And You Don't Stop w/ DJ Fase, DJ Chetty @ Churchill, April 30

Don't miss DJ Fase spinning classic hip hop bangers on vinyl at 1212 Dundas St. West at 10 pm after DJ Chetty's set at 8 pm.  

Happy Birthday Barrington Levy!

Celebrating the birthday of dancehall reggae ruler Barrington Levy with a couple of performances, interviews and some timeless gems.

Dollar Bin Delights: Sid Bass' From Another World & Sound and Fury

Sid Bass adds some "spacey" effects to the typical easy listening fare for his 1956 album From Another World. Sound and Fury from 1957 is slightly better. 

R.I.P. Hamilton news anchor Dan McLean

Sadly, popular Hamilton broadcaster Dan McLean – who delivered the news at CHCH-TV for more than 30 years – has passed away at 78. He'll be greatly missed.

LINKS
CHCH-TV Longtime CHCH news anchor Dan McLean dies at 78

Rez Abbasi's Spark Quartet plays The Rex, April 29 thru May 2

NYC-based guitarist Rez Abbasi presents his Spark Quartet for four nights at The Rex starting Wednesday (April 29). 

Rez Abbasi's Spark Quartet

The Rex Jazz & Blues Bar

April 29 thru May 2

8 pm to 10:30 pm

Get tickets here. 

Guitarist, composer, author and 2021 Guggenheim Fellow, Rez Abbasi is among a rare  breed of artists that continue to push boundaries from within the traditions he has  embraced. Consistently placing on DownBeat magazine’s International Critics Poll in  Guitar alongside luminaries Bill Frisell and Pat Metheny since 2014, Abbasi continues to  forge new ground with his multi-dimensional projects.  

“Abbasi is living, breathing proof that jazz music can be as vital and boundary-pushing as  ever.” – AllAboutJazz.com 

Born in Karachi, Pakistan, migrating to Southern California at the age of four, schooled  at the University of Southern California and the Manhattan School of Music in jazz and  classical music, along with a pilgrimage in India under the guidance of master  percussionist, Ustad Alla Rakha, Abbasi is a vivid synthesis of all the above stated  influences and genres.  

“Mr. Abbasi succeeded in making some fairly cerebral intricacies feel intuitive and  touched by a higher purpose.” – New York Times  

With seventeen self-titled albums and multiple composition grants, Abbasi’s wide-ranging  projects continue to capture the attention of The Wall Street Journal, The New York  Times and NPR to name a few. His most recent album Sound Remains reunites his acoustic  group, RAAQ. With the addition of a percussionist, the sound explores sonic territories  rarely heard in jazz. His prior release Charm is a collaboration with American sitarist, Josh  Feinberg while his 2022 trio release Django-shift recasts legendary guitarist Django  Reinhardt’s lesser-known compositions into a modern light. In 2019, commissioned by  the New York Guitar Festival, he released his live score to the 1929 Indian/German silent  film A Throw of Dice and in 2018, his long-standing group featuring band-mates Vijay Iyer  and Rudresh Mahanthappa released Unfiltered Universe, the third in a trilogy of albums  that set out to explore South Asian musical influences with jazz. Rez also serves as musical  director, arranger and guitarist for his life partner, Indian vocalist, composer and multiple  Juno Award winner Kiran Ahluwalia. For more info, visit his site: https://www.reztone.com/

Rez Abbasi's Spark Quartet features Rez Abbasi - guitar, Marta Sanchez - piano, Chris Lightcap - bass, Hamir Atwal - drums. Watch a couple of clips of Rez in action along with an interview. Check out some bonus footage shot at The Rex right here.

Watch the crazy animated puppet video for The Jackets' "Rock & Roll Band"

Chris Stapp created the puppet-version of Swiss rockers The Jackets... watch the video for "Rock & Roll Band" below. 

From The Jackets HQ...

Chris Stapp built this incredible puppet machine to promote our show in Auckland, New Zealand, back in March — and then took it even further, turning it into a full-length music video as a one-shot puppet animation. Wild, handmade, hypnotic, and totally unique. Huge thanks to Chris and the whole team for this amazing work!

Watch the clip for "Rock & Roll Band" followed by a recent performance by The Jackets below. Get a copy of The Jackets' just-released "Essentials" career overview LP via Chaputa Records right here. Catch 'em on tour in Spain this May! 

Michael Weston King shares new video for "The Golden Hour"

"The Golden Hour" is taken from Michael Weston King's new album Nothing Can Hurt Me Anymore out now via CRS. 

Read more about MWK and "The Golden Hour" on the Americana UK site right here and catch him on tour!

Nicola Conte updates João Donato's "Naquela Base" on new single

Along with a version of João Donato's "Naquela Base," Nicola cut a new tune inspired by Glauber Rocha's film Terre Em Transe. 

Here's the scoop...

Fresh from the recording sessions of his new album due for release in early 2027, Nicola Conte has blessed us with a spectacular double A side 7” for this year’s Record Store Day. The A-side is a new original composition "Terra Em Transe" inspired by Glauber Rocha's Brazilian cinema novo classic Terre Em Transe (Entranced Earth) from 1967 (watch it below) while the flipside features a live-in-the-studio update of João Donato's hard bossa gem "Naquela Base" (listen below) which originally appeared on the 1962 album Muito À Vontade which everyone should own. Limited to 1000 copies, these have been moving fast, but if there’s any left by May 15th, they’ll be available from the Far Out website and Bandcamp. Nicola discusses the new single following the credits. 

Credits:

TERRA EM TRANSE (Nicola Conte / Magnus Lindgren)

Magnu Lindgren - flutes, hammond organ & vocals

Domenico Sanna - piano

Nicola Conte - guitar

Ameen Saleem - bass

Teppo Makynen -drums

Gabriel Prado - percussions & vocals

NAQUELA BASE (João Donato)

Gaetano Partipilo - alto sax

Pietro Lussu - piano

Nicola Conte - guitar

Ameen Saleem - double bass

Teppo Makynen - drums

Abdissa Assefa - congas

 

Forgotten Rebels play the Viletones!

Mickey DeSadist and crew just released a single covering The Viletones "Screaming Fist" & "Rebel." Watch an unrelated clip.

Writes current FR bassist Jim Hare...

Forgotten Rebels new 7” Viletones Tribute record is out now! Contact me for pricing and shipping jimhare519@outlook.com or messenger. 

View an entirely unrelated clip involving Mickey DeSadist and his former Forgotten Rebels bandmate Chris Houston playing live in Hamilton below. 
 

Happy Birthday Ann Peebles!

Watch Ann Peebles perform on the Midnight Special with Teenie Hodges, brothers Leroy & Charles and yes, Willie Mitchell! 

The Black Tones feat. Death Valley Girls vs. Chrissy Zebby Tembo

Check out The Black Tones & Death Valley Girls update of the Zamrock scorcher "Trouble Maker" by Chrissy Zebby Tembo.

Remembering saxophone great Preston Love on his birthday

Remembering Omaha-born saxophonist/bandleader Preston Love with some smokin' R&B sides cut with Johnny & Shuggie Otis. 

Cadence Weapon launches new "Forager" album at the Forager Market

Since Rollie Pemberton's seventh Cadence Weapon album Forager focuses on fashion, he's launching it with a thrift market today. 

Here's the scoop on Forager...

Tinker, tailored: award-winning rapper/author/producer Cadence Weapon puts on a new suit with Forager, an album that centres fashion history and design. From a Paris mansion overflowing with flowers to the high-end denim collectors of Tokyo, from washing instructions for silk to chromatic devotion as deep as the colour it inspired, Forager is about showmanship and craftsmanship, dedication, the pursuit of beauty and things built to last.

Forager finds Cadence Weapon as archivist and lyricist, curator and collector. The new songs are the work of keen eyes and ears, a restless curiosity for depth of knowledge and appreciation for detail. Written alongside his second book, forthcoming “Ways of Listening,” the songs are the natural extension of a curious mind set to the task of expressing the essence of our relationship to music, and how that is changing.

Grappling with questions of technology and artistic agency, it’s no surprise that Cadence Weapon found himself seeking the same ‘all natural, not synthetic’ approach to this project. Produced by Junia-T, whose adventurous touch brings new dimensions to Cadence Weapon’s notable flow, Forager trades the artist’s signature experimental synth sound for a more organic direction. With his first album featuring completely live instrumentation, the Forager Band includes Scott McCannell (bass), Daniel Espina (guitar), Mark Anthony King Edward James (keys), Adrian Irvine (violin), The Chmst (trumpet), Joseph Callender (flute/saxophone) and Chino DeVilla (drums).

Get a copy of Cadence Weapon's new Forager album via Bandcamp right here. Check out the tracklisting and credits below. For one-day only, The Forager Market involving multiple vendors selling clothes, books, records, etc. takes place at Standard Time (165 Geary Ave, 2nd Floor) on Sunday, April 26 from 11 am to 5 pm. For more info, visit the FB page here. 

Cadence Weapon – Forager

1. Honus

2. Babymoon

3. Raghouse (feat. Ariel)

4. 501XX

5. Alpenflage

6. Step Out (feat. DijahSB)

7. Yves Klein Blue

8. Toronto Zoo (feat. James Baley)

9. Line Dry

10. Barabbas (feat. Ariel)

11. Niagara Region

12. Fall 2012 Couture

Credits: 

Recorded at It's Ok Studios and Dream House Studios in Toronto, Ontario Canada.

Produced and engineered by Junia-T with additional production by Knowuh and Cadence Weapon.

Mixed and additional engineering by Calvin Hartwick. Mastered by Nik Kozub.

Cover photo by Vonny Lorde

Styling by Bobby Bowen

Layout by Henry Cox

Limited pressing out of 250.

Watch Patti Smith live at Montreux in 2005

Here's some great footage of Patti Smith performing at Montreux back in 2005. 

The Lemon Twigs, Josephine Network @ The Concert Hall, Saturday

The Lemon Twigs present songs from their forthcoming album Look For Your Mind! at the Concert Hall tonight. 

Look For Your Mind! - The Lemon Twigs

Their two previous albums A Dream Is All We Know (2024) and Everything Harmony (2023) certainly indicated something of a ground zero in The Lemon Twigs’ then five album career. “We started making records that we would listen to ourselves,” says Michael D’Addario, the younger Twig brother, now aged 26. “We were forced to slow down and reevaluate who we were in 2020. Around that time, we tried to assess what we could do better than other groups, particularly in the studio. The live gigs had been getting crazier and crazier, and with no prospect of playing shows we thought it was the perfect time to make something a little more delicate, and to exploit particularly Brian's strengths. We decided to put all our efforts into making something powerful, and that’s how Everything Harmony came to be.” The album was a critic’s.

By the time of A Dream Is All We Know, the future Michael classic ‘My Golden Years’, which opens the album and also received a single release and a superb video, The Lemon Twigs new era had truly begun.

And now comes the third Lemon Twigs album for Captured Tracks, Look For Your Mind! (out May 8th – pre-order it via Bandcamp right here), which follows on from standalone single ‘I’ve Got A Broken Heart’ / ‘Friday (I’m Gonna Love You)’, the first new release in two years, discounting Brian’s excellent solo album, Till The Morning (2025). For lovers of the slightly psychedelic / folk-rock / garage-pop that the band touched upon on their last long-player, this pairing was a delight. Would the forthcoming album follow in this style? “I think we went into the record hoping that every song was going to be in a guitar pop style,” explains Brian of their initial intentions, but being The Lemon Twigs this wasn’t going to happen. How could it?

Underneath its poppy exterior, Look For Your Mind! contains an undercurrent of paranoia and suspicion. “I do think that now is a time of insanity,” admits Brian after pausing for thought. “You really have to hold onto your own mind if you don’t wanna lose it.”

Opening with title track ‘Look For Your Mind’, a jangly Michael number, the listener is introduced to the guitar-driven harmony sound that is the centering theme of the album. Brian plays drums, bass and fuzz guitar. Michael adds the lead and rhythm guitars. Michael takes the lead, but as the song progresses the vocals are shared. Much of what was achieved on A Dream Is All We Know is here, just more laser focused. It’s classic Twigs, indebted to the golden age of guitar pop, but in no way slavish.

The distinctly optimistic teenbeat of the period is continued with Brian’s ‘2 or 3’; a bouncy pop number, where the brothers make up a two-man wrecking crew in order to construct their very own wall of sound. “When we played in Argentina, I fell asleep after the show and woke up with the chorus in my head,” says Brian. “I dreamt the melody with the lyric, so now I had to figure out what it was about. It concerns a guy who's not intelligent or cultured enough for his girlfriend. We're both always trying to write something where you can condense the meaning into a single sentence. A simple pop concept.”

‘Nothin’ But You’ returns to the Twigs in power pop mode – a style that’s nowhere near as easy to put together as the listener may think. “These types of songs are definitely tough to perfect,” states Michael. “You can go very wrong very quickly in the overdub world. It’s tempting to opt for something more complex, but it isn’t always needed. I had a chance to develop these guitar parts, three or so years ago, playing a show with Brian and Eva Chambers (Tchotchke) as The Michael D’Addario Trio. There are a few tunes on the record we did with this trio lineup.”

As well as Eva’s participation, Look For Your Mind! marks the studio debut of live Twigs Reza Matin (drums) and Danny Ayala (bass.) With the brothers previously having handled everything in the studio themselves, this offered a newfound sense of freedom. “Seven of the tunes were just Michael and I,” ponders Brian, “‘Nothin’ But You’ and ‘I Just Can’t Get Over Losing You’ had Eva joining us on bass and vocals, like on the single earlier this year. The rest of the tracks had Reza on drums, with Danny joining in on ‘Bring You Down’ and ‘You’re Still My Girl.’ They helped us finally capture that vital live sound on record.”

The album was once again recorded in the brothers’ tiny recording space in Brooklyn. “It's pretty terrible to have more than just Brian and me there,” laughs Michael. “It’s 400 square feet and there’s nowhere to sit with all the studio equipment. You end up getting a lot done just because you wanna get the hell out of there. But we have had a lot of fun late-night jams there with Reza.”

‘Gather Round’ is one of Look For Your Mind!’s bigger productions. A Brian song with joyous orchestrations, it feels like a turn of the century campaign song. The writer is looking for an uncorrupted leader but resolves that collective action is the only way forward. Musically it’s ornate and delightfully 1967, but the mood and sentiment is distinctly 2026.

The ringing guitars of ‘I Just Can’t Over Losing You’ may create a familiarly pleasing mood, but when the bridge comes in at an unexpected time, the chorus is cut in half, and Brian and Eva’s harmonies build to its euphoric climax, the conventions for a pop song such as this are broken. The manner in which The Lemon Twigs surprise is a constant and testament to their vision and abilities. “Every time we try to write something that's completely straightforward, we can't help adding an element which comes out of left field. We always want to write a song we’ve never heard before,”chuckles Brian.

After the “unexpected expected”, a further curveball is thrown that disrupts any notion of this being yet another ’60s pop record. Brian’s ‘Fire And Gold’ starts off with a shimmering guitar riff before turning everything inside out. Brian states he was initially trying to write the kind of power pop song his brother might but compares his approach to that of Todd Rundgren’s work in the ’80s with Utopia. “You can see that he was trying to subvert the typical rock quartet form and give it more musicality because he's just bored,” says Brian of Rundgren’s work of this time. “I was trying to write an energetic ‘Substitute’-type riff but with soulful harmonies. And then vocally, I remember listening to Paul Brady’s ‘Arthur McBride’… and other Irish folk. There’s definitely something that runs through the DNA of classic power pop, Irish folk, Indian music and Gregorian Chants. The droning quality. There are textural nods to all of these styles on this track, from the tanpura that comes in on the second verse to the vocal mantra that builds towards the end of the song.” Nothing is as straightforward as it seems with The Lemon Twigs.

Closing Side One on the vinyl record is Michael’s beautiful ballad, ‘Mean To Me’, with vocals The Beach Boys would be happy to have committed to wax 60 years ago, care of Michael, Brian and Danny.

On the flip is the stomping ‘Bring You Down’, in which Brian sings: “I’ve been working so hard every minute of the doggone day / And my rent’s gone up and the boss won’t raise my pay / I’d like to take my woman out for a night on the town / But you know that the man was made just to bring you down.”

“I was thinking of Amazon workers who get spied on and fired if they make an effort to unionise. And the push to replace the already immiserated working class with AI. Even as an artist you’re in danger of being replaced in this new world the tech oligarchs are building. In a sense it’s an old story, but it becomes more and more relevant as corporations continue to consolidate their power.”

Next the gear is dropped to the beautifully bare and heartfelt ‘Yeah I Do’, cut with Michael’s live vocal, and Brian and Reza, with only a few overdubs. “It's a nice little capture of a performance, like how some of the [Big Star] Radio City stuff is,” says Michael. Curveball number two comes in the form of Brian’s musically dense ‘I Hurt You’, which in a more basic and youthful format could have quite easily sat on debut album Do Hollywood, with its whizzing synths and sizzling guitars.

After the jangle and Brill Building hybrid, Michael’s ‘You’re Still My Girl’, with the inclusion of Brian’s uniquely New York City Italian-American falsetto, comes Brian’s emotional epic, ‘Joy’, which he arranged with Sammy Weissberg. “I think we kind of balanced each other out,” he says of their shared duties, “because what I initially wanted was a very harmonically simple sort of George Martin orchestration sound. Sammy introduced more jazzy harmonies.” Rather than give too much away, wait until you can hear this with your eyes shut and focus. You’ll be blubbing like a baby by the end of this gorgeous production.

New things are done again with the familiar, a through line across this album, in Michael’s ‘My Heart Is In Your Hands Tonight’, resulting in harmony and crescendo, ringing guitars in The Beatles/Searchers mode and lashings of Beach Boys harmony, before the closing track, and curveball number three, ‘Your True Enemy.’

“We had stripped production back on so many of the songs, and we at first approached this one the same way. It was just obvious that it needed more. Some intense processing and experimentation to put it over the top,” confirms Brian. “So we started to get more adventurous, and then we became more excited by the song.

“We put on some churchy organ to reinforce those dark descending chords, and it started taking on a more sinister tone. We threw the chorus vocals through our rotating Leslie speaker to give you a feeling of hearing the singer’s subconscious. Next, we added harsh 'Psycho' cellos and a fuzz/leslie guitar solo. The end vamp was a good canvas for trying out backwards sounds, so we had our dad read a Yeats poem and we ran it backwards and remodulated it… the track devolves in to a full on sonic breakdown, and is capable of scaring the mentally fragile if experienced at full blast on headphones.”

The Lemon Twigs sixth studio album is the logical next step, but it’s also much more. With the skills they’ve acquired over the last two records, their many outside productions, and time on the road, they’ve imparted a vital but disciplined spirit. At the LP's core, as always with the Twigs, is great songwriting.

– Jon ‘Mojo’ Mills (Shindig! Magazine), February 2026 

Tickets for the The Lemon Twigs' show with Josephine Network at the Concert Hall tonight (Saturday, April 25) are $42.63 and available right here.  Check out a few performances by The Lemon Twigs and recent video clips below along with a preview of the new Shindig which features a Lemon Twigs cover story! 

Remembering sax blaster Willis "Gator Tail" Jackson on his birthday

Remembering crossover saxophone great Willis Jackson with his namesake tune and his '64 floor filler "Nuther'n Like Thuther'n."

Lenny Kaye releasing long overdue solo debut Goin' Local in July

Longtime Patti Smith Group guitarist Lenny Kaye has his "Goin' Local" solo debut coming out on Yep Roc on July 17th.

Here's the scoop...

Lenny Kaye has announced his debut solo record, ‘Goin’ Local’ out July 17 via Yep Roc Records. At 79, the bonafide punk pioneer and “godfather of garage rock” (NPR Music) steps forward with a deeply personal collection written over the course of many years - piecing together a lifetime of experiences and expansive musical language to find his truest voice. “I feel like I’m a new artist,” says Kaye. “I think this album will surprise those who think they know me from what I’ve done previously.”

In a career spanning more than half a century, Kaye has remained defiantly uncategorizable. The longest-serving member of the Patti Smith Group, he has also curated the game-changing garage rock anthology Nuggets – “one of the most influential compilations ever” (The Guardian) – co-wrote Waylon Jennings’ autobiography, penned music to Allen Ginsberg’s poetry alongside Paul McCartney and Philip Glass - and produced projects for Suzanne Vega, Soul Asylum, Jessi Colter and more. 

On Goin Local’, Kaye calls upon several longtime collaborators, including Patti Smith - who co-wrote “Solstice” - continuing a half-century-long creative partnership behind some of their most iconic work, from “Free Money” and “Ghost Dance” to “Radio Ethiopia” and “Southern Cross.” Additional collaborators include jazz pianist Matthew Shipp, Railroad Earth’s Tim Carbone, The Jayhawks’ John Jackson and multi-instrumentalist David Mansfield (Bob Dylan, T-Bone Burnett, Lucinda Williams). 

The twelve song collection finds Kaye fully embracing his expansive musical sensibility, while marking his most autobiographical and introspective turn yet. “I’ve always loved the local, its intimacy and camaraderie...I feel that the truest ‘Goin’ Local’ is the privilege to go inside my own head and hear how I sound to me,” he says of the title track which you can check out below. 

Pre-save ‘Goin’ Local’ here: https://lennykaye.lnk.to/GoinLocal 

Read more via Rolling Stone here: https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/patti-smith-guitarist-lenny-kaye-solo-debut-1235551811/ 

‘Goin’ Local’ follows Kaye’s recent memoir Lightning Striking: Ten Transformative Moments in Rock and Roll (Ecco), an insider’s chronicle of twentieth century music, tracing pivotal scenes from Memphis and New Orleans to Liverpool, Seattle, New York and more. Kaye explores the moments and visionaries that shaped rock’s evolution - all of which he carries through to the forthcoming record, reflecting on the “you-are-there and then taken somewhere” ethos that has defined his life in music. 

One For The Weekend: Ngozi Family w/ Chrissy Zebby Tembo

Here's another Zambian Copperbelt ripper from the Ngozi Family, the fave Zamrock group of Chisenga and Tyler The (re) Creator!

Here's the scoop...

“Zambia's Zamrock movement that exploded in the 1970s ... provided young musicians access to European and American music, and created a unique sound. At its root, Zamrock melded fuzz-toned psychedelia, chugging garage rock and roiling funk with a broad mix of African cadences and beats.... enlivening a scene that included bands like Musi O Tunya, Amanaz and the Ngozi Family.” — The New York Times

Zamrock was a bona-fide rock scene, with albums released through independent labels based in Zambia. This music scene was complete, encompassing the genres of rock, acid folk, fusion, Afro-beat, South African jazz and traditional Zambian melodies. It quickly became a uniquely Zambian movement, befitting of its name. WITCH, Paul Ngozi and Amanaz sound nothing like other rock music from the African continent or elsewhere.

Now-Again has been reissuing the essential records from the Zamrock scene since 2010. This is the first commercial release of this Ngozi Family album that only ever made it to the test-press stage - it is part of an extensive campaign centered around Paul Ngozi and his band; all releases are licensed directly from the Estates of Paul Ngozi and Chrissy Zebby Tembo.

Happy Birthday Stafford James!

Celebrating the birthday of bass boss Stafford James with his swingin' "Del Samba," "Costa Bruciata," after a 2021 performance.

R.I.P. Nashville session guitarist Wayne Moss of Area Code 615, Barefoot Jerry

Sadly Nashville session ace Wayne Moss – who played the intro on Roy Orbison's "Oh, Pretty Woman," and Dolly Parton's "Jolene" – has passed away at 88. 

Midweek Mixdown: F. Booij presents 17 Songs About Murder

Fans of classic country murder ballads will enjoy F. Booij's selections created for friends which you can hear via the links below.   

Writes Olaf Jens...

"Of course there were cool comps with obscure Hillbilly and Country 50’s/60’s comps prior to these (like “Country Hicks” and “Grand Daddy’s Rockin’”, and lotsa rare Rockabilly comps since the mid 70’s) but Tim’s “God Less America” and also “Death Dealers” (both from 1995) started a trend that continues to this day. THEMED Country comps filled with cool, crazy & moody vintage C&W obscuros like the brilliant “Hillbillies in Hell” and the “Twisted Tales from the Vinyl Wastelands” series which have been around for over a decade, but before it became a hip thing, my best friend Fake Booij (Graphic Designer extraordinaire at Crypt Records etc.) put together three MURDER themed Country comps that are my faves. There’s quite a few tracks on those that have become cult classics over the years, but I never get sick of listening to them. Some of them are like little Film Noir movies put to songs, all very visual. Unfortunately Fake never officially released them, they were just home-burned CDs handed out to friends." 

Listen to Seventeen Songs About Murder, Vol. 1 right here and Vol 2 right here and Vol. 3 right here. Check out the tracklisting for Vol. 1 below.  

 

DC psych rockers Dead Meadow @ The Garrison, Wednesday

The latest incarnation of Dead Meadow are joined by Cory Shane and Witchrot at the Garrison tonight at 7 pm. 

Here's the scoop...

Dead Meadow are a band hailing from Washington D.C, United States who formed in 1998. Since debuting, the band have released seven studio albums and become one of the most respected cult acts in the world of stoner rock.

Forming from the ashes of two D.C based bands called The Impossible Five and Colour, the first incarnation of Dead Meadow was formed by guitarist and vocalist Jason Simon, bassist Steve Kille and drummer Mark Laughlin. With their seamless combination of prime 70's heavy metal , 60's psychedelia and lyrics cribbed from Tolkien and Lovecraft, the band signed to Fugazi bassist Joe Lally's record label Tolotta Records in 2000, a mere two years after they formed. Their self-titled debut album followed in the same year, which impressed BBC Radio One legend John Peel enough to ask them record a session for his evening radio show. However, as the band couldn't afford to fly to London and record it, Dead Meadow became the first band in the session's 37 year history to record their session outside of the BBC's studios.

2001 saw the release of their second album “Howls From The Hills” and after the release of their live album “Got Live If You Want It” in 2002, the band signed to Matador Records in 2003, making them labelmates of Pavement, Guided By Voices and Belle and Sebastian. Ever since then, the band have remained one of the most consistent acts in stoner rock, with seven acclaimed studio albums to their name and a live show that could knock anyone for six. They've earned the respect of the likes of The Brian Jonestown Massacre's Anton Newcombe (no easy feat) and inspired acts like Wolfmother, who reinterpreted the Dead Meadow track “Everything's Goin' On” as “Pilgrim” on their second album “Cosmic Egg.” After the sad passing of original bassist Steve Kille on April 18, 2024, Dead Meadow released Voyager To Voyager in 2025 with Steve's final contributions. Since Kille's passing, the band have continued on performing with guest musicians, notably including Caleb Dravier who runs the cassette label Jungle Gym Records and plays in the drone duo Spectral Fields with Jason Simon.

Tickets for Not Dead Yet's presentation of Dead Meadow with Cory Shane and Witchrot at The Garrison on Wednesday, April 22 at 7 pm are $36.82 and available here. Watch a few songs from a recent performance below. 

R.I.P. musician/DJ Gregg Foreman, 1972-2026

Sadly, my old pal Gregg Foreman of Delta 72, Cat Power, The Gossip, etc, has passed away far too soon. He'll be greatly missed.

Watch Deke Dickerson and Dale Watson tear up Viva Las Vegas

Deke Dickerson's Guitar Geek Show at the Orleans Hotel featuring Dale Watson was a highlight of Viva Las Vegas 2026. 

Remembering Ira Louvin on his birthday

Thinking of Ira Louvin on his birthday with a few Louvin Brothers performances and more. 

That time Tortoise's John Herndon & Doug McCombs went on a shopping spree

Check out what John and Doug picked up at Amoeba in San Francisco for their recent "What's In My Bag" appearance. 

Here's the scoop...

Douglas McCombs and John Herndon of Tortoise stopped by Amoeba San Francisco for a shopping trip and a chat for Amoeba’s 'What’s in My Bag?' series. They pick up a book by Budgie and music by Tom Verlaine, Louis Jordan, David Thomas, Silent Servant, Broadcast, Hound Dog Taylor and the HouseRockers, Bill Orcutt, Emptyset, Wah!, Oneohtrix Point Never, The Durutti Column, and Peaches. You can take a look inside and hear what they have to say about their picks below.

Tortoise returns to Toronto for a show at the Concert Hall (888 Yonge) on Friday, July 3 with BASIC opening at 7 pm. Tickets are $55.50 ($40 + $15.50 fees) and available here. 

Remembering James Chance on his birthday

Raising a glass to no wave icon James Chance on his birthday with some interviews and performances you may have missed. 

Happy 4/20 from Shooter Jennings & Willie Nelson

Shooter Jennings wanted to record When I'm Stoned" by his pal Jason Boland and found the perfect duet partner in Willie Nelson. 

Writes Shooter Jennings...

"I’ve known Jason Boland for more than half my life. I saw him playing songs in bars. I opened for him the day we got thrown in jail in Baylor County for weed. So naturally, when they asked me to do this project, I enthusiastically agreed and called Willie Nelson to help me out. Boland is a diamond and he’s one of the guys that influenced a lot of what is going on in today’s country music, so it was my pleasure to honor my old friend."

Ino Hidefumi issues Love Theme From "Sunflower" seven-inch

Ino Hidefumi just released his version of Henry Mancini's Love Theme from "Sunflower" b/w "Lemon Tea" on a seven-inch.

April March releases her swingin' "Villerville" album on vinyl for RSD

As the title suggests, April March's "Villerville" album was recorded in the lovely Normandy village on the coast of France. 

Here's the scoop...

April March's latest "Villerville," is an album of all original songs recorded in Rouen and Villerville (aka Tigreville) with Norman Langolff, Rebecca Paris, Timmy Rickard, Ben Hilliard, Ben Hampson, Tim Weller, Naz Bouzida and Martyn Baker. Bong Load's exclusive RSD release of 750 copies includes the bonus track "Ta Ta Ta." Check out "Surfing Castafiore," "Blacktop Champion" and "Punk Altitude" after the tracklisting below. 

April March - Villerville

A1. Surfing Castafiore 

A2. I Do What I Do 

A3. Vinyl Boots 

A4. Double Tilt 

A5. It's A Long Walk 

A6. Pop Fly 

B1. Punk Altitude 

B2. Past The Sun 

B3. Oyster Bay 

B4. Blacktop Champion 

B5. Strike Your Lightning 

B6. Ta Ta Ta (Exclusive Bonus Track)

Watch guitarist Gwenifer Raymond play a Tiny Desk Concert and more!

Watch Welsh guitarist Gwenifer Raymond's Tiny Desk Concert and more following her recent Guitar Moves interview.