Reviews – Page 11 – 7th Level Music

Review: No Joy – Bugland

Jasamine White-Gluz got out of the city to make Bugland, the newest No Joy album, experimenting and collaborating with Fire-Toolz (AKA Angel Marcloid) for an record that is difficult to categorize, but why should we even bother to try? Why not just sit back and enjoy it?

Starting with electronic bloops, bleeps, and beats, “Garbage Dream House” gets things off to a weird, wonderful start – mixing buzzing guitar chords with synths and processed drums while White-Gluz’s voice bounces off the back wall at some points and nuzzles your ear the next. The title track crunches and munches like an early Garbage track and White-Gluz’s reverb-soaked vocals practically lift you off the floor.

“Bits” has more 90s electro-rock vibes to it, practically begging you to blast it on your headphones as you hit the mid-mark of your treadmill workout. “Save the Lobsters” is based on a true story of White-Gluz smashing open lobster traps washed up on beaches so she could get the creatures back into the ocean. Her vocals are often drenched in distortion or echo effects, seemingly putting you under the water with the freed animals.

“My Crud Princess” not only has a great title, but also a sparkling energy bursting through the slightly sludgy (cruddy?) drum beats. “Bather in the Bloodcells” reminds me of My Bloody Valentine if they turned down the volume a bit and covered Elastica.

“I Hate That I Forget What You Look Like” is a stunner about grief that, for some us, is all too relatable. The snappy drums and synths grow like a mind almost spiraling into panic, but catching itself just before toppling into madness. The psychedelic closer, “Jelly Meadow Bright” is almost eight minutes of trippy bliss, nearly fading out halfway through it and then returning with a wild saxophone-led acid-jazz / industrial freak-out.

Again, I’m not sure how to describe Bugland…apart from it being one of the best releases of 2025 so far.

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Tom at Terrorbird Media!]

Rewind Review: Goat – Seu Sangue EP (2023)

Goat‘s Seu Sangue EP is a collection of four remixes from their Oh Death album and one new track. It came about after the surprise release of Oh Death, which reminded everyone of how good Goat is and had producers and DJ clamoring to remix several (if not all) tracks from it.

Seu Sangue is the result, starting with the funky and snappy 12″ Extended Dance Mix of “Under No Nation” by John Mark Lapham. The “Shit & Shine Rework” of “Do the Dance” is jagged and weird, and Sonic Boom‘s Party Mix of “Soon You Die” somehow makes the song even fuzzier and grimier. I wish it were double the length – just under three minutes isn’t enough for this much madness.

Marlene Ribeiro remixes “Remind Yourself” with extra hand percussion for a funky instrumental. The new track is the title track, mixing acoustic guitar and what sounds like a Mellotron with seagull cries and reverb-loaded vocals for a meditative experience that is perfect for a sunset or when you’re about to make a potentially life-changing decision (and, really, aren’t all of them life-changing?).

Keep your mind open.

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Rewind Review: DJ Zinc – Crackhouse Vol. 3 (2023)

Are you looking for another full album of house and techno bangers? Well, DJ Zinc has you covered with Crackhouse Vol. 3.

The opening moments of “Conditioning” (with Chris Lorenzo) are designed to get you jumping. “That Sound” is a stand-out, building to a thumping floor-filler. “Close My Eyes” is classic house music, mixing fun beats with lovely vocals. “Amergency” dives back into straight-up jungle madness.

“Everywhere” blends the two into jungle-house with looped gospel-like vocals and popping boba bass to keep you caffeinated and on a sugar rush. Kamakaze joins Zinc for “What I’m On” – a head-swirling jungle track that makes the room feel like it’s spinning. “When I” brings us back to soulful house music. “Dollars” practically turns on the strobe lights for you with its bright synth riffs.

“Goldin” adds vocals from President T to the party, bringing in a rough edge to Zinc’s booming beats. Ever helps Zinc close out the mix with the sweaty breakbeat cut, “For My People” that leaves you out of breath by the end. It feels over too soon, as most good raves do.

Keep your mind open.

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Review: Dog Lips – Danger Forward

As soon as Quinn Flanigan‘s bass opens “Brain Feeder” on Dog Lips‘ second album, Danger Forward, you know you’re in for a good time. The song, and all the others on the record, is a no-nonsense rocker that has you pumping your fist in the air, banging your head, or shoving people out of the way (at least in your fantasies).

“Who Knows” is a warped post-punk (the guitars from Griffin Ritzo and Owen Shepcaro!) gem. “I Am” staggers around the room like it’s had a few pints and is getting treacherously close to starting a brawl. The whole band sounds like they’re playing in a fuzzed-out blizzard on “Gush.”

“Voicemail Bomb Threat” is a great call-and-response punk track with Tim Graff having a great time behind his drum kit. As wild as that is, “Human Hybrid” is even wilder. The title track reminds me of some of IDLES‘ cuts with its smashing guitars and drums and half-growled, half-sang vocals.

Then, “The Reason” slides into the room looking and sounding like the coolest thing in the place. It has a bit of a gothic touch to it and Ritzo’s vocals are almost buried in reverb. It shows that Dog Lips could make an entire psych-rock record if they wanted. “Last Ride” turns the volume and anger back up for one last assault that leaves you out of breath.

There is danger on Danger Forward. The danger is that it might cause you to start a mosh pit in your cubicle farm, the pub, the elevator, or anywhere else. Get in and hold on when you play it.

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Ksu from Discipline PR!]

Review: Mordbear (self-titled EP)

I have no idea where Mordbear got their name. Is it a riff on “Mordor,” the dark land of Sauron from The Lord of the Rings books? Is it a combination of “Mordred,” the incestuous son of King Arthur and sorceress Morgan Le Fey and “bear?” Was “Murderbear” too clunky, or the name of an upcoming Aslyum Studios film?

I don’t know, but all three possibilities work for the massive doom sound of the band’s self-titled EP.

Starting off with “Like the Dead,” the EP pulls you in (down?) right away with Nico Martinez‘s sludgy bass and Tyler Balthaser‘s trippy and somewhat menacing guitar riffs. The song was inspired by a conversation Balthaser had with a veterinarian who ended up talking about a coming zombie apocalypse that he believed will begin in southern California.

“A Mirror with a Sea of Flames” was inspired by Tom Wolfe‘s famous book The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test and goes full stoner metal as Erik Larson hammers out thudding heartbeat drums that seem determined to flatten everything around them. “The Alchemist” is a song / warning about the dangers of capitalism.

Much like the cover image of a faceless family enjoying a picnic while a giant ghost bear hovers over them, the EP has a sense of impending doom to it – as any good doom record should. It will be interesting to see and hear where Mordbear goes from here.

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Dan from Discipline PR!]

Rewind Review: Kid Loco – Kid Loco Presents French Funk Experience (2010)

A compilation of twenty-two French disco and funk tracks from the 1970? Yes, please.

Kid Loco Presents French Funk Experience is loaded with gems you’d swear you heard in an obscure late night movie or while racing through a European airport – and a lot of these tracks are “library music” made for television and film. Take Bernard Estardy‘s killer “Gang Train” from 1972. The synth grooves are from 2072 and the drums are so tight you’d swear they were laid down by a drum machine and not a live human being…yet they are. Résonance‘s “OK Chicago” (1973) is loaded with sampled sirens, police radio chatter, and machine gun ricochets.

P.A. Dahan and Mat Camison break out the handclaps and the Hammond B-3 on “Pepper Drums” (1976). Estardy (who is all over this compilation either with his solo material or working with other artists) returns on the Doobie / Allman Brothers-like funk rocker “Vertigo Leitmotiv” from 1970. Trumpeter and band leader Pierre Dutour shows off his skill on 1974’s “Jungle Trumpet.”

Manu Dibango‘s “Africadelic” (1973) is a thrilling rush, and Pierre-Alain Dahan returns with Slim Pezin on the jaw-dropping, booty-shaking “Electronic Mutation” from 1976. Alain Goraguer‘s “Course de Ten” from 1973 wocka-wocka guitar riffs and “Le Baron” Estardy’s “Bongo Ring” from 1975 is, go figure, full of great hand percussion sounds. Sauveur Mallia, who played bass on Sid Vicious‘ cover of “My Way” no less, brings “All the Bass” and all the funk on this cut from 1979.

Speaking of bass, check out 1970’s “Indian Pop Bass” by Guy Pedersen with all it’s fat bass slaps, weird psych-flute notes, and prog-rock beats. The horn section on Big Jullien & His All Star‘s “Wake the Monster” from 1969 will knock you off your feet. Dahan and Camison’s “Long Playing Time” from 1976 has guitar in it that would make Steely Dan envious. Bernard Lubat‘s organ riffs on 1976’s “Aubergine Time” are outstanding. Ludovic Decosne and Pierre Daubresse‘s “Gloaming” from 1970 is delightfully fun and belongs in a Euro sex-comedy (if it’s not already in one).

Claude Engel gets all trippy with his guitar on the long version of “Belle Gueuse (A)” from 1972. The electric piano and bass on Raymond Guiot‘s “Basse Duetino” (1976) is so groovy you could almost put a turntable needle on it. André Ceccarelli‘s “Funk Number 2” (1970) is a perfect track for strutting / strolling at the club, and “Rythmiques Number 2” (1971) by Dahan is a quick beat drop you’ll want to sample in everything.

Tonio Rubio‘s “Red Medium” (1973) has slick guitar work, and even slicker organ grooves, throughout it. The prolific (over 10,000 tracks to his credit) Estardy comes back one more time for “Riviera Express” from 1973. The organ riffs on it are sometimes funky, sometimes freaky, and sometimes frightening. The compilation ends with 1973’s “Pepper Box” by The Peppers – who consist of Camison on keys, Dahan on drums, and Rubio on guitar. It’s a blast, full of great synth blasts, handclaps, and disco funk. Play it at every party.

This whole compilation is a great time and will cheer you up. You can’t help but groove to it. Blast it through your earbuds as you walk through Paris or down to the nearest boulangerie.

Keep your mind open.

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Live: King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra – August 06, 2025 – Ravinia – Highland Park, IL

It’s always a good time when you get to see King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard live, and seeing them with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra at Ravinia was high on my list this year. I bought lawn tickets as soon as they were available.

As usual, the line for KGATLW merch was long, but it moved well thanks to helpful Ravinia staff keeping things organized there.

The area where we sat didn’t have a direct line view of the stage, but there were plenty of monitors to see the action, and the sound quality was outstanding. It was the best I’d heard King Gizz sound in a long while. All praise to the sound engineers there.

The show was split into two sets, the first being the band and the orchestra playing the new album, Phantom Island, in its entirety. I have no idea how much time each orchestra on this tour in their respective cities gets to rehearse these wild psych-rock songs, but the Chicago Symphony nailed it and were having a great time. “Spacesick” was a particular highlight, and “Grow Wings and Fly” metamorphosed into a stunning jam-rock version of “Theia” that gave the orchestra enough time to take a break, eat a sandwich, answer some text messages, and practically drive to the post office and back before the second set.

The second set was a mix of tunes from older albums that were redone with orchestral arrangements, including an epic version of “Crumbling Castle,” a fun, swinging version of “This Thing,” and even two of their thrash metal cuts – “Mars for the Rich” and “Dragon.” The show ended with a great version of “Iron Lung,” which appears to have become a live show favorite. The weirdest part of the show? Seeing lead singer Stu Mackenzie with short hair.

Seeing this felt as weird as seeing the Osees’ John Dwyer wearing pants.

KGATLW don’t have too many of these orchestral shows left on this U.S. tour, and their “Field of Visions” festival in Colorado is about to begin with the whole thing being streamed live on YouTube. Don’t miss either.

Keep your mind open.

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Rewind Review: Vacation (self-titled) (2011)

Vacation‘s self-titled album is a wild one and chock-full of wild guitar, crazy drumming, roaring bass, punk attitude, and gritty garage-rock chaos.

“Fake It” is a ripper about imposter syndrome (“Well, you’d better be straight if you’re calling the shots, or you better fake it when you get to the top.”). Evan Wolff‘s bass on “Better Days” is so heavy that it feels like it’s going to knock down the walls. “Pile Up” seems to be about getting satisfaction when long-overdue karma catches up with someone. It’s as wild as a car crash, whereas “Try Harder” is almost an acoustic blues track with its subject matter and pace.

Don’t worry if that track puzzles you, because “Bleach Buzz” picks up the mania again and we’re bouncing around the dingy club and crashing into people and things in the process. If that track doesn’t induce a mosh pit, then “Co-Workers” certainly will. Peyton Copes goes bonkers with his guitar on it, practically causing an electrical overload. “People Watching” is almost an area rock anthem about regret and one of the biggest tracks on the record.

“Cop Knock” is about bullies and the disguises they barely keep up (if at all) to hide their inadequacies. “Golden Handcuffs” is a salute to blue collar workers breaking their backs and ankles to provide for their families. “Christopher Columbus Was Not a Hero” takes a hard look at the miseries of suburbia. “Sun and Moon (Wasted)” is, believe it or not, a love song, as is “Talk with Yer Hands” – which seems to be about craving a human connection instead of a cyber one (“You know we’ve got the infection when we’re dying to stay connected. You know we show no affection when we dwell in other dimensions.”).

“Cellophane” is a short one about adapting to change in a relationship (or about prescription meds…or both), and the closer, “Misbehavin'” is a call to a lover to engage in some fun trouble so as to create lifelong memories together. It’s a sweet way to end a loud, raucous record.

Vacation were recommended to me by Screaming Females, and I can see why. Both bands write and play loud, wild songs about the strange maze of relationships across the board. The band has been through a couple lineup changes since 2011, but this is a good ground-level entry point for them.

Keep your mind open.

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Review: King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard – Phantom Island

By now, if you were to hear “King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard is releasing a new album they recorded with a full orchestra,” you’d think, “Yeah, of course they are.”

KGATLW don’t shy away from pursuing new ways to bring their ideas to life, and Phantom Island is another example of this. The cover has weird Lovecraftian elements (the weird fish-men) and scenes of an anthropomorphic band playing as their ancient temple / city / house burns and crumbles above them. Is “Beauty can be found in chaos” the album’s theme?

It certainly sounds like that in the title track opening song, with fun beats, lush strings, and Stu Mackenzie singing about losing and finding sanity. The second half of the song takes off into fast rock with Ambrose Kenny-Smith taking on the urgency of the charging horses on the album’s cover. “Deadstick” is a wild jazz-rock blend.

“Lonely Cosmos” is a tale of a wandering astronaut, ending in string arrangements that sound like the astronaut’s craft is either falling back to Earth or drifting around the edge of a black hole. “Eternal Return” has the band confronting the idea of reincarnation and wondering about their place in the universe in a funky jam-rocker. The groove of “Panpsych” is a lot of fun, reminding me of some Allman Brothers songs at first and then turning up the psychedelic touches.

“Spacesick” has our astronaut feeling sick and tired of being sick and tired in the vast emptiness of space. The guitars crunch and the strings highlight the astronaut’s tension, but you can’t help thinking the explorer will get home and taste real food and soon smell sea air. “Aerodynamic” follows this theme as the astronaut follows a siren-like being and wonders, “I have always wondered if I could step out of my body. Would I be like a fish out of water?”

“Sea of Doubt” might reflect the band’s process of recording and performing their songs with an orchestra behind them, as it was yet another challenge (i.e., “Let’s make a thrash metal album!”, “Let’s make an album only using microtonal instruments!”, “”Let’s make an album that can be played on a continuous loop!”, Let’s make an album that’s entirely in seven-four time signature!”, “Let’s put out five albums in one year!”) they’d accepted and weren’t sure how it was going to sound in the end. It’s a catchy tune, with a subtle guitar solo hidden in it.

The closing track, “Grow Wings and Fly,” calls for us to “Get real high…Transcend this life.” “I want to drift from the beehive.” is a great lyric, encouraging us to stop being drones and go play in the fields. It follows up on a theme brought up in “Aerodynamic,” in which the band explore the idea of shedding the ego and engaging in the moment.

A lot of KGATLW records are like this. They’re not so much albums as they are experiences. They’re currently touring a lot of cities and playing with full orchestras, which is a must-see event if you ask me, and this is yet another must-hear album from them.

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Jacob at Pitch Perfect PR!]

Review: GoGo Penguin – Necessary Fictions

Part-classical, part-jazz, part-krautrock, part-techno, and part-funk, GoGo Penguin‘s newest album, Necessary Fictions, is a neat blend of styles that’s difficult to pin down, but an enjoyable listen. The band (Nick Blacka – bass, Chris Illingworth – piano, and Jon Scott – drums) explore some new territory on their seventh record, mainly synthesizers.

“Umbra” is a bumping track with rich bass and subtle synths to evoke a slight sense of darkness, but not skimping on creativity. Illingworth’s piano on “Fallowfield Loops” is a delight to hear, as it sounds like he was having a fun time playing it. “Luminous Giants” features a rarity on a GoGo Penguin album – vocals. They’re provided by singer-songwriter Daudi Matsiko.

“What We Are and What We Are Meant to Be” is a standout, with the band embracing synths and creating neat textures suitable for a new Blade Runner movie. Blacka’s bass almost becomes vocals on “The Turn Within.” Apart from having a cool name, “Living Bricks in Dead Mortar” has some of Scott’s hardest drumming on the record, swelling up with the synths to create a brief industrial riff. “Naga Ghost” refers to a pepper that builds in heat when you eat it, and the track builds in speed and intensity as it goes along.

Rakhi Singh‘s guest violin on “Luminous Giants” is beautiful. “Float (Loi Krathong, 2003)” is a bass-led track about Blacka attending a floating lantern festival in Bangkok. The eight-piece string ensemble Manchester Collective joins the band on “State of Flux” – a cool, sharp track in which GGP rocks out a bit while the strings dance around them. The closing track, “Silence Speaks,” takes the band, and the album, from electronica to acoustic and brings everything to a nice close.

It’s a lovely record, and I hope GGP continues this trend of blending jazz with electronics. It’s a good mix.

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to George at Terrorbird Media!]