Tag: Death Valley Girls

Levitation Austin 2019 recap – Day Two

We started off the second night of Levitation Austin 2019 at Stubb’s BBQ, where the Flaming Lips were playing the outdoor stage along with Holy Wave and Mercury Rev. We got there in time for the last two songs of Mercury Rev’s set, which sounded good. The night was cold, but not as cold as the first. Plus, there were more bodies around to block the wind when it would whip through the outdoor stage area.

The Flaming Lips, as always, put on a fun show to an enthusiastic crowd reveling in balloons, confetti, and Jell-O shots being shot from a slingshot wielded by a man on a surfboard that took him through the crowd. Lead singer Wayne Coyne was in a playful mood and frequently chatted with the crowd. The Flaming Lips are my wife’s new favorite band after seeing them live twice. “I always feel happy,” she said about seeing their shows. That’s one of the best reviews you can get.

We zipped back over to Barracuda to catch Death Valley Girls and Elephant Stone. We hadn’t seen Elephant Stone in a long while and were eager to hear some of their new material. I’d also heard good things about Death Valley Girls’ live sets. They were first and as fun as we’d hoped.

“Hell’s house band” – Death Valley Girls
Elephant Stone

We then walked over to Elysium to catch David J‘s intimate acoustic set. He was accompanied by a pianist and played tracks from his new solo record as well as a Love and Rockets track (“Shelf Life”). It was a mellow way to end the night. My wife rested her head on my shoulder and a bouncer told her, “You can’t fall asleep here.” like it was a dire warning against the dangers of the goth club’s vampires devouring her if she did.

The set might be the closest I ever get to seeing Bauhaus or Love and Rockets live, so it was nice to see and hear.

The next day would be a marathon, but it would be worth it.

Keep your mind open.

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Death Valley Girls – Glow in the Dark

Death Valley Girls’ newest album, Glow in the Dark, is at times psychedelic, others shoegaze, and others power-pop. The title track opener is firmly in the shoegaze category, with desert sunrise guitars and powerful drums. “Disco” has great old school 1960’s organ running throughout it while they sing about having a grand night out. “Death Valley Boogie” has an appropriate title because the beat is made for hip shaking. The guitars are fuzzed so much that almost sound like they’re melting at one point. It’s fantastic. It ends with a furious guitar solo that’s over just as you want more of it.

“Seis Seis Seis” is fine doom-psych rock, with Karen O-like vocals as a funeral organ plays in the background and the guitars sweep over you like the Grim Reaper’s cloak. “Pink Radiation,” with its Ronettes styling and simple guitar chords, is a lovely track and a refreshing change after the doom of the one before it. The middle finger flipped by the ladies during “I’m a Man, Too” (“If you’re a man, I’m twice a man as you.”) is backed with not only a fist but also solid rock hooks. “Love Spell” doesn’t just knock you back into your seat; it knocks your seat back as well. The breakdown in the middle of it is pretty much a bear trap that snaps shut when the guitars roar back to life and flatten you back to the floor.

“Horror Movie” refers more to the state of the world we see on the nightly news more than the film genre (“A horror movie right there on my TV, shocking me right out of my head.”). The lyrics of “Summertime” may be simple, but the powerful guitar throughout it is not. It sizzles hot enough to fry an egg on it. The closer, “Wait for You,” squeaks and squeals with face-melting guitar while what sounds like a warped Hammond B3 organ warps your brain. I’m sure this song is insane live.

I don’t know why Death Valley Girls named the album Glow in the Dark, but my guess is that the energy on it provides enough luminescence to light up your living room. Let it shine forth on your stereo.

Keep your mind open.

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