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SEATTLE — For nearly two decades, producer Daniel Graves’ attention-grabbing and infectious industrial pop project, Aesthetic Perfection, has defied the world’s demands for definitions by blending genres and reinventing what it means to be a dark electro artist.
Last year, Aesthetic Perfection announced the “Into The Black World Tour 2019” to support their fifth studio album, Into The Black. The European leg of the tour commenced in the month of April in the UK, and the North American leg began in the beginning of September in San Diego. For the second date of this leg, they performed in Mesa, AZ — home of Burning Hot Events. Aesthetic Perfection’s North American tour made one of its last stops at Highline Bar with supporting acts Empathy Test and LAZERPUNK.
LAZERPUNK
LAZERPUNK, from Budapest, set an apropos dark and gritty tone, with electronic music so heavy that it feels like it resonates with your flesh and courses through your veins. The intensity of the music, especially as it was coming from just one man wearing an Adidas baseball cap, was nearly beyond comprehension.
Stepping into the environment of the club that night and being smacked with the power of these beats was like being dragged into an alternate universe. It was easily a reminder of why so many of us go out to industrial shows for the cathartic experience — communally flipping a switch that turns on a stifled side of our souls that is screaming and clawing to get out and rage during the mundane day-to-day, as we dismally watch our world socially and environmentally corrode around us. It is here we are uplifted, escape, and achieve balance in a combination of commiseration, unadulterated passion for music, and unjudged embracement of our dark, but not necessarily evil, sides.
Empathy Test
With Isaac Howlett’s British vocals that feel longing and aching, and an ethereal touch, synthwave act Empathy Test has no doubt drawn some associations to Depeche Mode innumerable times. As a blend of 80s sci-fi soundtracks, 90s guitar bands, and modern underground dance as influences, they are a duo in the studio (Howlett and producer Adam Relf), and currently a trio performing live. The beautiful thing about electronic music, as demonstrated by LAZERPUNK and Empathy Test, is that something so big can come from so few people. With the aid of Angel Metro on keys and Christina “Chrisy” Lopez on drums, the trio pulled the entranced audience at Highline into a galaxy of emotion. In between songs, Howlett brought some levity back to the room with charming, good-humored banter. Teeming with talent, Empathy Test are also responsible for their breathtaking artwork.
When Aesthetic Perfection hit the stage, it wasn’t long before the integrity of the building structure was tested as the crowd unapologetically jumped with such force the floor could be felt bouncing under your feet — admittedly not the most comforting feeling when you’re on the second story of a building.
Consisting of the aforementioned vocalist and programmer Graves, Elliott Berlin on keys/guitar/bass, infamous drummer Joe Letz (formerly of Combichrist and a slew of other industrial bands), this trio contrasted Empathy Test with deliciously harsh aggrotech.
The band added a delightfully creative “speed dating” VIP upgrade experience for this tour in which fans got a guarantee to interact with every band number. Additionally, the package included a signed setlist, signed polaroid, signed poster, and VIP laminate — basically all of the essentials that any diehard fan is going to want to collect from a show, and a really smart offer on the band’s part to turn a profit on their tour.
The diversity of Graves’ vocal techniques shine in sexy transitions between a vicious growl and a timbre that might be described as an approximate blend of Jay Godon (Orgy) and the late Chester Bennington (Linkin Park) — this vocal flux is exemplified in the track “Ebb and Flow”; there is a broody and agonizing cover of ‘NSync’s “Bye Bye Bye” (featuring guitarist Nikki Misery of New Years Day) in which he hits an impressively powerful high note with chest voice at the bridge, a beautiful falsetto in the new Into the Black opening track “Gods & Gold”, and even an OTEP-like quality in the theatrical track “Dark Ages”.
Berlin jumped back and forth between instruments, with hair flying wildly to no end, and making himself an entertaining spectacle each time he climbed upon his keyboard and thrashed around amongst the rising smoke.
Meanwhile, Letz made apparent why his percussive skills are so acclaimed, as the vigorous force of the backing beats that he was responsible for nearly brought down the house.
“Holy shit,” was the sentiment that coursed through my head all night, and near the finale of their set, Graves showed that those in the crowd were not alone in sheer awe of the magnitude of the immense energy pervading the venue, as he let out a clearly sincere, “Holy shit Seattle!”
Aesthetic Perfection will go on to tour in Germany from October 25th through November 2nd, with alternating and combined support by Empathy Test and Iris on select dates. If you’ve lost touch, this lineup is a mind-blowing reminder of what there is to love about industrial shows, that they are alive and well, and it is still a scene worth supporting.
Just when you thought it was safe to go back to the barrio, METALACHI has announced another run of dates through the southwest this fall!
In addition to METALACHI, the world’s first – and only – heavy metal mariachi band, Shark in the Water will deliver a blistering tidal wave of non-stop, raw, gritty surf music.
“METALACHI is pumped to wrap up our tour schedule for 2019 at all our favorite venues across the southwest,” says METALACHI manager Warren Moscow. “This run is something we always look forward to, as the whole southwest corridor has been like a second home for us for years…and this time we are bringing even more insanity to the run with the addition of Shark in the Water to the tour.”
METALACHI‘s most recent full-length album, Tres, was released late last year and features covers of songs originally performed by artists such as Judas Priest, Dio, Journey, Guns N’ Roses, including METALACHI‘s popular cover of the Queen classic, “Bohemian Rhapsody.” Watch the video for “Bohemian Rhapsody,” featuring a cameo by comedian Felipe Esparza, here:
METALACHI with Shark in the Water dates:
Click to Enlarge
11/8 – Denton, TX @ Backyard on Bell 11/9 – New Braunfels, TX @ Billy’s Ice 11/10 – Dallas, TX @ Trees 11/13 – Austin, TX @ Antone’s 11/14 – Austin, TX @ Antone’s 11/15 – Stafford, TX @ Republic Country Club 11/16 – Fort Worth, TX @ Lola’s Trailer Park 11/17 – San Antonio, TX @ Paper Tiger 11/20 – Tucson, AZ @ 191 Toole 11/21 – Phoenix, AZ @ Rhythm Room 11/22 – Cottonwood, AZ @ Main Stage*
*No Shark in the Water
Hailing from Hollywood, CA via Juarez, Mexico, METALACHI is a musical/comedy stage show that somehow seamlessly blends the world of Spinal Tap and Cheech & Chong into an over-the-top stage spectacle. The band is comprised of a five-piece ensemble of classically trained mariachi musician siblings, that have been fused together with the power of heavy metal. Fans can expect an unlikely meshing of metal classics from artist such as Metallica, Slayer, Ozzy Osbourne and more with traditional mariachi standards from the likes of Vicente Fernandez and Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlan… all played with traditional mariachi instrumentation but with a stage show that strays far from traditional!
METALACHI takes their cues from outrageous stage shows like KISS, GWAR and Rob Zombie with outrageous costumes, stage production, personas and onstage antics. The band features Vega De La Rockha on vocals, Queen Kyla Vera on violin, Kiko Cane on guitarron, Paco Halen on guitar, El Cucuy on trumpet and is managed by mysterious impresario Warren Moscow.
METALACHI has garnered worldwide acclaim for their unique brand of raucous humor and innovative musical mastery, quickly amassing a loyal and diverse fan base of music lovers in addition to gaining praise from music royalty such as Dave Lombardo (Slayer), Vinnie Paul (Pantera, Hellyeah), Eric Wilson (Sublime), M. Shadows (Avenged Sevenfold), Billy Idol, and Howard Stern along the way (fun fact – for the past five years, Sublime has used METALACHI‘s debut album Uno to time their set changes, blasting the entire album over the PA at their live shows). On a previous leg of the current tour, METALACHI was personally invited by comedian George Lopez to perform at the grand opening of his Chingon Kitchen at the Vee Quiva Hotel in Arizona.
METALACHI has been featured on America’s Got Talent, CNN’s Great Big Story, Rolling Stone en Español, BBC’s Outlook via NPR, Huffington Post, and National Geographic, and their music has been heard on FX’s The Bridge and in a TV commercial for DirecTV.
METALACHI has been named one of the 10 best Mexican Metal Bands worldwide by OC Weekly, was named #4 on a list of the top 20 tribute bands based in Los Angeles by LA Weekly, and was voted as one of the best live shows in Southern California by Examiner.com.
SEATTLE — Japanese metal band BABYMETAL , with special guests The Hu, will be wrapping up their 20-date US tour 2019 at The Paramount Theatre on October 16 (Doors at 7:00 pm, Show at 8:00 pm). Tickets may be purchased through the STG Presents website.
General Admission Flat Floor | Reserved Seating in Balcony All Ages / Bar with I.D.
$55.50 advance | $61.00 day of show (not including fees)
BABYMETAL | Photo Credit: Amuse Inc.
New Album METAL GALAXY to Release Oct. 11
Their third album METAL GALAXY was announced in June this year, along with with a new track “PA PA YA!!” featuring Thai rapper F.HERO, and dropped a video for it on July 1 (watch the video below).
BABYMETAL’s first release of the year was “Elevator Girl” via Cooking Vinyl. The single was the first piece of music since METAL RESISTANCE EPISODE VII, the episode that sparked a new era of BABYMETAL where the FOX GOD sent the band on a darker path, which manifests in the darker tone of the new material as heard on “Elevator Girl.”
METAL GALAXY is to be released October 11 via BABYMETAL RECORDS / Cooking Vinyl. The album, aptly titled after a fictional place within the BABYMETAL universe, is about an odyssey the band must take to the METAL GALAXY, a trajectory thrust upon them by the FOX GOD. Each song brings them closer to their desired destination starting with their previously released “Elevator Girl”, “Distortion” and “PA PA YA!!”
Recorded over the weekend at their Yokohama Arena in front of 17,000 people, the video for “PA PA YA!!” features the same incredible production set up the band brought to the US dates this summer.
Photo Credit: Amuse Inc.
In the 3 years since the release of their last album, 2016’s METAL RESISTANCE, the band has achieved an insurmountable amount of success around the world with hundreds of millions of audio streams, and almost a billion YouTube views. They played to 110,000 people over the course of two nights at the massive TOKYO DOME, supported Red Hot Chili Peppers on their UK/US arena tour along with additional support slots with Metallica in South Korean and Guns N’ Roses in Japan. They continued their success in the US as they embarked on a full national US headline tour that started September 4, culminating in the band’s first headline arena show in North America at The Forum in Los Angeles on October 11. Tickets and VIP packages for remaining dates on-sale here.
BABYMETAL Tour Dates:
w/ support from Avatar
09/04/19 – Orlando, FL – Hard Rock Live 09/06/19 – Atlanta, GA – Coca Cola Roxy 09/08/19 – Washington, DC – The Anthem 09/11/19 – Boston, MA – House of Blues 09/13/19 – Philadelphia, PA – The Fillmore 09/15/19 – New York, NY – Terminal 5 09/18/19 – Detroit, MI – The Fillmore Detroit 09/20/19 – Chicago, IL – Aragon Ballroom 09/21/19 – Saint Paul, MN – Myth Live Event Center 09/23/19 – Kansas City, MO – Uptown Theater 09/24/19 – Dallas, TX – South Side Ballroom 09/27/19 – Denver, CO – Ogden Theatre 09/28/19 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Union Event Center 09/30/19 – Las Vegas, NV – House of Blues 10/01/19 – Tempe, AZ – Marquee Theater 10/04/19 – San Francisco, CA – The Warfield 10/11/19 – Los Angeles, CA – The Forum * 10/13/19 – Sacramento, CA – Aftershock ** 10/15/19 – Portland, OR – Roseland Theater *** 10/16/19 – Seattle, WA – The Paramount Theatre ***
*No Support **Festival ***No Avatar, Support from The HU
SEATTLE — Like a gentle breeze, The Paper Kites brought in a soothing and refreshing performance to Neptune Theatre, accompanied by special guest Harrison Storm. Purely cathartic, The Paper Kites’ dreamy indie/folk rock music serves as a lullaby, the stitches that mend broken lovers, escapism for the weary and hopeless.
Held in a historic theatre with ornate Renaissance-influenced architecture and folding chairs, there seemed to be some ambiguity as to whether the crowd should handle themselves formally or casually, whether they should keep silent in reverence or cheer, sit or stand. Singer-songwriter Harrison Storm helped assure the audience that they had permission to applaud, although the presence of chairs still persuaded all to stay planted in their seats for most of the night.
Storm was a good lead-in for The Paper Kites, with a personal and minimalist style. He will be parting ways with the band following their September 20th show in San Luis Obispo, and embarking on a headlining tour in the UK and Europe beginning on October 11.
Being a performing arts venue, Neptune Theatre didn’t have overhead lighting directed toward the band, and the lights on the edge of the stage were low, leaving The Paper Kites mostly backlit. This lent itself to the midnight mood of their music, and also often illuminated drummer Josh Bentley and bassist and synthist Sam Rasmussen more than the others.
twelvefour
Sometimes the combination of blue and magenta lights resembled the neon sign on the cover of twelvefour, creating an even deeper sense of immersion.
The lone woman of the group, keyboardist and guitarist Christina Lacy, has a humble stage presence despite the prominence of her vocals within the harmonies in their songs. On this night, her entrancing vocals, along with those of Dave Powys, were nearly as soft as a whisper.
Frontman Sam Bentley brings authenticity to the stage, sharing endearing stories that brought some levity, and visibly drawing on his emotions as he sang verses and held notes like a long, slow yoga exhale. Seeming to channel a trance-like state, each musician in the five-piece band performed with otherworldly control and subtlety.
We often like to impose our own lives onto the music we listen to, giving it particular relevance to ourselves, but it was interesting to hear some of the tales behind the songwriting that Bentley shared that night. The meaning behind the lyrics is often so much more interesting and creative than what you would assume. Some of the best parts of the show were a couple of times when every member of the band came together to sing into a single microphone. One of the most shining moments for Bentley’s vocals was the climax of “Give Me Your Fire, Give Me Your Rain” off of On the Corner Where You Live — the second of a two-part album release in 2018. They closed out the night with all five on a guitar (incl. bass) for “Standing in the Rain” from the first 2018 release On the Train Ride Home. Including the encore, The Paper Kites performed a 16-song setlist.
On the Train Ride Home
On the Corner Where You Live
Beginning in British Columbia, this was the second stop on The Paper Kites’ 2019 fall tour that will be traveling down the United States and passing over Phoenix, Arizona — home of Burning Hot Events. They will be making stops in the south, working their way north up the eastern seaboard, visiting the Midwest, and heading back up to play their last date in Alberta. In 2018, they toured in support of their two releases that year. The 2018 fall tour was concentrated primarily in California, Canada, and the northeastern US, so Phoenix wasn’t privy to this tour either, whereas Seattle had the privilege of being slated for both tours. However, Seattle holds a special place in their hearts, being that it was a location they ventured to in 2015 to record the one and only twelvefour. On this night at Neptune Theatre, Bentley called Seattle a “second home”.
It seems that Arizona was last graced with their presence in 2017 when they performed at Club Congress in Tucson. Since they have performed in landmark venues such as Club Congress, Seattle’s Neptune Theatre, and San Francisco’s The Fillmore, perhaps one day they will be hosted by The Van Buren in Phoenix — converted from a historic vintage auto dealership. Good luck Phoenix… You could use a chill night like this.
Redmond, WA — CAKE, Ben Folds, and special guests Tall Heights seemed to be right where they belong as they performed amidst the tranquil atmosphere of Marymoor Park. The Seattle Eastside amphitheatre is surrounded by trees, and the crowd was content to sit and chill on the lawn from the get-go. This is the second time CAKE and Ben Folds have commenced on a summer co-headlining tour accompanied by Tall Heights. Summer of 2018 saw the joint tour spanning the east side of the country, and this year it was along the west coast. This 2019 tour wraps in Grand Prairie, TX, which makes it slightly surprising that they’re not stopping in Phoenix between Los Angeles and Austin. Following the final date, CAKE is headed to France, and Folds to Milwaukee, WI.
Tall Heights
This isn’t the first time electro-folk duo Tall Heights has toured alongside Ben Folds — Burning Hot Events reviewed their concert at Marquee Theatre in September of 2017. “Spirit Cold” is one of their most recognizable songs, and it was that very song that I could hear in the distance as I approached the amphitheatre after getting stuck in the concert traffic, reminding me of CAKE’s “Long Line of Cars.”
Their soothing folk vibe and harmonies could not have been more perfect for an outdoor show closing out the work week. With their discography currently comprised of three albums, their most recent release was Pretty Colors for Your Actions on October 5, 2018. It is moving to know that they have come this far from their beginnings of busking in Boston.
Ben Folds
When Ben Folds hit the stage, Tall Heights continued to perform in his live band alongside him. Folds casually yet energetically strolled onto stage with a demeanor that read like we are all old friends. He began his set with upbeat “Annie Waits” — an uplifting contrast to the gentleness of Tall Heights’ music. Despite this, Tall Heights paired with Folds seamlessly, and it was apparent how much fun they have up there with him. The accompaniment is demonstrative that despite going solo, Folds loves to perform as a group.
It was probably about 7:00pm when Folds started. He told the crowd that he thought he was going on at 8:00pm, so he was performing in the clothes he slept in. He said that he had let himself go, and asked the audience who else had let themselves go. Oddly enough, a majority of the crowd honestly raised their hands and there was laughter all around. He even improvised a “Let Yourself Go” song later on in his set. With the use of his quirky sense of humor, Folds has a gift for generating a feeling of camaraderie at his concerts.
During the following song, “You Don’t Know Me,” Folds encouraged the audience to fill in for Regina Spektor. It would have been amazing to hear Spektor singing the parts herself, but it was quite enjoyable to participate in the sing-a-long.
The sun went down as his set progressed, and strings of lights surrounding the stage lit up. It was a beautiful environment. Even this, however, was not without some typical aggro displays amongst the crowd in which some of the concertgoers that obviously don’t attend shows often yelled at others that wanted to stand during the concert because it was preventing from seeing while they sat on the ground. It’s expected to see this type of aggression in the Arizona heat, but less so in the more passive and down-to-earth Seattle area. It just goes to show there’s one in every crowd.
But there were also bemusing moments where some women danced along to Ben Folds in a completely mismatched style — as if they were dancing in a nightclub. It was heartwarming to see a female security guard subtly bobbing along to the music, and a male fan passionately singing along. Folds also made a touching statement about having to pinch himself for being able to tour with CAKE.
In April 2018, Rolling Stone recorded high praise from each of the co-headliners directed at the other. CAKE’s frontman John McCrea was quoted, including the sentiment, “In a culture often conflicted about its relationship to melody, and songwriting generally, Ben continues unapologetically to provide melodic clarity and musicality.” Folds stated, “Cake – my rough contemporaries, comrades and heroes – to me, they make universal, poetic, identifiable music with a groove.” Both artists were sure to make mention of Tall Heights, and the last sentence in McCrea’s quote summed things up rather well, when he said, “This co-headline line up seems like a good combination of musical styles-disparate but not antithetical to each other-and it should be a solid evening of music.” The fact that they decided to tour together again the next year shows that their feelings remained unchanged after they joined up the first time.
Two songs from Ben Folds Five were included in the setlist: “Battle of Who Could Care Less” and “Do It Anyway,” both of which were everything they should be with the backup vocals lent by Tall Heights. It would have been nice to have a video camera on Folds’ hands when he was playing, with the footage displayed on a screen, especially on a song with the impressively high-speed tempo of “Do It Anyway.” One of the best parts about his stage presence, though, is that his dynamic movements at the piano help compensate for the lack of visibility of his bandaged fingers.
The contribution of the cello and harmonica to the new song “Moscow Mitch,” unambiguously inspired Mitch McConnell’s new nickname, added great layers to an otherwise simple song.
WATCH: Musician Ben Folds unveils new song ‘Moscow Mitch,’ inspired by @JoeNBC‘s coining of the phrase.
A personal favorite moment was during “Rockin’ the Suburbs” when Folds emulated the vocals of Zack de la Rocha of Rage Against the Machine, and he did it surprisingly well — even better than on the album. Despite his debut solo album Rockin’ the Suburbs being released in 2001, the song’s topic of “white boy pain” is apropos in current times. There seemed to be a consensus amongst the crowd as they laughed knowingly during his dialogue leading up to the song about unnecessarily angry suburban white guys. Good Charlotte’s “Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous” (released in 2002) has a very similar theme, and even a similar chord progression.
Although he has released multiple LPs, the album the most songs were taken from was Rockin’ the Suburbs. Folds closed out his 15-song set with “Not the Same”. He stood on his piano gesturing grandly toward the crowd like a conductor, bringing his set to an engaging and dramatic finale.
CAKE had an epic lead up to their entrance with the entirety of the song “War” by Vince DiCola from the Rocky IV soundtrack. The venue was buzzing with excitement for a one-of-a-kind band that many had been waiting seemingly an eternity to see live. Thankfully they were able to perform, despite the fact that 5 of their instruments were recently stolen by some heartless heathens in Portland.
“Originally formed as a somewhat antagonistic answer to grunge, CAKE’s democratic processes, defiant self-reliance, and lucid yet ever-inventive music has made them a nation-state unto themselves, with no obvious peers, belonging to no school.”
The band opened with “Sheep Go to Heaven” from their third album, Prolonging the Magic. A disco ball added eye candy behind them, on and off throughout the night. The signature sound of the trumpet and the vibraslap bring about a certain sort of familiar comfort that’s rooted in the simpler times of the 90s.
CAKE has released 6 studio albums, with the most recent one, Showroom of Compassion, having been released in 2011. The singles “Sinking Ship” and “Age of Aquarius” were released within the past year. While McCrea has discussed an eventual album release, no date or title have been provided as of yet.
CAKE and their pithy music still remains very much of its time even in 2019. Their politically-charged social media presence has divided fans, driven some away, and drawn others closer. McCrea donned a white t-shirt with the Kool-aid Man busting through a brick wall with barbed wire at the top, and it read, “FUCK YOUR BULLSHIT WALL!” Amusingly, after having the crowd at the concert battle in a loudness war, he made the punchy comment, “There’s good people on both sides,” which was responded to by many with, “BOOOO!”
It was nice to experience something fresh from CAKE as they performed “Sinking Ship,” their first new original song in 7 years, which laments a self-inflicted apocalypse. Interestingly, Showroom of Compassion was recorded in a solar-powered studio. In between songs, their environmental consciousness was displayed after McCrea said he could not concentrate until they gave away the tree sitting next to him onstage. CAKE has a tree map on their website under a “Forest” tab. The website offers no explanation regarding the map, but a great many know what it’s about since they’ve been giving away trees at their concerts for over a decade.
During the tree contest, fans shouted to McCrea, and he responded to one man saying, “That’s not your tree yet. That’s called white male entitlement.” The crowd roared with laughter, and he followed with, “No he’s just having a good time.”
It turned out to be a honeycrisp apple tree, which was won by a woman named Josie, who guessed the type of tree correctly. McCrea continued to elicit laughter as he called to her, “Get up here and get your damn tree… Don’t jump up and down and hug your friend. Come and get your tree.”
The duality of the monotonous vocals with sarcastic lyrics versus Vince DiFiore’s vibrant trumpet and upbeat music is an interesting experience, and CAKE gives a show that feels enthusiastic overall despite McCrea’s somewhat deadpan nature. He breaks out of that mold as he raises his guitar in the air, gestures and raises his arms toward the crowd, and it seems that he greatly enjoys playing the vibraslap and pointing it at individuals in the crowd.
With a somewhat laid-back stage presence, CAKE’s performance seemed effortless during their 12-song set and they sounded perfect. Their last 5 songs were arguably some of their most popular: “Love You Madly,” “Never There,” “I Will Survive,” “Short Skirt/Long Jacket,” and “The Distance.” I would have loved to experience one of my personal favorites: “Rock ‘n’ Roll Lifestyle,” which was actually their very first single, released in 1995.
At one point, McCrea mentioned that he once spoke with a physicist that said, “hope is something you have to do,” it doesn’t just happen to you. This message resonated strongly as a reminder that we must make cognitive effort and take action if we want to improve our lives. There is always a different kind of impact from a show that is more than only rock ‘n’ roll. This wasn’t a concert for those that are totally intolerant of leftist leanings, and it was otherwise a show that was impressive, communal, light-hearted, nostalgic, and cathartic. CAKE, Ben Folds, and Tall Heights at Marymoor Park was an experience that brought excellent entertainment value and generated lingering positive energy. We’re looking forward to the announcement of CAKE’s album release date, and a first listen to their newest compelling lyrics.
Phoenix-based dreampop/darkwave group Bella Lune just released a new album, titled Stardust, on September 01, 2019. The album features 14 new original songs and is 59 minutes long. The album is a return to original form, with post-punk bass-lines, dreamy guitars, analog synthesizers, violin and ethereal vocals. Stardustis available on bellalune.bandcamp.com now! It will be on Spotify and other online distributors on September 15, 2019.
Several songs on the new album, including “Stardust“, “Charade“, “A Wish” and “Doomed“, have been well-received in clubs and on internet radio recently. Fans of The Cure, Clan of Xymox, Cocteau Twins, The Chameleons, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Drab Majesty and Lebanon Hanover will enjoy this album.
Stardust Tracklist
1. Stardust
2. Out of Time
3. Head in the Sky
4. The Trap
5. Unbearable
6. What’s Next
7. Charade
8. Doomed
9. Nothing Left
10. A Wish
11. How High
12. Games We Play
13. Stuck
14. Within Reach
Bella Lune also just released a music video for the title track, which is streaming on YouTube!
The CD release party for Stardustwill be at Club Shadowplay on September 21, 2019 at Rips Bar in Phoenix, AZ. Fuchsia and Hurley will be doing a post-punk, darkwave, dreampop & alt 80s DJ set at the event.
Biography
Bella Lune is an electronic/darkwave/dreampop band and dark alternative DJ duo that formed in 2007 in Phoenix, Arizona, USA. They have performed on three continents and released six full length studio albums. The band incorporates elements of electronic, post-punk, indie, synthpop, trip hop, shoegaze, and ethereal music to create a dreamlike trance throughout their sound.
On the heels of the current massive amphitheater tour with Breaking Benjamin, multi-platinum alternative rock band CHEVELLE has announced two intimate headline shows and two festival appearances on the West Coast this fall.
CHEVELLE will perform at the Aftershock Festival in Sacramento on October 13, followed by headline shows at the Riverside Auditorium in Riverside, CA, and San Diego’s House of Blues on October 15 and 16. Aeges will support CHEVELLE on both headline dates. The trio will then head to the Las Rageous Festival in Las Vegas on October 19.
Tickets will be available Friday, August 23, 2019 @ 10:00 AM Local Time.
Since the release of their full-length debut Point #1 in 1999, CHEVELLE have stood at the forefront of hard rock, consistently evolving and progressing while delivering a series of ubiquitous and inescapable anthems. 2002’s breakout Wonder What’s Next would go platinum, yielding smashes such as “The Red” and “Send the Pain Below,“ while its follow-up This Type of Thinking Could Do Us In reached gold status. In 2011, Hats Off to the Bull landed at #9 on the Billboard Top 200 and delivered “Face to the Floor.“ La Gárgolacrashed into the Top 5 at #3 and boasted “Take Out the Gunman.” 2016’sThe North Corridor represented new heights for the group, marking its fourth Top 10 bow on the Billboard Top 200.
CHEVELLE’s Latest Release, 12 Bloody Spies: B-Sides and Rarities, Out Now
Last fall, CHEVELLE released 12 Bloody Spies: B-Sides and Rarities – a comprehensive compilation of sought-after B-Sides and rarities. The album contains music from 2002-2016, spanning their acclaimed career and remastered on one brand new collection for the very first time. Get it HERE! One of the most creatively fearless bands in hard rock, CHEVELLE‘s 12 Bloody Spies: B-Sides and Rarities reveals a treasure trove of under-the-radar ‘finds’ and hidden gems, as well as other enlightening musical detours that deserve to be considered alongside CHEVELLE‘s incomparable body of work.
The Chicago natives also recently teamed up with acclaimed hometown brewery Revolution Brewing for an exclusive craft beer collaboration. The beer, dubbed La Gargola, is a classic German-style Helles Lager and the band’s first brewer collaboration.
CHEVELLE is currently touring with Breaking Benjamin, Three Days Grace, Dorothy, and Diamante. Tickets are on sale via www.LiveNation.com. Remaining dates are below.
Chevelle Tour Dates with Breaking Benjamin, Three Days Grace, Dorothy and Diamante*:
8/21 – Virginia Beach, VA @ Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheatre 8/22 – Bristow, VA @ Jiffy Lube Live 8/24 – Syracuse, NY @ St. Joseph’s Amphitheater at Lakeview 8/25 – Mansfield, MA @ Xfinity Center 8/28 – Bangor, ME @ Darling’s Waterfront Pavilion 8/30 – Gilford, NH @ Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion 8/31 – Wantagh, NY @ Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater 9/4 – Tinley Park, IL @ Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre 9/6 – Rogers, AR @ Walmart Amphitheater – Arkansas Music Pavilion 9/7 – Bonner Springs, KS @ Providence Medical Center Amphitheater 9/9 – Austin, TX @ Austin 360 Amphitheater 9/10 – Dallas, TX @ Dos Equis Pavilion 9/13 – Albuquerque, NM @ Isleta Amphitheater 9/15 – Phoenix, AZ @ Ak-Chin Pavilion 9/16 – Irvine, CA @ Five Point Amphitheater 9/18 – Concord, CA @ Concord Pavilion 9/21 – Ridgefield, WA @ Sunlight Supply Amphitheatre 9/22 – Auburn, WA @ White River Amphitheatre 9/25 – Salt Lake City, UT @ USANA Amphitheatre
*CHEVELLE and Breaking Benjamin to perform on all dates. Individual lineups may vary based on other artists’ availability.
Chevelle Tour Dates:
9/27 – Louisville, KY @ Louder Than Life 10/13 – Sacramento, CA @ Aftershock Festival 10/15 – Riverside, CA @ Riverside Municipal Auditorium 10/16 – San Diego, CA @ House of Blues 10/19 – Las Vegas, NV @ Las Rageous Festival
Amanda Palmer has shared the official music video for “Drowning In The Sound,” which is lifted from her recently released album There Will Be No Intermission, her first solo record in seven years. The track addresses everything from climate change and the #MeToo movement to fake news, the internet and the American government; a reflection on the turbulent times we’re currently living through.
Directed, produced and edited by Michael Pope, the video stars choreographer Coco Karol who called it “a wish fulfilled to get to continue to make art and do motherhood,” as it gave her an opportunity to continue dancing while seven months pregnant. The symbol of Karol’s pregnant body and the urgency of the video tie to the wider themes of Palmer’s new album There Will Be No Intermission.
Amanda Palmer | Photography: Krys Fox
On the video’s release, Palmer says, “The overwhelming news about climate change, the politics of a woke and devastated internet, the isolation that everybody is feeling right now… how do you make a music video about that? Michael Pope and I have been co-creating video treatments for over fifteen years together, ever since we first sat down to write the treatment for “Girl Anachronism” for The Dresden Dolls, we’ve always bitten off more than we could chew, and this video was no exception. The set of the video itself was a healing space: all of these performers and crew gathered together to try to pull off something sort of impossible on a shoe-string budget. Coco, our choreographer and my new-found friend, was seven months pregnant when we shot the footage, and the whole cast and crew almost revolved around that baby inside her. She and I both experienced painful miscarriages a few years ago, and we took turns carrying each other through the dark. This project was a sort of a healing ritual for us both; and the whole crew and cast wanted this video to feel like the crossroads between brutal hopelessness and passionate hope, which is what everybody seems to be feeling nowadays.”
World Tour Continues This Fall – Tickets on Sale
Following the release of There Will Be No Intermission, Amanda Palmer is currently embarking on her hugely anticipated world tour. The fourteen date UK run kicks off this October, which includes four dates across Ireland and concludes with three nights at London’s Union Chapel this December. The show itself features Palmer on solo piano and ukulele, with no band accompaniment; a night of graphic, honest, and funny storytelling and songs that Palmer claims is her “most human and vulnerable stage-show to date.” See below for a full list of dates. Tickets are available at AmandaPalmer.net.
Acclaimed Album There Will Be No Intermission out Now
There Will Be No Intermission album cover
Out now via 8Ft Records/Cooking Vinyl, There Will Be No Intermission is Palmer’s third solo LP, and it’s the multi-faceted artist’s most powerful and personal collection to date, with songs that tackle the big questions: life, death, grief and how we make sense of it all. While the themes may be dark, the album’s overall sonic and lyrical mood is one of triumphs in the face of life’s most ineffably shitty circumstances. Recorded over a single month in Los Angeles by John Congleton (who previously engineered and produced 2012’s acclaimed Theatre Is Evil), There Will Be No Intermission was entirely crowd-funded, this time by over 15,000 patrons using Palmer’s community hub on Patreon. There Will Be No Intermission is now available in stores and on all DSPs.
“The last seven years have been a relentless parade of grief, joy, birth and death, and all of it has galvanized me to the core: as a writer, as a woman, as an artistic servant,” says Palmer. “I also had no idea that my 15,000 patrons – who held my hand through this entire process – would have the profound effect on my songwriting that they did. Everything feels inseparable now: my crowdfunding through Patreon, the birth of our son, the election of Trump, two abortions, the Kavanuagh hearing, the death of my best friend, being in Ireland for the repeal, the miscarriage I had on Christmas day. I sat in a theater in London and watched Hannah Gadsby decimate the blurred lines between entertainment and naked truth, I saw the brave women of #MeToo standing up against their rapists, and I saw Nick Cave in concert and on record working through his grief using art as a necessary and generous tourniquet that others could re-use. They all reminded me to try harder and harder still to tell the real, unadorned truth. I’ve seen how infectious the darkest truths are, when spoken without shame, and I felt like taking any other path would have been a cop-out.”
11 – Bremen Teater – Copenhagen, Denmark 12 – Södra Teatern – Stockholm, Sweden – SOLD OUT 16 – De La Warr Pavilion – Bexhill, UK 19 – St. David’s Hall – Cardiff, UK 20 – Corn Exchange – Cambridge, UK 23 – Opera House – Cork, Ireland 24 – National Concert Hall – Dublin, Ireland 26 – Ulster Hall – Belfast, Northern Ireland 27 – University Concert Hall – Limerick, Ireland
NOVEMBER
1 – Carnegie Hall – Dunfermline, UK 2 – City Halls – Glasgow, UK 3 – Royal Albert Hall – Manchester, UK 4 – Opera House – York, UK 7 – Tyne Theatre – Newcastle, UK 24 – Theatro Circo – Braga, Portugal
DECEMBER
5 – Union Chapel – London, UK – SOLD OUT 6 – Union Chapel – London, UK – SOLD OUT 13 – Union Chapel – London, UK
In addition to the LP, Palmer has partnered with the collaborative art-team Kahn & Selesnick (along with LA-based photographer Allan Amato and NY-based artist Stephanie Zakas) to create a companion volume with over 60 theatrical photographic portraits taken mostly in and around the upstate New York home Palmer shares with her husband, writer Neil Gaiman. The portfolio – also titled There Will Be No Intermission – is available on her website and will also be sold at her hugely anticipated world tour, which is currently circling theaters throughout the rest of the year and beyond. See full tour details and info on how to buy the album and associated merchandise at AmandaPalmer.net.
Pop Phenomenon Celebrates Eagerly Awaited New Album and Full-length Companion Feature Film with Unique Theatrical Performances Around the World
Photography: Brian Zuniga
Atlantic recording artist Melanie Martinez has announced plans to present a unique theatrical performance on a major world tour, produced by Live Nation.
“The K-12 Tour” gets underway October 13thin Washington, D.C. at the All Things Go Fall Classic and then travels North America through late November; European dates follow, beginning December 2ndat Dublin, Ireland’s Olympia Theatre and then continues through mid-December.
Support throughout the North American run comes from Lauren Ruth Ward; special guests for the European dates will be announced soon along with additional international dates.
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Tickets go on sale to the general public starting Friday, August 9that 10am (local) in North America/10am (GMT) in Europe.
“K-12” Arrives At All Music Retailers And Streaming Services On Friday, September 6th
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“The K-12 Tour” celebrates the release of Martinez’s hugely anticipated new album and its accompanying full-length film. “K-12” arrives on Friday, September 6th; pre-orders are available now HERE, with all pre-orders placed via Martinez’s webstore through Monday, August 5thby 2 pm PT in the U.S. / 2pm in the UK receiving presale access to tickets for “The K-12 Tour.” Tickets go on sale to the general public starting Friday, August 9that 10am (local) in North America/10am (GMT) in Europe.
U.S. Tour to Benefit the Trevor Project
Melanie Martinez has partnered with PLUS1 so that $1 from every ticket sold will go to support organizations bringing dignity, equity, and access to communities who need it. In the US specifically, the $1 per ticket sold will benefit The Trevor Project, and their work providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services for LGBTQ youth. TheTrevorProject.org / www.plus1.org
Melanie Martinez | Photography: Brian Zuniga
“It’s been a bit since I’ve been on tour and I’m incredibly excited to bring the movie to life on stage,” says Martinez, “I’m putting all of my energy into making it not only visually stunning and pleasing to the senses but also a fun learning experience and a safe place to express yourself and be accepted for exactly who you are.”
“K-12” marks Martinez’s long anticipated follow-up to her RIAA platinum certified, 2015 debut album, “CRY BABY.” Produced by Michael Keenan with the exception of one song produced by Kinetics & One Love (who previously collaborated with Martinez on such hits as “Dollhouse” and “Carousel”), the album serves as a soundtrack companion to an eerily enchanting new musical film, written, directed, and starring Martinez. The official K-12 trailer is streaming now HERE and quickly received a stunning 2 million views in just 3 days of its premiere.
K-12 will have its official Los Angeles premiere on Tuesday, September 3rd, exclusively at Hollywood’s famed Arclight Cinerama Dome. An official New York City premiere will follow on Thursday, September 5that the AMC Empire 25 in Times Square, with both premieres officially SOLD OUT within 24 hours. That same night will see K-12 shown as a one-night-only global event in theatres around the world. Presented by preeminent global theatrical distributor Abramorama, K-12 will play in 60+ theatres in the U.S. and many more internationally in over 27 countries including the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Spain, Mexico, Brazil, New Zealand, Ireland and Argentina, to name only a few. A complete list of participating theatres and tickets can be found now via www.k-12thefilm.com, with additional markets & theaters to be announced shortly.
Widely applauded for her remarkably creative live performances, Martinez will herald K-12 and “The K-12 Tour” with a headline performance at Washington, DC’s upcoming All Things Go Fall Classic, set for Sunday, October 13that DC’s historic Union Market.
Providence, Rhode Island-based modern metalcore upstarts Absence of Despair have made waves in the scene since their formation in 2008, but are set for national acclaim with their brand new album, Desolate, scheduled for release on September 13, 2019. The album features 12 brand new, heavy-hitting anthems that showcase this hard working up-and-coming band’s undeniable raw talent. Ripping, intense metal grooves blended with addictive hooks poise Absence of Despair‘s Desolate as an undeniable metalcore favorite of 2019.
Desolate pre-orders are available here via the band’s website, and will be available via all digital retailers very soon.
Desolate album artwork
Today, Absence of Despair are thrilled to reveal the first single cut from their upcoming album, entitled “Bite My Tongue”. Fans can witness the brand new, high octane music video for the headbang-inducing track now:
Watch New Music Video for “Bite My Tongue”
The “Bite My Tongue” video was shot by Matty LaBonte of Crown Media Collective.
Bassist Rob Bryant says:“The main concept of the video is to not be taken over by anxiety, but to overcome, and breakthrough it. Crown Media Collective did a fantastic job on the video. They were able to purge the anxiety concept well with the static televisions placed around us.”
Desolate immediately bursts into a brutal assault of fast-paced grooves on the album’s opener, “ESC”, and continues to traverse a melodic-yet-darkened metalcore landscape on tracks like “Bite My Tongue” and “Godkiller”. Anthemic tracks such as “Fearless” and “This Reckoning” solidify the band’s keen ability to write unforgettable hooks without sacrificing sinister riffage, while “Lost & Hopeless” provides an example of Absence of Despair‘s more extreme side. Beyond these tracks, there’s even more to love on Desolate.
Vocalist Joe Reynolds says: “Desolate is focused on gaining the strength to look at obstacles in your life and overcome them. Each song represents a different side or emotion of a person and tells the story of what’s going through their head. At the end of the day, we want the listener to find meaning in themselves and the world around them.”
Desolate was recorded, mixed and mastered by Josh Schroeder (For The Fallen Dreams, King 810, The Color Morale) at Random Awesome Studios in Midland, Michigan.
Bassist Rob Bryant says:“Josh Schroeder really brought possibilities to light for us musically, helped shape the songs the way we needed them to be, and brought us out of our comfort zone. He pushed us, and helped us push ourselves into creating what we feel is our most dynamic and heavy hitting project yet.”
Desolate Track Listing:
1) ESC 2) Bite My Tongue 3) Wild 4) Godkiller 5) Fearless 6) Lost & Hopeless 7) This Reckoning 8) Die Primitive 9) Shadowbreaker 10) I Am Catastrophe 11) The Skin We Live In 12) Pathwalker
Absence of Despair will perform at the Providence, Rhode Island date of the Summer Slaughter tour, taking place on August 2 at Fete Music Hall. For more information, visit this link. The band is currently booking fall tour dates in support of Desolate.
Absence of Despair endorses Fishman, GHS Strings, Empire Ears, Coldcock Whiskey, InTune Guitar Picks and Sennheiser.
Stay tuned for more tracks and videos coming from Absence of Despair soon!
Absence of Despair Is:
Joe Reynolds: Vocals Tyler Caruso: Guitar/Vocals Dillon DeSimone: Guitar/Vocals Rob Bryant: Bass Mike Perrotta: Drums
