// Category Archive for: Upcoming Releases

Can Iron Maiden Save Rock and Roll? New Single “Speed Of Light”

By Jeffery X Martin

The venerable British heavy metal band Iron Maiden is returning with a new double album, The Book of Souls, and the first single, “Speed of Light,” is a five-minute-long, arena-sized rollercoaster ride through a thunderstorm, with a hot riff so slinky, the Lord of Darkness could floss with it. It’s a swift kick in the ass for a rock and roll scene grown stale and over-inflated with buttrock and pseudo-Satania. There’s more energy in this one single than there has been in the last three Foo Fighters albums. Leave it to a bunch of 50-year-old Brits to rear back up and bring a whole genre back to life, like a collective of Victor Frankensteins.

That’s pretty heavy praise for just one song, and I know that, but listen, you guys.

No, I mean, listen to the song.

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The Sword Release New Single For Upcoming High Country Album

By Tim Murr

I was late discovering The Sword. I came across their album Warp Riders at the library last year and checked it out based solely on the fact that there were tracks called “The Chronomancer I” and “The Chronomancer II.” Since I like a little sci-fi with my metal, I gave them a chance and just fell in love with the band’s brand of classic stoner metal.

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Interview: A Conversation With Director Steven DeGennaro

By Jeffery X Martin

When I first heard about the upcoming horror movie, Found Footage 3D, I immediately got on Twitter to make fun of it. Oh, don’t act like you’re shocked. The real surprise for me happened when the director of the movie, Steven DeGennaro, saw my tweet and engaged me in a civil conversation. That’s the inherent joy and terror of Twitter; you never know who’s reading. After talking to Steven for a while, I moved out of mockery mode and into curiosity. That led to research.

Steven DeGennaro previously directed the short film, First Date. For his new movie, he is working closely with horror icon Kim Henkel, co-writer of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. That certainly intrigued me. Then, I had the opportunity to talk to Steven DeGennaro at the end of last month.

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New Single From Upcoming Album: Big Black Delta, “Side Of The Road”

By Less Lee Moore

Big Black Delta‘s Tour EP was one of my Top Ten faves of 2012, so I’m thrilled to hear news of an upcoming album. The self-titled disc will be released on April 9 on CD, digital, and vinyl via Masters Of Bates.

The first single, “Side of the Road,” is fantastic and features the same Big Black Delta hallmarks that I loved on their EP. It’s a synthy, spacey, and surprisingly emotional track that proves Bates knows how to do Autotune the right way (in part because he can actually sing).

Big Black Delta, a.k.a. Jonathan Bates, will be performing at this year’s SXSW, on Wednesday, March 13, at Cedar Street Courtyard. For details, visit the SXSW schedule page. You can also listen to another track on the SXSW website.

For more on the band, check out the Big Black Delta website.

New Single/Video: Suede, “It Starts And Ends With You”

By Less Lee Moore

It was only last month that Suede released a track from their upcoming album Bloodsports and now the official single and video are out.

It’s Suede, all right. Monochromatic, smoky, everyone looking dour. No longer the pretty young things (except for Richard Oakes, perhaps), but that’s not only fine, it’s preferable. We always loved the music the most, anyway. The song is also very much a Suede single, and actually improves towards the end when they sort of let loose. I’m looking forward to analyzing the lyrics to this and “Barriers” when the album is released.

Now who’s going to make an animated GIF of Brett Anderson’s slow clap? Because I need that in my life. Bloodsports is out on March 18.

New Video: Inside What The Brothers Sang with Dawn McCarthy & Bonnie “Prince” Billy

By Less Lee Moore

Photo © Lindsay Rome

The much-anticipated What The Brothers Sang—Dawn McCarthy and Bonnie “Prince” Billy’s tribute album of Everly Brothers songs—will be out on February 19. In the meantime, enjoy this video of behind-the-scenes footage of the rehearsal and recording process. It provides a peek at the hard work and musicianship that went into the making of this album as well as the sheer amount of talent involved. Other artists on the album are Emmett Kelley, Dave Roe and Kenny Malone, with featured players Billy Contreras, John Mock, Dan Dugmore, Matt Sweeney, Pete Townsend, John Catchings, Bobby Wood, Joey Miskalin, Nils Frykdahl, Ian McAllister, Joey Baron, Dr. Chris Vivio, and Noah Tag. While you’re waiting for the release, you can pre-order the album from Drag City.

Stream “A Note To Self” By Parenthetical Girls: Upcoming Album, Spring Tour

By Less Lee Moore

The eclectic, engaging Parenthetical Girls released a series of EPs over the last few years entitled Privilege. These were limited edition and only available via mail order. Oh, and each one was hand-numbered n the blood of one of the band’s members.

Now they’ve condensed the 21 songs that make up the five-part series into 12 tracks, all of which have been remixed and remastered. The Privilege album will be released by Marriage Records and the band’s own Slender Means Society Label on February 19.

To support the release, Parenthetical Girls are embarking on a Spring tour, beginning March 6 in San Francisco.

Obviously, none of us have the patience to wait for either of these momentous occasions, so the band has thoughtfully provided a streaming track, “A Note To Self.”

Additionally, they’ll be producing a series of video commercials for Privilege, beginning with the one below (a clever homage to Brooke Shields’s infamous Calvin Klein jeans ads from the 1980s).

For more on Parenthetical Girls, check out their website.

Tour Dates:
03/06 Portland, OR – Holocene
03/07 Berkeley, CA – Starry Plough
03/08 Los Angeles, CA – The Smell
03/09 Phoenix, AZ – Trunk Space
03/10 Albuquerque, NM – Low Spirits
03/12 San Antonio, TX – Korova
03/13 – 03/16 Austin, TX – SXSW
03/17 Dallas, TX – Spillover Music Festival
03/19 Birmingham AL – Bottletree
03/20 Atlanta, GA – The Earl
03/21 Chapel Hill, NC – Local 506
03/22 Washington, DC – TBA
03/23 Philadelphia, PA – PhilaMOCA
03/24 Hamden, CT – Outer Space
03/25 Brooklyn, NY – Glasslands
03/26 NYC – Bowery Electric
03/27 Montreal, QB – Divan Orange
03/28 Toronto, ON – Double Double Land
03/29 Ann Arbor, MI – Arbor Vitae
03/30 Chicago, IL – Empty Bottle
03/31 Minneapolis, MN – TBA
04/02 Denver, CO – Hi Dive
04/03 Salt Lake City, UT – Kilby Court
04/04 Boise, ID – Flying M
04/07 Seattle, WA – Chop Suey

Upcoming Release: Dawn McCarthy and Bonnie “Prince” Billy, What The Brothers Sang

By Less Lee Moore

Bonnie “Prince” Billy & Dawn McCarthy

Even if you don’t think you’re familiar with The Everly Brothers, you probably are. Known for topping the Billboard pop and country charts for their 1957 version of “Bye Bye Love,” their unusual, lovely harmonies and straddling of the lines between pop and country were remarkable then and now. And that was just their first popular single, which was followed by “All I Have To Do Is Dream,” “Till I Kissed You,” “Cathy’s Clown,” and “When Will I Be Loved,” to name a few.

If you’ve heard Dawn McCarthy (of Faun Fables) or Bonnie “Prince” Billy (also known as Will Oldham of Palace Brothers and others) then you’re familiar with each of their unique vocal talents as well those for creating music that weaves in and out of traditional pop, folk, and Americana.

The upcoming What The Brothers Sang, which will be released through Drag City on February 19, 2013, is an album of Everly Brothers songs interpreted by and filtered through both McCarthy and Billy’s distinctive talents.

Drag City’s press release remarks that these new versions “rethink The Everly Brothers for the audience of listeners today, who naturally might have no knowledge or experience with those songs.”

In the meantime, here’s their cover of The Everly Brothers’ 1972 track, “Christmas Eve Can Kill You,” which is a nice antidote to the forced cheer we’re subjected to for the final months of every year.

You can purchase the “Christmas Eve Can Kill You” single directly from Drag City.