Post-Punk
Thom Yorke Debuts The Smile’s “Free in the Knowledge” At First Post-Lockdown Performance: Watch
Since Radiohead’s Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood announced the formation of their post-punk band The Smile back in May, fans have been eager to get their ears on any and all new material. Today, Yorke’s solo October performance of the group’s song “Free in the Knowledge” was officially uploaded to YouTube. Watch it below. Yorke debuted the song at a Letters Live event at London’s Royal Albert Hall, which marked his first performance since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. As such, Yorke had plenty to say before going into the track: “There was a point maybe a year-and-a-half ago where I wondered whether I’d ever be doing this again. This is the first time I’ve been on the stage since the pandemic happened. I’m a British musician and I was told during the pandemic, along with all...
Thom Yorke and Jonnny Greenwood’s New Band The Smile Livestream Rehearsal on Instagram: Watch
Get ready to grin because The Smile are in rehearsals. The new band from Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood took to social media to surprise fans with an impromptu practice session earlier today. Via Instagram Live, the Radiohead side project gave the first sneak peek at their new music since introducing themselves to the world during a Glastonbury livestream back in May with an eight-song set that included “You Will Never Work in Television Again,” “Panavision,” “Just Eyes and Mouth,” and “We Don’t Know What Tomorrow Brings” as well as unreleased Radiohead track “Skirting On The Surface.” “The Smile came about from just wanting to work on music with Thom in lockdown,” Greenwood revealed in an interview with NME a few months ago. “We didn’t have much time, but we just wanted to finish some son...
Artist of the Month: Meet Geese, the New Brooklyn Post-Punk Vanguard
Artist of the Month is an accolade given to an up-and-coming artist or group who is poised for the big time. In November 2021, we give the nod to Brooklyn post-rockers Geese as they drop their highly buzzed debut album, Projector. Everyone’s been robbed of in-person experiences on way or another in this unprecedented pandemic era. Many already-plugged-in teenage musicians have seen some of their most formative years shunted online. For every breakout success spurred by TikTok, there’s a dozen more who haven’t been so lucky. How does an aspiring 16-year-old artist, for example, expand their horizons when live music is shuttered? How can they possibly hone their stage presence without stages on which to perform? “I remember for a minute in quarantine, we would just get together and watch liv...
Ought Break Up, Tim Darcy and Ben Stidworthy Form New Band Cola
Ought, the Montreal post-punk quartet that formed nine years ago, have announced their breakup. They leave behind a nine-year legacy that includes three Eps and three studio albums, the most recent of which was 2018’s Room Inside the World. The band — Tim Darcy, Matt May, Ben Stidworthy, and Tim Keen — issued a joint statement confirming the split: “We are no longer active as a band. When we started Ought in 2012 we had no greater aspirations than to play and write music together, and the fact that we were able to tour the world to such an extent and share so many rooms with so many of you has meant the world to us. We send lots of gratitude and love to all those we met and worked with along the way.” Fans ought not be totally devastated, however, as two of the band’s members have simultan...
R.I.P. Benjamin Vallé, Founding Guitarist of Viagra Boys Dead at 47
Benjamin Vallé, the founding guitarist of Swedish post-punk band Viagra Boys, has died at the age of 47, his publicist confirms. The band announced the news over social media. “It brings me great sadness to say that our beloved friend and founding member of viagra boys, Benjamin, has passed,” the group wrote. “Benjamin was loving and kind and the sweet memories we have together are countless. i cant stop crying while going through pictures of you but also laughing because you were one of the funniest, goofiest, people i had the pleasure of knowing.” The cause of death has not been announced. Vallé previously performed in the hardcore group Nine, which dropped five albums between 1996 and 2007. Viagra Boys formed in Stockholm, Sweden in 2015, and together they put out three EPs and two...
Coldplay, Gang of Four, Animal Collective, and More Tours on Sale This Week
Temperatures are dropping, as are COVID-19 case numbers, and while it sometimes felt like we’d never get to this point, live music is back. With the delayed festival season in the rearview mirror and our sunburns just about healed, it’s time to look forward to what’s next. This week a bracing variety of acts are preparing to hit the road. Coldplay are poised to conquer another set of stadiums, post-punk icons Gang of Four will soldier on without Andy Gill, Peter Hook’s new band will pay tribute to his old band, American K-pop star Eric Nam is set to support a new release, and festival favorites Jeff Tweedy and Animal Collective will stump for their upcoming albums. Read more below. Coldplay: Get tickets via Ticketmaster Advertisement Related Video Coldplay’s 2022 intercontinental tour...
Peter Hook & The Light Announce “Joy Division: A Celebration” 2022 North American Tour
Peter Hook & The Light are coming back to the US. The veteran post-punker has just announced a 2022 North American tour called “Joy Division: A Celebration” that will see Peter Hook and his band performing songs by his former band Joy Division. See the full list of dates for it below. The “Joy Division: A Celebration” tour takes place next fall and spans 26 dates in total. After kicking things off on August 11th in Toronto, Canada, Peter Hook & The Light will perform live in major cities like Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Philadelphia, Minneapolis, New York, Los Angeles, and Seattle. The tour will then conclude on September 14th in Vancouver, Canada. Fans can look forward to hearing two of Joy Division’s most seminal albums, Unknown Pleasures and Closer, in full alongsi...
IDLES Announce New Album CRAWLER, Share “The Beachland Ballroom”: Stream
Barely a year after they dropped the fiery Ultra Mono, IDLES are back with a follow-up album. It’s called CRAWLER and it’s due out November 12th via Partisan. As a preview, the Bristol post-punk group have shared the lead single, “The Beachland Ballroom,” along with a music video, which you can stream below. Over the span of 14 tracks, IDLES are using CRAWLER to bring to life vivid stories of trauma, addiction, and recovery. A press releases promises warped glam-rock (“The Wheel”), 30 seconds of grindcore (“Wizz”), and even a marching band anthem (“Stockholm Syndrome”), all of which should be interesting to hear from the otherwise punk-rock faithfuls. The whole thing was recorded during the COVID-19 pandemic and was co-produced by Kenny Beats and the band’s own guitarist Mark Bowen. As our...
Saudade Cover Joy Division’s “Day of the Lords” with Lamb of God’s Randy Blythe: Stream
Lamb of God singer Randy Blythe has teamed up with Saudade for a cover of Joy Division‘s “Day of the Lords.” Billed as a “creepy” rendition of an already haunting song, Saudade heavy it up with a smattering of instruments (guitars, steel drums, organ, synths, etc). Meanwhile, Blythe lays down his vocals with reverence to the song’s original singer, the late Ian Curtis. “I’ve always wanted to cover ‘Day of the Lords,’” remarked Blythe in a press release. “In my opinion, it is the heaviest of Joy Division’s songs. With Saudade, we have such a widely-varied pool of musical backgrounds to draw from that I knew we could add some interesting sonic layers to the tune while honoring the original.” Advertisement Related Video Saudade are led by Chuck Doom (Crosses, Team Sleep) and drummer Gil ...
Des Rocs Announces Debut Album, Unleashes Anthemic New Single “MMC”: Stream
Rising alt-rocker Des Rocs has announced his debut album, A Real Good Person in a Real Bad Place, which will arrive September 24th via 300 Entertainment. In advance of the LP’s release, the New York-based artist has unleashed the infectious and eclectic single “MMC.” “MMC” takes the listener on a wide-ranging ride of musical genres, with a guitar-heavy intro leading into post-punk verses and a sing-along anthemic chorus. At the 3:10 mark, the tune suddenly shifts into a vaudevillian piano number, with Des Rocs momentarily taking on the role of a throwback crooner. Speaking about the song in a press release, Des Rocs said, “‘MMC’ is about people who are obsessed with being anything but themselves. It’s a roller coaster of a record that was written all at once in this kinda chaotic catharsis...
The Psychedelic Furs Announce 2021 Tour Dates
<span class="localtime" data-ltformat="F j, Y | g:ia" data-lttime="2021-06-01T18:38:09+00:00“>June 1, 2021 | 2:38pm ET The Psychedelic Furs have announced a 2021 headlining tour of Europe and North America in support of their 2020 comeback album Made of Rain. For their first new LP in three decades, the Furs had planned some tour dates that were subsequently cancelled due to the coronavirus. Now, the comeback is picking up right where it left off. This 35-date storm kicks off in Indianapolis, IN on September 15th. After a brief stand in the American midwest, including Summerfest 2021, the New Wave legends will decamp for the UK, lingering through October, but returning October 15th to sweep through the Sun Belt supported by Royston Langston of Spac...
Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood Debut New Post-Punk Band The Smile at Glastonbury: Video + Setlist
<span class="localtime" data-ltformat="F j, Y | g:ia" data-lttime="2021-05-23T02:41:47+00:00“>May 22, 2021 | 10:41pm ET Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood presented their new band, The Smile, during a surprise appearance at Glastonbury’s Live at Worthy Farm webcast on Saturday. Also featuring jazz drummer Tom Skinner (Sons of Kemet, Matthew Herbert), The Smile only revealed their existence hours before the livestream officially kicked off. The group’s name is derived from a Ted Hughes poem. The Smile began their Glastonbury set by performing the unreleased Radiohead song “Skirting On The Surface” before debuting seven entirely new compositions. According to a setlist posted to Radiohead accountant Ade Bullock, song ti...
