Archive for the ‘CLASSIC ALBUMS’ Category

FONTAINES D.C – ” Dogrel “

Posted: April 4, 2019 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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Image may contain: one or more people and textFontaines D.C

Irish band Fontaines D.C. appear to be the next big post-punk export from the British Isles. They’re set to release their debut album Dogrel on April 12th via Partisan Records, and the five-piece band made their SXSW debut this year with some serious hype behind them. Frontman Grian Chatten doesn’t have a rough, throaty punk roar, but his droney, poetic speak-sing packs just as much of a punch. When he’s not evangelizing in a distinctly Irish tongue, he wanders anxiously around the stage rather than throwing himself around or into the crowd. Tracks like “Boys in the Better Land,” “Too Real” and “Big” were all winners—their gritty social commentary is powerful and their no-frills rock riffs possess a meaty, spring-loaded energy.

This Dublin rock five-piece have garnered a lot of buzz ahead of their debut album Dogrel. They made a big splash at SXSW last month (named as one of the standouts of the festival), The band also recorded a KEXP session in 2018 and are set to tour the states with Idles later this year. It may seem that Fontaines D.C. have suddenly sprung from support slots and small clubs to selling out all venues on their current tour in a short space of time but these lads have been honing their craft for 3 years to reach this pivotal day in their career. Their 3 seven inch singles have paved the way for the release of their debut album, “Dogrel”. Singer, Grian Chatten, stalks the stage, a whirlwind of nervous energy before the band play a note. Ian Curtis comparisons are obvious. On his tiptoes, totally wired, Grian captivates you and you can’t take your eyes off him.

Though they’ve been lumped into the latest British post-punk wave led by Shame and Idles, Fontaines D.C. offer something entirely different. With tunes that span garage rock, surf and post-punk, frontman Grian Chatten spouts literary musings in a distinctly dry, Irish speak-sing. He paints a picture of Dublin that goes far beyond the rain, cobblestone streets and pubs filled with drunkards on every corner. With inspiration from James Joyce, the Beats and Yeats, Chatten bemoans the downfall of culture, which brought life to major cities and their inhabitants, as well as the modern loss of romance and authenticity. Tunes like “Chequeless Reckless” and “Big” have a biting sense of humor and the steadfast courage of a band with nothing to lose and a lot to say.

Over the last year Fontaines D.C. have released four hotly received double A-side singles, all of which were named as singles of the week by Rough Trade, and garnered early support from the likes of Steve Lamacq and others on BBC 6 music, as well as earning feature space from every major Irish and UK publication.

Fontaines D.C. are

Grian Chatten – Vocals
Conor Deegan – Bass
Carlos O’Connell – Guitar
Conor Curley – Guitar
Tom Coll – Drums

They have toured sold-out shows across Ireland, the UK and Europe, and will embark on a full world tour throughout 2019.

ALEX LAHEY – ” The Best of Luck Club “

Posted: April 4, 2019 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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Alex Lahey is a songwriter based in Melbourne. She enjoys cats, Coopers Sparkling, her blue 1999 Corolla, Allen’s Party Mix, fuzz pedals and soft poached eggs.

On her sophomore LP, The Best of Luck Club, 26-year-old Alex Lahey navigates the pangs of generational ennui with the pint half-full and a spot cleared on the bar stool next to her. Self-doubt, burn out, break-ups, mental health, moving in with her girlfriend, vibrators: The Best of Luck Club showcases the universal language of Lahey’s sharp songwriting, her propensity for taking the minute details of the personal and flipping it public through anthemic pop-punk.

Lahey’s 2017 debut I Love You Like a Brother encases Lahey’s knack for writing a killer hook and her acute sense of humor delivered via a slacker-rock package – and, in a way, The Best of Luck Club picks up where that record left off, but sprinting forward. Lahey dives headfirst into a broader spectrum of both emotion and sound through polished, arena pop-punk in the vein of Paramore with the introspective sheen of Alvvays or Tegan & Sara. Here, Lahey documents “the highest highs and the lowest lows” of her life to date.

The first inklings of The Best of Luck Club came together on a shitty guitar while Lahey spent the bulk of her time on the road. The break-out success of I Love You Like a Brother took her beyond the adoration of Australia to her first taste of global touring; festival slots at the likes of Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo, and Osheaga; and her American TV debut on Late Night with Seth Meyers. Amidst the frenzy, Lahey found the time to tinker with her thoughts, eventually landing in Nashville for intensive songwriting sessions. Lahey would lock herself in a room for 12-hour days, and ended up churning out more than half the songs for the record. Most importantly, Lahey found The Best of Luck Club thesis while she was there – which explains the familiarity and relatabity through Lahey’s new LP.

“When I was writing all the stuff in Nashville I was really inspired by the dive bar scene there and the idea that at these dive bars there’s no pretentious energy,” she explains. “Whether you’ve had the best day of your life or the worst day of your life, you can just sit up at the bar and turn to the person next to you – who has no idea who you are – and have a chat. And the response that you generally get at the end of the conversation is, ‘Best of luck,’ so The Best Of Luck Club is that place.”

For recording, Lahey returned home to Melbourne, Australia and set up shop for a month at Sing Sing South. Lahey co-produced the album alongside acclaimed engineer and producer Catherine Marks (Local Natives, Wolf Alice, Manchester Orchestra), and plays nearly everything on the record save for drums. The blare of saxophone across several tracks marks Lahey’s first return to the instrument in years, which she said began as a tongue-in cheek decision but more than anything pays homage to her past. Lahey credits Marks for improving her attention to detail, self-confidence, and guiding the process through with a sense of humor.

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Barnstorming album opener “I Don’t Get Invited to Parties Anymore” recounts Lahey struggling with the often isolating pressures of adulthood, explaining,  “It’s funny to think that there are people out there who are sort of putting their social life on ice in order to get their professional selves together, and as a result they’re not getting invited to parties anymore, and it sucks.”

The relatable “Don’t Be So Hard on Yourself” grapples with the overwhelming feeling of burn-out as Lahey reassures it’s okay to have bad days, while the electrified “Misery Guts” hammers at the other end of the emotional spectrum, marking the first time Lahey has written a song in the midst of anger. “I Need to Move On,” which Lahey says began as a musical ode to The Cure in its demo form, is guided back to pop sheen by Marks’ deft hand, chronicling the struggle of getting over a break-up before you’re ready.

“When we were making the record, Catherine and I would refer to different songs as playing dress-ups,” Lahey recalls, explaining all the different roles she deftly inhabits on The Best of Luck Club. “I really think that if you saw a montage of a person writing and making this record – and the places where it all happened – it kind of does look like playing dress-ups, in a way.”

“These songs are almost written for each patron of a dive bar,” Lahey says, “because they’re so varied in the experiences that are being presented and it’s almost as if each one of the songs is someone’s day. I feel writing these songs is me going into The Best Of Luck Club and reflecting, and coming out with each individual song.”

Releases May 17th, 2019

The FELICE BROTHERS – ” Undress “

Posted: April 4, 2019 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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Daily Dose: The Felice Brothers, "Special Announcement"

New York folk-rockers The Felice Brothers recently announced their first album in three years, “Undress”, arriving May 3rd through Yep Roc Records. They’re back with another song “Special Announcement,” the third single from the record, It follows previously released singles “Poor Blind Birds” and “Undress.” Listen to “Special Announcement” below.

The song, which directly and cleverly targets financial corruption, is quick to acknowledge the absurdity of our modern politics and the role money plays in them with the lyric “I’m saving up my money to be president.” Songwriter Ian Felice imagines a world without financial interests, without the “Stock Exchange” and the “Federal Reserve.” His plans include more than a few shake-ups: “I can promise you this: Charlie Parker on the $10 bill.” Felice sings this satire over energetic keys and cheerful chords, but don’t let the song’s upbeat nature fool you—it’s an expressed exasperation with the crookedness at play in American politics.

“This song should feel like you’re reading the Financial Times in a motel at the edge of reality,” Felice says. “You feel very frustrated by the corrupting power of money in politics, and a piano’s cloud-like chords are hovering over a terrace.”

Undress is the band’s seventh album, following 2016’s Life in the Dark. For this record, the band deviated slightly from more personal lyrics and turned their focus to writing about modern mayhems, of which, as we know, there are many.

“Many of the songs on the new album are motivated by a shift from private to public concerns,” Felice says. “It isn’t hard to find worthwhile things to write about these days, there are a lot of storms blooming on the horizon and a lot of chaos that permeates our lives. The hard part is finding simple and direct ways to address them.”

From the new album – Undress

BIG THIEF – ” Cattails “

Posted: April 3, 2019 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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Big Thief Share Second <i>U.F.O.F.</i> Single "Cattails," Expand Fall Tour

The next new single from Big Thief’s forthcoming effort “U.F.O.F.” (Due May 3rd on 4AD Records) has landed: the rustic “Cattails,” which follows on from the album’s gorgeous title track, released alongside its announcement in late February. “Cattails” opens on Adrianne Lenker’s jangling, finger-picked guitar and James Krivchenia’s steadfast drums before it’s later built out with a slow-rising synth hum and gleaming piano stabs. “Going back home to the great lakes / where the cattail sways / with the lonesome loon / riding that train in late June / with the windows wide by my side,” sings Lenker, her thoughts in transit somewhere between civilization and nature—she later insists, “you don’t need to know why / you don’t need to know why / when you cry,” deferring to the mysteries that run deep within the human heart.

Lenker recalls how the band’s new single came together in a statement:

“Cattails” came about while we were at the studio in Washington in the pine forest. Writing it was just one of those electric multicolored waves of connectivity just sweeping through my body. I stayed up late finishing the song and the next morning was stomping around playing it over and over again. We thought why not just record it, so James sat at the drums and we practiced, and by the time we’d finished practicing, Dom Monks—our engineer—had already sneakily set up mics and recorded it. It was beautiful that he’d captured it right away because when James and I were playing, it felt like a little portal in the fabric had opened and we were just flying. Listening back to it makes me cry sometimes.

‘Cattails’ by Big Thief, from the new album ‘U.F.O.F.’, released May 3rd on 4AD.

The WATERBOYS – ” Where The Action Is “

Posted: April 3, 2019 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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The Waterboys have detailed more information about their upcoming album “Where the Action Is”. To be
Released in May through Cooking Vinyl, the album’s ten tracks have a variety of influences with nods to The Clash’s Mick Jones (‘London Mick’), Robert Burns’ poem ‘Green Grow the Rashes-O’ (‘Then She Made The Lasses-O’) and Kenneth Grahame’s famous book The Wind In The Willows (‘Piper At the Gates of Dawn’) which was recorded all in one take at Real World studios last Summer. The set features regular cohorts Steve Wickham and Brother Paul, and occasional Paul Weller producer Simon Dine worked on ‘And There is Love’.

The first glimpse of the album, the single ‘Right Side Of Heartbreak (Wrong Side Of Love)’ can be previewed below. Where the Action follows up the top ten success of Out of All This Blue. Essentially now just Mike Scott and friends, it’s his 15th album, and will be available as a ten-track CD, 21-track two-CD deluxe (with remixes) and on black vinyl. The official store offers a selection of exclusive signed bundles and red/black marbled vinyl.

The band will be touring the UK across May, and Europe over Summer, as well as popping up at the odd festival such as Hay, Cropredy and Skye Live. Where The Action Is released on 24th May 2019.

JOSH RITTER – ” Fever Breaks “

Posted: April 3, 2019 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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Last fall, I went to Nashville and made a record. My friend Jason Isbell produced it and the 400 Unit backed me up. It was a blast to work on.

The album is called ‘Fever Breaks’ and it comes out April 26th. I’m so excited to share it! You can listen to “Old Black Magic” now.

When two of the best songwriters alive get together to make an album, you can bet your record collection we’re all in. Josh Ritter’s forthcoming “Fever Breaks” was produced by Jason Isbell and features members of the 400 Unit throughout, including Amanda Shires and her always-illustrious fiddle. The celebrated lyricist teaming up with Isbell and co. sounds too good to be true, but it’s in fact reality and from what we’ve heard so far, Fever Breaks is sure to be as stunning as anything in Ritter’s acclaimed catalogue. His wizened introspective lyrics paired with the strong southern rock of the 400 Unit is a match made in heaven—er, Nashville.

‘Fever Breaks’ – new album out April 26, 2019.

BLACK BELT EAGLE SCOUT – ” Mother of My Children “

Posted: April 3, 2019 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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Black Belt Eagle Scout aka Katherine Paul, released one of the most arresting singles of 2018. But “Soft Stud” was a red herring. By which I don’t mean a fluke of quality, rather that it’s just one facet of her deeply rich debut album, “Mother of My Children”. Nevertheless, the grungy defiance of that single was a striking introduction to Paul’s world, one she experiences as an indigenous, queer, feminist woman.

Paul returned to her roots to record her graceful and emotionally frank debut record, both literally and spiritually. She was drawn to Anacortes Unknown Recording Studio in Washington State as she was a fan of albums made there, that and it just happened to be 15 minutes from her parents’ house. “It was just one week, so I was like, ‘I’m just gonna take this as a vacation,'” Paul says. “So I just drove all of my gear up and stayed with my folks, and recorded this album.”

If Paul’s description of her homeward-bound retreat to make her debut record sounds cozy and casual, the outcome is anything but. “Soft Stud” is described by Paul as a queer anthem, one that mirrors the frustration of wanting what you can’t have, and those feelings are played out with steely-eyed intensity. “Having [had] that frustration build up so much at the end of the song I wanted to go into this guitar solo to be like ‘fuck it,’ you know?” she explains of the track’s blistering crescendo.

Although the Native American music of Paul’s childhood remains a pervasive influence, the grungy fuzz tone of the guitars hints at an additional entry point. “I was really into the riot grrrl scene and grunge music. I learned how to play guitar on ‘Doll Parts’ by Hole,” she says. Yet the emotional honesty that runs through the album appears to have its roots in her decision to return home to record it. As she explains, “It’s so beautiful up there, and I feel most comfortable where I’m from. That’s where my land is, that’s where my ancestors are from, so it just felt right to do it there.”

It’s notable that Paul plays all of the instruments on “Mother of My Children”, pointing to her tenacity as well as ownership of her experience and creativity. “It’s so personal. That’s why I do all of it myself,” she explains. “I also feel that I do all of it myself because I can, I have the ability.”

The album was made in the wake of a grueling period in her life, which included the breakdown of a long-term relationship and the death of a friend and mentor. The comfort of her surroundings ostensibly allowed her room to vent all of her grief and frustrations most fully. “One of the ways that I heal is through playing music and playing guitar, through singing, just trying to be creative and getting feelings out,” Paul says.

Happily, the tumultuous period of her life two years ago has abated, and she cheerfully reports, “I’m in a great place in my life and I feel very grateful that people will get to hear the album.”

Black Belt Eagle Scout -the album Mother Of My Children – Out now!

CHAI – ” Punk “

Posted: April 3, 2019 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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Chai is a band who screams yes to joy, and Punk is a record written in earnest about being yourself, loving your friends, and not caring about what anyone else thinks about the way you live your life.”

Chai released their epic second LP ‘Punk’  via Burger Records on Friday and the reviews across the board are all amazing! Check out the album below and see them here in May..at the Bodega Social.

This Japanese bubblegum disco-punk band Chai. are getting great reviews fresh off the drop of their new album Punk at SXSW they rightfully received Best New Music from Bloggers Pitchfork, each of their sets were boiling over with more glittering energy than seen on stage in recent memory. Pop perfection and iconic matching pink and orange outfits, like some sort of guitar-wielding collective of superheroes, SXSW convinced everyone if anyone’s gonna save us, it’ll be Chai.

Now they have shared a video for the album’s “Curly Adventure.” The band’s bassist and primary artistic director YUUKI designed the animated video, which was animated by LA-based artist/animator Sean Solomon.

But the most fun act of South By South West was Chai, the jubilant four-piece rock band from Japan who charmed the hell out of everyone who saw them this week. Decked out in fitting shades of pink, all four women sustained their grins for the entirety of their set, during which they played songs from their delightful, uproarious new album PUNK. Toggling between Japanese and English, Chai destroyed any premonition of a language barrier. Also, the only love song ever written is about dumplings.

The RACONTEURS – ” Help Us Stranger “

Posted: April 3, 2019 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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The Raconteurs have announced a new album, “Help Us Stranger”, It’s their first new album in 11 years, since their 2008-released second album, Consolers of the Lonely. “Help Us Stranger” is due out June 21st via Third Man Recordings. No new music accompanies the album announcement, but it includes the remixed and remastered versions of two songs the band shared back in December: “Sunday Driver” and “Now That You’re Gone”.

The band features Jack White, Brendan Benson, Jack Lawrence, and Patrick Keeler. The Raconteurs formed in 2005 and released their debut album, Broken Boy Soldiers, in 2006. Lawrence and Keeler were also in The Greenhornes and Lawrence has also played with White in The Dead Weather. Benson is known as a solo artist and of course so is White, who released a new solo album, Boarding House Reach, in 2018 via Third Man and Columbia. The band is known as The Saboteurs in Australia, due to another band down under named The Raconteurs.

Jack White and Brendan Benson wrote all the tracks, except for “Hey Gyp (Dig the Slowness),” which is a Donovan cover. The Raconteurs produced the album, which was recorded at Third Man Studio in Nashville, TN, and engineered by Joshua V. Smith. Vance Powell and The Raconteurs mixed the album at Blackbird Studios in Nashville. The album also features keyboardist/multi-instrumentalist Dean Fertita (The Dead Weather, Queens of the Stone Age), as well as Lillie Mae Rische and her sister Scarlett Rische.

A special Third Man Vault edition of the album will include the album on 180-gram marble vinyl and a 7-inch featuring early demo recordings of “Help Me Stranger” and “Somedays (I Don’t Feel Like Trying),” as well as a Raconteurs bandana designed by Keeler and an exclusive Raconteurs slip mat.

The Raconteurs Announce First New Album in 11 Years, “Help Us Stranger” Due Out June 21 via Third Man Reordings.

BARRIE – ” Happy to Be Here “

Posted: April 3, 2019 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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Brooklyn five-piece Barrie are releasing their debut album, “Happy to Be Here”, on May 3rd via Winspear. Now they have shared another song from the album, “Saturated.” Previously they shared its lead single, “Clovers” Then they shared another song from the album, “Darjeeling,” via a video for the song.

Barrie’s leader Barrie Lindsay had this to say about the song in a press release: “This song is pretty pure…. It came out fully formed, sounding mostly like how it sounds now. It’s minimal and exposed, kind of vulnerable but in a confident way. I want people to relate to that state of pure, open saturation. I want this song to feel like a crush.”

Lindsay wrote the album’s songs late at night alone in her apartment, plays various instruments on the album (guitar, piano, synth, and bass), and co-produced the album with Jake Aron (Snail Mail, Solange, Grizzly Bear). But Barrie is not simply a solo project, the band also features Dominic Apa, Spurge Carter, Noah Prebish, and Sabine Holler, who had to record her backing vocals remotely from Germany due to visa issues. The band members are from all over, having previously lived in Boston, Baltimore, Upstate New York, London, and São Paulo via Berlin, but came together in New York.  The band’s pleasing dream pop/indie pop that would appeal to fans of Yumi Zouma.

“The scaffolding of this album is moving to New York and finding these people that make up the band,” Barrie says in a press release. “We’re very different, but we cover each other’s gaps personally and creatively, and are eager to learn from each other.”

Barrie’s debut album ‘Happy To Be Here’ – out May 03, 2019 on Winspear:

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