For those of you not too familiar with the DIY whirlwind that is Burger Records, it is a Fullerton, California-based independent record label founded back in 2007 by Sean Bohrman and Lee Rickard. Burger is most well known for taking the off kilter route of releasing most of their material on cassette. This year marks their fourth year hosting the Burgerama music festival, which this year seemingly has their most impressive lineup yet. Held at the Santa Ana Observatory, it is quickly approaching on the weekend of March 28th and 29th. Other than the duh-worthy ripping main acts, here’s a list of bands us West Coast femmes are stoked to see.
Froth
For a band that was supposedly formed as a joke, their record certainly doesn’t sound like one. Froth emulates a well done version of the garage, surf, psych, and drone-sounding rock that is consuming the Southern California music scene right now. They definitely throw a little twist in their sound, though, with the use of an omnichord. Here’s a new track Burger uploaded on their Soundcloud a month ago titled, “Postcard Radio.”
Mr. Elevator & The Brain Hotel
These Los Angeles-based, wacky psychedelic dudes, sound exactly like what you’d think a band playing a similar festival set in the Sixties would sound like. We are so okay with that. Here’s them performing, “When the Morning Greets You With A Smile” for the video series Jam In The Van from last year’s Burgerama.
The Coathangers
The always badass Atlanta-based trio, The Coathangers, are a longtime AudioFemme favorite (they headlined one of our showcases last year). Yes we’re biased, but with good reason. From their 2009 full length, Scramble, to their recently released cover of The Gun Club’s “Sex Beat,” their set is bound to be seamlessly chock full of dance-y punk hits.
White Fence
Tim Presley is the blast-from-the-past prolific psych band that is White Fence. With almost all of his past releases recorded in his home, Presley helps to emulate what Burger Records seemingly stands for. Here’s a stream of his most recent album titled, For The Recently Found Innocent. Smoke a bowl and enjoy.
Meatbodies
Fronted by Chad Ubovich, guitarist of Mikal Cronin as well as the bassist for Fuzz, Meatbodies is a guitar heavy Jay Reatard lovers dream band. With their first album just released in October, this band’s buzz is about to explode. Highly suggested set to see for all of your head banging pleasures. Here’s a live video of them performing “Mountain” on KEXP Radio.
Jeff The Brotherhood
The always killer Jeff The Brotherhood, who recently announced being dropped by Warner Brothers Records, are releasing their new album (coming out just a few days before the festival) on Infinity Cat Recordings. With all of the excitement of a new start for the band as well as a new album, their set that weekend will not be one to miss. Here’s their new track featuring Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull on flute titled “Black Cherry Pie.”
La Luz
La Luz is a Seattle-based surf rock band. These girls’ mellow beach vibe is danceable and to blatantly put it, fun. La Luz, which translates to “light” in Spanish, perfectly emulates their vibe during live performances. This is their beautifully hazy video for their most popular track, titled”Call Me in the Day.”
How I (Rhythm Love Affair) is the upcoming effort of Anglo-Mauritian producer Mo Kolours. The five-track EP is the follow-up to his self-titled 2014 debut. Repetitive tribal percussion are accented with low-fi vocals and dashed with shakes from a rain stick. Drum-circle advocates will certainly enjoy it, but dreadlocks are not needed to enjoy the strong dub influences of the EP. To those unfamiliar world music, the EP offers a Tribe Called Quest-influenced introduction to sega, the traditional music of Mo Kolour’s homeland.
How I (Rhythm Love Affair) comes out March 9th. Listen to the single “How I” below.
Aradia embodies a style similar to 90’s electronic freestyle without being dreadfully cheesy. Perhaps it’s because she is a multi-instrumentalist, a unique song-writer, and a woman of many sounds. She may be originally from New York City, but she is now based out of Seattle, where she released Citizen of Earth. Her new album is completely harmonious, electronic-driven, with dashes of striking guitar to create a capsule of mystical art.
While the 11-track album may sound playful, inspired with electro-beats and percussion, her lyrics deliver meaningful positivity. “To trust your instincts they’re always right. And now you know that you walk in the light. Don’t hold your breath ‘cuz another day is coming. It’s different now, you don’t have to keep running.” “The Light” was charged by Aradia—showing her fans that her new-wave electronic music isn’t only about dancing, but dancing in luminosity. She seems very in-tune with her natural surroundings, frequently citing examples from fire, starlight, and the how she is one with the sky and sea. “Isolation is a tragedy. The idea that we’re separate is just illusory,” she also remains poetic in “Trouble.” And being that she is in search of another “M-Class” planet, is she also revealing her dark side—a loss of hope?
Her complexity in the album can also be reflected by her unreal style, where she is known for out of this world (literally) fashion designs and style. When she’s not busy writing new songs or putting together a space-travel-star-princess costume, you can catch her performing in an upcoming West coast tour. In the meantime, check out one of my favorite tracks off Citizen of Earth below, “Trouble.”
Bang Gang, the Icelandic composer Bardi Johannsson you may of heard of from Starwalker and Lady & Bird fame released a new single, “Out of Horizon.” As someone fascinated by Icelandic culture, one day hoping to travel there and live inside a mountain with a colony of elves, I’m always on the hunt for what’s emerging from their art scene, and therefor stoked to receive a heads up that Bang Gang (what a name) released his first single in over seven years.
“No regrets” advises the song, an entrancing demonstration of what Bang Gang’s indie pop is made of. The phrase “No regrets” is sort of the original YOLO, but Johannsson encourage the message with such grace not a pinch of cliche made it into this brew.
Protecting us like a fluffy new jacket from the harsh cold as we walk to and fro happenings, a pair of headphones playing a proper album will do a lot more than ear muffs. Girls and God is Dave Scanlon of Leverage Models live band joined by Alena Spanger from Tiny Hazard, Angelo Spagnolo of Parlour Tricks, and Rob Lundberg from killer BOB. They just got together and created a lovely new album, You Are Copper Greening in Open Air. The result of their labors is a soft yet warms-your-soul-like-whiskey coherent album that stays true to taste and form open to close.
“As you stay, loosely committed.. ” Dave and friends observe, on the aptly titled “Loosely Committed.” The album is tailored with comfortably fitting reflections on snapshots of minute details of life and reserved relationship revelations.
Rhythmic yearnings and inner dialogue entrances on “New Bodies.” “Don’t tell her, don’t tell her…” the lyrics warn, leading into the powerful muse described in “Woman with her Hair Down to her Down to her Waist.” Girls and Gods indeed, the female form and all its mystery’s influence on the album is obvious, but gracefully so. The musings and stories sung are enough to make you fall in love.
You Are Copper Greening in Open Air comes out February 27 (via soundcloud, youtube, bandcamp, etc).
Mexico City Blondes are a musical duo from Santa Barbara, CA, that know how to place the packaged whipped cream with the homemade cherry pie, so to say, lovingly delicious. Or, put more succinctly, “Sort of marriage between the electronic and organic sounds,” says Greg, one-half of the Blondes.
The group recently released the single “Shot the Moon,” a delicately sewn sultry couture dress of a song with layered synths laced with Allie Thompson’s seductive vocals.
“It’s definitely a snapshot of our dark side,” says singer/songwriter Allie of the single. “A musical confrontation of some of my deepest fears, a way to address nameless faceless foes who don’t have the power to hurt us unless we let them. Even going to the dark side is more satisfying to me when there is redemption and light in the darkness, hence the imagery of a white moon in a dark sky.”
We spoke with Allie and Greg from Mexico City Blondes about fashion influences (Gwen Stefani of course, power to the blondes), the power of Black Sabbath, and getting in touch with their dark side.
AudioFemme: How’d you come up with the name Mexico City Blondes?
Greg Doscher: I came up with it on a flight to, of all places, Mexico City. Really loved it for the project, and Allie liked it immediately when I suggested it. It has a meaning to me, but I don’t like to spell it out for people. It can be whatever comes to anyone’s mind when they hear it, and it’s more fun that way.
AF: How did the band form?
GD: Allie responded to an ad I put on Craigslist a year or so after the last band I was in dissolved. I advertised myself as a local producer looking for singers/songwriters to collaborate with. I can handle the production and recording, but can’t sing to save my life. Allie and I hit it off immediately and seemed to be on the same page as far as influences and the type of music we wanted to make. She’s also a great songwriter and we’ve had a lot of fun collaborating.
AF: Who have been your primary musical influences?
Allie Thompson: Growing up, I was exposed to a lot of folk music with introspective lyrics. Joni Mitchell, Dylan, Paul Simon…The art of crafting a song was always revered in my childhood home, and the production was an afterthought. It wasn’t until I started writing songs that I began to experiment with production style in order to bring the songs to life in the way I wanted to hear them. Around that time I was listening to a lot of Portishead and Beachhouse, and around that time I met Greg who was able to translate my rudimentary descriptors into the songs I wanted to hear!
GD: Aside from those above, as a teenager I picked up a guitar because of Black Sabbath and that’s still with me. Was really into the big 70s groups like Sabbath and Floyd, David Bowie and Zeppelin of course. As I grew up my tastes evolved a bit and realized that electronic music could be as sonically nuanced as some of the rock I grew up on.
AF: Do you have any fashion influences?
AT: I grew up with posters of No Doubt all over my walls, and I guess I never really got over Gwen! 15 years later I still look to her for fashion influence both on and off stage. I’ve always been a sucker for red lipstick, and it sure is convenient that she’s a blonde!
GD: Haha, my wife.
AF: Much is made of labeling sounds, what words do you like best to describe your music?
GD: Hard to say, but from a production standpoint I’ve always been really heavily influenced by groups like Massive Attack and someone like DJ Shadow who’s made incredible music with a sampler. That being said, I’m a guitarist with a pretty extensive rock background, so there’s always going to be some elements of that in there. Sort of marriage between the electronic and organic sounds I like and that we try and use. “Shot the Moon” is a good example of that mix. The electronic elements are the Moog synth that pulses throughout and a drum machine, but we also recorded live drums and live piano on top of those.
AF: Will you tell me about the meaning behind your new single “Shot the Moon?”
AT: It’s definitely a snapshot of our dark side. A musical confrontation of some of my deepest fears, a way to address nameless faceless foes who don’t have the power to hurt us unless we let them. Even going to the dark side is more satisfying to me when there is redemption and light in the darkness, hence the imagery of a white moon in a dark sky.
AF: How much of your personal life gets worked into your songs?
AT: The songs are always personal. Sometimes I write in a moment of acute emotion, but often a song will take me a few months to complete. It takes me that long to process emotions and gain perspective. The songs have the most power for me in understanding a situation as a whole, and that often takes time to unfold.
GD: Just about all of it. Hard to separate the two because of course whatever you’re feeling emotionally or going through personally is going to bleed into the music in terms of the sounds you pick, the chords you play and more obviously the lyrics that get written
AF: What’s next for Mexico City Blondes?
GD: We have a single that’s sort of the B-side, companion to “Shot the Moon” called “Yellow Sunshine” that we’ll release soon and a video for “Shot the Moon” on the way. Aside from that, lots more music in the pipeline and we’ll try and get out and perform these songs wherever we can.
Similarly like a younger Chris Martin singing “Yellow” and endlessly walking the dead shore-line, Esa Mankinen of Satellite Stories is instead revealing to the world their new single “Heartbeat” along a snowy winding road. Part of the quartet that is also Marko Heikkinen, Jyri Pesonen, and Olli-Pekka Ervasti, Satellite Stories is set to release their third studio album “Vagabonds” in March. The Finns are actually in the middle of their European tour, with a show in Barfly, London sold out.
Aside from Esa wistfully zig-zagging the beautiful countryside, the video features a couple portraying the inevitable stages of a dying relationship. While there’s a spec of joy, the video is mostly filled with angst and depression. At first we catch glimpses of cute waterfront dock dates, then an angry drive (why are the girls always cry-driving?) lead to a pushy break-up scene–appropriate to the melancholy lyrics “We drive and depart, just a smash into the car.”
While this may not have been the Valentine’s Day song you were looking to play in your car on the way to your cheesecake spot, you will find Satellite Stories to have a solid track history. Plus, “Heartbeat” is so damn catchy, and I think we’ve had our fill of cheesy love ballads. Definitely worth checking out their video below.
Love is, without a doubt, the most frequently used topic in songwriting (sex and drugs are probably tied for second place, but that discussion is for another playlist). Since Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, here’s a list of some of the best, (mostly) romantic indie songs to get you through the day.
“You’ve expressed explicitly/ Your contempt for matrimony.” Is your significant other not so psyched about getting hitched? Play them “Archie, Marry Me,” by the Canadian pop band Alvvays, and listen as vocalist Molly Rankin convinces the object of her affection that it doesn’t have to be so complicated: “Take me by the hand and we can sign some papers/ Forget the invitations floral arrangements and bread makers.”
Boston’s Krill has been getting a lot of attention with their new album, and it has the perfect Valentine’s Day song for all you tortured, lovesick souls out there, “Foot:” “I came and visited you at work/ I couldn’t help but imagine you without your shirt/ And all I wanted was to hold your foot.”
4. “O I Long To Feel Your Arms Around Me” – Father John Misty
Love will sometimes drive you to do crazy things; just ask Bonnie about her relationship with Clyde. If Valentine’s Day drives you insane, check out this song by the quirky rockers, Deerhoof.
Whether you’re having a romantic night or boycotting a Hallmark-spawned holiday with a friend, Courtney Barnett makes a case for tuning out the world with someone you like: “Come around to mine/ We can swap clothes and drink wine all night/ Turn your phone off friend/ You’re amongst friends and we don’t need no interruption.”
New York loves Dr. Dog so much that the band recently sold out eight shows in a row here. And even though they’ve moved on to other cities, we know the feeling’s mutual with this track: “I’m gonna miss you, til the day I come home/… On the road and dreaming of you.”
Their name doesn’t imply sentimentality, but “Only For You” by Heartless Bastards is a heartfelt declaration of affection, withan awesome bass line too.
Pearl and the Beard are some of Brooklyn’s finest, the pearl in our oyster. The band consists of Jocelyn Mackenzie (vocals, drums, percussion) Emily Hope Price (vocals, cello, keyboards) and Jeremy Lloyd-Styles (vocals, guitars, percussion) who all met an An open mic night. As a hint of what’s to come for their much anticipated forthcoming album, Pearl and The Beard recently released their new single “You,” a fuzzy-love pop rock track that will have your heart glowing and your booty bouncing.
Shortly after their sold out show at Rough Trade, we spoke with Jocelyn about their upcoming third album, drunk voicemails, and self-love. “It’s humbling and overwhelming to feel the love of hundreds of people directed at you all at once, like a giant Care Bear Stare being rainbowed directly into your heart. That’s a high we’ll ride on for a long, long time.”
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AudioFemme: How did the three of you meet?
Jocelyn Mackenzie: Open mic nights. That shit works!
AF: What are your favorite words used to describe your sound?
JM: Intense, cinematic, sexy… we love feeling powerful through our music and it’s amazing when other people feel that too!
AF: What was the inspiration behind “You?”
JM: My husband left me a (drunk) voicemail one night while we were away on tour, ‘I love you! Get it through your f*!king skull!’ I thought it was really sweet that he was so determined to profess his love for me that it made him angry. It’s funny that the ones we love the most usually need the most convincing of that, so we turned that feeling of raw desperation into a chorus and verse.
AF: Who is the “You” in the song?
JM: Well, originally it was my husband, but as the song grows and takes shape, I also relate it as someone speaking to him or herself. Self-love is an undervalued practice, and it can be hard to convince yourself that you’re worthy of your own care and praise. The song is becoming an anthem to me about proclaiming your love for yourself as loudly as you would to another human being.
AF: The track is pretty romantic. A bit cliche, but What are your relationship deal breakers?
JM: Hatefulness and closed-mindedness. Also I dated someone once that didn’t like birds. That didn’t end well.
AF: As a group you have a very distinct fashion sense, who and what are your style inspirations?
JM: Thank you! We talk a lot about how we want to FEEL rather than how we want to look. If an outfit makes us feel confident and sexy, we wear it. Normally we pick a color or two and then each of us picks out our own outfit based on the color limitations. Putting together a more stylish element, like something from ASOS, with a handmade item or something from the thrift store creates a look that’s unique and personal. We really inspired by Sia’s sleek and modern art-meets-fashion look that intertwines so flawlessly with her music. I also have a background in textiles and fashion, and I’ve done some styling for other bands too.
AF: You’re currently on tour – what has been the most memorable moment so far?
JM: We absolutely loved the show in Brooklyn at Rough Trade. It was truly incredible to be home, playing a sold out show in our home town, with people singing along, really getting into every single minute. It’s humbling and overwhelming to feel the love of hundreds of people directed at you all at once, like a giant Care Bear Stare being rainbowed directly into your heart. That’s a high we’ll ride on for a long, long time.
AF: What comfort of home do you miss most while touring?
JM: My bed! I have a mountain of amazing pillows and a very snuggly husband back there who is really good at keeping me warm… and other stuff.
AF: Can you speak to the sense of accomplishment that must come with selling out shows, such as your performance at Rough Trade in your hometown of Brooklyn?
JM: Every show is like hosting a party: beforehand there’s always that little fluttering worry of “Is anyone REALLY gonna come?” After seven years of touring that feeling still hasn’t gone away! This tour, thanks to being paired to support Wild Child, has been almost 100% sold out. It’s just awesome, and kind of indescribable. We’re very aware that we can’t do our jobs without the support of music fans, and knowing that they’re all going to be there before we even walk in the door lets us pause and feel grateful without those jitters. We can then be more fully immersed in the moment and it helps us host a better party.
AF: What’s next for Pearl and the Beard?
JM: In March we’re thrilled to be touring in support of Ani DiFranco, for our first time out on the west coast. Can’t wait! Then after that probably Disneyland, then death.
AF: How does your third album differentiate your sound from your pervious records?
JM: You’ll just have to get a copy when it comes out and tell me yourself…
The first time I heard Hozier’s breakout (and Grammy-nominated) single, “Take Me to Church” I was sleeping. I woke as if from a beautiful dream, jumped out of bed and went to my computer. I needed to know what the song was before it slipped away.
Although I found out that the Irish singer/songwriter’s debut album was due out in the fall of 2014, I put off buying it because I was afraid I would be disappointed. I finally purchased the album on vinyl a couple of days ago, opened it, took a breath and listened.
I am not disappointed.
Hozier’s roots rock sound feels like it was born and bred in the Bible Belt of the American South. There are head-bobbing blues riffs, spare melodies, 1960’s soul, violins, cello and plenty of church choir style harmonies. Somehow, Hozier manages to wrangle these eclectic sounds into a cohesive album.
This record will appeal to fans of The Black Keys (especially the track “To Be Alone”). Standout tracks include “Work Song” and “It Will Come Back,” with the amazing lines “Jesus Christ, don’t be kind to me/Honey don’t feed me/I will come back.”
Packaging: Double LP. Beautiful collage artwork and lyric sheets. CD version included.
Where to Get It: You can buy the vinyl from Hozier’s website.
Fugees The Score
“How many mics do you rip on the daily?”
This is really happening. The Fugees’ The Score is almost 20 years old, people. It’s a vintage classic.
When I went to buy the Hozier record, I came across this re-release in the crates. Let’s just say it wasn’t cheap, but as I debated whether or not to take it home I realized that I hadn’t heard the full album since my tape player died. So, I bought the record.
The Score is a perfect and amazing album. It’s not a bunch of singles. It’s a story. There are even weird little skits in-between songs.
Think about how many tracks have become legendary from this record: “Ready Or Not,” “How Many Mics,” “Fu-Gee-La” and Lauryn Hill’s cover of “Killing Me Softly.” That’s just to name a few because otherwise I would have to list every track.
Smart. Funny. Funky. This record is worth the cost of 180 gram vinyl.
So, you take an ukelele, cello, viola, and stand-up bass, along with the usual guitar and drums. Maybe put some horns in there, too. Then throw in two female vocalists who sound like they’re challenging the limits of sound. This is all boy/all girl’s new single, “Glitters:” Pop music that’s been completely burst open.
“Glitters” is just one of the new tracks the band has finished recently, and will be releasing their new EP Trophy, their follow up to 2013’s Tiny Inglesia on March 3rd. They’ll also be playing an EP release show at The Studio at Webster Hall on March 16th.
When was the last time you heard the sounds of East and West combined in an emotional and uplifting musical context? Let’s make it today after listening to SA’s single release of “Pogathe.” What is SA? Well, it’s a “who” and more, it’s a “she.” Shilpa Ananth, bandleader of the group named SA, known on SoundCloud as SoundsofSA, is paving a way in the Brooklyn indie music scene. Ananth has a background in Indian classical music and an education from Berklee College of Music. She’s been performing as SA for the past year doing gigs all over the east coast.
The music of SA is nothing less than what I’d call “experienced.” “Pogathe” is filled with tasteful vocal melisma and saucy guitar tone. The chorus has an emphatic quality as Ananth stretches the word “Pogathe” (or in English, “Don’t leave”) with a rise and quick fall. The sophisticated rhythms and jazzy piano are a delicious bed as Ananth dances over with the lyrics that make you question what she might really be singing about – a lover, a friend, a memory, maybe something entirely internal? What I do know is that this song is pretty damn sexy, and I am confident that SA has a sound you’d be wise to keep on your radar.
SA’s debut EP, Indian Soul, is coming out Friday, February 13 and will be celebrated with a live performance from the group at the infamous Blue Note Jazz Club in Manhattan on the same evening.
We’ve all been a bit dizzied by Toronto song man Slim Twig lately. He’s been on a roll reissuing his pop-opera opus A Hound at the Hem, touring the mid and North Easts of the country, and never letting the creative juices run dry. We had a chance to catch up with Slim (or Max Turnbull if you prefer his mortal name) to see what’s up next, and why being weird is always better.
AudioFemme: So you just finished up a tour; how did it go? Any funny stories?
Slim Twig: It went well. I’m still very much in the throes of building an audience, so there remains a certain amount of crowd fluctuation between shows. The important thing is that the band sounds great, and we’re able to win the attention of anyone who has shown up.Funny tour stories normally involve some element of band stupidity or (modest) debauchery, so I think those are best saved for personal conversation. I have a band like any other, we like to get in trouble from time to time. Mostly we’re alright.
AF: I didn’t recognize anything from A Hound at the Hem when you played at Cake Shop the other week…was the set you played the beginnings of a new record?
ST: It’s funny you say that. The songs off Hound are so densely arranged, it’s heavy slogging trying to arrange for rock n’ roll quartet. I was very pleased that we were able to perform two songs off that record in our set off this last tour… It felt like an achievement of some kind. They are of course re-arranged somewhat to suit what we travel as so if you had your ears perked up for those lovely string quartet moments off the record, you may have missed those tunes completely! It’s something of a point of pride to give an audience that’s come and paid to hear my tunes something that they wouldn’t have encountered on the record… What’s the point otherwise? I think I’m somewhat in the minority in this practice nowadays, many bands seem content to play faithful versions accompanied by backing tracks. To answer your question a little more directly, yes many of the songs you would have heard are off the forthcoming album which is just finished. Very excited to be playing this new stuff.
AF: Hound has gotten a lot of well-deserved attention lately because of the DFA reissue. It really is a fantastic record! For a lot of us it’s a new discovery, but you recorded it a few years ago…what’s it like promoting something that you wrapped up a while back? Do you see it in a different light now?
ST: It’s been an odd journey, but I’ve been very pleased with the reception of this older record. I’m prideful of the fact that the album is not easily pigeonholed, and I keep this in mind whenever my mind strays to why its path has been an unanticipated one.It has been an odd feeling of deja vu trying to engender excitement for something that is a clear product of my younger mind, especially for someone whose musical vision is constantly in motion as mine seems to be. In some ways this album marks a new beginning in my music making, so it’s logical that it’s the introduction for most people to my music.
AF: What has your relationship with DFA been like? They seem to really believe in your work. After I bought the pink version of the Hound LP online Kris sent me a thank you email and put me on the list for your Palisades show. He said buying your album showed ‘discerning tastes.’ It sounds like you really won them over!
ST: In one of my first meetings with DFA, Jonathan Galkin (who runs the label along with Kris) told me to ‘keep the music as weird as possible.’ This was the best encouragement for someone like me, as I took it to mean ‘continue deeper into your own vision’… I don’t think many musicians are working under such a cushy pretext anymore. I suppose they knew what they were getting into being that I was drawn into the fold via a Black Dice connection. In any case, I’m blessed and right where I need to be.
AF: At your set at Cake Shop you introduced a song by saying: ‘This song is about not fetishizing the past.’ What do you mean by that?
ST: Especially in the rock idiom, there seems to be an assumption that all the best music has been and gone. I have a giant classic rock fixation, so I too am guilty of this train of thought every so often. I do feel though that it is this way of thinking itself, that prevents a context for new sounds to break through and seem as vital as the old sounds. Some of my music is concerned with this battle between mining the past for inspiration (the only concrete source of inspiration in a literal sense), and the desire to transcend those elements… I think contemporary rock culture could do with a good dose of killing one’s idols. The trouble is once having killed one’s idols, there’s a tendency to also do away with melody, structure, clever lyrics and a more ambitious approach to production. I have a fondness for all those elements that many punkier folk will simply do away with in an effort to not repeat the classics.
AF: Who are some of your favorite contemporary artists?
ST: I can admire anyone who has their own vision, not to say that they can’t betray influences – but any distinct voice that rises through the murk is appreciated. U.S. Girls, Danava, Zacht Automaat, Jack Name, Jennifer Herrema, Ghost Box artists & Eric Copeland are some good examples of modern stuff I can go deep with.
AF: Can you speak about your artistic relationship with your wife Meghan Remy? You seem to have a very crucial role in each other’s work.
ST: Basically we just have totally opposite creative sensibilities. Meghan is driven by a very deep emotional place in her music, where my process is a lot more cerebral (if you couldn’t tell by my longwinded answers). Not to say that those tracks don’t intersect, but often times we serve to widen each other’s vision. Obviously, there’s a great personal rapport that makes this process highly enjoyable and repeatable. It’s a good situation.
AF: Where are some places you’d really like to tour that you haven’t had a chance to visit yet?
ST: Italy. Italy. Italy. Have done much of Europe a handful of times, but never Italy. Japan too, though I hate to fly so it’s a bit of a tall order.
AF: From what I’ve read your whole family is creative. Did making art ever seem like an option for you, or was it simply a necessity?
ST: It’s just part of the culture of how I came up. It was never enforced of course, but it’s very natural to always have a project on the go. Any way of life that doesn’t accommodate constant creativity would seem awfully dull in my view.
AF: What’s up next for Slim Twig?
ST: Dragging an appropriation of rock ‘n’ roll kicking and screaming into a place free of cliche, sexism and trod on association. Wish me luck!
AF: GOOD LUCK!!! We’d expect nothing less from you. Keep that fire burning.
I live in Brooklyn. Despite years in the entertainment industry, I don’t know L.A. So if I were to die there, I imagine it would be in the air above in a plane crash or by having given into all my vices and overdosed in a mansion dressed still wearing my black leather pants. Either option sends me out at the rock star age of 27. That’s just where my morbid mind goes.
Lower Dens are an “entropics” band from Baltimore. “To Die in L.A.” is hot off their forthcoming third album Escape from Evil, to be released on March 31 via Ribbon Music. A preview of what to expect from the whole damn thing, “To Die in L.A.” is dark; it’s whimsical. The voice of Jana Hunter reverberates loud and bold over an experimental track that standing alone could work as the theme for an indie horror flick. “I wish I could count on you…” echos Hunter’s vocals in the opening line.
Lower Dens will play a release show at Baby’s All Right in Brooklyn on Tuesday, March 31. Buy tickets here.
When I looked at their band name, I expected Ghastly Menace to be some kind of punk group, or possible a metal or grunge outfit. But you can’t always judge a band by its name, and I didn’t hear anything ghastly or menacing. Instead, what came through my speakers was a debut album from a lo-fi pop band, reminiscent of Grizzly Bear or The Pains of Being Pure at Heart.
Ghastly Menace is now a six-piece band from Chicago. After members Andy Schroeder and Chris Geick released their 2010 EP Pitcairn, they added Kody Nixon, Michael Heringhaus, Pat Lawler, and Clint Weber for their first official album, Songs of Ghastly Menace, released through The Record Machine on January 27th.
For a band’s debut, it’s impressive. Ghastly Menace has figured out their own style, but even within it, they show range and depth. The album starts out strong with its first two singles, “80s” and “Closing,” full of catchy and layered with infectious drums, well-placed guitar hooks, keyboard melodies and bass that glides along beneath it all. The record changes pace with the next two tracks. “You let me do too many things without you/ Know I don’t know how to do them with you,” is sung in harmony on the quiet, “Living Together,” which builds up slowly but always returns to its original tone. In “While You’re Here,” the vocals are laid bare, with only light shakes of percussion and occasional background noise before the track builds up. The only song that sounds out of place on Songs of Ghastly Menace is the seventh track “She Won’t Stay Long,” a piano ballad that breaks the tone of the rest of the record.
Ghastly Menace is able to find a perfect balance with their first album- music that’s low-key without being lazy, vocals that are sleepy without putting you to sleep, and the ability to keep calm without being emotionless. There’s also some interesting sound effects scattering through the record. The band has said that they use “non-instrumental sounds and techniques” on the album, which left me unable to guess what some cool sounds were, but I’m pretty sure someone sacrificed a glass or two while recording “On Our Way.” Whatever sonic experiment Ghastly Menace is conducting, it’s a success.
You can download Songs of Ghastly Menace here, and check out “Closing” below!
Carmen Villain’s voice projects the vibes of a psychedelic witch, singing in a spooky fog-covered lagoon, especially in her new track, “Quietly.” Its counter track, “Let it Go”, sounds like its mostly-instrumental sequel. This half Norwegian/half Mexican babe is about to embark on an UK tour with Neneh Cherry, and there is no doubt that she will be wooing audiences with her hypnotizing dream-like performance. I had the chance to ask Carmen a few questions about her growth as an artist, style inspirations, and cover song choices. Take a gander.
AudioFemme: How has your sound changed and grown since the release of Sleeper?
Carmen Villain:It’s still evolving all the time, but there’s definitely some elements that have been left behind, but I have also taken some of them further. I think there’s a bit more light in my music now. Really trying to let most of it pass the song test: whether they can be stripped back to their core and still work. Also been working with different recording techniques and been re-amping a lot, sampling, and also adding some new instruments, like the piano.
AF: What things inspired you while recording the “Quietly / Let it Go” 7”?
CV: Just life and my surroundings. I had just moved back to Oslo from London when I wrote these, so they are definitely influenced by these changes. “Quietly” came about by just messing about with different tunings and just playing for hours in my apartment during winter. “Let Go” was the result of a walk by the seaside (I had missed this a lot in London!) in which I recorded all these seagulls and my dog going bananas. I later took these recordings and played around with drones and different frequencies, and the melodies came from there.AF: A while back you covered Kurt Vile’s “Childish Prodigy.” Are there any other artists you have been covering lately or would like to?
CV: (We covered “He’s Allright”!:) ) I haven’t covered anyone for a while, but at rehearsals we sometimes finish off with TLC’s “Creep” just to blow off some steam!
AF: Based on videos, it seems like in the past you have had other musicians playing with you on stage, and more recently you have been performing alone. Are you going to be solo for your upcoming dates with Neneh Cherry?
CV: Yeah we used to be a four piece a while back to be able to play the way the songs were arranged on Sleeper, but the new stuff is a lot more flexible, so can be performed in different ways. Sometimes solo, sometimes three of us, and right now on this tour there’s two of us, myself and Mona.
AF: Tell us about who you chose to be accompanying you on stage on this upcoming tour.
CV: I’m really lucky to have Mona come along with me on this one, she plays additional guitar, keys and sings. Mona is also part of a duo of her own called Mona & Maria, they make beautiful folky pop. Maria used to play with me, but she’s on maternity leave right now.
AF: Your style rules. Who are some musicians that inspire what you wear while performing?
CV: Why thanks! Hmm can’t say there’s anyone well known in particular, maybe mostly my friends. I guess I just wear what feels comfortable at the time.
AF: If you could go back in time to be an artist during any era of music, which would it be?
CV: I’m good where I am!
AF: What’s on your everyday playlist as of 2015?
CV: Dean Blunt, Jessica Pratt, Grouper, Connan Mockasin, Todd Rundgren, Crosby Stills Nash, Ras G, Kurt Vile, Alice Coltrane, Harold Budd…
AF: Any talks of a tour or any shows in the US in the near future?
CV: US tour is right at the top of my wish list, so going to be working hard to make that happen!
Hayden has released his first single “Nowhere We Cannot Go” from his forthcoming eighth full-length album Hey Love. The Toronto-based musician humbly pulls back the curtain allowing listeners into his heart and home studio with the elated lyrics and conquering piano, saved from the accidental corniness that sometimes happens with triumphant ballads with rock ‘n’ roll shreds of synthesizer and electric guitar.
“It’s been so rough, we have been through more than enough / But without this love, there would be no reason for either of us,” reminds Hayden. In an industry of cynicism such encouragement may be hard to believe, but then you learn that the Canadian spent this fall making music with his wife Christie Greyerbiehl who happens to throw benefits for Toronto’s Beverley St. School for developmentally disabled children. We look forward to hearing the rest of Hey Love to investigate further what lies behind those kind eyes, ’cause when this guy tells you there’s nowhere we can’t go, we tend to believe him.
Dream-pop, garage-rock, black-punk. In an era where the blogosphere battles to name genres, sometimes it’s nice to simply return to rock ‘n’ roll, which is just what we have for you in the first Artist of the Month profile of the new year. “As cliche as that is, I think that’s what we’re going for. A fun rock and roll band,” said Penny, a newly-minted member of the Oklahoma rock group, who recently joined with her partner Mandy, adding a much appreciated feminine flavor. They do after all, have a sky-rocketing new album titled Just Enough Hip to be Woman.
BRONCHOperforms at Beacon Theatre tonight supporting the one and only Billy Idol. Shortly before they hit the road, Sophie Saint Thomas caught up with Penny as she was getting ready to embark on a six-week tour.
ST: What is your experience with touring?
P: Honestly, I’ve loved it since I started doing it. I went on my first tour as a solo artist with another friend of mine who was also a solo artist at that time. I just love it, I love traveling. I love kind of having everything I need with me girl scout style. I see it as not much different than outdoor survival camping. I just kind of see it as the urban woods.
ST: Is this the first tour you guys as a group have done together?
P: No, Mandy and I just joined the band this last summer. We did our first tour with the guys I believe in August. It was like a five week run. We were basically touring from August to December with a few breaks and then we had December off, and now we’re at it again.
ST: How did you end up joining the band?
P: I’ve known Ryan for a few years now. I grew up in Norman, which is the town that they’re based in. Where they were hanging out and went to school. So I had hosted house shows at my house with them, and I’ve been to a lot of shows, just between musical mutual friends I guess. When I met Mandy we started playing music together. I heard that their old bass player was leaving the band. So I kind of pursued it a little bit, and six to eight months later I talked to Ryan, and he invited both of us to be in the band which is awesome because we live together and we’re partners. She’s kind of the only thing that keeps me from being on the road. So it’s really awesome to be able to bring her with me.
ST: How is it being with all those guys?
P: It’s good. The bands I previously was working with and touring with was much different. Musically, and also socially I played with two girls. And so I was mainly traveling with three girls which was a totally different experience. All three of us were around the 21-24 age so needless to say we were kind of crazy all over the place. I think the energy of this current group is like… I just feel like they’re my brothers. I have always been a tomboy so we just feel really comfortable.
ST: “Class Historian” is really blowing up and getting a lot of attention. How has that experience been?
P: I definitely feel lucky to be with them at this time. I’ve been watching these guys tour kind of parallel to my former musical life, and to be able to be in this band at this moment in time is pretty amazing. I do my best to not take too much credit for any of the actual success that’s going on right now. But it is super exciting. And I’m just constantly being flattered by people always hearing it on the XM Radio or wherever they’ve heard it. It’s kind of far out; We had a spot in the local paper recently, which was definitely the first time I’ve been called out like: “You’re that girl in that band!” It’s very weird, it’s very new, I’m trying not to get too used to it.
ST: I hope you’re enjoying it!
P: Definitely. I’m just trying to let it in and let it be real.
ST: I’m sure you and Mandy joining has changed the dynamic, can you speak to what you’ve brought to the band?
P: One obvious change is certainly the vocal presence. I think we’re moving to a really awesome place vocally where Mandy and I get to be sort of this more angelic presence over kind of the rougher vocals of the guys. It rounds it out really well. I was definitely worried at first about the former fans…I don’t know, it’s probably just girl insecurity. I never wanted people to be like, “Oh you’re good for a girl.” I think especially as the bass player like their former bass player, I respect him a lot. So the first show I was definitely watching a lot of people like, “You approve right?” I’m less about seeking approval now, and I’m just having a really good time with the guys. I’m no longer feeling like I don’t fit in anymore.
ST: I enjoy the female aspect; I love how it’s all come together. The album title Just Enough Hip to be Woman – were you part of the creation?
P: I honestly was not there but I totally can imagine how it came up, and it was probably the guys and some friends totally joking around and one of them probably said it in one way and another one said it in another way and then it went around in circles because it’s worded so strangely. I thought it was funny when I found out what it was because I didn’t even hear the new record or know the title until he had already asked me to be in the band. So part of me was like “Maybe he knew…” but I don’t think that he did. I think it’s just that perfect.
ST: How would you label your sound? I’ve read the term “garage punk” thrown around a lot on the internet.
P: Anytime we’re asked that at a border crossing, because they always ask “What band are you in?” and then “What kind of music do you play?” We all collectively answer with “rock and roll.” As cliche as that is, I think that’s what we’re going for. A fun rock and roll band. We’re all just having fun and ideally we just want everyone in the audience to be loose and crazy. I think “punk” is a bit of a stretch I think “garage rock and roll” is kind of where it’s at.
ST: Well, rock and roll is a cliche for a reason, it’s great. Are you excited to play with Billy Idol?
P: Yeah, I’m so stoked.
ST: Well congrats on everything that’s happening, and thanks for taking the time to speak with me.
Stage Hands is a Johnstown, PA-based project made up of multimedia artist/producer Brandon Locher and drummer/producer Gerald Mattis. The duo started making music together in 2013, and are releasing their debut LP, Stage Hands, on February 10 through the PA music archive My Idea of Fun.
The self-titled LPis only 26 minutes long. It’s a quick listen, but hard to get out of your head once you’re done. The sound is hard to pin down; it’s busy, but also ambient, soothing, but energetic and danceable. Key tracks are “The Populating of Empty Space,” which builds up slowly into a catchy, funky melody, and the contemplative, keyboard-heavy “Adaptive Lines.”
“It’s snowing styrofoam/ A drone in every home/ For the holidays,” and “Am I just imagining these variant rhythms/ Of antidisestablishmentarianism?”The One and Only Matt Miller sings on the creeping “#unabomber,” the only track with vocals. Other musicians that appear on Stage Hands are Jon Livingston, who played piano on “Stage Hands,” Jon Beard, who contributed drum engineering for “#unabomber,” and Sean Jackson, who played synths on tracks “Adaptive Lines,” “Regardless,” and “#unabomber.”
If you’re wondering how they’ll be able to pull this sound off live, you’ll be able to see for yourself the day before their record drops. Stage Hands will playing at the Brooklyn DIY venue The Silent Barn on February 9, along with Tallesen, Jono Mi Lo, Middle Grey and Dean Cercone. For a preview, check out a video of Stage Hands below:
The first single “Black Cat White Cat,” from Annalibera’s debut full-length Nevermind I Love You is here. Have you ever had an experience I’ve heard referred to as a “crygasm,” where you’re crying so hard you burst out laughing, shaken awake with the knowledge that even though your life situation may be currently twisted and fucked up, that the absurdity is actually rather hilarious because it’s all going to be okay? Our track of the week, the tune for the blizzard, sounds like that: a crygasm. Not to mention, it’s named after a couple of cats, and who doesn’t want to curl up with a couple of cats while working from home and questioning life decisions as our city is blanketed with snow and pelted with ice?
According to Anna Gebhardt of Annaliberna, the voice and mastermind behind the track, “It became an anthem for me about how we all treat the ones we love like shit sometimes, and wishing I could go back and treat everyone I love as perfectly as they deserve and enjoy every moment I ever had with them, instead of focusing on the future.”
Gebhardt studied classical music in college, and after being thrown into the fine arts found herself seeking salvation in her creations, such as the synth-enhanced folk tune “Black Cat White Cat.” The folk influence is a nod to her roots, Gebhardt spent her childhood on a farm in Nebraska.
So grab your cat, stock up on wine and grilled cheese supplies, and hunker down for the blizzard to the soaring joyful melodies paired with dark lyrics of human flaw and redemption.
Nevermind I Love You is set for release via Sump Pump Records on March 24. Listen to “Black Cat White Cat” below.
Looking to get lost in a world of sound? Carmen Villain, aka Norwegian singer/songwriter and former model Carmen Hillestad, has released a new 7” single of dreamy pop music, Quietly/Let Go.
“Quietly” is an eerily ethereal soundscape of guitars and brooding background noise.While the music builds around her voice, Villain’s vocals remain tethered down, dark and dreamy.“Let Go” is a quieter track that feels as if you’ve gotten lost in a forest; it starts with chattering bird-like noises and swirls of synths and reverb. Villain’s muffled voice is only present for the last minute of the song, before the track fades quietly out.
Quietly/Let Go is available to download digitally on January 20th. For those of you who prefer a copy you can show off on your bookcase, you’ll have to wait until February 10th when the physical copy is released through Smalltown Supersound.
Faith Healer is Edmontonian Jessica Jalbert. Her follow-up album to 2011’s self-released solo debut, Brother Loyola, is titled Cosmic Troubles and comes out March 31st on Mint Records. Cosmic Troubles is the artistic result of Jessica’s pairing with producer Renny Wilson.
With lovely forlorn lyrics over a psych-pop melody catchy enough to invoke a dance that starts with a head bob and ripples down your body even while riding a notoriously slow subway during your morning commute on a gloomy winter day, “Again” will have you marking your calendar and counting down days until Faith Healer full album is released.
Apparently the duo bathed themselves in the spinning of psychedelic rock from the ‘60s and ‘70s while creating Cosmic Troubles, an ingredient adding a gloriously happy retro-rock vibe to an already satisfying combo-platter of moods.
Seagulls are a five-piece Philadelphia based band that describe their sound as “harmonic folk pop with glitches & surf influences.” Their debut LP, Great Pine, is being released February 3rd (my birthday, best present ever!) on Yellow K records. With angelic harmonies, and cool guitar-riff-filled mellow jams, the release of Great Pine is bound to be an AF favorite. I had the chance to ask band members Derek Salazar (drummer and producer) and Matt Whittle (writer, guitarist and singer)about their influences, favorite venues, and getting smacked in the face with food. Enjoy.
AudioFemme: So you recorded Great Pine in a cabin in West Virginia. How was that process? How did you decide on recording it in a secluded setting like that?
Derek Salazar: Basically, I was fortunate enough to be able to take a some time in life to sort of hit the reset button. Remaining very conscious of wanting an ideal spot to record Great Pine, I ended up finding this beautiful spot in on the top of a little mountain in West Virginia. Everything sonically, creatively…it turned out it was exactly where we needed to be. Matt would come down for periods of time so we could develop and track the outlines of each song. In between, the rest of Seagulls and our friends who played on the album would come stay. It was our own little world.
Matt Whittle: It’s kind of a funny situation, because yes, we’re holed up in a cabin off in the woods, but we’re not luddites. The cabin was full of all sorts of modern recording equipment, video games and things.
AF: Were there any albums or other artists that specifically inspired the sound on this record?
DS: I was super, super into the entire Beatles discography when we were recording this album. Matt and I share a love for The Beach Boys and Grizzly Bear. Paul McCartney’s RAM was on constant rotation as well.
MW: I’m a huge fan of Grandaddy. Their affinity for mixing organic and synthesized textures was a major influence on our recordings.
AF: I love the order you chose for the tracks on Great Pine. The instrumental opening goes pretty perfectly into “Swimmin.’” My favorite tune from it so far is “Old Habits,” what’s yours?
DS: “Old Habits” is actually a cover of a song written by a friend of ours, Jeff Pianki. His live show will stop you dead in your tracks. As for my favorite, it seems to switch from day to day. After spending so much time with the mixes, a lot of the time it’s from finding little surprises or things I forgot about. Today, I’d say “Love, Give.”
MW: Ocean Cyclone has a very dear place in my heart. It definitely encompasses all of the things I’m drawn to sonically in a short, succinct way.
AF: Do you have a favorite and least favorite venue to play in or see bands?
DS: Bourbon & Branch in Philly has been a consistent highlight to play and Johnny Brenda’s is an all-time favorite of mine to see bands. The 9:30 Club in DC and Mann Center in Philly have hosted the best sounding concerts I’ve ever been to.
MW: The Sanctuary at the First Unitarian Church in Philly and Union Transfer are my two favorite venues to see my favorite acts. I’d love to play either of them.
AF: Any plans for a tour or shows outside of Philly in the near future?
MW: Tour would be a blast. We’ll have to see how that shakes out in the future. We’re playing NYC and Frederick, MD in the upcoming weeks.
AF: Where did the name Seagulls come from? Do you just really really love seagulls? The beach? Animals that steal food off your beach towel?
MW: Indeed, I really do just enjoy seagulls. People love to shit talk animals that aren’t cute and fluffy, for some reason, like they know any better. If you were a crow or vulture or something, you’d be pretty gross, too.
AF: What is your dream show line up? (With you guys playing, of course).
MW: Opening for Kanye West and Grizzly Bear in a theater of some kind. Or Gorillaz so I could finally understand how that whole thing works.
AF: If your band was a food, what would it be and why?
MW: I’d say we’re that old ice cream baseball glove with the gumball on it. Simple and sweet.
AF: Speaking of edible things, who thought of the concept for your “You and Me” music video? How was it to be wailed in the head with eggs, flour, and other questionable objects? Thanks for doing that for our enjoyment, though, we really appreciate it.
MW: It was my idea. I thought it would match the tone of the song, for whatever reason. It was a blast to film. I caught an egg right in the mouth and immediately felt my lip swelling up. It was a very cold Pennsylvanian October night… the shower afterward was definitely well-earned.
In the days of self-inflicted constant surveillance we all bring out cameras to shows, but it’s rarer for artists to return the favor, capturing their intimate moments of tour to give us when they’ve already poured all their essence into a performance. When music documentaries are done, at worst they’re overly promotional and obviously fake, at best they’re tender, inspiring, and revealing.
From Philadelphia by way of LA, Girlpool consists of Cleo Tucker (Guitar) and Harmony Tividad (Bass). They’ve become known for their stripped down minimalist sound and honest, bare lyrics. On their first east coast tour their friend director Cory McConnell mixes show footage (including performances at the dead but not forgotten Brooklyn venues Death by Audio and Glasslands) and strikingly insightful interviews. The result is the 25 minute documentary Things Are Ok.
In the film, Cleo and Harmony dicuss growing up feeling different, the strangeness that comes with spotlight and public perception, and most fascinatingly, their relationship.
“It’s been about a year since we’ve started, and think what’s changed the most is Harmony and I’s relationship, and how honest and close and comfortable we’ve become with one another,” reflects Cleo.
“Cleo and I’s friendship is really honest, and intimate, and straightforward and turbulent, but only because we’re so honest,” continues Harmony.
In fact, the undeying theme throughout the interviews with the duo is honesty. Sounds like their music.
Their self-titled EP is out now on Wichita Recordings. Watch the documentary below. After you’ve been let in their tour life via film; check out the tour dates below to catch them live.
TOUR DATES
1/28 – Brooklyn, NY @ Silent Barn
2/3 – Philadelphia, PA @ PhilaMOCA ^ 2/16 – London, UK @ Lexington 2/18 – Manchester, UK @ Soup Kitchen 2/19 – Glasgow, UK @ Broadcast
2/21 – Paris, FR @ Pop Up Du Label
2/23 – Berlin, DE @ Berghain Kantine ^
2/24 – Hamburg, DE @ Exile Molotow ^
4/24 – Albuquerque, NM @ Sister *
4/25 – Phoenix, AZ @ Valley Bar *
4/26 – San Diego, CA @ The Casbah *
4/28 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Roxy *
4/29 – San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall *
5/1 – Portland, OR @ Doug Fir *
5/2 – Vancouver, BC @ Biltmore Cabaret *
5/3 – Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile *
5/6 – Minneapolis, MN @ Triple Rock Social Club *
5/7 – Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle *
5/8 – Chicago, IL @ The Beat Kitchen *
5/9 – Detroit, MI @ UFO *
5/10 – Toronto, ON @ The Garrison *
5/11 – Montreal, QC @ Bar Le Ritz PDB *
5/12 – Burlington, VT @ The Monkey House *
5/13 – Boston, MA @ The Sinclair *
5/14 – East Greenwich, RI @ Greenwich Odeum *
^ = w/ Alex G
= w/ Waxahatchee
Ticket Giveaways
Each week Audiofemme gives away a set of tickets to our featured shows in NYC! Scroll down to enter for the following shindigs.
