Amsterdam based art-rock band Labasheeda had to reschedule their special instant crowdfunding show at Zaal 100 in their hometown on May 16 for their new album. The venue was unusuable after some serious water damage. New date: June 6. Expect many guest players and a VJ. They will perforem two sets and the album can be purchased right there and then.
I've always liked a very dry snare and, like everyone else, a very dry bass drum.
Nick Mason
Liverpudlian musician Rob Clarke keeps melodic pop music alive on his new album Opiope, ten songs that are both fresh and timeless. Backed by his mates from The Wooltones he leads the listener through early rock 'n' roll, 60s psychedelic pop and 80s indie, always keeping a firm grip with one hand on the steering wheel and pointing the other one to the subjects he is singing about. Generally speaking life has been treating him not that bad, with some serious bumps along the way, giving him the inspiration and lyrical depth to write songs that dig deep, even when he sings about a very mundane thing like having lunch and shuffling papers (At The Office).
Clarke is a craftsman, with a pretty good ear for harmonies plus the knowledge when a song needs a full-blown arrangement (Everything That's Good) or a stripped down approach - he turned down his voice to a whisper for the album's title track. It was a good choice to end the album with a cover, Fran Ashcroft's Blue Over You, to alert listeners to the fact that he is not the only current Scouser who can spin an ace tune.
Experimental avant-funk metal trio Primus have released a new EP, A Handful of Nuggs. It contains the previously released singles Little Lord Fentanyl and the live version of Duchess and the Proverbial Mind Spread, recorded @ The Mann Center in Philadelphia on May 15, 2015, plus the brand new The Ol' Grizz and a cover of Dio's Holy Diver, sung by Puddles Pity Party.
New Wave band Fischer-Z have launched a podcast to tie in with their 50th anniversary. In Episode 10 John Watts looks back on the recording of the Morethanmusic album. Special attention for the Heart of New York and Perfect Timing songs. And he discusses the new album X-Ray Serenade, due for release on September 4th 2026.
