Live music – Page 3 – 7th Level Music

Top 25 albums of 2023: #’s 10 – 6

Here we are at the top 10 albums I heard last year. Let’s get to it!

Cool beats, dub bass, scratching, hand percussion from instruments collected around the world, and killer grooves all combine on this instrumental world music record. You’ll play this a lot, and it might be your new favorite workout record.

#9: Shame – Food for Worms

I’ll admit that I didn’t get this record at first. I enjoyed Shame‘s first two albums, but this one just seemed…off. I almost didn’t review it, but I thought, “Maybe I just need to hear it again.” I’m glad I did, because it finally clicked for me on the third listen and it turned out to be a great record by a band that is constantly exploring themes of identity, consumerism, celebrity culture, and death.

#8: Melody Fields – 1901

If you were looking for some good psychedelic music this year, Melody Fields delivered it with 1901. At times trippy, at other times lush, other times rocking, and other times meditative. They were a pleasant discovery for me this year, and I look forward to hearing more from them.

#7: Protomartyr – Formal Growth in the Desert

Protomartyr have yet to put out a bad record, and they’re probably the closest you can get to experiencing a vintage Gang of Four live sound without building a time machine. This album is about transitions, from life to death, from an old home to a new one, from grief to healing. Again, they hit a home run.

#6: Thee Oh Sees – Live at Levitation (2012)

A great, previously unreleased live set from Thee Oh Sees thanks to the good folks at the Reverberation Appreciation Society, this show captures one of the early incarnations of the band (with just one drummer) shredding the stage as they always do. The live version of “Block of Ice” is alone worth the purchase price.

Next up are my top five albums of 2023! Don’t miss it.

Keep your mind open.

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Top 25 albums of 2023: #’s 20 – 16

Here we are at the top 20 albums I heard in 2023. There’s some fun stuff here for you.

#20: Worg – Il Piano di Medea EP

This is a techno EP based on the mythological tale of Jason and the Golden Fleece. I don’t know what else to write to make you keen on hearing it than that.

#19: Noëtik – Parhelion EP

Speaking of good EDM, this EP from Noëtik is solid. You could drop any of these tracks into a DJ set and your audience will think you’re a genius.

#18: The Serfs – Half Eaten By Dogs

Weird and wild post-punk from Cincinnati. It moves back and forth between cold wave, post-punk, krautrock, and other stuff that’s hard to define.

#17: Motörhead – Live at the Montreux Jazz Festival ’07

This unearthed, previously unreleased live recording of Motörhead destroying a jazz festival is nothing short of outstanding. They were firing on all cylinders during this tour. Count yourself lucky if you saw them in 2007. If, like me, you never got to see them live, this gets you close.

#16: Rich Aucoin – Synthetic – A Synth Odyssey: Season 2

Rich Aucoin has a cool gig. He gets to collect and play with vintage synthesizers, arpeggiators, sequencers, and organs and make albums with them. This second volume of such music sounds like it was recorded yesterday with new gear. It’s full of dance tracks, ambient cuts, trance beats, disco riffs, and more.

Who makes the top 15? Stay tuned!

Keep your mind open.

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Mac Sabbath announces early 2024 western U.S. tour with The Darts.

Drive-thru metal rockers Mac Sabbath are about to launch a short western U.S. tour with psych-rockers The Darts, starting at the legendary Pappy and Harriets in Pioneertown, California and ending at the wild Area 15 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Don’t miss them. Tickets are on sale now.

01/17/24 – Pioneertown, CA – MAC SABBATH – Pappy And Harriets

01/19/24 – Flagstaff, AZ – MAC SABBATH – Orpheum Theater

01/20/24 – Tucson, AZ – MAC SABBATH – Rialto Theatre

01/21/24 – Las Vegas, NV – MAC SABBATH – The Portal Inside AREA 15

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Maria at Adrenaline PR.]

TOOL announces 2024 European dates.

TOOL make their highly-anticipated return to Europe this Spring, with a month of dates slated for the 2024 trek, including outings at London’s The O₂Arena, Stockholm’s Tele2 Arena and Paris’ Accor Arena, as well as festival outings at Graspop Metal Meeting, Tons of Rock and CopenHell.

News of the band’s European tour follows a particularly busy time for the Los Angeles-based band, with the foursome featuring Danny Carey, Justin Chancellor, Adam Jones and Maynard James Keenan, currently in the midst of a North American tour that extends into February. Over the last five months, TOOL has headlined Aftershock, Welcome to Rockville, Louder Than Life and the Sonic Temple Arts & Music festivals, as well as a once-in-a-lifetime performance at Power Trip, which Metal Hammer described as “a mind-melting, triumphant showcase of just how singular their art is, a transcendental experience that surpasses genre boundaries.”

Tickets for all headlining dates are on-sale now.

TOOL European tour dates:

25 May Hannover, DE ZAG Arena

27 May Amsterdam, NL Ziggo Dome

30 May Birmingham, UK Resorts World Arena

1 June Manchester, UK AO Arena

3 June London, UK The O₂ Arena

5 June Paris, FR Accor Arena

8 June Berlin, DE Parkbühne Wuhlheide

10 June Wien, AT Wiener Stadthalle

11 June Kraków, PL Tauron Arena

13 June Budapest, HU BudapestAréna

18 June Köln, DE Lanxess Arena

20 June Dessel, BE Graspop Metal Meeting

22 June Copenhagen, DK CopenHell

25 June Stockholm, SE Tele2 Arena

27 June Oslo, NO Tons of Rock

TOOL North American tour dates:

10 January Baltimore, MD CFG Bank Arena

12 January New York, NY Madison Square Garden

13 January New York, NY Madison Square Garden

18 January Hollywood, FL Hard Rock Live at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood

19 January Hollywood, FL Hard Rock Live at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood

21 January Charlotte, NC Spectrum Center

23 January Nashville, TN Bridgestone Arena

24 January Atlanta, GA State Farm Arena

26 January Birmingham, AL The Legacy Arena at The BJCC

27 January Biloxi, MS Mississippi Coast Coliseum

30 January Corpus Christi, TX American Bank Center

31 January Austin, TX Moody Center

2 February Dallas, TX American Airlines Center

3 February Oklahoma City, OK Paycom Center

5 February Denver, CO Ball Arena

7 February El Paso, TX UTEP Don Haskins Center

9 February Phoenix, AZ Footprint Center

10 February Phoenix, AZ Footprint Center

12 February Fresno, CA Save Mart Center

14 February Los Angeles, CA Crypto.com Arena

15 February Los Angeles, CA Crypto.com Arena

17 February Ontario, CA Toyota Arena

18 February Las Vegas, NV T-Mobile Arena

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Monica at Speakeasy PR]

Caroline Rose announces 2024 North American tour dates.

Caroline Rose’s live show “explodes in color. Angry reds, deep blues, vibrant yellows, and every shade in-between flex and melt onstage in a dazzling light show dance that only grows in intensity as the set goes on” (NYLON). Today, Rose announces a 2024 North American tour in support of “their strongest and most resonant record yet” (Under The Radar), The Art of Forgetting, out now on New West Records. The Art of Forgetting was released earlier this year to a wealth of praise from the likes of The New York Times, NPR, and Document Journal, who hailed it as “a confessional, layered with personal anecdotes, Southern storytelling sensibilities, and unreserved exploration of the ever-evolving self.”

Rose’s 2024 tour includes stops in Chicago, Washington, DC, and Boulder, plus two-night stints in Los Angeles, Portland, Seattle, and San Francisco. Metropolis Ensemble, founded by Grammy award nominated conductor Andrew Cyr, will join Rose in Brooklyn and Northampton for a special set-up featuring eight auxiliary players. Fans will also have the opportunity to attend VIP screenings of Rose’s The Art of Forgetting short film, taking place in many of the venues following soundcheck. The film has earned many accolades, including the title of Best Music Video at Hollywood Shorts Fest, New York Indie Shorts Awards, and ARFF Amsterdam, in addition to being a semifinalist at Indie Shorts Awards Cannes and an official selection at Hollyshorts Film Festival. A full list of tour dates are below, and tickets are on sale to the general public now.

Stream/Purchase The Art of Forgetting
Watch the “Miami” Video
Watch “Tell Me What You Want” Video
Watch the “The Doldrums” Visualizer

Caroline Rose 2024 Tour Dates
Sun. March 31 – Portland, ME @ State Theatre
Tue. April 2 – Northampton, MA@ Bombyx
Wed. April 3 – Northampton, MA @ Bombyx
Fri. April 5 – Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel
Sat. April 6 – Fairfield, CT @ The Warehouse
Sun. April 7 – Boston, MA @ Royale
Tue. April 9 – Montreal, QC @ Studio TD
Wed. April 10 – Toronto, ON @ Concert Hall
Fri. April 12 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
Sat. April 13 – Washington, DC @ 930 Club
Sun. April 14 – Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Ballroom
Tue. April 16 – Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall
Fri. April 19 – Madison, WI @ High Noon Saloon
Sat. April 20 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Ave
Tue. April 23 – Iowa City, IA @ Englert Theatre
Wed. April 24 – Kansas City, MO @ RecordBar
Fri. April 26 – Fort Collins, CO @ Aggie Theatre
Sat. April 27 – Boulder, CO @ Fox Theatre
Sun. April 28 – Santa Fe, NM @ Meow Wolf
Fri. May 3 – Tucson, AZ @ Congress Plaza
Sat. May 4 – Solana Beach, CA @ Belly Up
Mon. May 6 – Los Angeles, CA @ Lodge Room
Tue. May 7 – Los Angeles, CA @ Lodge Room
Fri. May 10 – Santa Cruz, CA @ Rio Theatre
Sat. May 11 – San Francisco, CA @ The Chapel
Sun. May 12 – San Francisco, CA @ The Chapel
Tue. May 14 – Sonoma, CA @ Gundlach Bundschu Barn
Thu. May 16 – Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom
Fri. May 17 – Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom
Sat. May 18 – Seattle, WA @ The Showbox
Sun. May 19 – Seattle, WA @ The Showbox

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Ben at Pitch Perfect PR.]

Austin Psych Fest announces first wave of 2024 lineup.

The first lineup announcement for the 2024 Austin Psych Fest is here, and it’s already impressive. The Saturday lineup alone is worth the price of admission.

Friday’s top three, Courtney Barnett, Chicano Batman, and Psychedelic Porn Crumpets are top draws at festivals around the country. The Black Angels are must-see whenever they play, and All Them Witches are finally playing a Levitation festival!

Saturday is a “witchy” day all-around with not only All Them Witches, but also WITCH, Frankie and The Witch Fingers, and L.A. Witch all playing that day, and don’t miss Earthless or Minami Deutsch that day.

Alvvays and Kurt Vile and The Violators closing out Sunday is a big score, not to mention indie-rock stars Dehd.

More bands will be announced in the coming months, and tickets are on sale now. See you there?

Keep your mind open.

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Slowdive announces 2024 North American tour.

Earlier this year, Slowdive released everything is alive, their first record since 2017’s self-titled album and first record with Dead Oceans. The record was met with critical and commercial acclaim, garnering praise from the likes of Vulture (“hypnotically gorgeous”), Billboard (“a dreamy yet taut melding of their strengths”), Brooklyn Vegan (“perhaps the best record of their career”), and more. On the heels of their sold-out fall U.S. tour, Slowdive have announced they’ll be returning to the US for a spring North American tour next year. Including the already sold out Sick New World festival in Las Vegas, they’ll play many cities not yet played in support of everything is alive: Atlanta, Dallas, Denver, New Orleans, and more.

As the Chicago Tribune commented, “Experimental and shimmery, [everything is alive] packs a lush and enigmatic punch. Don’t take their latest releases and live shows for granted. Who knows when this influential band will be back in town?” Tickets for all shows will be on sale Friday, December 8th at 10AM local time and more information can be found here.

Slowdive Tour Dates
(new dates in bold)

Tue. Jan. 16 – Amsterdam, NL @ Paradiso
Wed. Jan. 17 – Paris, FR @ La Cigale
Thu. Jan. 18 – Cologne, DE @ Live Music Hall
Sat. Jan. 20 – Hamburg, DE @ Grosse Freiheit 36
Sun. Jan. 21 – Copenhagen, DK @ VEGA
Mon. Jan. 22 – Oslo, NO @ Sentrum Scene
Tue. Jan. 23 – Stockholm, SE @ Munchenbryggeriet
Wed. Jan. 24 – Copenhagen, DK @ VEGA
Thu. Jan. 25 – Berlin, DE @ Columbiahalle
Sat. Jan. 27 – Warsaw, PL @ Progresja
Sun. Jan. 28 – Prague, CZ @ Divaldo Archa
Mon. Jan. 29 – Munich, DE @ Muffathalle
Tue. Jan. 30 – Zurich, CH @ Volkshaus
Wed. Jan. 31 – Milan, IT @ Alcatraz Club
Fri. Feb. 2 – Bologna, IT @ Estragon Club
Sun. Feb. 4 – Lyon, FR @ La Transbordeur
Mon. Feb. 5 – Barcelona, ES @ Razzmatazz
Tue. Feb. 6 – Madrid, ES @ La Riviera
Thu. Feb. 8 – Brussels, BE @ Cirque Royale
Fri. Feb. 16 – Brighton, UK @ Brighton Dome
Sat. Feb. 17 – London, UK @ Eventim Apollo
Sun. Feb. 18 – Birmingham, UK @ O2 Institute Birmingham
Mon. Feb. 19 – Norwich, UK @ LCR UEA
Wed. Feb. 21 – Liverpool, UK @ O2 Academy Liverpool
Thu. Feb. 22 – Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, UK @ NX
Fri. Feb. 23 – Glasgow, UK @ Barrowland Ballroom
Sat. Feb. 24 – Edinburgh, UK @ Liquid Room
Mon. Feb. 26 – Cardiff, UK @ Cardiff University Great Hall
Tue. Feb. 27 – Manchester, UK @ Manchester Academy
Mon. Mar. 11 – Tokyo, JP @ Toyosu Pit
Wed. Mar. 13 – Osaka, JP @ Namba Hatch
Thu. Apr. 25 – Ventura, CA @ The Majestic Ventura Theater
Fri. Apr. 26 – Pomona,CA @ The Fox Theater Pomona
Sat. Apr. 27 – Las Vegas, NV @ Sick New World Festival
Sun. Apr. 28 – Phoenix, AZ @ The Van Buren
Tue. Apr. 30 – Albuquerque, NM @ The Historic El Rey Theater
Wed. May 1 – Denver, CO @ Levitt Pavilion Denver
Fri. May 3 – Kansas City, MO @ The Truman
Sat. May 4 – St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant
Sun. May 5 – Indianapolis, IN @ Egyptian Room at Old National Centre
Tue. May 7 – Louisville, KY @ Old Forester’s Paristown Hall
Wed. May 8 – Pelham, TN @ The Caverns
Fri. May 10 – Dallas, TX @ Longhorn Ballroom
Sat. May 11 – Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall
Sun. May 12 – Austin, TX @ ACL Live at The Moody Theater
Tue. May 14 – New Orleans, LA @ The Civic Theatre
Thu. May 16 – Birmingham, AL @ Avondale Brewing Company
Fri. May 17 – Atlanta, GA @ The Eastern
Sun. May 18 – Asheville, NC @ Rabbit Rabbit

Purchase everything is alive
Watch “alife” Video
Watch “kisses” Video
Watch “skin in the game” Visualizer
Watch “the slab” Video

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Jaycee at Pitch Perfect PR.]

A Place to Bury Strangers announces European tour dates.

A Place to Bury Strangers are gearing up to crush Europe in April 2024 with shows ranging from the Netherlands to France. Don’t miss them if you’re in any of these cities. Heck, make a trip to see them while you’re are it. You won’t regret it.

They’re also doing a New Year’s Eve DJ set in Brooklyn!

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Steven Matrick.]

Mandy, Indiana release new remix and tour dates for this winter.

Today, i’ve seen a way — the acclaimed debut from Manchester quartet Mandy, Indiana released via Fire Talk Records — was named one of Rough Trade’s Best Albums of 2023. In conjunction with today’s announcement, Mandy, Indiana present “Sheared (Pinking Shears Rework),” a clipping. remix of album standout “Pinking Shears.”

clipping.’s rework of “Pinking Shears” filters the politically charged track through a US lens. “The dream is all crooked cops, retail mark-up on basic goods, an ex-president getting away with treason,” raps Tony and GRAMMY Award winner Daveed Diggs. Rough Trade’s exclusive 12”features the clipping. remix alongside the original “Pinking Shears” and an instrumental version of the track.

Next month, Mandy, Indiana will bring their ”physically — yet brilliantly — overwhelming” (NME) live show to the US for their debut tour, featuring stops in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and a newly announced date in Chicago. Mandy, Indiana thrive in the unexpected, and their performances have become a vehicle to explore the boundaries of tension and release. A full list of dates are below and tickets are on sale now.

Listen to “Sheared (Pinking Shears Rework)”

Mandy, Indiana Tour Dates [New Date in Bold]:
Sat. Dec. 2 – New York, NY @ Baby’s All Right [SOLD OUT]
Tue. Dec. 5 – Chicago, IL @ The Empty Bottle
Thu. Dec. 7 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Echo
Fri. Dec. 8 – San Francisco, CA @ Popscene – Brick & Mortar
Fri. Feb. 9 – Dublin, IE @ The Workman’s Cellar
Sat. Feb. 10 – London, UK @ Village Underground
Thu. Feb. 22 – Nijmegen, NL @ Merleyn
Fri. Feb. 23 – Utrecht, NL @ EKKO
Sat. Feb. 24 – Groningen, NL @ Hybrid Festival
Wed. Feb. 28 – Berlin, DE @ Kantine Am Berghain
Sat. July 6 – Roskilde, DK @ Roskilde Festival

Stream/Purchase i’ve seen a way
Watch “Pinking Shears” Video
Watch “Drag [Crashed]” Video
Watch “Injury Detail” Video

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Ahmad at Pitch Perfect PR.]

Sleater-Kinney announces new tour dates with Palehound and Black Belt Eagle Scout.

I wouldn’t wait much longer if you plan on seeing Sleater-Kinney‘s “Little Rope” tour, as two dates on the east coast are already sold out, and I’m sure other venues already have low ticket warnings in place. Joining them will be Black Belt Eagle Scout and, it was recently announced, Palehound.

Tickets are on sale for all shows now, so grab them while you can.

Keep your mind open.

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