The Black Keys are returning to their roots with a new blues covers album titled “Delta Kream”, out May 14th via Nonesuch Records. Auerbach and Carney’s interpretation of John Lee Hooker’s ‘Crawling Kingsnake’ is now available to stream by signing up to The Black Keys’ online fan club here. Teasing their new project, the pair tweeted a link to the old version of the song last week
The announcement (via Reddit) was made through the band’s Lonely Boys & Girls fan club. The 11-track collection honours Mississippi Hill Country blues artists who inspired The Black Keys, including John Lee Hooker, R. L. Burnside, and David “Junior” Kimbrough.
The lead single, “Crawling Kingsnake”, is a John Lee Hooker cover. It is currently available as a fan club exclusive and will hit streaming services on Thursday. Delta Kream marks The Black Keys’ follow-up to 2019’s “Let’s Rock”. Earlier this year, they released a 10th anniversary deluxe edition of “Brothers”. The Black Keys marked the 10th anniversary of their acclaimed sixth album ‘Brothers’ with a special deluxe edition in January. Originally released in 2010, the LP contains the songs ‘Next Girl’, ‘Howlin’ For You’, ‘Everlasting Light’ and ‘Tighten Up’.
THE BLACK KEYS, the most famous blues-rock tandem, for the past few years – before them the White Stripes ruled the world – go back to the roots that inspired their sound and spirit. They canned an album of covers, titled DELTA KREAM, out next month,14th May. It’s a collection honouring their heroes of the Mississippi Hill country blues. artists like John Lee Hooker, Big Joe Williams, Mississippi Fred McDowell, Junior Kimbrough and Ranie Burnette.
One of the pearls is The Keys cover version of “Going Down South” by R.L Burnside.
Citizen have always eluded definition. The Toledo, Ohio-based four-piece have been making dynamic, wide-ranging guitar music for over ten years, challenging expectations with each new album and refusing to fit neatly in a box. On their fourth full-length, “Life In Your Glass World”, Citizen have crafted their most singular work to date completely on their own terms—proving that only the band themselves can define their identity.
This definition meant taking the entire process home to Toledo, Ohio – the Glass City – and creating everything in-house. Recorded in vocalist Mat Kerekes’ home studio in his garage, Citizen’s need to continue moving forward creatively went hand in hand with their desire to be fully in control of their creative destiny. The new process afforded the band time to focus on each song’s individual mood, making their sig-nature blend of aggression and melody all the more pronounced, and even capturing appealing imperfections. The result is an album that represents the members’ vision in its purest form, something that feels distinctly Citizen while also marking the start of a fresh chapter.
One of the most immediately striking elements of the direction on Life In Your Glass World is the band’s attention to rhythm. Many of the songs feature undeniably danceable beats and sharp, groove-laden guitar lines, which give both the barnburners and the brooding atmospheric tracks a pulsating heart. The band’s desire to assert themselves is palpable both in the music and Kerekes’ lyrics, mirroring not only their creative frustrations but also a long year of personal upheavals. It’s fitting for Life In Your Glass World, a record that proves Citizen’s true identity is rooted in the raw energy of constant evolution.
“I Want to Kill You” by Citizen from the upcoming album ‘Life in Your Glass World’ out March 26th 2021 via Run For Cover Records
Started by boyhood friends Evan Westfall and Taylor Meier, CAAMP came to life in Athens, Ohio. Taylor began penning and playing original songs at coffee shops around Athens in 2013. Evan moved down a couple of years later and together in a hazy attic, enjoying light beers, they would find the heartfelt sound that became CAAMP. Since independently releasing their self-titled first record in 2016, they have climbed the Spotify charts, headlined the US, purchased denim jackets and added a bass- playing buddy, Matt Vinson– who also enjoys light beers and denim. With the upcoming release of their third album “By and By,” the Ohioan trio has high hopes and no reservations.
Just beginning to get into this band. So far I’m thinking a little bit of a Avett Brothers meets the Grateful Dead kind of vibe. Their most recent album is getting some play on the satellite radio station I listen Here’s a live performance of one of the songs I really like. Ohio boys making beautiful noise
Its a song that hits my emotions during this fall weather. The tender swaying of the guitars and vocals make this an easy-listen. I think the sound demonstrated in this single could make a great album.
Columbus-based alternative rock band snarls presents its effervescent debut album, “Burst”, as a long-form video featuring visual storytelling from its members. May I Burst? invites you into the emotional rollercoaster that is...Burst.Snarls is what the Vivian Girls would be if they swapped their uber-cool Brooklyn insouciance for wide-eyed Midwestern verve. Snarls share their predecessors penchant for propulsive, kiss-off tempos, but infuse those licks with a wholesome earnestness. The Columbus, Ohio quartet’s songs hit hard, but there is a no-frills, steadfast nature to each track, with frontwoman Chlo White snapping out pieces of wounded prose. In an interview with Stereogum, White attributed the band’s name to the visceral reaction of a loyal dog — as in “don’t fuck with my friends or I’ll snarl at you.” Each song on the album contains that ethos. Snarls will proudly tell you how they feel.
Snarls spent 2019 quietly blooming. Two songs landed this Columbus, four-piece on Bloggers Top 100 Songs and Best New Bands honour rolls. With that running start in mind, 2020 is when they’ll surely blossom into a band to watch. Debut LP Burst finds the next charming coming-of-age story in shimmering character drama (2019 standout “Walk in the Woods”), woozy indie-pop (“Hair”), and blue-eyed existentialism (“Concrete”). Snarls’ song writing is as unfiltered and spectral as growing into one’s own should be, but it promises just as an enchanting listen for those outside looking in. It’s no wonder MTV tried to brand Snarls’ enchanting indie rock as promising “the best of emo and shoegaze” or that the band themselves sees themselves as the fore bearers of “glitter emo alt rock.” Snarls is fresh, frenzied, and worth fawning over.
Snarls is Chlo White (vocals, guitar), Riley Hall (bass, vocals), Mick Martinez (guitar), and Max Martinez (drums). The four met through childhood friendships and school, and in December 2017 formed the group. After releasing a self-titled EP in June 2018, snarls spent the next two years playing crowded basements and bars, as well as touring the Midwest and eastern United States. In March of 2020, the band partnered with Take This To Heart Records to release Burst, a collection of coming-of-age stories wrapped in shimmering guitars and whimsical harmonies.
“Burst” is out now on CD/Digital via Take This To Heart Records
The Sonder Bombs will follow their great 2018 debut album “Modern Female Rockstar” with “Clothbound” on 1/29, and the singles find them taking their ukulele-fuelled indie-pop punk in all kinds of exciting new directions. The Sonder Bombs have doubled down on their second record. 2018’s debut “Modern Female Rockstar” was their first bet: an all-caps attack against a male-dominated scene brandishing a ukulele and dry wit as chosen weapons. A year and some change passed, where the Cleveland band’s relentless touring ethic and tough love caused a homegrown fan base to explode worldwide. Clothbound, like the title suggests, weaves a different narrative—one of loss, letting go, and losing patience with losers. If the first record introduced unapologetic sensitivity, Clothbound searches for the root causes of other key elements.
Produced in Philadelphia during quarantine with Joe Reinhart (Hop Along, Beach Bunny, Modern Baseball), “Clothbound” captures a band burning at both ends. Fans of vocalist/ukulele/guitarist Willow Hawks’ exasperated kiss-offs will have plenty to unpack here, from the frantic goodbyes spat through “Swing on Sight” or “What Are Friends For,” where Hawks entertains this question while the background smoulders around the punctuation—a ukulele strum here, Willow Hawks’ vocal line trailing like an asteroid collision there. As this is the second volume in the Sondie songbook, evolved moments, like the acoustic-electric elegy “Scattered,” sit near the band at their most sloganeering and effective. “Crying is Cool” a live staple eagerly awaiting its reveal, teaches listeners of all ages that it’s okay to hole up with your feelings as long as you give them room to grow. The band’s also not afraid of taking their own advice, letting their emotions run wild on “k.,” an absolute barnstormer of a track where the Bombs fire off all cylinders while winking to hardcore and metal. The chips are down and the deck is stacked here. The band’s all in. Are you?
releases January 29th, 2021
The Sonder Bombs – “k.” From their album “Clothbound” Out January 29th via Take This To Heart Records/Big Scary Monsters (UK/EU)/Dew Process (AUZ/NZ)
Citizen have always eluded definition. The Toledo, Ohio-based three-piece have been making dynamic, wide-ranging guitar music for over ten years, challenging expectations with each new album and refusing to fit neatly in a box. On their fourth full-length, “Life In Your Glass World”, Citizen have crafted their most singular work to date completely on their own terms—proving that only the band themselves can define their identity.
Since forming in 2009, Citizen—vocalist Mat Kerekes, guitarist Nick Hamm, and bassist Eric Hamm—have endlessly pushed themselves with each successive release, actively resisting the comfort zones that often plague bands as they grow. The band has fearlessly taken risks with their sound on each new album, and shown themselves capable of exploring impassioned post-hardcore, raw noise rock, shimmering indie pop, anthemic alternative, and more—often on the same album, and sometimes even the same track. But growth isn’t always painless, and the band has been navigating the fraught music industry from a young age—learning as they went and sometimes feeling pulled in different directions at once.
When it came time to make Life In Your Glass World, Citizen’s need to continue moving forward creatively went hand in hand with their desire to be fully in control of their creative destiny. NickHamm explains: “I don’t have a lot of regret but there have definitely been times when we felt powerless during the band’s existence. This time we really owned every part of the process. It’s easy to feel like you’re on autopilot when you’re in a band, but that’s not a good place to be this far into our existence. We consciously knew we wanted to break free.”
For Citizen that meant taking the entire album-making process home to Toledo (the Glass City) and creating everything in-house. Kerekes built a studio in his garage, a project that was both empowering and practical. “It’s super easy and convenient,” he says. “But I also felt like building the studio was a way to prove we don’t need anything but ourselves.” Hamm adds, “This is the first self-sufficient Citizen record. There was no pressure at all and moving at our own pace allowed the songs to be a little more fleshed out.” The looser recording process afforded the band time to focus on each song’s individual mood, making their signature blend of aggression and melody all the more pronounced, and even capturing appealing imperfections. The result is an album that represents the members’ vision in its purest form, something that feels distinctly Citizen while also marking the start of a fresh chapter.
One of the most immediately striking elements of Life In Your Glass World is the band’s attention to rhythm. Many of the songs feature undeniably danceable beats and sharply grooving guitar lines, which give both the barnburners and the brooding atmospheric tracks a pulsating heart. “When you write songs the same way for X amount of years, you start to want to try something new,” Kerekes says. “These songs were mostly built from drums and bass first, which was different for us. I’d start with a completely different beat every time to get a certain energy.” The band’s desire to assert themselves is palpable both in the music and Kerekes’ lyrics, mirroring not only their creative frustrations but also a long year of personal upheavals. “There’s a lot of anger in these songs and we wanted the music to communicate that,” Hamm says. “I think a lot of people expect bands to slow down or chill out when they get to where we are, but we consciously didn’t want to do that.”
The opening one-two punch of “Death Dance Approximately” and “I Want To Kill You” exemplifies the acerbic-yet-buoyant feel of Life In Your Glass World, and the latter sums up the album’s defiant themes. Kerekes puts it plainly: “Sometimes you feel like you’re being used. A lot of the lyrics are liberating, they’re reclaiming control.” The band wastes no time in showing their range, pivoting to the melancholy haze of “Blue Sunday” and the bounce of “Thin Air,” both of which meditate on the struggle to invest so much in something only to be let down and retreat inside oneself instead. Elsewhere tracks like “Call Your Bluff” and “Black and Red” showcase Citizen’s knack for big choruses, while “Pedestal” features towering drums and a distorted bass line that’s as malevolent sounding as Kerekes’ vitriolic words. “Fight Beat,” with its tense mix of otherworldly menace and memorable hooks, takes the band’s rhythmic-centric writing to its furthest point yet; lyrically, the song grapples with the realization that one has passed a point of no return, a sentiment that permeates the attitude of Life In Your Glass World. “This isn’t a baby step,” Hamm says. “It’s exactly what we want to do.”
Much of Life In Your Glass World deals with the bleak and challenging aspects of being human, and the album often feels like an exorcism of pent up negative feelings. But those feelings give way to a sense of hope with the closing track “Edge of The World.” Interweaving guitars rise around Kerekes’ voice as he considers past pain with the kind of clarity that can only come from time and distance—and finds promise in looking towards the future. The song builds to a soaring finale as the clouds part and Kerekes declares, “At the end of the day there was beauty in tragedy.” It’s one last turn, the kind of affirmation that makes you re-examine everything you just heard with a newfound perspective. It’s a fitting conclusion for Life In Your Glass World – borne of the confidence gained through years of trials, tribulations, and self reflection – and one that asserts that Citizen’s true identity is rooted in the raw energy of constant evolution.
Releases March 26th, 2021
Life In A Glass World is the new LP from Ohio-based four-piece Citizen. Really tight production, this is proper playlist guitar bangers. Very limited Blue & Green Galaxy Swirl Vinyl.
Our fully quarantine-recorded album came out, called “The Black Hole Understands” It’s me on instruments with strings and singing, Jayson on drums. it is poppy and sort of sad. Cloud Nothings released The Black Hole Understands this summer, a remotely assembled album that followed the free-jazz spirals of frontman Dylan Baldi and drummer Jayson Gerycz in the spring. Then, in December, they shared the Bandcamp-exclusive “Life Is Only One Event”. Soon, they’ll deliver the all-new “The Shadow I Remember” which was produced by Steve Albini, who helmed 2012’s classic Attack on Memory.
Part of the proceeds from this will be going to play on Philly and the Rainey institute (in Cleveland), two organizations dedicated to helping provide arts education in areas of Philladelphia and Cleveland where its not generally easy to access.
Cloud Nothings dropped a new song “The Spirit Of,” and it’s the latest glimpse of their forthcoming album The Shadow I Remember, out on February 26th via Carpark Records. “The Spirit Of,” the follow-up single to “Am I Something?,” is a fast-paced track propelled by ascendent guitars, and Dylan Baldi’s punk vocals reach a mighty peak by the end. We are also reissuing our debut album “Turning On” – can’t believe it’s been 10 years since it was originally released!
Another throwback was Baldi’s return to constant song writing à la the early solo days, which led to the nearly 30 demos that became the 11 songs on “The Shadow I Remember”. Instead of sticking to a tried-but-true formula, his song writing stretched out while digging deeper into his melodic talents. “I felt like I was locked in a character,” Baldi says of becoming a reliable supplier of heavy, hook-filled rock songs. “I felt like I was playing a role and not myself. I really didn’t like that role.” More frequent writing led to the freedom in form heard on The Shadow I Remember. What he can’t do alone is get loud and play noisily, which is exactly what happened when the entire band — bassist TJ Duke, guitarist Chris Brown, and drummer Jayson Gerycz—convened.
The band had more fun in the studio than they’ve had in years, playing in their signature, pulverizing way, while also trying new things. The absurdly catchy “Nothing Without You” includes a first for the band: Macie Stewart of Ohmme contributes guest vocals. Elsewhere, celebrated electronic composer Brett Naucke adds subtle synthesizer parts.
The songs are kept trim, mostly around the three-minute mark, while being gleefully overstuffed. Almost every musical part turns into at least two parts, with guitar and drums opening up and the bass switching gears. “That’s the goal — I want the three-minute song to be an epic,” Baldi says. “That’s the short version of the longass jam.”
Lyrically, Baldi delivers an aching exploration of tortured existence, punishing self-doubt, and the familiar pangs of oppressive mystery. “Am I Something” Baldi screams on the song of the same name. “Does anybody living out there really need me?”, It’s a heart breaking admission of existential confusion, delivered hoarsely, with an instantly relatable melody. “Is this the end/ of the life I’ve known?” he asks on lead single and album opener “Oslo.” “Am I older now/ or am I just another age?” Despite the questioning lyrics, the band plays with more assurance and joy than ever before. The Shadow I Remember announces Cloud Nothings’ second decade and it sounds like a new beginning.
The Shadow I Remember is the hugely triumphant return of Cloud Nothings. It’s pretty raw, but singer-songwriter Dylan Baldi’s ability to write a banger has arguably never been as clear. Melodic whilst still full of grit.
“The Spirit Of” is taken from Cloud Nothings’ forthcoming album “The Shadow I Remember”, out February 26th, 2021.
Arlo McKinley has washed his songs in the blood of street soul, country, punk and gospel – and tattooed them onto theunderground. Filled with an honest weight and gritty-hope from rustbelt city life, McKinley rolled downriver to Memphis’ Sun Studio where Grammy Award-winning producer Matt Ross-Spang gathered a working man’s all-star band to record his Oh Boy Records debut,
Look, an album about Midwestern ennui delivered by a guy in his 30s was almost focus-grouped to appeal to me, a Midwesterner with ennui in his 30s, but Arlo McKinley’s Oh Boy Records debut belongs on this list for the greatness of its song writing, and the way that it captures the various stages of Midwestern Grief in all its forms. John Prine left us this year, but at least his label has artists who can fill the sizable gap in our lives.
Had Jody Prine not played his late father singer songwriter John Prine a couple of McKinley’s songs, there’s every chance 40-year-old Cincinnati singer songwriter Arlo McKinley would have given up on music entirely and still be delivering tuxedos. However, John was particularly taken with Bag Of Pills and, as a result, McKinley became the last artist Prine and his son signed to their label before the former’s death.
The solo debut (he previously released a 2014 live album as frontman with The Lonesome Sound) opens with the understated strum of We Were Alright, a number that starts out as an upbeat road song about driving with his girl and how “for the first time in a long time we were alright”, only to play the dream within a dream card as he wakes to realise they’ve broken up and tries to get back to the dream to be close to her again.
McKinley’s 10 original songs bleed truth from a heart scarred by wild nights and redeemed by Sunday morning confessions. “She’s Always Around,” “Suicidal Saturday Night,” “Bag of Pills” and “Ghost” are all carved out in the key of life.
Drums & Percussion: Ken Coomer Bass Guitar: Dave Smith Keys: Rick Steff Electric Guitar: Will Sexton Acoustic Guitars: Matt Ross-Spang Fiddle: Jessie Munson BGVS: Reba Russell Acoustic Guitar/Vocals: Arlo McKinley Released August 14th, 2020
Gathering Swans is Choir Boy’s sophomore album, following 2016’s Passive with Desire, where we were introduced to singer Adam Klopp’s alarmingly sincere vocals, which are legitimately difficult to describe without the overused adage “voice of an angel.” Klopp impressed on the debut, but on Gathering Swans he is absolutely hypnotizing. Tracks like opener “It’s Over” and single “Nites Like This” prove his worth as one of the best vocalists working. His voice is on full display, keeping the record afloat through even the most experimental tracks. The highlight of Gathering Swans is the buoyant, sparkling single “Complainer.” Klopp sings, “But it’s not that bad, I never really had it worse, I’m just a complainer,” a feeling many of us understand when we stop to realize we’re actually doing just fine. Relatable lyrics paired with bright synths and a post-punk bassline make this song joyous and dance-worthy, bringing to mind other unexpected beacons of positivity—the IDLES effect, if you will. The story goes that, while growing up in Ohio, Klopp was called “choir boy” as a dig, for what could be read as intense jealousy for his inimitable vocals, while also poking fun at his religious upbringing. But Klopp reclaimed the epithet, and rightfully so. IfGathering Swans shows us anything, it’s that Choir Boy deserve praise, not mockery.
The first single from indie pop outfit Choir Boy’s second album, Gathering Swans. Came out May 8th, 2020. “Complainer” is a sarcastic examination of self pity. The video reveals Choir Boy’s involvement in a seedy back alley fighting ring.
“Choir Boy” was what the kids called singer/songwriter Adam Klopp in his early teens when he fronted punk cover bands in Cleveland, Ohio. An intended insult, the label seemed fair and fitting in a way, given Klopp’s religious upbringing and angelic voice. After high school, Adam left Ohio for college in Utah. While his career as a student would prove short-lived, he integrated into Provo and SLC’s underground music and art scene, left religion behind, and called his new band “Choir Boy”.
“It seemed funny to me as sort of a comical reclamation of the mocking title I received from “punk” peers as a teen. While serving as a weird reflection of my childhood and musical heritage.”
Since Choir Boy’s gorgeous debut LP on Team Love Records in 2016, the dream-pop outfit has gained a cult following online and in underground circles. Adam’s stunning vocal range, layered compositions, and heart-breaking melodies are backed by musical partner Chaz Costello on bass (Fossil Arms, Sculpture Club, Human Leather), saxophonist and keyboardist Jeff Kleinman, and guitarist Michael Paulsen, together creating the perfect blend of nostalgia-laced romantic pop music we’ve been waiting years to hear.
Dais welcomed Choir Boy to the Dais family with the fall 2017 EP “Sunday Light” and Part Time Punks cassettes, and in 2018 reissued the Passive With Desire LP in a new repackaged format with liner notes/lyrics, along with a deluxe collection CD. Choir Boy surprised fans with the 2019 autumn release of the “Nites Like This” single, and the announcement of Gathering Swans, the new LP out 2020!
Exclusively for Record Store Day, The Black Keys will be releasing the limited edition 45-RPM version of their chart-topping 9th album “Let’s Rock.” The album, which was originally released on June 28 via Easy Eye Sound / Nonesuch Records has spawned three Top 10 radio singles and was one of the most critically acclaimed albums of 2019. The 45-RPM version of the album is limited to 7500 pieces worldwide/5000 copies in the US. It’s a gorgeous 180-Gram 2-LP set in a deluxe holographic gatefold jacket, with each piece individually numbered. The band just announced a run of Canadian dates this Spring before hitting the road for a slate of shed shows this summer. The Black Keys are an American rock band formed in Akron, Ohio, in 2001. The group consists of Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney.
The Black Keys’ ninth studio album, “Let’s Rock” is a return to the straightforward rock of the singer/guitarist Dan Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carney’s early days as a band. “When we’re together we are The Black Keys, that’s where that real magic is,” says Auerbach, “and always has been since we were sixteen.” “The record is like an homage to electric guitar,” says Carney. “We took a simple approach and trimmed all the fat like we used to.”
Record Store Day, the annual celebration of independent record stores, is set to take place on Saturday, August 29th, 2020, and among the special releases on that day is a limited-edition, 45-RPM version of The Black Keys’ chart-topping ninth album, “Let’s Rock.”
“Let’s Rock” was first released on June 28th via Easy Eye Sound/Nonesuch Records to critical praise, with Rolling Stone saying, “singer-guitarist Dan Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carney bring a heightened purism too, emphasizing the power-duo force of their early records.” The Associated Press adds, “The Black Keys are rock royalty and to the relief of many, they aren’t quite ready to relinquish their reign.” “A return to what The Black Keys do best,” says Uncut “Brilliant.”
The new Record Store Day edition of “Let’s Rock” is being pressed on two 180-gram vinyl discs and comes in a deluxe holographic gatefold jacket, with each piece individually numbered. The set is limited to 7,500 pieces worldwide.
The Fat Angel Sings 