Australia’s Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever release a new track/video, “Tidal River,” from their forthcoming album, Endless Rooms, out May 6th on Sub Pop. Rolling Blackouts C.F. have joined an Australian lineage of bands bold enough to marry the country’s evocative landscapes with the urban romance, passions and politics of its characters. Today’s propulsive “Tidal River,” is settled in this vein, as it invokes the specter of Australia as the “lucky country” – and the self-entitlement and ignorance it inspires: “Jetski over the pale reef / chase the pill for some relief / as long as you don’t point out / what’s underneath your feet.” The accompanying video was directed by frequent collaborator Nick Mckk and weaves landscape footage with clips of the band playing.
“Tidal River is a little snapshot of living in a place at a time when it feels like there is no-one at the wheel. If there were a complacency Olympics, Australia would win gold by a mile. In the ‘lucky country’, the luckiest ones jealously guard their fortune, as if it will disappear if they share it around. There is so much potential to do better, but it sometimes seems like progress is two steps forward, two steps back. Tidal River is located in what Europeans named Wilsons Promontory, where the river meets the ocean. It has great significance for the Gunai/Kurnai and Boonwurrung peoples, who call it Yiruk and Wamoon respectively. No matter the struggles and politics that go on, the river keeps churning into the sea.
Since releasing their debut EP Talk Tight in 2015, the Melbourne-based five-piece have been chewing through stages across the world at a frightening clip. Early 2020 saw them gearing up once again – putting the finishing touches on second album, Sideways to New Italy, and prepping for another international tour. Instead they were caught in the longest Covid-related lockdown in the world. “All our touring was amazing,” says Tom Russo, who along with Fran Keaney and Joe White make up the band’s trio of guitar-playing, singer/songwriters, rounded out by bassist Joe Russo and drummer Marcel Tussie. “It’s also sensory overload and a bit chaotic. So it went from that to the complete opposite – sensory deprivation. We were basically in a bubble.”
With no shows to support Sideways to New Italy possible, the band had little to do but sit at home. “I was spending all my weekends building stuff on Garageband,” says Keaney. “Writing without having any sense anybody would listen to it.” Soon experiments wandered: a synth line here, a disco vamp there. Files were traded – weird ideas without parameters included. Without realizing it, the group’s signature sound of rushing acoustic guitar, motorik drums and sparkling pop hooks was being subtly shifted into a new era. When lockdown momentarily lifted at the end of 2020, the band and long-time engineer Matt “Chow” Duffy legged it to “The Basin” – a lakeside, mud-brick house in regional Victoria the Russo extended family built in the ‘70s. With the building’s high-ceilings and rural setting encouraging a huge live sound, the reunited members spent two weeks figuring out what they had.
Back in Melbourne the band set about finishing the record on their own, working through months of lockdown restrictions, trial and error and the isolation of a post-pandemic world. “A lot of my ideas came from endlessly walking around the same streets of West Brunswick” says Russo. “But I was also kind of liberated by that - my mind wandered into places it wouldn’t otherwise have. Then when we finally got to recording in the country, the ambience seeped in. We ended up including field recordings of fire, rain and bird sounds. Then we finished it ourselves back in our Brunswick practice space.”
The result is Endless Rooms, the band’s most cinematic, stylistically diverse and ambitious album yet. Self-produced by the band with Matt Duffy, and mixed by Scott Horscroft (DMA’S, Silverchair, The Presets), Endless Rooms pulls back the curtain on what Rolling Blackouts C.F. can achieve, revealing a wider screen, deeper narrative currents, more confident shades, and an excitement at letting their tumbling brand of ragged, nervy pop wander and breathe.
Sub Pop is elated to announce the signing of the famed PNW duo, Quasi. Janet Weiss and Sam Coomes are the enduring perennial Portland two-piece Indie Rock and Roll band behind nine beloved albums and countless raucous performances. The world they inhabit is both strange and familiar like an alien riding a minibike. Although both Sam and Janet have played in numerous seminal musical outfits throughout the past several decades (Sleater-Kinney, Heatmiser, Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks, Elliott Smith, Wild Flag, Jon Spencer and the HITmakers, etc.), Quasi remains their centerpiece for creativity and camaraderie. Quasi’s distinct perspective, unwavering and playful, pits sweet vocal harmonies against dark, off-center, personal lyrics. Throughout their almost 30 year history, Quasi has pioneered countless profound songs that are part fearless folk art and part piranha.
The duo is hard at work on their Sub Pop debut, but until then you can catch the band live as they embark on a 28 date North American run, playing shows with Superchunk and Jon Spencer & the Hitmakers. Sam and Janet will be pulling double duty on the dates with Jon Spencer & the Hitmakers, Janet drumming and Sam singing and playing keyboards/synths in both bands. See below for a full list of shows and stay tuned for more information on new music.
Tour Dates: Sat. Mar. 26 - Boise, ID - Treefort Music Fest Mon. Apr. 04 - Seattle, WA - Neumos * Tue. Apr. 05 - Portland, OR - Revolution Hall * Mon. Apr. 11 - Buffalo, NY - Rec Room ^ Tue. Apr.-12 - Toronto, ON - Lee’s Palace ^ Wed. Apr. 13 - Detroit, MI - El Club ^ Thu. Apr. 14 - Chicago, IL - Schubas ^ Sat. Apr. 16 - Minneapolis, MN - 7th St. Entry ^ Mon. Apr. 18 - Omaha, NE - The Waiting Room ^ Tue. Apr. 19 - Denver, CO - Globe Hall ^ Wed. Apr. 20 - Salt Lake City, UT - Urban Lounge ^ Thu. Apr. 21 - Boise, ID Neurolux ^ Fri. Apr. 22 - Portland, OR - Dante’s ^ Sat. Apr. 23 - Vancouver, BC - The Fox Cabaret ^ Sun. Apr. 24 - Seattle, WA - Madame Lou’s ^ Tue. Apr. 26 - San Francisco, CA - Bottom Of The Hill ^ Wed. Apr. 27 - Los Angeles, CA - The Echo ^ Thu. Apr. 28 - San Diego, CA - The Casbah ^ Fri. Apr. 29 - Tucson, AZ - 191 Toole ^ Sat. Apr. 30 - Phoenix, AZ - Valley Bar ^ Sun. May 01 - Santa Fe, NM - Tumbleroot Brewery ^ Mon. May 02 - Colorado Springs, CO - The Black Sheep ^ Tue. May 03 - Wichita, KS - WAVE ^ Wed. May 04 - Kansas City, MO - recordBar ^ Thu. May 05 - St. Louis, MO - Blueberry Hill Duck Room ^ Fri. May 06 - Indianapolis, IN - The Hi-Fi ^ Sat. May 07 - Louisville, KY - Zanzabar ^ Sun. May 08 - Charlottesville, VA - The Southern ^
This coming Friday, March 25th, Guerilla Toss will release their Sub Pop debut, Famously Alive. On the heels of their latest single, “Cannibal Capital” and “Famously Alive” comes the new single “Live Exponential.” The band’s frontperson, Kassie Carlson shares of the song: “The song Live Exponential is about living to the fullest and beyond. It’s about having all the experiences possible and using them to build your understanding of yourself and the world around you. It’s about telling yourself you’re special until you believe it and feeling Godly just for yourself. It’s about severing the primal need for outside approval and taking active action to get what you want and need.”
Guerilla Toss have expanded their North American tour, which now begins on Thursday, April 7th in Greenfield, MA with a show at Hawks & Reed, ending at the Waking Windows Festival in Winooski, VT in May. See below for a full list of dates.
Thu. Apr. 07 - Greenfield, MA - Hawks & Reed Fri. Apr. 08 - Catskills, NY - Avalon Lounge Sat. Apr. 09 - New Haven, CT - Space Ballroom Wed. Apr. 13- Richmond, VA - Richmond Music Hall Thu. Apr. 14 - Carrboro, NC - Cat’s Cradle Fri. Apr. 15 - Atlanta, GA - Aisle 5 Sat. Apr 16 - Nashville, TN - The Blue Room @ Third Man Records Sun. Apr. 17 - Louisville, KY - Zanzabar Tue. Apr. 19 - Milwaukee, WI - Cactus Club Wed. Apr. 20 - Chicago, IL - The Empty Bottle Thu. Apr. 21 - Cleveland, OH - Grog Shop Fri. Apr. 22 - Toronto, ON - The Garrison Sat. Apr. 23 - Montreal, QC - Bar Le Ritz P.D.B Mon. Apr. 25 - Portland, ME - Space Tue. Apr. 26 - Somerville, MA - Crystal Ballroom at Somerville Wed. Apr. 27 - Providence, RI - Columbus Theatre Thu. Apr. 28 - Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda’s Fri. Apr. 29 - Queens, NY - TV Eye Sat. Apr. 30 - Queens, NY - TV Eye Wed. May 11 - Washington, DC - DC9 Thu. May 12 - Kingston, NY - Tubbys Fri. May 13 - Winooski, VT - Waking Windows Festival Sat. May 14 - Winooski, VT - Waking Windows Festival Sun. May 15 - Winooski, VT - Waking Windows Festival
What people are saying about Guerilla Toss:
“Camp art-pop songs matching Kassie Carlson’s surreal lyrics with burbling synths and booming basses, it might snag GT the audience they crave” -MOJO
It’s pop in the sense that it bursts through your speakers like neon bubblegum filled with big open guitar chords and it’s weird in the sense that it’s got extreme metal vocals growling along to the anthemic sugar-rush chorus- Stereogum [Best New Tracks]
…sees them undergoing another really exciting sound change and it’s some very funky weirdo pop music that I’m excited to hear the band dive into.-The Needledrop
“Playful tropical drums and glitches underscore Kassie Carlson’s unnerving harmonies, clashing with fuzzy guitars.” [“Cannibal Capital”] - Paste
“simultaneously their most accessible and most unabashedly maximalist record” - The Wire
“…” Famously Alive” is a full-throttle pop track [Famously Alive] - FADER
“Cannibal Capital’ leads the way, merging distorted guitars with heavenly vocals and layered of DIY electronics.” - Clash
“From the second bar, you know you are about to be floored by yet another ferociously bold offering.” - Podcart
Today, March 25th, Guerilla Toss releases their Sub Pop debut, Famously Alive. Guerilla Toss have expanded their North American tour, which now begins on Thursday, April 7th in Greenfield, MA with a show at Hawks & Reed, ending at the Waking Windows Festival in Winooski, VT in May. See below for a full list of dates.
Thu. Apr. 07 - Greenfield, MA - Hawks & Reed Fri. Apr. 08 - Catskills, NY - Avalon Lounge Sat. Apr. 09 - New Haven, CT - Space Ballroom Wed. Apr. 13- Richmond, VA - Richmond Music Hall Thu. Apr. 14 - Carrboro, NC - Cat’s Cradle Fri. Apr. 15 - Atlanta, GA - Aisle 5 Sat. Apr 16 - Nashville, TN - The Blue Room @ Third Man Records Sun. Apr. 17 - Louisville, KY - Zanzabar Tue. Apr. 19 - Milwaukee, WI - Cactus Club Wed. Apr. 20 - Chicago, IL - The Empty Bottle Thu. Apr. 21 - Cleveland, OH - Grog Shop Fri. Apr. 22 - Toronto, ON - The Garrison Sat. Apr. 23 - Montreal, QC - Bar Le Ritz P.D.B Mon. Apr. 25 - Portland, ME - Space Tue. Apr. 26 - Somerville, MA - Crystal Ballroom at Somerville Wed. Apr. 27 - Providence, RI - Columbus Theatre Thu. Apr. 28 - Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda’s Fri. Apr. 29 - Queens, NY - TV Eye Sat. Apr. 30 - Queens, NY - TV Eye Wed. May 11 - Washington, DC - DC9 Thu. May 12 - Kingston, NY - Tubbys Fri. May 13 - Winooski, VT - Waking Windows Festival Sat. May 14 - Winooski, VT - Waking Windows Festival Sun. May 15 - Winooski, VT - Waking Windows Festival
What people are saying about Guerilla Toss:
“Camp art-pop songs matching Kassie Carlson’s surreal lyrics with burbling synths and booming basses, it might snag GT the audience they crave” -MOJO
It’s pop in the sense that it bursts through your speakers like neon bubblegum filled with big open guitar chords and it’s weird in the sense that it’s got extreme metal vocals growling along to the anthemic sugar-rush chorus- Stereogum [Best New Tracks]
…sees them undergoing another really exciting sound change and it’s some very funky weirdo pop music that I’m excited to hear the band dive into.-The Needledrop
“Playful tropical drums and glitches underscore Kassie Carlson’s unnerving harmonies, clashing with fuzzy guitars.” [“Cannibal Capital”] - Paste
“simultaneously their most accessible and most unabashedly maximalist record” - The Wire
“…” Famously Alive” is a full-throttle pop track [Famously Alive] - FADER
“Cannibal Capital’ leads the way, merging distorted guitars with heavenly vocals and layered of DIY electronics.” - Clash
“From the second bar, you know you are about to be floored by yet another ferociously bold offering.” - Podcart
TV Priest will release My Other People, the group’s follow-up to Uppers, their acclaimed debut, worldwide on June 17th, 2022 from Sub Pop. The album features the highlights “One Easy Thing” and new single, “Bury Me In My Shoes,” which you can hear now. My Other People was produced by band member/multi-instrumentalist Nic Bueth at Studio East in London.
Frontman Charlie Drinkwater says of the album, “My Other People is a more “open” set of songs, both musically and in our themes; in the process of writing we found ourselves talking about things other than anger or aggression. We wanted to discuss love, loss, and joy too. It’s a record about personal disintegration and destruction but also rebuilding again after this. It’s also heavily rooted in place, the music being a very direct response to Britain and England in 2021, but in a more abstract and textural sense. A muddy field viewed from a train window between cities, a patch of wildflowers growing next to a motorway, sticky carpets in a suburban flat roof pub, pissing rain on an August bank holiday, and the smell of diesel in an out of town supermarket car park. An angry, hopeful, shitty, beautiful island.”
As for My Other People’s new single, he adds, “‘Bury Me In My Shoes’ is a hangover of a song. Last year was about reminding ourselves to hang on to good things; to remember you can love and hate in equal measure. That the answers are rarely found by looking backwards. “Bury Me” was written as a response to that general feeling of unease and creeping dread. A feeling you get from bad news on no breakfast.”
My Other People is now available to preorder from Sub Pop. LPs purchased through megamart.subpop.com, and select independent retailers in North America will receive the Opaque Pink w/white smoke vinyl version (while supplies last). Meanwhile, LP preorders in the U.K. and Europe through select independent retailers will receive the album on clear vinyl.
TV Priest has announced a UK tour to support My Other People which begins Sunday, October 30th in Bristol at The Louisiana, and ends Sunday, November 13th in Brighton at Green Door Store. Preceding these shows, TV Priest has scheduled a series of UK in-store performances to celebrate My Other People’s release week (June 17th - 23rd), which fans can gain entry to with proof of preorder through the participating retailers. There will also be US and EU tour dates announced soon. Please find a current list of tour dates below.
Fri. Jun. 17 - London, UK - Rough Trade East Mon. Jun. 20 - Brighton, UK - Resident* Tue. Jun. 21 - Southsea Portsmouth, UK - Pie & Vinyl* Wed. Jun. 22 - Totnes, UK - Drift* Thu. Jun. 23 - Leeds, UK - The Vinyl Whistle* Sun. Oct. 30 - Bristol, UK - The Louisiana Mon. Oct. 31 - Birmingham, UK - Hare & Hounds Tue. Nov. 01 - Dublin, IE - The Workman’s Cellar Thu. Nov. 03 - Manchester, UK - Yes (Pink Room) Fri. Nov. 04 - Glasgow, UK - Broadcast Sat. Nov. 05 - Leeds, UK - Belgrave Music Hall Mon. Nov. 07 - Cambridge, UK - Portland Arms Tue. Nov. 08 - Leicester, UK - Firebug Bar Thu. Nov. 10 - London, UK - Scala Fri. Nov. 11 - Reading, UK -The Face Bar Sat. Nov. 12 - Southampton, UK - The Joiners Sun. Nov. 13 - Brighton, UK - Green Door Store * Stripped down performances
What people have said about TV Priest: “Fuzzed-out post punk from London four-piece…harsh, brittle eruptions offering up a variety of teeth-rattling noises.” [Uppers]- Uncut
“The post-punk band have caught attention with a string of superb singles, exemplifying their scorching post-punk sound.” [Uppers] - CLASH
“Uppers…should rubber stamp TV Priest as one of, if not your favourite new act” [Uppers] - The Line of Best Fit
“Ragged yet tight, sprawling yet focussed, it’s a singular vision of a disparate time.” [Uppers] - ★★★★DORK
“Scratch the surface, peel away the layers and you’ll find something here to make you think there might be something more to come.” [Uppers, Best Albums of 2021] - Louder Than War
More on TV Priest’s My Other People: Having made music together since their teenage years, the London four-piece TV Priest piqued press attention in late 2019 with their first gig as a newly solidified group, a raucous outing in the warehouse district of Hackney Wick. Debut single “House of York” followed with a blistering critique of monarchist patriotism, and they were signed to Sub Pop for their debut album. When Uppers arrived in the height of a global pandemic, it reaped praise from critics and fans alike for its ‘dystopian doublespeak’, but the band — vocalist Charlie Drinkwater, guitarist Alex Sprogis, producer, bass and keys player Nic Bueth and drummer Ed Kelland – were sat at home like the rest of us, drinking cups of tea and marking time via government-sanctioned daily exercise. As such, the personal and professional landmark of its release felt “both colossal and minuscule” dampened by the inability to share it live. “It was a real gratification and really cathartic, but on the other hand, it was really strange, and not great for my mental health” admits Drinkwater. “I wasn’t prepared, and I hadn’t necessarily expected it to reach as many people as it did. It sounds a bit naïve, but it was all very quick. It felt kind of divorced from reality.”
As such, My Other People intentionally maintains a strong sense of earth-rooted emotion, taking full advantage of the opportunity to physically connect. Using “Saintless” (the closing song from Uppers) as something of a starting point, Drinkwater set about crafting lyrics that allowed him to articulate a deeper sense of personal truth, using music as a vessel to communicate with his bandmates about his depleting mental health. “Speaking very candidly, it was written at a time and a place where I was not, I would say, particularly well,” he says. “There was a lot of things that had happened to myself and my family that were quite troubling moments. I apologized to the band the other day for not being a great friend or person in this process, because I simply was not happy. Despite that I do think the record has our most hopeful moments too; a lot of me trying to set myself reminders for living, just everyday sentiments to try and get myself out of the space I was in. Whether or not the sincerity is understood, I think I’ll always be proud of that.”
“It was a bit of a moment for all of us where we realized that we can make something that, to us at least, feels truly beautiful,” agrees Bueth. “Brutality and frustration are only a part of that puzzle, and despite a lot of us feeling quite disconnected at the time, overwhelmingly beautiful things were also still happening.”
To strike this balance, My Other People relies on the band’s tight-knit working method, with Bueth once again at the self-producing helm. Following their own intuition as part of a “feverish” writing process, they looked inwards for inspiration rather than attempting to ape any sonic heroes, ending up with something that feels much more like affirmingly widescreen alt-rock than it does post-punk. Arrangements give room to let the voice roam; the optimistic melodies of “The Breakers” light flares to accompany Drinkwater’s recognition of the path that leads him back to friendship, while the rumbling pace of “Unraveling” reflects his more fractious state, looking for a safe place to land amidst the detritus of biting guitars. Where possible, recordings weren’t agonized over, but rather trusted on their initial takes when the mood had hit right. Though they recognise that ‘ band still searching for sound on second album’ is a sentiment that is often weaponised as criticism, it’s a process of self-improvement that Drinkwater is keen to protect: “Why would I keep making art if I didn’t believe that the best thing was not around the corner?”
Visually speaking, the same intention of momentum carries forth. The album’s artwork, photographed by Edward Thompson, depicts two children looking out to sea, a scene suspended somewhere between melancholy and hope. The video for “One Easy Thing”, the album’s lead single, directed by long term collaborator Joe Wheatley (“Decoration”, “Press Gang”) is a homage to new wave and French cinema, the singer donning full medieval armour as he bleeds and dances, persevering despite the seemingly impossible circumstance. Though Drinkwater wants its message of discomfort to show, he’s also keen not to overexplain it: “Last time, I literally was like, ‘please like me’, to everyone,” he laughs. “I stood next to the record and talked it to death, what things meant or where I did and didn’t stand. This time, I think it’s better if I leave some space.”
An allowance for the interpretation of others is perhaps most clear on “Bury Me In My Shoes”, built around a stark chorus line; “Life Only Comes In Flashes Of Greatness.” It is a lyric borne out of deep depression, the existential fear of our ever-changing mortal coil. But if you look at it differently, it could just as easily be read as affirmation, a reminder to seize the moment and make it count. This tension between the fullness of the glass, the cathartic value that such a lyric may hold in different lights, is central to My Other People — a record that heals by providing space for recognition, a ground zero from which you’re welcome to stay awhile but which ultimately — realistically — only leads up and out. For TV Priest, it is a follow-up that feels truly, properly them; free of bravado, unnecessary bluster or any audience pressure to commit solely to their original sound (read more at Sub Pop.com).
TV Priest My Other People
Tracklisting 1. One Easy Thing 2. Bury Me In My Shoes 3. Limehouse Cut 4. I Have Learnt Nothing 5. It Was Beautiful 6. The Happiest Place On Earth 7. My Other People 8. The Breakers 9. Unraveling 10. It Was A Gift 11. I Am Safe Here 12. Sunland
Father John Misty’s “Goodbye Mr. Blue” is the bittersweet and tender new single from Chloë and the Next 20th Century, his forthcoming new album. Later this evening, Father John Misty and his band will make their return to late night TV, with a performance of the song on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
Chloë and The Next 20th Century, which also includes the singles “Funny Girl,” “Q4,” and “Kiss Me (I Loved You),” and will be available April 8th, 2022 worldwide from Sub Pop and in Europe from Bella Union. All formats of Chloë and the Next 20th Century are available for preorder now from Sub Pop, Bella Union (UK/Europe), and select independent retailers in North America.
Father John Misty recently performed a sold-out show at Disney Hall in Los Angeles with the LA Philharmonic which Variety described as: “Of all the pop-rock/symphonic collaborations that the LA Phil and Hollywood Bowl Orchestra have specialized in over the last few years — and there have been some wonderful ones — this felt like the most natural and probably the best.”
The next symphony performance for 2022 — April 7th in London at the Barbican with Britten Sinfonia conducted by Jules Buckley — is sold out.
Father John Misty will celebrate the release of Chloë and The Next 20th Century, with a pair of sold-out, intimate performances presented by Rough Trade and Rockefeller Center at the iconic Rainbow Room in New York City on April 14th, 2022. On release day Father John Misty will be celebrating the album’s release with two performances presented by Banquet Records in Kingston, UK. Additional outstore dates in the UK include Crash Records (April 4), Rough Trade East (April 9), Resident Music (April 10) and Rough Trade Bristol (April 11). Chloë and the Next 20th Century singles are seeing early praise from the likes of PASTE who calls “Q4” “gorgeous and absurd; in other words, it’s quintessential Father John Misty.” Rolling Stone offers this “Funny Girl” of, “A lovely, languid gem that shows Tillman quietly reintroducing himself — with a little help from an orchestral arrangement that echoes old Hollywood…in classic Misty fashion, leaves us quizzically charmed (“Song You Need To Know”).” The FADER says ‘Funny Girl’ is a “lush and romantic ballad…and shows that there’s much more to Josh Tillman… (‘20 Best Rock Songs Right Now’).”
