7th Level Music

Psymon Spine announces remix album and reveals first remix by Joe Goddard of Hot Chip.

Joe Goddard photo by Marc Sethi, Psymon Spine photo by Ruvan Wijesooriya

Psymon Spine—the Brooklyn, NY based music collective fusing psychedelic indie pop and the deep grooves of dance music—today announced Charismatic Mutations, a remix album of their 2021 album Charismatic Megafauna, will release April 1st, 2022 via Northern Spy Records and shared “Milk (feat. Barrie) – Joe Goddard Remix.”

Joe Goddard (Hot Chip) shared the following note on the track rework: “This remix was very natural and very joyful for me. I did it in lockdown so I felt a sense of freedom and playfulness that was really nice and actually, in retrospect, very unique. I love the vocals on this song, so I placed them at the forefront, and I tried to sonically make the mix one that was balearic and satisfying. Macrodosing.”

The members of Psymon Spine grew up in the ‘00s and ‘10s with a deep appreciation for the art of “the remix,” and after the release of their latest album Charismatic Megafauna, the band found themselves craving longer and more dance-floor friendly versions.

Additional contributors to Charismatic Mutations include Love Injection, Dar Disku, Each Other (Justin Strauss and Max Pask), Safer (of the Rapture and Poolside), Bucky Boudreau and Psymon Spine’s own Brother Michael.

Released early in 2021, Psymon Spine’s Charismatic Megafauna explored complicated feelings and catharsis through a singular approach to left-of-center indie, electronic and dance sounds. The release earned praise from publications such as Paste, FLOOD, Brooklyn Vegan, Under The Radar, and NME; playlist support from NPR Music (New Music Friday), Spotify (All New Indie, undercurrents, Fresh Finds), Apple Music (Midnight City, Today’s Indie Rock), and TIDAL (Rising: Indie/Rock); and notable airplay from KEXP, KCRW and the BBC.

Read more and preorder Charismatic Mutations here.

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[Thanks to Cody at Clandestine PR.]

El Ten Eleven’s “The Time Knife” is a wild instrumental new single.

El Ten Eleven, who recently announced the March 4 arrival of New Year’s Eve via Joyful Noise Recordings, have released a third single from the forthcoming collection: “The Time Knife” (https://lnk.to/TheTimeKnife).

Kristian Dunn explains how the TV show, “The Good Place,” influenced the track: “A character named Chidi has just returned from an interdimensional trip that only lasted a moment and, overwhelmed, says, ‘I just saw a trillion different realities folding onto each other like thin sheets of metal forming a single blade.’ Ted Danson’s character responds, saying, ‘Yeah, yeah, the time knife, we’ve all seen it.’ My wife and I were watching this together and for whatever reason this struck us as so funny we couldn’t stop laughing. This song is a combination of my experience with my wife (and experiences, journeys, really, generally with her) and Chidi’s journey.”

“The Time Knife” is the third preview of the forthcoming collection, with the Los Angeles-based duo previously sharing “Meta Metta” (https://youtu.be/GpqP72YYfJc), a performance clip was filmed at The Cube in Los Angeles, and the title track (https://youtu.be/8bQGY9cBpIo).

“New Year’s Eve is a reference to guarded optimism about what is to come. At the time, it seemed like our national divisiveness might be waning and the end of the pandemic was near. But of course that’s not how it turned out,” said Dunn upon news of the forthcoming album’s release. “That’s what New Year’s Eves are. You think it’s gonna be a fun night, but usually it’s disappointing at the end.”

Over the course of 20 years and 11 albums, El Ten Eleven continue to redefine the potential of bass guitar and drums. With an arsenal of pedals, labyrinthine arrangements, and a deft use of looping, Dunn (bass) and Tim Fogarty (drums) create two-man symphonies. With New Year’s Eve, the duo melds electrifying disco grooves with their tried-and-true experimental rock atmospherics.

El Ten Eleven Tour Dates:

Apr 6: Omaha, NE Slowdown^

Apr 7: St. Paul, MN Turf Club^

Apr 8: Chicago, IL Chop Shop^

Apr 9: Grand Rapids, MI Pyramid Scheme^

Apr 10: Indianapolis, IN HiFi^

Apr 13: Cleveland, OH Beachland Ballroom^

Apr 14: Pittsburgh, PA Thunderbird^

Apr 15: Washington, DC Union Stage^

Apr 16: Philadelphia, PA Milkboy^

Apr 20: Rochester, NY Bugjar^

Apr 21: Rochester, NY Bugjar^

Apr 22: Boston, MA Paradise^+

Apr 23: Brooklyn, NY Brooklyn Made^+

* Sego supports

& Mylets supports

^ Cedric Noel supports

+ A Beacon School supports

European tour dates:

May 12: Glasgow, UK @ Broadcast

May 13: Leeds, UK @ Boom

May 14-15: London, UK @ Portals Festival

May 15: Bristol, UK @ The Crofters Right

May 17: Paris, FR @ Supersonic

May 18: Den Bosch, NL @ Willem Twee Poppodium

May 19-20: Copenhagen, DK @ A Colossal Weekend

May 22: Berlin, DE @ Prachtwerk

May 23: Hamburg, DE @ Indra

May 24: Cologne, DE @ Helios37

May 27: Metz, FR @ Young Team Festival

Dunn (bass/guitar) and Fogarty (drums) have flourished outside the accepted norms of rock orthodoxy, releasing eight full-length albums, four EPs and performing over 750 live shows. Utilizing inventive arrangements and a masterful use of looping, El Ten Eleven have been noted for their ability to create a sound much bigger than their individual parts. SF Weekly said of the pair’s live performance: “watching El Ten Eleven play is something like watching two superheroes do their thing.” Consequence of Sound called their music “euphoric,” KEXP described their output as “transcendent” and Under The Radar declared the pair’s unique style a “buoyant brand of post-rock.”

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[Thanks to Monica at Speakeasy PR.]

Review: Endearments – Father of Wands

Kevin Marksson, otherwise known as Endearments, makes spacey dream pop seem easy, even though at least two of the songs on his Father of Wands EP are about heartbreak.

I mean, opener “Ocean” starts with the lyrics, “You could make me nothing. You could be the ocean. I’m inside you drowning.” Meanwhile Marksson’s synth and guitars are as bright as the high noon sun bouncing off the surface of Caribbean beach waters.

“How could we love each other endlessly?” He asks on “Empress,” a song in which he speaks of knowing a lover could treat him well if only she would stop focusing on just herself. The song bursts with optimism, though. Marksson’s instrumentation is too bright to ignore and too lovely to deny.

That being said, “Hymnal” has Marksson singing about how he can’t understand his girl’s thinking and how she can’t understand how he’s lost without her (“I don’t think you understand where I go when I’m not here with you.”). The closing track, “Delicate,” has Marksson resigned to the fact that things might not work out after all and he just needs to accept that (“I thought I was yours, but I could never be enough for you like this.”).

Still, the EP has that optimism I mentioned earlier. Marksson lets us know that love can be rough, but there is always some hope that, if we can’t find love, it might find us.

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[Thanks to Taylor at Clandestine Label Services.]

Review: Mandy, Indiana – “… EP”

Hailing from Manchester and not Indiana, Mandy, Indiana, formerly known as Gary Indiana, make post-punk that bends and warps the genre on their …EP. As guitarist Scott Fair put it, “We’ve scrapped anything that sounded too normal.”

Opening track “Bottle Episode” starts off with Liam Stewart‘s snare drum rolls that sound like a swarm of angry bees attacking a hulking robot and then it switches to thumping synth bass and horror movie sounds, all with Valentine Caulfield singing in her native French. The percussion on “Nike of Samothrace” sounds like a drunk guy stumbling down a flight of stairs – and I mean that in the best possible sense – while Fair’s guitar and synths remind one of revving, and possibly failing, jet engines. I don’t know if “Alien 3” is inspired by the movie of the same name, but I do know that it’s over six minutes of industrial techno that slays as hard as a Xenomorph.

The EP comes with a remix of “Alien 3” by Daniel Avery that somehow makes the track heavier and, dare I say it, sexier, and the “Club Eat” remix of “Nike of Samothrace” – which ups the speed and would be perfect for a fight scene in whatever Matrix film comes next.

Let’s hope Mandy, Indiana puts out a full LP soon, because this EP will leave you craving more of their work.

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[Thanks to Ahmad at Pitch Perfect PR.]

Review: Jacques Greene – ANTH01

Taking from ten years of his catalogue, ANTH01 brings together many of Jacques Greene‘s best tracks, killer dance cuts, and hypnotic grooves.

“I Won’t” is the answer to “Are you just going to sit in that dark corner of this dance club all night?” Greene’s snappy beats are all you need to get moving. “(Baby I Don’t Know) What You Want” literally gets off to a shaking start before this electro-bass saunters into the room and curls around you like a playful cat. “The Look” is similarly playful, with Greene mixing blips and bleeps with sexy house music vocals about feeling a connection – something we were all wishing for in the last two years.

The warped, yet still sexy lyric of “Tell me what you like.” starts off “Tell Me,” pulling you into a lush trip. “These Days” bursts like an opening flower and then descends on you like disco ball lights. “Arrow” has a beat like a ticking clock or a dripping faucet that turns into a warm rain shower – followed by sick, thick bass hits. The opening, echoed vocal sounds of “Ready” made my dog lift her head and look around the living room when she heard them. The rest of the song made me dance and bounce on my desk stool.

“Faded” brings in soul lyrics to mix with slick house beats, and “Faithful” continues the soul-house vibe with gospel-tinged vocals mixed with synths that sound like robotic eagles calling from above. “On Your Side” is an emotional plea to a potential lover for some kind of recognition and invitation. “Quicksand” mixes house with synthwave, and the closer, “Another Girl,” is lush house under lyrics about heartbreak and longing.

ANTH01 is a great collection of Greene’s work so far. He’s always experimenting with multiple electronic genres and this collection shows the scope of his talent.

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[Thanks to Sam at Pitch Perfect PR.]

The Beths’ new single, “A Real Thing,” is indeed a really good thing.

The Beths return with “A Real Thing,” their first new song since the release of 2020’s Jump Rope Gazers. “A Real Thing” comes as The Beths begin their long-awaited North American headline tour, which has been rescheduled twice due to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. Last year, the band released Auckland, New Zealand, 2020, a live concert recording that showcased the infectious energy The Beths bring to every performance, and what audiences have been so dearly missing.

“‘A Real Thing’ is a kind of anxiety dream. It’s a bit muddled, a bit frantic, a bit sinister,” says lead singer Liz Stokes. “It’s what came out of my guitar in late 2020, post NZ election (and U.S. election). I was limply reaching for optimism about the future, but was really just marinating in dread.” Ultimately playing more apocalyptic scenarios of climate change in her head, Stokes’ lyrics include specific references to how New Zealand has dealt with sea level rise in the past: “In NZ people sometimes use tyres and cement to build retaining walls by the water, to try to stop the land being eroded away as the sea encroaches. It doesn’t really work.” It’s a poignant image for a band that has had to navigate the constant changes in our present moment.

The deep bond between Stokes, lead guitarist Jonathan Pearce, bassist Benjamin Sinclair, and drummer Tristan Deck, has allowed them to overcome challenging circumstances and that’s present in the upbeat urgency of “A Real Thing.” It’s palpable from the very start and paired with the band’s signature bright, raucous guitar hooks and cooing harmonies; the song races and soars, much like an increasing heart rate. The Beths’ infectious and insightful songwriting on “A Real Thing” is an exciting marker of more excellent work to come, and the perfect way to mark the beginning of tour.

Stream/Watch “A Real Thing”The Beths Tour Dates

Tickets available from thebeths.com

Tue. Feb. 15 – Austin, TX @ Empire Garage
Wed. Feb. 16 – Dallas, TX @ Club Dada (SOLD OUT)
Fri. Feb. 18 – Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade (Hell) (SOLD OUT)Sat. Feb. 19 – Nashville, TN @ Mercy Lounge
Wed. Feb. 23 – New York, NY @ Webster Hall (SOLD OUT)
Thu. Feb. 24 – Philadelphia, PA @ Underground Arts (SOLD OUT)
Fri. Feb. 25 – Washington, DC @ Black Cat (SOLD OUT)
Sat. Feb. 26 – Boston, MA @ Royale
Mon. Feb. 28 – Hamden, CT @ Space Ballroom
Wed. Mar. 2 – Chicago, IL @ Metro
Fri. Mar. 4 – Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line
Thu. Mar. 10 – Sydney, AU @ The Factory Theatre (SOLD OUT)
Fri. Mar. 11 – Brisbane, AU @ The Zoo (SOLD OUT)
Sat. Mar. 12 – Melbourne, AU @ The Night Cat (SOLD OUT)
Sun. Mar. 27 – Southampton, UK @ The LoftMon. Mar. 28 – Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Social Club (SOLD OUT)
Tue. Mar. 29 – Glasgow, UK @ St Luke’s
Thu. Mar. 31 – Manchester, UK @ Club Academy
Sat. Apr. 2 – Birmingham, UK @ The Castle and Falcon
Sun. Apr. 3 – Bristol, UK @ Exchange
Mon. Apr. 4 – London, UK @ O2 Forum Kentish Town
Tue. Apr. 5 – Brighton, UK @ Concorde II
Thu. Apr. 7 – Paris, FR @ Point Ephémère
Fri. Apr. 8 – Lyon, FR @ Le Marché Gare
Sat. Apr. 9 – Dudingen, CH @ Bad Bonn
Sun. Apr. 10 – Lausanne, CH @ Le Romandie
Tue. Apr. 12 – Milan, IT @ BikoWed. Apr. 13 – Munich, DE @ Feierwerk
Fri. Apr. 15 – Vienna, AT @ B72
Sat. Apr. 16 – Prague, CZ @ Underdogs’
Mon. Apr. 18 – Berlin, DE @ LidoTue. Apr. 19 – Copenhagen, DK @ VEGA Ideal Bar
Wed. Apr. 20 – Hamburg, DE @ Molotow
Thu. Apr. 21 – Cologne, DE @ Bumann & Sohn
Fri. Apr. 22 – Brussels, BE @ Ancienne Belgique
Sat. Apr. 23 – Amsterdam, NL @ Paradiso
Sun. Apr. 24 – Esch-sur-Alzette, LU @ Kulturfabrik
Sat. Jul. 24 – Seattle, WA @ Capitol Hill Block Party
Sun. Aug. 14 – Toronto, ON @ Lee’s Palace

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[Thanks to Patrick at Pitch Perfect PR.]

The Anomalys drive you into a “Panic” with their ferocious new single.

For the twenty years, Slovenly Recordings has released brain dissolving garage punk n’roll noise from all pockets on Earth; The Anomalys have been in on the hell ride for seventeen of those years. They’re one of the first bands the Slovenly crew scooped up from Amsterdam and have backed the hard-hitting surf garage trio since releasing their furious n’ assertive “Black Hole Blues/Nat Approved” single in 2005, all the way to their latest offering in 2022 with Glitch.

Glitch is twelve years in the making, with the band pumping out a slew of singles leading up to this release since launching their no-frills raw n’ raucous Slovenly epoch S/T LP in 2010. In the time frame since then and Glitch, The Anomalys kept their style of high octane garage punk n’ roll in the mind of the masses through a slew of single releases coinciding with sporadic touring throughout Europe and into the United States and down to South America with festival appearances at SXSW, Burning Man, Gonerfest, We’re Loud!, Funtastic Dracula, Cosmic Trip, Hipsville, Psycho Carnival, Curitiba Rock, and many others.

In 2019, The Anomalys kicked it into high gear once again with their ringleader, Bone, recruiting his Aquitaine-based brothers-in-arms Looch Vibrato (Magnetix, Louder Than Death, Avenue Z) and Remi Pablo (Weird Omen, Escobar) to round out the new lineup and reconvene in Toulouse at Swampland Studios to begin the Glitch sessions with studio maestro Lo-Spider at the production helm. Three years later, and a different world since Glitch sees the light, this track rock n’roll propaganda machine debuts their frantic surf-groove single, “Panic,” to showcase the session’s sweat soaked effort.

Glitch will be available on all digital platforms February 18th and in black and highly limited transparent red vinyl (100 copies pressed) exclusively through the Slovenly Recordings mail order on March 25th.

With a tour throughout Spain just concluded this past weekend, The Anomalys are planning more dates in late Spring/Early Summer around Europe, including an appearance at Cosmic Trip Festival in Bourges, FR in late May.

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[Thanks to Matthew at Shattered Platter PR.]

Blackwater Holylight announce US and Canada tour dates.

Portland, OR band Blackwater Holylight announce Summer 2022 North American headlining tour dates today in support of their third album Silence / Motion on on RidingEasy Records. The tour kicks off on May 9th. Please see complete dates below. Tour assets HERE, ticket links HERE.

Quote from the band: “We’re gearing up for our first US headlining tour and couldn’t be more excited to be sharing the road with Bleakheart and Spirit Mother! We will have a ton of merch available and can’t wait to see you all out there.”

Watch/share “Silence/Motion” video on YouTube HERE.

Hear/share Silence/Motion full album via Bandcamp, YouTube, Apple Music and Spotify.

Empty surrounds all of me. It’s a poignant line from the third album by Blackwater Holylight that encapsulates the search for self when suddenly everything has changed. There’s a theme of processing vast personal trauma throughout Silence/Motion that eloquently — both lyrically and musically — and simultaneously embodies the crushing emptiness, sorrow, strength and rebuilding of recovering from personal devastation.

“There was so much grief both in the world and interpersonally during the process of creating Silence/Motion,” says vocalist/bassist Allison “Sunny” Faris. “The four of us gave one another more space to be ourselves, to experiment with each other’s ideas and to be gentle with one another more than we ever have before. So, we knew this tenderness would manifest in extremely honest arrangements, and I think that you can hear that throughout the record.”

Curiously, considering the dark times in which it was created, this is the band’s most melodic and catchy music so far. Blackwater Holylight, as the name suggests, is all about contrasts: It’s a fluid convergence of sound that’s heavy, psychedelic, melodic, terrifying and beautiful all at once. And, Silence/Motion finds the band honing those contrasts, letting ideas and moods fully develop from song to song, rather than filling every song with a full range of their capabilities. It allows the band to go fully prog-rock here, and simply stay hushed and intimate there. There’s a new confidence to the band in how seamlessly they wield their stylistic amalgam.

“Writing this album was extraordinarily difficult emotionally, however it did come to fruition fairly quickly,” Faris says. “In the past, the theme of vulnerability has always been a big player and it definitely showed up full force while writing this album.”
Blackwater Holylight recorded the album as a four piece: Faris on vocals and guitar (on “Silence/Motion”, “MDIII”, “Around You” and “Every Corner”) and bass for the remainder, Sarah McKenna on synths, Mikayla Mayhew on guitar (and bass when Faris plays guitar) and drummer Eliese Dorsay. For Silence/Motion the band chose to work with a producer for the first time, bringing in A.L.N. (of Mizmor, Hell) to produce, along with recording engineer Dylan White — who also helmed their previous album Veils of Winter (2019) — at Odessa Recording Studio in Portland, OR. Guest vocals on album opener “Delusional” are by Bryan Funck (Thou.) Mike Paparo (Inter Arma) and A.LN. (Mizmor, Hell) lend guest vocals to album closer “Every Corner.”

“The analogy is that with our first record (Blackwater Holylight, 2018) we were getting into to the car and buckling up,” Faris says. “The second (Veils of Winter, 2019) we were turning the car on, and with this third we have kicked into drive toward our destination. Our destination is a bit mysterious and has the ability to change from day to day, but we’re on our way.”

Silence/Motion is available on LP, CD and download, released October 22nd, 2021 via RidingEasy Records.

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[Thanks to Dave at US / THEM Group.]

Metz and Adulkt Life announce split 7″ single.

Today, METZ and Adulkt Life announce a split 7”, out March 4th on What’s Your Rupture?, and share Metz’s “Demolition Row.” This split 7” is a dogged, startling response to today’s spoilt life. The two bands are paired perfectly: their shared, resolute
force carries an urgency that belongs to this era alone. Both are capable of goading listeners, both are capable of unearthly moments of alloyed beauty. And both bands are made for that unflinching space between the truths that can’t be absorbed and the truths that can’t be forgotten.

METZ are undisputable. Their warning, an unflinching assessment of the vastness and insignificance of this life, is precisely counterbalanced by their lesson, which models the resilience that this understanding demands. Today’s “Demolition Row” is persistent, concise, and alarmingly physical, its punch escorted by hypnotizing, unstrained vocals. “It’s quite singular,” says METZ’s guitarist/singer Alex Edkins. “We’ve never sounded this way before.”

LISTEN TO METZ’S “DEMOLITION ROW”

Adulkt Life’s debut LP, 2020’s Book of Curses, is a contorted, forceful declaration. The 7”’s “Book of Curses” was intended for the LP, but didn’t quite fit. Singer Chris Rowley describes it as a “belligerent satellite” for the end of time: “like in a few weeks.” It’s matched here with the blip of “Ants & Lions,” a near-joke that instead feels accusatory. Atop the carnival swells of the song, only that voice could make “yabba dabba doo time” burn like acid.

The impact of these two sides, taken together, reveals a shared, defiant intention. “When you’ve made yr small space attack ship mostly from sharp sticks and dashboards and recycled fuel stuffs METZ ship looks clean and tended for battles to come,” says Chris Rowley. “Very happy to be sharing crew n rink with them.” For METZ, this record lives within their legacy of complementary projects including splits with Mission of Burma and Clipping. and their collaboration with John Reis. “It’s because we are fans of the music,” explains Edkins. “METZ are mighty aren’t they?” replies Rowley.

PRE-ORDER METZ & ADULKT LIFE 7”

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Emily Jane White says “Show Me the War” on her new single.

Emily Jane White, the intriguing Northern California-based songwriter who Pitchfork noted for her ability to pair her “wispy and sweet” vocals with “world-weary” introspection and Brooklyn Vegan has championed for her “gothy, ethereal folk” releases Alluvion on March 25 via Talitres.

“’Show Me the War’ calls attention to the convergence of misogyny and racialized violence as a pervasive worldwide epidemic,” explains White. “During the summer of 2020 in Oakland, California, I wrote this song in response to the many political uprisings sparked by the murder of George Floyd. ‘Show Me the War’ also highlights more global examples of injustice like femicide in Juarez, Mexico and the near-total abortion ban in Poland. By grieving the many losses resulting from social and ecological injustice, we shed light on these unacceptable epidemics and those deeply affected by them, further enabling change.”

News of the Alluvion’s forthcoming arrival is paired with today’s release of “Show Me The War” and its accompanying, Bobby Cochran-directed video (https://youtu.be/ENrsd0YjjBs). The black and white clip filmed in Oakland features local teen dancers Satya Zamudio, Olivia Wenzler, Dinah Cobb, Kalia Morales, and Lina Santos, displays bold Gen Z women powerfully claiming public spaces with their art form, touching the sacredness of nature, while also contending with current social justice issues and the climate crisis.

Rooted in a moment of catastrophe, Alluvion is an album about personal and collective grief resulting from the loss of human life and the continued loss of our natural world. We live in a moment of merging traumas, of converging environmental, social, and political crises. These crises are exacerbated by our lack of cultural practices for individual and also shared, public grieving–which is not without consequence. Emily’s album offers a space to consider where grieving is absent in our world, and where it is deeply necessary. Grief moves in waves and cycles, and through its flood we can build anew. Alluvion: the gradual addition to the land by the wash of water against a shore.

Alluvion was produced by and arranged by multi-instrumentalist Anton Patzner (Foxtails Brigade, Bright Eyes) and mixed by Alex DeGroot (Zola Jesus).

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