While You Were Away: New Music From Dream Wife And Sleep Token, RIP Andy Rourke, Static Dress’ New Label, And More
Another week, another edition of While You Were Away. This week we’re talking about new music from Dream Wife and Sleep Token, remembering Andy Rourke, tours on sale this week, and more.
Sleep Token unveil cryptic ‘Take Me Back To Eden’ music video
Sleep Token recently released their highly anticipated album Take Me Back To Eden and along with it released a new cryptic video for the record’s title track.
The clip showcases a mysterious Grin Reaper-like figure who stays static throughout the entire video. Things get more unsettling when two monoliths rise out of the ground and surround the figure. Watch it below.
Take Me Back To Eden is available now.
Dream Wife share new single ‘Who Do You Wanna Be?’
Dream Wife offer another preview of their upcoming album Social Lubrication with their latest single “Who Do You Wanna Be?”
According to the band, the song is about “running on the capitalist treadmill and falling face first on the pavement. Hollow slogans, social media activism without action, leftist infighting, monetizing feminism, ‘girl boss’, all soul-crushing nonsense.
“Capitalism consumes everything. We should tear down the unreachable anxiety-filled idea of perfectionism and move from hyper-individualized narrative to collective action to create hopeful, rebellious, collective, systems of care. This is a call to arms for change.”
Watch the video below.
Social Lubrication arrives June 9th. Pre-order it here.
Andy Rourke, The Smiths’ bassist, dies
Andy Rourke, bassist of The Smiths, has died at 59 years old following a battle with pancreatic cancer.
The tragic news was announced by former bandmate Johnny Marr who wrote “It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Andy Rourke after a lengthy illness with pancreatic cancer,” Marr wrote. “Andy will be remembered as a kind and beautiful soul by those who knew him and as a supremely gifted musician by music fans. We request privacy at this sad time.”
Morrissey also paid tribute to Rourke in a statement: “I just hope … wherever Andy has gone … that he’s OK. He will never die as long as his music is heard. He didn’t ever know his own power, and nothing that he played had been played by someone else.”
Rourke’s work can be heard on all four of The Smiths albums released between 1984 and 1987. After the band split in 1987, Rourke contributed to albums by Sinead O’Connor, The Stone Roses’ Ian Brown, and Pretenders.
Our thoughts go out to Rourke’s friends and family during this difficult time.
It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Andy Rourke after a lengthy illness with pancreatic cancer.
Andy will be remembered as a kind and beautiful soul by those who knew him and as a supremely gifted musician by music fans.
We request privacy at this sad time pic.twitter.com/KNehQxXoFz— Johnny Marr (@Johnny_Marr) May 19, 2023
Static Dress sign to Roadrunner Records, announce deluxe album
Static Dress are the newest members of the Roadrunner Records family. The band recently signed to the label and their first release will be a deluxe version of their debut album Rouge Carpet Disaster, due out September 15th.
The expanded edition features all the original songs along with four reworked versions of tracks “Courtney, just relax” [ft. World Of Pleasure], “Attempt 8” [ft. Sophie Meiers], “Di-sinTer” (Glitter Redux), and “such.a.shame” (Smoking lounge Redux).
Watch Courtney, just relax” [ft. World Of Pleasure] below. Pre-order Rogue Carpet Disaster (Redux) here.
Tours on sale this week
Buzzworthy rockers Scowl are teaming up with Militarie Gun for a U.S. fall tour, which starts September 8th in Los Angeles, California, and wraps up October 21st in Berkley, California. MSPAINT and Big Laugh will join on select dates. Tickets are on sale now.
Dropkick Murphys are hitting the road later this year with The Interrupters and Jesse Ahern. The tour launches on September 27th in Bangor, Maine, and runs through a show in Huntington, West Virginia on October 29th. Get tickets here.
The Devil Wears Prada recently announced the “Metalcore Dropouts” tour featuring Fit For A King, Counterparts, and Landmvrks. The 27-date trek kicks off September 15th in Anaheim, California and concludes October 19th in Las Vegas, Nevada. Get all the details here.
Liz Phair will celebrate the 30th anniversary of her debut album Exile in Guyville on the “Exile in Guyville 30th Anniversary Tour” where she’ll perform the record in its entirety. The tour starts November 7th in El Cajon, California, and wraps up December 3rd in Dallas, Texas. Tickets on sale now.
@DreamWifeMusic @Sleep_Token @AndyRourkeMusic @staticdress I should have known about this earlier! MEV… https://t.co/ltc4TitGuQ