“I’m a Stranger Now” is the seventh episode of The Light in Demos, a video project produced, written, directed, recorded, shot and edited by The Tallest Man on Earth.
The TALLEST MAN ON EARTH – ” I’m a Stranger Now ” Ep. 7 of The Light in Demos
Posted: April 26, 2018 in MUSICTags: Kristian Matsson, singer songwriter, The Light In Demos, The Tallest Man On Earth
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SHILPA RAY – ” Nihilism EP “
Posted: April 26, 2018 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSICTags: Brooklyn, New York, Shilpa Ray
The ‘Nihilism’ EP comes hot on the heels of 2017’s critically acclaimed LP ‘Door Girl.’ Inspired by and written after binge watching the Grateful Dead documentary series Long Strange Trip, her original song “Shoot This Dying Horse” is a rainy day waltz about how bad things can happen to anyone, at any time in the most random and meaningless ways. More specifically, it’s about getting dumped at a bar two days before Christmas. No horses were harmed during the writing and recording of this track. Musically this was a lot of fun to write and arrange.
Shilpa comments “I had binge watched Long Strange Trip, the Grateful Dead documentary series, and immediately began to mess around with the chord changes for “Shoot This Dying Horse.” I’ve never considered myself to be a dead head but there is something in their music that makes me want to write.
Additionally, Shilpa decided to cover Alice Cooper’s “Is It My Body” after spinning a lot of Cooper in the tour van while on tour in support of ‘Door Girl.’ She explains, “When I paid closer attention to the lyrics, I realized if sung by a woman this song could be a feminist anthem. Who knew Alice Cooper wrote feminist anthems?”
releases May 16th, 2018
“Shoot This Dying Horse” written by Shilpa Ray 2018
“Is It My Body” written by Alice Cooper, Dennis Dunaway, Michael Bruce, Neal Smith + Glen Buxton 1971
Music performed by
Shilpa Ray , Vocals, Wurlitzer, Rhodes, Farfisa
Alistair Paxton, Guitar
Turner Stough, Bass
Richard Hutchins, Drums, Percussion
Christian Lee Buss,Backing vocals, Farfisa, Synth
FATHER JOHN MISTY – ” Mr. Tillman “
Posted: April 26, 2018 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSICTags: Bella Union Records, Father John Misty, God's Favorite Customer, Josh Tillman, Sub Pop Records
Father John Misty has shared his disorienting new video for “Mr. Tillman,” the first single off his upcoming new album God’s Favorite Customer. Just as the song’s lyrics zero in on the singer’s unpleasant experience at a hotel, the “Mr. Tillman” video is like The Shining meets “Hotel California,” as Father John Misty is doomed to relive his stay and inability to leave countless times. The result is interactions with doppelgangers, an attempted suicide and a taxicab escape.
In February, the singer, whose real name is Josh Tillman, unveiled “Mr. Tillman” along with a low-budget green-screened video of himself messing around in a hotel.
Father John Misty has previously released two songs, “Disappointing Diamonds Are the Rarest of Them All” and “Just Dumb Enough to Try,” from his forthcoming album God’s Favorite Customer, the speedy follow-up to 2017’s Pure Comedy. God’s Favorite Customer arrives June 1st.
“Mr. Tillman” is off of Father John Misty’s upcoming album, God’s Favorite Customer, out June 1st on Sub Pop and Bella Union.
TWIN PEAKS – ” Live At Thalia Hall ” Chicago
Posted: April 26, 2018 in MUSICTags: Cadien Lake James, Chicago, Clay Frankel, Colin Croom, Connor Brodner, Thalia Hall, Twin Peaks
Alright boys and girls, strap yourselves in: this was the concert to end all concerts. It feels unfair to be so limited by language in trying to communicate the sheer epicness of this show on December 30th. The Twin Peaks dudes sold out three damn nights for a New Years Eve run to close out 2017 at Thalia Hall in Chicago, joining forces with support bands Dehd and Post Animal for the Saturday night show. This performance was truly Twin Peaks at their… peak.
When Twin Peaks finally took the stage and blasted into “Strawberry Smoothie,” the audience lost whatever chill they had left: bodies immediately went over the barricade, beer cans went flying, and a mosh pit opened up into a swirling vortex of thrashing limbs. The stage was equally as chaotic, with Cadien Lake James whipping his head back and forth and Clay Frankel thrashing on his white teardrop guitar and jumping around. By the third song, a girl in a red felt cowboy hat had already broken the nose of the poor dude standing next to her. At some point south of “Have You Ever,” a bra flew onstage from somewhere near the barricade, but it didn’t remain there for long. By the next song, the owner of the bra crowdsurfed onto the stage to personally retrieve the bra from Frankel, who responded with a confused remark of “Uh.. she wants her bra back.. I’m not sure what to say about that.”
In the midst of the absolute chaos in the pit, it would have been easy to miss the extra members onstage. Accompanying Colin Croom, Connor Brodner, Frankel, JD, and James were three horns and three backup singers. Though their presence in the background seemed a little out of place, the layer of sophistication they provided served as a delicious contrast to the shouted lyrics. Twin Peaks is one of those rare bands that actually sound better live – the boys somehow harmonize their screamed lyrics (I wonder if they ever lose their voices). This was especially evident in “Wanted You,” “Butterfly,” and “Walk to the One You Love.” .
The screaming took a backseat near the middle of their set when Frankel brought out his roommate, Marisa Nakamura, to sing “Shake Your Lonely.” The cute duet was a brief moment of relief from the headbanging and moshing, which picked right back up again at “Have You Ever,” continuing all the way to the last song in the set, “Butterfly.” But what’s a show without a shirtless Frankel and a gigantic confetti cannon to close out the encore? Not a Twin Peaks show, that’s for damn sure. The encore featured four gems – “Heavenly Showers,” “Blue Coupe,” “We Will Not Make It,” and “Boomers.”
This show was so good that I spent an obscene amount of money to do it all over again on NYE. I think what makes a Twin Peaks show a Twin Peaks show is the excitement of its sheer unpredictability
If you haven’t listened to their new compilation of singles, stop reading this right now and go listen. They are notorious for their fierce loyalty to Chicago and the Midwest in general,
SPEEDY ORTIZ – ” Twerp Verse “
Posted: April 26, 2018 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSICTags: Andy Molholt, Carpark Records, Darl Ferm, Mike Falcone, Sadie Dupuis, Speedy Ortiz, Twerp Verse
The run up to Twerp Verse, the third record from Speedy Ortiz, has intoduced three vibrant music videos. Each one taps into the sardonic wit and playful imagination of its singer, guitarist and lyrical mastermind of Sadie Dupuis, but the video for “Villain” (directed in a crayon box array of retro colors by Elle Schneider) is especially powerful at distilling her message to something tangible. Recreating the campy feel of a monster flick, Dupuis is relentlessly provoked by a fish-headed creature, a surreal embodiment of invasive verbal abuse and physical harassment that women endure daily. “‘I wanna know what kind of games you like,'” she recounts, before recoiling at these unwanted advances: “He talks like he knows me, so I’m being polite.” Later, she sings “‘I wanna know if a no means alright.’ / He looks past my answer, did he earn the right? No way.” — a dark inverse to her consent-positive mantra in “Get A Yes,” a fizzy gem from Dupuis‘ solo project Sad13.
While the concepts at play in “Villain” are familiar territory Dupuis and Speedy Ortiz have covered in the past, she’s never been quite this direct. Surprisingly, these themes weren’t initially the album’s intended direction. As the story goes, the band was primed to record in late 2016, but soon decided that batch of songs were “strictly personal or lovey-dovey” and no longer felt relevant amid the cultural and political shifts occurring post election. “Social politics and protest have been a part of our music from day one, and I didn’t want to stop doing that on this album,” Dupuis stated in the album’s press release. The band shelved those efforts mid-stream and doubled-down to write new material that better reflected these turbulent, unprecedented times. The result, Twerp Verse, shows Speedy Ortiz at its most pointed and fearless.
With a Master’s degree in poetry and a reputation for skillful, hilarious wordplay, Dupuis is among rock’s more compelling songwriters. Across Twerp Verse’s 11 tracks, she rapidly slings pop culture and literary references and shrouds her narratives in cryptic, visceral phrases worthy of decoding. And it gives license to speak hard truths and reveal personal anxieties — be it falling back into the familiar comforts of bad relationships (“Backslidin'”) or mining contradictory feelings on love and commitment (“Moving In”). “Lucky 88” critiques the head-in-the-sand apathy and disillusionment of people watching the world crumble around them. “One more time with reeling / You siphoned out the feeling / Can’t you act responsibly? / You’re the sick pup who created me,” she sings, before repeating “I don’t care anymore…” with weary resignation. But Dupuis is best when wielding humor and sarcasm — and taking no prisoners. “You Hate The Title” is a withering rebuke of haters publicly nitpicking someone’s opinions and creative endeavors, while still “singing along.” “You hate the title but you’re digging the song / You like it in theory, but it’s rubbing you wrong,” she seethes atop fluttering keyboards that belie her fed-up side-eye. “I can’t, I can’t, with your ‘Just can’t even’s.”
Recorded at Silent Barn in Brooklyn with Carlos Hernandez and Julian Fader (Ava Luna) and produced and mixed by Mike Mogis (Bright Eyes) at his studio in Omaha, Twerp Verse is both musically expansive and Dupuis’ most accessible work yet, a blend of catchy pop hooks and dexterous guitar playing. “Buck Me Off” opens with that signature Speedy Ortiz formula, and the band — comprised of bassist Darl Ferm, drummer Mike Falcone, and guitarist Andy Molholt — outright shreds with overdriven chords and buzzy solos piercing through murky distortion. Similarly “Sport Death” unfurls razor-sharp riffs that mimic the vocal melodies, and builds tension through off-kilter chord progressions and half-step dissonance. Elsewhere, they fold in pitch-shifted tones, pulsing synths, and laptop beats (“Lucky 88”) and skin-crawling atmosphere (“I’m Blessed”) — something first hinted at on 2015’s Foil Deer, and honed further on Sad13’s 2016 record, Slugger — and invigorates what can be tricky subject matter with immediate uplift and noisy catharsis.
That’s emblematic of “Alone With Girls” and “I’m Blessed,” in which Speedy Ortiz both alludes to emotional bullying and violence in past toxic relationships, and uses its platform to amplify the voices and stories too often silenced or marginalized. ” Lean In When I Suffer,” the album’s anthem, refutes self-branded feminist allies who only appear supportive when they don’t have to address their own privilege or problematic behavior. She’s having none of that, quipping “I’m checking my phone / He’s unworthy of talk / If he really wants to be the one, he’d forfeit shotgun for once…” It’s in these moments, Speedy Ortiz’s songs become about reclaiming agency, and finding empowerment through empathy. In that way, Twerp Verse is an album arriving right on time.
thanks to Npr
The ROLLING STONES – ” Out Of Our Heads ” Classic Albums
Posted: April 26, 2018 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSICTags: Brian Jones, Keith Richards, Mick Jagger, Out Of Our Heads, The Roling Stones, The Rolling Stones
In 1965, The Rolling Stones were on the cusp of true rock ‘n’ roll greatness, and the album “Out Of Our Heads”, released on the Decca label, would further entrench their reputation. One of my absolute favourite Stones albums is their third British release ‘Out Of Our Heads’. Issued in 1965 on Decca, this album sounds so much punkier and heavier than the two blues/R&B albums preceding it. As soon as ‘She Said Yeah’ smashes through your speakers like a sledgehammer it’s a full on experience until ‘I’m Free’ closes the album.
I realise that other countries had a different track selection for this album but I’ve always found the British issue to be the best because Decca didn’t pad it out with singles.
Available as the killer Mono issue (pushing around £200 for mint copies) and the Stones first album to be issued in (very poor) Stereo in Britain (much rarer but still around £200). An essential album.
Having returned from an American tour, the band were cocked and primed with a collection of soul material, much of which remained unknown to the bulk of English teenagers at the time, meaning that The Stones could record their own versions safe in the knowledge that whatever they presented was as fresh and exciting as anything from the other side of the Atlantic.
The US edition of the album opens with Don Covay’s 1964 soul hit “Mercy, Mercy,” and while not quite as superb as the original, The Stones do a pretty good job all the same in at least capturing the song’s essence. Next is Marvin Gaye’s “Hitch Hike,” where the English quintet assert their ever-growing sophistication in emulating American black music, albeit with an English bent.
Apparently “The Last Time” owes its origins from an old gospel tune, given a complete Phil Spector makeover (i.e. his famous ‘wall of sound’), and transformed into something else entirely. Backed with the spiteful ballad “Play With Fire,” both tracks would prove to be one of their most popular and strongest singles yet of self-penned material. Another original (a rarity for this album) is “The Spider And The Fly,” a R&B/Jimmy Reed inspired number and one that would become a staple of their early shows throughout this period.
The band’s cover of Bert Russell’s soul classic “Cry To Me” and Sam Cooke’s “Good Times” are both strong cuts, despite Jagger’s vocal limitations . Otis Redding’s (although written by Roosevelt Jamison) “That’s How Strong My Love Is” is given a fine reworking, so too “I’m All Right,” a recording which first appeared on the EP Got Live If You Want It.
A special mention should be made of founding member Brian Jones, whose spirited playing shines throughout this record, and whose contribution to The Stones sound and look when starting out should never be forgotten, nor underestimated. Just listen to the way he wails his harmonica on “The Under Assistant West Coast Promotion Man,” and his acoustic guitar during “Good Times.” Jones may not have been much of a songwriter, yet his presence and talent as a musician was just as important as Jagger and Richards themselves.
“(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” is arguably the standout track, with Jagger’s insouciant delivery and Richards’ tough as steel main riff. Along with “The Last Time,” “Satisfaction” was the song which helped propel the group to #1 in both the UK and US, a position from which they rarely deviated off from this point onwards.
From an historical perspective, Out Of Our Heads is just as important as anything the band would go on to record over the next few years. This was largely raw, gritty English R&B the way it should be. And even after all this time, it hasn’t dated one iota.
NO JOY / SONIC BOOM – ” Triangle Probably “
Posted: April 26, 2018 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSICTags: Canadian, Jasamine White-Gluz, No Joy, Pete Kember, Sonic Boom
Jasamine White-Gluz of Canadian shoegaze band No Joy had something different in mind when she began emailing Sonic Boom, a.k.a. Pete Kember from the band Spacemen 3, in the fall of 2015. The other members of her band stayed within the confines of rock, the more White-Gluz wanted change. So No Joy decided to release three EPs that departed from the band’s shoegaze and noise-pop past, starting with 2016’s Drool Sucker and 2017’s Creep. The final installment in this series, No Joy / Sonic Boom, sees White-Gluz venturing into unfamiliar electronic territory with Kember.
Throughout No Joy / Sonic Boom, you can hear White-Gluz finding the borders of her comfort zone and looking for guidance when she makes it to the other side. The trouble seems to be that Kember does little to develop her ideas once she gets there, settling instead for familiar deadpan loops. There’s not nearly enough give and take to make the collaboration work.
No Joy / Sonic Boom – “Triangle Probably” off their self-titled EP on Joyful Noise Recordings.
GEMS – ” Imagine ” John Lennon Album Covered
Posted: April 26, 2018 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSICTags: Clifford John Usher, Gems, Imagine, John Lennon, Lindsay Pitts, Sounds Delicious, Turntable Kitchen, Washington DC
Gems covered John Lennon’s album Imagine in its entirety. The full album is available to order now from Turntable Kitchen. It is only available on vinyl but the vinyl comes with a digital download
When we envisioned our SOUNDS DELICIOUS series we had high hopes. We wanted to hear our favorite bands lovingly reinterpreting art that meant something to them. We wanted music that would be fun, inventive, and exciting. We wanted covers that respect the album format as an art form instead of just focusing on a few hit singles. Yet, while we had high expectations, we couldn’t imagine just how great the results would be.
We never imagined Yumi Zouma’s dreamy reinterpretation of Oasis. We never imagined Jonthan Rado of Foxygen’s loose and free-wheeling take on Bruce Springsteen’s Born To Run. And yet, time and time again, each and every one of the artists we’ve worked with have completely blown us out of the water with their contributions.
For our latest release in the series, GEMS keep the streak alive in a big way as the duo treat us to their track-by-track reinvention of John Lennon’s solo masterwork Imagine. From an epic, rumbling makeover of the bigger-than-life title track to their evocative and shimmering interpretation of album closer “Oh Yoko!” – they approach each track with reverence and respect even as they nail their flag to the mast.
Here is what Lindsay from GEMS had to say about their version of the album:
“’All I want is the truth! Just give me some truth!’”
I listened to John Lennon’s album Imagine all the way through for the first time last year and that line just hit something deep within me. The inescapable sadness of life.The despair of feeling totally alone and calling out into the void, just searching for some kind of solid ground to stand on. It feels like the whole world is calling out right now from this place of hurt, calling out for truth. But we’re so divided and continue putting up false walls between us.
I feel honored that we had the chance to record our own interpretations of these courageous, albeit conflicted songs. In some ways Lennon’s vision seems impossibly naive today. But don’t we need something to strive for? We need connection, we need communication, forgiveness and healing. I know I need the type of enchanted dream where we try to lift up humanity together. Even if it’s just in our own small, personal way.
I’m restless. I’m yearning for something real. I have to believe that we can still use our short time here on earth to put some kind of goodness into the world. And maybe while we’re at it, we can share the same dream.”
We’re also excited to announce that we’re teaming up with Seattle-based illustrator Teresa Grasseschi for the next several releases in the series! That’s her work that we’re featuring on the album art for this release.
GEMS’ version of Imagine is only available by subscribing to SOUNDS DELICIOUS. In addition to a deluxe edition for our Kickstarter supporters, it’s available on amber colored vinyl for recurring subscribers and gift orders of 6-months or more (while supplies last) and on black vinyl for all other orders. As always, each copies comes packaged with a digital download of the album. Only 1000 copies were pressed in total! These are expected to begin shipping next week!
Band Members
Lindsay Pitts, Clifford John Usher
HORSE FEATHERS – ” Appreciation “
Posted: April 26, 2018 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSICTags: Appreciation, Horse Feathers, Justin Ringle, Kill Rock Stars, Oregon, Portland
Horse Feathers feels like a secret you don’t really want to share. Over twelve years and five albums, a passionate fan base has experienced this band as a precious commodity that they want to keep close to their hearts. One reason for this can be found in lead singer Justin Ringle’s distinctive voice, at once vulnerable and piercing, and in the quality of the music: gorgeous, lush string arrangements surrounding stark, visceral lyrics whose bite makes a piquant juxtaposition to the surrounding beauty.
Now, however, Horse Feathers has created an album that differs enough from its predecessors to suggest that the cat might get out of the bag. On Appreciation, their sixth full-length and the fifth on venerable independent label Kill Rock Stars, the signifiers of the band are there: Ringle’s warm tenor and lyrics that speak of work, love, and other struggles. But on this album less of the song dynamics are achieved with strings and more with an exciting new rhythm section steeped in Northern Soul. Longtime violinist Nathan Crockett and keyboardist Dustin Dybvig provide continuity, but much of Appreciation feels like the best of Ringle’s previous musical ideas just took a giant step into a larger arena.
Recorded primarily in Kentucky (at La-La Land Studios in Louisville and Shangri-La Studios in Lexington), the new album features instrumentalists J. Tom Hnatow, Robby Cosenza and R&B vocalist Joslyn Hampton, who helped make Appreciation a mixture of strutting ‘70s-style country-pop (“Without Applause,” “Don’t Mean To Pry”) and supple soul (“Best To Leave,” “Evictions”). But Horse Feathers hasn’t gained accessibility at the expense of quality, nor at the expense of their signature instrumentation (“The Hex” might be the only R&B/soul song where the rhythmic lead is played on banjo). For those who crave what NPR called “the densely pretty seethe of Horse Feathers’ earlier ballads”, the album delivers “Born in Love” and “On the Rise”, accentuating the string surge with Hammond organ, piano, tambourine, and finger snaps.
“It just felt like a fresh take on how my songs can come across,” Ringle says. “With this incarnation, it’s okay if what I’m doing right now is in fact kind of a pop song. I can have a chorus and repeat something. I’m more aware of that and enjoy it.”
This artistic adjustment comes in the wake of a lot of changes in Ringle’s life. Not too long ago, he left his former hometown of Portland for the coastal city Astoria, Oregon. He’s also been dipping his toes into the world of record production, helping North Carolina band River Whyless with the recording of their last album We All The Light. After a while of bouncing between three states, as well as stops in Camas, Washington to finish Appreciation with longtime compatriot Skyler Norwood at Miracle Lake Studios, Ringle is finally settling down just in time to get ready to hit the road with Horse Feathers in support of this new album. “I wanna get out there and do my job,” he says.
Diehard fans are going to find plenty to cherish on Appreciation. But they’re going to have to make room in the club house for a lot more people – with this album, the Horse Feathers secret is officially out.
Horse Feathers:
Justin Ringle: songs, vocals, guitar, banjo
Nathan Crockett: violin, viola
J. Tom Hnatow: bass, pedal steel, guitar, rhodes
Robby Cosenza: drums, percussion
Halli Anderson: vocals, violin
Dustin Dybvig: piano, synths, percussion
Lee Carroll: piano, wurlitzer, hammond
Jenn Crockett: clarinet, bass clarinet
Joslyn Hampton: vocals
Chriss Dennison: vocals
Appreciation is out May 4th, 2018 on Kill Rock Stars.
The TALLEST MAN ON EARTH – ” An Ocean / Somewhere In The Mountains, Somewhere In New York ” When The Bird Sees The Solid Ground
Posted: April 26, 2018 in MUSICTags: Kristian Matsson, Somewhere In The Mountains Somewhere In New York, The Tallest Man On Earth, When The Bird Sees The Solid Ground
Last month, The Tallest Man on Earth’s Kristian Matsson announced When the Bird Sees the Solid Ground, a multimedia project to be comprised of five new audio/visual components. Already, the Swedish troubadour has unveiled the first installment, the soothing song and clip for “An Ocean”.
“An Ocean” is the first song from When The Bird Sees The Solid Ground, a new project from The Tallest Man on Earth
“An Ocean” is the first episode of When The Bird Sees The Solid Ground, a project produced, written, directed, recorded, shot and edited by The Tallest Man on Earth.
The second installment in his ongoing multimedia project, When the Bird Sees the Solid Ground
“Somewhere In The Mountains, Somewhere In New York” is the second song from When The Bird Sees The Solid Ground, a new project from The Tallest Man on Earth. and finds Matsson reflecting on past tribulations and the importance of acceptance and adaptability. The folk singer-songwriter elaborated:
“For most of my career, I’ve written songs and saved them up in notebooks and voice memos. I’d record some of those songs, and then wait a half a year for them to be released. It all seemed very separate and compartmentalized and that’s always struck me as a bit unnatural. Even though they were abstract and maybe naive, they came from reacting to things happening around me in the moment.
Of course what those moments are change as we get older and so does how we process them. “Somewhere in the Mountains, Somewhere in New York” is about learning more and more about gratitude for positive things in life, big and small, and how to accept life’s changing nature, to snap out of fear of change and new challenges. But there are moments when being reasonable is not on the map; “I don’t want this to happen, please.” This is a song that is a snapshot of a moment like that and was written and recorded in just a couple of hours.”
Like its predecessor, both the track and visual are calming in nature — there’s just something about Matsson belting his heart out from the comfort of his own home that’s so cathartic and human.
Vocals, guitars and modular synthesizer performed and recorded by Kristian Matsson. Horns and piano performed and recorded by CJ Carmieri.
