Who says there are no second acts in American entertainment? Not Carol Kleyn, that's for sure! Exhilarated by the reissue of her self-released 1976 album Love Has Made me Stronger (now available in every going format except cassette), Carol's hitting the road to play some shows and sell some records just like she did in the old days - literally! There are no club shows booked and Carol will be playing outside for the local population with no discrimination. Of course, they didn't... (read more)

Mmmmm - it's a steamy Friday night in Chicagoland. Betcha got some plans that include cold beers and even colder rails of c'caine! Well - cancel 'em! We got something that'll knock you even stiffer than whatever contraband you're sitting on - the grand return of David Berman to the podium for his first public appearance for several years now! Since folding the tent on the much-beloved Silver Jews back in 2009, David's kept a fairly low profile, keeping public appearances to a minimum. Even... (read more)

Hey cowboy - where you goin'? You don't know, you're just living for today. Can't even remember what happened to you back in May, can you? Think real hard...."Yesterday's gone and it's better forgotten," is that what you heard? You're getting warm, but don't believe everything you hear sung. That lyric that's guiding your life right now is from the one and only Mickey Newbury, whose music we're working to revive (alongside the great good people of Saint Cecelia Knows). Back in May,... (read more)

When we unearthed the rare shaving of American hardcore that is the Crisis of Conformity 7", we knew we'd really scraped the bottom of the slam-dance anthems barrel. Let's face it, the 80s scene was ripe with spikey, straight-edge, cookie-cutter bull-shit. Most of the good schtuff has long been issued, reissued and remastered ad nauseum! We were semi-confident in the sounds, but you never know... Happily, the first Crisis of Conformity pressing sold out in a week, reaffirming our blown out eardrums still recognize a... (read more)

Hey man, it's Friday, so it's pretty obv you're spending yer nite inside, watching the boob toob. Can't fool us! Now that we've proven to know you so well, listen up: the only shit worth watching is Ty Segall on FUEL TV this eve! Boioioioing! Hey, whose boner is that? Whatever. Uh huh, Ty Segall makes TV history at 11PM tonight on the adrenalized cable/satellite station, ripping through tuneage from his latest and greatest longplayer, Goodbye Bread. What will he wear? Will he have... (read more)

LATELY AND GREATLY

So what have you been up to lately, nothing? That’s cool…well as for us, lately we’ve noticed people looking at us funny. Like they’re sort of expecting something. Like they’re saying, go ahead, Drag City – act the fool! Say something stupid and then offer us a record. Yeah, put out another bunch of records while you’re at it. Churn them out of your military-industrial cervix, why don’t you? Like we’re some kind of predictable force in this world. It rankles, it... (read more)

Sophia Knapp just can't sit still! Must have something to do with the weird weather we've been having this year, huh? It's really hard to say; we're having trouble determining what's up from down, what's real and what's a mirage... where is the horizon, anyway? Can it be reached? Are we at its precipice? Wow, today just got scary.. but fear not, friend! One month removed from the latest Cliffie Swan release, Memories Come True, Sophia Knapp brings us back from the brink with... (read more)

Doncha ever wonder whether all musicians really are lazy and pretentious, looking for any possibility to work at nothing all day? Well judging from what we see in our insider position, we're here to tell you that's all bullshit. Look at Bill Callahan: dude's been on tour for weeks without a break, wearing that suit night after night, and what does he do when he sees a day off on the schedule? Tells his tour manager to book a fucking show, that's what! Tonight,... (read more)

Now that the audiobook Victory Chimp, A Book has made it to the street from which it came, Neil Hagerty and his Howling Hex are cleaning up after the party that the last two years of research, recording and remixing represented - a sensible process, since revisiting this text meant unpacking two-plus decades of cultural detritus and reanimating certain aspects of the same in new disembodied forms to support the reading of the text (all by seasoned pros, don't worry). As we have raved and... (read more)

UPDATE: Sirius XM Outlaw Country DJ Steve Earle celebrates the late, great Mickey Newbury and the release of the new box set "An American Trilogy" on his "Hardcore Troubadour Radio" show on Saturday 9 pm ET and replaying on Sunday 9 am ET. Tune In!

Aha, remember when Waylon Jennings had a TV show? Remember what TV is? This was way back in 1995, back when dial-up was still a thing. Back then, when we still needed tangible media. Life was slower back then and... (read more)