Category: Single Review

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

Initially spending her professional career as a Berlin and Bristol, UK-based political journalist, Anika Henderson, best known under the mononym that she writes, records and performs under, Anika can trace the origins of her musical career to when she was introduced to Portishead’s Geoff Barrow while she was in Bristol. And as the story goes, Borrow was looking for a vocalist, who would work with his band Beak> for what would be a side project — and when Barrow and Henderson met, they immediately bonded over a mutual love of punk, dub and 60s girl groups. Within a week, Barrow, Henderson and the members of Beak> went into the studio to record the material which would eventually comprise Henderson’s 2010 self-titled full-length debut with Henderson and the members of Beak> recording live in the same room without overdubs.

Now, if you’ve been frequenting this site over the past three years or so in particular, you’d know that 2013 saw the release of Henderson’s self-titled EP, a collection of covers and remixes that included Henderson’s cover of Chromatics’ “In the City,” a cover, which paired Henderson’s icy deliver with a murky and tense, Portishead and The Velvet Underground and Nico-inspired production. A few years have passed since we have heard from her, but earlier this year, Geoff Barrow’s Invada Records, released an icy, lo-tech, analog synth, electro pop and dub-leaning cover of Nena’s “99 Red Balloons” by the mysterious Invada All Stars featuring Anika on vocals as part of that weekend’s Stop Trident National anti-nukes demonstration in London, a demonstration protesting the renewal of Britain’s nuclear weapons system.

Henderson’s latest musical project, Exploded View is something of a side project from her critically applauded solo work and in fact, the first single from the project’s soon-to-be released full-length debut, “No More Parties in the Attic,” revealed that the members of the project drew heavily from post-krautrock, krautrock, dub and industrial music as the band pairs electronic bloops and bleeps, industrial clang and clatter, buzzing and angular synth and guitar chords with Anika’s signature delivery to craft a sound that’s sleek and darkly seductive, while subtly evoking the sensation of desperately navigating a world that has gone madder than ever. The album’s latest single “Lost Illusions” has the band pairing jazz-like hi-hat-led syncopation with guitar and bass chords fed through layers upon layers of reverb with Henderson’s half reciting and half singing vocals with her icy delivery in a song that feels improvised, unguarded and vulnerable as it captures a narrator looking into void with an unsettling and unvarnished honesty.

If you reside in Europe or you happen to be lucky enough to be in Europe over the next couple of weeks, you might want to catch Exploded View live. Check out tour dates below.

Tour Dates

13th Aug – La Route Du Rock, Saint Malo, FR
18th Aug – Point FMR, Paris, FR
19th Aug – De Nieuwe Anita, Amsterdam, NL
20th Aug – Hope & Ruin, Brighton, UK
21st Aug – Green Man Festival, Wales, UK
21st Aug – The Exchange, Bristol, UK
23rd Aug – Shacklewell Arms, London, UK
24th Aug – Connges Annules Festival, Luxembourg, LU
25th Aug – Ex Haus Trier, DE
27th Aug – Het Bos, Antwerp, BE
28th Aug – Übel & Gefährich, Hamburg, DE
30th Aug – Skjul Fyra Sex, Gothenberg, SE
1st Sep – Loppen, Copenhagen, DK
2nd Sep – Pop Kultur Festival, Berlin, DE
3rd Sep – Big Next Festival, Gent, BE
4th Sep – Worm, Rotterdam, NL
6th Sep – Non Smoking, Strasbourg, CH
7th Sep – Le Bourg, Lausanne, CH
9th Sep – Conne Island, Leipzig, DE
10th Sep – ZISKOSTEL Prague, CZ
Single Review by William Ruben Helms

Perhaps best known as a member of New York-based indie rock act Blue and Gold, singer/songwriter and guitarist Chloe Raynes is set to embark on a solo career with her latest indie rock recording project, Halycine. And as Halycine, Raynes recorded her soon-to-be released debut EP In The Salt, which features GG Gonzalez (drums) and Derek Cabrera (bass) and was recorded at The End Studios in Brooklyn.

The EP’s latest single “Elixir” is a shimmering and swooning bit of 80s New Wave and post-punk-leaning guitar pop, complete with an anthemic hooks, a propulsive rhythm section and earnestly sung lyrics based around a devastating breakup, focusing on both the desperate longing for someone, the sense that time is quickly passing and that as you get older, it all gets more difficult and frustrating — and in a way the song possesses a bitter recognition of “well, what next” and “how do I move forward?” along with the idea that there’s always three sides to every side of a story: yours, mine and the truth.

 

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

Earlier this month, you may have come across a post about “Westside,” the latest single from the somewhat mysterious Los Angeles, CA-based electro pop duo Sibling, a single that built on the buzz that they’ve received with the release of their debut single “Easy,” as the duo paired a sparse production consisting of shimmering cascades of synths, an anthemic hook and pop belter vocals in a radio friendly song that swooned with a bittersweet longing. The duo’s latest single “Revolve” may arguably be the most dramatic and cinematic song they’ve released so far as they pair a production featuring twinkling piano keys, undulating synths and swirling electronics with sultry pop belter vocals in a song that is as much of a tell off as it is a song in which its narrator asserts her strength and resolve.

 

 

 

 

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

Earlier this month, you might recall that I wrote about “Punishment,” the first single off  Nashville, TN-based sibling duo JEFF The Brotherhood‘s forthcoming full-length Zone, an experimental rock album that was recorded and co-produced by Collin Dupuis in a converted warehouse dubbed Club Roar and is the last part of a spiritual trilogy of albums that began with 2009’s Heavy Days and 2011’s critically applauded We Are The Champions. And much like their previous work, which has been influenced by  jazz, black metal, hard rock, the films of Werner Herzog, the choreography of Kate Bush and the rivers of their home state, the album’s second and latest single “Idiot” will further the sibling duo’s reputation for crafting trippy, weed and beer inspired anthems full of enormous power chords, infectious and anthemic hooks — while meshing prog rock, power pop and metal.

 

 

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

Over the past few years renowned indie labels Slumberland Records and Fortuna POP! Records have collaborated on a number of releases — as Slumberland Records has released the work of Fortuna POP! artists across North America; and Fortuna POP! releasing the work of Slumberland Records’ artists elsewhere. And August 26, the two labels continue their fruitful collaboration with the release of the Continental Drift compilation, which features 8 songs from four of this year’s most buzz worthy indie rock/pop acts across both North America and Europe — and naturally, both labels believe the bands on the compilation are set to be breakout stars.

Comprised of members of Literature, Little Big League and Pet Milk, the members of Philadelphia, PA-based act Mercury Girls have received quite a bit of buzz with the release of “Arianna” for a jangling post-punk sound, complete with a soaring and anthemic hook and a gorgeous harmonies; and while, their latest single “Holly,” which is featured on the Continental Drift compilation will further cement their burgeoning reputation for shimmering and jangling post-punk that sounds deeply indebted to The Smiths — while also possibly reminding some listeners of the likes of Veronica Falls and several others.

The members of Mercury Girls will be hitting the road throughout October and November with Balance and Composure and Foxing and it includes a November stop at Warsaw. Check out tour dates below.

Tour Dates:
 
(All dates w/ Balance & Composure and Foxing)

 

Thu-Oct-13 – Richmond, VA – – Broadberry
Fri-Oct-14 – Chapel Hill, NC – Cat’s Cradle
Sat-Oct-15 – Atlanta, GA – Masquerade – Hell
Sun-Oct-16 – Jacksonville, FL – 1904 Music Hall
Tue-Oct-18 – Lake Park, FL – Kelsey Theatre
Wed-Oct-19 – Orlando, FL – The Social
Fri-Oct-21 – Houston, TX – White Oak Music Hall
Sat-Oct-22 – Austin, TX – Mohawk
Sun-Oct-23 – Dallas, TX – Club Dada (So What?! Music Festival)
Tue-Oct-25 – Phoenix, AZ – The Nile
Thu-Oct-27 – San Diego, CA – Observatory North Park
Fri-Oct-28 – Los Angeles, CA – Regent
Sat-Oct-29 – Santa Cruz, CA – The Catalyst Atrium
Sun-Oct-30 – San Francisco, CA – Great American Music Hall
Tue-Nov-01 – Portland, OR – Hawthorne Theatre
Wed-Nov-02 – Seattle, WA – Crocodile
Fri-Nov-04 – Salt Lake City, UT – Complex
Sat-Nov-05 – Denver, CO – Marquis
Sun-Nov-06 – Lawrence, KS – Granada
Thu-Nov-10 – Cleveland, OH – Beachland Ballroom
Fri-Nov-11 – Detroit, MI – St. Andrews
Sat-Nov-12 – Toronto, ON – Opera House
Mon-Nov-14 – Boston, MA – Royale
Tue-Nov-15 – Portland, ME – Port City Music Hall
Wed-Nov-16 – New Haven, CT – College Street Music Hall
Thu-Nov-17 – Brooklyn, NY – Warsaw
Fri-Nov-18 – Philadelphia, PA – Union Transfer
Sat-Nov-19 – Baltimore, MD – Baltimore Soundstage
Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: The Raveonettes Return with a Gorgeous and Bittersweet Addition to their Rave Sound of the Month Series

The previous Rave Sound of the Month single “Won’t You Leave Me Alone” was a bitter tell off from a jilted and exasperated lover, who’s sick of a partner, who just won’t get the hint that she’s had enough of their lover and their shit — and that it’s time for them to move on. Sonically, the song consisted of a towering and jagged soundscape of swirling and buzzing guitar chords, and thundering drumming that reminds me a little bit of The Jesus and Mary Chain; however, the series latest single “Where Are You Wild Horses” is a dreamy and atmospheric song that pairs with shimmering and subtly twangy guitar chords, breathily cooed vocals, a sinuous bass line, shuffling drumming and a dreamily forlorn melody. Lyrically, the song’s narrator has accepted the fact that their relationship is over, and that it’s time to move on and let it be part of the past and a result, it emphasizes a bittersweet reality of the majority of our relationships — that all too often, they end; but that they wind up being part of a intricate and messy life story.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

If you’ve been frequenting this site over the past few months, you might recall coming across “Stronger,” the first single from  Los Angeles, CA-based guitarist and vocalist Cecilia Della Peruti’s solo project, Gothic Tropic. And although she’s perhaps best known as a touring and session guitarist for the likes of renowned pop acts such as Charli XCX and BØRNS, Peruti’s last project possesses a New Wave-leaning sound. While “Stronger” sounded as though it owed a debt to the Go-Gos The B52s and others, her latest single “How Life Goes” is an atmospheric, song in which lush and plaintive harmonies are paired with shimmering guitar chords played through reverb and delay pedal, a propulsive and driving rhythm section, gently buzzing synths and a bluesy guitar solo in a song that sounds and feels as though it simultaneously drew from Phil Spector’s famed “Wall of Sound,” 80s New Wave, shoegaze and power pop – thanks to an anthemic hook. Much like the sources which inspired it, the song focuses on heartbreak — in this particular instance, the song’s narrator is begging for forgiveness and understanding while simultaneously, telling her significant other that  she’s getting a bit of a bad rap in this relationship. And in many ways, it captures the ambivalence that romantic relationships can inspire, especially if they went bad quickly.

 

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: The Devil Makes Three’s Sun Records Country-Leaning Cover of Muddy Waters “Champagne and Reefer”

Comprised of childhood friends Pete Bernhard (vocals, guitar) and Cooper McBean (guitar and banjo), along with Lucia Turino (bass), the Santa Cruz, CA-based bluegrass/alt-folk/alt-country/alt-Americana act The Devil Makes Three over the past decade or so […]

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

Last month, I wrote about the Chapel Hill, NC-based experimental/post-hardcore punk/new wave-leaning trio Milemarker. Initially comprised of Al Burian, Dave Laney and Ben Davis, the members of Milemarker quickly developed a reputation in indie and underground music circles for explosive life shows and for material that possessed adventurous arrangements and instrumentation. And with their 1999-2007 touring lineup with featured bounding members Burian and Laney, along with Roby Newton (vocals, synths), the trio eventually played over 1,000 shows across North America, Europe and Japan supporting 2000’s Frigid Forms Sell and 2001’s Anaesthetic, opening for the likes of Wire, Mission of Burma, At The Drive-In, The Hives, Thursday, The Blood Brothers, International Noise Conspiracy, High On Fire, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Cave In, Les Savy Fav, Spoon and a lengthy list of others.

After the release of 2005’s Ominosity, which featured drummers Tony Lazzara and Noah Leger, as well as arrangements from siblings Beth and Tim Remis, the band went on an extensive US and European tour in 2008 with founding member Ben Davis, which included appearances at SXSW and Fusion festivals; however, by 2009 Laney had relocated to Hamburg, Germany and began to focus his energies on his post-Milemarker project Auxes while Burian had relocated to Berlin to pursue a literary career. Interestingly, in 2015 the founding duo of Laney and Burian had started playing a series of live shows featuring Lena Kilkka (keys, vocals) and Ezra Cale (drums). Just in time to celebrate their reunion, Lovitt Records will be releasing a re-issue of the band’s seminal 2000 release Frigid Forms Sell and the re-issue is not only the first time the album appears on vinyl in 16 years, it’ll include 7 previously unreleased tracks, including one which was  premiered on Brooklyn Vegan. And the digital version will include demo versions of several album tracks. But interestingly, this year will be an even bigger year for the band as Overseas, the band’s first album in some time is slated for an August 26. 2016 release — while embarking on their first US tour in over 8 years (and you can check out tour dates below).

Last month’s post featured “Carrboro” the first single off the band’s forthcoming, new album had the band pairing a throbbing and insistent bass line with a quickly morphing song structure that alternates and meshes between dreamy psychedelia, tense, angular post-punk, New Wave and prog rock — and in a expansive and mind-altering fashion. The album’s second single “Conditional Love” pairs buzzing and angular guitar chords, a driving motorik groove, layers of shouted vocals and vocals fed through vocoder, and an anthemic hook in a song that sounds equally inspired by Nine Inch Nails and as by Garbage; however, with a prog rock bent.

Tour Dates:
08/11 Charlotte NC @ Milestone
08/13 Atlanta GA @ The Wrecking Ball ATL
08/14 Nashville TN @ The End
08/15 St. Louis MO @ Off Broadway
08/16 Milwaukee WI @ The Cactus Club
08/17 Minneapolis MN @ Triple Rock Social Club
08/19 Chicago IL @ Empty Bottle
08/20 Lansing MI @ Mac’s Bar
08/21 Cleveland OH @ Now That’s Class Lounge
08/22 Philadelphia PA @ The Boot & Saddle
08/23 Allston MA @ Great Scott
08/24 Brooklyn NY @ Shea Stadium
08/25 Brooklyn NY @ Saint Vitus
08/26 Washington DC @ Rock & Roll Hotel
08/27 Carrboro NC @ Cat’s Cradle
Single Review by William Ruben Helms

Earlier this year, I wrote about young, up-and-coming,  Toronto, ON-based singer/songwriter Charlotte Day Wilson, who initially began her recording career as the frontwoman of locally renowned act, The Wayo. And with the release of “After All,” the Canadian singer/songwriter quickly emerged out of her hometown’s jazz, soul and R&B scenes, adding herself to a growing list of nationally and internationally known acts including friends and collaborators  BADBADNOTGOOD and River Tiber.

 

Wilson’s highly-anticipated debut effort CDW is slated for an August 26, 2016 release and the effort will include the critically applauded singles “After All” and “Work,” as well as the slow-burning, soul ballad “Find You,” which features the Canadian singer/songwriter’s effortlessly soulful vocals over a contemporary and minimalist production consisting of twinkling keys and synths, gently swirling and fluttering electronics, finger snap-led percussion and stuttering drum programming in a song that evokes a plaintive and urgent need. And as much as the song is celebration of finally feeling ready to love someone else and desiring love from someone, it’s equally a celebration of finding one’s true self and place within the world — both of which are incredibly difficult, no matter how strong and sure of yourself you may feel. Certainly, for a singer/songwriter as young as Wilson is, her vocal range and her lyrics betray a wisdom and experience far beyond her years.

 

 

 

 

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

Los Angeles, CA-based producer and artist Ringgo Ancheta, best known as MNDSGN has had one of the more unusual backgrounds of any contemporary producer. Ancheta’s parents were once members of the Philippine arm of Aum Shrinriyko, a controversial cult that reportedly believed in the imminence of armageddon — and believed that the US would start the process with the attacking Japan to begin World War 3. As a child, Ancheta was raised in the forests — until the group’s increasing ventures into terrorist activities,  forced his family to flee the group in the late 1980s. The Anchetas were granted political asylum and eventually settled in rural New Jersey, where the young Ancheta was raised on the outskirts of a commune without electricity, while his father worked as a researcher at Princeton Neuroscience Institute.

As the story goes, one of Ringgo Ancheta’s earliest excursions into the “modern: world was a trip in which he hitchhiked to Philadelphia — and as he has publicly described it, the first guy he encountered, introduced an impressionable young Ancheta to beat making and production. Within a day, Ancheta was making his own beats on his newfound friend’s sampler. And as his trips, to Philadelphia became more frequent, he began using the name Mndsgn (pronounced as “mind design), largely inspired by the Nas lyrics, “my mind is seeing through your design like blind fury,” and a nod to his father’s work in neuroscience.

Much like a large number of J. Dilla-inspired instrumental producers and beat makers, Ancheta eventually headed west to Los Angeles, where he was eventually signed by renowned indie hip-hop label Stones Throw Records, who released his full-length debut Yawn Zen, an effort that seemed deeply inspired by the peaceful bliss of meditation and paired it with a thoughtful soulfulness.

The renowned producer, who recently played at Northside is putting the finishing touches on an album that is slated to be released by the end of this year, and the yet unnamed album’s first single “Ya Own Way” a shimmering, slinky and soulful bit of synth funk that channels Dam-Funk, complete with vocals fed through vocoder and other effects to give the entire song a retro-futuristic and cosmic sheen.

 

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

Comprised of Thomas Jäger, Esben Willems, and Mika Häkki, Gothenburg, Sweden-based doom metal trio Monolord can trace its origins to 2013 when both Jäger and Willems started the band as a side project and opportunity to play dark and heavy material away from their primary gig as members of boogie rock band Marulk.  Häkki, who was best known for his work in The Don Darlings and Rotten Sound was recruited to flesh out the band’s sound and complete their lineup. And as the story goes, while working on material that would wind up comprising their debut effort, Empress Riding the trio realized that they had a special creative simpatico  — although interestingly enough Jäger took up vocal duties for the first time in his recording career.

Having met RidingEasy Records‘ head Daniel Hall through Instagram, the band immediately sent the finished album to Hall, and after hearing it, Hall immediately signed them and then released their back in 2014. Their long-awaited and critically applauded sophomore effort Vænir was released last year and building upon the buzz they’ve received both nationally and internationally, the doom metal trio will be releasing a 10″ EP on August 12, which they’ll be supporting with a lengthy headlining throughout August and September with Beastmaker and Sweat Lodge — and it’ll include an August 27, 2016 stop at Greenpoint metal den St. Vitus. And just as they announced tour dates, the members of Monolord released the latest single off their 10″ EP, “Die in Haze,” a sludgy power chord-heavy dirge with thundering drumming and Jäger’s vocals ethereally floating over the murky mix; however, interestingly enough if you pay close enough attention there’s a shoegazer-like quality as their sound manages to be equally enveloping — with a subtly contemplative beauty just underneath the surface.

Check out tour dates below.

 

MONOLORD LIVE:
08/05 Seattle, WA @ Barbosa at Neumos *
08/06 Bellingham, WA @ The Shakedown *
08/08 San Francisco, CA @ The Chapel *
08/09 Los Angeles, CA @ Viper Room *
08/11 San Diego, CA @ Soda Bar *
0812  Phoenix, AZ @ Rogue *
08/13 Albuquerque, NM @ Launch Pad *
08/15 Dallas, TX @ Rail Club *
08/16 Austin, TX @ Sidewinder *
08/17 Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall *
08/18 San Antonio, TX @ Korova *
08/19 New Orleans, LA @ Siberia *
08/20 Tampa, FL @ The Orpheum *
08/21 Ft Lauderdale, FL @ Kreepy Tiki *
08/22 Orlando, FL @ Will’s Pub *
08/23 Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade *
08/24 Richmond, VA @ The Broadberry *
08/26 Baltimore, MD @ Windup Space *
08/27 Brooklyn, NY @ Saint Vitus *
08/28 Philadelphia, PA @ Voltage *
08/30 Boston, MA @ Great Scott *
08/31 Montreal, QC @ Turbo Haus *
09/01 Toronto, ON @ Coalition *
09/02 Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop *
09/03 Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle Festival *
09/04 Minneapolis, MN @ The Cabooze *
09/05 Omaha, NE @ Lookout Lounge *
09/06 Denver, CO @ Lost Lake *
09/07 Salt Lake City, UT @ Metro Bar *
09/08 Sacramento, CA @ Starlite Lounge *
09/09 Portland, OR @ Ash St. Saloon (no Beastmaker)
09/10 Vancouver, BC @ Astoria  (no Beastmaker)
* w/ Beastmaker, Sweat Lodge

 

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

With the release of two critically applauded EPs, We Are Sound and Everything You Imagine Is Real, the New York-based electro pop duo Corbu received praise from the likes of NYLON, Stereogum, The Guardian, NME and others for a sound that’s heavily influenced by the Warp Records roster, sci-fi imagery,  psychedelia and their own dreams. Now, if you’ve been frequenting this site over the past couple of weeks you may recall that I wrote about the cinematic “Battles,” one of the first singles off the duo’s highly-anticipated, soon-to-be released, full-length debut effort Crayon Soul; a track that has the band pairing a soaring and anthemic hook with a shimmering and breezy melody and plaintive vocals in a way that’s reminiscent to Moonbabies and M83.

Crayon Soul‘s latest single “Better Better Off” is a lush and shimmering psych pop, psych rock track that has the duo pairing angular guitar chords fed through gentle reverb and delay pedals, layers upon layers of gorgeous harmonies, shimmering synth cascades,  a soaring and anthemic hook, and a propulsive rhythm section in a song that sounds indebted to trippy 60s psych rock as much as it does to the likes of In Ghost Colours-era Cut Copy and the dream pop of the aforementioned Moonbabies, Summer Heart – but with a palpable bittersweet wistfulness under the song’s breezy surface.

 

 

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

Beginning his music career as a part-time musician in various underground bands in and around the San Francisco Bay Area, the insanely prolific multi-instrumentalist Ty Segall started his solo career back in 2008 with the release of the Horn The Unicorn through Wizard Mountain — and was later re-released by HBSP-2X on vinyl. After befriending Thee Oh Sees frontman and creative mastermind, and co-founder of Castle Face Records, John Dwyer, Segall signed to the renowned, garage rock label, which released his self-titled debut, also in 2008. Since then, Segall has released albums through Memphis, TN-based label Goner Records, frequent collaborations with renowned indie artist Mikal Cronin and for being a member of a number of bands including Fuzz, Broken Bat and GØGGS, and as a former member of The Traditional Fools, Epsilons, Party Fowl, Sic Alps, and The Perverts.

Now, as I mentioned in a post earlier today, as a native New Yorker, who has been covering music for over a decade, I’ve seen countless venues come and go — and soon as a well-regarded or beloved venue closes, another one pops up a few months later in another part of town; however, as both a passionate music fan and journalist, there are a handful of venues that hold a special part of your heart. And for me, Death By Audio held a very special place in my heart. Unlike most venues I’ve seen and covered shows in, there was always a  palpable sense of anything going and happening and in fact, I saw some of the most memorable shows I’ve ever seen; shows that transformed how I saw and wore about live music. Much like Metz, Segall has a connection to Death by Audio as he got his NYC area start at the now defunct DIY venue.

And as I mentioned in a post earlier today, as the venue was closing up shop back in 2014, its owners and bookers curated what turned out to be an epic final month featuring a number of currently renowned acts, who had gotten their start or had some kind of connection to the South Williamsburg, Brooklyn venue including A Place to Bury Strangers, Thee Oh Sees, Protomartyr, Ty Segall, Future Islands, Lightning Bolt, Metz and many others. What people most likely didn’t know was that the venue recorded the last month of shows at the venue and the end result is the compilation Start Your Own Fucking Show Space, which features highlights of the past month in chronological order, slated for release next week through Famous Class Records — and the compilation is meant not as bittersweet nostalgia but as a forceful call to go out and do something fucking awesome, like start a show space and have your friends and others play there.

The second and latest single off the compilation features Ty Segall and his backing band playing a somewhat bittersweet yet forceful and sludgy live version of “Wave Goodbye,” a song that structurally and sonically sounds as though it owes a debt to 90s alt rock as it consists of alternating, rousing and thunderous, power chord-based hooks and a quiet second around the verse. And as soon as you hear it, it should make you want to raise your beers up high and shout along — or mosh the fuck out.

 

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

 

With the 2014 release of their self-titled debut and the 2015 release of their sophomore effort II, Toronto, ON-based trio Metz have received attention across Canada, the States and elsewhere for sludgy, face-melting power chord-based sound reminiscent of Bleach and In Utereo-era Nirvana, A Place to Bury Strangers, Japandroids and others — and over that time the Canadian trio have quickly become a JOVM mainstay.

Now, as a native New Yorker, who has been covering music for over a decade, I’ve seen countless venues come and go — and soon as a well-regarded or beloved venue closes, another one pops up a few months later in another part of town; however, as both a passionate music fan and journalist, there are a handful of venues that hold a special part of your heart. I’ve publicly mentioned what the Bowery Ballroom has meant to me on several occasions but one of the other venues that has held a special place in my heart was the sadly, now-defunct DIY Death By Audio. Unlike most venues I’ve seen and covered shows in, there was a palpable sense of anything goes and in fact, I saw some of the most memorable shows I’ve ever seen; shows that transformed how I saw and wore about live music.

As the venue was closing up shop back in 2014, its owners and bookers curated what turned out to be an epic final month featuring a number of currently renowned acts, who had gotten their start or had some kind of connection to the South Williamsburg, Brooklyn venue including A Place to Bury Strangers, Thee Oh Sees, Protomartyr, Ty Segall, Future Islands, Lightning Bolt, Metz and many others. What people most likely didn’t know was that the venue recorded the last month of shows at the venue and the end result is the compilation Start Your Own Fucking Show Space, which features highlights of the past month in chronological order, slated for release next week through Famous Class Records — and the compilation is meant not as bittersweet nostalgia but as a forceful call to go out and do something fucking awesome, like start a show space and have your friends and others play there.

The first single off the compilation features Metz playing a blistering and frenetic version of “Get Off” and it should remind all of those, who are unfamiliar with the band and those who are familiar with the band that they are one of the most forceful, furious and noisy bands around. And they play some of the most mosh pit-friendly music around.