Sometimes it’s the simpler concepts that are most effective, and the debut video from UK punks Rooks is a prime example of that.
In the video for ‘Bet It All On Black‘ the camera doesn’t shift away from the trio, sitting on a white table, wearing white shirts and heaving up black vomit over all of it. Surprisingly, it’s more compelling than it is disturbing so click play below to watch it, providing you haven’t been drinking a large supply of uncouth black liquids as this won’t help.
The fantastic new album from everyone’s favourite Brooklyn art-skate-punk inspired rockers, Root for Ruin by Les Savy Fav is currently available to purchase digitally from the Les Savy Fav online store. Head over here for our review of the album.
The deluxe edition of the album comes packaged with a limited edition signed Les Savy Fav skateboard and a Root For Ruin logo t-shirt.
To get hyped for a shred, frontman Tim Harrington has recently made a 90s heavy playlist on Myspace called ‘Get Sighked‘. Click here to have a listen.
Wilderness Heart
(Jajaguwar)
This is the album Canadian psych-demons Black Mountain have been threatening to make since they first unleashed themselves upon the world in the middle part of this decade. Previous albums ‘Into The Future’ and their self-titled debut were littered with moments of unarguable genius, but ‘Wilderness Heart’, their latest excursion into the studio is packed from beginning to end with bona fide stand-out classics throughout. And what makes this album stand out from the pick of the current wave of stoner rock ramblers (see also Black Angels, Dead Meadow, Tame Impala etc) is Black Mountain’s ability to make every song stand on it’s own two-feet, rarely repeating themselves and rampaging through 50 plus years of rock n roll to strike out with an album that drips cool and sublime melodies from every pore.
The duel male/female vocals of Stephen Mcbean and Amber Webber effectively melt together like never before and the sheer variety of styles on here stops this album from ever getting dull. From the balls out Judas Priest (I kid you not) metal attack of ‘Let Spirits Ride’ to the dreamy, ethereal shoe-gaze stoner sway of ‘Buried By The Blues’, Black Mountain have all bases covered. And with songs like ‘Old Fangs’ and ‘The Hair Song’ adding to the sprawling psychedelic journey that is ‘Wilderness Heart’, Black Mountain have created what could possibly be the album of their career. And this year.
Don’t miss them when they play Shepherds Bush Empire in London on October 7th.
James Sherry
Watch the video, listen to and download ‘The Hair Song‘ for free below.
The Dismemberment Plan have been contrapuntally dormant since they decided to call being one of the most exciting live bands on the planet a day in 2003. However, their recent announcement that they are reuniting for some more shows (US only for now, sadly) has already geared up fans to recall those exciting memories and throw hopes of a new album into the less than optimistic ether.
Bassist Eric Axelson has commented: ‘We’re not planning a new record. But we’re doing these shows and taking it day to day after that.’
Keep your ears close to the ground then. Until further notice, you’ll be pleased to learn that their 1999 album Emergency and I is due for a double LP release on January 11th.
Ram Records activists Xample and Lomax have announced that they will be releasing a single under the new encompassing alias ‘Loadstar‘.
‘Link To The Past‘ has already been dubbed by known taste-makers as track of the year and seeing as it also shares the name of one of the best videogames ever made then who are we to doubt that? It’s backed with ‘Rapidas’ and will be available from September 27th.
Peep the teaser for the release below and get hyped.
Maps & Atlases have posted the video for ‘Solid Ground‘, a cut from their album ‘Perch Patchwork‘, currently due a UK release on October 4th through Fat Cat Records.
The video was directed by Taryn Gould and Emily Kowalczyk and sees the Chicago math-folk troupe enter a foresty summer camp location and escalate into some very nice aesthetic crescendos.
The greatest fancy dress mosh extravaganza is back from the dead in time for Halloween on October 30th at the Kazimer, Liverpool.
For Night Of The Living Dead 9 Thrashgig, Evol and Meshuggy has pulled in Fucked Up, Charlie Chuck, SSS, Hot Club de Paris, Cold Ones and a lengthy ‘Disco Mosh’ with DJs afterwards in what is one of the gnarliest line-ups of the year for sure.
There will be giveaways from Vans, Creature, Spitfire and Independent, so don’t hesitate getting tickets for this. They cost £10 and can be purchased from here.
A compilation celebrating the first wave of California Punk that emerged around 1976-1980, Black Hole, will be released on November 15th with tracks hand selected by reknowned UK cultural writer Jon Savage.
The album will feature the likes of The Dead Kennedys, The Germs, The Zeros, The Dils and many more as we dive into an musical era that reverberated with sounds of anti-establishment, satire coated in spit, heavy riffs and savage wit.
The tracklisting is as follows,
1 – The Germs – Forming
2 – The Dils – I Hate The Rich
3 – The Screamers – Peer Pressure
4 – Crime – Murder By Guitar
5 – The Zeros – WIMP
6 – The Avengers – We Are The One
7 – The Consumers – Anti Anti Anti
8 – The Randoms – A-B-C-D
9 – Black Randy and the Metro Squad – Trouble at the Cup
10 – The Alleycats – Nothing Means Nothing Anymore
11 – The Weirdos – Solitary Confinement
12 – The Zeros – Beat Your Heart Out
13 – X – We’re Desperate
14 – The Offs – 624803
15 – The Sleepers – Seventh World
16 – The Middle Class – Situations
17 – The Bags – Survive
18 – The Germs – Media Blitz
19 – The Middle Class – Love Is Just a Tool
20 – The Flesheaters – Pony Dress
21 – Urinals – Black Hole
22 – The Aurora Pushups – Victims of Terrorism
23 – The Avengers – The American In Me
24 – The Dead Kennedys – California Uber Alles
25 – The Dils – The Sound of the Rain
26 – The Sleepers – Los Gatos
Fresh from the success of their live performances over the summer, including LED Festival, Leftfield have announced their biggest UK tour in over a decade.
Founding member and now solo representative of Leftfield, Neil Barnes has commented,
“The reception we received over the summer at the festivals was amazing. Now we can’t wait to get out there again this autumn and bring the full Leftfield Live experience to the rest of the country. Let the bass roar.”
Barnes will be joined by a full live band and original vocalists Djum Djum, Earl 16 and Cheshire Cat at the following dates…
Thursday 18th November – Leeds O2 Academy
Friday 19th November – Manchester Apollo
Saturday 20th November – Glasgow Barrowlands
Thursday 25th November – Liverpool University
Friday 26th November – Bournemouth O2 Academy
Saturday 27th November – Plymouth Pavillions
Thursday 2nd December – Bristol O2 Academy
Friday 3rd December – Brixton O2 Academy
Relentless recently screened their documentary ‘Lives Of The Artists: Follow Me Down‘ featuring legendary back country snowboarders Jeremy Jones and Xavier De La Rue, which we have covered in detail here.
The soundtrack, composed entirely by UNKLE served as a perfect fit for the film, depicting artists who continue to push boundaries of expression whilst maintaining a strong personal integrity. The entire film can be streamed online here.
A cut from UNKLE’s fantastic soundtrack, ‘Set No Sun‘ is available to download here. Get it and get motivated.