by FTA Staff | Apr 28, 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 [CW], Kate B [KB] Kate H [KH] weighed in on some killer songs and have the scoop on plenty of new tunes, give ’em a listen!
Anklebiter– Pearl. This song roars right out of the gate, all cylinders firing .05 seconds in, LET’S FUCKIN GO! The North East straight edge band declares on their Bandcamp “Fast, loud hardcore will never get old” and I’m inclined to 1000% agree. A minute and a half of warp speed beats, accentuated with solid as a rock breakdowns, this is the first song from their upcoming seven song EP To Live and Withstand which the band says “is full of rageful recollections of life, detailed with harsh imagery and expressed with bursts of spite. Anklebiter continues to resist, calloused, growing and withstanding.” Look for the release in full on 5/26. [KH]
Beach Fossils– Run To The Moon. On this dreamy, laid back track, Dustin Payseur sings about becoming a parent and moving from being terrified to joyful at the prospect, “having absolute freedom, the fear of losing it, but then tapping into myself in a way that felt more real.” That happiness is reflected in their dreamy, pastoral music video for the single. The band says their upcoming album Bunny is their most vulnerable and personal to date; it releases 6/2 on Bayonet. [CW]
Buggin– Not Yours. The Chicago hardcore band has a new album coming, Concrete Cowboys, which will be released on June 2nd via Flatspot. This song takes a direct punch at the tokenization in the hardcore scene of all those who are not cis men, with the lyrics “Call us female fronted, you can eat my fist” really nailing the point home. Front person Bryanna Bennett shares that this song is:
“a more personal one about dealing with the tokenization of being seen as a girl in hardcore. I’m non-binary, and I hate being thrown in “female fronted” categories. We just want to rock without people making it weird or only liking us for that reason.”
The song is full of hard hitting riffs and a brutal breakdown that takes the song home in its final minute. They will soon tour the UK and Europe and will play The Tribes of Da Moon at Bowery Ballroom in August along with Bleed The Pigs, Knife Wound, Rebelmatic, Soul Glo, Zulu and many more. [KH]
The Clientele– Blue Over Blue. For their newest album, The Clientele wanted to incorporate musical elements that have inspired them, but not really found their way into previous records, such as contemporary classical or post-pop jazz. “Blue Over Blue” finds them using percussive samples and varying time signatures, but still retains the easy-going, lush sound they have perfected. Pop sensibilities blend with unexpected drumbeats throughout the “playing hide and seek” bridge, while Alasdair MacLean sings a lovely melody about what’s actually a rather frightening experience: getting lost in the woods with his young son. I Am Not There Anymore will be out 7/28 on Merge. [CW]
Flasyd– Shit Goes. You better get ready to hold on for dear life because Flasyd, the noisy garage punk band that describes themselves as “always fast, hardly accurate,” (a documentary of the same name was released about the band in 2021) is back after breaking up a year and a half ago declaring “these bitches are back!” And back they are with a fucking vengeance, a yell of “FUCK YOU RANDY!” to start things off lets you know right away this song ain’t holding a thing back. A scuzzy bassline kicks in, accented by acrid guitars on the upbeat, then it’s off to the races; a chaotic frenzied dash to the finish line two and a half minutes later will find you gasping for breath as you skid to a halt and quickly reach a shaky hand up to hit play, starting the song all over again. The band says this song is “just the first in a whole lot of shit that is to come,” and I’m more ready to be dragged along on whatever wild ride Flasyd has in store for us. [KH]
Girl and Girl– All I See. The Australian garage band just signed with the iconic Sub Pop and most pleasing to me, also features the fun combo of vocalist Kai James and his Aunty Liss on drums, with the quartet rounded out by longtime friends Jayden Williams on guitar and Fraser Bell on bass. That being said, after hearing this fun romp of a song, I may or may not have immediately texted my 18 year old nephew to share it and say “we should jam sometime” (he plays bass and sings, I play drums…the possibility is there!) Jangly with a lithe post punk rhythmic sensibility, James shares:
“Lyrics came last for ‘All I See,’ about 3 years after the track, and when I finally sat down and wrote them, I was pretty anxious about whether I had them right or not. A new Mylie Cyrus track played on the radio that afternoon, she too, was singing about houses burning down, and I took that as confirmation. So I thanked Mylie Cyrus and her great new track ‘Flowers’ and never looked back.”
The band is currently working on their full length debut album and will soon tour in the UK and Europe. Here’s hoping they hit the US soon too so one potential aunt and nephew musical duo can head out to support their kindred spirits from Down Under. [KH]
Greg Mendez– Best Behavior/Hoping You’re Doing Okay. Contemplative acoustic guitar with dreamy quiet vocals soften the sharp pain in Greg Mendez’s lyrics. In “Best Behavior,” he struggles with feeling hurt as he and a friend grow apart: “And it’s true, sometimes I’m wrong but I’m on my best behavior, do you like it?” The easy swing of “Hoping You’re Doing Okay” shuffles along cheerfully while the lyrics tell a story of addiction and living on the streets: “Couldn’t feel, couldn’t convince myself I was real cause it’s not the way that you are it’s what they wanna see, Oh Lord.” These are the last two singles released in advance of Mendez’s most recent eponymous album, coming out on May 5. [KB]
JOHN– Trauma Mosaic. I’ve loved this London based band for a few years now after being introduced to them by our webmistress, Jenifun, who lives in the UK and gets to see all the good bands there regularly. I have also unfortunately managed to miss JOHN on every trip I’ve made to the UK since first hearing them (and trust me, I’ve tried to make it line up when planning trips), but lucky for me and connoisseurs of fine punk rock songs in 14 select cities in the US (and one in Canada), the band will be making their maiden voyage to the hellfire shores of ‘Murica this October. Read more about it and their new single “Trauma Mosaic” here and check them out on FTA’s favorite two piece band list here. Tickets for all dates are currently on sale via their website; they will wrap up the final date of the tour on 10/26 at Saint Vitus. [KH]
Laura Wolf– Paper and Plastic. Ethereal synth and fluttering cello riffs undulate under Laura Wolf’s lilting vocals, the lyrics full of longing: “Sadie, come back to me.” Soft intoxicating alt-pop with an early Bjork vibe from the Brooklyn-based producer, cellist, and singer. The inspiration for the track came from Wolf’s family:
“This song was inspired by my conversations with my late maternal grandmother, where her creative understanding of time, place and identity was nevertheless penetrated by the underlying sentiment of her memory…I repitched and manipulated an 808 bass drum sample to become my core synth for the song and decorated the fabric of the arrangement with manipulated, resampled, and chopped fragments of lead vocal and cello from throughout the album.”
The full album, Shelf Life, will be released on Whatever’s Clever Records on June 2. [KB]
Libby Quinn– Bob. The first single since 2021 from the eclectic five-piece from Long Island, “Bob” immerses you in the band’s skillful chaos which transcends genres. In just under four minutes, the song has alarming discordant guitars, heavily grooving bass lines, charismatic spoken lyrics and then a descent into a free-form chaotic beauty that’s a mix of free jazz and prog, with a Coltrane-esque saxophone coasting over it all before the song falls back into a spiral of driving guitars and screams at its conclusion. [KB]
Palehound– The Clutch. Queer artist El Kempner aka Palehound has announced a brand new album, Eye On The Bat (July 14, Polyvinyl) and shared the first single “The Clutch,” an infectious mid-tempo rocker which also shows off their sweet guitar chops quite nicely with copious shreds in the middle of the song. Slinky bass from Larz Brogan is the glue that holds the rocking jam together, keeping things steady and driving alongside the drums.
About the song Kempner shares:
“‘The Clutch’ is the very first song I wrote for this album, back in 2020 right when lockdown started. I had been on a tour that was sliced in half by the onset of the pandemic and we had to apocalypse road trip back to New York across the country from Oregon, where our next show had been scheduled for. While that was happening, I was also having a triggering romantic experience with somebody I didn’t know too well, and by the time I got home my whole body seemed to be spinning in turmoil. Writing and producing this song grounded me and helped me process a new future and self that I hadn’t anticipated.”
This is the first new Palehound album since 2019’s Black Friday, and also follows Kempner’s 2021 collaboration with Jay Som’s Melina Duterte, Bachelor, which released the album Doomin’ Sun. [KH]
PJ Harvey– A Child’s Question, August. The incomparable Polly Jean Harvey has released the first single off her upcoming tenth album, I, Inside the Old Year Dying (July 7 Partisan). “A Child’s Question, August,” is haunting, almost dirge-like, like a traditional English folk song with a goth/post-punk filter, but ever-so-gentle. Harvey’s voice (which can do anything) drifts high and ghost-like in the verses, and then drops to a fuller more throaty tone during the choruses (doubled by deeper vocals from Ben Whishaw). Together they intone: “What says dunnick, drush, or dove? ‘Love Me Tender’? Tender love.” The song has an equally hypnotizing video by photographer Steve Gullick and PJ Harvey has me completely spellbound. [KB]
RVG– Midnight Sun. The latest single from this Melbourne band is fast without being frantic, has classic riffage without being classic rock, and generally feels like being on the edge of something, as Romy Vager sings “yeah I know / that talking to you doesn’t work anymore / but if you change your mind / I will be waiting for you to come home.” Their third album Brain Worms will be released on 6/2 on Fire Records. [CW]
Sorry Mom– Shaving My Legs. The latest from the snotty New York based femme queer punk band who “like[s] to hang out and play music and Mario kart,” it feels like a rough hewn throwback to rapid fire 90s skate punk, minus the sweaty boys and dick jokes. This song, along with their absolute instant classic banger, “I Fucked Your Mom,” are the kind of in your face shit made by other queers/non men that I wish I’d had when I was subjected to those same sweaty 90s boys in real time and the punk rock songs of that era that catered pretty much only to that demographic but the rest of us had to accept too if we wanted aggressive rock music.
Aside from a few notable exceptions (Bikini Kill, L7, Lunachicks, Babes In Toyland…ya know the rest), bands that really spoke to me on this level were still two decades off into my future. But thankfully the songs and the bands are here now; Sorry Mom is exactly the kind of band I didn’t get to have back then and really savor now so hey, better late than never! Their debut album babyface is due out on 5/12 and yeah, you can say I’m pretty stoked for it. The band will embark on a short tour after its release which will hit Saint Vitus on 5/20. [KH]
Sorority Grrrls– American Sicko. The Newcastle, England based feminist punk band recently released their debut single, “Dead Babies On The Floor” (read our thoughts) and now have followed it up with the b-side “American Sicko” which continues in the same 90s inspired vein that the first single did. (I swear I didn’t plan for this to appear back to back with the Sorry Mom song, but they are indeed very fitting companions on a list of songs.) I’m very much hoping I can catch this band play live on my next trip to the UK later this year. [KH]
Winter Wolf– Blue Lights. This song is part of the stand out EP Unwell (which was one of my favorites of 2022) and Winter Wolf are some of the most exciting performers in the NYC punk underground today, hands down one of the best bands you’ll see live. Huge bass and drums drive the song, accompanied with perfectly matched dual vocals from Tony $ixx, providing the high falsetto, and bassist/vocalist Jey Winters serving up the full low end with intense growls to match his killer riffs. A sharp condemnation to cops and police violence, they mince no words when they yell FUCK YOUR BLUE LIGHTS! They’ve now released a music video to accompany the song and share:
Our music video “Blue Lights” is about the everyday reality of Black people which includes our struggles in dealing with the police. All throughout the video, we show hope and strength thereby encouraging people to stay unified in their power while continuing to see another tomorrow. You can see from the clips of our performances the smiles of the crowd still persevering and finding joy during these troubling times. This video is a call for solidarity for what we’ve all gone through and a love letter to the New York underground scene.
Keep up with what the band is doing via Instagram and make sure you are heading to a show to catch their impeccable live performance. Unwell is available on all major streaming platforms. [KH]
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]
