One of the many things I love about The Schizophonics and their new album, Hoof It, is how they’re not afraid to show their love for MC5. The whole album bursts at the seams with a raucous energy reminiscent of the Detroit powerhouses, always feeling dangerous and thrilling.
I mean, “Desert Girl,” pretty much walks into the room and punches you in the face. Pat Beers‘ guitar riffs on “Creature” shove the gas pedal to the floor for you in case you happen to be running moonshine and the state police are on your trail. The title track has a swinging 1960s garage rock shag to it that’s just great. “Won Your Love” will have you jumping out of your seat to dance wherever you happen to be at the moment. Pat Beers’ solo on it shreds with vibrant passion.
Beers and his wife, Lety Beers (drums), get psychedelic on “Pendulum” and then swinging and scorching on “The Alchemist Twist.” It’s a fuzzed-out burner that I’m sure tears down the house live. You’re barely able to keep up by the time they reach “Turn to Glass” and “Underneath the Moonlight” (which has some of Lety Beers’ best precision drumming, cleverly hidden among the guitar fuzz). They add some sexy swagger on “I’m Ready,” and ending your record with a cosmic garage rock trak called “Dance at the End of Time” is a fun way to do it.
This album is nothing but fun, fuzz, and funk. Don’t miss it.
Keep your mind open.
[Hoof it on over to the subscription box while you’re here.]
San Diego trio The Schizophonics share the video for “Won Your Love” from their forthcoming fourth album today via Punk News. Watch and share “Won Your Love” HERE. (Direct YouTube.)
The band previously issued the lead single “Desert Girl” via YouTube, Spotify and all other DSPs.
The band just recently wrapped up an extensive tour of Europe, and will be very busy for the next year with tour dates around the world. Please see current dates below.
Over the last few years, The Schizophonics have built up a formidable reputation around the world as an explosive live act. Tapping into the same unstoppable combination of rock ‘n’ roll energy and showmanship that fueled The MC5 in the heyday of the Grande Ballroom, their wild live show is heavily influenced by artists like James Brown,Iggy Pop, Jimi Hendrix, Little Richard, and The Sonics.
Singer/guitarist Pat Beers and drummer Lety Beers formed the band in San Diego in 2009 and have worked tirelessly since then, playing hundreds of shows around the globe. In 2013 they were recruited as the backing/opening band for El Vez, which helped the band make a name for itself in Europe. Since then, they’ve played in numerous countries, and supported tours by like-minded acts like Rocket From The Crypt, Little Barrie, The Woggles and have opened for the Damned, DEVO, The Hives and Cage The Elephant. Shindig Magazine described their live show “Like watching some insane hybrid of WAYNE KRAMER, JAMES BROWN, and the Tasmanian Devil.”
The band is more than just a live act; they’re also committed to writing great memorable songs. Their new album Hoof It on Pig Baby Records due in Fall 2022 was recorded by Dean Reis at Singing Serpent studio (Plosivs, RFTC) and mixed by Steve Kaye at Sun King Studios.
Hoof It will be available on LP, CD and download on September 2nd, 2022 via Pig Baby Records. Pre-orders are available HERE.
THE SCHIZOPHONICS LIVE 2022:
07/22 & 23 Saint Paul, Quebec, CA – Le Festif! De Baie Saint Paul
09/07 Boise, ID – Neurolux
09/08 Yakima, WA – Punks Bar
09/09 Seattle, WA – Substation
09/10 Portland, OR – Dante’s
09/11 Eugene, OR – Old Nick’s
09/13 Albany, CA – Ivy Room
09/14 San Jose, CA – The Ritz
09/15 Santa Cruz, CA – Moe’s Alley
09/17 Los Angeles, CA – Zebulon
09/23 San Diego, CA – The Casbah
10/21 Los Angeles, CA – Permanent Records Roadhouse
Here we are at my top 25 albums that I heard from 2019.
#25 – Fat White Family – Serfs Up!
These hard-partying Brit weirdos make mind-warping rock that blends psychedelia with 1970’s funk. Serfs Up! is a cool blend of both genres and tackles themes of 1%’ers taking advantage of all of us.
#24 – Bayonne – Drastic Measures
Drastic Measures is another fine electro record from Bayonne. I love how he blends his vocals with bright synths, sometimes to the point where you can’t tell one from the other. The lyrics aren’t often discernible, but that’s okay. The album is meant to be experienced as a soundscape. Just sink into it and experience bliss.
#23 – The Schizophonics – People in the Sky
This album is loud, brash, cocky, and everything you need if you love garage rock, sweaty dive bars, the MC5, and power trios. It’s the antithesis of overproduced dreck that pollutes most of the FM airwaves, which means it’s great.
#22 – Skull Practitioners – Death Buy
This EP from Skull Practitioners has more guitar shredding than some double albums by more well-known rock acts. It’s a sonic assault that can catch you unprepared, so have the volume up and brace for impact when you play it.
#21 – Beehive – Depressed + Distressed
Beehive weren’t on my radar until their label sent me this fun record of grunge / shoegaze rock that captures millennial angst (and self-deprecation) in its title and lyrics. It pays homage to their rock idols and also trashes them (The song “90’s Trash” is particularly good.).
San Diego’s husband-wife duo of singer / guitarist Pat Beers and drummer Lety Beers, otherwise known as The Schizophonics, are legends in their hometown for good reason. Their live shows are bat-shit crazy. Their second album, People in the Sky, is equally so.
The album starts with “Something’s Got to Give,” and it might be your speakers. Pat Beers’ voice already sounds like he’s been up all night drinking and smoking and Lety Beers is beating her kit like she’s angry about that damn dog next door that won’t stop barking all night…and it’s only the first track. “Steely Eyed Lady” is like a gas guzzling muscle car burning up miles while blasting The MC5 on the tape player. The comparisons of the Schizophonics to The MC5 are unavoidable. Pat Beers’ vocal stylings and Lety Beers’ beats are clearly influenced by the Detroit legends, while Mr. Beers’ guitar work combines garage, surf, punk, and psychedelia.
“Nine Miles” has a lot of crunchy guitar riffs to back Mr. Beers’ lyrics about hard work and the sacrifices one makes for love. The title track discusses mind expansion and controlling one’s emotions. “The One I Want” is a hot cut about a hot lover. “Battle Line” has some of Mr. Beers’ best shredding, and the track that follows it, “Not Gonna Change My Mind,” has a Hendrix-like solo that sizzles like a hot skillet sauteing habanero peppers.
“Long Way to Go” has a great dirty blues groove to it that reminds me of backroom jam sessions Howlin’ Wolf might have played. “Every day’s a lifetime, baby. We got a long way to go,” Pat Beers sings before unleashing a short but furious solo. The beat on “Show Me Your Eyes” mixes so well with the guitar fuzz that I’m not sure which one is playing lead (which is probably the point). I love that they included a song like “Like a Mummy,” which combines 60’s garage rock speed and “monster rock” grooves on an album that was released on Halloween. Also, Pat Beers goes nuts on it with his guitar. Every time you think you’ve heard him burn up all his energy on one track, he unleashes another hidden reserve from somewhere and makes your jaw drop.
“Down, I’ve been so down and out about you. Out, I’ve been so out of mind for you,” he sings on “Down and Out.” It’s a solid cut and one of the best tracks on a record full of impressive tunes. The closer, “She’s Coming Back,” has Pat Beers trying to convince himself that a lover will return, but even he’s not sure he believes it.
This is a top-notch rock record. If you’ve been looking for an album to blast away the cacophony of the 24-hour news cycle or the banality of the rat race, start here.
San Diego trio The Schizophonics share a new single from their forthcoming sophomore album, People in the Sky, today via The Talkhouse. The song, “Steely Eyed Lady,” and the band, gets a fittingly astounding introduction courtesy of beloved performance artist El Vez (a.k.a. Robert Lopez): “Hits you like a train with all the passion of a young Little Richard floating through the clouds with so much raw energy. Your new favorite band should hit you like a campaign slogan. Like a religious cult or an anti-hero movie star that you fall in love with.”
BrooklynVegan recently premiered the first single “Battle Line” available to hear and share via BrooklyVegan, YouTube, Bandcamp and Spotify.
The band takes its jaw-dropping live show on the road for headlining dates throughout North America this October. Please see current dates below.
Over the last few years, The Schizophonics have built up a formidable reputation around the world as an explosive live act. Tapping into the same unstoppable combination of rock ‘n’ roll energy and showmanship that fueled The MC5 in the heyday of the Grande Ballroom, their wild live show is heavily influenced by artists like James Brown, Iggy Pop, Jimi Hendrix, Little Richard, and The Sonics. Singer/guitarist Pat Beers and drummer Lety Beers formed the band in San Diego in 2009 and have worked tirelessly since then, playing hundreds of shows around the globe and winning 7 (SEVEN!) San Diego music awards.
In 2013 they were recruited as the backing/opening band for El Vez, which helped the band make a name for itself in Europe. Since then, they’ve played in fourteen countries, and supported tours by like-minded acts like Rocket From The Crypt, Little Barrie, and The Woggles and have opened for The Damned, The Hives and Cage The Elephant. Shindig magazine described their live show “Like watching some insane hybrid of Wayne Kramer, James Brown, and the Tazmanian Devil.”
“One of my favorite live bands ever,” proclaims Tim Mays, who has run the Casbah in San Diego for 30 years and has seen literally thousands of live bands come through his doors. “The Schizophonics bring the goods every time they play,” he enthuses.
The band is more than just an outstanding live act, they’re also committed to writing great, memorable songs.
After releasing 2 singles and an EP over the last few years on Munster, Ugly Things, and Pig Baby Records, they put out their first full-length album in July 2017 titled Land of the Living on the label Sympathy For The Record Industry with famed record man Long Gone John. In January of 2019 they started work on their second LP recruiting Dave Gardner (Hot Snakes, RFTC) mixing engineer Stephen Kaye (JD McPherson, Mike Krol) and Pierre De Reeder (Rilo Kiley) to put their live, raw sound to tape. The album, titled People in the Sky, will be released on October 31st, 2019 on Pig Baby Records. Pre-orders are available HERE.
THE SCHIZOPHONICS LIVE 2019: 10/10 Los Angeles, CA @ Harvard & Stone 10/11 San Diego, CA @ Casbah 10/12 Long Beach, CA @ Alex’s Bar 10/13 Phoenix, AZ @ Rhythm Room 10/14 El Paso, TX @ The Neon Rose 10/17 Denton, TX @ Harvest House 10/18 Austin, TX @ Nicolaza’s/Far Out 10/19 Houston, TX @ Rudyards 10/20 New Orleans, LA @ TBA 10/23 Miami, FL @ Gramps 10/24 St. Petersburg, FL @ The Bends 10/25 Orlando, FL @ Wills Pub 10/26 Atlanta, GA @ Star Bar 10/27 Memphis, TN @ DKDC 10/30 New York, NY @ Union Pool 10/31 Baltimore, MD @ Otto Bar 11/01 Washington, DC @ The Pie Shop 11/02 Philadelphia, PA @ Ortlieb’s 11/03 New Haven, CT @ Café Nine 11/04 Providence, RI @ Dusk 11/05 NYC, NY @ Illegal Mezcal Private Party 11/06 Pittsburg, PA @ Get Hip 11/07 Toronto, ON @ The Baby G 11/08 Detroit, MI @ The Outer Limits 11/09 Chicago, IL @ Liars Club 11/10 Madison, WI @ Mickey’s Tavern 11/12 Appleton, Wi @ The Cold Shot 11/15 Wenatchee, WA @ Walley’s 11/16 Seattle, WA @ Freakout Festival 11/17 Portland, OR @ Twilight Café
Keep your mind open.
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