by nickAD | Aug 6, 2021
Cover art of “Offerings” with art by Seif Hamid and photography by Randa Jarrar
Donia Jarrar, the creative force behind Phonodelica, has dedicated much of her musical endeavors to uplifting and amplifying the voices of Palestinians and illuminating the harsh realities of their lives under brutal Israeli occupation.
“Offerings” is a stirring piano improvisation piece that is the first part of an upcoming project, “Into the Ether and Out of Our Anguish,” which will be a large scale collaborative effort of Jarrar’s solo piano improvisations along with a string quartet, field recordings, and testimonials from survivors of the latest Israeli assault on Gaza this past spring. The testimionials were collected by Shareef Sarhan and Rana Batrawi, both Gazans themselves. Jarrar plans to send these recordings back to people in Gaza as a form of healing. This brings to mind her previous project Seamstress which featured interviews with Palestinian women interspersed with her operatic compositions.
For “Into the Ether and Out of Our Anguish,” Jarrar was recently awarded the 2021 Palestinian Young Artist of the Year Award by the AM Qattan Foundation in conjunction with the Mosaic Rooms in London. The theme for this year’s award is “Divinations: The Art of Remembering The Future,” curated by novelist and writer Adania Shibli. It focuses on ways artists, academics, curators, historians and critics can work towards imagining a liberated Palestine, and is largely focused on process rather than outcome.
“When working on this set of piano improvisations and eventually transcribing them, I thought of them not only as offerings for the Gaza Valley and the wildlife that has gone extinct due to the brutality of the Israeli occupation, but also as offerings for the visitors of anxiety and depression which come into your life during times of healing,” Jarrar said. “A non-linear and repetitive process, healing requires a spiritual sacrifice and cleansing.”
She went on to say the piece was “Inspired by the five elements: air, water, earth, fire and ether, the sonic space in a future where Palestine exists outside of the boundaries and politics of nation statehood and of earthly, material alliances. Ether is the space where we come together amidst the constantly changing environmental forces to adapt and change with them, a place where residents value the natural world, rather than being neglectful and incredibly wasteful of its natural resources”
Jarrar plans to tie the Palestinian struggle for freedom to other struggles around the world by featuring different non-Palestinian artists throughout the project to forge “transnational connections between intercontinental struggles.”
“Offerings” itself is part of 45-minute improvisation that she may release in full in the future.
“Offerings” is available to purchase directly from Bandcamp and to stream on all major platforms now.
by Kate Hoos | Aug 6, 2021
Nihiloceros (photo by Jessica Gurewitz)
If there was an award for hardest working band in Brooklyn, then forget nominating Nihiloceros for it, let’s just skip right to the end where we hand them the crown. This grungy power pop trio fires on all cylinders, all the time and never seems to lose an ounce of their enthusiasm in the process. Be it on stage, fighting for social justice, or when out supporting other bands- which guitarist/singer Mike Borchardt seems to be doing almost every night of the week his own band doesn’t have a gig- you’re going to get 110% pure Nihiloceros.
So then it’s really no surprise that their boundless energy and zest for performing follows them through the door of the recording studio too. On the heals of the driving, huge singalong first single “iamananimal” that was released last month, “Mammal Science Fiction,” is the second single on their upcoming EP Self Destroy. The song packs a walloping punch, chock full of crunchy hooks, radical bass lines, and big big harmonies.
On the lyrical themes, Borchardt elaborated and said the song “Imagines a not too distant future where we’ve evolved too far and too fast for the natural world to sustain us. Our human systems of greed and wealth no longer provide refuge as the species can do nothing but watch everything crumble around them. The rogue survivors of the dying planet attempt to escape into outer space on homemade rockets, leaving the remnants of earth and the entire human legacy of everything we’ve ever created behind to be erased”
Nihiloceros performing in 2018 (photo by Kate Hoos)
Borchardt takes the lead on vocals on many of the band’s songs, but on this track he is joined all the way through by bassist Alex Hoffman; the two singers bouncing off each other in a cat and mouse, call and response game, powerfully harmonizing together throughout. What I love most is that while they are singing at the same time, they are often not singing the same lyrics but- blink and you miss it- they will quickly join up on a phrase only to spring apart again, reminiscent of the best of Dig Me Out era Sleater-Kinney.
Musically, the choruses almost jump right out of the speakers to grab your attention; the extended bridge before the final chorus shows the band at its very best, running full speed ahead for an instrumental break that is hard hitting, catchy as hell, and undeniably super fun. In particular Hoffman’s strong bass chops are on display here, as he not only goes in tight on the neck to hit some soaring high notes, but for those you who aren’t eagle earred gear nerds, you might miss that he and Borchardt are actually trading back and forth on the lead lines. Borchardt takes first pass before ping ponging back to Hoffman who uses an effect pedal to achieve the lead simultaneously with his bass line; in fact, it is indeed him performing the main lead on bass throughout the entire track bolstered by the fuzz and buzz of Borchardt’s rhythm guitar. This might be the most clever approach to bass playing I’ve heard in a very long time and when I fully realized that that was what was happening at a live show, it took me a full five minutes to pick my jaw up off the ground.
The band has a slew of custom merch arriving along with the EP including limited edition guitar pedals, hot sauce, and even soap. And keeping in true infectious and unstoppable form, they are already writing songs for their next record which, if this song is the first taste of what direction it will go in, I’m confident in predicting that we are going to be in for one of the best records of 2022.
“Mammal Science Fiction” is available to stream everywhere now.
The cover of Self Destroy by Nihiloceros, complete with their logo made of duct tape, originally from their Warped Tour 2018 performance.
The full six song EP Self Destroy will release on September 17th on Totally Real Records. The music video for the song will premiere on August 10th.
They will play a release show for the single on Saturday August 7th at Bar Freda along with Shadowmonster, Leone, and Nuclear Family Fantasy. A release show for the EP is planned for September 18th at EWEL.
Limited edition lavender cassettes hand stamped with the band logo and limited edition 12″ purple vinyl with pink/red splatter are available now for pre-order via Bandcamp.
by Kate Hoos | Aug 4, 2021
Hope: For the Trevor Project compilation
A new compilation Hope: For the Trevor Project has just been released by SOMEWHERECOLD. Raising money for the Trevor Project, which is dedicated to saving young LGBTQ lives, the fundraiser runs between now and September 29th at which time the collection will be removed from Bandcamp. The comp features a whopping 52 tracks and clocks in at nearly five hours of music, very well worth the $10 minimum price tag.
The songs are of the dark ambient, shoegaze, electro, downtempo post rock variety; all genres that I have enjoyed when I’ve heard specific artists sporadically over the years, but that I admittedly remain less familiar with overall, especially those artists who are still creating in the more DIY realms. But it is a fact that while my knowledge is currently limited, I have loved most everything I’ve heard in those spheres along the way, and have always wanted to explore more. What better way to dig in and start finding out more than with an epic comp? Any punk from the 90s knows this is the absolute best way to discover new music, and it still holds true today even with the proliferation of playlists and the like. And add in that it benefits queer youth? Sign me up!
According to their Bandcamp page:
Somewherecold Records has done a charity compilation almost every year it has been active. Part of the ethos surrounding the record label is the need for art to do something positive in the world. This year, an open call went out for artists to contribute tracks to a compilation in support of the Trevor Project. The mission of “The Trevor Project is to end suicide among gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer & questioning young people.” This mission involves education, counseling, helping LGBTQ+ young people with homelessness, and much more.
The compilation turned out to contain 52 tracks and almost five hours of music. There are a number of artists from a number of different genres. This makes it seem like the compilation itself would feel disjointed but, as the head of the label, I beg to differ. Each artist brought something to the table that helped to create an ebb and flow from caution, to joy, to danger, to fear, to hope, and so on. There is a sense of difference here like there are in all communities and the connecting glue is all the artists’ desires to help with this very important cause. Given what is happening to LGBTQ+ communities in the United States and around the world, we think that art, and its ability to touch people, is one way to help raise funds to support said projects.
It took me a few listens to take in everything as it’s a lot of bang for your buck and a lot to fully get through in one sitting, but it was easy to break it up and pick groups of songs to listen to and immerse myself in; I definitely enjoyed the majority of the included tracks. Standouts include “If You Can Read This” by Mevius, a dark synthgaze romp; “Dissociative State” by ORACLE 666 which ranges from airy to dancey and back again over the course of the track; “You Melt Me” by Departure Street, an eight plus minute instrumental ambient opus that blends slowcore shoegaze with an underlying bluegrass twang in a very impressive mashup of styles; “They’re Like Animals” by Jeremy Bastard, a purely electro jam which is a bit peppier than a lot of the other tracks and also features guest vocals from Mevius; and “Fracture and Flow,” a contemplative, atmospheric, and at times brooding (electro and acoustic) piano piece by prolific composer Robert Scott Thompson.
A handful of tracks clock in at well over ten minutes, including the penultimate track, the fourteen minute electro noise soundscape “SingAllSeason” by CynocephalicSaints. I admit that I probably wouldn’t listen to this during my daily commute, but could definitely vibe to it at home. Another long soundscape towards the wind down of the collection is “I’ve Seen the Miracle” by Noh Fyuchur, which clocks in at just over twenty minutes and also is another thing I would skip on the subway but I absolute would vibe out to with some candles lit on a cool night at home or perhaps while creating some collage art.
With 52 tracks, there is something for everyone who loves sweeping, introspective music. With such a wide ranging roster, listeners will be sure to discover a few favorite new artists along the way too and a few quick clicks through Bandcamp will lead to a wide world of other releases by all of these artists. Don’t delay on downloading this wonderful collection before it becomes unavailable in the future.
Hope: For the Trevor Project is out now and available for a limited time from SOMEWHERE COLD.
by Chantal | Aug 2, 2021
Desert Sharks (photo by Jeanette D. Moses)
“Voices Carry” by ‘Til Tuesday is one of my absolute favorite 80’s songs, hands down. I have it on vinyl and my roommates despair when I break it out, ready to practice for karaoke. It’s simple yet catchy, heartfelt and soaring. Released in 1985, it was the biggest hit for the Aimee Mann fronted band.
Injecting new life into the already great song, Desert Sharks are releasing their cover version of it on Substitute Scene Records this week. The Brooklyn-based band recorded this as a trio (though are currently looking for a rhythm guitarist) and picked up where they left off after 2019’s Baby’s Gold Death Stadium. This year they plan for a highly anticipated followup EP, a tour, and new singles- of which “Voices Carry” is one.
Gone is the synth of the original; guitars take over completely. The bass and drums provide a throbbing, driving beat throughout, with drums pushed quite forward in the mix. It’s grungy without being too sludgy, punk without being too messy, a clear tribute to the original with a very fresh update. Desert Sharks self-describe as gloom punk, but this one definitely has some fist-pumping pep to it.
In contrast to the fuzzy rock treatment the music gets, the track is pretty faithful vocally. The ending is extended a bit and vocalist/bassist Stephanie Gunther gets to really show off her chops; it also brings the track up to about the same runtime as the original, even though the BPMs have increased, so the length doesn’t shortchange anyone. The build toward the “He said! Shut up!” part is especially perfect and Gunther nails it (better than I ever will, which didn’t stop me trying; sorry roommates.)
Now all we need is an accompanying video, done in the same style as the original, which climaxes at Carnegie Hall. Maybe the Brooklyn version of that would be Nighthawk? Desert Sharks, call me if you need any extras. I’ll be sure to keep the singing down.
“Voices Carry” by Desert Sharks cover art by Fandy Darisman
My copy of the “Voices Carry” LP
“Voices Carry” is out 8/4 on Substitute Scene. They will play a release show on Friday 8/20 at The Windjammer along with Frida Kill, Ugli, and Basic Bitches.
by Jeni | Jul 29, 2021
Tuff Sunshine (who we recently saw perform live at 18th Ward Brewing) has released a beautiful new album, Yesterday Suit. The album was written and performed entirely by singer and guitarist Johnny Leitera, who also recorded everything at home during the pandemic. Both lyrically and sonically, the album addresses many of the feelings of isolation and desolation during the course of the pandemic, feelings most all of us can relate to.
The opening track, “My Back Catalogue,” sets the tone for the rest of the album and listening to the collection as a whole, this song is the challenge to sit down and listen to the story unfold. The beauty of the lyrics emerge on a second or third listen, which is absolutely not a chore, especially with the dreamy psych interludes and the subtle harmonies. “Seven hundred twenty square feet…my guitar has turned to concrete,” gave me the idea that it’s a warrior calling for the isolation to do its very worst, but it eventually concedes to fade out with the line “he used to be that way, but now his brain has changed.”
If “My Back Catalogue” is the gauntlet being laid down, then the title track “Yesterday Suit” is the defiant stand, the Phoenix rising from the ashes, ready to face the world, but with a cynical edge. The shoo-be-do-wah’s and echoing harmonies consolidate my feelings that The Beach Boys couldn’t do any better producing a chilled psych album born out of a pandemic. The lyrics are more intelligent for starters, and the melodies could give Brian Wilson and company a real run for their money.
The harmonization is so gentle and soothing in “Spit the Rind” and “I Got My Hardhat On,” it could ease you into a daydream, the escape from whatever you just sometimes need for five minutes. It sounds like Leitera is at his most vulnerable, emerging into a new world. “Insomnia,” has a perky melody, but the lyrics tell a different story. I guess it’s like painting a smile on while affecting a cheery disposition; the tune is lively and challenging themes are braided lyrically through the jangly guitars.
What a journey!
Watch the video for “The Scaffolding”
Yesterday Suit is out now on Declared Goods.
by nickAD | Jul 26, 2021
A halftime show featuring a robot marching band, strutting in perfect formation. A future disco in which robots…do The Robot. A montage scene from a dusty sci-fi relic where we see our hero successfully building the vehicle necessary to escape their certain doom.
The new single from Sensoren, “Ejector Seat,” evokes all these images and more. Supremely catchy and fun, this could easily be a club anthem if heard by the right folks (whoever they are). The beat pulses hard, with a relentless hook that remains the focal point as other synth sounds build and layer to a sustained, ecstatic crescendo. A cool call-and-response middle bridge allows the listener to recalibrate before the party resumes its fever pitch—but, then a twist. The mood turns slightly darker and goth-like before it suddenly stops, leaving a minute of John Cage–like structured silence to contemplate when exactly the party took a turn.
“Ejector Seat” is the third single from Sensoren, a new electronic music project from songwriter/producer Mike Sorensen. A versatile songwriter, he brings more indie rock vibes to his synth production under the moniker async await, which released new tracks in 2020 and earlier this year. With Sensoren, however, this release represents more of an immersion into full on electronic music experimentation. Without having to adhere to traditional rock structures and trappings, it has opened up Sorensen’s songwriting and soundscape possibilities. Definitely keep an eye out for what comes next from this project.
“Ejector Seat” is out now via Chameleons Risen and available for download/streaming from Bandcamp.
