It’s always a good day when we get some new Dazy songs. Our homie James Goodson, a musician and publicist based in Richmond, has been a human banger factory since the peak pandemic days. With his fully-solo recording project Dazy, James makes casually brilliant fuzz-pop nuggets that recall the peak ’90s. Today, he hits us…
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Chart-topping German symphonic metal icons XANDRIA will release their new studio album, ‘Eclipse‘, on August 7th, 2026, via Napalm Records. The upcoming full-length features eleven tracks that represent the most diverse body of work in the band’s discography so far: every song has its own identity—a journey full of discoveries—yet they all belong to the […]
The post German Symphonic Metal Icons XANDRIA Announce New Album, ‘Eclipse’ appeared first on ROCKPOSER DOT COM.
(Our Norway-based writer Chile prepared the following eloquent review of a new album by the Romanian band In Ruins, which was released in March by Meuse Music Records.) What is it which really matters in our lives when we spend our whole existence staring right at death’s hollow face? Coming ever closer to its unjudging […]
The post IN RUINS: “WE ARE ALL TO PERISH” appeared first on NO CLEAN SINGING.
Swamp doom favourites Froglord begin the next chapter of their ever-expanding amphibious universe with a mystery bonus single, set to feature on the long-awaited vinyl repress of The Mystic Toad, released via Black Throne Productions.
The release follows the momentum of the band’s sixth album, Lower & Slower, continuing to deepen their immersive world of sludge-heavy grooves, psychedelic doom, and swamp-soaked mythology rooted in The Tale of The Froglord.
A recently completed tour was, Froglord says, a blast. “We had eight shows across ten days, starting all the way up in Inverness. That was a fun old journey to get there. Then we slowly worked our way down to our home swamps of Bristol.”
Support from Space Pistol, a band who look amazing. “They’re fantastic,” Froglord says, “and they’re the nicest bunch to go on tour with. We could not have asked for nicer tour buddies for the whole thing, and it’s just the cherry on top that the music’s fantastic.”
The tour was to support the recent release, Lower & Slower – Vol. 1, which, primarily, has been a charity fundraiser endeavour for the Waterfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT). “The campaign for that has just come to an end,” Froglord says, “and I officially put up the post on social media today. It’s about £1,000 that we ended up raising for them. It’s been wonderful.”
As amphibious swamp-dwelling creatures, Froglord says it felt a natural extension to go for the closest swamp-like thing here in the UK. “We’ve got Slimbridge Wetlands Centre, about 30 minutes up the road from us. I spend quite a lot of time there, personally. It’s quite dear to my heart in that respect.”
Lower & Slower – Vol. 1 included the Froglord cover of Black Sabbath’s Iron Man. The seed for this idea came when the band were listening to the track on the way to a gig. “I thought we could do a sludgy version of this, slow it down to about 15 or 20 BPM and drop tune it by a few semitones,” Froglord says. “It was quite a nerve-wracking undertaking, to be honest, trying to cover, arguably, one of Metal’s biggest anthems. I think we heard it, and we thought, yeah, here’s a way we could put our own spin on it.”
Theirs is a cracking version, the slower speed doubling the song’s length. “I think it’s about nine minutes long,” Froglord says, “which, considering it was one of the singles for the record, was quite a bold choice.”
As a band, Froglord had its seed as a little frog spawn in 2020. “I remember it was just after King Gizzard brought out their Infest The Rats’ Nest album. There was one particular song on it, Superbug, which was very poignant because we were in the throes of the COVID lockdowns. I remember listening to that, and I just wanted to create something as powerful. I don’t think I’ve achieved that yet, but we are striving for it, definitely.”
While Lower & Slower – Vol. 1 features songs in Drop A tuning with their new material leaning towards Drop B, a tuning which “makes it a bit easier on the voice” when on tour.
Frogman, the film, was released in 2023. “For those who are unfamiliar, think of the Blair Witch Project, but instead of a Blair Witch, it is the Frogman of Loveland, Ohio. It’s a found footage horror that follows the story of three individuals as they try to document this creature.”
Director Anthony Cousins reached out to the band, saying that he had been working on his first feature film and wanted to work with the band. “We hopped at the opportunity, to be honest,” Frogman says.
The film is a good slow burn for the first half of it. “When it gets to the end of it, it’s fucking nuts. It goes in some crazy directions. I’ve been lucky enough to have an early preview of the second film. When Anthony sent me the synopsis of it, I was just like, ‘Hey, this is a relatively low-budget found footage film, how are you gonna pull this off?’ They have done some incredible stuff, so much fun.” The sequel is on the film circuits in the US currently.
With the “long-awaited” vinyl repress of the Mystic Toad imminent, the band have teased a mystery bonus single which will be out on 3 June 2026.
Froglord has been hounded for the last five years for a repress. The original pressing of 100 was back in 2021. “For anyone who might be familiar with our discography, we’ve churned out at least one album a year,” he says, “and with that kind of release schedule, it’s just been impractical for doing any represses of vinyl.
“Now we’ve landed on the perfect opportunity, partnering up with Black Throne Productions out in Canada. It’s been absolutely amazing. It’s just the prime moment for it, really. Yes, there is a mystery bonus single, which will be at the end.”
With pre-orders starting on 13 May, with a plant pressing at a fairly fast turnaround time, Froglord are hoping that by the end of June, they will all be shipped out. “Probably earlier than that, realistically though.”
Then there is the tour with the Cancer Bats, who are appearing as Bat Sabbath. “We’re still having to pinch ourselves,” Froglord says. “We’re in disbelief about that. It was back in January that I got a message on Instagram from Liam Cormier from Cancer Bats.
“Bear in mind, this is a band that I grew up listening to back in the 2000s, one of the Kerrang! Darlings. I was thinking like, yeah, right, sure you are, mate. I was half expecting the next message to be, ‘Oh, our tour van’s broken down, send us £500 to get back on the road’. But no, it was legit.
“They were looking for a band to join them for the whole two weeks in July. I was just like, ah, we’re not gonna be able to make that availability, we’re so busy as it is already. But all of the other Frogs immediately said yes, we’ll work it out closer to the time. I think it’s all panned out.”
The tour includes a stop in Cardiff, at Clwb Ifor Bach. “The first time we’ve played there,” Froglord says. “We’ve played directly opposite in Fuel quite a number of times. It’s always a cracking place to play. We had a sold-out show at Fuel back in March, I wanna say. So yeah, playing across the road now in a venue that I saw Green Lung play a couple of years ago, is gonna be very cool.”
The band have festivals planned for the summer. “First and foremost, Bloodstock,” Froglord says. “It was our first time playing there in 2024, and now we are returning to the Sophie stage on the Saturday. Opening the Sophie stage on the Saturday of their 25th anniversary feels pretty special. Gonna be the absolute crack of sparrows, rise and slime. I believe in our swamplings that we will have a good population there in the swamp.”
The band will play Stoomfest in London. “We’ll be there with the likes of Stoned Jesus and Colour Haze. They’re bands which I have been in awe of since, well, for a long time now. That’s a stacked line-up.”
For someone totally uninitiated in all things Froglord, he likes to describe it as a live experience. “To see a Froglord show, let’s say, is akin to thundering a swamp at dusk, just as the sun has set. A thick mist rolls over the land, and in the distance you hear the thrumming of drums.
“Slowly, you approach. The fire’s lit. There is a mad gathering of cultists performing a ritual, and in the centre, there is a giant amphibious overlord, pervading all sorts of fumes and slimes, sending everyone into a psychedelic daze, sending yourself into a frenzy.
“When you wake, eventually, the next morning, you’re not sure if it was a dream or real. That’s the best I can use to describe Froglord.”
To pre-order The Mystic Toad and to find out more about Froglord, visit froglord.org.
Lifted up
Bone by bone
Your living word
We’re not here alone
Arizona-based trio The Real Anthem return with hard-hitting single “New Skies.” From the onset, the track goes straight for the jugular, with churning guitar chords, an incisive lead, and powerful, locked-in rhythms paying homage some of post-punk and goth’s heaviest and most engaging moments. Shades of Killing Joke, Red Lorry Yellow Lorry, Editors, Catherine Wheel, and The Comsat Angels can be heard throughout the track, and the Real Anthem’s true talent here is injecting this musical maelstrom with magnetic hooks, hopeful lyrics, and a soaring chorus, which takes the “New Skies” to dizzying new heights each time around.
The track is a welcome addition to the band’s catalogue, which includes several standalone singles, including “See Angels,” “Eyes Open Wide,” and “Heaven Come Down.” The Real Anthem are currently building toward their debut full-length album, which is tentatively scheduled for fall/winter of 2026.
Vocalist Shawn Helton offers some words about the track:
The post “In the Wild Lost Ruins” — The Real Anthem Return with Electrifying Single “New Skies” appeared first on Post-Punk.com.
Steve Cropper’s final studio album will be released later this year, featuring appearances from some of rock and blues’ biggest names, including Eric Clapton, Brian May, Billy Gibbons, and Ronnie Wood.
Steve Cropper & The Midnight Hour will release Watching The Tide on August 28 via Provogue/Artone Label Group. The album arrives following Cropper’s passing in December 2025.
The first single from the album, “Ticket First,” features Clapton on guitar. The song originated from a joke Cropper shared with songwriter and producer Jon Tiven.
“Steve had a joke about a woman who rubs a magic lamp. The genie comes out and says, ‘You’ve got one wish’. The woman says, ‘I want to win the lottery’. And the genie says, ‘Sorry, you’ve got to get a ticket first’. When Roger and I heard that, we said, ‘Oh, that’s a song title’. I sent out some emails to guitar players I knew who had a great affinity for Steve and two days later, I got an email back from Eric Clapton’s manager, saying he’d be in Nashville for a concert and could we do it then. He did, I believe, 11 takes on guitar. At the end, Steve and I looked at each other and said, ‘Man, you just turned the song inside out. I think we’re gonna have to give you a writer’s credit’. Eric looked pretty stunned by that. And he said: ‘Well, anything to get my name next to Steve Cropper’s…’”
Tiven said Cropper was eager to make another album following the success of 2024’s Grammy-nominated Friendlytown.
“Making music was Steve’s greatest joy,” explained Tiven. “Steve was so encouraged by Friendlytown. He was adamant he wanted to do another record.”
The album was recorded at Nashville’s RCA Studio C and features Midnight Hour vocalist Roger C. Reale, Ana Grosh on vocals, Nioshi Jackson on drums, and Eddie Gore on keys and percussion.
According to the press release, the album title references Cropper’s co-write of Otis Redding’s classic “(Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay.”
Additional guest appearances include May and Gibbons on the song “My Angels Are Calling,” while Wood contributes slide guitar to “Until Now.” Tiven also performs lead guitar on “Blood From A Stone” and “Here & Gone.”
“Brian is singing from Steve’s point of view,” says Tiven of the Queen guitarist’s contribution to “My Angels Are Calling,” “looking back over his life and his road. It’s very powerful.”
Tiven also praised vocalist Ana Grosh, who appears on “Here & Gone” and “Stand Right Here.”
“We met Ana at the Grammys and I heard immediately that this 21-year-old had something,” recalls Tiven.
Tiven said Cropper was able to hear nearly the entire finished album before his death.
“I finished the mixes about a week-and-a-half before Steve passed and we brought a CD to him at the medical facility,” remembers Tiven. “He called me the night before he passed to tell me how much he loved it. He was playing it for everyone who came to visit him, telling them it was the best record he’d ever made.”
“I know this record provided great joy to Steve in the last year of his life,” says Tiven. “And I’m so glad he was able to have this great creative burst that was so strong…”
TRACK LIST
Tandoori Chicken
Ticket First (feat. Eric Clapton)
My Angels Are Calling (feat. Brian May & Billy F. Gibbons)
Until Now (feat. Ron Wood)
Blood From A Stone
Here & Gone (feat. Ana Grosh)
It’s Gonna Get Worse
Down & Out
Stand Right Here (feat. Billy F. Gibbons & Ana Grosh)
Tipoff To The Ripoff
House Of Cards
Tandoori Chicken Part 2
The post Posthumous Steve Cropper album announced featuring Eric Clapton appeared first on Blues Rock Review.
We here at Stereogum are fans of the Cincinnati post-punk/indie-pop band Artificial Go, so I’m happy to report that they’ve signed with Carpark Records. Their first single for the label, arriving on the heels of last year’s sophomore LP Musical Chairs, is out today. “Triple Ones” is the A-side of a 7″ dropping next month,…
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