Preoccupations kick things off on a decidedly ‘80s note with “Espionage,” the synths, skeletal beat, and Matt Flegel’s dramatic vocals sounding like a twisted, bleaker version of Depeche Mode. It’s dark and grinding, but still so danceable it could be an alternate soundtrack the scene in The Breakfast Club where they’re all gettin’ down cue Judd Nelson hanging off of that weird hand statue thing. On “Decompose,” the unrelenting, singular beat from Mike Wallace’s drums and the solitary, swiped chord of some kind of eastern harp are softened by Flegel’s pointedly dreamy vocals, the only relief from the cyclical, driving rhythm getting beaten in to your skull. Sonically, “Disarray” takes a nod or two from the “Disorder” version of Joy Division. Lyrically, it’s a study in harnessing the chaos and discord of life, while acknowledging the futility of doing so. Flegel sings the title over and over, making a pattern of a word whose definition means exactly the opposite.
The members of Preoccupations have always confidently followed their own rules as they straddle the line between humanity and the brutish force of their music. Examinations of creation, destruction and the ways that we often practice the two in vain have regularly been tethered to the Canadian post-punk band’s work—even going back to their days as Viet Cong. And while that’s quite a downcast undertaking, it’s one that goes hand-in-hand with Preoccupations’ dystopian-future-sounding music. With their third LP, New Material, they dive into it headlong, kicking things off on a decidedly ’80s note with “Espionage,” the synths, skeletal beat, and Flegel’s dramatic vocals sounding like a twisted, bleaker version of Depeche Mode. It’s dark and grinding, but still so danceable it could be an alternate soundtrack the scene in The Breakfast Club where they’re all gettin’ down—cue Judd Nelson hanging off of that weird hand-statue thing.
Preoccupations – “Espionage” from ‘New Material’, out March 23rd, 2018 on Jagjaguwar Records.
For most of their career, Russian trio Pinkshinyultrablast established themselves as one of shoegaze’s finest outfits. While Slowdive and Ride were on hiatus, they filled the void with the expansive, chiming flair. For their third album, Miserable Miracles, however, the band expand their reach and unveil their most expansive LP to date.
Miserable Miracles is more than just a record. It is an experience that features three destinations (or layers if you will). The first is the dance floors of Earth. The intoxicating opener “Dance A.M.” buzzes with bubbly synths and percolating beats On “Eray”, the threesome head back in time and the age of early ’80s new-wave disco. A psychedelic-disco vibe, meanwhile, percolates on fantasy-like “In The Hanging Gardens”, which is as imaginative as Tim Burton’s films.
The heavens is the next stop. The groovy and relaxing “Triangles” is the soundtrack to the journey through the clouds. Upon arrival, the soft notes of “Blue Hour” and the gorgeous “Find Your Saint” welcome all newcomers. Beyond the clouds awaits the cosmos, which is where Pinkshinyultrablast reside.
In The Hanging Gardens was released on February 23rd, 2018 via Club AC30 and Shelflife Records,
The striking instrumental “Earth and Elsewhere” is an alluring spectacle while “Looming” is Pinkshinyultrablast as their dynamic shoegaze best. Whether they send listeners floating through galaxies or grooving in little clubs, Lyubov (vocals), Rustam (synths/electronics), and Roman (guitars) demonstrate they can appeal to all of our senses. They show there is more to their art than meets the eye.
It’s tough to follow up an album as captivating as Molly Burch’s debut, Please Be Mine. However, Burch followed it up with yet another masterpiece in First Flower. From her clever lyricism, to the gorgeous instrumentals that can be found throughout the record, Burch created a record that is among the year’s finest. And a statement at that.
“Candy” sets Burch’s deceptive tone, an anxious track that sounds summery and groovy. On “Wild”, Burch wishes to channel her wild side. “Good Behavior” is an amazing, introspective track that is one of Burch’s strongest vocal performances on the record. She charms with the Laurel Canyon vibes of “Dangerous Place”, but her words are personally piercing. As she sings, “I hope I learn from my mistakes. I hope I forgive myself one day”. At the same time, she seeks to make her mark, as revealed on the provocative and clever “To The Boys”.
As she proves on First Flower, one does not need to make a statement by being louder than the rest. Instead, with a sharp pen, a witty and dichotomous approach, and a voice to remember, one can still provoke, tease, and speak loudly. One can still deliver another modern-day classic gem, which Burch has done once again.
May 10th, 2018 is a date that many indie music fans will never forget. It is the day we learned that Frightened Rabbit front man Scott Hutchison said goodbye to the world. Unfortunately, we never got the opportunity to say thank you for being the best friend we needed in our most difficult times. He did, however, leave one last parting gift, which he crafted with his brother and fellow Frightened Rabbit Grant Hutchison and siblings Justin Lockey of Editors and James Lockey of Minor Victories. Together, the four formed the super-sibling rock band mastersystem. Their one album, DanceMusic, is, well, a modern-rock masterpiece.
Opener “Proper Home” leaves no doubt that Dance Music is meant for cavernous rock halls. The stormy fervor of “Notes on a Life Not Quite Lived” is the closest thing to a Frightened Rabbit track on the record. It roars like a full-throttle engine that spews reverb-heavy dueling guitars and propulsive percussion. Scott’s lyrics are poignant and heavy, as he sings of “lessons learned”, being “lost in a deep abyss”, and finding “hope in hopelessness”.
The final album by the late, great Frightened Rabbit frontman Scott Hutchison, this side-project with members of Editors, Minor Victories took his brutal and introspective poetry into gnarlier terrain to create something much like its Sega console namesake: simple, free of frills, nostalgic, and yet weirdly futuristic at the same time.
Frightened Rabbit, Editors and Minor Victories combine for maximum heavy riffage. For more: Debut album released 6th April 2018 on Physical Education Recordings
Mastersystem go full bore The Pogues with a heavy dose of A Place To Bury Strangers on “The Enlightenment”. As Grant’s militaristic drumming leads the way, Scott poignantly tackles his own existence and purpose. A similar introspective tone percolates on “Must Try Harder”, which wails with the ferocity of Smashing Pumpkins in their prime. A moment of brief reprieve occurs on the pulsating, politically-driven “Teething”. Meanwhile, a more melodic approach is adopted on the grungy “Bird is Bored of Flying”, which highlights Scott’s philosophical songwriting style. As his band mates quietly rage, he smartly confronts people’s obsession with wealth. He hollers, “We all want fire until it starts to burn”.
The album’s peak, though, is “OldTeam”. It is a song for the underdog and all seeking to “get it right”. The Hutchisons’ trademark fervor is brilliantly meshed with the signature Lockey scorching depth, resulting in an epic anthem. It’s a fist-pounding, tear-down-the-walls number that will have people yelling, “Nobody fuck with me!”. These words seem apropos for Mastersystem, who unleash a sonic fury reminiscent of the great alt-rock bands of the past. It’s an LP that is among the very best rock outputs of the year and one that rivals the very best of the ’90s.
Dance Music is out April 6th via Physical Education Recordings,
“Knowing What You Know Now” has the perfect star, and an epic ending. Beginning with an in your face, “1 2 3 PLAY, frontwoman Becca McIntyre’s vocals are on point throughout Marmozets’ sophomore effort.
The band have had a fantastic year with some great slots during the UK festival season and a sell-out headline gig at London’s Kentish Town Forum. Support slots through You Me At Six’s tour seemed to be the well-deserved reward for their efforts this year.
“Major System Error” was the song that grabbed my attention during radio play and made me take a listen to the album. It’s a roller coaster of a journey, as the four-piece lift you up before taking dropping chilled out song “Insomnia”. One of two songs with huge anthem potential. The other being, “Run with the Rhythm”, a tune that is exactly the type that will be used for festival highlight reels over the years. “So run with the rhythm, Run with your freedom”, hollers McIntyre. And that’s exactly what Marmozets have done, and it’s paid off.
Knowing What You Know Now is out on Roadrunner Records,
Led by the vocals of Becca Macintyre, Marmozets have their debut album due out on September 29th titled “ The Weird and The Wonderful Marmozets”
Chicago singer/songwriter Lillie West records as Lala Lala and she’s set to release the follow-up to 2016’s Sleepyhead. Her forthcoming Hardly Art LP, The Lamb, is a stark indie-rock record, informed by a difficult time period of West’s life, which consisted of “home invasion, deaths of loved ones and general violence.” As the album hops between lo-fi pop and scuzzy rock, West’s musings are nuanced and naked in their emotional outpouring. People react to early adulthood in vastly different ways and as West found herself intermingling with addiction and toxic people, she sought rejuvenation through sobriety and these new songs. “Destroyer” sees West trying to finally get passed previous hardship and “Water Over Sex” sees West grappling with her newfound more positive lifestyle. She’s a compelling, relatable narrator, someone who’s in her own head, but takes you on a journey through her clever mind and candid, unglamorous life experiences.
Can an album simultaneously charm and devastate? In the case of Lillie West and her solo project Lala Lala‘s sophomore album, The Lamb, the answer is an emphatic yes.
The record is a multi-dimensional exploration of both the human spirit and music that aims to crush souls. The quiet yet emotionally powerful grunge ballad “Moth” is pure escapism sonically and in its message. Beautifully knee-buckling, “Dove” is the feeling of plunging into the great blue sea. This landscape, however, is drowned with the tears of sorrow and pain, as West says goodbye to someone she dearly loved. On the chiming, dark rocker, “Destroyer”, West is brutally honest. She proclaims without hesitation, “You are the reason my heart broke behind my back”. Beyond the chorus, however, she also explains the many times she was almost her own destroyer. It’s a frightening yet honest revelation from the young artist.
The Lamb is also gorgeously widescreen, such as on the stirring and breathtaking “Dropout”. It is fantasy meeting reality, as West’s asks out loud, “Can you keep a secret? This is not the only one”. The dazzling and breathtaking approach of “Water Over Sex” uncovers the lies West tells herself to protect what she has. As she reveals, “I love my secrets, I’m lucky in making”. Vulnerability strikes on gritty “I Get Cut”, which summarizes the multiple events that have affected West’s life over the past two years.
Despite the trials and tribulations of her not-so-distant past, West still found a way to make them beautiful and stunning. Through her own perseverance, we understand that the human spirit is stronger than one can imagine. We understand that even a lamb can quietly roar.
Check out Valley Queen from Los Angeles performing their song “Black Hole”. This live performance was filmed at The 5 Spot in East Nashville, The LA outfit has been around for fewer than five years, though listening to their music, you might think your vinyl-junkie friend picked one of their records out of a pile next to Fleetwood Mac and Hendrix. They have a classic Southern grit that makes you crave a sweet tea. They have defined their sound with a bluesy twang on guitar, driving thump on bass, and a soulful Southern vocal in singer Natalie Meadors.
Band Members
Natalie Carol – Lead Vocals/Rhythm Guitar
Neil Wogensen – Bass/Vocals
Shawn Morones – Guitar/Vocals
Mike DeLuccia – Drums
Typhoon’s “Offerings” was released way back in January, and nearly 12 months later, it is still one of the year’s finest records. Musically and lyrically, Offerings carries a heft that very few albums can do without feeling overwhelming. In making the record, Typhoon’s creative source Kyle Morton asked himself, “What does a person become if they don’t know where they came from? What is the essential quality of the person if you strip away all memory?”
The tracks on Offerings range from huge epics to spoken word to ambient journeys and many places in between. It’s impossible to go through the whole album and tell its story, and there’s no way a couple of paragraphs on this list will come close to doing it justice. However, there are some truly important tracks on it, such as the immense sound of “Rorschach”, the beautiful orchestration of “Empiricist”, and the unnerving hypnoticism of “Unusual”.
Offerings is an immersive, intense record that will define Typhoon’s career. It’s important, and it’s groundbreaking. They’ve broken out of a crowded indie folk scene and have truly created something to behold. In the process, they’ve told a story that no else can nor will do.
Typhoon’s full-length album, Offerings, out now on Roll Call Records
Tom Petty released “Somewhere Under Heaven,” co-written with Mike Campbell for 1994’s Wildflowers but left unheard until now. The track, available for purchase now through digital retailers, which will be part of a new archival project titled Wildflowers: All the Rest.
Even a brief listen to “Somewhere Under Heaven” places it firmly in context with the original album’s layered complexity. You can hear a sample of the new song above. The three-times platinum Wildflowers, a No. 8 hit that marked the first of three Petty albums co-produced by Rick Rubin, moved with deceptive grace from brawny rockers (“You Wreck Me,” “Cabin Down Below,” “Honey Bee”) to acoustic fragility (the title track, “Time to MoveOn”) to moving longform narratives (“It’s Good to be King,” “Crawling Back to You”).
And apparently there was much more where that came from. The release of Wildflowers: All the Rest, which features songs written between 1992-94, apparently corrects a wrong that goes back more than two decades. Petty says Wildflowers was originally intended to be a double album.
“Somewhere Under Heaven” can also be heard during the closing credits for the movie Entourage, which opens this week. Petty’s last studio album, Hypnotic Eye, became his first-ever U.S. No. 1. It was also his highest-charting U.K. release since Wildflowers went Top 10 20 years ago..
The track was recorded for 1994’s Wildflowers, which will see a second disc from those sessions called Wallflowers: All the Rest hit shelves at some point in the future. But Petty was quick to point out that these aren’t outtakes.
“The original plan was to release it as as the complete Wildflowers album with the original album and this,” he said. “And Warner Bros. came back to us and said, ‘Look, this is far too good a record to just send straight to the catalog racks. We’re going to put it out as its own album.’ I was behind that decision too. It’s done and we’re eventually going to put it out. It’s just sitting there finished,
Several of The Best of Everything’s 38 songs, including “You Don’t Know How It Feels,” are plucked from Petty’s beloved solo album Wildflowers, which was released on this day in 1994. To commemorate Wildflowers’ 24th anniversary,
While there’s no word on the long-promised expanded edition of Tom Petty’s 1994 album Wildflowers, we have some new insight of the sessions courtesy of its producer, Rick Rubin. In a new interview, he discussed the recording of the tracks and how Petty was “haunted” by its legacy.
As Rubin told Malcolm Gladwell on their Broken Record podcast (embedded below), the genesis for Wildflowers came from the sessions that resulted in the bonus tracks for the Heartbreakers‘ 1993 compilation, “Mary Jane’s Last Dance” and the cover of Thunderclap Newman’s “Something in the Air.” After the meticulous work they did with Jeff Lynne, Rubin freed them in the studio, and it resulted in what Rubin called a more “organic” sound, that “felt more alive and more human,” and they decided to continue working together.
It was a particularly “fertile” and “prolific” period in Petty’s career, as Rubin noted. Plus, Petty was eager to please his new producer and open to suggestions. “Hope You Never,” one of the leftovers that wound up on the She’s the One soundtrack, was a particular example.
“We did that very in a straightforward way, kind of almost Jeff Lynne-y drumwise,” he said. “Very straight. And we probably played that a bunch of different ways before we decided, ‘Oh, we like it this way.’ [We] probably played it more like band-style and then it’s like, ‘This lends itself more to the kind of hypnotic, locked-in sound.’ It’s a more down-tempo, moody piece, sort of the sarcastic Tom — ‘I hope you never fall in love with somebody like you.'”
Rubin said that they recorded “between 26 and 28 songs,” but Warner Bros. felt a single LP would have greater commercial potential. Petty, who repeatedly fought with his former label MCA, agreed with his new bosses and they went about figuring out which songs to include and in what order. Wildflowers was eventually released in November 1994 with 15 tracks. But Petty always hoped to put out the others.
“He thought it was really important because the legacy of the Wildflowers album loomed large in his career,” Rubin continued. “And he knew that the second half of Wildflowers was an important statement. His issue was [that] he didn’t want to put it out as a new Tom Petty album, ’cause it’s not a new Tom Petty album — it was recorded 25 years ago — and he didn’t want to release it as an old catalog album because he thought it deserved more than being a catalog album. He felt like it was too good to just put out and was sort of looking for the right story where it would have the exposure that it deserved. And he never came up with it.”
About two and a half years ago, Petty went to Rubin’s house and played the unreleased tracks, which he had since made a few changes to, for Rubin, and the quality “floored” him. “I had, like, a vague memory of them,” he said, “but some of them just hit me like, ‘Wow, what a great song! How did we ever miss this?'”
But during that listening session, Petty opened up about how he knew they had channeled something magical on those tapes, and could never get it back.
“He told me Wildflowers scares him, because he’s not really sure why it’s as good as it is,” Rubin said. “So it has this, like, haunted feeling for him. … He loves it, but it’s not like he can turn that on again. He couldn’t make Wildflowers 2 today. That was the point. The point was, ‘I can’t do this now. This was then, and it was where I was then and it was a prolific period. This is an extension of that moment.'”
It can take time living in the world for an artist to truly represent themselves in their music. Caroline Rose is proof of that. In 2014, she was pegged as an Americana folk-rock youngling with a debut album I Will Not Be Afraid, that was in thrall to past predecessors. Four years later, Rose has lived. Feeling disconnected from her own music and the modern world, the New York musician decided to embrace it. At 25, she joined Tinder, rented her first apartment, socialised more, wore red all the time and got a girlfriend. They travelled, then broke up. Rose discussed “politics, capitalism and Rihanna” and put herself out in the world.
The self-described “queer feminist” has put her real experience into her invigorating 2018 album Loner. It’s bright and vibrant like the red clothes she now wears and she says, reflects her true personality and real life experiences from her circle of friends – an accidental pregnancy, financial stability and unfaithful lovers. “A sprightly, angsty pop burrito,” is how it was term. Loner is a dark-edged album of manic and millennial modern pop, drawing on indie-rock, surf music, synth hooks and bright production, which Rose herself, recognising the lack of gender diversity in the field, is keen to take credit for. “I wanted to make sure everything was as me as it could possibly be,” she affirms. Rose represents herself absolutely.
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