Bleached – 7th Level Music

Riot Fest 2021 – Day Four

No, you didn’t miss three posts. I only attended day four of Chicago’s annual Riot Fest this year, and it was the first Riot Fest I’d attended. A friend scored some free tickets, and far be it from me to pass up a chance to see Devo and The Flaming Lips on the same bill.

This was the hottest music festival I’ve attended in a long while. There was little shade to be had, but sunscreen and taking frequent breaks between sets meant not suffering too much. A freshly made fruit smoothie from a vegan food vendor did me wonders.

The first set we caught was by The Gories, who opened one of the main stages. They sounded loud and dirty, and I’d love to see them in a small venue, but I’m glad I finally got to see these Detroit punk legends.

We walked around Douglas Park and discovered the festival was widely spread out. Food vendors were in one far corner, while a smaller fifth stage was seemingly a half-mile away in the opposite corner. You’d think they’d wheel out some portable light posts with all that room, but no.

Up next were HEALTH, and one of my friends fell in love with them upon hearing their industrial set under sun so bright that their bassist / synth player had to cover his keyboards with trash bags so he could read the digital displays on them.

The sun wasn’t healthy if you weren’t wearing sunscreen that day.

After a nice break under a tree, we trotted over to the smallest stage to see Chicago noise rockers Melkbelly, who played a fun set that included a cover of Pixies‘ “Gigantic” in an attempt to make up for Pixies cancelling their tour this summer. They were so out of practice with performing live shows due to the pandemic that they forgot their merchandise in their van.

Melkbelly playing to a lot of local fans.

I scored some chicken tenders that were average at best while my friends scored an elephant ear. Riot Fest has carnival rides on site, and I can only imagine how many drunk attendees regret getting on them over the course of the weekend.

We returned to the Rebel Stage to see Bleached perform their first set in two years (according to them, and a running theme for live shows everywhere this year), right after a guy walked by us peddling mushrooms to anyone who wanted them. They sounded great, and I would’ve liked to have stayed for the whole set, but Devo was calling…

The stage was packed for Devo, complete with a mosh pit and crowd surfers. It was a fun set in which they played nearly the entire Freedom of Choice album. The whole crowd was happy and still buzzing afterwards. One guy was high-fiving people and telling them, “You just saw Devo!” It was the first time my friend, Amy, had seen them. She said she smiled so much during the set that her cheeks hurt afterwards. A delight for me and my friend (and Amy’s cousin), Brian, was getting to hear Devo’s cover of “Secret Agent Man” live for the first time. I wasn’t sure I’d ever get to hear it.

Brian and I stuck around for the Flaming Lips‘ set. Brian hadn’t seen them before, and we couldn’t get close to the stage by they started – mainly due to them starting right after Devo’s set. It was still a good set, and nearly the same as when I saw them at Psycho Music Festival. Wayne Coyne encouraged everyone to take care of each other and stay healthy so live music can continue. Amen to that.

The Flaming Lips blowing sun-baked minds.

It was a good time (and Brian’s first music festival, no less), but would I go back? The short answer is, “I don’t know.” There were a lot of bad bands on the bill on day four, and I don’t think the other three days were much better. A lot of the bands playing the various stages sounded like Rage Against the Machine rip-offs, screamo nonsense, or pop-garbage. We got the hell out of there before Slipknot and Machine Gun Kelly started their sets and laughed as we passed a guy selling nitrous oxide balloons outside the park. I might return if the lineup gets better, and they’ve already announced another Misfits reunion for 2022, but Douglas Park-area residents won’t be happy about it…

Keep your mind open.

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Bleached call out “Stupid Boys” on new single.

Bleached – the Los Angeles-based duo of sisters Jessica and Jennifer Clavin – release an anthemic new single, “Stupid Boys.” It’s their first new material since Don’t You Think You’ve Had Enough?, “one of the year’s best rock albums, and far more than a survival tale” (Billboard), released last year on Dead Oceans. “Stupid Boys” is pertinent to today’s female empowerment movement, as the Clavin sisters directly call out harmful behavior. Jennifer’s voice buzzes over Jessica’s bright guitar, as they both chant all too familiar tropes: “Try to rebound with my best friend // I saw you slide into her DM’s // Get a tattoo of my first name // cross it out and tell me I’m lame.”

“Making light of a dark situation has been a tool I’ve used to get through challenging times,” says Jennifer Clavin “Specifically, a way I’ve often honored my recovery is to tell my story through my lyrics – this time the subject is crazy ex-boyfriends. This started out as a jokey song, something light-hearted, meant to be danced to…or so I thought. After the most recent flood of ‘me too’ call outs around men in the music scene, I returned to this song and felt somewhat surprised, because the lyrics actually aren’t so light-hearted, and they directly refer back to experiences related to the reckoning we just saw go down. I don’t wanna keep dwelling on the past and all its fucked up-ness, but I also don’t wanna ignore it and brush it under the rug like it never happened. What I do believe is that life is about finding a balance between the dark and light, and if I want inner peace I have to allow the light in to absorb the dark. So maybe this song has changed shape, just like our understanding of things change over time, with perspective, and now it is both a vessel for some painful memories and a testament to growth and healing, and to me, that’s what music is for. I’m proud of this song for so many reasons, but most especially because it strikes that balance for me, and I hope for you too.”

Listen to Bleached’s “Stupid Boys”

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Jessica at Pitch Perfect PR.]

Top 20 singles of 2019: #’s 10 – 6

We’ve reached the top ten! Let’s get to it.

#10 – Bleached – “Hard to Kill”

I knew this was going to be a great year for Bleached within the first couple bars of this track. It has a wicked disco flavor to it but they don’t lose their punk edge. Bleached has taken their song craft to another level with this one.

#9 – Sleater-Kinney – “Can I Go On”

“Everyone I know is tired, and everyone I know is wired. It’s obscene. I just scream ’til it don’t hurt no more.” I think these words from Sleater-Kinney might be the truest ones this year about the state of practically everyone in America.

#8 – L’Epee – “Une Lune Etrange”

I think my initial reaction to hearing this song from this psychedelic supergroup was “Holy crap…” I couldn’t say anything else. It’s was a gauntlet thrown down to everyone making psychedelic rock, or any other kind of music for that matter.

#7 – The Well – “This Is How the World Ends”

This song hits you like a sledge hammer and is from my favorite doom metal album of 2019. As heavy as this is, wait until you hear it live. I turned to my wife after hearing it at Levitation Austin this year and said, “And that’s why their album is in my top ten of the year.”

#6 – Thee Oh Sees – “Henchlock”

Some might call it unfair that I’m listing a song that last 21:03 as a “single,” but Thee Oh Sees released this video for it, so that makes it a single in my eyes (even if it is one entire side of a double album). It’s a wild psychedelic jazz jam that gets stuck in your head and is one of the best thing John Dwyer and his crew have ever done.

Come back soon for the top five!

Keep your mind open.

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Review: Bleached – Don’t You Think You’ve Had Enough?

I love the title of Bleached‘s new record – Don’t You Think You’ve Had Enough? Ostensibly, it refers to sisters Jessica and Jennifer Clavin‘s take on bad relationships. Bleached has always excelled at writing songs about love, break-ups, drawing a line in the emotional sand, and embracing female empowerment. The album’s title can also refer to a host of other things, though – the political atmosphere, junk food, money for billionaires, your smartphone, etc. It’s a question we should all often ask ourselves because it keeps us in the now.

The solid rock groove of the opener, “Heartbeat Away,” has the Clavin sisters singing about how dangerously close addiction and heartbreak can be if you’re not careful (“I could go back to the way it was. All it would take is a slip in the mud.”). It’s no secret that Don’t You Think You’ve Had Enough? is the first album they’ve written while clean and sober, and this new clarity is all over the record. As evidence of this, look no further than the second track, “Hard to Kill,” which brings in a great disco guitar riff and is one of my favorite singles of the year.

“Daydream” is a garage rock song about longing after someone who might’ve been “the one,” but is now lost to time and vague memories. “I Get What I Need” has a cool swing to it that is difficult to describe (Early Kaiser Chiefs tunes?) but great to hear. “Somebody Dial 911” is easier to describe, because it sounds like a lost 1980’s alternative rock love song that cracked the Billboard Top 40. The guitar riffs resemble Cure riffs and the slightly echoed vocals remind one of Brit-pop from the era.

“Kiss You Goodbye” (also in the running for one of my top 20 singles of the year) is such a great tune that you might miss the fact that it’s a middle finger to a former lover and how Bleached feels “so alive” afterwards. It’s a track that isn’t afraid to explore and embrace the many genres that inspire the Clavin sisters (disco, pop, and post-punk in this track, in particular). “I don’t want what I can’t have,” Jennifer Clavin sings on “Rebound City.” “I just want to make you say, ‘I’m sorry. I never meant to break your heart.’ It’s a one-way boulevard.” Ouch. You’re tempted to feel bad for the dude she’s left, but you quickly realize he was a dickweed and Clavin is better off walking away with her middle finger raised.

“I don’t know if I’m cut out for this,” they sing at the beginning of “Silly Girl” – a song that’s a look-back to their past reliance on drugs and booze. Trust me, Sisters Clavin, you are. The slick production of this toe-tapper is proof. The California sun comes through on “Valley to LA,” which even has a west coast country vibe to it. Jennifer Clavin admits to her faults on “Real Life” (“That one time when I was such a piece of shit and made you sad…”). “Awkward Phase” is a down-tuned, but still lively, track about our teenage years and the attachments we have related to them that are hard to release (Haven’t we had enough of them?). The closer, “Shitty Ballet,” is a sharp take on a bad relationship and heartbreak. So often we dance around the things that make us uncomfortable or get lost in the illusion of comfort that is actually bad for us (again, without realizing we’ve had enough of it).

Bleached keep getting better with each record. Hearing them create art from a place of inner peace is a joy, and I couldn’t be happier for them. Don’t You Think You’ve Had Enough? might be the one of the most uplifting albums of 2019.

Keep your mind open.

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Bleached let us “Daydream” with their latest single.

“Don’t You Think You’ve Had Enough? is one of the year’s best rock albums, and far more than a survival tale.” – Billboard

“The evolution from raw to polished is a common one for rock bands, but on Bleached, it sounds positively inspired.” – AV Club

“the grit and grime has been wiped off in favor of a style that, while still giving off the same dangerous edge, often has the glittering sheen of some femme fatale’s soundtrack” – Paste

“Don’t You Think You’ve Had Enough? reveals the sophisticated songwriting Bleached has matured into. The songs seem familiar…but they contain unrestrained personality, which froths and ferments as it resolves into intimate portraits of living.” – LA Record

Bleached – the Los Angeles-based duo of sisters Jessie and Jennifer Clavin – present a video for “Daydream,” off Don’t You Think You’ve Had Enough?, released earlier this year via Dead Oceans. Propelled by Clavin’s defiant vocals, anthemic drums, and a refined version of their distorted guitar sound, “Daydream” is about realizing that living in the past, daydreaming of what could have been, is just a waste of time. The video, once again directed by Giraffe Studios, the sister team Bleached has worked with for all facets of Don’t You Think… visuals, presents the sisters and their band performing in the middle of a vast, hilly setting in Santa Clarita, CA.

“‘Daydream’ was born from a premonition about driving to the desert to write a song. It is my favorite song on the record,” says Jennifer. “While it can be interpreted as a love song at its core, it’s about how our minds are our masters. We tend to dwell on the past, live in regret with ‘what ifs’ but what’s the point? It’s a waste of our time and takes us out of the present. Letting go can be challenging but it’s worth it when the weight lifts and you finally feel free.”

Bleached have just kicked off their North American tour in support of Don’t You Think You’ve Had Enough? All tour dates can be found below.

Watch Bleached’s “Daydream” video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pc9b35XulJQ

Watch: “Hard To Kill” video – https://youtu.be/bQYgcc02m5c

“Kiss You Goodbye” video – https://youtu.be/InvEKijp7WM

“Shitty Ballet” video – https://youtu.be/v8pGMcSylH4

Purchase Don’t You Think You’ve Had Enough? – bleached.ffm.to/dontyouthink

Bleached tour dates: Sun. Sept. 15 – Raleigh, NC @ Motorco ^ Tue. Sept. 17 – Washington, DC @ U Street Music Hall ^ Thu. Sept. 19 – Brooklyn, NY @ Elsewhere ^ Fri. Sept. 20 – Philadelphia, PA @ PhilaMOCA ^ Sat. Sept. 21 – Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall ^ Mon. Sept. 23 – Toronto, ON @ Horseshoe Tavern ^ Tue. Sept. 24 – Columbus, OH @ The Basement ^ Wed. Sept. 25 – Nashville, TN @ Exit In ^ Fri. Sept. 27 – Urbana, IL @ Pygmalion Festival Sat. Sept. 28 – Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry ^ Sun. Sept. 29 – Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall ^ Mon. Sept. 30 – St. Louis, MO @ Firebird ^ Tue. Oct. 1 – Kansas City, MO @ Riot Room (Outdoors)* Thu. Oct. 3 – Denver, CO @ Globe Hall* Fri. Oct. 4 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The State Room* Sat. Oct. 5 – Boise, ID @ The Olympic* Mon. Oct. 7 – Seattle, WA @ Crocodile* Tue. Oct. 8 – Vancouver, BC @ Biltmore Cabaret* Wed. Oct. 9 – Portland, OR @ Star Theater Fri. Oct. 11 – Oakland, CA @ New Parish* Sat. Oct. 12 – Los Angeles, Ca @ The Lodge Room* ^ = w/ The Paranoyds *= w/ Dude York

Keep your mind open.

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Bleached releases “Rebound City” ahead of new album and upcoming tour.

Bleached – the Los Angeles-based duo of sisters Jessie and Jennifer Clavin – share their fourth and final pre-release single, “Rebound City,” from their forthcoming album, Don’t You Think You’ve Had Enough?, due July 12th via Dead Oceans. Bleached have championed their new direction through a trio of exhilarating singles; “Kiss You Goodbye,” “Hard To Kill”, and “Shitty Ballet.” “Rebound City” is a guitar-driven, power-pop song that paints the landscape of a disintegrating 1980’s Sunset Strip era. Throughout, Jennifer references various mishaps – waking up with a friend’s ex, an obsession with a stranger, and the remorse that comes with breaking someone’s heart. “This song is a brief history of the mistakes I’ve made…except there really are no mistakes, they’re all lessons in the end.” Just like the crumbled rock ‘n’ roll glam era that “Rebound City” draws upon sonically, rebound relationships are born from nostalgia of better times, and sparkle with false intrigue and decorum. “It’s a one way Boulevard,” Jennifer sings, and she’s not wrong.

Don’t You Think You’ve Had Enough? is Jessie and Jennifer Clavin’s first LP written from a place of sobriety. That clear-eyed perspective serves as the guiding force in every corner of its sound, yielding a courageous, honest, and sonically ambitious album.

Bleached returned to their dynamic as sisters – Jessie handled the bulk of the instrumentation and Jennifer handled the lyrics and melodies. Producer Shane Stoneback (Vampire Weekend, Sleigh Bells) helped open every door to experimentation, wanting to be exploratory while keeping the sound singularly Bleached. The album glimmers with inspiration found in touring with the likes of The Damned and Paramore whose arena-ready, incisively catchy pop was a palpable influence helping to push Bleached’s sound in a new realm.

Following a hometown record release show in Los Angeles, Bleached will kick off their North American tour in September. All dates are below.

Listen to “Rebound City” – https://youtu.be/inxS8IrzHak

Watch: “Kiss You Goodbye” – https://youtu.be/InvEKijp7WM “

“Hard To Kill” Video – https://youtu.be/bQYgcc02m5c

“Shitty Ballet” Video – https://youtu.be/v8pGMcSylH4

Pre-order Don’t You Think You’ve Had Enough? – bleached.ffm.to/dontyouthink

Bleached Tour Dates: Thu. July 11 – Los Angeles, CA @ Moroccan Lounge Thu. Aug. 22 – London, UK @ The Lexington Sat. Aug. 24 – Reading, UK @ Reading Festival Sun. Aug. 25 – Leeds, UK @ Leeds Festival Thu. Sept. 5 – San Diego, CA @ The Casbah Fri. Sept. 6 – Pomona, CA @ The Glass House Sat. Sept. 7 – Phoenix, AZ @ Valley Bar Mon. Sept. 9 – Austin, TX @ Barracuda Tue. Sept. 10 – Dallas, TX @ Club Dada Wed. Sept. 11 – Houston, TX @ Satellite Bar Fri. Sept. 13 – New Orleans, LA @ Gasa Gasa Sat. Sept. 14 – Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade (Hell) Sun. Sept. 15 – Raleigh, NC @ Motorco Tue. Sept. 17 – Washington, DC @ U Street Music Hall Thu. Sept. 19 – Brooklyn, NY @ Elsewhere Fri. Sept. 20 – Philadelphia, PA @ PhilaMOCA Sat. Sept. 21 – Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall Mon. Sept. 23 – Toronto, ON @ Horseshoe Tavern Tue. Sept. 24 – Columbus, OH @ The Basement Wed. Sept. 25 – Nashville, TN @ Exit In Fri. Sept. 27 – Urbana, IL @ Pygmalion Festival Sat. Sept. 28 – Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry Sun. Sept. 29 – Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall Mon. Sept. 30 – St. Louis, MO @ Firebird Tue. Oct. 1 – Kansas City, MO @ Riot Room (Outdoors)* Thu. Oct. 3 – Denver, CO @ Globe Hall* Fri. Oct. 4 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The State Room* Sat. Oct. 5 – Boise, ID @ The Olympic* Mon. Oct. 7 – Seattle, WA @ Crocodile* Tue. Oct. 8 – Vancouver, BC @ Biltmore Cabaret* Wed. Oct. 9 – Portland, OR @ Star Theater Fri. Oct. 11 – Oakland, CA @ New Parish* Sat. Oct. 12 – Los Angeles, Ca @ The Lodge Room* *= w/ Dude York

Keep your mind open.

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Bleached’s upcoming album is going to be great if “Kiss You Goodbye” is any indication.

“[‘Hard to Kill’] rolls with a dance rock energy, and its accompanying video feels beamed straight from MTV, circa 1984.” – Los Angeles Times

“This newfound perspective has sonically opened new doors for [Bleached]. . . ‘Hard to Kill’ is a catchy, disco-tinged banger about looking death in the face and saying, ‘Not today.’” – MTV News

Bleached – the Los Angeles-based duo of sisters Jessie and Jennifer Clavin – share a new single and video, “Kiss You Goodbye,” from their forthcoming album, Don’t You Think You’ve Had Enough?, due July 12th via Dead Oceans. Following the “bold and cowbell-dotted” (Vulture) “Hard to Kill” and “Shitty Ballet,” “Kiss You Goodbye” is an empowering and rambunctious bid farewell: “Kiss you goodbye // for the last time // return to sender // feeling so alive // some things are meant to die.” For the video, sister duo Giraffe Studios maintain the vibrant, cohesive aesthetic of Don’t You Think You’ve Had Enough?.

As described by Juliana Giraffe: “We all saw ‘Kiss you Goodbye’ as an opportunity to pay homage to our roots in the valley. Not only are we all sibling sisters coming together, but also all San Fernando valley girls at heart. What better way to celebrate that than a quick shout out to backyard bbqs, body builders and a little boogie nights on a Sunday in beautiful Woodland Hills.”

Bleached returned to their dynamic as sisters – Jessie handled the bulk of the instrumentation and Jennifer handled the lyrics and melodies. Sometimes, Jessie would go into the practice space first to lay down guitars and instrumentals with Jennifer going in the next day to find a new file waiting for her, opening it, and writing her lyrics and melodies. Producer Shane Stoneback (Vampire Weekend, Sleigh Bells) helped open every door to experimentation, wanting to be exploratory while keeping the sound singularly Bleached. The album glimmers with inspiration found in touring with the likes of The Damned and Paramore whose arena-ready, incisively catchy pop was a palpable influence helping to push Bleached’s sound in a new realm.

Bleached just returned from presenting a slew of new songs at sold out shows across the country supporting The Hives and Refused. Following a hometown record release show in Los Angeles, they’ll kick off their North American tour in September. All dates are below.

Watch “Kiss You Goodbye” Video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=InvEKijp7WM

Watch: “Hard To Kill” Video – https://youtu.be/bQYgcc02m5c

“Shitty Ballet” Video – https://youtu.be/v8pGMcSylH4

Pre-order Don’t You Think You’ve Had Enough? – bleached.ffm.to/dontyouthink

Bleached tour dates: Thu. July 11 – Los Angeles, CA @ Moroccan Lounge Thu. Aug. 22 – London, UK @ The Lexington Sat. Aug. 24 – Reading, UK @ Reading Festival Sun. Aug. 25 – Leeds, UK @ Leeds Festival Thu. Sept. 5 – San Diego, CA @ The Casbah Fri. Sept. 6 – Pomona, CA @ The Glass House Sat. Sept. 7 – Phoenix, AZ @ Valley Bar Mon. Sept. 9 – Austin, TX @ Barracuda Tue. Sept. 10 – Dallas, TX @ Club Dada Wed. Sept. 11 – Houston, TX @ Satellite Bar Fri. Sept. 13 – New Orleans, LA @ Gasa Gasa Sat. Sept. 14 – Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade (Hell) Sun. Sept. 15 – Raleigh, NC @ Motorco Tue. Sept. 17 – Washington, DC @ U Street Music Hall Thu. Sept. 19 – Brooklyn, NY @ Elsewhere Fri. Sept. 20 – Philadelphia, PA @ PhilaMOCA Sat. Sept. 21 – Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall Mon. Sept. 23 – Toronto, ON @ Horseshoe Tavern Tue. Sept. 24 – Columbus, OH @ The Basement Wed. Sept. 25 – Nashville, TN @ Exit In Fri. Sept. 27 – Urbana, IL @ Pygmalion Festival Sat. Sept. 28 – Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry Sun. Sept. 29 – Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall Mon. Sept. 30 – St. Louis, MO @ Firebird Tue. Oct. 1 – Kansas City, MO @ Riot Room (Outdoors)* Thu. Oct. 3 – Denver, CO @ Globe Hall* Fri. Oct. 4 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The State Room* Sat. Oct. 5 – Boise, ID @ The Olympic* Mon. Oct. 7 – Seattle, WA @ Crocodile* Tue. Oct. 8 – Vancouver, BC @ Biltmore Cabaret* Wed. Oct. 9 – Portland, OR @ Star Theater Fri. Oct. 11 – Oakland, CA @ New Parish* Sat. Oct. 12 – Los Angeles, Ca @ The Lodge Room* *= w/ Dude York

Keep your mind open.

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Bleached’s new single, “Hard to Kill,” is among the best of the year so far.

Don’t You Think You’ve Had Enough? is what Jennifer Clavin asked herself when she hit a turning point in her life. It’s also the title of the new Bleached record, out July 12th via Dead Oceans, and Jessie and Jennifer Clavin’s first LP written from a place of sobriety. That newfound perspective serves as the guiding force in every corner of its sound, yielding a courageous, honest, and sonically ambitious album. Throughout, the Clavins radiate the power and bravery of facing addiction, of letting go of the past and becoming open to a radically different future of self-love, acceptance, and newfound honesty. Today, the sisters present its lead single, the defiant, yet playful “Hard to Kill” and its accompanying video, and announce a North American headline tour (all upcoming dates are listed below). Don’t You Think You’ve Had Enough? follows 2016’s Welcome the Worms and 2017’s “Can You Deal?” EP. The sisters began writing the album in early 2018 in a Los Angeles practice space and with friends and co-writers in Nashville. “Writing these songs while sober became somewhat of a spiritual experience,” Jennifer says. “I had to let go, trust the process, and allow an energy beyond my control to be present.” In writing and recording, Jessie handled the bulk of the instrumentation and Jennifer handled the lyrics and melodies — it was important to the Clavins that the entire record return to their dynamic as sisters.

Producer Shane Stoneback (Vampire Weekend, Sleigh Bells) helped open every door to experimentation, wanting to be exploratory while keeping the sound singularly Bleached. The resulting LP is explosive, grappling with the past; its twelve tracks mark some of the sisters’ most visceral, rawest songwriting to date — and some of their best. The album glimmers with inspiration found in touring with the likes of The Damned and Paramore whose arena-ready, incisively catchy pop was a palpable influence helping to push Bleached’s sound in a new realm.

This new direction is clear with “Hard To Kill” and previously released “Shitty Ballet.” As described by Jennifer, “Hard to Kill” is about “staring down the road towards death and realizing I needed to wake up and get out of my selfish patterns of self destruction.” The video, directed by another sister team, Juliana and Nicky Giraffe, depicts the Clavin sisters in defiance of the shadows of their past, utilizing their talent and wit to set themselves free into a liberated new beginning.

The exclusive Dead Oceans preorder bundle includes limited edition black/red/brown tri-colored LP (only available through this bundle), cassette, and a getaway car accessory pack with a “Valley To LA” bumper sticker, “Somebody Dial 911” air freshener and Don’t You Think You’ve Had Enough? metal keychain.
Watch the Video for “Hard To Kill” –
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQYgcc02m5c

Pre-order Don’t You Think You’ve Had Enough? –
bleached.ffm.to/dontyouthink

Watch “Shitty Ballet” Video –
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8pGMcSylH4

Don’t You Think You Have Enough?Tracklist
1. Heartbeat Away
2. Hard to Kill
3. Daydream
4. I Get What I Need
5. Somebody Dial 911
6. Kiss You Goodbye
7. Rebound City
8. Silly Girl
9. Valley to LA
10. Real Life
11. Awkward Phase
12. Shitty Ballet

Bleached Tour Dates:
Mon. May 20 – Chicago, IL @ The Vic Theater *
Tue. May 21 – St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant *
Wed. May 22 – Lawrence, KS @ Liberty Hall *
Fri. May 24 – Denver, CO @ Gothic Hall *
Sat. May 25 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Union Events Center *
Tue. May 28 – Pomona, CA @ Fox Theater *
Fri. May 29 – San Diego, CA @ The Observatory North Park *
Thu. July 11 – Los Angeles, Ca @ Moroccan Lounge
Thu. Aug. 22 – London, UK @ The Lexington
Sat. Aug. 24 – Reading, UK @ Reading Festival
Sun. Aug. 25 – Leeds, UK @ Leeds Festival
Sat. Sept. 7 – Phoenix, AZ @ Valley Bar
Mon. Sept. 9 – Austin, TX @ Barracuda
Tue. Sept. 10 – Dallas, TX @ Club Dada
Wed. Sept. 11 – Houston, TX @ Satellite Bar
Fri. Sept. 13 – New Orleans, LA @ Gasa Gasa
Sat. Sept. 14 – Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade (Hell)
Sun. Sept. 15 – Raleigh, NC @ Motorco
Tue. Sept. 17 – Washington, DC @ U Street Music Hall
Thu. Sept. 19 – Brooklyn, NY @ Elsewhere
Fri. Sept. 20 – Philadelphia, PA @ PhilaMOCA
Sat. Sept. 21 – Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall
Mon. Sept. 23 – Toronto, ON @ Horseshoe Tavern
Tue. Sept. 24 – Columbus, OH @ The Basement
Wed. Sept. 25 – Nashville, TN @ Exit In
Fri. Sept. 27 – Urbana, IL @ Pygmalion Festival
Sat. Sept. 28 – Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry
Sun. Sept. 29 – Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall
Tue. Oct. 1 – Kansas City, MO @ Riot Room (Outdoors)
Thu. Oct. 3 – Denver, CO @ Globe Hall
Sat. Oct. 5 – Boise, ID @ The Olympic
Mon. Oct. 7 – Seattle, WA @ Crocodile
Tue. Oct. 8 – Vancouver, BC @ Biltmore Cabaret
Wed. Oct. 9 – Portland, OR @ Star Theater
Fri. Oct. 11 – Oakland, CA @ New Parish

*= w/ Refused and The Hives

Keep your mind open.

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Bleached return with new single ahead of U.S. tour with Refused and the Hives.

Bleached – the Los Angeles-based rock duo of sisters Jessica and Jennifer Clavin – return with a new single, “Shitty Ballet,” and an accompanying video. “Shitty Ballet” is the first taste of new music from the band since 2016’s “highly melodic and often sunny” (Los Angeles Times) Welcome the Worms and 2017’s Can You Deal? EP.

“Shitty Ballet” is the first studio work from the Clavins relying heavily on acoustic guitars. Written in just a few hours in a deluge of heartbreak, the striking emotion of the demo stuck. They stayed true to its stripped-down original, starting off with minimal instrumentation before bursting through with a full band. The accompanying one shot video, directed by Giraffe Studios, shows the Clavins awash in soft, violet-tinted light, performing as masked ballet dancers, young and old, twirl alongside them.

“Bleached has always been a pretty loud rock band so we felt it was time to explore a more stripped down style of playing,” says Jennifer. “With the vulnerability of the lyrics we decided to carry that into the instruments as well for the first time recording with just an acoustic guitar and vocals. Sonic change is important to us right now. More of that coming soon.”

Bleached will be supporting Refused on the road this May. The band have scheduled an intimate underplay in their hometown of Los Angeles on July 11th at the Moroccan Lounge. More Bleached announcements are on the horizon.

Watch “Shitty Ballet” Video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8pGMcSylH4

Bleached Tour Dates: Mon. May 20 – Chicago, IL @ The Vic Theater * Tue. May 21 – St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant * Wed. May 22 – Lawrence, KS @ Liberty Hall * Fri. May 24 – Denver, CO @ Gothic Hall * Sat. May 25 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Union Events Center * Tue. May 28 – Pomona, CA @ Fox Theater * Fri. May 29 – San Diego, CA @ The Observatory North Park * Thu. July 11 – Los Angeles, Ca @ Moroccan Lounge *= w/ Refused and The Hives

Keep your mind open.

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Top live shows of 2017: #’s 30 – 26

I’ve arrived at the end of my live music year for 2017. I saw over 60 performances this year, and the majority of them were a fun time. There were some that might’ve had lame crowds or that just didn’t thrill me, of course, but 2017 was good for live music. To save time (and my sanity and your patience), I’m counting the top 30 live shows I saw this year. Here are the first five.

#30 – A Place to Bury Strangers – Thalia Hall – Chicago, IL May 11th.

I’ll see APTBS at any opportunity, and seeing this set where they opened for the Black Angels was a no-brainer for me. It was also the first time they played Thalia Hall, and they sounded great in there. I was lucky enough to chat with front man Oliver Ackermann before and after (along with the rest of the band – Dion Lunadon and Lia Braswell) the set, so that made the show extra special.

#29 – Joe Walsh – Scottrade Center – St. Louis, MO May 12th.

Joe Walsh had a fun time opening for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. He joked with the sold-out crowd, played every hit you’d want to hear at one of his gigs, and had a huge, excellent backing band. He also showed that he could still shred on guitar, and his performance of “Take It to the Limit” brought my wife to tears.

#28 – Bebel Gilberto – City Winery – Chicago, IL December 20th.

The last show I saw this year turned out to be a delightful night with bossa nova legend Bebel Gilberto. It was a lovely set in an intimate venue. Everyone needs to see Ms. Gilberto at least once, and hear her often.

#27 – Bleached – House of Blues – Chicago, IL April 23rd.

If you’re in a band, I wish you could’ve seen Bleached with me twice within six months because you’d have seen a perfect example of how to step up your game. This show, which had them opening for the Damned, was the second time I’d seen them in that time period. The first was at a gig in Cleveland in October 2016. I thought they were good then, but this performance left me gobsmacked. They’d become tighter and stronger in just half a year. It had been at least a couple years since I saw so much improvement in one band.

#26 – Partner – Schuba’s – Chicago, IL January 22nd.

This was Partner‘s first gig in Chicago, and one of their first in the United States. Shame on you if you missed it, because they are now indie rock darlings and their debut album, In Search of Lost Time, is one of the best of 2017. This show was an absolute home run and wowed everyone there.

Stay tuned for #’s 25 – 21!

Keep your mind open.

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