VIA PRESS RELEASE | Due to demand, influential alternative rock band Garbage is making their 4th studio album, Bleed Like Me, available on vinyl for the first time since it was originally released in 2005. Bleed Like Me is out now via UMe.

Fully remastered for 2024, this expanded reissue of 2005’s Bleed Like Me includes 2CD, 1LP white vinyl, deluxe 2LP red vinyl, and HD digital formats and features b-sides, rare tracks, remixes, and alternate versions of tracks.

Speaking about the new Bleed Like Me expanded reissue, Shirley Manson says: “This album was tricky to make and resulted in the band taking a 5-year hiatus shortly after it was released. However, over the years, it has become a mainstay of our discography, so we decided to finally make it available on vinyl due to the many pained pleas from our fans.”

Bleed Like Me was a top 5 album chart hit in the UK, US, Australia, and the European Billboard chart upon its initial release in April 2005. The album featured four singles, “Why Do You Love Me,” which was a top 10 single in the UK, “Bleed Like Me” and “Sex Is Not The Enemy,” which both went on to be regulars in the band’s live shows and “Run Baby Run,” which was accompanied by a Sophie Muller directed music video.

Garbage are playing a number of festival shows this year, including European and UK dates at Mad Cool in Madrid (July 10 – 13) and TRNSMT in Glasgow (July 12-14). The band’s new Bleed Like Me expanded reissue is out now.

VIA PRESS RELEASE | In the great pantheon of musicians transcending above mere “celebrity” status, the late Michael Hutchence towers over most. A consummate “rock star” if there ever was one, he embodied the spirit and smoldering swagger of rock ‘n’ roll while possessing one of the most iconic voices in the contemporary music scene.

So, it was with an earth-rattling shudder when tragically he passed away in 1997, leaving a mind-numbingly impressive legacy across the entertainment realm. What many didn’t know, however, is that he left some of his brilliance behind in the form of unreleased music. Producer, musician and personal friend Danny Saber (Madonna, Rolling Stones, U2) has taken some of these musical pieces and completed them to continue and extend Hutchence’s impact. The new single “One Way” is available now via Boss Sonics.

“’One Way’ is the culmination of nearly two decades of work,” says Saber. “One of the fundamental reasons for releasing this music is to allow the fans to hear Michael’s voice on something new and fresh, offering a glimpse into what might have been, and, in turn, reawakening millions of people who may have simply forgotten about him.”

“Michael first contacted me in 1995 soon after the release of my album It’s Great When You’re Straight,” recalls Saber, referring to the UK #1 album by his band Black Grape with Happy Mondays’ Shaun Ryder. “Michael was a huge fan of my record and wanted to find the right sound for a solo record, a sound that would galvanize all the success he had with INXS and allow him to establish himself as a solo artist and spread his creative wings outside the confines of being the frontman of one of the most successful bands in the world.”

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Celebrating Justin Sullivan, born on this day in 1956. —Ed.

You’ve got to love New Model Army. They were once introduced on Brit TV program The Tube as “the ugliest band in rock and roll,” their lead singer went by the name Slade the Leveller for years to avoid losing his unemployment benefits, and the United States refused them entry to the country on the grounds that their music was “of no artistic merit.” I love that last part. Oh, and the angry young leftists of New Model Army—they snatched their name from Thomas Fairfax’s English Revolution militia of the mid-1600s—were forced to abandon playing the song “Vengeance” on The Tube, due to its friendly lines, “I believe in justice/I believe in vengeance/I believe in getting the bastards.”

The band has switched genres the way some people switch their bedroom lights on and off, but one thing has remained the same—New Model Army are angry punters with a knack for controversy, as is demonstrated by the fact that 1993’s Love of Hopeless Causes came complete with directions on how to construct a nuclear device. 1991’s Thunder and Consolation is considered their high point—even Justin Sullivan, aka Slade the Leveller, has modestly called it “brilliant”—although I consider 1990’s The Ghost of Cain excellent as well, what with its great songs “The 51st State” and “Poison Street.”

I generally believe that rock and politics make unfortunate bedfellows, but I like New Model Army because as the album title Love of Hopeless Causes indicates, they know that in life there are winners and losers, and they understand what class they belong to. Which is not to say they’re taking their loser status lying down; they’re not. But unlike those wankers in the Clash, who were either totally naïve or incredibly cynical, New Model Army seem to have no illusions that their music can change the world.

Instead they rage on in the face of futility, knowing it’s a sucker’s game. And they’re not falling for any of that “the meek shall inherit the earth” bullshit either, as they sing in folk/post-punk “The Ballad of Bodmin Pill”: “How we all dance with this fire ’cause it’s all that we know/And as the spotlight turns toward us, we all try our best to show/We are lost we are freaks, we are crippled, we are weak/We are the heirs, we are the true heirs, to all the world.” Sullivan is not implying that their inheritance will be one of plenty; No, theirs will always be an inheritance of suffering, and injustice, and powerlessness in the face of the haves, who have always ruled the world and always will.

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Journey weren’t always the greatest rock ’n’ roll band in the world. Before they rocked the earth on its axis with such absolutely essential MOR smasheroos as “Wheel in the Sky,” “Lights” (an even greater salute to San Francisco than Starship’s “We Built This City”!), “Don’t Stop Believin’,” and “Hustler” (okay, so that one’s not so great) the MOR giants from Rice-a-Roni City were that best of all possible things, a progressive rock/jazz fusion band. Right up there with such titans as Kansas, Return to Forever, and Spock’s Beard even!

Surprised? I sure am! Why, it’s like finding out the Sex Pistols began their career with a triple album (played solely on Moog synthesizers and tubular bells) called Moonbeams Refracted by the Gleaming Enamel of Parachuting Molars released under the name of Odysseus’ Merkin! Or that the New Dolls started as a jazz fusion band called, I don’t know, Bent Oxygen! But if it’s news it’s wonderful news, because as everybody knows Journey can do no wrong, even if the Journey that put out their 1975 debut Journey had yet to include the super-dynamic Steve Perry, whose magic flying tonsils wouldn’t arrive on the scene until October 10, 1977, a day that will live infamy!

Later guitarist extra ordinaire Neal Schon would say, “I still think some of the stuff we did then was great. Some of it was self-indulgent, just jamming for ourselves, but I also think a lot of other things hurt us in the early days. It took a while for the politics to sort of shape up.” Self-indulgent? Why, I’ve never heard that one used in conjunction with progressive rock before! And politics? Does Journey have its own form of government? A constitutional monarchy with a bicameral legislature perhaps? But I digress.

You’re probably not familiar with Journey’s debut unless you’re a hardcore Journey fan (smartest rock fans in the world) or just plain unlucky, as it seems I am. But please allow me to extract tongue from cheek and turn to an honest discussion of the songs on Journey. And the good news—relatively speaking—is that while I’m no fan of either progressive rock or jazz fusion, Journey approach them from a hard rock angle.

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BOSTON, MA | Illustrious singer and lyricist Maynard James Keenan celebrated his 60th birthday in the most rock ‘n’ roll way possible—a nationwide tour showcasing two of his bands and a legacy act. The Sessanta tour, which features Primus, Puscifer, and A Perfect Circle kicked off its nationwide tour to a sold-out Boch Center on the first of a two-night residency on Tuesday, April 2. This tour has Keenan moving into center stage where he shines brightly in the spotlight surrounded by fans and friends alike.

There was no opener as all three bands alternated by sharing the stage with sets typically lasting three songs. Musicians from all three bands join each other’s set, a performance unique to this tour. This was exemplified with Keenan joining Primus during a rousing rendition of “Tommy the Cat.” Each of these bands invoke different feelings for listeners with their distinctive sound, but this wide range of musical styles blended together with the design of a well-crafted setlist full of intense and reflective moments. Each band seemed to feed off the previous performance in friendly competition, bringing their best effort into what talent they displayed.

The stage was flanked on either side with stairs that led to party areas with couches and tables with cupcakes, party favors, and alcohol. The middle of that platform had multiple drum kits for Josh Freese (APC), Tim Alexander (Primus), and Gunnar Olsen (Puscifer) who all brought their unique style of play to their set. An impressive lighting display accentuated the music with a background panel of lights behind the bands, string lights above, and spotlights below. Strobe lights and dense fog amplified the current moods of each song. The stage had less free range to roam but felt like a party that everyone was excited to be at.

Primus founder Les Claypool greeted the crowd stating the reason we are here tonight is, “To celebrate Maynard turning sixty years-old, which is not an easy feat.” These performances certainly felt like a celebration. Members were joyfully playing outside their typical role and embracing the special format of this tour. The uniqueness of this concert allowed these musicians to be seen in a different light, one where they had loosened up, and were having fun, but still professionally executing at a high level.

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VIA PRESS RELEASE | Sponge frontman Vin Dombroski has teamed up with esteemed drummer Jason Hartless and his record label, Sound City Music Group, to deliver an unprecedented release for this year’s Record Store Day, happening on April 20th. The highly anticipated release will be pressed on limited clear red vinyl and promises fans an extraordinary musical experience and will only be limited to 1,200 units worldwide.

Titled Planet Girls, this album serves as the long-lost version of Sponge’s 1999 release, New Pop Sunday. Following the success of their back-to-back gold albums, Rotting Piñata and Wax Ecstatic, Sponge underwent a label change during the recording of their third release. Legendary producer Kevin Shirley (known for his work with Journey, Aerosmith, The Black Crowes) was brought in to create a more pop-rock-oriented album, a departure from the grittier sound of their first two albums. However, the album was eventually shelved and never released—until now.

After a series of private listening parties to showcase the record and packaging, music insiders are buzzing with excitement over what Dombroski has unearthed out of his private collection both sonically and visually. This release is a testament to the creativity of artists like Vin. “The collaboration between the two Detroit natives has resulted in a truly remarkable piece to be added to Sponge’s musical history.”

Planet Girls will be available exclusively on clear red vinyl for Record Store Day, offering fans a unique opportunity to own a piece of Sponge’s legacy.

Maybe I’m a little guilty of nostalgia on this one, but aren’t we all from time-to-time?

When I look into the past with my rose-colored glasses on, they take me to that time of life when most people find themselves experiencing glowy memories of the past: high school. In my case, it was high school in the early to mid 1990s. As is true of every generation, there were certain songs that were inescapable during that time, some music that was simply a part of the cultural wallpaper. Music that is ingrained to that extent into society’s psyche can face both pros and cons. On one hand, the song is at risk of being overplayed and over consumed and of course, we all know what familiarity breeds. On the other hand, it’s extraordinarily rare for a certain music to be considered definitive and infinitely attached to a particular place in time in human history.

In 1997, Paula Cole released two iconic songs that had a significant generational impact. “I Don’t Want to Wait” became a radio staple and gained immense popularity as the theme song for the popular TV show Dawson’s Creek. “Where Have All the Cowboys Gone” became Cole’s only top-ten hit in the US, reaching number eight on the Billboard Hot 100. The song also earned Cole three Grammy Award nominations for Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.

Paula joins me on this episode to discuss her brand new album Lo, it’s her first batch of originals in a decade and it is a strong work that makes an occasional nod to her sound in the ’90s, but showcases Cole as the forward-facing performer that she is. We discuss the new record, and learn about a few recording secrets from the 1990s and how some of those tricks of the trade worked their way into her recent production.

We also explore the latest reissue of This Fire which was released last year in celebration of the album’s 25th anniversary and talk about how, in many ways, those songs are as relevant as ever having been discovered by a new generation of listeners because, as you’ll find out, good art may represent a certain generation, but it isn’t anchored to it. That’s the feeling you’ll get digging through the past, present, and future of Paula Cole’s catalog.

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.

Just how great are Black Oak Arkansas? Well rock critic Ubermensch Robert Christgau once posed the question of why they couldn’t fill NYC’s Academy of Music on a Saturday night after two years of relentless touring and then answered it himself with the words, “Because unlike most similar bands they have never achieved competence—they are actively untalented, incapable of even an interesting cop.”

Is that a glowing endorsement or what? But if you ask me Christgau was missing the point. If you have a sense of humor and a taste for the totally inexplicable those are the very qualities that make Black Oak Arkansas so great! I mean, ANYBODY can be competent! And talent’s bullshit! The Police were talented, and they should have been arrested! Eric Clapton is talented! Talent kills!

Black Oak Arkansas were working at a level of total inspiration that made basic proficiency much less mastery irrelevant, starting from the day they stole the PA from their high school and set up in an abandoned grain bin at the outskirts of the tiny burg they’d name themselves after and commenced to produce such an ear-splitting din that it took the cops all of ten minutes or so to swoop down on ‘em and not only pull the plug but arrest them for grand larceny, after which they were sentenced to TWENTY-SIX YEARS at some horrifying penal farm, although the sentence was later suspended. But there’s a lesson in there—playing the sounds they heard in their collective unhinged head could have put them away for decades, and it that ain’t the spirit of rock ’n’ roll, what is?

Black Oak Arkansas was a band of renegade long-haired redneck Krishna Baptists at the bizarro fringe of the southern rock movement who liked to sing about the halls of Karma and called themselves “mutants of the monster” and lived at one with nature in some kind of hairy hippie commune in the sticks where they perfected their totally incompetent but always electrifying and utterly unique brand of radioactive psychedelic southern rock, complete with their own three-guitar army and a drummer who liked to play solos with his bare hands, perhaps because he couldn’t afford drum sticks. But if so, why didn’t he just steal some? Arkansas is Purdue Country and literally crawling with chickens!

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VIA PRESS RELEASE | After a pause since 2019 due to the pandemic, music lovers, record enthusiasts, and audiophiles are warmly invited to the much-awaited return of Warner Music Group’s Record Store Crawl. Presented by turntable brand Audio-Technica, the crawl is set to make its grand return in New York City on May 18th, 2024, before embarking on a several-month journey through iconic record stores in cities nationwide.

This year’s Record Store Crawl, in collaboration with the voter registration non-profit HeadCount, offers a unique twist: the seventh crawl location will be chosen by vinyl collectors nationwide through a vote. After casting their votes for the crawl, participants are encouraged to check their voter registration status for the 2024 election. For details on how to vote for the crawl location, visit www.recordstorecrawl.com/vote.

The 2024 crawl season promises an unparalleled celebration of vinyl culture. Attendees will experience exclusive performances, special edition vinyl releases, and more, all while indulging in a music-filled day complemented by delicious food, refreshing drinks, and unique giveaways aboard the Record Store Crawl bus.

The crawl will include the launch of exclusive, limited edition collection of vinyl releases, including the first-ever vinyl release of Portraits by Quarters of Change, and the highly anticipated re-issues of the Twilight Saga soundtracks. Record Store Crawl exclusive LPs will be available at independent record stores nationwide and on the Record Store Crawl’s website.

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Celebrating Dave Hill, born on this day in 1946. —Ed.

These lovable Wolverhampton cheaters at Scrabble certainly never won a spelling bee, and one of ‘em (guitarist Dave Hill) walked around in a mullet so hideous it could even get you evicted from an Alabama trailer park, and come to think of it, the whole bunch of ‘em looked pretty silly in their Glam clobber, but we’re talking about the great Slade here so–cum on feel the noize! Because when it comes to irresistibly catchy (and irreducibly simple) rabble rousers (they perfected the whole stomp and clap thing long before Queen came along with “We Will Rock You”) Slade can’t be beat.

Slade may have abandoned their braces and boots Oi roots to climb aboard the Big Glam Bandwagon, but they never forgot their rowdy West Midlands yob origins– “Cum On Feel the Noize,” “Gudbuy T’ Jane,” and “Mama Weer All Crazee Now” are all rafters-shaking boot boy anthems. Not for nothing did Hill wear the words “Super Yob” on the breastplate of his pointy-shouldered space doofus stage costume.

The “Brummie oiks” (thanks Barney Hoskyns!) in Slade were the friendliest bunch of Wulfrunian lager louts you’d ever want to meet, preferring cheery sing alongs in the great English pub tradition to sticking a broken bottle in your mug. They also had a quiet side and a sentimental streak a mile wide, not that you’d know it if you lived in the States, which only got to meet Slade’s crazee Mr. Hyde persona.

This is certainly the case on the truncated US version of the band’s 1973 singles compilation Sladest. The Reprise Records “American version” compiles the band’s eight UK hit singles up to that date along with the newly released single “My Friend Stan” and its B-Side “My Town,” whilst leaving such quieter (and vaguely Beatlesesque!) songs as “Pouk Hill” and “One Way Hotel” by the side of the musical motorway.

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