Reviews – Page 69 – 7th Level Music

Rewind Review: Fountains of Wayne – Out-of-State Plates (2005)

Out-of-State Plates is a double-album of B-sides, live cuts, and unreleased material from power pop masters Fountains of Wayne is a treasure trove of catchy hooks and witty lyrics.

Opener “Maureen” is the type of song FOW do so well – a big rocker about a lovely woman and unrequited love. “California Sex Lawyer” is a great example of Chris Collingwood and Adam Schlesinger’s song craft. It’s a funny song skewering rich douche bags, many of whom probably love the song and don’t realize it’s a kick in their crotch. “Janice’s Party” is Collingwood’s salute to his friend’s annual shindig. “Karpet King” is a bonus track from 1997 that was, according to Schlesinger’s liner notes, “a live staple during our first few tours when we only had one album’s worth of material to choose from.” “I Know You Well” is a song Collingwood wrote for his brother’s wedding. “You’re Just Never Satisfied” is full of stadium rock riffs as Schlesinger throws up his hands yet again over trying and failing to please his girl.

Other standouts on the first disc are the 1999 bonus track “I’ll Do the Driving” (a song that angered Collingwood’s wife, according to his notes), the lovely “Places” (a salute to his wife, Barbara – the inspiration for their single “Barbara H.,” which was the A-side of this track), and their 1997 live cover of ELO’s “Can’t Get It Out of My Head.”

Disc two starts with the previously unreleased “The Girl I Can’t Forget,” a great tune about missing a great girl Schlesinger met when he was blitzed drunk and now can’t remember well. A low-key cover of Britney Spears’ “…Baby One More Time” follows it. “Elevator Up” is a sharp rocker about drug addicts. “Comedienne” (a 1997 bonus track) is a funny story about a comic who isn’t sure if she’s failing or succeeding.

Other highlights from this disc are the 1997 live version of “She’s Got a Problem,” a cover of Jackson Browne’s “These Days” done in one take, a triple shot of winter holiday songs (“I Want an Alien for Christmas,” “The Man in the Santa Suit,” and “Chanukah Under the Stars”), and a lovely tribute to Collingwood’s grandfather called “Imperium.”

This is a great collection of not only FOW songs, but also power pop tracks that any fan of the genre would love.

Keep your mind open.

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Review: Delicate Steve – Till I Burn Up

I, for one, am glad that electro and synthwave is making such a nice comeback. It might be due to the fact that I’m a Generation X kid who grew up on new wave synth music and experimental music ruling 1980’s cinema and the FM pop airwaves. I don’t know if Delicate Steve is a fellow Gen X’er, but he certainly loves the music from that era and displays that affection on his latest album – Till I Burn Up.

Opening with heavy synth bass and stuttering processed beats on “Way Too Long,” Till I Burn Up gets off to a great start by sounding like a robotic funk band doing a weird interpretation of Pink Floyd records. “Freedom,” like the track before it, revels in snap-crackle-pop guitar riffs and percussion. “Selfie of a Man” has a great title and a swaggering android sound that pokes fun of how social technology causes us to prevent more false versions of ourselves to the world at large.

The title track is full of crunchy guitar riffs with cool synth stabs behind them. “Purple Boy” is a short instrumental lead-in to the ethereal “Ghost” before the futuristic hit man theme of “Rat in the House.” Seriously, it sounds like something off a cool VHS movie you forgot existed. “Rubberneck” sounds like it’s from a scene in that movie in which the sexy bounty hunter that looks like a living Patrick Nagel painting walks into a smoky nightclub full of neon where they serve glow-in-the-dark drinks.

“We Ride on Black Wings” brings in soaring synths perfect for the song’s subject matter (death, and not being afraid of it). The short “Vacant Disco” is also aptly titled. The underlying quiet menace of the synths on “Madness” reveals some of Delicate Steve’s love for Gary Numan records, I think, and I love how his guitar sounds like it’s filtered through a Transformer’s vocal chords. The album fades out with “Dream,” a lovely track that reminds me of some of John Carpenter‘s quieter themes.

Synthwave is back, my friends, and thank heavens for folks like Delicate Steve for dusting off the old keyboards and sequencers to help it return.

Keep your mind open.

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Review: Durand Jones and the Indications – American Love Call

We’re less than three full months into 2019 and I’ve already found what is likely to be one of the top 10 albums of the year – American Love Call by Durand Jones and the Indications.

Blending soul, jazz, and funk, American Love Call is a love letter, sermon, and warning to the United States in times of sound and fury and fear.

Starting with the beautiful “Morning in America” (My top single of the year so far.), Jones and his crew bring us tales of average people across the country trying hard to just get by while the rich get richer and Congress does nothing but sling mud. “It’s morning in America, but I can’t see the dawn,” Jones sings. It’s a soulful gut punch. The psychedelic touches on “Don’t You Know” take you straight back to vintage soul records from the 1960’s. It makes you want to dress sharp. “Circles” has Jones so spun up in love with someone who doesn’t care about him that he doesn’t know where to turn or what to do next.

“Court of Love” is a soulful ballad with slow-dance guitar and sad doo-wop backing vocals. The groove on the lovely “Long Way Home” is as downright wicked as the lyrics about trying to work one’s way back from sin are relatable to everyone. The love of family, and love in general, is prevalent throughout the record, of course, and this track is a standout on that theme. You’d swear “Too Many Tears” was part of a collection of tracks from early Motown B-sides.

Speaking of Motown, “Walk Away” brings the Temptations to mind with its lush string section and sultry sound (and that flute solo!). “What I Know About You” is another lesson in sexy grooves. The simple organ chords add a layer that almost carries you away with them. Another jaw-dropping groove comes with the drums on “Listen to Your Heart” – a song about giving into love and passion that the band does so well. It’s probably on five thousand make-out playlists by now.

“Sea Gets Hotter” is a song about holding it together with the one you love while the world falls apart around you. “How Can I Be Sure” has a bass groove suitable for a 1970’s bachelor pad in outer space. The closer is the slow dance-inducing “True Love.” The drum beats in this are slicker than clarified butter in a hot skillet.

I wrote earlier that American Love Call is a love letter, sermon, and warning to America. It’s a love letter to the country that inspires so many, a sermon to a country that needs to embrace love more than ever, and a warning against turning away from love and chasing after things that will only bring heartache in the end. Embrace your neighbors, lovers, friends, strangers, and foes. It’s the call we all must heed.

Keep your mind open.

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Live: Bob Mould and Airstream Futures – Metro – Chicago, IL – Feb. 22, 2019

I hadn’t seen the Bob Mould Band in concert since New Year’s Eve 2014 at the Metro in Chicago. That was a blast, and now one of my rock heroes was kicking off my year of live music in 2019. An added bonus was meeting Mr. Mould on Clark Street a few blocks south of the venue. I got to shake his hand and tell him thanks for everything, so the day was a win.

Opening for him were Chicago’s Airstream Futures. Unfortunately, none of the photographs I took of their set turned out well, but I can tell you that they played an energetic set of punk with pop riffs. Their drummer has impressive chops, and their lead singer had a lot of energy despite, as she mentioned, being fired from her full-time job earlier that day.

Mr. Mould and his pals, Jason Narducy on bass and Jon Wurster on drums, came out swinging with a triple threat of “The War,” “A Good Idea,” and “I Apologize.” There was barely time to catch your breath when they were tearing into “See a Little Light” and “Sunny Love Song” – a track of his new record, Sunshine Rock.

There were many moments when I thought a mosh pit would, and should, have broken out, but the crowd was mostly aging punks (like yours truly) who are afraid of twisting a knee or running out of breath in a pit (unlike yours truly). Such moments came with songs like the title track of the new album, “Hey Mr. Grey,” and “If I Can’t Change Your Mind.”

One thing Mr. Mould assured everyone of during the show was that he can still shred. He tore his guitar up during multiple songs and wowed many of us with the kinds of solos you rarely hear at punk rock shows anymore.

The encore of “Never Talking to You Again,” a cover of Sonny Curtis‘ “Love Is All Around,” and “Flip Your Wig” was another sonic assault that left everyone wanting more, as a good encore should. You can’t go wrong with a Bob Mould show. He’s still putting out great music and destroying stages. Don’t miss him.

Keep your mind open.

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Review: Pink Mexico – Dump

The cover for Pink Mexico‘s new album, Dump, shows a man who appears to be in his 60’s wearing black socks with sandals hitting a long-haired, tattooed young’un in red socks and combat boots with a shovel while standing in front of a locked, graffiti-covered storage shed or garage. I’m not sure what this image is supposed to convey, but I can’t help thinking it’s a tongue-in-cheek poke at Millennials, hipsters, and, yes, people older than them. It’s a mix of “Turn down that racket, you damn hippies!” and “Will you old folks stop bitching about everything?”

Starting with “Thumbsucker,” Pink Mexico (Robert Collum, Ian Everall, and Grady Walker) unload great hooks out of the gate and a wild guitar solo to let you know this is going to be a wild ride. “High Dive” brings to mind early Wavves cuts with its surf touches amidst the fuzz and buzz and lyrics about being so stoned you think you might die. Speaking of such subjects, “Prescription Overdose (P.O.D.)” confronts that subject head-on as the band pleads for friends of theirs to scale back on the pills.

“Dirty & Stupid” is an ode to screwing up a great relationship due to too much partying (“If you need me, I’ll be wasted…How did I get home? Why am I all wet?”). “Sex Happiness” is about a similar theme – trying to remember the afterglow of great sex. The vocal reverb is a great touch to the fuzz and squawks of the guitars. “Girlfriend” keeps the themes of sex and confusion with lyrics like, “Do you know what it means to be happy on your own?” battling with “I think I love you, but this is too new.” The brief fade-in and fade-out of “WSLY” is a bit of a fake jab to the near-doom metal right cross of “Shit River.” The squeaks and squeals of the guitars on “Rattlebrain” might leave you feeling that way.

“I’ve heard it all before.” the band yells on “Fuckhead” – which could be a verbal smackdown to political leaders, bosses, contemporary rock radio, or all of the above. The beats and riffs of “Liberty Kid” will get you jumping and remind of early Nirvana cuts. While we’re on the subject of Nirvana, one can’t help but think the brief “Psycho Juice” is a tribute to Kurt Cobain due to its lyrics about suicide by gunshot.

“Heartfist” begins with throbbing synth-bass and fuzzy vocals and then turns into a heavy psychedelic jam about heartbreak and anger (“She turned my heart into a fist.”). It’s a cool way to end the album – fuzzy psychedelia after so much heavy hitting.

The album’s title is as intriguing as the cover. Does the dump refer to how the lyricist feels inside after so much relationship trouble, the status of a relationship, an actual place, the state of the nation, or the need to dump / vent all of his anger? It’s probably all of them, and all of them get bludgeoned by the raucous energy of this record.

Keep your mind open.

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Review: Warish – self-titled

Coming in at a hot eleven minutes, Warish‘s debut EP contains five wild tracks of grungy punk that their label, RidingEasy Records, describes as a combination of Nirvana and Misfits, and that’s accurate.

Beginning with “Bones,” guitarist / vocalist Riley Hawk sets the stage with buzzsaw riffs that Ty Segall would love. Drummer Bruce McDonnell starts literal and metaphorical mosh pits with his ferocious beats on “Voices.” He and Hawk put out enough energy for a six-piece, let alone a two-man band.

The chant of “Fight for your life!” on “Fight” (not to mention the pedal-to-the-metal drumming) is sure to get your blood pumping. “Human” is the longest track on the EP, and it’s not even three minutes long. It’s probably a good thing it isn’t longer, because I’m not sure the human body or speakers built by humans could withstand the face and wire-melting power of it for more than two minutes and thirty-nine seconds. The EP ends with “Shivers,” a hard-hitting fuzz-fest that leaves you nearly out of breath.

A full-length album by these two will be one of the heaviest records of this generation if their self-titled EP is any indication. Get on the bandwagon now.

Keep your mind open.

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Review: Ladytron – self-titled

So far, the winner of Most Intriguing Album Cover of 2019 goes to Ladytron (Mira Aroyo, Daniel Hunt, Helen Marnie, Reuben Wu) for their new, self-titled album. A young couple runs from a luxury car left abandoned on a road toward a raging forest fire. They are willingly, gleefully running toward chaos, fury, and death. If that doesn’t sum up the cultural zeitgeists for many people in the U.S. and the U.K., I don’t know what does.

Ladytron’s new album is their first new material in seven years. They’ve seen the change in the world’s political atmosphere, the further embrace of technology that is advertised as a communication tool but only drives us into our own literal and metaphorical cocoons, the Brexit vote, the 2016 U.S. presidential election, mass shootings, bombings, hurricanes, civil wars, genocides, and more things that keep us awake at night. They’ve responded with an album of searing electro and haunting hooks.

Opening with “Until the Fire,” the vintage synths and slightly spooky double vocals us Ladytron fans love immediately swirl around you as Helen Marnie and Mira Aroyo sing about the power and danger of desire. “The Island” is a lush synthwave track that has bright chords that hide a bit of menace (i.e., The last line of the song is “We are savages.”).

“I only came here for the view,” they sing to begin “Tower of Glass” – a song about not throwing stones, physical and verbal, at others. “Far from Home” sounds like “classic” Ladytron, if that’s even a proper term. The synths on it sound like they were dug out of Giorgio Moroder’s basement. “Paper Highways” brings out their love of krautrock, not to mention industrial goth.

“The Animals” is a haunting but toe-tapping song about war, racism, and the insanity of it all. “We are more like you than the ones than the ones that you view,” they sing. “Run” has processed beats that would make John Carpenter jealous and mysterious lyrics like, “Stop looking at me with a gun in your hand.” “Deadzone” has sharp-as-a-knife beats and even deadlier synth stabs and chords throughout it.

“Figurine” moves with an urgency that gets you moving right away and builds to a great rush. The synth bass on “You’ve Changed” is outstanding. I’m willing to bet the title refers to not only a particular person, but also the general public who seem to have lost their collective mind (i.e., “You’ve changed. What were you thinking?”). This song has probably been remixed by dozens of synthwave DJ’s by now to tear up dance floors, as it should.

“Horrorscope” is plain enough to understand. Again, just look at the album cover. The future is full of bad things if we don’t turn around now (“…across the hemispheres, and now it’s always near.”). “The Mountain” builds from a far echo to a state of soaring psychedelic synth bliss. “Tomorrow Is Another Day” is almost relaxing chillwave and would fit on a make-out playlist as long as you want a bit of intrigue while you’re getting your groove on with someone.

It’s a nice return for Ladytron. Synthwave is making a big comeback, and it’s good to see Ladytron taking the reins and shaking us out of our 24-hour news cycle-induced funk.

Keep your mind open.

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Review: Wild Fox – Wanker’s Juice

Wild Fox were the first band my wife and I saw when we attended Levitation France last year. I walked out of their set thinking, “If you need a band to open your festival, those four lads should be high on your list.”

Their new EP, Wanker’s Juice, is five songs of raucous garage shoegaze rock that starts with “African Running,” which I can’t help but think was inspired by the theme to Shaft (listen to that opening high hat). It mixes shoegaze licks with precision drumming, and slightly creepy bass lines. “Chester” brings in brighter (but still fuzzy) guitars and reverbed echoes to bounce off the back of a pub or a concert hall.

“Mursees,” the first single from the EP, mixes in a bit of surf madness and is indicative of their fiery live performances. It just slaps you upside the head with a killer bass groove, frantic drumming, and guitars that come at you like out-of-control bulldozers. “Sunday” is a fine blend of psychedelic fuzz and garage punk. The closer, “Lock,” has a great tempo for running, racing, or moshing. The chorus is “It’s gonna be all right.” That’s it. That’s all we need to know, really.

The theme of “Hang on. / Don’t worry. / It’s okay. / Better times are ahead.” is prevalent in a lot of music in the last year or so. The current political situations across the world, let alone in the European Union and the U.S., are causing a lot of stress to many. Bands like Wild Fox are encouraging us to cut loose, focus on the present, get laid (I mean, come on, that title…), and embrace life. We should all follow their lead.

Keep your mind open.

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Review: Mavis Staples – Live in London

Soul / gospel superstar Mavis Staples once said that she thought London’s Union Chapel was the best place in the world to sing. I’m willing to believe her from the sound of this great, powerful album she recorded there over the course of two nights not long ago. Live in London is a strong statement about the political state of the U.S., a funky soul record, and a high contender for best live album of 2019.

Starting with the soulful “Love and Trust,” Staples rightly declares, “The simplest things can be the hardest to do.” as her killer band breaks in with a killer groove (The album is full of them, really.). The song is about how everyone, sinners and saints alike, are looking for the same thing – love. “Who Told You That” is a smoky, subtle, sexy jam. Her cover of Talking Heads‘ “Slippery People” is a standout that she’s been singing since at least the 1980’s. It’s such a downright jam that you can’t help but shake and shimmy when hearing it.

“What You Gonna Do” is a classic blues track about preparing for death. “Take Us Back” has Staples proclaiming, “I’ve got friends, and I’ve got family. I’ve got help from all the people who love me.” She’s been in the business for decades and admits that she wouldn’t be where she is without those who supported her all those years.

Staples starts getting political on “You Are Not Alone” as she sings to those isolated and afraid in places of hostility, war, and poverty. “Every tear on every face tastes the same,” she sings. That’s truth. “No Time for Cryin'” has Staples calling us to action (“I’m going to march right up to that big [White] house. We got work to do.”) and railing against gun violence and “taking babies away from their mothers” while her guitarist plays a sizzling solo.

“Can You Get to That” has a solid groove that will keep Jack White awake at night wishing he’d come up with it. Her cover of Curtis Mayfield‘s “Let’s Do It Again” is one of the best make-out songs you’ve heard in a while. “Dedicated” starts with a lovely guitar solo and drifts into a lovely song about perseverance and those who sacrificed in the civil rights struggle. “We’re Gonna Make It” is an uplifting song about overcoming financial struggles, but Staples adds an urgency to it that reflects keeping your hopes up for better times in America.

“There just ain’t no stopping me, is it?” Staples says before launching into the album’s closer, “Touch a Hand,” a song about reaching out to strangers and neighbors alike in these times of narcissism and anger.

Live in London makes you want to catch Staples live as soon as possible (like any good live album should). Do it if you can.

Keep your mind open.

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Review: Cass McCombs – Tip of the Sphere

In the liner notes to Cass McCombs’ new album, Tip of the Sphere, he mentions how it was recorded in Brooklyn, New York and that he only remembers “emotional things dictated by the city” from the experience. In another section, however (written from the perspective of a mental health professional evaluating McCombs after he was found on the streets), possible themes of the album are postulated to be “identity, reincarnation, criminality, Armageddon, and suicide.”

This is tongue-in-cheek, of course, but only to a point. Tip of the Sphere is a record full of tall tales of criminals, drifters, barflies, soul-seekers, and tricksters. McCombs could’ve met any and all of these types of folks while hanging out in Brooklyn and been intrigued by their stories.

The title of the opening track, “I Followed the River South to What,” implies a letdown experienced by McCombs or someone he knows, but it’s actually an uplifting tale about the dignity of the homeless. Each verse opens with a typical question asked of a homeless person (i.e., “You live out on the street, in the open air?”, “Where will you goes, when the winter comes?”) and witty, Zen-like replies from the person being questioned who merely asked for a dollar. McCombs’ guitar work is like a simple music box tune and Otto Hauser’s drums put down a beat that is more complex than you first realize. Frank LoCrastro’s mellotron work helps the tune float along on a carefree breeze.

“The Great Pixley Train Robbery” was inspired by an old newspaper article McCombs read about a real-life Old West event. It’s a tune that would make Waylon Jennings proud as McCombs sings from the perspective of one of three bandits who made away with $7,000.00 in gold and is now ready to tell the details of the crime that left two dead. Dan Horne’s bass and Jason Quever’s drums on the track provide a great groove that will be hard to match this year (and McCombs’ fuzzed-out guitar solo is great). Horne’s fine bass work continues on “Estrella,” a beautiful love song to a Latina whom McCombs lost and has found again after a literal or metaphorical reincarnation. Only he knows which.

“Absentee,” which is already on my list for Best Singles of 2019, is a song about giving so much of one’s self that you end up feeling like a ghost adrift in the physical world. It’s a torch song mixed with a blues track with psychedelia sprinkled on top for extra spice. Dan Iead’s pedal steel adds the bluesy touch, LoCrastro’s organ work brings in almost a gospel flavor, and Sam Griffith Owens’ saxophone work reminds me of Rahsaan Roland Kirk’s trippy, subtle jams. John Nellen’s tabla beats on “Real Life” add to the introspective nature of the song about what it means to be human.

“Sleeping Volcanoes” is McCombs proclaiming he and everyone else he knows is sick of the world in general and he prays Armageddon will take us to a better place in the next life. It’s not as nihilistic as you’d expect. It’s even a bit calming. The guitars on “Sidewalk Bop After Suicide” take on an outlaw country edge, which continues with Iead’s pedal steel on “Prayer for Another Day” – a lovely song about wanting to step out of this reality and into one that’s similar but without all the trappings we’ve created in it.

“American Canyon Sutra” has McCombs singing / speaking about economic inequality (“In American Canyon, where Walmart employees and customers are one and same. They’ve even built apartments here to add a residential coffin to the bargain. Guess I’ll stay forever and work for the company store.”) over processed beats and guitar notes that sound like distant war horns. “Tying Loose Ends” is about McCombs preparing for death (whenever that may be) by trying to learn his family history before he becomes a footnote in it. The weirdly worded “Rounder” closes the album with another solid beat by Hauser and more outlaw country flair from McCombs’ guitar and Iead’s pedal steel before it floats away into a nice, slow jam with a great organ solo from LoCrastro.

This is a lovely record that you could put into multiple genres. McCombs isn’t afraid to embrace and expand on those genres in order to tell his stories. Like any good storyteller, he tells a tale but leaves a lot of mysteries unsolved.

Keep your mind open.

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