Grant-Lee Phillips returns with new album, tour in the fall

Acclaimed Nashville-based singer, songwriter, and painter Grant-Lee Phillips announces the release of In the Hour of Dust, his 12th solo album, out September 5 on Yep Roc Records. The first single is "Closer Tonight," available at all digital service providers.

Of “Closer Tonight,” Phillips says: “A reflection of my uneasy feelings about this moment. On one hand, we’re living in an age of scientific advancement, an integration of technology that could vastly enhance life as we know it. On the other hand, we’re equally capable of barbaric cruelty, incapable of prioritizing life, neither our own nor that of the planet, all as we plot to plant our flag on Mars. We’re closer than ever to realizing our greatest potential and closer than ever to self-destruction.”

In celebration of the album, Phillips will embark on a 26-date U.S. and UK tour beginning with a run of Northeast dates in September, with a West Coast run in November, including a stop in Los Angeles, and dates in the UK, France, Belgium, The Netherlands, and Finland throughout the fall and winter. Tickets are available here.

Inspired by a painting from India discovered while wandering the Norton Simon Art Museum in Pasadena, CA, and the evocative Indian concept of ‘the hour of cow dust’--“It’s that moment of the day when the cows are led back home, they kick up the dust; that's a cue to prepare the lamps. Night is about to fall,” says Phillips.

The self-produced album finds Phillips at his most introspective and poetic, channeling his visual and musical sensibilities into a striking mediation on disconnection and grace. “The mood on this album is contemplative,” says Phillips. “It’s about trying to find meaning in an age of confusion, feeling your way through the blinding dust of unreality.”

Known for his cinematic lyricism and atmospheric arrangements, In the Hour of Dust spans universal and personal themes. “Bullies,” co-written with pianist Jamie Edwards–the first co-write to appear on any Phillips’ albums–channels his experience as an outsider into a defiant anthem of resilience. “She Knows Me” offers a deeply personal testament to partnerships and vulnerability, while “Did You Make It Through the Night Okay” draws Phillips’ heritage as an Enrolled citizen of the Muskogee (Creek) Nation, reflecting on hardship and survival.

Written and recorded between his home studio in Nashville and Lucy’s Meat Market in Eagle Rock, CA, In the Hour of Dust features intimate solo recordings and collaborative sessions with longtime friends and acclaimed musicians: Jay Bellerose (drums), Jennifer Condos (bass), and Patrick Warren (keyboards). “I don’t see songs of love and songs of protest as being so far apart, really,” Phillips reflects. “It’s all about recognizing the value of connection in a disconnected time.”

Since his early days as the frontman of Grant Lee Buffalo, through his role as the town troubadour on TV's Gilmore Girls to his prolific solo career, Phillips has established himself as one of America's most consistent and compelling songwriters. His distinctive voice, poetic lyrics, and masterful musicianship have earned him a dedicated following and critical praise across multiple decades.

Tour Dates:

September 7 - Jammin’ Java - Vienna, VA
September 9 - City Winery - Philadelphia, PA
September 10 - City Winery - New York, NY
September 11 - City Winery - Boston, MA
October 10 - St. Michael-in-the-Hamlet Church - Liverpool, UK
October 11 - Hallé at St Michael's - Manchester, UK
October 12 - Portland Arms - Cambridge, UK
October 14 - Kitchen Garden - Birmingham, UK
October 15 - The Lower Third - London, UK
October 16 - Les Etoiles - Paris, France
October 17 - Reflektor - Liege, Belgium
October 18 - Ramblin’ Roots - Utrecht, The Netherlands
October 19 - Metropol - Hengelo, The Netherlands
October 21 - DR Koncerthuset - Copenhagen, Denmark
November 8 - McCabe’s Guitar Shop - Los Angeles, CA
November 9 - HopMonk Tavern - Novato, CA
January 14 - The Lantern - Bristol, UK
January 15 - The Trades Club - Hebden Bridge, UK
January 16 - Celtic Connections - Glasgow, UK
January 17 - The Common Room - Newcastle, UK
January 18 - Tithe Barn - Carlisle, UK
January 20 - Out to Lunch Festival - Belfast, UK
January 21 - Whelan's - Dublin, Ireland
January 23-24 - G Livelab - Helsinki, Finland
January 25 - Ylläs Jazz & Blues Festival - Lapland, Finland

Jetstream Pony, The Loft album reviews

Jetstream Pony

Bowerbirds and Blue Things

(Shelflife)

Similar artists: Alvvays, Velocity Girl, Lush, The Dentists

Since the 1990s, Jetstream Pony singer Beth Arzy - an American expat who attended Palm Desert High School – has spent time in such beloved indie pop/rock groups as Trembling Blue Stars, The Luxembourg Signal and Southern California’s Aberdeen. 

Jetstream Pony, formed in 2017, also features guitarist/singer Shaun Charman (The Wedding Present), bassist Kerry Boettcher, drummer Tom Levesley and more recent recruit, guitarist Mark Matthews (The Dentists). 

Bowerbirds and Blue Things, this Brighton-based alt-rock quintet’s first full-length album in five years is another winsome addition to its catalog. Arzy’s harmonic blend with guitarist/singer Shaun Charman is spot-on throughout the dozen tracks here. 

Among the standouts: driving opener “Sit and Wonder,” bolstered by some chiming guitar; “Bubblegum Nothingness,” which name checks “Soul Train” TV host Don Cornelius and contains a tongue-in-cheek chorus, seemingly chastising a person who’s “a parasitic disco snail”; and the Mighty Lemon Drops-esque “Bonanza 2 Tango Sierra” with more exquisite harmonies. Elsewhere, denser shoegaze sounds turn up, Charman and Boettcher have a hand at lead vocals (the latter on a dark “Tendrils”), and The Fall keyboardist Eleni Puolou even turns up for guest spoken vocals, providing an edgier vibe on “The Relativity of Wrong.”

Info: bandcamp.com

The Loft

Everything Changes, Everything Stays the Same

(Tapete)

Similar artists: Nick Lowe, the Go-Betweens, Real Estate

During the mid-Eighties, The Loft was the first act on England’s vaunted Creation Records (later the label home for Oasis) to achieve notoriety with some single releases. Then the band quickly split up. 

Singer/guitarist Pete Astor and drummer Dave Morgan moved onto the critically acclaimed Weather Prophets. The Loft briefly reformed in ’06, reappeared nearly a decade later and have sporadically played gigs in the interim. 

All four original members finally entered a studio with current Dexy’s (Midnight Runners) member Sean Read as producer and made the debut album Everything Changes, Everything Stays the Same. The result is a delightful dose of jangle-pop. 

Highlights include the character study “Dr. Clarke;” a bar singalong-worthy “Feel Good Now;” humorous dance craze-in-the-making “Do the Shut Up,” and pastoral ode to late summer, “Greensward Days.” (Side note: Loft fans should also check out Astor’s frequently charming, stripped-down 2024 solo effort Tall Stories and New Religions.)

Info: amazon.com.

My reviews originally appeared in today's edition of Desert Star Weekly. 

The Waterboys' making-of 'Life, Death and Dennis Hopper' album film on YouTube; 'Dennis Hopper Day' in New Mexico is May 17

A Wild and Beautiful Ride—a new documentary chronicling the creation of The Waterboys’ latest album Life, Death and Dennis Hopper is now available globally on YouTube.

In case you missed my recent interview with the band's frontman Mike Scott, read it here:

Rock Cellar Magazine - The Waterboys’ Mike Scott Talks New Concept Album ‘Life, Death & Dennis Hopper’ — Out Now (Q&A)

The 48-minute film, which premiered on Night Flight Plus on May 9, follows the making of the epic 25-track album released by Sun Records this spring. Directed by Mick Puck and Duende Visions, the documentary blends New Mexico landscapes with behind-the-scenes moments and commentary from Waterboys frontman Mike Scott, who spent four years crafting the record.

Timed just ahead of Dennis Hopper Day, an annual celebration held in Taos, New Mexico on May 17 (Hopper’s birthday), the film provides a reflection on Hopper’s life, legacy, and enduring influence on global culture. The album and film were both deeply inspired by the actor's wild, multi-faceted journey—from Hollywood’s rebellious youth to spiritual seeker and visionary artist.

"The arc of his life was the story of our times,” says Scott. “He was at the big bang of youth culture in Rebel Without a Cause with James Dean; the beginnings of Pop Art with the young Andy Warhol. He was part of the counterculture, hippie, civil rights, and psychedelic scenes of the '60s. In the '70s and '80s, he went on a wild 10-year rip, almost died, came back, got straight, and became a five-movies-a-year character actor—without losing the sparkle in his eye or the sense of danger or unpredictability that always gathered around him.”

Released last month via Sun Records, Life, Death and Dennis Hopper has earned widespread critical acclaim across the U.K., Europe, and the U.S. Featuring standout collaborations with Bruce Springsteen, Fiona Apple, Steve Earle, Taylor Goldsmith, and more, the album traces the highs and lows of Hopper’s cinematic and personal legacy, framed as a broader meditation on what it means to live, fall, and rise again.

The film’s global YouTube premiere on May 16 offers fans around the world a chance to experience the journey in real time—just as the town of Taos gathers for its annual tributes, including the Easy Rider Ride, sunset ceremony, and commemorations at Hopper’s final resting place.

The film is available on The Waterboys YouTube channel on May 16. To learn more about The Waterboys and their worldwide tour, visit mikescottwaterboys.com. 

Wavves back with 'Spun' album, tour in June

After announcing their new album Spun, San Diego's Wavves release the title track of the same name, “Spun.” The song follows “Goner,” the previously released Travis Barker (Blink-182)-produced song. “Goner” was paired with a Brandon Dermer-directed music video filmed at the band’s Los Angeles County wildfire benefit show at Zeublon, watch that here. Dermer has previously directed Wavves’ 2013 video for “That’s On Me” and has directed videos for Blink-182 among others.

The album is due out June 27 with a North American tour set to launch later that month. See routing below. Preorder the LP here. 

Like lead singer Nathan Williams’ earliest music, this album first took shape in a small shed behind his parents’ house known as "the hideaway." It's the place where Williams made some of his earliest albums. 

Over a decade prior, Williams released King of the Beach, an album that brought much attention - a pop/punk collection that also led to a widely publicized on stage meltdown at Primavera Fest. Wavves eventually entered the major label system, where the band released two albums before Williams became disillusioned by the lack of creative agency available to him. In 2017, Williams self-released You’re Welcome on his label, Ghost Ramp before returning to Fat Possum (the home of his first three albums) for Hideaway.

Fast forward to 2024, and Williams has again reunited with longtime bandmates Stephen Pope, Ross Traver, and Alex Gates. 

Tour dates:

6/24 - Santa Cruz, CA @ The Atrium 
6/25 - San Francisco, CA @ The Independent 
6/27 - Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios 
6/28 - Vancouver, BC @ The Pearl 
6/29 - Seattle, WA @ Neumos 
7/2 - Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry 
7/3 - Madison, WI @ High Noon Saloon 
7/5 - Chicago, IL @ Bottom Lounge 
7/6 - Detroit, MI @ El Club 
7/8 - Toronto, ON @ Lee's Palace 
7/9 - Montreal, QC @ Theatre Fairmount 
7/10 - Boston, MA @ The Sinclair 
7/11 - Brooklyn, NY @ Warsaw 
7/12 - Washington, DC @ Union Stage 
7/13 - Philadelphia, PA @ Underground Arts 
7/15 - Atlanta, GA @ The Loft 
7/16 - New Orleans, LA @ Tipitina's 
7/17 - Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall 
7/18 - Denton, TX @ Rubber Gloves 
7/19 - Austin, TX @ Mohawk 
7/21 - Albuquerque, NM @ Sister 
7/22 - Tucson, AZ @ 191 Toole 
7/23 - Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom 
7/24 - San Diego, CA @ The Observatory North Park
7/25 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Fonda 

Track listing:

1. Spun
2. Lucky Stars
3. New Creatures
4. Goner
5. Gillette Bayonet
6. So Long
7. Busy Sleeping
8. In Good Time
9. Big Nothing
10. Machete Bob
11. Way Down
12. Body Sane
13. Holding Onto Shadows

Out now: 'Songs from the Yonder' by Skinny Lister

Skinny Lister have released Songs from the Yonder, the English folk-punk quintet’s seventh studio album. Stream/purchase HERE.

Reflecting on the new single and title track, frontman Dan Heptinstall says it is "a proper conversational duet, a song about longing and returning from distant travels to where the heart is”...“It’s also a song about looking beyond petty disagreements, putting things in perspective and embracing the things that connect us.” 

He adds, “We’ve not properly explored this dueling vocal approach since ‘George’s Glass’ from our album ‘Down On Deptford Broadway’, and it was a lot of fun to return to writing and recording a track with this kind of dynamic. It’s also a good companion to a track like ‘Six Whiskies’, with its ‘end of the night’ ‘drunken waltz’ feel.” Watch the music video for “Song from the Yonder” HERE.

Produced and mixed by Heptinstall, the album's core tracks were recorded live — and left unedited — in an attempt to capture the band’s live show energy, the album is available on colored vinyl, CD and digital. Five extra CD formats of the album can be purchased on the band’s official site, each featuring bespoke artwork in the style of an old seaside postcard illustrated by John Davison (Cartoons From The Pit) with a different bonus/acoustic track included on each. Fans can buy individually or as a set — a charming and collectable Skinny Lister keepsake. Purchase HERE.

Track listing:

Yorkshire Belle

Set Us Straight
Song From The Yonder
Plough On
Tumbling Into Something
Bristol Bound
Drinking Song
Everything
Back Into The Battle
Brave The Waves
Glass To Our Days

Chameleons return with album 'Arctic Moon' in September

Chameleons will release the album Arctic Moon on Sept. 12 through Metropolis Records. The new full-length follows the EPs “Where Are You?” and “Tomorrow Remember Yesterday” over the last year.

“There’s an obvious maturity to the songwriting on this record," says vocalist/bassist Vox (otherwise known as Mark Burgess). "Those that are familiar with our past work will hear that this is a positive step forward in that respect.”

Of the Fall North American tour to promote the album, Vox says, “For the first time, we’ve been able to use real orchestral strings on a couple the songs, which were arranged and performed by Pete Whitfield at Real Strings in Manchester. They’ve given these songs a truly epic quality, and we can’t wait to perform them live. Danny [Ashberry], our keyboard player, is going to need all his skill to help bring this epic quality to the stage and we have every confidence that he can.”

Long cited as a hugely influential act having inspired the likes of Verve, Oasis, White Lies, Interpol, The Killers and Editors, among countless others, the British post punk group previously released widely acclaimed Script of the Bridge (1983), What Does Anything Mean? Basically!' (1984), Strange Times (1986), and Why Call It Anything? (2001).

With Arctic Moon adding to their storied catalog, the band propels forward musically while retaining the essence that made them iconic. “While we’re proud of the band’s legacy, we really wanted to forge something fresh while retaining that profound and imaginative quality we’re known for,” says Vox, reflecting on his band’s history. “We along with a few long-time listeners that are close to us that have heard the new album all agree that we’ve managed to do that and deliver a very strong record.”

Chameleons are Reg Smithies (guitar), Vox (bass, vocals, lyrics), Stephen Rice (guitar), Danny Ashberry (keyboards), and Todd Demma (drums)

Tour dates:

June 28 Northfield, OH MGM Northfield#
June 29 Grand Rapids, MI Frederik Meijer Gardens#
July 1 Columbus, OH Temple Live#
July 2 Pittsburgh, PA Mr. Smalls Theatre
July 3 Windsor, ON The Colosseum#
July 4 Rama, ON Casino Rama Resort#
July 5 Buffalo, NY Outer Harbor Live#
July 8 Louisville, KY Mercury Ballroom#
July 9 Nashville, TN Brooklyn Bowl#
July 10 Atlanta, GA The Masquerade
July 11 New Orleans, LA House of Blues#
July 12 Houston, TX House of Blues#
July 14 Dallas, TX House of Blues#
July 15 Austin, TX ACL Live at Moody#
Sept 26 Seattle, WA The Crocodile
Sept 27 Vancouver, BC The Pearl
Sept 28 Portland, OR Revolution Hall
Sept 30 Roseville, CA Goldfield Trading Post
Oct 1 San Francisco, CA The Fillmore
Oct 2 Los Angeles, CA The Belasco
Oct 3 Santa Ana, CA Observatory
Oct 4 Pioneertown, CA Pappy & Harriet's
Oct 5 San Diego, CA Belly Up
Oct 7 Phoenix, AZ Walter Studios
Oct 9 Denver, CO Marquis

# dates with Psychedelic Furs

Photo by Mick Peek, courtesy Reybee PR

Out now: 'Ten Crowns,' by Andy Bell of Erasure

The name of Andy Bell’s third solo album, Ten Crowns – like its cover art, featuring his head on a glistening gold coin – makes Andy laugh: "It sounds like a pub,” he jokes. But behind that title lies ten songs of pop inspired by the dancefloor and gospel, completed in the year he turned 60. The name also refers to the tarot, he says: “The ten crowns on the tree of life, which is a very powerful card to have. And I’d just got my crowns on my teeth done in Miami when I was trying to think about a title,” he adds.

The album release follows the singles 'Lies So Deep,' 'Heart's A Liar', with Debbie Harry, ‘Don’t Cha Know’, 'Dance For Mercy', and ‘Breaking Thru The Interstellar’.

No stranger to collaboration – his four decades of writing and recording with Vince Clarke as Erasure are still going strong, and the duo recently began work on a new album together – Bell threw himself into writing with close friend Dave Audé, the Grammy award-winning producer, remixer and DJ. 

Andy and Dave had previously collaborated on two Billboard Dance Club Songs number ones together: 2014’s ‘Aftermath (Here We Go)’ and 2016’s ‘True Original’, and after those dance tracks, the pair “just kind of carried on writing as an exercise”, Andy explains, “and after that, Dave moved his family to Nashville because LA was so expensive, and so our writing took this kind of gospel-tinged Nashville twist."

He describes how in Nashville there’s a church on every corner (“it reminded me of singing in choirs and cathedral school as a child, where the spirit of the church is imbued in the music"). Not that Ten Crowns is a sombre, spiritual set. It’s propulsive, electronic, passionate, driven by the need to encounter new emotions and experiences as life races on. “I mean, I’ve got everything I could possibly wish for, you know, I really have, but that’s not to say I’m always fulfilled,” Andy says. 

“This album’s about picking yourself up, dusting yourself off, embracing life – and about taking that feeling on even when you’re fighting demons in the world, like homophobia, and fighting demons in yourself. It’s about being celebratory and uplifting.”

Ten Crowns marks an important moment in Andy Bell’s forty-year career. His joy about what that holds, and where it can go, clearly excites him. “It’s my third (sort of) solo record [following 2005’s Electric Blue and 2010’s Non-Stop] and in Erasure, our third album was our most successful out of all that we’ve done, so I’m taking that spirit with me."

Track listing:

Breaking Thru The Interstellar
Lies So Deep
Heart's A Liar feat. Debbie Harry
For Today
Dance For Mercy
Don’t Cha Know
Dawn Of Heaven's Gate
Godspell
Put Your Empathy On Ice
Thank You

Tour dates:

October 3 - Nashville, TN - Basement East

October 7 - Atlanta, GA - Buckhead Theatre
October 10 - Fort Lauderdale, FL - Revolution
October 11 - Fort Lauderdale, FL - Revolution
October 14 - Durham, NC - Durham Performing Arts Center
October 17 - Washington DC - Lincoln Theatre
October 18 - Washington DC - Lincoln Theatre
October 21 - Toronto, ON - Queen Elizabeth Theatre
October 23 - New York, NY - Gramercy Theatre
October 24 - New York, NY - Gramercy Theatre
October 25 - New York, NY - Gramercy Theatre
October 28 - Pittsburgh, PA - Roxian Theatre
October 29 - Bethlehem, PA - Wind Creek Event Center
November 4 - Cleveland, OH - House of Blues
November 5 - Columbus, OH - The Anthenaeum
November 7 - Chicago, IL - Metro
November 8 - Chicago, IL - Metro
November 13 - New Orleans, LA - Orpheum Theater
November 14 - San Antonio, TX - Aztec Theater
November 15 - Dallas, TX - Majestic Theatre
November 20 - Denver, CO - Summit Music Hall
November 21 - Park City, UT - The Marquis
November 28 - San Francisco, CA - Palace of Fine Arts
November 29 - San Francisco, CA - Palace of Fine Arts
December 2 - Portland, OR - Newmark Theatre
December 3 - Vancouver, BC - Vogue
December 4 - Seattle, WA - ShowBox at the Market
December 6 - Stateline, NV - Harrah's Lake Tahoe
December 9 - Phoenix, AZ - Van Buren
December 10 - San Diego, CA - Music Box
December 12 - Los Angeles, CA - The Fonda Theater
December 13 - Los Angeles, CA - The Fonda Theater

Tickets on sale now