Category: Reviews

Rewind Review: Death Valley Girls – Islands in the Sky (2023)

First, how cool is that cover? I could create a full Dungeons and Dragons adventure based on that. I’m thinking it’s the palace of a Storm Giant or a Cloud Giant, possibly protected by a Sphinx and having a portal to the Astral Plane inside it. I mean, what else could that glowing circle inside it be?

Islands in the Sky by Death Valley Girls turns out to be an album about self-healing, ascension to higher states of consciousness (or, perhaps, centering oneself to the present), and preparing for possible future incarnations of ourselves in this reality or another – such as the one on the cover.

Starting with “California Mountain Shake” (which could reference a few different things in its title), the album starts with moaning chants and haunting organ from Bonnie Bloomgarden as Larry Schemel‘s guitar subtly moves around you like a wise old serpent. “Magic Powers” put bassist Sammy Westervelt on lead vocals singing about realizing through enlightenment that she, and all of us, have untapped power waiting to be rediscovered.

The beat of the title track, thanks to Rikki Styxx and guest percussionist Mark Rains, instantly gets your body moving in a happy groove while Bloomgarden encourages us to leave worry behind and pick up joy. “Sunday” is a fun, almost go-go club rocker.

“What are the odds that we live in a simulated world, and I’m a simulated girl?” Bloomgarden asks on “What Are the Odds?” as she and Schemel trade guitar licks and Styxx puts down some of the heaviest beats of the album. The odds, by the way, seem about even, as we all create our own reality.

The second side of the album starts with the transcendent “Journey to Dog Star,” and by this time I’m long overdue to mention the contributions of Gabe Flores on saxophone throughout the album. His psych-jazz honks blend perfectly with Schemel’s trippy guitar work on not only this track, but on all the songs featuring him on the record.

“Say It Too” has some desert rock and even slight surf touches throughout it, and some of Bloomgarden’s loveliest vocals on the album. “Watch the Sky” could be a warning about UFO’s (watch the original The Thing from Another World) or a song about watching clouds go by and using that as inspiration to clear one’s mind. Either way, it’s a lot of good, fuzzy rock.

Bloomgarden tells us that life can be so much more than the drudgery in which we often trap ourselves on “When I’m Free,” and on “All That Is Not of Me,” she encourages us to let go of our trappings, excesses, and self-imposed limits (“All that is not of me washes away from me.”) while Schemel’s guitar work goes into near-shoegaze territory and Westervelt’s bass keeps the song locked into a sweet groove.

Closing with “It’s All Really Kind of Amazing” is a perfect way to end such an uplifting album. Lyrics like “Wake up it’s time to be all the things you dream.” sum up Islands in the Sky with perfect energy.

As good as this album was in 2023, it’s even better and more important now in 2024 as we head toward a Presidential election featuring two choices that most of us aren’t thrilled about and people are unsure and nervous about what’s to come. Don’t worry about what’s to come, focus on now. Don’t worry about now, but be present with it. The future, when it gets here, will be now. We’re already living in the future. We can fix it now. Death Valley Girls have been telling us this before Islands in the Sky, but this album can be a great entry point for their mystical, metaphysical, marvelous sound and message.

Keep your mind open.

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Rewind Review: Psychlona – Palo Verde (2022)

I first stumbled upon Psychlona at Las Vegas’ Psycho Music Festival a couple years ago when they were playing on a small stage inside the Mandalay Bay Casino. This quartet from Bradford, UK put down some of the best desert / stoner rock my late wife and I heard all weekend.

They continued the trend on their 2022 album, Palo Verde. Starting with the appropriately titled “Gasoline,” the album blazes fire right out of the gate with roaring guitars and hammering drums best-suited for slamming the accelerator of your muscle car to the floor. “1975” chugs as hard as any psych or heavy rock record you’ll hear from that decade, with outstanding guitar work throughout it. The guitar solo on “Rainbird” makes you stop in your tracks.

It’s only fitting that the doomiest track on the record is titled “Meet Your Devil.” The bass riffs on it are as menacing as Cerberus’ triple-growl. The addition of keyboards / organ on “Purple River” is a great touch and shows how Psychlona can fully embrace psychedelic rock whenever they want.

“Jetplane” has this slight punk edge to it that I love. It’s the chugging, relentless guitar riffs and surf rock-tinged guitar solo in it. “La Tolvanera” (“The Dust Cloud”) drifts one moment and then sand-blasts your face and eardrums the next. “Are you ready to blow?” they ask on “Warped?” Blow what, exactly? Weed? “Blow this place?” This reality? All three? I mean they offer to “Take you outta your mind, outta your head.”, and the powerful riffs only help knock you into another mind-state for a good seven minutes.

Get on this trip. You won’t regret it.

Keep your mind open.

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Review: Nathaniel Eras – Omniaglyph 0

The cover image might invoke suggestions that Nathaniel Eras‘ Omniaglyph 0 is going to be a dark metal album, but it’s actually an interesting ambient trance album full of neat synths, modulators, processed beats, and live instruments.

“Ancestral Memory” is a neat instrumental of layered percussion that builds and builds into a hypnotic meditation. “Encrypted Consciousness” brings in sizzling, snappy industrial beats to flow with the New Wave synths to a neat effect.

Then we get to “Architecture of Thought and The Subversion of Language Systems.” It’s haunting and creepy (Those bells and somber piano chords!) and will make a great addition to your upcoming Halloween playlist.

The EP ends with “Routing Systems,” an ultra-slick synthwave bumper that throbs with gristly bass and pulses with machine beats. It leaves you pumped up and ready for action.

I like the way the EP blends ambience with industrial. Not many people could pull that off this well.

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Eclectica!]

Live: The Damned and The Dictators – Concord Music Hall – Chicago, IL – June 02, 2024

I hadn’t seen The Damned in a while, but when I heard that their 1980s lineup, the lineup from when I’d discovered them (via The Young Ones airing on MTV in, most likely, 1985), was doing a tour, I knew I had to catch one of their shows. Who knows when I, or anyone else, would get to see Paul Gray (bass), Rat Scabies (drums), Captain Sensible (guitar), and Dave Vanian (vocals) together on stage again? It was the first tour they’d played together since 1989 – the year I graduated high school. Long-time keyboardist Monty Oxymoron had also joined them for the tour.

The Dictators, legendary punks in their own right, opened the show with a great dose of garage punk and had a fun banter with the crowd with tracks like “Pussy and Money” and a cover of Blue Öyster Cult‘s “Dominance and Submission” – which was all the more of a treat when you consider that their drummer is BÖC founding member Albert Bouchard.

Getting a good spot to see the stage at Concord Music Hall means you need to get there early, so we scrambled for a spot upstairs where we could see The Damned launch into their fun set and my girlfriend could lounge on a bench seat when she wanted.

The Damned broke out with a good mix of older and newer tracks, opening with “Ignite” and “Wait for the Blackout” (always a cool tune) and “The History of the World (Part 1)” and “Melody Lee.”

“Generals” and “Stranger on the Town” were nice to hear, and their cover of Barry Ryan‘s “Eloise” was a big hit. Vanian’s voice, as always, was in great form, and pretty much perfect on “The Invisible Man.” They had stomped the gas pedal to the floor by the time they hit “Noise Noise Noise” and never let up after it.

It took a while for a pit to get started, but it was in full swing by the time I joined it during, of course, “Neat Neat Neat.” I’m happy to say that the pit was started by people at least thirty years younger than I and that I wasn’t the only guy in his 50s in the pit and the young’uns loved having us older folks in there.

After ending the main set with “Smash It Up,” the band came back on and the young folks started an appreciation chant for Rat Scabies, who was humbled by it and stood up from his kit for a bow. It was great to see and hear that, as he’d been long missed by fans (although he has released material on his own, mind you).

Ending with “New Rose” and a psychedelic cover of MC5‘s “Looking at You” was a great way to send all the punks, goths, and weirdos out on a high note. They’ e wrapped up their U.S. tour, so I hope you got to see them. Go see them in the UK and Europe this fall and winter. You won’t regret it.

Keep your mind open.

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Live: LCD Soundsystem – Aragon Ballroom – Chicago, IL – May 26, 2024

It was the third night of a four-night residency for LCD Soundsystem at their favorite Chicago venue, the Aragon Ballroom. They’ve done shows there in the past, and it was the last place I’d seen them years ago. It was good to catch them again. One can’t help but wonder if James Murphy is going to pull the plug on the band for a second time.

They got off to a great start with “Us V Them” and soon surfed into “I Can Change.” “Tribulations” was another great spot in the set, and one I hadn’t heard live in a long while.

The crowd was great, many of whom had been to the first two shows and were already planning on coming to the fourth. It was warm in the Aragon, as it always is, but a little more so since everyone was dancing and going wild as they turned the whole place into a disco.

“Yeah” was a great touch, as it was the first time they’d played it on this tour (which they called the “Kinda Tour”), and “Losing My Edge” was, as always, an absolute ripper. I’d forgotten how good a track “Tonite” is until they played it live.

“Dance Yrself Clean” and “All My Friends” made for a great encore, but the nicest moment of the night was their tribute to the late Chicagoan and music producing legend Steve Albini during “Someone Great.”

It was great to see them again, and great to be in such a fun crowd. LCD Soundsystem never disappoint.

Keep your mind open.

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Review: Curses – New Wave Acid Punx DEUX – Secret Cuts

Just when you think you’ve heard your favorite classic new wave / no wave / goth-punk / industrial dance track of all time, a compilation like New Wave Acid Punx DEUX – Secret Cuts comes along and drops a bunch of stuff you’ve never heard and makes you nearly lose your mind with “How did I miss this?” types of questions.

This latest gem from Berlin-based DJ Curses brings out a wild mix of stuff that he probably found in a warehouse’s trash bin moments before the place was demolished to build a clothing store no one wanted. Chrome Corps‘ “Body Attestation” starts off the thing with industrial chops, and Curses himself includes a previously unreleased track of his own, “Get Lost,” right after it to keep up the dark vibe. Aura Nox and Christian Koupa‘s “Compound Lies” is a dark wave banger.

Notausgang‘s “Malphas” becomes a meditative synth-jam (even with birdsong at the end). Ghost Cop‘s “You Can Never Go Home” demands to be played at your next dance party. Nuovo Testamento‘s “In My Dreams” (the “Powerhouse Mix,” no less) is like opening a time capsule from the mid-1980s found under the remains of a British disco. Unconscious‘ “LivEvil” version of “Carnivora” is the sound of a robot hit squad coming after you in a 1985 shopping mall.

Gunce Aci‘s “Being in the Shadows” is a gothic dance track that’s phat with bass and makes you wonder if the title refers to being / standing in the shadows or a being that’s in the shadows. Curses gets back into the game with “The Deep End (Redux),” which adds a nice guitar element to the goth sound, not unlike old Wall of Voodoo tracks.

Paresse‘s “Journey of the Heart” (the Guy Tallo remix) brings a bit of ambient into the synths and is a track suitable for late night drives, workouts, or the trailer to your newest film about a fitness instructor trying to avoid a serial killer while dating a cop with a mysterious past. The “Modern remix” of You Man‘s “Third Eye” is the sexiest track on the record, with female vocals samples of “Oh my God…” blending with throbbing bass and smoky synths.

Much praise to Curses for finding these rare cuts and presenting them to us in a great mix. Don’t skip this one if you’re a fan of darkwave, synthwave, new wave, industrial, or acid house.

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Eclectica!]

Review: Alexvndria – Hopeless Romantic

Well, this is lovely.

Violinist and now singer Alexvndria starts off her debut EP, Hopeless Romantic, with violin plucks and string arrangements in a brief instrumental (“Epigraph”) to make you think this is going to be an avant-garde jazz album.

Nope, it’s an EP of stunning love songs. “He Loves Me” is a lush cover of Jill Scott‘s song with a full orchestra and a jazz trio backing her. “Silly Me” (with great, subtle jazz drumming from Drew Marsh) was recorded while Alexvndria was touring with The Broadway Sinfonietta, and the whole EP was recorded over four months and in six different cities. The song has Alexvndria lamenting all the time she’s wasted waiting on a lover to finally commit.

“Stay” is a similar theme, with Alexvndria waiting for her lover to even just say, “I love you.” (“I might have gave my heart too soon, but I’m dying to know.”). You hear tracks like this and wonder, “How has she not been singing this whole time?” Her voice is perfect for neo-soul and someone needs to hire her to sing on their latest trip-hop or house music project. The EP’s closer, “Twilight,” started with a bass solo and, according to a quote from Alexvndria in the liner notes I received, “Before I knew it, I was calling up a friend to improvise over it and recorded the whole song in my living room.”

The EP ends with a quick fade out, like a lover rushing out the door to make it to their flight back across the country. You want more, and part of you knows you might not get more, but you’re willing to wait and you’ll always have the memories.

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Ryan at Clandestine Label Services.]

Review: L’appel Du Vide – Metro

The members of Germany’s L’appel Du Vide (Flatty – guitars, synths, sequencers, Friday – drums, Rene – vocals, Suse – bass, vocals, piano) describe themselves as “gloom punks.” That’s an apt description of both them and their debut album, Metro. It mixes doom with post-punk, darkwave, industrial, and a hint of psychedelia.

Starting with “Nacht” (“Night”), they get off to a raucous start with Suse’s bass leading the charge. The whole song feels like a fight could break out at any moment. “Verschwiegen” (“Secretive”) has Flatty unleashing (Dare I say?) Thin Lizzy-like riffs that turn into psych-metal meltdowns.

“Offenbarungseid” (“Oath of Disclosure”) starts off with goth dread and then kicks in the door to the underground club and causes a mosh pit to break out an absinthe and clove cigarette-filled ashtrays to spill everywhere. “Woanders” (“Somewhere Else”) builds from a quiet bass drum beat to a fiery post-punk punch in the face. Suse’s bass on “Verbrennen” (“Burn”) is absolutely crushing, and everything else is on fire around it. It reminds me a bit of a Pixies track with its frequent changes in volume levels.

“Fleisch” (“Meat”) opens side two of the album with Flatty’s guitars and Friday’s drums taking on a gothic touch…until they and everything else into erupt into a punk rager. “Warteschliefe” (“Holding Pattern”) returns to the post-punk buzz, but doesn’t skimp on the punk part of that genre. Rene’s growling, snarling vocals are the prime example of that.

“Ausgeliefert” (“Delivered”) chugs along with heavy bass from Suse and cosmic-level shredding from Flatty while Friday opens and closes his hi-hat so fast that you think it’s going to break at any moment. “Fragezeichen” (“Question mark”) ends the album with more goth-punk stuff that borders on horror-punk with the slight sense of dread throughout it.

It’s a wild record, and a delightful discovery this year. I’d love to catch their live show and see and hear how they create all of this buzzing, slightly creepy rock together.

Keep your mind open.

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[Dank an Flatty!]

Review: Operator Music Band – Four Singles EP

It’s not every day you put out a groovy EP of acid house tracks. This is especially true after one of your band members falls over twenty feet through a skylight, breaks both wrists and six ribs, and sustains a head fracture that results in permanent hearing loss.

Yet, Operator Music Band did just that with their new Four Singles EP. How? You got me, but Jared Hiller figured out a way, and, along with Dara Hirsch and Daniel Siles, crafted a slick record.

Blending house with some krautrock and synthwave, “As It Goes” comes out of the start with a drippy, bass-filled bang, wicked hand percussion, and low-end vocal effects to warp your brain even further. “Screwhead” is a sexy, slightly industrial (Those drums!) track with sensuous vocals (“Focus is a function of ecstasy. Let me go slow. I’ll be right back.”).

“Oval” is bouncy and bubbly that, at the halfway point, turns into almost a dance-punk track with its almost frantic drums. “10 Days” continues this dance-punk theme with percussion and synths that sound like they’re coming through pipes and pneumatic tubes in an abandoned factory where a rooftop rave is taking place.

It’s all over too soon and leaves you wanting much more, as any good EP should. Many accolades should be given to Operator Music Band for creating something this good after Hiller’s harrowing accident. That kind of grit is rare.

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Cody at Terrorbird Media.]

Review: Dez Dare – A Billion Goats. A Billion Sparks. Fin.

Australian musician / producer / happy weirdo Dez Dare‘s new album, A Billion Goats. A Billion Sparks. Fin. sounds as intriguing and quirky as its title.

Opener “Got a Fire in My Socket” is a song about what its like to have a neurodivergent brain in a world that’s constantly clamoring for your attention. Dare mixes solid drum beats with post-punk guitar riffs and weird keyboard bloops. “Matter Vs. Matter” is about hoarding not only physical stuff, but e-clutter and mental trash as well (“10,000 options across 30,000 featured posts.”), and the only way to clear it out is by blasting it with fuzzy guitar power.

“10,000 Monkeys + An Argument with Time” uses sounds from what seem to be 16-bit video games to highlight how time is easily wasted even in a time in history when all this technology is supposed to save us time. “No One Wants to Hear It” is a fun takedown of virtue signaling with crunchy guitars and fight scene drums.

According to Dare’s notes on the album, “Gotta Cold Feeling” is about “That time when someone talked about something so boring, so long, it felt like time had fractured.” Haven’t we all been there at some point? “Entangled Entropy” is Dare apologizing for his sometimes uncontrollable behavior and explaining what it’s like to be autistic (“The wires don’t connect sometimes. Don’t you see? My waves aren’t free.”).

On “Call My City, Don’t Call My Telephone,” Dare pleads with everyone not to waste his time (or anyone else’s). God bless him for calling out time wasters, “shirtless bros,” and “standing in line” with his shredding solo and growling bass. “Josephine Says Explode” has Dare encouraging us to let our emotions out now and then. That stuff will eat you from within if you don’t.

The Osees-like fuzz and funk of “Schrödinger’s Apocalypse” is a fun track about living in a time of uncertainty, and how perhaps ignoring the uncertainty is the best path. “The Elasticity of Knowing” takes down racists and xenophobes by challenging them (and all of us, really) to travel and experience other cultures in order to see and acknowledge that others exist outside our little cocoons.

Finally, on “A Billion Voices Screaming, Hello Void!”, Dare encourages us to embrace the end and not fear death (“When the call comes, fear not for what’s been done, we all return to where we begun…”). The garage rock drums and distorted guitars certainly help give you confidence to step into the void.

This is a fun, wild record that mixes punk lyrics with touches of Zen. Don’t skip it.

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Dave at US / THEM Group.]