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Little Wretches Stun With New Live Single “Promised Land”
The Robert Wagner led folk outlet Little Wretches stuns listeners again with their new single, “Promised Land.” Appearing on their latest live album, the acoustic ballad might just be one of the best performances vocally the band has ever given. Channeling shades of vintage Bob Dylan with the songwriting, the record targets the idea of America as the “Promised Land” to citizens, yet having to work at all hours of the day just to be able to survive on the land, let alone live. “I don’t feel like I’ve slept,” he utters across the chorus with a remorseful string melody and a sprawling backdrop of the acoustic guitar, symbolizing the never-ending cycle of labor that will never pay for true freedom. The song has become a fan-favorite off the “Live at the Mattress Factory” album, and a year full of equally impressive live performances are on the docket for Little Wretches in 2022!
The Little Wretches earned their stripes during the indie heyday of the 80s and 90s in Pittsburgh. In 2020, frontman Robert Wagner issued two new albums, including “Undesirables And Anarchists,” which featured a #1 international iTunes chart hit and received airplay on more than 100 AM/FM stations across North America. The follow-up album, “LIVE AT THE MATTRESS FACTORY – SONGS FROM THE LAND OF PIT BULLS & POKER MACHINES” included their chart-topping live version of “All Of My Friends.” Wagner continues to perform at coffeehouses and small clubs. A Master’s Degree holder, Wagner also counsels abused, neglected, traumatized and court-adjudicated youth. He is the co-founder of The Calliope Acoustic Open Stage, an event that has lasted 15+ years. Wagner is also a long-term cancer survivor. www.littlewretches.com
https://open.spotify.com/artist/28Ue5Dx2uO60U7MMKJ3waD?si=e7dc4e4d96a341aa
https://www.facebook.com/thelittlewretches/
Artist Spotlight
Dan Webb creates a captivating reflection on change with “Hungry Ghosts”
Clive Deamer, Dennis Hamm, and Bob Lanzetti all feature on Dan Webb’s latest release, “Hungry Ghosts,” which is a track of real-time transformation. A great blend of psychedelic jazz and rock, the track delivers a deep, immersive experience.
The song’s lyrics touch on the emotional difficulty of closing one part of life and opening up a new one. One of the defining features of “Hungry Ghosts” is Webb’s own vision, as composer, arranger, producer, performer, and mixer, which shines with an unmistakably personal energy. The song is about the displacement, reinvention, and psychological transition, and captures the uncertainty and possibility of starting a life in unfamiliar surroundings.
Clive Deamer’s ever-shifting drumming provides a foundation, and Dennis Hamm’s keyboards add depth and texture to the sound. Bob Lanzetti’s guitar work runs through the arrangement with fluid precision, helping to create a dreamlike sound. “Hungry Ghosts” is mastered by Joe Lambert, and the production explores movement and space, mirroring the song’s theme of past and future selves. All in all, this is a great example of psychedelic jazz rock that rewards multiple listenings. This is a meditative, adventurous, and emotionally resonant exploration of transformation and the courage to start again.
Artist Spotlight
French Inhaler explores desire and disconnection through “TV LOVE”
Chicago trio French Inhaler make a bold start with “TV LOVE,” the first single from their upcoming album “Practiced Lines.” It’s a song that finds a band able to make contemporary fears danceable but also think deeply about them with post-punk urgency and synth-pop atmosphere.
The song is about the gap between people’s desires and reality, and about the contradictions of living in an age of hyper-connectivity but emotional disconnection. “TV LOVE” opens with a cold sound built on mechanical drum grooves, melodic basslines, and synth textures. The production is deliberately tight and precise, mirroring themes threaded throughout the song.
Everything combines to create a tension that draws you into a world where connection is increasingly mediated by screens, expectations, and distorted perceptions. In terms of vocals, the performance is perfectly suited to the aesthetic of the track, somewhere between detachment and openness. “TV LOVE” is a primer for “Practiced Lines” and demonstrates that French Inhaler is a band with a defined artistic identity and a strong sense of purpose. It’s an immersive, stylish, and thought-provoking record that lingers, cementing the Chicago trio as a promising new voice in the modern post-punk and synth-pop scene.
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