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Thursday, Mar 28 2024, 4PM
"'Stand Tall' is the first song I recorded when I started working on this album in 2020," Rapsody says. "I would say it represents my desire to speak to my humanness in the most free way. It started me on the journey, and it required me to be fearless, which is why I titled it 'Stand Tall' – be firm in who you are, legs straight, shoulder back, chest out."
The two-minute song comes with a five-minute video/short film featuring Rapsody in conversation with friend and actress Sanaa Lathan. youtu.be
freekind is one of the Music Moves Europe Awards 2024 winners. mmeawards.eu
The ongoing joke is that their live performances are a sort of group therapy with the songs sharing something that’s inside all of us, in a way that evokes understanding and empathy. With the groove, it is the perfect combination. Music that moves you and MOVES you, if you know what I mean. tinyurl.com
Tested in front of audiences at their live shows in the spring of 2023, "The Trenchcoat Museum" is a stand-alone single from Leeds’ finest post-punkers Yard Act. Billed as an "advert or trailer" for their upcoming sophomore album by frontman James Smith (although it won’t be included on its tracklist when it arrives), it's another fine piece of scabrous lyricism, with a remix by none other than Arthur Baker on the flip! tinyurl.com
Yard Act performed live in the KEXP studio in 2022. Watch the performance here: tinyurl.com
The British band's upcoming album will be out on March 1st, 2024! www.yardactors.com
LCD Soundsystem just announced their 14 date North American tour, the "Kinda Tour"! Check them out at The Paramount May 16th-19th, with other dates here: tinyurl.com
This is the longest song on This Is Happening, clocking in at over nine minutes; it's a riposte to anyone expecting LCD leader James Murphy to come up with a radio friendly, three minute pop song. "So you wanted a hit, well maybe we don't do hits," he sings. "I've tried and I've tried. It ends up feeling kind of wrong."
This was co-written by Hot Chip and sometimes LCD guitarist, Al Doyle.
Murphy shared the story behind this song: "That came about because I was surfing with a guy's who's in a much more successful rock ensemble. He asked, 'Are you gonna make a radio hit on this record? I wanted to be like, 'You think I'm not trying?' I suddenly thought, 'Well, why don't I make hits?' I kind of like that we don't make hits, (but0 it'd be fun to have one. This probably won't be because it's eight minutes long." tinyurl.com
KEXP's fabulous Music Director Chris Sanley reviews this release, sharing, "The debut album from Luxembourg-based Jana Bahrich – aka Francis of Delirium – is an absolute knockout. Lighthouse is jam-packed with big, sweeping swells of sound achieved by excellent guitar licks, infectious hooks, emotional lyricism, orchestral flourishes and a confident, powerful vocal performance. Her strong songwriting and distinct indie-rock sound with a pop sensibility hits all of the right marks on one hell of a debut."
Read more recent reviews here: tinyurl.com
Waxahatchee will perform in the bay area mid-May! You can catch Waxahatchee in Paso Robles, CA; Oakland, CA and Sonoma, CA. Go to the link for venues, dates and ticket information! www.waxahatchee.com Waxahatchee is playing with Woods at ZooTunes on Sunday, August 18th, 2024. Check out the rest of the ZooTunes lineup here! www.zoo.org
"I wrote 'Bored' in the wake of a friendship that ended badly & I was pretty shattered by it. I learned a lot from how the whole thing played out," Katie Crutchfield says. "I certainly could have done things differently and I certainly had a part in why it ended badly, but this is one of those situations where anger was called for and was the only authentic place from which to write about what I was experiencing.
"I hope you listen to it before you go quit your job, dump some jerk you’re dating, feel heinously, egregiously, unbelievably wronged or are genuinely so over a bad situation that you’ve grown bored of it. Turn it up loud, windows down, I would love to be your friend in that moment."
"Hour" comes from a transfer from vinyl of a formerly-lost New Order soundboard tape recorded live at Maxwell's in Hoboken, New Jersey, on September 20, 1980. This was New Order’s very first U.S. gig, recorded just four months after Ian Curtis ctaken his life on the eve of Joy Division’s first N. American tour.
Just days after this gig, (remember, New Order’s very first in the U.S.!) the band's van was stolen with all their gear inside, forcing them to buy new instruments, rehearse like the dickens, and make the necessary adjustments with the different set-up in time for their next performance at Hurrah in NYC on September 26th, 1980.
About that fiasco, Stephen Morris shares, "That’s New York for you. Put a bit of a damper on the way I felt about America after that. In a way, that was the final nail in the coffin. We had lost Ian, and then we lost all our equipment. When we recovered the van, the only thing in it was this giant transformer we called Pink Floyd, that they couldn’t lift. But for some reason someone had chucked some skis into the van! Why anyone would want skis in New York, I don’t know.
"The gear actually turned up a year or so later and we had to go back. We hung about with this detective who took us round this massive building with all the stolen gear and everything that the police have ever recovered. He said: ‘Oh, you just missed John Lennon’s boots.'" tinyurl.com
Released on this day in 2005!
An important thing to note about this album is that it was recorded at Peter Gabriel’s Real World Studio (for that infamous £700,000!), as well as at Saint Catherine’s Court in Bath, England, a 16th-century manor house.
At the time, Saint Catherine’s was owned by actress Jane Seymour (Dr. Quinn: Medicine Woman, Wedding Crashers, Scarlet Pimpernel, and this year’s Irish Wish with Lindsay Lohan).
Seymour bought Saint Catherine’s in 1984, made massive restorations and renovations, and eventually rented it out as a film set, recording studio, and country house hotel for events and weddings. She sold it in 2007.
Radiohead recorded most of OK Computer (1997) at St. Cat's, and The Cure recorded albums Wild Mood Swings (1996) and Bloodflowers (2000) there as well. tinyurl.com
In 2000, Robbie Williams rented the manor, hired butlers, and passed it off as his own property on his first episode of MTV Cribs. He was subsequently busted, admitted the con, apologized to Jane Seymour, and showed off his real home in a later episode. tinyurl.com
Another fun factoid: One of the manor’s notable residents was the poet John Harington, a godson of Queen Elizabeth I, who’d been born and raised in the house. As an adult, he was banished from Queen Elizabeth’s court for his filthy stories and translations. During exile, he built himself a house, as well as the world’s first flushing toilet in 1592, which he named, "Ajax." This is where we get "jakes," English slang for "toilet." tinyurl.com
Today’s second track is the only one left from Waiting for the Siren’s Call we have not yet played. Called "Dracula’s Castle," singer Bernard Sumner was deeply affected by his surroundings.
He said, “St Catherine’s, where this was partly recorded, was the place Henry VIII sent one of his illegitimate daughters to live. It was a courthouse for a bit, and I wrote lyrics in this room where people were judged and tried. It had an old fireplace, and was all lit by candles. It was a creative room but very spooky. That’s why ‘Dracula’s Castle’ is on the album.”
Inspired by Savages, Dublin's SPRINTS sound has matured into energetic and abrasive garage-punk, synthesising influences ranging from early Pixies, Bauhaus, Siouxsie Sioux, IDLES and LCD Soundsystem.
Singer, guitarist and lead-songwriter Karla Chubb tackles her inner turmoil head-on, and uses her platform to address inequality and issues close to hear heart, like the campaign for Repeal The 8th, and women’s ongoing fight for bodily autonomy, struggles with self acceptance, identity, mental health struggles, sexuality and catholic guilt.
For their debut album, the band set about transforming so-called "negative energy" into an opportunity for communal catharsis and healing.
Chubb sums up the message that lies at the very heart of the album: "No matter what you're born into, or have experienced, there's a way to emerge from this and be happy within yourself." tinyurl.com
Lysistrata is an electrifying rock band from the west coast of France. They describe their own sound as "post-un peu tout," which translates to "post-a little bit of everything."
The band's name itself comes from Aristophane's comedy, Lyristrata, about a woman's extraordinary mission to end the Peloponnesian War between Greek city states by denying all the men of the land any sex, which was the only thing they truly and deeply desired. tinyurl.com
The band share, "Following three years of intense touring, we took a step back from Lysistrata during the 2020 lockdown and began focusing our time and energy on new projects. 2022 found us living in different cities across France & Europe, writing individually and bringing our ideas together from time to time. Veil reflects these past few years. Thanks to everyone involved."
World premiere of Thunderpussy's "I Can Do Better"!
The Seattle-born all-female rock ‘n roll band will release a new full-length album titled West on May 10th, the day it celebrates its ten year anniversary as a band. The same day West is released, Thunderpussy will also debut it live, performing the album in its entirety with a full 54-piece Seattle Symphony Orchestra at historic Benaroya Hall.
The band share, "'I Can Do Better' showcases our own desire to 'do better' as individuals, as a band, as musicians, as friends, but from a human perspective fraught by shortcomings and old patterns. It’s a yearning for something unknown. Have you ever fallen backwards into the snow to let the cold settle around your body, and the sting of the earth make its way into your bones? Trying to find patience in the discomfort?
"'I Can Do Better' is a reminder that sometimes all you need is a little sting to wake you up from the numbness. And that there is possibility in the storm."
Tickets for Thunderpussy with the Seattle Symphony are available at:
tinyurl.com
'West' is now available on vinyl for pre-order at both thunderpussyusa.com and Bandcamp. It will appear on all major streaming services beginning on May 10.
thunderpussyusa.com
Like her debut, the new record was produced and written in collaboration with Søren Buhl Lassen (Blaue Blume, Lucky Lo) with compositional contributions from Buster Jensen (Blaue Blume).
"I wrote this album as a way to understand the intense emotional pain of my youth. For a long time, I sought validation as a way to cope. RATKING is about using other people’s approval as a substitute for self-worth and my journey of concealing, denying, and ultimately liberating myself from that dependency." tinyurl.com
This track was remixed and re-released in 1994 on the soundtrack to the movie "Dumb & Dumber." This remix included additional guitars, percussion, organ, and backing vocals—none of which were performed by any of the Primitives. Several cover versions are based on the '95 Mix rather than the original.
The Primitives received a publicity boost when Morrissey was photographed wearing a t-shirt for the band! They've reformed and have a new single and album. Follow them at theprimitives.bigcartel.com
New single from the band based in Leeds, U.K. Their debut album will be out on April 12! www.englishteacherband.com
Ibibio Sound Machine's fifth studio album, "Pull the Rope," is out on May 3rd.
Of this track, Ibibio Sound Machine share, "The track is about the hope of finding a peaceful way to overcome our differences in the world. The idea of standing at two ends of a rope symbolizes this. We recruited our friends Richmond Kessie and Helen McDonald as well as Eno’s mum to lend a bigger sound to the chorus vocals. Musically it’s a mix of post-punk and electronic sounds." ibibiosoundmachine.com
From Prince's 1989 Batman soundtrack, and the final single released from the album. The single was not the album version, but a remixed version by S'Express' Mark Moore and William Orbit. "The Future" was released as a single only in Europe.
Moore and Orbit's remix of "The Future" is house-inspired, whereas Prince's original is minimalistic. Moore and Orbit substituted a muted, pulsating beat in place of the original elements of Prince's song. Moore and Orbit also removed Prince's original bassline, synthline, and snippets of sampled dialogue. This would be the last time Orbit would work with Prince for several years. tinyurl.com
Recorded live at Ypsigrock Festival 2023! Check out this year's line-up here: tinyurl.com
Ypsigrock is a beautifully-curated music festival held in Castelbuono, a stunning, small medieval village in the foothills of the Madonie mountains of Sicily.
Formed in 2011, TRAAMS hails from Chichester, West Sussex, England.
The intriguing name TRAAMS is an acronym for "Time Reference Angle of Arrival Measurement System."
Their sound draws inspiration from bands like Kraftwerk, Television, and Wire. Early demo work blended elements of Krautrock and punk rock.
Live-recorded, mixed and mastered by Marta Paccani. Thanks to Traams and James / Reflective Hands
Ypsigrock Festival 2023 Feature! Check out this year's line-up here: tinyurl.com
Last year, Scottish band Young Fathers performed at Ypsigrock Festival, a beautifully-curated music festival held in Castelbuono, a stunning, small medieval village in the foothills of the Madonie mountains of Sicily.
Recorded live at KEXP on September 27, 2023; you can catch that full performance here: tinyurl.com
Young Fathers will be in San Francisco on Wednesday, April 17th at Great American Music Hall.
World premiere, recorded live at Ypsigrock Festival 2023! Check out this year's line-up here: tinyurl.com
Ypsigrock is a beautifully-curated music festival held in Castelbuono, a stunning, small medieval village in the foothills of the Madonie mountains of Sicily.
Born in 1987 in Montreal, Canada, Marie Davidson has been a prominent figure in the electronic music scene. Despite her cold and hypnotic sound, Davidson’s music celebrates joy and hope, emphasizing the small yet significant moments in life.
"The Sound Of This Place" is an international artistic residency held in Castelbuono. The objective of this initiative is to get artists inspired by the local environment, investigate, uncover, and interpret it, and perform an innovative world premiere of its result within the festival’s programme. The 2023 editioned engaged composer and musician Marie Davidson (CA), choreographer and performer Dana Gingras (CA), light designer Lucie Bazzo (CA), and video artist and composer Francesca Fabrizi (IT) and was carried out within Ypsigrock Festival and in collaboration with Castelbuono’s Museo Civico.
Live-Recorded by Pierre Guerineau. Thanks to Marie Davidson, Pierre Guerineau, and Sarah Rogers (Animals of Distinction).
World premiere, recorded live at Ypsigrock Festival 2023! Check out this year's line-up here: tinyurl.com
Ypsigrock is a beautifully-curated music festival held in Castelbuono, a stunning, small medieval village in the foothills of the Madonie mountains of Sicily.
Monikaze, born Monika Zenkevičiūtė, hails from Vilnius, Lithuania. She is a versatile composer and electronic music producer, signed with the UK label Moshi Moshi Records.
Her avant-pop sound combines raw and manipulated vocals with various electronic and acoustic textures. Influenced by genres like IDM, electronica, and jazz, her music is both hypnotic and emotionally charged.
Live-recorded, mixed and mastered by Marta Paccani. Thanks to Monikaze and Greta Užkuraitė / Damn Good.
World premiere, recorded live at Ypsigrock Festival 2023! Check out this year's line-up here: tinyurl.com
Ypsigrock is a beautifully-curated music festival held in Castelbuono, a stunning, small medieval village in the foothills of the Madonie mountains of Sicily.
Monikaze, born Monika Zenkevičiūtė, hails from Vilnius, Lithuania. She is a versatile composer and electronic music producer, signed with the UK label Moshi Moshi Records.
Monikaze’s live performances transform her into a force of nature, creating a mysterious atmosphere reminiscent of David Lynch. Fearless in her musical experiments, she rhymes with kamikaze, a fitting descriptor for her bold approach to artistry.
Live-recorded, mixed and mastered by Marta Paccani. Thanks to Monikaze and Greta Užkuraitė / Damn Good.
World premiere, recorded live at Ypsigrock Festival 2023! Check out this year's line-up here: tinyurl.com
Ypsigrock is a beautifully-curated music festival held in Castelbuono, a stunning, small medieval village in the foothills of the Madonie mountains of Sicily.
King Hannah consists of Hannah Merrick and Craig Whittle. The duo was formed in Liverpool, England in the late 2010s. Their sound is characterized by sparse arrangements and minimalist lyrics, creating cinematic soundscapes.
King Hannah spins deadpan tales about the mundanities of existence over a desolate, desert backdrop, drawing comparisons to artists like PJ Harvey and Nick Cave, and has dates scheduled in Europe in 2024, including Italy, Germany, Netherlands, France, and the UK.
Live-recorded, mixed and mastered by Marta Paccani. Thanks to King Hannah and Krista Schmidt / City Slang.
Ypsigrock Festival 2023 Highlights!
Comet is Coming performed last year at Ypsigrock, a beautifully-curated music festival held in Castelbuono, a stunning, small medieval village in the foothills of the Madonie mountains of Sicily.
CiC is a London-based jazz-rock band that incorporates elements of jazz, electronica, funk and psychedelic rock. It is a project of saxophonist Shabaka Hutchings, known for his Sons of Kemet recordings. Band members use the pseudonyms "King Shabaka", "Danalogue", and "Betamax": saxophonist Shabaka Hutchings, keyboardist Dan Leavers, and drummer Max Hallett, respectively.
In a 2013 interview, Hutchings explained their pseudonyms: "The name of the group comes from a BBC Radiophonic Workshop piece of the same name. Once we heard this piece, with its allusions to sci-fi, cosmic remembrances and general space, it instantly struck a chord. We're exploring new sound worlds and aiming to destroy all musical ideals which are unfit for our purposes so the name stuck."
Ypsigrock Festival 2023 Highlights!
Comet is Coming performed last year at Ypsigrock, a beautifully-curated music festival held in Castelbuono, a stunning, small medieval village in the foothills of the Madonie mountains of Sicily.
CiC is a London-based jazz-rock band that incorporates elements of jazz, electronica, funk and psychedelic rock. It is a project of saxophonist Shabaka Hutchings, known for his Sons of Kemet recordings. Band members use the pseudonyms "King Shabaka", "Danalogue", and "Betamax": saxophonist Shabaka Hutchings, keyboardist Dan Leavers, and drummer Max Hallett, respectively.
Ypsigrock Festival 2023 Highlights!
Ypsigrock is a music festival held annually in August in the city of Castelbuono, Italy, a Sicilian municipality in the province of Palermo, and the first boutique festival in Italy, now a European reference point for indie culture enthusiasts. The festival was founded in 1997 in Castelbuono, a Sicilian village, just over an hour and a half by road from Palermo, about ten kilometers from the sea and set in a beautiful valley, on the initiative of some local young people passionate about indie and alternative-rock music.
With the shimmering desert noir sound the band has become known for, The Last Exit takes you on a hypnotic journey, one filled with dilapidated towns, mysterious shapes on the horizon, and long trips that blur the line between what’s there and not there.
SC's Greg Hughes revealas, "We found something out there in the desert – something in the vast landscapes that went on forever." bit.ly KEXP recently spoke with Still Corners about the mysticism and symbolism behind the music and imagery; enjoy the interview here: bit.ly
Still Corners will be performing at Great American Music Hall in San Francisco on April 19th, and April 21 at The Crocodile in Seattle, WA.
Ypsigrock Festival 2023 Highlights!
Ypsigrock is a music festival held annually in August in the city of Castelbuono, Italy, a Sicilian municipality in the province of Palermo, and the first boutique festival in Italy, now a European reference point for indie culture enthusiasts. The festival was founded in 1997 in Castelbuono, a Sicilian village, just over an hour and a half by road from Palermo, about ten kilometers from the sea and set in a beautiful valley, on the initiative of some local young people passionate about indie and alternative-rock music.
Slowdive are a British rock band that formed in Reading, Berkshire, in 1989. The band consists of Rachel Goswell on vocals and guitar, Neil Halstead on vocals and guitar, Christian Savill on guitar, Nick Chaplin on bass, and Simon Scott on drums.
The name "Slowdive" was inspired by a dream Chaplin experienced, and was chosen against the wishes of Goswell, who was outvoted after protesting the fact that it shared the same name as the single "Slowdive," from one of her favourite bands, Siouxsie and the Banshees. tinyurl.com
Here's more from Slowdive's LIVE at KEXP session, which includes this song: tinyurl.com
Ypsigrock Festival 2023 Highlights!
Ypsigrock is a music festival held annually in August in the city of Castelbuono, Italy, a Sicilian municipality in the province of Palermo, and the first boutique festival in Italy, now a European reference point for indie culture enthusiasts. The festival was founded in 1997 in Castelbuono, a Sicilian village, just over an hour and a half by road from Palermo, about ten kilometers from the sea and set in a beautiful valley, on the initiative of some local young people passionate about indie and alternative-rock music.
Khyree Zienty, professionally known as Ekkstacy, is a Canadian singer-songwriter from Vancouver, British Columbia.
Ekkstacy stated that he had a normal childhood until his parents divorced when he entered high school. He then began to struggle socially and at one point had an episode of psychosis induced by drugs in which he attempted suicide by jumping out a window. He began playing the guitar in 6th grade and enjoyed skateboarding.
Performing at Neumos in Seattle on May 23rd.
Ypsigrock Festival 2023 Highlights! Ypsirock is a music festival held annually in August in the city of Castelbuono, Italy, a Sicilian municipality in the province of Palermo.
Ypsigrock is the first boutique festival in Italy, now a European reference point for indie culture enthusiasts. The festival was founded in 1997 in Castelbuono, a Sicilian village, just over an hour and a half by road from Palermo, about ten kilometers from the sea and set in a beautiful valley, on the initiative of some local young people passionate about indie and alternative-rock music.
The band is centered around Joachim Liebens, and their mesmerizing psych pop sound draws inspiration from artists like MGMT, DIIV, Slowdive, and even The Cure. Their songs explore themes of despair, hope, and the feeling of being a misunderstood misfit.
The Haunted Youth are playing a couple of festivals in Europe this summer.
Live-recorded, mixed by Marta Paccani, mastered by Yoran Cambier. Thanks to The Haunted Youth, Yoran Cambierm, Ronald Dumolin, Tony Vandenbogaerde / Mayway Records
Canadian artist Alex Henry Foster's new project Voyage à la Mer is an artistic multidisciplinary endeavor based on the asymmetry of human emotions.
A 2010 trip to Japan forms the basis of the project, in particular a conversation with the parents of a young Japanese fan who, prior to taking his own life, had been corresponding with Foster via letters the two sent back and forth. As time passed, Foster underwent a life-altering cardiac surgery. He spent months recovering, unable to talk, and unsure he would have the ability to sing in the future.
Foster writes: "I was in no other position than to either feel sorry for myself or have a prolonged look with myself to figure out who I was beyond the distressing sensation of losing my identity. The introspective clarity brought me right back to Japan, in what had been for me a transformative experience almost 15 years ago, highlighted by the long-forgotten fragments of film, photographs, and people's testimonies I had the privilege of witnessing."
Slowly starting to regain energy, Foster contacted his friend and longtime creative accomplice Ben Lemelin to assist him in writing and creating. With Foster still regaining his voice, the duo invited fellow artist Momoka to be the voice of the first incarnation of the project, titled Kimiyo. tinyurl.com
Beverly, Massachusetts-based Caspian played a blistering set at KEXP where a guitar string snapped mid-song; you can check out the gorgeous performance here: bit.ly Oh, the glorious SWEAT.
They visited again in February 2020 and performed another beautifully epic session, which this DJ Assistant was able to photograph (and was incidentally her last gig before everything shut down for the pandemic): bit.ly
Catch the insane video here: bit.ly