Singer-songwriter Drew Danburry wrote a deceptively upbeat song about running away from toxicity. for his folk rock band Icarus Phoenix. Choke finds him breathing freely again and the relief is almost palpable. As per usual the track is also available as a solo acoustic version, which is actually far more intense than the full band version.
Mancunian indie quartet Westside Cowboy take it easy on their new single Dobro, settling for a rollicking backbeat with a few Velvet Underground-inspired guitar licks on top. This is the kind of song that could accompany a leisurely stroll by the band members on a Friday night, looking for a bit of action and maybe even an adventure. A bit of well-executed posturing can mask insecurity pretty well.
On September 25 Live Arles 1975, the seventh installment of the official series of CAN live bootleg recordings, will be released on via Spoon Records (2LP, CD, digital) and distributed via Mute. A long time fan favourite will now be part of the official discography.
Widely regarded as one of their finest performances, even by the band members themselves, this concert took place at the Roman Théâtre Antique in Arles. The lineup consisted of the core four members: Schmidt, Michael Karoli, Jaki Liebezeit and Holger Czukay. The band played as part of a festival that included other artists such as Nico and Kevin Ayers.
Brighton based sextet Opus Kink have been fighting off pigeonholing from the get go, serving up a spicy mix of of New Wave, punk. Tex-Mex guitar, jazz, vaudeville, art rock blues and pop. Their new full-length The Sweet Goodbye could have been quadruple LP if they had sticked to one genre per song. Luckily they didn't do that, because their steadfast refusal to play by the rules is what makes them stand out.
Try picturing Sparks, Tom Waits, the B-52s, Pixies, the Clash and Nick Cave having a sleepover and stumble into the studio slightly hung over for an inspired session wherein songs about politics, partying and telling people to piss off get equal billing.
Beat bring 80s King Crimson to North America again with lengthy Fall tour. Adrian Belew (guitar, vocals), Steve Vai (guitar), Tony Levin (bass) and Zappa alumnus Terry Bozzio (replacing Danny Carey who is needed by his main band Tool) on drums, will spice up the setlist with a couple of Crimson tracks from the 90s.
