ROCK IS DEAD IS DEAD

It’s the common plaint of this here 21st century – but what if it weren’t? What if there was some group of individuals, united by an idea and represented by an organization – one might call them a “record label” – one operating out of an ivory bunker, even – that believed, like you and me, that rock and roll still gots something to say a whole era or so after its inevitable death? Supposing that... (read more)

A couple weeks back, on the day Kid Gorgeous at Radio City was released, John Mulaney spent an afternoon signing records at Rough Trade Records in Brooklyn, and it was lots of fun for him and the fans alike. Since John isn't planning to tour this year (after spending a couple hundred days on the road developing the Kid Gorgeous show), the chance of him appearing elsewhere to do another thing like this is kinda slim. We're looking at other signings in nearby East... (read more)

The ever-elusive Sir Richard Bishop is constantly slipping and sliding above and beneath the surface; like the best shape-shifters, he's difficult to pin down and escapes easily, into the nght. That all changes when he wants to be seen - and it's in those moments that we experience pure joy, delighted by his presence! The joy could occur with the drop of a stunning LP of solo guitar, like Tangier Sessions, or it may occur when the weather tells him it's time to tour.... (read more)

Scream it from the rooftops, 'ole Segall's gone solo! Well, not really, but for more than twenty days we get Ty all to ourselves! Beginning at the end of October, Ty starts a very special solo and acoustic tour across the country. The venues more intimate, the songs more acoustic, the vibe more mellow! The acoustics expand upon contact, creating new shapes to fit in your ears and sail down the canals deep into your skull. Ty is taking his entire catalog on the... (read more)

The CAVE rave has really livened up since we announced their new album, Allways, their first since the time-fractaling opus, Threace. Following that unbearable five-year hiatus, we're psyched to confirm that the quintet of Cooper Crain, Rex McMurry, Rob Frye, Dan Browning, and Jeremy Freeze hasn't missed a beat - in fact, CAVE have fearlessly dug down into their repetitive groove and emerged with a funk-flavored color we can't say we've ever really tasted before, but one that expands... (read more)

Just a year ago today, hundreds braved the cold rain and gathered on the grassy knoll of Bohemian National Cemetery to witness Circuit des Yeux's Haley Fohr (and friends) perform Nico's legendary debut solo album, Chelsea Girl, in its entirety. Rather than presenting a note for note covers set, Haley pushed the music further, to make it her own, whilst still remaining faithful and devoted to the source material. A truly amiable tribute emerged from the stage that pulsed like a silent... (read more)

Wand are constantly on the move - if not writing or recording, they're on tour in some country on some continent, heating up and burning down venues with their scorched-torch songs and inventive and propulsive take on rock. Earlier this year was the release of "Perfume" and a tour of the USA; come November, they head to Europe. In the meantime, they make stops at some of the finest radio stations that will host them, like they did last month at KEXP in Seattle. That... (read more)

In case you weren't resting comfortably at home last night, gazing blissfully into your television screen and tuned in to late night programming, we're here to tell ya with corroborating evidence - this John Mulaney fellow is quite the laugh-inducing character! Making a record ninth appearance on Late Night with Seth Meyers last evening, John Mulaney sat down with his former SNL cohort to talk burglars, first dates, award shows, and winning an Emmy for his 'flix special, Kid Gorgeous at Radio City. Yep,... (read more)

Dead Rider Trio Featuring Mr. Paul Williams is a delightful smear of unlikely moments viewed in shadowy relief through a blood-stained lens. As the Dead Rider Trio crunk out the jams, Mr. Paul Williams opens his notebook and rants along, with well-trippy acid-tongued affect, producing a record unlike any other - even more so than previous Dead Rider records! This time, their caustic, blues-bent, beat-skipping rock is a canvas for Todd Rittmann to let full-loose with his six-string skills, going off like a hell-bent Roy... (read more)

Once again, Ty Segall and White Fence's Tim Presley have slipped the madness of the straitjackets they were fitted for years ago, and made a record not just of songs, but of climactic essence - a stretch of sequential time organized for entertainment's sake! Behold, Joy---their mind-meld complete, fizzy experimentations and sonorous bangers alike. Joy unrolls from within and in between them and electricity takes many forms, plunging from rock trips to acoustic strollers to poppy reveries to freak-downs at side's end.