mr.phylzzz - "Rodeo Clown"

mr.phylzzz: next-gen Amphetamine Reptile rockers drop "Rodeo Clown" power ballad and music video; US tour begins

Chicago duo mr.phylzzz has revealed "Rodeo Clown," the new single from its upcoming album, Fear the Lord, on Amphetamine Reptile Records.

Stream the official music video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWm5EMZUZMk

Formed in 2015 and signed by Amphetamine Reptile founder Tom Hazelmyer in 2019, mr.phylzzz has the distinction of being one of the only active bands on the legendary label's current roster, alongside The Melvins. Vocalist/guitarist Clinton Jacob and drummer Danny Sein deliver an irreverent take on noise rock, lacing their songs with epic hooks and dark humor. Playful and theatrical in a way that most bands would not dare, this pair thrives on the subversion of all expectations.

While the band's previous single, "Emma Draws a Dog," is a hard-charging noise rock banger, new single "Rodeo Clown" opens with Jacob's pensive vocal and acoustic guitar strums and waits almost two minutes before erupting into its larger-than-life arena rock finale. The song's superb music video, shot in one take with a single camera, has Jacobs and Sein performing the song, clad in clown makeup and their trademark cheap suits, amidst a series of moving sets.

Sein states: "Clinton came in with this beautiful, quiet song already half finished with the verses. We wrote the latter half of the song from there starting with the big drum hits onward. It definitely showcases the musical depth and dynamics of the band."

Jacob adds: "When writing the song, I knew it was a full departure from what we were doing and I loved that ... I think the best thing about mr.phylzzz is the fact that there are zero rules. We write what seems cool to us and we disregard genre. Sometimes it's metal, sometimes it's pop, sometimes it's acoustic. The important thing is that it's fun for us. If it makes me laugh, I'll probably explore it."

Even the head-scratcher of a band name is intended to challenge the audience and amuse the band – contrary to the spelling, the correct pronunciation is "Mr. Flies." Given the band's penchant for humor, it is no surprise to discover that Jacob spent time in the standup comedy scene and that he derives as much inspiration from comedians such as Andy Kaufman and Doug Stanhope, as from musicians.

Truly unfettered, mr.phylzzz is right at home on AmRep, the label that nurtured the careers of outliers such as Helmet, Today Is The Day, The Cows, and the aforementioned Melvins, and came to define an entire sub-genre of iconoclastic music. "I love AmRep and Tom," says Jacob. "Tom found the band on Facebook because I would constantly be making these crazy videos of the band playing these insane places and having the cops called on us for noise. One day I got a call from Tom and the rest is history! We've been working together now for 10 years and he's been a huge supporter of what we do."

Furthermore, it was revealed this month that Jacob is 1/4 of Gatta Morta, the new AmRep supergroup also featuring Buzz Osborne (The Melvins), Coady Willis (The Melvins, Big Business) and JD Pinkus (Butthole Surfers).

With Fear the Lord coming out September 4th, mr.phylzzz will hit the road for an extensive headlining tour of the US:

Sep 3 - Kalamazoo, MI @ The Run Off
Sep 4 - Detroit, MI @ Paris Bar
Sep 5 - Canton, OH @ The Auricle
Sep 6 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Mr. Roboto Project
Sep 7 - Rochester, NY @ Bug Jar
Sep 8 - Troy, NY @ No Fun
Sep 9 - Somerville, MA @ The Rockwell
Sep 10 - Brooklyn, NY @ Lucky 13
Sep 11 - Philadelphia, PA @ Love City Brewing
Sep 13 - Raleigh, NC @ Neptunes Parlor
Sep 14 - Asheville, NC @ Grey Eagle Taqueria
Sep 15 - Chattanooga, TN @ JJ's Bohemia
Sep 16 - Birmingham, AL @ The Nick
Sep 17 - Nashville, TN @ The Cobra
Sep 18 - Little Rock, AR @ Whitewater Tavern
Sep 19 - Denton, TX @ Rubber Gloves
Sep 20 - San Antonio, TX @ The Lonesome Rose
Sep 21 - Austin, TX @ Crow Bar
Sep 22 - Oklahoma City, OK @ 89th Street
Sep 23 - Tulsa, OK @ The Whittier Bar
Sep 24 - Denver, CO @ Hi-Dive
Sep 26 - Omaha, NE @ Reverb Lounge
Sep 27 - Dubuque, IA @ The Lift
Sep 28 - Chicago, IL @ Casa Cafe

Photo by Madison Rease

Cover art by HAZE XXL

BODY STUFF - "The World Is Yours"

BODY STUFF releases new single "The World Is Yours," announces album release show with Today Is The Day

"The World Is Yours," the third single from Body Stuff's new album, Body Stuff 5, is out now.

Stream the official music video, here: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Ync4f5wc3w 

Stream the song on Spotify, here:

https://open.spotify.com/album/2XCTnOOJDt0jiPnt8qykf0 

Stream the song on Apple Music, here:

https://music.apple.com/us/album/body-stuff-5/6769001310

The solo project of NYC artist Curran Reynolds, Body Stuff's impassioned rock music has been described as "a hardcore Bruce Springsteen" (The Wire Magazine), “Springsteen fully embracing his Suicide influence" (Stereogum), and "a very New York City sound" (Decibel Magazine). Reynolds opts to call it, simply, “hard rock.”

Coming October 16th, sophomore album Body Stuff 5 brings the project to new depths and heights. Eight anthemic songs hum with longing and triumph. Big, slamming drum beats, seemingly echoing the boomboxes of NYC summers past, are peppered with storms of double-bass. Guitars, performed by Reynolds’ friend Andee Blacksugar (Blondie) ravage and glisten, transmitting from a place where hair metal and post-punk converge. The album was engineered and mixed by longtime Body Stuff collaborator Ryan Jones and mastered by Ted Jensen (Madonna, Metallica).

New single "The World Is Yours" is a driving, metallic rock song that sees Reynolds recounting past travels. He states: “This is a song about traveling the world, playing in a band. When you’re on tour, the world shrinks. The outside becomes your home and the unfamiliar becomes familiar. This song reminisces proudly on places seen and people met. London, Paris, Tallahassee ... But the ego trip fades into the realization that everyone has their own story and they’re all of equal value. My story is one little part of the bigger story.”

Having played shows this year with Martin Rev, Swing Kids, and Dazzling Killmen, Body Stuff will return to the stage on October 9th for the Body Stuff 5 album release show at TV Eye in Queens, New York, with Reynolds's former band Today Is The Day also on the lineup.

Album release show tickets: https://www.eventim.us/event/tickets/700599?afflky=TVEye

Additional Body Stuff links and info: https://linktr.ee/bodystuff

Photo by Paul Roura

Flyer by Curran Reynolds

Cover art by Matt Kepler

SEMUTA - Thoughtless/Dreamless

SEMUTA: post-metal dynamo returns with sophomore album Thoughtless/Dreamless; new track streaming

From Portland, Oregon, Semuta returns with its sophomore album, Thoughtless/Dreamless, coming October 9th on Accident Prone Records.

Recorded and mixed by Scott Evans (Neurosis, Kowloon Walled City) and mastered by Brad Boatright (Portrayal of Guilt, Torche), Thoughtless/Dreamless sees guitarist/vocalist Benjamin Caragol and drummer Ben Stoller deliver their greatest work to date.

Pre-order the album, here:

https://semutamusic.bandcamp.com/album/thoughtless-dreamless-2

Stream the music video for the album's first single, "Slow Decay," here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0dPzfPQBQg

With 2024's debut album, Glacial Erratic, Caragol and Stoller established a mournful strain of sludgy post-metal, marked by enthralling songcraft and passionate execution. Decibel Magazine described the sound as "progressive, melodic sludge metal" and Nine Circles hailed its "unexpected juxtapositions of melancholy and crushing crescendos."

Speaking in interviews about the path that led to Semuta, Caragol characterized himself as a metalhead kid, weaned on the likes of Gorguts and Enslaved, who then discovered Radiohead and whose artistic evolution was defined by the mix of those essential influences. "I was drawn to heavy bands that experimented with sonics, odd times, and emotive melodies; bands like Neurosis, Converge, Godspeed You! Black Emperor," he stated. "I really appreciate music that pushes boundaries while maintaining a lot of feeling."

Two years down the road, Caragol and Stoller have grown more deeply united as a musical unit and on the new album their efforts crystallize into a sprawling yet purposeful work of art. "There is something magical about two people being dialed in and making it happen, especially when the music is kind of fucked up and complex," enthuses Caragol.

At nine minutes in length, Thoughtless/Dreamless's first single, "Slow Decay," captivates from start to finish. Caragol's exceptional voice shines, a rich, soaring wail, as the duo travels in unison, hammering out its glistening, moody metal, and gradually building tension in 4/4, 5/4, and 7/4. With only four songs adding up to almost 40 minutes of music, Thoughtless/Dreamless is a musical feat that will likely grab the ears and hearts of fans of progressive rock, post-metal, and the more exploratory fringe of the extreme metal spectrum.

"We wanted to challenge ourselves as players and songwriters, but we also want the songs to be memorable and emotive," states Caragol. "It has always been the goal to ride the line between cognitively engaging and viscerally powerful, and I think this album does it pretty well. Thoughtless/Dreamless is our attempt to push the limits of what we can create. We wanted to lean into the more complex and metallic aspects of our band, while also creating more space, atmosphere, and beauty. We wanted to embrace long-form song writing and create something cohesive, with all four songs flowing into one one another to create something seamless and expansive."

Where the debut album explored political failures, Thoughtless/Dreamless turns inward. “The lyrical content is more personal and less political than our last album," reveals Caragol. "It is centered around the difficulty of holding onto the things that we find meaning in, and the toll it takes on us when things fall apart. I’ve always struggled with depression and feeling dissatisfied with what I’m doing, and I had some particularly trying times while we were writing this record. I think this is a pretty innately human thing, especially at a time where civilization feels like it’s falling apart. I don’t think my experience of the world is particularly special or unique, but I hope what I’m singing about resonates with people who are struggling with their own inner dialogue."

RIYL: 

Neurosis, Isis, Cave In, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Yes, King Crimson, Enslaved, Oranssi Pazuzu, Rhododendron

Tracklist:
1) Slow Decay
2) A Relic
3) The Well
4) Thoughtless/Dreamless

Lineup:
Benjamin Caragol - guitar, bass, vocals
Ben Stoller - drums, synth

Upcoming shows:
October 16 - Portland, OR @ High Water Mark (Album Release Show)
October 17 - Tacoma, WA @ New Frontier
October 18 - Seattle, WA @ Add-A-Ball
October 23 - Chico, CA @ Naked Lounge
October 24 - Los Angeles, CA @ Coyote Studios
October 25 - Oakland, CA @ Thee Stork Club

Photos by Luis Hernandez

Cover art by Orion Landau

LOCKSLIP - The Conversation

LOCKSLIP: metallic hardcore powerhouse announces debut full-length on Bleakhouse; first single streaming now (ft. King Yosef)

Bleakhouse, the label founded by industrial-hardcore phenom King Yosef, presents its next release: The Conversation, the debut full-length album by Lockslip, coming November 6th.

Pre-order the album, here:

https://bleakhouse.co/pages/lockslip

https://lockslip.bandcamp.com/album/the-conversation

Stream the album's first single, "Gray World," featuring guest vocals by King Yosef, here:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=R9sdOVkKj5I
https://bleakhouse.vyd.co/GrayWorldFtKingYosef

From Los Angeles, Lockslip delivers a punishing brand of hardcore inspired equally by Converge's bleeding-heart authenticity as by Car Bomb's kaleidoscopic complexity.

"We think of ourselves as a blend of mathcore, metalcore, and hardcore, while not wanting to be limiting to those labels," states vocalist Sara G, also known in some circles as the vocalist of Entry.

On new album The Conversation, Lockslip's songs are powered by inexorable momentum, like blind horses barreling down mountainsides. Noah Baxter's breakneck drumming fuels Lockslip's stampedes, leading to world-ending breakdowns courtesy of guitarists TJ Jaeger and Nick Pinder and bassist Enrique Isla-Eisenacher. Above the fray, lustrous melodic passages occasionally appear like sunlight through storm clouds. Sara G screams every word with absolute conviction, as if drawing from a bottomless well of horror. The Conversation is the sound of a band pushing all the way to the edge – musically, emotionally, in the red.

"The state of the world is complex, it’s dark, and it’s unpredictable, so we want to write music that reflects those anxieties," says G.

The album's first single, "Gray World," was inspired by the book, The Giver, she reveals: "The Giver is a dystopian sci-fi novel about a seemingly perfect society where no one is suffering or in pain. It’s one of those stories where you learn pretty quickly that things aren’t as perfect as they seem. One of the biggest questions the book brings up is if it’s worth giving up a world of beauty knowing it will also numb all of the pain. It seems like in today's world, there is no escaping pain. There is no distraction or no joy big enough to ignore it. When I’m able to enjoy myself, I immediately feel guilt knowing what is going on in the world. Sometimes I think I’d trade the good and the bad for something that is neither one."

Founded in 2022, with just one self-titled, self-released EP to its name until now, Lockslip has quickly grabbed the attention and respect of the scene in LA and beyond. In addition to King Yosef, the band's champions include Todd Jones of Nails, who lent his vocals to The Conversation's penultimate track, "Iconoclast," and Kathryn Edwards of Thirdface who sings on "Paradise Is Not for Us." Recent tour mates include Scalp and False Body. The band will travel to Gainesville, Florida this fall to play the legendary The Fest. 

"There’s such a huge community and passion for heavy music in LA and the wider country too, right now," says G. "We’re incredibly grateful to be surrounded by such supportive and inspiring people."

The Conversation was recorded and mixed by Lockslip drummer Noah Baxter at his East LA studio, Dichotic Studios, and mastered by Nick Townsend (Nails, Angel Du$t).

Tracklist:
1) Gray World (ft. King Yosef)
2) Vengeance (You'll Be Seen By Your God)
3) Rattle of Death
4) I'm the Same
5) Speak Without Words
6) Inglorious
7) Paradise Is Not for Us (ft. Kathryn Edwards)
8) Cut Out the Odds
9) Young
10) Iconoclast (ft. Todd Jones)
11) End the Conversation

Lineup:
Sara G - vocals
TJ Jaeger - guitar
Nick Pinder - guitar
Enrique Isla-Eisenacher - bass
Noah Baxter - drums

Production:

Recorded and mixed by Noah Baxter

Mastered by Nick Townsend

Cover art by Emma Maatman
Photos by Harper King

Discography:
The Conversation (2026, Bleakhouse)
Lockslip EP (2024, self-released)

Upcoming shows:

August 22 - Palmdale, CA @ Transplants Brewing

October 24 - Gainesville, FL @ The Fest

Links:

https://lockslip.band/

https://instagram.com/lockslip/

https://bleakhouse.co/

https://instagram.com/bleakhouse.co/

MR.PHYLZZZ - Fear the Lord

MR.PHYLZZZ: Amphetamine Reptile to release new album "Fear the Lord"; new single streaming now; US tour in September

From Chicago, Illinois, the duo known as mr.phylzzz has revealed its newest single, "Emma Draws a Dog." The song will appear on the band's upcoming album, Fear the Lord, coming September 4th on Amphetamine Reptile Records.

Stream "Emma Draws a Dog" here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rhJtKjXJ1Q

Formed in 2015 and signed by Amphetamine Reptile founder Tom Hazelmyer in 2019, mr.phylzzz has the distinction of being one of the only active bands on the legendary label's current roster, alongside The Melvins. Clad in cheap suits, vocalist/guitarist Clinton Jacob and drummer Danny Sein deliver an irreverent take on noise rock, lacing their songs with epic hooks and dark humor. Playful and theatrical in a way that most bands would not dare, this pair thrives on the subversion of all expectations. 

Fear the Lord opens with piano and falsetto, setting a wistful, classic rock tone for two minutes before devolving into detuned chaos. Track 2, "Build to Nothing," is a stadium-sized call-to-arms, built on an earthquaking drum beat and Jacob's soaring vocals. New single, "Emma Draws a Dog," an infectious banger propelled by a bouncing riff and rhythmic wordplay, might be mistaken for a merrier Rage Against The Machine.

A reflection on menial jobs and odious coworkers, "Emma Draws a Dog" is a song about the triumph of creativity in the face of oppressive circumstances. It is arguably one of the catchiest songs to ever bear the AmRep logo.

"I think the best thing about mr.phylzzz is the fact that there are zero rules," states Jacob. "We write what seems cool to us and we disregard genre. Sometimes it's metal, sometimes it's pop, sometimes it's acoustic. The important thing is that it's fun for us. If it makes me laugh, I'll probably explore it. Thats what I love about this band, nothing is off the table."

Even the head-scratcher of a band name is intended to challenge the audience and amuse the band – contrary to the spelling, the correct pronunciation is reportedly "Mr. Flies." Jacob describes it as a test to filter out the truly dedicated fans: "I say it wrong on purpose and spell it wrong on purpose because if someone does find us, they really must like us to go through all that. Nothing good should be easy!”

Given the band's penchant for humor, it is no surprise to discover that Jacob spent time in the standup comedy scene and that he derives as much inspiration from comedians as from musicians. "Andy Kaufman and Doug Stanhope are big influences for me. Kaufman for me is where the antics come from, from me thinking 'what if Kaufman was in a band?'. I think humor is so important and we need more of it. I worked in comedy clubs for a long time and was highly influenced by how standups will grind something down till its perfect. It really inspired me as a musician and changed my perspective of playing. I can treat shows as open mics and test songs just like comics test material. Gauge the response and cut the fat."

The freedom with which mr.phylzzz operates is refreshing and it might be attributed in part to the fact that there are only two members. Like a speedboat outmaneuvering an ocean liner, a duo can shift gears and change course with greater speed and ease than, say, a quintet. Drummer Danny Sein elaborates: "There’s something to be said about the special musical bond a two-piece shares. After you’ve been playing with one person for so long, it almost feels like you are one unit. Also, I feel like in a band the chemistry is always best when you can tell the people on stage are real friends. Clinton is my best friend. Everything is easier as a two-piece: songwriting, decisions, scheduling, finances. As soon as you get more people involved, things drag."

Truly unfettered, mr.phylzzz is right at home on AmRep, the label that nurtured the careers of outliers such as Helmet, Today Is The Day, The Cows, and the aforementioned Melvins, and came to define an entire sub-genre of iconoclastic music.

"I love AmRep and Tom," says Jacob. "Tom found the band on Facebook because I would constantly be making these crazy videos of the band playing these insane places and having the cops called on us for noise. One day I got a call from Tom and the rest is history! We've been working together now for 10 years and he's been a huge supporter of what we do."

Upcoming new album, Fear the Lord, is mr.phylzzz's fourth release for AmRep. Apropos of the album title, the majority of the songs were recorded in a church in rural Wisconsin. "We recorded the bulk of the album in a beautiful church in the middle of nowhere," recounts Jacob. "A huge Victorian-style cathedral. We just set up our gear amongst the pews and on the stage. The place was absolutely not meant for recording but we made it work."

"I am not religious," he clarifies. "I find religion, and the way people will take a book and twist it for their own gain, fascinating. I think more then ever I'm seeing people use 'that's my religion' as a way to cover for their shitty behavior and as an avid reader I can say without a shadow of doubt that God is definitely up there going 'yo, those people aren't with me, my original recipe for the human race must have been misplaced.'”

Having toured in the recent past with the likes of The Melvins, Boris, and fellow duo Venus Twins, mr.phylzzz will hit the road for an extensive headlining tour of the US in September to celebrate the release of Fear the Lord. Expect the unexpected!

Tour:

Sep 3 - Kalamazoo, MI @ The Run Off
Sep 4 - Detroit, MI @ Paris Bar
Sep 5 - Canton, OH @ The Auricle
Sep 6 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Mr. Roboto Project
Sep 7 - Rochester, NY @ Bug Jar
Sep 8 - Troy, NY @ No Fun
Sep 9 - Somerville, MA @ The Rockwell
Sep 10 - Brooklyn, NY @ Lucky 13
Sep 11 - Philadelphia, PA @ Love City Brewing
Sep 13 - Raleigh, NC @ Neptunes Parlor
Sep 14 - Asheville, NC @ Grey Eagle Taqueria

Sep 15 - Chattanooga, TN @ JJ's Bohemia
Sep 16 - Birmingham, AL @ The Nick
Sep 17 - Nashville, TN @ The Cobra
Sep 18 - Little Rock, AR @ Whitewater Tavern
Sep 19 - Denton, TX @ Rubber Gloves
Sep 20 - San Antonio, TX @ The Lonesome Rose
Sep 21 - Austin, TX @ Crow Bar
Sep 22 - Oklahoma City, OK @ 89th Street
Sep 23 - Tulsa, OK @ The Whittier Bar
Sep 24 - Denver, CO @ Hi-Dive
Sep 26 - Omaha, NE @ Reverb Lounge
Sep 27 - Dubuque, IA @ The Lift

Sep 28 - Chicago, IL @ Casa Cafe

Tracklist:

1) A Plea
2) Build to Nothing
3) Switch Bitch
4) Emma Draws a Dog
5) Over and Over Again
6) Rodeo Clown

Lineup:

Clinton Jacob - guitar, vocals
Danny Sein - drums

Production:

Tracks 1, 2, 3, 4:
Recorded by Evan Douglas Peters at an undisclosed church in rural Wisconsin
Mixed and mastered by Evan Douglas Peters

Tracks 5, 6:
Recorded and mixed by Taylor Hayes at Electrical Audio
Mastered by Greg Obis

Photos by Madison Rease

Cover art by HAZE XXL

Discography:

Fear the Lord (2026, Amphetamine Reptile)
Fat Chance (2023, Amphetamine Reptile)
Cancel Culture Club (2022, Amphetamine Reptile)
Penitent Curtis (2019, Amphetamine Reptile)

CHAINLINKS 068: Kilter

Chainlinks is a series we started back in 2017 to give our friends a space to share the stuff currently inspiring them — music, film, books, or anything else they wanted to recommend to the world.

For Chainlinks 068, we have Laurent David, founder and bassist of Kilter. Based in Paris and New York, Kilter’s highly experimental music exists in a space between John Coltrane, Sunn O))), and Meshuggah. The new album, Ten Billion Years, is a musical rendering of nothing less than the birth and death of our solar system. Using bass, drums, and sax, Kilter trace the journey of one water droplet as it travels and transforms through space and time. Inspired in part by John Cage’s explorations in time-stretching, the trio’s process was to record 10 minutes of music, slow it down to 25% of its original speed, then recreate the pieces from scratch at the new, glacial tempo – a process of reinterpretation and rediscovery they liken to the way in which entire new worlds are revealed when looking through a microscope.

A review in the new issue of August 2026 issue of The Wire Magazine states: "The music seems to suspend time, hovering in place like a black cloud ... a sustained low growl, halfway between jazz and noise rock or arty doom ... the roaring power of Melvins, if Buzz Osborne was a saxophonist."

1) Becoming a Listener Again

Even though I’ve always loved listening to music, somewhere along the way I developed the habit of listening like a producer: analyzing sounds, production choices, compositional systems and arrangements. After finishing a major project, I try to let go of that mindset for a while and simply become a listener again, whatever the style of music.

Last fall, I spent weeks listening to hundreds of new releases. Some of them stayed with me—not because I admired the craftsmanship, but because I genuinely wanted to hear them again. That’s a very different feeling. Here are three of them.

Caroline – Total Euphoria

Exactly the kind of song that reminds me how important time is—and how differently we perceive it depending on our musical references. The constant shifts between moments of acceleration and deceleration fascinate me. They challenge the way we experience musical time while remaining surprisingly emotional.

Laura Marling – What He Wrote

This is pure emotion to me—but never sentimentality. You can feel how strong and deep Laura Marling is as a singer. It feels as if the song comes from a place we don’t rationally understand, but instantly recognize.

Duke Dumont

Even though I’ve always considered myself an open-minded metalhead, electronic music has always interested me. Especially old-school house music from the ‘90s. I can hear that influence very clearly in Duke Dumont’s music, and it’s good to hear.

2) Walking Alone / Philosophy

I enjoy spending time alone, walking for hours while listening to philosophers. I think many people look for answers by trying to fix what’s wrong with them. Philosophy doesn’t necessarily provide answers, but it constantly offers new perspectives. Seeing how different thinkers have approached the same questions throughout history is full of lessons. It changes the way I think about society, human nature, and the role artistic creation can play.

I often find these ideas reflected in music. Meshuggah makes me think about the complexity of the world. Cattle Decapitation raises profound ethical questions about our relationship with animals. The list is endless. I can make the same connection with opera, where so many stories revolve around moral dilemmas and human tragedy. Different artistic languages, but often the same philosophical questions.

As a jazz musician, this has also changed the way I relate to jazz. I discovered much later—especially after spending time in the United States—how deeply political this music is, and how much of its history is inseparable from social struggle. For a long time I approached jazz mostly as an aesthetic language. Today, that no longer feels sufficient.

I don’t feel I have a personal struggle to express through jazz, and because of that I sometimes feel less legitimate than musicians whose lives are directly connected to that history. Yet I still love playing it. Maybe that’s precisely why philosophy fascinates me so much: it reminds me that art doesn’t always provide answers—it asks questions, creates perspectives and invites us to rethink the world.

3) Knowing My Limits

For a long time, I tried to become as complete a musician as possible. I wanted to understand orchestration, composition, production, and become the best bass player I could be. I don’t regret any of it. Every new skill changed the way I think about music.

But today, I know much better what I’m really good at—and what I’m not.

Rather than trying to become excellent at everything, I’d rather focus on what I naturally bring to a project and surround myself with people who are much better than me in other fields. I think this is the direction my next projects will take. Not because I’ve lowered my ambitions, but because I’ve become more realistic about where I can contribute the most.

BODY STUFF - "Hysteria"

 

 

BODY STUFF releases "Hysteria" single and music video

"Hysteria," the second single from Body Stuff's sophomore album, Body Stuff 5, is now streaming.

Stream the official music video, here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4oqxahuHqw

The solo project of NYC artist Curran Reynolds, Body Stuff's cathartic rock music is bolstered with metallic power and cloaked in a dreamlike haze. At times, yearning, at times, euphoric, Body Stuff seems to encompass the extremes of NYC, from the sewer to the skyscraper.

“Springsteen fully embracing his Suicide influence," was Stereogum's summary of Body Stuff's unique style. A recent write-up from Decibel Magazine calls it "a very New York City sound." Reynolds opts to call it, simply, “hard rock.”

Coming October 16, 2026, sophomore album Body Stuff 5 brings the project to new depths and heights. Eight anthemic songs hum with longing and triumph. Big, slamming drum beats, seemingly echoing the boomboxes of NYC summers past, are peppered with storms of double-bass. Guitars, performed by Reynolds’ friend Andee Blacksugar (Blondie) ravage and glisten, transmitting from a place where hair metal and post-punk converge. The album was engineered and mixed by longtime Body Stuff collaborator Ryan Jones and mastered by Ted Jensen (Madonna, Metallica).

New single "Hysteria" is driven by the tones of a string quartet (or a synthesized facsimile). Reynolds states: "My dad was a classical music fan and some of my earliest memories are of Mozart, Tchaikovsky, etc. As a kid, I was excited to hear pop and rock bands of the 1980s play around with classical elements, in songs like 'Rock Me Amadeus' and 'The Final Countdown.' The strings on 'Hysteria' are a nod to that tradition.”

"Hysteria / in America / twisting like a worm / you're in a room, high above the herd," Reynolds sings in the song's first verse. He explains: “'Hysteria' is a simple song that equates turmoil in the world with turmoil in the body, then suggests that love is the way out."

The video features theater masks, created by artist Matt Kepler to resemble the masks he drew for the Body Stuff 5 cover art. 

With recent shows played this year with Martin Rev, Swing Kids, and Dazzling Killmen, Body Stuff will return to the stage for a Body Stuff 5 album release show in the fall. Stand by for details.

More info about Body Stuff: https://linktr.ee/bodystuff

Photo by Paul Roura

Cover art by Matt Kepler

Out today: KILTER - Ten Billion Years

Ten Billion Years, the new album by Kilter, is out today on Excursus Production.

Based in Paris and New York, Kilter’s highly experimental music exists in a space between John Coltrane, Sunn O))), and Meshuggah. The new album, Ten Billion Years, is a musical rendering of nothing less than the birth and death of our solar system. Using bass, drums, and sax, Kilter trace the journey of one water droplet as it travels and transforms through space and time. Inspired in part by John Cage’s explorations in time-stretching, the trio’s process was to record 10 minutes of music, slow it down to 25% of its original speed, then recreate the pieces from scratch at the new, glacial tempo – a process of reinterpretation and rediscovery they liken to the way in which entire new worlds are revealed when looking through a microscope. 

• Stream the album's first single here: https://www.decibelmagazine.com/2026/04/08/video-premiere-kilter-weather-cycle/

• Stream the full album here: https://kiltertrio.bandcamp.com/album/ten-billion-years-ten

• Stream "Inside Kilter's Ten Billion Years," a 15-minute documentary about the making of the album, here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=reM6AEwJrx0

• Read more about the album, here: https://thechainworld.blogspot.com/2026/04/kilter-ten-billion-years.html

"[Kilter] bend jazz elasticity and metal force into something far stranger ... The trio as a whole channels something that sits somewhere between the spiritual intensity of John Coltrane, the tectonic weight of Sunn O))) and the precision violence of Meshuggah."
–Decibel

"Kilter’s fusion of jazz and metal feels both organic and exploratory, balancing experimental ambition with emotional depth. It’s this natural sense of atmosphere and fearless musical curiosity that gives the trio such a distinct and compelling identity."
–Destroy//Exist

"Across ten instrumental compositions, the trio explores cycles of creation, transformation, and decay, translating vast geological and astronomical processes into a musical language that is both physical and immersive ... A sonic environment that moves between ominous drones, crushing heaviness, fluid improvisation, and moments of startling clarity ... Musical ideas expand and contract, microscopic details become monumental structures, and recurring motifs evolve like natural systems unfolding over immense spans of time."
–Echoes and Dust

"The standout here is Grohowski’s incredible playing—a fascinating combination of Brann Dailor and Neil Peart—which is some of the best drumming of 2026. As such, Ten Billion Years should end up on multiple year-end lists. It’s that good."

–Invisible Oranges

"Paris/New York-based avant-garde metal/jazz trio KILTER invoke a journey through temporal eternity on this latest album, an experiment which expands a dense ten-part 10 minute arrangement into a ~40 minute drone ... If you can wrap your head around the modus, no doubt you’ll appreciate the speaker warbling combination of drone and metal-jazz they’ve created here, heady travels through unreal climes."
–Mystification

"Kilter know a thing or two about being unique seeing as no one in the metal space is doing jazz and metal as well as they’ve done it, and I can say are continuing to do it. [Ten Billion Years] expands on their world class musicianship in fresh ways as they, very cinematically, play with tension, builds and expressions, and ultimately immensely huge payoffs."
–Nine Circles

"Though Kilter draw from multiple genres, their core sound is rooted in jazz. It defines both their structures and their compositional progression ... However, they eventually stretch time toward near suspension, closer to the drone traditions ... It recalls a later period Sunn O))), when the dense darkness gave way to a more expansive, luminous atmosphere. The exploration of slow-moving space connects to modern experimental composition, recalling figures like John Cage."
–PopMatters

"A concept piece about the birth and death of the solar system, culling musical influence equally from jazz and experimental metal."

–Scene Point Blank

"If your tastes in music are liberal and erudite enough to encompass Khanate and Yakuza, you are living in sin with each passing moment you fail to avail yourself to Kilter."
–The Bad Penny

"An album that exemplifies their vision with utter brilliance. It’s loaded with tasty experimental jazz, tons of doom-ridden metal and psychedelic prog all wrapped in enormously vast sounds."

–The Sleeping Shaman

"The music seems to suspend time, hovering in place like a black cloud ... a sustained low growl, halfway between jazz and noise rock or arty doom ... the roaring power of Melvins, if Buzz Osborne was a saxophonist."

–The Wire Magazine

"A grand, instrumental deep-dive into the birth, life, and inevitable death of our solar system. Described as a true labor of love that took over two years to create, it features heavy dynamic contrasts and spontaneous avant-garde compositions."
–Tinnitist

"Fun jazzy shit."

–Toilet ov Hell

"There is a grandeur to the songs, with instrumental parts that are both powerful and dynamic ... This promises to be one of the most unique listening experiences you will have this year."
–V13

BODY STUFF - Body Stuff 5

BODY STUFF announces sophomore album Body Stuff 5; "Sacrifice" single streaming now

From New York City, Body Stuff announces the October 16th release of sophomore full-length album Body Stuff 5.

Stream the official music video for the album's first single, "Sacrifice," here: https://www.decibelmagazine.com/2026/06/16/video-premiere-body-stuff-sacrifice/

The solo project of NYC artist Curran Reynolds, Body Stuff summons a strange vision of cathartic rock music, bolstered with metallic power and cloaked in a dreamlike haze. At times, yearning, at times, euphoric, Body Stuff seems to encompass the extremes of NYC, from the sewer to the skyscraper. “Like a hardcore Bruce Springsteen,” read a review in The Wire Magazine in 2023. “Springsteen fully embracing his Suicide influence,” was Stereogum’s take on it. Reynolds opts to call it, simply, “hard rock.”

Sophomore album Body Stuff 5 brings the project to new depths and heights. Eight anthemic songs hum with longing and triumph. Big, slamming drum beats, seemingly echoing the boomboxes of NYC summers past, are peppered with storms of double-bass. Guitars, performed by Reynolds’ friend Andee Blacksugar (Blondie), ravage and glisten, transmitting from a place where hair metal and post-punk converge.

Recent live videos show Reynolds prowling the stage, headbanging, delivering his words with full-body conviction. His autobiographical lyrics explore the pain of existence, referencing haunting memories culled from more than a quarter-century of life in NYC – the isolation, the dangers of the street, the violent deaths of friends – but often land in a place of gratitude. The sincere and uplifting slant of Reynolds’ lyrics is one of the many factors separating Body Stuff from the pack. “Sacrifice, sacrifice, sacrifice, sacrifice for love,” he pleads at the end of the album’s first single, “Sacrifice.”

Body Stuff is a project originating deep within the heart of its creator and occupying its own unique space. Yet, Reynolds’s hope is to unite, not divide: “My intention is to continue making the most authentic art I can. This is how we make the world a better place.” A writer, visual artist, and musician since childhood, he has been creating since the 1980s. “My first concert was Tina Turner,” he reminisces. “I was 10 years old. That was a crucial experience. The look, the sound, the performance.”

Reynolds left his small town Maine home for NYC at age 17. In his early days in the city, he chased cheap rents across the East Village, Lower East Side, and Williamsburg, and entrenched himself in music, art, and nightlife. With no money and no connections, he clawed his way up, getting his record reviews published in the nascent Vice Magazine and landing a dream job at Earache Records where he served as the publicist for death metal legends Morbid Angel and Deicide. He went on to assist on photo shoots with some of the world’s biggest fashion photographers, then worked in the sculpture studio of one of his favorite artists, Matthew Barney. He founded Precious Metal, a weekly series of live music that earned the title of “Best Metal Party” in The Village Voice. He joined one of his favorite bands, cult hero Steve Austin’s Today Is The Day, as a drummer and toured the world. 

It was against this backdrop that Body Stuff first emerged. After more than a decade spent grinding away on various creative fronts in NYC, the idea to recreate himself as a solo artist took shape in Reynolds’s mind. The first Body Stuff EP, recorded between 2011 and 2012, is a thing of raw, awkward beauty. Minimalistic, metallic rock songs, propelled by a pounding drum machine, are crowned by ravishing hooks and ghostly interludes. “Making music that was entirely my own, for the very first time, it’s like I was reconnecting with the 10-year-old me and working from that pure, instinctual, ecstatic place,” he explains. “I was expressing myself in a way where I was completely vulnerable and I found power in that.” 

The Body Stuff sound and vision grew steadily more elaborate from there, whilst holding true to the spirit of the early material. By the time the debut full-length, Body Stuff 4, dropped in 2023, Reynolds was able to get “I Think We’re Alone Now” pop star Tiffany to contribute guest vocals to one song and Xiu Xiu’s Jamie Stewart to remix a track. He meanwhile developed Body Stuff into a full-fledged live act, appearing on bills around NYC with the likes of Martin Rev, Godflesh, and Uniform. 

His greatest work to date, Body Stuff 5 was engineered and mixed by longtime collaborator Ryan Jones and mastered by the iconic Ted Jensen (Madonna, Metallica). The album will be released via The Chain, the multi-faceted company founded by Reynolds in 2016 with partners Justin Pearson (Three One G Records, The Locust, Deaf Club) and Brandon Gallagher (Trace Amount).

Tracklist:

1) Eternal Hurricane

2) Death Song

3) The World Is Yours

4) Hysteria

5) Ancient Rhythms

6) Seventeen

7) Cry

8) Sacrifice

Lineup:

Curran Reynolds - vocals, synth, drum programming 

Andee Blacksugar - guitar 

Ryan Jones - bass, guitar

Lauren King - vocals on “The World Is Yours” 

Production:

Ryan Jones - engineering, mixing

Ted Jensen - mastering

Links: 

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/bodystuffworldpeace 

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/artist/7IFvh8WYrZfahoaCOAQtKD 

Apple Music - https://music.apple.com/us/artist/body-stuff/668201392 

Bandcamp - https://bodystuff.bandcamp.com/ 

EPK - https://thechainworld.com/bodystuff

Cover art by Matt Kepler

Photo by Paul Roura

CATERWAUL tonight!

CATERWAUL: "noisiest festival in town" kicks off tonight in Minneapolis with The Crosses (Die Kreuzen), Didjits, Mike Watt, more

Caterwaul kicks off tonight, Friday, June 5th at Zhora Darling in Minneapolis, and runs through Sunday, June 7th. This year's stellar lineup is stacked with iconoclasts of old and new, with tonight's bill featuring The Crosses (member of Die Kreuzen), Didjits, and the iconic Mike Watt.

Minneapolis news outlet Racket calls it "the noisiest festival in town" and New Noise Magazine calls it a meeting of "the best underground rock bands."

Adding another dimension to this year's festival, Caterwaul co-founder Rainer Fronz underwent a successful heart transplant last weekend and is currently recovering at University of Minnesota Medical Center.

Buy Caterwaul tickets here: https://ticketstripe.com/caterwaul2026

Support Rainer Fronz here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-me-through-this-heart-transplant

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"The annual Caterwaul ... A very highly regarded presentation of underground music."
–Getting It Out Podcast

"Caterwaul 2026, the fifth edition of an event that’s quietly become one of the most stubbornly off-grid rock festivals in the US ... The room has gotten bigger, the booking sharper, and this year leans further into mixing genre-bending newer artists with names from underground rock’s deeper bench."
–Idioteq

"Caterwaul will return to Minneapolis for its fifth edition June 5th-7th, 2026 at Zhora Darling. Founded in 2020, the festival has positioned itself as a yearly showcase for the noisier fringes of rock."
–Lambgoat

"Caterwaul is returning for its fifth installment this year, taking place June 5-7 at Zhora Darling in Minneapolis. Once again, this year’s event brings together the best underground rock bands going, including Mike Watt, Rye Coalition, Dazzling Killmen, Didjits, Stress Positions ..."
–New Noise

"The noisiest festival in town returns, and this year all three days will take place at Zhora Darling. Big names in 2026 include punk stalwart Mike Watt and his band the Missingmen, Jersey screamo pioneers Rye Coalition, and the brutally mathy Dazzling Killmen."
–Racket

"Caterwaul returns to defiant Minneapolis, MN in 2026, taking place June 5-7, 2026 at Zhora Darling this year. 2026 marks the festival's fifth iteration."
–Scene Point Blank

"For its fifth annual run, the three-day noise-rock/avant-garde festival once proudly described as a 'gathering of the weirdos' is moving to a new location in lieu of its old base, Palmer’s Bar. It also boasts a few of its biggest names yet; not that it’s ever been about big names."
–Star Tribune

"Caterwaul is an exceptional festival that leans toward noise rock and punk rock ... Incredible bills, all three days of the weekend."
–Vinyl & Vision Podcast

"If you are not aware, Caterwaul is a DIY music event bringing together all kinds of fantastic bands ... If you are a fan of creative, noisy, fearless, underground, DIY music, this is a place to go to, where I am sure you will find many like-minded individuals."
–Whatever Comes Next Podcast

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Friday, June 5:

01:15 am - The Crosses

12:15 am - Didjits

11:15 pm - Mike Watt + The Missingmen

10:30 pm - Season to Risk

09:45 pm - New Brutalism

09:00 pm - Resurrectionists

08:15 pm - Birdhands

07:30 pm - Mad Mojo Jett

Saturday, June 6:

After Party:

12:30 am - Muscle

11:45 pm - ¿Watches?

11:00 pm - The Thirsty Giants

10:15 pm - Art Star

09:00 pm - Rye Coalition

08:05 pm - Great Falls

07:20 pm - Whippets

06:35 pm - Heet Deth

05:50 pm - Panel

05:05 pm - Orlock

04:20 pm - The Hammer Party

03:35 pm - Burned or Buried

02:50 pm - Bone Bag

02:05 pm - H.E.A.T.

Sunday, June 7:

08:00 pm - Dazzling Killmen

07:10 pm - Point Line Plane

06:25 pm - Body Stuff

05:40 pm - Bronson Arm

04:55 pm - Stress Positions

04:10 pm - Buio Omega

03:25 pm - We Are the Asteroid

02:40 pm - Cani Sciorri

02:05 pm - Baby Gurl

01:20 pm - Flesh Narc

12:35 pm - Battery Eyes

Posters by Aesthetic Apparatus