This was my second time seeing Chicago queercore punk band Bev Rage and the Drinks, and it was, so far, the loudest set I’ve seen them play.
First up in the small Brass Rail dive bar in downtown Fort Wayne, were The Namby Pamby, who I hadn’t seen before now. Their stuff reminded me of some of Nirvana‘s mellower tracks with harder-edged R.E.M. thrown in for good measure. It’s an interesting sound that feels familiar and yet kind of exotic.
The Namby Pamby
As I mentioned before, Bev Rage and the Drinks came out and proceeded to blast the Brass Rail’s bar out onto Broadway. I don’t know how much of it was the place’s acoustics, how much was their amps turned up to eleven, and how much of it was Ms. Rage and her band’s blazing fury, but the power of their set was palpable. They ripped through tracks from their last two albums, ending with a hard-hitting version of “Permanent Receptionist.”
Bev Rage and The Drinks
Necromoon played after them, but I was exhausted after a long work day and had to leave to make it home safe that night. It was a fun night, however, and Bev Rage always puts on a great show.
There was a guy wearing a TV set on his head when I walked into Piere’s Entertainment Center in Ft. Wayne, Indiana on September 20, 2022.
That guy was Mobley – a one-man show who played a wild mix of electro and soul on everything from guitar, drum kit, keyboards, and a sequencer. His video clips displayed behind him were perfectly synchronized with his fun set, showing lyrics and images from his tracks.
Mobley
I was mainly there to see The Joy Formidable, who were opening for The Front Bottoms. The crowd was heavy with Front Bottoms fans, judging by the number of band shirts I saw in the crowd, and hardly anyone knew who The Joy Formidable were. It was also, according to lead singer and guitarist Rhiannon “Ritzy” Bryan, the band’s first time playing in Fort Wayne.
They proceeded to shred the entire stage, almost demolishing it and leaving nothing for The Front Bottoms to use afterwards. They were fired up to play, with Bryan sometimes so energetic that she head-butted bassist / co-vocalist Rhydian Dafydd in the chest – twice.
They opened with “The Greatest Light Is the Greatest Shade” and rarely let up to take a breath. They would retune, and then rip into another track, ending their too short set with a stunning, long, blazing edition of “Whirring.”
I left after their set. The Front Bottoms’ style of music isn’t my thing, and I felt bad for them having to follow The Joy Formidable, because, as one guy in the crowd who’d never heard them before said after their set, “That was some hard shit.”
Starting with bright, jangly guitar and weird filter effects, Frankie and The Witch Fingers‘ 2017 album, Brain Telephone, plunges you straight into their weird, wonderful world of psychedelic garage rock with the opening title track and barely lets up on the rabbit hole plunge for the album’s entire length.
The harmonica on “Learnings of the Light” brings early Rolling Stones to mind, if the Stones got even trippier in their first decade. The heavy fuzz of “Primitive Delight” is perfect for rolling down the windows and blasting it as you pull into the Tasty Freeze drive-thru for a strawberry milkshake and some onion rings. “Sunshine Earthquake” and “Microscope” have a neat “soaring” energy to them that seems to lift both tracks, and you, off the ground.
“Doomed” embraces the band’s love of The Doors and southern California (where the band relocated after starting in Bloomington, Indiana) rock. “Sinister Poison” has a fun, slightly spooky keyboard riff throughout that it might make it your new favorite addition to your Halloween playlists. “Owsley” takes Beatles-era psychedelia and injects it with about a liter of straight fuzz and cosmic rock riffs. I’m not sure if the guitars or the drums are bigger in it.
You might think “Let Love Be Love” is going to be a full-blown “hippy” track with its title and opening guitar strums and ballad vocals from Dylan Sizemore, but the track doesn’t devolve into navel-gazing jams and instead remains a straight-up Summer of Love pop-rock cut. They save the epic jamming for “Mother’s Mirror,” which is over eight minutes of ripping solos, tight chops, and warped vocals. It starts as a mind-trip jam (with flute!) and slowly builds into a fast blast through space.
It’s a cool album because you can hear the band’s sound evolving into what would become their harder-edged garage rock face-melting style.
The first thing you learn about The Bobby Lees upon playing their new album, Bellevue, is that they don’t waste time. The title track, which opens the album, explodes like ambush machine gun fire. It’s hard to determine who is going fastest. Is it Sam Quartin with her frantic vocals, Macky Bowman with his raging drums, Nick Casa with his blazing guitar, or Kendall Wind with her bonkers bass?
They only stop to breathe for the beginning of “Hollywood Junkyard,” which soon grows into a savage beast of a track that has Quartin ripping apart fame and all the trappings and expectations that come with it. “Ma Likes to Drink” ups the punk (and the funk on Wind’s bass). “Death Train” brings in monster surf elements and Quartin tells us to “shut up and dance.”
“Strange Days” takes a strange left turn, reminding me of some early tracks by Yeah Yeah Yeahs with its haunted house piano, rock star swagger, and air of mystery. “Dig Your Hips” lights a new fuse under your feet with some of Bowman’s hardest snare slaps on the record. I love how the whole band sings on the chorus of “Have You Seen a Girl.” Casa’s guitar solo on “In Low” is jaw-dropping. It sounds like the rest of the band told him, “Just go nuts.”, and he took them up on the offer.
“Little Table” might be a song about human furniture fetish, or a song about the interdependency of relationships. It could be both. “Monkey Mind” has Quartin protesting her inability to stay present. We can all relate to this, and to Wind’s dance bass groove. “Greta Van Fake” is, as you’d expect and hope, a brutal takedown of Greta Van Fleet (“I watch you from the crowd as you fake it, now watch us from the ground as we make it.”). The album closes with “Be My Enemy,” which has Quartin telling her detractors that she’s biding her time as they push her down so she can grow in strength and then smash them to pieces.
Bellevue is named after the upstate New York mental hospital, and Quartin has mentioned that she wrote many of the album’s lyrics while undergoing great stress during the pandemic. The album is manic, for sure, but there’s a tightness to it like a straitjacket that’s tearing at the seams.
Partner‘s newest EP, Time Is a Car, is both a throwback to their love of fellow Canadians Rush and a drive into the future of their careers as rock icons of their own.
The title track, with its danceable bass from Lucy Niles, brings in post-punk guitars by Joseé Caron and existentialist vocals from both of them such as, “If you’re part of the fabric, do you know you’re a thread?” “Boundaries (No Offense)” has a country twang to it that accentuates the theme of leaving a relationship and putting up a metaphorical fence so you won’t return because you know it would be bad for both of you.
After the lovely, almost ambient “Rest Stop Interlude,” we floor it with “Fear That Closes the Heart” – a track in which Partner happily wear their Rush influence on their sleeves. On it, Caron and Niles sing that they’re “Scared to let go of the fear, scared of what might take its place.” The ego is a tough bastard, and it will go all it can to keep its hold on you.
Partner encourages us to finish the race on the closer, “Not Today,” with powerful lyrics like “Not today, but one day, the world won’t be the same…The things that we believe in will evolve and they will change…When illusions turn to dust and institutions rust, maybe that’ll be the day truth will light the way.” It’s a strong example of how Partner have grown as songwriters, and it has Caron’s fiercest solo on the record.
It’s more good stuff from Partner, who seem to get a hit every time they’re at the plate.
Brooklyn-based GIFT unveils “Share The Present,” the new single from their forthcoming album, Momentary Presence, out October 14th on Dedstrange. Following previous singles “Feather” and “Gumball Garden,” “Share the Present” stays grounded with solid motorik riffs and airy 80s-inspired synths making a comfortable bed for bandleader TJ Freda’s gentle affirmations. Freda explains, “Sharing the present is being in the present moment. Not looking towards the future or dwelling on the past. Being present is the most important thing you can do when you are feeling down. ‘Don’t look back, you’ll fall down’ don’t dwell on the past of who you were. Look to the present moment and appreciate who you are and where you’re going.” This ethos is central to Momentary Presence, a chronicle of the plight to stay present, and a celebration of the eternal now.
Composed of Freda and his bandmates Jessica Gurewitz, Kallan Campbell, Justin Hrabovsky, and Cooper Naess, GIFT have a knack for conjuring soundscapes that are simultaneously turbulent and gorgeous. GIFT’s debut album, Momentary Presence, is a natural match for Dedstrange, the new label co-founded by Oliver Ackermann of New York City noise-rock and psychedelic legends A Place to Bury Strangers and Death by Audio. Inspired by Be Here Now, the 1971 spiritual guide and counterculture landmark by guru Ram Dass, Momentary Presence is a meditation on working through the anxiety and self doubt that we all, at one point, carry.
Momentary Presence introduces TJ Freda as a sorcerous and versatile home-recording engineer. GIFT’s full-length debut contains recordings that seem to tease something seismic coming around the corner, as well as dense, layered productions that feel complete, definitive, and impermeable. Can you open yourself up and appreciate it in its fullness – the ugliness and confusion as well as the beauty and joy? The members of GIFT believe you can. Together, they share the quest for perfect sound, harmony during times of trouble, and radical openness.
The Stooges, who would become known for their fierce punk garage rock, could’ve been one of the greatest psychedelic rock bands of all time if they had chosen to go down that road.
Take the opening track (“1969”) of their debut album, for example. It’s loaded with psych-fuzz guitar from Ron Asheton that sounds like he just walked in from San Francisco instead of Detroit, and Iggy Pop‘s vocals are almost spoken word poetry rambled from a dingy coffee house. “I Wanna Be Your Dog” almost induces bad acid trip panic.
The third track, “We Will Fall,” is over ten minutes of floating down a lazy river while monks wearing saffron-colored robes chant and play hand percussion instruments along the banks. “No Fun” brings back the grungy fuzz with Dave Alexander‘s distorted bass leading the romp. “Real Cool Time” has Asheton jamming like a damn sawmill of sound tearing through your house.
Pop’s vocals on “Ann” blend right into Asheton’s guitar squalls while Alexander and Scott Asheton lay down a hypnotic rhythm to further trip you out of your headspace. “Not Right” has Pop feeling frisky, but his lady friend isn’t “feeling right,” so he’s stuck again frustrated, and then even more so when she’s finally in the mood and he isn’t. “It’s always this way,” he moans while the rest of the Stooges proceed to melt our faces. The album closes with “Little Doll” and its swirling, scratchy, savage guitars fading the album, and us, into oblivion.
Everyone knows how important The Stooges are to music, but their debut album is a forgotten psychedelic rock classic.
Forty years after its release Motörhead classic Iron Fist album is given a stunning reissue that includes enough bonus tracks for two full albums.
The album sounds harder than ever with the new remastering. The title track opens the record with furious drumming from Phil “Philthy Animal” Taylor, and the album rarely, if ever, lets up. “Heart of Stone” is just as angry as it’s always been, as is the raw “Go to Hell” – a song you’ll want to send to your boss at that job you hate as you walk out the door. “Speedfreak” sums up Motörhead’s lifestyle, really.
After the send-off of “Bang to Rights,” we’re treated to six demo tracks from 1981: “Remember Me, I’m Gone,” “The Doctor,” “Young & Crazy,” “Loser,” “Iron Fist,” and “Go to Hell.” Seven more bonus tracks follow on the CD and digital versions of the album: The wonderfully grungy “Lemmy Goes to the Pub,” “Same Old Song, I’m Gone,” a crushing alternate version of “(Don’t Let ’em) Grind Ya Down,” “Shut It Down,” and three instrumentals – “Sponge Cake,” “Ripsaw Teardown,” and a barely recognizable cover of the “Peter Gunn” theme.
As if all this wasn’t enough, there’s also a previously unreleased live album recorded at the Apollo in Glasgow, Scotland on March 18, 1982. It’s a stunning, fuzzy, eardrum-blasting recording that opens with a version of “Iron Fist” that sounds like they’re playing it while the Apollo is on fire. LemmyKilmister barely takes a breath until they get to “The Hammer” and he encourages the Glasgow crowd to shout throughout it.
The live version of “White Line Fever” sounds like getting punched in the face by an ogre – multiple times. Kilmister’s raspy growl on “Go to Hell” is the match and Fast Eddie Clarke‘s guitar is the gasoline on the track. Kilmister chastises Glasgow again before “(We Are) The Road Crew,” saying their cheering is so lame that they “sound like Leo Sayer,” which only gets the Scots to go crazier. Of course, this live version of “Ace of Spades” is liable to set fire to your face. They close the main set with venue-shattering versions of “Overkill,” “Bomber,” and “Motörhead.”
It’s a stunning reissue of an already stunning record. Don’t miss this if you’re a fan of Motörhead of NWOBHM.
The news regarding Doctor Explosion’s first release after an extensive recording break was made over the Summer with the announcement of their forthcoming album Superioridad Moral. Now, a new single off the album, along with the tour dates coinciding with the record’s release, is the latest update from the garage maniac sons of Asturias!
January 10th, 2016, was the passing date of David Bowie. For some people, it’s a day when they remember where they were upon learning the news. Superioridad Moral’sthird single, “El Día Que David Bowie Murió” has Jorge Explosion recalling that day seven years later with the below quote.
January 10, 2016 – Circo Perrotti Studios, Gijón (ES) “David Bowie died a few hours ago, and three musicians decided to express their surprise and admiration. Thus was born “The Day David Bowie Died,” an ode to artistic immortality. In an improvised session full of sound savagery and Pop spontaneity, Doctor Explosión reflect on their own daily insignificance in the face of death with their atypical and personal Garage de Autor. Fuzz’s raging guitars and delicious vocal harmonies combine in this energetic hit that is already playing across the Atlantic, at number three of Bill Kelly’s Top 10 for Little Steven’s Underground Garage.”. – (Jorge Explosion: 2022)
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El Día Que David Bowie Murió” is the latest single premiering off Superioridad Moral with videos for “Insatisfacción” and “Vestir De Mujer” already available and charting on Spotify.
With a new album, the band sports a new look. Expanding from their traditional trio into a quartet, the band is anchored by Jorge Explosion (vocals/guitar), César Crespo (guitar), and ex-Cooper players Conrado Martin (drums) and Dani Montero (bass). Six years in the making, Superioridad Moralis the first offering by Doctor Explosion since 2010’s Hablaban Con Frases Hechas. Writing and recording began at Jorge’s Estudios Circo Perrotti in Gijón, where Jorge has produced groups such as The Jackets, The Fleshtones, Messer Chups, Holly Golightly, and many others. For mastering, Jorge enlists the assistance of notable Abbey Road mastering engineer Frank Arkwright whose production credits include New Order, The Smiths, Joy Division, Oasis, and Arcade Fire, among others.
Superioridad Moral will be available on vinyl, CD, and all digital platforms on November 4th via Slovenly Recordings. Pre-orders for each format can be found here.
Superioridad Moral Tracklisting
1. “Insatisfacción” 2. “Vestir De Mujer” 3. “El Día Que David Bowie Murió” 4. “La Gente No Sabe Gastar” 5. “Grises” 6. “Apego Evitativo” 7. “La Polilla” 8. “Acidez” 9. “Mi Lista De Cosas Que Hacer” 10.”Paleto (They Call Me Country)”
“I’m aware of only half the picture. It comes down upon me like a heavy rain. The psycho Deli is out of mustard and all the Porn Stars won’t leave their homes. I’m out only to get myself, but don’t get in the way. The bugs which throw themselves at windows rarely get their say.” – Caleb Landry Jones
Award-winning actor and visual artist Caleb Landry Jones is a bonafide musical maverick, and today, announces his new album Gadzooks Vol. 2, out November 4th on Sacred Bones, with lead single/video, “Touchdown Yolk.” Following 2021’s Gadzooks Vol. 1, the “engaging affair of warped, carnivalesque psychedelia” (The AV Club), Jones’ third album is his most soothing and sublime collection to date. And while most artists don’t save some of the best music of their career for an album with Vol. 2 in the title, Jones is an artist for whom chronology is a slippery substance.
Recorded with Nic Jodoin in the famed Valentine Recording Studios, Gadzooks Vol. 2 was made alongside Jones’ The Mother Stone, hailed by Billboard as “a remarkable beast of a debut album.” The team invited a slew of heavy hitting musicians, including producer Drew Erickson, to the studio to contribute to the magic, and the resulting album sounds a bit like pink elephants in cowboy hats making ASMR — at least for the first 20 seconds before it seamlessly changes entirely.
One of Jones’s greatest musical gifts is his ability to cover a vast energetic and sonic landscape in a way with a wide array of instrumentation and vocal stylings over a wholly unique song structure, in a way that feels cohesive and euphoric. A driving number, “Touchdown Yolk” is Jones, who plays nearly every instrument on the track, at his catchiest, while still maintaining his enthralling and distinct charm. The accompanying video, which was co-created by Jones, Patrick Jones, Katya Zvereva, Natalia Zvereva, Lera Moiseeva, Jean-Stephane Sauvaire, Jacqueline Castel and Mitch Horowitz, collages handheld camcorder footage recorded around New York City, an irresistibly unsettling foray into the ever-expanding Gadzooks universe.
