Poster Children – “Grand Bargain!” [Video]

Poster Children returned earlier this year with the politically charged track “Grand Bargain!”, announcing a new album to come in spring. The album, of the same name, is available now via Lotuspool Records. The band has now shared the new music video for “Grand Bargain!”. In the video, the bandmate’s children dressed as Jared Kushner and Donald Trump and play out many of the President’s heavily publicized moments, which include lots of tweeting, eating fast food, and the infamous “Trump Drinks Water” moment during a speech on national security. Got to love the Poster Children!

The band also has announced a short summer tour with the dates below.

TOUR:
June 29 – Chicago, IL – Lincoln Hall (Tickets)
July 18 – Brooklyn, NY – Rough Trade (Tickets)
July 19 – Boston, MA – O’Brien’s Pub (Tickets)
July 20 – Philadelphia, PA – Kung Fu Necktie (Tickets)
July 21 – Washington, DC – DC9 (Tickets)

La Luz – “Mean Dream” [Video]

La Luz’s new album, Floating Features, just released and here is a new video for “Mean Dream,” from director Ryan D. La Luz are playing a massive 35-date North American tour. See below for a full list of dates.

TOUR DATES:
05.17.18 – Seattle, WA – The Crocodile $ *
05.18.18 – Seattle, WA – The Vera Project $ * &
05.19.18 – Portland, OR – The Aladdin Theater *
05.20.18 – Bellingham, WA -The Shakedown *
05.22.18 – Boise, ID – The Olympic *
05.23.18 – Salt Lake City, UT – Kilby Court *
05.24.18 – Ft. Collin’s, CO – Hodi’s Half Note *
05.25.18 – Denver, CO – Larimer Lounge *
05.28.18 – Omaha, NE – O’Leavers !
05.29.18 – Kansas City, MO – The Record Bar !
05.30.18 – St. Louis, MO – The Ready Room !
05.31.18 – Chicago, IL – Subterranean ^
06.01.18 – Chicago, IL – Do Division Festival
06.02.18 – Grand Rapids, MI – Pyramid Scheme ^
06.03.18 – Toronto, ON – Horseshoe Tavern ^
06.04.18 – Montreal, QC – L’Esco ^
06.05.18 – Portland, ME – SPACE Gallery ^
06.06.18 – Boston, MA – Once Ballroom ^
06.08.18 – New York, NY – Public Arts ^
06.09.18 – Brooklyn, NY – Northside Festival at Baby’s All Right &
06.10.18 – Philadelphia, PA – Underground Arts Black Box %
06.11.18 – Washington, D.C. – Songbyrd %
06.12.18 – Raleigh, NC – The Pinhook %
06.13.18 – Atlanta, GA – The Earl %
06.14.18 – Jacksonville, FL – Root %
06.15.18 – New Orleans, LA – Santos %
06.16.18 – Austin, TX – Hotel Vegas #
06.19.18 – San Antonio, TX – Paper Tiger #
06.20.18 – El Paso, TX – Monarch #
06.21.18 – Tucson, AZ – Club Congress # &
06.22.10 – Los Angeles, CA – Teregram Ballroom #
09.01.18 – Gdansk, PL – Soundrive Festival
09.04.18 – Malmö, SE – Plan B
09.05.18 – Oslo, NO – Revolver
09.06.18 – Stockholm, SE – Melodybox
09.07.18 – Göteborg, SE – Pustervil
09.08.18 – Copenhagen, DK – Loppen
09.10.18 – Karlsruhe, DE – Kohi
09.11.18 – Zürich, CH – Rote Fabrik
09.12.18 – Montpellier, FR – Le Rockstore
09.13.18 – Barcelona, ES – Gambeat Festival
09.14.18 – Madrid, ES – GetMAD
09.15.18 – San Sebastian, ES – Donastia Festibala
09.18.18 – Lausanne, CH – Le Romandie
09.19.18 – Bern, CH – ISC Club
09.20.18 – Paris, FR – Point Ephemere
09.22.18 – Brussels, BE – Botanique @ Witloof Bar
09.24.18 – Manchester, UK – Soup Kitchen
09.25.18 – Glasgow, UK – Mono
09.26.18 – Leeds, UK – Brudenell Social Club
09.27.18 – London, UK – The Dome
09.28.18 – Bristol, UK – The Louisiana
09.29.18 – Brighton, UK – The Hope and Ruin
10.01.18 – Köln, DE – Bumann & Sohn
10.02.18 – Derlin, DE – Music & Frieden
10.03.18 – Dresden, DE – Beatpol
10.04.18 – Hamburg, DE – Hafenklang (Goldener Salon)
10.05.18 – Groningen, NL – Vera
10.06.18 – Amsterdam, NL – Paradiso upstairs

& – All-Ages
$ – w/ Ancient Forest
* – w/ Savila
! – w/ The Whiffs
^ – w/ Gymshorts
% – w/ Timothy Eerie
# – w/ Summer Twins

Mitski – “Geyser” [Video]

Mitski returns with Be The Cowboy, out August 17th, and presents the album’s lead single “Geyser,” with an accompanying video directed by Zia Anger.

“For this new record, I experimented in narrative and fiction,” comments Mitski. Though she hesitates to go so far as to say she created full-on characters, she reveals she had in mind “a very controlled icy repressed woman who is starting to unravel. Because women have so little power and showing emotion is seen as weakness, this ‘character’ clings to any amount of control she can get. Still, there is something very primordial in her that is trying to find a way to get out.”

In Be The Cowboy, Mitski delves into the loneliness of being a symbol and the loneliness of being someone, how it can feel so much like being no one. Lead single “Geyser” introduces us to a woman who can’t hold it all in any more. She’s about to burst and unleash a torrent of desire and passion that has been building up inside. While recording the album with her long-time producer Patrick Hyland, the pair kept returning to “the image of someone alone on a stage, singing solo with a single spotlight trained on them in an otherwise dark room. For most of the tracks, we didn’t layer the vocals with doubles or harmonies, to achieve that campy ‘person singing alone on stage’ atmosphere.”

Be the Cowboy Tracklist:
1. Geyser
2. Why Didn’t You Stop Me
3. Old Friend
4. A Pearl
5. Lonesome Love
6. Remember My Name
7. Me And My Husband
8. Come Into the Water
9. Nobody
10. Pink in the Night
11. A Horse Named Cold Air
12. Washing Machine Heart
13. Blue Light
14. Two Slow Dancers

Say Sue Me: Where We Were Together [Album Review]

Say Sue Me Where We Were Together Damnably/Electric Muse Records [2018] Who: Say Sue Me is a surf-inspired indie rock quartet from Busan, South Korea. Where We Were Together is the bands sophomore album. Sound: Say Sue Me has a surf sway behind their indie jangles and fits right in with artists like La Luz, … Read more

Frank Turner – “Blackout” [Video]

“Blackout” is the first single from Frank Turner’s new album Be More Kind. The album released last Friday via Xtra Mile Recordings/Polydor UK /Interscope Records in the US.

Be More Kind represents a thematic and sonic line in the sand for the 36-year-old. “I wanted to try and get out of my comfort zone and do something different,” says Turner. As always, Frank Turner is consistently on the road. Check out his dates below.

BE MORE KIND TOUR North American Dates:
Thu/May-31 Detroit, MI The Fillmore
Fri/Jun-01 Pittsburgh, PA Stage AE
Sat/Jun-02 Columbus, OH Express Live^
Sun/Jun-03 Baltimore, MD Pier Six Pavilion
Tue/Jun-05 Philadelphia, PA The Fillmore
Wed/Jun-06 New York, NY Playstation Theater^
Fri/Jun-08 Charlotte, NC The Fillmore
Sat/Jun-09 Atlanta, GA The Tabernacle
Sun/Jun-10 Orlando, FL House of Blues
Tue/Jun-12 Dallas, TX House of Blues
Wed/Jun-13 Austin, TX Stubb’s
Fri/Jun-15 Phoenix, AZ Van Buren
Sat/Jun-16 Los Angeles, CA Hollywood Palladium
Sun/Jun-17 San Francisco, CA Warfield Theatre
Tue/Jun-19 Salt Lake City, UT The Complex
Thu/Jun-21 Kansas City, MO The Truman**
Fri/Jun-22 Minneapolis, MN Myth
Sat/Jun-23 Chicago, IL Aragon Ballroom
Sun/Jun-24 Cleveland, OH House of Blues
Tue/Jun-26 Boston, MA Royale
Wed/Jun-27 Boston, MA Royale
Fri/Jun-29 Boston, MA Royale
Sat/Jun-30 Boston, MA Royale
Sun/Jul-1 Boston, MA Royale
Mon/Jul-2 Boston, MA Royale
Mon/Jul-30 Big Indian, NY Campfire Punk Rock
Tue/Jul-31 Big Indian, NY Campfire Punk Rock
Wed/Aug-01 Big Indian, NY Campfire Punk Rock
Thu/Aug-02 Big Indian, NY Campfire Punk Rock
Fri/Aug-03 Denver, CO Red Rocks*
Thu/Sep-06 Portland, OR Crystal Ballroom
Fri/Sep-07 Seattle, WA Moore Theatre
Sat/Sep-08 Vancouver, BC The Vogue Theater
Sun/Sep-09 Victoria, BC Alix Goolden Performance Hall
Tue/Sep-11 Edmonton, AB Winspear Centre
Wed/Sep-12 Calgary, AB MacEwan Hall
Fri/Sep-14 Saskatoon, SK O’Brians
Sat/Sep-15 Winnipeg, MB Burton Cummings Theatre
Tue/Sep-18 London, ON London Music Hall
Wed/Sep-19 Toronto, ON The Phoenix Concert Theater
Sat/Sep-22 Montreal, QC Corona Theater
Mon/Sep-24 Ottawa, ON Bronson Centre
Wed/Sep-26 Burlington, VT Higher Ground
Sat/Sep-29 Asbury Park, NJ Hear Me Sea Festival
Sun/Sep-30 Ithaca, NY State Theatre
Mon/Oct-01 Charlottesville, VA Jefferson Theater
Wed/Oct-03 Asheville, NC The Orange Peel
Thu/Oct-04 Nashville, TN Cannery Ballroom
Fri/Oct-05 Cincinnati, OH Bogart’s
Sat/Oct-06 Milwaukee, WI Pabst Theater

Mexican Knives – “Western” [Video]

This new video is on the second full-length album from Detroit’s Mexican Knives. No-Wave Punk done in a way that’s stylistic, subversive, airy, angular, jangly and conceptual. For fans of: The Breeders, Dum Dum Girls, My Bloody Valentine, Mazzy Star, Pretenders & Tsunami.

You can pick up a copy of the album at Jett Plastic Recordings HERE.

Protomartyr – “Wheel Of Fortune (feat. Kelley Deal)” [Video]

Protomartyr have a new release called Consolation E.P., which they recorded in part with friend Kelley Deal (The Breeders, R. Ring) and will be released June 15th via Domino Recording Co. Two of the four songs feature Deal on vocals alongside singer Joe Casey, including “Wheel of Fortune,” which is the video today directed by Yoonha Park (who directed the band’s video for “Don’t Go To Anacita”). The EP was recorded by Deal’s R.Ring bandmate Mike Montgomery. The tracklist is below.

The band has a consistent string of tour dates supporting this ep as well as their excellent release from last year Relatives In Descent. You can find the tour dates listed below. The Consolation E.P. is available to pre-order now on limited pressing yellow/white starburst vinyl via Domino HERE, and limited pressing gold vinyl via your local independent record store when released.

“CONSOLATION E.P.” TRACKLISTING
1. Wait
2. Same Face In A Different Mirror
3. Wheel Of Fortune (feat. Kelley Deal)
4. You Win Again (feat. Kelley Deal)

PROTOMARTYR TOUR DATES
Thu. May 3 – Kortrijik, BE @ De Kreun
Fri. May 4 – Bristol, UK @ Thekla
Sat. May 5 – Leicester, UK @ Handmade Festival
Sun. May 6 – Glasgow, UK @ Stag & Dagger Festival
Tue. May 8 – Hull, UK @ Fruit
Wed. May 9 – Birmingham, UK @ Mama Roux
Thu. May 10 – London, UK @ Rough Trade East – In Conversation with the Raincoats
Thu. May 10 – London, UK @ Scala
Sun. June 3 – Seattle, WA @ Upstream Music Festival
Sat. June 9 – Brooklyn, NY @ Elsewhere (Brooklyn Vegan Northside Party)
Wed. June 13 – Hong Kong, HK @ MOM Livehouse
Fri. June 15 – Beijing, CN @ Yue Space
Sat. June 16 – Shanghai, CN @ YYT
Sun. June 17 – Seoul, KR @ V-Hall
Wed. June 20 – Kuala Lumpur, MY @ Live Fact
Thu. June 21 – Jakarta, ID @ Rossi Musik
Sat. June 23 – Athens, GR @ Ejekt Festival
Fri. July 6 – Modena, IT @ Arti Vive
Sat. July 7 – Chiusi, IT @ Lars Rock Fest
Sat. July 21 – Los Angeles, CA @ FYF Fest
Sat. Aug. 11 – Haldern, DE @ Haldern Pop Festival
Sun. Aug. 12 – Luxembourg, LU @ Rotondes
Mon. Aug. 13 – Dusseldorf, DE @ Zakk
Tue. Aug. 14 – Bremen, DE @ Tower Musikclub
Thu. Aug. 16 – Nijmegen, NL @ Doornroosje
Fri. Aug. 17 – Biddinghuizen, NL @ Lowlands Festival
Sat. Aug 18 – Hasselt, BE @ Pukkelpop Festival
Sun. Aug. 19 – St. Malo, FR @ La Route Du Rock
Tue. Aug. 21 – Dudingen, CH @ Bad Bonn
Wed. Aug. 22 – Zurich, CH @ Mascotte
Fri. Aug. 24 – Schorndorf, DE @ Club Manufaktur
Sat. Aug 25 – Charleville Mezieres, FR @ Cabaret Vert Festival
Sun. Aug. 26 – Ramsgate, UK @ Ramsgate Hall
Tue. Aug. 28 – Sheffield, UK @ Picture House Social
Wed. Aug. 29 – Hebden Bridge, UK @ Trades Club
Thu. Aug. 30 – Liverpool, UK @ O2 Academy 2
Fri. Aug. 31 – Salisbury, UK @ End of the Road Festival
Thu. Aug. 30 – Sun. Sep. 2 – Vlieland, NL @ Into the Great Wide Open

Speedy Ortiz: Twerp Verse [Album Review]

Speedy Ortiz Twerp Verse Carpark Records [2018] Who: Twerp Verse, is Speedy Ortiz’s third album and first full-length in three years. The band has always been politically mindful but after the more recent political climate the band scrapped their early material after Foil Deer and created what they feel is a more relevant and important … Read more

Kevin Krauter – “Keep Falling In Love” [Video]

This is the new Kevin Krauter (of Hoops) video for “Keep Falling In Love.” It’s the second song released off his forthcoming debut LP, Toss Up, out 6/15 via Bayonet Records. You can pre-order the record HERE.

Krauter definitely has the influence of ’60s flower pop and 70s easy listening on this track. If you know who Paul Davis is then you will be excited!

Krauter will be touring throughout the spring into summer, including a number of headline dates and a show supporting Waxahatchee. Several show dates are listed below.

5/12 – Bloomington, IN @ The Bishop**
6/19 – Columbus, OH @ Ace Of Cups
6/20 – Washington, DC @ Songbyrd
6/21 – Brooklyn, NY @ Baby’s All Right
6/22 – Philadelphia, PA @ PhilaMOCA
6/28 – Chicago, IL @ Schubas
7/14 – Indianapolis, IN @ The Tube Factory
* with Malcolm London & DJ Jill Hopkins
** solo show with Waxahatchee and Amy O

Acid Dad – “Marine” [Video]

NYC’s Acid Dad released its debut S/T LP in March via Greenway Records, and now have a new video for album track “Marine.” See below for Acid Dad’s upcoming live dates.

Acid Dad on Tour:
5/9: Toronto, ON @ Adelaide Hall (CMW)
5/11: Amsterdam, NL @ Q Factory
5/12: Lille, FR @ DIY Cafe
5/14: Manchester, UK @ Jimmy’s
5/15: Glasgow, UK @ Nice ‘N’ Sleazy
5/16: Liverpool, UK @ Sound Basement
5/17: London, UK @ The Shacklewell Arms
5/18: Le Havre, FR @ Le McDaid’s
5/19: Paris, FR @ E’sapce B

Father John Misty – “Mr. Tillman” [Video]

Watch Father John Misty encounter a strange hotel check-in in the official video for “Mr. Tillman,” co-directed by Jeff Desom (Health, Hauskcha) & Carlos Lopez Estrada (Clipping, Blindspotting) [link here]. The single is from God’s Favorite Customer, his fourth album worldwide on June 1st, 2018 through Sub Pop, with the exception of Europe through Bella Union.

Chastity – “Children” [Video]

Chastity (aka Brandon Williams) has released the politically charged video for “Children,” taken from the upcoming album Death Lust, to be released Friday, July 13th via Captured Tracks. You can pre-order a copy of the album HERE.

Chastity is a world of its own from the mind of Brandon Williams. Reflecting the working class background of Whitby, Ontario, Chastity’s songs are charged with the ethos of archetypal youth on the fringe. A project more aptly characterized by its intentions than specific sound or medium, Chastity stands to confront the struggles of those existing in the unseen, often silenced periphery. It is an artifact of youth culture constantly working to form community, bridging isolation with collectivity.

Death Lust follows the plot of suffering to survival. The album begins on a tortured note with ‘Come’ and builds toward the plummeting finale of ‘Chains’, evolving from start to finish in a crescendo of severity. Chastity explains, “Death Lust is about growing up death obsessed. It’s about the pain that it takes but the capacity that we have to overcome.”

Cut Worms – “Cash For Gold” [Video]

New York-based Max Clarke will release Hollow Ground, his debut album as Cut Worms, on May 4th via Jagjaguwar. This new video for “Cash For Gold” was directed by Elizabeth Skadden.

This track follows Cut Worms style of storytelling and the influence of the more simple sounds of the 50s/60s. It is easy to hear past groups here like The Everly Brothers or the Finn Brothers (Crowded House) but Cut Worms nicely fits in with modern artists such as The Tallest Man In The World, S. Carey or Michael Rault.

Cut Worms Tour Dates:
Thu. May 3 – San Diego, CA @ Casbah *
Fri. May 4 – Phoenix, AZ @ Valley Bar *
Sat. May 5 – Santa Fe, NM @ Meow Wolf *
Mon. May 7 – Houston, TX @ Rockefeller Hall *
Tue. May 8 – Austin, TX @ Barracuda *
Wed. May 9 – Dallas, TX @ Club Dada *
Fri. May 11 – New Orleans, LA @ One-Eyed Jacks *
Sat. May 12 – Atlanta, GA @ The Earl w/ King Tuff
Sun. May 13 – Nashville, TN @ The Basement East *
Mon. May 14 – Lexington, KY @ The Burl *
Tue. May 15 – Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Tavern
Wed. May 16 – Washington, DC @ Rock & Roll Hotel *
Fri. May 18 – Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg *
Sat. May 19 – Philadelphia, PA @ First Unitarian Church *
Sun. May 20 – Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall *
Mon. May 21 – Montreal, QC @ L’escografie
Tue. May 22 – Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground *
Wed. May 23 – Toronto, ON @ Horseshoe Tavern *
Thu. May 24 – Detroit, MI @ El Club *
Fri. May 25 – Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall *
Sat. May 26 – St. Paul, MN @ Turf Club *
Tue. May 29 – Denver, CO @ Globe Hall *
Wed. May 30 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge *
Fri. June 1 – Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile *
Sat. June 2 – Vancouver, BC @ Fortune Sound Club *
Sun. March 3 – Portland, OR @ Star Theater *
Tue. June 5 – San Francisco, CA @ The Independent *
Thu. June 7 – Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom *
Fri. June 8-Sun. June 10 – Sonoma, CA @ Huichica Music Festival
Fri. Aug. 3 – Sun. Aug. 5 – Happy Valley, OR @ Pickathon Festival
Thu. Aug 30 – Sun. Sept. 2 – Larmer Tree Gardens, UK @ End of the Road Festival
Thu. Sept. 6 – London, UK @ The Shacklewell Arms

* w/ King Tuff

The Friday Fire Track: Charmer – “Nurse Joy”

Marquette, Michigan emo-rock band Charmer are bringing a new spotlight to the Midwest movement with their self-titled debut that hits your playlist today via No Sleep Records. After just 2 years, the band has already shared the stage with Pinegrove, Teen Suicide, and Dowsing. The new album was recorded with Jake Ewald of Modern Baseball … Read more

Ladytron – “The Animals” [Video]

Liverpool’s synth-shoegaze quartet, Ladytron are back and have released this short film for “The Animals,” their first single in seven years. Directed by Fernando Nogari, the short film is a love letter to São Paulo that follows a group of young people on a sensory, violent, and joyous trip through the megalopolis’ underworld, creating a snapshot of Brazil’s dark, contemporary moment where shifting mores regarding culture, gender, spirituality, and identity collide.

A second single will follow in the summer, followed in the fall by a new album, both available for pre-order as limited deluxe editions via Pledge Music HERE.

Snow Patrol – “Don’t Give In” [Video]

Snow Patrol has premiered “Don’t Give In,” the lead single from Wildness, their first record in seven years. Said lead singer and songwriter, Gary Lightbody about the song: “‘Don’t Give In” was originally about a friend going through a tough time but the more I wrote into it I realized it was about me and the struggle of making the album – which took 5 years and was not easy – coupled with the struggle with depression I’ve had since I was a kid, so it has become the talisman of the album. The song that became a self-fulfilling prophecy.”

Wildness is out May 25th via Republic Records. You can pre-order a copy HERE.

Failure – “Dark Speed” [Video]

Here is the first video from the EP In The Future, from the current EP and forthcoming fifth Failure album. The video features David Dastmalchian (Ant-Man, Blade Runner 2049) and was directed by Ken Andrews.
“Dark Speed” is one of the four songs from the In The Future EP, which is out now. Special offerings and bundles are available at Pledgemusic, with subscriptions for the full series of releases available via failurebandmerch.com. The EP was produced by Failure and mixed by Ken Andrews.

The Friday Fire Track: Wax Chattles – “In My Mouth”

New Zealand’s Wax Chattels are releasing their self-titled LP on May 18th via Flying Nun/Captured Tracks. The band call themselves “guitarless guitar music.” Have we sparked your interest yet? Thought so! Today’s Friday Fire Track, “In My Mouth,” is your first taste of Wax Chattles and their mix of experimental punk like Brainiac blended with … Read more

The Friday Fire Track: Michael Rault – “I’ll Be There”

Canadian singer-songwriter Michael Rault is back on May 18th with his new album, It’s A New Day, via Wick Records (a Daptone Records subsidiary). You may remember his solid Living Daylight which was out on Burger records in 2015. Today’s Friday Fire Track, “I’ll Be There,” is from that new record and screams classic power … Read more