post punk
Magnolia Park: The Vamp Tour 2025
Alt-rockers Magnolia Park are hitting the road this spring with special guests Hot Milk, Savage Hands, and South Arcade. Tickets and VIP are on sale now at magnoliaparkband.com!
- 4/16 – Charlotte, NC – The Underground
- 4/17 – Atlanta, GA – Terminal West
- 4/18 – Orlando, FL – The Beacham
- 4/19 – Ft. Lauderdale, FL – Culture Room
- 4/22 – Baltimore, MD – Baltimore Soundstage
- 4/23 – Philadelphia, PA – Union Transfer
- 4/25 – Hartford, CT – Webster Underground
- 4/26 – Boston, MA – Paradise Rock Club
- 4/27 – New York, NY – Gramercy Theatre
- 4/29 – Richmond, VA – Canal Club
- 5/1 – Detroit, MI – Saint Andrew’s Hall
- 5/2 – Pittsburgh, PA – Mr. Smalls Theatre
- 5/3 – Cleveland, OH – The Roxy
- 5/4 – Toronto, ON – Lee’s Palace
- 5/6 – Chicago, IL – Concord Music Hall
- 5/7 – Minneapolis, MN – Fine Line
- 5/9 – Lawrence, KS – The Bottleneck
- 5/10 – Denver, CO – Summit
- 5/11 – Salt Lake City, UT – Soundwell
- 5/13 – Seattle, WA – El Corazón
- 5/14 – Portland, OR – Star Theater
- 5/16 – Roseville, CA – Goldfield Trading Post
- 5/17 – Los Angeles, CA – Echoplex
- 5/18 – Phoenix, AZ – Walter Studios
- 5/20 – Dallas, TX – Trees
Song of the Day – Sinclair Noire: “Vampire Drowns”
Interview: Revolution Rabbit Deluxe
Revolution Rabbit Deluxe is a Welsh band that expertly blends a multitude of genres, ranging from power pop and Brit rock to alternative/indie and punk. This four-piece outfit has carried the late 70s/early 80s punk rock and new wave movements into modern times, laying bare their growth and musical maturation with each release. So far, Revolution Rabbit Deluxe has given us four albums – Swipe Left (2019), Myths and Fables (2020), The Great Divide (2022), and Control Freaks (2023).
I recently had the opportunity to chat with the band about their history, influences, writing process, and much more!
***
Mostly Music: First and foremost, how did Revolution Rabbit Deluxe get its start? And what is the story behind the band’s name?
Ant: The band originally met at a social group based around music for people with mental health issues. We released our first four CDs before a lineup change as several members needed to drop out due to other commitments. Now the band comprises: Lee – drums; Max – lead guitar; Jim – bass; and Ant – vocals and guitar. Ant, the only original member, has Asperger’s, both a blessing and a curse.
The name Revolution Rabbit Deluxe came to me while I was driving. I’ve had a lifetime love of rabbits and was playing with words that conjured humorous images. Transposing a rabbit face over the famous Che Guevara poster made me laugh, so I knew Revolution Rabbit was the name for me. I added the deluxe part to set us apart in some way. The name has nothing to do with certain adult entertainment aids.
MM: Funnily enough, now I have the image of Che Guevara with a rabbit face. So thanks for that… Did you all come from similar musical backgrounds – shared influences and the like – or did y’all have to find a way to blend several different styles?
Max: As a kid, I grew up on a diet of 60s and 70s classic rock and pop, then got into alternative rock, punk, grunge, and metal as a teenager. Although I’ve been playing guitar for longer, most of my previous experience in bands was as the drummer, so I’m more interested in incorporating rhythmic expression and simple melodic lines in my guitar playing rather than overly complex solos. When I joined RRD, I learnt that Ant (Rev Rabbit) and I shared a love of stuff like Pixies, Sonic Youth, Nirvana and Smashing Pumpkins so those influences are probably the strongest ones in there.
Jim: I had an eclectic upbringing as far as musical influences are concerned- my parents were huge fans of Max Bygraves and similar vocal artists but my Norwegian grandmother turned me on to the 90’s black metal scene with groundbreaking bands such as Burzum, Emperor, Bathory and Darkthrone- she taught me to death growl like a monster. I also really like Bananrama.
Ant: I love guitar solo work that is rhythmic and lean. Lines that add to the song rather than show off the skill of the lead guitar. Max is exactly that, a welsh joey Santiago. Jim is a metal bass player with Scarsun, but he wanted to work on a different project, and so he fell right into place. His bass playing is not as frenetic as in his metal band but is solid and underpins the melodic changes. Lee, our drummer, is an exceptional talent. Able to play versatile styles and keep the beat driving forward.
MM: You guys released the album Control Freaks in October last year, which I got to review and enjoyed very much. Can you tell me about the writing and recording process for the album? Was it approached any differently from your previous works, and what was the frame of mind while piecing it together?
Ant: The writing process is usually the same. Riff, melody, vocals. But this time, I tried to write a few songs in reverse. With “Cult of Me Me Me,” I wrote the lyrics first, then the melody and then the riff. I found it an interesting process as the lyrics weren’t constrained by the metre of the melody. It was very freeing.
Max: Ant would send us mp3s of the tracks as they stood at the time so that we could add our parts in our own homes. The completed parts were sent back and slotted into the tracks and then mixed and mastered. It was kinda like working on a jigsaw puzzle.
Ant: The process was a little different to the past four albums. Instead of coming to the studio, we had the luxury of working on the songs at our own pace, allowing experimentation. The general vibe of the album was those aspects of our society which control us either consciously or subconsciously. The frame of mind was definitely anger tinged with frustration at the status quo. It was intended to be both reflective and inspiring to greater action. It resulted in an album of hard-hitting rockers and softer introverted pieces. Our biggest experiment was the orchestrally based Girl from Irpin based on the harrowing photo of a young girl who had been killed by a Russian rocket attack.
MM: “Girl From Irpin” was one of my favorite tracks on the album. It was definitely a standout. Do you have a favorite song on the album, or maybe just one you connect with a bit more than the others?
Ant: Thanks for the kind comment on “Girl from Irpin.” Two tracks were standouts from a writing perspective – “Fabian Control Freaks” and “G7 Countdown.” Both subjects close to my heart. The control of everything for our so-called betterment by people that have everything in their ownership and control. It’s easy for people sat on billions telling us what to do when most of us are close to the poverty line. It gets me so angry I could turn green, rip my shirt, and go on a rampage as the Incredible Sulk.
MM: I don’t think you’d be alone in that… While we’re playing the “favorites” game, do you have a favorite song to play live?
Lee: I like them all.
Ant: I like “Resolving in E,” nice simple riff based C and Em with a shouty chorus that usually gets people up.
MM: What is your favorite thing about live shows?
Ant: For me it’s the end of the show. I have terrible stage fright. But it’s good to hear the audience applause on a job well done.
MM: I admire you greatly for getting up there in spite of stage fright. I could never!!! For fun, what would be your dream lineup – that includes Revolution Rabbit Deluxe?
Ant: XTC to start for their energy, especially early days. Pixies to continue the mood. Then us (how dare I) followed by U2 when they rocked stadiums. Closer, the almighty McCartney opening on “Jet” and closing on “Hey Jude” after an hour of classics.
MM: Ah yes. Mr. McCartney. Gotta include him. Legend. So last but not least, what are the band’s plans for 2024?
Ant: We are in the process of recording the sixth album, Seethe, which should be out at the end of the year. We are playing in South Wales regularly. We plan on updating our website soon to include our new drummer and bassist plus a video to accompany the new single due out in September. Thank you for this, I hope you have enjoyed the process as much as we did.
MM: Thank all of you for your time!
***
Be sure to follow Revolution Rabbit Deluxe on all their socials so that you can keep up with band updates and hear that new single as soon as it drops! And go listen to Control Freaks on your favorite streaming service!
Pearl Jam: Dark Matter World Tour 2024
Grunge/alternative rock legends Pearl Jam are touring this year in support of their new album, Dark Matter, released April 19th. This world tour commences May 4th in Vancouver, BC, and draws to its conclusion November 23rd in Sydney, AU. Support varies by date/location. Tickets are available at pearljam.com!
- 5/4 – Vancouver, BC – Rogers Arena*
- 5/6 – Vancouver, BC – Rogers Arena*
- 5/10 – Portland, OR – Moda Center*
- 5/13 – Sacramento, CA – Golden 1 Center*
- 5/16 – Las Vegas, NV – MGM Grand Garden Arena*
- 5/18 – Las Vegas, NV – MGM Grand Garden Arena*
- 5/21 – Los Angeles, CA – Kia Forum*
- 5/22 – Los Angeles, CA – Kia Forum*
- 5/25 – Napa Valley, CA – BottleRock Festival 2024^
- 5/28 – Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena*
- 5/30 – Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena*
- 6/22 – Dublin, IE – Marlay Park
- 6/25 – Manchester, UK – Manchester Co-Op Arena+
- 6/29 – London, UK – Tottenham Hotspur Stadium+%
- 7/2 – Berlin, DE – Waldbühne+
- 7/3 – Berlin, DE – Waldbühne+
- 7/6 – Barcelona, ES – Palau Sant Jordi+
- 7/8 – Barcelona, ES – Palau Sant Jordi+
- 7/11 – Madrid, ES – Mad Cool Festival 2024^
- 7/13 – Lisbon, PT – NOS Alive Festival 2024^
- 8/22 – Missoula, MT – Washington-Grizzly Stadium&
- 8/26 – Indianapolis, IN – Ruoff Music Center&
- 8/29 – Chicago, IL – Wrigley Field&
- 8/31 – Chicago, IL – Wrigley Field&
- 9/3 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden&
- 9/4 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden&
- 9/7 – Philadelphia, PA – Wells Fargo Center&
- 9/9 – Philadelphia, PA – Wells Fargo Center&
- 9/12 – Baltimore, MD – CFG Bank Arena&
- 9/15 – Boston, MA – Fenway Park&
- 9/17 – Boston, MA – Fenway Park&
- 11/8 – Auckland, AU – Go Media Stadium Mt. Smart#
- 11/10 – Auckland, AU – Go Media Stadium Mt. Smart# (Second show added!)
- 11/13 – Gold Coast, AU – Heritage Bank Stadium#
- 11/16 – Melbourne, AU – Marvel Stadium#
- 11/18 – Melbourne, AU – Marvel Stadium# (Second show added!)
- 11/21 – Sydney, AU – ENGIE Stadium#
- 11/23 – Sydney, AU – ENGIE Stadium# (Second show added!)
^ Festival
* w/Deep Sea Diver
+ w/The Murder Capital
% w/Richard Ashcroft
& w/Glen Hansard
# w/Pixies
Crosses: Familiar World Tour 2024
Crosses, the darkwave/dream pop/gothic electro-industrial side project of Deftones vocalist Chino Moreno and Far guitarist Shaun Lopez, is kicking off their Familiar World tour in February 2024. I checked their official site, Facebook, and Ticketmaster but found no supporting acts listed.
Tickets and VIP packages are available at crossesmusic.com.
- 2/7 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Depot
- 2/9 – Denver, CO – Ogden Theatre
- 2/10 – Kansas City, MO – Midland Theatre
- 2/12 – Chicago, IL – Concord Music Hall (New date!)
- 2/13 – Chicago, IL – Concord Music Hall
- 2/14 – Detroit, MI – The Fillmore Detroit
- 2/16 – Toronto, ON – History
- 2/17 – Montreal, QC – Théâtre Beanfield
- 2/19 – Boston, MA – House of Blues Boston
- 2/20 – New York, NY – Hammerstein Ballroom
- 2/21 – Silver Spring, MD – The Fillmore
- 2/23 – Raleigh, NC – The Ritz
- 2/24 – Atlanta, GA – The Eastern
- 2/25 – Nashville, TN – Marathon Music Works
- 2/27 – Houston, TX – House of Blues Houston
- 2/28 – Dallas, TX – House of Blues Dallas
- 3/1 – San Antonio, TX – Aztec Theater
- 3/2 – San Antonio, TX – Aztec Theater (New date!)
- 3/5 – Phoenix, AZ – The Van Buren
- 3/6 – Los Angeles, CA – Hollywood Palladium
- 3/7 – Oakland, CA – Fox Theater
- 3/9 – Sacramento, CA – Ace of Spades
- 3/10 – Portland, OR – McMenamins Crystal Ballroom
- 3/11 – Seattle, WA – Moore Theatre
Album Review – Revolution Rabbit Deluxe: Control Freaks (2023)
Hailing from Wales, Revolution Rabbit Deluxe is a band with a sound that ranges from power pop and Brit rock to alternative/indie with strong punk overtones. This four-piece outfit has blended their many influences into a sound that brings the late 70s/early 80s punk rock and new wave movements firmly into the 2020s. (I was visited by heavy The Clash vibes.) This near seamless modern take on these genres is evident on the band’s latest album, Control Freaks.
Control Freaks was released on October 28, 2023. The record kicks off with the track “I’ve Got Nothing” and doesn’t relinquish its hold on the listener straight through to the finale. Within the twelve songs you will find everything from poppy, danceable bops, such as “Summer All Year Round,” to more socially aware (in true punk fashion) tracks like “Fabian Control Freaks,” which is extremely catchy and will have you singing along. Revolution Rabbit Deluxe even throws in a couple of slower, more heartfelt songs in “Mother and Child” and “The Girl From Irpin,” proving that this quartet can run the gamut of human emotion.
If you are a fan of old-school punk or alternative/indie rock, or if you simply want to lose yourself in something that is upbeat while making a statement, Control Freaks is a must-hear! The band’s promise that the album will “bring a smile to your face as we march headlong towards inevitable(?) oblivion” is more than delivered on.
Standout tracks: “Mother and Her Child,” “The Girl From Irpin,” “The Sweetest Things,” and “Glasgow Kiss”
Mostly Music 