It always seems like smooth sailin’ when it comes to writing and recording music for Philly yacht rockers Work Drugs. They just dropped their latest twelve-track LP Runaways, which you can stream and purchase below. It’s their tenth album in a little less than three years, and was recorded during a summer hiatus on a trip to Marseille, France in 2012.
NYC
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Spotlight on KC PsychFest artist: Your Friend
(Photo by Lindsey Kennedy)
This week, we’ll be highlighting some of the artists playing KC PsychFest from Thursday through Saturday nights at recordBar.
Taryn Miller’s intelligent songwriting and entrancing music is making its way around, and for good reason. Miller’s project Your Friend was signed to Domino Records earlier this year. With her debut album, Jekyll/Hyde, Miller constructs a simultaneously comforting and haunting atmosphere, fashioned around somber but colorful vocals.
The Deli: Down and dirty: 1 sentence to describe your music.
Miller: The music itself has distinct differences when presented live or by the actual recordings, but I’d say it’s spacious and constantly evolving.
The Deli: Give us some background on Your Friend. Do you have a regular cast of musicians that play with you? How long have you been operating under this moniker?
Miller: I’ve been playing under the moniker for over 2 years now. When it began, the roster was always changing, and that was exciting. But I felt that in order to dig deeper over time, I wanted some sort of solidified group to explore with. I really enjoyed the risk in one-off shows but I wanted the trusting element to be more present. There’s always going to be some sort of risk playing with me anyway! It all happened organically though. We all work well together as friends and as bandmates. Nicholas Stahl, Chris Luxem, and Austin Swick are the gentlemen I have played with the longest. I can’t imagine playing with anyone else at this point. It feels like a group more than a solo project than it ever has.
The Deli: What inspires your music and songwriting?
Miller: In all honesty, just purely existing. I am very intuitive and tuned in to all that is happening around me at all times. This is my way of documenting it. It’s very cathartic for me to do this. I’m inspired by energy, and the lack of it, all at once.
The Deli: What have been your greatest accomplishments as a band?
Miller: Touring and still loving each other afterwards. It only made it more apparent that these are the people I should be surrounding myself with. It wouldn’t have gone as smoothly without them.
The Deli: Your debut EP Jekyll/Hyde was released on Domino Records earlier this year. What can listeners expect? Do you have plans to record again soon?
Miller: The most rewarding things about having this amazing company backing the project are that the music gets to be heard by people that wouldn’t otherwise know it exists, and the tools to make something that I am truly proud of. It’s the kind of support that I had always dreamed of. I’m in the process of finishing the writing process of the full-length. The plan is to record it by the end of the year and for it to be available next year. I’d hope that there will be a sense of growth that can be heard with the newer material. I’m definitely in a radically different headspace.
The Deli: What does supporting local music mean to you?
Miller: It means everything from what I’ve experienced. I’ve only had the opportunities that I’ve had from the support of the community. Being involved in it, there is some sort of magic that peaks out of so many different directions. I’ve gotten to grow as a musician and watch all of my friends do the same. I’ve learned so much from the local scene and talent within it.
The Deli: Who are your favorite local and non-local musicians right now?
Miller: Locally, everything coming out of SeedCo and a part of the Whatever Forever collective. I’m really looking forward to Karma Vision’s release. I fell in love with No Magic this year and practically begged him (Ben Sauder) to let me play live with him. KC-based, All Blood has been really killer to watch. I grabbed their earlier tape and really love how unique the material is. I’m also a big fan of Lazy, The Conquerors, and Shy Boys. There’s also a guy, Nathan Dixey—he plays as The Dan Ryan—who also played bass on my EP and sent me his mixes of his upcoming release. I can’t wait for it to reach other ears. He lives in Austin now but he’s still local to me.
Non-local, I’m all over the place. To keep my head clear I find myself listening to a lot more droney things. Although I have been really excited about the newest Caribou record.
The Deli: Who are you looking forward to seeing at PsychFest?
Miller: The Conquerors, Gemini Revolution, Monta At Odds, Jorge Arana Trio, White Mystery, and I’m still holding out for some surprise Expo 70 appearance.
The Deli: What is your ultimate fantasy concert bill to play on?
Miller: This answer would probably change depending on what I’ve been most into. So, currently, Lower Dens, Timber Timbre, with Nils Frahm closing the show.
The Deli: A music-themed Mount Rushmore. What four faces are you putting up there and why?
Miller: Referencing the last question, it mostly depends on what I’m listening to the most at the time. I would say William Basinski, Steve Reich, Arthur Russell, and Leyland Kirby. William Basinski has transported to me to an entire different form of listening. I could say the same of all of them honestly. I’m definitely drawn to composers. Listening to their work is almost like a glimpse of what their brain appears like on the inside. Steve Reich’s arrangements require your attention and I respect that artform. Leyland Kirby has worked in so many different types of environments. I love his spontaneity and also his control and selection. Arthur had sort of the same trajectory. All of his records touch upon something different. From the absolute joyous to morose. He was always creating, and it inspires me.
The Deli: Where can we find you on the web?
The Deli: What other goals does Your Friend have for 2014, and beyond?
Miller: The same thing I tell myself every morning: finish this record. It’s been very challenging to make this next thing. Now that I’m aware of what ears it could reach I want it to be very representative of myself. I also want to make something that I can be very creative with in the live setting and keep it exciting. Those are the goals as of now. If I look too far ahead, the page in front of me gets blurry.
The Deli: Always go out on a high note. Any last words of wisdom for the Deli audience?
Miller: I’ll cheat and quote Allen Ginsberg. First thought, best thought. I’m beginning to learn what it means to trust your instincts. I feel as though I spend so much time trying to change what’s inherent. Stay true to who you are and surround yourself with the people that irrigate and continually inspire that.
Make sure you check out Miller with Your Friend. The group will be playing KC PsychFest this Saturday, October 11, at 8:00 p.m, at recordBar.
–Michelle Bacon
Michelle Bacon is editor of The Deli KC and plays in bands.
Nashville
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Show Alert: Darrin Bradbury at The Basement 10.08
Today we’re going to get to know Darrin Bradbury. In Todd Snider’s recent book, "I Never Met a Story I Didn’t Like," Todd recalls some advice he received in his early days as a songwriter:
"If you want to be a better songwriter and you always want to be getting better at making up songs, you’ve got to keep your life in a situation where you can pack up every single thing you own in the whole world inside of fifteen minutes and be moved out of wherever you are. And, if you keep your life in a situation where that kinda shit happens to you every once in a while and you are forced to execute that maneuver, I can’t promise you a good life, but you will always be getting better at making up songs."
Darrin has been doing exactly that starting well before Todd’s book came out. I can’t say that I’ve heard any of his pre-nomadic songs, but the stuff I have heard is damn good. His previous group, "Big Wilson River," averaged 125 shows a year and went on indefinite hiatus last May after a five year run. After that, Darrin toured the country in his gray 2006 Ford Focus and eventually "settled" in East Nashville, meaning he sleeps on friends’ couches and Wal-Mart parking lots more often in Nashville than he does anywhere else.
Darrin left the veganism and chiropractors in his home state of New Jersey, although his Birkenstock’s somehow found their way to Nashville. He claims not to be a songwriter, that he simply puts himself into interesting situations and then just "writes the shit down." There’s a little more to it than that. His keen observation and insight turn the most inane minutiae of daily life into songs that range from mournful to humorous often within the same track. If I had to compare him to any other songwriters, the two that come to mind are Townes van Zandt and John Prine. I’ve never had the pleasure of making that comparison in an article before and I don’t make it lightly.
By now, you’re probably thinking to yourself, "This guy sounds great. How can I hear his music?" He recently recorded a Daytrotter session, and posts regularly to Bandcamp, where he recently had a #1 selling album. The recordings are great, but you need to see him live. Fortunately, you have the opportunity to do so this Wednesday (10/8) at the basement from 5-7pm. He also has a standing residence with Tim Carroll at Fran’s Eastside Tavern every Wednesday from 9pm to midnight. -Jared Godar
NYC
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Weekly Features: Nick Hakim
Singer-songwriter Nick Hakim‘s sophomore EP "Where Will We Go Pt.2" (released on his own label Earseed Records) is a carefully crafted nod to the soul kings – Marvin Gaye, Jimi Hendrix and Al Green. The 23-year-old says he formed his sound while studying at Berklee College of Music. "Lift Me Up" is a perfect example, with a melodic core expressed by Hakim’s hauntingly beautiful vocals, sparse keys and honest lyrics.
LINKS: Read Brescia Mascheretti’s interview with Nick Hakim.
Chicago
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Space Blood
Space Blood is William Covert and Sam Edgin and together they make experimental instrumental math rock. This is the third EP the the masked duo has released this year.
Chicago
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Post Animal
Post Animal has had a prolific 2014 so far, releasing two EP’s and two single in the last three months. Their most recent release is the single "Googles" which will appear on the forthcoming album "Post Animal Perform the Most Curious Water Activities".
You can catch Post Animal on October 10th at Gallery Cabaret with Hawaiin Lion, The Burning Ponies, and The Glad Rags.
NYC
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Rock’n’Roll’s friends Sun Ladders play Pianos on 10.11
Even when out of fashion, Rock’n’Roll played the good old way has never stopped being fun, and way too many critics announced its death for purposes that seem more self-promotional than analytical. They were mistaking change for death – a common misjudgment old, tired people tend to do. Yes, Rock’n’Roll keeps changing, like anything else in life, and change is death and rebirth at once. Brooklyn’s Sun Ladders – formed in 2012 by Rob Hampton (ex bassist in Band of Horses) – is pretty explicit about wanting to "resurrect" the genre. The title-track of their debut EP – aptly named "Rock’n’Roll is Dead" – is a relentless blues-rock assault augmented by Hampton’s accusatory, tense vocals ("I’ve read in the paper, it’s on the billboards it’s what the man on the TV says. We don’t need no guitars or no bass drums we can bury them in the ground"), that resolves in a quieter bridge invoking a rebirth ritual ("We’ll ask the spirits to raise you back from the grave. Build you an altar and put you back in your rightful place"). More than a ritual, to get its health back Rock’n’Roll simply needs more songs like this one. See Sun Ladders live at Pianos on Saturday October 11 during the CBGB’s Music Fest.
We added this song to The Deli’s playlist of Best Alt Rock songs by emerging NYC artists – check it out!
Philadelphia
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Announcing The Deli Philly’s Anniversary/Halloween Party w/Grimace Federation & S.T.S. on Oct. 25 at PhilaMOCA!
We are very excited to announce The Deli Philly’s 6th Anniversary Party, which will also be a celebration of our favorite holiday – Halloween, so start getting your costumes ready! If you’ve ever attended any of our showcases, then you should know that we like to throwdown, and on Saturday, October 25 at PhilaMOCA, that’s just what we intend to do in a BIG way. Co-headlining the evening will be our old pals and beloved psychedelic groove-making machines Grimace Federation, and they’ll be joined by one of Philly’s finest, rising hip-hop stars S.T.S., a.k.a. Sugar Tounge Slim. We’ll also have more surprises in store for the evening so you better be ready for one seriously fun, debaucherous night. Thank you to all who have continually supported The Deli throughout the years – you fuckin’ rock!
NYC
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NYC band on the rise: Crush Distance plays CBGB’s fest tomorrow (10.08) at Pianos
NYC quartet Crush Distance seems to have everything in place to be a potential next big thing: young and confident, the boys play catchy indie rock/pop featuring the right amount of dirt and attitude. The effort might come across as a little over-produced for those into genres that are more direct and DIY, but we are pretty sure a video/song combo like the one streaming below (titled ‘Kerosene’) can get many industry insider quite excited. They are playing tomorrow 10.08 at Pianos within the CBGB’s Music Fest with like minded (and also NYC based) melodic rockers Born Cages.
New England
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Sorority Noise to continue making noise after two members depart
Cameron Boucher, vocalist of Hartford indie punk quartet Sorority Noise, announced yesterday that Kevin O’Donnell and Jason Rule, the band’s bassist and drummer, respectively, would be leaving the band. In his statement, Boucher calls O’Donnell and Rule “two of the most talented dudes I know and the best rhythm section in the world,” attesting that all four bandmates remain close friends following the split. Rule later released his own statement citing that aside from some personal reasons, he and O’Donnell had no interest in moving forward stylistically with Sorority Noise. Boucher and Scuff, the band’s guitarist, plan to continue making music and working on a new Sorority Noise LP, while O’Donnell and Rule will likely take this time to focus on their band Queen Moo. – Jake Reed (@jakejreed)
Philadelphia
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Spaceship Aloha Opening for Sinkane & Helado Negro at JB’s Oct. 7
Now that Man Man‘s tour schedule has slowed down for a bit, it seems that the band’s drummer/producer Christopher Sean Powell, a.k.a. Pow Pow, Powserati, PayPow, will have more time to explore new musical terrain with his electro-tropicalia side project Spaceship Aloha. The one-man band finds its origin on the island of Maui, where Powell and his wife "were married by a mystic in the rainforest on the Road to Hana." He became engrossed by the Hawaiian music that dominated the FM airwaves in his 1987 Toyota Camry rental. Upon his return to Philly, the Polynesian influence began to seep into the beats that he created with his trusty Akai MPC 1000, which led to the creation of Spaceship Aloha’s debut album Universe Mahalo: Volume #1 (Data Garden). The mothership will be touching down on the stage of Johnny Brenda’s this evening when Powell opens for Brooklyn’s Sinkane and Ecuadorean sound sculptor Helado Negro. Johnny Brenda’s, 1201 N. Frankford Ave., 9pm, $12, 21+ – H.M. Kauffman
Chicago
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Radius Time Travel Is Real
Producer Radius has released a new project called Time Travel Is Real (A Prelude to Japan…). The collect of beats is literally leading up to Radius’ first international trip landing him in Japan the middle of this month. Radius has been a tremendous beat maker and DJ for years and this album finds him building on visions and thoughts of his future travels.