Alexander Laurence's Blog, page 46
July 24, 2025
PUNCHBAG Share New Track "I Love This!" || Out Now On Mute
PUNCHBAG SHARE NEW TRACK "I LOVE THIS!"
OUT NOW ON MUTE
Photo credit: Charlotte Alex
"Multiple kinds of maximalism that grabs you via sheer bombast" - Stereogum
"This London sibling duo sound like they’ve mainlined all permutations of British synth and dance-pop from the past 30-odd years, and – surprisingly – it works" - PAPER Magazine
"'Fuck It' melds rock and electronica with shades of the late-’90s” - Brooklyn Vegan
"Unhinged pop that is both infectious and confrontational" - CLASH Magazine
"A glorious mosh-mash that works better than it should on paper" - Wonderland Magazine
"They're what happens when punk energy collides with pop hooks and shared DNA." - Dork Magazine
Today South London sibling duo PUNCHBAG (Clara and Anders Bach) return today with exhilarating new single “I Love This!,” out now on Mute. The track follows their acclaimed debut EP I'm Not Your Punchbag (released in May) and lands ahead of key festival slots at Reeperbahn and Iceland Airwaves later this year.
A wide-eyed surge of feeling, “I Love This!” captures what PUNCHBAG describes as “the extreme sport of everyday life,” celebrating the dizzying highs and dragging lows, refusing to separate one from the other.
Listen to “I Love This!” HERE.
Written in Berlin at 3AM in a burst of chaotic energy, Clara’s brain-rush lyrics (“fleas, drugstores, tea leaves, dopamine dreams”) spiral over Anders’ maximalist production, teetering on the edge of collapse. There’s a playfulness running through it too, a wink behind the chaos signalling that not everything here is meant to be taken too seriously, even when it’s hitting something painfully real.
Clara says: "I guess you could see this song as an anti-depression anthem! You can hear the highest highs and the lowest lows - almost like it's soundtracking the extreme sport of everyday life. Because sometimes it really is an extreme sport, so the highs should be celebrated. Getting through a shit phase should be danced about! With synths, a dance tempo, and something to shout! All that positive stuff."
With each release, PUNCHBAG are pushing themselves further, making the weird parts weirder, the pop moments pop harder, the loud bits louder and the quiet ones quieter, all a part of their mission to distill the most intense, concentrated version of who they are as artists.
That intensity spills into their live shows, where the duo’s chemistry and unfiltered energy have earned a reputation for setting every room alight. PUNCHBAG delivers a visceral, communal thrill, a celebration of feeling too much, all at once.
Clocking in at just under 15 minutes, PUNCHBAG's debut EP I'm Not Your Punchbag was a breathless introduction. Veering between chaos and clarity where sweetness clashed with distortion, every track felt like a full-body jolt. The EP saw the band receive early tastemaker press: NME (Radar Interview), Dork (HYPE Cover + ★★★★ review), CLASH (Next Wave), Wonderland (New Noise), DIY (★★★★ review), plus further tips from PAPER Mag, The Line of Best Fit, Stereogum, Brooklyn Vegan, Popjustice and many more.
In May, PUNCHBAG were named a Spotify RADAR: First Listen artist and then sold out their debut headline show at Bermondsey Social Club, following festival slots at The Great Escape, Bergenfest, Ritual Union & more as well as a live performance on Made In Chelsea.
PUNCHBAG's new single “I Love This!” is out now on Mute. PUNCHBAG plays Reeperbahn, Iceland Airwaves and more festivals over the coming months. Follow PUNCHBAG on Instagram for news of more live shows in the coming months.
PUNCHBAG LIVE DATES:
8/15/2025 - 8/16/2025 - Trondheim, NO, Pstereo Festival
8/29/2025 - Tromsø, NO - Rakettnatt Festival
9/18/2025 - 9/20/2025 - Hamburg, DE - Reeperbahn Festival
11/8/2025 - Kópavogur, IS - Iceland Airwaves
Further info / tickets HERE.
Purchase or stream “I Love This!” HERE.
CONNECT WITH PUNCHBAG:
INSTAGRAM | TIK TOK
quinnie releases new album 'paper doll'
QUINNIE RELEASES NEW ALBUM PAPER DOLL
SHARES MUSIC VIDEO FOR "MY SECRET"
HEADLINE NORTH AMERICAN TOUR KICKS OFF THIS SEPTEMBER
PAPER DOLL OUT NOW
quinnie by Jaxon Whittington
What the press is saying about quinnie:
“The mixture of tentativeness and bold declaration, bedroom-pop intimacy and multitrack craftsmanship.”
The New York Times
“Her lyrics are rich with vivid imagery.”
Pitchfork
“A really promising singer-songwriter”
NPR
paper doll
https://quinniepprdl.lnk.to/hfyghehysmn
"my secret"
WATCH: https://youtu.be/1rBeBrWFylo?si=AtvxHgGTtQmkSxD-
(July 24, 2025) - Singer, songwriter and artist quinnie releases her album paper doll, today. The full-length album was recorded, produced and mixed with quinnie’s longtime collaborators Jake Weinberg and Gabe Wax and recorded in Los Angeles at Weinberg's studio and Infinite Family Studios. The album release arrives alongside a music video for album track "my secret," directed by Alejandra Demers. paper doll will also include the previously shared tracks “hate fuck,” which arrived with a live video, “baja bird” and “paper doll,” both of which paired with visuals directed, shot, and edited by Demers.
Speaking about her new album, quinnie shares, “I started writing ‘paper doll’ when I was falling in love and simultaneously grappling with a strong urge for more freedom. It made me reflect on my inclination towards loneliness, the limitations of language, the gendered implications of relationships, and why we continue to seek out love if the outcome is always grief.”
Across the fifteen tracks on the album, quinnie thoughtfully navigates themes of freedom and the isolation of womanhood. paper doll follows the success of the Los Angeles-based artist’s critically acclaimed 2023 debut album Flounder, which Pitchfork stated "submerges us in baptismal primordial soup” and includes standout track “touch tank.” Since the debut album’s release, quinnie has garnered over 100 million streams, sold out every headline show, and earned praise from publications including Rolling Stone, NPR, and The New York Times.
quinnie will embark on her headline North American tour this fall kicking off on September 29th in Atlanta with stops in Washington, D.C., New York City, Montreal, Dallas, San Francisco, Portland, and more before wrapping up in Los Angeles on November 14th. quinnie will also perform at Pitchfork Paris on November 7th and at Earth Theatre in London on November 9th. Tickets available HERE.
Hailing from New Jersey, she began releasing home cooked music in high school, attended a year of college, and then dropped out at nineteen to further pursue music in Los Angeles. Through the years, quinnie’s music has undoubtedly grown both in size and quality. However, her handcrafted charm is maintained, making records almost exclusively with her roommate and best friends, and continuing to deeply involve herself in each creative corner of her project. Though on paper, quinnie is a singer-songwriter, she sees herself as an artist first. The never ending journey for an unspecified Why, the ungraspable root of the human condition, the task of turning feelings that words can’t describe into something tangible – this is the greatest undertaking of her work. In the world of quinnie, when moving with the currents of serendipity, the songs will write themselves.
Check out paper doll above, see upcoming live dates and album details below, and stay tuned for more music from quinnie coming soon.
Upcoming Live Dates
* = headline show
9/29 - Atlanta, GA @ Vinyl at Center Stage*
9/30 - Nashville, TN @ Row One at Cannery Hall*
10/2 - Washington, DC @ The Atlantis*
10/3 - Philadelphia, PA @ The Foundry*
10/4 - New York City, NY @ Racket*
10/7 - Boston, MA @ Sonia*
10/8 - Montreal, QC @ Bar Le Ritz PDB*
10/10 - Toronto, ON @ Velvet Underground*
10/12 - Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall*
10/13 - St. Paul, MN @ Amsterdam*
10/15 - Denver, CO @ Larimer Lounge*
10/17 - Houston, TX @ House of Blues - Bronze Peacock*
10/18 - Austin, TX @ The Parish*
10/19 - Dallas, TX @ House of Blues - Cambridge Room*
10/22 - Phoenix, AZ @ Valley Bar*
10/24 - San Diego, CA @ Voodoo Room at House of Blues*
10/25 - Santa Ana, CA @ Constellation Room*
10/26 - San Francisco, CA @ The Independent*
10/28 - Portland, OR @ Polaris Hall*
10/29 - Seattle, WA @ Madame Lou’s*
11/7 - Paris, FR @ Pitchfork Festival Paris
11/9 - London, UK @ Earth Theatre
11/14 - Los Angeles, CA @ Masonic Lodge at Hollywood Forever*
Apaper doll album artwork by quinnie
quinnie
paper doll
July 24th, 2025
1. a new shade of blue
2. ripple
3. baja bird
4. angel song
5. baby rockstar
6. run around the block again
7. for u
8. absence of
9. hate fuck
10. rain machine
11. forgiveness
12. public domain
13. paper doll
14. marble
15. my secret
Connect with quinnie
OASIS RELEASE “CIGARETTES & ALCOHOL (LIVE FROM MANCHESTER, 11 JULY ‘25)”
OASIS RELEASE “CIGARETTES & ALCOHOL (LIVE FROM MANCHESTER, 11 JULY ‘25)” FOLLOWING HOMECOMING SHOWS AT HEATON PARK
LISTEN HERE
BRAND NEW LIVE TRACK RELEASED AHEAD OF BAND’S OPENING SHOW AT WEMBLEY STADIUM
Thursday, July 24th - Ahead of taking over London’s Wembley Stadium for seven sold out nights, Oasis release “Cigarettes & Alcohol (Live from Manchester, 11 July ‘25).” Listen HERE.
On Friday, July 11th, Oasis mania hit Manchester as the band made a triumphant homecoming on the first of five historic nights in front of a total of 340,000 fans at Heaton Park. The sixth song on the setlist that night, the new live version of “Cigarettes & Alcohol” immortalizes the moment that Oasis returned home. Fans traveled from as far as Japan, Costa Rica, North America, Canada, Mexico, Argentina, Ireland, Italy and Australia to witness the history-making night.
“Cigarettes & Alcohol (Live from Manchester, 11 July ‘25)” arrives ahead of Oasis’ opening show at London’s Wembley Stadium this Friday, July 25th - the first of seven sold out gigs. Following epic shows in Cardiff and Manchester, the Oasis Live ‘25 tour has received a rapturous response from fans and media alike – and is already widely regarded as the “biggest rock comeback in history” (The Sunday Times).
Beyond the Live ‘25 tour, Oasis fever continues to grip the nation as the band dominate the UK Official Charts. The singles compilation album Time Flies… 1994-2009 recently returned to Number 1 with seminal studio albums (What’s The Story) Morning Glory? and Definitely Maybe in the Top 5 Album Chart.
The release of “Cigarettes & Alcohol (Live from Manchester, 11 July ‘25)” follows “Slide Away (Live from Cardiff, 4 July ‘25).” Listen HERE.
(What’s The Story) Morning Glory? Deluxe 30th Anniversary Edition will be released on October 3rd. The “Complete Studio Album Collection” box set will be released on August 22nd. Both releases are available to pre-order HERE.
The Sunday Times "The biggest rock comeback in history. This is the start of Oasis summer.”
The Guardian ★★★★★ “A triumph.”
The Times ★★★★★ “Fantastic.”
NME ★★★★★ “This is all you ever would have wanted from Oasis in 2025.”
BBC News “The best they’ve been since 1995.”
Rolling Stone UK ★★★★★ “The cultural moment of the year – possibly even the decade.”
Uncut ★★★★★ “Impossibly euphoric.”
Pitchfork “The biggest reunion in our lifetime.”
Variety “Oasis is miraculously, thrillingly back.”
Billboard “The sound was ginormous, with every inch of this 74,500-capacity arena being filled completely.”
Vulture “They’ve never sounded better.”
Associated Press “A punchy, powerful trip through one of Britpop’s greatest songbooks.”
People “A triumphant return.”
CLASH 10/10 “The best they’ve ever been.”
The Sun ★★★★★ “The gig of a lifetime.”
Manchester Evening News ★★★★★ “A moment in history”
Daily Mail ★★★★★ “Swagger, edge and attitude… simply electric.”
Daily Star ★★★★★ "A Supersonic celebration of their legacy"
Daily Mirror “The greatest rock n' roll reunion of the decade."
Daily Telegraph ★★★★★ “The second coming of Britpop's biggest stars was magical.”
The i Paper ★★★★★ “The best band in the UK.”
Independent ★★★★★ “The rock reunion to end them all.”
The London Standard ★★★★★ “Biblical.”
Wales Online ★★★★★ “Intense and immense”
MOJO “Joyous”
The Observer "The emotional reality of their long-awaited reunion dawns. It's like a dam breaking."
The Sunday Mirror "Best Night Ever."
The New Cue “So beautiful, so joyous.”
Follow Oasis:
Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube | Facebook | Instagram | X | TikTok | Website
DESIRE & JOHNNY JEWEL LIVE IN The Masonic Lodge at Hollywood Forever
DESIRE & JOHNNY JEWELLIVE IN
The Masonic Lodge
at Hollywood Forever
+ IDIB pop-up shop!
9.11.25
$30
ON SALE FRI NOON
TICKETS HERE
Desire and Johnny Jewel return to one of Los Angeles’ most sacred spaces for a special night of music under the spell of the stars. On Thursday, September 11, 2025, they take the stage at the Masonic Lodge at Hollywood Forever—an intimate setting that feels more like a séance than a concert. Expect a journey through heartbreak and ecstasy—where whispered vocals, analog synthesizers, and flickering shadows collide in slow motion.
DESIRE
primitivedesire.com
IG
SPOTIFY
JOHNNY JEWEL
IG
SPOTIFY
NOVA TWINS @ Zebulon WEDNESDAY July 23rd 2025 // THE PORTABLE INFINITE
All photos taken by Alexander Laurence
Milly @ Zebulon WEDNESDAY July 23rd 2025 // THE PORTABLE INFINITE
All photos taken by Alexander Laurence
July 23, 2025
TEI SHI 𝓜𝓪𝓴𝓮 𝓫𝓮𝓵𝓲𝓮𝓿𝓮 𝓘 𝓶𝓪𝓴𝓮 𝓫𝓮𝓵𝓲𝓮𝓿𝓮 Tour is here
~ Happy Wednesday ~
I'm so excited to share that I'm going back on the road this fall in support of my upcoming album Make believe I make believe - out August 29
My artist pre-sale is live today using the code MBIMB, grab your early access tickets now before they go out to the general public this Friday 🎫I cannot wait to bring you this new album and a whole new show, hope to see you in your city very soon!!
PRESALE CODE: MBIMBTICKETSAlso, ICYMI, I have a ~hotline~ ☎️
To keep up to date on all my releases, tour dates, vinyl pre-orders, merch drops, xxclusive content, etc & to chat with me, sign up at the link below!JOIN MY HOTLINECon cariño,
💌
tei shi
The Brian Jonestown Massacre North American Tour Begins September 3rd 2025
Photo: Joe Eley Following a hugely successful UK and European tour earlier this year - including a truly mesmerizing performance at Glastonbury - The Brian Jonestown Massacre return to North America this fall for an extensive run of shows. The 40-date tour kicks off September 3 at Cat’s Cradle in Carrboro, NC, and wraps with two nights at Los Angeles' Teragram Ballroom on November 22 and 23. Highlights include a hometown show in San Francisco, a triumphant return to Levitation in Austin, and two special dates with Cast, making their first U.S. appearance in nearly 30 years. The band will bring their legendary psych-rock spectacle to major cities including Chicago, Nashville, Montreal, Seattle, and New York, plus plenty of stops in between—proving once again that there’s no road too weird or winding for BJM. Tickets available here.
A new single, 'Makes Me Great / Out Of Body', was released in April via Anton Newcombe’s record label A Recordings “Colliding drums, hypnotic stacked guitars and mystical rhythms create a dream-laced musical envelopment” says Earmilk, while V13 claims that “the hazy melody is akin to an amalgamation of The Kinks, early Rolling Stones, and The Byrds.” It is over 30 years since Anton Newcombe – frontman, songwriter, composer, studio owner, multi-instrumentalist, producer, engineer, father, force of nature – and his band The Brian Jonestown Massacre released their first single, She Made Me / Evergreen, in 1992. That year, as the British music press descended on the US to anoint the next US guitar band as flavour of the month and major labels were on the hunt for the compliant hopefuls to be their latest quick fix, Anton Newcombe had an idea: say no. As leader of the Brian Jonestown Massacre, Newcombe had already established himself as a visionary songwriter, a man to whom making music wasn’t a lifestyle choice or a hipster haircut but the very fabric of existence itself, and he had observed in silent horror as his peers meekly acquiesced to everything – yes to contracts, yes to management, yes to suggestions, yes to this, yes to that, yes, yes, yes. But he was different. Anton Newcombe was going to say no to everything. “I just knew I would be more successful in a certain way by saying no, just being contrary because I figured that if people liked me they were gonna like me anyway,” he says. “Or dislike me. It doesn’t matter.” Much of this was documented on the controversial documentary ‘Dig!’, which is still hailed as one of the best rock documentaries ever made, and celebrates its 20th Anniversary this year with the remastered, expanded version “Dig! XX.” Brian Jonestown Massacre’s shoegazing-tinged debut album Methodrone was released in 1995 and since then, numerous band members have joined Newcombe on his sonic escapades, but he has remained the sole constant, the creative mastermind at the centre of one of music’s most fascinating bands. There have been a further 20 albums under the Brian Jonestown Massacre moniker since then, each embarking on their own mind-expanding adventure and exploring the outer realms of rock’n’roll; psychedelic rock, country-blues, snarling rock’n’roll, blissed-out noise-pop and more. Along the way, Newcombe has established himself as a once-in-a-lifetime talent who saw the direction in which mainstream indie-rock was heading and opted to take the long way round. He’s emerged as a revolutionary force in modern music, an underground hero. There was no other way, this was how it had to be. “My only option with everything in life has always been that you just jump into the fire,” he declared. “It doesn’t matter what it is.” It's with that spirit that he’s hopped around the globe, from the West Coast to New York, from Manhattan to Iceland, and then to Berlin, where he’s lived for 15 years and has two flats, one to live in and one that’s been converted into his studio. After a hugely prolific 2010s that saw the release of eight long-players and one mini-album, Newcombe had been going through a period of writer’s block when one day he picked up his 12-string guitar and The Real (the opening track on previous album Fire Doesn’t Grow on Trees) came out of him. Like the kraken, it was as if he’d summoned it. “All of a sudden, I just heard something,” he says. “And then it just didn’t stop. We tracked a whole song every single day for 70 days in a row.” By the end of it they had 2 albums ready to go. Joining Newcombe in the studio for The Future Is Your Past were Hakon Adalsteinsson (guitar) and Uri Rennert (drums). Brian Jonestown Massacre released their 20th full-length studio album The Future Is Your Past , in February 2023 on Anton’s record label, A Recordings. In 2022 / 2023, they completed a massive world tour that saw them play 34 dates in North America, 25 dates across Europe and 16 dates in the UK. Towards the end of 2024, they released ‘ Don’t Look At Me ’ ft. Aimee Nash. It is a delicious slice of hypnotic shoegaze with Nash lyrically casting a spell with the mantra “Do No Harm.” There is no such thing as a defining statement in Anton Newcombe’s world anymore, just more chapters that contribute to the tale. “Nobody can stop me, I’m not asking somebody, I’m not making the rounds at Warners, saying ‘please put out my record!’. It’s just for me,” he says. He hopes he can be an inspiration to others. “I would love to see more groups, people playing music in the UK and everywhere else because I really enjoy it. That’s the only reason I need. It’s the only reason to do stuff.” That hits to the core of what makes Anton Newcombe and Brian Jonestown Massacre tick. He’ll keep jumping in that fire. That’s how he rolls. Savor it. LIVE SHOWS:Sept. 3 – Cat’s Cradle – Carrboro, NC
Sept. 4 – Variety Playhouse – Atlanta, GA
Sept. 5 – Basement East – Nashville, TN
Sept. 6 – Orange Peel – Asheville, NC
Sept. 8 – 9:30 Club – Washington, D.C.
Sept. 9 – Webster Hall – New York, NY - with special guests, Cast
Sept. 10 – Union Transfer – Philadelphia, PA - with special guests, Cast
Sept. 12 – The Sinclair – Cambridge, MA
Sept. 13 – Beanfield Theatre – Montreal, QC
Sept. 14 – Danforth Music Hall – Toronto, ON
Sept. 16 – Globe Iron – Cleveland, OH
Sept. 17 – Majestic Theatre – Detroit, MI
Sept. 18 – Mercury Ballroom – Louisville, KY
Sept. 19 – Hi-Fi Annex – Indianapolis, IN
Sept. 20 – Majestic Theatre – Madison, WI
Sept. 22 – Metro – Chicago, IL
Sept. 23 – Slowdown – Omaha, NE
Sept. 24 – recordBar – Kansas City, MO
Sept. 26 – Studio at The Factory – Dallas, TXSept. 27 - Levitation - Austin, TX
Sept. 28 – White Oak Music Hall – Houston, TX
Oct. 31 – Music Box – San Diego, CA
Nov. 1 – Pappy and Harriet’s – Pioneertown, CANov. 2 – Observatory OC – Santa Ana, CA
Nov. 4 – SLO Brew – San Luis Obispo, CA
Nov. 6 – Swan Dive – Las Vegas, NV
Nov. 7 – The Van Buren – Phoenix, AZ
Nov. 8 – Tumbleroot – Santa Fe, NM
Nov. 10 – Gothic Theatre – Englewood, CO
Nov. 11 – Fox Theatre – Boulder, CO
Nov. 13 – Metro Music Hall – Salt Lake City, UT
Nov. 14 – Shrine Social Club – Boise, ID
Nov. 15 – The Showbox – Seattle, WA
Nov. 16 – The Pearl – Vancouver, B.C
Nov. 18 – Revolution Hall – Portland, OR
Nov. 20 – Regency Ballroom – San Francisco, CA
Nov. 21 – Rio Theatre – Santa Cruz, CA
Nov. 22 – Teragram Ballroom – Los Angeles, CA
Nov. 23 – Teragram Ballroom – Los Angeles, CA TICKETS "Colliding drums, hypnotic stacked guitars and mystical rhythms create a dream-laced musical envelopment. The result feels less like a song and more like a vivid hallucination. With "Makes Me Great / Out Of Body", The Brian Jonestown Massacre proves once again that their music is nothing short of revolutionary.” - Earmilk ★★★★★ “Anton Newcombe’s near-death experience led to a transformative performance… leading what is currently the best underground rock ’n’ roll band in the world… hypnotic guitar music rooted in ’60s folk‑rock, pouring his soul into this music.” - The Guardian “A night of hypnotic grooves, kaleidoscopic guitars, and the kind of immersive psychedelia that only they can provide… a night of sonic transcendence that few will soon forget.” - RockShot “These shows have seen the band back to their best… career‑spanning sets that have gone down a storm every evening… left in little doubt that this is a band totally on top of their game.” - Under the Radar "The San Francisco band’s story is one of defiance, survival and surprise…surprise that they’re not only still here, but are seemingly bigger than ever… There’s something gloriously anachronistic about their look and sound, but also something timeless. Newcombe wears his influences on his sleeve, and the melange of The Byrds’ metallic jangle, the shoegaze of Ride and a Stones-esque swagger has given the band the feeling of always being out of time, but never out of fashion." - Louder Than War “The Brian Jonestown’s ability to create an immersive live experience remains unparalleled and this Brixton gig was a masterclass in psychedelia, intensity, and raw musical craftsmanship.” - Music News "I’ve never seen this band so tight before, so hyper focused on one goal, to take this crowd away from the world and into the galaxy." - Northern Exposure “A spiritual experience.” - Essentially Pop "One of the most unpredictable and brilliant bands of our time. Despite their underground status, the band’s influence on music is undeniable, they defy expectations and remain a vital and uncompromising force in modern music. It’s also been a reminder that, for all their psychedelic flourishes, The Brian Jonestown Massacre are a damn fine rock and roll band at heart." - All Music "For longtime fans, this was a revelation. For newcomers, it was an entry point into one of the most enigmatic live bands in modern psychedelia. Either way, it was a night that will linger in the minds of those who witnessed it—a reminder that when the Brian Jonestown Massacre are locked in, there are few who can match their magic." - 5/5 - The Modern Record “This is a band who are enjoying their craft and is truly authentic in their approach to rock ‘n’ roll. In a world filled with wannabees and try hards, The Brian Jonestown Massacre still prove to be one of the main driving forces in rock and psychedelic culture, forever etched into the history books as rock ‘n’ roll legends…” - Rockwell Unscene "The Brian Jonestown Massacre delivered a night of immersive psychedelia that reminded us why they remain such a compelling force in live music.” - Glasgow Music "Anton Newcombe lounges in his own brilliant, startling, divine genius and at the point where you want to shout something at him just to snap yourself out of his spell, in another masterful stroke he beats you to it and says, “look at this!” and blows your mind." - The Gryphon, Leeds Student “The night ends to an exhilarating high. The final chords chime out, and The Brian Jonestown Massacre has shown that they can still create an immersive musical experience!” - Backseat Mafia FOLLOW BJM:Website / Instagram / Facebook
Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Unveils First of 25th Anniversary Lineup
HARDLY STRICTLY BLUEGRASS UNVEILS FIRST OF
25TH ANNIVERSARY LINEUP
ARTISTS INCLUDE LUCINDA WILLIAMS, COURTNEY BARNETT, SAMARA JOY,
THE STRING CHEESE INCIDENT, REVEREND HORTON HEAT, WATCHHOUSE, NICK LOWE & LOS STRAITJACKETS, DAN TYMINSKI BAND, JOSH RITTER & THE ROYAL CITY BAND, AND CHUCK PROPHET AND HIS CUMBIA SHOES
ADDITIONAL ARTISTS TO BE ANNOUNCED SOON
THREE-DAY, MULTI-STAGE FREE MUSIC FESTIVAL MAKES ANNUAL RETURN TO SAN FRANCISCO’S GOLDEN GATE PARK TO CELEBRATE ITS 25TH ANNIVERSARY ON OCTOBER 3-5, 2025
PRE-FESTIVAL CELEBRATIONS FOR 25th ANNIVERSARY PLANNED:
“CELEBRATING HARDLY STRICTLY BLUEGRASS:
LYLE LOVETT AND HIS ACOUSTIC GROUP WITH THE SF SYMPHONY”
ON SEPTEMBER 13
AT DAVIES SYMPHONY HALL
&
“A TRIBUTE TO EMMYLOU HARRIS
& 25 YEARS OF HARDLY STRICTLY BLUEGRASS”
SET FOR THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2
AT THE MASONIC
Photo Credit: Jay Blakesburg [Download Hi-Res Photo]
Hardly Strictly Bluegrass (HSB) is very proud to share the initial lineup for its silver anniversary in San Francisco’s iconic Golden Gate Park from Friday, October 3 to Sunday, October 5. Now in its 25th year, the free music festival will once again present a truly eclectic bill of top performers spanning an array of genres, including Lucinda Williams, Courtney Barnett, Samara Joy, The String Cheese Incident, Reverend Horton Heat, Watchhouse, Nick Lowe & Los Straitjackets, Dan Tyminski Band, Josh Ritter & The Royal City Band, and Chuck Prophet and His Cumbia Shoes. The lineup was teased with an exclusive medley streaming now on the official Hardly Strictly Bluegrass app and website. Additional performers will be announced soon.
“For 25 years, Hardly Strictly Bluegrass has been a testament to the power of music to bring people together—free, inclusive, and rooted in the spirit of community,” said Sheri Sternberg, one of the founders and Executive Producer of HSB. “What started as a humble celebration of bluegrass has grown into a beloved San Francisco tradition that honors the past while embracing the future. We’re proud to carry forward the legacy of Warren Hellman and look forward to gathering once again in Golden Gate Park for a weekend of unforgettable music.”
"I'm excited to return to Golden Gate Park for Hardly Strictly Bluegrass,” says Courtney Barnett. “Last time I played there was with Kurt Vile in 2017 and we all had such a great time!"
This year, in addition to the festival, there will be some first-ever special events held to celebrate HSB’s birthday.
In celebration of the 25th Anniversary of HSB, and honoring the memory of Nancy Hellman Bechtle, the San Francisco Symphony and singer, composer, and actor Lyle Lovett join forces Saturday, September 13. Lovett and the San Francisco Symphony will be joined by conductor Edwin Outwater and Lovett’s Acoustic Group. Known for his gift of storytelling, the Texas-based musician fuses elements of country, swing, jazz, folk, gospel and blues in a convention-defying manner that breaks down barriers.
Portions of the concert’s proceeds will benefit the San Francisco Symphony’s Music and Mentors program, which provides assistance to instrumental music programs in San Francisco’s public middle schools and high schools. Tickets for “Celebrating Hardly Strictly Bluegrass: Lyle Lovett and his Acoustic Group with the SF Symphony” went on sale to the public on July 19. For more information, view tickets HERE.
HSB will kick off its landmark 25th anniversary weekend celebration this year with a very special sold-out festival eve benefit concert honoring legendary singer and songwriter Emmylou Harris – the only artist to perform at each and every edition of the much beloved San Francisco free music festival. Set for Thursday, October 2 at San Francisco, CA’s The Masonic, “A Tribute to Emmylou Harris & 25 Years of Hardly Strictly Bluegrass” will see the 14x GRAMMY® Award-winner joined by some of her closest friends and collaborators including Allison Russell, Albert Lee, Margo Price, Patty Griffin, Rodney Crowell, Rosanne Cash, Sam Bush, Shawn Colvin, Steve Earle and other guests. Buddy Miller will serve as the show’s musical director, backed by The Red Hot Dirt Ramblers. The all-star lineup features some of Emmylou Harris’ current and recent bandmates, including Albert Lee, Bryan Owings, Chris Donohue, Eamon McLoughlin, Glen D Hardin, Phil Madeira, Sam Bush & Steve Fishell. All proceeds will benefit the foster-based, 501(c)3 nonprofit dog rescue organization Bonaparte’s Retreat.
The tradition of “Out of the Park” concerts will continue this year, once again benefiting Sweet Relief, Bay Area Musicians’ Fund. Many of the artists listed in the initial lineup will be performing nighttime shows at some of the Bay Area’s favorite venues, including Reverend Horton Heat at Sweetwater, Patty Griffin & Nick Lowe at The Great American Music Hall, Watchhouse at the UC Theatre and many more.
HARDLY STRICTLY BLUEGRASS 2025
Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, CA
October 3-5, 2025
INITIAL LINEUP
Lucinda Williams
Samara Joy
Courtney Barnett
Reverend Horton Heat
Watchhouse
Nick Lowe & Los Straitjackets
Dan Tyminski Band
Josh Ritter & the Royal City Band
The String Cheese Incident
Chuck Prophet and His Cumbia Shoes
ADDITIONAL ARTISTS TO BE ANNOUNCED
ARTISTS PLAYING THE TRIBUTE TO EMMYLOU HARRIS
ALSO PERFORMING AT HSB:
Albert Lee
Buddy Miller
Emmylou Harris
Margo Price
Patty Griffin
Rodney Crowell
Rosanne Cash
Sam Bush
Shawn Colvin
Steve Earle
OUT OF THE PARK CONCERTS:
Reverend Horton Heat - Sweetwater (October 2)
The String Cheese Incident - The Fillmore (October 4)
Rosanne Cash - Bing Concert Hall at Stanford (Palo Alto) (October 5)
Chuck Prophet - Hopmonk Novato (October 11)
Rodney Crowell - Rancho Nicasio (October 5)
Josh Ritter - The Chapel (October 3)
A Night of Music, Movies, and Meaning:
Finding Lucinda Live Screening + Performance
Four Star (October 3)
Patty Griffin/Nick Lowe - GAMH (October 3)
Dan Tyminski - Sweetwater Music Hall (October 3)
Watchhouse - The UC Theatre (October 4)
Los Straitjackets - Ivy Room (October 4)
# # #
CONNECT WITH HARDLY STRICTLY BLUEGRASS:
HARDLYSTRICTLYBLUEGRASS.COM | THREADS | INSTAGRAM | SPOTIFY | YOUTUBE
TWIABP Sprawling Single “Dissolving”, New Album Out Next Month
The World Is A Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid To Die Share Sprawling New Single “ Dissolving ”
From Album
‘
Dreams of Being Dust
’
Out August 22 Via Epitaph Records
On Tour This Fall, Headlining Dates Announced
“The World Is A Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid To Die have always been an intense, dramatic band, and it looks like they’re moving in even more intense and dramatic directions.” - Stereogum
Today, experimental post-rock sextet The World Is A Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid To Die share “Dissolving,” the latest preview of their new album ‘Dreams of Being Dust’ out August 22nd via Epitaph. Proving they’re still one of the most dynamic acts around, TWIABP sounds louder, darker, and more driven than ever. After putting their heavier inclinations on display with a string of brutal singles, "Dissolving” sees the band returning to lush textures and clear-eyed indie rock vocals, drowned in an ambient swell of distorted power chords.
Lead vocalist David F. Bello sets the tone: “Lyrically ‘Dissolving’ is set in the woods late at night, too far from home, alone enough to notice how fuzzy the boundary is between you and the rest of the outside world. You remember that your skin is always shedding into particles of dust, and there isn't much difference between you and the trees and the dirt. No matter how old you become, you're still developing, changing, and growing into something new. Even once you are nothing but a memory, you will have evolved and will haunt the air. Donna Haraway's ‘A Cyborg Manifesto’ says ‘a cyborg would not recognize the Garden of Eden; it is not made of mud and cannot dream of returning to dust.’ You are made of mud and you can dream of returning to dust.”
Behind the creation of “Dissolving,” guitarist Chris Teti expounds: “To me ‘Dissolving’ musically is a deliberate combination of what I would want to hear if you took My Bloody Valentine and The Rising Tide era Sunny Day Real Estate. It might seem from what has been released so far that Dreams of Being Dust is just all chaotic and aggressive. While it does include material that is more aggressive than what’s been released so far, there needed to be some tracks that were a relief from the dissonance and chaos around it, but we didn’t want to include an interlude track like we normally have done on our albums. This need for songs that would serve as a relief sonically ended up spawning ‘Dissolving’ and another track on the record, ‘Oubliette.’
During the writing of the record, I kept revisiting CDs that meant a lot to me when I was younger, and listening to them to decompress after many long hours of reworking ideas and stressing about what direction the newest song ideas would be. That started to bleed into the record with influence coming from early Smashing Pumpkins (who were pretty clearly heavily influenced by MBV), Failure, and later era Sunny Day Real Estate.
I stumbled across a few open tunings late at night while writing various chord progression ideas, which became a basis for multiple songs on the album. The big goal for Dreams of Being Dust was to reinvent the band's sound, and I found the only way to achieve that was putting the guitar into a random tuning, so I essentially had to forget how to play guitar. It resulted in me tuning strings randomly at 3am, stressed and disappointed in whatever I had written earlier in the night, until everything droned in a key that felt right.
‘Dissolving’ was one of the last songs written for the record and specifically was meant to be about as minimal as possible for a majority of the track (at least by our normally maximalist standards). The chord movements were later refined with my co-producer Greg Thomas. I think David is a brilliant lyricist and came up with a concept that perfectly captured all the feelings I had, but never could have conveyed as brilliantly in the slightest when this album came together.”
Co-produced by Teti and his studio partner Greg Thomas, then mastered by Will Putney, Dreams of Being Dust is a violent record for violent times. It’s also an incredibly important record, one that offers an unflinchingly real reflection of these troubled times we’re living in. While dark, it never despairs. Rather, it confronts and fights back with purpose and passion. Outside of its political contexts, it also feels like an important album on a personal level — the sound of a band reckoning with their own legacy and history, as well as the scene they’ve cultivated since forming in 2009.
The World Is A Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid To Die is Josh Cyr (bass), Steven Buttery (drums, percussion), David F. Bello (lead vocals), Chris Teti (guitar, vocals), Katie Dvorak (vocals, keyboards) and Anthony Gesa (guitar, vocals).
TWIABP Tour Dates – Tickets Available HERE
Sept. 14 – Philadelphia, PA – Union Transfer #
Sept. 15 – Boston, MA – Royale #
Sept. 16 – Ottawa, ON –The Bronson #
Sept. 18 – Toronto, ON – The Danforth Music Hall #
Sept. 19 – Montreal, QC – Theatre Beanfield #
Sept. 20 – Portland, ME – Aura #
Sept. 21 – Albany, NY – Empire Live #
Sept. 23 – Pontiac, MI – Pike Room *
Sept. 24 – Chicago, IL – Cobra Lounge *
Sept. 25 – Cleveland, OH – Mahall's *
Sept. 26 – Rochester, NY – Bug Jar *
Sept. 27 – Pittsburgh, PA – Preserving Underground *
Sept. 28 – Columbus, OH – Ace of Cups *
Sept. 30 – Washington, D.C. - Pearl Street *
Oct. 1 – Brooklyn, NY – Market Hotel *
Oct. 2 – Hamden, CT – Space Ballroom *
# w/ Between The Buried And Me
* Headlining Show
Dreams of Being Dust Tracklisting
1. Dimmed Sun
2. Se Sufre Pero Se Goza
3. No Pilgrim
4. Beware the Centrist
5. Oubliette
6. Captagon
7. Dissolving
8. Reject All and Submit
9. December 4th, 2024
10. Auguries of Guilt
11. For Those Who Will Outlive Us
For more information on TWIABP visit
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