Rock – Page 139 – 7th Level Music

Ezra Furman’s new single, “Calm Down,” is a punk rock rager.

Ezra Furman is pleased to announce his new album, Twelve Nudes, due August 30th via Bella Union. 2018 was a championing year for Furman – since the release of the “layered, baroque pop melodrama” (Billboard) Transangelic Exodus, Furman has garnered immense praise, both for Transangelic Exodus and the soundtrack he created for Netflix’s Sex Education (he and his band also appeared in an episode). Twelve Nudes, his new and “spiritually queer” punk record, continues this same wavelength, and is an incendiary and inspiring follow-up. Across the album, Furman channels pent-up energy, distinguished by sharp, lacerating observations, confessions and proclamations. Additionally, Furman shares the lead single / video, “Calm Down” (aka “I Should Not Be Alone”) and announces a North American and European tour (all dates below).

Twelve Nudes was recorded quickly in Oakland in Fall 2018 and was mixed by venerated producer John Congleton (Sharon Van Etten, St. Vincent). The result is an album that is less stereotypical punk than raw, raucous rock’n’roll. The album has two spiritual heroes – the late great punk Jay Reatard and Canadian writer and philosopher Anne Carson. The title stems directly from Carson, who used the term “nudes” to describe the meditations she used to deal with intense pain in her life.

Throughout Twelve Nudes, Furman uses both personal and outward experiences to communicate intense frustration. On punk-rock track “Rated R Crusaders” he explores his Jewish identity and the Israel/Palestine conflict, while “Trauma” seethes with the spiritual malaise brought on by watching wealthy bullies accused of sexual assault rise to power. Furman is well-aware that America is balanced on a knife-edge between white male supremacy and the dream of universal opportunity; hence the references to Mexico, slave-owners and US “founding father” Ben Franklin in “In America.” “One of my goals in making music is to make the world seem bigger, and life seem larger,” Furman explains. “I want to be a force that tries to revive the human spirit rather than crush it, to open possibilities rather than close them down. Sometimes a passionate negativity is the best way to do that.”

Immediate proof is offered by “Calm Down.” The track, insanely catchy and bound up in a compact two minutes and 22 seconds, is a cry of panic and despair. “Desperate times make for desperate songs,” says Furman. “I wrote this in the summer of 2018, a terrible time. It’s the sound of me struggling to admit that I’m not okay with the current state of human civilization, in which bad men crush us into submission. Once you admit how bad it feels to live in a broken society, you can start to resist it, and imagine a better one.” The accompanying video, directed by Beth Jeans Houghton, follows the same hand drawn aspect of previous videos, but with vibrant color and a comic book style.

“This is our punk record,” says Ezra Furman. “We made it in Oakland, quickly. We drank and smoked. Then we made the loud parts louder. I hurt my voice screaming. This was back in 2018, when things were bad in the world. The songs are naked with nothing to hide.”

Ezra Furman will shortly embark on a European tour. Then, he will bring his energetic live shows stateside before returning to Europe later this year.

Watch the Video for “Calm Down” –
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLecVxlnZG8

Pre-order Twelve Nudes –
http://smarturl.it/ef_twelve

Twelve Nudes Tracklist:
1. Calm Down aka I Should Not Be Alone
2. Evening Prayer aka Justice
3. Transition From Nowhere to Nowhere
4. Rated R Crusaders
5. Trauma
6. Thermometer
7. I Wanna Be Your Girlfriend
8. Blown
9. My Teeth Hurt
10. In America
11. What Can You Do But Rock n Roll

Ezra Furman Tour Dates:

Sun. July 21 – Benicassim, ES @ Benicassim Festival
Tue. July 23 – Cork, IE @ Cyprus Avenue
Wed. July 24 – Dublin, IE @ Button Factory
Thu. July 25 – Galway, IE @ Galway Festival
Sun. July 28 – Topcliffe, UK @ Deer Shed Festival
Thu. Sept. 5 – St. Paul, MN @ Turf Club
Sat. Sept. 7 – Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall (TICKETS)
Sun. Sept. 8 – Detroit, MI @ El Club (TICKETS)
Mon. Sept. 9 – Toronto, ON @ Lee’s Palace (TICKETS)
Tue. Sept. 10 – Montreal, QC @ Bar Le Ritz P.D.B. (TICKETS)
Wed. Sept. 11 – Cambridge, MA @ Sonia (TICKETS)
Thu. Sept. 12 – Brooklyn, NY @ Warsaw (TICKETS)
Sun. Sept. 15 – Philadelphia, PA @ Underground Arts (TICKETS)
Mon. Sept. 16 – Washington, DC @ Union Stage (TICKETS)

Sleater-Kinney releases new single, “Hurry On Home,” and North American tour dates.

Rock giantesses Sleater-Kinney are back with not only a sharp new, electro-twinged single, “Hurry On Home,” but also a list of tour dates throughout North America starting in October. “Hurry On Home” is a hot cut about hotter love with a blistering guitar solo from Carrie Brownstein. Don’t miss this tour. Many dates, if not all, are sure to sell out.

10/9/19 – Spokane, WA – Fox Theatre

10/11/19 – Boise, ID – Knitting Factory Concert House

10/12/19 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Depot

10/13/19 – Denver, CO – Ogden Theatre

10/15/19 – Minneapolis, MN – Palace Theatre

10/16/19 – Milwaukee, WI – Riverside Theater

10/18/19 – Chicago, IL – Riviera Theatre

10/20/19 – Louisville, KY – Old Forester’s Paristown Hall

10/21/19 – Nashville, TN – Ryman Auditorium

10/23/19 – Atlanta, GA – Tabernacle

10/25/19 – Washington, DC – The Anthem

10/26/19 – Pittsburgh, PA – Stage AE- Indoor

10/27/19 – Philadelphia, PA – The Fillmore

10/29/19 – Boston, MA – House of Blues

10/30/19 – Brooklyn, NY – Kings Theatre

10/31/19 – New York, NY – Hammerstein Ballroom

11/1/19 – Columbus, OH – Newport Music Hall

11/3/19 – Toronto, ON – Rebel Complex

11/4/19 – Detroit, MI – Majestic Theatre

11/5/19 – St. Louis, MO – The Pageant

11/7/19 – Houston, TX – House of Blues

11/8/19 – Dallas, TX – House of Blues

11/9/19 – Austin, TX – ACL Live at the Moody Theater

11/11/19 – Phoenix, AZ – The Van Buren

11/12/19 – San Diego, CA – The Observatory North Park

11/13/19 – Santa Ana, CA – The Observatory OC

11/14/19 – Los Angeles, CA – Hollywood Palladium

11/16/19 – Oakland, CA – Fox Theater

11/19/19 – Portland, OR – Crystal Ballroom

11/21/19 – Vancouver, BC – Commodore Ballroom

11/23/19 – Seattle, WA – Paramount Theatre

Keep your mind open.

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Alex Cameron’s new single, “Miami Memory,” is a loving tip of the hat to the town and his girlfriend.

Alex Cameron presents the new single/video, “Miami Memory,” directed by Cameron, and starring himself, his business associate and sax player Roy Molloy and actress Jemima Kirke. A love song to the city, “Miami Memory” embraces the lustful air of Miami and explores both Alex’s personal relationship with both the city and his girlfriend. Throughout, Alex’s sultry and playful delivery embraces themes of sex positivity, love and reflection. Premiered this past Sunday on KCRW’s Henry Rollins’ show, “Miami Memory” is the first new music Cameron has released since 2017’s Forced Witness.

“‘Miami Memory’ is a story about how we audition in the present for our future selves to enjoy in retrospect. In that way, tender memories that we share together are captured in thought and stored with the same electricity that keeps our heart beating,” says Cameron. “It’s a gift for my girlfriend Jemima, and it is dedicated to the artist Greer Lankton and her partner Paul Monroe. I am lucky to have learned that a group of people can be a shining light.”

Cameron has announced a fall European and North American tour, including shows in Chicago, Toronto, New York and Los Angeles. North American tickets are on sale now.

Watch “Miami Memory” – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0BtytpbJCU

Stream “Miami Memory” – https://alexcameron.ffm.to/miamimemory

Alex Cameron Tour Dates: Wed. Sept. 18 – Amsterdam, NL @ Paradiso Thu. Sept. 19 – Brussels, BE @ AB Club Fri. Sept. 20 – Brighton, UK @ The Haunt Sat. Sept. 21 – Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Social Club Sun. Sept. 22 – Dublin, IE @ Button Factory Tue. Sept. 24 – Bristol, UK @ The Fleece Wed. Sept. 25 – London, UK @ Electric Brixton Thu. Sept. 26 – Manchester, UK @ Gorilla Fri. Sept. 27 – Glasgow, UK @ Art School Sun. Sept. 29 – Southampton, UK @ Loft Tue. Oct. 1 – Lille, FR @ Aeronef Club Wed. Oct. 2 – Paris, FR @ Trianon Thu. Oct. 3 – Reims, FR @ La Cartonnerie Fri. Oct. 4 – Nantes, FR @ Lieu Unique Sat. Oct. 5 – Orléans, FR @ Astrolabe Mon. Oct. 7 – Zurich, CH @ Mascotte Tue. Oct. 8 – Dudingen, CH @ Bad Bonn Wed. Oct. 9 – Milan, IT @ Ohibo Thu. Oct. 10 – Bologna, IT @ Covo Sat. Oct. 12 – Salzburg, AT @ Rockhouse Birthday Party Sun. Oct. 13 – Vienna, AT @ Flex Cafe Mon. Oct. 14 – Munich, DE @ Strom Tue. Oct. 15 – Prague, CZ @ Meet Factory Wed. Oct. 16 – Berlin, DE @ Festsaal Kreuzberg Fri. Oct. 18 – Stockholm, SE @ Vasateatern Sat. Oct. 19 – Oslo, NO @ Parkteatret Sun. Oct. 20 – Gothenburg, SE @ Pustervik Mon. Oct. 21 – Copenhagen, DK @ Vega Tue. Oct. 22 – Hamburg, DE @ Uebel & Gefährlich Wed. Oct. 23 – Cologne, DE @ Artheater Fri. Nov. 8 – Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall Fri. Nov. 15 – Toronto, ON @ Phoenix Concert Theatre Fri. Nov. 22 – New York, NY @ Webster Hall Fri. Dec. 6 – Los Angeles, CA @ Troubadour

Keep your mind open.

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Olden Yolk are currently on tour promoting their new album – “Living Theatre.”

“Through layers of warm harmonies, spirited drum fills and bright guitar riffs, Shane Butler and multi-instrumentalist Caity Shaffer craft a kaleidoscopic world that steadily builds on its own momentum”
– NPR Music

Olden Yolk – the duo of songwriters Shane Butler and Caity Shaffer – shares their single from Living Theatre, their sophomore album, via Trouble In Mind. “Grand Palais” is “about the frivolous search to seek some semblance of spiritual understanding in various places, things, and people outside of ourselves. Much of the song was written through improvisation in the studio alongside percussionist Booker Stardrum, whose frantic drumming is a driving force in the song. Weaving vocals, synthesizers, and tempo switches all encapsulate the dual feelings of desperation and euphoria found within this type of pursuit,” explains the band.

Olden Yolk is on tour in support of Living Theatre. They’re joined by Ryan Jewell (drums), Peter Wagner (bass) and Frank Maston (synths/keys). A full list of dates is below.
Stream “Grand Palais” – https://youtu.be/977uBeouGb4

Watch “Distant Episode” Video – https://youtu.be/hKS-ro9GPiE

Watch “Cotton & Cane” Video – https://youtu.be/cICiAlzVHag

Pre-order Living Theatre – https://bit.ly/2FGtjE4

Olden Yolk Tour Dates:

Wed. May 29 – Detroit, MI @ Outer Limits Lounge
Thu. May 30 – Chicago, IL @ HideoutWed. May 31 – Grand Rapids, MI @ House Show
Thu. June 1 – Columbus, OH @ Dirty Dungarees
Fri. June 2 – Cleveland, OH @ Happy Dog
Fri. June 7 – Sonoma, CA @ Huichica Festival
Wed. June 19 – Los Angeles, CA @ Zebulon (LA record release show)
Thu. June 20 – San Francisco, CA @ Make Out Room
Fri. June 21 – Portland, OR @ Turn Turn Turn w/ Adam Torres
Sun. June 23 – Seattle, WA @ Sunset Tavern
Sat. Oct. 12 – Portsmouth, UK @ The Festing
Sat. Oct. 13 – Exeter, UK @ The Cavern
Mon. Oct. 14 – Brighton, UK @ Komedie Studio
Tue. Oct. 15 – London, UK @ Lexington
Wed. Oct. 16 – Bristol, UK @ Louisiana
Thu. Oct. 17 – Birmingham, UK @ Hair & Hounds 2
Fri. Oct. 18 – Manchester, UK @ YES
Sat. Oct. 19 – Oxford, UK @ Ritual Union Festival

Keep your mind open.

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Clutch and Killswitch Engage announce summer U.S. tour.

Clutch, Killswitch Engage, and Cro-Mags are heading on the road together this summer across the United States in what will surely be one of the loudest tours of 2019. Tickets to all dates are on sale now. Some of the dates include festivals like Clutch’s Earth Rocker (July 13), Rock Fest (July 19th), and Impact Festival (July 28th).

Clutch never disappoint live, so don’t miss your chance to see them.

Keep your mind open.

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Live: Bayonne and Palm Daze – May 12, 2019 – 191 Toole – Tucson, AZ

I happened to be in Tucson, Arizona on the same night of the final show of Bayonne and Palm Daze‘s most recent tour. I’d wanted to see Bayonne since I’d heard his fine album Primitives and missed his set at Levitation Austin a few years ago.

They were playing at a small club in downtown Tucson called 191 Toole (named for the address). It’s a nice small venue with no bad places to stand for a view of the stage. It’s the kind of venue I’d love to own – small bar, good-sized room, ample parking, not far from a college campus. Fewer than forty people showed up for the gig, probably due to that weekend being graduation weekend for the University of Arizona. It’s a shame for those who missed it, because Bayonne and Palm Daze closed their tour with a great show.

Palm Daze, the Austin psychedelic dream-pop three-piece opened the show and played most, if not all, of their 2017 EP Controls (review coming). Eric McClung and Tyler Delaune bounced back and forth with synths, bass, and percussion while drummer Ryan Heath laid down serious chops. I was hooked by the third song.

Palm Daze (L-R: Ryan Heath, Tyler Delaune, Eric McClung)

Mr. Heath joined Bayonne (Roger Sellers) onstage for drum kit smashing while Mr. Sellers sang and played synths, guitar, and / or percussion, looping a lot of it on top of each other for great effect. Many artists would’ve phoned in a performance on the last night of a tour to a crowd of fewer than forty people, but Bayonne went for broke as he wowed the crowd with tracks of not only Primitives, but also his fine new record – Drastic Measures (again, review coming). Empty water bottles, sweaty towels, and broken drum sticks littered the stage by the time they were done.

This small show currently has the top spot on my list of best concerts of 2019, and will probably remain in the top 10 by the end of the year. Bayonne is playing Lollapalooza this year, and I can tell you his set will be a must-see if you are there.

Keep your mind open.

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Review: L7 – Scatter the Rats

Back with their first album in far too long (20 years), L7 make a much-needed and much-requested return in a time of “alternate truths,” “pink taxes,” xenophobia, and Orwellian bliss with Scatter the Rats. The name of the album is, I suspect, a call to action. The rats are everywhere and we need to make them run.

The opening guitar riff on “Burn Baby” slaps you awake and soon guitarist Donita Sparks is singing about how “…you think I’m a fraud, and I know you’re a fake, but when it’s all said and done we all burn at the stake.” It also sounds like they mix guitar chords with kazoo blasts, which is great. “Fighting the Crave” puts aside the tongue-in-cheek humor for gunslinging bass from Jennifer Garner and some of drummer Dee Plakas‘ most dangerous chops as Sparks sings about trying to resist a hot lover. It’s a track Motley Crue wishes they could’ve written.

“Proto Prototype” has co-guitarist Suzy Gardner on lead vocals, and she sounds like a were-tiger casting a 7th level conjuring spell. The song is that dangerous. “Stadium West” is currently one of my top ten singles of the year. It’s a fun, fast rocker that I can’t wait to hear live. “Murky Water Cafe” has Gardner’s vocals almost taking on a southern rock edge as she sings about a New Orleans dive bar and the weird, murky things that happened (still happen?) to her there. Also, her solo on it is sharp as a switchblade.

I’m willing to bet “Ouija Board Lies” has a great backstory. Is Sparks singing about getting turned on by a ghost? Or is she angry with the ghost about it not being what she expected? Hell, I’m not even sure it’s about a ghost at all. I do know that her riffs and Gardner’s riffs are a great one-two punch throughout the track, however. “Garbage Truck” is a tune about running into a screwed up relationship (“My love’s like a garbage truck. Get wasted and I’ll pick you up.”).

Plakas’ beats on “Holding Pattern” are a clinic on how to ground a rock song and how sometimes subtle power is best. I’m intrigued with the title of “Uppin’ the Ice.” “Hit the ground, take in the sights, all bow down ’cause we’re uppin’ the ice,” Sparks sings. It’s a call for women to get cold. Revenge is best served that way, after all. Gardner turns up the collar on her leather jacket and slips on a pair of brass knuckles on “Cool About Easy.” Don’t screw with her. She will jack you up and leave you whimpering.

The title track closes the album and has Sparks and Gardner sharing vocals about cleaning out rats, pigeons, and other vermin polluting and corrupting all of us. Their sights are set on Washington D.C., in case you weren’t aware. The dirty blues touches on the guitar solos are great, and Finch’s bass pretty much dares you to stand in front of it.

It’s great to have L7 back with not only all four original members, but also with a solid record. They are touring all over right now, so don’t miss your chance to see them.

Keep your mind open.

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Faye Webster’s “Right Side of My Neck” might be the sexiest single you’ll hear this month.

“In classic Webster style, the spring-appropriate song, titled ‘Flowers,’ effortlessly blends healthy doses of both Americana and hip-hop influence for a final product that can be summarized with two words: Atlanta excellence.” – Paste

“Faye Webster has a golden voice, projected in ‘Flowers’ through a prism of crystal-clear production.” – Consequence of Sound

“Webster’s songs can be disarmingly direct and sorrowful.” – Pitchfork

(“Rising”) “The 21-year-old singer has a natural ability to fuse indie-folk with laid-back R&B.” – Rolling Stone

Faye Webster – 21-year-old Atlanta-based singer-songwriter and decorated photographer – shares a new single, “Right Side of My Neck,” from her forthcoming album, Atlanta Millionaires Club, due May 24th via Secretly Canadian. Following previously released “Flowers,” “Room Temperature,” and “Kingston,” “Right Side of My Neck” is gorgeously built by brass and strings, and zeros in on the lingering scent and uncertainty of new love. “For me I find that sometimes the best songs come out from the exact moment,” says Webster. “This song I didn’t think about writing or what I was doing, I was fresh from a feeling and that’s when I get some of my most honest and relatable songs.“

Listen to “Right Side of My Neck”– https://youtu.be/UwHI4MMM_DI

Atlanta Millionaires Club is a genre-bending collection of songs, bringing together Webster’s feather-light vocals, intimate songwriting, and her acumen for being strikingly vulnerable and brave. Pulling from a familial lineage of folk storytelling and time spent in Atlanta’s hip-hop scene, Webster’s work is a study of duality, weaving through her own introversion and heartbreak; it’s an idiosyncratic sadness punctuated by fleeting observations and an unexpected, sly sense of humor.

“Everything is way personal. I’ve never been that kind of person who can read a book and then write a song about the book,” Webster says. “I have to write about very personal things for me to even want to write.”

Faye Webster will headline a North American tour this month. Additionally, she will appear at Bonnaroo later this summer.

Listen to “Right Side of My Neck”–
https://youtu.be/UwHI4MMM_DI

Watch the video for “Flowers” –
https://youtu.be/qq_Jm_QC4go

Watch the video for “Room Temperature” –
https://youtu.be/nMybE4Ge6hM

Watch the video for “Kingston” –
https://youtu.be/-5_tGEao_GQ

Pre-order Atlanta Millionaires Club –
https://fayewebster.ffm.to/atlantamillionairesclub

Faye Webster Tour Dates
Fri. May 24 – Manchester, UK @ Dot to Dot Festival
Sat. May 25 – Bristol, UK @ Dot to Dot Festival
Sun. May 26 – Nottingham, UK @ Dot to Dot Festival
Tue. May 28 – London, UK @ Bermondsey Social Club
Wed. May 29 – London, UK @ Bermondsey Social Club
Fri. May 31 – Hilvarenbeek, NL @ Best Kept Secret Festival
Mon. Jun 03 – Paris, FR @ La Boule Noire
Sun. June 16 – Manchester, TN @ Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival
Tue. June 18 – Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry
Wed. June 19 – Chicago, IL @ Schubas Tavern
Fri. June 21 – Toronto, ON @ The Drake
Sat. June 22 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Club Cafe
Sun. June 23 – Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s
Mon. June 24 – Allston, MA @ Great Scott
Wed. June 26 – Brooklyn, NY @ Baby’s All Right
Thu. June 27 – Washington, DC @ DC9
Fri. June 28 – Asheville, NC @ The Mothlight
Sat. June 29 – Atlanta, GA @ The Earl

Keep your mind open.

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Bleached’s new single, “Hard to Kill,” is among the best of the year so far.

Don’t You Think You’ve Had Enough? is what Jennifer Clavin asked herself when she hit a turning point in her life. It’s also the title of the new Bleached record, out July 12th via Dead Oceans, and Jessie and Jennifer Clavin’s first LP written from a place of sobriety. That newfound perspective serves as the guiding force in every corner of its sound, yielding a courageous, honest, and sonically ambitious album. Throughout, the Clavins radiate the power and bravery of facing addiction, of letting go of the past and becoming open to a radically different future of self-love, acceptance, and newfound honesty. Today, the sisters present its lead single, the defiant, yet playful “Hard to Kill” and its accompanying video, and announce a North American headline tour (all upcoming dates are listed below). Don’t You Think You’ve Had Enough? follows 2016’s Welcome the Worms and 2017’s “Can You Deal?” EP. The sisters began writing the album in early 2018 in a Los Angeles practice space and with friends and co-writers in Nashville. “Writing these songs while sober became somewhat of a spiritual experience,” Jennifer says. “I had to let go, trust the process, and allow an energy beyond my control to be present.” In writing and recording, Jessie handled the bulk of the instrumentation and Jennifer handled the lyrics and melodies — it was important to the Clavins that the entire record return to their dynamic as sisters.

Producer Shane Stoneback (Vampire Weekend, Sleigh Bells) helped open every door to experimentation, wanting to be exploratory while keeping the sound singularly Bleached. The resulting LP is explosive, grappling with the past; its twelve tracks mark some of the sisters’ most visceral, rawest songwriting to date — and some of their best. The album glimmers with inspiration found in touring with the likes of The Damned and Paramore whose arena-ready, incisively catchy pop was a palpable influence helping to push Bleached’s sound in a new realm.

This new direction is clear with “Hard To Kill” and previously released “Shitty Ballet.” As described by Jennifer, “Hard to Kill” is about “staring down the road towards death and realizing I needed to wake up and get out of my selfish patterns of self destruction.” The video, directed by another sister team, Juliana and Nicky Giraffe, depicts the Clavin sisters in defiance of the shadows of their past, utilizing their talent and wit to set themselves free into a liberated new beginning.

The exclusive Dead Oceans preorder bundle includes limited edition black/red/brown tri-colored LP (only available through this bundle), cassette, and a getaway car accessory pack with a “Valley To LA” bumper sticker, “Somebody Dial 911” air freshener and Don’t You Think You’ve Had Enough? metal keychain.
Watch the Video for “Hard To Kill” –
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQYgcc02m5c

Pre-order Don’t You Think You’ve Had Enough? –
bleached.ffm.to/dontyouthink

Watch “Shitty Ballet” Video –
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8pGMcSylH4

Don’t You Think You Have Enough?Tracklist
1. Heartbeat Away
2. Hard to Kill
3. Daydream
4. I Get What I Need
5. Somebody Dial 911
6. Kiss You Goodbye
7. Rebound City
8. Silly Girl
9. Valley to LA
10. Real Life
11. Awkward Phase
12. Shitty Ballet

Bleached Tour Dates:
Mon. May 20 – Chicago, IL @ The Vic Theater *
Tue. May 21 – St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant *
Wed. May 22 – Lawrence, KS @ Liberty Hall *
Fri. May 24 – Denver, CO @ Gothic Hall *
Sat. May 25 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Union Events Center *
Tue. May 28 – Pomona, CA @ Fox Theater *
Fri. May 29 – San Diego, CA @ The Observatory North Park *
Thu. July 11 – Los Angeles, Ca @ Moroccan Lounge
Thu. Aug. 22 – London, UK @ The Lexington
Sat. Aug. 24 – Reading, UK @ Reading Festival
Sun. Aug. 25 – Leeds, UK @ Leeds Festival
Sat. Sept. 7 – Phoenix, AZ @ Valley Bar
Mon. Sept. 9 – Austin, TX @ Barracuda
Tue. Sept. 10 – Dallas, TX @ Club Dada
Wed. Sept. 11 – Houston, TX @ Satellite Bar
Fri. Sept. 13 – New Orleans, LA @ Gasa Gasa
Sat. Sept. 14 – Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade (Hell)
Sun. Sept. 15 – Raleigh, NC @ Motorco
Tue. Sept. 17 – Washington, DC @ U Street Music Hall
Thu. Sept. 19 – Brooklyn, NY @ Elsewhere
Fri. Sept. 20 – Philadelphia, PA @ PhilaMOCA
Sat. Sept. 21 – Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall
Mon. Sept. 23 – Toronto, ON @ Horseshoe Tavern
Tue. Sept. 24 – Columbus, OH @ The Basement
Wed. Sept. 25 – Nashville, TN @ Exit In
Fri. Sept. 27 – Urbana, IL @ Pygmalion Festival
Sat. Sept. 28 – Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry
Sun. Sept. 29 – Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall
Tue. Oct. 1 – Kansas City, MO @ Riot Room (Outdoors)
Thu. Oct. 3 – Denver, CO @ Globe Hall
Sat. Oct. 5 – Boise, ID @ The Olympic
Mon. Oct. 7 – Seattle, WA @ Crocodile
Tue. Oct. 8 – Vancouver, BC @ Biltmore Cabaret
Wed. Oct. 9 – Portland, OR @ Star Theater
Fri. Oct. 11 – Oakland, CA @ New Parish

*= w/ Refused and The Hives

Keep your mind open.

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Live: Priests and Gurr – Lincoln Hall – Chicago, IL – April 22, 2019

I hadn’t seen Washington D.C. post-punks Priests since the 2017 Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago. They were promoting their excellent album, Nothing Feels Natural, at the time, and they put on a lively afternoon set under a bright sun. Seeing them at Chicago’s Lincoln Hall would be the first time I would see them playing tracks off their new album, The Seduction of Kansas (which is currently my favorite album of 2019), in a small club, and since one of their original bassist, Taylor Mulitz, amicably left the band to form Flasher – a good band in their own right.

Opening them were a fun band called Gurr, who hail from Germany (despite a drunk in the crowd loudly asking if they were from France or Canada). They played a loud post-PUNK that had an infectious energy you couldn’t ignore. They revealed that their touring van had been burglarized at a previous gig and all of the money they’d made on tour so far was gone, but they were still upbeat.

Priests came out with “Good Time Charlie,” one of the first singles released from The Seduction of Kansas. It was immediately evident that the new tracks take on a dangerous edge live, even with some low bass troubles for Alexandria Tyson at first (which were fixed by the sound crew by the time Priests reached the stinging “YouTube Sartre” and the defiant “Not Perceived”). Katie Greer’s vocals on “The Seduction of Kansas” were almost spooky at some points. She had us hypnotized and even a bit frightened.

Getting seduced by “The Seduction of Kansas”

A highlight was when drummer Daniele Daniele came to the front and sang lead on “68 Screen” and “I’m Clean.” She accidentally stepped on an effects pedal at one point during “I’m Clean,” cutting out some of the programmed drumming for a moment. “It’s live music, folks! You’ll never hear that version again,” Greer said before they tore into “Pink White House” from Nothing Feels Natural.

G.L. Jaguar was shredding by the time they reached “Texas Instruments” and closed with the knockout punch of “Jesus’ Son.” I walked out of Lincoln Hall with one word in mind – “dangerous.” In a small venue, with the powerful lyrics, vocals, and instrumentation behind them, seeing Priests was like being in a room with four somewhat frisky panthers prowling back and forth along the far wall. They encouraged you to play with them, but you knew they could maul you at any moment.

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Jim DeLuca and Jacob Daneman of Pitch Perfect PR for providing me with a press pass to the show.]