Cover Me: Suzanne

Watch Nick Cave tackle the Leonard Cohen classic Suzanne for the Leonard Cohen: I'm Your Man film. Backing vocals by Perla Batalla and Julie Christensen.

» nickcave.com
» leonardcohen.com

Phish 2019 Fall tour SBD + torrents: 2019/11/29 Providence, RI

Official Providence, RI poster by Jason Abraham Smith

Phish
2019/11/29
Dunkin' Donuts Center
Providence, RI

Set 1:

1. First Tube
2. The Final Hurrah >
3. NICU, Steam >
4. Scent of a Mule
5. Bye Bye Foot
6. No Men In No Man's Land
7. Gumbo >
8. My Soul
9. Maybe[1]
10. Sand >
11. Fire

Words about music (511): Elton John

The great thing about rock and roll is that someone like me can be a star.

Elton John

John Cale: Q&A @ Rockaway Beach Festival

Besides being one of the headliners John Cale will also be doing a Q&A at the Rockaway Beach, an indoor music festival @ Butlin’s Bognor Regis in West Sussex on January 10-12, 2020. Also the bill are Scottish surf noise rockers The Jesus and Mary Chain.

» John Cale on Facebook
» John Cale tour dates

De Breek: Jas

Glorious vocal harmonies don't give a fuck about language barriers. Dutch trio De Breek sing in their native tongue about the coat a father used to wear, a bomb, and fluff tumbling in the air on their debut EP Jas.

Steef Hupkes (Stanley en de Menzo's), David Pino (El Pino & the Volunteers) and Sander van Munster (No Ninja Am I) live within spitting distance in Amsterdam-Noord, but it took them some time to finally get together to start working on songs that are a blend of the sound of the Laurel Canyon scene and early Seventies music in general. It's all about the voice as a lead instrument, with piano and dreamy guitars keeping it snug and warm.

Suzanne Jarvie: Dutch tour dates

Canadian alt-country singer-songwriter Suzanne Jarvie will be on tour in The Netherlands in December, playing songs from her latest album In The Clear: "Once again her son's near fatal head injury is a huge inspiration - it was the main subject of her on her debut album Spiral Road, but now she serves up a delicate mix of light and shade as she tries to move on. There is anger (Point Blank), melancholic longing for the past (The Core) and grief (You Shall Not Pass)".

Marco Benevento: "Nature's Change" video

Watch the new Marco Benevento video for Send It On A Rocket, a track from his new album Let It Slide. The animated bits were made by Jon Wood.

Tomer Krail: The Future Is Futile

photo: Carys B Photography

Tomer Krail, the solo off-shoot of a member of the evasive London based jazzy pop band Organised Scum. is not afraid to speak out. His new single The Future Is Futile paints a bleak picture about the lost art of connection, alternating between anger and tongue-in-cheek humour. With a tugging bass line and glam rock guitar a la Marc Bolan he faces the issue at hand in a mix of rock star attitude and musical jester.

Phish: new archival release 7/23/99 Polaris Amphitheater, Columbus, OH

Another archival Phish release is available for streaming and download: 7/23/99 Polaris Amphitheater, Columbus, OH:

On July 23, 1999 Phish returned to Polaris Amphitheatre for their second show at this 20,000-seat outdoor shed in the Columbus suburbs. It was the 17th show on a 20-date U.S. summer tour. Tickets cost $26.50 and the Friday night show in The Discovery City was sold out.

The Wood Brothers: "A Little Bit Sweet" live video

Watch roots trio extraordinaire The Wood Brothers perform A Little Bit Sweet in TV Studio A at KCPT in Kansas City, MO. It's a track from their forthcoming album Kingdom In My Mind, out on January 24 via Honey Jar/Thirty Tigers.

Jumble Hole Clough: Soil

English avant-garde musician Colin Robinson is still in the ambient, pastoral mood that he explored on his previous album A King Finding A Croissant Amusing with his one-man project Jumble Hole Clough. No elves or unicorns populate his instrumental ramblings on his latest release Soil.. He reports about a change meeting an Egyptian God clutching a measuring instrument (The Winged Osiris Bearing A Theodolite. And there is an ode to the skeleton of a large mammal being hoisted to the ceiling in a museum (How To Hang A Whale, with a properly demonic vocal part by Winston Plowes).

With four short piece of Friday 13th serving as an intro and subsequently as interludes Robinson has found a way to tie together an album that is all over the map - quite literally with stops in Eastern Europe (A Mormon Winked At Me In Ljubljana and Jan Masaryk Was A Very Tidy Man, good old England and the Middle-East (Northern Counties Of Wigan – From Keighley To Kuwait).

Johnny Dowd: Newburgh show date change

Show date change: Johnny Dowd will play on November 29 @ The Wherehouse, in stead of November 30, sharing the bill with fellow mavericks The Freejays and George Spafford.

Words about music (510): Jon Fishman

Madonna is a pro. I don't like her and have no respect for her but- I don't think she should be called a musician or a dancer or whatever you know, but I do have, well I do have respect for her ability to completely manipulate the media and have them work for her.

Jon Fishman

Nick Cave: "Stranger Than Kindness" Exhibition in Copenhagen

Nick Cave artifacts will be on display @ The Black Diamond in Copenhagen, Denmark. Stranger Than Kindness: The Nick Cave Exhibition opens at The Black Diamond, Copenhagen on 23 March and runs until 3 October 2020:

Stranger Than Kindness is a journey into the creative world of musician and storyteller Nick Cave.

The exhibition brings together large scale installations and original atmospheric soundscapes with more than 300 objects from Cave’s own collection, the Nick Cave archive at Arts Centre Melbourne, the collections of Royal Danish Library and a number of private lenders.

Wooden Soldiers: Wooden Soldiers

Dutch rootsy dreamfolk sextet Wooden Soldiers have expanded their musical palette for their first full-length. Besides their crystal clear, spot-on three-part vocal harmonies they have incorporated a few tricks that are not on the menu in their niche. A guitar is allowed to howl a bit, extra borderline post-rock textures were applied, giving their songs an edge and tension that digs deep.

The vocals are the main building blocks of their songs, with the instrumentation being allowed to wander around a bit. While the days of audience members shouting "Judas" are long gone hardcore folkies might be offended, Listeners with an open mind will be pleasantly surprised. Recommended if you like late Seventies Fleetwood Mac and Town of Saints.

The Who: I Don't Wanna Get Wise

The Who have released the deviant rocker I Don't Wanna Get Wise, the third single of their upcoming new album Who Growing up to be a responsible adult is not their cup of tea. It's the attitude that counts.

Black Operator: "Back on the Road" video

Dutch blues rock quintet Black Operator have unveiled a pretty basic, but stylish, animated video for their latest single Back on the Road, a track from their self-titled debut album: "low strung swamp rock (...) the kind that grew out the marshes in Louisiana and Tennessee: growling, distorted, and scary in all the right places".

Cover Me: How Many More Times

Watch Alabama Shakes tackle the Led Zeppelin classic How Many More Times, live @ Crossroads Music Hall in Huntsville, AL - 2012/03/30. They threw in a snippet of The Hunter by Free as well.

» alabamashakes.com
» ledzeppelin.com

Ronan Conroy: Blue Autumn White Water

NYC based singer-songwriter Ronan Conroy has posted a video of him playing his new song Blue Autumn White Water, the first new material he has shared since the release of his The Moment Is Gone album. He sells himself short when he wraps up his introduction with "I don't know how food it is, but I like it".

» ronansconroy.com

HCTF review of The Moment Is Gone.

Johnny Kills: Panic

English rock trio Johnny Kills rounded up a selection of their singles plus the brand track Right Now for their debut Panic. Basically a rambling garage band they have a good ear for catchy melodies, with elements of glam rock, grunge and Britpop trying get the upper hand - no clear winner except the listener who is treated to a slew of catchy, short songs about heartbreak and other timeless mishaps that are a huge part of their lives.

Elephant Stone: Darker Time, Darker Space

photo: Bowen Stead

Canadian psychedelic raga rockers Elephant Stone mention the existence of a space ship as a way out to escape from the impending collapse of Earth on their new single Darker Time, Darker Space. No pointers as to who wil allowed to board on the Harmonia and make the trip to planet B. The video was made by Paul Jacobs.

Sewage Farm: Songs About Nothing

York rock trio Sewage Farm have perfected their particular blend of fuzz-heavy, noisy garage rock with a psychedelic twist on Songs About Nothing, their third full-length. Not many bands can sound muddy, lo-fi and crystal clear simultaneously, but these guys are on top of things to keep it together and bring it home without dropping the ball.

Songs About Nothing covers their pet peeves such as bad luck (Allergic Reaction), commitment of the lack thereof (Ball and Chain), falling in love and paying no heed to the warning signs with disastrous results (Fire) and howling at injustice in general. It's a record that should be played really fucking loud and on repeat. Singing along is optional, but feel free to play air guitar, bass or drums.

Deleyaman: Vlissingen added to "Sentinel" tour

French dark wave band Deleyaman have added a show in Vlissingen (The Netherlands) to promote the release their new album Sentinel on January 17, 2020. It is the follow-up for the critically acclaimed The lover, The stars & The citadel.

Words about music (509) :Bruce Springsteen

I suppose when you do it correctly, a good introduction and a good outro makes the song feel like it's coming out of something and then evolving into something.

Bruce Springsteen

Wardrobe: "Armchair Critic" video

Belgian avant-pop band Wardrobe have made a video for Armchair Critic, a track from their Giving Up a Ghost album" "they travel to the outskirts of electro-pop, where anything might happen - provided it is catchy and melancholic".

» wardrobemusic.com

HCTF review of Giving Up a Ghost

Organised Scum: One Less Bastard EP

London based jazzy pop band Organised Scum take umbrage at the powers that be on their new \One Less Bastard EP. Lyrically they come out swinging (and mostly connecting), on top of a wild amalgam of influences that send the listeners back to his collection to check to check the nods, teases and references. It's danceable at times, frustrating and even baffling.

They are singing about the climate crisis (Green Deal and Heatmap), absurdist theater as a bluepoint for Trump and Johnson. and the lack of affordable housing (New Slums In The Sky). These guys are serious and have captured their wrath in skewed pop anthems that hit their audiences over the head in a good way.

North Star: Hangin' on You

Dutch electropop band North Star have put the keyboards and bass right up front in their new single Hangin' on You, with solid drums providing the backbone. While they might sound like an Eighties band that has been kept on ice for a couple of decades, their sense of melody keeps it fresh and very much alive.

They are busy recording new songs, in time for their upcoming hometown show on February 7. 2 weeks is already finished and will be released in December.

Cybernetic Witch Cult: Cromagnonaut

Cornwall based doom rock trio Cybernetic Witch Cult used footage from their October 2019 tour for the video for Cromagnonaut, the second single from their upcoming new album Absurdum ad Nauseam. It's another food for thought song. What if the human race can't cope with all the fast changes, technological and otherwise, because evolution is just not working fast enough to keep up? Let alone be ready to travel to the stars?

Can: Mixed Media aus Soest 1970

In the winter of 1970 a show by German avant-garde pioneers Can was taped by the WDR for their Mixed Media aus Soest program. Many classic shows have been released under the Rockpalast banner, but an official release of this performance by the genre-defining (and defying) Krautrock band never happened. Collectors might try to track down the bootleg DVD or the Live Broadcasts 1970-1974 bootleg 2CD.

Remington super 60: Fake Crush

Norwegian indie pop band Remington super 60 take it slow on their new single Fake Crush. Songwriter Christoffer Schou has a soft spot for the Sixties West Coast sound and singer Elisabeth T nails the lazy, passive-aggressive vibe of the lyrics. The song will be included on their forthcoming EP, due for release on January 24 next year.

Moonchy & Tobias: "Lo Sguardo" video

Watch the new Moonchy & Tobias video for Lo Sguardo, a track from their Atmosfere album, a soft-spoken collaboration of two avant-garde musicians. "All lyrics are in Italian, but there is no need to be fluent in that language in order to get the gist of the words. Tobias plays a kot of acoustic guitar on the tracks and the tinkling sound of that instrument is like a second guide. Pick one to follow or change mid-song to find something new and interesting. All tracks are invitations to dream and wonder." The clip was made by Budano Lino.

» moonchytobias.com

HCTF review of Atmosfere.

Sasha Bell: "Castle Keep" video

Watch the new Sasha Bell video for Castle Keep, a track from her debut album Love Is Alright. "This is not the debut of prodigy, but the full-blown statement of a musician who knows that there is dark side to life and dealing with it can be done by music to release the tension, to remember and to wonder at the weirdness or sheer futility of it all. Baroque, intense, and with superb dynamics that will the test the outer limits of the capabilities of the listener's audio set-up."

Lian Ray: Winter tour dates

French singer-songwriter Lian Ray hits the road in The Netherlands for a Winter tour, giving him ample opportunity to promote his upcoming debut album Rose, a concept album about relationship that ends in tears and drugs abuse. Spoilers: his rehab is a success and he reconnects with the woman of his dreams.

The songs have been gathering dust on the shelves for a couple of years, but the melancholic psych material will finally see the light of day in March. He will be playing solo when supporting Indian Askin, I am Oak, and Lower Dens. The shows with REMY. will be with a full band.

Felin: MoneyHoney

photo: Fredrik Etoall

Swedish duo Felin are a project developed by songwriter Elin Blom and creative director Fredrik Etoall. Luckily the music doe not take a back seat to the visuals and their latest single MoneyHoney is an upbeat pop song about not giving a fuck about the rules. Joyous as a long lost B52's outtake it has the signature mainstream touch of Swedish pop without overdoing it. A guilty pleasure that fellow music geeks can relate to.

John Cale: show in Cologne

John Cale will be performing in Cologne, Germany @ Roncalliplatz on July 29th, 2020.

» John Cale on Facebook
» John Cale tour dates

Joe Satriani: The Shapeshifting Tour

Guitar maestro Joe Satriani will be on tour in Europe. The Shapeshifting Tour kicks off in Mainz on April 15. He will be playing with Kenny Aronoff (drums), Bryan Beller (bass) and Rai Thistlethwayte (keyboards).

Cover Me: Bad Moon Rising

Watch The Killers tackle the Creedence Clearwater Revival classic Bad Moon Rising, filmed @ Hangout Music Festival on the beaches of Gulf Shore, AL - 2014-05-17.

» thekillersmusic.com

Johnny Dowd: tour dates

Johnny Dowd has a couple of shows lined up. The undisputed master of trashcan Americana might revisit some of the stuff from his latest album Live at GrassRoots 2006, but changes are that brand new songs will take preference during the shows.

Ted Russell Kamp: solo acoustic European tour

Americana artist Ted Russell Kamp will be on tour in Europe, playing solo and (mostly) acoustic. Prepare for a night of good old storytelling with a twang.

Joy Cleaner: "Pink Lite" video

Watch the new Joy Cleaner video for their latest single Pink Lite, a track from their new album You're So Jaded.. Fuzzy, lo-fi plus some howling feedback make it a classic example of Nineties college rock wrapped in power pop hooks. The clip was directed and edited by Josh Evensen.

Pocket Knife Army: "The Deal" live in the studio

Dutch electronic pop duo Pocket Knife Army have posted a live video of their new song The Deal, episode 10 of their "one new song each month" series.

Desirée Coumans and Erwin Tuijl have written a lot of songs about not being able to sleep - case in point: their Forever Counting Sheep album. This one is particularly haunting: "Strangled by the sheets on my bed // Yet another night without sleep // Drowning in the sea of my dreams // Waking up soaking wet". The clip was filmed in their recording studio by Jesse Immanuel Bom.

John Cale: Austin 2019/11/09 setlist

John Cale performed at the Levitation Festival in Austin, TX- November 9, 2019.

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

Setlist:

1. Helen of Troy
2. Leaving It Up to You
3. Hedda Gabler
4. The Endless Plain of Fortune
5. Fear Is A Man's Best Friend
6. Half Past France
7. Ghost Story
8. Paris 1919
9. Wasteland
10. I'm Waiting for the Man
11. Pablo Picasso
12. E: Sister Ray (w/ The Black Angels)

» John Cale on Facebook
» John Cale setlists

After Midnight podcast: Phish @ Big Cypress

After Midnight, a new podcast series, wil look back at the Phish @ Big Cypress on December 30 and 31, 1999. The first episode will air on November 14. From Phish.net:

This five-episode series, hosted and narrated by Jesse Jarnow, will include interviews with Trey Anastasio, Jon Fishman, John Paluska, Brad Sands, Beth Montouri-Rowles and many other people who played a key role in making this amazing festival happen.

Sasha Bell: Love Is Alright

photo: Amy Donovan

Sasha Bell paints with precision on her new album Love Is Alright, gping back to the heyday of orchestral pop to tell stories about rare books, death and tress management. As a member of The Sixth Great Lake, Ladybug Transistor, and The Essex Green, she knows a thing or two about arranging and creating complex yet catchy indie pop songs.

This is not the debut of prodigy, but the full-blown statement of a musician who knows that there is dark side to life and dealing with it can be done by music to release the tension, to remember and to wonder at the weirdness or sheer futility of it all. Baroque, intense, and with superb dynamics that will the test the outer limits of the capabilities of the listener's audio set-up.

Sewage Farm: "Fire" video

English garage rock power trio Sewage Farm have made a video for Fire, a track from their new album Songs About Nothing. In your face rawk with a psychedelic middle eight.

» Sewage Farm on Facebook

HCTF review of Harmony Beach.

Cover Me: Maybe I'm A Leo

Watch Gov't Mule tackle the Deep Purple classic Maybe I'm A Leo, with Roger Glover on bass. It can be found on the The Deepest End 2CD/DVD set, recorded and filmed during the 2003 Jazz and Heritage Festival in New Orleans.

» mule.net

Pocket Knife Army: 1786

photo: Maan

Dutch electronic pop duo Pocket Knife Army went back to their studio to record four tracks from their Monthly Release Challenge sessions for the 1786 EP. There is an easy explanation for the title of the EP. They refer to the order in which the original live versions were released.

Staying close to their one take live renditions Desirée Coumans and Erwin Tuijl put the dots on the "i"s, tightened up the arrangements and expanded some of the ideas they hinted at before, especially during The Leash and The Dream Eater. The urgency and in the moment vibe is still there and that is no mean feat. More often than not the energy of an on-the-fly session goes missing when there is plenty of time to overthink things and ultimately getting lost in the process.

Words about music (508): Buddy Holly

We like this kind of music. Jazz is strictly for stay-at-homes.

Buddy Holly

Two Too Many: "Southbound Bus" video

Amsterdam based hard rockers Two Too Many have made a video for their Southbound Bus single, a classic rock inspired anthem about trying to get home after a boozy night on the town.

The clip was filmed by Niall Cleary & Damien Coughlan. Video Editing by Damien Coughlan.

Live dates:

• 11/10 Amsterdam< @ Maloe Melo
• 11/30 Amsterdam< @ Q-Factory

» twotoomany.net

WesdaRuler: Ocean Drive

Athens, GA based producer and musician Wesley Johnson, who goes by the stage name WesdaRuler does some serious genre mashups in his album Ocean Drive. With jazz, slow funk and hip hop as the tow most prominent stepping stone he constructed a concept record about reconnecting with his family and close friends after a dark spell. He doesn't go into detail about the latter, but it was definitely something quite serious.

Johnson barely keeps his emotions in check, but the never breaks character as a laid-back spoken word master, which makes his storytelling quite intense and forces the listener to hang on to each word. This is hip hop for people who don't like hip hop as such, but can appreciate risk-taking and mixing it up.

Johnny Kills: Editing

Rock trio Johnny Kills have released Editing, the final single from their upcoming debut EP Panic on November 20th via Killing Moon Records. At first the vocals sound a bit lackadaisical, but after they speed it up a bit it becomes a plea about not wanting to be hurt yet again. Everybody wants be loved in the end, even those who are tearing it up in a rambling garage band in the south of England.

The Saxophones: New Taboo

Folk duo The Saxophones are playing with their relationship on their single New Taboo. What would happen if husband Alexi Erenkov would be traded for "a better man" by bis wife Alison Alderdice? Originally perceived as a duet they shifted the song to the male perspective, a smart move because the hurt - even though it is only a thought experiment - becomes more gripping. Note the flute solo - sadness captured withing the space of a few bars of music.

LIJO: "Push Me" video

Watch the new LIJO video for her latest single Push Me. "It is an intriguing exercise of progressive electronic pop, as if Alice has grown up and fell into a black hole in stead of rabbit hole this time. Luckily enough she came back to the world to share the weirdness she experienced on the other side." The clip was made by Doron Tempert.

Thea Hjelmeland: Kulla

Morwegian experimental pop singer Thea Hjelmeland wraps her feminist lyrics in multiple layers of electronics on her new album Kulla, with her vocals hovering above the din. She skirts the outer limits of the mainstream, takes unexpected twists and turns, keeping the listener's full attention in a gentle but firm way.

She is not afraid to take a stand (Hands Off, Nemesis), can describe the process of becoming a mother with equal parts of love and bewilderment (Born) and wax poetically about the joy of sex (Pleasure). Hjelmeland makes her own rules, using her impressive vocal range as the main melodic element in her percussion driven compositions.

Thurston Moore: interview in The Guardian

The Guardian has s short interview with noise guitarist Thurston Moore:

I was not a cool guy at school. I was always the tallest, skinniest kid. I was a nerd and a dork. The cool guys were into sports. I did geeky things like read books and look in the Captain Beefheart section of the record store. That’s how I got into playing music in New York, making friends with another geek who was hanging around the Velvet Underground bin in the record store.

Moore will be interviewed by Eva Prinz at the Louder Than Words Festival in Manchester on November `10.

» thurstonmoore.com

Tiny Room Records: 5 Year Anniversary Party in Utrecht

Dutch indie label Tiny Room Records will celebrate their 5 Year Anniversary on November 39 @ Brewpub De Kromme Haring and rehearsal space Studio Patrick in Utrecht.

Five confirmed acts so far: dreamy folk duo Queen Of The Meadow (France), psych folk singer Garciaphone (France), adventurous rockers Taifun (Belgium), and two Dutch indie super groups - Naked Shortsellers (country) and Combo Qazam (experimental Krautrock).

Cybernetic Witch Cult: rig rundown videos

Cornwall's finest doom rock trio Cybernetic Witch Cult have posted rig rundown videos to shed some light on the process of creating their sound in the studio and on stage. And yes, some of it is hardly ever used at all, but is just fun to have. Wwtch bass player Doug MacKinnon drummer, Lewis May and guitarist Alex Wyld rave and rant about their tools of trade.

Elephant Stone: Hollow World

Canadian psychedelic raga rockers Elephant Stone paint a bleak picture on their new single Hollow World. Civilization is about to collapse, an unavoidable world wide catastrophe will end it all and the powers that be don't care and keep telling lies, blatantly ignoring the facts. The video was made by Danica Olders.

Ronan Conroy: "Burn The Cane" video

Watch the new Ronan Conroy video for Burn The Cane, a track from his new album The Moment Is Gone. "While his previous EP Blood Dread found him down on his luck, this new collection of songs share an air of defiance. He is now able to move on and do what he does best: wearing his heart on his sleeve and let his warm baritone do the talking."

» ronansconroy.com

HCTF review of The Moment Is Gone.

Broeder Dieleman: Wat doen we met het verdriet

Dutch folk musician Broeder Dieleman sings about the kind of grief for which there is no cure" the death of loved ones. As per usual he also mentions the changes for the worse in his native Zeeland, where nature has to give way to houses and industry. Wat doen we met het verdriet is his first new solo song since his Komma album. The video was made by Jonathan Sipkema.