Shoegaze heroes Slowdive continue to prove why they're worthy of their legendary status by releasing amazing new songs. They're latest, "the slab," is both pure, classic shoegaze while adding a new element to their longstanding sound. "the slab" opens with an extended instrumental portion that sounds almost like if The Cure decided to give shoegaze a try. It's more cinematic than we're used to from the British band, but it's a version of them that's quite welcome. Not many bands that formed in 1989 sound like both a classic version of themselves as well as a progressive version, but most bands aren't Slowdive.
Vocalist/guitarist Neil Halstead says of the new single:
“This is the heaviest track on the record and as the name suggests we wanted it to feel like a big slab of music. We wanted it to feel very dense.”
You can watch the video for "the slab" 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 artist's website. Upcoming tour dates are below the video.
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 by Sultana Garritano Brooklyn's DJ Haram has a new single out that shows off her trademark boom bap sprinkled with Middle Eastern instrumentation sound. "Fishnets" features verses from Bbymutha, SHA RAY, and August Fanon, and has an intense and almost menacing vibe, despite being an absolute banger of a track. It's hypnotic and immediately grabs your attention, and if you're unfamiliar with the trio of rappers on the song, you're sure to start pulling up their bodies of work. "Fishnets" is one of those songs that just feels cool and makes you need to hear more from all of the artists involved. DJ Haram says of her latest single: "‘Fishnets’ is for the eclectic bad bitches. The people united will never be defeated." You can listen to "Fishnets" below. Beside Myself is due out July 18 on Hyperdub, and is available for pre-order here . For more on DJ Haram, check out the artist on Instagram and Twitter . Upcoming tour dates a...
Photo by Gareth Jones I've been a huge fan of The Lemonheads for over thirty years now, but that fandom doesn't make me gush over everything Evan Dando releases. If anything, it makes me more critical of his releases, so if I think something he releases is great, it's definitely not clouded by fandom. Today, The Lemonheads released a new single, and it's truly great. "In the Margin" doesn't exactly fit into the band's previous forty or so years of music. It's not a rehash of their 90's alt-rock/bubblegrunge, or their earlier more punk albums. This new single is a straight up riff-heavy rock song with The Lemonheads' trademark twang. It's a little grunge, it's a little punk, and it's a little country. "In the Margin" fits in with Dando's decades of music while seeing him moving in a slightly different direction, and helping to reinvigorate his sound. Evan Dando says of his latest single: “I wanted to have a riffy so...
Photo via Instagram Any time J Mascis releases new music will always be a big deal at If It's Too Loud... November will see the release of Elastic Days , his new solo album. Judging by the first single, "See You At the Movies," Elastic Days will be exactly what we expect and want in a Mascis solo album. The first single is much prettier than Dinosaur Jr is. Mascis's solo work tends to be calmer and almost folky. "See You At the Movies" is exactly that, and is even almost orchestral in some places. You add in some of Mascis's guitar solos (a more tame version than Dino Jr's thunderous ones), and you've got a classic Mascis solo track. It's a typically great song, but at this point I'd like to see Mascis mix things up a bit. You can listen to "See You At the Movies" below. Elastic Days will be out November 9 on Sub Pop Records. There are some pretty reasonable pre-order bundles available, including a CD and t-shirt for $24....
