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Show Preview: Ty Segall & The Muggers at Thalia Hall [3/7 + 3/8]


Ty Segall is nothing if not prolific. You could easily call him one of the hardest working musicians today, and his output helps prove it. As an example he released four albums between 2012 and 2013, and at least one full length every year since then. If he’s not putting something out under his own name, he’s creating or joining other bands. Last fall he made a record with one of his side bands Fuzz, and already this year he’s put out Emotional Mugger under his own name. It wouldn’t surprise me if he’s got at least one more full length ready to go before the end of 2016. Perhaps the most insane thing about all of it is how generally great and varied every release has been. I legitimately can’t recall having heard a single bad Ty Segall-involved album in the last few years…maybe ever. Along the way he’s managed to make himself into a bit of an amorphous element, upending expectations at just about every turn. Just when you think another album of fuzzed out psych-rock is on the way, he picks up an acoustic guitar and explores folk or leans hard in the opposite direction by giving metal a try. He takes to all of it like a fish to water, and even plays different instruments depending on the particular song or project.

The fatal flaw with all of Segall’s efforts is that he may be giving listeners too much of a good thing. His constant progress has created a set of unrealistic expectations, and may even be diluting what he does give us. For example, if he puts out another album in 6-8 months, will it lessen the appreciation and repeat listenability of Emotional Mugger? Can having so much available material in too short of a time span make it difficult to focus on and figure out what truly stands out and is special about it? I suppose it’s up to each one of us to decide how much we can digest, and try to manage as best we can.

When he’s not in the studio, Segall can typically be found on the road. He tours in the same way he records – like a madman. Live shows are almost always brute force displays of strength, primal in nature and loud in volume. Guitars are always at a maximum level of fuzz, and drums suffer the sort of abuse that leave you concerned they could give out at any moment. When he’s behind the microphone, Segall’s voice wails and screams right along with everything else, so what comes out of the speakers could best be described as an auditory weapon of mass destruction. If you’re standing in the right spot, his songs may motivate parts of the crowd to erupt into massive mosh pit(s), layered with body surfers for good measure. It can be a brutal, full body experience that’s not for everybody. If you’re not a physical person, stand away from those who prefer jumping around. If loud music makes you worry about your hearing, wear earplugs. No sense in denying yourself the pleasure and invigorating life force of a Ty Segall show if you enjoy his music. It’s actually quite remarkable to see his songs played on a stage in front of an audience, because it enhances what you might otherwise hear through headphones or speakers in the comfort of your bedroom. That might be the way to most fully appreciate the man and all he’s done for music these last few years.

Ty Segall performs two nights at Thalia Hall next week. Details and ticket info are below. Don’t miss this!

Ty Segall & The Muggers
Tickets: Monday, March 7 / Tuesday, March 8
9PM / 17+ / $23 (advance) / $25 doors

Buy Emotional Mugger from Drag City

Listmas 2014: The Top 50 Albums of the Year [#30-21]


As we reach the halfway point in our countdown, let me say a few quick words about D’Angelo. As you’ve hopefully heard, he released his long-awaited second album Black Messiah a couple of weeks ago, during a time when many in the music world had already released their Top Albums of 2014 lists, or at the very least were on the verge of doing so. The Top 50 Albums list that we’re counting down right now was actually all locked in during the first week of December. Really it’s just the writing that’s holding up everything being published in a more immediate fashion. So like those other music media outlets, I’m officially ruling that Black Messiah missed the unofficial cut off date and will not be found on this list. If you’ll recall, a similar thing happened with Beyonce last year, as her self-titled album came out a couple of weeks before Christmas. That turned out to be one of the best albums of 2013, to the point where I almost felt it’d be reasonable to include it on this year’s list since it missed out last year. Actually that D’Angelo record is one of 2014’s best as well, which also makes its lack of representation here just a touch sad. So I’ll advocate for it right now. Please check it out and pick up a copy. Of course I’ll also recommend that you pick up copies of all the albums on this Top 50 list. In case you missed the previous entries, here once again are links to #50-41 and #40-31. We’re continuing to chug along here, and I’m now pleased to present the next segment, #30-21!

Listmas 2014: The Top 50 Songs of the Year [#20-11]


Electronica. Indie pop. Synth pop. Experimental pop. Punk rock. Psych rock. Indie rock. R&B. You can find all of these genres and more in this next installment of Faronheit’s Top 50 Songs of 2014! Thus far, we’ve journeyed through three previous sets of 10 songs, and should you have missed them, why all you have to do is click these individual links to be taken there instantly: [#50-41] [#40-31] [#30-21]

Of course if you’d like to see all of the Top 50 Songs posts with a single click, simply choose this link. We’ve got two more rounds left, including this one right here, so follow me even further down the rabbit hole as digging continues toward the Top 10 Songs of the year. For the moment, click past the jump for #20-11!

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