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.
Elephant Stone (Rishi Dhir – lead vocals, bass, sitar, Miles Dupire – drums, vocals, Gabriel Lambert – guitar, vocals, Stephen Venkatarangam – keyboards, synths) never disappoint live. I’ve seen them three times in three different settings: A music festival attended by thousands (the main stage Levitation Austin at the Carson Creek Ranch), a mid-sized indoor / outdoor venue with a couple hundred people there (at the Mohawk in downtown Austin), and at a tiny pub with barely anyone there (Howler’s in Pittsburgh). Each show has been good and their first live EP, Live at the Verge, is a nice release that puts me in the mood to see them again.
The EP is five tracks from their latest record, Ship of Fools, starting with “The Devil’s Shelter” and plunging you straight down a rabbit hole of psychedelia. Venkatarangam’s pulsing synths meet Dhir’s echoing vocals and Joy Division-influenced bass while Dupire knocks out a beat so precise that you could knife fight to it.
Dhir breaks out the sitar on “Silence Can Say So Much.” It’s one of the loveliest songs on Ship of Fools, and the recording of it here is outstanding. Lambert plays some stadium-level riffs on “See the Light,” and the rest of the band cooks alongside him. His guitar lifts you into orbit on “Andromeda” and is something out of a groovy 1960’s sci-fi / Euro-spy film you’ve never seen.
The EP ends with “Manipulator,” which sounds even better live than you hope it will. Elephant Stone puts down a serious groove and each launch into the chorus pumps you up more. The bridge will leave you slack-jawed.
The whole EP is impressive, and I hope they release a full-length live album sometime in the future. Whoever recorded Live at the Verge deserves special credit, because it sounds fantastic. It’s only a digital release, so snag it while you can.
Spoils of moshing: A Damned 40th anniversary U.S. tour poster, a signed Bleached t-shirt, and a broken watch band.
I’ve wanted to see the Damnedfor a long while and was bummed that I missed them when they played Chicago’s Riot Fest a couple years ago. Lo and behold, they came to the U.S. again for a 40th anniversary tour, and this time I was able to catch them with Bleachedopening for them. That’s a win-win.
Bleached killing it.
I saw Bleached in October of last year in Cleveland. They put on a good show, so I figured they’d be solid again. I did not know that they would be even better in just six months’ time. It was quickly evident (within two songs when they were absolutely gunning on “Trying to Lose Myself Again” from Welcome the Worms) that Bleached has seriously upped their game in just half a year. They powered through many cuts off their excellent new EP Can You Deal?and even one I hadn’t heard before (“Electric Chair”). I was gobsmacked by the end of their set. I caught up with sisters Jennifer and Jessie Clavin at their merch table between the first and second encores of the Damned. I told them their set was a home run and how much they’d improved since Cleveland.
“Being on this tour has been really good for us,” Jennifer Clavin told me. “Playing in front of a lot of people who don’t know us has really made us work on our stage presence.”
“It’s only been six months!” Jessie Clavin said.
“I know,” I said. “That’s what make it more impressive.”
Speaking of impressive, the Damned were just that.
“We’re back from the mists of time,” said lead guitarist Captain Sensible, “to save the world from shitty music like Mumford and Sons!”
The band tore into literal floor-shaking classics like “Generals,” “Disco Man,” and “I Just Can’t Be Happy Today” before a mosh pit finally broke out during “Love Song.” The first of two beers went flying through the air during this. For the record, I’ve been in some wild, fun crowds at the House of Blues. I’ve never seen cups of beer, hats, shoes, and jackets thrown into the air during a show there until I saw the Damned play there.
The Damned performing “Disco Man.”
I stayed in the pit for “Love Song” and “Street of Dreams.” The Damned continued a great set (and Captain Sensible kept decrying Mumford and Sons – as well as Kurt Vile, whom he called a “pillock,” Duran Duran, KISS, and Billy Idol) that included such fine tracks as “Eloise,” “Wait for the Blackout,” and “The History of the World (Part 1).”
Of course, the crowd (and I) went berserk during “Neat Neat Neat” and “New Rose.” Moshing to those punk classics was a dream come true for me. Truth to tell, I wasn’t sure I’d ever hear “Neat Neat Neat” live, so being in the middle of a friendly mosh pit ten feet from David Vanian as he sung it was great.
The Damned taking us back to 1977.
As I mentioned earlier, they played two encores. The first included “Jet Boy Jet Girl,” sung by the Captain, “Noise Noise Noise,” and “Smash It Up.” The last track especially showed off keyboardist Monty Oxymoron’s skill. The second encore included “Nasty” (the first Damned song I ever heard thanks to them performing it on The Young Ones) and “Antipope.” A guy near me had been yelling for “Antipope” for the last third of the show, so I was happy for him (and all of us) that they played it. He went bananas.
It was a fun show. They haven’t lost anything. Sensible is still a great guitarist and Vanian (“the Vincent Price of rock,” as Capt. Sensible called him) still commands a stage like few can. The Damned are touring extensively throughout the U.S. before they head to Europe. Catch them if you’re near you.
By the way, here’s the list of things I found on the floor during and after the mosh pit: A button labeled “GW,” a spiked bracelet (belonging to a guy in a Misfits jacket behind me), a nickel, an opened (but thankfully unused) condom, a peacock keychain and attached house key (belonging to a young woman I found after the final encore), a hat (owner unknown), and a sweater (owner unknown). A guy next to me in the pit found a cell phone. I don’t know if he ever found the owner.
The New Pornographers (Kathryn Calder – vocals, keyboards, guitar, Neko Case – vocals, John Collins – bass, Todd Fancey – lead guitar, Carl Newman – vocals, guitar, Joe Seiders – drums, vocals, Blaine Thurier – keyboards, synthesizers) hail from Canada, so that might explain the title of their new album – Whiteout Conditions. Such things are frequent there in the winters. I can’t help but think, however, that the title is a tongue-in-cheek reference to the result of the 2016 U.S. Presidential election and the voter base that led to that result. Carl Newman and Neko Case are openly critical of President Trump on their respective Twitter feeds, so it’s not too much of a stretch.
Judging by the bright, uplifting feel of this record, the band assures us that everything will be all right. The opener, “Play Money,” is full of brilliant keyboards even as Ms. Case sings lyrics like “…just when I thought we beat the system, I knew a gentleman of leisure. He loved to talk about his treasure and how he got it for a song.”
The title track is a tale of some depression Newman’s admitted he was feeling at the time he wrote it (Shock at the result of the 2016 election?) “Flying and flat on the ceiling, I’m barely dealing…I wasn’t hoping for a win, I was hoping for freedom,” he sings, disguising the song as a tale of a man who’s sick of his job with pulsing synths and almost New Order beats. The first single, “High Ticket Attractions,” amps up the synths and witty lyrics (“You can’t imagine all the factions that form around high ticket attractions.”) even more, but now they’re backed with solid rock drumming by Seiders.
“This Is the World of the Theatre” pretty much wears its meaning on its sleeve. Like many of the tracks off their last album, Brill Bruisers, it sounds like an ELO track. “Darling Shade” has some of the funkiest bass on the record as Newman and his niece, Calder, sing, “When you give your mind to your voices, you accept the terms of your sentence.” “Second Sleep” is about insomnia (Due to stress?) as Peter Hook-style bass drives the track. “Colosseums” sprinkles in a bit of psychedelia as Newman sings about being overcome by, and warning against the distractions of, grand spectacle (“Colosseums, colosseums of the mind. Right on time, celebration in the ruin. Elation is moving in a wave. I avert my eyes, but I still see the lions.”). I love the percussion on this. It reminds me of Oingo Boingo songs, actually.
“We’ve Been Here Before” doesn’t sprinkle in psychedelia, it lays it on like a sweet strawberry jam. Just listen to those synths and vocals and you’ll hear it. Newman and Case assure us that we’ll get out of these times of “gods of bad parties.”
“Juke” is electro-psych with Newman singing about shattered crystal balls and people diverging on many paths after chaos explodes around them. The much-appreciated dive into psych-rock continues on “Clockwise.” It’s something you wouldn’t be surprised to hear on a Besnard Lakes album. The closer is “Avalanche Alley.” It opens with keyboards reminiscent of Pete Townshend’s “Let My Love Open the Door,” and then breaks into a great clickety-clack beat. I love that they chose to end an album about post-election blues with such a peppy, upbeat track.
As usual, the New Pornographers have crafted a great record. They’ve yet to swing and miss. Whiteout Conditions let us know that everything will be all right. Winter always gives way to spring. Whiteouts always clear sooner or later.
Coming off their highly acclaimed full-length album Welcome the Worms, Bleached (Jennifer Calvin – guitar and lead vocals, Jessica Calvin – vocals and lead guitar, Micayla Grace – bass and vocals, Nick Pillot – drums) found not only more fame, but also more headaches from a music business dominated by men and, at best, dismissive towards women.
These attitudes, and the current political climate, inspired the four-song EP Can You Deal?. It’s a brilliant title. Can you deal with Bleached carving out a name for themselves in the music industry? Can you deal with them being a rock band instead of a female rock band? Can you deal with them not putting up with sexism or giving a shit about what you think?
The title track is all those questions and more amid shimmering punk-pop and a go-for-broke guitar solo by Jessica Calvin. “Flipside” is a lovely ode to a guy who rolls his eyes at the idea of being in a relationship because he’s too hip for the room. It’s undeniably catchy and, in a proper universe, would launch Bleached to the moon in terms of record sales. Seriously, it’s one of the prettiest singles of 2017.
“Turn to Rage” has Bleached showing off their rock chops (particularly the hammering drums by Pillot) while Jennifer Calvin warns a potential suitor not to fuck with her or he might end up “fishin’ for compliments from the grave.” The rock crunch continues on the final track, “Dear Trouble.” “Poor, Jennifer, I’ll be crazy all my life,” Calvin sings as she yearns for a relationship free of drama.
This is a solid EP and another booming step forward for Bleached on their way to being Next Big Things. They are currently touring with the Damned, so that alone should earn your respect if this EP doesn’t (but it will).
Keep your mind open.
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First, Canadian psych-rockers Elephant Stone have released their first live recording – Live at the Verge. It’s only available in digital format and has five tracks from a show at the Toronto nightclub recorded in February 2017. Elephant Stone never disappoint live, so this is more than worth the low price.
Second, the band has released dates for a European and UK tour taking them from the Netherlands to France.
Chicago’s annual Riot Fest has unveiled its first lineup announcement for 2017, and it trumps Lollapalooza’s.
They’re bringing in punk legends Buzzcocks,GBH, and Bad Brains, new punks Slaves, Death from Above 1979, and Pennywise, grunge powerhouse Dinosaur Jr., industrial legends Ministry and Nine Inch Nails, electro legends New Order and modern icons M.I.A. and Peaches, progressive psych-rockers TV on the Radio, modern rock giants Queens of the Stone Age, and rap legends Prophets of Rage, Wu-Tang Clan, and Mike D.
They still have twenty-five more bands to announce. Tickets might be sold out by the time you read this, so don’t wait to get yours.
Named after a yellow guitar that looks a bit like a Gibson Flying V but is built to play microtones, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard’s first album – of five – of 2017, Flying Microtonal Banana, is another wild mind trip from the Australian psychedelic workhorses.
Beginning with the sound of wind across the desert, “Rattlesnake” is over seven minutes of toe-tapping, head-nodding, mind-altering psychedelia. The beat is venomous and the microtonal guitar work in the last third of it is great. It flows straight into “Melting” (a song about the damage we’re doing to the environment), which your mind might already be doing by this point. The dual drumming is hypnotic, as is the bass line, organ, and the near-lounge jazz sound of the whole track. The sound of ocean waves keeps you drifting on “Open Water,” and the surf guitar certainly helps. Could it be another environmental warning about all of us living in a water world after the ice caps melt (as mentioned in the previous track)? The microtonal guitars on it are like something you’d hear in a Marrakesh bazaar.
“Sleep Drifter” almost sounds like a slower version of “Rattlesnake” at first, but it’s about sleeping and dreaming with a loved one instead of a song about a wise animal / Midgard serpent. The track gets into a sweet rock groove by the end (love the harmonica and that porn guitar!). “Billabong Valley” is another microtonal freak-out as we hear about an outlaw who enters the mystic valley and is “shot in the back by mornin’.” “Anoxia” gets us back to the environmental themes of the record (The album cover features a man in a haz-mat suit and a snake emerging from a biohazard waste barrel.). The double drums almost play lead on it.
Don’t worry if the previous couple tracks didn’t have enough fuzz for you, because “Doom City” has enough for the entire side of an LP. The microtonal guitar in this sounds like creepy laughter from an evil imp hiding in a dark corner. I’m sure it’s not a random choice that “Nuclear Fusion” follows “Doom City.” The songs flow together and the groove is downright radioactive. It gets under your skin and might make you hear colors as they sing about patterns in the sky and on the subatomic level.
The title track (an instrumental) closes the record, and the band brings in cool Australian Aboriginal percussion to meld with the squealing, hypnotic microtonal guitars. KGALTW are off to a great start in their five-album quest. The second one, Murder of the Universe, is already available for pre-order. Get caught up now while you can by picking up Flying Microtonal Banana.
Over the past few years, Bloomington-via-Atlanta’s Dasher have been building a reputation as one of the US’s most captivating, searing live propositions – a blistering, midnight drag race of dark metal fury, goth ghost wailing and sticky-kick garage rock.
The quartet, led by drummer/vocalist Kylee Kimbrough and completed by guitarists Steve Garcia and Derek McCain, and bassist Gary Marra, draw upon the chop-crunch guitar of latter-day post-punk, the seething screech of the Amphetamine Reptile stable, the nightmarescape of Japanese hardcore and the desire to remain as beats-basic as a Ramones party dream, fusing it all into some of the most enthralling punk rock you’ll hear all year.
Today, the four-piece is proud to announce their signing to Jagjaguwar, a label that – among its eclectic roster – has never been afraid to skirt the noisier fringes of modern guitar music (see: Dinosaur Jr., Black Mountain, Preoccupations) but for whom Dasher mark their first foray into out-and-out punk rock. On the basis of new single “We Know So,” it’s easy to see why they’re taking the jump: across it’s 2.5 minutes, ‘We Know So’ tangles with bludgeoning force, shout-along choruses and guitars that cut like razor-wire. It’s a bewitching call-to-arms that already shows Jagjaguwar’s faith to be well-repaid.
“Kylee Kimbrough is an unbelievable badass. The drummer, songwriter, and vocalist behind the wide-eyed, abrasive Atlanta post-punk trio Dasher screams in this hoarse, otherworldly voice.” – Pitchfork
“‘Go Rambo’ is an ecstatic, empowering, aggressive wild-out of a punk jammer from Dasher.” – SPIN
“Kimbrough appears fearless on stage with Dasher” – Creative Loafing Atlanta
Last year the Raveonettes decided to create a “anti-album” by composing and releasing a new track digitally every month. These tracks have now been compiled into their new record – 2016 Atomized. It will be available April 21st for the first time as a complete collection.
A lot of the tracks on the record have a strong synth / electro feel instead of the psychedelic fuzz you’re used to on a Raveonettes records, but that’s not a bad thing. It’s good to hear them stretching out.
Keep your mind open.
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The album consists of 21 tracks split into three chapters. Watch the video for “Chapter 3: Han-Tyumi and the Murder of the Universe” HERE.
There are three different pre-order editions all limited to 2000 copies world-wide.
Tracklist:
The Tale Of The Altered Beast
1. A New World
2. Altered Beast I
3. Alter Me I
4. Altered Beast II
5. Alter Me II
6. Altered Beast III
7. Alter Me III
8. Altered Beast IV
9. Life / DeathThe Lord Of Lightning Vs. Balrog
10. Some Context
11. The Reticent Raconteur
12. The Lord Of Lightning
13. The Balrog
14. The Floating Fire
15. The Acrid CorpseHan-Tyumi And The Murder Of The Universe
16. Welcome To An Altered Future
17. Digital Black
18. Han-Tyumi, The Confused Cyborg
19. Soy-Protein Munt Machine
20. Vomit Coffin
21. Murder Of The Universe
Altered Beast Edition
– Tri-coloured wax
– 30 page illustrated story book
– Zoetrope animated labels
– Download card
– Limited to 2000 worldwide
Floating Fire Edition
– Floating Fire Splattered wax
– 30 page illustrated story book
– Zoetrope animated labels
– Download card
– Limited to 2000 worldwide
Vomit Coffin Edition
– Vomit coloured blob with splatter wax
– 30 page illustrated story book
– Zoetrope animated labels
– Download card
– Limited to 2000 worldwide
