Described as “four club-ready anthems” by his label, DJ Dextro‘s new EP, Spectrum Protocol, is pretty much that.
“Valquirius” wastes no time in dropping fast beats and heart-racing bass thumps. The title track starts off with repetitive electro beats and, for a moment, you think, “Is this going anywhere?” It definitely is. More beats start to pile atop the others and then looping synths jump on the heap and the mass grows and grows like some kind of undulating jellyfish that gets bigger as it gets closer to you. Then it becomes some kind of techno-industrial hybrid that pretty much sets off strobe lights in your brain.
“Inercia” is the sound of a robot having a panic attack at a disco. “Lenga Lenga” gets you pumped up to dance, run, fight, or finally clean out that overflowing closet you’ve been meaning to tackle for months. It’s easily the brightest of the four tracks and ends the EP with an uplifting feel, as if you’re rising to the surface of the ocean on a sunny day in Ibiza.
It’s short, but it packs a lot of beats into just four tracks. You’ll want this on your workout playlist.
The Clientele — the cherished UK outfit composed of vocalist/lyricist/guitarist Alasdair MacLean, bassist James Hornsey, and drummer Mark Keen — presents “Dying in May,” the new single from their forthcoming album, I Am Not There Anymore, out July 28th on Merge. On “Dying in May,” Keen’s live drums weave around programmed drum and bass samples, creating something polyrhythmic and avant-garde. Following the serene lead single “Blue Over Blue,” “Dying in May” elucidates the range of genres The Clientele explore on I Am Not There Anymore, a 19-track journey that extends from light bossa nova beats to the band’s classic chamber pop.
Of the track, MacLean says: “I think ‘Dying in May’ is the first Clientele song with no guitar. It also has no chords, as such — it’s a drone, with french horn, cello and Mellotron. So the rhythm does a lot of the work — the drums and percussion are in 9/8, but the singing and instruments are in 4/4, so as each bar goes past, there’s a slightly different rhythmic emphasis. This was a complete accident, but I loved it when I heard it — the patterns are a bit disorientating, but there’s a pulse that goes through it. I almost feel I could dance to this, but not quite. It’s based on an Arabic flamenco rhythm.
“The words are all fragmented too — simple images repeating, like someone in a high fever. I took some inspiration from cante jondo, Spanish flamenco — there tend to be two or three very focused, repetitive images in the words. There was no way in hell I could play guitar along with these rhythms, so I scored out a simple melody which would leave space for the drums, and be something the bass could latch on to. By the end, the words go over and over, like someone beside themselves with grief. Hence the title. It’s a harrowing subject, but I think it’s presented with love — the song hopefully opens it out and lets some air in. It feels like an exorcism for me.”
Listen to The Clientele’s “Dying in May” I Am Not There Anymore regularly evokes what MacLean calls “the feeling of not being real.” A lot of the lyrics were inspired by MacLean’s memories of the early summer in 1997, when his mother died. Though the album functions as MacLean’s way of mourning, he notes that he’s not the kind of songwriter who ever sits down with a theme in mind. It’s more that “the music will bring images and then those images link of their own accord.” It’s a general mood he’s chasing with these loosely connected recollections.
The previous Clientele album, 2017’s Music for the Age of Miracles, arrived after a seven-year hiatus and featured the band’s familiar wistful melodies and haunting echo. Recording for I Am Not There Anymorebegan in 2019 and continued piecemeal until 2022 — in part because of the pandemic, but also because the band wanted to experiment. “We’d always been interested in music other than guitar music, like for donkey’s years,” MacLean says. This time out, the trio incorporated elements of post-bop jazz, contemporary classical and electronic music. According to MacLean, “None of those things had been able to find their way into our sound other than in the most passing way, in the faintest imprint.”
Over The Clientele’s 32-year career, critics and fans have often described their songs with words like “ethereal,” “shimmering,” “hazy,” “pretty” and “fragile.” MacLean, though, has his own interpretation of the effect his music creates. “It’s that feeling of not being there,” he says. “What’s really been in all the Clientele records is a sense of not actually inhabiting the moment that your body is in.” I Am Not There Anymore, as MacLean says, is all about “the memory of childhood but at the same time the impossibility of truly remembering childhood… or even knowing who or what you are.”
This August, The Clientele will embark on a U.S. tour, featuring stops at Bowery Ballroom in New York City, Lodge Room in Los Angeles, Lincoln Hall in Chicago, and more. All dates are listed below and tickets are on sale now.
The Clientele Tour Dates: Fri. July 28 – London, UK @ Rough Trade East Wed. Aug. 9 – Somerville, MA @ Crystal Ballroom at Somerville Theatre Thu. Aug. 10 – New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom Fri. Aug. 11 – Philadelphia, PA @ Underground Arts Sat. Aug. 12 – Washington, DC @ Songbyrd Sun. Aug. 13 – Durham, NC @ Motorco Music Hall Tue. Aug. 15 – Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall Thu. Aug. 17 – Los Angeles, CA @ Lodge Room Fri. Aug. 18 – Pioneertown, CA @ Pappy and Harriet’s Sat. Aug. 19 – Big Sur, CA @ Fernwood Tavern (inside) Sun. Aug. 20 – San Francisco, CA @ The Chapel Tue. Aug. 22 – Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios Wed. Aug. 23 – Seattle, WA @ Tractor Tavern
Both weekends of DEBAUCH-a-ReNO are set in stone and nearly sold out as of this announcement. Here’s a summary of expectations, and scroll down to see the official schedule.
The first weekend kicks off on the night of June 16th over at Cypress with four powerhouse local groups demonstrating there’s still a burgeoning DIY scene happening throughout the Biggest Little City In The World. The bands scheduled to grace the stage that evening include the contemporary post-punk neanderthal-ism of Clarko, the jangling garage beat-meets-jugular slash punk attack and sarcasm of The Juvinals, the trashcan glam n’ roll of Pussy Velour, and the urgent, mudslide sound of Rotary Club.
The following day’s event begins in the afternoon at Wingfield Park Amphitheatre. It culminates with a co-headlining bill with notorious Belgium punks, The Kids, playing their first US show in seven years alongside San Bruno’s anchormen of the trash rock netherworld, The Mummies, and Sacramento garage rock titans, The Troublemakers, who mark three decades together this year. Playing in support is Tucson’s own Farfisa a-go-go power quartet, The Okmoniks, making a return to DEBAUCH-a-ReNO, and local quartet Thee Saturday Knights opening the afternoon. However, the budget rock n’ roll onslaught doesn’t end upon the final chord ring out from Kids frontman Ludo Meriman’s guitar; the after-party returns to Cypress, where Holland blues-punk trio, Lo-Lite makes their long-awaited US return alongside the unhinged antagonism of Jamie Paul Lamb’s sardonic alter ego, Puppy and The Hand Jobs, and the Bay Area’s own Just Head, in addition to A SPECIAL SURPRISE GUEST!!!!
Closing out the weekend is another pair of co-headliners hailing from San Diego county as revered Chula Vista punks The Zeroes will make a return to Reno to headline June 18th’s performance at Wingfield Park alongside the twang guitar and power tools action of fellow San Diegans, Deadbolt. Support will be provided by a band that L7 helped push into the masses with their “American Society” cover on Smell The Magic as Eddie & The Subtitles will perform alongside Reno psych-punks, Spitting Image, and Los Angeles rockers, Tube Alloys.
The second weekend’s one-night stand soiree will occur south of Reno in the time-stamped silver mining town of Virginia City on July 14th and anchored by a man whose work crosses music, publishing, and painting AND whom Kurt Cobain, Jack White, Graham Coxon, and Kylie Minogue have paid tribute to in their own right with Wild Billy Childish & CTMF, making their exclusive US performance for 2023 at Piper’s Opera House (est. 1863) alongside Sacramento’s garage-mod screamers, Th’ Losin Streaks. A goodclosing lineup, right? Well, those two weren’t enough because we’ve got one of America’s more criminally underrated bands flying in from one sweatbox to another, with the gutter minimalist bump n’ grind of Subsonics making a rare and special appearance from Atlanta.
DEBAUCH-a-ReNo 2023 June Weekend Schedule *Headliners Non-Headliner schedule subject to change DJs include Jello Biafra, Vivi Martian, Tony The Tyger, Bazooka Joe, and Slovenly Pete Friday, June 16th (8:00 p.m. – 4:00 a,m.) – OPENING PARTY with bands / DJs** Venue: Cypress Reno (directions + info here). Lineup: The Juvinals, Clarko, Pussy Velour, Rotary Club
Saturday, June 17th (2:00 p.m. -10:00 p.m.) – MAIN EVENT with bands, DJs, and record fair Venue: Wingfield Park Amphitheater (directions + info here). Lineup: The Kids*, The Mummies*, The Troublemakers*, Okmoniks, Thee Saturday Knights
Saturday, June 17th (10:00 p.m. – 4:00 a.m.) – AFTERPARTY with bands / DJs Venue: Cypress Reno Lineup: Lo-Life, Puppy and The Hand Jobs, Just Head + SURPRISE SPECIAL GUEST!
Sunday, June 18th (2:00 p.m. -10:00 p.m.) – MAIN EVENT with bands & DJs** Venue: Wingfield Park Amphitheater Lineup: The Zeros*, Deadbolt*, Eddie & The Subtitles, Spitting Image, Tube Alloys
DEBAUCH-a-ReNO 2023 July One-Nighter Schedule Friday, July 14th (7:00 p.m – Midnight) – MAIN EVENT with bands & DJ Bazooka Joe Venue: Piper’s Opera House (directions + info here) Lineup: Wild Billy Childish & CTMF*, Subsonics, Th’ Losin Streaks
CLICK HERE TO HEAR THE DEBAUCH-a-ReNO MIXTAPE FOR KWNK RADIO!
Tickets Full passes (access to both Wingfield & Cypress shows), Park (Wingfield only), and Virginia City tickets are available through Eventsmart. That’s a good thing; they’re the kind of company who don’t blindside customers with the insane hidden fees the larger ticket companies are notorious for.
GET YOUR DEBAUCH-a-ReNO PASSES HERE Room Deals Hotel deals for DEBAUCH-a-ReNO are available through RENO SUITES in Downtown Reno (a 10-minute walk from Wingfield Park) for $109/nightly (that price includes taxes and fees). The reviews at this place are solid, and to get this rate, you’ll need to book through the link below.
My friend, Gavin and I were surprised at the entrance to Columbus, Ohio’s Kemba Live! venue that the Les Claypool’s Fearless Flying Frog Brigade show wasn’t in the outdoor portion of their venue. After all, it was hot and humid (low 90s Fahrenheit) and it was the first time Mr. Claypool had taken a version of this particular side project of his (among the dozens of them by now, it seems) on the road in twenty years. The surprise came when the woman checking I.D.s said we couldn’t bring in our folding “lawn seat” chairs because it was an indoor show.
Which, of course, meant it was even hotter inside than outside once you packed in the bodies at the intimate indoor venue. We’re not sure air conditioning was ever used during the show, although there is a chance it was finally turned on just before the Frog Brigade’s encore set.
Up first, however, wasChicago’s Neal Francis and his stellar band, who play a neat style of 1970s funk and soul mixed with a bit of 1960s psychedelia. At times the set reminded me of BozScaggs, other times like T. Rex, and other times like Pablo Cruise. In other words, good stuff all-around. Mr. Francis even had an electric organ with what appeared to be a giant whammy bar attached to it, allowing him to bend notes at will.
Neal Francis on piano. The “whammy bar” can just be seen on the right side of the top keyboard.
The crowd appreciated Mr. Francis’ set, and were amped to next see and hear Mr. Claypool and his soldiers. By “amped,” I mean “many were drunk and / or high.” I haven’t been around that many drunk and high people since a good number of the crowd was tripping during Moon Duo‘s set at the end of Levitation Austin last year. Thankfully, no one near Gavin and I was an angry drunk or on a violent trip. Two big dudes to our right were loud drunks, but never rude. One other guy to my right was hitting his vape pen so much that I’m surprised he didn’t set off a fire alarm.
The Brigade, with Sean Lennon on lead guitar no less, came out and jumped straight into the quirky, jumpy “David Makalaster” and “Rumble of the Diesel.” Claypool’s backing band consisted of a keyboardist, drummer, and percussionist, and all of them were stellar musicians. The percussionist often riffed on xylophone solos and even brought out two tabla drums, which always makes me happy.
“David Makalaster, your ten o’clock newscaster.”
They played two tracks from The Claypool Lennon Delirium project – both parts of “Cricket and the Genie” before playing Pink Floyd‘s “Animals” in its entirety with no breaks before or during the long set. They pulled it off to perfection, and then followed that mammoth set with two songs they hadn’t played before, “Running the Gauntlet” and “Holy Mackerel.” “Gauntlet” is especially fun, as it gives each band member a chance to play a solo. It was during this that I learned that Sean Lennon can shred. I’d never seen him play before, and had only heard a few of his songs until this evening, and I left with a new appreciation for his skill.
“Pigs (Three Different Ones)”
A fun treat during the encore was the instrumental “Whamola” (also sometimes known as “Simon Says”), in which Claypool, clad in a disco ball helmet, played his electric “whammy bar-viola” (sort of a washtub bass) by beating on it with a stick and using a whammy bar handle at the top to change the pitch of the single string on it. The whole crowd was jumping.
It was a fun time, and everyone on stage in both bands was damn impressive. Don’t miss this tour. Claypool has so many side projects that he might not take it out again for another couple decades.
But I would love an Oysterhead tour, Mr. Claypool, if you’re looking for suggestions.
Keep your mind open.
[Hop over to the subscription box while you’re here!]
Thanks be to the Reverberation Appreciation Society for capturing Thee Oh Sees‘ first performance at the Levitation Music Festival back in 2012. As a result, we have Live At Levitation (2012). Thee Oh Sees / Oh Sees / OCS / OSees have since played Levitation many times, but this wild set featuring the band’s incarnation of Petey Dammit (bass), Brigid Dawson (keyboards, hand percussion, backing vocals), John Dwyer (lead guitar and vocals), Lars Finberg (drums), and Mike Shoun (drums) is a rare treat. They’d played in Austin, Texas (home of the Levitation festival) before, but not at the festival itself, so they were pumped.
It starts with one of their biggest fan-favorites, “The Dream,” and Dwyer’s guitar already sounds like it’s begging for mercy within the first few chords. Dammit’s bass on “Devil Again” (which is actually a guitar tuned to sound just like a bass) is relentless, and Dwyer sounds like he’s taking a belt sander to his guitar at one point.
The live version of “Tidal Wave” here is even faster than it normally sounds live, showing how amped the entire band was just three songs into their set. They take a moment or two to tune, and for everyone to take a couple deep breaths, before they stomp the gas pedal and launch into “Enemy Destruct,” sending the crowd into a wilder frenzy than just moments earlier.
You could almost call “Robber Barons” “Rubber Barons” because it has this slow bounce to it thanks to Dammit’s bass and Finberg and Shoun’s double-drumming that hits the heavy spots at just the right moments. The centerpiece is “Block of Ice,” which clocks in at over thirteen minutes in length and never relinquishes its groove. Dammit’s endurance on it is stunning, and every time you think the song has reached some kind of crescendo, Dwyer and his crew take it even further.
Dwyer assures the audience that he’s “mostly in tune” before they start the lively “Meat Step Lively,” which has this garage rock jangle to it that I love. The set ends with “Minotaur” and Dwyer singing about being stuck in the maze of a job that he hates but forces himself to wander through each day.
Then they’re off to “the Red Roof Inn” as they hand off the stage to Meat Puppets and The Brian Jonestown Massacre that year.
It’s a great addition to the “Live at Levitation” series and the Osees’ catalogue. Don’t miss it.
Keep your mind open.
[Levitate over to the subscription box while you’re here.]
Released in the early days of the pandemic, Acid Dad‘s Levitation Sessions caught the band in a weird moment that many other bands were experiencing: They had a new album and couldn’t tour to promote it. Thankfully, the folks at the Reverberation Appreciation Society brought them into a safe studio and let them play many tracks of Take It from the Dead and some new stuff they were whipping up during lockdown – because, like every other band out there, what else were they going to do?
Staring with cool synths, interesting vocal samples, and other stuff that sounds like the opening to some early 1990s VHS instructional video, “Contact” immediately lets you know that this is going to be a weird trip (I mean, just look at the album cover.). “BBQ,” a staple food of their hometown of Austin, Texas, is a shoegazey tale of well-made plans going wrong at the slightest opportunity. “Mess with us and you’ll die hard,” they sing on “Die Hard.” The song is fairly upbeat for such heavy lyrics. It’s like a happy warning.
“Dissin'” tells the tale of pushing away a potential lover who brings far too much drama and not enough respect to the table. It has this cool, slow, psychedelic sound to it that’s just a touch sludgy. “Living with a Creature” and “Bada Bing” get a little countrified. Do I detect some CCR influence? “Marine” carries this sound along as Acid Dad tells a tale of dropping out of military school to go back to old friends who tend to overdose on party drugs. The guitars chug along like the best intentions of the song’s lead character and then expands into a groovy solo.
The groove appropriately kicks up a notch on “RC Driver,” which has a great guitar jam in the middle of it and killer bass throughout it. The groove cruises along so well that it flows into “2Ci” without a bump. They barely give you time to breathe before they get into “Don’t Get Taken,” the pace of which is like jumping on a skateboard and going straight down the middle of South Congress Street toward the river in Austin at midnight on Friday. If you know, you know.
They get heavy on “Mistress,” both in terms of the heft of the drums and bass, and the lyrics about being dragged down by giant squids and how love can be crushing. “Mr. Major” blends psychedelic jams with punk lyrics, and “Djembe” (which clocks in at over seven minutes) has the band telling us how ashamed they are of not only some of their past sins, but also everything we, as a society, are doing wrong.
It’s a cool session from a cool band who are exploring a lot of different ways to approach the psychedelic genre.
Swedish indie-pop masterminds The Mary Onettes return with a new double single, “Forever Before Love” b/w “Future Grief” on Welfare Sounds. These songs mark a return to the dreamy, overcast pop that has been The Mary Onettes’ trademark since first forming over 20 years ago, reiterating the signature craft that has put their music in the hearts of indie-pop connoisseurs around the world.
“‘Forever Before Love” is about finding the way back to yourself after a very long relationship. The process of trying to connect with the person you were before that,” explains The Mary Onettes’ main song writer PhilipEkström.
While “Future Grief” contains a guest appearance from Adnes Aldén, a close friend of brothers Philip and his brother Henri Ekström, an addition that gives the song an extra vocal dimension. “This track has been around for quite some time. We recorded the vocals with Agnes in 2016 and we have been waiting eagerly to share this one. Agnes wrote the lyrics for the verse and I wrote the words for the choruses, which gives the story a nice two angel perspective.”
Following the release of “Forever Before Love” b/w “Future Grief”, The Mary Onettes will embark on a headlining tour of Sweden, and perform a homecoming festival show in Huskvarna, before starting to work on their upcoming album.
The Mary Onettes formed in 2000 and quickly gained a devoted following with their unique brand of indie-pop, drawing comparisons to bands like The Smiths and Echo & the Bunnymen. Over the years, they’ve released a string of critically acclaimed albums and singles, earning praise from publications like Pitchfork and NME. Although development is crucial for a band, one thing has remained the same — the songs. The band revolves around Philip’s songwriting and although some songs have been stripped down, rebuilt or even thrown away throughout the years, they have kept coming.
With the recent release of the singles “What I Feel in Some Places” and “Easy Hands,” as well as the long-awaited vinyl treatment of their 2018 smash hit Cola Falls EP, The Mary Onettes have gained both creative momentum and international praise.
