Kaki King: Glow (Velour, 10/9/12)
Celebrating the 10th anniversary of her debut LP, guitar virtuoso / singer-songwriter Kaki King will perform Everybody Loves You from start to finish at four special shows on the East Coast. Head here to get tickets for the dates (April 24, 25, 28, 29), and watch the brand-new black-and-white video for “No True Masterpiece Will Ever Be Complete.”
J. Mascis of Dinosaur Jr. has teamed up to produce a pair of vegan shoes — complete with an accent that’s modeled after his guitar strap — whose proceeds will be donated to fight poverty.
Featuring former Miles Davis and Fishbone collaborator John Bigham, this new jam from The Greyboy Allstars plays out as a discussion between singer and self, with the titular assertion serving as a toe-tapping chorus.
Sole: No Wising Up No Settling Down (Black Canyon Music, 5/1/13)
Sole doesn’t stand still. His 2012 album, A Ruthless Criticism of Everything Existing, was one of our favorites from last year, and this May, barely six months later, the activist MC is dropping yet another solo endeavor, No Wising Up, No Settling Down.
Melodic post-hardcore heavyweight Helms Alee is looking for your help. The former Hydra Head standout is planning to self-release (via its ROLF NESLUND label) its next album, Sleepwalking Sailors, and has taken to Kickstarter to judge demand.
So watch the band’s ridiculous pitch video (which highlights six years of Helms Alee goofiness) and then head over to Kickstarter to get in on the pre-sale. BUY THE ALBUM!
The San Francisco International Film Festival has made a tradition of assembling a live musical group each year to score a silent film. In the past, this has included artists like Stephen Merritt, Yo La Tengo, Deerhoof, and Black Francis. In 2013, the festival has put together an ensemble including Mike Patton (Faith No More), Scott Amendola (Nels Cline Singers), Matthias Bossi (Sleepytime Gorilla Museum), and William Winant (Mr. Bungle) to score the 1924 fantasy-horror classic Waxworks, directed by Paul Leni.
Marco Benevento: TigerFace (The Royal Potato Family, 9/11/12)
Though still within his melodic, keyboard-driven wheelhouse, the first two tracks on Marco Benevento’s TigerFace might have thrown fans for a loop last year. Featuring warm, poppy vocals from Rubblebucket’s Kalmia Traver, “Limbs of a Pine” and “This Is How It Goes” added a new wrinkle to Benevento’s catalog, showing what he can do with a strong front-woman.