Category: Post-punk

Top 30 Albums of 2018: #’s 5 – 1

We’ve reached the top.  Here are my five favorite albums of 2018.

#5: CHAI – Pink – These Japanese ladies are not only challenging your concepts of attractiveness and what is or isn’t “cute” by being fiercely DIY, they’re also challenging anyone who dares to try rocking as hard as they.

#4: Miss Red – K.O. – This is a dangerous and sexy dancehall record featuring fast, stunning vocals by Miss Red and powerhouse beats by the Bug.  They’re the best tag team since the British Bulldogs.

#3: Here Lies Man – You Will Know Nothing – “What if Black Sabbath played Afrobeat?” is how this band was described by their label.  I can’t describe it better than that.  It’s full of dark beats, heavy bass, and African rhythms.  You can’t miss.

#2: BODEGA – Endless Scroll – Easily my favorite post-punk record of the year and one of the best records reflecting life in 2018.  It skewers hipsters, relationships, partying, and technology and is even heartbreaking a couple times.

#1: A Place to Bury Strangers – Pinned – Any record by APTBS is going to be among my top picks of the year, and I knew as soon as I heard the interesting direction they took with the addition of Lia Braswell on drums and vocals that anyone trying to dislodge this record from my #1 spot would have to bring its A-game (as APTBS does at every live show).  It’s dark, loud, creepy, and sinks deep into your brain when you hear it.

Thanks for all the views in 2018.  A lot of good records are already slated for 2019: The Night Beats, the Chemical Brothers, the KVB, and (let’s hope) the Chromatics just to name a few.

Keep your mind open.

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Top 30 Albums of 2018: #’s 20 – 16

We’ve reached the top 20!

#20: Diagonal – Tomorrow – My wife doesn’t really like shoegaze music. She just doesn’t get it. This record, however, made her say she might grow to like shoegaze. I can’t write a better recap than that.

#19: Blackwater Holylight (self-titled) – This debut from these dark psych rockers has sexy goth touches, doom riffs, and psychedelic flair that made it high on my list this year.

#18: Neko Case – Hell-On – Case’s latest is another beautiful record of masterful songwriting, sometimes heartbreaking lyrics, and plenty of folk, Americana, and outlaw touches.

#17: Shopping – The Official Body – This post-punk fun-fest is poppy, peppy, and punky. It’s fun from beginning to end.

#16: Terminal Mind – Recordings – Speaking of punk, this reissue of rare material from Austin, Texas punk legends Terminal Mind was a great time capsule from the Regan administration and full of anger, chugging riffs, and trashing of authority figures.

Keep your mind open.

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Top 20 Singles of 2018: #’s 5 – 1

Here we go!

#5: “Limp Wrist” by Bev Rage and the Drinks – This queercore punk delivers a wallop in under two minutes. This song floored me when I heard it, and I started telling everyone I knew about Ms. Rage and her band.

#4: “How Did This Happen!? by BODEGA – The return of post-punk continues with this great NYC band and this single that trashes hipsters. I couldn’t stop listening to this once I heard it.

#3: “Blinded by the LEDs” by Lindstrom – If you need an amazing EDM track, floor-filler, workout playlist topper, or just something to be stunned by, look no further.

#2: “Make Me Feel” by Janelle Monae – Easily the sexiest song of the year. I can’t describe it any better than that.

#1: “Always Elsewhere” by Ron Gallo – This Zen-punk jam became my mantra after hearing it. It was a much-needed crack with a Zen master’s stick during months of chaos both local and domestic. Gallo‘s suggestion that we embrace presence instead of the willful scattering of our attention is a battle call.

Thanks for reading. Up next, the top 30 live acts I saw in 2018.

Keep your mind open.

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Top 20 Singles of 2018: #’s 10 – 6

We’re in the top 10 now. Let’s get right to it.

#10: “Never Coming Back” by A Place to Bury Strangers – I was excited to learn that Lea Braswell was the new drummer for APTBS. I thought she’d match the powerhouse duo of Oliver Ackermann and Dion Lunadon well, and this single not only proved me right, but it also heralded a new sound for the band that was outstanding.

#9: “Asia (Adrenaline)” by Hprizm – This single, and really the whole album, reveals more and more with each listen. Plus, the beats on it are great (That referee’s whistle used for timing!). It’s a song that makes you want to explore more of Hprizm‘s catalogue (as you should).

#8: “Fighting” by Here Lies Man – I was sent this by HLM‘s label, Riding Easy Records, in a clever scheme to make me fascinated with HLM’s heavy Afrobeat jams. The scheme worked, because this single was not only all over my earbuds, I even heard it on BBC 6 Music.

#7: “Great Job” by CHAI – These post-punks from Japan are fully committed to the DIY life and have serious musical chops. You can’t help but love them, especially when they make music as good as this single from their new record due later this year.

#6: “Curse of the I-5 Corridor” by Neko Case – Stunningly beautiful, this song is a prime example of Case‘s vocal wonders and songwriting skill. Few artists nowadays can write and sing a song like her, and even fewer could write and sing something like this.

Who made the top 5? That will be revealed tomorrow!

Keep your mind open.

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Top 20 Singles of 2018: #’s 15 – 11

#15: “Christmas Time Is Here” by Khruangbin – Seriously, their cover of the Vince Guaraldi Trio classic is a pure delight and a lovely oasis during the crazy Christmas season.

#14: “I Came Back to Bitch” by L7 – The exact opposite of the above track, this tune is a kick in the junk from these punk legends who have been simmering with aggression and fire for a few years now. It was a welcome comeback for them and a great example of what to expect on their upcoming album this year.

#13: “Black Habit” by MIEN – Possibly the creepiest track on my top 20 list. This song was the first single release by this psychedelic supergroup, and it instantly got under your skin and crawled around in there.

#12: “Fresh” by D-Tension – Full disclosure, D-Tension and I knew each other in middle school. He grew up to be a major player in the Boston hip-hop scene and on Boston radio and this year he put out one of the best hip-hop singles of 2018. My jaw dropped when I heard this.

#11: “The Hype” by Shopping – I knew this song by these British post-punks was going to be in my top singles list as soon as I heard it. The bass groove is wicked and the track feels and sounds like a good time.

Who makes the top 10? Come back tomorrow to find out, amigos.

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

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

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

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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Iceage release “Broken Hours” from latest record.

Iceage Unveil New Single, “Broken Hours”
http://mat-r.co/brokenhours
(Photo credit – Christian Freidlander)
“[Beyondless] seeks release in letting loose, in the pleasure music can give from creating wild, anarchic spaces within the framework of pop music song structures. There’s an art to summoning up chaos and an equal reward in keeping that chaos under control.” — Fresh Air

“On their astonishing fourth album, [Iceage] reach for pop-gothic grandeur with more tenacity and abandon than ever.” — Pitchfork [Best New Music]

“Beyondless’s achievement is that it preserves what made Iceage powerful and unique while allowing that character to mature into a sound that feels older, wiser, and more emotionally expansive.” 
— Vulture

“[Beyondless] feels like the long-awaited delivery on the promise this band has always possessed, the moment when they could rise to the next echelon of today’s indie landscape.”
— Stereogum [Album of the Week]

Following “Balm Of Gilead” released earlier in the month, “as snarling and clobbering as anything you could hope for from the band” (The Fader), Iceage today unveil a second new single with “Broken Hours.” A five minute epic of doom-laden swing and crashing, spidery riffs that backdrop Elias Bender Rønnenfelt’s howling incantation: “Dying figures, they settle in / Broken hours / It lingers on” – it’s another heart-racing transmission from a band at the peak of their craft.

Iceage cap off their 2018 North American touring tomorrow night in Brooklyn with a show at Elsewhere; their biggest ever UK headline show follows in London on December 7th.

Beyondless, released this past June via Matador, is the culmination of Iceage’s output so far. It boasts an earthy and hypnotic sound that pays tribute to American music, from country honk brawls to sleazy soul revues to cocaine blues. Echoes of The Waterboys to Exile-period Stones to John Cale are laced with a ubiquitous air of ecstatic abandon and channelled via masterful songwriting. Throughout their career, the band’s charm has rested in their running ahead of themselves with blind confidence; on Beyondless, Iceage are treading with a disarming assurance, but no loss of charm.
Listen to Iceage’s “Broken Hours”  –
http://mat-r.co/brokenhours

Watch/Listen/Share:
Beyondless album stream – http://smarturl.it/Beyondless
“Balm of Gilead” – http://mat-r.co/balmofgilead
“Catch It” Video –  http://mat-r.co/CatchIt
“Pain Killer” feat. Sky Ferreira – http://mat-r.co/PainKiller
“The Day The Music Dies” Video – http://mat-r.co/TheDayTheMusicDies
“Take It All” – http://mat-r.co/TakeItAll
“Under The Sun” Video – https://youtu.be/P-nOdShPN-g

Iceage Tour Dates:

Wed. Dec. 5 – Berlin, DE @ Bi Nuu
Thu. Dec. 6 – Kortrijik, BE @ De Kreun
Fri. Dec. 7 – London, UK @ Hackney Arts Centre ∞
Wed. Jan. 30 – Ljubliana, SI @ Ment Festival
Fri. March 1 – Copenhagen, DK @ Store Vega

∞ = with Astrid Sonne, Helm and Warmduscher

Download hi-res images & album art — www.pitchperfectpr.com/iceage/
(“Broken Hours” cover art)

Official Website | Instagram | Facebook | Iceage Blog

Keep your mind open.
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Review: Axis: Sova – Shampoo You

Chicago power-punks Axis: Sova tighten up but still keep plenty of live-to-tape fuzz and fury on their newest record – Shampoo You.

The opening riffs of “Terminal Holiday” are a great example of that.  The guitar fuzz is almost funky and then almost psychedelic while the Peter Hook-inspired bass keeps you from free-floating beyond gravity.

The guitars are pure new wave on “New Disguise.”  The skronks and squeaks are great, and the drum beat is like something from an early Knack record.  “Crystal Predictor” is one of the sharpest post-punk tracks of 2018 with a catchy chorus and guitar chords that shred one moment and then ooze the next.

The dual vocals on “Dodger” are a great touch to an already keen track that is louder than you realize at first.  “Stale Green” slows down the tempo but ups the power and grooves.  The bass groove on “Shock Recognition” could be from a Cure B-side, while the guitar solos border on noise rock cacophony and the electric drums are so precise that they might cut you.

The album ends with the Black Angels-like “Same Person Twice,” which might be about reincarnation or being stuck in repetitive relationships.  I like that they decided to end the record on a slightly mellow note.  It’s like a cool-down after a high-intensity spin bike workout.

This is one of those records that gets better with each listen.

Keep your mind open.

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Gong Gong Gong release 7″ single ahead of tour dates with Flasher and Public Practice.

GONG GONG GONG’S DEBUT 7″ FOR WHARF CAT OUT NOW

STREAM “SIREN” AND “SOMETHING’S HAPPENING”

CATCH THEM ON TOUR WITH FLASHER AND PUBLIC PRACTICE
Beijing duo Gong Gong Gong pose an intriguing challenge to listeners. There are no drums in this band, but it is undoubtedly percussive. Singer Tom Ng’s lyrics are in Cantonese, but the urgency of previously shared single “Siren” is plain as day. Their driving, stripped-down transnational blues, tapping into the spirit of Bo Diddley, the Monks, and psychedelic music from West Africa to Southeast Asia, is both foreign and familiar. You can read an interview with them in Alt Citizen.

Last week, their debut single for Wharf Cat was released, featuring the aforementioned “Siren,” and now the b-side, the instrumental “Something’s Happening.”

Additionally, earlier last week, they shared a song off a forthcoming limited-edition (only 100 will be made) tour flexi-disc 7″ split, which also features tour mates Flasher and Public Practice. They’ve also announced a NY date opening up for post-punk legends Bush Tetras in December. Catch them on tour the US, and listen to the new output of this utterly unique and singular band.

LISTEN TO “SIREN” & ” SOMETHING’S HAPPENING”
https://spoti.fi/2BaVvwe

LISTEN TO “DOWN QUANTITY ROAD” OFF TOUR FLEXI
https://bit.ly/2PNLzku

GONG GONG GONG TOUR DATES
Fri. Nov. 30 – Washington, DC @ Black Cat w/ Flasher, Public Practice
Sat. Dec. 1 – Philadelphia, PA @ Everybody Hits w/ Flasher, Public Practice
Sun. Dec. 2 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Brillobox w/ Flasher, Public Practice
Mon. Dec. 3 – Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Tavern w/ Flasher, Public Practice
Tue. Dec. 4 – Chicago, IL @ The Hideout w/ Flasher, Public Practice
Wed. Dec. 5 – Columbus, OH @ Ace of Cups w/ Flasher, Public Practice
Thu. Dec. 6 – Patterson, NJ @ The Red Wheelbarrow w/ Flasher, Public Practice
Fri. Dec. 7 – Brooklyn, NY @ St. Vitus w/ Flasher, Public Practice
Sat. Dec. 15 – New York, NY @ The Kitchen w/ Bush Tetras
Tue. Feb. 12 – Brussels, BE @ Rotonde, Botanique w/ Bodega
Thu. Feb. 14 – Bottingham, UK @ Rescue Rooms w/ Bodega
Fri. Feb. 15 – Glasgow, UK @ The Art School w/ Bodega
Sat. Feb. 16 – Dublin, IR @ Whelan’s w/ Bodega
Mon. Feb. 18 – Manchester, UK @ Gorilla w/ Bodega
Tue. Feb. 19 – Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Social Club w/ Bodega
Wed. Feb. 20 – London, UK @ Scala w/ Bodega
Sat. Feb. 23 – Paris, FR @ Point Ephemere w/ Bodega
Mon. Feb. 25 – Rotterdam, NL @ Rotown w/ Bodega
Tue. Feb. 26 – Amsterdam, NL @ Bitterzoet w/ Bodega
Keep your mind open.
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Live: Public Image Ltd. – October 22, 2018 – Thalia Hall – Chicago, IL

I last tried to see Public Image Ltd. thirty years ago when a friend of mine in high school won tickets to see them play in Indianapolis.  She couldn’t make the show, or just didn’t want to go, and told me she’d give me the tickets once she picked them up from the radio station that held the conotest.  She kept avoiding me as the day of the show drew closer.  I tracked her down the day of the show and asked about the tickets.  She blushed and admitted that she didn’t make it to the station to get them.  I was out of luck.

PiL went through many lineup changes and hiatuses and went on many tours that never came close to my neck of the woods since then.  I finally got tickets to see them at Chicago’s Thalia Hall…and learned a couple weeks before the show that I was going to have to cancel the trip because a co-worker would still be recovering from surgery.  I was, as you can guess, bummed about that.

As fate would have it, however, my co-worker recovered faster than anyone imagined he would and I ended up with the night off…although I still had to work at 6am the next day.  I wouldn’t let that stop me, however.

PiL started their set with the low-key “Deeper Water,” and then slowly ramped up the energy from there forward.  John Lydon stood like a professor at a podium in front of his microphone and sheet music stand, delivering a lesson on how to own a stage and spit venom (all the while alternating sips of water and straight bourbon from the bottle between songs).  He even shimmed and shook a bit on “Bodies.”  The crowd was firmly in his hand when they followed it with “Disappointed.”

They were in a great groove when they reached “Death Disco,” “Cruel,” and “I’m Not Satisfied.”  The crowd went nuts for “This Is Not a Love Song,” and “Rise” gave me chills after finally getting to hear it live after three decades.  Album is one of my favorite records of all time, and getting to hear John Lydon sing even one cut from it was worth the wait.

“Does this look like a fucking cruise ship?” Lydon asked a drunk man in front of the stage as they came back out for the encore.  “We don’t do requests.”  That guy and his drunk girlfriend were soon removed by security while Lydon waved goodbye to them and he and PiL tore through “Public Image” and “Open Up.”

This was the first show in a long time at which I bought a tour shirt that cost more than twenty dollars.  I have a hard time paying more than that for any T-shirt.  The official tour shirt was $30.00.  I hesitated.  My wife said, “Thirty years, man.”  She was right.  A dollar for every year I waited was a fair price, and completely worth it.

Keep your mind open.

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