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 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 “the Kates” aka Kate Hoos and Kate Bell teamed up and weighed in on some killer songs— give ’em a listen!
Basil’s Kite– Bak Vark. The latest from the Sydney based group’s upcoming album, Shooting Tsars, due out 3/24 via Dark Trail and its equal parts mathy, prog and frantic metal, like wild chaos in a bottle that’s ready to shatter from within. [KH]
Body Type– Miss The World. Bringing a little more thunder from Down Under, Body Type have just announced their second album, Expired Candy, and released the first single “Miss The World.” It’s catchy as hell with some really sweet opposing guitar riffs intertwining around each other and deals with the reality we all faced during the Covid lockdowns and the resiliency we all had to make it through. [KH]
Bouncing Souls– Shannon’s Song. This one is catchy and the production is crisp and air tight. The NJ stalwarts are a well oiled machine after decades of being at it, and the latest single from their upcoming album, Ten Stories High, will have you humming along, the perfect punk meets power pop showcase of everything they’re masters of. Ten Stories High releases in full on 3/24 via Pure Noise. [KH]
Catbite– Healthy Body (Operation Ivy cover). The up and coming ska band from Philly has been making lots of waves and working relentlessly over the past few years. They have a hectic touring schedule this year (you know I had to go there, wink) but found time to contribute a song to an upcoming OPIV covers collection, mooorree than just another comp. The album pays tribute to the seminal skacore band which launched the career of Tim Armstrong and Matt Freeman and inspired legions of punks for decades to come, myself among them.
It will feature ska luminaries, We Are The Union, covering “Sound System” with Eve 6, plus contributions from Middle-Aged Queers, The Hellas, Scene Killers and many more for 33 overall songs aka one band doing each and every OPIV song. The comp will arrive in full on 4/7 and is being released jointly by Sell The Heart and Lavasox. Pre-orders are up now and a portion of the proceeds will go to benefit the legendary club that spawned OPIV (and Green Day), Gilman. In addition to Catbite’s song, “Uncertain” by Michael J. O’Connor is also available now. [KH]
Covet– Firebird. The Bay Area mathy prog rockers have just announced a new album, catharsis, and released the first single along with a very fun in the sun style video, complete with its muscle car namesake. Yvette Young’s massive and unique guitar skills are of course front and center here and she shares: “We did a lot of risk-taking on this album, I try to follow what excites me without heeding anybody’s expectations. I’m leaning into melodies, tones, and textures and trying to use them to transport listeners. The whole concept is escaping into a fantasy realm where the songs depict different characters and their own worlds. Each song is like their theme song. It’s mostly instrumental, but when you close your eyes, I hope people will be transported into the character’s story.” catharsis is out 4/7 via Triple Crown Records [KH]
Desert Sharks– Sleepy Pie. The long running Brooklyn based gloom grunge quartet has just announced a new EP, The Tower, due out 3/31 via Substitute Scene and we premiered the first video, “Sleepy Pie” this week. Read more about it here. [KH]
Forty Feet Tall– Shout (Tears For Fears cover). I recently found out about this band when I got a press release about their single “We Can’t Go Back To Normal” and I immediately fell in love with the infectious energy of the song (read my review). The Portland post punkers have a new EP coming next month, Tunnel Vision, and ahead of that they have lent their touch to the 80s Tears For Fears classic and released it as a stand alone from the EP.
I absolutely love a cover that takes a song from its origins to make it the newer artist’s own and they have certainly done that here. While they have maintained the darkwave feel of the original, they’ve taken the iconic new wave track from low-key and a little subdued to a bouncy grooving romp driven by angular, gritty guitars and intricate drum fills. This was a super fun stroll down memory lane and I’m more than ready to rock the new EP next month. [KH]
Frankie Rose– Come Back. The airy second single from Rose’s upcoming solo album Love As Projection (3/10 Slumberland), and it’s a bouncy sythpop plea to a lost love that would have felt right at home in 1987. Check out our recent coverage of Rose playing in her other project, Fine Place. [KH]
Gal Pal– Mirror. The latest from the experimental indie band, this one is dreamy and ethereal. The drums are herky jerky, the guitar spinning around on itself, and the vocals soaring with all of these elements meeting in a beautiful convergence of sounds and feelings. The band’s Emelia Austin shares: “‘Mirror’ formed from Nico playing cyclical guitar riffs over and over again. It helped me form the theme of being stuck in a pattern. I then wrote lyrics that were cut-off sentences, repeating again and again to express that feeling. For me, ‘Mirror’ is about the ways we allow our identities to be misshaped by people in our lives, how we are used as reflections for others, and the anxiety over being able to control it or not.” This appears to be a one of for now but we’re certainly ready for more. [KH]
Gel– Honed Blade. Gel is here with the second single from their upcoming debut full length, Only Constant (3/31 Convulse), and it is full of the raw heavy riffs they do so well. They will be touring a good amount over the next few months and will play a pair of release shows in NYC on 4/21 at TV Eye and 4/22 at Saint Vitus. Check out our recent coverage of night two of Screaming Females annual Garden Party where they played an opening set. [KH]
Handcuff– El Ganso. A fun punk romper from the brand new London based band. On their Spotify bio, they’re described as “short songs for bored people” with their origins as “coming 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,” I’d also throw in some shades of no-wave in the mix if I were in charge of describing it too. This is their second single, the lead guitar work here is tight and catchy and the song will have you pogoing around your house. Looking forward to hearing more from this new group. [KH]
Jayda G– Circle Back Around. “Circle Back Around” pulses with the electronic energy that the Grammy-nominated Jayda G is famous for, but the lyrical focus here is intensely personal and profound. The track is the first single off her upcoming album, Guy, which is dedicated to her late father, William Richard Guy (who passed away when she was only ten). On “Circle Back Around,” we hear actual archival recordings of the artist’s father telling stories about his life interspersed between the sparkling synths and pulsing bassline.
Jayda G said in a statement about the upcoming album, “I wanted the album to be a blend of storytelling, about the African American experience, death, grief and understanding. It’s about my dad and his story, and naturally in part my story, too, but it’s also about so many people who wanted more for themselves and went on a search to find that. This album is just so much for people who have been oppressed and who have not had easy lives.” Clearly, the celebrated house music producer and DJ is plunging into deep emotional territory, and if “Circle Back Around” is any indication, she’s doing it beautifully, making you dance and cry at the same time. Guy will be out 6/9 via Ninja Tune. [KB]
Jigsaw Youth– Stranded. This dramatic new single from the Staten Island-based punk/metal trio Jigsaw Youth is all about dynamics. The song tears back and forth between moody acoustic grooves to throbbing, full-on noise rage, with bassist Maria Alvarez’s outstanding alto power on vocals. She’s able to sound both soulful in the quiet parts and explode like a monster when the song turns around to rock out. Also featuring Alex Dmytrow on drums and Nastacha Beck on guitar, these three young women from Port Richmond once again show their fantastic power in “Stranded.” This is the latest in a series of singles they’ve released over the last few months, read our thoughts here, here and here. [KB]
Kele– Someone To Make Me Laugh. Lead singer of Bloc Party, Kele Okerere, is due to release his sixth solo album, The Waves, Part 2 next month, and “Someone to Make Me Laugh” is the third single off the coming record. The track pulses with thoughtful yearning, starting out with driving mid-tempo bass drums and slinky synths. Kele’s clear and expressive voice croons over the sweet pop grooves, asking in the chorus, “Can you fix a problem that you did not make? / Can you mend a heart that you did not break? / Oh, I just need someone t o make me laugh.” Kele’s flirtatious honesty in this reflective yet danceable song make me sure he will find someone to make him laugh very soon. The Waves, Part 2 releases in full 3/24 via Kola/!K7. [KB]
Knife Club– Repeat Repeat. Ah “life serial” aka the continuous repetition of the grind and feeling like you’ve lost yourself in it. Knife Club has immortalized that feeling here with their catchy ripper about being caught in the over and over and over again cycle of feeling stuck and like your life is going nowhere. Who among us can’t relate to that? I’m raising my hand right now for that! From the upcoming album, Our Club Our Rules, due out 4/7 via TNS. [KH]
Morgan and the Organ Donors– Letter. Here’s some groovy twangy twee garage pop from the Olympia super group paired with a fun Super 8 home movie style video. Featuring Tobi Vail of Bikini Kill on drums along with Olivia Ness of C.O.C.O., James Maeda of Spider and the Webs, and vocalist Sara Peté, they are aka The M.O.D.s and “The M.O.D.s are rockers. There are many storied tales of bands discovered in some forgotten record crate but no such tales of one in such plain sight. Morgan and the Organ Donors have been playing almost exclusively at one lone Olympia bar every December for the last decade.” Their self titled album is due out 4/28. [KH]
Movie Jail– Call The Neighbors. A bit indie, a bit post-punk and a dash Bossa Nova, there are synths and woodwinds interspersed throughout for a very interesting and eclectic mashing of styles.
And speaking of interesting, it also has some 80s pop culture nods with the band saying “Call the Neighbors’ is about the tension between a generation that views work as inherently valuable and those who see it as a means to an end. It’s a song about the joy of making questionable decisions – ‘making snow angels in the middle of the road,’ as the opening line suggests. The second verse references an episode of ‘Family Ties’ in which the Young Republican Alex P. Keaton convinces a found-object artist to mass-produce copies of his latest piece, The Spirit of Columbus, named for the Ohio city in which the sitcom is set. Coincidentally, the EP will be pressed at a plant in Columbus! So this song is definitely preoccupied with different ways of viewing one’s purpose in the world.” Who doesn’t love a good combined 80s sitcom reference mixed in with coincidence? I know I sure do. Their self titled EP will be released 3/3. [KH]
Rodeo Boys– Sugar. Lansing, MI queer rockers Rodeo Boys have just announced a brand new album, Home Movies, and shared the driving first single, “Sugar,” which will hit you with 90s nostalgia and a good bit of twang. The full album is out 6/16 via Don Giovanni. [KH]
Sandile– Stay So Long. A nice slice of indie bedroom pop from singer songwriter Sandile, a “nonbinary Zimbabwean multidisciplinary artist living on the unceded Lenape territory colloquially known as Brooklyn. A true pisces Venus, their songbook is a diaristic saga of unrequited crushes, an analysis of the distance between expectation and reality, and a treatise on the power of true love.” This one nicely showcases their lush alto over jangly guitars and confessional lyrics. According to Bandcamp, they are in the process of recording their debut EP and I’m certainly ready to hear more. [KH]
Shit Present– Voice In Your Head. The Exeter based band who self describes as “an emo pop rock punk indie guitar-based music project or whatever from the South West of England” has just announced their debut album, What Still Gets Me, and released the second single, “Voice In Your Head” which is a nice big helping of grungey indie punk with a fuzzy wall of guitars. (“Fuck It” was released last month initially as a stand alone but will also appear on the album.) The album arrives 5/5 and before that the band will play one of FTA’s favorite UK venues, Le Pub in Newport, Wales on 3/26 as well as Manchester Punk Fest on 4/7. [KH]
Sign Language– The Nothing. There’s some big riffs, big feelings and big sweeping chorus pedal laden passages on the latest from this post hardcore/shoegaze crossover outfit from Cincinnati. The fusion of these styles blend perfectly and make me think that if Hum had ever put out a hardcore record, it might have sounded like this. Their first single after their signing to Sunday Drive Records. [KH]
Thurston Moore– Hypnogram. The former Sonic Youth guitarist and long time experimental musician is releasing a solo album soon (though the date has yet to be revealed) and has released the first single, a sweeping seven minute opus. The first half of the song features Moore singing, though his vocals drop out at the four minute mark giving way to thoughtful and lush instrumental exploration. [KH]
Unknown Mortal Orchestra– Nadja. UMO’s new album comes out 3/17 via Jagjaguwar and they’ve dropped the latest single “Nadja” for more chill vibes. The band has a trio of shows at Webster Hall 4/13-4/15. [KH]
by Kate Bell | Feb 21, 2023
Screaming Females at White Eagle Hall (photo by Ray Rusinak)
Screaming Females began throwing their annual Garden Party in 2016 at WFMU’s Monty Hall. The two-night affair features some of the best rock/punk/post-punk/indie music that New Jersey (and nearby) has to offer, with the Screamales headlining both nights. The event’s popularity required them to move it down the road to the bigger Jersey City venue, White Eagle Hall, a few years back. (And of course a couple years were lost to the pandemic.) But, this year’s event continued the raucous tradition admirably with Truth Cult, Nina Nastasia, and Armand Hammer on Friday night, followed by Gel, Catbite and Laura Stevenson on Saturday. I was among the enthusiastic revelers the second night this past weekend, and although I traveled from Brooklyn to catch the fun, I definitely got caught up in the Jersey pride vibes.
The NJ hardcore act Gel started out the evening with frenetic intensity, as singer Sami Kaiser growled and bounced all over the stage, the crowd up front moshing away. Gel’s debut album, Only Constant, is coming out on Convulse Records on March 31, and the band will be touring in support of it for the rest of the spring. They certainly started things out right by shaking White Eagle Hall before hitting the road. You can catch them in New York for a pair of shows soon, 4/21 at TV Eye and 4/22 at Saint Vitus.
Philadelphia’s Catbite took the stage next, bringing their super high-energy ska, and the audience shifted from slam-dancing to skanking like crazy. Mid-set, vocalist Brittany Luna demonstrated the band’s signature dance move, which involved making like a pissed off cat scratching toward the ceiling, and suddenly the hall was full of raised “claws.” Catbite too has a busy year of touring ahead and immediately after this show left for an Australian tour. They will then return to the US for some dates (including SXSW), bounce over to Europe, and then come back to the States again where they will head all over the US in the months to come, I’m tired just having typed that! (And yes, they’ll be back in Brooklyn this summer.)
Up third came songstress Laura Stevenson (not originally from New Jersey, but signed to Don Giovanni, so close enough). She quipped that she and new guitarist/bandmate Lily Mastrodimos were going to bring it down a bit, and that they did, with perfect harmonies in a more subdued but beautiful opening. The rest of the band (drummer Samantha Niss and bassist Mike Campbell) quickly joined them on stage after the first verse and chorus, and the rest of the set brought the full range and power of Stevenson’s gorgeous indie folk rock. The audience seemed to appreciate the chance to catch their breath and sway, and Stevenson hypnotized the crowd, demonstrating her prowess as a songwriter and performer.
Laura Stevenson at White Eagle Hall
Last but certainly not least, Screaming Females instantly seized the audience’s attention with “Brass Bell,” the first single from their first album in five years, Desire Pathway. The album was released by Don Giovanni the day of the first show, giving this year’s Garden Party a special celebratory energy.
In addition to showcasing songs from the new release, the Screamales rocked through many older favorites, including “I’ll Make You Sorry,” “Glass House,” and “Black Moon” all from their 2018 double LP All at Once. The adoring crowd went bonkers from the first note, and the crowd-surfing was plentiful, and fittingly, mostly non men. Marissa Paternoster was riveting, as always, shredding through her guitar solos like a woman possessed. Bassist “King Mike” Abbate and drummer Jarrett Dougherty churned out a storm of driving rhythms throughout the set as Paternoster wailed magically above it all like the punk-rock siren she is. The band seemed especially pleased with the audience’s intensity, and Paternoster rewarded the audience by matching their energy with her screams during “Boyfriend” at the end of their set and by letting the fans up front pass around her guitar. (I was elated to strum one of the strings as it drifted by! See below for a video.)
Screaming Females leave this week for an extensive tour of the US, Europe and the UK, but these Jersey heroes know that the Garden State is where their heart is, as this year’s Garden Party more than demonstrated, giving them a perfect send-off. And even though I snuck in from across two rivers, I’m going to make sure that the Garden Party is my annual tradition now too. (If anyone asks, I’ll say I’m from New Brunswick.)
Scroll down for fan shot videos setlist, pics of the show (photos by Ray Rusinak)
Laura Stevenson setlist: Living Room NY, Triangle, Don’t Think About Me, State, Torch Song, A Shine To It, Continental Divide, Wretch, Sky Blue Bad News, Jellyfish
Screaming Females setlist: Brass Bell, Black Moon, Beyond The Void, I’ll Make You Sorry, Wishing Well, It All Means Nothing, So Low, Let Me Into Your Heart, Desert Train, Doom 84, Deeply, Boyfriend Encore: Glass House, Fall Asleep
CATBITE
GEL
LAURA STEVENSON
SCREAMING FEMALES
by FTA Staff | Feb 3, 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 Chantal, Kate and Mike weighed in on some killer songs— give ’em a listen!
A Very Special Episode– Heaven’s Gate. The Brooklyn based band has turned a fascination with the history of cults and their manipulative ways into this dark, throbbing banger of a track, where the music and haunting vocals build to a climax, then to a strange ominous ending. They’ll be promoting the release of the single with a show at Purgatory on February 24th with Leathered, Shadow Monster, and Debbie Dopamine. The video features appearances/cameos from several local musicians including our very own Mike Borchardt. [CW]
Aggressive Soccer Moms– Darling. Another spontaneous banger by the Swedish electro-post-punk duo that will have you confused as to whether you should pogo, or bang your head, or toss your arms in the air and just move your body. Whatever way you choose to go, it’s sure to elevate your mood and your day will be better for it. [MB]
Black Belt Eagle Scout– Space. The latest single from Swinomish musician Katherine Paul is a spacious song with interweaving guitar and strings, overlaid by Paul’s gorgeous voice. On the chorus she is backed by her parents, and notes she intended the song “for an audience as a way to sing melodies of healing and care for them.” The touching, meditative video depicts Paul and her father, a carver in the Coast Salish style, creating an eagle head from yellow cedar. The Land, The Water, The Sky will be out February 10th on Saddle Creek. She will perform in NYC on 4/15 at Baby’s All Right. Read some of our past coverage on her previous singles here and here. [CW]
Badge Grabber– The Tin Foil Hat Brigade. Aggressive digital hardcore about “DUMBASS FUKKIN CONSPIRACY THEORISTS LOL.” Singer/producer Riley Ponce certainly minces no words in the lyrics either, scathingly taking down Q-anon-eqsue fools and their ilk bent on the destruction of our planet. From an upcoming “nu album” due out next month. I’m ready for more abrasion from this project, how about you? [KH]
Beat Awfuls– Punks On The Dancefloor. The third single from the upcoming album, PAWS, features our narrator over top of a jangly mid-tempo indie pop, being self reflective (and perhaps a bit self deprecating) in a fuzz laden voice as he admits in the opening moments of the song: I will spin into a tornado / And destroy what lays in my way. And does he know why? Do we? The chorus perhaps gives us some insider knowledge but ultimately asks more questions? Do I really wanna tear it all down / What for / Because I’m bored / Or should I slam it on the ground / Bounce up and down in my Docs some more / Like punks on the dance floor. The album will release in full on 2/10. [KH]
ChumHuffer– Wasting Away. The NYC/Long Island punks have just announced their new album, Orgy of Hate, and released the first single, “Wasting Away.” Read more here. [KH]
Death Valley Girls– Magic Powers. This one is a bit moody, seeing the band leaning into the dreamy, gothy side of their sound which I’m all for. And while singer/guitarist Bonnie Bloomgarden does not take lead vocals on this track (she provides backups while bassist Sammy Westervelt does the lead), she shares the inspiration behind the lyrics which were penned together with Westervelt: “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!” Did I say I was all for it before? Because being a cool goth garage punk witch with magic powers?! I’m really all for it.
The song comes paired with a video directed by Westervelt and recalls the pixelated video games of ye olden times of the 1980s. This is the third single from the upcoming album Islands In The Sky which will arrive in full on 2/24 via Suicide Squeeze. [KH]
Ducks Ltd– Invitation (Feelies cover). The band turn their trademark jangle and breezy vocals towards paying homage to The Feelies and say on their Bandcamp that it was “inspired by a Halloween performance in a Feelies cover band by guitarist Evan Lewis and several members of the Ducks Ltd live band.” Featuring Mo Troper and Julia Steiner of Ratboys, the harmonies and guitar work are a fitting tribute to the original from the 1991 album Time For A Witness. The single is part of a cover series called “The Sincerest Form of Flattery” and is out on Carpark Records. [CW]
[Editor’s note: I had a part time job working at Michael’s in Wayne, NJ almost 15 years ago now, and none other than Dave Weckerman of The Feelies was my co-worker. We unloaded trucks together every Thursday morning at 5am and it was a time!- KH]
Elita– She Bangs Like A Fairy On Acid. Described as a “Goth bedroom-pop band,” what really captured my attention when this came across my desk this week was this quote from guitarist/keyboardist Tim Rypien “I made this song at my parents house on Christmas Day. I was messing around with their digital piano trying to recreate the Unsolved Mysteries theme song. I missed the mark but thankfully the beat for “SBLAFOA” was born.” Being a huge fan of the 80s true crime show, I knew I had to take a listen. The music does certainly recall that iconic theme and is in the same dark vain, but definitely stands on its own, ominous yet nimble at the same time. On the lyrics, vocalist Elita shares “Timmy and I tried mushrooms for the first time before writing this song. I felt like I was living in a little fairy world and that totally inspired this song. I wrote the lyrics on Christmas too.”
Indeed, the song is dark and trippy, but the imaginary world contained within is less forbidding than it is a sexy and beguiling place, the lyrics recounting the tale of a drug fueled tryst in the woods with a fairy (which will no doubt appeal to many sapphic fans in particular). The song is part of the upcoming debut album, Dysania, due out on 3/22 via Opposition; the band will embark on a tour in early April that will see them hitting NYC on 4/8 at Elsewhere. [KH]
Gel– Attainable. The NJ hardcore band has released some killer EPs over the last few years (that made both our faves of 2021 and 2022 lists) and now have announced their debut full-length, Only Constant (3/31 Convulse), and released the first single, “Attainable.” The song sees them in the well hewn, raw and crusty hardcore territory they are so good at, but building upon their hallmark sound, adding in dance-punk choruses that have an almost electro feel to them for a really cool vibe.
In a press release, vocalist Sami Kaiser shared: “A lot of this record is about trying to live more of a happy and healthy life. I’ve been in recovery for alcoholism for the past couple years and really taking it seriously. I’ve learned a lot about myself and how to address negative feelings, and the album is about trying to let go of those self-destructive tendencies and embrace change.” [KH]
Lovecolor– Dangerous. I’ve been a big fan of songwriter/producer Vanessa Silberman since we first met shortly after she moved to NYC in early 2019 and we became fast friends. She’s been playing music alongside her musical partner, Ryan Carnes, for just as long, and while the world was sleeping and we’ve all been slowly coming back to life the past few years, the duo has been hard at work creating what would become Lovecolor.
The pair has an undeniable musical chemistry writing catchy dark pop/dance rock magic, and their debut single under the glow of its fluorescent retro-futuristic music video directed by Cosmos Kiindarius makes quite the first impression.
It’s important to Silberman that they do something special and say something meaningful. “Dangerous,” Silberman says “is about a few things—one being attraction and being so completely drawn to someone that it’s almost dangerous, in a way. On the other hand, its message is really about exposing your entire self and being completely fearless and vulnerable, by embracing every aspect of who you are.” Carnes adds: “To me, ‘Dangerous’ speaks to the idea of being fully awake, aware, alive and sharp in a world where parts of society and culture wish us to remain dull and asleep.“ [MB]
Middle-Aged Queers– Anal Beads. The sassy Bay Area queer-core band has released a brand new song just in time for Valentine’s Day and it leaves little to the imagination! Read more here. [KH]
Model/Actriz– Amaranth. The Brooklyn based experimental industrial band are releasing their debut full length, Dogsbody, soon and have shared the third single, the delightfully abrasive “Amaranth.” Be prepared to be pummeled with rapid fire beats and jittery, gasoline doused guitar for three minutes straight. In other words, this song is not for the faint of heart but certainly for the adventurous among us. Dogsbody will be released on 2/24 via True Panther. The band will play new NYC venue, Racket, on 4/20. [KH]
Tami Hart– Thanks For Saying Hi. Many moons ago when I was a baby queer in the early aughts, I became familiar with Tami Hart’s work via Mr. Lady Records, a now defunct lesbian run label that released some crucial albums in my life (and countless other queers I’m sure) between 1996 and 2004. Two of those albums were Hart’s No Light In August (2000) and What Passed Between Us (2002). I saw her play a few times from 2000 to around 2003ish and over the years I would dip back into those albums from time to time, both having remained personal favorites to this day, but no new solo music arrived from Hart after 2002. (Making Friendz was a 2011 solo project yes, but as a lo-fi electro project, it had a distinctly different vibe than the singer-songwriter, country twinged feel of the earlier releases.)
And though she wasn’t releasing solo music, she was hardly idle musically after those first two records either and has been involved with a number of other projects. Via Spotify her bio states “From the mid-2000’s-2010’s Tami could be found in bands like Winning Looks, MEN, and Sextional, as well as solo project Making Friendz. In 2017 Tami co-founded Teen Vice with Joshua Ackley of Brooklyn-based punk band The Dead Betties. 2022 saw Tami return to solo releases and performances.”
Indeed, 2022 saw her starting to release solo music under her own name again, with a collection of demos and a single, “Sorry For Your Heart,” coming over the course of the year. I was unaware of this until I recently saw her name start to pop up on show flyers and realized “oh shit, new music!” Now Hart is preparing to release a brand new EP in April on Cruisin Records and has released the first single, “Thanks For Saying Hi.”
This one is a delightful full circle moment, returning to the sound of her very early releases, full of sweet harmonies and twang. Via Bandcamp Hart says the EP is “a game of country mouse and city mouse, as both love letter to New York City with twinges of post punk as well as a deep bow to her Southern upbringing with heart on sleeve echoing of country melodies.” I for one am looking very forward to hearing more and catching a live show for the first time in over 20 years! (I personally missed her recent show with Ted Leo because I had to work, but our very own Ray Rusinak was on hand and you can check out pics here.) [KH]
Whenwolves– Minutes. We premiered the band’s latest electro groove this week from their upcoming EP, Recon For The Weirdos, and you can read more about that here. [MB]
