July 2022 – Page 3 – 7th Level Music

When The Chats claim, “I’ve Been Drunk in Every Pub in Brisbane.”, you tend to believe them.

Aussie punk trio The Chats release a new single/video, “I’ve Been Drunk in Every Pub in Brisbane,” from their new album, GET FUCKED, out August 19th on Bargain Bin Records. Clocking in at just 89 seconds, the rip-roaring track is an entirely unironic celebration of frontman Eamon Sandwith’s first year or two in his new home city. The accompanying video was shot under the influence by the band and their house mate, Rick, who is also in a band with Eamon and Josh called Rick and the Sickos.

“Brisbane is quite a bit hotter than the rest of the country,” says Eamon, “so it’s one of those places where it’s more acceptable to start drinking earlier. I reckon there would be 900 or so pubs that you would have to hit, and I have actually been to a good chunk of them, but if you were go to all of them, it would be hard to even remember which ones you’d been to, and which ones you hadn’t, especially if you’d got fucking pissed.”

WATCH THE CHATS’ VIDEO FOR “I’VE BEEN DRUNK IN EVERY PUB IN BRISBANE”

GET FUCKED is an incendiary, hyper-adrenalized blitz from punk heaven, showcasing an electrifying all-killer-no-filler 13 tracks which perfectly capture the band’s explosive energy. The album, while tackling umpteen eminently relatable beefs ranging from surfer-dude racism to the usual dire impecunity, feels like a classic high-velocity punk-rock party album like they just don’t make ’em anymore – think early Ramones, think MDC’s debut, think invite your mates over and rock hard all weekend. It is, quite simply, another laugh-out-loud, pogo-through-the-floorboards stroke of motherfucking genius.

This fall, The Chats will open for Guns N’ Roses on a Australian and New Zealand tour. A full list of dates can be found below.

WATCH VIDEO FOR “STRUCK BY LIGHTNING”

WATCH THE “6L GTR” VIDEO

PRE-ORDER GET FUCKED

THE CHATS TOUR DATES
Fri. Jul. 22 – Adelaide, AU @ Adelaide Showground
Fri. Jul. 29 – Luxembourg, LU @ Rotondes
Sat. Oct. 8 – Sacramento, CA @ Aftershock Festival
Fri. Nov. 18 – Perth, AU @ Optus Stadium
Tue. Nov. 22 – Brisbane, AU @ Suncorp Stadium
Thu. Nov. 24 – Gold Coast, AU @ Metricon Stadium
Sun. Nov. 27 – Sydney, AU @ Accor Stadium
Sat. Dec. 3 – Melbourne, AU @ Melbourne Cricket Ground
Thu. Dec. 8 – Wellington, NZ @ Sky Stadium
Sat. Dec. 10 – Auckland, NZ @ Eden Park

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Jacob at Pitch Perfect PR.]

Medicine Singers fly high with “Hawk Song” from their new album.

Today, Medicine Singers release their self-titled debut album on Stone Tapes/ Joyful Noise, and present the video for “Hawk Song.” Medicine Singers is a genre-smashing kaleidoscope of sound firmly rooted in the intense physical power of the powwow drum, and is the inaugural release on the new Joyful Noise imprint, Stone Tapes. “Hawk Song,” written by band member Ray Two Hawks Watson, is a modern powwow favorite which infuses the Eastern Algonquin tradition with a rock edge. “The guitar turned it into a rock song,” says bandleader Daryl Black Eagle Jamieson. “The two styles mesh together so well, it’s like a fireball taking off, and you can see it in the audience when we play it live.” With hand-held footage of the band performing “Hawk Song,” the accompanying music video – directed by Roy and Gigi Ben Artzi – captures a propulsivity that extends across Medicine Singers’ 10 tracks.

Watch Medicine Singers’ “Hawk Song” Video

The creation of Stone Tapes was inspired in part by Jamieson’s work as an artist and activist, and to make a space for traditional musicians to collaborate with other experimental artists. One dollar from each Stone Tapes album sale will go toward a charity of the artist’s choice. For Medicine Singers, the funds will go to Jamieson’s organization Pocasset Pocanoket Land Trust. “We’re buying back all the land from the original Pocasset purchase – that the colonists took from us. What we are trying to do is preserve the pristine land…Keep it from being built on…Bring it back to our people to have a place to go. Because here in the Northeast most of the land has been taken and built upon, and it’s so expensive that Indian people cannot even afford it,” said Jamieson.

Medicine Singers expands on years of collaboration following a spontaneous 2017 performance by Eastern Algonquin powwow group Eastern Medicine Singers and Monotonix guitarist Yonatan Gat. Bridging multiple dimensions of sound, Medicine Singers expanded into a remarkable supergroup that also includes ambient music pioneer Laraaji, Thor Harris and Christopher Pravdica of Swans, no wave icon Ikue Mori, and rising jazz trumpet star jaimie branch, who also painted the album cover. Alongside producer Ryan Olson (of Gayngs), Medicine Singers’ debut album combines traditional powwow music with elements of psychedelic punk, spiritual jazz, and electronics in a stunning blend.

“I look at it like this, everybody is my brother and sister, no matter where they come from,” Jamieson reflects. “If their culture or music is different, I want to learn about it, and I want to play with them. I think it’s our responsibility as artists to show the world that life is not about war and hate. Life is about music, peace, and culture. We need to communicate with people of different cultures and backgrounds. We need to show people how we can work together and make something beautiful.”

Watch The “Daybreak” Lyric Video

Watch The “Sunrise (Rumble)” Video

Listen to “Sanctuary”

Purchase Medicine Singers

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[Thanks to Yuri at Pitch Perfect PR.]

The Schizophonics have “Won Your Love” with their new single.

San Diego trio The Schizophonics share the video for “Won Your Love” from their forthcoming fourth album today via Punk News. Watch and share “Won Your Love” HERE. (Direct YouTube.)

The band previously issued the lead single “Desert Girl” via YouTube, Spotify and all other DSPs.

The band just recently wrapped up an extensive tour of Europe, and will be very busy for the next year with tour dates around the world. Please see current dates below.

Over the last few years, The Schizophonics have built up a formidable reputation around the world as an explosive live act. Tapping into the same unstoppable combination of rock ‘n’ roll energy and showmanship that fueled The MC5 in the heyday of the Grande Ballroom, their wild live show is heavily influenced by artists like James Brown, Iggy Pop, Jimi Hendrix, Little Richard, and The Sonics.

Singer/guitarist Pat Beers and drummer Lety Beers formed the band in San Diego in 2009 and have worked tirelessly since then, playing hundreds of shows around the globe. In 2013 they were recruited as the backing/opening band for El Vez, which helped the band make a name for itself in Europe. Since then, they’ve played in numerous countries, and supported tours by like-minded acts like Rocket From The Crypt, Little Barrie, The Woggles and have opened for the Damned, DEVO, The Hives and Cage The Elephant. Shindig Magazine described their live show “Like watching some insane hybrid of WAYNE KRAMER, JAMES BROWN, and the Tasmanian Devil.”

The band is more than just a live act; they’re also committed to writing great memorable songs. Their new album Hoof It on Pig Baby Records due in Fall 2022 was recorded by Dean Reis at Singing Serpent studio (Plosivs, RFTC) and mixed by Steve Kaye at Sun King Studios.

Hoof It will be available on LP, CD and download on September 2nd, 2022 via Pig Baby Records. Pre-orders are available HERE.

THE SCHIZOPHONICS LIVE 2022:

07/22 & 23 Saint Paul, Quebec, CA – Le Festif! De Baie Saint Paul

09/07 Boise, ID – Neurolux

09/08 Yakima, WA – Punks Bar

09/09 Seattle, WA – Substation

09/10 Portland, OR – Dante’s

09/11 Eugene, OR – Old Nick’s

09/13 Albany, CA – Ivy Room

09/14 San Jose, CA – The Ritz

09/15 Santa Cruz, CA – Moe’s Alley

09/17 Los Angeles, CA – Zebulon

09/23 San Diego, CA – The Casbah

10/21 Los Angeles, CA – Permanent Records Roadhouse

11/03 Indianapolis, IN – Lo-Fi

11/04 Cincinnati, OH – Motr Pub

11/05 Columbus, OH – Ace of Cups

11/06 Pittsburgh, PA – Club Cafe

11/07 Baltimore, MD – Ottobar

11/08 Washington, DC – City Winery

11/10 Philadelphia, PA – Kung Fu Necktie

11/11 Brooklyn, NY – TV Ete

11/12 New Haven, CT – Cafe Nine

11/13 Providence, RI – Alchemy

11/14 Boston, MA – Middle East

11/16 Montreal, QC – Casa Del Popolo

11/17 Toronto, ON – The Baby G

11/18 Rochester, NY – Bug Jar

11/19 Cleveland, OH – Beachland Tavern

11/21 Detroit, MI – PJ’s Lager House

11/22 Chicago, IL – Schuba’s

11/23 Milwaukee, WI – Shank Hall

11/25 Minneapolis, MN – Icehouse

11/26 Green Bay, WI – Lyric Room

Keep your mind open.

[You can win my love by subscribing.]

[Thanks to Dave at US / THEM Group.]

WSND set list – Nocturne – July 10, 2022

Thanks to everyone who listened to my latest WSND Nocturne show. Here’s the wild set list from July 10, 2022.

October and the Eyes – All My Love
Warm Drag – Your Thunder and Your Lightning
Toro Y Moi – Still Sound
Ladytron – Paco!
Pearl & The Oysters – Crocodile
Kasabian – Apnoea
Elephant Stone – Cast the First Stone
BODEGA – No Blade of Grass
Ty Segall Band – Wave Goodbye (live)
Ty Segall – Feel Good
Hound Dog Taylor & The Houserockers – She’s Gone
Blue Cheer Vincebus Eruptum radio ad
Blue Cheer – Summertime Blues
The Smithereens – All Revved Up
The Black Angels – Tired Eyes
Sheryl Crow – Sign Your Name
All Them Witches – 41
Stamping Ground movie spot
The Damned – Smash It Up – Parts 1 & 2
Bad Religion – The Day That the Earth Stalled
Agent Orange – It’s Up to Me & You
Robin Trower – Ballerina (requested)
Hasil Adkins – Turn My Coattails Loose
SLIFT – Ummon
Helmet – Born Annoying (1989 version)
Devo – Working in a Coalmine (requested)
Dressy Bessy – This May Hurt (a Little)
Shonen Knife – Tower of the Sun (Japanese language version)
Dum Dum Girls – Coming Down

I hope you’ll tune in next week.

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WSND set list – Deep Dive of Failure

Thanks to all who listened to my Deep Dive of Failure. Here’s the set list!

Failure – Stuck on You
The Cure – Fascination Street
Joy Division – Disorder
Failure – Count My Eyes (demo version)
Failure – Pro-Catastrophe
Failure – Macaque (live)
AC / DC – Girl’s Got Rhythm
Failure – Undone
Failure – Moth (demo version)
The Replicants – Just What I Needed
Failure – Saturday Savior
Failure – Another Space Song (live)
ON – Soluble Words
Year of the Rabbit – Last Defense
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club – Ha Ha High Babe
Chris Cornell – You Know My Name
Lusk – Backworlds
Autolux – Plantlife
Blinker the Star – Below the Sliding Doors
Failure – Come Crashing
Failure – Hot Traveler
Failure – Heavy and Blind
Failure – Headstand
Failure – Mercury Mouth

Next week’s deep dive will cover Kraftwerk! Come get weird!

Keep your mind open.

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Cold Gawd drop a shoegaze stunner with debut single, “Sweet Jesus Wept Shit.”

Cold Gawd is the flag under which California-based multi-instrumentalist Matt Wainwright creates stormy, wounded shoegaze music born of open tunings and R&B melodies. Inspired by these sounds, Cold Gawd presents a refined, modernized take on the genre.

Today, Cold Gawd announce details for their Dais Records debut album, set for release on September 23rd. The group’s second collection, God Get Me The Fuck Out Of Here, took shape in the winter of 2020 while Wainwright was working long solo shifts at a coffee shop in Chicago. Fueled by dreams of returning to his hometown of Rancho Cucamonga and reconnecting with old friends from past hardcore bands, Wainright holed up with his coveted pink Jazzmaster, an array of FX pedals, and a laptop, and wrote the entire album in a month. In March of 2021 he made the move, heading back west to the Inland Empire, where he booked sessions with Gabe Largaespada at Open Ocean to track and mix.

Despite recording every instrument himself, the results have the lived-in feel of a practiced live band (which Cold Gawd now are, fleshed into a six-piece). Cascading walls of guitar churn, surge, and ripple, framed by sunken rhythms and Wainright’s distant, defeated voice, veiled in violet haze.

Watch (+ share) the video for God Get Me The Fuck Out Of Here‘s first single “Sweet Jesus Wept Shit” on YouTube.

Wainwright cites the thematic common ground between shoegaze and R&B as a central muse, both obsessively fixated on love, lust, and longing, in forms alternately grandiose and minor key. Lyrically, the album sways between oblique and desperate, yearning and resigned – with the exception of “Comfort Thug,” a brooding, largely improvised spoken word piece inspired by the notable lack of black musicians in shoegaze.

Cold Gawd is here to change that. God Get Me The Fuck Out Of Here channels malaise and melancholy into gauzy, galvanized anthems of escape, change, and introspection. The crushing closing cut, “Passing Through the Opposite of What It Approaches,” heaves and hovers like looming storm clouds, beneath which Wainright sings (and bandmate Arturo Ramirez screams) as close to a mission statement as the album offers: “leave what you know / and get grown / everyday / remember / why you left.”

Pre-order God Get Me The Fuck Out Of Here here and look for more music and news to surface soon from Cold Gawd.

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Stephanie at Indie Publicity.]

Third Man Records releases a book about the history of drone music – Harry Sword’s “Monolithic Undertow: In Search of Sonic Oblivion.”

Out now from Third Man Books, Monolithic Undertow alights a crooked path across musical, religious and subcultural frontiers. It traces the line from ancient traditions to the modern underground, navigating archaeoacoustics, ringing feedback, chest plate sub-bass, avant-garde eccentricity, sound weaponry and fervent spiritualism.

From Neolithic beginnings to bawdy medieval troubadours, Sufi mystics to Indian raga masters, cone-shattering dubwise bass, Hawkwind‘s Ladbroke Grove to the outer reaches of Faust and Ash Ra Temple; the hash-fueled fug of The Theatre of Eternal Music to the cough syrup reverse hardcore of Melvins, seedy VHS hinterland of Electric Wizard, ritual amp worship of Earth and Sunn O))) and the many touch points in between, Monolithic Undertow explores the power of the drone – an audio carrier vessel capable of evoking womb like warmth or cavernous dread alike.

Watch (+ share) the trailer for Monolithic Undertow: In Search of Sonic Oblivion on YouTube.

In 1977, Sniffin’ Glue verbalized the musical zeitgeist with their infamous ‘this is a chord; this is another; now form a band’ illustration. The drone requires neither chord nor band, representing – via its infinite pliability and accessibility – the ultimate folk music: a potent audio tool of personal liberation.

Immersion in hypnotic and repetitive sounds allows us to step outside of ourselves, be it chant, a 120dB beasting from Sunn O))), standing front of the system as Jah Shaka drops a fresh dub or going full headphone immersion with Hawkwind. These experiences are akin to an audio portal – a sound Tardis to silence the hum and fizz of the unceasing inner voice. The drone exists outside of us, but also – paradoxically – within us all; an aural expression of a universal hum we can only hope to fleetingly channel…

Monolithic Undertow: In Search of Sonic Oblivion is out now and is available for purchase here. The North American edition of the book features an exclusive cover and a new foreword by author Harry Sword.

Distributed Exclusively in North America by Consortium Books/Ingram Content Group.

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[Thanks to Stephanie at Indie Publicity.]

Review: Tim Heidecker – High School

Tim Heidecker returns with another solid album of fun introspection, soulful singing, biting lyrics, and perspective-changing tunes on his new album, High School. As the title indicates, many of the songs reflect back on his youth and lessons he learned (or didn’t) from that time.

“Buddy” is a song written to his youthful self (“Nothing ever went your way. You told me that things would be better someday.”) and how he wishes some knowledge could be imparted either way to his past self while his parents argue downstairs. “Chillin’ in Alaska” brings in some honky-tonk flavor in a song about appreciating what you have, and “Future Is Uncertain” is a song about staying present – an important thing for all of us, and a recurring them on this album of Heidecker investigating his nostalgia for an era that he’s come to realize wasn’t that great.

This goes further on “Get Back Down to Me,” in which he states, “I’ve been worrying about everybody else but myself. People’s lives, they just slide right into my head.” and vowing to find his own joy – although he apologizes for doing so (“I’m sorry. I’m gonna hit the road. Gonna see some fans and touch some sand.”). He admits on the next track that “I’ve Been Losing,” (“Wondering if tomorrow’s going to be better.”) again addressing how things seemed to have been better in his past but knowing in his heart that he’s not entirely sure what he sees in his rear view mirror is correct. He believes “the road up ahead will be filled with looking back” and hopes “the memories will surround him like a warm bubble bath.” He wants to let the past slide away from him, but can’t quite manage it.

“Punch in the Gut” is a tale of a kid coerced into a parking lot fight outside his place of employment and paying the price force it – even after he wins. “Stupid Kid” is a fun tale of Heidecker watching Neil Young perform on TV and being inspired to play music of his own (“It seemed so easy that even a stupid kid like me could do it.”)…and then being stunned to hear Young’s album version of “Harvest Moon” was different on the album than it was live.

Heidecker teams up with Kurt Vile on “Sirens of Titan,” which includes some synth bass and beats to throw you for a loop. It almost sounds like a 1980s Don Henley song. “I’m a German Catholic, an Irish spastic,” Heidecker sings about growing up as “a B-minus kid” sneaking beers in his parents’ basement and wishing he could start a rock band with his friends on “What Did We Do with Our Time?” He wonders where the time of his youth went, and was it spent on anything worthwhile? In contrast, he can’t help but wonder if what he’s doing now is worthwhile either. On the closer, “Kern River,” Heidecker finds some peace in his memories and in the present (the only place and time in where those memories can exist).

High School is full of raw honesty and nostalgia, delivering lessons on presence, impermanence, and attachment along the way.

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Jacob at Pitch Perfect PR.]

Brijean shows us “Caldwell’s Way” from their upcoming “Angelo” EP.

Brijean – the duo of percussionist/singer Brijean Murphy and multi-instrumentalist/producer Doug Stuart – shares the new single, “Caldwell’s Way,” from their Angelo EP, out August 5th on Ghostly International. “Caldwell’s Way” is a fond farewell to their Bay Area community — “a part of my life that I knew couldn’t come back,” says Murphy. Above shimmering organ sounds, lush strings, and the birdcall of their former neighborhood, she wistfully articulates the uncertainty of moving on by remembering the characters dear to the band. There’s the wisdom of their neighbor, Santos, who refused payment when helping them move out: “I’d rather have 100 friends than 100 dollars.” And the song’s namesake, Benjamin Caldwell Brown, a friend and club night cohort for many years.

“Dougie and I wrote this song in the midst of deep life changes,” explains Murphy. “We found ourselves uprooted in the Southwest, processing both personal and geographic loss. I had never felt physical withdrawals from a place and community, until then. I missed The Bay and our friends in it – even thinking about certain buildings and streets brought me comfort and longing. This song is a loving farewell to the people and places I may never embrace again.”

Stream “Caldwell’s Way”

On Angelo, Brijean explores new moods and styles, reaching for effervescent dance tempos and technicolor backdrops, vibrant hues in contrast to their more somber human experiences. Angelo beams with positivity and creative renewal — a resourceful, collective answer to “what happens now?”

Following the sudden passing of Murphy’s father and both of Stuart’s parents, Brijean left the Bay Area in a haze of heartache to be near family, resetting in four cities in under two years. Named after Murphy’s 1981 Toyota Celica, the Angelo EP features nine songs they crafted and carried with them through a period of profound change, loss, and relocation. Their to-go rig became their traveling studio and these tracks – along with Angelo – became their few constants. Whereas Feelings, Brijean’s acclaimed 2021 full-length Ghostly International debut, was formed over collaborative jams with friends, Angelo’s sessions presented the duo a chance to record at their most intimate, “to get us out of our grief and into our bodies,” says Murphy. Angelo finds Murphy and Stuart processing the impossible the only way they know how: through rhythm and movement.

In support of Angelo, Brijean will play their first headline shows in San Francisco, Los Angeles and Brooklyn, as well as an international appearance with Poolside in Mexico City. A full list of tour dates can be found below.

Stream:
“Caldwell’s Way”
“Ooo La La”
“Shy Guy”

Pre-order/pre-save Angelo EP

Brijean Tour Dates
Thu. Aug. 11 – San Francisco, CA @ The Independent
Sat. Aug. 13 – Los Angeles, CA @ Zebulon
Wed. Aug. 17 – Brooklyn, NY @ Elsewhere Rooftop
Fri. Aug. 19 – Sun. Aug. 22 – Long Pond, PA @ Elements Festival
Sat. Aug. 27 – Mexico City, MX @ Auditorio BlackBerry (with Poolside)

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[Thanks to Patrick at Pitch Perfect PR.]

Review: Adam BFD – Innervisions

The liner notes of Adam BFD‘s new EP, Innervisions, describe his sound as being a combination of electro, house, “…and cinematic euphoria.” I don’t think I can describe it better than that. He makes beautiful soundscapes and futuristic beats that wouldn’t be out of place in a night club, a dark alley, a Zen garden, or a chilly Alaskan mountain range.

“I’ve Been Waiting” drifts back and forth with snappy beats and eagle-like soaring synths. The deep bass of “Sonar” sounds like it was created underwater, and then it breaks on a warm beach somewhere and you’re dancing around with someone lovely while you’re both considering heading back to the bungalow for more fun. “What’s Next” ends the first side of the EP with synths that bring to mind sunlight streaming through shallow water, or bouncing off it.

The title track starts off the second side with killer house beats and more shimmering synths. “M1 & I” is tailor-made to get people onto the dance floor and enter into a trance-groove that will tempt you to stay in it for hours. The EP ends with “In My Feels,” another lovely track with subtle synths and aquarium beats prime for meditation, clearing your headspace, or watching the rain fall outside your window…while dancing.

Innervisions is solid all the way through, but not so solid that it becomes rigid and unyielding. It changes shape with each listen and encourages you to explore it.

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[I’ll be in my feels if you subscribe.]

[Thanks to Peter at Harbour Music Society.]