Reviews – Page 68 – 7th Level Music

Review: Claude Fontaine (self-titled)

Get ready to meet your new crush – Claude Fontaine. Her debut self-titled album is one of the best world music records so far this year, combining reggae, dub, and bossa nova with Fontaine’s lovely voice behind a knock-out backing band including gents who have worked with Miles Davis, Ziggy Marley, and Steel Pulse.

The opening track, “Cry for Another,” is a heartfelt reggae cut about longing. The bass riff alone will make you move. “Hot Tears” has Fontaine singing about being alone and waiting for a call from her lover that she knows in her heart will never come. “Hot tears in my coffee, cold sheets in my bed. If he really loved me, he’d be here instead,” she sings in a voice so lovely that you and everyone else who hears this track will agree that this guy’s an idiot. “Little Sister” brings up the raga tempo (Seriously, the groove is outstanding.) and has Fontaine warning her sister / friend that the guy she’s falling for is a faker.

The horn section is a great addition to the smooth reggae beats (by legendary drummer Airto Moreira) on “Love Street.” The breakdown on it slides you into a dub-fueled sexy dream. Fontaine sings about finding love with someone for whom she’s pined for a long while – perhaps the subject of “Hot Tears.” “Play by Play” keeps the dub touches, and Fontaine’s voice is perfect for the psychedelic, trippy touches of dub music. She’s almost a ghost you keep trying to catch, but she always playfully slips away before you can grab her.

The album moves into bossa nova territory on “Pretending He Was You” – one of my favorite singles of the year so far. It blends Fontaine’s sad lyrics with tropical bird sounds, simple hand percussion, and classic Brazilian guitar strumming. “I’ll Play the Fool” is just as good, with Fontaine telling her lover not to worry about the “how’s” and “why’s” of their relationship and that she’s willing to be the silly one who embraces life if he won’t.

The soft percussion on “Strings of Your Guitar” is outstanding, and I’m pretty sure Fontaine’s lyrics are about wishing her lover would treat her with the same care as his instrument. #swoon. “Footprints in the Sand” is a heartbreaking ballad about a lover who has walked out on Fontaine. “Footprints left in the sand are all I have,” she sings, knowing that even her memories of him will fade in time. If you aren’t completely under her spell by the time you reach the closer, “Our Last Goodbye,” you might want to consider seeing a psychiatrist because you are probably an emotionless sociopath. Fontaine’s vocals about parting too soon from a lover make you want to buy her a glass of wine and just sit with her to watch the sunset.

Ms. Fontaine’s debut is a gorgeous record, and easily the most beautiful work I’ve heard so far this year. Don’t sleep on her (as the kids say). You need these songs more than you might realize.

Keep your mind open.

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Review: L7 – Scatter the Rats

Back with their first album in far too long (20 years), L7 make a much-needed and much-requested return in a time of “alternate truths,” “pink taxes,” xenophobia, and Orwellian bliss with Scatter the Rats. The name of the album is, I suspect, a call to action. The rats are everywhere and we need to make them run.

The opening guitar riff on “Burn Baby” slaps you awake and soon guitarist Donita Sparks is singing about how “…you think I’m a fraud, and I know you’re a fake, but when it’s all said and done we all burn at the stake.” It also sounds like they mix guitar chords with kazoo blasts, which is great. “Fighting the Crave” puts aside the tongue-in-cheek humor for gunslinging bass from Jennifer Garner and some of drummer Dee Plakas‘ most dangerous chops as Sparks sings about trying to resist a hot lover. It’s a track Motley Crue wishes they could’ve written.

“Proto Prototype” has co-guitarist Suzy Gardner on lead vocals, and she sounds like a were-tiger casting a 7th level conjuring spell. The song is that dangerous. “Stadium West” is currently one of my top ten singles of the year. It’s a fun, fast rocker that I can’t wait to hear live. “Murky Water Cafe” has Gardner’s vocals almost taking on a southern rock edge as she sings about a New Orleans dive bar and the weird, murky things that happened (still happen?) to her there. Also, her solo on it is sharp as a switchblade.

I’m willing to bet “Ouija Board Lies” has a great backstory. Is Sparks singing about getting turned on by a ghost? Or is she angry with the ghost about it not being what she expected? Hell, I’m not even sure it’s about a ghost at all. I do know that her riffs and Gardner’s riffs are a great one-two punch throughout the track, however. “Garbage Truck” is a tune about running into a screwed up relationship (“My love’s like a garbage truck. Get wasted and I’ll pick you up.”).

Plakas’ beats on “Holding Pattern” are a clinic on how to ground a rock song and how sometimes subtle power is best. I’m intrigued with the title of “Uppin’ the Ice.” “Hit the ground, take in the sights, all bow down ’cause we’re uppin’ the ice,” Sparks sings. It’s a call for women to get cold. Revenge is best served that way, after all. Gardner turns up the collar on her leather jacket and slips on a pair of brass knuckles on “Cool About Easy.” Don’t screw with her. She will jack you up and leave you whimpering.

The title track closes the album and has Sparks and Gardner sharing vocals about cleaning out rats, pigeons, and other vermin polluting and corrupting all of us. Their sights are set on Washington D.C., in case you weren’t aware. The dirty blues touches on the guitar solos are great, and Finch’s bass pretty much dares you to stand in front of it.

It’s great to have L7 back with not only all four original members, but also with a solid record. They are touring all over right now, so don’t miss your chance to see them.

Keep your mind open.

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Review: Spoony Bard – Old Friends

I’ll admit that it took me a couple listens to “get” spoony bard‘s newest album, Old Friends. After those first two listens, I realized there’s nothing to “get.” It’s something to experience.

spoony bard, otherwise known as David Nord, blends hip hop with jazz, ambient sounds, electro, synthwave, and even a bit of vaporwave into a mix that settles on you like incense smoke. Starting with a tip of the hat to De La Soul with “Ego Trippin’ Part 99,” bard’s rapping slides in and then back out almost before you notice it’s gone thanks to his cool beats. “Levitate Me Later” is a low-tuned funky cut that reminds me of some of Flying Lotus‘ peppier tracks.

I love the title of “Dizziness of Freedom,” and the wobbly synths in it emphasize the weird, sometimes overwhelming sense that comes with having to choose from so many damn things on the menu. The bright synths on “Extralewd 1” sound like the opening credits music of a 1970’s blaxploitation movie made in the year 2170. The phat bass on “Megalixir” is like something from a sex scene in that same movie.

You can’t help but sway to the beats of “Areia.” “Extralewd 2” brings in some nice guitar riffs to the synth-beats and time-warping bass. “Note to self, fake it ’til you make it, shake it, don’t break it,” bard raps at the beginning of “Note to Self.” Judging from the poppy, catchy beats (that almost become industrial rhythms) of the track, I think he’s done faking it. The same holds true for “Limbo,” which is full of sharp beats. The record ends with “Far Flung” – a twisting, bending synth-heavy track that is both catchy and weird at the same time.

bard has written that he titled the album “Old Friends” because he thought of a lot of old friends while making it. His friends must be some cool cats because Old Friends is a cool record.

Keep your mind open.

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Live: Priests and Gurr – Lincoln Hall – Chicago, IL – April 22, 2019

I hadn’t seen Washington D.C. post-punks Priests since the 2017 Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago. They were promoting their excellent album, Nothing Feels Natural, at the time, and they put on a lively afternoon set under a bright sun. Seeing them at Chicago’s Lincoln Hall would be the first time I would see them playing tracks off their new album, The Seduction of Kansas (which is currently my favorite album of 2019), in a small club, and since one of their original bassist, Taylor Mulitz, amicably left the band to form Flasher – a good band in their own right.

Opening them were a fun band called Gurr, who hail from Germany (despite a drunk in the crowd loudly asking if they were from France or Canada). They played a loud post-PUNK that had an infectious energy you couldn’t ignore. They revealed that their touring van had been burglarized at a previous gig and all of the money they’d made on tour so far was gone, but they were still upbeat.

Priests came out with “Good Time Charlie,” one of the first singles released from The Seduction of Kansas. It was immediately evident that the new tracks take on a dangerous edge live, even with some low bass troubles for Alexandria Tyson at first (which were fixed by the sound crew by the time Priests reached the stinging “YouTube Sartre” and the defiant “Not Perceived”). Katie Greer’s vocals on “The Seduction of Kansas” were almost spooky at some points. She had us hypnotized and even a bit frightened.

Getting seduced by “The Seduction of Kansas”

A highlight was when drummer Daniele Daniele came to the front and sang lead on “68 Screen” and “I’m Clean.” She accidentally stepped on an effects pedal at one point during “I’m Clean,” cutting out some of the programmed drumming for a moment. “It’s live music, folks! You’ll never hear that version again,” Greer said before they tore into “Pink White House” from Nothing Feels Natural.

G.L. Jaguar was shredding by the time they reached “Texas Instruments” and closed with the knockout punch of “Jesus’ Son.” I walked out of Lincoln Hall with one word in mind – “dangerous.” In a small venue, with the powerful lyrics, vocals, and instrumentation behind them, seeing Priests was like being in a room with four somewhat frisky panthers prowling back and forth along the far wall. They encouraged you to play with them, but you knew they could maul you at any moment.

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Jim DeLuca and Jacob Daneman of Pitch Perfect PR for providing me with a press pass to the show.]

Review: The Well – Death and Consolation

Ian Graham, guitarist and vocalist for Austin, Texas doom rockers The Well, had a bad 2018 – according to a press release for their powerful new album, Death and Consolation: “2018 was a strange, dark year. A lot of change going on in my life, there was a lot of depression and coming out of it over the last year. I wanted to call this Death and Consolation, because in life that’s a constant.”

It’s an appropriate title because the power chords, heavy lyrics, thunderous bass (courtesy of co-vocalist Lisa Alley), and almost heart-stopping drums (courtesy of Jason Sullivan) on the record are both creepy and invigorating. Graham also says, ” “I feel like this album is almost more gothic. We’re big fans of post-punk.”

That goth influence comes out right away on the opener, “Sabbah,” with its growling bass and lyrics of “flowers sliced by assassin’s steel.” Listening to “Raven” is like stomping on the gas pedal of a 1970 Plymouth Roadrunner while Satan is chasing you in a Dodge Coronet Super Bee down a winding mountain road at 12:01am.

“Death Song” isn’t a cover of the tune by the Black Angels (another Austin psychedelic powerhouse), but I’m sure the Black Angels would appreciate its Black Sabbath-meets-Thin Lizzy vibe. “Cup of Peace” could be a Joy Division track if that band upped the fuzz and spent more time in dimly lit libraries full of massive books chained to iron racks.

“Eyes of a God” gets off to a spooky, whispered start and then breaks out a serious rock groove that blends metal with late 1960’s garage rock while Graham sings about touching a land that lies beyond the sun. “Act II” starts with a sample (probably from a horror film I have yet to see) of someone trying to banish a holy man from getting closer and then breaks into a song about ancient evil being unleashed on the world…or is it? The sample at the beginning seems to indicate that The Well knows there are bright things beyond the veil that even Lovecraftian Old Ones fear. Oh yes, and the song is an absolute wall-flattener.

“Freedom Above” is a slow burn under a bubbling cauldron, whereas “This Is How” is a fuzzed-out raging fire that claims, “This is how the world ends, drowning now in flames. This is how the world ends, nightmare of the sane.” You don’t get much more metal than that. The closer is “Endless Night” – a dark tune about dark things dragging Graham (and the rest of us) to even darker places. It’s packed with sludge, menace, and guitar riffs deadly as a battle axe.

I’ve come to love doom and stoner metal over the last few years, and Death and Consolation is one of the best records I’ve heard in that genre. The Well is at the top of their game right now. I need, you need, we all need to see them live, and we all need to hear this record.

Keep your mind open.

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Live: Mdou Moctar and Guerilla Toss – Bell’s Eccentric Brewery – Kalamazoo, MI – March 31, 2019

I’d heard a lot of good things about Nigerian guitarist / Tuareg musician Mdou Moctar before seeing him live for the first time. I knew he opened for Jack White on some of his tour dates, and that he’d made his own version of the Purple Rain film, and that he plays all sorts of gigs – from big festivals to weddings. I also heard that he shreds. After seeing him live in Kalamazoo, I can confirm this. Boy, does he ever shred.

Opening for Mr. Moctar and his band with the NYC new wave / post-punk / psychedelic outfit Guerilla Toss. They put on a wild set that mixed all three of those genres that left the crowd wowed and weird. I especially liked their tunes that wandered into psychedelic jams.

Mr. Moctar and his sharp backing band were a contrast to Guerilla Toss’ style. Moctar and crew brought in fierce African rhythms, heavy bass, and fiery guitar solos that could barely be contained by the small venue.

He mostly played cuts from his excellent new album, Ilana (the Creator), a stunning record that has him exploring new guitar techniques and singing about love of fellow man. He laid down multiple stunning solos throughout the show.

He’s a nice chap as well. He was at his merchandise table before and after the set and chatted with anyone who wanted to chat. That friendly energy became bigger onstage as he encouraged everyone to rock out with him and his band.

Speaking of his merchandise, he’s selling handcrafted jewelry from Niger while on tour to support a school he’s building there. The guy plays a mean guitar and he’s building a school. Your argument is invalid.

Don’t miss him live, and be sure to support his charitable efforts. He’s secretly one of the biggest upcoming stars on the world music scene playing small venues near you.

Keep your mind open.

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Review: Priests – The Seduction of Kansas

The title of Priests‘ excellent new record, The Seduction of Kansas, refers to a 2004 book by Thomas Frank entitled What’s the Matter with Kansas? That book discussed how the political leanings of Kansas more or less predicted the political leanings of the country at large for a century. Priests hail from the nation’s capital and are thus front and center for the political circus there, so it’s no surprise that The Seduction of Kansas lashes out at elitism, “bro” culture, 1%’ers, xenophobia, consumerism, and pretty much everything John Carpenter predicted in They Live.

The album opens with the hard-hitting “Jesus’ Son,” which is both a reference to Lou Reed and the Velvet Underground (who are definite post-punk influences on Priests) and a middle finger to douchebags who think they can get away with anything (i.e., “I am Jesus’ son. I’m young and dumb and full of cum. I am Jesus’ son. I think I’m gonna hurt someone.”) because they’re rich dudes. The title track practically has the subliminal “CONSUME” message from They Live woven through it as vocalist Katie Alice Greer sings about how corporations and mass media try to seduce us every day and convince us that they are really all we need.

“Youtube Sartre” is a slick takedown of dehumanizing technology and online trolls (and G.L. Jaguar’s guitar work on it is excellent – blending shoegaze and post-punk riffs). Drummer Daniele Daniele takes over the vocals on the sexy / scary “I’m Clean” – a song about a murderess who snaps after the pressures of modern society finally become too much for her to bear. Bassist Janel Leppin’s groove on it is the sheath and Daniele’s vocals are the knife. “Ice Cream” is almost an industrial goth track thanks to the creepy fuzz bass and Daniele’s machine-like beats.

The snappy “Good Time Charlie” is about the U.S. war machine and how war is, for some, damn good money. Daniele comes back to sing lead on “68 Screen” – a sharp song about objectification with the rhythm section going to the forefront and Jaguar smartly backing them up because he knows how damn good Leppin and Daniele are working together.

In an interesting turn, Priests follow a song about objectification of women and being held up to standards found in media with a song called “Not Perceived” – a song about how easy it is to fade into loneliness and obscurity despite having access to devices that let us connect to anywhere in the world in a few seconds. “I’m a haunted house made of marrow and bone.” is one of the best, and for some people, truest lyrics of the year regarding the subject of loneliness and being disenfranchised.

Greer gets her Patti Smith groove on in “Control Freak” – a track that comes at you like a thunderstorm. Leppin’s rumbling bass is the thunder, Jaguar’s guitar the lightning, Daniele’s drums the driving rain, and Greer’s voice the raging wind. “Carol,” on the other hand, is almost a dreamy cruise on a summer day…but with a hint of mystery you can’t quite describe. The album ends with “Texas Instruments” – a lyrically searing takedown of xenophobia with Jaguar’s guitar work coming back to the lead with roaring riffs.

This is one of the best albums of the year so far. It’s packed with intriguing lyrics that reveal more with each listen and is a vital diary of modern times in not only the nation’s capital, but the rest of the country.

Keep your mind open.

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Review: Mdou Moctar – Ilana (the Creator)

Mdou Moctar’s new album, Ilana (The Creator), is a powerful, stunning record full of amazing guitar work, trance-inducing vocals, and uplifting energy sure to bring you up from any blues you might be feeling.

Starting with “Kamane Tarhanin,” a slow burn that builds to an inferno, the album makes your jaw drop in just the first track. The slightly fuzzy vocals on “Asshet Akal” mix well with the guitar licks that are somehow rough and pristine at the same time, like a gem pulled fresh from the ground. “Anna” is a lovely track that might be a love song. I’m not sure, since I can’t translate the lyrics, but Moctar’s vocals and the overall sound of the song make it appear as a love song. In a way, all of Moctar’s work is about love: love of country, fellow man, nature, art, and the Creator.

“Takamba” is a nice instrumental track, and “Tarhatazed” is another track with mind-blowing guitar work that has influences ranging from Hendrix to ZZ Top. “Wiwasharnine” is a toe-tapping, hip-shaking rocker that boosts your spirits with its handclaps, soaring guitar, and joyful vocals.

The title track is a rocking takedown of the French government’s treatment of Nigerian uranium mine workers. The album ends with the beautiful “Tumastin,” an almost meditative track that sticks with you for a few moments once it’s done.

This is one of the best albums of the year so far, and a must-have for any fan of Tuareg music.

Keep your mind open.

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Review: BODEGA – Witness Scroll

Recorded in May of 2018 at two different venues in the United Kingdom, BODEGA’s first live album, Witness Scroll, is a great capture of their apparently wild shows…which I still haven’t seen, much to my dismay.

Opening with a quirky mix of samples and computer sounds, the bass-heavy “Name Escape,” kicks the album off to a funky start as the band complains and pokes fun at not being able to remember people you see at the same clubs and coffee shops every day. The stabbing guitar chords of “Bookmarks,” (an all-too-true song about becoming a slave to modern technology) remind one of early B-52’s records.

The live version of “Can’t Knock the Hustle” is downright dangerous with it’s hard-hitting guitar chords and thudding beats. Lead singer Ben Hozie describes the previously unreleased song “New Vanguard Revival” as “a genre exercise.” I think he means an exercise in post-punk, because the jagged tempo of it is pure post-punk. “Margot” leads into “Stain Glaze” – a Husker Du-loving tune from Ben Kozie and co-vocalist Nikki Belfiglio‘s first band, Bodega Bay. Next up is the self-pleasure anthem “Gyrate,” which ramps up the guitar fuzz live compared to the album version on their excellent debut Endless Scroll from last year.

It’s no surprise that the album version of “Jack in Titanic” tore up the BBC radio airwaves after this tour because it and this live version are so damn catchy (and witty) you can’t ignore them. The album ends with a nearly ten-minute version of “Truth Is Not Punishment” – a vicious track with some surf touches that slowly builds to a frantic pace and urgency.

If this album doesn’t make you want to see BODEGA live, I’m not sure if anything will. Something might be wrong with you. You might be too deep in your Twitter or Instagram feeds and missing an amazing band.

Keep your mind open.

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Review: JODI – Pop Espontaneo

Pop Espontaneo by the Paraguayan duo JODI is a great collection of psychedelic garage music from 1969 through 1975 remastered and released by Guerren Records. The duo, brothers Joern and Dirk Wenger, used guitars, Moog synths, exotic instruments, and distortion pedals to create stuff ahead of its time, and Pop Espontaneo is full of unreleased home recordings from the Wengers.

The opener, “Loveseller,” drenched in fuzz and falsetto vocals, sounds like a lost track from Thee Oh Sees. Besides having a great title, “Altered Termites in My Room” has a great 1960’s South American secret agent groove. “Change Your Mind About Me” is psych-pop with a wild guitar solo. The guitar on “Night Dreamer” is also excellent. It soars like a 32-bit eagle in a fantasy game. “Save My Soul” and “Take Me Higher” are weird rockers that belong in some kind of horror-disco musical.

The organ work on “A Sunburst of Bees” (another great title) is outstanding. It almost reaches demented church organ levels. “Where Are All My Friends” sounds like it could’ve been recorded by Ariel Pink yesterday. “I Will Wait for You” reveals JODI’s love of Rubber Soul (as does “Tell Me Why” five tracks later) with its beats, guitar chords, and vocal work. It’s great. “I Found You in the Night” reveals JODI’s love of the Kinks‘ early work. Just listen to that beat and tell me I’m wrong.

The wild psychedelic guitar solos continue on “I Loved You Once,” and the church organ continues on the Simon and Garfunkel-like “Hard to Be Alone” – one of three “bonus tracks” on an album that is essentially all bonus tracks found in an office of the Wenger family’s paint factory after forty years. The other two are “Searching for a Figure” (with wild synths) and another Kinks-like fun tune, “Toys.”

The fact that these master tapes survived in a tropic environment in a desk drawer is amazing. It’s amazing as this collection, really. The Wenger brothers deserve to be better known by the world at large, and Pop Espontaneo is a great place to start.

Keep your mind open.

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