As you may gether from their moniker, Brooklyn’s Teen Girl Scientist Monthly are not too interested in coming across as a serious bunch: the band exists for the dual purpose of making rock’n’roll music suitable for parties, and partying to it while playing it live. In spite of this, the guys are incredibly hard working: their upcoming album "Hyper Trophy" will be – between LPs, EPs and 7" – their TENTH release since 2010. New single ‘Dark Rip’ (video streaming below) fits the profile of the perfect party tune: marrying the raw and upbeat urge of punk with the contagious optimism of pop, the track is bound to get listeners moving, wherever it reaches them. Teen Girl Scientist Monthly will be celebrating the release of "Hyper Trophy" with a party at Cameo Gallery on July 18th – fun will be had by all.
The version of Various Blonde I saw live at Czar in 2011 is very different from the band playing this Thursday at Lawrence Field Day Fest. The 2011 iteration, led by guitarist/vocalist Joshua Allen, moved through a set that dabbled a little in the psychedelic while adhering to a heavier rock and punk-based sound. It was a solid set, though I remember thinking the vocals needed something and the melodies hinted at something more. What exactly? I didn’t know.
The release of Summer High a few years later illustrated the elusive what hinted at back at Czar years before. I caught up to a very different live band back in November at Apocalypse Meow, and again last week at The Riot Room.
The only element that remained from the band was Allen. His guitar and vocals were still there, but now different from what I remember. There was a new bassist, EvanJohn McIntosh, a new drummer, Mark Lomas, and the addition of keyboardist Eddie Moore. The three-piece had grown, shifted, and mutated into a very different band creating a very different sound.
There is a seriousness to watching this four-piece perform. Like any professionals at work, it is obvious they enjoy what they do. But, also evident is that they are on stage to work, put on a great show, and hone their craft. A lot of the songs they perform create a serious reflective mood, but they cut that stoicism nicely with soulful grooves and melodies that manage to conjure a very difficult thing: movement. I tried to fight the urge to move along with the tunes, but, damnit, I happily failed.
Joshua Allen can sing. His voice shifts effortlessly from an easy tenor to a smooth falsetto that avoids piercing metal clichés. That he is a solid guitarist is as advantageous as it is necessary to VB’s sound. He could easily get away with just singing, moving to the music and fronting the band, but thankfully he doesn’t. Without him, songs like "Savage Children" would fall into the trap of being a "jam" song. Which is fine I guess, but I wouldn’t know, I’ve never made it through an entire "jam" song. Allen’s guitar and vocals dice tunes like “Savage Children” into succinct, building well-rounded songs. While the vocals help guide on "Savage Children,” they truly shine on the danceable, rocking tune “Indigo Children.” The first time I heard that song was literally a WTF moment. A perfect illustration of the elusive what:familiar, yet totally different and new.
The consistent blues infused groove created by McIntosh is unstoppable. Good luck not moving some part of your body. McIntosh’s bass lines lead without overstepping, cyclical but never simple. I’ve been a fan since his days in Cherokee Rock Rifle and am selfishly happy he’s found another outlet for his formidable skill set.
I don’t know how long McIntosh and Lomas have been playing together (I’m just that thorough a correspondent) but the sound they produce belies whatever actual time they’ve spent working together. Their styles align perfectly. Nicely complementing each other as the foundation of the tone and mood of this band. Lomas’ playing seems unflashy, until you take a moment and try to keep up with what he’s doing. Seeing and hearing this guy live as he holds down patterns and changes that would make a drum machine pass out is mesmerizing. And again, good luck not dancing.
The addition of keyboardist and local jazz standout Moore adds depth and changes things drastically for this group. From a songwriting perspective alone, Moore’s instrument and playing allows for a myriad of new directions, from sonic to classical to his specialty, jazz. As a musician, Moore’s jazz sensibility and musical intelligence lend themselves perfectly to McIntosh’s and Lomas’ rhythmic foundation. Moore knows how to create his own distinctive musical plots and subplots within the framework of the sound already set in motion by his bandmates; he does so effortlessly, and without overplaying.
Obligatory comparisons? You should make your own… while dancing.
With the excellent full-length Summer High already out, I can’t wait to hear what these guys build next. Until then, they play at Lawrence Field Day Fest this Thursday, June 25, at the Replay Lounge before taking a little Summer Hiatus.
Dirty Laundry TV’s Summer Fest is less than two hours away, and earlier last week they added the gaze-y Sunshine Mind to open at 2 PM, as well as San Diego’s ’60s garage/surf inspired The Frights! Kim of Kim & The Created will also be guest-DJing along with McAllister of KXLU, Mariana Timony of Lo-Pie, and Crystal King’s Andrew King.
Come out in the afternoon to The Satellite for a swap meet happening between 2-6 PM and get a last-minute Father’s Day gift for your dad from over a dozen vendors. Bring dad too — he’s secretly not cool to go golfing with his kids. Not down to wait in the long lines for a Father’s Day meal? HACHÉ LA will be serving up their gourmet burgers on-location, and we’re fairly certain PBRs will be plentiful. – Ryan Mo
Watch Boys Will Be Girls performing covers of the twee outfits Heavenly and Field Mice to commemorate Sarah Records, one of the seminal labels that carried DIY spirit and anti-capitalist politics through the wake of the ’90s with the power of guitar jangle.
There will be no creative liberties taken with these covers, as Sandra Vu (Dum Dum Girls/SISU) mentions: "We are staying faithful to the originals, so you can expect lots of harmonies and jangly guitars."
Corey, composed of Terry Malts members, will also perform select songs from the Sarah Records catalogue. Hungry Beat! DJs and Michael Stock of KXLU 88.9 FM/Part Time Punks will be spinning choice picks from the label, too.
Sarah Records was notable for its main contributors Clare Wadd and Matt Haynes and short-lived span from 1987 to 1995, effectively shutting down after its 100th release, the compilation album and booklet There And back Again Lane. The Bristol-based label survived a period of transition in music formats (vinyl to CD) and criticized the then-sexist attitudes of the music press. A history of Sarah Records can be found on their updated official site. Sarah Records Nite begins 10 PM with $8/$10 Advance/Door cover. – Ryan Mo
A pillar of the Brooklyn DIY scene, since the late aughts Grooms (interviewed back in 2010) have been consistently releasing records of bendy post punk with both ambient and slacker rock inclinations. Their latest full length ‘Comb the Feelings Through Your Hair ‘ (their fourth) came out this February and shows us a group that’s still as inspired as in its early days, notwithstanding a couple of troubled years behind them (more about this here). Check out the fantastic title-track below and don’t miss them live at Union Pool on June 27 in their new lineup.
Featuring Nikolai Fraiture (bassist of The Strokes), Erika Spring (of Au Revoire Simone’s fame), The Like’s former drummer Tennessee Thomas, and NYC songwriter and guitarist Lewis Lazar, the new band Summer Moon certainly doesn’t sound like what it is (a "supergroup"), which, considering the talent at work, makes things rather exciting. The quartet played a show at SXSW in March before releasing any material, and finally unveiled first single "Happenin’" (streaming) in late May. The track is an upbeat number propelled by martial, Joy Division-esque drums and semi-atonal percussive electronic sounds. The simple, clean rhythm guitar and bass lines point back again to the darker sounds of the ’80s (think The Cure’s ‘Seventeen Seconds’) but somehow the tune doesn’t come across like post punk revival, thanks to vocals that adopt a more modern approach to melody and rhythm. Those interested in hearing more should hurry to buy tickets for Summer Moon’s upcoming show at Baby’s All Right on 07.28.
Rachel Mason is an NYC-based singer, performer, sculptor, filmmaker. Her latest project is titled ‘The Lives of Hamilton Fish‘ and it doubles as a concept album and adjoining film. The album essentially has the singer (and her accompaniment) narrating what’s on-screen through each lyric, which makes for an unsettling experience on songs like "Nightmare" (streaming) where the nom de plume falls into an almost Borgesian state of identity crisis. Hamilton Fish, as it were, is actually two people: a statesman and a serial killer, both of whom died a day apart from each other in 1936 (true story). Mason sings both men with a disturbing intensity, which resonates deeply where life resembles fiction, and that fiction resembles even more fiction. Upcoming performances will be at the Anthology Film Archives on July 21 and Joes Pub on July 26. – Brian Chidester
DIY singer/looping-guitarist Michael Vidal, formerly of Abe Vigoda, will perform at the famous Amoeba Records in Hollywood tonight for free. The occasion: his Dream Center EP, originally released as a cassette in 2013 via Big Joy Records, got a refresher after joining Couple Skate Records earlier this month.
In his recent Amoeba interview with Crystales’ guitarist Billy Gil, Vidal talked about the re-release of Dream Center EP on Couple Skate Records, his growth in songwriting, guitarplaying influences, and his upcoming record which will be produced by fellow drummer Michael Tabor, and touted to be his "best material yet."
We’ll eagerly await more news of that. In the mean time, you can stream Dream Center on Spotify and find it in select record stores or online at Couple Skate Records. Catch Michael at Amoeba Hollywood at 6 PM! – Ryan Mo
Brooklyn-based folk rockers Bridget Davis and the Viking Kings boldly speak the truth on “Transient,” the lead single off their forthcoming first full-length album “I Wasn’t Planning on the End.” With Davis’s gentle voice gliding over drum clasps and guitar curls that recall the waltzing tracks off The National’s self-titled debut, the song unapologetically yet sensitively tells of the hurt we must do to one person in order to commit to another. Davis is a sharp songwriter, though, and the song never sinks into melodrama. In fact, the listener comes away almost broken by the track’s blunt honesty but in a beautiful, ultimately redemptive way. Bridget Davis and the Viking Kings’ “I Wasn’t Planning on the End” is scheduled for release in September. In the meantime, listen to “Transient” below. – Zach Weg (photo by Mara Auster)
Blistering old school punk rock outfit The Tracys are as clear an 80s punk revival as it gets. Their self-titled 12-track debut album is a healthy blend of pop-punk, New York Hardcore and some of Fat Wreck’s earliest punk pioneers, with songs like "Autocorrect" (streaming) resembling some early NOFX work, their punchy and aggressive sound softened by the raspy yet melodic vocals. The band is gearing up to shred BK’s The Acheron this Saturday, June 20, sharing the stage with Ma Jolie, Pass Away, Choke Up and Living Room. We’d assume that their personal acquaintance Tracy, whom the band has dedicated their entire existence to, will be in attendance. – Michael Haskoor (@Tweetskoor)
Bowmont is a Brooklyn based trio that’s been delivering beautifully textural and atmospheric synth-pop since the beginning of the decade. It has the luck of having a GRAMMY award winning engineer among its ranks (Jeremy Loucas), who also happens to be obsessed with synths. The two other members, Danish lead vocalist Emil Bovbjerg, and German guitarist Elias Meister, are accomplished musicians who also share a passion for musical toys. We can’t think of a better band for a Delicious Audio interview about gear and the creative process. (Photo by Fabrizio Del Rincon)
Orange-based psych-jangle sextet Deep Fields released their debut EP yesterday, and it’s a sonic nebula of wonders. Six songs of tantric proportions swirl like an acid trip in vernal bloom, mixing lyrics languid and reflective, even venturing out to space-rock frontiers with the epic closer "Other Half". Guitarist and vocalist Christian Peters goes all-out in the band’s first singles "Salazar" and "Leonidas", bassist Emily Monnig’s voice takes point in the hair-swaying "Oh Well", and both trade off in "Flat Business" with instrumentation as bright as a field of calliopsis, courtesy of the brothers Higa, Brian Jackson, and Dana Maier-Zucchino. Descriptors aside, this EP is tight, and it’s free to download!
And if you like what you hear, you can also catch Deep Fields this Sunday at the Dirty Laundry TV Summer Fest, where they’ll be performing songs from the EP and new ones in the works.
"Any opportunity we get to share our music is always exciting for us. It’s what brings this labor of love full circle. In our live shows, the highlights for us are the new tracks that we’re just starting to phase in. It’s been refreshing to devote time to internal development and exploring new directions. Plus, playing fresh stuff has really got us energized, it’s going to be a fun time on Sunday for sure."
Listen to the "Flat Business" below, and come out to see Deep Fields perform in the early afternoon at Dirty Laundry TV Summer Fest — did we mention it’s dad-friendly too?– Ryan Mo
