Nik Havert

Top live shows of 2017: #’s 25 – 21

Who cracked the top 25 of my live shows I saw this year? Read on!

#25 – Temples – Valley Bar – Phoenix, AZ March 11th.

Temples were the last band to play on the Desert Daze lineup at the VIVA PHX music festival. It was my first time seeing them in a small venue, and they nailed it. They sounded perfect and delivered a solid set that earned them many new fans.

#24 – The Damned – House of Blues – Chicago, IL April 23rd.

I’d wanted to see punk rock legends the Damned for a long while, and this show was pretty much what I’d hoped it would be. The crowd was a fun mix of punks, goths, and horror film fans, and moshing to “Neat Neat Neat” with the Damned only a few feet away was a delight.

#23 – Thundercat – Mamby on the Beach – Chicago, IL June 25th.

I’d heard a lot of good things about Thundercat prior to seeing him live at this music festival, and he didn’t disappoint. He and his two-man backing band played a great jazz fusion set in the middle of a festival mostly devoted to electronic dance music. He’s an amazing bass player, and seeing him shred live makes you appreciate his skill even more.

#22 – Marian Hill – Mamby on the Beach – Chicago, IL June 24th.

Speaking of Mamby on the Beach, Marian Hill were one of the best bands we saw there. They played a great set of sexy dance rock that might be the best new makeout music you need to hear.

#21 – Goblin – Thalia Hall – Chicago, IL October 25th.

This performance from Italian prog / horror rock masters Goblin had a criminally light attendance, but they didn’t care. As usual, being at a Goblin show is like being in a giallo film. The whole atmosphere is creeping and fascinating. They also played a nice tribute to the late George Romero. Shame on you if you missed this one.

Who cracks the top 20? Tune in tomorrow to find out!

Keep your mind open.

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Top live shows of 2017: #’s 30 – 26

I’ve arrived at the end of my live music year for 2017. I saw over 60 performances this year, and the majority of them were a fun time. There were some that might’ve had lame crowds or that just didn’t thrill me, of course, but 2017 was good for live music. To save time (and my sanity and your patience), I’m counting the top 30 live shows I saw this year. Here are the first five.

#30 – A Place to Bury Strangers – Thalia Hall – Chicago, IL May 11th.

I’ll see APTBS at any opportunity, and seeing this set where they opened for the Black Angels was a no-brainer for me. It was also the first time they played Thalia Hall, and they sounded great in there. I was lucky enough to chat with front man Oliver Ackermann before and after (along with the rest of the band – Dion Lunadon and Lia Braswell) the set, so that made the show extra special.

#29 – Joe Walsh – Scottrade Center – St. Louis, MO May 12th.

Joe Walsh had a fun time opening for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. He joked with the sold-out crowd, played every hit you’d want to hear at one of his gigs, and had a huge, excellent backing band. He also showed that he could still shred on guitar, and his performance of “Take It to the Limit” brought my wife to tears.

#28 – Bebel Gilberto – City Winery – Chicago, IL December 20th.

The last show I saw this year turned out to be a delightful night with bossa nova legend Bebel Gilberto. It was a lovely set in an intimate venue. Everyone needs to see Ms. Gilberto at least once, and hear her often.

#27 – Bleached – House of Blues – Chicago, IL April 23rd.

If you’re in a band, I wish you could’ve seen Bleached with me twice within six months because you’d have seen a perfect example of how to step up your game. This show, which had them opening for the Damned, was the second time I’d seen them in that time period. The first was at a gig in Cleveland in October 2016. I thought they were good then, but this performance left me gobsmacked. They’d become tighter and stronger in just half a year. It had been at least a couple years since I saw so much improvement in one band.

#26 – Partner – Schuba’s – Chicago, IL January 22nd.

This was Partner‘s first gig in Chicago, and one of their first in the United States. Shame on you if you missed it, because they are now indie rock darlings and their debut album, In Search of Lost Time, is one of the best of 2017. This show was an absolute home run and wowed everyone there.

Stay tuned for #’s 25 – 21!

Keep your mind open.

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Live: Bebel Gilberto – Chicago, IL – December 20, 2017

Chicago’s City Winery is a wonderful intimate venue, and seeing a lively performer like Bebel Gilberto there is a treat that should never be missed. Thankfully, my wife and I got to attend her second performance there in as many nights, and Ms. Gilberto was in a playful mood.

Ms. Gilberto shimmied and shook all over the stage and worked through some of her bossa nova classics like “Aganju” and “So Nice,” stopping now and then to put on some more lip gloss or sample some of the venue’s white wine.

She was also a bit feisty, throwing in some political jokes like, “I’m glad this year is almost over, because that means we only have three more left…if you know what I mean.” Other highlights included her covers of Neil Young’s “Harvest Moon” and Radiohead’s “Creep.” Her cover of “Creep” brings my wife and I to tears anytime we hear it, and I felt bad for the couple across from us who went out for a smoke break before she and her two-man band played it.

She had the crowd singing and even bouncing multiple times throughout the night, calling on us to help her sing rhythms and uplift each other. “Uplifting” is probably the best way I can describe her performance. It was a delightful way to end a year that has been rough for many we know and a shining way to start the winter solstice. More light comes to this half of the world as of yesterday, and I can’t help but think Bebel Gilberto had something to do with it.

Keep your mind open.

[Thanks to Vickie Starr for bringing me and my wife some Christmas cheer with press passes to this show.]

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Gary Numan – Savage (Songs from a Broken World)

Gary Numan‘s new album is a cautionary tale about impending environmental disaster, political upheaval, and fighting to survive in a post-apocalyptic wasteland. Numan has never been one to shy away from bleak subjects (depression, dehumanization via technology, death, etc.), and Savage (Songs from a Broken World) is a powerful record that has him embracing these subjects once again with masterful skill.

“Ghost Nation” could be about Numan’s birth home (England) or his adopted one (the United States). “We live in a windswept hell,” he sings in the first lyric on the album while the synths and drums build to a powerful verse about an environmental catastrophe that wipes out most of humanity. “Bed of Thorns” starts off with quiet processed beats and almost Middle Eastern chants but slowly burns into a powerful track about wanting to be free of suffering. Numan’s daughter does guest vocals on “My Name Is Ruin” – a song about a powerful figure who brings about the catastrophe on Earth. The comparisons to Donald Trump are unavoidable, and Numan has admitted that the last U.S. presidential election provided some of the impetus for the album.

You’d think a song with a title like “The End of Things” would be at the beginning or end of such a concept album, but Numan puts it in the middle to signify (in my opinion) the turning of the tide in the battle for survival even when things seem bleakest. “And It All Began with You” simmers with unease before the bombastic “When the World Comes Apart” – an industrial powerhouse of a track with Blade Runner-like synths and foreboding bass and Numan singing that he’s no hero or confessor.

I like how “Mercy” starts off with what sounds like fighter jets zooming by. Numan used to fly jets and aircraft in air shows for many years. “I should’ve told you, be careful what you wish for,” he sings on the menacing track that builds like some sort of monstrous war machine approaching on the horizon. Numan takes on one of his favorite touchy subjects, religion, on “What God Intended.” I heard an interview with him in which he expressed admiration for those who find incredible peace in religion, but he cannot abide religion being used for intolerance or to justify violence. The song is heavy on soaring synths and Numan’s near-cries to the heavens. The theme continues a bit on “Pray for the Pain You Serve.” Numan claims, “I will be here when the storm ends.” He’s been through a lot and come out a bit tougher each time

The album ends with “Broken,” a somber synthwave track that has more Middle Eastern touches and is quite cinematic. Why Numan isn’t being hired to score films is beyond me. It drifts along until an almost abrupt ending, perfect for an album about the potential end of the world.

Numan is firing on all cylinders right now, and his live act is one of the best tours currently out there. Get this and get to one of his shows if you can.

Keep your mind open.

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Soulwax – From Deewee

Soulwax‘s latest album, From Deewee, would be impressive in any sense. It’s a wonderful blend of electro, synthwave, disco, industrial, and even a bit of trance. What makes it more impressive is that the entire album was recorded one in one take. Granted, they did multiple takes and picked the best one, but playing this entire album beginning to end with no apparent flaws is a stunning feat.

After a brief instrumental opening, the album flows into “Masterplanned” – a funky track with great synth bass and a sweet blend of electric and live drums (which will continue through the whole record). The live drums rip open “Missing Wires,” one of my favorite singles of 2017, before the wicked bass and analog synths put down a fantastic dance groove. “Conditions of a Shared Belief” has a brooding sense of industrial menace to it, proving that Soulwax loves Front 242 as much as Kraftwerk.

The drum solo at the beginning of “Is It Always Binary” is equally matched by the choppy yet highly danceable synth work. “Do You Want to Get Into Trouble?” mixes more industrial touches with hints of goth synths and John Carpenter synth bass. “My Tired Eyes” is practically an industrial ballad and “Transient Program for Drums and Machinery” could be the theme song to the album – drums,analog synthesizers, and drum machines that drift back and forth, merge, split up again, and reunite in different shapes.

“Open your eyes to the heavens,” Soulwax implores on “Trespassers” – a song that gets heavier and creepier as it rolls along to a great finish. “The Singer Has Become a Deejay” could be a takedown on musicians who attempt to operate outside their wheelhouse, or it could just be an excellent display of Soulwax’s rhythm section and Crystal Method-like programming. It flows right into the sharp dance track “Here Come the Men in Suits,” in which they warn these guys “will draw you in like moths” to their corporate culture, rampant consumerism, and shady economics.

The album ends with the subdued yet snarky “Goodnight Transmission,” with the lyric “There’s so much bullshit coming out of your mouth” sung in almost a slow jam R&B style before they encourage you to “put your weight on it.” Soulwax wants us to put up or shut up. You don’t have time for bullshit when you’re recording an entire album in one take.

You have time for this album, however. Make time for it if you have to do so. It’s one of the best of the year.

Keep your mind open.

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Shopping announces 2018 North American tour dates.

SHOPPING ANNOUNCE 2018 NORTH AMERICAN TOUR
IN SUPPORT OF THE OFFICIAL BODY

NEW ALBUM OUT JANUARY 19 ON FATCAT RECORDS

(photo credit: Matthew Williams)

“The Hype” is Shopping at its best: barbed invective set to a prickly, dancefloor-ready groove.” — Pitchfork

“one of Shopping’s loosest, funkiest songs to date. . . ‘The Hype’ is a great sign of things to come.” — NPR Music
Next month, Shopping are set to release their third full-length album, The Official Body, on January 19th via FatCat Records. The album sees Shopping — comprised of Rachel Aggs (guitar, vocals), Billy Easter (bass, vocals) and Andrew Milk (drums, vocals) — retaining their minimal dance-punk ethos while “amping up the party vibe.” Now they’ve announced they’ll bring the dance party on the road! In March, Shopping will head stateside for a North American tour taking them all across the US and Canada, including stops at both Savannah Stopoverand SXSW. The tour kicks off Thu. March 1st in Boston before heading down the east coast, across the southern states to the west coast, and back to the midwest. A full list of dates are below, with tickets on-sale now.

Watch Shopping’s “The Hype” Video –
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnAm6AphanY

Shopping Tour Dates:
Thu. March 1 — Boston, MA @ Great Scott *
Fri. March 2 — Providence, RI @ Columbus Theatre *
Sat. March 3 — Brooklyn, NY @ Market Hotel *
Sun. March 4 — Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s *
Tue. March 6 — Washington, DC @ Union Stage *
Wed. March 7 — Asheville, NC @ Mothlight *
Thu. March 8 — Savannah, GA @ Savannah Stopover *
Fri. March 9 — Atlanta, GA @ 529 *
Sat. March 10 — New Orleans, LA @ Gasa Gasa *
Sun. March 11 — Houston, TX @ Walter’s *
Tue. March 13 – Thu. March 15 — Austin, TX @ SXSW
Fri. March 16 — El Paso, TX @ Lowbrow Palace *
Sat. March 17 — Phoenix, AZ @ Rebel Lounge *
Sun. March 18 — San Diego, CA @ Whistle Stop *
Tue. March 20 — Santa Ana, CA @ Constellation Room *
Wed. March 21 — Los Angeles, CA @ Resident * #
Thu. March 22 — San Francisco, CA @ Rickshaw Stop #
Fri. March 23 — Portland, OR @ Bunk Bar #
Sat. March 24 — Seattle, WA @ Vera Project #
Tue. March 27 — Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry
Wed. March 28 — Chicago, IL @ Beat Kitchen
Thu. March 29 — Detroit, MI @ Delux Fluxx
Fri. March 30 — Toronto, ON @ Baby G
Sat. March 31 — Montreal, QC @ Bar Le Ritz

* = w/ French Vanilla
# = w/ Lithics

Pre-order The Official Body:
via Bandcamp – http://bit.ly/2kZQL6Z
via iTunes – http://apple.co/2iBSknm
via FatCat Shop – http://bit.ly/2C3DGO8

King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard – Polygondwanaland

The fourth album from King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard of this year, Polygondwanaland, is special for a couple reasons. One, to repeat the earlier point, is that it’s the fourth album they’ve put out this year. Many bands don’t put out four albums in a lifetime, let alone four in one year…with another one yet to come before the year’s end. Second, is that they are giving away this album for free.

Yes, you can download this album for free and, according to the band, use the tracks for anything you’d like. Many indie labels have already created their own rare pressings of the album on vinyl. KGATLW have stated that anyone can use the songs for their film, art projects, mix tapes, remix albums, or any other use. It’s a stunning gift to fans and the world at large.

The album is a neat mix of the many sounds KGATLW create. The opener, “Crumbling Castle,” is an epic song just under eleven minutes long that exemplifies the band’s cosmic psychedelia with echoed vocals, microtonal guitars, perfect double-drumming, and tricky guitar work. The title track is mellower and almost hypnotizing, as is “The Castle in the Air” with Stu MacKenzie‘s flute work.

“Deserted Dunes Welcome Weary Feet” and “Inner Cell” are equally haunting, especially the latter with its lyrics speaking of the dead, ghosts, and shadows. The bass line on “Loyalty” is one of the best KGATLW have put on a track all year. “Horology” and “Tetrachromacy” are neat companion pieces to each other with their complimentary guitar pieces and tick-tock drumming. The building groove of “Searching…” is outstanding, and the entire track simmers with synth wave menace that is new to KGATLW’s sound. I hope they explore more of this on the next record. It flows right into the album’s closer, “The Fourth Color,” which is a sizzling jam on all fronts – especially when it comes back from a fake fade-out.

Is this as good as the three previous releases from KGATLW so far? No, but it is still an excellent piece of work and is reminiscent of some of the band’s earlier material. This isn’t a bad place to start if you’re just now walking into the KGATLW camp. It blends many of their styles well.

Keep your mind open.

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Brother O’ Brother – Neon Native

Indianapolis rock duo Brother O’ Brother are busy making solid records in the middle of a state practically ignored by the music industry and touring bands. Their latest, Neon Native, is a prime example of a nearly secret vibrant music scene in the Hoosier state’s capital.

Opening with “R.O.S.E.,” the album immediately submerses you into Brother O’ Brother’s psychedelic blues and powerful riffs. You can hear influences ranging from the Black Keys to the Black Angels in the first few chords. “16 Flowers” brings in a slight punk edge and flattens everything around you. It’s one of the most powerful songs I’ve heard all year. “Sunshine” has a southern rock vibe before it blows up into something you might hear from Zen Guerilla, “Grab the Rope” gets off to a raucous start with soulful yet rough vocals and then a chugging beat that doesn’t let up for the whole track.

“I Got It” continues the rock and roll fury with guitar work that sounds like strings are going to break at any moment. “I Confess” has some psychedelic sludge that I love. “Cardinal” is, on it’s surface, a song about the beauty of a bird, but it’s also about the beauty of a lover, killer guitar work, and slam-tastic beats. “Fever” is just as powerful in its subtlety as we hear about a “sweet love” who inspires guitar chords that Jack White dreams about at night.

Even the acoustic guitar on “White Noise” has a fierce energy to it. “Take Me” brings back the electric fuzz and ups the blues influences. Their cover of David Bowie‘s “Life on Mars” ups the Mick Ronson fuzzed-out guitars and is almost unrecognizable at first (but it’s still great). “Widow Maker” could be a Thin Lizzy B-side.

Don’t let anyone tell you rock and roll is dead. It isn’t. Brother O’ Brother is living proof. They’re one of my favorite discoveries of the year.

Keep your mind open.

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King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard with Mild High Club – Sketches of Brunswick East

The year of King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard continues with their fourth album of 2017 – Sketches of Brunswick East. This is a collaboration with psych-rocker pals Mild High Club made while the bands were hanging out for a couple weeks.

It’s a mellower album that their previous release, Murder of the Universe, with a cool jazz fusion sound to the entire thing. “Countdown” is one of the more relaxing tracks in their entire catalogue. “D-Day” has a light sense of menace and even some guitar touches reminiscent of Flying Microtonal Banana. “Tezeta” has a sweet bass lick throughout it and could even be described as “jaunty” while it keeps its trippy touches (and vocals from Murder of the Universe‘s doomed cyborg Hyan-Tumi).

“The Spider and Me” could almost be the theme to a beloved and forgotten 1960’s cartoon. The instrumental “Sketches of Brunswick East II” brings to mind an afternoon spent at a closed and forgotten seaside resort. KGALTW’s front man Stu MacKenzie plays a lovely flute while warped electric piano (perhaps played by a ghost at the aforementioned resort) bounces along next to him. “Dusk to Dawn on Lygon St” is another happy trip, perhaps along a coastal road at sunrise. The bass work on this and the previous track is outstanding, by the way. It roots both songs.

“The Book” is a witty takedown on Bible thumpers and almost has a lounge jazz sound to it. “A Journey to (S)Hell” is a bit nightmarish, but in a way that would make you wake up wondering if what you dreamed was real and not in a way that would wake you up in a pool of sweat. “Rolling Stoned” is another great instrumental that flows out of your speakers in weird curves. “You Can Be Your Silhouette” is a catchy tune about embracing the idea of being a blank slate without the trappings of modern culture, and “Sketches of Brunswick East III” ends the album on a subtle psychedelic note.

Sketches of Brunswick East is a welcome departure from the heaviness of KGATLW’s last there records. Mind you, I love those records, but this foray into lighter, jazzier, trippier fare is a good choice by them. It’s a good choice by you to buy it.

Keep your mind open.

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Loma release new single, “Relay Runner,” from upcoming album.

LOMA, NEW PROJECT BY SHEARWATER’S JONATHAN MEIBURG
AND CROSS RECORD, SHARE NEW SINGLE, “RELAY RUNNER,”
AND ANNOUNCE WEST COAST/SOUTHWEST TOUR

https://youtu.be/Rd2n_0m5xgI

SELF-TITLED DEBUT ALBUM OUT FEBRUARY 16TH VIA SUB POP

Photo Credit: Bryan C. Parker
“‘Black Willow’ is a painting with darker contours than anything on [Cross Records’] Wabi-Sabi or Shearwaters’ most recent album Jet Plane and Oxbow, while retaining the depth and confidence of each.” — NPR Music

“the group graces us with some beautifully mystical vibes in the form of the devastating, ASMR-inducing [‘Black Willow’]” — Gorilla vs. Bear

“’Black Willow’ is a sinewy and chilly track that feels expansive as Emily Cross and Meiburg’s vocals intertwine.” — Stereogum

Loma, the new project comprised of Jonathan Meiburg, best known as the singer of Shearwater, and Emily Cross and Dan Duszynski of Cross Record, will release their self-titled debut album on February 16th via Sub Pop. A product of a joint pilgrimage around the globe by fellow touring musicians, it’s a beautifully detailed and emotionally rich album that reveals a band obsessed with songs as sound. After presenting the lead single, “Black Willow,” the trio now shares “Relay Runner.” As Meiburg describes it, “’Relay Runner’ was the happiest accident on the record. We discovered it when we wired up a tremolo pedal the wrong way, and got this funny, stuttering loop – and then we built a whole song around that sound. The last thing we did in the mix was erase the loop, which had gone from inspiring the song to ruining it! But it made sense that what was left underneath was a song about how to escape from a sealed room.”

In creating Loma, the trio convened in a house in the Texas hill country over a few months during a strangely charged time. When they began recording, Cross and Duszynski were a married couple, but their relationship ended during the sessions—an atmosphere Meiburg found both challenging and inspiring—and the isolated house became the album’s muse. Dogs wandered by the microphones; the sounds of birds and wind in junipers and live oaks hovered at the borders of the songs. A close listen to new single “Relay Runner” even reveals cicadas and frogs from a nearby stream. Except for Cross’s translucent voice in the foreground, there were no assigned roles on the album; each member of the trio played every instrument as needed. This feeling of freedom let buried energies find expression. Cross wrung catharsis from Meiburg’s lyrics and melodies, while Duszynski immersed himself in the engineering and mixing.

Loma is now available for preorder from Sub Pop and select independent retailers http://smarturl.it/loma. North American preorders of the limited Loser edition will be available on clear vinyl with red and black swirlies (while supplies last). A new T-shirt design will also be available.
Stream Loma’s “Relay Runner” –

https://youtu.be/Rd2n_0m5xgI

Watch Loma’s “Black Willow” Video –

https://youtu.be/u4yA8zM0ifY

Pre-order Loma –

http://smarturl.it/loma

Loma Tour Dates:
Fri. Apr. 6 – Phoenix, AZ @ Valley Bar
Sun. Apr. 8 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Bootleg
Wed. Apr. 11 – San Francisco, CA @ Bottom of the Hill
Fri. Apr. 13 – Portland, OR @ MS Studios
Sat. Apr. 14 – Seattle, WA @ Sunset Tavern
Tue. Apr. 17 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge
Thu. April 19 – Taos, NM @ Taos Mesa Brewing
Sat. Apr. 21 – Austin, TX @ North Door

Keep your mind open.

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