Alt rock – Page 30 – 7th Level Music

Pink Mexico gets “Dirty & Stupid” with new single from upcoming album.

“Landing somewhere between My Bloody Valentine’s poppiest moments and Wavves least bratty missives, the result is something like if Nirvana had had a surf rock phase.” — Noisey

“The kind of fuzzy, driving garage punk that you can always trust Burger to put out.” — BrooklynVegan

Brooklyn, NY trio Pink Mexico share a new single from their forthcoming third album Dump via Big Takeover Magazine. Hear and share what Big Takeover calls a “grimy, gritty, chugging lump of treasure,” HERE.

Surf/skate culture outlet What Youth? recently premiered the garage-grunge surf-pop track “High Dive” HERE.

Dump will be released March 1st, 2019 on cassette and digital via Burger Records and vinyl via Little Dickman Records.

After playing drums for countless other bands, including Shilpa Ray, WALTZ and Lola Pistola, Robert Preston Collum went for a change and began his solo project, Pink Mexico. After moving from Brooklyn to Los Angeles, Preston self-released the first Pink Mexico LP, pnik mxeico in June of 2013, attracting the attention of Austin-based record label Fleeting Youth Records, who then re-released pnik mxeico the following December.

Preston relocated to Brooklyn in the fall of 2014 to begin recording his next album while continuing other releases: a split 7″ with Los Angeles-based band, SunLikeDrugs as well as a 12″ vinyl pressing of pnik mxeico by Bordeaux, France based label Big Tomato Records. The underground buzz surrounding the first LP led Preston into the Burger Records family. Following countless Brooklyn shows and making the rounds at this year’s SXSW, Pink Mexico has grown as a band comprised of Grady Walker & Ian Everall.

After the release of Fool via Burger Records Summer 2016, Pink Mexico toured as direct support for Honus Honus (aka Man Man) for his “Use Your Delusion” Tour in November 2016. Spending most of 2017 and 2018 dedicated to recording Dump, the 3rd studio album with Jeremy Scott (Vivian Girls, These Are Powers) at Civil Defense in Brooklyn, NY. The band relentlessly toured North America to support Fool, while Collum also played drums on the new Lola Pistola record Curfew and went out on tour in support of the album in early 2018.

Unlike previous records, where Collum manned all instruments, this release includes both Everall and Walker on bass and drums, respectively.

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Ty Segall and Freedom Band to release live album March 29th.

In 2018, Ty Segall and the Freedom Band — Mikal Cronin, Charles Moothart, Emmett Kelly, and Ben Boye — stormed the world in support of Freedom’s Goblin, playing songs from Ty’s catalog in a series of ecstatic setlists. Each night, they sought freedom for themselves and the audience, even it if was just one night of emancipation from the world’s numbing chill. Then they went and did it again the next night! That blunt-force impact of The Freedom Band in full effect is being presented via Deforming Lobes, out March 29th via Drag City. Get a taste early with “Love Fuzz.”

Recorded live on stage at Los Angeles’ Teragram Ballroom via mobile unit onto two-inch tape and mixed at Electrical Audio with Steve Albini, Deforming Lobes updates (and upends) numbers from Melted, Emotional Mugger, Twins, Manipulator, $ingle$ 2 and Ty Segall. From the start, the “Warm Hands” suite shows the growth of the group since recording the original version for the 2017 Self-Titled album. The feeling between audience and band at those shows was its own special thing; here, the band is somehow even more front and center, exploring every song with an unrestrained curiosity and fervor, never forgetting the collective experience they’re sharing.

Following Freedom’s Goblin, the epic double-LP that took the heroic arc of Manipulator and wadded it up into a much more aerodynamic (and harder-hitting) ball, Deforming Lobes is the first original statement from The Freedom Band, bookending the Goblin experience with an exclamation point.

Listen to “Love Fuzz” – https://tysegall.bandcamp.com/album/deforming-lobes

Pre-order Deforming Lobes – http://lnk.to/deforminglobes

Deforming Lobes Tracklist: 1. Warm Hands 2. Squealer 3. Breakfast Eggs 4. The Crawler 5. Finger 6. They Told Me Too 7. Cherry Red 8. Love Fuzz

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Pink Mexico does a “High Dive” with new single from upcoming record.

“Landing somewhere between My Bloody Valentine’s poppiest moments and Wavves least bratty missives, the result is something like if Nirvana had had a surf rock phase.” — Noisey

“The kind of fuzzy, driving garage punk that you can always trust Burger to put out.” — BrooklynVegan

Brooklyn, NY trio Pink Mexico share the first track from their forthcoming third album Dump via surf/skate culture outlet What Youth? Hear and share the garage-grunge surf-pop track “High Dive.” (Soundcloud and Bandcamp)

Dump will be released March 1st, 2019 on cassette and digital via Burger Records and vinyl via Little Dickman Records. After playing drums for countless other bands, including Shilpa Ray, WALTZ and Lola Pistola, Robert Preston Collum went for a change and began his solo project, Pink Mexico. After moving from Brooklyn to Los Angeles, Preston self-released the first Pink Mexico LP, pnik mxeico, in June of 2013, attracting the attention of Austin-based record label Fleeting Youth Records, who then re-released pnik mxeico the following December.

Preston relocated to Brooklyn in the fall of 2014 to begin recording his next album while continuing other releases: a split 7″ with Los Angeles-based band SunLikeDrugs as well as a 12″ vinyl pressing of pnik mxeico by Bordeaux, France based label Big Tomato Records. The underground buzz surrounding the first LP led Preston into the Burger Records family. Following countless Brooklyn shows and making the rounds at this year’s SXSW, Pink Mexico has grown as a band comprised of Grady Walker & Ian Everall.

After the release of Fool via Burger Records Summer 2016, Pink Mexico toured as direct support for Honus Honus (aka Man Man) for his “Use Your Delusion” Tour in November 2016. Spending most of 2017 and 2018 dedicated to recording Dump, the 3rd studio album with Jeremy Scott (Vivian Girls, These Are Powers) at Civil Defense in Brooklyn, NY. The band relentlessly toured North America to support Fool, while Collum also played drums on the new Lola Pistola record Curfew and went out on tour in support of the album in early 2018. Unlike previous records, where Collum manned all instruments, this release includes both Everall and Walker on bass and drums, respectively.

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Ohmme releases rocking cover of B-52’s “Give Me Back My Man.”

“their harmonies – emerging both on and off kilter – run against the grain of the music in a way that ignites feelings all too familiar in a post 2016 world. Something insightful, something penetrating, and something leaving you feeling imbalanced. In this case, it’s a great thing.” — Aquarium Drunkard, 2018 Year In Review

“Ohmme play with the confidence and abandon of musicians who are scared of nothing and capable of almost anything.” — SPIN, The 51 Best Albums of 2018

“From vibrant art-pop and brooding, melodic rock to contorted, genre-less collages of lush pulses, guitar sketches and gleaming vocals, OHMME perfectly embody the city’s musical diversity and artistic spirit.” — Paste, 15 Chicago Bands You Need To Know in 2018

“one of the city’s best bands” — Chicago Reader

Ohmme, the Chicago duo of Sima Cunningham and Macie Stewart, are releasing ‘At Night b/w Give Me Back My Man’ 7″ February 1st via Joyful Noise. The 7” features a new original, “At Night” and a cover of the B-52’s’ “Give Me Back My Man.” Choosing the B-52s because “their love of all things retro and kraut-rock created this amazing aesthetic that still feels so unique,” Ohmme puts their own spin on the track, roughing up the edges by using distorted, electric guitars and a vivacious spirit. “We love ‘Give Me Back My Man’ in particular because it is one of their only tunes to really feature Cindy Wilson at the center and she kills it. The dynamic changes between her level voice in the verses and the explosion of rage in the choruses give such a strong statement of emotion.”

‘At Night b/w Give Me Back My Man’ follows the release of their debut full-length, Parts, on Joyful Noise Recordings in August 2018. The release found them adding drummer Matt Carroll and headlining a 6-week North American tour alongside critical acclaim from Pitchfork, SPIN, Aquarium Drunkard, Paste and The Chicago Reader. Ohmme continues to tour North America and Europe in support of Parts. All tour dates are below.

Pre-order Ohmme ‘At Night b/w Give Me Back My Man’ 7″ – https://www.joyfulnoiserecordings.com/products/at-night-b-w-give-me-back-my-man

Ohmme tour dates: Tue. Jan. 22 – Fort Wayne, IN @ The Brass Rail * Wed. Jan. 23 – Columbus, OH @ Rumba Cafe * Thu. Jan. 24 – Louisville, KY @ Zanzabar * Fri. Jan. 25 – Nashville, TN @ Drkmttr * Sat. Jan. 26 – Bloomington, IN @ The Bishop * Fri. Feb. 8 – Besançon, FR @ Festival Génériq Tue. Feb. 12 – Brussels, BE @ Botanique Witloofbar Wed. Feb. 13 – Amsterdam, NL @ CINETOL Fri. Feb. 15 – Leeds, UK @ Hyde Park Book Club Sat. Feb. 16 – Glasgow, UK @ The Hug and Pint Mon. Feb. 18 – Birmingham, UK @ The Hare and Hounds Tue. Feb. 19 – London, UK @ The Shacklewell Arms Wed. Feb. 20 – Bathurst Terrace, UK @ The Louisiana Sat. Feb. 23 – Brighton, UK @ Mutations Festival Fri. March 1 – West Columbia, SC @ New Brookland Tavern # Sun. March 3 – Miami, FL @ Gramps # Mon. March 4 – Orlando, FL @ Will’s Pub # Tue. March 5 – Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade Wed. March 6 – Asheville, NC @ The Mothlight # Sat. April 27 – Chicago, IL @ Sleeping Village *= w/ The Ophelias #= w/ Speedy Ortiz

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Black Belt Eagle Scout releases new video in celebration of U.S. tour this spring.

Black Belt Eagle Scout (aka Portland-based Katherine Paul) has shared a new video for the song “Soft Stud” off her debut album, Mother of My Children, which came out last year via Saddle Creek. In the coming months, Paul will embark on a North American tour with opening slots for Julia Jacklin, The Beths, and Bad Hats. Here’s what Paul had to say about the video:

“Demien DinéYazhí and I created this video on the traditional lands of the Chinook people along the Columbia River, where most indigenous people of the PNW travel to this day. We played with symbolism a lot within the work. Our relationship to water is prevalent in this video as well as the joy of being an indigenous woman. Release of feelings with birds flying away as well as connection to land play a part in the video.”

After Mother of My Children was released to glowing endorsements from outlets like Bandcamp, FADER, Paste, and NPR’s All Songs Considered, Paul and her debut album landed on multiple “Best Of The Year” lists, including Pitchfork’s “Best Rock Albums of 2018,” Stereogum’s “40 Best New Bands of 2018,” Under The Radar’s “Top 25 Debut Albums of 2018,” and more. All tour dates and their tribal territories are below.

Watch “Soft Stud” video https://youtu.be/di2rv4gmHlo

Watch/Listen/Share: Mothers of My Children stream – https://bbes.lnk.to/MOMC

“Indians Never Die” video – https://youtu.be/aInrLRdBJuU

“Just Lie Down” stream – https://youtu.be/MfWHZSS6ZLg

Black Belt Eagle Scout Tour Dates: Sat. Mar. 16 – Wichita (Dallas, TX) @ Not So Fun Wknd Thu. April 18 – Očeti Šakówin (Sioux Falls, SD) @ Total Drag Tue. April 23 – Osage (Pittsburgh, PA) @ Mr. Roboto Project Wed. April 24 – Lenape (New York, NY) @ Bowery Ballroom Thu. April 25 – Lenape (Philadelphia, PA) @ Johnny Brenda’s Fri. April 26 – Wampanoag/Massachusett (Allston, MA) @ Great Scott Sat. April 27 – Iroquois/Mohawk (Montreal, QC) @ Bar Le Ritz PDB Sun. April 28 – Anishinabewaki/Huron-Wendat (Toronto, ON) @ Horseshoe Tavern Tue. April 30 – Pamunkey/Piscataway (Washington, DC) @ DC9 Wed. May 1 – Powhatan Confederacy (Richmond, VA) @ The Camel Thu. May 2 – Catawba (Carrboro, NC) @ Cat’s Cradle – Back Room Sat. May 4 – Muscogee/ Creek (Atlanta, GA) @ 529 Club Mon. May 6 – Cherokee/ Shawnee (Nashville, TN) @ Third Man Records Tue. May 7 – Miami (Columbus, OH) @ Ace of Cups Wed. May 8 – Peoria/Potawatomi/Miami (Chicago, IL) @ Schuba’s Thu. May 9 – Anishinabewaki/Očeti Šakówin (Minneapolis, MN) @ 7th Street Entry Fri. May 10 – Omaha/Očeti Šakówin (Omaha, NE) @ Reverb Lounge Sat. May 11 – Osage/Kaw/Očeti Šakówin (Kansas City, MO) @ recordBar Mon. May 13 – arapaho/Cheyenne/Ute/Sioux (Denver, CO) @ Larimer Lounge Tue. May 14 – Eastern Shoshone/Goshute (Salt Lake City, UT) @ Urban Lounge Fri. May 17 – Tsleil-Waututh/Skwxwú7mesh Úxwumixw/ S’ohl Téméxw/Stziuminus (Vancouver, BC) @ The Fox Cabaret Sat. May 18 – Duwamish/Puget Sound Salish (Seattle, WA) @ Tractor Tavern Sun. May 19 – Cinook (Portland, OR) @ Mississippi Studios Tue. May 21 – Ramaytush/Ohlone (San Francisco, CA) @ Swedish American Hall Thu. May 23 -Tongva ( Los Angeles, CA) @ Teragram Ballroom Tue. June 4 – Tonkawa/Comanche (Austin, TX) @ Barracuda Wed. June 5 – Sana (Houston, TX) @ White Oak Music Hall Thu. June 6 – Chahta Yakni/Chitimacha (New Orleans, LA) @ Gasa Gasa

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Cass McCombs’ releases a dark new single about the wild west – “The Great Pixley Train Robbery” – from new album due February 8th.

“2016’s Mangy Love vaulted [Cass McCombs] to a deservedly bigger audience. Happily, on Tip of the Sphere, his idiosyncratic folk-rock seems unaffected by the extra attention, with his same core band indulging occasional jazz and Latin flourishes.” — Pitchfork, Albums We’re Most Excited for in 2019

“[Cass McCombs’] spellbinding and truly quixotic tunes break past the shackles that a cult following typically entails.” — Vulture, Winter Music Preview

“Much of Tip of the Sphere evokes the Grateful Dead at their most mellow and agreeable, but just as the listener is starting to get comfortable, something like the bizarre electro-spoken-word of ‘American Canyon Sutra’ pops up to remind you that McCombs plays by no one’s rules but his own.” — Boston Globe, 15 Artists We Can’t Wait to Hear in 2019

Today, Cass McCombs shares “The Great Pixley Train Robbery”, a new single off of his forthcoming album, Tip of the Sphere, out February 8th via ANTI- Records. Following two previously released singles, “Sleeping Volcanoes” and “Estrella”, “The Great Pixley Train Robbery” kicks it up a notch, acting as an Old West-tinged tale that describes scenes of a violent train robbery, the greed for gold, and claims of insanity. Based on a newspaper article McCombs uncovered from the 1800s, the track shows off McCombs’ pure creativity and apt for vivid storytelling.

Recorded at Shahzad Ismaily’s Figure 8 studios in Brooklyn, Tip of the Sphere was engineered by Sam Owens (aka Sam Evian) and features the core band of McCombs (guitar, vocals), Dan Horne (co-producer, bass), Otto Hauser (drums), and Frank LoCrasto (piano, organ, and more), plus a range of guests including Jason Quever (A and Not The Way) on drums and additional engineering in “The Great Pixley Train Robbery.” Tip of the Sphere sees McCombs’ with a newfound confidence, resulting in rock songs that have more fervor, ballads that are more beautiful, and an overall heightened sound.

Watch “The Great Pixley Train Robbery” Video – https://youtu.be/tJweioHk6t0

Listen To “Sleeping Volcanoes” – https://youtu.be/aJd_bd9vBFc

Listen to “Estrella” – https://youtu.be/sJTR-d8X2jk

Pre-order Tip of the Sphere – https://ffm.to/cm_tipofthesphere

Cass McCombs Tour Dates: Mon. March 4 – Washington, DC @ Union Stage * Tue. March 5 – Philadelphia, PA @ World Cafe Live * Thu. March 7 – Brooklyn, NY @ Murrmr Fri. March 8 – New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom * Sat. March 9 – Boston, MA @ The Sinclair * Mon. March 11 – Toronto, ON @ The Horsehoe * Tue. March 12 – Cleveland, OH @ The Beachland * Thu. March 14 – Nashville, TN @ The Exit-In * Fri. March 15 – Indianapolis, IN @ HiFi * Sat. March 16 – Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall * Sun. March 17 – Milwaukee, WI @ The BackRoom at Collectivo * Mon. March 18 – St. Paul, MN @ Turf Club * Wed. March 20 – Boulder, CO @ Fox Theatre * Sat. March 23 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The State Room * Mon. March 25 – Vancouver, BC @ St. James * Tue. March 26 – Seattle, WA @ Chop Suey * Wed. March 27 – Portland, OR @ Aladdin Theater * Fri. March 29 – Sacramento, CA @ Harlow’s * Sat. March 30 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Fonda Theatre * Thu. April 4 – Santa Cruz, CA @ Moe’s * Fri. April 5 – San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore * Fri. April 26 – Marfa, TX @ Marfa Myths Sat. May 25 – Madrid, ES @ Tomavistas Tue. May 28 – Prague, CZ @ MeetFactory Wed. May 29 – Berlin, DE @ Franzz Club Thu. May 30 – Copenhagen, DK @ ALICE Fri. May 31 – Hamburg, DE @ Nochtspeicher Sat. June 1 – Gent, BE @ DOKBox Mon. June 3 – Amsterdam, NL @ Paradiso Noord Tue. June 4 – Paris, FR @ La Maroquinerie Thu. June 6 – London, UK @ Hackney Arts Centre * = with Sam Evian

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Top 30 Albums of 2018: #’s 15 – 11

We’re halfway there!

#15: MIEN – (self-tited) – This psychedelic supergroup (featuring members of the Black Angels, Elephant Stone, the Earlies, and the Horrors) had a fine debut indeed with this record that dabbles in some of the darker sides of psychedelia.

#14: Slaves – Acts of Fear and Love – How can two lads make so much punk noise? Easy, they’re powered by anger, satire, ferocious beats, and shredding guitar. These cats are probably the Next Big Thing, but I doubt they give a damn about that.

#13: Hprizm – Magnetic Memory – This rap record has more layers than an onion, wicked beats, philosophy, and calls for the disenfranchised of all colors, sexes, and creeds to band together.

#12: D-Tension – The Violence of Zen – Fierce hip-hop. That’s the best way I can describe this solid record from Boston MC D-Tension. He’s one of the wittiest rhymers out there and deserves to be heard more across the world.

#11: Caroline Rose – Loner – This pop-punk record is full of witty lyrics, sex, and snark. Rose is like a ninja – jumping out of the shadows to wallop you and then retreating back into the rock and roll shadows to plan her next attack.

We’re into the top 10 next!

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Top 30 Albums of 2018: #’s 25 – 21

#25: Protomartyr – Consolation – This EP from these garage punks is solid and intriguing. Sporting two tracks with the Breeders’ Kim Deal as well, the record hits hard but knows when to be soft.

#24: Steve Hauschildt – Dissolvi – I hadn’t heard of Steve Hauschildt until this album somewhat fell into my lap. It’s intriguing electro that reveals more layers with each listen.

#23: Bev Rage and the Drinks – Cockeyed – Besides having the naughtiest album name on this list, Cockeyed is also one of the best punk records I’ve heard in a long while. Queercore punk is back in business, bitches!

#22: Public Practice – Distance Is a Mirror – This post-punk EP from prior members of WALL was a welcome addition to my collection of post-punk records. It’s full of razor sharp lyrics and equally sharp guitars, bass, and beats.

#21: All Them Witches – ATW – These Nashville psychedelic blues rockers upped the volume and fuzz and became a three-piece to get back to basics and melt faces.

The top 20 is up next!

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Top 30 Albums of 2018: #’s 30 – 26

Here’s the list you’ve all been waiting for. As always, there are so many good albums out every year that it’s impossible to keep track of them all. Here are my top thirty.

#30: The Dunes (self-titled) – A great return for the Dunes, this album of Australian psychedelic rock is full of reverb, fuzz, and even surf touches.

#29: Underworld and Iggy Pop – Teatime Dub Encounters – This EP was made during lunch meetings at a hotel and blends great stories from Pop with Underworld’s masterful beats.

#28: Avis: Sova – Shampoo You – This Chicago’s three-piece’s newest garage rock-psych record gets better with each listen.

#27: Windhand – Eternal Return – This doom metal album became one of my favorites of the year as soon as I heard it. I immediately began recommending them to anyone and even bought it as a birthday gift for a pal.

#26: Makeness – Loud Patterns – This electro album wasn’t on my radar until Makeness’ label sent it to me for review. It turned out to be a solid record with interesting structures to it.

We’re into the top 25 tomorrow. Come back for more!

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Top 20 Singles of 2018: #’s 5 – 1

Here we go!

#5: “Limp Wrist” by Bev Rage and the Drinks – This queercore punk delivers a wallop in under two minutes. This song floored me when I heard it, and I started telling everyone I knew about Ms. Rage and her band.

#4: “How Did This Happen!? by BODEGA – The return of post-punk continues with this great NYC band and this single that trashes hipsters. I couldn’t stop listening to this once I heard it.

#3: “Blinded by the LEDs” by Lindstrom – If you need an amazing EDM track, floor-filler, workout playlist topper, or just something to be stunned by, look no further.

#2: “Make Me Feel” by Janelle Monae – Easily the sexiest song of the year. I can’t describe it any better than that.

#1: “Always Elsewhere” by Ron Gallo – This Zen-punk jam became my mantra after hearing it. It was a much-needed crack with a Zen master’s stick during months of chaos both local and domestic. Gallo‘s suggestion that we embrace presence instead of the willful scattering of our attention is a battle call.

Thanks for reading. Up next, the top 30 live acts I saw in 2018.

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