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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.
Pete International Airport release new single (featuring Robert Been from BRMC, no less) from “Flowers of Evil” album.
PETE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT SHARE NEW VIDEO FOR ‘FLOWERS OF EVIL’
(FEATURING ROBERT LEVON BEEN FROM BRMC)
WATCH ON BLACKBOOK
TAKEN FROM THE ALBUM ‘SAFER WITH THE WOLVES‘
Pete International Airport is the brainchild of Peter G. Holmström. Its name is borrowed from a song title by his other band, The Dandy Warhols. Pete International Airport’s new album, Safer With The Wolves, is a meticulously crafted psych rock journey into the dark heart of electronica. The album’s 11 tracks feature guest singers from like-minded allies such as: The Black Angels, Daydream Machine, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Dark Horses, Hopewell and more, and is available now. The video was directed by Paul Dillon (Mercury Rev, Sparklehorse).
The live band consists of long-time collaborator Daniel Sparks, plus Tara Autovino and Jason Russo of Guiding Light. They will be heading out on the road later this month for select West Coast shows, followed by May dates with BRMC.
LIVE SHOWS:
4/24 – San Francisco – Elbo Room
4/25 – Los Angeles – Harvard And Stone
4/27 – Seattle – The High Dive
4/29 – Portland – Mississippi Studios (album release show)
with Black Rebel Motorcycle Club:
5/3 Nashville – Marathon Music Works
5/4 Carrboro – Cat’s Cradle
5/5 Atlanta – Terminal West (Shaky Knees After Show)
5/8 Orlando – The Beacham
5/9 Charlotte – The Underground
5/11 Jersey City – White Eagle Hall
5/12 Buffalo – Town Ballroom
5/13 Toronto – Phoenix Concert Theatre
5/15 Milwaukee – The Rave
5/16 Madison – Majestic Theatre
5/17 Omaha – Slowdown
5/19 Aspen – Belly Up
For more information please visit:
Keep your mind open.
[Stay in touch while you travel by subscribing.]
Here Lies Man get scrappy on their new single – “Fighting”
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Here Lies Man announce new album
You Will Know Nothing
Antibalas members “if Black Sabbath played Afrobeat”
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Los Angeles quintet Here Lies Man announce their forthcoming sophomore album today, sharing the first single “Fighting” via Bandcamp and YouTube. The album, You Will Know Nothing will be released June 15th via RidingEasy Records.
Here Lies Man play the prestigious Primavera Sound festival in Barcelona, Spain in May before hitting the road with Earthless in June. Later in Fall, the band hits the massive Desert Daze festival in Southern California. Please see current dates below.
Here Lies Man took the music world by storm in 2017 with their self-titled debut positing the intriguing hypothesis: What if Black Sabbath played Afrobeat?
Rough Trade named Here Lies Man in their prestigious Top 10 Albums of 2017. BBC 6 & Classic Rock Magazine deemed it among the year’s best, as well as countless other press outlets singing its praises.
This June, the L.A. band comprised of Antibalas members quickly follow their auspicious debut with the even more thoroughly realized album You Will Know Nothing. Its 11 tracks expand upon the band’s exploration of heavy riff-based rock and psych within the ancient rhythmic formula of the clave.
“We’re very conscious of how the rhythms service the riffs,” explains founder and vocalist/guitarist/multi-
Sonically, on You Will Know Nothing the dynamic range is thicker, crisper and more powerful. It glistens as much as it blasts. The songs are even catchier, more anthemic, and the production reflects that of a band truly come into its own. Lyrically, it’s an equally more conceptualized effort that reflects upon states of being and consciousness – a driving force that carries throughout the words and moods of all of the band’s releases, interconnected to their trancelike music. Here Lies Man have honed their sound and their focus, and soon, you will truly know Nothing.
“We wanted to go deeper with the sonic experience,” says Garcia. “Even though it sounds more hi-fi than the first record, it was important that it didn’t sound too polished.”
While You Will Know Nothing certainly maintains its gritty grooves, there’s an interesting conceptual mathematics to the entire proceedings. “There are interludes between each song that are 2/3 to 3/4 of the tempo of the previous song,” Garcia says. “The reason it breaks down to 2 over 3 or 3 over 4 is that everything in the music rhythmically corresponds to a set of mathematical algorithms known as the clave. The clave is an ancient organizing rhythmic principle developed in Africa.”
“We dove deep into the texture of the music, beyond the groove and the riff,” says HLM cofounder and drummer Geoff Mann (former Antibalas drummer and son of jazz musician Herbie Mann.) “Although something might sound like one instrument, there are subtle layers shifting through. It’s definitely a headphone album.”
Garcia and Mann recorded the album much like they did the debut, at their own L.A. studio on a Tascam 388 8-track tape machine. Congas were later recorded by percussionists Richard Panta and Reinaldo DeJesus. Then, Garcia went to NY to record interludes with former Antibalas keyboardist Victor Axelrod. Mixing took the most time in order to find the proper sonic space for each layer of musical detail, with first album engineer Jeremy Page mixing the drums and the band tackling the remainder while also juggling a hectic touring schedule.
Here Lies Man has already spent much of early 2018 on tour, with dates supporting Antibalas and Fu Manchu as well as a headlining trek through the EU & UK. Many summer festival dates and headline tours await later in the year as Here Lies Man continues its infectious charge onward.
You Will Know Nothing will be available on LP, CD and download on June 15th, 2018 via RidingEasy Records.
HERE LIES MAN LIVE 2018:
05/31 Barcelona, ES @ Primavera Sound Festival
06/05 Asheville, NC @ Mothlight *
06/06 Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade *
06/07 Spartansburg, SC @ Ground Zero *
06/08 Orlando, FL @ Wills Pub *
06/09 Tallahassee, FL @ The Wilbury *
06/10 Baton Rouge, LA @ Spanish Moon *
06/12 Houston, TX @ White Oak Upstairs *
06/13 Austin, TX @ Barracuda *
06/14 Ft Worth, TX @ Ridgela Room *
06/15 Memphis, TN @ Growlers *
10/12-14 Lake Perris, CA @ Desert Daze 2018
* w/ Earthless
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 Artist: Here Lies Man
Album: You Will Know Nothing
Label: RidingEasy Records Release Date: June 15th, 2018
01. Animal Noises
02. Summon Fire 03. Blindness 04. That Much Closer 05. Hell (Wooly Tail) 06. Voices At The Window 07. Taking the Blame
08. Fighting
09. Floating On Water 10. Memory Games
11. You Ought To Know
Keep your mind open.
[Don’t fight it. Just subscribe.]
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BODEGA release new single, “Can’t Knock the Hustle,” from upcoming debut album.
BODEGA Announce Debut Album, Endless Scroll, Out June 1st On What’s Your Rupture?
Watch The Video For New Single “Can’t Knock The Hustle”
https://youtu.be/sm5fWJDJicI
European Tour Announced
[Endless Scroll artwork]
BODEGA have announced their debut album, Endless Scroll, due out June 1st on What’s Your Rupture?. The Brooklyn art rock unit is comprised of Ben Hozie (guitar, vocals), Nikki Belfiglio(vocals), Montana Simone (drums), Madison Velding-Vandam (guitar) and Heather Elle (bass). With wild minimalism and sharp wit, BODEGA revitalizes the rock and roll vocabulary under the influence of post punk, contemporary pop, hip-hop, kraut rock, and folk-derived narrative songwriting. Endless Scroll was recorded and produced by Austin Brown (Parquet Courts) on the same Tascam 388 tape machine used for their LP Light Up Gold. It was mixed and mastered by Jonathan Schenke at Dr. Wu’s.
Along with today’s announcement, BODEGA are sharing a video for new single “Can’t Knock The Hustle.” On the track, Ben Hozie comments, “A few years ago I found myself working at an obnoxious soft serve shoppe in Union Square with this great Jamaican guy named Steven, who was an aspiring rapper. We used to engage in strange late-night Socratic discussions and the day Jay-Z’s Magna Carta Holy Grail came out he led me into a whirlpool of a syllogism that lead to the disastrous results heard on the track. Lesson learned: logic means nothing without context (in this case, Jay-Z’s). Unfortunately, the premise that ’capital=beyond critique’ is mostly considered sound in our artificially sweetened augmented-reality world.” He continues, “Care for a sample? For the advertisement of the song we wanted to make a proper pop clip, one I hope Steven appreciates. Nikki (Belfiglio) directed it and Taylor Christoffelphotographed it.”
Over next month, BODEGA will play hometown shows at Alphaville this Saturday, April 7th and Brooklyn Bazaar with No Age on Wednesday, May 2nd. Following that, they’ll head to Europe in support of Endless Scroll including a stop at The Great Escape. A full list of dates is below.
Watch BODEGA’s “Can’t Knock The Hustle” Video:
https://youtu.be/sm5fWJDJicI
https://youtu.be/sm5fWJDJicI
Watch “How Did This Happen ?!” Video:
https://youtu.be/TKAzK41-YHM
BODEGA Tour Dates:
Sat. April 7 – Brooklyn, NY @ Alphaville (tickets)
Wed. May 2 – Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Bazaar w/ No Age (tickets)
Tue. May 15 – London, UK @ The Social (tickets)
Wed. May 16 – London, UK @ Lock Tavern (tickets)
Thu. May 17 – Brighton, UK @ The Great Escape (tickets)
Fri. May 18 – Brighton, UK @ The Great Escape (tickets)
Sat. May 19 – Leeds, UK @ Gold Sounds at Brudenell Social Club (tickets)
Sun. May 20 – Glasglow, UK @ The Poetry Club (tickets)
Tue. May 22 – London UK @ Electric Ballroom w/ Rolling Blackouts C.F. (tickets)
Wed. May 23 – London, UK @ The Lexington w/ Amyl and the Sniffers (SOLD OUT)
Fri. May 25 – Leffinge, BE @ De Zwerver (tickets)
Sat. May 26 – Amsterdam, NL @ London Calling at Paradiso (tickets)
Sun. May 27 – Brussels, BE @ AB Club w/ Moaning (tickets)
Tue. May 29 – Berlin, DE @ ACUD (tickets)
Sat. April 7 – Brooklyn, NY @ Alphaville (tickets)
Wed. May 2 – Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Bazaar w/ No Age (tickets)
Tue. May 15 – London, UK @ The Social (tickets)
Wed. May 16 – London, UK @ Lock Tavern (tickets)
Thu. May 17 – Brighton, UK @ The Great Escape (tickets)
Fri. May 18 – Brighton, UK @ The Great Escape (tickets)
Sat. May 19 – Leeds, UK @ Gold Sounds at Brudenell Social Club (tickets)
Sun. May 20 – Glasglow, UK @ The Poetry Club (tickets)
Tue. May 22 – London UK @ Electric Ballroom w/ Rolling Blackouts C.F. (tickets)
Wed. May 23 – London, UK @ The Lexington w/ Amyl and the Sniffers (SOLD OUT)
Fri. May 25 – Leffinge, BE @ De Zwerver (tickets)
Sat. May 26 – Amsterdam, NL @ London Calling at Paradiso (tickets)
Sun. May 27 – Brussels, BE @ AB Club w/ Moaning (tickets)
Tue. May 29 – Berlin, DE @ ACUD (tickets)
[Photo by Mert Gafuroglu]
Pre-order Endless Scroll:
Bandcamp – https://bodegabk.bandcamp.com
Spotify – https://open.spotify.com/
iTunes – http://itunes.apple.com/album/
Apple Music – http://itunes.apple.com/album/
Bandcamp – https://bodegabk.bandcamp.com
Spotify – https://open.spotify.com/
iTunes – http://itunes.apple.com/album/
Apple Music – http://itunes.apple.com/album/
BODEGA online:
http://www.bodegabk.com/
https://www.instagram.com/
https://www.facebook.com/
https://bodegabk.bandcamp.com
http://bodeganyc.tumblr.com/
Keep your mind open.
[Hustle over to the subscription box and drop in your e-mail address.]
Makeness – Loud Patterns
Kyle Molleson, otherwise known as Makeness, has given us a record that sounds like meticulous electronica and yet moves like free-flowing dance tracks at the same time – Loud Patterns.
The title track opens the record, bringing to mind a jungle DJ putting down tracks at a party in the House on Haunted Hill. “Fire Behind the Two Louis” is as slick and hot as a grease fire. “Who Am I to Follow Love” has lovely female vocals behind Molleson’s drums and sounds that make for good lounge slow jams.
“Stepping Out of Sync” has fat bass and more lounge synths combining for one of the best cuts on the record. “Gold Star” is another choice cut, with big synths and floor-shaking dance beats throughout it. I don’t know if the bass in “The Bass Rock” refers to fish or low-end sounds. I’m guessing the former because the bass grooves on it are somewhat subdued.
“Day Old Death” is a bit creepy, as you’d expect from such a title. I like the metronome-like beat in it to remind you of some masked killer stalking you. The building synth-bass of “Rough Moss” has a great payoff. It might be the most danceable song on the record. “Our Embrace” is as jubilant as you hope it would be with such a title. The synths are bright and bouncy and the drums keep you moving. The bass on “14 Drops” is so fat that it needs to go on a diet. The album ends with the appropriately titled “Motorcycle Idling,” because that’s just what it sounds like for a little over three minutes.
Loud Patterns is indeed both loud and full of wicked beat patterns. It bodes well for Makeness’ future, and for your next party.
Keep your mind open.
[Step over to the subscription box before you go.]
The Damned unveil secrets of each track on upcoming album – “Evil Spirits”
THE DAMNED SHARE TRACK BY TRACK INFO FOR NEW ‘EVIL SPIRITS’ ALBUM
OUT FRIDAY APRIL 13TH ON SEARCH AND DESTROY / SPINEFARM RECORDS
PRE-ORDER ALBUM HERE
ANNOUNCE SELECT NORTHWEST DATES IN JULY AFTER BURGER BOOGALOO
US TOUR THIS FALL (DETAILS FORTHCOMING)
Following a hugely successful UK tour which saw British punk legends The Damned rev up 2018 by playing to thousands of rabid fans, including two back-to-back sold-out London shows, the band returned last month with a double A-side single culled from their forthcoming ‘Evil Spirits’ album, released April 13th via Search And Destroy/Spinefarm Records. The single featured the tracks ‘Look Left’ and ‘Devil In Disguise’,, two songs that perfectly represent the album’s many shifting moods and styles.
Recorded by legendary producer Tony Visconti, ‘Evil Spirits’ is the result of a frantic, high-energy burst of creativity at Atomic Sound studios in Brooklyn in October of 2017, with ‘Black Album’ and ‘Strawberries’-era bassist Paul Gray back in the fold.
Select shows in the Northwest have just been added, following their headline slot at Burger Boogaloo in Oakland July 1st. A US tour will be announced at a later date (details forthcoming).
‘EVIL SPIRITS’- TRACK BY TRACK:
‘Standing On The Edge Of Tomorrow’ (watch video)
Up-to-the-minute garage psychedelia that gallops like Scott Walker’s ‘The Seventh Seal’, amid ominous ‘dies irae’ chorale and mucho post-millennial frustration. Vanian: “An optimistic song even though it is about a dark subject. In a world obsessed by ‘self’, this is a cry for humanity to recognize its humanity, before it’s too late. There is a strong influence of Joe Meek here: ‘Telstar’ was a glorious song about the opportunities of the future. I’d like to think that ‘SOTEOT’ reflects a similar sentiment.”
‘The Devil In Disguise’ (listen)
Another energetic garage-punk monster, replete with Monty Oxy Moron’s era-specific Farfisa organ. Pinch: “People gravitate towards blaming individuals rather than the systems they are part of. Figureheads are only puppets. It’s the puppet masters we should be concerned about. The enemy of our enemy is our friend, apparently.”
‘We’re So Nice’
“Where there’s dispute you’ll find us there…” Sensible’s broadside against Anglo-American imperialist meddling around the world bops along gleefully on a Motown beat amid a deluge of melodic excellence. Sensible: “With all that we know about the Iraq war, and its consequences, does anyone still think we were the ‘heroes’?”
‘Look Left’ (listen)
Sugar coated mind grenade, addressing post-millennial society’s “media-induced coma” Vanian: “The weird thing about Pinch is, he listens to the most obnoxious music a lot of the time – all the real hardcore punk stuff – and he a very loud drummer, too, but then he goes and writes this great big show tune – like a massive ensemble cast coming on to sing at the end of the play!” Pinch: “While everybody’s looking left, what the hell is happening right? Tough subject matter is easier to digest when coated in honey rather than vinegar and the message in this song is so important, I couldn’t risk it being a throw away aggro punk tune that was immediately overlooked. I see it more as a love song to the human race. The future is here, and until you awaken your mind, I’ll wait for you.”
‘Evil Spirits’
Fantastically searching, in the best sense ‘progressive’, rocker, with vague echoes of The Who’s ‘Magic Bus’ and The Rolling Stones’ ‘Can’t You Hear Me Knocking’, and some commensurately exploratory soloing from Sensible. An urgently free-spirited riposte to today’s political stasis. Sensible: “Whoever you vote for, nothing changes. Labour or Tory, two cheeks of same bum.” Vanian: “The Who are never far away from The Damned’s sound. We’ve had some big noses in this band, too. I suppose there are some parallels between us, because they were a high-energy band, too, but then Pete started writing his rock-opera stuff, stretching out, looking for different ways of writing. Queen did the same sort of thing as well – we’re one of those bands whose music can cover different genres of music, within one song.”
‘Shadow Evocation’
Quintessential Vanianism, about espousing the night and finding a better way forward than “chasing ghosts of the past”. Features acrobatic backing vocals from American singer-songwriter Kristeen Young. Vanian: ”Kristeen has a remarkable vocal range reminiscent of Yma Sumac [1950’s Peruvian-American soprano]. Her singing at the end of the song was originally played on a Theramin but once Kristeen sang the part, there was no need for the instrument anymore.”
‘Sonar Deceit’
Another garage-psych belter, propelled by a jaunty His Latest Flame-style bassline. “What makes a fish desert the sea?” ponders the Captain in this hard-hitting critique of whales and dolphins being driven insane by bombardment by deafening sonar.
Sensible: “What could it possibly be that drives whales and dolphins to prostrate themselves on beaches around the world?”
‘Procrastination’
Noel Coward-esque study of creative deferral, with more mid-’60s Farfisa from Mr Oxy Moron. Sensible: “One of Monty’s, this one. A bit of self-analysis here: what could be the reason that this band’s last album was recorded back in 2008? It’s good to be able to laugh at yourself – well, at least I think he’s talking about himself there… Isn’t he? Or is it me? Blimey!”
‘Daily Liar’
Co-written by Sensible (tune) and Vanian (lyric), another anger-fuelled barnstormer, with a Kinksian introductory fanfare, a driving beat, and a stirring melodic ascent. All together now: say “no, no, no…no-no” to media misinformation! Sensible: “For his own selfish reasons, Trump started a discussion about ‘fake news’, but it’s one that some might say has been long overdue. Not a pinch of salt required – you need a whole cellar of the stuff these days.”
‘I Don’t Care’
Punk heedlessness rebooted as a triptych of political disaffection, spanning moody piano balladry, Who-y explosiveness, and nocturnal jazz
Vanian: “This should have been a short song, perhaps only a minute long, written on a rainy afternoon in my study. Demoing the song, I almost forgot that there were two more sections, turning it into a three-part epic in about the same amount of minutes, which seems longer because of the differing moods.”
Evil Spirits is available on digital download via Spotify and i-Tunes, on CD and 180g vinyl available to pre-order HERE
Photos: Dod Morrison
LIVE SHOWS:
EUROPE:
May 17 – Frankfurt – Batschkapp
May 19 – Lausanne – Les Docks
May 20 – Milan – Magnolia
May 22 – Munich – Strom
May 23 – Berlin – SO36
May 19 – Lausanne – Les Docks
May 20 – Milan – Magnolia
May 22 – Munich – Strom
May 23 – Berlin – SO36
May 25 – Hamburg – Fabrik
May 26 – Oberhausen – Turbinenhalle
May 27 – Amsterdam – Melkweg Oude Zaal
May 26 – Oberhausen – Turbinenhalle
May 27 – Amsterdam – Melkweg Oude Zaal
May 29 – Paris – Petit Bain
UK:
June 16 – Birmingham – Genting Arena *
June 17 – Manchester – Arena *
June 19 – Glasgow – The SSE Hydro *
June 20 – London – The SSE Arena, Wembley *
US:
July 1 – Oakland – Burger Boogaloo Festival
July 5 – Vancouver – Commodore Ballroom (on sale 4/6 10am PST)
July 6 – Portland – Crystal Ballroom (on sale 4/6 10am PST)
July 7 – Seattle – Showbox at the Market (on sale 4/6 10am PST)
July 6 – Portland – Crystal Ballroom (on sale 4/6 10am PST)
July 7 – Seattle – Showbox at the Market (on sale 4/6 10am PST)
UK:
August 22 – Southampton – 02 Guildhall
August 23 – Holmfirth – Holmfirth Picture House
August 24 – Warrington – Warrington Parr Hall
August 25 – Belfast – Belsonic Festival (main support to Stiff Little Fingers)
* supporting the Hollywood Vampires
“…hard-charging ethos accented by smooth hi-fi production and a stylistic debt to pop’s pre-rock era.”Stereogum
The Damned have become, if possible, more eccentric and outrageous as they grow older.” – The Independent
“The King’s people have drunk from the Fountain of Youth. This truly is a band at the top of its game. Long Live The Damned”
– Louder Than War
The Damned are:
David Vanian – Vocals
Captain Sensible – Guitar
Monty Oxy Moron – Keyboard
Pinch – Drums
Paul Gray – Bass
Captain Sensible – Guitar
Monty Oxy Moron – Keyboard
Pinch – Drums
Paul Gray – Bass
Keep your mind open.
[Please subscribe if you dig my blog.]
The Coathangers to release first live album this summer.
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Makeness shares new single from upcoming album – “Loud Patterns”
Makeness Shares New Single “Who Am I To Follow Love”
https://youtu.be/4Utof_SCsW8
https://youtu.be/4Utof_SCsW8
Loud Patterns Out April 6th On Secretly Canadian
https://makeness.lnk.to/
North American Tour With Unknown Mortal Orchestra Starts This Month
[Loud Patterns artwork]
Scottish producer Makeness has shared another new single from his debut album, Loud Patterns, coming out this Friday, April 6th via Secretly Canadian. Crafting tracks which make a virtue of disparate influences, the sparkling “Who Am I To Follow Love” sees Kyle Molleson team up with Babeheaven vocalist Nancy Andersen to create a reflective mood and showcase another side to his versatile songwriting talents. The track is accompanied by a new webpage designed by Kyle, featuring a collection of images documenting the making of Loud Patterns.
Loud Patterns is an album that’s noticeably indebted to house and techno; there are 4/4 rhythms, and a no-nonsense directness that harks back to the Detroit pioneers. Channeling avant-garde experimentalism and an outsider’s interest in pop, Kyle embraces the distance between those two poles. The album arrives after a series of releases that have established his particular, in-between approach to dance-minded music. He put out two EPs on Manchester-based imprint Handsome Dad, a one-off single with Adult Jazz and the self-released Temple Works EP; Whities also released a limited-edition white label of a Minor Science dub of one of his tracks.
Following the release of Loud Patterns, Makeness will tour with label kin Unknown Mortal Orchestraacross North America and parts of Europe.
Listen To Makeness’ “Who Am I To Follow Love”:
https://youtu.be/4Utof_SCsW8
https://youtu.be/4Utof_SCsW8
Watch & Listen:
“Stepping Out Of Sync” video – https://youtu.be/_SaXuy2isS0
“Day Old Death” video – https://youtu.be/m6n5q58560M
“Day Old Death” stream – https://makeness.lnk.to/
“Loud Patterns” stream – https://youtu.be/RZF0rp1Ujbc
“Stepping Out Of Sync” video – https://youtu.be/_SaXuy2isS0
“Day Old Death” video – https://youtu.be/m6n5q58560M
“Day Old Death” stream – https://makeness.lnk.to/
“Loud Patterns” stream – https://youtu.be/RZF0rp1Ujbc
Makeness Tour Dates:
April 12 – @ London, UK @ Corsica Studios
April 22 – Northampton, MA @ Pearl Street w/ Unknown Mortal Orchestra
April 23 – Portland, ME @ Port City Music Hall w/ Unknown Mortal Orchestra
April 25 – Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel w/ Unknown Mortal Orchestra
April 26 – Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel w/ Unknown Mortal Orchestra
April 27 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club w/ Unknown Mortal Orchestra
April 28 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer w/ Unknown Mortal Orchestra
April 30 – Boston, MA @ Royale w/ Unknown Mortal Orchestra
May 1 – Montreal, QC @ Corona Theatre w/ Unknown Mortal Orchestra
May 2 – Toronto, ON @ Danforth Music Hall w/ Unknown Mortal Orchestra
May 3 – Chicago, IL @ Vic Theatre w/ Unknown Mortal Orchestra
May 4 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue w/ Unknown Mortal Orchestra
May 7 – Seattle, WA @ The Moore Theatre w/ Unknown Mortal Orchestra
May 8 – Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom w/ Unknown Mortal Orchestra
May 9 – Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater w/ Unknown Mortal Orchestra
May 10 – Oakland, CA @ Fox Theater w/ Unknown Mortal Orchestra
May 11 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern w/ Unknown Mortal Orchestra
May 12 – Pioneertown, CA @ Pappy and Harriet’s w/ Unknown Mortal Orchestra
May 18 – Hamburg, Germany @ Uebel & Gefährlich w/ Unknown Mortal Orchestra
May 19 – Berlin, Germany @ Kesselhaus w/ Unknown Mortal Orchestra
May 20 – Heidelberg, Germany @ Karlstorbahnhof w/ Unknown Mortal Orchestra
May 21 – Düsseldorf, Germany @ zakk w/ Unknown Mortal Orchestra
May 22 – Paris, France @ La Gaîté Lyrique w/ Unknown Mortal Orchestra
May 24 – London, United Kingdom @ Roundhouse w/ Unknown Mortal Orchestra
May 25 – Bristol, United Kingdom @ SWX w/ Unknown Mortal Orchestra
May 31 – Edinburgh, United Kingdom @ Hidden Door
September 1 – Dumfries & Galloway, United Kingdom @ Drumlanrig Castle (Electric Fields Festival)
April 12 – @ London, UK @ Corsica Studios
April 22 – Northampton, MA @ Pearl Street w/ Unknown Mortal Orchestra
April 23 – Portland, ME @ Port City Music Hall w/ Unknown Mortal Orchestra
April 25 – Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel w/ Unknown Mortal Orchestra
April 26 – Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel w/ Unknown Mortal Orchestra
April 27 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club w/ Unknown Mortal Orchestra
April 28 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer w/ Unknown Mortal Orchestra
April 30 – Boston, MA @ Royale w/ Unknown Mortal Orchestra
May 1 – Montreal, QC @ Corona Theatre w/ Unknown Mortal Orchestra
May 2 – Toronto, ON @ Danforth Music Hall w/ Unknown Mortal Orchestra
May 3 – Chicago, IL @ Vic Theatre w/ Unknown Mortal Orchestra
May 4 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue w/ Unknown Mortal Orchestra
May 7 – Seattle, WA @ The Moore Theatre w/ Unknown Mortal Orchestra
May 8 – Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom w/ Unknown Mortal Orchestra
May 9 – Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater w/ Unknown Mortal Orchestra
May 10 – Oakland, CA @ Fox Theater w/ Unknown Mortal Orchestra
May 11 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern w/ Unknown Mortal Orchestra
May 12 – Pioneertown, CA @ Pappy and Harriet’s w/ Unknown Mortal Orchestra
May 18 – Hamburg, Germany @ Uebel & Gefährlich w/ Unknown Mortal Orchestra
May 19 – Berlin, Germany @ Kesselhaus w/ Unknown Mortal Orchestra
May 20 – Heidelberg, Germany @ Karlstorbahnhof w/ Unknown Mortal Orchestra
May 21 – Düsseldorf, Germany @ zakk w/ Unknown Mortal Orchestra
May 22 – Paris, France @ La Gaîté Lyrique w/ Unknown Mortal Orchestra
May 24 – London, United Kingdom @ Roundhouse w/ Unknown Mortal Orchestra
May 25 – Bristol, United Kingdom @ SWX w/ Unknown Mortal Orchestra
May 31 – Edinburgh, United Kingdom @ Hidden Door
September 1 – Dumfries & Galloway, United Kingdom @ Drumlanrig Castle (Electric Fields Festival)
[Photo by Dexter Lander]
Pre-order Loud Patterns – https://makeness.lnk.to/
Keep your mind open.
[Get loud by subscribing.]
Comacozer / Blown Out – In Search of Highs Volume 1
Australian cosmic psych-rockers Comacozer have teamed up with UK cosmic psych-rockers Blown Out to release a massive split LP of, you guessed it, cosmic psych-rock called In Search of Highs Volume 1.
“Massive” might be too light of an adjective to describe this record. Comacozer‘s portion is on side A. It’s one track that last’s just short of eighteen minutes. “Binbeal” begins with a didgeridoo to put us in the mood of someone sitting atop a red rock in the Australian outback during a sunrise meditation. It evolves into a heady groove perfect for opening your third eye chakra. It’s a rapid plunge down a psychedelic rabbit hole by the eleventh minute.
Blown Out gets side B off to an epic start with the nine-minute-plus “Terraform.” The title of the track refers to the process of restructuring entire planets. Trust me, it’s heavy enough to do that. The guitars alone would power terraforming machines from orbit. “Void Sucker” is half the length of the previous track, but about double the speed. “Hook Up the Telepath” ends side B with psychedelic chaos that reminds me of the aerobraking scene in 2010: The Year We Make Contact.
It’s a solid LP of instrumental stoner-psych metal that will get you through the cold of space or the heat of re-entry. Volume 2 can’t come soon enough for my liking.
Keep your mind open.
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Live: Shopping, Tyvek, and Ganser – Chicago, IL – March 28, 2018
It’s a bit difficult for me to believe that it took me nearly three months to see some live music this year, but it’s true. January and February were filled with crazy work schedules that weren’t conducive to making a trip even an hour’s drive away to see any bands or performers.
That all changed with getting to see Shopping, Tyvek,and Ganser at Chicago’s Beat Kitchen two nights ago. I’d been keen on catching Shopping since hearing their newest album, The Official Body. I knew nothing about Tyvek and Ganser going in, apart from a few video clips and digital tracks here and there. Tyvek was loud and brash garage punk. Ganser was darker and local post-punk. This was also my first time at the Beat Kitchen. It’s a nice, small venue, and the food there looked pretty good.
One thing I’ve discovered about Chicago shows is that, for the most part, the set start times are rigid. Ganser kept up this tradition by starting at promptly 8:00pm. They played an impressive set to a hometown crowd that included multiple tracks from their upcoming album Odd Talk. Their stuff was sassy, jagged, and assertive. Odd Talk should be a fine record based on what I heard at the Beat Kitchen.
Up next were Detroit’s / Philadelphia’s Tyvek. They were as loud and hammering as I’d expected, and throwing saxophone riffs into the mix only made it better. Lead singer / guitarist Kevin Boyer‘s axe looked like it had been bounced off a few floors and used as a cutting board, and the blaring chords he drew out of it only seemed to confirm my suspicions.
Shopping had a large crowd by the time they took the stage. I was glad to see so many people for the U.K. band that had spent most of the last couple months zig-zagging across the U.S. They had the crowd jumping almost from the first note, and encouraged dancing throughout their entire set. They sounded great. Rachel Aggs‘ gets notes of her guitar that jump like water across a hot griddle. Every song had a bouncing energy to it that was inescapable. Highlights from the set included “The Hype,” “Wild Child,” and “My Dad’s a Dancer.”
The best way I can sum up their set is by what a woman yelled out from the crowd between songs: “You guys are so fun!” Bassist Billy Easter said, “Thanks. It’s fun being up here, too.”
Shopping set the bar high for live bands to follow this year. Catch them if you can. You need to get in on the fun they’re delivering.
Keep your mind open.
[Thanks to Sam McAllister from Pitch Perfect PR for hooking me up with a press pass for the show.]