Rewind Review: Astrud Gilberto – Now (1972)

As if bossa nova queen Astrud Gilberto‘s lovely voice isn’t enough motivation for you to pick up her 1972 album, Now, then consider that she teamed up with a stunning array of musicians on the record (as she tended to do) from Brazil and the U.S. Gilberto self-produced the record and enlisted Eumar Deodato for arrangements.

Starting with the playful “Zigy Zigy Za,” Now begins with funky jazz drums from Billy Cobham and fun organ solos from Mike Longo. “Make Love to Me” is an English-vocal ballad with a sound to it that reminds me of soft-lit late night live TV broadcasts from 1972. Longo’s piano on “Baião” could almost fit in a rock song and reminds me a bit of the kind of stuff Ben Folds plays nowadays. Gilberto has fun with the track, as it just seems to be her, Longo, Cobham, and Deodato (on acoustic guitar) having a laugh with a fun track.

“Sunday was a fun day I spent with you,” Gilberto sings on “Touching You,” another sweet ballad to her lover…but he’s not real. She can only dream about him. “Gingele” mixes groovy bossa nova with a touch of lounge-disco into a funky brew. “Take It Easy My Brother Charlie” mixes English and Portuguese lyrics and is one of the standout tracks on the record. The flow of it is infectious and gets you moving and smiling. You instantly agree with Gilberto that things will get better and not to fret about things that are fleeting.

“Where Have You Been?” is a sad tale of loneliness from Gilberto that will hit you hard if you’ve been through a heart-breaking loss. The string arrangements on it are a nice touch. The swinging beats of Cobham’s drums on “General da Banda” are sharp as a hatchet. “I have crossed a thousand bridges in search of something real,” Gilberto sings on “Bridges” – a song about her many travels around the world and how bridge, literal and figurative, has lead to or from some significant moment in her life. The album concludes with “Daybreak” and Gilberto singing “I’m walking out on yesterday.” She encourages us to go forward, to live in the now and not in a past that was gone the moment it happened.

It’s, as always, lovely sweet stuff from Gilberto. She doesn’t miss.

Keep your mind open.

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Wrecka Stow: Lost Weekend Records – Columbus, Ohio

Tucked on a corner lot at 2960 North High Street in Columbus, Ohio, Lost Weekend Records takes up the bottom floor of this building and stuffs a lot of cool stuff inside the limited space. You’re blitzed with a lot of stuff you’ll want as soon as you walk in the door.

The selection is mostly vinyl, but there are CDs, cassettes, and other stuff there if you’re not a vinyl collector (like yours truly). However, the vinyl they do have is nifty, with a lot of stuff from all over the musical map. Turn into the room on the right when you first walk in and scope all this wax.

And check out all those great gig posters and flyers! I’d love to have this one in my collection.

Speaking of cool punk rock stuff, they have a big collection of punk rock 7″ singles from a ton of obscure bands. It’s a goldmine for such stuff.

Two long shelves of punk rock / indie 7″ singles!

They also do a good job of what any good wrecka stow will do – supporting local bands. They have a whole section dedicated to Ohio artists.

Finally, if all this wasn’t enough, they also give away concert tickets.

1. Kraftwerk 2. Khruangbin. 3. Nelsonville Music Festival. Also, that is a vintage copy of the first issue of Rolling Stone for sale in that display case.

It’s a neat place. I picked up a CD copy of Electric Wizard‘s Dopethrone there for not even five bucks. You can’t beat that.

Keep your mind open.

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Rewind Review: Failure – Comfort (1992)

Failure‘s debut album, Comfort, does something right away that the band loves doing – making you uncomfortable. This is often done through cryptic lyrics that challenge one’s thoughts on reality and fantasy, technology and humanity, or love and despair…all with crushing shoegaze riffs and masterful production. Comfort gets you unsettled right out of the gate with the album’s cover. Who is that girl? Is that a shadow of a cow behind her? Or a minotaur? Is it supposed to be her shadow? I don’t know, and the album’s songs don’t give a hint either…which is part of the fun, really.

“Submission” might be about sex, but I think it’s more about how easy it is to get trapped in the rat race (“They work hard and they sell things. We like that, ’cause there’s no choice.”). Failure waste no time in pummeling you with thick bass (courtesy of Greg Edwards) on the track, and then Robert Gauss pummels you further on “Macaque” – which is literally about a monkey lead singer Ken Andrews saw in a Los Angeles zoo that provided him with a Zen-like moment of enlightenment. Andrews’ guitar on “Something” swells and builds like river water casually drifting along one moment and then turning into a racing current below the surface the next.

“Screen Man” has a sense of menace throughout it, which is appropriate since it’s about a man on Andrews’ TV screen who freaks the hell out of him (“This man’s eyes are serious. He’s the man in my screen. I cannot let him frighten me.”). Andrews’ guitar is like lightning you see on the horizon (And the solo? Holy crap.), whereas Edwards’ bass is distant thunder, and Gauss’ drums are the wind that keeps building as the clouds get closer.

On “Swallow,” producer Steve Albini hung a microphone from the ceiling and swung it like a pendulum to record Andrews’ vocals during the first verse, causing a weird panning effect and being a neat example of the kind of stuff Failure love experimenting with in a studio setting. “Muffled Snaps” continues some of this experimentation with Gauss’ drums taking on odd sounds and Andrews’ guitar nearly sounding broken until the song bursts forth like dragster. The lyrics reference physical violence, and it seems to be a song about boxing…or at least fighting. It certainly hits like a boxing match.

Gauss’ drums on “Kindred” are sharp, hitting hard in all the right places. “Pro-Catastrophe” is a whopper, with Andrews flat-out telling people he’s looking forward to an apocalypse and watching chaos unfold around him. Little did he know, that in 2020…Edwards goes nuts on a fretless bass throughout it, often making your head spin with the licks he puts down on it.

“Princess” is sort of a love song, as Andrews sings praises to his lady pal (“I’m always pleased that you don’t say no.”). It’s a burner that’s over before you catch your breath. The album ends with “Salt Wound,” a song about one of Failure’s favorite subjects – relationships going awry. The trio unleash a sound that reflect Andrews’ confusion about why his girl is leaving him and the nervousness that comes with a future alone. Edwards’ bass pounds in your brain, Andrews’ guitar dissolves into a jumbled rage, and Gauss’ drums are a pounding heartbeat ready to burst.

Comfort heralded great things to come for Failure. It’s a great place to start if you’re new to them. Hearing how they evolved from this is a neat journey, and the remaster of the album done by the band in 2023 is sharp.

Keep your mind open.

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Rewind Review: AAWKS – Heavy on the Cosmic (2022)

I don’t know if I can sum up AAWKS‘ 2022 album better than it’s title track – Heavy on the Cosmic. The album is full of big riffs, cosmic rock, mystical energy, some trippy substances, and other stuff your brain can’t quite define. Heck, the silver orb on the album cover reminds me of the Tall Man’s sphere from the Phantasm films, so there might even be horror movie elements in here.

“Beyond the Sun” begins with a sample of some square cat naming various psychedelic drugs ranging from mescaline to LSD before massive bass and squealing riffs blow off the back of your head. The song is about slipping through time portals to end up in places beyond comprehension…I think. “Sunshine Apparitions” mentions “Sunshine on your tongue.” Take that as you will (or don’t take it at all, if you prefer) and let the stoner metal riffs as powerful as a solar flare wash over you.

“The Woods” has a heavy undertone throughout it, reminding me a bit of some of Psychlona‘s stuff. The opening guitar riff on “All Is Fine” is like the opening of docks on a ship in deep space so an exploration vessel can emerge to check out a weird temple on an asteroid…and then (indicated by the simple, effective high-hat clicks) the temple opens to reveal something akin to what Dave Bowman saw inside the 2001: A Space Odyssey monolith.

“The Electric Traveler” charges forward with crunchy cosmic rock riffs that could power the Mars rover from a hidden bunker three miles below the Earth’s surface. The vocals and fuzz on “Space City” remind me of early Soundgarden tracks. It’s a heavy tune with a weird sense of dread but also wonder (“High above an inverted city…Hazed out of my mind as I watch the sun unwind.”). As heavy as that track is, “Star Collider” is (appropriately, given the title) heavier. The guitar riffs on it chug while the drum beats swing with a bit of a jazz touch, believe it or not. It flows right into the closing track, “Peeling Away,” which strips what few layers of brain matter you have left in your head to get down to the lizard brain portion so you can soak up the heat of AAWKS’ cosmic rays.

Heavy on the Cosmic, indeed. Get onboard AAWKS’ starship and enjoy the ride.

Keep your mind open.

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Review: Duality Tracks – Visions Vol. 2 PCRF charity compilation

Visions Vol. 2 from Belfast’s Duality Trax label is stunning collection of house and techno from UK DJ’s and producers that benefits the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund.

Starting with Glasgow’s Stevie Cox and “Sandalphon,” the album gets off to a smooth, trippy start with slight synthwave touches easily mixing with house beats. Kyoto, Japan’s Stones Taro‘s “Iron Door” is great for your workout playlist. It bumps and thumps at a great beat for aerobics, running, biking, and, of course, dancing in a dark club surrounded by sweaty people probably tripping balls at the time.

DAWS (Australia) brings in some old school house (complete with soulful disco vocal loops) on “Early Desire,” whereas Gallegos brings old school scratching and retro-electronic beats on “Once More One More.” It’s a track you don’t want to end because it gets better with each passing second.

emkay‘s “One Kiss Wonder” is a slick trance track that could slide right into a compilation you found in the mid-1990s on a merch table at a rave in an old high school gym. Body Clinic (Northern Ireland) finishes off the compilation with beautifully futuristic rave cut “159 Revolutions Per Minute” – which mixes synths with thumping electro-beats and sexy pleasure-bot sounds.

It’s all killer, no filler. Don’t miss this, and the money you spend on it goes to a good cause. What’s not to like?

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Harbour Music Society.]

Rewind Review: Electric Wizard – Dopethrone (2006)

I think it’s a given that if you find an Electric Wizard album for five bucks, you put down five bucks. That’s what I did when I found their classic third album, Dopethrone, in a Columbus, Ohio record store a couple weeks ago.

The album’s back story is full of drugs, booze, H.P. Lovecraft and Robert E. Howard stories, and arguments over which direction the band would take on their newest record. Believe it or not, there were discussions among some band members about trying to sound more like Nirvana or Linkin Park (complete with record scratching – How much drugs were they doing?).

Thankfully, their stuck to their doom roots and created what is now considered a doom / stoner metal classic. The album opens with a sample of someone talking about being able to escape satanic cults only by death or residency in a mental institution before they unload “Vinum Sabbathi” – a sludgy song about drug addiction (“Now I’m a slave to the black drug, forced to serve this black god.”) that almost defies description. Tim Baghsaw‘s bass on it is so heavy it almost crushes you.

The switch to “Funeralopolis” makes you think they’re going to mellow out for a little while, but that thought is short-lived. Jus Oborn‘s guitars on it sound like a hundred buzz saws being operated by drunken orcs while he sings cheerful lyrics like “Millions are screaming, the dead are still living. This earth has died yet no one has seen.” and “Nuclear warheads ready to strike. This world is so fucked let’s end it tonight.” It’s not date night music…unless you’re dating an incubus or succubus, then by all means blast it.

“Weird Tales” is a three-part tale of creepy things and a tribute to Lovecraft and even Weird Tales magazine. Part one is “Electric Frost,” which name checks Yuggoth and Kadath from Lovecraft stories and pays tribute to them through powerful riffs that come at you like a tidal wave. Drummer Mark Greening has said in the past that he always felt the drums on Dopethrone and other Electric Wizard albums could’ve been bigger. That’s difficult to imagine, because his drums almost bludgeon you unconscious over the entire record. “Electric Frost” is a great example. The next two parts, “Golgotha” and “Altar of Melektaus,” are trippy instrumentals with smoky synths that slither like tentacles from shadowy places.

“Barbarian” is, appropriately, a song about Conan and pays great homage to him and his creator (Robert E. Howard) with its battle axe riffs and skull-smashing drums. “I, the Witchfinder” is as gritty and gruesome as its namesake, who delights in torturing maidens suspects of witchcraft. “We Hate You” is a tongue-in-cheek parody of Black Sabbath songs about loving one’s fellow man. The title track is a growling, snarling, savage thing all about…you guessed it, a throne made of weed upon which sit “three wizards crowned with weed.”

This album is about as heavy as a war hammer forged from lead. It’s a wild ride, at times spooky and other times groovy, but always, always heavy.

Keep your mind open.

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Rewind Review: Pelada – Movimiento Para Cambio (2019)

I discovered Pelada when they were a last-minute addition to the 2022 Levitation France music festival. They closed one of the stages with a powerful performance of dance-punk ragers that had everyone jumping. I didn’t know anything else about them at the time, so I started looking.

Fast forward a couple years later, and here I am finally getting around to reviewing their excellent 2019 album Movimiento Para Cambio (Movement for Change). The album’s title is pretty much the band’s mission statement – making people get off their asses to demand change in the world and make needed changes in ourselves.

“A Mí Me Juzgan Por Ser Mujer” (“I Am Judged Because I’m a Woman”) blends Tobias Rochman‘s house beats with Chris Vargas‘ lyrical kick in the crotch to “bro culture,” toxic masculinity, and the maddening expectations put on women across the world. “Ajetreo” (“Hustle”) will have you doing just that on the dance floor, as it sounds like Rochman and Vargas plucked it from a Barcelona rave club in 1993.

“Habla Tu Verdad” (“Speak Your Truth”) has Vargas encouraging victims of sexual harassment to tell their stories and push back against such treatment. Rochman’s house beats and synths on it are a great contrast to Vargas’ snarling rage. The beats turn into slightly industrial bloops, bleeps, and buzzes – mixed with killer synth-bass – on “Asegura” (“Secure”), which tackles the pervading menace of technology and surveillance.

It can’t be a coincidence that “Granadilla” (“Passion Fruit”) is the sexiest song on the album. The beats are made for making out, and Vargas’ voice curls like honey being poured into hot tea. “Caderona” (“Big Hips”) adds some slight robot-like distortion to some of Vargas’ vocals in a song about staring right back at the male gaze as the dude gets more and more uncomfortable. “Desatado” (“Untied”) will make you race to the dance floor, free of attachments, expectations, and limitations – which is the point Pelada has been making for the entire album. Rochman’s synths on ‘”Perra” (“Bitch”) become sharp and jagged while Vargas’ vocals soften in presentation, but not in fury. A message in the liner notes of the album is “Open your eyes. The beast feeds on exploitation.” This is especially noted on “Aquí,” which is about the rising power of global corporations.

Pelada’s name translates as “Peeling” – another call to strip away labels, expectations, and hindrances put upon us. This whole album does that and makes you dance at the same time. Dance-punk isn’t easy to make, and many times it comes off as either trite or trying too hard to make a point. Movimiento Para Cambio hits the sweet spot on every track.

Keep your mind open.

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Wrecka Stow: Rattleback Records – Chicago, IL

Located at 5405 North Clark Street in Chicago, Illinois, Rattleback Records is a fun store in a hip neighborhood. The place is full of interesting stuff, outsider art, cheap CDs, and more. Walk in and look to the right, and you’ll see this…

Classic country, plenty of David Bowie vinyl reissues, framed posters, and more. Look to the left when you walk in and you’re greeted by all of this…

CDs, cassettes, and plenty more speciality vinyl is all available here. They also have some fun quirky stuff like this…

They also sell some cool audio gear there, in case you need something to play all the stuff you’re going to buy from them.

There’s all kinds of quirky stuff here, and plenty for collectors. Case in point…

Or how about…

In case you’re wondering what I bought while I was there, I found a couple killer bargains in their used CD bins.

$2.99 for that Fluke compilation album is a steal, and 25% off a Lightnin’ Hopkins album I hadn’t heard in its entirety (just a few cuts from it on various compilations)? Sold!

Be sure to stop by there if you’re in the area. It’s a fun place.

Keep your mind open.

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Woodsist Festival releases 2024 lineup.

The beloved Woodsist Festival returns to Arrowood Farms in Accord, New York, on September 21-22, 2024. Performers this year include headliners Yo La Tengo, Real Estate, and Jessica Pratt, along with Woods, Hailu Mergia, Bonnie “Prince” Billy, Jeff Parker, Etran de L’Aïr, The Messthetics, 75 Dollar Bill Big Band, Rosali, Mystic 100s, Florry, and Sylvie. Arrowood Farms, a sustainably-minded farm, brewery and distillery located in New York’s scenic Hudson Valley, will host the performers on two alternating stages throughout the weekend and feature food from local Hudson Valley-based vendors and craft beer brewed directly on site. Tickets go on sale Friday, April 26th at 10:00AM ET and are available via www.woodsistfestival.com.

As in previous years, Jeremy Earl of Woods has curated the festival’s lineup. Formed in 2004, Woods have matured into a true independent institution, above and below the root, reliably emerging every few years with new music that grows towards the latest sky. On top of a new EP release, the band has embarked on a full year of touring, including shows with Waxahatchee, Avey Tare, and Natural Information Society.
 
The inaugural Woodsist Festival took place in Brooklyn in 2009 with Thee Oh Sees headlining alongside a number of acts including Beach Fossils, Real Estate, and Kurt Vile. Since then, the festival has been presented in various locations including Big Sur, Point Reyes National Seashore, and Pioneertown, CA. The festival found its home at Arrowood Farms in 2019, presented in partnership with Ground Control Touring and premiere Hudson Valley concert promoters Impact Concerts, and has returned annually since 2021.
 
We hope to see you on the farm, With Light and With Love.

 
Watch the Woodsist Festival 2023 Recap Video
 

For more information, including lineups, event news, and the latest updates, please visit www.woodsistfestival.com.

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Patrick at Pitch Perfect PR.]

The Hope Conspiracy release punk rager – “The West Is Dead.”

Photo credit: The Hope Conspiracy

he Hope Conspiracy will release their long-awaited new full-length album, Tools of Oppression / Rule by Deception on May 31st.  Today, the group has shared the record’s dystopian, hook-laden second single, “The West Is Dead.”  Vocalist Kevin Baker states, “Politicians in the west, whether they are on the left or right, all eat from the same pig trough. Corporations own every single one of them. The working people were sold down the river decades ago. The professional liars are not concerned with fair wages, human rights, affordable healthcare or the poison in our air, water and food. Both sides play on everyone’s sensitivities to keep us hating one another while they take lucrative donations and marching orders from rent seeking billionaires. The tent cities and rampant homelessness would go away tomorrow if they really wanted it to be so. The system is designed to crush the common people. If you don’t feel it now you will. If you don’t see it now you will. It’s the approaching storm on the horizon and there is no escaping it. The west is dead and our end is near.”

Watch / share “The West Is Dead” on YouTube.

True sonic violence aimed at political division, economic manipulation, war profiteering, media propaganda and other vile forms of global oppression, Tools of Oppression / Rule by Deception  is an ominous soundtrack to the steady decline of our modern age.  There is no question, The Hope Conspiracy is back to make a cold hard statement about existence in the end times.

Tools of Oppression / Rule by Deception was engineered by Kurt Ballou and Zach Weeks at God City Studios, and artwork for the release was created by acclaimed artist Alexander Heir (Death/Traitors).  The album is available for pre-order here and The Hope Conspiracy will be playing select shows this summer and fall.  

The Hope Conspiracy, on tour:
June 7  Cambridge, MA @ Sonia
June 8  Brooklyn, NY @ The Meadows
June 9  Philadelphia, PA @ First Unitarian Church
July 20  Chicago, IL @ Cobra Lounge – The Rumble
September 6  Los Angeles, CA @ 1720
September 7  Berkeley, CA @ 924 Gilman
September 8  Anaheim, CA @ Chain Reaction
September 9  Giant Rock, CA @ Ask A Punk
September 12  San Diego, CA @ Soda Bar
September 13  Seattle, WA @ The Vera Project
September 14  Portland, OR @ Dante’s
September 15  Tacoma, WA @ Real Art

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Stephanie at Another Side.]