I'm Excited (Again): Autumn's New Releases and Concerts

I've bought several new releases recently. The Figgs' triple album Shady Grove is an outstanding achievement for a band that has been together over 30 years. They are one of the tightest bands I've ever had the pleasure to see.

Tropical Fuck Storm are barnstorming the US in support of their second album, Braindrops. You can buy it from Joyful Noise or at Bandcamp. The new songs are amazing, and the live show literally left me slackjawed. So fucking great.

I will be seeing Redd Kross again soon (touring in support of their excellent new album Beyond The Door) as they open for the Melvins. Melvins' drummer Dale Crover plays with Redd Kross on the new album and on tour, and Redd Kross bassist Jeff McDonald does the same for the Melvins. Is there a better rock rhythm section performing these days?

Hollie Cook has a lovely new single, "Dance In The Sunshine". Iggy Pop has a new album called Free.  Both singers have been featured in this blog's Guest Spots series. Jazz and blues chanteuse Cassandra Wilson has announced a new album, Jupiter Rising, and you can hear two tracks from it on her website. Ms. Wilson will be the subject of a forthcoming Guest Spots set. (I got no kick against modern jazz.)

The Pernice Brothers unexpectedly released a new album called Spread The Feeling, which will be followed by a few live shows in October. In other news for fans of witty and meticulously crafted power pop, The New Pornographers have a new album with the unwieldy title In the Morse Code of Brake Lights out later this month, with East Coast tour dates to follow.

The accomplished Atlanta trio Omni has signed to Sub Pop and will release their third album, Networker, in November. I saw Omni open for Tav Falco a couple years ago, and as they stepped off stage, Mike Watt shook hands enthusiastically with Omni bassist Philip Frobos. Speaking of Watt, he has a new group with Wire bassist Graham Lewis called Fitted, and their album comes out in November.

Atlanta's beloved Magnapop will release their new album The Circle Is Round this month. They just completed a Benelux tour, and I can't wait for their hometown show with Five Eight this month. (Magnapop remains very popular in The Netherlands and Belgium, an example of the "big in Japan" phenomenon).

While we're on the subject of The Netherlands, one of my favorite recent discoveries was the 2018 self-titled album by Rotterdam quartet Lone Wolf. They have completed their second album, Together Alone, to be released in October. Peerless punk pop!

I'm Excited: Upcoming Releases and Recent Favorites

The Figgs' triple album Shady Grove comes out soon on their own Stomper Records label (watch the "Grab Your Pack" video here)... 

Redd Kross' Beyond The Door opens August 23 on Merge Records (stream the title track here).  A two month US tour with Melvins starts on September 3rd...  

Braindrops by Tropical Fuck Storm also out August 23 on Joyful Noise (with US tour dates August 28 through September 14!) ...

On September 6, Iggy Pop will release a new album called Free ...

Magnapop's "The Circle Is Round" will be released September 27 on HHBTM (preview the song "Need To Change" here) ... 

The Mark Lanegan Band will release Somebody's Knocking October 18 on Heavenly Recordings.  The "Stitch It Up" video features Donal Logue reprising his character “Jimmy The Cab Driver” ...

I'm also excited that early recordings of The Embarrassment have surfaced online, including a rehearsal tape and demos from 1979, studio tapes (1981-83), and much more audio and video of the legendary blister pop pioneers from Lawrence, KS!

I can't stop listening to the 2018 self-titled debut by Rotterdam punk-pop band Lone Wolf.  You may think "the band name is generic", or "the genre has been done to death", but rarely is it done this well.  The songs stick in my brain like bubblegum, and they are performed with passion: anthemic vocals and guitar by Ms. Merel Schaap (ex-Bat Bites), and an airtight rhythm section that kicks like an MMA champ.

Another newish band I'm stuck on is Upper Wilds, a power trio led by the enormously talented Dan Friel from the late great Parts & Labor.  You can stream or buy their 2018 album Mars on Thrill Jockey's website or on Bandcamp. 

Gareth Two: Gareth Liddiard

Fiona Kitschin and Gareth Liddiard during the first TFS American tour.

Tropical Fuck Storm is an Australian group led by Drones singer/guitarist Gareth Liddiard, with guitarist Erica Dunn, Fiona Kitschin (Drones) on bass, and drummer Lauren "Hammer" Hammel. Tropical Fuck Storm's debut album,  A Laughing Death In Meatspace, was released earlier this year in Australia, and will see US release on October 26 on the Joyful Noise label. TFS has returned to the USA in October for a two week tour with Modest Mouse. 

Tropical Fuck Storm also recently released split single with Liars. The b-sides of the first four TFS singles have wonderful non-LP covers of Australian artists (Lost Animal, The Nation Blue, Divinyls, and the Bee Gees). I have become obsessed with the song "Lose The Baby" -- the understated menace of the Lost Animal original as well as the supersized TFS version, with Liddiard and Dunn's guitars and the backing vocals by Dunn and Kitschin.

Here are a half dozen cover songs and the originals that inspired them: Lose The Baby, It's So Different Here (Hollie Cook/Rachel Sweet), Baby Doll (The Duke Spirit/Alex Chilton), You Can't Take Love For Granted (Marti Jones/Graham Parker), Flatlands (Mark Lanegan/Chelsea Wolfe), and Neon Lights (Kevin Kane/Kraftwerk).

Farrago & Longaway from jonderblog on 8tracks Radio.

  

I'm Excited pt. 2: New Music from Old Favorites

At the end of July, The Special Pillow will release a new album called Sleeping Weird. Listen to the new song "Hudson River Dreamboat" here. It features Steven Levi on cornet and Sue Garner (Fish & Roses, The Scene Is Now) on sax.  

Special Pillow singer/songwriter Dan Cuddy was a member of Hypnolovewheel, and singer/violinist Katie Gentile was in the band Run On. The Special Pillow's guitarist Peter Stuart was in NYC garage rock bands The Tryfles and The Headless Horsemen, and has played with Richard Lloyd. Eric Cohen recently replaced Hypnolovewheel's Peter Walsh as The Special Pillow's drummer. Cohen played with Fly Ashtray and pHoaming Edison. There's a lot of NYC and Hoboken talent in The Special Pillow.

Here is one of my favorite Special Pillow songs, "You Can Do It (Just Don't Do It Wrong)".

Hypnolovewheel was a band I loved dearly, and I was very happy when Hypnolovewheel guitarist Stephen Hunking reunited with Dan Cuddy a few years ago in the XL Kings. I plan to post some Hypnolovewheel soon.

Meanwhile, new albums are coming this month from Carla Bozulich, and from Thalia Zedek's trio E. Listen to E and buy the records here. Listen to (and read about, and order) Quieter by Carla Bozulich here.

A new album by Pete Donnelly of The Figgs called Phases of the Moon is out now. Listen to his original songs and his covers of Erik Satie, Thelonious Monk, Ornette Coleman, and Oscar Pettiford. You can buy it from CD Baby or from Pete's website.  Mike Gent of The Figgs has a jangly new digital single called "Buck/Stipe" on Bandcamp.

Tropical Fuck Storm (with Gareth and Fiona from The Drones) have just released their debut album A Laughing Death In Meatspace, and you can listen to it here. It's kinda expensive to buy if you don't live in Australia, but Juno has the Tropical Fuck Storm singles (each of which has a non-LP b-side with TFS covering a different Australian band).

Last but not least, Swervedriver has almost finished their next album! You can help fund it on Pledge Music.