Reviews – Page 67 – 7th Level Music

Review: Oh Sees – Face Stabber

You know you’re in for an interesting time when the new Oh Sees (Thomas Dolas – synths, John Dwyer – guitar / vocals / synths, Tim Hellman – bass, Paul Quattrone – drums, Dan Rincon – drums) album has a cover featuring airbrushed van art of Frank Frazetta’s “Swamp Demon” and the record is a double-album called Face Stabber.

The album combines psychedelic jams with stoner metal riffs and jazz influences for one of the coolest albums of 2019. The opener, “The Daily Heavy,” begins with toy squeaks and soon morphs into a weird mantra-like jam of double drums and a rolling bass groove from Hellman that doesn’t seem to let up for almost eight minutes. The song seems to be about trying to live in a chaotic world in its final death throes, and maybe it’s about a bad relationship. I’m not sure. It just cooks. “The Experimenter” pokes fun at hipsters (“Everybody’s doing everybody’s else thing. Everybody’s talking about how, how it should be.”). The title track is a fast, furious instrumental jam.

The guitar and synth stabs of “Snickersnee” hit you like a knife as Dwyer sings about the constant barrage of lies from politicians mentally and physically affects us (“Politicians tell you only lies. It possesses every breath you breathe.”). “Fu Xi” brings in some prog rock elements that remind me of some Frank Zappa tracks. “Scutum and Scorpius” is a synthwave mind trip at first and then transforms into a psychedelic lava lamp flow that floats around you for over fourteen glorious minutes. Dwyer stretches his riffs into great Hendrix-like sounds, Quattrone and Rincon keep the song movie with simple, effective beats, Dolas follows Dwyer’s lead, and Hellman grounds the whole track.

Then along comes “Gholu,” an instant mosh pit creator that has Dwyer growling about demonic dinners and bodies in freezers in under two minutes. “Poisoned Stones” chugs along with a heavy weight and more excellent double drumming from Rincon and Quattrone. “Psy-Ops Dispatch” is a cautionary tale about cyber-addiction (“Lock us all together, pulsing low-end sine, image on the screen disrupting a withered broken mind.”).

“S.S. Luker’s Mom” is another groovy instrumental, “Heart Worm” is a raucous punk track, “Together Tomorrow” is a quickie about, I think, quickies, “Captain Loosely” is another instrumental, this one based around spacey synths, and then there’s the closer – “Henchlock.” “Henchlock” is over twenty minutes of psychedelic jazz that brings in dual saxophones, lyrics about the drag of information overload and consumerism, intricate drum patterns, hypnotic bass, groovy synths, and trippy guitar solos. It’s probably my favorite single of the year, and it takes up an entire album side.

Oh Sees are nothing if not prolific, and for them to release a double-album in the same year as another full album (Grave Blockers) is par for the course. Few other bands have as much creative energy, and Face Stabber is another excellent addition to their discography.

Keep your mind open.

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Review: Prettiest Eyes – Volume 3

Los Angeles’ Prettiest Eyes make music that’s been described as “post-industrial” by other folks, and I suppose that’s as good a description as any other, because I’m not sure I can come up with another. I mean this as a compliment. The trio of Paco Casanova (keyboards and vocals), Pachy Garcia (drums and vocals), and Marcos Rodriguez (bass and vocals) make a wild chaotic mix of new wave, no wave, post-punk, psychedelia, techno latino, and, yes, industrial. As you can imagine, playing this kind of controlled chaos requires a lot of energy, and that energy comes through in their live sets and on their new album, Volume 3.

The opening alarms and snappy beats of “Johnny Come Home” remind one of early Devo tracks. Casanova’s synths seamlessly meld the track into their fun cover of Crash Course in Science‘s “It Costs to Be Austere” – a pogo-inducing rocker that reminds us that being plain and stern in our beliefs does have a price. It sounds like all three of them had a blast recording it, and it’s a blast to hear live.

“I Don’t Know” is a solid psychedelic jam with great keyboard work from Casanova. “Mr. President” is a sharp techno track that dances along the edge of darkwave as Garcia sings about marginalised people seeking recognition (“Mr. President, say my name!”). Speaking of darkwave, the subject of matter of “Nekrodisco” falls into that category, but the instrumentation is straight-up industrial dance music. Rodriguez’s bass licks are relentless throughout it and carry the weight of the track with what appears to be ease but is actually damn hard work.

The squelching, wailing sounds of “The Shame” almost overpower you, and then “Another Earth” comes along – a dub track that throws you for a trippy loop. “Marihuana” is wonderfully bonkers with some of Rodriguqez’s grooviest bass work. “Summer in L.A.” has an underlying menace that you can’t escape. It might induce paranoia in those of weaker minds. “No More Summer” might be the most radio friendly cut, but I doubt they care about such things. “Strange Distance” gets back into psychedelic territory and the closer, “La Maldad,” ups the feedback and fuzz for the finale.

Prettiest Eyes are one of those bands that, after you hear them (and definitely after you see them live), you mention to anyone during any conversation about music. “I just heard this wild band from L.A. called Prettiest Eyes. They might be my new favorite thing,” will be a typical response.

Keep your mind open.

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Review: Gong Gong Gong – Phantom Rhythm

Beijing’s duo of Gong Gong Gong (Joshua Frank – bass, Tom Ng – guitar and vocals) might have the most aptly titled album of 2019 – Phantom Rhythm. It’s apt because they don’t have a drummer. All the rhythm on their astounding debut album is made by Frank’s thumping, snappy bass and Ng’s manic, sharp guitar.

All of the album’s vocals are in Cantonese, and the intonations and sounds of the language accentuate the intriguing phantom rhythms throughout the record. “The Last Note” starts with jangly guitar chords and up-tuned bass that almost bring to mind chanted mantras atop a Chinese mountain before the song breaks into a fast gallop. “Notes Underground” continues the rapid pace as Ng sings about walking away from a finished relationship without any lasting grudges on either side.

The phantom rhythm of Ng’s guitar is in full effect on “Ride Your Horse,” a song about eschewing modern technology for tradition. “Moonshadows” has some of Frank’s funkiest bass as Ng sings about the ocean, or sex, or maybe both. “Scattered state, breath quickens, unknowable grasping imperfection,” Ng sings (again, in Cantonese) on the post-punk rocker “Inner Reaches.” It’s a sharp track about avoiding the present moment, as is “Gong Gong Gong Blues.” “Wei Wei Wei” is a grunting, down-and-dirty, fuzzy fire burning through your speakers.

The slower “Some Kind of Demon” seems to be about indecision or some sort of malaise that Ng can’t quite define. We’ve all met this demon at one point in our lives. “Night’s Colour (Chongqing)” is a cool instrumental that almost sounds like warped carnival music at first. The album ends with the heavy “Sounds of Love” – a song about love’s complications and expectations. The tune swirls around the reverb of Ng’s vocals with Frank’s charging bass and some of Ng’s wildest, fuzziest guitar riffs.

It’s a wild record, and easily one of the most intriguing of the year. Their sound is like a phantom – something you can feel and experience but not quite grasp.

Keep your mind open.

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Review: Fat White Family – Serfs Up!

It’s impossible to put a label on London’s Fat White Family. Are they a punk band? An art band? A no wave band? A pop band? None? All? Really, why bother trying? Their new album, Serfs Up!, combines all of those elements and more while poking fun at good taste, politics, Kim Jong-un, and a dozen other topics.

Opener “Feet” starts with electro beats and smooth vocals that remind you of some of Moby‘s work from the early 2000’s. The song’s about running from things that can entrap you, like passion, responsibility, and being a wage slave. You can apply the title of “I Believe in Something Better” to nearly anything – the current political climate, the hopes of stopping climate change, universal health care, or even just a better relationship with a lover. The song has all these weird, warping guitars and synths in it that I love.

The cool groove of “Vagina Dentata” instantly brought Gary Wilson to mind. It’s a song about a treacherous woman, which is right up Mr. Wilson’s alley. The jazz lounge piano and saxophone in the song are top notch. “Kim’s Sunsets” is the above-mentioned song about Kim John-un. It’s undeniably catchy and has to be the prettiest song ever written about a modern day Communist.

The wicked bass on “Fringe Runner” will get you dancing. It’s solid disco bass that is probably being sampled by scores of DJ’s even now. “Is there anything more inspiring than a menial job and the pittance it brings?” is the opening lyric of “Oh Sebastian,” a song with orchestral (Yes, orchestral.) touches that will make you grin. “Tastes Good with the Money” follows a similar theme lyrically, with jabs at rich elitists and blown kisses at the working class.

“Show the other kids how the other kids live,” they suggest on “Rock Fishes,” which almost has a reggae feel to it in its rhythm, but also has spaghetti western score flavorings that take it to another level. Those Morricone guitars drift into the slick “When I Leave,” a dark song that practically demands you enjoy it with a stiff drink. “Bobby’s boyfriend is a prostitute, and so is mine,” is the theme of the tick-tocking trippy tune “Bobby’s Boyfriend.” It’s a neat way to end the record, sending it out on a euphoric mind warp. The band does have an admitted history with heroin and booze, so you can’t help but wonder if the closer is something they concocted after a long day of chemical excess.

The title of the album suggests a revolution of sorts. Serfs worked farms for the lords that owned the land. Nowadays, most of us work for a tiny fraction of the world’s population who own practically everything. Fat White Family are telling us to put down our carts and pick up our torches and pitchforks (literal or metaphorical).

Keep your mind open.

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Live: Oh Sees, Prettiest Eyes, Jimmy Whispers – October 12, 2019 – Thalia Hall – Chicago, IL

It was the first of two sold-out shows at Chicago’s Thalia Hall for Thee Oh Sees and Prettiest Eyes. Joining them was Chicago’s Jimmy Whispers. I had yet to see Mr. Whispers, and I hadn’t seen Oh Sees since Levitation Austin last year in a small outdoor venue and Prettiest Eyes since Levitation France last year win a multi-purpose performance center.

Jimmy Whispers played a quirky set of bedroom / lounge rock that had one guy behind me saying, “I feel like I’m in a John Hughes movie.” Mr. Whispers sang songs about love and making love, taking on a sound and groove not unlike a Gary Wilson show.

Prettiest Eyes were up next and a complete switch from Jimmy Whispers’ set. They unleashed controlled chaos with wild tracks off their new album, Volume 3. Keyboards shrieked, bass thundered, and drums crashed. The Latino psych-rockers sang most of their tunes in English, unlike when we saw them in France and they kept the lyrics in Spanish for the most part. The songs are good either way, and they’re always energetic performers.

Speaking of energy, there’s always plenty of it during an Oh Sees show. You could probably power the air conditioning system in a Tucson ice cream parlor with the energy they create. They played a great mix of older and new material from their current album, Face Stabber. The mosh pit erupted immediately with “The Static God” and rarely stopped after that.

Other highlights included “The Dream,” “Tidal Wave,” “I Come from the Mountain,” and “Animated Violence.”

A treat and a surprise for me was when they played all twenty-plus minutes of “Henchlock” from the new album. It was even better than I hoped it would be.

It was another excellent performance. Both drummers played in unison and in different time signatures without tripping over each other. Frontman John Dwyer shredded the whole set. Beer was thrown, a lost shoe was held up by someone in the pit, I found an Oh Sees shirt that no one claimed as I held it up (and it was even my size), and I returned a man’s house keys to him I found in the pit during a brief break in the action.

As I said after I first saw them, everything you’ve heard about an Oh Sees show is 100% true. Don’t miss this tour.

Keep your mind open.

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Review: The Schizophonics – People in the Sky

San Diego’s husband-wife duo of singer / guitarist Pat Beers and drummer Lety Beers, otherwise known as The Schizophonics, are legends in their hometown for good reason. Their live shows are bat-shit crazy. Their second album, People in the Sky, is equally so.

The album starts with “Something’s Got to Give,” and it might be your speakers. Pat Beers’ voice already sounds like he’s been up all night drinking and smoking and Lety Beers is beating her kit like she’s angry about that damn dog next door that won’t stop barking all night…and it’s only the first track. “Steely Eyed Lady” is like a gas guzzling muscle car burning up miles while blasting The MC5 on the tape player. The comparisons of the Schizophonics to The MC5 are unavoidable. Pat Beers’ vocal stylings and Lety Beers’ beats are clearly influenced by the Detroit legends, while Mr. Beers’ guitar work combines garage, surf, punk, and psychedelia.

“Nine Miles” has a lot of crunchy guitar riffs to back Mr. Beers’ lyrics about hard work and the sacrifices one makes for love. The title track discusses mind expansion and controlling one’s emotions. “The One I Want” is a hot cut about a hot lover. “Battle Line” has some of Mr. Beers’ best shredding, and the track that follows it, “Not Gonna Change My Mind,” has a Hendrix-like solo that sizzles like a hot skillet sauteing habanero peppers.

“Long Way to Go” has a great dirty blues groove to it that reminds me of backroom jam sessions Howlin’ Wolf might have played. “Every day’s a lifetime, baby. We got a long way to go,” Pat Beers sings before unleashing a short but furious solo. The beat on “Show Me Your Eyes” mixes so well with the guitar fuzz that I’m not sure which one is playing lead (which is probably the point). I love that they included a song like “Like a Mummy,” which combines 60’s garage rock speed and “monster rock” grooves on an album that was released on Halloween. Also, Pat Beers goes nuts on it with his guitar. Every time you think you’ve heard him burn up all his energy on one track, he unleashes another hidden reserve from somewhere and makes your jaw drop.

“Down, I’ve been so down and out about you. Out, I’ve been so out of mind for you,” he sings on “Down and Out.” It’s a solid cut and one of the best tracks on a record full of impressive tunes. The closer, “She’s Coming Back,” has Pat Beers trying to convince himself that a lover will return, but even he’s not sure he believes it.

This is a top-notch rock record. If you’ve been looking for an album to blast away the cacophony of the 24-hour news cycle or the banality of the rat race, start here.

Keep your mind open.

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Review: King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard – Infest the Rats’ Nest

I once read a comment on a YouTube video of “Planet B,” a track from King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard‘s newest album, Infest the Rats’ Nest, that said the following:

“Interviewer: What genre do you play? / King Gizzard: Yes.”

That comment refers to how the Australian psych-rockers went from releasing a blues boogie / synthwave record, Fishing for Fishies, earlier this year to Infest the Rats’ Nest – one of the best thrash metal albums of the year. They’ll play whatever they feel like playing.

The album is a companion piece of sorts to Fishing for Fishies in its environmental message. The first half of Infest the Rats’ Nest is all warnings about how we’re trashing the Earth and the second half is a story of people trying to flee our dying planet but being stonewalled by rich elitists.

“Planet B” gets the album off to a crunchy, angry start with fierce double drumming and dire warning vocals like “Paralyzation, scarification, population exodus…There is no planet B! Open your eyes and see!” “Mars for the Rich” has a cool groove to it (wicked bass licks, Grateful Dead-like drumming), showing that KGATLW didn’t want to completely abandon their psychedelic roots. Lead singer Stuart Mackenzie sings the tale of a child seeing images of Mars on television and wishing he could go there to escape the poisoned Earth, but knowing only the rich will escape environmental doom.

“Organ Farmer” is bonkers. You can barely keep up with the energy of it. It’s all runaway train guitars and drums that sound like they’re about to collapse. “Superbug” switches to stoner metal jams reminiscent of Sleep while Mackenzie sings about a super virus sweeping across the planet.

“Venusian I” has epic shredding behind a tale of trying to flee to Venus because the Earth is doomed. “Space is the place for the new human race,” Mackenzie sings at the beginning of “Perihelion” – a space rock with crushing drums. He and the rest of KGATLW want to escape the Earth, but will their efforts to reach Venus be successful? “Venusian 2” hits you like a spaceship trying to survive re-entry burn as it blazes across the Venusian sky, so it’s difficult to say if the trip is a safe one.

The mosh-inducing “Self-Immolate” is as fiery as its name would imply. The whole band sizzles across it while the lyrics tell a tale of blazing heat on Venus and the agony of leaving one dying planet for another that’s a perpetual inferno. The album ends, fittingly, with “Hell.” Mackenzie, now dead, is terrified as “Satan points me to the rats’ nest.” and everything, like Earth and Venus, is burning all around him.

Heavy stuff, but it’s a bit tongue-in-cheek, so don’t worry. KGATLW made Infest the Rats’ Nest to not only warn us of the effects of climate change, but also to salute their appreciation of thrash metal and have some fun playing stuff that they have admitted is hard to play. As a result, they put out a thrash metal record that can hold its own with heavyweights in the genre.

Keep your mind open.

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Rewind Review: Palm Daze – Controls (2017)

I became aware of Palm Daze when I saw them open for Bayonne in Tucson, Arizona earlier this year. They played a cool blend of electro and psychedelia that I enjoyed. Controls is a five-song EP they put out two years ago that sounds like it could’ve been released yesterday.

The weird warping synths of “Angles Pt. 1” get the EP off to a trippy start, and then “Company Calls” takes us into full synth wave mode with bright keys, distant vocals, and sharp beats. “Angles Pt. 2” seems to nod at Vangelis‘ Blade Runner score, and why not? The synths move like slow waves across a mountain lake and the vocal effects turn the lyrics into alien communications. The title track has near hip hop drum beats behind video game synths, and “Everything, Everyday” ends the EP with big, bold synths that fade into sounds like a dwindling Morse code message.

It’s an interesting EP and one that produces different thoughts upon multiple listens.

Keep your mind open.

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Review: Vapors of Morphine – Lyons, Colley, Dupree Live at the Lizard Lounge 5/25/2007

Recorded before they were officially known as Vapors of Morphine, Jeremy Lyons, Dana Colley, and Jerome Dupree were playing and recording dark delta blues tracks and mixing in low rock touches. This live album, recorded twelve years ago, sounds like it was performed last week.

Their version of “Worried Life Blues” has a bit of swing to it that showcases some of Lyons’ musical influences gained while living in New Orleans. “Screamin’ and Hollerin'” is the first track to let Dana Colley’s baritone saxophone cut loose, and we’re all better for it. The groove of “Red Apple Juice / Waiting for My Baby” is downright infectious. You’ll be humming the song for days after you hear it.

“Hard Times Killing Floor” shows why low rock and blues go so well together. Colley’s saxophone puts down the rails for Lyons sad vocals and Dupree’s subtle drums keep a hint of danger floating around the room. “Ain’t Gonna Marry” has a great swing to it as Lyons sings about sending a “Dear Jane” letter to a lover as he moves on down the road. His guitar solo is also sharp as a knife on the track.

“Know” is one of my favorite Vapors of Morphine tracks, and this version is as good as any of them. All three members have a swinging good time on it. “Hurricane” is another song of theirs that’s become somewhat of a classic by now. Colley’s saxophone reverb effects bring to mind a swirling storm as Dupree’s drums roll in the thunder and Lyons’ guitar is the driving rain.

Lyons’ guitar is in full swampy blues mode for “Louisiana Blues,” which is a sizzling rocker. “Special Rider” ends the set with a true low rock tune. The drop-tuned guitar, the warped saxophone sounds, and the slow, almost buzzed-drunk drums produce a great feeling. The album ends with the soundcheck version of “Red Apple Juice,” which is a nice addition.

It’s a cool record, and like their collaboration as The Ever Expanding Elastic Waste Band, a neat piece of history in the band’s formation.

Keep your mind open.

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Review: Sleater-Kinney – The Center Won’t Hold

Sleater-Kinney‘s newest record, The Center Won’t Hold, is, unsurprisingly, a wallop to the senses. It covers anger over the current political climate, the never-ending onslaughts of media and advertising, and the often fragile nature of relationships.

The title track starts off the record with slinking industrial beats before erupting into fiery anger and Carrie Brownstein‘s vocals reaching shriek levels. “Hurry On Home” is a sexy tune accentuated by electro beats about missing a lover and wanting something real and tangible in a world of fake social media profiles and Second Life avatars. The electro touches continue on “Reach Out.” They’re peppy and then the lyrics of “When I looked down, I was a mess.” reach you, making you wonder what’s coming. The song is another about wanting to find a human connection amid internal and external chaos. “With one sharp breath, my chest expands. My body is my own again,” Corin Tucker sings the joy of finding that connection.

“Everyone I know is tired, and everyone I know is wired to machines. I just scream ’til it don’t hurt anymore,” Brownstein sings on the excellent “Can I Go On” – a song about how easy it is to get down in this day and age. “Restless” has brutal lyrics about love like “My heart wants the ugliest things, but I’ve learned to love the ugliest things like you and me.” “Do you feast on nostalgia? Take please from pain?” Brownstein asks in “RUINS” – a near-industrial track that explores a crumbled relationship. “LOVE” starts with video game beats before Janet Weiss puts down a wicked drum groove and Brownstein sings about embracing the adventure that love can be.

“We’ve been rehearsing our whole lives,” Brownstein says on “Bad Dance.” It’s a song about the seductive worlds pushed on us by mass advertising and the idea of pushing back against them. “The Future Is Here” has Tucker wishing for a human connection in a world of online relationships. “I met my date on a tiny screen. I reach for you in the empty sheets,” she sings. Anyone who resists her is a fool. The snappy bass on “The Dog / The Body” roots the song as it swells back and forth between soft verses and big choruses.

“But I’m breaking in two, ’cause I’m broken inside.” are the last lyrics of “Broken,” which is the last song on the album. It’s a sad song about the loss of a relationship or at least a human connection in our increasingly digital world. The song and the lyrics (and the album’s title) are even more poignant now due to drummer Janet Weiss leaving the band not long after the album was released and before Sleater-Kinney started their current tour. Brownstein has said the band will continue with her and Tucker, who started the band without Weiss. At least Weiss left on a good album. She didn’t phone in anything on it, and neither did her former bandmates.

Keep your mind open.

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