7th Level Music

Review: Rogue Satellites – Baby I’m Jeff

Detroit’s Rogue Satellites (Lisa Poszywak and Jaye Thomas) have been making fuzzy psych / shoegaze since 2012 and their newest EP, Baby I’m Jeff, takes on a 1990’s grunge edge to their sound normally steeped in stuff from the 1960’s through the 1980’s.

The EP starts with the heavy, chugging “Mercury in Retrograde.” In case you weren’t aware, a lot of astrologers and people who take astrology at least semi-seriously believe that the recent retrograde passing of Mercury in our solar system is responsible for a lot of bad vibes, anger, and suffering that occurred in 2019. Poszywak’s vocals and lyrics express how ready she, and all of us, are ready to be over 2019 and all the negative energy it carried with it.

“I can see the future, you’re still acting like you care,” Thomas sings on “I Can See the Future” – a track about a doomed relationship that sounds like an early Failure track with it’s screeching guitars, echoing vocals, and synth stabs. “Son of an Atom Bomb” reminds us that they haven’t kept all their psychedelic influences off the EP. The raw bass, guitar distortion, and simple yet hard beats are bliss for neo-psychedelia fans like yours truly.

“Autopilot Says Yes” slows things down (but doesn’t skip on the sludge) with a song about going along for the ride with someone who might not be the best person to hang out with, but you’re willing to take the risk for some fun. The closing title track is an acoustic cut of what sounds like a love song, but is actually a plea to a woman from the point of view of an abusive dickweed.

It’s a fun EP that makes you want to hear more of their work, as any good EP should do.

Keep your mind open.

[Don’t forget to subscribe before you split.]

Coachella announces 2020 lineup.

The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival has announced its lineup for the two April weekends (10-12th, 17-19th) this year. As expected, it’s a weird mix that already has some people praising it and others deriding it.

If you ask me, the Friday dates are the best bang for your buck. Rage Against the Machine, Calvin Harris, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, IDLES, Peggy Gou, Amyl and the Sniffers, Sleaford Mods, and Friendly Fires on one bill are worth the price of admission.

As for the Saturday dates, Thom Yorke and Caribou would be great to see, sure, but the announcement that was blowing up Twitter was that Danny Elfman would be playing there. No one yet knows if he’s bringing an orchestra to perform tunes from his many film scores, Oingo Boingo tunes, or a combination of both. Either way, it’s tempting to fly to California just to see his set. Fatboy Slim will put on a fun set on Sunday nights, I’m sure, but the rest of that lineup doesn’t thrill me.

Get your tickets while you can. The first weekend is already sold out.

Keep your mind open.

[Why not subscribe while you’re here?]

Review: Tuto Hallgrim – Do It Yourself

Brazilian multi-instrumentalist Tuto Hallgrim is known in his home country for his jazz work and traditional Brazilian music, but he’s always had a love of thrash metal. His new record, Do It Yourself, is a return to this love and is full of instrumental wildfires.

“Rebellion Thrash” lets you know right away that this isn’t a jazz or bossa nova record. It’s like a lit fuse racing toward a can of gasoline. “Metal Influences” brings in some Iron Maiden touches, and Hallgrim has expressed his love of the band, as well as Metallica, Black Sabbath, and other metal giants. “Nightmares” reminds me of some of Primus‘ heavier cuts and has some of Hallgrim’s best shredding on the record. It makes you stop in your tracks.

“Living in the 80’s” is a pretty good title for an instrumental cut that sounds like it could fit on just about any 1980’s hair metal record. “Devastation Storm” is another good title, because the track is like a hailstorm smashing everything in its path. “A Traveler’s Journey” starts with some funky bass (also played by Hallgrim, who also did all the drum programming) and then rolls into a bit of a stoner metal jam. “Drakkar” is a quick hair metal riff that’s a warm-up for “Strong Emotions” – a raging fire with more jaw-dropping guitar work from Hallgrim.

“Confusion Worse Confounded” is prog-rock jamming at its best. The album ends with “Vulture” – a wild, frenetic jam that swoops down on you like the titular creature and carries you off to a rocky, thunderstruck crag.

Do It Yourself is a wild record. You’d do yourself a favor if you’re a metal fan by hearing it.

Keep your mind open.

[Do yourself a favor by subscribing.]

Top 30 albums of 2019: #’s 5 – 1

Here we are at the top of the list of the best things I heard and reviewed in 2019.

#5 – The Well – Death and Consolation

Good grief, this album crushes. It’s my favorite stoner / doom metal album of the year. It doesn’t just wallop you with it’s heaviness though, the grooves on it are top-notch and the Well keep a raw edge to it that’s difficult for lesser bands to match.

#4 – Mdou Moctar – Ilana (The Creator)

A beautiful record of Tuareg rock from a guy who, in his spare time when he’s not shredding a handmade guitar, builds schools in Algeria. The album is a spiritual journey and a showcase for Moctar’s amazing guitar work.

#3 – Here Lies Man – No Ground to Walk Upon

These guys make the funkiest psych-doom you’ve heard. Playing psych-doom through African rhythms and jazz flourishes, HLM’s newest explore impermanence, transcendence, and the power of nature.

#2 – Priests – The Seduction of Kansas

If you’re going out, go out on a high note. Priests, who have announced an amicable breakup for the time being, did just that with the excellent album The Seduction of Kansas – a post-punk gem that tackles modern politics, toxic masculinity, bullying, sex, and, of course, rock and roll. This was my #1 album for most of the year until along came an album that should’ve have been good at all…

#1 – Föllakzoid – I

I just realized that my #1 album of the year is called I. This record should not have worked. Föllakzoid’s three members each recorded their own parts (guitars and vocals, synths, drums) separately and then gave all the elements to their producer – who had heard none of them before – and more or less told him, “Make a record out of this.” He did, and the result is an amazing synthwave record that’s like the score to an unreleased Phillip K. Dick film adaptation. I described this process to my wife, who then asked, “So whose album is it?” Is it Föllakzoid’s? The producers? Both? Neither? The band has said they consider it a communal experience for everyone involved and the listener. In these times of fractionated politics and drawing lines in the sand, we need more albums like that.

There you have it. Onto 2020!

Keep your mind open.

[Get the new year started right by subscribing.]

Top 30 albums of 2019: #’s 10 – 6

We’ve reached the top 10 folks!

#10 – Jake Xerxes Fussell – Out of Sight

Jake Fussell sings sea shanties, songs about death, and forgotten ballads and does them with such warm and honesty that every album feels like he’s playing it live in your living room.

#9 – Claude Fontaine – self-titled

Half-dub, half-bossa nova, all good. Claude Fontaine‘s lovely voice blends so well with her powerhouse backing band of seasoned session musicians that this album sounds like she’s been putting out records for years.

#8 – L’Epee – Diabolique

L’Epee’s Diabolique is not only one of the best psychedelic rock albums of the year, it’s also one of the best debut albums of the year. The arrangements drift over your like incense smoke and send you back in time to 1967.

#7 – Thee Oh Sees – Face Stabber

This double album from Thee Oh Sees pushed up the double-drumming percussion and added jazz elements to create a wild record that sounds like a long lost Frank Zappa record, but with more allusions to creepy people in shadows possibly manipulating us without our knowledge. Plus, one entire side of this double album is the incredible “Henchlock.”

#6 – Moon Duo – Stars Are the Light

If you can mix psychedelia with jazz, why not mix it with disco? That’s just Moon Duo did on Stars Are the Light – an ultra-cool record that should be the soundtrack for every chill lounge in outer space.

Who makes the top 5? Come back later today to find out!

Keep your mind open.

[Get 2020 off to a good start by subscribing.]

WSND set list for December 30-31, 2019

Thanks to all who listened to my show last night. I wasn’t feeling 100% and there were some technical difficulties, but I got through it.

Here’s what I played:

Deep Dive of Ray Charles

Ray Charles – What’d I Say Parts 1 and 2
Lucky Millinder – Are You Ready
Charles Brantley and His Original Honeydrippers – Beggin’ Blues
Nat King Cole – Straighten Up and Fly Right
Ray Charles – I’m Wondering and Wondering
Quincy Jones – Soul Bossa Nova
The Maxin Trio – Confession Blues
Dizzy Gillespie – Emanon
Lowell Fulson – Every Day I Have the Blues
Ray Charles – Let Me Hold Your Hand
Ray Charles – Roll with My Baby
Ray Charles – The Midnight Hour
Ray Charles – It Should’ve Been Me
Ray Charles – Mess Around
The Southern Tones – It Must Be Jesus
Ray Charles – I Got a Woman
Ray Charles – This Little Girl of Mine
Milt Jackson – Bags Groove
Hank Snow – I’m Movin’ On
Ray Charles – Let the Good Times Roll
Ray Charles – Lonely Avenue
Ray Charles – Get on the Right Track
Ray Charles – That’s Enough
Ray Charles – I Had a Dream
Ray Charles – One Mint Julep
Ray Charles – Georgia on My Mind
Ray Charles – Hit the Road Jack
Percy Mayfield – Please Send Me Someone to Love
The Blues Brothers and Ray Charles – Shake a Tail Feather
Don Gibson – I Can’t Stop Loving You
Ray Charles – The Sun’s Gonna Shine Again
Ray Charles – Blackjack

Nocturne – Best albums of 2019 show

Vapors of Morphine – Special Rider
Black Midi – bmbmbm
BODEGA – Knife on the Platter
Cosmonauts – Medio Litro
King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard – The Bird Song
Fat White Family – Fringe Runner
Bayonne – Drastic Measures
The Schizophonics – Steeley Eyed Lady
Skull Practitioners – The Beacon
Beehive – 90’s Trash
Blackwater Holylight – The Protector
Khruangbin – Mary Always
Comacozer – Tryptamine
King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard – Mars for the Rich
Chromatics – Whispers in the Hall
Sleater-Kinney – Hurry On Home
Jacques Greene – Do It Without You
Weeping Icon – Like Envy
CHAI – Choose Go!
Ash Walker – Come With Us
Jake Xerxes Fussell – The River St. Johns
Claude Fontaine – Hot Tears
L’Epee – Lou
Thee Oh Sees – Psy-Ops Dispatch
Moon Duo – Flying
The Well – Raven
Mdou Moctar – Kamane Tarhanin
Here Lies Man – Clad in Silver
Priests – The Seduction of Kansas
Follakzoid – I

I’m back on air January 6th at 10pm EST with a two-hour Deep Dive of The Clash followed by two hours of another wild Nocturne mix.

Keep your mind open.

[Start the new year off right by subscribing.]

Top 30 albums of 2019: #’s 15 – 11

We’ve reached the halfway point. Who’s in the list? Read on!

#15 – Sleater-Kinney – The Center Won’t Hold

Sleater-Kinney chose to mix their hard rock and punk chops with electro touches, and the result is a great record about loneliness, toxic masculinity, standing up when you get knocked down, and walking away from the past. The fact that drummer Janet Weiss left the band not long after The Center Won’t Hold was released adds a bittersweet edge to the album, too.

#14 – Jacques Greene – Dawn Chorus

This is a brilliant house music record that has a theme of getting ready for, going to, and then dealing with the after-effects of an all-night party. It’s full of great dance tracks and some chill stuff to give you a breather now and then. Jacques Greene spins like he was a DJ in the early 1990’s, even though he was just a toddler then.

#13 – Weeping Icon – self-titled

The image of the two skulls exploding with waves of…something is appropriate for the debut album from Weeping Icon because this album is a tidal wave of sound – guitar fuzz, psychedelic noise, and other things that are better heard than described all team up to make this one of the best debut albums of the year.

#12 – CHAI – Punk

CHAI just keep putting out great records. Punk is full of their wit, excellent musicianship, and pure joy. It’s a record about embracing who you are and not giving a damn what others think. Throw in J-Pop, post-punk, electro, and songs that practically force you to sing along with them and you have a winner.

#11 – Ash Walker – Aquamarine

Holy cow, this is a groovy record. All of the songs have some sort of theme related to oceans or water. Aquamarine blends soul, house, trip hop, dub, jazz, and lounge chill to produce something you might hear on Aquaman’s hi-fi.

The top 10 start tomorrow on New Year’s Day 2020!

Keep your mind open.

[Check a new year’s resolution off your list early by subscribing.]

Top 30 albums of 2019: #’s 20 – 16

We’re into the top 20 albums from the year that I heard and reviewed. Let’s do this.

#20 – Blackwater Holylight – Veils of Winter

Blending goth, psychedelia, and doom, Blackwater Holylight crafted one of the coolest and creepiest records of the year. Witches coven vocal harmonies and cosmic horror synths roll along like fog across a moor and draw you into what at first sounds like the end of your mortal coil but turns out to be a pretty neat party.

#19 – Khruangbin – Hasta El Cielo

Khruangbin’s Con Todo El Mundo was already amazing, but then they released this dub version of it, and it’s just as good. It’s richly layered and probably the best chill-out record of 2019.

#18 – Comacozer – Mydriasis

Be sure to check out these guys if you’re a fan of dwarf star matter-heavy stoner metal. Comacozer’s Mydriasis consists of only four tracks, but they add up to enough time for a full album. They take delight in exploring long jams, cosmic highways, and hanging out with ancient gods.

#17 – King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard – Infest the Rats’ Nest

Speaking of heavy, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard decided to release two albums this year. The first was Fishing for Fishies (#26 on this list), and the second was this thrash metal album. Like “Fishies,” it’s also heavy on environmental themes and even heavier on shredding. They pretty much did it as a lark and it ended up being one of the best metal albums of the year.

#16 – Chromatics – Closer to Gray

Everyone was expecting the long-awaited (and long since destroyed) Dear Tommy, but we got Closer to Gray instead. It’s pretty much a giallo film soundtrack with plenty of sexy synthwave, Ruth Radelet’s haunting vocals, and a stunning cover of “The Sounds of Silence.”

The top 15 are coming up later today. Stick around!

Keep your mind open.

[Dont’ forget to subscribe while you’re here.]

Top 30 albums of 2019: #’s 25 – 21

Here we are at my top 25 albums that I heard from 2019.

#25 – Fat White Family – Serfs Up!

These hard-partying Brit weirdos make mind-warping rock that blends psychedelia with 1970’s funk. Serfs Up! is a cool blend of both genres and tackles themes of 1%’ers taking advantage of all of us.

#24 – Bayonne – Drastic Measures

Drastic Measures is another fine electro record from Bayonne. I love how he blends his vocals with bright synths, sometimes to the point where you can’t tell one from the other. The lyrics aren’t often discernible, but that’s okay. The album is meant to be experienced as a soundscape. Just sink into it and experience bliss.

#23 – The Schizophonics – People in the Sky

This album is loud, brash, cocky, and everything you need if you love garage rock, sweaty dive bars, the MC5, and power trios. It’s the antithesis of overproduced dreck that pollutes most of the FM airwaves, which means it’s great.

#22 – Skull Practitioners – Death Buy

This EP from Skull Practitioners has more guitar shredding than some double albums by more well-known rock acts. It’s a sonic assault that can catch you unprepared, so have the volume up and brace for impact when you play it.

#21 – Beehive – Depressed + Distressed

Beehive weren’t on my radar until their label sent me this fun record of grunge / shoegaze rock that captures millennial angst (and self-deprecation) in its title and lyrics. It pays homage to their rock idols and also trashes them (The song “90’s Trash” is particularly good.).

Come back tomorrow when we reach the top 20!

Keep your mind open.

[Why not subscribe while you’re here?]

Top 30 albums of 2019: #’s 30 – 26

Here we are at the end of 2019. As always, there’s too much good music released every year for anyone to hear all of it, but here are my top 30 albums of 2019 (of 60 that I reviewed) this year.

#30 – Vapors of Morphine – Lyons, Colley, Dupree Live at the Lizard Lounge 5/25/2007

This is a recording of a 2007 show that was the beginnings of what would become Vapors of Morphine. It’s a great recording of jazz, low rock, delta blues, and a bit of psychedelia and was a welcome gift for this lover of Morphine.

#29 – Black Midi – Schlagenheim

This album is difficult to describe. Is it prog-rock? Post-punk? Both? Neither? I think it’s neither. I do know that it’s a wild mix of crazy guitar riffs, epic drumming, and bizarre, frantic lyrics. It’s unlike anything you’ll hear, and I fully expect (and the band has pretty much said) that the next Black Midi album will be completely different.

#28 – BODEGA – Shiny New Model

BODEGA can pretty much do no wrong in my eyes and ears, and Shiny New Model was another sharp, witty post-punk record from these New Yorkers. BODEGA capture existential ennui, technology paranoia, and the annoyance of the daily grind better than most.

#27 – Cosmonauts – Star 69

I knew as soon as I heard the single “Seven Sisters” for the first time that Star 69 would be in the top half of this list. Sure enough, the entire album is a shoegaze wallop with their heavy wall of distorted guitars and California sunshine (intentionally mixed with a bit of smog, let’s be honest). Sharp lyrics about being tired of parties and sick of hipsters are an added bonus.

#26 – King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard – Fishing for Fishies

Never ones to fear experimenting with multiple genres, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard decided to make a blues record and mix it with synthwave. It works. They’re probably one of the few bands who could do it, let alone make it a concept record about environmental issues and the constant creep of more technology into our lives.

Who’s in the top 25? Come back tomorrow to find out!

Keep your mind open.

[Don’t forget to subscribe while you’re here.]