“The ice melts and reveals the New Spring. The neon forest comes alive, a lush environment with a mind of its own. This bubbly psych-bop has hypnotic layers of acoustic and electric guitars that guide you deeper into the dense atmosphere. Instruments like bugs, scatter and shimmer panning through your sonic spectrum. Harp sparkles with whimsy while crystal singing bowls+tongue drum is the moss. Explorative and playful drums+auxiliary percussion have you skipping deeper into the mind-mending journey, while saxophone wails in the distance. Only a few words are understood, like overgrown ideologies that you run into the ground. The Few who walk here are explorers of the known and unknown.” – Kali Horse
Kali Horse (formerly Kaleidoscope Horse) is a psychedelic art-rock band from Toronto, ON. Their sound is theatrical and dreamy – bouncing between highly melodic and rhythmic, groovy sections. Driven both by strong song-writing and abstract sound-play, the band creates dimensions that are often jarring in comparison to one another, playing on tension and release. The contrast between Desiree Das Gupta’s (*Das Gupta all one last name) powerful alto, and Sam Maloney’s feathery vocal timbre creates a balance of light and heavy, backed by full band harmonies.
Kali Horse’s world is an immersive world that they invite the audience into. Kali Horse are storytellers, their music is about telling a story with sound rather than a specific genre. The band are queer, multi-instrumentalist performers whose friendship is the bond of the band.
Sam and Des have been best friends for a decade and have been making music together for 7 years under different names, they are a huge part of the Toronto music community. In the live band, Sam and Des are joined by Cassandra Ellen (Synth/ Vocals/Percussion), Cameron Kirk (bass) and Brandon Bak (drums).
Guest players on New Spring include Luna Li (Hannah Bussiere-Kim) on harp.
TOUR DATES 2023 June 30 – Maud’s Variety, Sarnia ON July 01 – Cole’s Bar, Chicago IL July 03 – Raccoon Motel, Davenport IW July 14 – Entrepot 77, Montreal QC July 21 – Pinball House, Guelph ON
Sydney producer / vocalist Skeleten has unveiled “Territory Day”, the latest preview of his long-awaited debut full-length album, Under Utopia, coming July 28 via 2MR (NA) / Astral People Recordings (ROW).
A sprawling, vibe-heavy track that unfurls with truncated beats, gently insistent congas, hypnotic pleading and twinkling, Four Tet-esque chimes, Russell Fitzgibbon shares the origins of “Territory Day”: “I made the main idea one night back before I was even thinking of Skeleten as a real project. It was Territory Day, a holiday in the Northern Territory where everyone lets off fireworks for one night, and I was distinctly thousands of kms away from there. I always wanted to revisit the idea and after a few years and a pandemic I came back to it and felt it all new. Felt that expression of simple longing travelling through time and space, and thought about the power of all the desire and struggles crossing the globe like radio waves. I wanted to shout out to everyone trying at anything.”
Pieced together using fan-shot footage from a recent studio party, edited and processed through the album’s distinctive cover art, the visuals for ‘Territory Day’ tap into the ideals of connectivity and community at heart of Under Utopia – a homage to Skeleten’s ethos of finding transcendence in the everyday.
On his thrilling and immersive debut album, Skeleten dares to imagine new ways of being that are not characterised by doom or despair – a challenge in an era defined more by feelings of futility, isolation and precarity. Across eleven tracks of free-flowing, transcendent, and often euphoric electronic music, he plays spiritual guide to a musical journey which is wonderfully in touch with realms beyond our own. Praising the power of comradery and community, dreaming of a future that is joyously boundless, Skeleten’s singular debut LP is, to borrow from one of his own lines, music for dancing “any way your body turns.”
Threading together previous singles “Walking On Your Name”, “Mirrored”, “No Drones In The Afterlife” and the recently released “Sharing The Fire”, Under Utopia is a record that prioritises immediate pleasures without forgoing intimacy, reaching outward with inviting choruses and mantra-like melodies. “I think the album came out of the experience of feeling this great desire to reconnect and dreaming of the power of community,” says the musician. Tied together by Fitzgibbon’s spacious, airy production, the record finds an antidote for the ever-pervasive gloom of contemporary life in the transformative power of love, community and an enduring, determined optimism that gestures toward a better and brighter future just over the horizon.
Russell Fitzgibbon cut his teeth in Sydney’s tight-knit electronic community just as the city itself was forging its own identity. Debuting under his solo moniker in late 2020, Skeleten is Fitzgibbon’s most personal project to date, the sound of him unfiltered for the first time as both a vocalist and producer. At once intimate and otherworldly, at the core of the project lies a strong sense of uncomplicated openness and a deeply rhythmic, meditative ambience. Strikingly unplaceable, the result is a curious yet alluring amalgam of far-flung influences and emotive atmospheres that invites you to get repeatedly lost in. In between his debut and the long-awaited release of Under Utopia, Skeleten’s consistent output has seen him accrue rotation and early praise from Double J, XLR8R, NME, Dummy Magazine, BBC Radio 6 Music’s Recommends Spotlight Artist and receive the official remix treatment from the likes of Logic1000, Moktar, Jennifer Loveless and Rings Around Saturn.
Chicago’s beloved Ratboys announce their fourth studio album, The Window, out August 25th via Topshelf Records with lead single/video “It’s Alive!” and a North American tour. After more than ten years and four studio albums, The Window finally captures Ratboys as they were always meant to be heard—expansive while still intimate, audacious while still tender—the sound of four friends operating as a single, cohesive unit. The album is sonically diverse, shifting wildly from track to track and flexing everything from fuzzy power pop choruses to warm country twang to mournful folk.
Lyrically, The Window sees Julia Steiner at her most personal, reflecting on love and grief with occasional humor and levity. She frequently leans on windows as a theme—the idea of an interrupted connection, the feeling of being near someone without being fully present—like on the pounding lead single, “It’s Alive!” Opening with Steiner’s honeyed vocals, “Outside my window the birds dance alone // I sit back and take it in // Like some sort of medicine,” it’s a bright and vivacious track that, in Steiner’s words, captures “the overarching feeling of the world spinning on beneath you while you’re stuck in one place.” In the video, directed by John TerEick, Ratboys play in an empty house, as its owners slowly start to move in.
The Window marks a number of firsts for the band. Throughout the last few years, Sean Neumann (bass) and Marcus Nuccio (drums) became full-time members alongside Julia Steiner (vocals, guitar) and Dave Sagan (guitars), making The Window the first album Ratboys have written collaboratively from start to finish. It was also the first time they’d ever traveled outside their home base of Chicago to record an album, journeying to Seattle to work with producer Chris Walla (Death Cab for Cutie, Tegan and Sara, Foxing) for three weeks. The group worked on the arrangements together over the course of a year and half, so by the time the band showed up to the Hall of Justice Recording Studio in February 2022, The Window’s songs were well rehearsed and airtight. “We spent 2020 demoing the songs, and spent 2021 practicing them,” says Steiner. “We practiced twice a week for six months, exploring the songs and developing them. We’d send early versions to Chris and he’d give us notes. It went like that for weeks. It was such a dedicated and intentional process.”
But while The Window was nearly fully formed going into the studio, the band also left some space for experimentation with Walla. The sessions struck the perfect balance between preparation and experimentation. Walla’s studio sensibilities pushed Ratboys to stretch and expand their vision, adding unexpected elements and instruments like rototoms, talkboxes, and fiddles. Hunting for sonic inspiration, Walla and the band sometimes spent hours just listening to their favorite albums, spinning everything from Sloan to Brainiac to The Roches. “The language Chris uses when speaking about music comes from a very emotionally centered place, and that’s something that resonated with us. He would say things like, ‘This cymbal hurts my feelings,’ or ‘This song is like a cat,’” says Nuccio. “It was such a disarming thing,” adds Neumann. “We didn’t get bogged down in technical terms, and he never placed pressure on us in that way. With Chris steering the ship, we were free to go off on little creative expeditions and come up with parts and ideas we’d never imagined.”
As Paste lauds, “Ratboys has had all of our hearts for 10 years…[and] a live chemistry that remains unparalleled and irreplaceable.” This fall, they’ll bring their incredible live show across North America. A list of dates can be found below and tickets will be on sale this Friday, June 9th at 10am localat the band’s website.
Ratboys Tour Dates Fri. Aug. 25 – Chicago, IL @ Schubas Tavern Thu. Sep. 21 – Champaign-Urbana, IL @ Pygmalion Festival Fri. Sep. 22 – Columbus, OH @ Rumba Cafe Sat. Sep. 23 – Washington, DC @ Songbyrd Tue. Sep. 26 – Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s Wed. Sep. 27 – New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom Thu. Sep. 28 – Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall Fri. Sep. 29 – Montreal, QC @ POP Montreal Sat. Sep. 30 – Toronto, ON @ Monarch Tavern Mon. Oct. 2 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Bottlerocket Social Hall Tue. Oct. 3 – Cleveland, OH @ No Class Wed. Oct. 4 – Ferndale, MI @ Magic Bag Fri. Oct. 6 – St. Paul, MN @ Turf Club Sat. Oct. 7 – Milwaukee, WI @ The Back Room at Colectivo Coffee Thu. Oct. 19 – Omaha, NE @ Reverb Sat. Oct. 21 – Denver, CO @ Globe Hall Sun. Oct. 22 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court Tue. Oct. 24 – Seattle, WA @ Madame Lou’s Wed. Oct. 25 – Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios Fri. Oct. 27 – San Francisco, CA @ Cafe du Nord Sat. Oct. 28 – Los Angeles, CA @ Lodge Room Highland Park Sun. Oct. 29 – San Diego, CA @ The Loft at UC San Diego Mon. Oct. 30 – Santa Ana, CA @ Constellation Room Tue. Oct. 31 – Phoenix, AZ @ Valley Bar Thu. Nov. 2 – San Antonio, TX @ Paper Tiger Fri. Nov. 3 – Austin, TX @ Empire Control Room & Garage Sat. Nov. 4 – Dallas, TX @ Club Dada
The Clientele — the cherished UK outfit composed of vocalist/lyricist/guitarist Alasdair MacLean, bassist James Hornsey, and drummer Mark Keen — presents “Dying in May,” the new single from their forthcoming album, I Am Not There Anymore, out July 28th on Merge. On “Dying in May,” Keen’s live drums weave around programmed drum and bass samples, creating something polyrhythmic and avant-garde. Following the serene lead single “Blue Over Blue,” “Dying in May” elucidates the range of genres The Clientele explore on I Am Not There Anymore, a 19-track journey that extends from light bossa nova beats to the band’s classic chamber pop.
Of the track, MacLean says: “I think ‘Dying in May’ is the first Clientele song with no guitar. It also has no chords, as such — it’s a drone, with french horn, cello and Mellotron. So the rhythm does a lot of the work — the drums and percussion are in 9/8, but the singing and instruments are in 4/4, so as each bar goes past, there’s a slightly different rhythmic emphasis. This was a complete accident, but I loved it when I heard it — the patterns are a bit disorientating, but there’s a pulse that goes through it. I almost feel I could dance to this, but not quite. It’s based on an Arabic flamenco rhythm.
“The words are all fragmented too — simple images repeating, like someone in a high fever. I took some inspiration from cante jondo, Spanish flamenco — there tend to be two or three very focused, repetitive images in the words. There was no way in hell I could play guitar along with these rhythms, so I scored out a simple melody which would leave space for the drums, and be something the bass could latch on to. By the end, the words go over and over, like someone beside themselves with grief. Hence the title. It’s a harrowing subject, but I think it’s presented with love — the song hopefully opens it out and lets some air in. It feels like an exorcism for me.”
Listen to The Clientele’s “Dying in May” I Am Not There Anymore regularly evokes what MacLean calls “the feeling of not being real.” A lot of the lyrics were inspired by MacLean’s memories of the early summer in 1997, when his mother died. Though the album functions as MacLean’s way of mourning, he notes that he’s not the kind of songwriter who ever sits down with a theme in mind. It’s more that “the music will bring images and then those images link of their own accord.” It’s a general mood he’s chasing with these loosely connected recollections.
The previous Clientele album, 2017’s Music for the Age of Miracles, arrived after a seven-year hiatus and featured the band’s familiar wistful melodies and haunting echo. Recording for I Am Not There Anymorebegan in 2019 and continued piecemeal until 2022 — in part because of the pandemic, but also because the band wanted to experiment. “We’d always been interested in music other than guitar music, like for donkey’s years,” MacLean says. This time out, the trio incorporated elements of post-bop jazz, contemporary classical and electronic music. According to MacLean, “None of those things had been able to find their way into our sound other than in the most passing way, in the faintest imprint.”
Over The Clientele’s 32-year career, critics and fans have often described their songs with words like “ethereal,” “shimmering,” “hazy,” “pretty” and “fragile.” MacLean, though, has his own interpretation of the effect his music creates. “It’s that feeling of not being there,” he says. “What’s really been in all the Clientele records is a sense of not actually inhabiting the moment that your body is in.” I Am Not There Anymore, as MacLean says, is all about “the memory of childhood but at the same time the impossibility of truly remembering childhood… or even knowing who or what you are.”
This August, The Clientele will embark on a U.S. tour, featuring stops at Bowery Ballroom in New York City, Lodge Room in Los Angeles, Lincoln Hall in Chicago, and more. All dates are listed below and tickets are on sale now.
The Clientele Tour Dates: Fri. July 28 – London, UK @ Rough Trade East Wed. Aug. 9 – Somerville, MA @ Crystal Ballroom at Somerville Theatre Thu. Aug. 10 – New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom Fri. Aug. 11 – Philadelphia, PA @ Underground Arts Sat. Aug. 12 – Washington, DC @ Songbyrd Sun. Aug. 13 – Durham, NC @ Motorco Music Hall Tue. Aug. 15 – Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall Thu. Aug. 17 – Los Angeles, CA @ Lodge Room Fri. Aug. 18 – Pioneertown, CA @ Pappy and Harriet’s Sat. Aug. 19 – Big Sur, CA @ Fernwood Tavern (inside) Sun. Aug. 20 – San Francisco, CA @ The Chapel Tue. Aug. 22 – Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios Wed. Aug. 23 – Seattle, WA @ Tractor Tavern
Both weekends of DEBAUCH-a-ReNO are set in stone and nearly sold out as of this announcement. Here’s a summary of expectations, and scroll down to see the official schedule.
The first weekend kicks off on the night of June 16th over at Cypress with four powerhouse local groups demonstrating there’s still a burgeoning DIY scene happening throughout the Biggest Little City In The World. The bands scheduled to grace the stage that evening include the contemporary post-punk neanderthal-ism of Clarko, the jangling garage beat-meets-jugular slash punk attack and sarcasm of The Juvinals, the trashcan glam n’ roll of Pussy Velour, and the urgent, mudslide sound of Rotary Club.
The following day’s event begins in the afternoon at Wingfield Park Amphitheatre. It culminates with a co-headlining bill with notorious Belgium punks, The Kids, playing their first US show in seven years alongside San Bruno’s anchormen of the trash rock netherworld, The Mummies, and Sacramento garage rock titans, The Troublemakers, who mark three decades together this year. Playing in support is Tucson’s own Farfisa a-go-go power quartet, The Okmoniks, making a return to DEBAUCH-a-ReNO, and local quartet Thee Saturday Knights opening the afternoon. However, the budget rock n’ roll onslaught doesn’t end upon the final chord ring out from Kids frontman Ludo Meriman’s guitar; the after-party returns to Cypress, where Holland blues-punk trio, Lo-Lite makes their long-awaited US return alongside the unhinged antagonism of Jamie Paul Lamb’s sardonic alter ego, Puppy and The Hand Jobs, and the Bay Area’s own Just Head, in addition to A SPECIAL SURPRISE GUEST!!!!
Closing out the weekend is another pair of co-headliners hailing from San Diego county as revered Chula Vista punks The Zeroes will make a return to Reno to headline June 18th’s performance at Wingfield Park alongside the twang guitar and power tools action of fellow San Diegans, Deadbolt. Support will be provided by a band that L7 helped push into the masses with their “American Society” cover on Smell The Magic as Eddie & The Subtitles will perform alongside Reno psych-punks, Spitting Image, and Los Angeles rockers, Tube Alloys.
The second weekend’s one-night stand soiree will occur south of Reno in the time-stamped silver mining town of Virginia City on July 14th and anchored by a man whose work crosses music, publishing, and painting AND whom Kurt Cobain, Jack White, Graham Coxon, and Kylie Minogue have paid tribute to in their own right with Wild Billy Childish & CTMF, making their exclusive US performance for 2023 at Piper’s Opera House (est. 1863) alongside Sacramento’s garage-mod screamers, Th’ Losin Streaks. A goodclosing lineup, right? Well, those two weren’t enough because we’ve got one of America’s more criminally underrated bands flying in from one sweatbox to another, with the gutter minimalist bump n’ grind of Subsonics making a rare and special appearance from Atlanta.
DEBAUCH-a-ReNo 2023 June Weekend Schedule *Headliners Non-Headliner schedule subject to change DJs include Jello Biafra, Vivi Martian, Tony The Tyger, Bazooka Joe, and Slovenly Pete Friday, June 16th (8:00 p.m. – 4:00 a,m.) – OPENING PARTY with bands / DJs** Venue: Cypress Reno (directions + info here). Lineup: The Juvinals, Clarko, Pussy Velour, Rotary Club
Saturday, June 17th (2:00 p.m. -10:00 p.m.) – MAIN EVENT with bands, DJs, and record fair Venue: Wingfield Park Amphitheater (directions + info here). Lineup: The Kids*, The Mummies*, The Troublemakers*, Okmoniks, Thee Saturday Knights
Saturday, June 17th (10:00 p.m. – 4:00 a.m.) – AFTERPARTY with bands / DJs Venue: Cypress Reno Lineup: Lo-Life, Puppy and The Hand Jobs, Just Head + SURPRISE SPECIAL GUEST!
Sunday, June 18th (2:00 p.m. -10:00 p.m.) – MAIN EVENT with bands & DJs** Venue: Wingfield Park Amphitheater Lineup: The Zeros*, Deadbolt*, Eddie & The Subtitles, Spitting Image, Tube Alloys
DEBAUCH-a-ReNO 2023 July One-Nighter Schedule Friday, July 14th (7:00 p.m – Midnight) – MAIN EVENT with bands & DJ Bazooka Joe Venue: Piper’s Opera House (directions + info here) Lineup: Wild Billy Childish & CTMF*, Subsonics, Th’ Losin Streaks
CLICK HERE TO HEAR THE DEBAUCH-a-ReNO MIXTAPE FOR KWNK RADIO!
Tickets Full passes (access to both Wingfield & Cypress shows), Park (Wingfield only), and Virginia City tickets are available through Eventsmart. That’s a good thing; they’re the kind of company who don’t blindside customers with the insane hidden fees the larger ticket companies are notorious for.
GET YOUR DEBAUCH-a-ReNO PASSES HERE Room Deals Hotel deals for DEBAUCH-a-ReNO are available through RENO SUITES in Downtown Reno (a 10-minute walk from Wingfield Park) for $109/nightly (that price includes taxes and fees). The reviews at this place are solid, and to get this rate, you’ll need to book through the link below.
Swedish indie-pop masterminds The Mary Onettes return with a new double single, “Forever Before Love” b/w “Future Grief” on Welfare Sounds. These songs mark a return to the dreamy, overcast pop that has been The Mary Onettes’ trademark since first forming over 20 years ago, reiterating the signature craft that has put their music in the hearts of indie-pop connoisseurs around the world.
“‘Forever Before Love” is about finding the way back to yourself after a very long relationship. The process of trying to connect with the person you were before that,” explains The Mary Onettes’ main song writer PhilipEkström.
While “Future Grief” contains a guest appearance from Adnes Aldén, a close friend of brothers Philip and his brother Henri Ekström, an addition that gives the song an extra vocal dimension. “This track has been around for quite some time. We recorded the vocals with Agnes in 2016 and we have been waiting eagerly to share this one. Agnes wrote the lyrics for the verse and I wrote the words for the choruses, which gives the story a nice two angel perspective.”
Following the release of “Forever Before Love” b/w “Future Grief”, The Mary Onettes will embark on a headlining tour of Sweden, and perform a homecoming festival show in Huskvarna, before starting to work on their upcoming album.
The Mary Onettes formed in 2000 and quickly gained a devoted following with their unique brand of indie-pop, drawing comparisons to bands like The Smiths and Echo & the Bunnymen. Over the years, they’ve released a string of critically acclaimed albums and singles, earning praise from publications like Pitchfork and NME. Although development is crucial for a band, one thing has remained the same — the songs. The band revolves around Philip’s songwriting and although some songs have been stripped down, rebuilt or even thrown away throughout the years, they have kept coming.
With the recent release of the singles “What I Feel in Some Places” and “Easy Hands,” as well as the long-awaited vinyl treatment of their 2018 smash hit Cola Falls EP, The Mary Onettes have gained both creative momentum and international praise.
Today, post punk band Charm School share their fire-y new track, “Simulacra” from their forthcoming debut EP Finite Jest out July 21 via sonaBLAST! Records.
“Simulacra” was tracked and mixed by Nick Roeder, and features drum programming by Matia Simovich “INHALT” who worked on MIA’s “Paper Planes” as well as on several Boy Harsher tracks. Both Simovich and famed Chicago engineer Steve Albini did alternate mixes of “Simulacra” which will come out later this year.
Andrew of Charm School says, “‘Simulacra’ is our attempt at skewering the politics of now over a good dance beat. By way of Jean Baudrillard the song addresses our society’s profound sense of disconnection resulting from our constant interaction with fabricated representations of reality. Aka the disquieting fact that these counterfeit depictions of life are increasingly valued over reality itself, and the even more troubling reality that social media companies are profiting handsomely from this exploitative situation.”
Charm School is Andrew Sellers’ (aka Andrew Rinehart) new music project with longtime collaborators Matt Filip and Drew English and drummer and multi-instrumentalist Jason Bemis Lawrence. The name change signals a move away from Sellers’ folk and pop-based songwriting (as evidenced by his recent duet with Bonnie “Prince” Billy) toward a much darker and more aggressive sound. Think 70s post-punk mixed with 90s post-rock and you’ll be close. Originally from Louisville, KY, Sellers has paid his dues in both the NYC and LA DIY music scenes, co-founding The Body Actualized Center in Bushwick and booking shows at Basic Flowers in Downtown LA. Charm School represents a return to his punk and hardcore roots, to the kind of music that shaped his musical consciousness as a teenager (bands like Slint, The Jesus Lizard, Nation of Ulysses, Fugazi, etc.).
Producer / musician Kedr Livanskiy (neé Yana Kedrina) returns with a dance-floor-ready new EP, K-Notes. It’s an expert fusion of drum and bass, trance, and alt-pop anchored by Kedrina’s signature crystalline vocals. K-Notes feels at once nostalgic and remarkably current: Livanskiy filters today’s UK revivalism through her own unique lens, shaped by her upbringing in Russia’s underground music scene and her personal love of early electronic and alternative music.
Kedrina’s longstanding fascination with the natural world is still apparent in her lyrics, sung in her native Russian. Throughout these tracks, lovers disappear into clouds, seek shelter from the rain, and look back fondly on summers past. As always, Kedrina has a remarkable knack for world-building: her rich compositions envelop the listener in a dream-world so visceral that it transcends the barriers of language. Concise but immersive, K-Notes is a fresh dose of ebullience from an artist at the top of her craft.
Its vivacious lead single “With Love K…” is a melodic drum-and-bass love song and is out today alongside its amorous / nostalgic video which Kedrina directed herself.
Bright and upbeat, K-Notes is more akin sonically to Kedrina’s 2019 album Your Need than her recent work. Where Your Need was a neon-tinged ode to early house, dub, and breakbeat, Liminal Soul saw her infuse her electronic compositions with organic textures and hone in on her vocal technique. More recently, she chased that inspiration further and teamed up with her partner Flaty to form the indie duo Kosaya Gora, experimenting with guitar-based folk and dream pop compositions on their debut record Kosogor. Her artistic focus has once again found the dance floor, and on K-Notes she channels the sounds of her spirited live show into a dynamic new collection.
K-Notes sees its release solely across digital platforms on Thursday, June 22 via 2MR. Pre-save it here.
Today, Nashville-based DIY outfit Snõõper present the rousing new single/video, “Fitness,” from their forthcoming debut album, Super Snõõper, out July 14th on Third Man Records. “Fitness” maintains the high octane speed of frantic lead single “Pod,” and its accompanying video — directed by vocalist Blair Tramel — showcases the puppetry used in their live performances. Almost all of the props and puppets in the video were made and reassembled by Tramel, and the video offers a glimpse of the playful mayhem that can be expected at one of their storied concerts. Of “Fitness,” Tramel states: “‘Fitness’ was written just for fun without much thought, which is exactly the way I think working out should be. This song is about competition, doing things for the validation of others, and how ridiculous that can be. Before our first show, I made a paper mache weight to use during this song. It was our very first prop and the only prop we used for a while. ‘Fitness’ is a special song to us because it is still one of our most fun songs to play live.” Watch Snõõper’s “Fitness” Video Snõõper is a band who, in a 33 ⅓ RPM world, make 45 RPM music they play at 78 RPM. They maintain super precise instrumentals and skillfully melodic vocals, even though they’re flooring it almost the entire time. Snõõper doesn’t play fast; they play at the speed of Snõõper. The project began in 2020 as a collaboration between local Nashville punk mainstay Connor Cummins (guitar) and Blair Tramel (vocals), an early education teacher with a sideline in wickedly funny animation and art. As their cassette tapes and homemade videos began to find scattered fans around the world, the duo brought the project to the live stage in late 2021 with the addition of Cam Sarrett (drums), Happy Haugen (bass), and Ian Teeple (guitar). Thus, Snõõper was born. Their debut album, Super Snõõper, was recorded at The Bomb shelter in Nashville. It follows EPs “Music For Spies” (2020), “Snõõper” (2021), and “Town Topic” (2022), as well as the live album LIVE AT EXIT/IN 11-23-22, released this past February. Given the brief glimpses into Snõõper’s music from their 7”s, EPs, and thrilling live performances, one might wonder if the group could hold the line for a full album. The answer is an enthusiastic yes. In the words of Henry Rollins, “Speaking selfishly, I want Snõõper to hurry up and make another album. Super Snõõper is a really cool record.” This summer, Snõõper will play a handful of shows in the US before embarking on an Australian tour. A full list of dates is below, with more to be announced soon. Watch “Pod” Video Listen to “Fitness” Pre-order Super Snõõper
Snõõper Tour Dates Fri. June 2 – Athens, GA @ 40 Watt Sat. June 3 – Savannah, GA @ Dog Days Fest ^ Sun. June 4 – Atlanta, GA @ Sabbath ^ Mon. June 5 – Nashville, TN @ Soft Junk ^ Fri. June 16 – Gold Coast, AU @ Vinnies Dive Bar # Sat. June 17 – Brisbane, AU @ The Bearded Lady # Thu. June 22 – Wollongong, AU @ La La La’s Fri. June 23 – Sydney, AU @ Oxford Art Factory #+ Sun. June 25 – Newcastle, AU @ Hamilton Station Hotel Thu. June 29 – Canberra, AU @ Sideway Bar Fri. June 30 – Melbourne, AU @ Last Chance Rock & Roll Bar Sat. July 1 – Melbourne, AU @ Nighthawks % Sun. July 2 – San Francisco, CA @ Mosswood Meltdown Wed. July 5 – Vancouver, BC @ Green Auto Fri. July 7 – Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge Sat. July 8 – Seattle, WA @ Clock Out Lounge Fri. Oct. 13 – Sun. Oct. 15 – Austin, TX @ Austin City Limits Festival
Last month, London band Girl Ray announced their third LP, Prestige (out August 4th on Moshi Moshi). The three-piece comprising Poppy Hankin, Iris McConnell and Sophie Moss, made an immediate impact with the release of their 2017 debut Earl Grey on the influential indie Moshi Moshi (Anna Meredith, Florence & The Machine, Kate Nash), which channeled the baroque 70s soft pop of Todd Rundgren through the scrappy aesthetics of 80s UK indie and earned high praise from outlets like Pitchfork, The Guardian, Stereogum and FADER among many others. Their second LP, 2019’s Girl, saw the band change direction dramatically, taking on a kind of indie-fied R&B that The Guardian described as “the great sound of a band getting pop wrong,” and in 2021 the band returned in yet another new guise, releasing the one off, house-adjacent single “Give Me Your Love” that was produced with Hot Chip‘s Joe Goddard and Al Doyle.
Their latest album, which they made with the revered producer Ben H Allen (Gnarls Barkley, Animal Collective, MIA, Belle & Sebastian), sees the band adjust the formula once more, incorporating a disco influence that in Girl Ray’s hands led FADER to describe their sound as the music “Dua Lipa would make if she was more used to playing pubs than arenas.” The early response to their new direction has been extremely enthusiastic in the press, with the lead single “Hold Tight” and pre-announce track “Everybody’s Saying That” earning praise from outlets like FADER, Billboard, Paste, Consequence, BrooklynVegan, Line of Best Fit, Clash, The Guardian, Under The Radar and Stereogum who described the lead single as “like if Haim were hopping on Vampire Weekend tracks when Rostam was still in the band.”
Today, the band are sharing a new preview of their new album, the groove-oriented “Up” that recalls Young Americans-era Bowie as filtered through the blended synths and strings aesthetic of early Giorgio Moroder.
“This song was written at the beginning of my current relationship, and it deals with all the emotions of a fledgling romance: adoration, self-doubt, and everything in between! Musically we wanted to pay homage to the sparseness of Queen’s ‘Cool Cat’, and the groove of Bowie’s ‘Fame.'”
In support of the new LP Girl Ray have announced a UK tour that will begin in November. Full details can be found below.
Prestige will be released August 4th on Moshi Moshi. It’s available for preorder/presave here.
Tour Dates 04/08 – London, Rough Trade East 09/08 – Nottingham, Rough Trade Nottingham 10/08 – Bristol, Rough Trade Bristol 17/08 – Brecon Beacons, Green Man Festival 12/11 – Amsterdam, Paradiso 13/11 – Hamburg, Aalhaus 14/11 – Copenhagen, Ideal Bar 16/11 – Berlin, Marie-Antoinette 17/11 – Brussels, Witloof Bar 20/11 – Paris, Boule Noire 21/11 – Brighton, Patterns 22/11 – Bristol, Fleece 24/11 – Manchester, The Soup Kitchen 25/11 – Glasgow, Room 2 26/11 – Dublin, The Workmans Club 28/11 – Leeds, Belgrave Music Hall 29/11 – Nottingham, Rescue Rooms 03/12 – London, Village Underground
