Laura Jane Grace's solo work tends to be a little more rootsy than her work with Against Me!, but with "Hole in My Head" Grace leans into her punk roots. Sure, the new solo song would be the poppiest song on virtually any Against Me! album, and it's much more fun sounding than she normally gets, but this is still a punk song. It's a less than two minute burst of a song that is sure to get you pogoing like mad. On Twitter, Grace called "Hole in My Head" one of the best songs she'll ever write, and she's certainly not wrong. This has that perfect mixture of a catchy pop song with punk attitude that the Ramones built an entire career on.
You can watch the video for "Hole in My Head" below. Hole in My Head, the album, is due out February 16, and is available for pre-order here. For more on Laura Jane Grace, check out the artist's website. Upcoming tour dates are below the video.
DECEMBER 16 — Memphis, TN — Minglewood Hall ~ 28 — St. Louis, MO — Off Broadway * 29 — Lawrence, KS — Granada Theatre * 31 — Denver, CO — The Marquis *
JANUARY 2024 02 — Omaha, NE — Slowdown * 03 — Minneapolis, MN — Cloudland * [SOLD OUT] 06 — Madison, WI — Joey’s Song Benefit 13 — Athens, Greece — Onassis Stegi Exhibition Hall -1 15 — Thessaloniki, Greece — Mylos
MARCH 2024 02 — Indianapolis, IN — The Vogue ^ 03 — Columbus, OH — A&R Music Bar ^ 05 — Pittsburgh, PA — Spirit Hall ^ 06 — Philadelphia, PA — Underground Arts ^ 08 — Hamden, CT — Space Ballroom ^ 09 — New York, NY — Racket ^ 10 — Somerville, MA — Crystal Ballroom at Somerville Theatre ^ 12 — Washington, DC — Howard Theatre ^ 13 — Virginia Beach, VA — Elevation 27 ^ 15 — Durham, NC — Motorco Music Hall ^ 16 — Knoxville, TN — Bijou Theatre ^ 17 — Nashville, TN — City Winery ^ 19 — New Orleans, LA — Tipitina’s ^ 20 — Birmingham, AL — Saturn ^ 22 — San Antonio, TX — Paper Tiger ^ 23 — Houston, TX — RISE Rooftop ^ 24 — Fort Worth, TX — Tulips +
Photo by Rachel Cassels The Cairo Gang is mostly Emmett Kelly, who recorded most of their upcoming album, Goes Missing, on his own while travelling. "Be What You Are" is pure pop gold, reminiscent of British invasion bands like The Kinks and The Zombies. It features jangly guitars and some of the most infectious layered vocals you've heard in years. Luckily the beauty of this style of music is that it never quite sounds dated. It might sound like it's from a certain era that happened 50 years ago, but everything you've ever listened to since then borrows so heavily from it that it always sounds current. It's the kind of music you wish you hadn't missed, only now you haven't. Goes Missing is due out June 23rd on God? Records. You can pre-order the album now, and be sure to check out The Cairo Gang's Facebook . Listen to "Be What You Are" below, and below that are tour dates, many opening for Mikal Cronin. Sat. Sept. 5 - Portlan...
Somehow Peter Prescott of Mission of Burma and Volcano Suns has another band that I never knew about. Minibeast already released an album that I completely missed back in 2012, and they are currently at work on the follow up, Free Will. Based on a track from the upcoming album, "High Sea," Minibeast shares some common sonic ground with Mission of Burma, but with an added emphasis on the groovy side of things. It's basically the noise and dissonance of Burma but heard through a 60s surf groove, as if Frankie and Annette were punks. You can listen to "High Sea" below. Minibeast currently have a Kickstarter to help fund the final production of Free Will. You can get more information on that here . It should be out sometime in June.
With this weekend's upcoming Newport Folk Festival, we thought we'd highlight some of this year's can't miss acts. We're focusing on the bands playing smaller stages and earlier in the day. I mean, you're obviously going to see Ryan Adams and Jack White. Instead, these are the acts worth getting there early for, and seeking out the smaller stages. Phox Friday, 1:50, Quad Stage Phox hails from Baraboo, WI, the winter home of the Ringling Brothers' Circus. I'm not sure if that is connected to their music or not, but Phox has an otherworldly charm and a magical feel. They come across as a more grounded St. Vincent or a less intense version of early Tori Amos. Their music is simply beautiful and uplifting. Reignwolf Friday, 2:55, Quad Stage Truly pushing the boundaries of what can be considered "folk" are Reignwolf. Reignwolf is Jordan Cook, who sounds like a mixture of The Black Keys and Queens of the Stone Age, mixed with just a lit...