Pop Espontaneo by the Paraguayan duo JODI is a great collection of psychedelic garage music from 1969 through 1975 remastered and released by Guerren Records. The duo, brothers Joern and Dirk Wenger, used guitars, Moog synths, exotic instruments, and distortion pedals to create stuff ahead of its time, and Pop Espontaneo is full of unreleased home recordings from the Wengers.
The opener, “Loveseller,” drenched in fuzz and falsetto vocals, sounds like a lost track from Thee Oh Sees. Besides having a great title, “Altered Termites in My Room” has a great 1960’s South American secret agent groove. “Change Your Mind About Me” is psych-pop with a wild guitar solo. The guitar on “Night Dreamer” is also excellent. It soars like a 32-bit eagle in a fantasy game. “Save My Soul” and “Take Me Higher” are weird rockers that belong in some kind of horror-disco musical.
The organ work on “A Sunburst of Bees” (another great title) is outstanding. It almost reaches demented church organ levels. “Where Are All My Friends” sounds like it could’ve been recorded by Ariel Pink yesterday. “I Will Wait for You” reveals JODI’s love of Rubber Soul (as does “Tell Me Why” five tracks later) with its beats, guitar chords, and vocal work. It’s great. “I Found You in the Night” reveals JODI’s love of the Kinks‘ early work. Just listen to that beat and tell me I’m wrong.
The wild psychedelic guitar solos continue on “I Loved You Once,” and the church organ continues on the Simon and Garfunkel-like “Hard to Be Alone” – one of three “bonus tracks” on an album that is essentially all bonus tracks found in an office of the Wenger family’s paint factory after forty years. The other two are “Searching for a Figure” (with wild synths) and another Kinks-like fun tune, “Toys.”
The fact that these master tapes survived in a tropic environment in a desk drawer is amazing. It’s amazing as this collection, really. The Wenger brothers deserve to be better known by the world at large, and Pop Espontaneo is a great place to start.
Never ones to rest on their laurels, Australian psych rockers King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard have announced their fourteenth album (in less than seven years, by the way), Fishing for Fishies, will be released on April 26th.
According to lead singer Stu Mackenzie, “We tried to make a blues record. A blues-boogie-shuffle-kinda-thing, but the songs kept fighting it – or maybe it was us fighting them. Ultimately though we let the songs guide us this time; we let them have their own personalities and forge their own path. Paths of light, paths of darkness. This is a collection of songs that went on wild journeys of transformation.”
You can pre-order Fishing for Fishies at Flightless Records, and the band is about to embark on yet another massive tour across the globe. Catch them if you can. They never disappoint.
Doom / psych / goth rock band Blackwater Holylight announced they’re in the process of recording a new album due this October. Their self-titled debut album was one of my favorite debut records of 2018.
They’re also embarking on a European tour after a couple dates in the western U.S., so catch them if you can. I hope these ladies hit Austin’s Levitation festival in the fall.
BLACKWATER HOLYLIGHT LIVE: 04/16 Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge w/ R.I.P. 04/20 Los Angeles, CA @ Psycho Smokeout Festival 04/26 Linz, AT @ Stadtwerkstatt 05/01 Bristol, UK @ The Lanes 05/02 Newcastle, UK @ Trillans 05/03 London, UK @ DesertFest 05/04 Liege, BE @ La Zone 05/05 Berlin, DE @ DesertFest 05/08 Malmo, SE @ Plan B 05/09 Stockholm, SE @ Undergangen 05/10 Gothenburg, SE W Truckstop Alaska 05/11 Esbjerg, DK @ Esbjerg Fuzzfestival 05/13 Oldenburg, DE @ MTS LP Store 05/14 Berlin, DE @ Zukunft 05/15 Vienna, AT @ Aerena Beisl 05/16 Olten, CH @ Coq’D’or 05/17 Innsbruck, AT @ PMK
PRE-ORDER MIDNIGHT StefChura.lnk.to/Midnight “For most people who create art I would assume there is some kind of deep unanswerable hole in your soul as to why you’re making it…” So says Stef Chura ahead of the release of Midnight, her gritty, vehement new album, recorded and produced by Will Toledo of Car Seat Headrest – and her first new collection of songs for Saddle Creek, out June 7th. Illuminating that search for answers with a fevered sense of exploration, Midnight is a bold leap forward from Messes, Stef’s contagious debut album, with every aspect of her new work finding bold ways to express itself as it rips through twelve restless and relentless new tracks. She also shares the first single, “Method Man, ” a boisterous three-minutes that melds jagged, skewed guitars with a distinctive voice that has a new-found sense of confidence while touching on a vulnerable moment in Stef’s life. She also announces a North American tour in support of the new album. She explains “Method Man” below:
A long time ago I was pondering the literal words “Method Man” while listening to Wu-Tang. There was a person in my life that I had a confusing array of emotions for, sometimes I was in love with him, I admired and looked up to him, I thought of him as superior to me. He was older than me and I was a teenager. At that age I experienced a titanic amount of anxiety that usually expressed itself as silence.
This song was born out of a total frustration regarding a man who seemed “methodical” to me. He was literate. He waxed poetic. Almost someone…how do I say this…that you wanted to be condescending to you? As long as they were talking to you. He drank a lot of energy drinks and had this overall outlook that no one understood him. That he was in on some kind of cosmic secret that I couldn’t get. He smoked so many cigs it stained his fingers yellow.
He was always talking, and I was so enamored with this person. I was always nervous to reply. He would go on and on for hours. He sometimes would look at me and be like “oh maybe you won’t get this…. maybe you don’t get this.” I was too terrified to say much.
A couple of years on from the release of Messes, Stef is still based in Detroit, that most singular city which has seen it all, from the no-mans-land of its initial collapse through to the resurgent place it is now. Stef found inspiration from the people she surrounded with herself with, more so than the place itself. It’s no surprise that Midnight is testament to those kind of characteristics; a rugged and robust burst of defiance. “I’m usually dealing with the context of what I can’t say or haven’t said,” Stef says. “A kind of spiritual bondage that I would say most people, probably a lot of female bodied ones, put themselves through.”
Which is to say that if its predecessor was a raw, somewhat unadorned document of Stef’s work, then Midnight is the muscular, swaggering evolution. “This album has a depth to it and a particular sound because of Will,” Stef states regarding Toledo’s input, whose spiky nuances can be found across the length and breadth of Midnight, the record presenting an exhilarating rush of sound and color as Stef’s spirited vocal finds and signature guitar sounds unravel alongside in a thrilling meeting of ideas and influences; dispelling demons, song by song.
Equal parts thrilling and angsty, Midnight is a testament to the collaborative process, a record that makes the very most of those who came together to make it, but more than that, it’s a firm statement of tenacity and perseverance, of not resting on your laurels but leaping forwards no matter the situation you find yourself in. From out of one day and into the next.
MIDNIGHT TRACKLISTING 1. All I Do is Lie 2. Scream 3. Degrees 4. Method Mad 5. Trumbull 6. Jumpin’ Jack 7. Sincerely Yours 8. 3D Girl 9. Sweet Sweet Midnight 10. Love Song 11. They’ll Never 12. Eyes Without a Face
STEF CHURA TOUR DATES Tue. April 23 – Ann Arbor, MI @ Blind Pig Fri. July 5 – Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle Sat. July 6 – Detroit, MI @ Deluxx Fluxx Sun. July 7 – Toronto, ON @ The Drake Mon. July 8 – Montreal, QC @ Casa del Popolo Tue. July 9 – Boston, MA @ Great Scott Fri. July 12 – Brooklyn, NY @ Rough Trade Sat. July 13 – Philadelphia, PA @ PhilaMOCA Mon. July 15 – Washington, DC @ Comet Ping Pong Tue. July 16 – Durham, NC @ The Pinhook Wed. July 17 – Atlanta, GA @ The Earl Fri. July 19 – New Orleans, LA @ Gasa Gasa Sat. July 20 – Houston, TX @ The Satellite Sun. July 21 – Austin, TX @ The Mohawk Mon. July 22 – Dallas, TX @ Regal Room Thu. July 25 – Phoenix, AZ @ Valley Bar Fri. July 26 – San Diego, CA @ Sodabar Sat. July 27 – Los Angeles, CA @ Bootleg Theatre Sun. July 28 – San Francisco, CA @ Cafe du Nord Tue. July 30 – Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios Wed. July 31 – Seattle, WA @ Barboza Thu. Aug. 1 – Vancouver, BC @ Biltmore Cabaret Fri. Aug. 2 – Spokane, WA @ Lucky You Lounge Sat. Aug. 3 – Boise, ID @ Neurolux Mon. Aug. 5 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court Tue. Aug. 6 – Denver, CO @ Larimer Lounge Wed. Aug. 7 – Omaha, NE @ Reverb Fri. Aug. 9 – Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry Sat. Aug. 10 – Milwaukee, WI @ Backroom at Colectivo
PRAISE FOR MESSES
“Detroit indie rocker Stef Chura has the kind of magnetic voice that music writers fall into ditches attempting to describe” – Pitchfork
“Her music recalls the propulsive, pop-driven rock of icons like Liz Phair and Hole; her conversational, confessional lyrics add a touch of folksiness.” – NPR Music
“In Messes, you can hear the idea that DIY rock music can be as warm and friendly and melodic as any other kind of music.” – Stereogum
“there are a bunch of reasons you should pay attention to the grunge pop songstress.” – Noisey
“A major highlight on the record is Chura’s voice, which is prone to breathy, almost yodel-y stretches, and can take the simplest lyric and twist it into what sounds like a hundred knots until, suddenly, you realize that’s the chorus.” – MTV News
Midnight will be available digitally, on CD, cassette, black LP, and as a limited-edition LP pressed on glow-in-the-dark and midnight blue splattered vinyl (200 copies exclusive to the Saddle Creek Store).
WATCH VIDEO FOR “JUMBO’S” http://smarturl.it/JumbosYT
LISTEN TO “JUMBO’S” http://smarturl.it/JumbosStrm
Today, Protomartyr finally answers what is probably their most frequently asked question: “When are you going to reissue your first album?” For fans of the band, No Passion All Technique has long been something of a mystery. Not available on streaming services; long out of print (and going for ridiculous prices on Discogs). Why was this album so elusive? On May 3rd, it ceases to be out of reach, as Domino will release a deluxe reissue of No Passion All Technique, along with an expanded digital version that includes four non-album tracks from the same recording session – “King Boots”, “Bubba Helms”, and “Cartier E.G.s” from the Dreads 85 84 7”, and “Whatever Happened To The Saturn Boys?”, which has never before been released. Additionally, today the band shares a video for longtime live staple and fan favorite “Jumbo’s,” directed by frequent Protomartyr-collaborator Yoonha Park – also responsible for the band’s “Don’t Go To Anacita” and “Wheel of Fortune” videos from their past two releases.
When Protomartyr—vocalist Joe Casey, guitarist Greg Ahee, bassist Scott Davidson, drummer Alex Leonard—stepped into a studio together for the first time, in November of 2011, they didn’t know they were about to record an album. With only four hours of studio time booked and one case of beer between them, their plan was to walk out with enough songs for a seven-inch single. Instead, at the suggestion of engineer Chris Koltay, the newly formed Detroit outfit recorded as much as they possibly could, in what little time they had.
They left with 21 songs—enough material for two singles *and* a full-length album that, years later, is still vital listening.
Sold out and out of print shortly after its original release on Urinal Cake Records in October 2012, No Passion All Technique is a sometimes-messy look at one of rock’s most magnetic bands—and lyricists—just as they were coming to life. Primal, cerebral, heartbreaking, funny—it’s an accidental tour de force that’s also become an unlikely collector’s item. “My memory is shot,” Casey says, “but I appreciate now, looking back, how raw and off-the-cuff it was. There’s tons of mistakes in it and that wasn’t because we planned on it. We still can’t really admit that it’s as good as it is. You never want to say that your first is the best, but I’m happy that the first ended up not being terrible. It gave us doorway to what we’d want to do later. ”
Cover art
NO PASSION ALL TECHNIQUE DELUXE EDITION TRACKLISTING 1. In My Sphere 2. Machinist Man 3. Hot Wheel City 4. 3 Swallows 5. Free Supper 6. Jumbo’s 7. Ypsilanti 8. Too Many Jewels 9. (Don’t You) Call Me Out My Name 10. How He Lived After He Died 11. Feral Cats 12. Wine of Ape 13. Principalities 14. King Boots (Bonus Track) 15. Bubba Helms (Bonus Track) 16. Cartier E.G.s (Bonus Track) 17. Whatever Happened to the Saturn Boys? (Bonus Track)
No Passion All Technique is available to pre-order from Domino on limited pressing starburst vinyl w/ 20-page zine, CD, and digital download. The digital release includes four non-album bonus tracks, captured during the same recording session as No Passion All Technique.
Partner are sharing the second song from their forthcoming new record entitled Saturday the 14th. “Tell You Off,” originally debuted on their Tiny Desk session, “We wrote this song in Josée’s bedroom last year in Windsor Ontario and it’s the first time we’ve had to bleep a lyric in a song.” – Partner
Stereogum calls it “…twangingly catchy. It’s pretty wacko, filled with farm animal samples and bleeped-out curses and a flippant attitude that’d fit right in at your local honky-tonk.”
Earlier, Partner shared the video for “Long and McQuade,” an ode to the Canadian music store chain. Watch the video HERE.
Saturday the 14th, out April 5th, follows Partner’s 2017 debut, In Search of Lost Time which landed on NPR, Stereogum, Noisey, Exclaim, and CBC Music year end lists. Pre-order Saturday the 14th HERE.
Partner will tour Canada and the Mid-West this spring.
TOUR DATES April 13 – The Danforth Music Hall, Toronto ON+ April 18 – The Capitol Music Club, Saskatoon SK+ April 19 – The Starlite Room, Edmonton AB+ April 20 – The Palace Theatre, Calgary AB+ April 22 – Spiritbar, Nelson BC+ April 23 – Sapphire Nightclub, Kelowna BC+ April 25 – Cactus Jacks, Kamloops BC+ April 26 – Commodore Ballroom, Vancouver BC+ April 27 – Capital Ballroom, Victoria BC+ April 30 – Bo’s Bar & Grill, Red Deer AB+ May 02 – The Exchange, Regina SK+ May 03 – The Garrick, Winnipeg MB+ May 05 – The Hideout, Chicago IL May 06 – The Cactus Club, Milwaukee WI May 07 – UFO, Detroit MI + supporting Wintersleep
Out-of-State Plates is a double-album of B-sides, live cuts, and unreleased material from power pop masters Fountains of Wayne is a treasure trove of catchy hooks and witty lyrics.
Opener “Maureen” is the type of song FOW do so well – a big rocker about a lovely woman and unrequited love. “California Sex Lawyer” is a great example of Chris Collingwood and Adam Schlesinger’s song craft. It’s a funny song skewering rich douche bags, many of whom probably love the song and don’t realize it’s a kick in their crotch. “Janice’s Party” is Collingwood’s salute to his friend’s annual shindig. “Karpet King” is a bonus track from 1997 that was, according to Schlesinger’s liner notes, “a live staple during our first few tours when we only had one album’s worth of material to choose from.” “I Know You Well” is a song Collingwood wrote for his brother’s wedding. “You’re Just Never Satisfied” is full of stadium rock riffs as Schlesinger throws up his hands yet again over trying and failing to please his girl.
Other standouts on the first disc are the 1999 bonus track “I’ll Do the Driving” (a song that angered Collingwood’s wife, according to his notes), the lovely “Places” (a salute to his wife, Barbara – the inspiration for their single “Barbara H.,” which was the A-side of this track), and their 1997 live cover of ELO’s “Can’t Get It Out of My Head.”
Disc two starts with the previously unreleased “The Girl I Can’t Forget,” a great tune about missing a great girl Schlesinger met when he was blitzed drunk and now can’t remember well. A low-key cover of Britney Spears’ “…Baby One More Time” follows it. “Elevator Up” is a sharp rocker about drug addicts. “Comedienne” (a 1997 bonus track) is a funny story about a comic who isn’t sure if she’s failing or succeeding.
Other highlights from this disc are the 1997 live version of “She’s Got a Problem,” a cover of Jackson Browne’s “These Days” done in one take, a triple shot of winter holiday songs (“I Want an Alien for Christmas,” “The Man in the Santa Suit,” and “Chanukah Under the Stars”), and a lovely tribute to Collingwood’s grandfather called “Imperium.”
This is a great collection of not only FOW songs, but also power pop tracks that any fan of the genre would love.
The Beths are back in North America for their largest headline tour in support of 2018’s breakout album, Future Me Hates Me(available now via Carpark Records). The band has already sold out shows in Toronto, New York City, Washington, DC, and Chicago. Today, they share the video for “Uptown Girl” compiled on their last North American tour in the fall. After this current run which includes a stop at SXSW, The Beths will continue onto Australia and Europe where they’ve started selling out shows and upgrading to bigger venues. Then, they’ll bookend the summer festival season at Primavera Sound, Pickathon and Pukkelpop. The band will also be releasing its debut EP, Warm Blood, on vinyl for the first time via Carpark Records. The official release date is April 26th with some copies being available to purchase on tour soon. Pre-order here.
Sun. Mar. 10 – Tampa, FL @ Festival Gasparilla 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) Thu. Mar. 21 – Melbourne, AUS @ Forum Fri. Mar. 22 – Melbourne, AUS @ Forum Sun. Mar. 24 – Hobart, AUS @ Republic Bar & Café Thu. Mar. 28 – Fortitude Valley, AUS @ The Foundry Fri. Mar. 29 – Fortitude Valley @ The Tivoli Sat. Mar. 30 – Newtown, AUS @ Enmore Theatre Sun. Mar. 31 – Leichhardt, AUS @ Crowbar Thu. Apr. 4 – Collingwood, AUS @ The Gasometer Hotel Fri. Apr. 5 – Adelaide, AUS @ Thebarton Theatre Sat. Apr. 6 – Adelaide, AUS @ Jive Thu. Apr. 11 – Perth, AUS @ Badlands Bar Sat. Apr. 13 – Perth, AUS @ Astor Theatre Tue. May 7 – Birmingham, UK @ Hare & Hounds Wed. May 8 – Oxford, UK @ The Wheatsheaf Thu. May 9-Sat. May 11 @ Brighton, UK @ The Great Escape Sun. May 12 – Leeds, UK @ Gold Sounds Festival Mon. May 13 – Edinburgh, UK @ Sneaky Pete’s (SOLD OUT) Tue. May 14 – Glasgow, UK @ G2 (MOVED DUE TO DEMAND) Wed. May 15 – Manchester, UK @ Band on the Wall (MOVED DUE TO DEMAND) Thur. May. 16 – London, UK @ The Dome, Tufnell Park (SOLD OUT) Fri. May 17 – Bristol, UK @ Fleece (MOVED DUE TO DEMAND) Sat. May 18 – Wrexham, UK @ Ty Pawb Arts Hub (Focus Wales) Sun. May 19 – Ramsgate, UK @ Ramsgate Music Hall Tue. May 21 – Paris, FR @ Supersonic Wed. May 22 – Colmar, FR @ Le Grillen Thu. May 23 – Lyon, FR @ Sonic Sat. May 25 – Madrid, ES @ Tomavistas Tue. May 28 – Dornbirn, AT @ Spielboden Wed. May 29 – Munster, DE @ Gleis 22 Thu. May 30 – Groningen, NL @ VERA Fri. May 31 – Nijmegen, NL @ Merleyn Sat. June 1 – Hilvarenbeek, NL @ Best Kept Secret Festival Sun. June 2 – Barcelona, ES @ Primavera Sound Sat. Aug. 3 – Happy Valley, OR @ Pickathon Thu. Aug. 15 – Trondheim, NO @ Pstereo Sun. Aug. 18 – Haasselt, BE @ Pukkelpop Wed. Aug. 28 – London, UK @ Heaven
I hadn’t seen the Bob Mould Band in concert since New Year’s Eve 2014 at the Metro in Chicago. That was a blast, and now one of my rock heroes was kicking off my year of live music in 2019. An added bonus was meeting Mr. Mould on Clark Street a few blocks south of the venue. I got to shake his hand and tell him thanks for everything, so the day was a win.
Opening for him were Chicago’s Airstream Futures. Unfortunately, none of the photographs I took of their set turned out well, but I can tell you that they played an energetic set of punk with pop riffs. Their drummer has impressive chops, and their lead singer had a lot of energy despite, as she mentioned, being fired from her full-time job earlier that day.
Mr. Mould and his pals, Jason Narducy on bass and Jon Wurster on drums, came out swinging with a triple threat of “The War,” “A Good Idea,” and “I Apologize.” There was barely time to catch your breath when they were tearing into “See a Little Light” and “Sunny Love Song” – a track of his new record, Sunshine Rock.
There were many moments when I thought a mosh pit would, and should, have broken out, but the crowd was mostly aging punks (like yours truly) who are afraid of twisting a knee or running out of breath in a pit (unlike yours truly). Such moments came with songs like the title track of the new album, “Hey Mr. Grey,” and “If I Can’t Change Your Mind.”
One thing Mr. Mould assured everyone of during the show was that he can still shred. He tore his guitar up during multiple songs and wowed many of us with the kinds of solos you rarely hear at punk rock shows anymore.
The encore of “Never Talking to You Again,” a cover of Sonny Curtis‘ “Love Is All Around,” and “Flip Your Wig” was another sonic assault that left everyone wanting more, as a good encore should. You can’t go wrong with a Bob Mould show. He’s still putting out great music and destroying stages. Don’t miss him.
The cover for Pink Mexico‘s new album, Dump, shows a man who appears to be in his 60’s wearing black socks with sandals hitting a long-haired, tattooed young’un in red socks and combat boots with a shovel while standing in front of a locked, graffiti-covered storage shed or garage. I’m not sure what this image is supposed to convey, but I can’t help thinking it’s a tongue-in-cheek poke at Millennials, hipsters, and, yes, people older than them. It’s a mix of “Turn down that racket, you damn hippies!” and “Will you old folks stop bitching about everything?”
Starting with “Thumbsucker,” Pink Mexico (Robert Collum, Ian Everall, and Grady Walker) unload great hooks out of the gate and a wild guitar solo to let you know this is going to be a wild ride. “High Dive” brings to mind early Wavves cuts with its surf touches amidst the fuzz and buzz and lyrics about being so stoned you think you might die. Speaking of such subjects, “Prescription Overdose (P.O.D.)” confronts that subject head-on as the band pleads for friends of theirs to scale back on the pills.
“Dirty & Stupid” is an ode to screwing up a great relationship due to too much partying (“If you need me, I’ll be wasted…How did I get home? Why am I all wet?”). “Sex Happiness” is about a similar theme – trying to remember the afterglow of great sex. The vocal reverb is a great touch to the fuzz and squawks of the guitars. “Girlfriend” keeps the themes of sex and confusion with lyrics like, “Do you know what it means to be happy on your own?” battling with “I think I love you, but this is too new.” The brief fade-in and fade-out of “WSLY” is a bit of a fake jab to the near-doom metal right cross of “Shit River.” The squeaks and squeals of the guitars on “Rattlebrain” might leave you feeling that way.
“I’ve heard it all before.” the band yells on “Fuckhead” – which could be a verbal smackdown to political leaders, bosses, contemporary rock radio, or all of the above. The beats and riffs of “Liberty Kid” will get you jumping and remind of early Nirvana cuts. While we’re on the subject of Nirvana, one can’t help but think the brief “Psycho Juice” is a tribute to Kurt Cobain due to its lyrics about suicide by gunshot.
“Heartfist” begins with throbbing synth-bass and fuzzy vocals and then turns into a heavy psychedelic jam about heartbreak and anger (“She turned my heart into a fist.”). It’s a cool way to end the album – fuzzy psychedelia after so much heavy hitting.
The album’s title is as intriguing as the cover. Does the dump refer to how the lyricist feels inside after so much relationship trouble, the status of a relationship, an actual place, the state of the nation, or the need to dump / vent all of his anger? It’s probably all of them, and all of them get bludgeoned by the raucous energy of this record.
