Rare psychedelic / stoner rock compilation “Brown Acid: The Seventh Trip” due out on Halloween.

Brown Acid: The Seventh Trip 
compilation out on Halloween, hear first track via Loudwire
Rare 60s-70s pre-metal, hard rock singles series curated by L.A.’s Permanent Records & RidingEasy Records
Hear/share Blizzard’s “Peace of Mind” (YouTube) (Loudwire)
“So rare that diehard fuzz junkies say you’d have a better chance of winning the lottery than finding a physical 45 rpm single by one of the bands featured on their latest installment.” — Dangerous Minds
“Will do for hard rock, proto-metal and heavy psych what Nuggets did for garage rock, and bring it to a wider audience of collectors and music fans.” — The Guardian
“We’re huge fans of the Brown Acid series… Think of it as a companion to the essential Nuggets compilation but covering artists and records that never made it out of their hometowns.” — Ultimate Classic Rock
The forthcoming seventh edition of the popular compilation series featuring long-lost vintage 60s-70s proto-metal and stoner rock singles, Brown Acid: The Seventh Trip is set for release on Halloween 2018. Hear and share the first single, “Peace of Mind” by Blizzard from 1973 via Loudwire HERE. (Direct YouTube.)
 
The Brown Acid series is curated by L.A. label RidingEasy Records and retailer/label Permanent Records. The Quietus hosted a full album stream of the previous edition Brown Acid: The Sixth Trip HERE. (Direct YouTube.)
About Brown Acid: The Seventh Trip:
Everybody’s favorite source for the hard stuff is back in business, with ten more lethal doses of rare hard rock, heavy psych and proto-metal! These obscure tracks have all been licensed, the bands have been paid, and the sources are all analog. The quality of tracks seems to increase along with the number of Trips and this cohesive collection comes outta the gate with both guns blazing!
Pegasus recorded one single in Baltimore in 1972 and they made it count. “The Sorcerer” is a throbbing ripper that prior to this was basically unknown. However, it doesn’t seem too far fetched to speculate that Black Flaglifted the riff for “No Values” from this track eight years later. Unlikely, but possible, especially considering how big a Black Sabbath fan Greg Ginn is. Pegasus was lauded back in the day for “how much they delivered that Black Sabbath feel.”
You may not already be familiar with Schizo, but you should know at least one of the French freaks behind this short-lived group.  Richard Pinhas was the co-writer and uncredited, wah-wah abusing guitarist in Schizo after his stint in Blues Convention. Schizo recorded just two singles, the first being the heavier of the two, before Pinhas went on to record with Heldon and then going solo. The band had a unique vibe that didn’t sound unlike Lemmy fronting a gang of stoned Martians.
Youngstown, Ohio is the most commonly referred to city of the entire Brown Acid series. This town of just under 150,000 people may’ve had the highest (literally and figuratively) per capita output of heavy 45s. Blue Amber recorded this in 1971 at Gary Rhamy’s analog Mecca, Peppermint Recording Studios. This two-riff boneheaded banger sounds like a caveman protest song with an extraordinary amount of delay on the vocals. No wonder this 45 fetches three-figures on the rare occasion it comes up for sale.
Batting clean-up, we have Negative Space, the only LP sourced track on this album. This crunchy jam comes off the band’s 1970 record entitled Hard, Heavy, Mean, & Evil. At over six and a half minutes, “The Calm After the Storm” is the longest track included on this volume, but it never gets dull. Fun fact: before changing the name to Negative Space, Rob Russen called his band Snow and released the “Sunflower” 45 in 1969 – you might recall that groover from the First Trip.
We generally stick with American artists for this series, but every now and again something foreign grabs us and shakes us to the core. One example is the Schizo record from France, another is this Swedish 45 by Zane. These crazy Swedes did one incredibly damaged (hence the title) record on the MM label in 1976. These proto-punkers relied heavily on synth for this tune and mixed the drums so obnoxiously loud, you might think the kit is in the room with you. This is a weird one that somehow sounds like Zolar X covering Wicked Lady. Brown Acid material all the way!
B must be short for Bangers, ‘cuz this side is full of ’em! The flip of this Trip begins with a virtually unknown Oklahoma record from 1973. Blizzard was Rod McClure’s high school band, but you couldn’t possibly guess that teenagers recorded this heavy slab on the Token (should’ve been Toking) label. It’s one of the best we’ve comped and it sounds like a hypothetical MC5/Hendrix collaboration. The “Under the Ice” level drum fills will knock your socks off if the heavy shred doesn’t first.
OOOOk-lahoma, where the wind comes sweepin’ down the plain and apparently where the fuzz goes seepin’ in your brain! Third World is the second Okie inclusion on this Trip and we couldn’t be more stOOOOOked to be sharing this very obscure single with y’all. If the heavily distorted two-note riff doesn’t grab ya, the apocalyptic Grand Funk vibes will. Once they get their mitts on ya, Third World will take you back to 1971 and leave ya there. Can we hitch a ride too?
Ever heard of Virginia, Minnesota? We hadn’t either until we got in touch with Calvin Haluptzok and got the back story on his band Sweet Wine. This bitchin’ one-off 45 must’ve melted the snow off the roofs of the households brave enough to play it when it came out in 1970 and it’s still red hot nearly 50 years later. This vino may be sugary, but it packs an incendiary punch! Sadly, Calvin passed before we could get his music re-released, but it was nice to have reached him before it was too late. The Sweet Wine legacy lives on thanks to the Brown Acid archivists.
C.T. Pilferhogg wins the award for most puzzling band name in our series. What’s not puzzling is how righteous both sides of their self-released 1973 single are! Featured here is the A-side “You Haul” which is one of the best examples of a poor man’s Deep Heep (Deep Purple meets Uriah Heep) we’ve ever heard and the demonic Echoplex-laden laughs mixed into this track are out of control. The band was touted as “Southwest Virginia’s Finest Boogie Band”, but don’t let that fool ya.vThey could bang heads with the best of ’em.
The closer on the Seventh Trip is one we hold very near and dear. Not only is this record the one that’s taken us the longest to secure the rights to, it’s also one of the very best examples of heavy psych you’ll ever hear. The track rings your bell (literally) straight out of the gate and the dank psychedelic vibes kick in immediately. Summit‘s “The Darkness” was recorded in a basement studio in Kansas City in 1969 when the lead guitarist was only 16. The band was from a rural Missouri town, played only one impromptu gig in Clinton, and pressed only 125 copies of this, their only single. It should come as no surprise that it sells for hundreds of dollars when it’s offered. That’s a small price to pay for such greatness.
About the Brown Acid series:
Some of the best thrills of the Internet music revolution is the ability to find extremely rare music with great ease. But even with such vast archives to draw from, quite a lot of great songs have gone undiscovered for nearly half a century — particularly in genres that lacked hifalutin arty pretense. Previously, only the most extremely dedicated and passionate record collectors had the stamina and prowess to hunt down long forgotten wonders in dusty record bins — often hoarding them in private collections, or selling at ridiculous collector’s prices. Legendary compilations like Nuggets, Pebbles, ad nauseum, have exhausted the mines of early garage rock and proto-punk, keeping alive a large cross-section of underground ephemera. However, few have delved into and expertly archived the wealth of proto-metal, pre-stoner rock tracks collected on
Brown Acid.
Lance Barresi, co-owner of L.A./Chicago retailer Permanent Records has shown incredible persistence in tracking down a stellar collection of rare singles from the 60s and 70s for the growing compilation series. Partnered with Daniel Hall of RidingEasy Records, the two have assembled a selection of songs that’s hard to believe have remained unheard for so long.
“I essentially go through hell and high water just to find these records,” Barresi says. “Once I find a record worthy of tracking, I begin the (sometimes) extremely arduous process of contacting the band members and encouraging them to take part. Daniel and I agree that licensing all the tracks we’re using for
Brown Acid is best for everyone involved,” rather than simply bootlegging the tracks. When all of the bands and labels haven’t existed for 30-40 years or more, tracking down the creators gives all of these tunes a real second chance at success.
“There’s a long list of songs that we’d love to include,” Barresi says. “But we just can’t track the bands down. I like the idea that Brown Acid is getting so much attention, so people might reach out to us.”
Brown Acid: The Seventh Trip will be available everywhere on LP, CD and download on October 31st, 2018 via RidingEasy Records. Pre-orders are available for digital (with immediate download of the first single) at Bandcamp, physical pre-orders at RidingEasy Records.
Artist: Various Artists
Album: Brown Acid: The Seventh Trip 
Label: RidingEasy Records
Release Date: October 31, 2018
01. Pegasus “The Sorcerer”
02. Nobody’s Children “Good Times”
03. Blue Amber “We Got Love”
04. Negative Space “The Calm After The Storm”
05. Zane “Damage”
06. Blizzard “Peace of Mind”
07. Third World “End of Time”
08. Sweet Wine “Things You Told Me”
09. C.T. Pilferhogg “You Haul”
10. Summit “The Darkness”

On The Web:

Keep your mind open.
[Subscribe.  It’ll be a trip.]

Steve Hauschildt – Dissolvi

Chicago resident and electronic minimalist musician Steve Hauschildt experiments with introspection on his new record, Dissolvi.  Reducing the self leads to viewing the world as it is and not as you wish it to be (the first step in the Eightfold Path).  Through this record, Hauschildt tries to do just that and encourages us to do the same.

The title of the opening track, “M Path,” is a play on “empathy” – someone who can sense emotional states.  It’s bubbly and curious, perhaps as it might be if one could instinctively tap into another’s emotions.  Hauschildt’s synths float around you like jellyfish throughout the track.  “Phantox” dials down the curiosity to meditative introspection.  The quiet dance floor bass thumps are even restrained as they remind you of an excited pulse.  “Saccade” is restful yet seductive, especially with Julianna Barwick‘s guest vocals that snuggle up to you like a cat.

The seven-minute “Alienself” lands in the middle of the record and is an interesting view on Hauschildt’s vision of himself.  Don’t we all feel alien at some point(s) in our lives?  We feel like we don’t belong or are witnessing things so bizarre that they are hard to fathom.  This can happen every day if you watch the news.  Thankfully, Hauschildt takes the right approach by embracing this alien within and looking at the world with outsider’s eyes.  The song floats along with the same curiosity found on “M Path,” but with a bit of a more playful sound with popping bass and toned down dance synths.

“Aroid” is the soundtrack of replicant dreams, or the ambient music playing on the ship taking you to the off-world colonies.  Dance beats take front stage on “Syncope,” and I think it’s impossible to sit still during the song.  Not that it’s a floor-filler or a club banger.  It’s subtle dance music.  That’s probably the best way I can describe it.  “Lyngr” is another excellent “subtle dance” track, but with faster beats and synths that pop all around you.  The bass on the title track is so fuzzed out that it sounds like the footsteps of an electric giant.

It’s a lovely record, and certainly one of the most upbeat ambient albums of the year (and who even knew there were such things).  It will help you dissolve out of whatever doldrums you’re experiencing at the moment and at least bring you into the present long enough to change your outlook.

Keep your mind open.

[Don’t let your e-mail inbox dissolve into nothing.  Subscribe and get updates sent straight there.]

Live: My Bloody Valentine and Martha’s Vineyard Ferries – Riviera Theatre – Chicago, IL – July 28, 2018

The second of two sold-out shows for My Bloody Valentine at Chicago’s Riviera Theatre was added when the first sold out in minutes.  I was surprised the second didn’t sell out as fast, but happy that I got a ticket to what I was sure was going to be a face-melting experience.

Opening up for MBV were Martha’s Vineyard Ferries – a sort of shoegaze / garage punk band with bits of doom flavor sprinkled in now and then.  I expected something a bit more psychedelic with a name like that, but they were “honored” to be opening for My Bloody Valentine and their enthusiasm came through in their set.

Martha’s Vineyard Ferries

The stacks of amplifiers for MBV were tall and numerous.  A woman behind me said her friend had come to the first show and told her, “It was louder than Dinosaur, Jr.”  Her friend was right.  It was louder than them and probably five more bands combined.

My Bloody Valentine

Opening with “I Only Said,” the four of them powered through with walls of distortion and reverb.  Vocals were barely audible at times, and usually incomprehensible.  You don’t go to a MBV show to hear crisp vocals, however, not even on the two new songs they played.  You go to experience the raw energy that comes at you like a pounding surf on a rocky beach.

Of course “Only Shallow” was a big crowd favorite (and as heavy-hitting as you imagine), but “What You Want,” “Nothing Much to See,” and, naturally, “Soon” were big wallops to your chest, too.  A friend of mine held my hands in hers after “Who Sees You,” and we noticed our hands were trembling.  She patted her chest and said, “Wow!  Intense!”

“My ears are hurting!” was the cry of a guy to my left after they finished “Wonder 2.”  I saw a lot of people without earplugs.  I pitied them.  Many of us were in near-meditative states by the time they got to “Feed Me with Your Kiss” and the audio avalanche that closed the show – “You Make Me Realize.”  The bridge in that was a couple minutes of cymbals and guitar noise that almost reached the point of punishment before breaking back into the power chords.  It left us all dumfounded.

As we were walking out, a woman behind me told her boyfriend he should’ve put in his earplugs for the finale.  He said, “I could feel my chest vibrating.  I thought, ‘Am I having a heart attack?  Is this how it ends?'”

“Not a bad way to go,” I said.

“That’s true,” he said.

True, indeed.  A My Bloody Valentine show isn’t for everyone, but it is something everyone should experience.

Keep your mind open.

[You can be my valentine by subscribing.]

 

DJ set list for August 01, 2018

This was the first of my three shows in August.  The others will be August 15th and August 29th (which will be my final show of the summer).  Thanks to all who listened.  Here’s my playlist from August 01st:

  1. The Legendary Shack Shakers – Agony Wagon
  2. The Cramps – Save It
  3. Soledad Brothers – Sights Unseen
  4. Game of Survival radio ad
  5. Gas-s-s-s vintage radio ad
  6. The White Stripes – When I Hear My Name
  7. Soundgarden – Mailman
  8. George Thorogood and the Destroyers – Gear Jammer
  9. Sisters of Your Sunshine Vapor – See You in the Morning
  10. Love Hustler – Shoot Me Up
  11. King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard – Melting
  12. King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard – Inner Cell
  13. Vintage drive-in intermission spot
  14. Pet Shop Boys – My Girl
  15. Kula Shaker – Troubled Mind
  16. Triple Feature Flesh Feast vintage drive-in ad
  17. Thunder – She’s So Fine (live / requested)
  18. My Bloody Valentine – Soon
  19. UNKLE and the Black Angels – With You in My Head
  20. Carlo Savina – Theme to Lisa and the Devil
  21. Ladytron – He Took Her to a Movie (live)
  22. Rick James – Give It to Me Baby
  23. Chrissy Hynde – Adding the Blue (requested)
  24. Twitch of the Death Nerve radio ad
  25. BODEGA – Boxes for the Move
  26. DJ Random – House of Horrors
  27. Radiohead – The National Anthem (live)

See you in the 15th!

Keep your mind open.

[Don’t forget to subscribe.  It would way cool of you.]

Clutch releases some killer pre-order bundles for their upcoming album, “Book of Bad Decisions.”

NEW ALBUM PRE-ORDER AND MERCH BUNDLES AVAILABLE NOW!
CLUTCH TO RELEASE THIRD SINGLE TRACK
FROM THE NEW ALBUM “BOOK OF BAD DECISIONS” TODAY
Maryland rockers CLUTCH are now offering a variety of exclusive “Book of Bad Decisions” pre-order bundles such as the “Limited Edition Collectors Bundle” which includes rare picture disc vinyl, flask, flag, shirt, long sleeve, HATCHET with autographed box, and more!  Bundles will be delivered on or before the album release date of September 7th.
All “Book of Bad Decisions” pre-order bundles, music and merch options are available now exclusively at www.clutchmerch.com
CLUTCH are releasing the third single from their upcoming album Book of Bad Decisions as an instant gratification track at iTunes (https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/book-of-bad-decisions/1376829212&app=itunes) and Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CNYD1R7).  Spotify has it here (http://open.spotify.com/album/7fJuTpSrV3TYbSExbo3emk)
Clutch’s song “Hot Bottom Feeder” is, in essence, a recipe for Maryland crab cakes set to Clutch’s inimitable style.  Watch the accompanying lyric video here https://youtu.be/SOTrHrGSeNM.
Each of the single releases from Book of Bad Decisions is accompanied by a Spotify playlist put together by one of the band members.  In this instance Dan Maines who asks you to “Check out our latest release Hot Bottom Feeder and beat the heat with these stone cold classics.”
CLUTCH:
Neil Fallon – Vocals/Guitar
Tim Sult – Guitar
Dan Maines – Bass
Jean-Paul Gaster – Drums/Percussion
For more  information, check out the band’s website:
Official: www.pro-rock.com
Keep your mind open.
[It’s never a bad decision to subscribe.]

Diagonal – Tomorrow

Chicago’s Diagonal have released their newest record, Tomorrow, and it’s such a good shoegaze record that my wife said it might make her like shoegaze music (which she just doesn’t understand).

Starting with “Find the Sun” (and Chris Detlaff‘s wicked beats), the album shimmers right away.  Three different guitarists (Alex Brumley, Dan Jarvis, and Silas Mishler) merge together to form some sort of super-robot, and Dale Price‘s bass chugs along with the precision of a bricklayer.  Andy Ryan‘s vocals on the big, spaced out “Wide Eyed” are appropriately drenched in reverb, and the whole band unloads with walls of sound.  It’s one of my favorite tracks of the year so far.  It’s been in my head for days.

“Control” ups the psychedelic touches but keeps the fuzz.  “Jump Back” reminds me of Julian Cope tunes from the late 1980’s with its groovy bass licks and the crisp, yet distorted guitar riffs.  The guitars on “True” are crispier, but the bass picks up the fuzz.  It sounds like a Cosmonauts track.  “Descend” could be a Black Angels tune, especially with that slight hint of Middle Eastern influences and the subtle reverb on the vocals.

“All We Need” breaks open with shining riffs and more sick beats from Detlaff.  Jarvis add some cool keyboard flourishes that give it a space-rock feel.  Price’s love of the Cure comes through on his bass line for “Shattered Glass,” and I like how Ryan’s vocals on it sound like they’re coming at you from the end of a long hallway.  “Stay Awake” has a fun groove to it with more than a subtle hint of surf rock.  The fuzz on “Feels” hits a bit harder after the mellowness of the previous track.  It’s one of the loudest cuts on the record.  The title track closes the record, and it’s a wild trip into the cosmos with dual vocals from Ryan and Misher that are barely discernible, bass so fuzzy it resembles an angry bumble bee, enough guitar distortion to power an eighteen-wheeler, and drums that go for broke and beyond.

Don’t wait until tomorrow to get Tomorrow.  It’s one of the best shoegaze records I’ve heard in 2018.

Keep your mind open.

[Don’t wait until tomorrow to subscribe either.]

Pitchfork Musical Festival 2018 recap

The lineup for this year’s Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago’s Union Park didn’t thrill me.  Plus, the forecast for the weekend called for rain nearly the entire time my wife and I would be there.  Still, the tickets were free (Thanks,  Nivas of WSND!) and there were some acts I definitely wanted to see, so we made the trip.

We got there just in time on day one for rain and Melkbelly.  The Chicago punks were the second band to play and they unloaded a loud set of fierce shredding.   The rain also stopped while they were playing, so I took it as a good omen.

Melkbelly

Up next was Lucy Dacus, who played a nice set as the humidity rose from the sun emerging from the clouds.  She talked about her fear of being electrocuted and how she was rearranging some of the set list to avoid too much playing guitar near standing water, but she did fine and was lovely to hear.

Lucy Dacus

Natural Information Society‘s psychedelic jazz set was just two songs and it lasted nearly forty minutes.  It was hypnotic, peaceful, and perfect for a warm and wet afternoon.

Natural Information Society

One of the weirdest parts of the day was Tierra Whack‘s twenty-minute set.  She replaced Earl Sweatshirt who had cancelled.  Whack’s DJ played parts of hip hop songs to warm up the crowd.  It didn’t work all that well, mostly because he didn’t play whole tracks and he kept yelling variations of “Hey, Chicago!” over and over to the point where it became pandering.  Whack came out and performed her entire debut EP, Whack World, which is only about fifteen minutes long, and then left.  “That was weird,” my wife said.  Yep.

Tierra Whack (left) and her DJ

Electro-pop outfit Mount Kimbie played a nice set on the far side of the park, and it was a nice warm-up to Tame Impala‘s closing set, which suffered from bad volume mixing.  “It sounds like AM radio,” said one woman behind me.  Her friend added, “Nothing like listening to Tame Impala through a tin can.  Thanks, Pitchfork!”  The crowd was yelling, “Turn it up!” at one point.  We left before chaos reigned.

Mount Kimbie
As close as we could get to Tame Impala

Day two brought less rain and we started the day with a great set from Zola Jesus.  She came out in a red veil and looked like a witch from a Dario Argento movie.  She seemed to have a great time.  “She could sing anything with that voice,” my wife said.  She’s right.

Zola Jesus

Our friend, Nivas, told me to check out Moses Sumney‘s set.  Mr. Sumney wasn’t on our radar, but we’re glad we took Nivas up on the suggestion.  His set was a good mix of soul, gospel, R&B, and jazz.

Moses Sumney

Another soulful highlight was Raphael Saddiq, who is a dead ringer for Lightnin’ Hopkins.  Sadie played a fun set of bluesy R&B that had a lot of folks dancing.

Raphael Sadie

I got all hipster by dragging my wife to see prog-rock legends This Is Not This Heat.  It was a loud, dark prog-rock show with songs about nuclear warfare, consumerism, and painful lessons of history.  It was neat to see some legends.  I even scored a couple autographs.

This Is Not This Heat

We left early again in order to get a decent meal and came back on day three just in time to see Kelly Lee Owens.  Her self-titled debut was my favorite album of last year, so she was the main artist I wanted to see at the festival.  She didn’t disappoint.  She put on a great electro-dance set that had everyone bouncing.  It was a crime that she only got to play for 40 minutes.

Kelly Lee Owens

Japanese Breakfast played after her, and they were quite popular with the crowd.  Their stuff is a mix of shoegaze, dream pop, and straight-up rock.  A big favorite among the crowd was their cover of the Cranberries’ “Dreams.”

Japanese Breakfast

We wandered over to the main stages to claim a spot for the two closing acts and ended up hearing all of DRAM‘s set.  He had excited to be playing for such a large crowd and on such a beautiful day.  He wasn’t bad, but after the fifth time he yelled, “If you love your momma, say ‘Yeah, dawg!” it became repetitive.

DRAM

People were fired up for Chaka Khan, who looks and sounds great.  The line dance that broke out near us during “I Feel for You” was a treat, and the whole crowd, men and women alike, was jumping during “I’m Every Woman.”

Chaka Khan

Lauryn Hill closed the festival.  There was talk that she wouldn’t show up, despite being there for a sound check at the beginning of the day.  She came on stage twenty minutes late, which I’m sure drove the stage manager nuts, but she showed that her chops haven’t diminished in the last twenty years.  She played the entire “Miseducation” album and had a sharp backing band.  They had to be ever-vigilant because she was constantly stopping some of them or having them alter their volume and tempo on the fly.  She also seemed to have endless problems with her microphone and monitor, judging by how often she tapped the mic and her earpiece.  Still, she sounded great.  “It wasn’t as epic as I thought it would be,” my wife said, “but I’m glad I got to see her live.”

Lauryn Hill

That pretty much sums up Pitchfork for me this year.  It wasn’t as epic as last year, but I’m glad I went.  Let’s hope the 2019 lineup is better.

Keep your mind open.

[Don’t forget to subscribe.]

Live: Radiohead – United Center – Chicago, IL – July 07, 2018

I hadn’t seen Radiohead in concert since 2012.  They’d put out a couple albums since then, and I had been looking forward to this show for months.  It was a bonus show of sorts, as the original show the previous night sold out within minutes.  They added the second show to make up for those of us who couldn’t get tickets to that one, and even this show sold out in rapid time.  I had to refresh websites on my phone and laptop computer just to score tickets on the third level.

That being said, it was worth it.

They started with “Daydreaming” and “Desert Island Disk” to lull the crowd into a  nice trance before breaking out tracks like “Myxomatosis” and “Lucky” to get everyone moving.

A real treat was their first performance of “Spectre,” the rejected theme from the Bond movie of the same name.  It was great to hear “Idioteque” (which had the whole place jumping) and “My Iron Lung” (a personal favorite).  “Bodysnatchers” almost blasted the back wall off the United Center.

Their first encore consisted of “You and Whose Army?”, “Airbag” (which had a friend of ours dancing in the aisle), “The National Anthem” (another personal favorite), “2 + 2 = 5,” and “Street Spirit (Fade Out).”  Their second encore brought us “Everything in Its Right Place” (which was jaw-dropping), “Pyramid Song,” and “Karma Police” (which had the whole place singing).

It was great to see them again.  I didn’t realize how much I missed seeing them until that night.  They’re one of those must-see bands anytime they’re close.

Keep your mind open.

[Don’t forget to subscribe before you split.]

Live: Diana Krall – Saenger Theatre – New Orleans, LA – June 24, 2018

Diana Krall‘s performance at the Saenger Theatre in New Orleans had a “no cellphones / cameras” policy, which was refreshing.  I resisted the urge to take any photos during the show, although others did and some even used the flash on their phone cameras to do so.  Using your camera flash at a show is the new smoking at a show.

Ms. Krall and her slick backing band (upright bass, guitar, fiddle, drums) played a fun mix of love songs and jazz classics that included many cuts from her latest album Turn Up the Quiet.  She had fun banter with the crowd, even admitting to screwing up a Fats Waller tune that was harder to play than she realized.  She delighted the crowd with a soft instrumental version of “Walkin’ to New Orleans.”  They played for close to ninety minutes and the crowd was buzzing afterwards as we stepped out into the warm night.

She’s a jazz powerhouse and still on tour throughout the U.S.  Don’t miss her if you get the chance to see her.

Keep your mind open.

[Turn up the music updates by subscribing.]

Rewind Review: Ladytron – Live at London Astoria 16.07.08 (2009)

If you’re like me and eager to hear Ladytron‘s upcoming album and catch them on tour for it, their 2009 release of Live at London Astoria 16.07.08 is a great morsel to tide you over until the new record’s release and subsequent tour.  The show was a rescheduled gig for one that had to be cancelled a couple months earlier due to a power outage.  The band’s urge to make amends with fans can be felt throughout the power of the entire set.

The live album starts off with a robotic version of “Black Cat” with lead vocals in Russian.  “Runaway” follows, bringing dark wave-like bass and great echoed vocals.  The guitars and droning synths on “High Rise” might induce vertigo if you’re not careful while listening to it.  “Ghosts” has some of my favorite Ladytron lyrics, “There’s a ghost in me who wants to say, ‘I’m sorry doesn’t mean I’m sorry.'”  It’s a spooky song about relationships, quite possibly involving at least one lover who is dead.

“Seventeen” is one of my favorite Ladytron cuts, and it’s one of the most damning songs about the fashion industry ever (“They only want you when you’re seventeen.  When you’re twenty-one, you’re no fun.”).  The live version is thumping with synth bass.  “I’m Not Scared” hits hard with bright synths blending with rock drums.  “True Mathematics,” with more great Russian vocals, hits even harder.  I hope they play it on their next tour, because it’s outstanding.  “Season of Illusions” is a bit lighthearted, but don’t worry because “Soft Power” drops you right back into the dark with synths that sound like they’re being played in a tomb.  “Playgirl” was a big hit for the London crowd, judging from their reaction when Ladytron announces it’s the next track.

“International Dateline” is practically a goth love song, and “Predict the Day” surprises you by starting with whistling and then unloading sticky synth bass and sexy beats.  “Fighting in Built Up Areas” is another Russian vocal treat, and “Discotraxx” would do Giorgio Moroder proud with its slick electro dance beats.  They dedicate “The Last One Standing” to everyone who was at the show that was cancelled months earlier.

They chose “Kletva,” “Burning Up,” and “Destroy Everything You Touch” for their encore.  It’s a nice end to a fun show.  They originally just release 100 copies of it at the show, so I’m glad they put it out for wide release.  You should be, too.

Keep your mind open.

[Subscribing won’t destroy your inbox.  It’s safe as houses.]