Dreamy post-punk rockers Crooked Ghost have announced that their new album ‘Skeleton House’ will be released on CD on November 23, followed by a limited edition 12″ vinyl release in February 2019. Ahead of this, the Asheville, NC outfit presents their ‘Sleepwalker’ single, accompanied by a video, directed by Rome Widenhouse.
“Skeleton House’ is the band’s sophomore long-play – a dark and hazy dreamscape of lush and angular melody, with a stark lyrical rawness touching upon such subjects as addiction, trauma, loss, superstition, and everything that gets left behind after a catastrophic event. The album consists of eight tracks, ranging from dreamy and playful to anguished and harrowing. Billowing vocal patterns weave intricate stories between shimmering guitar crescendos, cascading synths, and mathematical percussion.
This album follows up their debut LP ‘Strange Burial Rituals’, released in March 2017. This new offering has two distinct halves: the first is lighter, the second darker. The whole thing plays out like a story, or rather, two opposite stories that are intertwined.
“The song ‘Sleepwalker’ was one of the first written for the new album, and everything about it just worked. The song itself is in reference to addiction and a dissolution of one’s sense of self; self-medicating and numbness. I wanted to bring light to something dark, yet still tell an honest story. Something about this song has always stood out for us, says frontman Ray Clark.
“The music video was shot by Rome Widenhouse over a period of several weeks and includes shots of that eclipse everyone was so excited about. The video is a bit surreal and has a sort of Twin Peaks meets the X-Files vibe. It was a lot of fun to shoot, even the traipsing barefoot through the woods in nothing but a bedsheet and getting poison ivy part. At one point our director took a tumble down a cliffside and we thought he was done for!”
Formed in Seattle in 2013 as an acoustic side project by Ray Clark, Crooked Ghost was initially a channel for leftover songs that didn’t seem to fit in any of the other bands Clark was involved in, but quickly became the focal point of Ray’s creative energy. Ray soon fled the musically-saturated Seattle scene to find himself in the intensely creative heart of Asheville, North Carolina.
With a guitar case full of lyrics of songs never intended to be heard by anyone, somehow, something had begun to spark again. Intimidated by the idea of a solo project, Ray joined with Chris Saldin, who would play bass, and bought an electric guitar, set on bringing Crooked Ghost to life. Together with drummer Jon Wyatt, the songs came to life. A few months later, they entered the studio to record their debut album.
They were eventually joined by Charles Reed on guitar and Alex Cannon on keyboards before recording the heavily emotive and dreamily lush ‘Skeleton House’. With the power-pop punch of Catch Fire, the dark-disco punk breakdown of Roadkill, to the angular yet dreamy swoon of Sleepwalker, Skeleton House will impress and even haunt you.
“These songs were inspired by the loss of someone I loved to a fire. The idea that something like a fire could destroy so much, but still leave something behind was so enticing to me. I wanted these songs to represent resilience and strength, and to be able to process loss in a healthy way. I wanted to find a way to bring light to the darker things I was experiencing, and to arrange the pieces into something beautiful,” says Ray Clark.
“We recorded this album up in Black Mountain, NC in the dead of winter. The snowy and icy landscape definitely added to the album’s atmosphere. This is also our first release on vinyl, making it very special for all of us. As kaleidoscopic as it sounds, I feel we very much achieved the piece of art we were wanting to make.”
As of November 23, ‘Skeleton House’ will be available on CD. It can already be ordered via Bandcamp and is also available across music stores and streaming platforms such as iTunes and Spotify.
LINKS:
https://www.facebook.com/CrookedGhost
https://crookedghost.bandcamp.com
https://www.instagram.com/crookedghost
https://twitter.com/thecrookedghost
https://soundcloud.com/crookedghost
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIgVwlr638HsQbVuTZGH6EQ
https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/skeleton-house/1394361906
https://open.spotify.com/artist/1dQla5TZY6h1hmDyAIDtrF?si=5Qufr3YuSmGi_5FdwECCPA
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Society 1 – It’s Yours Now
Legendary Southern California Industrial Metal group Society 1 has signed a deal with DSN Music to release their upcoming album Rise From The Dead, scheduled to release this March. Society 1, which was founded in 1996 by the infamous Lord Zane on lead vocals, also features veteran guitarist Maxxxwell Carlisle, bassist Dirt Von Karloff, and drummer Iorden Mitev.
“It feels good to be back at it again, like an old lover who fucked you better than anyone before or after” said Zane during a decadent signing party at the DSN Music complex in Malibu, CA. “Everyone has those moments when you resurrect and reinvent. This album Rise From The Dead is one of those moments.”
The comeback for Zane follows a hiatus during which he established a successful Hollywood career as a music video director, working on projects with such acts as Zakk Wylde, John 5, DMC, Wayne Static, and Orgy.
“For me this isn’t so much of a return for the band but more a return of my understanding of how necessary musical exploration is to my existence,”
said Zane.Society 1 gained a name for itself nationally for their wild stage antics, including the Download Festival in 2005, where Zane broke several records by performing the entire set suspended from 4 meat hooks through his back.
“Lord Zane is one of the most talented individuals you will ever come in contact in our industry these days” said DSN President Guy Giuliano. “He has conquered every media platform, with a level of true professionalism, and he’s only really just getting started!”
“Rise From The Dead” goes on sale worldwide March7, 2017 online and through all mobile outlets.
LINKS:
http://www.society1band.com
https://www.facebook.com/society1
https://twitter.com/Society1music
https://www.youtube.com/user/Society1Video
https://soundcloud.com/Society1 -
Astrobal – Australasie (ft. Laetitia Sadier)
French electronic producer Astrobal has announced his forthcoming ‘Memories of Stars’ EP via German label Karaoke Kalk, combining psychedelic soundings with a soft pop. He is already previewing the lead track ‘Australasie ft. Laetitia Sadier’. The accompanying video was produced by Patrice Curtillat (a.k.a. Poborsk), whose fantastic illustrations flow over the geography of Australasia, as clouds of drones and satellites float in the sky, before inevitably diving in a kaleidoscope from where one emerges on stellar landscapes, where colors and hybrid forms blossom like mechanical insects.
Astrobal is the solo project of Emmanuel (Emma) Mario, who burst onto the scene in his native France through collaborations and production work with some of the country’s most cutting-edge artists, including Laetitia Sadier, Arnaud Fleurent-Didier, Holden, Institut, Monade, Hyperclean. and Iko Chérie. It is no coincidence that the Stereolab songstress should feature on ‘Australasie’, as Emma Mario’s work as a producer and drummer for Laetitia Sadier has left an enduring legacy, rendering some of the most singular work from the iconic French chanteuse.
Mario has produced several Laetitia Sadier albums ‘The Trip’ (2010) and ‘Something Shines’ (2014), as well as the latest ‘Find Me Finding You’ album from Laetitia Sadier Source Ensemble, all three albums released through Drag City. He’s been extremely busy this year, touring as part of the Ensemble and sometimes even opening the show as Astrobal.
“Our blood runs hydrous with the seas/The essence of oceans spills through our veins.” Laetitia Sadier matter-of-factly unfurls these words on the opening track and they prove prescient. Astrobal’s wispy, French-accented vocals intermix with Sadier’s enchanting voice as she delivers spiritual and scientific information about the universe as if engaged in a shamanic incantation.
“Emmanuel became a long-time collaborator and he’s very good at working with other people, but there was also a desire to do his own stuff. He was kind of doing it before he started working on this project, but then I guess he found his focus and made this incredible piece of work,” says Laetitia Sadier.
“From one track to another, you’re transported to very different countries, but it’s also very familiar to Emmanuel, and I find that to be a real strength: to have such a variety of different styles, but still be familiar and to have some similarity. He reaches really far out to find certain tracks and to bring them back to a whole.”
The album is aqueous, each track a slow wave building, with clean lines and fluid form. Symphonic strings and ethereal ambient washes are married to buzzing synths and Astrobal’s crisp, crackling drums. Though eclectic, Astrobal presents a cohesive vision, with the guiding principles of texture and fluidity uniting the disparate threads. Astrobal creates a universe one can swim around in – from start to finish, the particular mood always beholden to the vibe. One leaves his dream world having lived a unique experience laced with sonic and solar dreamy.
Karaoke Kalk was founded by Thorsten Lütz in 1997. By releasing music that bridges several electronic genres, including minimal, ambient, and techno, this niche label is helping to define the sound of contemporary pop.
Karaoke Kalk has put out records by Bill Wells, Hauschka, Toulouse Low Trax, and many others. Karaoke Kalk also co-released Astrobal’s debut full-length album ‘Australasie’ with LA-based Plug Research in June of this year.
LINKS:
http://www.astrobal.com
http://www.facebook.com/Astrobalwaves
http://twitter.com/astrobalwaves
http://soundcloud.com/lesfraisessauvages
http://www.instagram.com/astrobal
http://astrobal.bandcamp.com
http://astrobalwaves.tumblr.com
http://open.spotify.com/artist/4CWXZeuMIFCkejorIIbny6 -
Grieves – A-Okay
‘Running Wild’ has a modernized sound that is lush and intoxicating, pairing punchy drums with thick layers of synths and warm bass lines. Whether dark and moody or upbeat and jazzy, Grieves navigates the soundscape, penning verses that range from vulnerable and confessional to carefree.
Recorded in Stockholm alongside Swedish producer Chords (aka rapper Jens Eric Resch Thomason), the fifteen tracks on ‘Running Wild’does exactly what the album title would imply.
Tracks like ‘Gutz’ and ‘No Sleep’ are classic Grieves ruminations on anxiety and romantic bust-ups, then others such as ‘Faded’ and ‘RX’ experiment with fluttering trap beats, whilst ‘What it Dew’ and ‘5,000 Miles’ offer the rich guitar tones and humming organs more commonly found in classic soul.
The record offers a clear openness, both sonically and thematically which presents a new side to Grieves and his creativity as an artist. It showcases his dueling impulses to have a good time while staying true to himself. This artistic progression in Grieves offers a refreshing development in his overall sound, lyricism, and a unique journey for the listener.
When asked if he always knew he would end up being a rapper, Grieves can only laugh. “Oh no, not really, I was in bands and stuff, but grew up listening to Punk. It wasn’t until I got a little older that Hip-Hop really started to happen for me.”
When Grieves first heard artists such as Mobb Deep and Wu-Tang Clan, he remembers being drawn to their sound. “Hearing all the samples from records that I heard my dad play when I was a kid… You start to hear the connections. When I discovered people like Atmosphere, it was like hearing somebody speak their truth in a way that related to me. That’s when I first started to think about Hip-Hop as a way to really talk about what was happening in my life. Hard to believe that now, over a decade later, that’s actually what I’m still doing.”
While his previous efforts such as 2011’s ‘Together/Apart’, and 2014’s ‘Winter & The Wolves’ might have leaned heavily in the direction of darkness- taking on subjects such as addiction, heartbreak, and poverty, the new record introduces some much-needed levity to the proceedings.
At a time when the notion of the “album” is often summarily ditched in favor of records that are little more than a collection of previously released singles, ‘Running Wild’ is very much an album, and intentionally so. “I really wanted this to be a real record,” says Grieves, “I wanted it to work front to back.”
“I’ve been touring for over ten years at this point, people have seen my show. They get who I am as a person and an artist, the serious and the lightheartedness. Until now I haven’t felt comfortable releasing a record that divulges this, to project what you’re experiencing live, and what you have come to expect from the records, all in one!”
Coinciding with the tour, Grieves has also dropped his next video from the album for the track ‘A-Okay.’ The video centers around a character who seems unable to cut loose and enjoy the good times and the company he ‘s surrounded by.
Grieves said, “Life is way too short to be mad at other people’s enjoyment. Go out and live a little, rent a hot tub boat, get your butt touched, whatever… Just smile!”
SOURCE: Official Bio
LINKS:
https://rhymesayers.com/artists/grieves
https://twitter.com/Grievesmusic
https://www.facebook.com/Grievesmusic
https://www.instagram.com/grieves