Posts Tagged ‘California’

X – ” More Fun In The New World ” Remastered

Posted: December 3, 2021 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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Formed in 1977, X quickly established themselves as one of the best bands in the first wave of LA’s flourishing punk scene; becoming legendary leaders of a punk generation. In 2020 – they released their first new album in 35 years, “Alphabetland”. X’s 1983 release “More Fun in the New World“, their fourth and last record produced by Ray Manzerak.

It was their last LP that would stay true to their punk roots. Their previous three releases (1980’s “Los Angeles” 1981’s “Wild Gift” and 1982’s “Under the Big Black Sun“) gave us tales of a darker side of Los Angeles that was more Tom Waits and less Hollywood.

Along with The Germs, Black Flag and The Circle Jerks, X stood out amongst a sea of Southern California punk bands who had to constantly play gigs to get their music heard. Except for college radio and KROQ, punk had no home on the airwaves. This did not deter X from improving with each album release.

The anthemic album opener “The New World” is still powerful years later, as is the absolutely beautiful ballad “I Must Not Think Bad Thoughts,” which perfectly captures the paranoid feeling of Reagan’s America in the ’80s.

“More Fun in the New World” incorporates a rockabilly sound mixed in with insightful sociopolitical commentary to give X the best album in their catalogue. The album starts off with the folky, brilliant and still relevant “The New World,” a razor-sharp rebuke of Ronald Reagan’s presidency without even mentioning his name. Writer Michael H. Little once called the song “a savage spit in the eye of false promises—the only promises politicians make—and one of punk’s great protest songs.” If you’ve read a newspaper or watched the news at any point in the last couple of years, then you know how important and applicable this song is to today’s America.

It was better before, before they voted for What’s-His-Name / This was supposed to be the new world / It was better before, before they voted for What’s-His-Name / This was supposed to be the new world.

Like “The New World,” “We’re Having Much More Fun” features Exene Cervenka and bassist John Doe sharing lead vocals with excellent guitar work from Billy Zoom. It’s a tale of the seedier side of Los Angeles as only X could tell it. Their delivery is so compelling, you could imagine yourself sweating and boozing it up very late into the evening on a hot summer night.

In the hallways upstairs / Everyone hangs out the doors / And the silhouettes act obscene / Across from where we stay / We’re having much more fun / You don’t know where we’ve gone

X achieved new rough and rocking heights with the vicious “Devil Doll,” “Painting the Town Blue,” and “Make the Music Go Bang,” while returning once again to their retro ’50s roots with “Poor Girl”.

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“True Love” and “Poor Little Girl” are tales of the not-so-sweet-and-tender sides of love and romance. Cervenka and Doe, who were married at the time, took turns singing lead, with Cervenka taking on the former. She describes true love as the “the devil’s crowbar,” leading us to believe that she might have been better off not knowing what true love really is.

“Poor Little Girl” is Doe’s take on a relationship in which he can’t seem to do anything right and can’t figure out the source of his partner’s sadness. The guitar work of Zoom and drumming of D.J. Bonebrake is reminiscent of a sound you’d hear in a Bo Diddley song.

“Make the Music Go Bang” and “Breathless” are welcome returns to X’s uptempo sounds, with the latter standing out as one of the album’s highlights. With its cranked-up tempo and spot-on vocals by Cervenka, X’s cover of Jerry Lee Lewis’ “Breathless” is hands down the best version of the song. The song begs to be played as loud as possible.

“I Must Not Think Bad Thoughts” is a personal favourite of mine and maybe the only song I know of that addresses America’s sketchy foreign policy and lack of airplay for punk bands on the radio. Somehow, Doe and Cervenka make it work.

“Devil Doll,” ”Painting the Town Blue,” and “Hot House” bring the album back to a style more reminiscent of their previous releases and show off the underrated songwriting of Cervenka and Doe. Each of these songs is vastly different from each other but convey a sense of pathos without losing their edge. It’s great storytelling without the sappiness of a classic country music song. “Drunk in My Past,” if sung by any other classic rock outfit, would be just another song. The vocal style of Doe and Cervenka makes this song work so well.

“I See Red” is a fun and manic blast of punk rock at its best. It speeds along at a breakneck pace, not quite out of control. As you’re listening, you constantly wonder how it’s going to end and then suddenly you hear the sound of what might be hubcaps falling off of a car.

The LP ends with “True Love (Part 2),” a track that sounds nothing like anything else X had done until this point. It’s a fun, stream of consciousness track that does not take itself too seriously, and neither should you.

Released April 12th, 2019

MINI TREES – ” Always In Motion “

Posted: September 18, 2021 in MUSIC
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For better or for worse, life keeps moving forward. It’s this fundamental truth that Lexi Vega, the creative force behind Mini Trees, confronts throughout her debut album “Always In Motion“. But coming to terms with this inevitability has been a life-long struggle.

The daughter of a Cuban-born father and Japanese-American mother, the uniqueness of her identity has been an ever-present tension in Lexi’s life. She never quite fit in growing up within predominantly white communities in suburban southern California, with few who around her outside of her family to understand the generational scars caused by both exile and internment. When she was only 5 years old, Vega’s father, a professional drummer himself, took his own life. These traumas set in motion an ongoing questioning of Vega’s own self identity – and Mini Trees has provided the palette for Vega to process, to persevere, and to grow.

After playing drums in various projects for years, Vega began writing and recording her own music under the moniker Mini Trees in 2018. She recorded her first solo track in the Summer of 2018 with producer Jon Joseph and was immediately hooked on the feeling of creating something that spoke directly to her as an artist, fully in control of her own vision. Mini Trees debut EP, “Steady Me“, dropped in 2019 and Vega followed it with 2020’s EP, “Slip Away”. 

Following the release of these two EPs and with ample time to work on music during 2020, Vega both found herself ready to progress creatively and challenging many of her long-held beliefs and notions about her own identity. Originally envisioned to be yet another EP, Vega instead began working on what would become her debut full length, “Always In Motion”, a collection of relatable indie-pop songs that acknowledge our collective anxiety about life’s improbability.

“Moments In Between,” Always In Motion’s ethereal opening number, was written early on in the process, kick-starting Vega into song writing mode and reflecting the anxiety and dread she was grappling with as the world shut down around her. That sense of uncertainty pervades the album, although it’s more universal than circumstantial as Vega uses the lyrics to consider how we move through life with a constant sense of unknowing. “Moments In Between” wonders whether spiritual belief can help us accept all types of challenges, although the introspective track doesn’t necessarily find a conclusion.

“When you’re in the midst of something painful you long to get to the other side of it,” Vega explains. “You want to be free from that. Faith can mean that even though life is long and painful, there is hope at the end of it all. I like the idea of there being something better than this on the other side. That possibility acknowledges that while people go through periods of intense anxiety and dread, they make it through.”

“Carrying On,” a pulsating, layered track, was written during a trip to the desert, where Vega struggled to reconcile her sense of the world with actual reality, especially during a time when everything felt so unbelievable and surreal. The lush “Cracks in the Pavement” reflects on identity, with Vega acknowledging and embracing who she is and recognizing that change has to come from within. 

Those themes extend into “Spring” as Lexi explores long-term relationships, wondering whether they can withstand one partner’s internal evolution. “It explores that fear of when you care about something so much that you don’t want to lose it,” she notes.

The closing track, “Otherwise,” confirms that there is no easy answer for these queries, but maybe that’s okay. Life, as usual, moves forward.

“I liked the idea of ending on an unresolved note,” Lexi says. “It emphasizes that there’s no certainty until we reach the end. That’s the only truth that seems reliable. You can’t ever know what’s going to happen until you get there. And that doesn’t have to conjure up feelings of dread. Over the course of the album I teeter-totter between having questions and wanting answers, but the resolution is to be okay with not knowing. I think I do find some acceptance along the way, but the album purposefully concludes with no real resolution.” 

Released September 17th, 2021

The UMBRELLAS – ” The Umbrellas “

Posted: August 8, 2021 in MUSIC
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The San Francisco bay area has long been an important outpost of the International Pop Underground, from the 90s heyday of The Aislers Set, #Poundsign# and The Fairways to the string of legendary popfests in the early 00s and more recently to a DIY pop resurgence with bands like The Mantles, Flowertown and The Reds, Pinks & Purples. Now we’re very happy to welcome into this rich pop tradition The Umbrellas, who, after one well-received tape/single, are sure to dazzle with their new self-titled debut album.

Classic indie pop influences abound, from The Byrds to Orange Juice, The Pastels, Comet Gain and Belle & Sebastian, along with a noticeable garage-pop/Paisley Underground flavour that is a hallmark of San Francisco’s best bands. Lead-off single “She Buys Herself Flowers” introduces us to a band that’s both intimately conversant with indie pop history but also unburdened by it, a group with the song-crafting chops and spirit to take familiar elements and create for themselves a fresh new sound. The album goes from strength to strength, studded with pop gems like “Near You,” “Lonely” and “Pictures” — tunes that sound like classics from the first listen, as timeless and elemental as all great pop.

The Band:

Matt Ferrara – vocals, guitar, keyboards
Keith Frerichs- 12 string acoustic guitar, drums, vocals
Morgan Stanley- vocals, guitar
Nick Oka- bass

Released August 6th, 2021

MINI TREES – ” Always In Motion “

Posted: July 29, 2021 in MUSIC
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For better or for worse, life keeps moving forward. It’s this fundamental truth that Lexi Vega, the creative force behind Mini Trees, confronts throughout her debut album “Always In Motion“. But coming to terms with this inevitability has been a life-long struggle.

The daughter of a Cuban-born father and Japanese-American mother, the uniqueness of her identity has been an ever-present tension in Lexi’s life. She never quite fit in growing up within predominantly white communities in suburban southern California, with few who around her outside of her family to understand the generational scars caused by both exile and internment. When she was only 5 years old, Vega’s father, a professional drummer himself, took his own life. These traumas set in motion an ongoing questioning of Vega’s own self identity – and Mini Trees has provided the palette for Vega to process, to persevere, and to grow. After playing drums in various projects for years, Vega began writing and recording her own music under the moniker Mini Trees in 2018. She recorded her first solo track in the Summer of 2018 with producer Jon Joseph and was immediately hooked on the feeling of creating something that spoke directly to her as an artist, fully in control of her own vision. Mini Trees debut EP, “Steady Me“, dropped in 2019 and Vega followed it with 2020’s EP, “Slip Away”. 

We are excited to announce the September 17 release of “Always In Motion”, the debut album from Mini Trees,

The project of California born and Los Angeles-based artist, Lexi Vega, Always In Motion is a collection of relatable indie-pop songs that acknowledge our collective anxiety about life’s improbability. “Over the course of the album I teeter-totter between having questions and wanting answers, but the resolution is to be okay with not knowing. I think I do find some acceptance along the way, but the album purposefully concludes with no real resolution,” Vega said.

To celebrate the announcement, Vega released a brand new single, “Carrying On” The driving, upbeat track follows the debut of previous single, “Spring”.

“Carrying On” by Mini Trees from the upcoming album ‘Always In Motion’ out September 17th, 2021 via Run For Cover Records

X – ” Under The Big Black Sun ” Remastered is the third studio album by X released in July 1982

Posted: July 3, 2021 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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With their 3rd album “Under The Big Black Sun”, Los Angeles punk pioneers X had created an album that was every bit as good as their landmark debut. Not an easy feat for any band who started their career which such seminal albums as “Los Angeles” and “Wild Gift”. But where “Wild Gift” largely repeated the winning formula of their debut, the musical growth and emotional depth of “Under The Big Black Sun” was undeniable.

“X’s first album issued on a major label, 1982’s “Under the Big Black Sun”, is arguably their finest record. All 11 songs are exceptional, from both a performance and compositional point of view. The Doors Ray Manzerek’s production is more akin to hard rock bands than their earlier punk works, but the songs still pack quite a punch. Before the recording of the album, singer Exene Cervenka’s sister was killed by a drunk driver, and the band decided to work out their grief in the music, as evidenced by two of the album’s best tracks: the melodic “Riding With Mary” and the vintage ’50s sound of “Come Back to Me.” The highlights don’t stop there, however; also included are the Led Zepplin’esque “The Hungry Wolf” (an early video favorite of MTV), the accelerating “Motel Room in My Bed,” the rocker “Blue Spark,” the spacious title track, and the album closer “The Have Nots.” Again, Cervenka and John Doe supply some great vocal harmonies (perhaps the only punk band to ever do so), while Billy Zoom shows off great rockabilly chops throughout. “Under The Big Black Sun” is one of the quintessential rock records from the ’80s.”

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Formed in 1977, X quickly established themselves as one of the best bands in the first wave of LA’s flourishing punk scene; becoming legendary leaders of a punk generation. In 2020 – they released their first new album in 35 years, “ALPHABETLAND”.

Released April 12th 2019.

BRAINSTORY – ” Ripe ” EP

Posted: April 19, 2021 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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Springing from the obscurity of the Inland Empire, Brainstory forges a new sound using the soul and fire of Jazz, with the psychedelic expressions of 60’s/70’s pop. And now, with the addition of Leon Michels and the Big Crown records camp, Brainstory is sailing to new heights with the release of their debut album, “Buck” available NOW!  

Recorded during the thick of the Covid lockdown, Kevin, Tony, & Eric hunkered down in their studio and turned their energy inward. With all live shows and future tours cancelled, Brainstory had no other outlet besides their rehearsal space which had been converted into a makeshift studio. Stepping up to the obstacles of the moment, they recorded and produced an EP of brand new music. They were already highly skilled musicians two years ago, but time in the studio with Leon Michels producing Buck and playing alongside bands like Holy Hive and Chicano Batman had a profound effect on them. Their ears have developed, their ethos and their drive has matured, their musicianship is full-blown; hence the name of the EP, “Ripe”.

“Ripe” is a seven song journey into who Brainstory are as people and as a band. They are light hearted and fun but never anything less than dead serious about their artistry. In choosing to record a mostly instrumental record, they have departed from their 2019 debut Buck and are showing more of their Jazz roots. Ripe pulls from Jazz, Hip Hop, 70s Funk, 60s Soul, and life in Southern California in the year 2021.

Kev’s intro to the EP is a testament to their thing, his goofy and charming “let’s go baby….less go baby” is welcoming and fun and then “Scissors” drops–serious as can be. The first vocal number we hear is “Seasons”, a song about maintaining through the challenges of 2020 that would make Roy Ayers proud. “Long Day” and “Rogers” are drenched in reefer and psychedelia and promise a moment away from reality if listened to in headphones. “Bye Bye” is another stone cold ballad from the group that is destined to be a staple in sweet soul sets around the globe.

Ripe is a welcome ray of sunshine as we all shake off the darkness of 2020 and will hold fans over while they finish recording their full length sophomore album due out in 2022. 

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releases June 25, 2021

DEAP VALLY – ” American Cockroach “

Posted: April 15, 2021 in MUSIC
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Deep Vally has announced a forthcoming album to be titled, “American Cockroach”, due out June 18th via Cooking Vinyl. The four-track EP announced by the Los Angeles-based rock duo on Friday will follow their recent Digital Dream EP which arrived back in February, and is set to feature guest appearances from Jennie Vee (Eagles Of Death Metal) and Ayse Hassan (Savages).

The ballad hears Deap Vally ditch their trademark distortion and high-adrenaline sound in exchange for stripped-down instrumentation and heart-wrenching melodies courtesy of a vulnerable vocal performance from guitarist/singer Lindsey Troy.

The band said of their forthcoming album in a press statement, ‘American Cockroach’ is a collection of songs we’ve been working on for a while, including collaborations with Jennie Vee and Ayse Hassan, that run the gamut from deeply personal, to outright satire and everything in between. These are songs for the underdog, the outlaw, the defeated, for days when you feel like no one understands you or you can’t do anything right.

Troy also said of their new single, “[This] is a deeply personal song. It will always mark a very specific time in my life. Sonically, it’s adventurous territory for us, unlike anything else we’ve ever put out before. Produced by long time friend and engineer Josiah Mazzaschi, who recorded our very first demo back in 2012, the use of unusual instrumentation like the Optigan elevates the sense of melancholy and anguish this song is so heavy with, and we love it very much.”

Listen to “Give Me A Sign” .

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Releases June 18th, 2021

 

OSEES – ” Levitation Sessions “

Posted: April 11, 2021 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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Psych-punk psychic warrior, ear worm-farmer, and possessor of many stamped passport pages John Dwyer does not let up. His group Oh Sees (aka Thee Oh Sees, OCS, The Oh Sees, etc) have transmogrified to fit many a moment – from hushed druggy folk to groovy demonic pop chants to science fictional krautrock expanse and beyond – to suit his omnivorous whims.

Back in September, OSEES performed a blistering set out in the desert at Pappy & Harriet’s, which aired on the Levitation Sessions streaming series.  

The live album is now being pressed on 3 limited vinyl pressings via The Reverberation Appreciation Society record label. OSEES and the label are donating 100% of proceeds to independent music venues. Music venues have been hit particularly hard by the Covid-19 pandemic, with many in danger of closing their doors permanently. Unfortunately some have already.

 The NIVA Edition proceeds will be donated to the National Independent Venue Association’s Emergency Relief Fund. The fund has been launched to raise money for the most vulnerable venues, and keep them afloat during these unprecedented times for live music.

Special editions for two independent clubs have also been created: Zebulon Edition – benefitting Zebulon in Los Angeles, California, Hotel Vegas Edition – benefitting Hotel Vegas in Austin, Texas 

Both venues hold a special place in OSEES history, and have irreplaceable roles as incubators of their local indie music scene.  

“During this particularly hard year, it was a pleasure to work with our good friends over at Levitation and Pappy and Harriet’s to reach out to some of our fans, if only for a fleeting hour.  This is the proper plastic that came from that evening. We are trying to keep some of our favourite haunts, dives, glorious old venues and bars open through this triail, as it’s obvious the lizards that make up the current administration have no real interest in extending any realistic help to struggling businesses.  

Venues have been hit particularly hard by this and without them, there is no us….so this is a small token of appreciation and a grassroots effort to lend a helping hand in their time of need.  Take care, be well and keep your eyes on the horizon.”

 – John Dwyer

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The live album from OSEES episode of Levitation Sessions.

“Lots of old favorites and 7 never before performed live hits from the crypt recorded dusk till dawn in Pioneertown, California
its raw and shreddy with a bit of elastic improvisation thrown in come hang out with us for a few crack a beer meant to be played loud” – JPD
Released October 9th, 2020
 
OSEES - LEVITATION Sessions Vinyl (PRE-ORDER)

OSEES – ” Levitation Sessions II “

Posted: April 10, 2021 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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OSEES on Levitation Sessions! Full set recorded out in the desert with the hits from the crypt! +7 tracks never performed live before + some old favourites and tracks off their new album:. The incredible live performance premiered on Saturday, September 26th, 2020. You can buy their music from the levitation sessions on: https://ohsees.bandcamp.com/album/lev…

Osees taped a full band show for Levitation fest’s virtual series that was streamed back in September. It was also released digitally as a live album, and now the Levitation Sessions are getting a vinyl release on March 5th with proceeds going to support independent venues.

There are three different coloured vinyl editions, and each one benefits something different: one pressing benefits NIVA, the National Independent Venue Association; another benefits Austin’s Hotel Vegas; and the third benefits Los Angeles’ Zebulon. Each one comes with a bonus 7″ featuring the last song of the set, “Block of Ice.” All three editions of Levitation Sessions 

OSEES have shared “Stinking Cloud” from their upcoming Levitation Sessions II streaming show and live album. It’s a deep cut from 2011’s ’60s-psych-pop influenced Castlemania and not the typical ripper you associate with the band but it sounds pretty great. It’s so deep that it’s the first time it’s ever been played in a live band setting. The ‘Levitation Sessions II’, which was shot in “a cavernous Los Angeles factory,” promises more where “Stinking Cloud” came from with a “handful of never-before-played-live tunes & some new surprises,.

Meanwhile John Dwyer is dipping a toe into the world of NFTs — and no, it doesn’t seem to be an April Fools joke. He has put two NFTs up for auction that are related to the Levitation Sessions II streaming show and album. 

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THE TEXT This piece uses a lenticular process to bring John Dwyer’s original mixed media painting to life. Sound tracked by a radioactive live version of “Opposition”. The tendrils of flowers and foliage grow and wilt while we gaze at our screens through empty eye sockets, taking in the vast glory of the information superhighway.

John Dwyer’s painting comes to life in a hypnotic infinite zoom loop. Sound tracked by a live cut of “Stinking Cloud”, taken from the band’s upcoming Levitation Sessions II live album.  “Vol 4” is being released an 1/1 NFT, while “THE TEXT” is in an edition of 13. Both NFTs also come with a stream ticket, signed screen print and the 2xLP shipped worldwide. 

“Osees pine for our fans and friends out there in the world, so we have come together for another stream with the mighty Levitation.

I personally got stoned and stuck my face into the muck of our past catalog to bob for some dusty tumescent gems. There will be some oldies, and some mouldies and some surprises along the way. I’m quite happy with how this one turned out. Shot in an insane old factory warehouse in Los Angeles (it looks like a fight scene set from Point Blank or the John Wick trilogy 🙂

If you had told me a year ago we’d be doing these streams now i would have thought you were crazy, but, egg on my face, and here we are. I’m so glad to have this little thing to share a moment with y’all until we can meet face to face on the field of battle again.

Mastered this time in advance of the stream by the Guru JJ Golden, it will hopefully turn some frowns inside out and upside down….grossssss” – JPD Releases
 
April 23rd, 2021 The live album from OSEES Volume II of Levitation Sessions.

FRANKIE and the WITCH FINGERS – ” Brain Telephone ” Record Store Day 2021

Posted: April 10, 2021 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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We are so excited to announce the official Record Store Day release of Frankie and the Witch Fingers’ fourth album “Brain Telephone !” For the first time via Greenway Records, the record is newly re-mastered and re-packaged with brand new art, the jacket features a UV-Gloss treatment like we’ve never seen before.  Totally re-imagined for Record Store Day 2021 and available on June 12th!, I have been waiting for this album to pop up and I was not disappointed. The groovy baselines mixed with funky smooth guitar riffs, sick organ/piano solo’s and harmonica will have you dancing wherever you hear this album. The fuzzy lyrics add to the 60’s vibe this album gives off and I highly recommend it!!

This heavy dose of ebb-and-flow rock ‘n roll now looks and sounds better than ever before! Run to your local record store and make sure they order a copy! Record Store Day exclusive “Brain Matter” Splatter will be available in the US, Canada, UK, EU and Australia while supplies last.

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originally released February 2nd, 2018.

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