Post-punk – 7th Level Music

DITZ hail the “Taxi Man” for their new single.

Today, DITZ share new single ‘Taxi Man’ taken from their recently announced new album Never Exhale out 24th January 2025 via Republic Of Music and Domino Publishing. They also announce a string of intimate in-store performances at some of the UK’s best record stores.

Never Exhale is the sound of a band that hasn’t stopped for a breath. DITZ have toured relentlessly since the release of their first record The Great Regression and the songs that form their newest offering were written across Europe, often on off days and in borrowed rehearsal rooms just to break up the long drives – it’s album that reflects the sound of the road.

Formed in late 2015, DITZ came together after vocalist C.A. Francis, guitarist Anton Mocock, and bassist Caleb Remnant, went to watch METZ and Lightning Bolt at Concorde 2 in Brighton, turning to each other and saying “let’s do that”, with guitarist Jack Looker and drummer Sam Evans later joining.

Singer C.A. Francis said of the track, “We’ve been talking playing most of this new album live for a year now. Out of all the tracks, Taxi Man has been the most requested.

We wrote it across a couple of days in Cologne, in a disused air raid bunker. We properly fell out while we were writing it. There was nothing coming for so long until we stumbled into Taxi Man. The whole song came together pretty quickly and is now collectively our favourite track to play live. It’s one of those moments you hope to recreate again sometime but can’t really imagine the scenario.”

Listen to ‘Taxi Man’ HERE

It could be said that the band treat recording and release of music as an afterthought. Often playing songs live years before their release, tweaking them as they go. Sonically the album has its roots in the usual DITZ influences, classic noise rock such as The Jesus Lizard or Shellac, or the obtuse post punk of the Fall, but also brings in fresh influences. It’s political, but ultimately personal, and the album themes reveal themselves more on further listens.

Never Exhale was largely recorded at Holy Mountain studios in London during a freezing cold January. The process was fraught with obstacles, as the original plan to record in Rhode Island was abandoned when DITZ were offered a support tour with IDLES. Although the album was still mixed by the originally intended engineer, Seth Manchester (Model/Actriz, Lingua Ignota, Big Brave). The result is a record hardened by the pressure of its own making. Laboured but not loved.

Overall the album is a clear development from their first effort. A sign of things to come.

DITZ are:

C.A. Francis (Vocals) – they/them
Anton Mocock (Guitar) – he/him
Sam Evans (Drums) – he/him
Jack Looker (Guitar) – he/him
Caleb Remnant (Bass) – he/him

Never Exhale out 24th January 2025

Pre-order HERE

Tour Dates

30th Nov 24 – Nos Reves Font Du Bruit – Troyes, France
7th Dec 24 – Zeitgeist Festival – Nijmegen, Netherlands

13th Dec 24 – Post Punk Strikes Back Again – Porto, Portugal

24th Jan 25 – Resident – Brighton, UK
25th Jan 25 – Banquet – Kingston, UK

26th Jan 24 – Vinilo – Southampton, UK (Matinee)
26th Jan 25 – Rough Trade East – London, UK (Evening)
27th Jan 25 – Rough Trade – Bristol, UK
28th Jan 25 – Jacaranda – Liverpool, UK
29th Jan 25 – Vinyl Whistle – Leeds, UK

20th Jan 25 – Staggeringly Good Brewery – Southsea, UK

5th Feb 25 – Music Box – Lisbon, Portugal
6th Feb 25 – Sala El Sol – Madrid, Spain
7th Feb 25 – Sala Upload – Barcelona, Spain
10th Feb 25 – Lido – Berlin, Germany
12th Feb – Hus – Stockholm, Sweden
13th Feb 25 – Huset-KBH – Copenhagen, Denmark
14th Feb 25 – Kent Club – Hamburg, Germany
15th Feb 25 – UT Connewitz – Leipzig, Germany
17th Feb 25 – Chumury – Warsaw, Poland
18th Feb 25 – Cafe V Lese – Prague, Czech
19th Feb 25 – Rhiz – Vienna, Austria
20th Feb 25 – Kranhalle – Munich, Germany
22nd Feb 25 – Bogen F – Zurich, Switzerland
23rd Feb 25 – Arci Belleza – Milan, Italy
25th Feb 25 – Club Transbo – Lyon, France
26th Feb 25 – Astrolabe – Orleans, France
27th Feb 25 – Antipode – Rennes, France
1st Mar 25 – La Maroquinerie – Paris, France
2nd Mar 25 – Witloof – Brussels, Belgium
3rd Mar 25 – Rowtown – Rotterdam, Netherlands
4th Mar 25 – Gebaude 9 – Cologne, Germany
5th Mar 25 – Rockhal – Esch-zur-Alzette, Luxembourg
6th Mar 25 – Paradiso THT – Amsterdam, Netherlands
7th Mar 25 – Vera – Gronigen, Netherlands
8th Mar 25 – L’Aeronef – Lille, France

25th Mar 25 – Hug & Pint – Glasgow, UK
26th Mar 25 – Brudenell Social Club – Leeds, UK
27th Mar 25 – Bodega – Nottingham, UK
28th Mar 25 – Yellow Arch – Sheffield, UK
29th Mar 25 – Voodoo Daddy’s, Norwich, UK
1st Apr 25 – YES Pink Room – Manchester, UK
2nd Apr 25 – Hare & Hounds – Birmingham, UK
3rd Apr 25 – The Garage – London, UK
4th Apr 25 – Chalk – Brighton, UK
7th Apr 25 – Control Club – Bucharest, Romania
8th Apr 25 – Pave Club – Sofia, Bulgaria
9th Apr 25 – Rover Bar – Thessaloniki, Greece
10th Apr 25 – Arch Club – Athens, Greece
11th Apr 25 – Zō Centro Culture Contemporanee – Catania, Italy
12th Apr 25 – Wishlist, Roma, Italy

Tickets available HERE

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Amy at After Hours PR!]

Lambrini Girls announce debut album, “Who Let the Dogs Out,” due January 10, 2025.

Lambrini Girls, the Brighton-based duo of Phoebe Lunny (vocals/guitar) and Lilly Macieira (bass), have spent the last few years on a tear in more ways than one, and now share news of their debut album Who Let The Dogs Out released 10th January 2025 via City Slang alongside single ‘Big D*** Energy’ (censored spelling).

Speaking on the new single, Lambrini Girls explain, “Man comes in many forms, from world leaders to tech CEOs and humble softboys. But what unites them? Society has celebrated their supposed massive figurative and literal dicks, which they constantly flaunt. Why? Toxic masculinity.”

They add, “Fuelling their sense of entitlement and insecurities leads to harmful behaviours. Which when left unchecked, means we have to deal with the fallout. The definition of ‘Big Dick Energy’ is a confidence that doesn’t need proving. Which begs the question, how big is that dick in reality? If you haven’t figured this out by now, it’s not that big.”

Listen to ‘Big D*** Energy’ HERE

Who Let The Dogs Out was recorded with Gilla Band’s Daniel Fox with mixing by Seth Manchester (Mdou Moctar / Battles / Model/Actriz), and the record bottles everything wrong with the modern world and shakes it up. If peppering political songs with humour is like sticking a sparkler in some bread, then Who Let The Dogs Out is like a fireworks display in the factory itself: strange, dangerous, exciting.

The album rips through a laundry list of social ills. Sirens blare over a heavy distorted bass and a live drum breakbeat, dancing between upbeat pop punk, dirty grunge tones and discordant post-punk. There’s even some noise-pop cheer for putting yourself first, whether it’s having an autistic meltdown or doing a poo at your mate’s house.

With instrumentals that inhale you like a Level 5 tornado and sentiments that make you want to kick the nearest door through, it’s a take-no-prisoners debut from one of the UK’s most fun and fearless bands.

“You know how Fleetwood Mac almost dedicated Rumours to their cocaine dealer? I think we should dedicate this album to all the booze we bought at Tesco.”

Since releasing debut EP You’re Welcome in 2023, there’s also been a slew of accolades along the way, including a nomination for the Rising Star at the Rolling Stone UK Awards, a Kerrang! cover feature with Sleater-Kinney, and a score of international festival appearances from Glastonbury to Iceland Airwaves. Making a reputation for themselves as one of the best live bands to come out of the UK this side of Idles, their combination of blunt-force punk, scathing social commentary and barbed humour has garnered comparisons to Bikini Kill and Huggy Bear, and seen them share bills with Gilla Band, Shame, Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes, Iggy Pop and more.

Who Let The Dogs Out

10th January 2025 via City Slang

Pre-order HERE

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Amy at After Hours PR!]

Levitation Austin 2024 – Day Two

The weather stayed nice for us on Day Two of Levitation Austin. There was no rain, and it was overcast – which meant that the sun wasn’t beating down on us at this place.

We spent most of our day here. It was a first time for both of us at the place, and the Austin Psych Fest in the spring is held here. You have to take the bus or use a ride-share service to get here because it’s on a busy road and there’s no where to park for miles. That being said, it’s a nice place big enough to hold two outdoor stages and multiple vendor booths. I would’ve enjoyed more food truck options other than pizza (which looked delicious, by the way), and we’ll bring a blanket next time, but the place reminded me of the La Chabada venue at Levitation France. You can easily hop back and forth between stages at both places.

Up first were Meatbodies, whom I’d recently seen in Chicago. They were the first band of the day and had a good crowd for a 4:30 slot. They had fun and set the table for everyone else to follow with a night of garage-psych, electro, cosmic rock, and post-punk.

They had to cut their set a bit short, as the second band of the day was in the process of unleashing fierce dance-punk on the main stage. Special Interest came out ready to fight and / or fuck. “Fierce” is how my girlfriend described their wild set.

We could hear parts of Fat Dog‘s set, which was described by one of the sound engineers as “Like Fontaines D.C., but hornier.” We decided to get close for Gang of Four, who are on their final tour, and were the big draw of the day for me. They didn’t disappoint, playing a lot of classics and destroying a microwave in the process. Jon King‘s manic energy made my girlfriend wonder if he might have a heart attack on stage, but one look through his unbuttoned shirt showed how ripped he is.

We hung out in the same area for Dry Cleaning, who somehow had to follow Gang of Four. Lead singer Florence Shaw (whom my girlfriend described as “fucking weird”) spoke, a bit nervously, about all the great bands playing that day. She and her bandmates didn’t have to worry, however, as they put down a great post-punk set. I love the addition of their saxophonist on this tour. The echoing horn is a sharp touch.

We heard part of Pissed Jeans‘ set, which sounded crazy, and they had a lot of fans at the Far Out. I saw plenty of their band shirts on people in the crowd (“Excuse me, are those Pissed Jeans you’re wearing?”), and then headed over to see Slift, who were once again wrapping up their U.S. tour at Levitation. They wasted no time, using every bit of gas left in the tank. Crowd surfers were abundant during their set and they practically blasted the east fence off the place. “I think Slift stole the show,” my girlfriend said.

We wrapped up the night at Kingdom in downtown Austin, a venue that’s the opposite of the Far Out. It’s pretty much a rave warehouse that you can only access through a door in an alley. We hit the dance floor during MJ Nebreda and Doss‘ sets, which were full of so much bass that we were both buzzing by the end of the night. It was fun to hang out with a crowd of ravers (many of whom still in costume a night after Halloween) after hanging out with rockers for several hours.

Up next, night three of Osees‘ four-night residency at Hotel Vegas.

Keep your mind open.

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Live: The The – Salt Shed – Chicago, IL – October 25, 2024

I wasn’t sure I’d ever get to see The The live. The band’s leader, frontman, and songwriter, Matt Johnson, had seemingly retired many years ago to make film scores and write other non-musical projects. Then, in 2018, he did a reunion tour through the United Kingdom. I thought that would’ve been great to see (and video recordings of the shows bear me out), but guessed that my only chance was gone.

Then he released Ensoulment, his first new album in almost thirty years and announced a world tour that was stopping in Chicago. I signed up for pre-sale tickets and snagged a pair as soon as possible. My friend, Brian, and I went, both of us having been fans since 1986’s Infected album.

There was no opening band. The The played two sets. The first was Ensoulment in its entirety, and this was the first time I’d heard more than the first three singles from it. The first half is almost a jazz album, and Johnson’s sharp lyrics and jabs at the political establishment (i.e., “Kissing the Ring of the POTUS”) on both sides of the pond still hit like a gold medal fencer.

Following a 15-minute intermission, the band came back out for a “time traveler’s set” of material from their previous albums, opening with a slightly stripped-down, but no less funky version of “Infected.” “Armageddon Days Are Here (Again)” and “Heartland” were big hits with the crowd. “Love Is Stronger Than Death” was a beautiful addition to the set, and Johnson declared “This Is the Day” as a song of hope that was just as important now as when he wrote it decades earlier.

All of his songs still resonate. “Lonely Planet” prompted a “Fuck yeah!” shout from a guy a couple rows ahead of us when Johnson announced it to close the second set. The encore was two songs from Soul Mining, which had been released forty-one years prior (“I wasn’t even born then,” Johnson said.). “Uncertain Smile” and “Giant” rounded out the show, leaving a lot of people happy and buzzing. The whole crowd was in the same boat as Brian and I. We all thought we might not get to hear these songs live, and were all thankful that it happened.

Keep your mind open.

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Live: Osees and Iguana Death Cult – Thalia Hall – Chicago, IL – October 19, 2024

It was the second of two sold-out shows for Osees in what’s become an annual autumn tradition at Chicago’s Thalia Hall. The crowd was buzzing at the outset, and everyone knew a good, wild time was coming.

The party started with Iguana Death Cult, all the way from The Netherlands. I hadn’t heard of them until this night, and at first wasn’t sure what to make of them. Were they pun, funk, post-punk, post-funk, post-psych, pre-psych? I’m still not sure if I know, but I do know that they were a lot of fun, the songs were wild, and each one was better than the last.

The crowd was behind them all the way, and had a fun mosh pit going by the end of their set. I chatted with their lead singer, Jeron Reek of them after the show, and he told me they’d played South by Southwest twice, and other clubs and events a ross the U.S. a few times, “but this was the best.”

Osees came out to a happy crowd and soon got underway with a no-frills, no muss, no fuss set of wild garage-psych that began with “I Come from the Mountain” and barely let up to give the mosh pit time to catch a breath.

No backdrop, no projections…just simple lights and heavy shredding.

As always, the band had enough energy to power a Formula 1 race car through 500 laps with double drummers Paul Quattrone and Dan Rincon leading the charge. “A Foul Form,” “Toe Cutter – Thumb Buster,” and “Animated Violence” had the front half of the crowd in a wild frenzy.

Lead singer and guitarist John Dwyer announced “Tidal Wave” as “an old one,” but everyone reacted like it was a brand new gift. He introduced “The Dream” as “Here’s a new one that nobody likes,” and the crowd proceeded to go bonkers.

“Warm Slime” was a great addition, and the night ended with two long psychedelic tracks, “C” and “Minotaur.” I love Osees’ longer psych-rock cuts, so I was digging it. I must, as always, give mention to Tom Dolas on keyboards and Tim Hellman on bass, who always keep the whole band grounded. Dolas is like a magician in the background putting in tones and sounds that would make the songs feel weird without them, and Hellman is one of the sturdiest bass workhorses in all rock music. That guy is solid all the time and never stumbles.

Both bands will be performing at Levitation Music Festival, with Osees doing a four-night residency at Hotel Vegas no less. Don’t miss either of them.

Keep your mind open.

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test plan let us know “It’s Not Enough” with their new single.

Tense guitar passages, latin inspired drum grooves and melancholic basslines lay the foundation for test plan’s latest single ‘It’s Not Enough’.

Bassist Rory Dickinson takes lead vocal duties for the first time, delivering a subdued performance that builds towards an explosive belt of cinematic catharsis, haunted bya repetitive mantra sung throughout the song. Dickinson’s lyrics delve into the scene of mourning, regret and self-reflection, mirroring cynical patterns in the wake of anxiety and self-defeat. One of test plan’s oldest songs, ‘It’s Not Enough’ explores the darker tones of the band’s sonic palette. The frenetic rhythms wash over the track leading to a kraut-rock infused instrumental passage before feedback and chaos descends again towards test plan’s loudest crescendo yet – an eruption of intensifying noise.

Accompanying the song, the surreal horror-infused music video directed by drummer and vocalist Max Mason explores a masked character urgently trying to find water, but unable to satisfy their thirst. Their hypnotic and disturbing journey is indicative of the music’s exploration of desperation and the disquieted sensation that bubbles under the surface of test plan’s music.

Teaming up once again with engineer and producer Darren Jones (Fat Dog, Gorillaz) from the band’s own north-London rehearsal studio, the
production pushes the most intense parts of the band’s sound to the forefront. Layers of visceral distortion and experimental flourishes punctuate through, capturing the claustrophobia of the gentle moments and the raw electricity in the midst of the carnage.

‘It’s Not Enough’ will be self-released on 20th August with their headline single launch show on 24th August at Paper Dress Vintage, London with Rampressue and Joshua Zero.

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Rory from test plan!]

Being Dead share “Firefighters” from their upcoming new album due September 27th.

Being Dead — the Austin, TX-based duo consisting of Falcon Bitch and Shmoofy — announces its new album, EELS, out September 27th on Bayonet, lead single/video “Firefighters,” and a fall headline tour. Being Dead’s records are mosaics, technicolor incantations, each song its own self-contained little universe. And while the dreamlike EELS probes further into the depths of the duo Being Dead’s psyche, it is, most importantly, a 16-track record that is genuinely unpredictable from one track to the next. It’s a joyous and unexpected trip helmed by two true-blue freak bitch besties holed up in a lil’ house in the heart of Austin, Texas.

When Horses Would Run, Being Dead’s “glorious and timeless” (Gorilla vs. Bear) debut record released in 2023, took years to release. The final product was excellent and expertly polished, at odds with the live rowdiness they’d cultivated a reputation for throughout Austin and beyond across seven years of being a band. For the next one, they knew they’d have to do things differently. They decamped to Los Angeles for two weeks to record with GRAMMY-winning producer John Congleton, writing songs for the record until days before they left. The radical shift in process was welcome – a good balance and a challenge, Congleton helping them find new ways to work and helping peel back the layers on the core of their songwriting. Being Dead has grown from a duo to a trio live, including bassist Nicole Roman-Johnston who also co-wrote and recorded bass and vocals on several album tracks.

The resulting EELS is a darker record, tapped more into the devilishness within. It’s a more raucous, rougher ride sonically. There’s heartbreak, excitement, enchantment, dancing – we move through it all at a high-octane pace. Falcon Bitch and Smoofy never want to do the same thing twice on any song, and they don’t. This is never more apparent than on lead single, “Firefighters,” which might be the first of its kind told from the perspective of a Dalmatian who is overworked at their fire station. The pummeling, distorted garage rock ripper’s accompanying video by director URZULKA “came together through a group hallucination.” The band adds, “We love marbles and outdoor play and decided to get it on video for y’all. Making this was like creating an intricate handshake with all your buddies—riddled with inside jokes and giggles.”

Watch the Video for “Firefighters”

There are a number of different origin stories for Being Dead floating around on the internet, most of which are immortalized in various press pieces they’ve done across the last seven years of being a band, and there will likely be more. Falcon Bitch and Smoofy deliver each story with a wink, inviting you in on the joke. Maybe they were actually born from a giant egg left in a meteoric crater, or they’re undercover on earth from an alien universe. Something about their music suggests it’s a dispatch from both the future and the past – vocal harmonies that sound like they’re reverberating in a medieval church to surfy guitar lines, weirdo-punky cacophonies erupting into chaos. There’s the sense that these are two people who are strangers to all that is banal – there is always fun to be had, a little mischievous magic waiting around the corner, if you know how to find or make it.

Pre-order EELS

EELS Tracklist:
1. Godzilla Rises
2. Van Goes
3. Blanket of my Bone
4. Problems
5. Firefighters
6. Dragons II
7. Nightvision
8. Gazing At Footwear
9. Big Bovine
10. Storybook Bay
11. Ballerina
12. Rock n’ Roll Hurts
13. Love Machine
14. I Was A Tunnel
15. Goodnight
16. Lilypad Lane

Being Dead Tour Dates:
Tue. Aug. 13 – Austin, TX @ Sagebrush
Fri. Sept. 27 – Austin, TX @ Radio East
Sat. Oct. 12 – Austin, TX @ Austin City Limits
Mon. Oct. 14 – Atlanta, GA @ 529 Club
Tue. Oct. 15 – Richmond, VA @ The Camel
Wed. Oct. 16 – Washington, DC @ Comet Ping Pong
Fri. Oct. 18 – Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Made
Sat. Oct. 19 – Philadelphia, PA @ PhilaMOCA
Mon. Oct. 21 – Boston, MA @ The Rockwell
Tue. Oct. 22 – Montreal, QC @ L’Esco
Wed. Oct. 23 – Toronto, ON @ The Baby G
Fri. Oct. 25 – Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle
Sun. Oct. 27 – Cincinnati, OH @ MOTR Pub
Tue. Oct. 29 – Louisville, KY @ The Whirling Tiger
Thu. Oct. 31 – Nashville, TN @ The Blue Room at Third Man Records
Sat. Nov. 2 – Dallas, TX @ Club Dada

Keep your mind open.

[I’ll feel dead if you don’t subscribe.]

[Thanks to Patrick at Pitch Perfect PR.]

Live: LCD Soundsystem – Aragon Ballroom – Chicago, IL – May 26, 2024

It was the third night of a four-night residency for LCD Soundsystem at their favorite Chicago venue, the Aragon Ballroom. They’ve done shows there in the past, and it was the last place I’d seen them years ago. It was good to catch them again. One can’t help but wonder if James Murphy is going to pull the plug on the band for a second time.

They got off to a great start with “Us V Them” and soon surfed into “I Can Change.” “Tribulations” was another great spot in the set, and one I hadn’t heard live in a long while.

The crowd was great, many of whom had been to the first two shows and were already planning on coming to the fourth. It was warm in the Aragon, as it always is, but a little more so since everyone was dancing and going wild as they turned the whole place into a disco.

“Yeah” was a great touch, as it was the first time they’d played it on this tour (which they called the “Kinda Tour”), and “Losing My Edge” was, as always, an absolute ripper. I’d forgotten how good a track “Tonite” is until they played it live.

“Dance Yrself Clean” and “All My Friends” made for a great encore, but the nicest moment of the night was their tribute to the late Chicagoan and music producing legend Steve Albini during “Someone Great.”

It was great to see them again, and great to be in such a fun crowd. LCD Soundsystem never disappoint.

Keep your mind open.

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Review: L’appel Du Vide – Metro

The members of Germany’s L’appel Du Vide (Flatty – guitars, synths, sequencers, Friday – drums, Rene – vocals, Suse – bass, vocals, piano) describe themselves as “gloom punks.” That’s an apt description of both them and their debut album, Metro. It mixes doom with post-punk, darkwave, industrial, and a hint of psychedelia.

Starting with “Nacht” (“Night”), they get off to a raucous start with Suse’s bass leading the charge. The whole song feels like a fight could break out at any moment. “Verschwiegen” (“Secretive”) has Flatty unleashing (Dare I say?) Thin Lizzy-like riffs that turn into psych-metal meltdowns.

“Offenbarungseid” (“Oath of Disclosure”) starts off with goth dread and then kicks in the door to the underground club and causes a mosh pit to break out an absinthe and clove cigarette-filled ashtrays to spill everywhere. “Woanders” (“Somewhere Else”) builds from a quiet bass drum beat to a fiery post-punk punch in the face. Suse’s bass on “Verbrennen” (“Burn”) is absolutely crushing, and everything else is on fire around it. It reminds me a bit of a Pixies track with its frequent changes in volume levels.

“Fleisch” (“Meat”) opens side two of the album with Flatty’s guitars and Friday’s drums taking on a gothic touch…until they and everything else into erupt into a punk rager. “Warteschliefe” (“Holding Pattern”) returns to the post-punk buzz, but doesn’t skimp on the punk part of that genre. Rene’s growling, snarling vocals are the prime example of that.

“Ausgeliefert” (“Delivered”) chugs along with heavy bass from Suse and cosmic-level shredding from Flatty while Friday opens and closes his hi-hat so fast that you think it’s going to break at any moment. “Fragezeichen” (“Question mark”) ends the album with more goth-punk stuff that borders on horror-punk with the slight sense of dread throughout it.

It’s a wild record, and a delightful discovery this year. I’d love to catch their live show and see and hear how they create all of this buzzing, slightly creepy rock together.

Keep your mind open.

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[Dank an Flatty!]

Review: Church Chords – elvis, he was Schlager

elvis, he was Schlager, the debut album from Church Chords, is difficult to describe, but that’s part of what makes it so good.

Combining recorded field sounds and samples with live performances in the studio, the album is a blend of musical influences from three cities: Philadelphia, Chicago, and Los Angeles. It’s the brainchild of producer / multi-instrumentalist Stephen Buono, who decided to become more of a producer / bandleader / circus ringmaster with a wide number and variety of musicians from those three cities.

The result is a neat experimental record that somehow blends electro, post-punk, psych-rock, jazz, and other stuff I can’t quite define into sort of a calm chaos. It’s like the album cover, a woman stopped along a roadway while forest burns immediately next to her and she records the growing danger on her phone…or perhaps is reciting her thoughts for future meditations.

Songs like “Recent Mineral” and “Apophatic Melismatic” combine killer bass riffs with soft vocals and hip-hop drums. “Spacetime Pauses” reminds me of some of MC 900 Foot Jesus‘ jazz-psych fusion tracks.

Songs like “Warriors of Playtime” bring in wild jazz horns and prog-rock guitars. “She Lays of a Leaf” has industrial beats and, I think, vocals from Chicago alt-rockers Finom to make it a weird robot-dance / lounge club groover that builds into something that would fit into a late 1970s French erotic thriller. “Owned By Lust,” on the other hand, would fit into a modern horror film with its panicked guitar licks and rambling madman vocals.

“Then Awake” has sultry vocals over a synth-bass line that moves like a snake across a sand dune at midnight. “Man on a Wire” reminds me of some Siouxsie and The Banshees tracks with the vocal stylings, goth synths, and post-punk saxophone and beats. The vocals on “I Hope You See” are layered with extra effects to almost make them unintelligible, but also make them more ethereal.

In case you’re wondering, as I was, “Schlager” is a type of European pop music characterized by catchy beats and love-song lyrics. I suppose Elvis Presley was that for many of the masses. This record has catchy beats and love-song lyrics, but it’s not Schlager. It’s too experimental, too stream-of-consciousness, too odd.

But it’s not too much of any of that either. It’s one of the most interesting records I’ve heard so far this year.

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Cody at Terrorbird Media.]