News

Yes, Mess Esque is spreading all over the place, beyond the magical shores of their native land. And to wit, they've got more news!

Returned to their separate spaces between tours of the US and the just-announced - and just-starting, holy gasp! - European tour (commencing in the sovereign territory of the UK - god bless 'em), Mick Turner and Helen Franzmann's remote-link got all burnt up as they plotted a couple of fresh courses to the center of our soul - yup,... (read more)

At long last, Meg Baird will be out on the road again—this time with a full backing band of captivating co-conspirators!

Since co-founding Philadelphia's luminary psychedelic folk collective Espers, Meg Baird has steadily created a body of solo and collaborative work within folk, acoustic, electrified and underground music traditions. She has recorded with harpist Mary Lattimore, helped form Heron Oblivion as a drummer and vocalist, and has continued to create her own solo work featuring her beguiling guitar and songwriting. An... (read more)

With a tactile clunk, Bitchin Bajas (Cooper Crain, Rob Frye and Dan Quinlivan) bubble to the surface. Bajascillators, arriving almost five years since their last official full-length, 2017’s Bajas Fresh, is a riveting new full-length springing forth from the implacable, eternal gene pool that's also included soundtracks, re-imagined cuts from Sun Ra's catalog, and collaborations with Natural Information Society and Bonnie 'Prince' Billy among their illustrious recorded output. Following the flow, as always, the Bajas go ever-deeper-and-higher on Bajascillators!

Bajascillators reflects the experiences — the... (read more)

Oren Ambarchi's forthcoming LP Shebang is a puzzle built from isolated single notes, rising into clusters of densely layered poly-rhythms before being met with a world of esteemed sonic collaborators. The first single, "I", charted the assembling shapes: Oren's staccato tones, with subtle Leslie shimmers and guitar synth, joined in the flow by Joe Talia’s ride cymbal articulations. 

The new single, "II", picks up where "I" left off (it happens sometimes!), as the elements blossom into a rigorously snapped-to fusion funk,... (read more)

On his forthcoming album, YTI⅃AƎЯ, Bill Callahan is accompanied by frequent collaborator Matt Kinsey on guitar, Emmett Kelly on bass/backing vocals, Sarah Ann Phillips on piano/backing vocals, and Jim White on drums. Now, that's a reality we can all get excited about! His first album since 2020's Gold Record, Bill reflects on his process and motivation for YTI⅃AƎЯ thusly:

"I wanted to make a record that addressed or reflected the current climate. It felt like it was necessary to rouse people — rouse... (read more)

With the dog days of summer nearly behind us, Bonnie “Prince” Billy  presents a revitalized "Outsider" anthem; a cover version from one of the giants of the punk era. With a Ramones song built for a ‘Prince’ (from the pen of immortal Dee Dee), Bonny reframes the lyric’s psycho-stoicism with stately melody. Produced in 2016 with Mark Nevers, the song features Chris Scruggs (of the Fabulous Superlatives) and homeboys William Tyler, Peter Townsend and D.C. Berman, who pours existential dread from... (read more)

People Helping People, the latest No Age rage, finds our lads acting on their disparate desires and operating in perfect sync; telegenic weirdness fused immaculately to classic rock propulsion, transforming the energy pouring out from their hands and feet with electronics. Ensconced in Randy’s garage without a clock to spit on ‘em, Dean and Randy composted drums and guitar and life on planet earth into a stream of miniatures, vignettes and reembodied images – an infinity of hits and glisses.

The latest single, “Tripped Out Before Scott”,... (read more)

"Bill Nace’s Through a Room represents a seismic progression from Both, his startling 2020 debut solo LP for Drag City. Nace’s career has been defined by a relentless probing of ways to frame the complex menu of human emotions, and that the guitar has been his primary tool for exploring this terrain is of little consequence. On this new release, he also employs tapes, hurdy gurdy, doughnut pipe, quelle est belle, as well as his latest instrument of choice, taishōgoto. This is also,... (read more)

Since 2014, Wand have made five albums (+ EP) in the studio and a living (of sorts) playing on the road. Business/pleasure: the two sides of their (multiverticed, decagon) coin, flipping in the strobe light of ongoing self- actualization. And yet, while doing both at the same time — making a record while playing live — they’ve now made their best one yet.

How d'ya get Spiders In the Rain? Start by going back to January 2020. Do you remember? Wand do. They’d been touring ... (read more)

Shorty’s Ark is a book for young readers, a collaborative effort between singer Will Oldham and graphic artist Lori Damiano, based on work by Oldham and musician Matt Sweeney.

Drawing inspiration from the story of Noah, Shorty’s Ark names and pictures a wild variety of species to inform and engage an equal variety of young minds with the diversity that can be found around this great planet of ours. The flood stands as metaphor for current impending changes in our planet, and... (read more)