{"id":1109,"date":"2016-10-03T12:00:51","date_gmt":"2016-10-03T16:00:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.7thlevelmusic.com\/?p=1109"},"modified":"2016-09-29T17:34:57","modified_gmt":"2016-09-29T21:34:57","slug":"deap-vally-femejism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.7thlevelmusic.com\/?p=1109","title":{"rendered":"Deap Vally – Femejism"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"femejism_web\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Deap Vally<\/strong><\/a>\u2019s (Julie Edwards <\/strong>– drums and vocals, Lindsey Troy <\/strong>– guitar and vocals) Sistrionix <\/em><\/a>was my favorite album of 2013. I bought it for three different people and turned on at least one other to it. It shouldn\u2019t surprise you, then, that Femejism<\/em>, apart from having the greatest album title of the year, is one of my favorites of 2016.<\/p>\n

With production help from Nick Zinner of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs<\/strong>, Femejism <\/em>is full of swagger, sweat, and shredding. The first single and track, \u201cRoyal Jelly,\u201d demands you crank your stereo volume to 11. It\u2019s a power anthem \/ warning to others who want to live the rock life. \u201cIf you wanna be queen bee, then you better make honey. If you want to be miss thing, then you better start hustling,\u201d they sing. Don\u2019t whine and bitch about it. Get out there and do it.<\/p>\n

\u201cJulian\u201d is a send-off to an ex-boyfriend who missed his chance at something great, and it has some of the fastest guitar work from Troy. \u201cGonnawanna\u201d has Troy planting a flag for riot grrls everywhere, declaring she\u2019s going to do whatever she damn well pleases and no one\u2019s going to stop her. It\u2019s powerful, near-stadium filling rock (Favorite line: “I’m on a psychic safari, and I’m not sorry.”).<\/p>\n

Speaking of powerful rock, wait until you hear \u201cLittle Baby Beauty Queen.\u201d It\u2019s frantic post-punk madness with John Bonham-style drumming from Edwards. \u201cSmile More\u201d brings back the distorted blues rock Deap Vally does so well and deserves to be on every woman\u2019s mix tape from now until eternity.<\/p>\n

Zinner\u2019s touches can be heard on \u201cCritic,\u201d as it sounds like an early Yeah Yeah Yeahs track (and that\u2019s not a bad thing) with Troy lambasting critics, Internet trolls, and haters. \u201cPost Funk\u201d is layered with reverbed vocals as the band sings about getting out of dodge (both in terms of places and relationships) before things get stale. It has some of Edwards\u2019 best percussion on the whole album. She absolutely cooks, and I\u2019m sure this song hits even harder live.<\/p>\n

\u201cTwo Seat Bike\u201d has Troy willing to get it on if her lover would just turn off the damn camera and quit insisting on shooting amateur porn. \u201cBubble Baby\u201d has that crushing guitar sound I love so much from Lindsey Troy. It\u2019s full of chugging riffs, alarm-like squeaks, and blues chords (and her vicious vocals) blasted to the back of the room. \u201cTeenage Queen\u201d has the band going after more haters who ask them if they plan to live their lives the way they do into their golden years.<\/p>\n

\u201cGrunge Bond\u201d is as grungy and grimy as you\u2019d hope, complete with call and response vocals, Edwards\u2019 go-for-broke drumming, and Troy apparently playing a Hammond B3 organ by beating it with her guitar. That\u2019s how it sounds to me at least, meaning it sounds great. Her guitar on \u201cTurn It Off\u201d is loud yet distant, much like her lyrics about not wanting to succumb to her attractions. On \u201cHeart is an Animal,\u201d it\u2019s so heavy and fuzzy that it feels like Sasquatch breaking down your door.<\/p>\n

Femejism <\/em>is a strong record that buzzes with power. Listening to it is like meditating next to a power substation – dangerous, thrilling, and possibly illegal.<\/p>\n

Keep your mind open.<\/p>\n