Alexander Laurence's Blog, page 493
June 27, 2023
Cold Cave Announce U.S. Tour in September + October
Cold Cave Announce U.S. Tour in September October
See them on the road with Riki SRSQ on select shows, in addition to dates supporting The Cult this summer/fall.
[image error]Photo by: Travis Shinn.
Fresh off the road supporting Depeche Mode, Cold Cave have returned with an exciting U.S. headline tour announcement. The group, which features underground luminary Wes Eisold and multi-instrumentalist Amy Lee, will canvas the midwest and coastal regions of the United States this September and October. The tour will see support from Riki and SRSQ on select dates, and Cold Cave will close out the run as support for rock legends The Cult. Tickets for the Cold Cave headline tour will go on sale June 29th at 10am local time here— check out all dates listed below.
[image error]Since their inception 14 years ago, Cold Cave have released a number of singles, LP’s, EP’s, and compilations, and have become synonymous with the modern-day resurgence of darkwave and synth-pop. Most recently, the band reissued their landmark releases Cremations, Love Comes Close, Cherish The Light Years, Full Cold Moon, and Fate In Seven Lessons on 180gram vinyl on Heartworm Press. These collections encompass Cold Cave’s past while catapulting them into the future, and further cement them as torchbearers for modern post-punk.
Cold Cave, on tour:
September 5 Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom *
September 6 Albuquerque, NM @ Sister Bar *
September 8 Dallas, TX @ Trees *
September 9 San Antonio, TX @ Paper Tiger *
September 10 Austin, TX @ Mohawk *
September 13 Tampa, FL @ Orpheum *
September 15 Miami, FL @ Gramps *
September 16 Orlando, FL @ Conduit*
September 17 Atlanta, GA @ Terminal West *
September 20 Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer ^
September 21 Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club ^
September 22 New York, NY @ Webster Hall ^
September 23 Washington, DC @ Black Cat ^
September 25 Chicago, IL @ Bottom Lounge ^
September 26 Detroit, MI @ The Magic Bag ^
October 6 Reno, NV @ Grand Theatre %
October 8 Eugene, CA @ Hult Center %
October 9 Seattle, WA @ Crocodile *
October 10 Spokane, WA @ Lucky You *
October 12 Boise, ID @ Revolution Concert House %
October 14 San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall *
October 15 Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater %
October 17 Sacramento, CA @ Goldfield *
October 19 San Diego, CA @ Humphrey’s %
October 20 San Diego, CA @ Humphrey’s %
October 27 Las Vegas, NV @ Pearl Theater %
October 28 Las Vegas, NV @ Pearl Theater %
* w/ Riki
^ w/ SRSQ
% w/ The Cult
For more on Cold Cave:
Dexys (fka Dexys Midnight Runners) Share "Coming Home" Video | 'The Feminine Divine' LP Due 7/28
Share "Coming Home" Video
September UK & IRE Headlining Tour, Tickets Available Now
The Feminine Divine LP Due 7/28 via 100% Records,
First New LP of Original Material in Over a Decade
Photo by Sandra VijandiLISTEN/WATCH & SHARE: Dexys - "Coming Home"Stream / YouTube
LISTEN/WATCH & SHARE: Dexys - "The Feminine Divine"
Stream / YouTube
LISTEN/WATCH & SHARE: Dexys - "I'm Going To Get Free"
Stream / YouTube"Deeply impassioned vocalist and smartly emotive songwriter Kevin Rowland has made lyrical intensity and melodic contagion with dramatic flair (and a dress sense of sartorial splendor) his calling card"
- FLOOD Magazine
"Rowland — as singer and songwriter with Dexys Midnight Runners — gave us some of the great pop moments. From the bolshy vision of Searching for the Young Soul Rebels through the celtic-gumbo of Too-Rye-Ay and '85's neglected masterpiece, Don't Stand Me Down, his is a towering contribution to British music, both visually and musically."
- UNCUT Magazine
"Dexys, the band who confound you with their strangeness – and then their brilliance."
- The Guardian
"Dexys are one of the greatest groups to emerge from the United Kingdom and in Kevin Rowland they have one of the most intelligent songwriters and charismatic frontmen that ever graced a stage."
- PopMatters
"A timely reminder of Kevin Rowland’s and Dexys' impact and importance"
- The Quietus
Read the Stereogum + Brooklyn Vegan Features
Storied English pop-rock band Dexys (formerly Dexys Midnight Runners) — who are perhaps best known for their Brit Award-winning commercial smash-hit "Come On Eileen," which reached number one in 8 countries and became the best-selling single in the UK and US in 1982 — are finally returning in full swing with their first new record of original material in over a decade, The Feminine Divine, due July 28 via 100% Records.
To introduce the record, they recently shared its first three singles, "I'm Going To Get Free," "The Feminine Divine," and "Coming Home." Today, the group share an official music video for the latest track, directed by Richard O'Connor. Capping off the first half of the new record, "Coming Home" is yet another song written in the early ‘90s with Big Jim Paterson, and is a triumphant declaration of frontman Kevin Rowland’s return to his true self.
Speaking on the track, Rowland wrote: "'Coming Home' is about rising up out of a slump. In the album narrative, the protagonist has passed through some very dark times but he is now enjoying positivity and peace. He’s embracing a new-found connectedness: to the universe, to other people, and to his true self."
Video Director Richard O'Connor continued: "We wanted to capture the vibrancy of the music and share visually how it makes us feel emotionally. It begins tentatively, hits stride and launches into euphoric triumph. It's classic and it's now. It's cool and it's textured."
Dexys - "Coming Home" [OFFICIAL VIDEO]Directed by Richard O'Connor
Artists + Animators: Natalie Greene, Taisiya Zaretskaya, Ruyin Tsai
Additional Art: Anne Beal, Morgan MillerLed by musician Kevin Rowland, Dexys is regarded as one of the more prominent British bands to arise in the 80s, with over 1B streams worldwide, 4.5M monthly listeners on Spotify, 49k subscribers on YouTube, and 71K followers on Facebook. Their debut album Searching For The Young Soul Rebels is widely considered one of the best albums of all time (by outlets such as BBC, The Guardian , The Quietus , and Uncut ), and their subsequent album Too-Rye-Ay is multi-platinum in the UK and Australia and charted in the top 20 in the UK, US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the Netherlands. Their music has appeared on the soundtracks of countless TV shows and films including High Fidelity (TV), The Perks Of Being A Wallflower, Jane The Virgin, What We Do In The Shadows, Preachers, Superstore, Firefly Lane, and Get Him To The Greek.
The Feminine Divine is Dexys’ fifth album of original material produced once again by Pete Schwier, along with acclaimed session musician and producer Toby Chapman. After taking some time out to refocus his energy, Kevin Rowland came back to music with a fresh perspective and new-found positivity. A personal, if not strictly autobiographical, record portraying a man whose views have evolved over time. Not just on women, but the whole concept of masculinity he had been raised with: an education and an un-learning that is traced across the arc of The Feminine Divine with dizzying effect.
To support their new LP, Dexys recently announced a full UK and European tour for September / October. They've now added a special run of in-stores signings and performances where Kevin Rowland and Mike Timothy will perform tracks from the new album plus some old favourites. Full dates below and tickets on-sale HERE.
Stay tuned for The Feminine Divine, out this July via 100% Records.DEXYS LINKS
Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube | TikTok
SUSANNA announces new album 'Baudelaire & Orchestra' due July 28th via SusannaSonata & shares first single "Obsession".
- Shares new single "Obsession"
Photo credit: Thomas Lauvland PettersenNorwegian singer songwriter Susanna continues to explore her fascination with the poetry and persona of Charles Baudelaire, with a new album 'Baudelaire & Orchestra ', which is set for release July 28th via SusannaSonata. The record scales up her distinctive settings of the French poet/bohemian’s classic texts to the size of an orchestra. To coincide with the announcement, Susanna is sharing the first single from the record, "Obsession".
Listen to "Obsession" here: https://bit.ly/SusannaObsessionNEWSINGLE
Pre-order album here: https://bit.ly/BaudelaireOrchestraOrder
On Baudelaire & Orchestra, Susanna is joined by Oslo’s incredible, forward thinking KORK orchestra. The radio orchestra of NRK (Norway’s national broadcaster) is known for its progressive approach, diversity and willingness to tackle challenging and contemporary music of all types. The music was arranged by Jarle G. Storløkken, with contributions from innovative composer Jan Martin Smørdal –who was awarded the Nordheim Prize in 2022. Christian Eggen – one of Norway’s top conductors – leads the orchestra, while it was produced and mastered by Deathprod.
Susanna’s intense relationship with the poetry of the French symbolist has so far led to two albums and an EP, and a string of rapturously received concerts. It all started with Baudelaire and Piano (2020), an intimate set of 10 songs with just Susanna alone at her piano. Last year came Elevation, featuring 11 more Baudelaire jewels. The material blossomed into a collaborative enterprise with Stina Stjern and Delphine Dora, combining tape, spoken word and song.
Like Baudelaire, Susanna’s music probes the edges of desire, and confronts the simultaneous wonder and meaningless of existence. Baudelaire is often considered one of the first modern poets, whose urban observations frequently dipped into fantasy, sensuality, fevered imaginings and eerie horror. Susanna’s selection of texts from his masterwork The Flowers of Evil (translated by Anthony Mortimer) covers the full spectrum of Baudelaire’s conflicted expression.
The result completes a trilogy of Baudelaire-related releases by Susanna. The project is a unique musical conversation spanning centuries and disciplines; a time travelling adventure that moves between creative dimensions, different musical genres, the cosmic and the microscopic. The addition of the orchestra, plus Stina Stjern weaving in extra textures on cassettes and recorders, and vocals by experimental singer Anita Kaasbøll (Bladed, Feathered Friends, Trondheim Voices), bring out the full spectrum of Baudelaire’s strange universe: a lush and sensuous garden where snakes lurk in the undergrowth and poisonous flowers may afflict the unwary.
Baudelaire & Orchestra adds new music for cassette-tapes by Stina Stjern alongside three songs from Elevation and five from Baudelaire & Piano. Susanna was entranced by the multilayered texts, with their "many colours, shades, moods and emotions". Susanna was also drawn to Baudelaire’s worldview, which addresses questions of religion and morality with a certain force and elegance.
Susanna says: ‘I’ve been wanting to develop this material since the first Baudelaire album. There’s a bit more complexity in the harmonies and the rhythms than you can hear in the bare piano arrangements. I think these songs have become even more accessible in these orchestral versions, and I hope many more people will be able to enjoy the music.’
Norwegian artist Susanna is the woman behind former Susanna and the Magical Orchestra, and a creator of bold, original and enrapturing music, capable of building worlds to lose yourself in and a collaborator with artists such as Jenny Hval and Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy. Alongside this Susanna has also long been an interpreter of other people’s works, from AC/DC to Dolly Parton, Joy Division to Henry Purcell. Susanna has an ability to transform these works into music that sits comfortably next to her own work while never losing what made the original - and the original composer of the song - so special.
Based in Oslo, the singer/songwriter and artist Susanna formed her Susanna and the Magical Orchestra duo in 2000 for exquisite, minimalistic interpretations of pop songs, both mainstream and leftfield. Since 2007 her songwriting has travelled in multiple directions, from her Meshes of Voice project with transgressive singer Jenny Hval, to settings of Norwegian poet Gunvor Hofmo, and the collaboration with new music group Ensemble neoN on The Forester (2013). Go Dig My Grave (2018) was called ‘a wondrous, haunting bunch of covers’ (Uncut). 2019’s Garden of Earthly Delights was praised as ‘brilliant and compelling’ in the international press. 2020’s Baudelaire & Piano received 4/5 stars in The Guardian, Irish Times in addition to being Critic’s Choice in The Financial Times.
She is a three-times winner of Norwegian Grammys for previous releases. Superfan Bonnie Prince Billy’s recent Wolf of the Cosmos release was a cover of the whole of her 2007 album Sonata Mix Dwarf Cosmos. She releases her music on her own label SusannaSonata.
In these exquisite orchestra settings, the poetry of Baudelaire has encountered its own ‘magical orchestra’.
Baudelaire & Orchestra tracklist:
1. Sarcophagi
2. Obsession
3. The Ghost
4. Burial
5. Heavy Sleep
6. Destruction
7. Rewind
8. Longing for Nothingness,
9. Alchemy of Suffering
10. Elevation
11. The Vampire
Baudelaire & Orchestra artwork:
Links:
Baudelaire & Orchestra album booklet
Susanna Facebook
Susanna Twitter
Susanna Website
High Pulp Share "Unified Dakotas" feat. Jeff Parker of Tortoise
HIGH PULP SHARE “ UNIFIED DAKOTAS ” FEAT. JEFF PARKER
NEW ALBUM ‘DAYS IN THE DESERT’ OUT JULY 28
Photo Credit: London Van Rooy & Jon Christopherson
Los Angeles-based experimental jazz collective High Pulp will release their new album ’Days in the Desert' in peak sweltering summer heat next month on July 28. The titular desert is both literal and metaphorical: it’s the Mojave Desert that the band powers through on their many DIY tours around the country, but they perceive the desert as a spiritual quest as well.Today they are sharing the album track “Unified Dakotas” feat. Jeff Parker. The song “Unified Dakotas” aligns High Pulp with the kind of adventurous music that defined the alternative ‘90s, a mix of post-rock guitars, head-nodding drums, bright horns, and electronics. It made perfect sense to reach out to Jeff Parker of Tortoise and have his guitar ring through the song as it transforms from shimmering jazz-funk to dreamy ambience and back. Listen to the track below.
Listen To “Unified Dakotas” feat. Jeff Parker: https://youtu.be/o2kRdGBzd0U
“ ”Unified Dakotas” was one of the last songs that we wrote, and it quickly became one of the band’s favorite songs from ‘Days In The Desert,’” explains the band’s drummer Bobby Granfelt. ”If you listen to the trumpet writing you can hear explicit choices and tones inspired by ’Sketches of Spain’; we felt this song called for that color palette: playful, tense, and slightly indignant.”
On working with Jeff Parker on the track, he added: “We have been fans of Jeff Parker (both solo and his work with Tortoise) for years, and when thinking about who the right person may be to collaborate with on this song it became abundantly clear once I threw his name out. Jeff’s maturity and humility shine throughout this song. It tells a story and feels more like watching someone make a painting than listening to a traditional guitar solo.”
During a tour right before the recording of ’Desert‘, the band became enamored by Tortoise’s ’TNT’ and Stereolab’s ’Dots and Loops. “Those albums were a guiding light for our process,” Granfelt says. As a result, individual solos gave way to group interplay: “It became simpler and more accessible, choosing a vibe, an ecosystem to have the listener hang out in.”
High Pulp’s Days in the Desert makes this vision come true, finding the West Coast band fully emerging into their own sound. Rooted in the jazz tradition while also smitten by indie-rock and electronic music, High Pulp was willing to grab from all these sounds at once to pursue something truly their own. Their third full-length album (following 2022’s promising Anti- debut Pursuit of Ends), Days in the Desert reveals the band realizing their strengths, deepening their own bonds, and pushing all these skills into a thrilling new sonic vista all but unimaginable just a few years before.
And this record is a party, with an array of all-star guests that push the sounds even further out into the ether. They range from Impulse! harpist Brandee Younger and Madlib collaborator/ Brainfeeder OG Daedelus to rising tenor saxophonist (and fellow Anti- labelmate) James Brandon Lewis as well as Parker. But despite the disparate genres represented, it all sounds precisely like High Pulp in the end.
“The word jazz is going to follow our band around forever, which is fine, we love jazz, we are inspired by jazz,” Granfelt explains. “But our influences are much wider than that.” In embracing the likes of Gil Evans-Miles Davis jazz collaborations in the 1950s as well as ‘90s lo-fi indie-rock, High Pulp found a middle ground. As the vision for ’Days in the Desert’ became clearer, the message was evident. “We embraced more imperfections in terms of our executions, but as a result our compositions got stronger, more solid,” Morrill says. “The album started to get simpler. And also a little more human.”
TOUR DATES
8/27 - Port Townsend, WA @ THING Festival
Pre-Order ‘Days In The Desert’
1. Slaw
2. Dirtmouth (ft. James Brandon Lewis)
3. Solanin (ft. Brandee Younger)
4. Never In My Short Sweet Life (ft. Mononeon)
5. Robert Pollard
6. Unified Dakotas (ft. Jeff Parker)
7. Fast Asleep
8. (If You Don’t Leave) The City Will Kill You (ft. Daedelus)
9. Fatigue (ft. Kurt Rosenwinkel & Telemakus)
10. Bad Infinity
Skating Polly Shares Kate Nash Directed Video for "Tiger At The Drugstore," New Double LP Out Now!
Click Screen Shot Above to Watch "Tiger At The Drugstore" Now!
Skating Polly and Kate Nash Introduce: “Tiger At the Drugstore”Kelli Mayo and Peyton Bighorse interview the director of their latest video.CLICK HERE TO READ THE INTERVIEW!
New York, NY - June 27, 2023 - Today Tacoma-based Oklahoma-bred "ugly pop" trio Skating Polly release the Kate Nash directed music video for "Tiger At The Drugstore." The English singer-songwriter, actress, and longtime friend of the band brings to life the song which tackles unhealthy coping mechanisms with a light-hearted endearing clip of the punk-siblings. This is the fourth single and third music video from Skating Polly's new double LP Chaos County Line released this past Friday, June 23rd, via El Camino Media and the first time the band has used horns on a track.
"Tiger At The Drugstore all spawned with Peyton's fantastic line "faking it just doesn't feel like how I remember it, faking it just doesn't feel familiar at all". Then we were tasked with finding lines to live up to that, which I feel pretty confident in saying we accomplished. It's about unhealthy coping mechanisms. The things we do to avoid pain and discomfort. Me and Peyton and Kurtis all have our own separate detrimental habits that we are prone to fall into and basically all of them took hold at least some point during the pandemic. One thing about being as close as we are is we've had to learn not only how to deal with our own issues, but each others'. To me this song feels like phone calls we were all having circa 2020, thousands of miles apart, just trying to put one foot in front of the next. And, it sounds corny, but I hear so much love in the lines me and Pey sing back to each other. I think the takeaway message is finding peace in occasionally feeling terrible and not just immediately trying to numb it." - Kelli Mayo
Chaos County Line is the band’s first new studio recording in five years. Produced by frequent collaborator Brad Wood (Liz Phair, Veruca Salt, Smashing Pumpkins), the album reaches a whole new level of self-possession, ultimately sharing their most expansive and emotionally powerful work to date. The follow-up to 2018’s critically acclaimed The Make It All Show LP, the songs on the new album journey from art-punk to noise-rock to piano-driven power-pop. Not only the outcome of their constant growth as songwriters, Chaos County Line’s scope and depth has much to do with Skating Polly’s newly heightened clarity of vision. "Tiger At The Drugstore" follows the frenetic first single and music video “Hickey King” HERE, the joyous second single and video "I'm Sorry For Always Apologizing" HERE and the blistering third single "Send A Priest" HERE. Skating Polly has built a close-knit community of fans while earning the admiration of their musical forebears, a feat that’s found them collaborating with icons like X’s Exene Cervenka and Beat Happening’s Calvin Johnson, touring with Babes In Toyland, and starring as the subject of a feature-length documentary.
Click Image to Listen/Buy "Chaos County Line" Now!
Listen/Buy 'Chaos County Line' Here!"Irresistible pop-grunge anthems... The whole thing’s an absolute blast. After all, growing up doesn’t have to mean growing old." - 4/5, Kerrang!
“Twisting brat-punk singalongs into crunchy hard rock exorcisms… Quite brilliant.” - Uncut
“Self-proclaimed ‘ugly pop’ trio Skating Polly are getting good and ambitious this year… the band jangle and shake their way to power pop bliss.” - Paste
“('Hickey King')...a buoyant and mosh-y ode to the misguided romantic habits of weirdly possessive indie rock dudes.” - Guitar World
“... the trio (who relocated from Oklahoma to Tacoma in 2015) have polished their angst-ridden, guitar-driven outbursts, but there's still plenty of grit, too.” - The Stranger
“... Skating Poll’s signature “ugly pop” sound - infectious melodies punctuated with punk-rock screams and steadfast refusals to polish away all the blemishes…” - The Oklahoman
“a grubby spinning-top of gutsy alt-rock; spiked-collared, hair-on-end, a punk let off from the leash in need of a good exorcism, and possibly even a good bath.” - Louder Sound
“Tacoma's SKATING POLLY probably rips harder than your favorite band… the high kicks and new songs (from the upcoming album Chaos County Line) that the family band busted out at the bus station stage indicate they won't stop rocking out anytime soon.” - Pacific Northwest Inlander
“Skating Polly is a force to be reckoned with, proving themselves to be one of the most dangerous bands today.” - For The Punks
“'Chaos County Line' finds Skating Polly showcasing the depth of their growth, both as songwriters and personally… Skating Polly imbue that outpouring with an unfettered emotional truth.” - The Punk Site
Photo by Travis Trautt
Confirmed Skating Polly Tour Dates:
June 27 Columbus, OH - Rumba Cafe^
June 28 Hamtramck, MI - Small's^
June 29 Toronto, ON - Bovine Sex Club
June 30 Montreal, PQ - Turbo Haus
July 1 Portsmouth, NH - Press Room^
July 2 Cambridge, MA - Middle East^
July 6 Brooklyn, NY - St. Vitus Bar^
July 7 Philadelphia, PA - Kung Fu Necktie^
July 8 Washington, DC - Comet Ping Pon^
July 9 Richmond, VA - Capital Ale House Downtown
July 11 Carrboro, NC - Cat's Cradle^
July 12 Atlanta, GA - Purgatory at The Masquerade^
July 13 Orlando, FL - Will's Pub^
July 15 Pensacola, FL - Handlebar^
July 16 New Orleans, LA - Santos^
Aug 25 Olympia, WA - South Sound Block Party
^ support from Jacklen Ro
Stay Connected to Skating Polly
Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | TikTok | Official Web Site
Blonde Redhead has released "Melody Experiment" - the second single from their new album, Sit Down for Dinner
"Melody Experiment" showcases bright and driving instrumentation, anchored by staccato guitar pulses and a subtly infectious synth line that eventually flows into a faintly ominous two-minute outro. In stark contrast, the song’s lyrics detail a communication breakdown in enduring relationships.
Of the track, Kazu says:
"This song is a conversational piece between two people. One is questioning the intentions, integrity, and consequences of one’s emotions and actions. She is hypersensitive. The other keeps things simple, allowing himself to go with the flow. Musically, I was able to find something that is quite true and natural to myself, and now I want to continue on this path."
listen [image error] Dinner has long been a sacred ritual for Blonde Redhead; when they're on tour or rehearsing, they always share a meal, no matter what. To celebrate the release of their new album, Sit Down for Dinner, the band will be hosting a dinner party in Paris, London, LA (SOLD OUT), and New York in partnership with section1. A limited amount of seats are available as part of a vinyl + dinner bundle.
pre-order [image error] tour12 OCT 2023 / US / Los Angeles, CA / The Regent
16 OCT 2023 / US / San Francisco, CA / August Hall
18 OCT 2023 / US / Seattle, WA / Neptune Theatre
20 OCT 2023 / US / Portland, OR / Wonder Ballroom
21 OCT 2023 / US / Boise, ID / Treefort Music Hall
24 OCT 2023 / US / Englewood, CO / Gothic Theatre
25 OCT 2023 / US / Santa Fe, NM / Meow Wolf
27 OCT 2023 / US / Austin, TX / ????
28 OCT 2023 / US / Dallas, TX / Studio at The Factory
30 OCT 2023 / US / St. Paul, MN / Amsterdam Bar and Hall
31 OCT 2023 / US / Chicago, IL / Thalia Hall
02 NOV 2023 / CA / Toronto, ON / The Concert Hall
03 NOV 2023 / CA / Montreal, QC / Le Studio TD
04 NOV 2023 / US / Boston, MA / Crystal Ballroom
08 NOV 2023 / US / Philadelphia, PA / Union Transfer
09 NOV 2023 / US / Washington, D.C. / Howard Theatre
10 NOV 2023 / US / Brooklyn, NY / Brooklyn Steel
20 NOV 2023 / CH / Geneva / PTR L’Usine
21 NOV 2023 / IT / Parma / Teatro Regio di Parma
23 NOV 2023 / DE / Cologne / Gebäude 9
24 NOV 2023 / DE / Berlin / Hole 44
25 NOV 2023 / DE / Hamburg / Bahnoff Pauli
27 NOV 2023 / FR / Lille / Aeronef
28 NOV 2023 / FR / Paris / La Cigale
29 NOV 2023 / FR / Nantes / Sterolux
01 DEC 2023 / FR / Rennes / Antipode
02 DEC 2023 / FR / La Rochelle / La Sirene
03 DEC 2023 / FR / Toulouse / Le Bikini
05 DEC 2023 / BE / Brussels / Orangerie at Botanique
06 DEC 2023 / NL / Amsterdam / Paradiso
07 DEC 2023 / BE / Leffinge / De Zwerver
09 DEC 2023 / UK / Leeds / Brudenell Social Club
10 DEC 2023 / UK / Bristol / Thekla
12 DEC 2023 / UK / London / Village Underground
Model Child shares new single / lyric video "Into The Water"
LYRIC VIDEO: "Into The Water" (Visuals by Kevin Eskew)-
YouTube
Model Child is the project of Danny Parker (He/Him/They/Them), a solo artist and pop songwriter who most recently co-wrote Jessie Ware's That! Feels Good! album. You can hear his pop sensibilities in place on his new aquatic-themed earworm, "Into The Water." Parker explains the recording process:
"We started with the drums and that big, booming synth bass sound. It reminded me of waves crashing on a shore. I used to spend a lot of time at the ocean when I first moved to LA. There’s a satisfying unpredictability, listening to the movement of the waves. I’m always trying to find that sweet spot between consistency and randomness. I’ll finally have a moment of calm when out of the blue the pull of a person or a situation will overtake me. Suddenly I’m eating sand and gasping for air, in love with life again, because something exhilarating has finally happened. “Into the Water” is about that “awe-feeling” you get when you dive into the experience of the moment." - Danny Parker / Model Child
***
Model Child is the project of NYC-based musician, songwriter, producer Danny Parker. Inspired by oddball outcasts, high and low culture, and queerness, Parker’s punk-ethos and razor-sharp songwriting add a unique perspective to current music.
Danny Parker grew up in Virginia, playing in punk and experimental bands at basement house shows. A high school friend and former bandmate introduced Parker to the niche world of songwriting for other artists after dropping out of college ten years ago. When an opportunity arose to move out to LA with a group of friends, he jumped at the chance.
Viewing songwriting as a way to create music full-time, Parker dove headfirst into the tumultuous waters of the pop industry. While navigating through countless sessions, he has written hit songs for some of the biggest pop stars in the business, including Shawn Mendes, Britney Spears, Nick Jonas, Zedd, Jessie Ware – to name a few. “I enjoy great songs of any genre, says Parker … I don’t care whether it’s Hyper-Pop or Post-Punk, it’s always about the song for me.”
Parker began writing songs to perform himself, music rooted in the traditional garb of the pop world, yet infused with Parker’s often irreverent and always honest lyricism. After spending six years songwriting in LA for other people, Model Child was born in front of a live audience in Richmond, VA -- stage dives, moshing, writhing on the floor in a dress… he emerged kicking-and-screaming, ready to be heard and seen, distinct from the the typical playlist white noise drawl.
Model Child has since released the infectious ripper of an album, Dropout, in 2020, as well as the rollercoaster ride EP, Unscrewed, in 2021. Convention is a box that Model Child will decorate or completely destroy. Whether he is chanting a bombastic Queer anthem in a gritty East Hollywood club or getting folksy on an acoustic guitar with a top-40 pop star, you know exactly what you’re going to get from this enigmatic artist -- a steady stream of great songs.
Photo by Kohei Kawashima
Model Child
Into The Water
(Self-Released)
June 27, 2023
MODEL CHILD LINKS:
Saccades (Nicholas Wood from The KVB) announces new album, releases new single
Saccades
Announces new album
Land Of The Hearth
Watch the video for new single ‘New Star Line’ here
Photo Credit: Kat Day. Hi-res available here
Saccades, AKA Nicholas Wood - one half of The KVB - returns with the announcement of his new album ‘Land of The Hearth,’ releasing on exciting new imprint Old World - New World Recordings on 25 August. Pre-order the album here. Today, he also shares the first track to be lifted from the album, ‘New Star Line,’ alongside a music video.
In 2017, Wood unveiled the Saccades project with an eponymous debut album; a record which saw the KVB’s gloomy atmospherics and glacial walls-of-sound swapped out for stripped-back psychedelic guitars. The follow-up to that debut, ‘Flowing Fades’, landed in April 2021.
Now, he returns with news of his new record ‘Land of the Hearth’, the title taken from a passage by Jonathon Meades, will be the third record from Saccades. Tipping his hat to house music, ‘Land of the Hearth’ puts synths and good times to the foreground, accompanied by dreamy vocals and carefree guitars.
The first single to be lifted from the album, ‘New Star Line’ is a heady cocktail of pulsing low rhythms topped with swirling, shimmering synths. Combining elements of sun-tinged house and a tranquil balearic bounce, there's also a cyclic and psychedelic nature to the track. Disarming and captivating, ‘New Star Line’ pulls the listener into Saccades dreamscape, with otherworldly vocals provided by Kat Day, the other half of The KVB.
On the track, Wood offers: “This track emerged from a late night synth jam that I recorded with Kat in late 2021. It remained unfinished and forgotten on my computer for over a year, until one night it returned to me in a dream, where the main synth riff was playing over and over. When I located the unfinished jam the next day, I set out on capturing that dreamlike feeling, by adding Kat’s ethereal vocal and by making it feel like a piece of music that could loop forever, taking the listener on a journey into an endless night.”
Alongside the track comes a video, filmed on an abandoned fort in the middle of the Mediterranean. Speaking on the video, Wood continues: “As well as collaborating on the track, Kat also made the video with me. We discovered a remote and abandoned Mediterranean outpost - a modern ruin trapped between the mountain and the sea which felt like the both end and the edge of the world. For me, the location perfectly captured the other-worldly and dreaminess of the track. A place where you could embody the endless loop of the music.”
WATCH THE VIDEO TO ‘NEW STAR LINE’ HEREWood is best known as making up one half of The KVB with his wife Kat Day. Signed to Geoff Barrow of Portishead and Beak’s Invada Records, over the last ten years the critically-acclaimed duo have picked up a loyal international fanbase and toured pretty much non-stop around Europe, North and Latin America, Asia and South Africa.
THE ARMED ANNOUNCE NEW ALBUM + DROP SONG FT. JULIEN BAKER AND VIDEO FT. IGGY POP
THE ARMED ANNOUNCE NEW LP PERFECT SAVIORS
WATCH THE IGGY POP FEATURED VIDEO FOR THE FIRST SINGLE, “SPORT OF FORM” FT. JULIEN BAKER
CONTRIBUTIONS FROM MARK GUILIANA, MATT SWEENEY, PATRICK SHIROISHI, SARAH TUDZIN, JOSH KLINGHOFFER, JUSTIN MELDAL-JOHNSEN AND MORE
ANNOUNCE HEADLINE DATES WITH SUPPORT FROM MODEL/ACTRIZ, SHUTUPS, AND SPACED
READ THEIR FADER MAGAZINE COVER STORY HERE
Photo Credit Aaron Jones (hi-res)
The Armed have announced a new album, Perfect Saviors, available August 25th, their first album since their breakout ULTRAPOP. Providing a full accounting of album contributors for the first time, Perfect Saviors was produced by the band’s Tony Wolski along with Ben Chisholm and Troy Van Leeuwen, with contributions from Julien Baker, Sarah Tudzin, Mark Guiliana, Patrick Shiroishi, Justin Meldal-Johnsen and many more (full contributors list below). The album was mixed by Alan Moulder. The news arrives with a first single, “Sport of Form,” which features Julien Baker on vocals and Iggy Pop playing God in the song’s visual.
Vocalist Tony Wolski offered this statement on the album: “Too much information has made us dumb and confused. Too many ways to connect have inadvertently led to isolation. And too much expectation has forced everyone to become a celebrity. Predictable primal dangers have given way to newer social ones. And the result is a world that is confounding and terrifying—but ultimately still beautiful. We hope this record is exactly all of that, too.
Perfect Saviors is our completely unironic, sincere effort to create the biggest, greatest rock album of the 21st century.”
Of the first single, “Sport of Form, he continued: There are two types of sport—those of measure and those of form. A sport of measure like basketball, football, or soccer has a point system and a sort of binary path to victory. A sport of form is something like diving, figure skating, or bodybuilding—something with evolving standards and a layer of subjectivity and some sort of critical component.
The world that surrounds us is complex, and our lives are truly more akin to a sport of form than one of measure. Yet, so many people see it as exactly the opposite.
Lyrically, this song is about the human need to win a game that we’re not even actually playing. Sonically, it is a reflection of that cognitive dissonance through a constant whiplash between beauty and ugliness, severity and tenderness, obscenity and grace.
The album concludes a trilogy of albums examining and dissecting what constitutes “pop culture” in a world of limitless information and access. Using “pop music” loosely as a format in which to express these ideas, each album used composition and presentation as a way to challenge these questions further.
Perfect Saviors is the ultimate product of this evolution. Using one of the world’s most well-known mixing engineers to create a beautiful album fully immersed in the language and world of pop through the inherently unique, extreme, and perverse lens The Armed communicate their art.
The album was written by The Armed and performed by Ken Szymanski, Randall Lee, Tony Wolski, Dan Greene, Ben Chisholm, Urian Hackney, Cara Drolshagen, Troy Van Leeuwen, Patrick Shiroishi, Sarah Tudzin, Justin Meldal-Johnsen, Mark Guiliana, Matt Sweeney, Bryan Aiken, Jacob Bannon, Julien Baker (courtesy of Matador Records), Eric Avery, Stephen Perkins, Josh Klinghoffer, Chris Slorach, Zach Weeks, Brian Wolski & Derek Coburn.
The band, who will be joining Queens of the Stone Age on their The End Is Nero Tour in August, have announced headline shows of their own. With more to be announced in the coming months, tickets for the current dates will go on sale this Thursday, 6/29 at 10:00am local time HERE. Full dates below.
Pre-Order Perfect Saviors: https://lnk.thearmed.com/TA-PS
All Streaming to “Sport of Form”: https://lnk.thearmed.com/TA-SOF
Perfect Saviors TRACKLISTING
Sport of Measure
FKA World
Clone
Modern Vanity
Everything’s Glitter
Burned Mind
Sport of Form
Vatican Under Construction
Liar 2
In Heaven
Public Grieving
Supporting Queens of the Stone Age:
8/3/23 Sterling Heights, MI
8/4/23 Toronto, ON
8/ 5/23 Pittsburgh, PA
8/7/23 Bridgeport, CT
8/8/23 Philadelphia, PA
8/9/23 Washington, DC
8/11/23 Portland, ME
8/12/23 Queens, NY
8/14/23 Washington, DC
8/15/23 Raleigh, NC
8/16/23 Asheville, NC
8/18/23 Atlanta, GA
8/19/23 Nashville, TN
Headline Dates
10/19/23 Los Angeles, CA @ El Rey ^
10/21/23 San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall ^
10/23/23 Portland, OR @ Revolution Hall ^
10/24/23 Seattle, WA @ Neumos ^
11/16/23 Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club*
11/18/23 Baltimore, MD @ Baltimore Sound Stage*
12/15/23 Detroit, MI @ St. Andrew’s Hall✝
12/16/23 Chicago, IL @ Metro✝
^ Shutups
*SPACED
✝ Model/Actriz
FINAL GASP Sign to Relapse - Announce Debut Album 'Mourning Moon' out Sept 22, Share Title Track / Video - Tour Kicks Off Next Week
introducing… FINAL GASP
SIGN TO RELAPSE RECORDS + ANNOUNCE DEBUT ALBUM
MOURNING MOON, COMING SEPTEMBER 22
RELEASE VIDEO / LEAD SINGLE FOR TITLE TRACK
WATCH / SHARE HERE
U.S. TOUR KICKS OFF NEXT WEEK - DATES HERE
Press Photo By Tyler Hallett | Hi Res Version Here
Boston’s FINAL GASP unleash their debut album, Mourning Moon. A harrowing journey through all things Hardcore, Metal, and Goth, Mourning Moon drags the listener through twelve thrilling tracks. Vocalist and guitarist Jake Murphy delivers an unmatched, soulful performance while taking on the weightiest of topics.
“The whole record has to do with loss,” he explains. “The title comes from that anxious feeling you have when you go to bed and you’re thinking about everything all at once. You’re regretting decisions you’ve made—or didn’t make—and you’re up all night thinking about it.”
Mourning Moon’s hook-laden title track explodes out of the underground and aims straight for the stars. It’s downright catchy and showcases Final Gasp’s knack for expert songwriting and lyrical craft. “Mourning Moon” professes eternal love through a lens clad in black and morbid as ever, dripping in melancholy while being propelled forward by a cavernous beat. “I wrote this song for someone but it ended up being about so many people who are either here or gone. It’s a love letter to loss,” Murphy explains.
The lead single is available today accompanied by a cinematic video shot in the North Shore of Massachusetts, and directed by Caleb Gowett. He tells, “Dumah and Azrael have been banished from Heaven. Azrael on the Earth realm, and Dumah below. Azrael must trick the mourning Groom into helping him summon Dumah. But first Dumah will need an earthly body. The Groom’s recently deceased Bride will do just fine. Azrael and the Groom complete the summoning ritual and bring Dumah to the Earth realm. Reunited again, the Angels of Death light the flames of war and begin their reign over Earth. Destroying humanity one soul at a time.”
Watch / Share “Mourning Moon” Official Music Video
Listen / Playlist Here
Final Gasp recorded Mourning Moon in Philadelphia with famed producer Arthur Rizk (Ghostmane, Cavalera Conspiracy, Sumerlands). Its foundation was built by the band’s two previous EPs—2019’s Baptism of Desire (Primitive Propaganda) and 2021’s Haunting Whisper (Triple B). “Every song was written with nothing but a natural feeling for what felt right,” Murphy tells. “There’re tons of different influences, like Killing Joke and Die Kreuzen, even Echo & The Bunnymen and SSD. But we’re not really thinking about other bands. We feel like we’ve tapped into something that’s our own.”
Mourning Moon proves to be one of the most inventive journeys this side of the genre in recent times - now, Final Gasp are ready to emerge from the shadows, and step into the forefront of extreme music's new guard.
Since emerging in 2019, word of Final Gasp’s experiential and aggressive live shows spread quickly amongst the underground. Following recent support tours with High Command and Poison Ruin, the band head out on a DIY Summer U.S. tour, routing Final Gasp through most cities for the first time ever. Dates include Philadelphia, NYC, LA, Austin, the midwest, both coasts and more. See below for a full list of dates.
Pre-Order / Pre-Save Mourning Moon Here
Final Gasp is:
Jacob Murphy - Vocals
Alex Consentino - Guitar
Sean Rose - Bass
James Forsythe - Guitar
Peter Micanovic - Guitar
Eric Lester - Drums
Mourning Moon Artwork | Hi Res Version Here
Mourning Moon Track Listing:
1 - Climax Infinity
2 - Homebound
3 - Botched Ritual
4 - Frozen Glare
5 - Seize
6 - Blood and Sulfur
7 - Mourning Moon (Official Music Video)
8 - Unnatural Law
9 - 14 Gates
10 - Temptation
11 - The Vanishing
12 - Rows Of Heaven
Final Gasp Live Dates:
Jul 07: Philadelphia, PA - Cousin Danny’s
Jul 08: Pittsburgh, PA - Shred Shed
Jul 09: Detroit, MI - Outer Limits
Jul 10: St. Louis, MO - Sinkhole
Jul 11: Kansas City, MO - Howdy
Jul 12: Denver, CO - 7th Circle
Jul 13: Salt Lake City, UT - Aces High
Jul 14: Moscow, ID - 1912 Center
Jul 15: Seattle, WA - Lucky Liquor
Jul 15: Tacoma, WA - New Frontier
Jul 16: Olympia, WA - Mortuary
Jul 17: Portland, OR - Blackwater
Jul 18: Chico, CA- Naked Lounge
Jul 19: Sacramento, CA - Cafe Colonial
Jul 20: Bakersfield, CA - Jerry’s Pizza
Jul 21: Los Angeles, CA - Monty Bar
Jul 22: San Diego, CA - Tower Bar
Jul 23: Long Beach, CA - Supply and Demand
Jul 24: Yucaipa, CA - Uptowner
Jul 25: Phoenix, AZ - The Beast
Jul 26: El Paso, TX - The Dungeon
Jul 27: San Antonio, TX - The Mix
Jul 28: Austin, TX - Mohawk
Jul 29: New Orleans, LA - Siberia
Jul 30: Jackson, MS - Urban Foxes
Jul 31: Memphis, TN - Hi Tone Downstairs
Aug 01: Birmingham, AL - The Firehouse
Aug 02: Savannah, GA - TBA
Aug 03: Richmond, VA - Fuzzy Cactus
Aug 04: Washington, DC - The Runaway
Aug 05: New York, NY - TV Eye
Final Gasp | Instagram | Bandcamp | Facebook
