Alexander Laurence's Blog, page 20
September 5, 2025
LA DISPUTE RELEASE NEW ALBUM
LA DISPUTE RELEASE NEW ALBUM NO ONE WAS DRIVING THE CAR; LISTEN
WATCH THE LYRIC VIDEO FOR THE TITLE TRACK
NORTH AMERICAN TOUR STARTS THIS WEEK
Photo Credit: Martin
Conceptual band La Dispute has released their new album No One Was Driving the Car in full with today’s final act. Released in five parts, the album concludes today with Act 5, consisting of the title track and “End Times Sermon.” The songs bring closure to an album heavily inspired by the psychological thriller First Reformed. Jordan Dreyer, the band’s vocalist, explains:
“the last act occurs in two songs, in the future somewhere, in the world left behind post-“rapture.” in the first song a car drives at night down a curving forest road with two people in the backseat: the narrator—arching his neck to glimpse in light reflected by street signs passed under whoever or whatever steers the car that carries them—and his partner, sleeping quietly against his shoulder. comfort returns to him in that moment, a feeling of resolve inside sorrow and anxiety, and we transition from there elsewhere: to an empty sanctuary, to a sermon delivered for no one (without optimism or apology) on the end result compelled to existence by humanity’s reckless determination through history to seek and install the wrong forms of faith and control toward meaning amidst chaos. a semi-hopeful note closes the album before bird song carries us out. those who suffered have been lifted from the chaos; left on earth, their planted gardens grow (the lyrics of this song borrow pretty heavily from “To Elsie” by William Carlos Williams, which i stumbled on referenced, pretty serendipitously, in a book recommended to me by Ned Russin, early in the record’s infancy).”
Self produced and heavily inspired by the 2017 psychological thriller First Reformed, No One Was Driving The Car grapples with malaise in the shadow of the looming apocalypse, which has noticeably been worsened by the advancement of tech. The title comes from a quote from a police officer vocalist Jordan Dreyer read in a news article about a lethal self-driving Tesla crash, an absurd event which raises questions about the amount of control we have in our own lives. Dryer expands “it felt apt as metaphor then (increasingly so since), not just for contemporary life generally, but for so many responses to it: how each of us thrust unwillingly and chaotically alive, to hurtle down some road toward death, look amidst uncertainty for faith someone or something outside ourselves helps steer the way.” Throughout the album, screens and cameras disrupt moments of transcendence. It happens alongside flashes of mundane suffering—frequent daydreams of drowning, flashbacks to eye-contact with dead animals, experiences of decaying relationships and secondhand suicides—while Dreyer yells with a more primal sense and sings in a more refined way, and the guitars have a sharper edge than ever before.
The final act drops alongside a lyric video for the title track. Watch that here. Each act has been arriving with a companion documentary directed by Martin. The release of the final doc is forthcoming but check out the first four in the meantime: Chapter I / Chapter II / Chapter III / Chapter IV
Listen to the album HERE
Watch the video for “No One Was Driving the Car” HERE
Watch the video for Saturation Diver” HERE
Watch the video for “Sibling Fistfight at Mom’s Fiftieth / The Unsound” HERE
Watch the video for Environmental Catastrophe Film” HERE
Watch The video for “I Shaved My Head” HERE
The band kick off their North American tour this Friday at Detroit’s St. Andrew’s Hall with many shows sold out. The 14-date tour will hit Toronto, Brooklyn, DC, Nashville and more. Tickets for the tour are on sale now.
US TOUR DATES
09/05 – Detroit, MI – St. Andrew's Hall
09/06 – Toronto, ON – Phoenix Concert Theatre
09/07 – Cleveland, OH – Grog Shop
09/08 – Pittsburgh, PA – Spirit Hall
09/10 – Boston, MA – Paradise Rock Club
09/11 – Brooklyn, NY – Warsaw
09/12 – Philadelphia, PA – Union Transfer
09/13 – Washington, DC – Howard Theater
09/14 – Charlotte, NC – Neighborhood Theatre
09/16 – Orlando, FL – The Beacham
09/17 – Atlanta, GA – Masquerade
09/18 – Nashville, TN – Basement East
09/19 – Columbus, OH – King of Clubs
09/20 – Indianapolis, IN – Deluxe at Old National Centre
09/21
LOLA YOUNG SHARES NEW SINGLE “SPIDERS”
LOLA YOUNG SHARES NEW SINGLE
“SPIDERS”
NEW ALBUM I’M ONLY FUCKING MYSELF
OUT SEPTEMBER 19TH VIA ISLAND RECORDS
PERFORMING AT MTV’S VMAs THIS SUNDAY & HEADLINE NORTH AMERICAN TOUR KICKS OFF
THIS NOVEMBER
What the press is saying about Lola Young:
“Young’s acrobatically tortured, increasingly raspy voice defines her”
The New York Times
“alt-pop heroine primed to make it even bigger this year”
Rolling Stone
“a rock sound and bolder lyrics that deal with the chaos of life”
Billboard
“unreal vocals and give-no-fucks attitude”
HommeGirls Magazine
“Spiders”
LISTEN HERE
I’m Only Fucking Myself
PRE-ORDER / SAVE HERE
(September 5, 2025) - Ahead of the release of her anticipated new album I’m Only Fucking Myself, which arrives on September 19th, Ivor Novello’s Rising Star Award winner and Brit-nominated Lola Young shares her new single “Spiders.” The grungy “Spiders” highlights Lola’s personal and emotive songwriting and showcases the range of Lola’s vocals, from tender control to gruff belts. Speaking about “Spiders,” Lola shares, “Sometimes you want to kill what you're most scared of in life, but when you actually face up to it, it's really not as scary as you thought it would be.” The latest offering arrives ahead of Lola’s performance at MTV’s Video Music Awards, airing this Sunday, September 7th at 8pm ET, where Lola is nominated for Best New Artist and Best Alternative song for “Messy.” Additionally, Lola recently let The New York Times join her on the road in Paris and London for a raw and real look into the rising star's life and graced the cover of Elle Magazine UK for their 40th anniversary issue. I’m Only Fucking Myself includes the previously shared singles “d£aler,” “Not Like That Anymore,” and “One Thing.”
Lola has been bringing her powerhouse vocals around the globe this summer with festival performances at Glastonbury, Roskilde, Lollapalooza Paris, Way Out West and Lowlands with shows at All Things Go Festival in New York and Washington, DC still on the horizon. This November and December, Lola will embark on her headline North American tour bringing her show to Toronto, New York City, Washington D.C., Atlanta, Austin, Chicago, Vancouver and Seattle, before wrapping up in Los Angeles. Since the tour’s announcement, Lola has added additional shows in Toronto, New York City and Los Angeles due to demand. Tickets available HERE.
2025 has been nonstop for Lola. Earlier this summer, Lola was direct support to Billie Eilish for her Paris shows at Accor Arena and performed at both Summertime Ball and Meltdown Festival in London. In May, Lola performed at BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend following her debut performance at the iconic Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in April, where she premiered “One Thing.” Lola was also nominated for an American Music Award for Social Song of the Year for “Messy” and received 3 nominations at this year’s Ivor Novello awards, winning the Rising Star Award, which followed her “Best Pop Act” nomination at this year’s BRIT Awards. Lola was also named as a Future 25 artist with Rolling Stone, performed her track “Conceited” on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, spoke with NPR about her breakout and sat with The Los Angeles Times to discuss her rise and debut Coachella performance.
Boasting over 1 billion all-time streams globally across her catalog of releases, Lola Young continues to achieve tremendous success. Her platinum-certified #1 single “Messy,” which The New York Times described as “one of the most legitimately viral and popular songs of 2025” from her acclaimed 2024 album, This Wasn’t Meant For You Anyway, recently hit #1 on the Billboard Pop Airplay chart, #1 at Hot Adult Contemporary, #1 on the Alternative Rock Billboard chart as well as reaching the upper regions of the Billboard Hot 100. Lola Young is the first female artist to have a debut single go #1 at both Pop and Alternative since Lorde’s “Royals.” “Messy” also held the top spot in the UK for four consecutive weeks, making Lola one of only two British female artists to reach #1 in the UK Singles Chart within the last year. Lola has collaborated with Tyler, The Creator (“Like Him”), and Lil Yachty (“Charlie”) and continues to make a global impact with her music and compelling personality.
Check out “Spiders” and pre-order / save I’m Only Fucking Myself above, see full upcoming live dates below and stay tuned for more from Lola Young coming soon.
Upcoming Live Dates
9/27 - All Things Go Festival @ Forest Hills, New York
9/28 - All Things Go Festival @ Columbia, MD
NORTH AMERICAN HEADLINE TOUR
11/01 - Toronto, ON @ HISTORY
11/02 - Toronto, ON @ HISTORY
11/04 - Boston, MA @ Roadrunner
11/05 - New York, NY @ Terminal 5
11/06 - New York, NY @ Terminal 5
11/08 - Philadelphia, PA @ The Met Philadelphia
11/09 - Washington, DC @ The Anthem
11/11 - Nashville, TN @ The Pinnacle
11/12 - Atlanta, GA @ Tabernacle
11/19 - Austin, TX @ Stubb's Waller Creek Amphitheater
11/21 - Dallas, TX @ The Bomb Factory
11/24 - Chicago, IL @ The Salt Shed
11/25 - St. Paul, MN @ Palace Theatre
11/28 - Denver, CO @ The Fillmore Auditorium
11/29 - Salt Lake City, UT @ The Union Event Center
12/01 - Vancouver, BC @ Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre
12/02 - Seattle, WA @ WAMU Theater at Lumen Field
12/04 - San Francisco, CA @ Bill Graham Civic Auditorium
12/06 - Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Palladium
12/07 - Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Palladium
2026
5/12 - Tilburg, NL @ 013 Poppodium *
5/13 - Tilburg, NL @ 013 Poppodium *
5/15 - Berlin, DE @ Uber Eats Music Hall *
5/17 - Copenhagen, DK @ K.B. Hallen *
5/19 - Cologne, DE @ Palladium *
5/21 - Antwerp, BE @ De Roma *
5/26 - Munich, DE @ TonHalle *
5/27 - Zurich, CH @ The Hall *
5/29 - Milan, IT @ Fabrique *
5/31 - Lyon, FR @ Le Radiant *
6/1 - Paris, FR @ Olympia *
Modern Life Is War’s first new studio LP in 12 years ‘Life on the Moon’ is out today
Modern Life Is War’s first new studio LP in 12 years
Life on the Moon is out today
See them on tour in the U.S. in Sep + Oct / UK + EU in Oct
"The past two decades of melodic hardcore would sound a lot different without Modern Life Is War’s influence..." - BrooklynVegan
"...for those who believe punk rock is all about setting fire to the rule book and doing whatever is in your heart, 'Life on the Moon' is one of 2025's most exciting releases." - Metal Hammer
"the greatest hardcore punk band ever to come out of Iowa" - Stereogum
Photo by: Brian Santostefano
Modern Life Is War make a bold return with their first new proper full-length in over twelve years: Life on the Moon.
Out today via Deathwish Inc. (digital) + Iodine Recordings (physical) [order], Life on the Moon serves as a tribute to loss, a reflection on grief, struggle and the beauty of living, the moments between dreams and nightmares, memories and desires. Known for their distinctive blend of raw emotion and confrontational intensity, Modern Life Is War once again deliver a mix of gritty realism and poetic despair, pushing forward while staying in touch with that which has resonated with audiences over time. Crafted over several years with the help of long-time collaborator Brooks Strause and friends, Life on the Moon is as much an emotional outpouring as it is a sonic evolution.
Showcasing Modern Life Is War’s continued ability to confront personal turmoil with a potent mix of defiance and vulnerability, Life on the Moon is a record about the pain of separation and the joyful energy of union as filtered through an eclectic tapestry of eccentric songs.
See Modern Life Is War live in September + October:
Sep. 27 Iowa City, IA – Gabe's
Sep. 28 Champaign, IL – The Space
Sep. 29 Louisville, KY – Mag Bar
Sep. 30 University City, MO – Blueberry Hill
Oct. 01 Lawrence, KS – Bottleneck
Oct. 02 Oklahoma City, OK – 89th Street
Oct. 03 Memphis, TN - Memphist Fest
Oct. 04 Birmingham, AL – Furnace Fest
Oct. 16 Berlin, DE – Astra Kulturhaus
Oct. 17 Munich, DE – Backstage Werk
Oct. 18 Oberhausen, DE – Turbinenhalle
Oct. 19 Haarlem, NL – Patronaat
Oct. 20 Brussels, BE – AB
Oct. 22 Glasgow, UK – SWG3 (TV Studio)
Oct. 23 Bristol, UK – Crane
Oct. 24 London, UK – The Dome
Oct. 25 London, UK – The Underworld
Oct. 26 Leeds, UK – Stylus
Tame Impala Announces 2025 U.S. Tour Dates
TAME IMPALA
ANNOUNCES 2025 U.S. TOUR DATES
DEADBEAT OUT OCTOBER 17 ON COLUMBIA RECORDS
Following the announcement of his new album Deadbeat, Tame Impala (Kevin Parker) has announced the “Deadbeat” U.S. tour in support of the LP. The dates kick off on Halloween with a 2-night stand at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY and concludes with a show in Oakland, CA on November 14. The run also hits Los Angeles’ Kia Forum on November 11 and 12. All shows are listed below. Pre-sale sign-ups begin today at tameimpala.com. All tickets will be on sale to the general public on September 12 at 12PM local time.
Deadbeat is out everywhere on October 17th and available for pre-order now HERE. Fans can purchase two web-store exclusive vinyl color-variants available at tameimpala.com, an Urban Outfitters exclusive color vinyl, and an Indie Record Store exclusive color vinyl. Limited amount of numbered cassettes to be exclusively sold at Brooklyn Vegan and Alternative Press.
Earlier this week Parker teased the LP with “Loser” and its accompanying video directed by Kristofski and which stars Joe Keery. Watch HERE. He has also shared Deadbeat’s “End of Summer,” a sprawling 7-minute epic as well as a short-form visual narrative directed by multi-disciplinary artist Julian Klincewicz. Watch HERE
On Deadbeat (Columbia Records) Parker sculpts a collection of wickedly potent club-psych explorations as a vehicle for some of his most direct, brain-wormy songwriting to date. The album is deeply inspired by bush doof culture and the Western Australia rave scene, recasting Tame Impala as a kind of future primitive rave act in the process.
Conceived in various locations over the last few years, Deadbeat was largely galvanized between Parker’s hometown of Fremantle and his studio, Wave House in Injidup, Western Australia in the first half of 2025. Deadbeat sounds like the work of an artist with a leveled-up mastery, crafted with a newfound embrace of spontaneity for the renowned perfectionist. How that manifests is a distinct minimalism and crunch, with timbres and textures that add an ineffably new dimension to the sound, as well as a richer, more playful vocal range than ever.
Lyrically, Deadbeat has Parker channelling an endless bummer, a self-deprecating fuck-up stuck in a negative feedback loop when he should have long had his shit together. After going macro on The Slow Rush’s (2020) examination of time, Deadbeat focuses on the nuanced minutiae of the emotional quotidian. Dosed in tandem with the music’s euphoric and body-moving urges, Deadbeat pitches raving as self-enquiry, self-medication in lieu of self-care and the kick-on as domestic bliss. Reality can wait another day (or two).
Kevin Parker has emerged as one of the most influential voices of the last decade. A singular artist renowned for carving out a distinct sound all of his own, Parker crafts transcendent genre-bending sonic landscapes, playing every instrument and acting as writer, producer, mixer and engineer on his projects. He has been nominated for four GRAMMY awards with one win for his collaboration with Justice on 2024’s “Neverender.” In his home country of Australia, he’s racked up an impressive 13 ARIA Awards and 27 Nominations. He’s won the BRIT Award for Best International Band and scored nominations for two Billboard Music Awards and an American Music Award. Tame Impala has had numerous US Alternative Radio Top 10 songs including two #1’s for “Lost In Yesterday” and “Is It True.” Tame Impala’s “The Less I Know The Better” is part of the Billionaires Club with over 2 billion streams and the project has racked up numerous gold and platinum certifications globally.
Tame Impala has headlined festivals and arenas around the world and released four full-length albums - InnerSpeaker, Lonerism, Currents and his most recent album The Slow Rush. The Slow Rush landed at #1 in multiple territories and was his highest charting album to date in both the US and UK, with 14 top 10 chart positions around the world. As a writer and producer Parker has collaborated with Dua Lipa, The Weeknd, SZA, Lady Gaga, Travis Scott, Mark Ronson, Gorillaz, Thundercat, Kali Uchis, 070 Shake, Rhianna, Miguel, A$AP Rocky and many more.
Tame Impala tour dates
10/31 - Barclays Center - Brooklyn, NY
11/1 - Barclays Center - Brooklyn, NY
11/3 - United Center - Chicago, IL
11/6 - Moody Center - Austin, TX
11/9 - Pechanga Arena - San Diego, CA
11/11 - Kia Forum - Los Angeles, CA
11/12 - Kia Forum - Los Angeles, CA
11/14 - Oakland Arena - Oakland, CA
Follow Tame Impala:
Fleshwater release anticipated new LP ‘2000: In Search of the Endless Sky’
Fleshwater release anticipated sophomore LP
2000: In Search of the Endless Sky
Share f ocus track "Green Street"
Fleshwater to headline North American tour 9/17-11/1
Photo by Akash Wadhwani | Hi-res here
"genre-bending heavy shoegaze" - AV Club
"Among rock music's most auspicious, ascending prospects..." - Alt Press
"Fleshwater have quickly become one of our favorite bands..." - BrooklynVegan
"...punchy, vivid, and dripping with soul-clasping feeling." - FLOOD
The new full length album from Fleshwater—2000: In Search of the Endless Sky— is finally out today via Closed Casket Activities [order].
The album follows the band’s 2022 debut We’re Not Here To Be Loved, a release that quickly gained momentum and carried them through extensive touring across the U.S., Europe, the UK, Australia, and Japan. Along the way, they shared bills with Deftones and The Mars Volta, and hit the road with acts such as Harm’s Way, Modern Color, and Ingrown—building a reputation for blending heaviness with melody in a way that is unique and nostalgic.
Shaped across multiple studios and settings, Fleshwater tracked guitars and bass at God City Studio by Kurt Ballou with assistance from Zach Weeks, while drums were recorded by Kevin Bernstein at Mag Pie Recording Studio. Vocals were self-recorded by the band at home, before a final mix at God City Studios and a master by Nick Townsend of Infrasonic Studios. The album also features David Haik (Pianos Become The Teeth) on drums, whose session performance adds a rhythmic depth to the material.
Leaning into both atmosphere and impact, Fleshwater pushes into new territory while keeping the emotional weight intact. 2000: In Search of the Endless Sky is a step forward, but still unmistakably them.
See Fleshwater on their North American headline tour this September and October with Angel Du$t and Ingrown, and Chat Pile and Balmora in tow on select dates.
Listen / share "Green Street" from 2000: In Search of the Endless Sky
Fleshwater, on tour:
Sep 17 Toronto, ON — The Opera House *
Sep 18 Millvale, PA — Mr. Smalls Theatre *
Sep 20 Louisville, KY— Louder Than Life
Sep 21 Atlanta, GA — Shaky Knees Fest
Sep 23 Indianapolis, IN — HI-FI Annex *
Sep 24 Detroit, MI — Saint Andrew’s Hall *
Sep 26 St. Louis, MO — Red Flag *
Sep 27 Chicago, IL — Thalia Hall *
Sep 28 Madison, WI — Majestic Theatre *
Sep 29 Minneapolis, MN — Fine Line *
Oct 02 Denver, CO — Bluebird Theater *
Oct 04 Salt Lake City, UT — Soundwell *
Oct 06 Seattle, WA — Neumos *
Oct 07 Portland, OR — Aladdin Theater *
Oct 09 San Francisco, CA — The Fillmore #
Oct 10 Los Angeles, CA — The Fonda Theatre # (Sold Out)
Oct 11 Los Angeles, CA — The Fonda Theatre #
Oct 13 Mesa, AZ — Nile Theater #
Oct 16 Oklahoma City, OK — Tower Theatre #
Oct 17 Austin, TX — Emo’s #
Oct 18 Dallas, TX — The Echo Lounge & Music Hall #
Oct 19 Houston, TX — White Oak Music Hall – Downstairs #
Oct 21 Tampa, FL — The Orpheum #
Oct 22 Orlando, FL — The Beacham #
Oct 24 Charlottesville, VA — The Jefferson Theater #
Oct 25 Baltimore, MD — Baltimore Soundstage #
Oct 26 Washington, D.C — 9:30 Club . #
Oct 28 Brooklyn, NY — Brooklyn Steel #
Oct 29 Philadelphia, PA — Theatre of Living Arts #
Oct 31 Boston, MA — Paradise Rock Club # (Sold Out)
Nov 01 Boston, MA — Paradise Rock Club #
* with Angel Du$t, Ingrown
# with Chat Pile, Balmora
Global star Tom Odell shares new album A Wonderful Life
photo credit: Darren GwynnSeptember 5, 2025—Global star and award-winning singer-songwriter Tom Odell shares his highly anticipated new album
A Wonderful Life
today; listen HERE and watch the official music video HERE.“With each song, I tried to create little universes, little worlds within those songs that one can keep discovering things,” says Odell. “I'm really proud of this album. In a lot of ways, I feel like it’s the album I've been trying to make for the last 12, 13 years. So, here we go. Here it is for you.”In the lead up to the album’s release, Odell shared “
Don’t Cry, Put Your Head On My Shoulder
,” “
Ugly
,” and “
Don’t Let Me Go
.” Recently, Odell appeared on
CBS Saturday Morning
to perform “Don’t Let Me Go” alongside an interview with Anthony Mason.Odell will perform the new music on his headline European arena tour this fall. Dates include stops at London’s O2 Arena, Paris’ Accor Arena, two nights at Amsterdam’s Ziggo Dome, Berlin’s Uber Arena and more. Odell just wrapped up select European arena dates with Billie Eilish on the sold-out Hit Me Hard and Soft Tour and select U.S. arena dates with The Lumineers for their Automatic World Tour. Ahead of his headline arena dates, Odell will also embark on a special run of intimate shows across the U.S. and Canada. These club performances provide fans a unique chance to see him in the smallest rooms he’s played in years. Purchase tickets at tomodell.com and see below for a complete list of dates.A Wonderful Life was written partly as a reaction to the news cycle and “the sense, almost every week, that the world is ending in some capacity—which it is, for some people,” notes Odell, whose lyrics channel the despair, frustration and helplessness in the modern world.He recorded A Wonderful Life at Church Studios, HOXA and RAK Studios’ legendary Room One, the space that birthed classic albums from Radiohead, The Pogues, Ultravox and more. Odell and his band recorded everything live with the instruments “bleeding in on one another” for a more authentic sound.His emotionally charged songs detailing love, heartbreak and self-reflection continue to receive critical acclaim, winning the prestigious BRIT and Ivor Novello Awards and garnering praise from The Guardian, The Telegraph, Rolling Stone, The Evening Standard and The Observer, among others.Odell is a renowned British singer and songwriter whose love for music can be traced back to grade school, pivoting from songwriter to singer in his band when they couldn’t hold down a frontman. After studying music in college, he embarked on a decade-long career in which his soul-baring projects have topped charts and won accolades worldwide. Odell has amassed a rabid following, with multiple headline world tours, 32 million monthly listeners on Spotify and over 14 billion career streams. His sixth album Black Friday reached number five on Spotify’s Top Album Debut Global Chart and the haunting title track has earned over 700 million combined streams since its late-2023 release. Fans also re-discovered his first ever single, 2012’s “Another Love,” which has become an anthem on TikTok to show solidarity with the people of Ukraine and soared to over four billion plays on Spotify alone. With more imminent from Odell, he continues to push boundaries and unite people through his art.
album art
A WONDERFUL LIFE
TRACK LIST1. Don’t Let Me Go2. Don’t Cry, Put Your Head On My Shoulder3. Prayer4. Can We Just Go Home Now5. Why Do I Always Want The Things I Can’t Have6. Wonderful Life7. Ugly8. Strange House9. Can Old Lovers Ever Be Friends?10. The End of SufferingTOM ODELL TOUR DATESSeptember 18—Chicago, IL—Vic TheatreSeptember 20—Washington, D.C.—Lincoln TheatreSeptember 21—Philadelphia, PA—Theatre of Living ArtsSeptember 22—New York, NY—Webster HallSeptember 25—Boston, MA—Paradise Rock ClubSeptember 27—Detroit, MI—St. Andrew’s HallSeptember 29—Montreal, QC—MTELUSSeptember 30—Toronto, ON—Massey HallOctober 21—Cardiff, U.K.—Cardiff Utilita ArenaOctober 23—Dublin, IE—3ArenaOctober 24—Belfast, U.K.—The SSE ArenaOctober 26—Glasgow, U.K.—OVO HydroOctober 28—Manchester, U.K.—Co-Op LiveOctober 29—London, U.K.—O2 ArenaOctober 31—Paris, FR—Accor ArenaNovember 1—Cologne, DE—Lanxess ArenaNovember 3—Amsterdam, NL—Ziggo DomeNovember 4—Amsterdam, NL—Ziggo DomeNovember 7—Oslo, NO—Unity ArenaNovember 8—Stockholm, SE—Avicii ArenaNovember 10—Copenhagen, DK—Royal ArenaNovember 11—Hamburg, DE—Barclays ArenaNovember 13—Leipzig, DE—Arena LeipzigNovember 14—Munich, DE—OlympiahalleNovember 16—Budapest, HU—Budapest ArenaNovember 17—Krakow, PL—TAURON ArenaNovember 19—Prague-Bubeneč, CZ—Sportovni Hala FortunaNovember 20—Berlin, DE—Uber ArenaNovember 22—Mannheim, DE—SAP ArenaNovember 23—Vienna, AT—StadthalleNovember 26—Zurich, CH—HallenstadionNovember 27—Milan, IT—Unipol (Mediolanum Forum)November 30—Barcelona, ES—Sant Jordi ClubDecember 1—Madrid, ES—Movistar ArenaDecember 3—Esch-sur-Alzette, LU—RockhalDecember 4—Antwerp, BE—Sportpaleis
www.tomodell.com
Guided By Voices Announce New LP, Share "...Oxford Talawanda" Single via Rolling Stone | 'Thick Rich And Delicious 'LP Out 10/31 via GBV Inc Records
Share"(You Can't Go Back To) Oxford Talawanda" Single
via Rolling Stone
Thick Rich And Delicious LP Out Oct. 31st via GBV Inc Records
LISTEN & SHARE: Guided By Voices - "(You Can't Go Back To) Oxford Talawanda"
Stream | YouTube
Guided By Voices today have announced their new LP Thick Rich and Delicious, out October 31st via GBV Inc Records. They've also shared the massive, triumphant new single "(You Can't Go Back To) Oxford Talawanda" to accompany the announcement. “I’m a student of hooks," songwriter Bob Pollard explains. "That perfect combination of a lyric and a chord pattern that gives you that chill up the back of your spine.”
On the LP, Pollard combines a new batch of songs with a basket of unrecorded gems dating back to the band’s nascent years. The chorus of "...Oxford Talawanda" contains a never-used hook that Pollard has been singing for nearly his entire life.
Thick, Rich and Delicious, produced and engineered by Travis Harrison,
overflows with hooks. It plays through front-to-back like a power pop classic, but don’t misconstrue pop for soft. The basic tracks were cut live and hot to tape and are presented with minimal overdubs. The band recorded in a Brooklyn studio at extreme volumes, conjuring the spontaneity and electric energy of their legendary live show. Complimenting Pollard's lead vocals, harmonies are sung by Grammy-nominated Bobby Bare Jr & Pollard (aka "The Self-Righteous Bros"). The sound delivers on the album's titular promise: Thick Rich and Delicious.
Guided By Voices is Robert Pollard, Doug Gillard, Bobby Bare Jr., Mark Shue, and Kevin March.
Thick Rich And Delicious by Guided Voices is out 10/31. Single "(You Can't Go Back To) Oxford Talawanda" is out today.
Guided By Voices - "(You Can't Go Back To) Oxford Talawanda"
Thick Rich and Delicious - TRACK LISTING
Babies And Gentlemen(You Can't Go Back To) Oxford TalawandaPhantasmagoric UpstartsOur Man SyracuseMother JohnDance of the Picnic AntsXeno UrbanA Tribute to Beatle BobReplaySirenThe Lighthouse ResurrectionA Glum SwobodaOzark IvanhoCaptain Kangaroo Won The WarGUIDED BY VOICES LINKSWebsite | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify | Apple Music
September 4, 2025
Diamanda Galas Announces the release of 1988's 'You Must Be Certain of the Devil' (remastered) + 'De-formation: Second Piano Variation'
DIAMANDA GALÁS
ANNOUNCES TWO NEW RELEASES
YOU MUST BE CERTAIN OF THE DEVIL (REMASTER) + DE-FORMATION: SECOND PIANO VARIATIONS
OUT NOVEMBER 1, 2025 (DAY OF THE DEAD)
REVEALS “SWING LOW SWEET CHARIOT” FROM YOU MUST BE CERTAIN OF THE DEVIL
EXCERPT OF DE-FORMATION: SECOND PIANO VARIATIONS ALSO AVAILABLE
On November 1, Diamanda Galás will mark Día de Los Muertos with the release of two commanding works: a newly remastered reissue of her 1988 album You Must Be Certain of the Devil, and De-formation: Second Piano Variations, a live recording of her meticulously reworked score, captured during an intimate, candlelit performance at the Pinault Gallery in spring 2025.
Together, the two albums underline her position as one of the most uncompromising and visionary artists of our time.
You Must Be Certain of the Devil (1988 / 2025 reissue)* To be played at maximum volume *
Photo by Chrysantha Schultz
Riding in on an eviscerating vocal alarm call and originally released in 1988 as the final installment of her Masque of the Red Death trilogy, Diamanda Galás' You Must Be Certain of the Devil is as unflinching now as it was on release in 1988. It remains a swaggering, furious fuck-you to those who might cast aside the sick and dying in the name of faith and scripture.
Often misunderstood as simply “dark” for its subject matter, You Must Be Certain of the Devil in fact shines a light of such total exposure it leaves nowhere to hide, forensically unmasking the fury and pain of real grief and the vast spectrum of emotions rendered by the AIDS epidemic. It is an album that looks you square in the eye, pins you against a wall and makes you look at and feel the horror the virus visited upon a person, the knowledge of certain death in a hostile environment, and the hypocrisy of those who claim to be Samaritans or protectors.
The album twists gospel spirituals into blistering indictments of hypocrisy, using sacred forms to expose the cruelty of churches that damned AIDS sufferers as cursed by God. From the siren-call of “Swing Low Sweet Chariot” through “Double-Barrel Prayer,” “Birds of Death,” and the title track, she intones as apostate, reaper, and bar-room brawler, detourning spirituals into prayers to a god invented by despair. Begun in 1984 and haunted by her brother’s death in 1986, the trilogy moved from anguish to political knowledge, shaped by America’s mounting AIDS epidemic - by 1988 over 46,000 dead, antivirals still years away. Dismissed as “the AIDS lady” and joining Act Up protests, Galás made the trilogy a work “begun in 1984 and not completed until the end of the epidemic,” refusing closure: for her there is no escape or reprieve. You Must Be Certain of the Devil spears you in the eternal present of trauma, by an artist who calls herself a “Greek orthodox atheist”: a person certain of the devil with no hope in God.
The reissue features remastered audio by Heba Kadry, vinyl lacquers cut by Paul Gold at Salt Mastering, and photography by Emily Andersen.
Today Galás has made the album’s “Swing Low Sweet Chariot” available. The song opens You Must Be Certain of the Devil and on it she comes in high and clear like a siren, as warning and death herald; as call to action and attack cry.
LISTEN/SHARE “SWING LOW SWEET CHARIOT” HERE
Please see the full biography for You Must Be Certain of the Devil here.
Pre-order You Must Be Certain of the Devil here.
De-formation: Second Piano Variations (Live, Paris 2025)* To be played played at maximum volume *
Diamanda Galás live in Paris photo by Raphaël Massart
"In a striking visual performance, Diamanda Galás plays De-formation: Piano
Variations. There is a strong sense of dialogue with the deceased and Galás
viscerally negotiates the thresholds of embodiment-testing the limits of perception,
presence, and recall." — Xenia Benivolski The Wire June 2025
In the Paris springtime of 2025, Diamanda Galás performed the Second Piano Variations of her De-formation, a recomposition of her solo piano work from ”Das Fieberspital (The Fever Hospital),” a musical setting of Georg Heym’s early 20th Century expressionist poem about patients isolated and stigmatised by yellow fever. In performance, the intimate concert room in the basement of the Pinault Collection became hushed and reverent, soft lighting arranged like church candles casting gothic shadows across the stage for Galás' first live performance since 2018.
The first iteration of the piece, De-formation: Piano Variations was released digitally and on CD in 2020. This new version rewrites the forceful original, prompted by an invitation to perform at a two-day Hommage à Maryanne Amacher at the Pinault Collection. Galás had met Amacher on multiple occasions from the mid 1980s onwards (she once arrived to find Amacher had gathered all the press cuttings of her work and stuck them on the wall, and was the “Black Witch” to Amacher’s “White Witch”), and although they never talked about their shared compositional commitments to sonic intensities and high volumes, they forged a personal connection.
To reach the point of performance Galás enacted an archaeology on her 2020 original, taking her prompts and basic notation and "blasting through the original structure I had created, then recreating it for this performance, block by block." From her documentation, Diamanda Galás and pianist Thomas Feng (a specialist in notating difficult piano music) prepared a full score of the 2020 version, from which she began to relearn the piece, recomposing phrasing, silences, strict dynamic changes, and chord progressions, finding moments for pause and power, bringing new grace to the music and sculpting the muscle of the source material. In order to exact the dynamic changes she now heard, Galás worked for months on combining food pedals (the score is notated with pedal markings and will be available in 2026 for pianists).
The intentional aggression and sheer force of Galás' playing draws out its power into a cumulus of fury that falls away into near-silence. An 8-legged arachnid drops precipitously on the belly of the instrument, delicately falling towards melody, before this pale grace is stripped of its gentle resonances to be remade in the brutalism of the De-formation, where notes crack as hammer hits metal.
De-formation: Second Piano Variations gifts breath and space into the fetid air of the fever hospitals that are its subject, retaining the intensity of its execution and finding Galás playing hard and true. As above, so below: the 2025 live version takes on the qualities of a studio recording. Through the process of formal scoring, the piece underwent a meticulous revision, which is why this new document is being released today. With the recording quality afforded by the Pinault, it stands as a definitive work, while the 2020 original remains a primarily improvised performance, captured live in the project’s earliest stages.
LISTEN TO AN EXCERPT OF DE-FORMATION: SECOND PIANO VARIATIONS (LIVE, PARIS 2025)
Please see the full biography for De-formation: Second Piano Variations here.
Pre-save De-formation: Second Piano Variations here.
About Diamanda Galás
San Diego-born Galás came up playing both classical and jazz music. She not only accompanied her Anatolian Greek father’s gospel choir and joined his New Orleans-style band, but also performed as a piano soloist with the San Diego Symphony at the age of 14. She went on to play with various groups that included heavies of the new-jazz thing, such as a circa-’74 combo in Pomona, California, that included cornetist Bobby Bradford, sax man David Murray bassist Mark Dresser, and drummer Stanley Crouch. She made her first public performance in 1979, collaborating on an opera with Vinko Globokar and Amnesty International about the arrest torture, and assasination of a Turkish woman for treason. In 1982 she released her debut album, The Litanies of Satan, which showcased her early forays into unorthodox vocal expression and multiphonics, and which included an 18-minute performance piece titled “Wild Women With Steak Knives.” She has created work dealing with AIDS (including the recently re-mastered The Divine Punishment), genocide and mental disease, as well as compositions for voice and piano set to the works of exiled poets. She also collaborated with Led Zeppelin's John Paul Jones on the 1994 album The Sporting Life. Her 2022 album Broken Gargoyles employs a vast array of advanced vocal and instrumental techniques to deftly probe the weaving, warping transformation on the nervous systems of her post-traumatic soldiers and dying diseased, leading Pitchfork to declare her “a world apart from other musicians.”
Find Diamanda Galás here:
Tom Vek Enlists IS TROPICAL For New 'We Have Sound Remixed' Single
TOM VEK RECRUITS IS TROPICAL FOR NEXT WE HAVE SOUND REMIXED SINGLE
“I AIN'T SAYING MY GOODBYES (IS TROPICAL REMIX)”
OUT NOW via STRATASONIC RECORDS
WE FOUND SOUND REMIXED OUT OCTOBER 2, 2025
Buy / Stream: Tom Vek - I Ain't Saying My Goodbyes (Is Tropical Remix)
https://orcd.co/tvistropical
SEPTEMBER 4, 2025—Today, Tom Vek shares the latest single from We Have Sound Remixed—the 20th anniversary reimagining of his cult debut album, arriving October 2 via StrataSonic Records.
Following Dave Glass Animals’ remix of “C-C (You Set the Fire in Me)” and Everything Everything’s rework of “Nothing But Green Lights,” London-based indie-electronic outfit Is Tropical takes the reins with a fresh interpretation of “I Ain’t Saying My Goodbyes.” Known for their genre-blurring sound throughout the 2010s, the group infuses the track with propulsive rhythms, raw textures, and a dancefloor-ready edge that casts the original in a new light.
“This song was on my soundtrack of leaving my hometown and moving up to London. Great memories of Shoreditch when it was full of squats and club line-ups were so eclectic. When there were still clubs in central London, this track was always played at FROG by the iconic DJs Danny Varley & Tom Frog! I remember the time fondly with a filter of K cider, brogues kept together with duct tape and no socks, regretamine and of course strobes. Shame that the camera phone was at early development as we’d have more archives to cringe through; as the glow sticks fade into lower back problems. But it be a seed that turns into the dancetree our children will rave under!” — IS TROPICAL
Emerging from South London squats in 2009, IS TROPICAL carved out a cult following with their jagged and euphoric, sharp-edged pop with a nomadic sensibility. Tagged at different times as indie, electronic, punk, and “doss-pop,” IS TROPICAL signed early on to beloved French brand/record label Kitsuné and quickly became international adventurers, touring everywhere from Ghana to Mongolia, Russia to Peru, and sharing stages with LCD Soundsystem, Sonic Youth, Hole, and Klaxons.
We Have Sound Remixed is a rare kind of tribute, curated by Vek himself, with each artist handpicked and invited to reinterpret the record that helped shape their creative DNA. The result is a celebration of We Have Sound not only as a pivotal album of the 2000s, but as a blueprint for the fusion of guitar music, DIY electronica, and sharp-edged pop that now defines a generation of UK and alternative acts.
With contributions from alt-J’s Gus Unger-Hamilton, Everything Everything, Porij, Is Tropical, Anna Prior, Dutch Uncles, Baths, Vivid Fever Dreams, and Coby Sey, this project cements Tom Vek’s role as a cult figure whose music remains eerily current — and deeply influential — two decades on.
We Have Sound Remixed Tracklist
1. C-C (Dave Glass Animals Remix)
2. I Ain’t Saying My Goodbyes (Is Tropical Remix)
3. If You Want (Anna Prior Remix)
4. A Little Word In Your Ear (Dutch Uncles Remix)
5. If I Had Changed My Mind - (Vivid Fever Dreams Remix)
6. The Lower The Sun (Baths Remix)
7. Cover (Gus Alt-J Remix)
8. Nothing But Green Lights (Everything Everything Remix)
9. On The Road (Porij Remix)
10. That Can Be Arranged (Coby Sey Remix)
We Have Sound Remixed will be out in its entirety on October 2 on StrataSonic Records.
Connect with Tom Vek
Website | Instagram | Facebook | X | SoundCloud
Connect with Is Tropical
Soundcloud | Instagram | Spotify | X
Website | Instagram | Bandcamp | SoundCloud
Emmylou Harris To Release "Spyboy" Reissue November 7 Via New West Records - Uncut Magazine Premieres "A Thing About You" Today
UNCUT MAGAZINE PREMIERES RENDITION OF TOM PETTY & THE HEARTBREAKERS’ “A THING ABOUT YOU” TODAY
Emmylou Harris & Spyboy Photograph by Matthew Barnes
Emmylou Harris will release Spyboy on November 7, 2025 via New West Records. The 19-track live album was produced by Buddy Miller and Emmylou Harris and features Miller on guitar and vocals, Brady Blade on drums, percussion, and vocals, and Daryl Johnson on bass, djembe, percussion, and vocals as well. Originally issued on compact disc by Eminent Records in 1998, the 2025 edition of Spyboy features 5 previously unreleased recordings of the band performing Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers' “A Thing About You,” Bob Dylan’s “Every Grain of Sand,” Bill Monroe’s “Get Up John,” Lucinda Williams’ “Sweet Old World,” as well as the Harris and Kate & Anna McGarrigle co-write “All I Left Behind.” It also features updated artwork as well as new and updated liner notes written by Harris and Miller. A limited pressing of Spyboy was made available in celebration of Record Store Day in May and quickly sold out.
Today, Uncut Magazine premiered the Spyboy rendition of Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers’ “A Thing About You.” Hear it HERE. Spyboy grew out of Wrecking Ball, Harris’ groundbreaking 1995 collaboration with the producer Daniel Lanois. That album, among her best and most celebrated, offers a very different idea of what country music could be, how it might sound and move. “It was such a sonic departure for me,” says Harris. “When we were making the record, I was thinking: Okay, I love this, but how am I going to play it? I’d had the Hot Band and then I’d had my bluegrass band, the Nash Ramblers. I loved playing with them, but I knew this was different.” For the subsequent tour, Lanois temporarily played guitar (before being replaced by Miller), and brought in bassist Daryl Johnson and drummer Brady Blade. In 1996 and 1997 they toured America and Europe together, never playing a song the same way twice. “It was really something to be on that stage every night with that band and that energy,” Harris says. Sequencing old songs alongside new ones, the album tests the tensile strength of each one, pushing them into wilder and more psychedelic territory while remaining grounded in earthy country music. It’s completely unique in Emmylou Harris’ catalog, a crucial document of an important chapter in her career. “It’s such a special record,” Harris says. “Well, they all are, but this one is really, really special. That was such a fantastic band and such an amazing time.” Harris continues in her updated liner notes, “I’ve spent the better part of my adult life in the company of some pretty great bands. Spyboy is one of them, and this album is a snapshot of us. Like the spyboy leading the Mardi Gras parade, they led me into a new century, reinvigorated me as a singer, and inspired me night after night with their energy and unique musicianship.” Adding, “For those who never experienced Spyboy in action, this album is the next best thing. For me it’s a sweet and welcome trip down memory lane.” Miller says, “I wanted proof that I was actually part of this thing, so I asked if I could bring some recording gear to document the band, just for fun. This was before Pro Tools and iPhones. You needed racks of stuff. Our sound crew, Dean Norman and Doug Dawson, helped set up, run cables, and changed tapes every night. Together we recorded around 25 shows.” Miller and Harris culled through hundreds of tracks to choose the ones that best represented the Spyboy ethos of endless possibility. The album had its own identity separate from Wrecking Ball, and it revealed a new side of Harris, as she pushed her voice to match the rhythmic volatility of Johnson and Blade. Because Wrecking Ball was such a different kind of album for her, it attracted a different kind of fan. Miller noticed that the crowds skewed younger with each show, as a new generation of fans discovered Harris through the album. “There was a curiosity factor,” she says. “I might have lost some of my regular folk-oriented fans, who were perplexed by the album, but my true fans have always zigged with me when I’ve zigged and they’ve always zagged with me when I’ve zagged.” Emmylou Harris’ Spyboy will be available across digital platforms, compact disc, and clear color vinyl. The album is available for pre-order NOW via NEW WEST RECORDS.
Emmylou Harris Spyboy Track Listing: 1. My Songbird (Jesse Winchester) 2. Where Will I Be3. I Ain't Living Long Like This (Rodney Crowell) 4. Love Hurts (Bouldleaux Bryant) 5. Green Pastures6. Deeper Well7. Prayer In Open D8. Calling My Children Home9. Tulsa Queen10. Wheels (Flying Burrito Brothers) 11. Born To Run12. Boulder To Birmingham13. All My Tears (Julie Miller) 14. The Maker15. A Thing About You (Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers) * 16. All I Left Behind (Emmylou Harris, Kate & Anna McGarrigle) * 17. Every Grain Of Sand (Bob Dylan) * (Not Present on CD Version)18. Get Up John (Bill Monroe) * 19. Sweet Old World (Lucinda Williams) *
* Previously Unreleased Bonus Track www.EmmylouHarris.com www.NewWestRecords.com
