The debut solo album by Mike Polizze finds the Purling Hiss frontman stepping out from behind the wall of guitar noise into the bright sunshine. Performed entirely by Polizze with longtime friend Kurt Vile (largely live and acoustic), this intimate Philadelphia affair clarifies the bittersweet earworm melodicism of Dizzy Polizzy’s songwriting, revealing bona fide folk-pop chops. It finally harvests the wild local honey from the buzzing hive of Hiss.
We’re thrilled to partner with our friends at Uncut Magazine on a series of lockdown sessions with James Elkington, Itasca, Jake Xerxes Fussell, and Michael Chapman. All four artists have taped the sessions live from their respective lockdown retreats, exclusively for Uncut.
Today, Ever-Roving Eye, the great new record by James Elkington (and Uncut’s Album of the Month, “an outstanding record from a humble collaborator”), is available digitally and via direct orders from our webstore and Bandcamp. The physical album will be out in record stores and via other mailorders on May 22.
Today—which is just another day and also, somehow, the edge of a dark precipice—Nap Eyes release their beautiful new record Snapshot of a Beginner into the world. It’s a record that asks deceptively big questions in deceptively small ways, which is a scale we need now.
In which the homie Brad Labelle, distinguished Nap Eyes shredder and lovely guy, discusses his favorite guitar solos, among which is mentor/producer/colleague James Elkington’s solo from “Late Jim’s Lament:
“His solo here is probably the best acoustic guitar solo I’ve ever heard. He’s an endlessly inspiring musician/person and I’m honored to have him as a mentor. You can also catch him ripping it up live in the Jeff Tweedy band.”
Like you, we are feeling powerless and scared. So we’d like to do what we can, in our small way, to encourage your homebodying by helping to provide some discounted quarantine entertainment. Playing records at home is a safe way to combat anxiety and avoid the endless media churn. It’s always a substantive way to support the artists whose livelihoods are threatened by the many necessary tour and festival cancellations. So through Friday, March 27, use the coupon code STAYHOME on the PoB webstore or Bandcamp for 25% off everything. Also, Jake Xerxes Fussell’s first LP is back in print!
The mesmerizing video, directed by Antoine Lahaie, was inspired by films like Blade Runner and Under The Skin. Following their current dates with Destroyer, Nap Eyes will tour across Europe and North America in support of Snapshot of a Beginner.
“Late Jim’s Lament” is a white-knuckled nightmare about being late (because he’s rarely on time) and about being “late” (because of an even greater fear of being dead before he gets everything done). The beguiling video, directed by Timothy Musho, was inspired by surrealism and stop motion classics of Jan Svankmajer and Terry Gilliam.
In the proud tradition of improvisatory, languidly unfolding self-interrogative Nap Eyes songs—like Socratic dialogues between Nigel and Nigel—comes “So Tired,” the opening track on Snapshot of a Beginner. Check out the lyric video and tour dates with Destroyer and Itasca.
Many thanks to John Lingan for writing a moving, fine-grained profile of Terry Allen and Jo Harvey Allen for the the Washington Post Magazine. Thanks also to the New York Times’ T: The Style Magazine for highlighting Moby Dick. Plus, watch Terry perform a rare, intimate house show produced by The Florida Room and premiered by the Wire and hear the Panhandle Mystery Band’s live session on KUTX.
