Today is the first day of summer. Each summer, there’s always a few songs/albums that provide the perfect soundtrack to the season. One of my favorite things about summer is being able to put on a song or album and go for a drive and let the music take over. As today is the summer solstice, the first song of summer for me has arrived. My good friends in Centershift have a new single out today called “The Ride” and it’s the epitome of a great summer song. It’s got the right vibe to just roll down the windows and take a ride (pun totally intended). The song itself has a deep meaning as singer/guitarist Jasan Radford states “The Ride is essentially a message to get off your butt and enjoy your life. There’s a bit of hindsight thrown in there, knowing that there have been people that have passed or left my inner circle that I wished I had more time with. If there are things that need to be said, make sure to tell that person and show them the love as well.” With that in mind as you listen, you can definitely pick up on that vibe but, at the same time you can derive your own meaning from it as the song plays out. So enjoy “The Ride” and be sure to check out Centershift live!
07.28.23 – The Pourhouse – Lava Diva, Faint on Call, Shea Stratton from State to State – Oceanside, CA 07.29.23 – Corbin Bowl – with Faint on Call , MAL – Tarzana, CA 08.02.23 – The Six – Faint on Call, MAL – Ventura, CA 08.05.23 – Kilowatt – with Faint On Call – San Francisco, CA 08.19.23 – The Knitting Factory – with Stanford Prison Experiment, Lava Diva, MAL- North Hollywood, CA
This is exciting! New Baroness is on the way! Today, the first single “Last Word” from Baroness’s upcoming new album, Stone was released. On September 15 the long awaited new album arrives via the band’s label Abraxan Hymns. Speaking on the album singer/guitarist John Baizley said “An important through line in Baroness is we don’t like to repeat ourselves. It’s all about the willingness to take risks. When I was younger, the whole point of music was to be different, not to do the same thing, and not to listen to parents or play by the rules. That’s kind of goofy, but in practice, it works. It’s really sort of terrifying to be at the sixth record in your career and think that you’ll have to keep up with your history rather than continually invent. So, we doubled down on continuously inventing to see where it takes us. I think this record is a good reflection of that. ‘Stone’ is a lot more alive, more direct.”
Baroness spent a month shrouded amidst the pines, holed up in a vacation rental that became an impromptu recording space replete with big, vaulted ceilings, hardwood floors, and brick/glass walls. While they wrote “Stone”, Baizley recorded and pre-mixed it in real time, giving each song on “Stone” its own sonic treatment. After the group finished tracking drums, guitars, and bass, they took everything back to Baizley’s basement studio to record vocals. Stone, is the band’s first self-produced album and was mixed by Joe Barresi and mastered by Bob Ludwig.
There’s been some good new music released this week, I though I’d compile a bunch here for you to enjoy. In this batch is quite an “eclectic” mix of genres. Here you have new music from Knocked Loose, Shawn Brown, a new video from Mike Shinoda, along with new albums from Queens Of The Stone Age, Creeping Death, and Royal Thunder.
SINGLES:
Mike Shinoda- Hold It Together:
Shawn Brown- Road Of Bones:
Knocked Loose: Deep In The Willow/Everything Is Quiet Now:
Alas!!! “Siren Song” the second single from Mutoid Man’s new album, Mutants has arrived. The album will be out on July 28th and it’s shaping up to be quite a fun and killer record. This is also the band’s first album with new bassist Jeff Matz who you might know from High On Fire. One of the things that makes Mutoid Man such a fun band is that they are always mixing different styles like rock, prog-rock, punk, metal, hardcore, even a bit of the sludgy/stoner side of things. I’m personally very excited about this new album and tour. Mutoid Man live is one of the most fun you’ll have a at a show. Pre-Orders for Mutants can be found HERE!
I keep finding myself ever more drawn into the “darkwave” sound. There are so many bands out there that can be categorized as such but, there are very few that actually present that “sound” in an inspiring and thought provoking way. The other day I was sent the new album from the darkwave/post-punk band Fotocrime and I can’t stop listening to it. The song first single “Turn Away,” has all the elements you’d expect from a band in this genre but, they add a couple other bits to it like a sharp cinematic texture throughout as well as a tinge of disco to make an infectious, danceable and captivating song. The title track “Accelerated” has an electro-rock feel while at the same time dips into some Depeche Mode territory a la Songs Of Faith And Devotion. The band’s new album, Accelerated is out on September 8th, 2023 via Artoffact Records. This is the band’s fourth studio album and the title is ever so fitting. Fotocrime has taken their darkwave/post-punk sound into a more forward direction (see how the title plays into this all?) that shows how to not only properly evolve within this genre but also breaks new ground on what can be added to it. If you don’t know who Fotocrime is, now is a great time to get into them.
There are certain bands within the heavy music community that when they release new material whether it’s a single, EP, split, or full length, you know that this is going to be something worthwhile. With that being said, it’s refreshing to hear new music from the one and only Oxbow! If you don’t know about Oxbow, you really should take a delve into their catalog. Oxbow are a band that take chances and experiment with so many different genres and ideas that in the end wind up being something that really stands out and leaves a mark. By mixing metal, jazz, blues, noise rock and even classical music, Oxbow has a knack for creating shapeshifting sounds that rattle you to the bone. Their latest opus, Love’s Holiday, is the perfect evolution of the band and what they do. Previous Oxbow albums found their impetus in a lyrical framework provided by the band’s vocalist Eugene Robinson, with Niko Wenner applying his musical compositions to the singer’s narratives. However, Love’s Holiday began with the music this go round. A unifying theme throughout the album is love, and was the organizing principle behind these songs, even if they still carry the band’s signature brand of drama and conflict. Oxbow’s new album Love’s Holiday is out on July 21, 2023 via Ipecac Recordings. Pre-Orders HERE!
I’m very excited about this. The band A Light Within, one of the first bands I ever wrote about when I started Audioeclectica has a new single/video out today and it’s premiering right here! From Kansas City, MO, A Light Within, debuted their first EP, Preface, in 2013, followed by the exquisite Body Matter in 2015 and the critically acclaimed Epilogue in 2018. Now as a 4 piece, 2023 sees the band releasing a series of singles, as they continue work on their upcoming full-length album. A Light Within is made up of Kyle Brandt (Vocals/Keys/Production), Jeff Irvine (Guitar), Josh Bennett (Bass), Nick Sloan (Drums). Throughout their career the band has evolved in a very natural way expanding upon their alternative/progressive style while seemingly getting darker and more etherial. Their latest single “Count With Your Eyes,” continues to push the boundaries of their music ever further.
Last November I had the pleasure of seeing the debut solo show for Greg Puciato. After that show was over, I knew that the next time he came through I had to go, it was one of “those shows.” Both his solo albums, Child Soldier: Creator Of God and Mirrorcell have yet to leave my musical rotation since they came out. Live these songs take on a whole new life and the end result is precisely why I had to go see Greg live again.
Before Greg though, there were three openers to get the night going. I arrived as the last 2 songs of Trace Amount’s set was ending. The mix of industrial and noise made for a very tension filled and intense performance. It’s really interesting to listen to Trace Amount and pick out certain little nuances in the programming.
Next up was Deaf Club who I was really stoked to see having been into their albums. Their set was on fire from the get go. One of the things that I really like most about Deaf Club is that while they are a punk band through and through, they add a more technical element to it with odd time signatures and interesting arrangements. Then when you add in a frontman like Justin Pearson, it’s the right recipe for chaos in the best way possible. During their set they did a cover of Nirvana’s “Tourette’s” with their drummer, the drummer from Escuela Grind and Ben Koller of Converge. It was pretty damn cool to see and hear and the topper was all three drummers were in total sync so that sound bellowing through the El Rey was thunderous!
Following Deaf Club was up and comers Escuela Grind. I wasn’t too familiar with them but, a friend of mine who I was there with was and he got super into it. The band combines grindcore, death metal and a bit of hardcore. Their energetic set was heavy and brutal and at the same time quite fun. Their “singer” had so much energy on stage at one point I was half expecting her to breakout into a full gymnastics routine with how much she was running and jumping. Solid set from this band and just the right amount of fire to get the crowd ready for what was to come next.
When Greg Puciato and band took the stage it was ON! From the moment they ripped into “Reality Spiral” you knew this was not going to be just any show. The way the set was constructed was absolutely pummeling in both the way that it was intense and pulled at your heart strings. When you have songs like “Do You Need Me To Remind You,” “Absence As A Presence,” and “Fire For Water,” all within minutes of each other, it still has me without the right words. As the set continued, the crowd got even more into it and the next thing I knew I was right up front for my favorite song “Never Wanted That.” I stayed up front for the rest of the night feeding off the energy that was permeating off stage and next to me. One of my other favorite moments was during the end of “Evacuation” Greg broke out part of INXS’s “Need You Tonight” which was totally rad. Ending the “set” for the evening was the always great “September City.” I believe the crowd was singing as loud if not louder than Greg by this point. This night was special in more ways that one. For the encore it was in the words on Larry David “pretty, pretty, pretty good.” Starting it off was Haex joining Greg for a remix version of The Black Queen’s “Secret Scream,” followed by A Perfect Circle’s Billy Howerdel joining Greg for The Black Queen’s “The End Where We Start” which was absolutely great. Then you had Tyler Bates and Gil Sharone join the fun for “Now You’ve Really Done It” from a compilation for DC Comics. Then it was Ben Koller jumping on the stage for “Roach Hiss” which definitely got the crowd screaming along. And to end it all was an absolutely cool and different version of The Dillinger Escape Plan’s “One Of Us Is The Killer.” It was part acapella in the verses and straight up fire during the chorus parts. I also have to mention the band Greg had on this run. What a killer and tight band. Joining Greg was James Hammontree on guitar of Black Magnet (another band you should really check out), Nick Sadler of Daughters on guitar. It was really great to see Nick up there and hearing that monsterous tone he’s had for years. Jeff Geisser on bass manhandled the low end with such tenacity and finally Noah Taylor on drums right in the pocket!
This show was definitely one of those that I’ll remember for a long long time. Greg Puciato’s solo albums are some of the best releases in the past few years. If you haven’t listened to them, I highly suggest you get on top of that! It’s artists like Greg that give me hope for the musical future. The whole package was interesting and gave bands from different genres a different audience making for an eclectic show. I’m glad I went and had a great time and to go with a couple friends that I knew would enjoy it too made it all that much better. Plus getting to see some other friends out in the crowd was quite awesome. I’m kind of at a loss for words at the moment when it comes to how to properly describe this show. I will leave it at this (unless I have a total epiphany of what else to say), shows like this don’t happen all the time. When the chance comes to go see one of your favorite bands, go do it! Thank you to Greg, Deaf Club, Escuela Grind and Trace Amount for one hell of a great evening!
Greg Puciato Set List:
01) In This Hell You Find Yourself 02) Reality Spiral 03) Do You Need Me To Remind You 04) Absence As A Presence 05) Fire For Water 06) Don’t Wanna Deal 07) No More Lives To Go 08) Deep Set 09) Never Wanted That 10) Lowered 11) A Pair Of Questions 12) Creator Of God 13) Evacuation (w/ INXS’s “Need You Tonight”) 14) September City
Encore: 15) Silent Scream (Haex Remix) 16) The End Where We Start (with Billy Howerdel) 17) Now You’ve Really Done It (with Tyler Bates & Gil Sharone) 18) Roach Hiss (with Ben Koller) 19) One Of Us Is The Killer
Drums and Dave Lombardo are like kindred spirits that are just meant to be. It’s one of those things in the world that makes absolute and total sense. I’ll never forget the first time I heard Dave play on a Slayer album when I was kid as well as the first time I ever got to see Dave play which was surprisingly at a Fantomas show before I saw him in Slayer. Dave’s been a busy guy for years from his time playing in Grip Inc, Fantomas, Suicidal Tendencies, Testament, and more recently Dead Cross, Mr. Bungle and The Misfits. Now though, Dave really gets to expand upon all the years of great rhythms with his solo album, Rites Of Percussion. Interestingly, it was Mike Patton in the late 90’s that originally suggested Dave do a solo drum album.
Rites Of Percussion is not your average solo or instrumental album. Instead what you get is an album that is a real start to finish journey. The shifts, twists, turns and intense rhythms found throughout this record are heavy while atmospheric and experimental. The way these songs are crafted are extremely compelling and will have you listening that much closer to pick up on all the nuances and extra bits. Being a diverse drummer, Dave has mixed all sorts of styles of jazz, funk, tribal, rock, world music and different techniques into Rites Of Percussion. One of the things that I love most about this album is the experimentation. Adding different textures and sounds to the righteous rhythms gives these “songs” a hypnotic edge that you might find on a John Carpenter score.
Dave Lombardo is one of the most innovative drummers of the last few decades. He has solidified his place amongst the great rock and metal drummers ever. And all the other bands and projects he’s been a part of have helped to guide him to this place. Rites Of Percussion is one of those albums that is not only creative it’s full to the brim with different cryptic energies that make for some vivid imagery within. Do yourself a favor and take this album for a ride and let it lead you to wherever it takes you.
I’ve been waiting quite a while for new music from Drab Majesty and now it’s here!! Today it was announced that Drab Majesty’s new album, An Object In Motion will arrive on August 25th via Dais Records. The first song released “Vanity” is a hauntingly beautiful track that also features guest vocals by Slowdive’s Rachel Goswell. The song has a definite Cure vibe to it while the poetic nature of the lyrics guide the music in a dreamy way. The upcoming 4 song mini-album is not just the next album for this band, it’s more of an evolutionary process that is just about to bloom.
