The second night of Levitation Austin 2022 started at Hotel Vegas. I hadn’t been to a show there since 2013 and was delighted to see the place hadn’t changed much. If anything, the outdoor stage area seemed a bit bigger.
Warm Dragwere the first act we saw that night, putting on the sexiest show of the weekend with their blend of electro, fuzz, and spooky rock. Lead singer Vashti Windish owned the stage in her biker leather while percussionist / beat master Paul Quattrone got to work in his tank top. The crowd was hypnotized by them both by their set’s end.
Warm Drag
Quattrone took a water break and then was back on stage with the rest of his Osees bandmates for the second night of their four-night residency at Hotel Vegas. They came out swinging, blasting through a lot of tracks in just an hour. Their raging punk set of material from their new album, A Foul Form, left the audience breathless multiple times.
Osees
We left Hotel Vegas for Elysium to catch the rare performance by The UFO Club – a sort of supergroup consisting of members of Night Beats and The Black Angels, who performed their (so far) only album from beginning to end. I wasn’t sure I’d ever get to hear those songs live, so this set was one of the highlights of the festival for me.
The UFO Club
The night ended with Mexican psych-rock legends Los Dug Dug’s. They played a fun blend of psych, surf, and border rock.
Los Dug Dug’s
Up next would be a trio of Australian bands and doom metal in a blues bar.
As always whenever one makes such a list, there are many albums you want to include but you have to draw the line somewhere. That line was drawn at 40 records, and we’re now at the top 35.
#35: Night Beats – Who Sold My Generation (2016)
No question mark. That’s one of the first things you notice when you look at the cover of Who Sold My Generation. It’s not a question. The album is a statement. It’s a rough, bluesy, psyched-out statement about how the Nights Beats‘ generation was sold out by one-percenters, trickle-down economics, and the tech industry.
#34: Partner – In Search of Lost Time (2017)
Hey, rock is supposed to be fun. Remember that? Well, Partner do. That’s pretty much their motto, and In Search of Lost Timereminds us that rock is often best served with massive riffs, shredding solos, lyrics everyone will remember and love (and sing at live gigs), and themes of sex, drugs, and, well…rock.
#33: Föllakzoid – I (2019)
There’s no way this album should’ve worked. The three members of Föllakzoid each recorded their own parts separately and then gave those parts to their engineer, who hadn’t heard any of them, and then more or less told him, “Make a record.” As my wife asked when I told her this story, “Then whose album is it?” The answer, according to Föllakzoid, is “Everyone’s.” It’s theirs because they made the parts, the engineer’s because he put them together into some kind of krautrock / Blade Runner sequel synthwave soundtrack, and the listener’s because he / she will interpret it however they want.
#32: The Beths – Future Me Hates Me (2018)
These pop-rockers from New Zealand weren’t on my radar until I stumbled across this record while working at WSND. I was floored by their great hooks, sharp lyrics, and the sense of fun that permeated the entire record. They blew up on radio across the globe with songs like the title track (about dreading a relationship as soon as it begins) and “Whatever” – an ode to slacker aesthetic.
#31: The KVB – …Of Desire (2016)
I don’t remember where I first heard …Of Desire, but it grabbed me and would not let go. This sexy shoegaze album never gets old and is suitable for everything from a synthwave / goth DJ set to waiting in your car for a train to pass to having sex to a quiet dinner at home. The duo use all their vintage analog gear to maximum effect, making you feel like you’re floating in some kind of electric warmth.
Come back soon as I crack open the top 30 albums of the last five years.
Released just a year after their split EP with Night Beats, The UFO Club (Christian Bland, Danny Lee Blackwell, and Skyler McGlothlin) took the four tracks they had on the EP and added seven more to create a spooky, trippy, solid album.
It starts with “July” – a song I once presented to a woman who described herself as “an original hippie.” She loved it. It’s hard not to love with its opening acoustic guitar chords, Blackwell’s heavily reverbed vocals, McGlothlin’s stumbling drunk beats, and Bland’s warped electric guitar. Their cover of The Ronettes‘ “Be My Baby” follows with its guitars that sound like a swarm of stoned bees. Blackwell is a known Bo Diddley fan (Night Beats often covers Diddley’s “Keep Your Big Mouth Shut” live), so their song “Bo Diddley Was the 7th Son” is a roaring, sweaty tribute to him. It almost sounds like they told McGloghlin to just go nuts on the drums, and he did.
“Wolfman” is another track from the EP that’s wild, crazy fun with Blackwell taking on the role of a werewolf and Bland and McGloghlin howling behind him. “Doubts” slows things down before we totally lose our minds. The sad organ and sorrowful drumming highlight Blackwell’s pleading vocals for love. “John the Cat” has such a swagger to it that it might topple your speakers and puts Bland’s love of early Pink Floyd on full display.
“Fuck shit up!” the band yells at the beginning of “Surf Shitty,” a dangerous track best suited for 1960’s juvenile delinquency film soundtracks. “Chapel” follows it. It’s a stand-out track on the EP as well as here. It’s fuzzed-out psychedelic bliss about inward meditation. “Up in Her Room” is over seven minutes of psychedelic garage rock with Blackwell singing about gettin’ his freak on in his girlfriend’s apartment. “Natalie” might be that girl up in the room. She’s a weird one if that’s the case because the song is a wild, organ-heavy freak-out that sounds like someone slipped something funky into the band’s tea at the recording studio. The closer, “Last Time,” is a short, warped version of the Rolling Stones‘ classic track.
This eight-song EP is split between bands hailing from Austin, Texas and Seattle, Washington. Side A is four tracks by Austin’s The UFO Club (who would go on to release a full album a year later – review coming soon). Side B is one of the first official recordings of Seattle’s Night Beats – even before their first full album was released by Austin’s Reverberation Appreciation Society label.
The UFO Club melds Austin and Seattle together by combining the powers of The Black Angels‘ Christian Bland and Danny Lee Blackwell of Night Beats (both sharing duties on guitar, vocals, farfisa, drums, bass) and producer / bassist / organist Skyler McGlothlin to create a heady brew of Pink Floyd, 13th Floor Elevators, Phil Spector, and Howlin‘ Wolf.
“(My Love Is) Waiting” is a pleading love song with Blackwell’s distinctive voice calling out in soulful wails while crystalline guitars surround him. “Chapel (in My Mind)” is an instant stand-out with creeping fuzz bass, spooky drums, and haunted house guitars as Bland sings about engaging in self-introspection and not caring what others think of the idea. You’ll want “Wolfman” on every Halloween-themed playlist you create from now on, as it’s a fun, rocking track with Blackwell trying to keep his lover calm as he transforms into a monster and Bland and McGlothlin howl and bay in the background. Side A ends with their power drill-fuzzy cover of The Ronettes‘ “Be My Baby.”
Side B is all Night Beats, consisting of the original lineup (Blackwell on vocals and guitar, Tarek Wegner on bass, James Traeger on drums). It opens with one of my favorite Night Beats tracks, “Hex,” a trippy psychedelic cut that has Blackwell’s opening guitar riffs hitting you like black helicopters coming over the horizon. “A Night with Nefertiti” brings Wegner’s bass to the forefront and makes the vocals a bit sleepy (in a good way). The Egyptian theme continues on the funky “Drowning in the Nile” (which includes some wild harmonica work by Blackwell). The closer is “18 Glowing Phantoms.” Blackwell’s acoustic guitar takes on a tribal sound as he sings about being taken to an otherworldly dark forest to learn he has no soul. Creepy? Yes. Good? Absolutely (especially at the break-down).
This split 10″ EP was a good warm-up for both The UFO Club’s self-titled album a year later and Night Beats’ first full record. It’s a fine addition to any collection of net-psychedelic music.
Keep your mind open.
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#15 – Alison Krauss – Memorial Coliseum – Ft. Wayne, IN – August 05th
Alison Krauss‘ voice is so heavenly you almost can’t quite believe it’s real even as you’re hearing it. She is a great performer and this show with a full stage set-up and rotating band members was a delight.
#14 – Night Beats – Levitation Austin – November 09th
It had been a couple of years since I saw Night Beats, and this show at Levitation Austin was a great reminder of why you and I need to see them whenever possible. They always kill it live and bring a sense of danger to whatever stage they take.
#13 – Cosmonauts – Levitation Austin – November 09th
I had wanted to see Cosmonauts since I first heard their A-OK! album. They unleashed a wall of shoegaze power like I hadn’t heard all weekend at Levitation Austin, and I was left a bit dumbstruck by the set’s end.
#12 – The Flaming Lips – Levitation Austin – November 08th
“I’m always happy when I see them.” That’s a quote from my wife describing a Flaming Lips show, and their Levitation Austin set continued the trend. It was fun, colorful, playful, and what everyone needed on a cool night to forget the low temperatures and troubles in our lives.
#11 – The Black Angels – Levitation Austin – November 09th
Another set from Levitation Austin. Are you noticing a pattern here? It’s one of the best festivals in the country for music lovers, and the Black Angels help curate it. As an added bonus, they play it every year. This year’s set was another powerhouse one, with Christian Bland particularly playing harder than I’ve heard him play in a while.
It was with sunburned legs and neck that a friend of mine, Scott, and I headed into downtown Phoenix, Arizona for the annual Viva PHX festival. It’s an impressive undertaking by the city. 100 bands play in 18 venues around downtown in one night. The style of acts ranges from jazz funk to thrash punk, so you can see just about anything (even lucha libra wrestling).
After dining on a turkey burger and a chicken quesadilla, Scott and I walked to the Valley Bar. A friend of his had described it as a “dive bar” you had to access through an alley. She was right. We walked down an alley, past a dumpster, and down into a basement bar mostly lit by candlelight. It was a neat place, and the pear cider there was outstanding.
The doors to their mid-size music hall opened a bit late, but I was happy to see some Orange amplifiers on stage and everything else already set up and ready to rock. Jjuujjuu opened with a good set of mostly instrumental psychedelia. Shame on you if you missed it because they were a great way to start the night. Scott, who had never heard of any of the bands playing, enjoyed their set.
Jjuujjuu
Froth were up next and laid down their “California vibe” psych-rock. This was the first time I heard some of their new stuff, and there were some good rockers in there. Scott thought Froth’s lead singer was too much of a perfectionist (due to his frequent requests to get the levels right in his monitor), but didn’t think their set was bad.
Froth
I got up close for Deap Vally. I told Scott that they were “going to be loud as fuck” in the small venue, and I was right. They played a set of tracks from their excellent sophomore album Feminism and one (“Walk of Shame”) off Sistrionix. This was the first time I’d seen them in a small venue and with Julie Edwards on drums. I also spoke with Ms. Edwards before and both she and Lindsey Troy after their set and they were delightful. They were the only band that hung out in the merch area the whole night and they were swarmed after their killer set. I always feel bad for any band that has to follow them because they take no prisoners. Scott was impressed.
Deap Vally
Lindsey Troy
Julie Edwards
He was also impressed by Night Beats, even though they played a short, four-song set. I don’t know if they got in late and thus lost some of their set time or if they had to cut out early to make it to another engagement, but four songs live by Night Beats are better than twenty by many other bands. It was nice to see them grinning after having reported a lot of their gear had been stolen in Tijuana a couple nights earlier. They threw down hard and then were gone in the blink of an eye, almost like a firework exploding.
Night Beats
Temples closed the Desert Daze Caravan show. I’d seen them on the main stage at Levitation Austin in 2014 and was surprised by how heavy their set was. I wondered if they’d be just as much in a small venue. They were, but they were also crisp. It was one of the better engineered sets I’d heard from anyone in a while. Scott wasn’t much a fan of their British psych sound, but I thought they had one of the best sets of the night, and the crowd was crazy for them.
Temples
James Bagshaw
Yacht weren’t part of the Desert Daze Caravan tour, but they were the “afterparty” band at the Valley Bar that night. We almost left before their set, mainly because it first appeared they weren’t going to set up for another hour, but they zipped onstage as soon as all of Temples’ gear was gone and dropped a fun electro set that had the crowd bouncing. Scott said, “I wasn’t into it at first, but they grew on me.”
Yacht
I spoke with the man who made all the psychedelic light effects for the Desert Daze Caravan bands. I thanked him for the nice work. He shook my hand and said, “You saw a good one. The spirit of rock and roll was here tonight.”
We emerged from underneath the city around 1:30am. Were it not for the bits of trash, traffic barriers, and the gear vans still here and there, you wouldn’t know a music festival had just taken place. It was eerily quiet. All you could hear was the spirit of rock and roll.
Keep your mind open.
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As I have mentioned in the past, I will see Night Beats at any given opportunity. They are one of the best live acts out there right now and absolute gunslingers onstage. I saw them three times last year (once in Chicago, once in Austin, once in San Marcos), and their newest album, Who Sold My Generation, was one of my top albums of 2016.
They always put on a good show of psychedelic R&B, and seeing them in probably the smallest venue so far (for me, at least) at VIVA PHX is going to be a treat.
The Desert Daze Caravan tour, featuring Night Beats, Temples, Deap Vally, Froth, and Jjuujjuu has announced its full U.S. schedule. Beginning in San Francisco February 22nd, the tour winds through the west and southwest until March 17th in San Antonio. Don’t miss your chance to see this tour. It’s sure to be outstanding. I’m catching it at the Phoenix stop. See you there!
Earthless are the only band to be in my top 10 concerts of 2016 twice. This was the second time I’d seen them and the first time I’d been close to the stage. It was a stunning performance that nearly left me speechless. They were also cool cats who were happy to sign my concert poster after their performance.
Night Beats are the only band to be in the top 30 concerts of 2016 three times. Their Levitation Chicago performance was downright dangerous and established the swagger and tight chops I’d see from them all year. They, too, were also cool cats who signed my copy of their new album Who Sold My Generation for me after their set.
#3 – Deap Vallyat the Chicago House of Blues October 13th
They were first on a bill with Death from Above 1979 and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and they set the bar so high that the other two bands couldn’t match it. They came to kick ass and take names…and they were all out of names. They, too, were cool cats who chatted with me after their set. Everyone was still talking about their performance as we were walking out of the venue.
I didn’t know much about Gary Wilson before seeing him at Levitation Chicago. I walked out a devoted fan. His show was part-lounge act, part-psychedelic freak-out, and part-performance art piece. He creeped out a woman next to me, made others laugh, others cheers, and others stand there with a “What the hell am I seeing and hearing?” look on their face. I couldn’t stop talking about his performance for weeks and haven’t stopped recommending him to everyone since.
Only one concert had a moment that made me cry in 2016, and that was when Bebel Gilberto and her guitarist performed a cover of Radiohead‘s “Creep.” Seeing this member of bossa nova royalty in a great venue (The acoustics in Ann Arbor’s Powerhouse Theatre are sublime.) was a dream come true, as I’ve had a serious crush on her and her music for many years. It was also the first show I attended on a press pass thanks to this blog, so it will always hold a special place in my memory.
Thanks for reading. I hope to get to just as many shows in 2017. Wish me luck and let me know about bands I need to see this year.
WALL‘s self-titled debut EP was a brash bit of post-punk that floored me the first time I heard it. It’s one of those debuts that instantly makes you hungry for more, and they can’t release a full-length soon enough for me.
#4
King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard are unstoppable. They released the best-engineered record of the year, Nonagon Infinity (which can be played on endless loop, starting from any track, with no discernible bumps or pauses along the way), and have announced five more albums this year.
#3
Night Beatsare one of those bands that gets better with each record. Who Sold My Generation was recorded mostly with first and second-takes in just a couple days, and the raw energy and R&B grooves shine through your speakers. They are at the top of their game right now.
#2
The lushest record of 2016 was the Besnard Lakes‘ A Coliseum Complex Museum. It’s full of gorgeous arrangements, psychedelic dreams, and haunting sounds. It’s a record that takes you out of your current state of mind and shifts your thinking.
#1
If you’re gonna go out, go out like David Bowiedid with Blackstar. He put everything he had into his final album, and it’s a masterpiece. Wild jazz arrangements, frank lyrics about death, sex, regret, acceptance, love, and hope, and hidden treasures (lyrically and in the album artwork itself) are layered throughout it. The legend left us by setting the bar even higher.
There you have it, folks. Thanks for sticking with me throughout 2016. I hope you’ll keep reading this year.
