THIS SATURDAY AT CORBIN BOWL IN TARZANA (SAN FERNANDO VALLEY), THE COBALT PRESENTS IS PUTTING ON A REALLY FUN ROCK SHOW! YOU SHOULD BE THERE! IT’S ONLY $10 AT THE DOOR AND IT’S ALL AGES. THE LINEUP FEATURES THE BANDS BELOW! CHECK THEM OUT AND COME OUT TO THE SHOW!
01) ARC ANGLES: This band is one of the very first bands I ever wrote about on Audioeclectica. Once upon a time they were called And We Are Them and now they have evolved into Arc Angles. Seriously, this band is badass. It’s got a little bit of everything I love from a plethora of genres from post-hardcore, alternative rock, noise/math rock and then some. As a three piece band, these guys pack one hell of a punch. Their new EP, Daisy, is impactful not just as a piece of music but, lyrically as well. It’s one of the first things I listened to in 2023 and it’s still in rotation constantly! Be sure to check this band out!
02) This Is A Train Wreck– “To The Sky Above” and “My Heart Is Trying To Kill Me.” This Is A Train Wreck is a really fun band. They put on a solid good show while at the same time know how to have a fun time. These two songs of theirs are recently released and will be a part of their upcoming EP to be released in April/May. In a time where things are so serious, it’s great to have a band like This Is A Train Wreck to come in and just bring a good time with what they do. Come see why I recommend them!
“My Heat Is Trying To Kill Me”
“To The Sky Above”
03) War Tomorrow: Last month at The Cobalt Presents show at Corbin Bowl, we had this group of teenagers come in and play and they absolutely rocked the place. So much so that we had to have them back again. These kids played with an intensity and passion that I would dare a lot of bands to show up and play with. Their style of punk/metal/rock makes for one hell of a sonic explosion. As I mentioned about War Tomorrow before, they have the songs and show that the Cobalt was built on. Look forward to seeing them more!
War Tomorrow- Waste Of Space EP:
04) Loather: Last year I heard about Loather and after first listen, I was in. It’s a mix of metal, hardcore, djent and a dash of punk. They are back with a new lineup that looks to take the heavy even further than before. There’s something to be said about a band injecting fresh blood into its veins and Loather are definitely a fine example of what can happen with the right ingridients!
05) Bone Maggot: Bone Maggot is one of those bands that sounds as loud and heavy as their name. Mixing different genres of metal (groove, death, grind, thrash, etc), Bone Maggot delivers a brutal approach to the heavy. It’s going to be quite fun to watch this band throw down the heavy at Corbin!
06) Hologram Empire: These youngsters have taken their love of 90’s and early 00’s rock and put together a band that is fun and a bit nostalgic. It’s enjoyable and quite nice to have a band fall in love with a genre/style and work to evolve within that sound. They are kicking off the night at Corbin Bowl and it will sure be a fun one!
This past week I’ve been listening to a lot of different bands and what better place to share some of my favorite songs and or albums I’ve been blasting all week! Some you might have heard before and some might be brand new but, the best thing about this is that there is something for everyone here! As always, I’m interested in what you dig out of these, so let me know!
01) Botch: Ever since it was announced that Botch had reunited for a secret show as well as a few Seattle area shows and now a tour, you bet your ass I’ve been on a Botch tear. So here you have both of their studio albums, American Nervoso and We Are The Romans plus their new song, One Twenty Two, that is undeniably BOTCH! So Stoked that Botch are back! They are seriously one of the pioneers of this genre and are coming back at one hell of a much needed time! Welcome back gents!!
Botch- One Twenty Two:
Botch- American Nervoso:
Botch- We Are The Romans:
02) Alphamega- A World Afraid Of Tomorrow: This is a new track from Alphamega. I dig on this band. I love their melodic sense into the heavy. Their sound is a combination of early 00’s metalcore and swedish melodeath (early In Flames/Soilwork). This song shows even more growth of the band as songwriters and singer Adam Ryan shines pretty damn bright on this one! Alphamega is playing THIS SUNDAY at The Whisky with Centershift, Daybreak Ends, Stronger Than Machines and Our Dying World!
03) Depeche Mode- Ghosts Again: I love Depeche Mode! And this new song off their upcoming album Memento Mori, is very classic sounding (Black Celebration vibes I’m getting). This is the bands last album to feature the late Andy Fletcher. The video for the song was directed by long time collaborator Anton Corbijn and it definitely strikes a chord with the song. Looking forward to their upcoming tour as well!!
04) Common Wounds- Phantom Limb: I was recently introduced to the band Common Wounds and the moment I heard this track, I knew it was right up my alley. This band is part post-hardcore, part noise-rock and full on crushing. Their self titled EP comes out March 10th and it’s awesome (I might have already heard it and have blasted the ever living shit out of it… I DID)! Shout out to the drummer for the Ghost Idols shirt too! Really digging on this band and if you are into this genre of music, you will be too!
05) The Smile- A Light For Attracting Attention: This band is made up of Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood of Radiohead as well as drummer Tom Skinner. As much as I want a new Radiohead album, this will keep me occupied for some time. This album is really quite cool. It’s jazzy with interesting synth parts and a really cool mix of all the 90’s alternative rock that I love. It’s also one of those albums that is great for a relaxing evening or just hanging out with people. It’s not a “rock record” instead it’s more of a “vibe album” that the more you listen to it, the more you find different nuances and things to enjoy. Looking up live performances of The Smile is a treat too as they definitely take the songs to another level live! Hope they make the rounds again soon, as I am really wanting to see them live!
06) Thrice- The Artist In The Ambulance (REVISITED): I still remember when this album first came out and how much I was into it. It was one of those albums that I didn’t put away for a long long time. Now, 20 years later, Thrice took a chance and revisited this gem of an album and the end result is pretty damn fantastic. The album sounds a little more mature in a good way and feels like it revitalized the band a bit too. With minimal structure changes and a few special guests, this album sounds bigger and at times depending on the song, more impactful. Personally, I’d love to see more bands take on a challenge like this as I suggested in a recent article about Incubus revisiting SCIENCE. Way to go Thrice! This is superb!
07) Quicksand- Slip: The landmark and highly influential album just turned 30 years old! And to this day it still sounds fresh and amazing. Not only is this a classic and has given birth to so many bands but, Quicksand is still out there killing it. Their most recent album, Distant Populations is one of the best album in the last few years. Slip is one of those albums though that when you put it on, you don’t want it to end. It’s full of banger song after banger song! If you’ve never heard this album, now is your chance! And when you do, make sure you play it LOUD!
08) How To Destroy Angels- Welcome Oblivion: My daughter is in love with this album and I couldn’t be more happy about it. She also loves Nine Inch Nails (which she had no choice but to love- if you know me, you know this would be inevitable). When I first heard How To Destroy Angels it took me a minute to get used to not hearing Trent Reznor singing but, I had seen West Indian Girl live before and was familiar with Mariqueen’s voice and it didn’t take me long to love it too. The more I listen to this album with my kid now, the more I love what it is and about. There’s a bit of a dynamic shift to the structure of songs and I’d even say there’s a bit of a psychedelic vibe to some of it which gives the eerie and haunting sounds more attitude. The live shows for How To Destroy Angels were on a whole other visual and sonic level. I highly recommend taking some time to watch some of those!
09) Full Of Hell & Primitive Man- Tunnels To God: One of my favorite things that I’ve mentioned a zillion times before is when I get emails about new music and I click on it and it absolutely kicks ass. The other day, I clicked on this song at the sight of who it was and when it kicked in, HOLY SHIT! It’s brutal yet ambient and will get under your skin and crawl giving you chills. It’s also epic in length which makes those chills last even longer!
10) The Cult- Under The Midnight Sun: The Cult need no introduction. They have been gems in the rock world for well over 40 years. Their catalog speaks for itself and the fact that they keep putting out quality albums makes it even better. Their most recent album, Under The Midnight Sun is one hell of an album. It’s got parts of all eras of the band to give it a different kind of light. At one moment you are listening to a part that you might have heard during Love and then the next you are listening to something that could have been off Choice Of Weapon. The album is diverse and a great listen. I love putting this album on at the end of a long day/night or a drive home and just let it take me places. Ian Astbury and Billy Duffy are two of the most underrated songwriters out there! This is another example of how great they are together!
Earlier this year I was introduced to the band Turbid North and their absolutely fantastic album, The Decline. It’s one of those albums that the more you listen to it you find all these really cool nuances to it and it makes each listen another journey all on its own. Ever since I was little, I’ve had this thing where I fully immerse myself in an album with headphones on and just let it take me places. Turbid North’s The Decline is one of those perfect headphone albums. There are so many songs on this album that have left a lasting impression on me and I will get to that in a future article but, at this moment in time (pun totally not intended), the song that I want to delve into a bit more is the final song on the album, “Time.” This song packs one hell of a walloping punch. At one moment you get lost in the ambience and fog of post metal and then like a punch to the face it goes off into a ferocious wall of heavy metal and grind. I love when songs and bands embrace all that they are inspired by and deliver a song/album that is all encompassing. “Time” is one hell of a song and way to end the album. I might be a little late to the Turbid North party but, there is no doubt in my mind that this album deserves to be shared and showcased among the best of 2023!
Since today is Valentine’s Day how about a little Type O Negative to go with the day! Type O Negative are seriously underrated. Their catalog is seriously top notch and like a fine wine/scotch/whiskey their albums/songs only get better with age. I’ve had this internal debate for a long time about what my favorite album of theirs is and each time, I always wind up with October Rust as my go to. You’d probably be surprised by my second favorite being World Coming Down. That album is masterfully dark and beautiful. October Rust though, that album really does it for me when it comes to Type O. To me, this album seemed a bit more focused on songs and songwriting and it truly shows. The deep cut that I find as my go to more often than not is track 9, “Burnt Flowers Fallen.” I love this song. It’s dark, dreary and the right amount of goth bits to it that lets the melody shine. Not to mention the middle section of the song… WOW! Enjoy this Type O Negative deep cut!
When put in the context of certain albums, an instrumental song can shift the mood, vibe and all the in between. For years, I’ve always loved (shocker I know) the Nine Inch Nails song “A Warm Place.” I’ll never forget hearing it for the first time when I was younger and how the shift of The Downward Spiral turned when this song came on right after “Big Man With A Gun” and before “Eraser.” The way this song captivated me then and still to this day is pretty interesting. On one side you have this really delicate piece of music that has a calming sense to it. Then on the flip side of it, knowing that it’s part of something more and how it leads into “Eraser” makes it one of those songs to bridge a certain section of an album together. A song like “A Warm Place” is more reflective and introspective and in the context of The Downward Spiral, it gives you a moment in time to soak in all of what has happened, knowing what is inevitable in the end. Getting to hear this song live over the years too has given me all sorts of different vibes from it. The 1, 2 punch though of “A Warm Place” into “Eraser” on the album is truly one of those that to this day gives me chills. If you ever need a little break from everything, I recommend taking 3 and a half minutes out of your day and putting this song on and letting it just take you away.
Nine Inch Nails- A Warm Place:
Nine Inch Nails- A Warm Place, Eraser, Dead Souls (Live 2018):
Depeche Mode are back!!! Their new album, Memento Mori arrives on March 24. The first single “Ghosts Again” is out NOW! It’s one of those moody Depeche songs that after a few listens will stick in your head. The accompanying video was directed by longtime collaborator Anton Corbijn. Memento Mori is also the last Depeche Mode album to feature the late Andy Fletcher. As a long time Depeche Mode fan, I’m excited and intrigued by what their new album brings. One of the things that I really like about “Ghosts Again” is the vocals of both Dave Gahan and Martin Gore. The two of them together singing has this eerie and haunting charm to the song.
This is a new topic and one that I think will be quite fun to delve into. These are all what if scenarios so, maybe by me writing about them, it will get out into the world and come to fruition.
So, recently Thrice put out a revisited version of their break through and classic album, The Artist In The Ambulance. On this release, the band took the songs from way back when and re-recorded them. The end result from their experiment is actually quite good and I recommend you checking out the revisited version of the album.
I truly think that having Incubus go back to S.C.I.E.N.C.E and do what Thrice did would be quite a trip. Obviously, Incubus is far from the band on that album but, seeing that they’ve all grown as people and musicians, this one would be pretty interesting to hear. One of the things that would make this experiment be fun is that it might actually reinvigorate the band into getting truly back to their roots. Let’s be honest, the last few Incubus albums have been less than stellar. I have a few more ideas on this idea to go over. Along with getting back to their roots, this could be a way to open the door for Dirk Lance (Alex Katunich) to come back to the band. No disrespect to Ben Kenney but, Dirk’s bass playing, style and writing was part of what made Incubus who they were. Another thing that would make this fun would be the chance to hear these songs live again. The last time I saw Incubus in 2015, they did play “Vitamin” so that was cool but, I’d love to hear more. In a recent interview, Brandon has said “It’s the one that I would assume most people would say is my least favorite. It’s the one I listen to the least. When I hear ‘S.C.I.E.N.C.E.‘ I laugh as much as I cringe, there are some pretty sophisticated things on there for such young kids, but I still feel my palms sweat when I listen to it.
I like the willingness to be clowns at certain moments, but also to dig ferociously for something: in hindsight, we had yet to find what we were looking for, which is why we’re still a band. Also, a lot of why I don’t like the album is my performance, I had yet to learn how to sing, I honestly didn’t know what the fuck I was doing, I just liked doing it. I’d give it a five and a half out of 10, or a 6.”
So with that quote from Brandon in mind, why not go back and revisit S.C.I.E.N.C.E. and take all you’ve learned over the years and revisit the album that got the band going!
Spotlights are back with a new single and album! Ever since I heard this band a few years ago, I eagerly anticipate their next release to see where they go next. On April 28th, Spotlights new album, Alchemy For The Dead will arrive via Ipecac Recordings. The first single “Algorithmic” has a hypnotic and very distorted sense to it in the vein of Failure while also evoking some sonic territories that you would find on say a record by Dinosaur Jr. Never a band to remain complacent, Spotlights sound has evolved on each album and this one continues that path. The exploration of new sounds and textures has given the band more room to grow and further define themselves in the world of light and dark. I’m looking forward to hearing this song in context of the whole album of 9 songs. Spotlights are one of those bands as well that you should see live. There is an intensity and force to their music that really shines in concert. Definitely put this band on your radar to check out!
Today is Bandcamp Friday (when they wave their fee for 24 hours) and why not showcase some great bands and their albums/singles that are out now! Check out these bands and show them some support! If I missed your band, let me know and I’ll add it to the list!
To say it’s been a while since I’ve seen Bush live would be an understatement. It’s been about 20 years since I have seen them live. I’ve still followed them and listened and purchased almost every album they’ve released (sorry I just couldn’t do Black and White Rainbows). Their last two albums, The Kingdom and The Art Of Survival have breathed new life into the band and revitalized them. The Art Of Survival is truly a superb album. One that I’d put in their top 3 albums. So, when it was announced that Bush would be back out on tour headlining, and how much I’ve enjoyed the last two albums, I knew I had to go see them again. And that I did, while wearing my Razorblade Suitcase tour shirt that I got in 1997 when I was 13 (the shirt is 26 years old, it’s ok to wear it to the show)! And what a show it was.
Opening the set with “Identity” from The Art Of Survival was a treat. That song has a very impactful opening riff and was quite perfect to open the night with. Though there could’ve been a couple others to pick from but, going with a new song showed that the band wasn’t relying on the past to kick things off. Next up was the classic “Machinehead” which sent the crowd into a roar that felt like it was the mid/late 90’s again when Bush was on top of the world. That song no matter how many times I’ve heard it, will always be stellar. Following that was “Blood River” from The Kingdom. This is probably my favorite song off of that record. It’s rifftastic and Gavin’s vocals/lyrics are quite profound on this one without all the metaphorical layers. Another track from The Kingdom that I love and the crowd was fully into was “Bullet Holes” which you also might have heard in John Wick 3. That song is so damn good. The set was quite well balanced with new and old songs mixed. Songs like “The Chemicals Between Us” struck a nostalgic chord amongst the crowd and the singing along during the chorus was quite loud and fun. Then they’d throw in some more new songs like “Flowers On A Grave” and Quicksand” that got the crowds energy going even more due to the heavier nature of the songs. Of course when “Everything Zen” was played it felt like 1994 all over again. I think the crowd sang it louder than Gavin at points. There were a couple definite highlights of this set for me. One was when they played “Heavy Is The Ocean” the first track off of The Art Of Survival. I love this song. It’s such a great song. I almost wish they started the night off with it. Live this song went a bit harder and heavier than the album version which I love when that happens. I couldn’t help but sing along, loudly during this one (as I did with pretty much every song this evening). This song has a classic Bush sensibility to it with a modern touch. Give that track a listen when you can! Another stand out for me was “1000 Years” which is the closing song on The Art Of Survival. Gavin performed it by himself and it was one of those subdued performances that had you listening close and going with the whole vibe of it. Closing out their main set was their number 1 hit song “More Than Machines” which is a really rocking song and it comes off live so damn good. And then to have “Little Things” round that out just made it all that much better. “Little Things” still sounds great and the way they extended it out a bit made it even more fun. For their “encore” they roared back with “The Kingdom” and damn did that one deliver. I still to this day don’t understand why that song was not the first track on the album “The Kingdom” but, that’s for another day and another topic. The final two songs of the night were classics “Glycerine” and “Comedown.” Gavin performed “Glycerine” alone and at times acapella which was so good. The sing along with the crowd during that point could give you chills. Then to end it all with “Comedown” just brought it all together. The extended version they played too was so much fun, I didn’t want it to end.
For a band that’s been around as long as Bush and to deliver a set this damn good makes me not only want to go see them again when they come through again but, also made me fall back in love with this band. Though there was nothing from Razorblade Suitcase played (I’ll let it slide this time hahaha), this set was great. As I mentioned, mixing the new with the old and a few other songs scattered through made this not a nostalgic set but rather one that felt fresh and captivating. For those of us in the crowd that were familiar with the new, those songs came off great and the classics felt alive and revitalized. I really do have to give it up to Gavin for his stage presence. He’s always been able to connect with the crowd and now when he goes off without his guitar it’s like he’s a new frontman with even more energy than before. Chris Traynor, you are seriously gifted and underrated. The style and vigor he plays with on stage is inspiring. Everything he’s been a part of from Orange 9mm, Helmet, Institute and now Bush, he fits perfectly. Corey Britz has a swagger to his style of bass playing and his backing vocals are the perfect compliment to Gavin’s vocals. Nik Hughes is one hell of a drummer. His precision and little bits he adds to the songs are subtle but, perfect.
Bush is back and I am stoked for how far they’ve come. If you haven’t yet heard The Art Of Survival or The Kingdom, I highly recommend you taking a listen to those albums. They really are good. It’ll have you back to being a fan of the band again. One of the other things I loved about this show was the audience. It was stacked with old and new fans. Some more rabid than others as Gavin still draws the ladies in for damn sure. This show though was on fire from the first chord till the guitars rang out during “Comedown.” And as the song says, as the show was over “I don’t want to come back down from this cloud.” I can’t wait till the next one!
Bush Set List:
01) Identity 02) Machinehead 03) Blood River 04) The Chemicals Between Us 05) Bullet Holes 06) The Sound Of Winter 07) Flowers On A Grave 08) Everything Zen 09) 1000 Years 10) Quicksand 11) Heavy Is The Ocean 12) More Than Machines 13) Little Things
