Phish: New Year's Run at MSG 12/29/2021-01/01/2022

Phish takes over NYC's Madison Square Garden again for a four-night New Year’s Run (12/29/2021-01/01/2022):

It’s happening: Phish returns to NYC for a four-night run at The Garden beginning on Wednesday, December 29th through Saturday, January 1st.

A ticket request period is now underway at tickets.phish.com (ending Monday, October 4th at noon ET). Tickets go on sale to the general public beginning Friday, October 8th at noon ET at ticketmaster.com. A limited number of travel packages (hotel and tickets) will go on sale Thursday, October 7th at noon ET at cidentertainment.com.

ISLE: A Siren's Call

photo: Stefanie de Beurs

Dutch dream pop duo ISLE singer Lise Low and multi-instrumentalist Arjan de Wit bonded over a love for free flowing music and set out to create an alternate universe where their ideas could grow and bear fruit. Their debut album A Siren's Call is an ode to nature, a trip to both an inner and outer world that is deceptively peaceful. As musicians they like to test the boundaries of their skills - Low struggles a bit sometimes to reach the high notes in Indigo Sky, but always manages to stay in tune.

Using trip hop rhythms to give some of the songs a gentle nudge was a smart move, but they really shine when the music becomes more abstract in conjunction with orchestrated parts like they use in Pilgrims & Nomads and Paint The World. Lyrically they can be romantic or very direct as they do in the opening verse of Louder (come hither backbeat included): "Your beautiful body seems only to call my name // The strength in your soft touch // is driving me insane // Your voice like a siren // enchants me, and I can't // escape // You call out my name and you // wait for the moment I break".

The Holy Road: "Coming Up For Air" video

Watch the video for Coming Up For Air, a track from An Unshakable Demon, the debut EP from Jonathan Stolber's project The Holy Road: "Harsh industrial electronics collide with his vocals - think Nine Inch Nails having a party with Radiohead. It is all bleak and uncomfortable at first, but also alluring and dangerous".

» theholyroad.co.uk

HCTF review of An Unshakable Demon.

Ward White: The Tender Age

Art-rock crooner Ward White loves a bit of mystery, getting the listener on the wrong with foot with top shelf use of lyrical imagery. His flawless phrasing - a mix of David Bowie and Russell Mael - and stylish rock leanings put his latest album The Tender Age in the tradition of the mid-seventies, when suits became a thing again and it was OK to be tough in a smooth guise. He has been working with ace session players drummer Mark Stepro and keyboardist Tyler Chester for many years, so recording was a breeze.

White is never in a hurry, singing his songs in at a leisurely pace, with the rockers On Foot and Wasn’t It Here as showcases for old school power chords. He is a storyteller, but it is never straight from A to B. He takes twists and turns, setting the scene with a striking image -"Every Methodist in Holcomb blistered by the pox of deceit huddled around their oil drum fire and I thought 'easy meat'" - and cutting to the next one in the next verse. There are not that many great songs about teeth, but White adds not one, but two of them to the shortlis. Chet Baker has a cameo in Dentures, and Karate Dentist is about a man who can't help falling in love, so it makes sense that he threw in a bit of George Harrison's guitar tone.

Euphemia Rise: "Belong in a Zoo" video

Belgian multi-instrumentalist Wim Lankriet has made a video for Belong in a Zoo, a track by his Euphemia Rise project that was released on the Lost In Catland compilation, in support of cat shelters in Belgium and Scotland. He tells the tale of an eventful visit from his teacher when he was 14.

The teacher wrote for a local newspaper and wanted to interview about a comic he had created. Things escalated quickly when his cat Pluche took matters into his own paws. Lankriet captured it in a dark, slow rock song, with a haunting guitar riff and eerie keyboards. His current cat Meena is the leading actress in the clip.

Motörhead: "The Löst Tapes Vol. 1 (Live In Madrid 1995)" Black Friday release

A Motörhead show from the Sacrifice tour will be released as a 2LP on red vinyl (3500 copies) on Black Friday (November 26). The Löst Tapes Vol. 1 (Live In Madrid 1995) was recorded at Sala Aqualung on June 1st, 1995. The show became available earlier this year as a digital release.

The sound is not that great, but it is fun to hear the stuff from the studio album - only the title track would become a regular after that - and Silver Machine from Lemmy's Hawkwind days rips.

Wille and the Bandits: tour dates

UK acid world rock band Wille and the Bandits will hit the road, playing shows in The Netherlands, Belgium and the UK, promoting their new album, When The World Stood Still

Jumble Hole Clough: Cardigan Road

Colin Robinson has stepped up to the mike to add another layer of eccentricity to Cardigan Road, the new album by his one-man project Jumble Hole Clough. His throaty rumblings will separate the wheat from the chaff long before Smother, the first track, is finished. Within two minutes that is. He goes funky in an unforgiving way, grumbling about sheds, football (Hamilton Academicals vs. Airdrieonians, Late Kick Off (Saturday afternoons were always like this in my childhood)) and of course people who believe that there are little creatures living in the woods (Away with the Faeries).

As per usual as a there is a love song of sorts about big machines (Pilkington’s Shuttles Circle The Globe) - he is a retired electrical engineer after all, but also two songs in a row about dancing (I broke my toes doing the Hokey-Cokey and Bertie was a Morris Dancer), which must be a first for him. He must have realised that no one ever wrote an avant-garde ode to a table napkin and he took care of that will the shapeshifting album's closer Serviette.

Kapok calls it quits (for real this time): show in Haarlem added

Live @ Peel Slowly and See in Leiden - September 25, 2021 photo: HCTF

Dutch jazz trio Kapok was supposed to play their final shows last year, but the pandemic got in the way. They no longer live in the same city (or country for that matter), so getting together to play is a challenge. They have added a show in Haarlem on December 6. Expect next level improvisation skills, not a "greatest hits" show.

Johnny Dowd on songwriting

Jennie Lowe Stearns paid a visit to Johnny Dowd's studio "The Shop" in Ithaca, NY to talk about his songwriting process: "I just wanna say: anybody can write a song. Anybody can write a good song, but it is very hard to write a great song".

His new album, Homemade Pie, will be released later this year.

Live dates:

• 09/27 Memphis, TN @ House Concert (get in touch)
• 10/22 Metuchen, NJ @ The Old Franklin Schoolhouse
• 10/23 Washington, DC @ Lucky Penny House Concert
• 11/03 Bloomington, IN @ The Orbit Room
• 11/04 Cincinnati, OH @ MOTR Pub
• 11/05 TBA
• 11/06 Black Mountain, NC @ Roadmaster Stage

» johnnydowd.com

Mint Biscuit: Hot On The Heels Of...

Welsh guitarist Richard Thomas released his Quitting The Biscuits EP earlier this year, he stated that it would be last of his stack of tracks, amassed over the years for his one-man Mint Biscuit. Well, he lied. Hot On The Heels Of... is another collection of instrumentals that he found trawling the dusty corners of his hard drive. The tracks were cleaned up with Audacity.

Thomas loves to mess around with harmonics on this one (Happy Tune, Total Harmonium). He tries his hand to come up with a power pop composition, with the oddly named but highly effective McDonalds And Red Wine. Eagle-eyed readers will have noticed that E By Gum was already released on the We Are Sailing EP, but this version is shorter and sounds a bit clearer.

VeldHans: "The Becalming" on vinyl

Stuart Cullen (Pilote) and Jonathan Brown (Dusty Stray) had to have some patience, but The Becalming by their VeldHans project is now finally available on vinyl: "the debut album [...] is a field trip through both time and space. The sound of accordeons, banjos, skipping vinyl, East Asian pipes and much, much more are used to create mysterious soundscapes, where the usual laws of physics do not necessarily apply".

Words about music (605): Colin Edwin

If I had a time machine, I’d like to return to 1971 and be the bass player on “Tago Mago”.

Colin Edwin

2500 album reviews on HCTF

A landmark of sorts: 2500 album reviews on Here Comes The Flood. Plenty more to come. Watch this space.

Clint Slate & Iona James: The Doubter's Dance

The Doubter's Dance, the second EP in a trilogy by dream pop Clint Slate and Iona James, has a bit more guitar than its predecessor The Silent Sea, but they are well aware that their vocal capabilities are what make them special. The swirling lead single Firefly is standard melancholic fare - a dead ringer for inclusion on a playlist with "relax" in its description. They break out of their comfort zone with the trip hop excursion Enough, with Slate pontificating in the background as James has to jump through hoops to keep the words in place over the rhythm track.

They both love the seventies West Coast sound of the Laurel Canyon scene and the folk ballad Summer is a 101 for acoustic guitar and voices. Funky synths rule in the EP's closing track, Shot In The Dark. Changes course and genre after each song could have resulted in a jumbled mess, but they have managed to keep it together. There is nothing wrong about following a whim and just to start playing for the fun it.

Cover Me: Next (Au Suivant)

Watch The Sensational Alex Harvey Band tackle the Jacques Brel classic Next ("Au Suivant"). Recorded live for the long running BBC music show Old Grey Whistle Test in 1973.

» The Sensational Alex Harvey Band on Wikipedia

Jeffrey Halford & The Healers: Walk to the River

Country rockers Jeffrey Halford & The Healers have made a video for their new single, Walk to the River. Halford is really pissed about refugees being turned away (or worse) as they try to make it to the land of the free. His daughter Hannah Halford supplied the backing vocals to this mostly acoustic anthem. The clip was shot in Joshua Tree by Kevin Allison. The band will be on tour in Europe, playing shows in Belgium, Germany, Switzerland and The Netherlands.

The Holy Road: An Unshakable Demon

photo: Phil Sharp

English musician Jonathan Stolber goes in at the deep end on An Unshakable Demon, the new EP by his project The Holy Road. With his mental health as the main theme he serves up a full course meal, with art-rock, neo-classical and industrial playing catch. On the lead single Coming Up For Air harsh industrial electronics collide with his vocals - think Nine Inch Nails having a party with Radiohead, but he doesn't even need words to make a point with the instrumental Against / Social / Media, the strings driven closing track that doubles as a way to try to get some kind of closure and a mission statement to cope with the voices inside his head.

An Unshakable Demon is a journey into darkness. Stolber is a brave and damaged man, using his music to get away from it all. It is not for the squeamish. His knack for coming up with beautiful melodies to counteract the stern rhythms is spot-on. It is a therapeutic exercise without a Hollywood ending.

Absolutely Free: Aftertouch

Changes are that Canadian electronic neo-psych band Absolutely Free have carefully studied the handiwork Can drummer Jaki Liebezeit, using his steady motorik as the foundation for the tracks on their new album Aftertouch. Their dreamy post-punk musings are pessimistic, with a glimmer of hope breaking through every now and then.

Painting with broad strokes is their forte, but by adding a dash of colour with a few choice notes to their soundscapes they made it a highly enjoyable sonic experience. Remaining Light is the album's highlight, with an old school keyboard pushing the track forward as they sing about police brutality and ethnic profiling that happens on a daily basis on the wrong side of the tracks. Gary Numan fans will love Are They Signs?, a hectic excursion with tons of echo on the vocals. Aftertouch is monolithic at first, but it worth to persist and discover the hidden layers and lines that come to fore after each replay.

Johnny Dowd: "Virginia Beach" video

Dave Casey has made a video for Virginia Beach, a track from the Johnny Dowd album The Pawnbroker's Wife. It is an amalgam of live footage, vintage movies stills and, of course, busses.

His new album, Homemade Pie, will be released later this year.

Live dates:

• 09/24 Oxford, MS @ Oxford Blues Festival
• 09/25 Nashville, TN @ Andy’s Americana Mitzvah
• 09/26 Memphis, TN @ DKDC
• 09/27 Memphis, TN @ House Concert (get in touch)
• 10/22 Metuchen, NJ @ The Old Franklin Schoolhouse
• 10/23 Washington, DC @ Lucky Penny House Concert
• 11/03 Bloomington, IN @ The Orbit Room
• 11/04 Cincinnati, OH @ MOTR Pub
• 11/05 TBA
• 11/06 Black Mountain, NC @ Roadmaster Stage

» johnnydowd.com

The Zephyr Bones: Sparks

photo: Marc Cusco

Spanish/Chilean quintet The Zephyr Bones mix their psych-rock with eighties New Wave synths, a combination that works quite well on their latest single, Sparks. The dry sound of the keyboards gives an edge to the soft spoken lead vocals.

It is a taste from their forthcoming new album, Neon Body, due for release on October 22 via their own label La Castanya (vinyl, CD, cassette, digital). The video was directed by Artur Tort.

The Speed Of Sound: "Opium Eyes" video

Manchester psychedelic power pop veterans The Speed Of Sound have made a video for Opium Eyes, a track from their new album Museum Of Tomorrow: "[They] can make a visit to the Shadow Factory an enticing prospect. Drugs offer only a short reprieve (Opium Eyes) from the horrors of living in the Zombie Century. John Armstrong, the band's songwriter, has found a way to set the post-apocalyptic imagery of writers like John Wyndham to music. The dreams of a better future have become nightmares, but somewhere hope is still on display, waiting to be reappraised and rekindled".

» thespeedofsounduk.com

HCTF review of Museum Of Tomorrow.

Wildgroei: Milde Klachten

Dutch experimental pop act Wildgroei are now a trio, with the addition of Rick Weren on bass and more. Stefanie Janssen and Martin Boorwater have welcomed their new member with open arms, allowing them to add a bit of rock to their mix of new wave, opera and trip hop that made their debut EP Ik ging er op staan so special.

On Milde Klachten ("mild symptoms") they tackle bugs (De Mot, health scares and unwanted advice (Hartkliniek, internet connection issues (Netwerk and the current clusterfuck (Warboel). Janssen puts her classical vocals training to good use, making each word count and projecting emotions like they are going out of style. Boorwater and Weren are adamant to make their marks as well, providing an adventurous mix of licks, beeps and purrs. Don't be surprised when the main synth motif of Netwerk gets sampled a lot and finds its way to the dance floor.

Pocket Knife Army + LIJO: shows in Gouda, Ede & Helmond

Dutch avant-electro pop acts (and label mates) Pocket Knife Army and LIJO join forces again for a couple of shows. Both acts love to take risks and are always looking for an opportunity to create something special.

Live dates:

• 10/08 Gouda @ So What!
• 10/22 Ede @ Astrant
• 01/29 Helmond @ Muziekcafe Helmond

Amethysts: Frore

English dream pop synth duo Amethysts come closer to the radiofriendly mainstream with their latest single, Frore, a reassesment of their relationship that tends to unravel at the ends sometimes. It is the well-produced anxiety that will appeal to like minded searchers for firm ground to stand on. Restraint meets anger and hope on top of a tugging back beat. The single will be included on their forthcoming debut album, out later this year via AWAL & Shy Cat Music.

» weareamethysts.co.uk

HCTF review of Imitate Me.

The Jimi Hendrix Experience: "Paris 67" Black Friday release

Yet another outing for the concert by The Jimi Hendrix Experience at the Olympia Theatre in Paris on October 9, 1967. It will be released on red and blue mixed vinyl on Black Friday (November 26). The concert, minus Catfish Blues and The Wind Cries Cries Mary, both of which were already available on The Jimi Hendrix Experience box set, first saw the light of day on the official bootleg label Dagger Records as part of Paris 1967 / San Francisco 1968 album (CD in 2003, 2LP in 2004).

13200 copies will be pressed, so it won't be difficult to get one. Note to the folks at Experience Hendrix and Dagger Records: why not release Paris 1966 instead? Or the Royal Albert Hall shows? And finally: the cover art has the trio pictured in Münich, Germany...

The High Violets: B​-​Sides & Rarities

Portland, OR shoegaze quartet The High Violets rounded up a bunch of rare tracks for their new album B-Sides & Rarities. Albums with a title like that - they are quite a few - usually cater to the fan base who missed out on a single or wants to hear alternate mix. The sequencing of a compilation can be a little awkward, but when it's done right the record can hold its own and being hailed as a great stand-alone release (the most famous is probably The Smiths' Hatful of Hollow).

They were regular contributors to the Static Waves compilations released by Saint Marie Records, with superb tracks like Sublime Haze and Altogether. Their ability to tell a tale within the space of a couple minutes and provide an intricate maze of post-psychedelic dream pop music will baffle the competition and please the listener. The demo version of Chinese Letter sounds actually better than the version that ended up on their Invitation EP and To Where You Are album. B-Sides & Rarities is an essential addition to their discography. And it is an invitation for those who are not familiar with them to dig deeper into their back catalog.

Dogzen Zendog: "Hi-Fi Story" video

Watch the Dogzen Zendog video for Hi-Fi Story, the radio edit of a track from the Walking Quickly Standing Still album: "O'Halloran wants to move forward, but he has second thoughts about where to go next. If anything, it makes him an artist with an open mind, not giving a fuck about boundaries and genres. Listeners are welcome to join him, but if not, that's fine too".

» Dogzen Zendog on Instagram

HCTF review of Walking Quickly Standing Still.

Let's Set Sail: A Savage Goo

Irish ambient folktronica quartet Let's Set Sail enjoyed a few stiff drinks in Amsterdam and once they had dealt with the aftermath turned the experience into a song, trying to retrace their steps. Nice contrast of the upfront sad vocals and the cold synth rhythms. It is a taste from their forthcoming EP, Enzo, due for release on October 1st.

Words about music (604): Edgard Varèse

I do not write experimental music. My experimenting is done before I make the music. Afterwards, it is the listener who must experiment.

Edgard Varèse

In memoriam: Jimi Hendrix

Fifty-one years ago Jimi Hendrix died at the Samarkand Hotel, 22 Lansdowne Crescent, Notting Hill in London. He was only 27. Tons of books have been written about the greatest guitarist of all time. He released only four albums during his career, but his extensive posthumous discography keeps growing nearly every year. Some of it is for hardcore afficonados only, but especially the songs for a fourth studio album and lot s of the live stuff is essential listening.

Levin Brothers: "Elephant Talk" live @ the Bearsville Theater in Woodstock, NY

Watch the Levin Brothers tackle the King Crimson classic Elephant Talk. Recorded @ the Bearsville Theater in Woodstock, NY on June 26, 2021 during their “Vaccinating Rhythm” tour.

Levin Brothers:
Tony Levin: bass, vocals
Pete Levin: keyboards
Jeff "Siege" Siegle: drums
Jeff Ciampa: guitar

» thelevinbrothers.com

HCTF premiere - Astral Brain: Treasures

Swedish psychedelic dreampop duo Astral Brain proof that the sum is greater than its parts. Producer Einar Ekström created a multicoloured sonic canvas and singer Siri af Burén provided the human touch to give the track the warmth that technology can capture, but not create.

Dutch Criminal Record: "It's Gonna Be Okay" video

Portsmouth pop trio Dutch Criminal Record have made a video for It's Gonna Be Okay, the title track from their new EP: "soothing sunny-side up tunes that will get them playlisted a lot, with Hey Charlie and the title track as the most likely candidates". The clip was directed by Joe Cornick.

Live dates:

• 09/24 Portsmouth, UK @ The Wedgewood Rooms (supporting Sports Team)
• 09/25 London, UK @ The Finsbury
• 04/02 Southsea, UK @ Wedgewood Rooms

» dutchcriminalrecord.com

HCTF review of It's Gonna Be Okay.

The Speed Of Sound: Museum Of Tomorrow

Manchester psychedelic power pop veterans The Speed Of Sound can't help feeling being duped by a future that never happened. Where are the mono rails, space travel, peace? "We were offered Star Trek, but they fed us Soylent Green", the very first line of opener Tomorrow's World is a both a battle cry and setting the tone for two seamless sets of song suites that take up one side each of Museum Of Tomorrow, a retro-futuristic concept album, bursting at the seams with hooks, ace melodies, and lyrical wizardry. It is a soundtrack for a dystopian movie that tries to chase away the darkness with kaleidoscopic gusto, both in pastel and Technicolor.

The Speed Of Sound can make a visit to the Shadow Factory an enticing prospect. Drugs offer only a short reprieve (Opium Eyes) from the horrors of living in the Zombie Century. John Armstrong, the band's songwriter, has found a way to set the post-apocalyptic imagery of writers like John Wyndham to music. The dreams of a better future have become nightmares, but somewhere hope is still on display, waiting to be reappraised and rekindled.

Mint Biscuit: Blues For The Red Cow

Welsh guitarist Richard Thomas gets low down and dirty on Blues For The Red Cow, the latest collection by his one-man project Mint Biscuit. The title of the EP is a dead giveaway: basic blues excursions with a sixties vibe celebrating the joy of playing and putting a pair of fuzz pedals (Dunlop Fuzz Face and Stone Deaf Fig Fumb) to good use, with the harsh Mudwanging as the litmus test for the uninitiated. Also: there is a hint of the Hendrix's version of All Along the Watchtower in Summer Song.

He gets the listener on the wrong foot (but in a good way) by going mellow in the Kicking The Bastard, channeling the sound of Ry Cooder. Bowing out with the joyous Canterbury scene influenced Cellar Steps Thomas wraps up his fifth release of originals this year. That's quite a lot, but he shows no signs of slowing down.

Johnny Dowd: new album "Homemade Pie"

Johnny Dowd decided that is way time to go back to the music he grew up with for his new album Homemade Pie, recorded with long time collaborators Kim Sherwood-Caso and Michael Edmondson:

i call my new album HOMEMADE PIE because i recorded it at my house and i like pie--i could have called it PIE A LA MODE but i didn't---i think this is the best batch of songs i've written in long time--i had plenty of time last year to dig in so that's what i did--i had one rule for writing and recording this record---no second guessing---in other words DON'T BE CLEVER [nobody likes a wiseass]--musically the album influenced by the music i grew up with-soul -blues-country + a little garage rock----like most records it's best listened to loud with windows down and nothing but open road ahead--i hope u like it--if not -no hard feelings

Xqui + Geiger von Müller + Pelso: Aurora

Noise artist Xqui, experimental guitarist Geiger von Müller and producer Pelso joined forces for a radical "seagull mix" of Aurora, a track from Xqui's latest album Twenties. The accompanying video has plenty of mirrored images, a trick that was all the rage in the seventies.

The Wilderness Of Manitoba: Sometimes

Canadian alternative folk rock band The Wilderness Of Manitoba have gone through some changes since the release of their last album, Across The Dark, in 2017. Founding member Will Whitwham has teamed up with Victoria Carr (vocals, acoustic guitar), Tavo Diez de Bonilla (bass, vocals), and Adam Balsam (drums, vocals, guitar, keyboards). They have made video for their new single Sometimes, like its predecessor The Alchemist it an exploration about the fleeting nature of time. Superb melancholic pop that could be mistaken for a long lost gem of the Laurel Canyopn scene of the early seventies.

Whitwham wrote it with Marlon Rabenreither aka Gold Star. It will be included on the new full-length, Farewell To Cathedral, due for release in the Fall. The clip was filmed by Maggie Gray.

» The Wilderness Of Manitoba on Facebook

HCTF review of The Alchemist.

Dogzen Zendog: Walking Quickly Standing Still

Experimental post-rock is a genre that can the kill a mainstream party in less than a minute, but English musician Glenn O'Halloran can steer the adventurous listener to the dance floor with some of the songs on Walking Quickly Standing Still, the latest album by his Dogzen Zendog. Dub, Krautrock, a bit of jazz all come together in tracks like Bill's Great Day and Hi-Fi Story.

The music is gnarly, eccentric, stubborn, knee-deep in effects, with his longtime friend, collaborator and fellow multi-instrumentalist Blake Leyh as his partner in crime. O'Halloran's aloof vocal delivery will be pigeon-holed as an acquiered taste - think Ivan Doroschuk (Men Without Hats) in a pissed off mood. The atmosphere of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop is brought back with Outbound, when technology acts up as he tries to get his email to work. Relying on appliances with a mind of their own apparently has gotten him into trouble more than once - there is a broken fridge in Carlisle. Anger and anxiety are powerful emotions and he uses them to create harsh but alluring melodies that keep lingering for quite awhile after a track has finished.

A Place to Bury Strangers: "Playing The Part" video

NYC noise rock trio A Place To Bury Strangers have made a video for Playing The Part, a track from their Hologram EP. Noise meets jangling surf as lead singer Oliver Ackermann contemplates what is real and what is fake in a relationship. The video was made by Heather Bickford.

Combo Qazam: tour dates

Dutch post-punk/math band Combo Qazam have added a couple of live shows to their itinerary. They will perform songs from their debut album Flight Music, as well as a bunch of new stuff.

Live dates:

• 09/24 OCCII, Amsterdam (w/ Avery Plains, Slow Worries)
• 10/02 La Zone, Liège, Belgium (w/ Teen Creeps, Smile More)
• 10/24 Gigant Café, Apeldoorn
• 11/27 De Schuit, Katwijk aan Zee (w/ The Guru Guru)
• 03/18 Patronaat, Haarlem

» comboqazam.com

HCTF review of Flight Music.

Euphemia Rise: Born a Cow

Belgian multi-instrumentalist Wim Lankriet explores the darker side of human emotions and longings on Born a Cow, the debut album by his Euphemia Rise project. He never judges, telling tales about rent boys, drugs, prostitution, sadomasochism, and rape. Most people look away from those subjects, but Lankriet exposes them, using a mix of metal, psychedelic and gothic rock.

He was in a relationship with a person who suffers from paranoid schizophrenia (Come to the Other Side) and it did not work out, no matter how hard he tried. In Heaven in Your Hand he was sucked dry emotionally by partner, until at long last he was able to end it. On the upside: he dreams about a better future, finding a real life version of his dream girl in Surviving the Dreams and finds solace in a picture of football legend Pele in the instrumental The Miracle Child. Lankriet is brutally honest, capturing his despair and hope with clinical precision. It is a road less travelled, but it is an interesting journey for sure.

Honey Guide: I Feel Funny

Honey Guide (stage name of Leeds based artist Jacob Andrews sings about being disconnected on his debut single I Feel Funny. Something is amiss, but he is not sure what exactly. After much contemplation he turned his unease into a song, after deciding that he is good enough as an artist to share his music with the outside world. Soft-spoken indie angst that wants to be loved. The video was made by Joel Johnston.

Gov't Mule: new album "Heavy Load Blues" in November

Gov't Mule will release their new studio album Heavy Load Blues on November 12, their first "all blues album". Warren Haynes explains: "For me, personally, it's kind of been on my list of things to do for years. I didnt know if it was gonna be a solo album or a Gov’t Mule record. We play some traditional blues on stage from time to time and although it's usually never more than a few songs per show, our approach to the blues is unique and based on our collective chemistry as a band. This album gave us a mission. Although in some way it was ‘anything goes,’ we wanted to stay true to the spirit of the blues in a traditional sense. it's not a blues/rock record – it's a blues record. We wanted it sonically to sound different from a normal Gov’t Mule record".

Deleyaman: "Traffic Lights" live video

Watch French dark wave band Deleyaman perform Traffic Lights, recorded @ Le Trianon Transatlantique in Sotteville-lès-Rouen on October 23, 2020. It's a track from their Fourth, Part One album.

» deleyaman.com

Words about music (603): Ron Asheton

Our jams were a little more organized; it was a lot like some of the songs on the first Stooges album. And or course we had to make the record, and the question was, "You guys got songs?" "Oh, yeah, of course we do." We eventually just sat down and came up with a bunch of riffs and stuff, and pieces of music, and Iggy and I organized them, and he put the lyrics to 'em. And that was how the Stooges just sorta had to gravitate. What we were doing at the time was just a little too far out for any kind of mainstream record company.

Ron Asheton

Ubiquitous Meh!: Songs Wrought Wrong

Luke Richards called in the assistance from Jodie Saunders and Michael Dugdale for Songs Wrought Wrong, the new album by his lo-fi project Ubiquitous Meh!. As per usual he is not above perusing the cheesiest organ sounds he could find and top it off with surrealistic lyrics, with Your Heart Is Still In Its Shrink as a contender for the weirdest shunned lover song ever. He might find himself playing a catchy tune, like the instrumental Jigsaw and the eerie psych Outta The Traps, but he is obviously having more fun when he makes it weird and creepy during Do You Want To Play Dress Up? and Gold Plate Coffin.

On Songs Wrought Wrong Richards gets it right every time, provided that the listener has an open mind and a sense of humour. No change in hell that this stuff will pop up in any mainstream playlist, but it can be used as a starter kit for those who are trying to make sense of Captain Beefheart and Jumble Hole Clough.

Jim Knable: outdoor show in Brooklyn

Singer-songwriter Jim Knable will perform with a full band @ Lizzie King's Parlor in Brooklyn, NY on September 12. Sunny Knable on accordion, Claudia Mogel on fiddle, Mick Oakleaf on drums, and Nathan You on bass. Expect songs from last year's album Blue Reunion, that he made with a new version of The Randy Bandits.

» jimknable.com

HCTF review of Blue Reunion.

Colin Edwin: Tower of Silence

Bass player Colin Edwin, best known as a former member of Porcupine Tree, posts a new track on Bandcamp each Fridays His latest is called Tower of Silence, an ambient meets post-rock composition on which he plays basses, guitars, Ebow, and did some programming. Quiet stuff that digs deep.

» music.colinedwin.co.uk

Cover Me: Misty Mountain Hop

Watch the 4 Non-Blondes promo clip for their version of the Led Zeppelin classic Misty Mountain Hop. It was released on the Encomium: A Tribute to Led Zeppelin album in 1995.

» 4 Non-Blondes on Wikipedia
» ledzeppelin.com

Orlando Hotopf: Growing Pains

Swedish singer Orlando Hotopf contemplates the issues of becoming an adult on his new single Growing Pains. There are some perks involved, but he could do without some of the responsibilities that come with it. It is a melancholic pop song with a folk twist. Stephanie Fraser is on board for tasteful backing vocals.

The World Of Dust: True Sound

For True Sound, the new concept album by lo-fi project The World of Dust, Dutch musician Stefan Breuer once again reached out to Todd Tobias to write the music. It is a true collaboration, with Breuer telling stories about his grandparents Nel and Jan (plus a song about Jan's first wife Petronella who died in childbirth), and Tobias providing a backing to echoes the emotions.

Death and life are treated as two sides of the coin, and as long as there are people to share memories the dead are still an integral part of the family. Breuer and Tobias meet each other halfway with their love for noise, avant-garde, and jangling psychedelic shoegaze. Accessible underground music that will be embraced by anyone who is serious about music and has had his share of loss and love.

Calista Garcia: Deep Blue Diving

photo: Rich Krissel

Folk-rock singer-songwriter Calista Garcia has found a way to mix the sound of the seventies with a bunch of 21st century trinkets on her new single, Deep Blue Diving. Telling the tales of women falling for fast-talking strangers, Garcia urges her listeners to take care of themselves and go it alone. That's the only way to stay safe as she is "swimming in the deep preiordial soup and I am just beginning to look at the truth". Nice touch using old school harmonica and organ as a counterpoint for her crystal clear vocal delivery.

Mild Mild Country: Snake War

Eureka California's singer and guitarist Jake Ward goes solo with Mild Mild Country, a homemade instrumental synth project that is far cry from his in-your-face garage rock comfort zone. Snake War is a sprawling post-rock excursion, a meandering soundscape that ebbs and flows for thirteen minutes.

Trey Anastasio: Phish Summer 2021 Guitar Rig Tour

Guitarist Trey Anastasio explains the effects, amps and what-not he used during the Phish Summer tour. He did one in 2012, shown during intermission at Madison Square Garden in New York.

He will be on the road with the Trey Anastastio Band, kicking off in Portland on September 17.

• 09/17 Portland, ME @ Thompson’s Point
• 09/18 Boston, MA @ Leader Bank Pavilion
• 09/19 New Haven, CT @ Westville Music Bowl
• 09/21 Philadelphia, PA @ The Met
• 09/22 Charlottesville, VA @ Ting Pavilion
• 09/24 Wilmington, NC @ Riverfront Park Amphitheater
• 09/25 Charlotte, NC @ Charlotte Metro Credit Union Amphitheatre
• 09/26 Asheville, NC @ Rabbit Rabbit
• 09/28 Columbus, OH @ Express Live Outdoors
• 09/29 Pittsburgh, PA @ Stage AE Outdoors
• 10/01 Washington, DC @ Anthem
• 10/02 New York, NY @ Radio City Music Hall
• 10/03 New York, NY @ Radio City Music Hall

» trey.com

Tugboat Captain: 2021 'Rut' UK Tour

English baroque-pop quartet Tugboat Captain are finally able to promote their new album Rut with an extensive UK tour: "Each song is laced with something special, whether it is a break, spot-on harmonizing, a lick or an odd-ball middle-eight that works like a charm. They sing about spending the day in bed (C’mon! Haribo?), the upside of being lazy (No Plans (For This Year)) and taking short cuts to get out of an argument (Damned Right). Imagine the Village Green-era Kinks teaming up with the Magic Numbers. Quintessentially English music that sounds totally at ease and in control, while it is actually fucking hard to play".

It's Karma It's Cool: "Coffee Cup Circles" video

English power pop quartet It's Karma It's Cool made a video for their new single, Coffee Cup Circles: "They go fast on this one - caffeine might have been involved, as singer James Styring reminisces about better days when the stains on the table were a bit of nuisance, but in hindsight not that big a deal. Drummer Danny Krash keeps it all together, when guitarist Martyn Bewick and bass player Mikey Barraclough are playing up a storm, only slowing down a bit when they switch to psychedelic rock for a bit".

Steven Wilson on "Rockonteurs with Gary Kemp and Guy Pratt"

Steven Wilson discusses pop, progressive rock, remixes, and lots more on Rockonteurs with Gary Kemp and Guy Pratt. It is available on a wealth of streaming platforms.

» stevenwilsonhq.com
» rockonteurs.com

Them Jones: Soul on Paper

Philadelphia neo-psych band Them Jones open their new album, Soul on Paper, with a catchy blues tune, Iris Tumble, with guest musician Sam Spranger laying down some great harmonica. It is a change that worked out well and it sets the tone for the record with a run of roots-inspired songs. Going for a barebones, dry tone with distorted electric guitar fills: Shift Work Blues is the prime example: they swing at a leisurely pace.

Their previous album The Dark was about a world in turmoil, but repeating that same theme was never in the cards. Every troubles have taken precedence again (Don't Blame Me). Long time followers will pick the flute-driven A Soul on Paper, the instrumental Kate Green and the slow Take Heart as their favourites, because that's how Them Jones sounded a couple off years ago. They are advised to use them as a gateway to the new approach.

Billy Bragg: "Pass It On" video

Singer and activist Billy Bragg has posted a video for Pass It On, a track from his new album The Million Things That Never Happened, out on October 8th via Cooking Vinyl.

Bragg explains: "I read somewhere that the second most googled thing after pornography is ancestry. People want to know where they come from, why they were born, where they were born. You can get facts from the web, but details are priceless and can often only be learned orally from relatives. Yet too many of us rue the fact that we are left to piece together family stories from fragments we recall because we never asked our elders those questions".

Phish 2021 Summer tour SBD + torrents: 2021/09/05 Commerce City, CO

Commerce City, CO 2021 poster by Rodger Binyone

Phish
2021/09/05
Dick's Sporting Goods Park
Commerce City, CO

Set 1:

1. The Moma Dance
2. McGrupp and the Watchful Hosemasters
3. Sand[1] >
4. Sigma Oasis >
5. All of These Dreams
6. Reba[2]
7. Bathtub Gin

Josephine Johnson: Double High Five

Roots singer-songwriter Josephine Johnson breaks out of the folk country mold on her new EP, Double High Five. After kicking off with the bold Built to Last, she changes gears with the gentle tenor ukulele instrumental In the Field, a showcase for her fluidity, with just a little bit of echo to emphasize the notes, a trick that is repeated for the title track. Country fans will love the melancholy of Where I Belong, with Andrew Sovine playing a wide array of guitars.

Her cover of Sam Phillips' Sister Rosetta Goes Before Us is as close as she ever got being a torch song singer: sad, but powerful, and coming out on top. Bowing out with the mid-tempo rocker Feather Song Johnson brings her visits to the main construction sites of Americana to a close. And like any guide who knows how to get the attention of the tourists, she shows them bits that the books only mention in passing.

Words about music (602): Courtney Love

I want every girl in the world to pick up a guitar and start screaming.

Courtney Love