The Psychedelic Furs and The Jesus and Mary Chain are on the road for a proper co-headlining tour, hitting San Francisco’s Masonic Auditorium on a Saturday night with opener Frankie Rose.
The Masonic was absolutely packed by the time The Jesus and Mary Chain took the stage for their 1 hour and 10 minute set, setting a dramatic mood as frontman Jim Reid tried his best to hide behind the mic stand as he belted classic after classic. A man of few words, Reid apologized in advance for any f***ups but otherwise let the music do the talking, inviting Frankie Rose to join the band on stage for “Sometimes Always” and fan favorite “Just Like Honey.”
The house lights came on after TJAMC’s set revealing a celebratory atmosphere although clearly some folks had over-imbibed in the lead-up to The Psychedelic Furs, at one point some friends carrying a totally limp but still conscious pal into the lobby. Yes, it was going to be one of those nights where the folks that don’t get out much take advantage of leaving the kids alone with the babysitter to let loose.
For those fans, the journey down memory lane continued with The Psychedelic Furs closing set that spanned their 40+ years of music. Original members Richard Butler (vocals) and Tim Butler (bass) ruled the stage as the crowd sang along, fueled by what seemed like a constant flow of alcohol.
INDIANAPOLIS, IN | Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis was bejeweled, sequined, and sparkling to the rafters on the evening of November 1st as the one and only Taylor Swift played the first of three shows in final US city stop of her Eras tour. An enormous crowd of over 69,000 fans turned out for the show, shattering the attendance record for the venue and shaking the walls of the stadium with energy and excitement.
Many in attendance were also fans of Gracie Abrams, who warmed up the crowd with her 30-minute set. Abrams has opened for Swift over 35 times so far during the Eras tour and it’s clear that she knows how to properly warm the crowd, sharing anecdotes of her friendship and experiences with Swift—and the love and respect the two have for each other—in between songs. Abrams demonstrated that she is a talent all her own, too, as she showcased her songwriting and performance skills, sharing six songs with the excited crowd.
It wasn’t long after Gracie wrapped up her performance that a countdown clock appeared on the stage’s gigantic video screen, letting everyone know there was one minute left until Taylor would begin the show. The energy and roar of the crowd increased exponentially as the seconds ticked down, whipping all into a frenzy by the time the clock finished.
And then we were off to the races. Swift opened with an abbreviated version of “Miss Americana & The Heartbreak Prince” before moving into “Cruel Summer,” a song from her 2019 album Lover that enjoyed recent, newfound success after being highlighted as the opener for the Eras show.
Few pop music artists to emerge in the 1960s were more controversial, intelligent, funny, prescient, and just plain far out as Frank Zappa. As a guitar God who never took that pose seriously, who introduced jazz, classical, avant-garde, and cabaret on acid theatrics into his indescribable live act and recordings, nearly everything Zappa did in the ’60s and 1970s still sounds light years ahead of anything made today. At that time, Zappa skewered not only the fake post-’50s fat cats and plastic people, but himself and the so-called hippies who loved his music.
Zappa’s early records with the Mothers of Invention are unhinged freak-outs of sound and (bongo) fury. While serving up blistering critiques of the phoniness of both middle America and the power elite, the humor which with Zappa infused his bizarre music made it all the more lovable and just plain fun.
Along with The Fugs, The Holy Modal Rounders, The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band, and a handful of others, Zappa, solo and with the Mothers, sought to poke twisted barbs of ridicule at all that was fake, mean, and phony. Unlike the others, Zappa was not a member of the underground drug culture and didn’t even drink. While his appearance was counterculture, his approach was counterintuitive.
Zappa recorded for Verve and his music was later distributed by Warner Brothers during the ’60s into the ’70s. While no major record label in the world would touch Zappa today, those days of rage allowed iconoclasts like Zappa to have a sandbox in which to blow up cultural bombs. By the time we get to Apostrophe, Zappa’s sixth solo album (not to mention 12 further albums he made with the Mothers), he had built up a rabid following and the counterculture of young people had become a demographic behemoth, propelling the album to gold sales status.
British powerhouse Whitey—aka NJ White—has exploded back onto the scene with the release of his triumphant double album MENTAL RADIO, out now.
The album is a sixteen track tour de force that certainly takes you on a rollercoaster of a ride. A chaotically colourful clash of genres, styles, and moods, it’s hard to pin this album down at times but surely that’s the beauty of it? Pulling influences from across decades of sound and putting it through the Whitey blender creates something fresh—an album that is in turn furious, raw, amused, politically razor sharp and poignant—a satirical take on 21st century life—a musical pop art collage.
Stand out tracks include previous singles “CHERRADE,” “THIS IS FOREVER,” and “LITTLE PIGGIES.” Whitey has just released a brand new video for “LITTLE PIGGIES” to aptly coincide with the US election. A vibrant combination of classic, alternative, and glam rock, “LITTLE PIGGIES” is an infectious floor-filler with a powerful sentiment behind it.
Talking about the single, Whitey elaborates, “It’s a ballsy political swipe, a proper protest track that references Animal Farm, Three Little Pigs, the American political divide, Trumpism, and personal responsibility. The song started from a place of amused cynicism at many peoples’ inability to see The Wolf before their eyes, then gradually became a song with a more urgent feel as events unfolded over the last few years.
As one of the greatest of tenor saxophonists, Ben Webster amassed a sizable discography across a long career. His live performances were also extensive and on occasion, those nights were recorded. Released posthumously in 1985, At the Renaissance is a fine introduction to Webster’s full-bodied, mature style as he stretches out with a sharp band. On November 8, Craft Recordings reissues an expanded edition of the original LP on 180 gram vinyl as part of the label’s Contemporary Records Acoustic Sounds series. There are certainly more important albums in Ben Webster’s body of work, but he rarely sounded better than he does right here.
Ben Webster is most renowned for his work with Duke Ellington, who he joined for an extended period in 1940 after playing in numerous bands, including those of Bennie Moten, Fletcher Henderson, Benny Carter, and Cab Calloway. Considered one of the “big three” tenor saxophonists of the swing era (the others are Coleman Hawkins and Lester Young), Webster was the first major player on the instrument to have a significant role in Ellington’s band, though by 1943 he’d made his exit for the clubs of 52nd Street.
Webster briefly rejoined Ellington later in the decade (he’d first played with Duke in the mid-’30s), but from the mid-’40s onward his career path is noted for an association with promoter Norman Granz’s Jazz at the Philharmonic initiative, co-led sessions with Hawkins, pianists Art Tatum and Oscar Pederson and saxophonist Gerry Mulligan, plus plenty of records and club dates as a leader.
At the Renaissance is just one of numerous albums capturing those club dates. Prior to departing for Europe in 1964, Webster gigged frequently at the Los Angeles club the Renaissance, often with Mulligan, but on October 14, 1960 he was leading the band heard here, with Jimmy Rowles on piano, Jim Hall on guitar, Red Mitchell on bass, and Frank Butler on drums.
Rapid City, SD | A hobby that turned into a business: Black Hills Vinyl. Black Hills Vinyl is a record store and disc golf shop located in downtown Rapid City that has been around for about 13 years. “We’ve grown the store over that from a small boutique business to occupying a huge space downtown,” Michael Calabrese, co-owner of Black Hills Vinyl, said. The store started as just a hobby of collecting vinyls. “It all started with us being collectors and looking for records online. We ended up finding a record store and then honestly a new life here in South Dakota,” Calabrese said. Although Calabrese and his wife collected records, he explains how he was able to turn this hobby into a business. “For us, it was a matter of coming into a lot of extra things. Maybe you find that great copy of a record and then later on down the line, you find a better copy. And so, that’s really how we started…”
Springfield, IL | Popular record store opens second location in Springfield: Brat summer is over, but Dumb Records fall is in full swing. Expanding on the success Record Store Day has had between community and business downtown, Dumb Records is expanding to a second location on the city’s west side. Dumber Records opened last week inside the White Oaks Mall. The store is on the first floor between Off the Wall and across from Kay Jewelers. The second record store still sells all the latest records and merchandise fans of the indie business love but has a chiller atmosphere to the rock ‘n’ roll stage of the main location. Brian Galecki, who co-owns Dumb Records at 418 E. Monroe St., felt confident in opening a second location thanks to community support. “Really it was the Record Store Day events that really made us feel we have to do something to expand or get a bigger space in general,” Galecki said.
Glasgow, UK | An Interview with Mixed Up Records: …Tucked away in the West End’s Otago Lane, Peter Ashby founded Mixed Up Records at 19 years of age in 1997, born from the ashes of an old antique store at a derelict kind of site. “At the point I started, the CD revolution had taken over and records were a bit more niche, but indie guys at the time still wanted records, and a community has definitely always existed.” Mixed Up started as Ashby trading wax from plastic boxes, tabletop. Nowadays, Mixed Up is a cornucopia of taste, variety, and dedication to a craft. “Maintaining stock, supply and demand, having what the customers want, and paying bills.” That’s what goes into running a record shop. Despite the “mint Beatles records, rare Northern Soul finds, and private press collections”, that’s what it comes down to. It’s not about pretentiousness, it’s a way to make a living out of something you’re passionate about.”
Takoma Park, MD | Joint Custody Opens in Takoma: Rare Records, Vintage Clothing and More. Joint Custody, a vinyl record store, vintage clothing shop, and “freak emporium,” has opened its second D.C. location at 6918 4th St. NW in Takoma, just up the street from the incoming Peach Cobbler Factory and the newly opened Pynk Saffron Spice Boutique. While the shop features a substantial selection of punk, R&B, and local artists, its standout offerings, according to Washingtonian Magazine, include rare punk zines and a wide array of vintage concert tour T-shirts. “Joint Custody is filled with a large selection of new and used records—from the hard to find to the just released—as well as a premium selection of vintage clothing,” Main Street Takoma executive director Laura Barclay said via email. “An extremely knowledgeable staff is there to assist. Find punk, hardcore, metal, jazz, sportswear, militaria, Harley paraphernalia, workwear, and much more.”
Black Metal pioneer King Diamond stopped by the Fillmore Silver Spring Monday night (10/28), a stop on the Saint Lucifer’s Hospital 1920 tour. The production featured a stage set that just barely fit into the confines of the Fillmore. It was fitting for the spooky and over the top shows King Diamond is known for and just what the Washington, DC suburbs needed the week of Halloween.
This tour nailed the selections of support acts. Kicking off the night was Night Demon (vocalist/bassist Jarvis Leatherby, guitarist Armand John Anthony, and drummer Brian Wilson). Formed in 2011, and hailing from Ventura, California, the trio represents a resurgence in old school heavy metal. The men got the crowd amped up early in the night with riff heavy songs and a skilled performance that made me very glad I got to the venue early. The 30-minute setlist borrowed from across the band’s discography, and included a few selections from their latest release, concept album Outsider.
This band is fantastic, especially for those of us who like an old school, no fuss, no muss sound to our metal. Given how much Night Demon apparently tours, I’m kicking myself for not knowing about them until now. Better late than never. If you’re curious about this band, 2017’s Darkness Remains is a good place to start—it features a fun cover of the Queen classic “We Will Rock You.” Or just start from banger Outsider and work your way backward. Can you tell I’m a fan now?
In the metal world, it is commonly known that thrash metal originated in San Francisco back in the 1980’s (Metallica being among the most well-known of those early bands). The East Coast made its own contributions to the early days of thrash. One of those bands was New Jersey’s own Overkill. Lucky for all of us, Overkill is still around in 2024, and occupied the middle slot on the night’s bill, continuing the tour’s theme of old school metal.
VIA PRESS RELEASE | How did Dexter make a TV audience sympathize with a serial killer? No question, it took an ingenious premise, great writing, great direction—and a stellar ensemble cast headed by lead actor Michael C. Hall. But long-time viewers of the show know there was another “character” that played a huge role in the series: the soundtrack.
From Rolfe Kent’s unforgettable title theme to the well-chosen Latin-tinged tunes that fit the Miami setting to composer Daniel Licht’s brilliant themes, the score of Dexter commented on the action even as it amplified its emotional power. Special mention must be made of the late Licht’s work, which employed Latin and electronic elements to portray Dexter’s warm and cold sides; among the favorites here are “Astor’s Birthday Party” and the haunting “Blood Theme” that played over the credits in every episode.
In 2007, the Milan label put out a CD and a truncated single-LP soundtrack album containing music from the first season; now, for the first time, we at Real Gone Music are offering all of the music that appeared on the CD in an expanded double-LP edition, pressed on blood with white swirl vinyl and housed inside an appropriately gory gatefold. Don’t miss Michael C. Hall’s spoken word pieces either—perversely pleasurable listening, limited to 1,500 copies!
Remembering Gram Parsons, born on this date in 1946. —Ed.
You’ve got to hand it to Gram Parsons; the boy had chutzpah. No sooner had the relatively unknown 21-year-old joined The Byrds in February 1968 in the wake of the departure of David “I Am the Walrus” Crosby and Michael Clarke, he managed to talk the band, including leader Roger McGuinn, into scuttling McGuinn’s plans for an ambitious double album of the history of American popular music in favor of an album of straight-up country music, or country-rock if you insist, or “Cosmic American Music” as Parsons poetically termed it.
It must have been an audacious piece of salesmanship, for no rock band—much less a pop supergroup with the psychedelic bona fides of The Byrds—had ever attempted anything so potentially suicidal from a commercial standpoint. From “Eight Miles High” to “The Christian Life”? Longhairs playing pure country honk? Why, the idea was unthinkable, risible even, although The Byrds themselves had dabbled in country before and Bob Dylan himself would make the transition soon enough.
To add authenticity, The Byrds (McGuinn on acoustic guitar, banjo, and vocals; Chris Hillman on bass, mandolin, acoustic guitar, and vocals; Parsons on acoustic guitar, piano and organ, and vocals; and Kevin Kelley on drums) wrangled up a crew of mostly Nashville ringers, including legendary electric guitarist Clarence White (who would die tragically in 1973, hit by a drunken driver); John “Tear Down the Grand Ole Opry” Hartford on banjo, fiddle, and acoustic guitar; Lloyd Green and JayDee Maness on pedal steel guitar; Roy Husky on double bass; and Earl Poole Ball and Barry “Electric Flag” Goldberg on piano.
Parsons’ tenure as a Byrd turned out to be short-lived—he soon went on to form The Flying Burrito Brothers with Chris Hillman—and the Sweetheart sessions ended in controversy and chaos, with McGuinn (the original Lou Reed!) erasing Parsons’ vocals on three songs during post-production and rerecording them himself, leaving Parsons as lead vocalist on just three cuts. The ostensible reason for this varies from unresolved contractual questions about Parsons to McGuinn’s refusal to be upstaged by the unknown rich boy in his spiffy psychedelic-drug-and-pill-themed Nudie suit (which, in the interests of historical authenticity, he probably didn’t purchase until later.)
Ahead of the official film release, Scottish artist Megan Black shares “Something Golden,” a new single she’s written for an upcoming British short film called The Programme. The film premiered this spring in Digbeth, ahead of showings at several film festivals and a general release on 7th November 2024.
Megan Black’s haunting soundtrack skillfully captures the film’s dark undertones while infusing it with heart and grit. Talking about the song, Megan says, “I started working on this project whilst I was going through my own diagnosis of autism and ADHD. I felt real grief and a sense of loss that I had never really understood myself. Sam and the team behind The Programme have been a joy to work with—they really understand what it means to be neurodivergent and why spreading this awareness is so important. Grief in my own life had left me feeling numb and writing this soundtrack came along at the right time—it was healing—there really is ‘something golden’ about that.”
The Programme is the first short film from award-winning writer and director Sam Grierson. It was an Official Selection at the Little Venice Film Festival, New York International Women’s Film Festival, and Sykehouse Film Festival, with a nomination for Best Actress for Michelle Jeram (BBC Granite Harbour, Liar, Eastenders, The Split).
The work began after a two-year writing hiatus triggered by the devastating loss of Sam’s best friend to suicide. The resulting film sparks reflection and reshapes perceptions, encouraging an understanding of the intricate layers of grief and the complex intersectionality of neurodivergent experiences. Sam is LGBTQIA+, autistic, and ADHD. Grierson’s film exposes us for believing in stereotypes, exposes society for marginalising people, and displays in no uncertain terms that everyone deserves to be centre stage. A neurodivergent subject encourages us to examine universal fears.
The Ladybug Transistor’s The Albemarle Sound, an ambitious but tightly focused serving of baroque and at times lightly psychedelic pop, was released by Merge Records as the 1990s wound to a close. Having achieved classic status, it’s now receiving a 25th anniversary reissue on vinyl and compact disc from Happy Happy Birthday To Me Records in a deluxe limited edition that includes a mobile, a button set, a silkscreen print, and bonus tracks on the CD and accompanying the LP on a digital download. Bold and assured, it’s an essential addition to any comprehensive ’90s indie shelf.
It’s a common generalization that the music of indie rock’s heyday (let’s demark the late 1980s through the ’90s), if not as unembellished as the din that dominated the punk explosion of yore, is still modestly scaled, stripped down, and structurally straightforward, at least in comparison to the mainstream pop and rock sounds of the same era.
As is often the case, there’s a kernel of reality in that simplification, although plenty of exceptions did emerge to illuminate ambitiousness from across the indie scene’s wide stylistic spectrum. Arriving late in the timeframe established above, The Albemarle Sound remains a standout example, if maybe a bit undersung as part of the Elephant 6 Collective (Brooklyn wing).
The formative debut Marlborough Farms (Park ‘N Ride, 1995) and stronger, more focused follow-up Beverley Atonale (Merge, ’97) precede it, but the third time really was the charm from the group of Gary Olson (vocals, trumpet), Jeff Baron (guitar), Jennifer Baron (bass), Sasha Bell (keyboards, flute), San Fadyl (drums), and Julia Rydholm (violin).
London, UK | Iconic record shop opens new store in London—full list of where they are across the UK: An iconic record shop has opened a new store on a street termed London’s ‘music epicentre.’ Rough Trade, one of the world’s leading music retailers, has opened a new store on Denmark Street, central London. The record shop will run over two floors and carry a wide selection of curated vinyl covering all genres. Rough Trade will be the first record shop situated on Denmark Street, joining a host of iconic instrument stores frequented by music lovers. Lawrence Montgomery, Rough Trade’s Managing Director, lauded Denmark Street’s ‘rich heritage and ongoing legacy.’ He said: ‘We are thrilled to bring Rough Trade to London’s iconic Denmark Street, a location that holds such a profound place in the city’s music history. Our new store will house an extensive selection of curated vinyl across all genres, as well as a specialist book selection and exclusive merchandise.’
Oklahoma City, OK | Your Guide to Oklahoma City’s Record Stores: Oklahoma City’s record stores offer a unique experience—a blend of community and discovery that sets them apart. More than just shops, they’re gathering places for music lovers to connect, share their passion for rare finds and build one-of-a-kind collections. From classic vinyl albums to the latest releases, you’ll find a diverse selection for every taste in the heart of OKC. Get ready to explore new music, join a community of passionate collectors and maybe even trade in some old favorites for a fresh new sound. Did you know? You can trade or sell your records at any of these shops. It’s a great way to support local businesses and refresh your own collection.
Winnipeg, CA | The pursuit of vinyl records—one Winnipeg collector’s dream: The sound of a needle hitting the groove of a vinyl record has been a big part of Peter Dul’s life for decades. In fact – it was pretty much all he had. “What I had was a couch and a shelf and my stereo,” Dul said. “I thought to myself, ‘I’m just going to get a handful of records, my favorite records, and this will be what I’ll own and then it just grew from there.” It grew so big that by 2019, he decided to get into the vinyl record business, selling albums at a pop-up space inside Thirsty’s Flea Market on Ellice Ave. Dul has not looked back since; instead, he is always looking out for more vinyl to buy and sell. “I’m looking forward to finding that dream collection that somebody would like to sell to me, that I could put in the right place and get it to the right people,” Dul said.
Nashville, TN | Nashville’s Dead End Records specializes in metal, punk vinyl: A new record shop in the Germantown neighborhood is turning the volume up to 11 on Nashville’s vinyl scene. Why it matters: Dead End Records specializes in vinyl albums by metal, punk and loud rock bands. Nashville is a vinyl-enthused town with several successful shops, but Dead End is a rare niche shop that focuses on a specific genre. The shop sells bumper stickers that brag, “No, we don’t carry Taylor Swift.” Driving the news: Ironically, the shop is located on Taylor Street in a collective of art galleries and retail shops near the Bearded Iris brewery. Dead End Records, which opened in July, is owned by Summer Daniels and Jake McKeel. The intrigue: Daniels lists metal mainstays Coheed and Cambria, Mastodon and Baroness as some of her favorite bands. “I love metal and rock and alternative stuff,” Daniels says. “But I always found it really hard to find that specific type of music.”
Bay Area metal legends ended their 33-date “Klash Of The Titans Tour” with co-headliner Kreator and opener Possessed with a hometown set at the epicenter of the thrash movement at The Warfield in San Francisco.
Local death metal progenitors Possessed kicked things off early and got the crowd hopping as frontman Jeff Becerra belted out the classics, unencumbered by the wheelchair he’s been confined to since 1989.
Kreator kept the energy high, blasting Iron Maiden’s “The Trooper” for a massive singalong as the crew busied themselves behind a giant curtain that concealed the stage. The curtain finally dropped and the band launched into “Hate Über Alles” off of their most recent release.
Kreator’s crew had obviously been busy in the 30 or so minutes since Possessed wrapped their set. Inflatable demons loomed over the band from the back of the stage and shrouded corpses hung from the rafters, others impaled on pikes on each side of the stage. But the band paid no attention to the gore as they blasted through a career spanning hour and ten minute set.
Nick Lowe has been starting his current tour with one of his oldest songs. “So It Goes” was his first solo single after his stint in Brinsley Schwarz, it starts with a thrumming guitar fanfare before slipping into easy-going verses about a garrulous Thin Lizzy guitarist, a peacekeeping force, a tired US rep, and a missed opportunity. All are tied together with the title refrain, maybe borrowed from Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse Five, so it goes.
Sounding as fresh and vibrant as it did in 1976, it helped set the tone for Lowe’s pleasing show with Los Straitjackets at the Atlantis in DC, the second of a two-night sellout. But the song also made a natural bridge to the disarmingly clean and simple throwbacks to rock ’n’ roll that are part of his newest album on Yep Roc, Indoor Safari.
Teaming with the Nashville-based instrumentalists in their Mexican wrestling masks might have seemed an odd mix when they first teamed up but by now their matching proclivities toward a kind of rock purity, where a well honed lyric meets the perfect twang, makes them natural collaborators on a sound that not only maintains the classic underpinning of rock ’n’ roll but sounds as natural and immediate as anything today.
There may have been a time when Lowe may have settled into a kind of modern day crooner offering delicate downbeat ballads that showed off his late life tones. But the Straitjackets seem to have bolstered and lifted his rocking tendencies so that now, when he introduces one of his still-beautiful ballads, like “You Inspire Me” from his 1998 Dig My Mood to “House for Sale,” from his 2011 The Old Magic, he almost apologizes for slowing the pace.
VIA PRESS RELEASE | To celebrate Frank Black’s landmark solo album, Teenager Of The Year turning 30, 4AD release a one-time vinyl pressing on 17th January, to accompany a tour of North America plus Paris and London, where Frank Black and the original band will be performing the album in its entirety.
This special vinyl tour edition of Teenager Of The Year, has been remastered for the first time from its original analogue studio tapes. Sounding as essential as the day it was released, the limited 30th Anniversary Tour Edition is cut at 45 rpm for optimum playback and is being pressed on double gold vinyl. The album also comes in a gatefold sleeve with liner notes by both Frank Black and producer Eric Drew Feldman. A 24-bit digital version is being released on the same day.
Originally recorded amid a rich songwriting vein, just as the Pixies had been placed on hold, Frank Black’s ambitious double album Teenager Of The Year came out in May 1994, just one year after his fantastic self-titled solo debut. Recorded with scene legend Eric Drew Feldman (Captain Beefheart’s Magic Band, Pere Ubu, The Residents), Teenager Of The Year, is now widely regarded as the defining statement of his solo career and the best album the Pixies never made.
“Sometime in the early 80s, I’d have to look up the date, I matriculated high school. This school held an awards banquet for some of the departing students at the school. I received an award called the Teenager Of The Year award; my brother received the same award the following year. Our award was a 50 dollar credit for textbooks, a Teenager Of The Year medallion (my mother still has this), and also the banquet hall dinner, soup to nuts. My brother and I had no complaint about the award (it was given for being all-around-good-guy as best as we could determine). But for such a grand title to be given as Teenager Of The Year, I felt the glory had not been amplified enough.