Tag: rock

Slowdive release first single in more than two decades.

SLOWDIVE RETURN WITH FIRST NEW SONG IN 22 YEARS

LISTEN TO “STAR ROVING” HERE
https://youtu.be/ogCih4OavoY

(above image by Ingrid Pop)

After 22 years, Slowdive return with “Star Roving,” their first new material since 1995’s Pygmalion. Featuring Neil Halstead (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Christian Savill (guitar), Nick Chaplin (bass), Rachel Goswell (vocals) and Simon Scott (drums, electronics), “Star Roving” embodies the effortlessness for which Slowdive is known — as the song progresses, it expands and contracts in ways that feel infinite.
Slowdive released their debut album, Just For A Day, in 1991 via Creation Records. The highly revered Souvlaki followed in 1993 and Pygmalion in 1995, and then the band disbanded. In the 22 years of their virtual disappearance, compilation albums have been released and the core members of the group have gone on to join other musical endeavors. In 2014, Slowdive announced that they had reunited and more new music would follow. Upon today’s release of new single, “Star Roving,” the band has also announced signing to Dead Oceans.

Halstead says, “When the band decided to get back together in 2014, we really wanted to make new music. It’s taken us a whole load of shows and a few false starts to get to that point, but it’s with pride and a certain trepidation we unleash ‘Star Roving.’ It’s part of a bunch of new tracks we’ve been working on and it feels as fun, and as relevant playing together now as it did when we first started. We hope folks enjoy it.”

Dead Oceans’s Phil Waldorf comments on the signing, “We are elated to work with Slowdive on their new album. I saw Slowdive for the first time, as a teenager, in 1991 at the 9:30 Club in Washington DC. I remember it being a revelation – the way the band used texture and tone was something I’d never heard before, and it stuck with me for a long time. It was one of those gigs that was a gateway drug of sorts — not only was it amazing to see Slowdive, but it was the first taste of a whole sound that made me go exploring into all kinds of music. More than two decades later, their music sounds just as relevant and vital, and we cannot wait for old fans and new listeners to hear the band’s new recordings.”
Listen to Slowdive’s “Star Roving” –
https://youtu.be/ogCih4OavoY

Purchase “Star Roving” –
https://slowdive.lnk.to/star-roving

Elephant Stone announce Canada and U.K. tour dates.

Psych-rockers Elephant Stone have released a big batch of tour dates across their home country and in the United Kingdom.  Catch them if you can.  You won’t regret it.

Feb. 08 – Grad Club – Kingston, Ontario, Canada

Feb. 09 – Starlight – Waterloo, Ontario, Canada

Feb. 10 – Adelaide Hall – Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Feb. 14 – Casbah – Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

Feb. 15 – E-Bar – Guelph, Ontario, Canada

Feb. 16 – Red Dog – Peterborough, Ontario, Canada

Feb. 17 – Zaphods – Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Feb. 18 – Theatre Fairmount – Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Mar. 24 – Trou de Diables – Shawinigan, Quebec, Canada

Mar. 31 – Petite Boite Noire – Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada

Apr. 01 –  La Sainte Paix – Drummondville, Quebec, Canada

May 26 – The Moth Club – London, UK

May 27 – The Moon Club – Cardiff, UK

May 28 – Eiger Studios – Leeds, UK

May 29 – Mono – Glasgow, UK

May 30 – Picture House Social – Sheffield, UK

May 31 – Hope & Ruin – Brighton, UK
BTW check out this live in-studio performance they did of Ship of Fools sitar track “Silence Can Say So Much”. Listen to Ship of Fools HERE.

Keep your mind open.

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U2 announces 30th anniversary tour of “The Joshua Tree.”

I guess it was thirty years ago when I saw U2 on their Joshua Tree tour in Indianapolis at Market Square Arena (which no longer exists).  The band recently announced they will be playing the album in full during an upcoming anniversary tour that will stretch from Vancouver to Brussels.  There are plenty of U.S. dates, but you’ll have to get your tickets from the resale market if you missed the sale.  The tour sold out in minutes.

Keep your mind open.

 

A Perfect Circle to tour North America this year.

A Perfect Circle had announced earlier this year that they’d perform four tour days, but lo and behold they confirmed everyone’s hopes by announcing a full North American tour for 2017.  Catch them if you can if you’re in the west or south (or Missouri).  They don’t tour often.

April 7 – Las Vegas, Nevada @ The Pearl
April 8 – Las Vegas, Nevada @ The Pearl
April 10 – Phoenix, Arizona @ Comerica Theatre
April 11 – San Diego, California @ Open Air Theatre
April 13 – San Francisco, California @ Bill Graham Civic Auditorium
April 14 – Reno, Nevada @ Reno Event Center
April 15 – Sal Lake City, Utah @ Maverik Center
April 17 – Denver, Colorado @ 1st Bank Center
April 19 – Kansas City, Missouri @ Starlight Amphitheatre
April 20 – St. Louis, Missouri @ Chafietz Arena
April 22 – Tusla, Oklahoma @ BOK Center
April 23 – Grand Prairie, Texas @ Verizon Theatre
April 25 – Austin, Texas @ HEB Center at Cedar Park
April 26 – San Antonio, Texas @ Freeman Coliseum
April 27 – Houston, Texas @ Smart Financial Center
April 29 – Jacksonville, Florida @ Welcome to Rockville
April 30 – Fort Meyers, Florida @ Fort Rock Festival
May 2 – Atlanta, Georgia @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
May 3 – Nashville, Tennessee @ Bridgestone Arena
May 5 – Concord, North Carolina @ Carolina Rebellion
May 7 – Los Angeles, California @ Hollywood Bowl

Keep your mind open.

Bad Luck Gamblers – Casino Maldito

I got an e-mail from a band called Bad Luck Gamblers who wanted to know if I’d like to hear and review their latest record – Casino Maldito. They’re a psychobilly band from Brazil. How could I resist?

It turned out to be a good decision, because these three cats are putting down some serious grooves. The title track (about a cursed casino) opens the record and travels by at approximately 80mph. “Like a Bat” has some jaw-dropping slap bass as they sing about the long-term effects of late night partying. “8%” has a fun country twang to it, but the rock guitars and auto factory assembly line precision drumming aren’t far behind.

I hope the horror film of the same name starring Jamie Lee Curtis inspired “Terror Train”. They mention that it’s loaded with zombies and surrounded by bats, and the number on the engine is 666. The guitar solo rips through it like a runaway locomotive, and is that a Theremin I hear in the background? That’s a win. You can’t have a psychobilly album without a song about a car, and “Rusty T-Bucket” certainly qualifies. I like the way it starts off slow, like an engine having a bit of trouble turning over, and then roars to life.

A sure sign of a good psychobilly record is an instrumental track in which the band cuts loose. “Thylacinus Attack” is that track on Casino Maldito. All three Gamblers shred for about two glorious minutes. “Somebody Stole My Pet Possum” is goofy fun, but the guitar solo on it is serious business.

Another must-have on any psychobilly record worth its salt is a song about Ole Scratch, and “Drinking with the Devil” has a cool swing vibe at the bridge that’s about as slick as Satan’s Brylcreem. “Shoulder Mount” blasts by as quickly as a Stinger missile. The closer, “No Chips No Chicks,” grows in velocity until its at mosh pit-level speed, even though I think it’s a song about a party being lame because there isn’t a girl or even a bag of chips there.

I don’t know how Bad Luck Gamblers found me, but I’m glad they did. There’s no gamble on Casino Maldito. It’s a sure thing.

Keep your mind open.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kn3pJMyquWo

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Turn to Crime announces new album – “Secondary.”

TURN TO CRIME ANNOUNCES NEW ALBUM, SECONDARY, 
OUT FEBRUARY 3RD ON MUGG & BOPP RECORDSLISTEN TO FIRST SINGLE, “CHASING”
https://soundcloud.com/turntocrime/chasing 

U.S. TOUR BEGINS NEXT MONTH

Turn To Crime has announced their new album, Secondary, out February 3rd on front man Derek Stanton’s own Mugg & Bopp Records. Secondary is Turn To Crime’s fourth album in as many years – Phantom Buzz (2016), Actions (2015) and Can’t Love (2014). Like Actions and Can’t Love, it was recorded in Stanton’s basement studio in Detroit’s Southwest, Molten Sound. The album was mixed by Jonathan Schenke of Doctor Wu’s Studio in Brooklyn and mastered by Sarah Register, who has mastered all previous Turn To Crime albums.

The writing and recording of Secondary coincided with the release of Actions. Around this time, Stanton noticed something was off. “I started to lose hearing in my left ear,” he explains. That prompted him to obtain a hearing test. A subsequent MRI uncovered a brain tumor. “It was about a millimeter from being too big to remove and I had about a 50/50 chance of losing hearing and the movement on the left side of my face.” The band canceled their tour in support of Actions and Stanton underwent surgery only a week after that album’s release.

“I didn’t want to write a downer album about the fragility of life or anything too personal or autobiographical,” a now healthy Stanton remarks. “What came out is an important (to me) oddball pop album with a sense of urgency. I think it’s Turn To Crime’s best album to date. It’s also part of a ton of songs I wrote at the time. So, we have a few more albums just hanging out. We’re trying to figure out what to do with everything, as I keep writing like crazy, but we’re still doing the DIY thing.”

Stanton’s sense of humor and resolve is apparent on lead single, “Chasing,” premiering via Noisey today. “I love the guitar riff in this song. It’s super fun to play. When you get to the chorus you don’t want it to end,” exclaims Stanton. Stream it below.

Turn To Crime will tour in support of Secondary starting next month. A full list of dates is below.

LISTEN TO TURN TO CRIME’S “CHASING”:
https://soundcloud.com/turntocrime/chasing TURN TO CRIME TOUR DATES:
Fr. Feb. 17 – Cleveland, OH @ Euclid Tavern
Sat. Feb.18 – Brooklyn, NY @ Sunnyvale
Sun. Feb. 19 – Richmond, VA @ Strange Matter
Tue. Feb. 21 – Winston-Salem, NC @ The Garage
Wed. Feb. 22 – Athens, GA @ The World Famous
Thu. Feb. 23 – Nashville, TN @ DRKMTTR
Fri. Feb. 24 – Indianapolis, IN @ Musical Family Tree
Sat. Feb. 25 – Chicago, IL @ The Hideout

SECONDARY TRACKLIST:
1. Dead Man
2. Chasing
3. Get Your Pills From Tony
4. Fall Down
5. Secondary
6. Her Love
7. Don’t Let Go
8. Mary Jean’s Chocolate Pie

Sleater-Kinney to release “Live in Paris” January 27th.

Alt-rock riot grrl legends Sleater-Kinney will release “Live in Paris” on January 27, 2016.  This recording comes from their “No Cities to Love” reunion tour and they’re offering the album on vinyl, CD, and cassette (along with some T-shirt combo packages, too).

Don’t miss what’s sure to be a fine record.  I hope they get back in the studio and on the road again soon.

Keep your mind open.

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My top 25 live shows of 2016 – #’s 5 – 1

Here we are at my top five live shows of 2016.

#5 – Earthless at Levitation Chicago March 12th

Earthless are the only band to be in my top 10 concerts of 2016 twice.  This was the second time I’d seen them and the first time I’d been close to the stage.  It was a stunning performance that nearly left me speechless.  They were also cool cats who were happy to sign my concert poster after their performance.

#4 – Night Beats at Levitation Chicago March 12th

Night Beats are the only band to be in the top 30 concerts of 2016 three times.  Their Levitation Chicago performance was downright dangerous and established the swagger and tight chops I’d see from them all year.  They, too, were also cool cats who signed my copy of their new album Who Sold My Generation for me after their set.

#3 – Deap Vally at the Chicago House of Blues October 13th

They were first on a bill with Death from Above 1979 and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and they set the bar so high that the other two bands couldn’t match it.  They came to kick ass and take names…and they were all out of names.  They, too, were cool cats who chatted with me after their set.  Everyone was still talking about their performance as we were walking out of the venue.

#2 – Gary Wilson at Levitation Chicago March 10th

I didn’t know much about Gary Wilson before seeing him at Levitation Chicago.  I walked out a devoted fan.  His show was part-lounge act, part-psychedelic freak-out, and part-performance art piece.  He creeped out a woman next to me, made others laugh, others cheers, and others stand there with a “What the hell am I seeing and hearing?” look on their face.  I couldn’t stop talking about his performance for weeks and haven’t stopped recommending him to everyone since.

#1 – Bebel Gilberto at Ann Arbor Summer Fest June 18th

Only one concert had a moment that made me cry in 2016, and that was when Bebel Gilberto and her guitarist performed a cover of Radiohead‘s “Creep.”  Seeing this member of bossa nova royalty in a great venue (The acoustics in Ann Arbor’s Powerhouse Theatre are sublime.) was a dream come true, as I’ve had a serious crush on her and her music for many years.  It was also the first show I attended on a press pass thanks to this blog, so it will always hold a special place in my memory.

Thanks for reading.  I hope to get to just as many shows in 2017.  Wish me luck and let me know about bands I need to see this year.

Keep your mind open.

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My top 25 albums of 2015 – #’s 5-1

Here we are at the top 5!

#5 

WALL‘s self-titled debut EP was a brash bit of post-punk that floored me the first time I heard it.  It’s one of those debuts that instantly makes you hungry for more, and they can’t release a full-length soon enough for me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0iVcNAb-iC0

#4 

King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard are unstoppable.  They released the best-engineered record of the year, Nonagon Infinity (which can be played on endless loop, starting from any track, with no discernible bumps or pauses along the way), and have announced five more albums this year.

#3 

Night Beats are one of those bands that gets better with each record.  Who Sold My Generation was recorded mostly with first and second-takes in just a couple days, and the raw energy and R&B grooves shine through your speakers.  They are at the top of their game right now.

#2 

The lushest record of 2016 was the Besnard Lakes‘ A Coliseum Complex Museum.  It’s full of gorgeous arrangements, psychedelic dreams, and haunting sounds.  It’s a record that takes you out of your current state of mind and shifts your thinking.

#1 

If you’re gonna go out, go out like David Bowie did with Blackstar.  He put everything he had into his final album, and it’s a masterpiece.  Wild jazz arrangements, frank lyrics about death, sex, regret, acceptance, love, and hope, and hidden treasures (lyrically and in the album artwork itself) are layered throughout it.  The legend left us by setting the bar even higher.

There you have it, folks.  Thanks for sticking with me throughout 2016.  I hope you’ll keep reading this year.

Keep your mind open.

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My top 25 live shows of 2016 – #’s 10-6

We’re in the top ten of the my favorite live shows of 2016.

#10 – The Flaming Lips at Middle Waves Fest in Ft. Wayne, Indiana September 17th

It was a triumphant return to Fort Wayne after nearly 30 years for them.  The show was big, bright, and full of love.  It was in the middle of the election season and just what we all needed at the time.

#9 – Earthless at the Empty Bottle in Chicago December 2nd

Earthless is easily one of the best live acts out there right now, and this was my first time seeing them in a small venue.  I don’t know how the Empty Bottle was still standing by the time they were done because it was among the loudest and heaviest sets I’ve seen there.

#8 – John Carpenter at the Masonic Temple Theatre in Detroit July 15th

“I got a movie and a concert,” my wife said after seeing a screening of Escape from New York and then John Carpenter, his son, his godson, and the rest of his band play a fantastic retrospective of his film score music.  It was also in a huge gothic structure, so that made it all the better.

#7 – Screaming Females at the Brass Rail in Ft. Wayne, Indiana June 26th

I’d wanted to see them for a couple years, and seeing them an hour’s drive away with my best friend in a venue not much bigger than the bottom floor of my house was one of my favorite memories of 2016.  They were even kind enough to let me interview in their tour van.  They crushed it, leaving most of the crowd dumbstruck.

#6 – L7 at the Metro in Chicago August 6th

Another band I’d waited years, even decades, to see was L7 and their sold-out reunion tour show in Chicago was one of the best performances I’d seen from any band in years.  They hadn’t lost a thing and showed pretenders how it’s done.

Good grief!  If these shows were so good, who’s in the top five?  Come back tomorrow and see!

Keep your mind open.

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