Posted in Whathaveyou on August 30th, 2018 by JJ Koczan
With their apropos-of-everything Crazy World (review here) album still fresh in minds hip enough to get down in the first place, The Freeks will leave their Californian confines and head into the Midwest for a five-date run that starts in St. Louis on Oct. 3. The desert-blues-punker-whatever-else rockers go with the hearty encouragement of Heavy Psych Sounds, which issued Crazy World as the follow-up to 2016’s Shattered (review here), which was their third album.
The Freeks have done regular gigs around Los Angeles and the Pacific Coast, but as multi-instrumentalist/vocalist Ruben Romano (ex-Nebula) notes in his comments below, it’s been a little bit since he was last in the neighborhood. All the better then that they’re getting back out.
The PR wire puts it like this:
*** THE FREEKS – MIDWEST TOUR 2018***
THE FREEKS announce Midwest fall tour; new album “Crazy World” still available on HPS Records!
L.A. heavy rock ’n’ rollers The Freeks have just confirmed five Midwest shows taking place from October 5th to October 9th.
Says head Freek Ruben Romano: “I haven’t played a show in the Midwest since about 2006 when Nebula toured with the Hellacopters. Only this time I’ll be showing up with a bunch of FREEKS! So, Hell Yeah! I’m really looking forward to this and I am so amazed at the venues we got booked into. It’s not just returning to the region to get loud but also to have the pleasure of reuniting with all the great people I have met in the past, with further intentions on meeting many many more. I have always had such a great time in these cities!”
Come and join the party on one of the dates below:
The Freeks Midwest Tour: 03/10 – Fubar – St Louis, MO 04/10 – Reggie’s Music Joint – Chicago, IL 05/10 – The Nightshop – Bloomington, IL 06/10 – The Grog Shop – Cleveland, OH 07/10 – Small’s Bar – Detroit, MI
Los Angeles’ THE FREEKS know that as the Earth revolves, the Sun and the Universe infinitely expand, it must be shared with as many different kinds of life as there are stars. A bold statement coming from a bunch of Freeks. This is not a new concept, however, an ever recurring one, dating back to Ezekiel’s biblical account to even further back with evidence from ancient Egypt and Mayan times. After 4,000 years, the theory continues strong as we enter 2018.
THE FREEKS ARE: Ruben Romano – Vocals, Guitar, Bass, Drums, Percussion Jonathan Hall – Vocals, Guitar, Bass, Esteban Chavez – Keys, Synth Ray Piller – Bass Bob Lee – Drums
[Click play above to stream Crazy World by The Freeks in full. Album is out April 27 on Heavy Psych Sounds.]
In the second cut ‘This is Love’ from The Freeks‘ fourth album, Crazy World, there is PJ Harvey‘s standout lyric, “I can’t believe that the axis turns on suffering when you taste so good.” And say whatever you want to about “Chronic Abduction” toward the record’s end or opener “American Lightning” before, to me, it’s that line in that cover summing up the central driving force of classically-derived heavy rock lust and thrust driving the Los Angeles five-piece’s second release on Heavy Psych Sounds, the eight tracks of which span a vast but still hyper-manageable 30 minutes.
That’s runtime is noteworthy because The Freeks‘ prior offering, 2016’s Shattered (review here), was 48, so the new collection is a significant drop in duration; one that brings it more in line with 2013’s sophomore LP, Full On (review here), though as seems to be the case with everything The Freeks have done going back to their 2008 Cargo Records self-titled debut, Crazy World has a mind of its own. It just so happens that that mind sounds like it’s been blown to bits on some obscure desert lysergic, and with a bit of Take it to the Stage mingled in with its Fun House and Superjudge, it offers listeners a quick but ultra-engaging sense of outward voyage, holding to an element of rawness with the vocals of Jonathan Hall (also guitar and bass) and Ruben Romano (also guitar, bass, drums and percussion). They are not, however, simply aping the tenets of classic punk or classic rock of any kind, and Crazy World sounds thoroughly modern in its presentation. But neither are they shy in showing off where their foundation comes from.
Come to think of it, “shy” isn’t a word I’d use for The Freeks on any aesthetic level. Romano and Hall are joined in the band by newcomer bassist Ray Piller, returning drummer Bob Lee, who debuted on Shattered, and keyboardist/synthesist Esteban Chavez, whose work once again proves crucial to evoking a psychedelic atmosphere across Crazy World‘s manic landscape. Not only in the two interludes “Take 9” and the noise and manipulated sample piece “Thank You, Mr. Downing” — a reference perhaps to early LSD researcher Jack Downing; the name comes up again in the finale — that leads and plays into the closing duo of “Chronic Abduction” and “Mothership to Mother Earth,” but also in the strutting Rolling Stones-style piano line of “Easy Way Out” and the low-mixed organ and swirl of “American Lightning,” which sets Crazy World‘s consuming forward momentum in motion.
There is little time wasted throughout the record, the longest song being “Mothership to Mother Earth” capping at 7:53. Nothing else hits the five-minute mark — “Hypnotize My Heart”” comes closest at 4:34 — and along with the straightforward structures in which most of the cuts operate, be it “This is Love” hammering its hook via sheer repetition or “Chronic Abduction” worming its way into the consciousness of the listener via easy nod and ambience surrounding its sleazy stonerist verses, the general tightness of the material’s construction helps maintain the momentum that “American Lightning” flashes forth. It would be a quick listen one way or another at a half-hour, but with the deft turns of style and mood between its opening salvo of “American Lightning,” “This is Love,” and “Easy Way Out,” the two, very different interludes with “Hypnotiize My Heart” sandwiched between them, and the final culminating pair, Crazy World sees The Freeks operating in top form and, at times, top pace, to keep a current of motion running through their material. Thus, it’s the kind of record that, when it’s over, you have little choice but to go back to the beginning and start again.
Perhaps one of the most fortunate aspects of Crazy World is that it lives up to that standard of warranting repeat listens. It’s not the kind of record that will take multiple visits to sink in necessarily, because that would kind of run counter to its punker side, but there’s enough depth in the mix even of the most straightforward songs — witness the midsection break in “American Lightning,” for example — that it manages to deliver something new each time out. The band employed a number of guests throughout, whether it’s Ray Hanson adding guitar scorch to that opener, Sara Loera putting backing vocals on “This is Love,” Rainer Fraenkel on bass for “Take 9” and “Mothership to Mother Earth” or Glenn Slater adding synth and keys to those same two songs as well as “Hypnotize My Heart.” That track, likely the side B opener, introduces some of the darker-toned fuzz that will reemerge following the noise wash of “Thank You, Mr. Downing” and add to the sense of relative lurch in “Chronic Abduction,” but the acoustic and swirl and dynamic jam that emerges in “Mothership to Mother Earth” is the ultimate earmark of the band’s triumph over the forces of squaredom.
Its near-eight-minutes are a thrill of minor-key ebbs and flows, classic psych and desert idolatry sharing space in, well, space. Heady vibe? You best believe it, but that’s the idea, and as big a fan as I am of opening records with their longest tracks — always a bold move; always good for bonus points in my book — the inclusion of “Mothership to Mother Earth” anywhere on Crazy World is brazen enough. And one might say the same of the record as a whole: brazen. The Freeks have never exactly been subtle, whether it was the funk-punk of their debut or the psychedelia that’s emerged in their work since, but there’s no question that Crazy World puts their delivery in a new echelon in terms of songwriting and execution. They’ve never lacked confidence, but the poise with which they hurl their rawer side forth here isn’t to be ignored, and though at times the outing may seem unhinged, one should never doubt that the controls are in the hands of masters. This band is so much better than people know. Tell two friends.
Posted in Whathaveyou on March 2nd, 2018 by JJ Koczan
We’re mere days — hours! minutes! — away from preorders opening for Crazy World the new album from Los Angeles heavy rockers The Freeks. The band, who if you missed it were just added to Freak Valley 2018 and presumably will announce more European dates on either side of that appearance, have set March 6 as the opening bell for their new record’s availability, and while the actual release won’t follow until April 27, I’d imagine that for just about anyone who heard their 2016 album, Shattered (review here), this follow-up is a pretty easy sell. Especially with that front cover. Looks frickin’ awesome.
With the announcement of the title, preorders, release date, artwork and tracklisting — seems like plenty for one press release, I suppose — we move into the next stage of pre-release hype. You know that means audio isn’t far behind. I’m gonna try to get in on some of that if I can, so stay tuned, but either way, if you’re a believer in what’s righteous and good in rock and roll, keep an eye out for these Freeks. They do not disappoint.
Info, etc. from the usual source:
THE FREEKS – CRAZY WORLD
HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS Records & Booking is happy to unveil cover & details of the upcoming album *** THE FREEKS – CRAZY WORLD ***
RELEASE DATE: April 27th PRESALE STARTS: March 6th
AVAILABLE IN LTD PURPLE VINYL BLACK VINYL DIGIPAK DIGITAL
Los Angeles band, THE FREEKS, know that as the Earth revolves the sun and the Universe infinitely expands, it must be shared with as many different kinds of life as there are stars. A bold statement coming from a bunch of FREEKS. This is not a new concept, however, an ever recurring one dating back to Ezekiel’s biblical account to even further back with evidence from ancient Egypt and Mayan times. After 4,000 years the theory continues strong as we enter 2018.
THE FREEKS also enter 2018 with the completion of “CRAZY WORLD”, their fourth full length “LP” and second release for Italian based HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS RECORDS. A studio record with eight songs that take you on a psychedelic journey from hidden moonlit distilleries all the way up to the Mothership and back down to Mother Earth. It could have happened in 2700 BC and it’s definitely happening again now as THE FREEKS continue to ferment their ethanol infused fuzz rock, bead their songwriting to reflect a heavier content and extract added amounts of psychoactive chemicals from the minds of their listeners.
RUBEN ROMANO (founding member of Fu Manchu and Nebula) returns at the helm supported by BOB LEE on drums (Claw Hammer, Mike Watt), ESTEBAN CHAVEZ on Keys, JONATHAN HALL on Guitar (Backbiter) and introducing the latest Freek on Bass, RAY PILLER (Biblical Proof of U.F.O.’s). “Crazy World” also features some amazing musical guests that add to the insanity and continue THE FREEKS “All Are Welcome” legacy. It has ripping guitar leads by RAY HANSON (from legendary THEE HYPNOTICS), added keys and synth from returning Freek alumni GLENN SLATER (The Walkabouts and Wellwater Conspiracy), added bass lines by “CRAZY WORLD” producer RAINER FRAENKEL (The Miracle Mongers) plus backing vocals by singer/model SARA LOERA.
All together to create THE FREEKS CRAZY WORLD!
TRACKLIST 1. American Lightning 2. This Is Love 3. Easy Way Out 4. Take 9 5. Hypnotize My Heart 6. Thank You Mr. Downing 7. Chronic Abduction 8. Mothership to Mother Earth
THE FREEKS are Ruben Romano – guitar/vocals Bob Lee – drums Esteban Chavez – keys Jonathan Hall – guitars
