The fine folks at Levitation have announced the return of the Austin Psych Fest (which is what the Levitation Music Festival was originally called for many years and when I started going there in 2013) April 28 – 30, 2023. The festival will be at The Far Out Lounge in Austin and take place on two stages at the venue.
Lineup announcements and tickets are coming soon. I’m sure it will be another fun time in Austin, so don’t miss it.
Keep your mind open.
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[Thanks to the Reverberation Appreciation Society.]
Today, UK-born and now New York-based artist Fenne Lily announces Big Picture, her new album out April 14th on Dead Oceans, and presents its lead single/video, “Lights Light Up.” She also announces a month-plus North American co-headlinetour with Christian Lee Hutson, as well as a UK and EU run, on sale this Friday, January 20th at 10am local time. A gorgeous and gripping portrait of Fenne’s last two years, Big Picture was pieced together in an effort to self-soothe and offers a brilliant catharsis. Tracked live in co-producer Brad Cook’s North Carolina studio, the album delineates the phases of love and becomes a map of comfort vs. claustrophobia. “Writing this album was my attempt at bringing some kind of order to the disaster that was 2020,” Fenne states. “By documenting the most vulnerable parts of that time, I felt like I reclaimed some kind of autonomy.” This collision of repose and harsh reality is laid bare in Big Picture’s lead single “Lights Light Up,” a prophetic and insightful account of love at its temporary best. Written partially as a conversation, it tracks the tender details of a burgeoning relationship and recognizes the transitory nature of any shared thing; the bittersweet truth that you can only walk hand in hand with someone as long as you’re going in the same direction. With delicately interwoven guitar lines, propulsive rhythm and a chorus that offers the feeling of a voicemail left by someone from your past, it feels at once deeply personal and universal (“and you said so do you ever wanna leave here / and I said well that depends on the day / and you said oh do you even wanna be here / and I said well that depends on the way”)
“I’d never really written about love in the present tense before this, but even though I was still in love and not thinking about the end, there was something else going on subconsciously that led to a song about moving on before the moving on had begun,” comments Fenne. “When it came time to record, the band and I had been playing it live for a while and it’d become something joyful and positive, but when I started recording vocals, the lyrics made me cry. By that point the song was over a year old and I thought those wounds had healed but I guess it hurt to admit I’d been letting go of something while still trying to hold on.” The song’s accompanying video, shot throughout Brooklyn, was directed by Haoyan of America.
Though its creation took place amid personal and global turmoil, the ruminative yet candid Big Picture is Fenne’s most cohesive, resolute work to date, both lyrically and sonically. “This isn’t a sad album — it’s about as uplifting as my way of doing things will allow,” she says. “These songs explore worry and doubt and letting go, but those themes are framed brightly.” With confidence and quiet strength, each track provides insight into Fenne’s ever-changing view of love and, ultimately, its redefinition — love as a process, not something to be lost and found. Notably, these 10 songs are Fenne’s first and only to have been written over the course of a relationship; 2018’s On Hold and 2020’s BREACH both confront the pain of retrospection, saying goodbye to a love that’s gone. Big Picture does the exact opposite — rooted firmly in the present, it traces the narrative of two people trying their hardest not to implode, together. After writing Big Picture in the solitude of her Bristol flat, Fenne consciously aimed to make the recording process her most collaborative thus far. Co-producing with Brad Cook (Waxahatchee, Kevin Morby, Snail Mail) at his Durham studio, Fenne’s core intention was to make something that sonically reflected the kind of compact space the songs were written in; something warm, honest and comforting. Alongside Fenne’s touring band, the album features Christian Lee Hutson (guitar), Katy Kirby (vocals), and was mixed by Melina Duterte of Jay Som. Big Picture’s cover art, constructed on a miniature scale by the artist Thomas Doyle, shows the collapse of a home confined within a bell jar and features several inch-high models of Fenne in various places throughout. This physical representation of a self-contained disaster is a reminder that we are small in the grand scheme of things which, for Fenne, is a relief: “We only really know the one world we find ourselves in at any given time” Fenne expands. “It’s only when that world changes or collapses that we realize there are other narratives available — that we’ve known only one of many possible ways to exist.”
Pre-order Big Picture Big Picture Tracklist: 1. Map of Japan 2. Dawncolored Horse 3. Lights Light Up 4. 2+2 5. Superglued 6. Henry 7. Pick 8. In My Own Time 9. Red Deer Day 10. Half Finished Fenne Lily Tour Dates: Sat. Apr. 15 – Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Social Club Sun. Apr. 16 – Dublin, IE @ Workman’s Club Tue. Apr. 18 – Glasgow, UK @ St Luke’s Wed. Apr. 19 – Manchester, UK @ YES Thu. Apr. 20 – London, UK @ Islington Assembly Hall Fri. Apr. 21 – Bristol, UK @ Trinity Sun. Apr. 23 – Brighton, UK @ Patterns Mon. Apr. 24 – Brussels, BE @ AB Club Tue. Apr. 25 – Amsterdam, NL @ Bitterzoet Thu. Apr. 27 – Hamburg, DE @ Nochtspeicher Fri. Apr. 28 – Copenhagen, DK @ VEGA Ideal Bar Sat. Apr. 29 – Berlin, DE @ Frannz Mon. May 1 – Munich, DE @ Ampere Tue. May 2 – Cologne, DE @ Stadtgarten Wed. May 3 – Paris, FR @ FMR Thu. May 11 – Santa Ana, CA @ Constellation Room * Fri. May 12 – Felton, CA @ Felton Music Hall * Sat. May 13 – San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall * Mon. May 15 – Seattle, WA @ Neumos * Tue. May 16 – Portland, Oregon @ Aladdin Theater * Wed. May 17 – Vancouver, BC @ Hollywood Theatre * Fri. May 19 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court * Sat. May 20 – Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theater * Mon. May 22 – Lawrence, KS @ The Bottleneck * Tue. May 23 – Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line * Wed. May 24- Milwaukee, WI @ Back Room at Colectivo Coffee * Thu. May 25 – Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall * Fri. May 26 – Kalamazoo, MI @ Bell’s Eccentric Cafe * Sat. May 27 – Toronto, ON @ The Legendary Horseshoe Tavern * Tue. May 30 – Portsmouth, NH @ 3S Artspace * Wed. May 31 – Cambridge, MA @ The Sinclair * Fri. Jun. 2 – Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg * Sat. Jun. 3 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer * Sun. Jun. 4 – Washington, DC @ Black Cat * Mon. Jun. 5 – Durham, NC @ Motorco Music Hall * Tue. Jun. 6 – Atlanta, GA @ Terminal West * Wed. Jun. 7 – Nashville, TN @ The Basement East * Fri. Jun. 9 – Fayetteville, AR @ George’s Majestic Lounge * Sat. Jun. 10 – Fort Worth, TX @ Tulips * Sun. Jun. 11 – Austin, TX @ The Parish * Tue. Jun. 13 – Santa Fe, NM @ Meow Wolf * Thu. Jun. 15 – Phoenix, AZ @ Rebel Lounge * Fri. Jun. 16 – West Hollywood, CA @ Troubadour * * = co-headline with Christian Lee Hutson
D-Tension releases the first single, “The No Name Song,” from the upcoming (April 2023) album Tales From The Pub. The album is the one thing D-Tension has yet to do: make a 100% solo album. No guests, no features, no help. D just locked himself in his home studio (his wife’s closet) and wrote, performed and produced an album of fresh new material. D plays guitar, bass, drums and drum programming, keys and sings every note on this record. When the album was done D wasn’t sure what to call it. Then mixing engineer Nick Zampiello of New Alliance East commented “these songs sound like tales from the pub”. That’s because they are. The album is about people watching and bar-life experiences.
“The No Name Song” is about a universal dilemma: That feeling when you meet someone but can’t remember their name ten seconds after they just told you what it was. How friendships and relationships never happened because you can’t remember their name. The song is also a secret easter egg / ode to songs that mention names.
The first full album from shoegaze / post-punk rockers Skull Practitioners, Negative Stars, is as wild and mind-bending as the cover image suggests.
“Dedication” opens the record with thundering drums from Alex Baker and guitar work from Jason Victor that sounds like he set his instrument on fire. Kenneth Levine, not be to outdone, growls the lead vocals on the track and pumps out enough fuzz on his bass to potentially blow out your speakers. Victor takes over the vocals on “Exit Wounds” (something he and Levine will trade back and forth throughout the record, with Victor singing the majority of the tracks) – the album’s first single that has a heavy garage-surf influence to its riffs and beats.
Levine’s bass rolls all over “Leap.” The chorus has a bit of a pub rock feel to it, which I like. The long (over seven minutes) and fuzzy “Intruder” is a great track for the middle of the record (or end of side A, if you prefer), combining shoegaze, goth rock, and dark punk. Post-punk Gang of Four-style bass and guitar riffs rip through “What Now” – which seems to be an angry rant against people who take, take, take. This song makes me want to see them and Protomartyr on the same bill.
“Fire Drill” is one of two instrumentals on the record, the other being the album’s closer, “Nelson D.” Both are sharp. “Fire Drill” has some Joy Division vibes to it with its sparse and haunting bass, precision drumming, and predatory guitar licks. Victor’s guitar work on “Nelson D” sounds like it has a bit of a Johnny Marr influence, and Levine’s bass is like a lion’s roar throughout it. “Ventilation” amps up the band’s appreciation for Joy Division even more.
It’s great to finally get a full album from these guys. I’m sure all of these sounds are even louder and wilder live, so I hope they get on the road soon to promote an album this well-crafted.
It’s kind of amazing that it took me so long to see Weird Al and his band in concert. The level of musicianship on display was jaw-dropping. I lost count of how many styles and genres they played, and Yankovic’s ability to remember so many complex lyrics was stunning.
“They play like their hair is on fire.” is how my friend described this set from Frankie and the Witch Fingers, which blew the minds of everyone at the LevitationFrance festival that night. People were absolutely bonkers by the end of it.
Easily the best sound quality I heard all year, especially in such a large open-air venue, this stop on Elton John’s farewell was humid, but still an amazing performance that cover classic hits and newer tracks. The set was impressive, as was John’s energy as he revved up the crowd the entire time.
Speaking of farewell tours, this one from Midnight Oil was a barn-burner. The place was packed, which only gave the band more energy to unleash in what would be their final Chicago performance. They raged harder against every machine than most bands half their age.
A powerful performance on all levels, plus those of us who bought VIP tickets got to attend their sound check and meet Failure before the main show. It was like two concerts in one from one of my favorite bands whose music can be life-changing. I don’t use that term lightly. Getting to tell them face-to-face how “Another Space Song” has become even more meaningful to me since my wife’s death was an honor I’ll never forget.
I’ve already started seeing bands this year (Dry Cleaning), so 2023 is off to a good start. Who are you excited to see this year?
Here we are at the top five albums I reviewed in 2022. It was a great year for music, and these are what stood out for me among all the good stuff out there.
As I’ve mentioned before, 2022 was a great year for electronic music, and this EP from Jacques Greene topped my list of that kind of music. It mixes house, drum and bass, ambient, and a bit of synth wave into a luscious brew.
This reissue of classic gospel funk tracks by The Staples Jr. Singers is stunning. The amount of groove and friskiness in these songs is almost overwhelming. The instrumentation and harmonizing are outstanding, and there’s enough soul for two churches.
This is the best post-punk album I heard all year. Everything on it is razor sharp: the wit, the guitar angles, the grooves, the drum sounds, and the slightly snarled tongue-in-cheek vocals.
The Black Angels‘ new album was a great return for them. It explores the stress of modern times through walls of distorted guitars, reverb-laden vocals, powerful drums, and mind-warping sound. The Black Angels have yet to put out a bad record, but this one somehow set the bar even higher for psych-bands to follow.
#1: A Place to Bury Strangers – See Through You
A Place to Bury Strangers came back with a new lineup and some of Oliver Ackermann‘s most revealing lyrics about the end of friendships, loneliness, grief, over-reliance on technology, and the overall anxiety everyone’s been feeling since 2019. Ackermann put it all out there and walloped us with more honesty and distortion that you can almost stand.
It’s time for the top ten live shows I saw in 2022. These shows were mind-bending in multiple ways.
#10: King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard – Levitation Austin / Stubb’s – October 29th
This was the second of two sold-out shows from KGATLW at Stubb’s. The line to get into this show stretched for almost three blocks. The crowd was fired up and the prolific psych-rock Aussies played everything from thrash metal to electro. It’s amazing that they can keep so many different types of songs in their heads.
It’s always good to see APTBS. Their shows are like endurance workouts that push you into a runner’s high. This was the first time I saw them with the new lineup and they seemed even louder than they’d ever been. The Empty Bottle could barely contain them.
#8: Moon Duo – Levitation Austin / Feels So Good Records – October 30th
This was the loveliest show of the year, and the most hypnotizing. Playing in their “Lightship” projection box stage, Moon Duo would become lost in the light show that beamed from behind them, onto the screen around them, and into the audience. I’m not joking when I tell you it was trance-inducing. You had to be careful not to zone out and fall onto the floor.
I’ve never seen Osees put on a bad show, and this one, albeit a shorter set than normal, was another solid performance. It was the second of their four-night residency at Austin’s Hotel Vegas, and the crowd was the perfect size – not so big you couldn’t stretch your arms, and not so small that you felt bad for the band. The weather was also about perfect. All you needed was a light coat, a hat, and a drink and you were ready for the mosh pit.
This was the best set of the entire Levitation Austin festival last year. It was also the last show of Slift’s U.S. tour, and they unloaded everything they had left in the tank, and then borrowed from the audience’s tank, and then somehow still had enough to leave orbit. I was surprised Elysium was still standing afterwards. It spoiled us a bit for the rest of the weekend, because no one could top it.
Up next, the best five shows I saw last year, which include some legends.
As soon as I heard “Shoo-In,” I knew this was going to be one of my favorite records of the year. These Austin, Texans play fuzzy garage rock that covers such subjects as drinking, sex, partying, break-ups, jerks, and weirdos. In other words, everything.
Cosmic rock keeps expanding, which is great news for people like me who love psychedelic sounds that are fit for exploring the desert or other planets. King Buffalo’s newest album fits the bill and sends you into orbit into the surprisingly warm void of space.
This is the best dance-rock record I heard all year. It’s a groove-filled EP with scathing lyrics about politicians, consumerism, the internet, celebrity, toxic masculinity, and sex.
And here’s the best punk record I heard all year. The Chats came back with a new guitarist and a renewed anger (and sense of humor) after the pandemic and gave us this wickedly sharp and funny album of barn-burners about the price of cigarettes, hot rods, and, of course, getting drunk.
#15: Primus – Clyde Theatre / Ft. Wayne – May 10th
It’s a bit baffling that it had taken me this long to see Primus. I’ve been listening to them since 1991. I caught them on their “A Tribute to Kings” tour, in which they played Rush‘s entire “A Farewell to Kings” album as the second set. It was a mind-altering show that mixed Rush’s material with Primus’ own stuff.
#14: Gary Numan – Park West / Chicago – March 21st
This was a loud, powerful set in a smaller venue than the last place I saw Gary Numan (Chicago’s Thalia Hall), so it felt more visceral. It was a jam-packed crowd, too, with everyone anxious to finally be out of the house and seeing live music again. Numan played a great mix of new and old material that had everyone buzzing.
The Black Angels never disappoint, and this hometown / home festival set was another solid one. Coming on stage in matching “Black Angels” jackets, they got down to business and killed it with a lot of excellent material from their new album, Wilderness of Mirrors, and classic material.
#12: Frankie and the Witch Fingers – Levitation Austin / Stubb’s – October 30th
One of the bands opening for The Black Angels that night was Frankie and The Witch Fingers, who were dressed for the Halloween weekend in zombie makeup and ready to tear into us like a pack of ghouls. They had the crowd moshing, throwing stuff, and crowd-surfing before the set was halfway done.
#11: Earthless – Pierre’s / Ft. Wayne – September 13th
Shame on you if you missed this show because it was practically a private concert. A small crowd had gathered to see Earthless unload their cosmic rock in a small space. It was the last show of this leg of their tour, and they held nothing back for the enthusiastic fans who were there.
Who’s in the top ten? Come back tomorrow to learn!
Another excellent EP that came out this year (and there were several). Lu.Re’s EP of house music mixed with a bit of dark wave was an EP that made me sit up and think, “Oh, I need more of this.”
Seriously, there was a ton of great electro and house music released last year. I’m sure I barely heard the tip of the iceberg, and yet there were great finds like this EP from Abdul Raeva that hits heavy and with undeniable grooves.
It wouldn’t be a “best of the year” list for me without some doom metal, and Frayle‘s newest album fits the bill. Described to me as “Black Sabbath meets Portishead,” I knew I was going to like it. Imagine the ghost of a witch fronting a doom band, and you’ll get the idea.
As weird and wild as the cover depicts, Goat‘s new album covers death, transcendence, and sex – three of their favorite topics – and was a great return for them. Their psychedelic voodoo sound was sorely missed.
Who makes it in to the top half of my best records of the year? Tune in tomorrow!
Keep your mind open.
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