New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Today, Eric Slick unleashes the title track of his forthcoming album, New Age Rage (April 26, Slick Records/Thirty Tigers), a dance-rock opus about the downfall of our dystopian, tech-driven future. Written and directed by comedian Demi Adejuyigbe, known for his work on The Good Place, The Late Late Show with James Corden, The Amber Ruffin Show, and his viral series of videos set to Earth, Wind & Fire's "September," the accompanying music video for "New Age Rage" finds Slick losing his love interest to artificial intelligence. Channeling the VHS aesthetic of 1980s sci-fi comedies like Weird Science, Real Genius, and direct-to-video, bargain bin cassettes, the visual brings to life a robot named S.L.I.C.K.O - Simulated Lifeform Invented for Completing Key Objectives - who turns from dream companion to menacing nightmare, as he quickly starts to steal Slick's girl. Complete with choreographed dance breaks and a self-deprecating showdown, Slick invites the viewer to sing, sway and seethe along to an inescapable sensation, capturing the all-too-real fear of big tech's cataclysmic takeover. "We speak a new language now 'cause Mother Nature's mother bored," he warns in the chorus. "Thought we wanted everything, but we don't want it anymore."
With samples of Taco Bell's gong sound and AOL Instant Messenger's door slam, "New Age Rage" is a robot-funk heater that splits the difference between DEVO, MC Hammer and Prefab Sprout. On the making of the video, Eric Slick says:
"Demi Adejuyigbe is an all-around genius innovator. We previously collaborated on my video for 'Over It,' but when I sent him this LP, he jumped at the idea of doing a video for 'New Age Rage.' I was on tour with Kevin Morby last fall and was able to make it for a two-day shoot in Los Angeles - Demi wrote the entire treatment, and pored over every detail to get all of the visual effects perfect."
After 15 years drumming for Dr. Dog, recording and performing with Taylor Swift, Waxahatchee, The War on Drugs, Kevin Morby, his wife Natalie Prass and many more, scoring Hilary Swank's The Good Mother and releasing solo records hailed as "a crackpot singer-songwriter fantasy" (Rolling Stone), Eric Slick reaches his most honest, hilarious, provocative and productive on New Age Rage. Following the apocalyptic dance party of "Lose Our Minds," and recent single "Anxious To Please" - an arena-rock anthem for self-acceptance, delivered alongside a VR video of dancing aliens and absurdly buff dudes - "New Age Rage" further shows his ability to pack ominous premonitions into relentlessly palatable, irresistible melodies. Across the rest of the album, the Philly-born, Nashville-based singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist takes on self-driving cars, mass media manipulation, the climate crisis and more, as well as personal issues of seeking perfection, living in the moment and being accepted, unmasking what it means to be human in a world that increasingly values the artificial.
In addition to Demi Adejuyigbe, New Age Rage features collaborations with producer Andy Molholt (Speedy Ortiz), mixer Jeremy Ferguson (Be Your Own Pet, Lambchop) and co-writer Kyle Ryan (Kacey Musgraves), as well as artwork by EYヨ (of Japanese band BOREDOMS), and contributions from Natalie Prass, Diane Coffee, Finom (fka OHMME), Liam Kazar, mmeadows, VV Lightbody, Kimaya Diggs, members of Butcher Brown, Deep Sea Diver and more.
This spring, Eric Slick will present the music at a series of theatrical, experiential shows from coast to coast, in between dates drumming for Dr. Dog and Kevin Morby. Find his list of headline tour dates below and tickets at ericslick.com.
Eric Slick Tour Dates:
4/24 - The Middle East Restaurant and Nightclub - Cambridge, MA
4/25 - The Half Moon - Hudson, NY
4/26 - TV Eye - Ridgewood, NY
4/27 - Johnny Brenda's - Philadelphia, PA
4/28 - Comet Ping Pong - Washington, DC
4/30 - Spirit - Pittsburgh, PA
5/1 - Woodlands Tavern - Columbus, OH
5/2 - Schubas - Chicago, IL
5/5 - Shaky Knees Music Festival - Atlanta, GA
5/8 - The Grey Eagle w/ Scott McMicken - Asheville, NC
5/10 - The Blue Room - Nashville, TN
5/14 - Zebulon - Los Angeles, CA
5/15 - Bottom Of the Hill - San Francisco, CA
5/17 - Show Bar - Portland, OR
5/18 - Fisherman's Village Festival - Everett, WA
