the Jesus Lizard, who release Rack, their first new album in 26 years, on Friday the 13th of September via Ipecac Recordings, offer a second preview of what has become one of 2024’s most eagerly-awaited albums with the arrival of “Alexis Feels Sick”.
Inspired by Girls Against Boys/Soulside drummer Alexis Fleisig’s guarded opinion of modern life, the four-and-a-half-minute track is met with an esoteric, David Yow created video.
Yow shares insight into the concept behind the clip: “The ‘Alexis Feels Sick’ video is a disgusting and comically impressionistic portrait of American Late Stage Capitalism… with some doggies.” Duane Denison adds that it’s a “study in greed, gluttony, and… dogs.”
News of the band’s return came last month via The New York Times, who said the new LP is “a raucous record that recaptures the lunging momentum, stealth nuance and unhinged Yow-isms of [their] best work.” “Hide & Seek”, the first taste from the 11-song album, was described by Yow as “a perky ditty about a witch who can’t behave, and it’s got nearly as many hooks as a Mike Tyson fight.” The video captures the band – Mac McNeilly, David Wm. Sims, Denison and Yow – recording Rack with Producer Paul Allen at Nashville’s Audio Eagle Studio.
the Jesus Lizard reconvened in 2009 for a limited number of shows and have maintained their bond both as friends in close contact with one another, and touring bandmates. “We literally only made the record because we thought it would be fun to make the record,” says Sims. With McNeilly highlighting the strong relationship amongst the musicians: “We are bonded by the music we make, and also by the respect we have for each other.”
RACK TRACK LISTING:
1- HIDE & SEEK
2 – ARMISTICE DAY
3 – GRIND
4 – WHAT IF?
5 – LORD GODIVA
6 – ALEXIS FEELS SICK
7 – FALLING DOWN
8 – DUNNING KRUGER
9 – MOTO(R)
10 – IS THAT YOUR HAND?
11 – SWAN THE DOG
Album pre-orders, which include several limited-edition vinyl variants, as well as CD, digital, and cassette offerings, are available here.
The band also recently announced a number of tour dates, stretching into 2025, with recent additions including a performance at Chicago’s Warm Love Cool Dreams festival on Sept. 28, a newly added date in Cincinnati and second shows added in Dublin and Seattle.
September 7 Raleigh, NC Hopscotch Music Festival
September 26 Cincinnati, OH Bogart’s
September 28 Chicago, IL Warm Love Cool Dreams
October 13 Las Vegas, NV Best Friends Forever Music Festival
October 31 Dallas, TX Longhorn Ballroom
November 1 Austin, TX Levitation / The Far Out Lounge
December 9 Pittsburgh, PA Stage AE
December 11 Brooklyn, NY Brooklyn Steel
December 12 Boston, MA Roadrunner
December 13 Philadelphia, PA Union Transfer
December 14 Washington, DC Black Cat
December 15 Washington, DC Black Cat
December 18 Atlanta, GA Variety Playhouse
January 7 Glasgow, UK QMU
January 8 Manchester, UK Academy 2
January 9 Leeds, UK Brudenell Social Club
January 10 Bristol, UK The Fleece
January 11 London, UK Electric Ballroom
January 12 Brighton, UK Concorde 2
January 14 Belfast, UK The Limelight
January 15 Dublin, IE Button Factory
January 16 Dublin, IE Button Factory
May 2 Solana Beach, CA Belly Up Tavern
May 3 Los Angeles, CA The Fonda Theatre
May 5 San Francisco, CA The Fillmore
May 8 Portland, OR Revolution Hall
May 10 Seattle, WA Neptune Theatre
May 11 Seattle, WA Neptune Theatre
Tickets for the newly announced shows (Oct. 31 through May 10, 2025) are on-sale now via Ipecac.com/tours.
Photo credit: Joshua Black Wilkins