Recorded in Zurich during the pandemic, Mano Le Tough‘s new album, At the Moment, is a chronicle of him dealing with lockdown while raising a family and adjusting to the reality of not touring, not seeing fans, and having to just be in the moment.
The first words on the album are “On stormy nights, if you start to pray…” The sample is from from a documentary on the remote Irish island of Aran – a place that knows and embraces isolation. “Man of Aran” swells with blips and bloops and has a peaceful quality to it, as does “Empty Room” with its lyrics about listening to bees and learning to be present instead of dwelling on how much we missed everyone in 2020.
The sparse “Snow on Bamboo” leads into the thumping, danceable “Aye Aye Mi Mi.” The smooth lyrics of of “Moment to Change” drift into the dance-synths and bright pop of “Fadó Fadó.” “Pompeii” bumps and thumps with dance floor bass and heavenly synths while the gospel handclaps elevate you higher.
I will never turn down good dub music, and “No Road without a Turn” certainly qualifies. The echoing beats, tinny synths, and heady, thick bass are a great combination. “New / Cycles” has goth touches (creepy synths and slightly industrialized beats) and lyrics like “You hollow me out and fill me in.”
“So Many So Silent” reminds me of Art of Noise tracks with its mixture of synths, warped vocals, bells and xylophones, and echoing dance beats. The acoustic guitar “Short Cuts” eventually dissolves into a dial tone, or perhaps the sound of an old modem…which nicely bridges into the futuristic dance track “Together” to close the album.
At the Moment is an interesting record. It’s difficult to categorize, but I think that’s the point. It’s something Mano Le Tough made in the moment and without much thought to fitting everything into one box. It’s an album made in the present for the present.
I did not expect my first live concert experience post-pandemic to be a show by rock legends ZZ Top, nor did I expect it to be at a county fairgrounds not even an hour’s drive from my house, but the pandemic taught us to expect the unexpected – so I should probably just shut up and get on with reviewing the fun show.
We got to the fair in plenty of time before the show. Our seats were folding chairs on the dirt track where the annual demolition derby is held, as well as other events. There’s also grandstand seating that was probably less crowded and and not muddy – as it had rained earlier that day.
It also rained again, to the point where the show had to be delayed an hour due to the deluge that hit the fair. ZZ Top, minus Dusty Hill, who was home in Texas recovering from a hip injury, took the stage “on time.” Hill was replaced on bass by one of their long-serving guitar techs, Elwood Francis, and he did a fine job. They opened with “Under Pressure,” which is even fuzzier live, rivaling Billy Gibbons‘ epic beard.
It’s sometimes easy to forget how good of a guitarist Gibbons is. He can play anything from blues to psychedelic rock to garage rock. Frank Beard still chops behind a massive drum kit that had an impressive amount of customization on it.
Another impressive thing was the production sound and quality of the show. ZZ Top has a top-notch crew. Most, if not all, of Gibbons’ guitar effects were done remotely off-stage by the crew of with this weird-looking thing on stage left.
Is it an effects pedal coyote?
The show was a “greatest hits” set that also included a fun version of Merle Travis‘ “Sixteen Tons.” The tour is their 50th anniversary tour, and “Sharp Dressed Man” and “Legs” were, of course, big hits with the crowd. I’d hoped for “TV Dinners,” but alas, it wasn’t meant to be. They did break out the monster fur guitars, however.
It was a fun night, and Dusty Hill died just a few days later. Gibbons and Beard have stated they will continue touring and making music, as it was Hill’s wish that they would.
There are multiple Reckless Records locations in Chicago, Illinois. This one is at 929 West Belmont Avenue, and it’s a must-stop if you’re in that part of town and looking to do some music shopping.
Check out that album of Shel Silverstein poems – A Light in the Attic.That Ray Charles Atlantic Records box set is well worth your money.
The place is full of bins and shelves jammed with stuff like this, and the store is deep.
Shirts, bargain bin DVDS, and plenty of vinyl for the record collectors.
I mean, just look at that small sample of soundtrack and lounge vinyl records. They have entire sections for Dean Martin, Ennio Morricone, John Carpenter, and Goblin. A copy of the Thank God It’s Friday score next to John Barry‘s for Thunderball is a win-win.
Are you looking for CDs or DVDs? No worries. They have you covered.
They even have two shelving units full of cassettes, for heaven’s sake.
I walked out of there with used CDs by Pat Dinizio, The Stooges, Chrome, The Who, and The Rolling Stones. The most expensive one was nine bucks. You can’t beat that. Go spend some cash and a few hours there.
Playing a home show still feels special for The Beths, who began playing shows in 2015 and quickly won over local audiences with a low-key approach that disguised their drive for excellence. Today, the band announces its first live recording and film, Auckland, New Zealand, 2020, out September 17th on Carpark Records. The announcement also comes on the three-year anniversary of the release of their debut album, Future Me Hates Me. Auckland, New Zealand, 2020 showcases the infectious energy The Beths bring to every performance. Native birds, wonkily crafted by the band from tissue paper and wire, festoon the venue’s cavernous ceiling while house plants soften and disguise the imposing pipes of an organ. The presence of the film crew isn’t disguised: much of the camerawork is handheld; full of fast zooms and pans. “Watching the film for the first time brought back all the emotions of 2020 for us. Sports Team have done such an amazing job of capturing the mix of anxiety and simple joy that was touring music in NZ at the time. We are so grateful that it happened and grateful to have it documented with so much love and care,” says lead vocalist/guitarist Elizabeth Stokes.
“Future Me Hates Me” is a fan favorite, as both band and audience feed off the mutual energy in the room.
After building a loyal following through live performances and their 2016 EP Warm Blood, The Beths signed to Carpark Records and released the debut album, Future Me Hates Me, in 2018. Jump Rope Gazers, released in July 2020, was a slower, yearning follow-up that still fizzes and sparks with pop-punk sensibilities. Immediately seized on by both fans and music critics as a bright spot during an otherwise dark year, Jump Rope Gazers was named Album of the Year at New Zealand’s national Aotearoa Music Awards in 2020, and secured the band awards for Best Group and Best Alternative Artist for the second year running. The releases catapulted the band straight into lengthy international tours that saw them support legends like The Pixies and Death Cab For Cutie as well as headlining increasingly large shows of their own.
Auckland, New Zealand, 2020 has its genesis in an urge to share the now-rare experience of a live show as widely as possible. The accompanying film makes the deep bond Stokes, lead guitarist Jonathan Pearce, bassist Benjamin Sinclair, and drummer Tristan Deck clearer than ever: capturing the in-jokes they share with audiences during on-stage banter, and foregrounding their mutual preoccupations with the game of cricket and New Zealand’s native birds. It’s a collective exhalation, in one of the few countries where live music is still possible. They deliberately include the date and location, because “That’s the sensational part of what we actually did,” says Pearce. In a mid-pandemic world, playing to a heaving, enraptured home crowd feels miraculous.
The band will follow up the release of Auckland, New Zealand, 2020 with a North American headline tour in 2022. “Our last North American tour was in summer of 2019, which feels like a century ago. There is no way to describe how much we have wanted to be over there playing music. Finally it is happening?! See you soon. xo,” says Liz. An artist pre-sale will begin on Wednesday, August 11 at 10am local time, with a Brooklyn Vegan pre-sale running on Thursday, August 12 at 10am local time. Tickets go on sale to the general public on Friday, August 13 at 10am local time. Tickets are available at thebeths.com. Fans can join the band’s new Patreon in the meantime.
Live Album Tracklist: 1. I’m Not Getting Excited 2. Great No One 3. Whatever 4. Mars, the God of War 5. Future Me Hates Me 6. introduction 7. Jump Rope Gazers 8. Uptown Girl
9. bird talk 10. Happy Unhappy 11. Out of Sight 12. thank you 13. Don’t Go Away 14. Little Death 15. Dying to Believe 16. River Run
Film Setlist: 1. I’m Not Getting Excited 2. Great No One 3. Whatever 4. Mars, the God of War
5. Future Me Hates Me 6. Jump Rope Gazers 7. Uptown Girl 8. Happy Unhappy 9. Out of Sight 10. Little Death 11. Dying To Believe 12. You Wouldn’t Like Me 13. River Run
Tour Dates: Fri. Sept. 17, 2021 – Auckland, NZ @ The Others Way Tue. Sept. 28, 2021 – Auckland, NZ @ Whammy Bar Wed. Sept. 29, 2021 – Auckland, NZ @ Whammy Bar Thu. Sept. 30, 2021 – Auckland, NZ @ Whammy Bar Fri. Oct. 1, 2021 – Auckland, NZ @ Whammy Bar Sat. Oct. 2, 2021 – Auckland, NZ @ Whammy Bar Fri. Oct. 22, 2021 – Tauranga, NZ @ Tauranga Arts Festival Sat. Oct. 23, 2021 – Hawke’s Bay, NZ @ Labour of Love Fri. Oct. 29, 2021 – Wellington, NZ @ San Fran Sat. Oct. 30, 2021 – Wellington, NZ @ College of Creative Arts, Massey University (AA show) Sun. Oct. 31, 2021 – Nelson, NZ @ Nelson Arts Festival Thu. Nov. 4 – Sydney, NSW @ Factory Theatre Fri. Nov. 5 – Brisbane, QLD @ The Zoo Sat. Nov. 6 – Melbourne, VIC @ The Night Cat Sat. Dec. 4 – Auckland, NZ @ The Outerfields
Thu. Jan. 20, 2022 – Washington, D.C. @ Black Cat Fri. Jan. 21, 2022 – Philadelphia, PA @ Underground Arts Sat. Jan. 22, 2022 – New York, NY @ Rough Trade (in-store signing) Sat. Jan. 22, 2022 – New York, NY @ Webster Hall Sun. Jan. 23, 2022 – Boston, MA @ The Sinclair Tue. Jan. 25, 2022 – Montreal, QC @ Bar Le Ritz Wed. Jan. 26, 2022 – Toronto, ON @ Lee’s Palace Fri. Jan. 28, 2022 – Chicago, IL @ Metro Wed. Feb. 2, 2022 – Calgary, AB @ Commonwealth Fri. Feb. 4, 2022 – Vancouver, BC @ Biltmore Cabaret Sat. Feb. 5, 2022 – Seattle, WA @ NeumosSun. Feb. 6, 2022 – Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom Tue. Feb. 8, 2022 – San Francisco, CA @ The Independent Thu. Feb. 10, 2022 – Los Angeles, CA @ Regent Theater Sat. Feb. 12, 2022 – Phoenix, AZ @ Valley Bar Tue. Feb. 15, 2022 – Austin, TX @ Parish Wed. Feb. 16, 2022 – Dallas, TX @ Club Dada Fri. Feb. 18, 2022 – Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade (Hall) Sat. Feb. 19, 2022 – Nashville, TN @ Mercy Lounge Sun. Mar. 27, 2022 – Southampton, UK @ The Loft Mon. Mar. 28, 2022 – Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Social Club Tue. Mar. 29, 2022 – Glasgow, UK @ St Luke’s Thu. Mar. 31, 2022 – Manchester, UK @ Club Academy Fri. Apr. 1, 2022 – Bristol, UK @ SWX Sat. Apr. 2, 2022 – Birmingham, UK @ The Castle and Falcon Mon. Apr. 4, 2022 – London, UK @ O2 Forum Kentish TownTue. Apr. 5, 2022 – Brighton, UK @ Concorde II Thu. Apr. 7, 2022 – Paris, FR @ Point Ephémère Fri. Apr. 8, 2022 – Lyon, FR @ Le Marché Gare Sat. Apr. 9, 2022 – Dudingen, CH @ Bad Bonn Sun. Apr. 10, 2022 – Lausanne, CH @ Le Romandie Tue. Apr. 12, 2022 – Milan, IT @ Biko Wed. Apr. 13, 2022 – Munich, DE @ Feierwerk Fri. Apr. 15, 2022 – Vienna, AT @ B72 Sat. Apr. 16, 2022 – Prague, CZ @ Underdogs’ Mon. Apr. 18, 2022 – Berlin, DE @ LidoTue. Apr. 19, 2022 – Copenhagen, DK @ VEGA Ideal Bar Wed. Apr. 20, 2022 – Hamburg, DE @ Molotow Thu. Apr. 21, 2022 – Cologne, DE @ Bumann & Sohn Fri. Apr. 22, 2022 – Brussels, BE @ Ancienne Belgique Sat. Apr. 23, 2022 – Amsterdam, NL @ Paradiso Sun. Apr. 24, 2022 – Esch-sur-Alzette, LU @ Kulturfabrik
Today, Sam Evian announces his new album, Time to Melt, out October 29th on Fat Possum, and presents a new single/video, “Knock Knock.” Additionally, he announces a fall 2021 Northeast tour. Following a brief decampment to upstate New York to create his last album, You, Forever, Sam realized he could no longer resist the urge to escape the anxious city life. He and his partner, Hannah Cohen, split, building their refuge and Sam’s studio, Flying Cloud Recordings, in the quiet of a Catskills town. That reflective, relaxing environment inexorably shaped Time to Melt, a glowing set of soulfully psychedelic pop gems and a testimonial to the life and wisdom to be found when you give yourself the mercy of space.
During the last decade, Sam has become a preeminent collaborator, producing and engineering records for the likes of Big Thief, Cass McCombs, Cassandra Jenkins and Widowspeak. In their new home, he and Hannah hosted bands like house guests as he helmed their sessions. The coronavirus, though, clamped down on those interactions, largely sealing the couple from their longtime scene. So Sam tried something new: He sorted through more than 60 instrumental demos he’d recorded in the last two years and began shaping the most enticing of them into songs with help from Hannah and long-distance friends—Spencer Tweedy, Chris Bear, Jon Natchez (The War On Drugs), even strangers who sent him voice memos via Instagram. He took the unexpected time at home to dig deeper than ever before into his world of sounds and ideas, calmly considering our moment of prevailing chaos through a lens of newfound distance.
Time to Melt reckons with the weight of our time, even when it sounds largely weightless. New single “Knock Knock” taps Sam’s memories of race-and-class violence in the small-town South where he was raised and his subsequent reckoning with our crumbling American façade. The track, finished in June of 2020 as protests unfolded across the country, is a tribute to the perseverance of the vulnerable, who find community and joy in spite of the way centuries of miscreants try to deny it. “’Knock Knock’ is a song of commiseration,” says Sam. “It’s a conversation with my sibling, and really anyone else with a conscience. We talk a lot about the small town in Eastern North Carolina where we grew up, and why we left. Growing up we saw a lot of racism, violence, poverty, disparity, ignorance…all of it not so hidden under a veil of southern hospitality and dogmatic beliefs. A year later after George Floyd’s murder, I hope we can keep the conversation going. The veil is lifted for all to see. Knock knock – who’s there? A broken America.”
The song’s cinematic, light-hearted video, created by Josh Goleman and filmed in the almost completely abandoned town of Meltsville, New York, brings the Time To Melt album art to life.
Time to Melt is an album of sounds so pleasant and compelling that you put it on and follow the slipstream. There are songs of celebration on Time to Melt, paeans to whatever joy it is we find in life or love, such as the previously released “Easy to Love,” an ode to finding a new paradise outside of the city where you can plant love and literally watch it bloom. The album’s intoxicating rhythms and timbral webs are as settling, even seductive as an evening glass of wine. But whatever your day’s end ritual may be, it isn’t some idle exercise. It’s a place to unpack the pain and wonder, the suffering and promise of the moment, to reflect on where you have been and what might come next. In 40 striking minutes, Time to Melt sorts through a year of a life spent in rage and hope, lockdown and love.
The Sam Evian band will tour the Northeast this fall in support of Time to Melt. Sam (guitar, vocals) will be joined by Brian Betancourt (bass), Michael Coleman (keys), Sean Mullins (drums), and Liam Kazar (guitar, synths). Tickets are on sale this Friday, August 13th at 10am EST. Watch the “Easy To Love” Video
Time to Melt Tracklist 1. Freezee Pops 2. Dream Free (feat. Hannah Cohen) 3. Time To Melt 4. Knock Knock 5. Arnolds Place 6. Sunshine 7. Never Know 8. Lonely Days 9. Easy To Love 10. 999 Free 11. Around It Goes
Sam Evian Tour Dates Fri. Oct. 29 – Hamden, CT @ Space Ballroom Sat. Oct. 30 – Woodstock, NY @ The Colony Wed. Nov. 3 – New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom Thu. Nov. 4 – Boston, MA @ The Sinclair Fri. Nov. 5 – Asbury Park, NJ @ The Saint Sat. Nov. 6 – Washington, DC @ DC9 Wed. Nov. 10 – Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brendas Thu. Nov. 11 – Holyoke, MA @ Gateway City Arts Fri. Nov. 12 – Providence, RI @ Columbus Theatre Sat. Nov. 13 – Portland, ME @ Space Gallery Fri. Nov. 19 – Amagansett, NY @ Stephen Talkhouse Sat. Nov. 20 – Troy, NY @ The Hangar
Widely considered one of the best Rolling Stones albums ever and one of the best rock albums of all time, Sticky Fingers is a dirty, grungy, sweaty, horny record. I mean, how could it not be with that title and that infamous cover?
It’s full of mega-hits, to boot. The opener, “Brown Sugar,” is an instant classic recorded in the famous Muscle Shoals studio in Alabama and brazenly covered taboo subjects in that part of the U.S. – interracial sex, heroin, slavery, and cunnilingus among them. The album goes from what sweaty blues rocker to the slower, fuzzier “Sway.” Mick Taylor‘s guitar work on it is outstanding (and his lack of a writing credit on it would be among his reasons for leaving the band down the road).
“Wild Horses” is one of Mick Jagger‘s many songs about being emotionally fragile after a breakup (and about missing home while being on the road). Keith Richards‘ Nashville-style playing is so subtle and masterful that it’s easy to overlook. “Can’t You Hear Me Knocking” is one of the best one-take tracks in rock history, with Richards’ open-tuned guitar laying down sharp fuzz, Charlie Watt‘s pristine beats, Jagger’s pleading vocals, Taylor’s wild, jamming riffs, and Bill Wyman locking everything into place with his bass. The greatest part of it is the extended jam, which wasn’t intended, but started when Taylor decided to keep playing and everyone joined in with him…resulting in a wild, psychedelic trip that includes great saxophone playing from Bobby Keys (who almost makes the song his own), sweet conga from Ricky Dijon, and Billy Preston‘s outstanding organ work.
“You Gotta Move” is their version of the African-American spiritual standard, and Richards and Taylor crank up the fuzz and grit on it. “Bitch” is another instant-classic rocker with the bold horn work from Keys and Jim Price (on trumpet), and, as the story goes, Richards came up with the riff while eating a bowl of cereal. “I Got the Blues” is pretty much a Stones tribute to Otis Redding.
The title of “Sister Morphine” denied it airplay and release in the United Kingdom when the original version was first released by co-writer Marianne Faithfull. The Stones’ version is full of dangerous guitar from Richards and Taylor. “Dead Flowers” is one of the Stones’ many forays into country music…and it’s also a song about heroin. “Moonlight Mile” came about after a long night session between Jagger and Taylor and is an ode to love and sex…and possibly cocaine.
Sex, drugs, rock and roll…It’s all here. It’s all what you’d expect from vintage Stones, and it comes in an Andy Warhol-designed package. What more could you want (apart from a vintage vinyl copy with the working zipper on the cover)?
Legendary South Sudanese pop star Gordon Koang releases a new track, “Disco,” off of his forthcoming Coronavirus / Disco 12”, out today via Music in Exile. “Disco” follows the recently released “Coronavirus,” but the new single was actually written by Koang in 1997.
Although it’s been a highlight in his live performances, this is the first time “Disco” has been recorded and made available for his audience to dance to at home. Written as a love song, “Disco” shares his trademark messages of peace and unity, dance floor style. Beginning with fast and almost rap-like vocal delivery in his native tongue, Nuer, the energy is high from the very start. With pulsating bass lines and interweaving instrumental melodies, the band is almost mesmerizing and urging in their accompaniment. When asked what he wants listeners to feel when hearing this song, he says “I need them to be happy, to listen to the song, to know that they will get advice from this song, to feel it in their heart, when they listen to music they will be comfortable, be happy!”
The Coronavirus / Disco 12” is his first offering since 2020’s “idiosyncratically joyous” (Bandcamp) Unity. After two weeks in hotel quarantine (following a visit to his family), Gordon and Paul returned to Melbourne, eager to record music once more. With lockdown lifting, Gordon headed to the studio with a new band featuring Zak Olsen (ORB, Traffik Island) Jack Kong (Baked Beans, Traffik Island), David “Daff” Gravolin (ORB), and Jesse Williams (Leah Senior, Girlatones). This new release is the result of these studio sessions, jamming and recording at Button Pusher in Preston, Melbourne.
The “Coronavirus / Disco 12” will feature a pull-out poster from Gordon, encouraging listeners to stay positive during this difficult time.
Released without any singles dropped ahead of time, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard‘s newest album, Butterfly 3000, was a mystery up until its release…and still is in many ways. The cover alone has things hidden in it, the lyrics are full of introspection and philosophy, and it’s an electro record to boot. This from a band known mostly for its psychedelic sounds, or even thrash metal.
The album opens with a track called “Yours,” an indication that the album is a gift to all of us. The poppy, happy synths bump hips with Michael Cavanaugh‘s joyful drumming and you instantly know that this KGATLW album will be different from any you’ve heard before now. The album was made in quarantine by the band members sending each other samples, loops, and tracks via e-mail and digital download. Frontman Stuart Mackenzie has famously said the album cost nothing for them to make as a result.
The vocals on “Shanghai” blend into the synths to the point where you’re not such which is shadowing which. “Dreams” could be the track that sums up the whole album. Every track is about some kind of journey, growth, or peeling away of illusions. “I only want to wake up in my dream,” Mackenzie sings. Where does the dream end and reality begin? It’s difficult to tell at times, and sometimes you’d rather stay in one than return to the other. The song melts / morphs into “Blue Morpho,” which will probably end up in an Australian sci-fi movie soundtrack in the near future.
“Interior People” is the closest the band gets to a “classic” King Gizz-type of jam with its rolling beats and guitars, but those know when to step back and let the synths and electric piano move to the front. “Catching Smoke” is a standout, with electro-disco synths and hip-shaking beats. It reminds me of some of Bayonne‘s work. “2.02 Killer Year” is probably a treatise on 2020, but it’s so damn peppy that you can’t be sad while hearing it. I mean, it’s full of bright sounds, lasers, hungry hippo bass, and even harp plucks.
“Black Hot Soup” seems to harken back a bit to the psychedelia of Gumboot Soup, but still keeps synth effects on the vocals. “Ya Love” mostly repeats the title as the band jumps back and forth between happy puppy synths and rollercoaster rhythms. The electric heartbeat of the title track closes the album alongside a building synth riff that takes off like a new butterfly emerging from its cocoon and fluttering toward the sun.
The whole album is like that – a liftoff to a brighter future. We could all stand to follow KGATLW’s lead and move forward instead of letting 2020, or our past in general, weigh us down.
Keep your mind open.
[Don’t forget to subscribe before you float away.]
Looking at the cover of Occult Fractures– the new album from Chicago’s Arthhur – you might guess that it’s a psychedelic rock record, or perhaps a doom album with its images of a skull, bone, and some sort of black ooze creeping from under a door.
No, it’s a dance-rock record – and a good one.
It opens with “Antihistamine Money,” which is over eleven minutes long, and percolates with vintage synths, funk bass, and LCD Soundsystem-like beats while lead singer Mike Fox sings about the club scene, those who put on airs in such a scene, and learning not to give a damn about them while you’re having fun. It’s an amazing track and a bold burst out of the gate for Arthhur. Luke Dahlgren‘s bass on “Doom Journalism” sounds like it’s plugged into a Red Bull can while they sing about the twenty-four -hour news cycles (“Fear is the engine, and they are the wheels. We are the drivers.”).
“Ripped and Dumb” is a funny track about people wanting to improve themselves not to better themselves, but actually to impress other people (and not realizing those people don’t give a crap). Sure, the subject says, “I don’t like you or any of your friends,” but who else is he trying to impress? “(Immanentizing the) Eschaton” is another long track with tick-tock percussion from Matt Ciani and guitar work that moves around the room like an intriguing stranger at a party while Mike Fox sings about trying to bring about the post-afterlife in the here and now. Heavy stuff, indeed, but it’s full of krautrock grooves, so don’t let it worry you.
“Keep Moving” drips with funk and is full of lyrics about getting up when the chips are down (“When the dark closes in, don’t stop.”). “No Results,” with skronking, crazy saxophone work by Joe Duran and Noah Wood, is pretty much a straight-up punk rock tune that knocks you back on your heels. “Never Enuff” gets back to the soul / funk grooves and has those formerly angry saxophones now playing sexy bedroom grooves. The title track is a slow-building jam that reminds me of Ghost in the Machine-era Police mixed with a bit of yacht rock. “Ripped and Patient” closes the album with a slower instrumental version of “Ripped and Dumb” – almost like a record player winding down due to a power outage.
It’s a sharp record, and I’m keen on catching these guys live sometime. I’m sure they’d put on a fun show judging from this funky mix of styles.
It’s amazing how relevant Shonen Knife‘s 2016 album, Adventure, is to a world emerging from a pandemic in which we were shut in our homes. Shonen Knife have always been one of the most optimistic bands on the planet, and I’ve always believed it’s impossible to be sad if one of their songs is playing. That enthusiasm is everything everyone needs as we leave our cocoons and get back to baseball games, the Dairy Queen, and hugging each other.
The album opens with “Jump into the New World,” with Naoko‘s lead guitar and bouncy vocals encouraging us to “Feel a bright light, yeh, yeh, with a happy song in your heart.” and “Challenge yourself, yeh, yeh, with a happy song in your heart.” “Rock ‘n’ Roll T-shirt” (with guest background vocals by Naru) is an ode to band shirts, and it’s amazing no one else before Shonen Knife thought to write a song about them. Naoko proudly declares that she wears them to bed, at shows, and everywhere else. “Calabash” has a great bass walk from Atsuko, and a saucy solo from Naoko.
“Dog Fight” (with Ritsuko on guest bass) is a story of Naoko visiting a beach and walking into a scene with two dogs engaged in a brawl. The beat and rhythm are too peppy to be depressing. “Wasabi,” with Atsuko on lead vocals, is one of many Shonen Knife’s songs about food; and, like so many others, it shreds. Risa (who is an absolute beast behind a drum kit) puts down a wicked surf beat and, thanks to Atsuko, I’ve learned that wasabi is good with avocado. Risa takes the lead vocals on “Green Tangerine (Kabosu),” which, on its face, is about eating the fruit, but, below the surface, is about embracing an unknown future.
“ImI (emoji)” is a salute to the “devil horn” sign of metal (“They say that it was created by DIO a long time ago. Keeping us away from evil harm. Now! You’ve got the power.”), and it appropriately rocks. Naoko sings about her dream vacation on “Hawaii” – a song that blends psychedelic surf guitar with Risa’s beach cook-out drums. Naru picks up the bass on “Tasmanian Devil,” another fun Shonen Knife song about a cute, furry animal that can be quite vicious. The album ends with “Cotton Candy Clouds” (with Ritsuko on backing vocals) – a lovely track about wanting to eat clouds because they look like the delicious fair food.
It’s a fun record, as is par for the course with a Shonen Knife album. They continue to make fun music and live the high life. We should all be so lucky to have an adventure like that.
