Shoegaze legends Slowdive continue to prove that they are masters of the genre decades into their career. The British band's latest single, "skin in the game," is a gorgeous, almost painfully slow track that builds so slowly you'll barely even notice. It's almost orchestral in its complex layers of noise. It might just be the oppressive humidity here in New England, but you can almost feel the song flow by you in waves. I tend to enjoy the louder side of shoegaze more than the more quiet side, but when the quieter side is done this masterfully, it's impossible to resist. Most bands tend to slow down thirty plus years into their career, but not all do it as perfectly as Slowdive.
You can watch the video for "skin in the game" below. everything is alive is due out September 1 on Dead Oceans, and is available for pre-order here. For more on Slowdive, check out the band's website. Upcoming tour dates are below the video.
Wed. July 19 - Brisbane, AU @ Princess Theatre [SOLD OUT] Fri. July 21 - Sydney, AU @ Enmore Theatre [SOLD OUT] Sat. July 22 - Melbourne, AU @ Forum [SOLD OUT] Sun. July 23 - Adelaide, AU @ Hindley St. Music Hall Wed. July 26 - Auckland, NZ @ Powerstation [SOLD OUT] Sat. July 29 - Niigata Prefecture, JP @ Fuji Rock Festival Sat. Aug. 5 - Mysłowice, PL @ Off Festival Fri. Aug. 11 - Sicily, IT @ Ypsigrock Festival Fri. Aug. 18 - Brecon Beacon, GB @ Green Man Festival Sat. Sep. 23 - Toronto, ON @ Queen Elizabeth Theatre [SOLD OUT] Mon. Sep. 25 - Boston, MA @ Citizens House of Blues Boston [SOLD OUT] Wed. Sep. 27 - New York, NY @ Webster Hall [SOLD OUT] Thu. Sep. 28 - New York, NY @ Webster Hall [SOLD OUT] Fri. Sep. 29 - Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer [SOLD OUT] Sat. Sep. 30 - Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club [SOLD OUT] Mon. Oct. 2 - Cleveland, OH @ The Roxy @ Mahall’s [SOLD OUT] Tue. Oct. 3 - Chicago, IL @ Riviera Theatre [SOLD OUT] Wed. Oct. 4 - St. Paul, MN @ Palace Theatre Fri. Oct. 6 - Denver, CO @ Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom [SOLD OUT] Sat. Oct. 7 - Salt Lake City, UT @ The Union Mon. Oct. 9 - Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom [SOLD OUT] Tue. Oct. 10 - Seattle, WA @ Showbox SoDo [SOLD OUT] Thu. Oct. 12 - San Francisco, CA @ The Warfield [SOLD OUT] Sat. Oct. 14 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Bellwether [SOLD OUT] Sun. Oct. 15 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Bellwether [SOLD OUT] Mon. Oct. 16 - San Francisco, CA @ The Warfield Mon. Oct. 30 - Glasgow, UK @ QMU [SOLD OUT] Tue. Oct. 31 - Manchester, UK @ Ritz [SOLD OUT] Wed. Nov. 1 - Bristol, UK @ SWX [SOLD OUT] Fri. Nov. 3 - London, UK @ Troxy [SOLD OUT] Sun. Nov. 5 - Belfast, UK @ Mandela Hall Mon. Nov. 6 - Dublin, IR @ National Stadium Sat. Nov. 25 - Sun. Nov. 26 - Buenos Aires, AR @ Primavera Sound Mon. Dec. 4 - Santiago, CL @ Teatro Coliseo Thu. Dec. 7 - Asunción, PY @ Primavera Sound Sat. Dec. 9 - Sun. Dec. 10 - Bogotá, CO @ Primavera Sound
Photo via Facebook According to their Bandcamp profile, The New Limits are a "Boston ska band with a taste for rocksteady, reggae, soul, and rock n roll." They just released a single that shows off their sound perfectly. "Normal Day" is a laid back ska song dripping with soul. You know that joke that goes around every few months saying that ska is the sound that plays in a twelve year old's head when they get an extra mozzarella stick? The New Limits are the grown up version of that sound. This is ska/rocksteady for adults. It's ultra chilled out music with some of the best horns in the city. Even if you haven't listened to ska since your youth, you need to check out "Normal Day." This might help re-open the entire genre to you. The New Limits say of their latest single: " What is normal, anyway? Some of us just want a nine-to-five. Others cry at the thought. 'Normal Day' has nothing to do with quarantine and lots to do with figuri...
Photo by Lyza Renee Brennen Leigh has quickly become a favorite of ours, with her take on a classic country sound with a slight sense of humor. Her latest single, "Dumpster Diving," which she describes as a "trashy little tune," is everything we love about the musician. It's a vintage style country song that comes in at a punk like one minute, forty-eight seconds. With a chorus of "Dumpster diving, this ain't gonna last / Dumpster diving, 'cause baby you like trash..." how can you possibly resist. Leigh's latest gives us a decades old sound with modern sensibilities and her fantastic voice that's tailor made for this genre of music. It's almost like a collaboration between Loretta Lynn and Shel Silverstein, and who doesn't want to hear that? You can hear "Dumpster Diving" below. Don't You Ever Give Up On Love is due out October 3 on Signature Sounds, and is available for pre-order here . For more on Brennen Leigh,...
Photo by Annabel Kean For their latest single, New Zealand's The Beths have released "Mother, Pray for Me." This is a heartbreaking ballad consisting of Elizabeth Stokes' vocals and guitar with just the slightest hint of organ. It's a deeply personal song for Stokes, made obvious with how intimately the song comes across. It truly feels almost confessional, and it's quite simply beautiful. The Beths are most known for huge little indie rock gems perfect for bopping along to, but "Mother, Pray for Me" is quite the opposite. Stokes' vocals and lyrics are right up front on this one, and I can't imagine it any other way. Elizabeth Stokes says of her latest single: “I cried the whole time writing it. It's not really about my mother, it's about me — what I hope our relationship is, what I think it is, what it maybe actually is, and what I can or can't expect out of it. “My mother is a first gen Indonesian immigrant, and very Catholic....