Month: April 2018

BODEGA release new single, “Can’t Knock the Hustle,” from upcoming debut album.

BODEGA Announce Debut Album, Endless Scroll, Out June 1st On What’s Your Rupture?

Watch The Video For New Single “Can’t Knock The Hustle”
https://youtu.be/sm5fWJDJicI

European Tour Announced


[Endless Scroll artwork]
BODEGA have announced their debut album, Endless Scroll, due out June 1st on What’s Your Rupture?. The Brooklyn art rock unit is comprised of Ben Hozie (guitar, vocals), Nikki Belfiglio(vocals), Montana Simone (drums), Madison Velding-Vandam (guitar) and Heather Elle (bass). With wild minimalism and sharp wit, BODEGA revitalizes the rock and roll vocabulary under the influence of post punk, contemporary pop, hip-hop, kraut rock, and folk-derived narrative songwriting. Endless Scroll was recorded and produced by Austin Brown (Parquet Courts) on the same Tascam 388 tape machine used for their LP Light Up Gold. It was mixed and mastered by Jonathan Schenke at Dr. Wu’s.

Along with today’s announcement, BODEGA are sharing a video for new single “Can’t Knock The Hustle.” On the track, Ben Hozie comments, “A few years ago I found myself working at an obnoxious soft serve shoppe in Union Square with this great Jamaican guy named Steven, who was an aspiring rapper. We used to engage in strange late-night Socratic discussions and the day Jay-Z’s Magna Carta Holy Grail came out he led me into a whirlpool of a syllogism that lead to the disastrous results heard on the track. Lesson learned: logic means nothing without context (in this case, Jay-Z’s). Unfortunately, the premise that ’capital=beyond critique’ is mostly considered sound in our artificially sweetened augmented-reality world.” He continues, “Care for a sample? For the advertisement of the song we wanted to make a proper pop clip, one I hope Steven appreciates. Nikki (Belfiglio) directed it and Taylor Christoffelphotographed it.”

Over next month, BODEGA will play hometown shows at Alphaville this Saturday, April 7th and Brooklyn Bazaar with No Age on Wednesday, May 2nd. Following that, they’ll head to Europe in support of Endless Scroll including a stop at The Great Escape. A full list of dates is below.

Watch BODEGA’s “Can’t Knock The Hustle” Video:
https://youtu.be/sm5fWJDJicI

Watch “How Did This Happen ?!” Video:
https://youtu.be/TKAzK41-YHM

BODEGA Tour Dates:
Sat. April 7 – Brooklyn, NY @ Alphaville (tickets)
Wed. May 2 – Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Bazaar w/ No Age (tickets)
Tue. May 15 – London, UK @ The Social (tickets)
Wed. May 16 – London, UK @ Lock Tavern (tickets)
Thu. May 17 – Brighton, UK @ The Great Escape (tickets)
Fri. May 18 – Brighton, UK @ The Great Escape (tickets)
Sat. May 19 – Leeds, UK @ Gold Sounds at Brudenell Social Club (tickets)
Sun. May 20 – Glasglow, UK @ The Poetry Club (tickets)
Tue. May 22 – London UK @ Electric Ballroom w/ Rolling Blackouts C.F. (tickets)
Wed. May 23 – London, UK @ The Lexington w/ Amyl and the Sniffers (SOLD OUT)
Fri. May 25 – Leffinge, BE @ De Zwerver (tickets)
Sat. May 26 – Amsterdam, NL @ London Calling at Paradiso (tickets)
Sun. May 27 – Brussels, BE @ AB Club w/ Moaning (tickets)
Tue. May 29 – Berlin, DE @ ACUD (tickets)

[Photo by Mert Gafuroglu]
Keep your mind open.
[Hustle over to the subscription box and drop in your e-mail address.]

Makeness – Loud Patterns

Kyle Molleson, otherwise known as Makeness, has given us a record that sounds like meticulous electronica and yet moves like free-flowing dance tracks at the same time – Loud Patterns.

The title track opens the record, bringing to mind a jungle DJ putting down tracks at a party in the House on Haunted Hill.  “Fire Behind the Two Louis” is as slick and hot as a grease fire.  “Who Am I to Follow Love” has lovely female vocals behind Molleson’s drums and sounds that make for good lounge slow jams.

“Stepping Out of Sync” has fat bass and more lounge synths combining for one of the best cuts on the record.  “Gold Star” is another choice cut, with big synths and floor-shaking dance beats throughout it.  I don’t know if the bass in “The Bass Rock” refers to fish or low-end sounds.  I’m guessing the former because the bass grooves on it are somewhat subdued.

“Day Old Death” is a bit creepy, as you’d expect from such a title.  I like the metronome-like beat in it to remind you of some masked killer stalking you.  The building synth-bass of “Rough Moss” has a great payoff.  It might be the most danceable song on the record.  “Our Embrace” is as jubilant as you hope it would be with such a title.  The synths are bright and bouncy and the drums keep you moving.  The bass on “14 Drops” is so fat that it needs to go on a diet.  The album ends with the appropriately titled “Motorcycle Idling,” because that’s just what it sounds like for a little over three minutes.

Loud Patterns is indeed both loud and full of wicked beat patterns.  It bodes well for Makeness’ future, and for your next party.

Keep your mind open.

[Step over to the subscription box before you go.]

 

The Damned unveil secrets of each track on upcoming album – “Evil Spirits”

THE DAMNED SHARE TRACK BY TRACK INFO FOR NEW ‘EVIL SPIRITS’ ALBUM
OUT FRIDAY APRIL 13TH ON SEARCH AND DESTROY / SPINEFARM RECORDS
PRE-ORDER ALBUM HERE
ANNOUNCE SELECT NORTHWEST DATES IN JULY AFTER BURGER BOOGALOO
US TOUR THIS FALL (DETAILS FORTHCOMING)
Following a hugely successful UK tour which saw British punk legends The Damned rev up 2018 by playing to thousands of rabid fans, including two back-to-back sold-out London shows, the band returned last month with a double A-side single culled from their forthcoming ‘Evil Spirits’ album, released April 13th via Search And Destroy/Spinefarm Records. The single featured the tracks ‘Look Left’ and ‘Devil In Disguise’,, two songs that perfectly represent the album’s many shifting moods and styles.
Recorded by legendary producer Tony Visconti, ‘Evil Spirits’ is the result of a frantic, high-energy burst of creativity at Atomic Sound studios in Brooklyn in October of 2017, with ‘Black Album’ and ‘Strawberries’-era bassist Paul Gray back in the fold.
Select shows in the Northwest have just been added, following their headline slot at Burger Boogaloo in Oakland July 1st.  A US tour will be announced at a later date (details forthcoming).
‘EVIL SPIRITS’- TRACK BY TRACK:
‘Standing On The Edge Of Tomorrow’ (watch video)
Up-to-the-minute garage psychedelia that gallops like Scott Walker’s ‘The Seventh Seal’, amid ominous ‘dies irae’ chorale and mucho post-millennial frustration. Vanian: “An optimistic song even though it is about a dark subject. In a world obsessed by ‘self’, this is a cry for humanity to recognize its humanity, before it’s too late. There is a strong influence of Joe Meek here: ‘Telstar’ was a glorious song about the opportunities of the future. I’d like to think that ‘SOTEOT’ reflects a similar sentiment.”
‘The Devil In Disguise’ (listen)
Another energetic garage-punk monster, replete with Monty Oxy Moron’s era-specific Farfisa organ. Pinch: “People gravitate towards blaming individuals rather than the systems they are part of. Figureheads are only puppets. It’s the puppet masters we should be concerned about. The enemy of our enemy is our friend, apparently.”
‘We’re So Nice’
“Where there’s dispute you’ll find us there…” Sensible’s broadside against Anglo-American imperialist meddling around the world bops along gleefully on a Motown beat amid a deluge of melodic excellence. Sensible: “With all that we know about the Iraq war, and its consequences, does anyone still think we were the ‘heroes’?”
‘Look Left’ (listen)
Sugar coated mind grenade, addressing post-millennial society’s “media-induced coma” Vanian: “The weird thing about Pinch is, he listens to the most obnoxious music a lot of the time – all the real hardcore punk stuff – and he a very loud drummer, too, but then he goes and writes this great big show tune – like a massive ensemble cast coming on to sing at the end of the play!” Pinch: “While everybody’s looking left, what the hell is happening right? Tough subject matter is easier to digest when coated in honey rather than vinegar and the message in this song is so important, I couldn’t risk it being a throw away aggro punk tune that was immediately overlooked. I see it more as a love song to the human race. The future is here, and until you awaken your mind, I’ll wait for you.”
‘Evil Spirits’
Fantastically searching, in the best sense ‘progressive’, rocker, with vague echoes of The Who’s ‘Magic Bus’ and The Rolling Stones’ ‘Can’t You Hear Me Knocking’, and some commensurately exploratory soloing from Sensible. An urgently free-spirited riposte to today’s political stasis. Sensible: “Whoever you vote for, nothing changes. Labour or Tory, two cheeks of same bum.” Vanian: “The Who are never far away from The Damned’s sound. We’ve had some big noses in this band, too. I suppose there are some parallels between us, because they were a high-energy band, too, but then Pete started writing his rock-opera stuff, stretching out, looking for different ways of writing. Queen did the same sort of thing as well – we’re one of those bands whose music can cover different genres of music, within one song.”
‘Shadow Evocation’
Quintessential Vanianism, about espousing the night and finding a better way forward than “chasing ghosts of the past”. Features acrobatic backing vocals from American singer-songwriter Kristeen Young. Vanian: ”Kristeen has a remarkable vocal range reminiscent of Yma Sumac [1950’s Peruvian-American soprano]. Her singing at the end of the song was originally played on a Theramin but once Kristeen sang the part, there was no need for the instrument anymore.”
‘Sonar Deceit’
Another garage-psych belter, propelled by a jaunty His Latest Flame-style bassline. “What makes a fish desert the sea?” ponders the Captain in this hard-hitting critique of whales and dolphins being driven insane by bombardment by deafening sonar.
Sensible: “What could it possibly be that drives whales and dolphins to prostrate themselves on beaches around the world?”
‘Procrastination’
Noel Coward-esque study of creative deferral, with more mid-’60s Farfisa from Mr Oxy Moron. Sensible: “One of Monty’s, this one. A bit of self-analysis here: what could be the reason that this band’s last album was recorded back in 2008? It’s good to be able to laugh at yourself – well, at least I think he’s talking about himself there… Isn’t he? Or is it me? Blimey!”
‘Daily Liar’
Co-written by Sensible (tune) and Vanian (lyric), another anger-fuelled barnstormer, with a Kinksian introductory fanfare, a driving beat, and a stirring melodic ascent. All together now: say “no, no, no…no-no” to media misinformation! Sensible: “For his own selfish reasons, Trump started a discussion about ‘fake news’, but it’s one that some might say has been long overdue. Not a pinch of salt required – you need a whole cellar of the stuff these days.”
‘I Don’t Care’
Punk heedlessness rebooted as a triptych of political disaffection, spanning moody piano balladry, Who-y explosiveness, and nocturnal jazz
Vanian: “This should have been a short song, perhaps only a minute long, written on a rainy afternoon in my study. Demoing the song, I almost forgot that there were two more sections, turning it into a three-part epic in about the same amount of minutes, which seems longer because of the differing moods.”
Evil Spirits is available on digital download via Spotify and i-Tunes, on CD and 180g vinyl available to pre-order HERE
        
Photos: Dod Morrison
LIVE SHOWS:
EUROPE:
May 17 – Frankfurt – Batschkapp
May 19 – Lausanne – Les Docks
May 20 – Milan – Magnolia
May 22 – Munich – Strom
May 23 – Berlin – SO36
May 25 – Hamburg – Fabrik
May 26 – Oberhausen – Turbinenhalle
May 27 – Amsterdam – Melkweg Oude Zaal
May 29 – Paris – Petit Bain
UK:
June 16 – Birmingham – Genting Arena *
June 17 – Manchester – Arena *
June 19 – Glasgow – The SSE Hydro *
June 20 – London – The SSE Arena, Wembley *

US:
July 1 – Oakland – Burger Boogaloo Festival

July 5 – Vancouver –  Commodore Ballroom (on sale 4/6 10am PST)
July 6 – Portland – Crystal Ballroom (on sale 4/6 10am PST)
July 7 – Seattle – Showbox at the Market (on sale 4/6 10am PST)
UK:
August 22 – Southampton – 02 Guildhall
August 23 – Holmfirth – Holmfirth Picture House
August 24 – Warrington – Warrington Parr Hall
August 25  – Belfast – Belsonic Festival (main support to Stiff Little Fingers)
* supporting the Hollywood Vampires
“…hard-charging ethos accented by smooth hi-fi production and a stylistic debt to pop’s pre-rock era.”Stereogum
The Damned have become, if possible, more eccentric and outrageous as they grow older.”  – The Independent
“The King’s people have drunk from the Fountain of Youth. This truly is a band at the top of its game. Long Live The Damned”
– Louder Than War
The Damned are:
David Vanian – Vocals
Captain Sensible – Guitar
Monty Oxy Moron – Keyboard
Pinch – Drums
Paul Gray – Bass
Keep your mind open.
[Please subscribe if you dig my blog.]

The Coathangers to release first live album this summer.

The Coathangers Announce 1st Live Album

Preorder The Coathangers LIVE on limited-edition tri-color vinyl. 

Watch “Gettin’ Mad and Pumpin’ Iron” (Official Live Video) premiere via
i-D. 

In their thirteen years of existence, Atlanta’s tireless garage punks The Coathangers have cranked out five full-lengths and well over a dozen singles, splits, and EPs. Considering the band’s initial aspirations to merely hang out and play a few house parties, their relentless touring schedule is perhaps the greatest testament to the lasting power of their scrappy hook-laden records and the infectious energy radiating from their live shows. And while every Coathangers record has captured their buoyant turbulence and jagged euphoria, there is always some degree of magic that inevitably gets lost when bands go into the studio. Perhaps it’s the energy transference from the audience that’s missing or maybe it’s the push-and-pull of the musicians playing together in a volatile environment. Whatever the source of that inexplicable magic, The Coathangers have always wrangled a rowdy replication of that sweaty and sticky live feeling, but the time had come to properly document it.

Their quest for enchantment prompted The Coathangers: 2 Nights of Magic, a free two-night stand at Alex’s Bar in Long Beach, California replete with magicians, tarot card readings, burlesque dancers, palm readers, and a giant paper mache rabbit for photo-ops. And out of those shows came LIVE, the first Coathangers release to document the band in their natural habitat. “It’s kinda trippy, this record,” says guitarist/vocalist Julia Kugel. “It’s like our anthology… our entire career in 38 minutes.” Sure enough, LIVE spans everything from the slow-burn pop of “Captain’s Dead” off last year’s Parasite EP to the rabblerousing rocker “Tonya Harding” off their self-titled debut. The boisterous magic was captured by Dylan Ely and front-of-house engineer Eric Huff, with Kugel’s husband Scott Montoya handling the mixing in their new home studio. “I love the way it sounds,” Kugel says of the record. “It’s pumped me up for the next record! It sounds how we’ve never been able to sound on our studio albums… LIVE! Our live shows are who we really are so this is kind of our first record.”

Sure enough, LIVE captures the playful fervor of The Coathangers at their finest. “Gettin’ Mad and Pumpin’ Iron” sounds even more gloriously unhinged here than when it first appeared on Scramble back in 2009. Fan favorites like “Adderall” sound increasingly ragged and desperate as drummer Stephanie Luke belts out the verses and choruses on an adrenaline rush. Recent songs like bassist Meredith Franco’s Nosebleed Weekend highlight “Burn Me” feel injected with a manic urgency that pushes the tightly wound post-punk number into an unruly anthem. The Coathangers successfully captured the magic of their concerts, and now Suicide Squeeze is proud to offer LIVE to the world on June 1st 2018 via digital formats, cassette, and a limited first-edition pressing of 1500 copies on tri-color vinyl.
PREORDER LP/CAS/DIGITAL
Gettin’ Mad and Pumpin’ Iron LIVE at Alex’s Bar

The Coathangers On Tour
FRI APR 20 – Orlando FL, The Beacham Theatre* (TICKETS)
SAT APR 21 – Atlanta GA, Center Stage* (TICKETS)
SUN APR 22 – Charlotte NC, Neighborhood Theatre* (TICKETS)
TUE APR 24 – Boston MA, Royale NightClub* (TICKETS)
WED APR 25 – Asbury Park NJ, The Stone Pony*  (TICKETS)
THU APR 26 – Brooklyn NY, Warsaw* (TICKETS)
FRI APR 27 – New York NY, Irving Plaza* (TICKETS)
SAT APR 28 – Philadelphia PA, Electric Factory * (TICKETS)
SUN APR 29 – Washington DC, Black Cat* (TICKETS)
TUE MAY 1 – Buffalo NY, Town Ballroom* (TICKETS)
WED MAY 2 – Cincinnati OH, Bogart’s* (TICKETS)
THU MAY 3 – Pontiac MI, The Crofoot* (TICKETS)
FRI MAY 4 – Chicago IL, House of Blues* (TICKETS)
SAT MAY 5 – St. Louis MO, Ready Room* (TICKETS)
TUE MAY 29 – New Brunswick GA, Tipsy McSway’s (TICKETS)
WED MAY 30 – Jacksonville FL, Jack Rabbits (TICKETS)FRI JUN 1 – Tampa FL, Crowbar (TICKETS)
SAT JUN 2 – Gainesville FL, High Dive (TICKETS)
SUN JUN 3 – Pensacola FL, Vinyl Music Hall (TICKETS)
TUE JUN 5 – New Orleans LA, Santos (TICKETS)
WED JUN 6 – Houston TX, White Oak Music Hall (TICKETS)
THU JUN 7 – Austin TX, Barracuda (TICKETS)
FRI JUN 8 – San Antonio TX, Jack Rabbit
SAT JUN 9 – Dallas TX, Club Dada (TICKETS)
SUN JUN 10 – Oklahoma City OK, 89th Street (TICKETS)
TUE JUN 12 – Kansas City MO, Record Bar (TICKETS)
WED JUN 13 – Davenport IA, Raccoon Motel (TICKETS)
THU JUN 14 – DeKalb IL, The House Cafe (TICKETS)
FRI JUN 15 – Indianapolis IN, The Hi-Fi (TICKETS)
SAT JUN 16 – Nashville TN, The Basement (TICKETS)
* with Minus the Bear

Keep your mind open.

[Hang out here by subscribing.]

Makeness shares new single from upcoming album – “Loud Patterns”

Makeness Shares New Single “Who Am I To Follow Love”
https://youtu.be/4Utof_SCsW8

Loud Patterns Out April 6th On Secretly Canadian
https://makeness.lnk.to/loudpatterns

North American Tour With Unknown Mortal Orchestra Starts This Month


[Loud Patterns artwork]
Scottish producer Makeness has shared another new single from his debut album, Loud Patterns, coming out this Friday, April 6th via Secretly Canadian. Crafting tracks which make a virtue of disparate influences, the sparkling “Who Am I To Follow Love” sees Kyle Molleson team up with Babeheaven vocalist Nancy Andersen to create a reflective mood and showcase another side to his versatile songwriting talents. The track is accompanied by a new webpage designed by Kyle, featuring a collection of images documenting the making of Loud Patterns.

Loud Patterns is an album that’s noticeably indebted to house and techno; there are 4/4 rhythms, and a no-nonsense directness that harks back to the Detroit pioneers. Channeling avant-garde experimentalism and an outsider’s interest in pop, Kyle embraces the distance between those two poles. The album arrives after a series of releases that have established his particular, in-between approach to dance-minded music. He put out two EPs on Manchester-based imprint Handsome Dad, a one-off single with Adult Jazz and the self-released Temple Works EP; Whities also released a limited-edition white label of a Minor Science dub of one of his tracks.

Following the release of Loud Patterns, Makeness will tour with label kin Unknown Mortal Orchestraacross North America and parts of Europe.

Listen To Makeness’ “Who Am I To Follow Love”:
https://youtu.be/4Utof_SCsW8
Watch & Listen:
“Stepping Out Of Sync” video – https://youtu.be/_SaXuy2isS0
“Day Old Death” video – https://youtu.be/m6n5q58560M
“Day Old Death” stream – https://makeness.lnk.to/dayolddeath
“Loud Patterns” stream – https://youtu.be/RZF0rp1Ujbc
Makeness Tour Dates:
April 12 – @ London, UK @ Corsica Studios
April 22 – Northampton, MA @ Pearl Street w/ Unknown Mortal Orchestra
April 23 – Portland, ME @ Port City Music Hall w/ Unknown Mortal Orchestra
April 25 – Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel w/ Unknown Mortal Orchestra
April 26 – Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel w/ Unknown Mortal Orchestra
April 27 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club w/ Unknown Mortal Orchestra
April 28 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer w/ Unknown Mortal Orchestra
April 30 – Boston, MA @ Royale w/ Unknown Mortal Orchestra
May 1 – Montreal, QC @ Corona Theatre w/ Unknown Mortal Orchestra
May 2 – Toronto, ON @ Danforth Music Hall w/ Unknown Mortal Orchestra
May 3 – Chicago, IL @ Vic Theatre w/ Unknown Mortal Orchestra
May 4 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue w/ Unknown Mortal Orchestra
May 7 – Seattle, WA @ The Moore Theatre w/ Unknown Mortal Orchestra
May 8 – Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom w/ Unknown Mortal Orchestra
May 9 – Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater w/ Unknown Mortal Orchestra
May 10 – Oakland, CA @ Fox Theater w/ Unknown Mortal Orchestra
May 11 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern w/ Unknown Mortal Orchestra
May 12 – Pioneertown, CA @ Pappy and Harriet’s w/ Unknown Mortal Orchestra
May 18 – Hamburg, Germany @ Uebel & Gefährlich w/ Unknown Mortal Orchestra
May 19 – Berlin, Germany @ Kesselhaus w/ Unknown Mortal Orchestra
May 20 – Heidelberg, Germany @ Karlstorbahnhof w/ Unknown Mortal Orchestra
May 21 – Düsseldorf, Germany @ zakk w/ Unknown Mortal Orchestra
May 22 – Paris, France @ La Gaîté Lyrique w/ Unknown Mortal Orchestra
May 24 – London, United Kingdom @ Roundhouse w/ Unknown Mortal Orchestra
May 25 – Bristol, United Kingdom @ SWX w/ Unknown Mortal Orchestra
May 31 – Edinburgh, United Kingdom @ Hidden Door
September 1 – Dumfries & Galloway, United Kingdom @ Drumlanrig Castle (Electric Fields Festival)

[Photo by Dexter Lander]
Pre-order Loud Patterns – https://makeness.lnk.to/loudpatterns
Keep your mind open.
[Get loud by subscribing.]

Comacozer / Blown Out – In Search of Highs Volume 1

Australian cosmic psych-rockers Comacozer have teamed up with UK cosmic psych-rockers Blown Out to release a massive split LP of, you guessed it, cosmic psych-rock called In Search of Highs Volume 1.

“Massive” might be too light of an adjective to describe this record.  Comacozer‘s portion is on side A.  It’s one track that last’s just short of eighteen minutes.  “Binbeal” begins with a didgeridoo to put us in the mood of someone sitting atop a red rock in the Australian outback during a sunrise meditation.  It evolves into a heady groove perfect for opening your third eye chakra.  It’s a rapid plunge down a psychedelic rabbit hole by the eleventh minute.

Blown Out gets side B off to an epic start with the nine-minute-plus “Terraform.”  The title of the track refers to the process of restructuring entire planets.  Trust me, it’s heavy enough to do that.  The guitars alone would power terraforming machines from orbit.  “Void Sucker” is half the length of the previous track, but about double the speed.  “Hook Up the Telepath” ends side B with psychedelic chaos that reminds me of the aerobraking scene in 2010: The Year We Make Contact.

It’s a solid LP of instrumental stoner-psych metal that will get you through the cold of space or the heat of re-entry.  Volume 2 can’t come soon enough for my liking.

Keep your mind open.

[In search of good music?  Subscribe and I’ll keep you up to date of plenty of it.]