Carey Ott: Nocona

Singet-songwriter Carey Ott did quite a bit of traveling before coming to terms with his hometown Ottawa, IL. It might explain the focus on writing songs about trying to stay put in one place down after a wild ride. As an alt-country artist he sings about things that are close to his heart: drinking lots of beer (Til the Well Runs Dry), getting fucked over by life but laughing about it Cosmic Joke) and trying the win the heart of his woman of choice - he claims that he knows her quite well in (I Already Know) What's on Your Mind, but self-doubt keeps bugging him.

The album's title was inspired by the faith of the Comanches in the small town Nocona, TX. With lyrics written by fellow musician Ryan Culwell. It means "The Wanderer" and fitted the mood of the album like a glove. Ott is looking for a place to stay, but he is not fully committed to settling down in Nashville, his current place of residence, just yet. The road beckons and odds are that he won't be able to resist her call.

Jim Jarmusch: "Gimme Danger" - Story of The Stooges

Jim Jarmusch directing a documentary about The Stooges. What could possibly go wrong? Find out when it hits the theaters on October 28th. He interviewed all the survivors, unearthed rare footage and made into a cohesive story of sorts: Gimme Danger - Story of The Stooges.

No other band in rock’n’roll history has rivaled The Stooges’ combination of heavy primal throb, spiked psychedelia, blues-a-billy grind, complete with succinct angst-ridden lyrics, and a snarling, preening leopard of a front man who somehow embodies Nijinsky, Bruce Lee, Harpo Marx, and Arthur Rimbaud. There is no precedent for The Stooges, while those inspired by them are now legion.

GIMME DANGER is more an 'essay' than a document. It's our love letter to possibly the greatest band in rock'n'roll history, and presents their story, their influences and their impact, complete with some never-before-seen footage and photographs. Like the Stooges and their music, GIMME DANGER is a little wild, messy, emotional, funny, primitive, and sophisticated in the most unrefined way. Long live The Stooges!"

Jim Jarmusch

The Clog Hunt Occasional Collapsing Knitting Society: Live at The Nutclough Tavern 25th September 2016

photo: Gareth Babb

When avant-garde guitarists Colin Robinson and Michael Linden West performed as a duo during the last weekend of the Winter of 2016, they didn't have a name for their project. They settled for The Clog Hunt Occasional Collapsing Knitting Society, suggested by Dave Lee, one of the regulars on the Clangroyd Facebook page, a hang-out for the various avant-garde acts in Hebden Bridge. Live at The Nutclough Tavern 19th March 2016 documented that debut performance and now there's another live recording, recorded in the first weekend of the Autumn of 2016: Live at The Nutclough Tavern 25th September 2016. They changed up things a bit and gravitated to twisted voodoo funk.

Spontaneity is key, with an assorted array of gizmos and effects acting like a bunch of kids after the school bell has rung to announce the holidays: a riot may happen without warning. Robinson and West share a love for Krautrock, King Crimson and Captain Beefheart; repetitive patterns and Sci-fi keyboards are torn apart by loud outbursts of distorted guitar. Fulsome Fishcake Funk sounds like an experiment by Adrian Belew and Thurston Moore that got out of hand. While most musicians would discard it as being just to plain weird, they use it as launchpad for howling feedback, serious clipping and post-rock mayhem.

Sunshine & The Blue Moon: "Welcome To The Future"' video

Watch the new Sunshine & The Blue Moon video for Welcome To The Future, the title track from their debut album. The clip was directed and produced by Kai Davey-Bellin.

» sunshineandthebluemoon.band

HCTF review of Welcome To The Future.

Living Colour: "Who Shot Ya?" video

Watch the new Living Colour video for Who Shot Ya? The Notorious B.I.G cover is the title track from their new EP. They recorded it to express their anger about the recent shootings in the USA.

They will play at the Epcot Int'l Food & Wine Fest in Orlando, before heading out to Europe for a lengthy club tour sharing the stage with Glenn Hughes.

USA dates:

• 10/28 Epcot Int'l Food & Wine Fest, Orlando, FL
• 10/29 Epcot Int'l Food & Wine Fest, Orlando, FL

European dates (w/ Glenn Hughes):

• 11/08 Assembly, Leamington Spa, UK
• 11/09 Wulfrun, Wolverhampton, UK
• 11/11 Riverside w/ Glenn Hughes Newcastle, UK
• 11/12 Hard Rock Hell Pwllheli, Gwynnd, Wales
• 11/14 Rescue Room, Nottingham, UK
• 11/15 O2 ABC, Glasgow, Scotland
• 11/17 O2 Ritz, Manchester, UK
• 11/19 Junction, Cambridge, UK
• 11/20 O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire, London, UK
• 11/22 LKA, Stuttgart, Germany
• 11/23 Meet Factory, Prague, Czech Republic
• 11/25 Kofmehl, Solothurn, Switzerland
• 11/26 Zona Roveri, Bologna, Italy
• 11/28 Orion, Rome, Italy
• 11/29 Live Club, Milan, Italy
• 12/01 Turbinenhalle, Oberhausen, Germany
• 12/02 Metropool, Hengelo, Netherlands
• 12/04 Haarlem, Patronaat, Netherlands
• 12/05 Essigfabrik, Cologne, Germany
• 12/07 Garage, Saarbrucken, Germany
• 12/08 Le Forum, Vaureal, France
• 12/10 Totem, Pamplona, Spain
• 12/11 Razz 2, Barcelona, Spain
• 12/13 Custom Club, Seville, Spain
• 12/14 Sala Vistalegre, Madrid, Spain

» livingcolour.com

Phish: New Year's Run at MSG 12-28/12-31

Phish takes over NYC's Madison Square Garden again for a four-night New Year’s Run (12-28/12-31):

Phish returns to New York at the end of the year to celebrate New Year’s Eve with a four night run at Madison Square Garden, beginning Wednesday, December 28th through Saturday, December 31st. The four shows will bring the band’s total performances at the world famous arena to 40 in the years since their MSG debut in December 1994. As with Phish’s two prior MSG runs, all floor tickets will be general admission.

Grus Paridae: Forthcoming Nonintellectual Decadence

Finnish progressive rock duo Grus Paridae have a new single, the sprawling Forthcoming Nonintellectual Decadence. Petteri Kurki and Rami Turtiainen are both multi-instrumentalists, playing guitar, bass, synths and drums. Add programming skills and they come close to create the sound of a full band with just the two of them. One thing was missing, however. They enlisted Jarno Koivunen to play the violin, who he also played a bit of guitar while he was at it.

Forthcoming Nonintellectual Decadence paints a picture of a rather bleak, dystopian future. Disintegration looms, while the children keep dancing, unaware of the impending catastrophe. Prog isn't a particularly optimistic genre and Grus Paridae joins the bands depicting an alternate universe that may be actually real. While their previous single Passes By b/w Inheritance of Devotion sounded good, but lacked focus, this foray into orchestral grandeur should be able to cause a stir in their niche.

Forthcoming Nonintellectual Decadence is a self-released single.

» Grus Paridae on Facebook

HCTF review of Passes By b/w Inheritance of Devotion.

Amber Kamminga: Getting To Know You

Amber Kamminga, a Dutch country singer, ups the ante on her second single Getting To Know You. To love a genre that is quintessentially American is one thing, the ability to write a track that can stand its ground is another and she pulled it off admirably. Her happy-sad vocals are a perfect fit for telling a tale about a bunch of not particularly successful tinderdates.

Amber Kamminga: guitar, vocals
Dave Neijsen: electric guitar
Pascal Keyner: bass
Jasper Schalks: banjo
Daan Moerkens: drums

Getting To Know You is a self-released single. Buy it from iTunes.

Oh Thunder: "Parade" video

Watch the new Oh Thunder video for Parade, a track from their self-titled EP. They are a truly eclectic band, mixing dance beats, electropop, harp and jazz. The clip was directed by Rosalie Wammes, the band's singer, and Digital Amigos. They are currently working on a new album.

Live dates:

• 10/27 Leiden, Netherlands @ Oliiver (Popronde)
• 11/05 Amsterdam, Netherlands @ Rijksmuseum (Museumnacht)

» oh-thunder.com

HCTF review of Oh Thunder.

Mount Peru: Good Morning Midnight

Somerville sextet Mount Peru have a soft spot for rock, alt-country and psychedelic blues. Their second full-length Good Morning Midnight touches base with The Walkabouts, Fleetwood Mac and The Flying Burrito Brothers. This is a band that is capable to bring the excitement of a live show to the studio, not trying to fix the natural bleeding of instruments in the room, but embracing it a welcome guest.

High energy rockers like Hype Man and You're Like Lightning Striking Twice sit comfortably next to mellower tunes such as Just Like Gypsy Lee and Tin Foil Sunset. The latter is a 101 example of their love for shared lead vocals, an art that Thom Valicenti and Mary Flatley have mastered over the years. The dissonants and feedback of Apologetic Poltergeist might get them on college radio, while the opening bars of Black As Hell and White as a Ghost will sound familiar to Beatles fans.

Low Society: on tour in Belgium & The Netherlands

Memphis based screaming blues act Low Society will cross the big pond to play a string of dates in Belgium and The Netherlands. Prepare for a night of loud and intense music, courtesy of husband Sturgis Nikides (guitar) and wife Mandy Lemons (vocals).

Live dates:

• 09/30 Memphis, TN @ Bluff City Fair
• 10/01 Memphis, TN @ The Buccaneer Lounge
• 10/20 Gent, Belgium @ Missy Sippy Blues Club
• 10/21 Wezembeek-Oppem, Belgium @ Jeugdhuis Merlijn
• 10/23 Gooreind, Belgium @ Goorblues
• 10/27 Affligem, Belgium @ JH Avilo
• 10/29 Rotterdam, The Netherlands @ Bluessociëteit l’Esprit
• 10/30 Turnhout, Belgium @ Dax Cafe
• 11/05 Haacht, Belgium @ Kaffe Claude

More dates TBA.

Ike Wills & ZAPPATiKA: stream "Watermelon in Easter Hay" from "Welcome to the Starlight Lounge"

ZAPPATiKA have posted a stream stream of Watermelon in Easter Hay, a track from the Welcome to the Starlight Lounge album, recorded during their tour European tour with Zappa alumni Ike Willis, Jeff Hollie and Craig Twister Steward.

John Cale: Montréal 2016/09/22 setlist

photo: Louis Longpré

John Cale performed at Théâtre Rialto (Salle St-Ambroise), Montréal, Canada - September 22, 2016. Part of the Pop Montréal Festival.

The band:
John Cale: vocals, guitar, keyboards
Dustin Boyer: lead guitar, samples
Joey Maramba: bass
Deantoni Parks: drums

Setlist (unconfirmed):

• Hedda Gabler
• I'm Waiting For The Man
• The Endless Plain of Fortune
• Thoughtless Kind
• I Wanna Talk 2U
• Style It Takes
• Sunday Morning
• Leaving It Up To You
• Dirty Ass Rock 'n' Roll
• (I Keep A) Close Watch
• Hanky Panky Nohow
• Wasteland
• Pablo Picasso > Mary Lou > Pablo Picasso

» John Cale setlists

(Thanks: Marek Koudelka & Ben)

Bella Loka: "Well Done" video

Watch the new Bella Loka video for Well Done, a track from their new double A-side single. The retro feel of the clip is in sync with the Eighties vibe of the track.

Well Done is released with its sister track Rise Up as a double A-side single on DEFDISCO. Buy it from iTunes. Both tracks will be included on their debut full-length The Light, The Mud & The Dark later this year.

» bellaloka.com

Greg Uhlmann's Typical Sisters: Typical Sisters

BEST OF 2016
5
HCTF

Can you cut an album in one day? Chicago based progressive improv jazz trio Greg Uhlmann's Typical Sisters pulled it off, setting up shop in a basement studio, armed with a few more or less finished compositions and chord progressions to work with. In order for such a scheme to work, all those involved must have an instant rapport and logged countless hours of performing together.

Typical Sisters has shards of progressive rock (After Thought is the prime example), straight up jazz and freak-out avant-garde. The abstract, adventurous textural explorations will be appreciated by jazz buffs, while their tidbits of more accessible noodlings might seduce less advanced listeners to step into their sonic maze. Uhlmann's muso-friendly glorious guitar tone gets properly challenged by Sommer's and Carroll's flawless command of shifting time signatures.

The Who; acoustic "Tommy" in London

The Who will perform two acoustic Tommy shows at the The Royal Albert Hall in London next year (30 March / 1 April):

To celebrate the 100th show performed for Teenage Cancer Trust at The Royal Albert Hall, raising vital money for young people with cancer, The Who will play a new acoustic presentation of Pete Townshend's Rock Opera TOMMY.

Two shows have been announced at the legendary London venue on Thursday March 30th and Saturday April 1st, 2017 where the band will play the opera in full followed by a selection of other great Who songs.

Holly Bowling: tracklisting for "Better Left Unsung" - the music of The Grateful Dead, reimagined for solo piano

Piano player Holly Bowling has unveiled the tracklisting for her new album Better Left Unsung on which she reimagines the music of The Grateful Dead for solo piano. She has launched a crowdfunding campaign on PledgeMusic to cover the costs. It's the follow-up for her acclaimed Distillation of a Dream: The Music of Phish Reimagined For Solo Piano album.

Tracks:

1. Help On The Way > Slipknot!
2. Franklin’s Tower
3. Cassidy
4. Bird Song
5. Wharf Rat
6. Unbroken Chain
7. Crazy Fingers
8. Cryptical Envelopment > The Other One
9. Row Jimmy
10. Terrapin Station (Suite)
11. Eyes Of The World (6/18/74 Louisville, KY)
12. China Doll
13. Dark Star

Better Left Unsung will be released as a 3LP set, 2CD and digitally.

Little Person: I Feel Fine

San Francisco pop-rock band Little Person continue their scheme of naming their tunes after songs written by The Beatles. I Feel Fine is the follow-up for She Loves You. Brothers Max Weinbach (lead and background vocals and harmonies, acoustic guitar, bass) and Nicky Weinbach (background vocals and harmonies, electric guitars, drums) were joined by Anton Patzner (violins) and Lewis Patzner (cello). It's their most ambitious song to date, a multi-layered excursion with distinctive segments linked by snippets of only guitar and vocals.

Ronan Conroy: "Not a Part of Anything" video, new EP "Blood Dread"

Watch the new Ronan Conroy video for Not a Part of Anything, the title track from his latest album. The clip was directed by Charles Nieland, who also appears as the bass player. Justin Wierbonski is the drummer.

His next release, a five track EP called Blood Dread, will be send to Fred Kevorkian for mastering on October 5th.

» ronansconroy.com

HCTF review of Not a Part of Anything.

Ian Fisher: new album "Koffer" 11/18

American alt-country musician Ian Fisher is a prolific guy and a songs hoarder. By his own account he has a repertoie of 1000 songs, which might explains why only a small portion of them have been released officially. His new album Koffer (suitcase in Dutch and German) will provide a home to a bunch of tunes that had fallen by the wayside.

The album will be released on Snowstar Records on November 18th. Listen to a stream of Whole Lotta Room.

Cover Me: I Used To Be A King

Philly folkies Oldermost have taken on the Graham Nash classic I Used To Be A King from his Songs for Beginners album. They stripped the track from its glossy Seventies mainstream production values.and ended up with a much rawer sound than the original. The anger of the lyrics is mirrored in the music.

» oldermost.com
» grahamnash.com

Reinier Baas: "The Dance of Princess Discombobulatrix" on Dutch TV

Watch jazz guitarist Reinier Baas and his band perform The Dance of Princess Discombobulatrix on Dutch TV show De Wereld Draait Door - 2016/09/19.

It's a track from his new album Reinier Baas vs. Princess Discombobulatrix. The album, with artwork from Typex, is available for in various formats from his website.

Inca Maps: Weave

London art rock quartet Inca Maps's debut single Weave is full-blown and full-grown statement. With key changes galore, rather superb falsetto vocals, delicate drums, a swaggering bass and washes of jangling keys and guitar they got it right the first time in the recording studio. Honing their craft on stage has paid off in spades. Recommended if you like Radiohead, Jimmy Somerville and Dead Can Dance.

Talk Show Host: Perfectly Competent

photo: Harley Haskett

Need cheerful sounding pop punk music with sad lyrics? Toronto based trio Talk Show Host offer exactly that. Their second EP Perfectly Competent leans to Nineties college rock - they describe it themselves as Weezer being joined by Bob Mould. They feel at home tearing through fast songs, with surprisingly melodic vocals.

Catchy as Hell on a shoestring budget - they recorded it in the comfort of their rehearsal room and at home after they blew way too much money on their debut EP Disunion Tour. Play them back-to-back and the new one comes out on top.

In memoriam: Jimi Hendrix

Forty-six years ago Jimi Hendrix died at the Samarkand Hotel, 22 Lansdowne Crescent, Notting Hill in London. Put on some Jimi and turn it up. Your neighbours will thank you, and if not, fuck 'em.

My goal is to be one with the music. I just dedicate my whole life to this art.

Jimi Hendrix

» jimihendrix.com

Zap Mcinnes: The ballad of Leroy + The Pants of Zorro, new ZAPPATiKA members

Zap Mcinnes has posted two more songs from his "Zap Mcinnes & Friends" show @ Vrijplaats in Leiden, The Netherlands on August 20: The ballad of Leroy (w/ Maarten van Zeijl,Hieronymus Dam, Emanuela Panisberghi and Emile Chill) and The Pants of Zorro (w/ Maarten van Zeijl and Hieronymus van Dam).

Matt Chamberlain & Brian Haas: new album "Prometheus Risen"

Matt Chamberlain & keyboard player Brian Haas will release their all-improv album Prometheus Risen on October 7th via Royal Potato Family. It was recorded during a 3-day jam session last year.

» brianroyhaas.com
» mattchamberlain.com

Jenny Whiteley: The Original Jenny Whiteley

photo: Ali Eisner

Canadian singer Jenny Whiteley lives and breathes old school country and folk. Her fifth album The Original Jenny Whiteley pays tribute to her roots with a mixed bag of tried-and-true classics and originals - one them sung in French. With her slightly nasal twang she has been compared with Emmylou Harris and Lucinda Williams, but her overall approach is more purist, sticking to acoustic instruments and no drums.

She is the daughter of Chris Whiteley and she got her first taste of being a performer playing washtub and washboard alongside their dad and uncle Ken in The Junior Jug Band. Their material became part of her musical DNA, allowing to cut down-home versions of traditionals like In The Pines, Groundhog and Morning Blues. Her own songs don't pale in comparison. The tongue-in-cheek Higher Learning should be playlisted by roots radio stations all over the globe. The defiant Banjo Girl is all call to arms for women to play the Hell out of their instrument and not to take shit from anybody.

Peter Gabriel: The Veil

Watch the new Peter Gabriel video for The Veil. It was written especially for the forthcoming Oliver Stone movie Snowden. The clip was directed by Kurt Mattila.

» petergabriel.com

Eilen Jewell: on tour in the States and Australia

photo: Otto Kitsinger

Alt-country singer Eilen Jewell continues the tour the world: the States in October and more shows have been added for Australia.

USA live dates:

• 10/05 Decatur, GA @ Eddie’s Attic
• 10/06 Charlotte, NC @ Double Door Inn
• 10/07 Greer, SC @ Albino Skunk Festival
• 10/08 Silk Hope, NC @ Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival
• 10/09 Norfolk, VA @ North Shore Point House Concerts
• 10/12 Charlottesville, VA @ The Southern Cafe and Music Hall
• 10/13 Washington, DC @ The Hamilton
• 10/14 Philadelphia, PA @ World Cafe Live (w/ special guest Jeffrey Foucault)
• 10/15 Cambridge, MA @ The Sinclair
• 10/16 New York, NY @ City Winery (w/ special guest Jeffrey Foucault)

Trails and Ways: Get Loud

photo: Ginger Fierstein

Dreampoppers Trails and Ways have released Get Loud, another single from their forthcoming album Own It. Despite its title it is a subdued song about self-doubt. They are trying their hand at power pop for this one, but in the end their signature West Coast sound prevails, lush backing vocals and all.

Own It, the band's second full-length album will be released October 7. A Kickstarter campaign currently underway to cover the costs.

Phish: stream "Breath And Burning" from the new album "Big Boat"

photo: Brantley Gutierrez © Phish 2016

Phish are sharing a stream of one of the songs of the new studio album Big Boat via NPR. Breath And Burning was performed during this year's Summer tour and deals with getting older while enjoying the ride. It's a radio-friendly mid-tempo rocker, with some horns slapped on.

Sunshine & The Blue Moon: Welcome To The Future

photo: Laura-Lynn Petrick

The California folk rock sound travelled West and found a home in Toronto. Quintet Sunshine & The Blue Moon's new album Welcome To The Future is filled with twangy, slow moving songs about love, loneliness, cowboys and heartbreak. It's tempting to pigeonhole them as a neo-hippie band, but by inserting a bit of prog and garage rock in their melodies their vintage inklings are spiced up with a few extra layers that require a couple of undisturbed run-throughs to fully dissect.

Stand-out tracks are the melancholic Buffalo Child and the pair of "Lucy" songs, with Sunshine & Lucy describing the start of a relationship and Lucy showing the first cracks and doubts. Recommended if you like Love, The Modern Lovers and The Byrds.

Reinier Baas: new album "Reinier Baas vs. Princess Discombobulatrix" 09/16

Dutch jazz guitarist and composer Reinier Baas will release his "mostly instrumental, partly improvised surrealist jazzopera in three acts" Reinier Baas vs. Princess Discombobulatrix on September 16th. The album, with artwork from Typex, is available for pre-order in various formats from his website.

He will be on the road to promote the album, with special guest Nora Fischer as Princess Discombobulatrix.

Kim Gordon: Murdered Out

Kim Gordon brings the noise on her solo debut single Murdered Out, an in-your-face industrial post punk assault that is dark and intense, black-on-black tune. Stella Mozgawa (Warpaint) helped her out on drums. Justin Raisen acted as producer. It sounds like Sonic Youth in their hey-day. albeit with a fierce declaration of independence in the lyrics:

Black matte spray.

When I moved back to LA I noticed more and more cars painted with black matte spray, tinted windows, blackened logos, and black wheels. This was something I had occasionally seen in the past, part of lowrider car culture. A reclaiming of a corporate symbol of American success, The Car, from an outsider’s point of view. A statement-making rejection of the shiny brand new look, the idea of a new start, the promise of power, and the freedom on the open road. Like an option on a voting ballot, "none of the above.”

Bootleg Betty: "Like a Wolf" live @ Zwarte Cross video

Dutch roots rockabilly band Bootleg Betty have unveiled a video of Like a Wolf, live @ Zwarte Cross on July 24th. The quintet are captured on stage, interspersed with backstage footage. Video by Koen Derks, audio by Dennis Spee.

Live dates:

• 10/08 Uden, The Netherlands @ Festyland 2016

» bootlegbetty.nl

HCTF review of Left The Barn.

Words about music (416): Johnny Cash

When I record somebody else's song, I have to make it my own or it doesn't feel right. I'll say to myself, I wrote this and he doesn't know it!

Johnny Cash

Phish: "Simple" live @ Dick's Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, CO - 2016/09/23

Watch Phish perform Simple @ Dick's Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, CO - 2016/09/03.

Subterranean Street Society: I’ll Leave Me Before You Do

Buskers as a breed tend to bore uncaring passers-by with god awful renditions of Wish You Were Here, House of the Rising Sun or even the godawful Hotel California. Amsterdam based Danish singer-songwriter Louis Puggaard-Müller, who goes by the stage name Subterranean Street Society, is one those rare street musicians playing his own originals. On his new album I’ll Leave Me Before You Do ten of his songs get the full treatment.

I’ll Leave Me Before You Do isn't a concept album as such, but love is the recurrent theme through all of his songs, more specifically relationships that are turning sour. His girlfriend keeps walking out on him. Bittersweet memories are conjured up in B-Sides, no matter that he urged her to Stay beforehand. He can get loud and angry as well, banging the shit out of a resonator guitar during Pretty Baby.

Prints Jackson: I am Providence

UK pop artist Prints Jackson has written a song a about H.P.Lovecraft. : I am Providence, episode 31 of his "one new song each month till the day I die" project, combines sexual innuendo . The video is a mashup of hysterical Maharishi Mahesh Yogi followers fans and Bruce Springsteen's Dancing in the Dark.

I am Providence is a self-released single. Buy it (pay-what-you-want) from his website.

» printsjackson.com

HCTF review of Sail on Phaelon.

Band & The Beat: Sweet as Honey

Another digital 45 from Band & The Beat, the dream pop synth outfit formed by husband-wife duo Tracy Shedd and James Tritten. Sweet as Honey is an upbeat invite to dance the night awya, while B-side Look Up is gentle plea to pick up the pieces after an undisclosed incident.

They have a soft spot for the Eighties, so there is a real danger that it would have come out as rather cheesy, but they keep it real and catchy to boot - two songs sharing an optimistic outlook on life, wrapped in washes of analog keyboards.

Sweet as Honey is released by Fort Lowell Records. Buy it from Bandcamp, Google Play, iTunes.

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds: "I Need You" video

Watch the new Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds video for I Need You. Taken from the One More Time With Feeling film, documenting the creation of the new album Skeleton Tree.

» nickcave.com
» onemoretimewithfeeling.film

Elephant Stone: "Andromeda" video

Watch the new Elephant Stone video for Andromeda, a track from their new album Ship of Fools. The clip was directed by Skyler Payne-Holmes. The Canadian psychedelic raga rock trio will be on tour in North America and Europe.

North American tour:

• 10/01 St-Hyacinthe, QC @ Zaricot
• 10/16 Detroit, MI @ Small's
• 10/17 Chicago, IL @ Schuba's
• 10/18 Columbus, OH @ Big Room Bar
• 10/19 Cincinnati, OH @ MOTRFREE
• 10/20 Pittsburgh, PA @ Howler's
• 10/21 Philadelphia, PA @ Kung-Fu Necktie
• 10/22 Brooklyn, NY @ Trans-Pecos

Phish: new studio album "Big Boat" 10/07

photo: Brantley Gutierrez © Phish 2016

Phish will release their 13th studio album Big Boat on October 7 via their own JEMP Records label. The album was produced by Bob Ezrin, the guy behind classic records such as Pink Floyd's The Wall, Lou Reed's Berlin and Alice Cooper's School's Out.

Track listing unknown as of yet, but it is highly likely that some songs that were debuted during the Summer tours of 2015 and 2016 will have made the cut. The teaser video contains some music that hasn't been played live yet.

False Heads: Weigh In

London garage punk rock trio False Heads keep churning out high energy lo-fi singles. Their latest, Weigh In, packs the punch of Queens of the Stone Age plus an instantly hummamble vocal line. After a false ending (no pun intended) they return for a few very loud extra bars, tapping into their reserves in order to go with a bang.

False Heads:
Luke Griffiths: vocals, guitar
Barney Nash: drums
Jake Elliott: bass

Weigh In is released thru 25 Hour Convenience Store. Release date: October 7th.

Vaadat Charigim: European Fall tour dates

Israeli psychedelic shoegaze trio Vaadat Charigim will be on tour in Europe in October. Recommended if you like Porcupine Tree and The Jesus and Mary Chain.

Live dates:

• 10/19 Ostpol, Dresden, Germany
• 10/20 Stengade, Copenhagen, Denmark
• 10/21 House Show, Oldenburg, Germany
• 10/23 Observer Building, Hastings, UK
• 10/24 Shackwell Arms, London, UK
• 10/25 Cafe Video, Gent, Belgium
• 10/26 La Zone, Liege, Belgium
• 10/27 La Cabinet, Geneva, Switzerland
• 10/28 Renee, Basel, Switzerland
• 10/29 Dots, Gottingen, Germany
• 10/30 Hubmoldthain, Berlin, Germany
• 10/31 Chmury, Warsaw, Poland

Dustin Laurenzi's Natural Language: Natural Language

photo: Jacob Hand

Imagine four jazz musicians huddling together on a tiny stage in Chicago. They have to be economic and make sure that every note counts. That's what Dustin Laurenzi's Natural Language sounds like on their debut album Natural Language - as if they are playing in a speakeasy before an appreciative audience. With textures like comfy blankets, drums played with brushes, choice bass snippets and guitar and sax as twin lead instruments, the quartet takes the listener on a guided tour through modern jazz.

All contrasts and counterpoints are placed with care, but their looseness ensures that it never gets stale or predictable. Band leader, composer and sax player Dustin Laurenzi gives ample room to his band mates to contribute - jazz is by nature driven by improvisation and since they all share the same musical language all changes can be incorporated seamlessly. Folk Song is the stand-out track, with guitar player Jeff Swanson setting the stage with dissonants and controlled feedback, challenging the other three to follow him into the dark alleys of modal and free jazz. This is a track that could be turned into a lengthy monster jam when performed live, should the mood strike them.

Mike Gordon: Fall tour dates

Mike Gordon has just announced his Fall tour dates. He will be playing with Scott Murawski (guitar), Craig Myers (percussion), Robert Walter (keyboards) and John Kimock (drums). The tour kicks off in St, Louis on November 18th and ends with three-night stand at The Sinclair in Cambridge (December 9-11).

Live dates:

• 11/18 Delmar Hall, St. Louis, MO
• 11/19 Majestic Theatre, Madison, WI
• 11/20 Park West, Chicago, IL
• 11/22 Stage AE, Pittsburgh, PA
• 11/23 Town Ballroom, Buffalo, NY
• 11/25 Higher Ground, Burlington, VT
• 11/26 The Egg, Albany, NY
• 11/28 Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA
• 11/29 Lincoln Theatre, Washington, DC
• 12/01 Orange Peel, Asheville, NC
• 12/02 Cannery Ballroom, Nashville, TN
• 12/03 Variety Playhouse, Atlanta, GA
• 12/09 The Sinclair, Cambridge, MA
• 12/10 The Sinclair, Cambridge, MA
• 12/11 The Sinclair, Cambridge, MA

» mike-gordon.com

WHARVES: It's You

Australian retro psychedelic rockers WHARVES love echo. Their new single It's You, with its nervous backbeat and larmoyant vocals, is a no-brainer for hippies of all ages, provided they can handle a rather obnoxious and displaced Eighties keyboard solo that comes out of nowhere - rest assured it's doesn't overstay its welcome. The video was directed by Yoshi Sodeoka (Tame Impala, The Presets, Yeasayer).

WHARVES:
Matthew Collins: guitar, vocals
Mike Watson: guitar, synthesizers
Scott Finch: bass
Fraser Rojo Perrott: drums

The Leonids: tour dates

photo: Eddo Hartmann

Dutch orchestral pop ensemble The Leonids bring their Satellite Broadcast Kill album to two theaters, a cinema, a comics festival and a music festival.

Live dates:

• 09/30 Tilburg @ Theaters Tilburg
• 10/08 Rotterdam @ Cross Comix Festival
• 11/12 Zutphen @ Filmhuis Luxor
• 11/17 Amsterdam @ Theater Oostblok
• 12/09 Den Haag @ State-X New Forms

moyamoya: Ded Mel 25

Ded Mel 25, the new song from post-rock noise experimentalists moyamoya, is a two-faced composition. It starts (and ends) as a slow moving meandering excursion with a towering loud segment smack in the middle of the song. Obviously there is some trouble in paradise.

The remix created Navigateur (nom-de-plume of electronica musician Carlos R. Andujar) is a far more sunny take on the track and lacks the darkness of the original.

Ded Mel 25 is released as a digital 45 via Fort Lowell Records. Buy it from Bandcamp, Google Play or iTunes.

Johnny Dowd: Execute American Folklore

photo: Kat Dalton

BEST OF 2016
7
HCTF

Most people mellow with age, but thankfully Johnny Dowd isn't one of them. His snarl is very much intact and the beats he gets from his vintage gear are harsh and ugly. Besides Anna Coogan, who helped out with some vocals, he is the sole musician on his new album Execute American Folklore, playing guitar, bass and keyboards, and he is adamant on getting even with everyone who gets in his way.

In Sexual Revolution the protagonist caught his wife in flagrante, urging him to repeat "d.iv.o.r.c.e" over and over again. Mr. Muggles is the lead character in his darkest dance tune to date, with brass and female vocals going berserk. Rhumba In The Park and Modern Woman sound like outtakes of his No Regrets album on which song described the ways of a particular woman. Anna Coogan gets her place in the spotlights singing lead on Brains-a-flame, channeling Poly Styrene.

Phish 2016 Summer tour SBD + torrents: 2016/09/04 Commerce City

Official Dick's Sporting Goods Park poster by Drew Millward

Phish
2016/09/04
Dick's Sporting Goods Park, Commerce City, CO

Set 1:

1. The Moma Dance >
2. Chalk Dust Torture
3. Mike's Song >
4. Wingsuit >
5. Weekapaug Groove
6. Party Time
7. Bathtub Gin
8. Split Open and Melt
9. Tube >
10. Character Zero

Ark: Lately

Two musical worlds collided when Alper Tuzcu (Istanbul, Turkey) and Danielle Angeloni (Dallas, TX) teamed up at Berklee College of Music in Valencia to from an experimental Eastern European and Traditional Jazz duo.

They named themselves Ark and Lately, the title track from their debut EP, is an intricate song that could take the latte crowd by surprise. Easy on the ears, but also filled with a bunch of twists and turns to satisfy the musos.

Lately is a self-released single. Buy it from iTunes.

» arkmusicduo.com

David Bowie: "Fifty-Two Years: The Complete Singles"

Every single David Bowie released throughout his career has been rounded up for an unauthorized 12CD set, compiled by a guy who goes by the alias Blank Frank. Collector's site Willard's Wormholes:

Not long after David Bowie passed, our pal Blank Frank proposed this Complete Singles project… then spent the next two months turning the idea into an incredibly overwhelming reality. What you have here is 209 tracks, almost two gigs of material, with embedded 45 cover art, that chronologically documents all of David Bowie’s singles output during his fifty-two year career.

Phish 2016 Summer tour SBD + torrents: 2016/09/03 Commerce City

Official Dick's Sporting Goods Park poster by Drew Millward

Phish
2016/09/03
Dick's Sporting Goods Park, Commerce City, CO

Set 1:

1. Slave to the Traffic Light
2. Down with Disease
3. What's the Use? >
4. Maze
5. Farmhouse
6. 555
7. Wolfman's Brother
8. Divided Sky
9. Rock and Roll

Suzanne Jarvie: on tour in the UK & Ireland

photo: Jason van Bruggen

Canadian singer-songwriter Suzanne Jarvie will be on tour in the UK & Ireland. She will be accompanied by her keyboard player/producer Hugh Chris Brown, Kate Fenner and Tony Scherr.

Live dates:

• 09/21 London, United Kingdom @ Locally Sourced London (free show)
• 09/22 Kilkenny, Ireland @ John Cleere's Bar & Theatre,
• 09/23 Carlow, Ireland @ VISUAL Centre for Contemporary Art and The George Bernard Shaw Theatre
• 09/25 Kilkenny, Ireland @ Private House Concert
• 09/27 Monaghan, Ireland @ House Concert (email Kieran Mc Guigan)
• 09/30 Ballincollig, Ireland @ The White Horse
• 10/03 Ballymore Eustace, Ireland @ Ballymore Acoustic Gigs - Mick Murphy's Bar
• 10/05 London, UK @ Aces & Eights

» suzannejarvie.com

HCTF review of Spiral Road.

The Claypool Lennon Delirium: full pro-shot show @ The Fillmore, Philadephia, PA

Watch pro-shot footage of The Claypool Lennon Delirium perform @ The Fillmore, Philadephia, PA - 2016/08/31.

Setlist:

1. There's No Underwear in Space (taped intro)
2. Thela Hun Ginjeet (King Crimson cover)
3. Cricket and the Genie (Movement I, The Delirium)
4. Cricket and the Genie (Movement II, Oratorio Di Cricket)
5. Breath of a Salesman
6. The Monolith of Phobos
7. Heart of the Sunrise (Yes cover)
8. Cosmic Highway (The Les Claypool Frog Brigade cover)
9. Boomerang Baby
10. The Mollusk (Ween cover with Dean Ween)
11. Mr. Wright
12. In the Court of the Crimson King (King Crimson cover)
13. Astronomy Domine (Pink Floyd cover)
14. Captain Lariat
15. Tomorrow Never Knows (The Beatles cover)

Phish 2016 Summer tour SBD + torrents: 2016/09/02 Commerce City

Official Dick's Sporting Goods Park poster by Drew Millward

Phish
2016/09/02
Dick's Sporting Goods Park, Commerce City, CO

Set 1:

1. Ghost
2. No Men In No Man's Land
3. Breath and Burning
4. Undermind
5. Heavy Things
6. Stash
7. Ass Handed[1]
8. The Wedge
9. Alaska >
10. 46 Days

John Cale: keynote speaker @ POP Montreal International Music Festival

John Cale will act as a keynote speaker POP Montreal International Music Festival at the Musée des Beaux Arts (Maxwell Cummings Auditorium) on September 23.

He performs at POP Montreal International Music Festival at the Théâtre Rialto (Salle St-Ambroise) on September 22. Support act is Canadian singer Helena Deland.

» John Cale on Facebook
» John Cale tour dates

(thanks: Marek Koudelka)

XAD: A Distorted World History

Grunge rockers XAD (eXtreme Attention Disorder) have trouble staying in tune - the vocals are an acquired taste - but their fierce DIY approach has its charms. Their new EP A Distorted World History aims high, gets off the ground, and goes down in flames.

The Swedish-Dutch band who have made Haarlem their homebase, a city that is mostly associated with clean cut people with a near perfect command of the Dutch language, but, if you look more closely, also a safe haven for a lively underground scene. XAD in its various lineups is one of the loudest voices. They sound dirty and don't care if you like them, because somebody else will.

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds: "Jesus Alone" video

Watch the new Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds video for Jesus Alone. Taken from the One More Time With Feeling film, documenting the creation of the new album Skeleton Tree. The film will be screened in select theaters on September 8, the album will be released on September 9.

» nickcave.com
» onemoretimewithfeeling.film

Lost Bear: Inside The Dragon

Dutch eclectic indie quintet Lost Bear are musical omnivores. Dreamy shoegaze, hardcore, cheesy electro, rock, noise, grunge, it's all there on their new massive double album Inside The Dragon. Some of the songs are mere snippets - the static driven Radiohead inspired Nos Photos Parlantes is all over after 32 seconds, segueing seamlessly into the distorted mayhem of Electric Utopia (think Nirvana getting into a barefisted fight with Sonic Youth).

Inside The Dragon is like a towering chest of drawers, with each drawer containing a surprise: a hardhitting Inflatable Jesus, a hook driven Nineties rocker like Sugarheart (Diabetic For A Week) or a peek into the Britpop from Hell Garden Of Nettles.

Avant-garde in Hebden Bridge: Takeyari Shunta + The Clog Hunt Occasional Collapsing Knitting Society

A promising double will for the regular avant-garde music happenings @ The Nutclough Tavern on Keighley Road in Hebden Bridge. On September 25th Japanese acoustic guitar player Takeyari Shunta and The Clog Hunt Occasional Collapsing Knitting Society (Colin Robinoson and Michael Linden West) will provide sets of adventurous music. Arcane devices might be used as extra noise makers. Free entry (donations welcome).