At times sounding like The Cure, other times like old Midnight Oil, and other times like something you can’t quite describe, Old Moon‘s new album, Altars, is a dark, gothic rocker full of all the haunting guitars, slithering bass, creepy synths, and crashing drums you’d want from an album such as this.
Multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Tom Weir comes out big in the opener, “Ephemera,” hitting us with sludgy bass and vocals echoing off the back of either his studio or perhaps a mausoleum. The guitars on “Chains of Sleep” instantly throw you into a world of dark nightclubs in crumbling old factory towns, and Weir’s vocals pay homage to Peter Murphy through it (and a lot of the album, to be sure).
“Past Lives” covers a required topic on any post-punk/ goth record – death, and “Anhedonia” starts with stadium rock drumming and then pulls you into a small performance space in the stadium’s basement. The switch from the big build-up to subdued tones is effective, and something that Weir pulls off well throughout the record. The hollow-sounding “Untouched” would fit in a horror film, post-apocalyptic action thriller, or a dystopian western.
“Drowse Down” has a slow, psychedelic feel to it that makes you feel like you’re walking in a fog after you’ve had a deep tissue massage. The closing track, “Laid to Waste,” isn’t as gloomy as the title would suggest. The guitars are a bit brighter, and the cymbals clash louder, to create a track for vampire hunters at dawn.
Altars is the first goth record I’ve heard in a long time that doesn’t sound like it’s trying too hard to be edgy or nihilistic. It’s a solid effort and worth a spin.
Keep your mind open.
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No, you didn’t miss three posts. I only attended day four of Chicago’s annual Riot Fest this year, and it was the first Riot Fest I’d attended. A friend scored some free tickets, and far be it from me to pass up a chance to see Devo and The Flaming Lipson the same bill.
This was the hottest music festival I’ve attended in a long while. There was little shade to be had, but sunscreen and taking frequent breaks between sets meant not suffering too much. A freshly made fruit smoothie from a vegan food vendor did me wonders.
The first set we caught was by The Gories, who opened one of the main stages. They sounded loud and dirty, and I’d love to see them in a small venue, but I’m glad I finally got to see these Detroit punk legends.
The Gories!
We walked around Douglas Park and discovered the festival was widely spread out. Food vendors were in one far corner, while a smaller fifth stage was seemingly a half-mile away in the opposite corner. You’d think they’d wheel out some portable light posts with all that room, but no.
Up next were HEALTH, and one of my friends fell in love with them upon hearing their industrial set under sun so bright that their bassist / synth player had to cover his keyboards with trash bags so he could read the digital displays on them.
The sun wasn’t healthy if you weren’t wearing sunscreen that day.
After a nice break under a tree, we trotted over to the smallest stage to see Chicago noise rockers Melkbelly, who played a fun set that included a cover of Pixies‘ “Gigantic” in an attempt to make up for Pixies cancelling their tour this summer. They were so out of practice with performing live shows due to the pandemic that they forgot their merchandise in their van.
Melkbelly playing to a lot of local fans.
I scored some chicken tenders that were average at best while my friends scored an elephant ear. Riot Fest has carnival rides on site, and I can only imagine how many drunk attendees regret getting on them over the course of the weekend.
We returned to the Rebel Stage to see Bleached perform their first set in two years (according to them, and a running theme for live shows everywhere this year), right after a guy walked by us peddling mushrooms to anyone who wanted them. They sounded great, and I would’ve liked to have stayed for the whole set, but Devo was calling…
Bleached having a fun time in the sun.
The stage was packed for Devo, complete with a mosh pit and crowd surfers. It was a fun set in which they played nearly the entire Freedom of Choice album. The whole crowd was happy and still buzzing afterwards. One guy was high-fiving people and telling them, “You just saw Devo!” It was the first time my friend, Amy, had seen them. She said she smiled so much during the set that her cheeks hurt afterwards. A delight for me and my friend (and Amy’s cousin), Brian, was getting to hear Devo’s cover of “Secret Agent Man” live for the first time. I wasn’t sure I’d ever get to hear it.
De-evolution is real!
Brian and I stuck around for the Flaming Lips‘ set. Brian hadn’t seen them before, and we couldn’t get close to the stage by they started – mainly due to them starting right after Devo’s set. It was still a good set, and nearly the same as when I saw them at Psycho Music Festival. Wayne Coyne encouraged everyone to take care of each other and stay healthy so live music can continue. Amen to that.
The Flaming Lips blowing sun-baked minds.
It was a good time (and Brian’s first music festival, no less), but would I go back? The short answer is, “I don’t know.” There were a lot of bad bands on the bill on day four, and I don’t think the other three days were much better. A lot of the bands playing the various stages sounded like Rage Against the Machine rip-offs, screamo nonsense, or pop-garbage. We got the hell out of there before Slipknot and Machine Gun Kelly started their sets and laughed as we passed a guy selling nitrous oxide balloons outside the park. I might return if the lineup gets better, and they’ve already announced another Misfits reunion for 2022, but Douglas Park-area residents won’t be happy about it…
Like the Cicadas of the previous Summer, the troupe of romping rock deviants, Godcaster, has reemerged from beneath the dirt to fill the atmosphere with unbridled cacophony. Saltergasp is a brief reintroduction to the shining sextet of David Mcfaul (keys), Von Kolk (flute, vox), Bruce Ebersole (guitar, bass), Sam Pickard (drums), Judson Kolk (vox, guitar), and their newest member, Jan Fontana (bass). It also acts as an unflinching demonstration of an ensemble doing away with frivolity—Godcaster is coming straight for your still-beating heart.
Today the new single “Hecky Skelters“ is streaming for your listening pleasure. Right out the gate, Godcaster blasts off with a tidal wave of cocophany. Mcfaul and Von Kolk’s dual vocals are both sinister and enchanting, satiating your skelters from start to finish. It’s a perfect return to form for the New York band, capturing the rambunctious energy of their live shows, which were sorely missed during the last year and a half of lockdown.
Saltergasp is a glimpse of something rarely captured—each track has been regularly performed and mastered during Godcaster’s ritualistic live-sets. In this manner, Saltergasp is both an extension of Godcaster’s first, immense collection, Long Haired Locusts, and a celebration of their euphoric public ceremonies that were impossible for far too long. The crisp drums and springy guitars on “Hecky Skelters” showcase the band’s innate talent for deliberate bombast. On the title track, the group conjures an instrumental suite that rips and toils between moments of anticipation and rapturous fury. “Tippy Hightailed It” is an equally funky and anxious tune that thrusts listeners into the center of growing auditory tension. Then “Tiger Surrogates Hunts the Praying Mantis” closes the EP with a lively, off-kilter incantation.
From start to finish, Saltergasp shines an otherworldly light on Godcaster’s Dionysian guitar frenzies. In just under ten minutes, the band reestablishes themselves as the leaders of an unstoppable sonic movement and begins to pen the next chapter in their dichotomous musical tale of shimmer and rot. Formidable and magnificent, Godcaster remains the masters of ferocity in our world and any other.
Manchester, UK-based trio Mandy, Indiana (FKA Gary, Indiana) announce their debut EP, ‘…’ out digitally November 19th via Fire Talk Records (physically out December 10th). Today, they unveil lead single, “Bottle Episode.” Including new remixes and previously released singles “Alien 3” and “Nike of Samothrace,” the EP finds Mandy, Indiana bridging the worlds of post-punk, noise, and dance music to create their brutal pop sound. Last month, the band shared Daniel Avery’s remix of “Alien 3,” transforming the track from “heavy hitting, feedback drenched no wave to a visceral, dance floor ready banger” (Resident Advisor).
Throughout the driving “Bottle Episode,” taut programmed beats meld perfectly with corrosive guitars inspired by the sound of a flood siren. “I wanted to build up on the military style of the track, but in a very slow crescendo, and not in a very obvious way. The lyrics talk of men waiting, moving forward; war is never mentioned, yet it is obvious that the men are waiting for death. The song ends with the men almost dancing as the bullets hit them,” says vocalist and lyricist Valentine Caulfield. Listen to Mandy, Indiana’s “Bottle Episode” Caulfield and Scott Fair (guitar/production) met a couple of years ago when their respective previous bands shared a bill in Manchester. Caulfield was drawn to Fair’s aspirations to write beyond genre, while Fair was instantly taken with the singer’s magnetic stage presence and harsh, visceral vocals delivered in her native French. The pair also enlisted Liam Stewart (percussion), a touring musician who’s powerhouse rhythmic presence compliments the pair’s vision—emphasizing raw energy and emotion over meticulous composition to create a singular cathartic experience.
The songs on ‘…’ EP were recorded in a variety of spaces, from rehearsal rooms and home studios to cavernous industrial mills. You can hear it in the recordings: the clattering footsteps, muffled piano and chatter at the end of “Bottle Episode” were taken from the hall outside of one of their recording spaces. Other sounds like a buzzing fluorescent light and the rhythm of a passing train also found their way into the mix.
Mandy, Indiana’s influences are fluid and their lyrics are left intentionally open to interpretation, but the group acknowledge cinematic references alongside musical touchstones. The band’s self-made music videos, influenced by the macabre film-making of Gaspar Noe and Leos Carax, see them carefully stitching together found-footage montages. Every image feels intentional, providing a visual chaos that matches the music’s unpredictability. Mandy, Indiana’s debut EP documents where they’ve been, where they are now, and where they’re going. Pre-order … EP
Formed in 2018, Brooklyn’s Gustaf have built a kind of buzz that feels like it comes from a different era. The art punk 5 piece rapidly established a reputation as one of New York’s “hardest working…and most reliably fun bands” (BrooklynVegan), and early excitement about their danceable, ESG-inspired post punk expanded outside of their city with remarkable effect despite having released no recorded music and barely having an online presence. As a result of their magnetic live show the band found unlikely early champions, catching the attention of luminaries like Beck – who had the band open for him at a secret loft party he played around the release of his latest album – the New York no wave legend James Chance, and shared stages with buzzing indie acts like Omni, Tropical Fuck Storm, Dehd and Bodega, while word of mouth led to sell out shows when they played their first LA headline dates in late 2019. They finally released recorded music in the form of their debut 7 inch at the end of 2020, which only furthered the growth of their reputation, earning them comparisons to acts like Television, Talking Heads, The B-52s and LCD Soundsystem from NPR (who made them a Slingshot artist for 2021), Paste, DIY, Under The Radar, BrooklynVegan and NME among many others.
Today, the band are announcing their debut LP, the magnificently titled Audio Drag For Ego Slobs, which will be out on October 1st on Toronto’s Royal Mountain Records (Wild Pink, Alvvays, Mac DeMarco), and sharing their new single “Book.”
“‘Book’ is a song about the fallacy and fight of getting ahead vs being a head. It is seeking validation in the wrong places and from the wrong people,” singer Lydia Gammil explains. “The hook, “I got ahead, I got a head” is a fun little taunt that we find either being thrown in our face or coming out our mouth. Everyone gets their moment up on the pedestal and everyone gets their turn falling off of it. Whether it’s up or down, ‘Book’ is about accepting whatever level you’re on.“
To coincide with the announce Gustaf are announcing an extensive itinerary of touring in the US, UK and Europe that will see them playing with IDLES and Pillow Queens. Full details can be found below.
Gustaf’s Audio Drag for Ego Slobs will be released on October 1st on Royal Mountain Records. It is available for preorder here.
Tour Dates 10/1 – Charlotte, NC – Snug Harbor 10/2 – Knoxville, TN – Mill and Mine 10/3 – Cincinatti, OH – MOTR Pub 10/4 – Cleveland, OH – Beachland Tavern 10/6 – Milwaukee, WI – Cactus Club 10/7 – Saint Paul, MN – Palace Theatre # 10/8 – Chicago, IL – Riviera Theatre # 10/9 – Detroit, MI – Saint Andrew’s Hall # 10/10 – Columbus, OH – Newport Music Hall # 10/12 – Boston, MA – House of Blues # 10/13 – Philadelphia, PA – The Fillmore # 10/15 – New York, NY – Terminal 5 # 10/16 – New York, NY – Terminal 5 # 10/17 – Washington, DC – 9:30 Club # 10/18 – Washington, DC – 9:30 Club # 10/20 – Asheville, NC – The Orange Peel # 10/21 – Nashville, TN – Cannery Ballroom # 10/22 – Atlanta, GA – Masquerade – Heaven Stage # 10/25 – Austin, TX – Stubb’s # 10/26 – Dallas, TX – Granada Theater # 10/27 – San Antonio, TX – Paper Tiger # 11/2 – Birmingham, UK – The Sunflower Lounge $ 11/3 – Bristol, UK – Rough Trade Bristol $ 11/4 – London, UK – The Dome $ 11/6 – Brighton, UK – Mutations Festival @ The Green Door Store 11/8 – Leeds, UK – Hyde Park Book Club $ 11/9 – Manchester, UK – YES (Pink Room) $ 11/10 – Liverpool, UK – Arts Club Loft $ 11/11 – London, UK – The Windmill, Brixton 11/13 – Utrecht, NL – Le Guess Who Festival 11/14 – Kortrijk, BE – Sonic City Festival 11/14 – Brussels, BE – Witloof Bar 11/16 – Berlin, DE – Cassiopeia 11/17 – Haldern, DE – Haldern Pop Bar 11/18 – Paris, FR – Les Femmes S’en Melent @ Petit Bain 11/19 – Lille, FR – The Black Lab 11/20 – Luxembourg City, LU – Rotondes Klub 12/09 – Portland, OR – Bunk Bar (headline)
If your band’s name is Shred Flintstone and your album is titled Unlimited Power, you need to have the chops to back up those things. Otherwise, you’ll be dismissed as a “joke band.” Shred Flintstone need not worry. They have enough chops to power a car-crushing monster truck.
Album opener “All My Friends Are Bread” starts us off with post-punk bass riffs Ed Weisgerber and guitar chords from Dan Barrecchia that sound like frantic radio transmissions from a military base being attacked by a giant monster. The whole thing turns into a wild assault on the senses in just a few moments. Wesigerber’s fury continues on the title track while his rhythm section mate, Joey Giambara, locks in everything with crisp chops. “Shred Durst” shreds harder than anything Fred Durst has released in years.
Barrecchia’s guitar work on “Red Dawn” reminds me of early Nirvana tracks. “Friend of a Friend of the Devil” is, dare I say it, a bit psychedelic as Barrecchia sings about trying to run from his fate / sins and then learning to accept it / them. The three of them go nuts on “Big Gun” – a New Bomb Turks-like punk track with the vocal reverb turned up to eleven. “Escape from New Jersey” (the band’s home state) turns the vocal effects up to twelve and drops riffs and drum fills heavier than a dump truck full of broken concrete. “Dirty Boi” comes at you like Leatherface with its heavy buzz and frantic pounding. The album’s closer, “Always,” wraps things up with surf and even a bit of 1950s love ballad crooning.
So, yes, Shred Flintstone have the chops to back up their name and album’s title, as well as knock the speakers off your shelves or walls. If you’re thinking of installing solar panels to power your house, you could just plug this album into your fuse box and save a ton of money.
Keep your mind open.
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Dry Cleaningis “one of the most exciting bands in rock” (Rolling Stone). Earlier this spring, they released their debut album New Long Leg via 4AD, which has already become one of the best records of 2021 thus far. Following praise from The New York Times, Pitchfork, Entertainment Weekly, The FADER, Esquire, and more, and preceding their completely sold out fall US tour, they today present a special one-off double A-side single, “Bug Eggs” b/w “Tony Speaks!” Recorded at Rockfield Studios in July and August 2020 during the same session for New Long Leg, “Bug Eggs” and “Tony Speaks!” were previously only available in an expanded Japanese edition of the album. Explaining the two tracks Florence Shaw says, “’Bug Eggs’ is about the confidence that comes with age, fragility and sexual desire. The lyrics to ‘Tony Speaks!’ were written days after the Conservative party won the December 2019 UK election. I was thinking about climate change, environmental catastrophes and political campaigning.”
Born from the combined creative talents of Nick Buxton (drums), Tom Dowse (guitar), Lewis Maynard (bass) and Florence Shaw (vocals), Dry Cleaning’s debut album New Long Leg was produced by John Parish at Rockfield Studios and features the singles “Scratchcard Lanyard,” “Strong Feelings” and “Unsmart Lady.” Intertwining Shaw’s spoken vocals tightly with the band’s restless instrumentals they extract the meaning from the most trivial things; little witty asides about supermarkets, cupboards, beauty products and body parts add up to sonic landscapes that teem with the strange magic of ordinary life.
The 2021 LevitationFrance full lineup has been announced, and it’s a great one.
The show will be at an outdoor venue this year to be a bit safer during the tail end of the pandemic. The Friday night shows include sets by The Limiñanas and Mars Red Sky, while Saturday night has sets by Shame, SLIFT, Zombie Zombie, Anika, and Wild Fox.
I’d be at this festival were it not for a nephew’s wedding that same weekend, but you should go in my stead.
Looking at the cover of Occult Fractures– the new album from Chicago’s Arthhur – you might guess that it’s a psychedelic rock record, or perhaps a doom album with its images of a skull, bone, and some sort of black ooze creeping from under a door.
No, it’s a dance-rock record – and a good one.
It opens with “Antihistamine Money,” which is over eleven minutes long, and percolates with vintage synths, funk bass, and LCD Soundsystem-like beats while lead singer Mike Fox sings about the club scene, those who put on airs in such a scene, and learning not to give a damn about them while you’re having fun. It’s an amazing track and a bold burst out of the gate for Arthhur. Luke Dahlgren‘s bass on “Doom Journalism” sounds like it’s plugged into a Red Bull can while they sing about the twenty-four -hour news cycles (“Fear is the engine, and they are the wheels. We are the drivers.”).
“Ripped and Dumb” is a funny track about people wanting to improve themselves not to better themselves, but actually to impress other people (and not realizing those people don’t give a crap). Sure, the subject says, “I don’t like you or any of your friends,” but who else is he trying to impress? “(Immanentizing the) Eschaton” is another long track with tick-tock percussion from Matt Ciani and guitar work that moves around the room like an intriguing stranger at a party while Mike Fox sings about trying to bring about the post-afterlife in the here and now. Heavy stuff, indeed, but it’s full of krautrock grooves, so don’t let it worry you.
“Keep Moving” drips with funk and is full of lyrics about getting up when the chips are down (“When the dark closes in, don’t stop.”). “No Results,” with skronking, crazy saxophone work by Joe Duran and Noah Wood, is pretty much a straight-up punk rock tune that knocks you back on your heels. “Never Enuff” gets back to the soul / funk grooves and has those formerly angry saxophones now playing sexy bedroom grooves. The title track is a slow-building jam that reminds me of Ghost in the Machine-era Police mixed with a bit of yacht rock. “Ripped and Patient” closes the album with a slower instrumental version of “Ripped and Dumb” – almost like a record player winding down due to a power outage.
It’s a sharp record, and I’m keen on catching these guys live sometime. I’m sure they’d put on a fun show judging from this funky mix of styles.
Part-krautrock, post-house, part-funk, part-art rock, part…I don’t know what, Museum of Love‘s Life of Mammals is weird and wild.
“Your Nails Have Grown,” for instance, starts the album with Pat Mahoney and Dennis McNany‘s mechaniker krautrock synths for beats and lyrics about someone lost to time, and the extended, haunting saxophone solo by Peter Gordon is outstanding. The title track brings in ambient synths to blend with funky bass and hand percussion beats. It’s a song about facing reality and casting out illusions (“It’s a shocking truth. You were raised by wolves, but never told that rabbits eat their youth.”).
“Marching Orders” is a highly danceable track (those killer beats!), with a whistled chorus and lyrics about retreating into stability and walking away from chaos and the rat race. “Hotel at Home” could be a song about touring or living in quarantine with lyrics like “Everything you’ve done is washed away. This room wasn’t really yours anyway. Curl up and watch. Lockup extended stay.”
“Cluttered World” is a sauntering, sexy track about cutting away attachments in hopes of filling up the space in our homes and heads with better pleasures. “Ridiculous Body,” with its swaying bass and tense drums, is a witty take on toxic beauty and the ravages of time. “Flat Side” has dark-wave elements in its synths and lyrics about patience in love. The guitar on it soars like a robot hawk.
“Army of Children” is a song about regret, and not being able to fix bad habits (“When we met I was a picturesque wreck hanging around your neck…Why can I ever seem to stick to the plan?”). The addition of country guitars and Edwyn Collins-like vocals gives a cool, bluesy feel to the track, even when dance drums walk into the room. Bold horns and bouncing synth-beats propel “The Conversation,” which tells the tale of a talk going out of control in rapid time. The album closes with “Almost Certainly Not You,” in which we hear the tale of a relationship in which someone claims they’ve been telling the truth the whole time, not the other. The song is punctuated by finger snaps and synths that feel like sunlight breaking through cigarette smoke.
A lot of the album sounds like that image feels: Mysterious, yet bright. Angry, yet cheeky. Stealthy, yet bold. It’s a winner any way you slice it.
