Before the close of 2018, we will celebrate the 50th anniversary of Pearls Before Swine's quintessential psychedelic folk album Balaklava with a restored reissue of the original material (December 14th, to those who've yet to mark their calendars). Given the nature of the album and the times we live in, it's an anniversary well worth observing.

The message writ between the leaves of Balaklava - WAR NO MORE - is elegantly inscribed, conveyed with a few passing lyrical references. Tom Rapp's... (read more)

NOW (AND THEN AGAIN...)

Yes, life might just be worth living again - and not just because of great new records coming out on Drag City. That’s a big part of it, natch, but even with the music turned down and the windows closed, we can feel the hope radiating out there. Or is that just the heat from the fears of the oppressorporate partners? People may never learn, but there’s still a few adjustments to be made before we... (read more)

It's been a year and then some for Circuit des Yeux! The soundworld of Haley Fohr has been expanding into new dimensions since the very beginning, but following last autumn's release of Reaching For Indigo, she's bolstered her powers with uncanny focus; using her voice in ever-emboldened ways, whether singing Nico's "Elegy for Lenny Bruce", doing performance art or touring around the world with several different bands. She recently performed her soundtrack for the legendary 1923 silent film "Salome" in Chicago and New... (read more)

Scout Niblett is headed like a heat-seeking missal towards Europe - ready to explode with tense, beautiful songs of sparse arrangement, as is her weapon of choice. Which is not to say things will be violent - in fact, we expect quite the opposite when she begins her European tour in Germany next week, where the vibe will surely be of the healing and cathartic type! In lieu of newly recorded music, we have to say seeing Scout Niblett live is an exceptionally tasty treat!... (read more)

We come from nowhere and fade back there again, leaving the foggy dreams and obscure anxieties of this life behind when we go. Life is enigma, and with great respect for the vagaries of this truth, Masaki Batoh's Nowhere reaches out of the darkness, with strings of steel and voices echoing out of time.
 
In the summer of 2018, Masaki Batoh (ex Ghost, The Silence) held sessions at GOK Sound in Tokyo, with the goal of making his fourth... (read more)

Today, November 2nd, 2018, we can say with assurance that the world is a better place than it was 40 years ago. We say this knowing all that hangs in the balance, with the difficult path ahead and the unaccountable behavior of so many of our brethren. The reason we say this is because of music. Today, we are thinking of the music of Mark Fosson, whose brilliant guitar playing was recorded in the late 1970s, but not released until decades later. When these... (read more)

Winter is coming! With the coldest season of the year in polar and temperate zones upon us, any news that thaws our mind and body is more than welcomed. Looks like we're in luck too, thanks to Joy-ous duo of White Fence and Ty Segall! After a short stint up and down the west coast, Ty & Tim are primed and ready to bring the heat to select cities on the Eastern Seaboard.

The perfect soundtrack with no seasonal bias, Joy... (read more)

Finally! Cate Le Bon and Tim Presley are taking Drinks on the road! Drinks'  fabulous Hippo Lite hit the streets earlier this year, and it's been nothing but yearning and anticipation for such an event since. The party begins this weekend, on Sunday to be exact, in the UK. Drinks are curious, refreshing and social lubricants for all, especially for those with discerning ears. With a musical chemistry this alluring, how can you say no? These dates are select, there's only a handful, and... (read more)

A new morning is shining through the gauze outside the window - an eternal morning, a next-day-of-life moment that's always occurring, if you take the time to notice. In the hands of Tim Presley's White Fence, a time like this brings forth songs like no others. Painting vulnerability with his unpredictable brush: Tim's process, informed by the extreme polarization of punk rock, finds counter-intuitive poses in the letting down of his hair - a clear intimation that any path taken, whether one of... (read more)

Aside from a pit-stop at Desert Daze Festival (at 5AM as the sun arose, no less!) Wand's forthcoming European tour is THE most Wand-ificent event remaining in 2018! Beginning in early November, Wand kick it off in Bristol and continue the journey throughout the UK and beyond. Not a road less traveled for the seasoned band, but every performance in towns new and old blossom into trans-formative experiences!  
 
To celebrate such an occasion, Wand have dropped a terrific cover... (read more)