The cover of King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard‘s “first” live album (not counting the three live recordings they released earlier this year to benefit Australian wildlife charities), Chunky Shrapnel, features an image of a seven-headed hydra (the same number of guys in the band) surrounded by speakers hooked up to analog equipment to produce weird digital images signifying their already tremendous output of albums and songs, such as Infest the Rats’ Nest (bottom middle), “People Vultures” (bottom right), and even the cyborg Han-Tyumi from Murder of the Universe (second down from the top on the right).
It’s a neat image because it not only tells you what’s in store for you on this great live album, but also a nod to the blending of music and modern technology. The band released a Chunky Shrapnel concert film in a limited stream earlier this year. A full-blown theatrical / wide streaming release is in the works, but this album is a great taste of what to expect from it – and any live KGATLW show (which never disappoint).
The album is sprinkled with studio instrumentals (“Evil Star,” “Quarantine,” “Anamesis”) and the rest is stuffed with live tracks recorded in Luxembourg, Madrid, Manchester, Utrecht, London, Brussels, Milan, Berlin, and Barcelona) over the course of their 2019 world tour. The first live track is a wonderful, jazzy version of “The River.” It’s a neat choice to open your live album with a mellow track (that blooms into an epic jam around the three-minute mark) to get the listener grooving. “Wah Wah” gets the Madrid crowd chanting and jumping. “Road Train” is a nice, crazy follow-up, and the trippy “Murder of the Universe” lets them jam at will as Han-Tyumi’s vocals echo around them from some unseen machine.
The version of “Planet B” unleashed on the London crowd is downright dangerous, somehow sounding twice heavier and faster than the album version (which is already damn heavy and fast). “Parking” is a fuzzy two-minute drum solo that leads into the blazing “Venusian 2” and “Hell” that threaten to incinerate and / or flatten the Milan venue.
The bluesy, swaggering “Let Me Mend the Past” gets the Madrid crowd whooping and hollering. “Inner Cell” brings back a bit of menace. “Loyalty” and “Horology” both flow well together and ease us back down before nineteen minutes of “A Brief History of the Planet Earth” pieced together from four different shows. The song ebbs and flows, being manic one moment and euphoric the next. It’s full of noodling jams and more fuzz than a koala bear. There’s even a moment when they pass a beer through the crowd to their sound man accompanied by frenzied riffs.
It’s another great, stunning album from KGATLW – who by now are obviously unstoppable.
The Psycho Las Vegasmusic festival announced its return in 2021 at the Mandalay Bay Casino Hotel August 19th (if you count the Psycho Swim daytime events, and why wouldn’t you?) through August 22nd.
Most of the original lineup has been announced as returning in 2021. Unfortunately, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and Ty Segall aren’t listed as being part of the 2021 festival, but losing just two big bands out of a big lineup like that is a pretty good deal. Tickets for the 2020 scenario will be honored in 2021, and you can probably still buy tickets for the 2021 festival since many people who’d planned to attend this year won’t be able to make it next year.
Opener “Evil Star” is a fuzzy instrumental appetizer to the meaty, heavy “Venusian 2.” The crowd is in full battle mode when they arrive at the sludgy “Superbug.” Lead singer Stu Mackenzie‘s vocals sound shouted to the moon and I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Lucas Harwood‘s bass rooting the tune in a solid stoner metal groove. “The Lord of Lightning” begins as a neat psychedelic jam that gets the crowd clapping and grows into the powerful story of a wizard fighting a monster.
“Altered Beast IV” has some of Michael Cavanaugh and Eric Moore‘s best double drumming. The crowd goes wild for “People Vultures” – and rightly so, since it seems to be played at double the normal speed of the album cut. The groove of “This Thing” is undeniable, and Ambrose Kenny-Smith‘s harmonica work on it is always top-notch.
“Sense” slows things down to a happy vibe. “The Wheel” might be the trippiest song on the album. Kenny-Smith’s vocals are warped, and Mackenzie, Cook Craig, and Joey Walker‘s guitars move around each other like cats high on catnip. “The Bird Song” is always a delight – live or otherwise. The band always sounds happy while playing it, and you can’t help but partake in their joy.
“Down the Sink” has a fun new wave vibe to it. “Work This Time” floats the audience about five feet off the hall floor with its hazy, meditative feel. Plus, the guitar solo on it is great. The band then gets the crowd roaring again with “Robot Stop.” The opening chords alone make the audience frantic before it explodes into chill-inducing mania. “Big Fig Wasp” continues the chaos with its microtonal riffs. “Gamma Knife” comes at you like a whole swarm of the aforementioned wasps.
The closer, “Float Along – Fill Your Lungs,” is jaw-dropping. It’s a stunning piece of psychedelia that floats along for over twelve minutes and probably left the Belgian audience euphoric.
It’s another great slice of the King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard pie and does what any good live album should do – make you want to see them live as soon as possible.
Chicago’s Riot Fest was the last 2020 festival standing in Chicago that hadn’t been postponed or cancelled, so it wasn’t a shock to learn it had been postponed until September 16 – 19, 2021.
What was a surprise was how they announced the first wave of the 2021 lineup. I don’t know how many of these bands were already scheduled for the 2020 festival, but they landed some heavy hitters either way – My Chemical Romance, Smashing Pumpkins, Run the Jewels, and Pixies are all sure to draw big crowds. Gogol Bordello are known for their wild shows, and punk legends Circle Jerks are a nice snag, as are Toots and the Maytals, Jawbox, Best Coast, and L7. My favorite part of the current lineup, however, might be Living Colour. I had no idea they were touring. Furthermore, Riot Fest teases two more waves of lineup announcements – possibly of thirty-six more bands. There’s also this…
They’ve announced that there will be surprise sets on September 16th, some by bands they describe as “bucket list” bands. In my limited music festival experience, preview nights are not to be missed. Some of the best sets I’ve seen at Levitation Music Festivalhave been on Thursday nights.
Get your tickets early if you can. Everyone is going to be so hungry for live music in 2021 that there will be few shows and festivals that won’t be sell-outs.
Recorded at L’Olympia in Paris, France October 14, 2019, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard‘s Live in Paris ’19 is one of three live albums they released for animal welfare charities during the massive wildfires sweeping Australia (many of which, by the way, are still burning). All proceeds from these albums go to these charities, and all three were released well before KGATLW‘s “official” live album – Chunky Shrapnel (review coming soon).
You can tell right away that the Parisian crowd is ready to go nuts from the opening notes. The show starts with the instrumental “Evil Star” before breaking into a sprint with “Venusian 2” and “Perihelion” from Infest the Rats’ Nest. “Perihelion” hits the hardest of the two. “Crumbling Castle” is the second longest track on the album (at nearly nine minutes), and the crowd never stops cheering for it the entire time. It tears into “The Fourth Colour” so fast it almost makes your head spin.
“Deserted Dunes Welcome Weary Feet” and “The Castle in the Air” are a great pairing to slow things down just a touch before the rocking “Muddy Water.” “People Vultures” is a crowd favorite (as is anything from Nonagon Infinity, really) and sounds like it’s almost at double the normal speed. The swing of “Mr. Beat” is always fun to hear live. Hearing the crowd sing along to Stu Mackenzie‘s opening flute on “Hot Water” is delightful.
They’re grooving ands swinging on “This Thing.” “Billabong Valley” is always a crowd favorite as Ambrose Kenny-Smith takes over on lead vocals to sing a tale of a gunman. “Nuclear Fusion” is a personal favorite because of the cool Middle Eastern microtonal groove of the whole thing. “Anoxia,” the always rocking “All Is Known,” and the always hip-moving “Boogieman Sam” follow, and the show wraps up with a dive back into thrash metal with another personal favorite – “Mars for the Rich” and then over twelve minutes of the wild, swirling, mind-melting “Am I in Heaven?” – which contains bits of “Altered Beast” and “Cyboogie” as well.
You might think that after this whirlwind of an album is finished – just like any show by these wacky fellas.
Clutch will perform a streamed concert titled “Live From The Doom Saloon Volume 1” on May 27th. They will be supported remotely by Crowbar, Blacktop Mojo, and Saul. This unique online concert format has been produced in conjunction with Sound Talent Group (STG), and LiveFrom Events and will use cutting-edge streaming technology to close the distance between the bands and the fans for an amazing virtual concert experience.
The show will be available for On Demand Viewing starting at 4PM EST on Thursday May 28th and will be available for 48 hours into Saturday, May 30th. The ticket price will remain the same for those viewers that were not able to join the live broadcast. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to Angel Flight and Musicares.
Through a network of more than 1,800 volunteer pilots, Angel FlightWest provides free air transportation for people who need to travel long distances to access medical care and other essential services across the 12 Western states. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, AFW pilots have flown 150 missions to deliver more than six tons of PPE and other crucial supplies to the Navajo and Hopi Nations and other rural clinics, while also arranging commercial flights for medical personnel who are traveling to serve on the front lines, with tickets donated by Alaska Airlines.
Doors – @ 3:50PM EST Saul – 4PM EST (9PM UK time) Blacktop Mojo – 4:30PM EST (9:30PM UK time)Crowbar – 5:05PM EST (10:05PM UK time)Clutch – 5:50PM (10:50PM UK time)
For more information, check out the band’s website: www.pro-rock.com
“A virus may scare the punk rock world out of Oakland in July but we’ll scare it right back on Halloween weekend! Trick or treat, we can’t be beat! Burger Boogaloo 2020: a Monster Mash to top them all!” – John Waters
Given the unprecedented circumstances facing our city, state, and country, Burger Boogaloo is officially moving to Halloween weekend: Saturday, October 31st & Sunday, November 1st in Oakland’s Mosswood Park. The festival’s lineup will remain the same and even include additional artists: Shannon Shaw, Hammered Satin, and The Rubinoos. All previously purchased tickets will be honored for the new dates.
The safety of our attendees, performing artists, and staff is of the utmost priority. That sentiment extends beyond the Boogaloo’s festival grounds, which is why we want to stress the importance of staying home, refraining from unnecessary socializing, and maintaining thorough cleanliness during these trying times.
Outside of Halloween being the most fitting holiday for Burger Boogaloo to fall on, we chose these new dates because they were the best option for accommodating our performing artists, many of whom have had to cancel or reschedule upcoming tours. For the same reasons, we ask that you continue to support the artists you cherish and the members of your community who have been hit hardest by current events whenever possible. This includes abiding by social distancing practices that can help keep others healthy in the present while ensuring that a safer future comes sooner than later.
We look forward to the day that live music returns and to a Burger Boogaloo Halloween celebration that will be unlike any other. Until then, keep safe and keep listening.
BIKINI KILL (1st Bay Area show in 25 years) CIRCLE JERKS (1st Bay Area show in 10 years) PLASTIC BERTRAND (1st Bay Area show ever) CARBONAS (1st Bay Area show in 10 years) BLEACHED SHANNON SHAW ALICE BAG (of the Bags) FLIPPER THE FEVERS PANSY DIVISION THE YOUNGER LOVERS PANTY RAID MIDNITE SNAXXX HAMMERED SATIN THE RUBINOOS
TICKET PRICES Day 1 – $99 Day 2 – $69 Weekend Pass – $129 VIP day 1 – $149 VIP day 2 – $109 VIP weekend Pass – $199
Keep your mind open.
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King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard have announced Chunky Shrapnel; a feature length music documentary film and accompanying Double LP to be released in April 2020.
The album will be released digitally on April 24th with vinyl pre-orders available on April 10th. The film will premiere online April 17th.
“Chunky Shrapnel was made for the cinema but as both concerts and films are currently outlawed, it feels poetic to release a concert-film digitally right now. Get the loudest speakers you’ve got, turn ‘em up and watch Chunky on the biggest telly you can find. Get heaps of snacks and convert your lounge room into a cinema.” Stu Mackenzie
A musical road movie dipped in turpentine, Chunky Shrapnel is a point of view/on stage experience from the perspective of King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard. Once a song begins, just like the band, you’re stuck in the adrenaline fueled quick sand that there is no escape from. The film’s contention is clear from the outset, it’s going to be a “journey” not a “lecture”, an incurved experience rather than a linear one.
The band, nor the film-makers were interested in making a self congratulatory “behind the scenes expose” film. It was a direct decision to keep the inner workings of the band’s personality at arms length, it is the music they were interested in exploring. The approach was taken that the film’s protagonist should be the “on stage” performances, that was the focus. With this, they abandoned multiple cameras and cross cutting during performances, turning the camera into a vehicle for the audience to experience the show through, rather than placing them in a crowd or side of stage. At 96 minutes, Chunky Shrapnel more than earns its length. At times gently holding your hand and at other times smashing a bottle over your head and dumping your body in a heaving crowd. There is an inevitability to the film, a driving, ever accelerating spiral that climaxes in a 15 minute medley that spans four countries.
Chunky Shrapnel is directed by John Angus Stewart and scored by Stu Mackenzie.
Keep your mind open.
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[Thanks to Flightless Records for this press release.]
Today Protomartyr announce their fifth album, Ultimate SuccessToday, out May 29th on Domino. Following the release of Relatives In Descent, the band’s critically acclaimed headlong dive into the morass of American life in 2017 (featured on myriad “best of” lists, including The New York Times, Esquire, Newsweek, and more), Ultimate Success Today continues to further expand the possibilities of what a Protomartyr album can sound like. Along with today’s album announcement, the band shares the video for their first single “Processed By The Boys,” and announces a summer North American tour. WATCH THE VIDEO FOR “PROCESSED BY THE BOYS” http://smarturl.it/PBTBYT
PRE-ORDER ULTIMATE SUCCESS TODAY Domino Mart | Digital “There is darkness in the poetry of Ultimate Success Today,” says punk legend, founding member of the Raincoats, and friend of the band Ana da Silva. “The theme of things ending, above all human existence, is present and reminiscent of Cormac McCarthy’s The Road. Our world has reached a point that makes us afraid: fires, floods, earthquakes, hunger, war, intolerance…There are cries of despair. Is there hope? Greed is the sickness that puts life in danger.”
“The re-release of our first album had me thinking about the passage of time and its ultimate conclusion,” says singer Joe Casey of Ultimate Success Today. “Listening to No Passion All Technique again, I could hear myself hoping for an introduction and a long future, but also being cognizant that it could be ‘one and done’ for us. So, when it came time to write Ultimate Success Today, I was reminded of that first urgency and how it was an inverse of my current grapple with how terribly ill I’ve been feeling lately. Was that sick feeling coloring how I felt about the state of the world or was it the other way around?”
“This panic was freeing in a way. It allowed me to see our fifth album as a possible valediction of some confusingly loud five-act play. In the same light I see it as an interesting mile marker of our first decade of being a band – a crest of the hill along a long highway. Although just to cover my bases, I made sure to get my last words in while I still had the breath to say them.”
“There are exquisite, subtle gifts from other instruments that always heighten the guitar, instead of fighting with it,” explains da Silva. “They help to create a harmonious wall of sound all of its own. This was intentional. Greg Ahee wanted to use different textures other than pedals, and the drone quality of some of those instruments colours the guitar and the whole sound with a warm, rich in reverb, yet all-consuming landscape for Joe Casey’s voice.”
The video for “Processed By The Boys,” directed by David Allen & Nathan Faustyn and produced by HLPTV & LooseMeat.Biz, is a play on a bizarre Brazilian TV clip the band became infatuated with. A man sings to a studio audience, while a member of the audience becomes enraged by a puppet, leading the whole situation to devolve into total chaos. “As soon as we heard the concept, we knew how to take the band’s ideas and coalesce them into this sort of timeless public access chaos,” says Faustyn. “Because of the nature of HLPTV & LooseMeat.Biz and who we are – professional and hobbyist technicians – we knew we could pull off a really strange, funny and sardonically dark compendium to this song that is equally such.”
Protomartyr is Joe Casey (vocals), Greg Ahee (guitars), Alex Leonard (drums), and Scott Davidson (bass guitar). Ultimate Success Today was recorded at Dreamland Recording Studios, a late 19th century church, in upstate New York and co-produced by the band and David Tolomei (Dirty Projectors, Beach House) with mixing by Tolomei. Featured guest musicians on the album include Nandi Rose (vocals) a.k.a. Half Waif, jazz legend Jemeel Moondoc (alto sax), Izaak Mills (bass clarinet, sax, flute), and Fred Lonberg-Holm (cello).
Ultimate Success Today is available to pre-order now on LP, CD and digital formats. A limited blue-in-red colored edition of the LP is available exclusively on the Domino Mart.
ULTIMATE SUCCESS TODAY TRACKLISTING
1. Day Without End 2. Processed By The Boys 3. I Am You Now 4. The Aphorist 5. June 21 6. Michigan Hammers 7. Tranquilizer 8. Modern Business Hymns 9. Bridge & Crown 10. Worm In Heaven
PROTOMARTYR TOUR DATES (new dates in bold)
Mon. April 27 – London, UK @ Peckham Audio – SOLD OUT Tue. April 28 – London, UK @ The Lexington – SOLD OUT Wed. April 29 – Paris, FR @ La Boule Noire – SOLD OUT Thu. April 30 -Utrecht, NL @ Ekko – SOLD OUT Sat. May 2 -Berlin, DE @ Ubran Spree Sun. May 3 – Berlin, DE @ Urban Spree Mon. May 4 – Groningen, NL @ Vera Tue. May 5 – Brussels, BE @ Nuits Botanique Mon. June 1 – Toronto, ON @ Lee’s Tue. June 2 – Montreal, QC @ Le Ritz Wed. June 3 – Boston, MA @ Sinclair Thu. June 4 – Brooklyn, NY @ Elsewhere Sat. June 6 – Philadelphia, PA @ Underground Arts Sun. June 7 – Washington, DC @ Black Cat Tue. June 9 – Raleigh, NC @ Kings Wed. June 10 – Atlanta, GA @ Earl Thu. June 11 – New Orleans, LA @ Gasa Gasa Fri. June 12 – Dallas, TX @ Club Dada Mon. June 15 – Tucson, AZ @ Hotel Congress Tue. June 16 – Phoenix, AZ @ Rebel Lounge Wed. June 17 – San Diego, CA @ Casbah Thu. June 18 – Los Angeles, CA @ Lodge Room Fri. June 19 – Los Angeles, CA @ Lodge Room Sat. June 20 – Oakland, CA @ Starline Social Club Mon. June 22 – Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom Tue. June 23 – Seattle, WA @ Crocodile Fri. June 26 – Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry Sat. June 27 – Milwaukee, WI @ Cactus Club Sun. June 28 – Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall Protomartyr Online: https://www.facebook.com/protomartyr https://soundcloud.com/protomartyr http://pitchperfectpr.com/protomartyr https://protomartyr.bandcamp.com http://www.dominorecordco.us/artists/protomartyr
Wilco photo by Annabel Mehran, Sleater-Kinney photo by Nikko LaMere
Wilco and Sleater-Kinney are pleased to announce their “It’s Time” Summer 2020 co-headlining tour. After their respective North American and European runs in support of last year’s Ode To Joy(out now on dBpm Records), Wilco will return stateside, closing out each night of their co-headlining tour with Sleater-Kinney, who just closed out their The Center Won’t Hold tour. The entirety of the tour is made up of outdoor amphitheatres and venues, including a show in Wilco’s hometown of Chicago at Millennium Park’s Pritzker Pavilion, Nashville’s AscendAmphitheater, Morrison, CO’s Red Rocks Amphitheatre, and more. Tickets for these newly-announced shows are on sale now.
Wilco Tour Dates (new dates in bold): Sat. March 21 – Vancouver, BC @ Orpheum Theatre & Mon. March 23 – Portland, OR @ Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall & Tue. March 24 – Portland, OR @ Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall ^ Thu. March 26 – Santa Rosa, CA @ Luther Burbank Centers For The Arts ^ – SOLD OUT Fri. March 27 – Oakland, CA @ Fox Theater ^ – SOLD OUT Sat. March 28 – Oakland, CA @ Fox Theater ^ – SOLD OUT Sun. March 29 – San Jose, CA @ San Jose Civic ^ Tue. March 31 – San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore – SOLD OUT Wed. April 1 – Los Angeles, CA @ Orpheum Theatre ^ Thu. April 2 – Los Angeles, CA @ Orpheum Theatre % – SOLD OUT Sat. April 4 – Las Vegas, NV @ Brooklyn Bowl % Sun. April 5 – Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Palladium % Wed. April 15 – Jackson, MS @ Thalia Mara Hall $ Thu. April 16 – Mobile, AL @ Saenger Theatre $ Sat. April 18 – St. Augustine, FL @ St. Augustine Amphitheatre $ Sun. April 19 – North Charleston, SC @ High Water Festival Fri. May 15 – Chicago, IL @ Vic Theatre (JEFF TWEEDY SOLO SHOW) Sat. May 16 – Chicago, IL @ Vic Theatre (JEFF TWEEDY SOLO SHOW) Fri. June 19 – Kent, UK @ Black Deer Festival Mon. June 22 – Merignac, FR @ Krakatoa Tue. June 23 – Nimes, FR @ La Paloma Thu. June 25 – Murcia, ES @ Plaza de Toros Fri. June 26 – Madrid, ES @ Noches Del Botánico Sat. June 27 – Valencia, ES @ 4ever Festival Sun. June 28 – Barcelona, ES @ Suite Festival Tue. June 30 – San Sebastian, ES @ Auditorio del Centro Kursaal Thu. July 2 – Werchter, BE @ FestivalPark Rock Werchter Wed. July 3 – Beuningen, NL @ Down the Rabbit Hole Festival Thu. Aug. 6 – Spokane, WA @ First Interstate Center for the Arts @ Sat. Aug. 8 – Big Sky, MT @ Peak to Sky @ Tue. Aug. 11 – Morrison, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre @* Thu. Aug. 13 – Kansas City, MO @ Arvest Bank Theatre at The Midland @* Fri. Aug. 14 – Maryland Heights, MO @ Saint Louis Music Park @* Sat. Aug. 15 – Atlanta, GA @ Cadence Bank Amphitheatre @* Sun. Aug. 16 – Nashville, TN @ Ascend Amphitheater @* Tue. Aug. 18 – Asheville, NC @ Salvage Station @* Wed. Aug. 19 – Richmond, VA @ Altria Theatre @* Fri. Aug. 21 – Columbia, MD @ Merriweather Post Pavilion @* Sat. Aug. 22 – Forest Hills, NY @ Forest Hills Stadium @* Sun. Aug. 23 – Philadelphia, PA @ Mann Center for Performing Arts @* Tue. Aug. 25 – Boston, MA @ Rockland Trust Bank Pavilion @* Wed. Aug. 26 – Portland, ME @ Thompson’s Point @* Thu. Aug. 27 – Lewiston, NY @ Artpark Amphitheater @* Sat. Aug. 29 – Chicago, IL @ Millennium Park Pritzker Pavilion @* Thu. Sept. 17 – Des Moines, IA @ Water Works Park # Fri. Sept. 18 – Ashwaubenon, WI @ Capital Credit Union Park # Sat. Sept. 19 – Welch, MN @ Treasure Island Amphitheater #
!=w/ Young Fresh Fellows &=w/ Kacy and Clayton ^= w/ James Elkington %= w/ White Fence $= w/ Ratboys #= w/ Trampled by Turtles @=w/ Sleater-Kinney *= w/ NNAMDÏ
“[Ode to Joy is] sometimes dank…sometimes warm and Westerberg-ian” – The New York Times
“The group’s 11th LP, their best in years, is a beautiful exercise in downhearted uplift.” – Rolling Stone
“[Ode to Joy] is Wilco’s best album in over a decade, and solid proof there’s room for bands to grow even when they’re already ten albums in.” – Vulture
“[Ode To Joy] is direct and spacious, centering on the beauty of quiet revelation.” – Pitchfork
“Ode to Joy, is mostly a slower-paced album that shows appreciation for the small, beautiful moments in life.” – NPR
Keep your mind open.
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