When Man Man released its last album, “Dream Hunting in the Valley of the In Between," frontman Honus Honus (née Ryan Kattner) was in a state of unrest, oscillating between hope and cynicism. Perhaps fittingly, the album dropped during the pandemic, a time at which we could all relate. But, much like that bizarre turn of events, the ennui now seems so distant to Man Man. A revived sense of purpose washes through Man Man’s new album, Carrot on Strings, radiating a mix of calm and confidence. Kattner always embodied a wild-man pied-piper vibe: his melodic, unhinged art-rock was at once intriguing and angsty. He was so alluringly creative that you went along with it, even if you were never sure where Man Man would take you. Carrot on Strings is no less inventive, but its ethos is radical in context of the band’s two-decade career. “When I was younger, I would feed off of chaos. I would, you know, be upset and get drunk and smash chairs,” Kattner explains. “Now those chairs are in my head: It's less of an outward projection, more of an interior monologue.” The name “Carrot on Strings” came to Kattner while experimenting with the sound of someone munching on the vegetable, which you can hear in the cacophonous, similarly named song. It alludes to how success always seemed to dangle uncertainly before him, often just out of reach. But listen intently and you’ll hear a more content Kattner finding an uneasy peace: “Life, as far as I’ve known it, has always been side hustles. Would it be great if I could go into a studio and record for a year without figuring out how to finance it? Yeah, it would be,” he says. “But ultimately, I need to keep making music because art is an extension of my psyche. It’s how I have learned to translate the palpitations of my heart. Simply put, I’d go insane without it.” Growing up as a multiracial Hapa kid (half Filipino, half white) with a father in the U.S. Air Force, Kattner lived an itinerant childhood that included a few pivotal years in Germany, where he honed in on an appreciation for out there German cinema and art. His film obsessions and screenwriting background were crucial to Carrot on Strings. The album nods to the films of Werner Herzog and Rainer Werner Fassbinder as much as Italo-disco, Randy Newman, goth rock, and avant pop. (Kattner continues to work in the film industry with an acting role in the upcoming horror-comedy movie Destroy All Neighbors, for which he also served as composer; music supervising season 1 & 2 of the Interview With The Vampire AMC TV series; and shopping around, with director Matthew Goodhue, a script he wrote that he describes as a Wim Wenders road movie on acid.) In a bid to not overthink anything - his last album took seven years to make - he recorded the bulk of Carrot On Strings in five days in Mant Sounds studio in Glassell Park, Los Angeles with “very chill” producer Matt Schuessler, who had worked on Man Man’s cover of Neu!’s “Super” for the seminal Krautrock band’s box set. The resulting album represents a newfound sense of self for Kattner, who finds himself inspired and at peace both personally and artistically in ways that eluded him for most of his first 15 years playing music. When, on Carrot On Strings, you hear Kattner croon humbly, or sing of the tension between his outsize stage persona and the thoughtful, soulful guy he actually is, you’re hearing Kattner liberate himself. “I first got into music to escape from myself,” he says. “And now, it sounds so corny, but I have zero doubt that music ended up saving my life.”

TRACK LISTING

1. Iguana
2. Cryptoad
3. Tastes Like Metal
4. Mongolian Spot
5. Blooodungeon
6. Carrots On Strings
7. Mulholland Drive
8. Pack Your Bags
9. Alibi
10. Cherry Cowboy
11. Odyssey

Man in Black may be the 38th album by Johnny Cash, but it is definitely one of the most memorable album in his discography. Man in Black is perhaps one of Cash's most political albums and the title refers to Cash's tendency to wear only black during his live shows. This was to reflect the turbulent times during the Vietnam War. This message is also reflected in the album's lyrics. The singles “Man in Black” and “Singin' in Viet Nam Talkin' Blues” can be seen as his most important protest songs. Both singles were successful on the Billboard Country charts. All this makes the album a unique milestone in his career and still a must for all Johnny Cash fans

TRACK LISTING

Side A
1. The Preacher Said, “Jesus Said” (With Billy Graham)
2. Orphan Of The Road
3. You’ve Got A New Light Shining In Your Eyes
4. If Not For Love
5. Man In Black

Side B
1. Singin’ In Viet Nam Talkin’ Blues
2. Ned Kelly
3. Look For Me (With June Carter Cash)
4. Dear Mrs.
5. I Talk To Jesus Every Day (With June Carter Cash)

With Too Late For Edelweiss, Matsson weaves together a sparse collection of home recordings made in Sweden and North Carolina, captured fresh off a 39- date run with the adrenaline of tour rattling through his veins. The songs on Too Late For Edelweiss have been with Matsson since he started playing music as The Tallest Man on Earth in 2006. In those early years, Matsson used to perform "Lost Highway" by Hank Williams before he had enough songs to flesh out a full set.

In July 2022, Matsson released a cover of Swedish super star Hakan Hellstrom's "For sent for Edelweiss," a precious song that has been The Tallest Man's walk-on music before every performance for over a decade and what inspired the title of this covers album. Since then, in the lead-up to this announcement, he has quietly released other selections, including Lucinda Williams' "Metal Firecracker," Yo La Tengo's "Tears Are In Your Eyes" and now "Lost Highway." Mattson explains, "When I was a teenager I borrowed a Hank Williams album at the local library, and 'Lost Highway' has been haunting me ever since. Many vocal sound checks throughout my career have heard Hank's advice."

As much as Too Late For Edelweiss feels like a scrapbook, an intimate memento with the ghosts of The Tallest Man's earlier, sparser sound hovering at the edges, it's also just the artifact of a moment - a flash of joy, of feeling recharged, of feeling good. These are the songs that happened to be in Matsson's head at the time he sat down to record. It came together so simply and easily - and in that way, it's the purest distillation of making music - and being a fan of it, charting the connective tissue of a songwriter's life.

TRACK LISTING

For Sent For Edelweiss
Metal Firecracker
Little Birdie
Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye
Blood Bank
Tears Are In Your Eyes
Fairest Of The Seasons
Pink Rabbits
Lost Highway
In My Life

For Man On Man, the duo of boyfriends Roddy Bottum (Imperial Teen, Faith No More) and Joey Holman (HOLMAN), 2021 was a monumental year. Without knowing exactly what they were making the year prior, the couple had recorded a batch of songs while traveling across the country to be with their ailing mothers during the pandemic, both of whom passed away in the span of just 6 months. The songs that came out during this time celebrated the love they have for each other while championing the queer scenes they surround themselves with. They are deeply intentional and their overall message is rooted in the Queer experience – songs about gay love, pride, acceptance, self-empowerment, and appropriation. The tracks would eventually appear on their self- titled debut album, which instantly garnered critical acclaim in outlets such as Paste, them, and Rolling Stone, who called it “a new type of queer anthem that celebrates body image and diversity, while also remaining ironic and subversive."

On the band’s second album, Provincetown, Bottum and Holman sharpened their songwriting and production choices with an adrenalized agenda. Mixed by Steven James Aguilar (The Head and the Heart, Moby), the album is more focused and cohesive, showcasing themes of encouragement and support for the queer community in ways that may be seen as provocative or unorthodox - it’s loud and abrasive rock music with a message. Standouts like “Showgirls” and “Take It From Me'' reinforce the band’s inspiring sense of confidence and love for their community, while tracks like “Piggy” and “Hush (featuring J Mascis)” feature intense and biting distortion that elevates the album’s energy and strong throughline. If MAN ON MAN introduced the world to the gay anthems of two supportive lovers, Provincetown turns it up a notch - M.O.M. are taking risks, putting themselves out there and shouting for what they believe in. 

TRACK LISTING

1. Take It From Me
2. Showgirls
3. I Feel Good
4. Haute Couture
5. Piggy
6. Kids
7. Feelings
8. Gloryhole
9. Who Could Know
10. Hush

Kristian Matsson has never remained in one place for very long. Having spent much of the last decade touring around the world as The Tallest Man on Earth, Matsson has captivated audiences using, as The New York Times describes, every inch of his long guitar cord to roam the stage: darting around, crouching, stretching, hip-twitching, perching briefly and jittering away. Mr. Matsson is a guitar-slinger rooted in folk, and his songs are troubadour ballads at heart.

Now, Matsson returns as The Tallest Man on Earth with Henry St., his sixth studio album following 2012's There's No Leaving Now, full of vivid imagery, clever turns-of-phrase, and devastating, world-weary observations (Under The Radar) and 2015's Dark Bird Is A Home, his most personal record surreal and dreamlike (Pitchfork). Henry St. notably marks the first time he recorded an album in a band setting. My entire career Ive been a DIY person mostly fuelled by the feeling that I didn't know what I was doing, so Id just do everything myself. But now, longing for the energy that's only released when creating together with others, Matsson invited his friends to come and play.

Nick Sanborn (of Sylvan Esso) produced Henry St., which includes contributions from Ryan Gustafson (of The Dead Tongues) on guitar, lap steel and ukulele, TJ Maiani on drums, CJ Camerieri (of Bon Iver) on trumpet and French horn, Phil Cook on piano and organ, Rob Moose (of Bon Iver, yMusic) on strings and Adam Schatz on saxophone.

TRACK LISTING

Bless You
Looking For Love
Every Little Heart
Slowly Rivers Turn
Major League
Henry St.
In Your Garden Still
Goodbye
Italy
New Religion
Foothills

"This is the first new music from The Fiery Furnaces in ten years," the band says. "The songs were recorded in New York City and a few hours north of New York City on February 3 and February 10 - 12, 2020. 'Down by the So and So on Somewhere' is a regretful song about having regrets. Now it seems even more sad than we thought it was back then: 'Will you meet me,' etc. Matthew was happy to use a Soviet drum machine. Eleanor was happy to play real drums. 'The Fortune Teller's Revenge' is another sad song. We cut out the lines from the first and third verse: 'with me; just kidding' and 'leave everything to me.' Matthew likes hearing Eleanor sing 'I'm sorry to say I've never made a mistake.' Eleanor likes that you can't quite tell who's singing what, when."

Eleanor and Matthew Friedberger formed The Fiery Furnaces in New York City in 2000. Their debut album Gallowsbird’s Bark (Rough Trade Records) was released to critical acclaim in 2003. In the following seven years, they released eight more albums and toured extensively throughout North America, Europe, Australia and Japan. The band’s last performance was nearly a decade ago at the Primavera Sound Festival in Barcelona.In the meantime, Eleanor and Matthew have released eight solo albums, collectively. They are very pleased to return to the stage in their hometown Chicago, at Pitchfork Music Festival.

Eleanor: Someone comes up to me at every show and asks: “How’s Matt? What’s happening with The Fiery Furnaces?” And I say, “He’s fine” and “Nothing at the moment.” I’m so happy to finally have some news: “He’s fine” and “We’re playing in July at the Pitchfork Festival.” We didn’t break up; this isn’t a reunion. We’re just playing the next show.

Matthew: For the last three and a quarter years I’ve been listening to Fiery Furnaces records every day. I think I finally get it.

Kristian Matsson is a singer-songwriter from Dalarna, Sweden, who performs under the stage name of The Tallest Man on Earth. Matsson grew up in Leksand, and began his solo career in 2006, having previously been the lead singer of the indie band Montezumas. His music has often drawn comparisons to the music of Bob Dylan.

“Last summer, Kristian Matsson lamented that steady touring had slowed the arrival of I Love You. It’s a Fever Dream., his fifth album as the Tallest Man on Earth. “I can’t write good stuff on tour,” he complained. “I can’t write about life on a tour bus.” Ironically, Fever Dream arrives as a focused and frequently lovely rumination on life lived on a tour bus. Songs unfold in hotel bars, on open roads, beneath vast blue bowls of rural sky. The rhythms of perpetual travel pulse beneath acoustic melodies that lie somewhere between Dylan and Sufjan—a few gentle, a few forceful. With depth and delicacy, Matsson explores the banalities and oddities of tour, like the phenomenon of performing for an adoring audience to whom you are a stranger.

Matsson’s music mirrors his lyrical themes. Though he remains devoted to sparse arrangements of guitar, banjo, and harmonica, these songs begin to veer into more adventurous territory. “Hotel Bar” introduces a horn section, and “The Running Styles of New York” is bookended by momentary blips of electronics. These new elements are deployed sparingly and selectively, a sprinkle of salt to draw new flavor from familiar sound. Tempos vary, too, from raucous stomping to slow, plaintive fingerpicking—as if he’s stretching, sprinting, growing fatigued, slowing down. As in his words, he wrestles with the question of where to go, and how quickly.” - Pitchfork

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: It might be slightly misleading to call him the tallest man on earth (at 5'5, i've even been taller than him myself), but the comparisons to Dylan are thankfully, completely accurate. Beautiful plucked guitar, honestly written heartfelt lyrics and a stunning ear for melody make this an essential for all of you that like a nice soft strum and a beautiful hushed vocal.

TRACK LISTING

The Running Styles Of New York
Theres A Girl
My Dear
What Ive Been Kicking Around 
Im A Stranger Now
Waiting For My Ghost
Ill Be A Sky
All I Can Keep Is Now
I Love You Its A Fever Dream

'And Some Fell On Stony Ground' is a compilation of Half Man Half Biscuit tracks previously only available on singles and E.P's plus 'David Wainwright's Feet' from the 'Colours are Brighter' charity CD.

Includes all tracks from the now deleted Editor's Recommendation and Saucy Haulage Ballads.

The idea for this came after some bloke from Crickhowell suggested it whilst engaging the band in pleasant chit chat during a fire drill at Norton Canes Service Station.

TRACK LISTING

Jarg Armani
Tending The Wrong Grave For 23 Years
It Makes The Room Look Bigger
On Finding The Studio Banjo
Blood On The Quad
I Went To A Wedding
Ecclesiastical Perks
Lock Up Your Mountain Bikes
Eno Collaboration
Get Kramer
Hair Like Brian May Blues
Ordinary To Enschede
David Wainwright's Feet
Bob Wilson - Anchorman
Worried Man Blues
On Passing Lilac Urine
New York Skiffle
Lark Descending
Vatican Broadside

Dark Bird Is Home, the fourth album from The Tallest Man On Earth, doesn’t feel like it came from one time, one place, or one tape machine. The songs and sounds were captured in various countries, studios, and barns, and they carry a weather-worn quality, some dirt and some grit.

Early in Dark Bird, toward the end of the opening track, we hear other voices and sounds backing Kristian Matsson’s own. One of them, later credited in the liner notes with Angel Vocals, shows up several times throughout the record, adding new color to the familiar palette. And so the story grows and expands. That first song has horns and a piano, keyboards, synthesizers, and other modern noisemakers . . . and by track two you’ve got The Tallest Man on Earth as full-throttle rock and roll.

While Dark Bird is The Tallest Man at his most personal and direct, deeper and darker than ever at times, it’s also an album with strokes of whimsy and the scent of new beginnings — which feels fresh for The Tallest Man on Earth, and well timed. Reliably, the melodies and arrangements are sturdy and classic, like old cars and tightly wound clocks. The lyrics and their delivery are both comforting and alarming, like tall trees and wide hills.

The other musicians and layers on this recording put a wide lens on familiar themes. Fear and darkness, sleep or lack of it, dreams in the dark and in the light. Moving, leaving, going. Distance and short stops, long straight lines, temporal places. More hopefully, a grateful nod to a traveling partner, a healing mind. Maybe a little forgiveness needed. Definitely some things to forget.

TRACK LISTING

01. Fields Of Our Home
02. Darkness Of The Dream
03. Singers
04. Slow Dance
05. Little Nowhere Towns
06. Sagres
07. Timothy
08. Beginners
09. Seventeen
10. Dark Bird Is Home

It’s impossible to discuss The Tallest Man On Earth’s music without acknowledging Bob Dylan. The seemingly effortlessness, the melodic sensibility and the deft lyricism all recall Dylan’s early years. But when you witness the Tallest Man on Earth perform live, you are watching a man possessed. The energy pours out with every word. Full of intensity and raw emotion, he paces the stage, bringing the audience into the palm of his hand, completely lost in his songs.

This is a reissue of his debut EP.

Hugely anticipated, The Tallest Man On Earth returns with ‘There’s No Leaving Now’.

The sense of urgency that fuelled his previous work remains, and the results are paralyzing – drums, piano, baritone guitar, woodwinds and pedal steel combine with songwriting so detailed and captivating.

Since his last album, ‘The Wild Hunt’, The Tallest Man On Earth has sold out Shepherds Bush Empire two months in advance of the show, performed on ‘Later With Jools Holland’ and now lands at the start of this campaign with a sold out London Hackney Empire show, with fans desperate to hear his new material.

The Tallest Man On Earth released "The Wild Hunt" this year to widespread acclaim. The live reaction that the Tallest Man On Earth (aka songwriter Kristian Matsson) generates from his fans is a sight to behold. He has performed around the world, headlining Euro festivals and selling out prestigious club venues.

Matsson is the rarest of performers, charismatic and captivating. At many of the Tallest Man on Earth shows this year, Matsson closed his set with a new song titled ‘Like The Wheel’. It quickly became a fan favourite, with YouTube videos spreading virally, and the sets closing on a high note night after night.

STAFF COMMENTS

Darryl says: A five track mini-album and another example of his superb widescreen late night Americana songwriting skills.

TRACK LISTING

1. Little River
2. The Dreamer
3. Like The Wheel
4. Tangle This
5. Trampled Wheat
6. Thrown Right At Me

When fans lined up to see the sold-out Bon Iver performances at New York City's Town Hall in late 2008, few of them went with any expectations of the opening act. But the audience that night, and on every other night of Bon Iver's tour that December, were introduced to something special, something unforgettable: The Tallest Man on Earth. This was the first of several tours for the Tallest Man on Earth (aka Kristian Matsson), with obsessive crowds growing each step of the way.

It is impossible to discuss The Tallest Man on Earth's music without acknowledging Bob Dylan. The seemingly effortlessness, the melodic sensibility and the deft lyricism all recall Dylan's early years. But when you witness the Tallest Man on Earth perform live, you are watching a man possessed. The energy pours out with every word. Full of intensity and raw emotion, he paces the stage, bringing the audience into the palm of his hand, completely lost in his songs.

This brings us to the reason you are reading this. With unbridled excitement, we bring you The Tallest Man on Earth's second LP, "The Wild Hunt". It is all here: The words. The voice. The melodies. Ten perfect songs. "The Wild Hunt" picks up where "Shallow Grave" left off, with Matsson doing what he does best. It is unmistakably The Tallest Man on Earth, from the urgent strums of "You're Going Back" and the sweet melodies of "Love is All," to the playful lyricism of live favourite "King of Spain" and the subtle hook on "Burden of Tomorrow". "The Wild Hunt" isn't just another folk album; this is acoustic rock 'n' roll from a man with a story to tell.

STAFF COMMENTS

Darryl says: Ace singer/songwriter with a desolate, stripped down acoustic Americana vibe that brings to mind early Dylan.

If one artist has maintained a rich quality and autobiographical commitment in his songwriting throughout his career then it has to be Loudon Wainwright. As angst ridden and relevant as ever he sings of despair, loss and depression but with a wit and humanity that has never paled over the years. While some singer songwriters have lost their eloquence or ability to touch their listeners on a personal level, Loudon Wainwright merely adds more broken relationships, more personal losses (his Mum died recently which naturally sent him into a tailspin) into his lyrical brew. "Last Man On Earth" stands as one of the finest works from this brilliant songwriter.