Frank Black (a.k.a. Black Francis) performed at the London Palladium on February 6, 2025 as part of the anniversary tour for his Teenager of the Year, album. The Pixies frontman played the album in full, as well as five tracks from his self-titled debut album. The show is being released as a 3LP (2200 copies) and 2CD (1300 copies) for Black Friday (November 27).
Tuscon, AZ based alt-rock trio Female Gaze throw a spanner in the works to kick off their linea nigra. The short instrumental the future is already hurting me starts with birdsong and takes a sharp left with a power chord that sounds almost Shirley Bassey's Goldfinger segueing into morose, pondering bass part setting the stage for the title track, a meandering track with just a hint of Tex Mex.
They are not afraid to push repetition to the limit, creating tension and only offering release when it suits them. Female Gaze create their own safe spaces and don't welcome outside visitors with open arms. A song like mamaya may contain surf elements, but its undertow is treacherous, with singer Nelene DeGuzman acting a captivating indie rock siren. This is an album that is an emotional roadmap and the sign-posted song titles along the way make it clear that some of the destinations are not particularly wholesome. Get on board and get lost.
London neo-goth quartet Mouth Ulcers took one half of The Cure (going as far as namechecking their Head on the Door album) and one half of the Sisters of Mercy for their new single Lady Rust, about an undead women turned vampire who is adamant to kick out all the folks who dare to venture into her Manor House. Everything around her falls apart, because stuff ages while she doesn't. The band's bass heavy take on late '80s early '90s imagery will strike a chord with disgruntled emo teens of all ages.
Singer-songwriter J.M. Hart has posted a video for Tell Me Your Story, a track from his Headwaters album: "Hart keeps it deceptively straightforward, using the tone of his guitar to capture the various moods and no frills lyrics that cut to the chase."
» rowjimmy.net
» J.M. Hart on Bandcamp
HCTF review of Headwaters
An expanded version of the 1971 film Jimi Plays Berkeley will be shown at The Regent Theatre in Arlington on October 22. It features extra 15 minutes of previously unseen footage from the shows at the Berkeley Community Theatre on May 30, 1970, showing bits the Jimi Hendrix Experience performing Voodoo Child (Slight Return), Machine Gun and Hear My Train A Comin'.
