Rock – Page 120 – 7th Level Music

RidingEasy Records releases first track from remastered rare Randy Holden album.

“Population II is considered one of the world’s first doom albums of all time.” — Metal Injection

RidingEasy Records proudly announce the official reissue on physical and digital formats of the extremely rare 1970 proto-metal album Randy Holden – Population II. Considered one of the first doom metal albums ever, the ex-Blue Cheer guitarist’s solo debut has long been sought out by collectors. The remastered full length will be available on all streaming platforms for the first time, with a master more true to the original mix on LP, CD and streaming.

Metal Injection has the first taste of the remastered album, “Blue My Mind” to hear & share HERE. (Direct Bandcamp, YouTube.)
“Godzilla just walked into the room. People just stood there with their eyes and mouths wide open.”

To hear Randy Holden describe the audience’s reaction in 1969 to his solo debut performing with a teeth-rattling phalanx of 16 (sixteen!) 200 watt Sunn amps is about as close as many of us will get to truly experience the moment heavy metal music morphed into existence. However, at last we have unearthed the proper fossil record.
Population II, the now legendary, extremely rare album by guitarist/vocalist Holden and drummer/keyboardist Chris Lockheed is considered to be one of the earliest examples of doom metal. Though its original release was a very limited in number and distribution, like all great records, its impact over time has continued to grow.

In 1969, Holden, fresh off his tenure with proto-metal pioneers Blue Cheer (appearing on one side of the New! Improved! Blue Cheer album and touring for the better part of a year in the group), aimed for more control over his band. Thus, Randy Holden – Population II was born, the duo naming itself after the astronomical term for a particular star cluster with heavy metals present.

“I wanted to do something that hadn’t been done before,” Holden explains. “I was interested in discordant sounds that could be melodic but gigantically huge. I rented an Opera house for rehearsal, set up with 16 Sunn amps. That’s what I was going for, way over the top.”
And over the top it is. The 6-song album delves into leaden sludge, lumbering doom and epic soaring riffs that sound free from all constraints of the era. It’s incredibly heavy, but infused with a melodic, albeit mechanistic, sensibility.

“At the time, I was hearing these crazy melodies everywhere I went,” Holden says. “I thought I was going crazy.” For example, one day he slowly rooted out a powerful sound that had been nagging him and discovered it coming from a ceiling fan. “Machinery all around us doesn’t turn in a perfect rhythm. That’s what I was tuning into, I heard the music and the discordant sounds coming from the machinery. It was perfect for rendering the machine we built.”

Troubles with the album’s release bankrupted Holden, who subsequently left music for over two decades. It was bootlegged several times over the years, but until now hasn’t seen a proper remaster and has yet to be available on digital platforms. “The original mastering just destroyed the dynamics of it,” Holden says. “They flattened it out. Now we got a really nice remaster that should be the closest thing to the original recording.”

Population II will be available on LP, CD and download on February 28th, 2020 via RidingEasy Records.

Keep your mind open.

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Rewind Review: Cosmonauts – Persona Non Grata (2013)

The title of Cosmonauts‘ 2013 album Persona Non Grata is Latin for “Person Not Appreciated.” In the world of politics it refers to someone prohibited from entering or staying in a country. Cosmonauts are known for wall-to-wall shoegaze riffs that highlight lyrics of alienation and dissatisfaction (from the world in general to something as simple as the effort it takes to go to a party), so it’s a perfect title for an album reflecting themes of not fitting in anywhere.

The album starts with “Shaker” (which does indeed have a shaker prominent in its sound), in which the band sings about uncertainty and being dumbfounded by one’s own willful ignorance (“I can’t believe that I can’t believe that I can’t believe.”). “Sweet Talk” brings in psychedelic reverb to the rolling riffs and a solid rock groove in a song about murder.

“Wear Your Hair Like a Weapon” was the first single from Persona Non Grata. It’s a crunchy, echoing blast that tells the tale of a dangerous woman. The drum beat on it is wicked and the way it drifts into a trippy section near the end is great. The guitars on “My Alba” have a Middle Eastern sound that I love and might make a lava lamp materialize in your office or bedroom while you’re not looking.

“What Me Worry” was the slogan of Mad Magazine‘s Alfred E. Newman whenever confronted with something out of his control – particularly in the world of politics. The song keeps this attitude throughout it, but focuses it toward a relationship coming to an end (and the killer bass line and shredding guitar solos only make it better).

“I don’t worry about the other guys, ’cause they know me well and I’m cold as ice,” they sing at the beginning of “Pure Posture” – a song about posturing masculinity to hide insecurity. The opening guitars on “I’m So Bored with You” sound like saw mills in full operation. “Vanilla” is the song that follows. “Vanilla” is another term for “boring” or “plain,” especially in the bedroom. The song bounces along like a groovy dream and is hardly boring. The wink of it following “I’m So Bored with You” is inescapable as it tells the tale of girls coming to Los Angeles (the band’s hometown) and them pleading for her to go home and avoid the pitfalls of the city and new relationships there

“Dirty Harry” moves along as fast as an action film and almost dares you to keep up with it. The closer, “Summertime Blue,” ends the album with southern California shine that turns into prismatic colors swirling around you, even as the band sings, “Nothing ever seems to turn out right, and I’m staring at the sky…”

It’s more disconnection. Cosmonauts knew in 2013 that we were all racing down a road of distancing ourselves from others because we were too afraid to embrace the present and the light within us and everyone else. We made ourselves into persona non grata, never at home anywhere because we were too busy being elsewhere with our phones and computers. They, in the meantime, were using rock to propel into orbit and encourage us to kick down the barriers we’d created.

Keep your mind open.

[I feel like persona non grata when you don’t subscribe.]

Caroline Rose gets freaky on her new single – “Freak Like Me.”

Caroline Rose presents a new single, “Freak Like Me,” from her forthcoming album, Superstar, due March 6th on New West Records. In conjunction, she announces the west coast run of her North American tour. “Freak Like Me” follows lead single/video “Feel The Way I Want,” in which Rose “walks a fine, funny line between embodying and parodying Kanye-size arrogance” (Rolling Stone).

As described by Rose, “‘Freak Like Me’ is a S&M-themed love song about falling in love with your dominatrix. The song’s melody is very floral and beautiful. I imagine it as some sort of delicate dress dancing around 17th century Versailles. I wanted to juxtapose this daintiness with grotesque lyrics. I’ve always wanted to write a pretty song with the word ‘vomit’ in it. Paradoxes are fun.”

“I had been wanting to sample Aaron Embry’s ‘Raven Song’ in a beat for the longest time. Then I had this kind of ‘ah ha!’ moment while working on the song on tour. I chopped up the sample, pitched it and it just fit perfectly. It really took the song to another level and completed the paradox.”

Listen to Caroline Rose’s “Freak Like Me”
https://youtu.be/QfV4-v7l5dA

The follow up to 2018’s acclaimed LONER, Superstar is a bigger, badder, glitter-filled cinematic pop record. It’s a semi-autobiographical story of a shamelessly odd hero, or rather anti-hero, on a quest to become a someone. One part satire, one part self-reflection, Rose’s anti-hero personifies much of what we as casual on-lookers are wont to poke fun at, dismiss or denigrate, yet deep down likely aspire to be. Someone who, whether warranted or not, refuses to let anyone dictate their own life’s narrative.

Rose will embark on a lengthy North American tour this spring in support of Superstar. A full list of dates can be found below. Newly-announced shows go on sale this Friday, February 14th at 10am local time.

Watch the Video for “Feel The Way I Want” –
http://newwst.com/crftwiwPR

Pre-order Superstar –
http://newwst.com/superstar

Caroline Rose Tour Dates (new dates in bold):
Fri. March 6 – Albany, NY @ The Hollow
Sat. March 7 – Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground
Wed. March 11 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Club Café
Thu. March 12 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Club Café
Fri. March 13 – Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Tavern
Sat. March 14 – Columbus, OH @ Skully’s
Wed. March 25 – Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
Thu. March 26 – Cambridge, MA @ The Sinclair
Fri. March 27 – Philadelphia, PA @ Underground Arts
Sat. March 28 – Washington, DC @ Black Cat
Wed. April 1 – Iowa City, IA @ Mission Creek Music Festival
Thu. April 2 – Milwaukee, WI @ Turner Hall Ballroom
Fri. April 3 – Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall
Sat. April 4 – Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line Music Hall
Fri. April 24 – Dallas, TX @ Club Dada
Sat. April 25 – Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall: Upstairs
Sun. April 26 – Austin, TX @ Antone’s
Tue. April 28 – New Orleans, LA @ Gasa Gasa
Wed. April 29 – Oxford, MS @ Proud Larry’s
Thu. April 30 – Nashville, TN @ The Basement East
Fri. May 1 – Sun. May 3 – Atlanta, GA @ Shaky Knees Festival
Wed. June 17 – Denver, CO @ Bluebird
Thu. June 18 – Salt Lake City, UT @ State Room
Fri. June 19 – Boise, ID @ Neurolux
Sat. June 20 – Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge
Sun. June 21 – Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge
Wed. June 24 – Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile
Fri. June 26 – San Francisco, CA @ The Independent
Sat. June 27 – Los Angeles, CA @ Troubadour

Keep your mind open.

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Rewind Review: Priests – Bodies and Control and Money and Power (2014)

The first record by Washington D.C. post-punks Priests, Bodies and Control and Money and Power, was a great kick in the junk in 2014 and is still hits hard now.

The opener, “Design with Reach,” has blaring guitar by G.L. Jaguar while vocalist / firebrand Katie Alice Greer reminds us all of our mortality and Taylor Multiz‘s bass is the rumble of a hearse and Daniele Daniele‘s drums are the footsteps of the Grim Reaper. “I’m not sure I should be talking to you,” Greer sings on “Doctor” – a witty tune about how words can quickly trip up a relationship (“You put your fingers in other people’s mouths all day. Don’t you, Doctor?”).

“New” is blaring punk rock that has some of Greer’s most dangerous vocals and riffs from Jaguar that almost clang like a skillet hitting you in the head. “Powertrip” is even faster. Mulitz’s bass runs all over the room and Daniele’s drums are pure punk bliss.

“Modern Love / No Weapon” dares you to tame it. It just comes at you like a four-headed hydra while you’re armed with a toothbrush. “I think about you all the time,” Greer sings / yells in a tone that’s more menacing than seductive. The groove on “Right Wing” (on which Jaguar and Multiz swap instruments) is great while Greer tells us to “Worship me, politely.” and that she’s “not trying to be anything.”

The album ends with the bonkers “And Breeding,” with Greer chastising all of us for spending most of our time “fucking and breeding” and “trying to understand” why we’re so attached to our cubicle mazes. “I know what we gotta do,” she says before she proceeds to verbally trash Elvis Presley, Madonna, and other icons to which we compare ourselves for no good reason whatsoever.

It’s seven songs of rage, riffs, and rock. What more could you want? Priests have, for the time being, amicably called it quits, but at least we have this and other fine records from them to appreciate.

Keep your mind open.

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Live: BODEGA, The Wants, Jungle Green – Schuba’s – February 10, 2020

It was a chilly Monday night, but not unbearable. It was downright balmy for a Chicago winter. Despite the cold and the early night of the week, Schuba’s had a good-sized crowd for the art-punk / no wave night of music featuring Chicago’s own Jungle Green and Brooklyn bands The Wants and BODEGA.

Jungle Green took the stage first with a dizzying set of no wave bedroom rock that instantly reminded me of Gary Wilson tunes with their themes of love and romance and performance art strewn throughout the show. The lead singer spent the whole set in the crowd and the rest of the band swapped instruments so many times that I lost count of how many times who played what. In other words, it was a lot of fun.

The Wants played a stunning set of dark shoegaze that reminded me of a mix of Joy Division and The Fixx. Heather (bass and vocals), Madison (guitar and vocals), and Jason (drums) made jaws drop for their whole set and had everyone eager to hear their full-length album due next month.

BODEGA (which includes The Wants’ Heather and Madison in its ranks) wrapped up the night with a wild, fun, fiery set peppered with brief, amusing discussions on Oscar Wilde, advertising, and film. I think the audience was secretly thankful for these funny chats lead singer Ben Hozie had with the audience because the talks gave us all time to breathe. BODEGA let up during these breaks from a pedal-to-the-metal set of post / art-punk and no wave bangers like “Name Escape” – which featured their friend / fellow Brooklynite / rapper Kaheim Rivera (who played Chicago’s Empty Bottle two nights later) doing two freestyle riffs during the song – and the always wall-flattening “Truth Is Not Punishment.”

It was a great way to spend a Monday night and worth the drive in the cold. Catch BODEGA if you can, and look for The Wants to tour the UK later this year.

Keep your mind open.

[Thanks to Patrick Tilley for setting me up with press credentials for the show.]

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Live: Leones, Diagonal, Necromoon – The Brass Rail – February 08, 2020

For a small place, Ft. Wayne, Indiana’s Brass Rail can pack in a lot of sound. This show of indie shoegaze and psychedelic acts was no exception.

First up was local band Leones, who played a good set of bass-forward shoegaze with thick Latinx psychedelic touches.

Second on the bill were Chicago’s Diagonal. I’ve been a fan of the band for a while now and was happy to finally catch them live. They played a sold psychedelia set of mostly new material from their upcoming album. One of the funniest parts of their set was how they kept referring to Gary Numan and playing parts of “Are Friends ‘Electric’?” after I played it on the Brass Rail’s juke box while they were doing their sound check.

Closing out the night was Ft. Wayne’s Necromoon, who are not a Dead Moon cover band. They play a mellower version of psychedelia than Dead Moon (and to be fair, few bands can match Dead Moon’s raw power) but still put out a lot of sound as they played songs about love and death and other subjects with a bright hope to them.

All in all, it was a fun night of live music in a small venue and a nice oasis in the dead of winter.

Keep your mind open.

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Rage Against the Machine announce first tour in almost a decade.

Rage Against the Machine have announced their first full tour in almost ten years, starting with three shows in the American southwest that will benefit immigrant charities. Most of the tour includes opening support from Run the Jewels, and there’s also a headlining spot for RATM at Coachella this year. Tickets are on sale now, and I’m sure many dates (if not all of them) will sell out. Here’s the list:

03-26 El Paso, TX – Don Haskins Center
03-28 Las Cruces, NM – Pan American Center
03-30 Glendale, AZ – Gila River Arena
04-10 Indio, CA – Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival
04-17 Indio, CA – Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival
04-21 Oakland, CA – Oakland Arena
04-25 Portland, OR – Moda Center
04-28 Tacoma, WA – Tacoma Dome
05-01 Vancouver, BC – Pacific Coliseum at the PNE
05-03 Edmonton, Alberta – Rogers Place
05-05 Calgary, Alberta – Scotiabank Saddledome
05-07 Winnipeg, Manitoba – Bell MTS Place
05-09 Sioux Falls, SD – Denny Sanford Premier Center
05-11 Minneapolis, MN – Target Center
05-14 Kansas City, MO – Sprint Center
05-16 St. Louis, MO – Enterprise Center
05-19 Chicago, IL – United Center
05-23 Boston, MA – Boston Calling
06-19 Dover, DE – Firefly
07-10 East Troy, WI – Alpine Valley Music Theatre
07-13 Detroit, MI – Little Caesars Arena
07-17 Ottawa, Ontario – Ottawa Bluesfest
07-18 Québec City, Québec – Festival d’Été de Québec
07-21 Hamilton, Ontario – FirstOntario Centre
07-23 Toronto, Ontario – Scotiabank Arena
07-27 Buffalo, NY – KeyBank Center
07-29 Cleveland, OH – Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse
07-31 Pittsburgh, PA – PPG Paints Arena
08-02 Raleigh, NC – PNC Arena
08-04 Washington, DC – Capital One Arena
08-07 Camden, NJ – BB&T Pavilion
08-10 New York, NY – Madison Square Garden
08-11 New York, NY – Madison Square Garden
08-28 Leeds, England – Leeds Festival
08-30 Reading, England – Reading Festival
09-01 Paris, France – Rock En Seine Festival
09-04 Stradbally Laois, Ireland – Electric Picnic Festival
09-06 Berlin, Germany – Lollapalooza Berlin Festival
09-08 Prague, Czech Republic – O2 Arena
09-10 Krakow, Poland – Tauron Arena

Keep your mind open.

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Alex Lahey is a “Sucker for Punishment” with her rocking new single.

“Lahey may be stuck in the thick of it now, but her ability to see as though she’s already beyond, to address life’s essential contradictions with thoughtfulness and humor, makes her an insightful storyteller.” — Pitchfork

“There’s an immediacy to Alex Lahey’s music so urgent that it’ll hook you before you even notice it’s happening.” — GQ

“Alex Lahey is quickly becoming the queen of big, catchy pop-rock hooks” — MTV News

Today, Melbourne-based songwriter Alex Lahey releases a new track, “Sucker For Punishment.” “Sucker For Punishment” follows her sophomore album, The Best of Luck Club, “a witty and confessional pop-punk gem” (Uproxx), out now on Dead Oceans. The song, about self-delusion, is written from the perspective of the deluded. Throughout, Lahey’s exasperated vocals are backed by buzzing guitar and a jaunty bass line.

“We’re living in an era we’re the micro has become the macro,” says Lahey. “I don’t think there has ever been a time where our actions and attitudes as individuals have had such an impact on broader humanity and the planet. Whether it’s a ‘think about it later’ attitude towards climate change, the undemocratic consequences of sharing personal data to big business online, a lethargicness in the face of political engagement or the need to be validated as a worthwhile individual through obtaining arbitrary units of engagement on social media – we need to catch ourselves out before we suffer greater consequences.”

Listen to Alex Lahey’s “Sucker For Punishment” –
https://youtu.be/etVj6qrHwCM

In conjunction with the new single, Lahey is pleased to announce she’ll return stateside for a for a slew of tour dates along the west coast, kicking off the run in San Diego on Sat. May 30 at Casbah. All new dates go on-sale Fri. Feb. 14 at 10am local time. A full list of tour dates are below.

Alex Lahey Tour Dates (new dates in bold):
Fri. March 13 – Nottingham, UK @ Rescue Rooms ^
Mon. March 16 – Glasgow, UK @ The Garage ^
Tue. March 17 – Manchester, UK @ Gorilla ^
Wed. March 18 – Birmingham, UK @ O2 Academy2 Birmingham ^
Thu. March 19 – London, UK @ Electric Ballroom ^
Sat. March 21 – Amsterdam, NE @ Paradiso Noord ^
Sun. March 22 – Antwerp, BE @ Kavka ^
Mon. March 23 – Hamburg, DE @ Molotow ^
Tue. March 24 – Düsseldorf, DE @ Zaak ^
Thu. March 26 – Mainz, DE @ Kulturklub schon schön ^
Fri. March 27 – Paris, FR @ Nouveau Casino ^
Wed. April 15 – Adelaide, AU @ Thebarton Theatre *
Fri. April 17 – Fremantle, AU @ Fremantle Arts Center *
Mon. April 20 – Sydney, AU @ Enmore Theatre *
Wed. April 22 – Brisbane, AU @ The Fortitude Music Hall *
Fri. April 24 – Melbourne, AU @ Forum Theatre *
Sat. April 25 – Melbourne, AU @ Forum Theatre *
Tue. April 28 – Hobart, AU @ Odeon Theatre *
Sat. May 30 – San Diego, CA @ Casbah
Sun. May 31 – Costa Mesa, CA @ The Wayfarer
Mon. June 1 – Los Angeles, CA @ Moroccan Lounge
Tue. June 3 – San Jose, CA @ The Ritz
Fri. June 5 – Oakland, CA @ Starline Social Club Crystal Cavern
Sat. June 6 – Sacramento, CA @ The Starlet Room at Harlow’s
Mon. June 8 – Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios
Tue. June 9 – Seattle, WA @ Barboza

* = w/ City & Colour
^ = w/ The Regrettes

Purchase The Best of Luck Club –
https://alexlahey.ffm.to/bestofluckclub

Watch/Listen/Share:
“Am I Doing It Right?” stream – https://youtu.be/BAfpMBepOpo
“Don’t Be So Hard On Yourself” video – https://youtu.be/Uu1qtIk5eoY
“Unspoken History” stream – https://youtu.be/dFkRK2FgXhI
“Unspoken History” live acoustic video – https://youtu.be/SDHZoDVUs3o

Keep your mind open.

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Girl Afraid stir up some “Dutch Courage” with their new single.

Hull-based indie rockers Girl Afraid released their rocking new track, “Dutch Courage” on February 7th.

First we had Hull-based LIFE, who took the U.K by storm and now we have Girl Afraid who are storming onto the British indie scene. Their sound draws influences from the likes of Queens of the Stone Age to fellow indie newcomers Fontaines D.C. Nevertheless, they have crafted a remarkably inimitable sound of their very own.

As its title indicates, “Dutch Courage” oozes confidence from the very start. It’s a hard hitting track with huge drums which would make even the sternest of listeners tap their foot. Also slick guitar riffs which take a new dimension of early indie as well an awe-inspiring vocal from front man Sam Mellors.

Girl Afraid are taking no hostages with this release. Therefore, if you are seeking the finest catchy indie rock then look no further than “Dutch Courage.”

Keep your mind open.

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Review: Shadow Show – Silhouettes

Detroit’s Shadow Show (Kate Derringer – bass, Ava East – guitar, and Kerrigan Pearce – drums) mix 1960’s garage rock with psychedelia and post / art-punk to create their debut album Silhouettes.

The album’s songs deal a lot with perception and illusion. The band’s and album’s names represent things that are real yet unreal. The first track on the record, “Charades,” begins with Pearce’s rapid-fire drumming and then dives into lyrics like “I could be you, you could be me. I could be anything I see.” The fiery “Contessa” is a tribute to a fiery ex-lover who deals in deception (and hot love that sometimes makes it worth it, to be honest). Derringer’s bass on “Green Stone” is as funky as Donald Dunn‘s on “Green Onions.”

An alchemist is someone who, among other things, seeks ways to transform one element to another. It’s another reference to altering perception and reality. The song “The Alchemist” has a cool underlying fuzz to it and lyrics about seeing “the center of your mind.” “Shadow Box” refers to something preserved for all to see, but yet still entrapped. The lyrics refer to a lover who couldn’t see and think outside the box and thus screwed up the good thing they had.

The deft “Trapeze Act” moves and glides like its namesake as a relationship is compared to death-defying stunts. East knows when to let her guitar take the lead and when to swing it back, and the reverbed vocals near the end are a great touch. Her guitar takes on a bit of bluesy swagger on “Glass Eye” (another title alluding to false images and altered perception). “Dreamhead” opens with dreamy acoustic guitar (and, I suspect, acoustic bass) for a groovy trip that discusses how some secrets are best left that way.

The opening riffs of “The Machine” remind me of old Love and Rockets tracks and even seem to have a bit of Middle Eastern flair in them. The words “There are times you keep me hanging on…” start the closer, “Silhouette.” It’s a song about finally seeing truth and reality in a relationship and realizing that going along the path that’s been set will only result in becoming a shadow of what you once were.

Silhouettes is a lovely, groovy, sexy, and somewhat dark record that I suspect has many layers that will reveal themselves over multiple listens. Don’t miss the Shadow Show.

Keep your mind open.

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