Folk Devils, the London group that took their name from a well-known academic text on media scapegoating*, have returned with their first new music in 33 years. The band blazed a trail across the UK’s independent music scene of the mid-80s with their unique brand of post-punk energy, known for their acclaimed indie-chart singles “Hank Turns Blue”, “Beautiful Monster”, three John Peel sessions, plus live dates opening for Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, The Fall, The Gun Club, Screaming Blue Messiahs, and others.
The 3-track “Forever” EP lands on 10” (Clear Red Vinyl)^ and Digital on September 18, 2020, via Optic Nerve Recordings and features two new compositions, the title track “Forever” and “My Slum Soul”, plus an incendiary new version of an old live favorite “Ink Runs Dry”.
Recorded at London’s famous Konk Studios in North London and mixed and co-produced by Grammy Award-winning engineer Rik Simpson, the re-born Folk Devils drew inspiration for new recordings from the release of their 2016 career retrospective “Beautiful Monsters (Singles & Demo Recordings 1984-86)” and the excellent reactions at subsequent live shows around the UK with kindred spirits Membranes, Inca Babies, The Wolfhounds, and The Cravats.
Founder members, guitarist Kris Jozajtis and bassist Mark Whiteley, reformed the group by recruiting members of a short-lived 1987 version of Folk Devils; guitarist Nick Clift and drummer John Hamilton.
Together with singer Dave Hodgson they soon discovered they had created a well-oiled twin-guitar juggernaut that brimmed with the same restless, twisted blues that characterized the first and second iterations of the band from 1983-87 when they were fronted by the highly underrated and now sadly-departed singer/songwriter Ian Lowery.
Hodgson, a fellow transplant from the North-East, had known Lowery in the early 80s prior to Folk Devils when the two were in their respective post-punk bands Ski Patrol and Parting Shots.
LINKS:
https://www.facebook.com/FolkDevilsUK
https://twitter.com/Folk_Devils_UK
https://www.instagram.com/folk_devils_uk
https://folkdevils.bandcamp.com
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AM Clouds – Rainmaker
Oregon-based AM Clouds craft adventurous rootsy indie rock that traverses both the internal and external landscapes of human experience. Their hometown of Bend offers extreme climate changes and expansive beauty, prompting them to coin the term ‘high desert rock.’ Even their name, AM Clouds, was derived from a phrase that was constantly broadcast across the Oregon weather forecast.
Meshing classic and alternative, the band connects the dots between several eras of rock music, from angular indie to psychedelic noise jams, equal parts Neil Young and Meat Puppets, Tom Petty and Uncle Tupelo. Their debut EP, War of Love, was released in 2017 and was welcomed with open arms by the local press, picking up heavy rotation on KPOV and KRFM. “We’re located in a rugged, remote place, where culture has a tendency to be overshadowed by nature,” Moon relates. “I think people really connect to hearing their majestic surroundings captured musically with a bit of cinematic flair.”
Made up of Bruce Troy Moon (lead vocals, lead guitar), Graham Boostrom (rhythm guitar, vocals), Pete Ficht (bass, keys, vocals), and Dan Paggi (drums, vocals), the band is both immediate and relatable, comprised of musicians committed to their individual tone but more invested in serving the overall sound. Since their inception, they’ve played across Central Oregon, sharing the stage with veteran roots rockers the Mother Hips and Portland’s psych-rock pioneers King Black Acid.
Their album, Rainmaker, was tracked at the Firing Room in Bend, Oregon with engineer Dayne Wood and mixed by Portland producer Jeff Stuart Saltzman (The Black Keys, Death Cab for Cutie).
Featured image by Amanda Marquez.
LINKS:
http://www.am-clouds.com
https://www.facebook.com/amclouds
https://twitter.com/amcloudsband
https://amclouds.bandcamp.com
https://www.instagram.com/am.clouds -
Earthset – Around The Head (Studio Session)
After a demo EP in 2013 and two years spent playing ’round northern Italy, Earthset has released their debut album “In a State of Altered Unconsciousness”. The album was recorded live in three days at Fonoprint Studios by Enrico Capalbo and produced by Carlo Marrone and Earthset. The first single “So What?” is an energetic, melodic number backed by an infectious beat and a crunchy guitar attack making it one of the most promising tracks to come out of the Italian indie rock scene.
LINKS:
https://www.facebook.com/Earthset
https://twitter.com/EarthsetBand
https://earthset.bandcamp.com -
Shishi – Ok Thx Bye
This is what Surf Rock would sound like if it was made in the dark near the frozen shores of the Baltic sea. Because it was. Benadetta, Victoria, and Maria Rosa (these are definitely not their real names) are a trio of Lithuanian mermaids who create ‘zero-waste trash music’ under the name ‘Shishi’. They sing about how it feels to be living in times when nothing makes sense anymore. Their music is perfect for people who care about what’s going on but don’t really know what’s happening.
Genre-wise Shishi takes sugar, spice, and everything nice from Surf Rock and blends it with a chemical formula that has been distilled from the raw sounds of the best Riot-Girl and Punk bands. The result is a beautifully awkward eco-friendly vibe reminiscent of Indie Surf frontrunners like La Luz or Tennis smashing into the powerful femininity of bands like Hole, Kleenex, and Delta 5.
Shishi was initially formed by three vocalists trying to play instruments they couldn’t play. Their 2018 debut album ‘NAx80’ was released after some intense and rapid learning sessions (it was around this time that they became mermaids, just in case you were wondering). Nominations, festivals, and tours followed. As the instrumental skills improved in 2020 Shishi was signed by ‘The state51 Conspiracy’ to release their follow up album ‘Mafitishei’ in which the band searches for new seas in which to splash around.
If this biography left you feeling more confused than informed and you suddenly want to dance upside-down, you are now in the perfect mood for some Shishi.
LINKS:
https://instagram.com/shishiband
https://facebook.com/shishiband
https://youtu.be/H9scVFqJhSA
https://soundcloud.com/user-617918304
https://open.spotify.com/artist/7nmCtibxtJAWRoecSc5EPS
https://apple.co/2y0USTp