Rock – Page 57 – 7th Level Music

Debauch-a-Reno 2023 announces lineup schedule.

Both weekends of DEBAUCH-a-ReNO are set in stone and nearly sold out as of this announcement. Here’s a summary of expectations, and scroll down to see the official schedule.

The first weekend kicks off on the night of June 16th over at Cypress with four powerhouse local groups demonstrating there’s still a burgeoning DIY scene happening throughout the Biggest Little City In The World. The bands scheduled to grace the stage that evening include the contemporary post-punk neanderthal-ism of Clarko, the jangling garage beat-meets-jugular slash punk attack and sarcasm of The Juvinals, the trashcan glam n’ roll of Pussy Velour, and the urgent, mudslide sound of Rotary Club.

The following day’s event begins in the afternoon at Wingfield Park Amphitheatre. It culminates with a co-headlining bill with notorious Belgium punks, The Kids, playing their first US show in seven years alongside San Bruno’s anchormen of the trash rock netherworld, The Mummies, and Sacramento garage rock titans, The Troublemakers, who mark three decades together this year. Playing in support is Tucson’s own Farfisa a-go-go power quartet, The Okmoniks, making a return to DEBAUCH-a-ReNO, and local quartet Thee Saturday Knights opening the afternoon. However, the budget rock n’ roll onslaught doesn’t end upon the final chord ring out from Kids frontman Ludo Meriman’s guitar; the after-party returns to Cypress, where Holland blues-punk trio, Lo-Lite makes their long-awaited US return alongside the unhinged antagonism of Jamie Paul Lamb’s sardonic alter ego, Puppy and The Hand Jobs, and the Bay Area’s own Just Head, in addition to A SPECIAL SURPRISE GUEST!!!!

Closing out the weekend is another pair of co-headliners hailing from San Diego county as revered Chula Vista punks The Zeroes will make a return to Reno to headline June 18th’s performance at Wingfield Park alongside the twang guitar and power tools action of fellow San Diegans, Deadbolt. Support will be provided by a band that L7 helped push into the masses with their “American Society” cover on Smell The Magic as Eddie & The Subtitles will perform alongside Reno psych-punks, Spitting Image, and Los Angeles rockers, Tube Alloys.

The second weekend’s one-night stand soiree will occur south of Reno in the time-stamped silver mining town of Virginia City on July 14th and anchored by a man whose work crosses music, publishing, and painting AND whom Kurt Cobain, Jack White, Graham Coxon, and Kylie Minogue have paid tribute to in their own right with Wild Billy Childish & CTMF, making their exclusive US performance for 2023 at Piper’s Opera House (est. 1863) alongside Sacramento’s garage-mod screamers, Th’ Losin Streaks. A goodclosing lineup, right? Well, those two weren’t enough because we’ve got one of America’s more criminally underrated bands flying in from one sweatbox to another, with the gutter minimalist bump n’ grind of Subsonics making a rare and special appearance from Atlanta.

DEBAUCH-a-ReNo 2023 June Weekend Schedule
*Headliners
Non-Headliner schedule subject to change
DJs include Jello Biafra, Vivi Martian, Tony The Tyger, Bazooka Joe, and Slovenly Pete
Friday, June 16th (8:00 p.m. – 4:00 a,m.) – OPENING PARTY with bands / DJs**
Venue: Cypress Reno (directions + info here).
Lineup: The Juvinals, Clarko, Pussy Velour, Rotary Club

Saturday, June 17th (2:00 p.m. -10:00 p.m.) – MAIN EVENT with bands, DJs, and record fair
Venue: Wingfield Park Amphitheater (directions + info here).
Lineup: The Kids*, The Mummies*, The Troublemakers*, Okmoniks, Thee Saturday Knights

Saturday, June 17th (10:00 p.m. – 4:00 a.m.) – AFTERPARTY with bands / DJs
Venue: Cypress Reno
Lineup: Lo-Life, Puppy and The Hand Jobs, Just Head + SURPRISE SPECIAL GUEST!

Sunday, June 18th (2:00 p.m. -10:00 p.m.) – MAIN EVENT with bands & DJs**
Venue: Wingfield Park Amphitheater
Lineup: The Zeros*, Deadbolt*, Eddie & The Subtitles, Spitting Image, Tube Alloys

DEBAUCH-a-ReNO 2023 July One-Nighter Schedule
Friday, July 14th (7:00 p.m – Midnight) – MAIN EVENT with bands & DJ Bazooka Joe
Venue: Piper’s Opera House (directions + info here)
Lineup: Wild Billy Childish & CTMF*, Subsonics, Th’ Losin Streaks

CLICK HERE TO HEAR THE DEBAUCH-a-ReNO MIXTAPE FOR KWNK RADIO!

Tickets
Full passes (access to both Wingfield & Cypress shows), Park (Wingfield only), and Virginia City tickets are available through Eventsmart. That’s a good thing; they’re the kind of company who don’t blindside customers with the insane hidden fees the larger ticket companies are notorious for.

GET YOUR DEBAUCH-a-ReNO PASSES HERE
Room Deals
Hotel deals for DEBAUCH-a-ReNO are available through RENO SUITES in Downtown Reno (a 10-minute walk from Wingfield Park) for $109/nightly (that price includes taxes and fees). The reviews at this place are solid, and to get this rate, you’ll need to book through the link below.

BOOK YOUR DISCOUNTED HOTEL ROOM HERE

Keep your mind open.

[Don’t forget to subscribe before you go.]

[Thanks to Matthew at Shattered Platter PR.]

Live: Les Claypool’s Fearless Flying Frog Brigade and Neal Francis – Kemba Live! – Columbus, OH – May 31, 2023

My friend, Gavin and I were surprised at the entrance to Columbus, Ohio’s Kemba Live! venue that the Les Claypool’s Fearless Flying Frog Brigade show wasn’t in the outdoor portion of their venue. After all, it was hot and humid (low 90s Fahrenheit) and it was the first time Mr. Claypool had taken a version of this particular side project of his (among the dozens of them by now, it seems) on the road in twenty years. The surprise came when the woman checking I.D.s said we couldn’t bring in our folding “lawn seat” chairs because it was an indoor show.

Which, of course, meant it was even hotter inside than outside once you packed in the bodies at the intimate indoor venue. We’re not sure air conditioning was ever used during the show, although there is a chance it was finally turned on just before the Frog Brigade’s encore set.

Up first, however, was Chicago’s Neal Francis and his stellar band, who play a neat style of 1970s funk and soul mixed with a bit of 1960s psychedelia. At times the set reminded me of Boz Scaggs, other times like T. Rex, and other times like Pablo Cruise. In other words, good stuff all-around. Mr. Francis even had an electric organ with what appeared to be a giant whammy bar attached to it, allowing him to bend notes at will.

Neal Francis on piano. The “whammy bar” can just be seen on the right side of the top keyboard.

The crowd appreciated Mr. Francis’ set, and were amped to next see and hear Mr. Claypool and his soldiers. By “amped,” I mean “many were drunk and / or high.” I haven’t been around that many drunk and high people since a good number of the crowd was tripping during Moon Duo‘s set at the end of Levitation Austin last year. Thankfully, no one near Gavin and I was an angry drunk or on a violent trip. Two big dudes to our right were loud drunks, but never rude. One other guy to my right was hitting his vape pen so much that I’m surprised he didn’t set off a fire alarm.

The Brigade, with Sean Lennon on lead guitar no less, came out and jumped straight into the quirky, jumpy “David Makalaster” and “Rumble of the Diesel.” Claypool’s backing band consisted of a keyboardist, drummer, and percussionist, and all of them were stellar musicians. The percussionist often riffed on xylophone solos and even brought out two tabla drums, which always makes me happy.

“David Makalaster, your ten o’clock newscaster.”

They played two tracks from The Claypool Lennon Delirium project – both parts of “Cricket and the Genie” before playing Pink Floyd‘s “Animals” in its entirety with no breaks before or during the long set. They pulled it off to perfection, and then followed that mammoth set with two songs they hadn’t played before, “Running the Gauntlet” and “Holy Mackerel.” “Gauntlet” is especially fun, as it gives each band member a chance to play a solo. It was during this that I learned that Sean Lennon can shred. I’d never seen him play before, and had only heard a few of his songs until this evening, and I left with a new appreciation for his skill.

A fun treat during the encore was the instrumental “Whamola” (also sometimes known as “Simon Says”), in which Claypool, clad in a disco ball helmet, played his electric “whammy bar-viola” (sort of a washtub bass) by beating on it with a stick and using a whammy bar handle at the top to change the pitch of the single string on it. The whole crowd was jumping.

It was a fun time, and everyone on stage in both bands was damn impressive. Don’t miss this tour. Claypool has so many side projects that he might not take it out again for another couple decades.

But I would love an Oysterhead tour, Mr. Claypool, if you’re looking for suggestions.

Keep your mind open.

[Hop over to the subscription box while you’re here!]

Review: Thee Oh Sees – Live at Levitation (2012)

Thanks be to the Reverberation Appreciation Society for capturing Thee Oh Sees‘ first performance at the Levitation Music Festival back in 2012. As a result, we have Live At Levitation (2012). Thee Oh Sees / Oh Sees / OCS / OSees have since played Levitation many times, but this wild set featuring the band’s incarnation of Petey Dammit (bass), Brigid Dawson (keyboards, hand percussion, backing vocals), John Dwyer (lead guitar and vocals), Lars Finberg (drums), and Mike Shoun (drums) is a rare treat. They’d played in Austin, Texas (home of the Levitation festival) before, but not at the festival itself, so they were pumped.

It starts with one of their biggest fan-favorites, “The Dream,” and Dwyer’s guitar already sounds like it’s begging for mercy within the first few chords. Dammit’s bass on “Devil Again” (which is actually a guitar tuned to sound just like a bass) is relentless, and Dwyer sounds like he’s taking a belt sander to his guitar at one point.

The live version of “Tidal Wave” here is even faster than it normally sounds live, showing how amped the entire band was just three songs into their set. They take a moment or two to tune, and for everyone to take a couple deep breaths, before they stomp the gas pedal and launch into “Enemy Destruct,” sending the crowd into a wilder frenzy than just moments earlier.

You could almost call “Robber Barons” “Rubber Barons” because it has this slow bounce to it thanks to Dammit’s bass and Finberg and Shoun’s double-drumming that hits the heavy spots at just the right moments. The centerpiece is “Block of Ice,” which clocks in at over thirteen minutes in length and never relinquishes its groove. Dammit’s endurance on it is stunning, and every time you think the song has reached some kind of crescendo, Dwyer and his crew take it even further.

Dwyer assures the audience that he’s “mostly in tune” before they start the lively “Meat Step Lively,” which has this garage rock jangle to it that I love. The set ends with “Minotaur” and Dwyer singing about being stuck in the maze of a job that he hates but forces himself to wander through each day.

Then they’re off to “the Red Roof Inn” as they hand off the stage to Meat Puppets and The Brian Jonestown Massacre that year.

It’s a great addition to the “Live at Levitation” series and the Osees’ catalogue. Don’t miss it.

Keep your mind open.

[Levitate over to the subscription box while you’re here.]

Rewind Review: Acid Dad – Levitation Sessions (2021)

Released in the early days of the pandemic, Acid Dad‘s Levitation Sessions caught the band in a weird moment that many other bands were experiencing: They had a new album and couldn’t tour to promote it. Thankfully, the folks at the Reverberation Appreciation Society brought them into a safe studio and let them play many tracks of Take It from the Dead and some new stuff they were whipping up during lockdown – because, like every other band out there, what else were they going to do?

Staring with cool synths, interesting vocal samples, and other stuff that sounds like the opening to some early 1990s VHS instructional video, “Contact” immediately lets you know that this is going to be a weird trip (I mean, just look at the album cover.). “BBQ,” a staple food of their hometown of Austin, Texas, is a shoegazey tale of well-made plans going wrong at the slightest opportunity. “Mess with us and you’ll die hard,” they sing on “Die Hard.” The song is fairly upbeat for such heavy lyrics. It’s like a happy warning.

“Dissin'” tells the tale of pushing away a potential lover who brings far too much drama and not enough respect to the table. It has this cool, slow, psychedelic sound to it that’s just a touch sludgy. “Living with a Creature” and “Bada Bing” get a little countrified. Do I detect some CCR influence? “Marine” carries this sound along as Acid Dad tells a tale of dropping out of military school to go back to old friends who tend to overdose on party drugs. The guitars chug along like the best intentions of the song’s lead character and then expands into a groovy solo.

The groove appropriately kicks up a notch on “RC Driver,” which has a great guitar jam in the middle of it and killer bass throughout it. The groove cruises along so well that it flows into “2Ci” without a bump. They barely give you time to breathe before they get into “Don’t Get Taken,” the pace of which is like jumping on a skateboard and going straight down the middle of South Congress Street toward the river in Austin at midnight on Friday. If you know, you know.

They get heavy on “Mistress,” both in terms of the heft of the drums and bass, and the lyrics about being dragged down by giant squids and how love can be crushing. “Mr. Major” blends psychedelic jams with punk lyrics, and “Djembe” (which clocks in at over seven minutes) has the band telling us how ashamed they are of not only some of their past sins, but also everything we, as a society, are doing wrong.

It’s a cool session from a cool band who are exploring a lot of different ways to approach the psychedelic genre.

Keep your mind open.

[Levitate over to the subscription box, daddy-o!]

The Mary Onettes return with a new double single – “Forever Before Love / Future Grief.”

Swedish indie-pop masterminds The Mary Onettes return with a new double single, “Forever Before Love” b/w “Future Grief” on Welfare Sounds. These songs mark a return to the dreamy, overcast pop that has been The Mary Onettes’ trademark since first forming over 20 years ago, reiterating the signature craft that has put their music in the hearts of indie-pop connoisseurs around the world.

“‘Forever Before Love” is about finding the way back to yourself after a very long relationship. The process of trying to connect with the person you were before that,” explains The Mary Onettes’ main song writer Philip Ekström.

While “Future Grief” contains a guest appearance from Adnes Aldén, a close friend of brothers Philip and his brother Henri Ekström, an addition that gives the song an extra vocal dimension. “This track has been around for quite some time. We recorded the vocals with Agnes in 2016 and we have been waiting eagerly to share this one. Agnes wrote the lyrics for the verse and I wrote the words for the choruses, which gives the story a nice two angel perspective.”

Following the release of “Forever Before Love” b/w “Future Grief”, The Mary Onettes will embark on a headlining tour of Sweden, and perform a homecoming festival show in Huskvarna, before starting to work on their upcoming album.

The Mary Onettes formed in 2000 and quickly gained a devoted following with their unique brand of indie-pop, drawing comparisons to bands like The Smiths and Echo & the Bunnymen. Over the years, they’ve released a string of critically acclaimed albums and singles, earning praise from publications like Pitchfork and NME. Although development is crucial for a band, one thing has remained the same — the songs. The band revolves around Philip’s songwriting and although some songs have been stripped down, rebuilt or even thrown away throughout the years, they have kept coming.

With the recent release of the singles “What I Feel in Some Places” and “Easy Hands,” as well as the long-awaited vinyl treatment of their 2018 smash hit Cola Falls EP, The Mary Onettes have gained both creative momentum and international praise.

Keep your mind open.

[I’ll be in future grief if you don’t subscribe.]

[Thanks to Patrick at Pitch Perfect PR.]

Charm School release “Simulacra” ahead of new “Finite Jest” EP due July 21, 2023.

Today, post punk band Charm School share their fire-y new track, “Simulacra” from their forthcoming debut EP Finite Jest out July 21 via sonaBLAST! Records.

“Simulacra” was tracked and mixed by Nick Roeder, and features drum programming by Matia Simovich “INHALT” who worked on MIA’s “Paper Planes” as well as on several Boy Harsher tracks. Both Simovich and famed Chicago engineer Steve Albini did alternate mixes of “Simulacra” which will come out later this year.

Andrew of Charm School says, “‘Simulacra’ is our attempt at skewering the politics of now over a good dance beat. By way of Jean Baudrillard the song addresses our society’s profound sense of disconnection resulting from our constant interaction with fabricated representations of reality. Aka the disquieting fact that these counterfeit depictions of life are increasingly valued over reality itself, and the even more troubling reality that social media companies are profiting handsomely from this exploitative situation.”

Charm School is Andrew Sellers’ (aka Andrew Rinehart) new music project with longtime collaborators Matt Filip and Drew English and drummer and multi-instrumentalist Jason Bemis Lawrence. The name change signals a move away from Sellers’ folk and pop-based songwriting (as evidenced by his recent duet with Bonnie “Prince” Billy) toward a much darker and more aggressive sound. Think 70s post-punk mixed with 90s post-rock and you’ll be close. Originally from Louisville, KY, Sellers has paid his dues in both the NYC and LA DIY music scenes, co-founding The Body Actualized Center in Bushwick and booking shows at Basic Flowers in Downtown LA. Charm School represents a return to his punk and hardcore roots, to the kind of music that shaped his musical consciousness as a teenager (bands like Slint, The Jesus Lizard, Nation of Ulysses, Fugazi, etc.).

Keep your mind open.

[I’d be charmed if you subscribed.]

[Thanks to Alex at Terrorbird Media.]

Snõõper’s new single, “Fitness,” is your new favorite workout song.

Today, Nashville-based DIY outfit Snõõper present the rousing new single/video, “Fitness,” from their forthcoming debut album, Super Snõõper, out July 14th on Third Man Records. “Fitness” maintains the high octane speed of frantic lead single “Pod,” and its accompanying video — directed by vocalist Blair Tramel — showcases the puppetry used in their live performances. Almost all of the props and puppets in the video were made and reassembled by Tramel, and the video offers a glimpse of the playful mayhem that can be expected at one of their storied concerts. Of “Fitness,” Tramel states: “‘Fitness’ was written just for fun without much thought, which is exactly the way I think working out should be. This song is about competition, doing things for the validation of others, and how ridiculous that can be. Before our first show, I made a paper mache weight to use during this song. It was our very first prop and the only prop we used for a while. ‘Fitness’ is a special song to us because it is still one of our most fun songs to play live.”
Watch Snõõper’s “Fitness” Video
Snõõper is a band who, in a 33 ⅓ RPM world, make 45 RPM music they play at 78 RPM. They maintain super precise instrumentals and skillfully melodic vocals, even though they’re flooring it almost the entire time. Snõõper doesn’t play fast; they play at the speed of Snõõper. The project began in 2020 as a collaboration between local Nashville punk mainstay Connor Cummins (guitar) and Blair Tramel (vocals), an early education teacher with a sideline in wickedly funny animation and art. As their cassette tapes and homemade videos began to find scattered fans around the world, the duo brought the project to the live stage in late 2021 with the addition of Cam Sarrett (drums), Happy Haugen (bass), and Ian Teeple (guitar). Thus, Snõõper was born. Their debut album, Super Snõõper, was recorded at The Bomb shelter in Nashville. It follows EPs “Music For Spies” (2020), “Snõõper” (2021), and “Town Topic” (2022), as well as the live album LIVE AT EXIT/IN 11-23-22, released this past February. Given the brief glimpses into Snõõper’s music from their 7”s, EPs, and thrilling live performances, one might wonder if the group could hold the line for a full album. The answer is an enthusiastic yes. In the words of Henry Rollins, “Speaking selfishly, I want Snõõper to hurry up and make another album. Super Snõõper is a really cool record.” This summer, Snõõper will play a handful of shows in the US before embarking on an Australian tour. A full list of dates is below, with more to be announced soon.
Watch “Pod” Video
Listen to “Fitness”
Pre-order Super Snõõper

Snõõper Tour Dates
Fri. June 2 – Athens, GA @ 40 Watt
Sat. June 3 – Savannah, GA @ Dog Days Fest ^
Sun. June 4 – Atlanta, GA @ Sabbath ^
Mon. June 5 – Nashville, TN @ Soft Junk ^
Fri. June 16 – Gold Coast, AU @ Vinnies Dive Bar #
Sat. June 17 – Brisbane, AU @ The Bearded Lady #
Thu. June 22 – Wollongong, AU @ La La La’s
Fri. June 23 – Sydney, AU @ Oxford Art Factory #+
Sun. June 25 – Newcastle, AU @ Hamilton Station Hotel
Thu. June 29 – Canberra, AU @ Sideway Bar
Fri. June 30 – Melbourne, AU @ Last Chance Rock & Roll Bar
Sat. July 1 – Melbourne, AU @ Nighthawks %
Sun. July 2 – San Francisco, CA @ Mosswood Meltdown
Wed. July 5 – Vancouver, BC @ Green Auto
Fri. July 7 – Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge
Sat. July 8 – Seattle, WA @ Clock Out Lounge
Fri. Oct. 13 – Sun. Oct. 15 – Austin, TX @ Austin City Limits Festival

^ w/ Prison Affair
# w/ Gee Tee
+ w/ RMFC
% w/ Parsnip

Keep your mind open.

[Subscribing will keep your mind fit!]

[Thanks to Ahmad at Pitch Perfect PR.]

Girl Ray lift us “Up” with their new single.

Last month, London band Girl Ray announced their third LP, Prestige (out August 4th on Moshi Moshi). The three-piece comprising Poppy Hankin, Iris McConnell and Sophie Moss, made an immediate impact with the release of their 2017 debut Earl Grey on the influential indie Moshi Moshi (Anna Meredith, Florence & The Machine, Kate Nash), which channeled the baroque 70s soft pop of Todd Rundgren through the scrappy aesthetics of 80s UK indie and earned high praise from outlets like Pitchfork, The Guardian, Stereogum and FADER among many others. Their second LP, 2019’s Girl, saw the band change direction dramatically, taking on a kind of indie-fied R&B that The Guardian described as “the great sound of a band getting pop wrong,” and in 2021 the band returned in yet another new guise, releasing the one off, house-adjacent single “Give Me Your Love” that was produced with Hot Chip‘s Joe Goddard and Al Doyle.

Their latest album, which they made with the revered producer Ben H Allen (Gnarls Barkley, Animal Collective, MIA, Belle & Sebastian), sees the band adjust the formula once more, incorporating a disco influence that in Girl Ray’s hands led FADER to describe their sound as the music “Dua Lipa would make if she was more used to playing pubs than arenas.” The early response to their new direction has been extremely enthusiastic in the press, with the lead single “Hold Tight” and pre-announce track “Everybody’s Saying That” earning praise from outlets like FADER, Billboard, Paste, Consequence, BrooklynVegan, Line of Best Fit, Clash, The Guardian, Under The Radar and Stereogum who described the lead single as “like if Haim were hopping on Vampire Weekend tracks when Rostam was still in the band.”

Today, the band are sharing a new preview of their new album, the groove-oriented “Up” that recalls Young Americans-era Bowie as filtered through the blended synths and strings aesthetic of early Giorgio Moroder.

LISTEN: to Girl Ray’s “Up” HERE

About the track, Poppy Hankin, says:

“This song was written at the beginning of my current relationship, and it deals with all the emotions of a fledgling romance: adoration, self-doubt, and everything in between! Musically we wanted to pay homage to the sparseness of Queen’s ‘Cool Cat’, and the groove of Bowie’s ‘Fame.'”

In support of the new LP Girl Ray have announced a UK tour that will begin in November. Full details can be found below.

Prestige will be released August 4th on Moshi Moshi. It’s available for preorder/presave here.

Tour Dates
04/08 – London, Rough Trade East
09/08 – Nottingham, Rough Trade Nottingham
10/08 – Bristol, Rough Trade Bristol
17/08 – Brecon Beacons, Green Man Festival
12/11 – Amsterdam, Paradiso
13/11 – Hamburg, Aalhaus
14/11 – Copenhagen, Ideal Bar
16/11 – Berlin, Marie-Antoinette
17/11 – Brussels, Witloof Bar
20/11 – Paris, Boule Noire
21/11 – Brighton, Patterns
22/11 – Bristol, Fleece
24/11 – Manchester, The Soup Kitchen
25/11 – Glasgow, Room 2
26/11 – Dublin, The Workmans Club
28/11 – Leeds, Belgrave Music Hall
29/11 – Nottingham, Rescue Rooms
03/12 – London, Village Underground

Keep your mind open.

[You can lift me up by subscribing.]

[Thanks to Tom at Hive Mind PR.]

Review: Contaminazione – Pericolo Di Morte

Here’s a riddle for you: What’s an album that was made in 2023 by Swedes, but sounds like it was a horror film score made in 1977 by Italians? If you guessed Pericolo Di Morte (“Death Danger”) by Contaminazione (Contamination), you’re right!

Right out the gate with the title track, the trio of keyboardist Sofia Rydahl, drummer Mikal Styrke, and bassist Staffan Tengnér change the tone of wherever you are to something creepy and otherworldly. It sounds like something you’d hear while walking down into Lucio Fulci’s basement. I mean, the track is named “Death Danger.” Rydahl’s keys invoke fear and terror, while Styrke and Tengnér invoke dread…yet it’s danceable dread.

Tengnér’s thick bass on “Vivi Vilocemente, Muori Lentamente” (“Live Fast, Die Slowly”) sounds like the relentless footsteps and breath of a horrible monster coming at you from Fulci’s basement as Rydahl’s synths open up strange portals between worlds that you hope you can close before horrible things emerge from them.

“Il Necroforum” is what you hear when you’re trying to figure out a murder’s motivation and scheme in a Dario Argento giallo movie. Styrke’s beats convey the sensation of sweat beading on your forehead and neck as you get closer and closer to learning the identity of the masked butcher who’s been plaguing the city’s fashion models. Rydahl’s synths are the killer’s entrance music as he, unbeknownst to you, ascends the stairs to your apartment.

Not to be outdone, Tengnér puts down a funky, spooky groove on “I’Ultima Setimana Di Vita” (“The Last Week of Life”) that blends so well with Rydahl’s spacey synths that the track would be perfect in a 1970s Euro-disco. Tengnér’s bass on “Tema Principale” (“Main Theme”) is extra-thick, which makes Rydahl’s synths sound more ethereal (bordering on synthwave sounds).

It’s a killer (pun intended) record. Someone needs to hire them to score a modern-day giallo.

Keep your mind open.

[Don’t forget to subscribe.]

Rewind Review: Lumer – Disappearing Act EP (2021)

When I first saw the four Yorkshire lads known as Lumer, it was at the 2022 Levitation France music festival. They closed one of the stages one night with their fiery brand of post-punk. They were seen in the festival crowd throughout the day, but they were never just strolling or meandering. They always looked like they were on a mission. They walked with purpose and almost a daring stride that conveyed that they would happily chat with you and sign some merch and share a pint, but one should not try them under any circumstances.

Their 2021 EP Disappearing Act also conveys this feeling of four tough men on a mission. “She’s Innocent” starts the act with gunslinger swagger and Ben Jackson‘s guitar chords that sound like they’re being cooked in a cast iron skillet held by Link Wray. “First Is Too Late” has an urgency to it that is difficult to describe in any good detail. It sounds like they’re playing before the fire in the studio causes the roof to fall on them. Singer Alex Evans yells / growls / howls the vocals that express his lack of apathy for apologies from people who give them out like jellybeans.

Benjamin Morrod‘s bass leads the charge on the title track, with the vocals (and sometimes Jackson’s guitar) sounding like they’re blaring through a megaphone that has a beehive in it. The beat switches on “White Czar” (thanks to Will Evans‘ agile drumming) can leave you shaken if you’re not ready. Alex Evans’ vocal delivery on “By Her Teeth” remind me a lot of Jon King‘s on some of Gang of Four‘s tracks. The song seems to be about one man’s obsession with a woman, or perhaps several of them, that might lead to his doom.

“The Sheets” might be a “walk of shame” song after a passionate night, or one of loneliness and regret. Either way, the whole band cooks on it. Morrod’s groove is subtle, yet relentless. Jackson’s guitar sounds like a jet roar, and Will Evans’ cymbal work on the track is impressive. The EP ends with “Another Day at the Zoo,” which has Alex Evans comparing the endless parade of ads, douchebags, politicians, and old, rich dudes to people wandering through zoos and laughing at the animals (us) they’ve put in physical and metaphorical cages. It’s a raucous, rabid track that threatens to wreck everything around it.

Like I mentioned, Lumer are on a mission. They want us to wake up before we disappear into that zoo. This EP throws the cage doors open for you.

Keep your mind open.

[Don’t disappear before you subscribe.]