Alexander Laurence's Blog, page 500
June 19, 2023
NEW NOISE show 127 coming this Friday June 23rd 2023
NEW NOISE w/ Alexander Laurence (The Portable Infinite) returns this friday 3pm (2020-2023)
On Friday at 3pm Pacific Time, Alexander Laurence’s unique cutting edge 1-hour radio show, New Noise will broadcast live on RadioKAJW on Live365.
June 23 2023 Friday at 3pm PST. All new music and some old favorites that make for a great electronic disco party.
Check out the interviews on YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL762D76221EF95265
Live Streaming: https://live365. com/station/RadioKAJW-a51134
Listen to previous shows: https://www.mixcloud.com/infinitealexander/
Featuring songs by Bar Italia, Sparks, Tamino, Lemon Twigs, The National, King Krule, and Alison Goldfrapp
PORTABLE INFINITE LINKS:
Website: http://portable- infinite.blogspot.com/Twitter: https://twitter.com/ portinfiniteInstagram: https://www. instagram.com/portable_ infinite/
RADIO KAJW Twitter: https://twitter.com/ radiokajw
Sparklehorse Album 'Bird Machine'; Listen To "Evening Star Supercharger" Now
SPARKLEHORSE
POSTHUMOUS NEW ALBUM ‘BIRD MACHINE’ COMING OUT SEPTEMBER 8
LISTEN
TO “EVENING STAR SUPERCHARGER”
+ WATCH VIDEO WITH HANDWRITTEN LYRICS
BY MARK LINKOUS
Photo Credit: Danny Clinch
Music had always been a shared language between Sparklehorse’s Mark Linkous and his younger brother Matt, and as Mark began work on what he planned to be the fifth Sparklehorse album in 2009, the two of them would talk through his plans for the record. Matt can clearly recall their conversations; Mark’s excitement about the influences feeding into it and the way the songs were starting to take shape. It was these conversations that Matt and Melissa - Mark’s sister-in-law, who had both worked with Sparklehorse - returned to years later as they began to sift through boxes of tapes to catalogue and preserve Mark’s unreleased recordings and bring his posthumous album, entitled ‘Bird Machine’, to life.
‘Bird Machine’ will be released on September 8, and in celebration of today’s announce the song “Evening Star Supercharger” has been released. Featuring art and handwritten lyrics by Mark, watch and listen to the track below.
Listen to “Evening Star Supercharger”: https://youtu.be/Xr911hFV8Qc
Over the course of four beautiful and otherworldly Sparklehorse records and two Sparklehorse collaborative projects, Mark had built a reputation as one of alternative rock’s most distinctive and influential songwriters. His combination of ghostly static-scarred ballads and thrillingly distorted rock was revered by fellow musicians such as Thom Yorke, PJ Harvey and Tom Waits, all of whom he recorded with, and deeply cherished by his fans. But the intimacy and honesty that made his songs so special also laid bare the troubles that he carried. As he continued to work on his fifth album, recording with Steve Albini in Chicago, and in front of his beloved 1968 Flickinger mixing console at his Static King studio, the depression which had shadowed him for many years began to deepen. On March 6 of 2010 he died by suicide at the age of 48.
Several years later when Matt, Melissa and Bryan Hoffa, an audio preservation specialist at the Library of Congress’ National Audio-Visual Conservation Center, began the painstaking process of listening to and archiving Mark’s recordings, they found the ideas that Mark had discussed with Matt had been vividly and powerfully achieved. A number of the songs were close to completion, while others needed only careful encouragement – the addition of subtle instrumentation and accompanying vocals in some cases, another careful mix in others - to take flight. “It was as though the songs let you know,” says Melissa. “Mark communicated these songs. We just did our best to transmit them.”
Mark was famously perfectionist about his work and the question of whether to complete the album weighed heavily on Matt. “It’s the hardest decision I’ve ever made,” says Matt. “It’s difficult making a choice about someone else’s art, even if you’ve known them all your life and worked with them, even if they were your brother and best friend. We had long conversations about not wanting to take this into a different direction. We wanted to bring out what was there.”
It helped hugely that Matt and Melissa were able to work with a team of musicians - including Alan Weatherhead, who produced ‘Bird Machine’ with Matt and Melissa, Joel Hamilton who mixed the record, and Greg Calbi, who jointly mastered the final version – who had worked with Sparklehorse and cared deeply for Mark. And crucially, it felt clear to them that most of the record was already in place. Mark had given it its title and a track listing in handwritten notes received by Matt.
From the time that Mark began working on these songs to the record’s imminent release, 14 years have passed, a long time for a collection of tracks that were already well advanced at the time of Mark’s death. But there’s something too in the album’s long and complex gestation - the chaos of old tapes, the love and care that Mark’s family and his close musician friends have shown to every detail - that makes this so distinctively a Sparklehorse record.
It means so much to me, this last batch of beautiful stuff that my brother was putting together,” says Matt. “When I sit down and put on a pair of headphones, I’ll run it all the way through. Everything from “It Will Never Stop” to “Evening Star Supercharger” to “Stay,” that’s Mark just letting it out.”
Pre-Order ‘Bird Machine’
1. It Will Never Stop
2. Kind Ghosts
3. Evening Star Supercharger
4. O Child
5.Falling Down
6. I Fucked It Up
7. Hello Lord
8. Daddy’s Gone
9. Chaos of the Universe
10. Listening to the Higsons
11. Everybody’s Gone to Sleep
12. Scull of Lucia
13. Blue
14. Stay
https://marklinkous.com/
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Grammy award winner Corinne Bailey Rae confirms Black Rainbows project, debuts single, "New York Transit Queen"
BLACK RAINBOWS
DUE SEPTEMBER 15
photo credit: Koto Bolofo; album artwork
INSPIRED BY THEASTER GATES COLLECTIONAT STONY ISLAND ARTS BANK DEBUTS NEW SINGLE “NEW YORK TRANSIT QUEEN"
June 19, 2023—Today, Grammy-winning singer/songwriter Corinne Bailey Rae confirms her years-in-the-making Black Rainbows project. Inspired by the objects and artworks collected by Theaster Gates at the Stony Island Arts Bank in Chicago, the work includes a collection of songs, a book Refraction/Reflection of the Arts Bank photographed by Koto Bolofo, live performances, visuals, lectures and exhibitions—a bold move from her previous work.The album Black Rainbows is set for release September 15 via Thirty Tigers. Pre-save/pre-order the album here . The first single, “New York Transit Queen,” is out now; listen/share here , and watch the video trailer here . In celebration of the new project, Bailey Rae is taking her live show to select U.S. cities this fall including Yale University’s Schwarzman Center, New York’s National Jazz Museum in Harlem, University of Chicago’s Rockefeller Memorial Chapel, and Bailey Rae will be making an appearance at the 35th Annual Chinati Weekend in Marfa, TX. See below for the full tour routing.
book artwork
“I knew when I walked through those doors that my life had changed forever,” says Bailey Rae. “Engaging with these archives and encountering Theaster Gates and his practice has changed how I think about myself as an artist and what the possibilities of my work can be. This music has come through seeing. Seeing has been like hearing, for me. While I was looking, songs/sounds appeared.”Wide ranging in its themes, Black Rainbows’ subjects are drawn from encounters with objects in the Arts Bank, a curated collection of Black archives comprising books, sculpture, records, furniture and problematic objects from America’s past. From the rock hewn churches of Ethiopia to the journeys of Black Pioneers westward, from Miss New York Transit 1957 to how the sunset appears from Harriet Jacobs’ loophole. Black Rainbows explores Black femininity, Spell Work, Inner Space/Outer Space, time collapse, ancestors and music as a vessel for transcendence.In continued homage to African American art, Bailey Rae chose Amanda Williams and Koto Bolofo for the art direction and photography, respectively, of the project. Amanda Williams was recently honored as a 2022 Macarthur Fellow, with her work exhibited at highly acclaimed museums across the country notably New York’s Museum of Modern Art and Chicago’s Museum of Contemporary Art. In similar excellence, Koto Bolofo was awarded the 2022 Lucie Award for Achievement in Advertising in Photography, with his editorials featured in Vogue, Vanity Fair, GQ and many others.ABOUT CORINNE BAILEY RAEEnglish singer/songwriter/musician Corinne Bailey Rae shot to stardom with her self-titled #1 U.K. debut album in 2006, featuring the global hits “Put Your Records On” and “Like A Star.” Over the course of her career she has released three critically acclaimed studio albums—Corinne Bailey Rae, The Sea and The Heart Speaks in Whispers—and earned two Grammy Awards, two MOBOS, and has been nominated for multiple awards including the BRIT Awards, Mercury Music Prize and BET Awards. Her work for film and television includes the theme to Stan Lee’s Lucky Man (SKY1), “The Scientist” for Universal Pictures’ Fifty Shades Darker opening title and soundtrack which charted globally, and in 2020 her song “New to Me” was performed in the film The High Note by Tracee Ellis Ross. Bailey Rae has collaborated with a wide range of artists including Mary J. Blige, Al Green, Herbie Hancock, KING, Paul McCartney, Kele Okereke (Bloc Party), Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Questlove, Salaam Rami, RZA, Tyler The Creator, Paul Weller, Richard Hawley, Stevie Wonder, Tracey Thorn, Pharrell, Logic, Mick Jenkins and many more.ABOUT THEASTER GATESTheaster Gates lives and works in Chicago. He creates work that focuses on space theory and land development, sculpture and performance. Drawing on his interest and training in urban planning and preservation, Gates redeems spaces that have been left behind. Known for his recirculation of art-world capital, he creates work that focuses on the possibility of the “life within things.” Gates smartly upturns art values, land values and human values. In all aspects of his work, he contends with the notion of Black space as a formal exercise—one defined by collective desire, artistic agency and the tactics of a pragmatist. Gates has exhibited and performed at Palais de Tokyo, Paris, France; Sprengel Museum Hannover, Germany (2018); Kunstmuseum Basel, Switzerland (2018); National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C., USA (2017); Art Gallery of Ontario, Canada (2016); Fondazione Prada, Milan, Italy (2016); Whitechapel Gallery, London, UK (2013); Punta della Dogana, Venice, Italy (2013) and dOCUMENTA (13), Kassel, Germany (2012). He was the winner of the Artes Mundi 6 prize and was a recipient of the Légion d’Honneur in 2017. He was awarded the Nasher Prize for Sculpture 2018, as well as the Urban Land Institute, J.C. Nichols Prize for Visionaries in Urban Development. Gates is a professor at the University of Chicago in the Department of Visual Arts and the College and also serves as the Senior Advisor for Cultural Innovation and Advisor to the Dean. Gates is Director of Artists Initiatives at the Lunder Institute for American Art at Colby College Museum of Art and the 2018/2019 Artist-in-Residence at the Getty Research Institute (GRI).ABOUT STONY ISLAND ARTS BANKDesigned by William Gibbons Uffendell and built in 1923, the bank at 68th and Stony Island was once a vibrant community savings and loan. Today, the restored Stony Island Arts Bank provides the South Side of Chicago with 17,000 square feet of space for innovation in contemporary art and archival practice. At the time of its construction, the bank was a symbol of the growing prosperity of the South Side, which was experiencing a building boom in the early decades of the 20th century. In 1979 the Bank was closed and it fell into disrepair. In 2012, upon threat of demolition, artist Theaster Gates purchased the building from the City of Chicago for $1. Gates, whose practice harnesses the power of space, objects and the spirit within them, saved the landmark from destruction. Gates sold marble from the original Bank build as “bank bonds” on the commercial art market to finance the renovation and remediation of the building. Today, the Stony Island Arts Bank is a vibrant hub of artistic, archival and cultural activity on the South Side of Chicago. In addition to serving as a gallery, institution and cultural space, the Arts Bank also hosts a variety of events including exhibitions, performances, film screenings and lectures.CORINNE BAILEY RAE LIVESeptember 5—Long Island, NY—Staller Center for the Arts at Stony Brook UniversitySeptember 6—Washington, DC—Lincoln TheatreSeptember 8—Philadelphia, PA—Theatre of Living ArtsSeptember 9—New Haven, CT—Schwarzman Center at Yale UniversitySeptember 10—New York, NY—The National Jazz Museum in HarlemSeptember 12—Cincinnati, OH—Memorial HallSeptember 14—Chicago, IL—Rockefeller Memorial
Chapel at University of ChicagoSeptember 17—Nashville, TN—CMA TheaterSeptember 19—Charleston, SC—Charleston Music HallSeptember 20—Durham, NC—Carolina TheatreSeptember 22—Sugar Hill, GA—The Eagle Theatre at Sugar HillSeptember 24—Birmingham, AL—Alys Stephens Center at University of AlabamaSeptember 26—New Orleans, LA—Orpheum TheaterSeptember 29—Austin, TX—The Paramount TheatreOctober 1—Houston, TX—Stafford CentreOctober 3—Dallas, TX—Texas TheatreOctober 5—Santa Fe, NM—Lensic Performing Arts CenterOctober 7—Marfa, TX—Saint George HallUK / SPAIN TOUR DATESOctober 25—London, UK—Ladbroke Hall October 26—London, UK—Ladbroke HallOctober 28—London, UK—Ladbroke HallOctober 31—Madrid, Spain—Teatro PavónNovember 1—Barcelona, Spain—Studio P62November 3—Seville, Spain—Cartuja Centre
CORINNE BAILEY RAE BLACK RAINBOWS1. A Spell, A Prayer2. Black Rainbows3. Erasure4. Earthlings5. Red Horse6. New York Transit Queen7. He Will Follow You With His Eyes8. Put It Down9. Peach Velvet Sky10. Before The Throne of Invisible GodGet OC Fair admission and carnival tickets now - don't miss summer fun!
COSTA MESA (June 19, 2023) – The first day of summer is just days away and the OC Fair is making big plans and inviting everyone to be "Happy Together" from July 14 to Aug. 13.Here is what you need to know to make sure you don't miss out on summer's best party:
The basicsTickets are available now for admission, carnival rides, games and entertainment. The OC Fair will again have limited daily capacity - days will sell out. Carnival wristbands and ride tickets are also currently on sale at discounted prices prior to the Fair.
Advance ticket purchase will again be required for admission to summer's best event, which will be open Wednesday through Sunday. Hours are 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday, and 11 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday. Guests are encouraged to buy tickets for the specific days they want to attend as soon as possible. Visit ocfair.com/tickets - there are no fees on admission tickets.
OC Fair ticket prices are $13 general admission Wednesday and Thursday and $15 Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Tickets for seniors 60+ and kids 6-12 are $9 all days; children 5 and under are free. Parking is $12 for cars and motorcycles and $24 for buses and limos.
Every Day PassportNew this year, the Every Day Passport gives Fairgoers access any day - or every day - to all 23 days of the OC Fair for $60 with no restrictions or blackout days. Otherwise, tickets must be purchased in advance for a specific day. Supplies are limited.
Carnival dealsThe popular carnival ride wristbands are back this year for $44 presale online through July 14 and $49 during the Fair. The one-day wristbands can be used Wednesday and Thursday, and include unlimited rides and two free games. Guests can ride and play from 11 a.m. until 8 p.m.
Carnival FunPasses of 50 and 100 tickets can also be bought online prior to the Fair opening at a 20% discount. Tickets required for each ride and game vary. For more information on this year's rides and games, visit our website.
New rides this year include Sling Shot, Raptor and Joker 360. Sling Shot, classified as an extreme thrill ride, catapults riders 200 feet into the air in 1.2 seconds. This ride requires a separate ticket.
Ray Cammack Shows (RCS) and the OC Fair are rewarding kids for reading during the summer with two free ride passes. Just fill out the online form, print out the email verification and bring it to a RCS carnival information booth in the Kidland area to claim passes for two carnival rides.
Grab our appsThe 2023 OC Fair app is on its way - download for tickets, events, food, shopping, maps and more! Go to ocfair.com/fair or your app store.
The RCS FunPass carnival app enables Fairgoers to purchase tickets, check and recharge passes. Bonus: FunPasses can be shared between family and friends. For more information, visit ocfair.com/oc-fair/buy-tickets/carnival/.
OC Fair 5K Fun RunRegistration is open for the OC Fair 5K Fun Run which will take place Aug. 6; pricing is $40 until June 23. Registration for kids 5 and under is $10 and youth 6-12 can register for $20. For more information and to register, visit ocfair5k.com.
Live entertainmentTickets are also on sale for OC Fair shows in Pacific Amphitheatre, The Hangar and Action Sports Arena at Tickemaster.com and ocfair.com. Performance tickets for shows held during the run of the Fair also include same-day Fair admission.
Shows in Pacific Amphitheatre include Beck, Dwight Yoakam, Ramon Ayala, Ne-Yo/RobinThicke, Jeff Dunham and Chicago. In The Hangar, Fairgoers can see Twisted Gypsy, Queen Nation, Elton The Early Years, Mariachi Sol de Mexico de Jose Hernandez and Spencer Sutherland. In Action Sports Arena, Monster Truck Nitro Tour, demolition derbies and Costa Mesa Speedway will thrill guests.
Returning OC Fair favoritesDon't miss magician Frank Thurston, blue ribbon-winning competition entries, hypnotist Mark Yuzuik, Great American Petting Farm, All-Alaskan Racing Pigs and, of course, crazy fair food. The Taste of the Fair is also back with sample-size food options for $4 on Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Stats and infoOC Fair attendance in 2022 was 1,055,173. The Fair returned to an in-person event in 2021 with attendance at 1,055,770 after a virtual Fair was held online in 2020.
For more information, visit ocfair.com.
Interview with S. E. Gontarski 2023 part one and two
S. E. GontarskiRobert O. Lawton University Distinguished ProfessorDepartment of EnglishFlorida State Universityhttps://www.english.fsu.edu/faculty/s...https://www.amazon.com/S.-E.-Gontarsk...But the Clouds:
• . . . but the clo... Company: • "Company," with A... Silence To Silence 1991: • Samuel Beckett: S... 
NEW NOISE w/ Alexander Laurence (The Portable Infinite) ONE HOUR ALL NEW MUSIC SHOW
Coming this Friday: SE Gontarski on New Noise 2020, show 23: Interview on Barney Rosset, Grove Press issue of "RCF" and the death of John O’Brien of Dalkey Archive Press. Streaming on Dec 4th, 5th and 6th, 2020 at 3pm PST / 6pm EST
Live Streaming: https://live365. com/station/RadioKAJW-a51134
Listen to previous shows: https://www.mixcloud.com/infinitealexander/
Moses Sumney shares first new original song since 2020
MOSES SUMNEY RELEASES NEW SONG
"GET IT B4"
HIS FIRST ORIGINAL SONG SINCE 2020
FEATURED IN EPISODE 3 OF HBO'S THE IDOL
photo credit: Moses Sumney
"Get It B4"
(June 19, 2023) - Moses Sumney releases new single "Get It B4," his first solo original recording since 2020's critically-acclaimed double album græ. The song debuted in tonight's episode of HBO's The Idol (in which Sumney portrays the character Izaak) and marks an evolution in Sumney's sound, offering fans a glimpse of what to expect from his future releases. "Get It B4" is produced by Sumney, Roman GianArthur and Sensei Bueno, with additional co-production from Daniel Lopatin of Oneohtrix Point Never.
"Get It B4" arrives on the heels of Sumney being announced as direct support for Daniel Caesar on the Canadian leg of his Superpowers World Tour. Those shared dates begin September 30th in Vancouver and span 8 dates across the country before concluding on October 13th in Toronto. Tickets are on sale now at danielcaesar.com
Listen to "Get It B4" above now and stay tuned for Moses Sumney news.
About Moses Sumney:
Moses Sumney evades definition as an act of duty: technicolor videos and monochrome clothes; Art Rock and Black Classical; blowing into Fashion Week from a small North Carolina town; infinite collaborators (Thundercat, Sufjan Stevens, Solange, James Blake), but only one, staggering voice; a young life spent betwixt Southern California and Accra, Ghana.
Sumney’s studio albums, Aromanticism (2017) and the double album græ (2020), are an assertion that the undefinable still exists and dwelling in it is an act of resistance. Acting on screen in The Idol (2023) and MaXXXine (2024), he plays characters who expand the emotional depths of masculinity. His upcoming music is a brutally honest exploration of intimacy.
To try to pin Sumney down on a sound, discipline, or genre is to end up with a handful of fog. In 2021, he synthesized his cinematic and music skills with Blackalachia, a feature-length performance film directed by the artist with an accompanying live album. It was filmed with a 7-piece band on a Blue Ridge mountain top.
There’s probably a biblical analogy to be made about a person who just happens to be named Moses, who flees the binary to the mount, splits a massive body into two, and leads us through the in-between – holy and wholly rebellious.
Connect with Moses Sumney:
June 16, 2023
NEW NOISE show 126 today at 3pm PST (Warlander, Magic Wands, Bar Italia, Tanukichan, Water From Your Eyes, and David Bowie)
NEW NOISE w/ Alexander Laurence (The Portable Infinite) returns this friday 3pm (2020-2023)
After a brief break we are back TODAY!!!
Today at 3pm Pacific Time, Alexander Laurence’s unique cutting edge 1-hour radio show, New Noise will broadcast live on RadioKAJW on Live365.
June 16th 2023 Friday at 3pm PST. All new music and some old favorites that make for a great electronic disco party.
Check out the interviews on YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL762D76221EF95265
NEW NOISE show 126 playlist Friday June 16th 3pm
RADIO KAJW + PORTABLE INFINITE
part one1. WARLANDER "Red Smoke"2. MAGIC WANDS "Time"3. BAR ITALIA "Changer"4. TANIKICHAN "Like You"5. WATER FROM YOUR EYES "Remember Not My Name"
6. TINY RUINS "Out Of Phase"
7. DAVID BOWIE "Scream Like A Baby"
part two
8. BLONDE REDHEAD "Snowman"
9. PVA "Untethered"
10. MODEL/ACTRIZ "Mosquito"
11. MANDY, INDIANA "Pinking Shears"
12. JULIE "Pg. 4 A Picture and Three Hedges"13. WEDNESDAY "Bath County"14. ACTORS "Slaves"
Live Streaming: https://live365. com/station/RadioKAJW-a51134
Listen to previous shows: https://www.mixcloud.com/infinitealexander/
Featuring songs by Warlander, Magic Wands, Bar Italia,Tanukichan, Water From Your Eyes, and David Bowie
PORTABLE INFINITE LINKS:
Website: http://portable- infinite.blogspot.com/Twitter: https://twitter.com/ portinfiniteInstagram: https://www. instagram.com/portable_ infinite/
RADIO KAJW Twitter: https://twitter.com/ radiokajw
Boris and Uniform Release Collaborative New Album 'Bright New Disease' Today via Sacred Bones
BORIS AND UNIFORM RELEASE COLLABORATIVE NEW ALBUM
BRIGHT NEW DISEASE TODAY VIA SACRED BONES
LISTEN / SHARE
BORIS TOUR U.S. THIS SUMMER/FALL W/ MELVINS
UNIFORM CONFIRM NYC DATES W/ THOU JUL 21-22
+ CHICAGO AUG 12 – TOURING EU NEXT MONTH
Bright New Disease Album Artwork
"two of the most demonically possessed bands in modern music" THE FADER
“‘...a fine introduction to their sonic union, fusing Boris’ galloping thrash with Uniform’s more industrial-tinged elements, such as the barked David Yow-esque vocals of Michael Berdan and the swaths of noise percolating under the surface.” CONSEQUENCE (Heavy Song of the Week)
“Somewhere between post-My War-era Black Flag and blackened, hell-horse thrash, this [“You Are the Beginning”] is a total ass-kicker that keeps you at the edge of your seat the whole way through.” REVOLVER
“weirder, wilder, more brazenly rock ‘n’ roll” TREBLE (Album of the Week)
“a plodding rager loaded with noisy guitar solos, crunchy rhythms, and some seriously moshy bits strewn throughout" METAL INJECTION
"...audacious and confrontational, loaded with screaming vocals and sludgy noise that morph into shreddy guitar riffs and high-octane drums." BROOKLYN VEGAN
"The album is a testament to the vital role of collaboration and the combined prowess of two entities that have always done things on their own terms." KNOTFEST
Boris and Uniform’s Bright New Disease is a brilliant meeting of the minds. It may have seemed like a strange pairing when they teamed up for a US tour back in 2019. Sure, both bands harness the power of big, blown-out riffs, but Boris’s rock heroics, lysergic sprawl, and monolithic sludge summon a different energy than Uniform’s mechanised bombardments and frenzied assaults. However, when Boris invited Uniform to team up on a reimagined version of their classic “Akuma no Uta” as a part of their encore, there was an obvious chemistry between the artists. The idea of a collaborative album came up, and the bands spent the next year swapping song ideas and recordings from their home-base studios until Boris and Uniform had an album that captured the fearless exploration and unbridled power of their live performances. Today it finally sees its release in stores and across digital platforms via Sacred Bones Records.
LISTEN / PLAYLIST / PURCHASE BRIGHT NEW DISEASE
The album opens with the collaboration’s first single, “You are the Beginning,” a ferocious thrash-inflected banger concocted by the Boris camp. It was the first piece the band composed during the initial day of their studio session in July 2020. As the title insinuates, the song was written with the idea that it would open the album and, hopefully, open a show one day too. “At that time, we didn't know when we would be able to resume concerts,” says Boris' Atsuo, “and our wish became the song directly.” The uncertainty and anxiety of the early months of the pandemic fuelled Bright New Disease, and “You are the Beginning” sets the stage by stampeding out of the gate with vicious palm-muted riffs, snarling vocals, and dual drum bombardments courtesy of Atsuo and Uniform drummer Mike Sharp.
From "You Are The Beginning" onwards, the album continues its relentless assault with “Weaponized Grief,” a fevered mashup of Japanese D-beat and Boredoms’ deliberately mismatched sonic textures. There isn’t a moment to sift through the wreckage before the bands launch into “No,” a deliberate nod to the Japanese hardcore homage of Boris’s 2020 album NO. Respite finally comes with the glacial amplifier worship of “The Look is a Flame,” a Boris-penned song meant to evoke light and salvation over gloom and cruelty. Further heightened by the cosmic synth work of Randall Dunn and the groaning bass of Steve Moore, it retains the ominous timbre of the album while also hinting at the possibility of redemption.
The album’s timbral palette continues to broaden on the latter half of Bright New Disease, such as on the standout track “Narcotic Shadow.” Constructed around Michael Berdan’s modular synth arpeggios, aided by Boris’s dark wave / new romantic-inspired vocals, and abetted by Ben Greenberg’s warped studio manipulations, the song offers up a sleazy and woozy counterpoint to the unbridled rage of the album’s first half. Similarly, “A Man From the Earth” feels less centered on catharsis and more fixated on a gritty, buried-in-the-red spin on David Bowie’s glam years. But these deviations only serve to make the album closer and second single, “Not Surprised,” all the more bleak, anguished, and harrowing. The amps are on ten; the sparring drums collide and collapse; everything vibrates to the same gut-liquifying frequency. Much like the album opener, “Not Surprised” was written with its position on a setlist in mind. “I thought it would be appropriate for the last song on the album,” says Atsuo, “and I imagined that it would be just as cathartic if we played it at the end of the show as well.” (original bio written by Brian Cook)
WATCH / SHARE “NOT SURPRISED” (OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO)
Boris and Uniform have confirmed tours separately. Uniform kick off a brief EU run this month and play NYC two nights with Thou at Brooklyn Meadows on July 21 - 22 - Tickets Here. Come August, Boris hit the road on an extensive run with Melvins across the U.S. Tickets Here + see below for a full list of dates. Check out the collaborative merchandise exclusive per territory from Holy Mountain (North America) and Evil Greed (EUR).
Photo By: Ebru Yildiz
Boris Live Dates:
w/ Melvins
Aug 24: Los Angeles, CA - Belasco Theater
Aug 25: Pomona, CA - Glass House
Aug 26: Fresno, CA - Strummer’s
Aug 27: San Francisco, CA - Great American Music Hall
Aug 28: San Francisco, CA - Great American Music Hall
Aug 29: Petaluma, CA - Mystic Theatre
Aug 31: Portland, OR - Roseland Theater
Sep 01: Seattle, WA - The Showbox
Sep 02: Spokane, WA - Knitting Factory
Sep 03: Bozeman, MT - The ELM
Sep 05: Fargo, ND - The Hall at Fargo Brewing Company
Sep 06: Minneapolis, MN - Varsity Theater
Sep 07: Milwaukee, WI - The Rave II
Sep 08: Chicago, IL - The Metro
Sep 09: St. Louis, MO - Red Flag
Sep 11: Indianapolis, IN - The Vogue
Sep 12: Grand Rapids, MI - Pyramid Scheme
Sep 13: Detroit, MI - St. Andrews Hall
Sep 14: Cleveland, OH - Beachland Ballroom & Tavern
Sep 15: Pittsburgh, PA - Roxian
Sep 16: Maspeth, NY - DesertFest NYC
Sep 18: Albany, NY - Empire Live
Sep 19: Boston, MA - Paradise Rock Club
Sep 20: Bethlehem, PA - MusicFest Cafe
Sep 21: Philadelphia, PA - Brooklyn Bowl Philadelphia
Sep 22: Washington, DC - The Howard Theatre
Sep 23: Virginia Beach, VA - Elevation 27
Sep 24: Carrboro, NC - Cat’s Cradle
Sep 26: Nashville, TN - Brooklyn Bowl Nashville
Sep 27: Atlanta, GA - Variety Playhouse
Sep 28: Savannah, GA - District Live
Sep 29: Birmingham, AL - Saturn
Sep 30: New Orleans, LA - Tipitina’s
Oct 02: Houston, TX - Warehouse Live - Studio
Oct 03: Austin, TX - Mohawk
Oct 04: Dallas, TX - Granada Theater
Oct 05: Oklahoma City, OK - Beer City Music Hall
Oct 06: Tulsa, OK - Cain’s Ballroom
Oct 07: Lawrence, KS - The Bottleneck
Oct 09: Denver, CO - Summit
Oct 11: Albuquerque, NM - Sunshine Theater
Oct 13: Tempe, AZ - Marquee Theatre
Oct 14: San Diego, CA - House of Blues
Uniform Live Dates:
Jun 28: Hamburg, DE - Hafenklang
Jun 29: Roskilde, DK - Roskilde Festival
Jun 30: Stockholm, SE - HUS7
Jul 01: Göteborg, SE - Hemligheten
Jul 02: Malmo, SE - Plan B
Jul 04: Lodz, PL - Przestrzen
Jul 05: Warsaw, PL - Voodoo
Jul 06: Berlin, DE - Urban Spree
Jul 07: Tilburg, NL - Little Devil
Jul 08: Ypres, BE - Ieperfest
Jul 10: Nijmegen, NL - Merleyn
Jul 11: Paris, FR - La Boule Noire
Jul 12: Antwerp, BE - AMC
Jul 13: Leipzig, DE - Soltmann
Jul 14: Kutna Hora, CZ - Creepy Teepee Festival
Jul 21: Brooklyn, NY - The Brooklyn Monarch *
Jul 22: Brooklyn, NY - The Brooklyn Monarch *
Aug 12: Chicago, IL - Metro Chicago #
*w/ Thou and Yellow Eyes
#w/ Pelican
SPIRITUAL CRAMP DROP NEW SONG + VIDEO
SAN FRANCISCO’S SPIRITUAL CRAMP
DROP NEW SONG + VIDEO “NAH,
THAT AIN’T IT”; WATCH
San Francisco punks Spiritual Cramp have released their new 7-inch and, along with it, a video for the second song, “Nah, That Aint It” via Blue Grape Music. Clad in Harrington Jackets, loafers, and white socks, the band performs the Talking Heads meets Stiff Little Fingers-esque track while an overbearing video director takes too many liberties for their liking. The song follows “Phones Lines Down,” which was released last month.
A prolific touring band with recent shows supporting Iggy Pop, V**gra Boys, Militarie Gun, Deafheaven, and more have their own upcoming headline shows happening in Chicago, Detroit, Toronto, and Minneapolis this month (dates below). Shortly after, they will hit the road with Epitaph signee’s Teenage Wrist. See full dates below.
The band, who formed in 2018, recently signed to the newly founded Blue Grape Music, launched earlier this year by former Roadrunner Records head of A&R David Rath and Roadrunner founder Cees Wessels. The band, who have a series of EPs under their belt, expect to release their debut record later this year.
Stream “Nah, That’ Ain’t It” HERE
Buy the 7 Inch HERE
Spiritual Cramp Headline Dates
6.21 - Toronto, ON @ The Drake
6.22 - Detroit, MO @ Third Man
6.23 - Chicago, IL @ Sleeping Village
6.24 - Minneapolis, MN @ 7th St Entry
6.25 - Chicago, IL @ Logan Square Arts Festival
Support Dates with Teenage Wrist
09/05 - Santa Ana @ Constellation Room
09/06 - San Francisco @ Thee Parkside
09/08 - Portland @ Hawthorne Theater
09/09 - Seattle @ Madam Lou’s
09/11 - Salt Lake City @ Urban Lounge
09/12 - Denver @ Larimer Lounge
09/14 - Milwaukee @ X Ray Arcade
09/15 - Indianapolis @ Hoosier Dome
09/16 - Grand Rapids @ Pyramid Scheme
09/17 - Toronto @ Hard Luck
09/19 - Boston @ Sonia
09/20 - Philadelphia @ Johnny Brenda’s
09/21 - Brooklyn @ Brooklyn Made
09/23 - Birmingham @ Furnace Fest
09/24 - Columbia @ New Brookland Tavern
09/26 - Orlando @ Will’s Pub
09/27 - Tampa @ New World Brewery
09/29 - Atlanta @ The Earl
09/30 - Nashville @ The End
10/02 - Dallas @ Sons Of Hermann Hall
10/03 - Austin @ Parish
10/05 - Phoenix @ Rebel Lounge
10/07 - San Diego @ Soda Bar
10/08 - Los Angeles @ Lodge Room
FOR MORE ON SPIRITUAL CRAMP
Alice Merton Shares "Charlie Brown" Single + Video | New Track Out Now, More New Music Coming Soon via Paper Plane Records
New Track Out Now via All DSPs,
More New Music Coming Soon via Paper Plane Records
Photo by JIDOHLISTEN/WATCH & SHARE: Alice Merton - "Charlie Brown"Stream / YouTube
LISTEN & SHARE: Alice Merton - "Waste My Life"
Stream
LISTEN/PURCHASE & SHARE: Alice Merton - S.I.D.E.S.
Steam / Purchase
WATCH & SHARE: Alice Merton - S.I.D.E.S. Music Videos
"The Other Side" / "Loveback" / "Blindside" / "Same Team"
LISTEN/WATCH & SHARE: Alice Merton - The Orangery Session EP
Amazon Music / "No Roots" Video / "The Other Side" Video
Alice Merton is a British/German singer known for her soulful vocals and catchy pop-rock sound. With a unique style that blends elements of indie, folk, and electronic music, Merton has been captivating audiences in the US around the world since the release of her debut single "No Roots" (#1 US Alternative charts, US Gold, multiple Platinum awards in Europe). Her two studio albums (MINT and S.I.D.E.S.) have seen over one billion streams and three million sales. Additionally, she was the first winning female coach on The Voice of Germany and had been invited to play on TV shows like NBC’s Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, The Late Late Show with James Corden, and ABC’s Late Night Show Jimmy Kimmel Live!.
Now, Alice Merton makes her long-awaited return with a new single entitled "Charlie Brown." The track is a catchy indie-pop song that tells the story of a man who is stuck in a rut. His days are repetitive, and his past keeps coming back to haunt him; he is searching for a higher meaning in life, something that makes him feel fulfilled – unfortunately, he has yet to find it. The chorus comes in as a push out of the daily grind: "Hold tight we're moving on! Keep that dream just a little bit longer!"
"Charlie Brown" is a wake-up call to get back into the driver’s seat of your life. It’s a hymn to keep going - no matter how big the obstacles may be. Stop settling for the apparent security of everyday life, but fight for what is important to you. Thus, the song’s message is not only addressed to Charlie. All of us could do with leaving our comfort zone sometimes, try things and to stand up for our dreams.
After having finished a North American and European Tour with the British indie-pop band Bastille last year, Merton found herself back in the studio, writing with Chris Wood aka “Woody” (drummer from Bastille) and songwriter/producer Matt Wills. Merton recalls, “It was honestly one of the best times of my life, getting to tour with such a lovely group of people, and then creating music together.” William Farquarson (bass player in Bastille) joined the session a few weeks later and out came “Charlie Brown.” The track was finished off with production by Paul Whalley ("Waste My Life," "The Other Side"), mixing by Jon Kelly (Kate Bush, Freddie Mercury, Duffy), and mastering by Sascha Busy Bühren.
The accompanying video for "Charlie Brown" was filmed in London and written and directed by Alice. At her side was choreographer Lyn Lim, with whom she worked with on "Lash Out" and "Blindside," and her trusted Director of Photography Elias Koehler ("Why So Serious," "Same Team," "Blindside," "Funny Business"). Together, they created a world where Charlie seems to be a bit confused and depressed with his life situation, but Alice is adamant that he realizes how special he is.
"Charlie Brown" is out now via Paper Plane Records. Stay tuned for more new music from Alice Merton, coming soon.
Alice Merton - "Charlie Brown" [OFFICIAL VIDEO]Written and Directed by Alice MertonALICE MERTON LINKS
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