Don’t forget that Record Store Dayis April 16th. Don’t forget to visit your local wrecka stow and show them your support. There are always prime releases on Record Store Day from hundreds of artists, and many places have live performances to boot.
The list of wrecka stows hosting live events on the 16th is now available at the RSD website and will surely be updated as the date grows closer. Don’t miss the chance to see some good gigs and score great stuff for your collection.
There’s plenty of stuff I’d like to snag: the Bee Gees / Faith No More 7″ single. a double Buzzcocks album, two classic Johnny Cash records, a Dark Shadows TV film score re-release, a Flaming Lips CD I haven’t heard before, a Buddy Guy / Junior Wells re-release, a live James Brown double album re-release, new stuff from the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, a Daft Punk remix of a Junior Kimbrough song, a psychedelic samba record, a live double Ravi Shankar LP, a cover of “John the Revelator” by The Sword on 7″ vinyl, a new Rhino Records psychedelic rock compilation, another psychedelic compilation (from the UK), a compilation of Cambodian 1960’s rock, a live Muddy Waters record, an Italian horror film soundtrack by Goblin, two Japanese garage / psychedelic rock compilations, and a Stooges re-release.
Levitation Austinhas released its schedule of Thursday night pre-festival shows in downtown Austin and its daily festival schedule as well. I’m happy to see Night Beatsplaying again, and I’ve already found a couple bands added to the full festival I’d like to see.
The Friday schedule is insane. I’m going to miss a few bands I’d like to see and have to make some tough decisions. The set times are better for my “must-see” lists on Saturday and Sunday, however.
Chilean-born and NYC-based composer and electronic music maker Nicolas Jaarwill be performing at Levitation Austinon April 29th. Mr. Jaar produces spacey, dreamy electronic music that mixes jazz touches, Euro lounge, and South American flair. I think it will be an interesting set.
Keep your mind open.
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Tuareg musicians Imarhanare the latest band of fine musicians from Algeria who blend traditional music with rock guitars.
Levitation Austinalways brings in at least one Tuareg band every year. The wide variety of bands form around the world I probably wouldn’t be able to see otherwise is one of the things I love most about the festival. Imarhan’s first single tore up BBC 6 Music radio and I eagerly await their set in Austin.
Keep your mind open.
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Fresh off the release of their new album, Freaks of Nuture, Holy Wave will be performing their groovy stoner-psych rock at Levitation Austinon April 29th. I loved their last record, Relax, so I look forward to hearing the new material (especially since I missed them the last time they played Levitation Austin a couple years ago). My wife also likes what she’s heard from these guys. I think you would, too.
Keep your mind open.
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Christian Bland and the Revelatorsis one of multiple side projects from the Black Angels‘ lead guitarist. They love early Pink Floyd records, and that’s all right with me. I saw them at Levitation Austina couple years ago and they put on a good afternoon set. I’ve met Mr. Bland at three different Black Angels shows (Detroit, Chicago, Indianapolis), and he was a cool cat and happy to sign my gig poster each time.
Keep your mind open.
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I missed Golden Dawn Arkestraat Levitation Austintwo years ago, so I’m keen on catching their show this year. They have a wild mix of African, Asian, and Caribbean beats, amazing costumes, and a wild stage show. I’m sure it will be a performance that gets everyone moving.
Keep your mind open.
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French psych-rockers Wall of Deathare returning to Levitation Austin. I’ve seen them twice: Once at Levitation Austin 2013 (when it was still known as Austin Psych Fest) and then later that same year when they opened for the Black Angels in Indianapolis. They always put on a good show of loud psych, so I’m interested in hearing their new material.
Keep your mind open.
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Swiss electro / house duo Klaus Johann Grobe create an interesting mix of stuff I can best describe as “electro-lounge.” They sample a lot of Euro sounds and lay down some good dance beats.
Levitation Austinis bringing in a lot of electro, synth, and techno acts this year. There are a few I want to see and these two cats are one of them.
I first heard The Duke Spirit (LielaMoss – vocals, keys, percussion, Toby Butler – bass, Luke Ford – guitars, Daniel Higgins – guitars, organ, Olly Betts – drums) on BBC 6 Music (the greatest radio station in the world) somewhere around 2010 when they played the title track from the Duke Spirit’s 2005 debut album Cuts Across the Land. I nearly wept and thought, “Where has this band been my whole life?”
I found their 2008 release, Neptune, in a bargain CD bin at a Bloomington, Indiana wrecka stow. It opens with a brief hymn that repeats the lines “I do believe in something you know.” You can take that a couple different ways: Either Moss is telling us she has faith in something we know as truth; or she’s defiantly telling someone, perhaps us, that she has faith despite what we might believe.
The first full track, “Send a Little Love Token,” sums up everything I love about the band: Powerful vocals that evoke Patti Smith, hammering piano, big drums, and shoegaze guitar. “The Step and the Whale” is about Moss realizing too late that she’s sabotaged a relationship. It’s a sharp song for her voice, Butler’s bass sounds like something from an old Cure record, and the rest of the band puts down stuff the Jesus and Mary Chain would envy.
“Dog Roses” might be Moss remembering why she sabotaged the relationship and remembering that it was a good idea after all: “I hope you stay in charge of your mouth…When nothing’s fluid you drink yourself through it. Outside you chalk-draw yourself.” “Into the Fold,” a good rocker, is about rebuilding a relationship (“This heart could heal, if you had courage just to say what you feel.”).
“This Ship Was Built to Last” is a combination sea shanty and shoegaze track. Trust me, it works. The combination of the distorted, echoing guitar (especially after the epic bridge), Moss’ chanting vocals, and coxswain drumming is excellent.
Someone must’ve pissed off Moss when she wrote “Wooden Heart,” because it’s a searing diatribe against a former lover, but delivered with a torch song blues feel. “I would understand your heart if I could feel it,” she sings as guitars reminiscent of My Bloody Valentine riffs snake around her.
She’s not angry in “You Really Wake Up the Love in Me.” Quite the opposite, actually. “You taste so good today you’d get love from anyone,” she sings as Betts puts down some of his best licks on the record and the guitars go into full psychedelic madness by the end. “My Sunken Treasure” is borderline power pop. “Lassoo,” with its nice horn section, is the excellent power rock the Duke Spirit does so well, combining fierce vocals with raw rock instrumentation. It continues with “Neptune’s Call,” in which Moss is feeling frisky again (“I tasted the salt on you. Now I have a tongue tattoo.”). The closer, “Sovereign,” is almost a lullaby.
The Duke Spirit have a new album, Kin, due out later this year. I look forward to it. The first three released tracks are a nice blend of their styles: shoegaze, soul, rock. Neptune picks up where Cuts Across the Land left off, and the band is still moving forward.
Keep your mind open.
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