Psychedelic – Page 28 – 7th Level Music

A Place to Bury Strangers share “I’m Hurt” from their upcoming album.

A Place To Bury Strangers share “I’m Hurt,” the newest single from their anticipated sixth studio album, See Through You, out February 4th (digital) and March 11th (vinyl) on Dedstrange. Following previous singles “Let’s See Each Other” and “Hold On Tight,” the post-punk legends dive headfirst into suffering on today’s dark and explosive “I’m Hurt.” The accompanying video, directed by Chad Crawford Kinkle (Dementer, Jug Face), is the first in a series of See Through You videos from horror movie directors hand-selected by A Place To Bury Strangers. Under Kinkle’s frantic and hallucinatory direction, Oliver Ackermann’s expression of relentless liminal terror is transubstantiated into a brutal backwater blood feast. While the flickering, kinetic visuals will be familiar to anyone who has seen the band live, the psychological horror at the heart of “I’m Hurt” is raw. Together, Kinkle and APTBS scramble our collective unconsciousness with scenes of grotesque public freakouts from the outskirts of the subliminal that are tied to a scorned woman’s black magic ritual which conjures up teenage demons on the hunt for revenge.

Watch “I’m Hurt” Video

“‘I’m Hurt’ is the sound of friendship dying. At the time of writing this song, I was going out of my mind dwelling on conflict in my head and beating myself down while trying to rebuild my faith in humanity which is reflected in the actual structure of the song. The drums build with this frustration and a desire to scream with no voice. Listen closely to the vocal phrasing of ‘I’m Hurt’ in the chorus and you can hear the self-doubt and failure I was experiencing at the time,” says Ackermann.

A Place To Bury Strangers always bring surprises. Outpacing even their own firmly blazed path of audio annihilation, See Through You repeatedly delivers the massive walls of chaos and noise that every A Place To Bury Strangers fan craves. See Through You is an explosive journey which explores the listener’s limits of mind-bending madness while simultaneously offering the catchiest batch of songs in the band’s discography. It’s a nod of the cap to the art school ethos of the band’s origins, while forging a new and clear direction forward. Simply put, See Through You promises to be an epic, instant classic.

A Place To Bury Strangers’ previously announced North American tour in January and February will be rescheduled for May and June due to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. New dates are forthcoming. Please stay tuned.
Pre-order See Through You

A Place To Bury Strangers 2022 Tour Dates
Wed. March 9 – Hamburg, DE @ Hafenklang &
Thu. March 10 – Dresden, DE @ Beatpol &Fri. March 11 – Warsaw, PL @ Klub Poglos &
Sat. March 12 – Prague, CZ @ Futurum &
Sun. March 13 – Bratislava, SK @ Randal Club &
Mon. March 14 – Budapest, HU @ Durer Kert &
Wed. March 16 – Bucharest, RO @ Control Club ^
Thu. March 17 – Sofia, BG @ Mixtape5 ^
Fri. March 18 – Thessaloniki, GR @ Eightball ^
Sat. March 19 – Athens, GR @ Temple ^
Mon. March 21 – Skopje, MK @ 25th of May Hall ^
Tue. March 22 – Belgrade, RS @ Club Drugstore ^
Thu. March 24 – Zagreb, HR @ Mochvara ^
Fri. March 25 – Bologna, IT @ Freakout Club ^
Sat. March 26 – Rome, IT @ Largo ^
Sun. March 27 – Milan, IT @ Legend Club ^
Tue. March 29 – Zurich, CH @ Bogen F ^Wed. March 30 – Munich, DE @ Backstage ^
Thu. March 31 – Martigny, CH @ Caves Du Memoir
Fri. April 1 – Paris, FR @ La Trabendo *
Sat. April 2 – London, UK @ Lafayette *
Mon. April 4 – Antwerp, BE @ Kavka *
Tue. April 5 – Munster, DE @ Gleis 22 *
Wed. April 6 – Amsterdam, NL @ Melkweg *
Thu. April 7 – Groningen, NL @ Vera *
Sat. April 9 – Stockholm, SE @ Hus 7 *
Sun. April 10 – Oslo, NO @ John Dee *
Mon. April 11 – Copenhagen, DK @ Pumpehuset *
Tue. April 12 – Berlin, DE @ Hole 44 *
Wed. April 13 – Cologne, DE @ MTC * & with Jealous
^ with Plattenbau
* with Lunacy

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King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard team up with DJ Shadow for a remix of “Black Hot Soup.”

Today, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard release a new single/video, “Black Hot Soup (DJ Shadow “My Own Reality” Re-Write),” from their forthcoming remix album, Butterfly 3001, out January 21st on KGLW. Following last month’s “Neu Butterfly (Peaches Remix)” and “Shanghai (Dub By The Scientist),” King Gizzard continue their remix streak with “Black Hot Soup (DJ Shadow “My Own Reality” Re-Write)” and expand on it with an accompanying video directed by John Angus Stewart, starring iconic Australian author, satirist, radio presenter and documentary maker John Safran, and featuring appearances from Alkiviadis Grapsas and John Dimoulas.

Watch the Video for “Black Hot Soup” (DJ Shadow “My Own Reality” Re-Write)

“’Black Hot Soup’ is an almost perfect way to describe the world as we know it in the present. A bubbling, thick, sticky, confusing angry place that seems to be made for generations long past. Therefore I wanted to portray a character somehow revelling in the chaos, dancing on the ashes of society. There is an inherent freedom watching someone hitting bottom so hard with a smile. To me it’s a non cynical representation of expression through music! As DJ Shadow fully reworked ‘Black Hot Soup’ I cast John Safran to fully re-work the song again within a performance. Calling it a dance is a stretch, I’d call it more of a full body dry heave.” – John Angus Stewart
King Gizzard’s Joey Walker elaborates: “We’ve put off doing a remix album for a long time. Maybe it was conscious, maybe it wasn’t. But it’s happening now. That’s not to say that Butterfly 3000 makes the most sense to remix. It might seem like the obvious one, but it’s not. Yes it’s electronic. But so is a fridge. Have you tried to dance to Butterfly? It’s hard. It ties your shoelaces together. It’s duplicitous in its simplicity. But Butterfly 3001 expands on this. It also deviates and obliterates. We’re honoured to have such esteemed people go to work on these songs. We hope you love this album as much as we do. See you in DA CLUB!!!”

Listen to “Neu Butterfly” (Peaches Remix)

Listen to “Shanghai” (Dub by The Scientist)

Pre-Order Butterfly 3001

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[Thanks to Jacob at Pitch Perfect PR.]

A Place to Bury Strangers encourages us to focus on the good times with their new single, “Hold on Tight.”

Last month, post-punk legends A Place To Bury Strangers announced their sixth studio album, See Through You, out February 4, 2022 on Dedstrange, and shared its lead single “Let’s See Each Other.” Today, they return with “Hold On Tight,” a noise-pop ripper bursting with chaotic delirium. The accompanying video, directed by Meriel O’Connell, sees bandleader Oliver Ackermann moonlighting as the concierge of New York’s most eccentric hotel. When a candlelit dinner suddenly turns into a lovers’ quarrel, Ackermann joins a mysterious lone patron (drummer Sandra Fedowitz) and maître d’ (bassist John Fedowitz) to bring the noise. “When the getting’s good, I hold on tight. Sometimes I forget to enjoy where I am and the people around me. It is critical to be thankful and enjoy existence and have fun. Having a bad night? Reflect and kick yourself into gear,” says Ackermann.

Watch “Hold On Tight” Video

A Place To Bury Strangers have been delighting and astonishing audiences for close to two decades, combining post-punk, noise-rock, shoegaze, psychedelia, and avant-garde music in startling and unexpected ways. See Through You is an explosive journey which explores the listener’s limits of mind-bending madness while simultaneously offering the catchiest batch of songs in the band’s discography. Outpacing even their own firmly blazed path of audio annihilation, See Through You repeatedly delivers the massive walls of chaos and noise that every A Place To Bury Strangers fan craves in spades. It’s a nod of the cap to the art school ethos of the band’s origins, while forging a new and clear direction forward.
Watch/Stream “Hold On Tight”

Watch “Let’s See Each Other” Video

Pre-order See Through You

A Place To Bury Strangers 2022 Tour Dates
Mon. January 31 – Washington, DC @ Songbyrd #
Tue. February 1 – Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s #
Wed. February 2 – Montreal, QC @ Bar Le Ritz #
Fri. February 4 – Toronto, ON @ Lee’s Palace #
Sat. February 5 – Detroit, MI @ El Club #
Sun. February 6 – Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle
Mon. February 7 – Milwaukee, WI @ Cactus Club #
Tue. February 8 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Ave. 7th Street Entry #
Fri. February 11 – Seattle, WA @ Neumos %
Sat. February 12 – Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios %
Sun. February 13 – Vancouver, BC @ Rickshaw Theatre %
Tue. February 15 – San Francisco, CA @ The Chapel %
Wed. February 16 – Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom %
Fri. February 18 – San Diego, CA @ Soda Bar %
Sat. February 19 – Tucson, AZ @ Hotel Congress %
Tue. February 22 – Denver, CO @ Larimer Lounge %
Wed. February 23 – Lawrence, KS @ The Bottleneck %
Fri. February 25 – Nashville, TN @ The High Watt %
Sat. February 26 – Atlanta, GA @ 529 %
Sun. February 27 – Chapel Hill, ND @ Cat’s Cradle
Fri. March 4 – Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg !
Wed. March 9 – Hamburg, DE @ Hafenklang &
Thu. March 10 – Dresden, DE @ Beatpol &
Fri. March 11 – Warsaw, PL @ Klub Poglos &
Sat. March 12 – Prague, CZ @ Futurum &
Sun. March 13 – Bratislava, SK @ Randal Club &
Mon. March 14 – Budapest, HU @ Durer Kert &
Wed. March 16 – Bucharest, RO @ Control Club ^
Thu. March 17 – Sofia, BG @ Mixtape5 ^
Fri. March 18 – Thessaloniki, GR @ Eightball ^
Sat. March 19 – Athens, GR @ Temple ^
Mon. March 21 – Skopje, MK @ 25th of May Hall ^
Tue. March 22 – Belgrade, RS @ Club Drugstore ^
Thu. March 24 – Zagreb, HR @ Mochvara ^
Fri. March 25 – Bologna, IT @ Freakout Club ^
Sat. March 26 – Rome, IT @ Largo ^
Sun. March 27 – Milan, IT @ Legend Club ^
Tue. March 29 – Zurich, CH @ Bogen F ^
Wed. March 30 – Munich, DE @ Backstage ^
Thu. March 31 – Martigny, CH @ Caves Du Memoir
Fri. April 1 – Paris, FR @ La Trabendo *
Sat. April 2 – London, UK @ Lafayette *
Mon. April 4 – Antwerp, BE @ Kavka *
Tue. April 5 – Munster, DE @ Gleis 22 *
Wed. April 6 – Amsterdam, NL @ Melkweg *
Thu. April 7 – Groningen, NL @ Vera *
Sat. April 9 – Stockholm, SE @ Hus 7 *
Sun. April 10 – Oslo, NO @ John Dee *
Mon. April 11 – Copenhagen, DK @ Pumpehuset *
Tue. April 12 – Berlin, DE @ Hole 44 *
Wed. April 13 – Cologne, DE @ MTC *

# with Glove
% with TV Priest
& with Jealous
^ with Plattenbau
* with Lunacy
! with Native Sun, GIFT

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King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard announce remix album and massive world tour.

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard announce Butterfly 3001, a remix album of their original out January 21st, 2022 on KGLW. Today, they share two of its singles, “Neu Butterfly” (Peaches Remix) and “Shanghai” (Dub by The Scientist). King Gizzard’s Joey Walker elaborates: “We’ve put off doing a remix album for a long time. Maybe it was conscious, maybe it wasn’t. But it’s happening now. That’s not to say that Butterfly 3000 makes the most sense to remix. It might seem like the obvious one, but it’s not. Yes it’s electronic. But so is a fridge. Have you tried to dance to Butterfly? It’s hard. It ties your shoelaces together. It’s duplicitous in its simplicity. But Butterfly 3001 expands on this. It also deviates and obliterates. We’re honoured to have such esteemed people go to work on these songs. We hope you love this album as much as we do. See you in DA CLUB!!!”

For their “Neu Butterfly” remix, Peaches “wanted to make this remix sound like a lizard. Slippery wet and scaly dry. Something that wiggles through wide open spaces… with slits for eyeballs…. And danceable.”

Listen to “Neu Butterfly” (Peaches Remix)

Legendary producer The Scientist says “I’ve always enjoyed being able to apply my dub mixing techniques to music outside of the typical ‘reggae mold.’ The music of KGLW, and specifically the song ‘Shanghai,’ provided me with the perfect landscape to be able to create something sonically rich and exciting for the listener. KGLW fans and dub-reggae fans, alike, will enjoy this song very much.”

Listen to “Shanghai” (Dub by The Scientist)

Pre-order Butterfly 3001
Butterfly 3001 Tracklist
1. Black Hot Soup (DJ Shadow “My Own Reality” Re-Write)
2. Shanghai (The Scientist Dub)
3. Shanghai (Deaton Chris Anthony Remix)
4. Dreams (Yu Su Instrumental Mix)
5. Blue Morpho (Donato Dozzy Remix)
6. Blue Morpho (VRIL Remix)
7. Blue Morpho (Ciel’s Fluttering Dub)
8. Blue Morpho (ZANDOLI II remix)
9. Catching Smoke (DāM-FunK Instrumental Re-Freak)
10. Ya Love (Flaming Lips’ Fascinating Haircut Re-Do)
11. Ya Love (Geneva Jacuzzi Remix)
12. Ya Love (Héctor Oaks playing w/ Fire Mix)
13. 2.02 Killer Year (Bullant’s Fuck Mike Love Remix)
14. Yours (Fred P Journey Mix)
15. Butterfly 3000 (Terry Tracksuit Remix)
16. Neu Butterfly 3000 (Peaches Remix)
17. Catching Smoke (4am Wack Rmx By Hieroglyphic Being) *
18. Blue Morpho (Mall Grab Remix) *
19. Dreams (Peaking Lights Trancedellic Macrodosing Mix) *
20. Interior People (Confidence Man Remix) *
21. Catching Smoke (Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith Remix) *

*= available on digital release only

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard 2022 Tour Dates
Sat. Mar. 19 – Buenos Aires, AR @ Lollapalooza Argentina
Sat. Mar. 26 – São Paulo, BR @ Lollapalooza Brazil
Sun. Mar. 27 – Bogotá, CO @ Festival Estereo Picnic
Sun. April 17 – Las Vegas, NV @ Event Lawn at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas %
Sun. April 24 – San Luis Obispo, CA @ Madonna Inn $
Tue. April 26 – Sonoma, CA @ Gundlach Bundschu $
Wed. April 27 – Petaluma, CA @ Phoenix Theater $
Sat. April 30 – Atlanta, GA @ Shaky Knees Festival
Fri. May 20 – Cleveland, OH @ Agora Theatre
Sat. May 21 – Columbus, OH @ Express Live
Sun. May 22 – Millvale, PA @ Mr. Smalls Funhouse
Tue. May 24 – Rochester, NY @ Water Street Music Hall
Wed. May 25 – South Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground
Thu. May 26 – South Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground
Tue. May 31 – Athens, Greece @ Gagarin 205
Wed. June 1 – Athens, Greece @ Gagarin 205
Fri. June 3 – Barcelona, ES @ Primavera Sound – SOLD OUT
Sun. June 5 – Barcelona, ES @ Primavera in the City
Mon. June 6 – Barcelona, ES @ Primavera in the City
Tue. June 7 – Barcelona, ES @ Primavera in the City
Thu. June 9 – Barcelona, ES @ Primavera Sound – SOLD OUT
Sat. June 11 – Mannheim, DE @ Maifeld Derby Festival
Tue. June 14 – Berlin, DE @ Tempodrom
Sat. June 18 – Miami, FL @ Space Park
Sun. July 31 – Waterford, IE @ All Together Now
Tue. Aug. 2 – Šibenik, HR @ St. Michael’s Fortress
Wed. Aug. 3 – Šibenik, HR @ St. Michael’s Fortress
Fri. Aug. 5 – Prague, CZ @ Archa Theatre
Sun. Aug. 7 – Vienna, AT @ Arena Wien (Open Air)
Tue. Aug. 9 – Leipzig, DE @ Parkbühne
Wed. Aug. 10 – Munich, DE @ Tonhalle
Fri. Aug. 12 – Sion, CH @ Palp Festival
Thu. Aug. 18 – Paredes de Coura, PT @ Paredes de Coura Festival
Fri. Aug. 19 – Gueret, FR @ Check-In Party Festival
Sat. Aug. 20 – Saint-Malo, FR @ La Route du Rock Festival
Tue. Aug. 23 – Cologne, DE @ E-Werk
Wed. Aug. 24 – Hamburg, DE @ Markthalle
Sat. Aug. 27 – Málaga, ES @ Canela Party
Sun. Oct. 2 – Berkeley, CA @ Greek Theatre *
Tue. Oct. 4 – Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater*
Wed. Oct. 5 – Vancouver, BC @ PNE Forum*
Thu. Oct. 6 – Seattle, WA @ Paramount *
Mon. Oc. 10 – Morrison, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre* – SOLD OUT
Tue. Oct. 11 – Morrison, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre* – SOLD OUT
Fri. Oct. 14 – St Paul, MN @ The Palace Theatre* – SOLD OUT
Sat. Oct. 15 – Chicago, IL @ RADIUS*
Sun. Oct. 16 – Detroit, MI @ Masonic Temple*
Tue. Oct. 18 – Toronto, ON @ History*
Wed. Oct. 19 – Montreal, QC @ L’Olympia*
Fri. Oct. 21 – New York, NY @ Forest Hills Stadium*
Sat. Oct. 22 – Philadelphia, PA @ Franklin Music Hall*
Sun. Oct. 23 – Washington, DC @ The Anthem at The Wharf*
Mon. Oct. 24 – Asheville, NC @ Rabbit Rabbit*
Wed. Oct. 26 – Atlanta, GA @ The Eastern*
Thu. Oct. 27 – New Orleans, LA @ Orpheum Theater *
Mon. Oc. 31 – Oklahoma City, OK @ The Criterion #

% w/ Amyl and the Sniffers, SPELLLING, Dj Crenshaw
$ w/ SPELLLING, DJ Crenshaw
* w/ Leah Senior
# w/ The Murlocs, Leah Senior

King Gizzard & The Wizard Lizard Online:
https://kinggizzardandthelizardwizard.com/
https://www.instagram.com/kinggizzard/
https://www.facebook.com/kinggizzardandthelizardwizard/
https://twitter.com/kinggizzard
https://kinggizzard.bandcamp.com/
https://gizzverse.com/

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Top 30 albums of 2021: #’s 10 – 6

Here we are at the top ten albums I reviewed last year. Who made the cut? Check it out below here.

#10: Liam Kazar – Due North

The songwriting on Due North is outstanding. That, and Kazar’s piano and guitar work, put him up there with Lindsey Buckingham and Joe Jackson in my opinion. This was one of the brightest spots of a gloomy year.

#9: The Besnard Lakes – The Besnard Lakes Are the Last of the Great Thunderstorm Warnings

This double-album is one of the most beautiful records about death that you’ve ever heard. It’s grand, glorious, and resonant after a year when all of us lost someone – either within our own homes, across the street, or on the other side of the globe.

#8: Dry Cleaning – New Long Leg

It’s no coincidence that Dry Cleaning’s first proper U.S. tour sold out at nearly every stop. They’re the queen and kings of British post-punk right now, and New Long Leg – their first full-length album – is a great follow-up to their multiple EPs (all of which were also excellent).

#7: Osees – Levitation Sessions II

The second Levitation Sessions album from Osees was somehow wilder than the first. Livestreaming it in our home at loud volume during lockdown was a blissful escape for the entire time. The set included plenty of deep cuts, including multiple Chrome covers.

#6: Osees – The Chapel, SF 10.2.19

Recorded during their set night at The Chapel music venue in San Francisco, and just before the pandemic shut down touring for everyone everywhere, this live album is one of Osees’ best. It captures the chaos of their shows, highlights some of their prog-rock love, and served as a reminder to stay healthy and take care of each other so we could get back to seeing concerts again.

Who tops the list? You’ll find out tomorrow!

Keep your mind open.

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Top 15 live shows of 2021: #’s 5 – 1

These are my top five shows of 2021. I hope to see more than 30 bands in 2022, but the future is now – so let’s get to it.

#5: Ty Segall – Psycho Music Festival – August 20th

Playing on a stage atop a wave pool, Ty Segall and his band put on one of the loudest, fiercest sets of the 2021 Psycho Music Festival. The power coming across the water was stunning.

#4: Clutch – Ft. Wayne’s Piere’s – September 29th

Clutch are always a top tier live band, and this show kept their reputation intact. They played a few new cuts and a lot of stuff from early in their catalogue they hadn’t played in a long while.

#3: Devo – Riot Fest – September 19th

I’m not sure I saw a more delighted crowd at any show in 2021. Everyone stopped caring about the heat and humidity, the overpriced food, and the terrible screamo bands on the lineup and started cheering, dancing, and singing.

#2: Frankie and the Witch Fingers – Psycho Music Festival – August 22nd

This set stunned everyone at the Mandalay House of Blues. It was my first time seeing FATW live, and the first time many in the crowd had heard them. It was their first gig in two years, and they came out gunning. I heard someone in another crowd later raving about them and telling everyone he could to listen to them. I can’t put it better than that.

#1: Osees – Psycho Music Festival – August 22nd

Holy crap. Osees closed the 2021 Psycho Music Festival’s outdoor stage on the last night of the four-night festival. They went bonkers. Yes, I know every Osees show is bonkers, but you could tell they had a lot of pent-up energy from not being able to play in front of a crowd for two years. People were charging through the wading pool in front of the stage, throwing beer buckets full of water on each other, or stumbling backwards on the beach as the wall of sound hit us like a bulldozer.

Everyone stay healthy in 2022 so we can see more shows.

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Top 30 albums of 2021: #’s 20 – 16

We’ve arrived at the top 2/3 of my top 30 albums of 2021. Who made the cut? Read on!

#20: King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard – Butterfly 3000

Released without any singles dropped beforehand, and made via e-mail between the bandmates during lockdown, Butterfly 3000 is one of KGATLW‘s best in a while. It blends electro beats with their masterful microtones and psych riffs, and would it be a “best of” list without at least one KGATLW record?

#19: CHAI – Wink

These ladies can do no wrong. Each album from them is a delight, and Wink adds some really fun electro and dance cuts to their repertoire. “Ping Pong” was one of my favorite singles of the year.

#18: Squid – Bright Green Field

2021 was another good year for post-punk, and these Brits put out a solid record of it that included hints of prog-rock. It has plenty of sharp lyrics and angular guitars, as you’d want from such an album.

#17: A Place to Bury Strangers – Hologram

A new lineup and a new EP? Yes, APTBS came back from the pandemic with new members and this sharp EP covering topics such as loss, perseverance, and communication. There’s also plenty of their trademark distortion and flattening sound.

#16: Gustaf – Audio Drag for Ego Slobs

This is one of the best post-punk records of the year. Gustaf’s lyrics are funny and biting, and their chords and beats are absolutely intriguing. You’ll love this band within moments of just one song.

Who’s in the top 15 of last year? You’ll learn tomorrow!

Keep your mind open.

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Top 15 live shows of 2021: #’s 10 – 6

I saw over 30 bands last year, despite many shows being cancelled or postponed, and here are the ones that made the top ten.

#10: Frankie and the Witch Fingers – Ft. Wayne’s Brass Rail – October 08th

This was the third time I’d seen Frankie and the Witch Fingers in as many months (and the last time I’d see them in 2021), and they played a wild set in a small club that included some new, unreleased material.

#9: Danzig – Psycho Music Festival – August 21st

I’m not sure how I hadn’t seen Danzig in concert until now, but he and his crew put on a good show. They played Lucifuge in its entirety and plenty of other tracks – including a long encore missed by at least half the crowd.

#8: Claude Fontaine – Psycho Music Festival – August 20th

In the middle of the Psycho Music Festival, which is heavy on metal of all sorts, Claude Fontaine came onstage at the Mandalay Bay House of Blues and put on the most beautiful set of the entire festival. Backed by two percussionists and a guy on acoustic guitar, she performed gorgeous bossa nova and dub tracks for her first show ever in the Sin City. Shame on you if you missed it.\

#7: Death Valley Girls – Psycho Music Festival – August 19th

Playing as the sun set and the moon rose, Death Valley Girls were a highlight of the “Psycho Swim” opening night of the 2021 Psycho Music Festival in Las Vegas. Like pretty much everyone there, it was their first gig in nearly two years and their excitement was palpable.

#6: The Flaming Lips – Psycho Music Festival – August 21st

It’s always a joy to see The Flaming Lips, and hearing their uplifting songs and soaking up the energy from the loving crowd was just what we needed as we returned to live music and hope. This show will always have a special place in my heart, as it was the last time my late wife was able to see them. Their shows always boosted her spirit.

Who’s in the top five? You’ll have to wait until tomorrow to learn!

Keep your mind open.

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Top 30 albums of 2021: #’s 25 – 21

Let’s not waste time. Here are the records that cracked my top 25 (of over 60) that I reviewed last year.

#25: The Beths – Auckland, New Zealand, 2020

This delightful live album from The Beths is full of joy. The band was over the moon, the crowd was ecstatic, and daring to open with “I’m Not Getting Excited” was a gutsy move when everyone in the place was bursting with energy.

#24: Acid Dad – Take It from the Dead

Acid Dad were a band I’d heard a lot about, yet didn’t know much about them. I caught them live about an hour from my house and was sold within two songs. Take It from the Dead is a fine psych-rock record with touches of surf that make it a standout.

#23: Ty Segall – Harmonizer

Ty Segall added a bunch of synths and electronic beats to his already heavy fuzz rock, and the result, Harmonizer, was impressive. He showed his love for krautrock and even dance rock, and that he could pull off both genres as easily as psych jams.

#22: Morly – Till I Start Speaking

Easily one of the loveliest and sexiest albums of 2022, Till I Start Speaking is a great mix of Morly’s vocals, electro-beats, and synths. I hadn’t heard of Morly until this record was sent to me, and it was a pleasant discovery.

#21: Pearl & The Oysters – Flowerland

Speaking of lovely records, here’s another one. Bossa nova, disco, ambient, and house all merge together for an album as pretty and trippy as its cover.

Who makes the top 20? You’ll learn tomorrow!

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Top 15 live shows of 2021: #’s 15 – 11

Live shows made a comeback in 2021, thank heavens, but many were still canceled or postponed due to the ongoing pandemic. As a result, I only saw 35 live bands this year. Cutting that list in half (or thereabouts) to save time, here’s the start of my top fifteen concerts of 2021.

#15: Acid Dad – Ft. Wayne, Indiana’s Brass Rail – October 08th

I’d only heard a couple tracks by Acid Dad before seeing them live, and they didn’t fail to impress everyone at the Brass Rail. It was a rocking show of groovy psych-rock with hints of surf and garage rock.

#14: Protomartyr – Kalamazoo, Michigan’s Bell’s Eccentric Café – November 12th

This was the first time I’d seen Protomartyr live as well, and it was a fine show indeed with a ton of great post-punk rock in front of an excited crowd of fellow Michiganders.

#13: Stöner – Ft. Wayne, Indiana’s Piere’s – September 29th

This was two firsts in one, both seeing and hearing Stöner for the first time. They played a cool heavy set of desert rock and won over a lot of fans (including yours truly) at this show. Their shirts and LPs were flying off their merch table after their set.

#12: King Buffalo – Ft. Wayne, Indiana’s Piere’s – September 29th

Yes, the same show. King Buffalo were the first of three bands that night (the third being Clutch). I’d heard of King Buffalo before, but only a couple songs. They played an excellent set of psychedelic rock that set the table for the rest of the night.

#11: All Them Witches – Chicago’s Metro – December 16th

This was the last show I saw in 2021, and ATW put on a solid set of heavy psychedelia. It was the last show of their tour before a break until they played a series of shows around New Year’s Eve.

Who’s in the top ten? Come back tomorrow to learn!

Keep your mind open.

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