With Labor Day weekend upon us, Impose's Week in Pop brings you a bundle of treats, along with an obligatory glance at the headlines. First we heard about Fiona Apple's onstage meltdown at a fancy Louis Vuitton event in Tokyo, our boy Kendrick Lamar was on Chelsea Lately, something about Ozzy causing a fire over a bacon sandwich, Wu-Tang selling holiday knitwear, and we kept hearing something about the VMAs, but were too caught up in Jayceon and Tiffney's premarital drama on the reality show, Marrying the Game. But keeping the conversation going forward, check out this week's voices, sounds, thoughts, vocals, discussions, and more from a week to remember-in no particular order.
CCR Headcleaner does for the contents of your cranium what VCR headcleaner did for those old head readers that got fed your favorite un-rewound VHS tapes. The San Francisco group has set out a campaign for a mean reputation from gutter guitar garage and grizzled, grimy-ass grit. But even while riffing with descriptive consanance, what cannot be put down or ignored is their upcoming Lace the Earth With Arms Wide Open, slated for release September 17 from Pizza Burglar Records. “Bombsuite” starts the ceremonial with stoned romantic welcoming of the apocalypse, while “Ace Of Wands” is your new favorite scuzz riding dream destroyer with the hopeless beauty tied within the truisms of, “I only dream when I am awake”. “Fix the Fan” sounds like something tragically left off the playlist from a Tim Presley and Ty Segall White Fence collaboration that manages to out weird CCR's aforementioned comrades. “Brainfloss” dips down into the odd and chemically altered out-of-body-and-brain experiences, “Beyond Death” brings the near death showdown, “Drink Gold” imbibes moonshine quaffed from Cash4Gold worshiping pensioners, “Blood Hound” let's the dogs out and brings the fear, “Blood” gets really axe heavy-infected and infectious, “Doo Wop” takes half-sober beer break, “Peaceful Pasture” takes dad's barely working psilocybin fungus out to the fields, as triumphant “European Son”-esque closer “Mirror Mist” rides high off the fog of ingested cheap wizz residue speeding down the Great Highway's cocaine-cowboy trail. Stealing the show today and grabbing light inside a bottle with, “Steal The Light”; this track presents what the Bay Area has learned from our hotbed of doom metal clusters, histories, and every lo-fi tape champion who has ever dared to take on a mountain as bright and foreboding as “Light” accomplishes on every dive tested and trued level.
Allow us to introduce CCR Headcleaner's band of Justin Flowers, Ned Meiners, Mark Treise, and Alex Cargile [sans drummer Nick Givens], who joined us for a lively discussion about the new album, and putting in real garage work amid the strange times and strange town of folkland.
What is up with the melodic thunderous light stealing on this amazing, “Steal the Light” single?
Ned: I tried to write a hopeful song about pulling yourself out of a rut but we decided to pile on the guitars until this ripper emerged. Like most good things its evolved as its taken on a life of its own. In my mind the middle of the song is a country ballad.
Justin: We are all about big nasty booming hooks. Its what we do.
What is the best way for stealing light? Is it anything like catching fireflies in a jar or farts in an envelope kinda deal?
N: If its a metaphorical light I can't really answer that for you but you will know it after you've done it. If its a literal light you're probably one of those jerks who goes around pocketing peoples lighters when they bum a smoke.
Alex: All I can say is if you have never done it before be careful, karma is real and it's easy to get your ass bitten off.
As an SF band, and your upcoming tour with Fuzz, what the hell has been up with SF garage lightly?
J: We're not even sure what “garage” is these days. We definitely don't consider ourselves a garage band. We're more like the New American Heavy Underground–a moniker you could put on a handful of badass bands that are coming through right now. SF's pretty weird these days. A lot of people moving. It's expensive. Oakland's pretty tight, but in the bay area there's been this massive influx of wealth and it's had some negative effects on our community. There's still some people here weathering the storm, drawing arms in the face of oppression.
Mark: We are the folk from folkland. We are one of the few bands in the Bay Area that actually gets a little work done out of a garage. We rocked our album art out in it. Every garage in San Francisco is being rented out at an astronomical fee to house “Brogrammer's” hibernating hybrids. We live in a hybrid-nation. It's a climate unsuited for artists in a traditional sense of low income high lifestyle, however it does create the perfect formulae for keeping a very important revulsion and rebellion simmering in our turbulant souls. SF as well Oakland and Berkeley are historically culturally significant hotbeds leading the fringes of revolutionary spirit. It's not the heyday of the Haight, the gay mecca, the SOMAgoth, the Berkeley student riot, black panther, etc. Of yester year. The garage revival thing is dead as a door nail. We are staring in the face of a silicone Goliath and we are the little guy poised to sling a big loud rock into it's eye. We preserve the old ways but we look to the future to create new traditions.
Ty keeps on destroying it man, from the recent album Sleeper, his imprint God? Records offshoot from Drag City, production work with WZRD MNTN beauts Scraper, the Presley brothers and more; does CCR Headcleaner have any ongoing or upcoming Ty Segall collab plans that we should know about?
J: Ty's the shit man. Mad love for the dude and respect for his tireless effort. He's fighting the good fight. Charles is the dude we've worked most with on stuff. He keeps threatening me and Alex that he's gonna kick our asses if we don't flesh out this punk band where we do only crazy free shows. He's gonna record us after the tour. We've played a lot of music together. He's THE MAN.
Tell us about about your big epic album plot, Lace the Earth with Arms Wide Open:2013, or 2013 for short. What do we need to know? How alarmed and concerned should we be should we be about an earth laced with open armed hugs and the sort?
J: It will probably be laced with more than hugs. And everyone should be very alarmed. We are coming for your consciousness.
M: The epic need no explanation. It's a universal truth. If you can't see the forest or the trees than you can't recognize what one would use a broken metaphor, you see? Let's be real. Let's get to the point. Open your mind and maybe some of the assholes will follow.
J: What you need to know is more of a question everyone has to ask themselves. That's what this band is about. Introspection and the gathering of past experiences and influences transposed into an idea that you can use to carve out a personal destiny into the future. Musically just creating something new and fresh that is true to everyone involved. It's hard to do, but rewarding when you figure it out.
Favorite things you all have loved about 2013?
M: We got to witness one of the biggest attempted abortions on the human race in the history of man faceplant. However you wanna lay it out. People don't walk around prattling about Mayan death doctors and 2012 mumbo jumbo like they used to, yet what is left is the heart of the fable, the big change. Fear can get only so far without a host body and it's been riding that horse for awhile. 2013 feels glorious. It feels great to say and it inspires. In 2013, what could be better than 2013?
A: We are on the other side of the portal and it is nice to be breathing fresh radiation everyday for free. Mutation doesn't come cheap if you don't have have a steady hook up. Also seeing this baby getting born that we have labored over for a long time.
J: Recording. Playing shows with tons of friends and good bands. Eating burgers. Getting high. Getting low. Getting Naughty. Being alive.
Least favorite things about 2013?
J: The furthering of the Death of the American Dream.
M: The worst thing about 2013 is it is our baby and we worry it won't be so cute once it grows up. We want to be the best parents but we realize we will have to step aside and let it assume the position and serve the servants on it's own. People have such a messy time dealing with post-coital afterbirth.
A: The self absorption of people that I encounter everyday, and their unwillingness to interact with outsiders on any sort of social level. Watching people unlearn how to treat people like real human beings and the growing addiction of the (formerly) human race on their life support apps.
What can we expect from CCR Headcleaner in 2014?
J: Rise from the Rubble and Ascend to the Sky
M: New Traditions
A: Trouble.
CCR Headcleaner's album, Lace The Earth With Arms Wide Open will be available September 17 from Pizza Burglar Records.
Formerly known as Steezy Ray Vibes, Oakland's Dan Casey (also of Yalls, y'alls) has been moving us ever since we caught word of him demo-ing the recently mastered, “Empty City”. Also the title track from Casey's upcoming late October album for Ceremony Recordings, Dan gives a personal touch through a method of thoughtful and contemplative restraint of conjuring the feel of emptied out major cities. The acoustic to electric dialogues give more attention to the open spaces where no production but echo brings together the crisp edges of the amplified chord to the understated electronic dots that cue the patterns of sampled hand-claps and beat alignment. But there is still so much more happening here, these are the Richmond BART train rides on those early morning where neighborhoods, warehouses, shipyards and streets are populated with fewer more than commuting business peoples, BMX bikers, and local characters carrying groceries home from the store. These are the lonely walks down the San Pablo Avenue corridor when you're looking for a friend and those 40 ounces to freedom leave you dry and wanting more. Dan Casey presents you with what you have been thirsting for all year long, from the stronghold creative collectives of the East and West Bays combined in a unity to be reckoned with that the world is only beginning to fully acknowledge.
Dan Casey and I had a moment to exhange some inquisitive thoughts and words, talking about moving from Steezy Ray Vibes to the more serious solo handle, a shameless plug for his upcoming co-headlining Push the Feeling night at Underground SF with Exray's, and a brief exploration of the Bay Area's interconnected proliferation.
First, the transition from Steezy Ray Vibes to Dan Casey. What brought around the shift in moniker? What are some of the connections, similarities and differences for you between the 2 titles, and if relevant, in what ways do they inform the other?
My friend Jeremy in NJ thought up the name one day when we were hanging out and it was so funny I wanted to use it for something, when I started my new guitar project it fit pretty well. As the full album fleshed out I realized it was more serious and maybe the name shouldn't be a joke/pun type name. I still love the name though.
Did Stevie Ray Vaughn ever hear you under the Steezy Ray Vibes title?
To the best of my knowledge, no he hasn't!
[at this point the publicist is quick to point at to me that, 'the o.g. Stevie could not have heard Dan's music because he died in 1990.]
Are you, or were you ever a Stevie Ray fan?
Yeah, Pride & Joy was the 2nd song I attempted to learn on the guitar.
I've read many of his tabs in Guitar Player magazine.
“Empty City” invites both a vacant sparse aural urban sound space as much as it does a full audio metropolis. What does the notion of an empty municipality feel like and mean for both you and the inspirations behind your music?
The entire album is just about loneliness, which you can feel alone or in a crowded city.
Some people joked it's about San Francisco during Burning Man.
Given that Matthew Tammariello (of Shortcircles fame) mastered the Empty City LP, what kind of collaborative synergy do the 2 of you have?
Matt Shortcircles is a genius and a great friend, so I can trust him with my music more than most. He's actually the one artist in our group of artists that I haven't made a collaborative project with yet, but this comes close because he played such a big part in the final sound. I'm sure we will collaborate properly down the road.
The East Bay is one of the important regions for musical experimentation and breaking new ground. Why do you feel this is? To what do you attribute it to?
I have no idea, maybe all the people coming and going? Everyone seems like they came here for a reason. I really can't speak for a region though, but as far as my group of musician friends goes – everyone's always working on something.
Collaborations in the works worth noting?
Nah, not right now.
Who are some local and not so local artists and producers you have been enjoying as of late?
Pale Blue Dot, Shortcircles, Glenn Jackson, Some Ember's new techno'd out live shows, B. Hamilton, Parentz, Black Beacon Sound (dave of Elephant & Castle), Mwahaha, Naytronix, all always making great tunes.
What's the latest happenings these days with you and Yalls?
With regards to Yalls, [We] have been recording a proper Yalls album for over a year now and playing a few select shows. Actually playing Push The Feeling next week
Push The Feeling returns Saturday, September 7, at Underground SF, at 9pm with the incredible Exray's, Yalls, and your Push The Feeling residents, YR SKULL, epicsauce DJs. RSVP via Facebook.
Listen to the Steezy Ray Vibes / Dan Casey demo of the titular titanic ode to sparse-ciudads; “Empty City”.
His Clancyness's royal king founder, Jonathan Clancy has been kicking up a storm of dust and smoke in recent years, and has solidified his sound and self knighthood appointment on the forthcoming Vicious. From talked about tapes to a full band, he is joined by the talents of Giulia Mazza, Emanuela Drei, and Jacopo Borazzo on instruments, treatments and vocal reinforcement. In their latest music video, Jonathan enters and begins the visual adaptation with an introductory statement of; “Rock and roll is about dreams, this one is called 'Zenith Diamond”, where the car headlights get switched on in the Pietro Borzì and Giulia Mazza hazy-daze video for “Zenith Diamond”. Taken from the album Vicious, available October 8 from FatCat Records, watch here as the band jams out in the glow of the bright floodlight of headlamps turned onto what feels like an impromptu performances somewhere in the middle of the sand and smoke tornadoes caused by the band and dancing fans. Like the song's title and the attitude stated in the album's insinuation of demeanor; from the garage rough exterior of Jonathan Clancy shines a gem meaner and brighter than the all the world's crown jewels locked safely away in their respective castles and fortified abodes.
Because October is still so far away, Jonathan Clancy and I started to exchange cables this week to discuss the evolution, inspirations, inceptions, influences and most of our intrusive questions about and surrounding His Clanyness.
As indicated in your band's moniker His Clancyness, when and how did your royal self-appointment first begin?
It began a dusty night a few years back, the crown was made of aluminum, the throne of wood and the kingdom was completely empty.
“Zenith Diamond” is a real tough rocker with a poppy center, where did the inspiration derive from?
It was literally the last song written for Vicious, a few days before getting on the plane for Detroit. I had this idea in my mind for a while about a fast sci-fi punk song and I guess it started from there. For me it had this razor like slashing quality mixed with this glam ugliness. Somehow it just worked out. It's a song about trying to feel special when you're really hitting rock bottom.
Thoughts on that gold tinted, smoked out, energetic video from Pietro Borzì and Giulia Mazza? It's a really fun fit for the the energy of “Zenith Diamond”.
Thanks! Well we're super fans of chaotic and messy videos, were it takes maybe 3 or 4 views before you start mapping out all the details and we wanted a surreal dimension for it. I think you can tell if you look closely it was shot in Italy but it does not have any of the common crappy stereotypes attached to this country.
Do you consider yourself a big fan of diamonds, jewels, and the like, or is it just metaphoric?
Yeah well the shape of a diamond is just mesmerizing isn't it. A Sea of diamonds would be my dream.
Rad, how did your upbringing between Ottawa and Bologna inform much of your music through the years to now?
It's funny 'cause when you're away from a place you obsess about it and you portray it in a way that for sure doesn't match up to reality. That's my view of Ottawa, quite a laid back normal nothing going on city. In my mind being far away from it, it becomes Vegas. Sure I'm stretching it but hey it's a dream.
With your upcoming album titled Vicious, how big of a Lou Red fan are you? And how have Mr. Reed and his fabulous Velvets impacted your own life and work?
I'm a fan for sure, how can you not be. Vicious is really a word I liked, it kind of summed up a lot of the themes and subjects on the record to me and it was sort of a reminder of how I wanted the album to be. I was always telling myself, be harsher, be harsher, let it all go. In any case yeah, Velvets and Reed are always in the pile of LP's we cherish.
Thoughts about completing the upcoming album Vicious, the history of attitude building up to it, the mean leaning drive behind the music, and the long and royal road of pain and sweat that brought you to where you are now?
Oh it's a long road, that's for sure. When you live in a secluded place you need extra batteries. I spent 5 months building up the attitude and then myself, Jacob and Paul let it out in Detroit. A perfect city to blow steam off. Bike amongst the ruins, skate on Michigan Avenue, stare at Windsor.
And in case you missed it, listen to the bliss from His Clancyness on “Machines” off the Charade EP from FatCat Records, and the following tour dates:
September
06 – Pesaro, Italy at Dalla Cira
07 – San Martino Spino, Italy at Barchessone Vecchio
27 – Piacenza, Italy at Tendenze Festival (late show)
28 – Bologna, Italy at Covo Club
November
07 – Cardiff at Clwb Ifor Bach
09 – Bristol at Start The Bus
12 – Manchester at Fallow
14 – Glasgow at Broadcast
15 – Leeds at Belgrave Music Hall
16 – Birmingham at Hare and Hounds
22 – London at The Lexington (with ATP)
We got Hus Kingpin in the house with his hard hitting cut, “Strive (feat. Smoovth, Roc Marciano)” with piano accompaniment courtesy of the remix by Foka. Going into strive mode to the get that bread, Foka puts down some building brick piano notes for New York's Hus to run “marathons like Barry Bonds”. Smoovth brings styles to congregate Tha Connection calling on the ghosts and Rastafari legacies of Marcus Garvey and Bob Marley. Enter the man Marciano, describing 40 glocks drawn like cartoon mobsters, war stories and name checking Paul Newman's The Hustler while getting ready for whatever while keeping from the beginning onward, “stuck up on level 1, it's whatever you want”. You are left with the parable of “2 little mice”, caught in a bucket of cream, as these striving emcees turn a whole different kind of C.R.E.A.M. into butter. This here is the Hus primer on how to tighten up your own hustle and flow.
This week we had a chance to talk to the boss himself, Hus Kingpin, hyping Tha Connection, the dynamic between him and Smoovth, along with working with Roc Marciano, to picking out the right cognac, talking about the new tape, on striving forward in the game, and more.
We know that you got your boy Smoovth with you from Tha Connection, but how is it working semi-solo as opposed to with the rest of Tha Connection crew?
It's dope and a lot more work, but there's nothing like Tha Connection shit, it's dynamic duo style. Big up Smoovth.
Everyone has their own drive in the hustle, but was it that you, Hus Kingpin the artist “Strive” for in life and pursuits?
I strive for complete satisfaction, in whatever it is. Whether is making fly joints, making bread, or smashing someone's shorty, it's all about complete satisfaction.
Foka's mix is tight, what other producers are you working with, and who all else is on your production radar these days?
Right now I'm working tough with my brothers Arch Druids, Chuck Strangers, HTN, DJ Kryptonite, Doktor Rheal, Trash Mono and Khrysis. A few more talented brothers as well, but just to name a few. Google their names and do the leg work.
That's rad that you and Smoovth got to share some bars with Roc Marciano. How do you define the creative synergy that you have or have to have with other emcees, DJs and producers?
With Smoovth it's natural from day one, and to me, it always sounds the best. With someone like Roc, shit is bliss. You can't touch that. The energy is on full mode at all times with Roc. The producer always dictates how I'm going to hop on the joint though, there's levels to that too.
What else do we need to know about The Cognac Tape that we don't know?
The Cognac Tape is a masterpiece teaser to my full album Sade. I have Arch Druids production all over that one. It's gonna feel timeless, and it's gonna fill that empty gap in this rap shit. Lookout for that.
What cognacs other than Hennny are you fuggin' with both on and off the tape?
I'm from that school of Henny, but I mess with Remy Ma, and Courvoisier.
Thanks again for your time and talent, Hus!
No question, cop that Cognac Tape!
Hus Kingpin's The Cognac Tape will be available Sepember 17 from Mello Music Group. Get more boss-like behavior from Hus and Roc Marciano on the track, “Boss Material” fresh off the tape.
Dark Colour's new album Prisoner is available now from Naturalized Records, and we got the 3D visual equalizer come alive to enhance your experience of the cut, “Damn”, for your viewing and listening and pleasure.
Lou Barlow brings something that takes back that rightful state of mind to the self on Sebadoh's “State of Mine”. Listen as Lou goes HAM and takes it back from the man, on Defend Yourself available September 17 from Joyful Noise Recordings.
Dropping their album #LeagueShit on October 15, League of Extraordinary Gz bring you some revolution starting “Attitude”, following up the call to conscious behaviors of “APD” with the Austin locale of MLK Blvd stitching together the communities between Florida and Texas a bit tighter in a solidarity of a certain peace and understanding. The track is produced by J. Jones and the video comes from Zach Villifana, as the Gz gave us the following statement:
“Someone may be going through things and have a fucked up attitude which can lead to a negative outcome. Knowing that it was a sensitive topic, we didn't want to come across as if we were exploiting the issue. Ultimately we knew if it was shot tastefully and folks listened to the song they would understand how it relates to the song and message we are delivering.”
In the continuing adventures of Sarah P. and RPR of Keep Shelly in Athens, we get the flight-zone take off of “Flyway”. Don't call it a video game sound track, as they take the time tables somewhere beyond the PC 90s boxes of software, diversionary electronic games, diagnostics, utilities and the like. As KSiA chronicled in their recent Week in Pop feature, the territories the 2 take you to cannot be charted on the conventional maps and outdated World Books that still sit collecting mites in our parents attic. The much awaited album At Home will be available September 17 from Cascine.
Cause nothing is ever just humdrum with The Growlers, get a listen to the “Humdrum Blues” off their upcoming slate of EPs Gilded Pleasures to be released Stateside and Not. Psych! in the UK and and EU from the loving folks who know; Everloving Records. 2013 will be remembered as the year the Growlers and their Costa Mesa surf team made waves of beach blues and songs to wash out the bummers from our jaded hearts.
Listen up to Dizzy Wright here as he bigs up his upcoming tour in this promo, coming to you from HotNewHipHop.com and Funk Volume for Dizzy Wright's The Golden Age Tour, featuring Emilio Rojas, Futuristic, Marcus Moody, and DJ Hoppa. Schedule accordingly.
Lincoln Caplice captures the live energy of PANGEA performing “Snakedog” that will snake, slither and slam it's way into your heart and head upon immediate audio/visual sensory impact. The single is available now on 7″ from Harvest Records while these LA couch crushing dudes have an LA slated for release later this Fall.
The Casket Girls brought us more of their electric light synth dazzled sound with “Holding You Back”, courtesy of your friend from Black Moth Super Rainbow, The Marshmallow Ghosts, Dreamend, etc; Ryan Graveface's own, Graveface Records. Elsa and Phaedra Greene have prepared this sky breaking slice of lightning along with “Suddenly” to commemorate the very first Cassette Store Day. There is also a competition a brewing on the Casket Girls' Facebook where they are polling to decide whether this feature single “Hold You Back” or “Suddenly” will appear on their upcoming album, True Love Kills the Fairy Tale. May the best electro casket pop track win.
Get a listen to both Psychic Limb's new album Jamaica and 2010's Queens courteys of their imprint Clairvoyant Recordings. Jamaica is available on limitied 500 pressings, 100 pressed white, 400 pressed black, and digital via the pay-what-you-can system.
Prepare to get super grizzly and way weird with the Onry Ozzborn, Jeff Bautista and Eric Miller video for Grayskul's “Face & The Fang” where your boys Reason and Recluse get vicious on the double attack. Further prepare yourself as their album Zenith will be available September 17 from Fake Four Inc.
Give it up for the zero to hero guitar strumming pop from Ezra Furman with “My Zero”, available now as a 7″ as his full-length Day Of The Dog will be available October 8 from Bar/None. The song careens forward in a tight fashion, and appropriately disintegrates into a beautiful cacophonous discord, one that is usually reserved for the opening of a musical number placed with care at the closing of “Zero”.
Get a look at Lux and Noah's video for “Community” from the beat new pop maestro Gold Panda's Half Of Where You Live available now from Ghostly International. From the close up looks of faces on the street, in the club, and everywhere else; ride the samples peep the visuals, and get that tighter, closer, happier sense of “Community”.
Get a heads up listen to Gap Dream's A-side “Shine Your Love” from the upcoming 7″b/w “Light On A G String” available September 17 from Fat Possum Records. With that synthesized horn tone, steady 4-quarter beat, get snotty and dangerous with a bottle of gin and those weirded out vocals.
Delorean sends you back in time and back to the future, from the future, leaving you with a sort of danced up “Destitue Time” notion in the music video treatment from Roger Guàrdia from the upcoming Apar, available September 10 from True Panther Sounds.
The Bloom Twins of Anna and Sonya posses the synergistic sound and talents of a pop groups beyond their number as a duo and years. The Blooms sisters introduce themselves here in this video, but check out their following cover of “Fahrenheit”, originally from Kish Mauve, with word of a debut EP coming in early 2014.
Gather, listen and look as Vikesh Kapoor performs “I Dreamt Blues” live from the Portland Playhouse. Kapoor's singer-song written dream blues will be available on his debut full-length, The Ballad Of Willy Robbins, available on October 15 from Mama Bird Recording Co.
Watch the mirror confrontation from Lucius's “Tempest” from the forthcoming album Wildewoman available October 15 from Mom+Pop. Even in the minimal-face-off video, listen as the song rises above the fesitval highest of heights that guard you best memories from 2013. Pre-order Wildewoman from iTunes, and peep the dates here.
Clear Soul Forces made our month when we featured the whole crew in a headlining Week in Pop feature, and we have brought you introductory videos in the past weeks from L.A.Z. and E-Fav, and now we got Noveliss on the mic and in the hot seat. Detroit's new guard, CSF will release their upcoming Gold PP7's September 17 from Fat Beats Records.
Sleepy Sun want you to experience their exploding guitar in a wind tunnel turbine roar of, “11:32″, clocked in at a whopping 4 minutes 7 seconds. More of those axe commander creations on their upcoming 7” available October 15 from Dine Alone Records.
Tony Molina tries on his best guitar sung, “Breakin Up” blues off his Six Tracks E.P. for Matador Singles Going Home Alone series. Available from the popular subscription serial, Molina manages to bring everything you have loved about your favorite heartbroken guitar heroes from the past 4 decades. We all know that breaking up is hard to know, but Tony lets his words about, “how it all went wrong, I should have seen it coming, don't know why I didn't know it all along”, remain to the point but allows his emotions to grow in the most shreddy of constructive manners you rarely get to hear. This is the sound of a break up through an amplifier called, 'the best thing that has ever happened to you.'
Peep Rabbi Darkside's Tafadza M. Chiriga vid for, “What Would Galileo Do?” featuring Duv off the Rabbinical master's album Prospect Avenue. Check out Darkside and Duv kicking it old school, Brooklyn style, while raising a toast to keeping your inner kid alive.
Lanterns on the Lake released their creative, awe-inspiring title track video for “Until The Colours Run” from their album of the same name slated for release January 14 from PIAS / Bella Union.
Carry on with Zachary Cale, and his new song “Wayward Son” that strums and hits the acoustic hard, from the upcoming album Blue Rider available September from All Hands Electric Stateside and on JellyFant in the EU. Somewhere between Zachary's fresh and but tested road vocals and the back up arranged reverberations; those “on your own” sentiments paint a personal portrait of the drifter and the long, homeless and lonesome road down the routes of the unfamiliar.
Sepalot brings his Deutschland from the “Munich Disco” with the ratchet and ridiculous video for “Naughty Boy” , ahead of his upcoming album Black Sky available September 30.
Temples' are embarking on their very first North American tour, hot off their new Fat Possum / Heavenly Recordings single, “Keep in the Dark,” and dropped the smoke and kaleidoscopic mirrors video from Abbie Stephens. Like a flash back from the those decades you never knew but were raised to romanticize to no end; the Kettering, England group brings those hobbit dreams front and center, cloaked in their evolutions that trailed to today's era of strangeness. Peep their tour dates via Facebook, and get dark in the temples with Temples now.
Kendl Winter dropped her video for “Rosie” off her new album, It Can Be Done! available now from the K Records. Run with Kendl in a tumbleweed flight through the daylight, through desert, forest and join in as she seeks and sings out her Rosie, darling.
The Stargazer Lilies go for the eternal and infinite on “Endless Days”, where the closing of the summer season is heralded from endless dreamers of Soundpool's John Cep and Kim Field. Their album Dreamers has been pushed to the release date of October 22 from Graveface Records and Curiosities. Enjoy the sea gazing images, of sun soaked days and sea faring turtles from Greg Bowyer.
Zola Jesus dishes out waterside, daredevil looks and a listen to the lush wild flying orchestral winds, and rhythm in the b/w video for “Fall Back” from the new album Versions available from Sacred Bones.
Be good here in the vocal synth city with Oscar Key Sung and his cut, “B Good (Vocal City)”, full of beat distortions from his <3 Symbols release, available now.
John Dwyer of Thee Oh Sees, Pink and Brown, and particularly of Coachwhips fame is re-releasing their first album Hands On The Controls September 3 through the frontman's amazing imprint, Castle Face Records. Get a limited time stream here while supplies lasts, get nostalgic, support Mr. Dwyer, get down with the cause, for the cause, and make next Tuesday a holiday of your own.
You can also thank John Dwyer for resurrecting these Berkeley house sharing strange dudes, The Herms with the forthcoming Drop Out Vol. 1 available September 24 from Castle Face Records. Coming in colors everywhere like part opaque magenta and partially translucent blue; you also get a flexi copy of “Zombie Divine” that will make you wish you made the grade to get accepted to Berkeley, get on academic probation, and then drop out into the sea & spiral of debt, and free spirited DIY sounds. But at this moment, I'm going to hand over the mic to Mr. Dwyer's himself for a statement on this exciting new reissue:
“No one sounds like The Herms.
No one sounds like Matthew Lutz.
The Herms are a smudged window into a neighboring dimension to ours, Berkeley. Even though it's right next door to Oakland and San Francisco, it may as well be a million musical-miles away. Back when they were playing around town, it felt to me like not too many in my scene “got” this band. I thought people should have been going crazy for these guys. The local rag gave them accolades (a curse perhaps?), and even a cursory listen to this collection should clue you in to how great they were. This may be one of the few times that I have to concur with a music writer – this band is amazing. They are sun, heartbreak, pop and fried-static all in one master package, evolving from song to song, and I think they're fantastic.
The Herms did have a proper release years ago, but on CD only (gasp!) and frankly I've always been in love with these earlier, rawer 8 track Tascam demos. They sound like the band did when you were standing in front of them. I love The Herms and have been waiting a looooong time to do a proper release for them. Sorry it took exhuming their songs from the grave before I was ready. Please listen loudly with the windows open, so maybe that music writer may pass by, hear it and think, 'Finally! I told you so, you assholes”.
Speaking of Castle Face, The Blind Shake will release their album Key To A False Door, which will be out September 17 from John Dwyer's imprint while gearing up for a tour with Dwyer's Thee Oh Sees and a stop at Gonerfest. Get a listen to their album's wall punching, floor destroying cut, “Garbage on Glue” here.
Capture a bit of that douglas fir breeze from that up north sound that has traversed from Portland, Oregon to East Jordan, Michigan on Breathe Owl Breathe's “Silent Movie Reel” off Passage of Pegasus available October 15. This call to instrumental passages presents a cinema for the ear that asks what happens after the intermission ends, as the second act just begins.
Nissim gives you some heroes to shout for with “World Heroes”, ahead of the artist formerly known ad D.Black from the newly converted self-titled, Nissim, available September 17.
Eric Johnson gives you a look at the reverse then forward emotion splattered-splash at Etobicoke Creek in one shot with a Phantom Miro M120 at 1700fps, from The Darcys' single “The River” off their upcoming ablum, Warring available September 17 from Arts & Crafts.
Get some facetime with Marco Argiro in the iPhone camera shot video for “Leave It Behind (Brooklynville)”. Available from Argiro's upcoming album, Love, available September 24 from Outright Rock Records/ The Orchard; embrace the spirit of leaving shit behind, sing along with a pint or 2 to Marco's self-asserted sentiments of, “I don't give a fuck what you think about me, I'm a six-string shooter, it was time for me to leave”.
Jump right into the carnival spirit with Carson Culver's video for Dent May's “Born Too Late” available now off the album Warm Blanket from Paw Tracks. Let Dent jet ski and boat cruise his way to your heart with that very specific dance solo synth style that only he can master and muster with all energy working on the nines.
14KT's disc Nickel & Dimed is available now from Mello Music Group, but we wanted to make sure you got your mits on the hot cut, “Paid ft. Blu”. Here the emcee spits against the rising fountain of sweet vibe fire that KT shoots ahead in his production and bliss pop projections. Catch his headline feature interview here.
Let our friends Elaiza, Ryan and Nick of Crying take you on a fuzzy Game Boy bleeping-pop “Vacation”, away from the b.s. of the world off their Get Olde EP available September 17 on digital and wax from Double Double Whammy. Check out our debut of “Bloom” and their headlining feature here.
Wax Fang gets into some monumental dualities with deities and man on the rising single action of , “King Of The Kingdom Of Man” available as a single September 3 from Don't Panic Records.
Get into the old tape reel to real visuals from Robert Beatty for Lonnie Holley's “Six Space Shuttles and 144,000 Elephants”, off the upcoming Keeping A Record Of It available September 3 from Dust-To-Digital.
The Hang Ups and The Owls' Brian Tight with wife Allison LaBonne make up The Starfolk who gave us a bit of rapid eye movement to dream on while awake, with “Sleeping Without Dreaming”. Their self-titled album debut will be available September 10 from Korda Records.
Animal Years encourage you to “Let Go Of Your Head” with those over emotional deliveries that when met with the rest of the band burst into the kind of pop oblivion of 360 packages, world tours, meetings with heads of state, handshakes and more, all from their upcoming Sun Will Rise album available Spetember 17.
The Band in Heaven dropped the massive melodic weighted single to signal goodbye to Summer, with “Farewell Summer”, off Caught in a Summer Swell available September 17 from Decades Records.
Boasting members from Cult of Youth, you too may already be a teeth gnashing believer in the post-industrious martial law of Believer/Law's “War Story” off Matters Of Life And Death available October 29 from Chondritic Sound.
SL Jones dropped the 'tuned cut, “Americas Nightmare Ft. Kevin Gates” off the September 4 slated Way Of Life No Hobby courtesy of LiveMixtapes, while Jones can be seen in Florida, playing shows in Tampa September 11, Orlando September 12, Miami September 14, and Tallahassee September 15, alongside Will Brennan and Austin Millz.
Now is the time to feel rad and rock out with Radkey's new “he-hey” romanticism of, “Romance Dawn” off the upcoming Devil Fruit album available October 15 from Little Man Records.
Grace Hall and Nick Turco together are Skin Town where they bring the synth and slow shake appeal with “Slidin'” from the upcoming The Room available October 29 Stateside, October 28 in the EU/UK through Time No Place.
Wildcat! Wildcat! are setting up their self-titled for release September 10 from Downtown Records, and you are invited to walk through these Arizona wildcats' secret garden of gray hued electronic touched ode to exuberance, on “Garden Gray”.
Picture sketch illustrations of flight from Eric Palmer, animation courtesy of Tristan DeDe amid the cloud photography of Bill Goodman and S. Cole Kiburz and you have Future Loves Past “Grow Up Tall” video off their forthcoming All the Luscious Plants album available September 24 from Common Wall Media. For those in need of some natural posi vibes sent through their ears; the tall soaring sound tents from Tempe, Arizona could make your entire week, and Labor Day weekend that much better.
