The Witzard

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard's "Black Hot Soup" (DJ Shadow "My Own Reality" Re-Write) Video Still This past Friday, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard have released a new single and music video for "Black Hot Soup" (DJ Shadow "My Own Reality" Re-Write) from their forthcoming remix album. Following last month's "Neu Butterfly" (Peaches Remix) and "Shanghai" (Dub By The Scientist,) King Gizzard continue their star-studded remix streak with "Black Hot Soup" (DJ Shadow "My Own Reality" Re-Write) and expand on it with an accompanying video directed by John Angus Stewart, starring iconic Australian author, satirist, radio presenter, and documentary-maker John Safran and featuring appearances from Alkiviadis Grapsas & John Dimoulas. "'Black Hot Soup" is an almost perfect way to describe the world as we know it in the present. A bubbling, thick, sticky, confusing angry place th

Last Friday, on New Year's Eve, while most people were either getting ready to party (or pre-gaming!) Pirates Press Records released the A-side to The Drowns' upcoming yelloe 7-inch single, "Know Who You Are," which is streaming now, as well. Said 7-inch is, also, available now on the Pirates Press Records web-store and officially comes out later this month. The aforementioned track is, of course, a cover of the legendary Slade and the B-side features a new original track called "Guidelines of Control." The Seattle Rock "N" Roll purists have never been shy to readily acknowledge their influences and, since Day One, Slade has been high up on that list. To quote The Drowns' guitarist/co-vocalist Aaron "Rev" Peters, "their energy and Rock "N" Roll sound is nothing short of pure sonic truth." The minute The Drowns started jamming "Know Who You Are" in-studio, they knew it was going to be great and FUN

William Ryan Key (CREDIT: Acacia Evans) Sometimes, those steps sideways are the most impactful. Former Yellowcard vocalist and rhythm guitarist William Ryan Key continues to challenge, not only his fans, but, also, himself with a slight right turn for his third solo EP, Everything Except Desire. Propelling him further into uncharted musical territory with a more Experimental sound, this EP, also, marks a new beginning for the multi-instrumentalist: he has inked a new record deal with seminal Indie label Equal Vision Records. "Ever since I started making my own music, I think, I've been searching for what became Everything Except Desire," says Key about his new EP. Textured with multi-layered soundscapes incorporating lush pastoral washes of piano, strings, and synths, the music heard across Everything Except Desire evokes emotions through complex song structures that show Key's passion for experimentation. A sonic exploration of emotions and the journey to fin

Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band, Live 2016 (SOURCE: Flea Market Funk) Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band (BRSB,) the mysterious steel pan outfit hailing from Hamburg, Germany, have amassed a cult following around the globe. With a slew of classic 7-inches and two critically-acclaimed full-length albums, they set a high bar for themselves, one they clearly intend on pushing even higher with this new offering. On their third album, aptly-titled Expansions, BRSB are back with more of the same, but more of the same with them is inherently different. Covering songs that span genres and range from mega-hits to deep album cuts, they make them their own with their unique approach to the traditional steel pans of Trinidad and Tobago. Part of the allure of a new record from Bacao is finding out what covers they chose. However, die-hard fans are, also, waiting to hear the original numbers, like the stellar album opener "Tough Victory." Its air-tight rhythm section, brass arrangements, and

Ryan Taylor Swinging (CREDIT: Mark Champion) Ryan Taylor is the frontman of both Liberty & Justice and Trash Magz. Taylor owns and operates his very own Houston, Texas-based business, East End Barber. He has previously made music with the likes of Black Coffee, The Burden, Clean Break, Grave Robbers, I Am Wolf, Ten Crowns, Thug Boots, Titan Blood, and Your Mistake. Since Liberty & Justice without a doubt hand-crafted one of our favorite releases of 2021 (we're not making a year-end list!) with PRESSURE, we figured we would ask Taylor about his top releases from this year. Scroll down to learn all about Ryan's Top 20 of 2021. Liberty & Justice's PRESSURE is now available on Contra Records/Death Exclamations! TRASH MAGZ's debut full-length, Give Me The Beat, is now available on streaming services with a physical release coming soon on Death Exclamations! "What can I say about 2021? Less hunkering down and more anxiety in crowds, I suppose. Did you kn

Punchline have been sporadically sharing sonic stocking stuffers since about 2003-04. It all started with one of our personal favorite holiday tunes, "Icicles," from Immortal Records beloved 2003 Christmas comp. A Santa Cause: It's A Punk Rock Christmas. Punchline's track is a hidden gem on the back half of this sprawling 21-track compilation featuring the likes of Something Corporate, blink-182, Fall Out Boy, New Found Glory, and The Mighty Mighty BossToneS. Just a few years back, Punchline told The Story of "Icicles" within an exclusive behind-the-scenes/making-of music video uploaded by bass guitarist and founding member Christopher Fafalios during the 2019 holiday season. Through the years, Punchline have released yuletide Christmas offerings roughly every two to four years. Holiday EP by Punchline They've collectively been a bit hard to find, released on various hard-to-find comps. digital singles and EP's, or relatively rare depths of T