News – Page 20 – 7th Level Music

Tinariwen release lovely new single, “Ken Alghalm,” from their new album due May 19, 2023.

Tinariwen—the legendary GRAMMY-winning Tuareg collective—present their new single, “Kek Alghalm,” from their forthcoming album, Amatssou, out May 19th on Wedge. Following lead single “Tenere Den,” an “understated tribute to the desert and to the Tuareg revolution in the highlands of Mali” (WNYC), “Kek Alghalm” opens Amatssou as a call to the Tuareg tribes to unite against present threats, its lyrics calling out complicity in silence: “So where are the Touareg? // And why do they remain silent // In the face of so much disrespect // Perpetrated shamelessly with uncovered face.” Featuring Nashville’s Wes Corbett on banjo, “Kek Alghalm” is a longtime live favorite amongst Tinariwen fans and it’s presented here in its recorded form for the first time.

Watch Video for “Kek Alghalm” by Tinariwen

Tinariwen, composed of founding members Ibrahim Ag Alhabib, Touhami Ag Alhassane and Abdallah Ag Alhousseyni, plus bassist Eyadou Ag Leche, percussionist Said Ag Ayad and guitarist Elaga Ag Hamid, single-handedly invented a guitar style that has captured the world’s imagination. They call it ishumar or assouf (“nostalgia” in Tamashek) but the rest of the world has come to know it as the Tuareg or desert blues. It is music that is imbued with sorrow and longing but it’s also music to dance to, to forget our cares.

Throughout Amatssou, the band’s ninth studio album, they set out to explore the shared sensibilities between their trademark desert blues and the vibrant country music of rural America. Recorded in Djanet, an oasis in the desert of southern Algeria located in Tassili N’Ajjer National Park, with additional production by Daniel Lanois (Brian Eno, U2, Bob Dylan, Emmylou Harris, Peter Gabriel, Willie Nelson), Amatssou finds Tinariwen’s signature snaking guitar lines and hypnotic grooves seamlessly co-existing alongside banjos, fiddles and pedal steel. Lanois’ haunting pedal steel and crystalline production add a soaring ambience to Tinariwen’s trance-like desert blues.

For decades, Tinariwen have remained ambassadors for the Tuareg people, a way of life in tune with the natural world, which is under threat as never before. Amatssou is Tamashek for “Beyond The Fear,” and it fits, as Tinariwen have always been characterized by their fearlessness. Though Tuareg culture is as old as that of ancient Greece or Rome, the songs of Amatssou speak to the current and often tough reality of Tuareg life today. Unsurprisingly, there are impassioned references to Mali’s ongoing political and social turmoil. Full of poetic allegory, the lyrics call for unity and freedom. There are songs of struggle and resistance with oblique references to the recent desperate political upheavals in Mali and the increasing power of the Salafists. Tinariwen’s message has never sounded more urgent and compelling than it does on Amatssou.

Beginning May 27th at Chicago’s Old Town School of Folk Music, Tinariwen’s US tour will see them bringing their cherished songs to cities including New York, Los Angeles, and more before they head overseas for a run of EU/UK dates. All shows are on-sale now with tickets available here.

Watch “Tenere Den” Video

Pre-order Amatssou by Tinariwen

Tinariwen Tour Dates
Sat. May 27 – Chicago, IL @ Old Town School of Folk Music
Tue. May 30 – Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom
Wed. May 31 – Seattle, WA @ Showbox
Fri. June 2 – Berkeley, CA @ UC Theater
Sat. June 3 – Los Angeles, CA @ Fonda Theater
Mon. June 5 – New York, NY @ Webster Hall
Tue. June 6 – Boston, MA @ Sinclair
Wed. June 7 – Washington, DC @ Lincoln Theatre
Sat. June 10 – Hilvarenbeek, NL @ Best Kept Secret Festival
Mon. June 12 – Rubigen, CH @ Muhle Hunziken
Wed. June 14 – Florence, IT @Ultravox
Thu. June 15 – Milan, IT @ Triennale Garden
Fri. June 16 – Turin, IT @ Hiroshima Mon Amour
Sun. June 18 – Dublin, IE @ Body & Soul Festival
Thu. June 22 – Berlin, DE @ Festsaal Kreuzberg
Sat. June 24 – Glastonbury, UK @ Glastonbury Festival
Mon. 26 – Lille, FR @ Splendid
Wed. June 28 – Paris, FR @ Salle Pleyel
Thu. June 29 – Brussels, BE @ Ancienne Belgique
Sat. July 1 – Roskilde, DK @ Roskilde Festival
Sun. July 2 – Stockholm, SE @ Slaktkyran
Tue. July 4 – Oslo, NO @ Rockefeller
Fri. July 7 – Bilbao, ES @ BBK Live Festival
Tue. July 11 – Arles, FR @ Les Suds Arles
Thu. July 13 – London, UK @ Somerset House
Sat. July 15 – Bristol, UK @ SWX
Mon. July 17 – Glasgow, UK @ St Lukes
Wed. July 19 – Birmingham, UK @ Institute 2
Sat. July 22 – Cheshire, UK @ Bluedot Festival
Tue. 25 – Vigo, SP @ Terraceo Festival
Thu. July 27 – Sines, PT @ FMM
Sat. July 29 – Luxey, FR @ Musicalarue Festival

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[Thanks to Yuri at Pitch Perfect PR.]

Squid release “Undergrowth,” which is both a single and a video game.

UK-based quintet Squid present the new single, “Undergrowth,” from their sophomore album, O Monolith, out June 9th on Warp Records, the “Undergrowth”-inspired video game by Frank Force, and announce a North American Tour. Renowned for their unerring experimentation, Squid continue their idiosyncratic sonic journey with “Undergrowth,” where dubbed-out bass grooves under cinematic synth chops explode into bursts of guitar and frenetic brass. Through the radical meld of textures and tones, Squid drummer and vocalist Ollie Judgestill manages to create an earworm chorus, repeating “Ergonomic for the rest of my days, I’d rather melt melt melt melt melt melt away.” Themes of environmental peril, morality, and the natural world are all present on “Undergrowth” and further explored on the rest of O Monolith.

Judge explains, “I really got into animism, the idea that spirits can live in inanimate objects. I was watching Twin Peaks, and there was the episode where Josie Packard’s spirit goes into a chest of drawers. So ‘Undergrowth’ was written from the perspective of me being reincarnated as a bedside table in the afterlife, and how the thought of being reincarnated as an inanimate object would be dreadful. ‘This isn’t what I wanted/ So many options to be disappointed.’ Even though I’m in no way religious I don’t think anyone who isn’t religious is confident enough to not have had the fleeting thought of ‘Fuck, what if there is an afterlife? What if I’m going to Hell?’”

“Undergrowth” is accompanied by a visualizer directed by Squid’s Louis Borlase. In describing the story behind it, he says, “When we were writing O Monolith we rented a little studio in St Pauls and whichever way we’d walk home, the BRI Hospital chimney would always be standing there – jutting out in front of a disc of countryside beyond. Sometimes it feels like most folklore hides in the countryside’s nooks. At other times it comes in closer, lurking in the bins on the walk back from the shops.”

Watch Squid’s “Undergrowth” Visualizer

Additionally, today, the band unveil “Undergrowth,” the game! A bit like the bastardized love child of Super Mario and Space Invaders, with an English Folklore twist. Who’s gonna get the high score? Who’s gonna defeat the monolith? Creator Frank Force adds, “Imagine the game itself as an interactive music video where gameplay and animation is synched up to the music and changes as the song progresses, moving into different phases.”

Play The “Undergrowth” Game

Produced by long-time collaborator, Dan Carey, and mixed by John McEntire (of Tortoise), O Monolith teems with melodic epiphanies and is a musical evocation of environment, domesticity and self-made folklore. Like its predecessor, it is dense and tricksy – but also warmer, with a winding, questioning nature. Squid began work on O Monolith only two weeks after the release of Bright Green Field while the band were on tour in 2021. The songs continued to take shape in rehearsal rooms around Bristol, where the band were based at the time, eventually moving to Peter Gabriel’s Real World Studios in Wiltshire. This change in environment further pushed the development of the band’s sound from claustrophobic post-punk to something more free-flowing and spacious. Although originating in Brighton and now largely based in South London, every member of the band has a strong connection with the West Country, which only deepened during the recording process. One interpretation of O Monolith is a condensation of the environment into song. “There’s a running theme of the relation of people to the environment throughout,” says Borlase. “There are allusions to the world we became so immersed in, environmental emergency, the role of domesticity, and the displacement you feel when you’re away for a long time.”

“Undergrowth” follows lead single “Swing (In A Dream)” which was recently added to BBC 6 Music’s A-List. As FADER commented, “[‘Swing (In A Dream)’] suggests their new album O Monolith will retain all of the intensity and sense of adventure that made their 2021 debut Bright Green Field essential listening for post-punk fans.” Indeed, like its namesake, O Monolith is vast and strange; alive with endless possible interpretations of its inner mysteries.

Squid have long been praised for their expansive must-see live show, touring extensively in support of Bright Green Field in 2021 and 2022. Following the band’s biggest UK and EU shows yet in support of O Monolith this fall, Squid will return to North America in 2024. This run sees them playing many cities for the first time. Tickets are on sale now.

Watch Squid’s Video for “Swing (In A Dream)”
Watch Squid Perform “Swing (In A Dream)” Live at Scala
Pre-order O Monolith

Squid Tour Dates (New Dates In Bold)
Fri. May 5 – Wrexhman, WS @ Focus Wales
Sun. June 18 – Wicklow, IE @ Beyond The Pale
Fri. June 30 – Werchter, BE @ Rock Werchter
Sun. July 2 – Lars, DE @ Fusion
Fri. July 21 – Hertfordshire, UK @ Standon Calling
Sat. July 22 – Oxfordshire, UK @ Truck Festival
Wed. Aug. 16 – Portugal, ES @ Paredes De Coura
Fri. Aug. 18 – Brecon, WS @ Green Man
Sat. Sep. 2 – Vlieland, NL @ Into The Great Wide Open
Tue. Sep. 5 – Cologne, DE @ Katine
Wed. Sep. 6 – Esch-sur-Alzette, LU @ Rockhal
Thu. Sep. 7 – Brussels, BE @ Ancienne Belgique
Fri. Sep. 8 – Utecht, NL @ TivoliVredenburg ROnda
Sat. Sep. 9 – Hamburg, DE @ Knust
Mon. Sep. 11 – Aarhus, DK @ Voxhall
Tue. Sep. 12 – Copenhagen, DK @ Vega
Wed. Sep. 13 – Berlin, DE @ Festsaal Kreuzberg
Fri. Sep. 15 – Leipzig, DE @ UT Connewitz
Sat. Sep. 16 – Zurich, CH @ Mascotte
Tue. Sep. 19 – Milan, IT @ Santeria
Thu. Sep. 21 – Barcelona, ES @ Sala Apollo 2
Fri. Sep. 22 – Valencia, ES @ Jerusalem
Sat. Sep. 23 – Madrid, ES @ Sala Copérnico
Sun. Sep. 24 – Bordeaux, FR @ Rock School Barbey
Mon. Sep. 25 – Paris, FR @ Elysée Montmartre
Wed. Sep. 27 – Rouen, FR @ Le 106
Fri. Oct. 13 – Bristol, UK @ SWX
Sat. Oct. 14 – Bristol, UK @ SWX
Mon. Oct. 16 – Birmingham, UK @ Town Hall
Tue. Oct. 17 – Leeds, UK @ O2 Academy Leeds
Thu. Oct. 19 – Manchester, UK @ New Century
Sat. Oct. 21 – Glasgow, UK @ Barrowland Ballroom
Sun. Oct. 22 – Newcastle, UK @ Boiler Shop
Wed. Nov. 1 – London, UK @ Troxy
Fri. Feb. 2 – Austin, TX @ The Parish
Sat. Feb. 3 – Dallas, TX @ Dada
Mon. Feb. 5 – Nashville, TN @ Basement East
Tue. Feb. 6 – Atlanta, GA @ Terminal West
Thu. Feb. 8 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
Fri. Feb. 9 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
Sat. Feb. 10 – Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel
Wed. Feb. 14 – Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club
Thu. Feb. 15 – Montreal, QC @ SAT
Fri. Feb. 16 – Toronto, ON @ Phoenix Concert Theatre
Sun. Feb. 18 – Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall
Mon. Feb. 19 – Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line
Fri. Feb. 23 – Portland, OR @ Revolution Hall
Sat. Feb. 24 – Vancouver, BC @ Rickshaw Theatre
Sun. Feb. 25 – Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile
Tue. Feb. 27 – San Francisco, CA @ Regency Ballroom
Thu. Feb. 29 – Santa Ana, CA @ The Observatory
Fri. March 1 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Belasco

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[Thanks to Ahmad at Pitch Perfect PR.]

Debauch-A-Reno 2023 announces lineup and tickets are on sale now!

DEBAUCH-a-ReNO returns with a two-part festival in Reno, NV, from June 16th – June 18th, and in Virginia City, NV, at Piper’s Opera House on July 14th with performances by The Mummies, Wild Billy Childish, The Kids, The Zeros, and many more.

(Reno, NV) The fifth installment of northern Nevada’s trash rock n’ roll bash is back in its birthplace in The Biggest Little City In The World and split across two weekends, with DEBAUCH-a-ReNO 2023 marking another strong lineup of budget rock delights spanning the old-school genre pioneers with the new.

FULL LINEUP IS AVAILABLE HERE

Weekend one’s shindig kicks off the evening of June 16th in midtown Reno, where the nighttime events will be held at Cypress Bar, and the daytime/afternoon events taking place in downtown Reno at Wingfield Park Amphitheatre on June 17th and 18th.

June 19th is the federal holiday of Juneteenth, a date to celebrate in itself with its significance marking the news of slavery’s abolition in the United States. It’s a three-day weekend for those from many States — and for those with righteous employers!

Anchoring the weekend’s performances are a slew of punk bands from the New and Old with highlight appearances, including Northern California’s budget rock titans, The Mummies, returning to the festival’s stage, notorious Belgians, The Kids, journeying from the EU capitol country back to the United States after a long absence, and one of San Diego’s earliest pioneers of the West Coast punk rock movement with The Zeros making their DEBAUCH debut alongside the guitar twang and dark humor of fellow San Diegans and self-proclaimed “Scariest Band In the World,” Deadbolt, among many, many more!

Along with We’re Loud, the two producing companies behind this festival are marking significant milestones in their history, with Slovenly Recordings turning 20 years old in 2022 and Sticker Guy! celebrating a pearl anniversary in 2023.The second weekend’s one-night stand soiree will occur south of Reno in the time-stamped silver mining town of Virginia City on July 14th and anchored by a man whose work crosses music, publishing, and painting AND whom Kurt Cobain, Jack White, Graham Coxon, and Kylie Minogue have paid tribute to in their own right with Wild Billy Childish & CTMF, making their exclusive US performance for 2023 at Piper’s Opera House (est. 1863) alongside Sacramento’s garage-mod screamers, Th’ Losin Streaks. A goodclosing lineup, right? Well, those two weren’t enough because we’ve got one of America’s more criminally underrated bands flying in from one sweatbox to another, with the gutter minimalist bump n’ grind of Subsonics making a rare and special appearance all the way from Atlanta.

DEBAUCH-a-ReNO 2023 TICKETING INFO, HOTEL INFO

In 2023, BUDGET ROCK is more important than ever, and the organizers are doing everything they can to make their events affordable to all. Here’s how!

TICKETS
Passes are on sale now (full passes gain you access to both the Amphitheatre and Cypress events, while Park gets you in the Amphitheatre) and sold through Eventsmart. This means you’re clear from those non-sensical hidden surcharges and fees a company like Ticketmaster throws at you.

DEBAUCH-a-ReNO PASSES ARE AVAILABLE HERE

ROOM DEALS
Information about traveling accommodations for DEBAUCH-a-ReNO is available in the FAQs area.

DEBAUCH-a-ReNO FAQS HERE

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[Thanks to Matt at Shared Platter.]

You should let Alex Lahey’s new single, “They Wouldn’t Let Me In,” in right now.

Photo Credit: Pooneh Ghana

Today, Alex Lahey presents her new single/video, “They Wouldn’t Let Me In,” from her forthcoming album, The Answer Is Always Yes, out May 19th on Liberation. Following the “big, bright” (Stereogum) lead single, “Good Time,” the previously-shared “Shit Talkin’,” plus the “volcanic and cathartic” (The New York Times) “Congratulations,” “They Wouldn’t Let Me In” is Lahey’s first song to mine the depths of her queer teenage years. Where Lahey’s beloved debut I Love You Like A Brother and its 2019 follow-up The Best of Luck Club took their focus through the lens of relationships, The Answer Is Always Yes sees Lahey analyzing her otherness through different lenses, from its isolating effect to the surrealism and humor it instills. The “They Wouldn’t Let Me In” video, co-directed by Lahey and Claire Giuffre, is a lighthearted accompaniment to the reflective track. Lahey draws out the absurdity, assuming the role of a furniture salesperson and leading a humorous countdown: “I couldn’t get into the threesome, the foursome, the fivesome, the sixsome.”

“After watching the brilliant tv series ‘Heartstopper,’ I spent a lot of time thinking about my own experiences growing up as a queer teenager,” Lahey says. “Although I was extremely lucky that the majority of my experience was filled with joy, acceptance and love, it wasn’t always smooth sailing. This song is inspired by those tougher moments – not being allowed to attend my high school girlfriend’s school formal, being excluded from conventional romantic rites of passage, moments of isolation and feeling like I couldn’t relate to anyone around me. ‘They Wouldn’t Let Me In’ is by far the most direct song I’ve ever written about this time.”

Watch Alex Lahey’s “They Wouldn’t Let Me In” Video

As a queer person, Alex Lahey learned how to adapt to a world that wasn’t made for her. For those who exist on the fringe, you learn to pave your own way, foster your own community, and create your own joy. With The Answer Is Always Yes, Lahey examines how she finds comfort in the discomfort, whether its reveling in absurdity or turning towards exploration. “Living in a world that wasn’t made for you makes you pretty strong and adaptive, and you find the fun in it,” says Lahey. “It also makes you realize how absurd everything is. With The Answer Is Always Yes, I wanted to get weird because the world is weird, and it’s even weirder when you realize you don’t fit into it all the time.”

Just as Lahey learned to reimagine the world around her, the music of The Answer Is Always Yes is also the product of reimagination. After making a name for herself with heartfelt, witty, and energizing indie rock songs, Lahey felt she had accrued tried and true songwriting tricks. Instead of resting on her laurels, Lahey took a risk by inviting other writers and producers into the early stages of her creative process for the first time. The resulting album is not only Lahey’s most collaborative yet, but also her most dynamic and surprising.

Beginning May 19th, Alex Lahey will embark on a North American tour in support of The Answer Is Always Yes, bringing her captivating full-band performance to a slew of cities across the continent. Full dates are listed below and tickets are on sale now.

Pre-order The Answer Is Always Yes

Watch“Good Time” Video
Watch “Congratulations” video
Watch “Shit Talkin’” lyric video

Alex Lahey Tour Dates:
Fri. May 19 – Santa Ana, CA @ Constellation Room
Sat. May 20 – Los Angeles, CA @ Zebulon
Sun. May 21 – San Francisco, CA @ Bottom of the Hill
Tue. May 23 – Portland, OR @ Polaris Hall
Wed. May 24 – Seattle, WA @ Madame Lous
Fri. May 26 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court
Sat. May 27 – Denver, CO @ Lost Lake
Tue. May 30 – Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street entry
Wed. May 31 – Chicago, IL @ Schubas
Fri. June 2 – Columbus, OH @ Ace of Cups
Sat. June 3 – Cleveland, OH @ Mahalls
Sun. June 4 – Toronto, ON @ Velvet Underground
Tue. June 6 – Boston, MA @ Crystal Ballroom
Wed. June 7 – New York, NY @ Baby’s All Right
Fri. June 9 – Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brendas
Sun. June 11 – Washington, DC @ Songbyrd
Mon. June 12 – Durham, NC @ Motorco Music Hall
Tue. June 13 – Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade Purgatory
Thu. June 15 – Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall Upstairs
Fri. June 16 – Austin, TX @ Parish
Sat. June 17 – Dallas, TX @ Club Dada
Tue. June 20 – Phoenix, AZ @ Rebel Lounge
Wed. June 21 – San Diego, CA @ Soda Bar

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[Thanks to Sam at Pitch Perfect PR.]

CHAI proclaim “We the Female” on their (of course) catchy new single.

CHAI — the beloved Japanese quartet composed of identical twins MANA (vocals/keys) and KANA (guitar), drummer YUNA, and bassist/lyricist YUUKI — are “professional purveyor[s] of whimsy” (The New York Times). Today, the four-piece unveils their first new single/video of 2023, “We The Female!” Following CHAI’s acclaimed 2021 album, WINK, which “exudes a newfound sense of serenity, even as they remain committed to exuberant self-love” (Pitchfork), “We The Female!” continues expanding CHAI’s canon of anthemic dance jams. The accompanying video, directed by Cezan Iseda, is a charming collage of 80s television homages.

Of “We The Female,” YUUKI adds: “We are human and were born as female, but we have both female and male aspects in each of our souls, each with our own sense of balance. We can’t just label ourselves into clear-cut, simple categories anymore! I’m not anyone else but just ‘me,’ and you are no one else but just ‘you.’ This song celebrates that with a roar! Yooooooooo!!”

WATCH CHAI’s “WE THE FEMALE!” VIDEO

WINK followed CHAI’s beloved 2017 debut PINK, and their superb 2019 sophomore effort, PUNK. Surrounding WINK’s release, CHAI was profiled in V Magazine, The New York Times, NPR and more; it was named one of the year’s best releases by Under The Radar and Paste, who hailed: “CHAI make every moment feel like a treat.”

“We The Female!” is a small taste of what CHAI has in store for the year.

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[Thanks to Jacob at Pitch Perfect PR.]

Poison Ruin enter the “Torture Chamber” on their new single.

L-R: Nao Demand (guitar), Will McAndrew (bass), Mac Kennedy (vox, guitar), Allen Chapman (drums) Photo By Kevin Gray

Poison Ruin’s highly anticipated album Harvest follows the release of their S/T debut which spread like wildfire throughout the punk and DIY community throughout the past two years. The Philadelphian band quickly amassed a following for their lo-fi, catchy metaphoric revolts that stab at the pulsing heart of what it means to live under the permanent midnight of contemporary life.

Harvest gazes at the world with a sense of grave seriousness, its stare softened only by the alluring seduction of a dream world’s open-ended possibility. Its songs move with a type of uncanny confidence, assembling an array of references to past styles and sensibilities that collapse in on one another, congealing into a truly unique sonic landscape.

Just ahead of its release, Poison Ruin share their melodic thrasher, “Torture Chamber” which questions the limits and conviction of one’s own beliefs: “What is a truth for which you’d die? And what are the words that could set you free?”

Watch “Torture Chamber” (Official Music Video) via YouTube
Listen / Share / Playlist Here

With Harvest, Poison Ruin aligns their sonic palette to their godless, medieval-inflected aesthetic symbolism, creating a record which strikes with an assured sense of blackened harmony.

“I’ve always found fantasy tropes to be incredibly evocative,” vocalist/guitarist Mac Kennedy notes, “that said, even though they are a set of symbols that seem to speak to most people of our generation, they are often either apolitical or co-opted for incredibly backwards politics.”

Harvest’s lyrics and imagery, Kennedy reworks fantasy imagery as a series of totems for the downtrodden, stripping it of its escapist tendencies and retooling it as a rich metaphor for the collective struggle over our shared reality: “Instead of knights in shining armor and dragons, it’s a peasant revolt,” he explains, “I’m all for protest songs, but with this band I’ve found that sometimes your message can reach a greater audience if you imbue it with a certain interactive, almost magical realist element.”

These are not superficial or self-aggrandizing political statements. Rather, Poison Ruin stares into the abyss of present-day life with a sober and empathetic outlook, portraying our cracked reality as a complex and difficult to parse miasma of competing desires.

Poison Ruin’s Relapse debut, Harvest was mastered by Arthur Rizk. It sees its release on April 14 alongside the reissue of their eponymous 2021 LP which has established the band as one of punk and the underground’s newest beloved treasures. Poison Ruin will tour extensively this year. Next up are two record release shows in NYC and their hometown, Philadelphia just before heading overseas for a full EU / UK run including a performance at Roadburn. See below for a full list of dates.

Pre-Save / Playlist Harvest on Digital Platforms Here
Pre-Order Harvest on Vinyl / CD Here
Pre-Order S/T on Vinyl / CD Here

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[Thanks to Bailey at Another Side.]

Hannah Georgas keeps it Zen on “This Too Shall Pass.”

In 2020 Hannah Georgas released her Aaron Dessner-produced LP All That Emotion. Though a longtime favorite in her native Canada with a devoted international audience, the album was the most critically-acclaimed release of her career to date, earning a wave of positive attention from outlets like The Guardian, Pitchfork, NPR, The New York Times, FADER, Stereogum, New York Magazine, Consequence of Sound and Paste among many others. In 2021 she released an EP of alternate versions of tracks from the album, featuring contributions from friends and collaborators like Bartees Strange, Owen Pallett, The National’s Matt Berninger and Kate Stables, but today Georgas is sharing her first new music in three years with new single, “This Too Shall Pass”. The single is being released to mark the announce of her signing to Lucy Rose’s Real Kind Records, and is being released alongside a Joe Connor directed video, shot in London.

WATCH
Hannah Georgas’s “This Too Shall Pass”
HERE

Where Hannah’s last record, 2020’s All That Emotion, was produced alongside Aaron Dessner, her next body of work finds Georgas behind the glass. Joining her are partner Sean Sroka (of Ten Kills The Pack) in a co-production capacity, keenly aided by James McAlister on drums (one of Sufjan Steven’s regular confidantes), Graham Walsh (whose synth and bass regularly peppers records by the likes of Holy Fuck and Metz), and Gabe Wax (Soccer Mommy’s go-to collaborator, but has also worked with War on Drugs, Kurt Vile, and Spoon) whose studio know-how and multi-instrumentalist acumen was a welcome addition to the process.

Ultimately though, Georgas sought to take the reins herself, taking back control of her own destiny, and cutting out too much outside influence. Recorded in Toronto with a treasure trove of analogue equipment and a work ethic that left no idea unturned, “This Too Shall Pass” signals a line in the sand, and the beginning of a new chapter.

Hannah Georgas on “This Too Shall Pass”: “I have a lot of internal pep talks, as a way to quiet my own doubts and insecurities. This song is a reflection of that, and a reminder to go a little bit easier on myself.”

“This Too Shall Pass” is the first introduction to a larger body of work by Hannah Georgas. Further details are to be announced later this Spring.

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[Thanks to Tom at Hive Mind PR.]

The Beths release new single and expanded tour dates.

Today, The Beths present their new single, “Watching The Credits,” and unveil their incredible Tiny Desk Concert, proving once again that they are “one of the greatest indie-rock bands of their time” (Rolling Stone). “Watching The Credits” is a terrific power pop anthem recorded during the sessions of Expert In A Dying Field, the New Zealand quartet’s acclaimed 2022 album. Born out of songwriter Elizabeth Stokes’ habit of learning everything about movies without actually watching them, “Watching The Credits” is Stokes’ imaginary view from the director’s seat. Their accompanying NPR Tiny Desk performance downsizes their beloved live performance while maintaining their signature thrilling energy.

The Beths also announce more US dates around their Bonnaroo and Newport Folk Festival appearances, bringing their incredible set (and beloved inflatable fish) to many cities for the first time. The Beths’ summer and fall dates include two nights at Denver’s Mission Ballroom, three nights at Los Angeles’ Lodge Room (surrounding their sold out show at the Hollywood Bowl supporting Death Cab for Cutie and The Postal Service), plus three nights at New York’s Music Hall of Williamsburg. Full dates are listed below and general on-sale for new dates begins Friday, March 31st at 10am local time.

Watch The Beths’ Tiny Desk Concert

Listen to “Watching The Credits”

Expert In A Dying Field, the third studio album from The Beths, was released to a wealth of critical praise, and was named one of 2022’s best releases by the likes of Pitchfork, The Ringer, and Stereogum, who praised it as “another collection of tunes that cements their status as one of the great guitar-pop bands of this present moment.” Surrounding its release, The Beths were profiled by Rolling Stone, Document Journal, The Big Takeover and more, and made their US television debut on CBS Saturday Morning. With a full, almost entirely sold out North American tour already under their belt, and supporting slots for The National, Death Cab for Cutie and The Postal Service on the horizon, The Beths are undeniably one of the most exciting indie rock bands to emerge in recent memory.

The Beths Tour Dates (New Dates In Bold)
Wed. May 24 – Bristol, UK @ SWX
Thu. May 25 – London, UK @ Electric Brixton
Fri. May 26 – Walton-on-Trent, UK @ Bearded Theory Festival
Sat. May 27 – Leeds, UK @ Live at Leeds in the Park
Sun. May 28 – Manchester, UK @ New Century
Tue. May 30 – Glasgow, UK @ The Garage
Wed. May 31 – Dublin, IE @ Whelan’s
Fri. June 2 – Barcelona, ES @ Primavera Sound Festival
Sat. June 3 – Ellerdorf, DE @ Wilwarin Festival
Sun. June 4 – Berlin, DE @ Frannz Club
Mon. June 5 – Hamburg, DE @ Uebel & Gefählrich
Tue. June 6 – Cologne, DE @ Gebäude 9
Thu. June 8 – Porto, PT @ Primavera Sound Festival
Fri. June 9 – Madrid, ES @ Primavera Sound Festival
Sat. June 10 – Dijon, FR @ VYV Festival
Mon. June 12 – Nantes, FR @ Stereolux
Tue. June 13 – Paris, FR @ Petit Bain
Wed. June 14 – Lille, FR @ Aéronef
Fri. June 16 – Kansas City, MO @ Boulevardia Festival
Sat. June 17 – Manchester, TN @ Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival
Sun. June 18 – Birmingham, AL @ Saturn
Tue. June 20 – Orlando, FL @ The Beacham
Wed. June 21 – Tampa, FL @ Crowbar
Thu. June 22 – Gainesville, FL @ High Dive
Fri. July 14 – Utrecht, NL @ Ekko
Sat. July 15 – Rotterdam, NL @ Rotown
Sun. July 16 – Nijmegen, NL @ Valkhof Festival
Tue. July 18 – Liverpool, UK @ Hangar 34
Wed. July 19 – Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK @ Boiler Shop
Fri. July 21 – Southwold, UK @ Latitude Festival
Sat. July 22 – Steventon, UK @ Truck Festival
Sun. July 23 – Sheffield, UK @ Tramlines Festival
Fri. July 28 – Newport, RI @ Newport Folk Festival
Sat. July 29 – Omaha, NE @ Maha Festival
Tue. Aug. 1 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Met Philadelphia * [SOLD OUT]
Wed. Aug. 2 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Met Philadelphia *
Thu. Aug. 3 – New Haven, CT @ Westville Music Bowl *
Fri. Aug. 4 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Mr Smalls Theatre
Sat. Aug. 5 – Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Ballroom & Tavern
Mon. Aug. 7 – Detroit, MI @ The Fillmore *
Tue. Aug. 8 – Madison, WI @ The Sylvee *
Wed. Aug. 9 – Minneapolis, MN @ The Armory *
Fri. Aug. 11 – Denver, CO @ Mission Ballroom * [SOLD OUT]
Sat. Aug. 12 – Denver, CO @ Mission Ballroom *
Tue. Aug. 15 – Nashville, TN @ Ascend Amphitheater *
Wed. Aug. 16 – Atlanta, GA @ Cadence Bank Amphitheatre at Chastain Park
Thu. Aug. 17 – Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle
Fri. Aug. 18 – Baltimore, MD @ Baltimore Soundstage
Sat. Aug. 19 – Quincy, MA @ In Between Days Festival
Mon. Aug. 21 – Cincinnati, OH @ Woodward Theater
Tue. Aug. 22 – Kalamazoo, MI @ Bell’s Eccentric Cafe
Sun. Aug. 27 – Seattle, WA @ THING
Sat. Sep. 30 – Austin, TX @ Germania Insurance Amphitheater ^
Sun. Oct. 1 – Grand Prairie, TX @ Texas Trust CU Theatre ^
Tue. Oct. 3 – Phoenix, AZ @ Arizona Financial Theatre ^ [SOLD OUT]
Wed. Oct. 4 – Las Vegas, NV @ The Theater at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas ^ [SOLD OUT]
Fri. Oct. 6 – Seattle, WA @ Climate Pledge Arena ^ [SOLD OUT]
Sat. Oct. 7 – Seattle, WA @ Climate Pledge Arena ^ [SOLD OUT]
Mon. Oct. 9 – Berkeley, CA @ Greek Theatre ^ [SOLD OUT]
Tue. Oct. 10 – Berkeley, CA @ Greek Theatre ^ [SOLD OUT]
Wed. Oct. 11 – Berkeley, CA @ Greek Theatre ^ [SOLD OUT]
Thu. Oct. 12 – Los Angeles, CA @ Lodge Room
Fri. Oct. 13 – Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Bowl ^ [SOLD OUT]
Sat. Oct. 13 – Los Angeles, CA @ Lodge Room
Sun. Oct. 15 – Los Angeles, CA @ Lodge Room
Tue. Oct. 17 – Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
Wed. Oct. 18 – Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
Thu. Oct. 19 – Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg

* w/ The National
^ w/ Death Cab For Cutie & The Postal Service

Purchase Expert In A Dying Field

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[Thanks to Patrick at Pitch Perfect PR.]

Pierre Kwenders expresses our love-hate relationship with the internet on his new single – “SMT.”

Pierre Kwenders, the “arresting Congolese Canadian musician whose scramble of genres, languages, and worlds sounds like the future” (The New Yorker), last year released his deeply personal and innovative album José Louis And The Paradox Of Love on Arts & Crafts, going on to win the coveted 2022 Polaris Music Prize awarded to the Best Canadian Album. Fresh off two stints of touring North America in support of the album, including a stop at KEXP, Kwenders today announces a deluxe edition of José Louis And The Paradox of Love, out June 30th on Arts & Crafts, and presents its lead single, “SMT.” José Louis And The Paradox of Love Deluxe features three brand new songs—“SMT,” “Niata,” and “Good”— along with “Vibraçao,” a reworked version of original album standout, “Heartbeat,” this time featuring Sarah Kalume. In conjunction with today’s announcement, Kwenders also announces a run of festival dates in North America and Europe. A full list of dates are below.

Lifted from the recording sessions of José Louis, “SMT” is an infectious dancefloor track that is both a love letter to and an intervention with social media. An acronym for Social Media Therapy, “SMT” sees Kwenders calling out the magic and the pitfalls of total connectivity. Kenders sings in his signature blend of English, French, and Lingala over a minimal soca-inflected beat with melodious flourishes courtesy of the international production trio of PEDRO (Portugal), ESQO (Chile), and CarloMarco (Chile).

“‘SMT’ calls for a reflection on our use of social media networks and rather good or bad we must question its effects,” says Kwenders. “At this moment in time, social media has taken an important place in our day-to-day lives. As beneficial as it may be, we can find ourselves trapped – what happens online also affects us in real life. Nonetheless, it has become a problem solver, an outlet for joy, pain & communication. It makes us laugh, cry, support, look down upon, and apologize endlessly. After all that we do it all again. The online wailing wall or maybe the Goliath of our generation. Social media therapy is what we need. Social media therapy is a necessity.”

Listen to “SMT” by Pierre Kwenders

Born in Kinshasa, capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kwenders borrows his stage name from his late grandfather, a widely respected businessman and community figure. Following his mother’s footsteps, in 2001 Kwenders immigrated from Congo to Montreal. José Louis and the Paradox of Love is a culmination of personal growth and the musical dexterity Kwenders has honed over the years, converging his strong songwriting capabilities with the bravado he possesses as a DJ. The album explores an ongoing search to grasp the universal complexities of romance, sometimes through the lens of Kwenders’ own intimate experiences. The songs were written and recorded over the span of four years, and the album is symbolically titled after his birth name, José Louis Modabi. Through different moments of tension and release, romantic narratives of beauty and disaster are packed into powerful poetic musical vignettes.

Pre-order/Pre-save José Louis and the Paradox of Love Deluxe

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[Thanks to Sam at Pitch Perfect PR.]

Dorthia Cottrell gets back to nature on “Harvester.”

Decorated with wind chimes and childhood nostalgia, Dorthia Cottrell’s new single “Harvester” longs for nature. She explains, “Where I’m from, and probably most rural places in the U.S., there is a strong Christian religious presence, whether you identify as being religious or not, and it was always my feeling that that has a lot to do with being surrounded and immersed in nature and every part of your life being at the mercy of it – even when it is merciless and brutal. When you’re surrounded by something so vast and beautiful, the presence of ‘god’ and whatever that might mean to anyone, is blatant and undeniable. To me, ‘god’ is nature and God is Mother Earth, so also to me, when I’m back home or anywhere like that I feel deeply the presence of my own idea of spirituality, the wonders of it and the feeling of being something small in the face of something totally out of your control.

That’s what ‘Harvester’ is about. Bad or good, in the patterns of nature you can see the patterns of all life, maybe even the patterns of the universe too, and that symmetry to me is god, and I’m grateful for it.”

Listen / Share / Playlist “Harvester”

Across both her solo work and as the vocalist of renowned doom band Windhand, Cottrell envisions her music as both a document of love and a reconciliation with death. On her new album, Death Folk Country, Cottrell wards off death through creation – the most distilled form of love. The spirit of love passed on through her words will be the ultimate reward for earthly suffering. Cottrell’s enigmatic presence guides listeners down a path of introspection – Death Folk Country‘s massive scope touches upon tales of love, loss, and so much more.

Cottrell was raised in rural King George, Virginia, a town with less than 5,000 inhabitants. Forests and tall-grass fields stretched before her. Beauty and boredom soared. That vague melancholy and memory of the American South is smudged all over Cottrell’s music. Cottrell grew up a goth, an outcast in a small town – a time and place she revisits throughout Death Folk Country.

“This album to me is about painting a picture of a place where my heart lives,” Cottrell explains. The title ‘Death Folk Country’ is partly me describing a genre that fits the sound – but it’s also meant to be taken as a Naming, a coronation of the world inside me. ‘Death Folk Country’ is the music and also the land where the music takes place, and the two have always been inextricable from each other.”

Cottrell’s voice, a soaring alto, fills the emptiest of canyons. Singing in echoing harmony with itself, her voice is a kind of prophecy, bringing home to the present thoughts and realizations from the future, even as Cottrell buries herself in remembrance of the past. Death Folk Country takes these nostalgic ideas of “home” and confronts them with their own imperfections and darkness.

The album sees its release April 21 via Relapse Records, her first for the label and follow up to her highly acclaimed, 2015 S/T solo debut. All songs on Death Folk Country were written / played by Dorthia Cottrell and recorded / produced by Jon K. and Cottrell at SANS Studios in Richmond, Virginia.

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[Thanks to Bailey at Another Side.]