Category: Reviews

Review: Ty Segall – Harmonizer

Released as a surprise to his fans and the world in general, Ty Segall‘s newest album, Harmonizer, has him embracing and exploring synthwave and krautrock after a forced-upon two-year hiatus (Screw you, pandemic!) from releasing new material – which, to the prolific Segall, must have felt like two decades.

Opening track “Learning” throws bright synths, processed beats, and 1980s keyboard blips together as an introduction to his new obsession. “Whisper” adds funky bass and scorching guitars to the mix as he sings about loss of identity through circumstances beyond one’s control (“Look into the mirror and see it. Who is it?”). The deep synths on “Erased” add even more menace to the dark lyrics about being drowned out in a sea of anger, rage, noise, and psycho-babble.

The title track blends the industrial synths and chainsaw guitars well and is another song about the complexities of language, communication, and the desire to be heard. It’s not hard to imagine this was how Segall was feeling during two years of not being able to tour or meet with his bandmates, let alone how a lot of us felt during the last election when fringe voices were given the forefront.

“Pictures” gets all sorts of synth-crazy for a while and then makes a right turn into synth-funk suitable for slow dances in a goth nightclub. Plus, the guitar solo on it is pretty damn cool. “Ride” introduces us to the character of Waxman, who is the subject of the following track and might be a frightening vision Segall had of his possible older years. It’s a heavy bass thumper that would probably melt wax if played at the right volume.

“All I want to do is play,” Segall sings at the beginning of “Play.” That probably sums up how he felt during self-isolation. It’s a neat cut to boot, flashing wild guitar and synth bass over a beat that hip hop DJs are probably stealing even now. “Feel Good” might be the most erotic track Segall’s ever written, and his wife Denée’s vocals on it are sexy yet distant. It’s a great post-punk track that sings of desire and lust but also tells you through its delivery that you might deserve neither. The album closes with the hopeful “Changing Contours” as Segall realizes that things might be turning around for him and the world (“And now it’s finally changing contours, and when I’m being, I am free. New perspectives seen. Now I’m breathing in all I see.”).

We shouldn’t be surprised that Segall recorded an album during lockdown, nor should we be surprised at how good Harmonizer is. The guy doesn’t seem to miss.

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Ahmad at Pitch Perfect PR.]

Review: Durand Jones & The Indications – Private Space

Check out that cover! If that alone doesn’t tell you that you’re in for a treat with Private Space, the new album from Durand Jones & The Indications, then I don’t know what will.

Well, the sound will – that’s for certain. Private Space is an outstanding record that moves away a bit from the band’s love of 1960s soul and R&B and embraces its love of 1970s music, which, yes, includes disco. The album was made during the crazy year of 2020, and the band wanted to create something that not only reflected the time, but would also help listeners forget it, even if for just a little while.

“Love Will Work It Out” is the band’s message of hope for the future. They knew the last political cycle and the pandemic would eventually end, and that leaving hatred behind was the only way to move forward (“Joy will set us free, if you do believe. So, don’t you ever doubt that love will work it out.”). The bubbly, bumping synths of “Witchoo” and the wicked bass by Mike Montgomery get you moving no matter what you’re doing. It’s a great song about partying, either by design or at a moment’s notice.

“Private Space” has drummer / co-lead singer Aaron Frazer singing a tale of longing for escape with his lover (“When we stand in a crowd, I feel so far from you. Here we can’t do the things we both know we want to do.”). As if that wasn’t enough to make you run for the nearest bed with your better half, then “More Than Ever” will probably seal the deal as Jones sings, with effortless smoothness, lyrics meant to invoke a shedding of clothing.

“Ride or Die” is a tribute to the vows of “for better or for worse,” as Jones sings about catching rain falling through a leaky roof in a cup with his lover one day and popping champagne bottles with her later after all their hard work and mutual support. The groove that Frazer, keyboardist Steve Okonski, and guitarist Blake Rhein put down on “The Way That I Do” is nothing short of stunning.

“Reach Out” has Jones singing to, on the surface, a lonely woman who’s burdened with stress, but, in reality, to the world in general as everyone needed a helping hand through 2020 (“All them burdens, it’s more than anyone should bear. Silently hurting, but you know you can always share. You’ve been worried the pain will never cease to ache.”).

“Sexy Thang” is just as naughty and funky as you hope it will be with a title like that. “Sea of Love” has Jones realizing he’s made a terrible mistake by letting a lover go for what he thought were greener pastures. Frazer’s simple yet groovy beats pair perfectly with Jones’ vocals and piano work on it. The album closes with the uplifting “I Can See” – a track that stresses better times will come if we work together (“We can’t make it on our own. There’s another way through the darkness all alone. There’s a brighter day.”).

It’s a wonderful record, and one that we all needed coming out of the heaviest part of the pandemic (not to mention the 2020 election and all its aftermath).

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Sam at Pitch Perfect PR.]

Review: The Harry Angslingers – Go Tranquility Base

Named after the main guy behind the criminalization of marijuana, The Harry Anslingers are a wild German punk band whose newest record, Go Tranquility Base (sometimes known just as Tranquility Base), is a fun, fast romp through outer space.

The entire album, which lasts a little over sixteen minutes, tells the tale of the Apollo 11 mission with fuzzed guitars, echoed vocals, and afterburner drums. “Whatever you do, it doesn’t matter. Ease up!” they proclaim on opening track “Ease Up.” Life’s not permanent, so why take it seriously? The Anslingers know this, why don’t the rest of us?

“E.S.A.” (European Space Agency) has some of Davee Damage‘s craziest bass lines on the whole record. “Testimony” is an instant toe-tapper that will energize you far more than some electrolyte-laden drink you’d get on the International Space Station. “Super Chrome” sounds like it was recorded in zero gravity while aboard a classic, metal-riveted Flash Gordon spaceship spewing white-hot flames as it flies alongside warrior hawk-men.

“Second to None” is a bonkers punk rager coming in under two minutes but packing enough punch for a three-minute boxing round. I don’t know how Damage and guitarist Rudy Reefer can keep up with drummer G.G. Angslinger throughout it. “Upside Down & Out” gets off to a bit of a ska start with its bass line but soon cranks up the gritty fuzz and it’s pushing hard to escape gravity. The closing track, “Restricted,” somehow pushes even harder and faster. A live set from these guys must be like running a fifty-yard dash while being chased by a rhino.

Get on board their rocket ship and hold on for dear life.

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Flatty at It’s Eleven Records.]

Rewind Review: Frankie and the Witch Fingers – ZAM (2019)

Frankie and the Witch Fingers had put out plenty of material before their 2019 release, ZAM, but it might be fair to say that they were in a full sprint when they released it. The album is almost non-stop energy and bangers from beginning to end.

Starting with the trippy “Dracula Drug,” the album gets off to what you think is a heady, Nang Champa incense-sniffing start, but it soon bursts into a full-blown rock song with guitars that hit like axes through a piece of firewood. “Work” takes off like a funny car at a green light and never employs the parachute to slow down as the band sings about, you guessed it, work and who’s really the boss and who’s really the employee. “Realization” is a blast (especially live) with its driving beats and bass. It instantly gets your toes tapping, if not pogoing around your room, office, or the coffee shop where it happens to be playing. It drifts into a psychedelic mind-bender so you have time to take a sip of tea before “Pleasure” (“Everybody wants it. Everybody needs it.”) comes along with its killer bass line, synth-organ riffs, and bad-ass swagger.

The title track is over eight minutes of psych-rock jamming that almost overwhelms you. “Cobwebs” and “Dark Sorcerer,” apart from being good inspiration for Dungeons and Dragons campaigns, are fun tracks that combine psychedelia with garage rock. “Purple Velvet” could’ve been a Velvet Underground track in an alternate timeline, and the short “I Am” sounds a bit like swamp rock at first and then morphs into a desert rock gas pedal-stomper that makes a hard left and becomes “Underneath You.” It’s no accident, I think, that those two titles complete a sentence, and it’s no accident that “Underneath You” shifts that muscle car into fifth gear so it can race down a road partially covered in drifting sand dunes. The album ends with “Head Collector,” a straight-up psychedelic track that takes its time to languish in a warm sun alongside a stream.

ZAM is a great place to jump onto the Franke and the Witch Fingers train if you’re looking for a place to start. Listen to it loud.

Keep your mind open.

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Review: The Black Angels – Live at Levitation

Live at Levitation is a collection of six tracks from The Black Angels (who, among many other hats they wear, help curate and organize the annual Levitation Music Festivals in Austin, Texas and Angers, France) taken from the 2010 – 2012 festivals and band lineups.

Opening track “Manipulation,” for instance, includes Elephant Stone‘s Rishi Dhir on sitar while Alex Maas‘ vocals knock over the back wall of the venue. Christian Bland‘s guitar on “Better Off Alone” sounds like it, his pedals, and his amps are all on fire. The live version of “Surf City” included on the album is raw and rough, bordering on dangerous.

“You on the Run” is a personal favorite, and it always slays live – as it does here with cranked fuzz and menace. “Empire” is a special treat, as The Black Angels don’t often perform it live. It’s a psych-trip and brings things down to Earth…for a moment, as the closer is one of their biggest hits – “Young Men Dead,” which hearing live is like standing in front of a roaring dragon. This is especially true due to Stephanie Bailey‘s thunderous drum beats, which always threaten to destroy everything around her.

It’s a must-own album for fans of the band, the Austin music scene, or psych-rock. It also further establishes The Black Angels as one of the most powerful live bands out there.

Keep your mind open.

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Rewind Review: Donald Fagen – The Nightfly (1982)

The liner notes of Donald Fagen‘s 1982 masterpiece, The Nightfly, state, “The songs on this album represent certain fantasies that might have been entertained by a young man growing up in the remote suburbs of a northeastern city during the late fifties and early sixties, i.e., one of my general height, weight and build.”

It’s tempting to call this a Steely Dan album, since Fagen is the lead singer on the album and many of the studio musicians he assembled for it played on multiple Steely Dan records, but the album is truly all his own. After all, it’s about him growing up in that remote suburb and dreaming of a bright future, such as the one described in the instant hit “I.G.Y. (International Geophysical Year)” in lyrics like “Here at home we’ll play in the city, powered by the sun. Perfect weather for a streamlined world. There’ll be spandex jackets for everyone.” Fagen’s synths and the entire horn section (Randy Brecker, Dave Tofani, Michael Brecker, Ronnie Cuber, and Dave Bargeron) gel so well that it makes your jaw drop.

Speaking of jaw-dropping, Chuck Rainey‘s bass work on “Green Flower Street” is a thing of wonder (and Larry Carlton‘s guitar solo is no slouch). “Ruby Baby” has Fagen professing his love for a woman who doesn’t love him, but he’s determined to win her heart. “Maxine” is a tribute to another woman Fagen knew when he was in school (“We’ve got to hold out till graduation. Try to hang on, Maxine.” The song is a sweet ballad (with jazz piano from Greg Phillinganes), with Fagen telling his paramour that one day they’ll jet to Mexico City or move to Manhattan to escape the urban sprawl…but you’re not sure if it’s just wishful thinking. Michael Brecker’s tenor sax solo is top notch on it.

“New Frontier” is a fun tribute to summer parties in the fallout shelter built by Fagen’s dad (“We’ve got provisions and lots of beer. The key word is survival on the new frontier.”), one of which is attended by a blonde who has “a touch of Tuesday Weld.” Fagen immediately tries to make time with her, claiming he’s moving to the big city “to learn design and study overseas” and that they’re both into Dave Brubeck. Starz Vanderlocket‘s percussion on the track is so hip that it’s almost criminal.

The title track is a slick ode to the late night jazz and talk radio Fagen heard growing up in the NYC suburbs. “The Goodbye Look” is a sultry tale of either a break-up or a professional hit – possibly both – as Fagen sings about “a small reception just for me behind the big casino by the sea. I know what happens. I read the book. I believe I just got the goodbye look.” The hand percussion, bass, and vibes bring in a Caribbean flair and Carlton’s guitar solo is so groovy that it makes you want to drink a cocktail with an umbrella in it. Fagen saves some of his best organ chops for the closer, “Walk Between Raindrops,” a fun, jazzy number with a killer bass line from Will Lee. The whole song sounds like it was a blast to record.

The whole album does, really, and the sound quality of it is astounding. Every note is perfect.

Keep your mind open.

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Review: Alex Maas – Levitation Sessions

Essentially a live version of Alex Maas’ (of The Black Angels, MIEN, and other projects) first solo album, Luca, Levitation Sessions is, as he puts it in the notes on his Bandcamp page, “…a glimpse into what a tour on this record would look like had we not been in a pandemic.”

It’s a shame he wasn’t able to tour behind it, because this live session shows how good those shows would’ve been. The songs aren’t as loud or face-melting as many Black Angels songs, but they are no less haunting, hypnotizing, and mood-altering. “Shines Like the Sun” opens the album with Maas singing to his family about their changing, blessed dynamic. “Special” fades in and out like incense smoke curling out of a temple or efficiency apartment window. Maas’ voice has always sounded like it was made with built-in reverb, and “All Day” is a great example of this. The dub flavor of it is outstanding.

The thumping bass of “Elastic” gets under your skin as much as Maas’ lyrics like, “We don’t want you to die. We just want you to suffer the rest of your life.” You get the feeling that the “we” he’s referencing are forces perhaps out of our control or even understanding. “Leather in the Foreground” has a slinky, kinky groove to it – which is absolutely appropriate for a song with a title like that.

“The city makes you feel so small…Sometimes love seems so damn far away,” Maas sings on “500 Dreams,” one of the loveliest tracks on the album and written to his child as he hopes for the best for him in a world that seems determined to bring all of us down to the lowest level.

“Keep Your Balance” induces dreams of faraway lands and exotic, somewhat dangerous fantasies amid hand percussion, Middle Eastern strings, and vocals that almost becomes mantras. “Too Much Hate” was written before the last election, and, unfortunately, its message still holds true. “Slip Into”…what, exactly? Judging from the sound and feel of the song, it could be anything from sleep or a warm bath to eternal sleep or a cold shower.

The slow, country ballad sound of “Paint You in the Sunshine” is a pleasant surprise, and certainly highlights one of many of Maas’ Texas regional music influences. “The Light That Will End Us” covers one of Maas’ favorite songwriting topics – death. His voice, slightly altered by reverb effects, becomes a ghostly call from a bright light that embraces shadow rather than cast it. “American Conquest” covers another base that Maas likes to write about – war. The opening bass and guitars on it grab you by the collar and demand you listen – almost talking the forefront from his vocals.

“You should’ve been struggling like all of the rest,” Maas sings on “Shoulda Been Struggling” – a song full of uplifting guitar riffs and messages to close the album. There are people out there who want you to share their misery, and cannot fathom why you won’t. They want you to mourn how they mourn, protest what they protest, dislike what they dislike, shun what they shun…but you know in your heart that such endeavors are wastes of time and energy.

This album isn’t. It’s a beautiful record from a gifted musician and writer that will make you view things in a different light.

Keep your mind open.

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Review: Acid Dad – Take It from the Dead

I don’t know if the title to Acid Dad‘s record, Take It from the Dead, refers to taking a physical object from the deceased or heeding their advice. It could be both.

The record, with its blend of psych-rock and post-punk, is a good time. The first track, “Searchin’,” lends some credence to the idea that the album’s title might be about imploring the dead for answers. “I’m lost, and I’m found. I’m still searchin’ for a sound,” sings co-guitarist Vaughn Hunt amid shiny synths and drum licks that are happily “stuck in the 70s.” “BBQ” brings in some heavy guns on the instruments and cool reverb on the vocals. It reminds me a bit of early Failure tracks.

“RC Driver” begins and ends with enough guitar for two albums. “She Only Eats Organic,” apart from having a fun title (and a not-so-hidden oral sex joke?), is a bit of a barn-burner with beats from Trevor Mustoe that barely rest for the entire track. Sean Fahey‘s vocals have a bit of a post-punk snarl to them on it. The psychedelic “Good Time” is as trippy as the album cover.

“Smile You’re on Camera” builds on a Peter Hook-like bass line and then drops in melting wax vocals. The cranked fuzz on “2 Face” boosts Hunt’s lyrics about wanting something more from a potential lover, but knowing he should tread lightly. The closing track, “Djembe,” with its Cure-influenced bass and Jesus and Mary Chain-influenced guitar, is a killer ending. It somehow oozes and shimmers at the same time, resulting in a space-rock guitars that blaze past you like a comet.

Take It from the Dead is one of those albums that will probably reveal more layers of itself every time you listen to it, which is a testament to its craftsmanship. We could use more bands making music this intriguing.

Keep your mind open.

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Rewind Review: King Buffalo – Orion (2015)

Orion, the first album from Rochester, New York’s psych-space-doom trio King Buffalo is a stunning debut. The album covers a lot of ground…in outer space, along misty mountain paths, and across desert plains.

The title track opens the album with David Gilmour-like guitar from Sean McVay and builds to a thundering echo rolling down from a lost Greek temple high on a hilltop. McVay’s guitar becomes the Silver Surfer racing across the cosmos while Dan Reynolds‘ bass and Scott Donaldson‘s drums are the engines of Galactus’ ship behind him.

“Monolith” adds some Velvet Underground guitar styling to their repertoire while McVay sings about cosmic things that cause more fascination than fear. It drifts (melts?) right into “Sleeps on a Vine,” a song about a mysterious woman who may or may not be real. Donaldson’s beats almost take the forefront through the whole track, becoming the heartbeat of the man intrigued by the woman (mirage?). It becomes a heavy jam not unlike some All Them Witches tracks, which is no surprise as the bands are friends and ATW is even thanked in the liner notes of the album.

Reynolds’ bass gets “Kerosene” off to a groovy start, and McVay’s guitar sounds like a distant calling vulture at some points in it. Other times, it sounds like a nest of yellowjackets. “Down from Sky” has a countrified sound, complete with slide guitar, setting up the mammoth sounds of the next two tracks – “Goliath” (parts one, the instrumental track, and two, the mind-blowing rocker that opens your eyes and melts your face).

Reynolds and Donaldson hit their instruments so fiercely in spots during “Orion Subsiding” that it sounds like they might break. The album ends with the mind-expanding “Drinking from the River Rising.”

It’s a powerful debut, making you want to track down everything else they have out there. Cosmic rock like this is always fascinating, and King Buffalo do it well.

Keep your mind open.

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Rewind Review: Wanda Jackson – First Lady of Rockabilly (2012)

Spanning several years in a little over two hours, the First Lady of Rockabilly collection of Wanda Jackson‘s material is a great compilation of her work and further cements her place in rock and music history as one of the premier voices to ever play the game.

Jackson’s influence on rock and country is massive, counting Jack White, The Cramps, and two Elvises – Presley and Costello – among her many devotees. Presley was also her paramour until he split to make movies in 1957.

The collection contains so many hits that I don’t envy whomever had to choose what to put in and what to leave out. “Let’s Have a Party,” her first big hit, was a no-brainer for inclusion, of course. “Fujiyama Mama” is a wild one about how much of a bad ass she is. “Funnel of Love” is another one of her biggest hits, and includes wild elements of exotica and monster surf rock. “Riot in Cell Block Number 9” is, if you ask me, a better tune than “Jailhouse Rock.”

“You Can’t Have My Love” is the first straight-up country track on the compilation (and her first single, which cracked the country charts Top 10 list in 1954), with Jackson strutting her stuff and shooting down a potential suitor who offers her silk and satin, but is soon frustrated by her ignoring him. “I Gotta Know” keeps up the country swing flair. “In the Middle of a Heartache,” a song she co-wrote, proves she had the vocal chops to compete with Patsy Cline when she wasn’t belting out risqué rockers.

“Right or Wrong (I’ll Be with You)” is another Jackson-penned country ballad. Jackson’s voice is so strong and fun that it’s sometimes easy to overlook how good of a songwriter she is. The compilation is loaded with songs she wrote or co-wrote, such as the not-so-subtly naughty “Savin’ My Love,” the sexy growler “Mean, Mean Man,” the swinging, floor-filler “Baby Loves Him,” the witty “Who Shot Sam?”, the solid hit “Rocky Your Baby,” and the slick as Bryl-Creem “Cool Love.”

“Hard-Headed Woman” includes a solo from legendary country performer / guitarist Roy Clark that will make your head spin. Her cover of Billy Crudup / Elvis Presley’s “My Baby Left Me” has extra bite to it considering Jackson’s relationship with the King of Rock and Roll. The drum beats on “Sticks and Stones” are hot as a griddle. Her covers of Neil Sedaka‘s “Fallin'” and “Stupid Cupid” are fun, hip-swaying rockers.

“There’s a Party Goin’ On” starts off the second half of the set with a great, rollicking floor stomper. “Hot Dog! That Made Him Mad” is a groovy story about Jackson having dalliances with other lovers to make her man appreciate him more – a story about FemDom when such a topic was taboo. Jackson’s vocals on “Cryin’ Thru the Night” would give Hank Williams a run for his money.

“It Doesn’t Matter Anymore” and “I’d Rather Have You” are lovely country ballads, and “Tears at the Grand Ole Opry” is a barely disguised tale of sexism at the iconic music venue. “Long Tall Sally” brings everyone to the dance floor and the collection closes with the appropriately titled “Man, We Had a Party.”

The whole collection is fun, and it works well as an introduction to Jackson’s work or as an addition to anyone’s collection of her records.

Keep your mind open.

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