ALBUM REVIEW: Duff McKagan – Lighthouse


 

Duff McKagan is an interesting character. Having released his first solo album in 1993, a big gap followed till 2019’s Tenderness, with Lighthouse (BFD Records /Orchard/Sony) his third. This of course is but a fraction of McKagan’s musical story. Consistently coming across as the most likeable out of the classic Guns N’ Roses lineup (in which he played bass and for his part was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame), such a rock pedigree is already more than most mere mortals would ever get a sniff at.

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ALBUM REVIEW: Soothsayer Orchestra – The Last Black Flower


 

Until his untimely death in February of 2022 there were few singers who could match the gruff, forlorn weariness of Mark Lanegan. But while the world won’t be able to look forward to a new release from the former Screaming Trees frontman in 2023, on The Last Black Flower (Lay Bare Recordings) the second album by Soothsayer Orchestra, the spirit of Lanegan is ever-present.

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Screaming Trees Bassist and Co-Founder Van Conner has Died


Founding Screaming Trees bassist Van Conner has died. He was just 55. No cause of death has been revealed. The news of his passing was announced in a Facebook post by Van’s brother, Screaming Trees guitarist Gary Lee Conner. You can see Gary Lee’s post below. Screaming Trees was the second band from the Connor brothers, who started as punks and lovers of Psychedelic Rock in the early 1980s, before co-founding Screaming Trees with singer Mark Lanegan and drummer Mark Pickerel. Lanegan died last February at age 57. The band would later become a breakout band from Seattle, in the “Grunge” explosion, along with Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Alice In Chains, Soundgarden, Mudhoney, Melvins, and more. Screaming Trees album Sweet Oblivion catapulted the band with three hit singles, including “Nearly Lost You” – which was also on the Singles soundtrack, and led to the band touring the world and performing on Lollapalooza. RIP.

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ALBUM REVIEW: Isafjord – Hjartastjaki


Hjartastjaki (Svart) is an almost cinematic experience, as Isafjord create bleak and desolate landscape pictures with their sombre atmospheric music. The duo of Solstafir vocalist Addi Tryggvason and multi-instrumentalist Ragnar Zolberg (Sign) wrote the album while holed up together in an old house, during the depths of an icy winter and using a broken piano to start many of their ideas.

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Local H Shares “Brandy (You’re A Fine Girl)” from Their Upcoming Covers Album


Alt-rock legends Local H have shared an awesome cover of 1970s classic Looking Glass’s track “Brandy (You’re A Fine Girl” from their forthcoming covers album: Local H’s Awesome Quarantine Mix-Tape #3. The album is releasing October 8th 2021 on Brutal Panda. The album is the third in the series of covers and gives a nod to the mixtapes in Marvel’s Guardians of The Galaxy! The new album features two different covers of Prince’s “When Doves Cry,” and they’ve also taken on songs from Fountains Of Wayne, Blondie, the Kinks, Mark Lanegan, Eurythmics, and Robert Plant. The band is hitting the road with fellow 1990s icons Soul Asylum, and Juliana Hatfield. Check out “Brandy (You’re A Fine Girl)” right now!

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Korn, Metallica, Mastodon, Billy Corgan to Pay Tribute to Alice In Chains at MoPop Awards Ceremony


Alice In Chains is being honored by Seattle’s MoPop Museum of Pop Culture on December 1st, and the band will be celebrated by a cadre of their peers, as well as hold their first performance of 2020. Korn, Metallica, Mastodon, Billy Corgan of Smashing Pumpkins, Dave Navarro of Jane’s Addiction, and Krist Novoselic of Nirvana are among the artists who will take part in virtual tribute performances when AIC is presented with this year’s Museum Of Pop Culture (MoPOP) Founders Award. The full list of presenters (virtually) is listed below. Continue reading


Cult of Luna Announces New EP “The Raging River” Featuring Mark Lanegan


Post-Metal leaders Cult of Luna has announced a new EP, The Raging River via Red Creek (http://www.red-crk.com) – the band’s newly created record label, which will be physically distributed by Metal Blade Records (in North America) and Season of Mist (in Europe). The EP features a guest appearance by Mark Lanegan (solo, Mad Season, Screaming Trees). New music coming soon. Pre-orders are live at the link below.

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GUEST POST: Adrienne Davies of Earth – Favorite Albums of 2019


 

Here is yet another Ghost Cult “End Of Year” Guest post! We’ll be sharing lists, memories, and other shenanigans from our favorite bands, partners, music industry peers, and other folks we respect across the globe. Adrienne Davies, drummer and artist non-parallel of Earth has shared her shortlist of faves from 2019 with us. Earth released their immense new classic Full Upon Her Burning Lips in May via Sargent House and we chatted with her and Dylan Carlson in New York to discuss the album and their career. Check out her picks! Continue reading


EXCLUSIVE STREAM: Domkraft Streams New EP – “Slow Fidelity”


Ghost Cult is proud to present the brand new EP from psychedelic Doom Metal legends Domkraft, Slow Fidelity, out tomorrow via Blues Funeral Recordings. The band joins fellow Stoner and Doom luminaries in the Post Wax series such as Elder, Spotlights, Lowrider and more. The three-song EP is pure Domkraft: patient, righteously grooving, and heavy as all hell. In addition, these great new songs feature the ponderous final track ‘This Is Where We Part Ways’. With its hypnotic vibe and contributions from three heavy music masters; guest vocal contributions from Mark Lanegan Lea Alazam of Besvarjelsen and Marty of Slomatics, you get a mammoth tune. This is one of the most essential releases in the genre this year. Domkraft is fresh off of their star turn at the Magnetic Eye Records’ “Day of Doom” showcase at Saint Vitus Bar in Brooklyn, one of many highlight performances that night. Purchase and stream the EP right now, exclusively at Ghost Cult! Continue reading


REVIEW: Psycho Las Vegas 2019 – Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino


As far as large multi-day fests go, Psycho Las Vegas is still pretty wet behind the ears having only just had their fourth annual incarnation this August but already it has begun growing into what will likely continue to be the summer juggernaut of partying and music. New this year, to the dismay of many, was the location change from the off the strip and perfectly themed haunt, The Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, to the megaplex that is Mandalay Bay. Gone is the feeling of a true fest take over and in its place, a sprawling amalgamation of “psychos” and people from any town USA or abroad there simply to gamble, throw pre-wedding bashes, get drunk or maybe attend a conference (*ahem* “conference”). Once everyone got their bearings and navigated through this corporate mega casino/hotel/shopping mall, pushed back a few drinks or whatever preferred substances they were into, and found the locations of the four stages, the complaining ebbed and instead, people experienced the fest for what it is. A gigantic party with a great combination of bands playing for four days.Continue reading