Blogcritics The critical lens on today's culture & entertainment
Still Looking Down
Did you know shoegaze was still a thing? Bizou, Los Angeles’ “synth-heavy shoegaze” band, includes a bunch of notables who’ve reunited after a break to re-create the intense composite known as Bizou: Josiah Mazzaschi and Nicki Nevlin (of Light FM), Nicole Fiorentino (of Smashing Pumpkins, Veruca Salt, and Garbage), and Marisa Prietto (of Wax Idols, Glaare, and Some Ember). Their dark new EP just came out, and you can hear tracks here.
Bring on the Noize
Boys Noize, fresh off the Coachella debut of Nine Inch Noize (his collab with Nine Inch Nails), is coming out with his first solo album in five years. 7LLVSION (why do they make these things so hard to pronounce?) is due November 6 on his new label ONES and ZEROES. He’s touring in Europe in October and returning for some States dates beginning November 6 in Phoenix.
The first single, “1+1+1,” is out now, fronted by ZEP.
Child’s Play
Children’s YouTube star Ms. Rachel has been a fixture for the tiny set for years. Her “Songs for Littles” channel has garnered more than 17 billion views since it launched in 2019. But only now are we seeing a Ms. Rachel album. I’m So Happy released on September 25 and I’m sure it’ll be a huge success. But is it just me or does the idea of an album seem a little quaint?
OTOH, here at Blogcritics we receive hundreds of press releases every weekday announcing new albums, with a fair chunk of the albums themselves arriving in our digital or physical mailboxes. So I guess it’s “the album is dead, long live the album.”
And maybe some families are so dependent on Ms. Rachel’s “gentle, repetitive and interactive songs and lessons” that they’ll take comfort in having some on hand if and when our soon-to-be AI overlords cut off our internet so we can’t plot resistance.
En Plein Air with Paul Weller
In The Shadow Of The Sun: Paul Weller & Band Live & Very Direct is the new 31-track live album from Paul Weller. The tracks are all taken from his outdoor UK shows in 2026, where Weller and the band knocked out songs from his career with the Jam and the Style Council and as a solo artist. It’s out digitally October 2.
Said Weller, “We hope this live recording gives justice to the experience that we and the audience felt on these tour dates. This recording is straight off the sound board. All real, all true, more power, more love.”
Carly Rae
OK, so I’m a little late to the party with this one, but in case you haven’t heard, there’s a new one from Carly Rae Jepsen.
The single “Versailles” is kinda hot – like two songs in one.
Neil Young and the Chrome Hearts
The second album from Neil Young and his latest band The Chrome Hearts is out now on Reprise Records. The band includes guitarist Micah Nelson (Willie’s son), drummer Anthony LeGerfo, bassist Corey McCormick, and legendary keyboardist Spooner Oldham. Pick it up on CD or LP at Young’s official store, where, sad to say, the “Live Music Is Better” bumper stickers appear to be sold out, but you can get the new album and tons of other Young stuff.
