7th Level Music

The Duke Spirit – Sky Is Mine

How do you follow up one of the best shoegaze records of 2016? Well, if you’re the Duke Spirit, you do it by releasing a deeply introspective record called Sky Is Mine, which keeps some of the shoegaze elements of Kin, but also ups the dream-pop. Lead singer Liela Moss was pregnant during the recording of Sky Is Mine, and she’s admitted in interviews that carrying a new life definitely influenced her songwriting for this record.

It begins with “Magenta,” a one-two punch of fuzzed out guitars and Moss’ echoing siren-like vocals. “Who knows where the heart goes?” she asks, wondering how far love can reach when one is separated from a lover. “Bones of Proof” is proof that Ms. Moss is one of the best vocalists of her generation. She has a way of making a song sexy, sad, and slightly scary all at the same time. “Go now and seek the truth, you’ll know it when the bones of proof press against your body warm, the skin, the form, the idea born,” she sings, and you can’t help but think she wrote those lyrics while pregnant. The guitar in this is like a gentle buzzsaw. I know that’s an odd description, but you’ll understand once you hear it.

“See Power” moves from dream-pop verses to bold shoegaze choruses and back again like, well, waves of the sea. The heavy bass of “In Breath” mixes with ghostly guitars and hints of Celtic magic. “Houses” has Moss’ reverbed vocals bouncing off each other as the band churns out a solid shoegaze groove behind her. “How Could, How Come” is the stuff of dream-pop dreams and possibly a lost Cowboy Junkies track.

“Yo Yo” has wicked beats and sneaky, tricky guitars throughout it as Moss sings about (in my opinion, at least) staying in the present despite outside forces constantly pulling us back and forth. “The Contaminant” is textbook shoegaze, and the closer, “Broken Dreams,” wraps around you like a warm fog with Moss’ lyrics about peaceful patience and hypnotizing percussion.

This album doesn’t rock as hard as previous Duke Spirit albums like Neptune or Kin, but that’s okay. It’s the band’s further exploration of dreamscapes. It’s ideal for wandering, sitting, and looking up at the night sky, which is mine, theirs, yours, and ours.

Keep your mind open.

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Top live shows of 2017: #’s 5 – 1

We’ve arrived at the top 5 live shows I saw this year. Here they are.

#5 – LCD Soundsystem – Aragon Ballroom – Chicago, IL November 7th.

This was the second of a three-night residency at Chicago’s Aragon Ballroom for LCD Soundsystem. It was the second time we saw them in 2017, and they were healthier and a bit goofier than the first time. It was also the best show we’d seen at the Aragon in a long while.

#4 – Slaves – House of Blues Chicago – Chicago, IL September 20th.

Slaves‘ opening set for Kasabian at this show was, without question, the best punk rock show I’ve seen in a couple years. They came out with cocksure swagger and proceeded to freak out the entire crowd. My friend, Portia, and I had a “rock moment” with them when we were the only ones in the audience who knew to yell “Fuck the hi hat!” when they began telling the story behind the song of the same title and they pointed us out in the crowd. Win.

#3 – Gary Numan – Thalia Hall – Chicago, IL November 29th.

I hadn’t seen Gary Numan in concert for about ten years, but he hasn’t lost a step. He actually has become better in that time. His band was tighter, his vocals were sharp, and the spectacle of the performance was top-notch.

#2 – LCD Soundsystem – Pitchfork Music Festival – Chicago, IL July 14th.

No, this isn’t an error. LCD Soundsystem are in my top five live shows of 2017 twice. This was the first time my wife and I saw them, and we were instantly hooked. They became one of our “We’ll see them anytime.” bands thanks to this performance that closed the first night of the 2017 Pitchfork Music Festival. The crowd was wild, erupting into two mosh pits during the show, and LCDSS threw down a raucous set despite dealing with injuries and mild illness.

#1 – Midnight Oil – The Vic Theatre – Chicago, IL May 18th.

Within moments I knew this sold-out Midnight Oil show was going to be the best show we saw all year. It was their return tour after twenty years and they sounded like they’d stepped out of a time machine. Lead singer Peter Garrett even appeared to not have aged in that time. They proved they were still one of the most relevant and best live acts in the world. It was uplifting to see and hear them again, and left everyone hoping for new material soon.

There you have it. Go see a bunch of live music in 2018. Your favorite band is depending on you.

Keep your mind open.

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Priests – Nothing Feels Natural

This album almost slipped by me in this crazy year of alternate facts and a lot of yelling. I’m glad I saw a recent article about it that reminded me to buy Priests‘ Nothing Feels Natural, because it’s a sharp post-punk record and one of the records 2017 needed most.

The album begins with drummer Daniele Daniele‘s urgent beats before lead singer Katie Alice Greer comes in with her vocal style that immediately grabs you by the throat. Soon, guitarist G.L. Jaguar and bassist Taylor Mulitz are slapping you around and Greer is singing, “It feels good to buy what you can’t afford.” She’s put her finger in the eye of American consumer culture in under two minutes. On “JJ,” Jaguar unleashes some clever surf rock hooks and Greer’s vocals go from menacing to playful while the lyrics keep twisting a knife into the culture of artifice we’ve created.

“Nicki” has some goth touches (mostly in Jaguar’s guitar and Mulitz’s bass) that catch you off guard before it flattens you with hard shoegaze riffs. “Yes, it’s true, I want more,” Greer sings. She’s just as easily seduced by consumerism and always projecting a perfect image as the rest of us, but the power behind her vocals lets us know she’s fighting temptation. “Lelia 20” offers us some of that strength as Greer sings, “Things could be much worse.” Never forget that (and you won’t forget Daniele’s great drumming throughout the whole track).

“No Big Bang,” with vocals by Daniele, is about disappointment and shattered illusions. “Your mind keeps running along the same narrow track of logic for what feels like forever…” is just one of the insightful lyrics in this near-spoken word piece. The title track has some of Greer’s best vocals and saddest lyrics. “Perhaps I will change into something,” she begins as the rest of the band puts down great riffs and beats behind her. Jaguar’s guitar soars on this cut, taking it to another level.

“Pink White House” is the first song I ever heard by Priests. It’s fiery, vicious, and yet completely danceable as Greer keeps chanting about “Anything you want. Anything, anything!” It’s a wake-up call to walk away from the temptations of a new SUV, mindless sitcoms, dwelling in nostalgia, and thinking money will solve everything. “Kneel at the feet of programming…You are just a cog in a machine,” she warns.

“Puff” has Greer saying she wants to start a band called Burger King (Who used to have the slogan “Have it your way.”) and use it to make others’ dreams come true. It is, of course, a slap in the face of people who look to the media to solve their problems and make up their minds. I love that the album ends with a song called “Suck.” It’s slick as oil (Daniele, Jaguar, and Mulitz fire on all cylinders throughout it) and has Greer singing, “Please don’t make me be someone with no sympathy.” She wants to care, but sometimes people make it so damn hard.

2017 was like that. It was hard to care, but Priests know we must. We are all each other have. Nothing Feels Natural, both in title and content, is a glass of cold water in our collective faces. Wake up. Snap out of it. Preach on, Priests.

Keep your mind open.

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Top live shows of 2017: #’s 10 – 6

We’ve reached the top ten in my list of live shows for 2017. Who’s here? Read on…

#10 – Kasabian – House of Blues Chicago – Chicago, IL September 20th.

“I don’t know why this show isn’t sold out?” was the sentiment held by me and at least a few others when Kasabian played in Chicago. “These guys sell out Glastonbury!” said a guy behind me, referring to the massive British music festival. Sure enough, Kasabian put on a great, energetic set that had everyone bouncing and dancing. It might’ve been the liveliest set you missed all year.

#9 – All Them Witches – Founder’s Brewery – Grand Rapids, MI March 19th.

I was stunned to learn that Nashville’s All Them Witches were playing for free up in Michigan. I was even more stunned by their set, which was a tight set infused with blues, rock, voodoo rock, and psychedelia. It immediately made me want to catch them again as soon as possible.

#8 – King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard – Metro – Chicago, IL April 8th.

2017 has been the year of King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard. They’ve release four albums this year and a fifth is due to drop any day now. Their show at Chicago’s Metro was one of the craziest I attended all year. They tore through a set that not only played older material but also included tunes from the (at the time) unreleased album Murder of the Universe.

#7 – Anoushka Shankar – IPFW – Ft. Wayne, IN March 26th.

This show gave me chills. Anoushka Shankar is perhaps the greatest living sitar player on Earth, although I’m sure she’d disagree with that statement. Seeing and hearing her in an acoustically perfect venue playing traditional ragas might convince you of my earlier statement, however. It was a sublime performance.

#6 – Flying Lotus – Mamby on the Beach – Chicago, IL June 25th.

Flying Lotus was the final act we saw at Mamby on the Beach this year. It was chilly by that time of day, but his set made you forget about the cool air blowing in from Lake Michigan. The visuals were stunning and the sounds he made from his mushroom cloud-like stand were an impressive array of psychedelic, trip hop, and dub sounds.

Who finishes in the top five for 2017? You’ll find out tomorrow!

Keep your mind open.

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Top live shows of 2017: #’s 15 – 11

We’re halfway through my list of top live shows of the year. Who’s in the top half?

#15 – Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers – Scottrade Center – St. Louis, MO May 12th.

This was an impressive show with a sold-out crowd. Tom Petty and his crew had a fun time tearing through a lot of classic hits, and the performance took on a deeper meaning to my wife and I after Petty’s death at the end of this tour. We’d wanted to see him for a long while, so we were thankful we caught him in time.

#14 – Buddy Guy – Lerner Theatre – Elkhart, IN September 9th.

Blues legend Buddy Guy is pushing 90 and still shredding better than guitarists a third of his age. He dazzled with his skill and spoke openly about the importance of love and compassion in these tough times.

#13 – Depeche Mode – Air Canada Centre – Toronto, ON September 3rd.

Depeche Mode were a big part of our high school years, so it was surprising that it took my wife and I so long to finally catch them live. It was a solid set with new and classic tracks and one of the best encores we saw all year.

#12 – Deap Vally – Valley Bar – Phoenix, AZ March 11th.

Deap Vally are easily one of the best live bands of this decade. This set at Phoenix’s VIVA PHX festival was a stunner. I always feel bad for any band that has to follow them, and getting to chat with them after the show was an added treat.

#11 – The Black Angels – Thalia Hall – Chicago, IL May 11th.

I won’t skip an opportunity to see the Black Angels. I’ve already bought tickets to see them at next year’s Levitation Austin festival. This set in Chicago was a great start to a fun weekend with my wife, and the Black Angels played more aggressively than I’d seen them in a long while.

Who cracks the top 10? Tune in tomorrow to find out!

Keep your mind open.

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Bebel Gilberto – Live at the Belly Up

Are the winter blues getting to you? Are you tired of snow? Is the Christmas season bringing you more stress than joy? Don’t worry, bossa nova legend Bebel Gilberto has a cure. It’s her new live EP – Live at the Belly Up.

Beginning with the lovely “Samba E Amor,” the album instantly relaxes you and brings to mind images of spending a warm night on a Brazilian beach with your lover. Thankfully, she has included her cover of Radiohead‘s “Creep,” which never fails to make my eyes misty.

“Momento,” the title track from one of her many fine albums, is dreamy and a bit mischievous as Ms. Gilberto and her guitarist play back and forth. “Bananeira” is even more playful as she gets the audience to clap and sing along with her before putting down some of her sexiest vocals.

She gets even friskier on her classic “So Nice,” which is about wishing for a lover even to just stroll with on any given day. The audience has fun with her, too. If your winter blues haven’t melted by now, they probably will during “Baby” – another one of her classics that belongs on every make-out mixtape.

You might want to save room on that mixtape for the closer, “Preciso Dizer Que Te Amo,” because it’s the type of song that can change the mood of an entire room to amorous in just a few chords.

Bebel Gilberto is a great performer, and this EP is a nice slice of her wonderful live shows. I think it’s impossible to be blue while listening to this. Get it and get out of your winter funk.

Keep your mind open.

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Top live shows of 2017: #’s 20 – 16

We’ve reached the top 20 live shows I saw this year. Read on to see who made the cut.

#20 – A Tribe Called Quest – Pitchfork Music Festival – Chicago, IL July 15th.

It was one of their first performances without Phife Dawg, and they paid him many great tributes during it. ATCQ also came to preach and teach, and Q-Tip was absolutely fierce on the mic. The whole crowd was with them the entire time.

#19 – Cut Copy – Mamby on the Beach – Chicago, IL June 25th.

Cut Copy were easily the best band we saw on Day 2 of Mamby on the Beach. They played an energetic set that had the whole beach crowd jumping before it was even halfway done.

#18 – Will Clarke – Mamby on the Beach – Chicago, IL June 24th.

Speaking of great Mamby sets, DJ Will Clarke‘s was our favorite DJ set by far. He seemed to be having a great time behind the decks and inspired me to dust off my digital turntables.

#17 – Nicolas Jaar – Pitchfork Music Festival – Chicago, IL July 16th.

We ended our Pitchfork experience with Nicolas Jaar, and it was a lovely, trippy way to end the festival. He created a neat soundscape that drifted and swirled around the crowd like a warm fog.

#16 – Derrick Carter – Pitchfork Music Festival – Chicago, IL July 16th.

If you need a boost to start your final day of a big music festival, go see Chicago house music DJ legend Derrick Carter. His set in the early hours of the last day of Pitchfork was outstanding. Everyone worked up an early sweat and enough energy to make it through the rest of the day. He put on a clinic.

Who’s in the top 15? Come back tomorrow to see.

Keep your mind open.

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Top live shows of 2017: #’s 25 – 21

Who cracked the top 25 of my live shows I saw this year? Read on!

#25 – Temples – Valley Bar – Phoenix, AZ March 11th.

Temples were the last band to play on the Desert Daze lineup at the VIVA PHX music festival. It was my first time seeing them in a small venue, and they nailed it. They sounded perfect and delivered a solid set that earned them many new fans.

#24 – The Damned – House of Blues – Chicago, IL April 23rd.

I’d wanted to see punk rock legends the Damned for a long while, and this show was pretty much what I’d hoped it would be. The crowd was a fun mix of punks, goths, and horror film fans, and moshing to “Neat Neat Neat” with the Damned only a few feet away was a delight.

#23 – Thundercat – Mamby on the Beach – Chicago, IL June 25th.

I’d heard a lot of good things about Thundercat prior to seeing him live at this music festival, and he didn’t disappoint. He and his two-man backing band played a great jazz fusion set in the middle of a festival mostly devoted to electronic dance music. He’s an amazing bass player, and seeing him shred live makes you appreciate his skill even more.

#22 – Marian Hill – Mamby on the Beach – Chicago, IL June 24th.

Speaking of Mamby on the Beach, Marian Hill were one of the best bands we saw there. They played a great set of sexy dance rock that might be the best new makeout music you need to hear.

#21 – Goblin – Thalia Hall – Chicago, IL October 25th.

This performance from Italian prog / horror rock masters Goblin had a criminally light attendance, but they didn’t care. As usual, being at a Goblin show is like being in a giallo film. The whole atmosphere is creeping and fascinating. They also played a nice tribute to the late George Romero. Shame on you if you missed this one.

Who cracks the top 20? Tune in tomorrow to find out!

Keep your mind open.

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Top live shows of 2017: #’s 30 – 26

I’ve arrived at the end of my live music year for 2017. I saw over 60 performances this year, and the majority of them were a fun time. There were some that might’ve had lame crowds or that just didn’t thrill me, of course, but 2017 was good for live music. To save time (and my sanity and your patience), I’m counting the top 30 live shows I saw this year. Here are the first five.

#30 – A Place to Bury Strangers – Thalia Hall – Chicago, IL May 11th.

I’ll see APTBS at any opportunity, and seeing this set where they opened for the Black Angels was a no-brainer for me. It was also the first time they played Thalia Hall, and they sounded great in there. I was lucky enough to chat with front man Oliver Ackermann before and after (along with the rest of the band – Dion Lunadon and Lia Braswell) the set, so that made the show extra special.

#29 – Joe Walsh – Scottrade Center – St. Louis, MO May 12th.

Joe Walsh had a fun time opening for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. He joked with the sold-out crowd, played every hit you’d want to hear at one of his gigs, and had a huge, excellent backing band. He also showed that he could still shred on guitar, and his performance of “Take It to the Limit” brought my wife to tears.

#28 – Bebel Gilberto – City Winery – Chicago, IL December 20th.

The last show I saw this year turned out to be a delightful night with bossa nova legend Bebel Gilberto. It was a lovely set in an intimate venue. Everyone needs to see Ms. Gilberto at least once, and hear her often.

#27 – Bleached – House of Blues – Chicago, IL April 23rd.

If you’re in a band, I wish you could’ve seen Bleached with me twice within six months because you’d have seen a perfect example of how to step up your game. This show, which had them opening for the Damned, was the second time I’d seen them in that time period. The first was at a gig in Cleveland in October 2016. I thought they were good then, but this performance left me gobsmacked. They’d become tighter and stronger in just half a year. It had been at least a couple years since I saw so much improvement in one band.

#26 – Partner – Schuba’s – Chicago, IL January 22nd.

This was Partner‘s first gig in Chicago, and one of their first in the United States. Shame on you if you missed it, because they are now indie rock darlings and their debut album, In Search of Lost Time, is one of the best of 2017. This show was an absolute home run and wowed everyone there.

Stay tuned for #’s 25 – 21!

Keep your mind open.

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Live: Bebel Gilberto – Chicago, IL – December 20, 2017

Chicago’s City Winery is a wonderful intimate venue, and seeing a lively performer like Bebel Gilberto there is a treat that should never be missed. Thankfully, my wife and I got to attend her second performance there in as many nights, and Ms. Gilberto was in a playful mood.

Ms. Gilberto shimmied and shook all over the stage and worked through some of her bossa nova classics like “Aganju” and “So Nice,” stopping now and then to put on some more lip gloss or sample some of the venue’s white wine.

She was also a bit feisty, throwing in some political jokes like, “I’m glad this year is almost over, because that means we only have three more left…if you know what I mean.” Other highlights included her covers of Neil Young’s “Harvest Moon” and Radiohead’s “Creep.” Her cover of “Creep” brings my wife and I to tears anytime we hear it, and I felt bad for the couple across from us who went out for a smoke break before she and her two-man band played it.

She had the crowd singing and even bouncing multiple times throughout the night, calling on us to help her sing rhythms and uplift each other. “Uplifting” is probably the best way I can describe her performance. It was a delightful way to end a year that has been rough for many we know and a shining way to start the winter solstice. More light comes to this half of the world as of yesterday, and I can’t help but think Bebel Gilberto had something to do with it.

Keep your mind open.

[Thanks to Vickie Starr for bringing me and my wife some Christmas cheer with press passes to this show.]

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