RBBP released their new album Doom Wop in September 2022. Hear Doom Wop on your favorite streaming service HERE. Revolver Magazine recently premiered the official video for “Heel”HERE. (Direct YouTube.)
With their 5th studio release, Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol is putting a name to the style of fuzzed out, overdriven, melodic, groovy music they have been making since 2016. In 9 concise, no bullshit songs, RBBP demonstrates their ability to blend the merciless low end of Leo Lydon’s 8-String guitar, Aaron Metzdorf’s masterful chordwork on the bass, and Sean St.Germain’s driving drumwork. Lydon and Metzdorf’s vocal melodies cut through the high frequencies to deliver fresh layers to the hooks that RBBP fans have come to love.
As the name implies, Doom Wop is a heavy, melody-driven, party metal album. With riffs as big and dumb as ever, and lyrics that stab at the worst members of society and ourselves (while keeping tongue firmly in cheek), listeners will find all the elements that make up the soul of RBBP on this record.
Doom Wop is available on CD and download, released on September 23rd, 2022. Vinyl LP coming in May. Pre-orders are available HERE.
RBBP LIVE 2023:
04/21 Houston, TX – Black Magic Social Club
04/22 San Antonio, TX – Paper Tiger
04/29 Denton, TX – Thin Line Fest
05/06 Atlanta, GA – Shaky Knees Festival
05/07 Nashville, TN – The 5 Spot
05/09 Charlotte, NC – Snug Harbor
05/10 Washington, DC – Quarry House Tavern
05/11 Cambridge, MA – Middle East Upstairs
05/12 Brooklyn, NY – Saint Vitus
05/13 Philadelphia, PA – Kung Fu Necktie
05/14 Pittsburgh, PA – The Funhouse at Mr. Small’s
05/15 Chicago, IL – The Empty Bottle
05/17 Oklahoma City, OK – The Blue Note
06/09 Los Angeles, CA – Permanent Records Roadhouse
My friend and I arrived at Chicago’s Salt Shed (the former Morton’s Salt factory) too late to catch The Steens, mainly due to chilly weather and heavy traffic, but we made it in plenty of time to see Viagra Boys. The venue is pretty damn big, and they packed the place in a near sold-out show that lead singer Sebastian Murphy said might’ve been their biggest show in the United States.
They certainly brought the energy to back that claim, opening with a pounding version of “I Ain’t No Thief” that had beer cans and water cups flying everywhere over the large main crowd floor. Following that with “Ain’t Nice” was like pouring gasoline on a fire.
The crowd was jumping, yelling, singing and even sometimes dumbfounded as Viagra Boys ripped through old and new tracks and sometimes wandered into weird psychedelia, including a Captain Beefheart-like saxophone solo by Oscar Carls.
Other highlights included the crowd favorites “Sports” and “Troglodyte” (which had everyone chanting), the graphic deep cut “Liquids” (which Murphy admitted, on stage, is “a song about getting peed on.”), a trippy version of “Creepy Crawlers,” and a long, wild version of “Shrimp Shack” to close out the main set. It was also cool to hear “Worms” during the encore, as it’s a sharp song about impermanence but almost a relaxing tonic before “Research Chemicals” hits you in the face.
They set a high bar for bands the rest of the year. Enjoy the chaos with them if you get a chance.
Gonerfest returns for its 20th edition and to celebrate the 20th anniversary of prominent rock label Goner Records who have shaped punk, garage, soul and beyond for two decades! The gonzo independent music festival hosted by the label and iconic Tennessean storefront takes place in Memphis’ Railgarten from Thursday, September 28 through Sunday, October 1, 2023.
Today, Gonerfest 20 announces its initial lineup which so far includes performances by headliners Osees (Thursday), The Gories (Friday) and The Mummies (Saturday). Spanning genres and generations, Gonerfest 20 will showcase another unique and wide-ranging bill featuring bands, MCs, and DJs from around the world. Highlights include a number of acts coming from overseas, including performances by UK artists Chubby & the Gang and Vivron Vavron, Australian bands CIVIC, Dippers, 1-800-Mikey, TV Repairmann, Vintage Crop and C.O.F.F.I.N., Denmark’s The Courettes, Japan’s The Smog, and Lewsberg from the Netherlands, among others.
Gonerfest 20 tickets go on sale now. Golden Passes, which allow entry to all official GF20 events, are $130. Single-day passes will be available at the door, according to venue capacity. For more information and to purchase tickets, go here.
Since The King Khan & BBQ Show headlined Gonerfest 1 back in January 2005, the festival has grown to become an exciting and eclectic collision of four days of non-stop action that welcomes bands and fans from around the world. With a round-the-clock schedule of official shows, afterparties, art events, and more – at Gonerfest, the concept of community is truly at the heart of the event.
Goner Records’ co-founder Eric Friedl says, “There’s not a whole lot of separation between fans and bands and everything else in Gonerfest. It gives it a different feel, rather than seeing someone up on stage that isn’t interacting with the people at all.”
With the publication of an annual program guide, Gonerfest also works to support local business while promoting the music, arts, and culture of Memphis to its attendees. “Gonerfest has become a rite of passage,” says Goner Records co-owner Zac Ives. “It allows us to showcase our city and celebrate our little part of the music world in front of an extremely wide audience.” More than 1,000 tourists make the pilgrimage to Memphis for Gonerfest, which culminates in a substantial economic impact for its city. Gonerfest attendees eat at locally-owned restaurants like Payne’s BBQ and Cozy Corner, drink Goner-inspired beer brewed at Memphis Made, and visit the Stax Museum of American Soul Music, Graceland, and the National Civil Rights Museum.
The Mummies, Osees, The Gories, Marked Men, Chubby & the Gang, Sweeping Promises, Ibex Clone, CIVIC, The Cool Jerks, Bill Orcutt / Chris Corsano, The Courettes, C.O.F.F.I.N, Alien Nosejob, Dippers, Virvon Varvon, Cheater Slicks, Lewsberg, 1-800-Mikey, TV Repairmann, Vintage Crop, The Smog, Laundry Bats, Turnt
Additional artists, DJs, MCs and more TBA!
Over the last two decades, Gonerfest has featured a dazzlingly international array of performers including Jay Reatard, Thee Oh Sees, Eddy Current Suppression Ring, Mudhoney, Cobra Man, Lydia Lunch, Wreckless Eric, Simply Saucer, The Black Lips, The Carbonas, Rev. John Wilkins, Negative Approach, Shannon & the Clams, Cosmic Psychos, Amyl & the Sniffers, Robyn Hitchcock, The Mummies, Ty Segall, Fred Lane, The Spits, The Gizmos, Guitar Wolf, and more.
Recalling the first year of Gonerfest, Friedl says, “It was amazing that people wanted to come to Memphis to see this music. The first time I realized we were doing something more than just putting on a show was when we saw this guy from Italy walking down Cleveland Street in the middle of the day. I was like, ‘Okay, if people are willing to come from Italy to watch these bands over a weekend in Memphis, we might be doing something interesting here.’”
More About Goner Records: An independent music label and record store, Goner Records is based in Memphis, Tennessee and co-owned by Eric Friedl and Zac Ives. Goner Records is internationally recognized for its roster of artists including Oblivians, Jay Reatard, The King Khan & BBQ Show, Cobra Man, the Carbonas, NOTS, Ty Segall, and Eddy Current Suppression Ring. Goner Records has been named a top 10 record shop in the U.S. by SPIN and Rolling Stone, and a top 3 independent label by Billboard.
Taken from recordings of live shows from their reunion tour around 2014, Failure‘s Tree of Stars is a strong and tight capture of the band flattening crowds in Houston and Phoenix with their wall of cosmic shoegaze sound.
“Let It Drip” is the first track on the EP and the first one recorded in Phoenix. Ken Andrews distorted vocals go well with his roaring guitar, and Kellii Scott pretty much puts on a drumming clinic through the whole track. It’s over before you have time to catch your breath.
Greg Edwards‘ bass on “Frogs” (live from Houston) brings to mind a giant version of the titular creature rumbling under the surface of a dark pond upon which a meteor storm (Scott’s drumming) is reflected. The live version of “Sergeant Politeness” (the second Phoenix track) hits with aggressive thuds and extra vigor in Andrews’ vocals. The second track record in Houston is “Heliotropic,” which always has a roaring guitar solo from Andrews, and this version is no exception.
The download version of Tree of Stars comes with a new 2014 version of “Solaris” that is somehow even more deep-space than the original as a result of a slower beat, reverb-drenched vocals, and guitars that sound like they’re being played in Atlantis. The tour-only version had “Come Crashing” on it, which was Failure’s first new music since 1996’s Fantastic Planet and would end up on their 2015 album The Heart Is a Monster.
It’s a great tease of hopefully a full live album in the future.
Recorded at the famous metal / stoner rock festival in The Netherlands. Live at Roadburn 2011 is a heavy recording of Acid King‘s performance there. The band is legendary among stoner metal enthusiasts, and any release from them is a cause for celebration. They haven’t released a lot of material (although a new album is due in 2023), but what they have released is almost held sacred by their fans.
“All right,” says lead singer and guitarist Lori S. at the beginning of the set, sounding like she’s about to start working on an old motorcycle she’s had in the back of the garage for a couple years. What follows is Peter Lucas‘ growling bass introducing the title track of their famous album, Busse Woods. It’s not unlike a monster awakening from a long slumber, and Lori S.’s guitar is the chant of a high priestess calling the beast forth. You know you’re in for danger once Joey Osbourne‘s drums pound down the walls.
This rolls into “2 Wheel Nation,” a salute to outlaw biker gangs and the idea, at least, of living free on the road. It roars like a 1970s Harley-Davidson ridden by a orc leaving Mordor. “Silent Circle” is anything but silent. It’s heaviness is almost crushing. “On to Everafter” gets all cosmic with Lori S.’s swirling riffs and Osbourne’s desert rock drumming.
Once you’re in orbit, “Coming Down from Outer Space” brings you back to the surface with the full pull of Earth’s gravity (and the re-entry roar of Lucas’ bass). Somehow, “Electric Machine” hits even harder than that. Lori S.’s vocals echo back from the outer rim of the galaxy, bringing untold legions of alien warriors with it. The set ends with the colossal “Sunshine and Sorrow.”
It’s a good capture of some stoner metal giants playing to an appreciative crowd, and a nice warm-up for Acid King’s next record.
Austin Psych Fest is returning, and it’s bringing another great Austin music festival lineup with it. Saturday’s lineup alone is worth the weekend pass…and this isn’t even the full lineup. The festival will be held at The Far Out on two different stages throughout the day, and tickets are already on sale. Don’t miss it.
Keep your mind open.
[Don’t forget to subscribe before you go.]
[Thanks to the Reverberation Appreciation Society.]
The Bobby Lees, who recently released their Ipecac Recordings’ debut, Bellevue, head out on their first North American tour in support of the album, which Pop Matters dubbed their “most scorching and essential recording to date.”
“This will be our first time playing Bellevue in all of these cities,” said the band, collectively. “Come watch us play like it’s our last night on earth!”
The Bobby Lees tour dates:
February 3 Atlantic City, NJ Anchor Rock Club (w/ Jon Spencer)
March 30 Chicago, IL Schubas Tavern
March 31 Columbus, OH Rumba Café
April 1 Athens, OH Ohio University
April 3 Cleveland, OH Beachland Ballroom
April 4 Toronto, ON Monarch Tavern
April 6 Philadelphia, PA Kung Fu Necktie
April 7 New York, NY Mercury Lounge
April 8 Troy, NY No Fun
April 11 Washington, DC DC9
April 12 Carrboro, NC Cat’s Cradle
April 13 Atlanta, GA The Earl
April 14 Nashville, TN The Basement
May 2 Seattle, WA Barboza
May 3 Portland, OR Mississippi Studios
May 5 San Francisco, CA Bottom of the Hill
May 6 Los Angeles, CA The Echo
May 7 San Diego, CA The Casbah
May 11 Austin TX Mohawk
May 12 Dallas, TX Three Links
May 13 Tulsa, OK The Vanguard
Tickets for all shows are on sale this Friday at 10 am local time. Ticketing links can be found via Ipecac.com/tours.
I’d been trying to see Dry Cleaning in concert for a couple years. I was always missing their Chicago sets due to work, and then they had to cancel their appearance at the 2022 Levitation France festival. Now, they and I were finally going to be in Chicago on the same day, so I wasn’t going to miss the show. I’m glad I bought my ticket early, because it was a sold-out performance. I didn’t arrive in time to see Nourished By Time, but Dry Cleaning came out and wasted no time in engaging with their passionate fans.
Starting with “Kwenchy Kups” and then rolling straight into their ode to a lost tortoise (“Gary Ashby”), Dry Cleaning put on a fascinating set. Lead singer Florence Shaw isn’t the most dynamic front woman out there, but that’s kind of the point. She’s the calm in the storm whipped up by her bandmates. Her low tones aren’t without passion, but she’s more of a storyteller than a singer. “Scratchcard Lanyard” and “Viking Hair” are hits not only for Tom Dowse‘s screeching guitar licks (which sound like Andy Gill riffs live), but also for Shaw’s tales of strange things that are so weird that they have to be at least partially true.
There were moments in the show, like in the above image, when Shaw, dressed in her sweatshirt and baggy jeans, and with her straight long hair and perfect fingernails, looked like a wraith in the lights and smoke on stage. This, combined with her smoky voice, and Lewis Maynard‘s thumping bass, was a cool effect – especially during tracks like “Don’t Press Me” and “Conservative Hell.”
Nick Buxton keeps the whole thing from devolving into a spooky haunted house ride by putting down post-punk precision drumming (“Magic of Meghan” being a prime example). The encore included a song Dry Cleaning doesn’t play often, as it’s still fairly new, “Liberty Log.” It was a special treat for all of us.
The whole show was a special treat for their fans. Plenty were dancing, cheering, shouting lyrics, and going wild with every buzzsaw solo Dowse played. It was a good start to my 2023 concert season.
The fine folks at Levitation have announced the return of the Austin Psych Fest (which is what the Levitation Music Festival was originally called for many years and when I started going there in 2013) April 28 – 30, 2023. The festival will be at The Far Out Lounge in Austin and take place on two stages at the venue.
Lineup announcements and tickets are coming soon. I’m sure it will be another fun time in Austin, so don’t miss it.
Keep your mind open.
[Don’t forget to subscribe before you go.]
[Thanks to the Reverberation Appreciation Society.]
It’s kind of amazing that it took me so long to see Weird Al and his band in concert. The level of musicianship on display was jaw-dropping. I lost count of how many styles and genres they played, and Yankovic’s ability to remember so many complex lyrics was stunning.
“They play like their hair is on fire.” is how my friend described this set from Frankie and the Witch Fingers, which blew the minds of everyone at the LevitationFrance festival that night. People were absolutely bonkers by the end of it.
Easily the best sound quality I heard all year, especially in such a large open-air venue, this stop on Elton John’s farewell was humid, but still an amazing performance that cover classic hits and newer tracks. The set was impressive, as was John’s energy as he revved up the crowd the entire time.
Speaking of farewell tours, this one from Midnight Oil was a barn-burner. The place was packed, which only gave the band more energy to unleash in what would be their final Chicago performance. They raged harder against every machine than most bands half their age.
A powerful performance on all levels, plus those of us who bought VIP tickets got to attend their sound check and meet Failure before the main show. It was like two concerts in one from one of my favorite bands whose music can be life-changing. I don’t use that term lightly. Getting to tell them face-to-face how “Another Space Song” has become even more meaningful to me since my wife’s death was an honor I’ll never forget.
I’ve already started seeing bands this year (Dry Cleaning), so 2023 is off to a good start. Who are you excited to see this year?
