I didn’t hesitate to buy my tickets when I found out that Love and Rockets were touring for the first time in about fifteen years. I’d wanted to see them since I was in high school. I almost got to see them as Bauhaus with Peter Murphy, but the pandemic cancelled that. The closest I’d come was seeing bassist and co-vocalist David J do a solo acoustic show at Levitation Austin.
Opening for Love and Rockets was Vinsantos, a friend of David J who played an interesting mix of torch songs and gothic synth-rock. I described him to a friend as “a drag queen scarecrow who sang piano ballads about death.” So, yes, really interesting.
Vinsantos (right) and a friend who played guitar and sang backing vocals for him.
Love and Rockets came out, looking like the rock stars they are, and proceeded to level the place. They were smart to start with the mellow “I Feel Speed” before launching into the heavy, sexy “No Big Deal.” They then stomped the gas for “The Kundalini Express” and had the place jumping.
All aboard!
They sounded great. Daniel Ash still shreds on guitar and Kevin Haskins did a great job of handling both percussion and synths (often played on drum pads on his kit while putting down beats).
The raw power of Ash’s guitar work was evident on “Judgement Day,” and things got psychedelic on “An American Dream” before they rolled into “No New Tale to Tell” and the audience went nuts.
Then, they played “So Alive” and the place really went crazy.
Hearing “The Light” live nearly caused me and others to transcend. It felt like being inside power lines stretched across the Mohave Desert. “Mirror People” crushed it, and my friend, Leimomi, and I headed into the pit for the first encore, which included their great cover of “Ball of Confusion,” which was as stunning as I’d hoped it would be.
Rap on, rap on, brother.
The second encore was “Sweet F.A.,” sending us out the way we came in – with a mellow track to float us to the ceiling.
It was a stunning show and worth the wait. Thanks for giving us this gift, Love and Rockets. We all missed you.
Tinariwen, the pioneering, Grammy-winning Tuareg collective, unveil their enthralling new single, “Anemouhagh,” from their forthcoming album, Amatssou, out next Friday, May 19th on Wedge. “Anemouhagh” continues along Tinariwen’s electric trail of singles — the “anthemic” (Paste) “Kek Alghalm” and lead single “Tenere Den,” which was praised by The FADER as “a continuation of both the desert blues sound they pioneered and the revolutionary message they’ve always held close” — and offers another captivating glimpse into Amatssou.
Later this month, Tinariwen will embark on their first US tour since 2019, beginning on May 27th at Chicago’s Old Town School of Folk Music and including stops in Los Angeles, New York and more. A list of full dates are below and tickets are on sale now.
For decades, Tinariwen have remained ambassadors for the Tuareg people, a way of life in tune with the natural world, which is under threat as never before. Throughout Amatssou — the legendary collective’s ninth studio album — Tinariwen set out to explore the shared sensibilities between their trademark desert blues and the vibrant country music of rural America. Recorded in Djanet, an oasis in the desert of southern Algeria located in Tassili N’Ajjer National Park, with additional production on two tracks by Daniel Lanois (Brian Eno, U2, Bob Dylan, Emmylou Harris, Peter Gabriel, Willie Nelson), Amatssou finds Tinariwen’s signature snaking guitar lines and hypnotic grooves seamlessly co-existing alongside banjos, fiddles and pedal steel.
Though Tuareg culture is as old as that of ancient Greece or Rome, the songs of Amatssou speak to the current and often tough reality of Tuareg life today. Unsurprisingly, there are impassioned references to Mali’s ongoing political and social turmoil. Full of poetic allegory, the lyrics call for unity and freedom. There are songs of struggle and resistance with oblique references to the recent desperate political upheavals in Mali and the increasing power of the Salafists. Tinariwen’s message has never sounded more urgent and compelling than it does on Amatssou.
Tinariwen Tour Dates Sat. May 27 – Chicago, IL @ Old Town School of Folk Music Tue. May 30 – Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom Wed. May 31 – Seattle, WA @ Showbox Fri. June 2 – Berkeley, CA @ UC Theater Sat. June 3 – Los Angeles, CA @ Fonda Theater Mon. June 5 – New York, NY @ Webster Hall Tue. June 6 – Boston, MA @ Sinclair Wed. June 7 – Washington, DC @ Lincoln Theatre Sat. June 10 – Hilvarenbeek, NL @ Best Kept Secret Festival Mon. June 12 – Rubigen, CH @ Muhle Hunziken Wed. June 14 – Florence, IT @Ultravox Thu. June 15 – Milan, IT @ Triennale Garden Fri. June 16 – Turin, IT @ Hiroshima Mon Amour Sun. June 18 – Dublin, IE @ Body & Soul Festival Thu. June 22 – Berlin, DE @ Festsaal Kreuzberg Sat. June 24 – Glastonbury, UK @ Glastonbury Festival Mon. 26 – Lille, FR @ Splendid Wed. June 28 – Paris, FR @ Salle Pleyel Thu. June 29 – Brussels, BE @ Ancienne Belgique Sat. July 1 – Roskilde, DK @ Roskilde Festival Sun. July 2 – Stockholm, SE @ Slaktkyran Tue. July 4 – Oslo, NO @ Rockefeller Fri. July 7 – Bilbao, ES @ BBK Live Festival Tue. July 11 – Arles, FR @ Les Suds Arles Thu. July 13 – London, UK @ Somerset House Sat. July 15 – Bristol, UK @ SWX Mon. July 17 – Glasgow, UK @ St Lukes Wed. July 19 – Bermingham, UK @ Institute 2 Sat. July 22 – Cheshire, UK @ Bluedot Festival Tue. 25 – Vigo, SP @ Terraceo Festival Sat. July 29 – Luxey, FR @ Musicalarue Festival
Tinariwen—the legendary GRAMMY-winning Tuareg collective—present their new single, “Kek Alghalm,” from their forthcoming album, Amatssou, out May 19th on Wedge. Following lead single “Tenere Den,” an “understated tribute to the desert and to the Tuareg revolution in the highlands of Mali” (WNYC), “Kek Alghalm” opens Amatssou as a call to the Tuareg tribes to unite against present threats, its lyrics calling out complicity in silence: “So where are the Touareg? // And why do they remain silent // In the face of so much disrespect // Perpetrated shamelessly with uncovered face.” Featuring Nashville’s WesCorbett on banjo, “Kek Alghalm” is a longtime live favorite amongst Tinariwen fans and it’s presented here in its recorded form for the first time.
Tinariwen, composed of founding members Ibrahim Ag Alhabib, Touhami Ag Alhassane and Abdallah Ag Alhousseyni, plus bassist Eyadou Ag Leche, percussionist Said Ag Ayad and guitarist Elaga Ag Hamid, single-handedly invented a guitar style that has captured the world’s imagination. They call it ishumar or assouf (“nostalgia” in Tamashek) but the rest of the world has come to know it as the Tuareg or desert blues. It is music that is imbued with sorrow and longing but it’s also music to dance to, to forget our cares.
Throughout Amatssou, the band’s ninth studio album, they set out to explore the shared sensibilities between their trademark desert blues and the vibrant country music of rural America. Recorded in Djanet, an oasis in the desert of southern Algeria located in Tassili N’Ajjer National Park, with additional production by DanielLanois (Brian Eno, U2, Bob Dylan, Emmylou Harris, Peter Gabriel, Willie Nelson), Amatssou finds Tinariwen’s signature snaking guitar lines and hypnotic grooves seamlessly co-existing alongside banjos, fiddles and pedal steel. Lanois’ haunting pedal steel and crystalline production add a soaring ambience to Tinariwen’s trance-like desert blues.
For decades, Tinariwen have remained ambassadors for the Tuareg people, a way of life in tune with the natural world, which is under threat as never before. Amatssou is Tamashek for “Beyond The Fear,” and it fits, as Tinariwen have always been characterized by their fearlessness. Though Tuareg culture is as old as that of ancient Greece or Rome, the songs of Amatssou speak to the current and often tough reality of Tuareg life today. Unsurprisingly, there are impassioned references to Mali’s ongoing political and social turmoil. Full of poetic allegory, the lyrics call for unity and freedom. There are songs of struggle and resistance with oblique references to the recent desperate political upheavals in Mali and the increasing power of the Salafists. Tinariwen’s message has never sounded more urgent and compelling than it does on Amatssou.
Beginning May 27th at Chicago’s Old Town School of Folk Music, Tinariwen’s US tour will see them bringing their cherished songs to cities including NewYork, LosAngeles, and more before they head overseas for a run of EU/UK dates. All shows are on-sale now with tickets available here.
Tinariwen Tour Dates Sat. May 27 – Chicago, IL @ Old Town School of Folk Music Tue. May 30 – Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom Wed. May 31 – Seattle, WA @ Showbox Fri. June 2 – Berkeley, CA @ UC Theater Sat. June 3 – Los Angeles, CA @ Fonda Theater Mon. June 5 – New York, NY @ Webster Hall Tue. June 6 – Boston, MA @ Sinclair Wed. June 7 – Washington, DC @ Lincoln Theatre Sat. June 10 – Hilvarenbeek, NL @ Best Kept Secret Festival Mon. June 12 – Rubigen, CH @ Muhle Hunziken Wed. June 14 – Florence, IT @Ultravox Thu. June 15 – Milan, IT @ Triennale Garden Fri. June 16 – Turin, IT @ Hiroshima Mon Amour Sun. June 18 – Dublin, IE @ Body & Soul Festival Thu. June 22 – Berlin, DE @ Festsaal Kreuzberg Sat. June 24 – Glastonbury, UK @ Glastonbury Festival Mon. 26 – Lille, FR @ Splendid Wed. June 28 – Paris, FR @ Salle Pleyel Thu. June 29 – Brussels, BE @ Ancienne Belgique Sat. July 1 – Roskilde, DK @ Roskilde Festival Sun. July 2 – Stockholm, SE @ Slaktkyran Tue. July 4 – Oslo, NO @ Rockefeller Fri. July 7 – Bilbao, ES @ BBK Live Festival Tue. July 11 – Arles, FR @ Les Suds Arles Thu. July 13 – London, UK @ Somerset House Sat. July 15 – Bristol, UK @ SWX Mon. July 17 – Glasgow, UK @ St Lukes Wed. July 19 – Birmingham, UK @ Institute 2 Sat. July 22 – Cheshire, UK @ Bluedot Festival Tue. 25 – Vigo, SP @ Terraceo Festival Thu. July 27 – Sines, PT @ FMM Sat. July 29 – Luxey, FR @ Musicalarue Festival
Music from a Sparkling Planet is a wonderfully titled compilation of Esquivel‘s space-age bachelor pad music consisting of Esquivel’s arrangements of other contemporaries’ music and his own compositions.
“Cachita” instantly plunges you into the groovy swimming pool of his music with his trademark blend of “latin-esque” sounds, beats, and grooves. “Cherokee” is idyllic to the point of mild hypnosis. “Third Man Theme” is more upbeat than anything you’d see in the Orson Welles movie. It belongs in a goofy European sex comedy from the 1960s about a guy who’s always bumped from hooking up with a lady because he’s the third wheel.
The electric piano on “La Bikina” is delightful. “La Paloma” and “Cachito” (the brother to “Cachita”) keep you in the lounging mood. The mellow accordion on “Cachito” is a neat touch. On “Granada,” he throws in those vocal “Zu zu zu” sounds that only he could make work in a tune, and combines them with Ennio Morricone-like trumpet.
“Question Mark (What Can You Do)” is one of his fully original compositions and arrangements, and it’s bold and bouncy and all-around fun (like the entire collection). “My Blue Heaven” is a quick, jumpy number that hops straight into his excellent version of “All of Me,” which practically throws you into a time machine and dumps you on the Las Vegas Strip circa 1965.
“Poinciana” is great example of Esquivel’s work. It has all the elements you want: Bold brass sections, jazzy piano, sultry vocal sounds, exotic percussion, and slightly psychedelic guitar work. “Flower Girl of Bordeaux” is perfect for rushing through the streets of a foreign land with someone beautiful in a quest of sexy adventure. “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” sends us out on a “cha-cha-cha.”
You can’t go wrong with stuff like this. It puts you in a better mood and transports you to faraway places that might be on Earth or in outer space.
Photo credit: Naomi Petersen Photography, courtesy of Chris Petersen Images/Punk Life Naomi.
Frenetic, coarse and frequently atonal. Nothing is more a distillation of that sound than the mighty BL’AST! ’s final studio album, Take The Manic Ride (1989). Over 30 years later, and the album is getting the reissue treatment on Southern Lord.
In June of 1988 BL’AST! went into the studio with Black Flags’ live sound GOAT: Dave Rat (RATSOUND), and the breakneck Take The Manic Ride was recorded. This version was later destroyed after the band was dissatisfied with the original production. Now, this unmissable piece of hardcore history has been carefully restored under the strict guidance of mastering engineer Brad Boatright (also remastered the other BL’AST! albums re-released by Southern Lord). Manic Ride will be released by Southern Lord on March 10th.
Mike (Neider, guitar) comments on the reissue:
“The release of Manic Ride is essential to finish the history of past BL’AST! releases. It displays how off the beaten path BL’AST! is and always has been. The music and lyrics does not tread lightly. We’re grateful to have Manic Ride’s affiliation w/ Rat Sound/Dave Rat, SSTRecords and Southern Lord and for all of our friends, fans and family, as well as the BL’AST! blood brotherhood. For this to be released in our fortieth year as a band is truly amazing.
Rest In Power to the artist of the Manic cover, Justin Forbes.”
Having formed in 1983, the highly influential Santa Cruz hardcore legend BL’AST! released their first album, The Power of Expression in 1985. This debut album went on to become one of the highly sought after, must-have hardcore albums from the 80s.
BL’AST! were beyond intense, continually pushing the boundaries of hardcore with their advanced musicianship, unstoppable energic delivery and explosive live performances. This overwhelming power caught the attention of SST records, who released the band’s second album, It’s In My Blood in 1987. Their third album, Take The Manic Ride, was then released in 1989.
BL’AST!‘s wide-eyed, ambitious approach and intense perseverance became an influence for many bands to come. Shortly after the release of Take The Manic Ride the band broke up and their story was, for some time, buried by time and dust…
The band reformed in the 2000s, and released the 7” EP, For Those Who Grace The Fire, from 2015, which featured Dave Grohl on drums and Chuck Dukowski on bass. They then released Blood!, an album consisting of then-lost recordings, and remixed by Dave Grohl, in 2013. Later on, they also did a split 7″ with Eyehategod, contributing “Cut Your Teeth” in 2017.
Tinariwen—the Grammy-winning Tuareg band composed of founding members Ibrahim Ag Alhabib, Touhami Ag Alhassane and Abdallah Ag Alhousseyni, plus bassist Eyadou Ag Leche, percussionist Said Ag Ayad and guitarist Elaga Ag Hamid—announce their new album, Amatssou, out May19thonWedge, and a UStour, marking the first time they will play stateside since 2019. In conjunction, Tinariwen share Amatssou’s lead single, “Tenere Den,” which pays homage to the Tuareg revolution in the Kel Adagh region of Mali. It’s accompanying video, directed by AlexisJamet, features bright, textured animation to articulate the poignant lyrics.
Throughout Amatssou, the legendary collective’s ninth studio album, Tinariwen set out to explore the shared sensibilities between their trademark desert blues and the vibrant country music of rural America. Amatssou is Tamashek for “Beyond The Fear,” and it fits. Tinariwen have always been characterized by their fearlessness, single-handedly inventing a guitar style that has captured the world’s imagination. They call it ishumar or assouf (“nostalgia” in Tamashek). The rest of the world has come to know it as the Tuareg blues. It is music that is imbued with sorrow and longing but it’s also music to dance to, to forget our cares.
Including additional production by DanielLanois (Brian Eno, U2, Bob Dylan, Emmylou Harris, Peter Gabriel, Willie Nelson), Amatssou finds the band’s signature snaking guitar lines and hypnotic grooves seamlessly co-existing alongside banjos, fiddles and pedal steel. Thousands of miles of ocean may divide these two landscapes, but the links are as palpable as they are romantic. Lead single “Tenere Den” is a thrilling expansion on the classic sound Tinariwen invented.
The story of Amatssou began in 2021 when Jack White, a long-time fan of the group, invited Tinariwen to record at his private recording studio in Nashville. The band had initially planned to record with Lanois alongside a group of local country musicians, including Wes Corbett and Fats Kaplin, a regular collaborator of White’s. However, following a series of COVID and travel-related delays, Tinariwen found themselves unable to make the trip from Mali to the States. New plans were hastily drawn for Lanois to travel to Africa, but after further delays dealt by the pandemic, Tinariwen, Lanois, Corbett, and Kaplin were ultimately forced to work remotely.
With final plans eventually in place, Tinariwen made the decision to lay the groundwork for Amatssou in Djanet, an oasis in the desert of southern Algeria located in Tassili N’Ajjer National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its prehistoric cave art. Among the jagged rock outcrops and dramatic sandstone vistas, Tinariwen set up a makeshift studio inside a tent using borrowed equipment from the fellow Tuareg band, Imarhan.
Fortunately for Tinariwen, the integrity of Amatssou remained completely intact through its remote recording processes, with Lanois adding deft touches from his studio in Los Angeles, Corbett and Kaplin recording their parts from Nashville, and Kabyle percussionist Amar Chaoui recording his parts in Paris. Lanois’ haunting pedal steel and crystalline production add a soaring ambience to Tinariwen’s trance-like desert blues, with Kalpin contributing pedal steel, violin and banjo to six of the ten tracks.
For decades, Tinariwen have remained ambassadors for their people, a way of life in tune with the natural world that is under threat as never before. Though Tuareg culture is as old as that of ancient Greece or Rome, the songs of Amatssou speak to the current and often tough reality of Tuareg life today. Unsurprisingly, there are impassioned references to Mali’s ongoing political and social turmoil. Full of poetic allegory, the lyrics call for unity and freedom. There are songs of struggle and resistance with oblique references to the recent desperate political upheavals in Mali and the increasing power of the Salafists. Tinariwen’s message has never sounded more urgent and compelling than it does on Amatssou.
Beginning May 27th at Chicago’s Old Town School of Folk Music, Tinariwen’s US tour will see them bringing their cherished songs to cities including New York, Los Angeles, and more before they head overseas for a run of EU/UK dates. All shows are on-sale now with tickets available here.
Tinariwen Tour Dates Sat. May 27 – Chicago, IL @ Old Town School of Folk Music Tue. May 30 – Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom Wed. May 31 – Seattle, WA @ Showbox Fri. June 2 – Berkeley, CA @ UC Theater Sat. June 3 – Los Angeles, CA @ Fonda Theater Mon. June 5 – New York, NY @ Webster Hall Tue. June 6 – Boston, MA @ Sinclair Wed. June 7 – Washington, DC @ Lincoln Theatre Sat. June 10 – Hilvarenbeek, NL @ Best Kept Secret Festival Mon. June 12 – Rubigen, CH @ Muhle Hunziken Wed. June 14 – Florence, IT @Ultravox Thu. June 15 – Milan, IT @ Triennale Garden Fri. June 16 – Turin, IT @ Hiroshima Mon Amour Sun. June 18 – Dublin, IE @ Body & Soul Festival Thu. June 22 – Berlin, DE @ Festsaal Kreuzberg Sat. June 24 – Glastonbury, UK @ Glastonbury Festival Mon. 26 – Lille, FR @ Splendid Wed. June 28 – Paris, FR @ Salle Pleyel Thu. June 29 – Brussels, BE @ Ancienne Belgique Sat. July 1 – Roskilde, DK @ Roskilde Festival Sun. July 2 – Stockholm, SE @ Slaktkyran Tue. July 4 – Oslo, NO @ Rockefeller Fri. July 7 – Bilbao, ES @ BBK Live Festival Tue. July 11 – Arles, FR @ Les Suds Arles Sat. July 15 – Bristol, UK @ SWX Mon. July 17 – Glasgow, UK @ St Lukes Wed. July 19 – Bermingham, UK @ Institute 2 Sat. July 22 – Cheshire, UK @ Bluedot Festival Tue. 25 – Vigo, SP @ Terraceo Festival Sat. July 29 – Luxey, FR @ Musicalarue Festival
Cabaret Mañana is an excellent collection of the space-age composer, maestro, bandleader, musician, and arranger, Juan Garcia Esquivel, who was so cool that he could just go by his last name like Karloff, Lugosi, Bowie, Kubrick, Hitchcock, and Morricone.
The compilation covers tracks from 1958 to 1967 and begins with “Mini Skirt,” which was only released in Mexico and Puerto Rico until this album was released in 1995. It’s a fun track about one of Esquivel’s favorite subjects, women, complete with wolf whistle’s and sexy piano riffs.
“Johnson Rag” blends big brass sections with singers singing “Zu-zu-zu” again and again. Esquivel was known as mixing traditional sounds with plenty of outsider stuff like nonsense lyrics just for the sound of them or putting Chinese bells in Latin music. His arrangement of Cole Porter‘s “Night and Day” sounds like it could be a Bond film theme at one point, and then bachelor pad music in the next. “El Cable” is so happy that it could probably banish rainclouds if you played it loud enough.
“Harlem Nocturne” also sounds like an action film theme, and Esquivel did write a lot of music for action TV shows (Miami Vice, The Six Million Dollar Man, and The A-Team among them). “Mucha Muchacha” is one of two tracks on the compilation, the other being “Estrellita,” that are from his Latin-Esque album. Esquivel was so committed to capturing stereo sound on that album that he divided his orchestra in half and had them play simultaneously in separate studios while he and another conductor worked together via closed-circuit television.
Yeah, that was the kind of work ethic he had.
“Time on My Hands” reminds me of some of Ennio Morricone‘s work with its ticking clock setting a constant beat while a slightly sorrowful trumpet plays in another room. “Malagueña” transports you to an exotic desert land on another planet. His take on “Sentimental Journey” is a blast and loaded with his trademarks of space-pop sound, flirting whistles, and those lovely ladies singing “zu-zu-zu.”
The percussion on “Limehouse Blues” is delightfully weird, especially when you mix it with Tiki bar guitar riffs and synths that sound like they’re drunk on margaritas. “April in Portugal” shows off Esquivel’s piano skills. “Question Mark (Que Vas a Hacer)” sounds like the opening theme of a 1960s European sex comedy. His version of “It Had to Be You” is bawdy and beautiful, suitable for night clubs and strip clubs.
“Yeyo” is snappy and a bit bratty (in a fun way). “Lullaby of Birdland” practically struts its sexy stuff down the boulevard on a hot summer day. “Flower Girl from Bordeaux” is full of bold trumpet work, jazz lounge piano, and exotic vocal sounds that create a luscious cocktail.
It’s a fun, lovely compilation from one of the best composers of the 1960s and should be heard by many.
It’s kind of amazing that it took me so long to see Weird Al and his band in concert. The level of musicianship on display was jaw-dropping. I lost count of how many styles and genres they played, and Yankovic’s ability to remember so many complex lyrics was stunning.
“They play like their hair is on fire.” is how my friend described this set from Frankie and the Witch Fingers, which blew the minds of everyone at the LevitationFrance festival that night. People were absolutely bonkers by the end of it.
Easily the best sound quality I heard all year, especially in such a large open-air venue, this stop on Elton John’s farewell was humid, but still an amazing performance that cover classic hits and newer tracks. The set was impressive, as was John’s energy as he revved up the crowd the entire time.
Speaking of farewell tours, this one from Midnight Oil was a barn-burner. The place was packed, which only gave the band more energy to unleash in what would be their final Chicago performance. They raged harder against every machine than most bands half their age.
A powerful performance on all levels, plus those of us who bought VIP tickets got to attend their sound check and meet Failure before the main show. It was like two concerts in one from one of my favorite bands whose music can be life-changing. I don’t use that term lightly. Getting to tell them face-to-face how “Another Space Song” has become even more meaningful to me since my wife’s death was an honor I’ll never forget.
I’ve already started seeing bands this year (Dry Cleaning), so 2023 is off to a good start. Who are you excited to see this year?
