Iconic Chicago-based artist Chris Connelly presents ‘Nothin’ But A Rock Song’, a brilliant song for the 21st century with its roots firmly and deeply planted in 1974. This is the second taste of his album ‘Doo Wop In The Dark: A Portrait of Lou Reed’, forthcoming via Shipwrecked Industries with distribution by Virtual Label.
Produced by Connelly and his Sons of the Silent Age bandmate Alan Holden Berliant, this song is performed by Connelly and Berliant, along with Chris Bruce (Meshell Ndegeocello, Seal, Aaron Neville, Bob Dylan, The Waterboys, Sheryl Crow).
The accompanying video was created by Glasgow-based producer-par-excellence Iain Mutch a.k.a. Walkerandwilliam, with whom Chris has worked with many times in the past, including for the magnificent video for ‘Femme Fatale’, featured on Connelly’s ‘Eulogy to Christa: A Tribute to the Music & Mystique of Nico’.
“After the world rejected The Velvets, and his record company rejected his masterpiece ‘Berlin’, Lou Reed became an angry, wired ghost, stalking the stage with a rock band, pumping steroids and speed into his music as he spat in the face of the music industry, using his scythe-like tongue to cut down everyone in his way,” explains Chris Connelly.
No stranger to the alternative music scene himself, Connelly has been actively making music for over four decades. Since his days with Fini Tribe in Edinburgh, he has consistently pushed the creative envelope, whether it be through his involvement in such projects as Ministry, The Revolting Cocks and Pigface, his own solo work (with over 20 releases) or the four books he has authored.
Connelly earlier shared the album’s lead track ‘House of 70’s’, which Connelly calls “Lou Reed’s New York of the early- to mid-70s distilled into a rock song”. along with an adrenaline-fuelled video produced by Someoddpilot Studios and directed by Chris Eichenseer of the Chicago-based creative force Some Odd Pilot, featuring artists Kira Leadholm (Madame Reaper) and Jay Drenkel.
‘Doo Wop In The Dark’ echoes Connelly’s critically acclaimed 2022 album ‘Eulogy to Christa’ album, a colossal 20-track collection dedicated to and exploring trailblazing songstress Nico – one of the most unique, tragic and misunderstood female artists in the history of modern music. Similarly, this new album is dedicated to the wildfire, tempestuous spirit of Lewis Allan Reed (a.k.a. Lou Reed), as well as Chris’s dear friend Zak Boerger (1973 -2025).
This new record presents a unique mix, including Lou Reed’s own compositions, spanning his career from the Velvet Underground onwards, and songs penned by Connelly, detailing the creative and often turbulent path of Reed’s life from his teenage years through to his death in 2013.
While mostly produced by Connelly and Berliant, four tracks from this album (‘Babyface’, ‘Bye Bye Johnny Viola’, ‘Doin’ The Things That We Want To’, ‘One Too Many Mysteries’) were produced by Chris Bruce. It was mixed by Berliant and Bruce in Chicago and New York from 2023 to 2026, and mastered by James Scott at Populist Recording & Mastering.
Connelly’s latest release was with Fini Tribe in 2025 for their colossal 3-disc anthology “The Sheer Action of Fini Tribe: 1982-1987′. That same year, Connelly also released ‘The Lives and Loves of the Serial Homesick, Vol. 1’, a personal album rooted firmly in his hometown of Edinburgh, his second recent album dedicated to his beloved Scotland. Prior to that he also released ‘The Birthday Poems’, which features Monica Queen (Belle and Sebastian, Thrum).
As of September 15th, ‘Nothin’ But A Rock Song’ is available everywhere digitally, including Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon and Bandcamp, where ‘House of 70’s’ may also be found. On October 16th, ‘Doo Wop In The Dark’ will be released digitally and as a limited edition two-CD set, with a selection of tracks also being made available on vinyl.
On October 7th, Chris Connelly and the Dirty French Novels will perform at the album launch party, which will take place at Robert’s Westside in Forest Park, Illinois. Tickets at www.dice.fm/event/eo89gw
ALBUM CREDITS
Chris Connelly – vocals, guitar, harmonium, bass, keyboards, glockenspiel
Chris Bruce – guitar, programming, bass, keyboards, pedal steel guitar
Alan Holden Berliant – guitar, keyboards, bass, programming
Jebin Bruni – additional keyboards on ‘Bye Bye Johnny Viola’
Produced by Chris Connelly & Alan Holden Berliant,
except ‘Babyface’, ‘Bye Bye Johnny Viola’, ‘Doin’ The Things That We Want To’ and ‘One Too Many Mysteries’ produced by Chris Bruce
Mixed by Alan Holden Berliant & Chris Bruce in Chicago & New York (2023-2026)
Mastered by James Scott at Populist Recording & Mastering
Cover photography by Derick Smith
Cover layout by Kimberly Blessing
Published by: Sony/ATV Music, Universal Music Group, Sister Ray Enterprises, Concord Music
© and ℗ 2026 Chris Connelly – All rights reserved
Released by Shipwrecked Industries LLC
‘Nothin’ But A Rock Song’ video produced by Iain Mutch a.k.a. Walkerandwilliam
‘House of 70’s’ video produced by Someoddpilot Studios
Directed and edited by Chris Eichenseer
Dancers: Kira Ledholm, Jay Drenkel
Management: Kimberly Blessing at Shipwrecked Industries
Chris Connelly photos by Derick Smith
Publicity by Shauna McLarnon at Shameless Promotion PR