February 2020 – Page 2 – 7th Level Music

Too Free release an early contender for best singles of 2020 – “Elastic.”

Today, Too Free releases a new single, “Elastic,” from their forthcoming debut album, Love In High Demand, out February 21st on Sister Polygon. It follows “No Fun,” “another piece of earworm dance-pop” (Stereogum), and lead single “ATM.” “Elastic” is driven by a bouncing beat and jaunty percussion. “‘Elastic’ is an attempt to define those intangible spaces between seduction and letting go of your inhibitions,” says Awad Bilal. “Unlearning generations of conditioning to explore the different kinds of love that we are capable of feeling without stigma or fear.”

In conjunction, the band announces additional North American tour dates. Following their shows in Washington, D.C. and New York, they’ll play Chicago, Montreal, Winooski, and Bloomington. More dates will soon follow.

STREAM TOO FREE’S “ELASTIC”
https://youtu.be/OVgWyv3Svn4

WATCH “NO FUN” VIDEO
https://youtu.be/2R2DYl8AZhc

WATCH “ATM” VIDEO
https://youtu.be/bErEP9TJCQY

Too Free is the Washington, D.C.-based trio of Awad Bilal (Big Freedia, Vasillus), Carson Cox (Merchandise), and Don Godwin (Callers, Impractical Cockpit). Their only mission is a desire to connect with others in the space that music creates. Drawing from improvisation and experimentation, they deconstruct their songs to their most necessary elements, leaning into their collective punk ethos and DIY backgrounds. Drawing equally from elements of South Florida freestyle and Jersey electro into DC’s signature polyrhythms, the record is a continuous refinement of the virtue of motion – each composition rooted in propulsive energy that envelops. Aiming to make something with a more utopian outlook that counters the pervasive pessimism, archaic ideologies and dystopian timelines we interact with on a daily basis, they approach this project with an open-endedness that incorporates higher concepts of what pop art can sound like.

PRE-ORDER LOVE IN HIGH DEMAND
https://sisterpolygonrecords.bigcartel.com/product/pre-order-too-free-love-in-high-demand-lp-spr-033

TOO FREE TOUR DATES
Sat. Feb. 22 – Washington, DC – U Street Music Hall
Thu. Feb. 27 – Brooklyn, NY @ Trans Pecos
Wed. April 1 – Bloomington, IN @ The Bishop
Thu. April 2 – Chicago, IL @ CoProsperity Sphere
Sun. April 5 – Montreal, QC @ La Sotterenea
Mon. April 6 – Winooski, VT @ The Monkey House

Too Free Online:
https://toofree.bandcamp.com/
https://www.instagram.com/toofreedc/
https://www.pitchperfectpr.com/too-free/
https://www.sisterpolygonrecords.com/artists/too-free

Keep your mind open.

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Rewind Review: Priests – Bodies and Control and Money and Power (2014)

The first record by Washington D.C. post-punks Priests, Bodies and Control and Money and Power, was a great kick in the junk in 2014 and is still hits hard now.

The opener, “Design with Reach,” has blaring guitar by G.L. Jaguar while vocalist / firebrand Katie Alice Greer reminds us all of our mortality and Taylor Multiz‘s bass is the rumble of a hearse and Daniele Daniele‘s drums are the footsteps of the Grim Reaper. “I’m not sure I should be talking to you,” Greer sings on “Doctor” – a witty tune about how words can quickly trip up a relationship (“You put your fingers in other people’s mouths all day. Don’t you, Doctor?”).

“New” is blaring punk rock that has some of Greer’s most dangerous vocals and riffs from Jaguar that almost clang like a skillet hitting you in the head. “Powertrip” is even faster. Mulitz’s bass runs all over the room and Daniele’s drums are pure punk bliss.

“Modern Love / No Weapon” dares you to tame it. It just comes at you like a four-headed hydra while you’re armed with a toothbrush. “I think about you all the time,” Greer sings / yells in a tone that’s more menacing than seductive. The groove on “Right Wing” (on which Jaguar and Multiz swap instruments) is great while Greer tells us to “Worship me, politely.” and that she’s “not trying to be anything.”

The album ends with the bonkers “And Breeding,” with Greer chastising all of us for spending most of our time “fucking and breeding” and “trying to understand” why we’re so attached to our cubicle mazes. “I know what we gotta do,” she says before she proceeds to verbally trash Elvis Presley, Madonna, and other icons to which we compare ourselves for no good reason whatsoever.

It’s seven songs of rage, riffs, and rock. What more could you want? Priests have, for the time being, amicably called it quits, but at least we have this and other fine records from them to appreciate.

Keep your mind open.

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Live: BODEGA, The Wants, Jungle Green – Schuba’s – February 10, 2020

It was a chilly Monday night, but not unbearable. It was downright balmy for a Chicago winter. Despite the cold and the early night of the week, Schuba’s had a good-sized crowd for the art-punk / no wave night of music featuring Chicago’s own Jungle Green and Brooklyn bands The Wants and BODEGA.

Jungle Green took the stage first with a dizzying set of no wave bedroom rock that instantly reminded me of Gary Wilson tunes with their themes of love and romance and performance art strewn throughout the show. The lead singer spent the whole set in the crowd and the rest of the band swapped instruments so many times that I lost count of how many times who played what. In other words, it was a lot of fun.

The Wants played a stunning set of dark shoegaze that reminded me of a mix of Joy Division and The Fixx. Heather (bass and vocals), Madison (guitar and vocals), and Jason (drums) made jaws drop for their whole set and had everyone eager to hear their full-length album due next month.

BODEGA (which includes The Wants’ Heather and Madison in its ranks) wrapped up the night with a wild, fun, fiery set peppered with brief, amusing discussions on Oscar Wilde, advertising, and film. I think the audience was secretly thankful for these funny chats lead singer Ben Hozie had with the audience because the talks gave us all time to breathe. BODEGA let up during these breaks from a pedal-to-the-metal set of post / art-punk and no wave bangers like “Name Escape” – which featured their friend / fellow Brooklynite / rapper Kaheim Rivera (who played Chicago’s Empty Bottle two nights later) doing two freestyle riffs during the song – and the always wall-flattening “Truth Is Not Punishment.”

It was a great way to spend a Monday night and worth the drive in the cold. Catch BODEGA if you can, and look for The Wants to tour the UK later this year.

Keep your mind open.

[Thanks to Patrick Tilley for setting me up with press credentials for the show.]

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Live: Leones, Diagonal, Necromoon – The Brass Rail – February 08, 2020

For a small place, Ft. Wayne, Indiana’s Brass Rail can pack in a lot of sound. This show of indie shoegaze and psychedelic acts was no exception.

First up was local band Leones, who played a good set of bass-forward shoegaze with thick Latinx psychedelic touches.

Second on the bill were Chicago’s Diagonal. I’ve been a fan of the band for a while now and was happy to finally catch them live. They played a sold psychedelia set of mostly new material from their upcoming album. One of the funniest parts of their set was how they kept referring to Gary Numan and playing parts of “Are Friends ‘Electric’?” after I played it on the Brass Rail’s juke box while they were doing their sound check.

Closing out the night was Ft. Wayne’s Necromoon, who are not a Dead Moon cover band. They play a mellower version of psychedelia than Dead Moon (and to be fair, few bands can match Dead Moon’s raw power) but still put out a lot of sound as they played songs about love and death and other subjects with a bright hope to them.

All in all, it was a fun night of live music in a small venue and a nice oasis in the dead of winter.

Keep your mind open.

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Rage Against the Machine announce first tour in almost a decade.

Rage Against the Machine have announced their first full tour in almost ten years, starting with three shows in the American southwest that will benefit immigrant charities. Most of the tour includes opening support from Run the Jewels, and there’s also a headlining spot for RATM at Coachella this year. Tickets are on sale now, and I’m sure many dates (if not all of them) will sell out. Here’s the list:

03-26 El Paso, TX – Don Haskins Center
03-28 Las Cruces, NM – Pan American Center
03-30 Glendale, AZ – Gila River Arena
04-10 Indio, CA – Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival
04-17 Indio, CA – Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival
04-21 Oakland, CA – Oakland Arena
04-25 Portland, OR – Moda Center
04-28 Tacoma, WA – Tacoma Dome
05-01 Vancouver, BC – Pacific Coliseum at the PNE
05-03 Edmonton, Alberta – Rogers Place
05-05 Calgary, Alberta – Scotiabank Saddledome
05-07 Winnipeg, Manitoba – Bell MTS Place
05-09 Sioux Falls, SD – Denny Sanford Premier Center
05-11 Minneapolis, MN – Target Center
05-14 Kansas City, MO – Sprint Center
05-16 St. Louis, MO – Enterprise Center
05-19 Chicago, IL – United Center
05-23 Boston, MA – Boston Calling
06-19 Dover, DE – Firefly
07-10 East Troy, WI – Alpine Valley Music Theatre
07-13 Detroit, MI – Little Caesars Arena
07-17 Ottawa, Ontario – Ottawa Bluesfest
07-18 Québec City, Québec – Festival d’Été de Québec
07-21 Hamilton, Ontario – FirstOntario Centre
07-23 Toronto, Ontario – Scotiabank Arena
07-27 Buffalo, NY – KeyBank Center
07-29 Cleveland, OH – Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse
07-31 Pittsburgh, PA – PPG Paints Arena
08-02 Raleigh, NC – PNC Arena
08-04 Washington, DC – Capital One Arena
08-07 Camden, NJ – BB&T Pavilion
08-10 New York, NY – Madison Square Garden
08-11 New York, NY – Madison Square Garden
08-28 Leeds, England – Leeds Festival
08-30 Reading, England – Reading Festival
09-01 Paris, France – Rock En Seine Festival
09-04 Stradbally Laois, Ireland – Electric Picnic Festival
09-06 Berlin, Germany – Lollapalooza Berlin Festival
09-08 Prague, Czech Republic – O2 Arena
09-10 Krakow, Poland – Tauron Arena

Keep your mind open.

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Girl Talk announces first North American tour in eight years.

Girl Talk, aka Pittsburgh’s Gregg Gillis, is excited to announce his first North American tour in eight years. Throughout the past two decades, Girl Talk has been known for his wholly energetic, sweat soaked, confetti-covered live shows and festival performances. Once again, he will bring this exuberance across the states, playing Chicago’s Metro, Los Angeles’ Echoplex, the 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C., and more. A full list of dates can be found below and tickets go on sale later this week at girltalkmusic.com.

Gillis built his reputation from his meticulous construction of sample-based music and specific style of genre-smashing, breakneck-paced party jams. With each Girl Talk album, from his breakout Night Ripper (2006) to Feed The Animals (2008) and his last, All Day (2010), his work has become increasingly detailed and complex. The last several years have seen Gillis focusing on collaborative work producing hip hop for some of his favorite rap artists. In 2014, he and Philadelphia’s Freeway released the “Broken Ankles” EP, and since then, Gillis has steadily earned an impressive list of production credits and collaborations with his artistic contemporaries, including Wiz Khalifa, T-Pain, Tory Lanez, Young Nudy, Bas, Cozz, Erick The Architect (from Flatbush Zombies), Smoke DZA, and Don Q.

As Noisey so aptly describes him, “The tracks he’s released over the last year show, more than anything, that Gillis is adaptable as a producer. The people he’s worked with are about as different as you can get in the wider rap world, but no matter the circumstance, he’s been able to find palettes that work for each of their voices. . . Given the encyclopedic knowledge of music from across styles and eras, it’s not all that surprising that he’s good at this.“

Girl Talk Tour Dates:
Wed. April 29 – Cleveland, OH @ House of Blues
Fri. May 1 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Stage AE
Sat. May 2 – Toronto, ON @ Phoenix Concert Theatre
Sun. May 3 – Chicago, IL @ Metro
Tue. May 5 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
Thu. May 7 – Kansas City, MO @ The Truman
Fri. May 8 – Denver, CO @ Ogden Theatre
Sat. May 9 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Depot
Mon. May 11 – Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom
Tue. May 12 – Seattle, WA @ The Showbox
Wed. May 13 – Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom
Fri. May 15 – Los Angeles, CA @ Echoplex
Sat. May 16 – San Diego, CA @ House of Blues
Mon. May 18 – Austin, TX @ Emo’s Austin
Tue. May 19 – Dallas, TX @ Granada Theater
Thu. May 21 – Asheville, NC @ The Orange Peel
Fri. May 22 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
Sat. May 23 – Boston, MA @ Royale
Sun. June 7 – New York, NY @ Governors Ball

Keep your mind open.

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Alex Lahey is a “Sucker for Punishment” with her rocking new single.

“Lahey may be stuck in the thick of it now, but her ability to see as though she’s already beyond, to address life’s essential contradictions with thoughtfulness and humor, makes her an insightful storyteller.” — Pitchfork

“There’s an immediacy to Alex Lahey’s music so urgent that it’ll hook you before you even notice it’s happening.” — GQ

“Alex Lahey is quickly becoming the queen of big, catchy pop-rock hooks” — MTV News

Today, Melbourne-based songwriter Alex Lahey releases a new track, “Sucker For Punishment.” “Sucker For Punishment” follows her sophomore album, The Best of Luck Club, “a witty and confessional pop-punk gem” (Uproxx), out now on Dead Oceans. The song, about self-delusion, is written from the perspective of the deluded. Throughout, Lahey’s exasperated vocals are backed by buzzing guitar and a jaunty bass line.

“We’re living in an era we’re the micro has become the macro,” says Lahey. “I don’t think there has ever been a time where our actions and attitudes as individuals have had such an impact on broader humanity and the planet. Whether it’s a ‘think about it later’ attitude towards climate change, the undemocratic consequences of sharing personal data to big business online, a lethargicness in the face of political engagement or the need to be validated as a worthwhile individual through obtaining arbitrary units of engagement on social media – we need to catch ourselves out before we suffer greater consequences.”

Listen to Alex Lahey’s “Sucker For Punishment” –
https://youtu.be/etVj6qrHwCM

In conjunction with the new single, Lahey is pleased to announce she’ll return stateside for a for a slew of tour dates along the west coast, kicking off the run in San Diego on Sat. May 30 at Casbah. All new dates go on-sale Fri. Feb. 14 at 10am local time. A full list of tour dates are below.

Alex Lahey Tour Dates (new dates in bold):
Fri. March 13 – Nottingham, UK @ Rescue Rooms ^
Mon. March 16 – Glasgow, UK @ The Garage ^
Tue. March 17 – Manchester, UK @ Gorilla ^
Wed. March 18 – Birmingham, UK @ O2 Academy2 Birmingham ^
Thu. March 19 – London, UK @ Electric Ballroom ^
Sat. March 21 – Amsterdam, NE @ Paradiso Noord ^
Sun. March 22 – Antwerp, BE @ Kavka ^
Mon. March 23 – Hamburg, DE @ Molotow ^
Tue. March 24 – Düsseldorf, DE @ Zaak ^
Thu. March 26 – Mainz, DE @ Kulturklub schon schön ^
Fri. March 27 – Paris, FR @ Nouveau Casino ^
Wed. April 15 – Adelaide, AU @ Thebarton Theatre *
Fri. April 17 – Fremantle, AU @ Fremantle Arts Center *
Mon. April 20 – Sydney, AU @ Enmore Theatre *
Wed. April 22 – Brisbane, AU @ The Fortitude Music Hall *
Fri. April 24 – Melbourne, AU @ Forum Theatre *
Sat. April 25 – Melbourne, AU @ Forum Theatre *
Tue. April 28 – Hobart, AU @ Odeon Theatre *
Sat. May 30 – San Diego, CA @ Casbah
Sun. May 31 – Costa Mesa, CA @ The Wayfarer
Mon. June 1 – Los Angeles, CA @ Moroccan Lounge
Tue. June 3 – San Jose, CA @ The Ritz
Fri. June 5 – Oakland, CA @ Starline Social Club Crystal Cavern
Sat. June 6 – Sacramento, CA @ The Starlet Room at Harlow’s
Mon. June 8 – Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios
Tue. June 9 – Seattle, WA @ Barboza

* = w/ City & Colour
^ = w/ The Regrettes

Purchase The Best of Luck Club –
https://alexlahey.ffm.to/bestofluckclub

Watch/Listen/Share:
“Am I Doing It Right?” stream – https://youtu.be/BAfpMBepOpo
“Don’t Be So Hard On Yourself” video – https://youtu.be/Uu1qtIk5eoY
“Unspoken History” stream – https://youtu.be/dFkRK2FgXhI
“Unspoken History” live acoustic video – https://youtu.be/SDHZoDVUs3o

Keep your mind open.

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Girl Afraid stir up some “Dutch Courage” with their new single.

Hull-based indie rockers Girl Afraid released their rocking new track, “Dutch Courage” on February 7th.

First we had Hull-based LIFE, who took the U.K by storm and now we have Girl Afraid who are storming onto the British indie scene. Their sound draws influences from the likes of Queens of the Stone Age to fellow indie newcomers Fontaines D.C. Nevertheless, they have crafted a remarkably inimitable sound of their very own.

As its title indicates, “Dutch Courage” oozes confidence from the very start. It’s a hard hitting track with huge drums which would make even the sternest of listeners tap their foot. Also slick guitar riffs which take a new dimension of early indie as well an awe-inspiring vocal from front man Sam Mellors.

Girl Afraid are taking no hostages with this release. Therefore, if you are seeking the finest catchy indie rock then look no further than “Dutch Courage.”

Keep your mind open.

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Review: Shadow Show – Silhouettes

Detroit’s Shadow Show (Kate Derringer – bass, Ava East – guitar, and Kerrigan Pearce – drums) mix 1960’s garage rock with psychedelia and post / art-punk to create their debut album Silhouettes.

The album’s songs deal a lot with perception and illusion. The band’s and album’s names represent things that are real yet unreal. The first track on the record, “Charades,” begins with Pearce’s rapid-fire drumming and then dives into lyrics like “I could be you, you could be me. I could be anything I see.” The fiery “Contessa” is a tribute to a fiery ex-lover who deals in deception (and hot love that sometimes makes it worth it, to be honest). Derringer’s bass on “Green Stone” is as funky as Donald Dunn‘s on “Green Onions.”

An alchemist is someone who, among other things, seeks ways to transform one element to another. It’s another reference to altering perception and reality. The song “The Alchemist” has a cool underlying fuzz to it and lyrics about seeing “the center of your mind.” “Shadow Box” refers to something preserved for all to see, but yet still entrapped. The lyrics refer to a lover who couldn’t see and think outside the box and thus screwed up the good thing they had.

The deft “Trapeze Act” moves and glides like its namesake as a relationship is compared to death-defying stunts. East knows when to let her guitar take the lead and when to swing it back, and the reverbed vocals near the end are a great touch. Her guitar takes on a bit of bluesy swagger on “Glass Eye” (another title alluding to false images and altered perception). “Dreamhead” opens with dreamy acoustic guitar (and, I suspect, acoustic bass) for a groovy trip that discusses how some secrets are best left that way.

The opening riffs of “The Machine” remind me of old Love and Rockets tracks and even seem to have a bit of Middle Eastern flair in them. The words “There are times you keep me hanging on…” start the closer, “Silhouette.” It’s a song about finally seeing truth and reality in a relationship and realizing that going along the path that’s been set will only result in becoming a shadow of what you once were.

Silhouettes is a lovely, groovy, sexy, and somewhat dark record that I suspect has many layers that will reveal themselves over multiple listens. Don’t miss the Shadow Show.

Keep your mind open.

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Rebsie Fairholm and Marvin B. Naylor release “Ark” from upcoming album.

Rebsie Fairholm and Marvin B. Naylor have released the charismatic new single ‘Ark’ taken from their forthcoming album.

Rebsie is an artist who delves into a dark realm of psych-folk while Marvin comes from a background of early indie and pop. Combined together and they have created a hybrid sound which cannot be sniffed at.

The track kicks off with a guitar hook which grabs you and does not let go. Vocally, the pair complement each other both mirroring their words with confidence. It’s a catchy number, one which does not leave you for some time and for the right reasons. It’s a very British sounding 70s influenced track but yet it stays current to the modern scene providing just about something for everybody.

A song which delivers a story about finding something amazing unexpectedly ‘finding rainbows in the dark’. Well, this collaboration comes as a surprise but yet it works very well.

If you are seeking the finest indie folk then look no further than this release from Rebsie Fairholm & Marvin B Naylor. You can buy the single here https://rebsiefairholm.bandcamp.com/album/ark.

Keep your mind open.

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