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.

Olden Yolk debuts first trippy single – “Takes One to Know One”

Introducing Olden Yolk;
Debut Self-Titled Album Out February 23rd On Trouble In Mind

Watch The Video For Lead Single “Takes One To Know One”
https://youtu.be/wQDz8ErJvPc


[Photo by Daniel Dorsa]
Olden Yolk, the New York-based group led by songwriters, vocalists, and multi-instrumentalists Shane Butler (of Quilt) and Caity Shaffer, are pleased to announce their self-titled debut album coming out February 23rd on Trouble In Mind. Along with today’s announcement, Olden Yolk are sharing lead single “Takes One To Know One” with an accompanying video debuted via Stereogum.

“‘Takes One to Know One’ is a play on the phrase typically meant to assign blame through commonality,” explain Butler and Shaffer. “Its use in the song is closer to an acceptance of our collective situation rather than a belittlement of it. It was written in our hometown of New York City–an iconic place whose icons (monuments, buildings, public art) are continually morphing and breaking down, shifting whatever former meaning had once been assigned to them.”

They continue, “Some moments hit right when you feel like the ‘writing’s on the door.’ The song, written during an especially jarring year of disillusionment, explores the process of finding solace in passing visages–a stranger’s smile on the subway or the beauty of haphazard graffiti on a brick-laden wall. The song cycles around a group chant at the choruses. It’s instrumentation is highly inspired by the percussion style of Jaki Liebezeit (of the German group CAN), a favorite of ours.”

Olden Yolk is a group whose penchant for dystopian folk, abstract poeticism, and motorik rhythms have enveloped them in a sound uniquely of-the-moment yet simultaneously time-tested. The interlaced vocals of Butler and Shaffer are found guiding each composition on their enlivening self-titled debut. The project was initially conceived in 2012 by Butler as an outlet for one-off songs and visual art while touring and releasing albums with the band Quilt (Mexican Summer). Following the release of a split-record with Weyes Blood in 2014, Olden Yolk became a collaborative entity.

Their debut full-length ruminates on questions surrounding love, self-doubt, and locating autonomy amidst burgeoning unrest. Wrought with hazy melancholy and halcyon joy, Butler and Shaffer’s lilting vocals play off one another through a devotional dialogue, taking form in haunting choral melodies and candid rock n’ roll. These songs are ecstatic odes to the life of the city; to the subway platforms, kiosks, and monuments which enliven and encompass our collectivity, elevating into an urban-psychedelia.

On the album, Butler and Shaffer are joined by drummer Dan Drohan (Tei Shi, Uni Ika Ai) and guitarist Jesse DeFrancesco who round out the studio sessions and live-band. Drohan’s deep passion for jazz, hip-hop, and experimental percussion come to fore while Defrancesco’s minimal yet powerful guitar ambiences are heard swelling in the peripheries of each song. The album was recorded at Gary’s Electric in NYC by Jarvis Taveniere (Woods) with co-production, electronics, and mixing by Jon Nellen (Ginla, Terrible Records). Other guests, such as multi-instrumentalist John Andrews (Quilt, Woods, The Yawns) and violinist Jake Falby (Mutual Benefit, Julie Byrne), add to the mercurial nature of the record, creating a landscape tinged with beatific songwriting and transgressive underpinnings.

Olden Yolk will play a full band record release show at Union Pool in NYC on February 24th along with special guests to be announced. John Andrews & The Yawns will open.

Olden Yolk Tracklist:
1. Verdant
2. Cut To The Quick
3. Gamblers On A Dime
4. Vital Sign
5. Aria
6. Common Ground
7. Hen’s Teeth
8. Esprit De Corps
9. After Us
10. Takes One To Know One

Olden Yolk artwork

The Orwells release two new “lost” tracks from “Terrible Human Beings.”

THE ORWELLS SHARE TWO NEW SONGS FROM
TERRIBLE HUMAN BEINGS SESSIONS

CATCH THEM ON TOUR WITH THE PIXIES NOW
Today, The Orwells share 2 previously unheard songs, “Vanilla” and “What’s So Entertaining.” Both were recorded during the Terrible Human Beings sessions with producer Jim Abbiss (Arctic Monkeys, Adele). Terrible Human Beings is out now on Canvasback Music.

The Orwells just wrapped a European tour supporting Weezer and have embarked on a US tour supporting The Pixies through Dec. 13th.

LISTEN TO “VANILLA” AND “WHAT’S SO ENTERTAINING”
https://CanvasbackMusic.lnk.to/thbbsidesPR

YOUTUBE:
“Vanilla” – https://youtu.be/ynVUDrZdadw
“What’s So Entertaining?” – https://youtu.be/8fNdwmqYhFE
THE ORWELLS TOUR DATES:
Fri. Dec. 1 – Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater w/ Pixies
Sun. Dec. 3 – Seattle, WA @ The Paramount w/ Pixies
Mon. Dec. 4 – Vancouver, BC @ Queen Elizabeth Theatre w/ Pixies
Wed. Dec. 6 – Berkeley, CA @ Cornerstone w/ Pixies
Fri. Dec. 8 – Napa, CA @ Uptown Theatre Napa w/ Pixies
Sat. Dec. 9 – Napa, CA @ Uptown Theatre Napa w/ Pixies
Mon. Dec. 11 – Santa Cruz, CA @ The Catalyst w/ Pixies
Tue. Dec. 12 – San Luis Obispo, CA @ The Fremont Theater w/ Pixies
Wed. Dec. 13 – Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Palladium w/ Pixies

PRAISE FOR THE ORWELLS AND TERRIBLE HUMAN BEINGS

“The group has returned with a new fully-realized sound and aesthetic on their follow-up Terrible Human Beings” – Noisey 

“Helmed by the magnetic presence of singer Mario Cuomo, the quintet confronted realities associated with adulthood in songs scarred by darkness, uncertainty and vengeance.” – Chicago Tribune

“The group has elevated their songwriting ambition.” – Popmatters

Stream/Purchase Terrible Human Beings:
https://atlantic.lnk.to/TerribleHumanBeingsAW

Pitchfork 2018 Music Festival tickets are already on pre-sale!

Pitchfork Festival 2016
 Get your tickets early for Pitchfork 2018.  No lineup has been announced, but $150.00 for a three-day pass is a steal to any music festival, let alone one with such a diverse lineup.

Early Bird tickets available now!

3-Day Early Bird Ticket: $150 (vs. $175)
3-Day Early Bird +PLUS Ticket: $350 (vs. $375)

The Pitchfork Music Festival will return to Chicago’s Union Park next summer for its 13th year. The 2018 event will run from Friday, July 20 through Sunday, July 22.

For a limited time, enjoy discounted prices on both
3-Day GA and +PLUS passes. Don’t sleep on this HOLIDAY SALE and purchase your tickets TODAY before they are gone!

Additionally, as part of the holiday sale, single-day tickets will be available for $65. Once Early Bird tickets are are gone, three-day passes will be on sale for the regular price of $175. All pricing will increase after the holidays.

For more ticket info, and to stay tuned on new festival announcements, visit the Pitchfork Music Festival website. And follow @pitchforkfest on social media for the latest news, announcements, and exclusive content.

Keep your mind open.

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

Live: Gary Numan and Me Not You – Chicago, IL – November 29, 2017

I hadn’t seen electro / industrial legend Gary Numan live for many years.  His new album, Savage, is getting rave reviews and debuted as high as #2 in the U.K.  His live shows are loud, dazzling, and impressive affairs, and his November 29th show at Chicago’s Thalia Hall was no exception.

Opening for him were the Brooklyn quartet Me Not You, who put on a nice set of shoegaze and synth-rock.  I’d like to hear more of their material.  Unfortunately, I missed part of their set due to getting a phone call from work that I had to take.

Me Not You

Numan and his four-man band came out and immediately kicked down the back wall with a blast of industrial rock on “Ghost Nation” – the lead track from the new record.  Upon hearing it, I immediately thought, “Yeah, I need to get this record.”

“Ghost Nation”

Although he’s not much for nostalgia, Numan delivered a great version of “Metal” right afterwards.  He had the crowd in his hand by this point, and it was only the second song.  Other solid cuts from the new record were “Bed of Thorns,” “Mercy,” “Pray for the Pain You Serve,” “My Name Is Ruin,” and “When the World Comes Apart.”

Gary Numan might be a Green Lantern. It wouldn’t surprise me at all, really.

“Down in the Park,” of course, remains one of the best electro-goth songs ever, and Numan’s path down more industrial roads puts a new spin on a lot of his classic material.  He has the bass brought up on “Cars” to make it almost a metal track, for example.  “Love Hurt Bleed,” from his Splinter album, is a new highlight to his show.  It’s everything Trent Reznor owes Numan in one song.

Perhaps Mr. Numan is actually a herald of Galactus. I’d believe that, too.
“Cars”

He performed “M.E.” and “Are Friends Electric?” for an encore.  Both were stunning, especially “Are Friend Electric?” – which is the greatest song Phillip K. Dick never wrote.

“Are Friends Electric?”

This was easily one of the best performances I’ve seen all year.  The crowd was a fun mix of aging hipsters like yours truly, young industrial fans, old punks, metal heads, and goths.  I know this makes me sound old, but it was great to see people younger than I having a great time at the show.  It ensures me that Numan’s music will continue through new generations of fans.  Don’t miss this tour if it gets close to you.

Thanks to the lucky lady who scored this set list for letting me take a photo of it.

Keep your mind open.

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

Ty Segall releases another single, and it’s one of the best of 2018.

LISTEN TO TY SEGALL’S NEW SINGLE, “THE MAIN PRETENDER”

Bang, bang, blammo! Ty Segall can’t stop pumping out the songs – and if your problem is that he’s got too many songs for you to hear, lucky you with your cute little problem! As Ty switches gears from rock to punk to pop music and then elsewhere, a wealth of great songs and singing and music is coming down fast; later we’ll have time to think about it. For now, ponder this new one: “The Main Pretender” aims to cull the herd by focusing its sights on a greatest common multiple of our society – people who just can’t see the forest for the head up their ass! Driven by an acidulous alto sax lick and a roiling bass line, “The Main Pretender” bounces like rubber and sticks like glue, exploding into a middle-eight-chorus progression that there’s no coming back from – and so there’s no need to even try. Mikal Cronin‘s saxophone, so urbane and sophisticated on the previous “My Lady’s On Fire,” here reaches for notes that were never wrote (perhaps a suggestion to pretenders everywhere to get free and reach for something outside of themselves instead!), setting the stage for a burning guitars-and-saxes-and-vocs climax. The production, with rough edges not only intact but deployed for maximum positive impact, is a marvel, forcing “The Main Pretender” into our frontal lobes, where it just won’t quit. They never do!
Ty Segall Tour Dates:
Sat. Dec. 9 – Mexico City, MX @ Hipnosis Festival
Fri. Dec. 15 – Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom [solo acoustic set] *
Sat. Dec. 16 – Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom [solo acoustic set]  *
Sun. Dec. 17 – San Francisco, CA @ The Chapel [solo acoustic set] #
Mon. Dec. 18 – San Francisco, CA @ The Chapel [solo acoustic set] #
Fri. Jan. 26 – Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom
Thu. Feb. 1 – San Francisco, CA @ Bill Graham Civic Auditorium ^
Thu. April 26 – Austin, TX @ Levitation 2018

* = with OCS, Shannon Lay, all proceeds go to LA Kitchen
# = with OCS, Shannon Lay
^ = with Queens Of The Stone Age

Partner – In Search of Lost Time

In Search of Lost Time isn’t the first music released by Canadian rock outfit Partner. They’ve released multiple excellent singles (i.e., “The Ellen Page” and “Personal Weekend”), and founding members Josee Caron (vocals and lead guitar) Lucy Niles (vocals and rhythm guitar), and Kevin Brasier (bass) already had Canadian indie rock scene credentials with their former bands Mouthbreathers and Go Get Fucked (possibly the best band name ever).  So it isn’t surprising that their first full-length record is witty, full of hooks, and one of the best pop-punk albums I’ve heard in a long while.

“Everybody Knows” starts the album with squealing, heavy guitar riffs and brings in a favorite subject of Partner’s – the goofy things that happen when one is high.  Caron sings about freaking out in the grocery store while in a euphoric quest for chips.  Niles sings about getting high while waiting for a friend and then realizing she can’t hide the fact that she “sparked another one” while waiting on the friend’s porch.  Oh yeah, Caron’s guitar solo on this will leave you stunned.

Niles’ guitar on “Comfort Zone” (a song about the joys of slacking) reminds me of Television riffs.  “Gross Secret,” with its sharp guitar work and dual vocals from Caron and Niles, reminds me of Sleater-Kinney if Sleater-Kinney would relax a bit now and then.  “Angels from Ontario” is about a perfect pop-punk love song you’ll ever hear.  The hooks and beat are instantly infectious and it bursts with enough energy to fill an opera house.

Caron reveals her love of shows like Judge Judy and The Maury Povich Show on “Daytime TV.”  Niles sings about the dangers of snooping in your roommate’s room on “Sex Object.”  “Ambassador to Ecstasy” is a solid rocker about trying to woo a hot girl and the possible complications that can come with such an endeavor.

“Play the Field” is a fun song about having a crush on a hot female athlete and contains what might be my favorite lyric of 2017 from Lucy Niles – “…to see you in your sports bra, though, just might change my life.”  “You Don’t Have to Say Thank You” is, without question, the sexiest song on the record as Caron tells her lover she doesn’t have to thank her for an amazing night since “your pleasure is my delight.”  Zowie!  As if that weren’t enough to sell you on it, wait until you hear the wall-flattening guitars and drums (from Toronto indie rock drumming legend Simone TB).

“Creature in the Sun,” a song about the joys of mindfulness, might be my favorite cut on the record.  It’s somewhere between new wave, post-punk, pop-punk, and spaghetti western music.  I guarantee that if you hear this on the radio or in a wrecka stow, you will instantly stop and think, “Who is this?”  The 1990’s alt-rock vibe is heavy on “Remember This,” which isn’t surprising when you consider the album was mixed by Chris Shaw who has worked with Weezer and Ween (among many others).

The closer, “Woman of Dreams,” has Caron and Niles pining for a lovely lady but realizing the best they can do about it (for now, at least) is write a song about her.  It reminds me of Fountains of Wayne‘s harder tracks with its punchy hooks and clever lyrics.

I haven’t even mentioned the sketches, which include various goofy telephone conversations with photographers, Caron’s father, and others.  I’ll let you discover those on your own.

This is one of those albums that will reveal new stuff to you every time you hear it – a drum fill, a wicked guitar lick, a funny lyric, etc.  I don’t know if Partner will get back the time they’re searching for, but they didn’t waste any making this record.  It won’t waste your time either.

Keep your mind open.

[Play the subscription box field and you’ll get updates sent straight to your e-mail!]

Rewind Review: Diagonal – self-titled (2016)

Chicago-based psych / shoegaze rockers Diagonal play an intriguing mix of both genres.  Their self-titled album, currently only available on cassette or digital download, starts with a meditative, almost ambient, nearly instrumental song called “Aura.”  I listened to this on a frosty northern Indiana morning as the sun rose over harvested corn fields.  It was perfect.

“Wide Eyed” teases you with a bit of drone sludge before breaking into a heavy shoegaze riff.  “Inside Your Mind” is so steeped in psychedelic tea that you can pretty much see rear projection oils when you hear it.  “Where to Go” ups the fuzz and races by you almost before you realize it’s happening (and I love the trippy fade-out).

“Waterloo” is another rocker that puts in enough reverb to almost make it a weird dream that eventually turns into a crazy psychedelic nightmare.  “Come Down” reminds me of early Black Angels material with its distorted yet somehow crisp guitars and lyrics lost in layers of reverb.  The album ends with “Cave” – a loud, wild, feverish freak-out that swirls around you like a tornado full of broken, dead trees and shattered houses.

It’s a solid release, and Diagonal is definitely a band to watch and hear.  They have the chops to be serious players in the psych-rock game.

Keep your mind open.

[Move diagonally to the subscribe box and drop me your e-mail before you go.]

Moby gives away four hours of ambient music.

In an effort to calm everyone down, including himself, DJ / author / producer Moby has created four hours of ambient music to help you sleep, meditate, practice your yoga, or just do nothing.  Even better, he’s giving all it away for free.

You can download the music from his WeTransfer website for no cost whatsoever.  Most of the pieces are between 20 and 30 minutes in length and are perfect for a sitting meditation session or just to chill out while you’re on the train or on a long flight.

His WeTransfer site says there’s no delete date on the files, but get it while you can.  You might need it to survive the holidays.

Keep your mind open.

[Don’t forget to subscribe before you go.  You’ll feel better.  Really.]

 

Live: Flying Lotus – Chicago, IL – November 14, 2017

I wanted to see Flying Lotus‘ 3-D show since I saw it without 3-D glasses at Mamby on the Beach earlier this year.  He put on an impressive set there, so I figured one in an enclosed venue like Chicago’s Riviera Theatre would be a good time.

It was, albeit the place was packed once you got past the bar in the main theatre because everyone wanted the best spot to see the visual spectacle.  It was indeed impressive, and I sure a wild trip if you were high during the thing.  A guy next to my friend and I snapped at her when he thought she had been staring at him every time she turned around to talk to me.  We explained that he had misread all of it and nothing was intentional.  As my friend told me later, “If you can’t handle your fucking drugs, don’t come to a Flying Lotus show.”

He put on a good set, spinning in some stuff he did with Thundercat along the way.  That was a big hit with the crowd.  The visuals were mostly different from the ones at his Mamby set.  Some of the best were a “Flying Lotus” logo that seemed to push from the screen to above the crowd and a floating woman’s head that would curl out from the screen like a snake.  It probably gave some chemically altered folks nightmares.

Just a floating wheel made of human limbs. Nothing to worry about.

Go see this tour if you’re able.  It’s worth it for the visual feast, and Flying Lotus is one of the best experimental artists out there right now.  His future is bright if he’s already doing stuff like this.

Keep your mind open.

[Updates can come to your inbox in 2-D when you subscribe.]

Rewind Review: The Dirtbombs – If You Don’t Already Have a Look (2005)

In the liner notes to this excellent double album from Detroit rockers the Dirtbombs, band leader / guitarist / vocalist Mick Collins proclaims, “The best albums are all compilations, anyway.  Why?  Because they’re made up of SINGLES, duh.”

If You Don’t Already Have a Look is a full-length collection of downright dangerous singles and another disc of cover tunes.  Danger is missing from a lot of rock music nowadays, and the Dirtbombs were possibly the most dangerous band to come out of the Motor City since the MC5.  Even their songs that venture into soul and pop music always have a streak of menace hidden in them.

There are many standouts on the album.  The opener on the disc of originals is “Theme from the Dirtbombs,” a fiery song that sounds like it belongs in the opening credits of a 1960’s car race cartoon.  “The Sharpest Claws” is a theme song for dominatrixes everywhere.  “I’m Saving Myself for Nichelle Nichols (No. 3)” is one of the craziest punk rock songs in the last twenty years.  “High Octane Salvation” is an homage to muscle cars and sprinkles in some psychobilly riffs for good measure.  “Little Miss Chocolate Syrup” has a bass groove as sweet as the song’s namesake.

“Don’t Bogue My High” was, like many early Dirtbombs tracks, recorded into a dictation microphone.  It is thus gloriously distorted and trashy.  “Encrypted” is a satire of 1990’s Britpop.  “Broke in Detroit (Again)” has this cool 60’s surf guitar riff you can’t shake.  “Infra-red” is a weird, shapeshifting track with guitars that ooze around like the Blob and “Candyass” is a solid rock track.  The lyrics of “All My Friends Must Be Punished” are some of the wittiest on the record.  “They Saved Einstein’s Brain” is a one-take punk rock classic.

The disc of cover songs includes great tracks by obscure bands like Cheater Slicks (“Possession”) and classics like Stevie Wonder‘s “Maybe Your Baby.”  Their cover of the Rolling Stones‘ “No Expectations” includes a Beatles tribute and a salute to the Stones’ “Sympathy for the Devil.”  “Noise in This World” (originally by English Beat) fits in perfectly with the Dirtbombs’ sound, as does their fiery, almost unrecognizable cover of Soft Cell‘s “Insecure…Me?”  “Tanzen Gehn” is a song in German made for a German label while the band was in Germany.  It’s wonderfully funky.  “Crash Down Day” was written by a six-year-old and is still better than most current rock tracks.  Their cover of the Bee Gees “I Started a Joke” is one of the coolest Bee Gees covers ever (especially with the reverbed vocals).

It’s a great introduction to the Dirtbombs or an addition to your collection of your  material.

Keep your mind open.

[I’ll bring you sound again when you subscribe.]