‘Claude Fontaine’ promises 10 tracks of artful reverence and tasteful reimagining of globetrotting sounds.” — Noisey
Los Angeles-based singer and songwriter ClaudeFontaine shares a new single, “Hot Tears,” from her forthcoming debut, self-titled album, out April26th on InnovativeLeisure. Following the “hypnotic and romantic” (Noisey) “Pretending He Was You” and lead single “Cry For Another”, which the Los Angeles Times described as “a straight-up rocksteady song that conjures the essence of Kingston, Jamaica, in the late 1960s,” “Hot Tears” is another standout nod to the early 1970s StudioOne, Trojan, and TreasureIsle records of Jamaica. Over muted percussion and flutters of trumpet, Fontaine tells a story of unrequited love.
Claude Fontaine was tracked in two potent sessions with guitarist TonyChin, whose playing with Althea and Donna, KingTubby, DennisBrown and so many more very arguably defined a significant part of the classic reggae sound, and AirtoMoreira, the Brazilian drummer whose work both solo and in collaboration—with MilesDavis, AstrudGilberto, ChickCorea, AnnettePeacock—make him an actual living legend. They also enlisted a murderer’s row of additional session players—bassist RonnieMcQueen of SteelPulse and ZiggyMarley drummer RockDeadrick, NowAgainRecords guitarist FabianoDo Nascimento, SergioMendes percussionist GibiDosSantos and FloraPurim bassist AndreDeSantanna. The ten tracks that comprise ClaudeFontaine were tracked at both KingsizeSoundLabs in Northeast Los Angeles and SageandSound, Chet Baker’s legendary old studio in Hollywood.
Fontaine will celebrate the album’s release with a show at ZebuloninLosAngeles on Fri. April 26th. Tickets are available here.
“[‘Into The Iris’ EP is] equal parts protest, post-impressionist imagery, even reactionary as it responds to the world around it—it’s a culmination and a dismantling at once.” – LA Record
“Into the Iris is a Wire-like collision of angular chords and shards of noise that are occasionally topped with compelling shout-along choruses.” – LA Weekly
“With a wave of twitchy, heavily distorted guitars, lead vocalist Will Ivy exudes a stark, smirking calmness amongst the electrifying storm.” – Paste on “Shouting At The Wall”
Flat Worms – the Los Angeles-based trio of bassist/vocalist Tim Hellman (Thee Oh Sees), drummer Justin Sullivan (Night Shop), and guitarist/ vocalist Will Ivy (Dream Boys) – share a video for “Into The Iris,” the title track from their recently released EP, out now via Drag City imprint, GOD? Records. “Into The Iris” is a frenzied, high-energy track about channeling inspiration. The video was recorded at their record release show at Zebulon in Los Angeles, and presents the band’s frenetic live performance. Directed by Joshua Erkman, the video also features lighting tricks by Ty Segall.
The “Into The Iris” EP was recorded by Ty Segall in his home. The six tracks comprising the EP are a persistent, determined response to an apocalyptic era, one that sees deserted strip malls and surreal headlines. The EP follows their self-titled album, released via Castle Face in 2017.
Flat Worms will tour the west coast in support of the “Into The Iris” EP. They will play dates in Europe later this summer. All dates are below.
Watch “Into The Iris” Video – https://youtu.be/nHtDMkrH8OM
Listen to “Shouting At The Wall” – https://youtu.be/6dEDRwJwT7U
Purchase “Into the Iris” EP – http://www.dragcity.com/products/into-the-iris
Flat Worms Tour Dates: Tue. April 23 – Seattle, WA @ Screw Driver Wed. April 24 – Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios Fri. April 26 – Chicago, CA @ Valley Fever Festival Sat. April 27 – San Francisco, CA @ The Knockout Sun. April 28 – Ventura, CA @ The Tavern Mon. April 29 – Los Angeles, CA @ Non Plus Ultra Sat. June 22 – Paris, FR @ La Maroquinerie Sun. June 23 – Brighton, UK @ TBD Mon. June 24 – Manchester, UK @ Yes (Pink Room) Thu. June 27 – Glasgow, UK @ Broadcast Fri. June 28 – Newcastle, UK @ The Cluny Sat. June 29 – Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Social Club Sun. June 30 – Nottingham, UK @ Rescue Rooms Mon. July 1 – Bristol, UK @ Fleece 2P Tue. July 2 – London, UK @ Dingwalls
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Flat Worms will tour the west coast in support of the “Into The Iris” EP. They will play dates in Europe later this summer. All dates are below. Watch “Into The Iris” Video – https://youtu.be/nHtDMkrH8OM
Listen to “Shouting At The Wall” – https://youtu.be/6dEDRwJwT7U
Purchase “Into the Iris” EP – http://www.dragcity.com/products/into-the-iris
Flat Worms Tour Dates: Tue. April 23 – Seattle, WA @ Screw Driver Wed. April 24 – Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios Fri. April 26 – Chicago, CA @ Valley Fever Festival Sat. April 27 – San Francisco, CA @ The Knockout Sun. April 28 – Ventura, CA @ The Tavern Mon. April 29 – Los Angeles, CA @ Non Plus Ultra Sat. June 22 – Paris, FR @ La Maroquinerie Sun. June 23 – Brighton, UK @ TBD Mon. June 24 – Manchester, UK @ Yes (Pink Room) Thu. June 27 – Glasgow, UK @ Broadcast Fri. June 28 – Newcastle, UK @ The Cluny Sat. June 29 – Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Social Club Sun. June 30 – Nottingham, UK @ Rescue Rooms Mon. July 1 – Bristol, UK @ Fleece 2P Tue. July 2 – London, UK @ Dingwalls
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“End of World Party” is the newest single by London-based electronic quartet HÆLOS off their sophomore album, Any Random Kindness, out May 10th via Infectious. Following a string of previously released tracks including the “anxious and melancholic” (Stereogum) “Boy / Girl,” “Kyoto,” and “Buried in The Sand,” “End of World Party” is a satirical look at disregarding the apocalyptic aspects of humanity and focusing on the now.
“‘End of World Party’ went through a few different versions, and then we took things from other songs and these new melodies materialized that we ran with. There’s a lot of fun production in it,” Arthur Delaney explains regarding the song’s unique sonic spin. Lotti Benardout elaborates on its themes, “It’s a bit more tongue-in-cheek than some of the other tracks on the record. We’re all humans in the end—you often need to turn yourself off from the news and enjoy the moment.”
STREAM “END OF WORLD PARTY” — https://haelos.lnk.to/EndPartyVidPR
The follow up to 2016’s Full Circle, Any Random Kindness is an astoundingly textured record and a huge leap forward for HÆLOS’ band members Lotti Benardout, Arthur Delaney, Dom Goldsmith, and Daniel Vildósola. The shivering, gorgeous atmospheres conjured on Full Circle are more warm-blooded and varied than ever, the result of a new approach to live instrumentation the band took in-studio. It was recorded in a variety of locations—from Benardout’s basement and Delaney’s house to a studio in the English countryside, miles away from their city digs. Throughout, the album touches on themes ranging from the permanent destruction caused by climate change to the ephemeral emotions projected onto social media.
HÆLOS is in the midst of their pre-release tour. All dates are below.
Stream/Watch/Share: “Buried In The Sand” Video – https://Haelos.lnk.to/BITSVidPR “Kyoto” Video – https://Haelos.lnk.to/KyotoVideoPR “Boy / Girl” – https://youtu.be/aFOhIKJf4GM
Pre-order Any Random Kindness – https://haelos.lnk.to/BITSVidPR
HÆLOS Tour Dates: Thu. May 9 – Sat. May 11 – Brighton, UK @ The Great Escape Thu. May 16 – London, UK @ EartH (Hackney Arts Centre) Fri. June 7 – Sat. June 8 – London, UK @ Field Day
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“North Carolina-based folk and blues guitarist Jake Xerxes Fussell creates music that resides at the seams of Appalachia and the cosmos.” — NPR Music
“Jake Xerxes Fussell is a national treasure.” — Aquarium Drunkard
“Achingly beautiful. He has an uncanny ability to illuminate the present by propping up a window against the past.” — Uncut
Jake Xerxes Fussell is pleased to announce his third album, Out of Sight, out June 7th on Paradise of Bachelors, alongside the album’s first single, “The River St. Johns.” Of the track, Jake writes: ‘The River St. Johns’ comes straight from one of Stetson Kennedy’s Florida WPA recordings of a gentleman named Harden Stuckey doing his interpretation of a fishmonger’s cry, which he recalls from a childhood memory. What compelling imagery there: “I’ve got fresh fish this morning, ladies / They are gilded with gold, and you may find a diamond in their mouths.” I can’t help but believe him.
Listen “The River St. Johns” — https://youtu.be/RaJCnhbVM64
On his third and most finely wrought album yet, guitarist, singer, and master interpreter Fussell is joined for the first time by a full band featuring Nathan Bowles (drums), Casey Toll (bass), Nathan Golub (pedal steel), Libby Rodenbough (violin, vocals), and James Anthony Wallace (piano, organ). An utterly transporting selection of traditional narrative folksongs addressing the troubles and delights of love, work, and wine (i.e., the things that matter), collected from a myriad of obscure sources and deftly metamorphosed, Out of Sight contains, among other moving curiosities, a fishmonger’s cry that sounds like an astral lament (“The River St. Johns”); a cotton mill tune that humorously explores the unknown terrain of death and memory (“Winnsboro Cotton Mill Blues”); and a fishermen’s shanty/gospel song equally concerned with terrestrial boozing and heavenly transcendence (“Drinking of the Wine”).
Read Bonnie “Prince” Billy’s essay on Fussell below.
“In our house we’ve listened to more Jake Fussell than any other individual artist over the past year, with the possible exception of Laurie Spiegel. We’ve had the opportunity to witness several intimate performances of Fussell’s (to my mind, he creates a new standard for the value of up-close musical experience) here in Louisville. As long as Jake Fussell is making records and playing shows, there is ample cause for optimism in this world. Fussell’s repertoire, and the manner in which he creates, constructs and presents it, displays such a beautiful and complex relationship to time and currency. He’s able to listen to and understand the presence of an old recording, of crusty dusty written-out pieces of music and memories of musical encounters. And then he overlays his own now-ness on those pre-existing presences so that the lives of older musical forces, in effect, link arms with Fussell’s in-progress trajectory and skip down the brick road, picking up desperate and willing compatriots along the way. Meaning: Jake lives in music as a true time-artist, using the qualities of time itself as irreplaceable elements of content.
“When Jake sings a sad song, he presents it in such a way that makes me want to say “Hey, but everything’s okay because you’re Jake Xerxes Fussell!” Hopefully it’s okay by him that I wouldn’t accept full-fledged nihilism from him even if he were standing naked on the ledge of a tall building with “this World is Shit” written on his shaved chest in, well, shit. His deal with his songs is too strong and blatantly valuable.” — Bonnie “Prince” Billy
Out of Sight Tracklist: 01. The River St. Johns 02. Michael Was Hearty 03. Oh Captain 04. Three Ravens 05. Jubilee 06. Winnsboro Cotton Mill Blues 07. The Rainbow Willow 08. 16-20 09. Drinking of the Wine
Pre-order Out of Sight: From PoB (LP/CD): http://www.paradiseofbachelors.com/pob-042
I’d heard a lot of good things about Nigerian guitarist / Tuareg musician Mdou Moctar before seeing him live for the first time. I knew he opened for Jack White on some of his tour dates, and that he’d made his own version of the Purple Rain film, and that he plays all sorts of gigs – from big festivals to weddings. I also heard that he shreds. After seeing him live in Kalamazoo, I can confirm this. Boy, does he ever shred.
Opening for Mr. Moctar and his band with the NYC new wave / post-punk / psychedelic outfit Guerilla Toss. They put on a wild set that mixed all three of those genres that left the crowd wowed and weird. I especially liked their tunes that wandered into psychedelic jams.
Guerilla Toss
Mr. Moctar and his sharp backing band were a contrast to Guerilla Toss’ style. Moctar and crew brought in fierce African rhythms, heavy bass, and fiery guitar solos that could barely be contained by the small venue.
He mostly played cuts from his excellent new album, Ilana (the Creator), a stunning record that has him exploring new guitar techniques and singing about love of fellow man. He laid down multiple stunning solos throughout the show.
He’s a nice chap as well. He was at his merchandise table before and after the set and chatted with anyone who wanted to chat. That friendly energy became bigger onstage as he encouraged everyone to rock out with him and his band.
Speaking of his merchandise, he’s selling handcrafted jewelry from Niger while on tour to support a school he’s building there. The guy plays a mean guitar and he’s building a school. Your argument is invalid.
One of those rings is now mine.
Don’t miss him live, and be sure to support his charitable efforts. He’s secretly one of the biggest upcoming stars on the world music scene playing small venues near you.
The title of Priests‘ excellent new record, The Seduction of Kansas, refers to a 2004 book by Thomas Frank entitled What’s the Matter with Kansas? That book discussed how the political leanings of Kansas more or less predicted the political leanings of the country at large for a century. Priests hail from the nation’s capital and are thus front and center for the political circus there, so it’s no surprise that The Seduction of Kansas lashes out at elitism, “bro” culture, 1%’ers, xenophobia, consumerism, and pretty much everything John Carpenter predicted in They Live.
The album opens with the hard-hitting “Jesus’ Son,” which is both a reference to Lou Reed and the Velvet Underground (who are definite post-punk influences on Priests) and a middle finger to douchebags who think they can get away with anything (i.e., “I am Jesus’ son. I’m young and dumb and full of cum. I am Jesus’ son. I think I’m gonna hurt someone.”) because they’re rich dudes. The title track practically has the subliminal “CONSUME” message from They Live woven through it as vocalist Katie Alice Greer sings about how corporations and mass media try to seduce us every day and convince us that they are really all we need.
“Youtube Sartre” is a slick takedown of dehumanizing technology and online trolls (and G.L. Jaguar’s guitar work on it is excellent – blending shoegaze and post-punk riffs). Drummer Daniele Daniele takes over the vocals on the sexy / scary “I’m Clean” – a song about a murderess who snaps after the pressures of modern society finally become too much for her to bear. Bassist Janel Leppin’s groove on it is the sheath and Daniele’s vocals are the knife. “Ice Cream” is almost an industrial goth track thanks to the creepy fuzz bass and Daniele’s machine-like beats.
The snappy “Good Time Charlie” is about the U.S. war machine and how war is, for some, damn good money. Daniele comes back to sing lead on “68 Screen” – a sharp song about objectification with the rhythm section going to the forefront and Jaguar smartly backing them up because he knows how damn good Leppin and Daniele are working together.
In an interesting turn, Priests follow a song about objectification of women and being held up to standards found in media with a song called “Not Perceived” – a song about how easy it is to fade into loneliness and obscurity despite having access to devices that let us connect to anywhere in the world in a few seconds. “I’m a haunted house made of marrow and bone.” is one of the best, and for some people, truest lyrics of the year regarding the subject of loneliness and being disenfranchised.
Greer gets her Patti Smith groove on in “Control Freak” – a track that comes at you like a thunderstorm. Leppin’s rumbling bass is the thunder, Jaguar’s guitar the lightning, Daniele’s drums the driving rain, and Greer’s voice the raging wind. “Carol,” on the other hand, is almost a dreamy cruise on a summer day…but with a hint of mystery you can’t quite describe. The album ends with “Texas Instruments” – a lyrically searing takedown of xenophobia with Jaguar’s guitar work coming back to the lead with roaring riffs.
This is one of the best albums of the year so far. It’s packed with intriguing lyrics that reveal more with each listen and is a vital diary of modern times in not only the nation’s capital, but the rest of the country.
WATCH “GOOD TIME CHARLIE” https://youtu.be/nEN_GTab-ro
WATCH “THE SEDUCTION OF KANSAS” https://youtu.be/coR59SSPWv8
Priests, the Washington, D.C. rock trio consisting of drummer Daniele Daniele, vocalist Katie Alice Greer, and guitarist G.L. Jaguar (and joined live by bassist Alexandra Tyson) share “Jesus’ Son” from their forthcoming album, The Seduction of Kansas, out April 5th via Sister Polygon Records. They also share an accompanying a new music video, presenting the band giving a dramatic staged-performance with a filter of muted colors. Following the tightly wound “Good Time Charlie” and their purest pop song to date, “The Seduction of Kansas,” “Jesus’ Son” is a grand-scale rock statement.
“The mythology of a rock band relies heavily on building a captivating arsenal of visual signifiers, one of which is often a ‘live performance’ music video. I put quotations around live performance because usually these are theatrically staged pantomimes of what the band would like the viewer to believe the actual live experience of their work to be like. We decided to try our hand at this as an expression of our identity— we are, in fact, a rock band— and so, we pay homage to those who have come before us (Blink 182, the Stone Roses, the Smiths, and perhaps most explicitly here, Nine Inch Nails). So now you know, in case you didn’t before: we are a rock band. Hope you enjoy the song and video. As for the song itself, we are of course nodding to Lou Reed’s declaration that he felt ‘just like Jesus’ Son’ way back when, a statement that launched a thousand others who perhaps too have felt like the son of god at one point or another. Many inquiring minds have already said they’d like to know who the song is about, it is certainly an apocalyptic sci-fi tale of epic proportions… perhaps it is about more than just a person? We hope you enjoy it.”
The Seduction of Kansas probes the realities and mythologies of America in 2019. For The Seduction of Kansas, the band took a decidedly less hermetic approach – collaborating with someone outside of their DC-based community for the first time. Finding a kindred spirit in producer John Congleton (Angel Olsen, St. Vincent), the band spent two weeks recording at his Elmwood Studio in Dallas. They also enlisted help from primary bassist and fourth songwriting collaborator, multi-instrumentalist Janel Leppin, who played on the band’s previous album, Nothing Feels Natural. The songwriting process found the group once again analyzing the textures and scopes of albums as aggressive as they are introspective, like Massive Attack’s Mezzanine, Portishead’s Third, and Nine Inch Nails’ Downward Spiral.
Priests will soon embark on a North American tour. Later, they will tour extensively in Europe before returning stateside.
PRIESTS 2019 TOUR DATES Mon. April 15 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer Tue. April 16 – Brooklyn, NY @ Elsewhere Thu. April 18 – Cambridge, MA @ The Sinclair Fri. April 19 – Montreal, QC @ Casa Del Popolo Sat. April 20 – Toronto, ON @ The Garrison Sun. April 21 – Detroit, MI @ El Club Mon. April 22 – Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall Thu. April 25 – Madison, WI @ High Noon Saloon Fri. April 26 – Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry Sat. April 27 – Omaha, NE @ Reverb Sun. April 28 – Des Moines, IA @ Vaudeville Mews Tue. April 30 – Bloomington, IN @ The Bishop Wed. May 1 – Columbus, OH @ Ace of Cups Sat. May 11 – Brighton, UK @ The Great Escape Sun. May 12 – Bristol, UK @ Rough Trade Mon. May 13 – Manchester, UK @ YES (Pink Room) Tues. May 14 – Glasgow, UK @ The Hug and Pint Wed. May 15 – Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Social Club Thu. May 16 – London, UK @ 100 Club Fri. 17 May – Lille, FR @ Aeronef Sat. 18 May – Paris, FR @ Supersonic Mon. 20 May – Brussels, BE @ Botanique (Witloof Bar) Tue. 21 May – Cologne, DE @ Bumann & Sohn Wed. 22 May – Munich, DE @ Import/Export Thu. 23 May – Zurich, CH @ Rote Fabrik Fri. 24 May – Heidelberg, DE @ Queer Festival (Karlstorbahnhof) Sat, 25 May – Amsterdam, NL @ London Calling Mon. 27 May – Aarhus DK @ Tape Tue. 28 May – Copenhagen, DK @ Loppen Wed. 29 May – Berlin, DE @ Kantine am Berghain Thu. 30 May – Hamburg, DE @ Hafenklag (Goldener Salon) Fri. 31 May – Hilvarenbeek, NL @ Best Kept Secret Festival Sat. 1 June – Neustrelitz, DE @ Immergut Festival Sat. June 15 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club Sun. June 16 – Durham, NC @ The Pinhook Mon. June 17 – Atlanta, GA @ Drunken Unicorn Tue. June 18 – New Orleans, LA @ Gasa Gasa Thu. June 20 – Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall Fri. June 21 – Austin, TX @ Barracuda Sat. June 22 – Dallas, TX @ Club Dada Mon. June 24 – Albuquerque, NM @ Sister Tue. June 25 – Phoenix, AZ @ Valley Bar Wed. June 26 – San Diego, CA @ Soda Bar Thu. June 27 – Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom Sat. June 29 – Oakland, CA @ Starline Social Club Mon. July 1 – Portland, OR @ Polaris Hall Tue. July 2 – Vancouver, BC @ The Bitmore Wed. July 3 – Seattle, WA @ Neumos Sat. July 6 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court Sun. July 7 – Denver, CO @ Lost Lake Tue. July 9 – Kansas City, MO @ The Record Bar Wed. July 10 – St. Louis, MO @ Off Broadway
PRAISE FOR “GOOD TIME CHARLIE” “The group’s unique twist on rock music has always resisted easy categorization, and these new singles find them continuing to stretch themselves in exciting ways.” – Stereogum
“It’s a heavy topic delivered with a heavy sound, yet Priests still manage to make the song a rollicking good time for all of us, not just Charlie.” – Paste
“‘Good Time Charlie’ sounds like a spaghetti western in a neon hellscape, in the absolute best way possible.” – The FADER
PRE-ORDER THE SEDUCTION OF KANSAS Sister Polygon pre-order – http://sisterpolygonrecords.bigcartel.com iTunes Pre-order – https://apple.co/2TvJs3c
As Partner puts it, “‘Les ailes d’un ange’ (or ‘Angel’s Wings’ in English) is a song based on a poem by Cedric Sims. It is a collaboration in the style of Elton John and Bernie Taupin. It was also inspired by the grand themes and powerful performances found in Céline Dion songs, so we made a French version too.
“This song is about going down to “hell” to face your greatest fears. The song explores how, by having the courage to face your fears head on, you find you possess a strength you never knew. In order to craft this song, we had to face our greatest fears as artists. So form imitates content. Facing our fears is never easy, but there is life on the other side of fear. It’s so important to remind ourselves of this. We hope our listeners can be reminded of this fundamental truth and enjoy the ride!”
Paste Magazine says “it’s a power ballad complete with triumphant strings, an electric guitar solo and some serious glam. But don’t mistake the bells and whistles for overzealousness—Partner never take themselves too seriously.” Listen to “Les ailes d’un ange” HERE
Earlier, Partner shared the video for “Long and McQuade,” an ode to the Canadian music store chain (Watch the video HERE), and the country-bumpkin “Tell You Off” (which you can listen to 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.
Bibio, the project of Stephen Wilkinson, shares the second single, “Old Graffiti,” from his upcoming album, Ribbons, which will be released on April 12th via Warp Records.
Wilkinson’s writing process typically starts with a guitar; “There’s at least one in nearly every room of my house,” he discloses. However, on “Old Graffiti” he opted for percussion as the starting point, later adding bass guitar, clavinet and vocals to the shuffling rhythm to build a slice of warm, hazy pop. Each instrument is tempered by Bibio’s imagination; take the clavinet, when Bibio recorded it, he imagined some undiscovered ‘60s French pop track, or the Brazilian-esque shuffling groove created by the brushwork on the snare drum, which was inspired by listening to old Batucada and Capoeira recordings. Adept at pairing these influences, Wilkinson explains: “Like many of my tracks, the influences are mixed and come from quite unrelated sources, but I think that’s true of a lot of modern music, on the surface it might seem like it’s referencing a specific era, but it’s actually referencing several, and doing so from a more distant perspective, a perspective that might not have been as wide several decades ago. Rather than relying on sampling old records to get ‘that sound,’ I like to get to the bare bones and create the parts from scratch, there’s more freedom in doing that, also the challenge of getting the instruments to take on the appropriate timbre and quality is satisfying to get right. I use a mixture of new and vintage gear and instruments to achieve this and processes that I’ve developed myself since my bedroom studio days.” Tracks like “Old Graffiti” are the work of decades of listening and contemplation, and serve as a welcome homecoming of the polymorphic songcraft that Bibio is known for.
Ribbons is Stephen Wilkinson’s ninth album to date and follows the release of his ambient atmospheric project, Phantom Brickworks. Wilkinson’s sound in his latest work can be seen as an extension of the structured songwriting he explored last on 2016’s A Mineral Love, yielding folkloric charm and a mostly acoustic-led approach that looks to ‘60s and ‘70s psychedelia, soul, ambient, electronic and his own field recordings for inspiration.
A self-taught musician, singer and producer, Wilkinson plays nearly all of the instrumental parts on the album and unveils new instruments to his palette, bringing in mandolins, fiddle and other stringed instruments which give a new flavor to his music.
“Almost every song Black Midi performs unfolds in surprising ways, one riff quickly switching to another, one mellow passage blooming into caustic screams and dissonant guitars, songs constantly collapsing in on themselves and being born again.” – Stereogum, “Band To Watch”
“Black Midi are less interested in proving themselves the future of indie rock than in imagining indie rock from the future” – Pitchfork
“They were one of the most talked about groups at SXSW this year, and for good reason—Black Midi laid waste to every stage they stepped onto and damn near burned the city to the ground.” – Paste, “The 20 Best Acts We Saw at SXSW 2019”
“[black midi]’s twisted, slow-burn arrangements, noisy spasms of guitar and panicked vocals conjured visions straight out of a horror movie…” – Chicago Tribune, “12 best up-and-coming bands and artists at SXSW”
Enigmatic London-based black midi shares a caustic new single, “Crow’s Perch,” via Rough Trade Records. The accompanying video, directed and edited by Vilhjálmur Yngvi Hjálmarsson, also known as susan_creamcheese, reflects the track’s frenetic energy, juxtaposing saturated graphics and peculiar scenes with mundane images.
Since forming just over a year ago, black midi — Geordie Greep (vocals/guitar), Cameron Picton (bass/vocals), Matt Kelvin (guitar/vocals) and Morgan Simpson (drums) — have quickly cemented their reputation as one of the hottest new underground bands, following a string of sold-out UK live dates and surprise shows punctuated by constantly shifting sets and blistering musicianship. Recently, the band played their first North American live shows, were named a standout act at SXSW and sold out their first two shows in New York.
Available digitally and as a CD-R single, “Crow’s Perch” is the follow-up to black midi’s “eerily precise and austere” (Pitchfork) “Speedway” single. The “Speedway” single was accompanied by an EP of remixes by Proc Fiskal, Kwake Bass, and Blanck Mass. The 300 copies of their first-ever single, “bmbmbm,” released on Dan Carey’s label, Speedy Wunderground, sold out instantly and had to be re-pressed within the first week.
black midi will return stateside this July to play the Bowery Ballroom in New York, Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago, and Minneapolis. All upcoming tour dates are below.
Watch black midi’s “Crow’s Perch” Video — https://youtu.be/A-6hI2Mnb3s
black midi Tour Dates: Sat. April 6 – Brussels, BE @ BRDCST Sat. April 20 – Rotterdam, NL @ Motel Mozaique Sun. May 5 – Manchester, UK @ Sounds From The Other City Thu. May 9 – Sat. May 11 – Brighton, UK @ The Great Escape Festival Sat. May 25 – Totnes, UK @ Sea Change Thu. May 30 – Nimes, FR @ This Is Not A Love Song Festival Fri. May 31 – Düdingen, CH @ Bad Bonn Kilbi Sat. June 1 – Neustrelitz, DE @ Immergut Festival Wed. June 5 – Thu. June 6 – Gothenburg, SE @ Garden Festival Sat. June 8 – Sun. June 9 – Paris, FR @ Villette Sonique Mon. June 10 – Moers, DE @ Moers Festival Sat. June 15 – Bergen, NO @ Bergenfest Tue. June 18 – London, UK @ EartH (Concert Hall) Thu. June 20 – Bristol, UK @ Fiddlers Fri. June 21 – Liverpool, UK @ Phase One Sat. June 22 – Glasgow, UK @ Mono Sun. June 23 – Nottingham, UK @ Contemporary Space Fri. July 5 – Roskilde, DK @ Roskilde Festival Fri. July 5 – Sun. July 7 – Moscow, RU @ Bolь Festival Fri. July 12 – Madrid, ES @ Mad Cool Festival Sun. July 14 – Nijmegen, NL @ Valkhof Festival Thu. July 18 – New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom Sun. July 21 – Chicago, IL @ Pitchfork Music Festival Mon. July 22 – Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry Tue. July 23 – Madison, WI @ The Terrace at University of Wisconsin Fri. July 26 – Hyéres, FR @ Midi Festival Fri. Aug. 2 – Sun. Aug. 4 – Katowice, PL @ Off Festival Sun. Aug. 4 – Waterford, IE @ All Together Now Thu. Aug. 8 – Sat. Aug. 10 – Rees Haldern, DE @ Haldern Pop Sat. Aug. 10 – Oslo, NO @ Øya Festival Fri. Aug. 16 – Viana do Castelo, PT @ Paredes de Coura Fri. Aug. 16 – Sun. Aug. 18 – Biddinghuizen, NL @ Lowlands Festival Sat. Aug. 24 – Gueret, DR @ Check In Party Fri. Aug. 29 – Sun. Sept. 1 – Dorset, UK @ End of the Road Festival Thu. Sept. 19 – Paris, FR @ La Boule Noire Mon. Oct. 7 – Berlin, DE @ Lido Tue. Oct. 8 – Hamburg, DE @ Kampnagel Wed. Oct. 9 – Cologne, DE @ Bumann & Sohn
