John Darnielle has written almost 600 songs now, and some of them are very sad, dealing with hard drugs and tragic ends, hurting yourself and others, sicknesses of both body and brain, off-brand alcohols. They are told in beautiful, unnerving, specific detail because he is a very good writer, and also some of them are just true stories about his own life.
Reissued a limited, quadruple-LP pressing of “The Jordan Lake Sessions Volumes 1 & 2” from the Mountain Goats.
The pre-order period is from April 7th to April 17th only, and is exclusively available through the Merge Records website and Merge Bandcamp.
Originally released December 4th, 2020
John Darnielle – vocals, guitar, piano Peter Hughes – bass Matt Douglas – keyboards, guitar, saxophone, piano Jon Wurster – drums
Lloyd Cole will release a new album, ‘On Pain’, on 23rd June ’23 on the earMUSIC label. ‘On Pain’ is Lloyd Cole’s twelfth album as a solo artist and features eight new Lloyd Cole songs, four of which are co-written by Commotions founding members Blair Cowan and Neil Clark, who also perform on the record. The album is produced by Chris Merrick Hughes and was recorded in Lloyd’s attic studio
Says Lloyd: “I’m excited to still be finding new methods, new perpectives, new sounds. The album may be nearing commercial death, but my career has been in that state for almost 30 years and here we are, still, and I still want to make albums. I still want to be heard. I’m very much looking forward to being on stage with Neil, and Blair in October. We have no intention of producing a retro show.”
Lloyd Cole has released 16 studio albums including three with The Commotions‘Rattlesnakes’ (84), ‘Easy Pieces’ (’85), “Mainstream” (’87)] eleven solo albums ‘Lloyd Cole’ (’90), ‘Don’t Get Weird On Me Babe’ (’91), ‘Bad Vibes’ (’93), ‘Love Story’ (95), ‘Plastic Wood’ (’01), ‘Music In A Foreign Language’ (’03), ‘Anti Depressant’ (’06), ‘Broken Record’ (’10), ‘Standards’ (’13), ‘1D’ (’15), ‘Guesswork’ (’19)], one with The Negatives‘The Negatives (2000)] and one with Hans JoachimRoedelius ‘Selected Studies Vol. 1’ (’13).
Lloyd Cole drops two (p)remixes of unreleased track ‘Wolves’ ahead of album release. ‘Wolves – Red Star Mix’ by Lloyd Cole and ‘Wolves – LycanthroMix’ by Martyn Ware (Heaven 17, The Human League) & London based sound designer Charles Stooke are now available on all major streaming platforms.
With the aid of AI and Canadian film director Doug Arrowsmith Lloyd has fashioned two ground breaking, hallucinogenic films for these mixes.
Lloyd Cole plays Sunday 29th October NOTTINGHAM Albert Hall
Our ‘Live at the Murmrr Theatre’ release will be available on eco vinyl 22nd April for Record Store Day at participating stores as part of @recordstoredayuk. this was a special show for us and we are psyched to have this record out there existing in the real world
A Live recording of the one-night-only DIIV Unplugged show at Murmrr Theatre in Brooklyn on August 17th, 2017. Mixed by Jarvis Taveniere, mastered by Alex DeTurk. Includes unique arrangements of songs off DIIV’s first two albums (“Oshin” and “Is The Is Are“), as well as covers of My Bloody Valentine and Alex G
DIIV—Zachary Cole Smith [lead vocals, guitar], Andrew Bailey [guitar], Colin Caulfield [vocals, bass], and BenNewman [drums]—craft the soundtrack to personal resurrection under the heavy weight of metallic catharsis upheld by robust guitars and vocal tension that almost snaps, but never quite…
The wash of sound that DIIV music uses on studio albums has been toned back ever so slightly in this recording (think brushed drums, piano, electric guitar and bass with acoustic accompaniment) to reveal the gentle beauty behind each song.. yet what a feast for my ears. Thank you for this in the season of comfort, warmth, and thanks. The DIIV songs are so gorgeous, but OH MY just hear their take on My Bloody Valentine’s wash of sound
Eric Clapton’s 1991 live album “24 Nights” will be re-issued in June as “The Definitive 24 Nights”, with two massively expanded super deluxe box sets. Eric Clapton’s ground-breaking run of 24 concerts at London’s Royal Albert Hall were some of the most ambitious shows of his career. Each night featured him performing a career-spanning set with one of three line-ups – a rock band, a blues band, or an orchestra conducted by Michael Kamen.
The original double live album and home video delivered great performances but only covered a fraction of what was filmed and recorded. That’s about to change.”
Eric Clapton’s “24 Nights”, which originally appeared in 1991, culled from 15 superlative performances from a series of concerts that year and in 1990 at London’s famed Royal Albert Hall, where he has appeared more than 200 times. The set clocked in at well over an hour and a half and filled two CDs, but that’s nothing compared with the new limited-edition “The Definitive 24 Nights”. This six-CD (or eight-LP), three Blu-ray box set, released June 23rd, 2023, adds nearly three dozen previously unreleased songs for a total of 48 remastered audio tracks, plus there is video of all the material. It comes with a numbered lithograph and a 48-page, LP-sized hardcover book with abundant photos and extensive liner notes by journalist David Fricke.
All audio has been restored, remixed and remastered and the three types of concert have been effectively formatted intothreedouble albums which all fit on two CDs or three vinyl records (the exception is the Blues concert which fits on 2LPs). The two super deluxe edition box sets bring all of these together, which is why the CD version has six CDsand the vinyl edition has eight LPs.
Both box sets include three blu-rays (unavailable anywhere else), details of which are scant but which clearly will be devoted to the three types of show. A limited theatrical presentation called “Across 24 Nights” is planned for May which features a Dolby Atmos soundtrack, so that suggests the blu-rays included in the box set should also feature a Dolby Atmos soundtrack (not confirmed). “Clapton has performed at the Albert Hall] over 200 times , more than any other artist,” Warner Records said in a statement. “He also holds the record for the longest run of concerts at the venue. He set it in 1990 with 18 shows, then broke it the following year with 24 concerts. These were some of the most ambitious shows of Clapton’s career.
The biggest highlight from the orchestral concert – and possibly the entire boxed set – is the previously unreleased 30-minute epic, ‘Concerto for Guitar.’ Kamen composed the piece especially for Clapton, which made its live debut at Albert Hall.”
Clapton surrounded himself with superlative musicians for these concerts. The roster includes the likes of Johnnie Johnson, Jimmie Vaughan, Chuck Leavell, Phil Collins, Robert Cray, Buddy Guy, Albert Collins, Nathan East, Greg Phillinganes, Steve Ferrone, Ray Cooper and Jerry Portnoy.
Each box set also includes a hardcover book and an individually numbered lithograph featuring a photograph of Clapton by Carl Studna.
The three concerts (Rock, Blues and Orchestral) are also available individually as 2CD+DVD sets or 3LP (Rock, Orchestral) or 2LP (Blues) vinyl sets. The 18-track rock set culls material from throughout Clapton’s career, including his solo work “Wonderful Tonight,” Bob Marley’s “I Shot the Sheriff” as well as his days with John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers“All Your Love”, Cream “White Room,” “Sunshine of Your Love”, Blind Faith Steve Winwood’s “Can’t Find My Way Home” and Derek and the Dominos “Layla”.
The 14-track blues set also draws on the Derek and the Dominos repertoire for Big Bill Broonzy’s “Key to the Highway” and Billy Myles’ “Have You Ever Loved a Woman” and additionally offers such classics as Lowell Fulson’s “Reconsider Baby,” Robert Johnson’s “Sweet Home Chicago,” Lightnin’ Hopkins’ “Black Cat Bone,” Big Maceo Merriweather’s “Worried Life Blues” and “You Better Watch Yourself” and “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright,” both by Walter Jacobs (aka Little Walter).
The 15-song third program finds Clapton’s band backed by the National Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by the famed late composer Michael Kamen. It includes different versions of some of the songs on the first two sets and a few other numbers. Among them: the spectacular, previously unreleased half-hour “Concerto for Guitar,” which Kamen wrote for Clapton. That concerto is just one of many tracks in this collection where Clapton’s guitar work is nothing short of awe-inspiring. The sounds he draws from his instrument are on par with what Jimi Hendrix produced—in other words, incredible enough to make you understand what prompted graffiti purveyors to spray-paint “Clapton is God” on walls around London and New York in the sixties.
The “Definitive 24 Nights” and the individual “24 Nights” sets will be released on 23rd June 2023 via Warner Music.
Public Image Ltd have announced their first new album in eight years and an accompanying UK tour for later in the year.
The band decided to continue plans to announce their 11th studio album and first album in 8 years, “End of World”, following the sad passing of John’s wife of more than 4 decades, Nora Forster, on 5th April. “End of World” will be released on 11th August 2023 on PiL Official via Cargo UK Distribution, followed by a 38-date UK and European Tour.
Earlier this year, PiL released “Hawaii”, the most personal piece of song writing and accompanying artwork that John Lydon has ever shared. The song is a love letter to John’s wife Nora, who passed away from Alzheimer’s. A pensive, personal yet universal love song that has resonated with many since its release in January, the song sees John reflecting on their lifetime well spent and in particular one of their happiest moments together in Hawaii. John said, “Nora loved the album, she wouldn’t have wanted us to postpone it or change any of our plans.”
Previously he has said of “Hawaii”, “It is dedicated to everyone going through tough times on the journey of life, with the person they care for the most.
PiL is widely regarded as one of the most innovative and influential bands of all time. PiL’s music and vision has earned them 5 UK Top 20 singles and 5 UK Top 20 albums. With a shifting line-up and unique sound – fusing rock, dance, folk, pop and dub – Lydon guided the band from their debut album “First Issue” in 1978 through to 1992’s “That What Is Not”, before a 17 year hiatus. Lydon reactivated PiL in 2009, touring extensively worldwide and releasing two critically acclaimed albums “This is PiL” in 2012 followed by their 10th studio album “What The World Needs Now”… in 2015, and picked up fantastic acclaim from both press and public. “What The World Needs Now”… was self-funded by PiL and released on their own label ‘PiL Official’ via Cargo UK Distribution. In 2018 PiL celebrated their 40th anniversary with a career-spanning box set and documentary, both called ‘The Public Image Is Rotten’, and a 32-date UK/Europe tour, plus dates in Japan. John Lydon, Lu Edmonds, Scott Firth and Bruce Smith continue as PiL. They are the longest stable line-up in the band’s history and continue to challenge and thrive.
The new album, titled ‘End Of World’, is set for release on August 11th and is dedicated to frontman John Lydon‘s late wife Nora Forster, who died last week at the age of 80. She had been living with Alzheimer’s disease for five years and Lydon had been her full-time carer.‘End Of World’ features the song ‘Hawaii’ as its closing track, The band had used the song in their bid to represent Ireland at this year’s Eurovision Song Contest, but they lost out to Dublin quarter Wild Youth.
To coincide with the announcement, Public Image Ltd. released the album’s opening track, ‘Penge’, which John has described as “something of a mediaeval Viking epic.”
This Hastings-via-Brighton trio’s electric debut EP encapsulates their journey from early, DIY gigs to supporting The Strokes, A vision of smudged eyeliner, shag haircuts and ripped fishnets, HotWax looking already exactly like a trio of rock stars. Bassist Lola Sam is wearing a red t-shirt with ‘Fuck Off’ emblazoned in block capitals; guitarist and vocalist Tallulah Sim-Savage’s pointy, chunky rings could double as a weapon. Joined by drummer Alfie Sayers, this gang may have the swagger, but they play the part, too: their music moves with such a vigorous physicality that they are, undoubtedly, the most exciting – and wickedly confident – new young band in the UK.
When they take to the stage at this north London venue a few hours after our interview, the technical proficiency with which the teenage trio play is blinding. Blitzing through tracks from their debut EP ‘A Thousand Times’ , Sim-Savage sings of infatuation and existential woes with both a stark lucidity, and a sneer that gives her words urgency. With his teeth clenched, and adrenaline pushing him to lean over his kit, Sayers commands a wall of melody like it’s his lifeblood. Their bitterly euphoric choruses and precise, dexterous solos could thrill even the most jaded of guitar music fans.
HotWax are like live wires off stage too, exuding a frenzied blend of mild anxiety and excitement as they talk over each other. When we broach their upcoming slot at The Strokes’ All Point East show in London this August, all three members rush to speak in wide-eyed bursts. “We almost feel guilty for being on the lineup poster,” says Sayers, laughing. “But equally, we want to relish the challenge: we’re currently unknown, and need to prove ourselves.”
Sayers has been drumming before he learned his times tables, having been taught by a childminder at a young age. Sim-Savage and Sam, meanwhile, are childhood friends who have always had a firm grasp on their narrative. Before they met Sayers at music college in Brighton, they grew up in tandem, plotting local gigs, analysing YouTube videos of their heroes Karen O and Starcrawler’s Arrow de Wilde, and immersing themselves in Hastings’ tight-knit creative scene. “We literally had each other, and no one else,” affirms Sim-Savage. At college, they bonded over a shared resentment for the hyper-critical nature of their classmates, many of whom had learned their instruments via a more traditional musical education. “You can’t be taught something that you know you want to do in your own way,” says Sayers. “There’s no way we could have followed their critiques and what they had to say about what we’re doing.”
Fed up with the “narrow-minded environment” of her bass guitar course, Sam eventually quit her degree and encouraged her bandmates to start channelling their frustrations and nonconformist spirit into their songs. “I don’t have anything else in my life besides music,” she says with a trace of pride, flicking her orange-red hair behind her. “So, when we started the band, we made a commitment to each other.
Their bond would soon strengthen in the face of adversity; the pair were bullied in high school and had food thrown at them during lunch breaks, but continued to focus on pursuing their dreams as soon as they finished their studies. Today, they radiate an inseparable, sisterly dynamic, often directing their answers to each . “Many people leave school with nothing, but we knew we had something really special with our band,” Sim-Savage says. “We just needed to work out how we were going to get out there.”
The 80s Paisley Underground scene in Los Angeles yielded a curious paradox: combining the gentle harmonies and intricate guitars of psychedelic-era bands like The Byrds and Velvet Underground, with the fury of punk. This scene included the likes of The Bangles, Rain Parade, The Three O’Clock…and The Dream Syndicate.
The Dream Syndicate wore their influences on their sleeves: the moniker refers to La Monte Young’s early 1960s New York experimental ensemble The Theatre of Eternal Music, whose members included former Velvet John Cale, and Tony Conrad. The Dream Syndicate’s sound was much harsher than their hippie-era forebears; they dwelled in the same energy cloud as Echo and the Bunnymen, but infused with a more frenetic ferocity.
Frontman Steve Wynn declared that “We’re playing music we want to hear because nobody else is doing it.” He added, “I’ll compromise on what I eat or where I sleep, but I won’t compromise on what music I play.”
To celebrate the bands 40th anniversary, The Dream Syndicate’s 1982 debut, “The Days of Wine and Roses”, will receive a re-issue via Fire Records: “History Kinda Pales When It and You Are Aligned: The Days Of Wine and Roses”. This 4-disc, 54-track collection, out 23rd June, boasts ten rarities and a whopping 31 previously unreleased recordings from the original line-up of Steve Wynn, Dennis Duck, Kendra Smith, and Karl Precoda.
“The Days Of Wine And Roses’ is as timelessly potent as the records that inspired it.” Uncut
Central to the hugely influential Paisley Underground scene of the early 1980s that spawned Green On Red, The Bangles, Long Ryders and Rain Parade. With a nod to the Velvet Underground, Quicksilver Messenger Service and Dylan, packed into an incendiary slow-burn punk fuse, ‘The Days Of Wine And Roses’ is a glorious, upbeat sprawl, everything that rock ‘n’ roll should be.
“Hearing these bonus tracks of live and rehearsal performances of The Dream Syndicate, culled by Pat Thomas from the cassette collection of Dennis Duck, I remember things about that band and what we were doing in 1982 that I had long since forgotten,” Wynn muses. “We would actually listen to these cassettes back then religiously, simultaneously for study and clues for what to do next but also just out of amazement that we were suddenly playing in our own favourite band, doing a kind of music we had only dreamed somebody might do someday.”
The first disc presents a newly remastered edition of the original nine-song album, which is accompanied by the band’s eponymous debut EP, also released in 1982 on Down There Records. This disc alone serves as a rich repository of post-punk, dream-pop, and indie rock history.
The second disc, meanwhile, takes us on a journey through the band’s earlier days with tracks from a 7-inch that features frontman Steve Wynn’s earlier band, 15 Minutes the debut EP, astounding cover renditions (Johnny Cash, Janis Joplin, The Who), recordings of the band’s first ever rehearsal, along with several visceral live concerts from the pre-album era.. The disc also includes rehearsal takes from Dream Syndicate’s embryonic phase, recorded in 1981 and 1982, and a pair of live radio performances from ’82.
The third disc is an eclectic mix of live recordings and rehearsal takes, which showcases the band’s dynamic live performances and their remarkable ability to innovate and evolve constantly. Finally, the fourth disc features fifteen live cuts from a 1982 concert in Reseda, California, as well as backstage material recorded in Tucson, Arizona, in the same year.
In North America only, the album will be available as a 4-CD bookback edition and a 2-LP vinyl edition, featuring the remastered album plus the band’s debut EP. The 4-CD book-back edition also includes a 30-page booklet of new liner notes by band historian Pat Thomas, as well as exclusive interviews with Kendra Smith, engineer Paul Cutler, and the album’s producer, Chris Desjardins. Additionally, rare photos, gig posters, and other exciting extras are included.
With its wealth of rare recordings and previously unreleased material, this comprehensive collection is a testament to The DreamSyndicate’s profound influence on the paisley underground scene.
Limited Edition Gatefold 2xLP + 7″
Vinyl reissue of their original 4 song 12-inch EP (long out of print)
Exact facsimile replica of Steve Wynn’s rare “15 Minutes” 7-inch single
Indigo De Souza’s music is all about sharing the joy of connection — even if that joy is screaming into your phone, like in her new song, “Real Pain,” where she crowdsourced dozens of voice memos from fans to layer into the song. But the connections can also be more immediate. Her mother’s support helped her navigate her childhood in Spruce Pine North Carolina, where she often felt like an outsider. After finding her footing in Ashville, Indigo recorded “I Love You Mom” in her bedroom and released it in 2018.
Now with more experience under her belt, Indigo’s latest album, “Any Shape You Take“, recorded in a studio, showcases De Souza’s gifts as a songwriter and as a producer and multi-instrumentalist. In this session, we caught up with De Souza to talk about the album, growing up in North Carolina and we’ll share live recordings from the stage of World Cafe Live in Philadelphia.
