I was bummed that I missed Riot Fest in Chicago this year, and one of the reasons was that I missed Bleached‘s set there. I discovered Bleached earlier this year DJ’ing for WSND and really enjoyed their new record, Welcome the Worms.
Luckily for me, Bleached were playing in Cleveland at the Grog Shop on the night my wife were there for her birthday road trip. The Grog Shop is a nice venue. My wife described it as one of her favorites of all the places I’ve dragged her to this year. It’s roomy, but not cavernous. Just avoid the Ace pumpkin cider.
First up on the bill were Hunny, a pop-punk outfit from L.A. with a lot of guitars and swagger. They sounded like Green Day if Green Day decided to keep playing mid-size venues instead of writing Broadway musicals.
Hunny
Bleached played second, and they killed it. A batch of Millennial girls started a tiny mosh pit as soon as Bleached put down the first chord. They opened with “Keep On Keepin’ On” from the new record and tore through other tracks like “Trying to Lose Myself Again” and “Wasted on You” from Welcome the Worms and “Looking for a Fight” and “Outta My Mind” from their first record, Ride Your Heart (review coming soon).
Jessica Clavin had a definite Suzi Gardner / L7 power in her guitar work, and bassist Micayla Grace was on point. Drummer Nick Pilot did a great job, and even swapped his drums for Jennifer Clavin’s guitar (while she took over kit duties) at the end. It was a solid set that won them a lot of new fans.
Bleached
Last up was Beach Slang, which was only singer / guitarist James Alex that night for reasons unknown. He played a loud, wild set of punk anthems and even invited audience members to join him on stage to play with him. Two people did, picking up a bass guitar and getting behind Bleached’s drum kit for one track – and doing well for being an impromptu rhythm section. Mr. Alex had a lot of fans in the crowd who went wild for his new material.
James Alex of Beach Slang.
It was a good night of rock. I hope you were there.
We made the 5-hour drive to Pittsburgh through the rain and got in a nice romantic dinner before settling in at Howlers – a local rock / dive bar in Pittsburgh to see Elephant Stone. My wife and I have been fans of theirs since we first saw them at Levitation Austin in 2013, and I was eager to hear tracks from their new album, Ship of Fools, live.
We had to wait a little while, however, because we were surprised to learn there were three bands playing before them. The first was a local hero – Paul Labrise – who played in a rock three-piece that laid down a good mix of surf, rockabilly, and garage rock.
Paul Labrise (on guitar) and crew.
Following them were One Day Steady – who were only on the second date of their current tour. They played loud, enthusiastic that reminded us of Green Day, Fall Out Boy, and a little bit of Red Hot Chili Peppers for good measure.
One Day Steady
The Tilt Room were another three-piece, but this one played Americana / acoustic jams and didn’t mess around. They got on stage, blasted through a short set, and sounded good.
The Tilt Room
Elephant Stone got on stage after 11:00pm and ended up played a shorter than normal set due to the late start time. It was, nonetheless, impressive as always. This is the smallest venue in which we’ve seen them, and hearing tracks like “Andromeda,” “Manipulator,” and “The Devil’s Shelter” in such a space was uplifting. Many of the members of the other bands stuck around for their set and were impressed by their sound and efficiency.
Elephant Stone
We got to chat with Elephant Stone frontman Rishi Dhir, and it was great to finally meet him in person after a couple years of seeing them in Texas and swapping Tweets. He gave us a hug before and after their set, which was (unbeknownst to him) the best birthday gift he could’ve given my wife – as it was officially her birthday by the post-midnight end of their set.It was a fine set at that, and shame on you if you missed it. Catch them on this tour if you can.
Set list, albeit there wasn’t time for them to play every song on it.
I knew this was a triple bill I couldn’t miss. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Death from Above 1979, and Deap Vallywere playing the Chicago House of Blues all in the same night. That’s a killer lineup. Any of the three are worth seeing alone, but all three on the same night. It’s a no-brainer.
First up were Deap Vally, who I’ve wanted to see since I missed their set at Levitation Austin in 2013. They came out to a large crowd and, no exaggeration, stole the show.
Deap Vally killing it.
They opened with “Make My Own Money” and powered through prime cuts like “Gonnawanna,” “Walk of Shame,” and “Royal Jelly.” Guitarist Lindsey Troy and fill-in drummer Lia Simone (formerly of A Place to Bury Strangers and Les Bucherettes) rocked so hard that I felt bad for DFA 1979 who were to follow them. Ms. Simone played like she’d been playing the tracks for years. It turns out she’s longtime friends with Ms. Troy and full-time drummer Julie Edwards, so Ms. Simone practically knew the chops already when she jumped behind the kit. Everyone within earshot of me was talking about their set even after the end of BRMC’s, proclaiming Ms. Troy’s “bad ass” attitude and Ms. Simone’s excellent kit work.
Lia Simone, yours truly, Lindsey Troy
Death from Above 1979 were no slouches, mind you. Their crazy light show was perfect for their loud fuzz-rock. How drummer Sebastien Granger can sing lead vocals while playing those insane drum licks is a mystery to me, but he makes it look easy. Jesse Keeler wanders the stage like an enraged Rasputin and plays as heavy as the mad monk’s legend. A crazy, aggressive mosh pit broke out during their set. I got in for one song, still happy to mix it up with the youngsters.
Death from Above 1979 going bonkers.
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club closed out the night and, as usual, put on a great show. “Let the Day Begin,” “Beat the Devil’s Tattoo,” “Conscience Killer,” “Red Eyes and Tears,” “Cold Wind” (a personal favorite) and “Ain’t No Easy Way” were all crowd-favorites. Any worries anyone might’ve had about drummer Leah Shapiro’s health (who underwent brain surgery in 2014 for Chiari malformations) were dashed because she unloaded on her kit like a machine gunner.
The only bummer of the set was some sort of equipment malfunction on Peter Hayes’ side of the stage. The band had to alter some of their song selection, and the broken thing (my guess is a bad monitor) apparently was never properly fixed. They closed with a winner – “Whatever Happened to My Rock and Roll” – and had no encore due to the faulty gear.
BRMC’s appropriate lighting for “Red Eyes and Tears.”
It was a good rock show despite the early exit from BRMC – one of the best rock bills I’ve seen in a long while, in fact.
Keep your mind open.
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Recorded September 30, 2015, Live at Third Man Records is a fast, furious capsule of the raw energy of Death from Above 1979 (Sebastien Granger – drums and vocals, Jesse Keeler – bass and vocals). No guitar here, folks. Drums, bass, and vocals are more than enough.
“Right on Frankenstein” has enough electro-fuzz in it to bring an animated corpse to life. “Where have all the virgins gone?” the band wonders on “Virgins,” which has a wickedly slick bass groove that’s hard to describe. The bass on “Going Steady,” however, is almost like drone synth rock. Jack White, head honcho at Third Man Records, probably loves the title of “White Is Red,” and he can’t argue with the heartfelt lyrics.
“Trainwreck 1979” is about a deadly crash of a chlorine train tanker and hits about as hard. “Gemini” hits even harder, with squeaky, almost tortured bass and race to the finish drums (which makes sense since it was the last track recorded for side A of the vinyl release).
Side B starts with “Little Girl,” a love song with doom rock bass riffs and post-punk drums. “Go Home Get Down” has freakier bass and lyrics, and “Government Trash” is appropriately trashy and loud.
I’m going to assume “Always On” refers to the distortion pedals used by the band, because the song is a cranked-up, raucous rocker that reminds me of a rocket launch in the way it constantly builds to near burn-out. They close the live session with “The Physical World.” “Oh no, not again. I get this feeling this is not the end,” Granger sings, but end it must and they go for broke and fade out in squalls of feedback.
It’s a short, but strong live recording and a must for DFA 1979 fans.
Deap Vally’s (Julie Edwards – drums and vocals, Lindsey Troy – guitar and vocals) Sistrionix was my favorite album of 2013. I bought it for three different people and turned on at least one other to it. It shouldn’t surprise you, then, that Femejism, apart from having the greatest album title of the year, is one of my favorites of 2016.
With production help from Nick Zinner of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Femejism is full of swagger, sweat, and shredding. The first single and track, “Royal Jelly,” demands you crank your stereo volume to 11. It’s a power anthem / warning to others who want to live the rock life. “If you wanna be queen bee, then you better make honey. If you want to be miss thing, then you better start hustling,” they sing. Don’t whine and bitch about it. Get out there and do it.
“Julian” is a send-off to an ex-boyfriend who missed his chance at something great, and it has some of the fastest guitar work from Troy. “Gonnawanna” has Troy planting a flag for riot grrls everywhere, declaring she’s going to do whatever she damn well pleases and no one’s going to stop her. It’s powerful, near-stadium filling rock (Favorite line: “I’m on a psychic safari, and I’m not sorry.”).
Speaking of powerful rock, wait until you hear “Little Baby Beauty Queen.” It’s frantic post-punk madness with John Bonham-style drumming from Edwards. “Smile More” brings back the distorted blues rock Deap Vally does so well and deserves to be on every woman’s mix tape from now until eternity.
Zinner’s touches can be heard on “Critic,” as it sounds like an early Yeah Yeah Yeahs track (and that’s not a bad thing) with Troy lambasting critics, Internet trolls, and haters. “Post Funk” is layered with reverbed vocals as the band sings about getting out of dodge (both in terms of places and relationships) before things get stale. It has some of Edwards’ best percussion on the whole album. She absolutely cooks, and I’m sure this song hits even harder live.
“Two Seat Bike” has Troy willing to get it on if her lover would just turn off the damn camera and quit insisting on shooting amateur porn. “Bubble Baby” has that crushing guitar sound I love so much from Lindsey Troy. It’s full of chugging riffs, alarm-like squeaks, and blues chords (and her vicious vocals) blasted to the back of the room. “Teenage Queen” has the band going after more haters who ask them if they plan to live their lives the way they do into their golden years.
“Grunge Bond” is as grungy and grimy as you’d hope, complete with call and response vocals, Edwards’ go-for-broke drumming, and Troy apparently playing a Hammond B3 organ by beating it with her guitar. That’s how it sounds to me at least, meaning it sounds great. Her guitar on “Turn It Off” is loud yet distant, much like her lyrics about not wanting to succumb to her attractions. On “Heart is an Animal,” it’s so heavy and fuzzy that it feels like Sasquatch breaking down your door.
Femejism is a strong record that buzzes with power. Listening to it is like meditating next to a power substation – dangerous, thrilling, and possibly illegal.
Keep your mind open.
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Post-punk legends Public Image Ltd. are offering impressive “super deluxe” sets of two of their classic albums – Metal Box and Album – through a PledgeMusic campaign.
Both records are available on either CD or vinyl and include remastered versions of the albums, a live record, unreleased tracks, art prints or posters (depending on which version you get), B-sides, BBC session cuts, and a lot more.
Metal Box was first released in 1979 as three 12″ singles in one package (a literal circular metal box) that made up the entire album. Album came out seven years later (and, full disclosure, is one of my favorite albums of all time).
The signed versions of these deluxe sets sold out on September 20th, so don’t wait to get an unsigned copy if you want one.
In case you missed it, Nashville’s Bully were the breakout hit of the first Middle Waves Festival. Bully (Alicia Bognanno – vocals and guitar, Stewart Copeland – drums [not the guy from The Police], Reece Lazarus – bass, Clayton Parker – guitar) flattened the Maumee Stage there, which shouldn’t have surprised me since their 2015 album Feels Like is so hard-hitting.
Starting with the sizzling “I Remember,” the band comes out with fury Oliver Ackermann of A Place to Bury Strangers would envy and vocals Jennifer Finch of L7 would love. If you can imagine Joy Division being a power pop band instead of goth overlords, you might be able to imagine how they could’ve made a song like “Reason.” Parker’s guitar work on it is superb.
“Too Tough” evokes the good kind of 90’s alt-rock. The kind that made good hooks and mixed them with heavy riffs and discernable vocals instead of the just screaming about how much he hates his father. Lazarus’ bass line holds the song together. I think he’s the band’s secret weapon. “Brainfreeze” follows this trend and is one of the catchiest songs on the record. “Trying” bounces back and forth between cool catchy verses and growling, shouting choruses like a forgotten Pixies song.
Lazarus’ thick bass is front and center on “Trash,” and Bognanno’s vocals are both heartfelt and even a bit frightening. I love the way the band seems to collapse into madness during the chorus, yet holds it together with expertise. Copeland’s cymbal fills are like alarm bells going off while Parker and Lazarus’ instruments run around in near-panic.
“Six” seems to be a love song sung to someone who’s depressed over the way they’re perceived by others. “Fuck those jerks,” Bognanno sings. “They don’t know you like I do.” “Picture” has great fuzz from everyone, even Bognanno’s vocals and Copeland’s drums seem to be filtered through half-broken amplifiers.
“Milkman” was Bully’s first single (released in 2014), and I still don’t know why it didn’t race across the nation like wildfire (Screw you, corporate radio!). It’s a sharp debut that captures the band’s live energy (and tight instrumentation) well. “Bully” is another wicked cut that has some of my favorite guitar work on the record. It goes from angry fuzz to pop-punk and dips its toes into the psychedelic reverb pool now and then.
“Sharktooth” is a kiss-off to an ex that brings Copeland’s drums to the front almost like a Who record and then the rest of the band builds a wall of sound like a line of War Boys cars from Mad Max: Fury Road.
It’s a fine record, and one that was being blasted in a Ft. Wayne record store the day after their Middle Waves performance. People were buzzing about them the entire second day of the festival, myself included. They and this album do what any good band or album should, make us hungry for more.
Keep your mind open.
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Fort Wayne’s first “destination” music festival, Middle Waves, was last weekend and a big hit with the crowd. Future festivals will only be better judging by how well the first one went.
I knew it was going to be at least an interesting festival when I walked into “The Village” area (where all the vendors were) looking for my press pass and saw this.
Deep fried chicken on a stick. I didn’t eat there. For my money, the best deal and food there was from the Vietnummy food truck. A bahn mi lemongrass chicken slider for only five bucks? I’m in. I’m in all day long.
Bahn mi slider in hand and press pass around my neck, I went to check out my first band of the festival – Nashville’s Bully. I’d only heard a couple tracks, and I liked their mix of heavy rock and post-punk.
Bully
They killed the Maumee Stage with a fierce performance that won over the crowd within minutes. Seeing them might be the closest I get to seeing X-Ray Spex in concert. It was full of wild guitar and drums, Cure-like bass, and frantic vocals. People were still talking about them the next day.
I finished Friday night like many others – by seeing Best Coaston the main (St. Mary’s) stage. I’ll admit that I hadn’t heard a lot of their material before this, but there were many in the crowd who sang to everything they played. I liked the blend of surf-psych with dream pop. The gay man going nuts next to me when they played “Boyfriend” was one of the highlights of the crowd for me.
Best Coast
Heavy rain hit the area overnight and through most of Saturday morning. I hoped it wouldn’t keep the crowds away, and I’m sure the Middle Waves staff was watching local weather radar like a hawk the entire day. One band was playing on a makeshift stage in the covered food vendor area when I got there due to the Maumee Stage being rained out that morning.
Luckily for all, however, the rain cleared around 3:00 and the sun came out bright and happy. The St. Mary’s stage field had straw scattered all over it to prevent massive mud pits from forming, so it soon smelled like a wet barn out there. You didn’t notice the smell once Jeff the Brotherhoodbegan playing, because their sonic assault almost knocked us flat.
Jeff the Brotherhood
They played several tracks from their new album, Zone, which I need to get soon. A lot of it has a great stoner rock vibe that borders a bit on doom metal. It seems heavier than some of their previous stuff, which is fine by me.
I took a break after their set to drive down to Neat Neat Neat Records(profile coming soon), and they were playing Bully. The clerk and I raved about their set and I was soon walking out with three used CDs. I made it back in time to see Ft. Wayne’s hometown psychedelic heroes – Heaven’s Gateway Drugs. They put on a fine set of their sun-soaked psych on the bank of the Maumee River to a welcoming crowd. I hadn’t realized until this set how some of their stuff sounds like early New Pornographers (which is a good thing).
Heaven’s Gateway Drugs
I took an extra long break to get in a full meal (Smoked pulled chicken, cole slaw, and potato chips for eight bucks? Sold!) before seeing The Flaming Lips. People had been camped out all day to claim spots for the show. My favorite ones were these two.
I thought, “That’s my wife and I in twenty years.”
The Flaming Lips didn’t disappoint. It was a party from the very first song.
The confetti came from cannons, but I still don’t know from where the giant balloons emerged.
The crowd was jumping, singing, smacking around balloons, and cheering for lizards in yellow suits and boat captain catfish.
That’s an inflatable Santa Claus in the background.
Their light / stage show is something you have to see to fully appreciate. Strings of lights, kaleidoscopic gongs, confetti cannons, and glitter are all thrown into the mix.
Everyone loved the rainbow. Who wouldn’t?
Lead singer Wayne Coyne kept the crowd cheering and moving, especially when he came out in a giant bubble during the band’s cover of David Bowie’s “Space Oddity.”
It was a great performance under a full moon, and a good omen for future festivals. The early afternoon rain was the only thing keeping the first Middle Waves festival from being an out-of-the-park home run, but that’s nothing the promoters and staff could control.
I’m sure the number of national touring acts will grow in the future, as all of the ones there this year praised the festival and the crowds. A master stroke by the festival is having two free stages. The Maumee and St. Joseph stages were free for everyone. The St. Mary’s main stage was the only one with paid admission. Anyone could’ve come to the festival with no money and still have seen twenty bands (including that jaw-dropping set by Bully, mind you).
Here’s to the future, Middle Waves. It looks good for you.
Keep your mind open.
[Many thanks to the Middle Waves staff and crew, and especially to Emma and Maggie for setting up my press credentials for the festival.]
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Beck‘s new album still doesn’t have an official title, but it does have a release date – October 21st. Beck has said in interviews that the new record is inspired by some of his recent live performances, and two of the first tracks released, “Wow” and “Dreams,” are lively cuts that portend a return to Beck’s upbeat funk records like Midnite Vultures and Odelay.
Does the current political landscape have you bummed? Has work turned into rote activity you’d rather turn over to a highly intelligent simian? Are you sick of TV and big budget blockbuster flops at the box office? Are you in need of a jolt to break you out of a summer funk? Why not save the money you’d spend on a couple fancy schmancy frozen coffee drinks and pick up Welcome the Worms by Bleached instead? This pop-punk album will make you far happier than any overpriced, super sweet, high fat drink you’ll regret when the sugar coma it provides makes you fall asleep at the wheel.
Bleached are sisters Jennifer and Jessica Clavin (lead vocals and guitar, respectively), Micayla Grace (bass), and Nick Pilot (drums). Welcome the Worms is a middle finger to living in L.A. when you’re not a movie star, bad relationships, and those who turn their backs on people who live on the fringe.
“Keep On Keepin’ On” bursts off the line with a cool psychedelic sound mixed with Sleater-Kinney anger. Jennifer Clavin throws down fierce vocals while Grace seems to be playing slap bass on a bass guitar. Jessica Clavin’s guitar sounds a bit like a warning siren at times, and Pilot kills it on the first song.
“Trying to Lose Myself Again” is about wanting to disappear in the chaos that is Los Angeles. “I’ve been hanging around this ugly town trying to find myself again…I’ve been getting high every night trying to lose myself again,” Jennifer Clavin sings. The glamour of L.A. hides misery for many, but Jessica Clavin’s guitar work is anything but miserable. It’s scorching.
“Sleepwalking” is a perfect metaphor for most of us shuffling around big cities in the daily grind. Jessica Clavin again shreds while Grace and Pilot seem to be racing each other throughout the track. “Wednesday Night Melody” is a great power-pop track that Weezer and Metric wish they could still produce.
“Wasted on You” is about the perils of dating musicians and has some of the snappiest beats from Pilot. “Chemical Air” reminds me of early New Pornographers with its bold vocals and big sound (especially Jessica Clavin’s cosmic guitar work). “Sour Candy” is reminiscent of early “bad girl” rock from the 1950’s in Jennifer Clavin’s vocals.
“Desolate Town” has appropriately desolate bass from Grace and slightly distorted vocals as Jennifer Clavin sings about the wasteland L.A. can be for those working in the non-glamorous jobs there. “I’m All Over the Place (Mystic Mama)” is part-trippy psych and part-post punk as Jennifer Clavin mourns a break-up (“I’m all over the place without you…”). It sounds like a rare Fuzzbox single.
“Hollywood, We Did It All Wrong” is the closer, and I’m not sure if Bleached thinks they screwed up living in Hollywood, or if they mean the whole town screwed up what could’ve been a cool thing. It’s a fun track either way.
It’s a fun record, too, even with some of the dark subject matter. The title comes from a weird religious pamphlet the band picked up in L.A. The title might refer to impending death, but at least Bleached is exorcising demons and having fun before they check out of here.
Keep your mind open.
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