Black Midi released their long awaited follow-up to their debut record Schlagenheim this Wednesday two days ahead of schedule.
Instead of continuing their post-punk sound they opted for a more traditional prog-rock aesthetic for Cavalcade, very reminiscent of pioneer acts like King Crimson.
This time around the band would also have to record their guitarist Matt Kwasniewski-Kelvin, due to his recent struggle with mental health issues. Regardless, Kwasniewski-Kelvin still retains some writing credits for a few tracks despite not making an appearance on the album.
The day of release Black Midi livestreamed the entire album on their YouTube channel holding a mock listening party for fans all over the world. Despite the listening party taking place two days before the album was slated to officially release it was almost immediately after the stream.
In early May Black Midi also announced a 2021 UK, Europe and US tour in support of Cavalcade.
If that wasn’t enough they will also be making an appearance at Pitchforks Music Festival in Sept. 2021.
My bloody valentine’s previously unreleased works like the feed me with your kiss and you made me realise EP have officially been brought to streaming services for fans to appreciate.
It’s been over 2 months since my bloody valentine broke their long silence and brought their main records Loveless and m b v to streaming services. Along with that, a slew of vinyl and CD reissues became available for pre-order thanks to their new label Domino.
Since then my bloody valentine has been consistently rolling out new content. Such as remastered versions of their previously released music videos and unique visualizers for various cuts off their other records. They’ve also been re-entering the public eye appearing on various magazine covers and giving plenty of interviews.
One interview involved front man Kevin Shields giving details as to when new my bloody valentine music would release. Shields going as far to say that fans could expect it as early as this year.
Along with both EP’s a full complication of their earlier EP’s from 1988-1991 and rare tracks was also released allowing fans to have a reliable way to stream them.
2021 is the best time to be a my bloody valentine fan and they only seem to make it better with each coming week.
Annie Clark, better known by her stage name St. Vincent, released the first trailer for the official release of her music mockumentary film The Nowhere Inn.
2021 has already proven itself to be a very busy year for Clark, her sixth studio album Daddy’s Home released on May, 14 and she’s expected to headline Pitchfork’s Music Festival in Chicago on Sept. 11 later this year. As it would turn out the Oregon-born singer is adding yet another project to the already stacked lineup she has this year, coming in the form of a meta-documentary.
“Me and my bestie made a bananas art film…it was supposed to be a music doc but somewhere along the way, things went terribly wrong,” says St. Vincent in the caption of her Instagram post.
The film first debuted at the Sundance Film Festival on January 25, 2020. However, IFC has subsequently picked up the distribution rights for the film and will be releasing it later this year.
The film is a collaboration between her Carrie Brownstein a fellow musician. Previously Clark has worked with Brownstein as the main producer on The Center Won’t Hold for her band Sleater-Kinney. Both artists also have previous directorial credits, however the film was directed by Bill Benz. Regardless, Clark and Brownstien remain the sole writers of the film.
The film is meant to be a mockumentary where Clark and Brownstein play dramatized versions of themselves trying to make a real documentary about St. Vincent. However, as Clark says in the trailer, “something went terribly wrong.”
The Nowhere Inn will make its official debut in theaters and on demand Sept 17. Pre-order is available at nowhereinn.movie.
Daddy’s Home is the newest release from Annie Clark, better known by her stage name St. Vincent.
It’s St. Vincent’s sixth studio album and also her most stylized. Since she announced the record St. Vincent has completely dedicated herself to her 70’s theme. Complete with a full overhaul of her musical style and physical appearance she never appears without.
The title of the record has many meanings to the eclectic singer. In a sense it’s literal as the release of the album coincides with the release of her father from prison, where he’d served almost a decade due to his role in a stock manipulation scheme. However, St. Vincent maintains the meaning of the record is still up for interpretation.
“I wanted to make sure that even if anybody didn’t know my personal autobiography that it would be open to interpretation as to whether Daddy is a father or Daddy is a boyfriend or Daddy is a pimp- I wanted that to be ambiguous” she said to Apple Music.
Daddy’s Home is available for streaming everywhere.
About three years ago I decided it was time to make a change in my life. I knew I needed to do something with my time that would benefit me in the long run. I wasn’t sure how long I would do it for, most projects I do are fleeting, but I knew I had to do it. I started this website in one night and in a few days published pieces I had already written. Over time this website has become far more than just a hobby. In a sense, its become my duty. Right now, this website is one of the most important things I have done.
I want to thank all of you reading this for being here. I don’t have many followers but I really don’t care about all that. I’m just glad I have this small community of people that read this website. I appreciate the few comments I get and the viewers I reach. I appreciate the time all of you spend reading what I make.
Four months ago I made the decision to write here more than once a month. I’ve tried keeping the most consistent schedule I possibly can even when there’s slow news. I want to make as much content here as I possibly can. With everyone’s support and love I have somehow been able to do that. Turn off the Bright Lights will not end. It’s my portfolio without being my portfolio.
Usually there’s some sort of an announcement with these posts. The only thing I have to really say is that I’m considering buying the domain fulltime and making this website a dot com. I’ve kind of always hated this being a blog type and I’ve been trying to take it more seriously. I completely overhauled the way this website looks and functions so why not take it to the next level.
With that out of the way, I think that’s all I have to say for this yearly post. I appreciate all of you for reading. Thank you, and once again, please turn off the bright lights.
After years of near complete radio silence, TDE’s most elusive rapper has finally returned with a brand new single in anticipation for his upcoming album The House Is Burning.
“Lay Wit Ya” is the newest single from Tennessee rapper Isaiah Rashad, his second since the release of his magnum opus The Sun’s Tirade which released back in 2016. A FADER cover story, which coincided with the release of his new single, explains his lack of public appearances since the release of his last record.
According to Rashad, after the release of The Sun’s Tirade he struggled heavily with addiction and his newfound fame from the success of his record.
“I ended up sleeping on my homie’s couch for like four or five months,” Rashad told FADER. “It was the quickest fall from grace I could ever imagine.”
Rashad not only became bored with making music, but also found vices in excessive shopping and heavy drinking.
“Instead of just explaining myself, I just assumed that n****s knew. Or I would just be drunk spazzing. And nobody hears that. They just hear that you’re drunk. You know they called me Bobby Brown? That shit hurt the fuck out of my feelings. That’s the worst type of vibe ever,” said Rashad.
After losing almost everything, barely having enough money to even eat, Rashad found himself in a rehab facility located in Dana Point.
Rashad began recording The House Is Burning last year and produced 60 songs, many of which were left on the cutting room floor due to being “too slow.” With that being said, Rashad admitted this would be his, “most depressing album.”
“Lay Wit Ya” epitomizes Rashad’s official return to the music industry, with a track lifted straight out of the rap zeitgeist. Regardless, the single still manages to sound like Zay, albeit an evolved form not many are used to hearing. A form that has become more conscious not just of the world around him but aware of itself.
“The world’s on fire. The water is polluted, there’s so much CO2 pouring into the ozone. But when you take it to a micro level…when your house is on fire, are you going to go into that bitch to get the personal possessions, or are you just going to trust in yourself and in God that you’re going to be able to bounce back?” Rashad asked.
The House is Burning is set to release sometime in 2021.
Zack Hill, most famously known for being one third of Death Grips, has found himself in a new musical trio alongside Robby Moncrieff and Nick Reinhart under the name Undo K From Hot.
Hill first announced the bands existence in an Instagram post April 30. The post caption simply read, “I have a new group called Undo K From Hot” followed by a plug of their official Instagram page and an announcement of when their first project would release: May 7.
The other members of the band were also revealed from the post consisting of Hill’s past collaborators. Robby Moncrieff who most recently worked with Hill on a remix of Danny Elfman’s track “Kick Me,” and Nick Reinhart who formed a previous band with Hill in 2009 called bygones.
Their first single “750 dispel” released on May 4 along with an accompanying music video. The thunderous track is accompanied by equally harsh flashing visuals. Something Hill has become somewhat infamous for due to his previous work with Death Grips.
As far as a physical release of the album goes, Reinhart confirmed on Twitter there would be one but gave no specifics as to when.
yes!- robby performed under the name Raleigh Moncrief for a long time and has a bunch of music through @anticon. also did a tera melos remix + zh collabs going way back. https://t.co/LifTP0Kp8G
Their debut project G.A.S. Get a Star released this week on May 7. Fans who have already listened to the album noted a few vocal snippets that sound like Death Grips frontman MC Ride, however these have yet to be confirmed by any credible source.
As of now that’s about all that’s been publicly noted about Undo K From Hot.
As for Hill’s other projects, no new material from Death Grips has been confirmed. Their last release being an official version of their 2019 EP “Gmail and the Restraining Orders.” This has lead some fans into thinking that the group has unofficially been canned. However, Zach Hill is infamous for collaborating with other artists and forming new bands seemingly on a whim. For instance, he formed The I.L.Y.’s with fellow Death Grips bandmate, Andy Morin, in 2015.
With that being said, its safe to say this is not the last we will hear of any of these artists, at least for the time being.
For his birthday Houston-born-rapper, Travis Scott, performed live at LIV’s nightclub in Miami. This marks his very first true live performance at a venue since the start of the pandemic.
That same weekend Cactus Jack also announced dates for the third annual ASTROWORLD Fest in Houston, TEX. The festival took a hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic but due to changes in Texas it would seem concerts and festivals are now feasible again. ASTROWORLD is set to take place on November 5-6.
Travis Scott follows a recent trend in artists slating new dates for future tours meant to take place toward the end of 2021. A time where many believe the pandemic will be all but over.
On the same day Travis Scott performed at LIV, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis suspended all COVID-19 restrictions. During a news conference the DeSantis said, “The fact is, we are no longer in a state of emergency.” It would seem other nations see, to feel the same way about the matter.
Just two months ago Governor Greg Abbott lifted the mask mandate in Texas and opened capacity of all businesses and facilities in the state completely.
Then, once again on Sunday, Los Angeles County reported no additional deaths as a result of COVID-19, the first time in over a year.
Only time will tell if the rest of the country’s will open up and more artists will follow in the footsteps of Scott to perform live again.
On Instagram their lead vocalist Lila Ramani shared a heartfelt story about the process of making the album, “In mid-march last year, we halted production of the album…. Ice Melt was a rare and precious escape from the idleness and chaos of the year; at times it felt like the songs were the only things grounding us to this earth, a living breathing vestige of our pre-pandemic lives.”
Crumb saw a lot of initial success thanks to their second EP “Locket.” The title track of which received a music video that went viral for its trippy visual effects and lo-fi sound. Ice Melt seems to be the natural continuation of that sound this time featuring more elements of “dream pop.”
Turn off the Bright Lights 