If I’m feeling defeated or hopeless, there are few bands that can flip my mood as much as Death Valley Girls can. During the darkest moments of the pandemic, like many of us, I sure could get lost in some despair. But I had the gift of DVG’s 2020 album, Under the Spell of Joy, and like its title suggests, a surge of hope would come with every listen; I’d find myself smiling and finding my inner strength again as I bounced around my apartment. Bonnie Bloomgarden, the band’s lead vocalist and chief songwriter, possesses an infectious positivity that hits you like a laser beam. The group’s unique blend of garage, punk, and psychedelic pop gets you dancing like crazy as a form of mystical healing, and their brand new album, Islands in the Sky, takes the mysterious ecstasy to the next level. The record was recorded, mixed, produced, and engineered by Mark Rains at Station House Studio and is released today on Suicide Squeeze.
Islands in the Sky, more than any of their other albums to date, is intended to be a form of musical self-care, both for the listener and for the band members themselves. Bloomgarden originally came up with the concept of the record while she was bed-ridden with a mysterious illness from November 2020 to March 2021. In a statement she elaborates: “When I was sick, I started to wonder if it would be possible to write a record with messages of love to my future self. This was really the first time that I consciously thought about my own suffering and what future me might need to hear to heal. I struggled so much in my life with mental health, abuse, PTSD, and feeling like I didn’t belong anywhere. And I don’t want anyone—including my future self—to suffer ever again. I realized that if we are all part of one cosmic consciousness, as we [Death Valley Girls] believe, then Islands in the Sky could serve not only as a message of love and acceptance to myself, but also from every self to every self, because we are all one!”
Death Valley Girls live in 2022; check out more here. (photo by Kate Hoos)
The cosmic unity comes glimmering through immediately on the album opener, “California Mountain Shake,” as Bloomgarden confesses her love to a mystical force (or herself) and special guest Gabe Flores’s saxophone swells underneath. The second song, “Magic Powers,” is a synth-and-organ-drenched mid-tempo track featuring lead vocals from bassist Sammy Westervelt (who co-wrote the lyrics with Bloomgarden). On the lyrics Bloomgarden shares “I was walking down the street, and all of the sudden it dawned on me that almost all the things that kids bullied me about, or I got in trouble for in school, or was told would make me never amount to anything, were actually my magic powers! My voice isn’t too high, or funny, it’s how I cast my spells! I’m not a bad student, I love learning, and being a seeker! And I’m not a crazy person with weird ideas, that will never fit into society, I’m a witch, and I have magic powers!” Westervelt also directed the video for the song, which features her jumping over pixelated mushrooms in an enchanted forest, a la a 1980s-style arcade game.
The title track offers the most directly empowering message of the record, with Bloomgarden’s gorgeous voice belting out these affirmations: “You’re in charge of the perception of your life / …you can choose what you need / …no one gets to choose for you what you need to be.” The band rocks along with a go-go dancing intensity that’s playfully captured (with DVG’s typical goth edge) by dancing ghosts in a graveyard disco in the song’s fantastic video (directed by Dylan Mars Greenberg).
The soul-searching continues with “Sunday,” transporting us with what can be described as psychedelic gospel (featuring special guests Gregg Foreman on synth, Wurlitzer, and Hammond Organ and Gabe Flores again on saxophone). It’s a gloomy Sunday to start, with Bloomgarden wailing: “I’m sick of struggling to just be / What will come of me? / What do I need? / I gotta be free / I need a sign.” The sign finally comes in the form of drummer Rikki Styxx picking up the tempo as Larry Schemel’s guitar wakes up and comes to life, and “Sunday” rocks out to its end with Bloomgarden’s lyrics revealing that she always possessed the power within herself to keep going: “I gotta move on / (Keep on moving).”
“What Are the Odds?,” Islands in the Sky’s fifth track (end of side A on the vinyl) offers the most bounce-around-the-room energy while also pondering a seemingly frightening possibility of our existence. “What are the odds that we live in a simulated world,” Bloomgarden’s lyrics ask, “Where nothing is real and I’m a simulated girl?” But the chance of meeting a future simulated self pleases Death Valley Girls more than scaring them, and Schemel’s catchy guitar hook here makes you dance away any terror that might lurk in the idea of coming face to face with your doppelganger. Who knew that discovering that reality is just a simulation could feel this good?
Death Valley Girls live in 2022 (photos by Kate Hoos)
“When I’m Free,” is another stand out track which was originally released on a split 7-inch with Le Butcherettes who’s side had a fantastic cover of the DVG song “The Universe” from Under the Spell of Joy. (“When I’m Free” also received an intoxicating electronica remix last year from the incomparable Peaches.) Island in the Sky’s final track, “It’s All Really Kind of Amazing” (previously released in 2021) sends us off with a final pep-talk serenade from Bloomgarden: “Wake up in the dream / When you believe / You have everything / Everything that you need.” This ultimate “cosmic hymn” features the many all-stars of the musical collective that contributed to Islands of the Sky, including the back-up choir “gang vocals” of special guests Little Ghost, Pickle, and Kelsey Whatever NBD. Additionally, Foremann shines again on this last track with Wurlitzer hooks, Flores brings back his saxophone magic, Mark Rains adds on an extra layer of percussion, and Emily Retsas holds it down on the bass.
Both “When I’m Free” and album closer “It’s All Really Kind of Amazing” feature Retsas on bass; Sammy Westervelt joined the crew after those two songs were recorded. “It’s All Really Kind of Amazing” also continues the DVG’s commitment to fantastic visual interpretations of their music, with a super-psychedelic video directed by Bradley Hale.
Iggy Pop has described Death Valley Girls as “a gift to the world,” and although that gift is clear in all of their albums, Islands in the Sky demonstrates a new level of spiritual generosity that invites us to dance away our self-loathing. So get itin your ears as soon as possible and feel better! You will shimmy and shake and embrace all that is wonderful about you and all of us. Maybe there is hope for the world afterall…
Islands in the Sky is out now via Suicide Squeeze and is available on all major streamers.
Gina Birch may be best known for co-founding the legendary post-punk band The Raincoats in 1977, but she has remained a fixture on the scene for a very long time, both as a musician and as a filmmaker and music video director. Now Birch is releasing her first solo album, proving that old punks never die. I Play My Bass Loud melds decades of influences, spanning punk, rock, reggae and more into a cohesive statement from a supremely creative mind.
The title track stakes a claim and makes a statement right out of the gate, with lyrics like “Sometimes I wake up and I wonder, what is my job? – I play my bass loud!” Birch notes “There’s the whole thing about women playing their music and wanting to be heard, wanting acknowledgement or the space to do it. The bass is sometimes assigned as a lesser instrument, and yet because of reggae and the creativity of a lot of women players, it has always been a creative and phenomenal instrument.” Fittingly, the song and video features four other women bassists: Emily Elhaj (Angel Olsen), Mikki Itzigsohn (Small Wigs), Staz Lindes (The Paranoyds), Hazel Rigby (TBHQ) and Birch herself, dancing around with choreographer Brontez Purnell.
“And Then It Happened” is a spoken word track, Birch’s poetic words laid over a bass melody and swirling distortion, which fades perfectly into the lead single “Wish I Was You.” Here we find fellow musical legend Thurston Moore on “thrash chords and noise action.” It’s a hell of a catchy tune, buoyed by Birch’s musing on aging and being ‘cool,’ before she concludes “so many brilliant people I wished I could be / time has carried me forward, now I’m happy with me.”
Birch is undoubtedly a trailblazer and inspiration for her work with The Raincoats, and with tunes like “Feminist Song” and “Pussy Riot,” she is still tackling the place of women in the world, singing on the latter song “some people think we’re trouble / dangerous, profane / but we’re just doing our best to be free, wild, sane.”
On the very melodic “I Am Rage,” Birch sings “rage, I am rage, I’m a bubbling burning cauldron of rage,” words that are almost at odds with the soft way Birch delivers them. In a deftly executed turn, the next song is an ode to shoes over a dark dance beat “I Will Never Wear Stilettos.” “Feminist Song” is a retooling of a song that has appeared in Raincoats sets that mixes spoken word (“So when you ask me if I’m angry, I say why the hell would I not be?”) with the full-throated chorus “I’m a city girl, I’m a warrior, the city made me this way.”
The record was recorded with Youth (of Killing Joke.) “It was a fabulous experience to record at Youth’s in Wandsworth,” says Birch. “Youth likes my passion and my bad guitar playing. I like his attitude, so calm and focused… in a Zen kind of way. We are in fact opposite sides of the same coin.”
Birch is obviously in a very creative time of her life, working on painting as well as music, saying “It’s like a dream come true. I’ve been working hard in my artist’s garret, mostly painting, but always writing songs. An idea forms in my head and I write it or paint it, and now it seems, these ideas are blooming wildly, reaching over the wall!”
I Play My Bass Loud is out now via Third Man Records and available on all major streamers.
Miss Grit is the project of New York-based musician Margaret Sohn, created “to function as an outlet for their own analysis and expression of self.” After two EPs (Talk, Talk in 2019 and Impostor in 2021) which explored identity and relationships, their debut album, Follow The Cyborg, delves deeper into these issues. Taking inspiration from the idea of a cyborg (and from related films and literature, such as Ghost In The Shell and A Cyborg Manifesto), Sohn intertwines such futuristic concepts with their experiences as a mixed-race, non-binary artist to create a deeply personal yet relatable multifaceted record, packed dense with modern themes while remaining catchy to the ear.
Befitting a modern sounding album with a title like Follow The Cyborg, there are synthesizers aplenty here. But the guitar lines that punctuate many of the songs are spine chillingly good, and it would be doing the album a disservice to simply call it electronic. There is an organic use of electronic sounds—this isn’t club music, but there are beats aplenty, and the rhythms will have listeners tapping their toes and moving to the groove.
Kicking off the album is “Perfect Blue,” a track that shares a name with Satoshi Kon‘s famous film dealing with identity, performance and reality. With a gentle beginning that slowly builds through jagged edges and swirling vocals, it’s a great preview of what to expect from the rest of the album. “I’m not going back / I’ll be all I’ve consumed I’m what you asked / I’ll be the perfect blue / Can take a breath now” Sohn sings, staking out their awareness of the demands of the world around them and their attempts at actualization in the face of it.
The singles “Nothing’s Wrong” and “Like You” are well chosen, showcasing Sohn’s use of both slower and mid range tempos as a basis for building a song. Steady rhythms really are the backbone of this record, which Sohn uses in almost Kraftwerk-like precision as they build layers over top. On “Lain (phone clone)” Sohn hits upon an anxiety I’m sure many of us relate to, singing, “Hold up your hands if you can’t hold up the act / Hold up your hands if your two lives overlap / Hold up your hands if you want your memories back / Hold up your hands and let go of your phone clone” (For those of you who may not be versed in anime, the song title references Serial Experiments Lain; suddenly I wonder what a Miss Grit cover of the Lain opening theme would sound like…)
By the time Follow The Cyborg reaches the end on “Syncing,” Sohn is dealing with both individual realizations and interpersonal connections: “I’m starting to move on my own now / And I don’t want to forget how / … When we sync up…(my heart was open, for you) I’ll be there soon (hold up your hands, like you, can take a breath now).” It’s a softer, pulsing song that nonetheless maintains the energy built up through the previous nine tracks, and lists Nicole Rodriguez aka Pearla as a co-writer.
Miss Grit (photo by Hoseon Sohn)
Sohn performs the guitar, vocals, and synths on the album, with various other musicians making guest appearances throughout on strings (Dorothy Carlos on cello, Yaz Lancaster on violin), drums (Greg Tock and Stella Mozgawa of Warpaint), piano (Ben Talmi) sax (Kacey Fassett) and bass (Zoltan Sindhu, although Sohn handles the bass as well on the final track.) The record was recorded and produced by Sohn as well—it’s easy to see why NME called them a “polymath” in 2019.
Follow The Cyborg is an intricate record that will reward repeated listens. Prior to the album’s release, Miss Grit played a hometown release show at Baby’s All Right. They will hit the road in the UK in April with Bartees Strange.
Follow The Cyborg is out now via Mute Records and is available on all major streamers.
Originally the project of multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Nicole Harwayne, Uncle Pizza has expanded to a four piece and explored a more band-oriented sound for their new album frog era, recorded in a studio they built in Williamsburg. The band has been gigging in preparation for the release, and I imagine the extended lineup brings a lot of life to these songs.
After an absolutely groovy opening track (“leo corillo beach”) the album moves further into the emo and punk influences claimed by the band. “iowa skyz” is one of these (and I’m tempted to call it Midwest emo because of the title, heh.) There are also fun poppier songs like “owogami fwogs” that put me in mind of Athens bands like Elf Power or Folklore.
The theme of the album is change and Harwayne shares: “all the [vocal] samples are interviews we did with people who worked on the album about their relationship with change.” And indeed the vocal samples are the thread that tie the album together.
There’s a lot of emotion in Harwayne’s vocal delivery, especially on tracks like “-___-” “I hope you don’t see me trying, don’t want to seem like I’m lying.” The emoticon as song title is in line with the playful vibe of much of this record. The record ends with the lovely “summermoth,” joyous chorus of other voices backing up Harwayne’s.
Each week a ton of new music comes out, and between our weekly singles column that gets posted every Friday, and the full album reviews throughout the week, plus live show reviews and news announcements, we get to a lot! Here’s a quick fire list of even more great albums and EPs that came out this week(ish) that we dug and think you should get on your radar too.
Big Laugh– Consume Me. Released last week via Revelation, this is some no fuckin nonsense hardcore that rips and rages, with plenty of BIG riffs, dirty bass lines and drum fills. The Milwaukee based band ticks a lot of heavy boxes for me and packs ten songs into 19 minutes. “Shadow Figure,” “Square One” and the title track are all strong standouts. [KH]
Free Range– Practice. The project of 18-year-old Chicago-based musician Sofia Jensen, this is their debut full length after a series of demos and singles. Laid back indie with a nice dose of alt-country to create an album which makes for perfect company on a long afternoon stroll. “Keep In Time,” “All My Thoughts” and “Traveling Show” are the standouts for me and represent the best of Jensen’s subtle touch and pop sensibilities. [KH]
Grade 2– self-titled. Out today via Hellcat, this is some classic 90s pop punk meets high energy Britpop in all the right ways. I’m also a big language nerd so was very excited to learn the meaning of the word “brassic,” which apparently is Cockney rhyming slang for being “skint,” which for us Americans who don’t spend a lot of time in the UK, is yet another slang term and it means being broke. The song “Brassic” is also pretty damn catchy as is the album, which is packed with songs that will sure to be sing along favorites at their live shows. [KH]
Keefchamber– Ingurgitate Reality. The two piece doom metallars from NJ have released a brand new four song EP, Ingurgitate Reality,and this one sees them changing up their sound. They’ve moved away from the slow drone bass dooooom dirges of their earlier releases to a faster paced guitar driven sludge punk that still leans heavily on their strong metal chops. I’m totally here for it and you should be too. [KH]
Narrow Head– Moments of Clarity. I said this in an earlier review I wrote for the single “Gearhead,” and it still rings true so here we go again: “This band does the hazy grungegaze sound so well, I almost swear I’m back in the waning days of summer 1995 when I got my first taste of You’d Prefer An Astronaut. While this band does draw heavily on influences from the 90s and I hear a lot of Hum’s (and Deftones) influence in their sound, they are firmly of the now and stand shoulder to shoulder with the earlier pioneers of heavy shoegaze.”
Of course I mean this as the utmost compliment because I have loved Hum for a really long time and to see their legacy live on in newer bands is a real treat. The full album does not disappoint and aside from “Gearhead” and the title track, “Sunday” is a real winning highlight for me. I’m definitely looking forward to catching them live in 2023. [KH]
Negative Blast– Echo Planet. My first intro to this San Diego band was the single “Trauma Bond” which I loved. The band shares that the song “is a pulverizing punk ripper about the human machine that trades life for profit through control, trauma and warfare. The words explore what fuels the parasitic nature that compels those to hold power and subjugate others into a life of violence and suffering.” The rest of the album also rages equally as hard and other standouts are “Carbon Copy” and “No Trust” which features some of the catchiest guitar work on the record. This one was a great head clearer and I definitely need to hit the pit the next time they head out to the East Coast. [KH]
Nhomme– 一種の過音 This one is a bit of a roller coaster of feels and styles and plays out as mathy jazz meets frantic screams with rapid fire rhythms that at times seem to be fighting one another before suddenly spinning back around to be perfectly in sync. Reminds me of if a more intense Volta Do Mar had a baby with Hella and made it listen to a bunch of screamo. I just wish this was longer than three songs. The band has thus far only released singles and EPs but here’s hoping a full length is in the near future. [KH]
Pile– All Fiction. The latest from Rick Macguire’s Pile is out today via Exploding In Sound and features a wide variety of feels across its ten songs. From the woozy album opener “It Comes Closer” followed by the trippy “Loops” to the heavier “Poisons” and the ominous and disjointed “Nude With A Suitcase,” there’s a little something for everyone here. The band will play a pair of shows at TV Eye on 3/1 and 3/2. [KH]
Posh Swat– Posh Swat. The ever prolific Osees band leader John Dwyer always seems to be up to something creative, and during the pandemic unleashed a number of experimental releases. He is back with another new experimental group, Posh Swat, which sees him rejoining forces with drummer Ryan Sawyer and percussionist Andres Renteria both of whom he collaborated with in Gong Splat. Today their self titled debut is out and the instrumental songs blend elements of jazz and trippy improvisations, with the drums and percussion taking a lot the central role throughout. There’s definitely a lot to take in here and it’s going to take me a few listens through with headphones to absorb a lot of it but I can already tell this is going to be a strong contender for a spot on my favorites of 2023 list. [KH]
Screaming Females– Desire Pathways. The venerable NJ band released their 8th album via Don Giovanni today and we can’t wait to dig in. We’ll have more to say soon but you definitely need to get this in your ears ASAP. [KH]
Shonen Knife– Our Best Place. The Japanese punk n roll icons have been a band for more than 40 years and continue to pound out cool jams you’ll want to pogo all night to. Our Best Place is full of super fun in the sun bops and has me longing to shake off the doldrums of winter to hit some summer outdoor haunts with this as my soundtrack. [KH]
Still Depths– Best plan for your life. The name of this band is a lie because they do anything but “stay still,” rather vacillating wildly through styles—noise, post punk, glitchy electro— and this Canadian trio has made some deeply arty and experimental shit. They’ve also made some shit that’s really interesting and really good. My favorites are the pairing of “Outsmart Aging” and the title track which together close out the album. This one will leave you gasping for breath and definitely wanting more. [KH]
Stormo– Endocannibalismo. Equal parts noise, metal and with a healthy dash of screamo and punk, this Italian band pours all of these elements into a math rock blender and hits the highest setting; the result is Endocannibalismo, their first new album since 2019’s Finis terrae. Aside from a cover they did for the brilliant Fugazi tribute comp, Silence Is A Dangerous Sound (they covered “Break”), this was my first full intro to the band and I most definitely will be hitting that back catalog very soon. As for this record it is unflinchingly intense, I can only imagine the feeling of the chaos that their live show must be. Hopefully they’ll get over to the States soon so I can find out. [KH]
Unwed Sailor– Mute The Charm. The latest from the long running post rock band from Seattle came out last Friday on Spartan Records. Building on their existing body of work, Mute The Charm, gets right to the core of what this band has always done so well—hit you in your heart strings with the sweeping instrumentals. From the hopeful album opener “Windy City Dreams” to echoey “London Fog” (the longest song on the album) all the way through the title track which closes the album, there’s a lot to dig into and reflect upon while listening. [KH]
Check out these other recent reviews for even more new music:
Hi! Hello! Here we are with some bite sized goodies and a taste of a some new things that we dug that came out in the last week (ish), quick fire responses to some great new music we think you should check out. This week Kate and Mike weighed in on some killer new songs— give ’em a listen!
Ben Folds– Winslow Gardens. After not releasing an album in eight years, the alt rock piano man is back with “Winslow Gardens,” the first single from the upcoming What Matters Most and it’s a slice of classic Ben Folds. [KH]
Bully– Lose You (feat. Soccer Mommy). Two of the most vital songwriters/voices in indie rock—Bully’s Alicia Bognanno and Soccer Mommy‘s Sophie Allison—have come together for a cool collab and made a song that would have felt right at home in 1994 next to Veruca Salt or Belly. It’s a mid tempo rocker full of low-key grit in the verses, making way for big grungy swagger in the choruses and a ripping guitar lead that hits at the 3/4 mark to mark the crescendo before the loud gives way to quiet introspection and acoustic guitar to bring the song home. The song appears to be a one off for now, but could perhaps be the first exciting taste of the follow up to 2020’s SUGAREGG.
Of the collaboration Bognanno shares “When ‘Lose You’ came about it was the first time I’ve considered having someone else sing on a Bully song. I love Sophie’s voice and have always admired everything she does so to me it was a no brainer. Watching her soar out of the Nashville scene and dominate indie music world wide has been a joy. Writing ‘Lose You’ was a way for me to work through the pain and reality of impermanence. It doesn’t make it any easier but reflection is often followed by growth and to me that’s what life is all about.” [KH]
Death Goals– Faux Macho. The London based mathy, noise punky queercore two piece are poised to release their second album, A Garden Of Dead Flowers, this spring (via Prosthetic) and have released the first single “Faux Macho,” a choatic rager of a tune that sees the band building upon the power of their first full length, 2021’s The Horrible And The Miserable. The duo shares that “‘Faux Macho’ is one of our favourite tracks we wrote for this record, wearing our love and appreciation for queer culture with pride on our sleeves for the world to see.” And if this is the first taste of what is to come, then I’m already anticipating this one is going to be a serious contender for one of my favorite releases of the year. The album releases in full 5/5. Read more about it here. [KH]
Deerhoof-Wedding, March, Flower. Showing off a much softer side, Deerhoof has released a very tender piano ballad which sees a role reversal of drummer Greg Saunier on lead vocals and piano while singer Satomi Matsuzaki helms drum duties. On the song Saunier shares: “I was flirting with my partner Sophie and sent her a video of me humming and playing the piano. Deerhoof was starting to get songs together for our next record. No one had suggested we needed any tender piano ballads, but Sophie convinced me to show it to my bandmates anyway. I was so touched when they were into it. The real kicker came when Satomi wrote lyrics. They were in Japanese, so when we first rehearsed it, I wasn’t even sure what I was singing. But Satomi had written a love song about a wedding. Satomi and I ended our marriage over 10 years ago, and it hasn’t always been easy for any of us to keep the band going. Our songs have always been one way that we all process our feelings with each other. Co-writing and performing ‘Wedding March Flower’ with her was really intense.” [KH]
Dry Cleaning– Swampy/Sombre Two. The UK post punk band just wrapped their North American tour (see our coverage) and just announced a new EP, Swampy, which will include bonus tracks, remixes and a demo from their second album, Stumpwork. They have released two songs from the EP this week and said via a press release: “These two songs were recorded in the Stumpwork sessions and they feel like good companions to us. They share a dusty, desolate and spacey atmosphere. On the eve of this release we have been touring through the southwest US, where these songs feel at home in the arid, Mars-like landscape of the Arizona desert.” Swampy releases in full on 3/1 via 4AD. [KH]
Elliott Fullam– A Hopeful Ending. When I hit play on this track, mind was immediately transported to hearing Elliott Smith’s stirring self titled album for the first time (which for the record was definitely before Elliott Fullam was born) or more recently, finding myself lost in the depths of Julien Baker’s debut, Sprained Ankle. It’s hard not to make the comparison with Baker or Smith, Fullam definitely draws influence from the somber realness of both of those artists, and here the 18 year old singer-songwriter from NJ creates a beautiful song built around finger picked acoustic guitar work that he says “expresses the experience of finding beauty in someone while fearing the inevitable vulnerability that comes with it.” This is his first release for Kill Rock Stars, having signed with the label (who also released Smith’s iconic first three albums in the 90s) after self releasing his first full length, What’s Wrong, in 2022 along with a handful of singles and EPs. Fullam will make his NYC debut at Mercury Lounge on 2/22 (the site of one of Baker’s early NYC performances, too) along with Screenager and Joe Allocco. [KH]
Fat Heaven– Doomsday Clock.Hanging on the corner of Rancid and Social Distortion, counting down from their “Quarter Life Crisis,” Brooklyn trio Fat Heaven dropped another bit of crunchy pop-punk goodness right into our laps just ahead of their latest release Trash Life out Feb 24th. It’s everything you love about the lovable scamps and like everything else in their catalog will have you singing along for days. [MB]
Iguana Death Cult– Sensory Overload. A slice of jittery sax fueled no-wave post punk from the Rotterdam quintet, try not to let this one get stuck in your head. The song deals with the anxiety of *gestures around at the world* and the reality of living in a semi-dystopian present that we can’t ever seem to get away from (a theme I’m coming across in more and more of the new music I listen to and review each week). It is the first single from their upcoming album Echo Palace (5/12 via Innovative Leisure). The band self produced the album which was then mixed by (Sasami’s brother) Joo-Joo Ashworth (Sasami, Dummy) at Studio 22 in Los Angeles and mastered by Dave Cooley (Tame Impala, Yves Tumor). [KH]
Mediocre– To Know You’re Screwed is to Know A lot. A sharp slice of gritty indie pop from this self deprecating duo who are rocking out as if everything is fine even as the Dumpster fire of life rages around them, a feeling we can all relate to. They share “We wanted to capture the chaotic and futile experience of running away from your own mess—literally and figuratively. Sometimes the awareness of being screwed is comforting, but sometimes ignorance is bliss.” This is the first taste of their latest EP, To Know You’re Screwed, which arrives on 4/7 via Dangerbird. [KH]
Not-Anxiety. If you hadn’t told me this wasn’t ALL, I wouldn’t have believed you that this at least didn’t contain some members of ALL or the Descendents, most notably bassist Karl Alvarez, who in particular has made a very clear influential mark on this band who is in fact, not ALL (or any of the members of it). While it flies a little closer to the sun influence wise than I probably would go for in one of my own musical projects, and at times feels indistinguishable from the source material, it is a project that was born out of deep love and true DIY fashion. As their Instagram reads “What do you do when ALL stop making records? You form a band with your friends and make your own.” Indeed, you do. Read an interview with the band where they talk about how they are in fact NOT ALL. [KH]
Omat– Daisy. I caught this band opening for L7 a few months back (see coverage) and really enjoyed their set. At the time the band had no recordings to dig into after the show which was a bummer but fortunately that has changed as they have just released their debut single, the infectious “Daisy.” It’s a fun upbeat romp that meets right at the intersection of post-punk, indie and gritty shoegaze and the studio definitely captures their essence well. I’m definitely ready to hear what else lies in store for this exciting new band. [KH]
Phantom Signals– Slow Burn.Straight from inside the mind of Melody Henry comes a brand new solo project, Phantom Signals, who just released a beautiful whisper lullaby of a second single. With a lovely drifting melody (pun intended) that feels somehow almost familiar but a touch askew, its soaring chorus sweeps you up into crescendo and then drags you across the delicate framework of tin drum piano percussion like a ballerina music box exploded into a pile of crunchy distortion and broken springs. In a twist of cosmic fortune, Melody won the recent BandNada band lotto jackpot by being paired up with Joey Russo (Castle Black) and Mike Petzinger (Pocket Protector) who Mel quickly recruited to round this project out to a quartet. Inspired by the old Car Seat Headrest recordings and bands like Hop Along, we here at FTA are excited to see what’s next from Brooklyn’s newest indie band. [MB]
Rebelmatic– Amnesia. Rebelmatic, the NYHC scene champions and tireless advocates for our music community, are one of most respected Black hardcore/punk groups in all of New York and have gained national attention with their relentless drive and work ethic. Now they have unleashed a killer new single ahead of their upcoming Southern US tour with Weedeater. And indeed it delivers on all fronts. In true Rebelmatic style, the song opens with a gang vocal chant “Shut Up! Shut Up! Shut Up!” (an homage to Little Richard playfully shushing his fans at shows) over Alkatraz’s heavy guitar work just as bassist Kreature and drummer Ramsey Jones immediately blitz with a thunderstorm of rhythmic onslaught. Vocalist Creature cues with his distinctive booming vibrato “I don’t need no therapist” and before you can say their oft heard call and response chant at shows, “REH-BULL-MA-TIC,” you’re swinging your arms and caught in a circle pit having the time of your life. [MB]
Snayx– Buck. I recently discovered this brash UK based duo and fell in love with their snotty ode to fucking off and telling your boss to shove it, the insanely infectious “Work” which features a video of the two chugging beer and being well, very British. Now they are back with “Buck,” which is still driven by their signature distorted, heavy bass sound but is decidedly more subdued and reserved to the more hyper affair of “Work” or their other recent single, “Deranged.” All three of these songs are part of the upcoming EP, Weaponized Youth:Part 1, which is due out on 3/10 and will include two more tracks. [KH]
Stimmerman– House Party.Chronically stuck between band and solo project, multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Eva Lawitts, and their project Stimmerman, just released new single “House Party” (from their upcoming record Undertaking out 5/10) which really punctuates the nature of their split personality. Well known for absolutely abandoning all the rules of pop sensibility and conventional rock formula, the track for the most part stays stripped to the bones. Showcasing a dynamic vulnerability in Lawitts’s voice we don’t often get to hear, the lyrics are dark and visceral poetry stretched over the clicks and squeaks of a lonely acoustic guitar. And apart from some subtle atmospheric tension smoldering in the background, we are left with this delicate raw nerve exposed for almost three entire minutes. It isn’t until the final 45 seconds that the entire thing blows open into mayhem. The bottom drops out, and the sky rips open as the massive drums tear in under the weight of the bass blown out guitars raining down full Stimmerman! [MB]
Tired Radio– Dead and Gone.The melodic mid-tempo hard rock band made up of “1 big guy, 1 small guy and 2 medium guys,” just released another new single to follow up on their lead single “Old Keys” which has been making the rounds following a European tour last year where they opened for The Get Up Kids in Germany. For fans of band like The Menzingers, Hot Water Music, and Jawbreaker (alternatively Sharkswimmer or Heavy Lag for local Brooklyn comparison), this is definitely the song you want to bump in anticipation of their new EP Lousy, thanks. out everywhere March 10th. [MB]
Tits Dick Ass– Girlfriend From Hell. The Brooklyn based band has made quite the splash on the NYC scene in the last year with their live shows attracting bigger and bigger crowds and for good reason, they are unabashedly queer as fuck with a stage presence that is massive paired with a ferocious sound; they hit in all the best ways. Now they have released their debut single, the no-wave punk ripper, “Girlfriend From Hell,” which is also the first taste of their upcoming debut album, Burn A Bitch, due out this spring on House of Feelings. Despite not having synths, it reminded me a bit of the synth punk nightmare classics of Screamers and definitely is a kindred spirit to the freaky outsider no-wave and punk of the late 70s and early 80s. The song features a video that was filmed at local venue Rubulad and directed by filmmaker Dylan Mars Greenberg️️️. A companion remix was also released alongside the song for acidic and cool re-interpretation that feels downright dystopian. Read an interview with the band here. [KH]
The Tracys– Soviet Mistake. In true Tracys fashion, tongue-in-cheek Cold War era tropes throwback to a different age on their latest single which comes ahead of their upcoming record Welcome to the Land of Nothing due out later this year via Shotgun Nature. Delivered in the style of The Ramones with a twist of The Lillingtons, the pop-punk quartet (Dave Klym-vocals/guitar, John Payne- guitar/vocals, Larry Mancini- bass/vocals, Matt Ernst-drums) continue to deliver the big hooks and humor. Chock full of 1980s spy-era imagery and even more 80s guitar solos, you won’t even care whether or not The Tracys took your baby away. [MB]
