This was my first show of 2017, unless you count sets by Janelle Monae, Alicia Keys, and Indigo Girls that dotted the Women’s March on Washington days prior. I may have been late to the game regarding Austra, a beloved Toronto band already two albums into their career, and it wasn’t even their music that first grabbed my attention. It was the striking artwork for their third record, Future Politics. On its cover, a woman leads a handsome mare, cloaked in Austra’s signature shade of red. As it turned out, the album was as slick and strong as its imagery.
I sought out this strength one night at Greenpoint’s Warsaw, where Austra moved the whole room to dance with abandon. Lead singer Katie Stelmanis was captivating, her soaring voice sounding miraculously better than on the record. If it weren’t for her obvious talents as a pop star, Stelmanis would have an easy time making it as a stage actor or Broadway diva. The band plowed through the new album’s heavy hitters like “We Were Alive,” “Future Politics” and “Utopia,” sprinkling older favorites throughout the set.
Just days after Donald Trump had been sworn in as the 45th President of the United States, Austra made the Warsaw crowd believe that if we sweat hard enough, we could construct our own utopia right there on the dance floor.
Girl Band, Dublin’s all-boy noise foursome, rarely leave the stage without first inciting a small riot. They’re one of the few bands I’ve seen that can touch something primal in audiences, waking them from their New York, no-dance comas. This spring show at Saint Vitus was no different. The crowd was a little rigid initially, but once Girl Band slammed into “Paul” off of 2015’s Holding Hands With Jamie we all went wild. Daniel Fox’s warbled bass line whipped us into a swirling frenzy. We attempted to scream along with lead singer Dara Kiley, but our sweat and thrashing limbs did most of the talking.
This gig was without a doubt my favorite live performance of the year – and I almost didn’t go. Audiofemme’s own Lindsey Rhoades, who could not make it that evening, asked if I would go in her absence. “Sure,” I said, having no clue of the treat in store. I’d listened to the record, and was of course proud of the Seattle band’s success being from Washington myself, but the sheer magnetism of PG mastermind Mike Hadreas blew me away. He slinked and slithered through each song, howling like a hellhound one minute and whispering like seraph the next. In those moments onstage, Hadreas seemed to be Bowie’s heir apparent. He certainly had a Ziggy Stardust-worthy outfit.
It didn’t hurt that as Blanck Mass’ Benjamin John Power was whipping up beats, Björk was head banging by the PA system… in a hot pink clown suit. But even without Our Lady of Iceland publicly endorsing the set, Power’s gut rattling music had me enraptured. Power always performs in total darkness, giving shape and weight to his intense soundscapes. You can almost feel his songs wrap around you like a python beginning to squeeze. When he cued up “Please” – my #2 favorite song of 2017 – I suddenly understood what it’s supposed to feel like when you get the good MDMA. I’d only ever had the bad shit.
Aldous Harding @Park Church Co-op/Baby’s All Right
I saw Aldous Harding twice within a week at 2017’s Northside Festival. The first time was at Park Church Co-op in Greenpoint. Harding wore an all-white suit, conjuring the combined spirits of Tom Wolfe, David Byrne, and Jerry Hall. She was otherworldly, contorting her voice to reach the vaulted ceiling, then summoning it down low, to rattle the wooden pews we sat on.
The second time was at Baby’s All Right, a far less romantic locale. Still, Harding bewitched me with her strange posturing and mythological voice. As she sunk into the lovelorn depths of “Horizon,” I was near tears. I closed my eyes. I mouthed the words, “Here is your princess/And here is the horizon.” And then a sharp splat cut through the room. The crowd parted like the red sea, and there at the center was not Moses, but a 60-year-old, portly man, barfing all down his t-shirt. After a period of bug-eyed shock, Harding laughed and returned to her set. I went outside to breathe better air.
There was so much to see at Basilica Soundscape this summer, and yet the first band that played on the festival’s opening night is what stuck with me the most. Bing & Ruth’s David Moore seemed to be painting with his piano keys, while the accompanying cellist and clarinet player extracted color from their own instruments. They invoked a staggering beauty that went unmatched for the remainder of the weekend, in my opinion. Bing & Ruth make music that’s incredibly difficult to describe, but I feel lucky I was able to hear and feel it in person.
This was not my first Sean Nicholas Savage rodeo, but it was by far the finest, largely due to opening act Dinner’s inspiring performance. Danish singer/songwriter Anders Rhedin knows how to work a crowd, and does so with a divine combination of goofball and deadpan tactics. He had us sitting on the ground like school children, clapping like a gospel choir, and dancing like disco wildcats. It was a nice round of cardio before Sean Nicholas Savage began his vocal calisthenics. We swayed for Dinner, but we swooned for Savage.
I couldn’t have imagined a better Halloween. After walking a mile through Fort Greene, squeezing past trails of children in Halloween costumes, candy spilling from their cloth sacks, I approached Prospect Heights’ Murmrr Theatre. The stage and pews were cloaked in red light, and the baby grand piano was the requisite black. It was a fitting atmosphere for Diamanda Galás, the singer, composer, and pianist I recently crowned as the Queen of Halloween.
Galás was bewitching. Her piano seemed to awaken the ghost of Thelonious Monk and Satan himself, while her voice was alight with several spirits; some crooning, some growling, some downright shrieking. Galás is a medium above all else, and this last Halloween, she seemed to communicate with other worlds.
Swans @Warsaw
This was another show I almost didn’t attend. I’d already seen these noise dinosaurs two summers ago, and didn’t plan on showing up for their goodbye gig at Warsaw last month. But when a good friend got the flu and offered up his ticket gratis, how could I pass? I got to the venue in time for a plate of pierogis and kielbasa, and through some fortunate twist of fate, had a pair of earplugs in my purse. This was a very good thing considering Swans were playing at decibel levels strong enough for sonic warfare. As Thor smashed his gong, I felt like I was inside of a tank as it unloaded ammunition. Even my feet were vibrating.
Animal Collective @Knockdown Center
Nothing could’ve prepared me for how mesmerizing Animal Collective’s set at Knockdown Center was a couple of weeks ago. The evening’s objective was for Avey Tare and Panda Bear to perform 2004’s Sung Tongs in full. I entered Queens’ Knockdown Center full of skepticism; how exactly, were they going to summon that wall of sound with just two dudes?
I still don’t know the exact answer to that question, but the task was accomplished. After ample fiddling by roadies (one of whom sported a biker jacket and looked like he was named Butch) the stage was set, and the travel-sized version of Animal Collective settled into their chairs. What transpired over the next hour plus was a village of sound supplied by two men, four microphones, and some expert pedal work. Whatever their process was, it blew me away. I was wrapped in surround sound, every blip, crack, and whir massaging my body with the tiniest pulses.
It’s pretty much a general consensus that 2017 was an amazing year for music. It seemed like every week, a new album would emerge, challenging the way people think about and make music. But even with an endless ocean of new songs being fed to me every day, I kept coming back to the same album time and time again: Are We There, by Sharon Van Etten.
I wish I could say I have no idea how this record slipped through the cracks of my discovery in 2014, but I know all too well. To put it kindly, I was a late bloomer when it comes to my taste in music. Growing up, my parents would listen to Top 40 radio or, in my Dad’s car, Air Supply’s Greatest Hits album on repeat. The only saving grace was my mom’s love for Carole King, whose Tapestry album will be forever ingrained in my memory. So it was left up to me to broaden my own musical horizons, and I didn’t always do the best job. Let’s just say, I was listening to a lot of Trey Songz in 2014.
Fast forward to early 2017 and I’m 22-years-old, fresh out of college, living 3,000 miles away from home, trying (and failing) to cope with a recent breakup. Needless to say, shit hit the fan. In this scenario, there wasn’t enough wine, phone calls to my mom, or meaningless Tinder hook-ups to make me feel better. But there was Sharon Van Etten. I first heard her music while sitting in a coffee shop in Portland, Oregon, half-reading The Old Man and the Sea, half staring mindlessly at strangers – yes, it got that bad. “Holding Out,” from Because I Was in Love came on, and I was mesmerized – thank god for Shazam.
From that moment on, I delved into Sharon’s enchanting body of work and never looked back. Each record served a different purpose, reaching into a different part of me that needed healing. Because I Was in Love gave me permission to wallow in self-pity while offering a glimmer of hope and resolve in the distance. It actually felt good to let myself cry, pretending every word was written just for me, and letting Sharon’s infallible voice give me comfort.
If Because I Was in Love was my tool for confronting the pain of loss and loneliness, Tramp helped me to forget about it altogether. Van Etten’s more warbly and airy tracks like “Warsaw” and “Serpents” acted as a numbing potion for my emotions, while “We Are Fine,” eased me back into reality, telling me everything was going to be okay. Somehow, I believed that sentiment more when it was sung by Sharon, rather than offered with a pity smile by a friend. You know the look.
When the pity party and escapism were over, Are We There was left to pick up the pieces. Sharon’s revealing descriptions of abusive relationships helped me understand how you can continuously be drawn to something that you know is wrong for you. In my case, that was holding on to a person that didn’t love me anymore. I got to a point where I was so enraptured with my partner, that when he was gone, part of my identity was, too. It was hard for me to admit this to myself at first, but “You Know Me Well,” taught me how to “turn into yourself again and reach on out to become your true self.” And that’s what I did.
Are We There gave me the gift of self-awareness; admitting that I was giving someone else power over me is what ultimately gave me the strength to change it. It gave me time to grieve over my breakup, but then urged me to cut toxic behaviors and people out of my life – with my fair share of relapses. But most of all, it reassured me that I’m not the only idiot out there who let myself become completely overwhelmed by love.
Vanessa Silberman is nothing less than a super human. She has been on the road since January, totaling about ten tours solo, as a two piece with LA transplant via Madison drummer Dave Boson, and as a three piece (the Vanessa Silverman Band) featuring Reed Mullin of Corrosion of Conformity and musician/producer Mikel Ross. She’s also toured as a two piece with Jimmy Dias of San Francisco band The Love Dimension, featuring their friends and different musicians from around the country.
Silberman only took one week off to record a band in Chicago in February (she’s also an engineer/producer!) and also a few weeks off to write and do pre-production work. Of her 200 shows this year (including TV/radio/press ops), for 75 of them Silberman was on double duty playing drums for The Love Dimension and for a few of those shows she even played a third set backing Boston rocker Carissa Johnson.
Top 3 Cities: That’s hard!! Ok right now Los Angeles, Shreveport & Boston
Favorite gas station and fast food chain: Buckeys, Wawa, Cumberland Farms, Loves, Panera Bread, Chipotle
What’s the craziest thing that happened to you on tour this year?
There are so so many crazy things that happen on tour… My top crazy story and positive outcome was probably when me and Jimmy played in El Paso and had to get to Fort Worth for a show the next night so we had to drive after the show. We were driving, I fell as sleep and at about 5am Jimmy woke me up and noticed something wrong with the van (it wasn’t going past 50 miles an hour). We ended up finding a mechanic a few hours away in the middle of Texas (praying the car would get there as we drove), slept a few hours til they opened and found out the whole engine needed to be replaced but they couldn’t get the engine ordered and received til four days later. There was no place to rent a car in the entire town! We couldn’t believe it. So we had no choice but to drive the van on the highway as slow as we could and pray we could get to the nearest town with a car rental, leave the van to be fixed and come back and get it. Amazingly we did and just barely made our Fort Worth show (we were supposed to open but instead closed the night!) and then played four other shows the next few days in Texas. We drove back East after the car was fixed and just made it to our Houston show. We never missed one show or had to cancel!
What is your most favorite and least favorite thing about DIY touring?
I love connecting with people, fans and other artists on a very intimate level when it’s smaller DIY shows. The connection is so direct. It’s also absolutely one of the most fulfilling things I have ever felt because I pretty much do everything myself (booking, driving, marketing, social media, performing, etc.) on my solo tours. When you do it alone, at least for me, I find a belief in my music, in what I do. I’m willing to drive any amount of miles and put in any amount of work to share that. I feel empowered and I hope other artists read this and know if they’re willing to put in the work they can tour too!
The least favorite thing is at times it’s a bit difficult to balance other things in your life – personal time, personal care and relationships – because the work load is unreal, especially if you are constantly touring. It’s such a particular lifestyle and most people aren’t willing to put in the work and you really notice it when you play with other artists around the country when you tour so much. But I’m so grateful and feel lucky every day that I can do this.
Vanessa Silberman Tour Tips
For bands who are just starting out, start with weekend runs around where you live. I recommend planning a tour three months in advance; if you’re gonna do your own press, announce shows four or five weeks in advance. For more info and touring tips, indieonthemove.com is a great touring database, and you can also check out my artist development label Adiamondheartproduction.com.
The Accidentals (MI)
187 shows
30 weeks
The Accidentals have averaged about 240 shows a year for the past 3 years, but even after chilling out a little bit they still are the second highest DIY touring band on this list! They’ve hit every state in the U.S. except Hawaii and Alaska, finding and developing their audiences where their music resonates the most. It takes a while to find where a new band’s biggest support will be and The Accidentals are touring smart by hitting the places who demand them the most!
Top 3 Cities: That’s a tough question. We have more than three. If we had to choose though, it’d be Denver, Grand Rapids, and Chicago. We kind of have homes away from home in those cities and people very organically support live music and turn out for our shows. They also have really great restaurants (the food is important to us). The venues in those cities feed us well! Phoenix, Albany, Ann Arbor, Seattle, Boston, Austin, Columbus, Fort Wayne would be in the top ten.
Favorite gas station and fast food chain: Every time we see a Sheetz, everyone in the van collectively cheers. They have decent sandwiches and coffee in the dead of night. As far as fast food is concerned, we try to avoid it. We let ourselves have ONE Taco Bell stop for the entire tour. One really great thing about our fans is that they know we are really trying to stay well on a 70 day tour so they’ll send us Panera gift cards and Whole Foods cards in the mail…so we’ve seen a lot of Panera and Whole Foods – thankful for that.
What’s the craziest thing that happened to you on tour this year?
We have put 230,000 miles on Black Betty in the last three years. On the last tour she broke down 4 times and we lost our brand new trailer. The craziest breakdown was at the peak of Vail pass, an hour and half from Denver, at midnight. We stopped to cool down before heading down the mountain pass and the van computer shut down the vehicle completely due to overheating. We lost all the power (including the lights). There were semi-trucks flying by us 70mph and they couldn’t see us, because we were in a black van in the middle of the night with no lights. Luckily, we got ahold of a 24 foot bed tow truck, and the driver stuffed all 7 of us (band and crew) into the cab, with the van and trailer and all our gear on the bed and flew down the mountain at 85mph scaring the crap out of our tour manager in the bucket seat. We made it to Denver at 2:30am and then proceeded to drop the van at a GMC dealership to get fixed, only to be swarmed by police who thought we were stealing our own van! We finally made it to our host home an hour or so later. Thankfully, our “host mom” made us pizza and gave our manager tequila (at that point, she really needed it).
What is your most favorite and least favorite thing about DIY touring?
Touring is living in extremes all the time. The best part is definitely traveling the country, seeing amazing landscapes and meeting amazing people. It really allows us the opportunity to experience things we’d never get to do if we didn’t play music full time. Our least favorite things about touring are gas station bathrooms and missing time with people back home. We exist on the opposite schedule of everyone we love, and it can be really hard to maintain your relationships along with keeping yourself emotionally, physically and mentally healthy on and off the road. In the end, it’s really important to prioritize, balance, and manage your time wisely.
Here’s a comprehensive bullet list of things you’ll need to bring on tour and prepare ahead of time.
EZ Pass – so your van can fly through those tolls with no time to waste.
GPS – because we’re directionally challenged.
Hotel Chain Memberships – so you can get hotels for a discount or rack up points.
AAA Roadside – 8 breakdowns on the last tour. We’re on a first-name basis with them now.
Neck pillow
Podcasts – We recommend Song Exploder, RadioLab, 99% Invisible, and Meet the Composer.
Books – Start reading a book on the road and make sure you still have some chapters left of it when you get home. It builds consistency from one part of your life to the other.
Waze App – This app will show you what kind of construction work and traffic jams are along the route.
Expedia App – Adding up these points will get you flight/hotel discounts.
AirBNB – Homes away from home!
Trip Advisor – They always list the coolest restaurants.
Google Maps – Just in case your GPS stops being nice or you’re in Canada.
Water bottles – It’s good to have one that you can use over and over, but just in case you lose it, keep a 24 pack of extra waters in the van.
Protein bars
Some sort of multi-tool – Mine is one I got for $10 at a Cracker Barrel in Pennsylvania. It has a hammer on it!
Some general advice: Book your hotels before midnight. Advance your shows a week out. Check the venues’ websites to make sure your times are right, and to find out who was booked alongside you. Carve out some sight-seeing. Be honest with each other. Ask for what you need.
(Interview by Sav Buist)
The Coax (MN/NY)
116 Shows
18 Weeks
I met The Coax and their incredible purple velvet tour van this year at SXSW. They came to all the Little Dickman Records showcases, stayed on the ranch in Austin with us, and soon after they released a split 7″ with High Waisted on LDR and did another massive six week tour. These guys are the sweetest down-to-Earth dudes who will play slap the bag around a camp fire any day.
Top 3 Cities:We have been fortunate enough to have more cities that we enjoy playing than cities that we don’t. I think New York, Los Angeles, and Minneapolis are the big three for us, but we have met some of the most amazing people in unassuming towns like Lawrence, KS, Fayetteville, AR, Sioux Falls, SD, Saratoga Springs, NY, Springfield, MO, Denton, TX.
Favorite gas station and fast food chain:Wawa takes the cake on this one. The buffalo chicken mac and cheese has fueled us through quite a few night drives.
What’s the craziest thing that happened to you on tour this year?
I feel like all of the (negative) crazy stuff happened to us in our first year of touring. We were a little more reckless then. Not so experienced on the road. I think it’s crazy how many awesome bands we got to see and become friends with this year. The number of towns we got to explore that we’ve never been to. The amount of burritos we ate. We saw the Atlantic, Pacific, Gulf of Mexico, and Lake Superior… twice! We went to five different Six Flags. We played right AFTER King Gizzard at Mohawk in ATX. Now, that’s fucking crazy.
What is your most favorite and least favorite thing about DIY touring?
The best thing about DIY touring is definitely the intimacy. It’s all about the hang. I feel like that is something that is missed on the bigger stage. The relationships you make with fans, promoters, and other bands doing it yourself are incredibly valuable and satisfying.
The worst thing about DIY touring is definitely being broke. That shit sucks.
The Coax Touring Tips
Work hard. Don’t give up. Make it happen. If it’s truly what you love to do then you will find a way. Sleep in the van. Get dirty. Make sacrifices. Make friends. Make rad music. Drink Hamms.
It’s no secret Fruit & Flowers are my buds. We went on tour together last February with my band Ex-Girlfriends, driving from Brooklyn to California in less than four days, touring up the West Coast and then driving straight from our final show in Seattle, WA to Austin, TX (I got off the bus is LA), only making one stop for the night at their drummer’s sister’s house in San Francisco. They’re the only band on this list that is also on Oh My Rockness’ Hardest Working Bands in NYC of 2017 list, which seems like an impossible feat.
Top 3 Cities: Ana Becker: Other than New York? I’d say Athens, GA, Toronto, and either Nashville or Chicago.
Jose Berrio: Austin is also really fun.
Caroline Yoder: Athens Certainly. Nashville has its moments. Chicago. Canada, at large.
Favorite gas station and fast food chain: AB: Favorite gas station chain is Love’s – one time I left my wallet in one, and they found it and mailed it back to me, everything still inside!
CY: Not a big fast food person. Does Waffle House count? Definitely Waffle House. We can usually make Subway or Taco Bell work in desperate measures. Gas stations in old towns are the best. Any gas station with coffee and a decent bathroom must not go unappreciated.
Lyzi Wakefield: Allsups has the best burritos.
JB: My favorite gas stations are always the smaller ones, usually surrounded by trees or old houses in the middle of nowhere. I particularly remember one in a tiny solitary town called Blakesburg, in Iowa. Great characters.
What’s the craziest thing that happened to you on tour this year?
AB: I’m sure I’m forgetting many crazy moments, but the one that sticks out the most in my memory is when I made a cop shake my hand in the middle of the night in Oklahoma. I won’t get into the surrounding circumstances, but that was a REALLY close call.
LW: Night swimming in Athens. Driving from San Fran to Austin without rest.
JB: Somebody stole my backpack with a lot of stuff in it (including my passport) at a SXSW show. The next day a random woman messaged me on Facebook claiming she had found my passport. We set a meeting at a gas station on a highway near to where I was and I got it back.
Also, on our West Coast Tour the drummer of the other band we were touring with quit in the middle of the trip, so I had to fill in for the remaining shows. It was fun.
What is your most favorite and least favorite thing about DIY touring?
AB: I have so many favorite things. I love the feeling of freedom, and when it’s all going well, feeling like the band is a team and that together we can do anything. Something about seeing a road stretched out ahead is very inspiring in that way. I love playing music in a new city every night, the people you meet, and the special bonds you form that way. My least favorite thing is the significant strain on my mental health. It also makes me sad to be apart from my partner.
LW: Favorite: we do it by our own standards and terms. Seeing old friends across the country. Least favorite: it’s almost impossible to make $$.
JB: I like the uncertainty of not always knowing where you are going to sleep. That usually leads to meeting super nice people and seeing really cool places. Least favorite thing is, as Lyzi said, how hard it is to make money.
AB: Eat some vegetables occasionally and attempt to exercise. Keep journals. Read books in the van instead of messing around on facebook. Don’t freak out. Check the spreadsheet!!!
JB: If you have an analogue camera, make sure to check if it has batteries before you start taking photos. Last tour I shot four rolls that came out blank after developing. Also, as Ana said, keep journals. Make copies of important documents and put them in safe places (in case somebody steals your backpack).
CY: Go to a good grocery store and stock up on necessary food and beer. Keep extra pillows, batteries, tools and blankets handy. Change the oil on time. Have a decent stereo and listen to good podcasts and explore fresh music, new and old.
LW: Maintain a good attitude. Read. Take your space if you need it. Do your own thing now and again.
High Waisted
Over 100 Shows
10 Weeks
I was lucky enough to catch High Waisted and The Coax play their the final show of a six-week run together in Saratoga Springs, NY at a small jazz bar called One Caroline. The last day of tour can sometimes be the worst – everyone is exhausted, possibly sick of each other and eager to get home. Even if this were the case, it didn’t affect their fun, high-energy show one bit. They play 100% no matter what. This really comes as no surprise as they’ve been named the ‘Best Party Band’ by GQ and host an annual rock ‘n’ roll booze cruise in NYC that is highly recommended!
Top 3 Cities: We love Austin, D.C. and Chicago. But our favorite state is Ohio!
Favorite Gas Station & Fast Food Chain: I have an unhealthy love for Taco Bell and they have options for all dietary needs. Wawas are the best gas stations!
What’s the craziest thing that happened to you on tour this year?
We were never late and managed to stay healthy and happy. But there were other memorable moments. We retired our first tour van after 350,000 miles, we watched the sunset sitting on top of a giant dune in white sands, we saw a man get arrested for assault in Texas, we spent two days in a double-wide trailer in Kentucky when our van broke down (thanks to the kindness of strangers), we went skinny dipping in the Pacific Ocean for my birthday, we survived getting hit by another car going 70 mph at dawn in Alabama and we drove through Death Valley in the summer with no AC.
What is your most favorite and least favorite thing about DIY touring?
My favorite thing is the faith we place in strangers all over the country. Tour is one big trust fall. Perhaps I’m jaded but the kindness and support we’re met with will never cease to amaze me. My least favorite thing about DIY touring is the lack of accountability. If a venue owner or promoter is a total sleazebag there’s not really a network in place to protect you or other bands from facing the same bad fortune.
High Waisted Tour Tips
Bring a cooler and grocery shop. Always have baby wipes and paper towels in the van. Use sites like Priceline to score cheap hotels after shows – bonus if you can book ones with pools and hot tubs. Always bring valuable gear in overnight or have someone sleep in the van. Don’t travel with drugs. Don’t drink and drive.
Pre-download movies and albums to your phone for dead zones. Make yourself read and write every day. Be kind to your bandmates even if you’re cranky – the group morale is always more important than your own. Put the group first and they’ll take care of you. Play every show at 100%, even if there’s only eight people watching – they still deserve your best performance. Treat tour like vacation; find fun things to sightsee in every town so your days are more than just time spent in bars. Take photos and keep a journal. Lastly, stay grateful and appreciative of your opportunity.
(Interview by Jessica Dye)
A Deer A Horse (NYC)
99 Shows Booked and 95 Played
(4 cancellations due to Hurricanes Irma and Harvey)
16 Weeks
I met A Deer A Horse in 2016 in Nashville during the peak of my mid-tour drunken meltdown triggered by leaving my tote bag with my wallet and everything else important to me inside of it at a gas station somewhere between Georgia and Tennessee (which was later sent to my mom’s house by a good samaritan). A Deer A Horse’s music is dark, sludgy and serious but by hanging out with them that night and the following day they helped to cheer me up and pull me out of that unhappy situation. Thanks guys!
Top 3 Cities: We have 4 because we’re too keen….
Austin, TX: it’s a great scene filled with close friends. The audiences are always massively supportive, and they really seem dedicated and attentive.
Chicago, IL: one of the best scenes in US with crazy spaces to play. You can definitely feel a unique scene when you’re there, which isn’t always the case in big cities.
Norfolk, VA: a hidden gem for us. The audiences are always amazing and supportive, and we’ve made a lot of good friends there since we played our first gig in town.
St. Louis, MO: STL feels like a city on fire. It’s a city that really comes together in hard times. The city is going through a lot of internal struggles, but when you’re there you feel like part of the scene, which feels like one big family.
Favorite gas station and fast food chain: For gas stations, Tim Horton’s in Canada is a rad hoser delicacy. For food, we normally buy groceries at Trader Joe’s or local markets/co-ops to save money and eat healthy. But we did drunkenly indulge, once or twice, in Taco Bell – except Dylan who was probably eating trail mix.
What’s the craziest thing that happened to you on tour this year?
It was like the Forrest Gump/current events tour of 2017. We were on the West Coast for the wildfires, in Salem, Oregon for the solar eclipse, Texas for Hurricane Harvey, Florida for Hurricane Irma, and St. Louis for widespread protests against rampant police brutality/corruption.
We also camped at Saddlehorn Canyon at Colorado National Monument. It is one of the most breathtakingly beautiful places we have ever been. We also got to swim in the most beautiful conditions at Pensacola Beach one day before Irma hit Florida. It was surreal – you would never have known a hurricane was looming just hours off the coast.
What is your most favorite and least favorite thing about DIY touring?
Our favorite is the research you get to do into all of the scenes around the country. You learn about so many bands/venues/cities you would never have known about otherwise and you make amazing friends.
Not including the excessive driving, our least favorite part is the sheer amount of work you have to do. You really have to do everything yourself and stay on top of people just to ensure every gig goes smoothly. It’s exhausting. It would be a dream to have a booking agent, but not having one will not stop us from setting up and going on the road.
A Deer A Horse Tour Tips
Do whatever you have to do stay healthy mentally and physically. Get a big cooler and buy groceries and avoid eating road/fast food. Get gym memberships (ours are with Planet Fitness) so you can work out (get those gains, bruh) and (ProTipAlert) utilize their *24 hour* shower services. Drink the booze in moderation or not at all most nights. And maybe most importantly, understand as a band that it’s important to have alone time on the road – take as much of it as you can, ideally outdoors, and you’ll love yourself and your bandmates more after doing it.
If you are at a place with your band where you want to start touring, start small. Do weekends and short 5-7 day regional tours in order to build a fanbase close to home. Slowly branch out to 2-3 week tours, a little further away each time. Do a lot of those so you get to know your own and your bandmates’ personal needs. If you have any personal issues, DO NOT let them fester. Talk about them immediately before you develop resentments!
Also, we have learned the hard way many times that the only way to get shit done is to do it yourself – this is where DIY really holds meaning. No one is going to book the tour for you. We no longer rely on anyone we don’t know very very well to set shows up for us. Since having this realization, booking has gone way more smoothly and we have had very few shows fall through.
The Big Drops
61 Shows
5 Weeks
Following the release of their debut album Time, Color, The Big Drops toured the U.S. and Canada, playing their fair share of hippie festivals, Sofar Sounds gigs, and duo sets. When I went to Canada to tour manage them, I was was quickly re-named tour ‘Mama-ger,’their drummer caught a bad cold and turned into ‘Baby Grandpa’ (poor Baby Grandma!) and an exceptionally friendly man driving an Ottawa mail truck hit the right side mirror off of my van. But I swear I had a great time…
Top 3 Cities: Savannah GA, Montreal Canada, Harrisonburg VA
Favorite gas station and fast food chain: Definitely Couche-Tard in Montreal. It’s a pretty off the chain, and has the best name of any gas station I’ve ever seen.
What’s the craziest thing that happened to you on tour this year?
During MacRock Festival in Harrisonburg, we walked into a super smokey smoke machine basement bar to some sort of sexually charged jungle music, and saw the frontman wearing a hockey mask and revving a chainsaw. The show was immediately shut down as soon as we got there.
What is your most favorite and least favorite thing about DIY touring?
Being on tour is kind of like being on vacation. If you start working on your tour dates 3+ months in advance, you can typically just pick the cities you want to go to, and find a way to make a show happen there. Getting to experience new places via music is pretty awesome. If possible, try to set aside some time to enjoy the places you go!
Our least favorite thing about DIY touring is the amount of time and energy it takes to schedule, plan, and book all the dates yourself. You think, wouldn’t it be great if being in a band was all about being a musician?? But it is really rewarding to put together a good show, meet other cool bands and people who support your music.
The Big Drops Touring Tips
Tour is difficult for different people in different ways, so try to be extra considerate of your bandmates when on the road. Bring headphones, a book, something to keep you occupied while driving 5+ hours a day.
Getting sick on tour is no fun. Stay healthy! Don’t eat or drink too much garbage-y food. We usually bring a cooler packed with hummus, granola, nuts, apples, bananas, PB&J materials. Everyone in The Big Drops is pretty keen on eating raw garlic to keep us healthy and safe from estranged vampires.
Pack lightly, but bring extra socks. A small towel is useful for washing/ drying your face if you can’t take a shower. We also bring some essential oils like lavender or sage, so we emit a nice, pleasant odor.
(Interview by Greg & Vramshabouh)
Nihiloceros (NYC)
57 shows
4 weeks touring
Singer/guitarist Mike Borchardt of Nihiloceros is not only in one of the most hardworking touring bands, but is also the hardest working show-goer I’ve ever met. I see him at almost every show I attend, he takes 30+ photos of every band and then promptly uploads them to social media and tags everyone, helps promote shows when he can’t make them, and is super helpful in connecting touring musicians to other musicians/promoters/venues around the country when necessary. Thank you Mike, you’re awesome! This year his band transitioned from being Samantha (she’s dead) to Nihiloceros, released an EP, and in between being at every show possible in Brooklyn, also spent four weeks on the road.
Favorite Cities: Chicago IL, Philadelphia PA, Lawrence KS (and obviously Austin TX during SXSW)
Favorite gas station and fast food chain: Food in Canada it’s Tim Horton’s, in the U.S. it’s probably Taco Bell, though we seem to hit more Dunkin Donuts than anything else. For gas, it’s whatever is around right before we run outta gas. We do love those big truck stop gas stations that have fast food and big gift shops with silly souvenirs – great time to get out of the car and stretch your legs. I always make a point to stop at the Iowa80 outside of Des Moines and Mars Cheese Castle driving between Chicago and Milwaukee.
What’s the craziest thing that happened to you on tour this year?
The craziest overall thing had to be our SAdpop tour in October where the 3 of us spent 2 weeks driving across the East Coast and Canada jammed into a Mini Cooper with all our stuff. That many miles stuck in a clown car will make everything crazy.
What is your most favorite and least favorite thing about DIY touring?
The hardest thing about any DIY tour is the actual booking of it yourself. We use all our vacation and sick days from work for touring, so we really gotta maximize our time. It takes a lot of time working with venues and bands, getting dates confirmed in a geographical route that makes sense to drive, while also trying to book it so you don’t end up with too many wasted days off.
The best part though is meeting new bands and making new fans, exploring new cities, being inspired by new people outside of NYC… and hopefully inspiring something in them as well.
Nihiloceros Touring Tips
If you can share a leg of your tour with another band that is more well known in the area, that can really help a lot with some of the logistics like routing, confirming venues and places to stay. That didn’t end up working out for us on this year’s tours, but we are sharing a stretch of shows in the U.S. and Canada with another band next year which we are pretty excited about.
Oftentimes tours take you across varying temperatures, so bring proper layers for the season, and that extra hoodie or jacket will be better suited on your body or in your lap than taking up wasted space in your bag. Get really good at packing your gear efficiently before you hit the road, and then it’ll be a breeze every night fitting everything in the car. Apart from that, drink way more water than you think you need to, bring plenty of Advil PM which will help you sleep when you do get a chance to crash, and will double assist for the aches that come with playing every night, lugging gear, sleeping on couches/floors, and being crammed in the car for long stretches of time.
(Interview by MikeBorchardt)
Giantology (Chicago)
50 Shows
12 Weeks
I mentioned Giantology in one of my first Check The Spreadsheet columns, because I was so impressed with how their bassist, Gina Davalle, basically just picked up the bass guitar and then decided to go on tour for three months without having any previous touring experience. I also love their space suits and weirdo glasses.
Top 3 Cities: Austin, Portland, and Atlanta
Favorite gas station and fast food chain: LOVES is my favorite gas station/truck stop. McDonald’s would definitely be our fast food chain of choice. McDonald’s was like our home in every city. We drank their coffee every morning and indulged in their free wifi.
What’s the craziest thing that happened to you on tour this year?
Honestly, I think the craziest thing is what did not happen. During 3 months on the road we never had any serious car troubles, or major set backs. I have heard so many touring horror stories, and being that this was my first tour I didn’t know what to expect. I was fully prepared for things to go awry and to get stranded somewhere in need of a mechanic. We were very lucky in that sense!
What is your most favorite and least favorite thing about DIY touring?
My favorite thing about DIY touring is meeting new people in every city, wether it be people at the shows or bands we played with, DIY touring would hardly be possible with out these people doing their part to keep their city’s music scene alive. We met a lot of great people, whom we now consider friends. I think the best thing about touring is getting to visit different cities, and getting to play shows every night.
My least favorite thing about DIY touring is the tole it took on me physically at times from eating too much fast food to sleeping in a van or on a floor every night, not getting quality sleep, it can leave you feeling pretty run down, and exhausted. Definitely, worth it though.
Giantology Tour Tips
Take care of yourself, sleep is so important. Get those hours in when you can!
Don’t drink too much before a show. It’s easy to drink a bit too fast when nervous. (i have learned this the hard way) It is a really shitty feeling to mess up during a show bc you got a little too drunk, but it’ll teach you your limits. Know your limits and stick to them.
Making friends and exchanging contact info with the bands you enjoy playing with is a great tool for booking future shows when looking to play in their city and vise versa. There are no booking agents or guarantees, DIY booking is all about reciprocity.
Do your research before buying a tour van! Take care of said tour van, for with out it, none of this is possible. Sign up for AAA, keep up with oil changes, etc. Always remember where you parked it, don’t stray too far away from it, or leave it unattended for very long.
Leave enough driving time in between shows to account for the unexpected, or spontaneous adventures.
Always play to your best ability even if you’re playing for only a couple of people.
Look out for your bandmates.
(Interview by Gina Davalle)
Ramonda Hammer (LA)
54 Shows
9 Weeks
Ramonda Hammer were the band that made me believe it was possible to book a tour from coast to coast yourself. I met them while playing in LA in 2016 with Sharkmuffin – we had flown out and rented a car to do our west coast tours a couple years in a row. It seems dumb, but when Ramonda Hammer came to play with us in Brooklyn and I realized had driven the whole way, I was inspired to do the same the next time we planned shows on the west coast!
Top 3 Cities: Los Angeles, Nashville, and Brooklyn
Favorite gas station and fast food chain: Favorite gas station is Kum & Go because we are all children and it’s always funny. Favorite fast food chain will be a band argument probably.
What is the craziest thing that happened on tour?
The GARMP saga!! We were getting ready for our September tour and there was gonna be a show with our homies in Nashville who run the amazing DIY record label Cold Lunch Recordings. They organized a rad house show for us, and at the show there was gonna be a stick and poke tattoo artist so we were stoked to partake in that. In the Facebook event page, the artist had asked people to comment what they were gonna get tattooed, and this one guy Jonathan (who we didn’t know at all) said he’d get any five letter word tattooed on his body. So our bassist Andy made up the word GARMP and was determined to have this random guy get GARMP tattooed on him. It turned into a crazy comment thread of people voting and Andy even made a campaign sign that read “GARMP FOR JONATHAN’S TATTOO 2017”. People were very confused. We thought it was hilarious. Flash forward to Nashville: we’re all anxiously waiting to meet Jonathan. We have no idea who he is. Randomly we see some tattooed bearded dude walking around the party with an actual baby in his arms and we think this is odd. Turns out that was Jonathan, who by the way we’ve just been calling GARMP the whole time because duh. Anyways we meet him, he gets his GARMP tattoo on his “gARMp-pit” (which is extra funny), and then I find out he’s from my hometown in Orange County and knows some of my friends. Super weird. Also, why did he have his baby at a basement kegger? Not sure. But at least he and Andy became best friends on the internet for a second and almost did karate in the garage together.
What is your favorite & least favorite thing about DIY touring?
My most favorite thing about DIY touring is all the love and support we encounter on our travels. It really surprises me and warms my heart every single time. People are so generous with giving us places to stay and making us food and making us feel welcomed. It’s so so so cool. My least favorite thing is being too cold or too hot and also when shows get cancelled.
Ramonda Hammer Touring Tips
Well, I would say plan for EVERYTHING that could go wrong to GO WRONG. That way when shit happens (and it always does), you’ll be prepared. We always bring jumper cables and a gas can and blankets to cover our gear with in the van, and we try to have a cushion of funds to pay for any unplanned hotel stays or van breakdowns. Also, don’t let your drummer and bass player conspire to trick you into watching the re-make of The Mummy with Tom Cruise.
(Interview by Devin Davis)
Note: This list was based on my own experiences with musicians I’ve met by living in Brooklyn and performing and touring for 21 weeks of 2017 with Sharkmuffin, Ex-Girlfriends & Kino Kimino. It is not definitive and I would love to hear from and about more bands that book their own tours and/or tour extensively in the U.S. & beyond. Feel free to contact me with your suggestions & stories at sugarmamabk@gmail.com.[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]
In the two brief periods I lived in London, I developed a new relationship with Sundays. For 15 plus years of my life, Sunday was directly associated with Monday, and therefore brought about a rash of panic as the unfinished homework piled up and the unknown week stretched like a canyon before me. In college, there was no Sunday freedom. The sewing studios at FIT were open seven days a week until 2am. I would work on my projects incessantly, catching the train back to Brooklyn in the wee hours and sometimes heading straight to the Pratt campus, where the studios were open 24/7 and I had a handful of pals to work alongside. New York Sundays was never a time of leisure.
When I moved to London to study abroad at Central Saint Martins, I was shocked to find that despite the fashion department’s reputation for maniacal workloads, their studios were only opened Monday through Saturday until 10pm. This was a frightening realization, as my routine 85-hour workweek was about to be sliced in half. At first I was reluctant, but in time I learned to relax. Powerless to sew sleeves on the jacket I was making at school, I was obligated to go outside, I guess. A routine was born. Every Sunday I would pull myself out of my twin dorm bed, throw on a raincoat, and walk 15 minutes to East London’s Brick Lane market. The market could be hectic, and was clogged with overpriced vintage booths, but since I wasn’t there to shop it didn’t matter. I was simply there to wander.
Before I got to hip Brick Lane I would take a detour through cheaper junk markets that were sprinkled around town. These were proper flea markets with heaps of scrap and isolated parts only pack rats would find valuable. Fortunately, I am a pack rat, and I appreciated that these markets were meritocracies, paying off for the patient and diligent diggers who took the time to rummage through an entire bin of garden hose valves to find one silver pendant studded with semi precious stones. After the junk market I’d wind through the Sunday crowds and procure the spiciest curry I could find along with a cup of tea. Then I would sit on the street, roll a cigarette, and watch the people, who were as diverse in age and dress as they were in nationality. I’d position myself across the street from the resident group of drunken old geezers, who sat playing mahjong for hours.
This Sunday ritual became invaluable during my three months in London. When it was gray and cold (which, let’s face it, was most of the time) the tingling curry spices would radiate throughout my gut and warm me. The fact that I could sit on the street and eat without falling victim to judgmental glances for doing so was an added bonus. This was the kind of Sunday I’d always heard existed, but I never believed that they did. Morrissey’s “Everyday Is Like Sunday” used to propose a frightening alternate reality, but ever since I made my market stroll the highlight of my week, I welcomed the possibility of every day being Sunday with open arms.
My relaxed attitude toward Sundays shattered like tempered glass when I returned to New York, where peace and leisure seem like auction items for the rich. The Sunday fear came back. There was no junk market, no budget curry, and certainly no allowance to plop on the street and drink tea without getting scowled at, or trampled by a swarm of rats. Sunday again meant Monday. Sunday night ushered in short breaths and rapid fire concerns. Sundays didn’t return until I returned to England, and though they took a different shape, it was like they’d been waiting for me to come back. These Sundays were tethered to Clapton Pond in London’s northeast reaches of Hackney. It was summer, which doesn’t mean all that much for temperate England, but it was warm and sunny enough to spend all day in the nearby park. This was 2013, the summer I learned to ride a bike in Hackney Marsh at age 23. It was a glorious time, when I had no idea where life would take me.
In the afternoons I’d linger in the kitchen of my friend Alice’s flat, where I was staying for free. After flipping on the electric kettle switch I’d twist on Alice’s radio, which was permanently dialed to BBC 6 Music. The radio was something I turned on everyday. At 6 or 7am Monday through Friday, and at 10am on Saturday. But on Sunday, the afternoon airwaves were for Jarvis Cocker.
Since January 2010, Pulp’s illustrious frontman has hypnotized listeners with his Sunday Service, an afternoon program on BBC 6. While DJs only have one job to fulfill – playing music – Cocker took his title to the next level, acquiring the mantle of a seasoned storyteller. His sets are filled not only with odd and obscure music, but swatches of found sound from the BBC archives, Cocker’s own field recordings, and the joyful noises summoned from the studio switchboard. Jarvis’ playfulness at the mixer accompanied his rich storytelling. It was not uncommon for a classical opus to follow a punk number, or a piece of poetry to precede one of Cocker’s philosophical ramblings. His deep, hushed voice seemed built for the radio, or perhaps a bedtime story.
I am thinking of all of this – of Sunday rituals and this fabulous radio show, because after seven years it is again time for a new tradition. On Sunday, December 31st, Jarvis Cocker will deliver his final Sunday Service. This news came to me earlier this month, when a cheeky Guardian headline decreed: “Jarvis Cocker Pulps his BBC radio show.” The information cut deep. Even though Cocker is known for taking breaks from the program (and getting killer fill-in hosts such as Cillian Murphy and Russell Crowe), his northern whisper and eclectic programming had become integral to my Sunday listening. Cocker has calmed my pre-Monday nerves for so long that I shudder to think what could take the place of Sunday Service.
It’s not solely my Sunday at stake here. Of the many friends I’ve recommended 6 Music to, most of them have admitted that the Sunday Service was their favorite program. One 6 Music convert was merely an acquaintance who took my recommendation to heart. The next time I saw him he looked stupefied. “I’ve been listening to 6 Music!” he exclaimed. When he spoke of Jarvis Cocker’s Sunday Service, he did so as if he’d struck gold.
That’s probably the most accurate descriptor I can find for Sunday Service: a goldmine of songs and sounds and interviews. On his most recent episode, which aired on Christmas Eve, Cocker dug into his own program archives to play bits of conversation with the likes of John Hurt, David Attenborough, and Monty Python’s Michael Palin, among a wealth of fantastic music. His first track for the set was the suspenseful “Snowed In” by Tim Rose, which happens to be the first song ever that Cocker ever played on the Sunday Service. Looking out the window at my parent’s home in Washington this morning, I listened to Cocker’s set and noted that there was indeed snow on the ground.
There may only be one official Sunday Service left, but so long as I can reach into the BBC 6 Music Archives for a bit of Jarvis Cocker’s wisdom and wit, everyday will be like Sunday. And as Cocker recently assured us, “It’s not goodbye, it’s just farewell.”
From the outside, Assemble Sound looks like just another one of Detroit’s beautiful historic churches. And, technically, it is – but this particular church’s religion is music. The 145-year-old church serves as an artist residency and recording studio, does licensing/supervision, and has garnered a lot of attention for the diverse music made by its artists. The collective’s most recent release comes from alternative R&B artist, Alexander Lynch. Although Lynch, a native of Norway, Michigan, has only been living in Detroit for a few months, he’s already made himself known in the Detroit music scene.
“Wine Drunk” is his first single since his 2016 EP release, Love Lives, and is the perfect soundtrack for winter heartbreak and reflection. Co-produced by Jon Zott, the track balances warm synths with Lynch’s magnetizing vocals, creating a feeling reminiscent of a boozy haze. Lynch told Impose magazine that the song is about “recalling past emotional experiences through the filter of intoxication and isolation. It touches on several moments of regret in my life in a sort of self-deprecating cocktail.” That’s surely something we can all relate to during the holiday season. Take a sip and savor the sounds of regret and new beginnings.
Music is a powerful tool. It can be used to edify, to empower, and even to restore a human’s soul. Carry Illinois is an Austin band whose back catalogue runs the gamut from 2016’s peppy “Electric Charm” to 2014’s “Weakest Limb.” This year, the band released Garage Sale, a collection of six snappy indie rock tracks that never shy away from personal crisis. It’s a record built around emotion and healing, but the music doesn’t dwell – it incites the listener to remember and look forward.
We sat down with founder and frontwoman, singer-songwriter Lizzy Lehman, to talk about her writing process and the healing power of music.
AF: You’re originally from Illinois. What kind of music did you grow up listening to?
LL: I grew up listening to all kinds of music. I listened to a lot of Motown, Classic Rock, ’60s Folk, musicals, and tons of ’90s pop, hip hop, r&b, and alternative.
AF: When did you transition from listening to music to making your own?
LL: I started making my own music at the beginning of college (2004-2005). I started writing my own songs in 2005.
AF: Had you moved to Austin at that point?
LL: No. I was going to college at Lewis and Clark in Portland, OR.
AF: What landed you in Texas?
LL: I met Peter Yarrow (of Peter, Paul, and Mary) the Summer of 2006. He told me that as a new songwriter I should go to the Kerrville Folk Festival (in Kerrville, TX). I decided to pack a guitar, a backpack, and a tiny one-person tent and headed to the festival in May 2008. I ended up making some of my best friends and meeting my now wife. I moved to Austin, Texas in January of 2011 and have been here ever since.
AF: Tell us a bit about your songwriting process with Carry Illinois. Are lyrics the foundation? Or does the band play with riffs to start?
LL: I write all the lyrics and the original music. Sometimes I start with lyrics first, but I usually start by plunking out a chord progression. I bring the song to the band and let them hear it with just me singing and playing. After introducing the song, I let them jam along and then we refine it from there.
AF: On your website, it says you also do some “fictionalized writing.” How does that aspect of your creativity affect your songwriting?
LL: I don’t write any fictitious songs anymore. When I started writing songs I would make them up. All of my songs we currently play (and the ones we are about to record) are about my real life and the lives of my friends and loved ones.
AF: “Oh a day will come / when we won’t be put down / that shameful feeling / will be long gone.” In addition to being a really catchy song, “Shameful Feeling” is also a very personal song for you in particular. Was this a hard song to bring to the rest of the band?
LL: It was not a hard song to bring to the band. All of my songs lately are highly personal and the band has always respected me and my lyrics to the highest degree. I know all of them so well now that I am never hesitant about presenting something so raw and real.
AF: 2017’s Garage Sale was created in the wake of founding member/bassist John Winsor’s suicide. Have you found performing the album to be cathartic?
LL: Absolutely. Writing and singing these six songs has made it a lot easier for me to cope with his death and process the emotions that came with his passing. I know he would be proud of me for continuing to write and sing. John was always a huge supporter and cheerleader. I miss him everyday.
AF: Carry Illinois is set to release a new record in early 2018. What has this new record’s writing process been like and what can we expect thematically?
LL: Writing the new record has felt like a breath of fresh air and a great way for me to look at how far I have come but also how far I have to go (personally and musically). As far as themes are concerned, the new songs are about my process of tapering off of anti-depressants/anti-anxiety drugs after 14 years, coping with changes within the band lineup, and learning to harness self-love even when it seems almost impossible. Writing these songs has been therapeutic and exciting. I am looking forward to releasing the new material. The sound is a bit different but I think people are going to really connect to it.
AF: You said earlier that for you, bringing music to the band isn’t difficult because you’re so in tune with one another. What advice would you give a young songwriter wanting expand their sound? Someone who is looking for the right band?
LL: I would tell them to keep writing, keep singing, and don’t be scared of speaking their truth. Music is a process and you have to keep creating. As far as a band is concerned, the right people will come along. If somebody digs your sound and what you have to contribute to the world, then they are probably worth playing with. Play music with all sorts of people and don’t be discouraged if the fit isn’t right at first. Keep honing and keep going!
Carry Illinois’ 2017 album Garage Sale is out now. Keep an ear out for their new EP dropping in early 2018!
[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”]Ben captures a Northern Black Racer at Quantico Marine Base. “[It’s] my favorite species to look for in the Northeast!” he says.Happy Holidays, everyone! I hope all your furry family gets some special holiday treats off the Hanukkah/ Christmas table. I can tell you my cats are pretty amused by our family Christmas tree; little Ruby even tried to eat a few ornaments (as she attempts with most unknown objects).
A few years ago, my buddy Jordan finally moved to Bushwick from Connecticut into an apartment which would come to be known as the Hartbreak Hotel (for its Hart Street location and its influx of recent bachelors). “I can’t wait for you to meet Ben!” he said of one of his new roommates. Jordan wanted a genuine reaction from me, so he didn’t go into details; all Jordan would say was that he never met anyone else like him, and I would come to agree.
The first time I met Ben Jaffe, I was hosting Jordan’s birthday party. Ben brought fried crickets and hot sauce with him and generously offered them to the guests (to many declines—sorry, I am a city kid when it comes to bugs, particularly eating them). We became quick friends over some mulled wine and videos of animatronic Baby Hughie. The next time Ben and I hung out was at a Nitehawk viewing of Black Christmas. I showed up late, crawled under everyone’s legs to reach my seat, then proceeded to eat and drink almost everything on the menu and pass out, which Ben found very amusing. So I guess it is pertinent that my interview with him would run on Christmas!
Since then, I have spent many a day and night hanging out with Ben. Whether it’s 6am, 12pm, 8pm, or 3am, Ben is usually doing five things at once. Often these tasks include cooking something elaborate from scratch, listening to an obscure record, drawing a anthropomorphic animal comic, watching a bizarre documentary, and/or getting everyone hopped up on espresso. In addition to being a singular host, Ben is also an incredible saxophone player. You can currently see his skills showcased in Brooklyn’s feminist art-punk band PILL, garage rock group Dumb Wolves, and experimental rock group Saxophone Reptile. Ben has since launched a label with Jordan Bell, Nick Rogers, and Davey Jones called GP Stripes that is now making lots of waves. Ben also happens to be a grade school science teacher and an expert on the cold-blooded species of creatures: fish, reptiles, amphibians, and insects.
AF: What got you interested in animals? Was there a particular creature who struck your fancy?
BJ: I became fascinated with fishes of all kinds when I was about three. I would spend hours looking at encyclopedias, National Geographic, or books from the library. I also had a collection of paper fish that I cut out of magazines. From then I moved on to crustaceans, insects, and finally reptiles and amphibians.
AF: Who was your first pet and how old were you when s/he entered your life?
BJ: My first pet was a big black cat named Simon. He was a kitten when I was born, so we grew up together in a way. He lived until I was seventeen, and I still have dreams about him once in a while. Simon’s ears were all knicked up from his many battles. He was like an older brother to me. Cats mature faster, right?
AF: What or who made you want to pick up saxophone?
BJ: I always liked saxophones. I think it could be that it looks like a combination of an arthropod and an ancient squid. You know, all those moving parts? Anyway, I tried to play when I was nine, but had trouble reading music. Years later when I was about to turn seventeen, I had this dream where I was playing the horn, and I had figured out how to play “Tequila.” I woke up and knew that I should do it, since I already knew where the notes were. I rented an alto and practiced every day, sometimes being late to class because I was hitting the practice room during lunch. My good friend Abe Maneri was playing jazz piano and Bowie songs in the same building, so we started playing together. Abe got me improvising right away, really. He also hipped me to a lot of great music. Fela Kuti, Eric Dolphy, and especially his dad, Joe Maneri. My first live solo ever was with Abe Maneri in his glam rock band, Paniot’s 9 at a battle of the bands.
AF: Do you have any experience with any other instruments?
BJ: I have some facility on keyboard, and I play it on a track from the last PILL full length,”Convenience”.
AF: The saxophone is kind of an unconventional instrument for garage rock and punk bands. What was the genre of music you learned on? When did you enter the punk sphere?
BJ: I started out just playing with my friends, who were into Sonic Youth, Mudhoney, Bowie, Iggy, Bad Brains, Nirvana, etc. Then I’d practice with my albums at home. The Fela records were big for that! There was a lot of saxophone on Iggy’s New Values album. But there were not a lot of horns on all the other stuff I liked, PIL, Black Flag, Circle Jerks. Flipper had a saxophone on a couple songs. I was even in a Flipper cover band called The Flippoffs. We played only one gig in the summer of 2001 at Charlie’s Kitchen in Cambridge. Can you believe it? Who wouldn’t want to listen to an eight minute version of “Sex Bomb“? There was a mermaid named Sally on slide whistle!
So from there I got into jazz and soul, because that’s where all the best sounding players were. I worked on Thelonious Monk songs because I liked the intervals. I formed a soul band with some friends who were big into Sun Ra and gospel 45s. We’d jam on a few jazz heads, which I could handle after a few years of shredding scales.
A couple of years later I was obsessed with guitarists like Link Wray, James Williamson from the Stooges, and Tony Iommi. I spent hours a day learning their solos by ear and trying to match the tones. Then when I was loud enough, I toured with Murphy’s Law for about a year. It is widely accepted that before 1965, the saxophone was the main instrumental voice of rock ‘n’ roll. Sometime around ’66, the guitar took over. My approach presupposes… maybe it didn’t. Like I mentioned, the first music I really liked was basically punk rock, and then I played jazz at the volumes required for punk shows.
AF: How long have you lived in New York and has that influenced your music to go in a particular direction?
BJ: Does couch surfing for five months count? I got here around June of 2008, but toured almost the whole time until January of 2009 when I got my first apartment. It was then that I really got my lip in shape to produce the sounds the way I do now. I had a situation where I was living in a loft on Myrtle that only had two tenants up on the third floor. When not on the road I would practice about four hours a day. I switched mouthpieces then to the kind I have now, which has a large chamber. Scales and long tones during the day, and shows at night. I checked out Silent Barn and Market Hotel a lot back then. Sometimes, a bunch of people would just show up at my practice space on Meserole and we’d have a noise jam until 4am. A friend came up with the idea that I should be playing through an amplifier around this time. I’d say that I expanded my tone to fit the environment.
AF: Has New York limited the type of pets you would like to keep in any way? What are some animals you would love to host but haven’t been able to in an urban setting?
BJ: All I want is a frog pond. But that won’t happen unless I move to the country. I would love to have a cat, but touring and living with roommates limits that idea. You have to really hang with a cat. I wish I could turn my entire room into a giant terrarium and just sleep on a flat rock. There could be garter snakes and a running brook. If I moved to Florida or Arizona, I could just walk outside and probably wouldn’t even keep any pets. I honestly just love seeing animals living healthy in their habitats. I guess I just want a cat.
AF: I know you have hosted many reptiles and insects. Has being a childhood science teacher warmed you up to these critters, or were you always interested in entomology?
BJ: I’ve always been really into arthropods. I just don’t get in trouble anymore for bringing them to school! I would say that it is the opposite, in a way. I have really enjoyed sharing my knowledge and fascination for living things with creatures I never took a close look at previously…children! It is so cool to show a snake to young people, because they are genuinely excited about it. Adults most often just say “Get that away from me!” This reaction is boring and a little heartbreaking for a biology-minded person like myself. So the children motivate me to learn more about living organisms with their own innate curiosity.
AF: I heard you were caring for a pregnant hissing cockroach in your apartment a few months back. How did you get the okay by your roommates? How do these creepy crawlers differ from the old Brooklyn gutter roaches?
BJ: I never told them about the hissing roaches. I think that’s the best way to keep large insects in your room. Hissing roaches belong to the family Blaberidae, which is different from Blattdae, the family that subway roaches belong to. Hissing roaches cannot fly, and would not be happy in a NYC sewer. They prefer rotting logs in a tropical forest habitat, and eat mostly fruits and vegetables. I think anyone that gives hissing roaches a chance will see that they are very chilled out, don’t bite, and make really good pets. Come on, cut up some of your apple and a few collard greens and give them a treat!
In New York City, we have three types of cockroaches. They are the American Cockroach, the German Cockroach, and the Oriental Cockroach. The one everybody talks about is probably Periplaneta Americana, the American Cockroach. This is the reddish brown monster that flies and is referred to as a water bug. To be specific, they are not true waterbugs, since they are not aquatic, and are not related to Hymiptera, the order that includes true waterbugs, stinkbugs and bedbugs! I’m glad we cleared that up!
AF: You have fostered some pretty interesting pets from your teaching job. Can you share some of them with AudioFemme?
BJ: My favorite animals that I have kept in the science lab have been the baby Chinese mantis I raised. They were so tiny and fascinating! You really have to do it yourself to understand what I mean. I don’t recommend keeping more than ten, because you have to house them in individual containers. They eat each other if left in the same tank together. The mother of this brood actually lived way into December of that year. If you’ve ever kept a mantis for that long, you notice some very curious changes in its behavior. I think that Chines Mantids essentially go insane as they get old. The eye spots get huge, making the mantis look crazed. They slow down and have difficulty hunting. My mantis chewed off part of her forelegs. One afternoon right before she checked out, she actually tried to eat my hand! She just chomped down on my knuckle and would not stop chewing. I had to spray her with water to get her to let go. It really hurt! I’ll never forget those eyes. Like something had gone haywire in her brain. I’ve never been more afraid of an individual insect.
Other cool residents have been an Italian Wall Lizard that I caught out on Long Island, and a very charismatic Anole named Cletus who now lives in my apartment. Currently in the lab, we have a Common Garter Snake that I adopted from a pet store. I am pretty sure it was wild caught. We also have some impressive Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches. One got out over the summer and was discovered by the assistant principal! She recognized it and did not treat the insect the way New Yorkers usually deal with roaches. We also have a school of fathead minnows. I love common species.
AF: If you had to choose one animal you relate the most to, what would it be?
BJ: A grey tabby cat.
AF: Your roommate Diana has some pretty cute fluffy friends. What has it been like having those buddies around the apartment?
BJ: It’s the best. Toki and Scrambles! They are such friendly cats. I play with Toki every day after work. It is definitely important to keep my door closed, however. Toki will go in and chew up the house plants. One time, he threw up on Cletus’ cage.
AF: I know you dabble in comics on the side of your music and teaching careers. Are Carlos Rock Dog, Kitty Cat, or Denim Frog based on any real animal or human pals?
BJ: It’s hard to pinpoint who is what. Carlos just sort of showed up one day. He was a seagull first, in a comic I drew during lunch. Then he was a hound dog, and before I knew it, he started driving a car in the desert. Carlos spends most of his time on the highways between Ohio and Los Angeles. He hardly ever goes to New York City. Over time, I realized that Carlos is based on a few different people. He looks most like Jhon Grewell and Edd Chittenden from Dumb Wolves, the Prits, I’m Turning Into, MTS. Edd once said that Carlos is my diary, and he is right. I take things that have happened to me, and draw them as comics. “The Cat” from Carlos is based on every annoying friend you have ever had. The friend that drives you crazy, gets you in trouble, and you sometimes have to disassociate yourself from because it’s just dangerous being around them. Except Carlos can never do that with the Cat. He does not have a choice. Along for the ride, unfortunately. Denim Frog is a less complex character. He is a vehicle for dumb jokes. He is not that smart, but loves tricking other people. I won’t reveal who he is based on. I did keep a bullfrog for about eight years, so there’s something for you to think about.
AF: How did you become friends with all of your current bandmates? Do you think you all would be in the same animal family, or are there some fluffies and some scalies in your crew?
BJ: I first met Edd and Jhon [/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”][of Dumb Wolves] when I would go to hear I’m Turning Into around Brooklyn. We became friends at shows and parties. One day, Jhon was out of town and I filled in the bass parts of I’m Turning Into songs on saxophone. That was the beginning of the band, basically. We’re all Dumb Wolves. Which are dogs, as you know. Jhon likes to wear a shirt of whatever dog breed he feels like that day.
We also like Thrinaxodon, a mammal like reptile who lived during the Permian-Triassic period.
[Regarding] PILL, I knew Andrew from his performances as Space Lions in Outer Space, and I met Veronica at Death By Audio and various shows/parties. I did not meet Jon until the first time the four of us jammed together. We played for about twenty minutes and he said, “Hi I’m Jon.” I imagine we’d all be different animals: Andrew, a dolphin; Veronica, A cockatoo; Jon, A black or dark brown poodle; and myself, a frog or a garter snake.
AF: You have been on the road a lot these past few years. Do you have a favorite location to play in?
BJ: I like Nashville. There are some great spots there, and it’s different enough to feel far away from NYC. Columbus, Ohio is a good gig to play in the middle of the week. People really seem to come out for shows there. I also really dig Chicago.
AF: Any funny or fantastic road stories to share?
BJ: Drunk Gecko Hunting in Talahassee. After playing a party last March, I went looking for Mediterranean Geckos behind the house. We tried to film it to send to my students as a science video, but I was too drunk. There was no way I would ever email it to the school. It sounded like I was lurking behind people’s houses talking crazy about nocturnal animals, which I pretty much was. I did catch a good sized gecko, however.
I’m racking my brain about these tour stories. I have some from when I was a kid, of course, but PILL stories? Every day is a ridiculous day. I could relay the time in 2016 when I stood at the Mexican border in Big Bend National Park, playing “America the Beautiful” to a couple of people standing across the river. They came over to sell us some little toys and things made from wire. I continued to play, and this time it was more free. A man and a younger guy who was probably about 14 did not even look phased. A family came by to take some photos. That is who we saw on the border that day. It might not be much of a story, but it has a resonance now.
AF: Will you be cuddling with any animal friends for the holidays?
BJ: Oh sure. I will have a little extra time to hang and play with Toki and Scrambles. Toki is the kind of cat that wants to be chased around, and if you don’t play his games, he will do something to make you annoyed. Chewing house plants and then throwing up are a pretty common agenda. There will be a few cat naps, which is close to how I sleep anyway. I’ll spend some time hanging with a garter snake from the school. It is necessary for me to take it home to ensure fresh water and lots of live food. Garter snakes like water, you know. I also have two cat sitting gigs. Cats get bored and need a buddy to hang with. I think that’s the most important thing about keeping one. After you sleep for three hours and there is nothing to do, what happens then? You can’t go back to sleep.
PILL’s next New York show takes place at Elsewhere’s Zone One on January 16th, when they open up for Olivia Neutron-John. Get tickets here and check out their latest release, Aggressive Advertising, via bandcamp.[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]
While there’s been many a jaded thinkpiece about the import of music critics (usually begging the question What are they good for?) and the ubiquity of year-end lists can feel shallow at times, we can’t stress enough the importance of what it means to share music among friends. It’s a huge part of developing our tastes early in life – everyone has that one super cool bestie who introduced you to your favorite band in middle school – and as we get older, if music remains a source of passion in our lives, it becomes something we bond over as new relationships form.
Here at Audiofemme, we think of our readers as friends, so we made a list too. It’s not definitive, it’s not authoritative, and it’s (hopefully) not pretentious – just a round-up of the albums and singles that soundtracked the year for our regular writers (and, of course, your editors). We hope it will result in discovery as one year becomes the next; perhaps that album you missed back in February will get you through this winter, here and now. Music exists on a continuum, and even though the releases were highlighting now all came out within a particular calendar year, we don’t have to put them aside as we turn the page. Stay tuned for more features over the next week recapping 2017, and in the meantime, take a listen to some of our most beloved tunes.
EDITOR LISTS
Annie White (Executive Director)
Top 10 Albums:
1) Zola Jesus – Okovi
2) the xx – I See You
3) Jlin – Black Oragami
4) King Krule – The OOZ
5) Perfume Genius – No Shape
6) Kelela – Take Me Apart
7) Julien Baker – Turn Out The Lights
8) Slowdive – Slowdive
9) SZA – Ctrl
10) Priests – Nothing Feels Natural Top 5 Singles:
1) Aimee Mann – “Goose Snow Cone”
2) Rostam – “Don’t Let It Get To You”
3) Lorde – “The Louvre”
4) Cardi B – “Bodak Yellow”
5) Charlotte Gainsbourg – “Deadly Valentine”
Lindsey Rhoades (Editor-in-Chief)
Top 10 Albums:
1) Mount Eerie – A Crow Looked at Me
2) The War on Drugs – A Deeper Understanding
3) Slowdive – Slowdive
4) Sophia Kennedy – Sophia Kennedy
5) SZA – Ctrl
6) Circuit des Yeux – Reaching for Indigo
7) Kelly Lee Owens – Kelly Lee Owens
8) Big Thief – Capacity
9) Havah – Contravveleno
10) sir Was – Digging a Tunnel Top 10 Singles:
1) Land of Talk – “Inner Lover”
2) Xiu Xiu – “Wondering”
3) The National – “Nobody Else Will Be There”
4) Jlin – “Holy Child”
5) Marika Hackman – “Boyfriend”
6) Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith – “An Intention”
7) Wolf Parade – “Valley Boy”
8) Syd – “Body”
9) Perfume Genius – “Wreath”
10) Pixx – “Toes”
Top 5 Albums:
1) Happyness – Write In
2) Timber Timbre – Sincerely, Future Pollution
3) Aldous Harding – Party
4) Kendrick Lamar – DAMN.
5) Perfume Genius – No Shape Top 3 Singles:
1) Aldous Harding – “Imagining My Man”
2) Blanck Mass – “Please”
3) Benjamin Clementine – “Phantom of Aleppoville”
Ashley Prillaman
Top 5 Albums:
1) Valerie June – The Order of Time
2) Portugal The Man – Woodstock
3) Kendrick Lamar – DAMN.
4) Big Thief – Capacity
5) SZA – Ctrl Top 3 Singles:
1) Valerie June – “Astral Plane”
2) Amber Mark – “Lose My Cool”
3) Big Thief – “Shark Smile”
Top 5 Albums:
1) Daniel Caesar – Freudian
2) Jamila Woods – HEAVN
3) Moses Sumney – Aromanticism
4) Kurt Vile and Courtney Barnett – Lotta Sea Lice
5) Kevin Morby – City Music Top 3 Singles:
1) St. Vincent – “New York”
2) Snoh Aalegra – “Fool For You”
3) Cigarettes After Sex – “Sweet”
Elizabeth Wakefield
Top 5 Albums:
1) Bambara – Swarm
2) Angel Olsen – Phases
3) Bjork – Utopia
4) Surfbort – Bort 2 Death
5) Liars – TFCF Top 3 Singles:
1) Alexander F – “Swimmers”
2) Weeping Icon – “Jail Bilz”
3) Uni – “What’s the Problem?”
Top 5 Albums:
1) Francie Moon – So This is Life
2) The Big Drops – Time, Color
3) Angel Olsen – Phases
4) Lola Pistola – Curfew
5) Thelma & The Sleaze – Somebody’s Doin Somethin Top 3 Singles:
1) Bizarre Sharks – “Tremendous”
2) Ty Segall – “Black Magick”
3) Fruit & Flowers – “Out of Touch”
Jamila Aboushaca
Top 5 Albums:
1) ODESZA — A Moment Apart
2) Royal Blood — How Did We Get So Dark?
3) Cut Copy — Haiku From Zero
4) Khalid — American Teen
5) Lana Del Rey — Lust For Life Top 3 Singles:
1) Rostam Batmanglij — “Gwan”
2) Cut Copy — “Standing In The Middle Of The Field”
3) alt-J — “In Cold Blood”
Top 5 Albums:
1) Laura Marling – Semper Femina
2) Galantis – The Aviary
3) Robin Schulz – Uncovered
4) Sleigh Bells – Kid Kruschev
5) Björk – Utopia Top 3 Singles:
1) Marshmello ft. Khalid – “Silence”
2) Martin Garrix ft. Troye Sivan – “There for You”
3) Dua Lipa – “New Rules”
Mandy Brownholtz
Top 5 Albums:
1) Alvvays – Antisocialites
2) Waxahatchee – Out In The Storm
3) Future Islands – The Far Field
4) Priests – Nothing Feels Natural
5) King Woman – Created In The Image Of Suffering Top 3 Singles:
1) Alvvays – “NotMy Baby”
2) Yumi Zouma – “December”
3) Charly Bliss – “Glitter”
Every year I’m frustrated by the lack of new Christmas songs and wonder why we always have to listen to the same classics on repeat. I obviously haven’t been paying enough attention all these years, because this week’s playlist is dominated by new holiday jams.
My favorite of these is definitely “Crying on Christmas Day” by the Nashville transplant via Chicago singer-songwriter Tristen. While her newly released fourth studio album Sneaker Waves highlights her sophisticated, synth-laced, ’60s inspired sound, her Christmas offering has a more minimal classic folk sound that would make Joni Mitchell proud.
All proceeds from this song will be donated to Doctors Without Borders, an independent medical humanitarian organization founded in 1971, that delivers life-saving medical care to those affected by war, natural disaster, disease outbreaks, systematic neglect or exclusion, and other crises.
Whether you think Columbus is as cold as I do (@ me, midwesterners) or not, shorter days and darker skies can drag at anyone’s energy. And for those estranged from family or friends, this time of year is especially hard.
If the holiday festivities are draining you, fear not! Check out our Playing Columbus-approved activity guide to have *actual* fun and beat the Christmas blues. In true testament to Columbus’ burgeoning music and art scene, we’ve chosen something to do for each day this week. Grab a cocoa, strap into a sled, and find something new.
Wild Goose Creative’s last open mic of 2017 will feature TTUM, the musical project of Tatum Margot, a Columbus-based multi-instrumentalist, singer, song-writer, and producer. Margot’s first electronic album, Flawless Ruby, came out in October of 2017. Along with TTUM’s performance, the community is invited to bring art, music, poetry, comedy, and story-telling to share. Sign up for a 5 minute slot at the door to bring your act onstage.
This event is clearly marketed towards children, but I love ice skating, and I love glow sticks. Plus – it’s early! Skate to some holiday tunes in the early evening, with plenty of time to catch a later event.
7pm, Skate Zone 71
$8 (this includes skate rental *and* a glowstick!)
This Saturday, local drag superstar Nina West will present her “sassiest, singiest series ever” at the Gateway. The event begins with a mixer, and is followed by a sing-along program featuring West’s comedy and performances by the Columbus Gay Men’s Chorus.
4:30pm mixer, 6pm show, Gateway Film Center
$20, including a $5 donation to Kaleidoscope Youth Center
Honestly…who could miss this? Excess Karaoke is hosting their weekly Sunday karaoke at Ace of Cups (that means you get to perform on a real stage!) immediately after the 9th annual “gathering of people not celebrating xmas.” Ugly sweaters are optional.
Well, my Gateway-employee roommate isn’t happy the film center is open on Christmas, but you might be! Check out their showing of Roger Waters’ 1982 film The Wall, showing in its original 35mm.
If you’re wiped out from the holiday festivities, recharge at Park Street Tavern’s Tuesday Jazz Jam, which features both their own house band and rotating local musicians.
Dance to pop punk, emo, hardcore and alternative all night long at Skully’s to ring in the new year. If you’d like to get the night started early, head to Bodega from 6pm-9pm; $1 of every PBR purchased will be donated to mental health advocacy and suicide prevention organizations.
Local bands Maza Blaska and Sweet Teeth are both celebrating new releases on Thursday night at Ace of Cups. They’ll be joined by another Columbus favorite, Corbezzolo.
We’ve all been a bit preoccupied thinking about the musical headlines of 2017, but I’m here to do a little forward-thinking this week. The temperatures have finally dropped to seasonally appropriate lows, Uber is hiking its carfare, and I’m craving soup. That’s right: It’s winter. And while this isn’t the most wonderful season in New York (see: snow of every color but white), there is still a hell of a lot of great music coming out in the next three months.
Whether it’s a long-awaited record by Nils Frahm or a New Year’s Eve gig by Hot Chip, musicians sure ain’t hibernating this winter, and neither should you. Here are my top picks for upcoming album releases and New York concerts to keep you warm on frosty nights. Don’t forget your puffy coat.
01/19:
First Aid Kit, Ruins
Swedish sisters Johanna and Klara Söderberg will follow-up their 2014 debut Stay Gold with the much-anticipated Ruins. The folk duo recently released the single, “Postcard” and will headline New York’s Beacon Theatre on February 19th.
Porches, The House
Porches mastermind Aaron Maine worked on his third LP The House for a solid 18 months. That’s no surprise given the record’s colorful list of contributors, including Dev Hynes, (Sandy) Alex G, and Maine’s own father. The album will be a follow-up to Porches’ 2016 Pool and Water EP. Check out the video for the first single, “Find Me” below.
01/26:
Nils Frahm, All Melody
There is no album I am more excited about in 2018 than All Melody, Nils Frahm’s follow-up to 2015’s Solo. Recorded in Frahm’s brand new, custom built studio, All Melody ventures into sonic territory untraveled by the artist so far – namely his new use of the human voice. The composer, instrument designer, and all-around piano philosopher is supporting the record with a worldwide tour, playing New York’s Knockdown Center on March 15th. I’ll be in the front row, weeping at every keystroke.
No Age, Snares Like A Haircut
Drag City and Sub-Pop alums No Age are hitting extra heavy on their fourth full-length Snares Like A Haircut. The Los Angeles duo comprising drummer/vocalist Dean Spunt and guitarist Randy Randall kicked off the record’s promo with killer single “Soft Collar Fad.” Perhaps the upcoming record is best described by Drag City’s website, which calls it, “Rock and roll for the black hole.”
02/02:
Field Music, Open Here
2018 will be a great year for siblings. Peter and David Brewis of Field Music certainly ensure this fate (along with First Aid Kit). Their delightfully ‘80s lead single “Count It Up” from forthcoming LP Open Here sounds like a happy marriage between Crowded House (another sibling set), Gary Numan, and Phil Collins at his hit-making best. Not too shabby for a pair of penniless Sunderland brothers.
Hookworms, Microshift
Leeds’ electro/psych rockers Hookworms will follow up their 2014 studio LP The Hum with Microshift, which is rumored to be far more dance-driven than their previous krautrock influenced work. By the sound of lead single “Negative Space” it seems that rumors are true.
02/16
Ought, Room Inside the World
Montreal’s beloved post-punks Ought released the fantastic single “These 3 Things” last month, and I’ve been chomping at the bit for their new record ever since. Room Inside the World is the band’s first record since 2015’s Sun Coming Down, and it’s sure to be a highlight of 2018.
U.S. Girls, In A Poem Unlimited
Something tells me 2018 is going be U.S. Girls’ Meghan Remy’s breakout year. It’s already apparent on Remy’s most recent single “Velvet 4 Sale” that she has grown as a composer – the track feels more fleshed out, in-depth, and powerful than some of her previous lo-fi recordings. I’m looking forward to what the entire album has in store.
02/23:
Fever Ray, Plunge
Fortunately, Fever Ray’s Karin Dreijer already dropped the digital release of Plunge in October. But for all of you vinyl collectors out there, the physical LP will be available come February 23rd via Mute and Rabid Records.
If you haven’t noticed, the past couple of months have seen Eminem emerge from his private life – one I imagine as a healthy balance of dysfunctional family time and sitting in dark corners thinking of puns – to voice his contempt for our country’s governing body via a trail of singles, ending with his first studio album in four years, Revival. Despite the 45-year-old rapper’s most well-meaning(?) attempts at woke-ness and personal reflection, it’s pretty much a general consensus that the album is an over-commercialized political piece at best and a bloated shitshow at worst. However, as a (metro) Detroit-native who grew up on Slim Shady, it’s pretty much a requirement for me to hold an allegiance to him, even in his darkest hour. Which is why, instead of sharing my personal thoughts on the album, I decided to highlight some of the sickest burns from music journalists across the internet, aimed at the diss-master himself.
It should come as no surprise that the most scathingly brutal, yet not untrue, review came from Pitchfork. The cool kids who crown themselves “the most trusted voices in music” really know how to hit a guy where it hurts – and make everyone agree with them. Rap contributor Matthew Ismael Ruiz gave the record a stinging 5.0, unimpressed by what he deems “overwhelmingly bland hooks” and “cringe-worthy humor.” Ouch, Matthew! What hurts even more is… he’s not wrong. The clever wordplay that Mathers is known for crosses into really distasteful dad-joke territory with lines like, “I’m swimming in that Egyptian river, ’cause I’m in denial” on “Need Me.” Why, Marshall? Why?
Ruiz closes with a dig at the record’s recurring theme of self-doubt: “Though it’s easy to empathize with his creeping self-doubt, it’s tougher to swallow in the context of an album that ultimately proves that those doubts are correct.” So much for not listening to the voices inside your head.
The New York Times, who I would normally expect to be a bit more subtle with its abhorrence of a subject, was not shy about loathing Revival. The second writer to describe Mathers’ try at a heart-wrenching patriotic ballad “Like Home” as “toothless,” Jon Carmanica also unleashes his wrath on Eminem’s dry puns. “What has long felt like extreme facility with language is beginning to feel like an uncontrolled fire hose,” writes Carmanica, who continues to elaborate on Mathers’ degenerating lyricism with the song “Framed.” “The song is both excellent and reprehensible,a reminder of how sui generis Eminem felt at the beginning of his career, and how poorly he has aged.” Not everyone can be a fine wine.
While Ruiz and Carmanica slay Shady with intellectual insight and polished rhetoric, I really have to give the creativity crown to Brian Josephs of Spin. The common thread that binds the three writers is a shared disapproval for Mathers’ tired pun-game. Josephs asserts that “nearly every punchline winds up feeling as forced as a stranger sparking a conversation at a urinal.” I could say that, as a woman, I don’t know what that feels like, but I’d be lying. Anyway, Josephs further solidifies his descriptive genius by coining “Need Me” a “vomitous sonic Crayola mess,” thereby raising the bar of shit-talking as I know it.
However, probably the cringiest display of public slander is Eminem’s own description of his songwriting process, given to NPR’s Michael Martin.
“When I’m writing, sometimes an idea or a line will pop in my head, and I’ll be like, ‘Yo, that thought is messed up.’ And I either laugh to myself or I say, ‘You know what? That might be just going too far.’ So, have I ever took it too far? I probably have, who knows?”
New York City jewelry designer Laura Powers launched her fine jewelry line BRUCE earlier this year with its first collection, “Multitudes.” She is a self-taught jeweler and designer whose minimalist body of work mirrors the dynamic contradictions of nature.
I met Laura in the spring at my former local haunt, Roebling Tea Room (RIP). We were both regulars and the bartender had mentioned her impressive jewelry to me before. I was inspired by her work from the beginning. Powers creates smooth, sharp, soft, and strong 14k gold designs that capture the duality of life and embolden those who wear these pieces.
Audiofemme: When did you launch “Multitudes”?
Laura Powers: It launched in April of 2017 – it’s still just a baby!
AF: What is the significance of the name BRUCE?
LP: I had the HARDEST time naming my line and went through probably a dozen different names until one day BRUCE popped into my head.
There’s this movie called Dogtooth by Yorgos Lanthimos – it’s one of my all-time favorites. I won’t give away too much of the story but it’s about these three kids whose parents keep them on a compound and never let them out into the world. Their home is stunningly beautiful and comfortable but completely insular and everything about their lives is a little off. The parents are serious. The eldest daughter gets a peek into the real world through a series of events and starts to slowly assert her intellectual independence and explore her sexuality. At this point, she gives herself an alter ego and asks to be called Bruce.
The strict family aspect resonates because I was an early-identifiable atheist and my parents were strict Baptist Christians. More than that though, two years ago I left a long-term physically abusive relationship and learned first hand what it really feels like to pull myself out of a highly oppressive situation.
My jewelry line represents a lot for me – once I started to feel like a real, whole person, this line happened and I relate on many levels to the moment the eldest daughter came out from under her own sovereign oppression to become Bruce. It’s a namesake that represents unapologetic self-discovery and true singular power.
AF: How did you get your start creating jewelry and how has your style developed?
LP: Jewelry started as a distraction for me. I studied film production in college and was working for the History Channel editing World War II footage and was starting to feel very burnt out on it. I had a friend who made jewelry and it looked like fun so I just sort of picked up some pliers and started playing around. It turned out that I could sit at my little make-shift bench with my janky little tools for hours on end and not get tired of it. Once I realized that I was completely insatiable when it came to this work, I slowly shifted out of film and into jewelry over the course of the last four years. I’ve been working in fine jewelry full time for three years.
When I first started, my stuff was made of brass and raw minerals like citrine, amethyst, garnet, and pyrite. I was totally just learning as I went along and did a lot of trial and error. I used to buy crystals and drill holes in them in my bathroom. I occasionally used animal bone in some of the bigger, more dramatic pieces. My style has changed very dramatically. I moved from big, chunky crystal pieces with lots of parts to a more thoughtful, dialed-back, solid gold aesthetic.
I’ve been working as a jeweler at Catbird in Brooklyn for the last few years and recently moved into a design associate role there. Everything I’ve learned from them has helped me not only hone my skill set but also streamline my design. I think on top of being surrounded by the coolest fine jewelry and working with the seriously talented ladies of Catbird, I started allowing myself to really explore creatively as I’ve gotten older. It’s funny, as soon as I stopped thinking about how others would react to my work, my aesthetic solidified and my line totally took off.
AF: What inspires your aesthetic?
LP: I’m inspired by a lot of intangibles. The biggest thing that moves me is the concept of dynamic contradiction – soft/strong, masculine/feminine, ordered/chaotic, loud/quiet all at the same time. I like to use smooth shapes and hard lines, unexpected solidity to feminine pieces, etc. I’m inspired by androgyny and uncertainty and exploration. Anything odd and overwhelming. I’m also endlessly inspired by the people who’ve come into my life and who’ve left it – by love, loss and grief, poetics.
I’m inspired by Neil Young and The Beatles and Joni Mitchell and Paul Simon and Karen Dalton because those sounds make me feel like a kid again. I cry every time I listen to Harvest Moon and crying does a lot for me creatively.
In a more tangible arena, I’m inspired by contemporary fashion – Rodarte, Celine, Off-white, Vetements, Eckhaus Latta, St. Laurent, Alyx, and by other jewelers working today, especially those who push traditional boundaries (Ninna York, Sophie Buhai, Polly Wales, All Blues, Gabriela Artigas, and Quarry are a few favorites).
Iconic women inspire me – Björk, Winona Ryder, Kate Moss, Joan Didion, Cher, Sofia Coppola, Hedy Lamarr, Tavi Gevinson, Madonna, Jane Birkin, Lisa Bonet, Charlotte Gainsbourg and Lou Doillon… along with my brilliant close girlfriends who continuously inspire me through the work they do and the character they embody. I feel truly humbled by my luck in finding them.
AF: What materials do you like to work with?
LP: I work in fine jewelry so it’s all 14k above, yellow rose and white gold. For stones: diamonds, rubies, emeralds, sapphires, and opals. I’ve been playing around with mother of pearl and enamel for my upcoming collection and that’s been a really interesting new challenge.
LP: I spend 99.9% of my time with gold and diamonds – running a company is more than a full-time job and I do that on top of my actual full-time job.
That said, I’ve recently started getting back to my storytelling roots, this time through writing instead of film. I’m working on a series of personal essays at the moment and working with the Gotham Writers Workshops on a memoir I hope to finish next year!
AF: Where do you like to get in the zone?
LP: When I’m in design mode I like to go to the Ace Hotel with my dog or disappear for several solo hours at one of my favorite dark bars in the city like Mr. Fongs, Clandestino, Rintintin, or Forgtmenot – I have a thing for habits and ritual. They help me settle.
AF: Where is your studio located?
LP: I do some work out of a couple different studios around the Williamsburg area and I also have an in-home studio in my apartment in Chelsea.
“Multitudes” can be found online and at Catbird located in Williamsburg. Follow Laura Powers on Instagram and look out for a new bold, beautiful BRUCE line to come April 2018![/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]
[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”]Ex-Girlfriends tour routes by Tine Hill
After spending 21 weeks on tour in 2017 with four bands (playing in Sharkmuffin, Ex-Girlfriends, Kino Kimino and tour mama-gering for The Big Drops) in three different countries, here are my picks for the best promoters, collectives and venues that I’ve been lucky enough to experience in 2017 (in no particular order)…
Sharkmuffin played at Sticky Mike’s Frog Bar in Brighton for the Great Escape Festival at about 3 in the morning. English psych rockers PINS kicked off the night and I couldn’t believe people were still around and excited that late. True to its name, the basement venue of Sticky Mike’s is reminiscent of sweaty ’70s LES punk venues, with a fence barricade between the stage and audience that everyone pushes and pulls on. At one point during our set an audience member coaxed me to jump over the barrier and crowd surf. I took the opportunity to do so, but was quickly dropped (don’t worry, I’m used to it) into a puddle of vomit.
Polly & Ollie, who organized the whole show, put us up in their flat that night, as well as for our return visit to Brighton – the final show of our U.K. tour. Every last Friday, they and a group of friends who “wanted to give themselves and other girls involved in music, art and promoting a more accessible platform in the music industry on their own terms” host BITCH CRAFT at Sticky Mike’s in an effort to create “a safe, friendly and equal environment for girls to come and enjoy themselves and promote what they’re good at,” including behind-the-scenes support.
Little Dickman Records (The Saint, Asbury Park Yacht Club, Asbury Hotel, ect.)
Asbury Park, NJ
Asbury Park, NJ is a small city by the sea, sandwiched between NYC and Philly. A decade ago, Asbury was a ghost town full of uninspiring classic rock cover bands, making it difficult to convince touring bands to pass through. Little Dickman Records, run by Chris and Amy Dickman, have changed all that with their intent to bring the coolest original touring rock bands to Asbury Park. One of their most memorable shows of the year was when Nashville country duo Birdcloud played at The Saint. “The place was packed and there was a real excitement in the air. Birdcloud came out in diapers and put on quite an amazing show. Probably one of the edgiest and dirtiest shows Asbury Park has seen since the night GG Alllin played Fastlane in ’91,” remembers Chris.
The Little Dickman team also presents shows at Asbury Park Yacht Club and at the Asbury Hotel – named Best New Hotel in 2016 in a USA Today Readers’ Poll. Fruit & Flowers played there with The Nude Party and High Waisted, two shows that LDR say they’re also most proud of this year. We also played the Little Dickman Records SXSW showcase in Austin, Texas, which included music from LDR artists The Off White, The Blind Shake, Thelma And The Sleaze, Pink Mexico, Dead Coast and more.
Fleetwood’s is a brand new rock ‘n’ roll chapel, vintage store, rock venue and bar run by a wonderful woman named Mary and her partner. She put together a great last minute show for Ex-Girlfriends in September and was also able to host A Deer A Horse after their Florida shows were canceled because of the Hurricane Irma. It’s a versatile and cozy space where we felt right at home.
“Fleetwood’s Rock-n-Roll Wedding Chapel and Vintage in Asheville, NC opened on August 23rd 2017. My partners and I had the opportunity to take over an old pawn shop that we transformed into a vintage store with a bar and a ‘quickie wedding chapel’ (where bands play). Since we’ve been open we’ve hosted over 50 bands from all over the country – mostly punk and rock-n-roll with a couple of old-time country events. We’ve also held two legal weddings (including same sex) and three drunken fake ones. The word has spread fast within the band scene and nearly every touring band is making plans to come back. I think that our unique space coupled with our true love and respect for indie musicians is what makes us so special. We try and create a welcoming environment to all who come through and make sure they are paid well and respected. We’ve run the gamut from unknown bands that have blown our minds to members of bigger groups like TVOTR and The Black Lips. We look forward to every band that plays because we live for Rock-n-Roll.” – Mary
Janeth Gonda of Made in Colombia Presents has run a DIY venue out of her incredible apartment with basement studio space and backyard since 2014. At Barranquilla, I’ve played anything from a horror movie screening/flea market/record release party to my own joint birthday party with Natalie of Sharkmuffin. She has hosted countless touring bands, Northside events, full moon gatherings and so much more. The event she is most proud of this year at Barranquilla was the BUST Pride Event with Haybaby, New Myths, Parrot Dream, Lost Boy ?, Espejismo (feat. Janeth herself!), See Through Dresses, Hot Curl & Street Rules.
“This year I’ve been super lucky to extend my platform beyond Barranquilla Studios by working with BUST Magazine. It’s so awesome to be able to bring so many amazing people together. I think I’m most stoked on my efforts to help create safer spaces for open discussions and to hopefully foster change. At my most recent event we combined music, crafting, and herbalism with politics and workshops such as how to heal after sexual trauma and consent. I think it’s essential to bring certain issues to light even when we’re just having a good time at a show. In order to create change we sort of have to shove it down people’s throats, raise our voices and let them know we are here.” – Janeth Gonda
We Can Do It Promotions (The Lock Tavern)
London, England
When Sharkmuffin toured the U.K. for the first time in May 2017 we had no idea what to expect. We feel so lucky to have met Kelly of We Can Do It Promotions who put together our amazing first show in London at The Lock Tavern that was way more well-attended and fun than any of us could have imagined. Founded in January 2016, their mission is to support “continuously improving but sometimes overlooked gender equality. In the music industry we are constantly met by male dominated line-ups and We Can Do It Promotions is here to support female and male musicians equally.” Their website includes interviews & photos of a lot of the shows they’ve promoted!
Muchmore’s is the last DIY venue of Williamsburg, Brooklyn owned by New Orleans born lawyer Andrew Muchmore. This year he had a major victory with a lawsuit that helped overturn the 89-year-old Cabaret Law, which prohibited dancing at venues that didn’t have a certain license. Muchmore’s current booking manager is Heather Cousins of Ex-Girlfriends and Side Bitch.
“One thing I love about being a booking manager and also a touring musician is that I get to help bands we’ve played with on the road. We recently had Blaha from Minneapolis; one of their members put us up while we were out there. Today we had Cult Flea Market Twisted Christmas edition which, yes, is a Flea Market for horror and weird cult stuff. It was put on with Mike Hunchback from Co-Op 87 Records (cool record store in Greenpoint). I picked up a Wanda Jackson Record and a weird novel about lust and blood with Cavewomen. I’ve made cocktail menus of women-fronted bands; you can get a Birdcloud or a Sharkmuffin.
We’ve had so many great shows lately, like Hank & Cupcakes from Georgia, and Ute Root from Australia. I love booking all kinds of stuff, from comedy to rock shows and burlesque. We even have a monthly wrestling comedy show! I can’t wait to do more with the art scene – especially comic book artists – and we’re hoping to finally get some rock ‘n’ roll DJs. All in all, being a booker is a rewarding experience even if it can be a little grueling sometimes.” – Heather Cousins
Super Dark Collective (One Caroline)
Saratoga Springs, NY
I was able to play at One Caroline in Saratoga Springs with Kino Kimino and also come back to see a show with The Big Drops, High Waisted and The Coax in November. One Caroline is your typical jazz bar with fancy cocktails and good American bistro styled food. But Super Dark Collective ironically hosts louder shows on Mondays and Thursdays. The block that One Caroline is on gets so crazy on the weekends with all its packed bars, cover bands and college student crowds, but One Caroline is the only place you can here a plethora of genres of rock music as well as interesting touring bands thanks to Super Dark Collective. They also run the independent record labels Super Dark Records and Lo-Fi Kabuki Records and book shows in the Capital Region area.
GNARBURGER Records
Los Angeles, CA
GNARBURGER is currently my favorite record store. The joint venture between Gnar Tapes and Burger Records opened their doors in 2015 and have let bands from all over play on their tight floor space ever since. Ex-Girlfriends and Fruit & Flowers played a day show here back in February, thankfully escaping the NYC winter to play music, drink beer, and shop for records & vintage clothes on a lovely afternoon.
Kind Turkey Records is a garage/punk/pop record label run by Bobby Hussy from The Hussy, whose roster includes Proud Parents, Digital Leather, and Nots among many others. Bobby also books amazing line-ups at Mickey’s Tavern every time we come through town. The venue has a few different velvety rooms, a pool table and great food (plus they have an option to feed bands)! Bobby also has put together Turkey Fest every fall for the past eight years.
Hi Tide
Brooklyn, NY
Hi Tide is a booking company formed by Ana Becker of Fruit & Flowers and Tim Race of Big Bliss (both of whom were recently named the #1 and #2 hardest working bands in NYC by Oh My Rockness).
“Tim and I started Hi Tide after we got back from a joint Big Bliss / Fruit & Flowers tour in March. We booked that tour together, and it was the least painful tour booking experience either of us had ever had. Most of us in DIY touring bands rely on friends in bands in other cities to help us book good shows in their towns. It makes a huge difference when people actually set up a show with care. So as long as we’ve each been in bands, we’ve done our best to return the favor when bands from other cities reach out to us. We figured we could do that part together too, so we stuck a logo on it and Hi Tide was born.”- Ana Becker
“The idea for Babes All Rock started on a Facebook thread. One of the organizers from Color Me Bushwick put out a call for recommendations of women musicians to play CMB. I tagged a ton of people, others chimed in, and it snowballed. A few people thought it’d be a great idea to make that into a fest of its own, and we got to work. Tim was 100% on board; booking diverse lineups has been a part of Hi Tide’s mission from the start. Also crucial to the fest’s organization were Gwynn Galitzer of Suffragette City, Amanda Jun, Rachel Rossen, Janeth Gonda, Josh Meyer & many others.” – Ana Becker
It was difficult enough for my dad to watch his daughter trade in lime green skorts and butterfly baseball tees for army fatigues and combat boots. Stranger were the glue-fixed hairdos and safety pins that were to come. But nothing could prepare either of us for the discomfort he and I (but mostly I) found in the late summer of 2002, at Seattle’s Experience Music Project.
The exact date is too deeply buried in Internet archives, but I’m almost positive that this particular outing to EMP fell on a Sunday in September, just days before I started the seventh grade. It had been an important summer. Elementary school had ended. I was playing the bass guitar regularly and more seriously than I ever would. My unfortunate pompadour had been shaved on the sides and bleached, leaving my skull striped with a Mohawk.
In three months I had willfully shape-shifted from tribe-less loner to card-carrying member of a subculture. Before the first day of middle school it seemed paramount that I cloak myself in some fully-realized identity. A label was as good as a shield. I was a “punk,” and with that easy-to-utter role I was assigned a wardrobe, a musical preference, and a narrowly fashioned worldview that my small town experiences fit snugly into.
That summer it also seemed paramount to attend as many shows as my parents would allow (or were willing to drive me to). Racking up a store of song references and concert memories felt as necessary as procuring two spiral-bound, college ruled notebooks, a three-ring binder, and sharp pencils. Unfortunately, this Sunday excursion to EMP would never be woven into a grimy tale of punk rock glory. Other gigs would leave me with badges of honor: bruise-tattooed arms and bloody noses; smoke-caked clothes; signed CDs. But not this gig.
The headlining act was John Doe, who had traded in his trademark electric guitar for an acoustic one years prior. I’d heard of the legendary X frontman the same way I’d heard of every punk band between 6th and 7th grade: Marc Spitz and Brendan Mullen’s oral history of LA punk, We Got the Neutron Bomb. I knew Doe wouldn’t be blasting out the iconic punk numbers he’d co-written with X’s Exene Cervenka, but that was ok. His venture into country and folk was accepted even by my stubborn criteria at the time. Social Distortion’s Mike Ness had already released a few country-plated records, therefore de-stigmatizing the genre for me.
What I didn’t know, despite the afternoon set time, the lack of a stage, and the instructions to sit on the floor upon arrival, was that this would be the least punk rock “concert” I would ever attend. When the children arrived, that began to sink in. There were swarms of them. They sprawled on the ground, squirmed in their parents’ laps, and encircled me, sitting “crisscross applesauce” as my schoolteachers once put it. Soon, John Doe appeared, sat on a folding chair, and began a merciless hour-long set of children’s music, complete with animal sounds and sing-alongs. Imagine my discomfort – a twelve year old towering over the rest of the audience, clearly retired from the 0-8 age range suggested in the fine print I finally read on the drive home. In the past I’d been thrilled to be the youngest person at the punk show. But now that the sensation was inverted, I was one of the old-timers and not yet 13. I did not like it. It was decidedly un-punk. And did I mention the children’s music?
Sixteen years later, I was ready for a redo. Scrolling through show listings on Monday, I saw an opportunity to get this right. John Doe was coming to New York… and playing at a wine bar. After almost two decades I could come full circle and be the youngest person at the John Doe concert, the way it should have been all along.
I know it’s petty. It’s also a cheap shot, labeling an inevitable event as a goal, like when I write “Wake up!” on my next-day To Do list (so far I’ve crossed it off every time). But it seemed too perfect to pass up on. Besides, John Doe is getting up there, and if I could avoid my only memory of him being scored by “Old McDonald” I was going to. New York makes it so easy to see your heroes in the flesh that we often pass it up like they’re subway buskers. I’ve been trying to remedy that attitude in myself lately, lest I regret it in the long run.
I’m aware that there wasn’t a damn cool thing about seeing John Doe at City Vineyard (located at Hudson River Park’s Pier 26, sister venue to City Winery). Being the lone diner perched next to baby boomer couples in fleece vests, and shelling out too much dough for seared ahi and a chocolate pot au crème didn’t scream “hip.” The man pumping his fist in the front row to Doe’s all-acoustic set wasn’t helping either, and in truth, he may have singed me with more embarrassment than being goaded to sing “And a quack-quack there” years ago.
Between songs, Doe kept referring to the crowd as one “of a certain age” and this made me drink faster. Being under 40 in this crowd didn’t transform the experience, just like seeing the co-founder of X perform didn’t transform anyone’s Patagonia into a leather jacket. Doe however, did enough transforming for all of us, one minute nipping us with deadpan one-liners (“I asked for a smaller stage. They agreed.”) and then bringing down the house with renditions of “A Case of You” and “Golden State.” He was in top form, with the cowboy shirt and silver jewelry to prove it.
It seems that while people age, move on, fall in and out of sync with the passing decades, a select few are truly timeless. These few are often artists; artists like John Doe, who will always be the coolest person at his shows, anyway.
I drifted into a nap at 3pm on Saturday, December 9th, waking an hour later to find all of Columbus covered in snow. I freaked out – it was cold, and I’m Californian, and I didn’t understand how the ground could disappear so quickly. But walking up to the entrance of Second Sight Project later that night, the snow felt like a perfect accompaniment to the art on display: a blanket of quiet interrupted by the bright vitality of the work inside.
Second Sight Project, founded by Mona Gazala in 2012, serves the Franklinton neighborhood by hosting “participatory public art projects,” funding residencies, and doing educative outreach. The impact Second Sight has had is visible to the naked eye – their “Faces of Franklinton” mural at South Green and Sullivant beams over the neighborhood, and inside the building their bookcases are overflowing with items for their residentiary book program.
The organization hosts exhibits, too, and on Saturday the gallery space was filled by a group show titled “Wrecka Playa – Album Art in 20 Years.” Though the exhibit was billed as a visual art installation featuring “album cover art as realized by visual and literary artists for music 20 years in the future,” once inside, I found that it was that and much more. Participatory artists built worlds of content for each album: backstories, liner notes, scandals, and celebrations.
Inside the gallery, the imagined album covers were diverse, ranging from traditional paintings to collage to digital art. Each was accompanied by written content, though the length and breadth of that content differed. Some, like local writer Hanif Abdurraqib, wrote entire essays – in Abdurraqib’s case, describing a future Future album, Sensational. Across the room, Eric San Juan asked the viewers if a Radiohead album was still a Radiohead album if it was created by just one man, and Beyoncé, tired of the upkeep that comes with constant performance, releases an album with Jack White. Prince and Micheal Jackson released a lost session of music (the making of which generated countless conversational gems), and Jay-Z made an album called 8:88.
Each piece imagined a world 20 years in the future, informed by contemporary music and conversation, but evolved by time. Looking to the future is a difficult task in any moment, but especially when artists are expected to grapple with centuries of power dynamics and systems of oppression with each creation.
Each of the artists highlighted by Wrecka Playa more than rose to the task. Wrecka Playa was a triumph of world-building applied to popular culture; music writing made magic. It was a genuine joy to experience each piece: moments of sharp and complicated racial discussion mixed with imagination and humor. Sitting in the adjoining gallery room, sipping on a drink made with homemade syrup, snacking on a goody-bag of candies, and enjoying a conversation about the possibilities of VR tech in art to come, I felt very lucky to be in Columbus, even if it was covered in ice. Second Sight Project shows that investment in local Columbus artists and neighborhoods can be done, and can be done well.
Detroit’s latest indie-pop sweetheart, Anna Burch, just released the music video for her single “Tea-Soaked Letter” along with the announcement that her debut album Quit the Curse will be available on February 2nd, 2018. It’s hard not to be charmed by Burch as she tackles relatable topics like loneliness and poor communication with sunny guitar, burnt toast, and lots of sad balloons. The video is a perfect match for the song’s melancholy-yet-upbeat demeanor, an oxymoron that Burch seems to have mastered.
Falling under the genre Burch coins as “bummer pop,” the song mixes catchy chord progressions found in conventional pop music with candid lyricism that hits close to home. In “Tea-Soaked Letter” the songwriter laments the fruitless game-playing found in many (millennial) relationships. Burch sings, “No you can’t come up/Who am I kidding? I would drag you up,” finally giving up the hard-to-get approach and saying what she actually feels. Whether you need to muster up the courage to say what you really mean or cathartically sing along while continuing to play the game, “Tea-Soaked Letter” is a solid go-to.
I internally scream about 20 times coming off the Q train, badgered left and right about handbags, handbags, handbags. Truthfully, last time I was in Chinatown I was below the legal drinking age. But Veda Rays vocalist James Stark made a very emphatic pitch for Bodhi Kosher Vegetarian Restaurant. So I’m here. I don’t want any handbags, but I’ll deal to dine with Veda Rays, and I’m down for any sake brunch that’s steeped in a sense of Eastern Mysticism.
If I’m not mistaken (I’m not) I have met drummer Jason Gates at Aviv. We’ve had bonafide conversations, his visage lives on one of my records, and he has a fun, eccentric energy that could power the Christmas lights on my street. As for Veda Rays as a whole, well, they’re the real deal, with a cerulean-soaked sound that could’ve been adjacent to the Batcave but has also been long cultivated in the Brooklyn scene. And their live performances pair it with captivating visuals; flickering television snow or twitchy orange monkeys set an ominous mood throughout.
Yup, these are the professionals, guys.
Hm. I feel good. In the past I usually show up with some sort melodramatic ennui. But I had my cards read Tuesday and things might be turning around.
Or they won’t, but let’s just get through brunch first.
The Scene: So yeah, this place.Recommended by a friend of synth player Maria Joanna Bohemia, the band have become obsessed with its kosher Thai offerings. Like they did a whole incidental vegan food tour of LA and this place is still top tier. And since they were long overdue for a visit and have been talking it up to bass player Renzo Vous (who still hadn’t been), it felt like the right move. They also love the Chinatown location, the appeal of old school New York; in his email James mentioned that their friend Ben Hozie of Bodega Bay said Veda Rays seemed “hatched out of the aughts NYC scene” (James only superficially agrees).
Sold. Although guitarist Gonzalo Tomé isn’t here today, Renzo and I are going to try out this food, and Jason arrives just as we’re about to get our sake. Let’s do this.
2:05 pm We’re talking about mutual friends (you already know where this is going, right?) and James says,“There was an old Veda Rays video where I killed Tarra.”
I respond as expected. “That’s the best!”
“Well, we pulled it down because it was…not being well received because of the violence-toward-women factor.”
Huh. “I get that, I get it being mis-perceived like that.”
“And when we made it it wasn’t such a Thing, but then there was a bit of rumbling, and as a couple of years went by we took it down,” James says. “But the premise had nothing to do with that – it could’ve easily been a man. It just happened to be a woman in the chair.”
So what was the premise, then? The band was riffing on maniacal, cultish figures to illustrate their song “Wait for Teeth to Show.”
“So the letter shein means tooth, right?” James starts. “There’s a tarot card that corresponds with that which is this fire card. The video would show flashes of the card, and the idea of a tooth in this context is like…in simplest terms it’s like, ‘The big fish eats the little ones,’ and you can’t understand the nature of reality in black and white, really. Things that seem horrible could actually be releasing energy so it can reform.”
Anyway, Tarra’s very much alive and well – they saw her earlier this week reading tarot cards at Muchmore’s.
“She just gave me a reading recently and it was pretty positive,” I mention. At the end of Brooklyn Year One, I pulled the Ten of Swords from the deck, a mermaid stabbed several times over.
“So that’s you with the swords in your back. That’s the worst one!” Tarra said cheerfully.
2:17 We’re talking about Anthony Michael Hall because of reasons and Maria mentions Siouxsie and the Banshees is in a bad ’80s Anthony Michael Hall movie. Like, look at this, guys.
“We were talking to our Lyft driver in LA who seemed to know Siouxsie and Budgie, and apparently she was quite the marketer,” James says. “She would put her insignia on like, everything.”
Jason perks up at this. “What are you talking about? What are you saying about Budgie?”
“The driver had a really weird resume – he lived with Angie Bowie for a few years. But his biggest stint as a bass player was like…” James turns to Maria. “Do you remember?”
She does not. “It was like, Anita Baker, Rick Springfield…” she lists, though the memory seems fuzzy.
“WAS HE HANGING OUT WITH BUDGIE A LOT???!!!” Jason interjects again, to which it needs to be clarified that you know, that was just a name in passing.
“He just thought we were just like these rock and roll people and that we were in love – we weren’t offering him any information,” James explains, and I can’t argue with Lyft guy’s evaluation because the pair are wearing sunglasses and machete earrings, respectively. “And he was saying we’re like Siouxsie and Budgie.”
“She would wear her own shirts. Some people frown upon that. I always kind of liked it,” Jason says.
“Where do we all stand on that?” I ask in a sad attempt to be a journalist.
James answers first. “I like it, and I do think about it a lot.”
Jason goes next. “I like it, I’m for it.”
“We’re pro,” I deduce.
“We’re generally pro,” Maria says more tentatively.
Renzo’s a bit more upfront. “I’m on the fence with that one.”
2:32 This is approximately when our food gets here and I just want want to assert that it was totally delicious. Moving on.
2:50 The band questions me about my day job which is basically to reenact episodes of Riverdale on Snapchat (among other things). Then I ask if they have any day jobs.
“I work at a pizzeria,” Renzo offers.
“That’s cool, I love pizzerias more than anything,” I respond. Facts.
“I work at Sizzle Pie. It’s like a punk, heavy metal pizzeria.”
“That’s amazing,” I say, dead fucking serious.
“King Krule came in,” Jason mentions.
“Yeah, King Krule came in,” Renzo says. “Actually I met Dylan Sprouse there the other day.”
“WHAT!” I shriek before explaining.”D-Dylan lives around there, my friend Lisa sees him constantly, I read this interview and it was like, ‘Dylan Sprouse and I are hanging and he takes a mouthful of beer and we’re at Tørst in Greenpoint.’ And I was like, ‘THE FUCK, Dylan’s at Tørst in Greenpoint.'”
Like he’s never there when I’m there. Rude.
“He actually left the pizzeria after his slice because we didn’t have beer,” says Renzo. “He was great. Different path from his brother for sure.”
In Brooklyn Year Two I pulled the Knight of Pentacles, a stabilizing, some would say “boring” card. And I preciously projected that onto all the wrong people. The cards are never wrong, but sometimes I am.
So silly! Like mixing up two Sprouse twins. Like, that was forgivable in 2010, it wasn’t in 2016.
3:30 We’re splitting up leftovers when Jason asks what band I’m into, and I say something to the effect of, “Def. Grls made me fucking french toast, so them.” But no, he says beyond the scene. “Oh, just in general, my favorite band is Hole.”
“Hole! I love them,” Renzo says.
“OH really?” I ask. “Yeah, Courtney Love is my favorite ever and I’ve loved her since I was like 13.”
“Yeah, I saw her a few years ago with Lana Del Rey.”
There’s a lot of excited bubbling at the table because this obviously sounds like a perfect tour marriage and I only saw Courtney with fake Hole in 2010. Tl;dr Maria and I were both her for Halloween at different points in our lives.
“I was her when I was 16,” Maria says. She checks her phone to find a picture.
“I’ve never dressed up as her,” Renzo deadpans.
“I had three costume changes,” I explain. “I cried. I threw a wine bottle down the street. I was very in character.” (But blah blah blah you guys already know this). Anyway, Maria quickly finds the picture and passes it around the table.
“It doesn’t quite work because I didn’t have my hair,” she says.
“But I get it, because you have the pose spot on, and the slip is really good,” I add.
Incidentally, I didn’t do the Courtney Love costume for 13 years because Tarra did it first, and I wanted to have respect for her costumes.
“You should start a web series with her,” Jason says. “Tea and Tarot with Tarra.”
Maybe.
4:43 “None of that blue light is translating right now, right?” James asks.
I look into the viewfinder. “No, it’s purple at best.” We’re at 169 Bar, one of the last dives in the LES, lounge-y and bathed in cool tones. After another drink, we take pictures while Jason lets loose on his feelings about Beyoncé (off the record, not sending the Beyhive out for him). But the band’s liking how my coat matches with the pool table, so they force a group of people away to take glamour shots.
Aha.
Even though we can’t get the perfect shot I can’t deny that Veda Rays live their life (and create their art) strictly in cool tones. But they also have a rawness that feels very old school New York, the scene that I dream of but was Before My Time.
I get off the L, fighting the light ennui coming on. Ugh, stop! The future looks good! I have the Queen of Swords in my future and a container of noodles in my handbag.
You can listen to Veda Ray’s new EP “Shadow Side” on Bandcamp, follow them on Facebook, and catch them at the Mercury Lounge January 6th.[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]
Von Sell is an electro-pop artist who has the genre of “bedroom pop” on lockdown. Born in New York, raised in Germany, and schooled at Berklee, Von Sell eventually moved to Brooklyn in 2012 to pursue his music career in earnest. A degree in Contemporary Writing and Production and piano studies shows itself often within the construction of Von Sell’s music; despite his modern voice and the use of electro beats, the composition of his music is often epic in form – sound that paints a landscape.
His newest single “Hell No” takes the airy, sensual quality of his earlier works and injects the kind of strut that reminds one of Kimbra à la “Miracle“. The track opens with Von Sell’s voice gently conversing with a flame: “I am for sale / but I ain’t cheap / I can’t stay but I ain’t gonna leave you / You can take me down but be gentle when you do.” The beat picks up and for a moment we’re dancing, avoiding the inevitable breakup. There is a lovely fluctuation of tone throughout “Hell No;” it toys with the ear, playing a game of tension and release throughout. It’s a tantalizing glimpse of little snippets of a lovers’ quarrel, observed through red rooms and cracked doorways.
This week, just when I was craving a Christmas album written by David Lynch, former We Fell to Earth member Wendy Rae Fowler premiered “Svengali,” the first single from her solo album Warped. Call me a conspiracy theorist, but I’ve always felt that the repetitive holiday music we are subjected to every December subtly brainwashes us into consuming more in order to momentarily mask the depression caused by shorter, colder, darker days. I personally would rather find music that resonates with my shitty mood, and Fowler’s track succeeds in doing just that.
“Svengali” is anything but holiday music – beginning with a barren piano soundscape, it quickly crashes and builds into a more haunting pop track. With all the atmospheric twists embedded into one song, it’s no surprise that Fowler recently scored an indie psychedelic film Flicker + Pulse which explores the passage of time in a beautiful English walled garden.
Warped is due out in March, you can pre-order it here.
Check out the rest of our Track of the Week playlist below…
When Annie Noelker moved to Columbus in 2014 to attend Columbus College of Art & Design, she was already interested in stories. “As a little kid I would hide under my covers and read until I fell asleep,” she tells me. “I found visual art and storytelling in the form of drawing, painting, and then photography.” But something clicked when her college friends introduced her to hip hop artists like Kendrick Lamar, Tyler the Creator, Earl Sweatshirt, and Frank Ocean. “I listened to their albums as if I was reading a novel,” she says.
Over the summer of 2017, Noelker dove into the Columbus hip hop and rap scene, learning more about her local community. “Overwhelmed” by talent, Noelker turned to her background in portraiture to document the burgeoning scene. As her collection of portraits grew, she realized that she needed a way to share the work. Pairing her portraits with interviews of the artists, Noelker put together a magazine: Mouth Mag. “It’s been my baby for the last six months,” she tells me.
Mouth Mag is launching this Saturday, December 9th, at Kafe Kerouac in Columbus, Ohio. The launch will be celebrated with performances by OG Vern, Yogi Split, Joey Aich, Broke Bois, Stems, Soblue, Breetherapper, The Collective, and RED. At the party, Noelker tells me, she’s most excited for “all the artists to hold their copy.”
“I worked so hard on this,” she continues, “I cried when I unwrapped the first one.”
We caught up with Noelker ahead of the launch to talk to her about her process, favorite interviews, and the future of Mouth Mag. Check out the rest of the interview below.
Audiofemme: What is your portraiture process like?
Annie Noelker: Prior to a shoot, I research the artist and listen to their music. I write down colors, places, and emotions that fill my head as I’m listening and I try to emulate those things in each photograph. I don’t plan much outside of that.
AF: I know that one of your focuses with Mouth Mag is photographing artists through the lens of a woman. But I’m interested in how you approach other ways that your identity is disparate from the artists you work with. Your entry into the hip hop community, for example, happened pretty recently. How do you avoid fetishizing your subjects, especially black artists who so often are problematically portrayed through photography?
AN: This is absolutely a huge issue: hip hop artists are, more often than not, portrayed as characters, leaving many with a desire to create and fulfill a persona. I find that the male gaze often feeds into the portrayal of these artists as characters rather than emotional human beings with stories to share. This familiarizes the public with the persona, not the person. I find my perspective as both a woman and a documentary portrait photographer allows for the stripping of pre-conceived notion. There’s a huge significance in understanding the person standing before my lens. Additionally, black and white imagery has always had a significance for me. It strips away any glamor that traditionally follows hip hop photography, and allows emphasis on truth and honesty. Honesty is everything.
AF: What is your favorite interview in this issue?
AN: I really love my interview with RED. He has this new album coming out (date = TBA) and I got a little sneak peak and had the opportunity to ask questions specific to that new music. I really love Correy Parks’ interview and doing the Broke Bois interview was so much fun.
AF: Are there any music photographers that you look up to?
AN: I really admire the work of Hayley Louisa Brown. She is not only a music portraiture photographer, but the creator of BRICK magazine which served as a huge inspiration for Mouth Mag. I also really love Olivia Rose and the honesty of her images and in how she approaches her subjects.
AF: What has been the most challenging part of this project?
AN: I think the most challenging part of this whole process was having to narrow down images and limit the number of people I could showcase in the first issue. There is so much talent in Columbus – it’s absolutely overwhelming. I also don’t have any previous design experience or knowledge of how to use the programs so I taught myself InDesign to make the magazine and I borrowed my understanding of composition to help me with layout. Placing text was very difficult.
AF: What does the future of Mouth Mag look like?
AN: I love Columbus and it will always have a place in my heart but I would really love to travel with Mouth Mag and take it to new cities.
The other night I found myself hovering over a smorgasbord of tiny sandwiches. I did not expect the SONOS store on Greene Street to offer such treats, and as a result of my plummeting blood sugar levels, I swallowed as many as possible in quick succession, like Scooby-Doo’s gluttonous pal Shaggy. Fortunately, I was able to scarf down the teetering structures of fig, bacon, and biscuit before the panelists took their seats. I would have felt ok munching in front of the rakish Mick Rock and easygoing, eternally Midwestern Mark Mothersbaugh, but Perfect Pussy’s Meredith Graves looked far too elegant to drop a deviled egg in front of.
Rock, Mothersbaugh, and Graves were joined by Mötley Crüe co-founder Nikki Sixx and music journalist Rob Sheffield atop a makeshift stage on Monday night. The goal of the evening was as simple as its title, Song Stories. Each panelist selected one David Bowie song (a less simple task), and discussed its significance within their life. Sheffield, who won the evening’s charm award, spoke of the old days, when reporters would attend a Bowie concert and dispatch the set list from the venue’s phone booth. He admitted to hiding under his grandmother’s bed the first time he heard “Space Oddity,” for he was frightened by its planet-hopping protagonist. But it was “Young Americans” that branded Sheffield’s heart as his favorite Bowie song. And so, the next words out of Sheffield’s mouth were, “Alexa: Play “Young Americans,” by David Bowie.” “Playing “Young Americans,” by David Bowie,” she replied robotically (she is after all, a robot.)
So goes the evening’s format: Panelist announces favorite Bowie cut, extrapolates on its importance to them personally, and orders Alexa to cough up the selected track. This final transition is cold and clunky, but to be expected. At times I felt like the only person in the world who doesn’t desire the latest gadgets, and after a long Thanksgiving weekend in an Alexa-toting household, I can now firmly state that I think they make home life worse. But that is another article.
Song Stories’ use of Alexa was mildly surprising, and what happened after the song began should not have surprised me at all. But alas, it did. The crowd was respectfully silent during each speaker’s monologue – chuckling when prompted, and clapping when necessary. And yet when the songs filled the room, the chirp of chitchat flared to a clamor, and Bowie’s music was reduced to that plight of parties and shopping malls: background music.
You might ask me what the hell I expected, to which I might grumble, “Touché.” Or, if I was feeling up for a conversation, I might say that given Song Stories’ sincere mission, I expected an entire room of people to listen to listen to “Modern Love” in phone-free silence, maybe even with our eyes closed. This, of course, is a lofty vision for any era, especially one in which multitasking is not a talent, but a necessity. So when the gabbing began, I too began gabbing.
But it never felt quite right. My organs were squirming, and I think that my 12-year-old self – the one who used to make friends hush up and parents rewind tapes when her favorite part of a song played unacknowledged – was trying to bust out and hush up the audience. I am glad she did not, as I later learned that Suzi Ronson, Mick’s widow, was in the front row, and boy would that have been embarrassing. But I am also glad I tamed my inner hall monitor, because the Songs Stories crowd simply didn’t deserve to be chastised. Few do. In truth, there was nothing problematic about the evening, save for a self-serving Mick Rock and misquoting Mark Mothersbaugh (it’s “I’m an alligator,” not “crocodile,” Mark!). The sole problem was my own; the desire to mend my recent detachment from music was being projected on an evening of pure fun, with free wine and sandwiches to boot.
It seems funny that I can even write “My recent detachment from music.” While knocking back my first glass of red on Monday, I was fresh off an eight hour day of music; “Listening” to scraps of songs, and whole ones when I had the chance, rifling through the opinions of other writers, hunting out discrepancies between fact and copy, and shaping my own opinions – or perhaps, judgments – far too quickly. It is a job I love, make no mistake, but I like to remain conscious of how it shapes my behavior, particularly as a listener. My biggest fear is that while I begin to hear more, I listen less… a sort-of “the cobbler’s children have no shoes” conundrum, you might say. I believe that on the night of Song Stories, I noticed for the first time that my children are running around barefoot.
Exhibit a) The stack of records sitting on top of my vinyl collection. I bought these albums on November 19th, the Sunday after my 28th birthday party, as a present to myself. The Bill Evans Trio LP is the only one of four or five albums I have taken out of the bag since then. The black disc is still on my turntable, which suggests that I have not played a record on it (a favorite pastime) in three weeks. If you asked me the title, or even the artists’ names of the remaining records I purchased that day, I wouldn’t be able to tell you. They are still in their shiny blue shopping bag, waiting to be played.
Exhibit b) The look on my face when you ask me, “What have you been listening to lately?” I don’t know that I could conjure a name. I have been listening to so many things in rapid turnover, not one rises to the top. I need to work on that.
I also need to work on listening in general. Perhaps that’s my early New Year’s resolution: To make space and time to listen. Not on the phone. Not while cooking. Not while working. But face up, back flat on the bed; in total darkness and with no expectations.
Detroit artist Rowan Niemisto has only been producing solo work for a year or so, but he’s already got two EPs and a handful of stand-alone singles under his belt. His latest EP Gradient dropped November 30th, written, recorded and produced entirely on his own. Niemisto deserves some serious props for being able to do it all – and make it sound good. Gradient is an ethereal fusion of soul, jazz and electronica that brings a modern approach to ancient themes of love, loss and nostalgia.
The four-song EP starts with “Without Trying,” a catchy breakup anthem that combines soul and synths. Niemisto maintains the simplistic lyrics and hooky melodies found in classic soul while adding heavy electronic elements that bring the song to present-day. The track’s addictive beat and relatable lyrics can make even the most brokenhearted people feel blasé about losing the loves of their lives – at least for four minutes.
Next, Niemisto bares his jazz influence on “Behave,” a sexy plea to keep a loved one. “I don’t want nobody but you,” could easily trigger an eyeroll if received in the form of a text from the everyday playboy; however, delivered in Niemisto’s sultry vocals, the generally overused line feels genuine and somewhat irresistible. He’s not reinventing the wheel by any means, but paying sweet homage to old-school R&B and jazz with silky falsettos and bluesy electric guitar.
“Behave” is followed by “Flips,” a modern, dreamy track where the listener is invited into Niemisto’s stream of consciousness. Minimalist, vacillating guitar is accompanied by the distant laughter of children, suggesting Niemisto’s yearning for a simpler time. He repeats “Tell me you’ll stay/Say you love me,” in an almost ritualistic way, making his trance-like state contagious.
After these lofty heights, we fall back to earth with “Honeymoon,” the EP’s grounding final track. The song reflects on the inevitable end of infatuation – something that anyone who’s ever been in relationship longer than two months can relate to. Niemisto sings, “I keep hoping that time won’t change us/I liked it better when we were strangers” – an arrestingly honest to capture the loss of a spark. Luckily, it doesn’t seem like Niemisto’s passion for making music will fade anytime soon.
Drug culture and music culture have long overlapped, from the psychedelics at 60s and 70s rock festivals to the MDMA, cocaine, and ketamine in modern nightclubs. People bring drugs to these settings not just to facilitate social interactions but also to appreciate the music on a new level. In fact, 69% of 21 to 29 year olds in a recent Detox study said they need drugs to enjoy music.
But the way you experience music depends which drug you’re taking, and even when the same drug is involved, effects vary from person to person, song to song, and night to night. Here are just a few ways drugs can affect how you experience music, according to people who have taken them.
Alcohol
For Stephen, 33, wine unlocks music’s hidden meanings. When he wants to gain insight into his life, he’ll drink wine from Caduceus Cellars, the vineyard owned by Tool’s Maynard James Keenan, and put on Tool or another favorite band. It feels like “the universe is trying to communicate” through the music, he explains.
The effects of alcohol on music, though, totally depend on the drink and the genre, he says. “If I’m drinking whiskey and listening to country music, I just want to get feisty.”
Nadia, 36, says alcohol gives her less discriminating music taste. During her teen years, she says, “alcohol made me able to party to shit music.”
Weed
As a musician, Cass, 24, usually analyzes the music and lyrics of every song she hears. But when she’s stoned, she can just sit back and appreciate it.
Peter, 28, similarly finds that weed helps him get immersed in a song. “The mood of the music becomes very perceptible and much more apparent,” he says. “It’s easier to feel like you’re in an artist’s specific world.”
Weed also helps Lindsey, 34, get out of her head and into the music. “I fall into this wormhole of getting into the lyrics or the guitar or synth,” she says. But with edibles, she can sometimes feel the music too much — to the point where it actually makes her nauseous. After eating them at a Mykki Blanco concert, she “could feel the bass through the bench.”
MDMA
Most MDMA users love how it makes music sound; that’s part of the drug’s appeal. “Music becomes more euphoric, much like the drug itself,” says Peter. “I’m not someone who loves dancing, but on MDMA, I love to dance.”
Nadia describes a similar effect. Ecstasy helped her enjoy dancing to house music for the first time, and often, the music serves as a blissful backdrop to self-discovery. “The dancing resembles a trance, and you can travel in your mind, realize things about yourself,” she explains.
David, 28, likes to listen to trance on MDMA because it’s “engineered to be more emotional and molly gives me the feels.” But, he adds, a variety of music will sound like “the best music ever” on MDMA.
Cocaine
In Peter’s experience, coke doesn’t affect music-listening at all. Nadia believes it actually hurts the club scene by making people aggressive if they get addicted. “Cocaine is not helping the music industry,” she says. “A lot of DJs have replaced it with meditation and clean living. This is how the scene can keep on flourishing.”
Coke makes David “a zombie,” but it does make the repetitive sounds of techno and house more enjoyable for him.
Ketamine
For Nadia, music on K can be a journey through space and time. She remembers one particularly otherworldly experience as “Wicked Game” by Chris Isaak played at a club. “It felt like that song lasted forever,” she says. “I went to the beach where the video takes place. I felt like I had lived a whole love story, and then I came back at the end of the song. I asked my friend if they had only played the song once. She said yes… so I had a whole other life experience in four minutes.” Nadia finds that people on K look happier on the dance floor than they do on club drugs like MDMA that can have a harsh comedown.
Daniel Saynt, Chief Conspirator at the New Society for Wellness (NSFW) a private members club which organizes the physician-led responsible drug use class “Just Say Know,” likes pairing K with spiritual music, since the combination helps him turn inward and explore his own psyche.
LSD
Richard Goldstein, a former rock critic for The Village Voice in the 60s who used to drop acid with The Beach Boys, previously told me that LSD was “a very aesthetic drug” that strips words of their meaning. This allows him to connect with a more universal meaning that comes from the sound itself.
“We’re all connected through the subconscious, so when we listen to music on acid, it makes us have more of a tribal feeling,” he says.
Peter has the opposite experience, though. On acid, he’s more prone to finding meaning in music. If anything in the music is even remotely related to his life, his mind will pick up on it and make it significant.
Shrooms
Shrooms provide “a feeling that your body is sort of permeable,” making you feel music more intensely, says Lindsey.
For Peter, this shroom-induced connection to music can be ecstatic. “Once, when I was listening to one of my favorite songs on mushrooms, I actually came,” he remembers. “It reminded me of the joy in my life, and I just felt really warm, like I was in the prime of my life.” (In case you’re wondering what song accomplished this, it was “Tunnels” by Arcade Fire.)
Music
For some people, music itself is a drug, bringing their mind to a state of increased emotion, energy, or depth. That’s one reason Nadia’s become a fan of “clean clubbing” — i.e., clubbing without drugs. “There are bits and pieces [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”][of drug-induced experiences] left in your brain, and the effect comes back with the right music and atmosphere triggers, even when sober,” she explains. “The reason I had needed alcohol, weed, or pills before was simply because the music was not good enough. I became a fanatic club dancer even taking myself out alone, sober, on Sunday nights.”
In fact, drugs alone aren’t enough to create the trips Nadia desires. “I can’t imagine doing drugs away from a club or party. I need the cocoon of the loud music and heavy bass on a proper sound system,” she says. “Right drugs and right music combined equal a mini holiday, an educational escape.” [/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]
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.
