Electro – Page 41 – 7th Level Music

Top 30 albums of 2019: #’s 20 – 16

We’re into the top 20 albums from the year that I heard and reviewed. Let’s do this.

#20 – Blackwater Holylight – Veils of Winter

Blending goth, psychedelia, and doom, Blackwater Holylight crafted one of the coolest and creepiest records of the year. Witches coven vocal harmonies and cosmic horror synths roll along like fog across a moor and draw you into what at first sounds like the end of your mortal coil but turns out to be a pretty neat party.

#19 – Khruangbin – Hasta El Cielo

Khruangbin’s Con Todo El Mundo was already amazing, but then they released this dub version of it, and it’s just as good. It’s richly layered and probably the best chill-out record of 2019.

#18 – Comacozer – Mydriasis

Be sure to check out these guys if you’re a fan of dwarf star matter-heavy stoner metal. Comacozer’s Mydriasis consists of only four tracks, but they add up to enough time for a full album. They take delight in exploring long jams, cosmic highways, and hanging out with ancient gods.

#17 – King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard – Infest the Rats’ Nest

Speaking of heavy, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard decided to release two albums this year. The first was Fishing for Fishies (#26 on this list), and the second was this thrash metal album. Like “Fishies,” it’s also heavy on environmental themes and even heavier on shredding. They pretty much did it as a lark and it ended up being one of the best metal albums of the year.

#16 – Chromatics – Closer to Gray

Everyone was expecting the long-awaited (and long since destroyed) Dear Tommy, but we got Closer to Gray instead. It’s pretty much a giallo film soundtrack with plenty of sexy synthwave, Ruth Radelet’s haunting vocals, and a stunning cover of “The Sounds of Silence.”

The top 15 are coming up later today. Stick around!

Keep your mind open.

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Top 30 albums of 2019: #’s 25 – 21

Here we are at my top 25 albums that I heard from 2019.

#25 – Fat White Family – Serfs Up!

These hard-partying Brit weirdos make mind-warping rock that blends psychedelia with 1970’s funk. Serfs Up! is a cool blend of both genres and tackles themes of 1%’ers taking advantage of all of us.

#24 – Bayonne – Drastic Measures

Drastic Measures is another fine electro record from Bayonne. I love how he blends his vocals with bright synths, sometimes to the point where you can’t tell one from the other. The lyrics aren’t often discernible, but that’s okay. The album is meant to be experienced as a soundscape. Just sink into it and experience bliss.

#23 – The Schizophonics – People in the Sky

This album is loud, brash, cocky, and everything you need if you love garage rock, sweaty dive bars, the MC5, and power trios. It’s the antithesis of overproduced dreck that pollutes most of the FM airwaves, which means it’s great.

#22 – Skull Practitioners – Death Buy

This EP from Skull Practitioners has more guitar shredding than some double albums by more well-known rock acts. It’s a sonic assault that can catch you unprepared, so have the volume up and brace for impact when you play it.

#21 – Beehive – Depressed + Distressed

Beehive weren’t on my radar until their label sent me this fun record of grunge / shoegaze rock that captures millennial angst (and self-deprecation) in its title and lyrics. It pays homage to their rock idols and also trashes them (The song “90’s Trash” is particularly good.).

Come back tomorrow when we reach the top 20!

Keep your mind open.

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Top 30 albums of 2019: #’s 30 – 26

Here we are at the end of 2019. As always, there’s too much good music released every year for anyone to hear all of it, but here are my top 30 albums of 2019 (of 60 that I reviewed) this year.

#30 – Vapors of Morphine – Lyons, Colley, Dupree Live at the Lizard Lounge 5/25/2007

This is a recording of a 2007 show that was the beginnings of what would become Vapors of Morphine. It’s a great recording of jazz, low rock, delta blues, and a bit of psychedelia and was a welcome gift for this lover of Morphine.

#29 – Black Midi – Schlagenheim

This album is difficult to describe. Is it prog-rock? Post-punk? Both? Neither? I think it’s neither. I do know that it’s a wild mix of crazy guitar riffs, epic drumming, and bizarre, frantic lyrics. It’s unlike anything you’ll hear, and I fully expect (and the band has pretty much said) that the next Black Midi album will be completely different.

#28 – BODEGA – Shiny New Model

BODEGA can pretty much do no wrong in my eyes and ears, and Shiny New Model was another sharp, witty post-punk record from these New Yorkers. BODEGA capture existential ennui, technology paranoia, and the annoyance of the daily grind better than most.

#27 – Cosmonauts – Star 69

I knew as soon as I heard the single “Seven Sisters” for the first time that Star 69 would be in the top half of this list. Sure enough, the entire album is a shoegaze wallop with their heavy wall of distorted guitars and California sunshine (intentionally mixed with a bit of smog, let’s be honest). Sharp lyrics about being tired of parties and sick of hipsters are an added bonus.

#26 – King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard – Fishing for Fishies

Never ones to fear experimenting with multiple genres, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard decided to make a blues record and mix it with synthwave. It works. They’re probably one of the few bands who could do it, let alone make it a concept record about environmental issues and the constant creep of more technology into our lives.

Who’s in the top 25? Come back tomorrow to find out!

Keep your mind open.

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Top 20 singles of 2019: #’s 5 – 1

Let’s do this!

#5 – Priests – “Jesus’ Son”

This track about toxic masculinity let everyone know that Priests weren’t screwing around this year. It was the second cut from the brilliant album The Seduction of Kansas and it knocked you down if you didn’t respect it and them.

#4 – All Them Witches – “1 x 1”

Another single that knocked me flat this year was this new one from All Them Witches. It was a pleasant surprise and ended up being one of the heaviest tracks all year. ATW are brewing up dark stuff, and it’s all amazing.

#3 – Cass McCombs – “Absentee”

Cass McCombs wasn’t on my radar until I heard this single. I immediately thought, “Wow…I need to hear more of this guy.” This song, which my wife describes as “Comfortable,” is a haunting and lovely track that’s hard to describe (Alt-country jazz? Psychedelic lounge?) but why bother? Just enjoy it.

#2 – Cosmonauts – “Seven Sisters”

I’m not sure I rushed to buy an album so fast after hearing one track from it than when I heard this track from the new Cosmonauts record, Star 69. I blasted this thing in my wife’s car, possibly making her wonder if I was having an out-of-body experience based on my reaction to it. I think I was. I don’t quite remember because I think the wall of shoegaze sound that assaulted me knocked my brain into the back seat.

#1 – Kelly Lee Owens – “Let It Go”

This song will make you stop whatever you’re doing and dance. It was an instant club classic as soon as it was released. Kelly Lee Owens inspires me to make electronic music, and almost intimidates me to the point of not bothering – which is what a good teacher should do, inspire and challenge. She does both for all of us with this track.

There you have it. My list of top albums of the year is coming soon!

Keep your mind open.

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Top 20 singles of 2019: #’s 20 – 16

As always, there are a lot of good singles out there every year and picking just twenty to highlight is difficult, but here goes.

#20 – Andre Bratten – “HS”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEAh11-Ff0o

Good heavens, the opening bass on this cut from Pax Americana is alone worth the purchase price. It’s one of the hottest house music singles I’ve heard in years.

#19 – BODEGA – “Shiny New Model”

“You will be replaced by a shiny new model” is the first lyric in this sharp single, and on the album of the same name, by these NYC post-punkers who remind us that not only are we replaceable, but we often encourage others to forget us and don’t even realize we’re doing it.

#18 – Durand Jones and the Indications – “Morning in America”

Speaking of songs that throw a heavy punch at modern times, this soul cut is beautiful and brutal. “It’s morning in America, but I can’t see the dawn” might be the hardest-hitting lyric of the year on the most soulful record of the year.

#17 – CHAI – “Fashionista”

It’s difficult to pick a favorite part of this post-punk jam from Japan. Is it the fun vocals? The fat bass? The sizzling high hat? The message to be yourself and not care what others think of you? It’s probably all of it.

#16 – L7 – “Stadium West”

This song was a triumphant return for L7, who blessed us all with their first new album in 20 years – Scatter the Rats. The track is a solid rocker that keeps their snark and shreds.

Who’s in the top 15? Come back later today to learn!

Keep your mind open.

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Top 30 live shows of 2019: #’s 10 – 6

We’ve reached the top 10 concerts I saw this year. Read on!

#10 – Priests – Lincoln Hall – Chicago, IL – April 22nd

This was my first time seeing Priests in a small venue. The first time I saw them was at the 2017 Pitchfork Music Festival. Priests had just released their great (and, sadly, final for now) album The Seduction of Kansas and all of the songs sounded great live, and downright threatening at some points.

#9 – New Bomb Turks – House of Blues – Chicago, IL – November 28th

I hadn’t seen New Bomb Turks in well over a decade, and they still sounded as raw and feisty as ever. They were a wild punk rock injection to the Reverend Horton Heat’s “Holiday Hayride” show. I was thrown back in time and in the small mosh pit for the entire set, even jumping on stage during “Let’s Dress Up the Naked Truth” and having my mouth violated by lead singer Eric Davidson’s microphone.

#8 – King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard – Aragon Ballroom – Chicago, IL – August 24th

King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard never disappoint, and I attended this show after going to a memorial service for a cousin who loved live music. I thought of her multiple times during this show, which featured a wild set that mixed psychedelia, thrash metal, electro, and blues and two mosh pits happening at the same time in different parts of the ballroom.

#7 – Bayonne – 191 Toole – Tucson, AZ – May 10th

For anyone who missed this show, let me express my condolences. It was the last show of Bayonne‘s spring tour. It was in a small Tucson venue and I think fewer than thirty people were there. He could’ve just phoned it in and did the bare minimum to get by and then motor home to Austin, Texas, but he didn’t. He slayed that stage. I knew halfway through his set that it was going to be among my top ten shows of the year.

#6 – The Black Keys – United Center – Chicago, IL – September 27th

Seeing the Black Keys live had been on my bucket list for years, so I jumped at the chance to see them in Chicago. I didn’t know how their raw blues rock would sound in such a big venue, but my apprehension was short-lived. They filled the United Center with powerful sound and clarity, mixing old tracks with new ones and thrilling the crowd.

We’re almost to number one. Who will take the crown? Tune in later today to find out!

Keep your mind open.

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Top 30 live shows of 2019: #’s 20 – 16

We’ve reached the top 20! Here we go…

#20 – Reverend Horton Heat – House of Blues – Chicago, IL – November 28th

I hadn’t seen Reverend Horton Heat in years. He had a new drummer and added a pianist since I’d last seen him. This was a fun “Holiday Hayride” show that included Christmas tunes as well as plenty of his hits and a guest set by Dave Alvin.

#19 – Chromatics – Park West – Chicago, IL – May 31th

I knew this show was going to be a sell-out as soon as it was announced, but I still managed to score tickets. Despite me almost having to drag a drunk jerk out of the crowd after he punched someone, this turned out to be well worth the trip and ticket price because Chromatics delivered a beautiful set of shoegaze and synth wave that had everyone fawning over them.

#18 – Dave Alvin – House of Blues – Chicago, IL – November 28th

A set within a set, Dave Alvin played a half-hour set with the Reverend Horton Heat as his backing band during the “Holiday Hayride” show. Mr. Alvin put on a clinic in outlaw country and country-punk, absolutely shredding multiple guitar solos that even had Jim Heath grinning in amazement.

#17 – Acid King – Levitation Austin – November 09th

Stoner rock veterans / icons Acid King closed the outdoor stage during the RidingEasy Records showcase at Levitation Austin this year. It was a great, heavy set that showed they hadn’t lost anything and could still wallop you like a force of nature.

#16 – Here Lies Man – Levitation Austin – November 09th

Playing that same showcase earlier in the day was Here Lies Man, who brought a solid groove throughout the entire set that was as funky and heavy as I’d hoped it would be.

Who cracks the top 15? Come back later today to find out!

Keep your mind open.

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Top 30 live shows of 2019: #’s 25 – 21

Here we are at the top 25 best live shows I saw this year. Let’s get to it.

#25 Bebel Gilberto – Birchmere – Alexandria, VA – June 22nd

This was a lovely acoustic, intimate set with Bebel Gilberto and her guitarist in a small venue. Her voice was delightful, as always, and there was a funny moment when she had a wardrobe malfunction and her guitarist had to fix her top onstage.

#24 ORB – Aragon Ballroom – Chicago, IL – August 24th

I hadn’t seen ORB for a couple years, so it was good to catch up with them and see them as a four-piece for the first time. They hadn’t lost any of their heavy power and crushing riffs.

#23 Prettiest Eyes – Thalia Hall – Chicago, IL – October 11th

The energy expelled during a Prettiest Eyes set could power a tank. They’re frantic and manic, but still a tight machine that can stop on a dime. We were eager to see them again after catching them last year at Levitation France, and we were bouncing during the whole set (in each venue).

#22 The KVB – Levitation Austin – November 10th

I was eager to see the KVB at Levitation Austin this year after not being able to catch a show they played in Chicago a month earlier. They put on a good set that was everything I wanted – synth wave, krautrock, and shoegaze. It was also their first time playing in Austin, so that made the show extra special for all involved.

#21 Minami Deutsch – Levitation Austin – November 07th

Speaking of Levitation Austin, another great set we saw there (on the coldest night of the festival, no less) was from Minami Deutsch – a Japanese krautrock band. It was a flow of rock grooves, precise beats, and hypnotic drone. I became an instant fan and later chatted with lead guitarist, Kyo, about chicken shawarma wraps.

Who made the top 20? Come back tomorrow to find out.

Keep your mind open.

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Review: Chromatics – Closer to Grey

When Chromatics announced a new album was due this year or perhaps early next year, everyone assumed it would be the long-awaited and remade (after being famously destroyed by frontman Johnny Jewel) Dear Tommy. What came instead is the lovely, mysterious, giallo film-inspired Closer to Grey.

The album opens with a stunning rendition of Simon & Garfunkel‘s The Sound of Silence.” Ageless lead singer Ruth Radelet nearly whispers the lyrics and the sparse instrumentation along with her beautiful voice creates a haunting atmosphere that immediately changes the energy around you. Jewel’s keyboards and synth beats on “You’re No Good” bring in some house music touches to lovely effects as Radelet sings, “I know you’re no good, no, but I can’t stay away from you.” I’m sure this was remixed by thousands of DJ’s not long after the album was released.

The title track brings in electro shine and Nat Walker‘s bright guitar licks. The synths on “Twist the Knife” are sharp and stabbing, as benefits the title, and then the heavy synth bass kicks in as Radelet sings, “You can teach me to be cruel, like the way they tortured you. It’s all right.” “Light as a Feather” has a neat dusty, warped record sound to it as Radelet sings about hearing a voice that “sings whispers from the dead.”

“I can rest again, now that the sky is gray. It hasn’t rained here since May,” Radelet sings at the beginning of “Move a Mountain” – a song about loneliness, the kind of which Chromatics do so well. “Touch Red” is another haunting song about awakening the senses (“The world needs color.”). Walker’s guitar work on the instrumental “Through the Looking Glass” reminds me of Love and Rockets tracks.

“Whispers in the Hall” brings us back into giallo territory, with its slasher horror synths and lyrics centered around a woman in peril finding the will to fight (“Little girl the world just wants to trick you. Can’t you see the look in their eyes? Don’t you know the pain will make you stronger? You don’t have to buy into their lies.”). “On the Wall” is the longest song on the album, clocking in at about eight-and-a-half minutes. It has a cool rock vibe throughout it, bringing to mind 1960’s psychedelia and krautrock synth beats.

“Love Theme from Closer to Gray” is the theme to the giallo thriller Johnny Jewel has probably written and is on his way to producing by now. If not, I wish he would because the song drips with foggy atmosphere, hidden menace, and breathy, hot sex. The closer, “Wishing Well,” is not a cover of Terence Trent D’Arby‘s hit (although that would be amazing to hear from Chromatics), but rather a song about unfulfilled desires (“It’s a quiet night in a nowhere town, where the arcade still glows when no one’s around.”) and longing for something beyond our borders – physical and metaphysical. A ticking clock in the middle of it tells us that time is short. We’d better get to work fulfilling our dreams.

Closer to Gray is a welcome addition to not only Chromatics’ catalogue, but also to 2019. It wasn’t a massive surprise when they released it (They were on tour, after all.), but it was a much-needed jolt after a year of anger and self-isolation. It reminds us to embrace our dreams, and each other.

And by the way, Closer to Gray is available for download through the band’s label’s site (Italians Do It Better) for one dollar.

Keep your mind open.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PjUblmk4Cyo

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Jon Hopkins and Kelly Lee Owens create “Luminous Spaces.”

Jon Hopkins and Kelly Lee Owens present their new single and first collaborative recording, “Luminous Spaces,” available digitally now and on 12” on January 24, 2020. The track was originally destined to be a remix of Hopkins’ “Luminous Beings” by Owens, but after the pair worked closely together in the studio, it morphed into a standalone single. The two have built a working relationship over the past few years through sharing the same bill in live capacities and on DJ line-ups across the globe. Their work perfectly complements each other; Hopkins transcendent, dancefloor-focused electronics paired with Owens’ entrancing vocals and ethereal techno production creates a euphoric collaboration.

Hopkins on working with Owens:
“This project started as something very different from what you’re hearing now – I wanted Kelly to do a straight remix of ‘Luminous Beings.’ I sent her the parts, but what she sent back just felt like something totally new, and had the potential to be so much more than a remix. She’d recorded these beautiful, uplifting vocal lines and had come up with joyous new riffs that recalled for me the best bits of the 90s trance/euphoria that I had grown up loving. I got a beautiful sense of nostalgia and a true heart-lifting joy the first time I heard it, and it was so painless to take it from there to a finished piece – related and born out of ‘Luminous Beings’ but very much its own thing.”

Owens on working with Hopkins:
“‘Luminous Spaces’ initially began as a remix I did for Jon, which I also wrote vocals on top of. I sent the whole track to Jon for feedback and this lead to the start of a more collaborative effort, with him adding extra sound design/ production, and a new intro and outro, which I loved! The exchanging of ideas back and forth made it an extra special process for us and is why he decided to upgrade it to a full and proper collaboration. Our worlds truly colliding!”

Hopkins has forged a reputation for music that marries the dancefloor to the devotional, and for live performances that are visceral, generous, charged with a rapt, sensuous beauty. He’s regarded by The New Yorker as “one of the most celebrated electronic musicians of his generation” for his five solo albums – as well as collaborations with Brian Eno, David Lynch and King Creosote, and film scores for The Lovely Bones and Monsters. Last year, Hopkins’ Singularity received a GRAMMY nomination for Best Dance/Electronic Album.

Kelly Lee Owens bridges the gaps between cavernous techno, spectral pop, and krautrock’s mechanical pulse, and is known for her energetic, engaging live shows and DJ sets. She is also an in-demand remixer, working with Björk, Mount Kimbie, St Vincent and Jenny Hval. Her debut self-titled album was released via Smalltown Supersound in 2017.

Listen to “Luminous Spaces” –
http://smarturl.it/LuminousSpacesYT
http://smarturl.it/LuminousSpacesStrm

Pre-order the “Luminous Spaces” 12” –
https://smarturl.it/LuminousSpacesMart

Following the single, Hopkins will play shows in New Zealand and Australia, including the Sydney Opera House, early in the new year. He will then begin his Polarity Tour across the UK and Europe, combining his more meditative piano music, for which he will be joined on stage by a small group of consummate musician and long-time friends, with his harder more techno-focused material. A full list of dates for the Polarity Tour can found below.

Watch the Polarity Tour trailer here –
https://youtu.be/dGX_PzKVDzw

Jon Hopkins Polarity Tour:
Tue. March 3 – Edinburgh, UK @ Usher Hall
Thu. March 5 – Gateshead, UK @ Sage Gateshead
Fri. March 6 – Dublin, IE @ Bord Gais Energy Theatre – SOLD OUT
Fri. March 13 – Manchester, UK @ Bridgewater Hall
Sat. March 14 – Bath, UK @ The Forum
Sun. March 15 – Brighton, UK @ Dome
Wed. March 18 – London, UK @ Royal Albert Hall – SOLD OUT
Fri. March 20 – Paris, FR @ Salle Pleyel
Wed. March 25 – Copenhagen, DK @ Koncerthuset – Koncertsalen
Thu. March 26 – Stockholm, SE @ Gota Lejon
Fri. March 27 – Oslo, NO @ Sentrum Scene
Sun. March 29 – Helsinki, FI @ Helsinki Music Centre
Tue. March 31 – Hamburg, DE @ Laeiszhalle
Wed. April 1 – Brussels, BE @ Cirque Royal
Thu. April 2 – Berlin, DE @ Philharmonie
Sat. April 4 – The Hague, NL @ Rewire

Keep your mind open.

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