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| Get your tickets early for Pitchfork 2018. No lineup has been announced, but $150.00 for a three-day pass is a steal to any music festival, let alone one with such a diverse lineup. | ||||||||
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Live: Gary Numan and Me Not You – Chicago, IL – November 29, 2017
I hadn’t seen electro / industrial legend Gary Numan live for many years. His new album, Savage, is getting rave reviews and debuted as high as #2 in the U.K. His live shows are loud, dazzling, and impressive affairs, and his November 29th show at Chicago’s Thalia Hall was no exception.
Opening for him were the Brooklyn quartet Me Not You, who put on a nice set of shoegaze and synth-rock. I’d like to hear more of their material. Unfortunately, I missed part of their set due to getting a phone call from work that I had to take.
Numan and his four-man band came out and immediately kicked down the back wall with a blast of industrial rock on “Ghost Nation” – the lead track from the new record. Upon hearing it, I immediately thought, “Yeah, I need to get this record.”
Although he’s not much for nostalgia, Numan delivered a great version of “Metal” right afterwards. He had the crowd in his hand by this point, and it was only the second song. Other solid cuts from the new record were “Bed of Thorns,” “Mercy,” “Pray for the Pain You Serve,” “My Name Is Ruin,” and “When the World Comes Apart.”
“Down in the Park,” of course, remains one of the best electro-goth songs ever, and Numan’s path down more industrial roads puts a new spin on a lot of his classic material. He has the bass brought up on “Cars” to make it almost a metal track, for example. “Love Hurt Bleed,” from his Splinter album, is a new highlight to his show. It’s everything Trent Reznor owes Numan in one song.
He performed “M.E.” and “Are Friends Electric?” for an encore. Both were stunning, especially “Are Friend Electric?” – which is the greatest song Phillip K. Dick never wrote.
This was easily one of the best performances I’ve seen all year. The crowd was a fun mix of aging hipsters like yours truly, young industrial fans, old punks, metal heads, and goths. I know this makes me sound old, but it was great to see people younger than I having a great time at the show. It ensures me that Numan’s music will continue through new generations of fans. Don’t miss this tour if it gets close to you.
Keep your mind open.
[Don’t forget to subscribe before you go.]
Ty Segall releases another single, and it’s one of the best of 2018.
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Partner – In Search of Lost Time
In Search of Lost Time isn’t the first music released by Canadian rock outfit Partner. They’ve released multiple excellent singles (i.e., “The Ellen Page” and “Personal Weekend”), and founding members Josee Caron (vocals and lead guitar) Lucy Niles (vocals and rhythm guitar), and Kevin Brasier (bass) already had Canadian indie rock scene credentials with their former bands Mouthbreathers and Go Get Fucked (possibly the best band name ever). So it isn’t surprising that their first full-length record is witty, full of hooks, and one of the best pop-punk albums I’ve heard in a long while.
“Everybody Knows” starts the album with squealing, heavy guitar riffs and brings in a favorite subject of Partner’s – the goofy things that happen when one is high. Caron sings about freaking out in the grocery store while in a euphoric quest for chips. Niles sings about getting high while waiting for a friend and then realizing she can’t hide the fact that she “sparked another one” while waiting on the friend’s porch. Oh yeah, Caron’s guitar solo on this will leave you stunned.
Niles’ guitar on “Comfort Zone” (a song about the joys of slacking) reminds me of Television riffs. “Gross Secret,” with its sharp guitar work and dual vocals from Caron and Niles, reminds me of Sleater-Kinney if Sleater-Kinney would relax a bit now and then. “Angels from Ontario” is about a perfect pop-punk love song you’ll ever hear. The hooks and beat are instantly infectious and it bursts with enough energy to fill an opera house.
Caron reveals her love of shows like Judge Judy and The Maury Povich Show on “Daytime TV.” Niles sings about the dangers of snooping in your roommate’s room on “Sex Object.” “Ambassador to Ecstasy” is a solid rocker about trying to woo a hot girl and the possible complications that can come with such an endeavor.
“Play the Field” is a fun song about having a crush on a hot female athlete and contains what might be my favorite lyric of 2017 from Lucy Niles – “…to see you in your sports bra, though, just might change my life.” “You Don’t Have to Say Thank You” is, without question, the sexiest song on the record as Caron tells her lover she doesn’t have to thank her for an amazing night since “your pleasure is my delight.” Zowie! As if that weren’t enough to sell you on it, wait until you hear the wall-flattening guitars and drums (from Toronto indie rock drumming legend Simone TB).
“Creature in the Sun,” a song about the joys of mindfulness, might be my favorite cut on the record. It’s somewhere between new wave, post-punk, pop-punk, and spaghetti western music. I guarantee that if you hear this on the radio or in a wrecka stow, you will instantly stop and think, “Who is this?” The 1990’s alt-rock vibe is heavy on “Remember This,” which isn’t surprising when you consider the album was mixed by Chris Shaw who has worked with Weezer and Ween (among many others).
The closer, “Woman of Dreams,” has Caron and Niles pining for a lovely lady but realizing the best they can do about it (for now, at least) is write a song about her. It reminds me of Fountains of Wayne‘s harder tracks with its punchy hooks and clever lyrics.
I haven’t even mentioned the sketches, which include various goofy telephone conversations with photographers, Caron’s father, and others. I’ll let you discover those on your own.
This is one of those albums that will reveal new stuff to you every time you hear it – a drum fill, a wicked guitar lick, a funny lyric, etc. I don’t know if Partner will get back the time they’re searching for, but they didn’t waste any making this record. It won’t waste your time either.
Keep your mind open.
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Rewind Review: Diagonal – self-titled (2016)
Chicago-based psych / shoegaze rockers Diagonal play an intriguing mix of both genres. Their self-titled album, currently only available on cassette or digital download, starts with a meditative, almost ambient, nearly instrumental song called “Aura.” I listened to this on a frosty northern Indiana morning as the sun rose over harvested corn fields. It was perfect.
“Wide Eyed” teases you with a bit of drone sludge before breaking into a heavy shoegaze riff. “Inside Your Mind” is so steeped in psychedelic tea that you can pretty much see rear projection oils when you hear it. “Where to Go” ups the fuzz and races by you almost before you realize it’s happening (and I love the trippy fade-out).
“Waterloo” is another rocker that puts in enough reverb to almost make it a weird dream that eventually turns into a crazy psychedelic nightmare. “Come Down” reminds me of early Black Angels material with its distorted yet somehow crisp guitars and lyrics lost in layers of reverb. The album ends with “Cave” – a loud, wild, feverish freak-out that swirls around you like a tornado full of broken, dead trees and shattered houses.
It’s a solid release, and Diagonal is definitely a band to watch and hear. They have the chops to be serious players in the psych-rock game.
Keep your mind open.
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Moby gives away four hours of ambient music.
In an effort to calm everyone down, including himself, DJ / author / producer Moby has created four hours of ambient music to help you sleep, meditate, practice your yoga, or just do nothing. Even better, he’s giving all it away for free.
You can download the music from his WeTransfer website for no cost whatsoever. Most of the pieces are between 20 and 30 minutes in length and are perfect for a sitting meditation session or just to chill out while you’re on the train or on a long flight.
His WeTransfer site says there’s no delete date on the files, but get it while you can. You might need it to survive the holidays.
Keep your mind open.
[Don’t forget to subscribe before you go. You’ll feel better. Really.]
Live: Flying Lotus – Chicago, IL – November 14, 2017
I wanted to see Flying Lotus‘ 3-D show since I saw it without 3-D glasses at Mamby on the Beach earlier this year. He put on an impressive set there, so I figured one in an enclosed venue like Chicago’s Riviera Theatre would be a good time.
It was, albeit the place was packed once you got past the bar in the main theatre because everyone wanted the best spot to see the visual spectacle. It was indeed impressive, and I sure a wild trip if you were high during the thing. A guy next to my friend and I snapped at her when he thought she had been staring at him every time she turned around to talk to me. We explained that he had misread all of it and nothing was intentional. As my friend told me later, “If you can’t handle your fucking drugs, don’t come to a Flying Lotus show.”
He put on a good set, spinning in some stuff he did with Thundercat along the way. That was a big hit with the crowd. The visuals were mostly different from the ones at his Mamby set. Some of the best were a “Flying Lotus” logo that seemed to push from the screen to above the crowd and a floating woman’s head that would curl out from the screen like a snake. It probably gave some chemically altered folks nightmares.
Go see this tour if you’re able. It’s worth it for the visual feast, and Flying Lotus is one of the best experimental artists out there right now. His future is bright if he’s already doing stuff like this.
Keep your mind open.
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Rewind Review: The Dirtbombs – If You Don’t Already Have a Look (2005)
In the liner notes to this excellent double album from Detroit rockers the Dirtbombs, band leader / guitarist / vocalist Mick Collins proclaims, “The best albums are all compilations, anyway. Why? Because they’re made up of SINGLES, duh.”
If You Don’t Already Have a Look is a full-length collection of downright dangerous singles and another disc of cover tunes. Danger is missing from a lot of rock music nowadays, and the Dirtbombs were possibly the most dangerous band to come out of the Motor City since the MC5. Even their songs that venture into soul and pop music always have a streak of menace hidden in them.
There are many standouts on the album. The opener on the disc of originals is “Theme from the Dirtbombs,” a fiery song that sounds like it belongs in the opening credits of a 1960’s car race cartoon. “The Sharpest Claws” is a theme song for dominatrixes everywhere. “I’m Saving Myself for Nichelle Nichols (No. 3)” is one of the craziest punk rock songs in the last twenty years. “High Octane Salvation” is an homage to muscle cars and sprinkles in some psychobilly riffs for good measure. “Little Miss Chocolate Syrup” has a bass groove as sweet as the song’s namesake.
“Don’t Bogue My High” was, like many early Dirtbombs tracks, recorded into a dictation microphone. It is thus gloriously distorted and trashy. “Encrypted” is a satire of 1990’s Britpop. “Broke in Detroit (Again)” has this cool 60’s surf guitar riff you can’t shake. “Infra-red” is a weird, shapeshifting track with guitars that ooze around like the Blob and “Candyass” is a solid rock track. The lyrics of “All My Friends Must Be Punished” are some of the wittiest on the record. “They Saved Einstein’s Brain” is a one-take punk rock classic.
The disc of cover songs includes great tracks by obscure bands like Cheater Slicks (“Possession”) and classics like Stevie Wonder‘s “Maybe Your Baby.” Their cover of the Rolling Stones‘ “No Expectations” includes a Beatles tribute and a salute to the Stones’ “Sympathy for the Devil.” “Noise in This World” (originally by English Beat) fits in perfectly with the Dirtbombs’ sound, as does their fiery, almost unrecognizable cover of Soft Cell‘s “Insecure…Me?” “Tanzen Gehn” is a song in German made for a German label while the band was in Germany. It’s wonderfully funky. “Crash Down Day” was written by a six-year-old and is still better than most current rock tracks. Their cover of the Bee Gees “I Started a Joke” is one of the coolest Bee Gees covers ever (especially with the reverbed vocals).
It’s a great introduction to the Dirtbombs or an addition to your collection of your material.
Keep your mind open.
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Angry Skeletons – Slightly Hostile / Real Friendly
I got an Facebook message out of the blue from a chap in Denmark who wanted to know if I were interested in hearing his garage punk band Angry Skeletons (Emil Timmerman Findalen – drums, Patrick Foley – guitar and vocals, Jeppe Thiesen – bass and vocals). I told him that sounded like a fun idea and he sent me to their newest EP – Slightly Hostile / Real Friendly.
It starts out with “Planned Obsolescence” – a heavy, fuzzy song that would fit on Nirvana‘s Bleach album without missing a beat. “T.V. Freak” has some 60’s swing in it until about halfway into the tune when it devolves into a grungy mess before getting back into that fun groove.
“M. Death” ups the “snotty punk” levels thanks to Foley’s vocals that sound like he’s kicking a lover to the curb and Findalen’s ferocious beats that probably kickstart mosh pits wherever they play. “Slightly Hostile” reminds me of some of Ty Segall‘s first records with its weird guitar grooves.
The closer, “Floating Awkwardly,” is one of the coolest punk tracks I’ve heard in a while. The breakdown in it is outstanding, and the way it goes full turbo when it comes back in is even better.
Like any good EP, it’s far too short. I hope we get more from these guys soon. It seems I need to get to Denmark and check out their live music scene if it offers stuff like this.
Keep your mind open.
Loma release haunting “Black Willow” from upcoming debut.
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