by Shasha Leonard | Apr 20, 2023
Sunflower Bean at SXSW (photo by Shasha Léonard)
And here we are with Part Two of our SXSW coverage! Be sure to check out Part One.
DAY 4 – Thursday, March 16th 2023
Thursday afternoon was a late start, beginning in the Red River District where we popped into The 13th Floor to catch Militarie Gun, an LA hardcore band that formed in 2020. Through their thrashes and screams comes a real sense of tenderness being conveyed by lead singer Ian Shelton.
The Plastic Picnic guys and I enjoyed some free hard seltzers at a random spot and then sought the promise of shade at Stubb’s, where Sunflower Bean was in the middle of their set. I realized the last time I saw them play was their EP release at Baby’s All Right in Brooklyn in 2015. At that time, I had no idea who they were yet, but the friend who brought me was pals with Julia Cummings and promised a good show. There was even a little mosh pit. On stage in Austin, Cummings was wearing what looked like a horse hair collar around her neck, the words “unsigned” emblazoned in black across it.
Up next was a band I was unfamiliar with, but quickly learned were Austin darlings from the early aughts: Voxtrot. They are a five-piece indie band, somewhere between the sound of early Vampire Weekend and Arctic Monkeys, that had reformed not long before SXSW. After breaking up in 2010, their set at Stubb’s was part of the reunion they started last year with a short East Coast tour that hit NYC in September 2022 at Webster Hall.
I next crossed over east to Low Down Lounge where my favorite identical twins were playing back to back sets with Die Spitz—a noise-punk match made in Hell. Venus Twins is comprised of only bass and drums, and Jake and Matt Derting are the only twins I know that lean into the whole telepathy thing. I first saw the two play at the Brooklyn DIY spot Rubulad just before the pandemic and have been hooked on their explosive music ever since. Their 2022 album RAXIS is a tight production but their live shows are a whole other beast. It makes sense that the brothers champion Venus, the hottest fucking planet in the solar system.
A SXSW highlight for me was getting to see Die Spitz up front and personal. It’s thrilling to recognize the band you’re watching is fronting the next wave of Kathleen Hanna’s and Joan Jett’s in the post-pandemic era. For a relatively new band where the median age is 19, this group of four is catching fire in the local Austin scene. The lead singer has the face of an angel and the voice of Satan. The bassist looks ecstatically possessed. The guitarist and drummer swap instruments effortlessly. What is it about this band that makes me think of blood? Fresh meat up on the industry chopping block? Or in the teeth of the very youthful, very hungry?
In any case, when Cyndi said girls just wanna have fun, I’m pretty sure she imagined a Die Spitz live show.
DAY 5 – Friday, March 17th 2023
Cheer Up Charlies made another easy day for me with their excellent line up of grunge, punk, and noise bands. Brooklyn-based Native Sun was a great way to start the day, these guys are notorious showmen and their midday set on the outside stage was jarringly loud—vicious for the hungover crowd. My eardrums have still never recovered from the last show I saw of theirs with my friend and fellow photographer Nico Potosme at The Dance before it closed for good in 2019. Watching frontman Danny Gomez lose it, you have to wonder what kind of toll it takes on someone to exorcise themselves over and over for their music. Of course shows like these are always the most fun to shoot; guitars being thrown, bodies rolling off stage…one man’s hazard is another man’s opportunity for a really exciting shot.
Model/Actriz played the outdoor stage again and with their tour dates selling out the way they are, I wasn’t taking a free show for granted even if I had seen them earlier in the week. That grinding bass detune Aaron Shapiro does was especially good this set.
Enumclaw was up next. A Tacoma band with excellent shoes and an honest sound, their tenderness caters to anyone with emo tendencies. You could feel the hometown angst dripping off their music and it kind of made me wish we were at a house show sipping warm beer from cans in the dark.
I tried to catch Gargoyle, a friend’s new EBM/synthwave project, at Hotel Vegas but got confused and lined up for the wrong indoor stage. Instead I caught the tail end of another Miss Grit set, but the happy coincidence kept me from queuing in another long line. Sorry Gargoyle, next time!
Avoiding said long line, I didn’t leave the room when the next band got on stage and ended up getting to see a really fun show by Le Couleur, a Montréal based band I hadn’t heard of before but belong side by side with French electro disco artist of a similar psychedelic caliber like L’Imperatrice and La Femme. The lead singer and keyboardist, Laurence Giroux-Do, had all the energy to match the Baltimore Ravens cheerleading outfit she was wearing and more. The crowd ate it up, welcoming the opportunity to finally get to dance like it was a proper nightclub, not a dive bar in the middle of SXSW. This was definitely the most fun show I saw outside of the punk/noise genre during the entire festival and it was a great way to end the night.
DAY 6 – Saturday, March 18th 2023
Dawn of the final day of SXSW. I couldn’t call it a slog, it was too enjoyable and too full of good musical surprises to complain about, but it did feel way longer than it actually was. I was glad to be on Plastic Picnic’s show schedule for the last day because having three sets already booked removed a lot of waffling over what shows to see.
First up, a twenty minute drive south to the Do512 Presents showcase at Far Out Lounge. While the band loaded their gear into the green room, I got to give my online friend Aarvi a big hug for the first time IRL. We connected over Instagram after realizing we had both been taking photos of Plastic Picnic at their 2019 show in the basement of the old Songbyrd Music House in Washington DC. After finding out we were both at SXSW earlier in the week we made a point to meet up at this show.
Aarvi was hyped for the band just about to play, an indie rock band called Personal Trainer from Amsterdam. I was impressed they managed to get all seven members on stage, let alone all the way from The Netherlands. Their music was somewhere between Cake’s kooky, Franz Ferdinand’s panache, and Pavement’s earnesty; the effect was an entertaining genre-bending whirlwind.
Plastic Picnic has been together for several years now, all past and present members are PNW transplants that moved to Brooklyn for music. Their shimmery sound is surf-pop dreamy and consistently about love, loss, or more often both. Despite this, the average person has been known to sway, or even occasionally dance to, their self proclaimed sad songs. They’ve been compared to The 1975, Tame Impala, and Alvvays. I know these guys too well to feel comfortable writing about them more extensively but their Far Out Lounge show was a well played set to a full room.
Afterwards I watched Sorry Mom, who have a ridiculously irreverent song called “I Fucked Yr Mom” that I was happy to finally see live. Their other tracks are more serious but still tongue in cheek, with a grittiness reminiscent of Le Tigre, GRLwood, and Destroy Boys. Their debut album babyface is being released May 12th of this year.
Before driving to Plastic’s next show in East Austin I caught the tail end of Dream Wife’s set outside. Classic, unapologetic femme punk at its finest.
The next stop was an outdoor show at Fair Market but the weather was weirdly cold and dreary at that point in the day. The venue was being sponsored by an energy drink called C4, most of which were too tooth achingly sweet to enjoy. Oh, and there was also no food, no alcohol, and no water available once inside the gates. The band had sound checked in the morning but to little effect; the sound engineer had seemingly deleted their settings. All these things led to a lukewarm showing for Plastic Picnic, but honestly, by no real fault of their own. Afterwards a few fans stopped by the stage to say hi and buy some merch before we were all quickly and unceremoniously kicked out of the space…but at least it was a paid gig.
After getting to Seven Grand, the last venue of the night, we watched a band from Chicago called Free Range play an acoustic-forward, very mellow set. In the vein of Why Bonnie and Hand Habits, their music is something I’d put on after getting home from a long day; quiet, intimate, and reliable.
Plastic Picnic played the last set of the night (and my SXSW experience) and it was a relief. The set went smoothly, there was a good crowd and I had fun shooting with a new filter. Our friend Nicole from NYC came to see the show and we all celebrated afterwards. I can’t remember how we all got home, but what matters is we did. The next day Plastic Picnic hit the road for Idaho’s Tree Fort Festival and I was left with a mild hangover and the gargantuan task of going through all 128 GBs of photos I had taken on my trip.
It was nice to end the marathon of bands I saw with some familiar faces. All in all, my first time in SXSW was great, if a little hectic. While I was grateful for the free badge, I don’t think having one is necessary. The unofficial shows are worth flying down for alone, especially if you have friends with you. I’m no stranger to going to shows solo, but after this I can really appreciate that the experience of live music Is better when sharing it with a buddy or two. After SXSW 2023, I now have a very long list of new music to listen to from different parts of the world, a roster of new friends, and a lot of photos I’m proud of to look back on. If you stuck around this long, thanks for reading!
by Shasha Leonard | Apr 3, 2023
Panic Shack at SXSW (photo by Shasha Léonard)
We all know what SXSW is by now, but long gone are the affordable $10 tickets of yore. I had never even entertained the idea of going but this year a bunch of my friends were playing and my work in media got me a free platinum badge. And so, high off the post-lockdown urge to travel anywhere, I booked my Airbnb and a round trip to Austin, Texas, for my first SXSW experience. Given that I’d only been to and photographed one other festival, which was Gov Ball last year, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I mean, how crazy can a six day music festival spread throughout an entire city really be???
I didn’t sleep that night (insomnia fun!) and when I got to JFK the security line was the worst I’ve ever seen it, the signs approximating over a two hour wait time. I somehow miraculously made it to my gate well after the final boarding call, with about three minutes before the doors closed. Given that I had run the length of Terminal B in cowboy boots, I gave myself permission to keep the rest of the day simple. I took a Lyft straight to the convention center in downtown Austin where I picked up my badge and camera tags, noting that all NYC artists pretty much dress the same: we’re so tough in our leather jackets, lol.
After not hearing back all day, I realized my Airbnb host was ghosting me. I had a consolation taco at Veracruz All Natural to center myself, even though it cost me more than a Brooklyn taco. “SXSW menu,” apparently. I regretted my decision to bring a duffel and not a rolling bag for the next two hours but then thankfully a friend of a friend came through (thank you Sam) and put me up for next two nights. After I finished my claim with Airbnb, I met him at Hotel Vegas where, wielding my shiny new platinum badge, I paid the $10 cover fee because I didn’t care anymore, I just wanted to see some goddamn music.
DAY 1 – Monday, March 13th 2023
Razor Braids had just started playing inside and I felt grateful for familiar faces. A Brooklyn band I’m fond of, we’d crossed paths multiple TV Eye shows. I cracked my first Lone Star and settled into an animated set, all four members dressed head to toe in their signature red. Whenever I see a band like this play live I’m reminded of how much punk and panache can be lost in translation when it comes to having to record it. While guitarist Janie Peacock tore up the edge of the stage, Sid Nichols, on drums, kept the crowd in line with a smile on their face. I lost my phone in the crowd when bassist Hollye Bynum and guitarist Jilly Karande clashed instruments, but retrieved it later from the bartender who said someone turned it in. Not sure that would have happened in NYC. Razor Braids finished out their tour at TV Eye March 31st, with Closeby and Trophy Wife.
Afterwards, we caught back to back Austin bands at the patio outside, Billy Glitter and then Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol—sharing both a name, a city, and a genre. A small but obliging mosh pit had formed at the front of the stage, kicking up dust under the midday sun.
Billy Glitter is a newly formed group of five, brought together by frontman William Grover in 2021. A self-described prog rock band, I could hear the influence of the Stooges in their set, which was already the 2nd of five shows they’d play during SXSW. Gotta say I really dug the keyboardist’s style.
Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol was similar in sound, if not aggressively more metal. They played fast and tight, with a Nirvana-worthy grunginess. The lead singer Leo Lyodon has a Jack White-like strain to his voice, cutting through Sean St. Germain’s shotgun spray drumming while the bassist Aaron Metzdorf deftly threaded through them. Put Turnstile and Wolfmother in a blender and I feel like you’d get Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol. Needless to say the mosh pit was loving them.
I caught the end of Pelvis Wrestley inside, a queer approach to country I can get down with. I realized I’d met the frontman, Benjamin Violet, at a wedding last year in Austin, but we’d never spoken. There is an epic glam to this band that’s hard to put a finger on, which feels all at once nostalgic and futuristic. This was my SXSW “one that got away,” I regret not catching any of their other shows, but I’m looking forward to whatever music they put out next. Pelvis Wrestley’s debut album, Vortexas Vorever was released this month on streaming platforms.
Last band I watched before leaving Hotel Vegas was Iguana Death Cult outside on the patio. I think they played like ten shows at SXSW; I saw them almost everywhere. A Netherlands band, they have a very juicy pop rock quality, reminiscent of early The Hives. I feel like they might not like the comparison but I mean it as a compliment. I would love to know more about their name though. Their forthcoming album Echo Palace is out May 12th via LA label Innovative Leisure.
Nearing almost 48 hours without sleep, I walked all the way to the British Embassy showcase hoping to catch Gen and the Degenerates for my final show of the night, but it wasn’t in the cards for me. I’m not sure what happened but it was no real loss because I caught Panic Shack instead, managing to get pretty close despite the room being at capacity. As I understand it, this group of four young women is blowing up back in the UK, much like Die Spitz is in Austin. They were having fun with their set, chatting amongst themselves and to a very responsive crowd between the thrashing explosion of each song.
They are a Cardiff, Wales based band that came up from the DIY scene in 2018 and you can feel that can-do energy throughout their music. They were especially fun to watch, the endearing charm of their chutzpah was lost on no one. During the finale of one song, all four lined up at the front of the stage and mimed shooting off AK-47’s with their instruments. What’s refreshing is that Panic Shack isn’t trying for “revolutionary all-woman punk band,” they’re just women, but more importantly, friends, having fun playing music together.
DAY 2 – Tuesday, March 14th 2023
After getting some food and coffee in me and feeling (mostly) rested, I headed straight to Cheer Up Charlies for their incredible line up as part of the Women Who Rock showcase. If only all venues made it that easy for me. When I got there, Barrie was playing, or rather, dancing, which is a big part of the set. The band is short for the artist behind it, Barrie Lindsey, who just released a new EP, 5K.
Cafuné was on next, a band I’ve really been looking forward to seeing live. I describe their sound as Japanese café lo fi meets electro-pop. The way Sedona Schat applies autotune selectively and tastefully throughout the set adds that little J-pop vocaloid touch to their music. Noah Yoo shreds so hard it’s incredible his glasses don’t just fly straight off his face (though they did come close several times).
Jaguar Jonze, the musical project of Taiwanese-Australian artist Deena Lynch, drew a large crowd with her defiant lyrics and rock n’ roll stage presence, playing banger after banger. It feels like Velvet Revolver meets Sasami in an eclectic genre mash up of punk pop. This cat screams.
Overcoats closed out the Women That Rock showcase, debuting some new choreography they joked about coming up with at the hotel. The duo is composed of Hana Elion and JJ Mitchell, Brooklynite singer-songwriters with an indie-Americana sensibility. Their gorgeous harmonies and catchy pop hooks are so infectious, they had the whole crowd cheering and swaying as the sun set.
As we moved into the evening showcase, Bailen, a trio of siblings from NYC played a lovely set of alt indie tracks. They were a great follow up to Overcoats, in the same vein of pop-Americana with particular attention to the percussion, manned by fraternal twins Daniel and David Bailen on bass and drums. Their younger sister, Julia, leads with vocals and winding guitar riffs.
Next, I checked out what was happening inside to find Charlotte Rose Benjamin on the stage, my friend Luc Swift opened for her at Brooklyn Made a while ago and I stuck around long enough to hear her hit “Slot Machine” before heading back outside to make sure I caught Model/Actriz.
Before their set, I ran into drummer Ruben Radlauer and congratulated him on their freshly release debut album, Dogsbody, which earned them a mighty 8.2 from Pitchfork (if that sort of thing matters to you). The man is a machine. Really, the whole band is;. Big purveyors of noise, something about the grind and wail of their sound just hits me right where I need to feel something. Model/Actriz is especially fun to watch live due in part to the frontman, Cole Hayden, and his off-stage melodrama. He crawls through the crowd, climbs picnic tables, and stares deep into the souls of strangers. Back in 2019, at the short-lived NYC venue The Dance, he scrambled up an amp in a blue sequin catsuit to hump a disco ball not unlike the one hanging up on the Cheer Up Charlies stage. Even if you aren’t into the genre, Model/Actriz has an intensity that even the most averse have a hard time turning away from.
Next, I headed to The North Door to catch Juice, a genre-bending group consisting of six musicians originally from Boston, now based in Brooklyn. The stage was a little cramped for such a musically expansive band, but they made it work with a smile. Through their soulful harmonies and vibrantly funky R&B riffs, I found myself smiling back.
Nearing 1am, I trudged down to Rainey St., dodging drunk people on my way to Half Step to see Adwaith. They came recommended to me by our EIC Kate Hoos, and for good reason. This indie rock trio comprised of Hollie Singer, Gwenllian Anthony and Heledd Owen champions the Welsh language and its cultural heritage with their music. The crowd and I perked up at the dreamy vocals and power-pop beats, all of us catching a second wind. During the set I found myself trying to make meaning of words that sounded familiar enough it seemed possible to sing along—and I really wanted to. (Check out our recent coverage of Adwaith in NYC at New Colossus Fest.)
DAY 3 – Wednesday, March 15th 2023
I’ll admit it, I started to lose a little steam by the third day but the band I was sharing an Airbnb with was getting into town later in the afternoon so I knew I’d get a breather.
I joined my friends at High Noon for Paste Magazine’s showcase because I’d told them Miss Grit was playing and their EPs had been on my heavy rotation for the past year. I’d just seen them at Baby’s All Right in Brooklyn a month before but I’d really been enjoying their debut album that was just released in February called Follow the Cyborg (read our review). Miss Grit is the musical project of artist Margaret Sohn, whose nonbinary, half Korean identity fuels a lot of their work. As someone who is also nonbinary and half Asian, I find myself drawn to their themes around selfhood and liminality. I hear a lot of Mitski and St. Vincent in Miss Grit’s synth pop sound, and it really hits the spot.
The next band was a complete surprise. Somewhere between a gospel choir and an exorcism is where you’d find SUSU. I’ve heard people want to keep Austin weird, but I was really happy to see a band bringing NYC weird to SXSW. Soulful, psychedelic and seductive, the leading duo—Liza Colby and Kia Warren—had range in both a vocal and acrobatic capacity. Their set was a marathon of energy that left me feeling refreshed. Also, the body harnesses they were wearing? DIY’ed from store-bought back braces. Insane.
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I met up with Plastic Picnic afterwards at the convention center where snapped a quick photo in front of the official SXSW backdrop.
After grabbing a bite to eat, I rushed off to catch the second half of Ava Vegas at Las Perlas. Elfin and bathed in golden light, her ballads were luxurious and dreamy. The Berlin-based singer was giving German Lana Del Rey and the audience was rapt for it.
I booked it to Stubb’s next so I could see Hermanos Gutiérrez, which was the first SXSW official photo pit for me. The Swiss-Ecuadorian brothers have been enjoying the spotlight recently, and their music has been written about extensively. I felt lucky to catch the set for free, but wished I was more of an audience member than photographer because their music is a soundscape I wanted to be able to close my eyes and enjoy, especially as a live set.
Before I got to SXSW, Kate also recommended I check out M(h)aol, a punk band from Ireland that had just released their first full length album Attachment Styles, in February (read our review). I fell in love at first listen with Róisín Nic Ghearailt’s voice, her anger, and her optimism, especially when singing about the ubiquity of sexual assault on “Asking for It. ”I headed to their set at Mohawk and ended up in the front row, delighted to find that the singer was exactly the same in real life; a bubbly force of nature. In between songs she spoke fervently about abortion and trans rights being taken away, and how it was important not to lose hope because all our struggles were interconnected.
Before “Bisexual Anxiety” she asked everyone who identified to raise their hand and because I was in front, we high fived. She turned down a kiss from me, shouting “I’m monogamous!” “I’m greedy!” I shouted back, quoting a line from the song, and she winked. Later she told me that because of their Visa, they weren’t allowed to sell merch, so she gifted me one of their totes which reads “It’s not personal, it’s just vibes.”
Tired after a long day, I joined Plastic Picnic at Seven Grand where they were watching Overcoats play a late show. I’d seen them the day before but their music is so catchy and I liked their new choreography so I stuck around to listen again. Plastic Picnic will be opening for Overcoats on a six day leg of their tour in May.
Stay tuned for the second half of our SXSW coverage coming soon!
by FTA Staff | Feb 24, 2023
Each week a ton of new music comes out, and between our weekly singles column that gets posted every Friday, and the full album reviews throughout the week, plus live show reviews and news announcements, we get to a lot! Here’s a quick fire list of even more great albums and EPs that came out this week(ish) that we dug and think you should get on your radar too.
Algiers– Shook. The thing I love most about Algiers is you never quite know what you’re going to get from one song to the next. And I mean this as a supreme compliment as it is a direct reflection of their strength and skill as musicians and songwriters. Rare is the band that can do so much without getting lost along the way and be so impactful in the process. SHOOK is out today via Matador and is a document of a band that was already at a high level, reaching even further. The album features guest appearance from Zach de la Rocha, Mark Cisneros, LaToya Kent, billy woods and more, with many highlights across 17 songs including “I Can’t Stand It!,” “Bite Back,” “Out of Style Tragedy” and “Cold World.” They will next play NYC at Racket on 4/6. [KH]
Death Valley Girls– Islands In The Sky. The latest from the LA garage rock greats and we had a lot of thoughts on it! Read them here. [KB]
En Attendant Ana– Principia. The Parisian dream pop outfit has just released their latest album, Principia, which follows up 2020’s Juillet. It’s got plenty of jangle to spare and big standouts for me are “Black Morning,” and “The Cutoff,” a bouncy post punky jam, as well as the title track which kicks off the album. I’d love to see them soon so I’m sure hoping a US tour is in their 2023 plans. [KH]
Fat Heaven– Trash Life. The latest from the Brooklyn pop punk stalwarts,Trash Life, collects the previously released tracks from their 2018 Crybaby EP as well as two songs from their 2021 split with fellow BK pop punkers, Trashy, and adds in four brand new songs. This is a short and sweet blast, like any good pop punk record should be and to quote our earlier review of one of the new tracks, these songs are “hanging on the corner of Rancid and Social Distortion.” You can catch their energetic live show next on 3/2 at The Kingsland. [MB]
Fat Trout Trailer Park– Live At The Creamery. The Brooklyn based band has a knack for catchy, fuzzy indie pop grooves and self describe as “a post-punk response to modern life, where beyond the noise lies an incisive critique of contemporary society.” They just released a four song EP which includes live versions of the series of singles they released over the course of 2022 and it’s a fun, punchy addition to their existing catalog. [KH]
Gruff Rhys– The Almond and The Seahorse soundtrack– Super Furry Animals lead singer Gruff Rhys has released a double album today and it serves as the soundtrack to the film The Almond and The Seahorse which stars Charlotte Gainsbourg, Rebel Wilson and Celyn Jones. The album contains 22 songs, featuring both original songs with instrumental score interspersed throughout, and it was recorded in 2021 and 2022 with members of the National Orchestra of Wales and other guests. As per Rhys’ Bandcamp: “the film tells the story of archaeologist (Rebel Wilson) and an architect (Charlotte Gainsbourg) and their fight to re-imagine a future after a traumatic brain injury leaves them adrift from the people they love. The title of the film itself refers to the nicknames given to the parts of our brains that lay down new memories and hold on to the old ones.”
He also notes that the album was “recorded largely in pandemic conditions so it was a matter of recording in bursts of possible activity in various friends’ studios, homes and even scout halls as chance permitted. It’s a varied quilt work as a result.” An ambitious project for sure, but no match for the prolific Welsh singer/songwriter. Gwaith arbennig, Gruff! [KH]
Gina Birch– I Play My Bass Loud. The legendary founder of The Raincoats has just released her very first solo album, I Play My Bass Loud, proving that old punks never die. Read our full review here. [CW]
Gorillaz– Cracker Island. The long running cartoon fronted band (aka Damon Albarn from Blur and Jamie Hewlett of Tank Girl fame) has just released their eighth album. I’ve been a fan since day one and they were really one of the first electronic bands I really took a shine to, after coming off of years of grunge, punk and ska devotion in the 90s. I still love their very early catalog and the first three albums in particular, so it’s exciting to see them still at it (albeit it with some bumps in the road along the way).
22 years down the line from their self titled debut, and they’ve made a fun record that is packed with special guests like Stevie Nicks, Bad Bunny, Adeleye Omotayo, Beck and more; it has plenty to keep your feet tapping and your head bobbing. Is this one a revelation now like their debut was in 2001? No that it is not, but it still has teeth and at this stage of their career, it doesn’t need to be anything more than a solid electro pop record which it certainly is. With the one two punch of the title track opening the album with a guest spot from Thundercat, followed by “Oil” featuring vocals from Nicks, that pairing alone proves they’ve still got it. [KH]
Human Potential– Hoosi, No! I admit I may have perked up a bit when I saw the title of this album (my computer immediately autocorrected it to Hoos) but what really got me to check it out (since I had been unfamiliar with this project previously) was that it is from the creative mind of Andrew Becker, who once upon a time played drums for The Medications. They were an absolutely stellar mathy, post hardcore band that put out some of my favorite releases of the first decade of this century, the 2004 EP, Medications, and the 2005 LP, Your Favorite People All In One Place. (If I dig through my archives, I have pics of them from 2005 at NorthSix which was the precursor to Music Hall of Williamsburg.)
Human Potential is very, very different from the work that I had been previously familiar with though and that surprised me. The genre descriptors on Bandcamp are listed as “pop” “ambient” “experimental” and “weird pop” among others. But that’s of no mind to me because I rather like weird and experimental stuff so it was pretty cool to re-discover an artist who I had loved in the past in a totally new and unexpected context. There’s a lot going on across these nine songs and I really enjoyed the trio of songs “I Have to Leave Because There Are No Rivers Here,” which might be the most straight forward on the album before it gives way to the dark and forbidding instrumental “Zwunck” which then shifts to “Some Small Anti-Christ at the Art Show,” a deeply experimental track that goes from gentle and abstract with individual percussion elements to heavier post punk with a full drum kit just before the three minute mark to build to a shattering crescendo.
Becker has an extended discography as Human Potential, Hoosi, No! is his fifth album overall. I’m very much looking forward to finding out what mysteries lie in store on the other four albums. [KH]
Jenny O– Spectra. Part electro, part psychy garage rock and a whole lot more, Spectra is out today via Mama Bird Recording Co. It is the follow up to 2020’s New Truth and Jenny O’s fourth album overall. There’s a lot to sink your teeth into on this record, O is “a classically trained composer and double bassist who studied jazz and experimented with trip hop in the early 2000’s before making her way to California and back to rock n’ roll” and it shows in the nuance and layers contained throughout. She performed the guitar, bass, synth and organ parts on the album and had production help from Kevin Ratterman. Via a press release O says Spectra is a “contemplation on what it means to be a weirdo, to communicate, and ultimately, to be useful.”
I’m a big fan of the tracks the warbly acoustic fueled “The Big Cheese,” bouncy rocker “Solitary Girl,” the smooth and subdued “Prism,” and the positive anthem “You Are Loved Eternally.” She is soon to embark on a Midwestern tour. Here’s hoping we see her in NYC soon, too. [KH]
Miss Grit– Follow The Cyborg. The Brooklyn based artist has released their debut full length, read all about it here. [CW]
Mui Zyu– Rotten Bun for an Eggless Century. Eva Liu (who also fronts Dama Scout) has released her debut solo album as Mui Zyu today via Father/Daughter and it resides in an ambitious dream pop landscape, a kaleidoscope of electronics, subtle guitars and piano; it is a sweeping diary of identity, folklore and self exploration.
Per her Bandcamp “As mui zyu, Hong Kong British artist Eva Liu navigates the tricky territory of ever-changing identity, merging fantasy and folklore to create a stage for self-acceptance and deliverance. On her debut full-length Rotten Bun for an Eggless Century, Liu utilizes chopped-up soundscapes, delicate industrial ambience and sweet pop melodies to introduce a character––a guide––who can be stretched across worlds to offer the catharsis of patience, perseverance and understanding. This isn’t a character formed from a desire to escape or flee the real world, but rather a way to submerge even deeper into ourselves. Rotten Bun for an Eggless Century is a reflection of everyone, and everything, that made us who we are.” [KH]
Model/Actriz– Dogsbody. The Brooklyn based experimental industrial art noise band released their debut full length, Dogsbody, today via True Panther after several singles over the last seven years and it’s a ten song diary that is the culmination of many years in the Brooklyn underground scene. Chock full of a range of feels from rapid fire beats and jittery, gasoline doused guitars to walls of fuzzy electro noise like in “Sleepless,” which starts out on the subtle end (for this band anyway) before it consumes you. The big highlights for me are “Mosquito” and “Amaranth” both of which are on the more chaotic end of the spectrum. The band will play new NYC venue, Racket, on 4/20. [KH]
Plëzher– Stick It In. Raw AF crusty dbeat from Amiskwaciwâskahikan, Treaty 6 territory (Edmonton, “Canada”), this band “crack[s] the whip at colonialism with their hard and fast songs and their poignant feminist/anti-fascist lyrics.” Interestingly—and awesomely—the band features a dual bass, no guitar, buzz saw attack and boldly declare “an evening with Plëzher will bring you to your knees.” Their lyrics mince absolutely not one shred of a word and these four songs will get you fired the fuck UP. My favorite is the closing track “Traitor Bitch,” the pro choice anthem we need everywhere and particularly south of the US/Canadian border right now. [KH]
shame– Food For Worms. The third album from the London based band is here today on Dead Oceans and sees the band really hitting their stride. In his review of their previous single, “Fingers of Steel,” Mike said “It’s obvious shame makes music for them, and everyone else just happens to be on board.” I’m inclined to agree AND be fully on board because that’s the best possible ethos a band can have, if you’re doing it for any other reason than for yourselves, then it’s the wrong reasons (once a punk, always a punk!). “Six Pack” is a wah drenched number with frenzied drumming I love, and it’s my favorite song on the album, other standouts include the postgazey “Yankees,” “The Fall of Paul” and the building “Different Person.” They’re on a run of UK/European dates now and will next hit NYC on 5/14 at Warsaw when on the North American leg of their tour. [KH]
Uncle Pizza– Frog Era. Uncle Pizza is a “silly queer emo punk band based in Brooklyn” and today they have a brand new album. Read all about it here. [CW]
Check out these other recent reviews for even more new music:
Release Roundup 2/17
Single Serve 031
Single Serve 032
Beat Awfuls- PAWS
better living- crush
Black Belt Eagle Scout- The Land, The Water, The Sky
Cat Clyde- Down Rounder
El Ten Eleven- Valley of Fire
Lily Mao & the Resonaters- Human Being Animal
M(h)aol- Attachement Styles
Pigs x 7- Land of Sleeper
Quasi- Breaking The Balls of History
Yo La Tengo- This Stupid World
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]
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