SoCal band the BellRays release a new single on Friday; set for summer North American tour with Social Distortion

The BellRays, a long-running punk rock/R&B band from Riverside, Calif., will release its new 7" vinyl single - a new take on Motown classic "Ball of Confusion" backed with original song "I Fall Down" - this Friday via I-94 Records out of Detroit.

Formed in 1990 and still led by singer Lisa Kekaula and guitarist Bob Vennum, with bassist Mark Cisneros and drummer Ron Miller, the Southern California group has been doing live internet performances for the past few years and regular touring. The band's take on The Temptations' socially conscious 1970 hit written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong (British alt-rocker Love and Rockets also did a very popular version in 1985) is the eighth selection in I-94 Records' Detroit covers series.

"We were amazed at how timely and current this song still was," Kekaula said, in a press release. "So much of the original lyric content was unfortunately still relevant in America, like racial tensions and political ineptitude."

Musically and conceptually, "We wanted to bring it into a little more modern focus with the mention of the housing crisis, opioids, gas prices and active shooters. It is our way of building a bridge back to the original intent of the song."

Starting in late June, the BellRays will join Orange County, Calif. punk legends Social Distortion on tour through North America. See below for full routing. The BellRays will do a hometown record release party on Saturday at Romano's Concert Lounge (a new location in the Mission Grove area of town).

The new version of "Ball of Confusion" finds the BellRays giving the classic tune a compelling, fast-paced treatment, complete with dirty, driving guitar lines from Vennum. There's a palpable sense of desperation to Kekaula's soulful singing on the updated lyrics about the frequently bleak state of society today. The band also takes the intensity level up a notch with its backing vocals. "I Fall Down" is an equally appealing wiry mid-tempo rocker where Kekaula sings with vulnerability about a relationship. Highly recommended.

Tour Dates:

6/3/2023 Riverside CA Concert Lounge*

6/28/2023 Oakland CA Thee Stork Club*
6/30/2023 Canby OR Clackamas County Fairgrounds
7/1/2023 Seattle WA The Showbox
7/2/2023 Seattle WA The Showbox
7/3/2023 Seattle WA The Showbox
7/5/2023 Vancouver BC Commodore Ballroom
7/6/2023 Vancouver BC Commodore Ballroom
7/8/2023 Edmonton AB Midway Music Hall
7/9/2023 Edmonton AB Midway Music Hall
7/10/2023 Calgary AB MacEwan Hall
7/12/2023 Winnipeg MB The Burton Cummings Theatre
7/13/2023 Minneapolis MN Palmer's Bar*
7/14/2023 Green Bay WI Badger State Brewing Company*
7/15/2023 Chicago IL Livewire Lounge*
7/16/2023 Cleveland OH Beachland Tavern*
7/18/2023 Buffalo NY The Town Ballroom
7/19/2023 Buffalo NY The Town Ballroom
7/20/2023 Detroit MI Lager House*
7/21/2023 Guelph ON Guelph Concert Theatre
7/22/2023 Toronto ON History
7/23/2023 Montreal QC Mtellus
7/25/2023 Hampton Beach NH Hampton Beach Casino
7/26/2023 New Haven CT College Street Music Hall
7/27/2023 Brooklyn NY Kingsland*
7/28/2023 Huntington NY The Paramount
7/29/2023 Stroudsburg PA Sherman Theater
7/30/2023 Sayerville NJ Starland Ballroom (Philadelphia media)
8/1/2023 Norfolk VA Norva Theater
8/2/2023 Charlotte NC Fillmore Charlotte
8/3/2023 Raleigh NC The Ritz
8/4/2023 Asheville NC AVL Festival*
8/5/2023 Memphis TN Mingelwood Hall
8/6/2023 Tulsa OK Cain’s Ballroom
8/8/2023 Albequerque NM Revel Entertainment Center
8/9/2023 Tucson AZ Rialto Theater

All dates with Social Distortion except *

To order the single and for more information, go to i-94recordings.com or thebellrays.com.

To buy tickets to the Riverside show, go to theconcertlounge.eventbrite.com.

Cruel World Festival 2023 review - Pasadena, Calif.

photo: P. Ghana

On May 20, an estimated 70,000 people attended the second annual Cruel World Festival at Brookside Golf Course adjacent to the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. It was co-headlined by Siouxsie and Iggy Pop with a dozen new wave and post-punk acts that first found success in the late-1970s and 1980s and newer acts.

Siouxsie attracted scores of goth rock fans from her time fronting The Banshees and The Creatures. Around the festival, black was the predominant color for all manner of clothing, shoes, and makeup. Due to inclement weather, the event was stopped while Pop and the Human League were still on stage, and everyone evacuated. Siouxsie and Pop returned the following night for full performances along with Gary Numan. 

Iggy Pop and his young band - a different lineup than his recent Hollywood Palladium gig - managed to get through a half dozen songs before being interrupted. The 76-year-old rock legend kicked things off with a frantic “Five Foot One” (from 1979’s New Values), where the horn section came in handy. They also gave Iggy’s proto-punk songs with The Stooges such as T.V. Eye” and “Raw Power” an appealing revue-style quality. It didn’t take long for Pop to shimmy around shirtless. A pair of tunes from the solid new album Every Loser – the high intensity “Frenzy” and low-key “Strung Out Johnny” – fared well before the PA went out. Prior to doing “The Passenger,” Pop asked the audience, “If I was hitchhiking, would you pick me up?” He brought out the young son of collaborator Josh Homme to dance round, another sound issue occurred and that was it.

photo: A. Goldberg

Billy Idol gave longtime guitarist Steve Stevens many opportunities to shine during solos and extended intros (“Flesh for Fantasy,” a lush “Eyes Without a Face”). Female backing vocalists sweetened the sound throughout, most notably during a slinky hit cover of Tommy James and the Shondells’ “Mony Mony” and “Hot in the City.” The band really rocked out amid a fierce “Rebel Yell” and “100 Punks” by Idol’s 1970s band Generation X. The singer also brought out his grandchild and had the crowd sing “Happy Birthday.”

The live resurgence of Britain’s Love and Rockets after 15 years away generated plenty of excitement among concertgoers. Recent months have seen its past studio albums reissued on vinyl. During advance interviews, singer/guitarist Daniel Ash (pictured, top) said the trio (which joined Peter Murphy to lead the Cruel World 2022 bill as Bauhaus) would utilize cutting-edge visuals. Indeed, the musicians’ features were immersed inside images on the big screens and provided some cool mystique at dusk. They opened with a moody “I Feel Speed” and sounded strong on the industrial grind of “No Big Deal” (both off 1989’s hit self-titled album). Psychedelic patterns were projected amid an exhilarating, fuzztone guitar-laden “Kundalini Express.”

Last year, Echo and the Bunnymen cancelled their Cruel World appearance, so many enthusiasts were eager to see them. The Liverpool group segued from the grand “Nothing Lasts Forever” into Lou Reed’s “Walk on the Wild Side.” Ian McCulloch’s thick accent made his frequent between-song banter mostly undecipherable, but occasionally you could pick out a few words. “Never Stop” was apparently written as a negative response to Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s 1980s reign in England. The rollicking keyboard-led “Bedbugs and Ballyhoo” was a set highlight. The screens on each side of the stage inexplicably did not show the band, making a less enjoyble experience for anyone beyond a few feet away. McCulloch’s vocals were iffy at times, but masterful guitarist Will Sergeant’s effects on “The Cutter” and a gorgeous, crystalline “The Killing Moon” made up for any minor shortcomings.

              photo: George A. Paul

“What are we doing here?” asked Glenn Tilbrook with a sly grin, before Squeeze started a stellar 55-minute early evening set at the Sad Girls stage with “Take Me I’m Yours.” The sharply attired British pop/rock band replaced Adam Ant, who bowed out just days before the festival due to “unforeseen circumstances” and cancelled his North American tour. 

The booking was so last-minute that Tilbrook told a fan beforehand he had originally planned to spend a quiet weekend at home. Although Tilbrook’s absent guitarist/singer/songwriter partner Chris Difford was absent - he probably couldn't hop on a plane from England on such short notice - and his low voice was missed on some old hits.

Still, it didn’t detract much from one of the day’s most delightful performances. Squeeze enthusiasts sang along loudly from start, especially on best-known American rock radio hits “Hourglass,” “Black Coffee in Bed” and “Tempted.” The latter began in a stripped-down arrangement before Tilbrook was joined by the band. They got rousing receptions. Keyboardist Stephen Large jabbed at the ivories during a spacey “Slap and Tickle” as Tilbrook added rocking flourishes. He did the same on “Pulling Mussels (From the Shell).” Squeeze took the exuberance level down a few notches for the idyllic romantic ballad “Letting Go” from 1991’s underrated Play. Hearing Difford’s incisive lyrics on “If I Didn’t Love You” and “Goodbye Girl” again in Pasadena reminded why the pair were anointed as “the new Lennon & McCartney” during their heyday.

Gary Numan doesn’t delve into his early catalog much in concert and festivals are no exception. Opening with the harrowing title track to latest album Intruder, he followed it with the sinister industrial-tinged “Halo” and “Everything Comes Down to This.” The singer let the music do the talking, made dramatic gestures, and worked both sides of the stage frequently. One woman near me shouted “play some of your old stuff.” As if on cue, Numan delved into a pair of songs from his 1979 career-defining new wave effort The Pleasure Principle: “Metal” and American hit “Cars.” The crowd roared with approval. 

Gang of Four, an influence on Red Hot Chili Peppers, Nirvana, Rage Against the Machine, Franz Ferdinand, and countless alternative rock bands put out the box set 77-81 in 2021. Gang of Four reunited with original singer Jon King, drummer Hugo Burnham, mid-‘80s-era bassist Sara Lee as well as guitarist David Pajo (Slint, Zwan) in 2022. Taking the stage to the sounds of a fanfare and siren and a backdrop that rotated images of flags and various slogans, their late afternoon Cruel World set was a standout. King, animated as ever, writhed, and hopped around the stage, lassoed his microphone around, made dramatic gestures and sang with authority. “Return the Gift” was fierce and two female backing vocalists injected some soul into the funkified post-punk sound during a wiry “Not Great Men,” danceable “I Love a Man in Uniform” and some chanting amid “Natural’s Not in It.” Pajo proved to be King’s perfect instrumental foil, eliciting tight feedback and jagged guitar lines. “Anthrax,” where Pajo held his guitar aloft and “He’d Send in the Army,” the point where King bashed a microwave to oblivion (a longtime concert statement against consumerism) were prime examples.

Modern English is considered a one-hit-wonder here for its frothy, acoustic guitar-based singalong “I Melt with You,” but there are other appealing sides to the U.K. band. Its Cruel World set concentrated on ethereal and hypnotic selections from early ‘80s albums Mesh & Lace and After the Snow such as “Someone’s Calling” and “Carry Me Down.” The alluring “Hands Across the Sea,” with melodic guitars, was a highlight and “Melt” obviously went down a storm. 

photo: George A. Paul

The Vapors, another British act that many people only know for the worldwide 1980 hit “Turning Japanese,” was a pleasant surprise in Pasadena, where original members Dave Fenton and bassist Steve Smith were present.

The rare U.S. appearance included several terrific rock and power pop-leaning tunes. A few politically minded ones recalled The Jam (the bands toured together and shared a manager back in the day) along with soaring harmonies.

Smith provided some interesting commentary, recalling the last time they played in town was at Perkins Palace and lyrical inspirations. Fenton’s son Dan (pictured, left) brimmed with enthusiasm on lead guitar. They performed the appealing horn-infused title track from 2020's Together - the first Vapors album in nearly 40 years. Set highlights included “Waiting for the Weekend,” “Jimmie Jones,” “News at Ten” and the previously mentioned top 10 single, which had fans bopping all around.

When The Motels cancelled their festival appearance earlier this month, Berlin stepped in. The LA synth-pop group, which also played Cruel World 2022 on the same side stage, did a solid set to a large crowd despite sound issues. The always vivacious Terri Nunn professed her love of goth rock before “No More Words,” easily wailed through “No More Words,” and impressively prefaced signature ballad “Take My Breath Away” with a few a capella verses.

Early arrivals to the event caught a performance by Animotion. The synth-pop group was introduced by former KROQ/106.7 FM and current SiriusXM DJ Richard Blade, who is synonymous with this music (he also did the honors for a few other acts). Lead singers Bill Wadhams and Astrid Plane played up a mild sensual chemistry on serviceable renditions of hits like “Obsession” – co-written by Michael Des Barres – "I Engineer” and “Room to Move.” Their cover of the Soft Cell-popularized “Tainted Love” was a misfire though.

My review originally appeared at rockcellarmagazine.com

Photos courtesy of Cruel World/Goldenvoice, unless otherwise noted.

The Pink Spiders return with album, tours with Less Than Jake, Everclear

THE PINK SPIDERS' fifth studio album, "Freakazoid," is scheduled for July 7 on Pure Noise Records. The Nashville alt-rock band's first full-length release in five years follows the news of upcoming tours this summer with Less Than Jake and this fall with Everclear. Pre-Order "Freakazoid": https://purenoiserecs.lnk.to/TPSstores

"Devotion" is the first single. It celebrates the Nashville LGBTQIA+ community with a music video directed and edited by Perry Bean that features a performance alongside local drag queens to show solidarity against recent discriminatory laws.

WATCH THE VIDEO FOR "DEVOTION": https://youtu.be/ldsHi_fU7wA

STREAM "DEVOTION": https://purenoiserecs.lnk.to/thepinkspiders

THE PINK SPIDERS also recently the single, "Gold Confetti." The video can be viewed here: https://youtu.be/5ECS7eO2meM.

Track listing:

1. Gold Confetti
2. Let's Go Home
3. Devotion
4. Can't Stop Letting You Down
5. Stoned To The Bone
6. Freakin' Freakin' Out
7. You're The One
8. Baby I'm High
9. Cuttin' Loose
10. Right Note

Tour Dates:

w/LESS THAN JAKE & VOODOO GLOW SKULLS

July 6 - Nashville, TN - Brooklyn Bowl
July 7 - Louisville, KY - Mercury Ballroom
July 8 - Chicago, IL - Concord Music Hall
July 9 - Detroit, MI - St. Andrew's Hall
July 11 - Cleveland, OH - House of Blues
July 12 - Pittsburgh, PA - Mr. Smalls Theater

w/THE IRON ROSES

July 13 - Mechanicsville, PA - Phantom Power
July 14 - Philadelphia, PA - Kung Fu Necktie
July 15 - Brooklyn, NY - Saint Vitus

w/EVERCLEAR & THE ATARIS

Sept 6 - Lexington, NY - Manchester Music Hall
Sept 7 - Nashville, IN - Brown Country Music Center
Sept 8 - Lemont, IL - The Forge Lemont Quarries
Sept 9 - Fort Wayne, IN - Piere's
Sept 12 - Buffalo, NY - Town Ballroom
Sept 13 - Silver Spring, MD - The Fillmore
Sept 16 - Westbury, NY - The Space
Sept 17 - Boston, MA - Big Night Live
Sept 18 - New York, NY - Gramercy Theatre
Sept 20 - Raleigh, NC - The Ritz
Sept 21 - Nashville, TN - The Sky Deck @ Assembly Food Hall
Sept 22 - Mt. Vernon, IL - The Granada Theatre
Sept 23 - Waterloo, IA - National Cattle Congress
Sept 27 - Omaha, NE - Barnato
Sept 28 - Englewood, CO - Gothic Theatre
Sept 29 - Kamas, UT - DeJoria Center Arena
Sept 30 - Cheyenne, WY - The Lincoln
Oct 1 - Great Falls, MT - The Newberry
Oct 4 - Seattle, WA - The Crocodile
Oct 9 - Los Angeles, CA - The WIltern
Oct 10 - San Francisco, CA - August Hall
Oct 12 - Rocklin, CA - Quarry Park Amphitheatre
Oct 15 - Pioneertown, CA - Pappy + Harriet's

FESTIVALS

Sept 24 - Birmingham, AL - Furnace Fest 2023
Oct 27 - Gainesville, FL - FEST 21 2023

Royal Blood readies new album for September

Royal Blood unveil news of the September 8 release of their fourth album Back To The Water Below and share its lead single “Mountains At Midnight”. Listen HERE and watch the official video HERE.

Back To The Water Below saw them self-produce an entire album for the very first time. 

Musician Ben Thatcher says, “I think this record was about letting the ideas take us where they needed to go. If there was a song that was calling us to do something that wasn’t typically what we’re known for, that’s where we’re going to go. The songs are in charge and if that means having a record that’s quite varied that’s what we’re going to go for, rather than trying to shoehorn everything into the same world. As a result, we’ve made a record that’s a bit of a rollercoaster. It’s everything we could do.”

Reflecting upon their journey so far, Thatcher's musical partner Mike Kerr adds, “No-one saw the years of us playing in loads of bands to no-one, that all gets swept under the carpet because the other story is magical and much more wondrous. Luck is where passion meets opportunity. We got our golden ticket and walked out as tiny ninjas. We were in the right place at the right time, and we have to remember to give ourselves the credit that we didn’t get into this position by winning a quiz show, we put in a serious amount of work. It’s taken us four albums to realise this isn’t luck, we’re good and we’re committed to this.”

The album is now available to pre-order HERE. In addition to its digital release, physical formats include deluxe vinyl (packaged with a bonus 7” featuring two additional tracks) and two cassettes, all of which are available exclusively from Royal Blood’s official store. Amazon will stock an exclusive gold vinyl, while HMV (UK only) and select indie stores offer an exclusive clear vinyl. The range is completed by a CD and a regular black vinyl.

In the meantime, Royal Blood are playing a host of leading UK and European summer festivals and some stadium shows as special guests to Muse, culminating with a landmark homecoming headline show at Brighton Beach. A pair of US festival dates have already been announced. US tour details to follow soon. Click HERE for ticket information and a full list of all international shows.

US Festival Dates – on sale now:
Sep 16 Asbury Park, NJ Sea. Hear. Now Festival
Sep 21 Louisville, KY Louder Than Life Festival

Track list:

1. Mountains At Midnight
2. Shiner In The Dark
3. Pull Me Through
4. The Firing Line
5. Tell Me When It’s Too Late
6. Triggers
7. How Many More Times
8. High Waters
9. There Goes My Cool
10. Waves

Deluxe Edition 7” single bonus tracks:

11. Supermodel Avalanches
12. Everything’s Fine

A new Teenage Fanclub album on the way in September

Teenage Fanclub's new album Nothing Lasts Forever will be out September 22 via Merge Records in the U.S. and on their own label PeMa in the UK/Europe (pre-order).

To accompany the announcement the band shared the official video for the album's lead single “Foreign Land.” It is also available now on all streaming platforms for any playlist shares.

The veteran Scottish group's 11th studio album - and first since 2021 - has a recurring theme of light, as a both a metaphor for hope and as an ultimate destination further down the road. Although the band’s songwriters Norman Blake and Raymond McGinley found themselves touching on similar themes, it was pure coincidence.

Raymond: “We never talk about what we’re going to do before we start making a record. We don’t plan much other than the nuts and bolts of where we’re going to record and when. That thing about light was completely accidental; we didn’t realise that until we’d finished half the songs. The record feels reflective, and I think the more we do this thing, the more we become comfortable with going to that place of melancholy, feeling and expressing those feelings."

Norman: “These songs are definitely personal. You’re getting older, you’re going into the cupboard getting the black suit out more often. Thoughts of mortality and the idea of the light must have been playing on our minds a lot. The songs on the last record were influenced by the breakup of my marriage. It was cathartic to write those songs. These new songs are reflective of how I’m feeling now, coming out of that period. They’re fairly optimistic, there’s an acceptance of a situation and all of the experience that comes with that acceptance. When we write, it’s a reflection of our lives, which are pretty ordinary. We’re not extraordinary people, and normal people get older. There’s a lot to write about in the mundane. I love reading Raymond Carver. Very often there’s not a lot that happens in those stories, but they speak to lived experience.”

While the vocals and the finishing touches on Nothing Lasts Forever were recorded at Raymond’s place in Glasgow, the music was recorded in an intense ten-day period in the bucolic Welsh countryside at Rockfield Studios, near Monmouth in late August. You can hear the effect of that environment on the record - it’s full of soft breeze, wide skies, beauty and space.

Raymond: “We like to get something out of where we go, and you can definitely hear a stamp of Rockfield on the record. We recorded our album Howdy there in the late ’90s. Prior to that I’d been a bit reluctant to go as everyone seemed to record there, especially if you were signed to Creation, but I thought I’d go and have a look at the place. When I went down there, I loved the fact that there’s no memorabilia about anyone who’s ever been in the studio. The only visual musical reference is a picture of Joe Meek on their office wall. Anyway, over twenty years after our first visit we decided to go back. When you’re there, it feels like your place. We’re really rubbish at trying to find words to describe how our music sounds, but maybe because we recorded in Rockfield in late summer, there’s something pastoral about the record.”

The band that recorded Nothing Lasts Forever - Blake, McGinley along with Francis Macdonald on drums, Dave McGowan on bass and Euros Childs on keyboards - arrived at the residential studio without a fixed plan. Their confidence and ease with working together meant the record came together incredibly quickly.

Raymond: “When we got offered ten days in Rockfield, we weren’t ready in our minds but then we just thought, ‘Fuck it’ and went for it. If you’re sitting around waiting for the stars to align, you can end up never doing anything. We turned up and worked our way through ideas, and came up with some while we were there. The song “Foreign Land” was born in the studio. If we hadn’t gone there at that point through happenstance, that song wouldn’t exist. We like to let things happen. As people, we find a deadline inspiring. We like to put ourselves on the spot and see what happens. We usually get away with it. This record is the cliche of the blank canvas, which thankfully we managed to fill.”

Norman: “We’ve all been playing together for such a long time. In the past, whoever had written the song would have been the director. ‘This is how I’m hearing the drums, if you could play the bass like this…’ We don’t do that now. Raymond or myself would just bring in the idea and people would listen and play what works with it. We’d play for a couple of hours and that would be the arrangement. There’s a trust that comes from knowing each other such a long time, a kind of telepathy. Everyone knows where they fit in the puzzle.”

About closing track “I Will Love You,” Raymond says, “In many ways, us-and-them-ism has taken over the world. 'I Will Love You' is looking for positivity but it’s being totally fatalistic at the same time. This shit will exist forever, what are you going to do about it. I came up with the line “I will love you/until the flags are put down/and the exceptionalists are buried under the ground” while I was playing the guitar. I started wondering what that was all about and where it might go. It’s looking for positives within a fatalistic, negative view of human nature.”

Track List:

1. Foreign Land

2. Tired Of Being Alone
3. I Left A Light On
4. See The Light
5. It’s Alright
6. Falling Into The Sun
7. Self-Sedation
8. Middle Of My Mind
9. Back To The Light
10. I Will Love You

Cindy Wilson of B-52's has a solo album coming in August

Cindy Wilson is a founding member of The B-52's known for her distinctly melodic voice. On August 25, she will release 'Realms,' her second solo album via Kill Rock Stars. The new techno-styled song “Midnight” is available now.

Since launching her first proper solo project in 2016, Wilson has released two EPs (Sunrise and Supernatural) and one studio album, Change, collaborating with producers and electronic musicians Suny Lyons and Ryan Monahan. 

'Realms' finds her once again working with Suny Lyons - with Sterling Campbell (B-52's, Duran Duran) contributing drums and Maria Kindt on strings. 

Pre-Order Album

Watch Visualizer for “Midnight”

Go to killrockstars.com to order:

FIRST PRESSING ON LIMITED EDITION "TURQUOISE" VINYL
A SPECIAL PRICED BUNDLE OF "REALMS" AND CINDY'S FIRST SOLO ALBUM "CHANGE"

Track listing:

1. Midnight

2. Overboard

3. Daydreamer
4. Wait
5. Hold On

6. Within
7. Delirious
8. Blossom
9. Find Me
10. Not Goodbye

Blur reveal surprise album release 'The Ballad of Darren' set for July

Blur will release their first album in 8 years, titled The Ballad of Darren and comprising 10 new tracks, on July 21st on Parlophone. First track ‘The Narcissist’ is out now, watch visualizer here.

Produced by James Ford and recorded at Studio 13, London and Devon, The Ballad of Darren is the band’s ninth studio album, their first since the chart-topping The Magic Whip in 2015, with artwork featuring an image by British photographer Martin Parr.

The Ballad of Darren track listing is: The Ballad, St Charles Square, Barbaric, Russian Strings, The Everglades (For Leonard), The Narcissist, Goodbye Albert, Far Away Island, Avalon and The Heights

Damon Albarn said - “This is an aftershock record, reflection and comment on where we find ourselves now.”

Graham Coxon said - “The older and madder we get, it becomes more essential that what we play is loaded with the right emotion and intention. Sometimes just a riff doesn’t do the job.”

Alex James said – “For any long term relationship to last with any meaning you have to be able to surprise each other somehow and somehow we all continue to do that.”

Dave Rowntree said – “It always feels very natural to make music together. With every record we do, the process reveals something new and we develop as a band. We don’t take that for granted.”

Today’s surprise announcement comes ahead of the band’s return to the place where it all began – Colchester, Essex*– for their first ever performance at local landmark Colchester Arts Centre tomorrow, marking the start of a short run of warm-up performances which will see blur visit Eastbourne Winter Gardens on May 21st, The Halls Wolverhampton on May 26th and O2 City Hall Newcastle on May 28th.

These warm-up dates are kicking off a summer of highly-anticipated live shows which will bring Alex James, Damon Albarn, Graham Coxon and Dave Rowntree together again to perform their iconic and much-loved songs across Europe over the coming months. The band’s first ever show at London’s Wembley Stadium on Saturday July 8th sold out in minutes – with a second Wembley Stadium show added for Sunday July 9th.

The complete tracklisting for The Ballad of Darren is:

1. The Ballad
2. St Charles Square
3. Barbaric
4. Russian Strings
5. The Everglades (For Leonard)
6. The Narcissist
7. Goodbye Albert
8. Far Away Island
9. Avalon
10. The Heights

The Ballad of Darren will be available as a Digital Download & Stream (10 tracks as above); Standard CD (10 tracks) and Deluxe CD (12 tracks, w. expanded packaging), Standard Vinyl LP - 12” heavyweight black vinyl; and - exclusive to blur.co.uk - Deluxe Vinyl pressed on 12" clear vinyl with black swirls, in a gatefold sleeve, with poster, bonus 7” vinyl, album CD (12 tracks) and integrated booklet, including exclusive handwritten notes, sketches and lyrics; and Cassette (10 tracks).

Pre-order The Ballad of Darren here.

About blur

Since announcing their arrival with debut album Leisure in 1991, blur went on to revolutionise the sound of English popular music with six successive UK #1 albums Parklife (1994), The Great Escape (1995), Blur (1997), 13 (1999), Think Tank (2003) and The Magic Whip (2015) and a string of Top 10 singles, including two No 1s with ‘Country House’ and ‘Beetlebum,’ helping to propel the band to mass popularity at home and abroad. One of the biggest British bands of the last three decades, blur have released eight studio albums and collected ten NME Awards, six Q Awards, five BRIT Awards and an Ivor Novello Award, and played live to thousands of devoted fans across the globe. The band’s new studio album titled The Ballad of Darren will be released on July 21st 2023.

* Colchester is the hometown of blur bandmembers Damon Albarn, guitarist Graham Coxon and drummer Dave Rowntree, with Damon and Graham first meeting as teenagers at Stanway School. Graham later introduced Dave to both Damon and bassist Alex James. The band’s debut album Leisure was released in 1991.

www.blur.co.uk

Hozier's next album 'Unreal Unearth' slated for August; tour dates

Hozier's forthcoming album Unreal Unearth will be released August 18 via Columbia Records. Available for pre-order HERE, it features previously released tracks “Eat Your Young,” Hozier’s third #1 at Triple A radio, and “All Things End” as well as new single “Francesca” out this Friday, 5/19.

Unreal Unearth will be offered digitally as well as in various physical configurations including standard black LP, raw ochre D2C exclusive LP, burnt clay Amazon exclusive LP, light umber indie retail exclusive LP, CD, and cassette.

Hozier is currently stateside performing intimate pop-up shows in select cities ahead of his larger headline tour this fall. 

See full routing below and visit https://hozier.com/ for more information.

Tour dates: 

May 19 Milwaukee, WI The Rave - Eagles Ballroom SOLD-OUT

May 21 Toronto, ON Danforth Music Hall SOLD-OUT
May 23 Boston, MA Paradise Rock Club SOLD-OUT
May 25 New York, NY Bowery Ballroom SOLD-OUT
May 31 Los Angeles, CA Troubadour SOLD-OUT

Sep 09 St. Louis, MO Saint Louis Music Park SOLD-OUT

Sep 12 Chicago, IL Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island SOLD-OUT
Sep 14 Sterling Heights, MI Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre at Freedom Hill SOLD-OUT
Sep 19 Toronto, ON Budweiser Stage SOLD-OUT
Sep 20 Laval, QC Place Bell SOLD-OUT
Sep 22 Boston, MA Leader Bank Pavilion SOLD-OUT
Sep 23 Boston, MA Leader Bank Pavilion SOLD-OUT
Sep 24 Gilford, NH Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion SOLD-OUT
Sep 26 Washington, DC The Anthem SOLD-OUT
Sep 27 Washington, DC The Anthem SOLD-OUT
Sep 29 Philadelphia, PA The Mann Center SOLD-OUT
Sep 30 New York, NY Madison Square Garden SOLD-OUT
Oct 03 Raleigh, NC Red Hat Amphitheater SOLD-OUT
Oct 05 Nashville, TN Ascend Amphitheater SOLD-OUT
Oct 11 Oklahoma City, OK The Criterion SOLD-OUT
Oct 13 Durant, OK Choctaw Grand Theater SOLD-OUT
Oct 17 Morrison, CO Red Rocks Amphitheatre SOLD-OUT
Oct 18 Morrison, CO Red Rocks Amphitheatre SOLD-OUT
Oct 20 Salt Lake City, UT Maverik Center SOLD-OUT
Oct 22 Vancouver, BC Rogers Arena SOLD-OUT
Oct 24 Seattle, WA WAMU Theater SOLD-OUT
Oct 25 Portland, OR Moda Center SOLD-OUT
Oct 27 San Francisco, CA Bill Graham Civic Auditorium SOLD-OUT
Oct 28 Santa Barbara, CA Santa Barbara Bowl ** SOLD-OUT
Oct 29 San Diego, CA Gallagher Square at Petco Park SOLD-OUT
Nov 01 Phoenix, AZ Arizona Financial Theatre SOLD-OUT
Nov 03 Las Vegas, NV The Chelsea Theatre at The Cosmopolitan SOLD-OUT
Nov 04 Los Angeles, CA Hollywood Bowl SOLD-OUT

Americana artist Gregory Alan Isakov returns with new album 'Appaloosa Bones' in August

Grammy-nominated singer, songwriter and musician Gregory Alan Isakov will release his new album, Appaloosa Bones, August 18 via Dualtone Records/Suitcase Town Music (pre-order/pre-save here).

Ahead of the release, new song, “The Fall,” just debuted. Watch/share the official music video—directed by Jasmine McGlade (Director, Fencer and Executive Producer, LA LA Land) and animated by Ruth Lingford (Head of Animation, Harvard University)—HERE.

Of the video, McGlade shares, “Gregory’s music is so poignant, and ‘The Fall’ in particular has such a powerful, spiritual quality to it. I knew I wanted to make a video immersed in nature that fit with Greg’s aesthetic and the emotional realm of the song, while also creating characters and vintage, old-timey elements that connect with the lyrics. The piece, perhaps like the song, should ultimately say something about the human condition, and what it means to be alive—in a way that is a bit surrealist.”

Produced by Isakov and Andrew Berlin (Descendents, Rise Against) and recorded at Isakov’s studio outside of Boulder, Appaloosa Bones is his first new album in five years. 

Reflecting on the album, Isakov shares, “I set out to make a folky, small lo-fi rock ‘n’ roll record. And then the songs kind of told me, ‘No, this is what it’s going to be.’ And so I said, ‘OK,’ and after a while, I was just holding onto the reins, waiting to see where it was going and how the material worked. What I found was a collection of songs that brought me back to when I was starting out playing with the band—traveling a lot in the van, playing throughout the Southwest and West. These wide open landscapes had this quietness and expansive deepness that grounded me and evoked a lot of the curiosities I was drawn to when I started writing songs.”

In celebration of the new music, Isakov will tour through this fall. 

Isakov has garnered over 1 billion streams and released five full-length albums to date, including 2018’s Evening Machines, which was nominated for Best Folk Album at the 62nd GRAMMY Awards. Additionally, Isakov’s music has been featured in hit shows such as Grey’s Anatomy, Big Sky, A Million Little Things, The Haunting of Hill House, Virgin River, The Blacklist, This is Us and many more.

Born in Johannesburg, South Africa and raised in Philadelphia, Isakov now calls Colorado home. When he isn’t on the road, he spends much of his time writing and recording songs in his barn studio, as well as running his farm in Boulder County, which provides produce to the farm’s CSA members, local restaurants, and Community Food Share (a Boulder County food bank).

Track List:

1. The Fall
2. Before the Sun
3. Appaloosa Bones
4. Silver Bell
5. Watchman
6. Miles to Go
7. Terlingua
8. Mistakes
9. One Day
10. Sweet Heat Lightning
11. Feed Your Horses

Tour Dates:

June 15—Santa Fe, NM—The Bridge* (SOLD OUT)
June 16—Santa Fe, NM—The Bridge* (SOLD OUT)
June 18—Telluride, CO—Telluride Bluegrass Festival (SOLD OUT)
July 27—Portland, ME—Thompson’s Point+
July 28—Burlington, VT—Waterfront Park Concert Series+
July 30—Newport, RI—Newport Folk Festival (SOLD OUT)
August 11—Omaha, NE—Outlandia Music Festival
August 14—Saskatoon, SK—Coors Event Centre
August 15—Calgary, AB—MacEwan Hall
August 17—Vancouver, BC—The Orpheum†
August 18—Seattle, WA—Paramount Theatre† (SOLD OUT)
August 20—Troutdale, OR—Edgefield†
August 22—Jacksonville, OR—Britt Pavilion†
August 23—San Francisco, CA—The Masonic†
August 25—Los Angeles, CA—The Theatre at Ace Hotel† (SOLD OUT)
August 26—Los Angeles, CA—The Theatre at Ace Hotel† (SOLD OUT)
August 27—Phoenix, AZ—The Van Buren† (SOLD OUT)
August 29—Salt Lake City, UT—Delta Hall at The Eccles†
August 30—Salt Lake City, UT—Delta Hall at The Eccles†
September 2—Denver, CO—Mission Ballroom† (SOLD OUT)
September 3—Dillon, CO—Dillon Amphitheater† (SOLD OUT)
September 4—Morrison, CO—Red Rocks Amphitheatre‡ (SOLD OUT)
September 29—Kansas City, MO—The Midland^
September 30—St. Paul, MN—Palace Theatre^
October 1—Chicago, IL—The Chicago Theatre
October 3—Durham, NC—Durham Performing Arts Center^
October 5—Nashville, TN—Ryman Auditorium^
October 6—Nashville, TN—Ryman Auditorium#
October 7—Atlanta, GA—Tabernacle#
October 8—Atlanta, GA—Tabernacle#
October 10—Asheville, NC—Rabbit Rabbit#
October 11—Charleston, SC—Firefly Distillery#
October 13—Washington, DC—The Anthem
October 14—Philadelphia, PA—Franklin Music Hall#
October 16—Toronto, ON—Massey Hall**
October 17—Montreal, QC—MTELUS**
October 18—Kingston, NY—Ulster Performing Arts Center**
October 21—Boston, MA—Roadrunner**
October 22—Boston, MA—Roadrunner**
October 23—New York, NY—Beacon Theatre**

*with special guest Joe Purdy
+with special guest Josh Ritter
†with special guest Shovels & Ropes
‡with special guest Jeremiah Fraites of The Lumineers (playing Piano Piano)
^with special guest Damien Jurado
#with special guest Lucius
**with special guest The Milk Carton Kids

www.gregoryalanisakov.com

R.E.M. to reissue late career albums on vinyl

Craft Recordings will put out vinyl reissues for two long out-of-print titles from the second half of the R.E.M.’s career: 2004’s Around the Sun and 2011’s Collapse Into Now. Arriving July 14 and available for pre-order, both albums were pressed on 180-gram vinyl at Memphis Records Pressing.

Additionally, fans can find limited editions exclusively at REMHQ.com: the 2-LP Around the Sun will be available on an Opaque White color variant, while the 1-LP Collapse Into Now can be found in Milky Clear vinyl, along with exclusive official merchandise.

R.E.M.’s 13th album Around the Sun was written as America grappled with the 9/11 attacks and the Iraq War. It reflected the somber tone of the era and found the band blending political commentary with meditations on love, loss, and a fast-changing world.

Marking the band’s final collaboration with producer Pat McCarthy (The Waterboys, U2) and their first with drummer Bill Rieflin, Around the Sun features the single “Leaving New York” (a Top 5 hit in the UK and No.1 on Billboard’s AAA chart). “Outsiders” features guest vocals by rapper Q-Tip. Around the Sun topped the album charts in the UK, Germany, and Sweden, among other territories, and landed at No.13 on the Billboard 200.

Not long after the release of their following album, Accelerate (2008), the members of R.E.M. collectively decided to conclude their time together with one final album. Produced by Jacknife Lee (The Cars, Taylor Swift, U2), Collapse Into Now was recorded over the course of a year in Berlin, New Orleans, and Nashville. For their 15th studio effort, the band took a broader approach to their writing, allowing for an expansive collection of songs that spoke to universal themes. “Discoverer” is one of Michael Stipe’s only autobiographical songs. It features an appearance by Patti Smith (who also lends her voice to closer “Blue”).

“It’s about realizing that the city offers you this unbelievable potential and opportunity; all the things you are looking for in your teens and your twenties,” Stipe told Interview Magazine. The album also includes "It Happened Today,” featuring guest vocals by Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder and The Hidden Cameras’ Joel Gibb. “Alligator_Aviator_Autopilot_Antimatter” finds Stipe duetting with Peaches, with a special appearance by longtime Patti Smith guitarist, Lenny Kaye.

While the band chose not to tour behind the album, they partnered with a variety of prominent filmmakers and artists (including Sam Taylor-Wood, Jim Herbert, and James Franco), who directed music videos for each track. Speaking to Interview, Stipe explained, “The idea was to present a 21st-century version of an album. What does an album mean in the year 2011, especially to generations of people for whom the word album is an archaic term? I wanted to present an idea of what an album could be in the age of YouTube and the Internet.”

Released one year after R.E.M.’s 30th anniversary, Collapse Into Now landed in the Top 5 in the US, UK, and across Europe.

Click here to pre-order Around the Sun and Collapse into Now.

Around the Sun Vinyl Track List:

Side A

1. Leaving New York

2. Electron Blue
3. The Outsiders

Side B
1. Make It All Okay
2. Final Straw
3. I Wanted To Be Wrong

Side C
1. Wanderlust
2. Boy In The Well
3. Aftermath

Side D
1. High Speed Train
2. The Worst Joke Ever
3. The Ascent Of Man
4. Around The Sun

Collapse Into Now Vinyl Track List:

X-Axis
1. Discoverer
2. All the Best
3. Überlin
4. Oh My Heart
5. It Happened Today
6. Every Day Is Yours To Win

Y-Axis
1. Mine Smell Like Honey
2. Walk It Back
3. Alligator_Aviator_Autopilot_Antimatter
4. That Someone Is You
5. Me, Marlon Brando, Marlon Brando And I
6. Blue

Out Now: 'Rocking and Swing' by the Hooters; tour dates with Rick Springfield

The Hooters have released Rocking & Swing, their first new studio recording since 2010, via  Hooters Music. It is available on vinyl and CD along with digital streaming services. There are eight new tracks (plus a bonus live track on the CD, recorded at The Keswick Theatre in November 2022).

The album features its first single, “Why Won’t You Call Me Back,” as well as several new takes on previously released recordings. A few of the songs may also sound familiar to the band’s first fans as they were originally played live back in the early 80s club scene where the group got its start. A three-piece horn section adds to the sound.

“We’ve been talking about this kind of project for years. But it just sort of happened last winter, organically and quickly, always a good sign," explains co-founder and keyboardist Rob Hyman. "After we had played some new material with the horns at the Keswick Theatre last fall, it was finally the right time and place for us to revisit the feel of those pivotal gigs and vintage sounds.”

In fact, some of the new album’s tracks were directly transferred from 4-track PortaStudio cassette demos from the 80s into ProTools, constructing the 2023 band around these vintage elements. 

The Hooters are also re-releasing their 1981 debut 7" single, “Fightin’ On The Same Side” and “Wireless” with the original artwork sleeve, but newly remastered for a limited special-edition on yellow vinyl.

Additionally, The Hooters will be joining Rick Springfield’s “I Want My 80s” US tour in August and September. It will be the band’s first national tour since the mid-'90s. The group does a European Tour in June and July. See tour dates here.

The Hooters are Eric Bazilian, Rob Hyman, David Uosikkinen, John Lilley, Fran Smith, Jr., and Tommy Williams.

Track List:

1. Guava Jive

2. Engine 999
3. Why Won’t You Call Me Back
4. Brother, Don't You Walk Away
5. Pete Rose
6. Connection
7. Splice Up The Dance
8. Good Night

Bonus track: 

9. Man In The Street (Live)

hootersmusic.com.

First Aid Kit's North American tour begins Monday

Palomino was among my favorite albums of 2022 and I was amazed by their appearance at Coachella Festival in Indio, California in 2018 (see review elsewhere on this blog).

First Aid Kit embarks on a North American headline tour on Monday. 

With regards to the jaunt, First Aid Kit says: “We promise you it will be worth the wait. We are beyond excited to bring our new songs and show to you...Bonus points that two of our favorite bands will be joining us on the road, Hurray For The Riff Raff on the West Coast in May and The Weather Station on the East Coast and Midwest in July. What a dream! It’s going to be FAKing amazing.”

Comprised of sisters Johanna and Klara Soderberg, the duo released their enrapturing fifth studio album Palomino via Columbia Records last November. Listen HERE. The video for title track “Palomino” was filmed at Studio Rydman where First Aid Kit recorded the album. Watch HERE.

Written and recorded in their home country of Sweden, the ladies turned to music with a sense of optimism as an escape from the dark times of the past few years. Palomino was produced by Daniel Bengtson. Six of the 11 tracks were co-written with fellow Swede Bjorn Yttling of hit pop trio Peter Bjorn and John.  

Speaking about Palomino, First Aid Kit says: “Our fifth album Palomino is straight from our hearts to yours. We are immensely proud of this record and we had such a joyous experience making it. To us, it symbolizes freedom and moving forward. Like the imagery of the Palomino riding off into the unknown, we hope these songs will give you inspiration and solace wherever they find you.”

About First Aid Kit:

Featuring heavenly harmonies of sisters Klara and Johanna Söderberg, First Aid Kit thread together eloquent folk, breezy Americana, and pensive pop. After amassing over 1 billion streams and counting, the two-time BRIT Award-nominated Swedish duo’s blend of artful songcraft and ambitious melodies continues to fixate audiences worldwide. 

Following The Big Black and The Blue [2010] and The Lion’s Roar [2012], the group reached critical mass with 2014’s Stay Gold. The lead single “My Silver Lining” gathered hundreds of millions of streams and picked up a gold certification in the UK. In 2018, Ruins went gold in Sweden.

Along the way, they collaborated with everyone from Jenny Lewis and Conor Oberst to George Ezra and Zara Larsson. Beyond dozens of film and television syncs a la The Umbrella Academy, the girls voiced characters in the English and Swedish versions of NETFLIX’s Centaurworld. 

Not to mention, they’ve delivered stunning performances on Jimmy Kimmel LIVE! and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. First Aid Kit take flight like never before on their 2022 fifth full-length, Palomino. Produced by Daniel Bengtson and crafted in Sweden, it leans into vibrant and vital pop hooks with their signature intuition and emotional acuity on display as introduced through the single “Out of My Head.”

Track listing:

Out of My Head
Angel
Ready To Run
Turning Onto You
Fallen Snow
Wild Horses II
The Last One
Nobody Knows
A Feeling That Never Came
29 Palms Highway
Palomino

North American Tour Dates:

5/15/23 Oakland, CA Fox Theater *

5/16/23 Los Angeles, CA Hollywood Palladium *
5/17/23 Phoenix, AZ The Van Buren *
5/19/23 Denver, CO Fillmore Auditorium *
5/20/23 Salt Lake City, UT The Union *
5/22/23 Portland, OR Keller Auditorium *
5/23/23 Vancouver, BC Malkin Bowl *
5/24/23 Seattle, WA The Paramount Theatre *

7/12/23 Nashville, TN Ryman Auditorium #
7/14/23 Washington, DC The Anthem #
7/15/23 Philadelphia, PA The Fillmore Philadelphia #
7/16/23 Boston, MA Roadrunner #
7/18/23 New York, NY Radio City Music Hall #
7/20/23 Toronto, ON HISTORY #

7/21/23 Grand Rapids, MI Meijer Gardens
7/22/23 Chicago, IL TBC #
7/23/23 St. Paul, MN Palace Theatre #

* with Hurray For The Riff Raff
# with The Weather Station

Photo by Olof Grind, courtesy Columbia Records

Bright Eyes Companion EP series continues next month with more special guests

Bright Eyes have announced the third wave of releases as part of their ongoing Companion project. Announced last March, it sees the band rereleasing their entire catalog, each album accompanied by new recordings.

Released June 16 via Dead Oceans: Cassadaga: A Companion, The People’s Key: A Companion, and Noise Floor (Rarities 1998-2005): A Companion. This new wave comes with artist contributions from Johanna and Klara Söderberg of First Aid Kit (“JeJune Stars,” “Coatcheck Dream Song,” “Wrecking Ball”), Gillian Welch (“Napolean’s Hat”) and Alynda Segarra of Hurray for the Riff Raff (“Clairaudients (Kill or Be Killed),” “Firewall,” ‘When You Were Mine”).

The announcement comes with the release of three new Companion series recordings: “Middleman” (Cassadaga), “When You Were Mine,” (The People’s Key), “Blue Angels Air Show” (Noise Floor).

Of the project, Oberst says, “We are really excited about the final installment of our companion EPs. It’s been an interesting journey revisiting and reimagining all of these old songs. 54 songs total seems ridiculous now looking back, but I’m glad we did it. This new batch includes great contributions from Alynda Segarra (Hurray For The Riff Raff), Johanna and Klara Söderberg (First Aid Kit), and an amazing cast of other fantastic musicians that brought these songs into the present tense. I hope all of the fun and neo-nostalgia we experienced recording these comes through to the listeners.”

Listen to: “Middleman,” “When You Were Mine,” and “Blue Angels Air Show”

Bright Eyes re-issued all nine of their studio albums as a Companion series with additional recordings created together at their ARC Studios in Omaha. However, this wouldn’t be a Bright Eyes project if a moment devoted to appreciating the past weren’t turned into an opportunity to connect with the future. That’s where the nine companion EPs come in. 

Or as Oberst puts it, “the supplemental reading” for the primary reissues: One six-track EP per reissued album, each featuring five reworked songs from that album. “My thing was they had to sound different from the originals, we had to mess with them in a substantial way.” Plus one cover that felt “of the era” in which that particular albums was made – a song that meant something to the band at the time. 

For the EPs, Bright Eyes is joined by guests like Bridgers, M. Ward, and Welch and Rawlings, and the Söderberg sisters as well as new ones like Segarra and Katie Crutchfield of Waxahatchee. The band also covers tracks from Elliot Smith, Simon Joyner, Lullaby for the Working Class, Azure Ray, Townes Van Zandt, The Faint, Prince and Gillian Welch.

PRE-ORDER HERE

Tour Dates:

May 13 - Columbia, MO - Rose Park

May 14 - Tulsa, OK - Cain’s Ballroom*
May 15 - Little Rock, AK - The Hall
May 17 - San Antonio, TX - Aztec Theater
May 18 - Houston, TX - White Oak Music Hall
May 21 - Guadalajara, MX - Corona Capital Guadalajara

*with Cursive

Photo: Butch Hogan

Half speed LP masters of Pete Townshend albums 'Rough Mix,' 'Empty Glass' set for June

On June 23, the first in a series of half speed mastered studio albums from Pete Townshend will be released. Rough Mix and Empty Glass are limited edition black vinyl versions mastered by longtime Who engineer Jon Astley. They were cut for vinyl by Miles Showell at Abbey Road Studios with a half-speed mastering technique which produces a superior vinyl cut and are packaged in original sleeves with obi strips and certificates of authenticity. Rough Mix is presented in a gatefold sleeve, and Empty Glass features a full-color inner bag with full lyrics and a 12” x 24” poster.

Rough Mix was initially released in September 1977 while The Who were on hiatus and was a collaboration with Small Faces bassist the late Ronnie Lane and features contributions from Who bassist John Entwistle, Eric Clapton, and Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts among others.

The orchestral arrangements for the track “Street in the City” were provided by Townshend's then father-in-law, noted British film and television theme composer Edwin Astley. Edwin’s son, Jon Astley has overseen this new remaster.

Produced by Chris Thomas (Roxy Music, Sex Pistols, Pretenders, Wings), Empty Glass was Townshend’s next solo release appearing in April 1980. The songs predominantly deal with issues Townshend was struggling with at the time, including alcohol, drugs, and the death of Keith Moon, the Who’s former drummer.

The second single from the album “Let My Love Open the Door” was a U.S. Top Ten hit, propelling the album to No. 5 on the U.S. Billboard chart, and the first single “Rough Boys,” which was dedicated to Pete’s children and The Sex Pistols, was a U.K. top 40 hit. The album was well received at the time, with some critics even referring to it as a Who album that never was.

PETE TOWNSHEND ROUGH MIX - HALF SPEED MASTERED VINYL TRACK LIST

SIDE 1

My Baby Gives It Away
Nowhere To Run
Rough Mix
Annie
Keep Me Turning
Catmelody

SIDE 2
Misunderstood
April Fool
Street In The City
Heart To Hang Onto
Till The Rivers Run Dry

PETE TOWNSHEND EMPTY GLASS - HALF SPEED MASTERED VINYL TRACK LIST

SIDE 1
Rough Boys
I Am An Animal
And I Moved
Let my Love Open The Door
Jools And Jim

SIDE 2
Keep On Working
Cat’s In The Cupboard
A Little Is Enough
Empty Glass
Gonna Get Ya