Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever have some of the jangliest guitars this side of the Pecos River and I completely dig this band from Melbourne, Australia. Today Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever have shared their video for “Talking Straight,” the first single from their upcoming debut Hope Downs which will be released via Sub Pop on June 15th.
Fittingly recorded in a house in the middle of the Northern NSW bush, “Talking Straight” hits hard with its driving rhythm and melodic, interweaving guitars, while reflecting on the loneliness of being a small person in the big universe. In singer/songwriter/guitarist Joe White’s own words:
The concept came about when I heard someone talking about the possibility of us, humans, being alone in the universe, and how sad that would be. The idea in this song is that we might be lonely, but we could be lonely together.
“Talking Straight” marks the second release of new music from the band for 2018. Previous single “Mainland” saw the band receive accolades from the likes of Pitchfork, Stereogum, and Paste, to name a few. The two songs collectively show how, after a pair of buzz-building EPs, Hope Downs is truly that album that was promised. The album title, taken from the name of a vast open cut mine in the middle of Australia, refers to the feeling of standing at the edge of the void of the big unknown, and finding something to hold on to. It’s a record that focuses on finding the bright spots at a time when cynicism all too often feels like the natural state. Rolling Blackouts C.F. are here to remind us to keep our feet on the ground—and Hope Downs is as delicious a taste of terra firma as you’re going to get from a rock band right now.
Having recently wrapped Australia’s Laneway Festival, where the band were a highlight act, Rolling Blackouts C.F. will gear up for a huge few months as they head over to North America and Europe to play a run of headline shows and festivals including Coachella, Shaky Knees, The Great Escape and Primavera Sound.
HOPE DOWNS TRACKLISTING
1. An Air Conditioned Man
2. Talking Straight
3. Mainland
4. Time In Common
5. Sister’s Jeans
6. Bellarine
7. Cappuccino City
8. Exclusive Grave
9. How Long?
10. The Hammer
ROLLING BLACKOUTS C.F. TOUR DATES
Fri. Apr. 13 – Sun. Apr. 15 – Indio, CA @ Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival
Tue. Apr. 17 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Echo
Fri. Apr. 20 – Sun. Apr. 22 – Indio, CA @ Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival
Tue. Apr. 24 – Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge
Wed. Apr. 25 – Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile
Fri. Apr. 27 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court
Sat. Apr. 28 – Denver, CO @ Larimer Lounge
Mon. Apr. 30 – Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry
Wed. May 2 – Chicago, IL @ Schubas Tavern – SOLD OUT
Thu. May 3 – Nashville, TN @ The Basement
Fri. May 4 – Atlanta, GA @ Shaky Knees Festival
Sat. May 5 – Chapel Hill, NC @ Local 506
Sun. May 6 – Washington, DC @ DC9
Tue. May 8 – Toronto, ON @ The Garrison
Thu. May 10 – Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s
Fri. May 11 – Allston, MA @ Great Scott
Sat. May 12 – Brooklyn, NY @ Rough Trade (2 Shows, Early Show SOLD OUT)
Thu, May 17th, Brighton, UK @ The Great Escape Festival
Fri. May 18 – Nottingham, UK @ Rescue Rooms
Sun. May 20 – Glasgow, UK @ CCA: Centre for Contemporary Arts
Mon. May 21 – Manchester, UK @ Gorilla – SOLD OUT
Tue. May 22 – London, UK @ Electric Ballroom
Thu. May 24 – Paris, FR @ Point Ephemere
Sat. May 26 – Amsterdam, NL @ London Calling at Paradiso
Sun. May 27th, Groningen, NL @ Vera
Mon. May 28 – Hamburg, DE @ Molotow
Tue. May 29 – Berlin, DE @ Lido
Thu. May. 31 – Brussels, BE @ AB Club
Sun. June 3 – Barcelona, ES @ Primavera Sound
Tue. June 5 – St. Albans, UK @ The Horn
Wed. June 6 – Birmingham, UK @ The Hare & Hounds
Thu. June 7 – Guildford, UK @ Boileroom
Fri. June 8 – Porto, PT @ Primavera Porto
Sat. Aug. 11 – Rees-Haldern, DE @ Haldern Pop Festival
Thu. Aug. 16 – Trondheim, NO @ Pstereo Festival
Fri. Aug. 17 – Bigginghuizen, NL @ Lowlands Festival
Sat. Aug. 18 – Kiewit, BE @ Pukklepop Festival
Sun. Aug. 19 – Brecon Beacons, UK @ Green Man Festival
