New Music, Emerging from your Local Scene
Course has released the first single, "Give It All Away", from their forthcoming debut album, A Late Hour, which is due out May 21st.
The is the dream pop group fronted by the Jess Robins, and also featuring Chris Dye (drums), Dan Ingenthron (synth/keys), Mikey Russell (guitar), and Brian Weekly (bass).
The musical project Patriarchy excels at much of what the patriarchy itself hates and fears most—like when a woman chooses to express herself in a sexually uninhibited manner or insists upon her own agency or mocks the self-serving rules and taboos of the patriarchy through sharp satirical humor or creates music that signifies and demands the power and the privilege inherent in not giving a fuck.
Quoting directly from their song “Hell Was Full,” it’s this writer’s theory that lead singer/songwriter/stylist/director and actress Actually Huizenga—one half of the self-described snuff-pop duo—has taken on the proverbial role of “the apple in the pig’s mouth [that’s] trying hard as fuck to swallow,” bringing about the downfall of the patriarchal pig whom she compels to “choke, choke, choke, choke” on his own lust and greed and “on the words that you never knew the meaning of” where one of those words could be “patriarchy” itself since Patriarchy clearly has a thing or two to teach about domination and authority. But whatever the validity of this interpretation you can and probably should click HERE for Huizenga’s own compellingly clear-eyed view of the patriarchy and of Patriarchy.
Patriarchy is the nom de bande of Huizenga alongside co-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Andrew Means (3Teeth) and their overall vibe and sound is perfectly summed up in the promotional copy that accompanied their late-2019 debut Asking For It so I’ll just quote from it here (paraphrasing slightly) with the album described as “a work exploring themes of sex, power, subversion & death with what appears to be an intense interest in Ancient Greek Mythology & 80’s slasher films, a heavy dose of Mulholland Drive, and a sound that is equal parts ABBA and NIN but leaning more toward the darker, heavier side of synth-punk/new-wave & industrial music.”
Skipping ahead to the present, earlier this year Patriarchy released Reverse Circumcision which true to its title adds new layers of transplanted “sonic skin” to songs first heard on Asking For It with individual tracks remixed and reimagined by a cavalcade of all-stars from EBM to industrial, darkwave to dream pop, ranging from key members of legends like Nitzer Ebb and Front Line Assembly and This Mortal Coil to fellow Angelinos like Drab Majesty (who adds a death disco sheen to “Burn the Witch”) and Geneva Jacuzzi (who turns “I Don’t Want To Die” into a pulsating electro-funk workout) and plenty of others who all combined will make you wanna “take your dick out and put it on the speaker” as commanded by Ms. Huizenga in the opening lines of “He Took It Out.” And don’t fret if you don’t have that particular appendage because everyone knows the phallus is nothing but a cultural construct so put your cultural construct on the speaker instead should you so choose.
One other neat thing about Reverse Circumcision is getting to hear different interpretations of the same track as we do for two Patriarchy originals. But the single takes are equally compelling, like the version of “Grind Your Bones” by Rhys Fulber (Front Line Assembly, Delerium) wherein he takes one of Patriarchy’s heavier riff-based numbers (“as the vultures tear / at your underwear / I’ll be there”) and surgically removes the riff and cuts up the song’s lyrics, transmutating the whole into a glitchy miasma of sound that’s either incredibly sensuous or cataclysmic or both, depending on your own ears, culminating with doomy ethereal synth chords and a distorted feral howl.
And if this gets your goat you can see and hear Rhys Fulber, along with Bon Harris of Nitzer Ebb, in conversation with Ms. Huizenga on Patriarchy’s recently live-streamed Bottom of the Pops (nice title) that first aired as a Christmas special (!!) featuring performances not available elsewhere plus some seasonally appropriate HSN style shopping segments. Just be forewarned this Xmas special is a long way from Burl Ives and not for the delicate of constitution which in our book makes it the best possible kind of Christmas special.
And speaking of special, the follow up to Bottom of the Pops is on its way, slated to stream on March 20 at 6pm PST/9pm EST so check out Patriarchy’s Youtube channel and mark your calendars and while you’re waiting feast your eyes on some of Patriarchy’s existing music videos (plus Actually’s pre-Patriarchy body of work) because these self-directed clips tend to be visually lavish and gleefully transgressive and slyly amusing and overall something to behold.
Which at last brings us (or maybe just me) full circle since I first learned about Actually Huizenga through the music visual dramatical arts—namely, her inspired performance in the likewise inspired Cody Critcheloe (aka SSION) directed clip for Lower Dens’ “To Die in L.A.” in which Huizenga commands the screen as an aspiring Hollywood screen siren who’s prone to waking dreams relating to bloody tooth trauma and buff pool boys and award acceptance speeches. (Jason Lee)
With admirable consistency, USA/Mexico makes music inspired by the border. “Del Rio” is their third album to take its name from a southern border town—the first two being “Matamoros” and “Laredo”—and consists of three extremely loud extended tracks which will appeal to some of adventurous music’s less pretentious fans. Having never visited Del Rio myself, I asked my thoroughly Texan father what he thought of the place. He replied “Beautiful lake, nice drive, right across from Acuña, Mexico, friendly people,” and “Pretty remote. Lots of caliche and cactus”. This geographical context is hardly superficial—the music evokes a few of these images on its own, and firsthand descriptions seem to confirm them as more than hallucination.
USA/Mexico’s massive sludge metal simulates the feeling of burning in the hot Texas sun while surrounded by cicadas, hopefully a body of water nearby. There is a lineage in Texas music which can be characterized by a certain auditory heat, from the dehydrated lethargy of Townes Van Zandt and Blaze Foley, to the ghostly reprieves of Blind Willie Johnson, to the warped haze of DJ Screw, to the blistering 80s/90s Austin noise rock scene (Scratch Acid, Butthole Surfers, Cherubs) from which USA/Mexico directly descends—drummer King Coffey was a core member of Butthole Surfers.
But whereas that weirdly successful band eventually traded their noise rock deconstructions for a dated 90’s wackiness, this project translates their early spirit of cowboy derangement into a contemporary setting, finding itself at home with international trends in drone music and outsider metal. Guitarist Craig Clouse of the avant-freak project Shit and Shine has proved himself over the years to be more than capable of keeping up aesthetically, which is no easy task for a modern rock musician. Filling out the ensemble is Nate Cross, whose dense bass textures provide an essential wave of noise and ensure a consistent depth to each jam.
While the overwhelmingly heavy “Del Rio” unleashes a geographically unique cosmic horror, it’s important to note that it’s also funny. Tracks with titles like “Chorizo” and “Soft Taco” ironically poke at the more banal elements of a shared culture, but are ultimately rendered absurd by the noise they signify: heavily processed walls of distortion guided by monolithic drums and eerie howls which are hardly reminiscent of Tex-Mex. If you let the soundscapes take over, the border itself might seem a little silly too, and Texas becomes a landscape that could have just as easily been called Northern Mexico in a slightly different timeline.
But the album isn’t purely conceptual—it could just as well be something someone puts on in the middle of an acid trip while you and your friends make your way through a second case of Lone Star. It’s USA/Mexico’s most focused album yet, and I look forward to letting them ruin my eardrums when it’s safe again for live music.
– Blake Robbins
Oui Ennui has released a new album called "Virga/Recrudescence". This is over an hour of live improvised ambient synth music and it hypnotic, and a whole universe unto its own.
Pop duo CELLRS have released a new single called "Dead At The Wheel". This is the first new music from the duo of vocalist Adam Novak and multi-instrumentalist Weston Reynolds since the release of "In The Light of the Moon" a couple of years ago.
Woongi has released a new single called "Slow Reaction". This is the first new music from the Synth heavy, Psych Pop group since the 2019 album Rip’s Cut.
This is the work of Wavid Wurtin, Wax Weckman, Watt Wavis, Wencer Wein, and Joy.
Coupler has released a new EP called "The City is a Lie We Tell Ourselves". This is a direct follow-up to the December 2020 EP, "The Forgotten Openness of the Closed World". Coupler is primarily the work of Ryan Norris but he is joined by Rollum Haas, Michael Hilger, and more for this project.
According to Norris, "The City Is a Lie We Tell Ourselves is an interrogation of the concept of place, specifically in these times. What does it mean to call any particular pin on the map “home” at this moment, when we are connected more by wires and electricity than any common civic purpose? Every place has become a non-place, each apartment simultaneously part hotel room, part office, part cafe. The city bares its veins only on trips for essentials or walks through ice."
Much like a certain storied pair of shiny shiny, shiny boots of leather, the music of Bootblacks is highly polished, austere and severe. And when it kicks you in the face you’ll beg for more, much like Severin in thrall to Wanda von Dunajew.
Residing somewhere in a batcave in Brooklyn (perhaps neighbors with Eddie Murphy?) these stalwart somber-hued postpunkers not too long ago released their forth full-length Thin Skies. Check out the music vid above for the full effect, and then give a listen to their Live At Saint Vitus set released in December.
Speaking of all thing Venusian, tonight Bootblacks appear as part of Cherry Bomb: International Women’s Day Charity Livestream originating straight outta Philly starting at 7pm EST with 12 bands & DJs benefiting 12 relevant charities with co-hosting duties shared by Lazy Astronomer and DJ Baby Berlin and streaming live on the latter’s Twitch channel. Click HERE for the full lineup and check out videos by a few of the other featured performers below.
A query: Here in these waning hours of Bandcamp Friday do you find yourself in need of a song that’ll simultaneously make you wanna slow dance with a stranger, drunk dial your ex and tell them you still love them, and smash up your room in a frenzied rage and not leave the apartment for a month?
Then oh boy are you in luck because Sir Chloe’s “Michelle” fits the bill. And be sure to check out the sublimely demented video (see above) released earlier this year or late last year who’s really keeping track.
But one thing that definitely got released last year was the band’s debut LP Party Favors and it’s far from too late to sing its praises. I mean the last year didn’t even happen, right?
Taken as a whole it’s a nicely concise and tightly arranged album that walks much the same line as "Michelle" balanced precariously but deliciously between wistful reveries and take-no-prisoners intensity ("make me behave like an animal / I’m asking nicely give me what I want / I’m asking politely give me what I want / make me behave like an animal") though with songs leaning more toward mid-tempo numbers ideal for swaying and stomping in place more than slow dancing with strangers.
And hey just in case you’re wanting to know more about this shadowy entity called Sir Chloe then by all means allow me to directly quote from their promotional materials because it’s Bandcamp Fried-day after all so let’s sell some records or streams or DAT tapes or whatever and I’m happy to help out when the music is this good…
"Sir Chloe is an American indie rock band from Bennington, Vermont now based in Brooklyn, New York. It’s members are Dana Foote (guitar, vocals) Teddy O’mara (guitar) Palmer Foote (drums) and Austin Holmes (bass). Starting as the solo act of Dana Foote, Sir Chloe first came together in 2017 as an academic project at Bennington College, recording their first four singles in the school’s music building. Their debut single “Animal” was released in February 2019. The band returned to the studio in October 2019 to record six new songs, among them being their latest single titled “July.”" And then came the album release and the rest is history that’s still being written. (Jason Lee)
Red Sun Radio are good at writing drinking songs and thank goodness for that—ranging from boisterous sing alongs that’ll have you hoisting you mug in the air, to music seemingly made for staring pensively into your whisky tumbler and eventually laying your head down on the bar.
For a bunch of professional drinkers these guys are pretty prolific, having released new singles in January and February and debuting a new song on yesterday’s “Save The Scene” fundraising cyber-concert broadcast (see above).
On the first of the two singles, “Isotopes,” the Red Sun Radioers weave a tale of good chemistry gone bad that unspools under a warm blanket of fuzzed out organ, weeping guitar, and a rousing coda.
And on last month’s “Dry Martini” they serve up a gently hungover ballad that follows up its opening riposte (“chasing skirts all night gets tiring / but baby you’re inspiring me to move”) with some gin-soaked metaphysical sweet nothings whispered into the addressee’s ear and damn if I’m not buying it.
And then finally just yesterday RSR debuted a new one called “Sound of Sleep” (see up top) which is a deceptively titled mid-tempo rocker that would be great to hear in person one day in the basement of the Bronx pizzeria where the band got their start playing on a stage made of plywood and cans of tomato paste.
P.S. If you’re not the designated driver tonight, by all means don’t stop there because it’s also worth checking out Red Sun Radio’s 2019 full-length debut For All The Wrong Reasons whether over a bottle of good bourbon or a sixer of cheap domestic beer.
P.P.S. Today is Bandcamp Friday so you know what to do…
(Jason Lee)
Tele Novella’s inviting and inventive new album “Merlynn Belle” is out now on Kill Rock Stars. The band, made up of Natalie Ribbons and Jason Chronis, crafts sunny and alluring songs that whisk the listener away to a simpler time. Buoyant melodies careen down a myriad of instrumentation to give the heartfelt lyrics space to explore.
While only clocking in at 32 minutes, “Merlynn Belle” manifests an inter-generational journey. It smoothly glides through compositional styles from the Renaissance to Americana to Sixties Folk to contemporary Indie Pop. The timeless nature of the record is partially due to the use of an 8-track cassette recorder to capture the intricate arrangements—it’s as if Fiona Apple were recorded in 1955. Incorporating the use of atypical instruments, such as the autoharp and the harmonium, also gives off an other-worldly quality one might find on a Richard Dawson album.
This LP feels like a distinctive step forward from their 2016 debut, “House of Souls.” Ribbons, the singer/songwriter of the pair, moves from a purposeful croon to almost full yodel, telling stories of heartbreak, self-actualization and witches. The duo say they found “the music they wanted to be making all along but didn’t know until it happened accidentally”, which is reflected in the natural feel of this record.
Each of the four singles have a complementary music video that encapsulates the album’s aesthetic perfectly: modern tales through an old-fashioned lens. “Merlynn Belle” floats above vague subgenres, such as Baroque Pop or Freak Folk, into a cloud of familiar escapism. Texans sure need a wholesome distraction from the last couple of weeks, and Tele Novella have provided exactly that!
– Hayden Steckel
Tasha has released a beautifully hazy new single called "Would You Mind Please Pulling Me Close?" via Father/Daughter Records. The single was produced and features Gregory Uhlmann and is accompanied by the relaxing video below.
