Although humans cause almost 90 percent of forest fires, when left to its own devices, nature will likewise purge overgrowth in a purifying blaze. Following the destruction is a period of rebirth, and it was with this Phoenix-like revival in mind that baroque garage-rocker Mikal Cronin descended south to demo his first album in four years. What he didn’t anticipate was that he’d actually confront the heat.
Mikal Cronin, “Seeker” (Merge Records). The new guitar-rock album from the native Southern Californian was born in solitude after a series of busted-up relationships and a creeping sense that, in his words, “I needed to clean up, to stop leaning on external crutches to get through the anxiety. I needed to grow the … up.”
For a time in the late-aughts and the first half of this decade, the Bay Area was home to one of the best, most vibrant rock scenes in the country — producing garage heroes like Ty Segall, Thee Oh Sees (known now simply as Oh Sees), Hunx and His Punx, Girls, Shannon and the Clams and Mikal Cronin.
And then it wasn’t.
It’s a familiar story: A writer hits a wall and needs to seek out isolation to reconnect with their work. That cliché that path has become wasn’t lost on Mikal Cronin, even as he took it himself to begin the process of creating his first new record since 2015’s MCIII. After a steady streak of putting out a new album every other year since 2011, Cronin took his case of writer’s block and touring exhaustion out to a literal cabin the woods. What he found there were the songs that make up the appropriately titled Seeker, a heady collection of rock and roll and devastating solitude.
The Lowdown: Mikal Cronin has done wonderful work with artists like Charlie and the Moonhearts, Ty Segall, and Thee Oh Sees; yet, it’s often his solo material that shines brightest. His first three self-titled outings, released in 2011, 2013, and 2015, respectively, were endearing hodgepodges of indie, garage, psychedelic rock, and power pop that continually cemented him as one of today’s most characteristic singer-songwriters.
As always, there’s a new Oh Sees record coming out soon—and, as always, we still have no idea what to expect even after a handful of tracks have been released. The first three singles on the massive double LP range from jazz fusion to garage punk, with the band helpfully describing the album as “SoundCloud hip-hop reversed, a far-flung nemesis of contemporary country and flaccid algorithmic pop-barf.”
Next week, Oh Sees are releasing a new album, Face Stabber. The prolific band has shared a handful of tracks from it already, including “Henchlock,” “Poisoned Stones,” and “Heartworm,” and today they’re back with another one, “Captain Loosely,” a squelching instrumental that feels surprisingly meditative and spacey for the band.
Californian psych-rockers Oh Sees have shared their intense new single “Captain Loosely”, which is dedicated to the victims of the El Paso mass shooting.
Oh Sees have made a video for “Captain Loosely” which is from their upcoming album, Face Stabber (which is out next week). The video was directed by Matt Yoka and shot on the U.S./Mexico border in Texas, and they’ve dedicated it to the victims of the August 3 El Paso mass shooting.
King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard recently announced their second album of 2019, Infest the Rats’ Nest. It’s out August 16 via Flightless/ATO. Today, they’ve shared a new music video for their new song “Organ Farmer.” In the clip directed by John Angus Stewart, the band wield some tools and try their hand at destroying a car. Watch it happen below.
Event Listen for Ezra Furman’s 9/8 show in Detroit
Ezra Furman in Toronto @ Lee’s Place, Mon September 9, 2019
“Ezra Furman returns with his first single for Clam Down AKA I Should Not Be Alone off his new album Twelve Nudes (due 8/30/19).”
Their songs excoriated rape culture, their motto was ‘girls to the front’ – and they inspired Nirvana’s biggest hit. Now Bikini Kill are back with a mission still relevant in 2019
And a few boys, too. When riot grrrl pioneers Bikini Kill played their first New York show in 22 years, these are the fans who showed up — one as early as noon and two who hadn’t told their parents. Hi mom and dad!
Less than a month after a spate of state legislatures voted to enact sweeping abortion restrictions, 3,000 people, mostly women, swarmed Kings Theatre in Brooklyn to bang their heads, shake their hips, and scream. It wasn’t a protest, but the audience was angry. Bikini Kill, one of the preeminent feminist punk bands of the riot grrrl movement of the 1990s, was playing one of four sold-out shows in New York—their first since they broke up in 1997, the year that I was born.
“Billboard’s running calendar of upcoming releases to make sure you’re in the know”
Bikini Kill have been performing their first shows in 22 years, and Joan Jett recently was featured as a special guest on a stop in true riot grrrl fashion.
Bikini Kill delivered a true cherry bomb to their fans in Brooklyn on Tuesday night. For their third show at King’s Theatre, the reunited outfit brought out longtime friend and collaborator Joan Jett for a performance of “Rebel Girl” off 1993’s Pussy Whipped.
Joan Jett joined Bikini Kill onstage in Brooklyn last night (June 4) to perform the band’s track ‘Rebel Girl’.
Read more at https://www.nme.com/news/music/watch-joan-jett-play-rebel-girl-bikini-kill-brooklyn-2505219#j2wZB59ScISQdOyI.99
Bikini Kill aka Kathleen Hanna, Tobi Vail and Kathi Wilcox disbanded in 1997, but the world never stopped talking about them. Their legend status has only become more crystal clear in the past few years, as we’ve entered a spell of post-Trump Riot Grrrl fever, and young people look to the past for protest music that speaks to their anger and anxieties.
The iconic punk group performed with the classic rock legend at their Kings Theatre show
Last night, June 4th, at Kings Theatre in Brooklyn, riot grrl pioneers Bikini Kill continued their reunion tour in perfect form by treating the sold-out crowd to an extra-special version of their hit “Rebel Girl” featuring the legendary Joan Jett on guitar and backing vocals.
Rock royalty Joan Jett joined legendary punks Bikini Kill onstage Tuesday night, for a live performance of their anthemic 1993 single, “Rebel Girl.” Set in Brooklyn’s Kings Theatre, it was the band’s seventh stop on their prodigious reunion tour.
Bikini Kill performed their third of four reunion NYC shows in Brooklyn last night (their final one is tonight). At the concert, the band brought out Joan Jett to perform the single version of “Rebel Girl,” the 1993 Bikini Kill track on which Jett plays guitar and sings backing vocals.
Earlier this year, Bikini Kill got back together and announced their first shows in 22 years. By all accounts, those reunion shows have been great experiences. It’s not easy to stage a nostalgia trip that still feels fresh and vital and important, but that’s been the Bikini Kill reunion so far.
