Sights and Sounds: First Aid Kit, The Shins, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club

Here is some cool music news and links to hear great new tracks over the weekend...

FIRST AID KIT SHARES VIDEO FOR “FIREWORKS”
 
DUO’S FOURTH STUDIO ALBUM RUINS TO BE RELEASED JANUARY 19, AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER NOW
 
2018 HEADLINE TOUR KICKS OFF JANUARY 24; SET TO PERFORM AT COACHELLA LATER THIS YEAR

First Aid Kit has shared the official video for “Fireworks” – watch here. Directed by Mats Udd, the visual takes sisters Klara and Johanna Söderberg back to the 80’s where they attend a high school prom that comes to an abrupt and mysterious end. “Fireworks” is the latest track from their forthcoming album, Ruins, and has been praised by The New York Times, Stereogum, SPIN, and more. Paste declares the song is “another gorgeous glimpse of First Aid Kit’s new record.”

First Aid Kit says: "We're thrilled to release the video for ‘Fireworks.’ We've always loved the idea of American high school proms, but never got to experience one in real life. It was incredible to get to recreate one in our hometown of Stockholm with director Mats Udd. Aesthetically it's such a different look from our previous video – it was fun to go full 80's mode. We got to dress up our friends and our mom in full on retro looks. We had a blast shooting this video and found out ‘Fireworks’ is a great song to slow dance to."
 

The Swedish duo will release Ruins, their fourth studio album, on January 19 via Columbia Records. Produced by Tucker Martine (My Morning Jacket, Laura Veirs), the album was recorded in Portland, OR where the Söderberg sisters collaborated with the accomplished and talented likes of REM’s Peter Buck, Wilco’s Glenn Kotche, and Midlake’s McKenzie Smith. Consequence of Sound named Ruins one of their “most anticipated albums of 2018,” praising the record is “a rawer sound [with] a willingness to expose more of their inner selves than perhaps ever before.” Ruins is available for pre-order now and includes lead single “It’s A Shame” as well as “Postcard” and “Fireworks.” See full track listing below.
 
In celebration of the album’s release, First Aid Kit will embark on a North American headline tour for the first time since 2015. The run of shows kicks off January 24 in Oakland, CA and concludes February 13 in New York, NY. Tickets and more information are available at http://www.firstaidkitband.com/. First Aid Kit is also set to perform at Coachella on Saturday, April 14 and April 21. For more information, visit www.coachella.com.
 
Ruins follows the 2014 release of Stay Gold, a lush and ambitious 10-song collection that beautifully captures the duo's vivid storytelling, landing First Aid Kit countless “Best of 2014” accolades. Earlier this spring, First Aid Kit also released a stand-alone single on International Women’s Day entitled "You Are The Problem Here."  It is an empowered, passionate, and angry song that confronts the rape culture epidemic, with a portion of proceeds donated to Women for Women International.

 
RUINS TRACK LISTING:

1. Rebel Heart
2. It's a Shame
3. Fireworks
4. Postcard
5. To Live a Life
6. My Wild Sweet Love
7. Distant Star
8. Ruins
9. Hem of Her Dress
10. Nothing Has to Be True

 
FIRST AID KIT ON TOUR: 
01/24   Oakland, CA                Fox Theater* (SOLD OUT)
01/26   Portland, OR               Roseland Theater* (SOLD OUT)
01/27   Vancouver, BC            Vogue Theatre* (SOLD OUT)
01/28   Seattle, WA                 Moore Theatre* (SOLD OUT)
01/30   Minneapolis, MN         Palace Theatre* (SOLD OUT)
02/01   Nashville, TN               Ryman Auditorium*
02/02   Chicago, IL                  Riviera Theatre*
02/03   Detroit, MI                   Saint Andrew’s Hall* (SOLD OUT)
02/05   Toronto, ON                Danforth Music Hall* (SOLD OUT)
02/06   Montreal, QC              MTelus*
02/07   Boston, MA                 House of Blues* (SOLD OUT)
02/09   Washington, DC         Lincoln Theatre* (SOLD OUT)
02/10   Philadelphia, PA         Union Transfer* (SOLD OUT)
02/13   New York, NY             Beacon Theatre*
04/14   Indio, CA                     Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival
04/21   Indio, CA                     Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival
*Van William is supporting all headline dates

THE SHINS SHARE NEW TRACK “DEAD ALIVE (FLIPPED)”
 
FORTHCOMING ALBUM THE WORM’S HEART OUT JANUARY 19, AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER NOW

The Shins have shared “Dead Alive (Flipped),” a more sober and serious take on the original version and the latest track from their forthcoming album The Worm’s Heart. The complete rework of The Shins’ 2017 acclaimed album Heartworms will be released on Friday, January 19. The Worm’s Heart is available for pre-order now and includes immediate downloads of "Name For You (Flipped)," "Cherry Hearts (Flipped)," and “Dead Alive (Flipped).” See full track listing below.

James Mercer says: “The original version of 'Dead Alive' was right in the wheel house with tracks we had done before. It has the same triplet galloping rhythm as a number of Shins songs. So to 'flip' it we broke it down into more romantic elements like that dark piano and Patti's violin, which I love. That's me in the beginning knocking my beer off the console while mic-ing her! Oops! Listen for Casey's sick fuzzed out solo."

When James Mercer wrote, produced, and recorded Heartworms, he had this desire for an alternate version, an opposite version. The original track order is reversed and songs are reborn, yet the lyrics and melody remain intact. “The Fear” is transformed from tender lament into a growling garage rock cut, “Heartworms” is given a disco makeover with Moroder-style synths, and “Half a Million” is reworked into a reggae and rocksteady-tinged reboot. The reasoning was to showcase the versatility and strength of Mercer’s songwriting, the result is The Worm’s Heart.

 
The Worm’s Heart Tracklisting:

1. The Fear (Flipped)            
2. So Now What (Flipped)                 
3. Heartworms (Flipped)     
4. Dead Alive (Flipped)        
5. Half a Million (Flipped)   
6. Rubber Ballz (Flipped)     
7. Mildenhall (Flipped)         
8. Fantasy Island (Flipped)                 
9. Cherry Hearts (Flipped)                  
10. Painting a Hole (Flipped)               
11. Name For You (Flipped)

 The Shins

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Black Rebel Motorcycle Club

Release New Single "Echo" - PRESS HERE to Listen

Forthcoming album Wrong Creatures out January 12th

North American Tour Begins January 15, 2018

"Black Rebel Motorcycle Club return to their trademark sound - scuzzy bass, slurry, heavily processed vocals and shrieking guitars - on 'Little Thing Gone Wild'" - Rolling Stone

 

"gutsy rock 'n' roll" - NPR

"deeply hypnotic narco-blues." - Entertainment Weekly

 

"A down and dirty garage rock song, ['Little Thing Gone Wild' is] lurking with menacing intent and boasting frontman Peter Hayes' trademark earthy croon." - Clash

 

Today, widely acclaimed California-based band Black Rebel Motorcycle Club has released their new single "Echo" - PRESS HERE to listen to the latest offering from the veteran rockers that features a striking, heavy-hitting guitar riff with a tantalizing hook and a booming chorus. "Echo" is now available as an instant download when pre-ordering Black Rebel Motorcycle Club's forthcoming 7^th studio album Wrong Creatures, out next Friday, January 12 - PRESS HERE to pre-order the album, produced by Nick Launay (Nick Cave, Arcade Fire). The band also recently released the video for single "Little Thing Gone Wild" - PRESS HERE to watch.

 

Recorded in Los Angeles, Wrong Creatures takes a journey throughout rock's history, taking unlikely twists and turns, both peppered with historic influences but also having one foot firmly in the present. Remarkably, drummer Leah Shapiro was recovering from a brain tumor she suffered a few years ago while the album was created. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club has been crafting perfectly honed, bluesy, psychedelic garage-rock since 1998. Ultimately, the band are survivors during an era where rock'n'roll can often be overshadowed by garish pop and domineering hip-hop - they have learned how to cut out all the noise and concentrate on what matters. 

 

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club has also announced a North American tour which will kick off on January 15^th and bring the band to major cities across the country including Los Angeles,Washington DC, Boston, Brooklyn, and more - full tour routing is below and tickets are on sale now (PRESS HERE to purchase.) The band has partnered with Plus 1 for the tour in which $1 from each ticket will be donated to War Child, a worldwide organization that supports programs aiding women & children dislocated and impacted by war, political unrest, terrorism and poverty.

 

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club are Peter Hayes (vocal, guitar, harmonica), Robert Levon Been(vocal, bass, guitar), and Leah Shapiro (vocal, drums).

 

BLACK REBEL MOTORCYCLE CLUB 2018 TOUR

January 15       San Diego, CA @ House of Blues 

January 16       Phoenix, AZ @ The Van Buren                         

January 18       Dallas, TX @ Granada Theater

January 19       Austin, TX @ Stubb's Waller Creek Amphitheater

January 20       Houston, TX @ House of Blues

January 21       New Orleans, LA @ House of Blues                                             

January 23       Tampa, FL @ The Ritz Ybor

January 24       Fort Lauderdale, FL @ Revolution Live                                      

January 26       Orlando, FL @ The Beacham

January 27       Charlotte, NC @ The Underground                                            

January 29       Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club

January 30       Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer

January 31       Boston, MA @ Royale                      

February 2       Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel    

February 5       Montreal, QC @ Club Soda

February 6       Toronto, ON @ Rebel

February 7       Detroit, MI @ Majestic Theatre

February 9       Columbus, OH @ Newport Music Hall

February 10     Chicago, IL @ Vic Theatre

February 11     Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue

February 12     St. Louis, MO @ Delmar Hall

February 13      Kansas City, MO @ The Truman   

February 15      Denver, CO @ Ogden Theatre

February 16      Salt Lake City, UT @ Metro Music Hall      

February 18       Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater

February 19       Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom

February 20       Seattle, WA @ The Show Box    

February 22       Oakland, CA @ Fox Theater

February 23       Pomona, CA @ The Glass House

February 24       Los Angeles, CA @ The Fonda Theatre

 

FOLLOW BLACK REBEL MOTORCYCLE CLUB

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Why didn't these albums get nominated for a Grammy?

Just wanted to voice my disappointment that these notable and fantastic releases were ignored from the list of today nominees for the next GRAMMY Awards (to be presented in January 2018). If any of these albums were nominated and I somehow missed it, please let me know (and my apologies!). I have included singer-songwriter releases, blues, rock and power pop titles as among some of my favorite overlooked titles... Robert Kinsler

Artist: Otis Taylor
Title: Fantasizing About Being Black (Trance Blues Festival)
You might like if you enjoy: Robert Johnson, The Doors, John Lee Hooker
Tell me more: Groundbreaking singer-songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Otis Taylor has long been able to musically articulate the African American experience in artful ways that tap into early blues as well as African world music and Americana styles. On his forceful and compelling 2017 album Fantasizing About Being Black, the Colorado-based musician goes even further in his search to bridge past and present in an 11-track exploration of the African American experience stretching from the slave era to specific periods in the 20th century and through the present day. This rich and real world journey includes the hypnotic "Walk On Water" (a tale of interracial love) adorned with Ron Miles' otherworldly play on the cornet, the fierce rocker "Hands On Your Stomach" (about a spirit who instructs an enslaved woman that her mind cannot be controlled) that includes some impressive fretwork from teenage guitar sensation Brandon "Taz" Niederauer, and the powerful blues gem "Tripping On This" (which chronicles a man's visit to see the son he gave up 48 years earlier). Taylor's Fantasizing About Being Black is an essential and brilliant album. Information: otistaylor.com.

Artist: Samantha Fish
Title: Chills & Fever (Ruf Records)
You might like if you enjoy: Janiva Magness, James Hunter Six
Tell me more: The fourth album release from singer-songwriter-guitarist Samantha Fish finds the Kansas City, Missouri native stretching her sonic wings to inject an authentic blend of Motown soul and R&B into her established blues-meets-roots rock brew. Armed with a far-reaching soprano and dexterity on the fretboard to match, Fish has somehow found a musical place that recalls the classic sounds of Motown mixed with electric blues. Recorded at The 45 Factory in Detroit, Chills & Fever teams Fish with a supporting cast that includes a horn section that adds particular magic to the tracks. Standouts on the excellent 14-song disc include the dynamic "He Did It," the playful title cut and lead guitar-anchored "You Can't Go." Information: rufrecords.de.

Artists: R. Stevie Moore and Jason Falkner
Title: Make It Be (Lost Colony Music & Bar/None Records)
You might like if you enjoy: XTC, Beck, Jellyfish
Tell me more: It is hard to think of a recent collaboration as interesting, eclectic and ambitious as the Make It Be from indie hero R. Stevie Moore and singer-songwriter/guitarist Jason Falkner. The perfect mix of brilliant original songwriting, experimental spoken word pieces and several beautiful instrumental guitar interludes captivate across the fast-paced 18-track collection that is as accessible as it is groundbreaking. Those who love traditional power pop-styled songs featuring shimmering harmonies will find themselves immersed in the sonics of "Another Day Slips Away," "I Love Us, We Love Me" and "Sincero Amore," as well as the lush "Horror Show." Driving garage rock is given its glory on the art damage rocker "Stamps" while the psychedelic folk song "Play Myself Some Music" and experimental piano-meets-electronica foray "Passed Away Today" are late album highlights. There is also a just-for-fun take on Huey Smith & the Clowns' rollicking 1958 single "Don't You Just Know It." Across the disc, the wide-ranging talents of Moore and Falkner as vocalists and musicians dazzle bright. Information: bar-none.com.

Artist: Bruce Cockburn
Title: Bone on Bone (True North)
You might like if you enjoy: Neil Young, Nils Lofgren
Tell me more: Master singer-songwriter-guitarist Bruce Cockburn has returned with the epic "Bone on Bone," his first new full-length album since 2011's "Small Source Of Comfort." Always an artist difficult to pigeonhole, Cockburn's new album finds the 72-year-old Canadian great once exploring roots, folk, blues and more with a master's touch. The gorgeous folk song "Forty Years in the Wilderness" is one of the beautiful songs in his extensive discography. His songs are rich in alluring textures and melodies, and the probing and confessional lyrics challenge in ways that vastly outdistance the cliches and trite observations too common in the digital age. "Cafe Society" somehow brings in the timely topics of refugees, drug use, police violence and dozens of other topics without sounding calculated; the jazz-tinged spoken word heavy "3 Al Purdys," introspective "Looking and Waiting" and instrumental finger style guitar work "Bone on Bone" collectively serve to remind long-time and new fans of Cockburn's brilliant and wide-ranging talents. Information: BruceCockburn.com.

Artist: The Shins
Title: Heartworms (Columbia)
You might like if you enjoy: The Shins, Broken Bells
Tell me more: The Shins are back with their fifth studio album (and first since 2012's outstanding Port of Morrow). Heartworms finds singer-songwriter James Mercer and company building on an established sound that is a hybrid of indie rock, dream pop and '80s-styled synth pop. Romantic dreams are celebrated via the electronica Erasure-flavored "Cherry Hearts," while the Shins somehow fuse authentic Americana into their sonic brew via the magical "Mildenhall." The magnificent "Rubber Ballaz" and propulsive "Half A Million" are bolstered by dance floor-worthy rhythms without sacrificing lyrical and melodic elegance. "So Now What" finds Mercer's high-reaching tenor perfectly positioned against a symphonic expanse where he sings of painful new beginnings as a long-term relationship ends. Information: theshins.com.

Artist: Fastball
Title: Step Into Light (33 1/3)
You might like if you enjoy: Weezer, Fastball, the Jayhawks
Tell me more: Fastball is back. The Austin, Texas-based trio's new studio album Step Into Light is a wonderful collection of melodic and smart pop-rock tunes sure to please lovers of top-tier songcraft. Fastball's first album since 2009's Little White Lies, the new 12-song set Step Into Lightfeatures a wide range of infectious songs including the rocking lead-off track "We're On Our Way," the shimmering power pop gem "Just Another Dream," surf rock-styled instrumental "Tanzania" and the sweeping Americana-flavored title track. "Step Into Light" also finds Fastball's all-original lineup (Tony Scalzo, Miles Zuniga and Joey Shuffield) stretching their sound as evidenced by the album-ending art rocker "Lillian Gish" and genre-defying "Frenchy and the Punk." Information: fastballtheband.com.

Artist: Richard X. Heyman
Title: Incognito (Turn-Up Records)
You might like if you enjoy: Matthew Sweet, Todd Rundgren, the Jayhawks
Tell me more: Master singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Richard X. Heyman is back with his 12th album, this one featuring an outstanding batch of 14 must-hear original songs. Incognito is an album that grabs the listener on first listen, with literate tales that are melodic, adorned with shimmering harmonies and infectious guitar-anchored hooks that outdistance the majority of his power pop contemporaries. In a better world, the title track "Incognito," "A Fool's Errand" and "Her Garden Path" would be all over the radio. Heyman can conjure up firepower to spare, as evidenced by the driving "Chalk It Up" and soulful "Terry Two Timer." And Heyman's skills to create and craft wistful songs bolstered by melodic rock are as strong as any artist in memory (just listen to the yearning Americana-tinged "And Then" and "Gleam"). A masterwork from start to finish. Information: richardxheyman.com.

Artist: Styx
Title: The Mission (UMe)
You might like if you enjoy: Styx, Rush, Queen
Tell me more: Just half way through 2017, the year has already been marked by a number of long-awaited returns including Fastball, Little Steven, Chuck Berry and Ride. Count Styx as the latest rock artist to return with a powerful new album that equals some of the band's best work. Recorded over the last three years, The Mission is the first new Styx studio album since 2003; the new LP is a compelling concept album centered around the technological challenges and human costs of an ambitious interplanetary journey. Several of the songs equal standouts on the band's best albums (Crystal Ball, The Grand Illusion, Pieces of Eight). The gorgeous "Locomotive" explores the complex relationship between father and son; the progressive rock-styled "The Greater Good" is an eloquently-detailed exchange between two astronauts as they hope their actions will advance their mission even if their lives are lost. The songs may be built around a trip into the cosmos, but the emotions and marvelous music making will connect firmly with listeners here on Terra Firma. Information: StyxWorld.com.


Robert Kinsler

The Shins extend worldwide tour; announce new fall tour dates

Great news that The Shins have announced new fall tour dates. Here is the official media release...

Baio supporting dates in November

#SHINSVANCONTEST WINNERS MERTLE OPENING TOMORROW 

IN NIAGARA FALLS AND JULY 27 IN GRAND RAPIDS

The Shins have announced new tour dates today, extending what is already a huge worldwide tour in support of their fantastic fifth studio album, Heartworms. The additional dates include The Greek Theatre in Los Angeles on September 29 with special guests Foxygen and Day Wave, plus Reno’s Grand Sierra Resort and Casino on October 7 with special guest Day Wave, and The Anthem in Washington, DC on November 2 with special guest Baio. Tickets for the three shows go on sale this Friday, July 14 at 10 a.m. local time. See below for all tour dates, including summer festival stops at Lollapalooza and Osheaga, as well as a November run with support from Baio.

The Shins recently announced the winner of a contest to win their first-ever van. After weeks of fierce competition, Michigan-based trio Mertle’s cover of “Painting A Hole” beat out hundreds of submissions to win the grand prize. The Shins have invited Mertle to open for them tomorrow, July 11 in Niagara Falls as well as July 27 in Grand Rapids. Watch Mertle’s excitement as James Mercer pays them a surprise visit at their home in Eaton Rapids, Michigan to personally deliver the newly refurbished 1990 Ford 350 Clubwagon HERE!
 
Produced by James Mercer, The Shins’ fifth album, Heartworms, was released March 10 to a wave of acclaim: Entertainment Weekly called Heartworms the “band’s boldest album yet” and “a rewarding and singular addition to the Shins’ catalog,” Rolling Stone lauded its “home-brewed feel, heavy on Beach Boys grandeur, New Wave kicks, squiggly synth-pop and warm-weather soft rock – with lyrics tenderly balanced between midlife malaise and youthful romanticism. The result is some of the most charming music he's ever made,” while Time magazine opined “Heartworms works on a grander scale, with ornate sonic tableaux.”
 
Heartworms is available everywhere now via Aural Apothecary/Columbia Records.

The Shins On Tour: 
7/11                 Niagara Falls, NY                    Rapid Theatre
7/12                 Ottawa, ON                             Ottawa Blues Fest
7/27                 Grand Rapids, MI                   Meijer Gardens Amphitheater
7/28                 Oro-Medonte, ON                   Wayhome Music & Arts Festival
7/29                 Cleveland, OH                        Agora Theatre
7/30                 Burlington, VT                         Lake Champlain Maritime Festival
8/1                   Pittsburgh, PA                         Stage AE (Indoor)
8/2                   Boston, MA                             House of Blues
8/4                   Montreal, QC                          Osheaga
8/6                   Chicago, IL                              Lollapalooza
8/10                 Gothenburg, SE                      Way Out West
8/11                 Oslo, NO                                 Oya Festival
8/13                 Copenhagen, DK                    Vega
8/14                 Hamburg, DE                          Grosse Freiheit
8/15                 Berlin, DE                                Huxley’s
8/16                 Cologne, DE                           Live Music Hall
8/18                 Kiewit-Hasselt, BE                  Pukkelpop
8/19                 Biddinghuizen, NL                   Lowlands Festival
8/20                 Wales, UK                               Green Man Festival
8/22                 Manchester, UK                      Academy
8/23                 Nottingham, UK                      Rock City
8/25                 Boulogne-Billancourt, FR        Rock En Seine
8/27                 Turin, IT                                   Todays Festival
9/23                 Redmond, WA                         King County’s Marymoor Park
9/24                 Spokane, WA                          Knitting Factory Concert House
9/25                 Eugene, OR                            McDonald Theatre
9/26                 Bend, OR                                The Athletic Club of Bend
9/28                 Paso Robles, CA                    Vina Robles Amphitheatre
9/29                 Los Angeles, CA                   The Greek Theatre 
9/30                 Berkeley, CA                          Greek Theater
10/1                 San Diego, CA                      Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theater
10/3                 Phoenix, AZ                            Comerica Theater
10/4                 Santa Fe, NM                         Santa Fe Opera
10/5                 Morrison, CO                          Red Rocks Amphitheater
10/7                 Reno, NV                                Grand Sierra Resort and Casino 
11/2                 Washington, DC                    The Anthem *
11/3                 Brooklyn, NY                          Kings Theatre *
11/4                 Philadelphia, PA                     The Fillmore *
11/7                 Detroit, MI                               The Fillmore Detroit *
11/8                 Columbus, OH                        Express Live! Indoor Pavilion *
11/10-12          McDade, TX                           Sound on Sound Music Festival
11/14               New Orleans, LA                    Civic Theatre *
11/15               Nashville, TN                          Ryman Auditorium *
11/16               Charlotte, NC                          The Fillmore Charlotte *
11/17               Atlanta, GA                             Coca Cola Roxy Theatre *
11/19               Ciudad de Mexico, MX           Corona Capital
 
New dates in BOLD
* Baio supporting

The Shins
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