Reviews – Page 72 – 7th Level Music

Rewind Review: The Black Keys – Turn Blue (2014)

According to the Black Keys’ website, the title of their 2014 album Turn Blue could refer to “A. Suffocation. B. Sadness. C. Numbness from extreme cold. D. A Cleveland late night TV host from the 1960s named Ghoulardi. E. All of the above.”

As I listen to the album now during the 2019 Polar Vortex hitting the Midwest USA, I’m inclined to go with the third definition, but the psychedelic artwork of the album cover and the general southern California psychedelic sound of the record makes me want to lean toward the fourth one.

Produced by none other than Danger Mouse, Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney recorded the album during the summer of 2013 at Sunset Sound in Hollywood, California. The bright sunshine, warm weather, and California vibe infuse the entire record. The opener, “Weight of Love,” has Auerbach working his guitar like Carlos Santana and Brian “Danger Mouse” Burton adding bright keyboards behind Carney’s as-always rock solid drumming.

Speaking of rock solid drumming, how about Carney’s work on the appropriately titled “In Time?” Auerbach’s vocals go into a higher register to counter the thumping bass groove. The title track has Auerbach singing about the blues almost overwhelming him every night and warning us, “I really do hope you know there could be Hell below.” as we wander with him on and off paths of sin and vice.

“Fever” was the first single off Turn Blue, which is no surprise with its happy programmed beats ready for remixing, almost post-punk guitar chords, and catchy chorus. “You’ve been down this road before,” Auerbach preaches on “Year in Review” before ripping into a soaring solo that sounds like he wrote while hang gliding off a mountain in Utah.

The band’s love of Pink Floyd is evident on “Bullet in the Brain” from the opening guitar chords through the psychedelic, sludgy beats mixing with crystal clear electric keys. They turn up the fuzz on “It’s Up to You Now,” with Auerbach’s solo reaching meditative status. The soulful, sad love song “Waiting on Words” slows things down a bit, but it keeps some of the psychedelic touches with reverb and muted drums that build to head-bobbing beats. The bass lick on “10 Lovers” is positively groovy and almost steals the tune.

“In Our Prime” is a bluesy lament to lost youth that blends snappy beats from Carney with music box-like keyboards from Burton. The album ends with “Gotta Get Away,” a garage rock track with pop flair and ELO-like grooves.

I’ll admit that it took me a while to warm up to this record. I wasn’t sure what to make of it when I first heard it, but I knew I should give it another chance. The second listen revealed some things I hadn’t heard before, and by the third I knew it was a slick record indeed. I can’t help but think that the psychedelic touches on Turn Blue continued with Auerbach’s psychedelic side project The Arcs, and now I’m intrigued as to where the Black Keys will go next.

Keep your mind open.

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Rewind Review: Art Brut – Bang Bang Rock & Roll (2006)

It’s a bit shocking to realize Art Brut‘s Bang Bang Rock & Roll came out 13 years ago this year, because it sounds like it was recorded yesterday. The wild post-punk / no wave record is bound to be a classic.

“Formed a Band” has Art Brut singing its praises and encouraging the listener to “stop buying your albums from the supermarket. They only sell records that have charted, and Art Brut, we’ve only just started.” Chugging guitars roar almost nonstop throughout it. The funny “My Little Brother” is a great song about worrying your siblings are turning into hipsters with bad taste in music (“…he made me a tape of tootles and B-sides. And every song, every single song on that tape said exactly the same thing. Why don’t our parents worry about us?”).

“Emily Kane” is one of Art Brut’s greatest hits as lead singer Eddie Argos sings an ode to the girlfriend he had when he was fifteen and still misses. “Rusted Guns of Milan” is a funny story about Argos not being able to have sex with a beautiful woman due to him having drank too much (although he claims otherwise), it being too dark, and his mind being elsewhere – perhaps thinking about Emily Kane.

“Modern art makes me want to rock out,” Argos sings on “Modern Art” – a crunchy, squeaky, loud tune about artwork and its effect on him. “Good Weekend” has Argos bragging about a new girl he’s met…or has he? One can’t help but wonder if he’s made up the whole story in an attempt to impress friends or give an excuse for preferring to be alone. It’s a fun garage rock track with a beat you can’t ignore.

“I can’t stand the sound of the Velvet Underground,” Argos sings on the title track (even though the song does devolve into a VU type of riffing by the end). He just wants songs that don’t retread old cliches (“No more songs about sex and drugs and rock and roll. It’s boring.”), even though he and the rest of the band embrace those cliches throughout the whole album. “Fight!” has Argos drunk and ready to take on a bigger, drunker guy outside the pub while his bandmates cheer him on. It’s a punk track in the middle of a no wave album. It’s great.

“Moving to L.A.” has Argos considering a move far away from dreary English weather and “drinking Hennessy with Morrissey on a beach.” It’s a fun send-up of California pretentiousness and rock. “Popular culture no longer applies to me,” Argos sings on “Bad Weekend.” Boy, I can relate to that. Ian Catskilkin‘s guitars hit hard on it, driving the tune to almost a racing speed. Those guitars flow in and out of distortion on “Stand Down” – a track about admitting when you’re wrong. “18,000 Lira” might be a song about touring in Italy. “These Animal Meanwe@r” is a heavy song about bullying that channels Weezer and Pixies. “Really Bad Weekend” is a tale of Argos nearing cheating on his girlfriend, but being rescued by he and / or his near-lover falling asleep instead. “Maternity Ward” ends the album with Argos telling kids in a maternity ward that “everything’s gonna be all right.” I hope he still means that thirteen years later.

It’s a fun, snarky, witty record that rocks harder than you might expect. It heralded good things for the band, who just released a new record last year. They’re also touring again, which is good news for all of us.

Keep your mind open.

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Review: Diagonal – You Are Free

Chicago shoegazers Diagonal were already high on my list of favorite new bands for 2018 with their LP Tomorrow released back in July. Apparently bursting with energy, they released a new EP of material, You Are Free, just a couple weeks ago. It’s five tracks of mind-bending riffs mixed with fuzz, psychedelic touches, and enough reverb to power an eighteen-wheeler.

The LP opens with the bass-heavy “Spending Time,” which blends psychedelic riffs with buzzsaw guitars that remind me of early RIDE tracks. “Wise Mary” has a great fade-in that is like a swarm of bees glide toward you across a field. It then swirls and buzzes around you like those same bees, but it keeps a comfortable distance without overwhelming you. “Sines” is a mesmerizing track of instrumental shoegaze rock that is perfect for escaping gravity. I love when bands are brave or carefree enough to include instrumental tracks on records, and this one is top notch.

The opening guitars on “Can’t Be Real” sound not unlike a warning klaxon, heeding you to the massive bass and drums coming your way in just a few seconds. Those later give the floor to a shredding guitar solo that almost turns singer Andy Ryan’s vocals into backing vocals. The EP closes with “Send for Me,” which contains the clearest vocals on the record and sounds like an Oasis track if Oasis fully embraced their shoegaze love and stayed away from petty squabbles.

It’s another solid record from Diagonal. You need to get on their bandwagon now. They’ll become Riot Fest headliners in no time (which would be great).

Keep your mind open.

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Review: Khruangbin – Con Todo El Mundo

I am severely late to the Khruangbin party. I’d heard snippets of their gorgeous album, Con Todo El Mundo, but the full album somehow escaped me nearly the entire year. I’m glad to have caught up, however, because their third record is a lovely mix of jazz, psychedelia, and Iranian / Middle Eastern funk grooves.

Starting with the soulful “Como Me Quieres” (“How Much Do You Love Me”), guitarist Mark Speer produces such clear, beautiful tones that the general vibe around you instantly changes upon hearing them. It slows down everything and gets your mind to notice how fast everyone else is whizzing by you. “Lady and Man” is just as nice, with Speer’s love of Middle Eastern guitar riffs coming to the fore, and drummer Donald Johnson puts on a clinic in solid backing grooves (and does so through the whole record). “Maria Tambien” sizzles from the first chord and doesn’t let up for the next three minutes. You’ll swear you’re riding in a taxi through Marrakesh while you’re listening to it.

“August 10” is a blissful, laid-back track with a bass groove so subtle by Laura Lee that it’s almost like a lover’s whisper across your pillow. “Como Te Quiero” brings in psychedelic reverb on Lee’s vocal sounds to nice effect. You could set your watch to Johnson’s beats on “Shades of Man.” They’re so precise that they almost sound like they were created in the Matrix, but he’s just that good.

Lee keeps repeating “Yes” on “Evan Finds the Third Room,” a funky cut that gets you dancing and features one of her phattest bass grooves. She and Speer just cut loose while Johnson keeps them rooted enough to not go over the cliff. “A Hymn” is suitably mellow and meditative. By the time “Rules” arrives, you realize that Con Todo El Mundo is possibly the best make-out album of 2018. In fact, “Friday Morning” is a perfect song to play while fixing breakfast for your lover after a great Thursday night.

This album is one of the prettiest I’ve heard all year, and a better cure for a hectic day than Netflix and chill.

Keep your mind open.

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Review: Cookin Soul / MF DOOM – DOOM XMAS

The main reason I don’t like to put out year-end “Best of…” lists before the end of the calendar year is that good music is being released all the time, even up until December 31st. Take, for example, DOOM Xmas, one of the best Christmas and hip-hop albums of the year featuring rhymes by perhaps the best MC of the modern age, MF DOOM, and slick beats by producer / beat maker Cookin’ Soul.

After an intro that samples , “Naughty or Nutz” samples Nat King Cole‘s “Christmas Song” as DOOM puts down rhymes that seem simple but are actually quite complex. “Why spend Christmas Eve with some extra fat white dude to come busting through the ceiling when you can spend it with your favorite super villain?” DOOM asks before “Let It Snowwwww” and challenges the MC’s to even try to match him (“I traded two beans for this cow, keep talkin’!”). Rhymes like “It’s fake like wrestling’, get ’em like Jake the Snake on mescaline.” will bust you up. Don’t dismiss Cookin’ Soul, however. His beats on “Smoke a lil Xmas Tree” sound basic at first, but they have more layers than the dip you’re going to serve at your upcoming Super Bowl party. Don’t believe me? Then, “MF Grinch” will make you a believer as Soul mixes up “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch.” It’s impossible not to shake your head and / or hips during it.

After challenging Santa Claus to a pot belly contest to the death, DOOM name checks Blacula and laments not being able to get mustard at a Chinese restaurant as Soul samples Paul McCartney‘s “Simply Having a Wonderful Christmas Time” on “Wonderfull.” DOOM handles Soul’s Latin beats on “Llego Navidad” with ease, and “XXXmas Ladies” has DOOM praising his current and former lady loves. He delivers a full story for each one in just a few verses. His efficiency is stunning. Most rappers couldn’t tell this many tales in one album side.

If you’re making a Christmas mix tape and need to fill the last minute or so on one side, “HO (Christmas skit)” would be a great choice for that with it’s instrumental yuletide jam. “The Holiday Agenda” is a great way to describe family drama or tasks that have to be completed during the holidays. DOOM sends a shout-out to De La Soul in the track and Soul’s beats are killer throughout it. The album ends with “Unhappy,” a remix of the Vince Guaraldi Trio’s “Christmas Time Is Here” that emphasizes the Christmas blues. It’s fitting, as DOOM is a super villain after all.

This is the best original Christmas album I’ve heard since Gary Wilson‘s It’s Christmas Time with Gary Wilson, and the best hip hop record I’ve heard in months. The Days of Christmas last until January 06, 2019, so don’t think you need to waiting until Christmas 2019 to get this.

Keep your mind open.

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Review: Slaves – Acts of Fear and Love

British punk duo Slaves‘ third album, Acts of Fear and Love, is one of those albums that assures you guitar-driven records aren’t dead.

Getting right in your face from the outset, drummer / lead vocalist Isaac Holman asks, “What are you doing?” and claims, “Nobody is the shit.” on “The Lives They Wish They Had” – a sizzling diatribe against selfie culture, Facebook profiles, and “a desperate need for acceptance.” The second half of it might be the most punk thing you’ve heard this year. “Cut and Run” is one of Slaves’ catchiest tunes with guitarist Laurie Vincent putting down distorting, squealing riffs and Holman almost getting funky with his stand-up kit.

The punk fuzz is back with full force on “Bugs” (a song about two-faced politicians causing “another letdown generation”), as Vincent’s guitar chords crawl all over you and Holman’s beats are liable to induce a mosh pit wherever you may be while listening to it. “Magnolia” is about the gleam and sheen put on British suburbia while the country struggles with Brexit, xenophobia, and an uncertain economic future. “It’s gotta be perfect,” Holman sings again and again.

“Daddy” is a little, clever tune about men and their mid-life crises. “Chokehold,” a song about a break-up, has Vincent putting down angular post-punk riffs as Holman sings about drowning his sorrows and noticing the smell of his girlfriend’s hairspray on his pillow after she’s gone.

“Photo Opportunity” is a clever track about being famous as Holman tries to tell a fan that he means no disrespect for turning down a request for a photo with him, but he’s a busy guy…although he later has second thoughts as he goes out with his mates and realizes not much has changed in his life. The opening guitar roar on “Artificial Intelligence” will snap you awake better than a mug of coffee. Vincent’s guitar is fierce throughout the whole track, almost relentless in fact.

The title track closes the record. The title could be a reflection of the reasons behind Brexit, the day-to-day workings of any relationship, or how we make everyday decisions…or none of the above. Holman mentions a teacher who taught him hate doesn’t exist, just “acts of fear and love,” and a friend who would “do anything for anyone” whose decisions / acts of fear and love eventually led him to an eight-year prison sentence.

Acts of Fear and Love is a solid record. Guitar rock is not dead. Punk is not dead. Slaves, three records in, are just getting started.

Keep your mind open.

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Review: Celer – Memory Repetitions

Will Long, also known as Celer, has been creating ambient music since 2006. His journeys around the world (and current residency in Japan) have certainly shaped his art. The collections of sounds and moods on his newest 5-CD album, Memory Repetitions, could be played anywhere from a meditation retreat to a busy international airport.

The album consists of five tracks, the shortest of which is twenty-eight minutes and thirty-one seconds. This isn’t an album for house parties or your high-intensity cardio playlist. It’s an album of meditations, calming sounds, and mood-altering music. It’s difficult to describe, but one you’ll enjoy on your headphones as you stroll along the river or when you need to slow down the world outside your front door or even in your living room.

There are no lyrics. It doesn’t need them. It’s not an album that tells you what to think or an album that pushes an agenda. It lets your mind wander or stop, depending on what’s happening around you at the time.

Keep your mind open.

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Rewind Review: Naked Raygun – All Rise (1985)

I was 14 when Chicago punk legends Naked Raygun released their classic album All Rise. It would be another two years before I was able to drive a beat-up station wagon that formerly belonged to my Uncle Tony to a punk rock club about 45 minutes from my house and there become aware of Naked Raygun and their cult status.

It’s easy to figure out how they rose so fast in the mid-1980’s punk scene. All Rise‘s opener, “Home of the Brave,” is an instant anthem for the Reagan era. Pierre Kezdy‘s bass on “Dog at Large” is heavy enough for a metal band. “Knock Me Down” begins with a subtle start, but soon roars to life with frantic drums by Eric Spicer and Jeff Pezzati‘s snotty lyrics about a girl he can’t shake after she’s dumped him for good. One can’t help but wonder if “Mr. Gridlock” refers to President Regan, Chicago mayor Harold Washington, or someone else. The song has a deadly swagger to it, as if it’s looking for a fight. John Haggerty‘s guitar sounds like a tuned chainsaw on it. “The Strip” moves back and forth between chugging punks riffs and Husker Du-like jams as Naked Raygun pay homage to a seedy hotel-bar. “I Remember” has some of Spicer’s wildest drumming on the album.

Pezzati’s vocals on “Those Who Move” (about speaking truth to power and freedom of information, among other things) are urgent and still relevant in 2018. Kezdy’s bass on “The Envelope” certainly pushes the envelope of the studio amps because it nearly knocks you to the floor right out of the gate. Not to be outdone, Haggerty shreds on “Backlash Jack.” As soon as “Peacemaker” starts, you get the feeling that it’s not going to be all that peaceful. It isn’t. It’s heavy, squealing, and even a bit terrifying. The album ends with “New Dreams,” a punk anthem that sounds as fresh, raw, and vital today as it did in 1985.

All Rise is classic working class punk rock by four lads who deserve to be in the same conversations that bring up Fugazi, Bad Religion, DRI, the Dead Kennedys, and other legendary punk groups.

Keep your mind open.

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Live: Flasher, Public Practice, and Gong Gong Gong – Dec. 4th – The Hideout – Chicago, IL

As soon as I saw Flasher, Public Practice, and Gong Gong Gong were playing at Chicago’s Hideout (a great small venue with an appropriate name, as it is concealed in an industrial area), I knew it was going to be a good show. All three are creating post-punk rock that’s clever, timely, and powerful.

Gong Gong Gong opened the show, and you could immediately tell there was a buzz about them in the crowd. I met one woman who specifically came to see them because she’d read a write-up about them in the Chicago Reader and wanted to hear these two guys from Beijing who didn’t have or need a drummer. They don’t need one because there’s enough percussion between the guitar and bass riffs to support an industrial band. It was a fascinating set full of songs that sound like they belong in a David Lynch film. I’m calling it now – Look for Gong Gong Gong to be on the bill for the 2019 Pitchfork Music Festival.

Public Practice came out and gave everyone a lesson on how you own a stage. They played their entire Distance Is a Mirror EP (one of the best releases of the year, in my opinion) and a couple tracks I hadn’t heard yet. They left you hungry for more, much more. I hope this tour gives them plenty of ideas for new tracks. I was delighted to see them selling WALL records at their table, too. Everyone needs WALL records.

Flasher threw down an energetic set that warmed you up from the chill outside. The tracks they played off their great debut, Constant Image, were almost double speed. They weren’t screwing around up there. It was definitely the most punk of the three post-punk sets. Unfortunately for my wife and I, we had to leave early during their set due to a long drive home and a predicted storm of freezing rain heading for our route. As you might’ve guessed from reading this, we made it home safe.

As I figured, this was / is a great lineup for a tour. Don’t miss it if it comes near you.

Keep your mind open.

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Review: Hprizm – Magnetic Memory

I stumbled upon Hprizm when his label, Don Giovanni Records, sent me an e-mail that more or less said, “We thought you might like this.” It turns out that I did, as Hprizm’s Magnetic Memory is one of the most intriguing rap records I’ve heard in a long while.

Combining slick beats with electro bleeps, def(t) sampling, and assured vocals, the album covers topics ranging from waking up from illusions to economic inequality. The opening track, “Keep Pushing,” reveals Hprizm’s MC skills in ways that will leave you dumbfounded. Lion roars and slightly industrial synths loop throughout “Infusion” as Hprizm mentions “America’s nightmare, us waking up.” “Resuscitate” mixes jazz saxophone and frantic, choppy beats with Hprizm unloading fierce rhymes you can barely follow because they rush by you like a speeding car. They barely slow down on “Waking Them Up,” in which he speaks of using prayer, fasting, and meditation to move beyond his earthly trappings and how he had to cut out negative people in his life to spiritually grow.

“G11 Forever” has a ghostly tone that I like, and the message of “Break the Body Down” (how fear, depression, and hate ultimately will destroy you) is even better. “Up from the Flames” boosts this message, bringing to mind a phoenix rising from the ashes, and the flute solo on it is outstanding. “F08 Soul” is a psychedelic shout-out to black Americans to remember their history and to all of us non-black folks to face our history and own up to it.

The horror movie-lie organs of “Asia (Adrenaline)” give way to snap-crackle-pop beats and rave whistles and Hprizm warns against those who “put fame over skill.” “What’s Worth What” is a quick sample track that flows into “And Bet” – a track that will get your head nodding and toes tapping. “And still I’m standing’ after the storm,” Hprizm declares at the beginning of “After the Storm.” “Strap it, ’cause it’s a wild ride,” he says. It’s a fitting bit of advice for the entire album, not just this song. The closer, “Electric Ladyland,” has the distorted guitar riffs you’d expect, but lots of choppy beats and mentions of “talking heads talkin’ to the walking dead.” It, and the album, ends with backward-looped guitar chords fading into a sharp drop.

This is a great record full of stuff that will take you months, if not years, to discover all of it.

Keep your mind open.

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