Chicago post / noise-punk rockers Melkbelly (James Wetzel – drums, Bart Winters – guitar, Liam Winters – bass, Miranda Winters – guitar and vocals) are in no mood to take prisoners on their new full-length album Nothing Valley.
“Off the Lot” opens the album with a rapid-fire attack of Wetzel’s drums and angry guitar chords. “Kid Kreative” brings to mind some of the Breeders‘ heavier tracks with Miranda Winters’ voice mixing post-punk attitude and garage rock urgency.
I don’t know what “R.O.R.O.B.” means, but I do know that it’s almost a goth rock classic. Liam Winters’ bass line is one I’m sure Front 242 would love to have in their back pocket, and the rest of the band brings in a slightly creepy vibe you can’t ignore. “Greedy Gull” has more angles to it than a 20-sided die. The guitars are restless, but Wetzel’s drumming and Miranda Winters’ vocals keep the song rooted.
“Petrified” might indeed petrify you with its building wall of distorted sound. By contrast, “Middle Of” will flatten you as it charges like an out of control steamroller. “Twin Lookin’ Motherfucker” has great jagged guitar riffs throughout it. “RUNXRN” chugs so hard it’s almost doom metal. It abruptly ends, making the chaotic drums of “R2PCM” even more jarring. At first, “Cawthra” sounds like a warped record (in a good way) and is an unexpected and welcome psychedelic diversion before it turns into a rock blitz. I don’t know if “Helloween” is named after the German metal band, but the track is far more post-punk than metal (although some of the distortion in it would please any metal fan). It’s also the longest track on the album at over five minutes. This gives Melkbelly time to stretch their vocal and instrumental muscles in different directions, even dipping their toes into the goth pool for a couple moments.
This is one of my favorite rock records of the year. I’ve been on a post-punk kick and Nothing Valley is a great addition to my collection. It would be to yours as well.
Keep your mind open.
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Flat Worms announce their self-titled debut full-length album, due out October 20th via Castle Face. Today the band, comprised of Will Ivy (Dream Boys, Wet Illustrated, Bridez), Justin Sullivan (Kevin Morby, the Babies) and Tim Hellman (Thee Oh Sees, Ty Segall, Sic Alps) also share the Kevin M. Gossett directed video for lead single, “Pearl.”
Having already released a 7” on Volar, Flat Worms continue their ride on a buzzsaw wave of feedback-tipped riffs into the middle distance, smog choked sunset receding in the rearview, a thousand yard dead-pan surgically pinned to a high octane set of boredom energized punk pistons. Flat Worms – an ears-a-ringing missive from the end of the cul-de-sac, the mirage of direction wavering above a mid-sized American suburb at dusk, constellations bleached black by the sprawl. A little Wipers, a little Wire, and a lot of late-capitalist era anxious energy – Flat Worms scratch the itch quite nicely, we think. Watch video for “Pearl” – https://youtu.be/HA7AU95C_zU
Flat Worms Tracklisting:
01. Motorbike
02. Goodbye Texas
03. Pearl
04. Accelerated
05. White Roses
06. 11816
07. Followers
08. Faultline
09. Question
10. Red Hot Sand
Today, one of the UK’s most talked about young bands (and new Dead Oceans signing) Shame shares theirnew single and video, “Concrete.” A bracing jolt of a song, “Concrete” races forward on a tightly wound post-punk riff, its call-and-response vocals capturing the turmoil and schizophrenic internal dialogue of the song’s subject matter.
“It’s about someone who’s trapped in a relationship and they’re being pummelled into surrender,” says singer and lyricist Charlie Steen. “It’s not about a physically abusive relationship – more an emotionally and psychologically draining one. The call-and-response vocals [between Steen and bassist Josh Finerty] is the central figure’s own internal dialogue. They are dealing with two different things that they don’t want to address.”
The band cite The Fall, Parquet Courts, Country Teasers, Television Personalities and Wire among their biggest influences, and the icily claustrophobic sound of “Concrete” sets it in a lineage with Magazine, Joy Division and Siouxsie & The Banshees.
As a lyricist, Steen is a modern flâneur, forensically observing the lives of others around him as they unspool and fracture, with Hubert Selby Jr. and Irvine Welsh his primary literary influences. “That graphic and harsh style of writing always interested me,” he explains. “It’s not about the shock factor; it’s about the fact they are talking about these things in such great detail without stripping anything back.”
The London five piece have swiftly earned a reputation as one of the most visceral and exhilarating live bands in the UK, their combustible shows being honed through a heavy touring schedule in the UK and across Europe. Cutting their teeth on the squat-punk scene in the Queen’s Head in Brixton in 2015, where they were taken under the wing of Fat White Family, the white heat of their gigs quickly landed them support slots with Slaves and Warpaint. They were also personally invited by Billy Bragg to play the Left Field stage at Glastonbury this year.
Following two official singles –”The Lick”/”Gold Hole” and “Tasteless” on Fnord Communications as well as the digital-only Theresa May-baiting “Visa Vulture” (described by Steen as “the worst love song ever”) – “Concrete” is the first track to be released as part of their record deal with Dead Oceans.
“We started this band as a joke that went too far,” deadpans Steen. “What we do is quite strange and quite weird, but I get to meet a lot of people and I get to hear a lot of things. I am interested in the surrealism of reality.”
Shame are:Charlie Steen (vocals); Sean Coyle-Smith (guitar); Eddie Green (guitar); Charlie Forbes (drums); and Josh Finerty (bass).
PRAISE FOR SHAME“This U.K. band marries performance, poetry and punk in a way I won’t soon forget.” – Bob Boilen, NPR Music
“Grimy post-punk with a whiff of menace” –Q
“Expect them to turn up the heat even more as they progress” – Time Out
“The forefront of a compelling new scene in the capital” – NME
SHAME TOUR DATES (North American dates in bold) Sat. Sep. 30 – Margate, UK @ By The Sea Festival Mon. Oct. 9 – Bristol, UK @ Louisiana Tue. Oct. 10 – Leeds, UK @ Lending Room Wed. Oct. 11 – Manchester, UK @ Soup Kitchen Thu. Oct. 12 – Edinburgh, UK @ Sneaky Pete’s Fri. Oct. 13 – Liverpool, UK @ Buyers Club Sat. Oct. 14 – Dublin, IE @ Workamn’s Club Wed. Oct. 18 – London, UK @ Scala Sat. Oct. 21 – Cardiff, UK @ Swn Festival Tue. Oct. 24 – Copenhagen, DK @ Loppen Wed. Oct. 25 – Groningen, NL @ Vera Fri. Oct. 27 – Amsterdam, NL @ London Calling Festival Thu. Nov. 2 – Reykjavik, IS @ Iceland Airwaves Festival Fri. Nov. 10 – Brooklyn, NY @ Baby’s All Right Sun. Nov. 12 – Philadelphia, PA @ PhilaMOCA
Mon-Nov-13 – Washington, DC @ DC9
Wed. Nov. 15 – New York, NY @ Home Sweet Home Thu. Nov. 16 – Allston, MA @ The Great Scott Fri. Nov. 17 – Montreal, QC @ M for Montreal Sat. Nov. 18 – Toronto, ON @ Hard Luck Sun. Nov. 19 – Buffalo, NY @ Mohawk Place Mon. Nov. 20 – Arden, DE @ Arden Gild Hall + Fri. Dec. 1 – Paris, FR @ Point Ephemere Sun. Dec. 3 – Frankfurt, DE @ Zoom * Mon. Dec. 4 – Heidelburg, DE @ Halle O2 * Wed. Dec. 6 – Köln, DE @ Gebäude 9 * Thu. Dec. 7 – Munster, DE @ Gleis 22 * Fri. Dec. 8 – Essen, DE @ Hotel Shanghai * Sat. Dec. 9 – Dresden, DE @ Groove Station * Mon. Dec. 11 – Hannover, DE @ Bei Chez Heinz * Tue. Dec. 12 – Bremen, DE @ Lagerhaus * Wed. Dec. 13 – Hamburg, DE @ Knust * Thu. Dec. 14 – Braunschweig, DE @ Eule * Fri. Dec. 15 – Rostock, DE @ Helgas Stadtpalast * Sat. Dec. 16 – Berlin @ Festaal Kreuzberg * Fri. Feb. 2 – Adelaide, AU @ Laneway Festival Sat. Feb. 3 – Melbourne, AU @ Laneway Festival Sun. Feb. 4 – Sydney, AU @ Laneway Festival Sat. Feb. 10 – Brisbane, AU @ Laneway Festival Sun. Feb. 11 – Perth, AU @ Laneway Festival
As the story goes, Dion Lunadon, known to many as the bass player and co-mastermind of A Place to Bury Strangers, was feeling restless during a break in APTBS’ tour schedule. So, he poured that restless energy into his first solo album and gave the world a frantic, wild piece of noise-punk that has some fun surprises in it.
The album’s opener is a raging piece against something we all have to deal with – “Insurance, Rent, and Taxes.” The song flattens you with squelching sound and Robi Gonzalez (who used to play for APTBS). Lundaon sings, “Much too young to get any older.” on the swinging “Reduction Agent.” Lunadon reveals his love of dirty juke joint blues in the track in both the rhythm and lyrics (“I’ve got the mark of death. It won’t leave me alone.”). The organ and bass on “Fire” burns as hot as its namesake, building to a crazy blender-like frenzy. “Com / Broke” is your new favorite song for trying to beat rush hour traffic. Just be careful, as Lunadon’s lyrics do involve car crashes, fires, and self-destruction.
“Hanging By a Thread” is a post-punk (and nearly instrumental) surprise with guitars that sound like industrial saws. The industrial grind continues on “Move,” and Lunadon’s vocals sounds like the Borg has assimilated him. The drums blast the doors off the song around the 1:30 mark and you’re holding on for dear life by that point.
“Eliminator” is fierce noise-punk, and “Howl” is about Lunadon’s joy in expressing himself in the spotlight. It’s like something Lou Reed blasted out of his speakers when getting ideas for Metal Machine Music.
Believe it or not, “Ripper” is a psychobilly cut and Lunadon and crew have a blast on it. I couldn’t help but grin through the whole track. “White Fence,” on the other hand, is more fine post-punk with weirdly angled guitars and desperate vocal stylings. The closer, “No Control,” brings Lunadon’s album back into weird psychedelia before a quick, distorted fade out leaves you gasping for breath.
This debut solo record is quite a statement. It’s powerful, brash, and even fun. More debuts need to be this self-assured.
Keep your mind open.
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MELKBELLY ANNOUNCE MORE TOUR DATES, INCLUDING SUPPORT FOR THE BREEDERS & BULLY, IN SUPPORT OF DEBUT ALBUM, NOTHING VALLEY, OUT OCTOBER 13TH ON CARPARK’S WAX NINE
(photo credit – Lenny Gilmore )
Chicago’s Melkbelly are set to release their debut full-length album, Nothing Valley, on Oct. 13thon Carpark Records’ imprint Wax Nine. Next week, the four-piece — Miranda Winters (vocals/guitar), brothersBart (guitar) and Liam Winters (bass), and James Wetzel (drums) — hit the road for a run of pre-release shows supporting Protomartyr. Today, they are announcing more headline shows, plus support tours with The Breeders and Bully. All dates are below.
Emerging from Chicago’s DIY spaces, Melkbelly recorded Nothing Valley fresh off a west coast tour. The resulting debut album is organized noise and thoughtful freneticism. Throughout, they fuse dreamy vocal lines and cantankerous guitar racket as their songs clang and bang in stripped-down production that highlights the band’s sharp edges. Multi-faceted slabs of sound serve harmonious, immediate songs.
Watch Melkbelly’s “Middle Of” Video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdLUXUsBoQY “Kid Kreative” Video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mJoRmdYTo0Pre-order Nothing Valley:
Via Wax Nine – smarturl.it/nothingvalley_wax9
iTunes – smarturl.it/nothingvalley_itunes
Apple Music – smarturl.it/nothingvalley_appleMelkbelly Tour Dates: (new shows in bold) Wed. Sep 6 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Cattivo # Thu. Sep. 7 – Baltimore, MD @ Metro Gallery # Fri. Sep 8 – Raleigh, NC @ Hopscotch Festival Sat. Sep. 9 – Asheville, NC @ Mothlight # Sun. Sep. 10 – Cincinnati, OH @ Northside Yacht Club # Fri. Oct. 13 – Chicago, IL @ The Hideout (Record Release Show) Mon. Oct. 16 – Bloomington, IN @ Bishop Bar + Tue. Oct. 17 – Columbus, OH @ Double Happiness Wed. Oct. 18 – Washington DC @ Comet Ping Pong Fri. Oct. 20 – Brooklyn, NY @ Alphaville Tue. Oct 24 – Cleveland, OH @ Now That’s Class Wed. Nov. 08 – Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom ^ — SOLD OUT Thu. Nov. 09 – Seattle, WA @ Showbox ^ Sun. Nov. 12 – San Francisco, CA @ the Independent ^ — SOLD OUT Mon. Nov. 13 – Los Angeles, CA @ El Rey Theater ^ — SOLD OUT Tue. Nov. 14 – Phoenix, AZ @ LBX Thu. Nov. 16 – Denver, CO @ Larimer Lounge Fri. Feb. 16 – Norman, OK @ Opolis * Sat. Feb. 17 – Santa Fe, NM @ Meow Wolf * Sat. Feb. 24 – Eugene, OR @ Hi Fi Music Hall * Mon. Feb. 26 – Vancouver, BC @ Biltmore Cabaret * Thu. March 1 – Spokane, WA @ The Bartlett * Fri. March 2 – Boise, ID @ Neurolux * Sat. March 3 – Salt Lake City @ Kilby Court * Tue. March 6 – Kansas City @ The Record Bar *
# = with Protomartyr
+ = with Snail Mail
^ = with the Breeders
* = with Bully
The calm before the storm at Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario.
Somehow multiple decades have gone by without me catching electro legends Depeche Modelive. The dates finally worked out, and my wife and I were able to see them and shoegaze / post-punk newcomers Warpaintat Toronto’s Air Canada Centre.
Warpaint impressing a lot of us.
Warpaint played a good set of crisp post-punk with snappy bass lines and even snappier drumming (which would be a theme for the entire night). I’d heard a lot of good things about them, and they didn’t disappoint. I need to find more of their material.
Looking down the “Barrel of a Gun” with Depeche Mode.
Out came Depeche Mode to the Beatles’ “Revolution,” a major theme for their new album – Spirit. They rolled into “Going Backwards,” “So Much Love,” and “Barrel of a Gun” (which included a snippet of Grand Master Flash’s “The Message,” which cracked me up).
“World In My Eyes”
The crowd (which filled the stadium, apart from the unsold / unused seats behind the stage, by the way) jumped to its feet when they broke into “World In My Eyes.” It was a reminder of not only their electro prowess, but how much influence they’ve had on Trent Reznor. An acoustic version of “Question of Lust,” sung by MartinGore,was a crowd favorite, and the follow-up of “Home” was excellent.
Depeche Mode never letting us down.
“Where’s the Revolution?” – the first single off Spirit – was another standout and essentially the band’s rallying cry for fans old and new to stand up against The Man. “Everything Counts” is also staggeringly relevant for these times, even though it’s decades old by now. It preceded “Stripped,” “Enjoy the Silence” (which was almost entirely sung by the now-bonkers crowd), and “Never Let Me Down Again” – which was better live than I even hoped it would be (and drummer Christian Eigner was absolutely slaying his kit by this point).
“Somebody”
The encore started with “Somebody,” included a nice cover of David Bowie’s “Heroes,” and finished with big hits “I Feel You” and “Personal Jesus,” which had everyone raising their hands to “reach out and touch faith.”
“Personal Jesus”
It was long overdue, but very welcome. My wife immediately listened to their new album as soon as we got back from the show. She woke up the next day with Depeche Mode songs in their head, and I’ve had “Never Let Me Down Again” stuck in my brain for days.
OMNI SHARE VIDEO FOR NEW SINGLE “SOUTHBOUND STATION“, ANNOUNCE US TOUR DATES
MULTI-TASK OUT 9/22 ON TROUBLE IN MIND
Today, Atlanta-based trio, Omni share a video for their new single – and album opener – “Southbound Station.” This comes to us off their forthcoming sophomore record Multi-task(out 9/22 on Trouble in Mind). The band had previously shared the song “Equestrian,” perhaps their catchiest song to date. Sonically, “Southbound Station” is just as acrobatic a song as “Equestrian,” full of bounce, tension and release, with melodies seemingly developing out of thin air. The FADER premiered the video today. Here’s what the band had to say about the track:
‘Southbound Station’ is a song about being young in Atlanta, barely aware of anything beyond your immediate surroundings. There was always a sense of urgency to make it to the next destination where there may be a lover or a house show to attend. Years disappeared into the drunken void as I got to know the city—a charming yet challenging experience at the same time.
Omni’s underlying seductive sophistication creates an aura of romance that many post-punk bands dare not tread, and Omni pulls it off with grace & style. Their minimalist funk-fused agit-pop whirrs while simultaneously creating an album that is awash in the excitement of new love, or fleeting attraction. As performers, the band deliver this excitement and romance live, and have just announced new US tour dates. If you want an idea of what you’re in store for, watch a video of the band performing in France here.
“[‘Southbound Station’] is a perfect little post-punk jam for a late-evening walk through the city, when your mind is racing with possibilities.” – The FADER
OMNI TOUR DATES (new dates in bold) Thu. Aug. 31 – Amsterdam, NL @ OT301
Fri. Sep. 1 – Larmar Tree Gardens, UK @ End of the Road Festival Sat. Sep. 2 – Manchester, UK @ Strange Waves Festival Sun. Sep. 3 – Bristol, UK @ Louisiana Mon. Sep. 4 – Paris, FR @ Point Ephemere Tue. Sep. 5 – Toulouse, FR @ Pavilion Sauvage Wed. Sep. 6 – Madrid, ES @ Sirocco Thu. Sep. 7 – Santiago De Compostela, ES @ WOS Fri. Sep. 8 – Barcelona, ES @ Altaveu Sat. Sep. 9 – Marseille, FR @ L’Emeobineuse Mon. Sep. 11 – Basle, CH @ Renee Wed. Sep. 13 – Zurich, CH @ Katakombe @ Sender Thu. Sep. 14 – Bologne, IT @ Freakout Fri. Sep. 15 – Lyon, FR @ Le Sonic Sat. Sep. 16 – Orleans, FR @ Hop Hop Sun. Sep. 17 – Lille, FR @ DIY Mon. Sep. 18 – London, UK @ Moth Club Tue. Sep. 19 – Birmingham, UK @ Hare & Hounds Wed. Sep. 20 – Dublin, IRE @ Whealan’s Thu. Sep. 21– Glasgow, UK @ Hug & Pint Fri. Sep. 22 – Liverpool, UK @ Liverpool Psychfest Sat. Sep. 23 – Brighton, UK @ Sticky Mike’s Frog Bar Tue. Oct. 17 – Nashville, TN @ The End Wed. Oct. 18 – New Orleans, LA @ Santos Thu. Oct. 19 – Austin, TX @ Hotel Vegas Fri. Oct. 20 – San Antonio, TX @ Paper Tiger Sat. Oct. 21 – El Paso, TX @ Monarch Sun. Oct. 22 – Phoenix, AZ @ The Rebel Lounge Mon. Oct. 23 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Moroccan Lounge Tue. Oct. 24 – San Francisco, CA @ Hemlock Tavern Fri. Oct. 27 – Portland, OR @ High Water Mark Lounge Sat. Oct. 28 – Seattle, WA @ The Central Saloon Sun. Oct. 29 – Vancouver, BC @ Astoria Mon. Oct. 30 – Spokane, WA @ Baby Bar Tue. Oct. 31 – Missoula, MT @ Zootown Arts Community Center Thu. Nov. 2 – Fargo, ND @ The Aquarium Fri. Nov. 3 – Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry Sun. Nov. 5 – Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle Tue. Nov. 7 – Bloomington, IN @ The Bishop Bar Wed. Nov. 8 – Columbus, OH @ Ace of Cups Thu. Nov. 9 – Toronto, ON @ Smiling Buddha Fri. Nov. 10 – Montreal, QC @ Brasserie Beaubien Sat. Nov. 11 – Somerville, MA @ Boston Hassel Fest (Once Lounge) Mon. Nov. 13 – Brooklyn, NY @ Baby’s All Right Tue. Nov. 14 – Philadelphia, PA @ PhilaMOCA Thu. Nov. 16 – Richmond, VA @ Strange Matter Fri. Nov. 17 – Raleigh, NC @ Kings Barcade
PRAISE FOR “EQUESTRIAN”
“Its spry, stair-climbing melody comes off like a jittery call to arms, with bass and guitar bouncing and aligning like magnets. The addition of a rising synth gives the tune a triumphant tone, not far from Devo’s most anthemic moments.” – NPR Music
“With a steady lo-fi pulse, the act layers gritty guitars into a outpouring of analog warmth. Each element feels essential to the build of a tight-knit mid-tempo groove as singer Philip Frobos oscillates between a disaffected croon and the yelps and shouts of high-energy punk.” – SPIN
“The bubbling bassline and cool, taunting vocals on “Equestrian” make for a self-destructive lo-fi dance party” – Stereogum
“‘Equestrian’ picks up with more Verlaine-veined guitar lines nestled atop a skittering drum beat. They lean into progress with some synth strains to back the track up, pouring on a glaze of synth-punk that doesn’t dominate, but pays reverence to their brand of ’70s gods as the track progresses.” – Raven Sings The Blues
Noisy, subversively catchy and rhythmically sophisticated, Chicago quartet Melkbelly emerge from Chicago’s DIY spaces with their debut album, Nothing Valley, out Oct. 13th on Wax Nine Records, a sister label to Carpark Records headed by Sadie Dupuis of Speedy Ortiz.
Melkbelly’s members live and breathe Chicago’s art and music underground where their paths crossed and alliances were forged. Vocalist/guitarist Miranda Winters played solo in folk rock project reddelicious. Brothers Bart and Liam Winters (the tall fellas playing guitar and bass in Melkbelly) ran an influential show space in Chicago. Drawn together by their passion for East Coast noise, particularly the flavor originating from Miranda’s previous homebase of Providence, RI, Miranda and Bart of Coffin Ships recruited James Wetzel, who studied jazz drums in college, from improvisational free-drum/noise duo Ree-Yees. This new group of friends orbiting the loft and art scene, began collaborating on each other’s projects, formalizing in a more guitar-driven quartet Melkbelly in 2014.
Melkbelly’s debut EP Pennsylvania came out that same year. Engineered by Cooper Crain of Cave/Bitchin’ Bajas, the record came easily. The Chicago Reader enthused for single “Doomspringa” with its “noisy guitar freak-outs” and “beautifully melodic verses” and compared Melkbelly, accurately, to a hybrid of the Breeders and Lightning Bolt.
In 2016, the band tested the waters with new material. Inspired by the geography of a West Coast tour, shared band experiences, the van “as a magical place” and failed touristic detours at a meteor crater (it was closed) and Spiral Jetty (not van-friendly), the band gathered material written by Miranda and spawned from recorded jams for its next album. In early 2017, Melkbelly recorded with Dave Vettraino at Chicago’s Public House, writing about half the album in the studio and tracking it to 8-track analog tape. The result is Nothing Valley, organized noise and thoughtful freneticism, a fusion of dreamy vocal lines and cantankerous guitar racket. Today they share the video for “Kid Kreative.” “Kid Kreative is about creating a unique aesthetic in art or music only to have it hijacked and manhandled by someone else who reaps the rewards,” explains Miranda Winters. “It was inspired by existing as a woman in the predominantly male space of loud-music where it’s easy to be both looked over and ‘borrowed’ from.”
Big Audio Dynamite (Dan Donovan – keyboards and vocals, Mick Jones – guitar and vocals, Don Letts – effects and vocals, Greg Roberts – drums and vocals, Leo “E-Zee Kill” Williams – bass and vocals) were a big part of my high school years, and their final album, Megatop Phoenix, was a great way to go out on top. I had it on a mix tape for years, so it was high time I bought a proper copy of it. Recorded not long after Mick Jones nearly died of pneumonia (special thanks are given to his doctors and nurses in the album’s liner notes), the album is a reflection on the band’s history and a look to the future.
“Rewind” is a battle cry to all of us to stay strong in the face of adversity and to never count out the underdog. The kick-in of Williams’ bass after the first verse still gives me chills. It’s a great blend of their raga / post-punk / new wave / electro mix that made them so innovative. “Union, Jack” is Jones, Letts, and Williams’ call to British people to get back up on their feet in the Reagan / Thatcher years that were grinding them down into complacency. It opens with a sample of the British national anthem and then kicks in some of the slickest beats by Roberts. Lyrics like “Now in the classroom I was told about the Empire, how you were bold. A pint of beer, life passes by, your spirit’s squashed just like a fly.” continue to resonate today.
“Contact” is a song about Jones’ inner struggle to express himself to perhaps a lovely lady or even his own band mates. This was B.A.D.’s last album, after all. His guitar has nice heaviness to it when it comes in during the chorus. “Dragon Town” has Jones expressing the band’s wonder at being lost in a Chinatown while looking for an exotic woman.
“Baby, Don’t Apologize” is, on its surface, about Jones telling a lover not to be sorry things didn’t work out because he can’t or won’t change. It’s probably a veiled reference to the end of the band, however. Jones had a life-changing experience with his pneumonia, Don Letts was becoming a producer and DJ, and the other band members were also involved in other projects. Jones was worried about how he might be perceived (“My head is in the stock. It rains refuse, some shout abuse, and others throwing rocks.”), but as he puts it, “What I am is loud and clear for all to see, for all to hear.”
“Around the Girl in 80 Ways” is a straight-up love song from Jones and Letts as they teach how to woo the lady of your choice. They suggest everything from “a bunch of flowers” to playing it cool. “James Brown” was written after the Godfather of Soul was involved in a domestic violence case and a police pursuit that landed him in jail. Jones and Letts tell the story from Brown’s perspective, paying tribute to him and calling him out on his bad behavior at the same time. The beats are wicked, as is the verbal takedown of American celebrity culture (which is just as bad in Britain nowadays).
“Everybody Needs a Holiday” sounds better than ever in this world that has only gotten smaller, busier, and less personal since 1989. “House Arrest” is a tale of partying on Saturday night until six in the morning when the cops show up. It’s a floor-bumper with heavy bass and kick ass drum licks. Letts gets to take lead vocals on it as he sings about “bouncers, bimbos, lager louts” and “cops and dogs in transit vans.”
“The Green Lady” is a clever and slightly bittersweet song (with great guitar work by Jones) about a man who falls in love with a Chinese woman in a mass-produced photograph hanging in his flat. “London Bridge” is about the Americanization of London, but Jones professes his love for his town with catchy hooks. “Stalag 123” is about Jones and crew being stuck in the studio working on a record while the building’s basement is flooded and they have to deal with “no windows, no air, and secondhand gear.”
B.A.D. didn’t sound like anything that came before them, and no one has really matched their mix of genres since. They had a successful reunion tour a few years ago, and we can always hope for another. If not, there’s always their excellent catalog and this fine end to it.
I must admit that the Pitchfork Music Festivalcrams a lot of stuff into a small park. I’m used to larger spaces like Levitation Austin, but Pitchfork gets a lot of bang for its buck at Chicago’s Union Park.
Speaking of cramming, the lines to get in were long, but moved well when my wife and I got to the festival close to 2:00. By the end of the day, we were hearing stories of the line to get in wrapping around the block and going the whole length of the park. One friend posted on Facebook that it was almost as bad as getting into the massive Star Wars Celebration convention.
Once inside, I was surprised to see how close two of the stages are to each other. The Red and Green Stages are almost a stone’s throw apart. Mandy and I wondered how noisy it was going to be with the bands playing on each stage, but the Pitchfork programmers wisely schedule the bands so that none are playing on the Red and Green stages at the same time.
We missed Madame Gandhi‘s set, unfortunately, but arrived in time to see Priests.
Priests
They played a set that proved post-punk is alive and well and had a fun time. I later picked up their first record at a record fair located on the park’s tennis courts. We had plenty of time to wander after their set and that’s when we discovered not only the record fair, but also a print and poster fair, a book fair, a craft fair, and plenty of food vendors. I walked out of the record fair with not only that CD by Priest, but also CD’s by Waxahatchee, Screaming Females, and Vacation. I might go back for a Chicago Cubs World Series Champions poster and a cute one of animals reading books.
We wandered to the Red Stage to catch the Thurston Moore Group, who put down a loud punk / noise rock set with hammering guitar solos and thunderous bass. Moore told a funny story about Henry Rollins’ too during the set, so that was a treat.
Thurston Moore Group
We went straight back to the Green Stage to catch Danny Brown, who came out to Black Sabbath’s “Iron Man.” He quickly got the crowd jumping with his crazy rhymes and booming beats. Water and water bottles were flying in every direction from a mosh pit that broke out in front of the stage. There was a lot of call and response stuff between Brown and the crowd, who I’m happy to say looked sharp and healthy (check out his lyrics if you’re wondering why I was concerned).
We stayed in our spot for about an hour to wait for LCD Soundsystem, who got a big cheer just from raising the biggest mirror ball I’ve ever seen above their set.
The crowd kept building as their 8:10 start time grew closer. It was so packed at one point that I had difficulty raising my arms to get this photo.
I’m glad I’m not claustrophobic. That’s the Red Stage behind us, and this is just half the crowd for LCD Soundsystem. Mandy’s checking her phone to my left.
LCD Soundsystem started their set ten minutes early, bringing seemingly enough people for an Earth, Wind, and Fire tribute band with them. They burst out of the gate hard and fast, and the crowd seemed to release energy it had been storing all day. Their big hit “Daft Punk Is Playing at My House” was the second song of the set, so they didn’t waste time.
How it looks when Daft Punk is playing at your house.
A mosh pit broke out next to us at one point, and this aging punk rocker had to get into it and show these young hipsters how its done. Other highlights included “Trials and Tribulations,” a lovely and loud version of “New York I Love You, but You’re Bringing Me Down,” and “You Wanted a Hit.”
LCD Soundsystem won’t be your babies anymore.
I warned Mandy as they started “Dance Yrself Clean.” “This whole place is going to go ape shit,” I said. She had no idea what I meant and thought the entire crowd was going to break into a mosh pit. She was pleasantly surprised when instead we all pogoed when the song kicks into full gear. It’s as great as you can imagine.
Dancing ourselves clean with LCD Soundsystem.
They closed with a wild rendition of “All My Friends.” It was well worth the waits (the hour before their set, and a few years since they called it quits) to see them. I had been bummed that I missed them when they were first on the scene, so their set at Pitchfork was my main reason for buying weekend passes. They didn’t disappoint, and lead singer James Murphy performed with a bad back and keyboardist Nancy Wong with a bum knee – although neither showed much signs of impairment (Murphy stretched at one point, and Wong would sometimes take his arm to walk from one spot on stage to another).
This is how you end a set. Stay home if you can’t bring this kind of energy.
Getting out of the festival was a big harder than getting in since the main entrance and exit isn’t huge. We plan to look for a VIP exit tonight. On the way out, a young man behind said to his friends, “Mosh pits were fun when I was a sophomore three years ago. Now, I’m not so sure.” The old punk rocker in me wanted to give him a backwards elbow shot to the face and say, “I’m getting into pits at twice your age!”
Chicago post / noise-punk rockers Melkbelly (James Wetzel – drums, Bart Winters – guitar, Liam Winters – bass, Miranda Winters – guitar and vocals) are in no mood to take prisoners on their new full-length album Nothing Valley.
