7th Level Music

Review: Paperkraft – Not C but K

While many of his contemporaries in Japan were focusing on drum and bass and underground EDM, Paperkraft decided he was going to focus on progressive house and strive to bring it back into popularity. He’s off to a good start with his Not C but K EP.

“The Amazing Spaceman” blasts us into orbit and begs to be cranked while you’re doing a spacewalk outside the International Space Station. It will make the job of fixing that solar array go much quicker as you tap your toes inside their insulated boots to the syrupy bass and zero-gravity synths.

“Dizzy Disk” could refer to a UFO or whatever Paperkraft is spinning on his decks. It has a fun 1990s rave flair to it with the vocal sample loops and party-inducing bass riffs. Aiden Francis‘ remix of it is a nice addition.

“OK Corral” is a for-sure floor-filler. Again, Paperkraft uses vocal samples and loops to great effect and has you moving no matter where you are. Be careful with where you hear this, you might start dancing in the middle of a bus station or any other place. Aldonna‘s remix turns it into a bit of a trance track.

The EP closes with “Stella” – which is chock-full of processed drums, kitten-sneeze cymbals, and chonky cat bass lines.

The whole thing is a blast. Get in on it now!

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Harbour Music Society.]

Annie-Claude Deschênes “Phones” you with her new single.

After sharing her debut solo single “MENACE MINIMALE“ at the end of last year, Montreal based multidisciplinarity artist Annie-Claude Deschênes has announced her debut album ‘LES MANIÈRES DE TABLE’ will be released this Spring via Italians Do It Better + Bonsound. Today Deschênes is sharing the second single from the record, “PHONES”.

The track is a standard call for a restaurant reservation that turns into an anxiety attack. A reflection on the absurdity of good manners that sometimes lead us to rigidity and over-politeness. The robotic rhythms, made from interference noises and ringtones, punctuate the conversation while the repetitive bass line accentuates this hymn to alienation.

“PHONES” on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1USaV5X22M
“PHONES” on other streaming services:https://idib.ffm.to/phones

As a key figure on the Montreal independent music scene for the last two decades, she has left her mark as a performer & visual artist with Duchess Says & PyPy; two bands that are renowned as much for their electrifying live shows as they are for their artistic sensibilities. Always forward, her exploratory approach takes her into uncharted territory with her debut as a solo artist. The urgency that characterises her work remains, but frustration & aggression give way to introspection & vulnerability. Driven by the endless need to create outside her comfort zone, Annie-Claude Deschênes reinvents herself once again.

Over the course of her career, Annie-Claude Deschênes shared the stage with a number of renowned bands, including The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Teenage Jesus & the Jerks, The Black Lips, The Hives, The Hot Snakes & Buzzcocks, among others. Her extensive touring has taken her all over the world, playing venues & festivals (Primavera Fest, Eurockéennes de Belfort, OSHEAGA, Sled Island, etc.) as well as unconventional locations like golf courses, factories & churches. Her career is punctuated by collaborative projects linking various art forms, including the co-founding of the collective Conclusion Finale, with whom she exhibits at Concordia University’s VAV gallery, the DARE-DARE diffusion center & Université Laval in Quebec City, & the production of the soundtrack for Yves St-Laurent’s Los Angeles fashion show with PyPy. Winner of the 2022 cohort of the PHI NORD program, she was awarded a two-week immersive creative residency, during which her songs transformed into a tangible debut album titled ‘LES MANIÈRES DE TABLE’ due in Spring.

See Annie-Claude Deschênes live:
April 26 – PHI Centre, Montreal, QC
May 2 – Club Saw, Ottawa, ON
May 10 – CEM, Chicoutimi, QC
May 11 – Pantoum, Québec, QC

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Frankie at Stereo Sanctity.]

Rewind Review: Deap Vally – Marriage (2021)

“Being in a band is like being in a marriage: sometimes it’s magical, sometimes it’s unbearably challenging.”

That’s from the notes on Deap Vally‘s Bandcamp page for their third, and what appears to be final album – Marriage. It was a prophetic statement in 2021 because Deap Vally are now on their farewell tour, having decided to call it quits and focus on other projects and their respective families. No worries, everyone, it’s an amicable split – judging from everything I’ve read, photos I’ve seen, and their extensive tour dates (including, it was recently announced, Levitation France in May 2024).

Marriage saw the band not only continuing their power-duo sound, but also branching out to work with other musicians and producers (as they’d done with The Flaming Lips) to stretch out the sounds they could create.

The album opens with their signature sound of roaring guitars, Julie Edwards‘ frenetic drumming, and snarling dual vocals on “Perfuction.” It has great lyrics that only Deap Vally seem to be able to write about balancing a sex life with work life, family life, and just…well, life, such as “Dirty dishes, clothes on the floor. I haven’t showered in days, and I sleep till four. Try to keep it together, but fuck it, whatever. I’m a mess, but I’m clever. So, fuck it, whatever.”

“Billions” punches rich elitists square in the mouth. “Magic Medicine” has some of Lindsey Troy‘s hottest solos on the record. “I Like Crime” brings in Jennie Vee (of Eagles of Death Metal) on bass and assisting vocals, giving the song extra thump and mysterious sensuality. “Nothing’s gonna stop me,” Troy sings on “Phoenix,” an upbeat song with a fiery edge about not letting that life-grind destroy you. “Give Me a Sign” has Deap Vally calling out for clarity. “Give me a sign to make up my mind,” they sing in perhaps the most obvious portent of their future dissolution of the band.

Troy lets her lover know he’d better be careful on “Better Run,” as she might overwhelm him. This seems like an even stronger warning when you consider the next track is titled “I’m the Master.” Edwards’ driving rhythms on it are top-notch. “High Horse” has K.T. Tunstall and Peaches joining forces with Troy and Edwards in a floor-stomper complete with Peaches putting down a rap verse. “Where Do We Go” could be another harbinger of their decision to close the Deap Vally book. “Tsunami” is a crunchy, fiery rocker (“I won’t stop till I get what’s mine!”) that I’m sure slays live. The final Deap Vally album closes with “Look Away” (with jennylee of Warpaint) and the band singing about visions of peace, relaxation, and love (“In your arms, it’s a holiday.”).

The signs were there, and now we have one last chance to see them live. I wish them all the best. They gave us three fine records, which is more than many other bands have done. Marriage is a good way to go out.

Keep your mind open.

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Review: Filth Is Eternal – Find Out

Filth Is Eternal‘s Find Out is one of the grungiest, rawest, grimiest punk albums I’ve heard in years. All that’s missing from it are the words “Fuck Around and…” in front of the title, because FIE will flatten you at the first opportunity.

The album opens with ten times the rage Nirvana was playing on Bleach on the track “Half Wrong.” The soft, almost gentle hi-hat work at the beginning of “Crawl Space” is a fake. Don’t fall for it, because the heavy punch of the song is right behind it – knocking you against the ropes in the blink of an eye. “Magnetic Point” and “Cherish” have this great heavy groove to them, and the drums on “Roll Critical” are nuts. You keep thinking, “Is that just one person making all that racket?”

“Curious Thing” is, I think, a love song hidden inside a punk rager. By the time we get to “Into the Curve,” the halfway point of the album, you’re barely able to breathe…and there are still seven more tracks to go before you can rest. The second half of the record puts more emphasis and clarity on the vocals and includes some straight-up garage rock grooves. “Body Void” takes on a bit of a psychedelic touch with the drumming, and “The Gate” continues this groove into almost King Gizzard-like psych-metal. “Signal Decay,” like many songs on the album speaks to issues of gender, body acceptance, sexual attraction, the confusing world of love, and how there are many others in the same boat seeking acceptance (“I’m not alone in this lonely place.”).

“All Mother” stomps the gas (and drum) pedal and drives down the middle of the highway. “Last Exit” practically tears through a construction zone to jump an unfinished bridge over a rubble-strewn ravine. The album closes with “Loveless,” which isn’t a My Bloody Valentine cover, but is a sludgy, crushing track that leaves nothing on the table.

Seriously, this is a stunning record. Everything on it works – the growling / howling vocals, the wicked guitar riffs, the menacing bass, the explosive drums…it all works. Do not fuck around with FIE. You will find out.

Keep your mind open.

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Review: The Death Wheelers – Chaos and the Art of Motorcycle Madness

The Death Wheelers describe their sound on their Bandcamp page as “sleaze ‘n’ roll.” That’s perfect, and their newest album Chaos and the Art of Motorcycle Madness is a prime example of that sound.

Churning out a dozen instrumental stoner-doom jams (apart from some clever samples of dialogue from biker and horror films), The Death Wheelers get right down to dirty business (after the brief intro of “The Scum Always Rises to the Top”) on “Morbid Bails,” showing off deft shredding and growling bass thuds in the same track.

The voice of Scott Glenn in the movie Angles As Hard As They Come saying “I ride where I want, wear that I want, get stoned when I want,” starts off the wild, hammering “Les Mufflers Du Mal.” “Ride into the Röt (Everything Lewder Than Everything Else)” is both a fun Motörhead reference and a stoner-surf ripper (with a sample of Ernest Borgnine from The Devil’s Rain, no less).

“We want to be free to ride our machines without being hassled by the man! And we want to get loaded!” yells a young man in the film Lucifer’s Bend at the start of “Triple D (Dead, Drunk, and Depraved),” which is a quick introduction to, no surprise, “Lucifer’s Bend” – a song about the devil’s long reach. “Brain Bucket” is a fun little track about a motorcycle crash that leads into the horror-surf of “Open Road X Open Casket.”

“Motortician” is, go figure, a track about tripping out and ultimately checking out on your bike. “Interquaalude” might be the best-titled track in a long while. “Sissy Bar Strut (Nymphony 69)” is a wild psychedelic jam that fades out because it appears to have no end in sight. “Cycling for Satan Part II” takes off with all pipes open and throttles jammed forward and roars to an abrupt, distorted end.

It’s another ripping album from The Death Wheelers, who don’t need vocals. Their riffs say it all.

Keep your mind open.

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Rewind Review: Patsy Cline – The Complete Releases 1955 – 62 (2017)

Good heavens, this collection of Patsy Cline‘s releases from 1955 – 1962 is not only gorgeous, but it’s also massive. In case you missed it on the cover image, it encompasses 75 tracks on three discs. The only things it doesn’t include are live cuts and material released after her far-too-early death.

You can drop the needle (to use an old radio DJ saying) on any track of any disc in this collection and find something great. Don Helms‘ lap steel guitar on “Honky Tonk Merry-Go-Round” seems to be having as much fun as Cline as she lays down the vocals. “Turn the Cards Slowly” is a personal favorite, with Cline and her band happily bridging county and rockabilly. “Stop, Look and Listen” is much the same, with Farris Coursey knocking out a great, swinging beat. “I’ve Loved and Lost Again” is a classic combination of Cline’s voice and Don Helms‘ always soulful pedal steel guitar.

That guitar is instantly recognizable on Cline’s “Walkin’ After Midnight.” It’s baffling now to consider that Cline originally hated the song (“That ain’t country,” she said about it.) and only recorded it at the insistence of producer Bill McCall. “I Don’t Wanta” is a fun jaunt as Cline sings about being so happy in love that she can’t picture life any other way. “Never No More” is a sassy, slow song that has Cline writing off her ex because she’s found someone “who makes me happy when I’m blue.”

Other classics include “Cry Not for Me” (with Cline’s voice belting out by the end and yet sounding effortless), the rockabilly swinger “Let the Teardrops Fall” (with great guitar work from Hank Garland), and heartbreakers like “I Fall to Pieces,” the immortal “Crazy,” “She’s Got You,” “Why Can’t He Be You,” and “Leavin’ on Your Mind”…and those are all on just the second disc of this collection.

Ferris Coursey‘s beats on “Hungry for Love,” which opens the third disc in the collection, are so tight that you could barely fit a dime between them. “Too Many Secrets” is a fun romp in which Cline learns more and more about a new lover that makes her question her decision to be with him. The addition of a horn section on it is a great touch. “Ain’t No Wheels on This Ship” is as much fun as “Fingerprints” is heartbreaking. Just for kicks, “Foolin’ Around” is a bit of a calypso number.

Disc three also includes “new versions” of “Walkin’ After Midnight” and “A Poor Man’s Roses (or a Rich Man’s Gold)” and a soulful cover of Hank Williams‘ “Your Cheatin’ Heart” and “I Can’t Help It (if I’m Still in Love with You). By the end, on “Lonely Street,” Cline is practically singing gospel.

The whole collection is solid, and a reminder of someone gone too soon but who left a stunning impact on music.

Keep your mind open.

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Liam Kazar delivers a new single (and some live show dates) – “Next Time Around.”

Chicago singer-songwriter Liam Kazar “shows no difficulty finding grooves, building self-contained sonic worlds, and using his voice confidently as an instrument” (Aquarium Drunkard). This is immediately clear throughout his excellent debut album, 2021’s Due North, and is even more apparent in his new single, “Next Time Around,” out today. As Kazar’s first release since Due North, “Next Time Around” unravels with velvet-smooth guitar and his warm croon. The track was recorded by his trusted collaborator Sam Evian and features Evian on bass guitar, Sean Mullins on drums, and Michael Prince Coleman on keys. “‘Next Time Around’ came as songs rarely do, in a single vision. All I had to do was write it down.” Kazar says. “If I knew how to tap into those all the time, I would. We recorded ‘Next Time Around’ right after being on the road for a month in the fall of 2021. There’s a tour tightness to this recording that only comes from spending weeks in a van and onstage with another musician. I think you can hear that in the recording, the tiny bit of air between us while we’re playing packed close together — I feel like I’m right in the room every time I listen. Nod to Sam for capturing this moment so beautifully.”
Listen to “Next Time Around”
For over a decade, Kazar has consistently been a dream bandmate. He’s an adaptable and skilled musician, leading to tours and collaborations with Jeff Tweedy, Kevin Morby, and Sam Evian, amongst others. His debut, Due North, is a personal revelation, where the more Kazar wrote, the more his songs showed what kind of artist he’s always wanted to be – one whose own joyous rock songs are so irresistible, full of charm, wit and heart, they feel timeless. This summer, Kazar will play in Sam Evian and Kevin Morby’s respective bands across the states. Prior, he’ll play his own shows in New York and Chicago. Tickets for all dates are on sale now.
Stream/Purchase Due North

Liam Kazar Tour Dates
Thu. Mar. 28 – New York, NY @ Union Pool *
Sun. Apr. 7 – Chicago, IL @ The Hideout

* w/ Katie Von Schleicher

Keep your mind open.

[Don’t wait until next time around to subscribe.]

[Thanks to Jaycee at Pitch Perfect PR.]

Review: Madi Diaz – Weird Faith

There’s an early contender for Most Honest Album of 2024, and it’s Madi Diaz‘s Weird Faith.

The album is about the weird, often intimidating process of falling in love. Diaz puts it all out there as she explores this new relationship. Behind solid rock beats, Diaz opens the album with “Everything Almost” – a song about trying to figure out how many secrets to keep and how many to share with a new lover. “Girlfriend” is the story of Diaz apologizing to a friend that she’s now the new girlfriend (“So sorry I’m your ex’s girlfriend.”), and how awkward it is for everyone involved.

“Underneath the pain, there’s still blood in my veins,” Diaz sings on “Hurting You,” encouraging her new boyfriend to be honest with her about what’s hurting him so they can work it out together. “I’m afraid you’ll run and hide,” she says on “Get to Know Me,” in which she worries that her lover will leave if she fully reveals herself to him. On “Kiss the Wall,” she explores an unknown future full of love, mystery, and what of that love will remain after she and her lover are gone. She’s tempted to fall into despair over being forgotten, but remembers that “Nothing is a waste of time.”

“I’m not a God person, but I’m never not searchin’,” she sings on “God Person,” a song about questioning one’s faith, or lack of it. The melancholy piano chords on “Don’t Do Me Good” echo Diaz’s loneliness and intimidation at the idea of leaving love that, she admits, “don’t do me good,” but might be the wrong decision to do so.

“I don’t love you like I used to. I just don’t know how to tell you…I’ve been leaving you for months now,” Diaz sings on the heartbreaking “For Months Now.” She knows her soon-to-be ex is going to devastated when she leaves, but she also knows she needs to make the call and walk out, because she’s miserable and tired of living a lie.

“KFM” is a fun track about how Diaz becomes so enamored with her new boyfriend that she wants to “kill, fuck, marry you forever.” The title track sums up the entire album. Falling in love, giving in love, requires a weird faith. You go into it knowing there’s the possibility of heartbreak, and that there eventually will be loss (from death, if nothing else), but you make the leap regardless. The closer, “Obsessive Thoughts,” is a big, bold track with guitars and drums blooming from her at-first quiet vocals and Diaz embracing what’s to come.

It’s a powerful record, and one to which we can all relate. We’ve all been there, at different degrees and at different times, and Diaz welcomes us as kindred spirits.

Keep your mind open.

[I have a weird faith that you’ll subscribe today.]

[Thanks to Jaycee at Pitch Perfect PR.]

Review: Failure – We Are Hallucinations

Recorded during the 2022 “Wild Type Droid” tour, Failure‘s We Are Hallucinations is the live album version of the concert film of the same name. The production is sharp as a razor, which is no surprise from Ken Andrews, Greg Edwards, and Kellii “Motherfucking” Scott.

The set covers new and classic tracks, starting with the hammering, powerful “Submarines” to knock you back in your seat. “Mercury Mouth” is just as stunning, with Andrews’ vocals filling the room during the verses and then breaking down walls on the choruses. “Macaque” is a Failure classic that always has a bit of a menacing undertone to it. “Wonderful Life” is a good example of their deceptive lyrics that often reflect themes of struggle and loneliness. It’s also a good example of how Kellii Scott locks in on a groove and will not release it for any price.

“Sent away to have my head checked, no more playing in the sands. Frogs are leaping off my brain stem. They don’t seem to understand,” Andrews sings on the walloping “Frogs” – a song about madness that is so good it’s almost frightening. All three members deliver more power than bands with twice as many members on it. Edwards and Andrews share lead verse vocals on “Atom City Queen,” and Scott’s beats on it are like a Chinese puzzle box in their complexity.

“Counterfeit Sky” is one of many Failure tracks that sounds like an alien transmission, or perhaps what you’d have playing as you entered a strange planet from orbit. The guitar work on it blends psychedelia and shoegaze with masterful skill. The opening guitar on “Force Fed Rainbow” reminds me of early 2000’s David Gilmour riffs. The guitar on “Bring Back the Sound” swirls around you like a slow-moving disco ball casting languid lights in a dark club.

The bass on “Bad Translation” is like some creature rising out of a dark pool of water at the back of a temple on a cold moon. Andrews singing “We are hallucinations.” is almost a sermon to us to remember we are more non-physical than physical. Edwards sings lead on “Half Moon,” a haunting track that seems to reveal his (and, I’m sure, the band’s) love for George Harrison. The live version of “Headstand” on this is nothing short of stunning, with the trio clicking on every level. You can’t really pick out one particular element because everything is perfect.

The last six tracks are selections from their classic album Fantastic Planet. Starting with “Segue 3” to warm up the already-frenzied crowd and then roaring into favorites like “The Nurse Who Loved Me,” “Another Space Song,” “Stuck on You,” “Heliotropic” (in which it sounds like Edwards’ guitar is going to die from exhaustion at any moment), and a crushing rendition of “Daylight.”

This is a must not only for Failure fans, but also fans of shoegaze, 1990s rock, and high-quality music in general. Do not miss it, and never miss Failure when they tour.

Keep your mind open.

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Review: Nick Schofield – Ambient Ensemble

If you’re Nick Schofield, how do you follow up your beautiful ambient album Glass Gallery? Do you create something similar and explore more themes of mediation and presence?

The answer is “Yes,” but you decide not to do it alone this time. On Ambient Emsemble, you get other musicians to join you. You bring in clarinets, violins, vocals, piano, and other folks who click with you right away to create another lovely record that can transport you out of whatever malaise you might be feeling (in my case, at the time of writing this, dealing with COVID).

“Meadow” is a bit of an introduction to the record, almost like a warm breeze coming over a hill. “On Air” makes you feel like you’re floating on it. The clarinet work makes you feel like a bird coasting on air currents. “Hazen” is chilled synthwave with a bit of a dramatic flair.

“Fine Tune” and “Joy Cry” are a bit hypnotizing. You tend to lose a sense of time and space when giving them a deep listen. “Bouquet” puts the orchestral elements at the front and lets them shine. “Mourning Doves” and “Resonant World” are a nice duo, as they almost float together instead of being two separate pieces. The strings on “Heartfelt” are like fog rolling over a mountain lake.

“Picture Perfect” was the lead single from Ambient Emsemble, and it was a good choice. It’s a bit upbeat and a great way to start a morning yoga routine or even just a cup of tea. The plucky strings and flirty flute on “Undertone” are delightful. “Key Bed” closes the album with soft keys and synths, almost like a lullaby.

Scholfield’s knack for transporting you to lovely places within and without is impressive, and this album is another good example of his talents.

Keep your mind open.

[Don’t forget to subscribe.]

[Thanks to Gabriel at Clandestine Label Services.]