by Kate Hoos | Aug 24, 2021
Creek & Kills at 18th Ward Brewing (photo by Kate Hoos)
Creek & Kills just put out a stunning new EP, Unstitching (read our review), and hosted a release show at 18th Ward to celebrate. Having attending a show with metal and stoner noise the night before, this show was a totally different vibe and a nice, comparatively laid back, start to my weekend. But as the saying goes, “I contain multitudes,” so I felt right at home in either setting, getting in touch with the “softer side of Hoos,” or something like that!
Joining on the bill were alt country pop band Sweetbreads, who started out the night and had plenty of Americana and western twang to spare too. Led by bubbly singer songwriter Melody Stolpp, who had a smile and stage presence as big as her voice, the band is anchored by co-collaborator/guitarist Nick Watt along with the rhythm section of Owen Liza Winter on drums and David Halpern on bass.
Country is a genre I admittedly am VERY unfamiliar with, and I can probably count on one hand the times I’ve seen a country band play live, but they definitely got me bopping in my seat and I had a fun time. The songs were catchy and infectious and I was particularly impressed with the versatility and intricacy of Winter’s drumming, bringing poise and a subtle, yet a still commanding, rhythmic presence. This is something I always appreciate (and envy) in other drummers since I tend to have one dynamic and speed when I play and that is: LOUD AND FAST; I rarely do subtle so this was a nice treat for me to watch.
Groupie is a band I have seen a few times over the last several years, but sad to say it had been a while since the last time, even before the pandemic. As luck would have it, this was their first show back (I am happy to say this has been the case for several Brooklyn bands now, that I’ve been able to see their first shows back), so I was happy to get to be there. Though they’ve had some lineup changes since the last time I saw them, founding member vocalist/bassist Ashley Kossakowski is still at the helm, and they still very much live up to their self descriptor of “very good rock and roll.”
They were a trio the last time I saw them but have now filled out to a four piece; guitarists Theodora Curtis (also of Climates), and Devin McKnight (also of Maneka; see recent pics we featured) round out the lineup to bring a fuller, more nuanced sound to their live set. I am definitely excited to see what the new lineup brings and for when they record some new material. They will perform again at Mercury Lounge on Thursday 8/26 along with Cafuné.
Creek & Kills headlined the night to celebrate their big day. They played the songs from the EP, as well as some newer unreleased tracks that they’ve recently worked on. They were back in fighting shape with drummer Erin Harney behind the kit once again (last time we saw them, she was recovering from an injury but still on hand for her vocals), bringing her quirky post-punk sensibilities to the songs. Bassist Kate Bell handles most of the lead vocals, but she and Harney are both powerful vocalists and share many parts and harmonies, beautifully blending together. At one point someone asked for the PA to actually be turned down because Bell’s voice is just such a presence. She quipped that she has a BIG voice and it’s true, but hardly a bad thing, because it just serves to heighten a lot of the emotional crests and dramatic moments in the songs, particularly when she and Harney weave their voices together.
Before they played the song “September 15th,” they made it clear to the crowd where they stand on the issue of women’s rights to choose what happens to their own bodies, (is there any other stance to have on this issue though?). They re-affirmed their commitment to playing and setting up shows with other women and non-binary artists as well; they regularly and diligently work to set up shows and include as many non-men on the lineups as possible. This is a commitment I deeply respect and wish more bands would make, particularly bands with all cis male lineups, because to be frank, bands with women/non-binary/queer members made these commitments long ago either explicitly or not, and we continue to do the work to make it happen each and every show we play. It would be nice to see men stepping it up, but in the meantime, I am grateful for bands like these who come together to make these nights happen. It makes the grind and irritation of existing in this world and in these times just a little bit more bearable, and I’ll take any of that I can get, any time I can get it.
Scroll down for pics of the show (photos by Kate Hoos)
SWEETBREADS
GROUPIE
CREEK & KILLS
by Kate Hoos | Aug 20, 2021
Weeping Icon at TV Eye (photo by Kate Hoos)
Weeping Icon was one of the very last bands I saw before everything shut down in 2020 (I covered that night for Brooklyn Vegan), and they just played their first show back in the (semi) after times at TV Eye along with Patti and Couch Slut. I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again, and continue to say it, I love shows where all the bands are a different sound/vibe/genre (whatever word you want to ascribe really), that I can really sink my teeth into with interesting and complex music rather than just a few bands all doing the same thing. That’s not fun for me as a fan and I’m sure not for anyone else. This show hit all the right spots for me and these three bands all sounded pretty different from each other (though Weeping Icon and Couch Slut certainly have close similarities at times) and I loved each and every moment all of them were on stage.
Patti started out the night and immediately snared me with their slinky groove laden post punk. The wirey, sinuous basslines and frenetic drumming paired with the anxious guitar locked in perfectly together and made for a super fun opening set. It almost seemed like the band was on the brink of chaotically careening off the edge of a cliff at some points, but always managed to pull themselves back just in time. I was unfamiliar with them before the show but I can guarantee I’ll be going back to see them again as soon as I can. I’ve been listening to their 2019 album, Good Big, while editing the pics and prepping this post and it’s just as energetic and feverish as their live show.
Couch Slut can only be described as having a MASSIVE presence. They began with the hum of guitars, slowly building to a wall of feedback that crackled in the air before tearing fully into their incendiary set. Stoner, sludge, noise, punk, doom, heavy metal- there is no one word to fully describe them- they are all of these at the same time and more, a punishing avalanche barreling full force at the listener in song after song. While the guitar onslaught is brutally heavy, the lyrics are just as weighty and incredibly topical; they don’t shy away from difficult subjects to spare the audience any comfort and address themes of substance abuse, child trafficking, violence against women and give all a respectful examination. Vocalist Megan Osztrosits hits a visceral emotional resonance in her performance, reaching a striking level of intensity that is startling and astonishing in its depth.
They have a song on an upcoming comp, Silence Is A Dangerous Sound: A Tribute to Fugazi, which is coming out via Ripcord Records on 10/1 (pre-orders are up now) and will benefit Tribe Animal Sanctuary Scotland. The comp features 43 songs, and to say I am VERY excited about it would be an understatement; I’ve already placed my pre-order. You can hear Couch Slut‘s cover of “Full Disclosure,” now on Stereogum; trust me when I say, you need to go listen to it right now.
Weeping Icon headlined the evening and I was so happy to see them again, I really missed their dark-wave post punk ways. Their set is not so much a band playing some songs on stage for some people in the crowd- though there is nothing wrong with bands who do that- but this is a full on experience, an invitation into something more. Their performances are like a look into a gloomy space filled with dirty, distorted bass, hazy effects, and horror movie-esque instrumental/sample laden intervals in between songs rather than the typical awkward stage banter, keeping the audience rapt and locked in.
The songs can range from extended smokey, stoner doom-esque passages, to pivot over to more driving noise punk with hammering drums, punctuated by pointed lyrics from duel vocalists, guitarist Sara F. and drummer Lani. Thematically they live up to their self descriptor of “sarcasm dopegaze,” with a critical and snarky eye turned to consumption, social media use, and overall critique of the decaying world we find ourselves inhabiting. The band doesn’t have any further dates planned at the moment, but I will be sure to keep my eyes out for that so I can be there when they do announce something.
The world feels uncertain as fuck, to put it in loose terms, because really, there is no other way to describe it. Life continues to somewhat spiral, yet somehow chug along at the same time for a weird, at many times uncomfortable and disconnected existence. But while that may be the case, nights like this and bands like these make me feel at least somewhat tethered to something, something worth holding onto.
Scroll down for pics of the show (photos by Kate Hoos)
PATTI
COUCH SLUT
WEEPING ICON
by Kate Hoos | Aug 19, 2021
Lung (photo by Rachelle Caplan)
The powerful Cincinnati cello/drums duo Lung are poised to release their stunning and masterful new album, Come Clean Right Now. As I said when I reviewed one of the earlier singles for the album, “Air” (read here), I was absolutely jaw on the floor blown away the first time I saw them (playing with the great Trophy Wife in the summer of 2016); that awe has not faded since and they have become one of my absolute favorite bands. They continue to raise the bar again and again with every release- a rare feat as every artist hits their slumps or can miss the mark with any given song or album- but that seems to have completely missed this band.
The band has a dark feel musically overall, as one would imagine with a cello in the mix, and thanks to the help of a twin bass amp/distortion pedal combination, they take the tenebrous potential of the cello and combine all of this to create an intense, utterly bombastic tidal wave of sound that is HUGE. If it wasn’t obvious from the description of that setup, this is not chamber music, this is ROCK plain and simple. Big riff energy abounds with a strong hard rock, grunge and punk influence running throughout all of their releases; I can almost hear a metal or hardcore band shredding on any one of their explosive songs.
While they nail the gigantic stadium sized sounds, they also have beautiful layers and nuance as well, particularly vocally as singer/cellist Kate Wakefield is classically trained and sings with an operatic flair to lift these songs up to an entirely other level that not many other vocalists can touch. Taking full advantage of the studio environment, at many points the vocals are gorgeously layered, multiple tracks harmonized with each other, which adds sparkle to her already magical delivery.
Come Clean Right Now is packed full of gems from start to finish, dusky tunes carried through by the persistent cello chug and rock solid drumming of Daisy Caplan; he hits hard to perfectly match Wakefield in delivery without ever stomping over the songs. An overly busy drummer could ruin the vibe, but Caplan is a wizard behind the kit and knows exactly how and when to push and pull with Wakefield to make the most of each moment.
The album is also full of emotions, the songs weaving an expressive tapestry of love, rage, pain, joy and more. The lead up to the album saw the release of three singles, the first being the commanding and mid tempo tune “Sun God.” Here, Wakefield’s vocal prowess is on full display for an absolute highlight of the album. As the song hits its crest, the line “I see the world is filled with senseless beauty, I wish to magnify this sweetness fully,” is repeated again and again with the vocals stacked several times over, and on each layer, she sings something different to bring a complex texture to the mix; I challenge anyone to listen to that and not immediately get goosebumps.
For the next single “Air,” a frantic cello riff opens the track with a complementing rapid fire floor tom pattern keeping pace before the song very quickly e x p l o d e s into the chorus- an absolutely MASSIVE and visceral wall of sound that crashes into the listener like a wrecking ball. The lyrics are a fervent plea to a lover- who is revered, needed more than water or air or anything else- and the strong emotions Wakefield conveys are palpable throughout. “I’m Nervous,” is bouncier and begins with the line “I get so angry that it hurts but then say everything’s just fine,” and if that didn’t hold a mirror up to my face…I absolutely related to the frustration and exhaustion on display here. “Feels like my feet are hanging from a rocky cliff,” another real moment for me and I think just about anyone else after the last several years we have all collectively lived through.
The song “Sorry,” had particular emotional resonance for me and was a very big standout. The chorus is all at once sorrowful but also a damning condemnation of the other party in a failed relationship: “You never really said, never really said, said you’re sorry. But you never were the best, never were the best at being wrong. And you thought I never saw all the little flaws in your story so I always played along.” It’s unclear if this was a romantic connection, a friendship, or a collaborative working relationship and it doesn’t have to be. The pain of the deceit and loss Wakefield feels as a result of the breakdown of this connection pours out here in particular, both via the lyrics and through the punky insistence of the cello paired with Caplan’s bulldozer drum roll, which he adeptly deploys to emphasize the intensity of the emotions. The feelings expressed here are ones any of us can relate to when things go wrong with another person, and unfortunately we can also carry them with us for a long time to come after the other person is gone either literally or figuratively.
Other highlights include the rapid fire syncopated romp, “Sugar Pill,” and the more muted, “Wave,” which starts out with a more classical cello sound only to quickly rip itself apart to reveal a hard rocking chorus to just quickly dip right back again to a lush and beguiling passage. The album closer “Arrow,” which sees some of the same traditional cello sounds starting off before again bursting at the seams then skittering back and forth between these alternating musical approaches. Ending on this high point, the song has a hopeful note, a plea to a lover- that could easily also be applicable to a treasured friend or loved one- a plea we surely all find inside of ourselves as we continue to navigate an uncertain world: “Give me love, give me darkness, as the fates keep changing hands, as the strange world surrounds us, keep my heart from sleeping….And the earth keeps on turning, each day faster than the rest, keep me here in this moment, keep my slow heart burning.”
There simply are so few other bands currently making music at this level, with this emotional resonance and with such innovation and poise. Lung is in a class all by themselves and this album is the just the latest in a string of incredible releases from them. It is expressive, explosive, and an exceptionally powerful gift to the world.
Come Clean Right Now comes out 8/20 on Sofaburn Records.
Lung at Ladyfest Cincinnati, Oct 2017 (photo by Kate Hoos)
Check out this article which gives more details on the process the band used to write and record the album during the pandemic in 2020.
Lung will be embarking on a lengthy tour with Mac Sabbath starting on 9/1 in Salt Lake City; they will perform in New York on 9/16 at LPR; Check the tour poster for when they’ll be in your city.
Watch the videos for “Air,” “Sun God,” and “I’m Nervous” below
by Kate Hoos | Aug 17, 2021
Julien Baker performing at Rough Trade in 2017 (photo by Ellen Qbertplaya)
Julien Baker has announced an upcoming EP Little Oblivions Remixes, and recently released the first track “Bloodshot,” which was remixed by Helios. While I was slightly disappointed to find that there is no collaboration with Boards of Canada on the EP, I am very excited to hear what this collection has in store. I know I have the reputation that I’m “just a punk,” and folks who have asked me to review things for the blog have said “but I know you only like heavy music,” so perhaps it’s confusing that I’m the one writing up this release. Yes, it is a fact that I consider myself a “punk” first and foremost and I love heavy, fast and loud music above just about anything else, but it is definitely not even remotely true that that’s all that I like.
I am in fact a big fan of Baker’s work (and she’s a punk too ffs) and have had a long standing, albeit mostly casual on and off relationship with ambient and atmospheric music (one I should probably explore more). I do enjoy a lot of Helios’ earlier releases too which also may come as a surprise to some readers. More than that, I’m really a postmodernist at heart, so I absolutely love re-interpretations of existing work and what new things can come out in the deconstruction and rebuilding process. Like an audio collage that tears something down to its roots to paste it back up again, it really expands the range of sonic possibilities and I am all about that. With all of that being the case, I was rather delighted to hear this collaborative effort between these two artists. It ticks a lot of boxes for me for sure.
Baker already nails some otherworldly qualities in her music all on her own, hitting unimaginable highs at several points across her catalog, but the combination with Helios takes it off in a totally different direction- still intense but without being so direct, an atmospheric contemplation on an already strong song that hits those same kinds of highs in a cleverly indirect way. The overall sonic vibe of the two versions of “Bloodshot,” seem to be not all that far off from each other to start, but as the song proceeds onward and particularly after the bridge, the original builds to a harder hitting crescendo with frenzied drums before tapering off to slide away quietly. While the remix does hit it’s own crest, it’s a more muted version before drifting out and leaving us to reflect.
Vocally the real differences emerged for me. Throughout the remix, the vocals almost seem to hide out at points, still audible and there, but not so potent in the mix. The high point of the song is the line, “There’s no glory in love only the gore of our hearts. Let it come for my throat, take me and tear me apart.” On the original song this comes at the listener in a direct and straightforward way. Here on the remix, Helios has recast this: the slight pause in the music comes as in the original, before the vocals come in warbling, Baker’s delivery now transformed to a gossamery almost intangible shimmer; somewhere off in the ether, she emerges as a not quite corporeal form, a bright flash in the shadows for a startling moment before dipping back into the dark again. This song serves as a gorgeous first look at the upcoming six song Little Oblivions Remixes EP which will feature remixes/reworking by Half Waif, Jesu, Gori and more.
Read a joint interview with Baker and Keith Kenniff of Helios describing how the collaboration came about and the remixing process.
Little Oblivions Remixes will be out September 1st on Matador Records; Baker will embark on a fall tour starting on September 3rd in Birmingham, AL; She will perform in New York on September 14th at Beacon Theater.
by Kate Hoos | Aug 17, 2021
Frida Kill (photo by Kate Hoos)
It was a dark and stormy night……wait isn’t that the start of a scary campfire story? Well turns out it is also applicable to punk shows on a steamy Leo night, as this was exactly the case when Gal Fieri, Frida Kill, Spite Fuxxx, and Grandma hit the stage at Our Wicked Lady for the birthday bash Jeanette Moses of Frida Kill (and also an FTA contributor!). The rooftop of OWL is (mostly) covered but the roof is translucent so it made for some really dramatic views of the lightning, mainly during Frida Kill’s set, with rain blowing in the open sides of the walls near the stage. Fortunately nothing got bad enough that it got in the way of the show and things went off without a hitch. This night was stacked from top to bottom, I got to see two of my favorite bands and discover two more artists that I now love too, a win win if you ask me.
Gal Fieri kicked off the night and I looooved their set. They are brand new and this was just their second show; if the performance they gave is any indication, this is a band to watch. I loved their energy and the heavy bass riffs (readers already know how much I absolutely love heavy bass/drums rock bands) and their sound falls more firmly into the post-punk realm than straight up punk, but you’ll hear no complaints from me on that. When I spoke to their bassist Laura Toth afterwards to gush/fan girl a little bit, she told me early The Garden had been an influence. Being unfamiliar with that band, I gave them a listen while editing the pics and immediately heard the connection; I also felt some Two Ton Boa vibes in their sound as well. All this is to say, I am very anxious for when they get some music recorded, and I absolutely will be going to see them again at their next show.
Frida Kill was up next and they played a really amped up set, all the songs were faster and had even more crunchy energy than usual. They opened with a rollicking sped up version of one of my favorites of theirs, “Mujeres Con Mangos,” which set the tone for their set and kept the party vibes going strong. The lightning really picked up while they were playing, adding some really fun pyro effects too (sadly I was not able to capture pics of that) to hype up the garagey motorik vibe of their music. Vocals are mostly handled by guitarist/bassist Lily Gist and bassist/drummer Maria Lina, but guitarist/birthday girl Jeannette also came up to the mic for a song, “Dancing With My Demons,” which was a highlight of the night. There may or may not having been silly Happy Birthday singing from the crowd as well (there definitely was and it was really cute!).
Spite Fuxxx always puts on a powerhouse performance and were extra on it at this show, ripping through all my favorites and more, singer MG Stillwagon spending at least 1/3 of the show in the crowd. This was their last show of the summer (don’t worry they’ll be back soon enough) so they definitely left us with a nice parting gift as they raged with the special synthy trash punk blend only they can bring to the stage. They’ll be re-emerging in time for Halloween to play a Hole cover set and I am manifesting that they will also return with some new songs as well, because I am READY.
Grandma (featuring Leslie of Haybaby) closed out the evening and brought a more low-key electro vibe to wind us down slowly, letting us chillllll for a bit before wandering back out into the humid night. I think all shows should close like this, give me a little time to calm down and cool off, vibe out and reflect. I absolutely could get into this as a norm. Not sure if Grandma has any recordings (I was unable to find any but will amend if I do) but if not, I really hope she records soon because I would love to be able to listen at home, especially when editing photos to get in the zone.
Scroll down for pics of the show (photos by Kate Hoos)
GAL FIERI
FRIDA KILL
SPITE FUXXX
GRANDMA
