The Afghan Whigs have a new song streaming out over the airwaves today: “You Want Love” - recorded in honor of the late Dave Rosser - is now available as a free download at: www.theafghanwhigs.com. The song is available in all your favorite digital services as well.
Originally released by Pleasure Club in 2004 on their second and final album, the Afghan Whigs’ version of the song features original singer and writer James Hall. “Pleasure Club was a legendary New Orleans band and Dave Rosser and I had spoken for years about performing this song,” Greg Dulli commented. “In light of his passing we decided to record it in his honor.” The track has been a staple of The Afghan Whigs’ live set in Europe during the In Spades tour.
The Afghan Whigs return to Europe next week for a brief second leg of their tour which includes performances at Way Out West Festival, Haldern Pop Festival, Flow Festival and Pukkelpop. The band will begin their North American tour on September 6 in Orlando, FL. The tour includes three Canadian shows (Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver) and the band will be playing several markets they haven’t visited in years (Richmond, Birmingham, Kansas City, Houston). The full list of dates can be found below.
In Spades, the group’s spellbinding new album, is available on CD / 180 gram-LP / CS / DL worldwide from Sub Pop. Led by the singles “Demon In Profile,” “Oriole,” and “Arabian Heights” along with standouts “Copernicus,” and “Toy Automatic,” it is the follow-up to the band’s internationally acclaimed Do to the Beast. In Spades was recorded in New Orleans, Los Angeles, Memphis and Joshua Tree and written and produced by Greg Dulli.
The Afghan Whigs have released two videos from the album so far: ”Demon In Profile,” directed by longtime collaborator Phil Harder, and ”Oriole,” helmed by erotic art director Amy Nicole Hood.
Fortunately for our eyes (and ears), Iron & Wine and returning director J. Austin Wilson (“Call It Dreaming”) made this delightful video for “Thomas County Law” from Beast Epic, his forthcoming album due out August 25th.
The winsome and sly visual stars Iron & Wine’s Sam Beam as a preacher preparing for a funeral service.
NPR Music’s Stephen Thompson had this to say of the video and the forthcoming album: “Iron & Wine will release Beast Epic, a new album that scales back the densely arranged grandeur of recent records like Ghost On Ghost and Kiss Each Other Clean. Though nowhere near as harrowingly spare as the bedroom recordings on which Beam first made his name, Beast Epic still feels like a return to roots; to simple, unadorned, plainspoken warmth....Last month, Iron & Wine released the album’s first single, “Call It Dreaming.” Now comes a follow-up: “Thomas County Law,” a gently rendered mid-tempo ballad whose accompanying video finds Beam decorating a church and giving a eulogy for what turns out to be his own (unattended) funeral (see video premiere July 26th).”
Beast Epic is now available for preorder from Sub Pop here, Iron & Wine’s official webstore, and select independent retailers … in the following formats:
A Deluxe 2xLP version on red & blue vinyl with alternate artwork, two bonus tracks from the Beast Epic recording sessions along with three home recorded demos and an etching on side D.
Iron & Wine has scheduled an extensive U.S. tour with a full band in support of Beast Epic beginning with a two night stand in Chicago on October 12th and 13th (both at Thalia Hall), and ends with a two night stand in New York in November 13th (at Town Hall) and 14th (at Brooklyn Steel). The fall tour is preceded by a week long jaunt through the Southeastern U.S., which spans August 26th through August 30th. For up to date information on tickets, please visit ironandwine.com/tours.
Summer 2017 Aug. 26 - Fayetteville, AR - Roots Festival - SOLD OUT Aug. 27 - Columbia, MO - The Blue Note % Aug. 28 - Chattanooga, TN - Tivoli Theatre % Aug. 29 - Birmingham, AL - Saturn % - SOLD OUT Aug. 30 - Louisville, KY - WFPK on the Waterfront Aug. 31 - Nashville, TN - Lightning 100’s Live On the Green
Fall 2017 Oct. 12 - Chicago, IL - Thalia Hall* Oct. 13 - Chicago, IL - Thalia Hall # - SOLD OUT Oct. 14 - St Paul,MN - Palace Theatre # Oct. 15 - Lincoln, NE - Rococo Theatre # Oct. 17 - Missoula, MT - Wilma Theater # Oct. 18 - Seattle, WA - Moore Theater Oct. 19 - Eugene, OR - McDonald Theater # Oct. 20 - Portland, OR - Aladdin Theater - SOLD OUT Oct. 21 - San Francisco, CA - Warfield Theatre Oct. 26 - Los Angeles, CA - The Cathedral Sanctuary at Immanuel Presbyterian* Oct. 27 - Pioneertown, CA - Pappy & Harriet’s* - SOLD OUT Oct. 28 - San Diego, CA - Balboa # Oct. 29 - Phoenix, AZ - Van Buren # Oct. 30 - Albuquerque, NM - El Rey # Nov. 01 - Dallas, TX - The Kessler # - SOLD OUT Nov. 02 - San Antonio, TX - The Aztec Theater # Nov. 03 - Houston, TX - The Heights # - SOLD OUT Nov. 04 - New Orleans, LA - Joy Theater # Nov. 06 - Ft Lauderdale, FL - Culture Room# Nov. 07 - Orlando, FL - The Beacham # Nov. 09 - Washington DC - Lincoln Theatre # Nov. 10 - New Haven, CT - College Street Music Hall # Nov. 11 - Boston, MA - Berklee Performance Center # - SOLD OUT Nov. 12 - Northampton, MA - Calvin Theatre # Nov. 13 - New York, NY - Town Hall # Nov. 14 - Brooklyn, NY - Brooklyn Steel*
Rejoice! Sub Pop is (finally) repressing three beloved albums from Pacific Northwest icon Mark Lanegan (also known for his work with Screaming Trees, Gutter Twins, Mad Season, Queens of the Stone Age, Isobel Campbell, and more). Scraps at Midnight, I’ll Take Care of You, and Field Songs will be available on vinyl worldwide on August 25h, and the albums are now available for pre-order from Sub Pop Mega Mart. Each album is pressed on 180-gram vinyl, and is housed in a gatefold jacket reproducing the art for its original release.
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New to Mark Lanegan? Might we suggest this Beginner’s Guide playlist as an introduction?
As a solo artist, Mark Lanegan built a devoted following, slowly releasing records that highlighted his love for singer/songwriters, and American folk and blues. His love for the rich history of American contemporary music was showcased throughout these three remarkable efforts: Scraps at Midnight (1998), I’ll Take Care of You(1999) and Field Songs (2001). And let’s not forget that voice! Trying to describe the power of Mark’s voice is not an easy task, but to paraphrase Fred Neil, he sure can sing the shit out of a song.
Mark Lanegan also collaborated regularly with Mike Johnson (Dinosaur Jr.), a multi-instrumentalist known for his understated yet incredible guitar work, who co-wrote, arranged and co-produced some of the early records and various songs from the discography.
About the Mark Lanegan Represses:
Scraps at Midnight (SP419 / July 21, 1998):
Scraps at Midnight is the third solo album by Lanegan, which he co-produced with longtime collaborator Johnson. Scraps at Midnight could arguably be considered the final installment of a trilogy of albums (preceded by The Winding Sheet and Whiskey for the Holy Ghost) which feature the songwriter’s interpretation of American roots music set to troubling lyrics that explore themes of loss, sin and redemption. LP comes in a gatefold jacket and is 180 gram vinyl.
Tracklist: 1. “Hospital Roll Call” / 2. “Hotel” / 3. “Stay” / 4. “Bell Black Ocean” / 5. “Last One in the World” / 6. “Praying Ground“ / 7. “Wheels” / 8. “Waiting on a Train” / 9. “Day and Night” / 10. “Because of This”
I’ll Take Care of You (SP445 / September 21, 1999):
I’ll Take Care of You, Lanegan’s fourth solo effort, consists entirely of cover songs with interpretation of songs from a wide variety of songwriters, including Tim Rose, Tim Hardin, Booker T. Jones, and Buck Owens. Prior to this LP version, I’ll Take Care of You was only available on vinyl via a long-out-of-print European run, and in the One Way Street box set. LP comes in a gatefold jacket and is 180 gram vinyl.
On Lanegan’s fifth and final solo album for Sub Pop, Field Songs, he seems to have taken the best elements from his previous work to create one of the most fulfilled, and fulfilling, albums of his career; Field Songs also includes “Kimiko’s Dream House,” which Mark co-wrote with Jeffrey Lee Pierce of The Gun Club. This LP version is the first standalone vinyl edition of Field Songs (it was previously only available in the 2015 box set entitled One Way Street). LP comes in a gatefold jacket and is 180 gram vinyl.
Strange Peace will be available in Canada from Royal Mountain Records and throughout the rest of the world from Sub Pop Records.
On September 22nd, METZ will release Strange Peace, an emphatic but artful hammer swing to the status quo and their highly-anticipated third full-length album. Alex Edkins (guitar, vocals), Hayden Menzies (drums), and Chris Slorach (bass) recorded at Electrical Audio in Chicago, live off the floor to tape with Steve Albini. The result is a distinct artistic maturation into new and alarming territory, frantically pushing past where the band has gone before, while capturing the notorious intensity of their live show. The trio continued to assemble the album (including home recordings, additional instrumentation) back at home in Toronto, adding the finishing touches with longtime collaborator, engineer and mixer, Graham Walsh. “The songs on Strange Peace are about uncertainty,” Edkins explains. “They’re about recognizing that we’re not always in control of our own fate, and about admitting our mistakes and fears. They’re about finding some semblance of peace within the chaos.”
And “Cellophane,” the first song to be released from the new album, is available now. Read the full bio for Strange Peace below.
Strange Peace is available for pre-order now from both Sub Pop and Royal Mountain Records. LP pre-orders of the album from megamart.subpop.com and select independent retailers will receive the limited Loser Edition on clear vinyl with red and green swirls (while supplies last).
Strange Peace Tracklisting: 1. Mess of Wires 2. Drained Lake 3. Cellophane 4. Caterpillar 5. Lost in the Blank City 6. Mr. Plague 7. Sink 8. Common Trash 9. Escalator Teeth 10. Dig a Hole 11. Raw Materials
METZ have scheduled international tour dates in support of Strange Peace from September 25th at Chicago’s Thalia Hall, through to December 16th in Houston at Studio at Warehouse Live, with more to follow. This first tour will visit over 34 cities including Toronto (two shows), Boston, New York, Philadelphia, DC, Prague, London, Warsaw, Berlin, Copenhagen, Barcelona, Paris, Seattle, Vancouver, Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Austin.
Sep. 05 - Atlanta, GA - 529 Sep. 07- Raleigh, NC - Hopscotch Festival Sep. 25 - Chicago, IL - Thalia Hall Sep. 29 - Toronto, ON - Lee’s Palace * Sep. 30 - Toronto, ON - Lee’s Palace * Oct. 02 - Boston, MA - Sinclair # Oct. 03 - Philadelphia, PA - The First Unitarian Church # Oct. 04 - Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall of Williamsburg # Oct. 05 - New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom # Oct. 06 - Washington, DC - Rock & Roll Hotel # Oct. 08 - Montreal, QC - La Sala Rosa Nov. 02 - Prague, Czech Republic - Futurum ! Nov. 03 - Wroclaw, Poland - Klub Firlej ! Nov. 04 - Warsaw, Poland - Klub Hydrozagadka ! Nov. 06 - Berlin, Germany - Bi Nuu ! Nov. 07 - Copenhagen, Denmark - Loppen ! Nov. 08 - Hamburg, Germany - Knust ! Nov. 09 - Zwolle, Netherlands - Poppodium Hedon ^ Nov. 10 - Kortrijk, Belgium - De Kruen (Sonic City Festival) Nov. 12 - Le Havre, France - Le Tetris % Nov. 14 - Nimes, France - La Paloma % Nov. 15 - Bordeaux, France - Theatre Barbey % Nov. 16 - Toulouse, France - Club Metronum % Nov. 17 - Barcelona, Spain - La (2) De Apolo % Nov. 18 - Madrid, Spain - Moby Dick % Nov. 20 - Nantes, France - Pole Etudiant % Nov. 21 - Paris, France - Le Trabendo % Nov. 22 - London, UK - The Garage % Nov. 23 - Bristol, UK - The Fleece % Nov. 24 - Leeds, UK - Brudenell Social Club % Nov. 25 - Brighton, UK - The Haunt % Dec. 07 - Seattle, WA - Neumos Dec. 08 - Vancouver, BC - Cobalt Dec. 09 - Portland, OR - Doug Fir Dec. 11 - San Francisco, CA - Independent Dec. 12 - Los Angeles, CA - Teragram Dec. 13 - San Diego, CA - Casbah Dec. 15 - Austin, TX - Mohawk & Dec. 16 - Houston, TX - Studio @ Warehouse Live
* with SUUNS # with Uniform ! with Protomartyr ^ with Brian Case % with Drahla & with Cherubs
More on METZ’s Strange Peace Since releasing their self-titled debut record in 2012, which The New Yorker called, “One of the year’s best albums…a punishing, noisy, exhilarating thing,” the Toronto-based 3-piece METZ have garnered international acclaim as one of the most electrifying and forceful live acts, touring widely and extensively, playing hundreds of shows each year around the world.
Now, Alex Edkins (guitar, vocals), along with Hayden Menzies (drums), and Chris Slorach (bass) are set to unleash their highly-anticipated third full-length album, Strange Peace, an emphatic but artful hammer swing to the status quo.
“The best punk isn’t an assault as much as it’s a challenge — to what’s normal, to what’s comfortable, or simply to what’s expected. Teetering on the edge of perpetual implosion,” NPR wrote in their glowing review of METZ’s 2015 second album, II.
Strange Peace was recorded in Chicago, live off the floor to tape with Steve Albini. The result is a distinct artistic maturation into new and alarming territory, frantically pushing past where the band has gone before, while capturing the notorious intensity of their live show.
“Recording in Chicago was a blast. We tracked fourteen songs in four days. It was the first time we felt confident enough to just play live and roll tape,” Edkins said of the recording process. “Strange Peace is much more diverse and varied than anything we’ve done before, which was exhilarating, but terrifying, too. We took the tapes home to Toronto feeling like we’d made the record we wanted to make.”
The trio continued to assemble the album (including home recordings, additional instrumentation) back in their hometown, adding the finishing touches with longtime collaborator, engineer and mixer, Graham Walsh.
From the ferocious opening track, “Mess of Wires,” we’re met by the sheer force and fierce musicianship we’ve come to expect from METZ. With the unhinged, post-punk fragments of “Drained Lake,” and the whirling, acerbic pop features of “Cellophane,” the band’s hectic progression becomes clear. But Strange Peace isn’t merely a collection of eleven uninhibited and urgent songs. It’s also a kind of sonic venting, a truculent social commentary that bludgeons and provokes, excites and unsettles.
“The songs on Strange Peace are about uncertainty,” Edkins explains. “They’re about recognizing that we’re not always in control of our own fate, and about admitting our mistakes and fears. They’re about finding some semblance of peace within the chaos.”
With all the pleasurable tension and anxiety of a fever dream, Strange Peace is equal parts challenging and accessible. It is this implausible balancing act, moving from one end of the musical spectrum to the other, that only a band of METZ’s power and capacity can maintain: discordant and melodic, powerful and controlled, meticulous and instinctive, subtle and complex, precise and reckless, wholehearted and merciless, brutal and optimistic, terrifying and fun.
“Their whiplash of distortion is made with precision, a contained chaos. But you would never talk about them like that. Because METZ are not something you study or analyze,” wrote Liisa Ladouceur in Exclaim! “They are something you feel: a transfer of energy, pure and simple.”
In other words: to feel something, fiercely and intensely, but together, not alone.
Quazarz: Born on a Gangster Star and Quazarz vs. The Jealous Machines will be released next week, Friday, July 14th worldwide through Sub Pop
NPR Music’s “First Listen” is now streaming Shabazz PalacesQuazarz Born On A Gangster Star and Quazarz vs. The Jealous Machines in their entirety. Listen/hear:
Quazarz: Born on a Gangster Star -> n.pr/2sJKO1d Quazarz vs The Jealous Machines -> n.pr/2sJxWby
NPR Music’s Rodney Carmichael says in the …Born On A Gangster Star review, “In thermodynamics, black bodies are both perfect absorbers and emitters of radiant energy. That seeming contradiction would not be lost on one Palaceer Lazaro, better known as Ishmael Butler of Shabazz Palaces, who continues to find far-out ways to reflect and refract the sound and fury of popular culture and contemporary blackness.”
And in the accompanying …vs The Jealous Machines review, Carmichael offers this, “Shifting the paradigm isn’t Palaceer Lazaro’s point. Rather, it’s the pervading pointlessness that Quazarz vs. The Jealous Machines and accompanying album Quazarz: Born On A Gangster Star put on blast. When the self-proclaimed aliens begin to rule the industry, it’s natural for anyone with an original voice to feel a true sense of alienation. And therein is where the irony — and Shabazz Palaces’ genius — lies.”
Quazarz vs. The Jealous Machines and Quazarz: Born on a Gangster Star will be released on July 14th on CD / LP / DL / CS and are now available for preorder from Sub Pop here. LP pre-orders for each album from megamart.subpop.com and select independent retailers, will receive the limited “Loser” edition on colored vinyl (…Jealous Machines on mashed-up purple; …Born on a Gangster Star on aluminum). Both albums can be purchased together as a special bundle, and there are also fresh new T-shirt designs associated with each release (one for …Born on a Gangster Star and two for …vs. The Jealous Machines) (read more at Sub Pop).
“The ‘Quazarz’ suite is an unequivocal triumph.” [9/10] -Loud & Quiet
Shabazz Palaces will support both Quazarz: Born on a Gangster Star and Quazarz vs. The Jealous Machines with international tour dates that span July 13th-16th at Cascadia Festival in Granite Falls, Washington through November 9th-12th at Le Guess Who? Festival in Utrecht, Netherlands.
Jul. 13-16 - Granite Falls, WA - Cascadia Festival Aug. 16 - Portland, OR - The Star Theater* Aug. 18 - San Francisco, CA - Great American Music Hall* Aug. 19 - Los Angeles, CA - The Regent Theatre* Aug. 20 - Phoenix, AZ - Crescent Ballroom* Aug. 21 - El Paso, TX - Lowbrow* Aug. 23 - Austin, TX - Mohawk (Outdoor Stage)* Aug. 24 - Dallas, TX - Club Dada* Aug. 25 - Baton Rouge, LA - Spanish Moon* Aug. 26 - Atlanta, GA - Terminal West* Aug. 27 - Charleston, SC - Music Farm* Aug. 28 - Carrboro, NC - Cat’s Cradle* Aug. 30 - Columbus, OH - Ace of Cups* Aug. 31 - Detroit, MI - El Club* Sep. 01 - Toronto, ON - Lee’s Palace* Sep. 02 - Montreal, QC - Theatre Fairmount* Sep. 03 - Quebec City, QC - Le Cercle Sep. 05 - Boston, MA - The Sinclair* Sep. 06 - Brooklyn, NY - Warsaw* Sep. 07 - Philadelphia, PA - Union Transfer* Sep. 08 - Washington, DC - Black Cat* Sep. 09 - Baltimore, DC - Ottobar* Sep. 11 - Asheville, NC - The Grey Eagle Tavern & Music Hall Sep. 15 - 17 - Chicago, IL - Riot Fest at Douglas Park Nov. 09-12 - Utrecht, NL - Le Guess Who? Festival *w/ Porter Ray
NPR Music says of the album: “Beach House has spent 13 years and six albums perfecting a hazy dream-pop sound that’s as versatile as it is enduringly, endearingly simple. Victoria Legrand and Alex Scally make brooding, deliberately paced music that still sparkles and sweetens in surprising ways — a contradiction summed up by the title of one of Beach House’s best records, Depression Cherry…Given its title, B-Sides And Rarities is upfront about being an exercise for enthusiasts, completists and other loving obsessives. But more casual fans shouldn’t shrug it off, either. Beach House has mounted a marvelous career on its ability to set a gloomy electro-pop mood without losing touch with its brighter side — and that gift stays on full display throughout this shaggily appealing assortment of orphaned gems [link here].”
Furthermore from Rolling Stone: “Baltimore’s dream-pop magicians offer up every previous non-LP studio track they’ve made – 14 in all. The result, unsurprisingly, is another beautifully sculpted, Fifties-goths-in-amber Beach House LP. Which isn’t to say there aren’t surprises like the snarling guitar that transforms the alternate single version of Teen Dream’s wistful “Used to Be” into something much fiercer. And “Rain in Numbers,” recorded just weeks after the band formed, is the sound of a sound being born.”
You might also like to not miss the new video for “Chariot” (from B-Sides and Rarities) which was directed by the band. The visual acts as a rumination on the creation, cultivation, and confusion of narratives in media.
Beach House’s B-Sides and Rarities can be purchased on CD / LP / DL / CS in North America from Sub Pop right here, in Europe from Bella Union, and Australia from Mistletone. LP orders in North America through the Sub Pop Mega Mart and select independent retailers will receive the Loser Edition on crystal clear vinyl (while supplies last).
