shame are quickly becoming a favorite of ours. We simply can't resist good, heavy post punk, and shame deliver that in excess. The UK band's latest single, "Six-Pack," cranks up the noise and aggression, but also goes heavily psychedelic. This is a loud and extremely fuzzed out song with guitars that sound like they are having a tantrum. "Six-Pack" is a delicious burst of guitar noise punctuated with Charlie Steen's vocals that are just dripping with animosity. If this sounds like your type of thing, it's going to be impossible not to adore this song.
Charlie Steen says of the new song:
“‘Six-Pack’ is essentially the opposite of a Room 101; instead it’s a room where all your wildest desires can come true and will be showered upon you. Be it commodities, self-obsession, foods and B-lister celebrities, it’ll all be there if you want it to. You’ve done time behind bars and now you’re making time in-front of them. It’s time to make up for anything you’ve lost or wasted, it’s time to get it all.”
You can watch the video for "Six-Pack" below. Food for Worms is due out February 24 on Dead Oceans, and can be pre-ordered here. For more on shame, check out the band's Facebook and Twitter. Upcoming tour dates are below the video.
Tue. Feb. 28 - Dublin, IE @ Button Factory Wed. Mar. 1 - Dublin, IE @ Button Factory Fri. Mar. 3 - Glasgow, UK @ SWG3 Sat. Mar. 4 - Newcastle, UK @ Boiler Shop Sun. Mar. 5 - Leeds, UK @ Stylus Tue. Mar. 7 - Sheffield, UK @ Leadmill Wed. Mar. 8 - Liverpool, UK @ Invisible Wind Factory Thu. Mar. 9 - Bristol, UK @ SWX Sat. Mar. 11 - Manchester, UK @ New Century Hall Sun. Mar. 12 - Cardiff, UK @ Tramshed Tue. Mar. 14 - Nantes, FR @ Stereolux Wed. Mar. 15 - Paris, FR @ Cabaret Sauvage Thu. Mar. 16 - Bordeaux, FR @ Rock School Barbey Sat. Mar. 18 - Lisbon, PT @ LAV Sun. Mar. 19 - Madrid, ES @ Nazca Mon. Mar. 20 - Barcelona, ES @ La 2 de Apolo Wed. Mar. 22 - Nimes, FR @ Paloma Thu. Mar. 23 - Milan, IT @ Magnolia Fri. Mar. 24 - Zurich, CH @ Plaza Sun. Mar. 26 - Munich, DE @ Technikum Mon. Mar. 27 - Berlin, DE @ Astra Tue. Mar. 28 - Hamburg, DE @ Markthalle Thu. Mar. 30 - Oslo, NO @ Vulkan Fri. Mar. 31 - Stockholm, SE @ Debaser Sat. Apr. 1 - Copenhagen, DK @ VEGA Tue. Apr. 4 - Cologne, DE @ Floria Wed. Apr. 5 - Brussels, BE @ AB Thu. Apr. 6 - Amsterdam, NL @ Melkweg Fri. Apr. 28 - London, UK @ Brixton Academy Sat. May 6 - Atlanta, GA @ Shaky Knees Festival Sun. May 7 - Nashville, TN @ Basement East * Tue. May 9 - Asheville, NC @ The Grey Eagle * Wed. May 10 - Durham, NC @ Motorco Music Hall * Fri. May 12 - Baltimore, MD @ Ottobar * Sat. May 13 - Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer * Sun. May 14 - Brooklyn, NY @ Warsaw * Tue. May 16 - Boston, MA @ The Sinclair * Thu. May 18 - Montréal, QC @ Foufounes Électriques Fri. May 19 - Ottawa, ON @ Club SAW Sat. May 20 - Toronto, ON @ Lee’s Palace Mon. May 22 - Kalamazoo, MI @ Bell’s Eccentric Cafe * Wed. May 24 - Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall * Fri. May 26 - St. Louis, MO @ Off Broadway * Sat. May 27 - Lawrence, KS @ The Bottleneck * Sun. May 28 - Fayetteville, AR @ George’s Majestic Lounge * Tue. May 30 - Dallas,TX @ Granada Theater * Fri. Jun. 2 - Austin, TX @ The Scoot Inn * Sat. Jun. 3 - Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall * Sun. Jun. 4 - New Orleans, LA @ Toulouse Theatre * * w/ Been Stellar
Earlier this year I was lucky enough to see shame and it might have been one of the best shows I've seen in years. I'm thrilled we already have new music from the South London band, and especially since it's such a sonic shift for them. "Fingers of Steel" is much more melodic than anything off 2021's Drunk Tank Pink while still sounding like what we love about shame. It's a new style of post punk that's less aggressive and more sonically pleasing although it's also more discordant than they typically get. Everything about "Fingers of Steel" seems just slightly off and out of tune, but that's kind of what makes the song great. It's so close to being a mainstream straight up modern rock song, but shame just could never quite do that so you get another wonderfully unique song like this one.
You can watch the video for "Fingers of Steel" below. Food for Worms is due out February 24 on Dead Oceans, which can be pre-ordered here. For more on shame, check out the band on Facebook and Twitter. Upcoming tour dates are below the video.
Wed. Mar. 1 - Dublin, IE @ Button Factory Fri. Mar. 3 - Glasgow, UK @ SWG3 Sat. Mar. 4 - Newcastle, UK @ Boiler Shop Sun. Mar. 5 - Leeds, UK @ Stylus Tue. Mar. 7 - Sheffield, UK @ Leadmill Wed. Mar. 8 - Liverpool, UK @ Invisible Wind Factory Thu. Mar. 9 - Bristol, UK @ SWX Sat. Mar. 11 - Manchester, UK @ New Century Hall Sun. Mar. 12 - Cardiff, UK @ Tramshed Tue. Mar. 14 - Nantes, FR @ Stereolux Wed. Mar. 15 - Paris, FR @ Cabaret Sauvage Thu. Mar. 16 - Bordeaux, FR @ Rock School Barbey Sat. Mar. 18 - Lisbon, PT @ LAV Sun. Mar. 19 - Madrid, ES @ Nazca Mon. Mar. 20 - Barcelona, ES @ La 2 de Apolo Wed. Mar. 22 - Nimes, FR @ Paloma Thu. Mar. 23 - Milan, IT @ Magnolia Fri. Mar. 24 - Zurich, CH @ Plaza Sun. Mar. 26 - Munich, DE @ Technikum Mon. Mar. 27 - Berlin, DE @ Astra Tue. Mar. 28 - Hamburg, DE @ Markthalle Thu. Mar. 30 - Oslo, NO @ Vulkan Fri. Mar. 31 - Stockholm, SE @ Debaser Sat. Apr. 1 - Copenhagen, DK @ VEGA Mon. Apr. 3 - Brussels, BE @ AB Tue. Apr. 4 - Cologne, DE @ Floria Thu. Apr. 6 - Amsterdam, NL @ Melkweg Fri. Apr. 28 - London, UK @ Brixton Academy Wed. May 10 - Durham, NC @ Motorco Music Hall Fri. May 12 - Baltimore, MD @ Ottobar Sat. May 13 - Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer Sun. May 14 - Brooklyn, NY @ Warsaw Tue. May 16 - Boston, MA @ The Sinclair Thu. May 18 - Montréal, QC @ Foufounes Électriques Fri. May 19 - Ottawa, ON @ Club SAW Sat. May 20 - Toronto, ON @ Lee’s Palace Mon. May 22 - Kalamazoo, MI @ Bell’s Eccentric Cafe Wed. May 24 - Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall Fri. May 26 - St. Louis, MO @ Off Broadway Sat. May 27 - Lawrence, KS @ The Bottleneck Sun. May 28 - Fayetteville, AR @ George’s Majestic Lounge Tue. May 30 - Dallas,TX @ Granada Theater Fri. Jun. 2 - Austin, TX @ The Scoot Inn Sat. Jun. 3 - Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall Sun. Jun. 4 - New Orleans, LA @ Toulouse Theatre
Wednesday are the rare band that I discovered because Spotify kept playing them right after an album I was listening to ended. No complaints, especially since I've come to adore them even before their Drive-By Truckers cover and touring with Drive-By Truckers. The Asheville, NC band have released a new single, and calling it epic is an understatement. "Bull Believer" sounds like roughly every single one of your favorite 80's and 90's artists all crammed into one of your new favorite eight and a half minute songs. It's reminding me of Sonic Youth, The Cure, Juliana Hatfield, My Bloody Valentine, Nirvana, and more, as well as newer favorites like Momma and Lady Lamb. It's this gigantic song that is as noisy as it is beautiful. This could very well be the song of the year for a lot of people.
You can watch the video for "Bull Believer" below. The song is available now via Dead Oceans. For more on Wednesday, check out the artist's website.
If the previous singles from Durand Jones & The Indications revealed the neo-soul titans dabbling in disco, "The Way That I Do" leaps headfirst into the genre. "The Way That I Do" is a straight up disco jam. The song may be laced in old school soul, but it's fully a dance song that sounds like it could be from the late 1970's. It features Aaron Frazer's falsetto over some of the smoothest music (including strings) we've heard in decades. I think we're all well past the whole "Disco Sucks" thing, and if you're not, you're going to miss out on songs as fantastic as this one.
In a press release, Aaron Frazer says of the song:
“Whether on tour or spinning records, over the years we realized how much we love making people dance. When the first notes hit or the needle drops and the whole crowd lights up, that's a feeling we held onto all through 2020. And that's what we're bringing on 'The Way That I Do.' It's a run-to-the-dancefloor song for that special person who gets you shook, makes you wanna do more and be your best self. But it's also for everyone who's missed just getting together and movin' their ass! See y'all soon!”
You can watch the video for "The Way That I Do" below. Private Space is due out July 30 on Dead Oceans in association with Colemine Records. You can pre-order/pre-save a copy here. For more on Durand Jones & The Indications, check out the band's website. Upcoming tour dates are below the video.
Sat. Sep. 4 - Hershey, PA @ Harrisburg University At The Englewood Sun. Sep. 5 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Spirit Hall Tue. Sept. 7 - Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club w/ 79.5 Wed. Sep. 8 - Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer w/ 79.5 Fri. Sept. 10 - Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel w/ 79.5 Sat. Sept. 11 - Washington DC @ 9:30 Club w/ 79.5 Mon. Sept. 13 - Chicago, IL @ Vic Theatre w/ 79.5 Tue. Sept. 14 - Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line w/ 79.5 Thu. Sept. 16 - Denver, CO @ Gothic Theater w/ 79.5 Fri. Sept. 17 - Salt Lake City, UT @ The Commonwealth Room w/ 79.5 Mon. Sept. 20 - San Diego, CA @ Soma w/ 79.5 Mon. Sep. 21 - Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Palladium w/ 79.5 Wed. Sept. 22 - Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Palladium w/ 79.5 Thu. Sep. 23 - Santa Barbara, CA @ Santa Barbara Bowl w/ My Morning Jacket Fri. Sept. 24 - Dana Point, CA @ Ohana Fest Sat. Sep. 25 - Berkeley, CA @ Greek Theatre at UC Berkeley w/ My Morning Jacket Tue. Sep. 28 - Troutdale, OR @ Edgefield w/ My Morning Jacket Wed. Sep. 29 - Spokane, WA @ Spokane Pavilion at Riverfront w/ My Morning Jacket Fri. Oct. 1 - Seattle, WA @ Paramount Theater w/ My Morning Jacket Sat. Oct. 2 - Seattle, WA @ Paramount Theater w/ My Morning Jacket Sun. Oct. 3 - Bend, OR @ Les Schwab Ampitheater w/ My Morning Jacket Fri. Oct. 8 - Austin, TX @ Austin City Limits Music Festival Thu. Oct. 28 - Sun. Oct. 31 - Live Oak, FL @ Suwanee Hulaween Sun. May 22, 2022 - Monterey, CA @ California Roots Festival
Durand Jones & The Indications have become our favorite neo-soul band and with good reason. Their songs are just consistently great. Even as they slightly play with their sound, the results are fantastic. Their latest single, "Love Will Work It Out," drops the disco we heard in "Witchoo" and brings back more of the classic soul. This time around, classic soul is more along the lines of 70's soul. The groove in "Love Will Work It Out" is front and center, even in front of both Durand Jones and Aaron Frazer. This is the kind of song that would make Barry White and Isaac Hayes proud.
In a press release, the band says of the new song:
“For months into the pandemic and the racial/political chaos that ensued, we found it hard to write. The biggest creative dry spell we'd experienced in a decade. The constant barrage of horrible news felt overwhelming, and songs just seemed inadequate in response to police murdering people in broad daylight. Songs felt inadequate in the face of a virus that decimated communities and kept us apart from our loved ones. We marched, protested, cried, wiped down our groceries, stopped wiping down our groceries, unplugged, breathed, replugged, reengaged. And when music finally flowed, the first song we wrote together was ‘Love Will Work It Out.’ Because conflict and confrontation require bravery, AND so does keeping the faith in the goodness of one another. It's a big part of what so many people are fighting for- the benefit of the doubt, the ability to be seen as whole, the space to love and trust. It’s been a tough year, but we’ve come out the other side steady and hopeful.”
You can watch the video for "Love Will Work It Out" below. Private Space is due out July 30 on Dead Oceans in association with Colemine Records. You can pre-order the album here. For more on Durand Jones & The Indications, check out the band's website. Upcoming tour dates are below the video.
Sat. Sep. 4 - Hershey, PA @ Harrisburg University At The Englewood Tue. Sept. 7 - Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club w/ 79.5 Wed. Sep. 8 - Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer w/ 79.5 Fri. Sept. 10 - Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel w/ 79.5 Sat. Sept. 11 - Washington DC @ 9:30 Club w/ 79.5 Mon. Sept. 13 - Chicago, IL @ Vic Theatre w/ 79.5 Tue. Sept. 14 - Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line w/ 79.5 Thu. Sept. 16 - Denver, CO @ Gothic Theater w/ 79.5 Fri. Sept. 17 - Salt Lake City, UT @ The Commonwealth Room w/ 79.5 Mon. Sept. 20 - San Diego, CA @ Soma w/ 79.5 Mon. Sep. 21 - Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Palladium w/ 79.5 Wed. Sept. 22 - Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Palladium w/ 79.5 Thu. Sep. 23 - Santa Barbara, CA @ Santa Barbara Bowl w/ My Morning Jacket Fri. Sept. 24 - Dana Point, CA @ Ohana Fest Sat. Sep. 25 - Berkeley, CA @ Greek Theatre at UC Berkeley w/ My Morning Jacket Tue. Sep. 28 - Troutdale, OR @ Edgefield w/ My Morning Jacket Wed. Sep. 29 - Spokane, WA @ Spokane Pavilion at Riverfront w/ My Morning Jacket Fri. Oct. 1 - Seattle, WA @ Paramount Theater w/ My Morning Jacket Sat. Oct. 2 - Seattle, WA @ Paramount Theater w/ My Morning Jacket Sun. Oct. 3 - Bend, OR @ Les Schwab Ampitheater w/ My Morning Jacket Fri. Oct. 8 - Austin, TX @ Austin City Limits Music Festival Thu. Oct. 28 - Sun. Oct. 31 - Live Oak, FL @ Suwanee Hulaween Sun. May 22, 2022 - Monterey, CA @ California Roots Festival
Durand Jones & The Indications have been our favorite purveyors of classic soul for a few years now, but on their latest single they've decided to update their sound a bit. However, they've updated by going disco. "Witchoo" is an incredibly fun disco/soul jam that sees Durand Jones and drummer Aaron Frazer (who released the also great solo album Introducing... earlier this year) trading off vocals. "Witchoo" is a party just waiting to happen. It's melding such great retro genres together, and even including a little hip hop feel with the trading of lines and gang vocals for the chorus.
You can watch the video for "Witchoo" below. Private Space is due out July 30 on Dead Oceans in association with Colemine Records. You can pre-order/pre-save the album here. For more on Durand Jones & The Indications, check out the artist's website. Current tour dates are below the video.
Tue. Sept. 7 - Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club Wed. Sep. 8 - Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer Fri. Sept. 10 - Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel Sat. Sept. 11 - Washington DC @ 9:30 Club Mon. Sept. 13 - Chicago, IL @ Vic Theatre Tue. Sept. 14 - Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line Thu. Sept. 16 - Denver, CO @ Gothic Theater Fri. Sept. 17 - Salt Lake City, UT @ The Commonwealth Room Mon. Sept. 20 - San Diego, CA @ Soma Wed. Sept. 22 - Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Palladium Fri. Sept. 24 - Dana Point, CA @ Ohana Fest
As we continue to play catch up from last year, we bring you the latest from shame. The UK band released a new single last month, and "Snow Day" is a must listen despite how long we've been sitting on it. The song is a noisy post-punk mostly spoken word track. The music has this jerky aspect to it and just builds a sense of dread and foreboding for the listener that never quite pays off in a giant eruption, which is its own pay off. It's very reminiscent of bands like Slint and Rites of Spring without just rehashing those bands' style. The song plods around at times, and will give you aural whiplash at others.
Frontman Charlie Steen explains the song: "A lot of this album focuses on the subconscious and dreams, this song being the pivotal moment of these themes. A song about love that is lost and the comfort and displeasure that comes after you close your eyes, fall into sleep, and are forced to confront yourself."
You can watch the video for "Snow Day" below. Drunk Tank Pink, the upcoming album from shame, will be out January 15 on Dead Oceans. You can pre-order a copy here. For more on shame, check them out on Facebook and Twitter.
We're playing a little bit of catch up here at the end of the year, but this one is worth the wait. Aaron Fraser is a member of Durand Jones & the Indications, but is striking out with a solo album next month. A new-ish single is "If I Got It (Your Love Brought It)." If you've been into Durand Jones & the Indications, or any of the modern neo-soul we've brought you, you're going to love this new song. It's the kind of soul song that could have been made in the 60's instead of 2020. It's an upbeat, horn heavy song focused on Frazer's impossible to hate vocals. Producer Dan Auerbach (The Black Keys) brought in some legendary session musicians such as members of The Memphis Boys, drummer Sam Bacco (who played on Aretha Franklin's "You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman"), and players from the Daptone-Big Crown Records bands. With that kind of pedigree, "If I Got It (Your Love Brought It)" is an instant hit.
Aaron Frazer explains the song: “I was at the DMV in Sacramento and above the commercial vehicles desk I noticed a wall full of toy trucks, and at the top a teamsters slogan from the 1950s: ‘IF YOU GOT IT, A TRUCK BROUGHT IT.’ I thought, damn that’s a hot line. Jotted it down, and when I brought it up with Dan, the song felt like it was writing itself. It’s a song of gratitude for who/whatever it is in your life that brings you happiness, grounding and self improvement.”
You can listen to "If I Got It (Your Love Brought It)" below. Aaron Frazer's debut album, Introducing..., will be out January 8 on Dead Oceans/Easy Eye Sound. You can pre-order the album here. For more on Aaron Frazer, check out the artist's website.
A punked up cover of "Jingle Bells" could (and has) gone horribly wrong, but luckily this one is done by Bleached. This isn't an attempt at being badass and mocking the holiday classic. Instead, Bleached's version is a burst of fun and pure joy, which is what a Christmas song truly should be. But that's always been the charm of Bleached. They're a fun, modern version of punk that is still punk enough to make old, cranky punks happy. It's a little noisy, and a little aggressive, but it's still the kind of fun Christmas song that you can put on a family playlist and your parents and even grandparents would be ok with it.
You can listen to Bleached's version of "Jingle Bells" below. The song is currently available via Dead Oceans. For more on Bleached, check out the band's website.
Last month we brought you the new solo single from Aaron Frazer, best known as the drummer and second vocalist with Durand Jones & The Indications. Now, we have a new single. "Over You" keeps the soul that we love about Aaron Frazer's band, and somehow amps up the groove. The new song has a certain level of funk not typically heard in American soul. Frazer explains: “‘Over You’ is inspired by the legendary northern soul 45s that electrified dance floors across the UK in the 1960s. Breakneck speeds and breakbeat drums challenged even the best dancers to pull out all the stops. Lyrically, ‘Over You’ captures a moment of despair in the darkest hour of a breakup. But sometimes to feel better, you just gotta shake your ass.”
You can watch the video for "Over You" below. Introducing..., the upcoming Dan Auerbach produced album from Aaron Frazer, will be out January 8 on Dead Oceans/Easy Eye Sound. You can pre-order the album here. For more on Aaron Frazer, check out the artist's website.
You might know Aaron Frazer as the drummer and co-lead vocalist in Durand Jones & The Indications. Frazer is striking out with a solo album, and the debut single will work for any fan of Durand Jones & The Indications. "Bad News" fits into the classic soul through a modern filter that we love about Frazer's band, but doesn't just sound like an Indications's b-side. It's a gorgeous song that will suck you in despite its laid back vibe. In fact, it almost lulls you in before you realize how intense it truly is. The song is laid back despite its serious subject matter. Aaron Frazer explains the meaning behind "Bad News": “I wrote ‘Bad News’ last November, originally as a song about climate change - a threat that feels so big, so existential, that sometimes it's easier for us to just look away. But today, I think it's taken on a new meaning. It's become a song that gives voice to the things everybody is experiencing right now: isolation, and figuring out how to get through our daily life in the face of relentless bad news.” You can watch the video for "Bad News" below. The song is available now as a single via Dead Oceans/Easy Eye Sound. For more on Aaron Frazer, check out the artist's website.
I was a huge fan of Shame's 2018 release Songs of Praise. They have this frenetic and aggressive form of post punk that is impossible for me not to love. Their new single, "Alphabet," continues that sound and amplifies it. It's insanely discordant and filled with sneering attitude, but you'll still need to dance to it. It also has one of the most wonderfully grating guitar solos you'll ever hear. Making a song this unsettling and this catchy takes a level of skill you would think was impossible. Shame pull it off. Frontman Charlie Steen explains "Alpabet": "Alphabet is a direct question, to the audience and the performer, on whether any of this will ever be enough to reach satisfaction. At the time of writing it, I was experiencing a series of surreal dreams where a manic subconscious was bleeding out of me and seeping into the lyrics. All the unsettling and distressing imagery I faced in my sleep have taken on their own form in the video.” You can watch the video for "Alphabet" below. The song is available as a single via Dead Oceans. You can get a copy here. For more on Shame, check out their Facebook and Twitter.
It's a fair statement that we're becoming more and more obsessed with Fenne Lily's music the closer we get to next month's release of BREACH. Luckily, there's a new single for us to obsess over. "Solipsism" is a fuzzed out song, landing somewhere between grunge and dream pop. It's heavier than what we've previously heard from Lily, but it still has just the slightest of hints of pop that we expect from her. It's this combination of skirting the indie rock and indie pop worlds that we're truly loving from Lily, and we can't wait to hear more from her. Fenne Lily says of the video for "Solipsism": "A lot of situations make me uncomfortable — some parties, most dates, every time I’m stoned in the supermarket. ‘Solipsism’ is a song about being comfortable with being uncomfortable and the freedom that comes with that. If you feel weird for long enough it becomes normal, and feeling anything is better than feeling nothing. I wanted this video to be a reflection of the scary thought that I’ll have to live with myself forever. It’s surreal to realise you’ll never live apart from someone you sometimes hate. Dad, if you’re reading this you killed it as shopper number 2.” You can watch the video for Solipsism below. BREACH, the upcoming album from Fenne Lily, will be out September 18 on Dead Oceans. You can pre-order a copy here. For more on Fenne Lily, check out her Facebook and Twitter. European tour dates are below the video, in case we didn't have enough to be jealous of Europeans about already.
Fri. April 30 - Brussels, BE @ Grand Salon Sat. May 1 - Amsterdam, NL @ Bitterzoet Mon. May 3 - Hamburg, DE @ Nochtspeicher Tue. May 4 - Copenhagen, DK @ Ideal Bar Thu. May 6 - Berlin, DE @ Frannz Fri. May 7 - Munich, DE @ Mila Sat. May 8 - Zurich, SE @ Exil Sun. May 9 - Milan, IT @ Magnolia Tue. May 11 - Frankfurt, DE @ Das Bett Wed. May 12 - Paris, FR @ Le Pop Up Mon. May 17 - Leicester, UK @ The Cookie Tue. May 18 - Liverpool, UK @ Phase One Wed. May 19 - Dublin, IE @ The Workman’s Club Fri. May 21 - Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Social Club Sat. May 22 - Glasgow, UK @ King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut Sun. May 23 - Birmingham, UK @ Dead Wax Tue. May 25 - Manchester, UK @ Deaf Institute Wed. May 26 - London, UK @ Omeara Thu. May 27 - Cambridge, UK @ The Portland Arms Fri. May 28 - Bristol, UK @ Thekla
We've been getting more and more obsessed with the upcoming album from Fenne Lily. If you've been on the edge, her latest single, "Berlin," will definitely push you over the edge. "Berlin" is that kinda folk, kinda indie rock, kinda pop music that's been all the rage (at least with us) lately. It's an impossibly gorgeous mid-tempo song that slowly and slowly builds into a crescendo of the most beautiful fuzzed out guitar solos you've heard in years. The song is quiet and loud all at the exact same time. Plus, it features Lucy Dacus and Ali Chant on backing vocals. Fenne Lily says of "Berlin": “When I was 21 I spent a month alone in Berlin. While I was there, I recorded everything I did as a voice note or in a sketchbook, even if it was boring. On the plane ride home, my phone packed up and I lost all my song ideas from my trip. Initially, it felt as though I’d lost a part of my brain, but gradually pieces started to come back to me. To help the remembering process, I tried to picture all the things that surrounded me during my time alone in Berlin. The more I pictured these mundane objects, the more lost ideas I could remember. This song was one of these ideas. When it came to deciding on a video for it, I’d recently had a dream about an illustrated man eating his own brain for breakfast and, on the same day, was introduced to Henry’s animated short film ‘Pollock’. His work and my dream were impossible to ignore in their similarities and so this video was born. It reflects both the comfort and claustrophobia of the everyday, and how company can be found in everything when you’re left with only yourself and an alien place. The umbrella made me cry - I kind of hope it helps you do the same.” You can watch the video for "Berlin" below. BREACH, the upcoming album from Fenne Lily, will be out September 18 on Dead Oceans. You can pre-order the album here. For more on Fenne Lily, check out the artist's Facebook and Twitter.
Let's face it: There isn't much to be excited for right now. 2020 started off with such great promise and at this point we're all just hoping we'll be able to start having fun again in 2021. If we can find anything to look forward to, we're going to cling to those as tightly as possible. One of those things is any new music we get from Fenne Lily. Her latest single, "Alapathy," is a wonderfully upbeat song that lives in the worlds of indie pop and indie rock. It's energetic and undeniably catchy, but with these great 90's style fuzzed out guitar solos. Despite the bounciness of the track, "Alapathy" is about how Lily “... started smoking weed to switch off [her] brain.” The name of the song comes from combining the words "apathy" and "allopathic." You can watch the video for "Alapathy" below. BREACH, the upcoming album from Fenne Lily, will be out September 18 on Dead Oceans. You can pre-order the album here. For more on Fenne Lily, check her out on Facebook and Twitter.
I was a little late to jump on the Phoebe Bridgers bandwagon, which is something I've been regretting for quite a while now. Luckily, I'm firmly onboard for album two which is due out next month. "I See You" fits right into what we expect from Bridgers while pushing forward. This new single is simply an epic indie rock/folk song, despite being intensely personal. The song feels like being stuck in this intense and otherworldly dream, in the best possible way. Bridgers explains the song: "It’s about my breakup with my drummer. We dated for a few years, made music every day, and were extremely codependent. We became like family to each other, so our breakup was extremely tough. But if this tells you anything about our relationship, we wrote this song together, just like everything else.” You can watch the video for "I See You" below. Punisher, the new album from Phoebe Bridgers, will be out June 19 on Dead Oceans. Bridgers will also be launching her "Phoebe Bridgers' World, Tour" next month, with her playing in different parts of her house, streaming, of course. Dates for that are below the video. For more on Phoebe Bridgers, check out her website.
Earlier this year, Fenne Lily's first single with Dead Oceans, "Hypochondriac," came out of seemingly nowhere to make us completely obsessed. She's released a new single, "To Be a Woman Pt. 2," which has in full on fanboy mode. "To Be a Woman Pt. 2" starts off as a delicate modern singer/songwriter track, although with a lot more tension behind the vocals. As the song builds, it swerves in different directions, all while staying within the same guidelines it started with. The guitar and drums ramp up the tension as they sway in and out with Lily's vocals, each taking its turn in the spotlight. The song goes from quiet introspection to alt-rock rager and then back again a few times. Fenne Lily is going to become a favorite around these parts very quickly. You can listen to "To Be a Woman Pt. 2" below. The single is available now via Dead Oceans. For more on Fenne Lily, be sure to check her out on Facebook and Twitter. Current tour dates are below the song (fingers crossed on all of these).
Thu. Aug. 6 - Kansas City, MO @ Knuckleheads Saloon * Fri. Aug. 7 - St. Louis, MO @ Off Broadway * Sat. Aug. 8 - Wilmington, OH @ Bellwether Festival Sun. Aug. 9 - Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Ballroom * Mon. Aug. 10 - Toronto, CA @ The Great Hall * Wed. Aug. 12 - Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club * Fri. Aug. 14 - Asbury Park, NJ @ Asbury Lanes * Sun. Aug. 16 - Richmond, VA @ The Broadberry * Tue. Aug. 18 - Asheville, NC @ The Grey Eagle * Fri. Aug. 21 - Sun. Aug. 23 - Crickhowell, UK @ Green Man Festival Thu. Sept. 3 - Sun. Sept. 6 - Salisbury, UK @ End of the Road Festival Tue. Sept. 22 - Bristol, UK @ Thekla Wed. Sept. 23 - London, UK @ Omeara Thu. Sept. 24 - Leicester, UK @ The Cookie Fri. Sept. 25 - Liverpool, UK @ Phase One Sat. Sept. 26 - Dublin, IE @ The Workman’s Club Mon. Sept. 28 - Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Social Club Tue. Sept. 29 - Glasgow, UK @ King Tuts Wah Wah Hut Wed. Sept. 30 - Birmingham, UK @ Dead Wax Thu. Oct. 1 - Manchester, UK @ The Deaf Institute Sat. Oct. 3 - Paris, FR @ Le Pop Up Sun. Oct. 4 - Brussels, BE @ Botanique Mon. Oct. 5 - Rotterdam, NL @ Rotown Tue. Oct. 6 - Amsterdam, NL @ Bitterzoet Fri. Oct. 9 - Copenhagen, DK @ Ideal Bar Sun. Oct. 11 - Berlin, DE @ Hole Mon. Oct. 12 - Munich, DE @ Ampere Wed. Oct. 14 - Milan, IT @ Magnolia Thu. Oct. 15 - Zurich, CH @ Exil Fri. Oct. 16 - Frankfurt, DE @ Das Bett Sat. Oct. 17 - Cologne, DE @ Artheater *= supporting Waxahatchee
The latest single from Fenne Lily is going to remind you a lot of Lucy Dacus. There's just no getting around that. Lily's new single, "Hypochondriac," is a deeply personal singer/songwriter track somewhere in the land between indie rock and folk. What's sets "Hypochondriac" apart is that it dips ever so slightly into the world of dream pop. Lily brings us this fully lush and captivating song that will be impossible not to get sucked completely into. Fenne Lily explains the song: “The song’s theme was realised immediately; pressure to feel enough but not too much in a time of hyper connectivity, plus a personal reminder to be accountable for and have agency over the part of me that gravitates towards meltdown. It’s the first in a collection of tracks addressing myself as both the cause of and solution to my anxieties, as well as a shift in attention from predominantly relationship-based writing to a more self-reflective dialogue." You can listen to "Hypochondriac" below. For more on Fenne Lily, check out her website. Current tour dates are below the song.
Sat. March 28 - Bristol, UK @ Ritual Union Festival Thu. April 16 - Dijonfranche-comt, FR @ Péniche Cancale * Sat. April 18 - Lausanne, CH @ Le Romandie * Tue. April 21 - Vienne, AT @ B72 * Thu. April 23 - Prague, CZ @ Chapeau Rouge * Sat. April 25 - Berlin, DE @ Roter Salon * Mon. April 27 - Hamburg, DE @ Hebebühne * Tue. April 28 - Dortmund, DE @ TYDE STUDIOS * Wed. April 29 - Utrecht, NL @ ACU * Fri. May 1 - London, UK @ Union Chapel * Mon. May 4 - Glasgow, UK @ Centre for Contemporary Arts * Tue. May 5 - Belfast, UK @ Limelight * Wed. May 6 - Dublin, IE @ Button Factory * Sat. Aug. 8 - Waynesville, OH @ Ohio Renaissance Festival Grounds Thu. Aug. 20 - Sun. Aug. 23 - Crickhowell, UK @ Green Man Festival Thu. Sept. 3 - Sun. Sept. 6 - Salisbury, UK @ End of the Road Festival *= w/ Lucy Dacus