by Kate Bell | Jun 8, 2023
Bully at Racket (photo by Kate Hoos)
New York City started to look pretty apocalyptic this past Tuesday evening as the smoke from Canadian wildfires blew south. The setting sun took on an other-worldly red-orange hue and the air smelled like a bonfire. As I walked from the subway to Racket, confused people blocked the sidewalks, taking pictures of the haze. Despite the ominous situation outside, the evening of raucous yet melodic music raised everyone’s spirits, a testament to the unique talents of both groups of musicians. Note to self: when looking for a soundtrack of perseverance in challenging times, look to Bully and Sub*T. Got it!
The Brooklyn-based quartet Sub*T started out the night, getting the crowd moving with catchy guitar riffs, driving drums, and tight vocal harmonies from guitarist Jade Alcantara and bassist Grace Bennett (who are also the lead songwriters of the project). I had the pleasure of catching Sub*T back in October, opening for The Linda Lindas at Music Hall of Williamsburg. The crowd for that show included more girls under the age of 12 than I’ve ever experienced at a concert, but the Racket audience was definitely different demographically. Alcantara sarcastically gave “love” to the men up front at one point, saying “shout out to the wall of men up front” who, it should be noted, made not one effort to move to let shorter folks like myself or any non-men see better. (Remember “girls to the front”? Guess not.) She also mentioned that the show was the first in a while for Sub*T, and that they were playing out with a new drummer for the first time who did a fantastic job. Alicia Bognanno of Bully recorded, produced, and mixed Sub*T’s debut EP So Green in 2021, and it was clear on Tuesday how extremely honored Sub*T was to share a stage with her.
Back in 2013, Bully began as a trio with Bognanno as frontwoman (vocals/guitar), central songwriter, and producer of their 2014 self titled EP and 2015 debut album, Feels Like. She has weathered many storms since then, including being diagnosed with Bipolar II disorder and getting sober. She’s also grown as an artist, claiming Bully fully as a solo project with 2020’s LP, Sugaregg. The lengthy set at Racket on Tuesday featured songs from all four albums, taking the riveted audience on a tour through her discography, with a special focus on the most recent album, Lucky For You, released via Sub Pop on June 2nd (read our review).
Bully at Racket (photo by Kate Hoos)
The set began with “Where to Start” (from Sugaregg), the fuzzy guitars growling and Bognanno’s signature raspy wail ringing out over the bouncing crowd. The lyrics say she doesn’t know where to start, but Bognanno and company knew exactly where to begin and where they were taking us; everyone in that room got the joke. The next four songs jumped back to Feels Like, including “Sharktooth,” a digital edition bonus track from the album (that initially appeared on their 2014 EP) that is a triumphant celebration of escaping a toxic relationship. They closed out the first phase of the set with the frenetic energy of “Feel the Same” from 2017’s Losing.
From there, the adoring crowd got to hear almost the entirety of Lucky for You mixed throughout the set. Recorded in her hometown of Nashville with producer J.T. Daly, Bognanno took her time with the most recent album, recording the ten songs over the course of seven months, the longest period of time she’s taken on any Bully album to date. She has admitted her discomfort with the slower-paced recording process, sharing on her Bandcamp: “I was freaking out about it at first, because taking my time was so new for me. But a few months in, I realized how crucial that time ended up being. I got songs out of it that I wouldn’t have had otherwise…With every record, I feel more and more secure in terms of doing what I want…For this one, I wanted to be as creative as possible with these songs.”
That creative spark was positively crackling in the air at Racket, with Bognanno smiling between songs, saying that this was her best show ever in New York. A special standout from Lucky for You on Tuesday was “Days Move Slow,” an elegiac pop-grunge tribute to her beloved dog, Mezzi, who passed away prior to the album coming out. (A picture of Mezzi lovingly adorns the front of Bognanno’s amp.) Other crowd-pleasers from the recent album included the barnstormer “All I Do” and “Lose You” (which on the album is a duet with fellow Nashville musician Sophie Allison, aka Soccer Mommy). They finished off the set with the more political songs, “Ms. America” and the rage-fueled “All This Noise,” which also close out the new album as a pair.
Mezzi <3
Not content for things to end so soon, the crowd erupted into cheers and didn’t quiet until Bognanno returned to the stage for an encore, solo for the first couple of songs, including “These Days,” a Jackson Browne cover before the rest of the band ran back onstage for one final punk rock ripper, “Milkman,” also off of the first EP (and later Feels Like) bringing the evening full circle.
Bully will be hitting the road this summer with The Pixies and Franz Ferdinand. When Bognanno mentioned the tour, this was met with cheers and someone in the crowd yelled out, “You’re better than them!” She just smiled and said, “Yeah, I can dream.” I would say your dreams are coming true, Alicia!
Scroll down for setlist, pics of the show (photos by Kate Hoos)
Setlist: Where To Start, Trying, Sharktooth, I Remember, Trash, Feel the Same, Change Your Mind, How Will I Know, A Wonderful Life, Hard to Love, Lose You, A Love Profound, All I Do, Days Move Slow, Ms. America, All This Noise Encore: new song (solo), These Days (Jackson Browne cover), Milkman
SUB*T
BULLY
by Emily Austin | Jun 5, 2023
Bully– Lucky For You (photo by Alysse Gafkjen)
Bully’s 2020 release Sugaregg was raucous; wild; raw. But their brand new fourth studio album Lucky For You, released June 2nd on Sub Pop, is a little mellower; subtler. The band’s mastermind, Alicia Bognanno, still has a lot to say, though—maybe more than she ever has before.
There’s a lot of 90s grunge influence in Bully’s previous album, but this one seems to be a marriage between that and a more 2010s pop sound. The instrumental behind the first track, “All I Do,” is almost Best Coast-y, ethereal and upbeat in a way that you’re almost shocked to hear Bognanno’s (awesome) raspy vocals cut into the indie pop twang. It works, though—not too much dirt nor too clean, it’s a uniquely wonderful concoction.
“Days Move Slow,” the album’s lead single, is a tribute to Bognanno’s dog, Mezzi, who passed away shortly before this song was written. “I was a stranger to the level of love I now know exists because of Mezzi,” Bognanno said when the single was released in March, “Love you forever; I’m lucky for you.” It’s almost universal, that feeling (my friend’s beloved snake, Lemon, just passed the other day), but still impossibly personal. This track takes that cleaner pop vibe up a notch, still garbled and loud but something more melodic and soft about it, some “oohs” in the beginning that remind me of indie pop Canadians Alvvays. Bognanno doesn’t scream here, but you can hear her emotion and you can hear her grief even over that inexplicably upbeat rhythm.
You know when you are thinking too fast, but it’s all about the same thing? The days do move slow, and Bognanno seems stuck in her grief, unable to stop reflecting on it but for fleeting moments: “Sometimes when I zone out at night / I’ll forget you’re outta sight / like living before you were gone.” I know Bognanno’s voice always has that scratch to it, but this time it feels like someone who’s just finished crying. And those definitive chants in the verse (to me they call to mind Courtney Barnett’s “Pedestrian at Best”) almost sound like she’s angry at herself for wallowing in her grief, like if she was a little stronger she could make it go away: “Something’s gotta change, I know!”
My personal favorite track is “Hard to Love.” It’s teasing us, really: it builds and builds, and we expect a big, loud, grungey chorus like in Sugaregg’s “Let You” (among others), but we’re met with silence instead. Which makes it so much more satisfying when that release finally comes: “Hard to Love!” Bognanno belts in that signature rasp. She goes against instinct here, that first chorus even just a little too short, a little too little, so that it keeps us wanting more. It’s impressive, breaking the rules in the way only a master of her craft (with a decade and four albums of practice) can do it. This one’s pretty self-deprecating, too, like Bognanno’s still mad at herself for being the way that she is. But aren’t we all, at ourselves? “I can’t trust anyone,” she sings, “No matter how far they’d run / I’ll find a way to make you lie.”
Bognanno really shows off the masterful control she has over her voice on this release. It’s not always throaty grunge; she can do whatever the hell she wants. That pop vibe sort of grows as you get deeper into the album, with the slow and melodic “A Wonderful Life” (which sports a harmonica! How cool is that?) and the thoughtful, soft “Change Your Mind.” There’s something deeply personal and sometimes shameful in these tunes that simply can’t be screeched: “After all it’s unattractive for me to burden you with shame.” “How Will I Know” is like that, too, and she’s stuck again, thinking too much—this time about her own choices: “Gotta get out of my head / find something else to do / ‘cause there’s no point obsessing over what I would have changed.”
Bully in 2021 (photo by Ray Rusinak)
“A Love Profound” is the most experimental of the tracks, with garbled lo-fi spoken-word, and an off, eerie break in the music. Even the title is a little strange and poetic, romantic (the genre and the era). “I’ve been looking for you everywhere, trying to find you in places I would never think to see,” she speaks in the beginning, and you wonder where it’s going. But Bognanno can put alt-pop vocals over anything and it’ll sound good. Her voice, her lyrics, her skill as a songwriter is just that honed.
Sophie Allison of Soccer Mommy joins in on “Lose You,” and talk about 90s inspo: just call them Nina and Louise, ‘cause this one instantly invoked Veruca Salt for me. The little squeal of feedback and the angry-but-righteous minor chords on the chorus—it’s 90s NEWstalgia, like 90s nostalgia but, y’know, new—not like all the rest, somehow. Maybe that’s what happens when you get two of the coolest names in modern indie rock to do a song together. And Bognanno still can’t stop thinking: “The shades of blue that remind me of you are everywhere.” It really does start to feel like we’re inside her head, and there’s a lot going on in there—I guess that’s where all these songs come from.
“Ms. America” seems tragic in its soft, elegant intimacy. And it is tragic, but this song is political, not intimate: “Ms. America’s been calling / she’s been waiting on the line / wondering how you could respect her and then take her back in time.” This track feels like mourning, like something else has been lost. Once again, Bognanno’s frozen in that despair: “It’s hard when tragedy falls / to watch the world keep moving on.” With the context of ‘America’, you can pick out any one of these lyrics and understand exactly what it means: “If you’re heading towards the dream / what’s another hit and run?” It’s quiet, almost desolate, with no drums—the speaker seems really alone. But she’s not ’cause we’re all feeling the same way, aren’t we?
And of course I positively love “All This Noise.” A full 180 from the track before it in terms of energy, but it’s just the angrier side of that coin. If “Ms. America” was lonely and sad, this one is down. right. FURIOUS. “Ms. America” feels defeated and hopeless, but “All This Noise” is ready to fight. And where “Ms. America” is all dreamy metaphors, this one is literal and bare: “There’s an AR-15 in your house. It’s got one job to do / it’s quickly kill as many things that you want it to!” This track is true punk rock, like the bread on the other side of this album’s sandwich as we swing back into messy, rageful 90s shit. When that chorus hits, I’m ready to bellow “I’m tired of waiting!” along with her from the rooftops. Can this be our anthem for the revolution?
What more can I say? Alicia Bognanno knows what she’s doing: from bright, delicate indie-pop to impassioned, dirty grunge, plus everything in between and also whatever the heck else she wants. Do yourself a favor and give Lucky For You a listen ASAP and catch Bully on their US tour right now.
Lucky For You was released on June 2nd via Sub Pop and is available on Bandcamp and on all major streamers.
by FTA Staff | Apr 21, 2023
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 two weeks (ish), quick fire responses to some great new music we think you should check out. Chantal [CW], Kate B [KB], Kate H [KH], Kevin [KM] and Mike [MB] weighed in on some killer songs and have the scoop on plenty of new tunes, give ’em a listen!
Angel Olsen– Forever Means. The title track from Angel Olsen’s brand new EP is a delicate song, featuring her classic lovely voice over a strummed, echoing, electric guitar. Olsen calls the song a “nod to George Harrison” and says the EP comes from questions like “What does forever really mean? What are the things Iʼm seeking in friendship or love, and how can forever be attainable if weʼre always changing?” Forever Means is out now via Jagjaguwar; Olsen will be appearing with The Strokes at Forest Hills Stadium on August 19th. [CW]
Bar Italia– Punkt. This is a seductive and slightly creepy track from the London-based indie rock trio of Nina Cristante, Jezmi Tarik Fehmi, and Sam Fenton. The song features vocals from all three of them, and it’s almost as if we’re hearing three perspectives on a love triangle (or that’s my interpretation at least). The music itself here is infectiously simple and slinky: repeated chiming guitar hook, an undulating bass line, steady mid-tempo drums. “Punkt” is the second single off Bar Italia’s forthcoming LP, Tracey Denim, out on Matador on May 19. The trio will be playing their first US shows in May as well. You can catch them in NYC at TV Eye on May 13, or at Mercury Lounge on May 15. [KB]
Bully– Hard to Love. The third single from Alicia Bognanno’s Bully is out now and sees the artist getting vulnerable. Built around a big dirty bassline, it pushes the song as the rest of the instruments settle in on top, rocketing things to a soaring alt rock banger. Lyrically, it explores some deeply personal subject matter and Bognanno, who also directed the video, shares:
Growing up never fitting into society’s constructed gender stereotypes and expectations, I often felt as though different equals bad or wrong. I was confused about my place in the world, not fully identifying with any one particular gender or sexuality. I was ashamed, and I blamed myself. Though I’m still in the process of understanding and accepting my identity, I’m glad to be surrounded by people who love and accept me for who I am regardless of the clothes I wear and the labels others use to define me.
Lucky For You releases in full on 6/2 via SubPop. Bully will be in NYC at Racket on 6/6. [KH]
C.O.F.F.I.N– Cut You Off. The long running, hard rocking punk n rollers from Down Under have a brand new single—their first release for Goner Records—as well as a new album on the way (release date tba). The song finds them in the brash and brawny sonic territory they are known for with singer/drummer Ben Portnoy’s signature growl trading off the spotlight with red hot lead guitar licks. Portnoy also directed the video. The band will appear at Goner Fest 20 in Memphis this September; I may or may not be currently saving up for a plane ticket. [KH]
Cosmic Kitten– Songbird. The latest single from Laugh of A Lifetime (their fourth LP, not counting cover albums) is a mid-tempo, thoughtful track, which according to the band is about the struggle of expressing emotions and using art as a medium to communicate. Cosmic Kitten are well known for their harder grunge tunes, but this song shows they are adept at taking it a bit easy as well and ends in a gorgeous melodic guitar solo. Laugh of A Lifetime will be self-released on May 5th. [CW]
cumgirl8– cicciolina. The NYC based post punk quartet has been making waves both on the music scene and in the fashion world over the last few years, along with hosting their own talk show, and have now signed to 4AD, releasing their first single for the venerable indie label this week. Paying tribute to Italian porn star turned politician, Ilona Staller aka Cicciolina, the band shares:
Cicciolina is an Italian icon, porn star and former politician that was elected to parliament in the 90s. She advocated for human rights and the eradication of nuclear weapons. Cicciolina said “make sex not war” and used her divine power of femininity to troll the status quo while disrupting it from the inside. We feel her ideals are foundational to the cumgirl8 philosophy of subversive change, peace, and strength in vulnerability. We hope she loves our song, we love her very much. Cicciolina is cumgirl1.
The song itself is a hazy post punk romp, a style the band has perfected well over the last few years in dingy DIY spots and dive bars around Brooklyn. The video sees the various band members dancing in some scenes, portraying Cicciolina herself as a “video game version” of the iconic figure in others, wreaking havoc on parliamentary proceedings. The band will soon embark on a tour of the UK and Europe before joining Le Tigre for a few dates on their summer tour in the US. [KH]
Elisapie– Taimangalimaaq (Time After Time cover). The Inuk artist, Elisapie, recently released a stunning version of the Blondie classic “Heart of Glass,” taking it from its original disco roots to a contemplative folk song, singing the lyrics entirely in the Indigenous language, Inuktitut. A full covers album, Inuktitut, has now been revealed with the artist sharing on Bandcamp:
Inuktitut is Elisapie’s fourth solo effort. It’s a covers album that sprouted in the artist’s mind in the winter of 2021, when songs by artists such as Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Blondie, Fleetwood Mac, Metallica, Queen, and Cyndi Lauper, whose music once took over the community radio airwaves throughout Nunavik, Northern Quebec, triggered a flood of tears. Many of these songs were an escape as the community and cultural references were being challenged by colonization. Elisapie began a mental archaeological process: finding songs associated with emotional memories and people from her past. She followed that with a second, more prosaic quest. She sought the permission of the original artists to translate and adapt the songs that are now on this album.
Elisapie reinvigorates the poetry of these 10 songs thanks to the raw sounds of the thousand-year-old Inuit language and gives each track a unique and deeply personal quality. The tracks range from rock & roll and pop classics from the 1960’s to the 90’s. Every song is linked to a loved one or an intimate story that has shaped the person Elisapie is today. Through this act of cultural reappropriation, she tells her story, offers these songs as a gift to her community, and makes her language and culture resonate beyond the Inuit territory.
Like the previous single, this version of the Cyndi Lauper classic transforms the era defining new wave song into Elisapie’s own, both musically and lyrically, and has again revealed an entirely new way of listening to a song I thought I knew so well. The album releases in full on 9/15 and she will tour extensively in Canada throughout 2023 into 2024. Pre-orders are available now via Bonsound. [KH]
Josie Cotton– Painting In Blood. Inspired by iconic film composer Ennio Morricone – particularly his work in Giallo movies – “Painting In Blood” evokes those films with a go-go club beat, organs, and surfy guitar, not to mention lyrics like “the naked truth is she’s in stranger danger / he’s a murderer / she’s overacting / the room is spinning / the knife is glinting.” Cotton’s new album Day Of The Gun will be out May 2nd on Kitten Robot Records. [CW]
Joudy– Tail End. NYC heavy psych-grunge outfit, Joudy (pronounced “Howdy”) just dropped the lead single off their forthcoming release and US debut Destroy all Monsters (out via Trash Casual June 2023). Hailing originally from the mountains of Los Andes, Venezuela, cousins Diego Ramirez (Vocals/Guitar), Gabriel Gavidia (Bass) and Hulrich Navas (Drums) are known for their wildly volatile live-stage performances. Though much of that storm often exists tamped down to simmer just below the surface. Reminiscent at times of early Highly Suspect, “Tail End” shows that expertly controlled restraint as its beat ambles and lumbers at a slow chop beneath wonderfully ugly guitar lines that build around a densely focused and soaring lyrical delivery.
The band, displaced by political unrest in their home country, tells Wonderland Magazine that the new record “marries their history with the impossible challenges they’ve overcome both personally and professionally.” If the new single is any indicator, we will be clenching our fists and grinding our teeth in seething anticipation of this summer release. [MB]
Junior Bill– Teeth. Earlier this year, the UK based project of Welsh songwriter Robert Nichols released the insanely catchy “Boys From Jungle” (read our thoughts) and now are back with a more laid back offering, a groovy dub soaked track that tells the tale of a “lonely, isolated society where sugar passes for joy and life stays stagnant around a tiny cul-de-sac in post-Brexit Britain.” The song comes paired with a video that compliments the song nicely, hitting the mood and feel of the track, giant lips and teeth framing various scenes of vintage every day life footage, stop motion animation and more to weave the narrative of the song into a visual reality. This is the third single from the upcoming debut album, Youth Club! due out later this year. [KH]
The Linda Lindas– Too Many Things. The teenage powerhouses strike again with yet another incredibly catchy power pop song with a punk aesthetic. You’ll want to jump around to the chugging guitar riffs as the girls lament about the many overwhelming emotions that are a part of coming of age (perhaps especially when you’re going through adolescence as a rock star). The lyrics reflect the longing to stay a kid while all the shifts of growing up are happening so fast: “What would happen if we all stayed the same / now I’ve changed but everything’s still out of place.” This is the first single released by The Linda Lindas since their much-lauded full-length debut record in 2022, Growing Up (Epitaph Records) and they celebrated by rocking Coachella. They plan to tour extensively through the summer, you know, after school’s out. [KB]
Mandy, Indiana– Peach Fuzz. The singles from Mandy, Indiana’s i’ve seen a way continue to surprise and befuddle me in the best way. You can dance to this music, but you could also contemplate it alone in the dark in your bedroom. Even the visualizer video for “Peach Fuzz” is hypnotic—what is that strange little tentacle thing that keeps appearing at the bottom of the screen? “We are told yes, we are told no / They take us for idiots / We go around in circles.” Valentine Caulfield sings (albeit in French.) Layers, man. The new album will be out on Fire Talk Records May 19th. [CW]
Miranda and The Beat– Concrete. The video (featuring an intro from the 1959 version of House On Haunted Hill) may be more suited to Halloween, but this upbeat dance-punk offering from Cali-turned-Brooklyn rockers is primed and ready for summer, and serves as counterpoint to the more soulful first single “Sweat.” Their s/t debut (produced by Nick Zinner of the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s) is out on King Khan’s Khannibalism and Ernest Jenning Record Co. on May 26th. [CW]
Monarch– No Vacancy. Leave it to a band of punks from the Hudson Valley to bring sultry lounge cool back to NYC. They just dropped new live track single “No Vacancy,” and it’s got all the chops of a jazz ensemble sidled by an indie-pop smoothness that you’re probably not quite ready to handle. Donning dapper colors and immersed in a velvet elegance, the quartet led by Sarah Hartstein’s powerful pipes, plays straight to Nick Pappalardo’s masterful guitar work settled against the rhythmic foundation laid by Alex Alfaro (drums) and Oswalt Jenters (bass). Think Fiona Apple meets Amy Winehouse, and you’d be getting warm. They’ve been packing dark clubs more and more all over the city so make sure you’re keeping up and don’t sleep on getting to a show. [MB]
The Murlocs– Undone and Unashamed. The tireless Aussie group return this week with the latest single from their upcoming album Calm Ya Farm (out 5/19 ATO Records). Hot on the heels of the first album single “Initiative,” “Undone” finds Ambrose Kenny-Smith and the gang rockin’ out to an upbeat honky-tonk jammer. The track, written by keyboardist Tim Karmouche, not only sports some great guitar work but also a sax solo from Kenny-Smith. And check out the gravity defying video with a down on his luck couch potato who’s clearly undone and unashamed. [KM]
Panchiko– Portraits. “Portraits” is a math rock song turned on its head, becoming a soft, glitchy, fuzzy tune that glides along while also throwing angles into the mix. The band says the track is “based around the thought that each of us is the culmination of the generations that precedes us. Every experience and encounter shapes us and adds to our story,” and the accompanying video from animator Shunsaku Hayashi completes the picture. Panchiko will be in NYC at Le Poisson Rouge on May 30th (sold out) and May 31st; Failed At Maths will be out May 5th. [CW]
Snõõper– Pod. Snõõper blend garage rock and art punk into a fast paced mix on this lead single from their upcoming debut LP, Super Snõõper. Singer Blair Tramel notes the track stems from the anxieties of forming “‘pods” during the pandemic, and it certainly is a nervous feeling song, with high energy guitar and frenetic vocals, proving in a bit less than two minutes their claim they are a band who “in a 33 ⅓ RPM world, make 45 RPM music they play at 78 RPM.” Super Snõõper will be out via Third Man Records on July 14th and has already earned advance praise from none other than Henry Rollins who said “Speaking selfishly, I want Snõõper to hurry up and make another album. Super Snõõper is a really cool record.” [CW]
Squid– Undergrowth. This week, Squid released their latest single “Undergrowth” from their upcoming sophomore album, Monolith (Warp). The follow up to “Swing (In A Dream)”, “Undergrowth” finds the guys in Squid contemplating reincarnation but as an inanimate object such as a bedside table and what a colossal disappointment that would be. The track, which was accompanied by a video game release, is a heady mix of dub bass over mid-tempo beats, Ollie Judge’s sing-speak delivery, plucky guitars, blasts of brass and synths, all of which culminate in a bell ringing, orchestral ending. [KM]
The Dog Indiana– LOAF. The Vancouver based band recently released a new album, Burnt Ends, which I loved and included on my April Bandcamp Friday picks. A video has now been released for the lead single, “LOAF,” and it’s got a really trippy, psychedelic feel (and maybe some UFOs along the way). Read our review of the album and watch the vid below. [KH]
Tinariwen– Kek Alghalm. This latest single and opening track from the upcoming Amatssou is both meditative and upbeat, buoyed by a simple yet bouncy bassline. But it’s not all smiles here: the song is a plea for unity among the Tuareg tribes: “Why so much silence, all over the world / Only spilt blood / Only brave men killed.” A live favorite, the recorded version here features Wes Corbett on banjo. Catch Tinariwen yourself at Webster Hall on June 5th. [CW]
Ugli– Crybabi. As if we needed yet another reason to love Philadelphia’s Ugli, they just released the first single from their forthcoming EP girldick. It’s the first new music from the band in what seems like forever so we couldn’t be more excited for it to drop just in time for this warm weather weekend. The Philly alt-grunge quartet, fronted by Dylyn Durante and grown out of the DIY punk ethos of the Philadelphia house scene, delivers the “type of song that made you fall in love with bands like Weezer and The Pixies. It’s hook after hook and it never lets up.” Durante’s powerful voice lands somewhere between Kim Shattuck and Justin Hawkins, and the band’s perfect execution of loud-quiet-loud harkens backs to the type of authentic quirky dissonance and controlled chaos guitar-pop that hasn’t been heard since the days of The Muffs and Presidents of the United States of America. In less than three short minutes, “Crybabi” will swaddle you up in it’s ragged edges, blow out your speakers, and leave you screaming it’s always Ugli in Philadelphia.
by FTA Staff | Mar 24, 2023
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 lots of the crew—Chantal, Kate B, Kate H, Kevin, Mike and Ray—weighed in on some killer songs and have the scoop on plenty of new tunes, give ’em a listen!
79.5– Our Hearts Didn’t Go That Way (feat. Durand Jones). The minute this song starts, you’ll be ready to groove and won’t be able to stop bopping the whole way through. From their upcoming self-titled second album, due out 5/5 via Razor-N-Tape, it arrives just in time to shake off the winter cold and usher in the warm promise of a dance filled summer just around the corner. [KH]
The Antibuddies– Like, Ya Know, Whatever. Our favorite Detroit grungy snark punks have a brand new single out, “LYKW,” which is also their first with their new drummer. It comes on the heals of the two excellent EPs they released in 2022, Oh My Goodness! (read our review) and that’s what I said (read our review). This dishes up some major Bleach era vibes and their trademark sarcastic lens is laser focused here lyrically too for a fun romp of a song that was inspired by none other than the timeless 90s queen, Lisa Simpson.
The band shares in a statement:
“Like, Ya Know, Whatever” was inspired by the infamous 1996 Simpsons episode “Summer of 4 ft 2” where Lisa learns her worst fear of being uncovered as a nerd is actually what allows her to experience authentic friendships.
It’s also the episode where Lisa wears an absolutely peak grunge outfit and practices a catchphrase she thinks will demonstrate the epitome of social coolness, “Like, you know, whatever.”
LYKW the song is about experiencing our worst social fears but finding defiant joy instead of shame in putting your imperfect self on display.
They have some tour dates throughout the Midwest for the spring, though nothing on the East Coast as of yet—come to NYC plz and thx! Follow them on Instagram to keep up with their happenings. [KH]
Bully– Days Move Slow. I loved Bully’s recent collab with Soccer Mommy, “Lose You,” which was the first taste of Lucky For You, which has just been announced with a single released alongside it. Musically, this new song sees Alicia Bognanno staying firmly in the scratchy 1994 era Veruca Salt/Belly territory explored on the previous single, and while I love Bully’s spitfire faster paced older material, I’m all for this new, more introspective pop grunge direction. This song deals with the heartbreaking loss of a pet, in this case her beloved dog, Mezzi, which is a pain that many of us can empathize with and know stings like no other. (Having lost two cats six weeks apart in 2021, this song struck a deep emotional chord with me and I found great comfort in it.)
Bognanno shares:
“As someone who has spent the majority of my life feeling agonisingly misunderstood, there is no greater gift than experiencing true unconditional love and acceptance. I waited my whole life for the bond and irreplaceable companionship I had with Mezzi. She was my best friend and my only constant through some of the most pivotal moments and phases of my life. I was a stranger to the level of love I now know exists because of Mezzi. Love you forever; I’m lucky for you.”
Lucky For You releases in full on 6/2 via SubPop. [KH]
Chalk– Asking. This song from the Belfast post-punk group feels like it’s going to burst at the seams and fly apart at any moment. It’s part of their upcoming EP, Conditions, and each track feels tied together yet somehow different from the last, touching on noise, dark wave and dance punk for an intriguing collection. Only one song remains to be released to complete the EP, the title track, and that will arrive on 5/5. [KH]
Chat Pile– Cut. The Oklahoma City noise band has just announced a brand new split with the likeminded Nerver and shared the first song, “Cut,” a slow building tome that singer Raygun Busch says was inspired by the short fiction of Steven King. “‘Cut’ is an homage to the short fiction of King, particularly ‘The Man Who Loved Flowers,’ ‘Strawberry Spring,’ and ‘The Jaunt.’”
Bassist Stin also shares:
“These tracks were written and recorded after we tracked God’s Country. We wanted to use this release as a deliberate excuse to switch gears and fully lean into our more indie and alt-rock tendencies. Slint, Sonic Youth, Guided By Voices, and Starfish’s Stellar Sonic Solutions were certainly on our minds at the time.”
Brothers in Christ releases in full on 4/14 via Reptilian and The Ghost Is Clear. Check out pics from their sold out October 2022 show at Saint Vitus. [KH]
_Corvallis– Union. This is the first single from the instrumental post rock/shoegaze project of songwriter Matt Irving, who shares he is “all about spreading joy and inspiring music.” At times sweeping and more contemplative at others, it hits all the high notes of the genre and will definitely appeal to fans of bands like Caspian or Red Sparowes. I’m certainly excited to see where this project goes. [KH]
Dead Tooth– Electric Earth. It’s hard to argue against the point that Dead Tooth is one of the most engaging and singular bands coming out of Brooklyn right now. This is particularly true when the quintet/sextet (who knows anymore?) somehow keeps churning out quirky banger after quirky banger. The equitable distribution of artistic stagemanship divided amongst its members in itself is a unique occurrence and makes for one helluva live show. It also never hurts to have a saxophone player in tearing into the lead lines of a noisey post-punk project.
“Electric Earth” picks up right where “Sporty Boy” left off (read our review), with a tension in the guitar/vocal dance that allows us to boil and then drop at frontman Zach James’s command. What starts as a thumpy bass n’drum toe-tapper, by the end has you punching your whole foot right through the floor. Playing off concepts and complexities of emotional capitalism, it exposes us within a universe that feels very much like the Pink Panther on heroin. They will soon embark on tour supporting Bass Drum of Death which will hit Music Hall of Williamsburg on 3/31. Check out pics from their Market Hotel show together in 2022. [MB]
Dorthia Cotrell– Harvester. Dorthia Cotrell’s haunting new single, “Harvester,” weaves a disarming but mesmerizing atmosphere around you from its early surging chords awash with wind chime sounds. But it’s Dorthia’s beautiful and rich alto voice that draws you in and hyponotizes. There’s something upside down about the natural way of things in this song, and perhaps in our world, as Cotrell is pointing out. It’s cool in the summer, warm in the snow,” she sings, “Enough for my children’s, to keep them from coal.” This is the first single from her new solo release, Death Folk Country, due out on April 21 via Relapse Records. Cotrell already spreads dread with renowned stoner doom band Windhand, but “Harvester” demonstrates the creepy and more quiet beauty she can spread solo. [KB]
Erica Dawn Lyle– Sympoiesis/War Pigs (Black Sabbath cover). Erica Dawn Lyle has most recently been known as the touring guitarist of Bikini Kill from 2019-2022, but she has been making punk and experimental music as well as writing zines since the early 1990s. She recently announced a brand new solo album, Sympoiesis, which she shares on Bandcamp was “Recorded and edited at home from New Moon 1/21/23 to the Full Moon 2/5/23 mix of live improv and composition made from improv loops.” These songs see her in deeply experimental territory, the emotions of the songs very clearly communicated even without words, and the Sabbath cover in particular is as trippy as it is primal.
The album is being released in response to, and in support of, the protests in the Atlanta Forest which has been ongoing since 2021 and has seen cops ruthlessly escalating their violent tactics in recent months, leading to the murder of a protestor, Tortuguita, in January of this year. Lyle shared a lengthy statement on her Bandcamp page about the album and the protests which you can read here. Sympoiesis will release in full on 4/26 and all proceeds from pre-orders will go to the Atlanta Forest Defenders. [KH]
Fruit Bats– We Used To Live Here. Nostalgia of place is one of my weaknesses, and this song sent me into a bit of an emotional spiral. An ode to dwellings past, “We Used To Live Here” is a stripped down, acoustic tale that recalls the odd feeling of seeing a home you once occupied with your feelings, possessions, and lives, now empty — or perhaps worse, occupied by someone else. This is the final advance single before A River Running to Your Heart releases in April. [CW]
Geese– 3D Country. Geese return this week with new single “3D Country’ and accompanying seven minute hallucinatory video. And it’s a trip in every sense, as singer Cameron Winter envisioned a cowboy on psychedelics making his way through the backwoods. Winter shows his full range as he starts with a lower baritone before moving to the more full throated raspy mid-range section which blends well with the almost 70’s Steely Dan jazz-tinged female background vocals. It’s an upbeat jam that throws country, rock and honky tonk piano into the mix and you can just imagine them letting loose when they play this one live. [KM]
Handcuff– The Judge. The third single from the brand new London no wavey noise punkers who describe themselves as a band who make “short songs for bored people” that “[came] together from different corners of the South East’s [England] DIY punk and indie scenes, they find a home somewhere between noisy indie rock and fast punk and hardcore.” Their debut self titled EP comes out in full on 4/14 and will contain one more track that has yet to be released. Read our review of their previous single “El Ganso,” a very fun punk rock bop. [KH]
Hills To Height– Expired Benzos. The latest from the Brooklyn indie band, I’m a big fan of the soaring vocals here and the solid 90s vibe. (A leopard can’t change her spots and as a teenager of the 1990s, I’m always down for the vibes/sounds of that era.) This makes me think that it could be members of Catherine Wheel and Hum getting together to make a side project and you’ll hear no complaints from me on that (see previous parenthetical insert).
The group has been around since 2010, first as the solo project of songwriter Mike Dautner along with a rotating cast of characters, and which has since expanded to include the permanent membership of Joe McCaffrey, Casey Rabito and Jay Bernard. This was my first taste of their music but I look forward to digging back into what they have done in the past. [KH]
Immortal– War Against All. I’ve always preferred the “underproduced” albums of black metal to cleaner sounding ones, and Immortal’s newest is in the latter camp. And I’m not sure they are a “band” anymore, with original member Demonaz Doom Occulta being the only member listed on the release. Still, if you’re a fan of Immortal and their demon filled realm of Blashyrkh, this should satisfy, with rapid-fire percussion and guitars running to catch up to Demonaz’ tale of fantasy warfare (“strong is the hordes thunderous march / rise from the shadowlands / the power of northern darkness, wrath rides / into the unleashed Fimbulwinter.”) War Against All will be out via Nuclear Blast Records on May 26th. [CW]
The Japanese House– Boyhood. Brand new music from London based singer songwriter, Amber Bain, this is her first release since her 2020 EP, Chewing Cotton Wool, and it’s a nice slice of effervescent indie pop.
Bain shares:
“When my best friend Katie and I were young and in love, we dreamed of riding off into the distance on her horse Bam Bam, away from all the problems that came from being gay and in love back then. This song talks about how sometimes, however hard you try, you can’t help but be a product of the things that happened to you or held you back earlier on in life. But also, and more importantly, it’s about hope for overcoming those things. And look at us now. Not riding away, but towards… something. This horse was very lovely to us, but I think deep down Bam Bam was the horse we were riding all along, and wherever I’m recklessly galloping off to in my life, Katie will be riding bareback behind me like a lunatic, arms around me, like we’d always planned. Rip Bam Bam xxx.”
The single has been released as a standalone for now but hopefully more new music is on the way. [KH]
Jeromes Dream– South By Isolation. I don’t tend to be a big screamo person in general, but there are a few bands of the genre I really dig and Jeromes Dream is definitely one of them. I love that this song starts out with their signature feedback before kicking into some sick blast beats paired with Jeff Smith’s wailing scream and pounding bass riffs. This is the second single from the upcoming album, The Grey In Between, which follows their 2019 reunion album, LP. (If FTA had existed then, that album absolutely would have been on my favorites of the year list.) The new record is due out 5/5 via Iodine Recordings and the band will hit NYC on 6/2 at TV Eye. [KH]
Josie Cotton– Disco Ball. “What would James Brown do?” Josie Cotton asks at the beginning of the video for her newest single “Disco Ball.” If the answer is croon over a funky beat, Cotton has the question answered. The groovy guitars and organ synths add a nostalgic tinge to the song, which has a rather cinematic feel. The video is wacky and wild (are those… crab yetis?) and brings the 60’s and 70’s vibes. Day Of The Gun will be out May 2nd on Kitten Robot Records. [CW]
Mesheel Ndegeocello– Virgo (feat. Brandee Younger, Julius Rodriguez). The legendary bassist/singer/composer has announced her 13th studio album, The Omnichord Real Book, and shared the first single which features harpist, Brandee Younger, and Julius Rodriguez. The song is an eight minute epic that touches on soulful jazz, electro, trippy futuristic pop, funk and more with Ndegeocello excellently leading the charge, tying it all together with her collaborators.
Ndegeocello shared in a statement:
It’s a little bit of all of me, my travels, my life. My first record I made at 22, and it’s over 30 years from then, so I have a lot of stored information to share… This album is about the way we see old things in new ways. Everything moved so quickly when my parents died. Changed my view of everything and myself in the blink of an eye. As I sifted through the remains of their life together, I found my first Real Book, the one my father gave me. I took their records, the ones I grew up hearing, learning, remembering. My mother gifted me with her ache, I carry the melancholy that defined her experience and, in turn, my experience of this thing called life calls me to disappear into my imagination and to hear the music.
The Omnichord Real Book is out June 16 via Blue Note and is her first release on the label. [KH]
The Murlocs– Initiative. The Melbourne, Australia based band recently announced they have a new album, Calm Ya Farm, due out on May 19 (ATO Records) and released new single “Initiative” this week. It’s a big departure from their more garage/psych rock sound from previous albums as they introduce a brighter, cleaner, country rock sound. It’s a fun rollicking jam that finds Ambrose Kenny-Smith acknowledging he’s “mad as a hatter, officially off my rocker” but he’s ready to take some initiative and make a commitment, provided he’s taken back. By the time the la-la-la-la’s kick in you’ll be clapping your hands and singing along. Check out our live coverage of their last NYC show. [KM]
Pink Mexico– Dungeonhead. It’s only been a couple years since we’ve heard from Robert Preston Collum and the crew, but either way it feels like way too long. “Dungeonhead” is the lead single off their upcoming record Mirrorhead (out May 2023 via Quiet Panic Records) and feels like a slightly new direction for the band. There’s a sleepy element here that works wonderfully with their heavy components that are still present, but buried just below the surface. It’s almost Dandy Warhols in nature, which is a really cool turn for Pink Mexico and we are really curious to hear how the rest of the new record unfolds. [MB]
Romi O– M2M. You know Romi Hanoch as the front-and-center, bundle of energy goofball singer/guitarist of garage-punk trio, Powersnap. You also know Hanoch as the sultry voice among the ensemble cast of Ghost Funk Orchestra. But you may not know (yet) the Shakespearen-influenced Romi O, who just dropped her second single from her upcoming debut album expected to be released later this year.
Accompanied by a bare-bones but beautiful and simple music video, the song wonderfully marries electronic components and indie-rock sensibility to explore the complexity of one’s own identity and the ways in which different paths of expression can play out in how we approach choices we make as a person. [MB]
Roni– Don’t Look At Me Like That. The NYC singer-songwriter has a brand new single out this week which we premiered. Read more here. [CW]
RVG– Squid. The Melbourne-based post-punk band plunges into deep waters with their single, “Squid,” where guitarist/singer/lyricist Romy Vager steps on something on a beach and morphs into a squid-like form. From there, RVG reveal that squid are time travelers. Under the water, Romy is trapped in the past. “Don’t go back in time,” her raspy voice sings, “it’s not worth it.” Her vocals, like her lyrics, are raw and brilliant, and the lush and urgent music behind her from guitarist Rueben Bloxham, drummer Marc Nolte, and bassist Isabele Wallace spin a gorgeous goth soundscape reminiscent of the best of Siouxsie and the Banshees. “Squid” is the second single (following “Nothing Really Changes”) off of the forthcoming album, Brain Worms, due for release on Fire Records on June 2. [KB]
Shiverboard– Amphibian Fruit Punch/Stain Remover. A nice double blast from the Brooklyn punk/metal/noise doomsters. Despite them both being short, there’s a lot going on in these tracks with a wild and rapid shifting through genres from one moment to the next. But these guys never end up flailing blindly and make it all work seamlessly despite the at times seemingly disparate genre mashing. I’m more partial to the quick punk attack of “Stain Remover,” but both songs are solid and show off their chops as a band and as denizens of all things heavy. They’ll next hit the stage on 3/27 at Saint Vitus. Check out our coverage of one of their recent shows. [KH]
Wednesday– TV In The Gas Pump. Wednesday released their last album, Twin Plagues, a bit of a breakout album for the Ashville, NC band, back in April of 2021. It didn’t take long however for lead singer, guitarist and principal songwriter Karly Hartzman to start writing the material for their upcoming album, Rat Saw God (out April 7th on Dead Oceans). “TV In The Gas Pump” is not only the 4th single released so far from the new LP, but also the last track on the album itself. “TV,” unlike the previous three singles released thus far is a very soft, almost delicate dream pop ballad. If it weren’t for the repetitive guitar feedback which is omnipresent throughout (and even this is buried way down in the mix) you’d be hard pressed to recognize this as a Wednesday tune.
That being said, “TV In The Gas Pump,” is a gorgeous song from a musical flow perspective. Lyrically, we are treated to what feels like a band’s eye view of touring through the American hinterlands and the mundaneness of the life it begets. But as I said, it’s the closing track on the LP and I have to imagine that Hartzman purposely wanted a soft tender lilting ballad to finish it off. The bottom line is that while this new single is quite a departure from the self described country-gaze which we’ve grown accustomed to from Wednesday, Hartzman and their amazing band has a winner with this one which makes me super excited to hear the complete LP when it drops. [RR]
Worriers– Never Quite Kicks In. I’m a big fan of Worriers, the Los Angeles-based (but formerly Brooklyn-based) project of singer/songwriter/guitarist Lauren Denitzio. “Never Quite Kicks In” delivers a whole new sound and vibe that is much more “chillwave” than the Worriers records I’ve heard in the past. The brief but withering song clearly demonstrates the 90s throwback vibe and critique that Denitzio is going for throughout the forthcoming record, Warm Blanket (to be released by Ernest Jenning Record Co. on April 7).
Denitzio shared in a statement:
“I’m all for a good nostalgia trip but nothing gets me twitchy like apathy and a too-cool-for-school attitude. I wanted to make something that reminded me of the indie songs I grew up on that could talk about something more significant while sounding fun and maybe a little bit silly.”
Clocking in under two minutes, the song shows Denitzio flexing their lyrical prowess with more irony than the earnest honesty I’m used to from them, and their signature guitar-driven hooks are toned down for more synth-driven pop here. But I’m happy with the unique vibe of this song and this record; I’ll follow Denitzio and Worriers wherever they want to go. [KB]
by FTA Staff | Feb 17, 2023
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]
