Category: Shoegaze

Review: Rogue Satellites – Baby I’m Jeff

Detroit’s Rogue Satellites (Lisa Poszywak and Jaye Thomas) have been making fuzzy psych / shoegaze since 2012 and their newest EP, Baby I’m Jeff, takes on a 1990’s grunge edge to their sound normally steeped in stuff from the 1960’s through the 1980’s.

The EP starts with the heavy, chugging “Mercury in Retrograde.” In case you weren’t aware, a lot of astrologers and people who take astrology at least semi-seriously believe that the recent retrograde passing of Mercury in our solar system is responsible for a lot of bad vibes, anger, and suffering that occurred in 2019. Poszywak’s vocals and lyrics express how ready she, and all of us, are ready to be over 2019 and all the negative energy it carried with it.

“I can see the future, you’re still acting like you care,” Thomas sings on “I Can See the Future” – a track about a doomed relationship that sounds like an early Failure track with it’s screeching guitars, echoing vocals, and synth stabs. “Son of an Atom Bomb” reminds us that they haven’t kept all their psychedelic influences off the EP. The raw bass, guitar distortion, and simple yet hard beats are bliss for neo-psychedelia fans like yours truly.

“Autopilot Says Yes” slows things down (but doesn’t skip on the sludge) with a song about going along for the ride with someone who might not be the best person to hang out with, but you’re willing to take the risk for some fun. The closing title track is an acoustic cut of what sounds like a love song, but is actually a plea to a woman from the point of view of an abusive dickweed.

It’s a fun EP that makes you want to hear more of their work, as any good EP should do.

Keep your mind open.

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Top 30 albums of 2019: #’s 15 – 11

We’ve reached the halfway point. Who’s in the list? Read on!

#15 – Sleater-Kinney – The Center Won’t Hold

Sleater-Kinney chose to mix their hard rock and punk chops with electro touches, and the result is a great record about loneliness, toxic masculinity, standing up when you get knocked down, and walking away from the past. The fact that drummer Janet Weiss left the band not long after The Center Won’t Hold was released adds a bittersweet edge to the album, too.

#14 – Jacques Greene – Dawn Chorus

This is a brilliant house music record that has a theme of getting ready for, going to, and then dealing with the after-effects of an all-night party. It’s full of great dance tracks and some chill stuff to give you a breather now and then. Jacques Greene spins like he was a DJ in the early 1990’s, even though he was just a toddler then.

#13 – Weeping Icon – self-titled

The image of the two skulls exploding with waves of…something is appropriate for the debut album from Weeping Icon because this album is a tidal wave of sound – guitar fuzz, psychedelic noise, and other things that are better heard than described all team up to make this one of the best debut albums of the year.

#12 – CHAI – Punk

CHAI just keep putting out great records. Punk is full of their wit, excellent musicianship, and pure joy. It’s a record about embracing who you are and not giving a damn what others think. Throw in J-Pop, post-punk, electro, and songs that practically force you to sing along with them and you have a winner.

#11 – Ash Walker – Aquamarine

Holy cow, this is a groovy record. All of the songs have some sort of theme related to oceans or water. Aquamarine blends soul, house, trip hop, dub, jazz, and lounge chill to produce something you might hear on Aquaman’s hi-fi.

The top 10 start tomorrow on New Year’s Day 2020!

Keep your mind open.

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Top 30 albums of 2019: #’s 25 – 21

Here we are at my top 25 albums that I heard from 2019.

#25 – Fat White Family – Serfs Up!

These hard-partying Brit weirdos make mind-warping rock that blends psychedelia with 1970’s funk. Serfs Up! is a cool blend of both genres and tackles themes of 1%’ers taking advantage of all of us.

#24 – Bayonne – Drastic Measures

Drastic Measures is another fine electro record from Bayonne. I love how he blends his vocals with bright synths, sometimes to the point where you can’t tell one from the other. The lyrics aren’t often discernible, but that’s okay. The album is meant to be experienced as a soundscape. Just sink into it and experience bliss.

#23 – The Schizophonics – People in the Sky

This album is loud, brash, cocky, and everything you need if you love garage rock, sweaty dive bars, the MC5, and power trios. It’s the antithesis of overproduced dreck that pollutes most of the FM airwaves, which means it’s great.

#22 – Skull Practitioners – Death Buy

This EP from Skull Practitioners has more guitar shredding than some double albums by more well-known rock acts. It’s a sonic assault that can catch you unprepared, so have the volume up and brace for impact when you play it.

#21 – Beehive – Depressed + Distressed

Beehive weren’t on my radar until their label sent me this fun record of grunge / shoegaze rock that captures millennial angst (and self-deprecation) in its title and lyrics. It pays homage to their rock idols and also trashes them (The song “90’s Trash” is particularly good.).

Come back tomorrow when we reach the top 20!

Keep your mind open.

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Top 30 albums of 2019: #’s 30 – 26

Here we are at the end of 2019. As always, there’s too much good music released every year for anyone to hear all of it, but here are my top 30 albums of 2019 (of 60 that I reviewed) this year.

#30 – Vapors of Morphine – Lyons, Colley, Dupree Live at the Lizard Lounge 5/25/2007

This is a recording of a 2007 show that was the beginnings of what would become Vapors of Morphine. It’s a great recording of jazz, low rock, delta blues, and a bit of psychedelia and was a welcome gift for this lover of Morphine.

#29 – Black Midi – Schlagenheim

This album is difficult to describe. Is it prog-rock? Post-punk? Both? Neither? I think it’s neither. I do know that it’s a wild mix of crazy guitar riffs, epic drumming, and bizarre, frantic lyrics. It’s unlike anything you’ll hear, and I fully expect (and the band has pretty much said) that the next Black Midi album will be completely different.

#28 – BODEGA – Shiny New Model

BODEGA can pretty much do no wrong in my eyes and ears, and Shiny New Model was another sharp, witty post-punk record from these New Yorkers. BODEGA capture existential ennui, technology paranoia, and the annoyance of the daily grind better than most.

#27 – Cosmonauts – Star 69

I knew as soon as I heard the single “Seven Sisters” for the first time that Star 69 would be in the top half of this list. Sure enough, the entire album is a shoegaze wallop with their heavy wall of distorted guitars and California sunshine (intentionally mixed with a bit of smog, let’s be honest). Sharp lyrics about being tired of parties and sick of hipsters are an added bonus.

#26 – King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard – Fishing for Fishies

Never ones to fear experimenting with multiple genres, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard decided to make a blues record and mix it with synthwave. It works. They’re probably one of the few bands who could do it, let alone make it a concept record about environmental issues and the constant creep of more technology into our lives.

Who’s in the top 25? Come back tomorrow to find out!

Keep your mind open.

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Top 20 singles of 2019: #’s 5 – 1

Let’s do this!

#5 – Priests – “Jesus’ Son”

This track about toxic masculinity let everyone know that Priests weren’t screwing around this year. It was the second cut from the brilliant album The Seduction of Kansas and it knocked you down if you didn’t respect it and them.

#4 – All Them Witches – “1 x 1”

Another single that knocked me flat this year was this new one from All Them Witches. It was a pleasant surprise and ended up being one of the heaviest tracks all year. ATW are brewing up dark stuff, and it’s all amazing.

#3 – Cass McCombs – “Absentee”

Cass McCombs wasn’t on my radar until I heard this single. I immediately thought, “Wow…I need to hear more of this guy.” This song, which my wife describes as “Comfortable,” is a haunting and lovely track that’s hard to describe (Alt-country jazz? Psychedelic lounge?) but why bother? Just enjoy it.

#2 – Cosmonauts – “Seven Sisters”

I’m not sure I rushed to buy an album so fast after hearing one track from it than when I heard this track from the new Cosmonauts record, Star 69. I blasted this thing in my wife’s car, possibly making her wonder if I was having an out-of-body experience based on my reaction to it. I think I was. I don’t quite remember because I think the wall of shoegaze sound that assaulted me knocked my brain into the back seat.

#1 – Kelly Lee Owens – “Let It Go”

This song will make you stop whatever you’re doing and dance. It was an instant club classic as soon as it was released. Kelly Lee Owens inspires me to make electronic music, and almost intimidates me to the point of not bothering – which is what a good teacher should do, inspire and challenge. She does both for all of us with this track.

There you have it. My list of top albums of the year is coming soon!

Keep your mind open.

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Top 20 singles of 2019: #’s 15 – 11

We’re almost to the halfway point. Who’s in the top 15?

#15 – Sisters of Your Sunshine Vapor – “Godshe”

Detroit’s Sisters of Your Sunshine Vapor released four singles this year, and this was my favorite. It’s bright, trippy, and moves along like a sports car set on cruise control.

#14 – Diagonal – “Negatives”

I’m calling it now. These Chicago shoe gazers are on track to be one of the Next Big Things. This cut blends psychedelia with shoe gaze and we’re all better for it.

#13 – Claude Fontaine – “Pretending He Was You”

Half of this album is dub, and the other half is bossa nova. All of it is good, and this was the first song I heard from it. I swooned.

#12 – Shopping – “Initiative”

Post-punkers Shopping slipped into the end of 2019 with one of the best singles of the year, poking fun at the rat race and The Man with a ripping bass line, typewriter-precise drumming, and that skittering guitar work only they can seem to play.

#11 – Public Practice – “Disposable”

Speaking of post-punk, Public Practice do it very, very well indeed. This single was a delightful treat in the latter half of 2019 and bodes well for hopefully a full album ahead.

We’re onto the top 10 tomorrow!

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Top 30 live shows of 2019: #’s 15 – 11

We’re halfway to the top. Let’s get to it…

#15 – Alison Krauss – Memorial Coliseum – Ft. Wayne, IN – August 05th

Alison Krauss‘ voice is so heavenly you almost can’t quite believe it’s real even as you’re hearing it. She is a great performer and this show with a full stage set-up and rotating band members was a delight.

#14 – Night Beats – Levitation Austin – November 09th

It had been a couple of years since I saw Night Beats, and this show at Levitation Austin was a great reminder of why you and I need to see them whenever possible. They always kill it live and bring a sense of danger to whatever stage they take.

#13 – Cosmonauts – Levitation Austin – November 09th

I had wanted to see Cosmonauts since I first heard their A-OK! album. They unleashed a wall of shoegaze power like I hadn’t heard all weekend at Levitation Austin, and I was left a bit dumbstruck by the set’s end.

#12 – The Flaming Lips – Levitation Austin – November 08th

“I’m always happy when I see them.” That’s a quote from my wife describing a Flaming Lips show, and their Levitation Austin set continued the trend. It was fun, colorful, playful, and what everyone needed on a cool night to forget the low temperatures and troubles in our lives.

#11 – The Black Angels – Levitation Austin – November 09th

Another set from Levitation Austin. Are you noticing a pattern here? It’s one of the best festivals in the country for music lovers, and the Black Angels help curate it. As an added bonus, they play it every year. This year’s set was another powerhouse one, with Christian Bland particularly playing harder than I’ve heard him play in a while.

Come back tomorrow when we reach the top 10!

Keep your mind open.

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Top 30 live shows of 2019: #’s 25 – 21

Here we are at the top 25 best live shows I saw this year. Let’s get to it.

#25 Bebel Gilberto – Birchmere – Alexandria, VA – June 22nd

This was a lovely acoustic, intimate set with Bebel Gilberto and her guitarist in a small venue. Her voice was delightful, as always, and there was a funny moment when she had a wardrobe malfunction and her guitarist had to fix her top onstage.

#24 ORB – Aragon Ballroom – Chicago, IL – August 24th

I hadn’t seen ORB for a couple years, so it was good to catch up with them and see them as a four-piece for the first time. They hadn’t lost any of their heavy power and crushing riffs.

#23 Prettiest Eyes – Thalia Hall – Chicago, IL – October 11th

The energy expelled during a Prettiest Eyes set could power a tank. They’re frantic and manic, but still a tight machine that can stop on a dime. We were eager to see them again after catching them last year at Levitation France, and we were bouncing during the whole set (in each venue).

#22 The KVB – Levitation Austin – November 10th

I was eager to see the KVB at Levitation Austin this year after not being able to catch a show they played in Chicago a month earlier. They put on a good set that was everything I wanted – synth wave, krautrock, and shoegaze. It was also their first time playing in Austin, so that made the show extra special for all involved.

#21 Minami Deutsch – Levitation Austin – November 07th

Speaking of Levitation Austin, another great set we saw there (on the coldest night of the festival, no less) was from Minami Deutsch – a Japanese krautrock band. It was a flow of rock grooves, precise beats, and hypnotic drone. I became an instant fan and later chatted with lead guitarist, Kyo, about chicken shawarma wraps.

Who made the top 20? Come back tomorrow to find out.

Keep your mind open.

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Top 30 live shows of 2019: #’s 30 -26

It’s that time of year again for me to start the countdowns of my favorite live shows, singles, and albums of the year. I’m starting with live shows. I saw close to sixty bands this year (and possibly over sixty if you add in partial sets), so here are the ones that topped the upper half.

#30 – Hoover iii – Levitation Austin – November 07th

Hoover iii were a pleasant surprise as the first band my wife and I saw at Levitation Austin this year. They played a fun set of southern California shoegaze that was a great kick-off for our festival weekend.

#29 – Elephant Stone – Levitation Austin – November 08th

It’s always good to see Elephant Stone live, and their set at the second night of Levitation Austin was one of the heaviest sets I’ve heard them play. They threw in a lot of material from their upcoming album, Hollow, so it was cool to be among the first folks to hear that stuff live.

#28 – Bev Rage and the Drinks – Subterranean – Chicago, IL – October 01st

Queercore punk rock on a small stage with Halloween candy and pumpkin spice Oreos being handed out to the crowd? What’s not to like? I’d heard a lot of good things about Ms. Rage and the Drinks’ live shows, and I wasn’t disappointed. They were also a great opener for…

#27 – Shonen Knife – Subterranean – Chicago, IL – October 01st

You can never go wrong with a Shonen Knife show, and they put on a fun, rocking set of candy-powered rock that had the whole crowd bouncing.

#26 – Willie Nelson – Memorial Coliseum – Ft. Wayne, IN – August 05th

2019 ended up being a “year of legends” for us, as we saw many legendary performers this year. Among them was Willie Nelson, who played a fun set of classic hits and fun covers. His set wasn’t long due to age and what was later revealed to be some breathing issues, but it was still cool to finally see one of the greatest songwriters of all time.

Who makes it into the top 25? Come back tomorrow to find out.

Keep your mind open.

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Review: Highlands – Wish You Were

The title of the third album by Long Beach, California shoegazers Highlands is intriguing – Wish You Were. There’s no ellipses or question mark or any other punctuation at the end of it, but it feels like a statement. It’s not “Wish You Were Here” or “Wish You Were Gone.” It’s Wish You Were. Were what, you ask? I like to think the answer to that question is, “Present,” but I have a feeling from some of the themes on this album that the answer refers to existence (“I wish you were real.”).

The first lyric to the opening track, “Dr. Ron,” is “Just who we are, no one has an idea.” Scott Holmes and J.P. Bendzinski‘s guitars criss-cross over each other like ripples on a pond from two different stones and Beau Balek‘s bass adds a slight bubbling menace while Justin Ivey‘s drum beat sounds simple but hides multiple layers within the track. If you think “Routine Dream” sounds like My Bloody Valentine, you’re probably right. MBV’s influence on the band is obvious from the opening powerful, echoing guitar chords (and dig that cool reverb!).

The vocals on “Flew Away” are barely perceptible at times, but still effective as they mix with guitar chords that remind one of sun bouncing off your sunglasses. The lyrics, as best as I can understand them, seem to sing of regret (“It’s too late.”) and accepting that you have to move on after people depart from your life (and sometimes their own). “Dizzy ’84” has some spaghetti western guitar touches that I love.

“You Have to Wait” brings in a little krautrock and electro flavor as it soars around the room. The guitars and bass on “Staring Away” sound like a ghost train rolling along abandoned tracks. Don’t worry about Ivey’s drums being left behind, because they’re in front on “Wilmore Town.” He and Balek drive the track while Holmes sings about taking things as they come and just being there – especially as we approach the end. The album is full of this sort of existential curiosity. It’s not quite dread, but the idea of facing death is certainly a theme running throughout the record, as is the realization that our actions can and do affect people we may never know…and we have to be ready to deal with those effects when they return to us.

Take, as another example, “Careful What You Wish.” It gleams as much as the southern California sun on the ocean at sunset, but the vocals (and the title) hide sage advice about desiring an imagined future instead of embracing what’s in front of you. The guitar solo on it in the biggest on the album. I don’t know if it’s Holmes or Bendzinski playing it, but it’s superb. “Unknown Moderation” brings in Cure-like bass and texture. The closer is “Cosmic Sigh,” with Balek’s bass paying tribute to Peter Hook and the rest of the band waxing the Silver Surfer’s board alongside him. The title can refer to a lot of things, but my guess is Highlands uses it to describe a moment of enlightenment when we realize how connected we are to everything.

This is a solid shoegaze record that will be much appreciated by fans of the genre. It brings you into the presence with its mesmerizing beats and hooks and reminds us to just be.

Keep your mind open.

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