Daaistar are four piece Noise-Pop band formed in Austin, Texas in the spring of 2020.
The band takes their inspiration from the neo-psychedelic era of the 80s and 90s (The Jesus and Mary Chain, Spacemen 3, Primal Scream) and pulls it into the future with modulating synthesizers, heavy guitars, bouncing bass lines, and spiraling hooks, creating a narcotic blend of noise and melody.
They recently recorded their first studio album produced by frontman Alex Maas of The Black Angels and engineered by James Petralli of White Denim and arrives later in the year.
“There was a time in my life when I wanted to push the boundary of existence both physically and mentally. The memories I have of those days are vague and abstract just like the words written for Tracemaker, but when it’s all put together you begin to understand the meaning. It’s one of my favourite songs on the album and a good indicator of what’s to come from Daiistar. We are thrilled to set home base with Fuzz Club Records and can’t wait to share more with the world.” – Alex Capistran
“Tracemaker” swings forth and back with a wall-of-schizophrenic-guitar sound, Misti Hamrick’s sensual voice and tons of feedback. A mad motherrocker of a groove. These are the kind of bad-ass belters the on-repeat button was invented for. Bang on!
A pivotal record for contemporary times; bright, free, adamant, optimistic. “Brain Worms” is RVG’s fullest, most pristine album yet. All throughout “Brain Worms”, it’s apparent that this is a band in very fine form. Album opener ‘Common Ground’ sets the tone for what’s to come; a shiny, thrilling, punch of an album, with all the beloved RVG hallmarks. Vager’s voice is unfiltered and commanding as ever when delivering her clever, not-quite-ironic lyrics. Here, though, those lyrics feel so much less resigned to yearning, and so much more defiant and joyous.
‘Tambourine’ is the only Covid song Vager wrote when “trying not to write Covid songs”, and it’s a painfully honest portrait of grieving mid-isolation. “Brain Worms” tells the all-too-familiar story of a person falling down the internet rabbit hole and finding comfort in conspiracies. ‘Nothing Really Changes’ is a keys-heavy new wave-ish thing, while closer ‘Tropic of Cancer’ sparkles with Vager’s self-assured new manifesto: I know what I’m like, and I know how I get. If you think I’m strange, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet.
“A calling card for outsiders… dynamic and vital post-punk” The Guardian Bloxham, Nolte, and Wallace are flawlessly adept in bringing Vager’s songwriting to life. Recorded in London at Snap Studios with James Trevascus (Nick Cave & Warren Ellis, Billy Nomates), all ten tracks surge with lush sounds and clear intentions — and the magic of an acoustic guitar once owned by Kate Bush, given to her by Tears for Fears (who, legend has it, wrote ‘Everybody Wants to Rule the World’ on it).
Between the four bandmates — lead singer and guitarist Vager, guitarist Reuben Bloxham, drummer Marc Nolte and bassist Isabele Wallace — this is the most confident they’ve ever felt in RVG. They’ve moved past their influences, pushed themselves, and tried new things. And they have made a record they can, by all accounts, call their best. “Brain Worms” feels like the antithesis to what a post-pandemic record could easily be. For a band who were already writing music about being reclusive — “we were depressed and not going outside on our first two albums” — the enforced isolation and time to think gave Vager space to write about anything she wanted. And, it turned out, she was ready to write about acceptance. “If we could only make one more album, it would be this one,” says Vager.
The Lemon Twigs’ fourth studio album “Everything Harmony” is out May 5th The album swings between moments of depression and isolation and episodes of dizzying euphoria, a tour de force that arrives as a full realization of the brother duo of Brian and Michael D’Addario’s distinct blend of sunny pop vocals with sophisticated acoustic-folk melodies and rich textures.
It was written, recorded, produced and engineered entirely by The Lemon Twigs across Manhattan, Brooklyn and San Francisco’s Hyde Street Studios. The Captured Tracks exclusive is limited to 1000 copies on grape vinyl, and comes with a flexi disc with bonus single “Some Love”.
“Every Day Is The Worst Day Of My Life”, The Lemon Twigs’ fourth single from “Everything Harmony” is out now, accompanied by a brand new music video directed by the brothers and Hilla Eden.
“Everything Harmony”is a tour de force that arrives as a full realization of the brother duo of Brian and Michael D’Addario’s distinct blend of pop vocals with sophisticated acoustic-folk melodies and rich textures, inspired by the likes of Simon & Garfunkel, Arthur Russell and Moondog. The album swings between moments of depression and isolation and episodes of dizzying euphoria. It was written, recorded, produced and engineered entirely by The Lemon Twigs across Manhattan, Brooklyn and San Francisco’s Hyde Street Studios.
The record does nothing more or less than deliver a set of great songs, impeccably produced and opulently arranged. The band’s swooning melodies, weepy strings, and standout vocal harmonies sound better than ever, coupled with songs full of equal parts heartache and longing. The greatest compliment you can give “Everything Harmony” is that it not only evokes the band’s ’70s influences but that it stands amongst them as equals, showing a keen ear for the sonic craftsmanship and pop song writing that made those records great.
M. Ward is a singer-songwriter and guitarist who rose to prominence in the Portland, Oregon music scene. In addition to his solo work, he is known as a member of She & Him and Monsters of Folk.
The renowned singer/songwriter M. Ward is announcing the new studio album ‘Supernatural Thing.’ His songs “luxuriate in a dream world conjured out of memories, shared stories, and flights of fancy,” Pitchfork says, and the album’s title track also lives in a liminal space in which Elvis comes to him with a message: You Can Go Anywhere You Please.
“Well, all my songs depend on dream-imagery to some extent,” Ward explained, “and this was an actual dream I had about Elvis, when he came to me and said that. I don’t know if it’s pandemic-related or not.” Summing up the emotional tone of the record, Ward also sings on this track: “you feel the line is growing thin / between beautiful and strange.”
After spending the last 3 years in studios in Vancouver, London, Los Angeles and Stockholm im thrilled to announce my new record will be released june 23 2023 on Anti-records
The record is called “Supernatural Thing” and features the talents of @firstaidkitband @nekocaseofficial @shovelsnrope @removador @pressonrecords @gabrielkahane @johnmorganaskew + many more
The first song is out now – “Supernatural Thing” – it started out as an elvis-encounter dream i had right around the time the war against covid was beginning to end.
releases May 5th 2023
produced by M. Ward all songs written by M. Ward except 6 (david bowie) and 10 (daniel johnston)
“Rains” is an optimistic song about the possibility of renewal. As if encouraging openness to change, springtime points to an inevitable summer that seems unimaginable in a desolate winter. Rainfall ferries away last year’s leaves, reanimates colorless grass, and invites new life to emerge.
released April 27th, 2023 Written in 2021 by Peter Silberman and Michael Lerner
The bands latest single ‘ 1 : 18 ‘ is out now. Plucked from our upcoming EP ‘My Eyes, Brother!’ and released by Nice Swan Records. Stream it at this very moment wherever you and your algorithm cultivate each other.
Their flaming intensity/passion-loaded songs all get an enormously adrenalin injection on stage. All burners on. They jump from rock opera to scream-your-lungs-out chants (at times in one and the same song) to barb-wire funk pushed by a brill rhythm section. When they slow down and the lights dim you feel another storm coming. And, yes, the saxophonist and the trumpetist are really special, sonically and visually. Their towering play is a fundamental aspect of who/what Opus Kink is and they look cool as fuck.
Opus Kink high capricious quality song writing and staggering sonic execution. Post-punk exorcism heated up with saxophone and trumpet. Not in a Black Country, New Road way, but rather in a James Brown punk orchestra way. Horntastic awesome.
Besides being blessed with a knife-edged vox, frontmanAngus Rogers leads the troops with his big heart, restless soul, and cast-iron determination to make a difference.
Offering a rare behind-the-scenes look at Jeff Lynne’s creative process and the incredible effort that went into making his landmark concert a reality, it’s a must-have for both ELO fans and music lovers alike.
On 24th June 2017, Jeff Lynne delivered an unforgettable rock ‘n’ roll performance at Wembley Stadium, featuring his 12-member band amid a stunning visual spectacle of pyrotechnics, lasers, and a colossal illuminated spaceship. Over two hours, Lynne presented his group’s most comprehensive setlist to date, encompassing vintage ELO hits like ‘Mr. Blue Sky’, ‘Evil Woman’, and ‘Livin’ Thing’, as well as ‘Do Ya’ from his days with The Move and ‘When I Was A Boy’ from his most recent ELO album, “Alone In The Universe”, and ‘Handle With Care’, which he recorded with the Traveling Wilburys. The concert, which spanned Lynne’s entire career, was performed before a packed audience of 60,000 fans.
“Wembley Or Bust” captures the meticulous production of the show and provides a rare glimpse into Jeff Lynne’s musical vision in an authorised book and vinyl set, taking its format from the playlist of that night with Lynne revealing the stories behind his hits. Limited to just 1,500 numbered copies worldwide, each hand-bound book is personally signed by the author, Jeff Lynne.
For the creation of this book, Jeff Lynne’s ELO was extensively photographed at Wembley Stadium from all vantage points throughout the iconic London venue. The outcome is a stunningly illustrated volume featuring hundreds of original photographs, from backstage to front of house, plus tour memorabilia and ephemera.
For half a century, the musical brilliance of Jeff Lynne has been striking a resounding chord with fans all over world. “Wembley Or Bust” is introduced and narrated throughout by Lynne. He tells the story behind the concert and reflects on each of the show’s songs, drawn from the catalogue of ELO albums that have sold more than 50 million records to date. The book takes its format from the playlist of that night and song by song Lynne reveals the stories behind his hits.
Kevin Morby has announced “More Photographs (A Continuum)”, which he’s billing as a companion piece to his 2022 album, “This Is a Photograph”. The release is due out May 26th via Dead Oceans. Morby has also shared two new songs, “This Is a Photograph II” and “Five Easy Pieces Revisited,” which are new versions of the original LP’s “This Is a Photograph” and “Five Easy Pieces,” respectively.
“If “This Is a Photograph” is a house that you have been living inside of,” Morby said in a press release, “then “More Photographs” is, perhaps, the same home just experienced differently. As if you, its inhabitant, have taken a tab of something psychedelic and now, suddenly, you’ve replaced your eyeglasses with kaleidoscopes.”
Kevin Morby writes (and records, and imagines) at an almost incomparable clip, and his most recent album, “This Is APhotograph”, studies life, time and mortality through myriad lenses. It’s a dynamic, buoyant record on big, heavy themes, so it only makes sense that Morby found he wasn’t quite done with it on its completion. “More Photographs (A Continuum)” finds new nooks, corners and vantage points. “If This Is A Photograph is a house that you have been living inside of,” says Morby, “then More Photographs is, perhaps, the same home just experienced differently.
Morby continued, “With every collection of songs, I feel I have to cast them out of me before moving onto the next project, and here I knew that what I had begun with “This Is a Photograph” was not finished. Releasing this collection is me tying a bow on that time and place in my creative life.”
Earlier this year, Morby shared “Music From Montana Story”, his soundtrack contributions for Scott McGehee and David Siegel’s film of the same name starring Haley Lu Richardson and Owen Teague.
The companion piece to “This Is a Photograph” is out May 26 via Dead Oceans
Palehound has announced their new album and fourth full-length LP: “Eye on the Bat” is out July 14th via Polyvinyl. Ahead of its release, El Kempner has shared the lead single, “The Clutch,” with an aughts-inspired music video co-directed by Brittany Reeber and Adam Kolodny.
“Eye on the Bat” is Palehound’s first LP in four years, following 2019’s “Black Friday”. The new album also follows “Doomin’ Sun“, a 2021 album that Kempner made with Jay Som’s Melina Duterte under the name Bachelor. Palehound’s new album was co-produced by Kempner and Sam Owens, and features multi-instrumentalist Larz Brogan, a longtime member of the band since its early Boston days.
“The Clutch” was the first song Kempner wrote for “Eye on the Bat”, right around when their tour was cut short due to the pandemic. “We had an apocalypse road trip back to New York across the country from Oregon, where our next show had been scheduled for,” they recalled in a press release. “While that was happening, I was also having a triggering romantic experience with somebody I didn’t know too well, and by the time I got home my whole body seemed to be spinning in turmoil. Writing and producing this song grounded me and helped me process a new future and self that I hadn’t anticipated.”
“The Clutch” is taken from Palehound’s upcoming album, “Eye On The Bat” – out July 14th, 2023.
PJ Harvey’s tenth studio album ‘I Inside the Old Year Dying’ will be released July 7th 2023 on Partisan Records, and is available to pre-order on gatefold 140g vinyl and CD, along with some newly designed merchandise https://pjharvey.lnk.to/iinsidetheoldyeardyingFA
PJ Harvey says, “After many years of work I am very happy to release this collection of new songs. It was a difficult album to make and took time to find its strongest form, but it has finally become all I hoped for it to be.” The new album is “a resting space, a solace, a comfort, a balm—which feels timely for the times we’re in,” Harvey said in a press release.
‘I Inside the Old Year Dying’ marks PJ Harvey’s first album in seven years, produced and mixed by her long-time creative collaborators John Parish and Flood.
Listen to the lead single ‘A Child’s Question”, August’ and watch the accompanying music video
Recorded with producers Flood and John Parish, her longtime collaborators, the album was inspired by Harvey’s epic poem, “Orlam”. Harvey said the album features improvisations with the two producers: “I think the album is about searching, looking—the intensity of first love, and seeking meaning. Not that there has to be a message, but the feeling I get from the record is one of love—it’s tinged with sadness and loss, but it’s loving. I think that’s what makes it feel so welcoming: so open.”
Polly Jean Harvey – vocals, guitar John Parish – drums, synth, piano, Rhodes Cecil – keyboards Ben Whishaw – backing vocals
With the first new album from Polly Jean Harvey of Dorset, England, in seven years. With her group, PJ Harvey, and as a solo artist, the singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist was one of the most galvanizing forces of the alternative era, and beyond. Consistently evolving on album, and mesmerizing onstage, Harvey has been an indispensable voice, and it’s been silent for way too long.
Never one to live in the past, “things have got to change,” Harvey said way back in 2001. “Music is in a dire position at the moment. The quality of the music that we’re getting to hear is just so mind-numbingly boring. It’s all the same thing regurgitated over and over again, but it sells millions.”
“I get quite despairing about it when I think, ‘Well, is this what people want to hear?’” Harvey continued. “And it must be, because it wouldn’t sell otherwise. From my own point of view, I feel I can just go on following my heart and hope that it will touch something in people. I live in faith and hope that things will change, but I have to say, it’s been looking pretty bleak for a long time now.”
Again, I don’t want to do a spoiler alert on our review, but yes, Harvey has changed, and absolutely, she is still following her heart and hoping her sounds will touch people.
Harvey has been reissuing her discography, including “B-Sides, Demos & Rarities”.
The Fat Angel Sings 