November 2023 – 7th Level Music

Review: The Hives – The Death of Randy Fitzsimmons

Returning after eleven years when we needed them most, The Hives emerged from their Swedish tombs and brought us The Death of Randy Fitzsimmons to remind us that they are one of the fiercest rock bands on the planet.

The album starts off like a pipe bomb exploding with “Bogus Operandi” – a powerful, strutting rocker, and then takes off like the Road Runner on “Trapdoor Solution,” which proves that The Hives have lost none of their punk rock flair since their first album. “Countdown to Shutdown” shows off the heavy bass of newest member The Johan and Only as the band sticks their fingers in the eyes of 1%ers.

“Rigor Mortis Radio” has lead singer Howlin’ Pelle Almqvist letting everyone know he has no time for bullshit (“I got your e-mails say you’re warnin’ me. I got your e-mails. Delete, delete.”). “Stick Up” sounds like it has some New Orleans blues influence to it, which shouldn’t surprise us considering the frequent themes of death throughout the album. “Smoke & Mirrors” skewers illusions, and “Crash into the Weekend” has great handclap percussion that gets you fired up for that party, concert, or roadtrip you’ve been craving all week.

“Two Kinds of Trouble” has that distinctive Hives swagger, as does “The Way the Story Goes.” Nicholaus Arson‘s guitar work on “The Way the Story Goes” is especially fuzzy and gritty, which means it sounds great. “The Bomb” lets us all know that we’re all going out to party with The Hives and none of us are going home until we’re done getting down. Chris Dangerous‘ drums on it are flat-out frantic.

“What Did I Ever Do to You?” brings in programmed drums and spaghetti western guitar to a song in which Almqvist sings about just wanting to chill while some random dude goes off on a rant and blames him for everything. The album ends with “Step Out of the Way,” which could be a gauntlet thrown down to younger bands trying to emulate The Hives. Just get out of the way, young’un. You’re likely to be trampled by The Hives’ spotless dress shoes as they head into the club for the sole purpose of leveling it to the ground.

Keep your mind open.

[Don’t forget to subscribe!]

Review: CHAI – self-titled

I don’t know what’s happening on the cover of CHAI‘s self-titled album, but it looks like they’re having a blast. My guess is that it’s them portraying their fans as they cheer on themselves at a rock show. CHAI are all about self-expression and being true to who you are, so why shouldn’t they love themselves? Isn’t that a goal we all want to achieve?

I’ve been a fan of CHAI since their debut album, and they only further cement my love for them by putting out a song called “MATCHA” (one of my favorite drinks) to start their newest record. It has the slip and slide of an R&B slow jam as they sing about drinking tea and taking time to enjoy it. “From 1992” has a delightful beat that probably inspires synchronized handclaps and dancing by their audience.

“PARA PARA” (a song about a popular dance in Japan) is a perfect mellow jam for summer pool parties or rollerblading along a beach. “I’m ready to rejoice,” they sing on “GAME” – a peppy dance track with synth-bass that sounds like it was pulled from a 16-bit video game. “We the Female!” is a bumpy, bouncy reminder to ladies everywhere that they rule the world. “Don’t try to be somebody,” they say. Again, stay true to yourself. “We the female. Just love us and listen.”

Yuna‘s drums on “NEO KAWAII, K?” could be dropped into any post-punk album or hip hop record. The song is the band’s philosophy of being cute and worthy of love in your own way, not according to others’ expectations or images of what “cute” is. The blippy, bloopy synths of “I Can’t Organizeeee” reflect the song’s title and the band’s (really, any band’s) hectic schedule. Likewise, “Driving22” is a fun song about something all bands experience – the frequent drudgery of getting from gig to gig without going mad from the boredom of all…that…driving.

Mana‘s synths on “LIKE, I NEED” start off in synthwave land and then move into synth-pop territory without missing a beat. “KARAOKE” closes the album with the band singing about how much fun it is to get goofy with your friends at a karaoke bar.

CHAI’s love of Japanese culture and being modern Japanese women is a running theme throughout the record, thus the self-titling of the album. It’s an album about them, but to which anyone in any country, or any sex or sexual identity, can relate.

Keep your mind open.

[You can win the music game by subscribing today!]

[Thanks to Jacob at Pitch Perfect PR.]

Review: Auralayer – Thousand Petals

Part-doom, part-post-punk, part-prog rock, part-Buddhist mantra, Auralayer‘s (Vladimir Doodle – drums, Thomas Powell – guitar and vocals, Jake Williams – bass) debut album, Thousand Petals, is a wild ride and one of the catchiest metal albums of the year.

“The Lake” opens the album with powerful double kick drums from Doodle and enough guitar fuzz from Powell and Williams to knock down a castle wall. It and the following track, “All My Time,” remind me of some of The Sword‘s early tracks with heavy riffs sometimes purposefully overwhelming the vocals. Powell’s solo on “All My Time” soars like a bird of prey swooping down on an unsuspecting mouse. “Christ Antler” roars all the way through, and “Faith to Reason” fakes you out for a moment with a short, soft intro before it unloads with cosmic rock fury. It becomes difficult to determine which of the band members is hitting their instrument the hardest during the chorus. Powell’s vocals sound like he’s shouting them from the top of a wizard’s tower.

“Shelf Black” reveals some of the band’s prog-rock influences and the vocals bring classic Agent Orange records to my mind. They ask us to give peace a chance on “Peacemonger,” but the song is anything but peaceful. It’s more like John Cena-as-the-Peacemaker kind of peace which might involve knocking you through a wall with the power of rock.

You’ll probably want to mosh during “You Walk,” a stomping, romping track that has Doodle clanging cymbals and thumping his kick drums like a happy kid as the song moves out of orbit and straight for the sun. You’ll definitely want to mosh to “Dance to Thrash” from the title alone, and Williams’ heavy bass will turn the floor to lava if you don’t get your ass moving soon. “Monstrum” closes the album with funky, fuzzy bass, a bunch of wild drum fills, and guitar work that sounds like it would be on the playlist of that weird guitar-playing dude in Mad Max: Fury Road.

This is a helluva debut, and I love how their name could be taken two different ways: “Aura Layer,” as in a layer of someone’s aura, or one of the seven chakras (and the album’s title is a reference to the crown chakra after all), or “Aural Layer,” as in a layer of sound – of which there are plenty.

Keep your mind and your chakras open.

[Don’t forget to subscribe while you’re here.]

[Thanks to Dave at US / THEM Group.]

Review: Betty Davis – They Say I’m Different (2023 reissue)

The cover of Betty Davis‘ second album, They Say I’m Different, shows her in a futuristic outfit with Egyptian themes, wicked boots, and holding clear glass or plastic rods for some reason. She looks like she just emerged from a spaceship designed by Sun Ra. It’s fitting because she, and this album, were so far ahead of their time (1974) that she might as well have been from another galaxy and a distant century.

Starting with the sexy, slithery, smoky “Shoo-B-Doop and Cop Him,” Davis curls up next to you like a frisky cat that might nuzzle you or bite you at any moment as she sings about her plans to seduce a new lover. Mike Clark, a frequent collaborator with Herbie Hancock, puts down such a tight beat that it feels like it might burst. As if that opener wasn’t sexy enough, along comes the BDSM classic “He Was a Big Freak,” which is rumored to be about her ex-husband, Miles Davis. Whomever she sings about enjoyed Betty being a geisha, talking dirty, and being whipped with a turquoise chain. Davis’ cousin, Larry Johnson, rolls out perhaps his funkiest bass groove on the record. A nice touch is a slight reverb on Davis’ vocals now and then, reflecting the song’s subject going into his subspace meditation.

She’s already missing that freaky lover on “Your Mama Wants Ya Back,” which has a groove that has probably inspired more post-punk bands than we could count. “Don’t Call Her No Tramp” takes aim at one of Davis’ favorite subjects – her critics. The Rhodes organ riffs on it are sassy and so hot they might’ve burned the player’s fingers. Speaking of hot grooves, “Git in There” could set a dance floor on fire.

The title track has Davis looking back at her youth and the musicians who formed her tastes (i.e., T-Bone Walker, Sonny Terry, Lightnin’ Hopkins, Chuck Berry), paying them respect in phat funk currency. Davis uses the structure of blues on “70s Blues,” but spins it into 70s funk and soul. “I’m so tired of the blues,” she sings. “The blues have taken over, and they’re runnin’ my soul.” You can feel the grind of the 1970s in her voice and the solid riffs of her entire band behind her. The album ends with the jazzy, smooth “Special People,” in which Davis her lover that she’s going to give him everything she has.

The reissue of the album also includes rough mixes of “He Was a Big Freak,” “Don’t Call Her No Tramp,” “Git in There,” and “70s Blues.” Even these “rough” mixes are smoother than anything else you’ll hear today.

The whole album is like that. Davis’ whole catalogue is like that.

Keep your mind open.

[Don’t forget to subscribe before you go.]

[Thanks to Sam at Pitch Perfect PR.]

Review: LSS – Hydrospatial EP

Five straight bangers.

That might be the easiest way to describe LSS‘ new EP, Hydrospatial. The duo of Edward Richards and JXTPS lay down hard-driving techno beats with touches of punk and garage rock here and there, resulting in a quintet of tracks that would easily glide into any DJ’s set and will find a permanent home on your new workout playlist.

“TNK” is straight from a rave aboard Deep Space 9’s holodeck rave with its futuristic, pulsing synths. “Fractual” pans and hums like a swarm of bees drifting above a party at a beachfront, but with more moonlight than sunlight. “Axion” has definite krautrock influences with its repetitive, almost hypnotizing beats.

The high-hat on “Factory” reminds you of a hissing steam engine (and there are steam-like synth hisses throughout it), while the bass is so bottom heavy it feels like it could break through your floor. The title track hums, bumps, throbs, and gristles in all the right spots, causing visions of floating in space, dancing with a bunch of fun, sweaty people in a small club, and running from monsters all at the same time.

Again, five straight bangers.

Keep your mind open.

[Don’t forget to subscribe.]

[Thanks to Harbour Music Society.]

Review: Betty Davis – Is It Love or Desire (2023 reissue)

Judging by that cover image, I’d say it’s both.

Judging by the music on Betty Davis‘ fourth album, Is It Love or Desire, I’d also say it’s both.

Larry Johnson‘s (one of two cousins to Ms. Davis on the record) opening bass alone on the opening title track is so damn funky that it grabs you by the shoulders, hips, or possibly nipples and doesn’t let go of you. Fred Mills‘ little keyboard touches are excited delights behind Davis’ vocals on “It’s So Good” as she sings about how good love is with her lover as the rest of the band mixes disco and metal.

“A man should not cry over one woman,” the band, and mostly Mills sings, on “Whorey Angel,” with Davis portraying a woman is both a fabulous lover and a nurturer. The track has a gospel-like quality to it that’s outstanding. “Crashin’ from Passion” was supposed to be the title track to the album, but it ended up being the title track of her final album. This version of the song is slower, sultrier, and more dangerous, like you just walked into a room and found a panther staring at you from the door on the other side.

“When Romance Says Goodbye” has Davis confessing to a friend (or the world in general) about the woes of past relationships in a stripped down ballad. “Bottom of the Barrel” has Davis and her band getting funky and calling to “take off that disco, get into what you’re hearin’.” You can easily envision Davis dancing in the rural Louisiana studio where the album was recorded as he lays down her vocal tracks.

“Ain’t no business like show business, that’s why we stay broke all the time!” Davis proclaims on “Stars Starve, You Know” – a fun skewering of Davis’ critics, record industry bigwigs, DJs who wouldn’t play her records, and people who think being a touring musician is an easy gig. On “Let’s Get Personal,” Davis invites you to do just that, whispering / seducing from one side of your speakers while the band plays on the other as if she’s beckoning you from the other side of the room.

Mills’ keyboards bring a little early synthwave to “Bar Hoppin’,” a fun song about Davis’ love of good drink and the company that often surrounds it. Nickie Neal, Jr. (Davis’ other cousin) lays down a beat that is so solid and perfect that it’s easy to think it’s simple and easy. When you really listen to it, however, you realize how in the groove it is, and that skill does not come easy. The closer, “For My Man,” has Davis again seducing us as she purrs out all the gifts (physical and material) she’d give to a man who treated her well. Listen for the violin by none other than blues legend Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown.

The only bad thing about this album is that, for reasons that are still murky due to conflicting stories, Island Records never released it. It was shelved for thirty years. Some say it was because the studio where it was recorded was never paid. Others, including Davis herself, say it was because Island wanted to release one of her songs, “Talkin’ Trash,” as a single without her approval, and Island shelved the album in retaliation. The record went mostly forgotten, and was practically an urban legend until it was rediscovered in the early 2000s and, thankfully, released into the light before Davis’ death.

It’s all-killer, no-filler. Davis mentioned how it sounds contemporary in today’s times, and she was right. The themes are still being discussed, the music is just as fresh, and Davis’ vocals are still powerful.

Don’t miss out on this unearthed treasure.

[It would be so good if you subscribed.]

[Thanks to Sam at Pitch Perfect PR.]

Olivia Belli shares a beautiful single, “Anima I,” from her album due this spring.

Italian pianist and composer, Olivia Belli is known internationally for her delicate, melodic compositions that draw inspiration from the natural world. Whether reflecting on the sun or the night sky or on her beloved local Italian landscape, this sensitive artist draws her creative impulses from nature which she shares with her audiences through her captivating, filigree-like compositions.

This first single from the Spring 2024 album already gives listeners a hint that Belli is taking things one step further here, representing in music not only the natural world around her but also the deep and meaningful spiritual world within. The word anima refers to an original animating principle or essence, translated from the Greek ‘psyche’. For Belli, ‘Anima I’ (pronounced “Anima Uno”) represents that auspicious moment just before a journey of transformation begins.

Says Belli of this first taster from the new album: “’Anima I’ has a calm, elegiac quality. I composed it during a deeply meditative moment, where I was contemplating deeper meanings in life than superficial material gains and was searching for a way to share a more profound and spiritual connection with listeners.”

The result is a restorative, intimate and tranquil track that offers respite from turmoil and stress and welcome balm for the soul.

Born in Mantova and raised in Trieste, Belli studied piano and soon developed an affinity for composers of the 20th and 21st century, such as Glass, Ligeti, Reich and Stockhausen. Always surrounded by art and music, she founded her own arts festival and worked collaboratively across a range of genres with other artists including dancers, actors, photographers, writers and painters. Despite having always performed and composed, Belli had never thought to put her own compositional work into the public arena, having always kept it private. Once she did start sharing her own music on social media and streaming sites, however, she was hugely encouraged to continue by the overwhelmingly positive responses that she received, as ever more listeners connected to her deeply personal musical messages. This process lead to her signing with XXIM Records and an outpouring of her intricate and beguiling music.

Keep your mind open.

[Don’t forget to subscribe before you go.]

[Thanks to George at Terrorbird Media,]

Review: Betty Davis – Crashin’ from Passion (2023 reissue)

That cover pretty much tells you everything you need to know about Betty Davis: sexy, powerful, elegant, and yet ready to tussle at any time. It’s also somewhat of a bittersweet photo, as Crashin’ from Passion would be the last album she ever recorded before mostly disappearing into obscurity for decades and later dying February 09, 2022. She at least learned that her music had been rediscovered and that she was hailed as a Queen of Funk and influence to many.

Crashin’ was recorded with a powerhouse backing band of jazz and funk heavyweights, including The Pointer Sisters, Martha Reeves, Alphonse Mouzon, and Carlos Morales. Davis didn’t have much love for the recording industry by this point, as she’d been dropped by her previous label and the last album she’d recorded for them, Is It Love or Desire? was shelved…for thirty years. She moved to Hollywood, found some new funding for a new record, and put out the most diverse album of her career.

“Quintessence of Hip” starts off the record with a bold, funky ripper and Davis proclaiming that she “can be cooler than cool,” shouting out some of her influences (John Coltrane, Sly Stone, Stevie Wonder, and others), and also acknowledging her time in the spotlight might be ending (as a result of her decisions and no one else’s). “She’s a Woman” has Davis exploring dark disco and synth music. I would’ve gone nuts for a whole album of stuff like this. Mouzon’s drumming catches your attention right away on “No Good at Falling in Love,” and Davis’ vocals won’t let your attention escape as she effortlessly keeps up with him (or is it the other way around?).

The playful jazz of “Tell Me a Few Things” sounds like it could’ve been recorded yesterday, and it’s great to hear Davis being frisky (and the xylophone beats on this are a great touch). Just when you think you might know where this album is going, along comes “I’ve Danced Before” – a calypso-rock track. “You Make Me Feel So Good” is the type of track that Davis always delivers so well – a slow jam that practically makes you and your lover’s clothes fall off your bodies.

Chuck Rainey‘s bass groove on “I Need a Whole Lot of Love” is so tight and solid that it could hold down a rocket on a launch pad. “Hangin’ Out in Hollywood” is a fun tale of her new home, and “All I Do Is Think of You” is a solid disco track that should’ve been tearing up clubs in the late 1970s…but more on that later. Davis and her band go nuts on the title track, with everyone clicking together in perfection. Morales’ guitar sizzles throughout it and Rainey and Mouzon sound like they’re having a competition to out-funk the other. The closer is the soft, lush love / break-up song “You Take Me for Granted,” a poignant title as it turns out…

…because, as mentioned earlier, Davis disappeared after this record. She and the album’s mixers butted heads, her father died during all of this, and then Crashin’ was shelved, her second album in a row, for fifteen years until it was released without her permission to CD in the 1990s. Thankfully, this remastered edition had her full approval and she was able to see it (and Is It Love or Desire? for that matter) find her fans.

It’s a crime that Davis’ last two records went unheard for so long since they are so good. She didn’t have a bad album in her catalogue, and could’ve been packing houses, owning stages, experimenting with other genres, and being a coveted, cherished collaborator on others albums for the rest of her life. Instead, thanks to the record industry taking her for granted, she said, “Nah.” and walked away from all of it.

Do yourself a favor and discover her if you don’t know her.

Keep your mind open.

[I’ll be crashin’ from passion if you subscribe.]

[Thanks to Sam at Pitch Perfect PR.]

Review: Matthew Halsall – An Ever Changing View

To simply put it, trumpeter / composer / bandleader Matthew Halsall has created one of the most beautiful albums of the year with An Ever Changing View.

Combining jazz with spiritual music, world music, ambient electronica, and maybe a touch of synthwave, An Ever Changing View drifts like a bird gliding over the waters of the album’s cover, or caresses you like wind through the grass on the album cover’s foreground. Halsall has described his writing process for the album as “hitting the reset button,” and “a real exploration of sound.” Both are accurate, because the album instantly resets you wherever you are and during whatever you’re doing. It’s also like finding an oasis or a garden or a library or a back room chill lounge when you need any of those things the most.

After a brief intro (“Tracing Nature”), the record gives you a nice hug and invites you to have a cup of tea and just forget about everything for the next eight minutes with “Water Street.” Harp, flute, trumpet, and hand percussion all meld in perfection. The title track clicks and snaps with late night jazz beats and Halsall’s trumpet echoing from some rooftop club where they have cool drinks and warm people.

Jasper Green‘s Rhodes organ on “Calder Shapes” is as smooth as melting wax and Matt Cliffe‘s alto sax is practically the voice of a jazz crooner. “Mountains, Trees and Seas” is instant stress relief, and, I dare say, perhaps the sexiest song on the whole album. I’m not saying the song will guarantee you’ll get laid, but it will certainly enhance the mood. Liviu Gheorghe‘s work on the Rhodes organ is superb throughout the whole track.

If you somehow need further resetting, “Field of Vision” is just over a minute of bird song and harp-like field recordings. “Jewels” might be the closest to a “dark jazz” (Is that even a thing? If not, Halsall might’ve invented it right here.). “Natural Movement” is a splendid, toe-tapping mix of Halsell’s trumpet, Sam Bell‘s congas, and harp work by Alice Roberts. Lastly, Chip Wickham‘s flute on “Triangles in the Sky” picks you up from the ground and Alan Taylor‘s simple, snappy, yet subtle beats carry you along as you stroll down the street about two inches off the pavement.

You need this record. Heck, everyone in this day and age needs this record. It soothes the soul. It’s probably going to be the most gifted music I buy for people this Christmas season.

Keep your mind open.

[Don’t forget to subscribe before you go.]

[Thanks to Mark at Clandestine Label Services.]

Mandy, Indiana release new remix and tour dates for this winter.

Today, i’ve seen a way — the acclaimed debut from Manchester quartet Mandy, Indiana released via Fire Talk Records — was named one of Rough Trade’s Best Albums of 2023. In conjunction with today’s announcement, Mandy, Indiana present “Sheared (Pinking Shears Rework),” a clipping. remix of album standout “Pinking Shears.”

clipping.’s rework of “Pinking Shears” filters the politically charged track through a US lens. “The dream is all crooked cops, retail mark-up on basic goods, an ex-president getting away with treason,” raps Tony and GRAMMY Award winner Daveed Diggs. Rough Trade’s exclusive 12”features the clipping. remix alongside the original “Pinking Shears” and an instrumental version of the track.

Next month, Mandy, Indiana will bring their ”physically — yet brilliantly — overwhelming” (NME) live show to the US for their debut tour, featuring stops in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and a newly announced date in Chicago. Mandy, Indiana thrive in the unexpected, and their performances have become a vehicle to explore the boundaries of tension and release. A full list of dates are below and tickets are on sale now.

Listen to “Sheared (Pinking Shears Rework)”

Mandy, Indiana Tour Dates [New Date in Bold]:
Sat. Dec. 2 – New York, NY @ Baby’s All Right [SOLD OUT]
Tue. Dec. 5 – Chicago, IL @ The Empty Bottle
Thu. Dec. 7 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Echo
Fri. Dec. 8 – San Francisco, CA @ Popscene – Brick & Mortar
Fri. Feb. 9 – Dublin, IE @ The Workman’s Cellar
Sat. Feb. 10 – London, UK @ Village Underground
Thu. Feb. 22 – Nijmegen, NL @ Merleyn
Fri. Feb. 23 – Utrecht, NL @ EKKO
Sat. Feb. 24 – Groningen, NL @ Hybrid Festival
Wed. Feb. 28 – Berlin, DE @ Kantine Am Berghain
Sat. July 6 – Roskilde, DK @ Roskilde Festival

Stream/Purchase i’ve seen a way
Watch “Pinking Shears” Video
Watch “Drag [Crashed]” Video
Watch “Injury Detail” Video

Keep your mind open.

[Don’t forget to subscribe while you’re here.]

[Thanks to Ahmad at Pitch Perfect PR.]