When John Cale left the influential iconic The Velvet Underground it was mostly because of his tense relationship with the late great legend Lou Reed. But in 1990 they both teamed up again to honour their inspirator Andy Warhol, with the masterly album ‘Songs For Drella‘, released over 30 years ago, on 11th April 1990. Warhol had died three years before, in 1987. Drella was his nickname, a contraction of Dracula and Cinderella.
Lou Reed & John Cale forgot about their intolerable differences that drove The Velvet Underground apart back in 1968. Well they did as long as it toke to create this exceeding album in honor of versatile artist Andy Warhol who died in 1987. The fact that Reed & Cale became musical friends again, at least temporarily, proves that Warhol must have had an enormous impact on the giant duo when they picked up an instrument for the first time.
Even more than we knew. In return the pair created this beauty of an album. The warm and charismatic voices of both Reed and Cale are upfront all the time. They tell stories about their relationship with Warhol, they sing to celebrate their inspirer, they play intimate in respect for an eccentric and stirring mind. Even after his death Warhol pushed the legendary duo to produce an especial work of art.
This memorable record shows, once again, how brilliant these two splendiferous artists could be together. Thanks to their huge songwriting skills and imposing voices they made out of each of the 15 songs a compelling experience. A masterpiece indeed!.
Rolling Stone magazine wrote: “Both now nearing fifty, Reed and Cale are the survivors Warhol wasn’t fated to become. In popular music, only bluesmen and country greats have managed the maturity these two display. Fashioning a litany out of Warhol’s off-kilter pantheon Edie Sedgwick, Billy Name and Valerie Solanis (whose attempted murder of Warhol prefigured the shooting of John Lennon) “Drella” memorializes an era the way narrative folk music generally has done. Reed and Cale add rare intelligence to their nostalgia, but it’s on a more soulful level that Drella finally hits. The subtle values of modesty, hesitance and loving observation dignify this sweet and knowing tribute to these men’s mentor, prod — and friend.”
Top Tracks: “Nobody But You / Open House / Style It Takes / Small Town”
The Sonics were an American garage rock band from Tacoma, Washington that formed in 1960 by teen-aged guitarist Larry Parypa, with the encouragement of his music-loving parents. The earliest lineup included Parypa, drummer Mitch Jaber, and guitarist Stuart Turner; Parypa’s brother Jerry briefly played saxophone, and their mother occasionally filled in on bass at rehearsals. In 1961, Parypa’s older brother Andy became the bass player, and Tony Mabin took over as their new saxophone player.Their aggressive, hard-edged sound has been a major influence on punk and garage music worldwide, and they have been named as inspirations to Nirvana, Bruce Springsteen, the Fall, and other major artists. Rich Koch (who had previously played with the Wailers) joined as lead guitarist, and Marilyn Lodge became their first singer, the band having been an instrumental combo up to that point. A new drummer, Bill Dean, replaced Jaber. Koch and Lodge left the band in 1963. Local star Ray Michelsen became the band’s singer after having sung with several other popular bands on the local scene. Larry began looking for a drummer to replace Dean, who he felt was uncommitted to the band, and found Bob Bennett playing in a band called the Searchers, with keyboardist Gerry Roslie and sax player Rob Lind. Ray Michelsen was looking to leave the band, so the Parypas hired Bennett, Roslie, and Lind, and let their previous saxophonist Mabin go. The well-known lineup was in place, but the Sonics’ career did not begin in earnest until 1964, when Gerry Roslie started singing lead vocals. With Roslie as lead singer, the band started playing gigs
The Sonics are often-cited contenders for the title of “the first punk band,” due to their wild and ground-breaking style. The band also have a clearly marked influence on American punk bands such as the Cramps and the Dead Boys in their brash, menacing style and attitude, and on 1980s grunge bands (who originated in the same area), especially Mudhoney, who adopted some of the darker themes from Sonics music, and a lot of their techniques on over-driving and distorting electric guitars. Their reach stretched beyond the U.S.; influential Manchester post-punk group The Fall covered “Strychnine” during a session for the late John Peel’s programme in 1993 and they repeatedly performed the song live around this time. As well as all these, there have been whole generations of garage rock revival bands (such as The Thingz) who make no bones of plagiarizing The Sonics and their ilk. The early 21st century saw the arrival of another garage rock band that lists the Sonics as a major influence, Eagles of Death Metal. New Zealand power-punk band Cut Off Your Hands have covered “The Witch” several times in concert.
Kurt Cobain of Nirvana said in an interview with Nardwuar the Human Serviette on CITR-FM, discussing drum sounds,”I, I have to admit... The Sonics recorded very, very cheaply on a two track you know, and they just used one microphone over the drums, and they got the most amazing drum sound I’ve ever heard. Still to this day, it’s still my favorite drum sound. It sounds like he’s hitting harder than anyone I’ve ever known.” . The White Stripes named The Sonics as one of the bands that influenced them the most, calling them “the epitome of ’60s punk” and claiming they were “harder than the Kinks, and punk long before punk”
The band performed several early rock standards such as “Louie, Louie”, and “Skinny Minnie” as well as original compositions like “Strychnine”, “Psycho”, and “The Witch”. Their catalogue is generally based around simple chord progressions, often performed with a speed and tonal aggression that was novel for the time, making the band a notable influence on later punk rock bands.
Their first single was “The Witch” (with Little Richard’s “Keep a-Knockin'” as the B-side) in November 1964. The record was immensely popular with local kids, and went on to become the biggest selling local single in the history of the Northwest despite its radio airplay being restricted because of its bizarre subject matter.
Early in 1965 Etiquette released the Sonics‘ debut “Here Are The Sonics”, which was produced at Audio Recording in Seattle, Washington with famed Pacific Northwest recording engineer Kearney Barton. It was recorded on a two-track tape recorder, with only one microphone to pick up the entire drum kit. It was here that they began to pioneer some of their infamously reckless recording techniques. A second album, “Boom”, followed in February 1966. During the recording, the Sonics ripped the soundproofing off the walls at the country and western-oriented Wiley/Griffith studio in Tacoma to “get a live-er sound.” The covers of both albums feature the moody photography of Jini Dellaccio.
Their heyday began to come to a close when the band transferred to Jerden Records in late 1966, and headed to Hollywood to record the poorly selling album “Introducing the Sonics” with Larry Levine at Gold Star Studios. Although it has been rumoured that Jerden executives pushed the Sonics into a more polished sound, the band itself had decided to follow new influences in modern music, resulting in songs that were quite different from their raucously early recordings. The band, however, was not satisfied with the material on Introducing the Sonics, calling the cleaner, slicker recordings “the worst garbage.”
Here Are The Sonics!!
At the time of its release, “Here Are The Sonics” made very little noise of the group’s home state of Washington – but within said home state, the Sonics themselves were making enough noise to blow down every brick wall between Tacoma and Torrance, California. Seldom has a group ever been better named. The youthful aggression in their music, coupled with singer Gerry Roslie’s ‘80 razorblades-a-day’ vocal attack and a selection of overwhelmingly brilliant riffs that underpinned some of the most wildly recorded music ever to be committed to tape, should have made the Sonics one of the biggest groups the world has ever known or heard. Instead they went on to become celebrated by generation after generation of collectors, and other young people with an urge to rock ‘n’ roll.
The overwhelming importance of tracks like “The Witch”, “Psycho” and “Boss Hoss” has provided a template for countless groups who’ve come up in their wake, and who have achieved a level of commercial success that they could never have achieved without the inspiration (direct or spiritual) of the Sonics – fellow Pacific North-Westerners Kurt Cobain’s Nirvana and their successor the Foo Fighters being, perhaps, the most obvious examples.
Here Are The Sonics, exactly as seen and heard 42 years ago on its original Etiquette pressing – albeit in a smaller-sized package, of course! Its tingling mix of group originals and sonic – in every sense of the word! – shreddings of Hall Of Fame rock’n’roll classics (including their recently-used-in-a-car-ad decimation of Richard Berry’s Have Love, Will Travel) remains the musical equivalent of sticking your finger in a live light bulb socket for 25 minutes. Its contents, like all good rock‘n’roll, will never date or die.
Boom
We follow or recent reissue of “Here Are The Sonics!” with a 180g black vinyl replica of “Boom”, the band’s second album. Originally released in 1966 on Etiquette Records in wonderful mono, “Boom” still does much more than merely deliver on the promise of their debut. Few records have ever packed as much of a musical punch from start to finish, offering a representation of what the Sonics must have sounded like at the peak of their powers. Recorded in the most glorious no-fi you could ever wish for, and with anthemic originals such as ‘Cinderella’ and ‘He’s Waitin’’ vying for attention with what is possibly the most violent version of ‘Louie Louie’ there will ever be, “Boom” is an album that has always justified the esteem in which it is held by collectors around the globe. All the modern bumph like barcodes and whatnot is on a disposable sticker, leaving your copy of “Boom” as original as possible.
Now that enough time has elapsed for listeners’ heart rates to come back to normal, we are more than merely pleased to add the Sonics second album – the entirely appropriately entitled “Boom” – to our ever expanding range of Hip Pocket titles.
Most bands down the years have tended to work off much of their initial youthful aggression on their debut album. Come album two, an amount of mellow has likely as not crept into the proceedings, along with an increased musical professionalism. Not so the Sonics. Not content with being able to play in their hometown of Seattle and to be heard in Sacramento without the aid of amplification, they upped the pressure and the volume to an extent where they could probably be heard south of San Diego without the benefit of a prevailing wind.
“Boom” still does much more than merely deliver on the promise of their first Etiquette album, “Here Are The Sonics”. Few records have ever packed as much of a musical punch from start to finish. Even more so than their first album, it offers a representation of what the Sonics must have sounded like ‘in the dance’ at the peak of their considerable powers.
Here it is, issued in its original format for the first time on a UK CD, to make the Hip Pocket series even hipper…
Psycho-sonic
Back in the mid-1960s, the legendary Sonics took rock’n’roll by the scruff of the neck and thrashed it to within an inch of its sorry life, leaving a legacy of some of the most savage, visceral recordings ever made. Compiling their no-holds-barred Etiquette sessions, “Psycho-Sonic” is the ultimate Sonics anthology.
One of the best selling Big Beat releases of recent years has been Psycho-sonic , a comprehensive collection of all the sides the much-feted kings of garage rock recorded for the Etiquette label in 1964/65. Only the most cloistered of music fans would be unaware of the mighty Tacoma combo’s influence and importance, now stronger than ever thanks to young bucks such as the White Stripes, Hives, Vines etc constantly dropping the band’s name. With access to first generation tapes uncovered by Big Beat’s ongoing celebration of the catalogue of Sonics’ mentors, the Wailers, we gave this compilation a spring clean back in 2003, this month we have given the cover a refresh.
Psycho-sonic features many tracks presented in ear-blistering true stereo remixes, taken from the actual tape the band recorded onto, and mastered with Big Beat’s customarily sensitive mastering.
The set’s sequencing and flow deliver an entertaining and invigorating programme from start to finish. Track for track, the first half-hour of this disc is the wildest, most visceral rock’n’roll listen you’re ever likely to have. Also included is an in-depth overview of the group’s career by reissue producer Alec Palao, based on, first-hand interviews with the band and their associates, including the legendary Sonics’ lead singer/ songwriter/ screamer Jerry Roslie. The package also includes a feast of unseen outtakes from the band’s famed photo sessions – photographer Jini Dellaccio granted us full access to her incredible archive of Sonics pictures. Plus the usual memorabilia and label shots.
The original band fell apart between 1966 and 1968, with members leaving to attend university or join other bands; saxophonist Rob Lind became a fighter pilot in the Vietnam War. Eventually, all of the original members left, with new members continuing on with the name Sonics (later ‘Jim Brady and the Sonics’) until 1980, although it was a completely different band, at times even incorporating string and horn sections.
Jeff Buckley is my musical icon for a number of different reasons. Not only is he, in my humble opinion, one of the most arresting and transcendent voices to have ruled the planet – still influencing singers and making its mark some many years after his death.
At a time (1993) when Grunge and Rock were topping the charts and inspiring legions of new bands: embracing something like Jeff Buckley’s “Live at Sin-é” might seem like an insane notion. You cannot deny the pleasures and beauty that lie within.
“He moved to New York City in February 1990, but found few opportunities to work as a musician. He was introduced to Qawwali, the Sufi devotional music of India and Pakistan, and to Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, one of its best-known singers. Buckley was an impassioned fan of Khan, and during what he called his “cafe days,” he often covered Khan’s songs. In January 1996, he interviewed Khan for Interview and wrote liner notes for Khan’s Supreme Collection, Vol. 1 compilation. Buckley also became interested in blues musician Robert Johnson and hardcore punk band Bad Brains during this time. Buckley moved back to Los Angeles in September when his father’s former manager, Herb Cohen, offered to help him record his first demo of original songs. Buckley completed Babylon Dungeon Sessions, a four-song cassette that included the songs “Eternal Life“, “Unforgiven” (later titled “Last Goodbye“), “Strawberry Street” (a different version of which appears on the “Grace” Legacy Edition), and punk screamer “Radio”.[40] Cohen and Buckley hoped to attract attention from the music industry with the demo tape.
Buckley flew back to New York early the following year to make his public singing debut at a tribute concert for his father called “Greetings from Tim Buckley”. The event, produced by show business veteran Hal Willner, was held at St. Ann’s Church in Brooklyn on April 26th, 1991. Buckley rejected the idea of the concert as a springboard to his career, instead citing personal reasons regarding his decision to sing at the tribute. With accompaniment by experimental rock guitarist Gary Lucas, Buckley performed “I Never Asked To Be Your Mountain”, a song Tim Buckley wrote about an infant Jeff Buckley and his mother. Buckley returned to the stage to play “Sefronia – The King’s Chain”, “Phantasmagoria in Two”, and concluded the concert with “Once I Was” performed acoustically with an impromptu a cappella ending, due to a snapped guitar string. Willner, the show’s organizer, later recalled that Buckley’s set closer made a strong impression. Buckley’s performance at the concert was counter-intuitive to his desire to distance himself musically from his father. Buckley later explained his reasoning to Rolling Stone: “It wasn’t my work, it wasn’t my life. But it bothered me that I hadn’t been to his funeral, that I’d never been able to tell him anything. I used that show to pay my last respects.” The concert proved to be his first step into the music industry that had eluded him for years.
On subsequent trips to New York in mid-1991, Buckley began co-writing with Gary Lucas resulting in the songs “Grace” and “Mojo Pin“, and by late 1991 he began performing with Lucas’ band Gods and Monsters around New York City. After being offered a development deal as a member of Gods and Monsters at Imago Records, Buckley moved back to New York to the Lower East Side at the end of 1991. The day after Gods and Monsters officially debuted in March 1992, Buckley then decided to leave the band”.
Sin-é was, and sadly no longer is, an Irish coffeehouse in New York’s East Village. Just look at the cover for Live at Sin-é and you can see how ‘cosy’ and small the place is. It is, in this rare and ultra-commercial time, a throwback to simpler, honest times – an independent coffee house that is not subjected to brand marketing and identikit shop banners – a million chains of Starbucks on your doorstep. It is one of my lasting regrets I never got to step into Sin-é and witnessing the magic go down. Back in 1993, just before Buckley signed his record deal, it was host to some modestly successful music nights. You had some great talents walk through the door but none like Buckley: as though medium and location were married in harmony the first time he opened his mouth.
You can practically hear spoons drop and coffee being made; little throat clears and people applauding – so intimate and homely. For that reason, it feels like you are right in the mix with Buckley: sitting with him as he unveils performances of immense beauty.
Aside from the sparse and cloistered space – the confined and raw setting – there is oceans of atmosphere, sound and reflection. Just listen to these little conversational snippets and Buckley’s charming and quirky personality comes through.
The album is not a set of ramped-up album songs with stilted conversation in-between. You do not get a band awkwardly shuffling between numbers and re-tuning. There is a real person speaking directly to the audience: they, in turn, are in Buckley’s palms and at his mercy. The music is not your typical live affair. Most live albums (the average ones anyway) have the classics and they are performed to a typically assured level – enough to please the punters and get the crowds singing. Throughout Live at Sin-é there are songs being performed like never before. Buckley covers – as you will see in some selections later – such a wide range of songs from so many different eras. Many of the patrons that saw Buckley perform would not have heard many of these songs played. Even tracks that would appear on “Grace” – the title track and Last Goodbye – were in their early stages and being experimented with. It was a young man starting to find his feet and taking his first steps. Ragged, loose and rough around the edges: just a human, guitar and amp – surrounded a choice few New York gig-goers. Even though it was released in 1993 it translates incredibly well and sounds as divine and seductive as the day it was released.
Before I get down to the finest double album ever I want to look at my favourite: Jeff Buckley’s New York-based gem, Live at Sin-é. In 1993, Columbia Records – who signed Jeff before he made Grace – released a four-track E.P. that showcased Buckley’s interpretative talents and singular talent. The label decided to release a two-disc version of two separate recordings at the coffeehouse – taped over two afternoons in 1993. It is not just the cover versions that struck a chord. Included in the covers were versions of tracks by Billie Holiday (Strange Fruit) and Bob Dylan (If You See Her, Say Hello and Just Like a Woman). In the intimate surroundings, the young Buckley was at his most comfortable and natural. Limos were lining up the block to see the young master – record executives fighting to get that wet signature on their contracts. Live at Sin-é finds Buckley interacting with the small crowd – ad-libbing and cracking jokes and shooting the breeze- armed only with his trusty Telecaster. Soon-to-be-released songs like Grace and Last Goodbye (titled Unforgiven (Last Goodbye) on the live album) were taking shape: a snapshot of someone still finding their true voice but perfectly capable of seducing when portraying someone else’s.
As live albums go, it has to be right up there – indispensable for every much fan out there. Buckley was keen to never repeat himself as a performed – no two renditions of the same song – and you can hear that here. He is always thinking and working as the song prevails; taking it in a new direction and keeping the audience alert. The sign of a true master is one who can make old songs sound new and reborn: something you will see
Wild Pink songwriter John Ross has shared “Holopaw”, his second album as Eerie Gaits. Ross grew up near the Florida town that shares this album’s name, which has a population of less than 5,000 people. It follows his 2017 full-length Bridge Music, and while both are warm, guitar-based instrumental albums that fold in ambient elements, Holopaw adds percussion and feels more expansive. It’s the perfect fusion of mystical and meaningful. The Wild Pink leader John Ross is releasing another album of instrumentals under the name Eerie Gaits. It’s called Holopaw, and today Ross follows lead single “What’s Eating You” with another new track called “Saw You Through The Trees.” This one’s short and sweet, beginning as a study in flickering beauty and ending like some snappy old Sufjan Stevens instrumental or, like, Architecture In Helsinki.
While many of their peers burned bright and quick, Pearl Jam made up of vocalist Eddie Vedder, guitarists Mike McCready and Stone Gossard, bassist Jeff Ament, and drummer Matt Cameron — is all about longevity, durability, and solidarity while continuing to push their well-established sound into new directions. After three decades, four drummers, and countless weathered industry storms, Pearl Jam have proven their mettle as rock’s most bulletproof band.
Along with fellow Seattleites Nirvana and Soundgarden, Pearl Jam will forever be synonymous with grunge, the heavy, revolutionary rock’n’roll sound from the Pacific north-west which thrust alt.rock onto the world stage on the cusp of the 90s. Their initial rise to prominence was truly astronomical, with the 15 million sales from the band’s first two albums rapidly catapulting them from obscurity to superstardom. In a career spanning almost 30 years, Pearl Jam have delivered a total of 10 studio albums.
The bar was set pretty high with their debut release, 1991’s “Ten“. Along with Nirvana’s “Nevermind“, it’s one of the main reasons grunge became a mainstream phenomenon, and it launched Pearl Jam from local small Seattle clubs to stadium shows around the world. Lesser bands could easily have folded under the pressure, but Eddie Vedder and company hung on in there, outstripping their plaid-clad contemporaries and carving out their own highly individualistic niche. Revered for their integrity and passionate live performances, Pearl Jam remain one of rock’s most successful modern rock acts and their ten studio albums to date have collectively moved around 60 million copies worldwide.
The band’s roots can be traced deep into the Seattle underground of the 80s. Bassist Jeff Ament and guitarist Stone Gossard originally played alongside future Mudhoney stars Mark Arm and Steve Turner in legendary Seattle noiseniks Green River, whose aggressive 1984 mini-LP, “Come On Down“, is often cited as the blueprint for grunge. However, Green River called it quits when Arm and Turner formed Mudhoney in ’87, leaving Ament and Gossard to form Mother Love Bone with flamboyant vocalist Andrew Wood
Having inked a deal with PolyGram, Mother Love Bone promised great things, but Wood tragically died prematurely from a drug overdose and the band folded before their lone, critically acclaims album, “Apple“, was released in 1990. Devastated by Wood’s loss, Gossard began jamming with fellow Seattle guitarist Mike McCready, who encouraged Ament back into the fold. Mutual friend and ex-Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Jack Irons declined an invitation to join their new band, but he passed the fledgling trio’s first demo to vocalist and basketball buddy Eddie Vedder (birth name Edward Louis Severson III) who was then working in a gas station in San Diego, California.
Digging what he heard, Vedder composed early versions of key Pearl Jam tunes ‘Alive’, ‘Once’ and ‘Footsteps’. Suitably impressed, Ament, Gossard and McCready flew Vedder to Seattle for an audition, after which the new band’s line-up was completed with the addition of drummer Dave Krusen. The quintet initially played live as Mookie Blaylock (the real name of a favourite New Jersey Nets basketball player), but by the time they signed to Epic, they’d become Pearl Jam: the name reputedly (but actually erroneously) attributed to a peyote-based hallucinogenic preserve supposedly prepared by Vedder’s great-grandmother, Pearl.
Minus Krusen, Pearl Jam’s first proper studio session was with Soundgarden duo Chris Cornell and Matt Cameron, where they cut a self-titled album as Temple Of The Dog for A&M in tribute to the late Andrew Wood. As Pearl Jam, however, the band recorded their fully-fledged debut, “Ten”, in March 1991, with Alice In Chains/Blind Melon producer Rick Parashar manning the console.
“Ten“
Released in August ’91, “Ten” was a dark, anthemic rock record which introduced the wider world to the unforgettable sound of Vedder’s charismatic, honey’n’gravel-soaked growl. Capturing the mood of the times, his lyrics mostly dealt with disaffection and social dysfunction, with ‘Even Flow’ dealing with homelessness and the dramatic ‘Jeremy’ reputedly inspired by a true story in which a high school student shot himself in front of his classmates.
The “Ten” ballad “Oceans” starts the journey. Imagine you are front row, and the lights have just come up on the band. Eddie Vedder is at the mic singing, “Hold on to the thread / The currents will shift / Glide me towards you … know something’s left / And we’re all allowed to dream of the next time we touch.”
“Ten” initially sold slowly, but when the band’s reputation as an unmissable live act kicked in after they supported Red Hot Chili Peppers in the US during the autumn of ’91, the album gradually went gold and kept right on selling. It peaked at No.2 on the US Billboard chart in 1992, eventually going on to sell a phenomenal 13 million copies worldwide.
With Dave Abbruzzese replacing Krusen behind the kit, Abbruzzese joined Pearl Jam at a stressful time, forced to reckon with the band’s growing fame — and, of course, learn their entire setlist, pronto. Intrigued by the anthemic sound of ‘Ten’ he moved from Dallas to Seattle and finished out the tour Chamberlain left behind. “I think ‘Ten’ was a good record,” he told Modern Drummer in 1993. “People got a lot out of it, and I enjoyed playing the songs live with the band. But to me, being on stage and playing those songs didn’t have anything to do with the record. I had no idea about the emotions that went into it or where that music came from. I had to find where the music fit into my heart before I could put everything I had into it.” Pearl Jam toured “Ten” relentlessly across 1992. However, while the Seattle quintet quickly established themselves as one of the rock acts mostly likely to storm the mainstream, they were uneasy about some of the music industry’s standard promotional practices, later refusing to release “Ten’s” emotional centre-piece ‘Black’ as a single (or make a video for it) and insisting on scaling back their interviews. The origins of this popular song can be traced to an instrumental composed by guitarist Stone Gossard in 1990. The demo found its way to a gas station attendant in San Diego by the name of Eddie Vedder. After some initial back and forth. On the journey north, he penned lyrics about painful lost love. And “Black” was born. In 1992, with ‘Ten’ already a worldwide success, Pearl Jam’s label, Epic Records, pushed to have the song released as a single. Due to the personal and emotional nature of the track, the band refused. They didn’t want “Black” to become a radio phenomenon like previous singles “Even Flow” and “Jeremy.” “Some songs just aren’t meant to be played between hit No. 2 and hit No. 3,” Vedder told ‘Rolling Stone’ in 1993. “You start doing those things, you’ll crush it. That’s not why we wrote songs. We didn’t write to make hits.” Despite the band’s concerns, radio programmers could sense the song’s mass appeal.
“Vs”
The band’s anti-establishment stance ensured they again refused to make promotional films for the songs on their second album, “Vs”, released in October 1993. Commercially, it made little difference: “Vs” sold over a million copies during its first week of release and topped the Billboard 200 for five weeks. Overseen by producer Brendan O’Brien (Red Hot Chili Peppers, Stone Temple Pilots), Vs significantly broadened Pearl Jam’s sonic palette, taking in everything from raw, feral punk (‘Go’, ‘Rats’), motorik funk (‘Animal’) and even wracked acoustic ballads such as ‘Daughter’ and ‘Elderly Woman Behind The Counter In A Small Town’ were the big radio hits off of Pearl Jam’s sophomore release, but no song on the album has endured as a fan favourite more than “Rearviewmirror.” The drums and guitars propel the track with a nervous energy until Eddie Vedder explodes with the chorus around the three-minute mark, proclaiming “Saw things so much clearer, once you were in my rear view mirror.” The song is a highlight at every Pearl Jam show, often resulting in a cathartic crowd sing-along.
Pearl Jam were arguably the biggest rock band on the planet when they started to record “Vs.” in March 1993, but they had only about 20 songs in their repertoire. They’d spent the last two years playing those songs over and over and over on a relentless tour, and they were quite ready to lay down some new material. Reaching back to 1993’s “Vs.” this pummeling track “Leash” comes out of the gate with Vedder howling, “Troubled souls unite / We’ve got ourselves tonight / I am fuel / You are friends / We’ve got the means to make amends.
Like its predecessor, “Vs” sold in droves, eventually moving around seven million copies, but the next couple of years were a rollercoaster ride for Pearl Jam. Always admirably keen to keep concert ticket prices down for their fans, the band locked horns with music ticket colossus Ticketmaster across 1994, yet their attempt to play shows in non-Ticketmaster-controlled outdoor venues failed and they were forced to cancel that summer’s proposed US tour. There were personnel problems behind the scenes, too, with drummer Abbruzzese fired and replaced by Jack Irons after recording Pearl Jam’s third album, “Vitalogy”. The Former Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Jack Ironsinitially spurred an invitation to join Pearl Jam back in 1990. However, upon Abbruzzese’s firing in 1994, Irons himself reached out to offer his services — and after playing with Pearl Jam onstage, he officially joined the line-up the following year. Though he’d technically already made his recorded debut with the group, adding to the free-rock madness of ‘Vitalogy’ deep cut “Hey Foxymophandlemama, That’s Me,” he was a full creative force on their next two records, 1996’s ‘No Code‘ and 1998’s ‘Yield’ Irons co-wrote multiple tracks, including the wide-eyed hit “Who You Are” and his experimental drumming approach – more based on texture and groove than unhinged power.
“Vitalogy“
Initially released solely on vinyl in November 1994 (it emerged on CD and cassette two weeks later), Vitalogy was abrasive, grunge-y and highly eclectic, embracing everything from raw, frenetic punk (pro-vinyl anthem ‘Spin The Black Circle’) to Tom Waits-esque blues (the accordion-led ‘Bugs’) and the peculiar, mantra-esque funk of ‘Aye Davanita’. The experimentation was, however, balanced out by the inclusion of several of Pearl Jam’s most enduring tracks, such as ‘Corduroy’, the radio-friendly ‘Better Man’ and the haunting, anguished ‘Immortality’ – the latter reputedly a tribute to the then recently deceased Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain.
Despite its relatively left-field content, “Vitalogy” came close to repeating the success of “Vs“, quickly selling over a million copies in the US and earning multi-platinum certification. Pearl Jam toured Asia, Oceania and the US during 1995 to support the album’s release, and also realised a collective dream when they performed as Neil Young’s backing group on his gold-selling album “Mirror Ball“: a loud, aggressive record featuring long, Crazy Horse-esque tunes which was created spontaneously in the studio over just a few days. After Pearl Jam joined forces with Neil Young in 1995, two works resulted: the Young;s album “Mirror Ball” and a Pearl Jam EP called “Merkin Ball”. “Long Road,” which features Young on pump organ, was written in memory of one of Vedder’s mentors in high school. The uplift is real. Throughout, there’s a sense that we are all in this together: “We all walk the long road. All the friends and family / All the memories going around It’s little wonder that Vedder chose this song to perform on the telethon in the wake of 9/11 along with Young and McCready. The final lyric sums up its sentiment: “The sun will rise another day.
“No Code”
Released in August 1996, Pearl Jam’s fourth album, “No Code”, was a transitional affair, mixing pent-up garage-rock (‘Hail Hail’) with world music influences (‘Who You Are’, ‘In My Tree’) and elegant acoustic flourishes such as Vedder’s moving ‘Off He Goes’.Not initially known as an “experimental” band, Pearl Jam stepped outside of their comfort zone on their fourth album, ‘No Code’ With its wild drumming and electric sitar a band still looking to musically grow without fully abandoning the sound that launched them into stardom in the first place. Fame was starting to seem like a prison for Eddie Vedder, and he poured much of his frustration into the songs on “No Code“. The 63-second “Lukin” tells the tale of a psychotic stalker who broke into his home. The band was also falling apart, and bassist Jeff Ament nearly walked out of the sessions. Despite the tension, the band produced a pretty remarkable album.
It was, however, largely well received by the critics (Rolling Stone’s David Fricke proclaimed, “No Code basically means no rule books, no limits and above all, no fear”) and it again topped the Billboard 200.
“Yield”
Welcomed as a return to their original anthemic rock sound, 1998’s “Yield” was trailed by one of Pearl Jam’s most enduring, radio-friendly singles, ‘Given To Fly’, which also provided Vedder and company with a US Top 30 hit and Top 20 success in the UK.The soaring, airy feel of “Given to Fly” was a result of Eddie Vedder’s song writing approach. In a 1998 interview with the ‘Philadelphia Inquirer,’ the singer admitted he envisioned the lyrics as a “20-page cardboard book with a line on each page and a picture to go with it. It’s a fable, that’s all. The music almost gives you this feeling of flight”. “Yield’s” gem comes in quiet with Mike McCready Led Zeppelin-inspired riff, but by the time the chorus hits, you’re pogo-ing and clapping wildly. Vedder’s voice soars: “First he was stripped and then he was stabbed by faceless men / Fuckers, he still stands / And he still gives his love, he just gives it away.
The band had permitted several singles to be released from “No Code” and their stance towards promotional duties continued to soften with the release of “Yield“, for which they even consented to commission comic book artist Todd McFarlane to produce the Marvel-influenced promo video for the album’s fourth single, ‘Do The Evolution’. A song that constantly comes up in fan discussions about getting through tough times, self-doubt or any other trouble, “Present Tense” (from 1996’s underrated No Code was written by Vedder. During a Scotland show of the 2000 Pearl Jam tour, he noted that it was a kind of reminder to himself to be played when he needed to know he could weather a bad time. “You can spend your time alone / Re-digesting past regrets / Or you can come to terms and realize / You’re the only one who can’t forgive yourself / Makes much more sense to live in the present tense” he sings. The band members’ jam that makes up the second half of the song gives it even more of a sense of soaring hope.
“Yield” peaked at No.2 in the US and the album’s hugely successful US tour during the summer of 1998 was facilitated by the band’s decision to again work directly with the Ticketmaster agency.
“Live On Two Legs“
A celebratory live album, “Live On Two Legs“, appeared in November 1998, Without a doubt, Pearl Jam are one of the best live bands to emerge in the past 25 years. But for some reason, it took them over eight years to release a proper live album. Thankfully, “Live on Two Legs” was worth the wait. The 16-track album draws from the band’s 1998 summer and fall tour, which was their first outing with new drummer Matt Cameron. The set wisely skips obvious hits like “Jeremy” and “Alive” in favor of deep cuts like “MFC” and “Off He Goes.” Nearly every song on here is superior to its studio version. The only flaw is that it’s only a single disc and doesn’t capture the scope of a single great concert. The band must have been happy with the results, though: two years later, they began releasing live albums from every single concert on their tours.while in 1999 the band’s emotive cover of Wayne Cochran’s 1961 ballad ‘Last Kiss’ gave Pearl Jam their biggest single success, peaking at No.2 on the Billboard singles chart. The song also featured on the compilation No Boundaries and the band donated the proceeds to refugees of the Balkan civil war in Kosovo.
“Binaural“
With ex-Soundgarden drummer Matt Cameron replacing Jack Irons, Pearl Jam cut their sixth LP, “Binaural“, in 2000. The record’s title referred to new producer Tchad Blake’s adoption of the binaural recording technique, wherein two microphones are used simultaneously to try and simulate the experience of being in the room with the band. Lyrically, this dark, brooding album frequently railed against injustice, with tracks such as Vedder’s ‘Grievance’ inspired by the anti-corporate World Trade Organization protests in Seattle in 1999 and Gossard’s ‘Rival’ based on the Columbine High School massacre.
Going gold, “Binaural” peaked at No.2 on the Billboard 200 and, in support, the band embarked on lengthy tours of Europe and North America. Having long since held a relaxed view of fans bootlegging their shows, Pearl Jam began recording their gigs professionally across 2000-01 and subsequently issued a Grateful Dead-esque series of official live albums available through both record stores and the band’s fan club. The group eventually released 72 live albums during this period and set a record for the most albums to debut on the Billboard 200 at the same time.
Cameron was already part of the larger Pearl Jam family, having played on the Gossard demos and collaborated with everyone in Temple of the Dog. So when Irons dropped out of the ‘Yield’ tour, it was obvious who they’d frantically call with a daunting request. “I got a phone call out of the blue, from Mr. Ed Ved, Stoney and [manager Kelly Curtis],” the drummer told Spin. “I was ambushed. It was really short notice. He called and said, ‘Hey what are you doing this summer?'” It was a perfect match: Cameron, a consummate professional, was able to seamlessly put his stamp on all the previous drummers’ parts, and he became an instant writer and collaborator when they hit the studio for 2000’s ‘Binaural.’ Using the heavy but intricate style he’d already showcased with the then-defunct Soundgarden, Cameron became the definitive Pearl Jam drummer, staying on through their next four LPs: 2002’s ‘Riot Act,’ 2006’s ‘Pearl Jam,’ 2009’s “Backspacer” and 2013’s ‘Lightning Bolt’ Equally important was his personal chemistry with the other four. “Somehow we were so fortunate, you know, we’ve had a few drummers,” Vedder said in the band’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame speech. “And you know, taking that seat in the drum school or the throne, because they’re all kings. We’re so fortunate. Every one of them is great. But Matt Cameron’s really been the one that’s kept us alive for these last 15, 16 years. At a time when we didn’t know if – we weren’t sure what was going to happen – he enabled us not just to survive, but to thrive. I mean, he’s been one of my brothers.
Both the European and US legs of the tour were well received, though tragedy struck when nine fans suffocated to death during the band’s set at Denmark’s Roskilde Festival in 2000. Devastated by the experience, Pearl Jam considered splitting up, but eventually poured their emotions into the making of their next album, 2002’s “Riot Act”. Perhaps inevitably, ruminations on death loomed large in the record’s lyrics, though the album included some of the band’s most sublime material, courtesy of the folksy ‘I Am Mine’ Written in 3/4 time signature, which is more commonly heard in waltzes or folk tunes than in rock songs, “I Am Mine” ebbs and flows at a jaunty pace. The lyrics tackle existential crises and what it means to feel safe. We mainly get lost in the rhythm.
The Beatles-y psychedelia of ‘Love Boat Captain’ and the looming art-rock of ‘Save You’. Even though the title is kinda silly, this song was written in the wake of the 2000 tragedy at the Roskilde music festival (“Lost nine friends we’ll never know. Vedder finds solace just where John Lennon did, name-checking a Beatles song,I know it’s already been sung / It can’t be said enough / Love is all you need / All you need is love. He then sums it all up: “Once you hold the hand of love / It’s all surmountable. George W. Bush was near the peak of his popularity, but Eddie had the balls to write “Bu$hleaguer,” a scathing indictment of the president who was “born on third, thinks he got a triple.” The disc also marked the first effort with organist Kenneth “Boom” Gaspar; he’s been with them ever since. The group took a four-year recording break after Riot Act, and when they emerged, they seemed a little less afraid of pop hooks.
Having concluded their Epic contract with the self-explanatory anthology set “Rearviewmirror(Greatest Hits 1991-2003)”,Pearl Jam initially opted to self-release new records, including ‘Man Of The Hour’, a single issued in partnership with Amazon, and rarities collection Lost Dogs. Inspired by historian Howard Zinn, author of “A People’s History of the United States” and friends with Vedder since a 1998 interview they sat down for together, the central idea of this 2002 B-side — “You can’t be neutral on a moving train comes straight from a Zinn book title. Pick what you care about and support it, the song says: “Rise / Life is in motion If hope can grow from dirt like me, it can be done.
Eventually, however, they signed a short-term deal with Sony subsidiary J Records for 2006’s long-awaited Pearl Jam, an exhilarating hard rock album which Rolling Stone cogently declared was “as big and brash in fuzz and backbone as Led Zeppelin’s Presence”. With the band’s loyal fanbase in wholehearted agreement, Pearl Jam debuted at No.2 on the Billboard200 and climbed to No.5 in the UK, where the band also headlined the prestigious Leeds and Reading Festivals in 2006.
“Backspacer”
Pearl Jam’s ongoing resurgence continued with the release of 2009’s “Backspacer”, released through the band’s own label, Monkeywrench, via Universal Music Group. By some way Vedder and the team’s most uplifting and life-affirming set of songs to date, the album found producer Brendan O’Brien returning to the control room for the first time since 1998’s Yield, and the record delivered 11 songs in an exhilarating, brevity-fuelled 36 minutes. Ranging from the swaggering ‘Gonna See My Friend’ to the nervy, Elvis Costello-esque new wave of ‘Johnny Guitar’ and the heart-melting acoustic love song ‘Just Breathe’, Pearl Jam are hardly the first band to use strings to enhance the emotions of a song, but damn if they weren’t able to take it to another tear-inducing level Pain, love, mortality — the band checks all of the heart-wrenching boxes on this one. There was great singles like “Got Some” and “The Fixer” grabbed the attention of many fans who had given up on Pearl Jam sometime around 1999. By 2009, the band just didn’t have anything more to prove. They’d proven they could thrive without videos or any other conventional promotional tools. It was time to have fun and do whatever felt right.
“Backspacer” captured Pearl Jam on superlative form and it rewarded them with their first US No.1 since ‘96’s No Code.
A lot of Pearl Jam’s early music spoke of people navigating despair: the abused, the suicidal, even the homicidal. By 2006, despite political tumult in the world, the band itself seemed in a brighter but no less empathetic place. With a sharp guitar sounding the opening, Vedder pleads, “I have faced it / Life wasted / I’m never going back again.
“Lightning Bolt”
Arriving in the wake of director Cameron Crowe’s acclaimed Pearl Jam “Twenty” documentary, hotly-anticipated tenth album, “Lightning Bolt”, continued the band’s renaissance. In many ways the logical extension of “Backspacer“, it was a tad darker in hue, yet every bit as accessible, with the muscular ‘Getaway’, soaring ‘Yellow Moon’ and shape-throwing, Who–esque titular song all up there with the very best in the band’s illustrious canon. Confidently becoming Pearl Jam’s fifth US No.1 album, the consistent quality of its content suggests that the best may be yet to come from this most formidable of rock’n’roll institutions. “Sirens” built around an acoustic guitar and piano, this luscious ballad unfolds slowly and thoughtfully. Eddie Vedder’s emotional vocals range from powerful to trembling, as if he’s about to cry. There’s a real sense of fragility in the words, evident in phrases like “Someday this will be over,” “All things change” and “Nothing lasts forever.” This is the grown-up Pearl Jam, a group of rock stars turned fathers and family men. They’ve faced the highs and lows that life has thrown at them and still stand to press forward to another day.
“Gigaton”
It took six and a half years, the longest stretch ever between Pearl Jam albums, but “Gigaton” is finally here, In the 10-week run-up from “Gigaton’s” announcement until today, the band released three of the 12 songs from the album in full: the Talking Heads-inspired “Dance of the Clairvoyants,” “Superblood Wolfmoon” and “Quick Escape”
“Gigaton” found Pearl Jam working with a new co-producer, Josh Evans, who also contributed keyboards to “River Cross” Vedder plays the pump organ on this “Gigaton” closer that’s filled with dire thoughts of thunderclouds and “drifting off in the undertow.” But he chooses a silver lining instead: “Look around at the promise now / Here and now / Won’t hold us down / Share the light.
Although it’s his first production effort with them, he previously served as an engineer on a pair of songs — a cover of Brandi Carlile’s “Again Today” that appeared on a 2017 benefit album and the 2018 standalone single “Can’t Deny Me” — and has worked on solo and side projects by bassist Jeff Ament and guitarist Mike McCready.
However, the band’s plans to promote “Gigaton” have not gone as expected. The outbreak of coronavirus forced them to postpone the North American leg of their tour, which was scheduled to begin March 18th.
“Dark Matter”
Released in April 2024, Pearl Jam’s twelfth studio album carries significant weight within their extensive discography. Produced by Andrew Watt, the album is notable for its raw energy and the band’s return to a more collaborative, fast-paced recording process, reminiscent of their earlier work.
Musically, “Dark Matter” delivers powerful rock anthems alongside more nuanced tracks, showcasing the enduring chemistry and musicianship of the band members, particularly Mike McCready’s visceral guitar work. As a later-era album, “Dark Matter” serves not as a reinvention, but as a potent reminder of Pearl Jam’s vital and continuing artistic relevance, satisfying long-time fans while potentially capturing new listeners with its immediacy and emotional depth.
Taste (originally “The Taste”) was formed in Cork, Ireland, in August 1966 as a trio consisting of Rory Gallagher on guitar and vocals, Eric Kitteringham on bass, and Norman Damery on drums. In 1968 Taste began performing in the UK where the original line-up split up. The new line-up formed with Richard McCracken on bass and John Wilson on drums. The new line up of Taste moved permanently to London where they signed with the record label Polydor Records. In April 1969, Taste released the first of their two studio albums, the self-titled “Taste”, with “On the Boards” following in early 1970, the latter showing the band’s jazz influences with Gallagher playing saxophone on numerous tracks.
Taste recorded three sessions for John Peel’s Top Gear programme between 1968 and 1969. Nine songs from those sessions are featured on this disc. In addition, two live recordings broadcast on Dutch television on 22nd August 1969 are also included.
TRACK LISTING
01. Blister on The Moon / 02. Dual Carriageway Pain / 03. Norman Invasion / 04. Sugar Mama / 05. Leaving Blues 06. Born on The Wrong Side of Time / 07. Wee Wee Baby / 08. Same Old Story / 09. I’m Moving On / 10. Blister on The Moon (live) / 11. Sugar Mama (live)
“Born out of magic and hopelessly romantic. A message from the fire. The flames are burning higher and ever so brightly, softly, sweet scars & beauty, death like, so lovely. Ghosts and Gods sing Pharaoh melodies”. Natalie De Silver founder of The Dandelion describes her band. This four-piece group take 60s psych influences and ghostly sounds into modern world. We had a lovely chat with Natalie, while the flute and the organ ring out in the night…My studio is my home and I mostly record music in my lounge room. Sometimes I write songs in my kitchen or bedroom. I like composing songs on either guitar, organ or drums first, then I just make the rest up. I have an old cassette recorder I like to record on. However, the next Dandelion record we’re going into a proper studio which is really exciting!. for independent artists like us who sell our own music through sites like Bandcamp or at our own shows and mange our own social media platforms it’s very personal. The Dandelion originally began as a solo recording project for Daniel Poulter (1981-2015) who recorded Strange Case of The Dandelion.
During the recording of The Dandelion’s 2nd album “Seeds Flowers & Magical Powers of The Dandelion” 2014/2015, Daniel gracefully handed over all creative duties to Natalie de Silver who can be heard subtlety coming through the album’s mix and main themes. Natalie is currently working on a third album to be released very soon!
True spirituality is also taking responsibility for your role within the creation process and once you find a positive rhythm within in it then you will begin to truly understand what God is. I strongly recommend to anyone who is even remotely spiritual, that you find a disciplinary belief system or religion to subscribe to Otherwise you’ll have no spiritual structure or grounding and what often happens to the “spiritual but not religious” is a false self justification of being on the “right path” and this often leads to spiritual gluttony, substance abuse and self indulgence which will ultimately disconnect you from reality and God.
Sure, so the first step is to discern what is good for you and what is bad for you and how it might affect other people. This is not an overnight process, however, if you have the ability to feel remorse and empathy towards anything other than yourself, then discernment should come quite easily, It’s much more beneficial to see how your bad habits might be negatively affecting others as opposed to just yourself as bad habits are often strangely enjoyable and, if you give up a bad habit just for yourself, then you’ll most likely just trade it for another bad habit to meet your own needs.Last year, The Dandelion joined the Gizzfest, curated by Ozzie favorites King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard.
“There’s something about this record,” Benson says, describing his Third Man Records debut album “Dear Life”. “A friend of mine called it ‘life-affirming.’ I thought it was a joke at first but then realized, well, it’s about life and death for sure. I don’t know if that’s positive or optimistic or whatever, but that’s what’s going on with me.”
Brendan Benson finds himself in an enviable spot as he enters the third decade of a remarkably creative, consistently idiosyncratic career – an accomplished frontman, musician, songwriter, producer, band member, husband, and dad. Benson’s seventh solo album, and first new LP in almost seven years, “Dear Life” is this consummate polymath’s most inventive and upbeat work thus far, an 11- track song cycle about life, love, family, fatherhood, and the pure joy of making music.
Produced and almost entirely performed by Benson at his own Readymade Studio in Nashville, the album sees the Michigan-born, Nashville-based artist – and co-founder, with Jack White, of The Raconteurs – reveling in a more modernist approach than ever before, fueled by a heady brew of cannabis, hip-hop, and a newly discovered interest in software drum programming.
The result is an untapped playfulness that elevates expertly crafted songs like the opener, “I Can If You Want Me To,” and the first single, “Good To Be Alive,” with voluble arrangements, elastic grooves, and incandescent power. Imbued with revitalized ambition and confidence, DEAR LIFE is Brendan Benson at his very best.
Iggy Pop has announced new 2xCD reissues of his classic albums “The Idiot” and “Lust for Life”. In addition to remastered versions of the original albums, the reissues feature bonus live discs: Live at The Rainbow Theatre, recorded at London’s Finsbury Park in 1977, and TV Eye Live, respectively. The classic David Bowie-produced albums ‘The Idiot’ and ‘Lust For Life’ are being reissued through a special deluxe boxset.
1977 the story of Iggy Pop and David Bowies Collaboration on two of the most iconic albums of the decade is told in a new seven CD box set which features the albums remastered, a disc of out takes and Three discs of live recordings officially released (with the endorsement of Iggy Pop) for the first time. In 1977, Iggy Pop signed with RCA Records and with the help of David Bowie the two of them wrote and produced The Idiot and Lust for Life, Iggy Pop’s two most acclaimed albums as a solo artist, the latter featuring one of Pop’s best-known songs “The Passenger”. Among the songs David Bowie and Iggy Pop wrote together were “China Girl”, “Tonight”, and “Sister Midnight”, all of which David Bowie performed on his own albums later on (the last being recorded with different lyrics as “Red Money” on the album Lodger). David Bowie also played keyboards on Pop’s live performances, some of which are featured on the album TV Eye Live in 1978.
Both released in 1977, the records remain highly-influential to this day – spawning hits such as ‘Nightclubbing’, ‘The Passenger’ and the title track ‘Lust For Life’.
On May 29th, a special collection titled ‘The Bowie Years’ will be released via UMC. The reissue will comprise 7 CDs containing remastered versions of the original albums, as well as rare outtakes, alternate mixes and a special 40-page book.
The Stooges founder expansive box set is called The Bowie Years, a 7xCD collection that includes those two reissues, as well as demos and rarities and other live recordings from his time working with David Bowie in Berlin. All of these arrive May 29th via UMe. Check out an alternate mix of “China Girl” below, taken from the larger box set. The song was originally the second single from ‘The Idiot’ before it was taken on by Bowie for 1983’s ‘Let’s Dance’. Outside of TV Eye Live, the three March 1977 live concerts featured in The Bowie Years — Live at the Rainbow Theatre – Finsbury Park, London 07/03/1977, Live at The Agora – Cleveland 21/03/1977 and Live at Mantra Studios – Chicago 28/03/1977 — are all previously unreleased.
Iggy Pop’s most recent album, a collaborative LP with Noveller and Leron Thomas titled Free, was released last year. Earlier this month, he joined Jane Birkin on Fallon for a rendition of Serge Gainsbourg’s “Elisa.”
Limited Edition 7CD Boxset + Exclusive Deluxe A2 Screenprint, numbered and signed by the artist, Chris Hopewell at Jacknife Studios (best known for his animation with Radiohead for ‘Burn The Witch’. Strictly limited to 500 worldwide.
Virtual band Gorillaz have shared a new song, “Aries,” that features Peter Hook (Peter Hook and the Light, Joy Division, New Order) and Georgia, via a video for the track. It’s the third episode of their Song Machine video series. Gorillaz’s Jamie Hewlett directed the video, which features the virtual band driving around a city. Stick around for a COVID-19 PSA at the end. Check out the song/video below.
The band’s virtual guitarist Noodle had this to say about the song in a press release: “Highly impatient and competitive, many Aries have the fighting spirit of your mythological ruler.”
Previously Gorillaz shared episode one of Song Machine, which showcased a video for the new song “Momentary Bliss” that features slowthai and Slaves. Then they shared episode two of Song Machine, which was the new song “Désolé,” that featured Malian musician Fatoumata Diawara, via a video for the track.
![Iggy Pop: The Bowie Years: 7CD Boxset + Exclusive Numbered A2 Screenprint [signed by the artist]](https://dvfnvgxhycwzf.cloudfront.net/media/SharedImage/imageFull/.fE6e6fFX/SharedImage-101931.png?t=e1735502fc8260c6d3ad)
