Category Archives: Music News

Announcements from artists and their management.

DREAM WIFE Share New Single & Kick Off U.S. Tour On Friday In NYC

London-based trio Dream Wife – vocalist Rakel Mjöll (she/her), guitarist Alice Go (she/her), bassist Bella Podpadec (they/them) – released their electrifying third album, Social Lubrication, this Summer via Lucky Number to critical acclaim. Known for their explosive live shows, Dream Wife will return stateside later this week with a string of dates kicking off in NYC at Brooklyn Made. To celebrate their forthcoming run of shows, they today share brand new track “Love You More”, recorded during the Social Lubrication album sessions. Drawing from the likes of Pixies and Hole for inspiration, the band says, “‘Love You More’ is not your typical love song, but a love song to the self and choosing to love perfectly imperfect bodies. It has a gritty underbelly, dealing with self-acceptance, body dysmorphia, disaster capitalism, climate collapse and depression. From the micro to the macro, the song explores the relationship between the self and both the body and the earth as experiences of home, as a vessel for feeling.” Listen to the song below:

In addition to Dream Wife’s upcoming run in the U.S., the band today announce a handful of new European shows and festival appearances, and 5 further UK headline dates for early 2024. This October and November they will be touring widely across EU/UK/IE, including performing at Pitchfork Paris and their biggest London show to date, at Electric Brixton. See below to find a show near you and get your tickets HERE

PURCHASE, DOWNLOAD & STREAM SOCIAL LUBRICATION NOW

Tracklisting:

1.Kick In The Teeth

2.Who Do You Wanna Be?

3.Hot (Don’t Date A Musician)

4.Social Lubrication

5.Mascara

6.Leech

7.I Want You

8.Curious

9.Honestly

10.Orbit

Social Lubrication is an entirely self-written album, produced by Alice Go (of Dream Wife) alongside Matthew Peel, mixed by duo Alan Moulder (Nine Inch Nails, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Killers, Depeche Mode) and Caesar Edmunds (Wet Leg, Beach House). The album finds the band once again playfully tackling big subjects like bodily autonomy, dismantling the patriarchy, and using your platform for the greater good, while truly translating the visceral nature of their riotous live shows to tape for the first time.  Social Lubrication follows their UK Top 20 breakthrough with their sophomore record So When You Gonna…. What came next was remixes for the likes of Rina Sawayama, Nova Twins, and Porridge Radio, and international touring at festivals such as Lollapalooza (US), Laneway (AU), Summersonic (JP), Primavera (ES) and Pitchfork (FR) as well as opening slots for Garbage, The Kills, and even the Rolling Stones at Hyde Park.

Dream Wife have come a long way since their 2018 self-titled debut. Their last album, smashed the Official UK Top 20 album charts (the only indie album recorded and produced by all women at the time to do so), and earned them universal praise and countless sold-out shows Alongside their accolades, however, Dream Wife have always advocated for upholding the community on a truly ground level and paying it forward. Proceeds from direct digital sales of So When You Gonna… went to Black Minds Matter and Gendered Intelligence. In 2021, the band released a megamix for Rainbow Mind, a mental health charity for LGBTQIA people, with contributions from Shirley Manson, The Big Moon, Big Joanie and Girli among others.

Tour Dates (US in bold)

September 15th – Brooklyn, NY, USA @ Brooklyn Made

September 17th – Portland, OR, USA @ Mississippi Studios

September 18th – Seattle, WA, USA @ Barboza

September 20th – San Francisco, CA, USA @ Bottom Of The Hill

September 21st – Los Angeles, CA, USA @ Zebulon

October 5th – Manchester, UK @ New Century Hall

October 6th – Birmingham, UK @ Castle & Falcon

October 7th – Bristol, UK @ Strange Brew (Matinee show)

October 7th – Bristol, UK @ Strange Brew

October 8th – Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Social Club

October 10th – Dublin, Ireland @ The Grand Social

October 11th – Limerick, Ireland @ Dolans

October 12th – Galway, Ireland @ Roisin Dubh

October 19th – London, UK @ Electric Brixton

November 4th – Brighton, UK @ Mutations Festival

November 6th – Paris, France @ Pitchfork Paris

November 7th – Rennes, France @ Ubu

November 8th – Amiens, France @ La Lune Des Pirates

November 10th – Strasbourg, France @ La Laiterie

November 11th – Mannheim, Germany @ Elektrik Pony Cup

November 12th – Kortrijk, Belgium @ Sonic City

November 14th – Copenhagen, Denmark @ Loppen

November 15th – Hamburg, Germany @ Molotow

November 16th – Berlin, Germany @ Gretchen

November 17th – Chemnitz, Germany @ Atomino

November 19th – Poznan, Poland @ Klub Pod Minoga

November 20th – Warsaw, Poland @ Voodoo

November 22nd – Prague, Czechia @ Cafe V Lese

November 23rd – Munich, Germany @ Ampere

November 24th – Milan, Italy @ Biko Club

November 25th – Annecy, France @ Le Brise Glace

November 27th – Barcelona, Spain @ Sala Razzmatazz 3

November 28th – Madrid, Spain @ Wurlitzer Ballroom 

November 29th – San Sebastián, Spain @ Dabadaba

November 30th – La Rochelle, France @ La Sirene

December 2nd – Nijmegen, Netherlands @ Zeitgeist Festival

December 3rd – Rotterdam, Netherlands @ Rotown

January 6th – Bognor Regis, UK @ Rockaway Beach

February 13th – Cardiff, UK @ Clwb Ifor Bach

February 14th – Nottingham, UK @ Bodega Social Club

February 15th – Sheffield, UK @ Crookes Social Club

February 16th – Glasgow, UK @ The Garage

February 17th – Newcastle, UK @ The Grove

March 2nd – Athens, Greece @ Gagarin 205

More on Dream Wife & Social Lubrication:

Dream Wife have always been adept at merging the political with the playful, and Social Lubrication is no different. Vital statements are hidden within hot and heavy dancefloor anthems about making out, having fun and staying curious. In the band’s words, the album is: “Hyper lusty rock and roll with a political punch, exploring the alchemy of attraction, the lust for life, embracing community and calling out the patriarchy. With a healthy dose of playfulness and fun thrown in.” There is a sense of fun and openness that is central to Social Lubrication, as well. “There’s a lot of lust in this album and taking the piss out of yourself and everyone you know,” says Rakel. “It’s almost quite juvenile in that way.”

Also at the core of the album sits the live show. “The live show is the truth of the band,” says guitarist Go. “That’s at the heart of what we do and of the statements we’re making.” It’s this energetic, pedal-to-the-metal sound which wound up running through Social Lubrication like a live wire. You can hear it via the loud, dirty riffs and choruses built for dancing together in shared spaces. For Go, who produced the album, it was important to bottle this joyful, frenetic feeling within each song. “We wanted to get that rawness and energy across in a way that hadn’t been done before,” she says. The live show is, most importantly, where the band and fans come together.

In that way, Social Lubrication continues this celebration of community and is a middle finger to the societal barriers enforced to severe connection, playfulness, curiosity and sexual empowerment. “Music is one of the only forms of people experiencing an emotion together in a visceral, physical, real way,” says Go. “It’s cathartic to the systemic issues that are being called out across the board in the record. Music isn’t the cure, but it’s the remedy. That’s what Social Lubrication is: the positive glue that can create solidarity and community.” 

“The album is speaking to systemic problems that cannot be glossed over by lube,” says Podpadec. “The things named in the songs are symptoms of f-ed up structures. And you can’t fix that. You need to pull it apart.”

Venera (James Shaffer of Korn and Chris Hunt) Release “Disintegration” Single & Video

Venera, the hypnotic, ambient duo featuring Atlanta-based composer/filmmaker Chris Hunt and James Shaffer (Korn), have shared a third, and final preview of the pair’s forthcoming album, Venera (Oct. 13, Ipecac Recordings), with today’s release of “Disintegration” .

“We hoped to explore drifting, gridless timelines of drums and guitars, which converge midway in a wall of harmony and chorale,” explains Hunt of the five-minute song that features drummer Deantoni Parks (Mars Volta, John Cale). He continues, speaking directly to the video, which also features words by author Blake Butler: “Blake’s text sees and explodes light and experience in a way that is deeply committed to density and emotion – an honest voice in ‘Disintegration.’”

Venera previously released a pair of songs: “Swarm” and “Hologram” featuring Rizz from VOWWS, which Revolver described as “mesmerizing” and EDM.com noted: “with its deep bass and ambient sound design, the experimental bass track is both haunting and chilling.”  

Several guests join Hunt and Shaffer on the self-produced Venera. Parks (Mars Volta, John Cale) also contributes to “Erosion” and HEALTH’s Jacob Duzsik contributes vocals on “Ochre,” and Alain Johannes lends his voice to “Triangle.”

Album pre-orders (https://venera.lnk.to/venera) are available now, with Venera available digitally, as well as physically on CD, and an assortment of vinyl, including limited-edition red, snowy white and skull gold variants.

Venera tracklist:

1.    Alignment

2.    Erosion (ft. Deantoni Parks)

3.    Ochre (ft. HEALTH)

4.    Swarm

5.    Disintegration (ft. Deantoni Parks)

6.    Hologram (ft. VOWWS)

7.    Surrender

8.    Triangle (ft. Alain Johannes)

9.    Helium

L.A.-based James Shaffer and Atlanta-based Chris Hunt converged in early 2022 in Downtown Los Angeles while working on songs for singer Xhoana X. Their kindred interest and backgrounds in dramatic texture, electronics and experimentation inspired an improvisation-based recording process which seeks to explore a sonic universe defined by evolving atmosphere, cinematic noise and select collaborations with other artists.

Capra drops new single/video, “Human Commodity” (feat. Walls Of Jericho’s Candace Puopolo)

prepares to kick-off USA tour next week

On October 6th, metallic hardcore outfit Capra will unleash their sophomore full-length, Errors, via Metal Blade Records / Blacklight Media Records. Maintaining all the elements that made their 2021 debut so compelling – raucous energy, frantic riffs, the from-the-gut lyrics and soul-searing delivery of vocalist Crow Lotus – Capra has stepped things up on this record, with stronger songwriting and a determination to reach the next level. For a preview of Errors, the video for the new single “Human Commodity” (produced by Jai Benoit & Jerik Thibodaux, and feat. Walls Of Jericho‘s Candace Puopolo) can be viewed here:

Tyler Harper (guitar) comments: “We are so honored to have worked with Candace Puopolo on this track. I grew up listening to Walls of Jericho and they were always a major influence on my music. To have a legend involved with what we’re doing is such a rad feeling.”

The debut single, “Tied Up”, can also be heard at: https://blacklightmediarecords.com/capra/ – where the album can be pre-ordered in the following versions:

–CD

–red/white marble vinyl

–smoke vinyl

–digital album

Tracking in Estuary Recording Studios in Austin, Texas, with Andrew Hernandez, Errors was mixed by Taylor Young and mastered by Brad Boatright, the latter two having worked on In Transmission (2021). Guitarist Tyler Harper comments, “I knew that I wanted it to pick up where the first album left off, but that it needed to have an entirely new attitude. If you listen to the last song from ‘In Transmission‘ into the first song on ‘Errors’, it’s a continuation. From there the album steers off into a direction that still feels similar, but is new.” Coming primarily from a hardcore background, giving listeners a sense of nostalgia for the sounds of the late 90’s and early 2000’s hardcore and punk scenes, but also incorporating elements of metal that complement the overall tone, everything the band does on Errors resonates with emotion; nothing is forced.

For collaborations, Capra recruited Walls Of Jericho vocalist Candace Puopolo to add her inimitable tones to “Human Commodity,” while their friend Dustin Coffman from Glassing added backing vocals to a handful of tracks. Producer Hernandez also added some piano to “Nora,” which closes out the album in a very different manner than anything they’ve previously explored. In a complete juxtaposition to the tracks that precede it, “Nora” is atmospheric and lithe, delicate and haunting. “I’ve always wanted to show a prettier/lighter side to this band where it’s not always aggressive,” says Harper. “Life is a rollercoaster and sometimes you need to throw some pretty piano into it.” Since Capra‘s inception, Harper has always envisaged each album being a continuation of the last, and then breaking it off into its own journey, seeing “Nora” as “a fun way to start album three!”

Until then, the band will tour like the road warriors they have become, bringing Errors to North America and overseas (see below for all upcoming dates). Capra are eager to bond with fans new and old. Lotus explains that crucial connection: “Care about us because we care about you. And because we are a part of creating something our community can be proud of.”

Capra USA tour dates

w/ Zao, Your Spirit Dies

Sept. 16, 2023 – Chattanooga, TN @ Dark Roast*

Sept. 17, 2023 – Cincinnati, OH @ Legends*

Sept. 19, 2023 – Detroit, MI @ Sanctuary

Sept. 20, 2023 – Chicago, IL @ Reggie’s

Sept. 21, 2023 – Louisville, KY @ Mag Bar

Sept. 22, 2023 – Louisville, KY @ Kentucky Exposition Center (Louder Than Life) *

Sept. 24, 2023 – Greenville, SC @ Radio Room 

Sept. 28, 2023 – Pensacola, FL @ Easy Going Gallery*

Sept. 29, 2023 – New Orleans, LA @ Gasa Gasa*

*=Capra only

Capra live

Nov. 4, 2023 – San Diego, CA @ Petco Park (Dia De Los Deftones) 

Album artwork by: Nat Lacuna

Errors track-listing

1. CHSF

2. Tied Up

3. Silana

4. Trauma Bond

5. Loser

6. Kingslayer

7. Human Commodity

8. Transplant

9. Obligatory Existence

10. Nora

Capra line-up:

Crow Lotus – Vocals

Tyler Harper – Guitar

Jeremy Randazzo – Drums

Trevor Alleman – Bass

FROM ASHES TO NEW Announce “THE BLACKOUT TOUR PT. 1” with Special Guests The Word Alive, Catch Your Breath & Ekoh

Following the recent release of their new, critically acclaimed #1-charting album BLACKOUT via Better Noise Music, rock vanguards FROM ASHES TO NEW have announced a headlining tour in late fall/early winter with support from rockers The Word Alive, Catch Your Breath and heart-hop artist Ekoh.

The 20-city tour launches November 11 in Boston at Big Night Live and will stretch across the Midwest before returning to make its final stop December 16 in FROM ASHES TO NEW’s home state Pennsylvania at Harrisburg Midtown Arts Center (HMAC). See full dates listed below. Tickets will be available for the general public on Friday, September 15 at 10:00 a.m. local time via the band’s website (https://www.fromashestonew.com/). A fan pre-sale is live as of today, September 12, to those subscribed to FROM ASHES TO NEW’s various socials and lists.

Vocalist Matt Brandyberry says: “Our new album ‘Blackout’ dropped recently and we knew we couldn’t finish 2023 without the ‘Blackout Tour.’ We are beyond excited to be headed out on our first headlining tour since 2022 and can’t wait to run it back with our friends in The Word Alive! We added Catch Your Breath and Ekoh because they have both been killing it and we know the FATN family will absolutely love them. This will be our biggest production and highest quality stage show yet, so get those tickets and get ready to tear it up this Nov/Dec.”

FROM ASHES TO NEW’s explosive blend of hard rock, hip-hop, electronic, and alternative music saw BLACKOUT land the #1 spot on several iTunes and Spotify Rock and Metal charts across the globe. Produced by Brandyberry, alongside longtime collaborators and producers Grant McFarland and Carson Slovak, BLACKOUT acts as a prequel to their 2016 debut album DAY ONE. Its 12 tracks include the band’s fifth Top 10-charting rock radio singleHate Me Too,” (#8) which Top Shelf Music Magazine praised it for showcasing “From Ashes to New’s prowess in crafting emotionally charged narratives against a powerful musical backdrop, making it a fan favorite and a prime example of the band’s unique sound.” FROM ASHES TO NEW’s current radio single, “Nightmare,” is now in the Top 20 and growing. Stream and/or download BLACKOUT or grab a physical copy on CD, vinyl or cassette at https://fatn.ffm.to/blackoutalbum.

“THE BLACKOUT TOUR Pt 1” Tour Dates:

11/21 Portland, ME – State Theatre

11/22 Boston, MA – Big Night Live

11/24 Syracuse, NY – Sharkey’s

11/25 Sayreville, NJ – Starland Ballroom

11/26 Pittsburgh, PA – Preserving Underground

11/28 Indianapolis, IN – The Vogue

11/29 Ft Wayne, IN – The Clyde Theatre #

11/30 Flint, MI – Machine Shop

12/1   Harrison, OH – The Blue Note

12/3   Columbus, OH – Newport Music Hall

12/4   St Louis, MO – Red Flag

12/5   Fayetteville, AR – JJ’s

12/6   Oklahoma City, OK – Tower Theatre

12/8   Colorado Springs, CO – Sunshine Studios

12/10 Lincoln, NE – Bourbon Theater

12/11 Minneapolis, MN – Varsity Theater #

12/12 Milwaukee, WI – The Rave #

12/13 Chicago, IL – Concord Music Hall

12/15 Niagara Falls, NY – Rapids Theatre

12/16 Harrisburg, PA – HMAC

# From Ashes to New with The Word Alive & Ekoh only

ASINHELL unleash “Desert Of Doom” single

DEBUT ALBUM IMPII HORA OUT SEPTEMBER 29 VIA METAL BLADE RECORDS

For more than 20 years, vocalist/guitarist Michael Poulsen has been spearheading Danish rock and roll machine Volbeat, releasing eight full-lengths, selling millions of albums, and filling stadiums worldwide. Before fronting Volbeat, however, Poulsen formed death metal band Dominus, which recorded four fast, brutal albums in the mid ’90s. When Poulsen was putting together songs for Volbeat‘s 2021 album, Servant Of The Mind, he wrote a bunch of death metal riffs and saved them on his phone. Then, when he was done with the Volbeat record, he reopened the rusty gates to Armageddon and started putting together songs for his new death metal band Asinhell, whose debut album Impii Hora (Latin for Ungodly Hour), is a tribute to Poulsen‘s favourite old-school groups.

Impii Hora will be released September 29th via Metal Blade. Pre-order it here.

Today, the band has shared new song “Desert Of Doom” and its official video. Watch it below.

“‘Desert Of Doom’ was inspired by Bolt Thrower, Death, Entombed, and Motörhead. Bang your head ’til it doesn’t bang no more!,” says Poulsen.

Poulsen has rekindled the death metal fire that fuelled his first band Dominus. He began jamming on riffs with long-time friend and neighbour, drummer Morten Toft Hansen (Raunchy). The two started playing in Morten’s tiny garage: no mics, no P.A. — just a drum kit and a combo amp turned all the way up like they used when they were teenagers. Soon, the pair were completing a new song every time they got together. When it came time to add vocals, Poulsen turned to his good friend, who also happened to be one of his all-time favourite death metal growlers: Marc Grewe (Insidious Disease, ex-Morgoth).

“I had known Michael quite a long time and he always mentioned that we should do a death metal project one day, but I never took him too seriously because he was so busy with Volbeat,” Grewe says. “Then he called for real and said, ‘Yeah, I want to do it now. Are you up for it?’ Immediately, I was like, ‘Yes, of course!'”

With Asinhell fully formed, the three convened with Volbeat producer Jacob Hansen to produce, mix, and play bass on their debut album. When it was time to add lead guitar to the album, Michael looked no further than friend and The Arcane Order axeman Flemming C. Lund.

IMPII HORA TRACK LISTING:

“Fall Of The Loyal Warrior”

“Inner Sancticide”

“Island Of Dead Men”

“Trophies”

“The Ultimate Sin”

“Wolfpack Laws”

Desert Of Doom

“Pyromantic Scryer”

“Impii Hora”

“Foj For Helvede”

The album will be available in the following formats. Pre-order it here.

  • Jewel case CD
  • 180g Black Vinyl (Europe excl.)
  • Crimson Red Marbled Vinyl (Europe excl.)
  • White Vinyl (Europe excl., ltd. 1000)
  • Gold/Black Dust (EMP excl., ltd.300)
  • Clear w/ Red/White Splatter Vinyl (Europe Band store excl., ltd. 500)
  • Silver Vinyl (US excl.)
  • Silver w/ Red Splatter Vinyl (US. excl.)
  • Black & White Melt Vinyl (US excl.)
  • Red/Black Splatter Vinyl (US Band store excl., ltd. 500)

ASINHELL ARE:

 Michael Poulsen — Guitar

Marc Grewe — Vocals

Morten Toft Hansen — Drums

Savage Blood Announces “Wheel Of Time” Album Release on November 16

German heavy/power metallers, Savage Blood, are gearing up for a thrilling chapter in their musical journey. Their highly anticipated new album, “Wheel Of Time,” is set for release on November 16th, courtesy of MDD Records.

Produced under the expert guidance of Jörg Uken at Soundlodge Recordings, “Wheel Of Time” showcases Savage Blood’s signature blend of intense riffs and sweeping melodies. The album promises to transport listeners into a fantasy-infused, partly dark, and epic musical landscape.

True to their traditional metal roots, with a powerful infusion of power and thrash influences, “Wheel Of Time” is an invitation to embark on a sonic adventure. The album will be available initially in CD format, with a vinyl release to follow at a later date.

Preorder “Wheel Of Time” now:

Savage Blood invites fans and metal enthusiasts to explore the captivating album artwork, expertly crafted by Giannis Nakos of Remedy Art Design. The artwork offers a glimpse into the mystical world waiting to be unveiled.

Mercenary album “Soundtrack To The End of Times” out September 22nd via NoiseArt Records

Get ready for a momentous return as Denmark’s own MERCENARY rekindles the fire of hard-hitting metal anthems, poised to resonate with every melodic metal enthusiast. With their eighth album on the horizon, after a decade-long hiatus since their last release, MERCENARY is back, armed with a new release that’s set to enrapture the hearts of melodic death & progressive metal fans worldwide.

Formed in the heart of Aalborg, Denmark, MERCENARY epitomizes the fusion of Scandinavian melancholy, evocative melody, and unbridled aggression. On September 22, 2023, the stage will be set for the unveiling of “Soundtrack To The End of Times,” a profound musical narrative, via the esteemed NoiseArt Records.

Comprising the formidable quartet of René Pedersen on bass & vocals, Martin Buus on lead guitar, Jakob Mølbjerg and Martin Nielsen on drums, MERCENARY is poised to deliver eleven spellbinding tracks with “Soundtrack To The End of Times.” Through a kaleidoscope of sound, this opus weaves a tapestry of melodic allure, melancholic introspection, and mesmerizing vocals, both hypnotic and harsh, igniting an evocative musical journey that’s bound to rekindle the flames of old.

The enigmatic lead single ‘Heart of the Numb,’ featuring the powerful vocals of Matt Heafy from TRIVIUM, dispels the notion that death metal is solely about rapid-fire riffs and thunderous blast beats. MERCENARY adds their own twist with a dash of doom’s gravitas and a touch of black metal’s mystique. The result? A colossal, artistic testament that defies genre boundaries. Tracks such as ‘Anthems of the Anxious’ and the haunting ‘Beyond the Waves’ showcase the band’s epic prowess, enveloping listeners in a realm that’s both inviting and shadowed.

“Soundtrack To The End of Times” offers an immersive journey into a soundscape that only a band like MERCENARY, hailing from Denmark, can craft. Every note echoes the collective spirit of the band, captured, mixed, and mastered by the incomparable Jacob Hansen at Hansen Studios. Without a doubt, “Soundtrack To The End of Times” will reaffirm MERCENARY’s standing as luminaries of modern melodic metal.

Their signature blend of grand melodies and unyielding aggression has granted them prestigious appearances on colossal festival stages and headlining tours across Europe and Japan. Supporting acclaimed acts such as MEGADETH, ARCH ENEMY, NEVERMORE, KING DIAMOND, SYMPHONY X, and DARK TRANQUILITY, MERCENARY’s musical landscape encompasses an array of genres, a symphony of soaring leads, crushing vocals, and resounding hymns meticulously crafted. Their latest album “Through Our Darkest Days” seamlessly fused their hallmark strengths with a fresh sound, including the soaring clean vocals and melancholic grandeur of their earlier works.

Now, in 2023, MERCENARY resurfaces with a darker, more aggressive sound that resonates with the unfolding end times. With their legendary status undiminished, MERCENARY stands poised to write yet another chapter in their remarkable journey.

Tracklist:

  1. Burning in Reverse
  2. Heart of the Numb (Feat. Matt Heafy)
  3. Where Darkened Souls Belong
  4. Through this Blackened Hatred
  5. Anthem for the Anxious
  6. A Darker Path
  7. Become the Flame
  8. From the Ashes of the Fallen
  9. Black Heart, Dead Tissue
  10. Black Blood Soil
  11. Beyond the Waves

Line-up:

  • René Pedersen: Bass & Vocals
  • Martin Buus: Lead Guitar
  • Jakob Mølbjerg: Drums
  • Martin Nielsen: Drums

BE YOUR OWN PET Release “Mommy”, First BYOP Album in 15+ Years is Out Today Via Third Man Records

Nashville’s Be Your Own Pet release their long-awaited new album Mommy today via Third Man Records, marking a triumphant return after nearly 15 years apart. Following a whirlwind two-year career in the late 00’s that saw the four teenagers release two records (via Thurston Moore’s Ecstatic Peace in the US and XL Recordings in the UK), become magazine cover stars, and play to ravenous sold-out crowds around the world, it became clear that the flame burned too quickly and they needed to call it quits. Now, a decade and a half later, the band hasn’t skipped a beat, as evidenced by this explosive new album.

Mommy was written and recorded by the three founding members Jemina Pearl Abegg (vox), Jonas Stein (guitar), Nathan Vasquez (bass), and longtime drummer John Eatherly. In March of 2022, BYOP made an explosive comeback with a series of shows supporting Jack White. As they reunited in the rehearsal room, the first time they had all been together since their breakup, they swiftly rediscovered their bond was still there and that very same day began writing the album.

And while Pearl – now a mother of 2 – had previously fitted lyrics into the others’ songs, this time she brought her own song ideas into the writing room for the new album. “Mommy is the bitch in charge, the one in control,” Pearl says. “It’s a reclamation of myself.”  Mommy was called out as a notable release of the week at NPR – read their feature on Pearl here

Bolstering the group’s patented garage punk ferocity with matured songwriting, inspired musicianship, and a fervor to claim their space and define their future, Mommy is the culmination of the much-anticipated reunion of one of the most iconic bands from the ‘00s.  

Mommy is available now on standard black vinyl, limited edition Living Dead Green indie colored vinyl (alternative cover), limited edition Reagan’s Spew Vinyl Me Please colored vinyl, limited edition Brain Damage Blue Urban Outfitters colored vinyl + CD here.

Mommy track listing

1. Worship The Whip

2. Goodtime!

3. Erotomania

4. Bad Mood Rising

5. Never Again

6. Pleasure Seeker

7. Rubberist

8. Big Trouble

9. Hand Grenade

10. Drive

11. Teenage Heaven

Be Your Own Pet will hit the road this Fall for their first tour since reuniting. Teenage Heaven Fall Tour tickets are on sale now here and all dates are listed below.

Tour Dates

9/16 – Third Man Records Blue Room – Nashville, TN

10/18 – Local 506 – Chapel Hill, NC 

10/19 – Union Stage – Washington, DC  

10/21 – Elsewhere Hall – Brooklyn, NY  

10/22 – Underground Arts – Philadelphia, PA

10/23 – Beachland Ballroom – Cleveland, OH

10/24 – Third Man Records – Detroit, MI

10/25 – Lincoln Hall – Chicago, IL

10/27 – The Back Room at Colectivo – Milwaukee, WI

10/29 – Headliners Music Hall – Louisville, KY

11/8 – Soda Bar – San Diego, CA

11/9 – Teragram Ballroom – Los Angeles, CA

11/11 – Great American Music Hall – San Francisco, CA

11/12 – Moe’s Alley – Santa Cruz, CA

11/14- Harlow’s – Sacramento, CA

11/16 – Star Theater – Portland, OR

11/17- Neumos – Seattle, WA

11/18 – The Pearl – Vancouver, BC

When the four members of Be Your Own Pet stepped into a practice space in December, 2021, it had been more than a decade since they’d all been in the same room. The quartet had last been together in London’s Heathrow airport, having just played to sold out rooms across the UK.  Their trajectory had been fast—in the span of two years and starting when they were just 16, BYOP released two albums (via Thurston Moore’s Ecstatic Peace in the US and XL Recordings in the UK), found themselves magazine cover stars, and played to ravenous crowds around the world. But the flame might have burned too quickly and they decided to call it quits.   

The quartet had been living in a pressure cooker—both to put on wild performances every night and to keep up with the wild party lifestyle expected to come with their records. “You give a bunch of teenagers some money and tell them to go on tour forever? It’s probably not the healthiest thing,” guitarist Jonas Stein says. “I just felt like I could not maintain a healthy emotional status and craved stability.” Vocalist Jemina Pearl was facing her own layer of stress as the focal point of constant judgment and attention singing at the center of the stage—not to mention as the only woman in the group. “We were all under 21 and were partying our asses off all the time,” she says. “And I think people had this expectation that the Be Your Own Pet show was gonna be crazy. We needed to be that spectacle every single night, and it was a lot for us to take on.” 

After this white-hot run of a few years as teenagers, the four Nashville musicians moved on, carving their own unique paths. Stein led the way for four studio albums with Turbo Fruits and spun disco records as a DJ, bassist Nathan Vasquez took his own turn at the front with Deluxin’, drummer John Eatherly undertook a variety of projects including Public Access T.V., and Pearl released a Thurston Moore- and Iggy Pop-featuring solo album before stepping away to start a family.  

“For better or worse, we all were slapped in the face that it wasn’t as easy,” Stein says. “We were all moderately successful, but we didn’t have that Be Your Own Pet chemistry.” The idea of a reunion began creeping back, and a chance encounter with Jack White led to a quickly planned reunion show opening for him. “We started writing songs the first time we practiced,” vocalist Jemina Pearl grins, the wild streak that inspired and amazed countless audiences burning as bright as ever. “Immediately.” And just as fast as they started, Be Your Own Pet realized they weren’t content with jamming out the old hits, and the daydream of a single Nashville performance soon morphed into a full run of gigs opening for Jack White. Along the way, Pearl found herself digging back into the music that inspired the origins of Be Your Own Pet (X-Ray Spex, The Adverts, The Damned, Devo), stuff she’d tucked away for a decade.  “Be Your Own Pet was my identity for so long, and then when we broke up I went through this period where I didn’t know who I was anymore,” Pearl says. “I often felt so powerless back then. Not in control of my own mind or the chaos around me. That’s why it’s been so amazing to get a second chance with this band, as adults and on our own terms.”

2023 finds Be Your Own Pet not only back with a new album, but stronger than ever before. Due August 25, Mommy bolsters the group’s patented garage punk ferocity with matured songwriting, inspired musicianship, and a fervor to claim their space and define their future. “I’m not your victim, I’m my own person/ I’m not some casualty, I set myself free,” Pearl roars on lead single “Hand Grenade”, propelled forward by a burst of guitar shrapnel from Stein and a time-bomb rhythm section courtesy of Vasquez and Eatherly. Born during the group’s first day of writing, the track is both a vicious rebuke of the sexism and abuse that pervades the music world and a steely refusal to be defined by it. “That song’s one of my little babies,” Pearl says. “By telling our stories and sharing our truth, we can gain power back from a situation where we felt powerless.”

On Mommy highlight “Goodtime!”, that exaggeration comes through in the form of trying to balance two kids, a mortgage, and some FOMO. “Used to be the life of the party/ Crashing out nothing to lose/ Now I’m not so juvenile/ I got nothing left to prove,” Pearl shouts over a roiling garage thump, before quickly transitioning to wondering aloud whether everyone else is still hanging out and just not calling her. “The older you get, the more responsibility and compromise, the more people that depend on you—but there’s always a little bit of missing the freedom from when you’re younger,” she explains. Stein agrees: “You can be nurturing an adult life with your family but still looking over your shoulder like, ‘God, I wanna be partying.’” 

The group have grown a lot since their first run, both personally and musically, but have managed to reshape their razor-edged swagger through the turmoil. “It got kind of dark towards the end. My own challenges with mental health probably affected everybody in the band. I was undiagnosed bipolar 1 at the time. It felt like we were just on this runaway train,” Pearl says. “Years later, we wanted to come back together in this new, more evolved place, to connect the threads between our old records and Mommy, while not worrying about what other people’s expectations might be.”

In the studio, the quartet reveled in leveraging their new freedom and strengths through their old formula. While Pearl had previously fitted lyrics into the others’ songs, she brought her own song ideas into the writing room for Mommy. Stein, meanwhile, relished the opportunity to riff out some new lead guitar parts after relinquishing that role while fronting Turbo Fruits. Vasquez evolved from a rough-around-the-edges rocker in the band’s early days to the band’s limber, inventive engine. Eatherly’s newly diversified skill set led to even more robust songs. “He’d be shouting out melody and production ideas while drumming,” Stein says. “He’s that super-talented motherfucker that pisses you off because he plays everything better than you.”

The thunderous capacity of the rhythm section powers songs like “Big Trouble”, a siren-laden jam where Pearl insists on her own emotions and reality. Elsewhere, “Worship the Whip” plays out like an explicit, leather-clad dom evolution of “Whip It”, the riotous “Pleasure Seeker” stomps and snarls through a glorious layer of fuzz, and reverb-laden retro ballad “Teenage Heaven” brings a relationship back to a place that’s no bickering and all making out.

With a fresh slate of tour dates already booked, Be Your Own Pet are looking forward to sharing this new version of themselves with fans who are thrilled to reconnect and new fans who may not have been old enough to remember their first run. But the band are also longing to reconnect with each other and a part of themselves. “Mommy is the bitch in charge, the one in control,” Pearl says. “It’s a reclamation of myself.” With that, the quartet are ready to step back out into the wild, vicious Be Your Own Pet world and rough things up again – but this time, on their own terms.

Pop Evil Announce Headlining Flesh & Bone Tour!

Michigan-based hard rock group Pop Evil has announced the Flesh & Bone Tour, with special guests Fame on Fire and Lylvc. The Flesh & Bone Tour is an 18-date, headlining U.S. tour that commences in Fort Smith, AR, on October 28, 2023, and wraps in the band’s hometown of Grand Rapids, MI, on November 22, 2023.  Full dates are below.

The band’s current single (and titled track to recent album), “Skeletons,” is now Top 10 on the Billboard Chart. The single has quickly become a staple for Pop Evil and is now approaching 8 million streams to date.

The recent album, Skeletons, was released on March 17 via MNRK Heavy and features Ryan Kirby (Fit For a King), Blake Allison (Devour The Day), and Zillion. The 11 tracks also include the single “Eye of the Storm,” which landed at the #5 Most Played Song in 2022 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Chart, and recent singles, “Paranoid (Crash & Burn)” (Top 10 at Rock Radio), and, “Dead Reckoning (Ft. Fit For A King).”  

Skeletons U.S. Flesh & Bone Headlining Tour:

October 28 – Fort Smith, AR – Temple Live
October 29 – Wichita, KS – Temple Live
October 31 – Madison, WI – The Sylvee
November 1 – Angola, IN – Electric Ballroom 
November 3 – Reading, PA – Reverb
November 4 – Asbury Park, NJ – Stone Pony
November 5 – Baltimore, MD – Baltimore Soundstage
November 7 – Columbia, SC – The Senate 
November 9 – Orlando, FL – House of Blues
November 10 – Charleston, SC – Music Farm 
November 11 – Johnson City, TN – Capone’s 
November 12 – Birmingham, AL – Iron City
November 14 – Louisville, KY – Mercury Ballroom 
November 16 – Flint, MI – The Machine Shop
November 18 – Cleveland, OH – Temple Live*
November 19 – Cincinnati, OH – Bogart’s 
November 21 – Columbus, OH – The Bluestone
November 22 – Grand Rapids, MI – The Intersection 

* No Fame on Fire

Pop Evil has massive anthems and built a new rock’n’roll institution on a foundation of showmanship, raw relatability, and hard rock hooks, both forward-thinking and timeless from frontman Leigh Kakaty, lead guitarist Nick Fuelling, rhythm guitarist Dave Grahs, bassist Joey “Chicago” Walser and drummer Hayley Cramer. No matter the headline-grabbing declarations from legendary icons lamenting the changing of the guard, the slow-burning success of Pop Evil demonstrates the hunger for hard-hitting, honest music persisting worldwide.  The band has amassed 8 #1 singles, 5 Top 5 singles, and 8 Top 10 singles, totaling an incredible 20 top 10 singles throughout their career.  

Sarlic Bliss announces debut album “Brægn Hæft” for November via MDD Records

Southern German band Sarlic Bliss has officially announced the upcoming release of their debut album, “Brægn Hæft,” set for November 2 via MDD Records. Characterized by a unique blend of melodic doom and post-black metal influences, the album delivers an audial journey through dark, aggressive-melancholic soundscapes.

Spanning just six songs, “Brægn Hæft” nonetheless clocks in at over 45 minutes, showcasing the band’s commitment to crafting meticulously designed tracks that are given ample room to unfold. The resulting compositions are both gloomy and brute, evoking a poignant emotional landscape that promises to captivate listeners.

Complementing the music itself, the cover artwork for “Brægn Hæft” has also been unveiled. Reflective of the album’s intense and dark themes, the artwork serves as a visual introduction to what fans can expect from this new offering. Additional musical samples from the album will be made available shortly, providing further insight into this ambitious project.

For those eager to secure their copy, preorders for “Brægn Hæft” are now open on the MDD Records website. The album is anticipated to be one of the standout metal releases of the year, highlighting Sarlic Bliss’s innovative approach to the genre.