Shoegaze – Page 10 – 7th Level Music

A Place to Bury Strangers encourages us to focus on the good times with their new single, “Hold on Tight.”

Last month, post-punk legends A Place To Bury Strangers announced their sixth studio album, See Through You, out February 4, 2022 on Dedstrange, and shared its lead single “Let’s See Each Other.” Today, they return with “Hold On Tight,” a noise-pop ripper bursting with chaotic delirium. The accompanying video, directed by Meriel O’Connell, sees bandleader Oliver Ackermann moonlighting as the concierge of New York’s most eccentric hotel. When a candlelit dinner suddenly turns into a lovers’ quarrel, Ackermann joins a mysterious lone patron (drummer Sandra Fedowitz) and maître d’ (bassist John Fedowitz) to bring the noise. “When the getting’s good, I hold on tight. Sometimes I forget to enjoy where I am and the people around me. It is critical to be thankful and enjoy existence and have fun. Having a bad night? Reflect and kick yourself into gear,” says Ackermann.

Watch “Hold On Tight” Video

A Place To Bury Strangers have been delighting and astonishing audiences for close to two decades, combining post-punk, noise-rock, shoegaze, psychedelia, and avant-garde music in startling and unexpected ways. See Through You is an explosive journey which explores the listener’s limits of mind-bending madness while simultaneously offering the catchiest batch of songs in the band’s discography. Outpacing even their own firmly blazed path of audio annihilation, See Through You repeatedly delivers the massive walls of chaos and noise that every A Place To Bury Strangers fan craves in spades. It’s a nod of the cap to the art school ethos of the band’s origins, while forging a new and clear direction forward.
Watch/Stream “Hold On Tight”

Watch “Let’s See Each Other” Video

Pre-order See Through You

A Place To Bury Strangers 2022 Tour Dates
Mon. January 31 – Washington, DC @ Songbyrd #
Tue. February 1 – Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s #
Wed. February 2 – Montreal, QC @ Bar Le Ritz #
Fri. February 4 – Toronto, ON @ Lee’s Palace #
Sat. February 5 – Detroit, MI @ El Club #
Sun. February 6 – Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle
Mon. February 7 – Milwaukee, WI @ Cactus Club #
Tue. February 8 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Ave. 7th Street Entry #
Fri. February 11 – Seattle, WA @ Neumos %
Sat. February 12 – Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios %
Sun. February 13 – Vancouver, BC @ Rickshaw Theatre %
Tue. February 15 – San Francisco, CA @ The Chapel %
Wed. February 16 – Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom %
Fri. February 18 – San Diego, CA @ Soda Bar %
Sat. February 19 – Tucson, AZ @ Hotel Congress %
Tue. February 22 – Denver, CO @ Larimer Lounge %
Wed. February 23 – Lawrence, KS @ The Bottleneck %
Fri. February 25 – Nashville, TN @ The High Watt %
Sat. February 26 – Atlanta, GA @ 529 %
Sun. February 27 – Chapel Hill, ND @ Cat’s Cradle
Fri. March 4 – Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg !
Wed. March 9 – Hamburg, DE @ Hafenklang &
Thu. March 10 – Dresden, DE @ Beatpol &
Fri. March 11 – Warsaw, PL @ Klub Poglos &
Sat. March 12 – Prague, CZ @ Futurum &
Sun. March 13 – Bratislava, SK @ Randal Club &
Mon. March 14 – Budapest, HU @ Durer Kert &
Wed. March 16 – Bucharest, RO @ Control Club ^
Thu. March 17 – Sofia, BG @ Mixtape5 ^
Fri. March 18 – Thessaloniki, GR @ Eightball ^
Sat. March 19 – Athens, GR @ Temple ^
Mon. March 21 – Skopje, MK @ 25th of May Hall ^
Tue. March 22 – Belgrade, RS @ Club Drugstore ^
Thu. March 24 – Zagreb, HR @ Mochvara ^
Fri. March 25 – Bologna, IT @ Freakout Club ^
Sat. March 26 – Rome, IT @ Largo ^
Sun. March 27 – Milan, IT @ Legend Club ^
Tue. March 29 – Zurich, CH @ Bogen F ^
Wed. March 30 – Munich, DE @ Backstage ^
Thu. March 31 – Martigny, CH @ Caves Du Memoir
Fri. April 1 – Paris, FR @ La Trabendo *
Sat. April 2 – London, UK @ Lafayette *
Mon. April 4 – Antwerp, BE @ Kavka *
Tue. April 5 – Munster, DE @ Gleis 22 *
Wed. April 6 – Amsterdam, NL @ Melkweg *
Thu. April 7 – Groningen, NL @ Vera *
Sat. April 9 – Stockholm, SE @ Hus 7 *
Sun. April 10 – Oslo, NO @ John Dee *
Mon. April 11 – Copenhagen, DK @ Pumpehuset *
Tue. April 12 – Berlin, DE @ Hole 44 *
Wed. April 13 – Cologne, DE @ MTC *

# with Glove
% with TV Priest
& with Jealous
^ with Plattenbau
* with Lunacy
! with Native Sun, GIFT

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Patrick at Pitch Perfect PR.]

Review: Blackwater Holylight – Silence / Motion

It’s easy to write nowadays that albums released this year are reflective on the trying times of the previous year (that still persist into this year and probably 2022), but Blackwater Holylight‘s new album, Silence / Motion, captures the ache of those times like few others. It’s at times sorrowful, other times euphoric.

The album opens with dark, folk-like sounds of gray sky guitars and violins before it turns into a heavy, doomy growler on “Delusional.” Lead singer Allison “Sunny” Faris sings “I can’t describe this pain I wear. It suffocates and you left it here.” on “Who the Hell,” a gut-wrenching song about loss. The title track winds around you like a ghost that desperately wants you to understand why she can’t leave this plane just yet. Sarah McKenna‘s synths on it are like the sound of that ghost piercing the veil.

“Falling Faster” starts off sounding like a gothic ballad and then McKenna’s synths brighten it up to almost a synthwave track you’d hear on late night 1988 public access television. “MDIII” is mixes ethereal vocals with buzzing guitars from her and Mikayla Mayhew. I love the guitars on “Around You,” which are solid shoegaze riffs. The album ends with the psychedelic, heavy, and spooky “Every Corner.” Eliese Dorsay saves some of her best chops for the end, pounding out metal chops with the urgency of a fierce warrior.

It’s a haunting album. I mean, the cover image alone should tell you this. The sound of it gets under your skin and in the back of your head, creeping around for a long while.

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Dave at US / THEM Group.]

Review: Weak Signal – Bianca

Bubbling up from NYC’s underground music scene, Weak Signal‘s new album, Bianca, roars with dark post-punk energy mixed with early 1990s alt-rock riffs.

“I’m the enemy of the world. Nothing ever really dies,” they sing on the album’s opener, “I’m a Fire,” putting down loud guitar riffs alongside their lyrics. The chugging bass on “Voice Inside My Head” is infectious.

“I don’t wanna go to work. Me and my friends were out all night…” opens the heavy, sludgy “Drugs in My System” – a song about dealing with party aftermaths. “Barely a Trace” sounds like a somewhat dusty, slightly warped record you’d hear playing on a jukebox at the back of a diner in a David Lynch film. “Come Back” is a simple, yet haunting track about regret and loss accentuated by rising synths and mantra-like guitar riffs.

“Zones” has this same kind of mantra sound before the bolder, faster “Don’t Turn Around,” which wouldn’t be out of place on a record from A Place to Bury Strangers. “Borderzone” is probably the mellowest track on the album, drifting in and out like smoke. “Devotion” brings back sharp-edged riffs that come into the track, rattle you a bit, and then meld back into the shadows.

“I’ll go where I want to go, and I’ll love who I want to love,” Mike Bones sings on “I’ll Stay,” a beautiful track about finding freedom through self-realization. “Sorry” is a nice companion to it. It’s still mellow, but a bit upbeat, and it’s a nice warm-up before the loud, weird finish of “Too Strong.”

It’s cool record, and perfect for certain moods (gray days, late nights).

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Jake at Ramp Global.]

A Place to Bury Strangers announces 2022 North American tour.

A Place To Bury Strangers announce a 2022 North American headline tour, and share the new video for single “In My Hive,” from their new EP, Hologram, out now on Dedstrange. The new dates follow a headline show at Bowery Ballroom in New York City on September 15th, a run with Future Islands, and a stop at Levitation Festival in Austin, TX. Tickets for 2022 are on-sale here.

The “In My Hive” video, directed by and starring Manon Aulon Elphick, Niicolé and Dedstrange labelmates Data Animal, is a ghoulish grindhouse tale of revenge served raw. Filmed in gritty wide-angle closeups, this claustrophobic tale of murder, magic, and mayhem is a gothic five-finger-filet deathmatch for the senses. Preparing for a fight, pondering the potential in the sharpness of a knife, glazed over eyes, molten metal poured into the mouths of to-be zombie bandmates, overwhelming flashing lights, all seen through a close-up psychedelic lense.

“‘In My Hive’ is about how I’ve let myself get taken advantage of by other people because I just didn’t care at the time, but it definitely has come back to haunt me,” says A Place To Bury Strangers’ Oliver Ackermann. “It can be tiring to deal with these emotions but it’s best to think about what is going on and work through it.”
Watch:
“In My Hive” video
“I Might Have” video
“End Of The Night” video

Stream/Purchase Hologram EP

Tour Dates:
Wed. September 15 – New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom $
Mon. October 11 – New Orleans, LA @ Civic Theatre *
Tue. October 12 – Atlanta, GA @ Buckhead Theatre *
Wed. October 13 – Raleigh, NC @ Ritz *
Thur. October 14 – Washington, DC @ Anthem *
Fri. October 29 – Austin, TX @ Levitation Festival
Tue. February 1 – Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s #
Wed. February 2 – Montreal, QC @ Bar Le Ritz #Fri. February 4 – Toronto, ON @ Lee’s Palace #
Sat. February 5 – Detroit, MI @ El Club #
Sun. February 6 – Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle
Mon. February 7 – Milwaukee, WI @ Cactus Club #
Tue. February 8 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Ave. 7th Street Entry #
Fri. February 11 – Seattle, WA @ Neumos %
Sat. February 12 – Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios %Sun. February 13 – Vancouver, BC @ Rickshaw Theatre %
Tue. February 15 – San Francisco, CA @ The Chapel %
Wed. February 16 – Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom %
Fri. February 18 – San Diego, CA @ Soda Bar %
Sat. February 19 – Tucson, AZ @ Hotel Congress %
Tue. February 22 – Denver, CO @ Larimer Lounge %
Wed. February 23 – Lawrence, KS @ The Bottleneck %
Fri. February 25 – Nashville, TN @ The High Watt %
Wed. March 9 – Hamburg, DE @ HafenklangThu. March 10 – Dresden, DE @ Beatpol
Fri. March 11 – Warsaw, PL @ Klub Poglos
Sat. March 12 – Prague, CZ @ Futurum
Sun. March 13 – Bratislava, SK @ Randal Club
Mon. March 14 – Budapest, HU @ Durer Kert
Wed. March 16 – Bucharest, RO @ Control Club
Thu. March 17 – Sofia, BG @ Mixtape5
Fri. March 18 – Thessaloniki, GR @ Eightball
Sat. March 19 – Athens, GR @ Temple
Mon. March 21 – Skopje, MK @ 25th of May Hall
Tue. March 22 – Belgrade, RS @ Club Drugstore
Thu. March 24 – Zagreb, HR @ Mochvara
Fri. March 25 – Bologna, IT @ Freakout Club
Sat. March 26 – Rome, IT @ Largo
Sun. March 27 – Milan, IT @ Legend Club
Tue. March 29 – Zurich, CH @ Bogen F
Wed. March 30 – Munich, DE @ Backstage
Thu. March 31 – Martigny, CH @ Caves Du MemoirFri. April 1 – Paris, FR @ La Trabendo
Sat. April 2 – London, UK @ Lafayette
Mon. April 4 – Antwerp, BE @ Kavka
Tue. April 5 – Munster, DE @ Gleis 22
Wed. April 6 – Amsterdam, NL @ Melkweg
Thu. April 7 – Groningen, NL @ Vera
Sat. April 9 – Stockholm, SE @ Hus 7Sun. April 10 – Oslo, NO @ John Dee
Mon. April 11 – Copenhagen, DK @ Pumpehuset
Tue. April 12 – Berlin, DE @ Hole 44
Wed. April 13 – Cologne, DE @ MTC

* with Future Islands
$ with Maxband & Wah Together
# with Glove
% with TV Priest

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Patrick at Pitch Perfect PR.]

Little Kid release “John Arnott,” their first new music in years.

The career of the Toronto band Little Kid, the long-running project of songwriter Kenny Boothby, has taken a path as unlikely and idiosyncratic as their gorgeous, and intricately arranged songs. Formed in 2011, the band spent most of a decade accruing a cult audience as a DIY band, self-releasing 5 albums and numerous unusual releases (perhaps most memorably a run of made to order cassettes on which Boothby recorded songs chosen by the purchaser), before signing to Solitaire Recordings for their 2020 album Transfiguration Highway. The album was a massive success for the band, precipitating an explosion of critical appreciation that included earning comparisons to Damien Jurardo, Sufjan Stevens, Neil Young, Alex G, and Bon Iver in a Stereogum Album of The Week piece and high praise from outlets like NPR, The AV Club, Paste, DIY, Secret Meeting, Exclaim, World Cafe, Loud & Quiet, No Depression, and The Line of Best Fit among many others. Today the band are sharing their first new music since the LP, a single entitled “John Arnott” to celebrate ten years as a band and to mark the release of the Solitaire Recordings reissue the band’s fan favorite 2017 LP Sun Milk.

LISTEN: to Little Kid’s “John Arnott” on YouTube
(Lyrics can be found here)

In keeping with the Christian themes that are often central to Boothby’s songs, “John Arnott” is a song about Pastor John Arnott, a central figure in a ’90s charismatic Christian revival centered around the Toronto Airport Vineyard Church known as the Toronto Blessing, as Boothby explains.

“The song is inspired by Pastor John Arnott, who started the Toronto Airport Christian Fellowship in Toronto, the site of the so-called Toronto Blessing – a charismatic Christian revival in the 90s and early 00s,” says Boothby. “I actually traveled up from Petrolia with my family to attend a service there, and later learned my partner was attending at the same time (though we didn’t meet until about 15 years later). Most of the churches I attended in my teens and early adulthood were led by pastors inspired by the movement that started at TACF: focused on performing miracles, receiving the Gifts of the Spirit, having direct spiritual experiences with God – frankly, they were all a bit ‘out there.‘”

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[Thanks to Tom at Hive Mind PR.]

Psycho Las Vegas 2021 recap: Day Three

We only had four bands on our itinerary for day three of the Psycho Music Festival in Las Vegas. One was a must-see for us (especially for my wife) and another was someone I, for some reason, had never seen before this festival.

First up were shoegazers Flavor Crystals, who played the early afternoon at the Rock & Rhythm Lounge to a small crowd, but a small crowd full of shoegaze fans. They dropped a heavy sound bomb on the place, flooding the casino with fuzz.

Flavor Crystals melting faces and minds.

They also added to my set list collection from the festival.

We took a break for a few hours and then came back for three consecutive shows at the Michelob Ultra Arena, which is connected to Mandalay Bay. Meanwhile, Summer Slam was happening at the stadium across the street, which made for a weird mix of T-shirts seen in the casino. You saw everything from shirts for wrestlers like John Cena and Rey Mysterio, Jr. to bands like Dying Fetus and Cephalic Carnage.

The first band at the Michelob Ultra Arena certainly weren’t the death metal category, but were rather Thievery Corporation, who put on a fun show combining bhangra, reggae, dub, rap, and funk. It was my second time seeing them, and the first time I saw them was also in Las Vegas (at the Cosmopolitan Hotel Casino rooftop pool), so it was an interesting return for me. They put on a fun set.

Sitar, drums, congas, bass, synths, and vocals from Thievery Corporation.

Next were The Flaming Lips, who are one of the best live bands going right now and one of my wife’s favorite bands ever. It was, as always, a delightful, uplifting experience. The usual spray of confetti into the crowd was minimal, and there were no giant, confetti-filled balloons launched into the crowd due to COVID concerns, but there was still plenty of fun to be had. It was fun to stand next to a guy who’d never seen them before then, and he gave me a happy thumbs-up during the show.

My wife went back to the hotel room after the show, and I stayed to see Danzig. I’d somehow gone my entire punk teenage years, college years, and post-college years without seeing Danzig, Samhain, or any variation of The Misfits. Danzig started a little late, but Glenn Danzig and his band came out to an appreciative crowd and played the entire Danzig II: Lucifuge album and then some of their favorite hits. It was an impressive set, and the guitarist was especially talented. Glenn Danzig wasn’t too concerned about possible COVID infection, however, as he tossed multiple used water bottles and face towels into the crowd – half of whom left before his three-song encore, which baffled me.

One funny conversation I overhead as I was leaving the Danzig show was between two guys. One was checking the set times on his phone. His friend asked who was currently playing. “Cannibal Corpse,” said the man with the phone. His friend replied, “Yeah! Let’s fucking get brutal!”

I made it back to the room after wandering the casino a bit and being a bit overwhelmed by all the visual and aural stimulation, not to mention all the smoke of various kinds I’ve been around all day. We had an easy morning planned for the last day, and then a night of wild rock, Cambodian funk, soul funk, and metal lined up for Sunday.

Keep your mind open.

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Psycho Las Vegas 2021 recap: Day Two

We started off the second day of the Las Vegas Psycho Music Festival with what would become our morning ritual over the next three days – lounging by the Luxor Casino Hotel’s pool in the dry heat after picking up a breakfast sandwich at one of the somewhat-overpriced restaurants in the hotel. We’d relax for a couple hours, wash off the sweat, and then go see some bands. It was a great way to save money because we had little time to spend at the gambling tables and slot machines.

Our musical entertainment began with Foie Gras and her industrial-goth set at the Mandalay Bay House of Blues venue. She put on a good set to an early crowd, and my wife loved her combination of a T-shirt and flamenco dancer sleeves.

Foie Gras with her rockin’ sleeves and blood-painted knees.

Up next was something completely different – a set by Deathchant, who I can probably best describe as sounding like a fuzzier Thin Lizzy. The played the “Rock & Rhythm Lounge,” which is in near multiple restaurants in the casino, so you can get your eardrums blasted while enjoying your expensive wine and French cuisine – or while shoving money into video slot machines. Deathchant were loud and rough and a wild afternoon wakeup call.

Deathchant playing like every song was their finale.

We took a five-hour break, more than enough time to get a nap and dinner before coming back to the Lounge to see British stoner metal quartet Psychlona. It was their first gig win Las Vegas and only their second show of their U.S. tour. “We are so fucking stoked,” their lead singer said, and they certainly played like it. Afterward, their singer told me their set was better than the one they’d just played in San Diego the previous night.

Shoegaze quartet Highlands were up next and brought a welcome change of sound to the Lounge and the festival in general. I’m a big shoegaze fan, and they didn’t disappoint. There was a nice, reverb-laden wall of sound coming from the stage for their whole set.

We then zipped across the casino and back to the House of Blues to see one of my most anticipated sets of the festival – a Bossa nova set from Claude Fontaine. The set was lightly attended, and I couldn’t help but think many were there from a previous metal set or waiting for the next metal band to play after her. The crowd wasn’t sure what to make of her at first, as they’d been so used to metal that a soft set of Bossa nova tracks with dub influences seemed alien to them. Ms. Fontaine put on the loveliest set of the festival (her first time playing in Las Vegas) and the small crowd did come around to appreciating the hypnotizing, alluring music she gave.

Our night ended at the Mandalay Beach stage, which sits opposite a man-made beach on a wave pool, where we saw Ty Segall and his band shred the place with their loud psychedelia – their first gig in two years. Segall’s wife even sang lead on one track. They sounded great, and the volume of the band was amplified not only by electronics, but also the water bouncing it all over the place.

Ty Segall and his crew partying at the beach.

It was our busiest day of the festival for bands – six in one day – but there were plenty more to come.

Up next, more shoegaze at the Lounge and three arena shows ranging from dub to goth metal.

Keep your mind open.

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Rewind Review: My Bloody Valentine – EP’s 1988 – 1991 (2012)

Released almost a decade ago, but sounding like it could’ve come out yesterday, My Bloody Valentine‘s collection of EP’s and rarities, appropriately titled EP’S 1988 – 1991, is a two-disc wallop of sound that collects the band’s four, rare EP’s and multiple bonus tracks.

The first five tracks on disc 1 come from 1988’s You Made Me Realise. The title track, with its punishing drums and bass, opens things with enough fuzz for an entire album (and reveals the massive influence MBV had on A Place to Bury Strangers). Debbie Googe‘s heavy bass propels “Slow” while Kevin Shields‘ guitar sounds like he left it in the sun too long. “Thorn” more than doubles the speed of the previous track and has some of Shield’s clearest vocals, which almost seem odd to hear when you’re used to so many tracks dripping with reverb and distortion. “Cigarette in Your Bed” does a neat balancing act with Bilinda Butcher‘s ethereal vocals and Colm Ó Cíosóig‘s voodoo drumming. “Drive It All Over Me” is one of MBV’s most upbeat tracks and makes you want to road trip with your friends.

The next four tracks are from the Feed Me with Your Kiss EP (also from 1988) . The title track also appears on their Isn’t Anything album from the same year. It’s a wild track with Shields and Butcher trading vocals while all four band members bounce around the room like a punch-drunk boxer intent on destroying everything in his path. “I Believe,” with its pounded piano keys, seems to indicate a love of The Stooges. Shields’ vocals on “Emptiness Inside” have a bit of a punk sneer to them, and Googe’s bass spares no mercy throughout it. “I Need No Trust” could’ve been a Velvet Underground track in a previous life.

MBV returned in 1990 with the Glider EP, and the lead single, “Soon,” became one of their biggest hits. It’s no surprise. The song is a shoegaze delight with Cíosóig’s beats sounding like early rave riffs, Googe’s hip-shaking bass, and Butcher and Shields’ twin wall-of-sound guitars and soft vocals. The EP’s title track sounds like it’s made up of parts of “Soon” played backwards. “Don’t As Why” brings in acoustic guitars to mesh with the fuzz and is a song Oasis probably wishes they’d written. “Off Your Face” has a bit of a psychedelic bend and some of Butcher’s loveliest vocals on any MBV track.

Disc 2 starts with the Tremolo EP from 1991, and the first cut, “To Here Knows When,” also appears on their classic Loveless album from the same year. It’s a swirling, fog-like track that seems to envelop you with its fuzzy, bright warmth. “Swallow” has Middle Eastern touches in its percussion and even adds a flute to the mix. “Honey Power” again puts Butcher on lead vocals and deftly moves back and forth between shoegaze pop and shoegaze power. “Moon Song” begins like some sort of death dirge, but soon turns into an incense smoke mind trip.

What follows are rare tracks and previously unreleased material. “Instrumental No. 2″ (the mellow one) and Instrumental No. 1” (the scorching one) are from a bonus 7-inch single released with Isn’t Anything. The full version of “Glider” (from 1990’s Glider E.P. Remixes) is over ten minutes of psychedelic drone. “Sugar” is from a rare 1989 split 7-inch flexi-disc and sounds like a Nine Inch Nails song if Trent Reznor were a lot happier in 1989.

The last three songs are the previously unreleased ones – “Angel” (seductive shoegaze with lead vocals by Butcher), “”Good for You” (a high-speed fuzz-fest), and “How Do You Do It” (a dangerous track with everyone playing their instruments like a professional hit squad). All of them are great treats to hear.

This stuff is essential if you’re a fan of MBV, shoegaze, noise rock, drone rock, or guitar rock…or even just rock in general. MBV are still a powerhouse and a band with whom you should not trifle. Approach with caution, but you’ll love them if you embrace the power.

Keep your mind open.

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Cold Beat release first single, “See You Again,” from upcoming album – “War Garden.”

San Francisco-based band Cold Beat announce their new album, War Garden, out September 17th via Like LTD, and share its lead single/video, “See You Again.” The name War Garden is both a reference and a revelation. Although it gets its namesake from the self-sufficiency of World War II civilians to plant and grow their own food, in a more metaphorical sense it sprouted from a sense of connection, during a time where it was physically impossible to do so. The distance caused by the pandemic strengthened the bond between members Hannah Lew, Sean Monaghan, Kyle King, and Luciano Talpini Aita, resulting in an album that’s a remarkable leap from their earlier guitar-forward work. Following multiple albums and EPs, plus collaborations with notable contemporaries and icons such as Los Angeles artist Cooper Saver and Cabaret Voltaire’s Stephen Mallinder, War Garden presents Cold Beat as a fully realized unit. They openly embrace a synthesized landscape with rich harmonies and 80s pop flourishes, all while maintaining a complex emotional depth.

Rather than the sound reflecting the surrounding despair, the music is often suitable for the dance-floor, driven by steady, machine-like rhythms and ethereal vocals. War Garden calls to mind some of the greats: The melodies of Human League, the syncopation of Oppenheimer Analysis, and everything about New Order. While Lew is the front person, all members all contributed to the songwriting.

Lead single “See You Again” was written via zoom, like the rest of the album. This particular track was created in the first three months of lockdown and chronicled the feelings that came with the realization that they wouldn’t see each other for an unknown stretch of time. After Lew sat a shiva for a family friend, Monaghan sent another version of the song, and it developed into meditation on the unknown possibility of reconnecting with loved ones in the afterlife. “I had spent many months toiling in the dirt, tending to my War Garden,” says Lew. “Working with the soil is so hopeful, but also morbid. I had to bury some bulbs instead of being able to be present for the burial of a close friend. It became almost fetishistic to bury seeds, like a physical way to be there without actually being able to be there.”

The accompanying video, directed by Mimi Pfahler and shot in Lew’s yard and at Ocean Beach, was the first reconnection opportunity many had. “Among people on set I know there was a sense of transcendence – just a moment to give form to the feelings of isolation and physical need for each other that had built up,” says Lew.

Watch Cold Beat’s Video for “See You Again”

War Garden’s complexities reveal themselves piece by piece—an instrument at a time. Although some of its explorations are heavy, there’s a sense of optimism in the final beat build-up and fading choral and keyboard arrangement—a harbinger of much better things to come.

Pre-order War Garden

War Garden Tracklist
1. Mandelbrot Fall
2. SOS
3. Tumescent Decoy
4. Weeds
5. See You Again
6. Arms Reach
7. Year Without A Shadow
8. Rubble Ren
9. Part The Sea
10. Leaves And Branches
11. New World

Cold Beat online:
https://twitter.com/coldbeatsf?lang=en
https://www.facebook.com/coldbeatsf/
https://coldbeatsf.bandcamp.com/music
https://www.pitchperfectpr.com/cold-beat/
https://www.instagram.com/cold_beat/?hl=en

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Jacob at Pitch Perfect PR.]

Review: A Place to Bury Strangers – Hologram

Coming in with a new lineup (Oliver Ackermann – guitar and lead vocals, John Fedowitz – bass, Sandra Fedowitz – drums), a new label (Dedstrange), and a return to their early shoegaze roots, A Place to Bury Strangers‘ new EP, Hologram, is filled to the brim with pent-up energy created from a year of being stuck in the house and watching most of the world go at each other’s throats instead of coming together in a time of crisis.

The opening processed and live beats of “End of the Night” are perfect for your morning walk with the dog or your bad-ass strut into a dark club where you’re going to perform a hit. John Fedowitz’s bass line ignites the spark of Ackermann’s gasoline guitar while he sings about the end of friendships in his old band (“Now that the friendship’s gone, I miss it to pieces.”), taking a breath, and moving forward with his new one. The My Bloody Valentine influence on APTBS is undeniable on the track, as it almost sounds like it was left out in the sun to warp.

“I Might Have” has a cool 1960s garage rock feel to it, if that garage is on fire and located next to a busy railroad line while Ackermann’s voice echoes almost to the edge of incomprehension. “Playing the Part” reminds me of some early Cure cuts while Ackermann sings about life continuing after bad times have come and gone (“Who doesn’t enjoy the sun?”).

“In My Hive” could well be the theme for everyone who made it through 2020. We were all stuck in our own hives, sometimes busy as bees working to make any sense of the world and restructuring our lives. Ackermann was not only restructuring his life, but also his band / livelihood, and launch a record label. The track has a great driving, industrial beat throughout it, leaving one to wonder if Sandra Fedowitz is a cyborg. John Fedowitz’s bass is subtly in the lead of “I Need You,” with Ackermann singing a lovely shoegaze tale of loss that wouldn’t be out of place on a Slowdive album.

This new direction for APTBS is an intriguing one. The band is exploring loss and also embracing new avenues and possibilities. Ackermann and John Fedowitz, longtime friends, were formerly in the underground shoegaze band Skywave and have now come back together for a new venture. Only APTBS know where this will take them. We’re just holding on so we don’t fly off their sonic bullet train.

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Dedstrange and to Patrick at Pitch Perfect PR.]