“No Name” happens to be the most straightforward rock & roll album Jack White has delivered in some time, a set of 13 tough guitar-based tunes with an abundance of swagger and a kick that melds the punky minimalism of the White Stripes with his well-documented obsession with Led Zeppelin. An enthusiastic return to the familiar, though it doesn’t play like a regression so much as an artist embracing their strengths and having a good time doing so.
‘No Name’ is the sixth studio album from Jack White, founding member of The White Stripes, The Raconteurs, and The Dead Weather. True to his DIY roots, this record was recorded at White’s Third Man Studio throughout 2023 and 2024, and released by Third Man Records. Following the surprise limited release on blue vinyl at the start of August, standard CD and vinyl formats are officially released this week.
Jack White has shared a music video for his latest single, “That’s How I’m Feeling,” which is featured on his recent released album “No Name” (despite it being called “No Name,” it has a name, which is “No Name“—heady stuff!). The deceptively simple new track is built around a melodic bass line and guitar parts that dance around its steady undercurrent. “When I’m in my home, I need the strength to be alone,” White sings before the track goes boom and turns into a thrashy blues-rock banger.
White and his band have a number of new pop-ups occurring across the UK to supplement their tour dates in the area.
Moaning Lisa is composed of Charlie Versegi (singer/guitarist), Hayley Manwaring (singer/bassist) Ellen Chan (lead guitarist) and Hayden Fritzlaff (drummer). Renowned for creating an atmosphere entirely of their own, the band deftly combines a garage rock, grunge fantasy with ‘one massive, cosy,
Of the track, the band shares, “We wrote ‘Old Tape’ while working on new music at Danny’s studio in LA; we were discussing the loops we get stuck in, the rabbit holes our minds go down, even getting nerdy on epigenetics—the voices in our heads that might not be our own, and ultimately, how to quiet that noise and let it all go. We wanted to make something that was both driving and uplifting and no one does it better than The War on Drugs … so after building a landscape, we called our dear friend, Adam, to see if he’d lend his beautiful vocals and guitar. He graciously and enthusiastically accepted and it really brought the track to life. Produced and mixed by our longtime bandmate Dan Molad.”
“Old Tape” is filled with Lucius’ signature dream-pop sound and enticing harmonies and is the first preview of their forthcoming new studio album—slated for release in 2025. The track’s musical line-up includes Wolfe (vocals), Laessig (vocals, Juno 106), Granduciel (electric guitar, vocals), Molad (drums, rubber bridge guitar, electric guitar, bass, drum programming, moog matriarch, Juno 106, vocals), Peter Lalish (acoustic guitar, electric guitar) and Oliver Hill (piano, prophet 6).
Known for their electric live performances, Lucius will join The National and The War on Drugs on the road this fall, making stops at New York’s Forest Hills Stadium, Philadelphia’s TD Pavilion at the Mann, Toronto’s Budweiser Stage, Chicago’s United Center, Denver’s Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre, Vancouver’s Rogers Arena and Los Angeles’ Hollywood Bowl among many others. See below for full tour itinerary.
The release of “Old Tape” adds to a notable series of years for Lucius following the release of 2022’s album, “Second Nature”. Produced by Brandi Carlile and Dave Cobb, the record was released to overwhelming acclaim with the Los Angeles Times praising, “dazzling…“Second Nature” mines an ’80s-pop sound with lush synths and sleek disco grooves under the women’s laser-guided vocals,” while Variety declared, “with “Second Nature“…they’re no longer 20 feet or even a couple of yards from stardom, but re-claiming the spotlight for themselves” and Relix proclaimed, “stunning…a 10-song, smart-pop masterpiece.”
Most recently, Lucius celebrated the 10-year-anniversary of their debut album, “Wildewoman“, with the release of “Wildewoman (The New Recordings)“—an expanded version of the record that features new versions of the 12 original tracks, including collaborations with friends Carlile, Marcus Mumford and Devon Gilfillian. In addition to their work as Lucius, Wolfe and Laessig are among the most sought-after vocalists in popular music. The pair are members of Joni Mitchell’s famed “Joni Jam” and have graced songs by dozens of contemporary and legendary artists alike including Carlile (with whom they earned three Grammy nominations), The War on Drugs, John Legend, The Killers, Harry Styles, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, Black Pumas, Jeff Tweedy, Ozzy Osbourne and more.
Joni Mitchell shares an unheard rarity from her vault with the release of “Traveling (Hejira),” a demo of the title track from her revolutionary eighth studio album. This early version stands in stark contrast to the soul-stirring original release, stripping Mitchell’s folk-fusion opus back to the artist and her guitar and introducing a bright and springing wide-eyed wisdom to the dusky highway meditation. The enlightening behind-the-scenes sample arrives as the second preview single for Joni Mitchell “Archives, Vol. 4: The Asylum Years (1976-1980)“, the legendary musician’s 12th retrospective collection with Rhino Records.
Set to release on October 4th, Joni Mitchell “Archives, Vol. 4” continues the Grammy-winning reissue series with a sprawling compilation of early recordings, demos and alternate takes from this prolific period of Joni’s career. The digital and six-CD versions feature a staggering 98 previously unreleased recordings, while a four-LP vinyl pressing will comprise 40 highlights, all tailored by the artist’s own curational guidance. “Traveling (Hejira)” follows “Intro To Coyote / Coyote,” which she initially delivered at Montreal, Quebec’s The Forum on December 5th, 1975 and shared to streaming platforms last month.
The tracks on Mitchell’s fourth sprawling archival dispatch are sourced primarily from the four iconic albums she released in the five-year period: 1976’s “Hejira”, 1977’s “Don Juan’s Reckless Daughter”, 1979’s “Mingus“–a collaboration with the legendary bassist that stands as his final project before his passing that year–and the 1980 live album “Shadows and Light”. Beyond the studio sessions that produced these entries and Mitchell’s live performances from the period, the compilation features selections from such memorable moments as the Bread & Roses Festival, Anti-Nuclear Rally and her stint with Bob Dylan’s Rolling Thunder Revue.
“Joni Mitchell Archives, Vol. 4: The Asylum Years (1976-1980)”.
Margo Price’s take on classic sounds is at once familiar and daring, an infectious blend of Nashville country, Memphis soul, and Texas twang. Following the success of her 2023 album “Strays”, Margo Price has returned with a new single featuring vocals and guitar from Billy Strings. Titled “Too Stoned to Cry,” the track leads with the gentle twang of pedal steel, which establishes an intended wave of pure vintage-drenched country, found not just in the instrumentals but also the tone of musicians’ timbre as they let their surroundings and experiences seep into their towering output–which might as well be considered another brawny chapter in country music’s 2024 resurgence.
After months of country zeal, “Too Stoned to Cry” captures the organics of Price and Strings’ talents, the natural emergence of Southern experience culled through the Andrew Combs-penned lyrics, which generate a 1960s dreamscape: the slow trot of a horseback journey, trailed by rising blooms of smoke circles. Reflective by nature, the track projects the feeling of a lonesome cowboy tune, lingering emotions that even a toked numbing effect can’t fix.
Offering history on the single, Price said: “It was such a joy to work with Billy on this song. He really nailed the vocals and laid down a beautiful lead. I have wanted to record this song for years now, ever since I heard the writer Andrew Combs sing it. My buddy Beau Bedford and I had been in the studio together working on an Orville Peck track, and I asked him to produce this single for me. He put together a really great band – Beau and I, plus my husband Jeremy Ivey played acoustic, Aksel Coe on drums, Misa Arriaga on Bass, Russ Pahl on pedal steel, Joey McClellan on electric. Once we got Billy to add his guitar and singing, I knew this song was gonna be a special recording.”
“When I first came on the scene, I was a countryfied, hard headed, whiskey drinkin nobody who was pissed off at the establishment. All of that’s still true, except for the whiskey drinkin part.” Price concluded, “If anything, now that I’ve lived for a while inside of the establishment, I’m even more pissed off. I’ve let some people go, I’m still fighting with others to let me be myself, but I know, I’m gonna make this next record the way I want to make it, no matter what it takes.”
Critically acclaimed London trio Daughter will celebrate National Album Day 2024 with an exclusive yellow recycled vinyl repressing of their debut foray into soundtrack-making, “Music from Before the Storm”.With this release, fans of Daughter and the “Life Is Strange” universe can now revisit and physically own the understated yet elemental score in a new form, apart from its highly sought after yet scarcely available RSD 2017 vinyl variant.
“Music from Before the Storm’s” transportive yet vast and grounded yet ethereal sonic landscape resulted from the band having been tapped to helm an original musical score for Square Enix’s “Life Is Strange: Before The Storm”,the highly anticipated prequel to the award-winning 2015 first entry, “Life Is Strange”. With information from game-producers, the band crafted the score in London in 2017, referencing the game script and concept artwork as inspiration amidst their writing process.
As a result, the band’s meticulous, world-building instrumentation is a key factor in the game’s storytelling arch, with various elements of their compositions relaying different sides of the lead character’s emotive state during gameplay. As noted by Line of Best Fit upon its original release with the game: “‘Music from Before the Storm” is a soundtrack that succeeds in encapsulating a great vastness and emotional depth while retaining a clear sonic aesthetic. Daughter have created a work that is cinematic and captivating.”
Dive back into the raw, infectious sound, now available in a special limited edition vinyl reissue. Originally released in 2012, The View’s “Cheeky for a Reason” is the fourth studio album from the Dundee quartet. Often described by the band as “Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours done by The Clash,” and it’s easy to see why. The album is filled with infectious hooks and sing-along choruses, capturing the carefree spirit of The View while also showcasing a band that had matured.
Tracks like “How Long” and “The Clock” balance the band’s signature playful energy with introspective lyrics, creating a listening experience that is both fun and meaningful. “Cheeky for a Reason” made a strong impact on the charts, peaking at #9 on the UK Albums Chart and debuting at #1 on the UK Indie Chart, solidifying The View’s reputation as one of the UK’s most beloved indie rock bands. The album was met with positive reviews, with critics praising the album’s catchy tunes and the band’s evolving sound.
NME highlighted the album’s “unapologetic, feel-good vibe,” while The Guardian commended its “upbeat and infectious nature,” describing it as a perfect summer soundtrack. The album’s lead single, “How Long,” became a fan favourite and received extensive airplay, contributing to the album’s enduring appeal. The album enjoyed strong sales in its initial run, selling over 50,000 copies in the UK alone. TheView’s loyal fan base and their reputation for raucous live performances have kept the album in demand, leading to this eagerly awaited vinyl reissue.
“The subdued ‘Tacky Tattoo’, finds Falconer at an electric piano and in uncharacteristically soulful voice – it is the most beautiful thing they’ve ever recorded.” –NME
Sophie Allison – AKA Soccer Mommy – has returned with the brand new single, “Lost”. her first new single since Soccer Mommy’s critically acclaimed 2022 album “Sometimes Forever.” Speaking of the track, she says: “‘Lost’ feels like something new and something old at the same time,” Allison says of the song. “It’s a song that’s full of reflection and I wanted its production to really capture that feeling. I’m happy to have a chance to play it at these more intimate solo shows, because I think it really shines in that setting.”
Soccer Mommy began as a bedroom-to-Bandcamp exercise with teenage Allison posting her plaintive songs as demos. Over the years, though, she has often enhanced that sound, using the endless production possibilities, newly at her fingertips, to outstrip singer-songwriter stereotypes. The records would start with songwriting’s kernels of truth, and she would then imagine all the unexpected shapes they could take. Every Soccer Mommy record has felt like a surprise.
Sophie Allison has always written candidly about her life, making Soccer Mommy one of indie rock’s most interesting & beloved artists of the last decade. On “Evergreen” Allison is again writing about her life, but life’s different these days: Since 2022’s “Sometimes Forever” Allison experienced a profound & personal loss. New songs emerged, unflinching reflections on what she was feeling. She wanted them to sound that way too, as true to the demos as possible. Nothing overindulgent, everything real.
On Soccer Mommy’s fourth album, the tender but resolute “Evergreen”, Allison is again writing about her life. But that life’s different these days: New songs emerged from that change, unflinching and sometimes even funny reflections on what she was feeling. (Speaking of funny, this is a Soccer Mommy album, so there’s an ode to Allison’s purple-haired wife in the game Stardew Valley, too.) These songs were, once again, Allison’s way to sort through life, to ground herself.
Simple Mind’s 2014 Album “Big Music” is the sound of a group in retrospection to their artistic heyday, drawing upon irresistible, hook-laden synth-pop and riotous glam rock.
Their first release for five years, “Big Music” signalled a triumphant return to form and referenced the group’s core influences through covers of The Doors, Patti Smith & The Stranglers.
Originally released in October 2014, “Big Music” was the sixteenth studio album by the Scottish rock-ensemble and debuted at number 12 on the UK albums chart, selling 10,207 copies in its first week. Expect throwback synth-pomp with an elegant commercial sheen, from a release that would go on to become the band’s 17th top 75 album.
Features fan favorite tracks “Blindfolded” and “Midnight Walking”, and the lead single “Honest Town”.
This 10th Anniversary NAD edition splits the 12 album tracks across two LPs in a faithful reproduction of the original vinyl release, pressed for the first time on opaque orange vinyl and sleeved in a gatefold jacket. Includes newly remastered audio from Phil Kinrade at AIR Studios and a four-page booklet with photography and lyrics.
A deluxe packaged double CD version of this release is also available (EDSL0220) including bonus tracks, Johnson Somerset Remixes and a liner note from frontman Jim Kerr, housed in a seven-inch gatefold sleeve (limited to 1000 copies).
This final reissue is a celebration of a record that sounded out of time in 2004, dripping in future nostalgia, and which twenty years on still sounds as unique and uncategorizable as it did when it arrived.
20 years of The Go! Team’s “Thunder Lightning Strike”, 20 years of lasers through tracing paper, orange tone oscillations, cable access hangover, music made through sunburnt circuits, a K-tel dream sequence, a haunted vision mixer, station wagon-core, straight to video, VHS in distress, something in the fog, fluff on the needle, chromakey constellations, a hovercraft on the fret board, maxing the minute maid, faxing a car alarm, a Morse code pep talk, etch-a-sketch jackknife, a daily Haley’s comet, light sound colour motion, a holiday from yourself.
This final reissue is a celebration of a record that sounded out of time in 2004, dripping in future nostalgia, and which twenty years on still sounds as unique and uncategorisable as it did when it arrived.
RT LP – Comes with an exclusive 7”, featuring new versions of “Hold Yr Terror Close” by The Pastels and The Orielles and a recreation of the original CD-R demo version of the album which stands up as a document of band leader Ian Parton’s unique method of working.
The Fat Angel Sings 