Not to get all existential on you, dear reader, but Lightning Bolt, the Providence, Rhode Island-based noise outfit of Brian Chippendale and Brian Gibson, has been rocking and rolling all across the world for 25 years. When these cats got started, I was a wee lad getting up early before school to sip hot cocoa and watch Garfield (joke’s on you, though, because I still sip cocoa and watch Garfield).

More about: Lightning Bolt

To steal some words from a classic “Kids in the Hall” sketch, “Being the owner of a powerboat and speaking a little conversational French, I think it’s safe to say that I understand a little bit about the music industry.”

More about: Hen Ogledd, Richard Dawson

Kampala, Uganda-rooted arts institution and tireless popularizers of contemporary African music, Nyege Nyege, have announced two new releases on both of their in-house labels.

Jesus fucking Fuck, do I really even need to sell you on this?

• After coming back from the dead this past spring with White Stuff, their first LP in 19 years, Royal Trux have retreated back to the smart, lazy, high road and OUTSOURCED some shit.

• They signed-up Ariel Pink to re-work five songs from White Stuff, called the resulting EP Pink Stuff (DUH), and thew the first song up on the internet.

More about: Ariel Pink, Royal Trux

“Unexpected.”

“Vulnerable.”

“Introspective.”

These are just three of the zillion or so words used to describe Angel Olsen’s newly announced forthcoming album All Mirrors by the person(s) earning six-times as much money as me writing these bullshit press releases.

Here’s a few dozen more, though, from Olsen herself:

More about: Angel Olsen

Here’s a hot take for ya: listeners across the board severely underestimate the significance of liner notes and album art. Especially with the advent of music streaming services, how many people go about their day listening to music without having any idea that a release is actually adorned with a labelled penis or an image of a reinvigorated Crypt-Keeeper?

More about: Loraine James

What are you doing for the next 1.6 hrs or so? Oh, yeah? Wow. Sounds kinda important. DOESN’T MATTER. I now have you scheduled to listen to SOPHIE’s freshly-announced non-stop remix album of last year’s OIL OF EVERY PEARL’S UN-INSIDES (our #1 album of 2018, btw).

More about: SOPHIE