Ismena: How Are You?

photo: Maaike Ronhaar

Dutch folk singer and multi-instrumentalist Ismena kicks off her new single How Are You? with a crystal clear a cappela part, acting as her own backing vocaliste, before an acoustic guitar makes itself heard. She also played bass, piano and synthesizer, with drummer Daan Wopereis adding subtle touches, on this song that seeks closure after a breakup: "Please don't ask me how I've been // Please don't tell me what you think // I don't want anything to do with you". It is possible to tell a person to fuck off without raising your voice.

The Fierce & The Dead: shows in Nottingham and Liverpool

English experimental avant-garde prog band The Fierce & The Dead have added shows in Nottingham and Liverpool to their UK tour. They will release their fifth studio album, Regional Theatre, in October. Some long-deleted vinyl, CDs and t-shirts are available on Bandcamp, which might help to raise the final £700 needd to fund mastering for the new album.

Lehmanski: Strandkorb der Gemütlichkeit

German rock musician Lehmanski took his time to put the finishing touches on his Strandkorb der Gemütlichkeit ("Beach chair of cosiness") album, never being fully satisfied at how it sounded, but at long last he settled on a mix that made him happy. There are snatches from the heyday of the Neue Deutsche Welle and sax player Stoffel "Saxomaniac" Dördelmann contributed Roxy Music-inspired art rock flourishes to the album's stand-out track Riesen aus Wachs.

His slightly hoarse vocals, bass and drums are smack in the middle of the mix most of the time, with the other instruments and backing vocals swirling around them. Listeners who don't speak German will have no trouble understanding what he is singing about. He obviously has had his fair share of ups and downs in life, but he can look back upon those with a mix of humour and resignation.

Phish: Las Vegas run SBD + torrents: 2026/04/23

Official Las Vegas 2026 poster by Jim Pollock

Phish
2026/04/23
Sphere, Las Vegas, NV

Set 1:

1. 46 Days
2. Guyute
3. Maze
4. Esther
5. Gumbo
6. Brian and Robert[1]
7. Stash
8. Moonage Daydream

Remington super 60: Time To Breathe

Norwegian soft-spoken indie band Remington super 60 are back Time To Breathe, a single that is a little louder than their usual dreampop musings. Chrisoffer Schou and singer Elisabeth Thorsen are no longer a couple - they broke up five years ago, which was documented on their Nouvelle Noveau EP - but the urge to keep collaborating never left them. Finding themselves as individuals wasn't easy, a process they captured with this luscious, soul-searching track.

Time To Breathe is released via Café Superstar Recordings. Buy it from their website.