Gorillaz, The Church, Red Lorry Yellow Lorry & Chad Clark
The week in new music & Dig Me Out podcast
1 Minute Reviews
New Releases
Gorillaz - Cracker Island
📦 Vinyl & CD | 🎧 Apple Music • Spotify
British virtual band Gorillaz has released their eighth studio album, "Cracker Island," via Warner Records. The album features ten tracks, recorded in London and LA and produced by Greg Kurstin, Gorillaz, and Remi Kabaka Jr. It includes a stellar lineup of guest artists, such as Stevie Nicks, Adeleye Omotayo, Thundercat, Tame Impala, Bad Bunny, and Bootie Brown and Beck. "Cracker Island" is described as a genre-expansive, energetic, and upbeat collection of tracks that explore the theme of change and teamwork. The album's title track, "Cracker Island (ft. Thundercat)," was released in July 2022, and the band dropped the new single, "New Gold ft. Tame Impala & Bootie Brown,". Gorillaz is a virtual band led by Blur's Damon Albarn, and its members include 2D, Murdoc Niccals, Russel Hobbs, and Noodle. The band has won several awards, and its unique and colorful backstory has made it a global phenomenon with seven albums to their name.
The Church - The Hypnagogue
🎧 Apple Music • Spotify
Australian rock band The Church released their 26th studio album, The Hypnogogue, described by the band's Steve Kilbey as "the most prog rock thing we have ever done" and "the most teamwork record we have ever had." It's also a concept album, which is a first for the band. The title track was released in August 2022 and is set in a dystopian future. The band lineup features Kilbey as the only remaining original member, along with guitarists Ash Naylor and Powderfinger's Ian Haug, and multi-instrumentalist Jeffrey Cain, with drummer Tim Powles having been with the group since 1994. The band has planned an extended tour in the United States following their appearance at Sydney's Twilight at Taronga festival in late February.
Phil Selway - Strange Dance
📦 Vinyl & CD | 🗳 Bandcamp | 🎧 Apple Music • Spotify |
Philip Selway, best known as the drummer and co-founder of Radiohead, has released his third solo album, 'Strange Dance,' which features an array of guest musicians, including Hannah Peel, Adrian Utley, Quinta, Marta Salogni, Valentina Magaletti, and Laura Moody. The album is released via Bella Union and follows the lead singles 'Check for Signs of Life' and 'Picking Up Pieces'. The album's title track, 'Strange Dance,' was a long time in the making, dating back to the recording and touring of Radiohead's 'Kid A' and 'Amnesiac' albums. Selway explained that the song and album title refers to the "contortions we all perform as we try to balance seemingly irreconcilable elements of our lives and the relationships that help us navigate this uncertainty."
Godsmack - Lighting Up the Sky
📦 Vinyl & CD | 🎧 Apple Music • Spotify |
Godsmack's eighth studio album, Lighting Up the Sky, was just released via BMG. The band announced that it would be their final album after 28 years of being together. The members, including frontman Sully Erna, cited that they had reached a point of satisfaction and contentment where they could say "enough" and move on to a new era. However, Godsmack also announced that while the albums may be over, the band is far from it. They plan to create a greatest-hits show and continue to play live. Godsmack had an impressive run throughout their career, with 27 top 10 singles, 12 No. 1s, nine gold or better-certified releases, and two multi-platinum albums. They also received three Grammy Award nominations and won 16 Boston Music Awards and a Billboard Music Award for rock artist of the year in 2001.
Gruff Rhys - The Almond And The Seahorse soundtrack
📦 Vinyl & CD | 🎧 Apple Music • Spotify
"The Almond And The Seahorse soundtrack" is a double album composed by Welsh musician Gruff Rhys, best known as the frontman of the band Super Furry Animals. The 22-track album comprises original songs and an instrumental score and was recorded between 2021-2022 with a host of featured musicians, including members of the National Orchestra of Wales. The album is the official soundtrack for the forthcoming film of the same name, which stars Charlotte Gainsbourg, Rebel Wilson, and Celyn Jones. Rhys's soundtrack perfectly complements the movie's drama and human relationships, balancing its wry humor and lightness of touch. Rhys's compositions and styles on the score reflect this balance, using the mellotron synthesizer and cello to signify the film's location in Liverpool and the Wirral. The album was primarily recorded during pandemic conditions, resulting in a varied quilt work of music recorded in bursts of possible activity in various friends' studios, homes, and even scout halls.
Dope - Blood Money, Part Zer0
🎧 Apple Music • Spotify
Dope's latest album, "Blood Money, Part Zer0", is a prequel to their 2016 album "Blood Money, Part 1". The band, which was formed in 1997 in New York City, has been a driving force in the industrial metal scene for over two decades. Dope is known for their intense live shows and hard-hitting sound that combines elements of metal, punk, and industrial music. The band has released several notable albums, including "Felons and Revolutionaries" and "Life," and has collaborated with artists such as Zakk Wylde and Jared Leto.
Fu Manchu - Fu30, Pt.3
📦 Vinyl & CD | 🗳 Bandcamp | 🎧 Apple Music • Spotify
Stoner rock icons Fu Manchu have released the final edition in their 30th Anniversary vinyl 10” series, "Fu30, Pt.3". The album features two new original compositions, as well as a cover of The Plimsouls’ "A Million Miles Away" with vocals by Clutch’s Neil Fallon. This marks the culmination of the series, which has seen the release of a total of 30” of new Fu Manchu music for the Fu30 anniversary, with each installment including two new original compositions and a newly recorded cover. Recorded at The Racket Room in Santa Ana, California by Jim Monroe (Adolescents, Ignite) and co-produced with Fu Manchu, the album follows in the footsteps of the band's most recent album, "Clone Of The Universe". The limited edition 2,500-unit run is pressed on purple vinyl at 45 RPM for maximum heaviness. It features a package design that pays homage to the cover of The Plimsouls' original single, which was popularized in 1983’s "Valley Girl".
New 90s Podcast
Red Lorry Yellow Lorry - Blasting Off
On their fifth and final album, Blasting Off, Red Lorry Yellow Lorry made reverbed post-punk out of step for '91 but a hidden gem to discover
With a lower register in the vein of Richard Butler or Ian Astbury, Chris Reed of Red Lorry Yellow Lorry dismissed goth comparison during the 80s and focused on their guitar-driven post-punk sound. For the final release, 1991's Blasting Off; the band backing Reed is new. Still, the sound is familiar thanks to Reed's unique vocals, unfussy songwriting, and precise guitar paying that works in various well-chosen effects. The unremarkable rhythm section is the only slight on an album that fans of bands like the Psychedelic Furs, The Mission, or Clan of Xymox probably should check out. Special Guest: Darren Leach - DMO UNION
Chad Clark | 90s Artist Interview
Ryan and Erin Nelson join Chad Clark to dive deep into the histories of Smart Went Crazy and Beauty Pill
Born in NYC but spent his formative years in Washington DC, Chad Clark’s passion for music was born when his dad dropped a pair of headphones on his son’s head and introduced him to the Beatles. In the mid-90s, Clark formed the artsy, indie rock outfit Smart Went Crazy with Abram Goodrich and Hilary Soldati, signed with Dischord Records, and released an EP and two full-lengths - 1995’s Now We’re Evenand 1997’s, Con Art. Even before Smart Went Crazy’s ending, Clark was thinking about his next project, Beauty Pill, which he started with Goodrich in 2001 and continues through this day. With members coming and going over the last 20+ years, Beauty Pill’s released two full-lengths - 2004’s The Unsustainable Lifestyle and 2015’s Beauty Pill Describes Things As They Are - and a handful of EPs, most of which have been critically lauded. Earlier this year, Beauty Pill released a double album, Blue Period, consisting of their Dischord output - The Unsustainable Lifestyle and the You Are Right to Be Afraid EP - and previously unreleased outtakes and demos. On this episode, Beauty Pill members past (Ryan Nelson) and present (Erin Nelson), join Clark to talk about the last 25+ years of music. Special guests: Ryan Nelson, Erin Nelson, Chad Clark
Coming Soon
February Album Review Tournament - Final
Are you a fan of 90s music? Of course, you are; you’ve read this far. Do you want to have a say in which album will be featured in the next episode of Dig Me Out? If so, then join the DMO Union at Patreon so you can participate in the final round of the suggested albums poll.
The finalists are Filter's "Title of Record," Jesus Jones' "Doubt," Our Lady Peace's "Happiness Is Not A Fish That You Can Catch," Elliott's "US Songs," Semisonic's "The Great Divide," and Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine's "101 Damnations." Each one of them has something unique to offer, whether it's catchy hooks, powerful lyrics, or groundbreaking sound.
It's up to you to decide which album will be the winner that will get an in-depth review. So, if you want your voice to be heard and make a difference, then head over to the DMO Union at Patreon and become a member. Remember, you only get one vote, so make it count!
Worth Reading
How an Alleged Con Man Tore Apart One of the Nineties’ Biggest Bands
BY ANDY GREENE
Get ready for a bizarre rock and roll story that will leave your head spinning. It's the tale of one of the biggest bands of the 90s, Live, and how an alleged con man tore the band apart. With hits like "Lightning Crashes" and "I Alone," Live was at the top of the alt-rock world. But in recent years, the former bandmates have been embroiled in legal drama and interpersonal conflicts that have left them bitterly divided. From alleged betrayals to financial woes, this story has it all.
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