Sept Bandcamp Day is Here! What is New and Exciting in the Darkscene ?

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I have not been doing a great job of releasing new reviews this summer. It is Bandcamp Friday so I thought I would play a bit of catchup on some of the amazing new music that has kept my Summer dark and cool. Goth/Industrial/Wave music is alive and well and as always I want to place a focus on new music that has touched my heart and inflamed my senses.

Black Rose Burning – Night Terrors – George Grant with a second new single from this hybrid genre project that continues to impress. George has a standout voice that has shown new facets of depth and clarity. The cover art and tone are a return to the science fiction passion resonant in the theme of BRB. The slow shooting star guitar rift gives shape to the frantic rhythm driving the track. I know Jason Corbett (Actors) is providing mastering for the upcoming album and I can’t wait to hear his vision of George’s story.

Night Terrors | Black Rose Burning (bandcamp.com)

Obsidian – Collection 1 – I had the pleasure of seeing the Florida Death Rock band play live in Chicago in August. A band that is crackling with positive energy and overflowing with live performance emotion. When I got back home I immediately looked up this October 2022 compilation of their career to date. I hear a lot of passion for the core of original goth. A reverence for Pornography Cure, Acid Bath Alien Sex Fiend, for that early strain of darkness blended with the spark of creation. The compilation includes 2018-2020 15 tracks and a wide swath of styles.

Missy Mortis – Vocals & Guitar
Kathy D. – Keyboards & Backup Vocals
Dent A Gon– Bass & Backup Vocals
Chuck Loose – Drums & Backup Vocal

Favorite Tracks:

A Swamp – You always need to start an album with a banger. Thunderclap bassline which really drives this song like a crashing wave. Sinful chanting vocals that come from the back of the room and pierce a veil of Barney Sumner guitar static. Draw them in before you knock them down. You can hear this was early material by the rawness of production, but the track is all hairpin turns and precision.

The Vultures Will Pick Your Bones – This is a high-speed decay. Kathy Diaz takes the vocal point like an enflamed banshee wailing a future demise. The punk rock gnashing teeth of these drums will have you flailing and processed. At the two-minute mark you hear a madman’s laugh and a blistering guitar solo that drives you into a brick wall.

Viracoacha – I love the resonant Cure guitar tone here. Missy unleashes a haunting Peter Murphy style vocal that completely channels the early goth flavor. I feel this one swelling in my chest. Punishing bass that comes from the inside out. I am memorized by how unhinged every song feels while reminded what careful attention went into each song writing decision.

This is definitely a band where the live performance tells the true tale. I got to have a quick interview at the show, but I promise you all we will have a full discussion with this up and coming talent soon.

Collection 1 | Obsidian (bandcamp.com)

Red Meat – Providence – Brand new double single release from the sordid electrofilth artist Rhys Hughes of Manchester. Freshly signed to Armalyte Records and ready to drag you into an underground world of unimagined debauchery. Rhys brings an unapologetic Queer courage and political napalm to both their songs and online persona. I always like to close my eyes and conjure an image the first time I hear a track. This is a dump truck full of green ooze caterwauling down the street splashing acid on the world as it teeters through every turn. Rhys flings the venom laced vocals at high velocity on a gatling gun percussion. It jumped up the bandcamp charts in a hurry for good reason.

▶︎ Providence | RED MEAT (bandcamp.com)

Sapphira Vee – Fortune – NY shadow siren Sapphira Vee continues a steady flow of electronic cabaret on Distortion Records. This latest offering is in pre-release for Sept 8th. As always she puts a focus on collaboration and community with a bevy of top tier guest stars like Jean-Marc Lederman, Veronica Tam, Chava Sanberg, and Jim Marcus. Mixed and mastered by Jules Seifert at Epic Audio Media, London UK. My first thought from track one is how much you can hear the craft work she put into her production and songwriting. A lot of effort went into very tiny details and it shines. A shimmering jazzy vocal cadence blended with Underworld electronica. Creating a lovely space between the triphop feel of her earlier releases. Powerful use of string synths that draw a memorizing line through the phrase.

Favorite Tracks:

What It Was – Hard not to choose this opening single. Opening with those gorgeous string sounds into a sharp drum attack and very early 2000s London feel. Sapphira’s voice is a slow amber whiskey swirling in a glass. Confident and center without overpowering. An effortless ownership that eases you in.

Last (Feat Jim Marcus) – As a huge fan of Jim’s voice, hearing him take on a sensitive beauty in the reflection of someone else’s music is amazing. I feel so much trust and collaboration in this track. usually when I think of Jim’s lyrics and voice it’s all sexy bear growls and slippery club feels. This is tender, sweet, beckoning.

Fortune | Sapphira Vee (bandcamp.com)

Metamorph – Woo Woo (Feat: Adoration Destroyed) – NYC Synth Witch Margot Day is leaning into the autumn season and teaming with club thumper maestros Adoration Destroyed. Streaking through the sky on broomstick, cutting the violet fog, getting real high and getting witchy for us. The flute breakdown before two minutes if the perfect gust of breath. We all know how much I love my goth to be fun, and this is a Stevie Nicks riot.

Woo Woo | Metamorph (Margot Day) (bandcamp.com)

Slighter – This Futile Engine– What makes California electro sonic visionary Colin Cameron stand out in a crowd so much? I think it is how he approaches music. It’s never with a plan to play out live, to pack a room. His songs are moving auditory dreams made solid. This translates into his career doing soundtracks for tv/movies. The latest title “This Futile Engine” rings so apt evoking imagery of a grinding mechanized monstrosity rolling over a dying world of post capitalism too enormous to support it’s own consumption. Colin pulled out all the stops from Brutal Resonance and beyond with guest artists who he pushed out of their comfort zone in every track.

Tracks 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 13 written by Colin Cameron Allrich (ASCAP)
Track 2 lyrics and vocals by Craig Joseph Huxtable (SOCAN)
Track 7 lyrics and vocals by Anastasia Poirier (BMI)
Track 9 lyrics and vocals by Yvette Winkler, recording assisted by Roland Zwaga
Track 11 lyrics and vocals by Tara Kimberly Saavedra (ASCAP)

Track 5 Vocals by Steven Seibold and Tara Saavedra

Track 9 Vocals by Yvette Winkler

Favorite Tracks:

Memory Corruptor – (Feat Steven Seibold and Tara Saavedra) – This one is broken sky slow grind with terrifying screaming vocals. Guess who is one of the greatest screamers in the game? Steven Seibold of Hate Dept. Blend this with the ethereal swamp whispers of Tara aka Morgue VVitch and you are left with a heady and unnerving brew. The production on this song really highlights the best of everyone.

Pulling Me Under – Previous winner on the S & S darkscene singles chart. This track showed a glorious new side to Craig’s voice. The music is a rumbling dance bop. Cold and captivating Craigs voice resonates with desperation seeping into cold water. Try not to move your whole body to this track.

This whole album is perfect to close your eyes and sink into a nightmare imagination journey.

This Futile Engine (Deluxe Edition) [LP] | Slighter | Brutal Resonance Records (bandcamp.com)

Psyclon Nine – More To Hell – Los Angeles terrordustrial band has made this EP as mean and gritty as I can handle. It’s good to know where your edge is, and this one is mine. Released on goth/industrial legendary label Metropolis in May 2023 this is a follow up to the 2022 “Less To Heaven” with some heavy hitter remixes by Skold, Suicide Commando, Pitch Black, and more. This EP is all slithering shadows, and they are all holding wicked looking knives. One of those records I don’t listen to if i am hoping for a peaceful nights sleep. Double bass drum impact, cruel glitchy guitar fuzz, and vocals that lash around like a razor sharp forked tongue. This isn’t in my standard wheelhouse, but something done well that has a time and place in my heart. Enough that I have continued to come back and find the words.

Favorite Track:

Money Sex and Death (Suicide Commando Remix) – Sure this is one of the bigger names for the remixes, but there is a reason they have that name. This is explosive like a legion of demons assaulting the gates. Stomping in the viscous sludge in platform boots.

▶︎ More To Hell | Psyclon Nine (bandcamp.com)

Stoneburner – The Great Filter – Lately I have been getting the feedback that I have a few artists that receive a constant stream of my bandwidth and I could search deeper for bands I don’t know yet. Steven Archer would surely be near the top of that list. The thing is, Steven keeps putting out incredible art, and it is always different. I’m not going to stop talking about it just because I have before. So here is a new EP on COP International with a hypothesis to question if the universe is as vast as it is, it seems mathematically likely other life exists. So why don’t we see it. Industrial music, which has always had strong ties to Science Fiction or prediction is at it’s best when not only tackling concepts like dancing, banging, and drinking. Opening with the frenzy beat Narcisus Steven does layered mesh vocals rich with a lip curl arrogance. Almost like an audiobook Steven is finding ways to tell stories by vocal inflection. Different characters in the Stoneburner world have emerged with distinct voices. Another intriguing aspect of The Great Filter is a return to complete production control in Steven’s studio. I think it creates a different energy and confidence to some of the COP releases featuring John Fryer.

Favorite Tracks:

Fair and Balanced – Punk infused political banger addressing class and corruption. This is vintage Stoneburner spitting dissent with even cadence and rhythm you feel in your bones. It’s hard not to put your hands up. Like a bouncing cyborg kangaroo charging towards you on fire.

Corvomancers – What a rich and complex tale, of carrion hybrid creatures picking the bones of a broken world. The vocal effects back off to let the clarity of the words breath. This chorus got stuck in my head. The Crow hybrid or shapeshifter has deep roots as a trickster in many mythologies. Blending that with an alternate reality or science fiction is a master stroke. I would love to see a graphic novel of this premise.

The Great Filter | Stoneburner (bandcamp.com)

The Residents, “A Sight for SORE EYES vol.2”

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Book Review

Melodic Virtue, photo taken 1990, Credit Henrik Kam

The Residents, “A Sight for SORE EYES vol.2” by music archivist Aaron Tanner.

I am a fan of the most eclectic band in America, San Francisco’s performance art collective known as “The Residents”. They formed over 50 years ago, and while managed by “The Cryptic Corporation” the band has been able to make some of the weirdest and most wonderfully unusual music, with each member of the band being anonymous. Only a part-time collaborator “Snake Finger” is known by his true identity.

I got to interview Homer Flynn, the President of The Cryptic Corporation 2 years ago, and I spent untold amounts of time diving into the music, the art, and the world that only the most extreme minds can pull ideas from. I also covered their show from SLC earlier this year. AS amazing as that “Bucket List” show was, this book took me days of reading, and going back to hit the images again and again, giving me a long-term dose of excitement, similar to what I experienced at the concert.

After countless albums and collaborations, films, and books about them, reading this book “A Sight for SORE EYES vol.2” has filled my world with such a great visual history of the band, and I was able to see who they influenced and how they inspired so much of the music I have enjoyed for the last 40 years. From all of this, I am no closer to their identities than I was when I first started listening to them, and all of this was the point.

Photo By Jackson Tanner

It is a limited edition print, much like everything else they have done, get it if you can.

The book tells the story of The Residents, but from the point of view of musicians, artists, producers, etc. through their history with them. It has quotes from so many musicians we know and love, and their experience with the music, their concerts, and the art on the whole.

“The Residents collided with the earth like a meteor-killing the dinosaurs and creating the world anew. They led the charge for bands like DEVO, Talking Heads, Laurie Anderson, and countless others who were now licensed to pat a capital “A” in their art rock.”

Alex Winter

The book is a collage, of clippings, write-ups, and other people sharing a quick blurb. I had no idea they had so many fans, I knew they inspired The Butthole Surfers, The Pixies, Primus, and The Dead Milkmen, as I turned each page, and read the little statement from so many artists, I began to see how expansive they were. These artists might not taken any direct ideas from the Residents or their art, but they all pay tribute to the inspiration they got.

“It’s not hyperbole to say that everything else we sold made some sort of sense when compared to the Residents. Were they aliens? Disembodied eyeballs? I loved being baffled.” MOBY

I have watched plenty of The Residents live, but several people commented on this one video clip of them playing Teddy Bear on the debunked TV show “Night Flight” from the 80s. Several artists have mentioned this moment saying the outlandish story and performance was so over the top it sold them on The Residents instantly.

The book even had a sighed photo of Pee Wee Herman “I sure do love the Residents!” your pal Pee Wee Herman. Brought a tinge of sadness because when the book was sent to me, Pee Wee was still alive. I suddenly went back to watch a few episodes of Pee Wee’s Playhouse, realizing that even Pee Wee was a fan, and they influenced his art. I have considered myself a fan of theirs for a while now, but this book showed me how their influence has been in so much of what I grew up enjoying, a thousand times, just a step beyond what I loved, which was The Residents.

“They’re the kind of band that you either get, or you don’t. And I most definitely did at first listen. I was already on board when I first heard them, but then I saw how they dressed-the eyeballs, suits, and top hats-I was sold immediately. The juxtaposition couldn’t be any more perfect.

My musically deranged 11-year-old mind was now complete”.

Ray Mayorga, Ministry.

The graphics show a very detailed history of the band, and they have fliers for shows, that are in my mind wonderful historical artifacts. They also show you the painstaking details in the color schemes for the album covers. There are notes on mixing console settings, dates, setlists, and backstage photos of men in suits with eyeball helmets. It was in one of the notes I saw that they did a cameo in uniform in the “Laying It On The Line” video for Jefferson Starship. (Starship formed from the remnants of Jefferson Airplane, just a few years after The Residents, I have to say, The latter has had a much more successful run than the former). I did have to go back to watch the video to see them, YEP they were there.

I have collected a great deal of The Residents’s printed and produced work, including CDs and LPs and I even scored a cool poster. The Residents are one of those bands that if you are a collector, you could easily go broke trying to obtain the collection, and all the different pieces to it. This book shows so much that is out there, and even more of the back story of stencils, art scraps, and notes, you see how much effort went into creating the finished product that was available to fans. They are truly one of the hardest-working art collectives in music history.

“In the mid-’80s, a co-worker turned me on to The Residents. They opened doors in my mind that I never knew existed. I didn’t know a band could be that brave and strange. And they continue to inspire me to this day.”

Thor Harris, SWANS

There is an entire chapter to the 1988 epic “God In Three Persons”, where I was beyond shocked to see the following.

“The Residents are a truly inventive and hugely underrated band. Their eyeballs saw it first and understood the collision between surrealism, art, and music way before everyone else woke up. Unique, creative, and fearless are the most admirable credentials to have. Combine that with parody and satire, and you will end up on their street, which is a great place to visit.

Nick Rhodes, Duran Duran.

Seeing all of these artifacts, quotes, wonderful endorsements, and just memories people have shared around the history of this band, helped me make up for a lot of lost time, I found myself laughing repeatedly at some of the stories. I also felt like I missed so much just by not being at these concerts or other events. Aside from the FOMO I suffered, I felt entranced by so many of the different pieces of art, be it an album cover, or just a photo proof sheet of negatives, it all just unloaded a flurry of bizarre art. As most of the people explaining their experiences, we saw that The Residents are not in any position to explain themselves. Frank Zappa once explained his art that way, saying “I make music for people, and if they like it, then it was for them if they don’t like it, there is plenty of other music out there for them to like, I’m not making my music for them”. The Residents lived that philosophy.

“I finally did meet The Residents in 1985 when they invited me to visit their mysterious compound in San Francisco. The first thing I saw when I entered was the four iconic eyeball heads lined up neatly on a shelf. Next to those were several large glass jars containing what appeared to be pickled human embryos! That night, I was fortunate enough to witness the 13th-anniversary show at Wolfgang’s,”

David J, *You all know who David J is

Through the course of the book, I also saw how much of their work evolved with technology. The Residents embraced and used the technology as it became available to enhance their theatrics, stage shows, music, and production on the whole. By the end, I understood clearly that there were no boundaries they wouldn’t push, break through and leave the previous paradigm behind. If you want to know more about the backstory, and just general wonder about “The Residents” this book is the story behind the music, none of it coming actually from the band in words, only the photos and art were from the band. Everything else in this volume was from fans, famous or not, no matter who reads this book (and enjoys the art and images) you get an amazing view into this eclectic history. (Cause it’s all about “Eyes” right?)

The book has so many easter eggs in it, and so many people have said “I have worked with them for years, and to this day, I still do not know who they are”, you might get some hints, but The Residents’s anonymity will remain in tact. Score this book if you can.

See links below, (it’s a wonderful and exciting rabbit hole I promise)

https://www.melodicvirtue.com/

https://www.residents.com/

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July 2023 Sounds and Shadows Darkscene Singles Chart

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Trying to hit the ground running and get the Darkscene Singles Chart out right at the beginning of the month. As always this chart started as a way to highlight the best songs released in July, chosen by our group of DJs, Artists, Bands, promotors, reviewers, and superfans. Since it is not pay to play it highlights artists who may not get recognized in other charts with prominent legacy artists. If you have a single release in August, or know someone who does, add it to the Poll in the feature section of the Facebook group or on our Patreon. Congratulations to all these artists and please share to show support for the scene.

Please Support us Here 🙂

https://www.patreon.com/SoundsandShadows

  1. Missing In Stars – Fight
  2. Matt Hart – Rotations
  3. Mark E Moon – Daemons
  4. Bestial Mouths – Slitskin
  5. The Bleak Assembly – A Night Like This
  6. Dread Risks – Comadose (Moann Exis RMX)
  7. Motuvius Rex – Eleven 33
  8. Microwaved (Feat: Eva X ) – Propaganda (Gaslight Remix by Paul Housin)
  9. Male Tears – Sad Boy, Paint My Nails
  10. Choke Chain – Burial
  1. Missing In Stars – Fight – (Infacted Recordings Germany) – Milwaukee synthwave artists with this gorgeous and emotive declaration of passion and symmetry earns a much deserving spot at number one. Dan Guenther has truely outdone himself with the layered sculpture of poetry and light. The vocals are so unique and drip with honey. A truly magnificent example of songcraft that touched something deep inside me.

Fight | Missing In Stars | Infacted Recordings (bandcamp.com)

2) MATT HART – Rotations – London Fundustrial Neuromancer with a SLAMMING new single which ties borg technology to the bones of Front Line Assembly and pumps 1.21 gigawatts of juice to animate this old school concept in 2023. Music to automate your factory to.

ROTATIONS | MATT HART (bandcamp.com)

3) Mark E Moon – Daemons – (Cold Transmission Music) – Our dear friends from The Isle Of Man back once again with this slinky duet with gnashing vinegar in Marks delivery smoothed over with Shelly Rourke‘s cascading light. Transe fueled Ultravox synth vibes replace the Trad goth I am accustom to. The course language and snarl replace the teeth usually found in Phil’s guitar and leave you feeling shredded by a rampaging monster. Stay on the path and beware of the moon.

Daemons | Mark E Moon (bandcamp.com)

4) Bestial Mouths – Slitskin – (Negative Gain) – This single has a real story behind it. We discussed it in our interview with Negative Gain who have their festival in New Orleans coming this month.  Lynette Cerezo unmistakable vocal fury cuts through this hum and flickering machinery. Brant and Mathew have constructed a cyber city backdrop to hold the rising explosion of Lynette’s chant. Industrial legend Rhys Fulber added string arrangements, additional keyboards & programming. He was so moved by this project he went seeking them out to be involved. This single paves the way for the album out August 11th and it will be a ground shaker.

Slitskin (Single) | Bestial Mouths (bandcamp.com)

5) The Bleak Assembly – A Night Like This – A wonderful collaboration of talented artists Kimberly Kornmeier of (Bow Ever Down) and Michael Smith of Fiction8. This first single has a lovely Violator vibe with the bouncing beats and grey vocal streaks. Wonderful poetry in the lyrics. That lost romantic goth I long for. Kimberly brings a violet crystal essence to every phrase. Beauty and Bop in equal measure. Loss, regret, strength and courage. The full journey.

A Night Like This | The Bleak Assembly (bandcamp.com)

6) Dread Risks – Comadose (Moaan Exis Remix) – (Re:Mission Entertainment) – This is the second time Texas Doomdustrial act Dread Risks has met up with powerdustrial Moaan Exis to unfurl this hot wet steel wool like a tidal wave down the asphalt. Another home run for Re:Mission Entertainment who keeps taking big swings and chances on bands not everyone knows but should. A dangerous mixture that swings a chain around it’s head somewhere between futurepop and 90’s Helmet. I love it when mean sounds good.

Comadose (Moaan Exis Remix) | Dread Risks | Re:Mission Entertainment (bandcamp.com)

7) Microwaved – Propaganda (ft Eva X​)​(​Gaslight Mix by Paul Housin) – First single from a series of remix albums from Des Moines, Iowa. This one with the electrowhip vocals of Eva X. I love the steamy rave pop build and shake. Gaby gives a timely lift to the bouncing electronic journey. This is welcome at my dance party anytime.

Propaganda (ft Eva X)(Gaslight Mix by Paul Housin) | Microwaved (bandcamp.com)

8) Motuvius Rex – Eleven 33 – (InClub Records) – I love when I find something new from this chart. Louisville Kentucky has produced some of my favorite new wave traditional goth. This band is about to be added to that list. Beautiful flickering Cure Pornography guitar lines behind a gate of dark pastels. The vocals are bizarre and captivating with psychedelic chaos and dark fold reverence. This band caught me completely by suprise but they have my attention now.

Eleven 33 | Motuvius Rex (bandcamp.com)

9) MALE TEARS – sad boy, paint my nails – So happy to hear a new track from my adopted goth little brother James Edwards. Know in equal measure for his playful sass online, and undeniable hook based synthwave in his blood. Just reading the title I knew I was in for the ride. I know most artists have access to the same plug ins and sounds, but whenever I hear a Male Tears synth intro, it always feels like they are laying into the keys of an old Korg through a Laney tube amp. James has a voice that blends genuine pain hiding behind mockery like Oscar Wilde using a rapier like tongue in a pub. I also long for a remix of this with that chorus over an explosive club hit.

sad boy, paint my nails | MALE TEARS (bandcamp.com)

10) Choke Chain – Burial – The long-awaited new release from Milwaukee, Wisconsin Mark Trueman. In form this is machine gun EDM laying suppressing fire for Mark’s raw napalm screams of anguish and intensity. This single paves the way for the upcoming album MORTALITY, out September 22. I’ve seen Choke Chain preform three times now, and it is one of those things you need to witness to fully understand.

Burial | Choke Chain (bandcamp.com)

The Things We’ll do this summer, Let’s do “X”

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Touring on their new album “Alphabetland”

Live Review

Artist: “X” (Supporting artist “The English Beat”)

Date: July 17, 2023

Venue: The Depot

City: Salt Lake City, UT

There are legends, and then there are the legends that legends hang out listening to wishing they could just grasp what they are about. The Los Angeles band “X” are exactly one of the former, too many legends to mention point towards Legends “X”, just know it is a long list.
I got into “X” in 1987 when I moved to Salt Lake City, I became friends with a Hispanic Punk Rock chick (whose parents I found out later owned a cemetery and a funeral home, how goth), and her boyfriend was a Hispanic Punk-Rockabilly Cholo, a mix of Prince meets Buddy Holly. They were several years older than me, and they turned me on to so much great music, they swore by X. I walked home with several tapes, “Wild Gift”, “Under The Black Sun” and my fave “Ain’t Love Grand!”. Over the years I listened to X along with Dead Kennedys, Husker DU, Modern English, Joy Division, and even some Buddy Holly, with these friends I learned there was great depth to punk that no matter how hard you looked, you barely scratched the surface, I still feel that way coming up on age 50.
An important fact to this entire story is that the first time I ever got to see X live was in Hollywood, July 26th, 1993 on the “Hey Zeus” tour, with 808 State, opening for New Order, that was a clash of styles for sure. In 1993, I was right behind the sound booth at the Hollywood Bowl, and they sounded fantastic, they were great live, but for some reason, bootlegs, and “Live at the Whiskey”, had much better energy than that evening.
I saw them again a few months later in a more intimate venue, the energy was incredible, and I felt like I was hearing them the way I was meant to. (If you haven’t heard the “Live at the Whiskey a Go-Go on the Fabulous Sunset Strip” go score it,… You’re welcome).
Prior to the set I went backstage and got my album of “Ain’t Love Grand!” signed, I got to speak to Billy Zoom, Craig, and Exene. I thanked Billy for giving me a smile when I was shooting their show last summer with the Psychedelic Furs. He was polite and smiling and said: “Of course!!”. Exene didn’t remember opening for New Order at the Hollywood Bowl, she said “It must not have been a memorable night”. Well, it was for me.
The English Beat.
Well, we all know Dave Wakeling and The English Beat. I have seen them 22 times, and Bang once, so that is 23 shows of Dave Wakeling for me. They played a brief 35-minute set, with the hits, opening with “Rough Rider” and churning through with “Hands Off (She’s Mine)”. There is a certain amount of bantering you get with The Beat, and so much of the fun relies on “The Toaster” This time around it was veteran Antony, and a new cast of characters on drums, bass, keys, and this time I believe it was Dave Wakeling’s daughter taking the “assistant toaster” position, also doing percussion. I have to say, a woman’s voice was a welcomed change in the performance. His new crew are great musicians, and I wish them well on this tour. They all said they were just a few days into this tour, clearly, they were having a great time playing for us.


They played the staples and gave us “Tenderness” the General Public song that is always a pleasure to hear live. They were playing “Ranking Full Stop”, and without even blinking they switched to “Mirror In The Bathroom” to finish the evening. The Beat always delivers, you can expect nothing less than excellence from those guys.

“X”

While waiting in the photo pit, John Doe was just spending a lot of time getting his “X 1977” flag to hang exactly right on his rig. I stood in awe at his bass guitars, one of which looked almost like a flattened cello. I knew we were in for a great night.
A few minutes later the side curtain opened and the band took the stage, and kicked off “Water & Wine” in great form. Then we were already underway with “In This House, I Call Home” The venue was dancing up a storm, everyone was in a great mood, and the floor was shaking nicely. They were very tight and most of us in middle age just enjoying these great songs we grew up with, everyone knew the words to “Los Angeles”. Exene was dancing in her skirt and cowboy boots, while Billy was just sitting on his stool cranking out these fabulous guitar riffs, everything about this band and their performance was impressive, they were giving it to us as raw as if the last 30 years hadn’t happened yet, and they were just as excited to be playing these for us back then.


John Doe said “Good hell, on a Monday night, you guys are out like this!!!!”, he was impressed with the reception they were getting, everyone was feeding off each other. John Doe then said “So you know these songs, how about this one, I dare you, I DEFY YOU to sing this one with us, we haven’t played it till this tour, so this is probably the 4th time it has been played live”, and they gave us the new track “Smoke & Fiction”. (If you haven’t heard it yet, it’s a beauty, plenty of it on youtube already).
They were playing like the Ramones, they would finish one song, get 3 claps in then DJ taps his drumsticks 3 times, and they are off into “Poor Girl” or “Breathless”. As they invited us all to dance with them, they killed it with the cover of “Dancing With Tears In My Eyes” the Regent Club Orchestra cover.
Exene was dancing the entire time, sometimes as if the rest of us weren’t even there, she was in her zone enjoying the ability to dance to her songs. I noticed this time around, Exene had a very intense look on her face, she was very present, giving us everything she had, as she always does, but the “Goofy” or “giddy” fun expressions gave way to a stoic vibe this evening.
By the time they hit “I Must Not Think Bad Thoughts” the audience was well into the experience, THIS WAS “X” and we all knew how to dance. Billy Zoom was playing his sax, and it all seemed surreal as if we were transported back to a late 50s dance hall band cranking out some rockabilly. Billy is a man of many talents, and this song is a must for every X show. Watching Billy on his “Gretch” made all of this feel timeless.


With a few breaths between each song counting in, we maybe even got a “Thank You” from John and Exene, the band was giving us everything, song after song, “Beyond and Back”, “Free”, “Because I do” still sounding as if they were released last week, but still mixing up the vintage to current, and everything in between. X was keeping us on our toes not sticking to one phase or album, they just pulled from the catalog almost at random, and I was THRILLED with the setlist so far.
The iconic “Your Phone’s Off The Hook, But You’re Not” had me sort of laughing, reflecting on the fact that the technology that existed at the time this song was written gave its title some meaning. Nowadays, who has their phone “off the hook”? A strange historical shift happened for me during this song, and I did appreciate that the term could still be used today, even though its technology doesn’t exist anymore. During “Nausea” Billy was singing along without a mic, enjoying the song, cause, well, it’s a great song we all like singing that one. With “Sugarlight” and “Motel Room In My Bed” and somewhere Craig switching onto the drums while DJ went over to the xylophone to show his skills for a couple of songs, X on stage are continually proving themselves that the spirit of Punk began with, still exists in their performance. It was during this one that I realized X had created so many guitar riffs and songs that had been nicked so many times over the years, this one was the inspiration for “It’s Yer Money I’m After Baby” by The Wonder stuff. “If I were to list all the songs with bass and guitar lines stolen from X it would be several pages.” There were plenty of young people there too, though, unlike the last time they played SLC, this venue was sold out to the doors, and little or no room for the swing dancing we saw so much of last time. It was standing room only tonight, and we were limited to just swaying a little side to side, or jumping up and down. They gave us a cover from The Doors, “Soul Kitchen” that was very well done as they closed out the first part of the set. For the encore as John walked back on stage, he said again how much fun it was to play to a rowdy crowd on a Monday night, and thanked us all again for showing up like this (on a school night). They finished up the set with “Year 1” and no X show would be solid without the classic staple “The Hungry Wolf”. It was one of those songs we all wanted to hear and knew would be in the set, and a set like this, just mix it all up, we would have had just as much fun.


Giddy with the performance high, I spoke with the band after the show for a minute. John was showing me his custom-made cowboy boots, with an “X” carved into the leather. They looked great, on him… I joked with him that I just couldn’t wear cowboy boots. They never looked good on me, and I NEVER could wear them comfortably, and the best I could do was my combat boots from the Navy. Then John asked me about the soccer jersey I was wearing. I was surprised that he knew Leon Mexico. He said he was more into American clubs of the sport. Now this was surreal, I told him how I collect and have 233 jerseys, but only two American clubs. We could have talked soccer all night. It was just cool having an American musician notice something like that. I have had plenty of bands comment on whatever club I was wearing that night, but to get this from John Doe from X, really make the moment. I told him about the New Order gig at the Hollywood Bowl, and he remembered that night, he said: “Oh yeah, that was terrible”. His experience was similar to mine, they sounded great, but the energy of X is not for the side of a mountain when you can’t see them. The best way to experience X is a sold-out venue of 2000. (On a Monday night). A show this good you would think is once in a lifetime, until you realize they do it like this every night.

https://www.xtheband.com/

https://instagram.com/xthebandofficial

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6q-RDYzhaUnZmI4WJXaJTA

Dehumanized by Black Agent

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Seattle’s Black Agent follows up last year’s Industrial Ruination with another strong outing in Dehumanized. And, like before, the band shares its views of the world backed by a sonic potpourri of electronics.

Opening with The World Is A Hell, the listener is immediately sucked into a two-and-a-half minute wall of sound, signaling the beginning of a nine-song decent into Black Agent’s grim and gritty view of the world. Shot Down follows this with its declarative statement:

Dollars explain your
Body count

Singer Jason Pit acknowledges that there’s elements of personal loss that went into this album, more so than Industrial Ruination, which was more of a COVID era social indictment. Songs like Shot Down, Frozen Flowers and Broken Mind address the personal demons of mental illness, addiction and self-harm that many of us face. Modern Mannequins continues this examination:

Pushed out
Strung out
Pain throughout
Pray to the chemicals that she finds

So far, I’ve been examining the lyrical content of Dehumanized, and for good reason. Black Agent never pulls punches in the articulate way they paint an easily relatable picture of the ugliness all around us – both inside and out.

However, I don’t want to overlook the music itself, which grinds and pulsates in ways that really fuel the dark tone of Black Agent’s sound. Saying an industrial band has a “classic, old-school” sound seems kind of funny to me. But fans of such industrial legends as Skinny Puppy will find what they’re looking for in these nine songs.

The appropriately-titled Show’s Over closes out Dehumanized the way it went in: unrelenting and unapologetic.

Those of you who are familiar with Black Agent will be very satisfied with Dehumanized and newcomers will hit the ground running while getting up to speed.

https://remissionentertainment.bandcamp.com/album/dehumanized