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:
Algiers– Bite Back (feat billy woods & Backxwash). Algiers is a band that can’t be pinned down by any one sound, constantly pushing boundaries and making music that is bold and defiant. Band leader Franklin James Fisher goes back back and forth and trades verses with rappers billy woods (of Armand Hammer) and Backxwash, with all three vocalists pulling imbalances of power into sharp focus. On the song multi-instrumentalist and producer Ryan Mahan said: “Shit’s been so real the past few years, we really needed to grow our community of collaborators and make solid the bonds we’ve always felt, particularly with rap heads. And to have the two best rappers around, billy woods AND Backxwash, on the same Algiers-produced track? Pinch me, for real.”
Fisher followed up with “Ryan showed up one day with this beautifully epic instrumental and said, “I’ve got this song and I want to call it ‘Bite Back’. It immediately reminded me why I joined this band and the rest of the song seemed to write itself. It’s a classic example of our Lenin-McCartney dynamic.” With woods adding “Working with Algiers was a dope experience on many levels, and I was even more excited when they said they were shooting a video. Plus knowing Backxwash was involved, I had to do it,” and Backxwash: “This feels like the soundtrack to revolutionary struggle. I am honored to participate side by side with an incredible array of artistry.” While as of now this appears to be a one off and no album was announced along with it, the band teased on Instagram with the song announcement “so much more to come,” exciting new indeed. [KH]
Angel Olsen & Sturgill Simpson– Big Time. Fresh off the success of The Wild Hearts tour with Sharon Van Etten and Julien Baker (see our coverage), Angel Olsen has released an updated version of the title track of her superb new album, Big Time, this time collaborating with celebrated songwriter Sturgill Simpson for a gorgeous new rendition of the song. Of the collaboration Olsen said “It’s crazy to write a song and then watch someone you really admire sing your words; kinda turns the whole thing on its head,” continuing, “I loved the song already, but hearing Sturgill’s take on ‘Big Time’ made me smile ear to ear, he made it come alive on a different level.” Olsen will soon head to the UK and Europe for a month of tour dates, with Tomberlin supporting. [KH]
Babehoven– Stand It. “Stand It,” the second single from Babehoven’s upcoming debut album Light Moving Through Time, is a bittersweet little slice of shoegaze with 90’s vibes. The lo-fi look of the video leans into this, as the visuals evoke the album title. There’s an autumnal feel to this song, perfect for moving into that season. [CW]
Bass Drum of Death– Say Your Prayers. Brand new music from the garage rock greats who just announced a brand new album Say I Won’t (1/27/23 via Fat Possum), it’s a more low-key and nuanced affair than the fuzzier chaotic rock n roll the band is known for. It was co-written with Mike Kerr of Royal Blood, his influence being very obvious on the track, but also a welcome presence in the mix, pushing BDOD to a whole different level.
On their website the band says of the new album “The music still rips, with blown-out guitars and drums that sound like bombs going off, and the melodies are catchier than ever, hollered in [John] Barrett’s trademark yelp. But the music hits differently now, more at peace with itself, propelled by a new swagger,” and that is absolutely evident here in this first offering. This album will also mark the first time the entire touring band was in the studio in the process of making the record rather than singer/guitarist Barrett completing the recordings alone. A compelling change for sure and one I’m very excited to hear the end result of when the album drops next year. See our coverage from their recent show at Market Hotel. [KH]
The Bobby Lees– Ma Likes To Drink. Full of fuzzy mega riffs, nasty bass and busy drums, this last preview taste of their upcoming album, Bellevue (10/7 via Ipecac Recordings), is full of goddamn attitude with an assload of swagger and we are HERE for it. The garage punk wizzes will play a sure to be raucous release show at Baby’s All Right on 10/25 with support from Native Sun and Dead Tooth. [KH]
Dehd– Eggshells. On the heals of their album Blue Skies which was released this past May, Dehd have returned with a brand new stand alone single, “Eggshells.” Expanding upon their bedroom pop aesthetic, they touch the edges of alt country and indie gloom, soaking everything in reverb along the way. Via a press release they also share that they took cues from “escapist fantasies and Jodorowsky films,” and that their “melancholic euphoria turns off all the lights and lets the Utopian tableaux come to life, with the band roaming the desertion search of catharsis and freedom.” The band will soon embark on a lengthy tour that will see them criss cross North America and Europe; they will hit NYC on 10/21 at Brooklyn Steel. [KH]
Hammered Hulls– Rights and Reproduction. The first single from the debut full length by this post hardcore/punk supergroup and it’s already one of my most anticipated records of the final quarter of the year. Read more here. [KH]
Heavy Lag– Splitting Headache. A hot and fresh two minutes from the Brooklyn power pop meets pop-punk wunderkinds. This song is part of their debut full length, Another Year Closer to Whatever, which arrives 10/31 via Bloated Kat and though brief, it’s chock full of hooks and packs a melodic punch. Just try and listen to this without it running around your head for hours afterward. Catch the band on 9/22 at No Aloha. [KH]
Ian McCuen– Lonesome Homesteader. Buffalo based singer songwriter Ian McCuen has released “Lonesome Homesteader,” the thoughtful first single from their upcoming album, Westward, To Nowhere. McCuen tells us the album “Combin[es] elements of history, folklore, current events, and personal experience, Westward, To Nowhere is a concept album with a loose narrative that follows a drifter on a futile journey across the country; it deals with themes of isolation and searching for purpose against the desolate reality of American life.” Pulling from the deep well of Americana music, this first single shows off not only McCuen’s chops as a songwriter but also their beautifully subdued voice which is layered in parts and a single presence in others, set against the backdrop of lovely finger picked acoustic guitar, fiddle and mandolin. The full album releases on November 11th and is highly anticipated here at FTA. [KH]
Keefchamber– The Smoke Deity/Hands of a Wizard. NJ’s Keefchamber comes at you with a brand new two song demo that sees the band expand beyond their blackened stoner doom sensibilities. Normally a duo of bass and drums, these two songs feature guitar which adds a depth to the band’s already heavy sound and really shows off their songwriting prowess. “The Smoke Deity” recalls some of the psych drone qualities of a band like Queen Elephantine, while “Hands of a Wizard,” hits a straight up punk feel before heading into a slowed down psychy interlude before swinging back again to driving punk. I love this turn in their sound and am very much looking forward to an eventual full length from this group. [KH]
Laurel Canyon– Drop Out/Tangiers Laurel Canyon’s newest double single “Drop Out/Tangiers” would fit in well on an 80’s Sonic Youth record, with distortion, fuzz and a bit of jangle pushing forward under the shouted vocals. In fact, the cover art was done by Savage Pencil of “Death Valley ’69” fame. Their Steve Albini-recorded debut album will be out next year on Agitated Records. Catch them live on 10/1 at Sovereign. [CW]
Mauskovic Dance Band– Bukaroo Bank. A spacey, funky post punk meets dub jam from this Dutch outfit (who are all IRL family and related), it is the wonderfully weird title track from their upcoming album, Bukaroo Bank, due out 10/28 via Bongo Joe Records. Synth, sax, guitar and bongos all weave together with an incredibly infectious bass line, recalling the late 70s collision of no wave and post punk as it careened full on into the new wave of the 80s; there’s a little something for everyone in the mix here. This band is known for their unique take on post punk and “make madcap music intent on expanding musical universes,” and “ecstatic music for the body” that can be “escapist if you wish it to,” all of which feel totally on point and the most apt descriptors for this eccentric band. Keep your ears ready for this full length which is sure to be a wild ride. [KH]
Metz– Come On Down (feat. Joe Talbot)/Heaven’s Gate. Any day there’s new music from Metz is a good day for me. And combine that with IDLES, then life has just gone and made my week as both of these bands are massive in my life. The band said via their Instagram “‘Come On Down’ was originally recorded during the Atlas Vending sessions but never fully finished. During the pandemic collaboration was a way to fill the void left by the loss of live music and get that feeling of community that gigs provide. We reached out to Joe Talbot (IDLES) who is a longtime friend and who METZ has shared the stage with many, many times, and this song was a very natural and fun way to catch up with him and do something positive with our time off the road.” For fans of both groups, it is quite the treat to hear the signature raging noise of Metz with Joe Talbot on the mic, with Alex Edkins jumping in with his urgent yells on the choruses for the cherry on top. The song is accompanied by a striking music video directed by Arturo Baston.
The flip side of comes in the form of “Heaven’s Gate,” which the band says is a song they “wrote back in 2019 that was originally released in the Cyberpunk 2077 video game, we’re super excited for it to be widely available now.” Both songs fit in neatly within the Metz canon and come just ahead of their tour in celebration of the 10 year anniversary of their self-titled debut album. The tour will hit Warsaw on 10/22. [KH]
My Son The Doctor– Mesh. Brooklyn’s favorite power punks, My Son The Doctor, are back with a fresh new track this week. Chock full of smart lyrical humor, quirky delivery, big guitar highs, and rhythmic valleys, all wrapped up in gang vocal hooks, and neatly packed into two minutes, it fully delivers on what’s become a signature sound for the quartet. Complete with a super satisfying stop-go a quarter way thru, “Mesh” will be your go-to for all your playlists this Fall. [MB]
Niño– Call Your Number. This synth disco pop track is the latest from drummer/vocalist/producer Roger Cabrera aka Niño. An infectious bop that recalls the disco grooves of the 1970s blending seamlessly with the new wave glam of the 1980s, this is a mini party ready made for the dance floor or for getting yourself pumped up on your morning commute. [KH]
Salamander– Water. A combination of synthy glitch core meets laid back indie rock styling, Brooklyn’s Salamander brings us an ode to drinking water. Yes water—though my take is, perhaps, it’s actually a self care anthem because hydration is important after all! The band tells us “it is a unique spin on the sort of experimental pop songwriting and production that has gained momentum in the 2020s,” and indeed, it does contain a deep vein of experimentation and the nuanced layers of texture to match. They will soon release a four song EP, tooth/waste, so keep your eyes peeled on their social media for announcements. [KH]
Show Me The Body– We Came To Play. The genre bending hardcore band just announced their third album, Trouble The Water, and have shared the first single, “We Came To Play.” The song is built around acrid guitars and nu-metal inspired bass for heeeeavy feel and plenty of floor punching in the pit vibes. [KH]