of Montreal
When creators f<ck with how we experience time and space, great fictions emerge: Clive Barker’s Imajica, Andrei Tarkovsky’s sci-fi classic Solaris, and Godard’s Alphaville. But what happens to artists when the flow of time gets f^cked up IRL? When an hour stretches into eternity, and the voices in your head begin to echo through empty rooms?If you’re Kevin Barnes, the creative visionary behind of Montreal, Freewave Lucifer f<ck f^ck f>ck happens.Isolation and uncertainty loomed throughout the genesis of the band’s latest studio album. “The experience of just trying to keep my head above water and navigate through the last couple years played a huge role in this record,” says Barnes.These expansive selections contrast markedly with the focused pop of 2020’s UR FUN, which was crafted for visceral thrills and the concert stage. As it was for countless musicians around the world, the inability to tour eliminated one of the linchpins of Barnes’ creative process. “I didn’t know if we’d ever tour again, so I didn’t consider that side of things.” Denied social interaction and diverse experiences, Barnes delved inward.Barnes contemplated how time functions in music and experimented accordingly. These new songs, dense with ideas but short on repetition, feel epic in scope despite reasonable running times. Like the staircases of M.C. Escher’s Relativity, the discrete sections of “Marijuana’s A Working Woman” and “Blab Sabbath Lathe of Maiden” crisscross and pivot, confounding the senses yet commanding attention.The imagery and sentiments that bubble forth from Barnes’ lyrical wordplay prove equally disorienting. “Is it important to say black chrome rodents?,” asks Barnes on “Après The Déclassé.” Phrases borne of free association took on new meaning when introduced into a song. “It’s like collaborating with my subconscious in a way. It feels deeply personal, even though I don’t necessarily understand it at that moment.”“Marijuana’s A Working Woman” juxtaposes oddball funk a la Zapp or Rick James with nods to Alice Anne Baily’s 19th century spiritualism. “Modern Art Bewilders” zigzags between baroque psychedelic idyll and synthpop tantrum, equal parts Sgt. Pepper’s and Gary Numan. Other influences woven throughout include realist painter Edward Hopper, fantasy author Ursula K. Le Guin, cinéaste Pedro Almodovar, and erotic illustrator Toshio Saeki.Barnes likens their compositional process to making collages from seemingly unrelated source materials, combining them in provocative ways to reveal new meanings. “I wasn’t working with specific themes that I wanted to try and stretch over a three-minute pop song. It was sewing together a lot of fragmented thoughts,” which ties in nicely to the ‘freewave’ aspect of the album title’s meaning. As Barnes explains, “Freewave is my term for wild and intractable artistic expression. Lucifer is the angel of enlightenment and elucidation. Fuck is something we say when things are going really well, or really badly.”Website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Spotify | YouTube
Be Loud! ’23
Saturday, August 26thDoors Open 7:30 pm, Music Starts 8pmTickets go on sale Friday, June 9thR.E.M. performed by the Maxell 90Echo and the Bunnymen performed by Preeesh! Tickets are $25 and all proceeds will go to the Be Loud! Sophie Foundation. Be Loud ’23 is an all ages show. We’ve had such a extraordinary run of Be Loud! concerts and we are celebrating that by hosting our 10th and final one (for the foreseeable future) on August 26th. Don’t worry, we are going to host other awesome fundraising events, and in the meantime, we plan to go out big and LOUD with Be Loud! 23. As with our last two shows in ’21 (The Clash) and ’22 (The Ramones, The Cure, and ZZ Top), we’ve asked some of our favorite local musicians to cover truly influential acts of the 1980’s. This year we have our old friends Preeesh! taking on Echo & The Bunnymen before The Maxell 90 does a tribute to the one and only R.E.M. Preeesh! features a core band comprised of Rob Ladd, Robert Sledge, and John Plymale, who many know from their previous bands The Pressure Boys, Ben Folds Five, and The Sex Police. Look for special guests too! The Maxell 90 will feature over 20 musicians teaming up to play tribute to R.E.M., including many you’ll recognize from Dillon Fence, The Connells, and Collapsis. Guest singers and special guests will be featured throughout the set. It promises to be an incredible evening of music and community, with all proceeds going to support the Be Loud! Sophie Foundation and the amazing work of the UNC AYA team at UNC Hospitals. Get your tickets now…before they’re gone!Website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube
Electric Six
The Devil has always been there. He is the great outsider, the original iconoclast. He is a conniving little shit and never seems to tire of giving humanity a wedgie or a wet willie just for a laugh. The Devil is capable of taking many forms. He can exist as one being or spread out amongst many. He can present himself as an ordinary man or as a horrific cloven-hoofed beast depending on his mood. Above all else, The Devil lives to corrupt, to adulterate, to defile.Electric Six has often used The Devil as subject matter for its songs because of that last bit, the part about corruption and adulteration. That’s what Electric Six has been trying to do with its music now for quite some time!!!! We want to corrupt young women….just like The Devil!!! There’s nothing more rewarding than the seduction of a young innocent maiden, forcing her to wear demonic dresses, levitating her towards the great fiery skull and watching her eyes turn black as she gives into evil and becomes the bride of The Devil!!!! That….is why we started this band….to help women realize their potential as sexy evil maidens with eyes reflecting the utter darkness of a corrupted soul.With its fourteenth studio album Bride of the Devil, Electric Six examines the concepts of evil and corruption, humanity’s various falls from grace, the nine circles of purgatory and of course, the internet itself. Bride of the Devil opens with the thunderous opener “The Opener”, a bombastic celebration of the arena rock Electric Six never got to play. The next two numbers are textbook ear worm guitar pop numbers that deal with debilitating income inequality and nepotism (“Daddy’s Boy”) and the horrors of being forced into a pool of toxic waste by an a rabid Doberman trained to kill (“(It Gets) (A Little) Jumpy”).And then we get to the title track, a radio anthem, where it all becomes clear that The Devil is a metaphor for Russia and the United States is the young girl who is seduced, corrupted and wedded into a Satanic covenant with the beast. It’s all there in black and white. The Carrie Underwood-esque lyrics alongside a backdrop of vodka and caviar and backchannels and Seychllian bank accounts. That’s how they did it. They went after our country performers and got the rubes to feel good about being Russian assets. And still, it is the feel-good anthem of the summer.Finally, the haunting album closer “Worm In the Wood” is Electric Six at its most serious, most tender and emotional. Haunting. Effervescent. Corrupt. Jaundiced. Tired.So there you have it. Electric Six is back with its fourteenth record and it’s poppy and feel-good, as well as heavy, both sonically and lyrically. Our sound will corrupt you and enslave you as the beautiful demonic bride you know you truly are. Fraulein, take this severed hand with it’s creepy long nails from the beginning of time. To do so is truly thine destiny.Website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook
Gus Dapperton
Gus Dapperton has always been obsessed with building new worlds. It’s been part of his passion since he started making songs in Garageband, a creator’s mindset that eventually shaped two independent albums of defiantly original alt-pop. Now signed to Warner Records, Dapperton goes even further on his new project, Henge, immersing himself in bold details and immersive songwriting to conjure a twilight world that permanently hovers between sunset and sunrise throughout 11 mercurial songs.”Manhattanhenge happens in New York when the sun lines up perfectly between the buildings and it looks like a solstice,” the artist-producer says of his cryptic album title. “I came up with the concept about someone entering this underworld as the sun goes down and trying to get home before dawn — or risk being stuck in a time loop.” The push and pull between nighttime revelry and sun-dappled safety resonates with Dapperton in post-pandemic America.”A lot of my life after COVID is just trying to embrace the world again,” the 26-year-old says. “I was always an introvert, but now I get an adrenaline rush from being around people.” While there is a distinct thematic throughline, Dapperton wants listeners to go on their own journeys. “I write songs that can be taken out of context and enjoyed individually, but there’s a story you could follow if you wanted to.”Dapperton’s love of sonic world-building has deep roots. The Warwick, New York native didn’t grow up in a traditionally musical family, but there was always something blasting from the radio. As much as he loved music, he didn’t think he would ever make his own: “I tried picking up the guitar,” he remembers. “It didn’t really stick.” An eighth-grade music class changed all that. Students were tasked with making a song in GarageBand — and Dapperton had found his instrument.Dapperton spent the rest of high school making beats. By the time college came around, his confidence had blossomed. “I started picking up instruments and singing,” he says. While attending Drexel University, he played gigs in Philadelphia and ventured to New York City with just his “computer, an MPD pad, and a guitar.” He soon dropped out and released a series of independent EPs as well as the acclaimed albums Where Polly People Go to Read and Orca. With buzz brewing, a feel-good feature would be his breakthrough.”Supalonely,” a collaboration with New Zealand singer-songwriter BENEE, went viral during lockdown in 2020 and amassed more than one billion streams on its way to becoming a double-Platinum hit. “It gave me and other indie artists credibility,” he says. “It showed that alt-pop songs can be massive.” Dapperton signed to Warner Records in 2022 and immediately got started on Henge.From the outset, he knew his approach would be different. Instead of starting with songs, Dapperton plotted out moods and titles and worked backward. “I didn’t follow a super-stern formula,” he says. That’s particularly true of “Sunrise,” the sprawling opening track. Taking inspiration from film scores, the song begins with a strummed guitar before synths erupt and our protagonist enters the Manhattan underworld.From there, the artist-producer dabbles in ’80s-inspired new wave on the catchy lead single “Horizons” and ’70s funk on “Homebody.” The album’s eclectic sprawl is also reflected in Dapperton’s choice of collaborators, including a reunion with BENEE on “Don’t Let Me Down.”Website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Spotify | YouTube | Soundcloud
Shovels and Rope
This is a seated show.As the Brontë sister wrote, “The ties that bind us to life are tougher than you imagine.” Shovels & Rope, the musical duo of Michael Trent and Cary Ann Hearst, embody that bond. Married for a decade, their covenant extends to blood and beyond: as parents, bandmates, and creative collaborators who can now add the pursuits of festival curators, film subjects, and children’s book authors to that mighty list. Having released four studio albums and two collaborative projects (Busted Jukebox, Vol. 1 & 2) since 2008, Trent and Hearst have built their reputation on skill, sweat, and, yes, blood. Now, with the tough and elegant new record By Blood, as well as their High Water Festival in their hometown of Charleston, South Carolina, “Shovels & Rope: The Movie”, and the picture book “C’mon Utah!”, Shovels & Rope are primed for their biggest year yet.Accomplished musicians in their own right prior to dedicating themselves full time to Shovels & Rope in 2011, Trent and Hearst have made a career together by seizing opportunities and never resting on their laurels or being complacent in doing something just because. Carving out a niche in the music world with strong, roots/indie/folk/rock-inspired efforts like 2012’s O’ Be Joyful, 2014’s Swimmin’ Time, and 2016’s inward-looking Little Seeds, as well as their powerful live show, far-reaching tours, and myriad TV and festival appearances, Shovels & Rope have earned the right to follow their own muse. And so, in an effort to satisfy their numerous creative interests and adapt to a changing industry, Trent and Hearst have firmly planted their flag in realms beyond recording and releasing albums.The third annual High Water Festival curated by the band will be held over a weekend in April and will bring 10,000 fans to a park in North Charleston to witness a lineup of artists comparable to some of the best in the country—including Leon Bridges, The Head & The Heart, Lord Huron, Jenny Lewis, Mitski, and Shovels & Rope themselves. High Water benefits select organizations and water conservation charities in Charleston and aims to avoid the feeling of corporate inundation and discomfort that plagues many big-name music events. Trent and Hearst work with production companies and agencies to book acts, then serve as on-site hosts in addition to performing throughout the weekend.“Shovels & Rope: The Movie” is a performance film that has been expanded into feature-length with an external narrative weaving through and connecting the live performances. Directed by their frequent visual collaborator, Curtis Millard, the ‘live show’ portion of the filming took place over two nights at The Orange Peel in Asheville, North Carolina, during the tour for Little Seeds. The rest of the film was shot in various locations in and around the Southeast. The result can be described as a David Lynch meets John Hughes (a fun, silly, and tongue-in-cheek film for fans to enjoy that also represents the band at the peak of their live power.)The children’s book, “C’mon Utah!”, sets the lyrics from the new song of the same name to illustrations by the artist Julio Cotto. It is an inspirational story, set in the future aftermath of the building and subsequent destruction of the southern border wall. The separated and displaced families are figuring out how to start to put the pieces back together. Communities form to organize and support each other.Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube
Tessa Violet
Growing up an only child in a small town in Oregon, Tessa Violet always had a deep desire to create authentic connections with people. YouTube was the first platform which allowed her to foster those connections; as she grew up, and the platform evolved, it became a place for many budding musicians to flock.After moving to LA, Tessa released her debut album Bad Ideas in Fall 2019 – rounding out a breakout year for the rising artist. The sole songwriter on all but one of her debut album tracks, the project received Spotify’s NMF Times Square billboard, and the hit single “Crush” amassed 200M+ aggregate streams alone.Over the last year, Tessa Violet has released several standout singles – ‘YES MOM’, ‘BREAKDOWN’ and ‘Kitchen Song’, and created several of her own trends on TikTok, giving her the ability to test and create demand for new music before release. With almost 40 million likes on TikTok, Tessa’s unique approach to engaging with fans on the platform has helped her continue to grow her fanbase and celebrate her wins with the world. On the heels of her sold out “Rise of the Phoenix” tour, Tessa is gearing up to release her sophomore album and bring her breathtaking live show around the world. Tessa continues to captivate her audience with her thoughtful lyricism, dreamy melodies, and genre-defying sound.Website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Spotify | YouTube
Boris and Melvins
Boris formed in 1992 and eventually arrived at the band’s current lineup of Takeshi, Wata, and Atsuo in 1996. In the years since, Boris has tirelessly explored their own rendition of what is heavy through methods entirely their own. Though the depths of their “heaviness” may intensify, their unique musicianship defies classification in any one genre or style, so let’s just call it real “heavy music” in extreme color. Their music has been called a “game changer” regarding the leading edge of the world’s rock scene, and that influence is limitless. They enter realms that cannot be described simply in terms of the “explosive sound” or “thunderous roars” that have become their trademark.Website | Instagram | Twitter | FacebookThe Melvins are currently a three piece, although the lineup beyond Buzz and Dale for a tour or album can change at any time. The current members are…Buzz Osborne – guitar, vocalsDale Crover – drums, vocalsSteven McDonald – bass, vocalsThe Melvins formed in Montesano, WA in 1983 the founding members were Buzz, Mike Dillard (drums), and ex-Mudhoney bassist Matt Lukin. Buzz, Mike, and Matt all went to high school in Montesano. The name Melvins came from a Manager of the Thriftway grocery store in Montesano where Buzz served as clerk.Mike Dillard left the band in 1984, Dale Crover shortly thereafter recruited out of the Iron Maiden cover band he played in and has been a member ever since. Matt was replaced by Lori Black (Lorax) (Shirley Temple’s daughter) in 1988 when they left Washington for San Francisco, CA.The Melvins have had quite a few bass player changes during their tenure. Check out the Melvins Bassist Morgue to learn more. The Melvins are currently based out of Los Angeles, CA.The Melvins Discography is an exhaustive resource of their many releases. They were on a major label Atlantic Records for three albums, although most would agree they’re not the type of band that would appeal to a major label. They are often quoted as knowing this while they were on the label and just took advantage of the drunken blitz the record companies were on in signing any band connected to a supposed Seattle “grunge” sound. Melvins have also released music on Ipecac Recordings, Boner Records, Alchemy Records, Amphetamine Reptile Records, Alternative Tentacles Records, and numerous other independent record labels over the years.Buzz has a side project called Fantômas with Mike Patton (Faith No More/Mr. Bungle) who is also owner of Ipecac Recordings the label the melvins are currently releasing material through. He also played guitar in the hardcore/grind “supergroup” Venomous Concept, featuring members/former members of Napalm Death and Brutal Truth (also released through Ipecac).Dale filled in for Nirvana when they were between drummers, he appears on Incesticide and Bleach as a result of those sessions. Dale has two major side projects one called Altamont in which he sings and plays guitar. The other he drums in and is known as PORN (The Men Of) or just PORN.Melvins have toured with KISS, White Zombie, Nine Inch Nails, L7, Primus, Tool, and Rush, among others and were also on the Ozzfest tour in 1998.Website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook
Vacations & Last Dinosaurs Present TOURZILLA
VACATIONSA DIY affair from the get-go, Vacations formed in 2016 primarily as a songwriting vehicle for Campbell Burns, who later added band members Jake Johnson, Nate Delizzotti, and Joseph Van Lier. Their song “Young” is certified Gold in Canada, Australia, and Poland, and was certified Platinum in the U.S. in early 2023. “Telephones” is also certified Gold in the US, with over 1 billion global streams and 1.1m+ Shazams. This year, Vacations unveiled “Next Exit,” their latest single and first release since their 2020 LP, Forever In Bloom. “Next Exit” was written in early 2022 while on their first sold-out tour in the States. Later that year, they embarked on a second sold-out tour of the US and Mexico that saw them go from The Roxy (500 cap) to The Fonda (1,200 cap) in a matter of months and amass over 700 million streams in the calendar year alone. Their two sold-out U.S. tours included performances at Austin City Limits, Elsewhere (Hall), and Meow Wolf. Now in 2023, Vacations has wrapped a sold-out tour around the UK/Ireland last month that included 9 headline shows and a performance at The Great Escape Festival and is gearing up to release “Midwest,” out June 9th via Nettwerk. Website | Instagram | Facebook | Spotify | YouTube | TikTokLAST DINOSAURSDespite coming up in Australia, indie rock band, Last Dinosaurs would say they’re an international enterprise — and they’ve got a track record to prove it. Brothers Lachlan and Sean Caskey, along with Michael Sloane have played sold out headlining shows and festivals across UK, Europe, Southeast Asia, South Africa, and the Americas. The Dinos capped 2022 with the release of From Mexico With Love, the highly-anticipated album from the trio that spawned singles “Collect Call,” “Look Back,” “Auto-Sabotage,” and flagship, “CDMX” that have received rave reviews from tastemakers like Rolling Stone Australia, NME, FLOOD, and FLAUNT while resonating with audiences, generating 200k streams per day. Since emerging from the pandemic, The Dinos have performed tours around the world, even making their first U.S. festival appearance at Lollapalooza. Last fall, they embarked on a U.S. tour with Bad Suns before wrapping with a sold-out date in Singapore and a run in Australia. Earlier this year, Last Dinosaurs played A Day On The Green with Florence + The Machine, King Princess, and Hatchie. Website | Instagram | Facebook | Spotify | YouTube | TikTok
Abbey Road LIVE! + Radio Free Athens
Abbey Road LIVE! (Beatles tribute)”One of the world’s premier Beatles cover bands” -US News and World Report “unquestionably expert at what they do” -Indyweek Since 2002, Abbey Road LIVE! has been rocking the music of the Beatles at clubs, theatres, festivals, and private events. Initially a tribute to the monumental “Abbey Road” album, the band has expanded its scope to include more than 100 Beatles tunes, from all eras of the Fab Four’s career. The band specializes in complete, start-to-finish album performances of masterpieces such as “Abbey Road”, “Magical Mystery Tour”, “Rubber Soul”, “Revolver” and “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Heart’s Club Band”. Abbey Road LIVE! is not your typical Beatle look-alike tribute act; don’t expect mop-top haircuts and vintage Rickenbacker guitars. Rather, this show is about bringing to life some of the more mature and complex Beatles material in a raw & spirited fashion, while remaining true to the original recordings. Combining attention to detail with a creative exuberance, the band always delights its audiences with its diverse repertoire of hits and more obscure favorites. A splendid time is guaranteed for all! Website | Facebook | YouTubeRadio Free Athens (R.E.M. tribute)Hailing from R.E.M.’s hometown of Athens GA, Radio Free Athens brings to life the music that catapulted R.E.M. to the top of nearly every college radio chart in America. Featuring members of Beatles tribute Abbey Road LIVE!, Radio Free Athens are well versed in the art of delivering exciting renditions of classic tunes.Focusing mostly on R.E.M.’s 1980s catalogue, Radio Free Europe strives to capture some of the magic and energy that led Rolling Stone magazine to dub R.E.M. “America’s Best Rock And Roll Band” in 1987.
Dan Rodriguez and Noah Guthrie
Hi, I’m Dan. I’m a whiskey & beer drinking, fishing & hunting loving, motorcycle riding, quality food eating, hippie sympathizing, hobby farm running, people loving, husband & father who lives in Minneapolis and shares a life with my amazing wife and two adorable sons named Oak and Alder.I grew up in the suburbs of Detroit, MI, and moved to Minneapolis when I was 18 to study music, and I stayed because I’m one of those crazy people that enjoys the snow and cold weather.Songwriting, and performing those songs for people, is both my trade and my passion. When I’m not in my studio writing and cutting records, or on the road playing shows, I’m usually playing in the woods with our boys, tending to our backyard chickens, eating fresh veggies from my wife’s huge garden, making syrup from our maple grove, or doing one of my many outdoor hobbies.Now here are a few things about my music career that I should probably share in a music bio: In September 2014 Budweiser released their “Friends Are Waiting” commercial campaign featuring me singing my song When You Come Home and it premiered during both The World Series & The Super Bowl. In February, 2018, I released my album 25 Years and the title track is now inching toward 1 million listens. In October, 2018, Miller Lite featured my newest single “So Good” in one of their commercials that played for months during NFL games on ESPN & more. In March, 2019, my song “You Feel Like Home” was featured in Explore Minnesota Tourism’s newest ad campaign. In 2022 I released my album Troubadour Family Man. It’s my debut self-produced record and I couldn’t be more proud of it. Over the years I’ve had the honor of sharing the stage with some really cool artists & bands including The Civil Wars, Andy Grammer, Eric Hutchinson, Matt Nathanson, NeedtoBreathe, Augustana, Tyrone Wells, O.A.R., Haley Reinhart, Jon McLaughlin, Will Hoge, Drew Holcomb, Sister Hazel, and more. Website | Instagram | Facebook | SpotifyNoah GuthrieAmericana singer-songwriter, Noah Guthrie’s sound has been described as possessing Chris Stapleton’s country/rock grit with the authenticity of Jason Isbell. The unique soulfulness in his richly textured voice and the unmistakable Southern influence in his music makes him capable of conveying emotion as only a handful of artists can in today’s musical landscape. Noah’s latest album, BLUE WALL, honors the Blue Ridge Mountains where he grew up and still resides. Noah’s versatility and distinct voice is evident. However, Noah isn’t trying to box himself into any specific genre. For him, it’s just about making good, honest music – music that sounds like him – music that relates – music that makes the listener feel something.
