Page 87 – Audiofemme

Staff Picks – Jerilyn Jordan: The Playing Detroit Awards

In wake of what most consider one of the most turbulent years in recent memory, 2016 carried a heavy weight. From the death of idols, poets and American democracy, this year challenged our collective patience and sanity leaving no stone unturned. That being said, 2016 reared its resilient head by means of music, the ultimate rebellion. And Detroit? Well, my sweet little city on the rise broke new ground with a slew of releases that eased our troubles, cooled our fevers and incited a burning fire that not even 2016 could extinguish. Below are a few notable moments in Detroit’s music year and perhaps a telescopic view of the year to come.

Best album to cry, drive and reflect to:
Anna Ash: Floodlights

Anna Ash’s sophomore record Floodlights is, without much deliberation, my favorite album of 2016. Having spent the better part of the year collapsing and mending Ash’s innate ability to give power and strength to her raw and exposed vulnerabilities paired with the sincere Midwestern, orchestral dashboard dust makes Floodlights a strikingly honest portrayal of (my) hearts fragile design.

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Best album to start a new life on Mars to:
Zoos of Berlin: Instant Evening

Okay, so I lied. Zoos of Berlin’s masterfully produced and cosmic journey Instant Evening is in constant contention for my favorite release this year. What Instant Evening offers is a poignant and tireless orbit that explores the depths above and below without ignoring our enslavement to gravity. A dizzying leap into perceptions of time, Zoos of Berlin delivered this years soundtrack for your existential eclipse.

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Best record to drop acid and make-out with a stranger to:
Mountains and Rainbows: Particles

There is something pleasantly debaucherous about Mountains and Rainbows LP Particles. A loosely woven parade of psych-pop jams and zombie-beach-party rock that is intended for the night you’ll forget to remember. Unwashed, untamed and yet, politely tethered to a structure all their own, Mountains and Rainbows delivered a much needed dose of revelry.

Song most likely to be playing when you’re arrested for getting busy in a public restroom:
Stef Chura: “Slow Motion”

Undoubtedly one of the most anticipated releases of 2017, Stef Chura’s specialized brand of tortured kitsch kept 2016 afloat. Chura’s first single “Slow Motion” from her upcoming record Messes, is a hazily languid, hickey-necked crisis that begs to get caught (and to be kept awake by thoughts of the “what the fuck am I doing? variety.)

Artist most likely to score a foreign sci-fi film:
Humons

Eclectic and texturized dream house artist Humons busted through a few atmospheres with his debut EP Spectra. A multi-dimensional, electro-pop collision course of cosmos and other worldly feels, Humons arrangements channel the extraterrestrial and the extraordinary complete with danceable, sensuous beats that any human or alien could get down to.

Song most suited for a girl-gang rebellion/club takeover:
Bevlove: “Do What I say”

A word of warning and a call to arms, “Do What I Say” from badass hip-pop game changer Bevlove, was the girl gang anthem we all needed in 2016. Laced with tenderness but swollen with commanding and demanding pussy power, “DWIS” was the most radio-ready song out of Detroit this year, channeling the likes of RiRi and Queen Bey, our Lady Love delivered one hell of a punch (and maybe even a groin stomp or two.)

Video most likely to feature yours truly:
Gosh Pith: “Scoop”

Our beloved Josh x Josh trip-hop duo Gosh Pith were busy boys this year. They toured, recored, released and churned out several videos for their EP Gold Chain all of which embody their sexy poetry and big heart lifestyle. And yeah. Okay. This is a shameless plug of sorts but being a love interest in a music video has been a life long goal of mine (well, I think it started with Mariah Carey’s “Heartbreaker” but whatever.) So when GP (I get to call them that now that I’m on the inside) asked me to star in the video for “Scoop”, a catchy, love lorn groove about the girl that got away (and then slept with someone else at her heartbroken ex’s house party. SAVAGE!) I immediately said yes and actually brushed my hair for the occasion. Full of cameo’s by Detroit’s many intermingled squads, this video is a fun look back on the year that was as brutal as, well, a breakup but as hopeful as a new spark.

Staff Picks – Madison Bloom: Under-heard/Under-sung Releases of 2016

The year-end list is a tricky politic. You want to be fair, objective, and omnivorous. You want to be unexpected, but not too unexpected. Every December, Grammy nominations and Best Albums lists are released within weeks of each other, and while I’m no conspiracy theorist, I can’t help but suspect that the former informs the latter (along with sales figures, hype, etc.). Just reading through the big names in music journalism, there is a pattern that would be silly to ignore.

This year, Lemonade, The Life of Pablo, 22, A Million, A Seat at the Table, Blonde, Anti, Coloring Book, Puberty 2, Blackstar and A Moon Shaped Pool have dominated the top slots. I take no issue with this, as these are all great records worthy of praise. But it does make me suspicious…while I do not conspire, I frequently suspect. The big music pubs bear their differences, and vary in their positioning of said records. But isn’t a different configuration of the same set of data kind of like…switching up the seating chart at a dinner party?

(I won’t pretend to understand the process editors and staff writers undergo when making their year end lists. I’m sure it is far more complicated and arduous than I am alluding to.)

I am actually grateful for the big guns writing about the same records, because it means I don’t have to. It’s done! What I’d rather do is share with you some music that flew under the radar this year, despite its wonderful wingspan. And with that, I give you the Under-heard/Under-sung Releases of 2016.

LPs

Timber Remixed-Michael Gordon, Mantra Percussion, Various Artists

When I reviewed this album in November I likened it to a vibratory massage – something you felt as much as heard. For that fact alone this record is worthy of a listen…I’ve never heard anything like it. What Michael Gordon began in 2009 with six 2x4s has been re-sculpted by Mantra Percussion and some of the most interesting contemporary musicians and producers out there.

Tim Hecker, Fennesz, Hauschka, and Oneohtrix Point Never are just a few names that can be found on this record, but despite the strong point of view each guest producer brings to the table, none of them overpower the original, resonant beauty of percussive wood.

Open To Chance-Itasca

Is there a sweeter songbird than Itasca’s Kaya Cohen? Not that I’ve heard in a while. But Cohen is no mere voice – she is also the core songwriter of the band, and that delicately plucked guitar gracing the LP is hers as well. Open to Chance is an album in full – one that maintains a gorgeous sonic texture throughout. Here you’ll find country drums, twanging guitars, and the shining cry of the pedal steel. Favorite tracks include “Buddy,” “G.B.” and “Daylight Under My Wing,” the latter of which calls to mind the airy arrangements on Bill Callahan’s Dream River (think: flute).

Open to Chance is a seemingly fitting title for this record, as it is open to interpretation as well. At times hopeful and others forlorn, the record floats in a lovely shade of grey.

2013-Meilyr Jones

2013 could be hastily summed up as a baroque pop love letter to Rome. But it is so much more than that. In 2013 Meilyr Jones left his moderately successful band Race Horses, went through a painful breakup, and in an attempt to revitalize himself, moved to Rome for several weeks. He didn’t really have a plan, which often leads to the kind of open-mindedness necessary for creative catharsis to blossom. And oh, it did.

Though released three years after Jones’ excursion, the majority of the songs on 2013 were written in the ancient city, later recorded in the U.K. with a ragtag team of Jones’ musician friends. Given its dense and lovely instrumentation, one could easily think that this was an expensive record…but Jones is a resourceful man. Five of the twelve songs were recorded live in a single day with his last minute, 30-piece orchestra. And the songs aren’t only lush in arrangement – Jones covers lyrical ground that spans love lost, refugees, and the fallacy-ridden art world. A beauty.

Mirage Dreams-Breanna Barbara

Oh, what a belter this woman is! If you were to guess what Mirage Dreams sounded like by its wistful cover, you’d be real surprised when you pressed play. Breanna Barbara has a voice that reaches the breathy low of Hope Sandoval, and the shaky soprano of country sirens.

Barbara’s music is whiskey soaked, revved up, lit-cigarette blues. There is no shortage of pain on this record, especially on tracks like “Sailin’ Sailin’,” which seems to address the loss of a parent. It’s heavy stuff from that soft, wheat-framed face on the cover. That’s a contrast I welcome wholeheartedly.

The Gamble –Nonkeen

Remember that line in Zoolander when Jerry Stiller’s character says that Mugatu “is so hot he can take a crap, wrap it in tin foil, put a couple fishhooks on it, and sell it to Queen Elizabeth as earrings”? It’s a crass example, but that’s pretty much how I feel about Nils Frahm – though he’d never have to stoop so low to stoke intrigue. But seeing as I will devour anything with the Nils Frahm stamp on it, I leapt at the chance to listen to The Gamble by Nonkeen, of which Frahm is 1/3.

The other 2/3 are made up by Frahm’s childhood friends Frederic Gmeiner and Sebastian Singwald, who have been making music together on and off for decades. That level of intimacy is palpable on The Gamble; you can certainly hear the Frahm touch, but the composition as a whole is collaborative and progressive. There’s guitair, piano, synthesizer, tape loops and a whole host of sounds I love but sruggle to identify. A gorgeous soundscape in which to lose yourself.

Suicide Songs –MONEY

MONEY’s second LP entirely defied the sophomore slump, instead soaring upward to dizzying heights. These Manchester-based lads, lead by singer/songwriter Jamie Lee, might be melodramatics, but in a world where things like “chill wave” exist, I’m sometimes in the mood for a grand overture.

And Suicide Songs is ripe with them. Piano, strings, synths, guitar, drums, gospel choir…it is a BIG record, and I ain’t mad about it. The dense arrangements could be too much at times, but they are undercut but Lee’s rakish, imperfect vocal performance, which often sounds like a drunken man on the brink of tears. Perfect.

Flames & Figures –The Seshen

Don’t worry; I’m not going to just give you sad bastard music. It’s time for a little homegrown soul, at least, homegrown in the Bay Area that is. The Seshen is the musical marriage between singer/lyricist Lalin St. Juste and producer/bassist Akiyoshi Ehara. St. Juste, Ehara, and five other band mates churn out the synth-pop, R&B soul jamz I’ve grown to love this year.

Flames & Figures is a syrupy, textural pop gem that doesn’t skimp on well-placed drum machines and synths – but nothing tasteless or in your face here. Favorite tracks include “Spectacle,” “Periphery,” and the funky “Distant Heart.” Pour it on.

Along a Vanishing Plane –Christopher Tignor

Christopher Tignor, the acclaimed violinist and composer behind Along a Vanishing Plane, achieves his unique sound through varying techniques with tuning forks and electronic manipulation. His music is spacious, emotive and contemplative. So when I learned he is also a software engineer, I was a bit surprised.

Then again, maybe it makes all the more sense. There is something so deliberate and organized about Tignor’s music, despite its space. “Artifacts of Longing Pt. 1” reminds me of a pared down Dirty Three number – awash in refined synths, that is. Closing track “The Will and the Waiting” is closer to Tangerine Dream with glittering, atmospheric synth effects and the *ping!* of Tignor’s beloved tuning fork. A striking record that would be best played when you have time to really sit and listen.

Changes –Charles Bradley

Charles Bradley is a man that, like his late label mate Sharon Jones, has challenged industry ageism, starting his career at an age well past most. Unfortunately, Bradley also bears a more frightening similarity to Jones: in October of this frustrating (dumpster fire?) year, he was diagnosed with cancer. But that hasn’t stopped him from sharing his phenomenal, soul revival record Changes, which seems to embody all of the wisdom Bradley has amassed in his years outside of the spotlight.

The title track is tragic, even more so as it was released seven months prior to Bradley’s diagnosis. “I’m goin’ through changes/It hurts so bad,” he wails. It upsets the ear and the heart to hear, as the dramatic irony of the painful change to come is too intense. A beautiful, soul-bearing effort from a man I hope will stick around a while.

Love Yes –TEEN

How could we resist a little local love for the ladies of TEEN? If any of you have seen this adept foursome live (perhaps at an Audiofemme event), you will know what fabulous musicians they are. But their prowess doesn’t end with musicianship; they are also exceptional performers and complex songwriters who understand as much about writing hooks as they do constructing dense music.

Love Yes did get some thumbs up this year from the likes of Nylon and Pitchfork (to name a few), but I would go so far as to say it is one of the under-noticed records of 2016, and it is definitely deserving of more praise. This electro-pop opus nods at the ‘80s but doesn’t drown in references. A favorite track is “Animal” for its grimy, Tubeway Army-esque synth riff that will surely stay stuck in your head until 2017.

EPs

Eskota – Catch Prichard

Watching the slow yet steady rise of Catch Prichard’s Sawyer Gebauer (FKA
Brittsommar) has been both gratifying and frustrating. Having championed his music for the past two and a half years, it was rewarding to see his first EP as Catch Prichard accrue praise from publications other than ours alone. Noisey, Impose, and American Songwriter were just a few who took note of his unique sound. But despite Gebauer’s upward mobility this annum, the Wisconsin-born troubadour remains largely unknown. And that’s a darn shame, because I’ve yet to find a soul unstirred upon hearing “Eskota,” the sorrow-washed meditation on love, loneliness and the impermanence of home.

While Gebauer had largely looked to European influences in the past, he found his country-lovin’, Americana roots in “Eskota,” which was recorded in an abandoned general store in a west Texas ghost town. Pedal steel, brushed snare, and late Springsteen era synths dance under Gebauer’s lead weight baritone throughout. An under-sung stunner for sure.

Tunnel Vision On Your Part – Happyness

It’s no secret that I’m a massive fan of London trio Happyness. So when they popped out a new EP this year, I was flat out thrilled. I was slightly bummed it wasn’t an LP (which they are working on currently, by the way), but Tunnel Vision On Your Part doesn’t disappoint, despite its length. Clocking in at a curt twenty minutes, Tunnel Vision reminds me that an EP can be a beautiful lesson in brevity. Much like a short story or novella, ya gotta pack a lot more into 5 songs. There’s no space, no meandering instrumental track, no filler.

If I had to be just as brief describing Happyness, I would say they are three things above all. Subtle, understated, and catchy-as-all-hell. I guess it’s no surprise that a band so understated would go under-noticed throughout the year, but it pains me, because sometimes the most interesting people at the party are the shy ones, hardly saying a word. The most interesting person is rarely the loud guy dancing shirtless – but he seems to get all the attention anyway.

Earrings Off! – Adult Jazz

Earrings Off! is rife with difficult moments that fill me with unease. Therefore: I love it! And it seems as though I’m on the right track with that reaction. As Adult Jazz’s vocalist Harry Burgess said to The Guardian in 2014, “When you come up with a part that’s pretty, you need some obstruction…technology is good for shifting things to a more awkward place.”

I find great comfort in that awkward place, so thank you Adult Jazz. I have no idea where to shelve this little oddity, but that’s partially what I like about it. This twisted cacophony from the Leeds foursome contains multitudes, and can be described with just as much. A pop assault. Combat funk. A no wave, free jazz, synth-psych freak out that marries Arthur Russel, tUnE-yArDs, Dirty Projectors, and Animal Collective, but puts them all on speed. It’s a wild ride, and I suggest you hop on.

Don’t Call Us We’ll Call You – Dickicker

Don’t be fooled by the silly name (and album cover) – the nascent New York foursome may not have access to a gilded studio, but they certainly have the songs. One might not expect a band called Dickicker to be capable of sophisticated lyrics, and yet the writing partnership between lead vocalist Jim Freeman and guitarist Gray Hurlburt is an alchemic one. Often simple in their banal frustration, poetic truths drift in unexpectedly. In the EP’s opening cut “Alibi,” Freeman strains his hoarse voice while ruminating on past ambitions shattered:

“Going to the place we know/To dig up everything we sowed/Turn the soil over, let the water boil over/And burn the precious things we’ve grown.” Freeman has a phlegmatic scream that amplifies the palpable devastation in tracks like “Old Soul” and “Black Wine.” I’d hate to know how many cigarettes he’s smoked to acquire such a voice. But I want one just listening to him.

Big Fugitive Life – Ezra Furman

So far I have loved everything Ezra Furman has recorded. No amendment to that love given his latest EP Big Fugitive Life. This energetic collection of rock n’ roll tunes is a sweet seventeen minutes, packing in as much saxophone as possible. Furman’s voice is lovably shabby as usual, and at times (see: track five, “Splash of Light”) it seems that the band opted for a less-produced effect intentionally.

But Big Fugitive’s ragged nature doesn’t demean the richness of its songs. And that is a truth applicable to all music; that no matter the quality of the recording, you can’t rob a well-written song of its greatness.

AUDIOFEMME’S 2016 YEAR END LISTS

2016 has been a rough and tumble year to say the least. Despite the ups and downs, however, we’ve seen some dazzling music emerge from its presses. From top 40 go-tos, to the overlooked and the brand-spanking new, we’ve had a better time on this batty ride thanks to music. Here are some of our staff picks: Madison Bloom talks about her favorite hidden gems of the year; Jerilyn Jordan waxes ever-poetical about her beloved city and launches the inaugural “2016 Playing Detroit Awards”; Suzannah Weiss documents emerging female DJs to note for 2017, while Nicole Ortiz recounts the best reunion shows of the year. Emily Daly brings us the “Best & Worst” in her beautifully curated News Roundup, Gabby Salinardo lists the top 10 social commentary songs of 2016, and lastly I will regale you with my favorite albums of the year – most of which you hopefully haven’t heard yet – with the intention of delivering something fresh to your ears and your heart as we head into the new year. Suffice to say, I’m honored to be working with such a talented crew of women and can’t wait to continue unearthing and expanding our content as we move forward together in this crazy world.

Staff Picks – Emily Daly: The Best & Worst Of 2016 (News Roundup)

I started writing the News Roundup series roughly a year ago, on January 8th. What I thought would be a light hearted “this is what happened this week!” very quickly turned into what seemed like an endless stream of negativity; the first article premiered the week of David Bowie’s 69th birthday, the second a few days after he died. Tallying all of the deaths, the venues that are closed or closing and all of the sexism in the music industry that was brought to light in 2016 has been a little disheartening. But, some good stuff happened too. Read on as we remember the highlights of this year that is thankfully ending soon.

A lot of iconic musicians died this year, starting with David Bowie, and continuing on: Prince, Sharon Jones, Leonard Cohen, Pauline Oliveros, Alan Vega, Phife Dawg, George Martin, Glenn Frey, Merle Haggard, Frank Sinatra Jr., Maurice White, Paul Kantner, Vanity (aka Denise Katrina Matthews), Keith Emerson, Billy Paul, Jane Little (a double bassist who held the Guiness World Record for the longest serving symphony player), Guy Clark, Christina Grimmie, Ralph Stanley, Bernie Worrell, Scotty Moore, Toots Thielemans, Juan Gabriel, Leon Russell, Holly Dunn and Greg Lake.

But, a lot of iconic musicians also resurfaced with new music. This year Kim Gordon released some tracks, along with The Pixies, Le Tigre, Iggy Pop, Beyonce, The Strokes, Green Day, Radiohead, PJ Harvey, Robert Pollard, and two members of the Dirty Projectors (Also, it’s worth mentioning Bob Dylan won a Nobel Prize and Madonna was crowned Billboard’s Woman of the Year).

Everything is closed. It’s not surprising considering all it takes to run a music venue, but it seems like an unusual number shuttered this year. In the last 365 days we’ve lost Palisades, Aviv, Manhattan Inn, Grand Victory and beloved record store Other Music. Also, Rock Shop has ceased to have live music, opting for a foosball table (or something) instead, and Market Hotel was temporarily closed over a liquor license misunderstanding. Other venues, like Lower Manhattan’s Cake Shop and Elvis Guesthouse, have announced that December will be their final month of operation.
But venues continue to open: The Glove, The Footlight and Sunnyvale all opened in Brooklyn this year, and Brooklyn Bazaar returned with a new, better location. Plus, we have a new large scale venue, Brooklyn Steel, to look forward to in 2017.
The music industry is still sexist. There’s an argument to be made that you have to expose misogyny to overcome it. If you think of it that way, 2016 was a year of progress as Amber Coffman and others spoke up about publicist Heathcliff Berru’s sexual misconduct, writer Art Tavana received an avalanche of criticism for a crude article that reduced Sky Ferreira to her sex appeal, and music executive Julie Farman call out the Red Hot Chili Peppers out for being douchebags back in their heyday. I’m sure I’m missing a few things, but do we really want to revisit it all?

But we did make progress. In March, Guitar World officially announced they would cease their bikini gear guide, the cover of which typically featured a sweet guitar held by a scantily clad woman. The call to change this practice was started when a photo of Guitar World next to a She Shreds cover, which featured a fully clothed Satomi Matsuzaki of Deerhoof, made its rounds on the internet. Guitar World publisher Bill Amstutz stated “we can do a better job, as all guitar media can do. It’s a bit of a boys’ club and we are taking steps this year to change that.” This may all also be the first year that a song that focuses on consent was celebrated by the media, with sad13’s “Get A Yes.”

Obviously, a lot of other, un-categorizable stuff happened too. I’m not sure where to start, or where to end, really. A conversation was started about the importance of DIY spaces, and the struggle to keep them, after the Oakland Ghost Ship tragedy. Bono was awarded Glamour’s Woman of the Year, proving that women can even be excluded from an award specifically for them (you know what would be groundbreaking? Giving Man of the Year to a woman. C’mon, 2017!) Led Zeppelin was finally declared innocent of ripping off “Stairway To Heaven.” An amazing Twitter account that reimagines Carrie Bradshaw as a touring indie musician was born. CMJ was going to happen, then it wasn’t, then it was maybe, but it didn’t. I think at one point a new spider species was named after Johnny Cash. I’m probably forgetting a lot of things, and I’m sorry. It’s been a long year.

EP REVIEW: Black Heart “Alekto” (Remix EP)

Black Heart is the creation of Vienna, Austria-based solo artist Corina Cinkl. Proving women can do it all (obviously) Cinkl writes, performs, and produces all of the dark pop herself. For her latest project, “Alekto” (Remix EP) she calls in the powers of fellow witchy-woman and skilled producer Vanessa Irena of Knifesex and long-time collaborator Normotone. Released December 21, the three-track remix EP creates a seductive concoction of dark wave and post punk, laced together with ethereal electronic spell work. Immaculately produced and carried with Cinkl’s haunting vocals, “Alekto” (Remix EP) is as ideal of a soundtrack for a long drive through the fog as it is for performing sex magic.

Calm your own black heart with “Alekto” (Remix EP) below. It’s music so powerful you’ll be able to blast straight through Mercury retrograde unharmed with this on repeat.

<a href="http://blackheartofficial.bandcamp.com/album/alekto">ALEKTO by Black Heart</a>

NEWS ROUNDUP: St. Vincent, Sharon Jones & Bjork

St. Vincent Makes a Statement On Guitar World Cover

She Shreds magazine, a publication dedicated to covering woman guitarists and bassists, formerly called out Guitar World for its sexist “Bikini Gear Guide” for featuring scantily clad women on the cover. In a statement on the She Shreds website, founder Fabi Reyna said at the time: “Guitar World’s annual gear guide always reinforced the painful reality of the guitar industry’s historical reputation of using sex and naked women to engage with men—because to a lot of companies the idea of women even playing music was literally unheard of, so how could we be consumers and therefore why would they consider our reactions at all?” Guitar World said they’d discontinue the practice. But this week St. Vincent made a hilarious statement on their former ways when she appeared on the cover in one of those touristy bikini shirts. The guitarist has also announced a new album is on the way.

Watch This: Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings’ Xmas Video

The video is for Sharon Jones’ cover of Charlie Brown’s “Please Come Home For Christmas,” from the Christmas album the singer released last year. The animated video, directed by Alex Howard & David Drew Hatter, has a stop-motion feel similar to the classic Rudolph TV special and was finished before Jones died last month due to pancreatic cancer. Check it out:

Fiona Apple Uses Xmas Music To Diss Trump

Do you love Christmas music, but hate Donald Trump? Well, Fiona Apple made the perfect song for you. Watch her sing the track with the alluring title of “Trump’s Nuts Roasting on an Open Fire” at a recent “We Rock With Standing Rock” benefit concert:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5RdGPYvQcFc&feature=youtu.be

Bjork Writes Open Letter To The Media

Are women entitled to “perform” for their audiences? Some music critics may expect it, and Bjork called out that double standard in regards to the DJ sets she recently played at Houston’s Day For Night festival. Some were disappointed she played a DJ set instead of performing, and she wrote a lengthy response. Highlights include: “Some media could not get their head around that I was not “performing” and “hiding” behind desks. And my male counterparts not… Women in music are allowed to be singer-songwriters singing about their boyfriends. If they change the subject matter to atoms, galaxies, activism, nerdy math beat editing or anything else they get criticized… if we don’t cut our chest open and bleed about the men and children in our lives we are cheating our audience.”

INTERVIEW/EP REVIEW: The Adventures Of The Silver Spaceman

The thought of an adventuring spaceman evokes images of daring travels and wild adventures. But in Zach Ellis’s world, the distance of space is an opportunity for some serious reflection. You can see the whole world from space, and at the moment, the world doesn’t look that great. That gives an ominous tone to The Adventures Of The Silver Spaceman‘s latest release, Electric Earth. It opens with the title track, a song that quickly gains momentum with rapid-fire lyrics and snaking guitar lines that feel as though they’re pulling you down a dark, twisting hallway. Well- placed dissonance creates a visceral sense of unease. But, the dark vibes are balanced out with gentler moments like “Expulsion,” a soaring, hopeful track with brimming space and self-awareness. We spoke to Zach about the recording process, how Electric Earth was inspired by the current times and, of course, space.

AUDIOFEMME: I really love the production on this EP, especially when it comes to the vocals. Can you give us some insights into the recording process?

ZACH: Thanks so much! The recording process on this record was by far the simplest we’ve ever done. You can partially thank Amy Schumer for that. We booked an all day session at Studio G in Greenpoint with my engineer Andy Swerdlow, but the session got turned into a half day because apparently, she needed to do a last minute voice over session for her show. So we ended up cranking out the whole EP in the latter half of the day thinking maybe we’d book another half day to finish, but we ended up not needing it. It took about 6 hours. We did it live. It’s really the antithesis of my earlier work… I used to record everything myself and add layer upon layer and get super anal about editing to sound just right. This record is super raw.

I did a few vocal passes into a U47 with a little slap echo in the monitor and that was pretty much it. It was so awesome recording into that mic. Andy, our engineer, says it’s the best mic in the world.

Andrew Bailey, who plays in DIIV, was with us during the session and I asked him if he’d want to add to the madness at the end of “Breath of Fire” and he was super into it. He’s since joined the band.

I sense a dystopian vibe to the whole EP, but particularly the first song, “Electric Earth.” Can you tell me the message behind the song, and what inspired the lyrics?

So glad you’re paying attention. Yes, Electric Earth is kind of my personal mantra for navigating a dystopian world. Things are so crazy right now. We’ve literally got villains in towers with henchmen. Money is controlling everything and in the hands of complete sociopaths who are deciding what we eat and how we interact with each other. It’s hard to navigate and real easy to lose touch entirely. It’s so easy to live in a bubble where the climate is controlled by corporate media and lose touch with the reality of what we as humans are meant to be experiencing. But, eventually, the bubble is going to pop. The music is about staying in touch with what’s important and real through it all… physically, emotionally and mentally remaining sharp and connected to mother nature.

Your release show was also a benefit for Standing Rock. Do you have any thoughts about the situation over there?

So many thoughts and feelings. This nation has been so unkind to its indigenous peoples. And after sweeping them under the rug by pushing them to the far corners of the United States, we now want to destroy the little bit of land we left them by installing a pipeline to transport a completely unsustainable energy source from one place to another? For what? So the filthy rich oil barrens can die alone in their mansions leaving their children a big house in a broken world. We need to learn from indigenous people now more than ever. We need to live in harmony with each other and with the land. I want to do what I can through music.

Your bio states that you’ve been compared to “Steve Malkmus and the Jicks, Nick Cave, and a millennial Neil Young.” Do these artists reflect your musical influences?

Steve Malkmus and the Jicks/Pavement are actually a relatively new trip for me, which a lot of people find hard to believe. Nick Cave as well. He scares me; I love it. Neil Young is a huge, huge influence. I learned a lot about how to use my voice through his songs and in my opinion he’s one of the most prolific, badass artists alive. As far as other influences, Fugazi sets me free [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”][and] Gang of Four, Television, Explosions in the Sky, Nina Simone, Pink Floyd, Springsteen, Tom Waits, Antony and the Johnsons and Joanna Newsom.

I tend to listen to mostly friends music. They’re the real influence. Sir Kn8, Hila the Killa, Lost Boy, Sam Yield, Yairms, Pecas, Parnhash and Coe, Nic Lawless. There’s so many incredible artists just out there relentlessly making quality stuff outside of the mainstream. Listen to these artists!

If you could go to space, would you do it? Which planet would you choose?

Of course! Me and my dear friend Sir Kn8 are already planning a kickstarter campaign to record a record out there. Neptune would be cool because it isn’t made mostly out of ice!

Electric Earth was released on 12/2. Check out the EP below!

https://soundcloud.com/the-silver-spaceman/sets/bare-bones-part-ii-electric[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]

ONLY NOISE: A Love Letter to Nils Frahm

I like many used to work an insufferable desk job. To most people, it sounded very interesting, but it was not. It was bland, canned stew disguised as top sirloin. To paraphrase a brilliant Bruce Eric Kaplan cartoon: I grew tired of clicking things all day. My only refuge was that given the oppressively repetitive, brainless tasks I was to perform, I could listen to music for nine hours straight. So in a sense, without 40 plus hours of weekly tedium, it is quite possible I would have never heard the stunning music of German composer Nils Frahm.

It was Thursday, August 6^th, 2015. I was dutifully at my desk, clicking away, and occasionally writing down the names of any great bands I heard on BBC 6 Music, which I frequently listened to. There was much talk on the radio about The Proms…it was Promming season after all. I remembered The Proms, as just two years prior I had been in attendance. The Proms is an eight-week summer streak of daily classical music concerts in London. Founded in 1895 with a heavy emphasis on strict classical, The Proms of today are far more hip, featuring contemporary composers and even deviations into the world of ambient/electronic music. When I attended, the compositions of Phillip Glass were the focus of that night’s performance at The Royal Albert Hall.

Although it sounds fancy, The Proms is one of the most democratic music festivals out there – an appraisal the world of classical music desperately needs. Provided you don’t mind lining up for a little while, you can snag a standing position on the Hall’s balcony for only £5, and hear some of the most renowned orchestras in the world.

Unfortunately, I was no longer in London for the 2015 Proms. I was at my desk, remember? But listening to the BBC broadcast, I pretended I was there. I closed my eyes, and smelled the musty carpet of the balcony floor, and tasted the less-democratically priced gin and tonics my friend Alice and I acquired at the downstairs bar. And as I drank in this memory, I heard something so sparkling and beautiful – the creeping in of quiet piano keys, building and turning over with waves of synthesizer crashing atop them. This was, as I later learned, Nils Frahm’s Proms performance of “Says.”

I was dumbstruck and intrigued, and as it goes with intrigue: I wanted more. I devoured everything I could find that Frahm had recorded. Having never in my life been this passionate about instrumental music, I surprised myself in this devotion. Writers find solace in words, and yet I had finally found something that was all the better for their absence.

At first, I merely listened and followed up with watching countless videos of Frahm performing live, which absolutely did me in. Watching Frahm play is almost like watching an athlete. What other pianist works up a literal sweat during their set? He is dynamic, often hopping between a grand piano, Juno synthesizer, and a Fender Rhodes keyboard, all of which he specially mics and prepares for each individual set. In this 2013 video performance of “Toiletbrushes” and “More,” Frahm is mouthing some unheard gestures, looking a bit like he is in pain…like he is not playing the song, but birthing it. His tendons and muscles are visibly strained as he plays like it’s an extreme sport.

But the most characteristic detail is that he plays half the set with actual toilet brushes, used to bang on the exposed strings of the open piano. This reminds me of two things. 1) That the piano is after all, a percussive instrument, and exploring that aspect can open a world of possibility, and 2) that Frahm is aiding in the democratization of classical music and the piano itself. His approach is curious, inventive, and entirely unpretentious. Whether he is melding the worlds of classical and electronica, or discovering that an overlooked household object can be the perfect mallet for a grand piano, Frahm is truly one of a kind.

At this point in my discovery, I knew very little about Nils Frahm the man. But his compositions so moved me, that within a week of first hearing him I had purchased a keyboard and booked my first piano lesson.

Few things have stirred me to such an extent. When I finally got a gym membership it came from a place of motivation, but not of inspiration. Watching certain movies makes me want to write a screenplay – but I never actually do it. At the most, I will buy up every record an artist has released within a short amount of time…but picking up a new instrument at 25? I was possessed.

After a year and a half of closely following Frahm’s career (and SLOWLY learning the piano), it seems as though the composer’s raison d’être is to captivate listeners to the point of great emotional response. As he told The Quietus in 2013:

“I’m interested in how human beings react in certain situations, and what music does to people’s emotions. How we can change people’s attitudes with tones. After I’ve played a good concert, people leave the room happy. This is something we can give back to the world. When people feel down and like it’s all going to shit, at least we can give them some music and change their attitude so people don’t think it’s all shit.”

It is rare to find such idealism spouting from the mouth of a professional musician. But Frahm’s optimism seems wholeheartedly sincere, and it is reflected in his actions. In March of 2015, Frahm gave us Piano Day, which celebrates his beloved instrument by sharing its immensity with the world.

In a statement on his website the pianist poked fun at his own fixation with the ebony and ivory:

“Beloved planet,
Don´t think I am completely pathetic, but I am here to tell you about a new holiday.”

Frahm proceeded to explain that Piano Day existed to celebrate any and all things Piano, and encouraged participants to create anything in that realm of possibility.

“Please dress up that day (don’t play any guitar) and prepare some presents for us all and don´t forget to share them with us. Any piano related creative idea will be honored and seen by the lovely people around here and myself. Thanks for your participation and spread the word, in a couple years I want PIANO DAY to me more important than Xmas and more stressful than Thanksgiving.

Anyways, enjoy this little present of mine, it is a snippet for more to come.

Yours,
Nils Frahm (has lost it completely)”

Frahm’s “present” was a free release of his 2015 album Solo. I realize now, listening to his annual, hour-long Xmas mix, that Frahm often gives music freely to his fans. It is something he has always done and it has probably been a partial cause of his steadily growing fan base.

The mix is more wintery than Christmas-y, but cozy nonetheless. Snippets of recordings by Miles Davis, Billie Holiday, Nina Simone, Lee Hazelwood, and Marlene Dietrich seamlessly float in an out, enveloped in the warm crackle of a record playing…or is it a slow burning fire? Either way, it is toasty to the ears.

I’ve been sitting on this desire to praise Frahm in long form for quite some time now. “Should I wait for his birthday?” I ask myself. “What about a new release? How can I make this relevant without simply sounding like a wide-eyed, drooling fan-girl?” But it was the Xmas Mix that did it, because it seems to represent the simple, fervent mission Frahm has of sharing music, and that moves me as much as his playing.

It is evident that this is a man hopelessly in love with music, and devoted to sharing it, whose career reflects a monastic approach to “success.” In 2015 Frahm spoke to Resident Advisor of his booking process:

“I only want to play if someone invites me. Don’t ask for shows.” I don’t want to use the piano as a money-making machine. This is what I tell my whole team: when someone asks, be nice, but don’t try to push people with my stuff.”

He continues by telling aspiring musicians that they shouldn’t focus on getting successful; they should stay at home, get really good at what they do, and wait for someone to notice their hard work.

In his typical, philosophical manner of speaking, he wrapped up his Quietus interview by saying:

“The only thing we can try is changing people’s attitude, but not with words. I don’t want to be Bob Dylan, I can’t express it through words but I can express it through emotional experiences. All the answers you need to know you have inside yourself and all you can do is inspire these sorts of answers, perhaps by conversation or by music or by looking at a piece of art. I only have one lifetime to do it and it feels way too short!”

PLAYING DETROIT: Stef Chura “Spotted Gold”

Quickly rising as Detroit’s DIY pensive pop priestess, Stef Chura and her captivatingly peculiar lo-fi sensibilities shine and burn playfully in her latest video for “Spotted Gold,” the third single from her debut album Messes due out January 27. Chura’s candy-colored, battery acid coated disharmonious world beckons late 90’s MTV feels complete with pop-star commercialization and her signature voice, which teeters between collapse and eruption, finds its visual counterpart in “Spotted Gold.” The colors change quickly like the tuning of an old television set as does the wardrobes of Chura and her bandmates as if to But the most strikingly unsettling element is the montage of

The colors change quickly like the tuning of an old television set as does the wardrobes of Chura and her bandmates. But the most striking element is the montage of rapid-fire imagery depicting activities that are considered taboo (smashing a mirror) and bad judgment calls (pouring milk on a laptop) to completely self-destructive behaviors (drinking poison and playing finger/knife roulette) all of which end as badly as one might imagine. The aesthetic is clean, perhaps even sterile, but in Chura’s sugary torment, is messily sincere. It’s easy to interpret “Spotted Gold” as a mischievous night out or miscalculated reckless relationship but the lyrics: “Spotted gold turned black and blue” reveal that perhaps Chura’s sand-in-the-eyes, hand-on-the-stove universe is less of a lark than it is a tale of emotional masochism and that when a good thing goes bad, well, maybe we are more in control than we think.

No, your toaster doesn’t need a bath. Keep tinfoil out of your microwave and check out Stef Chura’s series of unfortunate events in “Spotted Gold” below:

TRACK PREMIERE: Citrus & Katie “Sludge”

Citrus & Katie’s latest track “Sludge” embodies its title, dredging its way through your system and sitting contentedly in your ears. It’s parts garage rock, funk, soul, and pop, making for an upbeat fusion track that’ll leave you smiling. For the most part, “Sludge” is true to its name as a slow moving track, until the end when it really picks up pace, kicking up the rock ‘n’ roll vibes and ending on a fun note. Take a listen to it below! Their new album, NSTYLDY is out this month.

VIDEO REVIEW: Blood Orange “Better than Me”

Starting with a slam poem and full of choreographed dancing, Blood Orange’s Dev Hynes may have figured out a great recipe for directing a captivating music video with his clip for “Better than Me.”

Its poem accompaniment (Ashlee Haze’s “For Colored Girls [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”][The Missy Elliot Poem]”) immediately brings up the bitterness of envy and the insecurity that often follows. The dancers, led by Hynes, are lost in their world – and if, like me, you’re a sucker for great choreography, then you’re probably equally immersed. The tinkling synths and rushed, whispery vocals from Hynes and featured artist Carly Rae Jepsen give it an ominous backing reflected by the warehouse dance scene.

“Better than Me” comes from Blood Orange’s latest album Freetown Sound, which dropped at the end of June.

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ALBUM REVIEW: Kishi Bashi “Sonderlust”

The music we’ve come to expect from Kishi Bashi has a certain flair for the ethereal, the magical, and the adventurous. His latest album Sonderlust isn’t a deviation from this; rather, it jumps right into the style and sound that embodies this talented musician.

Sonderlust begins with the single “m’lover,” introducing the album with a gentle tinkling of keys and strings that’ll prick your eardrums and immediately captivate your heart. Pips and pops scattered throughout the track behind Kishi Bashi’s charming vocals as he seductively croons about wanting someone to be his lover—listening to it is pretty much a necessary aural experience. (Seriously, this track is just so many different types of sexy.) The next song, “Hey Big Star,” is as sparkly and otherworldly as a track with the word “star” in the title should be. It’s a true toe-tapper, with an easy-t0-follow beat and a poppy, addictive rhythm. The following track holds a more analog feel to it, sounding like a song from an old Super Nintendo video game soundtrack. It’s a slower jam to groove to, one that feels reminiscent of a chill 80s love song in certain ways. “Can’t Let Go, Juno” holds an air of impending drama, with its heavier (yet still beautifully ethereal) sound. Toward the end, it breaks off into an entrancing keyboard solo, carrying you through its space and time with delicate tinkling.

In the middle of the album, you reach the climax and resolution of the built-up tension from the previous track in “Ode to my Next Life.” It feels alien and galactic: like you can see yourself walking along the surface of the moon in a spacesuit, defying gravity while this soundtracks your life. It’s a confidence boosting, ego touting song, which, if we’re being totally honest, should probably become a necessity on all albums moving forward. “Who’d You Kill” is smooth and savory, yet quirky, calling to mind the type of music you might hear in a movie like “Ocean’s 11,” but with a very Kishi Bashi twist added to it. “Why Don’t You Answer Me” has a sense of urgency to its fast-paced beat, as if something depends on an answer to its posed titular question, and “Flame on Flame (a Slow Dirge)” feels like a perfect continuation of the previous track. It flows together perfectly, slowing the previous vibe down in a natural way where a listener won’t feel disjointed or jarred. Sonderlust closes out with Kishi Bashi’s fun, energetic single “Honeybody.” It’s a pop song that reaches out and grabs you, then holds you close to dance you around the room. It’s a fantastic way to end an album because it leaves you in a place where you need to hear the entirety of it again immediately and will probably find yourself clicking replay as soon as it closes.

So what are you waiting for? Hop on the Kishi Bashi bandwagon (if you haven’t already, that is).

<a href="http://kishibashi.bandcamp.com/album/sonderlust">Sonderlust by Kishi Bashi</a>

TRACK REVIEW: Zella Day “Man on the Moon”

Bypass your morning coffee! Starting out with a chorus-y bang and accompaniment of keys, Zella Day’s “Man on the Moon” is the type of track that’ll kickstart your day and give you that much-needed pep in your step.

“Man on the Moon” is an ethereal beauty, surreal and dream-like from start to finish. It holds an air of normalcy until every chorus breaks down into the otherworldly again–its ability to capture the transcendental aligns oh so perfectly with the title. Appropriately, each chorus also has vocals that sound like a martian’s.

Take a listen below to this entrancing number.

EVENT PREVIEW: AudioFemme Holiday Show

Join us this Wednesday, 12/21 for the annual AudioFemme holiday party! As well as live music and drinks, there’ll be stickers, Xmas cookies, your favorite Femmes and a killer afterparty.

We’ll see you at Union Pool at 8pm. Doors are at 8pm, the show starts at 9pm and tickets are $10; Purchase them in advance and RSVP here so we’ll know you’re coming! The party will feature live performances by:

Gold Child: Created by Brooklyn musician Emily Fehler, Gold Child injects a burst of energy and melodic sweetness into country music, updating the genre by mixing it with psych-folk elements. Listen to their debut single, “Tides,” below.

Von Sell: David Von Sell is an electro-pop artist originally from Berlin. He crafts mellow yet interesting tracks draped in layers of reverb heavy vocals that range from shimmery and upbeat to bittersweet and atmospheric. Check out his track “Miss Me” below:

After the live performances, the after party begins at 11pm with DJ sets by:

BEARCAT: BEARCAT is a multidisciplinary artist whose music reaches into her Jamaican roots and time spent making dance floors shake in all corners of the world. Check out “Radar 111,” an invigorating blend of heavy rhythms.

SHYBOI: This DJ’s sets are bursting with barely-contained energy, making Yulan Grant a critical addition to the all-women NYC DJ collective known as Discwoman. Her songs will keep you on your toes, both literally and figuratively.

TRACK REVIEW: MisterWives “Same Drugs”

You know what life has been missing? A new MisterWives track! And although it’s not a new track per se, as it’s a Chance the Rapper cover, it’s still a worthwhile song to add to your weekly playlist (because everyone has one of those, right?).

In a lot of ways, this single is a deviation from the MisterWives we’ve come to know and love. “Same Drugs” holds elements of gospel music, complete with clapping and soft “ooh’s” in the background, and is overall more low-key and serious compared their usual bubbly, fun sound. Frontwoman Mandy Lee slays the track with her signature quirky vocals, yet this track has a more sobering effect. She handles it masterfully, hitting highs, lows, and everything in between while dodging playfully alongside keys and brass. It’s a great reminder that we all need a lot more MisterWives in our lives–and hopefully sooner rather than later.

NEWS ROUNDUP: Madonna, Solange & More

Madonna Wins Billboard’s Woman Of The Year

After cracking a few jokes at the beginning of her acceptance speech, the singer got serious, stating, “Thank you for acknowledging my ability to continue my career for 34 years in the face of blatant misogyny, sexism, constant bullying and relentless abuse. When I started, there was no internet, so people had to say it to my face.” She talks about the hardships of her early days in New York and the double standard she faced expressing sexuality through her music. Watch the whole thing below:

Watch This: Solange’s Jimmy Kimmel Performance

A Seat At The Table was one of 2016’s surprise releases, and one of the best (it’s earned the #1 spot on Pitchfork’s AOTY list). Watch Solange perform a medley of two of its songs, “Rise” and “Weary” on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. She performs with two other singers, all draped in, and connected to each other by red fabric.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-qHmXbkayw

Spoon Hint At New Album, Debut New Song

After changing their social media profile pictures and featuring a new song in a Shameless montage, it appears a new album is in the works. The studio version of “I Ain’t The One” seems to have been taken off of YouTube, but you can check out a live version below:

Piers Morgan Is A Jerk, But May Still Get To Interview Lady Gaga

After revealing she suffered from PTSD after a sexual assault, Piers Morgan took to Twitter to complain about it, tweeting “It angers me when celebrities start claiming ‘PTSD’ about everything to promote themselves.” He went on to imply that only soldiers can suffer from the disorder, but after some back and forth between the two, they agreed to do an interview to debate the topic. If they do debate I’m pretty sure we know who will win (hint: you can watch their latest video below).

EP REVIEW: Lee Triffon “Different Sun”

Welp, 2016 has been hellish, and we officially all need 200 percent more chill in our lives. And Tel Aviv-born, LA-based Lee Triffon is here to bring us those much-needed laid-back vibes in the form of her new EP Different Sun.

The album begins with Triffon’s wispy vocals projecting an ominous and slightly mysterious energy in her titular opening track. The music ebbs and flows with her airy voice, carrying you on a cushy cloud of low-key electronica. It transitions into her popular single “Mirrors in the Sand” from there. In this track, the songstress stretches her range a bit more, telling a heartfelt tale using raspy vocals alongside a slow synthy backing. The midpoint of the EP sees “Silver Bullet Gun,” which is a more unique style from the previous two tracks, deviating into a more pronounced and ambitious song than her other two–it reaches out and grabs you, holding you captive to its enchanting sound. Although slow, it’s repetitive tracking makes it so the song reverberates around your head. The next song, “Caves,” is a bit faster than the others at times, and has an urgent yet unsettled feel to it. It further complements Triffon’s mysteriousness, a quality which is palpable in all the songs on Different Sun. “Caves” is the last glimpse of sunlight on a particularly brisk winter evening, making it seasonally appropriate, but also a great way to end out an album. The last track is an orchestral version of “Mirrors in the Sand,” which is a more magical and theatrical spin on the original single.

Take a listen to Different Sun below, and maybe it’ll help you feel a bit more reinvigorated for the coming year.

ONLY NOISE: Cover to Cover

“What a drug this little book is; to imbibe it is to find oneself presuming his process.” In her latest memoir M Train, Patti Smith speaks of W.G. Sebald’s After Nature with bibliophilic hunger. She is seeking inspiration and therefore turns to a favorite work. Smith continues:

“I read and feel the same compulsion; the desire to possess what he has written, which can only be subdued by writing something myself. It is not mere envy but a delusional quickening in the blood.”

As I read her book with a similar hunger, I realize that I’ve felt this way before, in the precise way she has described it – when I listen to the music I love. “The desire to possess” what has been written, played, and sung. This desire is so strong that it ventures upon wish fulfillment; I often feel as though I am taking communion with the music…eating it, so to speak. For a split second, I near convince myself that I have written it. That it is mine.

I often wonder if this is a personal quirk (a hallucination) or if others experience the same phenomenon. I wonder if it is perhaps the subconscious impetus to cover songs, even. What if instead of mere flattery, or tribute, possession also informed Jeff Buckley’s version of “Hallelujah” or Jimi Hendrix’s take on “All Along the Watchtower?” They certainly made both songs their own. I do not mean a jealous possession, necessarily, but an attempt to be “one with” the song, at the risk of sounding faux-metaphysical.

Cover songs as a genre get a bad rep, it seems. Covers = karaoke, or worse, Covers = Cover Bands. It was after all a throng of home-recorded cover songs that launched Justin Bieber’s career. But cover songs lead a double life. In their pop/rock identity, it is often considered a lowbrow, unoriginal form – sometimes even an attempt at latching onto the search engine optimization of the artists being covered. But in a cover song’s blues/folk/country life it goes by another name: a traditional. Throughout countless genres that could be filed under the umbrella of “folk” or “roots” music, artists recorded their own versions of songs passed down by performers before them.

Much like the poems and fables of oral history, it was common for the original authors of traditional songs to remain unknown. Take for instance the trad number “Goodnight, Irene,” which was first recorded by Lead Belly in 1933, and by many others thereafter. But the original songwriter has been obscured from music history. There are allusions to the song dating back to 1892, but no specifics on who penned the version Lead Belly recorded.

Lead Belly claimed to have learned the song from his uncles in 1908, who presumably heard it elsewhere. “Goodnight, Irene” was subsequently covered by The Weavers (1950), Frank Sinatra (1950, one month after The Weavers’ version), Ernest Tubb & Red Foley (1950 again), Jimmy Reed (1962) and Tom Waits (2006) to name but a few.

The reason so many artists (I only listed a couple) covered “Goodnight, Irene” in 1950 was because that was the way of the music biz back then. If someone had a hit record – like The Weavers, who went to #1 on the Billboard Best Seller chart – it was in the best interest of other musicians to cash in on the trend while it was hot by recording their version of the single. Not as common today of course, but in a time when session musicians were rarely credited and hits were penned by paid teams instead of performers, it made sense.

The history of traditional folk songs or “standards” is a fascinating one because it is like a musical game of telephone. The songs’ arrangement and lyrics change with the times, the performer, and the context. And that same model of change can be applied to both the artist’s motive for covering certain music, and the listener’s reaction to it.

For years I quickly dismissed cover songs, finding them boring at best and unbearable at worst. But in my recent quest to become more open-minded, I have revisited many covers…and become a bit obsessed in the process. The first cover song to move me was The Slits’ version of “I Heard it Through the Grapevine,” which in itself is a pop traditional as it has been covered by everyone from Marvin Gaye, to Creedence Clearwater Revival, to The Miracles. Gaye’s version is the most widely recognized, however, making The Slits’ rendition all the more fascinating. Their 1979 stab at the Motown classic was what taught me that a cover song could be more than just a karaoke version of something. It can become a completely new medium of expression when the artist tears the original apart and stitches the pieces into a new form. The Slits did this so effectively, to the point that theirs and Gaye’s versions are incomparable.

The Stranglers achieved a similar result by reconfiguring the Dionne Warwick classic “Walk On By” in 1978, morphing the lounge-y original into a six-minute swirl of organ-infused punk. Another master of pop modification was the one-and-only Nina Simone, who somehow took the already perfect “Suzanne” by Leonard Cohen and managed to make it…perfecter. I remember a friend playing this cut for me three and a half years ago, and I haven’t gone so much as a week without putting it on since. Nina’s phrasing can make Dylan’s seem predictable, and she dances through Cohen’s poetry in a way that astonishes me to this day, no matter how many times I’ve heard it. I feel that her version is, dare I say, better than the original, though I love both dearly.

But of course, not all covers exist for the purpose of possession. Sometimes the simplest answer is the correct one: that a cover is an opportunity to pay tribute, not ironically, but with reverence. Of course, even artists performing the best reverent covers make the songs their own. Take Smog’s version of Fleetwood Mac’s “Beautiful Child,” which is such a gorgeous recording that I was heartbroken to learn it was a cover, and disappointed upon hearing the original. Ditto Bill Callahan’s more recent take on Kath Bloom’s “The Breeze/My Baby Cries.” Bloom’s take isn’t short on oddball, winsome charm, but Callahan brings a barge full of sorrow, which always wins in my book.

In similar form, Robert Wyatt somehow out-Costello’d Elvis Costello when he covered “Shipbuilding” in 1982, which reaches another dimension of despair with Wyatt’s wavering vocal performance. Another favorite is Morrissey’s interpretation of “Redondo Beach,” an oddly bouncy rendition by the King of Sad.

Though I once turned my nose up at cover songs, I seem to fanatically collect them now. I often dream up cover song commissions that will likely never come to fruition: Cat Power singing Bob Dylan’s “Most of the Time” or King Krule doing “Bette Davis Eyes” by Kim Carnes. I’d pay them to do it myself if I could damn well afford to. Until then, let the covers of others stoke your desire to possess.

ARTIST INTERVIEW: Chris Whitehall of The Griswolds

The other day I got to call frontman Chris Whitehall of the Griswolds to discuss the band’s new album, what it was like working with Kanye’s producer, and what member of the “Stranger Things” cast he related to the most.

The Aussie boys are back and better than ever with their sophomore album High Times for Low Lives, a refreshing, darker twist on their usual trop-pop tracks. In a somewhat shocking change of sound, the Griswolds manage to use songs like “Out of My Head” to reintroduce the band as well as ease into a record laden with R&B, electronic beats, and a hint of soul. Telling the different sides of stardom through each song, or the highs and lows to be more precise, listeners get a peek into the band’s private lives, which seem to be one non-stop party. However, even the more upbeat and playful tunes such as “Role Models” and “YDLM” hint that fame isn’t exactly all that it’s cracked up to be, and songs like “Rufio” really hit the point home with lyrics that describe some really destructive habits. While the new record definitely deviates from the norm, Chris mentioned how the daring move has paid off – “a lot of our fans loved our original sound… but the fan reactions especially have been overwhelming, they’ve been amazing.”

The cherry on top of this album is the fact that it was produced by Andrew Dawson, a Grammy Award winner most known for his work with Kanye, fun., and the Pet Shop Boys. Luckily for the Griswolds, thoughts of “oh God we’re working with Kanye’s producer” soon vanished as they realized how down to earth Dawson was; as Chris put it, “he’s kind of like this weird, crazy, freaky-genius kid when he sits at the recording desk… he’s boisterous and funny and gets distracted like every two seconds by YouTube.” Like Chris, we’re hoping to hear more collaborations between the band and Dawson in the future.

If you can’t seem to get enough of the Griswolds, you’re in luck – they’ve recently appeared in Apple Music’s new ad campaign, so keep an eye out for the Aussie lads on posters and billboards all across the country. Even if you don’t really know the band, if you happen to stumble across one of the members in a bar like one UCLA student did, at least you’ll know where you saw them! If you are familiar with the band, then it’s likely talk of tour in the spring of next year has hit your ears, so be sure to catch them along with DREAMERS on the “Low Lives” tour!

You can check out the full interview with Chris down below along with a link to the new album!

PLAYING DETROIT: Jessica Hernandez & The Deltas “Hot Damn”

A firecracker personified, Jessica Hernandez (and her Deltas, respectively) embodies the grit, the groove, and the gloriously kaleidoscopic rock nuances that Detroit is best known for. Their notable Gogol Bordello-esque flamboyance and unapologetically cool gypsy-punk vibe has shaped the radius of the Detroit rock radar for the past few years both growing and refining along the way. Returning with their first single since 2014, “Hot Damn” is spicy, seductive and demanding. Aggressive fuzz-filled guitar and drums that err on the punk side of the spectrum pair well with the passionately temperate rabbit hole free fall that is “Hot Damn.” Hernandez’s vibrant vibrato seems inhuman, like a bird putting a fork in an electrical outlet. It shakes, rattles and yet pulls back effectively to remind the listener that Hernandez’s specialty is her range as much as it is her ability to control the vocal chaos. “I can be your baby / I know that I seem crazy” Hernandez howls, summoning what can only be imagined as a lover on all fours, Hernandez tugging the leash upward. Even if the single isn’t intended to be as in-your-face and commanding as it sounds, it elicits a volcanic disturbance that is as much of a choose-your-own-adventure as it is an unhinged anthem for the thick skinned and love craving masses.

“Hot Damn” is available on Spotify now.

TRACK REVIEW: Trails and Ways “Get Loud”

It’s been a minute since we’ve heard new releases from Trails and Ways, but after a four-year pause, it’s exciting to see a slew of fresh music from the band. One of which is the energetic power pop single “Get Loud.”

The track has an addictive beat and subdued yet captivating vocals that do a fantastic job of staying on top of the pace. Short, sweet, and relatively simple, “Get Loud” is just an overall fantastic feel-good song. It also somehow feels very early 2000s mainstream rock while maintaining an air of relevance that one-hit wonders of the late 90s would be enviable of.

Keep a tab on Trails and Ways to see what else they’ll be sending our way!

ARTIST INTERVIEW + PREVIEW: Arthur Moon + Iris Lune

It’s one thing photographing shows of the bands you like, but it’s another thing being on the road with the bands you truly admire. I am very honored to be joining two of my favorite emerging bands from New York – Arthur Moon and Iris Lune for their winter tour. I got to capture some precious moments of the bands and to know each of them better.

We are half way into the tour, and I finally had some time chat with “les femmes,” front lady Lora-Faye Ashuvud from Arthur Moon and front lady Ella Joy Meir from Iris Lune, about their time on the tour, their band names and their homecoming show in Brooklyn this weekend.

1. Tell me more about your band names, Iris Lune and Arthur Moon, both are very luna-centered, how did you came up with the names?

Lora-Faye: Marcel Duchamp’s female alter ego (Rrose Selavy, yes, two R’s) came to me in a dream and told me my music came from my inner Arthur Moon. After that, it seemed the only fitting name, really.

Ella: Music to me is like a moon lighting up a dark sky. I’ve always been connected to this idea, and so it was only natural to have a part of the band name represent that. Iris is the Greek messenger of the gods (manifested as a rainbow), but also the colorful part around the eye. The pairing of these two words creates a very visual and sense driven name of what our music sounds like.

2. What are your musical influences? How would you describe your music?

Lora-Faye: Things that influence the music: Cutting up magazine articles and putting them back together again into poems/lyrics. The feeling of being pleasurably uncomfortable. Radiohead. Accidents. This weird form of migraine I get that gives me aphasia.

Ella: Cinematic Alt-pop. A few artists that always spark our creativity include James Blake, Bjork, Bon Iver, Radiohead and Hundred Waters, but we also draw inspiration from artists like Salvador Dali and Miyazaki.

3. How’s 2016 been for the bands and what are some plans in 2017?

Lora-Faye: It’s been a great year! We were born this year! 2017 brings an EP release with Velvet Elk Records, some new music videos, and some exciting dates, like a big show at National Sawdust on March 18. It also probably will bring resistance, more questions about how to make music with a direct political impact, and a whole lot of yelling, on stage and off.

Ella: 2016 has also been great for us! We’ve been performing a lot and started to work on our second EP. We have a few awesome gigs coming up in 2017, including National Sawdust on 3/18 (Arthur Moon is playing as well!) and a residency at Threes Brewing in April, and we’re excited to finish our EP and send it out into the world.

4. You are five shows into the tour now, how has the tour been? Any interesting or challenging stories to share?

Lora-Faye: It’s been alternately goofy and heavy and a lesson in the deep kindness and generosity of friends. The best thing that’s happened so far is that we bought a tiny Christmas tree for the van. But we can’t figure out if it’s actually alive, even though it’s potted in soil. A Trump tree, if you will.

Ella: There’s nothing like the bonding time that touring gives us. Being stuck in a car for hours together makes the music sound and feel that much more connected. Also, our tour manager Mia has been making personal GIFs of all the members in both bands, so we’ve been having fun with that.

5. What should the audience expect from the big homecoming show at Rough Trade on Sunday?

Lora-Faye: A tiny Christmas tree on the stage. New songs. Three-part harmonies that will make you feel like you’re swimming in a pool filled with aloe.

Ella: This is our final show of 2016, and the energy is going to be amazing. It’s also our debut performance with incredible lighting & projection artist Dom Chang, aka patchbae. We’re excited to partner with him and deepen the visual aspect to our show!

Although I have seen them many times, I still feel more in love and touched by their music ever night. Cannot express how much I enjoy being around with these talents musicians. Be sure to catch them (and the tiny Christmas Tree) at their homecoming show at Rough Trade this weekend.

Arthur Moon + Iris Lune with special guest Nozart

12/11/2016, 7pm -11pm

Rough Trade NYC

NEWS ROUNDUP: Ghost Ship Tragedy, Venue News & Meg White

Ghost Ship Death Toll Rises To 36

Last week, a fire broke out at an Oakland warehouse and loft that housed a DIY space called the Ghost Ship. Described as “a center of the Oakland community,” the space was hosting an electronic music show that night, leading many to jump to conclusions that the victims were irresponsible ravers partying in a dangerous building. In reality, if blame is to be placed anywhere it’s on the housing crisis in Oakland. Artists simply can’t afford to rent proper spaces to house DIY venues, which often double as safe spaces for marginalized groups. And it’s not limited to Oakland; as this article by Meredith Isaksen states, “The economic trends in Oakland and the circumstances leading to the Ghost Ship fire are a magnification of what many are experiencing across the country.” Read it here, and watch Patti Smith dedicate a song to the victims of the fire below.

New Venue, Brooklyn Steel, Announced

The Bowery Presents has announced a new venue, Brooklyn Steel, which will open in Williamsburg at 319 Frost Street. With a capacity of 1,800, that will make it the “largest general admission venue in Brooklyn.” Bowery Presents partners John Moore and Jim Glancy promised “easy access to bars and restrooms, to unobstructed sightlines and state-of-the-art sound and acoustics” in a statement on the Bowery Presents website. 40 bathrooms and a good view of the bands sound nice, but can we get Glasslands back too?

Some of the first artists to perform at the new venue include The Decemberists, Pixies, PJ Harvey, Two Door Cinema Club, Animal Collective, Perfume Genius, Whitney, Tycho and The Black Angels. More details here.
Read This: Why We Can’t Forget About Meg White

Remember all of those debates about whether or not Meg White was a good drummer? I never found any problems with her playing; she had a simple style that fit well with the type of music The White Stripes played. So why did so many people insist on tearing her down? Kayleigh Hughes breaks down the meaning behind all of those “pervasive, heavily gendered critiques of whether or not Meg White is a good drummer” in this excellent Watt article.

Elvis Guesthouse Closing After NYE

2016: the year of venue closures. We’ve already lost Palisades, Manhattan Inn, Aviv, and Market Hotel (temporarily). Now, the owners of Elvis Guesthouse, a bar that’s the Manhattan counterpart to BK’s Baby’s All Right, have announced it will be closing at the end of December. [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”][Insert joke about Elvis leaving the building].

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ONLY NOISE: Sex Music

Some might say that sex without love is like music without soul…but what is sex without music?

It seems natural enough that someone who obsesses about aural pleasure and its many applications on the daily, would also wonder which sounds best suit oral pleasu– you get the idea. But all puns aside: if I am to write about the personal, idiosyncratic links we have with specific music, how can I respectfully gloss over musica sexus? Which is fake Latin for “sex music.”

It is a worthy genre, and not only for those of us who live our lives thinking up Top 10 lists for every possible occasion. I’ve heard many say that they don’t like to have sex to music; perhaps they don’t think of it, find it distracting, or can’t take the DJing pressure in such a moment. Others like my good friend Fletcher* say it “feels cheesy” and that it was something he “did more in high school.”

And I hear that. High school was when you were still figuring out how to navigate the difficult, terrifying and oft-taboo world of sex. You had little to no prior experience, and most likely based your moves off of those you saw in movies. So you stood outside your love’s window, goliath boom box foisted above your head blaring “In Your Eyes” by Peter Gabriel. It worked so well for John Cusack in Say Anything! Or perhaps you put on “Unchained Melody” by the Righteous Brothers after watching Ghost. Maybe you even got out some clay and a pottery wheel. You didn’t know any better!

At the unromantic end of the spectrum, sex music was just practical back then. You needed something to mask the coital cacophony you and Kateigh were making from your unsuspecting mother down the hall. Sadly few New Yorkers have escaped this sound barrier reality, as playing music while boning is a frequent necessity when living with roommates. It doesn’t actually work though.

But I refuse to accept that shagging to a soundtrack is only for teens and broke city-dwellers. Despite how “cheesy” and juvenile some might find it, I’m always down for some rock n’ roll in the hay…provided it’s awesome.

The foreplaylists (sorry!) that have intrigued me the most came when I least expected them to. A personal favorite was when a nerdy, socially inept and tame lover put on “Girl” by Suicide right before he pounced on me. The sounds of “ding!” abounded in my head as his points accrued for a) liking Suicide and b) knowing this particular song would light my fire. It’s not the kind of ditty you would think to diddle to immediately, given its eerie, ominous tenor and bouts of murderous screaming – one might wait at least until the second Tinder date – but I loved it. That was probably the only good thing he did in the relationship, and I commend him for it.

Another beau had the genius idea to screw while the entirety of Loveless by My Bloody Valentine played in the background. A song is great, sure, but if you can find an entire record to listen to instead, you’re golden. An LP ensures adequate length and a consistent atmosphere. Loveless is perfect because it is gritty and romantic all at once, and you can’t understand a damn word anyone is singing, which is even better (you’ll find out why later).

Another record I have a fond, sensual affection for is Television’s Marquee Moon, especially the title track itself. I can’t point out any specific factors as to why other than the back catalogue of my personal spank bank, but that’s good enough for me. All of these songs, paired with their role in my sex life have so swayed me behaviorally, that when I hear them I get turned on. Which is kind of kickass.

Though despite these triumphs, partners have not always been victorious in the erotic disc jockey department. The same man who was wise enough to put on “Girl” later selected a track to lesser applause. It was 1991’s “Bitch Betta Have My Money” by rapper AMG. A song bursting with such poetic lyrics as “there ain’t nothin’ like black pussy on my dick” and “you can suck the dickity-dick but I’m gonna charge you a nut.” I bear no issue with this cut musically, but no one ever got a woman into bed by telling her to “suck the dickity-dick.” Sorry, AMG. You can kiss my assity-ass.

Another snafu occurred when the most loathsome person I ever dated put his iTunes on shuffle pre-coitus. There we were, rolling about on his poly-blend sheets, when Tegan and Sara’s “Back In Your Head” boomed out of his speakers. I jerked away from him, so very confused by his Tegan and Sara fandom, and thoroughly enjoying how mortified he was. He scrambled to his desktop and switched his “uncool guy” music to his “cool guy” music, which was “Uncontrollable Urge” by Devo.

I learned many things that day, namely that denying your love of Tegan and Sara does not make you manlier. But I also learned that no moment hinges more upon mood than the moment before sex. One should be ever so careful to ensure the music is not on shuffle.

And what about sex for a vinyl lover, such as myself? If you think putting a condom on is “awkward,” try committing coitus interruptus when the first half of Daydream Nation finishes up, or worse, skips. Out of bed, to the turntable to flip sides or frantically dig through records in search of something else. Who knew high fidelity audio could be such a cock block?

Despite certain studies on the matter of sex music, some of which claim that classical tunes are the best thing to get freaky to, what I’ve learned is that one can’t rationally explain why some songs work and others don’t. It’s like the mystery of attraction and fetishes; there isn’t always a 1+2=3 answer. “Love songs” are rarely what get me in the mood. Songs about sex are often laughable and cringe worthy when you’re about to actually have sex. And I’m sure some people would be horrified if I scored their sexcapades with what I prefer. Nick Cave anyone? The Cramps? Or what about “Cold Discovery” by Smog (the Peel Session please!)? Not for everyone I’m sure.

I was finally able to get an answer from Fletcher about what he used to put on for “a romp sesh” in high school:

“’A Punch Up At a Wedding by Radiohead’ was my favorite,” he admitted.

I give it a listen for the first time in years and realize that this song will never be the same for me again. I cannot unlearn what I have been told. Just as my own intimate history augments the songs I love, so now has his. Images form, and I don’t necessarily want them to.

I guess that you can have sex without music. But I am now near convinced you cannot have music without sex.

*Name changed for privacy.