...hang the dj

...hang the dj is a music blog. Old school, shoegaze, psych, and darkwave are featured genres.

Legal disclaimer: This blog is my personal, independent website. It is not affiliated with Bell Media, nor does it represents the thoughts, opinions, or desires of Bell Media

...hang the dj

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Send music submissions, press releases, or questions/concerns to: cristina [at] 89xradio.com or: hangthedjmag [at] gmail.com

Or just hit me up on Twitter @cristinarocks

...hang the dj

...hang the dj is a music blog. Old school, shoegaze, psych, and darkwave are featured genres.

Legal disclaimer: This blog is my personal, independent website. It is not affiliated with Bell Media, nor does it represents the thoughts, opinions, desires, etc of Bell Media

For music submissions, press releases, or questions/concerns:

hangthedjmag (at) gmail.com

Or hit me up on Twitter: @CristinaRocks

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Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Video of Kim & Kelley Deal performing at a Record Store Day event for Reckless Records has appeared on You Tube. Check out video of them performing "Cannonball" and the Pixies classic "Gigantic" below (Morgan Nagler, who is featured on Kim Deal's new solo single, also joined the Deals for the performance of "Gigantic").





Here's another video of "Cannonball" shot from a different angle



Published on April 30th, 2014 @ 5:00 PM

Tuesday, April 29, 2014


Bob Mould unveiled another song from his forthcoming album Beauty & Ruin today. Check out "I Don't Know You Anymore" below and pre-order Beauty & Ruin through Merge, iTunes, or Amazon.

Mould was also announced as one of the acts for this summer's Downtown Sound concert series taking place June 2nd through August 11th in Chicago's Millenium Park. Mould is scheduled to perform on Monday, June 23rd along with Superchunk side-project Split Single. The concert is free and begins at 6:30 pm. Details on the festival are posted here.





Published on April 29th, 2014 @ 9:31 PM

Philadelphia dreampop/shoegazers Nothing released an impressive album Guilty of Everything a few weeks ago. Fans of old school shoegaze as well as those into the nu-gaze scene should give the new record a listen. It's fuzzy and dreamy in all the right places and is easily one of the strongest releases of 2014. Stream the album in full below and grab a free download of the track "Bent Nail" here.



Nothing hits the road later this spring for a North American tour which includes a stop at the Magic Stick in Detroit on May 13th. Dates for the full tour are posted below. Catch up with Nothing on their official site here.

This video is cool, but don't throw things at them at their live show.



5/10 – Toronto, ON @ Adelaide Hall
5/11 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Smiling Moose
5/12 – Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Tavern
5/13 – Detroit, MI @ Magic Stick
5/15 – Chicago, IL @ Subterranean
5/16 – Minneapolis, MN @ Triple Rock Social Club
5/17 – Champaign, IL @ Highdive
5/18 – Madison, WI @ The Majestic
5/19 – Fargo, ND @ The Aquarium
5/22 – Vancouver, BC @ Electric Owl
5/23 – Seattle, WA @ Barboza
5/24 – Portland, OR @ Holocene
5/25 – San Francisco, CA @ Bottom of the Hill
5/26 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Church on York
5/27 – San Diego, CA @ Soda Bar
5/28 – Santa Ana, CA @ Observatory - Constellation Room
5/29 – Phoenix, AZ @ Pub Rock Live
5/30 - El Paso, TX @ The Sandbox
5/31 – Dallas, TX @ Club Dada
6/01 – Austin, TX @ Chaos in Tejas @ Red 7
6/02 – Houston, TX @ Fitzgerald’s Downstairs
6/03 – New Orleans, LA @ Siberia
6/04 – Nashville, TN @ The End
6/05 – Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade
6/06 – Chapel Hill, NC @ Local 506
6/07 – Washington, DC @ DC9
6/08 – Philadelphia, PA @ Boot & Saddle
6/12 - Alston, MA @ Great Scott
6/13 - Providence, RI @ Simon’s 677
6/14 - NYC, NY @ The Studio At Webster Hall
6/15 - Asbury Park, NJ @ Asbury Lanes

Published on April 29th, 2014 @ 9:31 PM

Thursday, April 24, 2014


The Replacements reunited and returned to the stage last year for three shows at Riot Fest, and most recently they performed earlier this month at Coachella. A handful of other festival gigs were announced for Montreal, Austin, Boston, Atlanta, and Louisville, but today band finally announced their first full headlining show in Minneapolis, which takes place September 13th at Midway Stadium. Festival slots, even headline festival slots, usually mean a shorter set, so considering this is the band's first full non-festival show, fans in the Twin Cities are sure to be in for a treat. Let's just hope Paul Westerberg's back is better by then. If you're up for a roadtrip, tickets go on sale May 3rd at 10am through Etix.

Check out the hilarious radio ad



Published on April 24th, 2014 @ 9:15 AM

Wednesday, April 23, 2014


Stereogum snagged the first interview with Veruca Salt since 1997. Nina Gordon and Louise Post talked about the old days, backlash in their hometown of Chicago, breaking up, making up, dreaming about playing with the Beatles, and shared tons of other interesting stories. Read the interview in full here, plus check out the official video for the new song, "The Museum Of Broken Relationships," which is posted below.



Veruca Salt is hitting the road for a short tour of North America. Dates are posted below:

06/22 - Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios
06/23 - Seattle, WA @ The Tractor Tavern
06/24 - Vancouver, BC @ Biltmore Cabaret
06/26 - San Francisco, CA @ The Independent
06/27 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Roxy
07/09 - Minneapolis, MN @ Varsity Theater
07/10 - Milwaukee, WI @ Turner Hall Ballroom
07/11 - Cincinnati, OH @ Bunbury Festival
07/12 - Chicago, IL - Lincoln Hall
07/13 - St. Louis, MO @ Firebird
07/21 - Washington, DC @ Black Cat
07/22 - Philadelphia, PA @ Theatre of Living Arts
07/24 - New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom
07/25 - Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
07/26 - Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall

Published on April 23rd, 2014 @ 9:32 PM

Tuesday, April 22, 2014


Paul Weller released a limited edition single on Record Store Day and was disheartened to learn that many of the copies wound up being auctioned off on Ebay at inflated prices, and worse yet, it's been alleged that some of the copies were up on Ebay the day before Record Store Day. Today Weller announced he will no longer participate in Record Store Day:

"I agree with all of you who have sent messages expressing your anger and disappointment at the exploitation of these "limited editions" by touts.

Apart from making the record, the rest has very little to do with me but I am disheartened by the whole thing and unfortunately I won't be taking part in Record Store Day again.

It's such a shame because as you know I am a big supporter of independent record stores but the greedy touts making a fast buck off genuine fans is disgusting and goes against the whole philosophy of RSD.

There were copies of my single on eBay the day before Record Store Day and I've heard stories of people queuing outside their local record shop only to be told there were none left at opening time!

It only takes a few to spoil a wonderful concept for everyone else. Shame on those touts.

Don't support their trade and don't let them use Record Store Day to ruin the very thing it's designed to support."

Record Store Day UK quickly released their own statement today informing the public that if any stores are found to be the ones flipping Record Store Day exclusives, these stores will be banned from participating in future RSD events.  Obviously nothing can be done to prevent the general public from flipping records, however the allegation of exclusive items being sold the day before Record Store Day is concerning if true.  

Weller's single "Brand New Toy" is one of three new tracks appearing on his upcoming collection More Modern Classics, which is set for a June 2nd release. Stream "Brand New Toy" below and watch the official video for the song here.



Published on April 22nd, 2014 @ 5:51 PM

The Pixies return with the full length album Indie Cindy on April 29th. The album compiles all the material from their three EPs (EP1, EP2, and EP3) and is the band's first album without bassist Kim Deal (Simon Archer plays bass on this collection). The album is streaming in full ahead of its release over at NPR, or stream all three EPs (same 12 song, different order) below.

Additionally, the Pixies released a surprise 7" single for Record Store Day titled "Women Of War." Stream it below, plus grab a free download here.



EP1 ("Andro Queen," "Another Toe In The Ocean," "Indie Cindy," & "What Goes Boom")



EP2 ("Blue Eyed Hexe," "Magdalena," "Greens & Blues," & "Snakes")



EP3 ("Bagboy," "Silver Snail," "Ring The Bells," & "Jaime Bravo")



Published on April 22nd, 2014 @ 5:50 PM

Saturday, April 19, 2014


Joy Division fansite A Means To An End recently collected all the available audio from Joy Division rehearsals and set to work at remastering it. The cleaned up finished product is almost two hours long, and is available to stream below.  Grab a free download of the file here. Once Pitchfork and other high profile media sites get a hold of this story A Means To An End will probably have to pull it (much like the Analog Loyalist tapes a few years ago), so it's best to download the file sooner rather than later. Additionally, a more detailed tracklisting for the file is also posted on the site.

Meanwhile a remastered version of Joy Division's An Ideal For Living was released today for Record Store Day. As expected, a bunch of losers are already flipping the limited edition release on Ebay, which sadly ruins the spirit and intentions of Record Store Day.



01. Reaction 0:00
02. Inside the Line 2:48
03. Leaders of Men 5:26
04. Novelty (Take 1) 8:56
05. The Kill (I) 13:33
06. Novelty (Take 2) 16:59
07. At a Later Date 21:56
08. (Waiting for the) Ice Age 24:50
09. Inside the Line 28:22
10. Warsaw 31:02
11. Failures 33:47
12. No Love Lost (Instrumental) 37:41
13. Pictures In My Mind (Take 1) 38:40
14. Pictures In My Mind (Take 2) 40:01
15. Shadowplay (Instrumental) 43:48
16. No Love Lost 48:46
17. The Kill (II) 52:33
18. Instrumental Jam (Incubation) 53:40
19. From Night to Day (A Means to an End) (Take 1) 55:09
20. A Means to an End (Take 2) 1:03:14
21. A Means to an End (Take 3) 1:07:17
22. Ceremony 1:10:33
23. Misplaced (In a Lonely Place) (Take 1) 1:14:51
24. Misplaced (In a Lonely Place) (Take 2) 1:22:42
25. In a Lonely Place (Take 3) 1:32:19
26. In a Lonely Place (Take 4) (Noisy) 1:39:46
27. In a Lonely Place (Take 5) (Noisy) 1:45:30
28. In a Lonely Place (Snippets) 1:50:53

Published on April 19th, 2014 @ 10:57 AM

The reunited Veruca Salt returned today with the first new songs in years! Today they released a limited edition 10" single featuring "The Museum of Broken Relationships," "It's Holy," and a newly recorded version of their classic song "Seether."  A video for "It's Holy" is in the works, and the band is hoping to include footage of fans reacting to the song. The film's director Gary Kordan has asked fans to film themselves listening to the song for the first time:

"The moment you place the needle on the vinyl (or hear It's Holy for the first time) film yourself (or have a someone else film it) on your smartphone. I am looking for honest reactions to hearing the song for the first time: smiles, tears, dancing, rocking out, singing along or any honest reactions are all welcome.  The only rule is that it isn't too dark and you hold the phone horizontally!"

Details on where to send the footage are posted here.

The new single was released today, so keep an eye out for it when you're out for Record Store Day. Clips from the single are available to preview below. A bad quality rip of side A is streaming here.

UPDATE (April 23rd, 10:20 PM): Stereogum posted a brand new interview with Veruca Salt here. Plus watch the band's official video for "The Museum Of Broken Relationships" below.







Published on April 19th, 2014 @ 10:23 AM


The Replacements were back in action last night at Coachella, though Paul Westerberg was a bit hampered, having suffered a recent back injury.  Westerberg played guitar while sitting on a couch onstage for most of the show, while Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong performed along with the band for their entire set. Fan filmed video from the show is posted below via NME.







Published on April 19th, 2014 @ 10:07 AM

Wednesday, April 16, 2014


Wax Trax! is back in business and is set to release a 12" single from the Chris Connelly/Jason Novak project Cocksure in mid-June.  The single "TKO Mindfuck" features guest vocals from Richard 23 (Front 242), and perhaps even another "special friend."  The three track single will be released on vinyl and as a digital download, plus a limited edition colored vinyl version will also be available to pre-order exclusively from the Wax Trax! store in May. According to Wax Trax! website:

"Cocksure have managed to create a wonderful world smeared with dirt, piss, and the loving caress from an old “special friend”. These guys have successfully returned to the dark place that got us all addicted in the first place. If you have ever been a fan of these fine fellows, Cocksure won’t disappoint."

The label also announced that fans can expect more limited edition releases from new and established artists within the Wax Trax! family in the future, plus progress is being made on the long awaited Wax Trax! documentary which is "getting close to the end of our filming, then it's into the editing room."   

For more on Wax Trax! read the full update here.

Meanwhile, speaking of Richard 23, Front 242 is headlining the September 27th date of this year's Coldwaves festival at the Metro in Chicago. Cocksure, Youth Code, and Caustic also play the September 27th date, while Fear Factory, Die Krupps, and Acumen Nation are among the acts playing September 26th. Tickets for the festival go on sale Friday, April 18th at 1pm ET/12pm CT. For more info, visit the official Coldwaves site.

Published on April 16th, 2014 @ 10:03 PM



Afghan Whigs returned this week, Do To The Beast, their first new album in 16 years.  As part of the promotional activities for the record, the band stopped by Seattle's KEXP studios yesterday for a live session and interview with host Cheryl Waters.  Check out the four song set and interview below.



Don't miss Afghan Whigs live on the road when they come to your city. More dates are expected to be announced shortly.

04/17 -- San Francisco, CA @ Slim's
04/18 -- Indio, CA @ Coachella
05/15 -- Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Bowl
05/16 -- Boston, MA @ Paradise
05/17 -- Baltimore, MD @ Otto Bar
10/04 -- New York @ The Beacon

Published on April 16th, 2014 @ 8:57 PM

Tuesday, April 15, 2014


Veruca Salt announced dates for a North American tour today. Dates are posted below. Veruca Salt return with a limited-edition 10" single for Record Store Day (April 19th) featuring two new songs plus a newly recorded version of their classic "Seether."

06/22 - Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios
06/23 - Seattle, WA @ The Tractor Tavern
06/24 - Vancouver, BC @ Biltmore Cabaret
06/26 - San Francisco, CA @ The Independent
06/27 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Roxy
07/09 - Minneapolis, MN @ Varsity Theater
07/10 - Milwaukee, WI @ Turner Hall Ballroom
07/11 - Cincinnati, OH @ Bunbury Festival
07/12 - Chicago, IL - Lincoln Hall
07/13 - St. Louis, MO @ Firebird
07/21 - Washington, DC @ Black Cat
07/22 - Philadelphia, PA @ Theatre of Living Arts
07/24 - New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom
07/25 - Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
07/26 - Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall

Published April 15th, 2014 @ 6:00 PM

Echo & the Bunnymen return with the new album Meteorites on June 3rd. So far three tracks from the album are available to stream: "Market Town" premiered a few weeks ago, yesterday they premiered "Holy Moses," and today they unleashed the album's first official single, "Lovers On The Run."  Stream all three tracks below.

Meteorites is available to pre-order now -- Pledge Music is offering the album as a standard CD, CD/DVD (with bonus demos and 'making-of' DVD), or vinyl.  Fans can also opt to pre-order the standard cd and digital album download through Amazon.

Echo & the Bunnymen announced a North American summer tour which includes a stop at Saint Andrew's Hall in Detroit on August 11th. Tickets for the Detroit show go on sale Friday, April 25th. Dates for the full tour are posted below via Exclaim.

08/01 -- Los Angeles, CA @ Orpheum Theater
08/02 -- San Francisco, CA @ Regency Ballroom
08/04 -- Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom
08/05 -- Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom
08/06 -- Seattle, WA @ Showbox at the Market
08/09 -- Minneapolis, MN @ First Ave
08/10 -- Chicago, IL @ Metro
08/11 -- Detroit, MI @ St. Andrews Hall
08/12 -- Toronto, ON @ Danforth Music Hall
08/14 -- Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club
08/16 -- New York, NY @ Irving Plaza
08/17 -- New York, NY @ Irving Plaza
08/18 -- Silver Spring, MD @ The Fillmore
08/19 -- Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer







Published April 15th, 2014 @ 5:32 PM

Sunday, April 13, 2014


The The is reissuing its classic 1983 album Soul Mining as a deluxe edition boxset on June 30th in celebration of the album's 30th anniversary (close enough, it was originally released in October, 1983). The vinyl only boxset features the remastered original material as well as an extra 12" gatefold vinyl of alternate versions and remixes. The boxset comes with news poster with extensive notes about the album written by Matt Johnson, a master tape circular card insert, and a digital download code. Pre-order the boxset here and check out the trackling for the release below. 

As previously reported, The The is also reissuing a double A-side for "Giant" on April 19th for Record Store Day.

LP 1 – SOUL MINING

1. I’ve Been Waitin’ For Tomorrow (All Of My Life)
2. This Is The Day
3. The Sinking Feeling
4. Uncertain Smile
5. The Twilight Hour
6. Soul Mining
7. Giant

LP 2 – SOUL MINING RECOLLECTED

1. Uncertain Smile (New York 12” version)
2. Perfect (New York 12” version)
3. This Is The Day (12” version)
4. Fruit Of The Heart
5. Perfect (London 12” version)
6. I’ve Been Waitin’ For Tomorrow (All My Life) (12” mix)

Published on April 13th, 2014 @ 7:38 AM

Saturday, April 12, 2014


Sadly the Replacements' set at Coachella wasn't part of yesterday's webstream (probably due to the band's request). But some fan-filmed video of "Alex Chilton" made it online and you can view that below along with the setlist.




Takin' a Ride
I'm in Trouble
Favorite Thing
Hangin Downtown
Color Me Impressed
Nowhere Is My Home
Tommy Gets His Tonsils Out
Constantinople
Achin' to Be
Androgynous
I'll Be You
Love You Till Friday
Maybellene
Left of the Dial
Psychopharmacology
Alex Chilton

Encore:

Can't Hardly Wait
Bastards of Young

Published on April 12th, 2014 @ 4:48 PM

Thursday, April 10, 2014


Last year, Transworld Publishers announced they inked a deal with New Order's Bernard Sumner to publish his autobiography in 2014. According to last year's press release from Transworld, the memoir will explore "Sumner’s formation of Joy Division alongside Ian Curtis, his relationship with band mate Peter Hook, and the inspiration for "Blue Monday," the biggest selling 12" single of all time." It appears Sumner's 352 page book has a tentative August 28th release date through Bantam Press, a division of Transworld.

Meanwhile, Peter Hook is writing his own New Order memoir, which he promises will be juicy, according to what he told MTV Hive last year:

"The New Order book will be like Mötley Crüe...when I write that book, there will be some filthy, dirty, dark secrets coming out."

As of last month, Hooky was still working on the memoir.

Finally, legendary photographer Kevin Cummins also revealed on twitter today that he's releasing his own New Order book, which is set for a March 2015 release.



Published on April 10th, 2014 @ 5:57 PM

Wednesday, April 9, 2014


Peter Hook is in the midst of his world tour performing full albums from his impressive career. He recently took time out of his busy touring schedule to answer fan questions submitted by Time Out Shanghai, and discussed the Hacienda, band chemistry, and more. As always, when Hooky speaks, it's pretty interesting.

Hooky revealed that he's most proud of Joy Division's debut EP An Ideal For Living, and that the biggest misconception surrounding Joy Division is that they were an arty or intellectual band. As for his unique bass style:

"It was Ian Curtis, God rest his soul, who encouraged me to play like that, and the reason I did it was because Barney was so loud the only way you could hear your bass was if you went up high and cut through. Ian really liked that style, he said, ‘It really drives it along, do that’."

On what kind of music Joy Division might have made in 2014:

"[Ian] was a great fan of Kraftwerk, so I fully expect that he would have been very happy, especially with the way it was going, with songs like ‘Isolation’ and ‘Something Must Break’ getting into a dancey groove. He would have gone straight into ‘Blue Monday’ and all the rest of it."

On the reality of being in a band versus the public's impression:

"The whole rock ‘n’ roll world is a myth, and if you let people backstage, it probably wouldn’t be half as attractive...Nobody wants to think that four idiots off their heads on booze and speed could make Unknown Pleasures...The myth of New Order was fantastic, up until we split in 2006, and now we’re just another bunch of arguing middle-aged men, mainly arguing about money, which is the most unromantic thing in the world."

Read the full Q & A with Hooky here.

Don't miss Peter Hook on tour in North America performing Low Life & Brotherhood in full along with other gems from New Order's collection (each show begins with a short Joy Division set). Three additional shows in California (11/24 - 11/26) have been added to the end of the tour; two of those shows are different from the rest of the tour -- on 11/24 Hooky will perform Movement & Power, Corruption & Lies, and 11/25 he'll perform full Joy Division albums Unknown Pleasures and Closer.

11/04 -- Austin, TX @ The Mohawk
11/06 -- Philadelphia, PA @ Trocadero
11/07 -- New York, NY @ Irving Plaza
11/08 -- Boston, MA @ Royale Boston
11/10 -- Montreal, QC @ Theater Tellus
11/11 -- Toronto, ON @ Danforth Music Hall
11/13 -- Ferndale, MI @ Magic Bag
11/14 -- Chicago, IL @ Metro
11/15 -- Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line Music Cafe
11/17 -- Vancouver, BC @ Venue
11/18 -- Seattle, WA @ Nuemos
11/20 -- Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom
11/21 -- San Francisco, CA @ Mezzanine
11/22 -- Los Angeles, CA @ Henry Fonda Theater
11/24 -- Pomona, CA @ The Glasshouse (Movement/PCL)
11/25 -- Los Angeles, CA @ The Roxy (Unknown Pleasures/Closer)
11/26 -- San Diego, CA @ House Of Blues (Low Life/Brotherhood)

For more on Peter Hook, visit his official website.

Published on April 9th, 2014 @ 5:58 AM

Tuesday, April 8, 2014


Dean Wareham is on the road in support of his newly released solo album. Along with his solo material, Wareham has been performing songs from previous bands Galaxie 500 and Luna, plus he throws down a cover song or two (sadly not Daft Punk's "Get Lucky," even though he's a HUGE fan). During his last few shows he dusted off the New Order classic "Ceremony" -- check out video of Wareham in action captured at his April 5th show at the Bowery Ballroom in New York:



Don't miss Wareham on the final dates of his North American tour -- he's coming to the Magic Bag in Ferndale this Thursday -- and be sure to check out his excellent new album Dean Wareham.





4/09 -- Toronto, ON @ Horseshoe Tavern
4/10 -- Ferndale, MI @ Magic Bag
4/11 -- Chicago, IL @ Old Town School
4/12 -- St. Paul, MN @ Turf Club

Just because.



Published on April 8th, 2014 @ 5:47 AM

Peter Murphy announced the release of a new DVD Mr. Moonlight Tour: 35 Years of Bauhaus. The live collection was captured July 27th at the Fonda Theatre in Los Angeles, the final stop on last year's Mr. Moonlight tour. Murphy considered the show one of career highlights:

"Back in July 2013 I was fortunate enough to experience one of the most amazing nights of my career at The Fonda Theatre in Los Angeles. It was a splendid night and as a result we have decided to release it as a special live DVD."

Murphy opened up pre-orders for the DVD on Pledge Music and there are several options available. Besides the standard DVD, fans can opt for an autographed DVD, limited edition 10" version on colored vinyl, or bundled together with his forthcoming album Lion, which arrives on June 3rd. Visit the Pledge Music page here.

Published on April 8th, 2014 @ 5:15 AM

Monday, April 7, 2014


Afghan Whigs are poised to return with Do To The Beast, the band's first new album in 16 years next week. The record is pretty much everything you'd want from an Afghan Whigs record -- it's rocking, strong, smooth, and sexy. According to Greg Dulli, the album's ten songs are linked:

"The first and last tracks are the poles, and then each song has a partner. Matamoros and It Kills, Algiers and Lost in the Woods, The Lottery and Can Rova, then finally Royal Cream and I Am Fire are partners. The mother and father are at the beginning and end."

Do To The Beast is streaming in full ahead of its April 15th release over at NPR.  Give the album a listen here, and pre-order the album from Sub Pop, iTunes, or Amazon. [Sub Pop is offering a "Loser" edition of the album pressed on white vinyl while supplies last.]

After listening to the full album stream, be sure to check a track-by-track commentary written by Greg Dulli himself over at The Skinny. Dulli doesn't give up too much about the song meanings -- he's always preferred to let the listener come up with their own interpretations -- but he does explain how the songs came about, and the different musicians who helped the journey along. For instance, he explains the story behind the album's title:

"Manuel Agnelli [of Afterhours] was visiting from Italy. When he showed up I didn’t see him come in – I was busy beatboxing in the studio. Afterwards he said ‘That was crazy, it sounded like you were saying "do to the beast what you do to the bush."’ I remember looking at John Curley and I’m like ‘Man, I think he just named the record.’"

Check out the full article here.



Don't miss the Afghan Whigs live when they come to your city. More dates are expected to be announced shortly.

4/10 -- Pioneertown, CA @ Pappy & Harriet's
4/11 -- Indio, CA @ Coachella
4/14 -- Portland, OR @ Doug Fir
4/15 -- Seattle, WA @ Showbox Market
4/17 -- San Francisco, CA @ Slim's
4/18 -- Indio, CA @ Coachella
5/15 -- Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Bowl
5/16 -- Boston, MA @ Paradise
5/17 -- Baltimore, MD @ Otto Bar

Published on April 7th, 2014 @ 5:53 AM

Sunday, April 6, 2014


Nine Inch Nails taped an episode of Austin City Limits on November 4th at the Moody Theater in Austin, Texas. The episode premiered on PBS last night and the archive is now available to stream through May 3rd. FYI: NIN's show included 17 songs, but only ten were included in the ACL episode due to timing restraints, etc.



Don't miss Nine Inch Nails on the road with Soundgarden this summer. Dates for the tour are posted below.

7/19 -- Las Vegas, NV @ Planet Hollywood
7/21 -- Denver, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre
7/24 -- Tinley Park, IL @ First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre
7/26 -- Clarkston, MI @ DTE Energy Music Theatre
7/27 -- Toronto, ON @ Molson Canadian Amphitheatre
7/29 -- Mansfield, MA @ Xfinity Center
7/30 -- Camden, NJ @ Susquehanna Bank Center
8/01 -- Wantagh, NY @ Nikon at Jones Beach Theatre
​8/02 -- Holmdel, NJ @ PNC Bank Arts Center
8/04 -- Bristow, VA @ Jiffy Lube Live
​8/05 -- Virginia Beach, VA @ Farm Bureau Live at Lakewood
8/07 -- Charlotte, NC @ PNC Music Pavilion
8/08 -- Atlanta, GA @ Aaron's Amphitheatre at Lakewood
8/10 -- West Palm Beach, FL @ Cruzan Amphitheatre
8/11 -- Tampa, FL @ MidFlorida Credit Union
8/14 -- Austin, TX @ Austin360 Amphitheatre
8/16 -- Woodlands, TX @ Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
8/17 -- Dallas, TX @ Gexa Energy Pavilion
8/19 -- Albuquerque, NM @ Isleta Amphitheatre
8/21 -- Chula Vista, CA - Sleep Train Amphitheatre
8/22 -- Irvine, CA - Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
8/24 -- Mountain View, CA @ Shoreline Amphitheatre
8/25 -- Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Bowl

Published on April 6th, 2014 @ 7:36 PM

Peter Murphy is preparing to release his 10th solo album Lion on June 3rd. The album was produced by Youth, who has been pretty busy lately with projects such as the forthcoming Echo & the Bunnymen album Meteorites, among other things. Murphy unveiled the first taste of Lion: the new song "Hang Up," is about people being annoying on their cellphones, which we can all pretty much relate to. Check out the excellent new track and video over at the AV Club.

Pre-orders for Lion kick off on April 8th, plus stay tuned for something "exciting" to launch on April 7th.



UPDATE (4/8): Murphy announced the release of a live DVD titled Mr. Moonlight Tour: 35 Years of Bauhaus. Details here.

Don't miss Peter Murphy live on his North American tour this summer. Dates are posted below & tickets are on sale now.

5/22 -- Las Vegas, NV @ LVCS
5/23 -- Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom
5/24 -- Tucson, AZ @ Rialto Theater
5/27 -- Austin, TX @ Belmont Theater
5/28 -- Dallas, TX @ Granada Theater
5/29 -- Houston, TX @ Scout Bar
5/31 -- New Orleans, LA @ One Eyed Jacks
6/01 -- Gainesville, FL @ Highdive
6/03 -- Miami, FL @ Grand Central
6/04 -- Tampa, FL @ Orpheum Theater
6/06 -- Atlanta, GA @ Terminal West
6/07 -- Charlotte, NC @ Tremont Theater
6/08 -- Falls Church, VA @ State Theatre
6/09 -- New York, NY @ Irving Plaza
6/11 -- Hamden, CT @ The Outer Space
6/12 -- Boston, MA @ Paradise Club
6/13 -- Philadelphia, PA @ Trocadero
6/14 -- Buffalo, NY @ Town Ballroom
6/16 -- Toronto, ON @ Lee’s Palace
6/17 -- Detroit, MI @ Magic Stick
6/18 -- St Louis, MO @ Firebird
6/20 -- Chicago, IL @ Double Door
6/21 -- Omaha, NE @ Waiting Room
6/22 -- Kansas City, MO @ Riot Room
6/24 -- Denver, CO @ Summit Music Hall
6/25 -- Salt Lake City, UT @ The Depot
6/27 -- Vancouver, BC @ Rickshaw Theatre
6/28 -- Seattle, WA @ Showbox Theater
6/29 -- Portland, OR @ Star Theater
7/01 -- San Francisco, CA @ Regency Theater
7/02 -- San Diego, CA @ Belly-Up Tavern
7/03 -- Los Angeles, CA @ Fonda Theater
7/05 -- Los Angeles, CA @ Fonda Theater

Published on April 6th, 2014 @ 7:19 PM

Friday, April 4, 2014


Yesterday afternoon R.E.M.'s Mike Mills slipped the news on Twitter that David Letterman was retiring from his late night television show. Mills was privy to the information as he was present at the taping for last night's show -- he and ex-bandmate Peter Buck were the backing band for musical guest Joseph Arthur.


After Mills' tweet, the internet pretty much broke, and Letterman himself confirmed the news by posting a short video of his retirement announcement.

As the story was playing out online, Letterman's producers caught up with Mills and interviewed him about breaking the news. In the video, Mills briefly mentioned how R.E.M.'s first television appearance was on Letterman's show back in 1983 when they performed "Radio Free Europe" and "So. Central Rain," the latter of which was untitled at the time. Watch Mills defend his awesome leaking skills below:



For those who haven't seen it, enjoy R.E.M.'s 1983 performance on Letterman:





Fast-forward back to present day and watch Joseph Arthur along with Mike Mills and Peter Buck performing Lou Reed's "Walk On The Wild Side" below:



Arthur is releasing the album Lou, a tribute album to Lou Reed on May 13th. Read more about that here.

Published on April 4th, 2014 @ 5:59 AM

New Order has been on the road in South America playing a handful of festival gigs, including Lollapalooza Chile and Lollapalooza Argentina. Last night the band played Uruguay's Rock & Fall festival in Montevideo, and like the previous gigs, they performed new track "Singularity" during their set. Check out the set list below:


For those wondering: "KW1" is not a new New Order song, it's the band's notation for "Your Silent Face," which they lovingly consider their first Kraftwerk influenced track.

New Order plays one last South American show at Lollapalooza Brazil tomorrow in Sao Paulo before heading back home. They next return to the stage July 1st at the Aragon in Chicago.

Published on April 4th, 2014 @ 5:22 AM

Thursday, April 3, 2014


Jack White announced that he'll release a limited edition live version of "Lazaretto," the title track to his forthcoming album, for Record Store Day. Not only that, but White claims this limited edition 45 will be the World's Fastest Released Record. Here's how it'll work according to Third Man Records:

"First thing in the morning, Jack White will take the stage in Third Man's blue room and record direct-to-acetate what will serve as the limited edition version of his next single, a live rendition of the title track from his upcoming LP Lazaretto. The masters will be rushed over to United Record Pressing who will immediately begin pressing 45s. The sleeves will be printed from pictures taken at the show. The finished records will be whisked back to Third Man to sell to awaiting fans. All in the same day. All in a matter of mere hours. As long as there are fans in line waiting to buy the single, United will continue to press and deliver them to Third Man to sell. Even if it takes all day."

Unfortunately this limited edition 45 will only be available at the Third Man Records store in Nashville. Those who are in the area have the opportunity to be in the audience to watch White play "Lazarreto" that morning -- Third Man is selling an 'Ultra Tickets' to the event to Vault subscribers. Find out more about that here.

Jack White premiered "High Ball Stepper" a couple of days ago. The track serves as the first taste of the full length album Lazaretto, which arrives on June 10th. Stream "High Ball Stepper" below.



A limited edition version of Lazaretto on blue and white split vinyl will be released exclusively as part of Vault Package 20 from Third Man Records. The label states that this limited edition version will be the only variation on Lazaretto and there will be no other limited edition releases or pressings of this album. Vault Package 20 also includes a 7" of two early Lazaretto demos, a 40 page hard cover book with lyrics and photos, plus a linen, letter pressed postcard.

Order the Vault Package through April 30th here.

Published on April 3rd, 2014 @ 1:25 PM

Wednesday, April 2, 2014


As previously reported, Kim Deal has returned with the fourth single in her solo series. The new songs, "The Root" and "Range On Castle," also feature Morgan Nagler from the band Whispertown. Whispertown opened for the Breeders in 2009, and after Deal ran into Nagler at a recording studio in Los Angeles, Deal invited Nagler to record a few songs together. Deal played most of the instruments on both songs and sings lead vocals on the single "The Root" while Nagler takes lead on "Range On Castle."

The 7" singles -- both the limited edition white label edition and non-limited edition with artwork by Vaughan Oliver -- are available to order through Kim Deal's official site and will ship shortly. A digital version of the single is available now through iTunes and Amazon

Deal reports that the fifth single in her solo series will feature ex-Breeder and Slint drummer Britt Walford (release date TBA), plus she revealed she's just started recording new songs with Josephine Wiggs for a new Breeders album.

Check out the official video for "The Root" and stream "Range On Castle" below:





Published on April 2nd, 2014 @ 8:16 PM

Jack White premiered an instrumental song from his forthcoming album Lazaretto, which arrives on June 10th. The new track "High Ball Stepper" may be instrumental, but it rocks in all the right ways that we've come to expect from White. Check it out below:



A limited edition version of Lazaretto on blue and white split vinyl will be released exclusively as part of Vault Package 20 from Third Man Records. The label states that this limited edition version will be the only variation on Lazaretto and there will be no other limited edition releases or pressings of this album. Vault Package 20 also includes a 7" of two early Lazaretto demos, a 40 page hard cover book with lyrics and photos, plus a linen, letter pressed postcard.

Order the Vault Package through April 30th here.

Published on April 2nd, 2014 @ 10:44 AM

Tuesday, April 1, 2014


Bob Mould premiered the first taste of new music from his forthcoming solo album Beauty & Ruin, which is set for a June 3rd release on Merge. The album has been described as "a compact epic" due to its relatively short run time of 36 minutes, and if the new two minute track "Hey Mr Grey" is any indication, "a compact epic" seems pretty dead on. Check out the all killer, no filler track from Bob Mould below:



Pre-order Beauty & Ruin on cd or vinyl now through the Merge store. The first 400 vinyl orders will receive the album on either yellow or gray vinyl.

Published on April 1st, 2014 @ 8:20 PM

Robert Smith has come out and set the record straight about some comments he made to XFM over the weekend about the forthcoming Cure album, 4:13 Scream. [During the original interview, which you can listen to here, Smith disclosed that the album was "a bit of a sore point" and that he had re-written parts of the album over the last year and a half.]  Due to the overwhelmingly negative spin that most music sites put on the comments Smith made to XFM, he decided to explain himself in a posting on the Cure's official site.   The post is pretty lengthy and in all caps, so here's a short summary of what he said:

The Cure recorded material (33 songs) for a double album in 2007.  Smith eventually lost interest in the project and compiled 13 of the songs for the album 4:13 Dream which was released in 2008.  After some time off and lineup changes (Porl Thompson left, Roger O'Donnell and Reeves Gabrels rejoined) the Cure played some live shows which inspired Smith to revisit the abandoned project.  He reworked some of the songs (added vocals to instrumental tracks, changed lyrics on others) and completed the album, though he was interested (and still is) in recording brand new material with The Cure's current lineup.  Even though he's more excited about moving forward, the Cure will release the original material from the 4:13 Dream sessions as well as some of the reworked material.  Two limited edition releases are planned:

4:26 Dream is a limited edition release compiling 26 songs from the original 4:13 Dream sessions concept album. Ten or more of the songs included will be previously unreleased.

4:14 Scream is a limited edition single album compiling 14 previously unreleased songs. Some of the songs may be on the 4:26 Dream double album, but the versions on this release will be the reworked versions, and will include lyrics and vocals.

Smith admits the releases might seem confusing (4:13 Dream, 4:13 Scream, 4:26 Dream, 4:14 Scream) but he says it'll make more sense when he posts the song titles, tracklistings, etc. No EXACT release date has been set other than Smith saying it's likely to be released "in the next month or three" though he admits he's bad at planning. 

Smith didn't broach the topic of live shows or tour plans in his post, but according to what he said in his XFM interview, the Cure will be doing more shows later this year, but it sounds as if the Reflections/trilogy tour won't happen this year.  So far the only U.S. tour date is a one-off show at BottleRock 2014 in Napa Valley on May 30th.

UPDATE: Robert Smith also spent a little time on Facebook, addressing the Guardian's negative review of the Cure's March 30th show at Royal Albert Hall.  Read his comments here and here.  FYI,  reviewer Caroline Sullivan's comments are in quotes, and Smith's comments are in ALL CAPS.

Published on April 1st, 2014 @ 7:30 PM