Music Reviews

Words and Photos By Jonathan Levitt (A New Convert to the Church of Groove)

https://www.instagram.com/chinamusicpolice/ https://www.instagram.com/p/DMhFSPJgz78/

There are few things more electrifying than stumbling upon a band for the first time and being utterly floored. That’s exactly what happened on July 24 at Le Poisson Rouge in Manhattan, when I witnessed the transcendental, mind-bending performance of Free Whenever, a group that—until that night—hadn’t been on my radar. Now, I can’t stop thinking about them

Opening bands rarely have it easy. Playing after the opening band and before the headliner? That’s a whole other level of challenge. Yet Free Whenever stepped into that role not with hesitation but with presence, fluidity, and an unmistakable spiritual energy. This wasn’t just a warm-up act. This was a full-on initiation ritual—an invitation to a dimension where funk grooves, psychedelic explorations, and tight-as-nails musicianship merge into something deeply emotional and totally alive.

From the moment the first note rang out, it was clear: this band has chemistry. Not just the kind you get from logging hours in a rehearsal space, but the rare kind that feels alchemical, intuitive, almost telepathic. The interplay between guitar, bass, and drums wasn’t just locked in—it danced, pushed, pulled, and exploded in real time. Every passage was a journey, each build-up carefully sculpted until it burst into something ecstatic, something almost cosmic.

What sets Free Whenever apart isn’t just their chops—though make no mistake, these players are virtuosos. What truly elevates them is their ability to channel feeling into every riff, every break, every improvisational left turn. There’s joy in their sound, but also tension, curiosity, and a deep respect for the space between notes. You could tell the crowd felt it too—those who gave themselves over to the experience were transported, as if the music had briefly opened a portal.

I saw that they have a new LP, and after catching a few words with the band post-show, I can’t wait to hear it. If this performance is any indication, we’re looking at a group on the verge of something special—not just another NYC act fighting for attention, but a band with the rare power to move people, body and soul.
Here’s hoping Free Whenever gets the ears they deserve across the city—and far beyond. Catch them while you can. They won’t stay a secret for long.

ATO Records

There’s a key midsong moment during funk/soul/psych maestros the Black Pumas’ signature hit song “Colors” (recently included on 2024’s Live From Brooklyn Paramount album). Cofounder and guitarist Adrian Quesada steps up to take his solo, but rather than break the mood with unnecessary fire, he purposefully strokes the melody with delicious accents and insinuations. Well, maybe some fire, too, but you get the idea. The performance is on YouTube if you require visual proof. 

Aside from my and global devotion to the Pumas, Quesada has been looming large of late – and for me, personally, too. I was privy to a special solo deejay set he mounted several years back in Austin at a small club during the annual South By Southwest music festival. I’ve been a huge fan of his music and production work ever since. In 2022 he dropped solo album Boleros Psicodelicos (ATO Records), which was appropriately billed as an homage to ‘60s/‘70s Latin America psychedelic ballads. That gem now gets a glimmering sequel, Boleros Psicodelicos II (ATO). 

Put simply, it’s truth-in-titling. Each of the 12 tracks spotlights the Latin vocals of Quesada’s handpicked vocalists, many of whom I and fellow gringos probably have not heard in the past. But as the Spanish language is suffused in nuance and melodicism, each singer delivers the goods, from  Monsieur Perine (the lush “Agonia”) and Gepe (“Te Vas y Yo Te Dejo”) to Natalia Clavier’s soaring, deeply romantic “Tu Poder.” 

There’s also a spine tingling, mostly instrumental Quesada composition, “El Diamanté,” that fully showcases his fretwork alongside his gifted – at times, gritty – ensemble. 

The album may have its origins at the Southern border – Quesada operates out of his Austin studio and is of Texas/Mexico heritage, and won a 2011 Best Latin Rock Grammy with Grupo Fantasma – but it’s as soulful, jazzy, and, yes, at times, as psychedelic as it comes. Ain’t no ICE agents gonna keep its subversive charms at bay. 

Fred Mills

Ex-Tucson/current NC resident

( Fred, I can’t wait to see him perform next month at Brooklyn’s Prospect Park-ED)

The album can be ordered here: https://shop.atorecords.com/product/ATLP580/adrian-quesada-boleros-psicodelicos-lp?cp=null

The Mekons stormed the Bowery Ballroom on July 17th, delivering a raw, unforgettable set that tore through their decades-deep catalog and left the sold-out crowd awestruck. It wasn’t just a concert—it felt like a reckoning, a celebration, and maybe even a farewell all rolled into one.

Onstage, they were loose, loud, and full of fire. John Langford, ever the sardonic prophet, cracked that they’d been “checking out graves” on the way to NYC, a wink to the band’s longevity since forming in 1977—and maybe a nod to the fact that nothing lasts forever, especially in times like these.

The weight of the present hung heavy in the room. Langford didn’t shy away from calling out the political darkness in the U.S., how hard it is now to be a working artist under a regime that feels increasingly hostile. And yet, the band’s defiance, humor, and humanity turned the set into something cathartic, almost communal.

They played for about an hour and 45 minutes, with plenty of love for their newest album Horror, just out on Fire Records in both the UK and U.S. The crowd skewed older with fans in their—50s, 60s, and maybe even a few in their 70s—but age didn’t dull the energy. These were true believers, and the band gave them everything. They mirrored that energy back to the band.

One of the most powerful moments came from Sally Timms, who told us that a few dear friends couldn’t be there due to I believe illness. Throughout the set, she’d been trying to reach them via WhatsApp. Finally, she got through. She held the phone up to the mic so the room could say hello, and then gently placed it down so they could hear the rest of the show. It was a small, tender, and deeply moving moment—the kind that reminds you why live music still matters.

When the lights came up, people didn’t rush out—they lingered, smiling, shell-shocked, grateful. The Mekons are more than a band. They’re a living archive of punk soul and radical empathy. No wonder Fire Records signed them—they’re not just legends. They’re essential.

Jonathan Levitt 7/19/2025

PS. All Photos were shot by me.

My instagram is: https://www.instagram.com/elchingonphotography/

Whistle and I’ll come to you (Fire Records)

Death And Vanilla summon ghosts of the past in their latest sonic séance.

Known for their lush reinterpretations of vintage cinema, Swedish dream-weavers Death And Vanilla return with a spectral new project: a re-envisioned score for Whistle And I’ll Come To You, the haunting 1968 BBC ghost story that once chilled black-and-white television screens. The trio now turn their analogue wizardry to this Jonathan Miller-directed cult classic—an eerie tale of a fastidious professor, a cursed whistle, and the unseen forces it awakens. Described by Mark Duguid of the British Film Institute as “A masterpiece of economical horror that remains every bit as chilling as the day it was first broadcast”

Captured during a spectral evening at Malmö’s Hypnos Theatre, this performance unfolds like a haunted transmission. Flickering with degraded tape loops, mechanical heartbeats, and melodies that hover just beyond memory, the set conjures a dreamlike descent into the uncanny. The opener stirs like a ritual barely remembered—half-static, half-summoning. ‘Nightmares’ arrives, wind and whispers spiral into a low-grade panic, giving way to the séance-like finale, ‘Evidence Of Spiritualism’—a moment where the boundary between the living and the dead almost disappears.

As modern audiences embrace occult folk, drone-laced ambience, and haunted nostalgia, Whistle And I’ll Come To You feels perfectly timed—a relic reanimated for a world hungry for ritual and resonance.

In an era marked by political polarization, disinformation, climate anxiety, and post-pandemic disillusionment, many people are turning away from traditional institutions in search of deeper meaning, symbolism, and ritual. The resurgence of interest in the occult, folk mysticism, and spectral aesthetics reflects a broader desire for spiritual grounding in uncertain times.

“Whistle And I’ll Come To You,” with its ghostly overtones and psychological ambiguity, becomes a mirror for our own unsettled realities—suggesting that the past is never truly past, and that old hauntings still echo in the present.

This isn’t just a soundtrack. It’s an invocation.

Out now on Fire Records.

Jonathan Levitt -June 14, 2025 – 4/5 stars

By Chinamusicpolice Editor

The Inspiral Carpets were one of the most iconic bands to emerge from the Madchester scene of the late 1980s and early 1990s. Their distinctive blend of psychedelic rock, pop and punk, coupled with the unmistakable vocals of frontman Tom Hingley, made them a household name and a firm favourite among music fans all over the world.

Fast forward to March 2023, and I found myself lucky enough to be in attendance at their gig at the O2 Academy in Oxford. As soon as I stepped into the venue, I could feel the excitement building in the air. The atmosphere was electric, and it was clear that I wasn’t the only one who had been eagerly anticipating this moment for months.

The Inspiral Carpets formed in Oldham, Greater Manchester in 1983, and quickly became one of the leading lights of the Madchester scene. Alongside other seminal bands such as the Happy Mondays and the Stone Roses, they helped to define the sound of the era and were instrumental in shaping the musical landscape of the time.

Their early singles such as “Keep the Circle Around” and “Joe” showcased their unique sound and attracted a loyal following of fans. It wasn’t long before they were signed to major label Mute Records and releasing albums that would go on to become classic records of the era.

Their debut album, “Life”, was released in 1990, and was a critical and commercial success. Featuring hit singles such as “This Is How It Feels” and “She Comes in the Fall”, the album established the Inspiral Carpets as one of the most important bands of the era and helped to cement their place in music history.

As I looked around the O2 Academy in Oxford, I could see that the band’s legacy had endured. The crowd was made up of a mix of die-hard fans who had been following the band since their early days, as well as younger fans who had discovered their music through their parents or through their own exploration of music history.

Despite the fact that the band hadn’t released any new material in over a decade, the enthusiasm for their music was palpable. As soon as the band took to the stage, the crowd erupted into cheers and applause, and it was clear that everyone was ready for a night of nostalgia and musical magic.

The band launched into their set with “Joe”, one of their earliest hits, and it was clear that the years hadn’t dulled their energy or their passion for their music. As they moved through their setlist, playing hit after hit, the crowd sang along to every word, their voices rising up in unison to fill the venue with sound.

It was clear that for many of the dads in the audience, seeing one of Manchester’s seminal bands live was a real treat. They sang along to every song, reminiscing about their youth and the memories that the music had helped to create. But it wasn’t just the dads who were enjoying the show – the younger fans were just as enthusiastic, and it was clear that the Inspiral Carpets’ music had lost none of its appeal over the years.

The band’s musical style is difficult to categorise, but it can best be described as a blend of punk, pop and psychedelic rock. Their music is characterised by catchy melodies, driving rhythms and Hingley’s distinctive vocals, which have a raw, emotive quality that perfectly captures the energy and spirit of the era in which they emerged.

As the band moved through their set, playing classic tracks such as “Two Worlds Collide” and “Dragging Me Down”, it was impossible not to be swept up in the music. The crowd danced, sang and cheered, creating a sense of community and connection that is all too rare in the modern world.

When I think of the band Come, what first comes to mind is pain, and not the sort of pain that’s fixed with a shot of whisky but rather the sort of pain that festers for years and simply finds no salve. Traumatic, visceral and narcotic is how I’d describe Come’s music to the uninitiated. Thalia Zedek has always been able to connote raw pain through her voice and that is on dramatic display on this record especially on a track like “Off to One Side” where the bluesy guitar transforms into a gust front of pummeling aggression. Thalia sounds as if she’s been through a harrowing adventure and lived to tell the tale. “Wrong Side” is imbued with a wrenching sadness that turns into a vengeful anger that is pure Thalia and devoid of any cliche or sugared veneer. I’ve heard this song live and it left me devastated.

Moving on, one of my all time favorite songs, “Mercury Falls” sounds even more tense here than the album version. Throughout the entirety of the record Thalia’s voice is literally burning the proceedings to the ground. Take for example album opener “Dead Molly”, on this song the band builds things to a tormented crescendo, which like molten lava obliterates everything in its path leaving only remnant memories that eventually disperse into the ether. Most bands mine a well worn musical seam, but this has never been the case for Come. They’ve always set their sights on conveying emotions that are conflicted, raw and pitched on the edge of human tolerance. This album is an absolute gem that shows a band working with incredible confidence and musical dexterity that to this day has never faded.

Jonathan Levitt -February 15, 2022- 4/5 stars

USA buyers can click the below link to purchase the album.

Wait a minute this album came out 27 years ago? It’s hard to believe, since Don’t Ask Don’t Tell seems to have defied aging, probably due its unvarnished grittiness and its sober take on life’s unending series of traumatic events. What Thalia Zedek, Chris Brokaw, Sean O’Brien and Arthur Johnson laid down on these 10 tracks was a savage exercise in stripping the veneer of this life away while presenting the brutal truth. Track after track, Thalia’s caustic vocals convey a road weariness, coupled with a defiant, take-no-prisoners posture that suits the albums emotional intensity to a T. Chris Brokaw’s seething guitar lines, create a stormy sea of bluesy reverb, that swirl around you adding a dramatic intensity that alone would be enough to knock you over, but mated with Thalia’s potent vocals, the effects are simply devastating.

I remember when I first heard this album, it was on a ferry heading home to Lantau Island in Hong Kong. With the city’s skyline fading in the foggy distance and a stiff sea breeze blowing, opening track “Finish Line” felt like a gut punch with its menacing guitar line, and its pummeling drums. Thalia’s vocals lead us to the brink and back again on this emotional master stroke of an opener. Every time I hear this song I feel as if I’m witnessing a relationship melting down right before my eyes. “Mercury Falls” captures the bleakness of a Boston winter, the intense loneliness that accompanies it and yet, believe it or not, there is hope. Hope in the form of Thalia’s trauma filled vocals that evoke a triumphant spirit. It’s about fighting back the tears and soldiering on no matter the emotional toll. “Yr Reign” with the lyric “I’m gonna stab you a letter just like you do to me” is emotionally enhanced by Chris Brokaw’s turbulent squalls and the rhythm sections menacing gallop. These first three songs are about as stunning a grouping as you’ll find on a record and always leave me devastated as well as a bit nostalgic. In fact while this record has accompanied me around the world and through some very difficult times, it has never waned in its importance or resonance. It may remind me of “bad times” in my life but it also gave me an inner strength to let the storms pass and find a way forward. Hopefully within these grooves you’ll find something similar.

(Fire records has also assembled for this amazing reissue an LP’s worth of B-sides, live tracks, the bands first single as well as it’s final recorded track including an amazing cover of The Swell Maps’ “Loin of The Surf”. I have included a video that I shot a few years back of the band in Brooklyn playing the track “Submerge” which is also included on the bonus LP.)

Jonathan Levitt -October 29, 2021- 5/5 stars

US customers can purchase here:

https://usa.firerecords.com/products/come-dont-ask-dont-tell-expanded-edition

British singer and pop experimentalist Jane Weaver returns after four years from the release of her last record of all original music as a solo artist with “Flock,” a collection of catchy and at times funk-infused songs built around electronic flourishes, synth sounds and drum loops but where melody always remains front and center. 

Weaver has had a long career that’s flown under the mainstream radar but has had a devoted following among fans. She started out leading the post-punk outfit Kill Laura in the early 1990s and has had an idiosyncratic solo career since then. In recent years, her work has experimented with electronic music. In 1997, she told Paste magazine, “I think it’s mainly to do with going from using the guitar to exploring the world of synth and electronic music. It’s different types of machinery that create different types of noises that create different kinds of vibes.”

On “Flock,” electric bursts from synthesizers and drum machines serve as a foundation for the record but Weaver’s pop sensibilities are what shape the songs. 

Weaver has described “Heartlow,” one of two songs she’s released ahead of the album’s March 5 debut as a “homage to a lost generation of misfit girl groop records.” And the song does have the feel of being a song by a 60s girl group that’s really into Stereolab. 

Elements of funk brought to life by jangly guitar riffs and passionate vocals are fused throughout three of the catchiest songs on the record: “The Revolution of Super Visions,” “Sunset Dreams” and “Pyramid Schemes.”

Other standout tracks include “Stages of Phases,” a poppy song that highlights Weaver’s vocals amid jaunty bursts of electronica and the album’s danceable closer “Solarised.”

During these ongoing pandemic times, we can all use a bit of happy music to take our minds off the constant carousel of bad news. “Flock” is just the record to do that.

Juan Lozano-February 7, 2021- 4/5 stars