NEWS

Palace Music – Every Mother’s Son – Streaming Now

“Every Mother’s Son” is a Lynyrd Skynyrd song.  Brett Ralph had made a Skynard mix tape for Oldham, and for some reason this particular song made an impression.  Oldham changed a lyric in the song from “winning horse” to “winning pig”.  Michael Udris recorded the performance in a dark living room in Providence, Rhode Island.  Colin Gagon played the piano and Bob Arellano the guitar.  The group also recorded “No More Rides”, a song that Oldham had written for a Sally Timms recording session.  These two recordings were released as a 7” single.  The cover art was an engraving by Diane Radford; a limited edition of the sleeves were letter-pressed by hand by Radford. 

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Bonnie “Prince” Billy – Arise Therefore – Streaming Now

ARISE THEREFORE was the beginning of a new thing.  All of the Palace adventures were about discovery, maybe? And here with ARISE exploration begins.  Will Oldham once again asked Steve Albini to record the songs, this time in Cannon Falls, Minnesota.  It was to be an ensemble of Oldham’s mentor/hero/friends, with Ned Oldham playing bass, and David Grubbs playing piano.  Once again, Britt Walford was invited in but he demurred.  In Walford’s stead, Oldham invited a small dusty electronic box called a Maya-tone to play drums (it belonged to brother Paul Oldham).  And once again, Albini spent significant time pulling apart the tape machine at the studio and bringing it up to snuff.  There was rehearsal/prep built into the process; Ned and Will ran through all of the songs in Birmingham while Grubbs had a cassette of all of the songs with Maya’s beats in place.  A good time was had by all out there in the woods, in the winter.  Gene Booth made the drawing for the cover of the record.  The songs were all Oldham originals except for “You Have Cum in Your Hair and Your Dick is Hanging Out”, which was written by Bryan Rich with Oldham.  Rich had no title for the song, and during the recording sessions Albini told a joke with “You have cum...” as its punchline.

ARISE THEREFORE was released without an over-arching “artist credit”.  It’s necessary to have a recording attributed to an individual or group so that record stores (and now streaming services) have a way to organize their inventory.  All of the records that Will Oldham has overseen prior to and following ARISE have an ‘artist’ attribution attached for the sake of easing the record’s way through the systems and into the ears of listeners.  Though ARISE remains physically unattributed (there is no single artist given credit for the record on the artwork), it has been successively superficially (with a cover sticker) credited to “Palace Music”, then “Will Oldham”, and more recently “Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy”.

At times, Drag City/Oldham/Palace would augment a new release with extra goodies for initial distribution to direct accounts.  A direct account is when a record store buys from the label rather than a distributor.  The catalog price for a store is slightly higher than for a distributor and the store has, ideally, a more intimate relationship with the eventual record-buying audience. Oldham had recorded songs and incidental music for an independent film called THE BROKEN GIANT (directed by Estep Nagy), and a CD of this music was included with the first shipments of ARISE to direct accounts.  Later this release was repackaged and retitled BLACK RICH MUSIC (the original title for the film had been THIS BLACK RICH COUNTRY; and one of the songs was written by Bryan Rich under the nom de guerre Roy Black).

As well, when licensing records to Japan in the 1990’s, it was not uncommon to add bonus tracks or otherwise to augment a release in order to make a record more attractive to Japanese buyers, since it was usually more expensive for Japanese music fans to buy Japanese release than it was for them to purchase imported CDs.  With this in mind, a bonus track was added to the ARISE CD, “Black Rich Tune”.

Fun Fact #1: the Arise design team of Osborn/Oldham/Booth was honored when the title sequence in the Shane Black comedy-thriller KISS KISS BANG BANG paid visual tribute to the ARISE cover.

Fun fact #2: The lead actor in THE BROKEN GIANT was a young Will Arnett.  He plays a conflicted man of God in the film.  At one point in the film, his character makes fire come from the palms of his hands (pictured in the artwork for the CD); at another point, he preaches at length from the Book of Job (text from which is printed on the CD face).  Both were signs of things to come when Arnett embodied, wonderfully, Gob Bluth in the television series ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT.

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Palace Music – Little Blue Eyes – Streaming Now

John Peel, you may know, was a brilliant music curator under the employ of the BBC for many many years.  As part of his duties, he commissioned recording sessions from musicians traveling through London.  On the first Palace Brothers trip through the UK and Europe, they were invited by Peel to record four songs at he BBC’s Maida Vale studios to be broadcast later on Peel’s show.  In 1996, Drag City released two of these four songs on a 7” single, “Little Blue Eyes” and “The Spider’s Dude Was Often There”.  Will Oldham was deeply inspired by cassettes of Peel sessions recorded by Pavement and Royal Trux, and prepared the four songs especially for the occasion. The ensemble was made up of Rian Murphy (drums), David Pajo (electric guitar), Paul Oldham (bass), and Henrique Prince (violin).  At the time, Sasha Jansen was a graphic artist renting office space in the same building as Drag City’s space.  Dan Koretzky was aware that she was of a different ilk than other artists DC had previously worked with and suggested to Oldham that a collaboration might prove interesting.  Hence the distinct visuals of the “Little Blue Eyes” sleeve.

Palace Music - For The Mekons, Et Al - Streaming Now

The go-to venue in Chicago in the mid-1990s was Lounge Ax.  It was there that the first Drag City Invitational occurred, where all active DC artists performed sets over multiple nights; the running order was determined by drawn lot.  It was easily Will Oldham’s favorite venue at the time.  It was decided that a 7” single containing two songs from a 1994 Palace Show would be released, in support of the venue that was now facing threats of having to close doors for permanent.  The band included Charlie Snell (drums), Pooh Johnston (keys), and Jason Stith (bass).  The recording was made by Steve Good.  The songs chosen were “For the Mekons, et al” (the ‘studio’ version of this song is on the compilation HEY DRAG CITY) and “Stable Will”.  The record came in a plain white sleeve and with a paper ID slip included in case a jukebox owner wanted to throw the single onto a machine.

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Palace Music - Lost Blues And Other Songs - Streaming Now

The 1990s were a time of transition in the music business; but then, what decade isn’t?  Vinyl was on its way out and compact discs were embraced by most buyers.  The 7” single already had a limited audience: a potential buyer needed to have access to a store that carried singles; the buyer had to have a functioning record player; the buyer needed the energy and dedication required to perform the act of putting a single onto her record player (possibly having t insert a wide-hole-to-small-hole vinyl adapter into the record or onto the player), changing the speed to 45 rpm, and then flipping the record 3-6 minutes later in order to the B-side.  Many folks were just giving up altogether, going with the flow and neglecting the vinyl format in favor of CDs.  It was with this in mind that Will Oldham and Drag City decided it might be time to assemble most of the Palace music that had been released over the previous years in one compiled album, LOST BLUES AND OTHER SONGS.  Audiences had responded strongly to the material hitherto only available on 7” vinyl records, with “Ohio River Boat Song”, “Horses”, and “West Palm Beach” among the most-loved in the live repertoires of Oldham-assembled ensembles.  It wasn’t an all-inclusive compilation, as it was deemed to be more essential that the record work as a record rather than just as a document or collection.  It ought to reward the listener.  So songs (“Drinking Woman”) were left off, and unreleased material (“Valentine’s Day” and an early recording of “Riding”) were brought in.  The cover featured a big black rectangle that Oldham intended as a mershed Rothko reference.  The font was lifted from Madonna’s BEDTIME STORIES (which contained the Bjork composition “Travelling”, inspiring Oldham’s “(End of) Travelling”).  Oldham dedicated the comp to the Royal Trux and to Paul Greenlaw for their powerful inspiration.  Supplementary artwork was commissioned from the great Steve Keene.  Keene was asked to make full-color and monochromatic paintings that could be used in print ads and posters.  Keene, in exchange for a big box of Drag City records, painted over 50 amazing pieces, all coincidentally executed on (and dated) Oldham’s birthday.

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Will Oldham - Patience - Streaming Now

Bonnie "Prince" Billy - Joya - Streaming Now

It was a twisted road that led to the record called JOYA.  Someone played a sweet trick on Will Oldham and on the Dirty Three: each was told that the other artist had expressed an interest in meeting and collaborating.  It was a nice gambit.  Oldham met Mick Turner in London and they hit it off right away.  Oldham suggested that the Dirty Three meet him in Cotati, California to make a record.  The Dirty Three agreed.  After the (artistic) success of ARISE THEREFORE, Oldham didn’t want to mess too much with a formula and so he invited Ned Oldham and David Grubbs back for the Cotati session, as well as Tiffany White from the Memphis “Lost Blues” recording session.  At the last minute, the Dirty Three’s Warren Ellis got separated from his passport and couldn’t make the beginning of the session.  That’s when the heavy lifting tends to get done.  Oldham mini-panicked and called in Colin Gagon to bring his accordion skills to the session.  Steve Albini was the recordist.  Once again, as had happened in Hueytown and Cannon Falls, Albini had to expend some serious effort getting the 2” tape machines up to acceptable working order.  Ellis was able to get a new passport in time to arrive during the overdub/mix part of the process.  Overall, there was a lack of an emotional center to the whole affair due to the scheduling chaos, and when Oldham played the finished record for Drag City, back in Chicago, he realized that the record wasn’t something that should be released.  He went back to the studio in North Liberty, Iowa where he had recorded BLACK RICH MUSIC and re-recorded all of the songs from the Cotati sessions, this time alone with a guitar.  It was from this recording that the songs “Patience” and “Take However Long You Want” were pulled for a 7” single release.

Over the following months, the rest of the songs from the Cotati session were worked and reworked.  All was not lost; about half of the recordings ended up on singles and an EP, and friendships were struck between Oldham and Jim White and Mick Turner that would bear fruit in years to come.  The rest of the songs were rebuilt and a further handful of songs came into being in the hope that Oldham could make a full-length record.  Oldham invited David Pajo to Birmingham, Alabama.  The idea was that the two of them would make a record, with Pajo engineering, at Ned Oldham’s house while Ned and his wife were out of town.  Things didn’t click.  Oldham felt like he was forcing the issue and decided to give the whole thing a rest, fooling himself into thinking that he was through with making music altogether.  Dan Koretzky from Drag City suggested that they give the record one more try, with Koretzky and Rian Murphy acting as producers.  Oldham again asked Pajo (drums), Gagon (bass and piano), and Bob Arellano (guitar) to join him at the Chicago Recording Company with the CRC house engineer at the board.  It was exciting to be on those premises; R Kelly had worked extensively there on his R record, and Slint’s SPIDERLAND was also made there. The session was booked last-minute over the 4^th of July holiday weekend.  Tracking and mixing were completed in four days.  A good time was had by all.  The front cover of the record features a photo by Bryan Rich of his pet goat “Chevre” in Bujumbura, Burundi.  Oldham visited Rich in Burundi and they ate the goat.  The back cover features a photo by Joe Oldham.  The LP sleeve was plain brown cardboard with the name of the record printed in black; the sleeve was die-cut to reveal the label artwork which was the above-mentioned photographs.  The CDs themselves were gold in color rather than the standard silver (inspired by early entries in Smithsonian-Folkways Music of Indonesia series), and the CD trays were made of a smooth shiny black plastic instead of the standard textured charcoal gray plastic.  The record was named JOYA and given the artist credit “Will Oldham” so that the stores and distributors would be able to find a place to put it.

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Bonnie "Prince" Billy - Little Joya - Streaming Now

There was a song left out of the sessions for JOYA, called “Joya”.  The idea for the title of the song and the record was to pay tribute to the Minutemen’s 7” Ep “Joy” as well as to, well, just JOY, and then to augment both and all with an extra vowel.  After the JOYA recording, Will Oldham and Bob Arellano went to Mexico.  They landed in Monterrey and discovered that there was a soft drink factory there which mainly made and bottled a drink called “Joya”.  So they toured the factory.  They went to cockfights, to bullfights, and to the desert to feast on nature and her cactile offerings.  Upon the return to the USA, Oldham was very sick, struck by some long-dead phantom’s revenge in the form of amoeba or microbe broadcasting evil from the gut outwards.  A session had been booked in Chicago, with Rian Murphy overseeing and Liam Hayes and David Pajo playing.  Oldham was able to make it through the completion of just the one song, “Joya” before fading out all together.  Other songs were begun but left hanging on the line, never to be reclaimed.  To flesh out a CD-only release, Oldham recorded some electronic onanism on a digital sequencer. “Little Joya” became a three-track wonder.

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Bonnie "Prince" Billy - I See A Darkness - Streaming Now

In the wee world of Palace/Oldham doings, a seismic shift occurred in 1998.  The previous years of action and reaction had helped identify, for Will Oldham, what it was to be a worker in song.  There was a tour in Australia, with an ensemble featuring Mick Turner, Liam Hayes, and Jim White.  How was it billed? We don’t know; you’d have to look up fliers or other show info to say.  On the return flight, home to America, Oldham came up with the idea of “being” someone, of embodying, officially, a singer upon whom both audience and creator could project character and intention.  He thought to name the singing thing “Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy”, after R.L.Stevenson’s fictionalized Bonnie Prince Charlie vitamixed with Nat “King” Cole and William “Billy the Kid” Bonny.  He started work immediately, on the plane, on the first three Bonny jammers: “One With the Birds”, “Southside of the World”, and “Banana Blood”.  The songs were songs, with verses and choruses and middle-eights, and were intended to span the chasms between devastation and melodrama, horror and humor, honesty and constructed pretense; as authentic as any vaudevillian or thug crooner ever aspired to be.

Oldham had begun to grasp what it was to be an identified and identifiable recording and performing voice.  Rather than hide under the table, he opted to crawl furiously into the bull-ring and own the newly-created musical being.  There was a burst of singles: “I Am Drinking Again”/“Dreaming My Dreams”(a cover of the song by Ireland’s Cranberries), “Black Dissimulation”/“No Such As What I Want”, “One With the Birds”/“Southside of the World”, and “I Confess”/“Sun Shines Down”(these last two are covers of songs from Kevin Coyne’s BABBLE record, which was later covered in full by the Babblers, a band made up of Ben Boye, Van Campbell, Emmett Kelly, Danny Kiely, Will Oldham and Angel Olsen).  Rather than confuse his community, Oldham struck out with the Anomoanon (Ned Oldham, Jack Carneal, Aram Stith, Jason Stith, Willie McLean) to create an (even more) independent Palace Records.

Paul Oldham had gone to university to study audio engineering, working towards the same recording degree at Indiana University that Todd Brashear and Grant Barger had earned years before.  Paul and Will moved into an old farmhouse in Shelbyville, KY and Paul set up his Rove Studio there. 

The sessions for I SEE A DARKNESS were longer than any previously undertaken by Will.  He blocked out a month to make the record, first doing basic tracking with Pete Townsend (drums) and Paul Oldham (bass).  Lead voice and rhythm guitar were tracked live with bass and drums.  Paul was the engineer.  After basics, Colin Gagon came for a few days and played the piano, and Bob Arellano came for a few days and played lead guitar.  David Pajo played guitar on “Song for the New Breed”, the lyrics for which were written by Dianne Bellino.

The front cover was made by Joanne Oldham.  She had developed a practice of making self-referential symbolic collages, and one in particular resonated with Will as a potential cover for this record.  He asked Joanne to make a new version of the piece, extricating the personal references and leaving only the drawn skull layered over by tissue paper.  Sammy Harkham illustrated the lyric sheets and painted the back cover.  Joe Oldham took the photograph of Will wearing a leather hat.

I SEE A DARKNESS was the beginning of Bonnie Prince Billy.  The credits call the record “a Will Oldham record”.  It’s a singular piece of work masquerading as a collection of songs by an individual recording artist.  After a few years of super-independence, the Palace Records releases were brought back under the Drag City manufacture/distribution umbrella and none was the worse for the journey.

Anna Calvi will be playing her first live shows in four years this June 2018 with three special performances in Berlin (Berghain), Paris (La Gaîté Lyrique) and London (Heaven). This will be the first time to hear new material and to also witness the captivating brand new live show from the BRIT award and double Mercury Music Prize-nominated artist.

Anna Calvi last released music in 2014, Strange Weather, a collaborative EP with David Byrne, which followed her album One Breath and her eponymous debut.  

Tickets for the June shows are on general sale from Wednesday 25th April at 11am and will sell out fast. Dates with ticket links are as follows:

12th June - Berlin, Germany: Berghain

15th June - Paris, France: La Gaîté Lyrique

19th June - London, UK: Heaven

Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy recently released Wolf Of The Cosmos, a cover version of Susanna’s Sonata Mix Dwarf Cosmos album in full. During the making of the record, Oldham was immersed in Susanna’s music. 

Brian Strumke of Stillwater Artisanal Ales asked Oldham if he was down for another collaboration (the previous one got Bonny and Louisville jammers Watter together for a demonic dirge ‘The Devil is People’).  They started talking Norway, and fortitude, and mysticism; then they retreated to their respective corners to roll up their sleeves and do their own dirty worx. 

Oldham found Susanna’s original for ‘Wild is the Will’ on her Flower Of Evil record.  The ensemble from Wolf Of The Cosmos (Emmett Kelly, Cheyenne Mize and Chris Rodahaffer) was reassembled.  Joining them were two proper Norsemen, Frode Haltli and Vegar Vårdal.

Stillwater will be releasing a beer of the same name.  The beer is a rustic sour ale aged on cedar; it pairs excellently with horse meat.

The artwork is a watercolour by close Bonny compatriot Oscar Lee Riley Parsons.

There is a wonderful video clip to accompany the music made by Amin Eshraghi-Yazdi called “A Baby Listens to Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy”.

Watch the video for ‘Wild Is The Will’ here.

Stream ‘Wild Is The Will’ here.

Buy Wolf Of The Cosmos on vinyl and CD here.

Today, Washington, DC trio Flasher announce their debut album, Constant Image, which will be released June 8th via Domino.  They've also shared a new single and video, ‘Pressure’. Recorded in 2017 at Rare Book Room in Brooklyn, NY, Constant Image was produced by Nicolas Vernhes (Animal Collective, Deerhunter, War On Drugs) and crackles with invention. This isn’t the sound of a band finding their feet, it’s the rare sound of three people – Taylor Mulitz on guitar, bassist Daniel Saperstein and drummer Emma Baker - who know exactly what they want to achieve from the start.

From their hometown of Washington, DC, with its rich history of idiosyncratic underground music, Flasher has emerged at the forefront of a vibrant musical present. The Sister Polygon label (which Mulitz helps run with former bandmates Priests) is a vital element in this moment of local cultivation and political confrontation. With their new LP, Flasher is helping to define a new generation of music in the city set apart from Dischord or any other storied DC past.

First single ‘Pressure’ gives you a perfect example of what to expect. It’s a song that zeroes in on feelings of mania and alienation but is buoyed by a darting B-52s swagger. There’s weight and lightness here. It’s not often a debut album arrives in so complete a form but when it does you know you’ve got something special on your hands.

Says the band on ‘Pressure’ and its’ video:

“’Pressure’ is a song that treads the line between queer delight and delirium, and crushing isolation and survival. The video for ‘Pressure’, made in collaboration with Weird Life films and featuring designer and Chicago based artist An Authentic Skidmark, is a compliment to the paradox of the song itself and an invitation to that world in between.”

Watch the video for ‘Pressure’ here.

Stream ‘Pressure’ here.

Tracklisting

1. Go

2. Pressure

3. Sun Come And Golden

4. Material

5. XYZ

6. Who’s Got Time?

7. Skim Milk

8. Harsh Light

9. Punching Up

10. Business Unusual

Head here to pre-order the deluxe edition LP available exclusively through the Domino Mart. The deluxe features the album on 150g starburst pink and yellow vinyl. Constant Image is also available as a standard LP, CD, and digitally. Pre-order: Dom Mart | Digital 

Flasher North America tour dates

Thu. Apr. 19 - Albuquerque, NM @ Sunshine Theater w/ The Breeders

Fri. Apr. 20 - Norman, OK @ The Opolis
Wed. Apr. 25 - Birmingham, AL @ Iron City w/ The Breeders
Mon. Apr. 30 - Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel w/ The Breeders

Wed. June 6 - Philadelphia, PA @ Everybody Hits w/ Dehd

Fri. June 8 - Brooklyn, NY @ Elsewhere w/ Dehd, Public Practice

Sat. June 9 - Providence, RI @ Columbus Theatre w/ Dehd

Sun. June 10 - Allston, MA @ Great Scott w/ Dehd

Mon. June 11 – Winooski, VT @ The Monkey House w/ Dehd

Tue. June 12 - Montreal, QC @ Brasserie Beaubien w/ Dehd

Wed. June 13 - Toronto, ON @ The Baby G w/ Dehd

Thu. June 14 - Detroit, MI @ El Club w/ Dehd

Fri. June 15 - Chicago, IL @ Schubas w/ Dehd

Sat. June 16 - June 16 - Minneapolis, MN @ 7th St. Entry w/ Dehd

Mon. June 18 - Madison, WI @ High Noon Saloon w/ Dehd

Tue. June 19 - Bloomington, IN @ The Bishop w/ Dehd

Thu. June 21 - Atlanta, GA @ The Earl w/ Dehd

Fri. June 22 - Durham, NC @ The Pinhook w/ Dehd

Sat. June 23 - Washington, DC @ Black Cat w/ Dehd
Fri. July 20 - Seattle, WA @ Capitol Hill Block Party

Flasher Online:

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Bandcamp

Following news of their forthcoming album ‘Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino’, which will be released on Friday the 11^th of May, Arctic Monkeys today announce a number of arena shows in September.

‘Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino’ is available to order now via the AM Store

Tickets for the September shows go onsale at 9am on Friday the 13^th of April, go to www.arcticmonkeys.com for more details.  Dates are as follows:

JULY

1          Sun      Glasgow                        TRNSMT Festival

SEPTEMBER

6            Thu       Manchester                     Manchester Arena

7            Fri          Manchester                     Manchester Arena                 

9            Sun        London                             The O2

10          Mon      London                             The O2                                        

15          Sat         Birmingham                     Arena Birmingham

18          Tue        Sheffield                           FlyDSA Arena

19          Wed      Sheffield                           FlyDSA Arena                                          

24          Mon      Dublin                               3Arena

27          Thu       Newcastle upon Tyne     Metro Radio Arena

The Lemon Twigs will be special guests on the September dates. 

Age restrictions: standing - 16+, seated – U14 accompanied by an adult for Manchester, Birmingham, Sheffield and Newcastle, U15 accompanied by an adult in London and U16 accompanied by a parent or guardian in Dublin.

Arctic Monkeys return with their sixth album, entitled ‘Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino’ on Friday the 11^th of May 2018.  Produced by James Ford and Alex Turner, the album was recorded in Los Angeles, Paris and London. 

Their first release since 2013’s ‘AM’ finds the band intent on continuing to explore new musical terrain with each album. ‘Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino’ ups the ante in a big way; it is a bold and brilliant album reflecting Turner’s ever more comprehensive creative vision.

The LP comes with a gatefold sleeve, lyric and photo booklet and exclusively via the AM Store, on silver vinyl. It will also be available on standard CD, vinyl and digitally.  You can pre-order and pre-save the album here.

The tracklisting for ‘Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino’ is as follows:

1. Star Treatment
2. One Point Perspective
3. American Sports
4. Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino
5. Golden Trunks
6. Four Out Of Five
7. The World’s First Ever Monster Truck Front Flip
8. Science Fiction
9. She Looks Like Fun
10. Batphone
11. The Ultracheese

The band will be playing the following headline shows and festivals:

HEADLINE SHOWS

MAY

5          Hollywood Forever Cemetery, LA          Sold Out

22        Columbiahalle, Berlin                           Sold Out

23        Columbiahalle, Berlin                           Sold Out

26        Cavea, Rome                                         Sold Out

27        Cavea, Rome                                        Sold Out

29        Zenith, Paris                                         Sold Out

30        Zenith, Paris                                         Sold Out

JUNE

4          Mediolanum Forum, Milan                   Sold Out

16        Red Hat Amphitheater, Raleigh NC        Sold Out

18        Ascend Amphitheater, Nashville TN            

19        Coca Cola Roxy Theatre, Atlanta GA        Sold Out

26        Mitsubishi Electric Halle, Dusseldorf      Sold Out

27        Royal Arena, Copenhagen          

JULY

10        Les Nuits De Fourviere, Lyon                 Sold Out

24        Forest Hills Stadium, NY                        Sold Out

27        TD Garden, Boston MA                              

28        Anthem, Washington DC                       Sold Out

31        Petersen Events Centre, Pittsburgh PA

AUGUST

1          Masonic Temple Theatre, Detroit MI     Sold Out

5          Air Canada Centre, Toronto

FESTIVALS

JUNE

2          Primavera Sound, Barcelona

8          Best Kept Secret Festival, Netherlands

15        Firefly Festival, Dover DE

22        Southside Festival, Germany

24        Hurricane Festival, Germany

JULY

1          TRNSMT Festival, Glasgow

4          Oper’er Festival, Poland

6          RockWave Festival, Greece

8          Rock Wrechter, Belgium

12        NOS Live, Portugal

13        Mad Cool Festival, Spain

AUGUST

2          Lollapalooza Festival, Chicago Il

4          Osheaga Festival, Montreal, Canada

8          Oya Festival, Norway

9          Way Out West Festival, Sweden

11        Flow Festival, Finland

14        Sziget Festival, Hungary

Melody’s Echo Chamber (aka Melody Prochet) has confirmed her second album Bon Voyage will be released on June 15^th. Made up of seven expansive tracks, Bon Voyage marries Melody’s breathless soprano to the wildest sonic excursions, always pinned to an emphatic, clattering groove as she delivers her fables of spiritual search and emotional healing in multiple tongues (French, English and Swedish).

Bon Voyage is a collaborative record between Prochet and Dungen’s Reine Fiske and The Amazing’s Fredrik Swahn with Melody sculpting and producing the sessions as well as encouraging the players around her to experiment, often with instruments that might be less familiar to them. It also features special guests Gustav Esjtes and Johan Holmegaard (both from Dungen) and Nicholas Allbrook (Pond).

Today, Melody is pleased to share ‘Breathe In, Breathe Out’ from the forthcoming album.  Having gone back to her childhood music conservatory to learn drums aged 30, ‘Breathe In, Breathe Out’ is the first song Melody played drums on. Prochet adds about the track “It’s a special one. I’m used to recording with masters of drums and accepting my drum playing as not perfect but with the right intention was a big deal to me”.

Watch the video for ‘Breathe In, Breathe Out’ here.

Stream ‘Breathe In, Breathe Out’ here.

Directed by Daniel Foothead, the animated video invites us into a mystical and magical universe as we follow a pilgrim trying to reunite with his source of inspiration and light, his muse.

A musical journey of discovery, Bon Voyage delves deep into the collective musical psyche of Melody and her Swedish fellow travellers, who she met one serendipitous summer’s afternoon in Angers back in 2015. Prochet describes the members of Stockholm’s premier neo-psychedelic overlords Dungen as “soulmates and extreme beings, uncompromisingly intense and sensitive.” These kindred souls daydreamed about making music together, and then Prochet took matters into her own hands and moved to Sweden in the winter of 2016 to begin their adventure. Working in the woods of Solna, Melody says: “Swedish nature helped me to breathe and soothed me in times of anxiety. I had a majestic forest with a lake three minutes’ walk from my home. Recording sessions were a break in our lives, an escape from our frustrations as young adults, parents, musicians and embittered life jugglers. What transpired was a kind of modern fairytale full of duality: beautiful and disenchanted, happy and painful, internal and external, childish and mature, but also violent and measured. We had no structure and no limits and we stepped out of our comfort zones.”

Bon Voyage arrives more than five years after Melody’s Echo Chamber’s debut, and it is the soundtrack to a trip back from the brink, the sound of spiritual renewal, and a pilgrimage to the sonic outer limits.

Tracklisting:

1. Cross My Heart
2. Breathe In, Breathe Out
3. Desert Horse
4. Var Har Du Vart
5. Quand Les Larmes D’un Ange Font Danser La Neige
6. Visions Of Someone Special, On A Wall Of Reflections
7. Shirim

Bon Voyage is available to pre-order on LP (heavyweight vinyl with printed inners featuring lyrics and bonus phenakistiscope insert), Indies exclusive LP (heavyweight violet coloured vinyl with printed inners featuring lyrics and bonus phenakistiscope insert), Dom Mart exclusive LP (heavyweight violet coloured vinyl with printed inners featuring lyrics, bonus phenakistiscope insert and 12” colour-in poster), CD (with booklet featuring lyrics and artwork) and on digital download. Pre-order: Dom Mart | Digital

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Palace Music - Ohio River Boat Song / Drinking Woman - Streaming Now

It was the summer of 1992 and Todd Brashear invited his friend Will Oldham to come live with him in Bloomington, Indiana where Brashear was in the Audio Engineering program at IU.  Oldham moved into a house with Brashear and his schoolmate Grant Barger, and soon they began working on music all together.  They set up a weekend session at the house with Barger at the controls, using his 8-track cassette recording machine (not to be confused with the crappy 8-track tape format popularized in the 1970s).  They invited David Pajo to come up from Louisville to play on the session.  There were three songs to tackle: “For the Mekons et al”, “Two More Days”, and “Drinking Woman”.  Brashear played drums and lap steel and sang harmonies, Barger played bass and Pajo played lead guitars (both acoustic and electric).  Oldham sang and played acoustic guitar.  The house was an older house with high ceilings and wood floors, and Barger’s engineering was impeccable so that everything sounded good and felt in line with an aesthetic that felt like a true realization of what was in Oldham’s mind.

Around the same time, Brashear and Oldham scheduled a session in the IU studios, with Brashear as engineer.  Britt Walford and Brian McMahan came up from Louisville and, there in the fancy studio using 16-track 2” magnetic tape, the group recorded “Ohio River Boat Song” and “Riding”, with McMahan playing drums, Brashear playing bass and Walford playing electric guitar.  This sound was big and clean and the songs had a polish to them that differed significantly from the house recording with Barger.  Beautiful, though maybe not quite the kind of recordings Oldham was beginning to want to be a part of.  The Barger session was all about assembling people and getting the takes right together as an ensemble, while the Brashear session was more about studio craft.  One could listen to “Drinking Woman” and hear the musicians clearly, almost imagine one is in the room as the song happens. “Ohio River Boat Song” has more of an out-of-time-and-place vibe happening.  Brashear and Barger were both great engineers, and the methods and technology used for the two sessions differed significantly.

The cover of the single was designed by Paul Greenlaw, a great visual and musical artist from Rhode Island.  Greenlaw used an archival aerial photograph of some unnamed coastline over which he superimposed lettering fashioned from a photograph Oldham had taken of Mekons violinist Susie Honeyman (when Greenlaw started the design, the idea was still for “For the Mekons et al” to be the A-side).  The lettering spelled out “palace songs”.  In the lower-right corner of the front cover was a sad yellow bird that Greenlaw had drawn.  The back cover featured a Greenlaw elephant, a “Palace Brothers” banner, a fleur-de-lis (symbol of Louisville, KY) and a photo from the “Drinking Woman” session of me, Brashear and Pajo.  There’s an alphabetical listing of contributors to the existence of the record, as Oldham was still figuring things out and didn’t know how best to attribute the existence of any fraction of the whole.  Only black and yellow inks were used on the sleeve in order to keep costs down.  The label design was a throwback to old-school labels: royal blue with metallic silver ink.  Dan Osborn is the Drag City graphics admiral and he executed the label design beautifully.

Oldham shot a video for “Ohio River Boat Song” on 16mm black-and-white film using a wind-up Russian camera.  The footage centered around the early morning horse exercises at Churchill Downs in the spring.  Osborn and Oldham edited the footage at Osborn’s office in the HARPO compound.

“For the Mekons et al” came out later on the compilation HEY DRAG CITY.  “Two More Days” came out on a compilation called LOVE IS MY ONLY CRIME, released in Europe.  “Riding” was re-arranged and re-recorded for the record THERE IS NO-ONE WHAT WILL TAKE CARE OF YOU.  The recording of “Riding” from the Bloomington session was included on LOST BLUES AND OTHER SONGS.

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Palace Brothers - There Is No-One What Will Take Care Of You - Streaming Now

Once the “Ohio River Boat Song” single went into production, the Palace Brothers were asked for a full-length record.  Over the summer in Bloomington, Oldham had been writing songs and was thrilled to find that these songs might have a welcome place in the world, at least when it came to there being a label willing to release them.  At the end of summer, Oldham moved back to Providence, Rhode Island, where he was ambivalently pursing a college degree in semiotics.  He went to ethnomusicology professor Jeff Titon and suggested an independent study class, supervised by Titon, in which Oldham would work on a set of songs derived in many ways from a variety of historical styles, forms and sources.  Oldham worked on  many of the songs with musicians Matt Fanuele, Paul Greenlaw, John Davis, Mark Cummins, and Colin Gagon.  Davis introduced Oldham to the records of the Royal Trux, and at one point during the fall the Trux came through Providence on tour.  The band stayed over at the house Oldham shared with writer Bob Arellano.  

Oldham and Brashear scheduled the recording session for December of 1992 in Kentucky.  Grant Barger would engineer, using his 8-track cassette rig.  There were two recording locations: a house on Ohio Street (which street has since lost its name to the larger Frankfort Avenue, of which it is effectively an extension) owned by Steve Driesler and a cabin outside of Brandenburg, KY, called “Merciful”.  Brian McMahan and Britt Walford would play on the record, along with Barger, Brashear, Oldham and Paul Greenlaw.  Brashear, Barger, McMahan and Walford traded off instruments (inspired, in part, by the Bad Seeds records of the 1980s), while Oldham stuck to singing and playing the guitar and Greenlaw played the banjo.  Greenlaw was a deeply inspired and unique banjoist; it was the sound of Greenlaw, as opposed to the sound of a banjo, that made Greenlaw’s presence crucial.

The record was mixed by Brashear, Barger, and Oldham at Brashear’s parents house in east Louisville.

There were fifteen songs considered for the recording.  A cover of the Rolling Stones “Hand of Fate” was dropped at the last minute.  The full-length record ended up with twelve songs.  The outtakes were “Don’t I Look Good Today”, which came out on a double 7” comp called LOUISVILLE SLUGGERS 3, released on Mike Bacayu’s Self Destruct label; and “Valentine’s Day”, which came out eventually on the Palace Music comp LOST BLUES AND OTHER SONGS.  The rest of the songs were new originals Oldham began during the previous summer in Bloomington, except “Riding”, which was begun a year or two earlier, and a cover of Washington Phillips’ “I Had a Good Mother and Father”

Auspiciously, David Berman and Bob Nastanovitch of the Silver Jews passed through Louisville and stopped by the session at Driesler’s house.  It had been the Silver Jews 7” Ep that had inspired Oldham to send out the first Palace Brothers recordings.

Greenlaw painted and/or the covers for THERE IS NO-ONE WHAT WILL TAKE CARE OF YOU.  Oldham had asked him to render the fable of the mouse and the lion and requested that Greenlaw use bright pink and yellow.  Greenlaw worked on the cover intensely, ultimately coming up with four powerful variations.  Ultimately, all four were utilized, each for a different format or pressing.  The back cover is a black and white photograph of a road in northern Scotland taken by Oldham during a hitch-hiking trip. 

The record was licensed, via a connection made by Nastanovitch, to the British label Big Cat.  The relationship with Big Cat lasted only for the one release, after which all Palace and Bonnie Prince Billy records were licensed through Domino.

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Palace Music - Come In / Trudy Dies - Streaming Now

It was 1993 and the musical ideas were flowing. Oldham wrote two songs for a 7”, “Trudy Dies” and “Come In”.  There was a live-to-DAT session done in Louisville and/or Chicago that was deemed unsuccessful.  Meanwhile, Neil Hagerty and Jennifer Herrema of Royal Trux were establishing themselves as freelance record producers under the noms-de-guerre Adam & Eve, and it was decided that they should guide the recording of these two songs.  The studio was King Size, in Chicago, run by Dave Trumfio.  Mike Fellows tracked the drums but Hagerty erased those drum tracks and replayed the kit himself.  Liam Hayes played the Mellotron.  Adam & Eve expressed a desire to bring out the inner Springsteen in Oldham’s songs.  The front cover of the record sleeve featured a drawing by Jeff Mueller of a bird embryo.  The back cover held a photograph by Oldham of land outside of Madison, Virginia.  Lyrics to “Trudy Dies” were included on an insert with drawings by Dianne Bellino.  There was a video made for “Come In” featuring animation by Bellino and 16mm footage of music rehearsals in the basement of David Pajo’s parents’ house.

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Palace Songs - Horses / Stable Will - Streaming Now

It was a silver age of 7” singles in the early 1990’s.  The third single attributed to a Palace conglomerate was the equine-themed “Horses”/”Stable Will”.  “Horses” was recorded by Steve Good, who has recorded live underground shows in Louisville for decades.  The session took place primarily at a house shared by Bob Nastanovitch, Will Oldham, and Britt Walford.  Photographs from the session show Brian McMahan playing the drums, Walford playing bass, and Todd Brashear playing the lap steel guitar.  Oldham sang and played a rhythm guitar.  Oldham asked David Pajo, who was away from town when the session went down, to overdub an electric guitar part including a ripping solo for the end of the song.  Pajo recorded the solo once and then called Oldham a day later saying that he hadn’t quite understood what was being asked of him the first time; he’d like to try it again.  The songwriting is credited to Timms/Langford.  Oldham heard it on Sally Timms’ solo record SOMEBODY’S ROCKING MY DREAMBOAT and had been performing it for a few years.  Jon Langford has subsequently said that Brendan Croker contributed significantly to the composition.

Hardly a “B-side”, “Stable Will” has a full life of its own.  The song was written mostly by Bryan Rich (under the pseudonym ‘Roy Black’).  The ensemble realizing the song was made up of the Pale Horse Riders with Will Oldham singing lead and playing an electric guitar.  The Pale Horse Riders were a wild and awesome noise group made up of Chris Layton, Bob Nastanovitch, Paul Oldham, and Pete Townsend.  The recording took place in the abandoned old Galt House building in downtown Louisville.  Engineer Eric Stoess had access to the building, which was supposedly haunted by a nun.  Layton smudged the room with sage smoke prior to the recording to keep evil spirits away and warned the others to “just keep playing” if the nun appeared during the session.  The musicians shot bottle-rockets at prostitutes on the street below, which was unfair and hardly laudable.

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Palace Music - Days In The Wake - Streaming Now

Towards the end of 1993, Will Oldham found himself in Moscow, staying in the small apartment of Bryan Rich.  Rich was there exploring television reporting and production opportunities.  Oldham and Rich worked out a couple of songs while Oldham was there, and Rich sold Oldham his Marantz stereo cassette recorder for a couple hundred dollars.  Once back in the USA, Oldham continued to work on the set of songs that would be recorded for the second full-length under a Palace name.  Grant Barger had moved to Chicago, and Oldham booked time with Barger to begin recording.  However, things didn’t cohere as they might have (some results ended up on the DRAG CITY HOUR release a few years later), and Oldham retreated to Louisville in frustration.  Todd Brashear had moved to Nashville and was working at a mastering studio.  Oldham began to conceive of the record as an unadorned collection, and furiously rehearsed the songs in hopes of making them fit and function together.  He used the Marantz that he’d bought from Rich (along with the microphone Rich had thrown into the deal) and began recording the record at his folks’ house.  The performances were mostly solo, with the exception of “I Send My Love to You” and “Pushkin”, which featured Paul Oldham on second guitar.  Oldham hauled the Marantz with him when he travelled to Birmingham, Alabama to visit brother Ned Oldham.  There he recorded “No More Workhorse Blues” during a thunderstorm, and “Come a Little Dog”.  On the latter song, overdubbing was made possible (percussion, barking, Jennie Oldham’s flute) by playing the cassette of the original tracking on the Oldham’s home stereo while recording the new parts onto the Marantz.  The record was mastered by John Kampschaefer in Louisville; Dianne Bellino contributed a drawing to the artwork, and the front cover is a photo taken in an Irish pub a few years earlier (on the same trip that yielded the back cover photo from THERE IS NO-ONE WHAT WILL TAKE CARE OF YOU).  Oldham was inspired by the economy exhibited in the artwork for the then-current Royal Trux record, CATS AND DOGS.  Drag City pays artists based on profit-split (no advances), thus it made sense to deliver inexpensive package concepts if one was to hope to make a living from one’s music.  When the record was released, it had no title.  After a few months, a title occurred to Oldham, DAYS IN THE WAKE, and it was applied to subsequent pressings.  The record was licensed to Domino for Europe, beginning a relationship between Oldham and Domino that continues to this day.

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Palace Songs - Hope - Streaming Now

DAYS IN THE WAKE was made with somewhat of an urgent desperation, and feelings of fear and loss are abundant in the result.  Will Oldham then felt compelled to oppose such darkness with an expression of gratitude for what he was being allowed to do and make.  He asked Rian Murphy to oversee production of a four-song session at Acme studios in Chicago with Liam Hayes featured prominently on piano and organ.  Four songs were recorded; two of Oldham’s, one Leonard Cohen song (“Winter Lady”) and one song written by Bryan Rich (again under the name Roy Black) and Steve Baker (“Christmastime in the Mountains”).  Technologies were changing, and all of the songs were mixed from 2” tape down to ¼” tape and DAT. The formats have inherently different qualities and in the end, the ¼” mixes of the two Oldham songs were used, while the DAT mixes of the two covers were used.  Oldham wrote two more songs to be recorded in London.  Domino arranged for a session at the Stone Room with Sean O’Hagan playing piano.  Oldham had hoped that Heather Frith, a singer from Bermuda, would be able to sing on the sessions.  She was not available, so Domino introduced Oldham to Brianna Corrigan, formerly of the Beautiful South.  Corrigan joined the session, along with drummer Rob Allum.  Oldham was particularly thrilled to be working in the Stone Room, since the Mekons’ CURSE OF THE MEKONS had been recorded there.  “All Gone, All Gone” and “Werner’s Last Blues to Blokbuster”, both written in Jamestown, RI, were recorded at this session and completed what was then to be the HOPE EP.  Konrad Strauss mastered the record.  The front cover featured a photograph by Nicole Vitello of  boats docked in Essaouira rendered in the vibrant colors of modern color-copying machines.  The back cover was dominated by a photo of Liam Hayes’ magical hands.  There was also a photo of Oldham with Dianne Bellino taken by Steve Gullick.

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Palace Music - West Palm Beach / Gulf Shores - Streaming Now

Palace Music - The Mountain Low - Streaming Now

Palace Music - The Mountain - Streaming Now

The “Palace Brothers” were invited to open the 2^nd stage of the Lollapalooza tour for a couple of weeks in the summer of 1994.  At the end of that run a recording session was booked at producer Kramer’s home studio in New Jersey.  The band was Will Oldham, Aram Stith (guitar), Jason Stith (bass) and Jack Carneal (drums) and Ned Oldham (guitar).  The Trux had done their “Back to School” 7” with Kramer, and it excited Will to think of going in and seeing how the notorious producer twiddled his knobs.  The two songs were “West Palm Beach” and “Gulf Shores”.  The band had not heard the songs prior to the session.  Will had written the songs in the weeks leading up to the summer road stretch.

Will Oldham moved to Birmingham, Alabama to live near brother Ned and family.  Birmingham was quiet and inexpensive and a few degrees warmer than Louisville in general.  Will wanted to make a record in Birmingham and looked around (the phone book) for a recording studio.  He came upon Bates Brothers Recording in nearby Hueytown and decided to do a test session with Ned and drummer Charlie Snell.  They recorded “O How I Enjoy the Light” and “Marriage”.  Eric Bates was the engineer.  The Bates’ studio was well-stocked with keyboards: piano, mellotron, Hammond b-3.  The sounds were tight and dry, reminding Oldham of tones obtained in 1970’s Serge Gainsbourg recordings.  The photographs on the cover of the single were taken by Bryan Rich.  Rich claimed that the back cover photograph was of the ruins of Mikhail Bulgakov’s house.  This record was the first under the Palace Records imprint; Oldham had begun to be able to afford to pay for recording sessions, lessening the pressure that comes with spending other people’s money. 

The test session at Bates Brothers had been a success.  Will Oldham felt comfortable inviting Steve Albini to Alabama to make a full-length record (what would become VIVA LAST BLUES).  The Bates’ ample supply of beautifully-maintained keyboards made inviting Liam Hayes to the session a no-brainer.  Oldham spoke with Britt Walford about playing drums but eventually Walford formally balked.  Instead, Will was encouraged by brother Paul Oldham to ask Jason Loewenstein to come drum.  Loewenstein (of Sparkalepsy and Sebadoh) was living in Louisville at the time.  Ned Oldham played the bass.  Bryan Rich played “lead guitar”; questions still get asked about where said guitar was leading.  Oldham has said that Stevie Wonder’s MUSIC OF MY MIND and Cat Stevens’ CATCH BULL AT FOUR were sonic influences, though such influence is hardly notable in the final product.  Albini did some significant maintenance work on the 2” tape machines at the Bates studio in order to get things properly up and running.  The record was titled VIVA LAST BLUES, in patial tribute to the movies of Russ Meyer.  The “last” aspect had to do with Oldham feeling like he was coming to the end of a certain trajectory of discovery.  The cover featured a drawing of a cheetah by Dianne Bellino.  The LP came with a poster featuring a painting by Cynthia Kirkwood; the CD featured a different Kirkwood painting in the booklet’s center spread.  A video was made by Aaron Woolf for the song “Old Jerusalem”; actress Chloe Sevigny starred in the video.

Around this time, folks (Pavement, King Kong) were going to Easley Studios in Memphis to make their records.  Oldham didn’t like the inherent sounds of these records but figured he would take a first-hand look at Easley by recording two songs there.  These two songs were “(End of) Traveling” and “Lost Blues”.  Oldham asked brother Paul along with Jason Hayden (presently of One Beat Off) and Pete Townsend (not of the Who) to come to Memphis for the session.  These were ¾ (at the time) of the great Louisville band Speed-to-Roam.  Memphis’ Tiffany White sang “Lost Blues” with Will as a full duet partner, the first of many.  Studio owner/engineer Doug Easley played the pedal steel guitar.  It was decided that “The Mountain” from VIVA LAST BLUES would be released as a single with “(End of) Traveling” as a b-side.  Two mixes were run of “(End of) Traveling”.  The mix with a “dry” pedal steel was included on the 7” record.  The cover of the “Mountain Low” single was a photo that Oldham had taken in Glen Lyon, Scotland, in the shadow of Ben Lawers.  “Lost Blues” was later released on the Palace Music compilation LOST BLUES AND OTHER SONGS.

As with the 7” comp AN ARROW THROUGH THE BITCH the previous year (and the Royal Trux DOGS OF LOVE EP), it was decided to compile the “Mountain” 7” and the “West Palm Beach” 7” onto one four-song EP for release overseas on Domino.  The mix of “(End of) Traveling” used on this EP had a “wet” pedal steel.  The cover art was made by Nolen Otts.  Otts intended the art to resemble classic Cuban cigar box art. 

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Palace Music - Viva Last Blues - Streaming Now

Palace Music - O How I Enjoy The Light - Streaming Now

Oldham’s Palace Records came into being in 1995.  The twin intentions at the time for Palace Records were to formalize the new model of self-funding recording sessions and artwork commissions and to release great musics that Oldham was hearing that he figured might be a hard sell to the folks at Drag City.  Three 7”s were released in 1995 on Palace Records that were non-Palace/Will Oldham endeavors.  The first was by E/Or, a Louisville group made up of Steve Good (clarinet), Norman Minogue (drums), George Wethington (short wave radio), and Martin Williams (guitar).  The two songs are epic abstracts, “Mike” and “Martin Found a Jealous Cop...”, each stretching the limits of the physical format to its outer boundaries.

The other two Palace Records non-Will-Oldham singles released in 1995 were both by the Broadcast Choir.  From the ashes of the Pale Horse Riders came this experimental trio made up of Paul Oldham, Peter Townsend and Chris Layton.  The records were “The Chapel Song”/“Down the Liver” and “Lights Out”/“Deflective War”.  Both singles are harrowing, awesome complements to any playlist.

“So long as he lives, Stephen Malkmus may never run out of hooks” Pitchfork

Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks’ new album Sparkle Hard will be released on May 18^th via Domino Records.

In February, the band shared its twangy single ‘Middle America,’ the first new music to surface from the group since 2014. As a follow up, the band today shares another taste of the new album with the song, ‘Shiggy,’ an insanely gleeful, old-school four-chord stomper.

Stream ‘Shiggy’ here.

Modesty and plain good manners might prevent them from saying so themselves, but the fact that Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks have thrived, rather than simply endured over 17 years and delivered six albums of buzzy, sub-cultural significance, constitutes an impressive legacy. The challenge with album number seven is one that any successful band with integrity faces: how to safeguard that legacy and hold on to their identity without rehashing old ground (unthinkable), and also say something meaningful while (crucially) having fun doing it?

Meeting that issue head on in the run up to The Jicks’ seventh record involved some “navel gazing”, according to singer, songwriter, and guitarist Malkmus and not only in terms of what it means to be releasing music in 2018. If, like him, you’re a voracious consumer of all kinds of culture and feel the need to interact with it, rather than just react, then inevitably “there’s a world that prompts you to put your best foot forward”. With Sparkle Hard Malkmus, Mike Clark (keyboards), Joanna Bolme (bass) and Jake Morris (drums) do exactly that. And they hit the ground running – on air treads.

It’s light ’n’ breezy, head-down heavy, audacious, melancholic and reflective, goodtime and bodacious, and it pulls off the smartest trick: it’s both unmistakeably The Jicks and – due to the streamlining of their trademark tics and turns, plus the introduction of some unexpected flourishes (Auto-Tune, a fiddle, guest vocalist Kim Gordon, one seven-minute song with an acoustic folk intro) – The Jicks refashioned. If 2014’s Wig Out At Jag Bags balanced the lengthy prog workouts of Pig Lib with Mirror Traffic’s sparky pop moments, then Sparkle Hard bears less obvious direct relation to what’s come before. It also has turbocharged energy and enthusiasm by the truckload.

Malkmus started writing Sparkle Hard in 2015. He’d upgraded his home-recording equipment and bought some electronic drums and had been working on the Netflix series Flaked (he penned the incidental music and the end theme song). Demos were done in one day in April of 2017 and then in May, The Jicks started recording at a new studio in Portland called Halfling, which is managed by multi-instrumentalist Chris Funk of The Decemberists, who produced the album.

Self-indulgent escapism has never been The Jicks’ bag, but on Sparkle Hard, the reality of modern life sits closer to the surface, communication cutting to the chase whether it’s a proto-punk grind or a back-porch country duet doing the talking. A cleaner burn for dark and complex times.

Tracklisting:

1. Cast Off
2. Future Suite
3. Solid Silk
4. Bike Lane
5. Middle America
6. Rattler
7. Shiggy
8. Kite
9. Brethren
10. Refute
11. Difficulties / Let Them Eat Vowels

Sparkle Hard is available to pre-order on LP (heavyweight vinyl with insert), indie-exclusive deluxe LP (heavyweight coloured vinyl with insert), Dom Mart-exclusive deluxe LP (heavyweight coloured vinyl, insert and 12x12” sticker sheet with 12 individual die cut designs for each of the songs on the album by the creative genius Turbo Island), CD and digital.

Pre-order: Dom Mart | Digital

UK & European Tour Dates:

Wed 17^th October – Albert Hall, Manchester Tickets

Thurs 18^th October – SWG3, Glasgow Tickets

Fri 19^th October – Vicar Street, Dublin Tickets

Sun 21^st October – SWX, Bristol Tickets

Mon 22^nd October – The Asylum, Birmingham Tickets

Wed 24^th October – Hackney Arts Centre, London Tickets

Thurs 25^th October – Concorde 2, Brighton Tickets

Mon 29^th October – Lido, Berlin Tickets

Tues 30^th October – Stadtgarten, Cologne Tickets

Wed 31^st October – Melkweg, Amsterdam Tickets

On sale Wed 28^th March at 9am

Domino Recording Co. is seeking an organized and motivated individual for a Digital Accounts Coordinator position based in the Brooklyn, NY office.

• Generate analytics and reporting including global and territory-specific sales and streaming reports, analysis of new releases and catalog trends. 
• Assist with weekly account pitch process globally, centralizing outward communication from Domino to all digital accounts and international partners.
• Tracking, analyzing and communicating campaign visibility across digital storefronts and playlists.
• Participate in the strategy development with Global Head of Digital Sales and UK Senior Manager of Digital Accounts to optimize all campaigns across the digital partners. 
• Assist with day-to-day updates of artist and playlist properties across all DSPs.  
• Deliver weekly label updates to all digital account contacts.

• Bachelor’s Degree required.
• Preferred 1-2 years music industry experience.
• A working knowledge and passion for digital technology, including music and video streaming platforms, content management platforms and emerging technology trends.
• Strong proficiency with Microsoft Office, particularly in Microsoft Excel.
• An analytical and data-driven mindset.
• Excellent written and verbal communication / interpersonal skills.
• Superior organizational skills, attention to detail, and ability to prioritize and manage multiple tasks. 
• Experience with industry reporting tools preferred, including Nielsen Soundscan, BuzzAngle, iTunes Connect, Spotify Analytics, Spotify For Artists, YouTube Analytics, Chartmetric, and Next Big Sound.
• Most importantly, a passion for music and understanding of the Domino catalogue.

Since they appeared with their self-titled, self-released EP back in 2016, Washington, DC trio Flasher has exuded both clarity of intent and radiant self-confidence. Critically applauded from the start, that initial release offered a clear blueprint. By turns razor sharp and woozy, skipping from shoegaze to punk and back again, it offered confirmation of a band whose wiry energy and melodic ease made them instantly arresting.

Today, Flasher announce their signing to Domino. They've also shared a new video and song, the exhilarating ‘Skim Milk’. The band describes the song and video below:

“The themes in ‘Skim Milk’ and its video might be described as being haunted by your own desire for belonging. We’re not bemoaning “no future, no fate”, we’re advocating for it. From getting a mortgage, to going to college, to crafting public policy, folks are always telling you to think of your future, to make choices in the name of some future. But most folks don’t have the privilege to live outside the present. This kind of future tense, aspirational bullshit means being held hostage by a future that’s already abandoned you. We’d rather escape to something new and unknown than hold out for a good life that hates us and expects us to make lemonade out of miserableness. Instead of holding out and hanging on, we're here to tell you (and ourselves) - “go.””

Watch 'Skim Milk' here.

Stream ‘Skim Milk’ here.

Flasher are Taylor Mulitz (guitar), Daniel Saperstein (bass) and Emma Baker (drums).

Flasher North America tour dates

Wed. March 14 - Adhoc Unofficial SXSW Day Party @ Cheer Up Charlies (1:45 PM)

Thu. March 15 - Brooklyn Vegan Unofficial Day Party @ Cheer Up Charlies (TBD)

Thu. March 15 - Event DC eSports + Music Showcase @ Antone’s (8:00 PM)

Thu. March 15 - Levitation Fest Official SXSW Showcase @ Hotel Vegas (9:15 PM)

Sat. Mar. 17 - Mesa, AZ @ The Underground w/ Ought

Sun. Mar. 18 - Santa Ana, CA @ Constellation Room w/ Ought

Mon. Mar. 19 - Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom w/ Ought

Tue. Mar. 20 - San Francisco, CA @ The Independent w/ Ought

Thu. Mar. 22 - Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios w/ Ought

Fri. Mar. 23 - Seattle, WA @ Chop Suey w/ Ought

Sat. Mar. 24 - Vancouver, BC @ The Cobalt w/ Ought

Mon. Mar. 26 - Calgary, AB @ Palomino Smokehouse w/ Ought

Tue. Mar. 27 - Saskatoon, SK @ Amigos w/ Ought

Thu. Mar. 29 - Winnipeg, MB @ The Good Will Social Club w/ Ought

Fri. Mar. 30 - Minneapolis, MN @ 7th St. Entry w/ Ought

Sat. Mar. 31 - Madison, WI @ High Noon Saloon w/ Ought

Mon. Apr. 2 - Columbus, OH @ Ace of Cups w/ Ought

Tue. Apr. 3 - Milvale, PA @ The Funhouse at Mr. Smalls w/ Ought

Sun. Apr. 15 - Boise, ID @ Knitting Factory w/ The Breeders

Mon. Apr. 16 - Salt Lake City, UT @ The Grand at The Complex w/ The Breeders

Wed. Apr. 18 - Denver, CO @ Ogden Theatre w/ The Breeders

Thu. Apr. 19 - Albuquerque, NM @ Sunshine Theater w/ The Breeders

Wed. Apr. 25 - Birmingham, AL @ Iron City w/ The Breeders

Mon. Apr. 30 - Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel w/ The Breeders

Fri. July 20 - Seattle, WA @ Capitol Hill Block Party

 Stay tuned for more Flasher announcements coming soon.

Domino is very proud to mark the return of Jon Hopkins and his new album, Singularity, his first since 2013’s breakthrough, Immunity. Singularity is due for release on 4th May 2018. Along with news of Singularity, Hopkins has shared ‘Emerald Rush’ the first track to be released from the album. Listen to the track and watch the animated video, directed by Robert Hunter & Elliot Dear HERE. 

Watch the video for ‘Emerald Rush’ HERE.

Listen to ‘Emerald Rush’ on streaming services HERE.

In addition to news of Singularity, Hopkins has announced a run of live dates across the UK & Europe with US dates to be announced shortly. He will also be making a number of festival appearances in 2018. 

Singularity begins and ends on the same note: a universe beginning, expanding, and contracting towards the same infinitesimal point. Where Immunity – his hypnotic breakthrough LP – charted the dark alternative reality of an epic night out, Singularity explores the dissonance between dystopian urbanity and the green forest. It is a journey that returns to where it began – from the opening note of foreboding to the final sound of acceptance.

Shaped by his experiences with meditation and trance states, the album flows seamlessly from rugged techno to transcendent choral music, from solo acoustic piano to psychedelic ambient. Its epic musical palette is visceral and emotionally honest: with a destructive opener full of industrial electronics and sonic claustrophobia and a redemptive, pure end on solo piano.

Exploring the connectivity of the mind, sonics and the natural world, Singularity reflects the different psychological states Hopkins experienced while writing and recording. It is a transformative trip of defiance from his initial sense of frustration at the state of the contemporary world to the ultimate conclusion that a true sense of peace and belonging can only come from nature.

Singularity is intended to be listened to in one sitting, as a complete body of work.

Singularity tracklist

Singularity
Emerald Rush
Neon Pattern Drum
Everything Connected
Feel First Life
C O S M
Echo Dissolve
Luminous Beings
Recovery

Singularity (WIG352) will be released on special edition double gatefold coloured LP with photographic print, standard LP, CD and digitally. You can also pre-save the album on Spotify here. 

Pre-order Singularity now: Deluxe LP / Deluxe CD / LP / CD / Digitally

JON HOPKINS SINGULARITY LIVE TOUR 2018

10.10 - Rockefeller – Oslo
12.10 - Den Grå Hal - Copenhagen
18.10 - Vicar Street – Dublin
19.10- SWG3 – Glasgow
20.10 - Paradiso for ADE – Amsterdam
24.10 - Ancienne Belgique – Brussels
25.10 - Astra – Berlin
26.10 - Le Trianon – Paris
02.11 - Brixton Academy – London
17.11 – Boiler Shop – Newcastle
22.11 – Albert Hall - Manchester

JON HOPKINS SINGULARITY FESTIVAL & DJ APPEARANCES 2018

30.03 - Invisible Wind Factory – Liverpool (DJ Set)
06.04 -  Ääniwalli – Helsinki (DJ Set)
07.04 -  Sónar İstanbul – Istanbul (DJ Set)
19.05 – Festival of Disruption – New York
25.05 - Villette Sonique – Paris
26.05 - Department – Stockholm (DJ Set)
02.06 - Primavera – Barcelona
09.06 - Park Life – Manchester
15.06 - Maifeld Derby – Mannheim
23.06 - Body & Soul - Co.Westmeath
29.06 - Down The Rabbit Hole – Ewijk
30.06- ASTRO Festival – Milan
11.07 - DOUR Festival – Dour
13.07 - Melt! Festival – Ferropolis
14.07 - Lovebox Festival – London (DJ Set)
15.07 - Latitude Festival - Henham Park
20.07 - Colours Of Ostrava – Ostrava
26.07 - WWW K - Tokyo
26-27.07 - Fuji Rock Festival - Niigata
03.08 - OFF Festival – Katowice
04.08 - Wilderness Festival - Cornbury Park
31.08 - Dimensions Festival – Pula

All tickets for UK and European solo shows will be available on general sale Friday 9^th March at 10am via http://jonhopkins.co.uk 

Jon Hopkins online: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

For their latest attack, the Domino artists The Kills re-wired the circuits of Saul Williams’ “List of Demands (Reparations)” to create a wounded, volcanic, and urgent anthem. An opaque but powerful litany that could incite the most apathetic to action, a wake-up call capable of being interpreted as personal or political. The song comes backed with a dazzling cover of Peter Tosh’s “Steppin’ Razor”. Artwork for the single was created especially for the release by  Shepard Fairey.

The greatest duos teeter on the cliff’s edge between chaos and equilibrium, salvation and obliteration, 10,000-watt voltage and gothic darkness. For a decade and a half, The Kills have mastered that savage balance, unleashing artful detonation and subtle vocal and guitar violence. That’s five albums and four EPs where Alison Mosshart and Jamie Hince reimagined the possibilities of modern duality—alchemizing garage rock, punk, and blues into smoke clouds, psychic carnage, and a smoldering nocturnal slink. A northwest passage between Outkast and Suicide.

WATCH THE VIDEO FOR “LIST OF DEMANDS” HERE

 (directed by Ben Strebel)

PRE-ORDER THE 7” HERE

“It’s a song of strength and empowerment, rooted in the idea of rising above,” Mosshart says. “It was one of those songs you’re almost scared to cover, because it carries so much respect. It wasn’t a straight up love song or a drug song. It was defined, serious, and perfect already. With certain songs, you feel like an intruder trying to sing them, but this one felt like my own.”

You can only cover a classic by successfully re-inventing it from the foundation up. In this instance, Mosshart and Hince slowed down Williams’ blistering post-punk and quasi-rap testament to political courage, to something resembling slightly sped-up dub—full of booming drums, gorgeous negative space, and Mosshart’s concealed dagger yawp.

The Williams original carried a special resonance after becoming one of the backstage jams regularly played before Kills’ shows. The banger you play to hype yourself prior to getting on-stage and trying to conquer the world. Williams’ lyrics brilliantly double as self-motivational propulsion and a poetic indictment of various iniquities. It’s somehow vague enough to allow for any application, but it’s as personal as blood dripping on a ransom note.

Decamping to the legendary Sunset Sound in Hollywood with producer Chris Coady, The Kills recorded both songs in three days. Until they entered the studio, they’d never sat down and played either. It took myriad approaches at varying tempos—searching for the right groove they found it. Only when they slowed it down to double time did the new haunting melody emerge.

“List of Demands” was so impactful to us—it was the kind of song that would come on backstage and everyone would stop what they were doing and stand up, “ Hince says. “The more I found myself listening to the lyrics, the more I heard in them, and found myself singing along with goose bumps. The brilliant thing about it is that it speaks to so many different ideas—a true underground thing like the best Iggy Pop songs.”

Saul Williams returned the compliment, waxing rhapsodically about The Kills’ tribute. “I always felt envious of the way the 60's generation shared songs and ideologies. Jimi singing Dylan. Rotary Connection singing Otis Redding. The Stones singing the blues,” Williams said. “This is all part of the beauty and power of music and it reverberates deeply in me. All this to say, I'm honored. I liked The Kills before they chose to cover ‘LOD.’ If they can feel themselves in that song, it's because they are as much a part of it as I am.”

It’s an affirmation of the profound meaning that a song can inhabit, particularly in times of turmoil and duress. The Kills channeled those past nexuses, creating a new form from biblical material, another attack on complacency, a tribute to the joys of flux, a transmission that carries on the unwavering belief that some things must change.

Artist Shepard Fairey, whose striking image was created for the single’s sleeve art, says, “I've been a fan of The Kills for years, and I initially loved them because I can't say no to great garage rock with attitude, grit, and a vocalist in Alison Mosshart with a ridiculous amount of heart and soul. In recent years though, they've turned into even more than that. They’re now great songwriters who have stayed true to their roots but also expanded their musical palette. When Alison and Jamie approached me about doing the art for the song “List of Demands” and shared their version of the song, I was excited both because I love their version of the song, and I think it's a song that makes sense for the state of things in the world right now. We need music that speaks to the struggles of the average person in the face of oppressive powers. The art I created was meant to reflect the sentiment of the song and the idea that people have power in numbers and are looking back at those in power with their hands up, making their demands. The do-it-yourself spirit of punk rock and activist propaganda influenced the art and design." 

The Kills have announced upcoming US shows, with all going on sale tomorrow. Saul Williams will join The Kills for the LA show in August, and as their very special guest will play a full set prior to The Kills taking the stage. The band will be returning to London, supporting Foo Fighters at the Olympic Stadium on Saturday the 23^rd of June.  See below for worldwide dates. Get your tickets from: http://thekills.tv/

Monday May 14 || Lincoln Theater || Washington DC *

Tuesday May 15 || Union Transfer || Philadelphia, PA *

Monday June 4 || Kosmonavt || St Petersberg, Russia

Wednesday June 6 || Glavclub || Moscow, Russia

Saturday June 9 || Best Kept Secret || Hilvaranbeek, Netherlands

Sunday June 10 || Trabrennbahn Bahrenfeld || Hamberg, Germany **

Wednesday June 13 || Stadt de Suisse || Berne, Switzerland **

Thursday June 14 || Firenze Rocks || Florence, Italy **

Sunday June 17 || Maifeld Derby Festival || Mannheim, Germany

Saturday June 23 || Olympic Stadium || London, UK **

Monday June 25 || In Music Festival || Zagreb, Croatia

Friday June 29 || Volt Festival || Budapest, Hungary

Saturday June 30 || Aerodrome Festival || Prague, Czech Republic

Monday August 13 || Regent Theatre || Los Angeles, CA ***
Tuesday August 14 || Glasshouse || Pomona CA
Wednesday August 16 || Belly Up Club || Aspen, CO

* with Dream Wife

** with Foo Fighters  

*** with Saul Williams

The Kills’ last release was their much-lauded June 2016 album Ash & Ice, which spawned the singles “Doing It To Death” and “Heart Of A Dog”. The band toured the album for 18 months performing at multiple festivals, including Coachella and David Lynch’s Festival of Disruption, and performed on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel Live, The Late Late Show with James Corden and Conan. They appeared in the recent Nashville episode of Anthony Bourdain’s Parts Unknown on CNN, in which Alison toured Nashville with Bourdain before the band played a song live for a scene in the show.

Beautiful Thing, the forthcoming solo album from Alexis Taylor will be released on April 20^th via Domino. It is a very new, very individualist and – yes – very beautiful reflection of a life that's changed immeasurably since Alexis first started out in music. This is a musician, writer and singer who has carved his own unique path through the music of the 21st century, completely avoiding getting trapped along the way in dumb oppositions of pop vs avant-garde, dancefloor vs intellect, retro vs modernist and so on. He has worked with living legends from major pop stars to free improvisors in the furthest left field, played huge arenas and tiny clubs without ever privileging one over the other, and through all of it, never stopped listening and learning. All of this accumulated experience is put to work on Beautiful Thing in pursuit of something subtle and elusive but ultimately quite profound and beautifully human. 

Taylor’s fourth album also represents the first time Alexis has made a solo album with a producer, that producer being Tim Goldsworthy, co-founder of Mo Wax and DFA Recordings and member of UNKLE.

Today, Alexis is pleased to share the video for the album’s title track and the track that kick-started the recording process with Goldsworthy. With ‘Beautiful Thing’, Alexis combines experimental, clattering noises with crazed, disco lavishness and bug-eyed acid house momentum to create something giddy and glorious. The video, directed by Edwin Burdis, is a suitably compelling counterpart.

Watch the video for ‘Beautiful Thing’ here. Stream here.

The upcoming record is a bold and confident step forward for Alexis both sonically and in terms of his songwriting abilities. It has electronic thrills, dark spaces, memories of dancefloors, heartfelt writing; it's composed, it's improvised, it's accidental, it's strange, but it's also very immediate. It is a beautiful thing itself:  a moving, modern and unique sounding long-player, to get lost in on repeated deep listens.

Beautiful Thing is available to pre-order on deluxe heavyweight gatefold vinyl (with 3 bonus tracks), gatefold vinyl, CD and digital download. Pre-order: Dom Mart | Digital

Album tracklisting:

1. Dreaming Another Life
2. Beautiful Thing
3. Deep Cut
4. Roll on Blank Tapes
5. Suspicious of Me
6. A Hit Song
7. Oh Baby
8. There’s Nothing To Hide
9. I Feel You
10. Out of Time

Additionally, Alexis has announced a run of tour dates in UK and Europe including London’s Omeara, where he will be playing accompanied by Susumu Mukai (aka Zongamin) on bass and Leo Taylor (The Invisible, Hot Chip) on drums. 

Upcoming live dates

Tues 17^th April – Fleece, Bristol Tickets

Wed 18^th April – Ruby Lounge, Manchester Tickets

Thurs 19^th April – Patterns, Brighton Tickets

Fri 20^th April – Omeara, London Tickets

Tues 24^th April – Bitterzoet, Amsterdam Tickets

Wed 25^th April – Artheater, Cologne Tickets

Thurs 26^th April – Badaboum, Paris Tickets

---

Alexis Taylor Online

Website | Facebook | Instagram

Today, Portland, OR’s Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks release new single ‘Middle America’ - the first new music to surface from the group since 2014.

Listen to ‘Middle America’ here. 

On ‘Middle America’, Malkmus’s wry wordplay and sunny twang create an ode to underdogs everywhere, with bittersweet words of encouragement for the ramshackle character on their receiving end.   Only SM & the Jicks can craft this kind of brightly low-key anthem, a perfect three-minute-thirty-second country-speckled gem about life’s questions big (the inevitable passage of time; aging) and small (getting shitfaced; blushing the color of Robitussin). 

Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks will tour North America in the summer, hitting major markets including Chicago, Brooklyn, Philadelphia, Washington DC, Nashville, San Francisco, Seattle, and Portland.  Fans can likely expect a further taste of new music, on top of the band’s beloved catalogue.  Full tour dates below.

US Tour Dates:

1st June - St. Paul, MN - Turf Club
2nd June - Milwaukee, WI - The Back Room at Colectivo
3rd June - Chicago, IL - Thalia Hall
5th June - Columbus, OH - Ace of Cups
6th June - Pittsburgh, PA - Rex Theater
7th June - Cleveland, OH - Grog Shop
8th June - Detroit, MI - Magic Stick
9th June - Toronto, ON - Lee's Palace
11th June - Montreal, QC - Theatre Fairmount
12th June - Cambridge, MA - The Sinclair
14th June - Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall of Williamsburg
16th June - Philadelphia, PA - Theatre of Living Arts
17th June - Washington, DC - Black Cat
19th June - Carrboro, NC - Cat's Cradle
20th June - Athens, GA - The Georgia Theatre
21st June - Nashville, TN - Mercy Lounge
22nd June - Louisville, KY - Zanzabar
23rd June - Cincinnati, OH - The Woodward Theater
17th July - Petaluma, CA - Mystic Theatre
18th July - San Francisco, CA - Slim's
22nd July - Phoenix, AZ - The Crescent Ballroom
25th July - Austin, TX - The Mohawk
26th July - Houston, TX - White Oak Music Hall
27th July - Dallas, TX - Granada Theater
28th July - Tulsa, OK - The Vanguard
29th July - Kansas City, MO - Record Bar
31st July - Englewood, CO - Gothic Theatre
1st August - Salt Lake City, UT - Urban Lounge
3rd August - Vancouver, BC - Rickshaw Theatre
4th August - Seattle, WA - Neptune Theatre
5th August - Portland, OR - Star Theater

Crows Feet Are Ingrained On My Face

A tribute to Mark E. Smith by Richard King.

In 2010, following the success of the Von Südenfed record, it was agreed that Domino would release the next album by The Fall. I was charged with writing the biography for the release and was given a number to ring in order to speak with Mark E. Smith. Elena Poulou answered the phone and in the background I could hear a raucous noise I assumed to be the band rehearsing. Although this was unlikely as I was calling Mark and Elena at their home.

'Sorry,' Elena said as the noise increased in volume and now included laughter and animated shouting 'could you call tomorrow same time, it's not convenient'.

When I telephoned the next day Elena answered once again, apologised for the day before as Mark came briskly to the phone.

'Alright, yeah' he said  'we're going to get this record out. What’s taking so long?' Mark E Smith then chuckled and for the next ten minutes he spoke with the combination of politeness, indignation and occasional contrariness on which his reputation rested.

I asked him about the new album's opening track 'Bury Parts 1 & 3', 'I fucking hate the place' he said, as well as the album's closing number 'Weather Report 2' a song that shared an emotional tenderness and tone with 'Bill Is Dead' from the 1992 album Extricate.

'Well,’ he continued 'I really like the band at the moment and think it’s the best we've sounded. I mean I would say that but I mean it.'

The defining characteristic of 'Weather Report 2' and 'Bill Is Dead' is the rarely heard vulnerability in Smith's voice and a lyric in which he talks openly and dramatically about his life. There was a pause that indicated this brief moment of sentimentality was sufficient and that our conversation had now ended.

Your Future Our Clutter was well received and continued the momentum The Fall had regained at the turn of the century, when a run of strong releases, the renewed interest in Post Punk and their discovery by a new generation led to one of their most energetic and popular periods.

No one would ever doubt Smith's work ethic but by the late 1990s his well-documented behavioural problems, together with the sense of The Fall operating on a treadmill of contractual obligations and cash in hand reissues had curdled his doggedness. Some of the records from this period such as Levitate and The Marshall Suite are eerie in a way few other Fall records are eerie. On them Smith sounds under resourced, both financially and emotionally, to resist his investiture as an Indie National Treasure. A situation he clearly finds intolerable. The productivity rate of the prole art threat had by now threatened the band’s future. At the concert I attended at Dingwalls in '98 the band played as a trio of Smith, Julia Nagle and a drummer, Kate Themen. For ten minutes towards the end the choreographer Michael Clarke joined them on bass. Many present found the performance riveting, but I suspect most assumed they had witnessed the band's final London concert.

Parts of their subsequent survival lie in the regard and mystique with which The Fall were held outside the UK. In the record shop I worked in almost twenty-five years ago, I came close to convincing a young Will Oldham to part with a portion of his fee from the previous night's concert for a mint copy of Fall In A Hole. On a visit to the Domino office Bill Callahan once enquired about the merits of 1997's Levitate, a record very few people I knew had bothered listening to. And despite his regular criticism of the band, Pavement covered The Classical from Hex Enduction Hour for a Peel Session that year. Its inclusion moved the DJ to send the band a personal note of thanks.

It's not difficult to imagine how exotic the early Fall must have seemed to young people in America with enquiring minds. On the 1981 live album A Part Of America Therein, the band are introduced as being from the 'From the riot torn streets of Manchester, England'. The Fall's music of that era is as evocative of Britain in the early 1980s as any World In Action documentary. The lyrics to 'Winter' feature a 'cleaning lady', 'alcoholics dry out house', and a 'feminist Austin maxi with anti nuclear sticker'. The accompanying music is played by a band with a listlessness that, like much of the country at the time, is almost pathological.

The performance the band gave on the Peel session version of 'Winter' is particularly dramatic. On many of these recordings Smith's voice is often louder in the mix and the BBC studio arrangements clearly suited the band. Perhaps Smith was also aware how symbiotic the relationship between The Fall, the radio session and the DJ had become. These were sessions listened to by people who resisted the idea of Smith as an avuncular curmudgeon. They saw him more as an avant-garde Johnny Cash: a man in a black leather jacket and the same neat haircut who was incapable of stopping and whose eyes had become ingrained with crow's feet at an early age. Someone who lived by their wits and was well aware they were sharper and more resilient than those of his contemporaries.  

Three years ago I invited Smith to do a Q&A at the stage at Green Man Festival I was then curating. He and the band arrived backstage in their usual manner, in a vehicle branded in the livery of Salford Van Hire. For two hours they sat in the sunshine decompressing from the journey down, laughing and drinking but not to excess, merely enjoying the moment.

 When it was time for Smith to take the stage I led him to the side entrance. His right arm shot out with an involuntarily spasm.

'Fucking hell' he whispered 'I didn't know it was this big, can you get us a beer?' I duly passed him a can that he downed in one, before strutted on to the stage with a theatrical sniff and his usual swagger. He received an ovation from the nine hundred people gathered there to see him and for a brief moment a smile cracked across his face. The interview was sponsored by the music magazine Mojo and consisted of questions sent in from its readers. For the next 50 minutes he held forth on matters that provoked his ire: music magazines, Mojo in particular, festivals, Stewart Lee and matters he found inspiring, including Ultramagnetic MCs and Methodism.

Fantastic Life.

Superorganism, one of 2018’s most hotly tipped new artists, today announce full details of their highly anticipated debut album. The eight piece band - a sprawling, multi-limbed collection of international musicians and pop culture junkies who have been shortlisted in the BBC Sound Of and VEVO dscvr polls among others – will release their self-titled debut on 2^nd March via Domino.

Self-produced, written and recorded in the east London house-stroke-studio-stroke band HQ they all share together (imagine a squat version of the Brill Building, or a lo-fi, DIY take on Max Martin’s Cheiron studio), Superorganism is a spectacularly confident debut record that beams with a sense of wonky fun, a kaleidoscopic riot of sound and visuals. Influenced by the world-building depth of artists like Devo, Beck and The Avalanches, Superoganism soundtrack’s the band’s rapid trajectory from shared house side project to global audiovisual powerhouse and features previous singles ‘Something For Your M.I.N.D.’ and ‘It’s All Good / Nobody Cares’ as well as their brand single ‘Everybody Wants To Be Famous’.

Revealed today for the very first time, ‘Everybody Wants To Be Famous’ is accompanied by a stunning video from Superorganism’s very own Robert Strange and can be watched right now below.

Superorganism track list: 

01 It’s All Good                                            

02 Everybody Wants To Be Famous

03 Nobody Cares  

04 Reflections On The Screen               

05 SPRORGNSM                   

06 Something For Your M.I.N.D.

07 Nai’s March                          

08 The Prawn Song                                 

09 Relax

10 Night Time

Superorganism formats: 

* Standard LP – Gatefold LP, single vinyl, four page booklet, DL card

* Deluxe LP – Glow in the dark gatefold, single vinyl, four page booklet, DL card

* Deluxe CD – Mini gatefold with 16 page booklet

* Standard CD – Jewelcase with 16page booklet

* Digital Download + Spotify Pre-save

Meanwhile, Superorganism will be taking their acclaimed live show on the road throughout 2018, including extensive UK, European and north American headline tours. The full dates are below, including a London headline show at the 1000 capacity Oval Space on 8^th March, with further information available from http://www.wearesuperorganism.com/#tour

Superorganism Live

JANUARY

Fri 19   Netherlands, Groningen, Eurosonic

FEBRUARY

Thu 15   United Kingdom, London, The Jazz Café

Sun 18   France, Paris, Café de la Danse

Mon 19   Belgium, Brussels, Botanique - The Rotonde

Tue 20   Netherlands, Amsterdam, Sugar Factory

Thu 22   Germany, Cologne, Die Kantine

Fri 23   Germany, Berlin, Festsaal Kreuzberg

Sun 25   Denmark, Copenhagen, Vega Small Hall

Mon 26   Sweden, Stockholm, Kagelbanan

MARCH

Fri 02   Norway, Oslo, by:Larm

Sat 03   Norway, Oslo, by:Larm

Mon 05   United Kingdom, Birmingham, Institute 2

Wed 07   United Kingdom, Manchester, Gorilla

Thu 08   United Kingdom, London, Oval Space

Fri 09    United Kingdom, Brighton, The Haunt

Sun 11   United Kingdom, Glasgow, CCA: Centre for Contemporary Arts

Mon 12   United Kingdom, Leeds, Belgrave

Mon 19   USA, Los Angeles, Echoplex

Tue 20   USA, San Francisco CA, Rickshaw Stop

Thu 22   USA, Portland OR, Doug Fir Lounge

Fri 23   USA, Seattle WA, Barboza

Mon 26   USA, Minneapolis MN, 7th Street Entry

Tue 27   USA, Madison WI, The Frequency

Wed 28   USA, Chicago IL, Schubas Tavern

Fri 30   Canada, Toronto ON, The Mod Club

Sat 31   Canada, Montreal QC, Belmont

APRIL

Sun 01   USA, Boston MA, Brighton Music Hall

Tue 03   USA, Washington DC, Rock & Roll Hotel

Wed 04   USA, Philadelphia PA, Boot & Saddle

Thu 05   USA, Brooklyn NY, Music Hall Of Williamsburg

JUNE

Sat 02   Ireland, Dublin, Royal Hospital Kilmainham

JULY

Fri 13 – Sun 15   Germany, Crafenhaimichen, Melt Festival

AUGUST

Tue 07 – Sat 11   Norway, Oslo, Øyafestival 2018

When Wild Beasts announced that they would be calling it a day, the news came with an unusual absence of drama. There were no bust-ups or breakdowns to report, no warring words, not even a trace of the trademark “creative differences”. Instead there was a dignified and heartfelt message to their fans that explained that the band had run its course.

For those who’d watched the Cumbrian group grow from purveyors of peculiar guitar pop into one of the most inventive and important bands of their generation, the news came as a shock. Weren’t they just hitting the peak of their powers? Perhaps that was the point.

“I think there's a life cycle with any band,” says Hayden Thorpe. “It reaches a point where the snake begins to eat its tail. Our last album, ‘Boy King’, felt just like our first record in many ways – in its fuck you spirit, in its sense of self-destruction.”

Wild Beasts will play their final ever shows in February next year, and we bid the band a bittersweet farewell with Last Night All My Dreams Came True – a live studio album to be released on February 16^th via Domino Documents.

Last Night All My Dreams Came True is a career-spanning collection and features songs from each of Wild Beasts’ studio albums with an emphasis on Boy King, their most direct record yet. Looking back on Wild Beasts’ back catalogue and the themes they tackled, there is a sense of prescience – toxic masculinity, gender fluidity, the conflicts surrounding class, politics and art were no bandwagon jumps, often becoming hot topics in the media several years after they’d been eloquently dealt with on record. 

Today, we are pleased to share ‘The Devil’s Palace’, a rarely-played track that blends ‘The Devil’s Crayon’, from the quartet’s debut Limbo, Panto, and ‘Palace’, from 2014’s Present Tense. An exclusive for the record, it showcases the vocal interplay between Thorpe’s falsetto and Tom Fleming’s baritone perfectly.

Recorded in two days over the summer at RAK Studios, Last Night All My Dreams Came True is the second official Domino Documents release and has more than fulfilled the Domino Documents aim to capture a band at the height of their powers, recording a selection of their finest songs.

“It’s us as tight and slick as we ever have been,” adds Tom. “And it’s also us giving the fewest fucks we've ever given. There’s a sense of celebration and destructiveness combined, a sense that the fetters are off. Not that they were ever on ... but that sense of limited time before you shuffle off is very much a motivator.”

And make no mistake; this is the last time Wild Beasts will be doing such things. This is no hiatus and there are no crafty eyes on a future reunion. “We get to leave our desk by our own accord,” concludes Hayden, “and that makes us very lucky. Whoever gets to do that?”

Tracklisting:

1. Wanderlust (Live at RAK)
2. Big Cat (Live at RAK)
3. A Simple Beautiful Truth (Live at RAK)
4. 2BU (Live at RAK)
5. Bed Of Nails (Live at RAK)
6. Hooting & Howling (Live at RAK)
7. This Is Our Lot (Live at RAK)
8. He The Colossus (Live at RAK)
9. The Devil’s Palace (Live at RAK)
10. Alpha Female (Live at RAK)
11. Get My Bang (Live at RAK)
12. All The King’s Men (Live at RAK)
13. Celestial Creatures (Live at RAK)

Domino seeks a Paralegal / Business Affairs Assistant to join its Business Affairs department in our London office and working across both the record label and publishing company 

Core Responsibilities Include:

• Supporting Head of Business Affairs as required
• Preparing artwork and video agreements, synchronisation, sample and lyric licenses, extension and variation agreements
• Responsible for third party agreements including producers, mixer, and featured artist agreements (including negotiating within prescribed limits)
• Coordinating management approvals and signing of agreements
• Updating licensing spreadsheets and arranging delivery of masters to external labels
• Working with the Business Affairs team to ensure files, templates and knowledge resources are properly maintained and kept up to date
• Managing ad hoc queries and researching points of law
• Working closely with other departments and artist management in relation to clearances
• Assisting on all other issues that contribute to the running of the Business Affairs department where appropriate

• Please note that the job description is not exhaustive and may vary in line with changes in the team’s objectives.

The ideal candidate will have:

• Experience of the music industry in a business affairs/legal capacity;
• Excellent attention to detail and a proven track record in negotiating and concluding deals in challenging environment;
• A law degree or legal background;
• Excellent drafting skills, with a keen commercial mind;
• The ability to communicate effectively with people at all levels of the business;
• The ability to work autonomously, think strategically and be proactive;
• Strong administrative, Microsoft Office, Excel, organisation and planning skills.

Please send a covering letter stating how you meet the requirements along with your CV to vacancy@dominorecordco.com before 6pm on Monday 18^th December, 2017.

Domino seeks an Administrative Assistant to join its Business Affairs department in our London office working across both the record label and publishing company. 

The role of the Administrative Assistant is to provide general administrative support for the Business Affairs team and reporting to the Business Affairs Manager. 

Main responsibilities: 

• Working closely with all members of the Business Affairs team and internal departments, including Finance and A&R
• Setting up and maintaining appropriate administration and contract management systems
• Handling internal queries on artist contracts and researching potential legal issues
• Managing broadcast and compilation agreements (with potential to increase this scope) including negotiation within prescribed limits and liaising with artist management
• Typing and amending correspondence and other documentation.
• Supporting the team by carrying out administrative tasks such as filing, photocopying and sending out documents
• Assisting the team in the management of the firm’s knowledge and information resources 

Person specification:

• Excellent organisational skills and attention to detail
• Strong Microsoft Office, Excel and IT skills
• Ability to prioritise and manage multiple responsibilities
• Proactive and able work under pressure
• Legal or Business Affairs experience
• Experience within music industry preferred
• Salary:  Please state your salary requirements.
• Please send a covering letter stating how you meet the requirements along with your CV to vacancy@dominorecordco.com before 6pm on Monday 18^th December, 2017.