Page 104 – Audiofemme

OPENING LINES: Snap Q&A w/ The Yetis

For this column, we preview the opening acts of live shows we’ll be covering, to give exposure to the up-and-comers we’re most excited for. Our preferred form is to do off-the-cuff “snap Q&As” with them, to get their thoughts on anything from the mundane to the absurd. For this installment, we spoke with Nick Gillespie, from PA-based indie rock band, The Yetis, who will be performing before a sold out crowd tonight at Baby’s All Right in Brooklyn, opening for The Drums. Catch what they had to say about Bigfoot’s gender and playing live with a shirtless elderly man from Florida.

Audiofemme: Are there any Yetis from history for whom you have a particular affinity/really identify with? And I know this might be a contentious question, but do you believe that Bigfoot is male or female?

The Yetis: I guess we like the Himalayan explorers in history like Sir Edmund Hillary or the guy who lost all his toes and fingers only to conclude that the yeti is just a bear. Bigfoot is probably a guy but he definitely has a Bigfoot girlfriend.

AF: I saw that you’re from Allentown Pennsylvania, which is actually the 3rd largest city in PA. What is the music scene there like? Do people ask you a lot if you’re from Amish country because they don’t know any better?

TY: There’s not really a music scene. In high school there was nothing to do but drive around and play garage rock so that helped us focus on being creative. Allentown isn’t that close to Amish country, we don’t get asked that a lot, but the Amish are interesting to say the least.

AF: What sets you guys apart from the abundance of surf pop bands that are cropping up these days (we could answer this one for you but we wanna hear your thoughts!!)

TY: We don’t really consider ourselves surf pop that much, just rock and roll. We like surf music a lot so we use elements from that in our music. Our surf songs started out more as jokes or something that was exotic to us.

AF: What’s your most memorable live performance?

TY: The two times we’ve played at Baby’s All Right opening for cool bands (Hinds and Hidden Charms) were amazing so we think tonight with The Drums will top that. But we play a lot of bars and one time a guy gave us $90 to play one blues song with some old fat guy from Florida who took off his shirt and sang. We went crazy.

AF: If you could bring back one person from history to attend your show tonight at Baby’s, who would it be?

TY: We would bring back King Tut.

******Check out their irresistible rock jams TONIGHT at Baby’s All Right, opening for The Drums.

PLAYING DETROIT: DJ Duo Haute to Death

It was the day of my grandmother’s funeral. Having spent the better portion of my day mourning the loss with my father and chain smoking while driving familiar streets of my hometown where the old bars had new signs, I was unnerved with realizing not everything was as I left it when I moved out and to Detroit two years ago. By the end of the day, I was disheveled and still dressed sullenly in black. My face was puffy from crying and both my body and mind were fevered with exhaustion. David Bowie’s “Changes” came on the radio as my boyfriend at the time asked what I wanted to do. It was late. It was Saturday. I was tired. But without hesitation I stared out of the passenger side window at a sky that threatened snow and said, “I have to go to Temple.” This was not some prolific religious sentiment, although looking back maybe in some ways it was. Temple is “Temple Bar,” one of Detroit’s most unassuming vestiges and my salvation was (and still is) Haute to Death; a monthly dance party thrown by Ash Nowak and Jon Dones.

Creators, curators, and collaborators in life, love, and the dance floor, Nowak and Dones are more than DJ’s, they are partners and hosts to what will undoubtedly be your favorite night (if you’re lucky enough to remember it). Emotional electricians, they are instigators of catharsis with a killer record collection and an undeniably thoughtful approach to weaving a tapestry of people, environment, and sound. What started as a search to throw the best dance party for friends is now celebrating it’s eight year residency this month. “We’ve developed a family of people here,” says Dones. “Ash and I don’t have a lot of family. We feel so connected to the people that show up that I don’t necessarily have to know where they came from, or what they do for a living because we’re all here together. What we do isn’t about us, it’s about you.”

For eight years, Haute to Death has called Temple Bar its home base and in some ways its birth place. A pock marked parking lot surrounds an institution colored building with the name painted crudely above the door, Temple Bar is the last place you would expect to find the city’s most welcoming and unapologetic dance party. The DJ booth sits high above the dance floor where Nowak and Dones are glassed in and silhouetted by neon genitalia (one of many idiosyncratic details of Temple Bar’s landscape). The aforementioned dance floor is contained by a half wall and is no bigger than a few handicap accessible bathroom stalls side by side. The intimacy is the most intimidating quality of a Haute to Death event and paradoxically is what invites you in to stay. Since it falls on the third Saturday of each month, the T.V. sets are tuned to SNL (which seems meta in context) and the awkward pool table wedged between the bathrooms is always strangely occupied as people aim their pool sticks into the air because rarely is there room to make a real shot (hell, you’re lucky if can stand with your feet apart). Sometimes a dog shows up, and no one has ever seen anyone actually play the Sopranos pinball machine near the entrance. Skin will touch skin, sweat will converge with other spilled fluids, and your hair will refuse to hold whatever product or styling you came in with. The air is promised to be thick and salty and each party is not without its share of playful dance offs, fits of cinematic twirling and even the occasional new wave twerk-a-thon. Without fail there will be at least one tangible moment where the music finds temporary shelter within you and shakes something loose (or perhaps pieces something back together). You can be yourself, someone else, or no one at all.

“Jon and I like a lot of the same things. We ultimately have the same end goal but have extraordinarily different ways of getting there,” explains Nowak on their ability to collaborate. “You can’t play candy all night long. It’s fun and tempting, but it’s not sustainable.” Even under the shimmering lights and the waves of glistening skin, there are periodic points in the set where things go from moody, to dark all the way back to desert-like electro pop. “We focus on thoughtful sets with emotional arches,” Dones adds.

Over a bottle of wine, I tell Nowak and Dones (now considered my friends and creative cohorts) what I love most about their monthly sweaty soiree. “What is the more interesting story is your experience,” Dones says. “We’ve never been to Haute to Death. We don’t know what it’s like.” I walk them through the first time I showed up. I felt like a squad-less orphan until they spun a New Order mix that I would have never heard anywhere near my hometown suburb and how when I stand under the disco ball and Kraftwerk’s “Telephone Call” bleeds into Azealia Banks “212” (one of Nowak’s staple mixes) I feel like I’m being transported to another planet (yet feel completely grounded). I remind them of the time the speakers blew during their annual “Bosses and Secretaries Edition” and a resident babe and H2D’er dressed in an all white suit, booted up the jukebox to save the party with Madonna’s “Like a Prayer” and how everyone felt this shared emotional rush of relief, gratitude and well, praise to this unworldly little slice of party heaven that we all feel has been gifted to us. These magical moments are exclusive to what Nowak and Dones do which is far more than spin records or craft playlists. They provide a setting, a mood, and a warmth that encourages each person in attendance (whether they are actively participating or not) to formulate their own memory and to use the floor as their own therapy. (Nowak even adds that they’ve only had ‘one fight in eight years’, which is pretty impressive.) I recollect all the times I danced with a broken heart, physical injury, and creative malaise and how by the end of the night, even though I end up with my lipstick kissed off, my eye makeup running down my cheeks and my clothes adhered to my skin, Haute to Death never fails to stir me back to life. A confectionary and visceral collision, Nowak and Dones are artists of experience and Haute to Death is their torrid and glittered canvas. “It’s a mess,” Nowak says, “and it’s really fantastic.”

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LIVE REVIEW: CMJ 2015-Cosmo Sheldrake

On my second venture to Williamsburg’s Living Room, I encounter an even stranger sight than the Anglomania days prior. A lanky, rather stunning gentleman is flung upon a couch like the lead dandy of an Oscar Wilde play. He wears foppish Chelsea boots, a rust red sweater with a hole in the elbow and a slate, Nehru-necked vest. A conical birthday hat tops his mop of curly hair, making him look like a dunce or the subject of some Balthus painting. At a glance, one would reasonably question his country (or era) of origin.

This could only be Cosmo Sheldrake, a man whose name and music are as eccentric as the scene I just described. He’s also one of the acts I was most thrilled to see this year. So why was the headlining act sprawled flat on a sofa? Was he drunk? Ill? Strung out? I suspect he was just trying to squeeze in a bit of shut-eye before his set-which didn’t start until 1:30 am.

But, as things go at these sorts of events, Sheldrake’s set didn’t actually commence until 2:30 am. The vibe at this show was quite different from when I saw him at Piano’s two nights before, where a packed crowd beamed and shouted “Cosmo!” long before his set time. Instead, as Sheldrake parted the curtain to enter the listening room he muttered: “oh fuck, there’s like no one here.” He turned and looked to his friend with a nervous but lighthearted chuckle: “shitballs!”

At Piano’s, Sheldrake had come on stage wearing the exact same outfit, sans birthday cone. He spent a good half-hour setting up keyboards, sequencers, a laptop and some semblance of a Kaoss Pad or effects station. I remember thinking that it may have been more useful for Sheldrake to perform in a dog pit so onlookers could gaze down and see what the hell he was doing.Having read that Cosmo has savant-like musical abilities, (he plays around 30 instruments and having composed film and play scores by age 24) I was really hoping he’d be outfitted with a full band, or at least juggle a few different instruments. I’m sure both scenarios would have been a logistical pain in the ass, so the electronic motherboard it was.

Despite the one-man-show feel of the gig, I certainly can’t say Cosmo disappointed. He’s so engaging, charming and humble that it’s mildly infuriating; this level of talent is supposed to be reserved for the unattractive and socially inept, both of which Sheldrake is the opposite. He takes the time to introduce certain elements of his compositions, all of which are comprised of self-recorded sound bytes (a couple are borrowed) and oft-improvised vocals.“These are some sounds I want to introduce,” he says sweetly like a 3^rd grade science teacher. “This is a sheep I recorded in Bulgaria.” Sheldrake presses the bleat button and glances sideways, making the crowd giggle. “This is a recording of me breaking some rocks in Wales. This is the sound of the sun sped up 42,000 times. These are some sounds from a cave in Bulgaria-there’s a rabid dog in there if you listen really close.” I don’t hear it. Sheldrake’s arrangements are so densely woven that you wouldn’t necessarily guess what the component parts are. But I like it that way. An enigma, much like Cosmo himself.

At Living Room Sheldrake mostly improvises. He is still wearing the birthday hat, with one helium balloon fastened to his keyboard. As it turns out it’s Luisa Gerstein’s (of Landshapes) birthday. I’m less taken with his improvisational vocals as they tend to venture on the scat/beatbox side of things, but I appreciate where he’s coming from. At one point he says that improvising is how he centers himself, and I find that as inspiring as I do rare. Making up a song in front of a bunch of strangers sounds more like a nightmare to me than a spiritual device.

Sheldrake is someone who seems constantly inspired, almost plagued by creativity. I imagine him finding a perfect rhythm while sweeping his flat, or hearing a rhapsody in rush hour traffic, or chewing to a beat. And just as I begin to cast off these thoughts as ridiculous, Sheldrake pulls the balloon towards him: “this should have helium in it!” He bites a tiny hole in the rubber, sucks in, and sings a song in a whole new key.

#NEWMUSICMONDAY: The Gloomies “LSD”

The Gloomies is a fitting name for the ever-feared Monday, but despite the grim name, these surf punk rockers were formed in “a sun-bleached surf town in southern California.” Indeed their debut single “LSD” is a delightful blend of gloom and glow, like Halloween in paradise. Consisting of Andrew Craig, Blake Martz, Chris Trombley and Grant Martz, lead singer Andy Craig spent a brief period in our New York grey concrete jungle before heading back west in 2014, a year which he lived out of his suitcase most of the time. A rite of passage for many of the creatively inflicted, and an experience that would become the inspiration behind the single.

“LSD” / “Groves” is available on October 16^th courtesy of Thrill Me Records. Listen to “LSD” – and don’t miss their second newly released single – “Groves.” Both will set the tone for a Beetlejuice celebration of a week.

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INTERVIEW: A Drink with BRAEVES

Having a chat with Derek Tramont (left) and Ryan Levy (right) of BRAEVES. Photo by Tim Toda.

Late Friday night at The West, my good friend Tim and I sat waiting for Ryan Levy and Derek Tramont of BRAEVES to show up for our interview. When they walked in, I realized I’d missed the leather jacket memo this time around, reminding me of the first interview I ever did with them where we all happened to be wearing them. This time, though, it was maybe less of an interview, and more like old friends catching up over drinks in the patio — enjoying the fresh air and not minding so much that our butts were getting wet from the freshly rained-on benches.

The band’s third member, drummer Tom, was supposed to be there too. “Tommy has a good reason,” said Derek. “Maybe we’ll tell you guys later.” For the record, they didn’t.

I first met the guys almost a year ago to this day at Baby’s All Right, which Derek said was only their fourth show as a band. Tim filmed our interview before the show, and since meeting them a year ago — “It was October 12th,” Ryan reminded us. “I was gonna bring a bottle of champagne!” — it’s been so much fun keeping in touch and seeing them play show after show, moving forward and growing as a band.

By the time this article goes up, they’ll be on their cross-country road trip to Los Angeles, where they’ll be moving out this month to establish themselves in the music scene there and get working on their first full-length record, their follow up to Drifting by Design.

Derek Tramont: Essentially, we have a bunch of places we’re looking at. It’s very hard when you’re in New York, looking at property in LA. My girlfriend lives in North Hollywood, and she kinda knows the areas where we can move into that are more set up for arts and music, like Silver Lake or Echo Park, stuff like that. So we found a place that’s in Sherman Oaks, like right next door, two miles from where she is. We basically spoke to the person, we’re ready to lock it in, but I’m just like, covering the bases.

Ryan Levy: I think we just need to assimilate as soon as possible, you know, like we just need to get there and get comfortable in a space. It doesn’t have to be the greatest space in the world, but, this place is actually really nice.

DT: It’s a friend who lives there now, and he’s leaving, so we have an in there.

RL: And we have other friends who live there, so if we have to crash for a few days, we can then physically find a place.

Ysabella Monton for AudioFemme: Ah, that’s really good then.

DT: Yeah, it’s funny, his friend Adam lives over there who’s into film, who’s a writer, who plays in a band also with Christopher Mintz-Plasse, it’s like his best friend. Plays bass in his band, which is great. My best friend from school, John, who’s a cinematographer, lives right in North Hollywood, my girlfriend lives in North Hollywood. We got a couple of things already that we can kinda go to and people we can talk to and network with and see where we’re at, a little quicker than being like, “What do we do, who do we talk to?”

YM: So you’re not blindly diving in. But you kind of already have a feel for what the scene is like there?

DT: Yeah, I’ve been visiting her periodically. It’s fucking awesome. I mean, I love it. We went to Satellite, I’ve heard about like, Hotel Cafe and The Viper Room, places like that. Silver Lake Lounge.

RL: All of our friends also seem to tell us that they think it’s just a good place for us to be for what we’re doing. They say it’s where we should be right now, not as a suggestion, but more as a response to us letting them know it’s where we’re going. They’re like, “Oh, okay, that actually makes a lot of sense.” Positive reinforcement, instead of being like “Oh, shit, that’s what you wanna do?”

DT: Yeah, I mean, if we were moving to North Dakota, like outside of Fargo, what’s the point?

RL: Long Johns! It’s fashionable to be freezing.

—

LA does seem to make a lot of sense for the band. As influences, Derek throws out Silver Lakes’s own Local Natives, or bands like Incan Abraham, who are also from California. In LA, the sort of atmospheric indie rock sound seems to flourish a bit more than it does here. Derek mentions that Austin Mendenhall of Snowmine, who the band will continue to play with, said “When Snowmine went to LA, San Diego, shows were sold out, pre-sale. More energetic, more enthusiastic, he’s like, ‘[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][Snowmine] did better there. No question.'”

“It seems like that’s a place that people will take to us maybe quicker than Brooklyn, in the sea of ten thousand bands and four million venues. Hopefully it’s not as tough a transition as it was in New York.”

—

RL: I’m really excited because we always end up recording anything in the winter. No matter how much we plan or talk about doing stuff, we’re always in the freezing, kind of angry, claustrophobic environment, just frustrated with everything. It’s gonna be really interesting to go to a place where we don’t really feel that tension, and during those months, get to really have mental ease, and I think it’s gonna make a huge difference in how we approach the record. It will make the whole experience so much more spiritual. It makes it less like a process and more like an experience.

DT: It did feel a little like it was a procedure. Okay, we gotta go to the studio, we gotta stay, it’s snowing, it’s fucking ten degrees outside, it’s like, we bring our slippers, we stay the night. It’s tough. It’s good to be in the studio and work on stuff with each other and all that, but it’s gonna be like a breath of fresh air to be out there and take a second, realize what we’re working on conceptually. I think it’ll come out a lot better in every way. A little freeing for us to be in a different place, a different studio, with different people.

YM: Are you jumping right into the studio when you get there?

R: Basically, we’re gonna jump in and do our round of demos and everything as we go. We’ve been writing stuff a lot, the trip itself is gonna give us a lot of material, so by the time we get there, we’ll probably just have a process of just throwing up every idea that we’ve got and trying to sort it all out for a few weeks. While we do that, we’re gonna be talking to all our friends out there, whether they’re in the studio or not. We wanna make the record different this time too. We keep talking about different ways of actually recording it than just doing the whole thing in the same place. We wanna see how we can actually give ourselves more freedom, headspace, maybe do different parts in different environments and see what that gives us…

D: To give us more time to work on it together. You know, if we record drums at the studio it’ll give us the opportunity to take as many vocal takes as we want, take as many bass takes as we want. In the studio, you’re thrown into a situation where it’s like, “Put your bass down, we’re by the hour, by the day. Okay, well that’s what we’re gonna go with.” I look at it now and I’m like, specifically with “While Your Body Sleeps,” on the first EP, I’m not in love with all my parts, and I would’ve loved to have gone back there and play the parts that I’m playing now, because they’re all different. But I didn’t have the headspace or enough time, and it could give us more time and space to work it out for ourselves.

And a lot of burritos, a lot of palm trees…

RL: When we were in bands when we were like 13, 14 and stuff, we were doing the bulk of our recordings on our own. We would buy random different recording gear, we kept doing things on our own. It was that process of getting to spend however many hours on a song, completely getting lost in it, it’s like playing with play-doh again or playing with action figures like a little kid instead of it being surgical. It brings back that magical feeling of being a kid again. I really want to incorporate that in how we make the record instead of it just feeling like a job. It’s gotta be fun, it’s gotta be free, and it’s gotta sound really good. We’re not gonna compromise for it to sound like shit. And I think we like bands that have dimension in their sound. I mean, Wilco is one of our favorite bands ever, whether it’s record to record they sound different, they sound, or literally how they approach making it, there’s never one way to do something. You just find out more options or more ways to make weird sounds and records are supposed to be their own idea. You figure out the live version later. The recorded version is the one that’s gonna be that way forever, so make it the way that you really want it to be represented.

DT: If that means 20, 30,000 didgeridoos, if that means ukelele, if that means a choir, that’s what we’ll do.

RL: We’ll fly in 30,000 didgeridoos.

DT: We’ll spend all the money we have on a backing track that we won’t end up using.

RL: We’re just gonna buy a loin cloth and just stand with the speakers playing. It’ll turn into an elaborate Cirque du Soleil act without actually playing instruments.

YM: No music.

RL: For the next record, we’re just trapeze artists.

DT: That transitions us into concept and theme…

RL: It’s called Ballet and the album cover is gonna be all of us sharing one codpiece.

—

And while Derek mentioned that he’s playing different bass parts in some tracks now, the band has no plans to use anything off the EP on the album.

Says Ryan, “It was something that we made for all those reasons, whether it was the time, the budget, whatever. And it was part of the experience…To compare it to something not to really be compared to, it’s like Star Wars…“

“Always goes back to Star Wars,” Derek interjects.

“The idea of anybody just going back and changing something, those changes were unnecessary. They didn’t make it better or worse. Well, they definitely made it worse. They definitely didn’t contribute to anything.”

You might see a dance remix of the EP, though. “While Your Body Sleeps” becomes, according to Ryan, “While Your Bodies Drop” — “Let the bodies hit the floor,” says Derek.

If that’s where LA takes them, so be it. The biggest challenge to overcome in the transition though, is the quality of pizza on the west coast.

“If you look at pizza in LA, it’s a joke,” says Derek. “I don’t know what they’re doing.”

So I’m now obligated to ship frozen dough over to them in their “time of darkness,” in Ryan’s words.

—

DT: We played at awesome venues, we’ve had a great string of shows at Rough Trade or Le Poisson Rouge or Baby’s All Right, Glasslands, you know, a lot of good stuff.

RL: I thought you were gonna rattle off all of them casually.

DT: You want me to? Rockwood Stage 2, The Knitting Factory…I’m not gonna go into dates, because I’d do that.

RL: But we never really assimilated here to Brooklyn or the city. It’s been such a weird thing to have basically done everything we’ve done off of coming here and playing a show and Derek being the best e-mail person in the world, basically…

DT: That’s on the record.

Being from Long Island is horrible. We travel like an hour plus to get to a show, then we gotta truck back, you know what I mean. We’re not part of it here, we’ve never been. In a way, it feels like we’re leaving Long Island.

RL: It’s funny because I’m really really happy with everything we’ve accomplished, but I’m also amazed because we’re like writing long distance love letters to Brooklyn and the city and we’re here. It’s gonna be interesting when we’re actually living in the thick of it.

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ARTIST INTERVIEW: Sarah Gaugler

“Our sound isn’t necessarily bound by a single genre,” says Sarah Gaugler, the vocalist of Turbo Goth. It’s true – the band can’t quite be called electronic rock, though it’s the easiest way to categorize the duo which also includes Paolo Peralta on guitar, synths, and drum loops. Gaugler speaks and sings each word in a carefully, calculated way, while during live performances, Peralta swings his guitar around wildly. Some songs sound like a blues-rock band from outer space, others are industrial, slightly frightening. It takes more than one listen to get a handle on them.

As well as fronting the band, Gaugler is an accomplished tattoo artist with her own studio in Chelsea called Snow Tattoo. Though she was busy preparing for Turbo Goth’s CMJ show at Left Field last week, she took some time to answer questions about her music, art and the origins of Turbo Goth.

AF: Where did the name Turbo Goth come from?

SG: Personally, I don’t think it describes our music at all because I don’t know exactly how to label our music. We certainly aren’t playing traditionally “Goth” music, but I do think it describes our live performances, or the attitude of the band. It’s like we created a personality that is still growing and evolving as we continue to make more music. The name is more of the “concept of the contrast.” We love the contrast of aggression and beauty, heavy rock sound with heavenly, graceful notes.

When we were developing our band, we suddenly noticed the word “turbo” on old appliances, like an old electric fan. The humor was that back in the day, if you put “turbo” on something it meant it was top quality and intense, or high powered!

The “Goth” name originally came from the Visigoth conquerors who invaded the Roman Empire, just as we aggressively invade the stage when we perform. It was also derived from our admiration of Gothic architecture, long and pointed aches that stand tall and monumental. This type of architecture was named after the Visigoths due to the abandonment of classical Romanesque lines and proportion, just as our music is an abandonment of the typical rock band style.

AF: You’re originally from the Philippines- what brought you to New York?

SG: We felt it was time for us to share our passion with a bigger audience and got attracted to the city’s energy. After playing festivals around Asia and SXSW, we decided to go to New York where the music world is much more diverse and alive.

AF: How did you meet your bandmate, guitarist Paolo Peralta?

SG: Paolo Peralta was a sous chef at a fine dining restaurant in Manila and already the lead guitarist of a punk rock band…We had common friends and then eventually we started hanging out.

Knowing that I was a Fine Arts student and Visual Artist, the original plan was for me to create art on stage, while he played beats and music. But one day he heard me singing along to music I was playing in my car and said he liked my voice and we ended up making music together instead.

AF: Who are your biggest influences as a musician, and what are your biggest influences as a visual artist?

SG: When I was a little girl I was exposed and inspired by Madonna and Michael Jackson. I appreciate their pop tones and grooves. My dad used to listen to the Beatles so I feel like that is a part of my influences. My favorite music in college were songs by Go Sailor, Muse, the Mars Volta, Radiohead, and the Sundays. This is just from the top of my head, there are a lot more.

When it comes to illustrations or tattoos, life events and nature currently stimulate me. My thesis, however, was based on pen and ink, and crosshatching techniques, so my research was on Edward Gorey and Bernie Wrightson. When I was a child I loved watching movies by Tim Burton. These were some of my significant influences as I was developing my art skills.

AF: Do you think music and visual art are more effective when used together?

SG: Yes, for expression and for the viewers who are engaging with the performance. Music and visual art are married to each other…the complete experience of music is when you are seeing the performance live and feeling the energy face to face.

AF: What was your first tattoo? Have you ever tattooed yourself?

SG: My first tattoo was my bandmate’s name. After a couple of months, when I finally had my own machine, I started doing my illustrations on friends’ skins instead of paper.

The first tattoo that I inked on someone was one of my stylized girl illustrations, holding the word “pag-asa” (hope) in her hands above her. I never thought that I would tattoo myself but just as 2015 was about to start, I finally felt the urge. It’s a heart with arrows on my left thumb and three letter Vs on my left middle finger.

AF: In the past, it seems like women were underrepresented in both the music and tattoo industry. As a woman who is involved in both, what are your thoughts on this? Do you think women with these careers are more accepted now than before?

SG: I’m very happy to be in this age where women and men can be treated as equals in an industry that used to be dominated by men. Sexism for me is so much a thing of the past, and I have been fortunate enough to have not had any bad experience with it.

AF: Who parties harder, musicians or tattoo artists?

SG: I don’t think it matters if you are a tattoo artist or a musician. I think you party hard when you are young and in time we grow and learn through experiences. As time goes by, for me, being creative and productive stimulates me so much that beats the fun of partying too hard.

PLAYING DETROIT: Protomartyr “The Agent Intellect”

Rolling Stone gave Protomartyr‘s third album The Agent Intellect four out of five stars. Pitchfork gave it a 8.2 rating, and Consequence of Sound thought it worthy of an A-. And somehow, I feel like I just walked into a movie theater during the credits and everyone is clapping. I feel like I missed something. I’ll admit, it took an annoying amount of Facebook shares and reposted reviews to spark my interest in Protomartyr, who on paper seemed like they would fit my taste profile. The term “post punk indie” was tossed around and some comparisons to Ian Curtis of Joy Division, too. At first glance, it seemed moody enough for me to say yes to, but at second and third glance I’m left shrugging my shoulders.

An ambitious four piece, The Agent Intellect is Protomartyr’s third album in three years. An impressive feat, yes. However, after an appropriately chosen three listens, I spent half the time waiting for something to happen and the other half wondering if Rolling Stone and I were listening to the same album. To be fair, I like the album. It’s fine. But that’s exactly what’s wrong with it. What sounds like a collection of early 2000’s indie B-Sides reflective of, say, Louis XIV (remember them? Yeah, no one else does, either). Intellect rides a steady trajectory, rarely seizing the moment and instead primes for the aforementioned moment without resolve, release or that thing. Perhaps it’s the lack of explosive, emotive moments that makes this album unique. Maybe we’re saturated in riding the roller coaster to the point where albums like Intellect seem refreshing. The songs run together like a high school watercolor but maintain a respectable cohesion. The drums on “Cowards Starve” sound like the drums in “Boyce or Boice” and “Why Does it Shake?” The vocals are somehow consistently flashy in their flatness. After riding the stagnant wave, a track like “Clandestine Times” wakes you up not by being particularly loud or outrageous but for being the song. Yes, it sounds like something ripped right off of The National’s Trouble Will Find Me, but it’s unexpected in context and is the bloodiest, messiest on the album, making it for me the most sincere moment on The Agent Intellect. It is after this track that the album adopts a slightly more unmerciful tone and at some point sounds as if Protomartyr are actually feeling something instead of just making sounds about feeling something.

The truth is, when it comes to music I much rather feel passionate about hating or loving something than be unmoved. I wanted to inhale Agent Intellect and wanted to crave more of it. But really it comes down to being challenged and surprised. If I were at a house party, I could hear this fading into the background over beer bottles and conversation; a non-intrusive soundtrack to a night you probably won’t remember, because the party was only okay.

CMJ 2015: Ezra Furman

Ezra Furman was all over CMJ this year. I was lucky enough to see him twice-once at a matinee showcase for Brooklyn Vegan, and again at a headlining spot at The Knitting Factory. I’ve always felt like seeing a band more than once in a short span of time is like hearing a the same joke back to back-you get to see if it really holds up, or whether it was never all that funny to begin with.

To stick with the simile: Ezra Furman is a fantastic joke.

Both of his sets were almost entirely different. I only heard one or two repeat songs and even those were performed with little idiosyncratic tweaks in delivery or time signature. One thing that did stay constant was the quality of the gigs. Much like Furman seems incapable of writing a bad song, he also can’t manage to play a boring show. I guess there are things it’s good to be bad at after all.

Ezra Furman is often labeled a new act, but he’s already got a decent sized catalogue to pull from while performing. Several albums deep in his career, he still plays from many of them, which is both convenient and wonderful because, well, they’re all great records.

His latest release Perpetual Motion People however, seems to be the one that’s finally getting him noticed internationally (including by the godfather of punk himself, Iggy Pop.) I first heard the record on BBC 6 Music and knew Furman was something special straight away. PMP zips from folk to punk, doo-wop to soul, and is never scant on infectious pop licks. It’s not an easy sound to define, but neither is Furman the man – and I’m starting to think he likes it that way. Many of his lyrical themes involve sexuality and gender identity, or as he put it last Wednesday night before introducing “Body Was Made” at Knitting Factory, being “body positive.”

Despite Furman’s flamboyant appearance – he’s rarely without his pearls and red lipstick – he is an endearingly shy performer. As a fan shouted, “I love your shoes!” he coyly looked down and whispered, “thank you” off mic. At the Brooklyn Vegan showcase he fawned: “Aw look at all you, standing there, you’re all so cute just standing there. Look, I’m infantilizing you for personal gain because – well, I’m really uncomfortable.”

Yes, Ezra Furman certainly is a strange one. And we wouldn’t have him any other way.

TRACK PREMIERE: Swahili Blonde “The Diamond Room”

Swahili Blonde is the L.A-based solo project of “talent magnet” Nicole Turley, who has indeed lived up to that moniker, having worked with the likes of John Frusciante, Omar Rodriguez-Lopez, Teri Gender Bender, and members of Devo, Duran Duran and many more. The first single off Swahili Blonde’s highly anticipated forthcoming album (due out early 2016) contains influences from all of the above in an exquisite whirlwind of experimental electronic music and classic, golden-era synthpop, leaving us wanting and excited for what’s to come from the full-length. “The Diamond Room” starts out with an ethereal electronic drum line perfectly complemented by Turley’s fluttery, rousing soprano vocals. Unconventionally structured, the song is comprised of two alternating choruses, one which feels sweet and playful like a childhood lullaby and the other darker in melody, and more sinister in conceit, with Turley describing being in a dream in which the protagonists are “not what they seem” – both spooky and compelling, right in time for the Halloween season. Check out the premiere of the track below, and keep your ears open for what we can only surmise will be an amazing album, come 2016.

CMJ 2015: Jake Isaac and Hooton Tennis Club @ The Living Room

*From left: Callum McFadden, Ryan Murphy, James Madden and Harry Chalmers of Hooton Tennis Club.*

I’ve often been called an anglophile. When it comes to my favorite books, movies, music – even people – an alarming amount hail from the U.K. I can’t help it. So imagine my delight upon arriving at The Living Room last Tuesday and seeing the many Union Jack-emblazoned posters hung around the room reading:

Music is Great

Britain and Northern Ireland

The snippets of conversations overheard around me only confirmed: I had accidentally landed at CMJ’s British showcase, hosted by Brit clothier Ben Sherman no less. I wonder how all those Brits felt, caged in by tiny ensigns dotting the stage as if it were a sports arena. It must be strange to feel an average amount of apathy towards your country on a daily basis, and then to be wrapped in the flag and delivered to an American audience. Could you imagine U.S. bands rolling up to London all Stars and Stripes? Somehow we don’t evoke novelty the same way.

Each act performing the showcase dealt with the patriotic décor in their own manner. Soul-folk singer Jake Isaac was a characteristically self-deprecating Englishman, professing that he wasn’t “as rock n’ roll as the last guy.” That’s a cuppa’ tea after sipping from a Styrofoam cup. But regardless of his degree of “rock n’ roll,” Isaac certainly didn’t fall short with his ability to work a room. Early on in his set Isaac unplugged his acoustic, stepped away from his kick drum and into the crowd where onlookers instinctively formed a circle around him as he sang. Isaac’s voice is at once booming and sweet, with just the right amount of rasp; a true soul vocal that sounds so natural it’s as if it’s falling out of his mouth.

CMJ exists largely to introduce and bolster emerging talent, so it’s rare to see a fairly unknown musician have this much charisma and pull with an audience. By the end of his set, Isaac had everyone clapping along and singing call-and-response style, a move I typically find cheesy, but his charm assuaged that reaction. He even made me (momentarily) like a track I otherwise abhor by weaving bits of Bob Marley’s “Don’t Worry About a Thing” into his own song.

I wouldn’t be surprised to hear about Jake Isaac doing big things in a few years time. He’s already got a handful of EPs under his belt (his latest being 2015’s Where We Belong on Rocket Music Records) and clearly knows how to sway an audience. I’d say he’s fit for proper stardom, and deserving of it too.

Hooton Tennis Club, the Liverpool foursome (no, not that Liverpool foursome) were chipper despite being horribly jet lagged. “We got in 36 hours ago, and we still haven’t slept,” quipped lead singer/guitarist Ryan Murphy. The lot of them looked like a pack of scruffy teens that wound up here by accident while cutting gym. But this slack attitude is part and parcel for Hooton. Their sound is effortless and often a product of improvisation-yielding pop songs that are just the right portions catchy and scrappy. But this ease is a good thing. No one ever said that the best songs sound forced-quite the opposite in fact.

Their first record The Highest Point in Cliff Town is an impressive debut in that it asserts a cohesive sound immediately. This must have been something Heavenly Recordings picked up on, considering they signed them after only three gigs. The record is heavily rooted in the nineties, and they admit to looking at bands like Deerhunter as massively influential. There is a shabby professionalism to Hooton-sounding alive while looking exhausted and smothering honeyed pop melodies with lo-fi distortion; a sort of sonic rendering of a pretty boy dressed in dirty clothes.

Mid-way through their set bassist Callum McFadden plucked up a tiny Union Jack, stuck it’s tooth-pick-like pole through the strings in his headstock, and shimmied left to right, making it wave like a naval flag. Whether the gesture was out of patriotism or sarcasm I don’t know-but what would be more British than being sarcastic?

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ARTIST INTERVIEW: Nicole Dollanganger

You might not know her name yet, but that’s soon to change. Nicole Dollanganger is the 24-year-old Canuck who set Grimes’ musical heart ablaze and is the very first signee to Boucher’s brand spankin’ new label Eerie Organization. As a matter of fact she’s the very reason behind the label’s creation. Boucher told Billboard in late August she created Eerie because she felt it was “a crime against humanity for this music not to be heard.” Big praise coming from one of the biggest successes in the indie music world in the past decade. Knowing what we do about Grimes’ sound, the relationship seems nearly inevitable. Dollanganger’s polished, airy, and macabre sound is a glove on Boucher’s practiced hand, and she’ll be joining the mercurial popstress on stage opening for Lana Del Rey on select dates during her Endless Summer tour. Thanks to Eerie Organization you too can hear that very music which was just released in the form of a full length Dollenganger is calling Natural Born Losers.

Beyond the music Dollanganger is an enigmatic young creative who’s firmly planted in the digital realm, with an internet presence that’s all but been perfected showcasing her own drawings, morbid stills and low-fi photos. And yet she still cites her family and hometown as having influenced her art greatly. Right now she’s focused on imbuing her work with visuals to enhance the experience of consuming her sound.

I recently caught up with her to chat a bit about her influences, the relationship she has with Eerie and some of her other passions.

AF: So I see you’re from Stouffville, Ontario. Where exactly is that and what’s it known for?

ND: Stouffville is about an hour from the city of Toronto, right in the downtown area. It’s not too far. It would be known for being a bit of a farming community. We have a strawberry festival; I guess that’s the other thing.

AF: When you’re writing music do you think about how you want it be consumed or is an exercise solely in creation and catharsis?

ND: It’s definitely more of an exercise in creation. Initially my thoughts are with making it and only after it’s done do I sort of wonder about releasing it and all of that.

AF: I know your parents are both doll collectors and that that imagery has factored into your art and music. What’s your relationship to the dolls now and what do they signify for you?

ND: Dolls are a big deal to me. I love all different kinds, but especially the ones that I began collecting through my mom. I love the history behind them, dolls especially from the 20’s to 50’s were so delicate, a lot of them were made out of chalk. For them to have survived to this time means that someone loved them and cared about them enough to see that they are here now. I always feel like they come with a deep loving history. The first item ever that I was given was a doll and I still have it. I have a lot of sentimental history with that doll. I always find it kind of weird when people say they’re scared of dolls because I just think there’s like nothing less scary than an object that was made for a kid to take care of, you know?

AF: What’s your relation and fascination with the macabre?

ND: My dad always says it’s the way I’ve always been. Even as a child it was always the horror cartoons I wanted to watch. I guess I was always inclined. I’ve been interested in exploring things that scare me forever, because it makes it less scary to face head on and to try and understand it rather than to put my back to it.

AF: How does your internet persona translate to you in real life?

ND: Sometimes well and sometimes not. I do think that there is a lost in translation nature to it, especially if you’re speaking to someone or getting a question online. At least with me I’m a bit paranoid so I often misinterpret tone or I think someone is meaning something some way and they probably don’t. I’ve kind of struggled with that. But in other respects it’s really fun to be able to explore things without feeling like you have to. It’s a really creative world where you can surround yourself with the things that interest you and you can kind of create something new by putting them all together, and that really helps to storyboard and to create concepts based on art you like.

AF: Where did you draw inspiration for this album?

ND: With this record I was drawing it off a lot from the town that I grew up in, I also spent a lot of my childhood in Florida and that was a huge influence. I didn’t have the best high school experience and I’ve struggled with that. I’ve also felt that a lot of the people that I’m closest to also struggled, and we all came into ourselves post high school. I was kind of rolling of that past and present and the different selves. It’s also where the name itself comes from, like loser is one of the easiest things that someone can call another person as an insult, and I want to almost reclaim it as a positive thing. It was almost like an homage to a lot of really amazing, fascinating people that I know who were the losers of high school. Essentially it’s a sentimental album a lot about the past.

AF: Your music has a very specific visual aesthetic approach – beyond the obvious sonic one – can you touch on how you approach those visuals and what inspires them.

ND: I usually see things, like a song, kind of visually as I’m writing the lyrics. And I read them over or I listen to a freestyled recording and I usually get strong visuals, or even just strong colors and sometimes they’re not the right colors. I know that sounds kinda wonky, but I’ll listen to a song and if I was seeing pink in my head and it’s feeling more like an orange I know that I’ve got to change something. It’s almost more of a visual thing that dictates the direction the song goes. When working with other people I’ve found that it’s easiest to describe what I’m going for with visuals rather than sound because I’m not a trained musician so I really struggle sometimes to vocalize what I’m after.

AF: I know you also create comic books, can you talk about that a bit?

ND: I’ve always liked to draw, but I’m not the best, so for me I avoid realistic drawings. I recently just put out like a comic/zine and I pretty much tried to form a narrative around images that I really just wanted to draw and I created this story around a few specific images that I saw. It was really fun because it was the first time I’ve finished a visual art, hand drawn thing, ever. Normally I get halfway through a sketchbook and give up. This the first thing that I can say I finally completed and that felt really good.

AF: I’m sure you’ve been asked a bunch, but how does it feel to be the first artist signed to Grimes’ Eerie Organization?

ND: Amazing. So wonderful. Claire and James (Brooks – formerly of Elite Gymnastics) are living angels. It’s been a surreal dream ever since it happened. I mean it’s two people that I really admire and respect and that I’m a huge fan of their creative work, so to have them be supportive of mine is incredible in and of itself. But then you’ve also got two people who are really smart, they really know the industry and they’re very interested in helping other musicians that they believe in.

AF: With the album out next month what comes next for you?

ND: The tour’s gonna happen. And then I would love to explore being more able to create videos and visuals to go with the songs. I’ve always felt like the idea’s never been fully baked to an extent so the idea of being able to create things that are 100% what I initially saw is a really exciting prospect. I’m also just so excited to write again.

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#NEWMUSICMONDAY: Denley “Following A Lie”

It’s Monday, which means a panic attacking-induing amount of coffee and new music to aid your late afternoon crash. Coming from San Francisco via Leeds, UK producer Denley (Matt Holt) is here with a debut tune “Following a Lie” off his forthcoming EP – “Close, Within Reach.” The EP is inspired by “the feeling of wanting to replace mundane drudgery with freedom of expression and emotional betterment; the idea that when we feel at our most downtrodden, that something else is out there waiting to be tapped into.” Monday goes with “mundane drudgery” like peanut butter goes with jelly – but this chilled out electro number is just the ticket to soothe your jitters. “Following a Lie” features vocals from Jagjaguwar artist Briana Marela: “The visions I seek, are close within reach, and yet I find, I’m losing time, I’m afraid I’ll be here my whole life.” Sure sounds like concerns of missed opportunity and wasted youth we’ve all experienced – but a reminder of the value of music as therapy to combat such anxiety.

Denley’s five-track EP “Close, Within Reach” is out 10/16 via Yellow Year Records. Listen to “Following a Lie” below.

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VIDEO PREMIERE: Kimberly Wyma “Hit and Run”

With the turn of winter and the fall of snow, everything is encased to appear more magical, more romantic. As the seasons change we’re here to kick of your week with the premiere of singer/songwriter Kimberly Wyma‘s video for “Hit and Run” from her EP “Escapistry.” It was filmed in the now New York City-based artist’s hometown of Grand Rapids, Michigan, the day after “a huge, magical blizzard.” We see Wyma running through a Narnia-like white forest and playing her heart out on a piano in an abandoned and graffiti-splattered building. The contradiction of the romance and brokedown palace quality of the video are both ethereal, always raw – much like the truth in the lyrics of a romance gone awry.

Watch “Hit and Run” below.

ALBUM REVIEW: Williamson “Backesto Park”

Backesto Park, a new electro-post rock record from San Jose California artist, Williamson, is the ultimate record to put on as the workday ends and Friday melts into the weekend. Williamson has had his work featured in films like Cameron Crowe’s Aloha and in Joss Whedon’s TV series, Dollhouse, and now it can be the soundtrack for your unwinding. Named after his neighborhood, the 14-track record Backesto Park is an epic undertaking. Without discounting the value of individual songs, to this listener, it works best as a cohesive listening experience. There are times when you want words to sing all the things you feel but haven’t found the language or courage to utter, and there are times when you want the beauty of music without words to just let you be. I like to think of it as an enhancement, as music is a drug, is it not? It can evoke aggression, or calm you down faster than a benzodiazepines. In my experience of listening to Backesto Park it acted as a beautiful enhancement, in line with the caramel that may also contain THC and CBD – to mellow out the experience of getting home at 5PM, with nothing to do but relax.

The album invokes electronic more in the realm of psych such as the sounds created by the electronic collective Soundtribe Sector 9, yet is delightfully mellow, like the natural hallucination that comes with the sounds of an electronic jam band such as Lotus. It took me back to the time right after I graduated college, before moving to New York City, somehow in the woods of Vermont at a music festival whose name I could not tell you, collecting sunflowers and basking in the freedom of an unknown life ahead of you – with the naivity being 22-years-old requires.

Samples of word appear on some tracks, such as “You Don’t Understand,” coming in like radio static as you change the channel back to your favorite song. “You Don’t Understand” seamlessly melts into the terrifically-named “Jellyfish Hustle.” Indeed, like a magical creature (I know jellyfish exist, but in that awesome way that I don’t understand) the song inhales and exhales with the fluidity of water. Taking a moment to chill on the discussion of the music itself, each song title will make you smile, and look forward to learning the answer to: “What does ‘Aspiring Mooncropper Seeks Work'” sound like?” It sounds awesome.

If you don’t have any weekend plans yet, it’s okay. Simply put this record on and sit for a moment to breathe it all in, and know that things are just as they should be.

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PLAYLIST: Cassette Store Day 2015

If you want a retro way to play your music, but you don’t have the space for a vinyl collection, Cassette Store Day just might be the holiday for you. Inspired by Record Store Day, Jen Long and Steven Rose created the event to “[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][celebrate] the glory of tape.” This is the event’s third year, and on October 17th, a select number of record stores will be participating. Here are just a few of the best releases that will be out on tape.

Alex G – Beach Music

Alex Giannascoli is a lo-fi, laid-back songwriter from Philly. The next release in his body of self-recorded work is Beach Music, which will be out on 10/9. He was on tour while making most of this seventh record, forcing him to change up his songwriting process. The two tracks available now from Beach Music show his music is taking a more mature, complex direction.

https://soundcloud.com/dominorecordco/alex-g-salt-1

Baby – Comes Alive

Comes Alive by Baby is just as impressive for its content as the fact that it was “originally recorded, mixed, and released within about an hour; including a photoshoot and album cover.” Though all this happened quite awhile ago, it hasn’t been available for purchase until now. The band features Pat Goddard, Dennis Galway, and the deceased Tim Alexander- check out their track “Baby,” some seriously heavy blues music.

https://soundcloud.com/quagmire/baby-naked-from-baby-comes-alive-csd15

Beach Slang – Here, I Made This For You

The pysch-punk rockers Beach Slang have made a mixtape for Cassette Store Day, and while there’s no preview for it, if you like loud, shimmery rock with a hard edge you’ll probably be into it. Not so sure? Check out “Bad Art & Weirdo Ideas” from their upcoming album The Things We Do To Find People Who Feel Like Us.

Expert Alterations – You Can’t Always Be Liked

Baltimore’s Expert Alterations plays understated, jangly guitar pop. Check out the title track from their upcoming, debut album You Can’t Always Be Liked, which details the pain of growing up: “And when she talks of letters she cannot spell a single thing/ And when she talks of bells she doesn’t know how they ring/ And when she talks of people she doesn’t know that they are full of spite/ But she will learn one day you can’t always be liked.”

Girl Band – Holding Hands With Jamie

Holding Hands With Jamie is the debut album from the misleadingly-male, Irish group Girl Band (check out our review here). The record will be available on 9/25, and features “Paul,” a disconcerting, intense track that erupts in noise and rage.

Sharkmuffin – Chartreuse

Sharkmuffin is a garage-rock band from Brooklyn that features guitarist Tarra Theissen and bassist Natalie Kirch. Chartreuse is their first album with drummer Patty Schemel (Hole, Death Valley Girls). Check out the title track, which starts off with a sleepy, Hawaiian slide guitar intro and then morphs into their high energy, punk sound.

The Prettiots – Stabler

This Spring, the Brooklyn group The Prettiots were the subject of a New York Times article discussing the struggles of emerging bands who travel to SXSW. It looks like the expenses and hard work paid off, though. The trio, led by the ukelele-wielding frontwoman Kay Kasparhauser, played a Tiny Desk Concert this summer and are contributing their upcoming release Stabler to Cassette Store Day.

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TRACK PREMIERE: Storming The Beaches With Logos In Hand “Soldier Grey”

Don’t you love when through an abundance of PR emails you learn of a new song that not only shakes you in the best way possible, but you have the delight of introducing it to the rest of the world as well? With AudioFemme’s discovery and resulting premiere of Storming The Beaches With Logos In Hand‘s new track “Soldier Grey” we’re here to inject some delight to your Wednesday. Described as a “sci-fi new media opera and post-punk percussion ensemble,” STBWLIH are worth the mouthful of a title. Founded in Santa Fe, New Mexico by Luke Carr in 2013, the group makes lovely chaos from multiple drummers, guitar, bass, and both male and female vocals. “Soldier Grey” catches your attention from the get-go, indie-punk rock that’s both calm and collected yet pregnant with higher conscious wisdom, exactly the kind of music I want to hear from Santa Fe, a magic city in my mind of occult and desert magic ripe for creative achievements. Listen to “Soldier Grey” below:

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PLAYING DETROIT PLAYLIST: Detroit On The Road

Sitting on an over-packed suitcase that refuses to shut (yes, I really did need five pairs of shoes) as I compile neurotic checklists, compulsively looking at ten day forecasts and somehow I am already missing Detroit: my beloved mother-ship. I’m hitting the road and heading west to camp in the Grand Canyon and some 27-year-old debauchery in Vegas as some ill planned rite of passage in honor of my birthday. I’m going it solo, but not without bringing a little bit of Detroit along for the ride to keep me company.

Iggy Pop and The Stooges – “The Passenger”

My mom likes to boast that my first concert was Iggy Pop. She was seven months pregnant and claims that Iggy waved to her belly (that’s me, you guys)! This, to me, is the pivotal road trip song to end all road trip songs. As a Detroit legend and my personal savior of all things badass, it only seems appropriate to bring a little bit of Iggy with me to Sin City.

Danny Brown – “Grown Up”

[/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”]https://youtu.be/NHfWY0is3rE

Okay. So I’m already imagining me rolling out of the Hertz car rental in my 2015 Ford Focus with this song blasting. If you’re from Detroit, Danny Brown is a household name and using his lyrics as punctuation is the norm. “Growing Up” is (quite literally) fitting for this birthday adventure.

Human Eye – “I Feel Mean”

Since moving to Detroit, nothing compares to the ferocity of seeing Detroit punk band Human Eye live. This song is ruthless, raw and unrelenting. “I Feel Mean” is unpredictable and messy in the way punk is messy, but with enough control to make it insanely catchy. Frontman Timmy Vulgar is an icon and is undoubtedly doing it right. I’m eager to let this song bounce against some desert rocks (as I think about smashing an ex boyfriend’s window…or something).

The Silent Years – “Someone to Keep Us Warm”

I was a ripe 18-19 when I was introduced to the Silent Years. I still lived with my parents but I latched onto seeing every Silent Years show I could. They were sincere and the songs had beautifully designed rising and falling, which suited my love of cathartic build ups and bands with lots of members. They were Detroit’s answer to Arcade Fire. This song was the first I heard of theirs and it still ignites something, which seems perfectly suited for my cold canyon nights ahead.

800beloved – “Go”

Okay. So I really love 800beloved. As a friend and fan, I couldn’t think of a better song to chain smoke in my rental car to as the desert landscape bursts through my windows while talking to myself as both passenger and driver. While adding this to my playlist I am reminded of my long history with this song and the album “Bouquet.” Seven years ago, I was still living at home and just had my heart broken. I was never one to do spontaneous things at that age and always favored the safe route. But then this album came along and challenged all of that. The song implies a listlessness and a burning desire to leave shit behind and that’s exactly what I’m doing.[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]

CMJ 2015: Bands to Hear

CMJ Music Marathon 2015 is here. With an overwhelming abundance of artist to sort through, we made your life easier by providing you with a list of a few can’t-miss bands to hear. Read on.

Cosmo Sheldrake

Rare is the mere mortal who can play more instruments than years they’ve lived. Cosmo Sheldrake is such a human (though I’m convinced some dealings with the devil are at play here). At 25 Sheldrake has scored films, composed music for a series of Samuel Beckett plays, and given a performance at TEDxWhitechapel entitled “Interspecies Collaboration.” Oh, and, you know, he plays over 30 instruments. Piano? Check. Drums? Check? Didgeridoo? Mmhm. Sousaphone, penny whistle, Mongolian throat singing, Tibetan chanting, computer? Yup.

I’m not sure how Sheldrake will get all this gear from London to Piano’s this Tuesday, but I am certain there will be an intriguing performance in store. While Sheldrake’s resume can leave us fearing overwrought and un-listenable prog rock, I can assure you that his sound is nothing short of delightful. His technical ability is matched by a penchant for catchy, beautifully textured songs that venture on the Baroque and folk corners of pop.

Cosmo Sheldrake:

Tuesday 10/13 @Piano’s 5:30pm

Ezra Furman

We’ve sung his praise before, and we’re not finished. The cross-dressing troubadour plays a vigorous set, spits a mean lyric, and looks a hell of a lot better in a frock than I do. Riding on the warm reception of his latest release Perpetual Motion People, Furman will be here by way of London, San Francisco, St. Paul, and lord knows where else. Expect manic folk, mangled vocals, doo-wop croons, punk rock, lipstick and plenty of saxophone. If you long to move this CMJ, but don’t have the taste for late night EDM, I assure you there will be sufficient dancing at the Ezra Furman gig.

If you’re schedule’s pretty full-up, worry not; Ezra is playing four dates next week. Though if I may recommend one above the rest it’s his headlining gig at Knitting Factory, where Juan Waters, Slim Twig and Drinks-among many others-will share the bill. Don’t miss it!

Ezra Furman:

Wednesday 10/14 @Knitting Factory 7pm (Juan Waters, Slim Twig, Drinks)

Thursday 10/15 @Rough Trade 4pm

Thursday 10/15 @le Poisson Rouge 10pm

Friday 10/16 @Baby’s All Right 2pm

Sean Nicholas Savage

Where Cosmo Sheldrake can be measured in instruments, Montreal’s Sean Nicholas Savage can be measured in albums. At 29 he’s released 11 studio LPs in a span of eight years. His latest record Other Death surfaced just last month on his Alma Mater Arbutus Records, home to fellow Canadians TOPS, Grimes and Doldrums.

With the guise of a shadier Morrissey, Savage’s music is at peace with sorrow, his signature crooning falsetto wavers over hushed keys and papery drums. His vocal range reaches heights that one might find unlikely from a live performance, but trust me, I’ve seen him pull it off on the spot to an even greater effect than his recordings. He’s a humble, somewhat shy performer, but a captivating one nonetheless. And if it’s charisma you’re looking for, he’s got that in spades.

Sean Nicholas Savage:

Thursday 10/15 @Silent Barn 8pm

Friday 10/16 @Arlene’s Grocery 8p

Miya Folick

Resting somewhere between balladeer folk and dream pop, Miya Folick‘s latest EP Strange Darling is nothing short of mesmerizing. There is a sweet sadness at play here that stabs pretty deep. It’s a far cry from other music coming out of Los Angeles right now, which is often sun-bleached and relentlessly up-tempo. Folick’s sound, while beautiful and fragile, is also haunting and morose. There is an eerie quality to her which sets her apart from the crowd.

If you’re into Cat Power, Beach House, Hope Sandoval, etc, Folick is well worth your time this CMJ.

Miya Folick:

Tuesday 10/13 @Cakeshop 9pm

Wednesday 10/14@The Flat 8:15pm

Phony PPL

If I had to describe Brooklyn’s Phony PPL in one sentence it would read thus: late 70s Stevie Wonder has a hip hop group. I like both of those things. Mixing jazz fusion arrangements, R&B rhythms and rap vocal stylings, Phony PPL’s latest release Yesterday’s Tomorrow is already dotting some year-end lists. You may even remember seeing the boys on Jimmy Kimmel Live in June, standing in as Fetty Wap’s backing band for “Trap Queen.”

It’s not too often you come by a hip hop group that is a proper band. This is no discredit to the genre, which is heavily reliant on brilliant producers and session musicians. But the rarity of Phony PPl’s musical fluency is part of their appeal, aside from being fantastic songwriters, and, let’s face it, adorable.

Phony PPL:

Wednesday 10/14 @Arlene’s Grocery 5pm

Friday 10/16 @The Wick 6pm

Hooton Tennis Club

While the U.K. once spat out its best music draped in a Union Jack, our friends across the pond seem to be peeking at our back catalogue for their latest inspirations. Hooton Tennis Club may be a British Pop band, but they are certainly not a Britpop band. Instead these Wirral four would sit more comfortably next to your Deerhunter and Pavement than your Blur and Suede.

Having just released their debut record The Highest Point in Cliff Town on the reputable Heavenly Recordings, Hooton have been on the tour circuit for quite some time, made an appearance on BBC Radio 6, and were featured in NME’s “New Band of the Week” column. Not bad for four lads from Wirral.

Hooton Tennis Club:

Tuesday 10/13 @Rockwood Music Hall Stage 2. 5pm

Wednesday 10/14 @Cakeshop 7pm

Kamasi Washington

You may have not heard of Kamasi Washington, but you’ve probably heard him. He wrote most of the arrangements on this little record called To Pimp a Butterfly by some guy named Kendrick Lamar.

Washington is a man of many talents. A saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist, he has performed and recorded with the likes of Thundercat, Broken Bells, Stanley Clarke and Snoop Dogg. Though his credits as collaborator and contributor finally gave way to a headlining title with the release of his LP The Epic this May. Epic is no understatement-the album clocks in just under three hours and has a transcendent quality to it. This is textured, full-bodied jazz with elements of gospel, funk and soul. What’s not to like?

Kamasi Washington:

Thursday 10/15 @BRIC House 7:30pm

Friday 10/16 @Le Poisson Rouge 6:30pm

Landshapes

Another U.K. band (we can’t help ourselves!) Landshapes merge noisy psych rock with pop-punk tempos and infectious melodies. Originally called Lulu and the Lampshades, a Paris venue misspelled “Lampshades” as “Landshapes” and a new moniker was born.

Signed to the influential Bella Union label, Landshapes just released their second record Heyoon in May and it’s a rip-roaring slice of sound. There is a bit of the odd in their music for sure as the band’s influences would have us believe. Take the album’s first single lead single “Moongee,” a song inspired by a tale by 17th century Bishop Francis Godwin. I hope their live show is as bizarre as their references!

Landshapes:

Wednesday 10/14 @Palisades 10pm

Thursday 10/15 @Le Poisson Rouge 9pm

Saturday 10/17 @Rockwood Music Hall Stage 1 7pm

Outfit

Whether it’s Manchester or Sheffield, the North of England seems to have a penchant for churning out great bands. Outfit is no exception. Originally from Liverpool, Outfit are only two albums deep in their catalogue, but quality is shouting louder than quantity in this case. Slowness, their latest LP, is a study in subtlety, drifting between melancholy and melody with a sophisticated ease for such a young band. To me they sound like a drowsy Prefab Sprout, so you can expect masterfully constructed pop songs that verge on the edge of bizarre.

More frequently Outfit is compared to Hot Chip, though I’m not hearing this so much, save for the fact that lead singer Andrew Hunt does sound oddly like Chip’s Alexis Taylor on a couple of tracks. Either way, Outfit is a band worth hearing.

Outfit:

Wednesday 10/14 @Passenger Bar 9pm

Saturday 10/17 @Pianos (Upstairs) 8:10pm

Protomartyr

In the broadest of terms, Protomartyr is a punk band from Detroit. Though listening closer you’ll discover a group with far more depth than that description. Piloted by singer/songwriter Joe Casey, Protomartyr exude a dark pensiveness akin to The Minutemen with swaths of aggressive post punk coating discordant melodies – if you can call them melodies.

Despite occupying a genre often bound by obscurity, Protomartyr have a decent following under their belt. Signed to Sub Pop imprint Hardly Art records, the foursome just released their third record The Agent Intellect today. What better way to celebrate their new LP than to catch them live next week?

Protomartyr:

Wednesday 10/14 @Santo’s Party House 11:15pm

Friday 10/16 @Rough Trade 7pm (with Drinks, Mothers, Car Seat Headreast, Modern Vices)

#NEWMUSICMONDAY: Greg Uhlmann “It’s Not Your Fault”

Los Angeles-based Gregory Uhlmann of Fell Runner has released his first single under his own name, and it is divine. With a Bon Iver lullaby quality, “It’s Not Your Fault” is the perfect love song for the romantic skeptic. Too many love songs seem to be written in that first month dopamine-high of a new relationship, where you’re waking up in strange farmhouses feeling lucky to have found the person you’ve been dreaming of all your life and giving each other life-changing oral sex. That part’s awesome but easy. The hard part is sustaining beauty once you’ve smelled each other’s bad body odor and figured out what you find annoying. Chemical come downs, shitty cigarettes, and frozen over lakes – “It’s Not Your Fault” is the dreamy yet honest love song you’ve been missing.

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CMJ 2015: Top 10 Parties Not To Miss

Unless you’ve been living under a rock or completely off the grid since fall started, you know that CMJ, possibly the best festival for discovering new music, is taking over NYC next week. There’s no way to see everything, but here’s some CMJ parties you definitely cannot miss (including ours):

10/13 – 7:30 pm – Good Room – Garage Land CMJ Showcase

The Garage Land CMJ showcase features some of the best acts to perform at the Good Room this year, including Watermelon Sugar, Gods, Casey Hopkins Duo, Acid Dad, Navy Gangs, Worthless, Savants, Surfbort and Tall Juan (bands listed in order of appearance, from first to last). For a preview, check out Acid Dad:

10/14 – 7 pm – Baby’s All Right – Brooklyn Vegan + Collect Records Showcase

Baby’s All Right is turning two soon, but before they reach toddler status, they’re throwing some awesome CMJ parties. One of those is hosted by the Brooklyn Vegan and Collect Records, with artists such as No Devotion, Wax Idols, Creepoid, and Foxes In Fiction.

10/14 – 7:30 pm – Santos Party House – NME+PopGun+House Arrest Present CMJ Party

Two floors of acts, including Perfect Pussy*, Protomartyr*, Yung*, Seratones*, Hooten Tennis Club*, Dilly Dally^, Downtown Boys^, Shopping^, NICO YARYAN^, Car Seat Headset^, Yak^. RSVP on Facebook here.

(* upstairs, ^ downstairs)

10/15 – 8 pm – Palisades – KXLU FM + Burger Records CMJ Showcase

The cool California record label Burger Records is hosting the showcase with Michael Rault, Cool Ghouls, Dirty Ghosts, Slim Twig, Modern Vices, Howardian and UNSTOPPABLE DEATH MACHINES. RSVP here, and check out a psychedelic track from Cool Ghouls below.

10/15 – 7 pm – Cake Shop – Thursday Night Showcase

Featuring Robbing Millions, S, Tricot, Shopping, Diet Cig, , Sweet Spirit and Weaves at Cake Shop in the Lower East Side. Listen to all the bands quickly in the event’s creepy promo video:

10/16 – 1 pm – Palisades – Exploding In Sound Records Official CMJ Showcase

One of the best, most interesting record labels around, Exploding In Sound is throwing their CMJ showcase at Palisades. Go and see Palehound, Big Ups, The Spirit of the Beehive, Greys, Palm, Stove, Washer, Kal Marks, Dirty Dishes, Swings, Flagland, Leapling and LVL UP.

10/16 – 7 pm – Pianos – The Deli Magazine/Pianos CMJ Showcase

The Deli Magazine and Pianos have teamed up to bring you Vunderbar, The Fluids, Controller, Stolen Jars, Diet Cig, Eternal Summers, Beverly, Weaves, mild high club, ohnomoon, Paperwhite*, Yes Alexader*, MY BODY*, Solvey*, and The Golden Pony* (* means free/upstairs, the rest of the bands are in the main room for $10).

10/17 – 6:30 pm – Cameo Gallery – Audiofemme + Atypical Beasts Agency Showcase

We can guarantee this party will be amazing, because it’s being thrown by us! Come to the Cameo Gallery (which is unfortunately closing soon) to see some great acts like TOW3RS, Von Sell, The Prettiots, Lena Fayre, Beverly, and Monika. RSVP here, and get your tickets here!

10/17 – 12 pm – The Shop – Stereocure + Drunken Piano Showcase

Featuring Flamingosis, Moon Bounce, SUI ZHEN, A Sol Mechanic, Novelty Daughter, My Body, Bollywood Life, Crystal Ghost and more TBA. RSVP here!

10/18 – 3 pm – Palisades – Father/Daughter + Miscreant Records CMJ Showcase

Come to one of the last of the week’s events to hear Hiccup, Nicholas Nicholas, Bad Cello, i tried to run away when i was 6, Downies, Romp, Comfy, Vagabon, Fern Mayo, Bethlehem Steel, Diet Cig, SPORTS and PWR BTTM.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BldOLNcbeGo

PLAYLIST: A Guide To “Moon” Bands

There are only so many words, and as a result, only so many band names that can be claimed before they start to overlap. For example, here’s six bands that have “moon” in their name, and considering these all were chosen simply because I’ve heard their name recently or saw it on a show calendar, there are probably many more (such as Moonwalks featured in our latest Playing Detroit column). Here’s a quick guide to what they sound like, where they’re from, and how you tell them apart.

Moonchild

The Los Angeles based group Moonchild plays jazzy pop that includes tenor saxophone and clarinet (played by vocalist Amber Navran). They have all the timing and timbre of a standard jazz or lounge band, but with echo-y layers of vocals and brass played with a soulful swagger.

Summer Moon

Summer Moon could be placed into the category of “super group;” its members include Nikolai Fraiture (The Strokes), Erika Spring (Au Revoir Simone), and Tennessee Thomas (Like) as well as Lewis Lazar. So obviously, they sound pretty good.

https://youtu.be/AsOIlRMGzy0

Moon Honey

Moon Honey is from Los Angeles, but via Louisiana. They play intricate, surreal pop with theatrical vocals supplied by Jessica Ramsey. The trills in her voice are reminiscent of an old Disney movie soundtrack, while her melodies recall the Dirty Projectors minus the harmonies.

https://soundcloud.com/moonhoneyband/boy-magic-1

What Moon Things

What Moon Things is a New York band that’s part punk, part moody dream pop. Check out “Squirrel Girl,” a track from their self-titled LP that sounds like the perfect soundtrack for wandering through a dark, abandoned warehouse. The trio is also playing several CMJ shows at venues like Aviv, Pianos, and Bowery Electric.

The Soft Moon

The Soft Moon is a San Francisco band with a heavy, industrial sound, best described as steady and sludgy (and as their recent video for “Dummy” proves, occasionally creepy).

https://soundcloud.com/goincase/when-its-over

Moon Duo

Moon Duo is a San Francisco project made up of Erik Johnson (Wooden Shijps) and Sanae Yamada. Their sound is a combination of electronic and Krautrock elements, with droning, understated vocals, and lots of keys and psychedelic guitar solos.

TRACK REVIEW: BRAEVES “Silver Streets”

BRAEVES_Silver_Streets_Single_Cover — *Cover art by Danielle Guelbart*

This summer, New York’s own BRAEVES released a new single called “Silver Streets” as a follow up to 2014’s Drifting by Design EP.

The band bid their farewell to New York last weekend at The Studio at Webster Hall, rounding out a busy year of stellar shows at other venues in the city, including Baby’s All Right, where I first got to meet the guys, Glasslands, and (Le) Poisson Rouge. All of their hard work has led to a major next step, as they’ll be moving to Los Angeles later this month to work on their first full-length record.

braeves recording session — *Derek Tramont, Thomas Mcphillips, Austin Mendenhall, and Ryan Levy at a recording session. Photo by Tim Toda.*

At Webster, Snowmine’s Austin Mendenhall stepped in for former member Nick LaFalce, who performs lead guitar on the track.

The song shines, quite literally, with metallic imagery such as, “Silver streets, golden bodies” and “copper in our bones.” Coupled with sleek, otherworldy guitar and bass work, that blend seamlessly, “Silver Streets” is a perfectly warm track for speeding down a country road this fall. With lyrics like, “Take me back to days when I was fearless in your arms/I’ll follow your way home, I’ll follow your way home,” Levy’s dulcet vocals will make you nostalgic for a time that you weren’t even there for.

See the full lyrics on their Bandcamp page, and be on the lookout for a video coming soon. Listen to the track below:

PLAYING DETROIT: Moonwalks “Lunar Phases”

Few bands are as aptly named as psychedelic Detroit four piece, Moonwalks, whose upcoming release Lunar Phases could act as a wild, yet tailored, road map to uninhabited galaxies and black holes, alike. The band’s first LP, scheduled to release via cassette tape and digital download later this month (MANIMAL Vinyl) is as warm as it is cooly intergalactic and is as 1960’s retro as it is refreshingly modern. Collectively, Jake Dean (guitars/vocals) Kate Gutwald (bass), Kerrigan Pearce (drums) and Tyler Grates (guitar) admit to being moved by the production of old Lee Hazlewood records, which makes sense, considering Lunar Phases has an undeniably sultry, Western-shootout vibe. (If the shootout was between aliens and cowboys, directed by a 90’s Tarantino respectfully.) “We’re becoming more collaborative as a four piece,” says Grates. “When making music, it’s important for me not to consider any influences I have at the time. Anything can sound like everything. However, it’s a little different in the recording process. We all have similar taste but different ideas, so we’re constantly coming up with different landscapes of sound.” More than Brian Jonestown Massacre-esque jam rock moments or sedated Jeffry Lee Pierce vocals, Moonwalks’ sound is the figurative dusting off of something once lost. Like water on Mars, Lunar Phases taps into what you thought you knew, but with an exploratory freshness best suited for lovers of reverb, distortion, and unexpectedly emotive cosmic collisions of past and present.

What is most surprising of their debut LP is the seamless cohesion not only between tracks, but in Moonwalks’ shared cadence, notably in their confidence in letting each instrument/effect have space to swell, breathe, and explode. This is glaringly apparent on vocal-less track “Cream Cheese Ashtray,” a demanding instrumental that gives the aural illusion of bending time; warped but never “off,” askew but never elementary nor hesitant. Delay heavy track, “Painted Lady” (one of two songs named after beloved Detroit bar/venues) is reminiscent of early Black Rebel Motorcycle Club minus the cliche hook/verse progression, artfully distorting your notion of what comes next; another example of Moonwalks’ ability to give new life to the already familiar.

Lunar Phases is, for the lack of a better word, mature. The album, a richly dynamic and attentive mosaic just under thirty minutes long, manages to achieve the robust fluidity that most bands don’t find until their second or third release (if at all). With extensive touring planned for the coming year and by the sounds of it, more studio time, too, Moonwalks exudes a completeness but with ample room to morph, grow, and reimagine. “I think were becoming tighter as a band,” Grates explains. “We’re getting more comfortable with playing shows and touring around the country. I think if the four of us weren’t in a band together, we’d still be hanging out all the time.”

While we await the release of Lunar Phases, satisfy your hunger by checking out Moonwalks’ 2014 EP:

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ALBUM REVIEW: Louise Aubrie “Late 44”

New York and London based indie-pop rising star Louise Aubrie has released a new album this summer titled Late 44. With an initial release date of July 13th, the punk-influenced album has the right amount of kick to transition into a new season with a new soundtrack. With Aubrie on vocals, Louise is joined by Tom Edwards (Adam Ant) on guitars, Boz Boorer (Morrissey, The Polecats) on additional guitars, Joe Holweger on bass, David Ruffy (The Ruts, Adam Ant, Dexy’s Midnight Runners) on drums and percussion, and James Knight on piano and keys. The album was recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London.

Louise Aubrie was born in London, where she began recording music at the notable Mill Hill Music Complex. She eventually spent some time in New York where she further developed her sound, which would evolve into the edgy indie-punk rock found on Late 44, her third album. The record is preceded by her 2010 debut, Fingers Crossed… followed by 2013’s Time Honoured Alibi. This time around on Late 44, Louise has written all her own material.

One of our favorite tracks is the aptly named “Perfect Battle Cry.” Aside from having a title that makes us want to put on our warrior paint, it blends pleasing pop sensibilities with a cheeky punk edge. It’s the indie punk femme anthem, the 2015 evolution of “Love is a Battlefield.”

Forget love and begin thrashing in the in-your-face “Too Late.” The song melts into the warmer “Next to Nothing.” “I know next to nothing…” wails Aubrie, with a slight ska sound reminiscent of early No Doubt, and lyrics with tongue-in-cheek self deprecation. Speaking of No Doubt, along with Aubrie’s cool indie punk chick vibes all her own, her debut album was was mastered by Dave Collins Audio in Los Angeles, former Chief Mastering Engineer of A&M Studios, who has worked with Madonna, No Doubt and The Police.

Proving you don’t have to be weak to be romantic, or even conform to traditional female pop star standards, Aubrie bears her heart on “Candlelight.” “Where thunder struck down we stopped, in awe with our promises to keep. Playing games by candlelight…” The album closes out with “Please Don’t Touch” – an apt warning to conclude what is a feminist punk-pop album that becomes increasingly intimate with each play. If there’s a message any woman can relate to – it’s “Please don’t touch me!” Yet despite its seemingly aggressive message, the song is soul-wrenchingly beautiful. With an abundance of radio songs of romance that aim to please the male, a cohesive work of art that hits every emotion from wanting distance, to being wooed, to the scariness of allowing oneself to fall in love, the femmes of AudioFemme thank Aubrie.

You can stream Late 44 below.

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