News

What if a sophisticated composer had scored a 70’s prison-break flick where the escape never happens, and instead just slowly amplifies the internal turmoil and existential dread of everyday life, Morricone style? No need to speculate: Emil Amos' latest single, "Zone Black", does just that! The melancholy moog flute/synth enabled with conservatory-style guitars and an elastic bounce hybridizes disparate moods, flexing into a new kind of library music.

Utilizing elements from classic television and film soundtracks of the 20th century and informed by... (read more)

The Bish is back! Sir Richard Bishop has dug deeper into his bag of extra-musical gestures from the eternal and unknowable, along with a few sounds we might recognize, all transmuted for our mortal ears’ enjoyment. Preparing that luggage and embarking out on the trail, SRB has announced he'll be touring across the country (and Canada!) this August through September.

The upcoming tour promises to showcase the breadth and depth of Sir Rick's musical prowess! Folks in each city can expect an eclectic repertoire, featuring... (read more)

Recorded in 1995 and 1996, mostly in John Fahey’s room at a Salem, Oregon boardinghouse, the performances on Proofs and Refutations prefigure the ornery turn of the page that marked Fahey’s final years, drawing another enigmatic rabbit from his seemingly bottomless musical hat.

Right out of the gate, Fahey re-materializes before us, somewhere between Oracle of Delphi and Clown Prince at Olympus. Portions of this material appeared on obscure late ‘90s vinyl in the 7” or double-78 rpm format, but as a... (read more)

Roll the tape! Rock and roll! Roll whatever you got, if you got ‘em! It’s time to take your trip to Prison. You think you're ready to go Upstate? Nah...you’re not. Unless - are you ready to set yourself free, no matter what the consequences? Cause if you are, then yeah, you’re ready to party with Prison.

Prison is a state of mind, an experience, a loose collective, a band made up of a bunch of psychedelic dudes who aren’t... (read more)

Back from the silence is P.G. Six, with their first proper album since 2011’s Starry Mind. Introducing Murmurs & Whispers.

After five releases in the first decade of P.G. Six, it may seem a bit of a surprise to have not heard something new in the past twelve years — but Pat Gubler has been keeping busy as ever in his expanding musical universe. He’s been active since the mid-90s, first with Memphis Luxure and Tower Recordings, then as... (read more)

Mayo Thompson and the Corky Band are adding more shows, this time on the West Coast! With a NYC date already in place, Mayo Thompson will also be performing Corky's Debt To His Father in both Los Angeles and San Francisco later this August.

Celebrate over fifty years of Corky's Debt To His Father this summer and get your tickets fast!

TOUR DATES:

8/12/23 at (le) poisson rouge in New York, NY
8/30 at The Chapel in San Francisco,... (read more)

The cosmic journey of Wand will commence this July in a place where the vibrations are sure to align, and the music will flow like a river of sound! That's right, Wand are heading out on a tour of the American (and Canadian!) west.

Immerse yourself in the boundless magic of live music as Wand take the stage in nine cities, entwining together their ever-evolving sound and a deep reverence for the improvisational spirit. Like the pioneers who came before them, Wand embrace... (read more)

Drag City is excited to introduce Resolve, the first release of new music from Arnold Dreyblatt & The Orchestra of Excited Strings since 2002.

Dreyblatt’s minimalist conception - a rhythmic drone played on a double-bass strung with piano wire, playing in concert with other stringed instruments performing in 20 unequal microtones per octave and changing key but keeping the same fundamental pitch - dates back to the 1970s, while he studied under La Monte Young and Pauline Oliveros. Resolve acts in... (read more)

Emil Amos' forthcoming Zone Black album is a fully inhabitable world, its episodic narrative divided into an improbable balance between morbid ambient anthems and insouciant hip-hop instrumentals. Emil hadn’t heard it done quite this way before, so he took it upon himself. And it sounds real!

Straight out of Madlib’s kitchen sink, and with a sense of brooding dread, "Jealous Gods" features throbbing beats, low synth paired with high vocal melody, layered together into something even more impossibly bizarre than the sum of... (read more)

Rust never sleeps and neither does Bonnie 'Prince' Billy! With the recent announcement of the forthcoming Keeping Secrets Will Destroy You and his impending summer tour dates, the Prince has more revelations up his sleeve to share.

This upcoming November, Bonny will be collaborating with the esteemed Jon Langford (Mekons, Waco Brothers, Bright Shiners) on a tour of select venues dotted across the Northeast! Featuring a carefully curated set that combines their individual repertoires and showcases their unique styles, this harmonious... (read more)