Category: Reviews

Review: Gustaf – Audio Drag for Ego Slobs

Formed somewhat on a whim, Gustaf (Lydia Gammill – lead vocals, Tine Hill – bass, Vram Kherlopian – guitar, Melissa Lucciola – drums, Tarra Thiessen – percussion and vocals) were playing packed gigs across the country in record stores, apartments, basements, pubs, and even SXSW festival stages before they even cut their debut album – Audio Drag for Ego Slobs. The result is an album created by a band who’d cut their teeth on the road and came into the studio with a power pack of post-punk poppers.

“You say that I’m much to old to be low-fi,” Gammill sings on the opening track, “Mine.” The groove of it is undeniable, rooted in Hill’s bass lick and the tippity-tap of Lucciola’s hi-hat. The song seems to about reclaiming dignity and an attitude of “I really don’t give a rat’s ass.”

“Book” has Gammill demanding proof of erroneous claims of her life being false. It keeps the dance grooves rolling and into “Best Behavior.” “I wanted you to know that I was good today,” Gammill sings, possibly letting her lover know that she wasn’t up to anything naughty…Well, perhaps a bit. “Dream” is a song about weird love, with Thiessen repeating “We love you.” while Gammill claims, “You’re doing great.” and then both of them stating, “It was only a dream.”

Kherlopian’s guitar takes on a bit of a yacht rock feel, which I love, on “Liquid Frown” – a song that seems to be about being under so much relationship stress that it makes you nauseous. Hill’s bass is in full funk mode on “The Motions,” and the backing vocals are warped (like they are on many tracks) to reflect Gammill’s perplexed state of mind at the world in general. “Common sense seems so pedestrian,” Gammill sings on “Cruel” – one of the wittiest tracks on the album with the band flipping off romance.

On the flipside, “Dog” is about someone Gammill didn’t really find attractive or think much about until she saw the guy’s dog. “It took a little effort to see. Hey, who’s that pulling the leash?” “Package” ups the anger a bit before the slightly psychedelic “Happy” comes in to close the album with Gammill saying, “I hope you’re happy getting what you want…I’m out here singing alone.”

As the kids would say, don’t sleep on this album. It’s one of the best post-punk records of the year.

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Tom at Hive Mind PR.]

Review: TV Priest – Uppers

The four members of London’s post-punk rockers TV Priest (Nic Bueth – bass and keyboards, Charlie Drinkwater – vocals, Ed Kelland – drums, Alex Sprogis – guitar) started making music when they were young lads, but they put their musical aspirations aside to get “real jobs” and do various adulting things. Luckily for us, the four of them got back together, with a bunch of “real life” experience under their belts, to create and release their solid full-length album Uppers.

The album is solid from beginning to end, full of bangers, heavy riffs, and witty, scathing lyrics. Bueth’s opening bass on “The Big Curve” alone is enough to shake you out of your cubicle chair and make you want to smash that damn copier / fax / scanner that always smears your papers. Kelland’s drums on “Press Gang” are like an anxious heartbeat of a sprinter before the starting gun (which is the sound of Bueth’s bass and Sprogis’ guitar).

“Leg Room” has krautrock synths and Drinkwater singing above, under, and around, Bueth’s bass stabs – which hit like Michael Myers’ knife. “Hey, buddy, normalize this,” Drinkwater sings / chants on “Journal of a Plague Year” – a song about dealing with you-know-what and how it altered all of us, for good or bad (“And the new normal sets in…”).

After the brief, instrumental “History Week,” “Decoration” comes in with its clever lyrics about everyone seeking their fifteen minutes of fame (“I’m through to the next round. Yes, I’m through.”). “Well, all I can do is talk. My God, I’ve never had an original thought!” Drinkwater claims on “Slideshow” – a rocker that skewers the emptiness of online culture.

“How you feelin’?” Drinkwater keeps asking while Sprogis’ guitar drones and squeaks like a robotic animal of some sort and Bueth and Kelland’s rhythms match the anxiety everyone’s been feeling since 2019. “Powers of Ten” fades into what sounds like radio or communications satellite static – a fitting image of everyone looking for something in the ether during the pandemic.

“This Island” brings in brighter synths to dance alongside the bold guitars as Drinkwater sings about creating a new reality, albeit a possible guarded one, out of life-altering events. The album ends with “Saintless” – the longest track on the album – which swells and swirls like a whirlpool of guitars and cymbal crashes amid Drinkwater’s steady, yet slightly nervous vocals.

To sum it up, Uppers is one of the best post-punk records of 2021.

Keep your mind open.

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Review: Weak Signal – Bianca

Bubbling up from NYC’s underground music scene, Weak Signal‘s new album, Bianca, roars with dark post-punk energy mixed with early 1990s alt-rock riffs.

“I’m the enemy of the world. Nothing ever really dies,” they sing on the album’s opener, “I’m a Fire,” putting down loud guitar riffs alongside their lyrics. The chugging bass on “Voice Inside My Head” is infectious.

“I don’t wanna go to work. Me and my friends were out all night…” opens the heavy, sludgy “Drugs in My System” – a song about dealing with party aftermaths. “Barely a Trace” sounds like a somewhat dusty, slightly warped record you’d hear playing on a jukebox at the back of a diner in a David Lynch film. “Come Back” is a simple, yet haunting track about regret and loss accentuated by rising synths and mantra-like guitar riffs.

“Zones” has this same kind of mantra sound before the bolder, faster “Don’t Turn Around,” which wouldn’t be out of place on a record from A Place to Bury Strangers. “Borderzone” is probably the mellowest track on the album, drifting in and out like smoke. “Devotion” brings back sharp-edged riffs that come into the track, rattle you a bit, and then meld back into the shadows.

“I’ll go where I want to go, and I’ll love who I want to love,” Mike Bones sings on “I’ll Stay,” a beautiful track about finding freedom through self-realization. “Sorry” is a nice companion to it. It’s still mellow, but a bit upbeat, and it’s a nice warm-up before the loud, weird finish of “Too Strong.”

It’s cool record, and perfect for certain moods (gray days, late nights).

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Jake at Ramp Global.]

Review: Brett Naucke – Mirror Ensemble

Chicago’s Brett Naucke teamed up with two other well-respected Chicago musicians, Natalie Chami and Whitney Johnson, to create Mirror Ensemble – an album that combines synthwave, ambient, and even a bit of indie rock to make a meditative gem.

“Vanity Well” gets things off to a mood-altering start, and then “The Glass Shifting” comes in sounding like something from the new Dune film score. The longest track on the album, “A Look That Tells Time,” takes its time to stretch out and let you relax into it with its temple-like bell sounds and lotus flower-drifting-on-a-lazy-river.

“Catch Your Breath,” at a quarter of the previous track’s length, is a short meditation, while “Parallax” is the sound of sunlight shining through a prism. Trust me, you’ll feel this when you hear it. “Rose Water” is equally delightful, while “Sleep with Your Windows Open” is going to become your new favorite song to put on your bedroom speakers this summer. The closer, “Late Century Reflection,” ends the album with slightly up-tempo beats and synths that rise like a flock of birds from the edge of a still lake.

It’s a lovely record, suitable for meditation, making out, or even just walking around the neighborhood.

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Cody at Clandestine PR.]

Review: Cold Beat – War Garden

Named after the gardens people were encouraged to start and tend during World War Two, Cold Beat‘s new album, War Garden, is a lovely collection of synthwave, 1980s pop, and optimism created during the pandemic and written, in part at least, via Zoom.

Opening track, “Mandelbrot Fall,” begins with thick 16-bit video game bass and peppy blips while lead singer Hannah Lew sings “There’s nothing to explain, I’m trying anyway.” That’s basically been my motto for the last month. “SOS” starts off like a sad scene in an episode of Stranger Things, but soon blossoms into a happy skate around the roller rink. “Tumescent Decoy” has bright synths bouncing around lyrics about finding paradise within and within lonely times.

“Weeds” brings in shoegaze guitars that are as dreamy as the lyrics. “See You Again” sums up the band’s (and everyone else’s) feeling during the onset of the pandemic. It has a twinge of sadness to it, but an underlying hopeful vibe as Cold Beat knew they’d eventually reunite in person – or even beyond the void if (when) it came to it. “Arms Reach” is a soft caress while “Year Without a Shadow” is almost an industrial dance club floor-filler.

The synths on “Rubble Ren” are as soothing as a Jacuzzi. Lew’s vocals on “Part the Sea” flow like waves while the synths rise like crests and then splash onto the shore. “Leaves and Branches” is just as uplifting. The album ends with the optimistic “New World” – a track to give us hope as we emerge from our self-imposed exiles.

War Garden is one of the more hopeful albums of 2021. Give it a spin if you need a boost.

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Jacob at Pitch Perfect PR.]

Review: Jealous – Lover / What’s Your Damage?

What’s bold? Releasing your debut as not just an EP, but as a double EP. Berlin’s Jealous did exactly that with their Lover / What’s Your Damage? release for Oliver Ackermann‘s Dedstrange label. It’s a wild mix of shoegaze, synthwave, post-punk, art rock, and other things you can’t quite define.

Uri Rennert‘s heartbeat drums on “K-Hole II,” the opening track of the Lover EP, set up a dark tone for the entire record. Paz Bonfil‘s guitar is perfectly suitable for a spaghetti western villain’s theme music. Adi Kum‘s vocals spin around you like playful ghosts. Her bass on “Blackeye” is thick enough that it might give you one. “Debbie Downer” has, as you can imagine, a dark vibe, and the fast and furious “Fast Cars” isn’t a cover of the Buzzcocks rocker, but rather a fierce rocker of their own with Bonfil’s guitar sounding like he’s strangling it at some points. It builds to a wild pace, with Rennert almost dismantling his kit as he plays.

Kum’s somewhat grumpy bass starts off “Gravity,” the first song on the What’s Your Damage? EP. It builds to a heavy-hitting, pulsing track that grabs your attention and doesn’t let go for about four minutes. “Cowboy ‘Kelly’ Katastroph” is a straight-up post-punk bliss, as is “Sharp Bones / Broken Claws” – with Bonfil’s guitar riffs as sharp as its title. “Slaughterhouse 3000” ups the fuzz a bit and the playfully bratty vocals even more. The EP ends with “Thunder,” which highlights the dual vocals from Bonfil and Kum.

It’s good stuff, and many thanks for Dedstrange for bringing it to us.

Keep your mind open.

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Review: The Beths – Auckland, New Zealand, 2020

Matching with an accompanying concert film, The Beths‘ Auckland, New Zealand, 2020 captures the band’s performance at Auckland Town Hall during the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic in one of the few countries that took the pandemic seriously at the time and was still able to hold live music events. The band’s joy at performing in front of a home crowd, and after so long of not being able to do so, is heard in every note – as is the bliss of the crowd.

The cheers before the opener of “I’m Not Getting Excited” are infectious, as is the opening guitar riff from Jonathan Pearce as Elizabeth Stokes actually encourages the audience to get so excited that their heads might explode. “Great No One” rocks and rolls straight into “Whatever” – with the whole crowd yelling / singing the title (and pretty much everything else) along with the band. “It’s not just the dawn that breaks,” Stokes sings on the sizzling “Mars (The God of War)” – a song about wishing she could move beyond a bad break-up.

The live version of “Future Me Hates Me” is as bouncy and loud as you’d hope it would be. “Jump Rope Gazers” is just as lovely live as on the album of the same name, if not more so. “Uptown Girl” blasts by you with some of Tristan Deck‘s fiercest drumming. His beats on “Happy Unhappy” get you dancing.

“Out of Sight” makes the turn toward the final act of the show, with Stokes thanking everyone behind the scenes at the show afterwards. You can hear the emotion in Stokes’ voice as she thanks the crowd before the band launches into “Don’t Go Away.” Benjamin Sinclair‘s bass line on “Little Death” is like a hummingbird zipping around the room. “Dying to Believe” closes the show, with the entire crowd singing along, before the band comes back for an encore of “River Run” that fades into a blissful state.

Not only is this a joyful recording, it’s also a good-sounding one. Stokes points out at one point that the sound crew has to work in a large, echoing chamber – and they do it quite well.

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Patrick at Pitch Perfect PR.]

Live: Protomartyr and Erik Nervous – Bell’s Eccentric Cafe – Kalamazoo, MI – November 12, 2021

Zipping over from their native Detroit (and sold-out shows there), Protomartyr came back to Kalamazoo, Michigan to make up for a cancelled show that was dropped due to, what else, the pandemic.

Opening for them were some other Michiganders, the punky trio of Erik Nervous, who might have the greatest kick drum head ever designed.

They played a fun batch of post-punk, full of weird guitar riffs, pogo-inducing beats, and snappy bass. They even got in a fun jab at Protomartyr, referring to them as “Joy Division 2.0.”

Erik Nervous showing no stage fright whatsoever.

Protomartyr (who lead singer Joe Casey claimed to be “Back in, well, not fighting shape. More like competitive eating shape.”) packed in a good crowd, and were soon flooring everyone with their mix of post-punk, prog rock, spoken word riffs, angry shouts, and spooky chants – most of those, by the way, were provided by the one and only Kelley Deal joining them onstage to sing and play guitar and synths.

Standouts included “Cowards Starve,” which came out like a sermon from the end of a bar, “Jumbo’s” – a song about a bar, the crowd-favorite “Michigan Hammers,” “Processed by the Boys,” and a new track – “Graft V.”

Protomartyr letting us know that frightened people go hungry.

It was a solid show, and Mr. Casey and Ms. Deal were a pleasure to meet afterwards. Catch them live if you can. Protomartyr sound like no one else – live or otherwise.

Keep your mind open.

Joe Casey kept pulling drinks out of his suit jacket like a stage magician.

[Thanks to Jim DeLuca for the press credentials.]

Review: Osees – The Chapel, SF 10.2.19

This live recording from the ever-prolific, ever-bonkers Osees, finds them on the last night of a set of gigs in one of their practical backyards – The Chapel in San Francisco – just before the pandemic fully hit the United States and shut down band tours for over a year. The band had no idea that shutdown was coming, of course, but they played (like they always do) like it might be their last show for a while.

The show starts with the instant mosh pit-inducing “Static God” with John Dwyer asking for a cigarette and wondering “What’s it like beneath the rubble?” while he and his bandmates go nuts. “Jettisoned” takes off into psychedelic territory with Dwyer’s soaring solo and Tom Dolan‘s trippy synths.

A shortened (yet still over seven minutes) version of “Henchlock” follows. It’s a brilliant psych. “Together Tomorrow” is a bit of a psych-rock appetizer to the massive, calorie-laden meal of “Animated Violence.” As if that weren’t crazy enough, along comes “Gholu,” during which drummers Dan Rincon and Paul Quattrone seem to challenge each other in a contest of who can be the first to beat their kit through the floor.

“Plastic Plant” is one that the Osees don’t often play live, but it’s always great when they do. Dolan’s fat synths compliment well with Tim Hellman‘s wicked bass riffs. “C” is a funky one, with Dolan’s synths again taking on a lead role, sometimes more than Dwyer’s guitar. “Nite Expo” goes from plucky synths to rowdy guitar in a nearly neck-wrenching moment. The closer, “Encrypted Bounce,” is over fourteen minutes of wild psych mixed with garage rock mixed with chaos (translation: It’s outstanding.).

Don’t miss this if you’re a fan of Osees, or even live music in general. They’re one of the best live bands on the planet right now, and this is a great recording of their energy.

Keep your mind open.

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Review: Stöner – Live in the Mojave Desert Volume 4

No, this isn’t the fourth Live in the Mojave Desert album power rock trio Stöner has released, but it is the fourth in a collection of live performances captured by the Heavy Psych Records label…and, boy, is this thing heavy.

Essentially a live performance of Stöner’s debut album, Stoners Rule (with a different track order), Live in the Mojave Desert absolutely slams from beginning to end. The album opens with cauldron-boiling guitar from lead vocalist Brant Bjork on “Rad Stays Rad” as he sings about the hard job of staying groovy in un-groovy times. Nick Oliveri‘s thundering bass soon joins him, and Ryan Gut slaps his snare like it ate his lunch and left the empty containers in the office refrigerator for him to find later “Nothin'” is a classic muscle car rocker about standing up for what’s yours.

“Own Yer Blues” is blues-influenced, sludgy rocker that seems to crawl out of the swamp. Oliveri’s bass is menacing throughout it as Bjork sings about how fast a day can fall apart and how “by afternoon, you own yer blues.” “The Older Kids” speeds things up, with all three men rolling along like a boulder racing down a canyon wall.

“Stand Down” is another sweet (leaf) groover about people who run the risks of being put in their place if they puff up on someone. “Evel Never Dies” has Oliveri taking on the lead vocals for his fiery tribute to stunt driver / madman Evel Knievel. His voice has more a metal and punk edge than Bjork’s somewhat gravelly lower tones, and both work well for their respective tracks.

The closing track is the superb long-form psych-groovy “Tribe / Fly Girl.” Oliveri’s bass lick leads the way and Gut’s steady-Eddie almost become an enchantment as the track winds like a snake across a sand dune. Bjork’s guitar chugs along like a determined steam engine until they reach the halfway point and it becomes a massive steam shovel…and then a rocket blasting away from gravity to join his bandmates who have already floated there.

Some credit has to be given to the album’s sound engineers as well. It’s so clear that the whole thing could easily be mistaken for a studio recording. It’s also an essential addition to your stoner / desert rock collection, not to mention for fans of Kyuss (which counted both Bjork and Oliveri as members).

Keep your mind open.

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