News

Michael Stipe – “Your Capricious Soul” [Video]

Michael Stipe hasn’t released any music since his band R.E.M. broke up in 2011. That is an incredibly long time for such a career artist so the debut of “Your Capricious Soul” is special. The track actually surfaced several months ago when Stipe performed it and “Drive To The Ocean” opening for Patti Smith. The rumor is he has other tracks ready to go for a full solo album so let’s hope this is the launch party!

Currently “Your Capricious Soul” is available for a pay-what-you-want donation (or for free) on Stipe’s website HERE. The download comes with master-quality audio version of the song, its accompanying video by Sam Taylor-Johnson, a lyric sheet, a print-ready poster, a stencil, and an animated flip-book portrait. For the next 365 days, all proceeds from the song will go to Extinction Rebellion.

“I took a long break from music, and I wanted to jump back in,” Stipe says in a statement. “I love “Your Capricious Soul” — it’s my first solo work. I want to add my voice to this exciting shift in consciousness. Extinction Rebellion gave me the incentive to push the release and not wait. Our relationship to the environment has been a lifelong concern, and I now feel hopeful—optimistic, even. I believe we can bring the kind of change needed to improve our beautiful planet earth, our standing and our place on it.”

Priests Announce New Album, Share Video For Title Track, Announce 2019 Tour Dates

Washington, D.C. rock iconoclasts Priests return on April 5th with a new record titled The Seduction of Kansas via Sister Polygon Records. They also have a world tour planned (dates below) and this video for the title track.

Entering their eighth year as a band, Priests—drummer Daniele Daniele, vocalist Katie Alice Greer, and guitarist G.L. Jaguar—remain an inspired anomaly in modern music. A band on its own label—jolting the greater music world with early releases by Downtown Boys, Snail Mail, Sneaks, and Gauche—they are living proof that it is still possible to work on one’s own terms, to collectively cultivate one’s own world.

Priests enlisted two primary collaborators in writing, arranging, and recording The Seduction of Kansas. After playing cello, mellotron, and lap steel on Nothing Feels Natural, multi-instrumentalist Janel Leppin (Mellow Diamond, Marissa Nadler) returned to breathe air into Priests’ demos, serving as primary bassist and a fourth songwriting collaborator on The Seduction of Kansas. The band also found a kindred spirit in producer John Congleton (Angel Olsen, St. Vincent), recording for two weeks at his Elmwood Studio in Dallas. It marked the band’s first time opening up their creative work to collaborate with someone outside of their DC-based community—a decidedly less hermetic approach. Priests found a third collaborator in bassist Alexandra Tyson, who has also joined the touring band. The songwriting process found the group once again analyzing the textures and scopes of albums as aggressive as they are introspective, like Massive Attack’s Mezzanine, Portishead’s Third, and Nine Inch Nails’ Downward Spiral.


THE SEDUCTION OF KANSAS TRACKLISTING
1. Jesus’ Son
2. The Seduction of Kansas
3. Youtube Sartre
4. I’m Clean
5. Ice Cream
6. Good Time Charlie
7. 68 Screen
8. Not Perceived
9. Control Freak
10. Carol
11. Interlude
12. Texas Instruments

PRIESTS 2019 TOUR DATES
Fri. March 8 – Savannah, GA @ Savannah Stopover Music Festival
Sat. March 9 – Birmingham, AL @ The Firehouse
Mon. March 11 – Fri. March 15 – Austin, TX @ SXSW
Sun. March 17 – Nashville, TN @ Exit / In
Mon. March 18 – Knoxville, TN @ The Pilot Light
Mon. April 15 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
Tue. April 16 – Brooklyn, NY @ Elsewhere
Thu. April 18 – Cambridge, MA @ The Sinclair
Fri. April 19 – Montreal, QC @ Casa Del Popolo
Sat. April 20 – Toronto, ON @ The Garrison
Sun. April 21 – Detroit, MI @ El Club
Mon. April 22 – Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall
Thu. April 25 – Madison, WI @ High Noon Saloon
Fri. April 26 – Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry
Sat. April 27 – Omaha, NE @ Reverb
Sun. April 28 – Des Moines, IA @ Vaudeville Mews
Tue. April 30 – Bloomington, IN @ The Bishop
Wed. May 1 – Columbus, OH @ Ace of Cups
Sat. May 11 – Brighton, UK @ The Great Escape
Sun. May 12 – Bristol, UK @ Rough Trade
Mon. May 13 – Manchester, UK @ YES (Pink Room)
Tues. May 14 – Glasgow, UK @ The Hug and Pint
Wed. May 15 – Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Social Club
Thu. May 16 – London, UK @ 100 Club
Fri. 17 May – Lille, FR @ Aeronef
Sat. 18 May – Paris, FR @ Supersonic
Mon. 20 May – Brussels, BE @ Botanique (Witloof Bar)
Tue. 21 May – Cologne, DE @ Bumann & Sohn
Wed. 22 May – Munich, DE @ Import/Export
Thu. 23 May – Zurich, CH @ Rote Fabrik
Fri. 24 May – Heidelberg, DE @ Queer Festival (Karlstorbahnhof)
Sat, 25 May – Amsterdam, NL @ London Calling
Mon. 27 May – Aarhus DK @ Tape
Tue. 28 May – Copenhagen, DK @ Loppen
Wed. 29 May – Berlin, DE @ Kantine am Berghain
Thu. 30 May – Hamburg, DE @ Hafenklag (Goldener Salon)
Fri. 31 May – Hilvarenbeek, NL @ Best Kept Secret Festival
Sat. 1 June – Neustrelitz, DE @ Immergut Festival
Sat. June 15 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
Sun. June 16 – Durham, NC @ The Pinhook
Mon. June 17 – Atlanta, GA @ Drunken Unicorn
Tue. June 18 – New Orleans, LA @ Gasa Gasa
Thu. June 20 – Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall
Fri. June 21 – Austin, TX @ Barracuda
Sat. June 22 – Dallas, TX @ Club Dada
Mon. June 24 – Albuquerque, NM @ Sister
Tue. June 25 – Phoenix, AZ @ Valley Bar
Wed. June 26 – San Diego, CA @ Soda Bar
Thu. June 27 – Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom
Sat. June 29 – Oakland, CA @ Starline Social Club
Mon. July 1 – Portland, OR @ Polaris Hall
Tue. July 2 – Vancouver, BC @ The Bitmore
Wed. July 3 – Seattle, WA @ Neumos
Sat. July 6 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court
Sun. July 7 – Denver, CO @ Lost Lake
Tue. July 9 – Kansas City, MO @ The Record Bar
Wed. July 10 – St. Louis, MO @ Off Broadway

The Friday Fire Track: FEELS – “Car”

“My friends – come with me to Candyland” is the first line you will hear from the rocking new tune and Friday Fire Track from Los Angeles punk quartet FEELS. “Car” is from the band’s second LP, Post Earth, that will be released on February 22, 2019 via Witchita Recordings.

After recording their 2016 eponymous debut with Ty Segall in one marathon daylong session, FEELS went to Northern California in August 2017 for a comparatively luxurious eight days with Tim Green. The former guitarist of punk iconoclasts Nation of Ulysses, Green has worked with Sleater-Kinney, Bikini Kill, Joanna Newsom and Jawbreaker among others.

His experience combined with FEELS growth as a band has not only turned out a killer tune in “Car” but Post Earth will be album to hear and look forward to as the new year kicks off. Enjoy your Friday!

FEELS Website
FEELS Facebook
Wichita Recordings

The Friday Fire Track: Deerhunter – “Death In Midsummer”

Deerhunter returns with an album out of time. It is concerned with the disappearance of culture, of humanity, of nature, of logic and emotion.

Deerhunter’s eighth LP, Why Hasn’t Everything Already Disappeared?, is out January 19 via 4AD. Like with previous Deerhunter albums- this new one comes with high expectations and from this first single and today’s Friday Fire Track, “Death in Midsummer,” the record could already be considered for a best of in 2019.

From the opening harpsichord and piano figures of “Death in Midsummer”, it is impossible to tell where the record came from. It is already a timeless composition that demands repeat listens. The sound is vintage but the progression in the song is tomorrow.

Deerhunter is already out on tour in a few days so check the list below and enjoy your Friday!

Deerhunter Website
Deerhunter Facebook
4AD

Deerhunter / Tour Dates

SUN 11/04 SAO PAOLO, Balaclava Festival
THU 11/08 SANTIAGO, Blondie
SAT 11/10 SANTIAGO, Fauna Primavera
SUN 11/11 BUENOS AIRES, Personal Fest
TUE 11/13 QUITO, La Ideal
WED 11/14 LIMA, Sala Raimondi
THU 1/17 LOS ANGELES, CA Lodge Room (with Confusing Mix of Nations)
MON 1/21 OSAKA, Bigcat (with Gang Gang Dance)
TUE 1/22 NAGOYA, Electric Ladyland
WED 1/23 TOKYO, O-East
FRI 2/15 NASHVILLE, TN Cannery Ballroom (with Faye Webster)
MON 2/18 CLEVELAND, OH Mahall’s 20 Lanes (with Mary Lattimore)
TUE 2/19 DETROIT, MI El Club (with Mary Lattimore)
THU 2/21 TORONTO, ON Danforth Music Hall (with Mary Lattimore)
FRI 2/22 MONTREAL, QC Le National (with Mary Lattimore)
SAT 2/23 NEW HAVEN, CT College Street Music Hall (with Mary Lattimore)
SUN 2/24 BOSTON, MA Royale (with Mary Lattimore)
WED 2/27 BROOKLYN, NY Brooklyn Steel (with Mary Lattimore, L’Rain)
FRI 3/01 PHILADELPHIA, PA Union Transfer (with L’Rain)
SAT 3/02 WASHINGTON DC 9:30 Club (with L’Rain)
SUN 3/03 BALTIMORE, MD Ottobar
TUE 3/05 PITTSBURGH, PA Mr. Small’s Theatre (with L’Rain)
WED 3/06 LOUISVILLE, KY Headliner’s Music Hall (with L’Rain)
FRI 3/08 SAVANNAH, GA Savannah Stopover Music Festival

The Friday Fire Track: Robert Pollard – “Subspace Biographies”

Trying something a bit different today as the Friday Fire Track goes back to 1998 and features a song from Robert Pollard’s sophomore solo record Waved Out. “Subspace Biographies” is easily one of my favorite Robert Pollard solo songs with its gentle opening before its foot tapping charge keeps the high kicks going.

The song just keeps moving and churning as it almost drowns out Pollard’s lyrics near its conclusion to an amplified perfection. When Pollard asks, “Captain, are you sure they’re coming in?” the track just nails it. “Subspace Biographies” is another solid pop rock song in Pollard’s massive collection that has a timeless vibe as it sounds as fresh in 2018 as it did in 1998.

The good news is that Rockathon Records has just released a remastered reissue on a nice looking Blue vinyl TODAY! It also includes a promo press photo from the era. You can see both below. Don’t just take our word for it – Waved Out should be in your collection and this Blue LP variant should be a must add to any collector. Enjoy your Friday and pick this up at the Rockathon link below!

Robert Pollard Website
Robert Pollard Facebook
Rockathon Records

The Friday Fire Track: Ron Gallo – “Always Elsewhere”


Stardust Birthday Party is the follow up to Ron Gallo’s debut album, Heavy Meta, which was a fantastic garage rock album that we missed out on in 2017. Well, we are not missing this one as Gallo storms back with today’s Friday Fire Track, “Always Elsewhere.” The track is from Stardust Birthday Party which is out October 5, 2018 via New West Records.

Gallo’s energy sounds like a modern Talking Heads as the track has a very pop backbone under its excited guitar playing and call out type vocal delivery. The song just has all the components to make your Friday better!

Ron Gallo Website
Ron Gallo Facebook
New West Records