This edition of Pump Up The Jam features Ty Segall, Jesca Hoop, Temples, and more.
We are lucky to live in a world in which Ty Segall releases new music at least once a year, either on his own or via collaborations with other musicians and bands. After the incredible Emotional Mugger album from January, I thought we’d have to wait until next summer for something new but nope. Ty Segall’s next release, simply called Ty Segall, will be out on January 27 from Drag City.
Check out the gorgeous, Tyrannosaurus Rex-inspired “Orange Color Queen.”
The album, which was recorded with Emmett Kelly, Mikal Cronin, Charles Moothart, and Ben Boye, has been described “as a new departure in group sound” featuring “some of the most visceral and penetrating vocal passages yet heard from” the singer. My only disappointment is that there are no Toronto shows listed on these upcoming tour dates, but I have hope.
Ty Segall 2017 Tour Dates:
Fri. Jan. 27 – San Diego, CA @ Belly Up Tavern
Thu. Feb. 2 – Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom
Fri. Feb. 3 – Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom
Mon. Feb. 27 – Oakland, CA @ Fox Theater
Wed. March 1 – Portland, OR @ Aladdin Theater
Thu. March 2 – Seattle, WA @ Neumos
Wed. May 10 – Tulsa, OK @ Cain’s Ballroom
Thu. May 11 – Indianapolis, IN @ Irving Theater
Sun. May 14 – Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall
Wed. May 17 – Brooklyn, NY @ Warsaw
Sat. May 20 – Philadelphia, PA @ Trocadero Theater
Sun. May 21 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Mr. Small’s Theater
Mon. May 22 – Louisville, KY @ Headliner’s Music Hall
Thu. May 25 – Nashville, TN @ Mercy Lounge
Sat. May 27 – Austin, TX @ Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheatre
One of the most prodigiously talented singer/songwriters of the last few years is, without doubt, Jesca Hoop. That she is not a household name is a huge disappointment. Hopefully that will change in February 2017.
Recently, it was announced that not only has Jesca Hoop signed to Sub Pop, but also that she has a new album, Memories Are Now, coming out on February 10. And there’s already a first single and video for “The Lost Sky.”
The song is a great example of Hoop’s superlative talents at writing both beautifully poetic and stark, unambiguous lyrics. It also highlights her singular singing style. For more on Jesca Hoop’s previous releases, check out Popshifter.
A few weeks ago I posted a link to “Certainty,” the latest single from British neo-psychedelia band Temples. Now there is not only a video for the song but a release date for the band’s much-anticipated second album. Titled Volcano, it will be released on March 3 via Fat Possum.
In the meantime, check out the undeniably bizarre video for “Certainty,” a song which has really grown on me with repeated listens.
You can also watch the band perform the song live on Late Night with Carson Daly. And the always-terrific Franz Ferdinand have released a remix!
A few years back I read a review of English duo Demdike Stare that immediately piqued my interest. I’ve been waiting for a new release for a while, and as it turns out, the band did release a series of tracks under the Testpressing umbrella that I somehow missed. Now they have a brand new full-length release called Wonderland.
When listening to the first single, “Sourcer,” l was left feeling… cold. Since I didn’t hear those 2015 releases I was unaware that the band had veered off in a different, more jungle/house/dance music direction. It’s not that it’s bad; it’s just that this is not the Demdike Stare I’d grown to love. Still, I’m interested in hearing the full album, which was released today in a three-CD package from Modern Love. You can also get a two-disc version.
Back in August, I shared a song from Street Preacher, a side project from Jack O’Hara Harris of Bloody Knives. Now he’s got a full length album called God Isn’t Enough and it’s available on Bandcamp.
Released on November 21, God Isn’t Enough is a mixture of wrenching acoustic numbers and more ramshackle, raw post-punk sounds, and pretty different from the shoegazey goth of Bloody Knives. Check it out.
Now that many of us have been forced to listen to horrible Christmas music for the last few weeks, I thought I’d share one of my personal faves, a Christmas song that doesn’t actually suck. It’s from Squeeze and it’s this week’s #FlashbackFriday.
