Hi! Hello! Here we are with some bite sized goodies and a taste of some new things that we dug this week, quick fire responses to some great new music we think you should check out. This week Chantal, Kate and Mike weighed in on some killer songs, so give em a listen!
As always, if you’re in a band or from a label, don’t hesitate to reach out and let us know about you! If we dig ya, you’ll get a nod in the column. Read on to find out what we dug the last week or so:
Brutus– Victoria. The third single from Brutus’ upcoming album Unison Life, this one finds the band in more melodic territory than before, but still with plenty of heavy riffs to spare. Singer/drummer Stephanie Mannaerts pushes the song to blistering heights with her urgent and soaring vocals alongside the pierce of the lead guitar line. The song comes with a video directed by Jonas Hollevoet; the album will see release on 10/21 via Sargent House. [KH]
Deerhoof– My Lovely Cat. Deerhoof’s latest single is a fun, fuzzed out track that captures the obsessive joy of having a cat (taking lots of pictures to post on social media, watching them on a pet-cam and not wanting to leave them at home) with a bittersweet ending: “one wish… make longevity longer, make you my immortal friend.” I wish cats were immortal too, Deerhoof. The song wasn’t written for Lil Bub, a famous kitty who passed away in 2019, but Bub’s human Mike Bridavsky coincidentally produced the track, so it is dedicated to her. [CW]
Dry Cleaning– Gary Ashby. The latest from Dry Cleaning is “a lament about a pet tortoise, escaped as a result of family chaos,” with the band going on to say “We wrote it in December 2020, one of the first new songs after the New Long Leg session.” Jangly and full of hooks, singer Florence Shaw gives quite the description of just what may have happened to poor Mr. Ashby and his “stumpy legs,” though in actuality does so in not many words and really leaves the mayhem of the scenario up to the imagination of the listener. This single is part of the upcoming album Stumpwork (10/21 via 4AD) and also comes with the announcement of headlining world tour which will hit Brooklyn on 2/2/2023 at Pioneer Works. [KH]
Gift– Feather. Brand new from the Brooklyn quintet, “Feather” was the result of singer TJ Freda awakening from a lucid dream. Elaborating, Freda said “This is one of the most personal songs on the record. One night I connected with a loved one in a dream, except I was in their mind. I was standing right in front of them and kept trying to call to them but the world in this dream was too loud and noisy. They couldn’t see or hear me. ‘Feather’ is about trying to help someone who can’t be helped, but in the end you accept them for who they are and love them no matter what.” The shimmery song is part of their debut album, Momentary Presence, which is due out 10/14 via Dedstrange. [KH]
Joudy– Uneasy. The Brooklyn based Venezuelan psych rock trio has just released the first single from their upcoming album Destroy All Monsters. This track features a hypnotic bass line and the intoxicating trip-hop meets rock psych blend they are known for (catch one of their shows for their amazing cover of Massive Attack’s “Angel”). The song also comes with a video directed by Gabriel Duque. Read more on the band’s story at Wonderland Magazine which premiered the track and catch the band at one of their upcoming residency dates at Berlin (9/15,9/22 and 9/29). [KH]
King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard- Ice V. This new track (pronounced ‘ice five’) is a groovy ten minute cut with jazz fusion vibes, perfect for jamming while holding on to the last dregs of summer, even while the lyrics about a crystalline space queen are a bit menacing. The band has an epic three albums coming out in October— Ice, Death, Planets, Lungs, Mushrooms And Lava on 10/7, Laminated Denim on 10/12 and Changes on 10/28. [CW]
Otoboke Beaver– Chuchu Song. A not so brand new but absolutely super fun ripper from the frantic Japanese quartet. This one was the first song they wrote and a live staple for years. It was originally recorded and released in 2019 as a subscriber exclusive on Bandcamp to fans who helped fund their trip to SXSW. Now it has seen a wider release on Spotify and YouTube just in time for their upcoming US tour which will hit Brooklyn at Music Hall of Williamsburg (with Ratas En Zelo) on 10/5. We’ll see you there! [KH]
Placebo– Shout (Tears For Fears cover). The recent announcement of Placebo being forced to postpone their North American tour certainly bummed us out here at FTA, but this was a bit of a pick me up in the wake of that news as we do love a good cover (see our list of 25 of our favorite covers). They keep things pretty close to the original, with the addition of Brian Molko’s signature warble of course, but do switch things up and bring them to a bit of a darker place in the breakdown of the song—which they also shortened—making for a nice twist. [KH]
Ruth Radelet– Stranger. Best known for fronting the influential group, Chromatics, Radalet has announced her debut EP, The Other Side, which is due out on 10/7. “Stranger” is the lead single and a song the artist says is “a love letter to LA.” The song is accompanied by a stark black and white video made with director James Manson and cinematographer Freddie Whitman that features Radelet exploring the city alone. Expanding on the concept, she said the song is “about a specific kind of loneliness that I have only felt in Los Angeles. Although the song is very much about longing, it’s more about a place than a person.” The song is cinematic and sweeping and something anyone who has felt lonely can relate to, even in places like LA or NYC, surrounded by millions. [KH]
Sean Spada– The Wild Ride. This is the title track and first taste from Brooklyn based pianist Sean Spada’s upcoming solo album. If you love slightly spooky lounge vibes, this track delivers. Spada softly croons about a crazy trip that stretches the imagination sprawled over his dynamic tickling of the ivories. If you’ve ever half woken from a dream that’s just escaped your fingertips and you’re stuck somewhere between two realities and can’t seem to find your way back to either, well then you may have just taken your first steps on “The Wild Ride.” Read more here. [MB]
Smut– After Silver Leaves. Smut has announced a brand new album, How the Light Felt, and along with the album announcement comes the news tour dates and the first single “After Silver Leaves,” a song singer Tay Roebuck says is about “a former relationship I was in, it was really horribly abusive. But the approach to this one was to just spell it all out and see how silly it feels once shit really hits the fan.” Musically it’s a glinting, pretty upbeat song which belies the dark subject matter, Roebuck elaborating that “The song sounds so happy, but I’m talking about driving someone to the hospital when they’ve overdosed. And having to detach myself and realize that maybe it’s not my job as a teenage girl to save some sad sack of a guy. I think a lot of young women will relate to that, unfortunately.”
Indeed, the album (which follows up their 2020 EP Power Fantasy) is deeply personal and will touch on the death of Roebuck’s sister with the singer saying “This album is very much about the death of my little sister, who committed suicide a few weeks before her high school graduation in 2017. It was a moment in which my life was permanently destroyed, and it’s something you cannot prepare for.” The sure to be emotional album will be released on 11/11 via Bayonet Records and the tour will hit Brooklyn a day later at Alphaville. [KH]
Sun Ra Arkestra– Chopin. This first studio recording of the celebrated groups elaboration of “Prelude in A Major” from the Frédéric Chopin Opus 28 No. 7, which had previously only been heard at performances or live recordings. Baritone sax player Knoel Scott says of the song “This freshened arrangement of this Sun Ra classic is a testament to the vintaged mastery of Marshall Allen and is truly reflective of his position as a keeper of the Sun Ra Legacy.” This interpretation is part of their upcoming album Living Sky due out 10/7 via Omni Sound. [KH]
Strange Neighbors– Whoa! Is Me. The newest Strange Neighbors single is “a song about catching yourself in the act of being the bad guy” and was apparently inspired by Jefferson Airplane but ends up being truer to the jangly power-pop the band is known for. Catch them on 9/15 with Creek and Kills at Mama Tried. [CW]
Tom Skinner– Bishara. The prolific British drummer of The Smile and formerly of Sons of Kemet (who recently completed their final tour and disbanded) has just announced a brand new solo album, Voices of Bishara, and released the first single “Bishara.” The album features contributions from his former bandmate and SoK bandleader Shabaka Hutchings on tenor sax and bass clarinet as well as from Kareem Days on cello, Nubya Garcia on flute and tenor sax and Tom Herbert (of The Invisible) on bass. The album is due out on 11/4 via Brownswood Recordings/International Anthem/Nonesuch. [KH]
White Hills– Oceans Of Sound. This group has put out an astonishing amount of music over the past couple decades, and their newest single “Oceans of Sound” is a slab of buzzy, throbbing stoner psych, replete with wah-wah guitar and accompanied by an equally trippy music video. Their newest LP The Revenge of Heads On Fire will be out on September 16th. [CW]