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Listen to Joseph’s New Song “White Flag”; Preorder New Album Out 8/26

You can now hear the first single from Joseph‘s upcoming album I’m Alone, No You’re Not, out August 26, at NPR Music’s Songs We Love. NPR says of the song: “The band has said “White Flag” is about facing what scares you. But its triumphant chorus tells you that Joseph is only moving confidently forward.”

Pre-order the new album and instantly download “White Flag”:

OFFICIAL STORE | ITUNES | AMAZON

Watch the band’s announcement video:

 

There is nothing like the sound of siblings singing together. Whether it’s the Beach Boys, the Everly Brothers or First Aid Kit, absorbing the same breathing rhythms and speech patterns adds an element to vocal harmonies that can be pure magic. With the August 26 release of ‘I’m Alone, No You’re Not’, the mesmerizing, hypnotic sound of the trio known as Joseph – sisters Allison, Meegan, and Natalie Closner – joins this elite company.

 

‘I’m Alone, No You’re Not’ was produced by Mike Mogis (Bright Eyes, Jenny Lewis), and features eleven original songs exploding with a mystical exuberance and heart-on-sleeve emotion.  In advance of the album’s release, Joseph have already been named a 2016 Spotify Spotlight artist, toured with James Bay, and confirmed festival performances this summer at Sasquatch, Bonnaroo, Glastonbury, Pickathon and more.  They’ll also join Michael Kiwanuka for a European run, and reconnect with James Bay this fall for his next US tour, including dates at Radio City Music Hall, The Ryman Auditorium and more.

 

Choosing their name in deference to their grandfather Jo, and the tiny Oregon town of Joseph where he lived, Natalie Closner and her younger twin sisters Meegan and Allison, grew up in a musical household, but didn’t sing together until just a few years ago.  Joseph officially formed when Natalie, an aspiring performer looking for a creative jolt, asked her sisters to form a band together. They quickly discovered their gift for songwriting and vocal alchemy.

 

‘I’m Alone, No You’re Not’ is a masterclass in pristine 3-part harmony, traversing melodies and rhythms that are indelible and ambitious.  Lead single “White Flag” is a cathartic rallying cry, with the sisters’ voices starting as a hum, then verging on a scream by the chorus.  The anthemic album opener, “Canyon,” channels Fleetwood Mac at their soaring finest.  Elsewhere golden, shimmering pop songs are tucked next to the most delicate ballads: love lost and found, amplified by three unwavering voices.

 

 

TOUR DATES:

5.30 – Goerga, WA – Sasquatch Festival – Yeti Stage

6.9 – Manchester, TN – Bonnaroo

6.22 – Bristol, UK – Summer Series – Harbourside *

6.24 – Somerset, UK – Glastonbury Festival

6.27 – Luxembourg, LUX – Rackhal *

6.29 – Munich, GE – Toll wood Festival *

7.1 – Nr. Brandon, Suffolk, UK – Thetford Forest (Forest Live) *

7.6 – Manchester, UK – Castle Field Bowl *

7.8 – Cannock, UK – Cannock Chase Forest *

7.12 – Scarborough, UK – Scarborough Open Air Theater *

7.14-17 – Beccles, UK – Latitude Festival

7.17 – Dublin, IE – Longtitude Festival

7.18 – London, UK – St. Pancras Old Church

7.20 – Hamburg, GE – Knust Acoustic Session

7.22 – Berlin, GE – Berghain Kantine

7.23 – Haldern, GE – Haldern Pop Bar

7.24 – Nurnberg, GE – Fold Im Park

7.29 – Los Angeles, CA – FIG at 7th // Arts Brookfield Series

8.5-7 – Happy Valley, OR – Pickathon

8.10 – Boulder, CO – The Fox – Triple A Summit

9.19 – Orlando, FL – Hard Rock Live *

9.21 – Miami Beach, FL – The Fillmore Miami at Gleason Theater *

9.23-24 – Nashville, TN – Ryman Auditorium *

9.25 – Charlotte, NC – The Fillmore Charlotte *

9.27 – Richmond, VA – The National *

9.28 – Pittsburgh, PA – Stage AE *

9.30 – New York, NY – Radio City Music Hall *

10.1 – Boston, MA – Blue Hills Bank Pavilion *

10.3 – Cleveland, OH – Agora Theater *

10.4 – Detroit, MI – The Fillmore Detroit *

10.6 – Milwaukee, WI – The Rave / Eagles Ballroom *

10.7 – Saint Louis, MO – The Pageant *

10.8 – Kansas City, MO – Arrest Bank Theatre at The Midland *

11.3 – Antwerp, BE – Trix Hall #

11.5 – Copenhagen, DK – DR Koncerthuset #

11.6 – Oslo, NO – Folketeateret #

11.9 – Berlin, DE – Postbahnhof #

11.10 – Munich, DE – Technikum #

11.11 – Zurich, CH – Kaufleuten #

11.13 – Milan, IT – Fabrique Milano #

11.14 – Montpellier, FR – Le Rockstore #

11.16 – Barcelona, ES – Bikini Barcelona #

11.18 – Bardeaux, FR – Rock School Barbey #

11.20 – Lyon, FR – Epicerie Moderne #

11.21 – Stasbourg, FR – La Laiterie #

11.22 – Cologne, DE – Kantine #

 

* Supporting James Bay

# Supporting Michael Kiwanuka

 

Lisa Hannigan announces new album “At Swim”, listen to “Prayer for the Dying” at NPR

Irish singer-songwriter Lisa Hannigan’s highly anticipated new album, At Swim, will be released August 19 via ATO Records.

PREORDER AT SWIM: Official StoreiTunes

The release follows her second full-length album, Passenger, which NPR Music praised as “lush and beautiful,” while Rolling Stone furthered, “Her voice is light and agile, her phrasing like exquisite plumage, and her folksy songs move with deceptive power, sailing on guitars, strings and Irish drama.” “Prayer for the Dying,” the first track to be revealed off At Swim, premiered today at NPR Music. As NPR notes, the track “showcases Hannigan’s considerable gift for slow-burning melancholy. Setting her lustrous voice against a backdrop of piano, slide guitar and swooning backing vocals, the song sways sweetly for four and a half languid, hypnotic minutes.” Listen to it now:

After touring in support of Passenger for nearly two years, Hannigan began writing songs for her new record. Although she struggled to write new material while living in London, away from home and from what she describes as her “usual anchors and points of reference,” Hannigan had a breakthrough when she got an email out of the blue from Aaron Dessner—guitarist in The National and producer of Dark Was the Night and records by Sharon Van Etten, This is the Kit and Frightened Rabbit among others. Working with Dessner and rediscovering the collaborative spirit she’d missed in Dublin enabled Hannigan to see her life in London in a different light. Hannigan and Dessner (guitar) started recording the new record with Logan Coale (bass) and Ross Turner (drums) in rural Hudson, NY at Future Past Studio. In the weeks that followed, Dessner produced the record at his home studio. “He didn’t want it to sound too pretty,” Hannigan says. “He wanted it to have a texture rather than have big arcing melodies.” At Swim is in part about homesickness and isolation as well as about love.

Hannigan will be appear at Edmonton Folk Festival and Eaux Claires Festival in August. Look for more North American tour dates to follow.

My Morning Jacket – “It Still Moves (Deluxe Reissue)” Out Now

My Morning Jacket has re-issued 2003’s It Still Moves, remixed and remastered as a special deluxe package with new artwork and exclusive photos. It includes frontman Jim James’ ten original demos plus three unheard tracks from the original sessions on 4 x LP 180 gram vinyl, 2 CD set, or digital download. With the help of the band’s longtime friend Kevin Ratterman behind the mixing desk, James revisited and tweaked all the old material. Remastered by Bob Ludwig at Gateway Mastering, this new version still has that shimmering grandeur that lent it such a singular identity, but there is an increased strength and clarity to it now.

Order from Official Store | iTunes | Amazon

MMJBumper

 

“Everybody can relate to something they’ve done in their life where you didn’t know it at the time, but you were rushed through finishing it,” James said. When ATO approached him about the idea of reissuing It Still Moves as a part of the label’s fifteenth anniversary, he took the opportunity to dig back in and remix the album.

In addition to pillars of My Morning Jacket’s catalog such as “One Big Holiday” and “Golden”, the re-issue is also accompanied by James’ original acoustic demos of It Still Moves. This is still the way James writes, getting down the core snapshot of an idea before bringing it to the band and reworking it with their titanic sound. “I feel lucky to have had so many songs that feel like there are chances to go in other directions,” James said.

 

 

It would’ve been hard to tell back when My Morning Jacket released It Still Moves, but the then-young band’s third album would serve as a conclusion to one part of their story. It Still Moves both expanded their early style outward as far is it could go, while also grounding it. Everything would shift for My Morning Jacket after It Still Moves. As the conclusion to their initial trilogy of albums, it remains one of their most pivotal releases.

 

Tour Dates
5/28 – Morrison, CO at Red Rocks Amphitheater ^
5/29 – Morrison, CO at Red Rocks Amphitheater *
8/25-28 – Arrington, VA at Lock’n Festival
10/28-10/30 – Suwanee Hulaween
2/4/17 – 2/8/17 – One Big Holiday Festival, Riviera Maya, Mexico

* w/ The Barr Brothers
^ w/ The Fruit Bats

Okkervil River Announces New Album ‘Away’ + Tour – Listen to “Okkervil RIP” at Pitchfork

ATO is pleased to announce the new Okkervil River album Away, available September 9th. Grab the exclusive pre-order colored vinyl version in our webstore, and check out the album’s opening track “Okkervil River R.I.P.” via Pitchfork

Pre-order Away: Official Store  | iTunes | Amazon

 

Okkervil River’s Will Sheff says of the album: 

“2013-2015 had been a strange time for me. I lost some connections in a music industry that was visibly falling apart. Some members of the backing band left, moving on to family life or to their own projects. I spent a good deal of time in hospice sitting with my grandfather, who was my idol, while he died. I felt like I didn’t know where I belonged. When there was trouble at home, a friend offered me her empty house in the Catskills where I could go and clear my head. New songs were coming fast up there, so I set myself the challenge of trying to write enough to make a whole record. I didn’t really think about what the record was going to be or if I’d even release it—the idea was just to write quickly and directly. Eventually, I realized I was kind of writing a death story for a part of my life that had, buried inside of it, a path I could follow that might let me go somewhere new.”

Tour dates:

6/30 @ Stubb’s Bar-B-Q (Outdoors) in Austin, TX%

7/01 @ The Bomb Factory in Dallas, TX%

7/02 @ White Oak Music Hall in Houston, TX%

7/03 @ Aztec Theater in San Antonio, TX%

7/14 @ Port City Music Hall in Portland, ME

7/15 @ 3S Artspace in Portsmouth, NH

7/16 @ Club Helsinki in Hudson, NY

7/17 @ Higher Ground in Burlington, VT

7/20 @ National Sawdust in Brooklyn, NY

9/14 @ The Sinclair in Cambridge, MA*

9/15 @ The Sinclair in Cambridge, MA*

9/16 @ Theatre Fairmount in Montreal, QC

9/19 @ 9:30 Club in Washington, DC*

9/20 @ Cat’s Cradle in Carrboro, NC*

9/21 @ Terminal West at King Plow Arts Center in Atlanta, GA*

9/23 @ 1884 Lounge in Memphis, TN*

9/24 @ One Eyed Jacks in New Orleans, LA*

9/30 @ The Crescent Ballroom in Phoenix, AZ*

10/01 @ Belly Up Tavern in Solana Beach, CA*

10/04 @ Teragram Ballroom in Los Angeles, CA

10/05 @ The Independent in San Francisco, CA

10/07 @ Wonder Ballroom in Portland, OR*

10/08 @ Neptune Theatre in Seattle, WA*

10/10 @ Urban Lounge in Salt Lake City, UT*

10/11 @ Bluebird Theater in Denver, CO*

10/13 @ Fine Line Music Café in Minneapolis, MN*

10/14 @ Metro in Chicago, IL#

10/15 @ The Magic Bag in Ferndale, MI^

10/16 @ Mr. Small’s Theatre in Millvale, PA^

10/18 @ Union Transfer in Philadelphia, PA^

10/30 @ Parkteatret in Oslo, Norway

10/31 @ Pustervik in Gothenburg, Sweden

11/02 @ Debaser Strand in Stockholm, Sweden

11/03 @ Vega in Copenhagen, Denmark

11/04 @ Rolling Stone Weekender in Weissenhauser Strand, Germany

11/05 @ Paradiso Nord in Amsterdam, Holland

11/07 @ Petit Bain in Paris, France

11/08 @ Botanique Rotonde in Brussels, Belgium

11/10 @ Islington Assembly Hall in London, UK

11/11 @ Thekla in Bristol, UK

11/12 @ Gorilla in Manchester, UK

11/13 @ Stereo in Glasgow, UK

*with Landlady

#with Lip Talk

^with Landlady & Lip Talk

%with Shovels & Rope, Matt Vasquez, and Girl In A Coma

Watch Rayland Baxter’s Two Part Music Video for “Yellow Eyes” + “Mr. Rodriguez”

Head to Rolling Stone to watch Rayland Baxter‘s two new music videos for “Yellow Eyes” and “Mr. Rodriguez” off of his “impeccable sophomore breakout” (Stereogum) Imaginary Man. 

We wanted to film simple, elegant imagery that would conjure up some of the isolation and lost love that runs through both “Mr. Rodriguez” and “Yellow Eyes“,” explained the directors, Finley and Morgan Wise. “And a silver-hued character standing alone in the world-beautiful, proud, but also somehow mournful-felt like an interesting, honest concept to play with.”

Watch the videos below, and check out the full feature at Rolling Stone.

Get Imaginary Man: iTunes | Amazon | Official Store 

Having previously toured alongside Jason Isbell, Kasey Musgraves, Grace Potter and more, Rayland is hitting the road with The Lumineers this summer for many amphitheater dates in addition to appearances at Bonnaroo, Newport Folk Festival and more.

TOUR DATES

4/22 – Hudson, NY – Club Helsinki

4/23 – New York, NY – Terminal 5 w/ Houndmouth

4/24 – Asbury Park, NJ – The Saint

4/27 – Louisville, KY – WFPK Waterfront Wednesday

5/21 – Richmond, VA – Dominion Riverrock 2016

5/28 – Martinsville, VA – Rooster Walk 8

6/10 – Manchester, TN – Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival

6/11 – Fort Worth, TX – Untapped Festival

7/8 – 7/10 – Winnipeg, MB Canada – Winnipeg Folk Festival

7/23 – Newport, RI – Newport Folk Festival

7/28 – Toronto, ON – Molson Canadian Amphitheatre#

7/30 – Cooperstown, NY – Ommegang Brewery#

7/31 – Burlington, VT – Lake Champlain Maritime Festival# (SOLD OUT)

8/5 – Portland, ME – Thompson’s Point#

8/6 – Asbury Park, NJ – SummerStage#  (SOLD OUT)

9/7 – Boston, MA – Blue Hills Bank Pavilion#

9/8 – Boston, MA – Blue Hills Bank Pavilion#

9/10 – Columbia, MD – Merriweather Post Pavilion#

9/13 – Charlottesville, VA – nTelos Wireless Pavilion#

9/15 – Cary, NC – Koka Booth Amphitheater#

9/16 – Richmond, VA – Classic Amphitheatre#

9/17 – Charleston, SC – Volvo Cars Stadium#

9/23 – Louisville, KY – Waterfront Park#

9/24 – Rochester Hills, MI – Meadow Brook#

9/25 – Evanston, IL – Evanston SPACE

9/29 – Austin, TX – Austin 360 Amphitheater#

9/30 – Oklahoma City, OK – Zoo Amphitheatre#

10/1 – Rogers, AR – Walmart Amphitheater#

10/4 – Phoenix, AZ – Comerica Theater#

10/5 – Los Angeles, CA – Hollywood Bowl#

# = with The Lumineers

The Claypool Lennon Delirium Announce “Monolith of Phobos”

Two worlds have collided, and what glorious and odd worlds they are. After Primus and The Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger completed a successful summer tour, Les Claypool and Sean Lennon decided to combine their abstract talents into a project called The Claypool Lennon Delirium. Their efforts thus far have spawned the upcoming full-length release Monolith of Phobos.

To be released on June 3rd via ATO, the album takes listeners on a stimulating psychedelic journey through the cosmos.

 

Pre-Order: Official Store | iTunes 

“Sean is a musical mutant after my own heart,” said Claypool. “He definitely reflects his genetics–not just the sensibilities of his dad but also the abstract perspective and unique approach of his mother. It makes for a glorious freak stew.”

Over the course of six weeks or so, the two wrote and recorded a total of ten songs with both of them sharing various vocal and instrumental responsibilities, going beyond their core instruments of bass and guitar.

Claypool explained, “Usually I play the drums and percussion on my records but Sean has such a different feel than I do, it just made more sense for him to man the kit on most of the tunes on this project. I took the helm at my old vintage API console and let him bang away. His drumming is like a cross between Ringo and Nick Mason. But I think folks will be most surprised by what a monster guitar player he is, especially when you prod him a bit.”

 

In astronomical terms, the Monolith of Phobos is a large rock on Mars’s Phobos moon. As the phrase implies, this album is an old-school approach to a psychedelic space rock record. The Claypool Lennon Delirium will begin their Summer tour on album release day and the touring band includes Les Claypool (bass, vocals), Sean Lennon (guitar, vocals), Mark “Money Mark” Ramos Nishita of the Beastie Boys (keyboards), and Paul Baldi of the Fungi Band (drums). All upcoming tour dates including Bonnaroo and other summer festivals are below.

 

TOUR DATES
6/4 – Orlando, FL – The Beacham
6/5 – Tampa, FL – The Ritz
6/7 – Athens, GA – Georgia Theatre
6/9 – Wilmington, NC – Greenfield Lake Amphitheatre
6/10 – Asheville, NC – Orange Peel
6/11 – Manchester, TN – Bonnaroo
6/12 – St. Louis, MO – The Pageant
6/14 – Kansas City, MO – Crossroads
6/15 – Minneapolis, MN – Skyway Theatre
6/17 – Garrettsville, OH – Nelson Ledges Quarry Park
6/18 – Port Chester, NY – Capitol Theatre
721 – Seattle, WA –Showbox SODO
7/22 – Jacksonville, OR – Britt Pavilion
7/23 – Portland, OR – Roseland Ballroom
7/25 – Jackson Hole, WY – Pink Garter Theatre
7/26 – Missoula, MT – Wilma Theatre
7/27 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Depot
7/29 – Los Angeles, CA – Fonda Theatre
7/30 – Tempe, AZ – Marquee Theatre
7/31 – Las Vegas, NV – Brooklyn Bowl
8/2 – Santa Ana, CA – The Observatory
8/3 – San Diego, CA – Observatory North Park
8/4 – San Luis Obispo, CA – Fremont Theatre
8/5 – 8/7 – Buena Vista, CO – Vertex Festival
8/9 – Iowa City, IA – Englert Theatre
8/11 – Detroit, MI – Majestic Theatre
8/12 – Columbus, OH – Express Live! Indoor Pavilion
8/13 – Scranton, PA – Peach Fest
8/25 – Buffalo, NY – Canalside Concert Series
8/26 – Boston, MA – HOB Boston
8/27 – New Haven, CT – College Street Music Hall
8/28 – Portland, ME – State Theatre
8/30 – New York, NY – Irving Plaza
8/31 – Philadelphia, PA – The Fillmore
9/1 – Washington DC – 9:30 Club

 

My Morning Jacket to Release “It Still Moves (Deluxe Reissue)” on May 27th

On May 27, 2016, My Morning Jacket will re-issue 2003’s It Still Moves remixed and remastered as a special deluxe package with new artwork and exclusive photos. It will include frontman Jim James’ ten original demos plus three unheard tracks from the original sessions on 4 x LP 180 gram vinyl and 2 CD in expanded soft-pak. For James, It Still Moves was the only My Morning Jacket album he could look back on and wish that some things were different about it. So, with the help of the band’s longtime friend Kevin Ratterman behind the mixing desk, James revisited and tweaked all the old material & remastered by Bob Ludwig at Gateway Mastering, this new version still has that shimmering grandeur that lent it such a singular identity, but there is an increased strength and clarity to it now.

 

Pre-Order on iTunes | Amazon| My Morning Jacket Official Store

 

“Everybody can relate to something they’ve done in their life where you didn’t know it at the time, but you were rushed through finishing it,” James said. He cites the band’s aggressive touring schedule as a reason behind them leaving the album somehow unfinished. When ATO approached him about the idea of reissuing It Still Moves as a part of the label’s fifteenth anniversary, he took the opportunity to dig back in and re-sculpt the album.

In addition to pillars of My Morning Jacket’s catalog such as “One Big Holiday” and “Golden”, the re-issue is also accompanied by James’ original acoustic demoes of It Still Moves. This is still the way James writes, getting down the core snapshot of an idea before bringing it to the band and reworking it with their titanic sound. “I feel lucky to have had so many songs that feel like there are chances to go in other directions,” James said. This is the stuff that is just James in his bedroom, working the idea out. “It definitely feels more lonely,” he says. “Maybe more haunting.”

P1020371 4xLP small

It would’ve been hard to tell back when My Morning Jacket released It Still Moves, but the then-young band’s third album would serve as a conclusion to one part of their story. It Still Moves both expanded their early style outward as far is it could go, while also grounding it.

 

After It Still Moves, My Morning Jacket reconfigured themselves, with James and the unstoppable rhythm section of bassist Tom Blankenship and drummer Patrick Hallahan now joined by keyboardist Bo Koster and guitarist/multi-instrumentalist Carl Broemel. They had perfected a version of themselves here, and the only way forward was to dream it up again in some new form.

 

Everything would shift for My Morning Jacket after It Still Moves. As the conclusion to their initial trilogy of albums, it remains one of their most pivotal releases.

 

Track List

  1. Mahgeetah
  2. Dancefloors
  3. Golden
  4. Masterplan
  5. One Big Boliday
  6. I Will Sing You Songs
  7. Easy Morning Rebel
  8. Run Thru
  9. Rollin Back
  10. Just One Thing
  11. Steam Engine
  12. One In The Same
  13. En La Ceremony
  14. Grab A Body
  15. That’s Too Bad
  16. Mahgeetah (Demo)
  17. Dancefloors (Demo)
  18. Golden (Demo)
  19. Masterplan (Demo)
  20. I Will Sing You Songs (Demo)
  21. Easy Morning Rebel (Demo)
  22. Run Thru (Demo)
  23. Rollin Back (Demo)
  24. Steam Engine (Demo)
  25. One In The Same (Demo)

 

Watch King Gizzard’s “Gamma Knife” + “People-Vultures” Music Videos

The band will be creating videos for each chapter of the infinitely looping album, as Dangerous Minds reported. The Gamma Knife video even caught the attention of legendary filmmaker Alejandro Jodorowsky, who The FADER notes praised its “strength, imagination, and sense of rhythm”. Watch both videos below, and catch the band on tour now.

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard’s eighth studio album Nonagon Infinity is now available: iTunes | ATO Store 


“Nonagon infinity opens the door,” sings Stu Mackenzie, frontman of Australian psych-rockers King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard. It turns out, though, that once the door’s open, it never closes. That’s because the Melbourne septet has ingeniously crafted what may be the world’s first infinitely looping LP. Each of the nine, complex, blistering tracks on ‘Nonagon Infinity’ seamlessly flows into the next, with the final song linking straight back into the top of the opener like a sonic mobius strip. It’s exactly the kind of ambitious vision that prompted Rolling Stone to dub the band “one of the most compelling collectives of art-rock experimentalists in recent years.” But far from a simple conceptual experiment, the album is both an exhilarating shot of adrenaline and a remarkable feat of craftsmanship, the result of painstaking planning and an eye for detail years in the making.

The roots of ‘Nonagon Infinity’ stretch back to 2014, when King Gizzard recorded their critically acclaimed album “I’m In Your Mind Fuzz,” which was hailed by Pitchfork as “dense, intricately crafted, and most importantly, powerful.”

“We actually wanted to do this with ‘Mind Fuzz,’ but it just didn’t work,” explains Mackenzie. “We ended up writing songs that needed to be on that record but didn’t connect to the others, so we had to abandon the idea, but the seeds were sown.”

To an outsider, it may have seemed like the band had completely given up on the concept, as the ever-prolific group quickly followed ‘Mind Fuzz’ with two more records in 2015, ‘Quarters’—described by The Guardian as “the neon intersection of DIY psych and 1960s beach pop”—and the stripped-down ‘Paper Mache Dream Balloon,’ which earned praise from NPR to Stereogum. The truth, though, was that King Gizzard was honing in on the ‘Nonagon Infinity’ material the whole time, test-driving various tracks in their explosive live shows to prep for the monumental task of stitching them all together into one searing, multi-movement epic.

“We really wanted to focus on things that felt good live,” says Mackenzie. “We’d grab a little riff here or a little groove there, and we’d jam on them and form songs out of them, which was the opposite of ‘Paper Mache,’ where we were making songs in an acoustic, classic-songwriting kind of way. I wanted to have an album where all these riffs and grooves just kept coming in and out the whole time, so a song wasn’t just a song, it was part of a loop, part of this whole experience where it feels like it doesn’t end and doesn’t need to end.”

Recorded at Daptone Studios in Brooklyn, the final result is an intricate and immersive listening experience. Lyrical refrains and musical motifs establish themselves and then submerge beneath the chaos, only to resurface unexpectedly later like familiar companions on a labyrinthine journey. Motorhead-grade riffs give way to King Crimson and Yes-levels of prog complexity, as songs churn through unusual time signatures and shifting rhythms with blunt force, laying waste to everything in their path.

“I wanted it to feel like a horror or sci-fi movie,” explains Mackenzie of the album’s dark overtones. “The lyrics came as a stream of consciousness, all of these elements just falling out of my head as it was happening.”

“Big Fig Wasp” references a particularly macabre insect that must kill itself in order to perpetuate the species, while “Gamma Knife,” with its 11/8-time drum solo, is named for a surgical tool that burns cuts into the skin, and “People-Vultures” plays like a sinister film soundtrack. Album opener “Robot Stop” pulls more directly from the band’s recent experiences, inspired in part by their relentless work ethic and tour schedule, which has included festival performances at Bonnaroo, Glastonbury, Montreux Jazz & Roskilde as well as countless sold out dates in rooms across the USA, UK, Europe and Australia.

“That song’s about feeling overworked, like a bit of a robot that’s just going to crash and die or something,” he says with a laugh. “But you get yourself up and do it again and you robot on and you’re alright. It was one of the early ones we wrote for the record, and I think when that song came together, everybody started to feel like were going to actually be able to pull off this never-ending album idea.”

To say they pulled it off would be an understatement. The record is a force to be reckoned with on par with the road trains Mackenzie references in the album’s final track.

“In the Australian desert, in the outback, there are what’s called road trains, which are these massive trucks pulling heaps of carriages that can end up being 50 meters long,” he explains. “They drive on the road really, really fast, and they’re deadly, with these bars in the front to kill kangaroos and anything else in their path.”

‘Nonagon Infinity’ has opened the door for King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, and they’re barreling ahead with more momentum than ever before now. Much like those road trains, with a band this good, the safest place to be is onboard.

 

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard are:

Stu Mackenzie – Guitar, lead vocals

Joe Walker – Guitar, vocals

Eric Moore – Drums

Ambrose Kenny-Smith – Harmonica, vocals

Lucas Skinner – Bass

Cook Craig – Guitar

Michael Cavanagh – Drums

 

 

 

 

 

Alabama Shakes Win GRAMMYs for Best Alternative Music Album, Best Rock Song, Best Rock Performance + Best Engineered Album!

Congratulations to Alabama Shakes on their GRAMMY wins!

Shawn Everett, Bob Ludwig, and the Alabama Shakes brought home the GRAMMY for Best Engineered Album (Non-Classical) for Sound & Color.

The band also took home trophies for Best Rock Song and Best Rock Performance for “Don’t Wanna Fight” and Best Alternative Music Album. Sound & Color was also nominated for Album of the Year and Producer of the Year.

Get Sound & Color at iTunes: http://smarturl.it/shakes-scitunes

Amazon: http://smarturl.it/shakes-scamazon
Alabama Shakes store: http://www.alabamashakes.com/
ATO Records store: http://smarturl.it/SandC_ATOStore

6-Time Nominees Alabama Shakes Performing at The GRAMMYs

Tune in to CBS Monday night at 8PM EST for the live broadcast of the 58th GRAMMY awards! Alabama Shakes, whose album Sound & Color is nominated for six awards including Album of the Year, will perform at the ceremony. Other artists scheduled to perform include AdeleKendrick Lamar, Rihanna, Taylor Swift, The Weeknd, and many more. ATO artist Brandi Carlile is also up for a GRAMMY this year – her album The Firewatcher’s Daughter is nominated for Best Americana Album.

Watch a remix of all the Album of the Year nominees, featuring “Don’t Wanna Fight”: