Tag: tough love

[album] AUTOBAHN – Ecstasy of Ruin

acute.pop

It’s been a while since Leeds post-punks AUTOBAHN released an album, but we are more than happy that they are finally back. Ecstasy of Ruin is out now via Tough Love.

Building on the dark and brooding sound of their previous LP The Moral Crossing, a new record adds upgraded layers of complexity and experimentation, incorporating elements of EBM and industrial touches to their music. This is partly due to the fact that the group is a four-piece now, without their previous drummer, hence here we are faced with depersonalized drum machines and sample-based percussion, at the output receiving a colder, more focused and brutal version of AUTOBAHN.

Still, despite the machinery involved, there’s lots of humanity on this record. The lyrical content is extremely acute and totally aware of the current societal landscape we live in and lead singer Craig Johnson’s haunting vocals are as powerful as ever. Add to that some post-punk shredding guitar work with its hypnotic noises, and we get a fantastic, cathartic release, probably the group’s best one so far. They sound refreshed, retooled, and ready to give it their all.

Check it out below and purchase the record here.

[ep] Peel Dream Magazine – Magic Is Pocketed

acute.pop

Surprise releases are something we love a lot, especially when they come from our favorite bands. One such gift was given to us last Friday from Peel Dream Magazine, the project of singer and multi-instrumentalist Joe Stevens, who released his new 4-track EP Magic Is Pocketed.

It is quite short, just nearly 8 minutes, but all the songs are masterfully crafted and work perfectly as an addition to fantastic Pad, the latest album from the group.

The mini-release is out right in time for the band’s UK and EU tour, which starts tomorrow already (find more details about it in another post).

Check out the EP below and buy it here.

[live] Peel Dream Magazine announce EU / UK tour dates

acute.pop

In January Peel Dream Magazine, the project of New York City-based singer and multi-instrumentalist Joe Stevens, will embark on a European/UK tour in support of his excellent latest record Pad (released earlier this year via Slumberland / Tough Love).

It will start in London on January 11 and will finish in Rennes on February 5. In addition to the main public dates, there would also be a special 3-week residency at Laylow in London, featuring invite-only shows. Find all the dates on the list below and more information about tickets here.

11/01 – Laylow, London, UK
18/01 – Laylow, London, UK
19/01 – Shacklewell Arms, London, UK (free show)
20/01 – Folklore, Brighton, UK
21/01 – The Louisiana, Bristol, UK
22/01 – Headrow House, Leeds, UK
24/01 – YES, Manchester, UK
25/01 – Laylow, London, UK
28/01 – L’International, Paris, France
29/01 – Theater der Wohngemeinschaft, Köln, Germany
31/01 – Schokoladen, Berlin, Germany
01/02 – Vera, Groningen, Netherlands
02/02 – V11, Rotterdam, Netherlands
05/02 – La Petite Rennes, Rennes, France

Stream Pad below and buy it here.

[ep] White Flowers – Are You

acute.pop

During the last couple of years, White Flowers have established themselves as one of the most enigmatic and exciting new groups, and each of their new releases adds to their reputation.

Are You is not an exception, it is a brilliant mixture of intuitive home recordings and refined studio production (aided by producer Ali Chant) of dark, endlessly beautiful and haunting songs. It absorbs you immediately and does not let you go long after the EP stops — the 4 quietly disturbing numbers will get stuck in your head for quite some time.

Check it out below and buy the record here.

[ep] William Doyle – Alternate Lands

acute.pop

Back in March, William Doyle has released his masterful sophomore LP Great Spans of Muddy Time, and now we are treated with an extra EP that includes 4 additional tracks.

The songs were created from the sketches that were done when the artist was recording the album, but despite the fact that they were crafted during the same time, he says that they have been taken in a different, more current direction. Based on this, the EP perhaps can be viewed as a bridge between the Great Spans of Muddy Time and the next record.

Judging by the marvelous three originals and beautiful Robyn Hitchcock cover (“Autumn Is Your Last Chance”), Doyle is truly blossoming creatively at the moment, and we already cannot wait for his next release.

Stream below and purchase it on Bandcamp, available now via Tough Love.