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Inside the Cult of King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard
Exclaim

What sounds like a swift descent into madness or preface for a cult escape thinkpiece is actually pretty standard behaviour for a passionate King Gizzard fan. Why I and many others readily spend a month’s rent on dozens of concert tickets is difficult to pinpoint, and something that escapes the Melbourne rock band’s comprehension as well.

“Hell no!” exclaims singer-guitarist Stu Mackenzie when I ask if he had ever expected the Grateful Dead-esque fandom surrounding the band. Speaking by phone on the eve of the summer solstice, his wide-eyed gratitude is palpable as he pieces together the puzzle.

I understand his disbelief. Following King Gizzard to cities I have trouble placing on a map was more of a culture that absorbed me at its onset than a conscious lifestyle choice. “It was definitely not part of the game plan. I mean, I’m not sure we ever really had a solid game plan,” admits Mackenzie.

Ty Segall’s ‘Three Bells’ Rings with Clarity
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One of our most prolific and seemingly tireless songwriters, Ty Segall has never shied away from trying something new. On his latest album Three Bells, the Laguna Beach, California musician draws on some of his favourite, lasting influences — psych rock, folk, heavy metal — and twists them to produce one of his most conceptual and narratively clarified records.

King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard Deal in Black Magic and Black Comedy on ‘PetroDragonic Apocalypse’
Exclaim!

Finally — King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard have made an album about lizards and wizards. With a title impossibly more tongue-twisting than the band’s name, and one which seems to beg for a sepia-toned fantasy map in the vinyl gatefold to fully understand its lore, PetroDragonic Apocalypse; or, Dawn of Eternal Night: An Annihilation of Planet Earth and the Beginning of Merciless Damnation finds King Gizzard opening the medieval spellbook on their most blackened, ominous album to date.

Exclaim!’s Staff Picks: King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard Lean into Heavy Fantasy with “Gila Monster”
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Following their latest foray into thrash metal with 2019’s Infest the Rats’ NestKing Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard returned with a promise of more “heavy as fuck” tunes coming our way with the lengthily titled PetroDragonic Apocalypse; or, Dawn of Eternal Night: An Annihilation of Planet Earth and the Beginning of Merciless Damnation, due June 16 via their own KGLW.

The Murlocs Kick Up Dust on the Fantastic ‘Calm Ya Farm’
Exclaim!

“Instead of trying to fit within genre conventions, the Murlocs piece together what they’ve explored in the past and let their country undertones rise through the cracks on Calm Ya Farm. At their most collaborative, they’ve created their most cohesive yet multi-faceted album to date. Surprisingly upbeat closer “Aletophyte” ends it all on the question of how to move forward when life leaves us feeling like sun-bleached shrubs between cracks of concrete. If we all fall off the edges of our minds in some way or another, maybe it’s best not to worry too much — just keep trying, because we’re all doing the best we can. This may be their first rodeo, but the Murlocs know damn well what they’re doing”

Mac DeMarco Is Doing Exactly What He Wants All the Time
Exclaim!

“Judging by Mac DeMarco‘s thrift store fashion sense and his reputation as a goofy prankster, it might be fair to assume that he approaches recording with the same sense of irreverence. Spend a few minutes speaking with the man, however, and it quickly becomes clear that he’s an expert studio craftsman who takes his trade seriously”

SPELLLING Returns with New Album ‘The Turning Wheel’
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Chrystia Cabral has shared details of a new album as SPELLLING. The Bay Area-based artist will release The Turning Wheel on June 25 through Sacred Bones Records.

The 12-song The Turning Wheel follows SPELLLING’s acclaimed 2019 LP Mazy Fly, which Exclaim! gave a 9/10 score.

King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard Announce Two New Albums
Exclaim!

“King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard’s 2020 has so far included a lineup change, the release of five live albums, three singles, a demos collection and concert film — and the prolific Australian outfit aren’t done there. Today, the band have announced sixteenth studio album K.G. and new live collection Live In S.F. ’16 will both arrive November 20, independently and through ATO Records, respectively.”

Ezra Furman Readies New Album ‘Twelve Nudes’
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A year and a half removed from releasing his Transangelic Exodus album, Ezra Furman has shared the details behind a follow-up effort.

Titled Twelve Nudes, Furman’s latest arrives August 30 through Bella Union. Eleven tracks in length, Twelve Nudes was mixed by John Congleton and is referred to by Furman as “our punk record.”

“We made it in Oakland, quickly. We drank and smoked. Then we made the loud parts louder. I hurt my voice screaming,” Furman recalled. “This was back in 2018, when things were bad in the world. The songs are naked with nothing to hide.”

Mikal Cronin Returns
Exclaim

Just shy of four years removed from releasing his MCIII album, Mikal Cronin has returned with a new solo track.
Titled “Undertow,” the song comes from a forthcoming 7-inch that also features a second new song titled “Breathe.”

Exclaim share details for GØGGS’ new album
Exclaim

Ty Segall spent the last several months slapping on a creepy baby mask and promoting his Emotional Mugger solo album, but the Cali rocker is about to get back into band mode. The debut full-length from his GØGGS project arrives in the summer.

Exclaim! reviews Emotional Mugger
Exclaim!

Call 1-800-281-2968, and you’ll be subjected to an off-putting message from Ty Segall, grody sound effects and all (“I am itching to hear how I can fill the holes in your ego…do you need a daddy?”).

Exclaim announces Tim Presley and Cate Le Bon collaboration as Drinks
Exclaim

San Francisco’s Tim Presley and Welsh-born Cate Le Bon both have fruitful careers in their own right; the former has released a string of albums as White Fence, and the latter is a respected solo songwriter. Now, they’ve teamed up for a collaborative project called Drinks, with an album coming out this summer.

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