by FTA Staff | Mar 31, 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, Mike and Ray—weighed in on some killer songs and have the scoop on plenty of new tunes, give ’em a listen!
Bad Optix– Raid. Legions of punk fans have been holding their breath since 1989 for an Operation Ivy reunion. And while Tim Armstrong and Matt Freeman have continued to play together for decades in Rancid and found great success, the rest of the members had not collaborated again in over 30 years. That is now a thing of the past as original OPIV vocalist Jesse Michaels (who more recently has also played in Classics of Love) and guitarist Tim Armstrong have joined together for a new band, Bad Optix.
Their first song is straight up jangly Jamaican ska, no punk yelling or distorted guitars in sight. Michaels and Armstrong trade off on lead vocals from verse to verse, backing each other up when not on lead, each lending their trademark gritty growls to the song albeit in a more subtle form. This is sure to have many fans buzzing about what is coming next and has almost definitely has renewed hope that OPIV may one day ride a beat up skateboard into their hearts—and onto the stage—again. This is the first release of the Hellcat Singles Club on Armstrong’s label Hellcat. [KH]
The Beths– Watching The Credits. Full disclosure, as anyone who knows me or has been following me on FTA or my socials already is aware, I am a full on unabashed Beths fan boy. Last year’s Expert In A Dying Field was my favorite album of 2022 (read our review). Evidently, “Watching The Credits” was recorded during those sessions and was left off the album because it “didn’t fit.” Whether that means it didn’t fit physically or thematically remains to be seen, but upon listening to this tune on repeat for the last 24 hrs, I have to imagine that there are innumerable bands out there that would KILL to have a song like this and to think it couldn’t make The Beths cut is simply mind boggling.
A fast paced sugary sweet power pop nugget, “Credits” doesn’t visit any new territory for The Beths, but it doesn’t need to. It follows their tried and true formula of smile inducing, sunshine provoking, crunchy/jangly guitar, harmony driven power pop which this band has down to a science. Check out pics from their recent sold out show at Brooklyn Steel. [RR]
Death Valley Girls– Feel the Colors. Anyone familiar with Death Valley Girls knows that lead vocalist and songwriter Bonnie Bloomgarden is searching our world (and all possible worlds) for meaning and inspiration, and she’s exploring new possibilities for existence again in their just released single, “Feel the Colors,” which is a stand alone follow up to their recently released full length, Islands In The Sky (read our review). This extremely danceable song delivers the band’s fantastic psychedelic-a-go-go fun while ruminating on the special perspectives of cyborgs.
Bloomgarden interviewed “cyborg activist” Neil Harbisson for the podcast Podsongs (along with creator and musician, Jack Stafford), and “Feel the Colors” shimmies and shakes with all the details she got from Harbisson about how the antenna planted in his brain enables him to perceive color in sound waves. (And yes, he really got that implant so that the British government would recognize him as a cyborg.) So if you’re seeing rainbows in the rocking fluctuations of “Feel the Colors,” don’t be alarmed, just ride the synesthesia wave, and consider yourself ahead of your time. [KB]
Hotline TNT– If We Keep Hangin Out. The now NYC-based indie band led by singer-songwriter Will Anderson has shared a new single from their just released tape, Spring Disco. “If We Keep Hanging Out” plunges into melancholy longing, with distorted vocals coming through a haze of exhausted emotion. “If we keep hangin out / I think your love will come around,” Anderson sings repeatedly throughout this lo-fi ballad, and you feel for the guy. Hopefully the unrequited nature of this love will turn around for him if he just keeps on. [KB]
LOCKSTEP– Weave. This Nashville trio debuted with a single in 2021, and are back with a new track that melds spacey post-rock with a doomy, heavy center. The drums really solidified this one for me, pulling the song from a dragging, meditative tempo to a pulse. Their debut EP Arrival will be out May 19th. [CW]
Panchiko– Until I Know. If Panchiko hadn’t lived up to the hype (little known CD from 2000 discovered in a used bin in 2016, goes viral, band reunites after 20 years) it wouldn’t be surprising: after all, how many musicians who never “made it” still have the chops after stepping away for so long? But a demo from all those years ago has finally been realized in its fullest studio form, and it does in fact justify the reappearance of the band. Buoyed by a really catchy main guitar riff and an almost breathy vocal delivery, “Until I Know” is what the band calls “top down cruising misery pop” and it helps keep the anticipation high for Failed At Math(s), which will be out May 5th. [CW]
Paul B. Cutler– For the Children. Producer and guitarist Paul B. Cutler (best known for his work with The Dream Syndicate and 45 Grave) delivers a blistering new song, “For the Children,” the first single off his upcoming LP, Les Fleurs. Cutler’s guitar work shreds through the track at breakneck speed, while underneath the vocals are whispering an intense social critique: “All around the world/ Little boys and girls / Sick of all the liars in this world.” In the claymation-esque video for the song, all of the adults appear two-faced, with glowing eyes and demon claws, as the distorted voices of a distant children’s choir back up Cutler’s mutterings and shrieking guitar. A perfect song to have in your ears on the days when the state of the world makes you want to give up, but somehow, you don’t.
Despite his long resume and years making music, this is Cutler’s first solo album and has been in the works since 2014. He shares:
“the philosophy I had while producing it, it’s punk. I come from the original punk, before it was a genre. Before it was a ‘sound.’ When I got to LA in 1977 there were about 20, maybe 30 bands and they all sounded very different. The Screamers, the Deadbeats, so many different takes on what music could be. There was no chance for commercial success so we all just did what we wanted. I never stopped. So philosophically I consider this punk rock, made in its original spirit although nobody would recognize it as such. I am a punk to this day.”
Les Fleurs releases in April via In the Red Records. [KB]
Salamander– Ride. The latest from Brooklyn’s very own amphibian band, this one sees them less in the glitchy territory of their EP tooth/waste, which was released earlier this year, and really leaning firmly into the dream pop side of their sound and more of a full rock band feel. You can catch the band gigging around BK and NYC and keep up with all of their happenings on their Instagram. [KH]
Shannon Minor Group– In Your Eyes. Last year I had the honor and the pleasure of being involved in a songwriting workshop involving a small group of fellow Brooklyn songwriters each writing, recording, and submitting a new original song each week to the group. This was my first introduction to the talents of Shannon Minor outside of her projects of which I was already familiar and in which she usually plays the less fronting role as drummer (Batsbatsbatsghostghostghost, The Senior Year, etc). “In Your Eyes” is the debut release from Minor’s new solo project, and it exudes a wonderfully stripped down beauty.
And one thing is clear, the hard hitting drummer and Booked By Grandma co-founder has traded in her sticks for an acoustic guitar and smooth sweet harmonies. There’s an honest and nurturing spirit to its tone that has almost a Joan Baez quality. You can hear each slip and squeak and slide of the guitars’ strings and resonant interplay reminiscent of the late Jim Croce, and its angelic melancholy washes over your whole body like a dream and a hug. I hope there’s more on the horizon from the Shannon Minor Group because if “In Your Eyes” is any indicator, we are in store for some truly special music to come. [MB]
Scowl– Psychic Dance Routine. The title track from Scowl’s soon to be released new EP, it shows the band continuing to expand their sonic palette away from the straight up hardcore they first gained attention for, fusing indie and alt grunge for an exciting new direction that channels bands the sound and rage of bands like Hole and Babes In Toyland. The accompanying video was directed by the band’s guitarist Malachi Greene and sees vocalist Kat Moss in a ballet studio dancing in a sequined outfit, performing her own dance routine, but things might be more than they first appear. Moss shares:
My perspective of being consumed as the version of myself that is “performing” has shifted dramatically, while simultaneously grappling the experience of being a feminine artist in a world that doesn’t always take you seriously.
I made an effort to change perspectives back and forth lyrically because I felt that would have the most impact with the message I was trying convey. ‘She’ll never be your animal, she’s got her own personal hell.’ In its simplest form I’m explaining that nobody can corner me into their perception of who I am and that I’ve got my own shit to deal with. By using ‘She’ I’m making it clear that I’m also speaking about a feminine experience. ‘Can’t handle your control, think of the love I’d give.’ is me begging the listener to relinquish the grip they have on me and questioning if they’ll allow me to be the earnest and vulnerable person I truly am.
Psychic Dance Routine will release in full on 4/7 via Flatspot Records. [KH]
Sorority Grrrls– Dead Babies On The Floor. This is the debut single from the new Newcastle, England based feminist punk band and it packs a grungy punch, wearing its influences on its sleeve. (I’m a big fan of the Pretty On The Inside font used on the cover art.) And while SG do make their influences known—bands like L7, early Hole, Bikini Kill and The Distillers—those earlier artists serve more as a guiding light to lead the way; this is a song that strikes a good balance to stand on its own without getting overly bogged down in what came before them either.
They also definitely benefit from the much better recording techniques available to DIY bands of today vs. the lower quality recordings of similar style bands in the late 80s and early 90s. It’s really nice to see the full circle coming around in the new wave of riot grrrl and feminist bands making music today, who are also much more inclusive in their approach than was often the case 30 years ago, an unfortunate part of the legacy of the original wave of riot grrrl. There will be a b-side to this single released later in April and it’s an exciting first taste of what this band has to offer. Looks like I’ll need to be planning a trip North next time I hit the UK. [KH]
Squid Pisser– My Tadpole Legion (feat. Yako of Melt Banana). You better hold on for dear fucking life the minute you hit play on this chaotic no wave-hardcore-noisy thrasher because it is going to give you whiplash. The band who self describes as “eviscerat[ing] the ego and and all things serene with their own vibrant form of vicious and mucky hardcore” who “[slam] down dolphin corpses at breakneck speeds” has certainly nailed it right on the head as to what their sound is like. And to make it even more of a wild ride, Yako of fellow masters of rapid fire experimental noise, Melt Banana, contributes vocals.
This is the title track from their upcoming LP and the video features alien like fish asking for money, weird baby dolls and masks that reminded me of the infamous nuclear mutant toilet dwelling nightmare creatures from the 1994 episode of The X Files, “The Host,” which, going on 30 years later, still kind of low-key scares me! My Tadpole Legion features a host of guest artists and was mixed by Kurt Ballou at Godcity Studios and releases in full on 4/14. [KH]
TEKE::TEKE– Gotoku Lemon. Pairing a groovy beat with their trademark interweaving guitar and flute melodies, the newest single from TEKE::TEKE’s upcoming Hagata LP is fun and funky. Singer Maya Kuroki extols listeners to try their ‘magic lemons’ (English translation: “Everyone come closer! / Divine effect, immediate remedy for all diseases! / Try these lemons, try them! / Try these magic lemons that wake you up with just one drop!”) over the backdrop of an animated collage video created by Kuroki and guitarist Serge Nakauchi Pelletier. Hagata will be out June 9th on Kill Rock Stars. [CW]
TROLLER– Out Back. A superbly creepy track, where a ticking electronic drumbeat and hypnotic guitar strumming are overlaid with the contrasting, languid croon of bassist and singer Amber Star-Goers, who draws the lyrics out as if she is casting a spell. It all adds up to a dark, textured, haunting sound. Their new album, Drain, is out May 26 on Relapse. [CW]
War Honey– I Don’t Blame the Rats. I first became aware of War Honey when they released their debut EP Shard to Shatter on vinyl via Handstand Records at the end of 2020. More than two years later, the newest single by the quartet showcases the everlong and ongoing dance between Gaby Dana’s vocal prowess and the dense atmospheres surrounding Ben Fitts’s guitar work. The former band-campers, turned roommates, turned bandmates clearly know how to complete each other’s musical phrases in a way that only a prolonged shared creative space can foster.
Dana’s simmering operatic power and Fitts’ delicate ethereal melancholy are all the more enhanced beautifully by the dynamic rhythms rounded out by David Bloom (bass) and Ian Ackerman (drums). “I Don’t Blame the Rats” oscillates between creating air and suffocating the spaces through which it breathes. War Honey is a band that creates a lot of room in which they can play, and it’ll be curious to see where they take us next. [MB]
waveform*– Firework. waveform* play around with nostalgic emo, shoegaze and bedroom-pop sounds on this song, which all get turned on their head when the crescendo hits, recedes, and then returns again with a harder, grungy guitar sound. There’s a pretty nifty solo, too. This is the second single so far released from the upcoming Antarctica, which is out May 12th on Run For Cover. Read our thoughts on the first single, “Lonely.” [CW]
by FTA Staff | Mar 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!
boygenius– Not Strong Enough. The latest single from The Record, the highly anticipated debut album from the indie rock dream super group, this one features each member taking lead vocals on a verse and some Sheryl Crow references in the lyrics. It also has a lot of rich nuance in the lush layers and production throughout. It comes paired with an adorable music video that was shot by the band members themselves and sees them horsing around and having fun at an amusement park, a museum, batting cages and more. Julien Baker also sports a Lockwood 51 shirt through much of the video and being a big fan of their radical queer work, I was stoked to see that. The Record will arrive in full on 3/31 and the band will tour behind it as part of the Re:SET concert series throughout June. [KH]
Crocodiles– Love Beyond the Grave. A fun reverb drenched garage pop ode to finding love among the undead. The latest single from the upcoming album, Upside Down In Heaven, due out 4/7 on Lolipop Records. [KH]
Extra Special– Sober Karaoke. Gotta love a good bop about self-reflection, and this is a damn good one. Soaked in hook fueled synthesizer and poured over some cool electronic beat pads, Amelia Bushell has written a catchy tune perfect as we crawl our way out of these dark colder months. Also equally soaked in the booze of years past, NYC nightlife pitfalls and late night misadventures, Bushell finds maybe there’s a different life to be lived outside the substances…at least for the moment. Sometimes desperately running away from expectations leaves you chasing something far more nefarious within yourself. And sometimes you just remember how much simpler it was to be a kid.
Bushell has definitely more than proven she knows how to craft a pop song and twist a slant rhyme like no one else. But this is just her beginning to understand that there is another way to exist when you become open to the limitlessness of self-love. Gotta say, it’s a little hard to argue against clear-headed thinking and balanced living. One thing is for sure, as a recovering alcoholic myself, I fucking hate sober karaoke!! [MB]
LaPeche– Mermaid Blues V1. The Brooklyn indie rockers have released an expanded version of their single “Mermaid Blues,” and the song still explores the same themes and “expands and contracts around the experience of heavy seasonal depression,” with more lushness in the backing vocals and bridge and with a different chorus. The band says they “enjoy sharing different iterations of songs when they feel it is warranted,” and I for one like to see the different ways a song can live and breathe. The band’s founding drummer, Jeff Gensterblum, has since departed the band but performs on both versions. Read my thoughts on the original here. [KH]
Los Bitchos– Tequila (The Champs cover)/Trapdoor (King Gizzard cover). The tequila loving London based foursome has finally made it super official and laid down their punky, amped up version of the 1950s party classic “Tequila” by fellow instrumental band, The Champs, which has become a staple of their live set. The band shares “‘Tequila’ has been the joyfully unhinged ending to our set for the past year. It always feels like it could fall apart at any moment and we wanted to capture that energy on the recording.” There is also a fun video of the band indulging in their favorite beverage around London (which also comes with a warning to have fun but be safe) and features footage they shot themselves which was edited by their touring rhythm guitarist Charles Prest.
Interestingly, their version includes vocals with lyrics, provided by keyboardist Agustina Ruiz, a change from the traditional song and a first for them as a group too (other than the cheers/laughs/chants that are sometimes heard on their tracks, they have been purely instrumental). Released as a 7inch double single called Pah! (which sold out on Bandcamp on the day of release), the flipside is their cover of King Gizzard’s “Trapdoor,” another usual suspect in their live set and perfectly timed as they are kicking off a tour support King Gizz in Europe before they head to the US for a string of dates including a stop at Brooklyn Made on 5/2. Check out pics from their NYC show last June here, and pics from Ritual Union in Bristol, England, here. [KH]
Mandy, Indiana– Pinking Shears. The second single from the upcoming debut album, i’ve seen a way, is led by the beat, both electronic and acoustic drums, while Valentine Caulfield chants in French above the occasional punctuations of fuzz and shrieking guitar. The record is out 5/19 on Fire Talk Records. The band will soon make their US debut at SXSW. [CW]
Noble Rot– Casting No Light. Alex Edkins of METZ has been busy lately with a lot of things outside of his main project, his other band Weird Nightmare put out their debut album last year and now he is making music with Graham Walsh of Holy Fuck in their project Noble Rot. This will sound a lot closer to Holy Fuck and METZ, a cool electro groover that will keep your head bobbing. The duo announced their debut album, Heavenly Bodies, Repetition, Control which will be out on March 24 via Joyful Noise Recordings. [KH]
Omat– Rail Reload/The Fool. After recently releasing their debut single, “Daisy” (read our thoughts), the brand new band is back with a pair of singles—”Rail Reload” released last week and “The Fool” released this week. Much like I said about the previous song, “Rail Reload” too meets right at the intersection of post-punk, indie and gritty shoegaze, perfectly melding the styles. “The Fool” isn’t far off either, though this one brings out a sugar coated grunge feel. This band started out with a bang, quickly opening for alt grunge luminaries L7 last fall (see coverage) and I can see more big things in their future. Make it out to a show to catch them live as soon as you can. [KH]
Scowl– Shot Down. The second single from Scowl’s upcoming EP, Psychic Dance Routine, their firmly back in hardcore waters after exploring a more alt rock direction on the previous single “Opening Night,” but actually…not so fast. While the verses are solidly hardcore, the choruses dip back into the seas of alternative and I love the push and pull and how seamlessly they blend them together. The EP will release in full on 4/7 via Flatspot Records and the band is currently on tour with Show Me The Body, Jesus Piece, Zulu, and TRiPP Jones; the tour hits Brooklyn Steel on 3/24. [KH]
Shybaby– For Rent. Settling down? In this economy? This fast-paced punk tune is scuzzy and catchy and accompanied by a Craigslist-themed video, seemingly drawing a comparison between fleeting hookups and short term rentals. Too bad they took out the personals, right? [CW]
Slow Pulp– Cramps. After releasing their debut album in 2020, Slow Pulp have signed to Anti, and their latest single is definitely a bop, a noisy buzzy pop tune with clattering percussion and vocals mixed into the fuzz, quiet at times and clippingly loud at others. They’ll be touring with The Pixies and Death Cab For Cutie over the next few months. [CW]
Tami Hart– Sorry For Your Heart. I’m a long time fan of Hart’s work and am delighted she’s back to releasing solo music for the first time in many years. Read my full review here. [KH]
TEKE::TEKE– Garakuta. The lead single from the upcoming Hagata is a thrashing sort of psychedelic march, led by Maya Kuroki’s intense vocals and a driving flute lead. It’s a fantastical, striking song, only made better by the trippy music video. The album is out June 9th on Kill Rock Stars, and you can catch them soon at Irving Plaza on March 12th opening for Unwound. [CW]
Tetchy– Smaller/Better. The newest single by Tetchy dropped earlier this week and once again proves the band makes no bones about taking risks and leaving themselves completely exposed. Packed with emotional betrayal and a raw vulnerability, the tracks creeps and crawls thru ethereal vocal layers and dissonance like the broken rusty springs of a haunted music box. There’s a quiet anger and overwhelming sadness that permeates the crevasses and fills the cracks like old glue that hardens and holds like an old dried heart stuck pinned to your rib cage. [MB]
by FTA Staff | Feb 10, 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!
Algiers– 73%. The third single from the upcoming album, SHOOK, is as lithe as it is intense. You never quite know what you’re going to get from one song to the next with Algiers—each single from the album released so far has had a different feel/vibe—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 2/24 via Matador. They will next play NYC at Racket on 4/6. [KH]
Bartees Strange– Tisched Off/Keekee’in. feat. Daniel Kleederman. For Sub Pop’s singles series, the indie power house has released a pair of songs that deftly show the range of his songwriting. These songs come as a mini follow up of sorts to his second lauded second album, Farm To Table. On “Tisched Off” he shares: “As an up and coming musician, there’s a very special pain that comes with realizing a huge chunk of the artists you’re competing with have way more money and resources than you. This song takes little digs at them. It’s cute. Tisch is like the fashion school at NYU. When I was living in BK I ran into a bunch of young punk bands and experimental acts that rose quickly from that school. I remember feeling like damn—how do you compete with people like that? They’ve got some very real resources. Anywho—it’s just me making fun.” (Having known Strange since his DIY days and time in BK, and having dealt with many of the very same issues in the BK music community, I couldn’t help but chuckle—and agree!)
As for “Keekee’in” he shares “This song is extremely special to me. During our tour with Car Seat Headrest the band had Covid. I was bunkered down with my guitarist Dan at his family’s house in the basement. I figured it would be cool to write something using only the tools we had. All of the instrumentation was done with stuff from that room. Matchsticks, pillows for drums, very random keyboards, etc. I wrote this song to get some feelings out I had about some business people I was considering working with—they ended up being shady and I was feeling very betrayed. I was thinking about how valuable it is to have people you can really trust. And how few those people are.” [KH]
Bruise Control– Dead on Arrival. A nice slice of gritty, dancey post punk from the Manchester group who were one of our recent Bandcamp Friday picks. Their debut album, Useless For Something, will arrive this spring via TNS Records. [KH]
Cheater Slicks– Fear. This venerable band is in their 4th decade and still ripping tunes. We love to see punks keep at it! “Fear” features their classic garagey sound, still as immediate as ever, with a percussive trudge behind buzzing guitars. Their album Ill-Fated Cusses is out now on In the Red Records. [CW]
The Dog Indiana– Hydroxydramaqueen/Loaf. This noisy, sludgy stoner-ish noise trio from Vancouver recently came to my attention and I was immediately drawn to the pair of singles that have been released from their upcoming album, Burnt Ends. With heavy grunge overtones, these are two very solid noise punk rippers in the vein of some UK faves, Dead Arms and USA Nails. I loved what I heard and absolutely can’t wait for the album to release in full in April. In the meantime, I’ll be digging into their previous releases, 2018’s full length Fractured, Murky and Liquid (which based on its description on Bandcamp may or may not be a cheeky concept album, I still have to find out!), and the handful of singles they put out in 2020. Pre-orders for Burnt Ends are up now. [KH]
Drahla– Lip Sync. The UK post punk band has released a new single, which follows last year’s “Under the Glass” and their 2019 debut full length, Useless Coordinates. No word yet if this is a stand alone or part of a larger body of work to come but the band shares the song “is a biographical social deflection. It explores the idea of syncing to social norms, conversation and expressions to converse without being fully present – taking on a converged guise to fit different interactions. Inspired by Bruce Nauman‘s ‘Lip Sync,’ 1969.” [KH]
Dream Wife– Hot (Don’t Date A Musician). The London grunge pop trio are set to release their third album in June, Social Lubrication, and have shared the second single which is a snarky and hilarious cautionary tale about dating musicians. Singer Rakel Mjöll minces no words when she says: “Dating musicians is a nightmare,” and goes on to say the song is about “Evoking imagery of late night make-outs with fuckboy/girl/ambiguously-gendered musicians on their mattress after being seduced by song-writing chat. The roles being equally reversed. Having a laugh together and being able to poke fun at ourselves is very much at the heart of this band. This song encapsulates our shared sense of humour. Sonically it is the lovechild of CSS and Motorhead. It has our hard, live, rock edge combined with cheeky and playful vocals.” [KH]
FACS– When You Say. The Chicago post-punk art rockers have announced their 5th album, Still Life In Decay, and released the driving, hypnotic first single “When You Say.” Read more here. [KH]
Godcaster– Vivian Heck. The latest single from the NYC band’s upcoming self titled album is an “ecstatic and hypnotic vision of romance, passion, and heartthrob.” As intense as it is indeed hypnotic, it hits an explosive high as the crescendo of the song kicks in just before the four minute mark. The album releases in full on 3/10. The band will soon embark on a tour to support the album and will play a release show at Union Pool on 4/1 with Venus Twins and Dirt Buyer. [KH]
Miss Grit– Nothing’s Wrong. The final single from the upcoming album Follow The Cyborg (out 2/24 on Mute) is a slow, steady tune that builds consistently to the end under Margaret Sohn’s lilting voice and twining synths as they sing “it’s been too long / I’ll normalize what’s going on / so I won’t have to make things right / I’ll sing that song I didn’t write / nothing’s wrong.” Miss Grit will be at Baby’s All Right on Feb 22. [CW]
Newski– Chemicals feat. Matthew Caws (Nada Surf). The opening scene of the accompanying music video for this song features footage of the day Ronald Reagan was shot which immediately grabbed my attention (I’ll let readers take a guess on my personal feelings about Ol Ronny Raygun) and the rest of the video continues on with vintage footage with the band playfully inserted overtop in a very comical way. The song itself is a bubbly indie pop rock song, complete with saccharine harmonies, fun sing-along “da da da da’s” throughout the first half of the song and features a guest appearance from Matthew Caws of Nada Surf. This is a catchy first taste of the new album, Friend Rock due out 4/7, and I’m ready for more. [KH]
Pile– Lowered Rainbow. The final single from the upcoming album, All Fiction, is a departure for the band, less a wall of noise and more an ethereal, delicate jazz fueled sound exploration. The album releases in full on 2/17 via Exploding In Sound and the band will play a pair of shows at TV Eye on 3/1 and 3/2. [KH]
Poison Ruïn– Härvest. The lead single from Poison Ruïn’s upcoming album is also the title track, and it’s a hard-hitting noisy tale of a peasant revolt, juxtaposing the timeless story of workers rising up against a fantasy backdrop, with member Mac Kennedy saying “I’m all for protest songs, but with this band I’ve found that sometimes your message can reach a greater audience if you imbue it with a certain interactive, almost magical realist element.” Härvest is out on Relapse Records on April 14th. [CW]
Samiam– Crystalized. Having been going strong as a band since 1988, Samiam is still swinging for the fences as the quintet continues to pump out melodic guitar driven bangers that faultlessly toe that line between emo and pop punk. Their latest single “Crystallized,” released ahead of their first album in 12 years and ninth overall, Stowaway (due out next month), is the perfect track to blast while showing your kids you can still kickflip with the best of them. [MB]
Scowl– Opening Night. The Santa Cruz hardcore band has just announced a brand new Will Yip produced EP, Psychic Dance Routine, and shared the first single which sees the band less in hardcore territory and veering more towards a cool alt-rock indie vibe. Read more and see the album art/tracklisting here. [KH]
Shalom– Soccer Mommy. The second single from Shalom’s upcoming debut full length, Sublimation, is a emo grunge twinged rocker and she shares: “This song is about a time in my life that I used to be very upset and embarrassed about, but now I’m like, wow, I feel so much better after writing this song. It’s called ‘Soccer Mommy’ because I got my driver’s license in late 2019 and spent my first year on the road listening to Color Theory and thinking about my 20-year-old self who didn’t deserve the things that happened to her. I love Soccer Mommy. I’m terrified of driving, but I always felt brave listening to ‘Circle The Drain’ on 287 south.” Sublimation is out 3/10 via Saddle-Creek. [KH]
Shonen Knife– Mujinto Rock. The Japanese punk and roll icons have been a band for more than 40 years and continue to pound out cool jams you’ll want to pogo all night to. They have a new album out on 2/15, Our Best Place, and have shared the opening track, “Mujinto Rock,” which comes paired with a really fun stop motion video. [KH]
Squid– Swing (In A Dream). UK post punkers Squid have announced a brand new album, O Monolith, and released the first single which singer/drummer Ollie Judge says was inspired by a dream he had about the painting The Swing by Jean-Honoré Fragonard, “In my dream, I was in the painting but it was flooded and everything was floating away.” Read more and see the album art/tracklisting here. [KH]
Truth Cult– Clearskin. A little psych punk, a little post hardcore, a lot late 80s early 90s Dischord. And you know that gets two hearty thumbs up from me! From the upcoming J. Robbins produced album, Walk The Wheel, due out 3/3 via Pop Wig. [KH]
Zulu– We’re More Than This. The esteeemed powerviolence band has released the latest single from their upcoming album, A New Tomorrow, and this one is not a powerviolence song or heavy at all rather a hip-hop song which features guitarist Dez Yusuf rhyming over relaxed, nimble jazz instrumentation. Yusef shares:
“When we first started writing for the record Anaiah and I had bounced the idea of maybe doing some jazz or R&B songs and putting some raps on the record,” Yusuf commented. “I know Satchel and Anaiah had jammed out some different ideas that I hadn’t really been present for. We were actually ending our tour with Sasami when I first heard the music for ‘We’re More Than This’. We were in the van at a rest stop and Anaiah played it off a video of him and Satchel jamming. It just hit me all in an instant.
“I didn’t think much beyond the lyrics of ‘must I only share my pain,’ which is a running theme throughout the album. But it’s ironic because I go forward with sharing glimpses of pain and trauma, but that’s really the setup to show the things I’ve (we’ve) become in spite of that pain. This is really a song of resilience and encouragement. Saying that we can still be more than the tropes that are Put on us. That we are more than commodified versions of our trauma.”
The album drops in full on 3/3 via Flatspot and they will head out on tour with Show Me The Body, Jesus Piece, Scowl, and TRiPP JONES. The tour hits Brooklyn Steel on 3/24. [KH]
by Kate Hoos | Feb 8, 2023
Scowl (photo by Alice Baxley)
Santa Cruz hardcore greats Scowl have been very busy the last few years. They released their awesome debut album, How Flowers Grow, in 2021 and have toured consistently behind it. They have a heavy touring schedule for 2023 too, including appearances at festivals like Coachella, Outbreak and Furnace Fest as well as a lengthy tour with Show Me The Body, Zulu and more that kicks off on 2/9 and which will hit Brooklyn Steel on 3/24.
As if they weren’t busy enough, they have now announced a brand new EP, Psychic Dance Routine, which is certainly exciting news! It will release in full on 4/7 via Flatspot Records and they have shared the first single, “Opening Night.” This one sees the band less in hardcore territory and veering more towards a cool alt-rock indie vibe.
Vocalist Kat Moss shares via press release: “‘Opening Night’ is a song I’m particularly excited about because I really worked on this song’s structure with the boys in the band,” continuing “I felt inspired by early 2000’s indie rock songs written by bands like The Strokes and Vampire Weekend. Lyrically this song takes a pretty literal stab at my experience of feeling jolted from stage to van, and back again, every single night. I also had experiences on tour where I was seeing faces in the crowd that belonged to people from my past, and it was pretty shocking.”
Scowl at Brooklyn Steel, 2022 (photo by Kate Hoos)
The song comes paired with a video that was directed by guitarist Malachi Greene. Lauded producer/musician Will Yip produced the new EP.
Listen to the song below and check out the album art and tracklist. Pre-orders are available now via Flatspot.
Scowl Psychic Dance Routine
Shot Down
Psychic Dance Routine
Wired
Opening Night
Sold Out
