7ebra is the new project from 25-year-old twin sisters Inez and Ella from Malmö. Inez plays electric guitar, Ella plays a keyboard, organ and Mellotron – whilst also playing drum samples with her feet – as they both sing haunting harmonies, in a way that only twins can. Beautiful but punk, minimalist but epic.
Originally starting as a solo songwriting project by Inez, her sister Ella eventually talked her way in; “I was nagging Inez for a while that I wanted to play with her, do some harmonies on her songs, add some piano and melodies. She resisted for a while, but eventually she gave in, and was like ‘okay fine.’”. “I had a show coming up at Tambourine Studios, but it felt a bit boring to do it alone. Ella was the best and obvious choice- even though it took a while for me to realise” laughs Inez.
That show, at the prestigious Tambourine Studios in Malmö, was truly a turning point – not only as the first performance as a duo – but amongst the crowd was Tore Johansson, the acclaimed producer behind indie rock classics ranging from The Cardigans to Franz Ferdinand.
“Tore sent us a message the day after that show, asking if we would be interested in recording an album with him, which we didn’t need to think twice about, of course we had to say yes!” recalls Ella. The duo have since signed to PNKSLM Recordings, and started making their mark across Scandinavia, the UK and Europe, supporting and touring with the likes of Future Islands, The Dandy Warhols & Bob Hund, and have extensive touring planned for the next year.
“I Have a Lot to Say” is the perfect example of 7ebra effortlessly combining their own brand of minimalist indie rock hooks with the unique production stylings of Tore Johansson, and they even find room for a fuzz guitar solo.
Released November 16th, it is the band’s second single and a taste of their upcoming debut album, which will be out early 2023 on PNKSLM Recordings.
Worriers are a band from Brooklyn, New York, centered around the songwriting of Lauren Denitzio, with the help of friends Mikey Erg, Nick Psillas, and more. They released their 2nd LP “Survival Pop” with SideOneDummy Records and have toured with John K Samson, Against Me!, Julien Baker, Anti Flag, and more. Worriers’ debut album “Imaginary Life” was produced by Laura Jane Grace of Against Me! .
I got this album on another platform when it first came out, and I thought it was excellent. It came out at a time I was searching for more punk music. For me, it really hits a perfect mix of having incredibly articulate, evocative lyrics and inspiring me to move when I hear it. To this day, it’s one of my favorite albums
On this record, Worriers is: Lauren Denitzio – guitar/vocals Rachel Rubino – guitar John McLean – guitar Audrey Zee Whitesides – bass Mikey Erg – drums/backing vocals Lou Hanman – backing vocals
Originally released on August 7th, 2015 on Don Giovanni Records
On the driving new Lies’ single, “Camera Chimera,” the band (composed of American Football’s Mike & Nate Kinsella) continues to experiment with new sonic textures. Harsh, distorted guitar work is paired with lush, atmospheric synths – it’s classic, early 90’s shoegaze with a unique spin that can only come from the Kinsellas.
“’Camera Chimera’ is about the scary – and often crippling – side effects of interacting / existing on social media,” says MikeKinsella. “It’s about not only feeling manipulated by others, but also being confronted with the reality and consequences of your own lies and manipulation, and how that can mentally and emotionally cause one to spiral.”
DIIV—Zachary Cole Smith [lead vocals, guitar], Andrew Bailey [guitar], Colin Caulfield [vocals, bass], and Ben Newman [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.
In 2017, DIIV took the stage at Brooklyn’s Murmrr Theatre for a special, one-off, “unplugged” performance.
In August 2017 I was 5 months sober and DIIV hadn’t played a show in almost a year. Our friend Ric helped us set up an intimate acoustic show in a theater in our hometown of brooklyn. We decorated the stage with stuff from our houses and played our home videos on a tv. We invited our friends and family and played some songs from our first two albums and some other artists’ songs that felt important to us as a band. It felt like some kind of reset. We recorded the show and forgot about it for a bunch of years. We recently found the recordings and thought people might want to hear them. I think of it as a kind of official bootleg I guess. our friend Jarvis mixed it and our friends Parker and Jim made the art. enjoy. – Cole
Includes unique arrangements of songs off DIIV’s first two albums, plus covers of Alex G’s “Hollow” and My Bloody Valentine’s “When You Sleep”.
Now comes something more daring, and cinematic, and still more successful: “Moonage Daydream”, an attempt to capture on film some of the otherworldly appeal of the extraordinary David Bowie. (There was a recent biopic, the unpardonable Stardust, and there have been numerous earlier documentaries, some of which are drawn upon here, including the terrific BBC film, “Cracked Actor”, from 1975. But nothing on screen about Bowie has come close to this in terms of ambition or execution.)
“Moonage Daydream” is written, directed, edited, and produced (phew!) by the American filmmaker Brett Morgen, previously known for The Kid Stays in the Picture, his affectionate homage to the Hollywood producer Robert Evans; and for Cobain:Montage of Heck, about the unhappy Nirvana frontman.
Morgen’s new film is less montage than collage: a kaleidoscope of concert footage, snatches of interviews, pop videos, movie clips, and psychedelic starbursts of visual pyrotechnics. Bowie’s cut-up technique of lyric writing, borrowed from William Burroughs, has inspired a film that is almost as restless and spacey as the man himself.
Sanctioned by the Bowie estate, which apparently gave Morgen access to five million pieces of archived material (it’s a wonder he kept the run-time to a brisk 140 minutes), “Moonage Daydream” does not seek to be definitive, or exhaustive. It’s a meditation on Bowie’s brilliance, an immersion in his aesthetic, and a portrait of the artist as existentialist — a searching, compulsively creative spirit. The Bowie of “Moonage Daydream” is funny, charming, courageous, and endlessly patient with journalists (a rare and valuable quality, that one). Also: great hair, incredible wardrobe. To say that he was worshipped by his fans is to considerably undersell Bowie’s messianic effect, especially during his Seventies pomp. Bowie was beloved, and this film leaves those of us too young to clearly remember his imperial phase in no doubt about why that might have been. He is mesmerising.
The film opens in media res, with a recording of Bowie speaking. He’s in philosophic mode, talking about Nietzsche and sounding, just for a moment, dangerously like the adenoidal drug dealer Danny, from Withnail and I, creator of the Camberwell Carrot. Chaos and fragmentation defined Bowie’s early worldview and it’s chaos and fragmentation we get here, plunging headlong into a sci-fi extravaganza of sounds and visions, beginning with a gripping live “All The Young Dudes” — the first of a series of previously unseen concert performances, testament to Bowie’s terrific stagecraft. (The music has been remixed by the great Tony Visconti.)
It’s not that there is no narrative thrust to this rocket. We revisit Bowie’s south London childhood. (He was born in Brixton, just down the road from Danny’s Carrot.) We follow him to the locations of his triumphs — Hammersmith, Hollywood, West Berlin — and on his perpetual, peripatetic adventures. We watch him emerge as Ziggy Stardust, Aladdin Sane, the Thin White Duke. We join him during his pop hitmaker years in the mid-1980s — remunerative, but unfulfilling — and his later return to more experimental concerns. We learn little about his private life, beyond the fact that he feared going mad, following the dreadful fate of his brother, Terry; and he was extremely keen on his second wife, Iman.
Of course, it was almost inevitable that there would be a soundtrack, but no one wants, or needs, another collection of standard versions of Bowie tracks, and at least this isn’t that. While this musical accompaniment includes classic songs spanning Bowie’s career, it includes previously unheard material, unique mixes created for the film and it incorporates dialogue from Bowie himself.
“Moonage Daydream” fails to reduce its subject to a series of weary cliches, or to get hung up on the mundane details, all of which you can Google if you really, really haven’t heard them already. This is a rock doc, then, that changes the record. Best of all it reminds us of what a singular figure Bowie was, and how exciting pop culture’s glory years really were, when a freaky, druggy, sexy avant-garde artist could also be the number one teenybopper sensation in the world. What a beautiful man he was. How we miss him.
The companion album features songs from spanning Bowie’s career and includes previously unheard material, unique mixes created for the film and this release along with dialogue from Bowie himself. Highlights include a previously unreleased live medley of ‘The Jean Genie / Love Me Do / The Jean Genie’ recorded live at the final “Ziggy Stardust” concert at Hammersmith Odeon in 1973, featuring Jeff Beck on guitar. Other rarities include an early version of the Hunky Dory favourite ‘Quicksand’ and a previously unreleased live version of ‘Rock ’n’ Roll With Me’ from the legendary 1974 ’Soul Tour’.
“Moonage Daydream” released in cinemas on 16th September.
Back in 2016, Jenny Hval released “Blood Bitch”, a concept album about vampires and menstruation. Six years and five projects later (including two with Lost Girls), the Norwegian art-pop icon still can’t get the fanged menaces out of her head. As fate would have it, though, she seems to have changed her once-positive attitude toward the bloodsucking breed.
“Buffy,” Hval’s first single since the release of “Classic Objects” centers one of history’s most notable vampire dislikers. But like much of Hval’s catalogue, it can’t be taken at face value. Spawned from a free-flowing synth jam, the new song gives an emotional and literary reading of “Buffy’s” less immediately obvious themes. “This is / Why I love her,” she begins. “Now I love / How she could / She couldn’t stop fighting / The facts / The facts of the world / More real than what / We believe is realism.”
From there, Hval moves into a more structural, hierarchical analysis of the show, postulating on its potential as praxis. “Somehow I improvised some lyrics that referred to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, probably just because I have watched it many times,” she explains in a press release. “I do like the idea that a TV series with many episodes, like Buffy, can be used as a creative and political rehearsal. An episodic form rehearsing overthrowing a dictatorship, a plutocracy, or theocracy?
“Buffy” is not a song about a slayer, a superhero, or feminist icon,” she concludes. “If anything, it’s a song about hope, but in an understated and episodic way. Because to me, hope is more hopeful when it is presented in a subtle way.”
Hval, of course, is the queen of subtle, layered presentation. On “Buffy,” as on “Classic Objects” best tracks, she uses her angelic soprano and a sumptuous instrumental as vehicles for a message that’s nuanced, original, and infused with irony, allowing her to evade the trappings of self-seriousness.
“Buffy” arrives following the early November release of a gorgeous live video for two “Classic Objects” cuts — “Cemetery of Splendour” and the title track — directed by Jenny Berger Myhre and including a cameo from Hval’s beloved dog, Cleo.
The most comprehensive archive of Silverhead’s brief but shining time in the spotlight. Featuring their two excellent albums plus bonus tracks. And, including the hard to find ‘Show Me Everything’ and a host of other live recordings. In 1971, Deep Purple’s management set up Purple Records, not just to release Purple’s own releases, but also the various side projects the band members were developing, and artists that they respected. Along with early albums by artists as diverse as Ronnie James Dio and Yvonne Elliman, Purple Records tenth release was from a new band called Silverhead who featured future Blondie bassist Nigel Harrison, future Robert Plant guitarist Robbie Blunt, and legendary front man Michael Des Barres.
Their much-feted self-titled debut was released in 1972. That self-titled debut ‘Silverhead’ (CD1) was produced by Martin Birch, famed for him work with Iron Maiden, Whitesnake, Black Sabbath, Rainbow, and of course, Deep Purple. A heady mixture of hard rock, glam rock and of proto-punk, this edition also includes 7″ single versions of ‘Ace Supreme’ and ‘Rolling With My Baby’, plus ‘Oh No No No’ (the B-Side of ‘Ace Supreme’).
Silverhead’s second album for Purple Records, ’16 And Savaged’ (CD2), kicked off with ‘Hello New York’ plus ‘More Than Your Mouth Can Hold’, and now features the debut solo 45 from Michael Des Barres, ‘Leon’ b/w ‘New Moon Tonight’. Most exciting is the inclusion of ‘James Dean’ and ‘Marilyn’, two tracks from the shelved, third Silverhead LP.
When Silverhead supported Nazareth at London’s famed Rainbow Theatre on November 9th, 1973, they didn’t even know that they were being recorded, which no doubt added to the spontaneous mood on ‘Live At The rainbow, London’ (CD3). Released in Japan in 1975, by which time the band had sadly disbanded, it features the best songs from their two albums, plus ‘James Dean’ from what would have been their third. This release also includes the band’s In Concert recording at the BBC’s Paris Theatre on August 31st, 1973.
This six CD set is the most comprehensive archive of Silverhead’s brief but shining time in the spotlight, and now includes the rare and hard to find ‘Show Me Everything’ (CD4), featuring tracks recorded at London’s Alexandra Palace on 29th July 1973, as well as the self-explanatory ‘Berlin Backlash’ (07/02/1973) (CD5) and finishes off with ‘Live In Japan’ (19/01/1974) (CD6).
Silverhead : More Than Your Mouth Can Hold: The Complete Recordings 1972 – 1974
6CD Box Review – Michael Des Barres – Cherry Red Records
If you think you don’t know lead singer Michael Des Barres from Silverhead, you do!
He has probably been in every living room in the world via his acting roles. As a vocalist he has influenced many of rockr biggest names and I cannot imagine Paul Stanley, David Lee Roth, Steve Tyler, Motley Crue without thinking of Michael Des Barres.
Silverhead should have been huge and it was starting to happen just before Purple Records pulled the plug. This box set contains both the studio albums ‘Silverhead’, “16 and Savaged”, the “Live at the Rainbow” album and three further CDs of live material.
I also cover the 2016 reissues and touch on Michaels later career with Detective, Chequered Past, The Power Station, Live Aid and coming right up to date with his documentary, new release and his radio show with Steven Van Zandt.
‘The Sky Was All Diseased’ with Tess Parks, the first single from the upcoming album ‘Friends In Noise’ A collaborative record between Black Market Karma and their musical allies, This video was filmed by Stan from the window of a Japanese Bullet Train cut with footage captured by Tess back in 2014/2015 when her and BMK first met and started to tour together. Good times! Some words about the song from Stan: “Tess and I first met in 2014 when she reached out and sent a very kind message about my music.
I dug what she was doing too so, upon her arrival to the UK, we met up and became friends, touring a fair bit together in the following years around Europe. During the downtime, we would often hang out at my studio. I’d had the groove and music to this song floating around in my brain for a while, but had no lyrics or vocal part. I happened to play it one time we were at the studio together and I drop into my own world when I’m making things up, but after a while I noticed Tess out of the corner of my eye scribbling down lyrics. She started humming a melody to herself and I loved what she was doing so we went with it. I added in one more verse with an different vocal melody and a few lines at the end of the song and there it was – ‘The Sky Was All Diseased’. I laid the music down a few days later and recorded Tess’ vocals which became the track as you hear it now”
Some words about the song from Tess: “I guess this was written in 2014? 2015? While I was living in Dartford a few doors down from Stan. Had a few very nice sessions at Stan’s studio where we pretty much instantly wrote a few really cool songs. It’s been 8 years and the time has finally come!!!
I’m excited to share this. This song seems to be a reflection on the weather at the time”
