Weinf: Purple Bird and Other Strange Songs

Weinf from Barcelona sounds a lot older and wiser than he actually is. He calls his songs psychedelic jazzy rock and that make sense if you are looking for the missing link between Nick Cave and Jonathan Spottiswoode. His new album Purple Bird and Other Strange Songs is a trippy affair, with occasional washes of distorted guitar, but first and foremost driven by keyboards about halfway Alan Price and Steve Winwood.

Weinf is both a balladeer and a dead serious musical jester. With songs like the bold The Absence of a God Has Made Me Free, the sexy come hither The Finest Woman I Have Ever Met and the claustrophobic Kafka On The Shore he shows his talent as a lyricists. He can wrap his criticism in poetry. It won't soften the blow of his attacks on the establishment. He has uncanny knack for swing, which his uses for both his music and his proverbial fists.

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds: "Steve McQueen" video

Watch the new Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds video for Steve McQueen. Taken from the One More Time With Feeling film, documenting the creation of the Skeleton Tree album. The documentary is now available on DVD and Blu-ray.

They will be on tour in UK, Europe & Israel in September, October and November. They will be playing at huge arenas, some of them with so-so acoustics.

Live dates:

• 09/24 Bournemouth UK @ Bournemouth International Centre
• 09/25 Manchester, UK @ Arena
• 09/27 Glasgow, UK @ The SSE Hydro
• 09/28 Nottingham, UK @ Motorpoint Arena
• 09/30 London, UK @ The O2

Inbetween Colours: Find My Ways

Spring is here and the need for a sunny side up single is taken care of by Dutch indie pop band Inbetween Colours. Find My Ways takes its time to build up to an Eighties inspired friendly battle between synths and guitar on top of a tugging bass line and rock drums. Lead singer Geert van Bemmelen is careful not to cross the line between passion and pathos. Recommended if you like the early Simple Minds. File under borderline mainstream indie pop.

Find My Ways is a self-released single and available on a wide variety of streaming and download platforms.

Ride: "Charm Assault" video

Watch the new Ride video for Charm Assault, after a concept by Anton Newcombe and Jean de Oliveira. The shoegaze legends return with Weather Diaries (June 17 on Wichita Recordings), their first full-length in 22 years.

Live dates:

• 07/17 Toronto, ON @ Massey Hall
• 07/19 Boston, MA @ Royale
• 07/20 New York, NY @ Terminal 5
• 07/22 Philadelphia, PA @ TLA
• 07/23 Washington, DC @ Sixth & I
• 07/13-07/16 Benicàssim, Spain @ Festival Internacional de Benicàssim

» Ride on Facebook

Cybernetic Witch Cult: Troglodithic Trip

BEST OF 2017
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HCTF

Cybernetic Witch Cult, a doom rock trio from Cornwall, have been flying under the radar for a couple of years, gigging endlessly and treating their fans to lengthy sc-fi stoner rock songs about nuclear doom and pagan lore. Their new album Troglodithic Trip is a throwback to their demo showcase Morlock Rock - they re-recorded four songs - plus two brand new tunes. Play the albums back to back and it is obvious that they have grown a lot. New drummer Lewis May's ambidextrous, metronomic style gives singer/guitarist Alex Wyld and bass player Kale Deane a rock solid foundation to let rip. They play loud, take plenty of risks, and have a dark sense of humour that is pretty rare in their chosen genre, like showing Slim Pickens' portrayal of Major Kong in Dr. Strangelove riding on an atom bomb when they play Nuclear Sunset.

All the arcane imagery can't hide the fact that they are a serious lot who are setting their sights on reaching the bigger stages. Stoner rock will never be as huge as trash metal or hard rock - the progressiv@ element gets in the way, but Cybernetic Witch Cult deserve their band name in big letters on the posters of the metal festival circuit.

Colin Robinson & Iain Taylor: two Doggerland shows

Avant-gardists Colin Robinson (Jumble Hole Clough) and Iain Taylor bring back their Doggerland duo for two performances in Hebden Bridge (Friday 7th April and Saturday 13th May). From Robinson's Facebook:

As we haven’t played for a year, we thought we’d better have a rehearsal tonight. And it was good; we remembered the songs… We even remembered the Mesopotamian song that is 3,500 years old and is sung in Sumerian.

Words about music (438): Morrissey

Whether it be Beyonce or Justin Bieber, we see singers who have absolutely nothing to offer anyone as they walk off stage clutching three Grammys in each hand.

Morrissey

Little Person: Perfect Girls

Pop-rock duo Little Person have saved the best for the final single from their forthcoming EP I Feel Fine (out on April 3rd). Perfect Girls is a pocket symphony, a blend of jazz and superb West Coast pop that could be mistaken for a long lost Beach Boys song.

Tempo changes are handled with ease and Anton Patzner's violin gives the song a classical feel. They worked hard on this one, especially on the harmonies. There is no such thing as a perfect pop single, but they come damn close.

Palmsy: Ambulance

photo: Ben Houdijk

Dutch indie quartet Palmsy sing about about the perennial theme of a girl walking out on one of the band members on their debut single Ambulance. It is an upbeat song that lacks the finesse of the Arctic Monkeys or the swagger The Strokes, but it will get their audience moving during a live show. A bit more rough-around-the-edges garage rock would be a good idea. Also: turn up the bass while they are at it.

Billy Moon: I W K

The new Billy Moon single I W K (I Wanna Know) sounds like a 7" that was stored in a drawer for a couple of decades, gathering dust and a few scratches. The Hamilton band honour the production values of vintage garage rock: basic hooks, some fuzz, and the vocals smack in the middle of the mix. This is a band that can put teenage angst and boredom to good use. Instantly hummable rock 'n' roll that deserves a proper vinyl release.

Primus: tour dates

Experimental avant-funk metal trio Primus have a busy schedule: two USA tours and they swing through Europe in between. Clutch is the support act for the second leg of the USA tour in July and august.

USA dates (1st leg):

• 05/15 Boulder, C0 @ Fox Theater
• 05/16 Morrison, CO @ Red Rocks (w/ The Claypool Lennon Delirium)
• 05/19 Des Moines, IA @ Hoyt Sherman Place
• 05/20 Grand Rapids, MI @ Monroe Live
• 05/21 Columbus, OH @ Rock On The Range Festival
• 05/23 Birmingham, AL @ Iron City
• 05/24 Asheville, NC @ Highlands Brewing Co
• 05/26-28 Chillicothe, IL @ Summer Camp Festival

Kim Janssen: Cousins

photo: Isolde Woudstra

Dutch singer-songwriter Kim Janssen alternates between grandiose, orchestral songs, and full blown power ballads on his new album Cousins. The songs are wrapped in luscious string arrangements that might have baffled a less blessed vocalist. Janssen packs a flawless falsetto, can drop down to almost a whisper, but relies mostly on his storytelling range.

Cousins is a travelogue, with songs dealing with minor events that happened close to home or a wild night during the Loi Krathong festival. Janssen is getting older and in a contemplative mood. He is a seeker right now, looking for answers about the meaning of life, political turmoil and where to turn for some sound advice. This is an album that depicts his inner wanderings. He offers no definite answers, because there aren't any. As long as he transfer his thoughts to songs that manage to sound intimate even during the heavily orchestrated bits, he succeeded in starting a conversation through music.

Cover Me: ...And Justice For All

Watch Umphrey's McGee tackle the Metallica classic ...And Justice For All. Drummer Kris Myers handles the vocals. Recorded live @ The Fox Theater in Oakland, CA - March 11, 2017.

» umphreys.com

Amber Kamminga: Star-Crossed Lovers

Country lovers should be thankful to whomever caused the wrath of Dutch country singer Amber Kamminga. Her debut EP Star-Crossed Lovers is a blend of soul-searching and real anger, caused by a relationship that didn't work out. lead single Getting To Know You took a humorous swipe at Tinder dates, but she is not joking when she calls the unnamed protagonist a Liar and she is now actually Fine Without You.

Kamminga sings like she was born and raised in Nashville - crystal clear with a slight twang. She is the kind of artist who gets up quickly after being hurt, ready to retaliate through her music.

Wolf Solent: EP//IV

As per usual the release of a new Wolf Solent EP happens in March. Multi-instrumentalist Danny Trew Barton always sounds like he is never in a hurry, handing out his lo-fi shoegaze psychedelica to a growing fan base, who want more of the same, but with a few cherries om top that might catch them off guard. On EP///IV he is part Nick Drake and Bert Jansch on one side, and part Todd Tobias on the other.

Barton is a gentle impressionist, conjuring up imaginary worlds through textures and sound effects. His voice is buried even further in the mix, like he is singing under water. Decent headphones or a good set of speakers are essential to fully appreciate every nook and cranny of Barton's music.

Leslie Mendelson: Love and Murder

photo: Mary Ellen Matthews

Singer and multi-instrumentalist Leslie Mendelson showed some promise on her 2009 debut album Swan Feathers, but she went silent for nearly a decade. Now she is back with Love and Murder, an album with original ballads and a smattering of covers. Sadness has found way in to her vocals. Her friend and producer Joel Dorn died, plus she lost her label and management deal.

The string of bad things happening in her personal life resulted into a darker and far more mature album. She can plead during Murder Me or dream of getting away from it all in Coney Island (with a piano bit that resembles Billy Joel's Goodnight Saigon). Mendelson can safely rely on her voice to carry the tune. Grateful Dead legend Bob Weir noticed that too and he joins her for a cover of Roy Orbinson's Blue Bayou, sticking close to the version that was laid down by Linda Ronstadt.

Emporium: Dead In Bed

Ewan McKenzie's psychedelic pop project Emporium is back with a new EP, Dead In Bed. The three storytelling songs are loosely connected by a theme: being afraid of the dark and the nightmares that may come knocking during the night. McKenzie's signature keyboards can be soothing, scary, and deceptively joyous during Thin Yellow Dogs. He somehow managed to update the fairy tale pop sound of the Sixties with an early Eighties synth gloss.

McKenzie doesn't care about fads or being hip and happening. As a true Scotsman he cuts his own path, a twisting and turning claim to the right of way. Listeners are free to follow his whim or get lost in the process. One thing is for sure: it is interesting trip.

Deleyaman filiming a live DVD @ Le Clos des Fées

photo: Azam Ali

The Deleyaman shows at Le Clos des Fées will be filmed for a future DVD release. The lover, The stars & The citadel, the latest album by the French dark wave duo will get a vinyl release on April 4th thru Sonic Rendezvous.

Thurston Moore: new album "Rock n Roll Consciousness", stream "Smoke Of Dreams"

A new Thurston Moore album, Rock n Roll Consciousness, will be released on April 28th. Lead single Smoke Of Dreams is rather subdued and melancholic - a far cry from the noise rock with Sonic Youth.

The album was recorded at the The Church studio's in London, with Deb Googe (My Bloody Valentine, Snowpony) on bass, James Sedwards (Nøught, Chrome Hoof) on guitar and Steve Shelley (Sonic Youth, Crucifucks) on drums.

Phish: Additional Summer & Dick's Labor Day Weekend Shows

photo: Brantley Gutierrez © Phish 2016

Phish Have just announced few more Summer dates, in addition to their Baker's Dozen shows at MSG in New York: a 3-night stand in Chicago, one-nighters in Dayton and Pittsburgh, and 3-night Dick's Sporting Goods Park for their seventh annual Labor Day Weekend run in Commerce City, CO.

Words about music (437): Vernon Reid

As far as guitar goes, it's weird to have such a challenging activity in my life for so long - I love it. It kicks my ass every day.

Vernon Reid

The Steepwater Band: European Spring tour

photo: Jon Usual

Chicago blues rock quartet The Steepwater Band will be on route in Europe in May, playing in countries they have never been before. A second trip to Europe might happen later this year. Their studio albums are pretty damn good, but they kill on stage,

Dakota Shakedown: Hurry up and Wait + Pasadena '68: Happy to be Next to You

In 2015 four musicians from Minneapolis from two different bands released a shared double-EP. waht made it special that both bands - Dakota Shakedown and Pasadena '68 consisted of the same members, but they switched instruments.

Now they are back with a new double A-side single: Hurry up and Wait (Dakota Shakedown) b/w Happy to be Next to You (Pasadena '68). The former comes close to country rock and the latter is a mix of Americana and indie rock. It's the little things that sets these two bands apart: guitar tone, timing, and the obvious one - the vocals. The bands are joined at the hip, but they look at different things. Buy one, get one free.

Kim Janssen: Dynasty

Dutch singer-songwriter Kim Janssen has released Dynasty. another single from his forthcoming new album Cousins. It sounds a lot bigger than his previous one Gouldians. Janssen takes on brass and strings, building a carefully orchestrated song. Marla Hansen adds a bit of extra colour with her backing vocals.

Spottiswoode: shows in Germany w./ Matti Müller & NYC w/ His Enemies

NYC based English singer-songwriter Spottiswoode has a gig in Hildesheim on March 25th. He will be sharing the stage with Matti Müller. The show is part of the Honky Tonk Festival.

ON May 11th Spottiswoode & His Enemies will perform a hometown show @ Rockwood 2 in New York.

Chuck Berry: 1926-2017

Chuck Berry, the most influential rock 'n' roll pioneer ever, is dead at 90. He wrote songs that went far beyond the Moon-June crap and made the electric guitar sing, seduce, moan and weep. “Johnny B. Goode,” "Carol,“ Too Much Monkey Business,” “Brown Eyed Handsome Man,” "Little Queenie,", "No Particular Place To Go," "Sweet Little Sixteen", "Roll Over Beethoven”, "Maybellene," "Memphis," You Never Can Tell," “Rock and Roll Music” the list goes on and on. Keith Richards summed it up perfectly:

To me, Chuck Berry always was the epitome of rhythm and blues playing, rock and roll playing. It was beautiful, effortless, and his timing was perfection. He is rhythm supreme. He plays that lovely double-string stuff, which I got down a long time ago, but I’m still getting the hang of. Later I realized why he played that way–because of the sheer physical size of the guy. I mean, he makes one of those big Gibsons look like a ukulele!

False Heads: Comfort Consumption

photo: Gregory Hesse-Wagner

London garage punk rock trio False Heads slow down a bit on their new single Comfort Consumption. They had trouble fitting in all the syllables, messing up the metre on a couple of occasions, but as a first foray into slower songs it is not half bad.

Comfort Consumption is a track from their debut EP Gutter Press. The EP can be streamed in full on Soundcloud.

DeVotchKa: tour dates

Denver band DeVotchKa will perform two special shows in New York, donating all proceeds to ACLU. On April 6 they set sail with Gogol Bordello on the Liberty Belle to Ellis Island. The next night they hit the stage at the Mercury Lounge.

Mike Keneally & Beer For Dolphins: no Woodstock show

Guitarist and keyboardist Mike Keneally won't be playing at the Bearsville Theater in Woodstock on April 4th with his Beer For Dolphins sidemen (Bryan Beller on bass and Joe Travers on drums).

Live dates:

• 03/31 Kennett Flash - Kennett Square, PA
• 04/01 New Jersey Proghouse @ Roxy & Dukes - Dunellen, NJ
• 04/02 The Iridium - NYC, NY
• 04/03 The Iridium - NYC, NY
• 04/05 The Falcon - Marlboro, NY
• 04/07 The Guitar Sanctuary - McKinney, TX

» keneally.com

HCTF review of Scambot 2 + Inkling

Prints Jackson: ‘Til Death Do Us Part

UK pop artist Prints Jackson has put up the final episode of "one new song each month till the day I die" project. ‘Til Death Do Us Part is a ballad that asks a lot questions, but offers no answers.

And don’t you ever wonder what makes up the universes soul for I don’t see it in the people who think they have control and I’ve come to ask ‘where do I finish and you start ?

‘Til Death Do Us Part is a self-released single. Buy it (pay-what-you-want) from his website.

» printsjackson.com

HCTF review of Do the Feynmanr.

Trip to Dover: Fade Into Gold

Dutch electronic rock duo Trip to Dover go for an in-your-face sound on their new record Fade Into Gold. Preceded by two singles - Boy and I'll Be Juillet - it now becomes clear that the predominant theme of the album is grief. They could have crawled into a corner only to emerge with a set of soft-spoken songs, but Olga and Johannes Taal go for the exact opposite. They looked their demons in the eyes and decided to scare them off with a bunch of uptempo songs that celebrate life and commemorate their loved ones with defiant songs like The Birth Of A Hero and the title track.

Producer Martijn Groeneveld was on board to guide them to a dark, yet catchy overall sound - which is pretty rare in their niche. And what if they had gone for the aforementioned intimate approach? The acoustic "backstage" version of Boy offers a glimpse of what could have been. Pretty cool to hear, but it's the synth driven New Wave meets dance sound of the Eighties that makes Trip to Dover one of Holland's most interesting underground acts.

The Saxophones: "If You're on the Water" comes to vinyl, "New Tradition" video

If You're on the Water , the debut EP by Oakland based husband and wife folk duo The Saxophones, will be re-released as a 7" single on UK label Full Time Hobby. They have made a video for one of tracks, New Tradition. The clip was directed by Connor R. Burke.

The Residents: "Ghost Of Hope" intro video

Evasive avant-garde ensemble The Residents have made an introductory video for their new album Ghost Of Hope. It's about trains, or more accurately, train accidents. The album will be released on March 24 on CD (Cherry Red Records) and vinyl (Psychofon Records).

They will be performing two shows a day at the Blue Note in Tokyo during a 3-night stand, their first concerts in Japan in 30 years.

Liz & the Lovelies: Progress Into Simplicity

Chicago band Liz & the Lovelies consider modern day technology as a blessing and a curse on their concept EP Progress Into Simplicity. Connecting with like minded people has become much easier, but it is often no more than skin deep and misunderstandings have lead to disintegration.

The EP is an amalgam of analog sounds and electronics, with the former winning hands down. Standout track The Sky is Falling should be more than a footnote in the Great American Songbook. Liz Chidester brings home the bacon with schooled vocal pyrotechnics, while Kristina Priceman rides shotgun with her violin. Title track Progress Into Simplicity suffers from an ill-advised harsh drum and bass parts that tear apart the gentle fabric of the vocals and synths.

Deleyaman: "Galaxy" video

Watch the new Deleyaman video for Galaxy, a track from their latest album The lover, The stars & The citadel, which will get a vinyl release on April 4th thru Sonic Rendezvous.

Will Whisson: Age of Wonder

It's tempting to pigeonhole UK singer-songwriter Will Whisson as yet another hipster with an acoustic guitar, the kind who wears out his welcome within about half a song or so. Listen more closely and discover his command of his chosen instrument, playing rhythm and melody, plus his lyrics go far beyond unreachable representatives of the fairer sex.

His stint as a member of indie pop band Electric River left him with a grab bag of infectious hooks and the confidence to go solo. His new EP Age of Wonder switches from a harp driven acoustic version of the Undertones (Tablelands) to the sad title track that offers a glimmer of hope. Whisson's nasal vocals could be an acquired taste fro fans of middle-of-road pop lovers, but they are a good fit for his serious brand of DIY indie folk inklings.

Anna Coogan: Collateral

Cinematic singer and guitar player Anna Coogan has released another track from her forthcoming new album The Lonely Cry of Space and Time. Collateral rotates around a Chris Isaac-inspired guitar riff and is another showcase for her vocal range - operatic rock at his finest.

The album will be released in April (CD, digital). The tracks are about to be re-mastered for the vinyl release. She will hit the road with fellow Ithaca, NY citizen Willie B (drums and bass moog).

Cover Me: Dear Mr. Fantasy

Watch the Davey Knowles Band tackle the Traffic classic Dear Mr. Fantasy with Steepwater Band guitarists Jeff Massey & Eric Saylors. Recorded live @ Callahan's in Auburn Hills, MI - March 10, 2017.

» davyknowles.com
» steepwater.com

The Kitchen Spring Gala Benefit honouring John Cale and Lawrence Weiner

The Kitchen Spring Gala Benefit will honour John Cale and conceptual artist Lawrence Weiner with a concert and food on April 17th. Confirmed artists so far: Joan As Police Woman and Jonathan Richman.

The Kitchen
512 West 19th Street
New York, NY 10011

Tickets go on sale on March 15th.

» John Cale on Facebook
» Lawrence Weiner on Wikipedia

Moon Moon Moon: Help! Help!

Moon Moon Moon, the experimental one-man project from Dutch multi-instrumentalist Mark Lohmann resides at the crossroads of soundscapes and storytelling folk songs. His new album Help! Help! is a study in contrasts. Gentle folk melodies get buried in static and beeps and purrs and scary drones give way to pastoral, neo-psychedelic folk pop excursions. This collection of songs demands undivided attention. Lohmann paints with sounds and it's not that hard to picture him in his home studio, trying to get the effects that he is searching for.

Help! Help! is like a postcard from another reality. Lohmann invites the listener to come visit him there. It isn't exactly safe over there, but that makes it only more interesting. Prepare for an exhausting but fulfilling journey, that needs to revisited many times to notice all the dangers and sights that are hidden in the music.

o.ccult: Elephants

Elephants, the new single by Israeli experimental duo o.ccult, is a multifaceted composition. Starting out as a down tempo electronic track it switches to borderline pop, Krautrock, a bit of Tom Waits-inspired instrumentation (albeit from a laptop) and back to the original down tempo. It fits the lyrics, a nightmare about failing to escape from a city that has turned into Hell.

The Bullfight: "That Man" video

Dutch folk noir band The Bullfight have made a video for That Man, the second single from their forthcoming new album Shame, Guilt, Deception – individuals chapter I. It's a modern vaudeville song about defiance and self-doubt.

The album will be released on May 8th on Brandy Alexander Recordings as a 2CD set. The second disc will contain their long out of print album One Was A Snake.

David Crosby discussing his acoustic guitar collection

Watch David Crosby talking about his guitar collection in an interview with Acoustic Guitar Magazine. Bittersweet memories about his "1939 Herringbone he traded for “substances” during his years in the grips of a $1,000-a-day cocaine and heroin addiction".

Little Person: Somebody Said

Pop-rock duo Little Person go all out with their new joyous single. Somebody Said is a fairy tale wrapped in poetic metaphors, including a discussion between a ferret and a rabbit. Think Lewis Caroll providing the lyrics for an underground Sixties single. It will be released on their I Feel Fine (out on April 3rd).

Mike Keneally & Beer For Dolphins: tour dates

Guitarist and keyboardist Mike Keneally takes his Beer For Dolphins on the road for a short East Coast tour. Bryan Beller is on bass and Joe Travers is on drums.

Live dates:

• 03/31 Kennett Flash - Kennett Square, PA
• 04/01 New Jersey Proghouse @ Roxy & Dukes - Dunellen, NJ
• 04/02 The Iridium - NYC, NY
• 04/03 The Iridium - NYC, NY
• 04/04 Bearsville Theater - Woodstock, NY
• 04/05 The Falcon - Marlboro, NY
• 04/07 The Guitar Sanctuary - McKinney, TX

Chinup: Shine Bright Like A Diamond

photo: Hester den Boer

Amsterdam indie band Chinup have the nerve to kick off their album proclaiming that "it's all down hill from here". They are wrong about that. Shine Bright Like A Diamond is a celebration of jangling pop songs about the supernatural, the art of seduction, verified sellers, card games and different tastes in music. Recorded in one go at Jan Schenk's studio the album sounds like the band is performing right in front of the listener, with happy mistakes and all.

They are lo-fi by design and swimming next to the mainstream. Some of the songs could be mistaken for a long lost Television demo (The Book Of Revelations), an Alex Chilton solo song (We're Not Moving) or a Pixies B-side (The Art Of Trickery). Also: kudos for reviving the Neue Welle by including a song in German. Die Regeln des Spiels should be included on a mixtape when you are heading South down the Autobahn on your way to Switzerland of Italy.

Hayseed Dixie: tour dates

Rock grass quartet Hayseed Dixie have posted their tour itinerary - 50 shows and counting. More shows in Europe will be added soon.

USA dates:

• 03/30 Newport, Kentucky @ Southgate House
• 03/31 Lexington, Kentucky @ Willie’s Locally Known
• 04/01 Columbus, Ohio @ Woodlands Tavern
• 04/02 Westland, Michigan @ Token Lounge
• 04/05 Nashville, Tennessee @ Exit/In
• 04/06 Atlanta, Georgia @ Smith’s Olde Bar
• 04/07 Charleston, South Carolina @ Charleston Pour House
• 04/08 Brooksville, Florida @ StringBreak Festival

The Venisons: The Venisons EP

The Venisons embraced old school sounds on their self-titled debut EP. Touching base with Loaded-era Velvet Underground (Water) and psychedelic bubblegum pop (Blackhole) the quintet from Santa Ana, CA bring a touch of Spring to the speakers. Eduardo Rivas, Jr sounds a bit like a indie pop version of Rennie Sparks from the Handsome Family and Lindsay Hopkins has the relaxed delivery that is associated with the hippies that took over Laurel Canyon back in the day, most notably when she goes folk during Heart.

Viejo has zero change of being played at the Trump residence, but this is how the Modern Lovers would have sounded like if they had been Mexican. The Venisons is the kind of band you want to hear play on the porch for hours on end. Superb sunset not included.

The Pearl Harts: "Hit The Bottle" video

London duo garage rock duo The Pearl Harts have made a video for their latest single Hit The Bottle. The clip was directed by Sean Robinson who came with a concept of basic B&W visuals that don't get in the way of the energetic rock posturing.

Deep Purple: "All I Got Is You" video

Watch the new Deep Purple video, a track form their forthcoming new album inFinite. All their signature elements are in place, with a memorable Don Airey organ solo as the best bit. They will be on tour in Europe and North America (w/ Alice Cooper and special guest The Edgar Winter Band).

» deeppurple.com

Words about music (436): Robert Fripp

Now, if King Crimson accepts responsibility for innovating its own tradition, you can't accept responsibility for the audience. And there is an enormous tangible weight of expectation, which comes from an audience attending a King Crimson concert.

Robert Fripp

Triggerfinger: festival dates

Belgian power trio Triggerfinger are out of hibernation and have just announced three festival dates. More to come.

Live dates:

• 05/15 Grimaud, Belgium @ Harley-Davidson Euro Festival
• 06/23 Madrid, Spain @ Download Festival
• 09/02 Enschede, Netherlands @ Tuckerville

GHXST: Perish

NYC noise shoegaze duo GHXST keep their dark outlook on life fully intact on the new Perish. They heaped lots of distortion and other effects on the vocals and guitar, killing the dynamics and making it sound sluggish. Doom rock is far more effective when the music is served up with a bit more imagination. They got stuck in the same tempo, save for the title track and Summer Moon in which go through hills and valleys for a change.

For the next one they should get hold of an engineer who isn't obsessed with volume and can slap their wrists when they are trying to push up all the faders.

Mike Gordon: 2016/12/03 Atlanta LivePhish release

Phish bass player Mike Gordon took his own band on the road last year for a Winter tour. The show at the Variety Playhouse in Atlanta on December 3 is now available in pristine soundboard quality. He played with Scott Murawski (guitar), Craig Myers (percussion), Robert Walter (keyboards) and John Kimock (drums), focusing on quirky funk with a jazz rock twist.

An evening with the Mike Gordon Band is never boring. Leave it to them to pull off a segue between the Gordon original Cruel World and Harry Nilsson's Everybody’s Talkin’. They like to change up things a bit, laying down a groove that might come off as very accessible but a major challenge to dance to.

Low Horizon: Just Fine b​/​w After Party

Houston, TX lo-fi quartet Low Horizon have just released their single Just Fine b​/​w After Party, nearly half of the song from their forthcoming EP Four Songs too Long. The musical backgrounds of the band members are all over the place, but they share a love for maverick acts like Pavement and Yo La Tengo.

Taking into account that the drummer only recently took up her instrument - she used to be a respected clarinetist - and that the bass player only learned to play the instrument after he had joined the band, it's no wonder that they sound ragged and uneven. The vocals are out of tune pretty much all of the time as well. Still, the songs have an irresistible charm. with some nice hooks and a wavering melody.

Tim De Graaw: Three Black Roses

Tim De Graaw has all the trappings of becoming a major player on this year's summer playlists. His debut EP Three Black Roses is filled with a bit of catchy, mainstream rock with just enough punch and swagger to appeal to the music geek's as well. The slow songs however, are not quite as good.

With two rockers - lead single Ivory and Carry On Easy, and three ballads (Michelangelo, the rather sappy Safety Vest and dude with a guitar performing at a bonfire ditty Oxygen) - he is at the first crossroads in his career and while the latter should get him more sales, he should definitely go for the road leading to rock. With his guitar skills and a voice like that he should not hold back and let rip.

Jumble Hole Clough: Dandelion Radio Session Feb 2017

The songs on Colin Robinson's new Jumble Hole Clough album Dandelion Radio Session Feb 2017 were recorded for Peter Jackson's show on the fiercely eclectic internet radio station. He came up with a series of oddball lyrical snippets with references to Captain Beefheart (Luddenden’s Burning and domestic chores (And The Dust Will Gather On The table). He needed just one repeated line for The Other Room ("Let's go into the other room"). Only a keen observer like Robinson could come up with song title like Streamlined Art Deco Apple for a song about the chayote,

The stand-out track is Neuz Annoyz!, an instrumental that could have been recorded by a nascent Pink Floyd, sounding like it was saved from Joe Meek's Tea Chest Tapes. Robinson rarely repeats himself, but he was obviously enamoured wiht one of the tracks form Live at Northlight Art Studios, 17th December 2016 and decided to have another go at his fishy improvisation and included Like A Cloven Sunfish (Part 2).

Cover Me: Alone Again Or

Listen to Jason Berk tackling the Love classic Alone Again Or. He is joined by singer Rachelle Boyson. It's on his Live At High St. Station album.

» Jason Berk on Facebook

Jazz Is PHSH: He Never Spoke a Word

It makes sense to jazz and funk up the music of Phish. Some of the songs of their vast catalog are within those genres, but it is still a challenge to rearrange it in order to qualify as proper jazz or funk (or both). He Never Spoke a Word, the studio debut by the Jazz Is PHSH collective, is both a labour of love as well as a smart reinvention of the Vermont jamband's output.

Founded by Adam and Matthew Chase the band has been playing for a couple of years with an ever changing lineup, building up a huge list of guest players - two of them were were part of Phish's Giant Country Horns and Cosmic Country Horn phases. They gladly accepted the invitation to play on the record. Opener Ghost sets the tone, with flute, keyboards and saxophone taking turns at supplying the main melody. This "relay race" of musicians is the key for the Jazz IS PHSH approach, a big band where soloists and sections taking turns ate leading the way.

ZAPPATiKA: Newport (Isle of Wight) added to UK tour in April

ZAPPATiKA have a show in Newport (Isle of Wight) to their UK tour. The date in Edinburgh (April 13) feel through, but they will be playing in Glasgow instead. Expect a performance of Zappa music and general freak out stuff happening on stage.

Live dates:

• 04/08 Ashford @ The Attic
• 04/09 London (Camden) @ The Underground
• 04/10 Oxford (Witney) @ Fat Lil's
• 04/11 Exeter @ Phoenix Arts Centre
• 04/12 Northampton @ King Billy Rock Bar
• 04/13 Glasgow @ Grand Electric Theatre
• 04/14 Carlisle @ The Venue
• 04/15 Liverpool @ The Zanzibar Club
• 04/16 Derby @ The Hairy Dog
• 04/17 York @ Fibbers
• 04/18 Barnsley @ The Londoner
• 04/19 Birmingham @ The Roadhouse
• 04/20 Swansea @ The Scene Club
• 04/21 Cheltenham @ Frog & Fiddle
• 04/22 Taunton (Bridgwater) @ Cobblestones
• 04/23 Newport (Isle of Wight) @ The 1st Floor

John Cale: performing @ Latitude Festival in July

John Cale will perform at Latitude Festival in Henham Park, Suffolk on July 15.

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Black Sugar Transmission: The Aughts Vol 6: A Love Child That's Not In Style

NYC singer and guitar ace Andee Blacksugar has released Vol 6 of his Black Sugar Transmission re-recordings for his monthly EP series The Aughts. Vol 6: A Love Child That's Not In Style contains six songs crossing the border between glam and hard rock, It can be bought from his webshop.

The Aughts is a new monthly series of 6-song EP releases. These are brand new re-recordings of songs I originally wrote/recorded on my trusty 4-track machine roughly between 2000 and 2006 (also known as the P*S*K era).

Ride: on tour in North America in July

photo: Andrew Ogilvy

British shoegaze pioneers Ride recently unveiled two songs, their first new material in 20 years, plus a handful of shows in Europe. They will hit North America in July.

Live dates:

• 07/17 Toronto, ON @ Massey Hall
• 07/19 Boston, MA @ Royale
• 07/20 New York, NY @ Terminal 5
• 07/22 Philadelphia, PA @ TLA
• 07/23 Washington, DC @ Sixth & I