Alexander Laurence's Blog, page 202
November 1, 2024
Kokoroko releases new EP 'Get The Message'
KOKOROKO RELEASES NEW EP GET THE MESSAGE
Kokoroko by Liz Johnson Artur
What the press is saying about Kokoroko:
“a beauty that draws in a casual listener with a catchy, heartfelt harmony or memorable riff, but also provides a rich melange of inspirations for a trained ear, from afrobeat to jazz, soul, funk, and beyond.”
Hypebeast
"an entrancing, groove-rooted concoction informed equally by jazz, Fela Kuti’s Afrobeat and the larger Black music diaspora"
SPIN Magazine
“a vital example of not only jazz’s new form but the shape of things to come for British music.”
The Guardian
“Kokoroko are harnessing the transformative nature of Afrobeat for a new generation”
CRACK Magazine
Get The Message EP
LISTEN: https://kokoroko.lnk.to/getthemessage
(November 1st, 2024) - Kokoroko, the London-based band, share their new EP Get The Message. Conceptualized as a project to give fans a sense of what's to come from their forthcoming second studio album due next year, Get The Message is a 4-track opus that positions the band in a more introspective and meditative space from their previous music. Eschewing the brassy and exuberant sound of their last body of work, the new EP notably beholds more of a minimalist slant.
Gentler in mood, Get The Message finds the band experimenting with new sonic territories via modes of psychedelic soul, Afro-rock, dub and funk; sonically taking cues from the likes of Solange, Blood Orange, Sun Ra, Cymande and the 1970s Nigerian psych-rock band Ofege. Remarking on the band’s musical growth and evolution the last few years, Onome Edgeworth, the band’s percussionist shares, “Our tastes are richer and more developed. We’re now creating from a completely different viewpoint and it's been quite freeing.”
Created under the guise of functioning as an intentional vessel for joy, the heart of Get The Message is concerned about the need for community, connection and relationships of all forms. Speaking further on the humanizing motivations behind the EP which was largely borne from its opening track “Higher,” the band’s co-founder and trumpeter, Sheila Maurice-Grey says:
“That song is a mantra. With the repeated lyrics, we were setting the intention and the tone of what we wanted to do with the EP which is to be a balm for people. Being a voice of hope, comfort in a time where the world isn’t always promoting positive energy, unity and togetherness”.
The arrival of the EP comes on the heels of its previously-released lead single “Three Piece Suit” featuring Nigerian-born UK artist Azekel. Inspired by a conversation between Onome Edgeworth and Azekel about their grandfathers, both of whom landed in London from Nigeria in the 1960s, palpable throughout are spiritual echoes resonating with ideas of home, lineage and ancestry.
Get The Message marks Kokoroko’s first project since the release of Could We Be More Remixes. The experimental and kaleidoscopic sister project to their 2022 debut album Could We Be More, which upon initial release earned critical plaudits from the likes of The Guardian, The Telegraph, Financial Times, Jazzwise, CRACK Magazine and Downbeat Magazine. Enlisting some of contemporary music’s most forward-thinking artists like KeiyaA, Ash Lauryn, Stefan Ringer and Hagan to re-imagine the original album through a club-focused lens, Could We Be More Remixes marked the beginning of the band being cast beyond spaces related to the jazz sphere. A signal of their incoming next phase.
Listen to Get The Message and stay tuned for more from Kokoroko coming soon.
Get The Message EP artwork by Luci Pina
Kokoroko
Get The Message
November 1, 2024
Brownswood Recordings
1. Higher
2. Sweeter Than
3. My Prayer
4. Three Piece Suit (Feat. Azekel)
Kokoroko Full Band Personnel:
Sheila Maurice-Grey (co-bandleader, trumpet, flugelhorn, vocals)
Onome Edgeworth (co-bandleader, percussion)
Anoushka Nanguy ( trombone, vocals)
Tobi Adenaike (guitar, vocals)
Yohan Kebede (keyboards, synthesizers, vocals)
Duane Atherley (bass, vocals)
Ayo Salawu (drums, vocals)
Additional Personnel:
Chelsea Carmichael (tenor saxophone, bass clarinet, flute on "My Prayer"
Connect with Kokoroko
ROBERT GLASPER RELEASES HOLIDAY ALBUM 'IN DECEMBER' ON ALL PLATFORMS
ROBERT GLASPER RELEASES HOLIDAY ALBUM IN DECEMBER ON ALL PLATFORMS
FEATURING ANDRA DAY, PJ MORTON, SEVYN STREETER, CYNTHIA ERVO, TARRIONA TANK BALL, ALEX ISLEY, AND THE BAYLOR PROJECT
OUT NOW VIA LOMA VISTA RECORDINGS; COLORED VINYL ON SALE HERE
WORLD RENOWNED ROBTOBER RESIDENCY LIVE AT THE BLUE NOTE NYC UNTIL NOVEMBER 3
PRESS PRAISE FOR IN DECEMBER
Robert Glasper is an expert in both abstruse jazz harmonies and sleek hip-hop grooves; he’s also a well-connected collaborator. He brings all those skills to Christmas songs on “In December”, a musicianly rumination on the season. - THE NEW YORK TIMES
Jazzed up holiday classics. - VARIETY
December is for Robert Glasper! - PEOPLE
Today, five-time Grammy award-winning pianist and composer Robert Glasper releases his celebrated first holiday album, In December, across all major streaming platforms, on festive gold and red vinyl, and on CD. Featuring an esteemed roster of frequent collaborators—PJ Morton, Sevyn Streeter, Cynthia Ervo, Tarriona Tank Ball, Alex Isley, Andra Day, Doobie Powell, and The Baylor Project—the eight track project, initially released as an Apple Music exclusive, is an evocative and moving addition to Glasper’s critically lauded catalog. The wide release of In December is accompanied by an additional track, a swanky rendition of “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” featuring acclaimed gospel artist Doobie Powell.
In December finds Glasper’s unique approach to contemporary R&B and jazz, encapsulated in his famed Black Radio series, applied to what is a sonically unique take on holiday music. This non-traditional holiday release brings a weight and musical funkiness to a genre and time of year that is often seeped in campy or classic holiday motifs. Speaking on In December, Robert Glasper says, “I’m excited to drop my first holiday record. I hope it brings as much joy as I had making it. Sip some eggnog and enjoy.”
Arriving as a bookend to another monumental year for Glasper, In December precedes the November 3rd closing of the 6th year of the exceptional artist’s world renowned Robtober residency at Blue Note in NYC, featuring special guest performances by Raye, Questlove, Common, Andra Day, Marsha Ambrosius, Doobie Powell, Little Brother, Chris Dave, Derrick Hodge, DJ Jahi Sundance, Stokley, and more.
Glasper also recently released his third project of 2024, the Apple Music exclusive Keys to the City: Volume 1. A monumental testament to the magic of collaboration and improvisation, the album finds Glasper in his element featuring live recordings from his annual residency, providing listeners with a glimpse of the magic that audiences have come to cherish over the last six years. In October, Robert Glasper launched his new Apple Music radio show, "In My Element,” on Apple Music’s global live-streaming radio station, giving fans an opportunity to explore the inner workings of the acclaimed pianist and composer.
Earlier this year, Robert released two more Apple Music exclusive projects. In June, he shared Let Go, a serene 13-track listening experience that emerged from fans sharing their different uses for his music. In August, he followed up with Code Derivation, a sonic experimentation splitting the difference between jazz and hip-hop, and emphasizing their shared genetics. Code Derivation is largely composed of two versions of the same track, one played live in studio by Glasper’s band and a version “flipped” by a producer of his choosing. Over the summer, Glasper joined Blue Note Entertainment Group and Black Radio Productions as Artist in Residence at The Black Radio Experience at The Meritage Resort & Spa in Napa Valley, CA. Inspired by Glasper’s annual Robtober residency at the Blue Note in NYC, The Black Radio Experience was an immersive journey into the soul of music, transcending boundaries and celebrating the rich tapestry of Black culture. Headliners across the 3 day weekend event included John Legend, Jill Scott and Andre 3000, and performances by Andra Day, Common, Nile Rodgers, Ledisi, Terrace Martin and more including daily performances from Glasper himself.
LISTEN TO IN DECEMBER
IN DECEMBER TRACKLIST
Fireside IntroGod Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen [Carol of Bells] ft. Cynthia ErvoMake It Home ft. PJ Morton & Sevyn StreeterMemories with Mama ft. Tarriona Tank BallJoy to the World ft. Alex IsleyDecember ft. Andra DayLittle Drummer Boy ft. The Baylor ProjectHave Yourself A Merry Little Christmas ft. Doobie Powell
LISTEN TO KEYS TO THE CITY: VOLUME 1
https://music.apple.com/us/album/Title/1770172836?ls=1&app=music&at=1001lKgs
https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/Title/1770172836?ls=1&app=itunes&at=1001lKgs
LISTEN TO CODE DERIVATION
http://apple.co/CodeDerivation
LISTEN TO LET GO
https://music.apple.com/us/album/let-go/1746851220
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON ROBTOBER 2024 AT THE BLUE NOTE NYC
https://www.bluenotejazz.com/nyc/
NOVEMBER EUROPEAN TOUR DATES
November 9 — Mesa, AZ
November 11 — Berlin, Germany
November 12 — Hamburg, Germany
November 14 — Utrecht, Netherlands
November 15 — Brussels, Belgium
November 17 — Paris, France
November 18 — London, UK
November 21 — London, UK
FOLLOW ROBERT GLASPER
Annahstasia releases new EP 'Surface Tension'
ANNAHSTASIA RELEASES NEW EP
SURFACE TENSION OUT NOW VIA DRINK SUM WTR
Annahstasia by Tatsiana
Surface Tension EP
LISTEN: https://drinksumwtr.lnk.to/annahstasia-surface-tension
WATCH:
“Saturday”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rf4N0_8hYUk
“Sunday”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdcyUm5nCEE
(November 1st, 2024) - Fresh off the heels of live shows in LA and New York, multidisciplinary artist Annahstasia releases her new EP Surface Tension. Following last year’s self-released EP Revival, her new EP – her debut for Secretly affiliate label drink sum wtr – cracks open the next chapter of her career as a prelude for her forthcoming debut album coming in 2025.
Surface Tension unfolds in a 3-part narrative arc, detailing her own revelations about past relationships and documenting “a romantic war.” Recorded at Shangri-la studio in Malibu with producer Jason Lader and a number of accomplished musicians, the EP embraces a slower, more intentional sound than Revival, allowing her commanding vocals to propel the tracks forward as she explores her gift with newfound artistic latitude.
Born Annahstasia Enuke, the LA-based artist first learned about the importance of artistic resilience and creative intention at the age of 17 after being discovered and later propelled into the entertainment industry and the stifling pressures that accompany it. "I've come into the power of my voice as a medium," she says. "As a tool of expression, I am able to shape the emotional space around me.” Across the project’s three-part structure, a calmness, warmth, and resolute beauty prevails amidst the fleeting light of two lovers undone.
Listen to Surface Tension EP above and stay tuned for more from Annahstasia coming very soon.
Surface Tension EP artwork by Yana Yatsuk
Annahstasia
Surface Tension EP
November 1, 2024
drink sum wtr
1. Saturday
2. Sunday
3. Stress Test
Connect with Annahstasia:
Night Tapes Share New Single "to be free"
NIGHT TAPES
SHARES NEW SINGLE “TO BE FREE”
US HEADLINE TOUR STARTS NEXT WEEK
Photo Credit: Marii Kiisk
“Wonderfully textured and luxurious… soothing and ethereal.” – Wonderland
“Night Tapes seamlessly blend crisp catchiness with woozy universality.” – DIY Magazine
“Delicate vocals and gentle, mind-soothing production.” – Atwood Magazine
“Evokes a sense of youthful nostalgia.” – Ones To Watch
“Chilling vocals are accentuated with reverb, complementing the smooth basslines of the track.” – SHEESH
November 1, 2024 - Dream-pop London trio Night Tapes have returned with the dreamy, upbeat single, "to be free." The new single arrives ahead of Night Tapes’ first US headline tour starting November 9th in Brooklyn, followed by shows in Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, before capping off the run with a festival appearance at Mexico City’s Corona Capital Festival.
“to be free” is the first single since the trio’s assisted memories EP released this past summer. Ethereal vocals and shimmering, 80's tinged synths give "to be free" a late night feel; in a dancing on your own and daydreaming sort of way. Night Tapes muse on self-expression and freedom, showcasing irresistible songwriting and impeccable vibes. “‘to be free’ is about layers of perception. Everyone is a cyborg nowadays. Also, this song is probably as electronic as we’re ever going to venture to,” adds lead singer Iiris Vesik. The track is co-written by NYC duo Love Language.
Each of Night Tapes’ four US shows will have different supporting acts that include James K, Bathe Alone, Asha Wells, and Last Known Species. “to be free” is an early glimpse of their forthcoming debut album slated for the second half of 2025 with more new music and touring to come in the new year.
“to be free” is available on all DSPs here:
https://nighttapes.ffm.to/tobefree
Tour Dates:
11/9 – Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
11/12 – Chicago, IL @ Schubas *SOLD OUT
11/13 – San Francisco, CA @ Brick & Mortar (Popscene)
11/15 – Los Angeles, CA @ Roxy *SOLD OUT
11/15 – Mexico City, MX @ Coronal Capital
More Info:
Night Tapes started out as evening jams between housemates Max Doohan, Sam Richards, and Iiris Vesik in London. Night time London, genre-blending, multi-fidelity recordings and honest reflection contribute to their atmospheric soundscapes that ultimately make for fresh and envelope-pushing dream pop. The trio take inspiration from both their lived experience in the world that they can see and touch, as well as the less tangible spiritual and metaphysical realm. assisted memories is the band’s fourth EP, following Dream Forever In Glorious Stereo, Download Spirit, and 2023’s Perfect Kindness, which was their debut for Nettwerk. Their debut single “Forever” has reached over 9M+ plays, and their music has been championed by Paste Magazine, Pigeons & Planes, Gorilla vs Bear, Ones to Watch, David Dean Burkhart, DIY, Majestic Casual, and more.
Follow Night Tapes:
THUS LOVE 'All Pleasure' Sophomore LP Available on Captured Tracks
THUS LOVE
Highly Anticipated Sophomore Album All Pleasure
Out Now on Captured Tracks
Rough Trade Album of the Month for November
TOUR DATES
(THUS LOVE by Shervin Lainez; L-R: Shane Blank, Echo Mars, Lu Racine, Ally Juleen)
“Dispensing with the dourness usually associated with post-punk, Thus Love’s take on the genre is paradoxically bursting with sincerity—and is perhaps the blast of sunshine needed to clear out the cobwebs of a sound that’s been annoying and samey and needlessly depressing for longer than anyone wants to admit. What’s wrong with not being mad all the time, I ask you? Some things are still worth being glad about. A real treat, then, that All Pleasure is exactly what it says on the tin. With bright production and not a drop of irony in their approach, Thus Love deliver a collection of bright and sparky songs reveling in the most elusive emotion of all after true love: happiness.”
- Bandcamp (Essential Releases)
“THUS LOVE are comfortably the best group to have come out of the U.S. in the last two years...As such they deserve – nay demand – your immediate attention and the inevitable affection that will follow.”
- Live4Ever
“Some people walk the walk, and some people talk the talk. THUS LOVE do both.”
- Loud & Quiet
“THUS LOVE are yet another Queer-peopled band giving compelling evidence that Rock and Roll is not dead. Their lean, stripped-down arrangement {on “On The Floor”} has a solid rhythm section underpinning riffs that pop and sometimes take flight. Vocalist Echo Mars reminds me of Simple Minds’ Jim Kerr.”
- Out In New Jersey (This Week Out Now LGBTQ songs)
“While ‘All Pleasure’ may be the third single from Thus Love’s second album, the band says it’s the first song it ever wrote collaboratively as a quartet. It’s a little amazing that this song is where they started rather than the result of years of practice. A bit more mellow than the album’s first single, ‘Birthday Song,’ it’s a surreal, borderline psychedelic song that plays into their strengths incredibly well.”
- RiFF Magazine (Tuesday Tracks)
“‘Birthday Song’ finds Thus Love adding a heavier, glam-tinged edge to the post-punk sounds that saturated their 2022 debut, Memorial.”
- Rolling Stone
“On the back of their first album Memorial, Thus Love garnered admiration from famous faces including Suede’s Brett Anderson and Mat Osman. On this second album, you can expect that selection of burgeoning admirers to grow even further. While that first album focused on introspective post-punk, this second album allows them to expand and deliver something that is altogether bigger in sound and scope. There’s the uniting grunge of ‘Birthday Song’, the fizzing energy of ‘Get Stable’ and, on the title track, one of their most affecting songs yet. It’s a huge step up from the group on a record that effortlessly broadens the horizons of their world.” - Rolling Stone UK (5 albums you need to hear this week)
“Indie bands have had a time of it recently, with the cost of touring and the pop-leaning tastes of the mainstream making the pursuit a lonely, penury-filled one. Surprisingly, this four-piece from Brattleboro, Vermont, have become a word-of-mouth hit. Echo and the Bunnymen come to mind in the band’s life-or-death approach to singing their hearts out over jagged but uplifting music, while ‘On the Floor’ recalls the doomy intensity of Joy Division. The Eighties alternative influences spill into Thus Love’s lifestyle choices too: they made the album in a remote barn, and on the grungy ‘House on a Hill’ they eulogise the benefits of getting off the internet and living your life. If it involves making noisy guitar rock that is totally out of step with modern trends, so much the better.”
- The Times (UK)
“The sophomore album from the Vermont post-punk band is here, rife with moments of anthemic hooks, taut grooves, soaring choruses and a level of Scott Walker-like sophistication that transcends genre tropes. It’s an album that rewards repeat listens, but is likely to win you over on the first one regardless.”
- Treble (Best New Releases)
“Brattleboro, Vermont-based band THUS LOVE has unveiled the vibrant title track from their upcoming sophomore album, All Pleasure, set to release on November 1, 2024, via Captured Tracks. The new single, an energetic, riff-driven anthem accented with tambourine, comes alongside a mesmerizing video directed by Wes Sterrs.”
- Under The Radar
“Vermont’s musical torch continues to pass from one strong act to another — and now, it’s being carried by Brattleboro’s own Thus Love…Vocalist Echo Mars shines on the track {“Birthday Song”}, their slicked-smooth voice opening with one of life’s biggest questions: ‘Do you believe in love?’ But this isn’t a standard romantic love song — it’s an ode to friendship. Mars sings of all the ways love manifests in life, good and bad alike, while behind them coarse guitar balances it all out texturally.”
- Vanyaland
Today Brattleboro, Vermont breakthrough outfit THUS LOVE releases All Pleasure, the highly anticipated sophomore full-length out now on Captured Tracks. Mixed by Matthew Hall and Rich Costey (on “Birthday Song”, “All Pleasure”, and “Get Stable”) and mastered by Bob Weston, All Pleasure was recorded as live as possible, with a bare minimum of overdubs, capturing the sheer infectious ecstasy that comes from a group of people sharing space together, making a divine racket.
The album came out of a period of dizzying growth and transformation for the group. When they began work on it, vocalist/guitarist Echo Mars (they/them) and drummer Lu Racine (he/him) were still reeling from the runaway success of their 2022 debut full-length, Memorial—a set of lush, elegant post-punk that brought praise from The FADER, NME, and The Guardian, plus a leap from quiet Brattleboro to stages across the US and UK—along with processing the departure of founding bassist Nathaniel van Osdol. Meanwhile, new bassist Ally Juleen (she/they) and guitarist/keyboardist Shane Blank (he/him), longtime musical partners, had uprooted their lives to relocate to small-town Vermont and join a band that was a month away from recording the follow-up to a cultishly adored album.
THUS LOVE recently spoke with Vermont paper The Burlington Free Press and UK publication The Sun for illuminating pieces on the band’s metamorphosis, and the band has gotten the seal of approval from members of Suede (see at the 9:30 mark of this filmed interview), and local paper The Rutland Herald/Barre Montpelier Times Argus has proclaimed: “In short, All Pleasure is an instant classic from one of the most vital young rock bands around. And one gets the sense that this promising new four-piece lineup is poised for greatness.” Thus Love and All Pleasure have also caught the attention of the likes of Rolling Stone, NME, NPR, Brooklyn Vegan, Bandcamp, Treble, Dusted, Clash, Uncut, and many more, and Rough Trade has named All Pleasure their Album of the Month for November 2024.
August saw the release of lead-single “Birthday Song,” a grungy glam salvo that boldly celebrates their new era, accompanied by a video also directed by Augie Voss & Benni Shumlin, shot on location in Southern Vermont. According to vocalist/guitarist Echo Mars, “‘Birthday Song’ is a simple song about friendship and how we sometimes don’t give those kinds of platonic relationships the respect and care they need to thrive. We don’t have the same language that we do for romantic partnerships but I think those relationships are every bit as important in making us feel safe, secure and validated. When it came time to select the first single, ‘Birthday Song’ felt like the perfect way to introduce the new version of Thus Love and our new friends, Ally and Shane.” Upon its release, “Birthday Song” caught the attention of Stereogum, Northern Transmissions, and Rolling Stone, who named it a Song You Need To Know, noting the band’s “heavier, glam-tinged edge” and Brooklyn Vegan, who named it one of their favorite songs of the week.
September single “On The Floor,” is a song that concerns itself with “how we often have to look outside of formal schooling for true education and how easy it is to be complicit in systems of oppression," opening the album with a beautiful collision of guitars and resonant vocals from Echo Mars, accompanied by an electrifying video directed by frequent collaborators Augie Voss & Benni Shumlin. Treble named the song an Essential Track, stating: “With ‘On the Floor,’ they reveal just how far that ambition can go, with slinky, taut verses giving way to an infectious, eruptive chorus. Vocalist Echo Mars even evokes the abstract ’60s-era art-pop of Scott Walker in their croon, which is just one of the surprising elements that comes into play in this dynamic anthem.”
The stomping, riff-driven, tambourine-infused title track was released as a single in October and according to vocalist/guitarist Echo Mars: "It’s no accident that we named the album after this song. ‘All Pleasure’ is the very first song we wrote collectively as a quartet and I think that collaborative spirit really comes through. The addition of Ally’s vocals as a counterpoint gives the song a very different energy and feel to it. I remember when we all listened back for the first time — it was one of those eureka moments when we all realized how special this new incarnation of Thus Love could be." The single release came with a video directed by Wes Sterrs who shared: "We shot the ‘All Pleasure’ video over two days in Portland, Maine, right after THUS LOVE got back from their UK tour. Staying true to the band's surreal visual universe, we pulled from a grab bag of aesthetics: Jean Cocteau’s surrealist films, Lynch-ian oddities, Giallo dramatics, chiaroscuro-ian lighting, and even a pinch of Scooby-Doo vibes. All those influences (plus a bit of jet lag courtesy of THUS LOVE) melt together into a weirdo fever dream of satin, fingers, and flowers."
THUS LOVE played overseas for a run of UK festival dates over the summer, wowing audiences at Reading, Leeds, and End Of The Road, and are about to perform in Vermont and NYC to celebrate the album’s release in early November, ahead of 2025 Tour Dates, including a run supporting The Vaccines that kicks-off in mid-January, some headline shows, and additional March/April EU/UK shows. SEE ALL DATES BELOW.
THUS LOVE - Tour Dates
& w/ Robber Robber
^ w/ The Vaccines
11/01/24 - Brattleboro, VT - The Stone Church &
11/08/24 - Brooklyn, NY - Elsewhere Zone One &
11/10/24 - Burlington, VT - Radio Bean &
01/16/25 - Philadelphia, PA - Union Transfer ^
01/17/25 - Brooklyn, NY - Brooklyn Steel ^
01/18/25 - Boston, MA - Royale ^
01/19/25 - Portland ME - Oxbow Blending and Bottling
01/20/25 - Montreal, QC - Studio TD ^
01/21/25 - Toronto, ON - Concert Hall ^
01/23/25 - Detroit, MI - El Club ^
01/24/25 - Chicago, IL - The Vic ^
01/25/25 - Minneapolis, MN - Fine Line ^
01/28/25 - Denver, CO - Summit ^
01/31/25 - Vancouver, BC - Hollywood Theater ^
02/01/25 - Seattle, WA - The Showbox ^
02/02/25 - Portland, OR - Wonder Ballroom ^
02/04/25 - San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore ^
02/05/25 - Santa Cruz, CA - The Catalyst
02/06/25 - Los Angeles, CA - The Wiltern ^
02/07/25 - Las Vegas NV - The Wall
02/08/25 - Phoenix, AZ - Valley Bar
02/10/25 - Houston, TX - WOMH
02/11/25 - Austin, TX - Mohawk
02/12/25 - Dallas, TX - Club Dada
02/14/25 - Nashville, TN - Drkmttr
02/15/25 - Atlanta, GA - Vinyl
02/16/25 - Boone, NC - Lily's Snack Bar
02/17/25 - Durham, NC - Pinhook
02/18/25 - Baltimore, MD - Metro Gallery
02/19/25 - Troy, NY - No Fun
03/11/25 - Ghent, BE - Trefpunt
03/12/25 - Paris, FR - La Point Ephemere
03/13/25 - Belfort, FR - La Poudrière
03/14/25 - Milan, IT - Arci Bellezza
03/15/25 - Bologna, IT - Covo Club
03/17/25 - Vienna, AT - Flucc Deck
03/18/25 - Prague, CZ - Café V lese
03/19/25 - Berlin, DE - Urban Spree
03/21/25 - Copenhagen, DK - Vega Ideal bar
03/22/25 - Hamburg, DE - Nochtwache
03/23/25 - Rotterdam, NL - V11
03/24/25 - Amsterdam, NL - Tolhuistuin
03/26/25 - London, UK - The Garage
03/27/25 - Leeds, UK - The Attic
03/28/25 - Glasgow, UK - Stereo
03/29/25 - Salford, UK - The White Hotel
03/30/25 - Sheffield, UK - Delicious Clam
03/31/25 - Bristol, UK - Strange Brew
04/01/25 - Cardiff, UK - Club Ifor Bach
04/02/25 - Brighton, UK - Komedia
04/03/25 - Ramsgate, UK - Ramsgate Music Hall
Planes Mistaken for Stars Release ‘Do You Still Love Me?’
Planes Mistaken for Stars Release New LP Do You Still Love Me?
Share “Put Your Heart on the Fire”
The band’s first new music since 2016 features some of the final recordings from guitarist/frontman Gared O’Donnell
"...finds Planes and Gared sounding as gritty, gravelly, and uniquely great as they ever have... sounds so lively yet so haunted by Gared’s ghost all at once." - BrooklynVegan
"Heavy… in all ways." - Nine Circles
"raw and heavy even without that extremely sad context" - Stereogum
A harrowing document of life, death and transcendence, Planes Mistaken for Stars have released their fifth album Do You Still Love Me?. This is the first PMFS release since the death of Gared O’Donnell, whose cancer diagnosis loomed heavily over the recording and whose ghost guided the mix. Chemo and radiation would not stop him from making this masterpiece, in which the band finds itself reeling from the gut-wrenching horrors of their leader’s unimaginable absence.
Written in Peoria amidst the forced isolation of a global pandemic and recorded by Sanford Parker in Chicago, these thirteen songs burn the ears to listen. The album wastes no time with niceties, with acute and raw moments found throughout— audible wounds you can hear, see, taste and almost touch. We’ve only got the night, as Gared knew and preached and lived. Just one last drink, shall we begin?
Listen / share / playlist "Put Your Heart on the Fire" on DSP's
Listen / share "Put Your Heart on the Fire" on YouTube
Do You Still Love Me? carries forward Planes’ natural evolution beyond post-hardcore and metal-tinged rock n’ roll, unveiling new layers with each listen. Intertwined vocals and infectious melodies simmer beneath the surface and occasionally boil over, shards of guitar strike like lightning as the rhythm section pounds its marching orders.
Whether pummeling mercilessly or tenderly relenting, Do You Still Love Me? shows a band unafraid to lose itself in the musical maelstrom. It’s not an easy listen, yet offers immense rewards with time, alchemizing a unique beauty from the pain and tragedy of its creation. It’s an emotional bloodletting for Planes and their extended family around the world, a collective primal scream of coping with life and last breaths, and eternal proof that death is truly not the end.
Order Do You Still Love Me? here.
Do You Still Love Me?, cover art:
Do You Still Love Me?, track list:
Matthew is DeadFix MeFurtherArrowModern LogicPunch the GaugeDo You Still Love Me? No. 1Run Rabbit RunPeacePut Your Heart on the FireThe CalmingIn HellDo You Still Love Me? No. 2
Katrina Ford (mem. Celebration) Releases Debut LP via Brooklyn Vegan, Shares "Killing It" Single | 'H.E.A.R.T.' LP Out Today
Releases Debut Album via Brooklyn Vegan,
Shares "Killing It" Single + Video
Plays Ottobar (Baltimore, MD) Tomorrow at 8 PM
H.E.A.R.T. LP Out Today
Photo by Ebru YildizSAVE: Katrina Ford - H.E.A.R.T. LPSave
LISTEN/WATCH & SHARE: Katrina Ford - "Killing It"
Stream / YouTube
LISTEN/WATCH & SHARE: Katrina Ford - "World On A Wire"
Stream / YouTube
LISTEN/WATCH & SHARE: Katrina Ford - "Cry Wolf"
Stream / YouTube
LISTEN/WATCH & SHARE: Katrina Ford - "Dundalk Dungeon"
Stream / YouTube
WATCH & SHARE: Katrina Ford - "Peace Out" + "I'm Found Live Videos
"Peace Out" / "I'm Found"
LISTEN/WATCH & SHARE: Katrina Ford - "I'm Found"
Stream / YouTube
LISTEN/WATCH & SHARE: Katrina Ford - "Go Deep"
Stream / YouTube
LISTEN/WATCH & SHARE: Katrina Ford - "Peach"
Stream / YouTube
LISTEN/WATCH & SHARE: Katrina Ford - "Gleaming The Cube"
Stream / YouTube
LISTEN/WATCH & SHARE: Katrina Ford - "Peace Out"
Stream / YouTube
"The Baltimore musician Katrina Ford is one of the most unsung wailers in recent indie rock history... [Dundalk Dungeon] is a shimmering piece of ’80s-style art-pop."
- Stereogum
"[A] sparkling indie-pop track"
- FLOOD
"Led by Ford’s powerful vocals laid over hypnotic synths, the live version of ['I'm Found'] is equally sensual and vulnerable in its electro-pop stylings."
- EARMILK
"['Go Deep' is] lush, layered and easy to love for its retro-tinged pop style"
- Cool Hunting
"'Peach' finds Ford operating in an operatic goth rock mode, letting loose her soaring vocals over top of rippling guitar melodies, spacious percussion, and watery synth lines. Ford’s voice holds rare cinematic power, adding a bold pop sensibility to the spikey avant-garde edges of art rock."
- Under the Radar
"Retro soul with one eye looking towards the avant-garde, 'Gleaming the Cube' possesses all the best crossover qualities to grab the attention of pop and underground fans alike."
- Glide
"Dark, cinematic and quietly groovy"
- Brooklyn Vegan
Alongside the release of H.E.A.R.T., she is highlighting the track "Killing It." "Loss and death is a part of life. A hard pill to swallow," Katrina explains. "“Killing it” is about losing things, not necessarily physically … but loss of dreams, friends, relationships…. ideas. It is the internal executioner’s song…. not to be haunted but empowered by this cut."
While H.E.A.R.T. was inspired by musical therapy for shadow work, Ford uncovers rays of hope in the most unlikely places. "When locked in and locked down along with the whole world, I became fascinated with portals, windows and thresholds. Always wistfully looking out, seeing beauty in the wind rustling the trees and the clouds clocking despite the unfolding global tragedies. In the physical world there was a heightened awareness of entry and exits," Ford remembers. "Contrastingly my inner world became more smeared. The thin veils of meditation, astral travel and dreams mixed with waking life. I’d be working on a song one night and later that week I’d finish writing a melody in an out of body journey or in my sleep."
This album is a full-bodied expression of Katrina Ford's resilience, tenderness, and capacity for magic. Her debut full length LP, H.E.A.R.T., is out today on all DSPs.
Katrina Ford - "Killing It"
H.E.A.R.T. LP - TRACKLISTING1. Dundalk Dungeon
2. Cry Wolf
3. Ready Or Not
4. Tinder Nest
5. No Canyon
6. World On A Wire
7. Killing It
8. Horses
9. Eagle And Dove
10. Adonai
Katrina Ford H.E.A.R.T. Bio:
Is phoenixing a word? It should be, but even if it isn't, Katrina Ford has been an expert at rising from the ashes with songs that reflect her struggles as well as her strength since her time with JAKS, the '90s Chicago band whose grand guignol goth was engineered by the late, great Steve Albini. JAKS was also Ford's first project with her partner and long-time collaborator, multi-instrumentalist Sean Antanaitis. Together, they founded Celebration, a group whose fittingly festive blend of Psychedelic soul and Baroque-pop -- as well as the airy highs and fierce lows of Ford's vocals -- made their five albums (2005's Celebration, 2007's The Modern Tribe, 2011's Hello Paradise - Electric Tarot, 2014's Albumin, and 2017's Wounded Healer) cult classics. During and later, TV on the Radio, Future Islands, Foals, Unkle and Mt. Royal sought out her spellbinding singing.
Following her 2022 ST/ EP, H.E.A.R.T., Ford was ready to rise from the ashes again. Having left Celebration behind and slowly emerging from the pandemic, she spent her days tuning pipe organs with Antanaitis -- a job that honed her musical ear to precision. At night, she worked with him on new songs. "It's so tightly knit and so scary to have it all in one person," Ford says of their partnership, which inspired the sweeping drama of "No Canyon." Blending wildly different sounds together with ease is what Ford and Antanaitis do, and H.E.A.R.T. is no exception. Drawn from the times her mother told her to "hold your horses" when she was a little girl, "Horses" is a spectacular fusion of gospel power and psychedelic rock. "We're maximalists," Ford says. "I love all kinds of music -- the vocals and recording techniques of Phil Spector and girl group pop, the weirdo pop of '80s legends like Kate Bush and Peter Gabriel, and the punk and goth that's in my bones." She harnesses the might of '80s power ballads on "Eagle and Dove," which brings the album into its triumphant home stretch and abolishes the concept of guilty pleasures for good.
As bold as she sounds, Ford reaches newfound levels of vulnerability on H.E.A.R.T. The synth-pop epic "Cry Wolf" confronts disbelievers -- in this case, the medical professionals unwilling to give credence to her health issues -- with a fearlessness that could send walls tumbling. And while it's hard to imagine a singer with such a gorgeously formidable voice ever doubting herself, Ford wrote one of the album's most touching songs, "Ready or Not," to find the courage to record with Sir Robin Millar CBE. Known for his work on Sade's classic album Diamond Life and with Everything But the Girl, he captures Katrina's voice on "Horses" and "No Canyon."
Happier moments also get their due on H.E.A.R.T. The wonder that hides in everyday surroundings shines on "Dundalk Dungeon," a shimmering tribute to a subterranean Baltimore speakeasy near the Key Bridge. And while H.E.A.R.T. was inspired by musical therapy for shadow work, Ford uncovers rays of hope in the most unlikely places. World on a Wire, Rainer Werner Fassbinder's 1973 TV miniseries about simulated reality, spurred her to write the surprisingly sunny song of the same name: "If it's not real, then neither is the gloom and doom, and we can steer it towards something better," she explains. Fleshed out with touches from producer Tony Doogan (Mogwai, Belle & Sebastian), and engineer Steve Wright (Future Islands), H.E.A.R.T. is a full-bodied expression of Ford's resilience, tenderness, and capacity for magic. In other words, it's phoenixing at its finest.
-Heather Phares
Website | Instagram | YouTube | Bandcamp | Spotify | Apple Music | Soundcloud
October 31, 2024
The Cure Release New Album "Songs Of A Lost World"
THE CURE
SONGS OF A LOST WORLD
THE FIRST NEW ALBUM IN SIXTEEN YEARS OUT NOW
FULL LIVE SHOW STREAM FROM TROXY TONIGHT
SHOW OF A LOST WORLD THE CURE LIVE AT TROXY
ROLLING STONE**** ‘The best Cure album since Disintegration”
STEREOGUM - “Songs Of A Lost World is a triumph of craft and feeling.”
NME ***** ‘A masterful reflection on loss’
UNCUT 9/10 ‘An immersive, graceful beauty’
THE OBSERVER **** ‘Full of fight and electricity, with melodies to spare’
MOJO **** ‘The same concentrated intensity as Disintegration’
‘SONGS OF A LOST WORLD’
AVAILABLE NOW VIA FICTION/CAPITOL RECORDS
https://thecure.lnk.to/SongsOfALostWorld
THE CURE’s long-awaited, critically acclaimed new album, SONGS OF A LOST WORLD, their first new release in 16 years, is out now via Fiction/Capitol Records.
The band will be performing their only scheduled show of the year tonight, Nov. 1, at Troxy in London, which will be live streamed on The Cure’s YouTube page Show Of A Lost World The Cure Live At Troxy beginning at 1pm PST/4pm EST.
Tomorrow night, BBC2 will air a special evening of Cure programming to celebrate the release of SONGS OF A LOST WORLD.
Initially formed in 1978, The Cure has sold over 30 million albums worldwide, headlined the Glastonbury festival four times and been inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame in 2019. They are considered to be one of the most influential bands to ever come out of the UK.
SONGS OF A LOST WORLD was written and arranged by Robert Smith, produced and mixed by Robert Smith & Paul Corkett and performed by The Cure - Robert Smith: Voice / guitar / 6string bass / keyboard, Simon Gallup: Bass, Jason Cooper: Drums / percussion, Roger O'Donnell: Keyboard, Reeves Gabrels: Guitar. The album was recorded at Rockfield Studios in Wales.
Robert Smith created the sleeve concept, and Andy Vella, a long-time Cure collaborator, handled the album's art and design. The cover art features 'Bagatelle', a 1975 sculpture by Janez Pirnat.
THE CURE
SONGS OF A LOST WORLD
https://thecure.lnk.to/SongsOfALostWorld
1LP, 2LP, MARBLE VINYL, WHITE VINYL, CASSETTE, DUAL CASSETTE CD, DELUXE CD/BLU-RAY WITH ATMOS MIX & DIGITAL
Shimmy-Disc Shares Edgar Oliver New Single + Video | New Edgar Allan Poe LP ft. Lydia Lunch, Joan As Police Woman + More Out Now via Shimmy-Disc
“Eldorado” Single + Video via Stereo Embers
EDGAR ALLAN POE - To One in Paradise (for Hal Willner) Compilation LP ft. Joan As Police Woman, Lydia Lunch, Eric Mingus, Jennifer Charles, Allen Ginsberg, Britta Phillips, Teller, Thurston & Eva Moore + others (w/ music by Kramer) Out Now via Shimmy-Disc
SAVE: POE - To One in Paradise (for Hal Willner)Save
LISTEN/WATCH & SHARE: Kramer & Edgar Oliver - “Eldorado”
Stream | YouTube
LISTEN/WATCH & SHARE: Kramer & Joan As Police Woman - “To One In Paradise”
Stream | YouTube
LISTEN/WATCH & SHARE: Kramer & Lydia Lunch - "Dreamland"
YouTubeLast month, Kramer released a return-to-form album, once again revisiting his beloved spoken-word discipline, in collaboration with an incredible roster of artists. Released via Shimmy-Disc, POE "To One in Paradise" (for Hal Willner) is a collection of Edgar Allan Poe’s immortal poems read by musicians, poets, actors & one magician, and dedicated to the memory of Kramer's great friend and fellow traveller on the musical roads least taken, Hal Willner (1956 - 2020).
Today, he shares a new piece of ambient cinema to accompany the track "Eldorado," read by Edgar Oliver.
Kramer has curated an eclectic collection of voices to render living vision to Poe's entombed words, and draped them in a series of ambient musical landscapes evocative of a world long lost to time. What he offers us here is nothing less than a fully imagined symphony of voice, sound and memory.
The music he created that accompanies each reading keeps the light shining on the performer, polishing the space between the poetry and the performance. As a fitting coda, an archival recording of Allen Ginsberg vividly reciting “The Bells” closes out the album.
POE “To One in Paradise” (for Hal Willner) is out now via Shimmy-Disc.
Kramer & Edgar Oliver - “Eldorado”Kramer Links:Facebook | Instagram | Bandcamp | YoutubeCollaborator Links:
Joan As Police Woman | Edgar Oliver | Thurston Moore & Eva Moore | Eric Mingus | Britta Phillips | Teller | Anne Waldman | Lydia Lunch | Larry ‘Ratso’ Sloman | Chloe Webb | Rick Moody | Jennifer Charles | Allen Ginsberg
RAHIM REDCAR (FKA CHRISTINE AND THE QUEENS) LAUNCHES HOPECORE TOUR TOMORROW
RAHIM REDCAR
(FKA CHRISTINE AND THE QUEENS)
LAUNCHES HOPECORE TOUR TOMORROW
ANNOUNCES LIVE STREAMS OF SHOWS FROM
LONDON, BARCELONA, PARIS + NYC SHOWS
© Drake Carr
HOPECORE Press Kit
“With HOPECORE, Redcar seeds physical abandon into the beat. For the first time, he plunges into dancefloor reverie across the length of an LP. It leads him to some of the most impassioned vocal performances he’s ever put to disc” - Pitchfork
Rahim Redcar (FKA Christine and the Queens) announces that four dates of his upcoming HOPECORE tour will be streamed live via Instagram, starting with the opening show at Fabric, London, tomorrow.
The tour will see the live premiere of the artist’s new album HOPECORE, released last month to critical acclaim from the likes of Pitchfork - “He’s never sounded so assured or delighted in his hunger as he does here” - and a 4* review in The Times - “come for the pop, stay for the complexity”.
The artist invites his fans to join the live experience through a series of live streams respectively taking place in London, Barcelona, Paris and New York. The shows will be streamed via Rahim Redcar’s Instagram.
The full list of tour dates are below; a small number of tickets are still available here: https://tix.to/HopecoreTour.
Friday 1 November - Fabric, London + livestream
Saturday 2 November - Skatecafe, Amsterdam
Thursday 7 November - Orangerie @ Botanique, Brussels
Friday 8 November - Nitsa @ Apolo, Barcelona + livestream
Saturday 9 November - Homobloc festival, Manchester
Tuesday 12 November - Rex Club, Paris - SOLD OUT + livestream
Sunday 17 November - Berlin, Saule Room @ Berghain
Thursday 21 November - Elsewhere, Brooklyn, NY + livestream
Thursday 28 November - D! Club, Lausanne, Switzerland
Entirely written, produced, and mixed by Rahim, HOPECORE rings in a new era for the artist, following the 20-track epic opera PARANOÏA, ANGELS, TRUE LOVE (2023) and Redcar les adorables étoiles (2022).
Listen / download HOPECORE
Rahim Redcar - HOPECORE - tracklist:
1. FORGIVE 8888888
2. ELEVATE
3. INS8DE OF ME
4. DEEP HOLES
5. RED BIRDMAN EMERGENCY
6. OPERA - I UNDERSTAND
7. MANUELA DANSE
The artist recently performed to 10 million viewers as part of the Paris 2024 Paralympics Opening Ceremony where he performed a spectacular rendition of Édith Piaf’s “Non, je ne regrette rien” and a riveting rendition of Patrick Hernandez’s “Born to Be Alive”. He also performed a rendition of “Supernature” with Cerrone at the final Paris 2024 ceremony at the Arc de Triomphe on Saturday 14 September.
Connect with Rahim Redcar:
https://rahimredcar.com/
https://www.tiktok.com/@rahimredcar
https://www.instagram.com/rahimredcar551
Youtube
For more information on Rahim Redcar, please connect:
Gold Atlas - inge colsen - inge@goldatl.as - 212-203-5240
