The Godfathers of Goth “Bauhaus” will reunite on November 3rd for a show at the “Hollywood Palladium” in Los Angeles, CA with all four original members. This follows the recent 40th anniversary tour with members Peter Murphy and David J, and now it’s looking like the younger bats will have a chance to see the original lineup perform together. Tickets go on sale this Friday September 13th at 10:00 A.M. PST.
Following 2016’s exhausting but enlightening journey through the body, mind, and soul we call The Glowing Man, “Swans” will return with their new album Leaving Meaning on October 25th via Young God Records/Mute. The album was written and produced by sole member Michael Gira with collaborations with Thor Harris, Norman Westberg, Ben Frost, The Necks, Baby Dee, Jennifer Gira, and Anna and Maria von Hausswolff. The band have also shared a new track off the upcoming album titled “It’s Coming It’s Real.” You can listen to the track below:
On the heels of their fantastic new E.P. Suffering is a Gift, Punk band “Portrayal of Guilt” have released more music with the band “Soft Kill” on a new 7” via “Closed Casket Activities.” Portrayal of Guilt’s track “Sacrificial Rite” is a tumultuous howl of doom that blends elements of both Punk and Metal, whereas Soft Kill’s track “Tin Foil Drip” is a lush and melodic shoegazey tune. You can stream as well as purchase the new 7” below:
https://portrayalofguilt.com/album/portrayal-of-guilt-soft-kill-split
It’s an exciting time for “Girl Band” fans. The Noise Rock band have returned after four years with new music that’s scheduled to be released on September 27th. Following their previously released lead single “Shoulderblades,” the band have released a new track titled “Going Norway,” and with a new sense of rejuvenation, they’re pushing their usual anxiety-inducing, abrasive, and scuzzy style to the next level. Their new album The Talkies will be released on September 27th. You can watch the music video for “Going Norway” below:
“When you’re in the middle of writing and recording, it’s very easy to fall into extreme feelings of guilt over procrastination, when you’re already stretched thin,” says Alicia Gaines, bassist and vocalist of Chicago “Post-Punk” band “Ganser,” and that feeling is immensely conveyed on their new single “Bad Form.” It’s a sentiment we can all relate to. The feeling that we’re just going through the motions, the feeling that we should be doing more, the feeling that nothing we do is ever enough, it’s an unfair pressure we put on ourselves, and that can lead to unbearable anxiety. “Ganser” are no strangers to the evocation of anxiety. The band have been creating noisey “Post-Punk” with a sprinkle of “Goth” for awhile now, and following last year’s debut album Odd Talk, it was clear that the band are without a doubt one of the most ambitious bands in Rock right now. Much of their music is loud, anxiety-inducing but not too abrasive to the point of being unlistenable, and their attention to crafting chaotic and unconventional instrumentation topped with poetic lyrical content that looks both outward and inward is vastly enthralling. Each member is pivotal to the band’s sound, they’re all pieces to a puzzle that just wouldn’t be complete if a member were absent. It’s easy to list what genres the band might draw influence from, but categorizing them wouldn’t suffice when describing the myriad of emotions and styles in their music.
So what does their new single “Bad Form” sound like? Well, it sounds like a “Ganser” song, but it’s most definitely next level and completely stands on it’s own. Charlie Landsman’s guitar evokes a frantic feeling that ear-splittingly gives you a sense of urgency, Alicia Gaines’ pummeling bass hits you with a sinister groove, Brian Cundiff’s drums are sharp and piercing, and Nadia Garofalo’s vocals passionately echo the nervous nature of the instrumentation with a sense of catharsis that beautifully expresses the importance of self-therapy when confronting inner demons. “Too many people want too much attention,” sings Garofalo, as if she’s realizing the feeling of getting lost in other people’s needs or trying to balance friendships and relationships with work is taking it’s toll, and the refrain of “I know how it works” can be interpreted as the feeling of unsatisfying repetition or predictability. Sure this song deals with the darker side of the human psyche, but it features positive undertones as the band exorcises their demons together.
“Bad Form” also has a beautifully shot music video directed by Kirsten Miccoli to accompany it. It stars Ganser, Monica Bahr, Liz Harvey, and Benji Morino, and it’s visually stunning with a dark nature that perfectly reflects the track’s sense of agitation and anxiety. The band make it known that visual art is just as important to them as music. Just look at how mindfully crafted their past music videos are with much attention to artistry and cinematography as opposed to just making a video of the band playing their instruments in an empty warehouse (we saw plenty of those videos in the 90’s.) The band want to utilize different aspects of art to express themselves, and that ambition is inspiring. It’s exciting to see where they’ll go next.
Written By: Steven Sandoval
U.K. band “Sorry” continue their string of impressive singles with a new track titled “Jealous Guy.” The track is a response to John Lennon’s “Jealous Guy” and the possessiveness of the song, and it is a dark and catchy number with a goofy music video to accompany it that finds the band having a lot of fun. Hopefully we’ll get a full-length album from the band this year. You can watch the music video for “Jealous Guy” below:
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
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:
Washington, D.C. band “Priests” are set to release their new album The Seduction of Kansas on April 5th via “Sister Polygon Records,” and following the album’s danceable and quite catchy lead single of the same name, the band have shared another track off the album titled “Good Time Charlie.” Inspired by Tom Hanks’ portrayal of congressman Charlie Wilson in the film Charlie Wilson’s War, the track is more politically-charged than it’s preceding single, alluding to the foolishness of Charlie Wilson and how he’s depicted in the media. You can listen to the track and watch the lyric video below:
Artist: Le Butcherettes
Album: bi/MENTAL
Genre: Alternative Rock/Post-Punk/Garage Rock/Art Rock
Rating: 8/10
Some musicians are just completely captivating, whether it be on record, or during a confrontational live show, some musicians just demand your attention. Teresa Suárez Cosío A.K.A. Terri Gender Bender is without a doubt one of those enthralling musicians. The Denver, Colorado born artist started playing guitar and writing songs at a very young age when her and her family moved to Mexico. She has embarked on countless music endeavors since she was fully established in the music business, everything from her “Bosnian Rainbows” project with frequent collaborator Omar Rodríguez-López, to her star-studded supergroup “Crystal Fairy,” you can bet she puts her blood, sweat, and tears into everything she does, but her main project, the one that has her full heart is “Le Butcherettes.” Starting out as a “Garage Rock” duo that drew a lot of influence from feminism, “Le Butcherettes” have had a rotating lineup throughout the years, which has lead the project to vastly shapeshift on each album. Their 2011 debut Sin Sin Sin was a minimalist howl that spoke on gender politics, their following album Cry Is For The Flies was a lot darker and sinister in nature without losing it’s thought provoking and immensely poetic lyricism, and the band’s third album A Raw Youth contained synth-heavy Glam with a grandiose presentation. One thing has remained among these style changes though, and that’s sole member Terri Gender Bender’s personality and distinct style. Her artistic style of deep cutting and sometimes zany vocals, raw and grungy guitar riffs, and her signature organ that sounds like a circus from Hell are all what makes her style so incredibly unique and intriguing, and on her new album with a new live band bi/MENTAL features all of these things and then some. Everything that has made the band so musically compelling is perfectly incorporated into the mix, but the melodic and lush delivery with an underlying sense of melancholy but strong self-aware ethos are all balanced out perfectly on this album, making this the band’s best work to date. bi/MENTAL is largely ambitious with artistic instrumentation filled with Proggy synths, “Post-Punk” ridden guitars, groovy basslines, and some of the best sounding drum work there has ever been on a “Le Butcherettes” record, but of course, the main thing that sticks out and immediately grabs the listeners attention is Terri Gender Bender’s impactful vocals and meaningful lyrics. There are recurring themes of mental illness and bipolar disorder on these songs, and how these things can be hereditary and run through a family’s bloodline. These subjects are poetically delivered and the myriad of changing emotions conveyed on these songs reflect the theme of bipolar disorder. One song can be about self-empowerment and conjuring up the courage to rid yourself of a toxic relationship like the track “strong/ENOUGH,” but then the emotion can completely change like on the track “in/THE END” where Terri sings “In the end we’re faithless. We’re just in search for guidance” speaking on the frantic and confused human condition. The ever-changing sentiments on these songs beautifully represent the mindset of most humans who can’t help but get lost in introspective thought, and Terri fearlessly delivers these themes, forcing you to hang on to every word that is said. Some of these tracks are largely collaborative. Jello Biafra of “Dead Kennedys” provides a spoken word outro on the opening track “spider/WAVES,” artist and activist Alice Bag provides vocals on the sinister sounding “mother/HOLDS,” and all of these songs are cleanly produced by Jerry Harrison of “Talking Heads” and “The Modern Lovers,” but as effective as these features are, none of them overshadow Terri Gender Bender. They probably couldn’t if they tried, because her artistry is completely captivating and it’s very evident that she is an important figure in modern “Rock.” There’s no doubt that she’ll continue to push the boundaries and provoke thought, and that is the kind of ambition we need in the music world today.
Written By: Steven Sandoval
Date: 02/04/19
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