VIA PRESS RELEASE | A long-awaited remastered reissue of These Immortal Souls’ two studio albums, Get Lost (Don’t Lie!) (1987) and I’m Never Gonna Die Again (1992) have been announced. These two post-punk gems, remastered from the original tapes at Birdland Studio by Lindsay Gravina, with Harry Howard and Genevieve McGuckin, will be released alongside a brand new 10-track collection of newly unearthed live recordings and rarities, EXTRA. All three albums will be released on Mute on April 12, 2024.

Talking about the release, Harry Howard and Genevieve McGuckin said, “This took some detective work! We are excited not only for us, but for Rowland S Howard and Epic Soundtracks. There are really nice new things here, different mixes and live recordings from L.A. and everything sounds stronger, lusher and more mysterious. We’re struck by what a strange band we were. There was no one like These Immortal Souls. Thank you Mute, for then and now (not forgetting the future).”

These Immortal Souls, consisting of Rowland S. Howard (The Boys Next Door, The Birthday Party, Crime & the City Solution on guitar / vocals), Harry Howard (Crime & the City Solution on bass guitar), Epic Soundtracks (Swell Maps, Crime & the City Solution on drums) and Genevieve McGuckin (keyboards), were formed in London in 1987. Rowland and Genevieve had been working together until Rowland invited Harry and Epic to join “a solo project that would be like a band because I like the idea of bands.”

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Some musicians just can’t help but be inspired by everything!

Everywhere they look, they see a little something that triggers musical thoughts, every song they hear pushes them to pick up a guitar or sit down at that piano and craft something of their own. Steve Lewis is one of those guys and—a few times during this interview—you’ll hear me compare his latest release, Exit to Mystery, with the experience of going through an old forgotten box of records, or maybe flipping around the car radio in search of something to tap the steering wheel to.

The new record features a little bit of everything: there’s chunky rock and roll, a few country-tinged tracks, some threads of gospel, and even a tip of the cap to modern pop. Through it all, however, it’s all Steve Lewis; whoever Steve Lewis chooses to be on that song, at least.

Our conversation explores how the pandemic gave him the time he finally needed to get the album he’d been hoping to produce done. We also discuss a few key tracks and look at the future. If you’re a musical maverick, someone who doesn’t mind going through that proverbial box of records and throwing what looks good on the turntable, then stay tuned and consider exploring Steve Lewis’ Exit to Mystery.

Evan Toth is a songwriter, professional musician, educator, radio host, avid record collector, and hi-fi aficionado. Toth hosts and produces The Evan Toth Show and TVD Radar on WFDU, 89.1 FM. Follow him at the usual social media places and visit his website.

I have never seen a musical situation so dismal that it couldn’t be made worse by the arrival of a vibraphone. Its insufferably bright, chipper, and laid-back tones are, to people (like myself) with highly strung nervous systems, a form of Chinese water torture. I recently watched a mid-seventies Frank Zappa concert on television and my chief takeaway was that Frank Zappa is a pretentious, smirking twit, which to be honest I already knew. But, and this is important, it was Ruth Underwood’s “vibes” that made me turn the television off. I thought I was going to go mad.

The vibraphone is—and this is a gross simplification—a motorized advance on the marimbas, and dates back to the mid-Twenties. And the demoralizing thing is that when I wrote about my hate for the instrument on Facebook numerous people wrote to tell me I was full of shit, which naturally led me to the conclusion that I have a more highly developed sense of musical taste than they do.

To me vibraphonists are committing a hate crime in the name of art by means of felt-tipped mallets, and the terrible fact, the unconscionable fact, is that they are destroying lives with their felt-tipped mallets, which they invariably use in a “cool jazz” context that is anathema to anyone who prefers their jazz loud, hard, and preferably free. For people such as yours truly vibraphonists with their felt-tipped mallets are not musicians at all but rather the producers of a sound that leads inevitably to universal moral decay and from universal moral decay to insanity and imbecility and ultimately to the end of everything. But perhaps I exaggerate.

The list of notable vibraphone criminals is a long one, and includes such hallowed names as Red Norvo, Milt Jackson, Lionel Hampton, Cal Tjader, and Bobby Hutcherson. But the most ruthless and lacking in pity for the unutterable suffering of humanity is Gary Burton. Burton is an innovative giant of the instrument, in so far as he was the first vibraphonist to realize that he could double the pain he was inflicting on the feckless ears of the world by wielding four mallets (in what has been described as a “pianistic technique” inspired by pianist Bill Evans) instead of two. And to add to his resume as a bad human being he is also credited as one of the founders of jazz fusion.

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VIA PRESS RELEASE | One of the era’s most unique and prolific conceptual artists, composers, and DEVO co-founder Mark Mothersbaugh has announced his new book, Apotropaic Beatnik Graffiti. The breathtaking visual journey features a collection of neo-dada stream-of-conscious visual poetry, representing one human’s observations of life on a sliding planet. Published by Blank Industries in association with Mutmuz Publishing, the hardcover art book is due out March 12.

Apotropaic Beatnik Graffiti has been a lifelong project of Mothersbaugh’s, inspired by Beat-style stream-of-conscious expression. His interest in this dates back to when he was a child in the 1950s. “I remember seeing human wreckage sprawled on the sidewalks of downtown Akron,” He explains. “My mom would hold my hand and try to hurry me past a mumbling, shouting man as I was entranced, trying to decipher the meaning of what he was saying. I felt like he might know something the rest of us didn’t and he was trying to share it.”

Mothersbaugh continues, “Because of my early-age eyesight impairments, I knew there were things happening all around us that vision kept us from seeing. Maybe there were things we weren’t hearing as well. Later on, I drew comparisons of these raw emotional forms of expression to the work of beats, freeform jazz, and artists like Captain Beefheart and Sun Ra, all of which heavily influenced DEVO’s curiosity in pushing the boundaries of what was considered normal.”

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VIA PRESS RELEASE | “An album full of heart, soul, and wit… there’s some very real magic to be found in the elegant force of Blurry Blue Mountain.” —AllMusic

Celebrating 25 years since the release of Giant Sand’s legendary Chore Of Enchantment, the panoramic masterpiece that was the turning point for the classic line-up featuring seasoned songwriter Howe Gelb and latter-day Calexico members Joey Burns and John Convertino from 1999.

Filled with mind-bending one-liners, customary offbeat instrumentation, echo fields and hazy horizons; The Chore Of Enchantment is a songbook of Howe Gelb’s greatest songs. The high level production by the legendary Jim Dickinson, PJ Harvey foil John Parish, and acclaimed singer/songwriter/producer Kevin Salem, a tour-de-force of Gelb’s unique oeuvre.

Highlighting their eclectic and esoteric career, this reissue celebrates the band’s magnificent, long and winding career. This deluxe reissue features restored artwork and newly penned liner notes from MOJO’s Dave Henderson.

Giant Sand have been the primary outlet for the stylistic curveballs and sun-damaged songcraft of singer-songwriter Howe Gelb. In four plus decades he’s managed to reinvent rock, country, blues, punk, garage, lo-fi, jazz, gospel, avant-garde noise, and flamenco gypsy music with his impressionistic imagery and expansive observations of the world.

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Remembering Eddie Van Halen in advance of his birthdate tomorrow. —Ed.

What to say about the passing of Eddie Van Halen? Sad? Tragic? Heartbreaking? If the words are trite ones, it’s because death is the mother of a vast brood of cliches. What I’ll carry with me forever is his impish grin in the video for “Jump.” Can a smile sum up a man’s life? It’s the smile of a show-off making it look easy when you know damn well it isn’t, but there’s nothing smug about it. He’s simply bequeathing us a gift, the giving of which makes him happy. As for the fireworks he produced with his guitar, they speak for themselves.

I fell in love with Van Halen as a result of that video, which many–including my lovely other half–view as a sell-out. But the song’s sheer exuberance won me over, and led me to do something I would never have done otherwise–go back and listen to, and fall in love with, the band’s earlier albums.

One of said albums is 1980’s Women and Children First, which I put in third place in the Van Halen discography behind their self-titled 1978 debut and 1984’s 1984. On Women and Children First Pasadena’s greatest ever metal band pulverize the competition–Eddie shows off his hair-raising chops while David Lee Roth does his patented Borscht Belt shtick, and drummer Alex Van Halen and bass player Michael Anthony make like a steamroller with swing. In short, it’s business as usual.

The LP’s two opening tracks are its best. “And the Cradle Will Rock” is one of the heaviest songs in the Van Halen catalogue–less blitzkrieg than juggernaut, it boasts (as do the other songs) a guitar solo I’m sure has led many a lesser guitarist to take up the tuba, and a message (“Well, they say it’s kinda frightnin’/How this younger generation swings”) that’s resounded the whole way back to the origins of rock ’n’ roll and beyond.

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It was about a year ago when a respected guitarist from St. Louis, Missouri first introduced me to this dynamic duo. “You must see His Lordship if you haven’t already,” he urged. Intrigued, I discovered “All Cranked Up” and was instantly hooked. This wasn’t just another band; this was the brainchild of James Walbourne and Kristoffer Sonne, a duo synonymous with musical excellence, particularly Walbourne, known as one of the UK’s most celebrated guitarists.

His Lordship isn’t just a band; they’re a force of nature. Walborne and Sonne, having honed their skills alongside Chrissie Hynde—Walborne as the guitarist for The Pretenders since 2008 and Sonne on drums for Hynde’s solo project—have an electric synergy that’s palpable in every note they play. Their sound is a hyper-energized homage to the likes of Buddy Holly, making their live performances a high-octane rock ‘n’ roll spectacle.

His Lordship’s sound is a unique blend of ’50s garage rock supercharged with a rockabilly twist, reminiscent of The Beatles’ early days as depicted in the underrated movie Backbeat. But what sets them apart is their originality—each song boasts a hook that could rival Big Ben for its sheer magnitude.

Seeing them live was an experience like no other. Their opening act for Jason Isbell at the legendary Eventim Apollo was nothing short of electrifying. The energy, showmanship, and, most importantly, their songs were a cut above. Their subsequent performances only solidified my belief in their impending world domination.

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For many who recognize his name, Brion Gysin is an ancillary literary figure in the Beat movement who is mostly associated with William S. Burroughs. But he achieved far more than amassing a worthy bibliography in his lifetime; Gysin was also a painter, and as Wewantsounds’ first-time expanded reissue of Junk illuminates, a recording artist. This LP, initially coordinated by French producer, sound designer and visual artist Ramuntcho Matta, finds the poet vocalizing his words with distinctive flair. It’s a fascinating document pitching a tent at the crossroads of experimental syntax and ’80s avant-funk.

In fact, Brion Gysin was more than just a supporting player in the subterranean affairs of the 20th century. Much more. Credited as the first person to develop and apply the cut-up technique, a method of radically rearranging text, he was a crucial figure. When applied by Burroughs to his own work, the cut-up method carried his early pulp sensibility into the realms of the experimental.

Along with Ian Sommerville, Gysin was also the inventor of the Dreamachine, a phonograph-driven device that produced stroboscopic effects, specifically a flicker (the apparatus was meant to be viewed with eyes closed). Considered together with Gysin’s own cut-ups (first published in the pamphlet Minutes to Go in 1960 and later anthologized in The Third Mind, a 1977 book gathering texts by Gysin and Burroughs), the Dreamachine establishes its co-creator as deeply invested in expanding and altering the human mind.

Unsurprisingly, and plainly established by Junk’s title-track, drugs were part of Gysin’s reality, though not to the extent that the titular substance became ingrained into the life and work of Burroughs. But there’s also “Kick,” which opens Junk, and also “Stop Smoking,” a piece infused with gallows humor that offers up some of the phlegmiest coughing likely ever heard on a recording (admittedly, one doesn’t encounter this element very often). The title of “Sham Pain” references the bubbly stuff.

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VIA PRESS RELEASE | Orbital are to reissue their seminal self-titled 1991 debut album, known to fans as ‘The Green Album’, on 19th April via London Records. Formats include a 4LP Box Set, 4CD Box Set, Black and Coloured 2LP, 2CD, and Cassette, pre-order here. All tracks have been fully remastered by Phil and Paul Hartnoll for the very first time.

The news arrives as the duo confirm details for ‘The Green + Brown Tour’ this Spring, in which they will revisit not only ‘The Green Album’ but also its legendary successor ‘The Brown Album’ at their upcoming UK + Ireland dates in April and May. Tickets are on sale now here.

Originally released on 30th September, 1991, ‘The Green Album’ contains landmark Orbital tracks including their breakthrough 1990 single “Chime,” and the evergreen comedown classic “Belfast.” The comprehensive reissue package also includes early Orbital favourites like “Satan” plus previously unavailable tracks, making it a must have for fans of the pioneering electronic music duo.

Additionally, Orbital will also be revisiting their pre-’The Green Album’ EPs with a series of ‘Orbital LED’s’ (Limited Edition Drops). Again, these will be fully remastered versions of the duo’s original 12” EP series, with brand new artwork. Fans will be alerted to these extremely limited releases on the day of release.

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As indicated in our review of the first volume of The Journey by The Kinks released earlier this year, many compilation albums of the music of The Kinks have been released since the 1960s. The most loved of these was the double-album set The Kinks Kronicles, released in 1972. That set included one previously unreleased track and 13 non-album B-sides. 

This second volume, like its predecessor, is a two-album, gatefold, 180-gram vinyl set, with paper and polyvinyl sleeves and includes music released between 1965 and 1975 (with the previous set including one track from 1964), covering the group’s Pye years in the UK and Reprise and RCA years in the US. Also, like the previous one, there is an eight-page color booklet that includes photos, album covers, detailed liner notes and annotated notes by Ray Davies, Dave Davies, and Mick Avory.

And, in keeping with the format of the previous release, rather than tracks being arranged chronologically, the four sides of the two albums are arranged in four very distinct themes, making the tracks here subdivided over song collections that are grouped together, regardless of the date or musical similarities. This approach worked well on the first volume, but works even better here, until the final side of the set.

The other more dramatic difference here is that the first volume contained seven B-sides and this set only has one. Both sets include one single. While the first set had 22 mono tracks, this set only has 12. The first set also had only eight selections from the ’70s and this one has 11. There was one Dave Davies track on the first one and there are two here. There were no tracks on the first with new mixes, but this one includes one 2020 studio remix, one 2023 studio remix, and three 2023 live remixes.

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VIA PRESS RELEASE | “The Allen family’s life has been as much an inspiration for me as Terry’s wonderful art and music. I wondered to myself, ‘How does a creative person navigate family life, and life with friends, with their creative life?’ This book is the instruction manual.” —David Byrne, author of How Music Works

Truckload of Art is the definitive, deep-dive, authorized, and first-ever biography of Terry Allen, the internationally acclaimed visual artist and iconoclastic musician whose work bridges the disparate worlds of contemporary art and country music. “People tell me it’s country music,” Terry Allen has joked, “and I ask, ‘Which country?’”

For nearly sixty years, Allen’s inimitable art has explored the borderlands of memory, crossing boundaries between disciplines and audiences by conjuring indelible stories out of the howling West Texas wind. Tracing influences from his Lubbock, Texas childhood, spent amidst wrestling matches and concerts organized by his father, to his formative years in the explosive Los Angeles art scene of the 1960s, author Brendan Greaves meticulously captures twenty years of both Allen’s art and music careers.

With humor and critical acumen, Greaves deftly recounts how Allen built a cult following with pioneering records like Lubbock (on everything) (1979)—widely considered an archetype of alternative country—and multiyear, multimedia bodies of richly narrative, interconnected art and theatrical works, including JUAREZ (ongoing since 1968), hailed as among the most significant statements in the history of American vernacular music and conceptual art.

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The Bay Area-based trio Topographies specialize in post-punk that hits the sweet spot between dancy and chilly. One can gyrate to the ten tracks heard on the band’s second full-length Interior Spring, or one can stand aloof, appreciating the atmosphere. Originality might not be the strong suit of this outfit (a particular predecessor does come to the fore), but Topographies have the moves down pat, and they pull it off without sounding imitative. The record is out on vinyl and digital February 2 through Dark Entries.

Ideal Form, the debut album by Topographies, came out in 2020 via the Funeral Party label, with a pair of 7-inch records and a few cassette EPs stretching their oeuvre back to 2018. One of those tapes offers a four song Part Time Punks session, its A-side holding two originals and the flip two covers of songs by My Bloody Valentine.

Their choice to play those MBV tunes has no doubt increased the frequency of the shoegaze comparison in relation to Topographies’ sound. Checking out the earlier material, the connection is clear, but having soaked up this new album, the shoegaze style is no longer a primary ingredient in their work. Instead, post-punk now dominates, and as said, with a big reference point sticking out.

The antecedent is The Cure. Topographies is guitarist Jeremie Ruest, bassist Justin Oronos, and vocalist Gray Tolhurst, son of The Cure’s Lol Tolhurst, so the similarity is understandable, but impressively, it doesn’t feel calculated. Obviously influenced by The Cure, Topographies won’t be mistaken for The Cure, in part because of a level of danceability that can bring New Order to mind, with this likeness felt in opener “Night Sea,” increasing in “Arch” and becoming even more apparent in “Cleanse” as the Cure-like aura also rises in that track.

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