It’s Labor Day. The end of summer, time for last call and make outs with the friend you’ve been eyeing all these hot months. Our Track of the Week “Midnight Man” is the new single from NYC-based Controller. With layers of synths and resulting smile upon smile, this song is all about having a good time and enjoying the moment. It’s the third single from Controller’s sophomore release, the No Future EP.
Jon Bellinger (Controller‘s frontman) says the song is: “A shameless club banger, but sung from the perspective of someone you would never ever, ever, ever, ever, ever even consider going home with. Like, he thinks he’s really smooth but he’s the only one not in on how ridiculous he is, and it’s getting closer and closer to last call.” With that, take a listen and go forth.
After an abundance of changes, Widowspeak is now two. Molly Hamilton and Rob Earl Thomas did what all Brooklyn artists dream of doing, and rambled on to the Catskills where they live with a pup dog. They took their time in creating All Yours, an album appropriately about “moving on.” While they’ve moved on, they’ve kept what’s gold, working with tried and true Jarvis Taveniere, who produced their self-titled debut in 2011, and drummer Aaron Neveu.
The album opens with the title track that sounds exactly as my fantasy of fleeing the city for nature with a lover should. Their slow-paced blend of folk and shoegaze creates a sensation of nostalgia and rooted observation. On “Stoned” Molly exhales the drug that is love “…and I felt stoned…” Things pick up and crawl a little deeper to your heart on “Borrowed World” when Rob laments, “I know that I should pay attention, but I never paid any mind.” Rob rarely shares his voice; the addition of his vocals round up the listening experience. “Living in a borrowed world – with you.” On All Yours the two let us into their world via a cohesive and comforting album that’s as delightfully irreverent as it is insightful.
It’s Monday, which means despite the dismal sounds of alarms, we have new music to be celebrated. Brooklyn electro – pop duo, Astronaughty, recently released their debut single “Try Much Harder.” I was sold at the beautiful long-haired men gazing at me through a purple sheen, but their appeal goes beyond the superficial. The track is a mega-fun burst of surprises, dips and dives, and unexpected tempo changes. There’s room for introspection, mellow smiles, and booty shaking.
Of “Try Much Harder,” Astronaughty says, “We wanted the track to sound like the beginning of something new that takes you back to something familiar.” Like so many late-night Brooklyn epiphanies, this one came to Sam and Charlie while riding the L train. “The melody came out of nowhere when we were taking the L train together late one night. We like to hum ideas back and forth when we are out and about and this one was very pop-y for us at the time. We remember it gave us the image of a declining pop star on the dark side of the moon, trying to make one last hit.” With a debut like this, expect plenty more from these guys before they reach their own rock ‘n’ roll suicide.
Doe Paoro recently released a new single titled “The Wind” – and it is beautiful. The song was written during Hurricane Sandy – which for any New Yorker will invoke memories of fear, the dark, of rain coming down and uncertainty, but hopefully, if you were hiding out with someone you love, also a deep sense of intimacy. Shelter from the storm, if you will. “The Wind” was produced by Bon Iver (Justin Vernon) and features an enchanting beat created by the Chicago duo Supreme Cuts that rains down in deep, sharp beats as soaring interlaced vocals dance the song of calmness that only true intimacy can provide.
Sleepwalker is the debut album from New Brunswick singer-songwriter Leslie Bear, except we’re calling her Long Beard, despite no evidence of said beard. It’s an album four years in the making, produced by Chris Daly, and joined by Devin Silvers and Tom Christie on bass, and Stefan Koekemoer on drums. On the single “Porch”, Bear’s vocals crawl delicately like a spider across a web spun by the guitar lines. The song paints an aural portrait of the most beautiful time of the 24 hours we spend circling ’round the sun, when the light is dim enough to see fireflies, but not too dark that you’ve lost your lover’s features.
Sleepwalker is out via Team Love Records October 23. Listen to “Porch” below.
When was the last time you read the bible? Does wearing gothic cross earrings count? The Brooklyn-based singer/songwriter Sam Geller goes by the moniker of Samson the Truest after his biblical hero, Samson. “In his music, Geller seeks to balance the power and the vulnerability embodied by Samson, delving into topics of self-destruction and transcendence as they appear in daily life.” For the record, I quoted the author’s bio page as wearing gothic cross earrings does not in fact, count as reading the bible.
“Afterall” is Samson’s first track from his upcoming album Come Back Shane, out October 2nd. The song features vocals from their frequent collaborator Aerial East, along with Xan Aird (The Virgins) on guitar. “Afterall” manages to walk the fine line between calm and impassioned, proving you don’t need to read the bible to believe in soul.
I was studying television production until I got my heart broken and needed an outlet for the pain. I started writing and thus a career was born. From transformative emotional pain to the physical, Anthony Ferraro would have become a classical musician (he trained for nearly two decades) had it not been for his childhood-diagnosed arthritis flaring up while studying music at the University of California, Berkeley. With his hands out of sorts, he could “no longer…play etudes or concertos with the vigor they demanded,” so he dropped out of school. He did not, however, drop out of music. Ferraro began playing music of another variety under the name Astronauts, etc., (apparently he’s a space cadet). He didn’t lose his respect for musical refinement, however. His pop is recorded with a live band of trained jazz players (Scott Brown on bass, Derek Barber on guitar, Aaron Gold on drums, and Doug Stuart on keys and vocals).
In watching the video for “I Know” we must assume that under the skin of Ferraro’s head lies not a skull, but a disco ball, to which we are invited into. It’s pop, but refined pop. Smooth pop, intelligent and perfectly performed pop. It has a soul, and could very easily be classified as indie rock, but for the story of the classical musician who lost his hands and discovered a parallel universe I’ll call it – pop!
Astronauts, etc.’s debut album, Mind Out Wandering, comes out September 18th on Hit City U.S.A.
Watch the video for “I Know” below, directed by Vinyl Williams.
“How Did You Sleep Lady Kite” is the second single from Jesse R. Berlin’s debut album Glitter Lung, out August 14. Jesse R. Berlin first kicked up some dirt in the Tex-Mex blues scene of 1980s Houston, TX. After a rather roundabout series of adventures, breakups, and shakeups, Glitter Lung was recorded by Berlin as he isolated himself in his San Marcos studio for three years.
So about the song. The psychedelic nuances hint at a creation of odd hours – locked in the studio, perhaps with insomniac revelations and Ambien creativity. “Give me your love” the lyrics demand, a sentiment we’ve all felt, but that only come off (slightly) less creepy when sung from a sexy odd artist like Berlin. It thrusts you into that heady space of horniness as disco balls melt and your knees grow weak – ultimately giving way to passion and heading home – but not to sleep. Listen to “How Did You Sleep Lady Kite?” below.
New York-based songstress EVVY recently released her new single “Tidal Wave.” The enchanting pop track, a collaboration with Baby Daddy of Scissor Sisters, Mickey Valen, and Chris Wallitsch speaks of the grounding power love holds against uncontrollable and destructive forces. First and foremost, “Tidal Wave” is really fun, which both in the world of songwriting and let’s be honest – love – is rather refreshing. Immediately the distinct feeling of being overtaken by a wave, caught up while body surfing and being tossed and thrown is evoked. It is a lot like love, absolutely terrifying, and there’s a slight risk you’ll become paralyzed for life in the struggle. The key to not only surviving, but having the time of your life – is to just roll with it.
Fortunaut is the moniker of Brooklyn-based musician Ryan Kershaw – joined with an ensemble of his best friends and finest music makers: Robin Buyer, Erik Caldarone, Zack Trahan, and Nick Pope. They recently released their debut LP Press Up Off the Earth July 11, 2015.
Once upon a time Fortunaut was just Kershaw in his Boston bedroom, but now the band spend their time between Brooklyn and Boston. Press Up Off the Earth was composed in four weeks and recorded live in one day at Virtue and Vice Studios in Brooklyn.
My intital listening to Press Up Off the Earth took place alone, sitting cross-legged on my bed with a cup of sleepy tea in one hand and additional herbal relaxation in the other. The opening title track sets the atmosphere, warming you up to what is a thoughtful and cohesive listening experience. Initially I was taken back five years in my memory to sitting on my bed in a similar fashion hearing Band of Horses Infinite Arms for the first time during a final week of college. The comparison’s beyond the shared serenity of proper indie rock; for the record, Fortunaut is far more experimental and less folk. What was responsible for my memory jolt is that you don’t remember the first time you hear each album, but for me Infinite Arms was one of them – and now Press Up Off the Earth is too.
Favorite tracks include the nostalgic “Young” and the heart-acheningly beautiful “Vow.” Press Up Off the Earth feels like a debut album, but not in the sense that they need worry about a sophomore slump. That’s not a backhanded compliment, but simply you can hear them finding their sound, and while the scruff is sexy, I have a feeling in a few years they’ll look even better clean-shaved.
Letting go is hard. Memories can act as a quicksand of sorts, keeping us stuck in toxic relationships or negative situations that make us feel shitty, because perhaps there once was light. They say much of what makes up our experience of love is how someone makes you feel. “Think of Anything,” the new track from New York-based future soul artist Jojee is about someone who makes you feel you can do anything. That’s much more pleasant than being stuck in the mud, isn’t it? Despite its uplifting ideals, the song is far from annoying pop, but a darkly beautiful soul track with smooth hip hop beats, like a sly smile that gradually warms your face when you realize you’ve made it to the other side.
“Think of Anything” is produced by Mickey Valen. Listen below.
Once during a sticky New York City summer weekend amongst a web of personal chaos, I called up a friend and sometimes lover from my couch and said: “Let’s go on an adventure.” An hour later we had taken his friend’s car and were driving lesisurely to Coney Island. The best word for a lover and friend I’ve come up with is “sex friend” – straight to the point – but “Homeshake” is far more fun.
Homeshake is the solo project of Montreal-based musician Peter Sagar (formerly guitarist for Mac Demarco). He left life on the road to create a calmer exhistence and get in touch with his own groove. This track, off his sophomore effort Mid-night Snack due out September 18th via Sinderlyn, feels like the calm undercurrent below anxieties, and reminds me of my own day at Coney Island: footage cutting from stoned serene stares to nearly puking your brains out. A dreamy effort reflective of Sagar’s switch from guitars to synthesizers, the duality of the song’s nature (it would be great for both solo meditation music and creating partner orgasms) is reflective of a project that demonstrates the beauty that occurs when you throw away what you should do and follow your instincts. Watch “Give it to me” below.
Art lives on heartbreak. I was first introduced to Gallant, the young soaring R&B star when I saw him perform at the Westway earlier this summer. I can be socially anxious, and the tight-packed, beer-drenched crowd wasn’t helping. Until he began performing, and then everything was okay. His music is like Xanax. We’re on the comedown from an Era of Frills, when artists’ teams put a lot of attention on “everything else,” choreography, costumes, perhaps a fashion line. Gallant hints that as a community we’re ready to get back to the soul of music. As a performer a sincerity burst through, an honesty to his vocals and organic dancing that melded the passion in the music.
His new single “Weight in Gold” is an exemplary introduction to the artist if he hasn’t crossed your radar. The overflowing ballad pairs crunchy hip hop beats with an R&B soul we’ve been craving. “I’m pulling my weight in gold/but I can’t lift this on my own.” Lyrics translate the agonizing frustration of realizing sometimes a partner can only meet you as far as they’re willing to meet themselves. That being said, his voice is beautiful enough to make you believe that love is actually enough.
He has the right look, at the right time, with more than enough talent; keep an eye on Gallant and listen to “Weight in Gold” below.
In case you missed it, we premiered a really rad EP earlier this month, from Brooklyn’s Scam Avenue. But we felt you deserved more, and are hereby declaring the dark electro-pop trio our Artist of the Month. As most miracles happen in New York, they met through Craig’s List. The rest is well, history unfolding, as they’ve only just begun. Scam Avenue is Devery Doleman, Tara Chacón, and Lawrence Kim. They dress in black and reprogram your brain with the intelligence of Star Trek and the compassion of Brian Wilson. I chatted with Devery and Lawrence about Roberta’s Pizza, synaesthesia, and the power of projections. (In live shows, not like when when you convince yourself it’s your cat that really misses your ex-boyfriend.) Check out the interview below.
AF: Do you have any favorite memories from recording the EP?
Lawrence: I ate a lot of Roberta’s pizza. Also it was a real pleasure collaborating with Pete Cafarella, who engineered the EP. Super-talented and a lovely guy to boot.
Devery: My happiest memories are of hanging out in the studio with Pete and Lawrence laughing until I literally cried. Also: I have really intense synaesthesia and primarily communicate about music synaesthetically – and Pete and Lawrence would understand when I‘d give feedback in visual terms – like “the floor needs to collapse here” or “this is where it should jump into hyperspace.”
AF: What does it mean “Scam Avenue?” – and is it a street in Brooklyn? ;)
L: “Scam Avenue” is a nickname of a street in Brooklyn where a lot of weird stuff goes down. It’s kind of a black hole of strangeness.
AF: In your live shows you collaborate with the same guys who helped with “Mercury” video, will you tell me about that relationship?
D: I rely on the projector as an anchor/point of focus when we play live, so the projections are like a 4th band member to me. It’s like a conversation with the projector. The work EyeBodega did for us is gorgeous, I’m incredibly grateful for what they do.
L: We wanted to find a way to make our live show more of an overall experience. Like what Pink Floyd does live. I kind of can’t stand it when a band just gets up there on stage and hunches over their synths or whatever and there’s nothing else going on. You might as well just stay home and listen to the record. I had seen some stuff that EyeBodega had done and I really liked it so I reached out to them and asked if they would be down to collaborate. So they handle the visual side of our shows and (as mentioned above) they also provided the animations that are in the “Mercury” video.
AF: What’s your favorite Brooklyn venue?
D: Cameo Gallery, Union Pool (especially the sound woman at Union Pool who is amazing) and I love playing Grand Victory – Scenic NYC has been great to work with, really supportive of us. I love seeing bands at Baby’s All Right and hope to play there soon.
AF: Do you all dress in black on purpose, or is that just your individual style?
D: What I’m wearing in that band photo is pretty much what I wear 70% of the time — there has always been a lot of black in my closet.
L: We wear black because it reflects the darkness in our souls. That was a joke. I actually don’t wear a lot of black personally. We just decided to wear black for that photo shoot because we thought it would look good in black and white.
AF: Who are your style muses?
D: Debbie Harry, since forever. (We have the same birthday.) I like her raw, retro/futuristic elegance. For our EP release show I wore this fantastic silver denim jumpsuit designed by my friend Saira Huff that I describe as “Debbie Harry from outer space.” I’m into jumpsuits lately and the idea/feeling of having an “uniform”. Also Anna Karina, Jane Birkin, & Harriet Wheeler.
AF: What is your writing process like?
L: The songs on the EP are based on a bunch of demos I had lying around before I met Devery and Tara. The way I usually write is, I’ll be on the subway or whatever and a musical idea will occur to me. Later, when I’m home, I’ll flesh it out, figuring out the structure and finding the right sounds. Words come last.
D: Lawrence is a songwriting machine.
AF: Will you speak to your love of Beach Boys? Who is your favorite? Have you seen Love & Mercy yet?
L: Brian Wilson once said something like he wanted to make records that were like arms reaching out of the speakers and wrapping themselves around the listener and making the listener feel loved. I think that’s really beautiful, and that’s something I try to to do with our songs. Haven’t seen Love & Mercy — looking forward to checking it out.
AF: What are you looking forward to in the future?
D: Playing more shows, writing new songs. People have been really enthusiastic about the material and our live show, and I hope to keep sharing that as much as possible.
L: I’d just like to continue to create good music and share it with people.
Joanie Wolkoff, former vocalist of Her Habits (and my forever crush) has moved onto something new and isn’t going back. She recently released “Going Back,” the first single from her new project, named straight to the point – Wolkoff. If Her Habits was a persona, from the name alone I’m excited to fall in love with the person.
Putting aside all music blog jargon – I love this song. Like, listen on repeat love it, play it on a rooftop in the summer love it, put it on my sex play list love it, cry in the shower love it. “Of the lies you told when you kept me down now I’m building speed just cant turn around…Not going back again.” It breaks my heart to hear about anyone hurting the goddess that is Joanie, but dear girl, your artistic expression of pain (with a triumphant ‘tude) is musically pure pleasure. It’s slowed-down synth pop that hits the soul, something pop music rarely achieves, but when it does it’s enough to make you dizzy.
Wolkoff is finishing up her new EP, a collaboration with producer Icarus Moth that we can expect to see out in late August.
Breathe in and exhale a new track from Jojee produced by Mickey Valen. The song was inspired by forbidden love, an unfiltered reaction so magnetic sometimes you just have to let go of social constructs and allow it to swallow you up. According to an inside source, the song “…is the declaration of not giving a f*ck anymore and following your heart.” A lot of people often mistake love for joy, but the definition that resonates with me, is an acceptance. Acceptance of passion, acceptance of flaws, acceptance of situation, and learning to just go with the flow – an emotion, perhaps both the most basic yet difficult for humans, that Jojee perfectly pins down musically. The New Yorker has been described as “future pop,” but this sounds more like modern day soul to me. The intersection of dream pop and R&B (Wet, Banks, FKA Twigs) has created an exciting new corner of music. Like, what you’d make love to post-abduction on an UFO.
Meet Plague Bubonika. They play thrash-psych-surf-rock, so basically the auditory form of eating sand as a wave tosses your body-surfing ass: oh fuck I think I might die but this is really fun. Fitting for their sound, I was introduced to them in a rad turn of cosmic events, a Twitter friendship and micro family reunion at Williamsburg’s Trash Bar – a perfect night for the memory shelves as the music venue is slated to close due to raising rent price. The show caught you off guard in that sense where you had to hold your breathe as you felt something important was happening. Strings popped off a guitar, the boys conjured a new one from the arms of the sweaty audience and continued playing with a mere brush off the shoulder. Plague Bubonika is Tony, Dreamy, Atilla Hunk and Zacky Boy coming live from Wilmington, DE. As if it wasn’t a rockin’ special time already, they dedicated a song to yours truly, which I must shamelessly brag about and request you listen to below.
The take away from this post is that nepotism is fine with the talent and originality to back it up, and journalists are attention seeking narcissists who can absolutely be won over. Oh yeah, and get sick on Plague Bubonika without losing eye contact – I see big things ahead.
The femmes thought we’d leave you with something spectacular as you head out for your Memorial Day weekend. Y’all know who Mac DeMarco is already – now uncross your legs and twirl your way out of your office for a weekend of love making and growing out body hair to the tune of “The Way You’d Love Her.” It’s the type of free-spirited love song that reminds you the important things in life are puppy dog paws and not who texted who first. So discard your city worries with your cardboard coffee cup take a swig of this.
When music’s spun by women, it just sounds better. The Jane Doze is not one, but two beautiful – and more importantly, stupidly talented DJs. The duo has shared the stage with legends such as Calvin Harris and Diplo, although we think the real stunners here are Jane Doze. These heart-breakers also have a heart of gold, their new video for “Lights Go Down (feat. Curtains)” shares the story of their fan and friend Kirby who was diagnosed with cancer. After connecting with her through Twitter the two traveled to meet her in her hometown of Houston, Texas. Thankfully they were also able to recently celebrate her cancer remission.
Watch the video for “Lights Go Down” below. It will not only get you dancing, but give you the warm fuzzies. A portion of the song’s proceeds will be donated to First Descents, an organization that provides outdoor adventures for young adults affected by cancer. Cheers to hope and healing through music and nature.
Phosphene is an indie rock band from Oakland, CA. They recently debuted their new single “Be Mine” from an upcoming EP slated to come out later this year. Phosphene consists of Matt Hemmerich (drums), Rachel Frankel (vocals, guitar), and Kevin Kaw (bass, guitar). The shoegaze influence clicks like a pair of scuffed once-studded black leather boots as Frankel observes: “You are past prime to be a star.” Like all great art, the words invoke my own personal narrative, an interpretation imagining an unemployed ex lazily wandering through a museum in the afternoon. “You still waste time on fine art.” What’s certain is that Phosphene hasn’t past their prime, but are rather emerging from the shadows they’ve created with their dark dream pop for a clear morning of clear headed fans agreeing: Yes, we enjoy this. Bring us more.
You’ll have to wait for news about their upcoming EP, but until then take a listen to “Be Mine” below:
As an introvert with a dwindling tolerance for loud noise and crushing crowds (what’s my age again?) I’ve always appreciated the intimacy of a private show or listening party. Music snobs will appreciate them for the suggested silence from the audience and focus on the music. Such events work great for artists to showcase sounds with an unadulterated attention on the performance. Often BYOB (doesn’t hurt to BYO snacks either) and held at coffee shops or private apartments, the events offer a cozy and romantic experience – a terrific date idea, I might add.
“Private” doesn’t have to be equated with stuffy or exclusive. The small setting often allows for ample laughter, musical ad libbing, and often all you have to do for an invite is to sign up. To let you in the know: Enjoy two recent performances from two of our favorite acts at two of our favorite live sessions.
Fort Lean – “Prince Johnny” (St. Vincent Cover)
The Brooklyn-based group Fort Lean recently kicked off New York City’s event series The Closed Sessionswith a seductive cover of St. Vincent’s “Prince Johnny.” A bold move to cover a song already so signature, yet they did it with the utmost class.
XNY – “White Wire”
At Sofar Sounds, the intimate and ever-expanding 100+ city listening movement, the Brooklyn rockers XNY played a bare-boned rendition of “White Wire” in their socks.
Penicillin Baby is a psych-pop band from Nashville. Their colorful new music video for “Stick It Out,” featuring a rotating human brain on display that appears to be made of glitter Play-Doh, will leave you scratching your own noggin trying to piece together the scenes once awoken from this vivid dream – perhaps one after mixing Ambien with a heavy pull of your favorite sleepy weed. You get the sense there’s a method to the mayhem, a meaning behind the hodgepodge of astronaut suits and beautiful girls in fur coats – one that the sleeping Penicillin Baby with ABeautiful Mind bulletin board must have had quite the trip trying to figure out.
It’s New Music Monday, and the band that should be added to your playlist today is Maria Sweet. Maria Sweet is a five-piece rock group from Redlands, California. They recently released the single “With Time.” The track is from their new EP, the second to date, Songs From The Sonoran. The song is a well-measured blend of laid back riffs and rock ‘n’ roll mindset, the ultimate stuff to fill your brain with on a Monday morning, relaxation with a kick. Comparisons have been made to The Strokes and they site Vampire Weekend as an influence, but I hear some early No Doubt as well, when Gwen was a certified little badass.
In anticipation of his upcoming The Good Fight LP, Maryland-based artist Oddisee has released a video for the single “Counter-Clockwise.” The black and white video is directed by Brandon Black. It shows Oddisee make his way through New York City neighborhoods, as the world behind him unfolds in reverse. He wanders slowly, with an inquisitive expression, as if stuck in another dimension of Manhattan away from the crowds and ambulance sirens, where one can truly examine the world around them.
“Stay a while and take a break,” he sings. In Oddisee-fied Manhattan we just might. The slowed-down pace of the video is an excellent canvas to present his crisp rhymes and breathless beats.
The Good Fight comes out May 5. Enjoy the video for “Counter-Clockwise” below:
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.
