Bikini Kill have announced the rescheduled dates from their summer 2022 tour which they were forced to cancel after Covid hit their touring party. Commencing in March 2023, the tour will begin in Nashville and see the band hit three weeks of dates in New England, Canada, and the Midwest. Tickets go on sale Friday September 16 at noon; see below for all dates and highlights from their recent NYC show at Irving Plaza.
Bikini Kill 2023 Tour:
3/30- Nashville, TN @ Marathon Music Works
4/1- Atlanta, GA @ The Eastern
4/3- Asheville, NC @ The Orange Peel
4/4- Silver Spring, MD @ The Fillmore Silver Spring
4/6- Silver Spring, MD @ The Fillmore Silver Spring
4/7- Philadelphia, PA @ Franklin Music Hall
4/9- Boston, MA @ Roadrunner
4/10- South Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground
4/12- Montreal, QB @ M Telus
4/13- Toronto, ON @ Danforth Music Hall
4/14- Toronto, ON @ Danforth Music Hall
4/16- Cleveland, OH @ Agora Theatre
4/17- Royal Oak, MI @ Royal Oak Music Theatre
4/19- Milwaukee, WI @ Miller High Life Theatre
4/20- St. Paul, MN @ Palace Theatre
4/23- Knoxville, TN @ The Mill & Mine
But however you know him, Sean Spada shuffles back into our hearts with a brand new teaser track “The Wild Ride,” the title track from his forthcoming album which he describes as a “melodic journey into the distracted mind,” and “a collection of eccentric, piano driven songs that examine life in an overwhelming, unreal reality”
Spada elaborated on his music saying it “evok[es] idiosyncratic songwriters such as Todd Rundgren and Harry Nilsson,” with songs that “weave in and out of loungey grooves and off-kilter solos, incorporating Dr. John piano licks and narrative lyrics inspired by Randy Newman.”
You’ll have to wait until October 7th to hear the whole record, but in the meantime, we are happy to announce the album and give you the first listen to the lead off single today. 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.”
What an incredible summer we just had…well if you don’t factor in that we’re still in a global pandemic, the stripping of reproductive rights, the climate crisis, police brutality, the war in Ukraine, the water crisis in Mississippi…alas, not to downplay any of that because it all totally sucks, but musically speaking, what an incredible summer we just had. I feel excited every day that live music is back in full force and that so many incredible shows have been going on. I am also beyond lucky to not only run this blog and get to see a lot of music because of that, but that I also work in live music so I’m at shows most nights of the week, getting paid to take all of this beauty in. Even when I’m not actively going out of my way to see a show—which I often am anyway—there I am and loving it. It especially always feels like I’ve won the lottery when I’m working shows of artists I love.
I was reflecting back over the last few months and thought it would be fun to have a highlight reel of sorts of the summer and the many shows I was at June through the “cultural end of summer” aka Labor Day and the week attached to it (mainly so I could squeeze a few shows I knew I was shooting or working this week under the deadline). I got to see a lot of incredible music either because I was there as a fan or I was selling their merch or handing out credentials in the box office and I think a playlist is the perfect way to relive some of it.
There were the big weeks—seeing Rage Against the Machine, Man or Astro-Man? and Julien Baker (twice) in the span of seven days—and the seemingly head scratching moments that are actually totally on brand for me aka skipping a free ticket to Phoebe Bridgers to go to a house show and saw my friends play adjacent to a kitchen instead. (I worked her two BRIC shows so I did in fact get to see most of her set BUT even without that still would have chosen the house show because you know I would have.) The surreal—the Union Pool fire happening mere hours after seeing friends play there. And the legendary and emotional—seeing The Messthetics, spending three powerful nights with Jawbox, and being at Sons of Kemet’s last NYC show.
From death metal shows in Quebec to reggae in Central Park to Punk Island in the 100 degree heat, and shows at the edge of The Atlantic Ocean in Rockaway Beach, from living rooms to arenas to parks and patios and everywhere in between, I had a grand summer of amazing music.
I was getting very excited to share some songs from these artists that I loved and then I thought why not include some of the shows the other contributors brought to FTA too? Because they brought a ton of great stuff to the table! Shows I wish I could have been at myself if only I could split myself into two—sometimes three—people a night. The hard part of this list too was picking only one song by all of these artists, the eternal struggle really. But all of these artists are deserving of your time so whether it’s a new artist to you, or a familiar song you’ve heard before, let them all serve as a gateway to some great musical exploration.
This playlist encompasses a very wide array of genres/styles and has plenty to dig into. So listen in order, skip around or put it on shuffle and see where it takes you. Most importantly, enjoy!
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 LOTS 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.
Goolagoon– Life of Crime. “Patrickviolence” aka Deep sea queer powerviolence with a SpongeBob motif (though just artwork wise, not lyrically like other “theme” bands such as the X Files themed F. Emasculata or Ned Flanders themed Okilly Dokilly) I recently thought about this band and pulled them off the shelf again after a while. I don’t tend to be big into powerviolence in general, but there is something about this band that I’ve always loved. I’m not sure if they are still active and their most recent post on Instagram from earlier this summer reads: “GOOLAGOON has been committed—we have been unable to print more merch and play shows due to all of us being absolutely insane” but these songs still slay and stand tall. The title track which calls out abusive men is the real standout here and my favorite. Hope to see more from this band in the future, you know when they get back on the outside.
Julien Baker– B-Sides. Extra tracks from the Little Oblivions sessions that didn’t make the album, I find these three tracks excellent slices that show the past, present, and a nod to perhaps the future of Baker’s exceptional body of work. Read my full review.
Middle-Aged Queers– Too Fag For Love. I discovered this band right before I sat down to write out my entries for this list when I saw a show flyer for another band I know (the way I still discover a lot of music truth be told), and never has a band name felt closer to who I am. Proving us punx over 40 are still fun and dare I say flirty, this group hails from the Bay Area and has all the hallmarks of the classic Lookout! pop punk sound that I was obsessed with in the mid 90s (complete with a Green Day Kerplunk flower spoof t-shirt). It was love at first listen to their debut, Too Fag For Love, and I knew right away I had to include them on my list for this month. I also found myself forking over my gay ass money pretty much immediately for a copy of their 10inch record AND the accompanying “go fuck yourself” Golden Girls t-shirt. With merch like that and lyrics in their theme song like “We are the queers. The Middle-Aged Queers. We’re the fucking queers. Go fuck yourself” I think you all already know this band speaks to me on a deep level.
Surfyer– Surf In Blood. I’m not sure who is ready for this collection of ten Slayer shreds reworked to reverb soaked surf jams, but I sure as hell was when I learned of its existence. I’ve already established in this blog that I love off kilter covers (read our listicle of favorite covers) and this? Wow was this ever an example of that! So far these ten songs seem to be all the band ever did but here is holding out hope that they hit more thrash classics and drench them in reverb. SURF IS METAL METAL IS SURF \m/
Unsanitary Napkin– All Billionaires Are Bastards. Blistering anarcho-punk from Te Whanganui-a-Tara, Aotearoa, (Māori for Wellington, New Zealand). A deeply political band with razor sharp wit, absolutely ZERO words are minced on these 12 fucking rippers and I often find myself hitting play on track one again immediately after the last song is finished (that last song being a cover of the 1978 Crass classic “Do They Owe Us a Living?”). The stand out for me is “Dildo Baggins,” a minute and a half of pure rage with a beautifully nasty bass line and rapid fire drumming. Also quite possibly the only political song I’ve ever heard that combines mention of chucking sex toys at politicians (based on a 100% true story) with references to The Hobbit and Lucy Lawless—which you know is ticking a whole hell of a lot of boxes for me in one fell swoop.
Chantal- Contributing Writer
Bev Rage & The Drinks– Exes & Hexes. Fronted by drag queen Bev Rage, this Chicago-based group puts out fun poppy queer punk that will have you bouncing.
Folklore– Constellations Form And Fall Apart: Dadurday Light Soundtrack, Vol.1. Folklore is a band that put out a few albums of lush, story-based songwriting over a decade ago that I thoroughly enjoyed. They’ve resurfaced and are releasing music again, including this, a soundtrack to a series of video shorts which are easily enjoyed on their own.
The newest issue of the zine The History of Heavy Metal is finally here! Look for a forthcoming review on this blog; in the meantime, you can snag a copy right now.
Edwina Hay- Contributing Photographer
Big Joanie– Back Home. London’s Big Joanie will release their sophomore record on Kill Rock Stars in the US in November and I can’t wait to hear the full record when it is released then.
Katie Alice Greer– Barbarism. The former frontperson for the Washington, DC punk band Priests released a solo album in June.
The Koreatown Oddity– ISTHISFORREAL? I loved Little Dominique’s Nosebleed that was released in June 2020 and have been digging their newest album too.
Mr. Muthafuckin’ eXquire– This is a single originally released a decade ago that finally hit Bandcamp digitally in June but will be released on a 7″ in a couple of months. Features a b-side with Danny Brown and fellow NY rappers Despot, El-P, and Das Racist (RIP).
Wrecking Crew– Sedale Threat. Wrecking Crew (rappers Zilla Rocca, Curly Castro, and PremRock) released an album that takes its name after a basketball player that played for the Philadelphia 76ers, Chicago Bulls, Seattle SuperSonics and the L.A. Lakers.
Jenifun- Webmistress
Adwaith – Lipstick Coch. Every song on the album ‘Melyn’ is a banger, particularly this one.
Bad Waitress – Strawberry Milkshake. Can’t stop listening to this—so I’ve added it to three of my playlists and I don’t care.
Bis – This Is Fake D.I.Y. Blew me away when I was very young, and still does to this very day.
JOHN (TIMES TWO) – Future Thinker. Two piece punk with a gruff voiced lead singing drummer, enough said!
Petrol Girls – Fight For Our Lives Ft Janey Starling. Money from this Bandcamp-only release goes to LevelUp who help people access healthcare. It’s a common misnomer that abortion is legal in England, Scotland, and Wales, but it isn’t and there are actually significant barriers in place to prevent those seeking abortion care from receiving it. (Read more detailed info at the LevelUp link.)
King Hannah– I’m Not Sorry, I Was Just Being Me. Liverpool duo Craig Whittle and Hannah Merrick recently released their gorgeous debut I’m Not Sorry, I Was Just Being Me. Low-key, moody, atmospheric sounds for fans of Mazzy Starr, PJ Harvey, and Portishead. Check out the subdued enthusiasm of ‘Go-Kart Kid (Hell No!).
Trash Moth– s/t. Recently featured in an FTA piece for the album release, Brooklyn’s Amelia Hazen unleashed her album Trash Moth on August 19th. See the article for more details on this labor of love.
TV Priest– My Other People. London post-punk band released their 2nd album My Other People in June as the follow up to their excellent debut Uppers. Finally able to tour after not hitting the road for their debut album in 2021, TV Priest has been tearing up stages including NYC’s own Baby’s All Right earlier this summer.
Mike Borchardt- Contributing Writer
Baby Delgado– Don’t Cry. Some industrial heavy synthy goth goodness perfect for dancing while out roaming and embracing the night.
Bummer Camp– s/t. The long awaited release from the self-proclaimed goth pop rocker dropped last week. Dive face-first into layers upon layers of sound that evoke melancholic Summer evenings, shed some tears as you peel away the onion and discover Eli Frank.
Dad– Human Garbage. The original Dad is back and their 2022 release Human Garbage will knock you down and rip your face off. Still heavy as fuck, get ready to party with your Dad like it’s 2017 all over again.
The Royal They– Foreign Being. Completely sold out of every copy. Ages ago. But the band is back after a three year complete silence and are working on new material, so in the meantime, why not revisit this 2018 masterpiece? And if you message the band, maybe they can find you a spare cassette tape that fell thru the cracks, but probably not.
A Very Special Episode– Fix Your Hearts or Die. Do you like noisy guitars, thunderous drums, and killer vocals? You (along with everyone else) probably already scooped this David Lynch inspired red vinyl soundscape, but if for some reason you haven’t, the band has a few remaining copies in stock.
Nick AD- Contributing Writer
Harvest of Ash– Ache and Impulse. Pulverizing, yet melodic doom/sludge out of Salt Lake City.
Heavy Looks– Apathy. Power pop from Madison, Wisconsin. First record in 7 years!
KMES.– King Mike Entertainment System.Fun and infectious garage rock from Screaming Females bassist, King Mike! Also featuring Jenna Fairey of Spowder on drums.
TEEEL– We Live Here Now. Meticulously crafted and executed synthpop, maybe the best of TEEEL’s long career. “Airport Rosé” is a Song of the Year contender.
Ray Rusinak- Contributing Photographer
Lee Baines & The Glory Fires– Old-Time Folks. Alabama native, Lee Bains III and his band, The Gloryfires, released what just might be my favorite 2022 album. Baines, who has a NY connection in that he went to NYU, throughout his career has struggled with his rural southern roots and what it means to be a progressive southerner in today’s society. This dichotomy has played a heavy hand throughout his previous recorded output, from There Is A Bomb In Gilead (not available on Bandcamp) through Deconstructed through Youth Detention as it still does on this new one. The difference this time is, Baines decided to purposely tone down the loud scorching distortion filled guitars and with the help of Athens, GA’s David Barbe (producer). Baines’ poignant and thought provoking words truly shine on this one. Do yourself a favor and check this one out.
The Casual Dots aka the supergroup of Christina Billotte (Slant 6, Quix*o*tic), Kathi Wilcox (Bikini Kill, The Julie Ruin) and Steve Dore (Deep Lust) have just announced their first new record in 18 years, Sanguine Truth. Along with this announcement is the additional news that their infectious 2004 self titled debut will also be re-issued, appearing on vinyl for the first time. The band had done some reunion shows back in 2016 but has stayed relatively quiet as a group in the time period between the two records.
The first single “Frequency of Fear” recalls the same C86ish, bouncy sound of their previous work and is an infectious ear worm with Billotte’s pleasant vocals along side a snappy lead guitar lick. The album was engineered DC legend Don Zientara and mixed/produced by Guy Picciotto of Fugazi, with additional production and engineering for vocals by Eli Crews.
Sanguine Truth is available for pre-order now and will release in full on 9/23 via Ixor Stix Records. Listen below to the single and the first album.
Kathi Wilcox performing in Bikini Kill, 2022 (photo by Kate Hoos)
Nestled somewhere up the Hudson Valley between the Brooklyn-ex-pat hipster-adjacent village of New Paltz and the wealthy old hippie-art-kook community of Woodstock lies the former state capital, the quaint little town of Kingston NY. Once a major hub of Hudson River trade and travel for old New York, nowadays the sleepy little town is often forgotten by those of us forever buried in the hustle and bustle of NYC. However while many of us spend our days and nights drowning in the deep ends and graffiti’d overlaps of the NYC art communities, we often overlook some really great bands just a couple hours upstream.
Take Grampfather, the 4-piece rock band from Kingston who’s developed a varied musical styling over the years that takes on a category all its own. Hard to lay name to their genre, they blend layers of psychedelic elements with a garage pop twist, that goes down smooth with a carbonated sweet bubble aftertaste. Their new record 666G comes out Aug 19, and we have your exclusive first listen!
My first impressions of the record was that it was concertedly more structured and had a tighter focus than their older material. While the band, comprised of James Kwapisz (vocals, guitar), Jake Offermann (bass), Tony DiMauro (drums), and Andrew Blot (lead guitar) had previously done well crafting hazy jamier tunes in the past, they seem to have really begun to hone in on their stronger elements on their latest releases.
Right out the gate, opening track “Pawl Mawl Menthawls” immediately clues you in that this record will be taking a more angular and pointedly fun approach than we are used to from Grampfather. A little bit Modest Mouse and a little bit MGMT, it feels like riding your bike over the Williamsburg Bridge at dawn. The jangly guitar lines dance and bop perfectly over the bassline, and everything just pulls and soars right where it needs to before dropping you into the next track.
The band however has not completely abandoned their 60s surf-style element for which they are known. While the cast and lineup of players may have changed hands and evolved over the years, founding member Kwapisz has always been able to carry through a consistent thread to their musical influence. For this reason 666G maintains a sound that falls somewhere between creature feature and spy picture, almost a Munsters meets Hawaii 5-0 crossover episode just in time to hit the waves.
This being their second release of the year, (Gramppapies came out this past February) these tracks feel super fresh, and definitely lean a little more into those summer vibes as the lead single “Hot Dog Beach” with its hot n’ hazy grooves suggests. Not only can you hear the seagulls, but you can almost feel the sand between your toes and taste the salt in the air.
Listen to 666G below and download the album in full 8/19 on Bandcamp.
