Category: Rock

Top 20 singles of 2018: #’s 20 – 16

2018 was the first year I started keeping track of my favorite singles of the year. It’s probably because there were so many good ones, including some that were just released as singles and others that stuck in my head for days. Who made the top 20? Read on and find out.

#20: “Sleepers” by Exploded View – This dreamy psych / synth track is a trippy mix of Velvet Underground and 80’s synthwave. It’s the kind of track that makes you wonder, “Who is this?” as soon as you hear it.

#19: “Nocturnal” by Magic Wands – Easily one of the best synthwave tracks of the year, this lush song is great for make-out sessions and has just enough of a dark edge to keep it dangerous.

#18: “You Are Dinner” by Constant Lovers – Good grief, does this thing have power. It’s a wild rock track with punk guitars and spat lyrics that the lead singer almost screws up but uses the moment to push his vocals even further.

#17: “Wheel of Fortune” by Protomartyr – The video of this shows one of the band members punching himself in the face. That’s apt, because this songs hits you just like that (especially when the chorus kicks in).

#16: “Singularity” by Jon Hopkins – The build of this electronic track is stunning to behold. It almost takes you by surprise like a big wave you didn’t see coming while standing hip-deep in the ocean. It’s over far too soon.

Who made the top 15? Come back tomorrow to find out.

Keep your mind open.

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Review: Diagonal – You Are Free

Chicago shoegazers Diagonal were already high on my list of favorite new bands for 2018 with their LP Tomorrow released back in July. Apparently bursting with energy, they released a new EP of material, You Are Free, just a couple weeks ago. It’s five tracks of mind-bending riffs mixed with fuzz, psychedelic touches, and enough reverb to power an eighteen-wheeler.

The LP opens with the bass-heavy “Spending Time,” which blends psychedelic riffs with buzzsaw guitars that remind me of early RIDE tracks. “Wise Mary” has a great fade-in that is like a swarm of bees glide toward you across a field. It then swirls and buzzes around you like those same bees, but it keeps a comfortable distance without overwhelming you. “Sines” is a mesmerizing track of instrumental shoegaze rock that is perfect for escaping gravity. I love when bands are brave or carefree enough to include instrumental tracks on records, and this one is top notch.

The opening guitars on “Can’t Be Real” sound not unlike a warning klaxon, heeding you to the massive bass and drums coming your way in just a few seconds. Those later give the floor to a shredding guitar solo that almost turns singer Andy Ryan’s vocals into backing vocals. The EP closes with “Send for Me,” which contains the clearest vocals on the record and sounds like an Oasis track if Oasis fully embraced their shoegaze love and stayed away from petty squabbles.

It’s another solid record from Diagonal. You need to get on their bandwagon now. They’ll become Riot Fest headliners in no time (which would be great).

Keep your mind open.

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Review: Khruangbin – Con Todo El Mundo

I am severely late to the Khruangbin party. I’d heard snippets of their gorgeous album, Con Todo El Mundo, but the full album somehow escaped me nearly the entire year. I’m glad to have caught up, however, because their third record is a lovely mix of jazz, psychedelia, and Iranian / Middle Eastern funk grooves.

Starting with the soulful “Como Me Quieres” (“How Much Do You Love Me”), guitarist Mark Speer produces such clear, beautiful tones that the general vibe around you instantly changes upon hearing them. It slows down everything and gets your mind to notice how fast everyone else is whizzing by you. “Lady and Man” is just as nice, with Speer’s love of Middle Eastern guitar riffs coming to the fore, and drummer Donald Johnson puts on a clinic in solid backing grooves (and does so through the whole record). “Maria Tambien” sizzles from the first chord and doesn’t let up for the next three minutes. You’ll swear you’re riding in a taxi through Marrakesh while you’re listening to it.

“August 10” is a blissful, laid-back track with a bass groove so subtle by Laura Lee that it’s almost like a lover’s whisper across your pillow. “Como Te Quiero” brings in psychedelic reverb on Lee’s vocal sounds to nice effect. You could set your watch to Johnson’s beats on “Shades of Man.” They’re so precise that they almost sound like they were created in the Matrix, but he’s just that good.

Lee keeps repeating “Yes” on “Evan Finds the Third Room,” a funky cut that gets you dancing and features one of her phattest bass grooves. She and Speer just cut loose while Johnson keeps them rooted enough to not go over the cliff. “A Hymn” is suitably mellow and meditative. By the time “Rules” arrives, you realize that Con Todo El Mundo is possibly the best make-out album of 2018. In fact, “Friday Morning” is a perfect song to play while fixing breakfast for your lover after a great Thursday night.

This album is one of the prettiest I’ve heard all year, and a better cure for a hectic day than Netflix and chill.

Keep your mind open.

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Review: Slaves – Acts of Fear and Love

British punk duo Slaves‘ third album, Acts of Fear and Love, is one of those albums that assures you guitar-driven records aren’t dead. 

Getting right in your face from the outset, drummer / lead vocalist Isaac Holman asks, “What are you doing?” and claims, “Nobody is the shit.” on “The Lives They Wish They Had” – a sizzling diatribe against selfie culture, Facebook profiles, and “a desperate need for acceptance.”  The second half of it might be the most punk thing you’ve heard this year.  “Cut and Run” is one of Slaves’ catchiest tunes with guitarist Laurie Vincent putting down distorting, squealing riffs and Holman almost getting funky with his stand-up kit. 

The punk fuzz is back with full force on “Bugs” (a song about two-faced politicians causing “another letdown generation”), as Vincent’s guitar chords crawl all over you and Holman’s beats are liable to induce a mosh pit wherever you may be while listening to it.  “Magnolia” is about the gleam and sheen put on British suburbia while the country struggles with Brexit, xenophobia, and an uncertain economic future.  “It’s gotta be perfect,” Holman sings again and again.

“Daddy” is a little, clever tune about men and their mid-life crises.  “Chokehold,” a song about a break-up, has Vincent putting down angular post-punk riffs as Holman sings about drowning his sorrows and noticing the smell of his girlfriend’s hairspray on his pillow after she’s gone.

“Photo Opportunity” is a clever track about being famous as Holman tries to tell a fan that he means no disrespect for turning down a request for a photo with him, but he’s a busy guy…although he later has second thoughts as he goes out with his mates and realizes not much has changed in his life. The opening guitar roar on “Artificial Intelligence” will snap you awake better than a mug of coffee.  Vincent’s guitar is fierce throughout the whole track, almost relentless in fact.

The title track closes the record.  The title could be a reflection of the reasons behind Brexit, the day-to-day workings of any relationship, or how we make everyday decisions…or none of the above.  Holman mentions a teacher who taught him hate doesn’t exist, just “acts of fear and love,” and a friend who would “do anything for anyone” whose decisions / acts of fear and love eventually led him to an eight-year prison sentence. 

Acts of Fear and Love is a solid record.  Guitar rock is not dead.  Punk is not dead.  Slaves, three records in, are just getting started.

Keep your mind open.

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Rewind Review: Naked Raygun – All Rise (1985)

I was 14 when Chicago punk legends Naked Raygun released their classic album All Rise. It would be another two years before I was able to drive a beat-up station wagon that formerly belonged to my Uncle Tony to a punk rock club about 45 minutes from my house and there become aware of Naked Raygun and their cult status.

It’s easy to figure out how they rose so fast in the mid-1980’s punk scene. All Rise‘s opener, “Home of the Brave,” is an instant anthem for the Reagan era. Pierre Kezdy‘s bass on “Dog at Large” is heavy enough for a metal band. “Knock Me Down” begins with a subtle start, but soon roars to life with frantic drums by Eric Spicer and Jeff Pezzati‘s snotty lyrics about a girl he can’t shake after she’s dumped him for good. One can’t help but wonder if “Mr. Gridlock” refers to President Regan, Chicago mayor Harold Washington, or someone else. The song has a deadly swagger to it, as if it’s looking for a fight. John Haggerty‘s guitar sounds like a tuned chainsaw on it. “The Strip” moves back and forth between chugging punks riffs and Husker Du-like jams as Naked Raygun pay homage to a seedy hotel-bar. “I Remember” has some of Spicer’s wildest drumming on the album.

Pezzati’s vocals on “Those Who Move” (about speaking truth to power and freedom of information, among other things) are urgent and still relevant in 2018. Kezdy’s bass on “The Envelope” certainly pushes the envelope of the studio amps because it nearly knocks you to the floor right out of the gate. Not to be outdone, Haggerty shreds on “Backlash Jack.” As soon as “Peacemaker” starts, you get the feeling that it’s not going to be all that peaceful. It isn’t. It’s heavy, squealing, and even a bit terrifying. The album ends with “New Dreams,” a punk anthem that sounds as fresh, raw, and vital today as it did in 1985.

All Rise is classic working class punk rock by four lads who deserve to be in the same conversations that bring up Fugazi, Bad Religion, DRI, the Dead Kennedys, and other legendary punk groups.

Keep your mind open.

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Dayluta Means Kindness releases their version of “Oh Come, Oh Come, Emmanuel” in time for the holidays.

Following last year’s cover of “O Holy Night,” Texas space-psych rockers Dayluta Means Kindness have released their version of “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” for 2018.  It’s an instrumental jam that keeps the core of the song and sends it into orbit.  It’s only a buck to download it, so drop them some change while you’re in the Christmas spirit.

Keep your mind open.

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Live: Flasher, Public Practice, and Gong Gong Gong – Dec. 4th – The Hideout – Chicago, IL

As soon as I saw Flasher, Public Practice, and Gong Gong Gong were playing at Chicago’s Hideout (a great small venue with an appropriate name, as it is concealed in an industrial area), I knew it was going to be a good show.  All three are creating post-punk rock that’s clever, timely, and powerful.

Gong Gong Gong

Gong Gong Gong opened the show, and you could immediately tell there was a buzz about them in the crowd.  I met one woman who specifically came to see them because she’d read a write-up about them in the Chicago Reader and wanted to hear these two guys from Beijing who didn’t have or need a drummer. They don’t need one because there’s enough percussion between the guitar and bass riffs to support an industrial band.  It was a fascinating set full of songs that sound like they belong in a David Lynch film.  I’m calling it now – Look for Gong Gong Gong to be on the bill for the 2019 Pitchfork Music Festival.

Public Practice

Public Practice came out and gave everyone a lesson on how you own a stage.  They played their entire Distance Is a Mirror EP (one of the best releases of the year, in my opinion) and a couple tracks I hadn’t heard yet.  They left you hungry for more, much more.  I hope this tour gives them plenty of ideas for new tracks.  I was delighted to see them selling WALL records at their table, too.  Everyone needs WALL records.

Flasher

Flasher threw down an energetic set that warmed you up from the chill outside.  The tracks they played off their great debut, Constant Image, were almost double speed.  They weren’t screwing around up there.  It was definitely the most punk of the three post-punk sets.  Unfortunately for my wife and I, we had to leave early during their set due to a long drive home and a predicted storm of freezing rain heading for our route.  As you might’ve guessed from reading this, we made it home safe.

As I figured, this was / is a great lineup for a tour.  Don’t miss it if it comes near you.

Keep your mind open.

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The Beths release their version of “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” just in time for the holidays.

The Beths Release “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” 7-Inch
Via Carpark Records
Listen Here

February/March North American Tour On Sale Now


[Photo by Mason Fairey]
The Beths’ Future Me Hates Me is “one of the most impressive indie-rock debuts of the year” (Pitchfork). Its first 3 pressings sold out only 2 months after release and have tallied over 1.5 million Spotify streams. Stereogum recently named The Beths one of the “40 Best New Bands Of 2018” and Rolling Stone is currently featuring them in their Hot Issue. While Paste has designated Future Me Hates Me one of “The 50 Best Albums of 2018.”

To celebrate a banner year, The Beths are releasing a 7-inch featuring a moving rendition of “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” via Carpark Records. Recorded in three separate continents on their first proper world headline tour, The Beths ditch the usual uptempo, guitar-driven numbers, for a slow-building serenade propelled by strings. The B-side, only available on the physical 7-inch, features a special demo version of Future Me Hates Me favorite “Happy Unhappy.” All profits from the 7-inch go toGirls Rock Camp Foundation.

Having recently completed a North American tour this fall selling out Seattle, Chicago, Boston, New York City (x2), Philadelphia and Washington, DC, The Beths will return in February and March to headline their biggest shows yet including Music Hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn, First Unitarian Church in Philadelphia and Lincoln Hall in Chicago.  A full list of dates is below and tickets are on sale now.

Stream “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas”:
http://smarturl.it/thebeths_christmas
The Beths Tour Dates:
Fri. Dec. 14 – Wellington, NZ @ Meow (tickets)
Sat. Dec. 15 – Warkworth Town District, NZ @ Leigh Sawmill Café (tickets)
Wed. Dec. 19 – Sydney, AUS @ Lansdowne Hotel (tickets)
Thu. Dec. 20 – Northcote, AUS @ Northcote Social Club (tickets)
Sat. Dec. 22 – Fortitude Valley, AUS @ Black Bear Lodge (tickets)
Wed. Jan. 23 – Dublin, IE @ The Grand Social (tickets)
Thu. Jan. 24 – Dublin, IE @ Olympia Theatre (w/ Death Cab for Cutie) (tickets)
Fri. Jan. 25 – Manchester, UK @ Albert Hall (w/ Death Cab for Cutie) (SOLD OUT)
Sat. Jan. 26 – Glasgow, UK @ O2 Academy Glasgow (w/ Death Cab for Cutie) (tickets)
Mon. Jan. 28 – Nottingham, UK @ Rock City (w/ Death Cab for Cutie) (tickets)
Tue. Jan. 29 – Leeds, UK @ O2 Academy Leeds (w/ Death Cab for Cutie) (tickets)
Wed. Jan. 30 – Bristol, UK @ O2 Academy Bristol (w/ Death Cab for Cutie) (tickets)
Thu. Jan. 31 – London, UK @ Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen (tickets)
Fri. Feb. 1 – London, UK @ Eventim Apollo (w/ Death Cab for Cutie) (tickets)
Sat. Feb. 2 – Paris, FR @ Le Trianon (w/ Death Cab for Cutie) (tickets)
Sun. Feb. 3 – Antwerp, BE @ De Roma (w/ Death Cab for Cutie) (tickets)
Tue. Feb. 5 – Utrecht, NL @ TivoliVrendenburg, Grote Zaal (w/ Death Cab for Cutie) (tickets)
Wed. Feb. 6 – Cologne, DE @ Live Music Hall (w/ Death Cab for Cutie) (tickets)
Thu. Feb. 7 – Berlin, DE @ Astra Kulturhaus (w/ Death Cab for Cutie) (tickets)
Sat. Feb. 9 – Hamburg, DE @ Große Freiheit 36 (w/ Death Cab for Cutie) (SOLD OUT)
Sun. Feb. 10 – Copenhagen, DK @ VEGA Musikkens Hus – Store Vega (Main Hall) (tickets)
Mon. Feb. 11 – Stockholm, SE @ Cirkus (w/ Death Cab for Cutie) (tickets)
Tue. Feb. 12 – Oslo, NO @ Sentrum Scene (w/ Death Cab for Cutie) (tickets)
Thu. Feb. 21-Sun. Feb. 24 – Orere Point, NZ @ Splore 2019 (tickets)
Tue. Feb. 26 – Toronto, ON @ The Garrison (w/ Bad Bad Hats) (tickets)
Wed. Feb. 27 – Montreal, QC @ Casa Del Popolo (w/ Bad Bad Hats) (tickets)
Thu. Feb. 28 – Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall (w/ Bad Bad Hats) (tickets)
Fri. Mar. 1 – Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg (w/ Bad Bad Hats) (tickets)
Sat. Mar. 2 – Washington, DC @ Union Stage (w/ Bad Bad Hats) (tickets)
Sun. Mar. 3 – Philadelphia, PA @ First Unitarian Church (w/ Bad Bad Hats) (tickets)
Tue. Mar. 5 – Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Ballroom (w/ Bad Bad Hats) (tickets)
Wed. Mar. 6 – Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall (w/ Bad Bad Hats) (tickets)
Thu. Mar. 7 – Nashville, TN @ The Basement (w/ Bad Bad Hats) (tickets)
Fri. Mar. 8 – Atlanta, GA @ The Earl (w/ Bad Bad Hats) (tickets)
Sat. Mar. 9 – Savannah, GA @ Savannah Stopover (w/ Bad Bad Hats) (tickets)
Mon. Mar. 11-Fri. Mar. 15 – Austin, TX @ SXSW (w/ Bad Bad Hats)
Sat. Mar. 16 – Dallas, TX @ Not So Fun Wknd (w/ Bad Bad Hats)  
Sun. Mar. 17 – Houston, TX @ Satellite Bar (w/ Bad Bad Hats) (tickets)
Thur. May. 16 – London, UK @ The Dome (tickets)

[“Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” 7-inch]
Keep your mind open.
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Partner release new shredding single and early 2019 U.S. tour dates.

PARTNER (Canadian Queer Post Classic Rock)
– Touring the West Coast USA & Canada 2019
– New song “Lost My Pick, Can I Borrow One?” 
– Debut album In Search of Lost Time out now

PARTNER WEST COAST TOUR WINTER 2019

Share new track “Lost My Pick, Can I Borrow One?” via YouTube

USA & Canadian Tour Dates
January 24 – Big Fun Festival, Winnipeg MB
February 20 – Fox Cabaret, Vancouver BC*
February 23 – Lucky Bar, Victoria BC
February 24 – The Vera Project, Seattle WA*
February 25 – Holocene, Portland OR*
February 28 – The Hi Hat, Los Angeles CA*
March 03 – Noise Pop Fest, San Francisco CA*
*co-headlining with Dude York

————————
Partner is the “mature” effort of two best friends named Josée Caron and Lucy Niles. Borne of their bizarre and fortuitous friendship, Partner confidently harnesses the infinite power of Rock to explore a variety of niche yet strangely universal themes. Self described as post-classic-rock.

The two met while attending Mount Allison University in Sackville NB. The duo played in numerous Sackville bands together over their University years (Yellowteeth and The Mouthbreathers). Around late 2014 the idea of Partner came to fruition.

Partner released their debut full length In Search Of Lost Time in September 2017 on You’ve Changed Records and received incredible critical acclaim including making the year end best of lists at NPR’s All Songs Considered, Stereogum, Playboy, Noisey, Exclaim, CBC Music, Indie 88 and many more. In Search Of Lost Time was also short listed for the Polaris Prize 2018 and Partner’s single “Play The Field” won the SOCAN Songwriting Prize 2018 ($10,000 prize!).

Partner have been named the “best new band in Canada” in the Globe and Mail. And taken their enthusiastic live show all over North America, touring in the USA with Shamir and PUP; and playing practically every Canadian festival (Field Trip, Hillside, Sled Island, Sappy Fest, Halifax Pop Explosion, Pop Montreal, Beau’s Oktoberfest, CMW, Folk On The Rocks and many more).

Influenced by acts as varied as Melissa Etheridge, Ween, kd lang and Prince, Partner is genre-defying, part musical act, part teenage diary and 100% queer

Partner in the press:

“Listening to Partner is like hanging out with your best friends, assuming your best friends are queer Canadian stoners with hooks for days.” 
– Stereogum

“The best Canadian rock record of the year wasn’t made by Arcade Fire, Broken Social Scene or Mac Demarco, but by two self-deprecating, 1990s-loving stoner best friends known as Partner. ” 
– Playboy

“…two young women from Canada, Joseé Caron and Lucy Niles, who write and record as Partner, put out the year’s best guitar rock album.”
– NPR’s All Songs Considered

Partner Links
Website: http://www.partnerband.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/partner.music.band/
Bandcamp: https://partnerband.bandcamp.com/
Record Label: http://youvechangedrecords.com/portfolio/partner/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/partner_band
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/partnerband

Iceage release “Broken Hours” from latest record.

Iceage Unveil New Single, “Broken Hours”
http://mat-r.co/brokenhours
(Photo credit – Christian Freidlander)
“[Beyondless] seeks release in letting loose, in the pleasure music can give from creating wild, anarchic spaces within the framework of pop music song structures. There’s an art to summoning up chaos and an equal reward in keeping that chaos under control.” — Fresh Air

“On their astonishing fourth album, [Iceage] reach for pop-gothic grandeur with more tenacity and abandon than ever.” — Pitchfork [Best New Music]

“Beyondless’s achievement is that it preserves what made Iceage powerful and unique while allowing that character to mature into a sound that feels older, wiser, and more emotionally expansive.” 
— Vulture

“[Beyondless] feels like the long-awaited delivery on the promise this band has always possessed, the moment when they could rise to the next echelon of today’s indie landscape.”
— Stereogum [Album of the Week]

Following “Balm Of Gilead” released earlier in the month, “as snarling and clobbering as anything you could hope for from the band” (The Fader), Iceage today unveil a second new single with “Broken Hours.” A five minute epic of doom-laden swing and crashing, spidery riffs that backdrop Elias Bender Rønnenfelt’s howling incantation: “Dying figures, they settle in / Broken hours / It lingers on” – it’s another heart-racing transmission from a band at the peak of their craft.

Iceage cap off their 2018 North American touring tomorrow night in Brooklyn with a show at Elsewhere; their biggest ever UK headline show follows in London on December 7th.

Beyondless, released this past June via Matador, is the culmination of Iceage’s output so far. It boasts an earthy and hypnotic sound that pays tribute to American music, from country honk brawls to sleazy soul revues to cocaine blues. Echoes of The Waterboys to Exile-period Stones to John Cale are laced with a ubiquitous air of ecstatic abandon and channelled via masterful songwriting. Throughout their career, the band’s charm has rested in their running ahead of themselves with blind confidence; on Beyondless, Iceage are treading with a disarming assurance, but no loss of charm.
Listen to Iceage’s “Broken Hours”  –
http://mat-r.co/brokenhours

Watch/Listen/Share:
Beyondless album stream – http://smarturl.it/Beyondless
“Balm of Gilead” – http://mat-r.co/balmofgilead
“Catch It” Video –  http://mat-r.co/CatchIt
“Pain Killer” feat. Sky Ferreira – http://mat-r.co/PainKiller
“The Day The Music Dies” Video – http://mat-r.co/TheDayTheMusicDies
“Take It All” – http://mat-r.co/TakeItAll
“Under The Sun” Video – https://youtu.be/P-nOdShPN-g

Iceage Tour Dates:

Wed. Dec. 5 – Berlin, DE @ Bi Nuu
Thu. Dec. 6 – Kortrijik, BE @ De Kreun
Fri. Dec. 7 – London, UK @ Hackney Arts Centre ∞
Wed. Jan. 30 – Ljubliana, SI @ Ment Festival
Fri. March 1 – Copenhagen, DK @ Store Vega

∞ = with Astrid Sonne, Helm and Warmduscher

Download hi-res images & album art — www.pitchperfectpr.com/iceage/
(“Broken Hours” cover art)

Official Website | Instagram | Facebook | Iceage Blog

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