June 2019 – Page 2 – 7th Level Music

Priests release disco cover version of Danzig’s “Mother.”

LISTEN TO “MOTHER” http://amzn.to/priests

WATCH “JESUS’ SON” https://youtu.be/sAEuo7TS2D8

WATCH “GOOD TIME CHARLIE” https://youtu.be/PXGTRqwpO1o

WATCH “THE SEDUCTION OF KANSAS” http://smarturl.it/TheSeductionOfKansas

Ahead of their US tour in support of The Seduction of Kansas (released earlier this year via Sister Polygon Records) Priests today have released an Amazon Original song, “Mother,” a cover of Danzig’s iconic 1988 signature song. “Mother” is available to stream and purchase only on Amazon Music. Taken from Danzig’s self-titled debut, a classic produced by Rick Rubin, “Mother” is a track that Priests often perform live and play in the van while on tour. The cover was recorded in a day with multi-instrumentalist Don Godwin at Tonal Park in Washington, D.C., and features bassist Alexandra Tyson. For the recording, Priests re-work the track with a more dramatic, danceable edge.

“This whole album (Danzig) is actually pretty sexy, something it doesn’t get enough credit for. We thought we’d tease this out a little more in our cover by re-imagining it with a ‘Let’s Dance’ era Nile-Rogers-producing-Bowie kind of glamor. Plus, what better way to subvert expectations of a Danzig song than by sprinkling it with a little disco panache? We assume this cover won’t be for everybody, but that’s the whole point of committing to creative decisions now, isn’t it?”

Listen to “Mother” (Amazon Original) only on Amazon Music: http://amzn.to/priests

Amazon Music listeners can simply ask, “Alexa, play the new song by Priests” in the Amazon Music app for iOS and Android and on Alexa-enabled devices, or find the track on the global playlist “The Setlist,” celebrating the best music of the moment in indie rock.

PRIESTS 2019 TOUR DATES Mon. June 17 – Atlanta, GA @ Drunken Unicorn Tue. June 18 – New Orleans, LA @ Gasa Gasa Thu. June 20 – Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall Fri. June 21 – Austin, TX @ Barracuda Sat. June 22 – Dallas, TX @ Club Dada Mon. June 24 – Albuquerque, NM @ Sister Tue. June 25 – Phoenix, AZ @ Valley Bar Wed. June 26 – San Diego, CA @ Soda Bar Thu. June 27 – Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom Sat. June 29 – Oakland, CA @ Starline Social Club Mon. July 1 – Portland, OR @ Polaris Hall Tue. July 2 – Vancouver, BC @ The Bitmore Wed. July 3 – Seattle, WA @ Neumos Sat. July 6 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court Sun. July 7 – Denver, CO @ Lost Lake Tue. July 9 – Kansas City, MO @ The Record Bar Wed. July 10 – St. Louis, MO @ Off Broadway

PRAISE FOR THE SEDUCTION OF KANSAS

“[The Seduction of Kansas] reinvents the entire idea of Priests, finding bold new ways of expressing their rage against soulless consumerism and empty empire. It’s an LP full of disco ghosts and subtle threats, sideways glances and radical moves.” – Rolling Stone

“Priests’ breed of elastic post-punk is as danceable as it is thought-provoking. On their sophomore LP, The Seduction of Kansas, the D.C. trio locks into rubbery grooves that beckon for the freewheeling boogying of Converse-clad clubgoers.” – Billboard

“Priests prove themselves to be highly intellectual and creative songsmiths, drawing on not only their D.C. punk roots but also some adventurous pop sensibilities, all while serving up searing, sage commentary on Middle American ideals.” – Paste

“[The Seduction of Kansas] finds Priests pushing in all sorts of directions, forever dismissing any shorthand descriptions of them as a punk band.” – Stereogum

“a dizzying display of theoretical references and pop culture detritus, one that induces a pleasurable nausea similar to being at the centre of a mosh-pit — blissfully lacking in control, totally at the mercy of those around you.” – Exclaim!

“A merry-go-round of styles and themes, The Seduction Of Kansas isn’t a departure so much as a reminder of the band’s foundations.” – AV Club

PURCHASE THE SEDUCTION OF KANSAS Sister Polygon pre-order – http://sisterpolygonrecords.bigcartel.com

iTunes Pre-order – https://apple.co/2TvJs3c

Priests Online: website: http://www.666priests666.com/ spr

website: http://sisterpolygon.com/ bandcamp:

https://priests.bandcamp.com/

twitter: @PRIESTS_TWEET

facebook: @priestsband

instagram: @insta_priests

Keep your mind open.

[Mother, tell your children to walk their way to the subscription box.]

Possible Humans’ quirky-cool debut album, “Everybody Split,” is due out August 2nd.

LISTEN TO “ASPIRING TO BE A BLOKE” https://tinyurl.com/y5dyjlpl

Melbourne’s Possible Humans have announced their debut album, Everybody Split, will be out August 2nd via Trouble in Mind. They also share the lead single from the album, “Aspiring To Be A Bloke.” Formed in 2012 as a loose amalgamation of some solo projects, they existed mostly by way of reckless and ambitionless improv jams in the city’s most notorious third-rate rehearsal space (now defunct). The group was initially four – Leon Cranswick and Hewitt brothers Steve, Mark and Adam – but soon Adam’s longtime partner in crime Samuel Tapper started showing up to fan the flames.

Demos of actual songs soon circulated, with all members contributing. The earliest recorded result was a 7″ made on 8 track reel-to-reel and cassette at the old Kensington Wool Sheds and released by Sydney pal Sam Wilkinson on his Strange Pursuits label. “Cuz” and its flip “Toroid” were written by Mark and Steve respectively, though lines of authorship in the group were blurring.

The improvised tape Ringwood/Ozone followed, released as spontaneously as it was played. Of all its preposterous details the most ironic is that Steve, the band’s ‘spiritual leader’ and original creative force, did not play on it. Did not even turn up that night. Which was an interesting twist to the band’s new Stooges-like communism. No one, least of all PH members, can tell who was playing what on it. Instrument-swapping was rife in the early days. These days, however, usually find Mark on drums, Sam and Steve doing most of the singing, and Adam and Leon doing everything else. Influences have probably always included Guided By Voices, Neil Young and Wire.

A lot of the songs on Everybody Split were first recorded – or demoed, in hindsight – at Sound Recordings, Alex Bennett’s splendid all-analogue studio in Castlemaine. But the songs needed more time, and the tunes hit their stride some years later alongside new ones with Alex Macfarlane (Twerps, The Stevens) at the helm, whose DIY approach to recording did the trick. Macfarlane, a longtime fan of the band, released this debut LP on his own Hobbies Galore imprint and the limited 200-pressing run sold out in a day.

During the album’s short time of availability, it caught the ear of Pitchfork, who, despite the album not being widely available yet, chose to bestow it with a praise-filled review. Comparisons to bands like The Clean or fellow Melburnians Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever are apt, but, as with most RIYL suggestions, limiting. Like Rolling Blackouts C.F., the frequently carefree and propulsive music is replete with deeply philosophical and sharp-witted lyrics. The lyrical content touches (among other things) paranoia, the comedies of insect social media use, freedom and other existential complications, sympathetic galloping, and leaving the amusement park after “too many goes on the gravitron.” As far as lead single “Aspiring To Be a Bloke,” Steve Hewitt describes it as “the whimpering man in the strong dog and vice versa… sarcasm and paradox at the roots of depression.”

PRE-ORDER EVERYBODY SPLIT https://bit.ly/2KtvtJY

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Live – Paul McCartney – Memorial Coliseum – Ft. Wayne, IN – June 03, 2019

Thanks to a missing comma, Ft. Wayne apparently renamed the city “Fort Wayne Paul” in McCartney’s honor.

The buzz for Paul McCartney‘s first show ever in Fort Wayne, Indiana was so big that local news outlets were telling people to get to the Memorial Coliseum early, make early dinner plans, and be ready to face construction on Coliseum Boulevard.

I managed to score some upper level tickets at overinflated prices on StubHub after my initial efforts to buy face value tickets were dashed within minutes. I waited months to finally buy the tickets we had. I almost didn’t, but I couldn’t resist the chance to see a living legend in a small arena just over an hour’s drive from my house.

The crowd was enormous and buzzing from the get-go. The merchandise booth was jam-packed with people buying everything from coffee mugs and shirts to tote bags and blankets (Yes, Paul McCartney blankets.). I opted for the limited edition show poster (limited to 100 copies) for the same price as a tour shirt ($45.00). Inside, we also discovered that Sir Paul had vegetarian and vegan food options available at some of the concession stands.

We eventually made our way to our seats, which were nearly ten times face value. Scalpers suck.

The view from our $432.00 seats. Those on the floor in the first section were more than double that EACH.

They turned out to be well worth the money. Sir Paul and his band came out and started with the Beatles‘ “Hard Day’s Night” and then followed it with Wings‘ “Junior’s Farm,” which I didn’t expect and was delighted to hear.

“All My Lovin'” and “Letting Go” followed before they got to “Who Cares” (an anti-bullying song) and “Come On to Me” from his new album Egypt Station (with “Got to Get You into My Life” sandwiched between them).

The Wings track “Let Me Roll It” was followed by a brief instrumental cover of Jimi Hendrix‘s “Purple Haze” and McCartney telling a fun story of him seeing Hendrix play in London just a couple days after Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band was released. Another Wings highlight just a couple songs later was “Let ’em In” – a personal favorite of mine.

“Maybe I’m Amazed” is still powerful, and even more so live. Another fun treat was he and his band performing the first Quarrymen song “In Spite of All the Danger.” He told a fun story about the recording of “Love Me Do” (in which he admitted you can still hear how nervous he was singing it in the song after John Lennon asked him to do it so he could play the harmonica on the track) before playing a fun version of it and then playing a solo acoustic version of “Blackbird,” which is still beautiful and poignant. His ode to Lennon, “Here Today,” also tugged at the heartstrings.

In case you’re wondering, Sir Paul played bass, electric guitar (on which he can shred, by the way), acoustic guitar, mandolin, piano, and ukulele throughout the show. The ukulele he played, by the way, was the one given to him by George Harrison. The song he played on it? Harrison’s “Something,” of course, which sounded great.

“George was a very accomplished ukulele player. Many people don’t know that.”

McCartney’s band were no slouches either, with two guitarists, a keyboardist, a drummer, a three-man horn section, and a top-notch sound and video crew doing great work throughout the three-hour show. The graphics on “Back in the USSR” were great, and the pyrotechnics during “Live and Let Die” (complete with jets of fire and cannon explosions) were big crowd-pleasers.

“Live and Let Die” (with cannons and flame throwers)

The main set ended with “Hey Jude.” That alone with over two hours. The encore was another half-hour and included “Birthday,” “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,” “Helter Skelter” (a wild, unexpected treat), “Golden Slumbers,” “Carry That Weight” (another welcome addition), and ended with (What else?) “The End.”

He looked great, sounded great, and brought us all a great time. He shows no signs of slowing down, so catch him if you can. The stories he tells are almost worth the ticket price by themselves.

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Mamby on the Beach releases first 2019 lineup announcement.

Chicago’s annual Mamby on the Beach festival has announced its first wave of acts for 2019, and there are some doozies on the list.

Santigold and Flying Lotus have played the festival before and are sure to put on another great performance. Flying Lotus’ show is in 3-D, no less. Bring your glasses. You won’t regret it. I’d also be keen on seeing Phantogram, and I’m sure Sylvan Esso, Quin XCII, Zhu, and Brockhampton will have jam-packed sets.

It’s a fun festival on a beach in the summer. What’s not to like?

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Bleached’s upcoming album is going to be great if “Kiss You Goodbye” is any indication.

“[‘Hard to Kill’] rolls with a dance rock energy, and its accompanying video feels beamed straight from MTV, circa 1984.” – Los Angeles Times

“This newfound perspective has sonically opened new doors for [Bleached]. . . ‘Hard to Kill’ is a catchy, disco-tinged banger about looking death in the face and saying, ‘Not today.’” – MTV News

Bleached – the Los Angeles-based duo of sisters Jessie and Jennifer Clavin – share a new single and video, “Kiss You Goodbye,” from their forthcoming album, Don’t You Think You’ve Had Enough?, due July 12th via Dead Oceans. Following the “bold and cowbell-dotted” (Vulture) “Hard to Kill” and “Shitty Ballet,” “Kiss You Goodbye” is an empowering and rambunctious bid farewell: “Kiss you goodbye // for the last time // return to sender // feeling so alive // some things are meant to die.” For the video, sister duo Giraffe Studios maintain the vibrant, cohesive aesthetic of Don’t You Think You’ve Had Enough?.

As described by Juliana Giraffe: “We all saw ‘Kiss you Goodbye’ as an opportunity to pay homage to our roots in the valley. Not only are we all sibling sisters coming together, but also all San Fernando valley girls at heart. What better way to celebrate that than a quick shout out to backyard bbqs, body builders and a little boogie nights on a Sunday in beautiful Woodland Hills.”

Don’t You Think You’ve Had Enough? is Jessie and Jennifer Clavin’s first LP written from a place of sobriety. That clear-eyed perspective serves as the guiding force in every corner of its sound, yielding a courageous, honest, and sonically ambitious album.

Bleached returned to their dynamic as sisters – Jessie handled the bulk of the instrumentation and Jennifer handled the lyrics and melodies. Sometimes, Jessie would go into the practice space first to lay down guitars and instrumentals with Jennifer going in the next day to find a new file waiting for her, opening it, and writing her lyrics and melodies. Producer Shane Stoneback (Vampire Weekend, Sleigh Bells) helped open every door to experimentation, wanting to be exploratory while keeping the sound singularly Bleached. The album glimmers with inspiration found in touring with the likes of The Damned and Paramore whose arena-ready, incisively catchy pop was a palpable influence helping to push Bleached’s sound in a new realm.

Bleached just returned from presenting a slew of new songs at sold out shows across the country supporting The Hives and Refused. Following a hometown record release show in Los Angeles, they’ll kick off their North American tour in September. All dates are below.

Watch “Kiss You Goodbye” Video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=InvEKijp7WM

Watch: “Hard To Kill” Video – https://youtu.be/bQYgcc02m5c

“Shitty Ballet” Video – https://youtu.be/v8pGMcSylH4

Pre-order Don’t You Think You’ve Had Enough? – bleached.ffm.to/dontyouthink

Bleached tour dates: Thu. July 11 – Los Angeles, CA @ Moroccan Lounge Thu. Aug. 22 – London, UK @ The Lexington Sat. Aug. 24 – Reading, UK @ Reading Festival Sun. Aug. 25 – Leeds, UK @ Leeds Festival Thu. Sept. 5 – San Diego, CA @ The Casbah Fri. Sept. 6 – Pomona, CA @ The Glass House Sat. Sept. 7 – Phoenix, AZ @ Valley Bar Mon. Sept. 9 – Austin, TX @ Barracuda Tue. Sept. 10 – Dallas, TX @ Club Dada Wed. Sept. 11 – Houston, TX @ Satellite Bar Fri. Sept. 13 – New Orleans, LA @ Gasa Gasa Sat. Sept. 14 – Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade (Hell) Sun. Sept. 15 – Raleigh, NC @ Motorco Tue. Sept. 17 – Washington, DC @ U Street Music Hall Thu. Sept. 19 – Brooklyn, NY @ Elsewhere Fri. Sept. 20 – Philadelphia, PA @ PhilaMOCA Sat. Sept. 21 – Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall Mon. Sept. 23 – Toronto, ON @ Horseshoe Tavern Tue. Sept. 24 – Columbus, OH @ The Basement Wed. Sept. 25 – Nashville, TN @ Exit In Fri. Sept. 27 – Urbana, IL @ Pygmalion Festival Sat. Sept. 28 – Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry Sun. Sept. 29 – Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall Mon. Sept. 30 – St. Louis, MO @ Firebird Tue. Oct. 1 – Kansas City, MO @ Riot Room (Outdoors)* Thu. Oct. 3 – Denver, CO @ Globe Hall* Fri. Oct. 4 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The State Room* Sat. Oct. 5 – Boise, ID @ The Olympic* Mon. Oct. 7 – Seattle, WA @ Crocodile* Tue. Oct. 8 – Vancouver, BC @ Biltmore Cabaret* Wed. Oct. 9 – Portland, OR @ Star Theater Fri. Oct. 11 – Oakland, CA @ New Parish* Sat. Oct. 12 – Los Angeles, Ca @ The Lodge Room* *= w/ Dude York

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Ty Segall’s new album, “First Taste,” is due August 2nd, but you can get a “Taste” of it now

“Our salivating makes it all taste worse,” croons Ty Segall in “Taste,” the lead single / video from his forthcoming album, First Taste, due August 2nd via Drag City. He’s talking about us: how we’re the masters of our own destiny, tellers of our own prophecy, makers of our own sickened choices. It’s a warning, but this time, the finger is pointing back at him too. He’s one with us. First Taste is an introspective set for Segall after the extroversions of 2018’s Freedom’s Goblin. Lines of struggle wind through the songs as Segall reflects on family, re-encountering pasts, anticipating futures. He skates through oneness, self-esteem, the parents – all the joys of a rain-filled childhood – while reaching outward in the here and now, feeling for a shared pulse.

Meanwhile, the production is far out! Segall’s creative juices suggested some radical (in the older sense of the word) new instrumental territories: koto, recorder, bouzouki, harmonizer, mandolin, saxophones and brass, voices, and a sprinkling of keys. Segall occupies the drumset whenever it’s heard on the left speaker, while Charles Moothart plays the kit on the right side. Segall’s vocal prowess sits in fresh relief against his mutant orchestra, spooling tension through some of his most patient songs, his feral scream in complete control. Whatever the mood is, the pedal is pushed cleanly to the metal — and that means to the max of the lightest ballads ever, OR through the most raging rocks yet. Segall’s song designs are all over the place, but unlike the freewheeling feast style of Freedom’s Goblin, these twelve numbers form a tightly revolving cycle of song and sound that focuses thoughts.

Ty Segall and the Freedom Band will bring their electrifying live shows to LA, NYC, and Europe later this year. During these residencies, Segall will play First Taste in full, alongside select albums from his expansive catalogue. All tour dates, including newly-announced support and specifics on which album Segall will be playing each night, are below.

Watch “Taste” Video – https://youtu.be/7tmOr2yWaSs

Pre-order First Taste – https://ffm.to/firsttaste

First Taste tracklist: 1. Taste 2. Whatever 3. Ice Plant 4. The Fall 5. I Worship The Dog 6. The Arms 7. When I Met My Parents (Part 1) 8. I Sing Them 9. When I Met My Parents (Part 3) 10. Radio 11. Self Esteem 12. Lone Cowboys

Ty Segall & Freedom Band tour dates: Fri. July 26 – Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom (Ty Segall plays First Taste + Melted) w/ Warm Drag Fri Aug. 2 – Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom (Ty Segall plays First Taste + Melted) w/ Richard Rose Fri. Aug. 9 – Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom (Ty Segall plays First Taste + Melted) w/ Vice Cooler Fri. Aug. 16 – Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom (Ty Segall plays First Taste + Goodbye Bread) w/ The Intelligence Fri. Aug. 23 – Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom (Ty Segall plays First Taste + Goodbye Bread) w/ Oog Bogo Fri. Aug. 30 – Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom (Ty Segall plays First Taste + Emotional Mugger) w/ Lamps Fri. Sept. 6 – Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom (Ty Segall plays First Taste + Emotional Mugger) w/ King Tuff (solo) Fri. Sept. 13 – Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom (Ty Segall plays First Taste + Manipulator) w/ Ruth Garber Fri. Sept. 20 – Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom (Ty Segall plays First Taste + Manipulator) w/ DMBQ Fri. Sept. 27 – Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom (Ty Segall plays First Taste + Manipulator) w/ DMBQ Tues. Oct. 1 – Brooklyn, NY @ Warsaw (Ty Segall plays First Taste + Melted) w/ Lamps Wed. Oct. 2 – Brooklyn, NY @ Warsaw (Ty Segall plays First Taste + Melted) w/ White Fence Thurs. Oct. 3 – Brooklyn, NY @ Warsaw (Ty Segall plays First Taste + Goodbye Bread) w/ DMBQ Fri. Oct. 4 – Brooklyn, NY @ Warsaw (Ty Segall plays First Taste + Emotional Mugger) w/ DMBQ Sat. Oct. 5 – Brooklyn, NY @ Warsaw (Ty Segall plays First Taste + Manipulator) w/ DMBQ Wed. Oct. 9 – Paris, FR @ La Cigale (Ty Segall plays First Taste + Melted) Thu. Oct. 10 – Paris, FR @ La Cigale (Ty Segall plays First Taste + Manipulator) Fri. Oct. 11 – London, UK @ Oval Space (Ty Segall plays First Taste + Melted) Sat. Oct. 12 – London, UK @ Oval Space (Ty Segall plays First Taste + Goodbye Bread) Sun. Oct. 13 – London, UK @ Oval Space (Ty Segall plays First Taste + Manipulator) Tue. Oct. 15 – Berlin, DE @ Festsaal Kreuzberg (Ty Segall plays First Taste + Melted) Thu. Oct. 17 – Haarlem, NL @ Patronaat (Ty Segall plays First Taste + Melted) Fri. Oct. 18 – Haarlem, NL @ Patronaat (Ty Segall plays First Taste + Manipulator)

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WSND DJ set list for June 10, 2019

It was a fun, rock-filled show this morning on WSND. Thanks to all who listened and had requests. Here’s the set list.

Failure – Saturday Savior
Soledad Brothers – Ain’t It Funny
The Black Keys – Brooklyn Bound
Flat Duo Jets – Old Soul
The Secrets of Life / The Price of Sin radio ad
The Legendary Shack Shakers – Greasy Creek
Dick Dale – Miserlou
The Amityville Horror radio ad
Motley Crue – Like a Virgin (request)
The Dirtbombs – Here Comes That Sound Again
Axis: Sova – Crystal Predictor
AC/DC – Rock and Roll Ain’t Noise Pollution (request)
Honey – Bagman
Care of the Cow – Cemetery
T-Bone Burnett – Palestine, Texas (request)
End of the World radio ad
The Clash – Clash City Rockers
Peter and Gordon ad for McLean’s toothpaste
Peter and Gordon – I Go to Pieces
“Interview with a stomach” drive-in ad
Ziggy Marley – Drive
CHAI – Fashionista
JEFF The Brotherhood – Region of Fire
Screaming Females – Bird in Space
Screaming Females – Chamber of Sleep II
Ry Cooder – Down in Hollywood (request)
Ennio Morricone – L’Estasi Dell’oro
The Legend of Hell House radio ad
DJ Shadow – This Time I’m Gonna Try It My Way
Fatboy Slim – Drop the Hate
Friendly Fires – Paris
Joe Jackson – Chinatown (request)
The Terror radio ad
Bill Withers – Ain’t No Sunshine When She’s Gone
GOAT – Bondye
The Crypt of Dark Secrets / Seven Blows of the Dragon radio ad
BODEGA – Gyrate
Traffic – Dear Mr. Fantasy

I should be back on air Monday the 17th at midnight EST. Give me a listen, won’t you?

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Warish release new two-song single to shred your face.

“Remember when indie rock sounded all grimy, corroded and metal-sludgy — the last thing you’d hear in a commercial or being played at an arena show? Warish do. It’s music to the ears of anyone who wants to damage their ears.” — Rolling Stone

“Warish totally rules… An awesome mixture of punk energy, biker rock fuzz, and grunge growl.” — Kerrang!

“Sludgy and punk-y at the same time, with an Iggy and the Stooges meets Misfits vibe, plus a bit of stoner rock and metal mixed in, as well.” — Consequence of Sound

Southern California trio Warish share the lead track from their forthcoming second EP on RidingEasy Records today. Hear and share “Runnin’ Scared” / “Their Demise” HERE.

Rolling Stone recently featured the lead track “Fight” from the band’s self-titled debut EP HERE.

Imagine if Incesticide era Nirvana were crossed with Static Age era garage-punk Misfits. You’d have sinister low budget horror rock with a visceral, twisted weirdness and bludgeoning riffs. Some might call it nightmarish, we call it Warish.

Warish is a very newly minted SoCal trio formed in early 2018 that has wasted no time making its presence known. The band formed when guitarist/vocalist and pro-skater Riley Hawk (son of skating legend Tony Hawk) and drummer Bruce McDonnell decided they wanted to try their hand at something more distinct than they’d done previously. “We wanted to do simpler riffs and a fun live show,” Riley explains. “A little more punk, a little bit of grunge… a little evil-ish.” Their sound takes cues from a variety of cool underground sounds and twists it all into an energetic and exciting fist to the face of dark fury. Hawk’s effect-laden vocals hearken to early Butthole Surfers and David Yow’s tortured caterwaul in Scratch Acid. The guitars are heavy and powerful, though decidedly not straightforward cookie cutter punk; more like Cobain’s and Buzz Osbourne’s wiry contortions. The rhythms bash and pummel right through it all with aggressive force ensuring that nothing gets overly complicated and the horrors keep coming throughout the band’s uh, warlike assault.

“Runnin’ Scared/Their Demise” is now available on 7″ vinyl and download via RidingEasy Records.

WARISH LIVE 2019: 06/21 Los Angeles, CA @ House of Machines L.A. 06/27 Solana Beach, CA @ Belly Up Tavern 07/05 San Diego, CA @ Casbah 07/06 San Diego, CA @ Casbah + 09/20 Portland, OR @ Star Theater – Hesh Fest * 09/21 Seattle, WA @ Highline * 09/23 Denver, CO @ Marquis Theater * 09/24 Omaha, NE @ Slowdown * 09/25 Chicago, IL @ Reggies * 09/26 Indianapolis, IN @ Black Circle * 09/27 Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop * 09/28 Buffalo, NY @ Mohawk Place * 09/29 Boston, MA @ Sonia * 09/30 New York, NY @ Knitting Factory * 10/01 Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s * 10/02 Richmond, VA @ Richmond Music Hall * 10/03 Raleigh, NC @ Kings * 10/04 Asheville, NC @ Mothlight * 10/05 Atlanta, GA @ The 529 * 10/06 New Orleans, LA @ One Eye Jack’s * 10/07 Dallas, TX @ Gas Monkey * 10/09 Albuquerque, NM @ Sister * 10/10 Mesa, AZ @ Club Red * 10/11 Los Angeles, CA @ Satellite * 10/12 San Francisco, CA @ Chapel * 11/09 Austin, TX @ Levitation Fest * w/ Acid King + w/ Earthless

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Monomotion releases “Ecoline Patterns” from upcoming EP – “Fujisan.”

Monomotion, the project of French electronic musician Erol Engintalay, announces his new EP, Fujisan, due for release July 26th via FAKE MUSIC, and shares lead single, “Ecocline Patterns”.

Stream “Ecocline Patterns” — https://soundcloud.com/monomotionmusic/ecocline-patterns/s-EcsS0

A rippling, gorgeous collection of beat-driven compositions that radiate warmth and light, Fujisan completes the thematic EP trilogy kicked off with 2015’s Behind the Moon and continued with 2017’s Leaving—and it also represents a full-circle for the artist himself, years after surviving a life-threatening accident that he persevered beyond to continue pursuing his artistic passions.

Written and recorded over a year and a half, the seven-track Fujisan is a reflection on the positive aspects of life—a sense of breaking through and moving forward that imbues the project as a whole, from the evocative thump of “Ecocline Patterns” to the squishy, effervescent sway of closing track “Luck of the Mountains.”

“It’s more shiny, less melancholic—more hopeful for a bright future,” Engintalay explains. “I wanted to get out of my comfort zone and bring some new sounds. I always have the same way of creating. We compose a lot of tracks and then look at the message I want to give through the project. I wanted to close this triptych with a seven-song EP.”

Inspired by a warm Japanese spring, Engintalay describes Fujisan as “a life test after every challenge I’ve gone through, physically and musically. It’s very spiritual, representing climbing mountains and breaking through walls to get further in life.” And Feynman is along for the ride, too; along with contributing to sound and art direction, he lends his talents to the lusciously unfolding tick-tock techno of “Mango.” “He’s always giving me strength to put the final point on the project,” Engintalay enthuses about Feynman’s contributions.

“I’m always trying to bring some faith and hope—it’s always love,” Engintalay explains. “They told me I’d never walk again, and now I’m walking and running. It’s about going through the difficulties of life and challenging yourself to be the best. Sometimes, if you work for it, you can get it. ”

Fujisan tracklist: 01. North Cascades 02. Mango (Feat. Feynman) 03. Seed 04. Ecocline Patterns 05. Fujisan 06. Borders 07. Luck of the Mountains

Pre-order Fujisan — http://smarturl.it/FM024_FUJISAN

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Review: French Vanilla – How Am I Not Myself?

Los Angeles queercore / post-punk quartet French Vanilla’s new album, How Am I Not Myself?, is brash, bold, funny, a dare for all of us to do something terrifying – let our true selves come out of our shells and face the world.

The instantly groovy “Real or Not” starts the album with funky bass and Sally Spitz’s hooping and hollering vocals that dance almost as much as Daniel Trautfield’s saxophone. Spitz more or less asks if we’re are living our truth or succumbing to outside influences and living a lie for someone else’s sake. “Lost Power” is a sharp takedown of Spitz’s former lover. “All the Time” was the first single off the album, and it’s as funky as hell with Greg Shilton putting down chops as slick as the shine on James Brown’s boots.

“Friendly Fire” is a clever track about the stresses of queer folk realizing their nature while in a straight relationship. Guitarist Ali Day unleashes a cool guitar riff on “Protective” that’s somehow jagged and fuzzy at the same time. The whole track brings to mind early B-52’s records with its urgent rhythm and excellent vocals by Spitz.

Trautfield’s sax gets another good workout on “Suddenly” (He seems to be everywhere at once on the song.), which also boasts another fabulous bass line to back it. It builds to a hip-shaking groove and, I can attest, is great for a workout playlist. “Joan of Marc,” the wonderfully titled “Bromosapien,” and “Move Along, Move Ahead” stick a feminist middle finger in the eye of misogyny, “man-splaining,” sexism, and body / sex shaming.

“I saw the future. I held it up to my face. It was absolutely fascinating,” Spitz sings on “Sensitive (Not Too Sensitive).” The album ends with this track encouraging all of us to follow French Vanilla’s path and live true in what could be a fascinating future if we choose to have it.

How Am I Not Myself? is a question we all need to ask ourselves, sometimes daily, and it’s an album we all need to hear.

Keep your mind open.

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