by Chantal | Jun 9, 2023
Teke::Teke Hagata
TEKE::TEKE are a band that contains multitudes, from their influences, which range from psychedelic rock to surf to garage to Japanese folk, to their own melding of modern and vintage sound, to their Canadian and Japanese identities. Each of the seven members of the Montreal-based group are also multi-instrumentalists, with the credits for the album reading like an orchestra: Maya Kuroki (vocals and guitar), Sei Nakauchi Pelletier (guitar, synth, percussion, vocals), Hidetaka Yoneyama (guitar, vocals), Yuki Isami (flute, shinobue, taisho koto, synth, vocals), Etienne Lebel (trombone, gaida, percussion, vocals), Mishka Stein (bass, synth, percussion, guitar, vocals), and Ian Lettre (drums, percussion, synth, piano, vocals). Yet never on their newest album Hagata do they seem to get lost or mixed-up, rather charting their own course through a heady stew of genres to emerge with something stronger. Indeed, Kuroki says of the album’s title: “Hagata is a very deep word, something present but also something leftover from someone or something no longer there. It’s like waking up from a dream, or being connected to the other side of something.”
The melding of immediacy and dreamlike is a perfect way to describe the overall sound of Hagata. Much of it feels very nostalgic, with 60’s and 70’s pop and psych tones to the guitars and woodwinds, all while Kuroki’s vocal delivery twists and turns, a playful growl here and a soulful melody there. Yet there is a punchy quality to most of the songs and their production, and never does the album get dragged down by looking backwards.
Teke::Teke (photo by Emilio Herce)
Hagata starts off strong with lead track and lead single “Garakuta,” one of my top songs of the year so far. A psychedelic march with a driving flute lead and intense vocal delivery, it sets the stage for the rest of the album, drawing the listener into the trippy work of TEKE::TEKE with an immediate bang. Kuroki’s words (presented in this article through a provided English translation) speak of the heaps of trash people have left on this planet, seemingly from the point of view of the trash: “This flower is made from plastic, that snow from polystyrene / that hill in the distance is a mountain of cellphones… these are voices of waste that cannot return into the ground / our day will come.”
The second single is also the second track, and “Gotoku Lemon” (“Lemon Enlightenment”) is groovy and funky with interweaving guitar and flute melodies, while Kuroki plays the part of some sort of snake-oil/lemon seller, cajoling us to “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!” The accompanying animated collage video was created by Kuroki and Pelletier.
Hagata doesn’t drop off at all after these first two singles, with a strong lineup of tracks throughout. Highlights of the album are “Onaji Heya” with its slinky guitar riffs and thumping drumbeat, “Doppelganger,” the third single that features a cinematic vintage feel, and “Setagaya Koya,” which moves through an interesting arrangement and rhythmic experimentation. The longest track is the seven minute epic “Kaikijyu,” with a slow build akin to sinking down into the ocean; indeed the lyrics speak of the sea but also move through surreal imagery:
“In the pouring rain, a car stops in the backstreet
Out comes a never-ending stream of men in identical raincoats
Coming in from the back door, instantly filling up my house
Losing my space, I dive into a giant mirror
Inside is a thick and revitalizing deep ocean
Like moving kaleidoscopic and colorful lights,
Like the striking of an empty clock, there is this beautiful sound
Inconspicuously, I turn into a whale
Under the day moon, spreading my fins like wings,
I rush onto the sea with great speed.”
The production quality on Hagata is richly blended, with no part of their layered sound lost. The album was recorded and mixed by Daniel Schlett at The Outlier Inn Studio in Mountain Dale, NY; Schlett also works out of Brooklyn, but the band chose the countryside, and credit the setting (and studio owner Josh Druckman’s vegetables) with contributing to the recording, with Pelletier saying “we wanted to explore the TEKE::TEKE world further, to enrich all the senses, and feeling that comfort made a real difference.”
TEKE::TEKE aren’t only good in the studio, however—they are a compelling live act. FTA caught them live last year at Public Records, and I also had the pleasure of seeing them open for Unwound at Irving Plaza this March, where they put on a vibrant, energetic show. I highly recommend checking them out if they come through your city.
Hagata is out now via Kill Rock Stars and available on all major streamers.
by FTA Staff | May 5, 2023
Hi! Hello! Here we are with some bite sized goodies and a taste of a some new things that we dug that came out in the last two weeks (ish), quick fire responses to some great new music we think you should check out. Chantal [CW], Kate B [KB], Kate H [KH], and Mike [MB] weighed in on some killer songs and have the scoop on plenty of new tunes, give ’em a listen!
A Very Special Episode– 5 Dollar Cover. Roll call! Wearing your blackest clothes? It’s like they already got my number. I don’t know a single person left in Brooklyn’s music community that hasn’t already drank the very special kool aid, forcing our favorite grifters…errr purveyors of self discovery to expand their reach beyond NYC’s five boroughs and up the Hudson Valley. The noise trio made up of Kasey Heisler (vocals, bass), Patrick Porter (guitar, vocals), and Chayse Schutter (drums, vocals) teamed up with King Pizza himself, Greg Hanson, to direct a pleasant-on-the-surface but disturbing AF new video for the third single,“5 Dollar Cover,” off their forthcoming record Freak Me Out (June 23 EWEL Records/ Hidden Home Records).
Beautifully shot and wonderfully vague in placing its retro era, the video is really a visual work of art. Hanson and the band gathered much of the KP family and friends together for a classic dinner party graciously hosted by Heisler herself. Playing with themes of conservative American suburbia and mid-century modern imagery, this soirée almost immediately displays an undercurrent of something far more sinister. The seemingly innocuous gathering shifts quickly toward the dark and chaotic as Heisler and her minions entrance the group absorbing them into mind collective.
The song itself cleverly plays on many of the bandnames woven thru the Brooklyn DIY scene/Bandnada/EWEL fabric, but it’s in fact details like those that speak volumes to the trio’s constant dedication to uplifting and supporting the community of which they are a cherished part. Whether or not you want to meet them at the rock show, you can always definitely count on them to play way too loud, but never too long. [MB]
Bethany Cosentino– It’s Fine. Best Coast is now on “indefinite hiatus” and singer Bethany Cosentino is about to release her debut solo album, Natural Disaster. The first single is the twangy, pop rock “It’s Fine” and she shares:
“When I look at all the artists I find most influential, the common thread is that they take risks and continue exploring different versions of themselves. My goal is to keep growing and challenging myself and living outside any kind of box, to keep on evolving as an artist and a person. And if anyone’s feeling stagnant, I hope this record inspires them to see what else life has to offer. It’s really scary to take those risks and make big changes in your life, but what you find on the other side can be so magical.”
She also shares on the decision to take a step away from her best known project:
My identity as a human being, and as an artist, has been so wrapped up in Best Coast for over a decade. The decision to pause the project indefinitely, and explore a new side of myself, was a very difficult one to make—but it felt necessary for me. Life is too short to not give yourself what you feel you need and want. I am excited about being just Bethany Cosentino for a while and figuring out who I am outside of the “Bethany from Best Coast” box I’ve lived in for such a long time.
I look forward to learning more about who Cosentino is outside of “Bethany from Best Coast” too. Natural Disaster will be out July 28 via Concord. [KH]
Boris and Uniform– You Are the Beginning. When multi genre metal heroes Boris went on tour with industrial rockers Uniform in 2019, the two bands fell into the habit of sharing an encore, and something clicked. So what happens when these two relentless groups combine forces on a full-length recording? “You Are the Beginning” gives us a first taste. Heavy metal chug, otherworldly solo guitar lines, dueling vocals—this track is a solid mid-tempo headbanger for the first half, and then the tempo picks up around two minutes in, and a double-time/double bass-drum frenzy erupts. The rest of the song churns punishingly like the world is fucking ending.
Fittingly, Boris and Uniform recorded “You Are the Beginning” in July 2020, with the pandemic still raging outside the studio walls. Despite the impending doom, the mood of this track is triumphant and fun, controlled chaos, kind of like harnessing the power of several tornadoes and living to tell the tale. The full album, Bright New Disease, will be out on Sacred Bones on June 16. [KB]
Claud– Every Fucking Time. The lead single from Claud’s upcoming second album, Supermodels, is a slice of singer-songwriter indie rock that pairs a catchy guitar tune with their melodic voice, and also features a fun video co-starring comedian Grace Kuhlenschmidt. Supermodels will be out 7/14 on Saddest Factory Records (Phoebe Bridgers’ personal label—Claud was actually the first artist signed on); catch them live 9/12 at Bowery Ballroom. [CW]
_Corvallis– Slate Wall. The instrumental post rock/shoegaze project of songwriter Matt Irving is back with a new single, “Slate Wall” and it picks up where the previous single “Union” leaves off, giving us a hypnotic, almost funky intro before heading into the sweeping wall of noise guitar sounds that are hallmarks of the genre. Fans of Caspian or Red Sparowes will find a lot to love here. [KH]
Gorgeous– Raindrop. Last week, the newest track from Gorgeous (the only band that’s ever made me love to count) errrr rain-dropped into my Spotify rotation and has been on heavy repeat ever since. We first heard a rougher take of this track on a 2021 split the band did with EIEIO, but this slicker reimagining is now the first single off their upcoming LP Sapsucker due out on 6/2. Unique in both style and sound, the NYC duo who calls themselves “a pop band because rock is dead and experimental noise punk in half and waltz and quintuple shuffle time is a hard sell,” is back with heavier lumbering swagger.
There’s deeper riffage this time around, making for a much more ominous showcasing of Dana Lipperman’s thicker and complex octave guitar tones while drummer Judd Anderman still holds down the fractured spine and odd timing breaks for which the band is well known. Their late 2019 LP Egg was one of my favorite releases that exploded into my universe before the world from apart, and these early indicators suggest a darker monster awaits us on this next record, and I’m both thrilled and terrified for its release. [MB]
High Pulp feat. Daedelus– (If You Don’t Leave) The City Will Kill You. Jazzy, groovy, and glitchy all at the same time, this track takes a hard left turn at the end, as the LA experimental jazz collective keeps listeners guessing. From the upcoming album Days In The Desert, which features such guests as Brandee Younger, James Brandon Lewis and Jeff Parker, and will be out July 28th on ANTI-. [CW]
The Hives– Bogus Operandi. Oh man, I was so excited to click play on this, and I was not disappointed. Energetic garage rock with fun hooks and frontman Howlin’ Pelle Almqvist’s charismatic yell? Sign me up. Almqvist had this to say on The Hives first album in over a decade: ““There’s no maturity or anything like that bullshit, because who the fuck wants mature rock’n’roll?” Fucking amen. The Death Of Randy Fitzsimmons will be out on August 11, and The Hives will be live at Racket on May 16th. [CW]
Hot Face– dura dura. Riffy, psychy post punk from the London trio who was just signed by Speedy Wunderground. The song takes a big turn around the 2:30 mark with wild guitar and a frantic arrangement kicking in that I can only imagine will whip live audiences into a foamy frenzy. This is the band’s debut single for the label and its got my attention. [KH]
Leone– Kiss Em Bye Bye. It’s not going too far out on a limb here to say Richie Bee Leone has one of the most beautiful voices in all of New York City right now. Following the success of his queer glam rock band, Deitre, LEONE marries elements of dance and pop with a alt-rock delivery. Much of last year’s “(thisbodyisntmine)” served as a heartbreaking debut and stunning display of raw emotion and true vulnerability to pain and loss many artists dare not explore so publicly in their work.
“Kiss Em Bye Bye,” signals LEONE’s return with masterfully anthemic pop-rock debut single prominently showcasing the same sharp-witted silver tongued delivery. More than an open heart goodbye song, it screams fuck you and struts forward wearing its scar tissue draped across its shoulders like a magnificent armor against past lovers. Not only does it feel that Leone has arrived and hit his stride here, but now standing alongside Tarik Merzouk (bass) and Brian del Guercio (drums), LEONE also feels like they’ve hit their stride and the day is not too far off that everyone is going to come running to say hello. [MB]
Monograms– Hi Low. One of the things I love about Monograms is that they’ve continued to regularly churn out music for the better part of as long as I can remember. This not only makes for quite an expansive and robust catalog of music in which fans can immerse themselves, but also has allowed frontman and multi-instrumentalist, Ian Jacobs, to really hone and perfect their sound. “Hi Low” is a metallic post-punk tune layered with electro-dancy bursts that explode in pockets over the driving backbeat. Think Big Bliss meets New Myths but also landing somewhere between Joy Division and The Bravery, and you’ll have nearly tapped into the the synaptic fibers Jacobs has so expertly pressed and connected to build out the Monograms universe. [MB]
Rancid– Don’t Make Me Do It. I admit the nostalgia factor got me on this one. I also admit that Rancid is a band that I have honestly had more of a tepid relationship with over the years because I’ve never particularly enjoyed any of the singers in this band. I’ve often said if they just had someone else singing, if even for just the ska songs, I’d like them a lot more…alas. But this song did hit me in the right spot and I loved Matt Freeman’s slinky bass sliding out on top of the racket of the guitars right from the get go.
Tim Armstrong takes lead vocals and the rapid fire pace of the song lends itself well to his tone/style; Rancid did ska pretty okay, but the punk bangers are always where I felt they excelled the most. (Its the slow songs that really grate on me when anyone in this band is singing; they’re punk vocalists and should write songs that play to those strengths rather than try to stretch themselves to a place where their vocals don’t fit, but I digress.) This one doesn’t exactly invent the wheel for the genre or the band but that’s not what people listen to Rancid for these days, is it? It will scratch that street punk of yore itch and that’s enough for me. Taken from the upcoming album Tomorrow Never Comes out June 2nd. [KH]
Sleepy Kitty– Do It Without Me. St. Louis turned NYC duo (sometimes trio), Sleepy Kitty, is quickly moving toward their long anticipated follow up to 2016’s Flux aptly titled Blessing/Curse due out later this year. The band is currently in Europe for the Summer playing shows in the UK and Paris and recording new music. This is the second single from the upcoming album (see our thoughts on “Bigger Picture” here), and it is concertedly more subdued and full of brooding simmer than its predecessor. The steady undercurrent of quiet feedback is washed over in strikes of textured tremolo, but wastes no time building quickly unnoticed to the epitome of grungy pop goodness.
Paige Brubeck (guitar, vocals) wonderfully layers her voice as the song opens up on the chorus, but it’s Evan Sult (drums) that continues to push the track forward and eventually pulls the whole thing sideways spinning into crescendo. The final minute of song is a storm of tightly wound chaos that Sult expertly unwinds unraveling into abrupt resolution. Sleepy Kitty is exploring exciting new song structures on their latest work without sacrificing their hook-driven pop sensibilities and still retaining the post-90s alt/indie elements that make them so damn good. [MB]
Strange Ranger– She’s On Fire. This song begins with floaty, effervescent synth ripples and a Cure-esque guitar hook, and by the time Isaac Eiger’s vocals kick in, you’ll be dancing, but wistfully. All four members of the band weave electronic layers throughout the song, playing with dynamics and complexity throughout the track for dramatic effect. In a statement from the band, Eiger describes the new single as an exploration of the disillusionment of growing up, and the realization that music is a grounding force in his life:
“When you’re young, it feels like life has a kind of arc to it and up ahead in the future, there’s some point where all your experiences converge and this fog of confusion will lift and you will have arrived. This is definitely not true and increasingly, music is the steadying hand I lean on when looking for meaning.”
The song has a mysterious video directed by Ben Turok, featuring the band on a night road trip through various parts of New York City. “She’s On Fire” is the second single off of the upcoming full-length release, Pure Music, due out via Fire Talk on July 21. [KB]
Suzie True– Keep in Touch. This is an incredibly catchy pop-punk song about having a crush that lives hundreds of miles away. The vocals start out dreamy and soft, but then the chorus kicks in with stronger guitar riffs, and the lyrical longing turns into frustration with the distance: “Maybe it’s just a stupid dream / I know you’d never change your life to be with me…I just wanna be touched, this distance is too much / I think of you all day and it fucks me up.” The single has an absolutely adorable video directed by Rae Mystic, which comes off like a sugar high at a slumber party full of giggles. Long distance heartache is actually fun with Suzie True. “Keep in Touch” is the second single off of the L.A.-based trio’s forthcoming album, Sentimental Scum (June 30 via Get Better Records). [KB]
Sweeping Promises– Eraser. I’ve been waiting for this single (and the forthcoming second album) from Sweeping Promises for a couple of years now, and at last, it’s here! “Eraser” begins with Lira Mondal’s fantastic voice (harmonizing with herself), and then the beat kicks in, Caufield Schnug’s guitar thrums with rhythmic precision, and the song bounces off the walls with the near-perfect post-punk energy we’ve come to expect from the duo now based out of Lawrence, KS. New developments in their sound here are a more prominent exploration of synths in the mix, as well as keen attention to how their recording environment impacts their sound. The band now lives and records in a large, airy studio in Kansas with high ceilings, and you can hear the natural reverb of their new space in “Eraser.” The full album, Good Living Is Coming For You, will come out on June 30, a co-release from Feel It and Sub Pop. [KB]
TEKE::TEKE– Doppelganger. These Canadian psych rockers just keep building excitement for their next release, Hagata. “Doppelganger” is a laid back, cinematic tune that brings to mind 60’s spy movie soundtracks with trembling guitar chords and moody woodwinds. Maya Kuroki sings about seeing our reflection in other people (“we’re all doppelgangers that don’t look like each other / but from the beginning / perhaps we’re all the same / each our own body / each our own story“) and I keep turning the line “outside the aquarium is the ocean” over and over in my head. Hagata will be out via Kill Rock Stars on June 9th. [CW]
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 Emilio Herce | Nov 15, 2022
Teke::Teke at Public Records (photo by Emilio Herce)
On Friday, November 11th, Teke::Teke, the Montreal based Japanese band, performed their inaugural NYC show at Brooklyn’s Public Records, a relatively new mid-sized Gowanus venue. The venue is audiophiles dream, built to hi-fi specifications with an aesthetic reminiscent of a wood paneled listening room (in a good way). The room’s high-quality sound system was put to good use by the band, which consists of guitarists Serge Nakauchi Pelletier and Hidetaka Yoneyama, bass player Mishka Stein, drummer Ian Lettre, flutist Yuki Isami, trombone player Etienne Lebel, and vocalist Maya Kuroki, and whose music often defies categorization.
Teke::Teke is an international band in more ways than one, and though Montreal-based, the group pull influences from all over the world, and combine classical Japanese instrumentation and theatre (the show opened with a masked, Noh inspired, performance), surf-rock, psychedelia, middle-eastern guitar interplay, big band vigor, and even some doomier metal drones. On paper, this sounds like it would be a little chaotic, but it’s a credit to the band that they are able to pull these disparate sounds together on stage for a cohesive and riveting live show.
Each musician played their instrument masterfully, especially the wind instrument section which (which included a stunning bagpipe solo), and served the songs winding but interconnected themes. It was honestly a nice change of pace to see a group defy genre so deftly, in a Brooklyn scene which is saturated but mostly homogenized, and you should certainly catch the band live if at all possible.
Scroll down for pics of the show (photos by Emilio Herce)
TEKE::TEKE
