Friday, September 27, 2019

Second track from NOUS II [Christopher Bono (Ghost Against Ghost), Greg Fox (ex-Liturgy), Thor Harris (Swans), ACME strings, Shahzad Ismaily] out now


"A half-airy, half-aggressive interdisciplinary happening organized by the young and enterprising composer Christopher Bono, who brought together a wise, postcategory, electric and acoustic 12-person crew."  -- New York Times

"You couldn't pigeonhole it into one genre if you tried -- it goes from eerie David Lynchian soundscapes to Eastern melodies to avant-garde jazz drum freakouts to a million other places, all while remaining strangely accessible." -- Brooklyn Vegan

"(Sometimes) it is clear from the get-go that you’re handling something potent, that the music you’re about to hear is going to leap out of the digital format and grab you by heart... A captivating and moving piece of music." -- Heavy Blog Is Heavy


New York experimental music project NOUS, led by producer and composer Christopher Bono, shares a new track from NOUS II, the followup to their 2018 eponymous debut album. The group shares "Here In My Chest It Is What It Is" today from this more melodic leaning recording that its predecessor via Heavy Blog Is Heavy HERE. (Direct Bandcamp and Spotify.)


PopMatters recently shared lead track "Nighten Gale" HERE.

Nous is an experimental music project with a fluctuating group of artists exploring ritual and spontaneity within music. NOUS II features the same lineup as the debut: multi-instrumentalists Christopher Bono (keyboards/electronics/percussion/vocals), Greg Fox (drums/percussion/electronics), Thor Harris (drums/percussion), Shahzad Ismaily (electronics/guitar/bass) and Grey Mcmurray (guitar), with special guests.

On this album, NOUS founder and curator Christopher Bono takes the project and the musicians on a deeper dive into the post-rock, and ambient genres. The project maintains the spirit of spontaneity, but the musical experiments are conducted within a framework of more melodic exploration alongside cellular motif and groove oriented experiments.

"Nighten Gale" is the first single release from the new album. This piano and strings driven piece was presented in the studio to the the talented group of experimental musicians as a basic lead sheet featuring a simple progression and no dynamic suggestions. The 9 musicians received this minimalist input and together recorded a sweeping new-classical sonic Ark that journeys through contrasting peaks of heavy and gentle dramatic moments.

Woodstock, NY label Our Silent Canvas is preparing to release the second of 3 albums culled from sessions the group recorded in an intensive 7-day immersion at legendary Dreamland Studios with 
producer Kevin McMahon (Swans, Titus Andronicus, Real Estate).

Each recording, and performance will center around a different focal concept, always seeking alternative ways of creating art. The name Nous was chosen for its double meaning. 'Nous' in the French language is the plural personal pronoun in the first person, meaning 'we' or 'us'. However, within the philosophical tradition it is a word, sometimes equated to intellect or intelligence, used to describe the faculty of the human mind which is described in classical philosophy as necessary for understanding what is true or real, similar in meaning to intuition.

Nous band members on this recording:
~ Christopher Bono (Composer, Ghost Against Ghost)  www.christopherbono.com
~ Greg Fox (Guardian Alien, Zs, Ben Frost, ex-Liturgy) 
~ Shahzad Ismaily (Yoko Ono, Laurie Anderson, Bonnie Prince Billy)
~ Thor Harris (Swans, Angels of Light, Amanda Palmer, Shearwater)
~ Grey Mcmurray (itsnotyouitsme, So Percussion, Tyondai Braxton) 

Special guests:
~ Clarice Jensen (Cello, ACME: American Contemporary Music Ensemble, yMusic, Ra Ra Riot
~ Caleb Burhans (Composer, itsnotyouitsme, ACME) 
~ Laura Lutzke (Violin, ACME)
~ Alex Sopp (Flutes, ACME, yMusic)
~ Imago (Cello, Vocals, Múm)
~ Laraaji & Arji (Zither, Ambient Sounds)
~ Akil Davis and Loud Sol Productions


NOUS II will be available on LP and download on December 6th, 2018 via Our Silent Canvas. Pre-orders are available HERE




Artist: NOUS
Album: NOUS II
Record Label: Our Silent Canvas
Release Date: December 6, 2019

01. Look Again at That Dot
02. Formless
03. Here In My Chest It Is What It Is
04. Yoj! Yoj!
05. Nighten Gale
06. World Map One
07. Uthando
08. Formless Too
09. Assume a Sunbeam

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Thursday, September 26, 2019

Avant-rock trio Sama Dams share video for "Principle of Loving" featuring artist Alexandra Becker-Black


Portland, OR trio Sama Dams share the official video for new single "Principle of Loving" today. The video showcases watercolor artist Alexandra Becker-Black and is available to watch/share via YouTube HERE

The band's confidently sleek and smooth avant-rock track is available to hear and share via Bandcamp.

Intimacy and solitude intertwine in the “Principle Of Loving” video. Visually centered on painter Alexandra Becker-Black, the camera gazes on the small moments of early day routine and introspection. Alexandra’s own focus is reserved for the canvas, where watercolor paint is carefully applied yet allowed to flow along its own path. Slowly the portrait of an unknown woman, perhaps a sister, lover, or even a previous version of herself, begins to emerge. 

Few bands command the unexpectedly fine line that divides tension and release like Sama Dams does. And it's no wonder: songwriters Sam and Lisa Adams have been playing music together for over a decade -- as long as they have been married -- developing a creative forthrightness that sometimes feels voyeuristic. Taking cues from jazz, R&B, new wave, indie-rock, and classical art song, the alt-rock trio weaves a sensuous musical fabric that is distinctly theirs.

Much like the Dirty Projectors or Thom Yorke, Sama Dams's high art sensibilities are wrapped around a subversive knotty core of uncompromized radicalism -- like if Leonard Bernstein was signed to K Records. In that way, the DIY ethos of the Pacific Northwest has shaped much of the band's path forward since graduating music school in 2008 and relocating to Portland in 2012.

Sama Dams' fourth and most recent full-length album, Say It surprises you with its gritty yet precise instrumentation, striking a keen balance between reserve and power, from wiley "Neil-Young-riding-a-rocket-sled" electric guitar riffs and mutant waves of organ to distorted ukulele and cut-up-on-the-spot breakbeats. The Portland Mercury said "Say It is an endlessly fascinating sonic concoction, and a confident step forward for Sama Dams." What should be a series of stylistic contradictions results in each song firmly standing its ground as an interwoven compositional masterpiece, bending and twisting with eclectic abandon.

The band's sprawling sonic footprint is held together by their dynamic vocal power - an alternate-reality vocal pairing of Kate Bush and Jeff Buckley. Sam and Lisa's combined proficiencies and unique approaches to songwriting merge with the brilliant percussive work of drummer Micah Hummel, creating a matchless sound in live settings as well as in the studio.

Sama Dams can regularly be found gracing stages, music festivals, and living rooms across the United States and Central Europe, their music finding a place in the hearts of both music enthusiasts and general audiences alike with their intelligent arrangements, catchy melodies, and playful musicality.

The band's new single "Principle of Loving" will be available Sept 20th via Portland collective label Self Group on all digital platforms as well a limited 7" picture disc. Sama Dams will be supporting the release with tours of the west coast (fall) and Europe (spring 2020). 


SAMA DAMS LIVE 2019:
09/25 Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios
09/27 La Grande, OR @ Side A Brewing
09/28-29 Moscow, ID @ Modest Music Fest




Artist: Sama Dams
Album:  Principle of Loving EP
Label:  Self Group
Release Date: September 20th, 2019

01. Principle of Loving


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Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Brown Acid: The Ninth Trip compilation coming Halloween 2019, new single "Rebel Woman" out now


"So rare that diehard fuzz junkies say you'd have a better chance of winning the lottery than finding a physical 45 rpm single by one of the bands featured on their latest installment." -- Dangerous Minds

"Will do for hard rock, proto-metal and heavy psych what Nuggets did for garage rock, and bring it to a wider audience of collectors and music fans." -- The Guardian

"Mining the surprising rich reserves of heavy rock and proto-metal from the ‘60s and ‘70s, these collections have been crucial to understanding the history of a subgenre of rock that had far deeper roots than most fans realize." -- Paste Magazine



The forthcoming ninth edition of the popular compilation series featuring long-lost vintage 60s-70s proto-metal and stoner rock singles, Brown Acid: The Ninth Trip is set for release on Halloween 2019. A new track from the latest installment, "Rebel Woman" by Erik is available to hear and share via YouTube HERE and Bandcamp HERE

The first single, the heavy psych groove of "Pain" by Fiberglass Vegetables was released back in August HERE.

Read an interview with the series curators via Paste Magazine HERE. The Brown Acid series is curated by L.A. label RidingEasy Records and retailer/label Permanent Records. 

About the Brown Acid series:

Some of the best thrills of the Internet music revolution is the ability to find extremely rare music with great ease. But even with such vast archives to draw from, quite a lot of great songs have gone undiscovered for nearly half a century -- particularly in genres that lacked hifalutin arty pretense. Previously, only the most extremely dedicated and passionate record collectors had the stamina and prowess to hunt down long forgotten wonders in dusty record bins -- often hoarding them in private collections, or selling at ridiculous collector's prices. Legendary compilations like NuggetsPebbles, ad nauseum, have exhausted the mines of early garage rock and proto-punk, keeping alive a large cross-section of underground ephemera. However, few have delved into and expertly archived the wealth of proto-metal, pre-stoner rock tracks collected on 
Brown Acid

Lance Barresi, co-owner of L.A./Chicago retailer Permanent Records has shown incredible persistence in tracking down a stellar collection of rare singles from the 60s and 70s for the growing compilation series. Partnered with Daniel Hall of RidingEasy Records, the two have assembled a selection of songs that's hard to believe have remained unheard for so long. 

"I essentially go through hell and high water just to find these records," Barresi says. "Once I find a record worthy of tracking, I begin the (sometimes) extremely arduous process of contacting the band members and encouraging them to take part. Daniel and I agree that licensing all the tracks we're using for
Brown Acid is best for everyone involved," rather than simply bootlegging the tracks. When all of the bands and labels haven't existed for 30-40 years or more, tracking down the creators gives all of these tunes a real second chance at success. 

"There's a long list of songs that we'd love to include," Barresi says. "But we just can't track the bands down. I like the idea that Brown Acid is getting so much attention, so people might reach out to us."


Brown Acid: The Ninth Trip will be available everywhere on LP, CD and download on October 31st, 2019 via RidingEasy Records. Pre-orders are available for digital (with immediate download of the first single) at Bandcamp, physical pre-orders at RidingEasy Records




Artist: Various Artists
Album: Brown Acid: The Ninth Trip 
Label: RidingEasy Records
Release Date: October 31, 2019

01. White Lightning "Prelude To Opus IV"
02. Peacepipe "The Sun Won't Shine Forever"
03. Magi "Win or Lose"
04. Fiberglass Vegetables "Pain"
05. Erik "Rebel Woman"
06. Stonewall "Outer Spaced"
07. ICE "Running High"
08. Space Rock "Going Down The Road"
09. Buckshot "Barstar"
10. 29.9 "Paradiddle Blues"

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Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Firebreather stream full album ahead of release via Metal Injection, tour w/ Monolord in October

"Firebreather veer towards roaring, High On Fire-esque sludge, and they’ve got the chops and the grit to pull this kind of thing off." -- Brooklyn Vegan

"Scorching hot riffs, stomach-churning bellows, lightning-fried drums and intestine-rattling bass... The souls of all MetalSucks staffers have been incinerated through one mere listen of this track." -- Metal Sucks

"A thrilling style of Progressive Sludge/Stoner Metal that will rank as one of the best albums of the year." -- Outlaws Of The Sun


Swedish trio Firebreather are streaming their forthcoming RidingEasy Records debut album Under a Blood Moon in full starting today, via Metal Injection. Hear and share Under a Blood Moon HERE. (Direct YouTube.)

Metal Sucks recently featured album track "Our Souls, They Burn" HERE. And, Brooklyn Vegan previously hosted the lead single "Dancing Flames" HERE.

Firebreather tour in support of the album in October with Monolord. See all dates below.. 

Fire is what happens when a carbon based object is consumed by oxygen. That chemical reaction is fitting to the sound of Firebreather: The riffs are suffocating, the rhythms fast moving and all-consuming. It's so blindingly and deafeningly monolithic, don't be surprised to find yourself gasping for air while listening.

The Gothenburg, Sweden trio has a streamlined focus on driving, symphonic riffs in the vein of High on Fire, Inter Arma and their tour- and label-mates Monolord. The guitar and bass tones are, quite simply, entrancing. Like watching flames engulf a forest, the billowing guitar tones are simultaneously beautiful and destructive, while the rhythms sway and lunge with vicious precision.

"It's riff based, heavy as fuck, but with a groove to it," explains vocalist/guitarist Mattias Nööjd, formerly of popular Swedish doom merchants Galvano. "We had gotten off a tour with Monolord in February of 2018 and by that time we had the song 'Firebreather' done," but soon thereafter new drummer Axel Wittbeck joined the fold.

"Once Axel had joined, it was like the flood gates opened," says bassist Kyle Pitcher. "The rest of the album just came together." Under a Blood Moon was recorded at Elementstudion in Gothenburg with engineer Oskar Karlsson, who also recorded the band's lauded 2017 self-titled debut on Suicide Records. 

Album opener "Dancing Flames" sets the stage for the onslaught to come with a slinking, serpentine riff over slow churning rhythms. Nööjd's hushed, gravelly vocals sink into the mix, more like a baritone guitar than a human voice. "Our Souls, They Burn" nicely exemplifies the band's furious grind that makes even faster tempo songs sound impossibly heavy, like a slow motion stampede. Elsewhere, "We Bleed" perfectly sums up the band's focus on the riff and groove, honing in on the power of hypnotic attrition. Closing epic, "The Siren" opens with lugubrious, slightly swinging drums and rumbling bass building tension over delay- and phaser-soaked guitar harmonics, until a massive, sliding riff crashes headlong into the proceedings. The song seems to cleverly shape shift across several harmonic and rhythmic parts, without losing the core groove underneath. A short pause for breath, then it's off to the races with a galloping crescendo for succinct closure. 

Under a Blood Moon will be available on LP, CD and download September 27th, 2019 via RidingEasy Records. Preorders are available HERE.


FIREBREATHER LIVE 2019:
Sep 20 Gothenburg, SE @ Musikens Hus w/ Halshug
Oct 01 Utrecht, NL @ De Helling *
Oct 02 Brussels, BE @ Magasin 4 *
Oct 03 Pratteln, CH @ Up In Smoke Festival *
Oct 04 Reims, FR @ La Cartonnerie *
Oct 05 Paris, FR @ Saturday Mud Fever Festival *
Oct 07 Dortmund, DE @ Junkyard *
Oct 08 Nuremberg, DE @ Z-Bau *
Oct 09 Cologne, DE @ Helios 37 *
Oct 10 Mainz, DE @ Schon Schon *
Oct 11 Hamburg, DE @ Molotow *
Oct 16 Oslo, NO @ John Dee *
Oct 17 Gothenburg, SE @ Sticky Fingers *
Oct 18 Malmo, SE @ Babel *
Oct 23 Linkoping, SE @ The Crypt *
Oct 24 Stockholm, SE @ Close Up Baten *
Oct 25 Tampere, FI @ Olympia *
Oct 26 Helsinki, FI @ Nosturi *

* w/ Monolord




Artist: Firebreather
Album: Under a Blood Moon
Label: RidingEasy Records
Release date: September 27th, 2019

01. Dancing Flames
02. Our Souls, They Burn 
03. Closed Gate
04. Firebreather
05. We Bleed
06. The Siren














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Friday, September 20, 2019

Jail Weddings anticipated Wilted Eden LP out now (listen), tour starts next week

"Bombastic songs that walk the line between Nick Cave and Springsteen covering 'Lipstick Traces (on A Cigarette).' It’s a party, of sorts." -- Noisey

" A marriage between the Dream Syndicate, X, and the smoldering sounds of classic English post-punk, the tune is smart, energetic and more than worth the wait." -- PopMatters


L.A. psych-punk noir group Jail Weddings release their first new album in 5 years, Wilted Eden today on LP, CD and download via Tru-Vow Recordings and on cassette via Burger Records. Hear and share the entire album via BandcampSpotify and Apple Music

Jail Weddings kick off a West Coast tour next week with the hometown album release show on September 24th at The Satellite. LA Weekly made the show a Pick Of The Week

LA Weekly voted the band's previous album Meltdown -- A Declaration of Unpopular Emotion the #1 Album of the Year for 2014, and the group Band of the Year as well. 

Wilted Eden, the expansive third album by L.A.'s tarnished romantics Jail Weddings is one of those rare albums recorded in "real time" chronicling the intersection between the whirlwind birth and eventual death of new love, along with the sudden unforeseen deaths of loved ones. Still standing in their 10th dizzying year, the Wall of Sound provocateurs return anew with an emotionally and musically charged 12-song epic. 

The result is the sound of a veteran band that is now doing whatever the hell they want after a decade of tempering (and coining) a unique sub-genre often called death doo-wop. While a line-up change also opened new horizons, the group found the time and freedom to experiment in the studio with no gun to their heads - deploying guitar feedback, Theremin, analog synth, and skronking saxophone to their usual street-poetic, swollen-knuckle pop. Think of The Waterboys expansive "Big Music" sound on brown acid and you might come close.

Wilted Eden begins cinematic, but with what almost sounds like a closing credits theme - the title track is apocalyptic folk at its most definitive, as Hart's own minor chord three-part harmonies bring to mind The Byrds soaring over Death In June. It quickly ramps up with the driving rocker "Do Anything You Want To Me," a dare of absolute surrender that feels like The Smiths rhythm section backing up Steve Wynn. "Nowhere" is the full-tilt cowpunk barn-burner of the record, calling up ghosts of The Gun Club sharing a carnival stage with Freddy Cannon. Don't let the sweet title of "Face of Kindness" fool you - as it contains one of the more blue double-entendres on the album. "Blood Moon Blue" is pure unnerving ecstasy, wailing feedback over Lynchian twang like Rowland S. Howard fronting a lounge-lizard exotica act. "Skin Invocation" is a sexual revolution in just under 6-minutes, where singer/bandleader Gabriel Hart duets with back-up singer Mary Animaux; both of them seeing the athlete of pleasure in everyone before guitarist Anthony Cozzi dogfights with Hart's sax to climax. And if you're still on board until the very, very bitter end of what has proved to be a very loaded album, "Love Me Like I'm Dead" will give you a nine-minute stark testimony of just how far this once-in-a-lifetime, genre-thrashing band has come, If, that is, you haven't already run for the hills yourself...

Wilted Eden will be available on LP, CD and download on September 20th, 2019 via Tru-Vow Recordings, and on cassette via Burger Records. Preorders are available HERE


JAIL WEDDINGS LIVE 2019:
09/24 Los Angeles, CA @ The Satellite - Album release show
09/25 San Francisco, CA @ The Honey Hive
09/26 Reno, NV @ The Bluebird
09/27 Portland, OR @ Twilight Cafe
09/28 Seattle, WA @ The Lo-Fi
09/29 Eugene, OR @ Old Nick's Pub
09/30 Sacramento, CA @ The Press Club
10/01 Albany, CA @ The Ivy Room


Artist: Jail Weddings
Album:  Wilted Eden
Label: Tru-Vow Recordings
Release Date: September 20th, 2019

01. Wilted Eden
02. Do Anything You Want To Me
03. (I Can't Wait To Get To) Nowhere
04. Face of Kindness
05. Blood Moon Blue
06. Skin Invocation
07. Do You Really Want The World?
08. Quality of Mercy
09. Many Fires Burning
10. A Haunted Song
11. I Must Keep My Woman Happy
12. Love Me Like I'm Dead








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EL VEZ pens perfect tribute to The Schizophonics' wild rock for Talkhouse, new single out now

"Makers of high octane, soulful garage punk... Get an early taste with smoking' stomper 'Battle Line'." -- BrooklynVegan

"Their live show is a turbo-charged, bombastic display of true blue rock'n'roll chaos. It's not just a wild live show; the songs are fantastic too!" -- RazorCake (cover story)


San Diego trio The Schizophonics share a new single from their forthcoming sophomore album, People In The Sky today via The Talkhouse. The song, "Steely Eyed Lady," and the band, gets a fittingly astounding introduction courtesy of beloved performance artist El Vez (a.k.a. Robert Lopez) HERE. (Direct YouTube.)

"Hits you like a train with all the passion of a young Little Richard floating through the clouds with so much raw energy. Your new favorite band should hit you like a campaign slogan. Like a religious cult or an anti-hero movie star that you fall in love with." -- El Vez


BrooklynVegan recently premiered the first single "Battle Line" available to hear and share via BrooklyVegan, YouTube, Bandcamp and Spotify

The band takes its jaw-dropping live show on the road for headlining dates throughout North America this October. Please see current dates below. 

Over the last few years, The Schizophonics have built up a formidable reputation around the world as an explosive live act. Tapping into the same unstoppable combination of rock 'n' roll energy and showmanship that fueled The MC5 in the heyday of the Grande Ballroom, their wild live show is heavily influenced by artists like James Brown, Iggy Pop, Jimi Hendrix, Little Richard, and The Sonics. Singer/guitarist Pat Beers and drummer Lety Beers formed the band in San Diego in 2009 and have worked tirelessly since then, playing hundreds of shows around the globe and winning 7 (SEVEN!) San Diego music awards. 

In 2013 they were recruited as the backing/opening band for El Vez, which helped the band make a name for itself in Europe. Since then, they've played in fourteen countries, and supported tours by like-minded acts like Rocket From The Crypt, Little Barrie, and The Woggles and have opened for The Damned, The Hives and Cage The Elephant. Shindig magazine described their live show "Like watching some insane hybrid of Wayne Kramer, James Brown, and the Tazmanian Devil."  

"One of my favorite live bands ever," proclaims Tim Mays, who has run the Casbah in San Diego for 30 years and has seen literally thousands of live bands come through his doors. "The Schizophonics bring the goods every time they play," he enthuses. 

The band is more than just an outstanding live act, they're also committed to writing great, memorable songs.  After releasing 2 singles and an EP over the last few years on Munster, Ugly Things, and Pig Baby Records, they put out their first full-length album in July 2017 titled Land Of The Living on the label Sympathy For The Record Industry with famed record man Long Gone John. In January of 2019 they started work on their second LP recruiting Dave Gardner (Hot Snakes, RFTC) mixing engineer Stephen Kaye (JD McPherson, Mike Krol) and Pierre De Reeder (Rilo Kiley) to put their live, raw sound to tape. 

The album, titled People in the Sky will be released on October 31st, 2019 on Pig Baby Records. Pre-orders are available HERE


THE SCHIZOPHONICS LIVE 2019:
10/10 Los Angeles, CA @ Harvard & Stone
10/11 San Diego, CA @ Casbah
10/12 Long Beach, CA @ Alex's Bar
10/13 Phoenix, AZ @ Rhythm Room
10/14 El Paso, TX @ The Neon Rose
10/17 Denton, TX @ Harvest House
10/18 Austin, TX @ Nicolaza's/Far Out
10/19 Houston, TX @ Rudyards
10/20 New Orleans, LA @ TBA
10/23 Miami, FL @ Gramps
10/24 St. Petersburg, FL @ The Bends
10/25 Orlando, FL @ Wills Pub
10/26 Atlanta, GA @ Star Bar
10/27 Memphis, TN @ DKDC
10/30 New York, NY @ Union Pool
10/31 Baltimore, MD @ Otto Bar
11/01 Washington, DC @ The Pie Shop
11/02 Philadelphia, PA @ Ortlieb's 
11/03 New Haven, CT @ Café Nine
11/04 Providence, RI @ Dusk
11/05 NYC, NY @ Illegal Mezcal Private Party 
11/06 Pittsburg, PA @ Get Hip
11/07 Toronto, ON @ The Baby G 
11/08 Detroit, MI @ The Outer Limits 
11/09 Chicago, IL @ Liars Club
11/10 Madison, WI @ Mickey's Tavern
11/12 Appleton, Wi @ The Cold Shot
11/15 Wenatchee, WA @ Walley's
11/16 Seattle, WA @ Freakout Festival
11/17 Portland, OR @ Twilight Café



Artist: The Schizophonics
Album: People In The Sky
Label: Pig Baby Records
Release date: October 31st, 2019

01. Something's Got To Give
02. Steely Eyed Lady
03. Nine Miles
04. People In The Sky
05. The One I Want
06. Battle line
07. Not Gonna Change My Mind
08. Long Way To Go
09. Show Me Your Eyes
10. Like a Mummy
11. Down and Out
12. She's Coming Back








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