Coming soon—an official book playlist, a book launch event, and a discount code if you want to purchase a physical copy. I’ll post updates here.
Thanks to Jasmine Teran, Laura Paisley, and Sasha Sherman for their help editing the script, filming, and producing the video.
The book was published open-access, which means that the full text can be read online for free through Oxford Academic: https://academic.oup.com/book/62310
A petition has been launched by a group interested in creating a memorial to guitarist Randy Rhoads in a California park.
Randy Rhoads Memorial Project founder Bill Lonero began exploring a way to honor the late musician after speaking with his sister, Kathy Rhoads D'Argenzio, via social media… Continue reading…
Working that mine is Eternal Mourning ‘s Single out now
In the dim light of dusk, a haunting sound emerges. The air thickens with anticipation as the opening chords of “Working That Mine” by Eternal Mourning fill the atmosphere.
The single begins with a rhythmic intensity that hooks you right away. The strumming is purposeful, each note weighted with meaning. This intensity lays the foundation for a voice that seems almost ethereal. The reverb envelops the vocals, adding depth and dimensionality. The singer’s aura feels like that of a seer, guiding us through the shadows of the song’s narrative. With such effects, the voice emerges as a powerful force, beckoning listeners to follow its lead.
As the song progresses, its hypnotic qualities become more pronounced. The verses flow in a way that feels organic and purposeful. There is a marriage between country influences and grunge elements, particularly in the melodic structure. This blend creates a captivating juxtaposition within the folk-tinged framework. The melodies twist and turn, evoking emotional landscapes as varied as the natural world. Each line sung holds a weight that lingers long after it ends.
Sound and Atmosphere
The lyrical content carries a ritualistic quality, elevating the song to something profound. Themes of labor and introspection resonate throughout the track. The wording suggests a connection with the earth, as well as the human experience. The imagery painted in the lyrics evokes a sense of timelessness. Such depth is complemented by a vocal delivery that combines warmth and instinct. The singer’s timbre reflects a raw honesty that invites vulnerability and exploration.
Listeners may find echoes of legendary artists echoing throughout. At points, the warmth of the vocals might remind one of Jim Morrison. This connection is subtle but undeniable, adding layers to the listening experience. Morrison’s influence on the genre can resonate deeply with the depth Eternai Mourning captures here. The interplay of tone and texture enhances the narrative unfolding within the melodies. This depth enriches the entire track, offering new perspectives with each listen.
The mix maintains clarity while embracing an organic sound. Great care was taken when constructing the overall sonic experience. This production creates an atmosphere that feels alive and pulsating. The presence of vibrant textures allows for a sense of spaciousness. Each melody and rhythm intertwine to form a cohesive whole.
Performance and Production
“Working That Mine” stands as a testament to the evolving sound of folk music. It pushes boundaries while remaining rooted in tradition. The single’s intricate layers and hypnotic essence forge a deep connection. This is more than just a song; it is an experience that lingers in the mind. As the last note fades, one is left with a sense of yearning.
In the dim light of a grand hall, shadows flicker as the orchestral swell begins. The resonant sound of contrabasses sets an ominous tone.
Damien Cain, a German composer residing in Ireland, has carved a unique niche in contemporary music. He breathes new life into this piece, originally recorded with Sir Christopher Lee in 2006. The haunting melodies and rich orchestration draw inspiration from the classic poem “The Raven” by Edgar Allan Poe. The connection to Lee, a figure synonymous with film legend and vocal brilliance, adds depth to this release. The artistic collaboration between Cain and Lee reminds listeners of the golden age of cinema and the dramatic flair it embodied.
“Elenore” features an intricate philharmonic arrangement. The orchestration merges classical elements with modern lyrical dramatics. Listeners can easily imagine being swept away to a fantasy world. Each note strikes with precision and passion, creating a musical tapestry that feels timeless. The contribution of Das Berliner Filmorchester elevates the experience. Under the direction of Christian Hagitte, the sound becomes epic and immersive. The entire arrangement captures the essence of classic musicals while resonating with a contemporary edge.
Sound and Atmosphere
From the very first note, “Elenore” grips the audience’s attention. The strategic layering of sounds is haunting and beautiful. Dramatic crescendos push the emotional boundaries of the listener. The powerful orchestration feels operatic and cinematic, making the piece a blend of classic allure and modern energy. Cain’s artistic vision successfully evokes imagery of grand tales filled with intrigue. The combination of orchestral music and poetic lyricism delivers a story that urges one to listen intently.
This single not only honors the legacy of Sir Christopher Lee but also serves as a rediscovery. “Elenore” stands as a testament to the creative genius shared between two artists. The significance of this piece has grown with time. It transports listeners to an era marked by rich storytelling and intense emotion.
The atmospheric sounds paint pictures of gothic romance and dark fantasy. Cain’s composition invites listeners to experience an emotional awakening. The contrasting moods present throughout the song create a gripping narrative arc. There’s something operatic about the piece that evokes nostalgia. It resonates deeply with anyone who appreciates the darker shades of musical expression. “Elenore” ultimately transcends time and genre, making it relevant for a new era.
Performance and Production
With the revival of “Elenore,” Damien Cain presents a gift to old fans and new listeners. This release is a moment to celebrate artistry that resonates across generations. The song’s grandeur and emotional depth transport listeners into an immersive sonic landscape. It reminds us that music holds the power to evoke forgotten memories and stir the soul. As Cain continues to explore new horizons in his music, this collaborative work shines brightly. It deserves a prominent place in contemporary music discussions.
“Elenore” ignites the imagination, offering a glimpse into the beauty of musical storytelling. Just as timeless classics have influenced today’s composers, Cain draws on this legacy. The music world benefits greatly from such artistic endeavors. As we revisit the past, we find resonance in the stories that connect us all.
The Catskills rise like an afterthought of God, blue with distance and old weather, their ridges holding the hush of vanished sermons, folk memory, and dream. In those eerie mountains, Washington Irving found a young nation teaching itself to haunt and be haunted. Later, the area’s numerous artist colonies came for the lush scenery, as well as that sly disturbance the mountains offer: the sense that the visible world is only half the arrangement. In that way, they anticipated surrealist thought, where landscape opens into symbol, omen, and desire, much like the woods that haunted David Lynch’s imagination: beautiful, secretive, and never entirely innocent.
New York City duo of Russ Marshalek and Laura Hajek, aka a place both wonderful and strange, work the seam where darkwave, art damage, dance-floor ache, and film-fed dread rub shoulders in a very cramped elevator. Ten years is long enough for a lot of things to rot, ripen, or get rediscovered in a shoebox. In the case of a place both wonderful and strange and their album Matter and Desire, that long gestation seems to have done something stranger and better: they let the music sit in its own fumes until it came out lean, mean, and a little bug-eyed, like it had spent a decade staring at the flowers on the wall, ‘smoking cigarettes and watching Captain Kangaroo.’ Perhaps those ancient mountains still have a few tricks up their sleeve, after all.
On their new single It’s Not That Bad, Muffin, they take that sensibility to the hamlet of Catskill, NY, and send it skidding into a bad-day loop, both musically and in their visuals. The fuzzed out trip-hop instrumental, channeling the heavier offerings of Ladytron, Massive Attack, Portishead, and Björk, moves like somebody trying to keep their chin up while the universe keeps slipping banana peels under their boots…then a mournful sax comes out of nowhere with a siren’s call. You can practically hear fate coughing politely into its sleeve.
The eerie video, made with Lucy Swope and Sean Dack (aka Ghost Cop), shows that any truly rotten day has its own rhythm. It folds in on itself, repeats, and mocks your attempts at dignity. The band takes cues from Maya Deren’s Meshes of the Afternoon, especially that marvelous ability to make time feel bent, bruised, and paranoid, with a little David Lynch in the air and tossed with a dash of Groundhog Day and the DIY rawness of TheBlair Witch Project. (But who is really the dreamer?)
Watch the video for “It’s Not That Bad, Muffin” below:
The title of a place both wonderful and strange’s Matter and Desire comes from Andreas Weber’s Matter and Desire: An Erotic Ecology. The band’s own account of the album’s slow formation is one of the best things about the project, because it carries that mix of fatigue, faith, and accidental stubbornness that often leads to records worth keeping: “We kept collecting sounds and lyrics, and at times even full songs, like our version of “I am stretched on your grave”, but there was never a reason, or really a desire, to finish this album,” they say.
Life, friendship, and the rude fact of performance kicked it back into motion. They describe finally hauling the material onstage and feeling it snap alive: “We took the stuff we’d been noodling on for half a decade and mustered up a live performance, and it stunned us how fierce, visceral and vital that show felt.”
Matter and Desire lives in the instant before change. Apocalypse appears in personal, political, and natural forms, and the band treats each one less like a grand abstract theme than a nasty practical problem. One song steps toward the light, the next eyes the ditch again. That back-and-forth gives the album its bite. People alter course only when circumstance corners them, and this record knows it.
After years of side projects, performances, Twin Peaks invocations, and the sort of artistic cross-pollination that tends to keep musicians weird in the healthiest possible way, a place both wonderful and strange have returned with a full-length that feels lived in, singed at the edges, and smart enough to keep a crooked grin on its face. It is a record for the dance floor, the dead-end street, the stalled car, the cracked mirror, and anybody who has ever muttered what the hell now and kept moving anyway.
Matter and Desire comes out April 24th on Re:Mission Entertainment. Order Here
LOS LOBOS It doesn’t get much better than Los Lobos. Seriously. They’ve shared more than 50 years of great music and performances with the world, and they ain’t done yet. Their introduction at the NPR day stage spoke volumes: “Whoever your favorite band is, their favorite band is Los Lobos.” They were even brought back […]
This was a big gig, a huge package (fnaar), and as such worthy of two reviewers. WeeG takes on opening band Nails and headliner Kreator, and Mosh fills in the sandwich with Exodus and Carcass… Mosh: We got there around 6pm expecting the queue to have largely disappeared but due to an extended soundcheck found … Continue reading Gig Review: Kreator / Carcass / Exodus / Nails – O2 Academy, Glasgow (29th March 2026)
