Thank you all for making 2023 a great year for Audioeclectica. I hope you all found new and old bands to love and delve into. As 2024 begins, there will be new things coming to Audioeclectica including the long awaited return of The Audioeclectica Podcast as well as Radio Show, also coming are new topics, a revamp to the look of the site and many more surprises. Also don’t forget, I am putting on shows with The Cobalt Presents (aka The Cobalt Cafe), so if your band is coming through the greater Los Angeles area, reach out to me and let’s see if we can’t make a show happen!
And now… The Results Of The 2023 End Of The Year Lists (the results are based on readers votes):
01) Best Drummer: Glenn Chu- Iress & Sebastian Thomson- Baroness
02) Best Bassist: Nick Jost- Baroness & Michael Maldonado- Iress
03) Best Guitar Duo: John Baizley/Gina Gleason- Baroness & Graham Walker/Michelle Malley- Iress
04) Best Producer/Mixer: Paul Fig- Filth Is Eternal & Alex Estrada- Iress
05) Best Guitarist: Brian McClelland- Filth Is Eternal
06) Best Vocalist: Michelle Malley- Iress & Lis Di Angelo- Filth Is Eternal
07) Best Album: Iress- Solace & Filth Is Eternal- Find Out
The 2023 Audioeclectica End Of The Year Lists begin with the list for Best Vocalist. As always the stipulation for this is that an Album or EP had to be released in 2023.
Vote for your favorite in the comments section. At the end of the month, I will release the results of the readers poll.
This list is also in NO PARTICULAR ORDER!!!
01) Lis Di Angelo- Filth Is Eternal 02) Michelle Malley- Iress 03) Greg Puciato- Better Lovers 04) Grady Avenell- Will Haven 05) John Baizley & Gina Gleason- Baroness 06) Dave Gahan- Depeche Mode 07) Chino Moreno- Crosses 08) Nick Forkel- Turbid North 09) Sean Leary- Loma Prieta 10) Andre Sanabria- Ex Everything
The 2023 Audioeclectica End Of The Year Lists begin with the list for Best Guitar Duo/Trio. As always the stipulation for this is that an Album or EP had to be released in 2023.
Vote for your favorite in the comments section. At the end of the month, I will release the results of the readers poll.
This list is also in NO PARTICULAR ORDER!!!
01) John Baziley & Gina Gleason- Baroness 02) Jordan Buckley & Will Putney- Better Lovers 03) Sean Leary & Brian Kanagaki- Loma Prieta 04) Will Putney & Gregory Thomas- END 05) Jeff Irwin & Anthony Paganelli- Will Haven 06) Bo Lueders & Nick Gauthier- Harms Way 07) Michelle Malley & Graham Walker- Iress 08) Ian Lanspeary & Corey Rial- Common Wounds 09) Rodrigo Ibieta, Brandon & Kirby Ditto- Lived In 10) Robin Staps & David Ramis Ahfeldt- The Ocean
There is something really quite beautiful to the excitement of making music that comes to one naturally and then performing said music to a crowd that devours each and every melody, rhythm and lyric. That’s what I saw and heard last night as I attended Crosses first live show in many years and their first of a three night stay at the Masonic Lodge at the Hollywood Forever Cemetary. The room was packed from the front to the back of eager fans waiting for this night, and at 9:15, Chino and Shaun made their way to the stage and so began the “revival” of Crosses.
For the next hour and thirty plus minutes, I as everyone in the crowd was completely swept away with the goodness that permeated from the stage to the crowd. Playing a majority of songs off their new album, Goodnight, God Bless, I Love U, Delete, the moment, the first song “Initiation” started there was no turning back and rightfully so. Chino Moreno sounded on top of his game as he sang his ass off on new songs like “Invisible Hand,” “Ghost Ride (which happens to be a personal favorite off of the new album),” “Found,” “Grace,” “Last Rites,” “Pulseplagg,” “Vivien,” “Sensation,” and “Girls Float + Boys Cry (which features The Cure’s Robert Smith on the album. No, he wasn’ there).” Even when they performed “Big Youth” (which on the album features EL-P. Again, no he was not there), hearing Chino’s flow on that song brought all of us in the crowd back to quite the nostalgic time. And the few older picks they played like “This Is A Trick,” “Telepathy,” “Option,” and “Bitches Brew” which featured Chino’s signature scream that ignited the crowd as they/we all screamed along! This show was something special. Watching Chino just be in his element and letting his more playful side come out is always a good time. Then you have Shaun Lopez, musically guiding everything along with meticulous fashion. The combination of these two is quite the pair. And you can’t forget the history of Deftones and Far so, if you know then you know! The way the set played out was one of those magical ones too. Even with it being just Chino and Shaun up there, it was alive and bombastic (and if/when they add live drums again, oh damn)!
On other thing I loved about this show is the setting. It’s been quite a cool and dark modern gothic vibe for the whole aesthetic and roll out of their new album. Having the first shows back in quite some be held at the Masonic Lodge at the Hollywood Forever Cemetary was quite the way to introduce this new era. The songs, performance, the energy in the room, and the sense that for the hour and 30 plus minutes the craziness of everything in the world just seemed to be on pause while this show swept us away.
Crosses Set List:
01) Inititation 02) This Is A Trick 03) Vivien 04) Found 05) Ghost Ride 06) Pleasure 07) ThHolyGhost 08) Sensation 09) Grace 10) Bitches Brew 11) Pulseplagg 12) Holier 13) Invisible Hand 14) Girls Float + Boys Cry 15) Last Rites 16) Big Youth
There are some bands that have a certain aura about them that when they play live. It’s almost as though there is a cosmic shift that delivers an amount of energy that permeates through each person on stage and then into the audience. One such band that has this is the mighty Will Haven. Their most recent tour stop in Los Angeles (well technically North Hollywood) was a prime example of this aura taking over and infecting the crowd.
Opening the night was Arc Angles. If you haven’t heard Arc Angles, you should fix that. This three piece is a band that is explosive, creative and methodical in what they do. Not only did they set the tone for the evening, they sure made it a hard act to follow with their high energy set that showcased songs from their debut album Apocalisp and their most recent EP, Daisy. Having seen Arc Angles a few times and written about them a bunch, it’s been a pleasure to see how they keep pushing themselves to evolve and write songs that are both catchy yet slap you in the face.
Next up was Stronger Than Machines. These guys are one hell of a force to be reckoned with. If Arc Angles set the tone, Stronger Than Machines then raised the bar even more. Their metal-core style fit perfectly for the evening. Another band with a ton of energy that flowed right into the audience. One of the things I really like most about this band is their want to play hard and deliver a show that not only is true to them but also really gets the audience involved. Having a bit of a melodic tinge to their songs shows the dynamic range that they are capable of and they are only just getting started.
Right in the middle was Curse. These guys brought the rock to the night and in a way gave a bit of breathing room of all the heaviness happening. Their set was fun and energetic. Armed with catchy hooks and melodic touches, Curse was definitely not cursed this evening.
Before Will Haven was the Venice legends, Cycotic Youth. They brought a punk rock energy to the night that opened up the pit a bit and started to get the frenzy going. Rocking songs from their first album in many years, Cycotic Youth tore through song after song, and even had a little time for some stories about the early days of the band. They brought the audience to a level that was hungry for Will Haven, which was quite perfect.
Now, Will Haven took things to a whole other level of heavy. Celebrating their now 20 year old classic album, Carpe Diem, Will Haven ripped and tore North Hollywood a new one with their no holds barred performance. That aura I was speaking about at the beginning of this review was all over the stage and then filtered to the audience. With each song, the crowd got more and more into the show. Will Haven kept delivering killer riffs, rhythms and vocals that could be felt throughout the whole building. I’ll never forget hearing Carpe Diem for the first time. It’s one of those albums that when you hear it, it immediately inspires you to want to go make heavy music. Will Haven are one of the best to do this style of heavy music. So much so that when you hear a band imitate it, it makes you want to just go listen to Will Haven. After they ran through Carpe with brilliance, it was time for a couple new songs from their exquisite new album, VII. These new songs and album are one of the best of 2023. Here’s a crazy thought too, Carpe Diem was released 20 years ago and it left a mark on heavy music, and now 20 years after that, Will Haven has delivered another classic album with VII that will and should influence another generation of bands. What a great set Will Haven put on. One of those that I will definitely remember for many years to come.
One last note about the night, this was a pleasure to help put on and curate. Working with The Cobalt Presents (aka The Cobalt Cafe) and The Radford Media Group on putting shows together has been a blast. I highly urge you to come check out what we have coming up. We have been putting shows on for the past 2 years and it’s only getting better!
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
The month of May is almost over which means that half the year is almost over. In the past few months there have been a few records that I’ve had in constant rotation. Some of these are older albums and some are brand spanking new. Either way, they have yet to leave my constant music rotation and I thought I’d share these with you all. Each of these picks are ones you should definitely check out!
01) Iress- Solace: Ever since I heard this EP, I haven’t gone a day without listening to it. It’s so damn good. This album hits you in all the feels and yet it’s so seductive and beautiful. Iress are beyond the real deal and I can’t wait for what’s to come for this band!
02) Metallica- 72 Seasons: As a lifelong Metallica fan, I’m stoked on this new one from the metal legends. From start to finish this one really gets the blood pumping. There’s a song for every type of Metallica fan on here as well. My favorite track as of now is still the final song “Inamorata.” When you hear this epic, you’ll know why!
03) Unearth- The Wretched / The Ruinous: This new Unearth album is a blistering and heavy record. It’s got everything you know and love about Unearth and then some. One of the things I love most about this record is that it’s uncompromising and delivers banger after banger. This is what “MetalCore” should sound like, not this new laptop backing track bullshit!
04) Billy Howerdel- What Normal Was: There’s something really fun about Billy Howerdel’s first “solo” album. There’s a lot to delve into on this and with each listen you start to notice these little nuances the more it all comes to life. One of the things that I love about this album is that it sounds classic in it’s approach but doesn’t rely on “nostalgia.” Just listen!
05) Placebo- Never Let Me Go: Placebo’s long awaited new album came out last year and it’s chock full of gems. Now on their 8th studio album, this album still has the “classic” sound but with a a few new experiments. These new sounds and approaches show that even this far into their career, complacency is not in their vocabulary
06) She Wants Revenge- She Wants Revenge: It’s been a minute since I listened to this album. The other day, randomly I had part of “Tear You Apart” stuck in my head and from there I felt compelled to put this one on. I forgot how wellput together this album is. It’s got all the post-punk goodness in it along with some other elements that make for a really solid debut album. Glad to see that they are back out playing again. I remember seeing them many years ago and it being a really good show.
07) Rancid- …And Out Come The Wolves: Ever since it was announced that Rancid are returning with a new album, I’ve been on a bit of a Rancid kick. Their first 5 albums are unfuckwithable! They are punk rock classics in my book. Their 1995 album …And Out Come The Wolves is a true classic for sure. From the moment track one starts with “Maxwell Murder” all the way to track 19 “The Way I Feel,” it’s a non-stop ride of punk, ska punk, and then some. All these years later and this album still burns bright!
08) Emma Ruth Rundle- On Dark Horses: I love this album. It’s so damn good. There aren’t enough adjectives to properly describe it. There’s a beauty in the darkness that resides throughout this album. Even on her most recent album, Engine Of Hell (which you should listen to as well) there is no stopping Emma. She’s one of the most honest artists out there. Everything about her music, lyrics and self is real. Each time I listen to her albums, I always finds something else to enjoy about them.
09) Holy Fawn- Dimensional Bleed: This is one of my favorite albums of 2022 and I still get a kick out of listening to this one. After seeing them live, this album took on a whole new form for me. Knowing that these songs are that much more bombastic live makes listening to the album all the more enjoyable. Dimensional Bleed is an album that should be recognized not just as a great album but one that will inspire others.
10) Greg Puciato- Mirrorcell: My favorite album of 2022 and I still haven’t stopped listening to this one. Everything about this album is phenomenal. The performances, songs, riffs, rhythms, lyrics, melodies and more all make up a truly great album. In the span of a couple years, Greg has put out 2 of the best albums of the last few years and he just keeps going. If you haven’t listened to Mirrorcell, I highly recommend that you change that. I love this album and everything about it!
Growing up in Southern California, especially in the surrounding Los Angeles area, there has always been venues with storied histories. For example the famous Sunset Strip and The Whisky A Go-Go, Roxy, Viper Room and Rainbow. There was also a venue in the San Fernando Valley that had a very storied history as well. So many bands that you love today got their start, honed their craft and rocked the stage at the famous Cobalt Cafe. For years The Cobalt Cafe would become a sort of right of passage when being in a band no matter how big or small. It was an all ages venue that put on shows every night and provided a place for everyone to enjoy live music no matter the genre. However in, 2014 the Cobalt closed due but, in July of 2021 the Cobalt returned in a new fashion and a reignited fire to give up and coming bands a place to play. The Cobalt Presents now does shows on a constant basis around the LA area (Corbin Bowl, Hotel Ziggy, The Last Call, The Whisky A Go Go, Transplants Brewing and more) bringing in great bands and putting on superb shows.
The other night was no exception as The Cobalt kicked off 2023 with one hell of a bang at Corbin Bowl. The night was eclectic and featured varied bands from ska/punk, punk, skate punk, doom metal, thrash metal, and pop punk. The whole night and band after band was exceptional. The flow of the styles of the bands made it even more fun as the energy level kept rising with each band that took the stage. The place was packed and the familiar faces from back in the days of the old Cobalt were there as well, making it all come full circle.
There are certain albums that I’ve been stuck on since they came out this year. They have yet to leave my stereo at home, the car or even my mind. So I thought, I’d share a few of these with you and give a little explanation as to why they are stuck in my head. I hope you take some time to check out these albums and bands/artists. Enjoy these!
01) Greg Puciato- Mirrorcell: This is my Album Of The Year. From the moment this album starts till it ends, it completely takes you over. You feel every emotion and feeling conveyed. The music on this album is pure and honest just as the lyrics are. I can’t put into words at the moment to tell you how important this album is and how amazing it really is. I have most of songs off this album playing in my head at all times. This is the type of album that will be with you forever. That’s how great it is!
02) Centershift- A Different Shade: I love this band. I’m a little biased as I work with them but, putting that aside, it’s a really great introduction to Centershift. The melodic heaviness along with the vulnerability in the songs makes this EP stand out. Plus it’s great to have these guys back playing music and doing what they love. And go see them live, it’s one hell of a show!
03) Billy Howerdel- What Normal Was: This record is quite a good album. The thing I love most about this album is what Billy said about the making of it. (I’m paraphrasing) This is the album he truly wanted to make since he was a kid but done in a more modern way and the end result is the best thing he’s done since Ashes Divide. This album pays homage to his love of 80’s new wave (especially Depeche Mode) and it’s done in a respectful way that doesn’t seem like it’s a derivative copy. Plus the live versions of these songs are on a different level.
04) Baroness- Gold & Grey: This album came out in 2019 but I’m still digging it. I love the fact that this is an actual album and the more that you listen it the more you hear just how damn good Baroness is and how far they’ve come. The addition of guitarist Gina Gleason really took this band to a different level and you can hear that on this album. Her ability to play off of each other member and add her own flair to the songs is astounding. This album is one of the bands best and it shows every time I listen to it.
05) If It Kills You- Invisible Self: This band is one of my all time favorite bands I’ve written about on Audioeclectica. The first time I heard If It Kills You, I immediately started the album over. This year they released one of the best albums of the year. It’s one of those records that feels very inspired and focused. There is a lot to take in with each listen which makes it a contagious record to listen to.
06) Cave In- Heavy Pendulum: Another great album that came out in 2022 was this one by Cave In. It’s got all the elements that you’ve come to love about the band and then some. The loss of Caleb Scofield left a huge hole but, the addition of longtime friend Nate Newton (of Converge/Doomriders) has more than filled that spot with his contributions but also his spirit in carrying on what Caleb brought to the band. Heavy Pendulum is an album that deserves to be played loud and proudly.
07) In Parallel- Fashioner: I’m still stuck on this album. I love it. It’s the perfect album to put on and let it just take you away. The soundscapes mixed with the instrumentation and the lyrics and melodies really put you in a sort of trance. It’s one of those albums that you wish didn’t end. I can’t wait for what they are cooking up for their next release
08) The Pretty Reckless- Death By Rock N Roll: This is one of my daughter’s favorite bands and albums. She is always requesting I put it on and the next thing I know she’s singing along to pretty much all the songs. While listening to the album you can definitely hear the true growth in Taylor Momson as a singer and songwriter. This is quite possibly the best album this band has put out yet. The song “Only Love Can Save Me Now” is one of the best rock songs I’ve heard in a long time plus it doesn’t hurt to have Kim Thayil and Matt Cameron of Soundgarden on the track. Check out this album if you are in the market for a really good rock album.
09) Every Time I Die- Radical: I’ve been stuck on this one since I came out. I’m still sad that the band is no more but, as a final parting gift, they sure did give us one last album that is absolutely phenomenal. Every time I put this record on, I can’t skip a song. It’s a really great album that never got the proper treatment with tours and all the great things Every Time I Die brought to the table. Still, as a swan song album, what a way to go out!
10) Quicksand- Distant Populations: This is another album that I can’t get to leave my rotation. I love this album. It’s everything Iove about Quicksand and then some. Seeing them live on this cycle was out of this world, especially with the addition of Cave In’s Stephen Brodsky on second guitar. This album is more than just a great album, it sounds absolutely killer. If you are looking for a heavy rock record, this is one where you should start!
Tonight at The Federal (UPSTAIRS) in North Hollywood, The Cobalt Presents in association with Audioeclectica and The Radford Media Group bring you an eclectic night of alternative and rock bands. The doors open at 7pm followed by Bantamweight, Jordi, Darkroads, The Baby Goats and Crime Spree In Candyland. Tickets are $20 at the door and it’s ALL AGES! Full Bar and Kitchen available as well!
