Saturday 3 December 2016

Against Me - "Shape Shift With Me", Released September 16th, 2016 via Total Treble Music


Against Me - "Shape Shift With Me"
Released September 16th, 2016 via Total Treble Music

The previous album "Transgender Dysphoria Blues" was a cathartic effort for Laura Jane (previously Tom) and I would consider "Shape Shift with Me" as an evolution album on the journey that Laura has undertaken.

Produced mainly by Laura Jane herself I see this album as a transition act (no pun intended). It is a mix of politics and personal stuff as you would expect but also general observations e.g. Provision L3. The latter and album opening track is a nervous, chaotic but classic punk song about airports scanners while 12.03 has a more settled tempo and displays all the characteristics of an AM gem. Its sharp, energetic and supported by the ever charismatic voice from Laura Jane.

There is a trio of songs that I like to listen on this album. It is Crash, Boyfriend and Delicate, petite and all other Things I’ll Never Be. Crash is a power pop song which is easy to remember with its chorus and backing vocals. It’s simple but powerful and rather efficient. The video supporting the track is showing a light-hearted side of AM that you don’t get to see that often. Boyfriend with its Sonic Youth / Pixie-ish intro almost gives me the feeling of a grand animalesque carnival; a musical Ying and Yang with a lot of smiles and tears. The third track is probably more reflective of the personal evolution that Laura is going thru but this is a fantastic song, musically speaking, too.

333 is probably one of the stand out song of the album. At first it sounds easy in terms of melody but I cannot get it out of my head for the last few days. Haunting, Haunted, Haunts sounds Pogues-ish, Dead Rats is anecdotal to be honest but Rebecca and Norse Truth are very strong AM tunes with Norse Truth spoken words resonating towards All This(and More)- a perfect recap song for a strong and solid album.

This 7th album is not the strongest of the band but is very good by any means. The songs are solid and there are two to three tunes that I would be very curious to see on stage. This time around the album is not necessarily a platform or a statement for a life changing decision. It should rather be viewed as a collection of vignettes on life, reflections on politics and other stuff.

This album in my opinion is a stepping stone towards a coming masterpiece.

Overall: If not the best - it does still pass the Against Me classics test.
If I was To Pick 3 only: Crash, Boyfriend, 333
Live Test: if only they could come to Ireland

Review by Pascal Derrien

Wednesday 30 November 2016

ROYAL REPUBLIC RETURN TO THE UK IN MARCH 2017



Royal Republic will return to British shores in Spring 2017!    Fresh from a sold out tour of Germany, these irrepressible party starters from Sweden have lined up headline shows in Glasgow, Manchester & London, with tickets going on sale starting at 10am on Friday, December 2nd and available from www.livenation.co.uk

"The Sold-Out UK shows in October were amazing, and has left us with the opportunity to come back in spring! We will seize this opportunity and could not be more stoked!"   

Dates as follows:   30 March 2017 – GLASGOW, The Garage 31 March 2017 – MANCHESTER, Academy 2 01 April 2017 – LONDON, Electric Ballroom

As well as opening the newly-crowned ‘Lemmy Stage’ at this year’s Download Festival, Royal Republic recently completed a sold out headline run in the UK as part of their ‘Weekend Man’ tour, with three venues being upgraded due to huge demand; this tour was in support of the Republic-ans latest studio album, ‘Weekend Man’, released in February 2016 via Spinefarm Records, the start of a new relationship with the label.

Crafted in Berlin’s Fuzz Factory Studios by producers Christian Neander & Michael Tibes, ‘Weekend Man’ (the album) sees the dapper Swedes delivering their customary rock thrills with even greater gusto – a bold statement of wild-eyed intent founded on big hooks, mountainous melodies and a signature sense of fun. Generally speaking, the aim is to put smiles on faces, but now an’ then a deeper, darker side peeps through, as displayed on the band’s video for ‘Any Given Sunday’ – an “epic tale of love, death & desperation” featuring legendary Swedish soap star Gunnar Mosen.    

Tuesday 29 November 2016

The Wild! Debut New Music Video



Canadian rockers THE WILD! have debuted a brand new music video today for their recently released track "Ready To Roll" exclusively via REVOLVER MAGAZINE. "When we made our first video, it was over the top & really turned a lot of heads," says frontman Dylan Villain. "So we knew when we were making this one, we had to really step it up." The video was filmed in Okanagan Canada near the band's home town of Kelowna, BC by longtime video director Stuey Kubrick. "From lighting guitars on fire, jumping off cliffs, guns, random explosions, excessive pyro, playing our instruments on top of a moving RV while ripping down a desert highway & then actually blowing up that RV with explosives...I’d say we did alright"

The Wild! will release Wild At Heart on February 17, 2017 via Entertainment One (eOne). Villain adds, "This record is a big one for me. All of us, man. I really had to go through some shit to get things right on this one. I can honestly sit here today & tell you that we made the best record we possibly could. I'm proud as hell of it and I can't wait for all of you to hear it. It's everything I wanted it to be." The tracklist and artwork is also available below. Produced by Mike Fraser (AC/DC, Metallica, Airbourne, Aerosmith) at Armoury Studios in Vancouver, Wild At Heart will serve as the follow-up to their debut EP GxDxWxB, which stands for "God Damn Wild Boys," that was released in 2015. Wild At Heart will be their first full-length for Entertainment One (eOne). On vocals/lead guitar, DYLAN VILLAIN embodies all of the reckless abandon and good-natured devilish charm that could only be born in a very small backwoods community. Counterbalancing Villain's snakebite rasp is bassist/vocalist BOOZUS. Beer drinkin’, beard havin’, fly-fishin’ are his favorite past times.

Kickin’ ass & keeping time is drummer REESE LIGHTNING. A beast with beats & everyone’s favorite asshole. You’ll love him! Rounding out THE WILD!'s lineup is “THE KID” on rhythm guitar and backing vocals. Young blood and zero fucks given. What The Kid lacks in age, he makes up in attitude and swagger.

“I feel like for every thousand bands that are out there right now you’ll get maybe ten that believe the things they’re singing about, which is the most important thing to me in any genre,” says VILLAIN. “I don’t give a shit what kind of music you play. If you care about it then really give yourself to that moment. Our fans aren’t stupid and I feel that they’re hungry for things that aren’t so disposable.”

The Wild! just wrapped up supporting tours with both Airbourne, Sebastian Bach and Buckcherry and will be announcing more tour dates very soon.

PETER MURPHY Gets "Stripped" For Winter 2016 Tour



On the night of April 1, 2016 at the Irenic Theater in San Diego, California, PETER MURPHY began his Stripped Tour, a worldwide maelstrom of over sixty concerts in fourteen countries. He is continuing his tour with a second U.S. leg, starting tonight at San Diego's The Observatory and continuing straight up the California coast before venturing out East for a handful of shows including Boston, New York City and Baltimore (full dates below).

Stripped hones a new sound for Murphy, reviving legendary songs to the exposed heart of his voice as never before heard in his epochal stage career, from "Marlene Dietrich’s Favorite Poem" (from his album Deep) to the title track on his latest album, Lion. He is strong as ever, tapping the pulse of his muse as a trio with his longstanding collaborators, guitarist John Andrews and bassist/electric-violinist Emilio “Zef” China.

First emerging from the British punk and rock underground in the late 70s, Murphy (along with bandmates Daniel Ash, David J and Kevin Haskins) fronted the groundbreaking iconic rock band Bauhaus which spawned four iconoclastic and ultra-seminal albums as well as keystone singles "She's In Parties", "Silent Hedges", and, of course, "Bela Lugosi's Dead" before disbanding in 1983. Murphy launched a successful solo career that has yielded ten solo albums so far, including his latest LION, released in 2014 (a companion remix compilation was released last year). The Stripped Tour spans the breadth of Murphy's material including his solo albums and his earlier Bauhaus works, as well as a cover or two for good measure.

After announcing the first leg of the Stripped Tour for U.S. audiences earlier this year, he sold out eight shows coast-to-coast. In light of this success, Murphy is planning to release a live album from the initial U.S. tour on Metropolis Records in the new year. More information on that release is forthcoming.

STRIPPED Tour Dates: Nov 29 The Observatory North Park San Diego, CA Nov 30 The Observatory Santa Ana, CA Dec 02 Rio Theater Santa Cruz, CA Dec 03 Sweetwater Music Hall Mill Valley, CA Dec 04 Harlow's Rest. & Nightclub Sacramento, CA Dec 05 The Chapel San Francisco, CA Dec 07 Sellersville Theater 1894 Sellersville, PA Dec 08 The Ballroom @ Outer Space Hamden, CT Dec 09 Middle East Cambridge, MA Dec 11 City Winery New York, NY Dec 11 City Winery LATE SHOW New York, NY Dec 12 Baltimore Soundstage Baltimore, MD

Monday 28 November 2016

Highly Suspect Explodes with #1 Alternative Album + #1 Single via Billboard Charts


Photo credit: Meagan Donohue

2x Grammy nominated act, Highly Suspect's sophomore LP, The Boy Who Died Wolf, is topping charts, selling and streaming over two times that of their first album, and is garnering rave reviews from the likes of NPR, Associated Press, Entertainment Weekly, and more . The sonically eclectic album had an overall consumption of 18,381 units which includes 1.4MM album streams. The album is available for streaming and purchase on iTunes, Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon, and Google Play.

The Boy Who Died Wolf is a staggering effort for the Brooklyn via Cape Cod trio, comprised of Johnny Stevens, and twins Rich and Ryan Meyer. The expansive, layered collection of songs is receiving early praise from Associated Press who calls it “Stellar” and NPR who’s deemed it “smoldering, dynamic and soulful.” The album touches on a range of personal experiences from heartbreak to the death of a close friend, the record features quiet and subtle moments, like the piano ballad "Chicago", to barbed wire riffs like the jarring, "Viper Strike," and slow-building dreamscapes, like album closer, "Wolf". Lead single, "My Name Is Human," is turning into a smash, generating heavy radio play as a chart topping, #1 hit at Active Rock and climbing the charts at Alternative radio.

2x Grammy nominated act, Highly Suspect's sophomore LP, The Boy Who Died Wolf, is topping charts, selling and streaming over two times that of their first album, and is garnering rave reviews from the likes of NPR, Associated Press, Entertainment Weekly, and more . The sonically eclectic album had an overall consumption of 18,381 units which includes 1.4MM album streams. The album is available for streaming and purchase on iTunes, Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon, and Google Play.

The Boy Who Died Wolf is a staggering effort for the Brooklyn via Cape Cod trio, comprised of Johnny Stevens, and twins Rich and Ryan Meyer. The expansive, layered collection of songs is receiving early praise from Associated Press who calls it “Stellar” and NPR who’s deemed it “smoldering, dynamic and soulful.” The album touches on a range of personal experiences from heartbreak to the death of a close friend, the record features quiet and subtle moments, like the piano ballad "Chicago", to barbed wire riffs like the jarring, "Viper Strike," and slow-building dreamscapes, like album closer, "Wolf". Lead single, "My Name Is Human," is turning into a smash, generating heavy radio play as a chart topping, #1 hit at Active Rock and climbing the charts at Alternative radio.

In an exclusive interview with Entertainment Weekly; band frontman, Johnny Stevens said, “I was the boy, and was a wolf,” he explains referencing a hard upbringing in Cape Cod and the last eight years as a band desperate for a break in Brooklyn. “Everything was a fight and a struggle. I killed that part of me, and now the man is left.” The album was recorded in Bogota, Colombia and Brooklyn, New York with Joel Hamilton (The Black Keys, Tom Waits, Elvis Costello), who also worked with the band on their 2015 debut breakthrough record, Mister Asylum which was nominated for 2x Grammys- one for Best Rock Album, and a nomination for Best Rock Song, for their single, "Lydia." The band also performed the song at the Grammy's pre-telecast.

The 300 Entertainment recording act is one of the music industry’s most exciting artist development stories. Mister Asylum was released in July 2015 to critical praise from FADER, Consequence Of Sound, Rolling Stone, Entertainment Weekly and many more. Highly Suspect also made their network television debut on Late Night With Seth Meyers last September, as well as a performance on CONAN this past January.

Since the release of Mister Asylum, the band has been on the road tirelessly as a headliner and also opening for acts like Catfish And The Bottlemen and The Struts while playing various festivals around the globe including Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo, the RIDE Festival (w/ Pearl Jam) as well as Reading/Leeds in the UK. Highly Suspect are fresh off a headlining US tour, which included festival stops at Riot Fest and Life Is Beautiful, and sold-out shows in major markets like Los Angeles.

WARS REVEAL NEW VIDEO FOR ‘THE ART OF NOT KNOWING’



DEBUT ALBUM, ‘WE ARE ISLANDS, AFTER ALL’ DUE TO BE RELEASED ON JANUARY 27TH VIA SPINEFARM RECORDS

Wars can now finally reveal their first official music video since signing to Spinefarm Records; the clip accompanies ‘The Art Of Not Knowing’, the second single to be released from forthcoming debut album, ‘We Are Islands, After All’, due for release on January 27th.

“The music video for 'The Art of Not Knowing' came from a really personal place,” says Rob Vicars, wars front person. “There's this empty, unstable feeling you get when you start to question how well you really know yourself, (it's the kind of train of thought that can take you to some unnervingly dark places pretty abruptly) this song talks of confronting that issue, the ambivalence and learning to live beyond it.

“The shoot itself felt like a real coming together of brilliant people, it's amazing to have a cameo from This Is England's George Newton in there, and our leading girl absolutely nailed every scene. We're unbelievably proud and excited to put this video out” Watch the official video for ‘The Art Of Not Knowing’ here:

‘We are Islands, After All’ has been produced by Matt O’ Grady (You Me At Six, Deaf Havana, Don Broco, etc.), with Alan Douches, chief engineer at West West Side Music handling the mastering.

Robin Schulz & David Guetta debut new track: "Shed A Light" ft. Cheat Codes



Grammy nominated producer Robin Schulz joins forces with globally renowned record-breaker David Guetta on a track featuring the finest mix of electronic and pop ballad elements, “Shed a Light (feat. Cheat Codes)”; their new single is a bound to leave a lasting impression with the track’s poignant vocals and LA-based electronic three-piece Cheat Codes added to the mix.

Underlined by a catchy, driving beat and slowly building, beautifully anthemic strings, “Shed a Light” shines its perpetual, crystal clear light to counter the impending darkness. More than anything the deeply moving song sends a message of hope, urging fans to heed the call of our hearts.

“I have been supporting Robin since day one. We have been touring together and for this particular track I was very excited to work with him. Robin’s tracks are very musical and emotional. So to me working with Robin was an obvious choice. It felt like the right match.” - David Guetta

“I’m very excited about the upcoming collaboration with my friend David Guetta. I think ‘Shed A Light’ is a fantastic combination, which is characterized by both styles, perfectly supported by the great voice of Cheat Codes” - Robin Schulz

Getting to work with two legends has been just a remarkable experience for us. This song is about that classic situation where you're falling for someone; but you're unsure if they feel the same. It's truly an honor to collaborate with Robin and David on this track. They are two of the key artists that inspired us to get into dance music in the first place and start this journey as Cheat Codes! We hope you all enjoy this record as much as we do." - Cheat Codes

Shed A Light (feat Cheat Codes)

Hunter & The Bear Release Video For New Single 'I Am What I Am'



Ahead of their much-anticipated debut album set to drop in Spring 2017, UK rockers Hunter & The Bear release the brand new single ‘I Am What I Am’. In contrast to the high-octane, raw energy of their previous offering ‘Who’s Gonna Hear You?’, their new single presents a deeper, more sensitive aspect to the band that highlights their skills as accomplished songwriters. ‘I Am What I Am’ is a song full of feeling that provides an honest and emotional portrayal of human relationships, delivered with the charisma that has built Hunter & The Bear a fierce reputation and cult following throughout the UK, Europe and beyond.

Fresh off the back of the bands’ show stopping performance at the Unsigned Music Awards held at London’s Troxy in October, Hunter & The Bear continue to attract an ever increasing swathe of positive attention as a band who are leading a strong resurgence of rock & roll into the UK music industry. A pivotal moment in their career to date emerged when they caught the ear of rock icon Eric Clapton, who subsequently invited them to support him on his most recent UK arena tour.

Since then the band’s tenacious attitude to touring has seen them win a legion of fans wherever their live show takes them, packing out tents at Reading and Leeds, headlining European festivals and captivating a range of followers across the globe. ‘I Am What I Am’ is a song that will speak for itself, set to introduce a new audience to the band’s unique and inspirational work.

With a much hyped headline show at new venue The Camden Assembly on 1st December, followed by an extensive tour of Scotland in 2017 and multiple dates around the UK and Europe to follow, Hunter & The Bear continue to progress from strength to strength.

Sunday 27 November 2016

DEVILSKIN new album debuts at Number 1 & band tour with DISTURBED and HALESTORM



History repeats for Devilskin as their new album Be Like The River enters their domestic album chart at #1 on the week of issue. Just 16 months ago their debut album We Rise spent 3 weeks in the pole position. This is unprecedented in rock music in New Zealand and is a testament to the excellence of Devilskin’s second studio album Be Like The River.

Devilskin exclaimed "The band are absolutely blown away, extremely proud and truly humbled to debut at number one with Be Like The River. This is a true testament to the love and loyalty of our friends and fans and we are very grateful. We can't wait to see you all on tour. Big love! -Paul, Nail, Nic and Jen”

Following a tour with Disturbed in December, Devilskin “start 2017 with a massive gig in Christchurch outdoors and next to Canterbury Cathedral that was damaged in the earthquakes in 2010, we see the New Year in with our friends HALESTORM before we head to Australia with them for some shows on the East Coast. We definitely want to get back to the UK and Europe early in the new year and we are currently locking in dates. Watch this space! “ To coincide with the release of Be Like The River, the band unveiled a video for the single Pray. Pray is a killer track with a punchy, combative riff and a deep message about friendship, betrayal and hope. Watch now the Pray video directed by Tim Van Dammen here.

The Be Like The River album was recorded at Modern World Studios, Tetbury in the United Kingdom after Devilskin’s European Tour. Following the success of We Rise the band maintained their strong working relationships, continuing the very successful and creative association with Producer Clint Murphy, Murphy produced and mixed the album, and working alongside Ryan Smith from Sterling Sound New York who mastered both albums.

The band explained "The title comes from a lyric of ours 'Be like the river and cut through the stone', the message is about reaching your goals through perseverance and unwavering determination. It has been an incredible journey so far for Devilskin and we feel this album really encapsulates and represents our evolution as a band, as songwriters and as people.”

Barny Bewick from Indium Design created the artwork for the album. Devilskin say “we are incredibly proud of these songs and it was crucial to have the right visuals for the album so we again utilised the talents of Barny to create artwork that is as stunning and evocative as the music on the album.”

Devilskin have established themselves as a household name in their native New Zealand. Formed in Hamilton in 2010 this four piece rock band are bonded by blood. Paul (bass) and Nic (drums) are father and son, Jennie (vocals) is Nics’ Aunt and Pauls’ sister in law, Nail (guitar) is Pauls evil twin.