7th Level Music

Maquina. release two blistering tracks from their upcoming album, “Body Transmission,” due July 10, 2026.

oday Lisbon trio MAQUINA. announce details of their forthcoming new album ‘BODY TRANSMISSION’, set for release on July 10th via Fuzz Club. Along with the news they share two singles and the first batch of extensive touring plans for this year, including UK dates next month.

MAQUINA. embody all the sweaty togetherness and euphoria a collective music experience has to offer. The buzzy Lisbon trio have been getting punks to dance and club kids to pogo – “making the bubbles connect a little bit” – with such fervour they routinely pack out venues and inspire multiple waves of crowdsurfing at any given live show, with over 250 gigs and numerous festival appearances across Europe already under their belt. Still on a high after their first tour of Brazil and KEXP performance, the three-piece ring in a new chapter with their second LP ‘BODY TRANSMISSION’: a head-banging trip through high-energy noise-rock, motorik metal, and industrial punk that doesn’t stop moving.

Today they start the party with the high-octane thumper “pressure/pleasure”, staring into the strobe lights with pounding beats, threading a little ‘00s electroclash through a backbone of chuggy, thrashy guitar.

Second single “agony”, also online today is equally unapologetic in its delivery, both snarling and visceral – fitting for a politically charged lightning bolt written during our current moment of intense global conflict. “False speech / is belief / is distraction / to deceive,” spits Halison Peres, reminding us that art cannot be created in a vacuum. “It’s about the false speech that politicians always try to push, towards some enemy or something, to deceive what they really want to do,” reflects Peres of the track, which depicts a ‘no man’s land’ where humanity finds itself stranded amid misery and chaos.

“pleasure/pressure” video: https://youtu.be/XHf4T1hFP3k
“agony” video: https://youtu.be/8F3aMeorKw4
Other streaming options for both tracks: http://maquina.lnk.to/pressurepleasure
‘BODY TRANSMISSION’ album links: http://maquina.lnk.to/bodytransmission

Bottling the raw power of their now-legendary live shows, ‘BODY TRANSMISSION’ – co-produced by the band alongside Hugo Valverde – arrives following MAQUINA.’s 2024 debut ‘PRATA’, also released on Fuzz Club and largely driven by improvisation, locking itself into the flow state of a live performance. For their new full-length, the band – Halison Peres (drums/vocals), José “Mendy” Rego (bass), and João Cavalheiro (guitar/effects) – opted for less jamming and more “editing”, taking time to mull over the direction of each track while also looking to condense 10-minute meanders into three or four-minute “bangers” that slap.

The result is a full-body rush geared towards the dance-floor with “no breaks”; a club-ready rock record steered by the trio’s guitar, drums, and bass combo. “It was the most challenging and fun we’ve ever had in the studio because we pushed ourselves to write songs rather than just capturing jams,” say the band. “We wanted it to feel heavy, focused, and relentless. We kept the tempo up and the energy peaking – it’s an ‘always-on’ record.”

MAQUINA. live dates:
01/05 – Barcelona, ES @ Miceli Fest
09/05 – Barreiro, PT @ Gasoline (DJ Set)
15/05 – Nijmegen, NL @ Sonic Whip
17/05 – Todmorden, UK @ The Golden Lion
18/05 – Glasgow, UK @ Flying Duck
19/05 – Newcastle, UK @ The Cluny
20/05 – London, UK @ Downstairs at the Dome
21/05 – Paris, FR @ Garage Mu Festival
22/05 – Den Haag, NL @ Sniester Festival
23/05 – Le Havre, FR @ Foul Weather Festival
30/05 – Freamunde, PT @ Route 66
19/06 – Santa Maria de Lamas, PT @ Basqueiral
20/06 – Lucerne, CH @ B-Sides Festival
21/06 – Martigny, CH @ Caves du Manor
23/06 – Bilbao, ES @ Kutxa Belza
24/06 – Madrid, ES @ Cafe Berlin
25/06 – Santander, ES @ The New
26/06 – Bergerac, FR @ La Claque Festival
27/06 – Paimpol, FR @ Paimpol in Rock
28/06 – Bourlon, FR @ Rock in Bourlon
04/07 – Sintra, PT @ Festival Aqui ao Lado
18/07 – Lisbon, PT @ Musa de Marvila (DJ Set)
31/07 – Constância, PT @ Rock ao Luar
06/08 – Aveiro, PT @ Novas Quintas Teatro Aveirense
07/08 – Nürnberg, DE @ Brückenfestival
09/08 – Liege, BE @ Micro Festival
16/08 – Santiago de Compostela, ES @ Capitol*
10/09 – Sibenik, HR @ Ship Festival
12/09 – Orleans, FR @ Hop Pop Hop Festival
*supporting Amyl And The Sniffers

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Kate at Stereo Sanctity.]

Lowsunday’s new single “This Is Not Heaven” descends with a roar.

Legacy postpunk-shoegaze outfit Lowsunday unveils ‘This Is Not Heaven’, the first taste of their forthcoming ‘Low Sunday Ghost Machine – Black EP’, forthcoming via Projekt Records, the video for which was produced by Jer Herring.

This is the second of two ‘duality’ releases, presenting the band’s first new material since 1999, following their ‘Low Sunday Ghost Machine – White EP’. Showcased by ‘Love Language’, ‘Soft Capture’ and the latest single ‘Nevver’, the ‘White EP’ ranked second among Post-Punk.com’s Best EPs of 2025.

Formed in the mid-1990s in Pittsburgh, Lowsunday (initially known as Low Sunday Ghost Machine) emerged as a “retro-futurist” pioneer, blending darkwave and shoegaze long before the genres saw their modern revival. Their legacy was cemented with their debut album ‘Low Sunday Ghost Machine’ and the 1999 masterpiece ‘Elesgiem’, both of which were re-released via Projekt Records over the past 18 months (for their 30th and 25th anniversaries, respectively).

The band dissolved, leaving behind a cult reputation for mercurial sounds and blistering guitar work that set the stage for subsequent generations of alternative artists. Following a nearly 25-year period of inactivity, the band resurfaced as a duo in 2025—consisting of original members Shane Sahene (vocals, guitar, synth, bass, drums) and Bobby Spell (bass, guitar, drums).

“‘This is Not Heaven’ was the last song we recorded for the Black EP. We really enjoyed injecting the heavy synths on the chorus, the asymmetrical guitar leads and the driving bass line beneath an intricate and melodic rhythm guitar,” says Shane Sahene.

“We felt this song captured everything we are about in that it hits the refrains with a shoegaze atmosphere, more electronic choruses and lyrical transparency, much less vague than many of our songs… it touches on many aspects of our sound.”

Bobby Spell adds, “This was another really enjoyable song to write. The guitar textures and melody lines create a dark song with uplifting sections. The mood shifts in the choruses giving a feeling of brightness or a way out of melancholy”.

Crafting a sound defined by atmosphere, precision, and heartfelt shadow and depths since 1994, Lowsunday is now asserting their presence with a new force. While the ‘White EP’ explored light and texture, the ‘Black EP’ is ultimately the 2026 series’ darker counterpart and definitive statement.

Plunged into shadow and intensity with layered guitars, tight rhythms, and austere synths amplifying themes of isolation, reverie and introspection, the ‘Black EP’ distills Lowsunday’s vision into a sharper, more potent form — a bold declaration of their enduring artistic power.

‘This Is Not Heaven’ is available from digital platforms such as Spotify and Apple Music. The ‘Low Sunday Ghost Machine – Black EP’ will be released on May 15th digitally. The ‘White EP’ is available now via Bandcamp and the Projekt Recordswebsite – the vinyl edition of both EPs are limited to 200 copies. The two anniversary reissue albums, as well as the limited edition 7″ of ‘Static / Besides’, can also be found on these platforms.

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Shauna at Shameless Promotion PR.]

Wrecka Stow: Tone Deaf Records – Chicago, IL

If you like punk, post-punk, electro, shoegaze, and dark wave, then Chicago’s Tone Deaf Records (4356 North Milwaukee Avenue) is the place for you.

The amount of post-punk, industrial, shoegaze, and just…odd stuff here is great.

Ozzy Osbourne next to Memphis Slim on the top shelf.

You could dig through crates here for hours and come out with a ton of cool stuff. I love that they include crates of “Weird” records for super cheap prices as well.

On top of all this cool vinyl, the walls are covered in cool, odd artwork and concert posters for obscure bands.

I met three members of two different punk bands while I was there who were just hanging out on a couch and talking about weird 1990s bands. They had a gig that night at an all-ages club. That’s the kind of place Tone Deaf Records is: cool records and weird people hanging out. It’s also next to a cool comic book store, so you can’t miss.

Keep your mind open.

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The Real McKenzies drop a new single and a mom joke at the same time.

Vancouver’s Celtic punk legends The Real McKenzies return with “I Wanna Eat Sardines (With Yer Mother),” the first single from their upcoming album On Yer Bike, arriving May 29 on Stomp Records. Landing March 27, the track marks a new chapter for the long-running band and the first taste of their next full-length following the closing of Fat Wreck Chords. Fans of The Pogues, Dropkick Murphys, Flogging Molly, and Gogol Bordello will find plenty to raise a pint to here. Founded in 1992 by larger-than-life frontman and Scottish punk poet laureate Paul McKenzie, The Real McKenzies have spent more than three decades hauling their bagpipes, guitars, and battered touring van across continents. Along the way they’ve built a reputation as one of punk’s most relentless road warriors, delivering a wild collision of traditional Scottish folk and breakneck punk rock to generations of fans who know the difference between a ceilidh and a circle pit.

“I Wanna Eat Sardines (With Yer Mother)” arrives with the band’s trademark swagger fully intact. Equal parts pub anthem and cheeky Celtic mischief, the track barrels forward on roaring guitars, thunderous drums, and the unmistakable skirl of bagpipes, all wrapped around a chorus that practically demands to be shouted across a crowded barroom. It’s rowdy, irreverent, and proudly ridiculous in the best possible way, the sound of a band who know exactly how much fun punk rock can be when the pints are flowing and the pipes are blazing. The single offers the first taste of On Yer Bike, a thirteen-track blast of raucous Celtic punk that finds McKenzie sounding newly energized and the band tighter than ever. The album swings wildly through tales of love, history, literature, and outright lunacy, including the Sawney Bean trilogy, a trio of songs inspired by Scotland’s most infamous cannibal clan. Elsewhere, the band tackles everything from lyrical storytelling to pub-ready singalongs, with soaring bagpipes and heart-pounding rhythms anchoring every track.

Over their long and famously chaotic career, The Real McKenzies have shared stages with everyone from NOFX and Rancid to Flogging Molly, Metallica, and the late Shane MacGowan. Along the way they’ve carved out a legacy as pioneers of Celtic punk in North America, long predating the wave of bands that followed in their wake. Their music has appeared in films, video games, and countless sweaty clubs around the world, but their real reputation has always been built the old-fashioned way: relentless touring, roaring crowds, and songs made to be sung at the top of your lungs. More than thirty years on, The Real McKenzies remain exactly what they’ve always been: a hard-partying, hard-touring, bagpipe-blasting force of nature. If On Yer Bike proves anything, it’s that the fire still burns bright. With “I Wanna Eat Sardines (With Yer Mother)” leading the charge, the band once again raises the banner of Celtic punk high, somewhere between a Highland march and a barroom brawl, inviting the whole world to sing along.

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Chad at No Rules PR.]

Wheelchair Sports Camp team up with Jello Biafra and Radio Pete on their new single – “Make It Make Sense.”

Wheelchair Sports Camp is certainly not your average act. This genre bending, punk-powered hip-hop project is fronted by Kalyn Rose Heffernan – a wheelchair-using, profanely queer and tiny rapper, with a very distinctly high-pitched sense of humor. Backed by her gimp Greggy on drums, the band combines fantastic beats with an absolutely face-shredding live show. After playing shows everywhere they could, the band expanded into performance art, museum takeovers, politics, prison tours, permanent installations, theatre, film, and now the release of their newest album, oh imperfecta, on Alternative Tentacles Records.

They bring together contributions from Jello Biafra (twice), Radio Pete (who happened to come up with the name Dead Kennedys when Biafra was a teen in Boulder, CO, and this is their first time ever collaborating musically), Kimya Dawson (Moldy Peaches), Olivia Jean, Junia-T, Amy Goodman, and some honorary WSC members: Qknox, Michelle Rocqet, Wes Watkins, RAREBYRD$, and many more; to create 11 absolute bangers.

The album surges forward right from the opening track of “Make It Make Sense”, Heffernan takes your attention vocally and holds it there, while bouncing back and forth with Biafra. Only to embrace the raw punk rock honesty of “EAT MEAT!”. This unflinching honesty is carried throughout the album. Heffernan holds nothing back. No matter if WSC is dancing through classic hip-hop flows with “DENIM” or moshing through Olivia Jean’s rock riffs with Jello Biafra on “DEAD,” the vocals and the beats seamlessly bring the different influences together. All while giving us a glimpse into Heffernan’s chaotic life with recorded calls from Kalyn’s wild ass Mama K. as interludes throughout the album.

“In an attempt to unlearn my perfectionism and finish the damn album, I picked up the drums for the first time since middle school and wrote EAT MEAT! with Greggy on guitar. It was the most fun we’ve had and it instantly felt good enough for the first time maybe ever? We were on to something, … if every dude can play mediocre guitar, why can’t I play shitty drums?“ says Heffernan, “It freed me from having to be the best rapper and out-bar every rapper in the bar. Come to find out I’ve been overcompensating my whole life because I am genetically imperfecta. Osteogenesis imperfecta is the name of my brittle bones disease and I’m realizing more and more how my body has been the center of attention since birth. Described in dehumanizing, demoralizing, and very unbecoming ways, it’s no wonder I’ve always felt like I had to be the best. This album is a collection of songs from the past decade and finished because we simplified: oh imperfecta.”

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Dan at Discipline PR.]

Review: Strange Fruit – Drips EP

Hailing from Jakarta, Indonesia Strange Fruit have been playing synth / motorik / krautrock / electro music for over a decade and have now released a wonderfully trippy new record – Drips.

Beginning with the bouncy, blissful “Pouvoir Moteur,” Dino Kristianto‘s repetitive, robotic beats instantly get your head and feet bouncing and the synth work by Baldi Calvianca and Irza Aryadiaz and Nabil Favian‘s bass line locks in the groove. John Tampubolon‘s guitar chords drift in and out of the track like a groovy ghost.

“Iridescent” is like a haunting goth synth track you once heard in a car ride one night and have been searching for ever since. The lyrics allude to how light and color can cause euphoric bliss under the right circumstances…and so can the entire track.

Calvianca’s vocals on “Monopolar” sound like transmissions from orbit, and the rest of the track is something you’d want while doing a space walk to gather ore samples on an asteroid, or while drifting in a boat on an Indonesian river, or while making out at an afterparty…with an android.

The title track closes the EP and appropriately has Tampubolon’s guitar sounding like its melting like a slow-burning candle As if these four tracks weren’t cool enough, the EP includes the Jonathan Kusuma “Hypnodubmix” of “Iridescent” and four different versions of “Monopolar”: remixes by Tom Furse and Hardway Bros and then two live dub mixes (one with and one without vocals) by Hardway Bros. The Furse mix is especially good and makes the track even more psychedelic.

This is the kind of EP that makes you want to track down everything else a band has to offer.

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Shauna at Shameless Promotion PR.]

Austin Psych Fest 2026 lineup additions and schedule announced.

Austin Psych Fest 2026 is just around the corner! Today the festival is releasing the official schedule, along with lineup additions to their sprawling 2026 lineup. Austin Psych Fest takes over The Far Out Lounge May 8–10 with another wide-ranging exploration of psychedelic sound, bringing legendary icons, forward-thinking indie rock, global grooves, and deep-cut psych favorites to the big stage under the stars in South Austin.

The stacked 2026 lineup welcomes new additions to Friday’s roster including budding Austin favorites both garnering buzz for their enigmatic performances – trippy glam rock performance art outfit J’Cuuzi and electro-pop dance duo Almost Heaven. Saturday’s lineup additions include more Austin-based artists gaining traction – psych-rock band Dead Canyon Family Reunion and power-pop rock group Commercial Breaks.

Since its inception in 2008, Austin Psych Fest has embraced an expansive definition of psychedelia — not as a single genre, but as a feeling — tracing its roots from 1960s experimentation through modern interpretations shaped by reverb-soaked guitars, hypnotic rhythms, and adventurous songcraft. The 2026 lineup continues that tradition, spanning classic psych, indie rock, soul, cumbia, global psych, and everything in between.

Austin Psych Fest wouldn’t be possible without the support of its sponsors. The festival is excited to share the first round of this year’s partners, including Liquid Death, White Claw, Montucky Cold Snacks, Twisted X Brewing/McConohaze, KUTX and more to be announced.

Look out for final lineup additions to be announced soon, along with Kick Off and Night Shows across downtown Austin.

3 DAY PASSES and SINGLE DAY TICKETS available HERE. Early Bird Tickets have sold out and limited Tier 1 passes and tickets are still available!

FRIDAY, MAY 8

Willie Stage
3:40 – 4:10 PM — J’Cuuzi
5:05 – 5:50 PM — Glare
6:55 – 7:50 PM — Momma
8:45 – 9:40 PM — DIIV
10:30 – 11:55 PM — The Flaming Lips

Janis Stage
4:20 – 4:55 PM — Almost Heaven
6:00 – 6:45 PM — Holy Wave
8:00 – 8:35 PM — Boogarins
9:50 – 10:20 PM — Starcleaner Reunion

SATURDAY, MAY 9

Willie Stage
3:35 – 4:10 PM — Strange Lot
5:05 – 5:45 PM — Grocery Bag
6:45 – 7:50 PM — Ty Segall
8:45 – 9:45 PM — Melody’s Echo Chamber
10:45 – 11:55 PM — The Black Angels (20th Anniversary of Passover)

Janis Stage
3:00 – 3:25 PM — Commercial Breaks
4:20 – 4:55 PM — The Dead Canyon Family Reunion
5:55 – 6:30 PM — Annabelle Chairlegs
8:00 – 8:35 PM — Al Qasar
9:55 – 10:30 PM — New Candys

SUNDAY, MAY 10

Willie Stage
3:40 – 4:15 PM — Money Chicha
5:10 – 5:50 PM — Night Beats
6:50 – 7:55 PM — La Lom
8:45 – 9:55 PM — Thee Sacred Souls

Janis Stage
2:35 – 3:30 PM — Adrian Quesada (DJ Set)
4:25 – 5:00 PM — Como Las Movies
6:00 – 6:40 PM — Dumbo Gets Mad
8:05 – 8:35 PM — Trish Toledo

ADDITIONAL ACTS + NIGHT SHOWS TO BE ANNOUNCED SOON.

VISUALS + VIDEO + ART INSTALLATIONS FROM:
TV EYE • MAD ALCHEMY DRIP//CUTS
SHELUSHY • ATTIC SPACE • SLIM REAPER • BILLGAZER
CHURCH OF THE ETERNAL SUN • FEVER DREAM
EL TALLER DE PIYAMAS • COSMIC DOMMY

[Don’t forget to subscribe before you go!]

[Thanks to Bailey at Another Side!]

Dion Lunadon to release “Rare Gems Volume One” this June.

Dion Lunadon has a habit of dropping crazy, wild records on a consistent basis and now he’s about to release Rare Gems Volume One.

The album is comprised of ten rare and unreleased studio tracks recorded between 2016 and 2026 and also features fan favorites, 1976 and When Will I Hold You Again.

The first single is the unreleased track, Dead Or Alive, which is already out for your listening pleasure.

Rare Gems Volume One is now available for pre-order. It will be available on 12” black vinyl and a very limited edition run of 2-tone liquid smoke vinyl, CD and digital download.

These bundle options are available through Dion’s Bandcamp page:

LIMITED EDITION 12” VINYL BUNDLE

Limited Edition 2-Tone Liquid Smoke Vinyl + Black Vinyl + Digital Download

DELUXE LIMITED EDITION 12” VINYL BUNDLE

Limited Edition 2-Tone Liquid Smoke Vinyl + Black Vinyl + Digital Download + Limited Screen Print ACID Blotter Art

TRACK LISTING

Dead Or Alive (Unreleased)

Crush (Unreleased)

1976 (Com/Broke 7” B-Side ICR-107)

I Owe You (Nothing) (Unreleased)

Head On (Unreleased)

When Will I Hold You Again (Bandcamp Only)

The Enemy (Talk-Action=Zero Comp. Volume One)

The City Is Ours (Talk-Action=Zero Comp. Volume Two)

Destroyer (Unreleased)

No Class (Unreleased)

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Dion Lunadon!]

Review: OrangeTone – Breachlight EP

I’m not sure if I knew ambient trance music was a thing until I heard OrangeTone’s newest EP, Breachlight.

The sound and feeling is as bright as the EP’s cover, beginning with the shining title track. It bubbles with synth bass tones and stuff that sounds like the happiest video game you’ve ever played while also relaxing you at the same time.

“Silkloom” is what you’d hear as you land on a vibrant planet where plants grow and flower by soundwaves. “Joie” drifts into your mind like a pleasant wind off a warm beach and makes you feel like you’re about to embark on something big.

“Dream Spiral” features guest vocals from diana starshine to elevate the track into a modern house classic. It has to be blowing up nightclub floors by now. “Solar Daze” ends the EP with sounds that perfectly resemble the title – shining keyboards, trippy beats, and happy bass.

The whole EP is blissful. You’ll want this as the weather gets warmer, and especially when it gets colder.

Keep your mind open.

[I dream of you subscribing.]

[Thanks to Jolt Music.]

Review: Eve Maret – Diamond Cutter

Eve Maret‘s Diamond Cutter album is a neat blend of electro, house, Italo disco, orchestral, motorik, and probably a couple other genres (Dub? Pyschedelic?) I’m missing.

“Hit U with a Banger” is indeed a banger and combines bumping disco thumps with Mort Garson-like synths. “I Love You Babe” would fit onto any Italo disco compilation of tracks from the early 1980s. Maret’s simple title vocals are looped over and over as groovy bass mixes with sweaty synths. “Break the Chain” is a full-on electro trip, as if Sleigh Bells went weirder instead of louder. “There’s nothing to grasp, just change. Nothing to touch. Rearrange,” she sings / purrs. It’s a Zen lesson hidden in a lava lamp’s flow.

The echoing drums of “Gethsemani” add trip hop (There’s a genre I forgot.) to Diamond Cutter‘s sound as Maret sings about how our perceptions shape our reality. The synths on “Shield” sound a bit like a distant alarm clock while the beats dance along a sidewalk outside an industrial nightclub (Another genre!). Ending with poppy, groovy “Home,” Diamond Cutter calls for the delights of “a place where I can rest my bones” with Maret’s “chosen family.” It’s a dream for a place one can prepare “a meal with five courses” and live one’s life as “a red hot vixen.” We all want the same thing. I recently heard the phrase, “Some people is so poor, all they got is money.” This dream is the opposite of that. It’s the better one.

The rest of the album consists of instrumental versions of all the tracks, showcasing Maret’s skill at layering all these sexy, trippy, and groovy sounds. It’s a whole bonus album for all of us.

The album’s title refers to a Buddhist sutra that focuses on emptiness of the mind and burdens within us, and how one sees clearly through that emptiness (and that’s a massively simple explanation). Maret has said that she made the album to be as pure an expression of herself as she could get in that moment. She cuts through the chatter and focuses on her art. We could all learn from that.

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to George at Terrorbird Media.]