Category: Art Rock

Public Image Limited’s “Second Edition” Turns 40

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On this day in 1979 Public Image Ltd. (PiL) released their second album Second Edition. The album was originally released as Metal Box, taking it’s name from the metal canister that contained pressings of the record. A standard version was later released as Second Edition which featured the same tracklist. On this album lead singer John Lydon pushed his ambition to shed the restrictions of Punk Rock, which became too commercialized and one-dimensional even further by incorporating elements of Dub, Post-Punk, and Krautrock, all of which were no-go territory for Punk Rock purists. This was the last album to feature original bassist Jah Wobble, and though the band still thrived following his departure, Wobble’s input is irreplaceable on this album with his Dub/Funk inspired bass grooves which complimented Keith Levene’s wall of disjointed guitar sounds and John Lydon’s wailing vocals perfectly. Second Edition is an essential album in the Post-Punk world. Happy Anniversary.

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Ganser Announce New E.P. “You Must Be New Here,” Share New Song “Buio”

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Post-Punk band “Ganser” will release a new E.P. titled You Must Be New Here on November 8th. This will follow their stellar debut album Odd Talk which was released last year. The band previously released a single titled “Bad Form,” and they recently appeared at “Riot Fest” in Chicago, and now it’s looking like the band won’t be slowing down anytime soon. Today the band have shared a new song off the upcoming E.P. titled “Buio” which is accompanied by a music video featuring actress Caitlin Ewald. In the video Ewald sits at a dinner table with cake and wine. She proceeds to mash her fingers in the cake while the others at the table seem to be ignoring her. This could represent the idea of an outsider being overwhelmed having to endure fast-paced social interaction, but Ewald lets her self go by not repressing her impulse to…. well, mash her fingers in cake and chug wine, and she does it without a care in the world. About the song, the band describe it as an “intuitive song about the relationship between author and audience.” You can always rely on “Ganser” to provoke thought with intelligent and introspective content. You can watch the music video for “Buio” below:

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Nine Inch Nails’ “The Fragile” Turns 20

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On this day in 1999 “Nine Inch Nails” released their masterpiece The Fragile, a double album that was a big departure from it’s predecessor The Downward Spiral. Moving away from the harsher noise-infused tumult of The Downward Spiral, which reflected songwriter Trent Reznor’s descent into madness, The Fragile found Reznor incorporating elements of “Ambient,” “Electro,” eerie soundscapes, and even a little “Hip Hop,” but wasn’t any less self-reflective. The lyrical themes of depression, isolation, and drug addiction continued. If The Downward Spiral was the soundtrack to someone’s descent into depression, addiction, and nihilism, then The Fragile was the ultimate coping method and state of realization. It was the sadness that follows the anger, and it was an incredible end of an era for “Nine Inch Nails.” Happy 20th anniversary.

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Sleater-Kinney Share New Song “Can I Go On”

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It’s been a rough year for Sleater-Kinney and their fans following the departure of drummer Janet Weiss, but Carrie Brownstein and Corin Tucker are without a doubt moving on and will continue to tour and release their new album The Center Won’t Hold despite this setback. We all know the band will persevere, but it’s still heartbreaking to see Janet Weiss go. Good news is we’ll be able to hear Janet Weiss on one more Sleater-Kinney album. The Center Won’t Hold produced by St. Vincent is set to be released on August 16th, and with what we’ve heard so far, it’s clear that the band have gone in a completely different direction on this new album, parting ways with the raucous raw energy of their early work, the Rock & Roll-tinged style of their later work, and the danceable grooves of their previous album No Cities To Love in favor of Art Rock balladry that sees Carrie Brownstein take up the majority of lead vocals. Their new track “Can I Go On” is quite possibly their most poppy sounding track by far, but the lyrical content deals with existentialism and depression which can truly resonate with someone who’s going through it. You can listen to the track below:

 

Clinic Announce New Album “Wheeltappers and Shunters”

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It’s been awhile since “Clinic” have blessed us with their oddball Psychedelia. Following their 2012 album Free Reign, the band will finally return with a new album titled Wheeltappers and Shunters on May 10th. The band have also released a new single titled “Rubber Bullets,” and it’s “Clinic” 101. You can watch the music video below:

Wheeltappers and Shunters Pre-order:

https://www.dominomusic.com/releases/clinic/wheeltappers-and-shunters/deluxe-mart-lp

Tropical Fuck Storm Release New Song “The Planet Of Straw Men”

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Australian band “Tropical Fuck Storm” have been on a roll, and it looks like the band don’t plan on stopping anytime soon. Today these oddballs released a brand new track titled “The Planet Of Straw Men,” as well as a music video to accompany it. The track will appear on their upcoming follow-up to last year’s spectacular debut A Laughing Death In Meatspace, which is set to be released later in the year. You can watch the music video below:

 

“The Planet Of Straw Men” Pre-order:

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Pixx Announces New Album “Small Mercies”

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Musician Hannah Rodgers under the name “Pixx” has been making some of the most enticing “Art Pop” in the past few years. Her debut album The Age of Anxiety was one of the best albums of 2017, an album that fused various genres such as Art Pop, Synth-Pop, Dream Pop, and Post-Punk, and it all featured frequent Gothic sensibilities that offered a gloomy contrast to the album’s colorful tone. Today, Rodgers unveiled the details of her upcoming follow-up Small Mercies. The album will be released on June 7th. Rodgers has also dropped the album’s first single titled “Disgrace.” “This song is about growing up in an ultra-conservative Catholic school which was restrictive and oppressive. I think there is a lack of humanity in the way that system works, rather than teaching empathy and kindness it forces people into a dangerous self-loathing cycle. This is an ode to anyone trapped in a place they don’t feel they belong,” Rodgers says of the track. You can listen to “Disgrace” below:

 

Small Mercies Pre-Order:

https://pixx.ffm.to/smallmercies.owe

Album Review: SPELLLING – Mazy Fly

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Artist: SPELLLING 

Album: Mazy Fly

Genre: Art Pop/Experimental/Electronic

Label: Sacred Bones Records

Rating: 8/10

Have you ever discovered an artist so unapologetically imaginative and creative to the point where you suspect that this artist is not from this planet? Well, Chrystia Cabral A.K.A. “SPELLLING” most certainly fits this description. Following her 2017 debut Pantheon of Me, the Oakland, CA based musician delves further into her spiritual, poetic, and otherworldly mind on her new album Mazy Fly, the first on new label “Sacred Bones Records,” which is a perfect home for her immense experimental ambitions. This album, like I mentioned earlier, is vastly otherworldly with spacey instrumentation consisting of minimal and at times dark synthesizers, bare but mood-setting drum machine patterns, and eerie sound textures that can be as nightmare-inducing as they are angelic. The album is produced almost entirely by Cabral, but she also brings along other musicians for the ride to create her own universe. The live drums and guitars that flirt heavily with “Doom Metal” on the track “Real Fun,” the pristine saxophone on the track “Afterlife,” and the subtle violin on the epic track “Under The Sun,” are all gorgeous additions to this spiritual journey of an album, and also like I mentioned earlier, the alienistic lyrical themes further prove my hunch that she is from another planet. With lyrical themes such as aliens traveling to earth to discover music and dance to Billie Holiday and “Billie Jean,” and the use of theramin that evokes the spirit of B-level “Sci-Fi” films, it’s apparent that Cabral is a visionary who constantly looks past the surface level and lays her eyes upon the stars. Though she often speaks from the perspective of someone who extremely admires the universe and it’s endlessness, Cabral explores human sentiment as well. The track “Hard to Please,” speaks on the emotional and mental toll the pain of trying to please an unsatisfied lover can take on someone, but with a constant sense of optimism, this album never strays into nihilism or cynicism, no matter how deeply personal this album can get. Though I feel like Chrystia Cabral has yet to reach her magnum opus, Mazy Fly is one giant leap toward her masterpiece.

Written By: Steven Sandoval 

Date: 02/26/19

 

U.S. Girls Share New Music Video for “Time”

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U.S. Girls released an incredible album last year titled In A Poem Unlimited, and those who have been lucky enough to see the band perform live know that seeing them perform is a beautiful experience. You can get a glimpse of what it’s like to feel the band’s live energy with their new music video for their track “Time,” which was shot by Alex Kingsmill during their set at “SappyFest” in Canada. The band have also shared a string of upcoming North American tour dates. You can get all the info, as well as watch the video for “Time” below:

https://4ad.com/news/951

“Time” Music Video:

 

 

Album Review: Xiu Xiu – Girl with Basket of Fruit

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Artist: Xiu Xiu

Album: Girl with Basket of Fruit

Genre: Experimental/Art Rock/Noise

Rating: 8/10

“Xiu Xiu” are an interesting band to say the least. Lead by sole member Jamie Stewart, this vastly eccentric band have been making music since the early 2000’s. Music that has gained admirers for their brash experimentation soaked in tumult, and also music that has gained detractors who find the band incredibly grating. I understand both parties to be honest, because whether the band are creating disturbing songs about double penetration, or reimagining the soundtrack to David Lynch’s “Twin Peaks,” one thing is certain, their music is not easy to listen to. On one hand I’ll admire the band’s uncompromising style, and on the other I can find them immensely self-indulgent and utterly repulsive, but that’s why I find the band so damn intriguing. By now, going into a “Xiu Xiu” album, I expect to hear some bizarre shit, but somehow the band managed to achieve what I thought was impossible after so many years, the band managed to make their most uncomfortable, disgusting, insane, and off putting album yet with Girl with Basket of Fruit, and it’s in my opinion their best work. This album sounds like the mindset of someone who is losing their entire God damn mind. Filled with ramblings of nonsensical words I’ve tried to decipher but have failed greatly, this album is a haunting nightmare-inducing experience. The album opens with the title track, an off the wall Hell ride that features abrasive tribal drums, manic sound textures, and Jamie’s obnoxious vocals with graphic lyrics detailing frogs jumping up a woman’s butthole, fucking a duck, and floating dicks. Yeah, it’s so absurd and humorous that even Jamie is aware enough to scream “Stop Laughing!” in the middle of one of the verses. The psychotic nature heightens even more on the following track “It Comes Out As A Joke,” where Jamie sounds like he’s in the midst of a bad acid trip while he destroys everything in his room. Picture Bob Geldof destroying his guitars and breaking furniture in Pink Floyd’s “The Wall.” It’s that kind of intensity but this song is even worse and makes that particular scene look like “Sesame Street.” The more ambient tracks like “Armargi ve Moo,” or “Ice Cream Truck” are more somber in tone, but are no less bizarre, with Jamie continuing to frantically rant these cryptic lyrics, and scathing violin that is the complete opposite of beautiful. Odd instrumental choices like these frequently appear throughout the album, like the weird chicken sound effects and incomprehensible audio clips on “Pumpkin Attack on Mommy and Daddy,” or the atmospheric sounds with tribalistic drums that echo the opening track on “Scisssssssors,” and with the bass in this production turned abrasively up and sounding intentionally  messy, it’s clear that the band wanted to create their most unsettling album yet, and my have they succeeded. Can this album become a bit of a gimmick at times? Most definitely, but what prevents this album from becoming a complete parody of “Industrial” or “Noise” music is that we all know by now the artistry of the band is completely sincere. They’re never about shock for shock’s sake, and Jamie sings on these tracks with overwhelming passion, but what most of these songs mean, whether they’re metaphoric or just flat-out nonsense is beyond me. I just strap myself in and enjoy this psychotic ride with a smile on my face. Maybe I need help.

Written By: Steven Sandoval 

Date: 02/13/19