The long-awaited fourth full-length by Föllakzoid isn’t merely a recalibration for the band. It is a multidimensional reconsideration of what the process of songwriting, performance, and creating a work of recorded music can be.

Föllakzoid grows via depuration, aiming with each record to fill longer spaces of time with fewer and fewer elements. The creative perspective of the band has always been about unlearning the narrative and musical knowledge that shape the physical and digital formats and conceptions available, both visually and musically in order to make a time-space metric structure that dissolves both the author and the narrative paradigms. “We found our sonic and metric identity even more in these songs than in our previous attempts,” guitarist/singer Domingæ Garcia-Huidobro explains.

Unlike past Föllakzoid records, that were done in single takes with the full band, this record took three months to construct out of more than 60 separate stems – guitars, bass, drums, synthesizers, and vocals, all recorded in isolation. Producer Atom TM, who was not present for recording, was then asked to re-organize the four sequences of stems without any length, structural restrictions or guidelines. Those sequences ultimately became the four long tracks that appear on I.

The result of this was a set of songs where neither the band’s, nor the producer’s, structural vision primarily shaped the metric or tonal space shifts, but where both were still subliminally present in each of the parts that form the structure and the frequency modulations that guide them.

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“We invite you to join us in sharing the experience of being led by this non-rational, sonic artform and its energy. It is also an invitation to connect once again with your inner master and his intuition, erasing the systematic rationalization that usually follows creative forces when perceived, to guide you on this holographic simultaneous simulation where reality is rooted in,” Domingae added.
released August 1st, 2019

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Angel Olsen is a master of shifting our perception of her. Each one of her albums has been a sweeping evolution—sonic, musical, conceptual—that has made its predecessor seem humble by comparison. “All Mirrors,” is the title track of her upcoming fourth album, immediately sounds bigger than anything she’s done before. Initial listens will leave you overwhelmed by the string arrangement: an ominous, heroic swell over a synthy pulse, the troubled waters that connect the song’s two parts.

Some of Olsen’s songs feel like they’ve always existed—lost country standards or themes from old romantic films—but “All Mirrors” is mostly alien. She centers its movement on just one vocal melody, loosening and intensifying her delivery as if holding onto something delicate in a windstorm. Even her one-of-a-kind voice, the constant through her work, gets coated in silvery new effects.

Underneath all these layers is a deceptively stark composition, a plea for consistency whose cryptic lyrics seem to be carved out of a larger story. In the accompanying video, with imagery that falls between Greek myth and science fiction, Olsen succumbs to a void of demonic hands, undergoes a transformation, and locks eyes with a crowned doppelgänger in some smoky purgatory. She alludes to all these selves in the chorus, describing her reflection as something constantly changing, in danger of disappearing completely: “At least at times it knew me,” she sings, face-to-face with the mystery.

“All Mirrors” by Angel Olsen from ‘All Mirrors’ out October 4th on Jagjaguwar Records.

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From his earliest days as a member of the legendary The Clean onward, singer/songwriter, David Kilgour has come to be known as one of the most respected and admired songwriters of his generation and certainly one of the greatest rock musicians to come out of New Zealand. His signature guitar twang and languid, carefree melodies are readily identifiable. Kilgour is a guitar god for guitar atheists. He’s worthy of worship, but his style neither demands nor expects it, all of which only serves to increase his otherworldly cool.

“It’s moody—as in low, subdued,” says David Kilgour of his new album. The atmosphere of “Bobbie’s a girl” does feel a bit mysterious. Largely missing the jangly distortion of Kilgour’s other work, the album’s ten songs exude a hazy warmth, with a light psychedelia that recalls ’60s outfits like The Byrds and The Velvet Underground.

Four decades into his career, Kilgour remains as creatively restless as ever. Wherever that drive takes him next, you’ll want to follow.

Releases September 20th, 2019
The Band
Thomas Bell: bass, keyboards, hand chimes and percussion.
Tony de Raad: guitar.
Taane Tokona: drums and percussion.
David Kilgour: guitar, vibes, keyboards and piano.

From the album “Bobbie’s a Girl” out September 20th, 2019 on Merge Records

Fruit Bats share “Ocean” music video ahead of summer tour dates

Just ahead of full-band performances in NYC and DC, as well as appearances at MRG30 and Pickathon, Eric D. Johnson of Fruit Bats is sharing a music video for “Ocean” from his much-loved Merge Records debut, “Gold Past Life”.  director Danielle Rubi: says

When I first heard Eric’s song “Ocean,” I immediately had a series of moving photographs play out in my mind. The melancholic tone resonated with me a lot artistically, so I decided to create an authentic portrait of how it may feel to be a bit lost in this world. I think our culture could use more somber, honest, and hopeful pieces out there. To help us feel found, and to simply say, We are going to be ok.

The opaque aqua Peak Vinyl of Gold Past Life packaged with a bonus 7-inch is sold out in the Merge store, but Fruit Bats will have copies on the road while supplies last!

Praise for “Gold Past Life”:

“This sweet, smart concept album about nostalgia is one of the year’s best-written… Even as dedicated a nostalgist as Johnson paints himself to be can come to realize that the future’s still a good place to go mining for gold, too.” —Variety

“A peak of radiant retro poppiness” —Rolling Stone

“Deftly avoiding the pitfalls of nostalgia, Fruit Bats’ Gold Past Life takes stock of life from the vantage point of middle age and charts a path forward with hope and no little circumspection, without once feeling sorry for itself.” —PopMatters

“Underneath guitar melodies that seem to glide on warm California air, and Johnson’s singular falsetto harmonies, he is working through some dark, existential anxieties on Gold Past Life. But that’s what makes these songs so sublime.” —No Depression

“It hurts, thinking about what once was. So Gold Past Life wraps that sobering truth up in animated pop rock, an element of sweetness to make the darkness go down a little easier.” —Paste

The opaque aqua Peak Vinyl of Gold Past Life packaged with a bonus 7-inch is sold out in the Merge store, but Fruit Bats will have copies on the road while supplies last!

Mikal Cronin has announced his fourth solo album album. “Seeker” is due out October 25th via Merge Records. Check out the Yasi Salek-directed video for his new single “Show Me.” Cronin has also announced an upcoming tour—find those dates at the Merge website.

“Show Me’ is a song about feeling small in an overwhelming world,” said Cronin. “There’s a not-quite-subtle hint of the Heartbreakers in the instrumentation and arrangement, having asked many friends to play or sing. It’s one of my favorite songs from the album, I hope you like it too.”

Seeker is Mikal Cronin’s fourth and finest full-length to date. Recorded live with a crew of close friends and engineer Jason Quever at Palmetto Studios in Los Angeles, it finds Cronin pushing his often devastating power pop into darker territory. “Fire—specifically its cycle of purging and reseeding the landscape—is a central theme to the record. Death and rebirth,” says Mikal. “I was looking for something: answers, direction, peace. I am the seeker.”

Mikal Cronin recorded Seeker with engineer Jason Quever. He was backed by Ty Segall’s Freedom Band on the album, which is his follow-up to 2015’s MCIII.

 

North London trio Girl Ray have announced a new album, Girl, and shared a video for its first single, “Show Me More.” Girl is due out November 8th via Moshi Moshi. They’ve also announced some UK tour dates. Watch the “Show Me More” video below.

Girl Ray features Poppy Hankin (guitar/vocals), Iris McConnell (drums), and Sophie Moss (bass). “Girl” is their second album, the follow-up to their cleverly titled 2017-released debut album, Earl Grey  which was one of the Top 15 Debut Albums of 2017 .

Girl was recorded at Electric Beach Studios in Margate with Ash Workman (Christine and the Queens, Metronomy). Whereas their debut album was a twee-pop gem, Girl is inspired by more modern and electronic pop sounds, in particular Rihanna and Ariana Grande. Crusoe Weston directed the “Show Me More” video, which features the band riding around on bikes.

In a press release the band say “Show Me More” is about “crushing really hard but having to play the long game and wait it out because your boo is playing savage games. It’s your classic pop banger. Steamy dance floor. Drinks on me.”

Show Me More is Girl Ray’s brand new single, taken from their forthcoming album ‘Girl’ out on 8th November via Moshi Moshi Records.

15th November 2019 – Rock City Nottingham w/ Metronomy,  22nd February 2020 – Nottingham, Bodega

Los Angeles sister trio Haim have shared a brand new song, “Summer Girl,” via a video directed by previous collaborator Paul Thomas Anderson (Boogie Nights, Magnolia, There Will Be Blood). Rostam Batmanglij and Ariel Rechtshaid co-produced the song, which is out now via Columbia Records. The video features the band removing different layers of clothing while walking down various Los Angeles streets, often accompanied by a saxophonist. It was also shot at such iconic LA locations as the New Beverly Cinema (now owned by Quentin Tarantino) and Canter’s Deli.

Danielle Haim, whose partner is aforementioned producer Ariel Rechtshaid, had this to say about “Summer Girl” in a press release: “I started the song when I found out my partner had cancer. I was on tour and felt like I was trying to send positive energy his way almost telepathically. Whenever I would come home in between shows I wanted to be his sunshine – his summer when he was feeling dark. His hope when he was feeling hopeless.”

Danielle elaborated in a series of tweets that we’ve combined: “So excited to start releasing new music as we’re working on it – kinda like we did before our first album. We finished this song a couple weeks ago and thought, why don’t we shoot something real quick and release it!… This song started out as a garage band demo in my phone with just a bass line, drums, some gibberish and a doot doot doot little melody. I wrote it around the time my partner was diagnosed with cancer a couple years ago while we were making STTY. (He’s in the clear now!) So I kept singing these lines – ‘I’m your sunny girl/ I’m your fuzzy girl/ I’m your summer girl’ –  over the bass line. Summer Girl stuck. We were touring on and off at this time and every time we were on the phone with each other or when I would come home in between shows, I wanted to be this light that shined on him when he was feeling very dark. I wanted to be his hope when he was feeling hopeless. Fast forward to a couple months ago – I remembered this demo and pulled it up from my phone. I brought it to my friend Rostam to see if he wanted to work on it. He wrote the sax part within the first couple minutes of working on it and it all clicked. We were kinda joking about how the doot doot doot part reminded us of [Lou Reed’s] ‘Walk on the Wild Side’ and then he put this stand up bass part on top of the electric bass part and It sounded amazing! The palette was there – very inspired by Lou. And we kept it that way. I brought it back to my partner Ariel – where the inspo first started – and he put some finishing touches on it and here we are!”

Haim’s last album, Something to Tell You, was released in 2017 via Columbia. Since then they have collaborated with Twin Shadow and Vampire Weekend, appeared on Jenny Lewis‘ telethon, and are featured on Charli XCX’s upcoming album, Charli.

Royal Trux returned earlier this year with their comeback album White Stuff. Now they have announced a new EP, “Pink Stuff”, which features five songs from the album remixed by Ariel Pink. They have also shared one of its tracks, “Suburban Junky Lady (Ariel Pink Remix).” Pink Stuff is due out September 6th via Fat Possum Records.

Their return to the studio is nothing short of a rock & roll rapture. The magic chemistry between Jennifer Herrema (vocal, moog, guitar, melodica) and Neil Hagerty (vocal, guitar) that brought us Twin Infinitives, Cats and Dogs and their last LP, Pound for Pound in 2000, is present in the unadulterated, exhilarating energy on these new tracks, 

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Check out “Suburban Junky Lady (Ariel Pink Remix),” followed by the EP’s tracklist .

Pink Stuff EP Tracklist:

1. Suburban Junky Lady (Ariel Pink Remix)
2. Year of The Dog (Ariel Pink Remix)
3. Get Used To This (Ariel Pink Remix)
4. White Stuff (Ariel Pink Remix)
5. Whopper Dave (Ariel Pink Remix)

Releases October 4th, 2019

Long Beard (aka Leslie Bear) is releasing a new album, “Means to Me”, on September 13th via Double Double Whammy. Previously she shared its first single, “Sweetheart,” Now she has shared the album’s title track, “Means to Me.” 

Means to Me is Bear’s second Long Beard album, the follow-up to 2015’s Sleepwalker. The album was co-produced with Japanese Breakfast collaborator Craig Hendrix.

Throughout the record, Leslie explores what constitutes a home—how it extends beyond the physicality of a roof over your head to the comfort of another person. A sense of self, stability or security.

The last four years between records mark a particularly significant and transitional time for Bear. A career move led her back to her hometown in New Jersey long after her friends and peers moved away, resulting in feelings of stasis and nostalgia that shape the album. Reflections on the past are evident in tracks like album single “Sweetheart”, in which Bear considers a past love, where they are now, and her life in relation to theirs.

Bear’s second album shows a growth and maturation in sound from her debut. Co-produced with Craig Hendrix (Japanese Breakfast), the record occupies a dreamlike space that weaves between shoegaze-tinged guitars and upbeat, jangly pop. While still loyal to Leslie’s signature ethereal, melodic guitars and haunting whispered vocal delivery, the fully realized arrangements demonstrate a stunning clarity throughout the album.

The perfect amalgamation between Bear’s ambient-textured loops met with the pristine production and pop stylings of Hendrix’s playing can be heard in album standout “Snow Globe.” The combined reversal effects, seamless transitions, and heartbeat percussion are the language of Means To Me.

What Bear has created with Means To Me is not only a mirror for herself, but also a means for the listener to reflect on what home means to them. Whether Bear has defined a home for herself is left to wonder, as she leaves us with these final lines before the album crescendos into an explosive distorted instrumental and slowly fades: “driving down through our state lines while you dream, I’m thinking of a name to go by.”

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The Hollywood Vampires — the supergroup of Johnny Depp, Alice Cooper and Joe Perry performed their cover of David Bowie’s “Heroes” on The Late Late Show With James Corden on Tuesday. evening

Depp fronted the epic slow-burner with expert care and attention, starting his vocals at a rumble and building, with each verse, to a belt. Meanwhile, Perry and Cooper crafted the song’s searing guitar parts, later providing back-up harmonies for Depp and eventually joining him at the microphone to sing the final refrain, “We can be heroes, we can be heroes.”

Hollywood Vampires’ cover of “Heroes” appears on the band’s new album “Rise”, which was released in June. The 16-track record was produced by Tommy Henriksen and mainly comprises original tunes, though there are also covers off the Jim Carroll Band’s “People Who Died” and Johnny Thunder’s “You Can’t Put Your Arms Around a Memory.”

Johnny Depp, Alice Cooper, Joe Perry and their band Hollywood Vampires perform David Bowie’s classic song ‘Heroes’ for the Stage 56 audience.