Alt rock – Page 27 – 7th Level Music

Bleached releases “Rebound City” ahead of new album and upcoming tour.

Bleached – the Los Angeles-based duo of sisters Jessie and Jennifer Clavin – share their fourth and final pre-release single, “Rebound City,” from their forthcoming album, Don’t You Think You’ve Had Enough?, due July 12th via Dead Oceans. Bleached have championed their new direction through a trio of exhilarating singles; “Kiss You Goodbye,” “Hard To Kill”, and “Shitty Ballet.” “Rebound City” is a guitar-driven, power-pop song that paints the landscape of a disintegrating 1980’s Sunset Strip era. Throughout, Jennifer references various mishaps – waking up with a friend’s ex, an obsession with a stranger, and the remorse that comes with breaking someone’s heart. “This song is a brief history of the mistakes I’ve made…except there really are no mistakes, they’re all lessons in the end.” Just like the crumbled rock ‘n’ roll glam era that “Rebound City” draws upon sonically, rebound relationships are born from nostalgia of better times, and sparkle with false intrigue and decorum. “It’s a one way Boulevard,” Jennifer sings, and she’s not wrong.

Don’t You Think You’ve Had Enough? is Jessie and Jennifer Clavin’s first LP written from a place of sobriety. That clear-eyed perspective serves as the guiding force in every corner of its sound, yielding a courageous, honest, and sonically ambitious album.

Bleached returned to their dynamic as sisters – Jessie handled the bulk of the instrumentation and Jennifer handled the lyrics and melodies. Producer Shane Stoneback (Vampire Weekend, Sleigh Bells) helped open every door to experimentation, wanting to be exploratory while keeping the sound singularly Bleached. The album glimmers with inspiration found in touring with the likes of The Damned and Paramore whose arena-ready, incisively catchy pop was a palpable influence helping to push Bleached’s sound in a new realm.

Following a hometown record release show in Los Angeles, Bleached will kick off their North American tour in September. All dates are below.

Listen to “Rebound City” – https://youtu.be/inxS8IrzHak

Watch: “Kiss You Goodbye” – https://youtu.be/InvEKijp7WM “

“Hard To Kill” Video – https://youtu.be/bQYgcc02m5c

“Shitty Ballet” Video – https://youtu.be/v8pGMcSylH4

Pre-order Don’t You Think You’ve Had Enough? – bleached.ffm.to/dontyouthink

Bleached Tour Dates: Thu. July 11 – Los Angeles, CA @ Moroccan Lounge Thu. Aug. 22 – London, UK @ The Lexington Sat. Aug. 24 – Reading, UK @ Reading Festival Sun. Aug. 25 – Leeds, UK @ Leeds Festival Thu. Sept. 5 – San Diego, CA @ The Casbah Fri. Sept. 6 – Pomona, CA @ The Glass House Sat. Sept. 7 – Phoenix, AZ @ Valley Bar Mon. Sept. 9 – Austin, TX @ Barracuda Tue. Sept. 10 – Dallas, TX @ Club Dada Wed. Sept. 11 – Houston, TX @ Satellite Bar Fri. Sept. 13 – New Orleans, LA @ Gasa Gasa Sat. Sept. 14 – Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade (Hell) Sun. Sept. 15 – Raleigh, NC @ Motorco Tue. Sept. 17 – Washington, DC @ U Street Music Hall Thu. Sept. 19 – Brooklyn, NY @ Elsewhere Fri. Sept. 20 – Philadelphia, PA @ PhilaMOCA Sat. Sept. 21 – Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall Mon. Sept. 23 – Toronto, ON @ Horseshoe Tavern Tue. Sept. 24 – Columbus, OH @ The Basement Wed. Sept. 25 – Nashville, TN @ Exit In Fri. Sept. 27 – Urbana, IL @ Pygmalion Festival Sat. Sept. 28 – Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry Sun. Sept. 29 – Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall Mon. Sept. 30 – St. Louis, MO @ Firebird Tue. Oct. 1 – Kansas City, MO @ Riot Room (Outdoors)* Thu. Oct. 3 – Denver, CO @ Globe Hall* Fri. Oct. 4 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The State Room* Sat. Oct. 5 – Boise, ID @ The Olympic* Mon. Oct. 7 – Seattle, WA @ Crocodile* Tue. Oct. 8 – Vancouver, BC @ Biltmore Cabaret* Wed. Oct. 9 – Portland, OR @ Star Theater Fri. Oct. 11 – Oakland, CA @ New Parish* Sat. Oct. 12 – Los Angeles, Ca @ The Lodge Room* *= w/ Dude York

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Possible Humans’ quirky-cool debut album, “Everybody Split,” is due out August 2nd.

LISTEN TO “ASPIRING TO BE A BLOKE” https://tinyurl.com/y5dyjlpl

Melbourne’s Possible Humans have announced their debut album, Everybody Split, will be out August 2nd via Trouble in Mind. They also share the lead single from the album, “Aspiring To Be A Bloke.” Formed in 2012 as a loose amalgamation of some solo projects, they existed mostly by way of reckless and ambitionless improv jams in the city’s most notorious third-rate rehearsal space (now defunct). The group was initially four – Leon Cranswick and Hewitt brothers Steve, Mark and Adam – but soon Adam’s longtime partner in crime Samuel Tapper started showing up to fan the flames.

Demos of actual songs soon circulated, with all members contributing. The earliest recorded result was a 7″ made on 8 track reel-to-reel and cassette at the old Kensington Wool Sheds and released by Sydney pal Sam Wilkinson on his Strange Pursuits label. “Cuz” and its flip “Toroid” were written by Mark and Steve respectively, though lines of authorship in the group were blurring.

The improvised tape Ringwood/Ozone followed, released as spontaneously as it was played. Of all its preposterous details the most ironic is that Steve, the band’s ‘spiritual leader’ and original creative force, did not play on it. Did not even turn up that night. Which was an interesting twist to the band’s new Stooges-like communism. No one, least of all PH members, can tell who was playing what on it. Instrument-swapping was rife in the early days. These days, however, usually find Mark on drums, Sam and Steve doing most of the singing, and Adam and Leon doing everything else. Influences have probably always included Guided By Voices, Neil Young and Wire.

A lot of the songs on Everybody Split were first recorded – or demoed, in hindsight – at Sound Recordings, Alex Bennett’s splendid all-analogue studio in Castlemaine. But the songs needed more time, and the tunes hit their stride some years later alongside new ones with Alex Macfarlane (Twerps, The Stevens) at the helm, whose DIY approach to recording did the trick. Macfarlane, a longtime fan of the band, released this debut LP on his own Hobbies Galore imprint and the limited 200-pressing run sold out in a day.

During the album’s short time of availability, it caught the ear of Pitchfork, who, despite the album not being widely available yet, chose to bestow it with a praise-filled review. Comparisons to bands like The Clean or fellow Melburnians Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever are apt, but, as with most RIYL suggestions, limiting. Like Rolling Blackouts C.F., the frequently carefree and propulsive music is replete with deeply philosophical and sharp-witted lyrics. The lyrical content touches (among other things) paranoia, the comedies of insect social media use, freedom and other existential complications, sympathetic galloping, and leaving the amusement park after “too many goes on the gravitron.” As far as lead single “Aspiring To Be a Bloke,” Steve Hewitt describes it as “the whimpering man in the strong dog and vice versa… sarcasm and paradox at the roots of depression.”

PRE-ORDER EVERYBODY SPLIT https://bit.ly/2KtvtJY

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Bleached’s upcoming album is going to be great if “Kiss You Goodbye” is any indication.

“[‘Hard to Kill’] rolls with a dance rock energy, and its accompanying video feels beamed straight from MTV, circa 1984.” – Los Angeles Times

“This newfound perspective has sonically opened new doors for [Bleached]. . . ‘Hard to Kill’ is a catchy, disco-tinged banger about looking death in the face and saying, ‘Not today.’” – MTV News

Bleached – the Los Angeles-based duo of sisters Jessie and Jennifer Clavin – share a new single and video, “Kiss You Goodbye,” from their forthcoming album, Don’t You Think You’ve Had Enough?, due July 12th via Dead Oceans. Following the “bold and cowbell-dotted” (Vulture) “Hard to Kill” and “Shitty Ballet,” “Kiss You Goodbye” is an empowering and rambunctious bid farewell: “Kiss you goodbye // for the last time // return to sender // feeling so alive // some things are meant to die.” For the video, sister duo Giraffe Studios maintain the vibrant, cohesive aesthetic of Don’t You Think You’ve Had Enough?.

As described by Juliana Giraffe: “We all saw ‘Kiss you Goodbye’ as an opportunity to pay homage to our roots in the valley. Not only are we all sibling sisters coming together, but also all San Fernando valley girls at heart. What better way to celebrate that than a quick shout out to backyard bbqs, body builders and a little boogie nights on a Sunday in beautiful Woodland Hills.”

Bleached returned to their dynamic as sisters – Jessie handled the bulk of the instrumentation and Jennifer handled the lyrics and melodies. Sometimes, Jessie would go into the practice space first to lay down guitars and instrumentals with Jennifer going in the next day to find a new file waiting for her, opening it, and writing her lyrics and melodies. Producer Shane Stoneback (Vampire Weekend, Sleigh Bells) helped open every door to experimentation, wanting to be exploratory while keeping the sound singularly Bleached. The album glimmers with inspiration found in touring with the likes of The Damned and Paramore whose arena-ready, incisively catchy pop was a palpable influence helping to push Bleached’s sound in a new realm.

Bleached just returned from presenting a slew of new songs at sold out shows across the country supporting The Hives and Refused. Following a hometown record release show in Los Angeles, they’ll kick off their North American tour in September. All dates are below.

Watch “Kiss You Goodbye” Video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=InvEKijp7WM

Watch: “Hard To Kill” Video – https://youtu.be/bQYgcc02m5c

“Shitty Ballet” Video – https://youtu.be/v8pGMcSylH4

Pre-order Don’t You Think You’ve Had Enough? – bleached.ffm.to/dontyouthink

Bleached tour dates: Thu. July 11 – Los Angeles, CA @ Moroccan Lounge Thu. Aug. 22 – London, UK @ The Lexington Sat. Aug. 24 – Reading, UK @ Reading Festival Sun. Aug. 25 – Leeds, UK @ Leeds Festival Thu. Sept. 5 – San Diego, CA @ The Casbah Fri. Sept. 6 – Pomona, CA @ The Glass House Sat. Sept. 7 – Phoenix, AZ @ Valley Bar Mon. Sept. 9 – Austin, TX @ Barracuda Tue. Sept. 10 – Dallas, TX @ Club Dada Wed. Sept. 11 – Houston, TX @ Satellite Bar Fri. Sept. 13 – New Orleans, LA @ Gasa Gasa Sat. Sept. 14 – Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade (Hell) Sun. Sept. 15 – Raleigh, NC @ Motorco Tue. Sept. 17 – Washington, DC @ U Street Music Hall Thu. Sept. 19 – Brooklyn, NY @ Elsewhere Fri. Sept. 20 – Philadelphia, PA @ PhilaMOCA Sat. Sept. 21 – Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall Mon. Sept. 23 – Toronto, ON @ Horseshoe Tavern Tue. Sept. 24 – Columbus, OH @ The Basement Wed. Sept. 25 – Nashville, TN @ Exit In Fri. Sept. 27 – Urbana, IL @ Pygmalion Festival Sat. Sept. 28 – Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry Sun. Sept. 29 – Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall Mon. Sept. 30 – St. Louis, MO @ Firebird Tue. Oct. 1 – Kansas City, MO @ Riot Room (Outdoors)* Thu. Oct. 3 – Denver, CO @ Globe Hall* Fri. Oct. 4 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The State Room* Sat. Oct. 5 – Boise, ID @ The Olympic* Mon. Oct. 7 – Seattle, WA @ Crocodile* Tue. Oct. 8 – Vancouver, BC @ Biltmore Cabaret* Wed. Oct. 9 – Portland, OR @ Star Theater Fri. Oct. 11 – Oakland, CA @ New Parish* Sat. Oct. 12 – Los Angeles, Ca @ The Lodge Room* *= w/ Dude York

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Ty Segall’s new album, “First Taste,” is due August 2nd, but you can get a “Taste” of it now

“Our salivating makes it all taste worse,” croons Ty Segall in “Taste,” the lead single / video from his forthcoming album, First Taste, due August 2nd via Drag City. He’s talking about us: how we’re the masters of our own destiny, tellers of our own prophecy, makers of our own sickened choices. It’s a warning, but this time, the finger is pointing back at him too. He’s one with us. First Taste is an introspective set for Segall after the extroversions of 2018’s Freedom’s Goblin. Lines of struggle wind through the songs as Segall reflects on family, re-encountering pasts, anticipating futures. He skates through oneness, self-esteem, the parents – all the joys of a rain-filled childhood – while reaching outward in the here and now, feeling for a shared pulse.

Meanwhile, the production is far out! Segall’s creative juices suggested some radical (in the older sense of the word) new instrumental territories: koto, recorder, bouzouki, harmonizer, mandolin, saxophones and brass, voices, and a sprinkling of keys. Segall occupies the drumset whenever it’s heard on the left speaker, while Charles Moothart plays the kit on the right side. Segall’s vocal prowess sits in fresh relief against his mutant orchestra, spooling tension through some of his most patient songs, his feral scream in complete control. Whatever the mood is, the pedal is pushed cleanly to the metal — and that means to the max of the lightest ballads ever, OR through the most raging rocks yet. Segall’s song designs are all over the place, but unlike the freewheeling feast style of Freedom’s Goblin, these twelve numbers form a tightly revolving cycle of song and sound that focuses thoughts.

Ty Segall and the Freedom Band will bring their electrifying live shows to LA, NYC, and Europe later this year. During these residencies, Segall will play First Taste in full, alongside select albums from his expansive catalogue. All tour dates, including newly-announced support and specifics on which album Segall will be playing each night, are below.

Watch “Taste” Video – https://youtu.be/7tmOr2yWaSs

Pre-order First Taste – https://ffm.to/firsttaste

First Taste tracklist: 1. Taste 2. Whatever 3. Ice Plant 4. The Fall 5. I Worship The Dog 6. The Arms 7. When I Met My Parents (Part 1) 8. I Sing Them 9. When I Met My Parents (Part 3) 10. Radio 11. Self Esteem 12. Lone Cowboys

Ty Segall & Freedom Band tour dates: Fri. July 26 – Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom (Ty Segall plays First Taste + Melted) w/ Warm Drag Fri Aug. 2 – Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom (Ty Segall plays First Taste + Melted) w/ Richard Rose Fri. Aug. 9 – Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom (Ty Segall plays First Taste + Melted) w/ Vice Cooler Fri. Aug. 16 – Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom (Ty Segall plays First Taste + Goodbye Bread) w/ The Intelligence Fri. Aug. 23 – Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom (Ty Segall plays First Taste + Goodbye Bread) w/ Oog Bogo Fri. Aug. 30 – Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom (Ty Segall plays First Taste + Emotional Mugger) w/ Lamps Fri. Sept. 6 – Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom (Ty Segall plays First Taste + Emotional Mugger) w/ King Tuff (solo) Fri. Sept. 13 – Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom (Ty Segall plays First Taste + Manipulator) w/ Ruth Garber Fri. Sept. 20 – Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom (Ty Segall plays First Taste + Manipulator) w/ DMBQ Fri. Sept. 27 – Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom (Ty Segall plays First Taste + Manipulator) w/ DMBQ Tues. Oct. 1 – Brooklyn, NY @ Warsaw (Ty Segall plays First Taste + Melted) w/ Lamps Wed. Oct. 2 – Brooklyn, NY @ Warsaw (Ty Segall plays First Taste + Melted) w/ White Fence Thurs. Oct. 3 – Brooklyn, NY @ Warsaw (Ty Segall plays First Taste + Goodbye Bread) w/ DMBQ Fri. Oct. 4 – Brooklyn, NY @ Warsaw (Ty Segall plays First Taste + Emotional Mugger) w/ DMBQ Sat. Oct. 5 – Brooklyn, NY @ Warsaw (Ty Segall plays First Taste + Manipulator) w/ DMBQ Wed. Oct. 9 – Paris, FR @ La Cigale (Ty Segall plays First Taste + Melted) Thu. Oct. 10 – Paris, FR @ La Cigale (Ty Segall plays First Taste + Manipulator) Fri. Oct. 11 – London, UK @ Oval Space (Ty Segall plays First Taste + Melted) Sat. Oct. 12 – London, UK @ Oval Space (Ty Segall plays First Taste + Goodbye Bread) Sun. Oct. 13 – London, UK @ Oval Space (Ty Segall plays First Taste + Manipulator) Tue. Oct. 15 – Berlin, DE @ Festsaal Kreuzberg (Ty Segall plays First Taste + Melted) Thu. Oct. 17 – Haarlem, NL @ Patronaat (Ty Segall plays First Taste + Melted) Fri. Oct. 18 – Haarlem, NL @ Patronaat (Ty Segall plays First Taste + Manipulator)

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Sleater-Kinney releases new single, “Hurry On Home,” and North American tour dates.

Rock giantesses Sleater-Kinney are back with not only a sharp new, electro-twinged single, “Hurry On Home,” but also a list of tour dates throughout North America starting in October. “Hurry On Home” is a hot cut about hotter love with a blistering guitar solo from Carrie Brownstein. Don’t miss this tour. Many dates, if not all, are sure to sell out.

10/9/19 – Spokane, WA – Fox Theatre

10/11/19 – Boise, ID – Knitting Factory Concert House

10/12/19 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Depot

10/13/19 – Denver, CO – Ogden Theatre

10/15/19 – Minneapolis, MN – Palace Theatre

10/16/19 – Milwaukee, WI – Riverside Theater

10/18/19 – Chicago, IL – Riviera Theatre

10/20/19 – Louisville, KY – Old Forester’s Paristown Hall

10/21/19 – Nashville, TN – Ryman Auditorium

10/23/19 – Atlanta, GA – Tabernacle

10/25/19 – Washington, DC – The Anthem

10/26/19 – Pittsburgh, PA – Stage AE- Indoor

10/27/19 – Philadelphia, PA – The Fillmore

10/29/19 – Boston, MA – House of Blues

10/30/19 – Brooklyn, NY – Kings Theatre

10/31/19 – New York, NY – Hammerstein Ballroom

11/1/19 – Columbus, OH – Newport Music Hall

11/3/19 – Toronto, ON – Rebel Complex

11/4/19 – Detroit, MI – Majestic Theatre

11/5/19 – St. Louis, MO – The Pageant

11/7/19 – Houston, TX – House of Blues

11/8/19 – Dallas, TX – House of Blues

11/9/19 – Austin, TX – ACL Live at the Moody Theater

11/11/19 – Phoenix, AZ – The Van Buren

11/12/19 – San Diego, CA – The Observatory North Park

11/13/19 – Santa Ana, CA – The Observatory OC

11/14/19 – Los Angeles, CA – Hollywood Palladium

11/16/19 – Oakland, CA – Fox Theater

11/19/19 – Portland, OR – Crystal Ballroom

11/21/19 – Vancouver, BC – Commodore Ballroom

11/23/19 – Seattle, WA – Paramount Theatre

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Alex Cameron’s new single, “Miami Memory,” is a loving tip of the hat to the town and his girlfriend.

Alex Cameron presents the new single/video, “Miami Memory,” directed by Cameron, and starring himself, his business associate and sax player Roy Molloy and actress Jemima Kirke. A love song to the city, “Miami Memory” embraces the lustful air of Miami and explores both Alex’s personal relationship with both the city and his girlfriend. Throughout, Alex’s sultry and playful delivery embraces themes of sex positivity, love and reflection. Premiered this past Sunday on KCRW’s Henry Rollins’ show, “Miami Memory” is the first new music Cameron has released since 2017’s Forced Witness.

“‘Miami Memory’ is a story about how we audition in the present for our future selves to enjoy in retrospect. In that way, tender memories that we share together are captured in thought and stored with the same electricity that keeps our heart beating,” says Cameron. “It’s a gift for my girlfriend Jemima, and it is dedicated to the artist Greer Lankton and her partner Paul Monroe. I am lucky to have learned that a group of people can be a shining light.”

Cameron has announced a fall European and North American tour, including shows in Chicago, Toronto, New York and Los Angeles. North American tickets are on sale now.

Watch “Miami Memory” – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0BtytpbJCU

Stream “Miami Memory” – https://alexcameron.ffm.to/miamimemory

Alex Cameron Tour Dates: Wed. Sept. 18 – Amsterdam, NL @ Paradiso Thu. Sept. 19 – Brussels, BE @ AB Club Fri. Sept. 20 – Brighton, UK @ The Haunt Sat. Sept. 21 – Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Social Club Sun. Sept. 22 – Dublin, IE @ Button Factory Tue. Sept. 24 – Bristol, UK @ The Fleece Wed. Sept. 25 – London, UK @ Electric Brixton Thu. Sept. 26 – Manchester, UK @ Gorilla Fri. Sept. 27 – Glasgow, UK @ Art School Sun. Sept. 29 – Southampton, UK @ Loft Tue. Oct. 1 – Lille, FR @ Aeronef Club Wed. Oct. 2 – Paris, FR @ Trianon Thu. Oct. 3 – Reims, FR @ La Cartonnerie Fri. Oct. 4 – Nantes, FR @ Lieu Unique Sat. Oct. 5 – Orléans, FR @ Astrolabe Mon. Oct. 7 – Zurich, CH @ Mascotte Tue. Oct. 8 – Dudingen, CH @ Bad Bonn Wed. Oct. 9 – Milan, IT @ Ohibo Thu. Oct. 10 – Bologna, IT @ Covo Sat. Oct. 12 – Salzburg, AT @ Rockhouse Birthday Party Sun. Oct. 13 – Vienna, AT @ Flex Cafe Mon. Oct. 14 – Munich, DE @ Strom Tue. Oct. 15 – Prague, CZ @ Meet Factory Wed. Oct. 16 – Berlin, DE @ Festsaal Kreuzberg Fri. Oct. 18 – Stockholm, SE @ Vasateatern Sat. Oct. 19 – Oslo, NO @ Parkteatret Sun. Oct. 20 – Gothenburg, SE @ Pustervik Mon. Oct. 21 – Copenhagen, DK @ Vega Tue. Oct. 22 – Hamburg, DE @ Uebel & Gefährlich Wed. Oct. 23 – Cologne, DE @ Artheater Fri. Nov. 8 – Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall Fri. Nov. 15 – Toronto, ON @ Phoenix Concert Theatre Fri. Nov. 22 – New York, NY @ Webster Hall Fri. Dec. 6 – Los Angeles, CA @ Troubadour

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Olden Yolk are currently on tour promoting their new album – “Living Theatre.”

“Through layers of warm harmonies, spirited drum fills and bright guitar riffs, Shane Butler and multi-instrumentalist Caity Shaffer craft a kaleidoscopic world that steadily builds on its own momentum”
– NPR Music

Olden Yolk – the duo of songwriters Shane Butler and Caity Shaffer – shares their single from Living Theatre, their sophomore album, via Trouble In Mind. “Grand Palais” is “about the frivolous search to seek some semblance of spiritual understanding in various places, things, and people outside of ourselves. Much of the song was written through improvisation in the studio alongside percussionist Booker Stardrum, whose frantic drumming is a driving force in the song. Weaving vocals, synthesizers, and tempo switches all encapsulate the dual feelings of desperation and euphoria found within this type of pursuit,” explains the band.

Olden Yolk is on tour in support of Living Theatre. They’re joined by Ryan Jewell (drums), Peter Wagner (bass) and Frank Maston (synths/keys). A full list of dates is below.
Stream “Grand Palais” – https://youtu.be/977uBeouGb4

Watch “Distant Episode” Video – https://youtu.be/hKS-ro9GPiE

Watch “Cotton & Cane” Video – https://youtu.be/cICiAlzVHag

Pre-order Living Theatre – https://bit.ly/2FGtjE4

Olden Yolk Tour Dates:

Wed. May 29 – Detroit, MI @ Outer Limits Lounge
Thu. May 30 – Chicago, IL @ HideoutWed. May 31 – Grand Rapids, MI @ House Show
Thu. June 1 – Columbus, OH @ Dirty Dungarees
Fri. June 2 – Cleveland, OH @ Happy Dog
Fri. June 7 – Sonoma, CA @ Huichica Festival
Wed. June 19 – Los Angeles, CA @ Zebulon (LA record release show)
Thu. June 20 – San Francisco, CA @ Make Out Room
Fri. June 21 – Portland, OR @ Turn Turn Turn w/ Adam Torres
Sun. June 23 – Seattle, WA @ Sunset Tavern
Sat. Oct. 12 – Portsmouth, UK @ The Festing
Sat. Oct. 13 – Exeter, UK @ The Cavern
Mon. Oct. 14 – Brighton, UK @ Komedie Studio
Tue. Oct. 15 – London, UK @ Lexington
Wed. Oct. 16 – Bristol, UK @ Louisiana
Thu. Oct. 17 – Birmingham, UK @ Hair & Hounds 2
Fri. Oct. 18 – Manchester, UK @ YES
Sat. Oct. 19 – Oxford, UK @ Ritual Union Festival

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Review: L7 – Scatter the Rats

Back with their first album in far too long (20 years), L7 make a much-needed and much-requested return in a time of “alternate truths,” “pink taxes,” xenophobia, and Orwellian bliss with Scatter the Rats. The name of the album is, I suspect, a call to action. The rats are everywhere and we need to make them run.

The opening guitar riff on “Burn Baby” slaps you awake and soon guitarist Donita Sparks is singing about how “…you think I’m a fraud, and I know you’re a fake, but when it’s all said and done we all burn at the stake.” It also sounds like they mix guitar chords with kazoo blasts, which is great. “Fighting the Crave” puts aside the tongue-in-cheek humor for gunslinging bass from Jennifer Garner and some of drummer Dee Plakas‘ most dangerous chops as Sparks sings about trying to resist a hot lover. It’s a track Motley Crue wishes they could’ve written.

“Proto Prototype” has co-guitarist Suzy Gardner on lead vocals, and she sounds like a were-tiger casting a 7th level conjuring spell. The song is that dangerous. “Stadium West” is currently one of my top ten singles of the year. It’s a fun, fast rocker that I can’t wait to hear live. “Murky Water Cafe” has Gardner’s vocals almost taking on a southern rock edge as she sings about a New Orleans dive bar and the weird, murky things that happened (still happen?) to her there. Also, her solo on it is sharp as a switchblade.

I’m willing to bet “Ouija Board Lies” has a great backstory. Is Sparks singing about getting turned on by a ghost? Or is she angry with the ghost about it not being what she expected? Hell, I’m not even sure it’s about a ghost at all. I do know that her riffs and Gardner’s riffs are a great one-two punch throughout the track, however. “Garbage Truck” is a tune about running into a screwed up relationship (“My love’s like a garbage truck. Get wasted and I’ll pick you up.”).

Plakas’ beats on “Holding Pattern” are a clinic on how to ground a rock song and how sometimes subtle power is best. I’m intrigued with the title of “Uppin’ the Ice.” “Hit the ground, take in the sights, all bow down ’cause we’re uppin’ the ice,” Sparks sings. It’s a call for women to get cold. Revenge is best served that way, after all. Gardner turns up the collar on her leather jacket and slips on a pair of brass knuckles on “Cool About Easy.” Don’t screw with her. She will jack you up and leave you whimpering.

The title track closes the album and has Sparks and Gardner sharing vocals about cleaning out rats, pigeons, and other vermin polluting and corrupting all of us. Their sights are set on Washington D.C., in case you weren’t aware. The dirty blues touches on the guitar solos are great, and Finch’s bass pretty much dares you to stand in front of it.

It’s great to have L7 back with not only all four original members, but also with a solid record. They are touring all over right now, so don’t miss your chance to see them.

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Faye Webster’s “Right Side of My Neck” might be the sexiest single you’ll hear this month.

“In classic Webster style, the spring-appropriate song, titled ‘Flowers,’ effortlessly blends healthy doses of both Americana and hip-hop influence for a final product that can be summarized with two words: Atlanta excellence.” – Paste

“Faye Webster has a golden voice, projected in ‘Flowers’ through a prism of crystal-clear production.” – Consequence of Sound

“Webster’s songs can be disarmingly direct and sorrowful.” – Pitchfork

(“Rising”) “The 21-year-old singer has a natural ability to fuse indie-folk with laid-back R&B.” – Rolling Stone

Faye Webster – 21-year-old Atlanta-based singer-songwriter and decorated photographer – shares a new single, “Right Side of My Neck,” from her forthcoming album, Atlanta Millionaires Club, due May 24th via Secretly Canadian. Following previously released “Flowers,” “Room Temperature,” and “Kingston,” “Right Side of My Neck” is gorgeously built by brass and strings, and zeros in on the lingering scent and uncertainty of new love. “For me I find that sometimes the best songs come out from the exact moment,” says Webster. “This song I didn’t think about writing or what I was doing, I was fresh from a feeling and that’s when I get some of my most honest and relatable songs.“

Listen to “Right Side of My Neck”– https://youtu.be/UwHI4MMM_DI

Atlanta Millionaires Club is a genre-bending collection of songs, bringing together Webster’s feather-light vocals, intimate songwriting, and her acumen for being strikingly vulnerable and brave. Pulling from a familial lineage of folk storytelling and time spent in Atlanta’s hip-hop scene, Webster’s work is a study of duality, weaving through her own introversion and heartbreak; it’s an idiosyncratic sadness punctuated by fleeting observations and an unexpected, sly sense of humor.

“Everything is way personal. I’ve never been that kind of person who can read a book and then write a song about the book,” Webster says. “I have to write about very personal things for me to even want to write.”

Faye Webster will headline a North American tour this month. Additionally, she will appear at Bonnaroo later this summer.

Listen to “Right Side of My Neck”–
https://youtu.be/UwHI4MMM_DI

Watch the video for “Flowers” –
https://youtu.be/qq_Jm_QC4go

Watch the video for “Room Temperature” –
https://youtu.be/nMybE4Ge6hM

Watch the video for “Kingston” –
https://youtu.be/-5_tGEao_GQ

Pre-order Atlanta Millionaires Club –
https://fayewebster.ffm.to/atlantamillionairesclub

Faye Webster Tour Dates
Fri. May 24 – Manchester, UK @ Dot to Dot Festival
Sat. May 25 – Bristol, UK @ Dot to Dot Festival
Sun. May 26 – Nottingham, UK @ Dot to Dot Festival
Tue. May 28 – London, UK @ Bermondsey Social Club
Wed. May 29 – London, UK @ Bermondsey Social Club
Fri. May 31 – Hilvarenbeek, NL @ Best Kept Secret Festival
Mon. Jun 03 – Paris, FR @ La Boule Noire
Sun. June 16 – Manchester, TN @ Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival
Tue. June 18 – Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry
Wed. June 19 – Chicago, IL @ Schubas Tavern
Fri. June 21 – Toronto, ON @ The Drake
Sat. June 22 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Club Cafe
Sun. June 23 – Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s
Mon. June 24 – Allston, MA @ Great Scott
Wed. June 26 – Brooklyn, NY @ Baby’s All Right
Thu. June 27 – Washington, DC @ DC9
Fri. June 28 – Asheville, NC @ The Mothlight
Sat. June 29 – Atlanta, GA @ The Earl

Keep your mind open.

[The subscription box is on the left side of the page, not my neck.]

Bleached’s new single, “Hard to Kill,” is among the best of the year so far.

Don’t You Think You’ve Had Enough? is what Jennifer Clavin asked herself when she hit a turning point in her life. It’s also the title of the new Bleached record, out July 12th via Dead Oceans, and Jessie and Jennifer Clavin’s first LP written from a place of sobriety. That newfound perspective serves as the guiding force in every corner of its sound, yielding a courageous, honest, and sonically ambitious album. Throughout, the Clavins radiate the power and bravery of facing addiction, of letting go of the past and becoming open to a radically different future of self-love, acceptance, and newfound honesty. Today, the sisters present its lead single, the defiant, yet playful “Hard to Kill” and its accompanying video, and announce a North American headline tour (all upcoming dates are listed below). Don’t You Think You’ve Had Enough? follows 2016’s Welcome the Worms and 2017’s “Can You Deal?” EP. The sisters began writing the album in early 2018 in a Los Angeles practice space and with friends and co-writers in Nashville. “Writing these songs while sober became somewhat of a spiritual experience,” Jennifer says. “I had to let go, trust the process, and allow an energy beyond my control to be present.” In writing and recording, Jessie handled the bulk of the instrumentation and Jennifer handled the lyrics and melodies — it was important to the Clavins that the entire record return to their dynamic as sisters.

Producer Shane Stoneback (Vampire Weekend, Sleigh Bells) helped open every door to experimentation, wanting to be exploratory while keeping the sound singularly Bleached. The resulting LP is explosive, grappling with the past; its twelve tracks mark some of the sisters’ most visceral, rawest songwriting to date — and some of their best. The album glimmers with inspiration found in touring with the likes of The Damned and Paramore whose arena-ready, incisively catchy pop was a palpable influence helping to push Bleached’s sound in a new realm.

This new direction is clear with “Hard To Kill” and previously released “Shitty Ballet.” As described by Jennifer, “Hard to Kill” is about “staring down the road towards death and realizing I needed to wake up and get out of my selfish patterns of self destruction.” The video, directed by another sister team, Juliana and Nicky Giraffe, depicts the Clavin sisters in defiance of the shadows of their past, utilizing their talent and wit to set themselves free into a liberated new beginning.

The exclusive Dead Oceans preorder bundle includes limited edition black/red/brown tri-colored LP (only available through this bundle), cassette, and a getaway car accessory pack with a “Valley To LA” bumper sticker, “Somebody Dial 911” air freshener and Don’t You Think You’ve Had Enough? metal keychain.
Watch the Video for “Hard To Kill” –
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQYgcc02m5c

Pre-order Don’t You Think You’ve Had Enough? –
bleached.ffm.to/dontyouthink

Watch “Shitty Ballet” Video –
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8pGMcSylH4

Don’t You Think You Have Enough?Tracklist
1. Heartbeat Away
2. Hard to Kill
3. Daydream
4. I Get What I Need
5. Somebody Dial 911
6. Kiss You Goodbye
7. Rebound City
8. Silly Girl
9. Valley to LA
10. Real Life
11. Awkward Phase
12. Shitty Ballet

Bleached Tour Dates:
Mon. May 20 – Chicago, IL @ The Vic Theater *
Tue. May 21 – St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant *
Wed. May 22 – Lawrence, KS @ Liberty Hall *
Fri. May 24 – Denver, CO @ Gothic Hall *
Sat. May 25 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Union Events Center *
Tue. May 28 – Pomona, CA @ Fox Theater *
Fri. May 29 – San Diego, CA @ The Observatory North Park *
Thu. July 11 – Los Angeles, Ca @ Moroccan Lounge
Thu. Aug. 22 – London, UK @ The Lexington
Sat. Aug. 24 – Reading, UK @ Reading Festival
Sun. Aug. 25 – Leeds, UK @ Leeds Festival
Sat. Sept. 7 – Phoenix, AZ @ Valley Bar
Mon. Sept. 9 – Austin, TX @ Barracuda
Tue. Sept. 10 – Dallas, TX @ Club Dada
Wed. Sept. 11 – Houston, TX @ Satellite Bar
Fri. Sept. 13 – New Orleans, LA @ Gasa Gasa
Sat. Sept. 14 – Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade (Hell)
Sun. Sept. 15 – Raleigh, NC @ Motorco
Tue. Sept. 17 – Washington, DC @ U Street Music Hall
Thu. Sept. 19 – Brooklyn, NY @ Elsewhere
Fri. Sept. 20 – Philadelphia, PA @ PhilaMOCA
Sat. Sept. 21 – Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall
Mon. Sept. 23 – Toronto, ON @ Horseshoe Tavern
Tue. Sept. 24 – Columbus, OH @ The Basement
Wed. Sept. 25 – Nashville, TN @ Exit In
Fri. Sept. 27 – Urbana, IL @ Pygmalion Festival
Sat. Sept. 28 – Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry
Sun. Sept. 29 – Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall
Tue. Oct. 1 – Kansas City, MO @ Riot Room (Outdoors)
Thu. Oct. 3 – Denver, CO @ Globe Hall
Sat. Oct. 5 – Boise, ID @ The Olympic
Mon. Oct. 7 – Seattle, WA @ Crocodile
Tue. Oct. 8 – Vancouver, BC @ Biltmore Cabaret
Wed. Oct. 9 – Portland, OR @ Star Theater
Fri. Oct. 11 – Oakland, CA @ New Parish

*= w/ Refused and The Hives

Keep your mind open.

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