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Shriekback – And The Rain
Seminal British alternative rock outfit Shriekback has announced they will release their new album ‘Why Anything? Why This?’ on May 25. As a teaser, they are previewing the first single ‘And The Rain’, along with a darkly intriguing video filmed by Howard Davidson (a.k.a. Hodah).
Shriekback was formed in 1980 by ex-XTC keyboardist Barry Andrews and bassist Dave Allen on his departure from Gang Of Four, in collaboration with guitarist Carl Marsh from Out On Blue Six. Under the auspices of the visionary Y Records label (home to The Slits, The Pop Group and Pigbag), the group found their voice experimenting in EMI Music’s KPM demo studio in London, refining a uniquely recognizable sound in 1982 on their first full-length album ‘Care’ and eventually achieving wider recognition with the singles ‘Lined Up’ and ‘My Spine (Is The Bassline)’. In 1983, they were joined by drummer Martyn Barker (King Swamp, Billy Bragg).
A move to a major label, Arista, allowed the band to fully realize their sound on ‘Oil & Gold’(1985), a milestone album that remains the band’s best-known (helped by the success of the single ‘Nemesis’) and the foundation of their popularity on the US college circuit and elsewhere.
‘And The Rain’ is dark and infectious, conjuring up steamy, swampy, Southern Gothic blues.This 14th studio album, which boasts a wide, organic and detailed sound, is already being described by early listeners as their best since the landmark album ‘Oil & Gold’. The sound is dense, woody and fibrous. Here we find evolved Bo Diddley beats and African blues”. However you describe it, this is Shriekback refocused, reinvented and reinvigorated.
Band members have also pushed themselves musically and sonically – Barry contributes a lot of guitars, Carl has essayed some slide guitar and keyboards and Martyn has brought in a whole arsenal of world percussion alongside his drumkit. Regular Shriekback listeners will hear more guitars and live drums and fewer loops and electronics. The sonic palette is very broad.
Written, performed and produced almost exclusively by the core trio, this is very much a ‘band’ album, crafted over time with the three core members working in their own studios, as well as in group sessions at Yellow Fish and Echo Zoo studios to capture live drums. But the writing and production on this release have been much more collaborative, with Martyn, in particular, having more input than previously.
New collaborator Scott Firth (of P.i.L) adds irrefutable bass to selected tracks, while Shriekback regulars Wendy and Sarah Partridge contribute their ever-invaluable backing vocals. Live drums were recorded by Ian Caple (who’s been with Shriekback since the beginning) at Yellow Fish in Lewes and Christoph Skirl at Echo Zoo in Eastbourne. The album was mixed and mastered by Stuart Rowe in The Lighterthief Bunker, Swindon – his fifth Shriekback album in this role, an indication of the value placed on his objective ear and technical skill.
‘Why Anything? Why This?’ will be released on May 25, 2018. While fans should keep an eye out for the album via digital stores and streaming platforms, the album is already available for pre-order from the band directly at https://shriekback.com/store.
LINKS:
http://www.shriekback.com
http://www.facebook.com/shriekback
http://twitter.com/shriekbackmusic
http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJMkzOIkm9sqOjch00BhHBg/videos
http://soundcloud.com/shriekbackband
http://open.spotify.com/artist/5zdhsKuFI263xttcgdoW3c?si=ygb7IlYKSASw5xefkBQfDA
http://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/shriekback/85136
http://shriekbackmusic.tumblr.com -
Sunstack Jones – How It All Went Down
Initially conceived by Chrisy, Lorcan, and Richy as a songwriting project – self-releasing two homespun LP’s and receiving airplay from BBC Radio 2 courtesy of Mark Radcliffe. Following a few singles with Liverpool’s Eighties Vinyl Records (The La’s/The Stairs/The Sand Band), 2016 saw Dave and Jules complete the lineup, evolving into a fully fledged live band.
An EP later that year was followed by a third self-titled LP, produced by long time collaborator Paul Den Heyer and mastered by Nick McCabe (The Verve), released in 2018 on Deltasonic Records (The Coral/The Zutons). This LP received a glowing 4 Star review in Mojo Magazine and featured on the Steve Lamacq BBC Radio 6 playlist with the single ‘By The By’.
Golden Repair is the band’s fourth LP & the first to be released by Mai 68 Records. Formed from sprawling jams during soundchecks & rehearsals, lyrics & harmonies worked out during long van journeys whilst on tour with US Alt-rock stalwarts Buffalo Tom, the result is a record that is more than the sum of its parts; five friends as a collective, playing in a room, together.
In order to capture this vibe effectively, the band decided to record live at Faktory Studios, standing in a circle facing each other was key. You can hear it in every note of the album; no mixing out creaks & coughs, with just the right amount of bleed. Recorded beautifully by Simon Jones (The Verve), the final mixes from longtime collaborator Paul Den Heyer sound exactly like the band envisaged, a moment in time captured like a sonic photograph.
‘Nowhere Near an Ocean’ started as an enveloping riff thrown out on the fly, the band easing into a groove & crashing into simultaneous changes on the day in the studio. It was quickly committed to tape in a couple of takes with improvised lyrics & instinctive harmonies. Proof that the first idea is often the best idea.
‘Where You Gonna Go’ is the first Sunstack Jones track to feature a three-part harmony, devised on a long drive to Holland for a festival performance & introducing a new dynamic to the band.
The two singles preceding the LP release introduce the recurring lyrical themes visited throughout the album. Living in the here & now rather than being caught up in nostalgia for times that have passed, yet longing to be far away from the unavoidable frustration & anger of living in an unfair & unjust society.
LINKS
http://www.sunstackjones.com
https://www.facebook.com/SunstackJones
https://sunstackjones.bandcamp.com -
KnightressM1 – Lock and Key
KnightressM1 has just released her new video for the track titled ‘Lock and Key’. the addition as a violin as a frontal instrument is captivating enough. If gives the song a whole new set of tonality and range that would not be there if a guitar or keyboard handled those melodic duties. however, that adds much flavor to an already flavorful track that the video really does a symphonic justice to.
But what KnightressM1 delivers is a complete and full track with a visual aid that adds a new and original cinematic flare that otherwise would not be there had this been another artist.
As of August 17, ‘Lock & Key’ will be available across digital outlets such as Apple Music and streaming platforms such as Spotify. The full ‘Dreams and Devastation’ LP is slated for release on September 25.
ABOUT KNIGHTRESSM1
KnightressM1 is a rock / metal power trio based in Oakland and the brainchild of violinist, vocalist, pianist and composer Emily Palen. Formed in 2011 with support from drummer Rob Ahlers (50FOOTWAVE, KrIstin Hersh), KnightressM1 was joined by bassist Uriah Duffy (Whitesnake) for the studio album.
Recorded at Foo Fighters’ acclaimed Studio 606 near L.A., this album was co-produced by Palen and esteemed producer John “Lou” Lousteau (Foo Fighters, Iggy Pop, Joan Jett). This 12-song collection is an ambitious concept album that explores both the emotional depths of personal transformation and the journey of cosmic awakening.
‘Lock & Key’ is inspired by the current planetary battle for human souls to break free from oppression waged down upon us by the hidden power structures. Ironically, this song became a personal anthem as Palen struggled to break free from domestic violence during the time of the album’s recording, ultimately illuminating that art/music is an unbreakable exit plan from the lethality of relational abuse.
“Recording gave me the courage to end a toxic relationship. It was like living in the sun, then going into the pits of hell. I trusted myself that I would get out of it, I just had to gather my resolve and courage. I always saw the truth of the situation but it was the being fully immersed with the recording of this album at 606 that helped me experience who I was, rather than how brutalized I felt in the relationship. I stepped towards the truth ultimately and broke out of that situation.
Music, art, expression, living in the depth of purpose, is a way to connect with the most powerful part of you. You will bring forth aspects of yourself that are strong enough to deal with one of the most difficult situations one can go through,” says Emily Palen.
KnightressM1’s sound is the sonic manifestation of Palen’s heart – relentless, always reaching for beauty and absolutely driven by intensity. Their music is fascinating in the integration of specific musical frequencies into her compositions. The further her journey with this band, the heavier and heavier the sound gets. The crushing intricate rhythm section blends harmoniously with her driving, searing electricified violin tone as the lead.
Fueled by a deep-seated necessity to defy limitation, they harness an intense internal life to fuel the trajectory of the band over the edge of the impossible. Their heavy driving bass and rhythm are rounded out with lots of harmonic layering and beauty.
KnightressM1 is the embodiment of musical manifestations, based on the thematic concept of a female galactic warrior, who comes to Earth to bring justice, hunt corruption and restore truth. Within universal language, M1 is code for unity. This is her identifier. Her frequency. KnightressM1 (KM1) is the vessel through which Palen creates and shares her unique contributions to what is more commonly known here on earth as the music industry.
“KM1 is me imagining my whole consciousness in a superhero avatar, a limitless being. A universal example of who we can all be, The power of harmony can break your heart wide open while the powerful rhythm and bass give you the strength to move through that opening. It’s heavily grounded while reaching very high. As with love and life, you must embrace all aspects of the spectrum to fully embody it,” explains Palen.
“You can’t change anything until you tell the truth about it. Once you expose the pain, the lies and the liar, then you have power. You can become free. You must first have the courage to face it.”
A violinist from the age of four (her mother was a professional cellist and violin/cello teacher), the classically-trained virtuoso has spent her life mastering violin, piano, singing and composition via rigorous training and practice. As a young adult, she began exploring the concept of transmitting consciousness through improvisation. Emily explored this power through sacred solfeggio in the steadfast belief that these specific audio tones have transformative power.
Since releasing her first solo violin improv album ‘Glass ~ Live at Grace Cathedral’ in 2012 and ‘Creation’ a year later, she’s become a sponsored artist with Engl Amps, a crucial part of KM1’s tone, and has played or recorded with Foo Fighters, Eric McFadden and Gretchen Menn, among others, both as a live performer and a compositional recording artist, Earlier, she became a finalist in the ‘My Grammy Moment’ competition and played live with orchestra at the Grammys, conducted by John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin).
“This album has saved my life in many ways. Everything that I have ever been through, every love gained and lost, every heartbreak that slipped away without justice now makes sense in the context of this album. It was all so I could write these songs and experience their alchemizing power. Music has always lifted me into an untouchable space, even when everything around me is breaking, even when I am breaking beyond what I can bear, beyond what I myself can repair, the music heals it.
When I’m completely honest with the music, it alchemizes the deepest pain and unforgivable betrayal into an unbreakable strength and love. We become greater because of the life we have lived, not in spite of it,” says Emily Palen.
LINKS:
https://www.knightressm1.com
https://www.facebook.com/knightressm1
https://www.instagram.com/knightressm1_band
https://youtube.com/emilypalen
https://open.spotify.com/artist/1rTKwDlXBNJnuOvmUhEQVy
https://music.apple.com/us/artist/knightressm1/id941125533
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