The Panic Manual

Concert Review: Die Spitz, November 14, Horseshoe Tavern

Posted on

15 Nov 2025

Paul

I’ve been following Austin’s Die Spitz for a while now, with the Texas quartet first catching my attention via word of mouth during SXSW 2023. Of course, as fate would have it, I didn’t catch any of the shows they played at SouthBy that week, though I have seen them four times since, most recently at The Garrison where they played their first Toronto headlining gig back in June, just about three months before the release of their debut full-length, Something to Consume (out now via Third Man Records). Die Spitz always put on a fun, high energy performance and Friday night’s show at the Horseshoe was no exception.

Starting things off strong, the band opened up their set with “I hate when GIRLS die” and kept the bangers coming from there, with “American Porn,” “Punishers” and “Pop Punk Anthem (Sorry for the Delay)” standing out as just a few of the highlights. Another memorable moment came following “Voir Dire” when vocalist/guitarist Ellie Livingston noted that she wrote that song following a period when she was feeling down about her ability to make any change in the world. But then she came to the realization that at each show they play, she’s reaching a few hundred people every night, and having such a platform where she’s able to say things like “Free Palestine” and “Fuck ICE” definitely counts as having some kind of impact. It was a nice moment that served as a good reminder of music’s community-building potential.

With Something to Consume, Die Spitz seem primed to take things to the next level. With major festivals like Bonnaroo and ACL already under their belts and appearances at Coachella, a handful of big European metal fests, and a gig opening for Foo Fighters on the horizon, things are looking bright for Die Spitz. I look forward to seeing what’s next.

Concert Review: The Saints ’73-’78, November 13, Phoenix Concert Theatre

Posted on

14 Nov 2025

Paul

The Saints ’73-’78 is the latest iteration of classic Aussie punk band The Saints, featuring original members Ed Kuepper and Ivor Hay making their return to the fold following vocalist Chris Bailey’s death in 2022. They’re joined this time around by ringers Mark Arm (Mudhoney), Mick Harvey (Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds) and Peter Oxley (The Sunnyboys) to play songs off The Saints’ first three albums and are currently on a tour of North America. Oh, and did I mention that they also have a killer 3-piece horn section? Well, they do. And they sound great.

Speaking of sounding great, Mark Arm made for a solid stand-in for the late Chris Bailey, putting his own spin on the material and bringing a taste of Mudhoney to the proceedings. Based on some interviews I’ve read, it sounds like Arm is a longtime Saints fan who’s clearly lived with these records for a long time, so taking on the role of frontman comes quite naturally. For their part, the rest of the band sounded fantastic too, with some of my favourite moments coming when Arm, Harvey and Oxley all harmonized together on a few songs.

Keeping the stage banter to a minimum, the band ran through a set of classics like “The Chameleon,” “No Time” and “I’m Stranded” with a certain ferocity. Not too much ferocity though – they’re all getting up there in age, so not a lot of jumping around or thrashing about the stage. Still, it was an impressive set that reminded us what was so great about The Saints the first time around. They may be getting older, but The Saints ’73-’78 still delivered a straight-up shot of rock and roll with their bracing garage-punk sound.

Song of the Day: Lime Garden – Maybe Not Tonight

Posted on

12 Nov 2025

Paul

“Maybe Not Tonight” is the latest single from UK indie rockers Lime Garden and their first new music since their debut album, One More Thing, came out in February of 2024. Check it out.

Song of the Day: Shudder to Think – Thirst Walk

Posted on

9 Nov 2025

Paul

Shudder to Think recently announced that they were touring again after several years away from the road, and now they’ve released their first new music in 28 years. That song, “Thirst Walk,” is classic Shudder to Think and a welcome return from the band. Check it out.

Concert Review: Anciients, Howling Giant, November 7, Lee’s Palace

Posted on

8 Nov 2025

Paul

Partway through their set opening for Anciients, Nashville’s Howling Giant gave a shout out to their tourmates, promising that they would melt our faces off. “So I hope you’re not attached to them. Because they’re gone,” they joked. They weren’t wrong – the Vancouver-based band put on a stellar show at Lee’s Palace on Friday night.

I’ll give credit where credit is due though – Howling Giant were no slouches themselves, putting on an impressive display of melodic psych/stoner rock. Also impressive was their use of a vintage Dusty Rhodes sample as an intro to one of their tunes. Good stuff.

Running through a set that featured songs off their latest, the Juno Award-winning Beyond The Reach of the Sun, as well as a few choice older tracks, Anciients sounded fantastic. With a heavy progressive sound reminiscent of Opeth, Mastodon and even Alice in Chains at times, Anciients absolutely impressed .

And speaking of the Junos, I have to give them credit as well – not only for recognizing Anciients twice, but also for honouring bands like KEN Mode, Cryptopsy, and Voivod in the past. That’s a far cry from the Grammys giving the inaugural Hard Rock/Metal Grammy to Jethro Tull over Metallica. But I digress. Back to Anciients.

All in all, it was one of those shows that just hits right – killer riffs, great energy, and two bands clearly having a blast doing what they love. Faces were definitely melted.

Song of the Day: Insecure Men – Cleaning Bricks

Posted on

4 Nov 2025

Paul

“Cleaning Bricks” is the latest single from Insecure Men (aka Saul Adamczewski, formerly of Fat White Family) taken off their upcoming album A Man For All Seasons. Check it out.

A Man For All Seasons is out November 7 via Fat Possum Records.