Ted McGrath, former member of now defunct NYC noise rock band These Are Powers, is the brainfather of The Flag, an electronic project recently highlighted by The L Magazine that blends the darkest post punk attitude and sound (think a mix of Wire and Throbbing Gristle) with modern lo-fi textures and occasional EDM elements. The 2011 recordings gathered under the title "Wear The Vest Of Wealth" sound like an exploration in style, ranging from semi-improvised horror tracks to droney, industrial songs with the resemblance of a pop structure, with the addition of various instrumental tracks – always rather gloomy – contributing to the overall suicidal mood. The more recent single "Alpha 60 Punch Out" (streaming) displays a tenuous ray of poppiness, which allows the track to more effectively breathe thanks to the introduction of more musical moments of release, in an otherwise constantly tense atmosphere. One could see a possible evolution towards an even more melodic future in the recent cover of Peter Gabriel’s "No Self Control," if it didn’t get literally decimated through lo-fi effects and a bizarre arrangement that can be described as borderline nihilist. Stimulating music for those who don’t fear depression.
We added this song to The Deli’s playlist of Best songs by emerging NYC artists – check it out!