by Kate Hoos | Jul 20, 2022
Julien Baker B-Sides (art by Eileen Havant Townsend)
Julien Baker’s new EP, B-Sides, has arrived just in time for her tour with Sharon Van Etten and Angel Olsen. The songs were recorded during the Little Oblivions sessions but did not see release at the time the album came out in 2021. I personally have always loved Baker’s outlier/non album tracks the most, such as the various singles “Tokyo” and “Red Door,” as well as the covers and one-offs that have come out between albums and for compilations. This release finds itself comfortably among those tracks: a little bit different, but familiar at the same time.
And while these songs did result from the Little Oblivions sessions, I hear whispers of not just her latest work, but of all three of her albums within them. The lead single “Guthrie,” has the feel of being a throwback to the Sprained Ankle days; Baker at her most raw, just her and an acoustic guitar in a room, unembellished and pure. This song had previously been released as a bonus track on the Japan-only edition of the album while the other songs are being released for the first time. The other two tracks definitely fit more squarely in the sonic territory of the rest of Little Oblivions, featuring a full band sound (though with the instruments all being played by Baker herself) and lush production. And maybe it’s just me, but I also can’t help but think that if there were no drums on “Mental Math,” the shimmering guitars and warble of her voice might have fit into the track listing of Turn Out the Lights fairly seamlessly.
Julien Baker “Guthrie”
“Vanishing Point,” is my favorite of the trio of songs here, delving into the sweeping post rock she began exploring on the album (and has joked about), layers of guitars and keys swirling alongside the urgency of her plea “don’t feel bad.” While I very much enjoy her purely solo work and the songs that are more acoustic or based on only a few loops, these larger arrangements are what really show off her skills as not just a songwriter, but as a full fledged composer. Many of the songs on the first two records—both musically and lyrically—always felt to me as if they were somehow ready to burst at the seams, looking for more space to fill and exist within; with songs like “Vanishing Point” or “Hardline,” Baker has unlocked that bigger potential. The live setting has indeed seen some of those older songs get new, fuller arrangements to begin living different and fresh identities.
Julien Baker in London (photos by Kate Hoos)
I described her live set as a thoughtful three arc narrative when I saw her in both New York and London within the last year, and the same can be said of this EP. It shows slices of her past work, glimpses of the here and now, and a distinct nod to the future. Only time will tell which direction she will head in fully, but this EP serves as a beautiful waypoint on the journey.
B-Sides is out now via Matador and available on all major streaming platforms.
by Kate Hoos | Jul 20, 2022
Winter Wolf Unwell (art by Naji Thomas)
When I think of the most exciting bands currently going in NYC, who consistently put on high energy and engaging performances, Winter Wolf is always one of the very first to come to mind. I love going to their shows and I’ve watched them (and played with them) for the last few years from their earlier duo lineup to the current trio of bassist/vocalist Jey Winters, vocalist Tony $ixx, and drummer Nate Harris and have seen them grow into a dynamic, powerhouse of a band.
I’ve also long been waiting for them to release new music and was absolutely thrilled the day I got to listen to Unwell, their blistering four song EP which is also their first recording as a trio. The band had this to say about the record: “This EP represents everyone who’s felt the effects of 2020 and life overall. The hardships, pain, and trauma have made us all unwell. However we’ve survived and become more vital than ever, this is our time to celebrate those victories while continuing to face new challenges with pride.”
Winter Wolf performing (photo by Kate Hoos)
The EP is intense and though short, it packs one hell of a punch with hard, heavy riffs and rock solid drumming from start to finish. The lead single “Blue Lights,” features huge bass and drums driving the song, accompanied with perfectly matched dual vocals from $ixx, providing the high falsetto, and Winters serving up the full low end with intense growls to match his killer riffs. A sharp condemnation to cops and police violence, they mince no words when they yell FUCK YOUR BLUE LIGHTS! “Eye of the Wolf” starts off a classic punk romper—a really fun sing along in the live setting and the perfect song to blast while cruising on a skateboard or flying down the highway with the windows down—and then wraps up with a feverish, fist pumping breakdown.
Winter Wolf “Blue Lights”
Surprising was the addition of guitar, also played by Winters, which is not something they have used in their live performances before, sticking to the bass/drums/vocals instrumentation. It really thickened up their sound and added a nice depth to the songs; this is most apparent on “Creep,” which has a lot of elements layered together for their most complex offering to date. The song also features some of Harris’ best drumming on the record and some really nice interplay vocally from Winters and $ixx. On the addition of guitar, Harris told me that it’s something they may consider for future releases, but they don’t plan to add it to their live show as of right now. Either way, the band sounds great with it, but they also sound just as good and can easily command the stage without it too.
Winter Wolf performing (photo by Kate Hoos)
The only real downside I can point to is that the EP is so short, but it is a really nice document of where the band has been and I think a nice preview of where they are heading. My hankering for a full length has only increased and I’m hopeful that is coming around the corner very soon.
Unwell is out now via Academic Punk Records and available on all major streaming platforms. Follow the band on Instagram to keep up with their future shows.
by Kate Hoos | Jul 18, 2022
Jawbox The Revisionist EP (photo by Zach Barocas)
Jawbox casually dropped their first new music in 26 years recently which came as a surprise to me and just about everyone else. But a very welcome surprise as I have wondered if new music would be something that would result from their 2019 reunion and this is the first clue that it may indeed be coming. The announcement was low key and made on the band’s Instagram just a few days before the music was released on Bandcamp.
Though technically it could be said this is not in fact new music since it is two re-imagined songs from their 1991 debut album Grippe, “Grip” and “Consolation Prize,” along with a cover of Wire’s “Lowdown,” but either way you slice it, it’s still exciting. This release definitely gives me hope that the band is in the process of writing new music and perhaps this short EP is just a taste of things to come, a testing of the waters if you will to see how receptive their fanbase would be. These recordings also mark the first with new guitarist Brooks Harlan (Office of Future Plans, War On Women) who replaced Bill Barbot last year after Barbot moved to Vermont.
The band had this to say about the EP on their Bandcamp “As Jawbox rehearsed for shows with the addition of guitarist Brooks Harlan, we reworked a couple of songs from our first record Grippe. We felt those, as well as a Wire cover, were worth recording. Enjoy!” A short and sweet statement, that also cleverly keeps it close to the vest what their next moves may be studio wise.
Jawbox in 2019 (photo by Kate Hoos)
Jawbox is not the first band to revisit older work, and major artists like Beck and Conor Oberst (with Phoebe Bridgers) have recently announced their intentions to do the same with some of their material too. I think this is something I’d like to see more of because I’ve always found songs to not be static creations, but rather living entities that change and evolve over time as the artists who created them do (and recording techniques improve and budgets get bigger), so it has always seemed silly to me that just one recorded version would be the final word on any given song. There is nothing wrong with tweaks and revisions big or small so songs can live different lives at different points.
And while these re-imagined takes on Jawbox’s early work are definitely different—the drum fills more intricate on “Grip,” the guitars more nuanced and fuller throughout—they are overall not radical departures from the original recordings, but they don’t need to be. Rather they excellently represent the more mature version of the band that exists today: J. Robbins vocals more refined, the tempos more constrained, and notably Zach Barocas’ unique drumming leaving its mark on songs that were originally written and recorded before his tenure in the band. This EP is a must for any long time supporters (or even newer) and the comments on Bandcamp certainly prove that the fans are very ready to hear even more from the band.
Jawbox will play a three night residency at LPR in NYC on July 20, 21, 22nd, playing material from every era of their career.
The Revisionist EP was released exclusively on Bandcamp.
by Kate Hoos | Jul 17, 2022
Dog Date at Union Pool (photo by Kate Hoos)
There’s always time for self care and a great punk show will never not do the trick for me. Thankfully Dog Date, Venus Twins, and Flexi were on deck to give me just that when they hit up Union Pool for a rollicking show that definitely hit the spot in the middle of a busy time for me, the perfect self care oasis I needed.
When I arrived the show was already in progress (a punk show start early?! What?!) and while it is unlike me to get to a show late, I think in this case I accidentally misread the time and then parking was a bit difficult. Fortunately for me though, Flexi still had several songs in their set left and I didn’t have to miss all of it. I had not been familiar with the band or their music before the show so I went in with fresh ears and loved what I was hearing. Urgent with driving staccato basslines paired with wild guitar, it sounded like the best of 80s post punk with the sharp attack of political punk, and it might just be the soundtrack to the impending apocalypse—in other words it was right up my alley. I’m really hoping to get out to see them play again soon so I can see a full set. After the show I took some time to dig into their latest release, Nothing, a seven song EP that was released in March. I think it’s safe to say it’s quickly becoming one of my favorite releases of the year so far.
Venus Twins are one of my favorite noise punk bands, and readers may already know that I love bass/drums punk bands more than just about any other configuration/style of band. They are back in NYC full time now, after having spent some time in their home state of Texas during the pandemic. While I missed seeing them more often, they spent that time away writing and are back with a set that is better than ever with plenty of new material, much of which will (hopefully) be on their forthcoming album. Their sets are always electric blasts of energy, with the band feeding off of each other and the crowd, bassist Matt Derting often going in and out of the audience during the show. They cheekily came out to Banarama’s “Venus” (which is actually a cover 1968 classic by Shocking Blue) and where met with quite a few chuckles. And you know what? I love good entry music and wish more bands would do this, for real!
Venus Twins at Union Pool
And now, I have a challenge for you which is trying to stay still during a Dog Date set. But that’s a silly challenge because I know you can’t do it! But neither can I so it’s all good. One of the most fun and high energy bands playing shows in NYC right now (and I’m willing to bet anywhere else), I always love a chance to get out to one of their sets. Double drums pounding, double fuzzed out guitars, buzzsaw bass and hyper vocals all going at once, you can’t help but get caught up in their power pop garage punk chaos. They played a relentless set, song after catchy song, everyone in the room getting sweaty in the process and loving it. At the conclusion of the set, even though they had played for quite a while I thought “oh wait that’s all?” having lost myself in the frenzy, totally down to keep it going. But it was indeed it and that was as they say, that. This band never disappoints though so instead of being bummed it was over, I savored the time I got to spend with them and blasted their tunes in the car on the way home, ready for the next time!
The band kicked off a tour not long after this show, hitting the midwest and other parts of the east coast, also releasing a live tape that was recorded at this show special for the tour. They haven’t announced their next NYC shows yet, but you can be sure I’ll be on the lookout and ready to be there for all the action.
Dog Date at Union Pool
Unfortunately after the show was over, fire struck the building early the next morning, injuring 14 people, damaging the venue and destroying the deli next door. No one was killed but it was still a very shitty and scary turn of events. The venue is working to recover and has been updating their Instagram with progress reports, but as of this writing it remains closed on order of the city. All of us at FTA love Union Pool and are very much hoping they make a quick and safe comeback.
Scroll down for pics of the show (photos by Kate Hoos)
FLEXI
VENUS TWINS
DOG DATE
by Kate Hoos | Jul 12, 2022
Bikini Kill at Irving Plaza (photo by Kate Hoos)
Bikini Kill returned to New York this past weekend for two shows at Pier 17 and Irving Plaza, playing to sold out, adoring crowds on both nights. I was able to catch night two and it was like magic all over again after seeing them in 2019. And while it’s true that there are a lot of bands that have meant a lot to me over the course of my life, without a doubt very few have meant as much as Bikini Kill has. They are top three status with Fugazi and Nirvana as their very fitting company.
I bought my first BK record in 1995 (the “New Radio/Demirep/Rebel Girl” 7inch) and ever since then— in every era of my life—their music has somehow been there for me. Be it to comfort me, inspire me, enlighten me and so much more, it has served as the soundtrack to whatever I was feeling be it rage or happiness or sorrow or elation. I am technically old enough to have seen them the first time around, but I was never able to catch them back then because I was considered “too young” by my decidedly unpunk parents and I was not allowed to venture to NYC (or anywhere else) to see them play.
So it is not a stretch at all to say that these reunion shows have meant the world to me and I’m sure to many other people my age who had a similar near miss experiences with the band in the 90s. After decades of fandom that even included playing guitar in a Bikini Kill cover band at one point, I was elated to finally see them in 2019 (see pics from Terminal 5 and King’s Theater), fulfilling a very long standing wish. It was worth every moment of waiting even if I was middle aged and tired (and maybe just a little bit jaded) when it finally happened, certainly no longer that scrappy, fresh faced teenager who bought their 7inch with her left over lunch money.
Of course I was very much excited for the 2020 shows when they were announced after the short burst of shows in 2019, and had been planning to rock out with friends again and maybe even hit a few other cities besides New York. But then as we all know, Covid came to town and everything came crashing down, forcing a wait of over two years before the tour could take place. While the wait was obviously shorter to see them from then to now vs from the 90s to 2019, it felt strangely longer and more anxious because of everything that happened in the time between their initial reunion and this tour being able to finally go forward. The tour was also not without setbacks as multiple cancelations were forced while band members and crew dealt with Covid cases along the way, the band in fact had to cancel the shows immediately after the NYC run due to another band member testing positive. So with all of that, and with all of the uncertainty and pain surrounding the pandemic and particularly the recent cruelty of the Supreme Court overturning Roe Vs Wade, the stakes felt even higher this time—the band and their music needed more now than ever. Kathleen Hanna remarked specifically on the ruling saying “the first time we go on tour in a thousand million years and that happens,” adding that they’ve been playing Pro Choice shows “ever since we were a band.”
Indeed, being at a Bikini Kill show right now at this juncture in history felt like a salve to me and to my friends certainly and I’m sure to just about everyone else there—an audience of all ages from kids with their parents to Gen Z aged young adults, middle aged folks like me, and even older. The band played through a blistering 26 song set, starting out with the zippy banger “Carnival” and hitting many other fan favorites along the way like “Alien She,” “Jigsaw Youth,” and “Magnet” (which is a personal favorite), the audience screaming lyrics back at the band for each and every song. Tobi Vail also took her turn at the mic for several songs, the fans cheering with abandon when she was singing lead for beloved songs like “I Hate Danger,” and “Tell Me So.” They concluded their set with their iconic, era defining song, “Rebel Girl,” before returning for their encore of “Double Dare Ya,” and “Suck My Left One,” which saw the entire room hit a frenzied fever pitch, Hanna with her middle finger raised while she screamed SUCK! MY! LEFT! ONE!
There were also songs that audience members called for that the band opted not to play. Hanna responded to some of these calls saying that while there plenty of songs in their catalog that were still relevant—and in some cases even more relevant today than when they were released—that there were just some that they didn’t want to play anymore. She elaborated when someone called out specifically for “Liar” (because the government is lying to us), answering “yes the government is lying to us but I don’t like singing that song anymore. I’m sorry, I just don’t.” She went on to say that she thinks there are some of their songs with lyrics that are bad, “some of those lyrics fucking suck and I never want to sing them again and ‘Liar’ is one of those songs.” While I am a big fan of that song, I can understand it must be difficult to return to work that was made 30 years prior in a different stage of your life or that you don’t feel is your best, even if fans relate to it. I can certainly respect the band for not wanting to play certain songs for those reasons.
Original guitarist Billy Karren has not participated in any of the reunion shows and his role had been filled by Erica Dawn Lyle for the 2019 shows and for the earlier part of this tour, but she was absent from these performances. Her place in the lineup has since been filled by guitarist Sara Landeau of The Julie Ruin. Landeau also played drums for two of the songs that Tobi Vail sang lead vocals on while Kathi Wilcox took over guitar duties and Hanna was on bass.
The show was opened by folky, alt country singer songwriter Jim Andralis and his band The Syntonics. Andralis is a therapist by day and this was something that ended up being a theme throughout the night, talking about therapy and its benefits. He is a good friend of Hanna and she dedicated “For Tammy Rae” (originally for her friend Tammy Rae Carland) to him during Bikini Kill’s set, saying “it’s not every day a person gets to play a show with their best friend,” adding that she couldn’t watch his set because his songs “make me cry and have you seen my eye makeup? No!” but saying that she did see his soundcheck.
In trying times, I truly believe that one thing we can always return to is punk rock and the idea that joy IS an act of resistance. Rage can be beautiful and happiness can be ugly; however you want to feel about it all is valid. I can think of very few bands that embody this spirit like Bikini Kill does. I will never forget the oasis that that 14 year old girl just starting to figuring herself out found when I put that very first record on the turntable all those years ago. When I heard the insistent smack of Tobi’s flams, the chugging dirty guitar riff, and the words “That girl thinks she’s the queen of the neighborbood, I got news for you, SHE IS! They say she’s a dyke but I know she is my best friend yeah!” everything I thought I knew was challenged and a whole new world opened up to me.
While I knew I was on to something special and that I was hearing something revolutionary, I don’t think I realized in the moment that my entire life had changed after the first spin of that record; it took me a while longer to realize that, but it most certainly did. Looking back now it’s plainly obvious to me that in that moment and in punk rock—very specifically Bikini Kill’s music—I knew I had truly found my place and a sense of purpose along with a feeling that somehow, some way, everything would be alright. Seeing them now is a reminder of that moment and all the moments of affirmation in between; it will never not feel like coming home.
See setlist and pics from the show below.
Setlist: Carnival, Don’t Need You, New Radio, Jigsaw Youth, Feels Blind, I Hate Danger**, In Accordance to Natural Law**, Demirep, Tony Randall, Reject All American, Alien She, Sugar, Rah! Rah! Replica, Hamster Baby**, Tell Me So**, This Is Not A Test, Capri Pants, Resist Psychic Death, Outta Me, For Only**, Distinct Complicity**, Magnet, Lil Red, Rebel Girl
**Tobi Vail on lead vocals
Encore: Double Dare Ya, Suck My Left One
Scroll down for pics of the show (photos by Kate Hoos)
JIM ANDRALIS & THE SYNTONICS
BIKINI KILL
