NEW MUSIC FRIDAY: Feb 17 Edition

This past week I’ve been listening to a lot of different bands and what better place to share some of my favorite songs and or albums I’ve been blasting all week! Some you might have heard before and some might be brand new but, the best thing about this is that there is something for everyone here! As always, I’m interested in what you dig out of these, so let me know!

01) Botch: Ever since it was announced that Botch had reunited for a secret show as well as a few Seattle area shows and now a tour, you bet your ass I’ve been on a Botch tear. So here you have both of their studio albums, American Nervoso and We Are The Romans plus their new song, One Twenty Two, that is undeniably BOTCH! So Stoked that Botch are back! They are seriously one of the pioneers of this genre and are coming back at one hell of a much needed time! Welcome back gents!!

Botch- One Twenty Two:

Botch- American Nervoso:

Botch- We Are The Romans:

02) Alphamega- A World Afraid Of Tomorrow: This is a new track from Alphamega. I dig on this band. I love their melodic sense into the heavy. Their sound is a combination of early 00’s metalcore and swedish melodeath (early In Flames/Soilwork). This song shows even more growth of the band as songwriters and singer Adam Ryan shines pretty damn bright on this one! Alphamega is playing THIS SUNDAY at The Whisky with Centershift, Daybreak Ends, Stronger Than Machines and Our Dying World!

03) Depeche Mode- Ghosts Again: I love Depeche Mode! And this new song off their upcoming album Memento Mori, is very classic sounding (Black Celebration vibes I’m getting). This is the bands last album to feature the late Andy Fletcher. The video for the song was directed by long time collaborator Anton Corbijn and it definitely strikes a chord with the song. Looking forward to their upcoming tour as well!!

04) Common Wounds- Phantom Limb: I was recently introduced to the band Common Wounds and the moment I heard this track, I knew it was right up my alley. This band is part post-hardcore, part noise-rock and full on crushing. Their self titled EP comes out March 10th and it’s awesome (I might have already heard it and have blasted the ever living shit out of it… I DID)! Shout out to the drummer for the Ghost Idols shirt too! Really digging on this band and if you are into this genre of music, you will be too!

05) The Smile- A Light For Attracting Attention: This band is made up of Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood of Radiohead as well as drummer Tom Skinner. As much as I want a new Radiohead album, this will keep me occupied for some time. This album is really quite cool. It’s jazzy with interesting synth parts and a really cool mix of all the 90’s alternative rock that I love. It’s also one of those albums that is great for a relaxing evening or just hanging out with people. It’s not a “rock record” instead it’s more of a “vibe album” that the more you listen to it, the more you find different nuances and things to enjoy. Looking up live performances of The Smile is a treat too as they definitely take the songs to another level live! Hope they make the rounds again soon, as I am really wanting to see them live!

06) Thrice- The Artist In The Ambulance (REVISITED): I still remember when this album first came out and how much I was into it. It was one of those albums that I didn’t put away for a long long time. Now, 20 years later, Thrice took a chance and revisited this gem of an album and the end result is pretty damn fantastic. The album sounds a little more mature in a good way and feels like it revitalized the band a bit too. With minimal structure changes and a few special guests, this album sounds bigger and at times depending on the song, more impactful. Personally, I’d love to see more bands take on a challenge like this as I suggested in a recent article about Incubus revisiting SCIENCE. Way to go Thrice! This is superb!

07) Quicksand- Slip: The landmark and highly influential album just turned 30 years old! And to this day it still sounds fresh and amazing. Not only is this a classic and has given birth to so many bands but, Quicksand is still out there killing it. Their most recent album, Distant Populations is one of the best album in the last few years. Slip is one of those albums though that when you put it on, you don’t want it to end. It’s full of banger song after banger song! If you’ve never heard this album, now is your chance! And when you do, make sure you play it LOUD!

08) How To Destroy Angels- Welcome Oblivion: My daughter is in love with this album and I couldn’t be more happy about it. She also loves Nine Inch Nails (which she had no choice but to love- if you know me, you know this would be inevitable). When I first heard How To Destroy Angels it took me a minute to get used to not hearing Trent Reznor singing but, I had seen West Indian Girl live before and was familiar with Mariqueen’s voice and it didn’t take me long to love it too. The more I listen to this album with my kid now, the more I love what it is and about. There’s a bit of a dynamic shift to the structure of songs and I’d even say there’s a bit of a psychedelic vibe to some of it which gives the eerie and haunting sounds more attitude. The live shows for How To Destroy Angels were on a whole other visual and sonic level. I highly recommend taking some time to watch some of those!

09) Full Of Hell & Primitive Man- Tunnels To God: One of my favorite things that I’ve mentioned a zillion times before is when I get emails about new music and I click on it and it absolutely kicks ass. The other day, I clicked on this song at the sight of who it was and when it kicked in, HOLY SHIT! It’s brutal yet ambient and will get under your skin and crawl giving you chills. It’s also epic in length which makes those chills last even longer!

10) The Cult- Under The Midnight Sun: The Cult need no introduction. They have been gems in the rock world for well over 40 years. Their catalog speaks for itself and the fact that they keep putting out quality albums makes it even better. Their most recent album, Under The Midnight Sun is one hell of an album. It’s got parts of all eras of the band to give it a different kind of light. At one moment you are listening to a part that you might have heard during Love and then the next you are listening to something that could have been off Choice Of Weapon. The album is diverse and a great listen. I love putting this album on at the end of a long day/night or a drive home and just let it take me places. Ian Astbury and Billy Duffy are two of the most underrated songwriters out there! This is another example of how great they are together!

Dream Tour/Set List: Thrice, Every Time I Die & Cave In

It’s been a while since I did one of these and this one is pretty damn awesome. Earlier this year, this dream tour came to me when Two Minutes To Late Night started their series where 2 bands cover each other. The first one was Every Time I Die taking on a Cave In song (Youth Overrided from Antenna) and Cave In taking on an Every Time I Die song (Moor from From Parts Unknown). When that was announced it got me thinking that those two bands should tour together. Then I started seeing comments from other bands and Riley Breckenridge from Thrice was super stoked on these covers and that’s when I had the idea. Dream Tour and Set List featuring Thrice, Every Time I Die and Cave In. Imagine the possibilities of these three awesome bands on one bill for a whole tour! So much awesomeness happening with this line up. Now the set lists are where it gets interesting and tricky. And as always I set up some parameters to make it more fun.

1: Where would you want to see the show

2: What is the order/set lengths of the bands

3: What line up of the band would it be (If necessary)

4: Set List (In order of how the set should go)

1) Hollywood Palladium

2) Headliner= Thrice
Direct Support= Every Time I Die
Opener= Cave In

3) All Current Lineups of each band

4) Set Lists:


Cave In:

01) Juggernaut
02) Lanterna
03) Trepanning
04) Halo Of Flies
05) Joy Opposites
06) Retina Sees Rewind
07) Big Riff
08) Youth Overrided
09) Dark Driving
10) Sing My Loves

Every Time I Die:

01) Dark Distance
02) I Suck (Blood)
03) Depressionista
04) Glitches
05) Planet Shit
06) Underwater Bimbos From Outer Space
07) Wanderlust
08) Bored Stiff
09) INRIhab
10) White Void
11) C++ (Love Will Get You Killed)
12) Post-Bordem
13) It Remembers
14) AWOL
15) The Coin Has A Say
16) Romeo A Go-Go
17) We’rewolf
18) Ebolarama
19) Thing With Feathers
20) Map Change

Thrice:

01) The Color Of The Sky
02) Scavengers
03) Under A Killing Moon
04) The Grey
05) Hurricane
06) Silhouette
07) All The World Is Mad
08) Promises
09) Don’t Tell And We Won’t Ask
10) Like Moths To Flame
11) Summer Set Fire To The Rain
12) In Exile
13) Just Breathe
14) Blood Clots And Black Holes
15) Robot Soft Exorcism
16) The Long Defeat
17) The Earth Will Shake
18) Paper Tigers
19) The Artist In The Ambulance
20) Come All You Weary
21) Yellow Belly
22) Hold Fast Hope
23) Red Sky
24) Beggars
25) Black Honey

New Release: Thrice- Robot Soft Exorcism

Thrice has released another new song from their upcoming album, Horizons/East (out September 17). This song “Robot Soft Exorcism” is a really interesting song. It sort of has a feel similar to the more experimental tracks from The Alchemy Index. This is also one of those songs that if you listen with headphones (good headphones, not those shitty earbuds) you can hear so many other little hidden gems within the song. Speaking on the song “‘The track’s title may sound familiar to those who are aware of David Dark. The American author and teacher coined the term in a twitter thread, exploring a metaphor in an attempt to help us distinguish between harmful and destructive systems and those that inhabit and benefit from them. Thrice’s singer and lyricist Dustin Kensrue picks up the image and breathes life into it throughout the newly released track. Months back Kensrue and Dark spoke at length on the subject, as well as other topics, on Kensrue’s podcast.’ Between the song “Scavengers” and now “Robot Soft Exorcism,” this new Thrice album is shaping up to be one hell of a good one.

Thrice- Robot Soft Exorcism:

Thrice- Scavengers:

New Music Friday: July 23

Lots of exciting new jams have come out this week!! New tunes from Thrice, Coheed and Cambria, Death From Above 1979, Cane Hill, Bullet For My Valentine, Love and Death, Between The Buried And Me, Quicksand, Iron Maiden, and Generation Kill. Let me know what song is your favorite of the bunch!!

Thrice- Scavengers:

Coheed And Cambria- Shoulders:

Death From Above 1979- Modern Guy:

Love and Death- Let Me Love You (Featuring Lacey Sturm):

Cane Hill- All We Know:

Bullet For My Valentine- Parasite:

Between The Buried And Me- Revolution In Limbo:

Quicksand- Brushed:

Iron Maiden- The Writing On The Wall:

Generation Kill- Rat King:

New Release: Thrice- Scavengers

On September 17th, Thrice will release their new album, Horizons/East via Epitaph Records. The new album was written and recorded by the band over the past couple years. The self produced album was mixed by Kowloon Walled City’s Scott Evans at his studio, Antisleep Audio and he did a killer job! The first single “Scavengers” has a vibe that fits in with their whole catalog. The song is deep and dark with a sense of hope, just as any Thrice song should. Live, this song is going to be huge, and I can’t wait to hear it! Pre-Orders are available HERE.

Thrice- Scavengers:

Ultimate Set List: Thrice

The other day I mentioned to a really good friend that Thrice was going back out on tour and we both got very excited. Thrice is also, based on their social media posts, have been hard at work on a new album. Hopefully they share a new song or two on tour. Throughout their career, Thrice has been one of the few bands to try to make their set lists different and fun for the audience. The past few tours, they’ve set up an online portal for fans to vote on what songs they want to hear. The end result is always interesting since, so many people have yet to see them live so the most popular choices are always front and center. For me, I’d rather have some deeper cuts so, that’s why doing these Ultimate Set Lists are so much fun.

As usual here are the rules:

Rule 1: What line up of the band would it be

Rule 2: Where would you want to see the show

Rule 3: maximum 25 songs (In order of how the set should go)

Lineup: Dustin, Teppei, Riley, Ed

Venue: Fonda Theatre

Set List:

01) Hurricane
02) Silhouette
03) The Grey
04) Yellow Belly
05) Wake Up
06) Like Moths To Flame
07) Under A Killing Moon
08) Only Us
09) Beggars
10) Just Breathe
11) The Earth Will Shake
12) Blinded
13) Hold Fast Hope
14) The Dark
15) Promises
16) Black Honey
17) Don’t Tell And We Won’t Ask
18) Red Sky

Encore:

19) The Artist In the Ambulance
20) Where Idols Once Stood
21) To Awake And Avenge The Dead
22) Deadbolt
23) All That’s Left

Cover Song: Thrice (The Beatles)- Helter Skelter

Thrice is one of those bands that when they do covers, they put their own spin on it and it usually turns out pretty damn good. A long while back during their Beggars era, they released their version of The Beatles “Helter Skelter.” It’s a very rockin version and the arrangement is definitely Thrice through and through. Take a few moments and dig into this gem!

Thrice- Helter Skelter:

Collaborations: Thrice & Emma Ruth Rundle- Just Breathe

On Thrice’s 2018 album Palms, there is a song called “Just Breathe” that is an absolute stand out. The first time I heard the song, I was hooked. It’s a very Thrice song and then with the addition of guest vocals by Emma Ruth Rundle, it takes it to a whole other level. Her delicate vocals add a very soothing vibe and gives you the good kind of chills. One day, when live music is able to happen again, it would be a dream to get to see Emma join Thrice on stage to perform this song. It would be EPIC!!

Thrice Featuring Emma Ruth Rundle- Just Breathe:

Deep Cuts: Thrice- The Flame Deluge

One of the best things about putting your iPod on random is the ability to rediscover songs you forgot about. The other day while driving home from hanging out with a friend, a song came on that was perfect for the drive. Thrice has long been a favorite band of mine since I first heard The Illusion Of Safety. The song that hit me was “The Flame Deluge” from their Alchemy Index, Fire album. This song is the closing track on that part. It’s quite a beautiful song, and it channels some really cool influences from the likes of Isis and Pelican (which isn’t a surprise since Thrice has toured and played shows with them through the years). I’d personally love it if one day at a show of their that I’m at, they played this one. It would be quite an epic one for sure.

Thrice- The Flame Deluge:

 

Band Of The Week: Holy Fawn

Every so often, a band and album comes out that you hear about but, forget to check out in a timely manner. That happened to me over the course of the last few months with the band of the week. A while back, I saw Riley Breckinridge of Thrice raving about the new Holy Fawn album Death Spells. I put it on my list of things to check out but, for some reason, I kept missing it. Well, that was a mistake. What a tremendous band they are, and their album is superb. This Phoenix, Arizona based band is quite possibly one of the best things Arizona has ever exported. Their blend of shoegaze, 90’s reverb rock, ambient tinges and crushing noise is captivating and hypnotic. There is a real depth to their songs and albums that has anyone listening stand at attention and feel compelled to get lost in the music. There’s an element of danger to this band that when you listen, you can tell they are about to erupt with a sound that is devastatingly beautiful. Their album Death Spells is definitely one of the best of the past decade and worth putting in any collection. Holy Fawn has also released a 3 song EP this past January entitled The Black Moon and it’s pretty damn fantastic as well. Holy Fawn is a band that should be on your radar and should be checked out live to get the full effect.

 

Holy Fawn- Death Spells:

 

Holy Fawn- The Black Moon: