March 2019 – Page 2 – 7th Level Music

Pitchfork Music Festival’s 2019 lineup is here for your pleasure.

The Pitchfork Music Festival announces today the full 2019 lineup, including headlinersHAIM, The Isley Brothers, and Robyn. The 14th Annual Pitchfork Music Festival returns to Chicago’s Union ParkFriday, July 19 through Sunday, July 21.

The festival opens on Friday with one of HAIM’s only performances of 2019, Mavis Staples, Earl Sweatshirt, Jeremih, Sky Ferreira, Low, Soccer Mommy, Julia Holter, Grapetooth, Rico Nasty, Valee, Standing on the Corner, MIKE, and Great Black Music Ensemble.

On Saturday, the festival presents The Isley Brothers’ 60th Anniversary Celebration, Belle & Sebastian, Stereolab’s first North American show in a decade, Kurt Vile, Pusha T, Parquet Courts, Freddie Gibbs, Amber Mark, Jay Som, Cate Le Bon, Tirzah, CHAI, Ric Wilson, and Lala Lala.

Sunday, the final day of the festival, features Robyn, Charli XCX, Whitney, Khruangbin, Clairo, Snail Mail, Neneh Cherry, Ibeyi, Amen Dunes, JPEGMAFIA, Flasher, Black Midi, Dreezy, and Tasha.

The 2019 Pitchfork Music Festival lineup spans genres and generations, placing cutting-edge artists of today alongside some of the most revolutionary acts of our time. The balance between the treasured and the new makes this event stand out as one of the most celebrated weekends in music.

“This summer’s Festival will be my first as editor,” said Pitchfork editor-in-chief Puja Patel. “It’s exciting that it also features such an inclusive lineup. More than half the artists performing are women, including modern pioneers of indie rock and hip-hop, legends of soul and R&B, and a headlining set by the dance-pop icon Robyn. For a national festival that’s so important to a larger music community, the scope of this year’s booking feels especially meaningful.”

“There are some one-of-a-kind moments in our lineup this year,” said Pitchfork festival director Adam Krefman, “not just big celebratory moments, but also moments with artists who have collaborated recently or have had clear influences on each other over the years. It’s a sign of Pitchfork’s standing in the festival landscape that we’re able to pull together such a special event. And we’re fortunate to have an audience who’s ready to follow us down these curatorial rabbit holes, eager to be surprised year after year.”

Pitchfork Music Festival tickets are on sale now. Three-day passes are $175; single day passes are $75. The Pitchfork PLUS upgrade is $375 for a three-day pass and $160 for a single-day pass. It includes exclusive amenities such as: premium food vendors and private specialty bars, air conditioned bathrooms, shaded seating and dining areas, expedited entry to the festival and “come and go” re-entry privileges, a welcome bag with festival essentials, storage lockers, and more. More details are available here. Prices for all passes will increase after May 31.

PURCHASE TICKETS HERE

FRIDAY, JULY 19
HAIM
Mavis Staples
Earl Sweatshirt
Jeremih
Sky Ferreira
Low
Soccer Mommy
Julia Holter
Grapetooth
Rico Nasty
Valee
Standing on the Corner
MIKE
Great Black Music Ensemble

SATURDAY, JULY 20
The Isley Brothers – 60th Anniversary Celebration
Belle & Sebastian
Stereolab
Kurt Vile
Pusha T
Parquet Courts
Freddie Gibbs
Amber Mark
Jay Som
Cate Le Bon
Tirzah
CHAI
Ric Wilson
Lala Lala

SUNDAY, JULY 21
Robyn
Charli XCX
Whitney
Khruangbin
Clairo
Snail Mail
Neneh Cherry
Ibeyi
Amen Dunes
JPEGMAFIA
Flasher
Black Midi
Dreezy
Tasha

For more information, including lineups, event news, and the latest updates, please visit Pitchforkmusicfestival.com, facebook.com/pitchforkmusicfestival and follow Pitchfork Music Festival on Instagram and Twitter.

Keep your mind open.

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Stef Chura’s new album, “Midnight,” due June 7th.

LISTEN TO “METHOD MAN”
https://youtu.be/tJUUyhQAzRY

PRE-ORDER MIDNIGHT
StefChura.lnk.to/Midnight
“For most people who create art I would assume there is some kind of deep unanswerable hole in your soul as to why you’re making it…” So says Stef Chura ahead of the release of Midnight, her gritty, vehement new album, recorded and produced by Will Toledo of Car Seat Headrest – and her first new collection of songs for Saddle Creek, out June 7th. Illuminating that search for answers with a fevered sense of exploration, Midnight is a bold leap forward from Messes, Stef’s contagious debut album, with every aspect of her new work finding bold ways to express itself as it rips through twelve restless and relentless new tracks. She also shares the first single, “Method Man, ” a boisterous three-minutes that melds jagged, skewed guitars with a distinctive voice that has a new-found sense of confidence while touching on a vulnerable moment in Stef’s life. She also announces a North American tour in support of the new album. She explains “Method Man” below:

A long time ago I was pondering the literal words “Method Man” while listening to Wu-Tang. There was a person in my life that I had a confusing array of emotions for, sometimes I was in love with him, I admired and looked up to him, I thought of him as superior to me. He was older than me and I was a teenager. At that age I experienced a titanic amount of anxiety that usually expressed itself as silence.

This song was born out of a total frustration regarding a man who seemed “methodical” to me. He was literate. He waxed poetic. Almost someone…how do I say this…that you wanted to be condescending to you? As long as they were talking to you. He drank a lot of energy drinks and had this overall outlook that no one understood him. That he was in on some kind of cosmic secret that I couldn’t get. He smoked so many cigs it stained his fingers yellow.

He was always talking, and I was so enamored with this person. I was always nervous to reply. He would go on and on for hours. He sometimes would look at me and be like “oh maybe you won’t get this…. maybe you don’t get this.” I was too terrified to say much.

A couple of years on from the release of Messes, Stef is still based in Detroit, that most singular city which has seen it all, from the no-mans-land of its initial collapse through to the resurgent place it is now. Stef found inspiration from the people she surrounded with herself with, more so than the place itself. It’s no surprise that Midnight is testament to those kind of characteristics; a rugged and robust burst of defiance. “I’m usually dealing with the context of what I can’t say or haven’t said,” Stef says. “A kind of spiritual bondage that I would say most people, probably a lot of female bodied ones, put themselves through.”

Which is to say that if its predecessor was a raw, somewhat unadorned document of Stef’s work, then Midnight is the muscular, swaggering evolution. “This album has a depth to it and a particular sound because of Will,” Stef states regarding Toledo’s input, whose spiky nuances can be found across the length and breadth of Midnight, the record presenting an exhilarating rush of sound and color as Stef’s spirited vocal finds and signature guitar sounds unravel alongside in a thrilling meeting of ideas and influences; dispelling demons, song by song.

Equal parts thrilling and angsty, Midnight is a testament to the collaborative process, a record that makes the very most of those who came together to make it, but more than that, it’s a firm statement of tenacity and perseverance, of not resting on your laurels but leaping forwards no matter the situation you find yourself in. From out of one day and into the next.

MIDNIGHT TRACKLISTING
1. All I Do is Lie
2. Scream
3. Degrees
4. Method Mad
5. Trumbull
6. Jumpin’ Jack
7. Sincerely Yours
8. 3D Girl
9. Sweet Sweet Midnight
10. Love Song
11. They’ll Never
12. Eyes Without a Face

STEF CHURA TOUR DATES
Tue. April 23 – Ann Arbor, MI @ Blind Pig
Fri. July 5 – Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle
Sat. July 6 – Detroit, MI @ Deluxx Fluxx
Sun. July 7 – Toronto, ON @ The Drake
Mon. July 8 – Montreal, QC @ Casa del Popolo
Tue. July 9 – Boston, MA @ Great Scott
Fri. July 12 – Brooklyn, NY @ Rough Trade
Sat. July 13 – Philadelphia, PA @ PhilaMOCA
Mon. July 15 – Washington, DC @ Comet Ping Pong
Tue. July 16 – Durham, NC @ The Pinhook
Wed. July 17 – Atlanta, GA @ The Earl
Fri. July 19 – New Orleans, LA @ Gasa Gasa
Sat. July 20 – Houston, TX @ The Satellite
Sun. July 21 – Austin, TX @ The Mohawk
Mon. July 22 – Dallas, TX @ Regal Room
Thu. July 25 – Phoenix, AZ @ Valley Bar
Fri. July 26 – San Diego, CA @ Sodabar
Sat. July 27 – Los Angeles, CA @ Bootleg Theatre
Sun. July 28 – San Francisco, CA @ Cafe du Nord
Tue. July 30 – Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios
Wed. July 31 – Seattle, WA @ Barboza
Thu. Aug. 1 – Vancouver, BC @ Biltmore Cabaret
Fri. Aug. 2 – Spokane, WA @ Lucky You Lounge
Sat. Aug. 3 – Boise, ID @ Neurolux
Mon. Aug. 5 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court
Tue. Aug. 6 – Denver, CO @ Larimer Lounge
Wed. Aug. 7 – Omaha, NE @ Reverb
Fri. Aug. 9 – Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry
Sat. Aug. 10 – Milwaukee, WI @ Backroom at Colectivo

PRAISE FOR MESSES

“Detroit indie rocker Stef Chura has the kind of magnetic voice that music writers fall into ditches attempting to describe” – Pitchfork

“Her music recalls the propulsive, pop-driven rock of icons like Liz Phair and Hole; her conversational, confessional lyrics add a touch of folksiness.” – NPR Music

“In Messes, you can hear the idea that DIY rock music can be as warm and friendly and melodic as any other kind of music.” – Stereogum

“there are a bunch of reasons you should pay attention to the grunge pop songstress.”
– Noisey

“A major highlight on the record is Chura’s voice, which is prone to breathy, almost yodel-y stretches, and can take the simplest lyric and twist it into what sounds like a hundred knots until, suddenly, you realize that’s the chorus.” – MTV News

Midnight will be available digitally, on CD, cassette, black LP, and as a limited-edition LP pressed on glow-in-the-dark and midnight blue splattered vinyl (200 copies exclusive to the Saddle Creek Store).

Stef Chura Online:
http://stefchura.net/
https://stefchuraband.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/stefchuraband/
https://soundcloud.com/stefchura
https://twitter.com/stefchura

Keep your mind open.

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Mdou Moctar shares “Tumastin” from upcoming album due March 29th.

Mdou Moctar presents his newest single, “Tumastin,” from the upcoming full length, Ilana: The Creator (out 3/29 on Sahel Sounds). A departure from the high energy wedding rock synonymous with Tuareg guitar, “Tumastin” further showcases Mdou’s versatility, in what might be the first of its kind of Saharan shoegaze. Singing with ghostly reverbed vocals over echoing-with-whammy wow and fluttering guitars, Mdou sounds a plaintive note for his “Tumastin,” or “people back home.” Nostalgic with a steady loping drum crash, it ends in dreamy, Julie Cruise-inspired reprieve.

LISTEN TO “TUMASTIN”
https://youtu.be/kqaHGTQpoTY

The song is premiered in conjunction with an interview with Stereogum, who today named Mdou an “Artist to Watch,” making him, by our count, the first Tuareg guitarist to be named as such.

Don’t miss Mdou on tour this Spring, as he brings his electrifying shows to our continent.

“TUMASTIN” LYRICS
My people are dispersed
across different countries
It hurts my heart
With such pain
it stops the blood
from running in my veins

For me
it is my heart that pains me
with a deep sadness
as I pity the women
who live in the desert

Look at the other countries
And look at the world before us
The men don’t sleep
but work hard
To bring the women
into the shade
What a beautiful idea

PRAISE FOR “KAMANE TARHANIN”

“It’s easy to imagine the breadth of Mocatar’s musical influences. [‘Kamane Tarhanin’] is a droning, hypnotic, and psychedelic meditation.” – NPR Music

“blistering and gritty psych rock” – Stereogum

“While nothing captures the live Mdou Moctar experience, this is as close as I’ve heard.”
– Afropop Worldwide

MDOU MOCTAR TOUR DATES
Thu. March 28 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Andy Warhol Museum
Fri. March 29 – Cleveland, OH @ Now That’s Class
Sat. March 30 – Detroit, MI @ Trinosophes
Sun. March 31 – Kalamazoo, MI @ Bell’s Eccentric Cafe
Mon. April 1 – Newport, KY @ Southgate House Revifval – Sanctuary
Tue. April 2 – Columbus, OH @ Ace of Cups
Wed. April 3 – Bloomington, IN @ The Bishop
Thu. April 4 – Chicago, IL @ The Empty Bottle
Fri. April 5 – Milwaukee, WI @ Milwaukee Psych Festival
Sat. April 6 – Minneapolis, MN @ Cedar Cultural Center
Sun. April 7 – Omaha, NE @ Pageturners Lounge
Mon. April 8 – Denver, CO @ Globe Hall
Tue. April 9 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge
Wed. April 10 – Garden City, ID @ Visual Arts Collective
Fri. April 12 – Olympia, WA @ Octapas
Sat. April 13 – Portland, OR @ Star Theater
Sun. April 14 – Seattle, WA @ Chop Suey
Tue. April 16 – Felton, CA @ Flynn’s Cabaret
Thu. April 18 – Oakland, CA @ Red Bay Coffee
Fri. April 19 – Visalia, CA @ The Cellar Door
Sat. April 20 – Los Angeles, CA @ Zebulon
Sun. April 21 – San Diego, CA @ The Casbah
Mon. April 22 – Tucson, AZ @ 191 Toole
Tue. April 23 – Albuquerque, NM @ Sister
Thu. April 25 – Austin, TX @ Hotel Vegas
Fri. April 26 – Lafayette, LA @ Festival International de Louisiane
Sat. April 27 – Lafayette, LA @ Festival International de Louisiane
Sun. April 28 – New Orleans, LA @ New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
Tue. April 30 – Birmingham, AL @ Saturn
Fri. June 28 – Sun. June 30 – North Adams, MA @ Solid Sound Festival

Pre-order Ilana (The Creator) –
https://mdoumoctar.bandcamp.com/album/ilana-the-creator

Hi-res images, album art & bio available here: http://pitchperfectpr.com/mdou-moctar/

Mdou Moctar Online:
https://mdoumoctar.bandcamp.com/
https://sahelsounds.com/mdou-moctar/
https://www.facebook.com/mdoumoctarofficial/

Keep your mind open.

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Protomartyr to re-release long out-of-print debut album on May 3rd.

WATCH VIDEO FOR “JUMBO’S” http://smarturl.it/JumbosYT

LISTEN TO “JUMBO’S” http://smarturl.it/JumbosStrm

Today, Protomartyr finally answers what is probably their most frequently asked question: “When are you going to reissue your first album?” For fans of the band, No Passion All Technique has long been something of a mystery. Not available on streaming services; long out of print (and going for ridiculous prices on Discogs). Why was this album so elusive? On May 3rd, it ceases to be out of reach, as Domino will release a deluxe reissue of No Passion All Technique, along with an expanded digital version that includes four non-album tracks from the same recording session – “King Boots”, “Bubba Helms”, and “Cartier E.G.s” from the Dreads 85 84 7”, and “Whatever Happened To The Saturn Boys?”, which has never before been released. Additionally, today the band shares a video for longtime live staple and fan favorite “Jumbo’s,” directed by frequent Protomartyr-collaborator Yoonha Park – also responsible for the band’s “Don’t Go To Anacita” and “Wheel of Fortune” videos from their past two releases.

When Protomartyr—vocalist Joe Casey, guitarist Greg Ahee, bassist Scott Davidson, drummer Alex Leonard—stepped into a studio together for the first time, in November of 2011, they didn’t know they were about to record an album. With only four hours of studio time booked and one case of beer between them, their plan was to walk out with enough songs for a seven-inch single. Instead, at the suggestion of engineer Chris Koltay, the newly formed Detroit outfit recorded as much as they possibly could, in what little time they had.

They left with 21 songs—enough material for two singles *and* a full-length album that, years later, is still vital listening.

Sold out and out of print shortly after its original release on Urinal Cake Records in October 2012, No Passion All Technique is a sometimes-messy look at one of rock’s most magnetic bands—and lyricists—just as they were coming to life. Primal, cerebral, heartbreaking, funny—it’s an accidental tour de force that’s also become an unlikely collector’s item. “My memory is shot,” Casey says, “but I appreciate now, looking back, how raw and off-the-cuff it was. There’s tons of mistakes in it and that wasn’t because we planned on it. We still can’t really admit that it’s as good as it is. You never want to say that your first is the best, but I’m happy that the first ended up not being terrible. It gave us doorway to what we’d want to do later. ”

NO PASSION ALL TECHNIQUE DELUXE EDITION TRACKLISTING 1. In My Sphere 2. Machinist Man 3. Hot Wheel City 4. 3 Swallows 5. Free Supper 6. Jumbo’s 7. Ypsilanti 8. Too Many Jewels 9. (Don’t You) Call Me Out My Name 10. How He Lived After He Died 11. Feral Cats 12. Wine of Ape 13. Principalities 14. King Boots (Bonus Track) 15. Bubba Helms (Bonus Track) 16. Cartier E.G.s (Bonus Track) 17. Whatever Happened to the Saturn Boys? (Bonus Track)

No Passion All Technique is available to pre-order from Domino on limited pressing starburst vinyl w/ 20-page zine, CD, and digital download. The digital release includes four non-album bonus tracks, captured during the same recording session as No Passion All Technique.

Pre-order physical here. Pre-order digital here.

Protomartyr Online: https://www.facebook.com/protomartyr https://soundcloud.com/protomartyr http://pitchperfectpr.com/protomartyr/ https://protomartyr.bandcamp.com/ http://www.dominorecordco.us/artists/protomartyr/

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Partner get country on new single, “Tell You Off.”

Partner are sharing the second song from their forthcoming new record entitled Saturday the 14th. “Tell You Off,” originally debuted on their Tiny Desk session, “We wrote this song in Josée’s bedroom last year in Windsor Ontario and it’s the first time we’ve had to bleep a lyric in a song.” – Partner

Stereogum calls it “…twangingly catchy. It’s pretty wacko, filled with farm animal samples and bleeped-out curses and a flippant attitude that’d fit right in at your local honky-tonk.”

Listen to “Tell You Off” HERE

Earlier, Partner shared the video for “Long and McQuade,” an ode to the Canadian music store chain. Watch the video HERE.

Saturday the 14th, out April 5th, follows Partner’s 2017 debut, In Search of Lost Time which landed on NPR, Stereogum, Noisey, Exclaim, and CBC Music year end lists. Pre-order Saturday the 14th HERE.

Partner will tour Canada and the Mid-West this spring.

TOUR DATES April 13 – The Danforth Music Hall, Toronto ON+ April 18 – The Capitol Music Club, Saskatoon SK+ April 19 – The Starlite Room, Edmonton AB+ April 20 – The Palace Theatre, Calgary AB+ April 22 – Spiritbar, Nelson BC+ April 23 – Sapphire Nightclub, Kelowna BC+ April 25 – Cactus Jacks, Kamloops BC+ April 26 – Commodore Ballroom, Vancouver BC+ April 27 – Capital Ballroom, Victoria BC+ April 30 – Bo’s Bar & Grill, Red Deer AB+ May 02 – The Exchange, Regina SK+ May 03 – The Garrick, Winnipeg MB+ May 05 – The Hideout, Chicago IL May 06 – The Cactus Club, Milwaukee WI May 07 – UFO, Detroit MI + supporting Wintersleep

Partner links Website: http://www.partnerband.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/partner.music.band/ Bandcamp: https://partnerband.bandcamp.com/ Record Label: http://youvechangedrecords.com/portfolio/partner/ Twitter: http://twitter.com/partner_band YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/partnerband

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Rewind Review: Fountains of Wayne – Out-of-State Plates (2005)

Out-of-State Plates is a double-album of B-sides, live cuts, and unreleased material from power pop masters Fountains of Wayne is a treasure trove of catchy hooks and witty lyrics.

Opener “Maureen” is the type of song FOW do so well – a big rocker about a lovely woman and unrequited love. “California Sex Lawyer” is a great example of Chris Collingwood and Adam Schlesinger’s song craft. It’s a funny song skewering rich douche bags, many of whom probably love the song and don’t realize it’s a kick in their crotch. “Janice’s Party” is Collingwood’s salute to his friend’s annual shindig. “Karpet King” is a bonus track from 1997 that was, according to Schlesinger’s liner notes, “a live staple during our first few tours when we only had one album’s worth of material to choose from.” “I Know You Well” is a song Collingwood wrote for his brother’s wedding. “You’re Just Never Satisfied” is full of stadium rock riffs as Schlesinger throws up his hands yet again over trying and failing to please his girl.

Other standouts on the first disc are the 1999 bonus track “I’ll Do the Driving” (a song that angered Collingwood’s wife, according to his notes), the lovely “Places” (a salute to his wife, Barbara – the inspiration for their single “Barbara H.,” which was the A-side of this track), and their 1997 live cover of ELO’s “Can’t Get It Out of My Head.”

Disc two starts with the previously unreleased “The Girl I Can’t Forget,” a great tune about missing a great girl Schlesinger met when he was blitzed drunk and now can’t remember well. A low-key cover of Britney Spears’ “…Baby One More Time” follows it. “Elevator Up” is a sharp rocker about drug addicts. “Comedienne” (a 1997 bonus track) is a funny story about a comic who isn’t sure if she’s failing or succeeding.

Other highlights from this disc are the 1997 live version of “She’s Got a Problem,” a cover of Jackson Browne’s “These Days” done in one take, a triple shot of winter holiday songs (“I Want an Alien for Christmas,” “The Man in the Santa Suit,” and “Chanukah Under the Stars”), and a lovely tribute to Collingwood’s grandfather called “Imperium.”

This is a great collection of not only FOW songs, but also power pop tracks that any fan of the genre would love.

Keep your mind open.

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Review: Delicate Steve – Till I Burn Up

I, for one, am glad that electro and synthwave is making such a nice comeback. It might be due to the fact that I’m a Generation X kid who grew up on new wave synth music and experimental music ruling 1980’s cinema and the FM pop airwaves. I don’t know if Delicate Steve is a fellow Gen X’er, but he certainly loves the music from that era and displays that affection on his latest album – Till I Burn Up.

Opening with heavy synth bass and stuttering processed beats on “Way Too Long,” Till I Burn Up gets off to a great start by sounding like a robotic funk band doing a weird interpretation of Pink Floyd records. “Freedom,” like the track before it, revels in snap-crackle-pop guitar riffs and percussion. “Selfie of a Man” has a great title and a swaggering android sound that pokes fun of how social technology causes us to prevent more false versions of ourselves to the world at large.

The title track is full of crunchy guitar riffs with cool synth stabs behind them. “Purple Boy” is a short instrumental lead-in to the ethereal “Ghost” before the futuristic hit man theme of “Rat in the House.” Seriously, it sounds like something off a cool VHS movie you forgot existed. “Rubberneck” sounds like it’s from a scene in that movie in which the sexy bounty hunter that looks like a living Patrick Nagel painting walks into a smoky nightclub full of neon where they serve glow-in-the-dark drinks.

“We Ride on Black Wings” brings in soaring synths perfect for the song’s subject matter (death, and not being afraid of it). The short “Vacant Disco” is also aptly titled. The underlying quiet menace of the synths on “Madness” reveals some of Delicate Steve’s love for Gary Numan records, I think, and I love how his guitar sounds like it’s filtered through a Transformer’s vocal chords. The album fades out with “Dream,” a lovely track that reminds me of some of John Carpenter‘s quieter themes.

Synthwave is back, my friends, and thank heavens for folks like Delicate Steve for dusting off the old keyboards and sequencers to help it return.

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Review: Durand Jones and the Indications – American Love Call

We’re less than three full months into 2019 and I’ve already found what is likely to be one of the top 10 albums of the year – American Love Call by Durand Jones and the Indications.

Blending soul, jazz, and funk, American Love Call is a love letter, sermon, and warning to the United States in times of sound and fury and fear.

Starting with the beautiful “Morning in America” (My top single of the year so far.), Jones and his crew bring us tales of average people across the country trying hard to just get by while the rich get richer and Congress does nothing but sling mud. “It’s morning in America, but I can’t see the dawn,” Jones sings. It’s a soulful gut punch. The psychedelic touches on “Don’t You Know” take you straight back to vintage soul records from the 1960’s. It makes you want to dress sharp. “Circles” has Jones so spun up in love with someone who doesn’t care about him that he doesn’t know where to turn or what to do next.

“Court of Love” is a soulful ballad with slow-dance guitar and sad doo-wop backing vocals. The groove on the lovely “Long Way Home” is as downright wicked as the lyrics about trying to work one’s way back from sin are relatable to everyone. The love of family, and love in general, is prevalent throughout the record, of course, and this track is a standout on that theme. You’d swear “Too Many Tears” was part of a collection of tracks from early Motown B-sides.

Speaking of Motown, “Walk Away” brings the Temptations to mind with its lush string section and sultry sound (and that flute solo!). “What I Know About You” is another lesson in sexy grooves. The simple organ chords add a layer that almost carries you away with them. Another jaw-dropping groove comes with the drums on “Listen to Your Heart” – a song about giving into love and passion that the band does so well. It’s probably on five thousand make-out playlists by now.

“Sea Gets Hotter” is a song about holding it together with the one you love while the world falls apart around you. “How Can I Be Sure” has a bass groove suitable for a 1970’s bachelor pad in outer space. The closer is the slow dance-inducing “True Love.” The drum beats in this are slicker than clarified butter in a hot skillet.

I wrote earlier that American Love Call is a love letter, sermon, and warning to America. It’s a love letter to the country that inspires so many, a sermon to a country that needs to embrace love more than ever, and a warning against turning away from love and chasing after things that will only bring heartache in the end. Embrace your neighbors, lovers, friends, strangers, and foes. It’s the call we all must heed.

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The Beths release new single, “Uptown Girl,” and lauch massive tour.

The Beths are back in North America for their largest headline tour in support of 2018’s breakout album, Future Me Hates Me (available now via Carpark Records). The band has already sold out shows in Toronto, New York City, Washington, DC, and Chicago. Today, they share the video for “Uptown Girl” compiled on their last North American tour in the fall. After this current run which includes a stop at SXSW, The Beths will continue onto Australia and Europe where they’ve started selling out shows and upgrading to bigger venues. Then, they’ll bookend the summer festival season at Primavera Sound, Pickathon and Pukkelpop. The band will also be releasing its debut EP, Warm Blood, on vinyl for the first time via Carpark Records. The official release date is April 26th with some copies being available to purchase on tour soon. Pre-order here.

Watch “Uptown Girl” Video – https://youtu.be/BmCZ-NxESOc

The Beths Tour Dates:

Sun. Mar. 10 – Tampa, FL @ Festival Gasparilla
Mon. Mar. 11-Fri. Mar. 15 – Austin, TX @ SXSW (w/ Bad Bad Hats)
Sat. Mar. 16 – Dallas, TX @ Not So Fun Wknd (w/ Bad Bad Hats)
Sun. Mar. 17 – Houston, TX @ Satellite Bar (w/ Bad Bad Hats)
Thu. Mar. 21 – Melbourne, AUS @ Forum
Fri. Mar. 22 – Melbourne, AUS @ Forum
Sun. Mar. 24 – Hobart, AUS @ Republic Bar & Café
Thu. Mar. 28 – Fortitude Valley, AUS @ The Foundry
Fri. Mar. 29 – Fortitude Valley @ The Tivoli
Sat. Mar. 30 – Newtown, AUS @ Enmore Theatre
Sun. Mar. 31 – Leichhardt, AUS @ Crowbar
Thu. Apr. 4 – Collingwood, AUS @ The Gasometer Hotel
Fri. Apr. 5 – Adelaide, AUS @ Thebarton Theatre
Sat. Apr. 6 – Adelaide, AUS @ Jive
Thu. Apr. 11 – Perth, AUS @ Badlands Bar
Sat. Apr. 13 – Perth, AUS @ Astor Theatre
Tue. May 7 – Birmingham, UK @ Hare & Hounds
Wed. May 8 – Oxford, UK @ The Wheatsheaf
Thu. May 9-Sat. May 11 @ Brighton, UK @ The Great Escape
Sun. May 12 – Leeds, UK @ Gold Sounds Festival
Mon. May 13 – Edinburgh, UK @ Sneaky Pete’s (SOLD OUT)
Tue. May 14 – Glasgow, UK @ G2 (MOVED DUE TO DEMAND)
Wed. May 15 – Manchester, UK @ Band on the Wall (MOVED DUE TO DEMAND)
Thur. May. 16 – London, UK @ The Dome, Tufnell Park (SOLD OUT)
Fri. May 17 – Bristol, UK @ Fleece (MOVED DUE TO DEMAND)
Sat. May 18 – Wrexham, UK @ Ty Pawb Arts Hub (Focus Wales)
Sun. May 19 – Ramsgate, UK @ Ramsgate Music Hall
Tue. May 21 – Paris, FR @ Supersonic
Wed. May 22 – Colmar, FR @ Le Grillen
Thu. May 23 – Lyon, FR @ Sonic
Sat. May 25 – Madrid, ES @ Tomavistas
Tue. May 28 – Dornbirn, AT @ Spielboden
Wed. May 29 – Munster, DE @ Gleis 22
Thu. May 30 – Groningen, NL @ VERA
Fri. May 31 – Nijmegen, NL @ Merleyn
Sat. June 1 – Hilvarenbeek, NL @ Best Kept Secret Festival
Sun. June 2 – Barcelona, ES @ Primavera Sound
Sat. Aug. 3 – Happy Valley, OR @ Pickathon
Thu. Aug. 15 – Trondheim, NO @ Pstereo
Sun. Aug. 18 – Haasselt, BE @ Pukkelpop
Wed. Aug. 28 – London, UK @ Heaven

Purchase Future Me Hates Me:
Carpark Shop – http://smarturl.it/fmhm_carpark
Streaming Services – http://smarturl.it/fmhm_dsps

The Beths online:
https://thebeths.com/
https://www.facebook.com/thebethsnz
https://thebethsnz.bandcamp.com/
https://soundcloud.com/thebethsnz
https://twitter.com/lizstokedstokes
https://www.instagram.com/lizstokedstokes/

Keep your mind open.

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Live: Bob Mould and Airstream Futures – Metro – Chicago, IL – Feb. 22, 2019

I hadn’t seen the Bob Mould Band in concert since New Year’s Eve 2014 at the Metro in Chicago. That was a blast, and now one of my rock heroes was kicking off my year of live music in 2019. An added bonus was meeting Mr. Mould on Clark Street a few blocks south of the venue. I got to shake hi hand and tell him thanks for everything, so the day was a win.

Opening for him were Chicago’s Airstream Futures. Unfortunately, none of the photographs I took of their set turned out well, but I can tell you that they played an energetic set of punk with pop riffs. Their drummer has impressive chops, and their lead singer had a lot of energy despite, as she mentioned, being fired from her full-time job earlier that day.

Mr. Mould and his pals, Jason Narducy on bass and Jon Wurster on drums, came out swinging with a triple threat of “The War,” “A Good Idea,” and “I Apologize.” There was barely time to catch your breath when they were tearing into “See a Little Light” and “Sunny Love Song” – a track of his new record, Sunshine Rock.

There were many moments when I thought a mosh pit would, and should, have broken out, but the crowd was mostly aging punks (like yours truly) who are afraid of twisting a knee or running out of breath in a pit (unlike yours truly). Such moments came with songs like the title track of the new album, “Hey Mr. Grey,” and “If I Can’t Change Your Mind.”

One thing Mr. Mould assured everyone of during the show was that he can still shred. He tore his guitar up during multiple songs and wowed many of us with the kinds of solos you rarely hear at punk rock shows anymore.

The encore of “Never Talking to You Again,” a cover of Sonny Curtis’ “Love Is All Around,” and “Flip Your Wig” was another sonic assault that left everyone wanting more, as a good encore should. You can’t go wrong with a Bob Mould show. He’s still putting out great music and destroying stages. Don’t miss him.

Keep your mind open.

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