Kat Riggins: In The Boys' Club

When in need of good old juke joint blues with a soul seasoning Kat Riggins is there to cover all the bases and then some. Her new album In The Boys' Club is a bold statement of a powerful artist who can outsing most of the competition and put a lid on all the doubters, who can't handle the sight of a woman hitting the stage.

She doesn't beat around the bush and leads her band through her songs with bravado. In The Boys' Club is tight but loose, whether she keep it simple in Troubles Away (nice touch to make it sound like a well-worn 7") of over the moon in Second to None. She shares the spotlights with Albert Castiglia in the rousing Kitty Won't Scratch<, who also throws in a bunch of choice guitar licks. This is an album for blues lovers of all ages.

Town of Saints: Up In Smoke

photo: Florian von Besser

Dutch/Finnish folk band Town of Saints are back with a new single, Up In Smoke, an upbeat singalong with a dark message. Fans of The Levellers will love it.

'Up In Smoke’ is a rather dark contemplation, describing the utter futility of our existence in a not too subtle way. The tune of the eternal defeatist, a drunk chorus conducted by a harbinger of doom… Perhaps one way to cope with the ‘end of the world’ is to drop everything you are doing, get wasted and never look back again. This is all in jest, of course and terribly exaggerated. Although...

It's their first new material since the release of their No Place Like This album.

Johnny Dowd: Neon Baptist "Alien Tongue" live MP3

photo: Kat Dalton

Americana outsiderJohnny Dowd has put up a live recording of Alien Tongue, recorded with his band Neon Baptist (Dave Hinkle, Jennifer Dowd, Mike Edmondson, Max Ormond, and Cally Arthur) @ The Nines in Ithaca, New York - April 27, 1991. Play loud.

Free download from his website. Buy the double CD in handmade package (tin CD holder, autographed photo).

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds: "Distant Sky" live EP in September

Distant Sky, a new live EP from Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds will be released on 12” vinyl and digitally on September 28. The tracks were recorded @ Royal Arena in Copenhagen on October 20, 2017. Available for pre-order in July 9th.

Side A:

1. Jubilee Street
2. Distant Sky

Side B:

1. From Her To Eternity
2. The Mercy Seat

The Copenhagen show was filmed professionally and had a short run in movie theaters. Changes are a DVD/Blu-ray will hit the shops later this year.

» nickcave.com

Dead Naked Hippies: Guillotine

photo: Andrew Benge

Leeds post-punk trio Dead Naked Hippies offer a bleak outlook on life on their new single Guillotine. Not that Lucy Jowett (vocals), Joe Clarke (guitar) and Jacob Marston (drums) harbour a death wish. If anything the song is more about getting even after being fucked over one time too many.

Following the path cut through grievances by bands like The Cure and Siouxsie and the Banshees, they project a passive-aggressive attitude that is bad news for those on the receiving end.