Buscar:joy

Das neue Album des „Isis“-MCs aus Massachusetts, Not Now I'm Busy, ist bei Erscheinen im Jahr 2024 sein erstes Album seit drei Jahren. Es stellt
Joyner Lucas' außergewöhnliche Fähigkeiten als Geschichtenerzähler und sein künstlerisches Wachstum unter Beweis.

Pirates Press Records is proud to re-release Close My Eyes, the 2002 album by NYC ska-reggae legends The Slackers - a complex and nuanced album that shows the band's versatility and capacity for both commentary and introspection. It is often said - to the point of cliche - that New York City is a "character" in the work of the city's most noted filmmakers. A similar statement could be made about the artistic symbiosis between the city and The Slackers. From the Bronx-born accent of lead vocalist Vic Ruggiero to the band's embrace of cosmopolitan musical traditions from a melting pot of cultural origins, New York defines The Slackers at least as much as the band have contributed to defining the sound of New York for well over 30 years.Therefore, it bears mentioning that - aside from a 2002 collaborative album by "The Slackersand Friends" - Close My Eyesis the band's first proper studio LP released after the traumatic terrorist attacks on their home city in 2001, and the band took enough time to reckon with the global fallout of this tragedy. "So feel free go steal and rob, revolution ain't my job," sings Ruggiero on the title track. "And if I sing your happy song, please don't tell me I am wrong." It is the statement of an artist searching for a way to still sing about joy and life in uncertain times of great upheaval. And ultimately the band must reckon with these times. On "Real War," toaster Marq Lyn takes lead vocals as the band addresses the march to war that was omnipresent in those early days of the 21st century, stating in no uncertain terms that it was "Time to fight the real war_ Against hunger and poverty_ For racial equality." The Slackers make it clear that while the machinations of hawkish politicians grind on, the real needs of people all over the world are left behind. This tension between a dangerous world and the struggles of one's personal life are present throughout the record, and the band weaves stories from the whole spectrum of human emotion, war, heartbreak, joy, and everything in between. Bookended by instrumental tracks, opening with the energetic "Shankbon" and ending with moody dub reggae, these veteran virtuoso players ultimately take listeners on a masterful journey through the human experience.

Blood Red w/ Cyan Blue Splatter Vinyl. Remember Sports is a Philadelphia-based band, originally conceived in the tiny Midwestern college town of Gambier, OH, comprised of members Carmen Perry (vocals, guitar), Jack Washburn (guitar), Catherine Dwyer (bass), and Connor Perry (drums). Their peppy indie power pop encapsulates the melancholy and excitement of growing up while Carmen's writing is diaristic and intimate; a strange amalgam of both melancholy and joy. Remember Sports recorded Sunchokes in 2014 with school mates Teddy Farkas and Alex Evans while Carmen, Catherine, Benji Dossetter (drums) and James Karlin (bass) attended Kenyon College. Sunchokes (Deluxe Edition) is a remastered version of the original album plus eight bonus demo + original versions of some of the songs.

-3rd album from veteran rap duo Dillon & Batsauce. Dillon on the raps & scratches, Batsauce on the beats. ('On Their Way' - 2018, 'Self Medicated' - 2020).
-Produced entirely by Batsauce, guest features include Grand Puba, Kool Keith, Quelle Chris, Reef the Lost Cauze, Headkrack and Jay Myztroh of Stono Echo.
-Atlanta, GA + Jacksonville, FL album release parties booked for end of July + Northeast Tour Run scheduled for August.
-Batsauce has been producing hip hop and soul for 20+ years with multiple albums on labels BBE (Barely Breaking Even) producing for his wife, soul-singer, Lady Daisey + Galapagos4 where he produced multiple projects for Qwazaar of Typical Cats. He is 1/3 of the group, 'The Smile Rays' (which includes Lady Daisey and Paten Locke). He's also done extensive work with Akrobatik, Mr. Lif and even has multiple songs with George Clinton!
-Dillon is an Atlanta, GA based MC/DJ who has been releasing records for 20 years, 10 of those years was running FULL PLATE, the label he started in 2013 with Paten Locke (RIP). Dillon has worked with many of Hip-Hop's elite from the old school to the true school such as Chuck D, Diamond D, Count Bass D, Kool Keith, Greg Nice, Grand Puba, Homeboy Sandman, J-Live, Quelle Chris, Sadat X, Ras Kass, Stacy Epps, Planet Asia, eLZhi, Slimkid3 of The Pharcyde - and the list goes on!
-Classic black, standard weight vinyl in full-color jacket w/ matte finish. Includes Download Card.
Underground hip-hop veterans, Dillon and Batsauce have been making unorthodox rap music together for nearly 20 years with a simple formula: Batsauce makes the beats, Dillon writes the songs, and whatever happens, happens. After carving out their own lane with a catalog of EPs and LPs over the past 2 decades, the duo has finally slowed down enough to ask themselves, 'What Have We Done'?
Is the title of their latest effort rhetorical or meant to be an actual question? If so, Dillon and Batsauce probably don't want to know the answer. They probably don't want you, the listener, to think too much about it either. Instead, 'What Have We Done' is an invitation to experience the trials and tribulations, the small wins and the big losses of being aging independent artists in an increasingly cut-throat world for music makers.
But Dillon & Batsauce aren't the only ones on this joyride, we also hear from a well-curated crew of characters they've befriended along the way, from bonafide legends like Grand Puba and Kool Keith to modern day rap heroes, Quelle Chris & Reef the Lost Cauze. The end result is a collection of songs that runs the gamut from personal to aspirational to...delusional. Whether it's 'too much' or 'not enough', the answer to the question, 'What Have We Done' remains open to interpretation. Perhaps it’s not a question at all, but merely the naturally visceral reaction when career creators look back at a life lived on the edge.
Track Listing: 1. What Have We Done (Intro) 2. Mind Made 3. Quiet as a Library 4. Eddie Farah 5. Make History 6. Cannonball feat. Grand Puba 7. Banana Peels 8. Accolades feat. Reef the Lost Cauze & Jay Myztroh 9. Wakin' up Hungry feat. Headkrack 10. Goin' Viral 11. Ready on the Left feat. Kool Keith 12. What Are We Doing (Interlude) 13. Watercolors feat. Quelle Chris 14. Speak Easy 15. Isiah Thomas 16. Rock Bottom 17. Yoga Flame

Funkyjaws Music has decided to offer up its first solo EP here having decided to make the previous four volumes of its Let's Dance series various artists collections. JKriv gets the nod here and doesn't disappoint. First up is the leggy mid-tempo disco of 'Share The Night' with its chattery Chicago house style drums and rasping bass. 'Big Chief' is a brilliant mid-tempo jumble of percussion, toms, hits, grinding bass and lazy kicks and 'Let's Do It Right' then takes off on nice clean piano house grooves full of uplifting joy. 'Acid Fantasies' closes out a truly varied EP with a more raw and direct acid house jacker.

Ein allumfassender akustischer Angriff, eine Kraft, die so unaufhaltsam und lebendig ist wie die Flut. Das Post-Rock-Kraftpaket AND SO I WATCH YOU FROM AFAR kehrt mit seinem 7. Studioalbum ,Megafauna" zurück. Studioalbum "Megafauna" zurück. Das neue Album ist eine eigenwillige Erkundung und eine von Herzen kommende Würdigung mit der ganzen Intuition, Intimität und dem Humor von vier festen Freunden, die sich ihrem 20-jährigen Bandbestehen nähern. Die Absicht hinter "Megafauna" ist von Anfang an klar. Zwei Gitarren, ein Bass und ein Schlagzeug, allesamt in einer Woche aufgenommen, erwachen in einem Endorphinrausch der Zusammenarbeit und des Miteinanders nach der physischen und psychischen Wildnis der Isolation zu überschäumendem Leben. Die Leadsingle "Do Mór" ist eine absurd verspielte Kollision aus unbeschwerten Gitarrenhooks, mühelosen Jazz-Synkopen und der triumphalen Rückkehr von ASIWYFAs unnachahmlicher Wall-of-Sound-Verzerrung, während der Eröffnungstrack "North Coast Megafauna" als Hymne für das gesamte Album und vielleicht auch für eine wiedererstarkte Band dient, die die freudig-schockierende Konfrontation ihres Sounds stolz auf ihren Ärmeln trägt. An anderer Stelle stehen Introspektion und düstere Sentimentalität im Mittelpunkt, wobei das Downtempo-Stück "Years Ago" eine bemerkenswerte dynamische Tiefe bietet. "Megafauna" ist das erste neue Werk der Band seitdem von der Kritik hochgelobten, aber nur sehr limitiert veröffentlichten "Jettison" aus dem Jahr 2022, ein ambitioniertes Multimedia-Ensemblewerk voller Experimente mit Gästen. Gitarrist Niall Keenedy bezeichnete "Jettison" scherzhaft als "das reife Album" der Band und umrahmte das Schreiben von "Megafauna" mit dem langjährigen Mantra der Band "DO THE SCARY THING", das sie ständig auf das Neue, den Fortschritt, die Evolution und das Unbekannte zusteuern lässt. Während die neue Platte ASIWYFA in einer vertrauteren, traditionellen Form zeigt, ist "Megafauna" in dieser Post-"Jettison"- und Post-Pandemie-Welt eine ohrenbetäubende und trotzige Absichtserklärung des treibenden Kerns der Band, die Zusammengehörigkeit statt Trennung zelebriert. Übrigens, das klasse "Jettison" jetzt auch wiederveröffentlicht!

Ein allumfassender akustischer Angriff, eine Kraft, die so unaufhaltsam und lebendig ist wie die Flut. Das Post-Rock-Kraftpaket AND SO I WATCH YOU FROM AFAR kehrt mit seinem 7. Studioalbum ,Megafauna" zurück. Studioalbum "Megafauna" zurück. Das neue Album ist eine eigenwillige Erkundung und eine von Herzen kommende Würdigung mit der ganzen Intuition, Intimität und dem Humor von vier festen Freunden, die sich ihrem 20-jährigen Bandbestehen nähern. Die Absicht hinter "Megafauna" ist von Anfang an klar. Zwei Gitarren, ein Bass und ein Schlagzeug, allesamt in einer Woche aufgenommen, erwachen in einem Endorphinrausch der Zusammenarbeit und des Miteinanders nach der physischen und psychischen Wildnis der Isolation zu überschäumendem Leben. Die Leadsingle "Do Mór" ist eine absurd verspielte Kollision aus unbeschwerten Gitarrenhooks, mühelosen Jazz-Synkopen und der triumphalen Rückkehr von ASIWYFAs unnachahmlicher Wall-of-Sound-Verzerrung, während der Eröffnungstrack "North Coast Megafauna" als Hymne für das gesamte Album und vielleicht auch für eine wiedererstarkte Band dient, die die freudig-schockierende Konfrontation ihres Sounds stolz auf ihren Ärmeln trägt. An anderer Stelle stehen Introspektion und düstere Sentimentalität im Mittelpunkt, wobei das Downtempo-Stück "Years Ago" eine bemerkenswerte dynamische Tiefe bietet. "Megafauna" ist das erste neue Werk der Band seitdem von der Kritik hochgelobten, aber nur sehr limitiert veröffentlichten "Jettison" aus dem Jahr 2022, ein ambitioniertes Multimedia-Ensemblewerk voller Experimente mit Gästen. Gitarrist Niall Keenedy bezeichnete "Jettison" scherzhaft als "das reife Album" der Band und umrahmte das Schreiben von "Megafauna" mit dem langjährigen Mantra der Band "DO THE SCARY THING", das sie ständig auf das Neue, den Fortschritt, die Evolution und das Unbekannte zusteuern lässt. Während die neue Platte ASIWYFA in einer vertrauteren, traditionellen Form zeigt, ist "Megafauna" in dieser Post-"Jettison"- und Post-Pandemie-Welt eine ohrenbetäubende und trotzige Absichtserklärung des treibenden Kerns der Band, die Zusammengehörigkeit statt Trennung zelebriert. Übrigens, das klasse "Jettison" jetzt auch wiederveröffentlicht!

Citrus Swirl Vinyl. honeybee table at the butterfly feast is the first album from the elusive Baltimore's band Teen Suicide in years. For over a decade, guitarist, vocalist and project runner Sam Ray has been sometimes quietly and sometimes very noisily setting standards in the indie scene by changing genres, live lineups and even band names, but the one constant has been an undeniable gift for songwriting. honeybee table sits at an interesting point in the teen suicide timeline, following years of relative quiet following the releases a whole fucking lifetime of this (2018) and fucking bliss (2019), both released under the short-lived alias American Pleasure Club. Lockdown times saw a viral moment for the song "haunt me (x3)", a cult-classic catalog track featured on the 2015 Run For Cover reissue of the band's two beloved EPs dc snuff film and waste yrself. Now the band returns with what could be their next classic record, 16 songs that oscillate between noisy garage-rock, intimate acoustic songs and even blistering powerviolence in the vein of 2016's ambitious double album it's the big joyous celebration, let's stir the honeypot. The album is as varied and captivating as the cover art of the record - a painting by Ray's mother - and is held together by his unique artistic vision, captured not only in the genius of his songwriting but the power of lyrics that turn his lived experience of the past few years into harrowing poetry.

80s alt country punk outfit, Lone Justice, with Maria McKee, Ryan Hedgecock, Marvin Etzioni and Don Heffington are in full flight with the release of a brand new 7". Taken from their forthcoming album, Viva Lone Justice, 'Teenage Kicks' is a rambunctious slice of punk angst that sounds like it was recorded in one take. It's a timeless anthem with a joyous riff that explodes into a hail of feedback. A favour returned as Maria McKee, the songwriter of Feargal Sharkey's only solo hit 'A Good Heart', Lone Justice cover The Undertones' Peel-approved favourite with the artwork of the single being a nod to the original. "As much as we loved Merle Haggard, George Jones, and many other authentic hard core Country artists, we were also deeply impacted by Punk; from the Velvet Underground (we were playing "Sweet Jane" live as early as 1983) to the MC5 ("Sister Ann" is on the album "Viva Lone Justice")." Backed with 'Nothing Can Stop My Loving You' that's cut with a wild, squeezebox-powered interpretation of the George Jones and Roger Miller country stomp. "Speaking of George Jones, here's one written by George Jones and Roger Miller. Two of our favorites! We played this song at nearly every show starting in 1983. This ragged and right live recording captures the fire from a sold out show at The Palace in Los Angeles and features Jo-El Sonnier on lead accordion documenting the only time Sonnier played with LJ. "Nothing Can Stop My Loving You" is the only live track on Viva Lone Justice." // "A roots rock band that took Los Angeles by storm in the 80s and developed a smaller but deeply enthusiastic following outside the Golden State

B2 Recordings is back with a second release that is every bit as good as the first. This one comes from Reece Johnson and is a joyous mix of uplifting disco sounds with a timeless edge. 'Comin' In Hot' is a lose-limbed opener with percussive edgy and low-slung drums topped off with dazzling chords. 'Glass Heart' then brings the funk with more expert looseness and this time some hooky and soulful vocals. 'Sup America' keeps the party rolling with instrumental disco brilliance and a Spanish vocal to add real heat while 'Feelin' The Beat' and 'Got To Be Free' close out with higher tempos but no less class.

'Miss Your Life' is a punky, new wave style tune written initially as a poem but pretty soon transformed into a song. It's a rant about British apathy, complacency and the all pervading sense of powerlessness, passiveness and pessimism that's currently in the air. Its a call to stand up and fight back before its too late. JTQ's guitarist Mark, managed to get the punky intro just right despite usually playing more cerebral parts for us. JTQ revisit our adolescent years in a joyful and defiant style.

Eden Burns & friends follow the Big Beats. For this volume of BBM, Eden invites Andras, Matisa and Mayurashka to make some beats.
So much fun! „Beat moves feet, feet do dance, dance is joy, joy is life!“

After releasing their first EP Fuse, Cranes expanded to a four-piece band and recorded their debut full-length album Self-Non-Self in 1989. Their sound has been described as “gothic minimalism” and “dreampop”, and also became part of the shoegazing movement in the early Nineties. This 1989 album showed their progression with the increased textures in sound and drum slams. The album contains a darker sound and is a mixture of industrial and post-punk music. Originally only six tracks, the band’s label Dedicated Records added a further two tracks upon its re-release in 1992: “Reach (Live)” and “Nothing In The Middle, Nothing At The End”. In that same year, Cranes went on a world tour with The Cure, which increased their popularity. Self-Non-Self is available as a 35th anniversary edition of 1000 individually numbered copies on black & white marbled vinyl.

Released via Sony CMG - This is a reissue of HiM's album, "Deep Shadow & Brilliant Highlights". HIM's third album, remains a standout in their discography. Opening with 'Salt In Our Wounds,' the album showcases a perfect blend of slow build-ups and heavier choruses, featuring a cool solo. 'Heartache Every Moment,' a single, grows on you with its poignant lyrics. 'Lose You Tonight' offers a unique intro with a bass line and intriguing background sounds, while 'In Joy And Sorrow' captivates with soothing guitar riffs and beautiful vocals. 'Pretending' stands out with memorable lyrics and an impressive solo. Although 'Close To The Flame' and 'Beautiful' are slower tracks, they add depth to the album. 'Don't Close Your Heart' and 'Love You Like I Do' close the album on a high note that create a lasting impact on the listeners. Single Black LP Vinyl.

Repress!

Far Out Recordings proudly presents the first and only album from the mysterious Brazilian vocal sensation Dila (pronounced “Jee-la”). Having reportedly died in a car crash shortly after the album’s release in 1971, there is very little known about the woman behind the voice. But the joyous music Dila left behind, gives us a picture as good as any, of a powerful feminine soul at the top of her game.

The liner notes on the elusive original LP, written by composer Arnoldo Medeiros attest: “Friend, look out! Because when this girl starts to sing, you’re in trouble. Hold the railing so you don’t fall down the stairs, because she’s coming this way and shaking up everything.”

Arranged and produced by Durval Ferreira, alongside his studio band affectionately known as “Os Grillos” (The Crickets), Dila (1971) is a rare glimpse into the authentic soulful Samba sound of Rio’s favelas in the late sixties and early seventies.

A blast of funky, percussive Brazilian breaks, scorching hot brass and swing-laden piano, the music is as iconic as the album’s stark cover, as is clear on opener ‘Inez’, composed by The Crickets’ bassist Romildo. There’s a fantastic interpretation of the Ivan Lins classic ‘Madalena’ (made famous by Elis Regina), a moving version of the Tom Jobim and Vinicius De Moraes classic ‘O Morro Não Tem Vez’, and a number of sunny original compositions by Arnold Madeiros, who’s other writing credits include music for Marcos Valle, Wanderlea, Evinha and Dom Salvador.

With original LPs extremely hard to come by, this rare treasure of Brazilian soul, which fans of Gal Costa, Celia, Evinha and Elis Regina will love, gets a much-deserved official reissue: remastered and pressed to 180g vinyl.

In November 2023 we celebrated NOW’s 40th anniversary with a collection of massive Pop hits – but with 40 years of hits to choose from we had to leave out so many fantastic tracks – so it’s time to continue that celebration with NOW That’s What I Call 40 Years - Part 2 – again honouring the legacy with a stellar selection from the past four decades of NOW. Embark on a musical journey from 1983 right up to the present day. Released on a triple vinyl set pressed on Green, Clear Transparent, and Pink LPs with 43 essential hit tracks. and 100 essential hit tracks across the 5 CD set

Formed in Liverpool in 1985, the Revolutionary Army of the Infant Jesus is a unique experimental ensemble whose work goes beyond music. For over thirty-five years the band’s cult following has grown. Their mesmerising recorded material is influenced by diverse cultural perspectives and stimulates a deeply personal and subjective awakening. Ethereal vocals, ambient compositions, chants, acoustic instrumentation and field recordings generate beautiful and emotionally intense soundscapes. ‘The Dream We Carry’ is the band’s fifth album and perhaps their most coherent body of work to date. It captures echoes and fragile remnants of the lived experience. The emotional traces that affect us. The joys and sorrows we hold. The dreams that we carry. Founder member Leslie Hampson said: “The RAIJ is a project in pursuit of beauty; we have tried to jettison anything that doesn’t address that. We’ve been active for a long time and this album represents another phase in our work. We’re not trying to reinvent ourselves or be something we’re not. We’ve never done that. We only ever try to be more of ourselves.”

Formed in Liverpool in 1985, the Revolutionary Army of the Infant Jesus is a unique experimental ensemble whose work goes beyond music. For over thirty-five years the band’s cult following has grown. Their mesmerising recorded material is influenced by diverse cultural perspectives and stimulates a deeply personal and subjective awakening. Ethereal vocals, ambient compositions, chants, acoustic instrumentation and field recordings generate beautiful and emotionally intense soundscapes. ‘The Dream We Carry’ is the band’s fifth album and perhaps their most coherent body of work to date. It captures echoes and fragile remnants of the lived experience. The emotional traces that affect us. The joys and sorrows we hold. The dreams that we carry. Founder member Leslie Hampson said: “The RAIJ is a project in pursuit of beauty; we have tried to jettison anything that doesn’t address that. We’ve been active for a long time and this album represents another phase in our work. We’re not trying to reinvent ourselves or be something we’re not. We’ve never done that. We only ever try to be more of ourselves.”

LOS ANGELES—To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the celebrated Talking Heads and Jonathan Demme’s concert film Stop Making Sense, the set will be re-released as a 2LP and 2CD/Blu-ray set this summer.

Released last year, the sold-out Deluxe Edition of the soundtrack will return as a 2-LP black vinyl on Rhino and 2-LP crystal clear vinyl at retail. Both variants feature a 12-page booklet with liner notes from all four band members –Tina Weymouth, David Byrne, Chris Frantz, and Jerry Harrison—and band photos. The 2CD/Blu-ray version includes the entire 28-page booklet from last year’s Deluxe Edition and a Dolby Atmos mix of the complete concert, mixed by Jerry Harrison and E.T. Thorngren, who also mixed the original release. Both will be available on July 26. Pre-order now.

The band appeared together for a sold-out screening and Q&A last night at the Pantages Theater, the same theater at which Stop Making Sense was recorded. They were joined by Blondshell, who performed “Thank You For Sending Me an Angel.” Another special screening with the band will occur in Brooklyn at the King’s Theater on June 13, with the Q&A hosted by Questlove and The Linda Linda’s performing “Found a Job.” The two events cap off a banner year of celebrations for what many consider to be the best concert film of all time.

The inspiration for Stop Making Sense came when director Jonathan Demme saw Talking Heads perform during the band’s 1983 tour for Speaking in Tongues. Afterward, he approached them with the idea of making the show into a concert film. They agreed and worked together over the next few months to finalize the details. Ultimately, Demme filmed three shows at Hollywood’s Pantages Theater in December 1983 to create Stop Making Sense.

The concert film presents a retrospective of the band up to that point, with a performance that weaves together songs from all six of its studio albums. The show progresses methodically, opening with Byrne onstage performing “Psycho Killer” alone with a drum machine. After each song, he’s joined by a new band member until Weymouth, Frantz, and Harrison are all on stage with him. The group continues to grow throughout the concert as members of the stellar touring band are added: keyboardist Bernie Worrell, percussionist Steve Scales, guitarist Alex Weir, and backup singers Lynn Mabry and Ednah Holt.

The band performs 18 songs in Stop Making Sense, including its recent single at the time, “Burning Down The House.” That summer, the song was in heavy rotation on radio and MTV, helping the song become the band’s first top 10 hit in America. It was, however, a different song from Speaking in Tongues that was destined to deliver one of the film’s signature moments. Talking Heads would perform “Girlfriend Is Better” wearing the now iconic, oversized suit inspired by costumes worn in traditional Japanese theater. For good measure, a picture of David Byrne in the suit also graces the album cover.

Stop Making Sense focuses mainly on music by Talking Heads but does include a few songs recorded outside the band: “Genius Of Love” by Tom Tom Club, “What A Day That Was” and “Big Business” from Byrne’s 1981 album, The Catherine Wheel. Limited edition vinyl versions of both of these albums, along with Harrison’s The Red And The Black, were released for this year’s Record Store Day.

When it arrived in September 1984, Stop Making Sense was an artistic and commercial triumph. The film had people dancing in theatre aisles, and the soundtrack sold over two million copies. Just last year, the Library of Congress added Stop Making Sense to the National Film Registry in recognition of its cultural, historical, and aesthetic significance.

Weymouth praises Demme as a collaborator: “…Jonathan was a very enthusiastic, highly adaptive, and imaginative guy who was just as good a listener as he was a talker and collaborator. From the get-go you just got the impression he was as flexible as he was disciplined. Being team players, that boded well for a great relationship and a great film!”

Harrison says the film still holds up today: “To me, Stop Making Sense has remained relevant because the staging and lighting techniques could have been created in a much earlier time period. For example, Vari-Lights, lights with motors to re-aim them, had just come into vogue. Had we used them, there would have been a timestamp on the film, and it eventually would have felt dated...The absence of interviews, combined with the elegant and timeless lighting, created a film that can be watched over and over.”

Byrne says it’s interesting that this album was – for many people – an introduction to Talking Heads. “We had done a live album before this, but coupled with the film, and with the improved mixes and sound quality, this record reached a whole new audience. As often happens, the songs got an added energy when we performed them live and were inspired by having an audience. In many ways, these versions are more exciting than the studio recordings, so maybe that’s why a lot of folks discovered us via this record.”

Frantz recalls the sheer joy surrounding the entire Stop Making Sense experience. “I’m talking about real, conscious, transcendent joy… I’m talking about what the Southern gospel people call ‘getting happy,’ which means ‘to be filled with the Spirit.’ That is what happened to us onstage every night, and from my seat behind the drums, I recognized that this was happening to the audience too. Joy was visible in front of me and all around me every night.”

Crack Cloud has always been something beyond a rock band: both profound and grand, vaporous and elusive. The first iteration of Crack Cloud was formed nearly a decade ago as a proxy-rehab outlet on the fringes of Calgary. Over time, two EPs and accompanying visual pieces were produced out of the residence known as Red Mile. By 2017, several members had relocated to Vancouver, working out of harm reduction centers and low-barrier shelters. Sobriety, self-reformation and the idealism of their work further formed an ethos for Crack Cloud. It was during these years that the band produced their astounding 2020 album Pain Olympics. At once, their vision became expansive, cinematic. Now, Red Mile is a bit of a homecoming. Members have returned to Calgary. But Calgary/home has become a liminal space, a place of flux. After a decade of personal and collective growth, what does home even mean? Red Mile is, for them, something like samsara: a return and a rebirth. Red Mile's sound breathes expansive energy into the circuitous, street bound sonics of Crack Cloud's prior material. Fizzling synths intertwine with chiming pianos. Songs layer like Russian nesting dolls; one may find a Ramones chorus set within a desolate Western prog soundtrack only to watch it erupt into a joyous anthem. Real-ass guitars _ alternately lilting, scuzzy and soaring _ ring out across wide sun-bleached spaces. In 2024, the cumulative effect is (in rock instrumentation terms) naturalistic. Any whiff of embalmed nostalgia is absent. Even the close of the album - a winding, almost Jerry Garcia guitar noodle that leads us out of Red Mile - is delivered without sentimentality. Principal songwriter Zach Choy's lyrics are cutting but merciful, with a sharp self-awareness that never slides into self-satisfaction. Crack Cloud as artists are critical _ and ultimately as forgiving _ of themselves as they are the melting world around them. The songs balance an easy charm and cathartic power: affirming life without denying death. Recorded predominantly between the outskirts of Joshua Tree California, and Calgary, Alberta, this record is informed by a bittersweet mélange of old and new. The sprawling, novelistic structures of their previous albums are condensed and sharpened, while maintaining their refusal to delve into superficiality. Through playful melodies and elliptical guitar soliloquy, they deliver a final product of exceptional depth and distinctly unprecious warmth. Crack Cloud have produced a mature, vital work that interrogates the platitudes of the rock-n-roll lifestyle, but ultimately exalts its sacredness. Red Mile's de facto thesis statement "The Medium" is itself a rock song meditation: an ode to the form and its practitioners. This genre that _ typical, repeatable, corporatized as it can be _ somehow still has the power to help us live through life. We see the dusty sentiment of "I love rock and roll" exhumed, taken apart, and stitched back together. It's a song guided by faith _ if the medium helps us proclaim our love today, it's worth protecting from derision tomorrow. We live in an era where music seems to love hitting its head against the wall. Crack Cloud's Red Mile is the sound _ the feeling! _ of the bricks giving way.