Slowdive - Everything Is Alive

The pre-sale in LA was only for the first night and a tiny number of tickets were made available. I tried, but it quickly sold out.

Looks like I will miss the LA shows. :Sadface:

If Shanty doesn’t have a bunch of bearded fishermen in chunky sweaters I’m going to be very disappointed.

Sounded great at Glastonbury

Ummm so either this band is a lot more popular in the States than I realized, or they booked too-small venues. The Cleveland show sold out in like ten minutes.

ha yeah, Denver is the same ... and yes, they should probably be playing places twice the size?

New song is gorgeous and sounds like some of the 00s/10s bands that took influence from Slowdive, kind of a full circle thing. Strong tune plus Neil and Rachel's voices plus those guitars... can't wait for the album

New song is really growing on me. Got my ticket for Chicago (still available, BTW). I'm so psyched!

how was the Glastonbury set?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p0ftbbgd/glastonbury-slowdive

Crap, sold out in SF. Alas. Glad I saw them for the s/t tour at least

Agreed there! But I'll make my way into that show yet.

aw, was hoping for a few more new tracks in the Glastonbury set... they're being coy!

I think both LA shows are sold out. When I checked last they only had $200 tickets for the second night.

Gotta admit, this song is indistinguishable from 500 other bands that bang around the gazey landfill of the last 5 years. Full circle? Maybe, but it wish it had ANY personality.

I saw them just before they released the s/t, I think maybe it was at the Mayan in downtown LA. Absolutely great. Really kinda floored me, as did that album. Getting the sense I won't see them this time around, but glad they're selling out the venues.

Disagree that "Kisses" has no personality. Next to the flangy guitars, I clearly hear the singer of Mojave 3 and no one else. (The synthesis of those two strands of Halstead's career is a nice touch on the 2017 record and now this.)

That said, this was presumably chosen as the first promotional track because it is straightforward pop. I'm curious to see how challenging the other tracks are, since the press release mentions electronic experimentation.

second show added on Oct 16 in SF. hyped to see them again.

Oh nice! On sale now?

Answering my own question: yes they are! Thanks for the tip, just got GA floor.

ehh, I find the new song completely forgettable. Like something he'd write in his sleep.

Nice I'll be there as well!

Babe wake up new slowdive

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWtlDuzHc4g

Liking this one better than the first single. Love the guitar sound.

listening to these new songs while it thunderstorms outside… bliss

I really like this one. It's a lot more instant than Kisses. His voice sounds a bit like Alasdair from The Clientele on it.

This is great, this album might even be better than the last one.

this one's much better than "kisses"

Much better than kisses but still..

interesting track although the chorus vocal sounds like a pisstake. The guitar part sounds like the first EP!

Yeah not fully sold on the vocals but guitars sound amazing

Saw their gig last night, brilliant show, they are an absolute powerhouse live (loud!). Weirdly they only played “kisses” from the upcoming record—I was half-expecting some more new tracks but I guess they’ll add them to the setlist for the autumn run of shows, once the album is out? Rachel stole the audience’s hearts btw

New song next week: The Slab

The Slab.

Coming next week. pic.twitter.com/HNSBYRyNSx

— Slowdive (@slowdiveband) August 4, 2023

It’s out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AiQUd6F6_kw

Alright, this is the first track that offers the more ambient, electronic stylings that the press release augured. I admit, I didn’t expect Slowdive 2023 to sound like Seefeel 1993. Still, nothing at all wrong with this tune and I still look forward to the album.

That is about fifty times better than “Kisses” and now I’m keen to hear the album

I just hope that the album is released in a digital format that isn’t brickwalled like this YT upload. Rachel Goswell is famously partly deaf, and the other members are getting on in years. Hopefully they listened to younger engineers who could ensure some room to breathe in the tracks.

yeah this is definitely the best so far

They are releasing a third song from an album of eight? I'm going to wait to hear the full album.

Sadly the mastering on iTunes download is as awful as on YouTube, one of the loudest files in my library.

Waveform of The Slab is literally a slab. Maybe it’s conceptual.

Rachel Goswell is famously partly deaf, and the other members are getting on in years.

Jesus, they're only in their early fifties. This isn't the Rolling Stones we're talking about!

they're of a generation that should hate brickwalling since they know what a real mastering job sounds like

Jesus, they're only in their early fifties.

As anyone in their early fifties could tell you, one’s ears aren’t what they were in one’s twenties or thirties. And all those changes in hearing are well known even for ordinary people, let alone members of a loud concert scene.

I'm in that age bracket myself, and while my ears' frequency range certainly isn't what it once was, I am still plenty capable of discerning a brickwall-limiter job from something with decent dynamic range. I just think it's kind of presumptuous to imply that Halstead and co. can't tell the difference any more?

Alex Lifeson brickwalled Rush’s Vapor Trails album at the age of 49. It seems a reasonable presumption that any rock artists are going to need younger ears to serve as a check.

really love all three of the advance tracks, i listen to them every day

I don't think younger ears would really help with brickwalling, it's more just a question of realizing it sounds like shit and you should allow for some headroom for dynamics

Apparently there's an ATMOS mix of this?

https://thequietus.com/articles/33300-slowdive-rachel-goswell-interview-favourite-music

(the thing that jumped out at me from this is neil having to pawn his guitar)

Anaheim
Moreno Valley
Pomona
Moreno Valley
Anaheim

2 hours 30 minutes
170 Miles

Not going to Kraftwerk, unfortunately, going to fewer shows these days. Sad, because it's one of the funniest things in life.

anything other than Outside Lands?

I know I saw them listed for something else -- and not around the same time either, which was kinda odd but interesting.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1MB86_2PyM

I'm surprised they're even doing Outside lands; they're in Sweden two nights before and then back to Portugal two nights after. Crazy schedule!

slowdive more like quickflight

i assume they're renting or borrowing equipment for the SF gig

(worth the watch)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmSrHCUBLQ0

holy shit the version of "When the Sun Hits" there is IMMENSE

I was looking at the members names of 90s shoegaze bands a while ago and it seemed like a lot of them had names like "Scaz, Biv and Smithy". But when I think on it there's a lot of british musicians in the 80s-90s with short names (presumably nicknames): Lol, Loz, Gaz, Bez, Boz... I'm sure there's a lot more.

There was a drummer for Swervedriver named Jez

Since Morrisey was nicknamed Moz, I like to think Boz Boorer's real first name is Borrisey.

not many "biff"s in this scene iirc. breaking the three letter format, not welcome.

Related - here's a recent-ish interview with three-latter named Slowdive drummer Ian McCutcheon
https://wordsontape.com/remembering-the-view-ian-mccutcheon

Saw them on Monday night (sounded great but i was stuck between two tall guys so could hardly see them playing). My ears perked up during the pre-set music, when they played this lovely shoegazy tune that sounded very Slowdive influenced. Shazamed it and it turns out it came out in 1984. For your enjoyment

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKFI8KS97vk

Probably from this: https://www.discogs.com/master/1572284-Various-Fingertracks-Vol-1?

Livestreaming a festival show from Bilbao next Saturday July 13 on Arte & their youtube channel probably: https://www.arte.tv/fr/videos/120718-014-A/slowdive/

(last Thursday's show at Rock Werchter is on Youtube but it won't be there long probably, someone ripped the livestream)

fascinating how 2 shows 9 days apart can sound so different

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2_Iqv2xkOU

https://www.arte.tv/en/videos/120718-014-A/slowdive/

first one : werchter, july 4th, second one: bilbao, july 13th

Full gig in Bilbao last week. They sound great but what's noteworthy is that the gig is during the day so you can actually see what's going on.
https://www.arte.tv/fr/videos/120718-014-A/slowdive/

Thanks!

Midwest/East Coast tour announced:

Sun. Nov. 10 - St. Augustine, FL @ St Augustine Amphitheatre
Mon. Nov. 11 - Charleston, SC @ The Refinery
Tue. Nov. 12 - Raleigh, NC @ The Ritz
Thu. Nov. 14 - Richmond, VA @ The National
Fri. Nov. 15 - Philadelphia, PA @ Franklin Music Hall
Sun. Nov. 17 - Washington, DC @ The Anthem
Mon. Nov. 18 -Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Paramount
Thu. Nov 21 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Stage AE
Fri. Nov. 22 - Columbus, OH @ KEMBA Live! Indoor Stage
Sat. Nov. 23 - Detroit, MI @ Royal Oak Music Theatre

Wow they are finally playing close enough to me that I can see them!! Now just to see if I can get tickets...

There will be a Live Nation pre-sale for select dates (use access code STRUM) starting on Thursday, July 25th ahead of the public on-sale on Friday, July 26th via Ticketmaster.

Thanks for the alert Ned, I was able to get artist presale tickets this morning for the FL show. Very very excited!

Have a blast!

an hour-long Arte studio performance + interview in November 2023 (with crowdsurfing)
https://www.arte.tv/en/videos/116751-000-A/slowdive/

Have to miss this go-round in Philly because I am giving a reading in NYC the same night. Rats!

Ask them to be your backing band and deliver it jazz beatnik style

I wish~!

Couple of new remixes to tie in with the American tour:

Daniel Avery:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x74pvHT3f_A

Grouper:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gD9rokyzLbA

okay the daniel avery mix is completely great

both are great!

Loving the Grouper version