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WSND DJ set list – Throwback Thursday – June 27, 2024

Thanks to everyone who listened and offered suggestions for the first five-hour edition of Throwback Thursday. All songs from 1970 to 2019! Here’s the set list:

  1. Electric Sandwich – Nervous Creek (1973)
  2. The New York Dolls – Personality Crisis (1973)
  3. Lou Reed – Walk on the Wild Side (1972)
  4. ABBA – Dancing Queen (1976)
  5. Buddy Guy & Junior Wells – The Things I Used to Do (live) (1978) (request)
  6. The Edgar Winter Group – Frankenstein (1973)
  7. Melanie – Brand New Key (1972) (request)
  8. Expedition – Talkin’ Blues (1972)
  9. Jerry Reed – East Bound and Down (1977) (request)
  10. Kool and The Gang – Jungle Boogie (1973)
  11. Elton John – Rocket Man (1972)
  12. Atomic Rooster – The Rock (1971)
  13. The Guess Who – Clap for the Wolfman (1974)
  14. The Cure – Just Like Heaven (1987)
  15. Michael Jackson – Billie Jean (1983)
  16. Jack Bruce – Theme from an Imaginary Western (live) (1980) (request)
  17. Divinyls – Good Die Young (1984)
  18. Paul Simon – You Can Call Me Al (1986)
  19. The Police – Every Breath You Take (1983)
  20. Survivor – Eye of the Tiger (1985) (request)
  21. George Benson – Give Me the Night (1980)
  22. Kids in the Kitchen – Change in Mood (1983)
  23. Julian Lennon – Too Late for Goodbyes (1984)
  24. Eurythmics – Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) (1983)
  25. Machinations – Don’t Take Me (1985)
  26. Swing Out Sister – Breakout (1986)
  27. ZZ Top – Sharp Dressed Man (1983)
  28. David Bowie – Dead Man Walking (1997)
  29. Pearl Jam – Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town (1993) (request)
  30. Buzzcocks – Why Can’t I Touch It? (live) (1996)
  31. The Vaughn Brothers – Hard to Be (1990)
  32. The Ramones – Pet Sematary (live) (1992)
  33. Shonen Knife – Hot Chocolate (1998)
  34. Ted Nugent – Fred Bear (1995) (request)
  35. R.L. Burnside – Death Bell Blues (1994)
  36. They Might Be Giants – Istanbul (Not Constantinople) (1990)
  37. Alice In Chains – Grind (1995)
  38. New Order – World (1993)
  39. Kasabian – Club Foot (2004)
  40. Interpol – Wrecking Ball (2007)
  41. MGMT – Kids (2007)
  42. Elvin Bishop – The Blues Rolls On (2008) (request)
  43. The Dead Weather – I Cut Like a Buffalo (2009)
  44. The White Stripes – Red Rain (2005)
  45. The Prodigy – Spitfire (2004) (request)
  46. The Dirtbombs – Encrypted (2005)
  47. Kaiser Chiefs – I Predict a Riot (2005)
  48. Famous Monsters – Blood of Frankenstein (2000)
  49. Sugar Shack – My Girl the Vampire (2000)
  50. Bloc Party – Helicopter (2005)
  51. Motörhead – Rock Out (2008)
  52. Dan Auerbach – I Want Some More (2009)
  53. Sleater-Kinney – Hollywood Ending (2002)
  54. The Chocolate Watch Band – I’m Not Like Everybody Else (2016 version) (request)
  55. Public Service Broadcasting – Sputnik (2015)
  56. Jacques Greene – Sel (2019)
  57. Mexico City Blondes – Out to Dry (2019)
  58. Janelle Monae – Locked Inside (2010)
  59. Céu – Rapsódia Brasílis (2016)
  60. Shit Robot – I Found Love (2010)
  61. Soulwax – Essential Twelve (2018)
  62. Hprizm – Keep Pushing (2018)
  63. The Limińanas – Migas 2000 (2014)
  64. The Limińanas – Shadow People (2018)
  65. Alt-J – Left Hand Free (2014)
  66. Thundercat w/ Flying Lotus – Drunk (2017)
  67. The Well – Eternal Well (2014)

I’m back on air July 07th for another Deep Dive show!

Keep your mind open.

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Wrecka Stow: Rattleback Records – Chicago, IL

Located at 5405 North Clark Street in Chicago, Illinois, Rattleback Records is a fun store in a hip neighborhood. The place is full of interesting stuff, outsider art, cheap CDs, and more. Walk in and look to the right, and you’ll see this…

Classic country, plenty of David Bowie vinyl reissues, framed posters, and more. Look to the left when you walk in and you’re greeted by all of this…

CDs, cassettes, and plenty more speciality vinyl is all available here. They also have some fun quirky stuff like this…

They also sell some cool audio gear there, in case you need something to play all the stuff you’re going to buy from them.

There’s all kinds of quirky stuff here, and plenty for collectors. Case in point…

Or how about…

In case you’re wondering what I bought while I was there, I found a couple killer bargains in their used CD bins.

$2.99 for that Fluke compilation album is a steal, and 25% off a Lightnin’ Hopkins album I hadn’t heard in its entirety (just a few cuts from it on various compilations)? Sold!

Be sure to stop by there if you’re in the area. It’s a fun place.

Keep your mind open.

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

WSND set list for December 30-31, 2019

Thanks to all who listened to my show last night. I wasn’t feeling 100% and there were some technical difficulties, but I got through it.

Here’s what I played:

Deep Dive of Ray Charles

  1. Ray Charles – What’d I Say Parts 1 and 2
  2. Lucky Millinder – Are You Ready
  3. Charles Brantley and His Original Honeydrippers – Beggin’ Blues
  4. Nat King Cole – Straighten Up and Fly Right
  5. Ray Charles – I’m Wondering and Wondering
  6. Quincy Jones – Soul Bossa Nova
  7. The Maxin Trio – Confession Blues
  8. Dizzy Gillespie – Emanon
  9. Lowell Fulson – Every Day I Have the Blues
  10. Ray Charles – Let Me Hold Your Hand
  11. Ray Charles – Roll with My Baby
  12. Ray Charles – The Midnight Hour
  13. Ray Charles – It Should’ve Been Me
  14. Ray Charles – Mess Around
  15. The Southern Tones – It Must Be Jesus
  16. Ray Charles – I Got a Woman
  17. Ray Charles – This Little Girl of Mine
  18. Milt Jackson – Bags Groove
  19. Hank Snow – I’m Movin’ On
  20. Ray Charles – Let the Good Times Roll
  21. Ray Charles – Lonely Avenue
  22. Ray Charles – Get on the Right Track
  23. Ray Charles – That’s Enough
  24. Ray Charles – I Had a Dream
  25. Ray Charles – One Mint Julep
  26. Ray Charles – Georgia on My Mind
  27. Ray Charles – Hit the Road Jack
  28. Percy Mayfield – Please Send Me Someone to Love
  29. The Blues Brothers and Ray Charles – Shake a Tail Feather
  30. Don Gibson – I Can’t Stop Loving You
  31. Ray Charles – The Sun’s Gonna Shine Again
  32. Ray Charles – Blackjack

Nocturne – Best albums of 2019 show

  1. Vapors of Morphine – Special Rider
  2. Black Midi – bmbmbm
  3. BODEGA – Knife on the Platter
  4. Cosmonauts – Medio Litro
  5. King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard – The Bird Song
  6. Fat White Family – Fringe Runner
  7. Bayonne – Drastic Measures
  8. The Schizophonics – Steeley Eyed Lady
  9. Skull Practitioners – The Beacon
  10. Beehive – 90’s Trash
  11. Blackwater Holylight – The Protector
  12. Khruangbin – Mary Always
  13. Comacozer – Tryptamine
  14. King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard – Mars for the Rich
  15. Chromatics – Whispers in the Hall
  16. Sleater-Kinney – Hurry On Home
  17. Jacques Greene – Do It Without You
  18. Weeping Icon – Like Envy
  19. CHAI – Choose Go!
  20. Ash Walker – Come With Us
  21. Jake Xerxes Fussell – The River St. Johns
  22. Claude Fontaine – Hot Tears
  23. L’Epee – Lou
  24. Thee Oh Sees – Psy-Ops Dispatch
  25. Moon Duo – Flying
  26. The Well – Raven
  27. Mdou Moctar – Kamane Tarhanin
  28. Here Lies Man – Clad in Silver
  29. Priests – The Seduction of Kansas
  30. Follakzoid – I

I’m back on air January 6th at 10pm EST with a two-hour Deep Dive of The Clash followed by two hours of another wild Nocturne mix.

Keep your mind open.

[Start the new year off right by subscribing.]

Shopping U.S. tour is underway, and they’re celebrating by releasing a new single – “Suddenly Gone.”

SHOPPING SHARE VIDEO FOR “SUDDENLY GONE”
https://youtu.be/GVcZGVVhfkU

THE OFFICIAL BODY OUT NOW ON FATCAT RECORDS;
NORTH AMERICAN TOUR UNDERWAY!
“Wiry and urgent, ‘The Official Body’ offers vibrant, chaotic catharsis at an ideal moment.” — RollingStone
“…Shopping have opted for one of the most revolutionary forces of all: fun.” — NPR Music

“The third record from the UK trio wrangles their elastic, post-punk spirit into an urgency that feels bonded to the present. It makes for songs that are as mesmerizing as they are exhilarating.” — Pitchfork

“…their songs bristle at the rubbish aspects of modern life and sound like a proof of the time-worn maxim that dancing is an essential part of revolution.” — Bandcamp
Shopping are pleased to present the video for “Suddenly Gone,” before kicking off their NorthAmerican tour tomorrow night in Boston at Great Scott! The tour takes them all across the US and Canada, including stops at both Savannah Stopover and SXSW, in support of The Official Body, out last month on FatCat Records. A full list of dates is below.

The “Suddenly Gone” video, directed by LA-based director and animator Lessa Millet, “talks about labour and resources,” says band member Rachel Aggs. “It’s about feeling used and undervalued in a relationship or, more generally, as a queer and/or a person of colour making music or art in the UK and how that can feel very draining.” She adds, “you can feel overlooked for years and then suddenly tokenized when your identity becomes buzz-worthy or fashionable.

So much of the guitar music we love originates from roots and blues music made by and for people of colour and the same goes for dance and disco that has its roots so firmly in queer culture. We are asking people to reflect on what our cultural landscape would really look like if it weren’t for those pioneering but marginalized artists and in particular what our cities will eventually look like if queer spaces and independent gig venues continue to be forced to close.”

In creating the video, Millet says, “I went off of the energy of the song and the feeling behind it – this feeling of ‘I see what you’re doing, and I’m done being used.’ It’s optimistic and angry at the same time. In looking for images I just thought about all the instances a small group of people profit from everyone else, which way the money river flows, where does it pool. I think the magic tricks and hand shadows were a good metaphor for all the distractions that prevent us from seeing what is going on underneath.”

“It also suggests a parallel between this kind of emotional, creative draining and the terrifying environmental consequences of reckless money-grabbing corporations,” Aggs continues, “undervaluing and exploiting our natural resources and the impact of that on people living and working in more precarious parts of the world.”

Watch Shopping’s “Suddenly Gone” video — 
https://youtu.be/GVcZGVVhfkU

Watch Shopping’s “Wild Child” Video — 
https://youtu.be/GWvzFYTPrRw

Watch Shopping’s “The Hype” Video – 

https://youtu.be/JnAm6AphanY



Shopping Tour Dates:

Sun. March 4 — Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s *
Tue. March 6 — Washington, DC @ Union Stage *
Wed. March 7 — Asheville, NC @ Mothlight *
Thu. March 8 — Savannah, GA @ Savannah Stopover *
Fri. March 9 — Atlanta, GA @ 529 *
Sat. March 10 — New Orleans, LA @ Gasa Gasa *
Sun. March 11 — Houston, TX @ The Secret Group *
Mon. March 12 — San Antonio, TX @ Paper Tiger *
Wed. March 14 — Austin, TX @ Hotel Vegas Annex (SXSW) (11:25pm)
Thu. March 15 — Austin, TX @ Latitude 30 (SXSW) (10pm)
Fri. March 16 — El Paso, TX @ Lowbrow Palace *
Sat. March 17 — Phoenix, AZ @ Rebel Lounge *
Sun. March 18  — San Diego, CA @ Whistle Stop *
Tue. March 20 — Santa Ana, CA @ Constellation Room *
Wed. March 21 — Los Angeles, CA @ Resident * #
Thu. March 22 — San Francisco, CA @ Rickshaw Stop #
Fri. March 23 — Portland, OR @ Bunk Bar #
Sat. March 24 — Seattle, WA @ Vera Project #
Tue. March 27 — Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry
Wed. March 28 — Chicago, IL @ Beat Kitchen &
Thu. March 29 — Detroit, MI @ Marble Bar &
Fri. March 30 — Toronto, ON @ Baby G &
Sat. March 31 — Montreal, QC @ Bar Le Ritz &

* = w/ French Vanilla
# = w/ Lithics
& = w/ Tyvek

Purchase The Official Body:

via Bandcamp – http://bit.ly/2kZQL6Z
via iTunes – http://apple.co/2iBSknm

via FatCat Shop – http://bit.ly/2C3DGO8
 


Download hi-res album art and press images – 
www.pitchperfectpr.com/shopping/
(photo credit: CJ Monk)
Shopping online:

facebook.com/weareshopping

twitter.com/SH0PP1NG

soundcloud.com/shoppingband

fat-cat.co.uk/artist/shopping

pitchperfectpr.com/shopping

Keep your  mind open.

[I won’t be suddenly gone if you subscribe.  Blog posts go right to your inbox.]

A Place to Bury Strangers release first single, “Never Coming Back,” from upcoming album and announce world tour.

A Place To Bury Strangers Announce New Album Pinned
Out April 13th On Dead Oceans

Watch The Video For Lead Single “Never Coming Back”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rij8qYpT1S0

World Tour Announced


[Photo by Ebru Yildiz]
A Place To Bury Strangers have announced their new album, Pinned, coming out April 13th on Dead Oceans. Their fifth full-length finds them converting difficult moments into some of their most urgent work to date. It’s their first since the 2016 election, and their first since the 2014 closing of Death By Audio, the beloved Brooklyn DIY space where founding guitarist/singer Oliver Ackerman lived, worked, and created with complete freedom.

Pinned opens with “Never Coming Back,” a frightening crescendo of group vocals, vertiginous guitar work, and bassist Dion Lunadon’s unrelenting bass. “That song is a big concept,” Ackermann says. “You make these decisions in your life…you’re contemplating whether or not this will be the end. You think of your mortality, those moments you could die and what that means. You’re thinking about that edge of the end, deciding whether or not it’s over. When you’re close to that edge, you could teeter over.”

A couple of years ago, A Place To Bury Strangers made one of those big decisions Ackermann speaks of on “Never Coming Back.” They were in search of a new drummer and Lunadon met Lia Simone Braswell who was playing shows around Brooklyn where she had recently relocated from Los Angeles. After seeing her play, Lunadon was moved to ask Braswell if she’d want to come to a band practice sometime.

While not only cementing herself as the band’s new drummer, Braswell also contributes vocals on “Never Coming Back” and elsewhere on Pinned, opening up a whole new dimension in the band’s music. “As things go on, you don’t want them to be stagnant,” Ackermann remarks. “Being a band for ten years, it’s hard to keep things moving forward. I see so many bands that have been around and they’re a weaker version of what they used to be. This band is anti-that. We try to push ourselves constantly, with the live shows and the recordings. We always want to get better. You’ve got to dig deep and take chances, and sometimes, I questioned that. It took really breaking through to make it work. I think we did that.”

It’s a clear and honest statement of intent, not just for everything that follows, but for this band as a whole.

Watch A Place To Bury Strangers’ “Never Coming Back” Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rij8qYpT1S0
A Place To Bury Strangers Tour Dates:
3/14/18-3/18/18 Austin, TX – SXSW
4/12/18 Brooklyn, NY – Elsewhere [Pinned Record Release] (tickets)
4/18/18 Wiesbaden, Germany – Alter Schlachthof (tickets)
4/19/18 Bern, Switzerland – ISC (tickets)
4/20/18 Giavera Del Montello, Italy – Benicio Live Gigs (tickets)
4/21/18 Bologna, Italy – Freakout Club (tickets)
4/22/18 Turin, Italy – Spazio 211 (tickets)
4/24/18 Winterthur, Switzerland – Salzhaus (tickets)
4/25/18 Lyon, France – Marche Gare (tickets)
4/26/18 Paris, France – Le Trabendo (tickets)
4/27/18 Amiens, France – La Lune Des Pirates (tickets)
4/28/18 Dortmund, Germany – FZW (tickets)
4/29/18 Antwerp, Belgium – Trix Bar (tickets)
5/01/18 Nijmegen, Netherlands – Doonroosje (tickets)
5/02/18 Amsterdam, Netherlands – Paradiso Noord (tickets)
5/04/18 Copenhagen, Denmark – Vega Small (tickets)
5/05/18 Oslo, Norway – BLAA (tickets)
5/07/18 Berlin, Germany – Bi Nuu (tickets)
5/08/18 Hamburg, Germany – Logo (tickets)
5/10/18 London, UK – The Garage (tickets)
5/24/18 Washington, DC – DC9 w/ Prettiest Eyes (tickets)
5/25/18 Baltimore, MD – Metro Gallery w/ Prettiest Eyes (tickets)
5/26/18 Raleigh, NC – Kings Barcade w/ Prettiest Eyes (tickets)
5/27/18 Asheville, NC – The Mothlight w/ Prettiest Eyes (tickets)
5/28/18 Atlanta, GA – The Earl w/ Prettiest Eyes (tickets)
5/30/18 New Orleans, LA – Gasa Gasa w/ Prettiest Eyes (tickets)
5/31/18 Houston, TX – The Secret Group w/ Prettiest Eyes (tickets)
6/01/18 Austin, TX – Barracuda w/ Prettiest Eyes (tickets)
6/02/18 Dallas, TX – Club Dada w/ Prettiest Eyes (tickets)
6/03/18 San Antonio, TX – Paper Tiger w/ Prettiest Eyes (tickets)
6/05/18 Santa Fe, NM – Meow Wolf w/ Prettiest Eyes (tickets)
6/06/18 Phoenix, AZ – Valley Bar w/ Sextile (tickets)
6/07/18 San Diego, CA – The Casbah w/ Sextile (tickets)
6/09/18 Los Angeles, CA – The Regent w/ Sextile & Prettiest Eyes (tickets)
6/10/18 San Francisco, CA – Great American Music Hall w/ Sextile (tickets)
6/12/18 Portland, OR – Mississippi Studios w/ Sextile (tickets)
6/13/18 Vancouver, BC – Fox Cabaret w/ Sextile (tickets)
6/14/18 Seattle, WA – The Crocodile w/ Sextile (tickets)
Pinned Tracklist:
1. Never Coming Back
2. Execution
3. There’s Only One Of Us
4. Situations Changes
5. Too Tough To Kill
6. Frustrated Operator
7. Look Me In The Eye
8. Was It Electric
9. I Know I’ve Done Bad Things
10. Act Your Age
11. Attitude
12. Keep Moving On

Pinned artwork
Keep your mind open.
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DJ set list for June 08, 2017.

Thanks to all who listened to my June 08th WSND show.  Here’s my set list from the show:

  1. Dorothy – After Midnight
  2. Verbena – Submissionary
  3. The Hives – The Stomp
  4. The Orwells – They Put the Body in the Bayou
  5. The Winery Dogs – Time Machine (requested)
  6. Damaged Bug – Bog Dash
  7. Gang of Four – We Live As We Dream, Alone
  8. Dr. Death radio spot
  9. Pow! – Necessary Call
  10. The Crystal Method – Ph.D.
  11. Computer Magic – Dimensions
  12. Vintage Honda motorcycle radio ad circa late 1960’s / early 1970’s
  13. Tamaryn – I’m Gone
  14. Reincarnation of Peter Proud radio spot
  15. Zola Jesus – Poor Animal
  16. The Luck of Eden Hall – Blown to Kingdom Come
  17. The Raveonettes – Lust
  18. Skyland Drive-In Theater intermission spot
  19. Tegan and Sara – Suffer
  20. Blanck Mass – The Rat
  21. Radiohead – Scatterbrain
  22. Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde radio spot
  23. The Paul Butterfield Blues Band – In My Own Dream (requested)
  24. Thundercat – Show You the Way
  25. Gary Wilson – And Then I Kissed Your Lips
  26. Tan Dun – Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon theme
  27. Calvin Harris – Disco Heat
  28. Beastie Boys – Just a Test (requested)
  29. G. Love and Special Sauce – Baby’s Got Sauce
  30. Earl Hooker – Earl’s Boogie (live)
  31. Rock and Roll High School radio spot
  32. The Gray Vines – Dear Friend
  33. The Sting of the West radio spot
  34. Morphine – Buena (alternate version 2)
  35. Roy Orbison – Crying (requested)

I’m back on air June 15th from midnight to 2am EDT.  Give me a listen, and keep your mind open.

DJ set list for June 01, 2017.

Thanks to all who listened to my first WSND show of the 2017 summer.  Here’s my set list from June 01, 2017.

  1. The Velvet Underground – After Hours
  2. Julian Cope – By the Light of the Silbury Moon
  3. Gary Numan and the Tubeway Army – We Are So Fragile
  4. David Bowie – Hang On to Yourself (live)
  5. Golden Earring – When the Lady Smiles – requested
  6. Dr. Black and Mr. Hyde radio spot
  7. Blue Cheer – Summertime Blues
  8. Crobot – The Legend of the Spaceborne Killer
  9. Com Truise – VHS Sex
  10. Big Audio Dynamite – Rewind
  11. The Moonlandingz – Lufthansa Man
  12. Love and Rockets – Deep Deep Down
  13. Skyland Drive-In Theater radio spot
  14. Shallow Side – Renegade
  15. Cream – I Feel Free
  16. Cream – Strange Brew
  17. Cream – White Room
  18. Cream – I’m So Glad (live)
  19. Rival Sons – Electric Man – requested
  20. Luis Bacalov – Quien Sabe?
  21. Race the Devil radio spot
  22. Radiohead – Lotus Flower
  23. Buzzcocks – Without You
  24. Zen Guerilla – Fingers (live)
  25. Dracula A.D. 1972 / Crescendo radio spot
  26. All Them Witches – Bulls
  27. Helmet – He Feels Bad
  28. Dave Brubeck – Star Dust

I’m back on air June 08, 2017 at midnight until 2am Friday morning.  I hope you’ll give me a listen.  Keep your mind open.

My top 25 albums of 2016 – #’s 25-21.

Don’t let anyone tell you that there’s no good music anymore.  There is always good music.  You just have to find it.  I hope this list and this blog helped you discover some good stuff in 2016.

I reviewed close to 50 albums released in 2016 last year, so I’ve decided to highlight the top 25.   Here are numbers 25-21.
25.Slaves bring great British punk that skewers not only the elite rich, but also Millennial slackers and even the stupidity of drunk driving.

24.Dunsmuir is a metal supergroup featuring members of Clutch, Fu Manchu, The Company Band, and Black Sabbath.  Their debut is a concept record about a shipwrecked crew fighting monsters on a remote island.

23.

Canadian psych-rockers Elephant Stone have yet to put out a bad record, and this one added electro touches to their mix of 1960’s psychedelia and bhangra.

22. 

Birth is a fine piece of stoner rock from this three-piece Australian outfit.  I was on a big stoner rock kick in 2016 and ORB certainly fit the bill.

21. 

Klaus Johann Grobe were a delightful discovery this year, and their latest album, Spagat Der Liebe, is a fun electro / lounge record suitable for both late night parties and making out.

Who cracks the top 20?  Come back tomorrow to find out!

Keep your mind open.

[Start your New Year off right by subscribing to us.]

Live – Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Death from Above 1979, Deap Vally – October 13, 2016 – Chicago, Illinois

I knew this was a triple bill I couldn’t miss.  Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Death from Above 1979, and Deap Vally were playing the Chicago House of Blues all in the same night.  That’s a killer lineup.  Any of the three are worth seeing alone, but all three on the same night.  It’s a no-brainer.

First up were Deap Vally, who I’ve wanted to see since I missed their set at Levitation Austin in 2013.  They came out to a large crowd and, no exaggeration, stole the show.

img_3755
Deap Vally killing it.

They opened with “Make My Own Money” and powered through prime cuts like “Gonnawanna,” “Walk of Shame,” and “Royal Jelly.”  Guitarist Lindsey Troy and fill-in drummer Lia Simone (formerly of A Place to Bury Strangers and Les Bucherettes) rocked so hard that I felt bad for DFA 1979 who were to follow them.  Ms. Simone played like she’d been playing the tracks for years.  It turns out she’s longtime friends with Ms. Troy and full-time drummer Julie Edwards, so Ms. Simone practically knew the chops already when she jumped behind the kit.  Everyone within earshot of me was talking about their set even after the end of BRMC’s, proclaiming Ms. Troy’s “bad ass” attitude and Ms. Simone’s excellent kit work.

img_3772
Lia Simone, yours truly, Lindsey Troy

Death from Above 1979 were no slouches, mind you.  Their crazy light show was perfect for their loud fuzz-rock.  How drummer Sebastien Granger can sing lead vocals while playing those insane drum licks is a mystery to me, but he makes it look easy.  Jesse Keeler wanders the stage like an enraged Rasputin and plays as heavy as the mad monk’s legend.  A crazy, aggressive mosh pit broke out during their set.  I got in for one song, still happy to mix it up with the youngsters.

img_3781
Death from Above 1979 going bonkers.

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club closed out the night and, as usual, put on a great show.  “Let the Day Begin,” “Beat the Devil’s Tattoo,” “Conscience Killer,” “Red Eyes and Tears,” “Cold Wind” (a personal favorite) and “Ain’t No Easy Way” were all crowd-favorites.  Any worries anyone might’ve had about drummer Leah Shapiro’s health (who underwent brain surgery in 2014 for Chiari malformations) were dashed because she unloaded on her kit like a machine gunner.

The only bummer of the set was some sort of equipment malfunction on Peter Hayes’ side of the stage.  The band had to alter some of their song selection, and the broken thing (my guess is a bad monitor) apparently was never properly fixed.  They closed with a winner –  “Whatever Happened to My Rock and Roll” – and had no encore due to the faulty gear.

img_3787
BRMC’s appropriate lighting for “Red Eyes and Tears.”

It was a good rock show despite the early exit from BRMC – one of the best rock bills I’ve seen in a long while, in fact.

Keep your mind open.

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Rewind Review: Screaming Females – Live at the Hideout (2014)

DG-80_LiveatTheHideout-626x626

Recorded at Chicago’s Hideout January 30-31, 2014, Live at the Hideout is essential for any fan of Screaming Females, rock, or quality live recordings. Steve Albini did a great job capturing the fury and power of a live Screaming Females show, and the band (“King” Mike Abbate – bass, Jarrett Dougherty – drums, Marissa Paternoster – guitar and vocals) played not only for the lucky Hideout crowd, but also apparently for everyone on the international space station to hear.

“Leave It All Up to Me” gets the album off to a fine start, showcasing Paternoster’s now-trademark shredding. “Foul Mouth” temporarily downshifts the show, with Abbate’s bass groove planting deep roots before he and his band mates take off like a nitro-burning funny car from the starting line. The band takes that nitro and uses it to almost burn the Hideout stage to the ground on “Buried in the Nude” – which is a blistering punk rock screamfest.

“Extinction” keeps the punk pumping, with Paternoster’s vocals evoking Poly Styrene. “A New Kid” has one of her best solos on the record. It moves back and forth between metal, psychedelia, grunge, and even a bit of shoegaze. “Lights Out” is one of the best metal tunes you’ve heard in a long while, and Paternoster’s solo might make you hang up your guitar.

“Sheep,” a gut punch of a song about a cheating lover, hits even harder live. “It All Means Nothing” is one of their biggest hits, and one of their best live tracks. Paternoster sizzles throughout it and Dougherty’s pulsing beat is a great foundation. His wicked beats continue on “Starve the Beat,” which has some of Paternoster’s most masterful guitar work and Dougherty and Abbate’s best clicking rhythms.

“Little Anne” is a strangely hypnotic short song that’s almost an introduction to “Pretty Okay,” which brings out Buzzcocks-like frenetic energy from the whole band. “Baby Jesus” reminds me of a spinning dynamo. It’s fiery energy that seems barely contained and could overwhelm you at any moment. Paternoster’s solo rises into psychedelic realms halfway through it and then tears into something you’d hear in a crazy anime film about starship pilots fighting Cthulu on the edge of a black hole.

The album ends with “Boyfriend,” in which the band not only topples over the edge from metal into punk rock madness, but also pulls the whole Hideout audience and anyone listening to this record with them. Paternoster screams to the rafters, Dougherty thumps on his kit harder than Chuck Norris beating up thugs in Good Guys Wear Black, and Abbate pounds on his bass with a drumstick at one point. I don’t know what will convince you that this band is a force of nature if this song doesn’t.

It’s a great live record, not only for the song selection but also for catching the power of a Screaming Females performance. If you can’t see them live, at least pick up this record. It will only make you want to see them live more or see them live again again, but that’s a good thing.

Keep your mind open.

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