The Beths’ new single, “A Real Thing,” is indeed a really good thing.

Photo by Frances Carter

The Beths return with “A Real Thing,” their first new song since the release of 2020’s Jump Rope Gazers. “A Real Thing” comes as The Beths begin their long-awaited North American headline tour, which has been rescheduled twice due to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. Last year, the band released Auckland, New Zealand, 2020, a live concert recording that showcased the infectious energy The Beths bring to every performance, and what audiences have been so dearly missing.

 “‘A Real Thing’ is a kind of anxiety dream. It’s a bit muddled, a bit frantic, a bit sinister,” says lead singer Liz Stokes“It’s what came out of my guitar in late 2020, post NZ election (and U.S. election). I was limply reaching for optimism about the future, but was really just marinating in dread.” Ultimately playing more apocalyptic scenarios of climate change in her head, Stokes’ lyrics include specific references to how New Zealand has dealt with sea level rise in the past: “In NZ people sometimes use tyres and cement to build retaining walls by the water, to try to stop the land being eroded away as the sea encroaches. It doesn’t really work.” It’s a poignant image for a band that has had to navigate the constant changes in our present moment.

The deep bond between Stokes, lead guitarist Jonathan Pearce, bassist Benjamin Sinclair, and drummer Tristan Deck, has allowed them to overcome challenging circumstances and that’s present in the upbeat urgency of “A Real Thing.” It’s palpable from the very start and paired with the band’s signature bright, raucous guitar hooks and cooing harmonies; the song races and soars, much like an increasing heart rate. The Beths’ infectious and insightful songwriting on “A Real Thing” is an exciting marker of more excellent work to come, and the perfect way to mark the beginning of tour. 

Stream/Watch “A Real Thing”The Beths Tour Dates

Tickets available from thebeths.com

Tue. Feb. 15 – Austin, TX @ Empire Garage
Wed. Feb. 16 – Dallas, TX @ Club Dada (SOLD OUT)
Fri. Feb. 18 – Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade (Hell) (SOLD OUT)Sat. Feb. 19 – Nashville, TN @ Mercy Lounge
Wed. Feb. 23 – New York, NY @ Webster Hall (SOLD OUT)
Thu. Feb. 24 – Philadelphia, PA @ Underground Arts (SOLD OUT)
Fri. Feb. 25 – Washington, DC @ Black Cat (SOLD OUT)
Sat. Feb. 26 – Boston, MA @ Royale
Mon. Feb. 28 – Hamden, CT @ Space Ballroom
Wed. Mar. 2 – Chicago, IL @ Metro
Fri. Mar. 4 – Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line
Thu. Mar. 10 – Sydney, AU @ The Factory Theatre (SOLD OUT)
Fri. Mar. 11 – Brisbane, AU @ The Zoo (SOLD OUT)
Sat. Mar. 12 – Melbourne, AU @ The Night Cat (SOLD OUT)
Sun. Mar. 27 – Southampton, UK @ The LoftMon. Mar. 28 – Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Social Club (SOLD OUT)
Tue. Mar. 29 – Glasgow, UK @ St Luke’s
Thu. Mar. 31 – Manchester, UK @ Club Academy
Sat. Apr. 2 – Birmingham, UK @ The Castle and Falcon
Sun. Apr. 3 – Bristol, UK @ Exchange
Mon. Apr. 4 – London, UK @ O2 Forum Kentish Town
Tue. Apr. 5 – Brighton, UK @ Concorde II
Thu. Apr. 7 – Paris, FR @ Point Ephémère
Fri. Apr. 8 – Lyon, FR @ Le Marché Gare
Sat. Apr. 9 – Dudingen, CH @ Bad Bonn
Sun. Apr. 10 – Lausanne, CH @ Le Romandie
Tue. Apr. 12 – Milan, IT @ BikoWed. Apr. 13 – Munich, DE @ Feierwerk
Fri. Apr. 15 – Vienna, AT @ B72
Sat. Apr. 16 – Prague, CZ @ Underdogs’
Mon. Apr. 18 – Berlin, DE @ LidoTue. Apr. 19 – Copenhagen, DK @ VEGA Ideal Bar
Wed. Apr. 20 – Hamburg, DE @ Molotow
Thu. Apr. 21 – Cologne, DE @ Bumann & Sohn
Fri. Apr. 22 – Brussels, BE @ Ancienne Belgique
Sat. Apr. 23 – Amsterdam, NL @ Paradiso
Sun. Apr. 24 – Esch-sur-Alzette, LU @ Kulturfabrik
Sat. Jul. 24 – Seattle, WA @ Capitol Hill Block Party
Sun. Aug. 14 – Toronto, ON @ Lee’s Palace

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[Thanks to Patrick at Pitch Perfect PR.]

Lucy Dacus makes everyone swoon with “Kissing Lessons.”

Photo by Erin Soorenko

Lucy Dacus released Home Video via Matador last year, solidifying her place as one of music’s best storytellers, with a remarkable showing on year-end lists. After a series of flyers appeared in several US cities last week with tear-off tabs for a “Kissing Lessons” hotline, a stream of callers to the number then reported being able to hear a new song by Dacus. No longer requiring a phone, “Kissing Lessons” is now available as a single for all to hear. It is accompanied by a video directed by Mara Palena. Complete with hand-drawn hearts and Polaroids, “Kissing Lessons” is another gem mined from Dacus’ childhood in Richmond, Virginia. It was recorded and mixed during the Home Video sessions, and stood out with its sweet and relatable reflection of childhood infatuation as Dacus sings atop infectious guitars, “We’d take turns being seduced // Imagining the day it would come into use // Imagining the day we’d start breaking hearts // And taking names.”

“Kissing Lessons” and “Thumbs Again” will be released as a 7” on June 3rd. The 7” is available for pre-order now.

Next week, Dacus kicks off a US tour where she will play many cities not yet visited in support of Home Video, and a few rescheduled shows from the fall. Additionally, after selling out three Brooklyn Steels last year, Dacus announces a headline performance at New York City’s SummerStage in Central Park on Thursday, July 21st. Tickets go on sale this Friday, February 4th at 12pm Eastern
Watch Lucy Dacus’ Video for “Kissing Lessons”

Pre-order “Kissing Lessons”/“Thumbs Again” 7”

Watch/Listen/Share
Stream/Purchase Home Video
Watch “Hot & Heavy” Video
Watch Tiny Desk (Home) Concert
Watch “VBS” Video
Listen to “Thumbs Again”
Watch “Brando” Video
Watch The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon Performance

Home Video Tour
(new dates in bold)
Wed. Feb. 09 – Pitts, PA @ Stage AE *
Thu. Feb. 10 – Detroit, MI @ Majestic *
Fri. Feb. 11 – Newport, KY @ Ovation *
Sat. Feb. 12 – Indy, IN @ Egyptian Room *
Mon. Feb. 14 – Milwaukee, WI @ Turner Ballroom Valentine’s Day *
Tue. Feb. 15 – Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall (Rescheduled Date) * – SOLD OUT
Thu. Feb. 17 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Ave (Rescheduled Date) * – SOLD OUT
Fri. Feb. 18 – Iowa City, IA @ Englert Theatre (Rescheduled Date) * – SOLD OUT
Sat. Feb. 19 – Lawrence, KS @ Liberty *
Sun. Feb. 20 – OK City, OK @ Tower Theatre *
Wed. Feb. 23 – Athens, GA @ Georgia Theatre *
Thu. Feb. 24 – Asheville, NC @ Orange Peel *
Fri. Feb. 25 – C-Ville, VA @ Jefferson * – SOLD OUT
Sat. Feb. 26 – Asbury Park, NJ @ Stone Pony * – SOLD OUT
Mon. Feb. 28 – Ithaca, NY @ Hangar Theatre
Tue. Mar. 01 – Holyoke, MA @ Gateway City Arts
Thu. Mar. 03 – Providence, RI @ The Strand
Sat. Mar. 05 – Baltimore, MD @ Ram’s Head
Fri. Mar. 18, 2022 – Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Social Club ^ – SOLD OUT
Sat. Mar. 19, 2022 – Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Social Club ^ – SOLD OUT
Sun. Mar. 20, 2022 – Glasgow, UK @ St. Lukes ^ – SOLD OUT
Mon. Mar. 21, 2022 – Dublin, IE @ Olympia Theatre ^
Wed. Mar. 23, 2022 – Manchester, UK @ Gorilla – SOLD OUT
Thu. Mar. 24, 2022 – Bristol, UK @ Marble Factory ^
Fri. Mar. 25, 2022 – London, UK @ Kentish Town Forum
Sat. Mar. 26 – London, UK @ Rough Trade – In-Store Performance
Sun. Mar. 27 – Brighton, UK @ Concorde 2 ^
Tue. Mar. 29, 2022 – Brussels, BL @ Rotonde ^ – SOLD OUT
Wed. Mar. 30, 2022 – Amsterdam, NL @ Paradiso Noord ^
Thu. Mar. 31, 2022 – Cologne, DE @ Artheater ^
Sat. Apr. 02, 2022 – Hamburg, DE @ Molotow ^
Sun. Apr. 03, 2022 – Copenhagen, DK @ Loppen ^ – SOLD OUT
Mon. April 04, 2022 – Aarhus, DK @ Atlas ^
Wed. Apr. 06, 2022 – Oslo, NO @ Parkteatret ^
Thu. Apr. 07, 2022 – Stockholm, SE @ Nalen Klubb ^
Sat. Apr. 09, 2022 – Berlin, DE @ Lido ^
Sun. Apr. 10, 2022 – Jena, DE @ Trafo ^
Tue. Apr. 12, 2022 – Vienna, AT @ Chelsea ^
Wed. Apr. 13, 2022 – Munich, DE @ Milla ^
Thu. Apr. 14, 2022 – Zürich, SU @ Bogen F ^
Fri. Apr. 15 – Paris, FR @ La Maroquinerie ^
Thu. Jul. 21 – New York, NY @ SummerStage in Central Park #
Sun. Aug. 7 – St. Charles, IA @ Hinterland Festival
Fri. Aug. 26 – London, UK @ All Points East Festival
Sat. Aug. 27 – Sun. Aug. 28 – Darmstadt, DE @ Golden Leaves Festival
Thu. Sep. 1 – Sun. Sep. 4 – Salisbury, UK @ End of the Road Festival

* = with Indigo De Souza
^ = with Fenne Lily
# = with Hop Along

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[Thanks to Jessica at Pitch Perfect PR.]

Trip Villain have “Won” with their new single.

Photo by Caroline Pigou

Trip Villain is a Brooklyn-based power duo that fuses synth-laden psychedelia with the prehistoric stomp of doom metal. Trip Villain is Josh Musto (Tragedy, ex-ShitKill, ex-Netherlands) and Damien Moffitt (Leach, ex-ShitKill, ex-Netherlands).
Today, Trip Villain released their new dance-punk single/title track Won.” This is the third single off their upcoming debut LP, Won, which drops February 22nd. Accompanying the single is a live in-studio performance of the song shot at Rad Hazard Studios. 

Watch “Won”HERE!

Guitarist Josh Musto and drummer Damien Moffitt share “The title track, ‘Won’ was the first jam we came up with as Trip Villain. The prompt we gave ourselves was ‘heavy, sexy, dancey,’ and once our friend, Trip-Pop artist, Leach recorded a guest vocal, it gelled beautifully. Lyrically, ‘Won’ is about breaking free from bad relationships and controlling your own destiny.

Preorder details: Digital album and 7” Flexi-Disc preorders open on Jan 21st. https://tripvillain.bandcamp.com/album/won

An instant digital download via Bandcamp of the three singles “Won”/ “The Villain”/”Is This Love?” comes with a preorder of either the digital album Won or the two-track 7″ flexi-disc of “The Villain” & “Ego Death.”

The 7” Flexi-Disc is two tracks (The VillainEgo Death) and comes with a full album download via Bandcamp. 7” Flexi-Discs will not ship until late-March.

Trip Villain explainsWon is the culmination of the two of us playing together in various bands since we were thirteen. We wanted to make an album that punches as hard as the riffy metal bands we grew up with, but with the emotional depth and synthy sparkle of the psychedelic music we’re influenced by as adults. Since most of these songs were born out of improvised jams, our seventeen years of musical chemistry is front and center. The sound we ended up with lands somewhere between the metallic grooves of Helmet and the tripped out ecstasy of The Flaming Lips, all with a deep reverence for the almighty RIFF.”

Two previously released singles from the upcoming album, Won, “Is This Love?” and “The Villain”are also currently streaming HERE on Spotify

Check out the animated video for “The Villain” by visual artist duo Gregory Stovetop & B.A. Mialehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyqE7TtfnI0 

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Maria at Adrenaline PR.]

Partner discuss metaphysics (sort of) on their new single, “Time Is a Car.”

Partner are back with a new single and video “Time Is A Car“. It is a new single for a new era as we enter 2022 and the youngest member of Partner (Josée Caron) enters her 30s. This single follows Partner’s Never Give Up (You’ve Changed Records) and their break out debut album, In Search of Lost Time
 

TIME IS A CAR
 

A Message from Partner: “This is a song that we wrote while reflecting on the years that have passed and the way that the passing of time offers fresh perspectives. Fittingly enough it’s ready just in time for us to present it to you on Josée’s 30th birthday. Time sure does fly!!

We had a distinct idea for the visual accompaniment to this track and we knew there was one person who could bring it to light; our beloved and frequent collaborator Lesley Marshall. However, when we were informed that the time to make a video was upon us, it seemed close to impossible that we would be able to make the trip to meet with her. While she is close to our hearts, we were separated by 4580km (2845 miles for our USA/UK friends). However, Lesley and the team at MAVN thankfully remained undaunted by such concerns. The result is one of our very favourite videos to date.”

Time Is A Car is a meta music video. A music video in a music video. It’s what would have happened if Thelma and Louise escaped with all the money and drove happily ever after off into the sunset and had wonderful prosperous lives. Fueled by music video epics, pulp films, and ripe with sarcasm, Time Is A Car, has the parody quality of Beastie Boys’ Sabotage and the vibrancy of Megan Thee Stalion’s Thot Sh*t.”
– 
Director Lesley Marshall

During a brief period in 2020 when it was safe to travel, the band headed to Gabriola Island on BC’s West Coast where they quarantined themselves for 14 days in a cabin writing and rehearsing, and then headed into the studio for 7 days at The Noise Floor Recording Studio. “Time Is A Car” is the first song from this session. More to come later in 2022.

Lucy and Josée formed Partner in the spring of 2014. They were looking to experiment with genre, discuss being gay, and share some jokes and ideas. Their objective has remained the same over the past seven years, although in that time their sound has shifted considerably.

Partner’s debut album In Search of Lost Time (2017) made an impact with its big guitars and polished sound. The record, mixed by Chris Shaw (Ween, Bob Dylan, Cheap Trick), landed a spot on NPR’s All Songs Considered, along with Stereogum, Noisey, Exclaim, CBC MusicIndie 88 and many more best of 2017 lists. The album was shortlisted for the Polaris Prize, and Partner were the recipients of the SOCAN songwriting prize for their song “Play the Field”.

Partner’s follow-up EP Saturday the 14th found the duo embarking on bolder and more playful compositional excursions. Throughout this highly experimental period, ideas for the next album began to coalesce. In the summer of 2019 Lucy and Josée joined all-star drummer Simone TB (US Girls, Highest Order, Darlene Shrugg) in the studio to create their second full-length album, titled Never Give Up. With Never Give Up, Partner returned to their classic rock roots and awakened their truest gifts to deliver their most exciting, riff-laden effort yet. 

Partner Links
Time Is A Car – https://listen.lt/PartnerTimeIsACar
Website: http://www.partnerband.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/partner.music.band/
Bandcamp: https://partnerband.bandcamp.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/partner_band/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/partner_band
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/partnerband
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@partnerband/

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[Thanks to Mar at Mar on Music.]

CHAI release new single, “Whole,” and new tour dates.

Today, CHAI present a new single, “WHOLE,” released via Sub Pop. In addition, “WHOLE” is confirmed as the theme song for Japan’s public broadcaster NHK’s new romantic-comedy-drama series, Koi-senu Futari. Tapping their San Diego-based Wink Together collaborator, Scoobert Doobertto produce, “WHOLE” is a nostalgic and romantic J-POP track, charged with harmonies and melodies that draw influences from 90’s Japanese TV drama songs. The lyrics, inspired by Koi-senu Futari’s storyline featuring an aromantic/asexual couple, touch on the theme of universal and unconditional love. “WHOLE” speaks on the desire to accept one another’s differences, to love one another as a “whole,” and the wish to “turn this anger into something beautiful”—a message that reverts back to CHAI’s philosophy as artists.  

Yuuki, who penned the lyrics, says the song: “Sometimes, no one empathizes with you. But is that really a bad thing? I don’t want to make my thing, or someone else’s thing, something to be ashamed of. Because our ‘differences’ may not be our enemies. I wish we could love each other’s little differences and little similarities entirely– that’s the hope behind this song.”

Listen to “WHOLE”

Next month, CHAI will begin their WINK TOGETHER tour before embarking on a string of sold-out dates supporting Mitski. Full tour dates are below. 

CHAI TOUR DATES
Fri. Feb. 4 – Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall
Sat. Feb. 5 – Milwaukee, WI @ Cactus Club
Sun. Feb. 6 – Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry
Wed. Feb. 9 – Toronto, ON @ Lee’s Palace
Fri. Feb. 11 – Cambridge, MA @ The Sinclair
Sat. Feb. 12 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Foundry
Sun. Feb. 13 – Washington, DC @ Union Stage
Tue. Feb. 15 – Brooklyn NY @ Elsewhere
Thu. Feb. 17 – Asheville, NC @ The Orange Peel *  – SOLD OUT
Fri. Feb. 18 – Raleigh, NC @ The Ritz * – SOLD OUT
Sat. Feb. 19 – Atlanta, GA @ The Eastern * – SOLD OUT
Mon. Feb. 21 – Birmingham, AL @ Iron City * – SOLD OUT
Tue. Feb. 22 – New Orleans, LA @ Civic Theatre * – SOLD OUT
Thu. Feb. 24 – Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall (Outside Lawn) * – SOLD OUT
Fri. Feb. 25 – Dallas, TX @ The Bomb Factory * – SOLD OUT
Sat. Feb. 26 – Austin, TX @ Austin City Limits Live at the Moody Theater * – SOLD OUT
Mon. Feb. 28 – Phoenix, AZ @ The Van Buren * – SOLD OUT
Wed. March 2 – Los Angeles, CA @ Shrine Expo Hall * – SOLD OUT
Thu. March 3 – Los Angeles, CA @ Shrine Expo Hall * – SOLD OUT
Fri. March 4 – Oakland, CA @ Fox Theater * – SOLD OUT
Sat. March 5 – Oakland, CA @ Fox Theater * – SOLD OUT
Mon. March 7 – Portland, OR @ Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall * – SOLD OUT
Wed. March 9 – Seattle, WA @ Moore Theatre * – SOLD OUT
Thu. March 10 – Seattle, WA @ Moore Theatre * – SOLD OUT
Sat. March 12 – Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile
Sun. March 13 – Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge
Tue. March 15 – San Francisco, CA @ Bimbo’s 365 Club
Thu. March 17 – Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom
*= supporting Mitski

CHAI Online:
https://chai-band.com/en/
http://pitchperfectpr.com/chai/
https://twitter.com/CHAIofficialJPN
https://www.instagram.com/chaiofficialjpn/
https://www.facebook.com/CHAIofficialJPN/

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[Thanks to Jim at Pitch Perfect PR.]

Top 30 albums of 2021: #’s 10 – 6

Here we are at the top ten albums I reviewed last year. Who made the cut? Check it out below here.

#10: Liam Kazar – Due North

The songwriting on Due North is outstanding. That, and Kazar’s piano and guitar work, put him up there with Lindsey Buckingham and Joe Jackson in my opinion. This was one of the brightest spots of a gloomy year.

#9: The Besnard Lakes – The Besnard Lakes Are the Last of the Great Thunderstorm Warnings

This double-album is one of the most beautiful records about death that you’ve ever heard. It’s grand, glorious, and resonant after a year when all of us lost someone – either within our own homes, across the street, or on the other side of the globe.

#8: Dry Cleaning – New Long Leg

It’s no coincidence that Dry Cleaning’s first proper U.S. tour sold out at nearly every stop. They’re the queen and kings of British post-punk right now, and New Long Leg – their first full-length album – is a great follow-up to their multiple EPs (all of which were also excellent).

#7: Osees – Levitation Sessions II

The second Levitation Sessions album from Osees was somehow wilder than the first. Livestreaming it in our home at loud volume during lockdown was a blissful escape for the entire time. The set included plenty of deep cuts, including multiple Chrome covers.

#6: Osees – The Chapel, SF 10.2.19

Recorded during their set night at The Chapel music venue in San Francisco, and just before the pandemic shut down touring for everyone everywhere, this live album is one of Osees’ best. It captures the chaos of their shows, highlights some of their prog-rock love, and served as a reminder to stay healthy and take care of each other so we could get back to seeing concerts again.

Who tops the list? You’ll find out tomorrow!

Keep your mind open.

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Top 30 albums of 2021: #’s 25 – 21

Let’s not waste time. Here are the records that cracked my top 25 (of over 60) that I reviewed last year.

#25: The Beths – Auckland, New Zealand, 2020

This delightful live album from The Beths is full of joy. The band was over the moon, the crowd was ecstatic, and daring to open with “I’m Not Getting Excited” was a gutsy move when everyone in the place was bursting with energy.

#24: Acid Dad – Take It from the Dead

Acid Dad were a band I’d heard a lot about, yet didn’t know much about them. I caught them live about an hour from my house and was sold within two songs. Take It from the Dead is a fine psych-rock record with touches of surf that make it a standout.

#23: Ty Segall – Harmonizer

Ty Segall added a bunch of synths and electronic beats to his already heavy fuzz rock, and the result, Harmonizer, was impressive. He showed his love for krautrock and even dance rock, and that he could pull off both genres as easily as psych jams.

#22: Morly – Till I Start Speaking

Easily one of the loveliest and sexiest albums of 2022, Till I Start Speaking is a great mix of Morly’s vocals, electro-beats, and synths. I hadn’t heard of Morly until this record was sent to me, and it was a pleasant discovery.

#21: Pearl & The Oysters – Flowerland

Speaking of lovely records, here’s another one. Bossa nova, disco, ambient, and house all merge together for an album as pretty and trippy as its cover.

Who makes the top 20? You’ll learn tomorrow!

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Top 30 albums of 2021: #’s 30 – 26

As always, I actually wait until the previous year has ended to put out my list of my top albums (and live performances, which will be listed in other posts), because albums are released all the time. Many excellent albums have been released in many Decembers and gone forgotten or ignored by music critics and bloggers.

So, without further ado, let’s get started. I reviewed sixty-five albums last year, so I cut the list in half to cover the top of the bunch.

#30: Shred Flintstone Unlimited Power

This is a wild punk rock record from a band with a goofy name and serious chops. I mean, you have to be good with a name like “Shred Flintstone.” Unlimited Power is appropriately titled, because the whole thing is bursting with energy.

#29 Open Hand – Weirdo

This is a fun dance-rock record that was several years in the making. It’s like a combination of LCD Soundsystem and !!!.

#28: Jealous – Lover / What’s Your Damage?

This is a wild double EP of post-punk and krautrock from Berlin. It ranges from dance beats to rock riffs and was one of the best releases fro Dedstrange all year.

#27: Cuffed Up – Asymmetry

This four-song EP is solid alternative rock with catchy hooks, great double vocals, and heavy riffs that bode well for a full-length album in the future.

#26: The Black Angels – Live at Levitation

The Reverb Appreciation Society has been issuing “Live at Levitation” albums for a little while now, so it was no surprise that The Black Angels, who started the RAS and also started and still help curate the annual Levitation Music Festivals in Austin, Texas and Angers, France, should get their own release in the series. It covers some of the bands’ earliest performances at the festival and is a treat for fans of the band, the festival, and psychedelic rock.

Who cracked the top 25? Come back tomorrow to find out!

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Review: Parquet Courts – Sympathy for Life

Constructed from a lot of improvised jam sessions, Parquet Courts‘ new album, Sympathy for Life, continues to embrace the band’s love of dance music and club rock.

Starting out with the groovy, bad-ass “Walking at a Downtown Pace,” the band makes you want to dress up, throw on some sunglasses at night, and strut your stuff on the way, at, and back from the club. The bass line is killer, the guitars a bit frantic, and the drums downright wicked. The song, like all the others on the record, was written before the pandemic, but now takes on an altered meaning post-pandemic. The lyrics are brutal truths: “I’m making plans for the day all of this is through…Food that I’ll taste and all the drinks that I’ll consume, return the smile on an unmasked friend…” / “Walk at a downtown pace and treasure the crowds that once made me act so annoyed.” / “Planning the future as if time is yours to choose.”

“Black Widow Spider” is a rocker about intense grief and trying to move beyond it. Believe me, I get it. “Marathon of Anger” brings in more synthesizers and electronic beats to create a dub-like banger about all of us getting back to the work of supporting each other after being separated for so long. “Just Shadows” is a tale of becoming addicted to routine, and how that gives you the false impression that you’re happy and everything is go well.

The beats on “Plant Life” would fit right in on a Talking Heads record. “Application Apparatus” is a song about the benefits and creepiness of GPS mapping – told with post-punk electro dance beats and guitar. “Homo Sapien” cranks the distortion for a song about how we’ve evolved from ancestors who beat stones into tools to people who crave “the sensual touch of glass, so smooth on the fingertips, the erotic quality of not feeling meaningless.” The title track seems to have been recorded with the ghost of Curtis Mayfield in the studio – it’s that groovy.

“Zoom Out” encourages us to look at the bigger picture (“When you zoom out, tomorrow is now. When you zoom out, together is now.”) – and to dance. “Trullo” is a weird, funky, skronky tale about cabin fever. The closer, “Pulcinella,” is a tale about being hesitant to embrace love again, especially after a long time away from it (“…the mind wanders home like a cat does when it knows it’s time to feed again.”). Again, I can relate.

The album is a clever mix of excellent lyrics, funky beats, and the promise of more epic things to come. Two of the tracks, “Marathon of Anger” and “Plant Life” were edited down from forty-minute jam sessions. I hope they kept recordings of them, because I’d love to hear those. How about releasing them to start afresh in 2022, PQ?

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Jacob at Pitch Perfect PR.]

Midnight Oil announces new album, “Resist,” and their final tour.

In 2017 Midnight Oil returned from a long hiatus with a sweat drenched pub gig at the legendary Sydney venue, Selina’s. In the middle of that special set, frontman Peter Garrett borrowed some famous lines, exhorting “rage, rage, against the dying of the light”. And that’s exactly what they’ve done ever since. They sold out 77 shows in 16 countries on their epic “Great Circle” tour. They toured Europe again, did a memorable gig in the outback, then returned to the studio for the first time in over 18 years and recorded 20 new songs. The first batch of that material, The Makarrata Project, debuted at #1 on the same weekend that longtime bass player Bones Hillman sadly died. Despite that profound blow, and a global pandemic, the band and their First Nations Collaborators still mounted their acclaimed “Makarrata Live” shows early this year – championing the Uluru Statement and highlighting ongoing injustices suffered by First Nations people.

Today Midnight Oil announced that this chapter of their career will come to a memorable close next year with the release of the other 12 new songs they recorded with Bones and a series of big gigs. Both are aptly titled Resist.

The band also announced that this will be their final concert tour while making it clear that this does not mean the end of the Oils. Each of the members will continue their own projects over the years ahead. They remain very open to recording new music together in future and supporting causes in which they believe but this will be their last tour. 

Meanwhile Resist will be a fitting, forward looking, statement for a band whose clarion call has always been “it’s better to die on your feet than live on your knees”. The tour will see them performing classic Midnight Oil songs from across their repertoire while also showcasing some urgent new works. As the title makes abundantly clear, Resist engages with the issues of today and tomorrow – like the lead single “Rising Seas” which tackles the climate crisis in typically uncompromising fashion. 

The album pre-order and Australasian tickets will go on-sale from next Tuesday 30 November. Dates, venues and all other info is listed at midnightoil.com/tour. A handful of international concerts is also being considered (subject to Covid restrictions).


Rob Hirst says: “If I look back, I see a blur of familiar names and faces: Jim, Pete, Martin, Bear and me, slamming loud prog-pop in a Chatswood garage; Giffo, magnificent, rocking back and forth at his first Royal Antler gig; Bonesy, headphones on, singing, lounging on the deck learning our catalogue.

I see our managers in their offices – Gary, Zev and John; our tour managers in their cars and buses – Constance, Neil, and Willie Mac; our producers in their studios, Keith, Lez, Glyn, Nick and Warne; and our crew on countless stages, Michael, Oysters, Ozzy, Doc, Nick, Jock, Gerry – and so many more. 

I see our folks-in-the-engine-room that the outside world has never seen: Stephanie, Wayne, Diana, Arlene, Jonesy, Craig, Geoff H, Chris P, Peter T, and Mel C.

I see our wives and trusted friends, and the tiny faces of the ‘Baby Oils’, watching us from side of stage, from Sydney to Sao Paulo to Saskatoon. 

But mostly, blinded by stage lights, I see the first two rows of a thousand gigs: Midnight Oil fans, pumping, jumping, singing louder than the band.

But I don’t look back.”
 

Peter Garrett says: “We all know time refuses to stand still for anyone but after many years together the band’s spirit is deep, the music and words are strong, and our ideas and actions as bold as we can make them. We’ve reached people in ways we never could have imagined. Our desire to create and speak out is undimmed. We hope everyone who hears this album and gets to one of the shows will come away charged up about the planet’s future, saying ‘why stop now?’.  Having always tackled every tour like it’s the last – this time it actually will be.”
 

Jim Moginie says “We’ve played intensely physical gigs since our humble beginnings back in 1977 and we never want to take even the slightest risk of compromising that.  A lot has happened over the last five years. Much has been achieved and with the passing of Bones much has been lost, so it now feels like we’re at the end of a cycle.

These will be sad and beautiful gigs but luckily we’re still capable of blowing the roof off any stage and that’s what we intend to do. You could call this a farewell tour, but Midnight Oil will still continue in some form or other as we’re brothers, family. We stand as one, dependent on each other and grateful in all the important ways that make great bands great.”
 

Martin Rotsey says: “A huge thank you to all our fans around the world. We’ve shared so much together from the swelter of Sydney pubs to magical nights under starry skies. Your energy took us further than we could ever have dreamed. 

To those down the front in the maelstrom, those at the back of the room singing their hearts out, and all of those onstage, backstage, and back home who helped make everything possible, we send our thanks.”


Resist will be Midnight Oil’s 15th studio release since the band exploded out of the post-punk scene back in 1978, blazing a singular trail of blistering gigs through Australia’s pubs and clubs. In the four decades since they have created an unparalleled string of classic tracks including “I Don’t Wanna Be The One”“Power & The Passion”“US Forces”“Best Of Both Worlds”“The Dead Heart”“Blue Sky Mine”“Forgotten Years”“Truganini”“Redneck Wonderland”“Say Your Prayers” and the 2020 APRA song of the year “Gadigal Land (feat. Dan Sultan, Joel Davison, Kaleena Briggs & Bunna Lawrie)”. Their  Diesel & Dust LP topped the critics’ “100 Best Australian Albums Of All Time” and its worldwide hit “Beds Are Burning” is one of the “500 Songs That Shaped Rock’n’roll” according to the U.S. Rock’n’roll Hall Of Fame. The band’s performance of that song at the Sydney Olympics is etched in the memory of billions.
 

From the northern beaches of Sydney to the streets of Manhattan, they have stopped traffic, inflamed passions, inspired fans, challenged the concepts of “business as usual” and broken much new ground. Seeing Midnight Oil in full flight is to experience the kinetic power of live rock’n’roll. They leave you inspired to live life more passionately and to Resist
 

Midnight Oil calls for governments to urgently take serious actions that reduce carbon pollution. This tour will embrace best practices for emission reductions and offsetting. A portion of proceeds will be set aside for organizations seeking to elevate the existential threat posed by the climate crisis.
 

Members of Midnight Oil’s mailing list will have exclusive first access to Australian tickets. Anyone who signs up by 5pm Monday November 29, will receive a dedicated email later that evening, containing the presale ticketing link and password which can be used to purchase up to 8 tickets per show. Presales are expected to sell out quickly so fans are strongly advised to make sure they are logged into the ticketing agency website prior to the onsale times. Members of the General Public, including anyone who missed out on the presale, will then have access to tickets from Wednesday December 1. See below for ticketing information, and visit midnightoil.com/tour for specific show dates and information.
 

In addition to these shows, the band has already announced special appearances in Tasmania for Mona Foma 2022 and at Byron Bay Bluesfest next Easter. Details about those festival events at monafoma.net.au and bluesfest.com.au

Keep your mind open.

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

[Thanks to Eleven Music.]