Genius #19 - July '25

New music from Nadah El Shazly, Azymuth, Nana Benz du Togo, Tropical Fuck Storm, Hekate, Lifeguard. Revisiting Fugazi.

Larry Michaels

01 Aug 2025 • 15 min read

Spotted in Kingston, NY in July 2024

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Hello geniuses.

Today's GDC is another corker! All new music from around the world, a deep dive on one of my favorite bands, a ton of live shows coming up. Plus, I bought an amplifier & have been having fun getting to know its quirks.

I've been having a lot of complicated thoughts on the purpose of art and performance and advertising and discourse. Blissfully: none of that is on display here. We simply don't need it. For now: we don't know what art is. No one does. It's one of those beautiful and strange mysteries, like the pog fad. Anyway, let's listen to some tunes.

Capitalism: The Blues (junior)
Album Recs: 6 pack
Replay: Fugazzi
Scene Report & Upcoming Shows

Capitalism: The Blues (jr)

I drove to Atomic Music in Beltsville with one goal: To own an amplifier that does not weigh 150lbs because I've been gigging more lately in a city that is slightly more hostile to guitar players than NYC. I'm sick of having to consider the calculus of asking my fellow guitarists "sick set dude can i borrow your amp" vs carrying my enormous and heavy Fender Twin to the gig.

I picked thru their junk pile and ended up playing every single Fender Blues Jr amplifier in the joint. I left with the one that I think sounded the best. There were 2 "Blues Jr IVs," one "Blues Jr III," and two "Blues Jr" classic. To my ears, the IV's sounded too plussed up with stuffy midranges, oddly boosted bass, and distortion that felt very tame. The III was just boring, wasn't nice to play. The two Blues Jr's were nearly identical, I tried each one back & forth for a while and think this slightly older one had more character. This little guy is 15W of tube power, it's fantastic for the home studio and, weighing about 30lbs, won't break my back to carry around. It should work fine at any venue, as long they mic up the guitar amps (most pro venues).

The amp in question: a Fender Blues Junior from the year 2000

Some interesting things about the Blues Jr:

It's got both Volume & Master Volume knobs, so the easiest way to a clean tone is setting Vol to 0 and then cranking the Master Vol – then raising the Vol knob until the desired loudness is heard. That said, the distortion from the cranked Vol and MV around 1-2 is honestly pretty nice and scungey.
The tiny little reverb tank comes after the Master Volume?? If you turn everything down & then turn the Reverb up, it's pretty loud & you can hit the tank to get that classic spring sound.
The Fender tone stack is wacky. I've been starting my EQ with the Bass and Mids at 0 and treble maxed, then reducing treble until it stops being annoying, then increasing bass until it sounds ok. No idea what the right approach is, but the mids on this thing are best left sent to hell.

Album Recommendations

Very little American music on offer this month. I'm so bored with the USA! Music from Egypt, Togo, Brazil, Australia, and Greece. And Chicago. Which is practically a Balkan state at this point.

Nadah El Shazly - Laini Tani (One Little Independent, Jun '25)

Egyptian avant-pop

Lively and buzzing Egyptian avant-pop from El Shazly, whose compositions are free-flowing and confident. Her voice shapeshifts between breathy soprano and duskier alto lines, with ghostly reverb tails giving the sound of the record a sense of space. The vibe of the album is stepping out of the club at 5am into the half-light morning of the city and it's already so hot out. Recorded by Radwan Ghazi Moumneh at the legendary Hotel2Tango in the singer's adopted home in Montreal, the traditional strings and huge synth sounds are cool but the album gets a boost from the pots-and-pans percussion and dial-up modem noises from co-producer 3phaz from Cairo (whose 2023 record was one of my faves of the year).

Azymuth - Marca Passo (Far Out, Jun '25)

Tropical easy listening

A breezy delight of jazzy funk & samba from the long-running Brazilian group. If you're into city pop and want a little more Latin flare, this is it! This record marks 50 years for Azymuth, who formed in 1975 (!!) the recording project is made up of a 3 person multitracking orchestra. Huge analog synths, emotional electric pianos, and bumping bass lines make a bed for the simple chromatic voice leads. Sophisticated, listening to this immediately improves the temperature in the space. I had some friends over and one remarked that it sounds like Mario Kart music. Pitch perfect summer vibe, throw it on at your pool party, it's a guaranteed hit.

Nana Benz du Togo - SÉ NAM (Komos, Jun '25)

Voodoo afrobeat, lofi future-soul

I looved NBT's 2023 debut AGO and I'm glad that they're back with more. Fun and bouncing rhythmic afrobeat seeking true freedom thru voodoo energy and ecological practice. Kind of an interesting mix of fidelity: The recordings are extremely hi-fi, but the music is super low tech using only PVC pipes for bassline, a microkorg, a mix of hand percussion, and all five singers calling out in English, French, and their native Mina language. They love shouting "Allez!" and "NBT!" and it's honestly just cool to hear a band that is clearly having so much fun – esp on "NATURE" where they are all shouting those 2 phrases over and over. This is real rock and roll music in the year 2025.

Tropical Fuck Storm - Fairyland Codex (Fire, Jun '25)

Dynamic art-rock

Like 10 years ago, I got really into The Drones, but I kind of fell off when they broke up and have gone back and forth on TFS. But this new one really hits! They do a great job riding the line between tight groove & messy noise rock, with honest-to-god vocal harmonies among the 3 vocalists, who take turns playing lead. What sets this one apart from their other albums is that they pull back on a couple of songs and show a range towards more tender songwriting, which is part of what set The Drones apart for me. Really stoked on this one, one of my favorites of the year.

Hekátē - Μαύρη Tρύπα (Black Hole) (Mascara Rocks Records, Jun '25)

Anti-capitalist moody synth punk

Switching back and forth between songs in Greek for their Athenian comrades and songs in English for their global listeners, Hekátē's dark-toned songs touch on tourism, Palestine, urban alienation, corruption. The scraping synth sounds, driving drum beats, minor key basslines, and impassioned vocals are compelling – the songs are repetitive but suit the genre well. I will say that there was a moment listening to Black Hole where I wondered if this was too cringey for me – on "Service State," the vocalist dons a flight attendant voice and offers some groan-worthy lines ("In the event of turbulence, your human rights might come under violation," etc.) but then the song starts in earnest with the chorus of "Come To Greece! We Sell it all! Cops! Macho men! Racism! Greek salad!" Funny stuff, nice little album to make you feel bad after your trip to the Mediterranean.

Lifeguard - Ripped and Torn (Matador, Jun '25)

Frizzled and poppy post-punk

Love this Chicago trio's commitment to using harsh noises as the basr bouncy punk songs, this is such a confident debut LP, over before I even knew it. Blistering songs never hit anything more than a nice sear – grindy, but not aggressive. Kinda like if Wire was into Guided By Voices. Really just nice to hear a punk band with memorable vocal melodies and interesting approach to timbre. Short little record, you can throw it right back on after it wraps up.

Upcoming August albums:

Rick & his legendary band of indie rockers Pile are back with Sunshine and Balance Beams on 8/15 via Sooper Records.
Get ready for more wellness instructions & sound baths! Orcas Island yoga wizard Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith is making it wet with GUSH out on 8/22 via Nettwork, who lowkey are killing it with the ambient releases lately
Post-ironic garbage pop from Water From Your Eyes is kind of the most 2025 thing to listen to lately. Their latest It's A Beautiful Place is their 2nd for Matador. Out on 8/22.
Stoked to hear Baltimore soulful R&B singer Nourished By Time's newest The Passionate Ones, also out on 8/22 via XL Recordings.

Replay - Fugazi

In July I have been basically only listening to the legendary DC band Fugazi. As part of this, I spent one day listening to their entire discography from front to back. After Aled's recommendation, I threw on the documentary Instrument (available on the Criterion Channel!) and had an absolute blast. I came to this band late – growing up in the DC suburbs, I felt like there was a pressure to respect the local legends and I rejected that obligation. I checked out a couple songs, but didn't get it & moved on. I was like 14 years old, I was stupid.

As a young adult, it all clicked: this is communal music that uses the language of hardcore punk & the energy of DC go-go to discuss social issues with punks. The verses are often full of tension with explosive & cathartic choruses. The lyrics touch on urban alienation & inner turmoil at the "end of history," the lawless united states, eviction & rentierism, the mutability of who is "legal" & who is "illegal," the twin-damages that the male gaze inflicts, looming white supremacy in the "post-racial" 90s.

For the readers who aren't DC music scholars (or just want a refresher): Fugazi were born out of the crucible of the Washington DC punk scene in the late 80s. In 1985, DC had a Revolution Summer: sick of all of the violence in their scene, many of the DC punk bands broke up and then formed new bands. The new bands wrote songs that tended to focus on inner thoughts & emotions, giving birth to the very first "emo" bands, like Embrace and Rites of Spring. After both of those bands broke up, Embrace guitarist/vocalist Ian MacKaye (co-owner of local label Dischord Records & prev of hardcore band Minor Threat) and Rites Of Spring drummer Brendan Canty joined up with freelance bassist Joe Lally. The band wrote a few song and started playing shows. Shortly, Rites Of Spring guit/vocalist Guy Picciotto joined as a 2nd vocalist, then start contributing guitar and songwriting. The very first Fugazi show's flyer even depicts Guy as a waiter for the band. The line-up didn't change from there, though their roadie performed as an additional percussionist at their later live shows & recorded with the band for their final album.

The band's originally kernel idea was to mix hardcore punk with reggae, garage rock, and DC's homegrown genre go-go. The result is somehow exactly that, while also really not anything like that: in the early live videos, it's way more obvious with the whole crowd surging along to the pulse. The band's rhythm section (bass and drums) is bouncy and dancy, skirting the line between funk and punk, the two vocalists/guitarists write sinewy and harsh guitar lines that use perfect octave chords to anthemic effect, and offer dynamic vocal approaches – Ian's songs split between tough-guy gruff and whispering tender, while Guy's approach splits a pop sensibility with his animalistic shouts. This is all what makes Fugazi special to me: well-reasoned balance between different forces. Tension between blistering and quiet, bracing and meditative.

Watching videos of them live is illuminating. They knew how long to wait before moving on between parts, drawing things out or condensing them as needed. The band acts as one being, seeming to operate solely off of impulse and instinct. In interviews, they have said they didn't use setlists live and would just wing it every night from song to song. I can't imagine keeping an entire 70-80 song catalog ready to go as needed every night – it makes their quick transitions even more exciting.

Over the discog, the first 3 albums are all punk with funky elements. There are some killer songs & some that I don't really think that much about. Starting with In On The Kill Taker, you start hearing more abstract noise & really dynamic songs with very quiet parts. Red Medicine is the beginning of the band's studio experimentation with weird little instrumental songs, more accessible vocal melodies, more abstract concepts. End Hits takes that even further and is even more abstract, hitting on dub and psych rock influences. Their final album, the antiwar masterpiece The Argument is a capital-R Rock record that was 10-15 years ahead of its time.

It's impossible to talk Fugazi without touching on the way politics drove their music & their business decisions. The band was fuckin staunch. In every aspect of the term. Strictly anticapitalist, they strove to make their music as accessible as possible for any one who wanted to hear it. They refused to explain anything about themselves, writing lyrics and song titles that read like riddles to be unpacked. When asked why they included a photo of a Kent State massacre victim in the insert of their final album, Guy simply said: "You'll understand the meaning in time. It's like a chemical—you put it out there and the reaction that it creates is what art is" which is, itself, a sideways reference to their song "Rend It." The meanings circle in on themselves.

Let's go over the practice & praxis:

They would only play shows that were $5 or less to attend ($5 in 1990 is ~$12 today)
The band rejected a $10M offer to sign to a major label (instead opting to self-release every record they made thru the band's Dischord Records)
The band prioritized fans who didn't like getting stomped on – they would regularly stop shows mid-song to call out violent moshers
Fugazi refused to interview in any publication that runs ads for alcohol or tobacco
All four members learned how to record and produce music to maintain complete control of their albums
Over the past 20 years, the band has been meticulously mixing & releasing their homemade taped concerts – like 900 live sets are available for download on the band's website.

If you haven't done the deep dive or you're unsure where to start, I recommend spinning Red Medicine – it's the best balance between their more abstract stuff & a more straight-forward rock sound, but still has the energy from their earlier days as a more straight-forward punk band. From there, going in either direction will push towards more punk (earlier) or more abstract and rock (later). In my opinion, the stretch from 1993-1998 (In On The Kill Taker, Red Medicine, End Hits) is when the band were really in their stride and writing their best songs. Happy digging, this is a band that rewards repeated listens.

Scene Report

Senza @ Metro 7/23

If you get a chance to catch the PNW blackened screamo band Senza live, I'm giving the big recommendation. Trio where all 3 members scream & they do not use microphones live. It's an athletic feat: the riffs are complicated & the vocals are full-bodied. It's nearly religious, certainly mystical. I used to catch them at house shows in Portland, but it's really a whole different experience to hear the band through a real sound system.

Upcoming Shows

Baltimore

8/3 (Sun) Catherine Savage @ Zissimos NOTE: This show might be canceled.. TBA
8/5 (Tue) Mountain Goats & Craig Finn @ Soundstage
8/5 (Tue) Beau Navire, New Forms, life and Expiration Date, New Forms @ Metro
8/10 (Sun) Grocer, Puddled, File Select, Pluot @ Ottobar
8/14 (Thu) Meth Rats, Ousted, Mondrary @ Metro

DC

8/6 (Wed) Bonnie “Prince” Billy, Tashi Dorji @ Miracle Theatre
8/7 (Thu) Editrix, Landowner @ Rhizome
8/16 (Sat) Pretty Bitter (album release), Cuni, Rosslyn Station @ Black Cat
8/16 (Sat) The Armed, Prostitute @ The Atlantis
8/18 (Mon) Girl Ultra @ Pearl St Warehouse
8/19 (Tue) Michael Cera Palin, Newgrounds Death Rugby, Kerosene Heights @ DC9
8/21 (Thu) Jarhead Fertilizer, Blood Monolith, Nazar @ Pie Shop
8/22 (Fri) Glitterer, Teen Mortgage, TORO, Anthony Family, A Benefit For Gaza Thrift @ Black Cat
8/23 (Sat) Antichrist Siege Machine, Caustic Wound, Prisoner @ Atlas Brew Works
8/29 (Fri) Bark Culture / No Trick Pony @ Rhizome
8/30 (Sat) Matmos @ Black Cat

NYC

8/2 (Sat) Wolf Eyes & Maria Chavez collab @ Public Records
8/3 (Sun) Ted Leo @ Union Pool
8/5 (Tue) Tim Berne @ Lowlands
8/8 (Fri) Bonnie "Prince" Billy @ Pioneer Works
8/8 (Fri) Uhlmann, Johnson, Wilkes @ Public Records
8/9 (Sat) Uhlmann, Johnson, Wilkes @ Public Records
8/9 (Sat) Editrix (album release), Landowner @ Union Pool
8/12 (Tue) Tim Berne @ Lowlands
8/12 (Tue) Tim Berne @ Lowlands
8/16 (Sat) Laraaji @ Ridgewood Presbyterian Church
8/21 (Thu) Endlings (Raven Chacon & John Dietrich) @ Dimenna Center Cary Hall
8/24 (Sun) Sun Ra Arkestra (free) @ Union Pool
8/29 (Fri) Time Wharp, Greg Fox @ Public Records

Future Shows

9/2 (Tue) Pre-Zero Fest @ Fadensonnen (Baltimore)
9/6 (Sat) Pulp @ The Anthem (DC)
9/9 (Tue) Superchunk @ Black Cat (DC)
9/9 (Tue) Sparks @ Lincoln Theatre (DC)
9/10 (Wed) Quintron & Miss Pussycat @ Comet Ping Pong (DC)
9/11 (Thu) Nourished By Time @ Ottobar (Baltimore)
9/12 (Fri) Mdou Moctar @ Knockdown Center (NYC)
9/12 (Fri) Rachika Nayar & Nina Keith present Disiniblud @ National Sawdust (NYC)
9/13 (Sat) Richard Lloyd, Powerwasher @ Ottobar (Baltimore)
9/13 (Sat) Yeule @ Black Cat (DC)
9/13 (Sat) Rob Mazurek & Chad Taylor duo @ Public Records (NYC)
9/14 (Sun) Dummy @ Songbyrd (DC)
9/16 (Tue) Nadah El-Shazly @ Roulette (NYC)
9/17 (Wed) Panda Bear @ Ottobar (Baltimore)
9/18 (Thu) Mary Lattimore @ Union Pool (NYC)
9/19 (Fri) billy woods @ Union Stage (DC)
9/19 (Fri) Mary Lattimore @ Union Pool (NYC)
9/20 (Sat) Mary Lattimore @ Union Pool (NYC)
9/21 (Sun) Mary Halvorson Amaryllis Septet @ Roulette (NYC)
9/23 (Tue) Mary Lattimore @ Songbyrd (DC)
9/23 (Tue) Water From Your Eyes, Her New Knife, Aunt Katrina @ The Atlantis (DC)
9/23 (Tue) Stereolab, Memorials @ Howard Theatre (DC)
9/23 (Tue) Buzzcocks @ Union Stage (DC)
9/24 (Wed) Tropical Fuck Storm, Infinity Knives @ Metro (Baltimore)
9/25 (Thu) Pageninetynine, Dazzling Killmen, Great Falls, Multicult @ Ottobar (Baltimore)
9/25 (Thu) Ginger Root @ Black Cat (DC)
9/25 (Thu) billy woods @ Knockdown Center (NYC)
9/25 (Thu) Blank For.ms & Larum @ Public Records (NYC)
9/26 (Fri) Shonen Knife, The Pack A.d. and Plrls @ Ottobar (Baltimore)
9/26 (Fri) Ginger Root @ Black Cat (DC)
9/27 (Sat) Chanp @ Wax Atlas (Baltimore) -- I think?
9/29 (Mon) Lightning Bolt @ Union Craft (Baltimore)
9/30 (Tue) Lightning Bolt @ Black Cat (DC)
10/5 (Sun) Ches Smith Clone Row release, Mori/Reid/Taborn/Seabrook quartet @ Public Records (NYC)
10/7 (Tue) Kneecap, Bricknasty @ Howard Theatre (DC)
10/9 (Thu) J Robbins Band plays Burning Airlines @ Metro (Baltimore)
10/10 (Fri) Subscape @ Metro (Baltimore)
10/11 (Sat) Subscape @ Metro (Baltimore)
10/12 (Sun) Subscape @ Metro (Baltimore)
10/11 (Sat) Black Eyes @ Black Cat (DC)
10/14 (Tue) Guerilla Toss @ DC9 (DC)
10/18 (Sat) Modest Mouse, Built To Spill @ The Anthem (DC)
10/21 (Tue) Nourished by Time, Zsela @ The Atlantis (DC)
10/24 (Fri) Conner O'Malley @ Baltimore Soundstage (Baltimore)
10/24 (Fri) Big Thief @ The Anthem (DC)
10/29 (Wed) Autechre, Mark Broom @ Howard Theatre (DC)
10/30 (Thu) Nation of Language, Deeper @ 9:30 Club (DC)
11/1 (Sat) Boris, Agriculture @ Fillmore Silver Spring (DC)
11/7 (Fri) Bill Orcutt/Steve Shelley/Ethan Miller band @ Union Pool (NYC)
11/19 (Wed) Bar Italia @ Black Cat (DC)
11/21 (Fri) Wednesday @ 9:30 Club (DC)
12/5 (Fri) Model/Actriz @ Black Cat (DC)