angeles, CA @ The Teragram Ballroom
3/4: Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom
3/11: Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
3/12: Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
3/22: Nashville, TN @ The Basement East
3/23: Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade
3/24: Charlotte, NC @ The Visulite Theater
3/25: Carrboro, NC @ Cat's Cradle
3/28: Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
3/29: Washington, DC @ Black Cat
31/3/31: New York, NY @ Irving Plaza
4/1: Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club
4/3: Toronto, ON @ Horseshoe Tavern
4/4: Ferndale, MI @ The Loving Touch,
4/6: Columbus, OH @ Newport Music Hall
4/7: Chicago, IL @ Metro
4/8: Madison, WI @ Majestic Theatre
5/26-5/28: Napa, CA @ Bottlerock Festival
6/8-6/11: Manchester, TN @ Bonnaroo
“ way it goes ” Video Premiered via VICE’s Noisey Today
Debut Full Length Album landmark Out February 24
On Grand Jury Music. Pre-Order Here
International Tour Includes Bonnaroo & Bottlerock Festivals
Photo Credit: Alice Baxley
Fresh from a breakthrough 2016 which saw them announce their debut record, landmark , Hippo Campus have unveiled “ way it goes ” and it’s accompanying music video, directed by Hyper House, with VICE’s Noisey today. The single follows Hippo Campus’ recent critically acclaimed singles “boyish” and “monsoon” which marked the band’s first studio recordings in over a year and picked up substantial support from the likes of BBC Radio 1’s Annie Mac, NPR’s Bob Boilen, Consequence of Sound, AV Club, Alternative Press and more, while the tracks currently sit at over 1,000,000 combined Spotify streams.
One of the band’s most immediate songs to date, ” way it goes ” is an exploration of the human condition and self perception, whilst considering the idea that the culture of cool is rapidly becoming something of a religion in its own right. Discussing the track, Jake Luppen of Hippo Campus offered:
"Set in early spring on a frozen lake in Cumberland, Wisconsin, "way it goes" was a moment of clarity; a realization that we are comedy. We exist in a world where our main news source is a social media website. Materialism is our dogma. We seek to control the way our peers perceive us. We engage social issues as a backdrop for our personal drama. It’s the rare moments when we can escape from this artificial reality, that really matter."
The band’s forthcoming debut landmark was written and recorded over the past twelve months and produced by the fast-rising BJ Burton (Bon Iver, Francis & The Lights, Low). The record marks a true coming of age for the band, exploring an intimate world of universal concepts; love and loss, family and friendship, hope and self-doubt, amongst many others. A milestone at the time in life of which certain questions are answered, but so many more are asked.
Following a near non-stop run since the band’s first dates outside of their hometown back at SXSW 2015 and tours with the likes of Real Estate, Walk The Moon, Saint Motel and Modest Mouse, the band kick off an international tour this month which includes a 2-night stint in their hometown of Minneapolis, performances at Bonnaroo & Bottlerock Festivals as well as stops in NYC, Los Angeles, DC, Philadelphia, Portland and more! Their ecstatic live show has lead to performances on CONAN, CBS This Morning Saturday, KCRW Morning Becomes Eclectic , and more. Be sure to catch Hippo Campus live in a city near you.
Hippo Campus 2017 Tour Dates
BUY TICKETS HERE
1/27: Bristol, UK @ Thekla
1/28: Manchester, UK @ Sound Control
1/29: Glasgow, UK @ Stereo
1/31: Leeds, UK @ Belgrave Music Hall
2/1: London, UK @ Dingwalls
2/15: Fargo ND @ Sanctuary Events Center,
2/16 : Omaha, NE @ The Waiting Room Lounge
2/17: Kansas City, MO @ recordBar
2/18: Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theater,
2/20: Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court,
2/21: Missoula, MT @ Top Hat Lounge,
2/23: Vancouver, BC @ The Cobalt,
2/24: Seattle, WA @ Neumos,
2/25: Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom,
2/28: San Francisco, CA @ Slim's
3/2: San Diego, CA @ House of Blues
3/3: Los Angeles, CA @ The Teragram Ballroom
3/4: Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom
3/11: Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
3/12: Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
3/22: Nashville, TN @ The Basement East
3/23: Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade
3/24: Charlotte, NC @ The Visulite Theater
3/25: Carrboro, NC @ Cat's Cradle
3/28: Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
3/29: Washington, DC @ Black Cat
31/3/31: New York, NY @ Irving Plaza
4/1: Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club
4/3: Toronto, ON @ Horseshoe Tavern
4/4: Ferndale, MI @ The Loving Touch,
4/6: Columbus, OH @ Newport Music Hall
4/7: Chicago, IL @ Metro
4/8: Madison, WI @ Majestic Theatre
5/26-5/28: Napa, CA @ Bottlerock Festival
6/8-6/11: Manchester, TN @ Bonnaroo
Flying Lotus Announced as Sled Island 2017 Guest Curator
FLYING LOTUS ANNOUNCED AS SLED ISLAND 2017 GUEST CURATOR
(January 17, 2017 - Calgary, AB) Calgary's Sled Island Music & Arts Festival returns from June 21 - 25, 2017 for its 11th year of thoughtful, eclectic and independent music and arts programming.
Organizers are thrilled to announce Flying Lotus as 2017 guest curator. Flying Lotus' curatorial selections, which will be announced in spring 2017, will join over 250 additional bands, comedy acts, films and visual art projects chosen by the festival in more than 35 venues across the city.
In addition, Flying Lotus will perform at The Palace Theatre (219 8th Ave. SW) on June 24, 2017. Sled Island passes grant access (subject to capacity) and are currently on sale at SledIsland.com. Single tickets will be available in spring 2017.
Each year, Sled Island's guest curator helps set the direction and tone of the festival with special programming choices and their presence at the event. Past curators have included Peaches, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Kathleen Hanna (Bikini Kill, Le Tigre, The Julie Ruin), John Dwyer (Thee Oh Sees), Tim Hecker, Andrew W.K., Colin Newman (Wire), Fucked Up, Scott Kannberg (Pavement) and more.
Sled Island will announce its first wave of 2017 artists in February 2017.
ABOUT FLYING LOTUSYou see, no one likes talking about death. But Flying Lotus has never been one to lead the people on a simple journey.
With You're Dead! he has managed to create a shamanic pilgrimage into the psychedelic unknown of the infinite afterlife. At once reflective, restless, heart wrenching and joyous, this is a melodic ode to those who have died young, suddenly and unexpectedly - those who have passed away into another realm completely - while also existing as a comfort to those mourning the loss of a loved one, those left behind in our here and now. You're Dead! serves as an exploration, a eulogy and a portal between these parallel domains.
"My perspective comes from having lost a lot of people. A lot of my family members passed, but a lot of my colleagues passed away too soon," says Flying Lotus. "I felt like in my own experiences, I wanted them to have this same sense of self."
Musically, the album treats death as a transition from one experience to another, from one dimension of sound to another. Masterfully, Flying Lotus bathes death in the sensitive, affectionate light of a storyteller.
Flying Lotus takes listeners on a consciousness-fracturing journey as they follow those who've passed away as they embark on their tender new existences "on the other side." This life in the new dimension is rife with excitement, adjustments and reconciliation for some who are struggling to make sense of how they got to the other side in the first place.
"The album isn't about the end," says Flying Lotus. "It's really the beginning. It's the beginning of a new experience," he says. "It's not hey you're dead," he says somberly. "It's hey you're dead!" he says with an uptick of enthusiasm. "To me it's a celebration of the next experience. Also, it's the transition and the confusion," he adds.
You're Dead! is a hefty undertaking, but Flying Lotus aptly creates an engaging sonic delight, part spiritual carnival, part melancholic symphony, all the while coaxing listeners out of their fears of the unknown - and sometimes indulging those same fears. This aural procession through the afterlife does not trade on our clichéd catalog of pop-culture references to extinction. You won't find grim reaper-referencing rote drama, or the pallid somber palette of reverential muzak. This is a sonic, visual and metaphysical fusion of technological innovation and technical virtuosity that amounts to a transcendent, mind-expanding plasm that could only exist between our world and another.
ABOUT SLED ISLANDSled Island is an annual five-day music and arts festival in Calgary, Alberta, that brings together over 250 bands, comedians, filmmakers and artists in more than 35 venues across the city. Since 2007, Sled Island's thoughtful, eclectic programming and independent spirit have fused with Calgary's youthful energy to produce a one-of-a-kind festival experience. Visit SledIsland.com for more information.
"For those from Calgary, Sled Island is a week that sees venues pulsing with activity, drawing a range of Canadian talent and international touring acts often making their first appearance in the city." - Consequence Of Sound
"Your experience can be as intimate, muted or rambunctious as you want it to be. Any musical taste can be sated with hundreds of acts in dozens of venues over five days." - Pretty Much Amazing
"Sled felt like the perfect size, with just enough options to be exciting but retaining individual showcases that you could truly enjoy from start to finish." - Chart Attack
"The tenth annual Sled Island festival gave me a firsthand look at how Canadian goodwill emboldens the artistic community." - Noisey
"The best part of Sled Island, aside from the fact everyone is now your friend, is stumbling into a ton of great bands one wouldn't see in their everyday trajectory." - Vue Weekly
Taffy share new single 'dd' and announce upcoming album out via Club AC30
TAFFY‘NYCTOPHILIA’RELEASED APRIL 7TH VIA CLUB AC30Listen to new single ‘dd’ HERE
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“Nothing short of splendorious” – NME
“The buzz has spread far and wide. We are wholeheartedly impressed” – Drowned In Sound
“Something tuneful and great” – The Guardian
"The Breeders are reincarnated via Tokyo with feedback and gossamer female vocals" – The Times
Critically acclaimed Japanese indie-pop four piece Taffy return this year with their fourth studio album, ‘Nyctophilia’, released April 7th.
‘Nyctophilia’ showcases everything you could want from a Taffy record, but with a subtle difference; “I always write the songs as singles” explains singer Iris, “but for this album, for the first time, I wrote songs just to be part of the album”. This is evident upon first listen, where texture and sonic exploration take center stage, offering a coherent and thematically-interlinked body of work.
This album builds on the bands atmospheric guitar work and noise-rock sound, all the while showcasing their renowned dreamy, sugar-sweet melodies, under-pinned by Graham Coxon-esque 90’s guitar riffs.
The album name displays a certain continuity with their lauded 2015 EP ‘Darkle’, conveying feelings of darkness and love for the night, almost in direct contrast to the band’s bright, shimmering sound.
A swirl of transcendental melodies, new single ‘dd’ is a reverb-laden cacophony of fuzz bass and soaring vocals backed with beautiful, psychedelic soundscapes. Tracks such as ‘Runic Wade’ and ‘Lavendery’ take a step away from layered guitar work and take a more delicate approach, with dynamic and spacious recordings that give center stage to Iris’ blissful and otherworldly vocals.
With sensibilities reminiscent of Elastica and The Stone Roses, Taffy have always been inspired by the works of British artists and in ‘Nyctophilia’ they were given the chance to play homage to one of their favorites with a cover of ‘Come Home Baby’ by The Charlatans. Tim Burgess has been something of a longtime fan speaking publicly of his fondness for the band, taking them on tour. Of the cover he said "it's an honor” but the band insist the honor is all theirs.
‘Nyctophilia’ is released on April 7th via London’s premiere shoegaze and psych rock label, Club AC30, who’ve enjoyed recent success with Pinkshinyultrablast, Fever Dream and Ringo Deathstarr.
WebsiteFacebookTwitterSoundcloud
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“Nothing short of splendorious” – NME
“The buzz has spread far and wide. We are wholeheartedly impressed” – Drowned In Sound
“Something tuneful and great” – The Guardian
"The Breeders are reincarnated via Tokyo with feedback and gossamer female vocals" – The Times
Critically acclaimed Japanese indie-pop four piece Taffy return this year with their fourth studio album, ‘Nyctophilia’, released April 7th.
‘Nyctophilia’ showcases everything you could want from a Taffy record, but with a subtle difference; “I always write the songs as singles” explains singer Iris, “but for this album, for the first time, I wrote songs just to be part of the album”. This is evident upon first listen, where texture and sonic exploration take center stage, offering a coherent and thematically-interlinked body of work.
This album builds on the bands atmospheric guitar work and noise-rock sound, all the while showcasing their renowned dreamy, sugar-sweet melodies, under-pinned by Graham Coxon-esque 90’s guitar riffs.
The album name displays a certain continuity with their lauded 2015 EP ‘Darkle’, conveying feelings of darkness and love for the night, almost in direct contrast to the band’s bright, shimmering sound.
A swirl of transcendental melodies, new single ‘dd’ is a reverb-laden cacophony of fuzz bass and soaring vocals backed with beautiful, psychedelic soundscapes. Tracks such as ‘Runic Wade’ and ‘Lavendery’ take a step away from layered guitar work and take a more delicate approach, with dynamic and spacious recordings that give center stage to Iris’ blissful and otherworldly vocals.
With sensibilities reminiscent of Elastica and The Stone Roses, Taffy have always been inspired by the works of British artists and in ‘Nyctophilia’ they were given the chance to play homage to one of their favorites with a cover of ‘Come Home Baby’ by The Charlatans. Tim Burgess has been something of a longtime fan speaking publicly of his fondness for the band, taking them on tour. Of the cover he said "it's an honor” but the band insist the honor is all theirs.
‘Nyctophilia’ is released on April 7th via London’s premiere shoegaze and psych rock label, Club AC30, who’ve enjoyed recent success with Pinkshinyultrablast, Fever Dream and Ringo Deathstarr.
WebsiteFacebookTwitterSoundcloud
Brazilian Psych-Rock Pioneers Os Mutantes Return to US Next Month for a Handful of Select Dates!
Brazilian Psych-Rock Pioneers Os Mutantes Return to US
This February for Their First Tour in Four Years
New York, NY – January 17, 2017 – Brazilian psych-rock pioneers Os Mutantes return to the US this February for their first tour in four years. The band will play a handful of select shows including a very special February 24th performance at the Art Institute of Chicago for the opening of the Hélio Oiticicaexhibition which is the first retrospective in the US for this groundbreaking and influential Brazilian artist.
Os Mutantes last toured the US in the summer of 2013 following the April release of their most recent critically acclaimed studio album Fool Metal Jack – which earned raves from the New York Times , Rolling Stone , The New Yorker , SPIN , Noisey , USA Today and more. In addition, it was featured as part of NPR ’s First Listen series who called Os Mutantes, “…a band that remains vital after nearly half a century.”
Os Mutantes found international fame back in the 1960’s following their emergence in the tumultuous years surrounding the 1964 coup d’etat in Brazil and thanks in part to the Tropicália movement they helped launch alongside Gilberto Gil and Caetano Veloso. At the time the band was involved with a forward-thinking political and cultural group of musicians, writers and artists and they harnessed the revolutionary energy of the time to create and release music. Their self-titled debut album came out in 1968 and after disbanding in 1978, they reunited for a live performance at the Tropicália exhibition at London’s Barbican Arts Centre on May 22, 2006 with performances in NYC, Los Angeles (with The Flaming Lips), San Francisco, Seattle, Denver and Miami to follow.
In addition to the 2006 shows, stateside their legacy was bolstered by contemporary musicians including Kurt Cobain, David Byrne, The Flaming Lips, Beck, of Montrealand Devendra Banhart citing Os Mutantes as an influence. In 2009, led by original member Sergio Dias, Os Mutantes released Haih Or Amortecedor – their first album in more than three decades. Dias continued with April 2013’s Os Mutantes album Fool Metal Jack followed by the US headlining run that same summer which included a packed performance as part of the Celebrate Brooklyn! concert series in Prospect Park. Confirmed US dates below:
Os Mutantes at Ipiranga Museum, Sao Paulo City Anniversary - More than 100,000 people!
Os Mutantes at Virada Cultural, Sao Paulo - More than 500,000 people @ 3AM!
Click HERE or on the cover art above to stream albums from Os Mutantes on
Past Coverage From...
Confirmed 2017 Os Mutantes Dates:
Feb. 21st | The Cedar Cultural Center | Minneapolis, MN – Buy Tickets
Feb. 24th | Art Institute of Chicago | Chicago, IL – Ticket & Info Link
Feb. 26th | Trocadero | Philadelphia, PA – Buy Tickets
Feb. 27th | Webster Hall (Marlin Room) | New York, NY – Buy Tickets
Feb. 28th | Capital Ale House Music Hall | Richmond, VA – Buy Tickets
This February for Their First Tour in Four Years
New York, NY – January 17, 2017 – Brazilian psych-rock pioneers Os Mutantes return to the US this February for their first tour in four years. The band will play a handful of select shows including a very special February 24th performance at the Art Institute of Chicago for the opening of the Hélio Oiticicaexhibition which is the first retrospective in the US for this groundbreaking and influential Brazilian artist.
Os Mutantes last toured the US in the summer of 2013 following the April release of their most recent critically acclaimed studio album Fool Metal Jack – which earned raves from the New York Times , Rolling Stone , The New Yorker , SPIN , Noisey , USA Today and more. In addition, it was featured as part of NPR ’s First Listen series who called Os Mutantes, “…a band that remains vital after nearly half a century.”
Os Mutantes found international fame back in the 1960’s following their emergence in the tumultuous years surrounding the 1964 coup d’etat in Brazil and thanks in part to the Tropicália movement they helped launch alongside Gilberto Gil and Caetano Veloso. At the time the band was involved with a forward-thinking political and cultural group of musicians, writers and artists and they harnessed the revolutionary energy of the time to create and release music. Their self-titled debut album came out in 1968 and after disbanding in 1978, they reunited for a live performance at the Tropicália exhibition at London’s Barbican Arts Centre on May 22, 2006 with performances in NYC, Los Angeles (with The Flaming Lips), San Francisco, Seattle, Denver and Miami to follow.
In addition to the 2006 shows, stateside their legacy was bolstered by contemporary musicians including Kurt Cobain, David Byrne, The Flaming Lips, Beck, of Montrealand Devendra Banhart citing Os Mutantes as an influence. In 2009, led by original member Sergio Dias, Os Mutantes released Haih Or Amortecedor – their first album in more than three decades. Dias continued with April 2013’s Os Mutantes album Fool Metal Jack followed by the US headlining run that same summer which included a packed performance as part of the Celebrate Brooklyn! concert series in Prospect Park. Confirmed US dates below:
Os Mutantes at Ipiranga Museum, Sao Paulo City Anniversary - More than 100,000 people!
Os Mutantes at Virada Cultural, Sao Paulo - More than 500,000 people @ 3AM!
Click HERE or on the cover art above to stream albums from Os Mutantes on
Past Coverage From...
Confirmed 2017 Os Mutantes Dates:
Feb. 21st | The Cedar Cultural Center | Minneapolis, MN – Buy Tickets
Feb. 24th | Art Institute of Chicago | Chicago, IL – Ticket & Info Link
Feb. 26th | Trocadero | Philadelphia, PA – Buy Tickets
Feb. 27th | Webster Hall (Marlin Room) | New York, NY – Buy Tickets
Feb. 28th | Capital Ale House Music Hall | Richmond, VA – Buy Tickets
January 16, 2017
LONELY BOY: TALES FROM A SEX PISTOL
LONELY BOY: TALES FROM A SEX PISTOLBy Steve Jones w/ Ben ThompsonDe Capo Press 2017
A review by Alexander Laurence
There have been a lot of books coming out about rock music and specifically punk rock. I have read recent ones about the LA Punk scene, The Cure, and The Replacements, and others. They all seem to look back wistfully to forty years ago with the perspective of being clean and sober, and maybe free of any sordid details of sex and drugs. There have been a number of Sex Pistols books and documentaries; there are a few about Sid Vicious alone. The story of the Sex Pistols has been told and mis-told several times. Maybe this book is the first one that explains where it all came from, not from someone’s ego, or imagination, but from West London, retold by the only real member of the band.
We start in Shepherd’s Bush in the 1960s. There is an episode where Jones and all the neighborhood kids recognize Jack Wild and follow him around town. He recalls that he was into the skinhead movement, which was itself a continuation of the mod thing. Jones was born in 1955, at the birth of rock and roll. His parents were teds. Jones never knew his father, Don Jarvis. Although his childhood wasn’t horrible, he imagined having different parents when watching television. He grew up in Hammersmith with his grandparents and uncles.
Everything was great until his mother hooked up with a guy. There was poverty and a stepfather to deal with. He felt unwelcome in his new haunts, which he compares to Eraserhead. Jones deals with a few local pedophiles. Some young girl pulls her pants. Jones develops a taste for theft, pornography, and being a peeping tom, at age ten. When his mother goes to the hospital for a week, he is violated by his stepfather. Jones soon hears “Purple Haze” from a window, and meets fellow Sex Pistol Paul Cook at school. Things are looking up.
Jones loses his virginity with some girl at Battersea Park. He becomes a sex addict at 13. At the time he hadn’t tasted alcohol or tried drugs. He soon becomes a peeping tom and kleptomaniac. He steals cars all day and discovers glam rock. Jones becomes a massive fan of Rod Stewart and The Faces. As Jones becomes more estranged from his parents, his life meets up with the path of Malcolm McLaren.
Since Jones has stolen so much gear over the years, it makes sense that he and Cook should form a band. With the support of Malcolm and the punk scene that is developing, we have the seeds of The Sex Pistols. Jones was once a street urchin, and now he is in the center of the new wave. What follows is much of the Sex Pistols’ history, from Denmark Streetto Winterland. All of Jones’ sex history and missed opportunities are remembered. His drug addiction and post-Pistols life are remarked upon. Till we get to his present day life in Los Angeles, as a radio personality on KLOS. Very moving stuff.
The Molochs Share "Charlie's Lips" Video Via L.A. Times | 'America's Velvet Glory' Out Now
The Molochs Share "Charlie's Lips" Video Via L.A. Times
Stream New LP Via Hype Machine
Monday Night Residency At The Echo Continues Tonight
'America's Velvet Glory' Out Now Via
Innovative Leisure
WATCH & SHARE: The Molochs - "Charlie's Lips"
LISTEN & SHARE: The Molochs - 'America's Velvet Glory
The L.A. Times has featured The Molochs video for their third single "Charlie's Lips". The song follows two prior singles "No More Cryin' " and "You And Me", all of which can be found on their new album 'America's Velvet Glory' album which is out now via Innovative Leisure and can be streamed on Hype Machine.
The band has also began their month long L.A. Residency. All shows will be on Monday night atThe Echo and are free.
First, let’s meet Moloch. You remember him, right? The ancient god, the child eater, the demander of sacrifice, the villain in Ginsberg’s Howl(and also real life) and now the personal antagonist of singer and songwriter Lucas Fitzsimons, who named his band the Molochs because he knew he’d have to make sacrifices to get what he needed, and because he always wanted a reminder of the Ginsbergian monster he’d be fighting against. And so this is how you make a record right now: you fight for every piece, and when Moloch takes apart your relationships and career potential and leaves you sleeping on couches or living in terrifying apartments and just about depleted from awful people involving you in their awful decisions, you grab a bottle of wine (and laugh at the cliché) and put together another song. And once you do that eleven hard-won times in total, you get a record like America’s Velvet Glory: honest, urgent, desperate and fearless because of it.
Fitzsimons came to his calling in an appropriately mythic way, born in a historic city not far from Buenos Aires and raised in L.A.’s South Bay—just outside of Inglewood—where he was immersed in the hip-hop hits on local radio. (Westside Connection!) The summer d before he started middle school, a close friend got an electric guitar, and Fitzsimons felt an enirresistible inexplicable power: “I'd go back home and I’d look up guitar chords on the internet—even though I had no guitar—and just imagine how I WOULD play them. I was slowly getting obsessed.” When he was 12, his parents took him back to Argentina, and on the first night, he discovered a long-forgotten almost-broken classical guitar in the basement of his ancestral home: “It sounds made-up, but it’s true,” he says. “I didn't put the guitar down once that whole trip—took it with me everywhere and played and played. When I got back to L.A., I bought my first guitar practically as the plane was landing.”This started a long line of bands and a long experience of learning to perform in public, as Fitzsimons honed intentions and ideas and tried to figure out why that guitar seemed so important. After a trip to India in 2012, he returned renewed and ready to start again, scrapping his band to lead something new and uncompromising. This was the true start of the Molochs: “It didn't make any sense to not do everything exactly the way I wanted to do it,” he says. “I was so shy and introverted that singing publicly sounded like a nightmare come true. But I didn't have a choice—I heard something inside of me and I needed to be the one to express it.”
The first album Forgetter Blues was released with Fitzsimons’ guitarist/organist and longtime bandmate Ryan Foster in early 2013 on his own label—named after a slightly infamous intersection in their then-home of Long Beach—and was twelve songs of anxious garage-y proto-punk-y folk-y rock, Modern Lovers demos and Velvet Underground arcana as fuel and foundation both. It deserved to go farther than it did, which sadly wasn’t very far. But it sharpened Fitzsimons and his songwriting, and after three pent-up years of creativity, he was ready to burst. So he decided to record a new album in the spirit of the first, and in the spirit of everything that the Molochs made so far: “I wanted to spend less time figuring out HOW we were gonna do something and just actually do it.”
The result is America’s Velvet Glory, recorded with engineer Jonny Bell at effortless (says Fitzsimons) sessions at Long Beach’s JazzCats studio. (Also incubator for Molochs’ new labelmates Wall of Death and Hanni El Khatib.) It starts with an anxious electric minor-key melody and ends on a last lonesome unresolved organ riff, and in between comes beauty, doubt, loss, hate and even a moments or two of peace. There are flashes of 60s garage rock—like the Sunset Strip ’66 stormer “No More Cryin’” or the “Little Black Egg”-style heartwarmer-slash-breaker “The One I Love”—but like one of Foster’s and Fitzsimons’ favorites the Jacobites, the Molochs are taking the past apart, not trying to recreate it.
You can hear where songs bend, where voices break, where guitars start to shiver and when strings are about to snap; on “You And Me,” you can almost hear Lou Reed’s ghost call for a solo, and on “I Don’t Love You,” you get that subway-sound guitar and find out what happens when Jonathan Richman’s G-I-R-L-F-R-E-N goes wrong. And of course there’s the charismatic chaos of bootleg basement-tape Dylan—always Dylan, says Fitzsimons—and the locked-room psychedelia of Syd Barrett, especially on “Charlie’s Lips,” Fitzsimons’ ode to—or antidote to—those times when he felt the bleakness completely: “Then a bird lands on a branch nearby, you hear leaves fluttering, you hear a child laughing … all of a sudden things don't seem so bad anymore.”
So Moloch might still be out there, devouring his sacrifices, but the Molochs are still fighting, too. And that’s why Fitzsimons picked the band name—it’s so he remembers what he’s up against. He’s not celebrating the destroyer of youth and individuality and creativity, he says: “I’m just keeping him in sight so that he doesn't win.” – Christopher ZieglerTOUR DATES:
1/16 - The Echo, Los Angeles, CA
1/23 - The Echo, Los Angeles, CA
1/30 - The Echo, Los Angeles, CA
2/9 - Constellation Room - Santa Ana, CA
2/10 - Soda Bar - San Diego, CA
2/24 - Noise Pop Festival - San Francisco, CA
2/25 - The Crepe Place - Santa Cruz, CA
3/13 - 3/20 - SXSW
5/22 - The Shacklewell Arms - London UK
5/23 - The Montague Arms - London, UK
5/31 - 6/4 - Primavera Sound Festival - America's Velvet Glory - TRACKLISTING
01. Ten Thousand
02. No Control
03. Charlie's Lips
04. That's the Trouble with You
05. The One I Love
06. Little Stars
07. No More Cryin
08. You and Me
09. New York
10. I Don't Love You
11. You Never Learn
Stream New LP Via Hype Machine
Monday Night Residency At The Echo Continues Tonight
'America's Velvet Glory' Out Now Via
Innovative Leisure
WATCH & SHARE: The Molochs - "Charlie's Lips"
LISTEN & SHARE: The Molochs - 'America's Velvet Glory
The L.A. Times has featured The Molochs video for their third single "Charlie's Lips". The song follows two prior singles "No More Cryin' " and "You And Me", all of which can be found on their new album 'America's Velvet Glory' album which is out now via Innovative Leisure and can be streamed on Hype Machine.
The band has also began their month long L.A. Residency. All shows will be on Monday night atThe Echo and are free.
First, let’s meet Moloch. You remember him, right? The ancient god, the child eater, the demander of sacrifice, the villain in Ginsberg’s Howl(and also real life) and now the personal antagonist of singer and songwriter Lucas Fitzsimons, who named his band the Molochs because he knew he’d have to make sacrifices to get what he needed, and because he always wanted a reminder of the Ginsbergian monster he’d be fighting against. And so this is how you make a record right now: you fight for every piece, and when Moloch takes apart your relationships and career potential and leaves you sleeping on couches or living in terrifying apartments and just about depleted from awful people involving you in their awful decisions, you grab a bottle of wine (and laugh at the cliché) and put together another song. And once you do that eleven hard-won times in total, you get a record like America’s Velvet Glory: honest, urgent, desperate and fearless because of it.Fitzsimons came to his calling in an appropriately mythic way, born in a historic city not far from Buenos Aires and raised in L.A.’s South Bay—just outside of Inglewood—where he was immersed in the hip-hop hits on local radio. (Westside Connection!) The summer d before he started middle school, a close friend got an electric guitar, and Fitzsimons felt an enirresistible inexplicable power: “I'd go back home and I’d look up guitar chords on the internet—even though I had no guitar—and just imagine how I WOULD play them. I was slowly getting obsessed.” When he was 12, his parents took him back to Argentina, and on the first night, he discovered a long-forgotten almost-broken classical guitar in the basement of his ancestral home: “It sounds made-up, but it’s true,” he says. “I didn't put the guitar down once that whole trip—took it with me everywhere and played and played. When I got back to L.A., I bought my first guitar practically as the plane was landing.”This started a long line of bands and a long experience of learning to perform in public, as Fitzsimons honed intentions and ideas and tried to figure out why that guitar seemed so important. After a trip to India in 2012, he returned renewed and ready to start again, scrapping his band to lead something new and uncompromising. This was the true start of the Molochs: “It didn't make any sense to not do everything exactly the way I wanted to do it,” he says. “I was so shy and introverted that singing publicly sounded like a nightmare come true. But I didn't have a choice—I heard something inside of me and I needed to be the one to express it.”
The first album Forgetter Blues was released with Fitzsimons’ guitarist/organist and longtime bandmate Ryan Foster in early 2013 on his own label—named after a slightly infamous intersection in their then-home of Long Beach—and was twelve songs of anxious garage-y proto-punk-y folk-y rock, Modern Lovers demos and Velvet Underground arcana as fuel and foundation both. It deserved to go farther than it did, which sadly wasn’t very far. But it sharpened Fitzsimons and his songwriting, and after three pent-up years of creativity, he was ready to burst. So he decided to record a new album in the spirit of the first, and in the spirit of everything that the Molochs made so far: “I wanted to spend less time figuring out HOW we were gonna do something and just actually do it.”
The result is America’s Velvet Glory, recorded with engineer Jonny Bell at effortless (says Fitzsimons) sessions at Long Beach’s JazzCats studio. (Also incubator for Molochs’ new labelmates Wall of Death and Hanni El Khatib.) It starts with an anxious electric minor-key melody and ends on a last lonesome unresolved organ riff, and in between comes beauty, doubt, loss, hate and even a moments or two of peace. There are flashes of 60s garage rock—like the Sunset Strip ’66 stormer “No More Cryin’” or the “Little Black Egg”-style heartwarmer-slash-breaker “The One I Love”—but like one of Foster’s and Fitzsimons’ favorites the Jacobites, the Molochs are taking the past apart, not trying to recreate it.
You can hear where songs bend, where voices break, where guitars start to shiver and when strings are about to snap; on “You And Me,” you can almost hear Lou Reed’s ghost call for a solo, and on “I Don’t Love You,” you get that subway-sound guitar and find out what happens when Jonathan Richman’s G-I-R-L-F-R-E-N goes wrong. And of course there’s the charismatic chaos of bootleg basement-tape Dylan—always Dylan, says Fitzsimons—and the locked-room psychedelia of Syd Barrett, especially on “Charlie’s Lips,” Fitzsimons’ ode to—or antidote to—those times when he felt the bleakness completely: “Then a bird lands on a branch nearby, you hear leaves fluttering, you hear a child laughing … all of a sudden things don't seem so bad anymore.”
So Moloch might still be out there, devouring his sacrifices, but the Molochs are still fighting, too. And that’s why Fitzsimons picked the band name—it’s so he remembers what he’s up against. He’s not celebrating the destroyer of youth and individuality and creativity, he says: “I’m just keeping him in sight so that he doesn't win.” – Christopher ZieglerTOUR DATES:
1/16 - The Echo, Los Angeles, CA
1/23 - The Echo, Los Angeles, CA
1/30 - The Echo, Los Angeles, CA
2/9 - Constellation Room - Santa Ana, CA
2/10 - Soda Bar - San Diego, CA
2/24 - Noise Pop Festival - San Francisco, CA
2/25 - The Crepe Place - Santa Cruz, CA
3/13 - 3/20 - SXSW
5/22 - The Shacklewell Arms - London UK
5/23 - The Montague Arms - London, UK
5/31 - 6/4 - Primavera Sound Festival - America's Velvet Glory - TRACKLISTING
01. Ten Thousand
02. No Control
03. Charlie's Lips
04. That's the Trouble with You
05. The One I Love
06. Little Stars
07. No More Cryin
08. You and Me
09. New York
10. I Don't Love You
11. You Never Learn
John Lydon To Release 'Mr Rotten's Songbook'--Celebrating 40 Years Of Songwriting Across the Sex Pistols and Public Image Ltd (PiL)
JOHN LYDONTO RELEASE'MR ROTTEN'S SONGBOOK'--CELEBRATING 40 YEARS OF SONGWRITING ACROSS THE SEX PISTOLS AND PUBLIC IMAGE LTD (PiL)--MARCH 31, 2017
John Lydon
Photo credit: © Paul Heartfield 2012.In celebration of 40 years of songwriting across both the SEX PISTOLS andPUBLIC IMAGE LTD (PiL) eras, JOHN LYDON is delighted to announce the personal and truly exclusive publication of MR ROTTEN'S SONGBOOK. Due out March 31, 2017 and limited to 1000 copies, MR ROTTEN'S SONGBOOK is available to pre-order now via: https://mrrottenssongbook.concertlive.com. ***See the Q&A with JOHN LYDON below.Presented in glorious, luxury large format (370x290mm portrait), MR ROTTEN'S SONGBOOK features never before seen artwork as well as annotated song lyric sheets spanning LYDON's entire career all written in his own hand. As the book unfolds, each album is featured with an exclusive introduction to the songs fromJOHN as well as the original cover and hand-drawn artwork from LYDON to beautifully bind the lyrics to their meanings. MR ROTTEN'S SONGBOOK gives fresh insight into the purpose behind the words that have shaped over four decades of his songwriting career. Every one of the book's three-hundred, handcrafted pages reflect JOHN working night and day over the final six months of 2016. Each book is hand signed by the man himself and individually numbered.
MR ROTTEN'S SONGBOOK
: Cover and original artwork by John Lydon. Photo link: http://msopr.com/files/mr_rottens_songbook.jpg
Always outspoken, controversial and sincere, JOHN LYDON, formerly Johnny Rotten of the Sex Pistols and then lead singer in Public Image Ltd (PiL),John Lydon has secured a prime position as one of the most recognizable icons in the annals of music history. As Johnny Rotten, he was the lead singer of the Sex Pistols--the world's most notorious band--who shot to fame in the mid-1970s with singles such as 'Anarchy in the UK' and 'God Save the Queen.' So revolutionary was his influence, he was even discussed in the Houses of Parliament, under the Traitors and Treasons Act, which still carries the death penalty. Via his music and invective, he spearheaded a generation of young people across the world who were clamoring for change--and found it in the style and attitude of this most unlikely figurehead. With his next band, Public Image Ltd (PiL), Lydon expressed an equally urgent impulse in his make-up--the constant need to reinvent himself, to keep moving. From their beginnings in 1978, he set the groundbreaking template for a band that continues to challenge and thrive in the 2010s. He also found time to collaborate on new dance records with the likes of Afrika Bambaataa and Leftfield. From his beginnings as a sickly child of immigrant Irish parents who grew up in post-war London, to his present status as a vibrant, alternative national hero, Lydon has remained a compelling and dynamic figure--both as a musician, and, thanks to his outspoken, controversial, yet always heartfelt and honest statements, as a cultural commentator.
DEER TRACKS 'UNDERSVIK' VINYL 9th of March!
'UNDERSVIK' Vinyl out March 9!We are so happy about the warmth we've been reciving on our album 'Undersvik' and now the vinyl version is on its way. The vinyl will be a limited edition release of only 250 copies, so if you are into vinyl, don't sleep on this one! :)
BUY VINYL: http://shop.lamour.se/shop/vinyl/the-deer-tracks-undersvik/ (FREE INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING!)
LISTEN TO 'UNDERSVIK': WWW.THEDEERTRACKSMUSIC.COM
Said about 'UNDERSVIK' in the media: Indie Shuffle
“I was under the impression that it’d be quite hard to pull off something original in 2017, but The Deer Tracks seem to have convinced me otherwise.Apparently the Swedish duo have been around for a while, though I must confess that this is my first time a song has resonated with me. And boy oh boy does it resonate.”Electronic north
“Home is an ethereal slice of indie electronic goodness from this exciting Swedish band who have just returned after a three year break. We’re glad they’re back.”
Weekly Indie Pop
“It’s hard not to respect the fact that a band touring so frequent as The Deer Tracks still manages to create a record filled to the absolute breaking point with creativity and content.”Too many Blogs
“With this new album they remind us that they remain very much at the cutting edge of electronic music in Scandinavia and beyond.”
Ohestee.com
“Vibrant textures coloured with the neon lights of all the cities The Deer Tracks have visited dance in a kaleidoscope of warmth, embraced by whimsical vocals that whiz you from one city to the next, and back home.”Nordicspotlight.com
“…the poetic 10-track album sounds like an ethereal old soul breathing with newborn lungs. Welcome back, we missed you!”
WHITE LIES Share Video for "Don't Want To Feel It All" + U.S. Tour Dates
RELEASE NEW VIDEO FOR SINGLE 'DON'T WANT TO FEEL IT ALL' FROM ALBUM FRIENDS OUT NOW HEADLINE AMERICAN AND UK TOUR - FEBRUARY & MARCH 2017
WATCH VIDEO FOR 'DON'T WANT TO FEEL IT ALL' HERE
PRAISE FOR NEW ALBUM FRIENDS"UNAPOLOGETIC GRANDIOSITY!" **** Q Magazine"White Lies are back with brilliant new record Friends." Daily Mirror"Frontman Harry McVeigh seems to have found a new lease of life." Independent
"The buoyant tunes prove that White Lies can still challenge the Killers for massive choruses." NME
"Melancholic synth rock that justifies why they're held in such high regard in this country." Gigwise"A rather impressive return...this is White Lies doing what they do best." CLASH
White Lies have released a new video for track ' Don't Want To Feel It All ', taken from current album Friends released late 2016. The video was directed by Alex Alvarez and shows White Lies during their recent European tour at the Sala Razzmatazz, Barcelona and Sala Marco Aldany in Madrid.
With a nod to 80's synth pop romanticism, 'Don't Want To Feel It All' holds a melange of tropical sheen and yearning uproars of supercharged melody to a dynamic tempo as frontman Harry Mc'Veigh sings catchy chorus; "I don't want to feel it all, but know what fuels it. I don't wanna feel it all, but don't wanna lose it."
The ten-track album Friends is now available on CD, vinyl, picture disc, digital downloadand streaming formats, as well as a special box set edition which includes a cassette and four exclusive bonus tracks.
Friends was recorded in Bryan Ferry's private studio in London's Olympia and was self-produced by the band. White Lies enlisted the help of an expert team includingGrammy Award-winning engineer James Brown (Foo Fighters, Arctic Monkeys), David Wrench (Caribou, FKA Twigs) on mixing duties and long-term collaborator Ed Bullerwho contributed additional production.
A full list of White Lies Tour dates are below: BUY TICKETS HERE: http://whitelies.com/live February 20171st - Washington DC - 9:30 Club2nd - New York, NY - Music Hall of Williamsburg3rd - Boston, MA - Middle East Club4th - Toronto, ON - Lee's Palace6th - Chicago, IL - Lincoln Hall7th - Madison, WI - Majestic Theatre8th - Minneapolis, MN - Cedar Cultural Center11th - Vancouver BC - Rickshaw Theater12th - Seattle, WA - Nectar Lounge14th - San Francisco, CA - The Chapel15th - Los Angeles, CA - El Ray Theatre17th - Guadalajara - Teatro Diana18th - Mexico City - El Plaza Condesa19th - Monterrey, Cinema Rio 7022nd - UK, Coventry, Academy23rd - UK, Newcastle O2 Academy24th - UK, Sheffield O2 Academy25th - UK, Oxford O2 Academy27th - UK, Cardiff University28th - UK, Leicester O2 Academy March 20172nd - UK, Portsmouth Pyramids3rd - UK, Hull University4th - UK, London Troxy6th - UK, Preston Guildhall7th - UK, Aberdeen Garage8th - UK, Edinburgh Potterrow11th - UK, Keele University12th - UK Norwich UEA
ENTRANCE Releases "Not Gonna Say Your Name" Protest Song to Benefit Planned Parenthood | Playing Panache's Benefit Concert in LA 2/14!
ENTRANCE Releases Brand New Protest Song,
“Not Gonna Say Your Name” With All Proceeds Being Donated to Planned Parenthood
Performing at Planned Parenthood Benefit in Los Angeles
on February 14th
Visit The Talkhouse to See Entrance’s List of His Favorite Protest Songs
New York, NY – January 16th, 2017 – Earlier today, Los Angeles-based musician Guy Blakeslee(aka ENTRANCE), released a new track, “Not Gonna Say Your Name,” in advance of the President-elect’s impending inauguration. Blakeslee says of the song, “I really wanted to write a song expressing my own feelings about the election and the state of things in our country – like many I was in a state of mourning. I wondered, how can I sing about this without saying his name?”
In addition to penning his own protest song, Blakeslee has created a playlist of his favorite other songs of that theme and has given it exclusively to The Talkhouse , – click HERE to listen to his picks, as well as his own song!
“Not Gonna Say Your Name” is now available via Thrill Jockey on participating DSPs, with all proceeds from song purchases and streams going directly to Planned Parenthood, an organization that Blakeslee holds near and dear to his heart. “I decided to use the song to benefit PP because one of the things that is so shocking about the election result is that it sends such a negative message to women and girls,” he says. “It's the least I could do - for all of the women in the world, in my life, and especially for my mother - to fight back and make a clear statement that we will not accept this backwards agenda.”
Entrance is also honored to announce that he will be performing at a Planned Parenthood Benefit taking place in Los Angeles at the Teragram Ballroom this Valentine’s Day alongside artists including Ty Segall, Kevin Morby, and King Tuff. More information can be found below.
“Not Gonna Say Your Name” is now available for purchase via all DSPs and can be found here via Bandcamp , Thrill Jockey , and Spotify – with all proceeds being donated to Planned Parenthood. ENTRANCE will also be releasing Book of Changes , his first album in almost a decade, on February 24, via Thrill Jockey.
ENTRANCE + Thrill Jockey SPOTIFY Playlist URL: https://open.spotify.com/user/thrilljockey/playlist/1q0iXwwpy2xUR10PaVzlti
“Not Gonna Say Your Name” With All Proceeds Being Donated to Planned Parenthood
Performing at Planned Parenthood Benefit in Los Angeles
on February 14th
Visit The Talkhouse to See Entrance’s List of His Favorite Protest Songs
New York, NY – January 16th, 2017 – Earlier today, Los Angeles-based musician Guy Blakeslee(aka ENTRANCE), released a new track, “Not Gonna Say Your Name,” in advance of the President-elect’s impending inauguration. Blakeslee says of the song, “I really wanted to write a song expressing my own feelings about the election and the state of things in our country – like many I was in a state of mourning. I wondered, how can I sing about this without saying his name?”
In addition to penning his own protest song, Blakeslee has created a playlist of his favorite other songs of that theme and has given it exclusively to The Talkhouse , – click HERE to listen to his picks, as well as his own song!
“Not Gonna Say Your Name” is now available via Thrill Jockey on participating DSPs, with all proceeds from song purchases and streams going directly to Planned Parenthood, an organization that Blakeslee holds near and dear to his heart. “I decided to use the song to benefit PP because one of the things that is so shocking about the election result is that it sends such a negative message to women and girls,” he says. “It's the least I could do - for all of the women in the world, in my life, and especially for my mother - to fight back and make a clear statement that we will not accept this backwards agenda.”
Entrance is also honored to announce that he will be performing at a Planned Parenthood Benefit taking place in Los Angeles at the Teragram Ballroom this Valentine’s Day alongside artists including Ty Segall, Kevin Morby, and King Tuff. More information can be found below.
“Not Gonna Say Your Name” is now available for purchase via all DSPs and can be found here via Bandcamp , Thrill Jockey , and Spotify – with all proceeds being donated to Planned Parenthood. ENTRANCE will also be releasing Book of Changes , his first album in almost a decade, on February 24, via Thrill Jockey.
ENTRANCE + Thrill Jockey SPOTIFY Playlist URL: https://open.spotify.com/user/thrilljockey/playlist/1q0iXwwpy2xUR10PaVzlti
