Another Austin band that will be melting minds at Levitation Austin this year is SURVIVE. They play a cool, creepy style of synthwave that pays great homage to John Carpenter and they’re well known for their work on the Stranger Things soundtrack. They’ll play the second set at Stubb’s BBQ on April 28th starting around 9pm. This will be the show to see if you’re in the mood for something spooky at the festival.
Keep your mind open.
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The somewhat startling cover is a warning for a powerful, teeth-baring electro record that somehow catches all the chaos this year displayed. There was a lot of early buzz about this record upon its release, and for good reason. It’s a stunning piece of synthwave, dark wave, and psychedelic fever dreams.
This psychedelic blues-rock was pretty much a lock for my favorite rock record of the year as soon as I heard it. ATW brew up haunting tracks that range in subjects from being stuck in purgatory to internet addiction (which are pretty much the same thing).
Their reunion was possibly the most anticipated of the year, and they proved they hadn’t lost a thing on this great record. Front man James Murphy‘s lyrics are as searing as ever as he confronts aging, love, social media, partying, and Millennials. One of the singles, “Tonite” (one of my favorites of the year) is a great example. It’s a song about songs, but it’s also about the fears and joys of aging.
This is a bittersweet choice because one of the best post-punk records, and best records in any genre, of the year is by a band who broke up before it was released or even named. WALL‘s only full-length record is shrouded in mysterious lyrics about the current political landscape and the band itself. It’s also full of sharp guitar hooks and sass that is sorely missed. Consider yourself blessed if you caught one of their too few live shows.
I read a review of this album that described it as “a breath of fresh air.” I’m not sure I can beat that description because this stunning debut is the most beautiful record I heard all year. Ms. Owens’ synth soundscapes immediately seem to lighten gravity around you. It’s a tonic for the toxic atmosphere we’re living in right now (both in the real world and in the one that blitzes us from cyberspace every day). If 2017 got you down, listen to this album today and you will have a much better outlook on the year to come.
We’ve arrived at the top 5 live shows I saw this year. Here they are.
#5 – LCD Soundsystem – Aragon Ballroom – Chicago, IL November 7th.
This was the second of a three-night residency at Chicago’s Aragon Ballroom for LCD Soundsystem. It was the second time we saw them in 2017, and they were healthier and a bit goofier than the first time. It was also the best show we’d seen at the Aragon in a long while.
Slaves‘ opening set for Kasabian at this show was, without question, the best punk rock show I’ve seen in a couple years. They came out with cocksure swagger and proceeded to freak out the entire crowd. My friend, Portia, and I had a “rock moment” with them when we were the only ones in the audience who knew to yell “Fuck the hi hat!” when they began telling the story behind the song of the same title and they pointed us out in the crowd. Win.
I hadn’t seen Gary Numan in concert for about ten years, but he hasn’t lost a step. He actually has become better in that time. His band was tighter, his vocals were sharp, and the spectacle of the performance was top-notch.
No, this isn’t an error. LCD Soundsystemare in my top five live shows of 2017 twice. This was the first time my wife and I saw them, and we were instantly hooked. They became one of our “We’ll see them anytime.” bands thanks to this performance that closed the first night of the 2017 Pitchfork Music Festival. The crowd was wild, erupting into two mosh pits during the show, and LCDSS threw down a raucous set despite dealing with injuries and mild illness.
Within moments I knew this sold-out Midnight Oil show was going to be the best show we saw all year. It was their return tour after twenty years and they sounded like they’d stepped out of a time machine. Lead singer Peter Garrett even appeared to not have aged in that time. They proved they were still one of the most relevant and best live acts in the world. It was uplifting to see and hear them again, and left everyone hoping for new material soon.
There you have it. Go see a bunch of live music in 2018. Your favorite band is depending on you.
Keep your mind open.
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Gary Numan‘s new album is a cautionary tale about impending environmental disaster, political upheaval, and fighting to survive in a post-apocalyptic wasteland. Numan has never been one to shy away from bleak subjects (depression, dehumanization via technology, death, etc.), and Savage (Songs from a Broken World) is a powerful record that has him embracing these subjects once again with masterful skill.
“Ghost Nation” could be about Numan’s birth home (England) or his adopted one (the United States). “We live in a windswept hell,” he sings in the first lyric on the album while the synths and drums build to a powerful verse about an environmental catastrophe that wipes out most of humanity. “Bed of Thorns” starts off with quiet processed beats and almost Middle Eastern chants but slowly burns into a powerful track about wanting to be free of suffering. Numan’s daughter does guest vocals on “My Name Is Ruin” – a song about a powerful figure who brings about the catastrophe on Earth. The comparisons to Donald Trump are unavoidable, and Numan has admitted that the last U.S. presidential election provided some of the impetus for the album.
You’d think a song with a title like “The End of Things” would be at the beginning or end of such a concept album, but Numan puts it in the middle to signify (in my opinion) the turning of the tide in the battle for survival even when things seem bleakest. “And It All Began with You” simmers with unease before the bombastic “When the World Comes Apart” – an industrial powerhouse of a track with Blade Runner-like synths and foreboding bass and Human singing that he’s no hero or confessor.
I like how “Mercy” starts off with what sounds like fighter jets zooming by. Numan used to fly jets and aircraft in air shows for many years. “I should’ve told you, be careful what you wish for,” he sings on the menacing track that builds like some sort of monstrous war machine approaching on the horizon. Numan takes on one of his favorite touchy subjects, religion, on “What God Intended.” I heard an interview with him in which he expressed admiration for those who find incredible peace in religion, but he cannot abide religion being used for intolerance or to justify violence. The song is heavy on soaring synths and Numan’s near-cries to the heavens. The theme continues a bit on “Pray for the Pain You Serve.” Numan claims, “I will be here when the storm ends.” He’s been through a lot and come out a bit tougher each time
The album ends with “Broken,” a somber synthwave track that has more Middle Eastern touches and is quite cinematic. Why Numan isn’t being hired to score films is beyond me. It drifts along until an almost abrupt ending, perfect for an album about the potential end of the world.
Numan is firing on all cylinders right now, and his live act is one of the best tours currently out there. Get this and get to one of his shows if you can.
Brooklyn’s Bootblacks(Alli Gorman – guitars, Barrett Hiatt – synthesizers, Roger Humanbeing – drums, Panther MacDonald – lead vocals), play an interesting mix of post-punk, shoegaze, goth, and synthwave, and their new album, Fragments, is a showcase on how well they float between those genres.
Lead track “Hold & Dissolve” instantly plunges you into creepy synthwave with a good mix of live and processed beats. It reminds me of some of A Place to Bury Strangers‘ tracks, but with vocals that sound more like Peter Murphy than Oliver Ackermann. “The Longest Night” seems to be a song about the first night after MacDonald’s lover walked out on him. Hiatt’s synth work on it blends so well with Gorman’s guitar riffs that it’s sometimes difficult to tell them apart.
If there’s any justice in the world, “Memory Palace” is currently tearing up goth and industrial night clubs throughout New York City and will soon be catching on across the country. It’s like a Joy Division track if they had decided to be a dance band. “Sudden Moves” is a journey down a wet road under a gray sky with occasional bursts of sunlight through the clouds (mainly from Hiatt’s synths). “A Pale Fire” is a fast, almost poppy electro track, and “Reincarnate” is something that could be spun by a replicant Los Angeles dance club DJ in 2049. I like how Gorman knows when to fade back and let the synths take the lead and when to step back up and shred. She’s quickly becoming one of my new favorite guitarists.
“For You (Lois)” might be a love letter to Lois, or it might be an ode to Lois, or it might be a cynical takedown of Lois. I’m not sure, but it is a cool cold wave track. The closer, “Gone,” has definite Depeche Modeinfluences (especially in MacDonald’s vocal stylings) and synths that sound like something from a rare krautrock single.
My thanks to Bootblacks’ label, Manic Depression Records, for letting me know about this band. They weren’t on my radar until MDR contacted me. I’m glad they did because this is one of the most interesting finds of the year for me.
NEON COVEN RELEASE COVER OF DEPECHE MODE “NEVER LET ME DOWN AGAIN”
October 12th, 2017 – Neon Coven, the new industrial rock band from Los Angeles, CA, featuring Jacob Bunton (Adler/ Lynam) and Ace Von Johnson (Faster Pussycat) has released their take on Depeche Mode’s “Never Let Me Down Again” today. Produced by Bunton, the song is available on the band’s official YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38RXFOPqtpw
Neon Coven is comprised of Anthony Montemarano (vocals), Jacob Bunton (bass), Ace Von Johnson (guitar), and Kyle Cunningham (drums).
From Los Angeles, CA, Neon Coven abandoned much of the ethos of the tradition of heavy rock to create an intellectual and theoretical sound, linked to an emphasis on anthemic, synth-heavy dance-rock. The band’s debut EP Risen was released in February via New Ocean Media. The EP can be streamed at this location: https://open.spotify.com/album/1DSKprFqDMWhoj8ttiY5d8
For more information, check out the band’s Web Properties:
Electronic rock act S U R V I V E(who, for some unknown reason, tend to spell their name with a space between each letter) are best known for having some of the composers of the Stranger Things soundtrack as members. They create atmospheric and sometimes creepy instrumentals that instantly remind you of John Carpenter movie scores. I’m interested to see how a live performance sounds from them. They play Saturday afternoon at the Pitchfork Music Festival.
Keep your mind open.
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Nine Inch Nails recently announced they’ll be releasing two EPs in the next seven to nine months. The two EPs follow the December 2016 EP Not the Actual Events, and the band says the three EPs are linked (but they haven’t revealed how they are). The first is scheduled before the start of their summer tour in July, and the next will be released “6 to 8 months” after that.
Neon Coven, the new industrial rock band from Los Angeles, CA, has released its debut EP “Risen” today via New Ocean Media. Recorded in Hollywood, the EP was produced by Jacob Bunton. The EP consists of 4 tracks ranging from songs about survival and balance to emotionally charged anthems.
Neon Coven is comprised of Anthony Montemarano (vocals), Jacob Bunton (bass), Ace Von Johnson (guitar), and Kyle Cunningham (drums).
The album’s title Risen is a dedication to the fallen and broken who refuse to back down and give up on their dreams. “The idea behind music is to connect, create and inspire” states frontman Anthony Montemarano. “Between life and death, we are always riding the quantum edge.”
“These songs reflect on the uncertainties of life and coming to grips with our own mortality” adds bassist Jacob Bunton. “The only guarantee we have in life is that one day it will end. It’s up to each one of us to create our own destiny and live life to it’s fullest. The world is full of ups and downs, but I’ve always believed in the Rocky Horror quote ‘if you can dream it, you can be it.”
From Los Angeles, CA, Neon Coven abandoned much of the ethos of the tradition of heavy rock to create an intellectual and theoretical sound, linked to an emphasis on anthemic, synth-heavy dance-rock.
“Risen” track listing:
01. Down
02. No One Knows You’re Dead
03. Bleeding Love
04. Queen Of Scars
For more information, check out the band’s Web Properties:
We’re in the top ten of the my favorite live shows of 2016.
#10 – The Flaming Lipsat Middle Waves Fest in Ft. Wayne, Indiana September 17th
It was a triumphant return to Fort Wayne after nearly 30 years for them. The show was big, bright, and full of love. It was in the middle of the election season and just what we all needed at the time.
#9 – Earthlessat the Empty Bottle in Chicago December 2nd
Earthless is easily one of the best live acts out there right now, and this was my first time seeing them in a small venue. I don’t know how the Empty Bottle was still standing by the time they were done because it was among the loudest and heaviest sets I’ve seen there.
#8 – John Carpenterat the Masonic Temple Theatre in Detroit July 15th
“I got a movie and a concert,” my wife said after seeing a screening of Escape from New York and then John Carpenter, his son, his godson, and the rest of his band play a fantastic retrospective of his film score music. It was also in a huge gothic structure, so that made it all the better.
#7 – Screaming Femalesat the Brass Rail in Ft. Wayne, Indiana June 26th
I’d wanted to see them for a couple years, and seeing them an hour’s drive away with my best friend in a venue not much bigger than the bottom floor of my house was one of my favorite memories of 2016. They were even kind enough to let me interview in their tour van. They crushed it, leaving most of the crowd dumbstruck.
Another band I’d waited years, even decades, to see was L7 and their sold-out reunion tour show in Chicago was one of the best performances I’d seen from any band in years. They hadn’t lost a thing and showed pretenders how it’s done.
Good grief! If these shows were so good, who’s in the top five? Come back tomorrow and see!
Keep your mind open.
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