JacquesGreene announces ANTH01, a collection of tracks and out-of-print 12”’s spanning the earliest years of his career. Arriving ten years after his groundbreaking single, “Another Girl,” ANTH01 features classics that introduced Greene to the world, such as “The Look,” and also includes collaborations with Koreless and How To Dress Well, plus tracks from Greene’s releases on 3024, NightSlugs and his own Vase imprint. In conjunction with today’s announcement, Greene shares “I Won’t,” a certified live favorite and highly requested unreleased gem; one of two exclusive, previously unreleased tracks to appear on ANTH01.
Greene has been making music “about the club” for over a decade. Over the course of multiple EPs, singles, and two full-length albums – 2017’s FeelInfinite and 2019’s DawnChorus – his sound has developed into an emotional haze. Outside of his own releases, Greene has explored his relationship with the club in a variety of contexts, from remixing Radiohead to producing for KatyB, Tinashe and touring with Thexx.
“Time became quite slippery in the past year and a half,” says Greene. “As the years go it’s strange how some things feel like just yesterday while others are seemingly lifetimes away. It was equal parts challenging and fun to revisit some of this material that laid the foundation for this Jacques Greene project. ‘ANTH01’ is a form of anthology: a collection of songs meant to tell the first few chapters of that story. From bedroom studios in the Mile End in Montreal at the start of the 2010s to now. Thank you for listening.”
ANTH01 Tracklist: 01. I Won’t 02. (Baby I Don’t Know) What you Want 03. The Look 04. Tell Me 05. These Days 06. Arrow (feat. Koreless) 07. Ready 08. Faded 09. On Your Side (feat. How To Dress Well) 10. Faithful 11. Quicksand 12. Another Girl
No, you didn’t miss three posts. I only attended day four of Chicago’s annual Riot Fest this year, and it was the first Riot Fest I’d attended. A friend scored some free tickets, and far be it from me to pass up a chance to see Devo and The Flaming Lipson the same bill.
This was the hottest music festival I’ve attended in a long while. There was little shade to be had, but sunscreen and taking frequent breaks between sets meant not suffering too much. A freshly made fruit smoothie from a vegan food vendor did me wonders.
The first set we caught was by The Gories, who opened one of the main stages. They sounded loud and dirty, and I’d love to see them in a small venue, but I’m glad I finally got to see these Detroit punk legends.
The Gories!
We walked around Douglas Park and discovered the festival was widely spread out. Food vendors were in one far corner, while a smaller fifth stage was seemingly a half-mile away in the opposite corner. You’d think they’d wheel out some portable light posts with all that room, but no.
Up next were HEALTH, and one of my friends fell in love with them upon hearing their industrial set under sun so bright that their bassist / synth player had to cover his keyboards with trash bags so he could read the digital displays on them.
The sun wasn’t healthy if you weren’t wearing sunscreen that day.
After a nice break under a tree, we trotted over to the smallest stage to see Chicago noise rockers Melkbelly, who played a fun set that included a cover of Pixies‘ “Gigantic” in an attempt to make up for Pixies cancelling their tour this summer. They were so out of practice with performing live shows due to the pandemic that they forgot their merchandise in their van.
Melkbelly playing to a lot of local fans.
I scored some chicken tenders that were average at best while my friends scored an elephant ear. Riot Fest has carnival rides on site, and I can only imagine how many drunk attendees regret getting on them over the course of the weekend.
We returned to the Rebel Stage to see Bleached perform their first set in two years (according to them, and a running theme for live shows everywhere this year), right after a guy walked by us peddling mushrooms to anyone who wanted them. They sounded great, and I would’ve liked to have stayed for the whole set, but Devo was calling…
Bleached having a fun time in the sun.
The stage was packed for Devo, complete with a mosh pit and crowd surfers. It was a fun set in which they played nearly the entire Freedom of Choice album. The whole crowd was happy and still buzzing afterwards. One guy was high-fiving people and telling them, “You just saw Devo!” It was the first time my friend, Amy, had seen them. She said she smiled so much during the set that her cheeks hurt afterwards. A delight for me and my friend (and Amy’s cousin), Brian, was getting to hear Devo’s cover of “Secret Agent Man” live for the first time. I wasn’t sure I’d ever get to hear it.
De-evolution is real!
Brian and I stuck around for the Flaming Lips‘ set. Brian hadn’t seen them before, and we couldn’t get close to the stage by they started – mainly due to them starting right after Devo’s set. It was still a good set, and nearly the same as when I saw them at Psycho Music Festival. Wayne Coyne encouraged everyone to take care of each other and stay healthy so live music can continue. Amen to that.
The Flaming Lips blowing sun-baked minds.
It was a good time (and Brian’s first music festival, no less), but would I go back? The short answer is, “I don’t know.” There were a lot of bad bands on the bill on day four, and I don’t think the other three days were much better. A lot of the bands playing the various stages sounded like Rage Against the Machine rip-offs, screamo nonsense, or pop-garbage. We got the hell out of there before Slipknot and Machine Gun Kelly started their sets and laughed as we passed a guy selling nitrous oxide balloons outside the park. I might return if the lineup gets better, and they’ve already announced another Misfits reunion for 2022, but Douglas Park-area residents won’t be happy about it…
You Don’t Know, the new album by Lizzie Loveless, is an album that collects memories, stories, possibly a couple tall tales, and love poems and then focuses on them with presence and mindfulness…and lovely vocals and beats. It’s also an album with many homes – New York City, Halifax, Nova Scotia, California forests, or the many stops of a tour she took with her band TEEN.
“You don’t know what it means to be with me,” she sings on the opening title track. Loveless (AKA Lizzie Lieberson) braces herself for heartbreak as a relationship is about to end, but she’s walking out with her chin up and not looking back. It’s a lovely opener, with crushing lyrics like “Maybe we should just forget it. We had out fun playing house. I know it wasn’t always easy.”
“The Joke” is a simple tune consisting of Loveless’ voice, acoustic guitar, electric beats, bright synths, and lyrics about a health crisis (“My body betrays me.”) Loveless overcame. “Memory” has Loveless wondering if she’ll ever forget a lover as 1980s soft ballad synths and beats play behind her. “My thoughts are clean though dirty from dreams,” Loveless sings on the sexy, strong track “Eyes of a Man.” The buzzsaw guitar and Theremin-like synths mix well together to put you a bit on edge.
As if she hasn’t bared her soul enough, Loveless tells us, “I’m stuck in a loveless black hole.” on “Loveless.” You can’t help but think she’s a bit tongue-in-cheek about it, however, as the thumping electro-bass and the funky beats on the track are dance floor-ready. “Hold Me Close,” with its lyrics of being in different places during different seasons, seems to be a song about missing someone while on tour. “Window” is another pretty (listen to those synths and toe-tapping beats) gut punch as Loveless sings about waiting for a lover she knows won’t return.
“New York, Yesterday” is a tale of Loveless wandering the Big Apple hoping to see her lover, even though she knows he’s in Los Angeles. “Underneath” stacks groovy bass atop Loveless’ echoing vocals about burying her emotions, even when she knows that revealing them could take her further in a relationship. The album closes with “Again,” a fun title to end a record, and a track about about Loveless wanting love but a potential lover just wanting to smooch.
You Don’t Know is a lovely record all-around, and will probably be one of the best albums of love songs of the year. It’s soulful, sometimes scorching, and sometimes sweet. It’s all good.
Keep your mind open.
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[Thanks to Gabriel at Clandestine Label Services.]
E.VAX – the project of Ratatat’s Evan Mast – announces his new, self-titled album, out September 17th via Because Music, and today presents a new single/video, “Karst.” Performing as half of Ratatat for more than the last decade, Mast’s music has reached an enormous audience with its bombastic merge of rock and electronic music, as well as through his parallel work as a hip-hop producer for artists such as Kanye West, Kid Cudi, and Jay-Z . His new solo album, E.VAX, is a collection of instrumental songs, dolloped with moments of exploratory dialogue, disembodied moments that are equally disorienting and moving. The throughline between the songs on his new album is not a certain signature sound, but Mast’s feel as a producer. Though one song may lean heavier on snappy drums and another on the coo of an organ, they all share a similar sensibility. The songs are sincere, playful, inviting, curious, and contemplative—all characteristics of Mast himself.
For this album, Mast loosened his attitude towards production, looking to capture some of the excitement of creation. He recorded at home, and then midway through the pandemic he spent time in Montana, recording in a friend’s art gallery. The blank space and isolation after so much studio time in close quarters allowed for a new looseness. He’d play songs at the wrong speed to see how it changed what he heard, or deliberately leave a melody untouched for months and then improvise over it after playing it anew for the first time. Unable to get lost in real life, he got lost in music. “I used to be way more precious,” Mast says about his songwriting. “A lot of this stuff on the record is about trying to skip the brain processes that can get in the way of making something that really feels sincere.”
Following his first offering, “Rabindra,” “Karst” features harp and a vintage drum machine. The accompanying video is made of footage that Mast took in China. “One of my favorite moments over the past few years was riding on a scooter with my brother through a landscape of karst mountains in southern China,” says Mast. “I wanted this track to sound the way that felt. I started recording it in Brooklyn during the most intense part of lockdown last spring, and finished it a few months later in a barn at a friend’s place in Montana.”
The “Karst” video is the second installment in a series of music videos he made for all 12 tracks on the album, shot all around the globe. Made up largely of videos Mast shot while walking around and sewn together so they pan slowly, there is simultaneously a feeling of stillness and motion, which is amplified when you encounter strangers looking at the camera. Watch E.VAX’s Video for “Karst”
E.VAX Tracklist 1. Rabindra 2. Karst 3. Always 4. What About You 5. Manila 6. Anything At All 7. Kolkata 8. Pretty Good 9. New Words 10. Little Lung 11. Koko 12. Actual Air
Bremer/McCoy, the duo of pianist Morten McCoy and bassist Jonathan Bremer, announce their new album, Natten, out October 29th on Luaka Bop, and share its lead single, the album’s title track. For Natten, Bremer/McCoy recorded straight to tape so that they had as little time as possible to think about it. They just laid it down. They couldn’t really explain it. “When it works for me,” says pianist MortenMcCoy, “it’s pure meditation, pure prayer. Pure gratitude for simply being, without all kinds of jibber-jabber filling my thoughts.”
McCoy and Bremer started making music together back in 2012 when they were still in school. At 17 years old, Bremer was awarded with the Young Jazz Award from Jazz Denmark and for three years he was a solid part of the acclaimed NielsLanDokytrio. McCoy started his musical journey by digging deep into the Jamaican music-culture both as a musician, composer, concert-organizer and DJ. Since then, he’s worked as a co-composer on the award-winning soundtrack for the Danish movie Underverden. Upon the duo’s creation, they at first played dub. It’s hard to imagine that that’s how they started when you listen to the ethereal sounds they make now, but the influence becomes clearer when you see them live.
Bremer/McCoy insist on traveling with their own sound system. That might seem like a lot of effort for a quiet Danish duo, but for Bremer/McCoy, making music is all about what happens in the room. That’s why they go through the trouble of carrying their own equipment, and it’s why they record analog. When they write music, they aim for direct transmission—idea straight to composition. Natten is the follow-up to a string of albums – their debut Enhed (2013), Ordet (2015), Forsvinder (2016), and Utopia (2019). “We felt a greater freedom this time around because we now have a much deeper understanding and grounding in what we’re doing,” says Bremer. “This allows us to venture further out than ever before, because we know that things typically fall into place.”
Natten, which means “The Night” in Danish, draws inspiration from the end of day, that regenerative time under the constellations when our lives look different. Listeners might be quick to call it escapist—the music might be a reprieve from our busy lives. And while that’s one way to experience Natten, there’s also another, which has more to do with immersion. It offers us the chance to see what’s around us as beautiful. McCoy wrote the title track, “Natten,” while watching the sun set in Sweden. And although the track doesn’t have lyrics, it carries a message, directly from McCoy to you: You won’t find the meaning of life by chasing answers. You’ll find it by waiting and staying open to the world. That’s the message of the title track, and it might as well be the message of the whole album because that’s clearly the state of mind McCoy and Bremer were in when they were recording: Open.
“The well is far from empty,” says Bremer. “Listening to great works is like having a deep conversation with somebody, a type of communication that can evolve and continue opening doors to new perspectives.”There’s a hint in what Bremer says of how he hopes his own listeners will experience his music. As a key to something. A key to life, or possibly a key to appreciating new sounds. This is the feeling Bremer/McCoy’s music transmits that you won’t be able to shake. They’re trying to tell you something; you’ll hear it if you listen.
Luaka Bop was founded by DavidByrne in 1989. The label represents artists such as FloatingPoints and WilliamOnyeabor, and is known for introducing the music of TimMaia and Shuggie Otis, as well as the spiritual music of AliceColtrane, to the world at large. Earlier this year, Luaka Bop released Promises by Floating Points, Pharoah Sanders and The London Symphony Orchestra. The album has received worldwide acclaim.
Natten Tracklist: 01. Natten 02. Mit Hjerte 03. Gratitude 04. Hjertebarn 05. Nu Og Altid 06. April 07. Aurora 08. Nova 09. Måneskin 10. Natten (part 2) 11. Lalibela
Ela Minus’ debut album acts of rebellion, released last October via Domino, boasts “daring calls to would-be dance floor revelers and rioters alike, in both English and Spanish” (Rolling Stone). Since the album’s release, Ela has been keeping busy – she recently performed at Chanel’s Fall-Winter 2021/2022 Haute Couture show and remixed Little Dragon’s “Hold On”. This fall, Ela will tour the US in support of the album. Ahead of these dates, she today presents a remix of “close” (feat. Helado Negro) by Buscabulla, plus a live performance of the otherworldly Liminal Spaces version of the song.
Ela and Buscabulla have previously worked together, namely on Ela’s remix of their song “Vámono.” The “close” remix features vocal contributions from Buscabulla’s Raquel Berrios and expands the playful original into a murky and dreamy dance track. The “close” (Liminal Spaces Version) live performance was filmed in the Centro Historico district in Mexico City earlier this spring and marks the first time Ela performed the song live.
“‘close’ is different from the rest of the songs on my album in many ways, including that it’s the only one with a collaboration, Helado Negro. My approach to sharing this song has been different; when I imagined how to approach new versions of it, I imagined them very distinctly. I came across the concept of liminal spaces, which inspired the improvisation of this version – in one take. I always imagined hearing Raquel’s vocals on this song, so I asked Buscabulla to rework it.” – Ela Minus
Mandy, Indiana (FKA Gary, Indiana) is a Manchester, UK-based trio who combine elements of post-punk, noise, and electronics, emphasizing raw energy and emotion over meticulous composition to create a singular cathartic experience. Earlier this year, they released “Alien 3” via Fire Talk Records. “It begins with a marching band-style beat that intensifies as it progresses, providing an ominous backdrop for frontperson Valentine Caulfield‘s dissociated vocals. Delivered in her native French, Caulfield adds an extra layer of texture to the band’s gnarly sound” (FADER). Today, they present Daniel Avery’s club-ready “Alien 3” remix. “We were overwhelmed to learn that Daniel was a fan of ‘Alien 3’,” says the band. “His music is so unique and inspiring so to have him reinterpret this track was such a joy!“
“A friend told me I should check out Mandy, Indiana – said they were one of the most exciting new bands around and that they would tick all my boxes. Turns out he was right,” adds Daniel Avery. “The band asked if I wanted to try reworking something for the club and I immediately had a feeling something big would come out of it. Turns out I was right.”
Mandy, Indiana’s founding members Scott Fair (guitar / production) and Valentine Caulfield (vocals) met through Manchester’s thriving DIY music scene before recently enlisting drummer and percussionist Liam Stewart (percussion). The band create pop music with brutality anchored by the punk poetry style of Caulfield’s vocal delivery. Their music ranges from the warping techno of “Alien 3” to the industrial noise of “Nike of Samothrace,” songs disparate in nature, but connected by an explosiveness.
More will follow from Mandy, Indiana later this year and all upcoming tour dates are below.
Mandy, Indiana Tour Dates
Fri. Sept. 24 – Bristol, UK @ Klub Loco Wed. Oct. 20 – Manchester, UK @ YES Basement Sat. Nov. 20 – Manchester, UK @ White Hotel Fri. Dec. 3 – Manchester, UK @ YES
Keep your mind open.
[Drift on over to the subscription box before you go.]
The 2021 LevitationFrance full lineup has been announced, and it’s a great one.
The show will be at an outdoor venue this year to be a bit safer during the tail end of the pandemic. The Friday night shows include sets by The Limiñanas and Mars Red Sky, while Saturday night has sets by Shame, SLIFT, Zombie Zombie, Anika, and Wild Fox.
I’d be at this festival were it not for a nephew’s wedding that same weekend, but you should go in my stead.
Photo by Enno Kaptiz / digitally altered by Kosuke Kawamura
Japanese art-rock pioneers Buffalo Daughter have announced We Are The Times, their first new album in seven years, out on September 17th, 2021, alongside the first single from the record “ET (Densha)” available on all digital streaming services now.
Since their 1996 debut on the legendary Beastie Boys-run label Grand Royal, Buffalo Daughter has been recognized as an original and energetic standout in the modern Japanese music scene. Over their decades long career, The band has pushed their unique post-rock, new wave, and techno influenced sound to global success, from numerous world tours to collaborations with many prominent acts including Air, Blonde Redhead, Cibbo Matto, and Shonen Knife.
The music video for their new single “ET (Densha)” was created by Berlin based artist Ryoichi Kurokawa, illustrating the worldbuilding sensation of the track with a sense of delicate power. “ET (Densha) is our soundscape for the world we currently live in,” the band wrote in a statement. “Darkness and light, chaos and harmony, intensity and ease – they seem to be black and white, but are they really? Where are we going? Take the ET (electric train) and let the journey begin.”
We Are The Times started from an improvisation session with Masaya Nakahara as part of a tribute program for Takahiro Muramatsu(Smurf Otokogumi). The album took quite some time to record, growing and changing with the band members’ shifting lives and world views as they navigated the covid-19 pandemic. Though the record was created during a tumultuous period, it starts with the phrase “Music is the vitamin,” indicating Buffalo Daughter’s hope for positivity in the world of 2021; the band sought to create an energetic and optimistic project to combat our anxious times. The vibrancy of their sound on the album is perhaps best summed up in this quote from collaborator Masaya Nakahara:
“A bright fruit of electronic sound! Buffalo Daughter’s new sound shows the light for where we should head to in this chaotic world.”
“We Are The Times” will be released digitally and physical CD (only available in Japan) on September 17th with vinyl to follow on October 15th.
Keep your mind open.
[Take the short trip to the subscription box while you’re here.]
Canadian psych-electro rockers SUUNS were tired in 2019. They had been touring almost non-stop since 2010. They needed to slow down, recharge, and refocus, but they didn’t want to stop making music. So, they stopped, or perhaps were forced to stop due to the pandemic, took a breath, and created The Witness.
Opening track “Third Stream” begins the album with a slow, brooding pace, almost like some of Pink Floyd‘s synth-driven psychedelic cuts. The lyrics tell of checking out from the systemic grind and seeking greater things like peace and love. The drop of the echoing guitar and drum beats on it will grab your attention. The title track, with its bumping electro bass and beats, is a song about watching things fall apart around you and avoiding the temptation to fall into the miasma.
The slow, somewhat creepy beat of “C-Thru” is perfect for late night drinks, meditations, or slow dancing with multiple lovers. “Timebender” mixes birdsong with distant guitar riffs and soft beats for an intriguing track about looking beyond the self.
“Release yourself, remove this shroud. What you see when you look around. Clarity so real, don’t change your mind.” Profound lyrics about in “Clarity,” a nice standout in the middle of the record. According to SUUNS, they’ve been working on “The Fix” for about four years and it finally found a home on The Witness. It’s a strange, quirky track with a beat that seems to shift in about five different directions. In other words, it’s kind of cool. “Go to My Head” combines Bossa nova guitar, subdued electronic beats, and simple lyrics about moving on from a finished romance into a nearly six-minute hypnotic therapy session. The album ends with “The Trilogy” – a song that, the band admits, they just sort of let happen once they got into a groove they all enjoyed. How cool is that?
SUUNS have also admitted that The Witness is a stepping stone of them toward different types of material they want to record and different themes they wish to explore. It’s a good start, and it makes you interested in what they’re planning next – as any good album should.
