Smalltown Supersound Celebrates 25 Years With
The Movement Of The Free Spirit Mix by Prins Thomas, Out November 30th
3 Hours & 40 Minute Mix of 80 Tracks Exclusively from the
Smalltown Supersound Catalogue
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Author: Nik Havert
I've been a music fan since my parents gave me a record player for Christmas when I was still in grade school. The first record I remember owning was "Sesame Street Disco." I've been a professional writer since 2004, but writing long before that. My first published work was in a middle school literary magazine and was a story about a zoo in which the animals could talk.
Review: Bev Rage and the Drinks – Cockeyed
I didn’t know how much I and the rest of the world needed queercore punk in this day and age until I heard Chicago’s Bev Rage and the Drinks‘ debut full-length album Cockeyed.
Launching out of the gate with wild punk riffs on “Why Won’t You Hate Me?” Ms. Rage and her bandmates thrown down the gauntlet to any other punk band thinking of releasing a record in 2018. “Mouth” is a fast, funny takedown of a lying lover whose lame excuses and dumb alibis become enjoyable farce. It’s appropriate that the follow-up is the thirty-second “Don’t Know Shit.”
“Short Shorts” and “Limp Wrist” are each under two minutes and still pack more punk squalor into them than an entire Ataris album. “Limp Wrist” is one of the best punk tracks of 2018.
A gay friend of mine heard “Bitter Old Queen” and declared it his “new theme song.” I think he meant it for past lovers, as Ms. Rage does because both of them are too busy having fun to be bitter. Ms. Rage’s former beau does nothing but complain and no longer wants to hit the town (“I want to go out for a walk, but that is too fucking hard…”), tempting her to push her man off a bridge and end the relentless bitching.
Mission accomplished on “Someone New,” in which Ms. Rage proudly declares she’s moved onto to someone better. Unfortunately, her new man is already looking for the “Next Best Thing” (hint: He won’t find it, judging by the angry guitar chords and wild rhythm section chaos this tune has in it.).
“I’m Having a Tryst with a Narcissist” is so damn clever that you can’t stop grinning throughout it. Ms. Rage is a witty lyricist, so be sure to pay attention to the words behind the distortion, bass thumps, and mosh pit beats. “Waffle House” is another great example of her storytelling, as Ms. Rage tells of falling asleep at a Waffle House and having a naughty dream about the waiter. The album ends with “Looking,” another verbal / musical smackdown / high heel boot stomp of a lover who can’t or won’t take the Nestea Plunge with Bev Rage.
This is one of the best punk albums I’ve heard all year. It’s full of squalling guitars, rough-edge drums, fuzzed-out bass, and more anger and sass than the green room at a Parisian fashion show. Don’t miss out on it.
Keep your mind open.
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Review: Public Practice – Distance Is a Mirror
Rising from the ashes of post-punk bands WALL and Beverly, Public Practice (Drew Citron – synths, bass, vocals, Vince McClelland – guitars, Scott Rosenthal – drums and programming, Sam York – vocals) have brought us a sharp EP – Distance Is a Mirror – in these weird times where truth and perception are openly warped by media, politicians, news pundits, the guy on the street corner, your drunk uncle, and everyone else it seems.
“Fate / Glory” starts out with jagged guitar and cocksure bass before York’s sultry, assured (and playfully weary, it seems) vocals saunter into the room. “Lies make lovers of us all,” she states. She’s right. Once we accept a lie, we’re all in bed together with it. I love the way the song ramps up in speed in the last third.
“Bad Girl(s)” is the band’s anthem / middle finger to misogynists. “I won’t play your game, I don’t need your shame,” she yells as McClelland pounds his guitar and Rosenthal taps out a near Morse code message on his hi-hat. McClelland’s guitar opening of “Foundation” reminds me of an anime theme song I can’t place. Citron’s bass on it reminds me of a Talking Heads riff I can’t place either. You can practically see York owning a stage as she struts across it to Rosenthal’s snappy beats on it. The crumbling house referred to in the track could be a metaphor for the country as a whole to a relationship from York’s past.
“Into the Ring” has another great groove that goes from stand-offish to a full sexy embrace when it kicks into gear. York sings about a sexy dalliance that resembles a battle she’s not sure she’s ready for. “We entered this fight, thinking we knew who was going to win,” she says, possibly also referring to the last presidential election. “No, you can’t it back now,” she repeats at one point, again obscuring the secret meaning of her lyrics.
I was crushed when WALL broke up before their first full album was released, but this EP is a great follow-up to that record.
Keep your mind open.
Review: Brother O’ Brother – Monster Truck
Indianapolis’ power blues-rock duo Brother O’ Brother‘s new EP, Monster Truck (which you can download for free, by the way), rumbles by as loud and hard as its namesake.
Opening with “Unleavened,” the band chugs through a swampy mix of blues wails, garage rock riffs, and metal drums. The title track refers to the power of a crazy relationship. There’s no sex like crazy sex, after all. “GOLD” is a blazing psychedelic jam that has the band in fifth gear by this point.
“Howlelujah” is, apart from being one of the best-named tracks of 2018, a loud, sweaty, dangerous blues cut that plows through muddy distortion and rams through your speakers with a wild jam. “Must Be Blind” is a screaming, shredding diatribe against a bad relationship the singer should’ve seen coming, but it was too hot to resist at the time. The EP ends with “Omni,” another powerful drum and guitar slugfest.
Monster Truck is over far too soon, but any rock like this you can get is good – especially when it’s this good.
Keep your mind open.
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Sharon Van Etten announces tour dates for 2019.
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Review: Windhand – Eternal Return
Just in time for Halloween, doom metal rockers Windhand (Parker Chandler – bass, Dorthia Cottrell – vocals, Garrett Morris – guitar, Ryan Wolfe – drums) have released their newest album, Eternal Return. Fueled in part by one of the band’s co-founders, Asechiah Bogdan, leaving the band in 2015, the death of a friend of the band, and the birth of Garrett Morris’ son. Eternal Return speaks of the cycle of life and death, doors closing and opening, and acknowledging some things will forever remain mysteries. The album’s cover shows a woman who looks not unlike Cottrell standing in a forest and looking a hole in the ice over a frozen lake. Did she just push someone in there? Is she thinking of jumping into the lake? Is she remembering someone who died there, or is she just admiring the cold beauty of it all? I don’t know, but all of those are possibilities when you hear the themes of life and death throughout the record.
The album opens with “Halcyon” and the freight train-like in utero heartbeat of Morris’ son just before Morris’ cosmic chariot guitar kicks in and then Chandler and Wolfe nearly flatten you like the aforementioned train as Cottrell’s haunting voice entices you to stand on the tracks. “Would it kill you to be here?” She asks at one point. It might, but it’s worth the risk.
“Grey Garden” has Windhand sliding effortlessly back and forth between doom metal heaviness and sultry psychedelia. Cottrell’s vocals about, I think, a forgotten cemetery and the lover she’s buried there, display grief, love, and (as always) a hint of danger. The breakdown makes no bones about the band’s love of psychedelic metal, and the track is all the better for it (and good heavens, Morris’ solo…). “Pilgrim’s Rest” is a metal ode to long-forgotten settlements, explorers, and a time when the land was still pure.
If that’s not metal enough for you, I’m sure “First to Die” is from the title alone. Cottrell sings of suffering and sacrifice while Wolfe pounds his kit through the floor and Morris and Chandler unleash the sound of a swarm of killer robotic bees attacking during an earthquake. “First to die, to be born,” Cottrell sings, again reflecting the themes of reincarnation. The title of the instrumental “Light into Dark” keeps up the theme as well, and soars by like a comet nearly hitting the Earth.
“Red Cloud” features some of Wolfe’s heaviest beats and Morris’ heaviest shredding. It’s a stunning piece firmly rooted by Chandler’s bass and Cottrell’s vocals enhance the riffs and beats instead of the other way around on the track. It’s a neat choice by the band. “Eyeshine” is an eleven-minute feast of doom sludge that crawls along like an alligator in a deep, dark lake.
Depending on how you define “Diablerie,” it either means “reckless mischief,” “charismatic wildness,” or “sorcery assisted by the Devil.” Eternal Return is a doom metal album, so you can probably guess which definition Windhand was leaning toward here. Cottrell repeats, “Hope it don’t come back again.” multiple times, leading one to believe the song is about how dabbling in magic sometimes goes horribly wrong and one is lucky to escape with their life.
The album ends with the thirteen-minute “Feather,” which begins with simple strummed guitar chords and a near-military march beat. Cottrell sings, “What is laughing in the wind? What is waiting at the water’s edge?” These could be the thoughts of the woman on the album cover as she’s haunted by something in that frozen lake or in the woods around her. It ends the album on a mysterious note, which is perfect for a record about the unknowable.
Windhand are crafting fine doom metal that deserves to be heard by a wider audience. Cottrell’s spell-casting voice and Wolfe, Morris, and Chandler’s heavy and skilled instrumentation are a powerful combination. They aren’t afraid to explore themes we consider when we close our eyes. While many of us would avoid the frozen lake altogether, Windhand is willing to walk up to it and face whatever is there.
Keep your mind open.
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Review: All Them Witches – self-titled
Nashville’s psych / blues rockers All Them Witches (Jonathan Draper – keyboards, Ben McLeod – guitar, Charles Michael Parks, Jr. – bass and vocals, Robby Staebler – drums) have come back from a long road tour to do what any other band would do after a long tour – release a new album.
Opening with the wild, almost manic “Fishbelly 86 Onions,” the whole band goes bonkers, especially McLeod – who shreds more than usual while Parks yells out twenty counts. “Workhorse” could be considered “classic” ATW (if there is such a thing). It hits all the notes you love from the band – psychedelia, obscure lyrics, a bit of outlaw country flavor, and plenty of mystery. Plus, Staebler’s tick-tock beats are excellent on it.
“1st vs. 2nd” could almost be a Thin Lizzy track, and Parks’ bass melds so well with Draper’s keys that it’s almost impossible to tell them apart. It evolves into almost a heavy metal chug by the end. “Half-Tongue” gets us back into a psychedelic jam groove as Parks sings about, I think, a relationship that didn’t end well. I could be wrong.
“Diamond” is one of those ATW songs that you should play when people ask you to describe them. Draper’s keys move like wisps of incense smoke, McLeod’s guitar prowls like a tiger, Parks’ bass moves like a robed wizard through a library built inside a dark cave, and Staebler’s drums drive forward like a Viking boat along a bubbling river.
The band’s blues influences come out with swagger on “Harvest Feast.” “By the time I got back to my mountain, I was uninvited from the harvest feast,” Parks sings. He can only walk away dejected as he’s spurned by his family, friends, and culture. The song flows into a delightful instrumental jam highlighting Draper’s keyboard work and McLeod’s trippy riffs. “HJTC” nearly has them playing stadium rock riffs, but they hold back just enough to keep it linked to their smoky Nashville club roots.
The album ends with “Rob’s Dream,” which one can’t help but think is about something drummer Robby Staebler dreamed one night. He apparently dreamed of powerful guitars, even stronger drumming, and flying out of orbit (judging by how the track ends).
It’s another solid record from one of the best bands out there right now. While All Them Witches aren’t ruling the airwaves is beyond me, but I think they enjoy being a bit of a mystery and a treasure hunt.
Keep your mind open.
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Enjoy Mk.gee’s quirky new single, “Come On (You Know that I’m a Fool).”
Mk.gee Shares New Single “Come On (You Know That I’m A Fool)”
Watch The Video Here
Watch The Video Here
Announces Fool EP Out November 16th
Catch SF & LA Shows Next Month
[Photo by Erica Hernandez]
Originally from New Jersey, Michael Gordon, who creates under the name Mk.gee, has spent the last few years living in Los Angeles. The multi-instrumentalist took some time this summer between tours with Omar Apollo and select dates with Dr. Dog, to complete his new Fool EP. In line with his debut release from May, Pronounced McGee, the project sees Gordon handling all of the writing, recording and mixing duties himself.
Today, Mk.gee shares his new single, “Come On (You Know That I’m A Fool),” taken from his new Fool EP to be self-released on November 16th. The track is accompanied by a video premiering via Paste. Mk.gee says, “I wanted the video to be a bit of an ironic juxtaposition to the song. The music is pretty somber and deals with change and loneliness, but ironically the video is pretty light hearted and it’s just me and my friends doing dumb shit.” Furthermore, director Erica Hernandez comments, “The song itself is very introspective so when Mike and I talked about the visual approach, we decided it would be interesting to try something more counter-intuitive and make the visuals fun and ironic. Also, Mike has the coolest friends of all time so it was a win-win situation for all of us.”
Mk.gee will play shows in San Francisco and Los Angeles next month in support of his new Fool EP.
Watch “Come On (You Know That I’m A Fool)” Video – https://youtu.be/awFrlrfWZYw
Fool EP Tracklist:
1. Brick
2. Suburban Luv
3. Come On (You Know That I’m A Fool)
4. New Years
5. Num
6. Drown
7. Wheel
3. Come On (You Know That I’m A Fool)
4. New Years
5. Num
6. Drown
7. Wheel
Mk.gee Live:
Fri. Nov. 9 – San Francisco, CA @ Rickshaw Stop
Sat. Nov. 24 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Moroccan Lounge
[“Come On (You Know That I’m A Fool)” artwork]
Mk.gee Online:
https://www.mkgee.com/
https://www.facebook.com/mk.
https://twitter.com/Mk_gee_
https://www.instagram.com/mk.
https://soundcloud.com/mkgee
Keep your mind open.
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Stream “Out of This World” from Preacherman’s upcoming reissue of his classic, hard-to-find material.
Listen To Preacherman’s “Out Of This World”
Luaka Bop’s Forthcoming Reissue, Universal Philosophy: Preacherman Plays T.J. Hustler’s Greatest Hits, Out This Friday
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Review: Neko Case – Hell-On
Singer-songwriter Neko Case has been through a lot in the last five years. The biggest calamity was that her home in Vermont burned to the ground while she was recording in Sweden. The loss and enlightenment that fire brought to her were the inspiration for much of her new record, Hell-On. Even the album’s cover has her wearing a crown of cigarettes while a blazing tar fire burns on her shoulder.
The title track opens the record and has Case boldly stating, “God is not a contract or a guy….God is a lusty tire fire.” Nature, much like Case, cannot be controlled. You shouldn’t even try. “Nothing quite so poison as a promise,” she warns. Just sit back and listen. You’ll come through this song (and the whole record) with respect and an altered perspective for her, nature, detachment, and femininity.
“Last Lion of Albion” is one of Case’s many songs about nature, animals, and the importance of protecting both. The beats and acoustic guitar riffs are wonderful throughout it, but they (like most everything else) can barely keep up with Case’s expert vocals and assuredness. “Halls of Sarah” encourages women to stand strong in the times of #MeToo (and check out that saxophone solo!).
“Bad Luck” is the song Case wrote after her house and barn turned into ashes. It’s surprisingly upbeat and is an anthem for standing up when you’re knocked to the ground. The song ends with Case stating, “I died and went to work.” You take the loss, and you move on. The past is gone so take the moment now and run with it. “Curse of the I-5 Corridor” is a stunning showcase for Case’s voice as she sings, “I miss the smell of mystery.” and tells the story of a woman who left home with a fake I.D. and wandered in and out of relationships, one night stands, and life in general until she meets up with a former lover in old age when they both might be mad and facing death. It’s one of her best.
“Gumball Blue” has Case singing about the trappings of fame, “Dirty Diamond” seems to be an ode to the (currently) necessary evil of petroleum, and “Oracle of the Maritimes” is a lovely story of fishermen, lost love, and the dangers of the sea. I love how “Winnie” (a song about love among women) starts off with a quick four-count drumstick tap and then switches to a sultry bass groove that moves like a bathrobe being slowly dropped to the bedroom floor.
Case includes her cover of Eric Bachmann‘s “Sleep All Summer” (a song that, as the story goes, made her pull over her car and weep the first time she heard it) with Bachmann performing a duet with her is another stunner about lost love. Guests artists are all over this record. K.D. Lang, Beth Ditto, Mark Lanegan, Carl Newman, Katherine Calder, and John Collins are just a few (the last three are bandmates with Ms. Case in the New Pornographers) who provide guest vocals, production, and instrumentation to various tracks.
“Black is blue if I say it is,” Case sings on “My Uncle’s Navy” – a story about a relative she admired for his strength and resolve. The album closes with “Pitch or Honey,” in which she admits, “I use major chords to make this a sadder song…An effective manipulation.” She’s right. It works. “I wrote this song for me, and now I let it go. From the island of the Texaco, I release it into the custody of my huckleberry friend. Am I making pitch or honey?” I love the idea of Case embracing detachment yet still wondering if her work is any good. It’s the curse of any artist. Being satisfied with our work is a rarity, but we know we have to release it to someone sooner or later.
Case detached from many things while making this record, some literal (her house and many possessions) and some metaphorical (things from her past that she hadn’t yet fully sent down the river). Hell-On is another beautiful work from a master of her craft and one of the strongest voices in music today.
Keep your mind open.
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