Sleater-Kinney‘s newest record, The Center Won’t Hold, is, unsurprisingly, a wallop to the senses. It covers anger over the current political climate, the never-ending onslaughts of media and advertising, and the often fragile nature of relationships.
The title track starts off the record with slinking industrial beats before erupting into fiery anger and Carrie Brownstein‘s vocals reaching shriek levels. “Hurry On Home” is a sexy tune accentuated by electro beats about missing a lover and wanting something real and tangible in a world of fake social media profiles and Second Life avatars. The electro touches continue on “Reach Out.” They’re peppy and then the lyrics of “When I looked down, I was a mess.” reach you, making you wonder what’s coming. The song is another about wanting to find a human connection amid internal and external chaos. “With one sharp breath, my chest expands. My body is my own again,” Corin Tucker sings the joy of finding that connection.
“Everyone I know is tired, and everyone I know is wired to machines. I just scream ’til it don’t hurt anymore,” Brownstein sings on the excellent “Can I Go On” – a song about how easy it is to get down in this day and age. “Restless” has brutal lyrics about love like “My heart wants the ugliest things, but I’ve learned to love the ugliest things like you and me.” “Do you feast on nostalgia? Take please from pain?” Brownstein asks in “RUINS” – a near-industrial track that explores a crumbled relationship. “LOVE” starts with video game beats before Janet Weiss puts down a wicked drum groove and Brownstein sings about embracing the adventure that love can be.
“We’ve been rehearsing our whole lives,” Brownstein says on “Bad Dance.” It’s a song about the seductive worlds pushed on us by mass advertising and the idea of pushing back against them. “The Future Is Here” has Tucker wishing for a human connection in a world of online relationships. “I met my date on a tiny screen. I reach for you in the empty sheets,” she sings. Anyone who resists her is a fool. The snappy bass on “The Dog / The Body” roots the song as it swells back and forth between soft verses and big choruses.
“But I’m breaking in two, ’cause I’m broken inside.” are the last lyrics of “Broken,” which is the last song on the album. It’s a sad song about the loss of a relationship or at least a human connection in our increasingly digital world. The song and the lyrics (and the album’s title) are even more poignant now due to drummer Janet Weiss leaving the band not long after the album was released and before Sleater-Kinney started their current tour. Brownstein has said the band will continue with her and Tucker, who started the band without Weiss. At least Weiss left on a good album. She didn’t phone in anything on it, and neither did her former bandmates.
Keep your mind open.
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“Please call us to your party. Riding on a bison’s back, singing Flying Jelly Attack. We’ll be there,” lead guitarist Naoko of Shonen Knifesings on the first track, “Party,” of their new album – Sweet Candy Power.
It’s a perfect opening for a fun record of power hooks, punk rock drumming, and good time grooves. Any Shonen Knife album is a breath of fresh air and a vacation from the blues and bad news of the world, and this one is no exception.
“Dizzy” is a garage rocker about not feeling well to the point of putting on your pajamas wrong, but it’s nothing that a good night’s sleep and a cup of coffee can’t cure. The title track is already a crowd favorite at their live shows, and it’s no surprise. It has a great shouting chorus and chugging riffs that get you moving like you just ate a handful of Pop Rocks.
“My Independent Country” encourages all of us to take care of ourselves and stand for our beliefs. It’s a heavy rocker with hits of British metal with Naoko singing lyrics like “There are no rules. I make laws by myself. I’m a ruler and loser. Everything is in my hands.” “Wave Rock” brings in some surf riffs, which makes you think it would be a song about the ocean but it’s actually a song about desert rock formations.
The band’s drummer, Risa, takes over lead vocals on “Ice Cream Cookie Sandwiches” – a song about her two favorite foods coming together to create the greatest culinary treat on Earth (to her at least). It’s as fun a song as the name implies. On “Never Never Land,” Naoko sings about losing her sunglasses on a Disney park ride. It has a bit of a Green Day vibe to it with its slow groove and synths.
“Peppermint Attack” has a wicked bass grove by Atsuko and her sister, Naoko, singing about being attacked by mosquitos and engaging in a “great battle” with them using peppermint spray, alcohol, and water. Atsuko sings lead on the bright, sunny “California Lemon Trees,” which I imagine was inspired by the trees in her backyard in Los Angeles. The final song on the album is “Match 3” – a salute to games like Candy Crush and Bejeweled, to which Naoko is hopelessly addicted (“Match 3 in my brain, Match 3 in my mind, Match 3 in a train, Match 3 in my bed.”).
There’s nothing to not like about this record. It’s fun from beginning to end and just what everyone needs right now.
I’m still a bit stunned that I was able to conduct an e-mail interview with pop-punk legends Shonen Knife this week, especially with them finishing their North American tour and about to embark on their Australia / New Zealand tour. Many thanks to them for taking the time to answer this humble writer’s questions, and to Andrew Scott for setting up this treat.
7th Level Music: First, I want to say thanks for stopping by Chicago’s Subterranean during your “Sweet Candy Power” tour. It was a fun show. I read your blog posts about the tour and also wanted to thank you for writing about the Mitsuwa Market. I didn’t know about it until I read your blog. Do you always stop there when you play Chicago?
Naoko: Yes, we do. There are some Japanese supermarkets in the U.S. When we have time, we try to stop there and eat lunch and buy Japanese food. I love Japanese bakery. I often buy Japanese pastries there.
7LM: I also read how the night before the show at Subterranean that you played the stage at a Hardee’s restaurant parking lot in Springfield, Illinois. I saw photos from the show and it looked like you had a great time and there was a big crowd. Were you surprised by the size of the crowd?
Naoko: I was very surprised and glad for the big crowd. It is the only restaurant which has a stage in a big parking lot. People there made lots of effort to make a fun event. The audience was very positive. They came to the venue to have fun. The atmosphere was very peaceful and happy. It was a great event.
7LM: Were there any other shows during the tour that were especially fun or surprising?
Naoko: We had very good reaction in all cities in Canada. It was the first time after a few years to come to Canada. The audience seemed to be enjoying our show a lot and I was happy, too.
7LM: I know you’re off to Australia and New Zealand next. Do you have any favorite venues there?
Naoko: I love all venues but especially I like to play at music festivals. We’ll play at The Lost Lands festival this time. I’m looking forward to playing there. I also like to play in New Zealand. It will be a rare chance to play there for us. Our audience in Australia and New Zealand are very cheerful and friendly like people in North America.
7LM: The new Sweet Candy Power album is very good. The title track got a big cheer from the Chicago crowd, and I wondered if there are American candies that you love that you take back with you to Japan? Also, are there any Japanese candies you wish you could get while you tour the United States? I, for one, love Japanese green tea candy and buy it whenever I can find it.
Naoko: I bought Halls throat candies during the tour. “Candy” we say “amé” in Japanese means “hard candy” in Japan. We have various kind of hard candies in Japan. I don’t have any special brand but love natural mint candy which doesn’t use artificial sugar. Green tea candy is good, too.
7LM: One thing I noticed on the new album is that it has a lot of different rock influences – punk, pop, garage, British metal, and more. Did you decide to play the different styles before recording began or was it something that you explored as you worked on the record?
Naoko: I wrote all the songs in [the last] 10 years. I listen to various kinds of rock and am inspired. I especially like 1970’s and 60’s rock and R&B, funk, disco music. Everything began from when I write songs.
7LM: The Subterranean show was the second time I’ve seen you live. The first was in Tucson, Arizona during the Ramen Adventure tour in 2017. I remember Risa saying during that show it was only her second time in the U.S. I’ve never been able to learn how you met Risa. She is a beast behind the drum kit. How did all of you meet? Risa, how did you start drumming and who are some of your drumming influences. Do you have any thoughts on the passing of Ginger Baker?
Naoko: Risa plays the drums in her family band called Brinky. Her father plays the bass and her sister play the guitar and vocal. They covered Shonen Knife songs. Our manager and I found them playing our songs through YouTube. Risa was a high school student at that time. Then there was an opportunity that Brinky opened for our show. We got to know each other.
Risa: When I was 14 years old, I started to form a band with my friends. I was asked to be a drummer from my friends. Then I started to play the drums.
I was influenced by Atsuko because she is the original drummer of Shonen Knife because I’m a fan of Shonen Knife. I set cymbals and tom toms like her. Other than her, I like John Bonham, Taylor Howkins, and Chad Smith.
I was listening to Cream a lot when I was a child because my father liked them. I’ve never seen Ginger Baker’s drumming. If I go to heaven someday, I would like to see him playing the drums directly.
7LM: I know Atsuko makes your show outfits. Atsuko, do you design the tour shirts as well? You were all out of my size (medium) by the time you got to Chicago, but I’m glad you sold many of them.
Atsuko: I’m inspired by 60’s and 70’s fashion. Naoko designs some T-shirts in these days and for [our 2019] U.S. tour T-shirts, Miyoko from Good Charamel Records, which release our albums, designed it.
Naoko: I’m sorry that we had many sold out sizes. We will prepare enough next time.
7LM: I always like to ask bands this: Are there any bands back home that you think more people should know? Are there any other bands from Osaka or elsewhere in Japan you think your fans would like? I recently discovered High Rise and Bo Ningen in the last few years and think both are great.
Naoko: I like Extruders and Convex Level. Extruders is a very unique band. Their music is one and only, I think. From Osaka, Yellow Machinegun is cool. They are all female band of 3 pieces and play hardcore.
7LM: Lastly, outside of music (and candy and ice cream and capybaras), what else do you love to talk about or what other hobbies do you enjoy?
Naoko: I like to play tennis and watching men’s pro tennis matches. Atsuko also likes it and we have matches when she comes to Osaka or I go to Los Angeles where she lives.
This was a fun lineup that combined post-punk, queer core punk, and pop-punk in one show in a small venue in downtown Chicago. When I saw that Japan’s now-legendary Shonen Knifewere playing alongside Chicago’s Bev Rage and the Drinks, I knew this would be a show to see.
Opening the show was another Chicago band – Clickbait. I hadn’t heard them before, but they put on a fun set of no wave post-punk that combined slick bass lines, precision drumming, and quirky guitar riffs with plenty of snarky attitude (in the best possible sense). They were intriguing and are definitely a band to watch. I have a feeling they could be going places soon.
Clickbait
Following them were fellow Chicagoans Bev Rage and the Drinks, who I’ve wanted to catch since hearing their first full-length album, Cockeyed, last year. It was a fun set, complete with free snacks, that tore through a lot of material. The guitarist mentioned they were too old to play songs longer than two minutes, but I suspect the truth is that Ms. Rage and her band are having so much fun and bringing so much fury that they don’t care if the audience can’t keep up with them. They also put out a lot of sound – there were three guitars, bass, and drums all going at once on multiple tunes while Ms. Rage raged about her dating life. They’re a must-see band if they’re near you.
Bev Rage and the Drinks
I hadn’t seen Shonen Knife since I happened to be in Tucson the same night they were playing at 191 Toole. It was a blast to see them again. They came out shredding with “Konnichiwa” and then tore through new and classic material that covered some of their favorite subjects – candy, ice cream, furry animals, classic rock.
Shonen Knife were having a good time, as was the crowd. I’ve mentioned this many times to many people, but I believe it’s physically impossible to be blue when hearing a Shonen Knife song, and that’s certainly the case when seeing them live. They played at least four tracks from their new album, Sweet Candy Power (review coming soon), and all of them are good – especially the title track. Oh yeah, they played a Hardee’s in Springfield, Illinois the previous night and packed the parking lot and even scored free milkshakes after the show.
Sisters Atsuko (bass) and Naoko (guitar) always put out a stunning amount of power while singing songs about banana chips and capybaras, and their drummer Rosa is a powerhouse. It’s easy to get caught up in her adorable nature while she’s singing songs about cookie ice cream sandwiches, but she is a beast behind the kit.
Shredding Knife
They haven’t lost a step after so many tours and albums. Don’t miss them.
Keep your mind open.
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Always one to follow their creative whims, Partner (multi-instrumentalists Josee Caron and Lucy Niles) released Saturday the 14th earlier this year. It’s a five-song EP that lets them stretch their creative muscles and embrace multiple influences.
“Fun for Everyone (Minions)” is an electro-laced dance tune that has Caron and Niles telling everyone to “dance like a Minion and not give a care about anyone’s opinion.” It’s a shame if this hasn’t been remixed by multiple DJs by now, and it will be an even bigger shame if the next Despicable Me film doesn’t feature it on the soundtrack.
Partner having a song called “Stoned Thought” shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone who’s a fan of the band, since they have openly sang of their love of the herb (i.e., “Hot Knives,” “Everybody Knows You’re High”). It’s a witty song about cool things they thought of (song ideas, high philosophy, etc.) while high and now can’t remember.
“Tell You Off” is a tongue-in-cheek country tune complete with dobro and Niles rocking a harmonica solo in-between lyrics about chewing out a neighbor over their bad behavior. “Long & McQuade” is a salute to the band’s favorite music equipment store in Canada. Caron’s solo on it is outstanding.
The album ends with the downright beautiful “Les Ailes d’un Ange” (“The Wings of an Angel”) – a French vocal ballad that Partner have admitted is their attempt to write a song that fellow Canadian Celine Dion might sing.
It’s a fun EP that is a welcome appetizer for their next full-length album (which they have claimed will be a rocker. I have no doubt of this.).If you’re feeling down and need your luck to change, try Saturday the 14th.
Keep your mind open.
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Clutch announce the release of “Electric Worry.” The single is the third in a series of new studio recordings that comprise the newly launched Weathermaker Vault Series and the first new official music Clutch is making available since the release of their critically acclaimed album, Book Of Bad Decisions.
The new live video uses footage from various 2019 European Summer festivals and can be seen at https://youtu.be/mtuVGOnX868
When “Electric Worry” was released in 2007 on the album From Beale Street to Oblivion nobody knew that this track would turn into one of Clutch’s most recognizable songs. It is a fan favorite and a staple at live shows. Over the course of time, the song went through changes. What you are listening to here is a brand new studio recording of the 2019 live version of the song without the keyboards and harmonica that are on the 2007 rendition. This is “Electric Worry” in its purest form.
“Electric Worry” was mixed by 6X Grammy Award winner and Clutch collaborator, Vance Powell (Wolfmother, The Raconteurs, Arctic Monkeys).
“All in all it’s just a leaner, meaner song” states vocalist Neil Fallon. “We wanted to put something out there that was representative of what we do these days since it happens to be one of our most popular songs.”
Clutch has curated their own Spotify playlist “Clutch’s Heavy Rotation”: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3NlZsjNNOoCvwjCv58mcNR
On Friday, September 20th, Clutch will embark on a Fall tour of the US with Dropkick Murphys along with metalcore veterans Hatebreed as direct support.
Clutch Fall Tour with Dropkick Murphys: Tickets available here. (headline** and festival* dates) = no Dropkick Murphys Fri/Sep-20 Springfield, MA MassMutual @ Center Arena Sat/Sep-21 Erie, PA Erie @ Insurance Arena **Sun/Sep-22 Wilmington, DE @ The Queen (support: Lionize, Kingsnake) Tue/Sep-24 Raleigh, NC @ Red Hat Amphitheatre Wed/Sep-25 Charlotte, NC Charlotte @ Metro Credit Union Amphitheatre Thu/Sep-26 Birmingham, AL @ Avondale Brewery **Fri/Sep-27 Clarksville, TN O’Connors Outdoor Stage (support: Hatebreed, Cane Hill) Sun/Sep-29 Detroit, MI @ Masonic Temple Theatre Mon/Sep-30 Chicago, IL @ Aragon Tue/Oct-01 Minneapolis, MN @ The Myth Thu/Oct-03 Moorhead, MN @ Bluestem Center For The Arts Fri/Oct-04 Council Bluffs, IA @ Westfair Amphitheatre Sat/Oct-05 Broomfield, CO @ FirstBank Center Sun/Oct-06 Salt Lake City, UT @ The Union Tue/Oct-08 Los Angeles, CA @ The Palladium Wed/Oct-09 San Diego, CA @ Park at the Park *Fri/Oct-11 Sacramento, CA @ Aftershock Festival **Sat/Oct-12 Bend, OR @ Midtown Theater (support: Red Fang, Mos Generator) **Sun/Oct-13 Eugene, OR @ McDonald Theater (support: Red Fang, Mos Generator) Mon/Oct-14 Boise, ID @ Outlaw Field at Idaho Botanic Gardens Tue/Oct-15 Seattle, WA @ WAMU Theatre ** = HEADLINE SHOW * = FESTIVAL
“Don’t You Think You’ve Had Enough? is one of the year’s best rock albums, and far more than a survival tale.” – Billboard
“The evolution from raw to polished is a common one for rock bands, but on Bleached, it sounds positively inspired.” – AV Club
“the grit and grime has been wiped off in favor of a style that, while still giving off the same dangerous edge, often has the glittering sheen of some femme fatale’s soundtrack” – Paste
“Don’t You Think You’ve Had Enough? reveals the sophisticated songwriting Bleached has matured into. The songs seem familiar…but they contain unrestrained personality, which froths and ferments as it resolves into intimate portraits of living.” – LA Record
Bleached – the Los Angeles-based duo of sisters Jessie and Jennifer Clavin – present a video for “Daydream,” off Don’t You Think You’ve Had Enough?, released earlier this year via Dead Oceans. Propelled by Clavin’s defiant vocals, anthemic drums, and a refined version of their distorted guitar sound, “Daydream” is about realizing that living in the past, daydreaming of what could have been, is just a waste of time. The video, once again directed by Giraffe Studios, the sister team Bleached has worked with for all facets of Don’t You Think… visuals, presents the sisters and their band performing in the middle of a vast, hilly setting in Santa Clarita, CA.
“‘Daydream’ was born from a premonition about driving to the desert to write a song. It is my favorite song on the record,” says Jennifer. “While it can be interpreted as a love song at its core, it’s about how our minds are our masters. We tend to dwell on the past, live in regret with ‘what ifs’ but what’s the point? It’s a waste of our time and takes us out of the present. Letting go can be challenging but it’s worth it when the weight lifts and you finally feel free.”
Bleached have just kicked off their North American tour in support of Don’t You Think You’ve Had Enough? All tour dates can be found below.
Watch Bleached’s “Daydream” video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pc9b35XulJQ
Watch: “Hard To Kill” video – https://youtu.be/bQYgcc02m5c
“Kiss You Goodbye” video – https://youtu.be/InvEKijp7WM
“Shitty Ballet” video – https://youtu.be/v8pGMcSylH4
PurchaseDon’t You Think You’ve Had Enough? – bleached.ffm.to/dontyouthink
Bleached tour dates: Sun. Sept. 15 – Raleigh, NC @ Motorco ^ Tue. Sept. 17 – Washington, DC @ U Street Music Hall ^ Thu. Sept. 19 – Brooklyn, NY @ Elsewhere ^ Fri. Sept. 20 – Philadelphia, PA @ PhilaMOCA ^ Sat. Sept. 21 – Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall ^ Mon. Sept. 23 – Toronto, ON @ Horseshoe Tavern ^ Tue. Sept. 24 – Columbus, OH @ The Basement ^ Wed. Sept. 25 – Nashville, TN @ Exit In ^ Fri. Sept. 27 – Urbana, IL @ Pygmalion Festival Sat. Sept. 28 – Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry ^ Sun. Sept. 29 – Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall ^ Mon. Sept. 30 – St. Louis, MO @ Firebird ^ Tue. Oct. 1 – Kansas City, MO @ Riot Room (Outdoors)* Thu. Oct. 3 – Denver, CO @ Globe Hall* Fri. Oct. 4 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The State Room* Sat. Oct. 5 – Boise, ID @ The Olympic* Mon. Oct. 7 – Seattle, WA @ Crocodile* Tue. Oct. 8 – Vancouver, BC @ Biltmore Cabaret* Wed. Oct. 9 – Portland, OR @ Star Theater Fri. Oct. 11 – Oakland, CA @ New Parish* Sat. Oct. 12 – Los Angeles, Ca @ The Lodge Room* ^ = w/ The Paranoyds *= w/ Dude York
Mikal Cronin releases a new single, “Shelter,” from his forthcoming album, Seeker, out October 25th via Merge. Following the lead single/video, “Show Me,” “Shelter” features buzzy guitar and blooming string arrangements. “This is a song about searching for answers in an uncertain world,” says Cronin. “It’s about the observer reluctantly stepping out of their comfort zone and looking around, while trying to keep their head straight. Musically, it’s dense and polyrhythmic. The string line weaves it all together for me. When writing a song with a lot of additive looping rhythmic parts, I think of Brian Eno.”
Following a period of heartbreak and writer’s block, Cronin packed up and retreated to Idyllwild, a small town in the mountains of southern California, where he spent a month in the cabin, alone. The bulk of Seeker was written during this time period. After a series of fires sparked by an arsonist forced Cronin to evacuate, he returned a few days early to LA and began the recording process at Palmetto Studios. There, engineer Jason Quever and a crew of close friends helped bring the album together. The record was backed by Ty Segall’s Freedom Band. Nature fresh on his mind, he was driven to use organic sounds. “I wanted to bring you into the room. Jason and I talked about the Beatles’ White Album a lot when placing mics,” says Cronin. “I brought a charred pine cone from the woods to the studio, just in case it would help. Fire—specifically its cycle of purging and reseeding the landscape—is a central theme to the record. Death and rebirth.”
This fall, Cronin will bring his live show across North America in support of Seeker. Then, he will tour Europe. All tour dates are on sale and can be found below. Additionally, Mikal has launched the Mikal Cronin Fan Club. Fans who sign up will receive tour updates and access to exclusive tracks for fan club members only. Mikal has recently shared some amazing covers, including Neil Young’s “Heart of Gold” and Sharon Van Etten’s “All I Can.” Only fans signed up for the fan club receive these, so sign up here.
Listen to “Shelter” – https://youtu.be/IEk9UL19GS4
Watch the video for “Show Me” – https://youtu.be/GAC9bZjGv-U
Pre-orderSeeker – https://smarturl.it/MC-Seeker
Seekertracklist: 1. Shelter 2. Show Me 3. Feel It All 4. Fire 5. Sold 6. I’ve Got Reason 7. Caravan 8. Guardian Well 9. Lost a Year 10. On the Shelf
MIKAL CRONIN TOUR DATES Fri. Oct. 25 – Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom Wed. Nov. 6 – San Francisco, CA @ The Independent Fri. Nov. 8 – Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios Sat. Nov. 9 – Vancouver, BC @ Fox Cabaret Sun. Nov. 10 – Seattle, WA @ Tractor Tavern Mon. Nov. 11 – Missoula, MT @ The Badlander Thu. Nov. 14 – Saint Paul, MN @ Turf Club Fri. Nov. 15 – Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall Sat. Nov. 16 – Detroit, MI @ Deluxx Fluxx Sun. Nov. 17 – Toronto, ON @ Horseshoe Tavern Mon. Nov. 18 – Montreal, QC @ Bar Le Ritz Tue. Nov. 19 – Boston, MA @ Great Scott Wed. Nov. 20 – New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom Fri. Nov. 22 – Philadelphia, PA @ Underground Arts Sat. Nov. 23 – Washington, DC @ U Street Music Hall Sun. Nov. 24 – Durham, NC @ Motorco Music Hall Mon. Nov. 25 – Atlanta, GA @ The Earl Tue. Nov. 26 – New Orleans, LA @ One Eyed Jacks Wed. Nov. 27 – Austin, TX @ Barracuda Sat. Nov. 30 – Tucson, AZ @ 191 Toole Sun. Dec. 1 – San Diego, CA @ Casbah Mon. Feb. 10 – Munich, DE @ Milla Tue. Feb. 11 – Cologne, DE @ Bumann & SOHN Wed. Feb. 12 – Berlin, DE @ Kantine am Berghain Thu. Feb. 13 – Aarhus, DK @ TAPE Fri. Feb. 14 – Copenhagen, DK @ Loppen Sat. Feb. 15 – Stockholm, SE @ Nalen Mon. Feb. 17 – Oslo, NO @ Ingensteds Tue. Feb. 18 – Gothenburg, SE @ Oceanen Wed. Feb. 19 – Hamburg, DE @ Molotow (SkyBar) Thu. Feb. 20 – Amsterdam, NL @ Bitterzoet Fri. Feb. 21 – Brussels, NE @ Botanique Sat. Feb. 22 – Paris, FR @ Petit Bain Mon. Feb. 24 – Bristol, UK @ The Louisiana Tue. Feb. 25 – London, UK @ Moth Club Wed. Feb. 26 – Manchester, UK @ Soup Kitchen Thu. Feb. 27 – Glasgow, UK @ The Hug & Pint Fri. Feb. 28 – Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Social Club Sat. Feb. 29 – Brighton, UK @ The Hope & Ruin
Hailing from northern California, Beehive is one of the most appropriately named bands I’ve heard so far this year. Bassist Bud Amentia and vocalist / guitarist Jake Sprecher (and a drum machine, which they apparently don’t turn off between songs during their live sets) make music that buzzes with energy and danger. Listening to their debut EP Depressed + Distressed is like standing near a beehive. You’re on the edge of danger all the time.
The instrumental into of “Tick Tock” delivers this message right away. It’s just over a minute of menace with poppy drum machine beats that belie something heavy about to land in your lap. That heavy thing is the song “Get Off My Back,” which has Sprecher’s guitars howling like a chainsaw in a thunderstorm and Amentia’s bass coming at you like an unrelenting rain.
“You’re So Fascinating” is a funny track about the fake images we create in hopes that people will like us. Sprecher’s vocal delivery brings Glenn Danzig to mind, but with more post-punk attitude instead of goth rage. The funniest track on the EP is “90’s Trash,” in which Sprecher talks about buying a CD of the songs that form the “graveyard of his youth” that make him both nostalgic and depressed. He and Amentia play a riff that sounds exactly like every 1990’s rock song you’ve heard as Sprecher name checks the Smoking Popes, Spacehog, Soundgarden, third wave ska, Save Ferris,Flaming Lips, and (the one that most makes Sprecher ill) Ugly Kid Joe.
“When Can I See You Again?” is a punk rager expressing the panic, rush, and angst all of us have felt in a new relationship. “Don’t Try” is almost a rallying cry to do just the opposite. Beehive are pissed about everyone telling them (and all of us, if you watch enough news) not to bother, so they’re responding with a sonic boot stomp to the chest. The EP closes with “Wasting Our Time.” Beehive have no time for people who drain their energy with drama (“You’re wasting my time, I’m wasting my time with you.”). Amentia’s bass on this track is particularly heavy and is a great mix with Sprecher’s Jon Spencer-like riffs.
The EP’s title sums up not only Beehive’s feelings about Millennial life, but also the lives of practically everyone else. Everyone’s depressed or distressed about something – usually things that don’t matter (as evidenced in the last track of the EP). If Beehive have to sting us to wake us up from our doldrums, they will. You can’t escape a swarm, and you won’t be able to escape this record once you hear it.
Keep your mind open.
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“Black Belt Eagle Scout…is one of my favorite indiepop songwriters of late, in the vein of Palehound or Jay Som—tight, soft vocals placed high in the mix, competing with and complimenting an anxious guitar riff.” – Jezebel
“[At The Party With My Brown Friends] highlight Paul’s vocals more than they do her guitar work—she still knows how to shred, but there’s a pronounced confidence in vocal-forward tracks” – The AV Club
“[‘My Heart Dreams’] features Paul’s signature delicate vocals, fervent guitar playing and romantic, poignant lyricism.” – Paste
Black Belt Eagle Scout – the recording project of multi-instrumentalist Katherine Paul – presents a video for “Run It to Ya,” the final pre-release single from her new album, At the Party With My Brown Friends. Following “My Heart Dreams” and “At the Party,” “Run It to Ya” is about the gentleness of love and how wondrous it can feel at times from the point of view of a queer Indigenous womxn. The video was directed by Evan James Benally Atwood.
“It felt natural for the ‘Run It to Ya’ music video to star queer indigenous womxn and show their love story unfold. The setting is a queer Indigenous prom, a space where we can truly be ourselves without the ridicules of white settler colonialism. It’s a realm where we can reimagine what our lives look like as queer Indigenous people; what is normally a heteronormative space turns into a magical place where people have the freedom to safely love how they choose.
“Throughout my work, I intend to show the thriving lives of Indigenous people, and how we are often excluded from mainstream rock music and the media. This exclusion is detrimental to our health and our existence. I am trying to show what my life is like so that other people can see how we have the right to thrive in this world and have the ability to decolonize.”
Where her 2018 debut, Mother of My Children, was a snapshot of loss and landscape and of Paul’s standing as a radical Indigenous queer feminist, this new chapter finds its power in love, desire and friendship. At the Party With My Brown Friends is a profound and understated forward step. The squalling guitar anthems that shaped its predecessor are replaced by delicate vocals and soft keys, sentiments spoken and unspoken, presenting something shadowy and unsettling; a stirring of the waters. The end result presents a captivating about-face that redefines Paul’s beautifully singular artistic vision.
Black Belt Eagle Scout was named a favorite new artist of 2018 by NPR Music, Stereogum, Paste and Under The Radar, and Pitchfork named her debut a Best Rock Album of 2018. She will continue to tour extensively, playing headline dates this fall before supporting Devendra Banhart later this year.
Watch Black Belt Eagle Scout’s “Run It to Ya” video – https://bbes.ffm.to/atpwmbf
Listen to “At the Party” – https://youtu.be/gk3FLRe4tAM
Watch “My Heart Dreams” video https://youtu.be/cmGP7WZO4Pw
Pre-orderAt the Party With My Brown Friends https://bbes.ffm.to/atpwmbf
Black Belt Eagle Scout tour dates: Sat. Sept. 7 – Sun. Sept. 8 – Portland, OR @ XOXO Fest Mon. Oct. 21 – Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios Thu. Oct. 24 – Seattle, WA @ Tractor Tavern Wed. Oct. 30 – Boulder, CO @ Boulder Theater * Fri. Nov. 1 – Omaha, NE @ Slowdown * Sat. Nov. 2 – Minneapolis, MN @ Varsity Theater * Sun. Nov. 3 – Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall * Tue. Nov. 5 – Memphis, TN @ The Hi-Tone * Wed. Nov. 6 – St. Louis, MO @ Foam Thu. Nov. 7 – Lawrence, KS @ White Schoolhouse Fri. Nov. 8 – Fort Collins, CO @ Surfside 7 Sat. Nov. 9 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Diabolical Records Sun. Nov. 10 – Boise, ID @ Neurolux Thu. Nov. 12 – Reno, NV @ Holland Project Wed. Nov. 13 – San Francisco, CA @ Cafe Du Nord Thu. Nov. 14 – Los Angeles, CA @ Bootleg Bar Fri. Nov. 15 – San Diego, CA @ Ché Café Sat. Nov. 16 – Tucson, AZ @ Club Congress Sun. Nov. 17 – Las Vegas, NV @ The Bunkhouse Saloon Tue. Nov. 19 – Mesa, AZ @ The Nile Wed. Nov. 20 – Albuquerque, NM @ Sister Fri. Nov. 22 – Austin, TX @ Barracuda Sat. Nov. 23 – Dallas, TX @ The Foundry Sun. Nov. 24 – Houston, TX @ Satellite Tue. Nov. 26 – Fayetteville, AR @ George’s Majestic Lounge Wed. Nov. 27 – Nashville, TN @ DRKMTTR Sat. Nov. 30 – Detroit, MI @ Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit * Sun. Dec. 1 – Toronto, ON @ Danforth Music Hall * Tue. Dec. 3 – Montreal, QC @ L’Olympia * Wed. Dec. 4 – Boston, MA @ Wilbur Theatre * Thu. Dec. 5 – Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel * Sat. Dec. 7 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club * Sun. Dec. 8 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer * *= w/ Devendra Banhart
Keep your mind open.
[Run over to the subscription box while you’re here.]
