New Zealand trio Die! Die! Die! announce their forthcoming new album This Is Not An Island Anymore, sharing the first single today via New Noise Magazine. Hear and share "Losing Sight, Keep On Kicking"HERE. (Direct Bandcamp and SmartURL.)
Since their debut in 2005, Die! Die! Die! has blended a powerful and infectious concoction of post-punk, noise pop, shoegaze, lo-fi, and punk rock into one massive sounding whole. Fresh for a global pandemic outbreak, the trio returns in its original lineup for their most urgent and well honed album to date, This Is Not An Island Anymore. Since recording their debut album with Steve Albini (Shellac, Nirvana, PJ Harvey) in Chicago in 2005, Die! Die! Die! have worked with producers including Shayne Carter, Nick Roughan (The Skeptics), Chris Townend (Violent Femmes), and have written and recorded albums in New York, Dunedin, London and rural France.
Their indispensable collection of records, and their intense and unflinching live show, continue to drive their connection with audiences across the globe. Both are a telling reminder of why Die! Die! Die! are one of the most enduring and unapologetic bands to ever emerge out of New Zealand.
The single is an explosive anthem and as the band describe it, 'explores losing yourself and finding your Maori’. Die! Die! Die! have returned to their classic lineup bringing beloved bassist Lachlan Anderson back to the fold to join band mates Andrew Wilson (guitar/vocals) and Michael Prain (drums).
Their forthcoming album This Is Not An Island Anymore - set for release in February 2022.
The band is known for their unflinching and intense live shows. To the delight of fans across the globe they somehow always manage to capture the chaos on tape too. Maybe it's got to do with the fact they’ve written and recorded in all manner of places from Dunedin, New York, rural France and London? Maybe it's the perfect storm of having been in the studio and collaborating with people like Steve Albini (Shellac, Nirvana, Pj Harvey), Chris Townend (Violent Femmes) and Shayne Carter & Nick Roughan (The Skeptics).
Who can say for sure? All we know is Die! Die! Die! are certainly back and better than ever.
Artist: Die! Die! Die!
Album: This Is Not An Island Anymore
Record Label: Self-released
Release Date: February 18, 2022
01. This Is Not An Island Anymore
02.Is Darren There?
03.Takaparawhau
04 Losing Sight, Keep On Kicking
05.6 Months In The Lighthouse
06.15 Years
07.Vanish (but That's My Hometown, Marcus)
08.Never Tire Looking At The Sun
09.IMAGINE (Spending So Long Making Other People Feel Like Shit)
“Mullenhour's vocals rise to heated roars worthy of stardom, which lend themselves perfectly to Touched by Ghoul's brand of rock that is loud and heavy..." -- Gaper's Block
Chicago quartet Touched By Ghoul share the title track from their forthcoming sophomore album Cancel The World today. Hear and share "Cancel The World" via Bandcamp, Spotify and Apple Music.
New Noise Magazine recently shared lead single "Better Than Me" HERE.
Funny story: Chicago’s quartet of weirdos Touched By Ghoul recorded their sophomore album Cancel The World at Steve Albini’s Electrical Audio in July 2019 with the title already in place. They mixed it in January 2020, and then the world was actually cancelled. After idling for months, the album was sent for pressing the vinyl to support tour dates. Tours were again cancelled. And, the pressing plant’s press was broken. Cancelled once again.
Of course, everyone’s been through the wringer over the past couple of years, and some much more severe than this. But, Cancel The World may just be the forbidden music so many artists have sought to make. Ironically, the album finds the band taming its aggressive Birthday Party / Babes In Toyland noiserock attack ever so slightly in order to embrace melodies and allow their tousled cynicism to truly shine on songs like “Better Than Me”, “Lost At The Costco” and the title track. but that doesn't mean their acerbic wit isn't on full display.
Touched By Ghoul is fronted by former Sybris singer/guitarist Angela Mullenhour, along with guitarist Andrea Bauer and the rollicking rhythm section of bassist Alex Shumard and drummer Paige Sandlin. The intrepid group made its debut with 2016’s Murder Circus album (also on Chicago imprint Under Road Records) and for a while things were going pretty great pre-pandemic: TBG played some awesome shows (supporting Foo Fighters at Wrigley Field, Wayne Kramer's MC50, Local H), received great press and built up a small army of zombified followers.
At last, with nothing more than this album on the horizon for the time being, Touched By Ghoul are here to undo whatever star-crossed curse they’ve brought unto the world, one gloriously weird, catchy song at a time.
Cancel The World will be available on LP, download and streaming on December 3rd, 2021 via Under Road Records. Pre-orders are available HERE.
“One of the most fluid, inspired and downright beautiful albums of 2019. Where artists like Thundercat fully embrace the chaos of splattering genres against one another, Nord has created fusion in the most complete sense: a music whose appeal is based on finding the cohesion between various influences.” 8.8/10 — Paste Magazine
“The Best Hip-Hop on Bandcamp, April 2019: A nerd-friendly dose of refreshingly oddball hip-hop.” — Bandcamp Daily
“Ceaseless in its sonic exploration, restless in its vision and tireless in its sense of invention.” — PopMatters
NYC based producer and musician spoony bard today shares the latest single from the new EP Animal Husband due out December 3rd. Hear and share "Unsung Ones" via Bandcamp and Linktree.
Spill Magazine recently hosted "Felis Margarita"HERE. Also, hear and share the driving, psychedelic lead single "Blue Version" HERE.
Bandcamp Daily hailed Nord's previous album Old Friends in its "Best Hip-Hop of April 2019" column HERE. Paste Magazine similarly praised the album HERE, featuring it as one of the best overlooked albums of that year.
Taking its name from the meme-famous Final Fantasy II garbled insult, spoony bard is the result of a cultural collision as well as an honest and self-deprecating exploration of one’s life. The NYC-based hybrid of L.A. beat scene, electronic, jazz and avant-garde takes a fresh approach to musical soul-bearing with compelling sonic textures and introspective lyrics. spoony bard combines hints of Flying Lotus, Dalek, DJ Premier, Herbie Hancock, Aphex Twin and more.
spoony bard is the alter-ego of musician David Nord. Originally a jazz composer/guitarist, Nord’s equal interest in hip-hop and electronic sounds brought about an evolution in his work, leading him to merge these styles and explore the possibilities of an alternate musical vocabulary. His first two albums, Dweeb (2017) and Old Friends (2019) received a wellspring of press praise, including being twice featured PopMatters, Talkhouse and more.
Animal Husband picks up from there like a movie sequel, where the previous happy ending has led to a host of new problems and considerations.
“The title Animal Husband appealed to me because of its duality: I am both the wild and passionate animal AND the dutiful and domesticated husband,” Nord says. “But, in real life it's not that simple and everything overlaps. And, this isn't necessarily just about marriage, nor is it a specifically gendered thing; I think most everyone faces some internal struggle between their base self and the polished self they may feel the need to be, for whatever reason.”
The 7-song EP begins with the rollicking “Blue Version” that Nord describes as “a distillation of my adolescence…searching for 'truth' long before realizing the futility of that search.” The song begins with a 60s fuzz-drenched guitar riff, sort of a mutated version of “Come Together” that quickly morphs into a funky fuzz synth hip-hop jam as Nord paints a vivid picture of teenage life, replete with shout outs to Pavement and Pixies. The jazz-fusion influence comes on strong on the next few tracks, particularly “Lethargy/Blue Cheese,” of which Nord explains, “My whole life i've been told i'm lazy, so I chose to write a tune using a 12-tone row, the least lazy way I knew how to compose music.” Throughout, his style of rapping is so conversational and intimate, it almost sounds like it’s a man’s unguarded thoughts being telegraphed to the listener. Closer “Unsung 1s” is a call to arms for others who must endure mental illness. “It’s for those who glow in the dark,” Nord says. “People who have been through darkness and have come out the other side can serve as a beacon for others to follow. And, when it's darkest out, we're the ones who know how to navigate.”
Animal Husband will be available everywhere for download & streaming on December 3rd, 2021. Pre-orders are available via spoony-bard.bandcamp.com
Below is a quick roundup of all of the RidingEasy Records releases from 2021 for your Best of 2021 consideration. Please let me know if you need any additional information — and of course, if you plan to include some of them in your year-end picks, we’d love to know!
For convenience, here’s a Spotify playlist with all of the albums combined:
Members of Antibalas exploring the concept "if Black Sabbath played Afrobeat," dropped their heaviest, most riff-laden album to date.
"Essential." -- Bandcamp Daily.
“Ritual Divination is arguably the most complete, refined and sprawling example of their unique sound yet." -- The Quietus
Spelljammer - Abyssal Trip
The Swedish doom trio truly outdid themselves on this instant classic.
“TRULY EPIC! End of year lister guaranteed.” #1 album Feb 2021 -- Doom Charts.
“Rising to the top of the modern pantheon of doom, sludge and stoner rock with the ease of champions." -- Blabbermouth
Various Artists - Brown Acid: The Twelfth Trip
The 12th edition of the popular compilation series of long-lost and unreleased 60s-70s proto-metal and stoner rock singles unearthed 10 more gems.
"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
Warish - Next To Pay
With a name like Warish, the San Diego noisy punk-metal trio assured listeners they were in for a maniacal bludgeoning from the get-go. But the band has never been as dark and bitingly vicious as the wholly ominous Next To Pay.
“We simply don’t hear enough bands dabbling in Warish's brand of noise rock." -- Consequence of Sound
Alastor - Onwards and Downwards
The occultist Swedish band was revitalized in 2021 with this meticulously crafted album of powerhouse songs.
"The absolutely KILLER sophomore album chock full of psychedelic, dark, fuzzed-out melodic doom stompers." -- Metal Sucks
"They just do everything right." -- Invisible Oranges
Deathchant - Waste
The L.A. quartet's transcendent, improvisational marriage of Thin Lizzy harmonies with Melvins style sludge and glazed heavy psych received a wellspring of press praise.
"Their sound is groovy, doomy and readymade for a good time.” -- Revolver Magazine.
Blackwater Holylight - Silence / Motion
The Portland, OR (now L.A.) band's confident and confessional 3rd album explores many dark recesses of the mind, and has already been hailed as a masterpiece and top Album of The Year in many reviews. Aided by guests from Mizmor, Thou and Inter Arma.
"A blissful headphone journey you won’t want to end.” -- Loudwire
Various Artists - Brown Acid: The Thirteenth Trip
The tokers dozenedition of the popular compilation series of long-lost and unreleased 60s-70s proto-metal and stoner rock singles continues the endless archive of jaw-dropping rarities.
"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
Various Artists - Scrap Metal: Excavated Heavy Metal from the Era of Excess
A sequel of sorts, picking up where the Brown Acid series leaves off, Scrap Metal compiles equally brilliant rarities from the late-70s to late-80s Golden Age of Heavy Metal that also just must be heard.
“There are many awesome gems among the nine tracks here. Some will make you wonder why you’re only hearing this shit now” -- Decibel Magazine
"An immersive insight into the band's captivating sonic attack." -- Sleeping Shaman
Longstanding Austin, TX band ST 37 are streaming their forthcoming new album Over and Over and Over Again ahead of release today via Echoes & Dust. Hear and share the albumHERE. (Direct Bandcamp.)
All the while working extemporaneously on the material that will (fairly) soon become our forthcoming studio LP Ballardesque, during the pandemic ST 37 was presented with the always challenging imposition of artistic limitations on collaboration; i.e., we didn’t get to play together much at all. When we were able to arrange the few socially distanced outdoor rehearsals/small shows/idea sessions we could, we found that a sort of fevered creativity had taken hold of us, and we were able to play together even more cohesively and integratively as our long history would indicate we should. This resulted in several improvisational pieces of such high quality that we felt compelled to unleash them on an uncaring world. Coupled with the brilliant studio performance of Joel Crutcher’s masterful manifesto “Over And Over Again”, originally intended to be a hit 12” 45 rpm disco single, we found we had an LP on our hands. Through the largesse and faith of Pariah Child records out of Belfast, a lobe of the magnificent Yoshiwara Collective, responsible for our 2015 magnum opus “I’m Not Good”, we found an outlet for this music that we feel is important enough to warrant your further consideration.
Can’t remember the exact words, but a recent English critic of ST 37’s work accused us of doing the same basic thing we’ve been doing since he first reviewed us in 1993. Well, we’d beg to differ. We’ve been at it since 1987. Blessing or curse? You decide.
At any rate, Over and Over and Over Again, the new CD from ST 37, was mastered and mixed by Evan Kleinecke and ST 37 at 5th Street studios in Austin TX. Errythang else was foisted upon an unsuspecting public by Joel Crutcher and ST 37 at Pinche Rancho studios in Cedar Creek, TX, with the sole exception of the title track, which is wholly a creature of Evan and 5th Street.
Over and Over and Over Again will be available on limited cassette and to download via Pariah Child Records. Preorders are available HERE.
"Nine face-melting, gut-busting tracks that run the gamut from New Wave of British Heavy Metal to thrash to glam metal." -- Ultimate Classic Rock
The curators of the popular Brown Acid compilation series of long-lost vintage 60s-70s proto-metal singles share the last pre-release track today from the first edition of a new series titled Scrap Metal. Following chronologically where Brown Acid leaves off, Scrap Metal scours the world for long-lost, rare and unreleased Heavy Metal from the late-70s through late-80s. Hear/share Hazardous Waste's "Danger Zone" via YouTube or Linktree.
Decibel Magazine recently hosted The Beast's 1983 punk-metal hybrid "Enemy Ace" HERE. (Direct YouTube.) Album opener Rapid Tears' anthem "Headbang" premiered previously via Metal InjectionHERE (And YouTube.) "69 in a 55", a 1983 track from Bay Area band Air Raid launched via Ultimate Classic RockHERE (and YouTube.)
By now you’re probably familiar with our wildly popular Brown Acid series of rare, lost and unreleased proto-metal and stoner rock singles from the 60s-70s. In the endless pursuit of those glorious gems, we often uncover equally brilliant rarities from the late-70s to late-80s Golden Age of Heavy Metal that also just must be heard, but they don’t fit the series’ aesthetic. Scrap Metal: Volume 1 collects some of the greatest unknown and lost Heavy Metal tracks, long buried beneath the avalanche of the era’s classic output.
We all know the old adage that history is told by the winners. But sometimes the losers tell the best stories. And while none of these bands found fame and fortune, this artifact and the volumes to come are testament to the enduring power of heavy music. You can hear the blood, sweat and beers that went into each of these singles. The recordings may be low budget, but the inspiration and talent is immutable. Not only are the amps turned up to 11, the boyish sexual innuendo is cranked to 69. You can hear the convergence of influences — NWOBHM, thrash, glam metal, doom, etc — colliding at once as the era birthed a wellspring of subgenres.
Many of these singles are self-released and were thus limited to a small run of copies. Those that remain are hoarded by collectors and sold for exorbitant amounts. We’ve collected the best of the best for you here. As with Brown Acid, all of these tracks are licensed legitimately and the artists all get paid. Because it’s the right thing to do.
About Scrap Metal: Vol. 1:
Rapid Tears launch this series with the perfect christening. The Toronto, ON quintet’s 1981 single “Headbang” is such the pinnacle of heavy metal madness that it almost sounds like a spoof. There’s also enough of the rapid-fire sputum that inspired Metallica to bang the head that doesn’t, as such, engage in said practice, to be found on the band’s sole full length Honestly. But “Headbang” is a straightforward glammy anthem for the ages.
Air Raid’s “69 In A 55” may be lyrically so sophomoric that it’s actually pretty clever, but this 1983 Bay Area power metal single is loaded with sleek Judas Priest riffs and interwoven melodies that are downright sublime. The band’s sole release, the 2-song Rock Force 7” features a curious band photo in which 3 band members — dolled up in Crüe makeup and leather — are sexually menacing the lead singer/guitarist tied to a bed. Another low budget highlight is when singer/guitarist Tommy “Thrasher” Merry imitates a delay effect on his vocals as he sings, “tonight!…tonight…night.”
Hades’ “Girls Will Be Girls” has a real demo cassette feel to its vastly uneven mix, but the energy to the performance makes this an undeniable keeper. The long running Paramus, NJ quintet’s 1982 2-song debut 7” titled Deliver Us From Evil features this blistering thrasher dominated by shimmering leads and confident vocals that show why the band went on to near-fame on Metal Blade Records.
Resless don’t need no T to prove that they’ve got “The Power” with this 1984 driving mid-tempo rocker in the vein of Mötley Crüe and Ratt. The River Vale, NJ quartet’s tight crunch wails all over Bon Jovi posers but it’s the band’s unique and subtle deployment of background vocals that gives this rager its staying power.
Pittsburgh, the Steel City, is home to Don Cappa, a band that pays tribute to the burgh, the metal, and the awesomeness of both with “Steel City Metal.” Their lone single, issued in 1987 with only 300 copies released, sounds like the work of some serious steel driving men, with a drummer who might’ve forgotten to wear a hard hat one too many times on the construction site.
The Beast has more of a punk feel to their aggressive “Enemy Ace” track from the 4-song Power Metal EP from 1983 — something like Dr. Know meets D.O.A. But their look, artwork and lyrics all prove that Heavy Metal is where their hearts lie. And this hook filled monster delivers repeated lines like, “I command them all in my lofty realm,” with commendable conviction.
Dead Silence from Denver, Colorado, debuting in 1984 is not to be confused with Dead Silence from Denver, Colorado, who also debuted in 1984. The former a workman’s hard rock bar band, the latter a political peace punk band and neither knowing of the other’s existence throughout their tenure. The pre-internet days were a marvel, indeed.This Dead Silence spits out a slick, Nugent tinged rocker called “Can’t Stop” about life on the road.
The Danger Zone is, by all accounts, not the place to be. And, Hazardous Waste of Boston, MA saw fit to add their two cents on the matter with this 1986 single that combines Van Halen’s flashy musicianship with NWOBHM aggression that sounds so awesome it teeters on itself entering the “Danger Zone.”
Czar’s heavy, doomy “Iron Curtain” single from 1982 hearkens to the sleazy sounds of Saint Vitus and Pentagram with its cranked up DOD Distortion pedal in a Peavey combo amp guitar tone and meaty, barking vocals. The upstate NY quintet only issued this 2-song single, but its driving rhythm, nosedive whammy-bar guitar solos and comparatively mature Cold War subject matter show they had real potential.
Not much is known about Real Steel’s majestic “Viking Queen” from 1987, other than it rocks hard and the 7” 45 sells for upwards of a grand on the collectors market. The Flint, Michigan band recorded at the home studio of local radio personality Bill Lamb, who primarily released Christian Gospel recordings. So, perhaps the band was struck down by a bolt of lightning shortly after this rare single’s release. Whatever the case may be, it’s a must have for fans of classic metal mayhem.
Scrap Metal: Vol. 1 will be available everywhere on LP, CD and download on November 12th, 2021 via RidingEasy Records. Pre-orders are available for digital at Bandcamp, physical pre-orders at RidingEasy Records.
Artist: Various Artists
Album: Scrap Metal: Excavated Heavy Metal From the Era of Excess
