Alex Maas, of Austin’s beloved Black Angels, brings us this delightful dirge of a song following his debut solo album, Luca, released December 2020. Luca, named after and informally dedicated to Maas’ first born son, carries the same psychedelia undertones we associate with Maas, but with a softer touch. 

Maas says the new music video, “is a glimpse of what a tour on this record would look like had we not been in a pandemic.” Filmed in an opera house in downtown Bastrop, the video features Maas and his amp, his band and collaborators in a spacious, empty music hall with dim red and pale green lighting. As the hypnotic rhythm marches on, the video pans across the masked musicians, a lonely Ficus tree in the corner and a charming Texas quilt pinned to the wall. Maas’ signature dark vocals fill up and echo through the grand hall.

“Too Much Hate” sings of healing the cancers in our societies and circles, “There’s too much hate and not enough loving. There’s too much killing, honey.” Maas is not blatantly topical, but the song gently reminds us of the hate we’ve collectively witnessed in the last year. Is it the spirit of hate that perpetuates the disproportionate number of deaths in vulnerable populations from disease? From gun violence and racism? Acknowledging hate affirms the need for love. In a statement, Maas says the song “attempts to identify things that make the world more beautiful,” evidenced in his lyrics, “Sing for your children. Empower women.” He repeats, “Don’t shoot from your hip. Don’t shoot from your hip,” a cowboy idiom and cautionary reminder for all to take heed.  

Rather than commiserating about all that is wrong and broken, Maas’ new song is a call for solutions. Although there is a slight air of melancholy, the psych rocker sheds beams of hope to uplift morale through music. Alex Maas’ full statement and insight into the song are listed on Levitation’s website, where you can also purchase tickets for the streaming event later this month. 

- Mel Green

Check out the new song and video from Alex Maas’ “Too Much Hate.” The music video release precedes a full performance film streaming on Levitation Sessions on March 27th at 7PM CST. 

Well, you're certainly in for a once in a lifetime line up on September 23rd! Music Box Presents and the Elbo Room will be hosting an incredibly well curated pre-party for the Desert Stars Music Festival. The San Francisco based neo psych outfit, Cellar Doors and Rachel Fannon, formally of the SF based band, Sleepy Sun will be shining beacons on the line up. Portland's new ensemble, Hollow Sidewalks which features the legendary neo psych rock aficionado, Jason "Plucky" Anchondo will be performing as well. If Cellar Doors, Rachel Fannan and Hollow Sidewalks are not enough incentive to attend this pre-party celebration, the lead singer of The Black Angels, Alex Maas will be sharing a very rare Bay Area solo performance.

If you're in San Francisco and you don't make a sincere effort to attend this show, you're going to miss a very unique night that you'll probably remember for some time. Make your way down to The Elbo Room on September 23rd to celebrate the dawning of the 2015 Desert Stars Music Festival.