Desert Sharks with A Very Special Episode (photo by Jeanette D. Moses)
Desert Sharks, Brooklyn’s favorite gloomy grunge punks released a stellar EP last year, The Tower, and ahead of an impending tour to SXSW are releasing a split DS+ AVSE with fellow grungey BK band, A Very Special Episode. Having already released a video for the first single, “Deeper,” today they release a video for the companion track, “Siren Song,” and FTA is pleased to give you the exclusive first look!
The track finds the band in some of their darkest waters yet, leaning in to a slower, gloomgaze sound reminiscent of titans of that genre like Hum or Cloakroom, easily standing shoulder to shoulder with them. The guitars circle around and envelop the listener in a thick wall of sound while vocalist Stephanie Gunther hauntingly declares “I want to drown under the waves of your gaze.”
The companion video was directed by Brendan McKnight and offers a chilly glimpse into the forbidding world of “Siren Song,” a place you might not make it back from if you aren’t careful. Watch the video in full below.
Brooklyn’s own “surf-rock-on-Neptune grooves” art punk extraordinaires, Tea Eater, had a BIG 2023: gigging all around town, releasing their excellent debut album, Obsession, and embarking on their first European tour, spreading their special brand of noise that filters through the anxiety of modern life while “inviting you to shed your baggage and transmute your neurosis into something worth dancing about.” Wasting no time and keeping busy, they are heading right into the action in 2024, hitting us with a brand new video from one of the stand out tracks from the album, “Has Been,” which was shot, directed and edited by their past collaborator, Emily Hughston Hoffman.
Frontwoman Tarra Thiessen had this to share about the song/video:
The song is based on the movie Ladies & Gentlemen the Fabulous Stains and some of the verse lyrics are taken from lines from the movie— ‘Who get s a cut when there is no pie,’ and ‘Who do you trust when in line to die,’ and the ‘suckers’ bridge is inspired by this scene. Basically relating that picture of being a new band in the music industry in the early 80s to today and seeing how not much has changed (with how the industry is still set up to exploit artists, the pressure to have growing numbers on social media/Spotify, and stay ‘buzzy’ even if it feels like they’re only there for surface level internet points and don’t always have the utility value to get people out to shows or support you financially). The song is also a play on the word ‘has been’ since the internet content machine makes everything you create feel so disposable and makes you feel like a ‘has been’ faster than ever.
She further elaborated:
But it’s also totally fine! Brooklyn really has been fine, fun, and has a very special and supportive community. There are also so many positive ways to connect with people more directly these days on other platforms like Twitch/Discord/E-mail lists. So even though the lyrics of this song lean towards the snarky side, I am very grateful!
This is a sentiment many (or most of us) can certainly relate to and Thiessen and co perfectly capture the uncomfortable reality of sitting with those feelings and wondering what the hell we’re gonna do next while still acknowledging the good we can find amongst the static, too. Take an exclusive first look at the brand new video below:
Noisy postpunk band, A Very Special Episode, are staples in the Brooklyn DIY scene known equally for their work ethic, striking visuals and intense live shows. They are on the eve of releasing a brand new album, Freak Me Out, which incorporates themes of horror, cults and their intersection with pop culture. We were intrigued so we sent some questions over to the band which bassist/vocalist Kasey Heisler and guitarist Patrick Porter were nice enough to answer for us. Find out more about the band and the album below:
Tell us a bit about who you are as a band.
Kasey: Three doofuses having fun and trying to start a fire hoping other people will come to the party and hang with us.
You draw upon movies and other music for influence. What are some of the influences for this record and for the band in general? Can you talk a little about how those outside influences shaped the writing of Freak Me Out?
Patrick: Personally, I’ve been very inspired by the two feature films Beyond the Black Rainbow and Mandy by Panos Cosmatos. They’re like the world’s slowest but most visceral roller coasters. As best I can I’ve tried to recreate the experiences and emotions those two movies have given me as I’ve watched them.
How much actual self-discovery went into the making of this record?
Patrick: Well, we ended up booking both chunks of studio time before all of the actual songs were written so that provided very fertile ground for self discovery. Thankfully it resulted in success (we think).
What was your favorite thing about recording at Studio G?
Kasey: Everything about it felt legitimate and special but I would say mostly it was working with Jeff Berner and Ross Colombo, and how collaborative the experience got to be with them in finding the sound and all the weird ways we could get there.
Patrick: Like Kasey said, it was a blast working with Jeff and Ross and it was also nice recording within walking distance of our home. It was also just really fun playing with all their pedals and equipment for overdubs.
How much does the Brooklyn DIY community tie into your identity and your sound as a band. And can you speak a little to that?
Kasey: I feel like we really found our sound and identity the more that we began to find our community there. And have you ever been to a show to see your friends and they kick so much ass it makes you mad and jealous?? That can be incredibly motivating.
Patrick: Everyone in the scene is so creative and constantly pushes us to think outside the box on how to expand our sound and step up our game. It’s like our peers give us permission to feel brave enough to take risks and make bold choices in our tunes, and I hope we do the same for them!
The world is tough to navigate a lot of the time these days, and it can be hard to stay motivated. How do you stay inspired to keep going and doing what you’re doing with all the bullshit of life coming at you and the challenges of being independent musicians on top of it?
Kasey: I am fairly bad at staying motivated when things around me become difficult but Patrick is always using everything around him to inspire new musical or visual ideas and he ends up inspiring me the most.
AVSE live at EWEL (photo by Kate Hoos)
What do you get up to outside of the band?
Kasey: These days it’s mostly band stuff, but being a TV couch potato is an origin story for me and my tendency persists for sure. Good TV, bad TV, I’m here for it.
Going back to movies, got any hot recommendations? Some obscure or cult classics we should know about?
Patrick: I recently watched Infinity Pool, Skinamarink, and Barbarian—all of which are new releases I recommend. I also really did fall into a Criterion rabbit hole recently; Brand upon the Brain is an incredibly weird silent movie from 2006 that really stuck with me that deserves more eyes.
If you could interview any cult leader from all cults throughout history, who would you interview?
Kasey: I got really drawn into NIXIM through The Vow on HBO as a lot of people did and I would love to interview Keith Raniere just to find out how he was persuasive enough to get a bunch of fairly successful people from around the world—including working actors and filmmakers living in LA—to move to Albany.
If animals were cults, what cult would cats be and what cult would dogs be?
Patrick: Cats and dogs already have their own well established cults; have you talked to a passionate cat or dog owner? They may not have a well defined name but that doesn’t mean they aren’t already a thing. For more proof, ask Kasey or myself at the next show you see us at the crazy things we’d do on behalf of our cats.
Would you rather be in a money cult or sex cult?
Kasey: Money cults are less terrible but sex cults get all the attention…
Patrick: Is there any such thing as a consensual sex cult? Probably not…
Do you believe in aliens?
Patrick: If they’re out there and we made contact they’re probably more weird and horrible than we can possibly imagine so I’m glad we haven’t yet.
Would you spend a year on Mars (all expenses paid)?
Kasey: Hell no, I don’t even know how I’m gonna be on tour for the better part of a month.
AVSE live at EWEL (photo by Kate Hoos)
Flash forward to a few months from now and the record is out, and everyone is buying it hand over fist, how will you be sure this whole thing wasn’t actually a grift?
Kasey: At that point, will it matter? One man’s grift is another man’s self discovery after all.
Patrick: While it’s definitely not a grift, there’s no sure fire way to prove it. That said, I highly recommend the vinyl combo with the tote bag.
Freak Me Out releases in full via EWEL records on 6/23/23
If you like a rocking indie Americana vibe, Leathered are the best in the biz, and “Prayer” is indeed a three minute slice of what Leathered does best: crunchy guitar, crisp drums, loping bass and Amanda B. Jun’s slightly weathered, strong voice over everything. Their album A Reckoning was one of my favorites last year, and “Prayer” is a track from that release, now debuting as a single with a music video directed by visual artist and musician Holly Overton. We are thrilled to give you the exclusive first look!
Of the song, Jun shares: “There seems to be an escalation of—and tolerance for—senseless, daily acts of violence. Every day. The mass shootings, the murders against Black, disabled and trans folks, wars, the increasing restrictions on basic bodily autonomy and self-determination…it feels like there is no relief. This song is definitely a prayer.”
The video was shot at Brooklyn’s Sunview Luncheonette and Trinity Cemetery, and features the band walking around the cemetery and playing at the diner, with Jun as a server and members of fellow Brooklyn band Frida Kill appearing as customers. The juxtaposition of the subway train passing by the cemetery, movement beside stillness, is perfect imagery for the song (the diner may perhaps be on the train at times.) Overton shares “The tone of the song is sincere and existential, so I kept the treatment of the visuals pretty straightforward…We talked about the diner as this neutral place [where] most any kind of person can find respite from the weight of the world.”
Jangly Brooklyn powerpop heroes and stalwarts of the DIY scene, Safe Houses, are releasing a pair of brand new digital only singles this week—”Someday Is Starting Now (Julia)”/”I Don’t Feel Like Dancing”—and have an accompanying video for “Someday Is Starting Now” which we here at Full Time Aesthetic are thrilled to premiere today!
Directed by Jamie Frey and Tasha Lutek, the video sees the band in a place they called home for many years, the beloved and deeply missed DIY spot, Pet Rescue, which was founded by Safe Houses’ guitarist/singer Brian LaRue and was unfortunately forced to close last year. (Read our farewell piece.) Both songs have been longtime crowd favorites and staples of the band’s setlist and are being released in studio recorded form for the first time. They share that the songs are a “one-two powerpop punch, where the sting of unemployment, loneliness, and depression is swabbed with a salve of self-effacement, gallows humor and, ultimately, hope. They’re fitting salvos, following the rocky re-opening of NYC nightlife, a reboot of the band’s lineup, a legally mandated band name change (long story), and a series of sweaty gigs. Safe Houses are still standing. If you are too, let’s party.”
“Someday Is Starting Now (Julia)”/”I Don’t Feel Like Dancing” is available 5/9 via the University of Space Recording Company on all major streaming audio platforms. The band will play a release show at Our Wicked Lady on 5/9 with No Jersey, Mean 2 Me and Trash TV.
Watch the video below and keep up with the band on Instagram.
Hello and welcome to FTA’s list of what we are excited for this Bandcamp Friday, aka every music nerds favorite day! A bunch of us weighed in on what we’ve been into lately and we’ve got plenty of goodies old and new for you to dig into over a wide range of genres. But don’t take our word for it, dive into these tracks/albums and judge for yourself. Feel free to let us know what you think and tell us your suggestions.
Goblin Daycare– Q: EP? A: EP!! If you follow me on social media, you’ll likely know my nickname at work (and increasingly otherwise) is “the Goblin,” so you can imagine my reaction when I first saw the name of this band and that I thought it was very funny; of cooooourse I had to listen! The project of “Mama Goblin” (I’m okay sharing names here, ha!) it’s billed as “lo-fi punk for low-life punks/bedroom punk,” and sounds like it was recorded in said bedroom’s closet beneath a layer of cozy blankets. It’s fast and freaky and indeed very lo-fi—in all the best ways—with standout songs about killing landlords, “Landlordocide!” and hating cops “Officer Down!:)” so right in line with my world view too. This is a really fun way to spend eight minutes and thirteen seconds.
Necking– Cut Your Teeth. In the last year or so, it seems like I keep hearing a ton of great stuff coming out of Canada (Bad Waitress, The Dog Indiana, Hot Garbage and Gloin to name a few), and when I recently watched an episode of a popular TV show on Showtime (aka Yellowjackets) I discovered yet another addition to my list. Necking performs their song “Big Mouth” in a scene on the show and while watching I thought “this is pretty good I should look it up,” which I did after the episode. Turns out the full album, Cut Your Teeth, is in fact really good and right in the wheelhouse of bands I already like anyway. The song in the show, “Big Mouth,” is definitely a standout, but my favorites from the album are “Still Exist” and “No Playtime.”
As an unabashed champion of all things DIY and local bands forever, I tip my hat to the music supervisor from Yellowjackets for picking a Vancouver local to get the nod to be on the show instead of bringing in a bigger more well known act. Here’s hoping a new album and perhaps a visit to NYC will not be too far off in the future for this “febreze punk” foursome.
Promyki– jeb jeb jeb. It’s noisy and raw, a bit lo-fi and also a little bit weird, almost like a riot grrrl band from 1992 and a noise rock band (from a nebulous time period) jammed in a blender. And I fucking love it. I was recently introduced to this Polish band via a music sharing “club” aka group on Facebook (one of the last remaining reasons I remain on that trash heap of a platform truth be told) and loved this, their brand new EP just released in March. They have a solid album, Plastik, which came out in 2022 that I also recommend. How do we get this band across the ocean and into a dive bar in Brooklyn? Asking for a friend.
Jenifun- Webmistress
The Anchoress– Versions EP 3. There’s just so much good stuff coming out of Wales right now. The Anchoress being one of them and so absolutely sublime.
Maid of Ace– Maid of Ace. Great stuff from England’s south coast.
Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs– Land of Sleeper. So loud, so good, such decent blokes too! I say this album, and especially the first track “Ultimate Hammer” on repeat! Check out our coverage from their recent NYC debut.
REZN– Solace. REZN released this album in March, and it’s six tracks of sludge metal goodness filled with heavy guitars, psychedelic vocals, and even the occasional saxophone. The whole album is great, but the standout track for me is the title-track, Solace. Recommended if you like Sleep, Monolord, or Dozer.
Lachlan Denton– Furnishings. Lachlan Denton hails from Melbs (as the Ausies call it). Sort of a follow up to his 2019 release, A Brother, which dealt with the grief of losing his brother the previous year, Furnishings continues with this grieving process. This time its four years down the road and we find Lachlan in the acceptance stage of the process. Furnishings provides the listener with a beautiful lo-fi set of songs which still has the sadness of loss looming over it but with a feeling of hopefulness and optimism creeping through the edges.
LoOn, The Jansen, & The Caroline’s– Flowery Melancholia. This six-song, three-way split-EP released on Indonesia’s Paska Records offers up a nice mix and indicative representation of what each of these three bands have to offer. (Side note: I was drawn to this EP solely based on the name off of the record label. Paska is also the name for Slovakian Easter bread and it brings fond memories to my brain). With Flowery Melancholia you get the fluffy feel good power pop of LoOn (think late Veronica Falls) and The Caroline’s (RIYL Allo Darlin‘) juxtaposed with the somewhat heavier and rockier feel of The Jansen (imagine The Ramones singing in Indonesian).
The Sprouts– Eat Your Greens. This Melbourne quartet makes jangly bedroom powerpop for the sad and lonely crowd. Simple melodies accompanied by just as simple instrumentation make this album sound like it was in fact recorded in a bedroom using Garageband. But in the case of Eat Your Greens, less is very much more and better; the lack of sonic clutter suits the material just perfectly. If you’re already a fan of the so-called Melbourne sound, Eat Your Greens ought to be an album that’ll tickle your fancy. And if you’re not, but still love some good old understated jangly power pop, use this one to start your journey down that Aussie rabbit hole.
