This record is all kink and no shame,” explains Adam Weiner of South Philadelphia rock ’n’ roll outfit Low Cut Connie. “I try to create a safe space for you to just absolutely get your freak on.” “Art Dealers” is a love letter to Lou Reed and Patti Smith’s New York, and the reckless abandon of “the art life” laid against a gritty, decaying American backdrop. Arriving at the intersection of sleazy and soulful, the eighth album from Weiner is a 13-song collection of risky, romantic, life-affirming anthems dedicated to a total liberation of body, spirit, gender and sexuality in the face of an increasingly tense political age. Where it took Weiner over three years to record his 2020 breakthrough album “Private Lives”, “Art Dealers” was tracked in just over a week outside of Philadelphia. As with his previous album, Weiner produced “Art Dealers”, further establishing his own brand of raw, analogue rock ‘n’ roll.
The record depicts a grimy modern urban landscape, a soulful but damaged place that Weiner and his band (including guitarist Will Donnelly, in his ninth year with Low Cut Connie) has gravitated towards throughout the band’s history. Weiner grew up amidst the lawns and strip malls of suburban New Jersey, and his teen dreams were lit up by the beacon of the Big City, where he could shed his skin like so many artists before. “I just want to turn people on with what I do,” says Weiner. “The world is a dirty and broken place… we might as well live it the f up while we’re here.”
Kristin Hersh’s new album is a cinematic road trip; a series of personal vignettes from a fiercely independent auteur, sitting plush with layers of all-consuming strings and Mellotron. It’s a watershed moment in a career overflowing with creative firsts and inspirational thinking; an elegant piece of personal reportage, a home movie caught in time. Previously, the juxtaposition of light and dark has been essential to the drama of Throwing Muses and 50Footwave, but this solo set is something of a departure; more inward looking, quieter but outspoken, underpinned by background noise for ambience and awkwardness.
“Clear Pond Road” is a life-affirming statement, a further part of the jigsaw, a very personal memoir, from street signs to snapshots; a late blossoming and coming-of-age from a true icon of independence. The record is both intimate yet expansive, written largely within the confines of Hersh’s home, making the proceedings ever more personal.”
“Clear Pond Road” through Fire Records Released on: 2023-09-08
“The Doors were a few months away from stardom in March 1967 when they played five sparsely attended shows at a small club in San Francisco called The Matrix. These uninhibited performances would have been fleeting if not for Peter Abram, who co-owned the pizza parlor-turned-nightclub with Jefferson Airplane founder Marty Balin. An avid recordist, Abram taped concerts at The Matrix regularly and his recordings of The Doors, made between March 7th-11th, 1967, spawned one of the band’s most storied bootlegs.
At long last, all known Matrix recordings, sourced entirely from Abram’s original master recordings, will be released. The recordings have been remastered by Bruce Botnick, The Doors’ longtime engineer/mixer. Most of the newly upgraded live recordings are making their debut in the collection, including eight that have never been featured on any of the previous Matrix releases.”
Soft Cell are releasing an expanded edition of their 1981 debut, “Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret“. It was the bands debut album “Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret” will be reissued in October across a number of formats including a 6CD box set with many previously unreleased tracks.
Initially released in November 1981, the 10-track song cycle, in the words of Marc Almond, “Tells a story of a bored ordinary bloke seething with his life wanting more and looking for excitement and adventure in a red neon lit Soho world of red-light cabarets, prostitutes and sex dwarves, looking back at his youth and wondering what happened.” The album was massively influential and paved the way for countless synth-based music duos, notably the Pet Shop Boys. It contains three top five singles in ‘Tainted Love’ (a No 1 and the best-selling UK single of 1981), ‘Bedsitter’ and ‘Say Hello Wave Goodbye’.
“The album was the other side of the coin of Margaret Thatcher’s Britain: I never felt it was political at the time, but it seems it now. “Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret” was the secret seedy life that went on behind the mask of Conservative Britain” Marc Almond
It will now land as a 6-CD 98-track super deluxe edition featuring 40 unreleased tracks. Content includes new and old 12-inch mixes (including Dave Ball’s 2018 studio reworkings), BBC Radio One sessions, early versions (including a Daniel Miller-produced version of ‘Tainted Love’), instrumentals and live performances including from the band’s O2 show in 2021.
The box set is presented as al 10” x 10” package and includes an essay on the story of the album by Adrian Thrills, including new interviews with Marc and Dave, album and single sleeve scans and more.
Additionally, there’s a 2LP vinyl version (in black and coloured variants) which adds a bonus LP of single versions (A-sides and B-sides). “Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret” will be reissued on 20th October 2023 via by Mercury-EMI / UMR on October 20th
It’s over 40 years ago that Duran Duran released their debut and the band have become a British institution; a national treasure, For a period, in the early 1980s, they were arguably the biggest band in the world, thanks to the brilliance of their first two albums; being embraced by America; and the non-stop stream of hit singles (in the UK they had 10 in a row, between 1982 and 1986).
Even at the beginning of the 1990s, and the misstep of “Liberty,” the band came back strongly with “TheWedding Album” and delivered the epic single ‘Ordinary World’. That song has been a staple of their setlist ever since.
Inspired by the band’s one-off, 2022 Halloween show at the Encore Theater at Wynn in Las Vegas, “Danse Macabre” is a spooky, ghoul-inspired 13-song collection.
18 years on and we have a new Duran Duran covers album, of sorts. “Danse Macabre” is a playful celebration of Halloween and all things ‘spooky’ but only six and a half of the 13 tracks are covers of other people’s songs. The rest are either brand new songs (three tracks) or reinterpretations of the band’s own songs.
The new versions of numbers from Duran Duran’s back catalogue, include debut album track ‘Night Boat’, ‘Union of the Snake’ B-side ‘Secret Oktober’ (now ‘Secret Oktober 31st’), a re-spelt ‘Love Voudou’ from “The Wedding Album”, and “Rio’s” ‘Lonely in Your Nightmare’, which is mashed up with with a cover of Rick James’ ‘Super Freak’ for a song called ‘Super Lonely Freak’. In total, nine of the album’s 13 tracks were performed for last year’s Halloween show.
This record sees the original line-up back together for many of the tracks as Nick Rhodes, Andy Taylor,Roger Taylor, John Taylor, and Simon Le Bon reunite for the first time since 2004’s“Astronaut!” Fans of ’90s-era Duran will be further delighted to see the return of guitarist Warren Cuccurullo who guests on a couple of songs (including the title track), making this the first Duran Duran album since 1986’s “Notorious” to feature the guitar playing of both Andy Taylor and Warren Cuccurullo.
Death Valley Girls,LA’s finest purveyors of otherworldly rock n roll, have left little time between their 2023 LP “Islands in the Sky” and their rollicking new single, “I Am a Wave.” The band, which consists of Bonnie Bloomgarden (vocals, organ, Wurlitzer), Larry Schemel (guitar), Sarah Linton (bass), and Rikki Styxx (drums), builds off the strength of their critically acclaimed new project while introducing exciting new sonic terrain. Blending prog, shoegaze, pop, and psych-rock elements, the group lands thrillingly in its own world.
Bloomgarden’s vocals push up against walls of guitar, crashing and cascading drums, and a sturdy bassline. The group’s layered voices gives the song a haunted effect, with bold harmonies coming from every direction. Though the vocals are outstanding, Larry Schemel’s various roles as lead guitarist give the song its signature bite. From his Western-inspired introduction melody to a face-melting solo, his versatility is the track’s secret weapon. On the final chorus, all of these dueling parts come together for an ecstatic finale, accented by a perfectly placed tambourine. At just two-and-a-half-minutes, “I Am a Wave” takes on the meaning of its title. It crashes out of speakers, lifting listeners to rock and roll heaven and returning them home before they know what happened.
released July 31st, 2023
Written & Performed by Death Valley Girls Bonnie Bloomgarden – vocals, organ, Wurlitzer Rikki Watson – drums Larry Schemel – guitar Sarah Linton – bass Little Ghost – vocals Mark Rains – percussion
Alt-rockers King Nun have today released ‘Sinking Feeling’, the most recent cut to be shared from their upcoming new album ‘Lamb’, which is due on 29th September via Marshall Records. Painting a vignette of a relationship’s lifetime – from the initial attraction to the break up – ‘Sinking Feeling’ is frontman Theo Polyzoides’ personal reflection on his own emotions.
“Initially, it was about a relationship I was in a couple of years ago. I started writing it just after we met, and it was this soppy, doting confessional of love, full of references to the films and songs we shared with each other”, Theo has said. “I kept rewriting it through all the stages of us being together, and I ended up finishing it in the immediate aftermath of us breaking up. Ultimately, the song is about how the deal in any relationship is that it likely leads to heartbreak, and the ‘sinking feeling’ of going through those motions, not being able to do anything about it; opening yourself up to that pain is the only way to experience the beauty of loving someone.”
‘Sinking Feeling’ comes accompanied by a music video directed by Flynn Mathews see the band at Nottingham, Rough Trade 4th October
The Kills have today announced details of a forthcoming new album entitled ‘God Games’, which will hit shelves on 27th October (via Domino Records). The news comes after the release of their acclaimed twin singles ‘New York’ and ‘LA Hex’ the band returned with their first new music in nearly seven years, the dual singles. While the former showcases big riffs and Alison’s signature vocal delivery, the latter evokes a sonic haziness with woozy beats and distorted brass touches.
The Kills have emerged as international rock stars, setting the pace for the genre, shaping this era’s sound, and redefining what rock music can be in the 21st century. They’re the rare force of nature who can tour with Queens of the Stone Age or Guns N’ Roses and light up Coachella. Returning home from the road in 2019, Alison and Jamie commenced writing for what would become “God Games”. However, the old adage, “Make plans, God laughs,” couldn’t have been more apropos.
They arrive alongside accompanying videos directed by Andew Theodore Balasia, each of which epitomises the different atmospheres of the two cities: a powerhouse boxing ring for ‘New York” and an unpolished cityscape for ‘LA Hex’. Artwork for both singles comes courtesy of Alison herself, in the form of customised playing cards.
‘God Games’ will see The Kills – aka Alison Mosshart and Jamie Hince – push the boundaries of their sound, across 12 tracks incorporating piano-led instrumentation and electronic and brass touches. To mark the album announcement, the pair have also released a new single – the brooding, climate-conscious ‘103’ (as in Fahrenheit) which arrives accompanied by a Steven Sebring-directed video
Stretching boundaries, Jamie encouraged Alison to “buy this 100-dollar keyboard and try to write.” She added another creative tool to her arsenal, while he tinkered with textures, sounds and “wrote on guitar less than ever,” opting to primarily compose on piano for the first time. This powerful combination of forces gave the album its own sonic identity, a new path forged in the pair’s creative bond.
The Kills decamped to an old church (a bit ironic now isn’t it?) where they recorded with old friend and Academy and Grammy Award-winning producer Paul Epworth [Adele]. “Paul was our very first soundman in 2002,” recalls Jamie. “Since he was with us when we had two amps, a lightbulb, and a couple of mics in a van, it seemed perfect. He knew how far it had come and could trace the thread back.”
the acclaimed duo’s sixth studio LP, and is out in October.
Are you tired of that same old song? Tune into any alt-rock robo-jock frequency on the FM dial and you’ll know what I mean. Somewhere along the way, nostalgia curdled, and it feels like we’re doomed to hear the same boring souls for eternity. But don’t ask California sons Allah-Las—they wouldn’t know a thing about it. “The Stuff,” which opens the band’s fifth LP, “Zuma 85”, lays it out:
“I don’t listen to the radio/They keep playing that song again/And the deejay’s a computer.”
For the last 15 years, Allah-Las have alchemically melded surf rock washes with folk rock jangle and rock, building up their lauded music podcast, Reverberation Radio, and record label, Calico Discos, in the process. But a lot has changed since Matthew Correia (drums/vocals), Spencer Dunham (bass, guitar, vocals), Miles Michaud (guitar, organ, vocals), and Pedrum Siadatian (guitar, synth, vocals) first bonded over psych rock vinyl in the back room at Amoeba Records in the late aughts. “Zuma 85” finds the quartet facing a new world with a wealth of new sounds, drawing from an eclectic mix of progressive rock, prog, kosmische, and Eno-esque art rock, scuzzy Royal Trux riffs, and detouring into tones and textures that call to mind ‘90s and 2000s pop.
As the glammy, electronic strut of the song indicates, “Zuma 85” signals the start of a new era for Allah-Las, and finds the band reinventing itself in defiance of the algorithmic categorization and robotic sterility. The album will be released October 13th on their own label, Calico Discos, in partnership with Innovative Leisure, which released early defining statements like “Allah-Las” (2012) and “Worship The Sun” (2014).
The album was born, like so much else these days, out of the downtime of 2020-2022. For most of the band’s existence, Allah-Las adhered to a year to album year/tour year schedule, logging serious hours on the road. When the shutdown of 2020 put everything on hold, it opened up space for each member to focus on their own lives and interests, and time to re-envision what creative processes could look like.
When it came time to reconvene, that sense of looseness proved pivotal. Instead of bringing finished songs to the studio, they entered the picturesque Panoramic House recording in Stinson Beach (a space co-owned by John Baccigaluppi of Tape Op magazine) with sketches, ideas, and riffs. Working with co-producer Jeremy Harris (White Fence, Devendra Banhart, Sam Gendel) they shaped and crafted the new songs in real time over three sessions, which were then mixed in Los Angeles by frequent collaborator Jarvis Taveniere (Woods, Avalanches, Purple Mountains).
It was clear from the get go the bucolic environment—observed through picture windows overlooking Stinson Beach and Bolinas Bay—would be conducive to creating the first statement from Allah-Las 2.0. “We got in real late that first night of the first session,” Michaud says. “It was around midnight. We had a quick intro and Jeremy had a bottle of wine. We had a little and he said, ‘You wanna start recording?’”
They did. And when the group reassembled the following morning to listen back, they found the sparkling and stutter–stepped “Right On Time” mostly done. It was unlike anything the band had ever recorded but felt entirely natural. “Everything just worked,” Michaud says. “That studio just pulls it out of you.”
Despite the habitat where “Zuma 85” was crafted, these songs represent the Allah-Las departing familiar beachy territory for off the map expanses, embracing the influence of late-era Lou Reed and John Cale, the ‘70s mutant pop of Peter Ivers and early Eno and Roxy Music, and textures borrowed from Japanese pop and loner-folk obscurities, There are kosmische zones, like the Popol Vuh-evoking “Hadal Zone,” anthemic and electronic boogies like “The Stuff” and “Sky Club,” and arch prog on tunes like “GB BB” and “Smog Cutter.” On the instrumental title track, “Zuma 85,” field recordings and chimes precede Manuel Göttsching (Ash Ra)-style guitars, which drift aquatically over a motorik rhythm and hazy synths.
Sharing a name with that song is a photo of an abandoned house by California photographer John Divola. Selected by Correia, the band’s resident photography head and album art designer, it juxtaposes a visage of man-made chaos against the natural beauty of the West Coast. It served as an unspoken reference point for the album, a symbolic totem indicative of a new era. A decade and a half into their run as Allah-Las, Correia, Dunham, Michaud, and Siadatian continue on an evolutionary path. Are you tired of the same old songs? So are they.
releases October 13th, 2023
all songs written by allah las matt correia / drums, percussion, vocals (9) spencer dunham / bass, guitar, windchimes, vocals (2) miles michaud / guitar, percussion, organ, vocals (3/6/7/8/10/13) pedrum siadatian / lead guitar, percussion, synthesizer, vocals (1/4/12) with jeremy harris / additional synthesizers, double bass, bagpipes
In the decade since Jenny Owen Youngs last released a full-length album, she’s toured the world, co-written a No1 hit single, launched a wildly popular podcast, landed a book deal, placed songs in a slew of films and television series, moved from Brooklyn to Los Angeles to coastal Maine, and gotten married, divorced, and married again. She’s done everything, it seems, except release another album….until now.
“Avalanche”, Youngs’ exceptional debut for Yep Roc Records, offers up an achingly beautiful exploration of loss, resilience, and growth from an artist who’s experienced more than her fair share of each in recent years. Produced by Josh Kaufman (Bonny Light Horseman, The Hold Steady, Cassandra Jenkins, Josh Ritter) and written with a series of friends including S. Carey, Madi Diaz, The Antlers’ Peter Silberman, and Christian Lee Hutson, the songs are deceptively serene here, layering Youngs’ infectious pop sensibilities atop lush, dreamy arrangements that often belie the swift emotional currents lurking underneath.
Her performances, meanwhile, are riveting and nuanced to match, gentle yet insistent as they reckon with the pain of regret and the joy of redemption, sometimes in the very same breath. The result is the most raw and arresting release of Youngs’ remarkable career, a brutally honest, deeply vulnerable work of self-reflection that learns to make peace with the past as it transforms doubt and grief into hope and transcendence.
releases September 22nd, 2023
Produced by Josh Kaufman Jenny Owen Youngs: Vocals, guitars Josh Kaufman: Guitars, bass, piano, synthesizers, organs, drums, percussion, drum machines Matt Barrick: Drums, percussion Christian Lee Hutson: Background vocals on “Salt”
The Fat Angel Sings 