Short and simple here: this is Jonti. He has released a new album called Sine & Moon (The Album), and it will be released as an LP. Just as the plural of vinyl is vinyl, when I say LP, I mean vinyl, not as a casual/blanket term to use for “album”.
You probably don’t care about that. You do care about his music, or may have heard the name and are thinking “why should I care?” You can find out for yourself with this free download of one of his songs, in this case the “RAJA Rearrangement” of “Nightshift in Waltz”. His press release states he is inspired by Madlib, and that’s good enough for me.
Portable record players have often been treated as toys, and it’s understandable. They’re primarily built of plastic, you take them out in the elements so they’re exposed to a lot of crap, and then of course there’s good ol’ human error. Now, it seems some guys are playing a little game of “Vinyl Throw”, where they get a bunch of crappy records (and I looked, they’re basically “bottom of the thrift store rack” stuff) and throw it around in the hopes it’ll become an Olympic event. Will it? Eh.
Electric Wizard may not be the heaviest band around, but what they do on their new single is definitely heavy and brutal sounding. On top of that, when your picture sleeve is homage to a Black Sabbath album, there are a few expectations and/or assumptions, but I’d like to think metal fans will be satisfied with this one.
The grinding pace of “Legalise Drugs & Murder” (Rise Above) is beautiful, and with a group that sounds like what would happen if Sabbath were possessed by Melvins with Soundgarden‘s Kim Thayil overseeing things… for me, I want to hear it again. The song is a little over 6 minutes, to hear that compressed on one side of a 7″ record at 33 1/3 rpm means things are going to be extra crunchy with the limitations of the format. For many fans, this will be perfect.
A title like “Murder & Madness” may make someone think the song is sinister, but I think the funky pace and use of piano and what sounds like a Mellotron (or at least a keyboard that uses Mellotron plug-ins) tends to make the listener go “whoa, what is this?” It works because it may not be expected, but it also shows the band’s understanding of the B-side: go for broke. Plus, the song has a voice saying something in reverse, so it may bring interest from church groups who are looking for any reason to condemn the ways of Satan. Or at least metal bands from England.
Mystery Jets have been around for a few years making music that has sweeped Europe, but they are hoping that for their fourth album, recording in the United States will also help them dominate North America with their brand of pop rock. The new album is called Radlands, which will be released in Europe this Monday (April 30th). Americans will have to wait another five weeks when it is released on June 5th. The music may make people think of Split Enz, Crowded House, The Alarm, R.E.M., or Wilco, but regardless of who you think they sound like, you’ll find out that their music can and will be addicting. They’re catchy, they know the lure of a good hook, and they’ll know how to keep you within their realm for awhile.
You can listen to two different tracks from the album, including a music video, by choosing the options below.
The vinyl version of the album will be released as a double LP with a 32 page illustrated comic called Radlands – The Ballad of Emmerson Lonestar. Only 500 copies of the 2-record set (with comic) will be pressed.
With their split album with Amps For Christ on Shrimper out in stores on CD (vinyl pressing will be released this coming Tuesday, May 1st), Woods are doing a number of shows with MMOSS (as announced last month) and decided to do more with some new additions to the tour itinerary. This includes a show they’re doing with Widowspeak in New Windsor at the Storm King Art Center. Take it away, text:
April 27… Dallas, TX (Sons of Hermann Hall) #
April 28… Austin, TX (Austin Psych Fest)
April 29… Houston, TX (Rudyards) *
April 30… Jackson, MS (Morningbell Records) *
May 1… Atlanta, GA (529) *
May 3… Charlottesville, VA (The Southern) *
May 4… Philadelphia, PA (Johnny Brenda’s) *
May 5… Brooklyn, NY (285 Kent) *
May 6… New Windsor, NY (Storm King Art Center) – 2pm $
June 8… Peterborough, NH (The Thing in the Spring) *~
June 9… Hudson, NY (Basilica Hudson)
August 4… Big Sur, CA (Woodsist Festival @ Henry Miller Memorial Library)
* = w/ MMOSS
# = w/ Olivia Tremor Control
$ = w/ Widowspeak
~ = w/ Dan Higgs
The Ty Segall Band will be releasing a new album in June called Slaughterhouse (In The Red), and vinyl junkies will be happy to know that it will be pressed up as a double 10″. As a preview of the album, you can hear a track from it called “Wave Goodbye”.
Next month, the group will be going on tour to bring their new music to fans. Then they’ll be a break before they make a stop in July at the Pitchfork Festival, so adjust your coordinates:
May 2… San Francisco, CA Independent *%
May 3… Portland, OR Star Theater %
May 4… Vancouver, BC Waldorf Hotel %
May 5… Seattle, WA Chop Suey %
May 6… Missoula, MT The Palace %
May 8… Minneapolis, MN 7th Street Entry %
May 9… Madison, WI High Horse Saloon %
May 10… Chicago, IL Lincoln Hall !%
May 11… Detroit, MI Lager House !%
May 12… Toronto, ON Horseshoe Tavern !%
May 13… Montreal, QC Il Motore !%
May 14… Portland, ME Space Gallery !%
May 16… New York, NY Webster Hall $%
May 18… Philadelphia, PA Johnny Brenda’s %
May 19… Raleigh, NC King’s Barcade %
May 20… Atlanta, GA Earl %
May 21… Nashville, TN The End %
May 22… Memphis, TN Hi Tone %
May 23… Little Rock, AR Whitewater Tavern %
May 24… Houston, TX Walter’s %
May 25… Austin, TX Mohawk (outside) %
July 15… Chicago, IL Pitchfork Festival
! = w/ The Strange Boys
$ = w/ The Men
% = w/ White Fence
* = w/ Shannon and the Clams, The Mallard
Fans of stoner, sludge, doom, and crust metal will want to keep an ear and eye out for a forthcoming 12″ from the Head Of Crom label out of the UK, for they are releasing a split 12″ between Slabdragger and Meadows.
You can pre-order the 12″ directly from Head Of Crom by clicking here. Those outside of the UK should keep in mind that the cost of postage will be considerably high, so if you don’t want to pay the postage rate, feel free to ask if the record will be available elsewhere for ordering. You can have an audio preview by clicking the Bandcamp player below (or if it’s not showing up, click here.)
Fuse TV continues their look at the cratedigger, celebrated or otherwise, and the new installment looks the collection of DJ Jazzy Jeff, who speaks on the origins of his addiction, how it became a hobby, a job, and a way of life.
Lansing, Michigan is where Homelife celebrate their homelife, but as with all bands with a furious itch, they’re ready to share their music and bring it to new ears, and their live performances to new eyes. If you’re a fan of solid punk rock, and I mean decent punk rock and not the watered down crap, you’ll want to consider them. They will be releasing their debut album, Translation (Black Numbers/Bermuda Mohawk), on May 15th, and from that point on, who knows? To hear what they’re like, you can click to their Bandcamp page featuring some older tracks, including their 2009 demo, or to AltPress.com, who are hosting “Viewfinder”, a track from the new album.
If you like what you hear, the vinyl LP for Translation can be pre-ordered right now by clicking here.
The first few images in the new OFF! are completely unreleated to one another, and perhaps that’s why I like it. Music video of the year? Well, maybe not but I like it because it seems a bit random but the music fits the fast pace of things you see. Now listen.
The band will be doing a few new shows in May before heading out on a bigger tour for the summer months, as they head to Europe before returning to the United States.. Some of the shows will team them up with Refused:
May 8… Los Angeles, CA – Whiskey a Go Go
May 11… San Francisco, CA – Slim’s
May 14… San Diego, CA – The Casbah
May 15… San Diego, CA – Che Cafe
May 29… New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom
June 2… Barcelona, SP – Primavera Sound Festival
June 4… Segrate, IT – Circolo Magnolia
June 5… Zurich, CH – Dynamo
June 7… Eindhoven, NL – Area 51 Skatepark
June 8… Leisnig, GER – Sucks’n'Summer
June 9… Munster, GER – Vainstream
June 10… Cologne, GER – Underground
June 12… Hamburg, GER – Hafenklang
June 13… Copenhagen, DK – Pumpehuset
June 14… Stockholm, SWE – Slussen
June 16… Seinäjoki, SF – Provinssirock
June 18… Brighton, UK – Haunt
June 20… London, UK – Garage
June 21… Glasgow, UK – King Tut’s
June 22… Newcastle, UK – Academy 2
June 23… Leeds, UK – Brudenell Social Club
June 25… Manchester, UK – Sound Control
June 26… Nottingham, UK – Rock City Basement
July 15… Atlanta, GA – Masquerade Music Park *
July 16… Silver Spring, MD – The Fillmore *
July 18… Brooklyn, NY – Williamsburg Summer Garden *
July 19… Philadelphia, PA – Penn’s Landing (Riot Fest) *
July 20… Boston, MA – House of Blues *
July 21… Montreal, Quebec – Metropolis *
July 22… Toronto, Ontario – The Sound Academy *
July 23… Toronto, Ontario – The Sound Academy *
July 25… Royal Oak, MI – Royal Oak Music Theater *
July 26… Chicago, IL – Congress Theatre *
* with Refused
Their forthcoming album will be self-titled, and will be released on May 8th. Vinyl will be made for it, and British/European fans are able to order it from Banquet Records, but as if this writing, there are less than 90 copies available so if you want it, get it now.
