Gustaf – 7th Level Music

Levitation France 2022 recap – Day Two

When in Angers, you should check out the Apocalypse Tapestry at Chateau d’Angers. It’s one of the most doom metal things ever made.

Day Two (June 04th) of Levitation France was our busiest day of the festival. There was a small worry of rain and thunderstorms hitting the festival all three days, but it stayed away on Friday and had hit the area on Saturday afternoon. The skies looked clear for Saturday evening, and, thankfully, that turned out to be the case. We walked in for about the last third of a set by You Said Strange, who were highly popular judging by the number of their band shirts I saw at the festival that day.

You Said Strange getting strange on the Reverberation Stage.

Up next were Death Valley Girls. I hadn’t seen them live since the Psycho Music Festival last year, and they’d written a couple new songs since then (with a new album due in 2023!). They came out, battling the sun beaming directly into their eyes, and put on a heavy, spooky set to counter the light pouring over them.

Death Valley Girls battling the sun and casting spells.

I finally got to introduce myself to them afterwards, which was a delight. We’d only “known” each other through mutually followed Twitter feeds until that time. They’re currently on a three-week European tour and will have a big U.S. / Canada tour this summer (as well as a return to Psycho Music Festival). Don’t miss them.

Some blogger / radio DJ with Death Valley Girls

We then zipped across the lot to see Gustaf. I’d been itching to see them, as I heard their live shows were as fun and weird as their album, Audio Drag for Ego Slobs, and I had heard right. They were just as quirky and sharp as I’d hoped.

I’m not sure if Gustaf or the crowd were bouncing more during their set.

We took a food break (Thanks, BBQ food truck!) and then returned to the Reverberation Stage to see the legendary Kim Gordon come out and rock a mini-skirt better than most women half her age and rock a guitar and stage better than most anyone in the game. It was great to see someone exude so much sensual, raw power.

Australian rockers Pond were up next and put on a fun, energetic set. Their musicianship was tested and on full display when one synthesizer broke only a few songs into their set. They had to adapt their set list on the fly and play songs they hadn’t intended, and did it without missing a beat.

Pond, changing like chameleons from song to song.

Japanese psych-rock legends Kikagaku Moyo were next. In case you weren’t aware, they are on their final tour for a long time – possibly forever – so don’t miss them if they’re near your town. They sound great as always and dazzled the crowd for their whole set.

The festival closed with Canadian electro-industrial duo Pelada, who, if I heard right, were booked a bit at the last minute. They got the entire crowd dancing, with singer Chris Vargas owning the stage (and crowd) from the first moment she appeared. Tobias Rochman‘s beats were a wild switch from the trippy psych-rock and post-punk of the day. Watching douchebag guys being intimidated by Ms. Vargas was one of the highlights of the day.

Pelada dropping beats and spitting fire.

It was a fun day all-around, and the next day would bring psychedelic Shinto music, a band that plays like their hair is on fire, some psych-rock legends, four men on a mission, and a bus ride that will be talked about at the festival for years to come.

Keep your mind open.

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Gustaf gets remixed by Beck and announces a massive U.S. / U.K. tour.

After a stellar year that saw them release their debut album and join IDLES on a largely sold-out nationwide tour, Brooklyn art punks Gustaf have returned with a fiery remix of their track “Design” by none other than the multi-time Grammy-winner Beck. Their friendship with Beck blossomed after he invited them to play a secret loft party at his New York apartment, and his re-work of their first ever recorded single comes alongside a throughly enjoyable Interview Magazine piece in which they discuss the merits of creating and sharing outside of the box. Today, they’re also announcing a slew of headline dates across the United States and the UK, as well as a Talkhouse conversation with tourmates IDLES.

LISTEN: to Beck’s remix of Gustaf’s “Design” on YouTube

READ:
Gustaf’s conversations with Beck for Interview Magazine
&
IDLES for Talkhouse

Audio Drag For Ego Slobs came out via Royal Mountain Records on October 1st to rapturous praise from the likes of NPR, NME, BrooklynVegan, DIY, Paste, and the band will continue to prove why they are one of America’s most “reliably fun bands” as they head out on a full US headline tour with stops at SXSW, Treefort, Savannah Music Fest and many more, before jumping across the Atlantic for their first UK shows, a run that will see them appearing at Brighton’s The Great Escape festival.

Beck’s remix of Gustaf’s “Design” is out now on Royal Mountain Records. It is available to stream here.

Tour Dates

2022
3/10 – Washington, DC @ DC9
3/11 – Durham, NC @ Pinhook
3/11-12 – Savannah, GA @ Savannah Stopover Music Fest
3/13 – Atlanta, GA @ The Earl
3/15 – Dallas, TX @ Sundown at Granada
3/16-18 – Austin, TX @ SXSW
3/20 – Tucson, AZ @ Club Congress
3/21 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Echo
3/23 – San Francisco, CA @ Rickshaw Stop
3/23-27 – Boise, ID @ Treefort Music Fest
3/25 – Seattle, WA @ Sunset Tavern
3/26 – Portland, OR @ Bunk Bar
3/31 – Minneapolis, MN @ 7th St Entry
4/1 – Milwaukee, WI @ Colectivo
4/2 – Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle
4/3 – Columbus, OH @ Ace Of Cups
4/5 – Toronto, ON @ Garrison
4/7 – Burlington, VT – Higher Ground
4/8 – Portland, ME @ Portland House of Music
4/14 – Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s
4/15 – Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall
4/16 – New York, NY @ The Broadway
4/29 – Nottingham, United Kingdom @ Bodega
4/30 – Edinburgh, United Kingdom @ Stag & Dagger Edinburgh
5/1 – Glasgow, United Kingdom @ Stag & Dagger Glasgow
5/3 – Dublin, Ireland @ The Workman’s Club
5/4 – Manchester, United Kingdom @ YES / Pink Room
5/6 – Leeds, United Kingdom @ Headrow House
5/7 – Coventry, United Kingdom @ Coventry Central Library
5/8 – Birmingham, United Kingdom @ Hare & Hounds
5/9 – London, United Kingdom @ Moth Club (co-headline w/ Kills Birds)
5/10 – London, United Kingdom @ Moth Club (co-headline w/ Kills Birds)
5/11 – Cambridge, United Kingdom @ The Portland Arms
5/13 – Brighton, United Kingdom @ The Great Escape Festival
5/14 – Bristol, United Kingdom @ Crofters Rights

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Tom at Hive Mind PR.]

Review: Gustaf – Audio Drag for Ego Slobs

Formed somewhat on a whim, Gustaf (Lydia Gammill – lead vocals, Tine Hill – bass, Vram Kherlopian – guitar, Melissa Lucciola – drums, Tarra Thiessen – percussion and vocals) were playing packed gigs across the country in record stores, apartments, basements, pubs, and even SXSW festival stages before they even cut their debut album – Audio Drag for Ego Slobs. The result is an album created by a band who’d cut their teeth on the road and came into the studio with a power pack of post-punk poppers.

“You say that I’m much to old to be low-fi,” Gammill sings on the opening track, “Mine.” The groove of it is undeniable, rooted in Hill’s bass lick and the tippity-tap of Lucciola’s hi-hat. The song seems to about reclaiming dignity and an attitude of “I really don’t give a rat’s ass.”

“Book” has Gammill demanding proof of erroneous claims of her life being false. It keeps the dance grooves rolling and into “Best Behavior.” “I wanted you to know that I was good today,” Gammill sings, possibly letting her lover know that she wasn’t up to anything naughty…Well, perhaps a bit. “Dream” is a song about weird love, with Thiessen repeating “We love you.” while Gammill claims, “You’re doing great.” and then both of them stating, “It was only a dream.”

Kherlopian’s guitar takes on a bit of a yacht rock feel, which I love, on “Liquid Frown” – a song that seems to be about being under so much relationship stress that it makes you nauseous. Hill’s bass is in full funk mode on “The Motions,” and the backing vocals are warped (like they are on many tracks) to reflect Gammill’s perplexed state of mind at the world in general. “Common sense seems so pedestrian,” Gammill sings on “Cruel” – one of the wittiest tracks on the album with the band flipping off romance.

On the flipside, “Dog” is about someone Gammill didn’t really find attractive or think much about until she saw the guy’s dog. “It took a little effort to see. Hey, who’s that pulling the leash?” “Package” ups the anger a bit before the slightly psychedelic “Happy” comes in to close the album with Gammill saying, “I hope you’re happy getting what you want…I’m out here singing alone.”

As the kids would say, don’t sleep on this album. It’s one of the best post-punk records of the year.

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Tom at Hive Mind PR.]

Gustaf throw the “Book” at us with their new single.

Formed in 2018, Brooklyn’s Gustaf have built a kind of buzz that feels like it comes from a different era. The art punk 5 piece rapidly established a reputation as one of New York’s “hardest working…and most reliably fun bands” (BrooklynVegan), and early excitement about their danceable, ESG-inspired post punk expanded outside of their city with remarkable effect despite having released no recorded music and barely having an online presence. As a result of their magnetic live show the band found unlikely early champions, catching the attention of luminaries like Beck – who had the band open for him at a secret loft party he played around the release of his latest album – the New York no wave legend James Chance, and shared stages with buzzing indie acts like Omni, Tropical Fuck Storm, Dehd and Bodega, while word of mouth led to sell out shows when they played their first LA headline dates in late 2019. They finally released recorded music in the form of their debut 7 inch at the end of 2020, which only furthered the growth of their reputation, earning them comparisons to acts like Television, Talking Heads, The B-52s and LCD Soundsystem from NPR (who made them a Slingshot artist for 2021), Paste, DIY, Under The Radar, BrooklynVegan and NME among many others.

Today, the band are announcing their debut LP, the magnificently titled Audio Drag For Ego Slobs, which will be out on October 1st on Toronto’s Royal Mountain Records (Wild Pink, Alvvays, Mac DeMarco), and sharing their new single “Book.”

WATCH: the video for Gustaf’s “Book” on YouTube

“‘Book’ is a song about the fallacy and fight of getting ahead vs being a head. It is seeking validation in the wrong places and from the wrong people,” singer Lydia Gammil explains. “The hook, “I got ahead, I got a head” is a fun little taunt that we find either being thrown in our face or coming out our mouth. Everyone gets their moment up on the pedestal and everyone gets their turn falling off of it. Whether it’s up or down, ‘Book’ is about accepting whatever level you’re on.“

To coincide with the announce Gustaf are announcing an extensive itinerary of touring in the US, UK and Europe that will see them playing with IDLES and Pillow Queens. Full details can be found below.

Gustaf’s Audio Drag for Ego Slobs will be released on October 1st on Royal Mountain Records. It is available for preorder here.

Tour Dates
10/1 – Charlotte, NC – Snug Harbor
10/2 – Knoxville, TN – Mill and Mine
10/3 – Cincinatti, OH – MOTR Pub
10/4 – Cleveland, OH – Beachland Tavern
10/6 – Milwaukee, WI – Cactus Club
10/7 – Saint Paul, MN – Palace Theatre #
10/8 – Chicago, IL – Riviera Theatre #
10/9 – Detroit, MI – Saint Andrew’s Hall #
10/10 – Columbus, OH – Newport Music Hall #
10/12 – Boston, MA – House of Blues #
10/13 – Philadelphia, PA – The Fillmore #
10/15 – New York, NY – Terminal 5 #
10/16 – New York, NY – Terminal 5 #
10/17 – Washington, DC – 9:30 Club #
10/18 – Washington, DC – 9:30 Club #
10/20 – Asheville, NC – The Orange Peel #
10/21 – Nashville, TN – Cannery Ballroom #
10/22 – Atlanta, GA – Masquerade – Heaven Stage #
10/25 – Austin, TX – Stubb’s #
10/26 – Dallas, TX – Granada Theater #
10/27 – San Antonio, TX – Paper Tiger #
11/2 – Birmingham, UK – The Sunflower Lounge $
11/3 – Bristol, UK – Rough Trade Bristol $
11/4 – London, UK – The Dome $
11/6 – Brighton, UK – Mutations Festival @ The Green Door Store
11/8 – Leeds, UK – Hyde Park Book Club $
11/9 – Manchester, UK – YES (Pink Room) $
11/10 – Liverpool, UK – Arts Club Loft $
11/11 – London, UK – The Windmill, Brixton
11/13 – Utrecht, NL – Le Guess Who Festival
11/14 – Kortrijk, BE – Sonic City Festival
11/14 – Brussels, BE – Witloof Bar
11/16 – Berlin, DE – Cassiopeia
11/17 – Haldern, DE – Haldern Pop Bar
11/18 – Paris, FR – Les Femmes S’en Melent @ Petit Bain
11/19 – Lille, FR – The Black Lab
11/20 – Luxembourg City, LU – Rotondes Klub
12/09 – Portland, OR – Bunk Bar (headline)

# – supporting Idles

$ – supporting Pillow Queens

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Tom at Hive Mind PR.]

Gustaf release new single – “Design”

Since forming in 2018, Brooklyn art punks Gustaf have been the subject of an unusual amount of buzz for a band who had never released a note of recorded music. Based entirely on the back of their live shows, the band found early champions in luminaries like Beck – who saw them perform at a secret loft party he played around the release of his latest album – the New York no wave legend James Chance, and shared stages with buzzing indie acts like Omni, Tropical Fuck Storm, Dehd and Bodega, while word of mouth led to sell out shows when they played their first LA headline dates in late 2019. Last month the band released their first single, the Chris Coady (Beach House, TV on The Radio, Future Islands)-produced “Mine,” which earned immediate praise from spots like the NME, Paste, DIY, The Needle Drop and Exclaim, and today, Gustaf are sharing their second single, a track called “Design,” another slice of the band’s finely-tuned, off-kilter art-punk that sees them reunite with Coady as their producer.

WATCH: Gustaf’s “Design” video on YouTube

Vocalist Lydia Gammill explains: “Although the title of the song is not the refrain (“desire’”, we named the track “Design” because it is a commentary on how our desires and critiques of others are a product of our design.” Gammill continues, “Like in “Mine”, the narrator addresses an invisible critic, arguing that the ills we believe to be unique to ourselves are the result of an oppressive system. However, in the end we’re just shouting at the back of someone’s head as they leave the room.”

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Tom at Hive Mind PR.]

Gustaf claim what is “Mine” and sign with Royal Mountain Records.

Gustaf have announced their signing to Royal Mountain Records, alongside their debut single and video “Mine“. The first recorded material from a band who have played sold out shows around the United States based solely on word of mouth, “Mine” offers an engagingly weird and frantically off-kilter look into the all-encompassing world of the Brooklyn-based art-punk quintet.

LISTEN: to Gustaf “Mine” on YouTube

Vocalist Lydia Gammill explains: “This song is about having a false sense of entitlement. Someone who feels attacked or like they’re being pushed out of their own world and not getting the credit they deserve. Someone with a delusional sense of self whose anger and frustration is humorous like the superintendent in a college frat movie. The opening lines make it seem like the narrator is being criticized by someone else and their retaliation is like “you’ve got to be kidding me, you can’t say that about me! I invented water you punk!” …. sort of.“

———-

Formed in 2018, Brooklyn’s Gustaf have built a kind of buzz that feels like it comes from a different era. The art punk 5 piece are yet to release any recorded music, but rapidly established a reputation as one of New York’s “hardest working…and most reliably fun bands” (BrooklynVegan), and excitement about their danceable, ESG-inspired post punk has expanded outside of their city with remarkable effect despite their scant online presence. The band have found early champions in all quarters, catching the attention of luminaries like Beck – who had the band open for him at a secret loft party he played around the release of his latest album – the New York no wave legend James Chance, and have shared stages with buzzing indie acts like Omni, Tropical Fuck Storm, Dehd and Bodega, while word of mouth led to sell out shows when they played their first LA headline dates in late 2019.

While recent events have curtailed Gustaf’s live schedule, the band have remained relentless as ever in 2020, and entered the studio with producer Chris Coady (Beach House, Future Islands, TV On The Radio) to work on their first official release.

Mine 7″ is out on Royal Mountain Records on December 4th. It is available for pre-order here.

Keep your mind open.

[Why not subscribe while you’re here?]

[Thanks to Tom at Hive Mind PR.]