News
Following the release of his debut album last year, Hawaiian-born, Long Beach-based songwriter Lionel Boy is back today with news of two new EPs. The first 'Up at 4' is out April 29th and the second 'Down at 8' is out June 17th via Innovative Leisure. The first single from 'Up at 4', "SHADOWBOXING" is streaming online now.
Speaking about the track, Lionel Boy said "I’ve been trying to write a song like 'SHADOWBOXING' for a long time. Something that would feel both nostalgic to me and new at the same time. When I first started playing music it was always the guitar riffs that grabbed my attention and I think the same happened with SHADOWBOXING. Growing up in Hawaii, you automatically take things slower. No rush, no worries...until you piss someone off, then they’ll go 0 to 100. We’re both quick to relax and quick to rush in. This song isn’t about one thing in particular, but some observations I’ve made in myself and in those back home. I know a lot of us are just dealing with our own things, fighting our own demons...shadowboxing."
Iguana Death Cult release the B-Side to their limited edition 7" vinyl Future Monuments
“Artificial Afterlife contemplates over the possibility of assuring life after death by the means of technology. It could be the perfect soundtrack to waking up in a computer generated walhalla where your consciousness got uploaded to. Zuckerberg, if you read this, get in touch.”
Roscoe is a road dog. The 14-year-old Boston Terrier has been there for the whole ride of Mapache, Clay Finch and Sam Blasucci’s band, which has grown from being the casual project of two longtime buds to one of the most formidable cosmic-folk acts around. “Roscoe’s been through a lot of shit,” says Blasucci, the dog’s formal owner. “He’s been all around the country, come on tour a little bit.” With some bemused pride, Finch points out that, for a few years, he and Blasucci bunked together in a room in the Echo Park neighborhood of Los Angeles that was just big enough to fit two twin beds. “It was the two of us and the dog,” he laughs.
“If the Everly Brothers cruised back from a high desert road trip and landed at County Line beach and cracked a beer to watch the sunset – you’d have these guys...Mapache’s chemistry is undeniable and their creative circle seems to be flourishing.” — KCRW
“Quintessentially laid-back. This is Sunday morning music, best experienced within walking distance of Big Sur or Joshua Tree.” — UNCUT
“Medicine for the soul.” — Shindig
"Cosmic California Country." — THE CURRENT
Iguana Death Cult release their new single "Future Moments." March 15th will see the release of "Artificial Afterlife" which is the b side on a 7" by Rotterdam-based label Spazz Records.
At the beginning of 2020, everything seemed to be going well for Iguana Death Cult. Their second album Nude Casino was released via Innovative Leisure and received great reviews, a festival summer full of shows was planned with an additional 7 week tour in the United States. Until the pandemic threw a spanner in the works. "When the pandemic started, it took a while before we could motivate ourselves to start making music again. After pulling ourselves out of the creative vacuum, we started looking for a continuation of our musical identity." - Says guitarist Tobias Opschoor.
"Future Monuments" and "Artificial Afterlife" are the first songs where keyboardist/percussionist Jimmy de Kok was actively involved in the writing process since joining the band in 2019. This involvement has resulted in synth parts being intensely present in both songs, which is new for the band.
The new single "Future Monuments" deals with the question who the heroes of our future will be and how fast their statues will get torn down again. Frontman Jeroen Reek explains: “In a world as polarized as this, it’s pretty hard to tell I think. There are a lot of false, yet persuasive messiahs out there preaching their way into the minds of people that are looking for answers, for something to hold on to in this confusing day and age. It’s hard to not fall prey to these charlatans, to separate the wheat from the chaff when it comes to picking our leaders. This worries us. We made the song sound big and heroic so it feels like a proper epos”
"The music video is about the urge to transcend and leave a legacy. Why don't we all become a portrait? Why don't we all quit our jobs and follow our dreams? Why don't we all become statues? It takes guts to stop the wheel we are living in. Despite the fields of concrete, we cannot see beyond one block. Maybe it's time we all went back into the woods." - says Hector Garcia Martin, who made the clip.
"Open Channels," the bonus track taken from the vinyl version of BADBADNOTGOOD's album Talk Memory. Purchase the vinyl of Talk Memory here.