New wave / No wave – Page 4

Review: Open Hand – Weirdo

Ten years in the making, Open Hand‘s newest album, Weirdo, has plenty of appropriately weird stuff, psychedelic fuzz, vintage synths, and seriously cool chops. The album opens with someone saying, “I’ve got a message for you, and you’re not going to like it.” Okay, Open Hand. You have my attention.

“The People’s Temple” has guitarist / vocalists Justin Isham encouraging us to leave because he’s feeling much better. It’s an interesting suggestion after a decade, and even more so as Isham sings that he’s considering running away from something (Stardom? A relationship? People in general?). It’s difficult to take him too seriously, however, because the opening track bumps and jams with funky keys by Kyle Hammond and damn funky drumming by Gil Sharone.

Mike Longworth‘s rapid bass chords open the danceable “It Takes Me,” which reminds me of the dance-funk stylings of !!!. Isham and Ryan Castanga‘s guitars shimmer on the fuzz-heavy “Again?”, showing off the band’s deftness at switching from dance-funk to shoegaze and doing both genres well. They go back to dance-funk on “Like I Do,” and Hammond gets another chance to strut his stuff with formidable synth bleeps, bloops, and beats.

“Return” (with guest drums from Mike Levine and guest vocals from Lisa Loeb) is a neat, spacey track, and “In My Way” gets us firmly back into shoegaze territory, reminding one of Hum and Failure cuts. Sharone puts down some of his fiercest beats on the track. Seriously, some of his fills will knock you back in your chair. Isham, Longworth, and Castanga crank up the fuzz on “I Think So,” and it mixes well with Sharone’s rocket fuel drums and Hammond’s sunshine synths.

“Loved,” with guest co-vocals from Brittany Snow, has a bit of a prog-rock feel to it that changes things up a bit. Bill Gaal takes over on bass on “Chances,” and proceeds to get his money’s worth by thudding us with glorious fuzz and low end as the rest of Open Hand unleash a track that Josh Homme would envy. “Draw the Line” ends the album with some space rock and, I think, samples from the weird John Carpenter horror film, The Prince of Darkness.

I don’t know why Open Hand took a decade off from releasing new material, but I’m glad they’re back in 2021. Everyone needs good music nowadays, and stuff as good as Weirdo is more than welcome.

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Psymon Spine release “Channels” from upcoming new album.

Today, Psymon Spine are sharing their new single “Channels,” a cathartic foray into punk for the dance/psych outfit and final preview from their sophomore full-length, Charismatic Megafauna, releasing February 19th on Northern Spy.

“Channels” premiered with FLOOD Magazine who praised the track as “boisterous, colorful” and shared further insight from member Noah Prebish: “We spend the majority of our time in Brooklyn, NY absorbing energy, stress, and excitement, then go into the middle of nowhere to process all of those feelings through writing/recording. The lyrics came from this analogy of the creative mind being a map with various bodies of water scattered throughout (each body of water representing some area of interest, skill, or trait), and how as an artist our job is to daily cultivate and irrigate this land, making sure every part is getting enough water and that no part is getting flooded. I had initially planned on delivering the lyrics in a more laidback/spoken manner, but as we kept tracking everyone kept telling me to push it further each time, and when we finally got the best take I was screaming my guts out — I literally could taste blood. It ended up working out just how it was supposed to and gave the song this totally different energy that I had initially expected, and I’m so glad for that.”

Fusing psychedelic pop and the deep grooves of dance music, Psymon Spine’s music oozes with melodic hugeness—but the places this Brooklyn electronic pop outfit takes their songs is truly out there, exploring complicated feelings through a singular approach to left-of-center dance sounds. Only a year ago, band members Noah and Sabine were playing in the dream-pop group Barrie, who broke out following a string of buzz-making singles, but Charismatic Megafauna proves that Psymon Spine are on a different journey, exploring sounds ranging from disco to early techno and motorik’s incessant pulse. Psymon Spine put their own addictive stamp on the sounds of the past, with surprises at every turn and the type of lush synth work that could only come from brilliant students of dance music. Reflecting optimism and catharsis, Charismatic Megafauna is a heady trip through left-field pop that packs its own emotional wallop. Read the full bio here.

Charismatic Megafauna is available to preorder from Northern Spy, and a special EU/UK edition of the LP is available via Dinked Edition.

Upcoming Shows
Feb 19: The Lot Radio
(DJ Set) 2PM ET/11AM PT

Feb 25: Baby’s All Right’s Baby TV
(Album Release Show w/ Hypoluxo) 8PM ET/5PM PT

Mar 01: Dublab
(DJ Set) 3PM ET/12PM PT

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[Thanks to Cody at Clandestine PR.]

CHAI call us to “Action” on first single from upcoming album – “WINK.”

Japanese quartet CHAI are thrilled to announce their new album, WINK, out May 21st on Sub Pop. Ahead of its release, they present lead single/video “ACTION.” Their third full-length and first for Sub Pop, WINK contains CHAI’s mellowest and most minimal music, and also their most affecting and exciting songwriting by far. WINK is a fitting title then: a subtle but bold gesture. A wink is an unselfconscious act of conviction, or as CHAI puts it: “A person who winks is a person with a pure heart, who lives with flexibility, who does what they want. A person who winks is a person who is free.” YUUKI noted that “With this album, we’re winking at you. We’re living freely and we hope that when you listen, you can wink and live freely, too.”

CHAI is made up of identical twins MANA (lead vocals and keys) and KANA(guitar), drummer YUNA, and bassist-lyricist YUUKI. Following the release of 2019’s PUNK, CHAI’s adventures took them around the world, playing their high-energy and buoyant shows at music festivals like Primavera Sound and Pitchfork Music Festival, and touring with indie-rock mainstays like Whitney and Mac DeMarco. Like all musicians, CHAI spent 2020 forced to rethink the fabric of their work and lives. But CHAI took this as an opportunity to shake up their process and bring their music somewhere thrillingly new. Having previously used their maximalist recordings to capture the exuberance of their live shows, with the audiences’ reactions in mind, CHAI instead focused on crafting the slightly-subtler and more introspective kinds of songs they enjoy listening to at home—where, for the first time, they recorded all of the music. Amidst the global shutdown, CHAI worked on Garageband and traded their song ideas—which they had more time than ever to consider—over Zoom and phone calls, turning their limitations into a strength.

While the band leaned into a more personal sound, WINK is also the first CHAI album to feature contributions from outside producers (Mndsgn, YMCK) as well as a feature from Chicago rapper-singer Ric Wilson. CHAI draw R&B and hip-hop into their mix (Mac Miller, the Internet, and Brockhampton were on their minds) of dance-punk and pop-rock, all while remaining undeniably CHAI. Whether in relation to this newfound sense of openness or their at-home ways of composing, the theme of WINK is to challenge yourself.

Lead single “ACTION” was a response to watching the Black Lives Matter protests unfold across America and the world in June of 2020 while the band was in Japan.
“Seeing how the world came together during the protests really moved me,” said YUUKI. “I wanted to dedicate that song to the year of action.” The band further elaborates: “The world as we know it has changed, but even with that, it’s still a world where nothing really changes. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if there more ACTION rooted in happiness? Be the change that you want to see!…I’m going to be the pioneer in seeing the world I want to see, meeting the people I want to meet! We start off by expressing the fun in ACTION with this music video♡ Why don’t you join us?! It’s that type of song♡.”

WATCH CHAI’S VIDEO FOR “ACTION”

CHAI came to see WINK—with its home-y feel—as a collection where each song is like a new friend, something comforting to rely on and reach out to, as the album was for them throughout 2020. This impulse towards connection is in WINK’s title, too. After the “i” of PINK and the “u” of PUNK—which represented the band’s act of introducing themselves, and then of centering their audiences—they have come full circle with the “we” of WINK. It signals CHAI’s relationship with the outside world, an embrace of profound togetherness. Through music, as CHAI said, “we are all coming together.” In that act of opening themselves up, CHAI grew into their best work: “This album showed us, we’re ready to do more.”
WATCH THE “DONUTS MIND IF I DO” VIDEOWATCH THE “PLASTIC LOVE” VIDEO

PRE-ORDER WINK

WINK TRACKLIST
1.Donuts Mind If I Do
2. Maybe Chocolate Chips (feat. Ric Wilson)
3. ACTION
4. END
5. PING PONG! (feat. YMCK)
6. Nobody Knows We Are Fun
7. It’s Vitamin C
8. IN PINK (feat. Mndsgn)
9. KARAAGE
10. Miracle
11. Wish Upon a Star
12. Salty

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[Thanks to Jim at Pitch Perfect PR.]

Dry Cleaning present new single – “Scratchcard Lanyard.”

London-based band Dry Cleaning make their 4AD debut with a new single, “Scratchcard Lanyard,” and an accompanying video. The band first played the track on their KEXP session earlier this year, where they were the last act to record in the actual studios pre-COVID shutdown. “Scratchcard Lanyard” is a treatise on the joy of life’s little pleasures, where air fresheners become mighty oaks and Instagram filters are glamorous holiday destinations. In its companion video, the directorial debut of artist duo Rottingdean Bazaar (James Theseus Buck and Luke Brooks), the concept and set design riffs on the song’s celebration of the humdrum, inserting vocalist Florence Shaw into her own miniature night club.

Dry Cleaning further explain: “In the search for your true calling in life, it’s easy to try so many things that you end up confused. It can lead to an enormous build-up of frustration. You may fantasise about exacting revenge upon your real or imagined enemies. Ephemeral things and small-scale escapist experiences can provide some relief!”
Watch Dry Cleaning’s Video for “Scratchcard Lanyard”

Watch Dry Cleaning’s KEXP Session
Dry Cleaning is Nick Buxton (drums), Tom Dowse (guitar), Lewis Maynard (bass) and Florence Shaw (vocals). Firm friends for years, they only started making music after a karaoke party in 2017 inspired a collaboration. They wrote instrumentally to begin with and six months later Shaw, a university lecturer and picture researcher by day, joined on vocals with no prior musical experience.

Dry Cleaning’s music is simple – direct and uncomplicated. The Feelies, the Necessaries, the B52s and Pylon all served as inspirations when the band first came together. The small and intimate garage / rehearsal space had a huge influence on the sound; both of last year’s EPs “Boundary Road Snacks and Drinks” and “Sweet Princess,” were written here. The quartet have finished work on their debut album, with details to follow soon.

Dry Cleaning Online:
https://drycleaning.bandcamp.com/
https://www.instagram.com/drycleaningband/
https://www.facebook.com/drycleaningband/
https://pitchperfectpr.com/dry-cleaning/

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[Thanks to Jacob at Pitch Perfect PR.]

Rewind Review: Delta 5 – Singles & Sessions 1979 – 81 (2006)

Hailing from Leeds, United Kingdom, Delta 5 were, and still are, a highly influential post-punk band consisting of Ross Allen (bass and vocals), Kelvin Knight (drums), Bethan Peters (bass and vocals), Alan Riggs (guitar and vocals), and Julz Sale (vocals). They took the BBC airwaves a bit by storm after radio DJ legend John Peel was given a pre-release copy of their first single, “Mind Your Own Business,” and he asked them the next day to do a live session on air. You can’t ask for a much better start than that.

Singles & Sessions 1979-81 is a great collection of not only the band’s greatest hits, but also great live tracks and remixes. That first single is a post-punk masterpiece with groovy bass by Allen and Peters and Sale tag-teaming the vocals about people who can’t leave well enough alone (“Can I have a taste of your ice cream? Can I lick the crumbs from your table? Can I interfere in your crisis? No. Mind your own business.”). Knight’s drums have a slight disco touch to them, and Riggs’ guitar enters the song like a knife-wielding assassin. “Now That You’ve Gone” (the B-side to “Mind Your Own Business”) is a tale of longing (“Now that you’ve gone, I find it hard to go on.”) backed with guitars and bass that border on gothic surf.

Knight’s beats on “Anticipation” are top-notch, bringing early Devo and New Order tracks to mind. “You” was supposed to be the band’s first single, and it would not have been a bad choice. It’s peppy, fun, and snarky. “You don’t see what I see,” Sale sings on “Try” – a song that tries to get through the thick skulls of men to enlighten them as to what women go through every day in everything from work to just walking down the street. “Colour” is a short, sharp track, and the opening guitars of “Delta 5” are jagged yet cool.

“Make Up” is a damn fine track about superficiality with Riggs’ guitar wandering around the room like an angry cat and Allen’s bass keeping the song rooted. “There’s no need to worry, it’s not an affair,” Sale sings on “Triangle,” which seems to be a witty song about a threesome. Peters seems have a blast with the bass lick on it. Knight’s drum rolls fill up a lot of “Innocenti,” and there’s nothing wrong with that.

“Train Song” has rapid fire vocals and even faster drum fills and bass lines. “Why go out without protection?” Sale and Peters ask on “Final Scene.” They could be talking about firearms, condoms, or a good coat for all I know. I’m inclined to think they might refer to all three considering the dark edge of the track. “Singing the Praises” starts with more wicked riffs from Allan and Riggs and Sale’s vocals are a bit subdued to make them more mysterious.

Three live tracks follow – “Shadow,” “Circuit,” and “Journey.” All three are filled to the brim with a manic, sexy, dangerous energy. You can see the crowd shaking, jerking, pogoing, and shoving amid the darkness, cigarette smoke, and spilled pints. The collection ends with three remixes of “Mind Your Own Business” – a dub one by Man Ray, a reggae one featuring Monnei Lamar, and the third by Deerhoof that cranks up the fuzz and brings the vocals to the forefront. Of the three, Man Ray’s is the best.

All the tracks are good, really. It’s an essential collection for post-punk lovers.

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Gustaf claim what is “Mine” and sign with Royal Mountain Records.

Gustaf have announced their signing to Royal Mountain Records, alongside their debut single and video “Mine“. The first recorded material from a band who have played sold out shows around the United States based solely on word of mouth, “Mine” offers an engagingly weird and frantically off-kilter look into the all-encompassing world of the Brooklyn-based art-punk quintet.

LISTEN: to Gustaf “Mine” on YouTube

Vocalist Lydia Gammill explains: “This song is about having a false sense of entitlement. Someone who feels attacked or like they’re being pushed out of their own world and not getting the credit they deserve. Someone with a delusional sense of self whose anger and frustration is humorous like the superintendent in a college frat movie. The opening lines make it seem like the narrator is being criticized by someone else and their retaliation is like “you’ve got to be kidding me, you can’t say that about me! I invented water you punk!” …. sort of.“

———-

Formed in 2018, Brooklyn’s Gustaf have built a kind of buzz that feels like it comes from a different era. The art punk 5 piece are yet to release any recorded music, but rapidly established a reputation as one of New York’s “hardest working…and most reliably fun bands” (BrooklynVegan), and excitement about their danceable, ESG-inspired post punk has expanded outside of their city with remarkable effect despite their scant online presence. The band have found early champions in all quarters, catching the attention of luminaries like Beck – who had the band open for him at a secret loft party he played around the release of his latest album – the New York no wave legend James Chance, and have shared stages with buzzing indie acts like Omni, Tropical Fuck Storm, Dehd and Bodega, while word of mouth led to sell out shows when they played their first LA headline dates in late 2019.

While recent events have curtailed Gustaf’s live schedule, the band have remained relentless as ever in 2020, and entered the studio with producer Chris Coady (Beach House, Future Islands, TV On The Radio) to work on their first official release.

Mine 7″ is out on Royal Mountain Records on December 4th. It is available for pre-order here.

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[Thanks to Tom at Hive Mind PR.]

CHAI sign to Sub Pop and release a song praising donuts. What’s not to like?

Watch CHAI’s Video for “Donuts Mind If I Do”
Japanese quartet CHAI are thrilled to announce their signing to Sub Pop. In celebration, they announce a new digital single and official video for “Donuts Mind If I Do” which is available digitally today.

“Donuts Mind If I Do” is lush with layered vocals and dreamy, laidback instrumentation. The track is mellow until the twins’ voices join together and its synth swells as they proclaim “Keep going on!” CHAI says: “When you’re feeling vigorous, when you’re feeling sick, You like what you like! No changing that! Even if what I like is as simple as a donut <3. It’s this type of song!”

The accompanying video, directed by Hideto Hotta, shows CHAI sitting on a grassy hill, enjoying colorful donuts. Later, they appear as older versions of themselves. “In order for various concepts of society, societal structures to have been built up and exist today, there had to be changes to those concepts, to those structures in every era to continue to lead to the next society…with that said, in this music video we explore the CHAI you know today, and then CHAI as elderly women,” explains Hotta. “On an all-white table cloth, eating donuts, sits CHAI. They can even sip on the tea in the teapot if they’d like! Ultimately time passes, and the elderly CHAI is still there, enjoying their last supper in the middle of the meadow, white-table cloth and all eating their donuts. CHAI changes physically, but one thing that does stand still is them living in their truth. If finding true happiness is one of the goals the human race is constantly in search of, then conveying this in this visual, spreading what happiness means to CHAI, to me, is something I feel is important in us living in our truths.”

The song is from CHAI’s forthcoming “Donuts Mind If I Do” b/w “Plastic Love” double A-side single. The second track, “Plastic Love,” will be available on all DSPs from Sub Pop on November 6th. Both songs will also be released together as a limited edition 7”, which is available to pre-order now from Bandcamp (on either orange or turquoise colored vinyl), and Sub Pop Mega Mart (on lime green vinyl). All three options will be available while supplies last. The “Donuts Mind If I Do” b/w “Plastic Love” 7” single will be available worldwide (excl. Japan and Asia) with an estimated ship date in late November.

CHAI is a revolutionary four-piece, made up of miracle twins Mana and Kana, and the impeccable rhythm section of Yuuki and Yuna. Combining their powerhouse musical prowess with “pinkish punk” sensibilities, CHAI has managed to create a huge splash in the music scene in their homeland, Japan, and abroad. Now ready to build on their infectious sound and musical accolades, CHAI is gearing up with their new label to release even more new music into the world.

Pre-order “Donuts Mind If I Do” b/w “Plastic Love”

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[Thanks to Jacob at Pitch Perfect PR.]

Alpha Hopper deliver “The Goods” with new single.

Buffalo, NY quartet Alpha Hopper announce their forthcoming third album Alpha Hex Index will be released via Portland, OR label Hex Records on November 6th, 2020. Today the band shares the first single, “The Goods” via Echoes & Dust HERE. (Direct Bandcamp.)

“A bartender, a personal trainer, a graphic designer, and an immigration attorney walk into a practice space…”

Formed in Buffalo, New York in 2014, Alpha Hopper creates a frenetic stew of guitar-driven rock’n’roll with ingredients from punk, hardcore, noise rock, and no-wave. Their 3rd LP Alpha Hex Index shows them deeper than ever down their rabbit hole. Sassy, snotty vocals punctuating the ever growing wall of catchy, bizarre riffs and prison break drum beats. Dummy math, noise-rock for art-punk drop outs.
For this album the band decided to record the effort themselves in their homes. Pandemic-related shelter in place recommendations caused some hiccups in being able to track the entire effort in a single block, and instead recording sessions were conducted in intervals when the members could safely get together and hash out their respective parts. Once they were satisfied with the mix they handed things over to engineer John Angelo (Gwar, Every Time I Die, Gas Chamber) to handle mastering duties.

Alpha Hex Index will be available on LP, CD and digital on November 20th, 2020.

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[Thanks to Dave as US / THEM Group.]

Lamps release wild new single, “Horse Cow Goat Pig Dog,” from upcoming fourth album.

Lamps, LA’s notoriously unprolific noise-merchant trio, are ready to release their spectacular fourth album called People With Faces on In The Red Records and share the first track today.

Recorded and mixed by Ty Segall at Val’s, Lamps’ first recorded output since 2012’s landmark LP Under The Water, Under The Ground finds them breaking adventurous new terrain.

Stalwarts Monty Buckles (guitar, voice, keyboards) and Josh Erkman (drums, voice) double down on Lamps’ trademark cloak of effects-laden guitars and hammering drums, and new(ish) member Denée Segall jumps into the fray with her Poly Styrene wail and monolithic bass, adding depth both sonically and lyrically. Their trademark abrasiveness is still present, but it’s burnished it into something richer, more layered. Don’t worry, it still kicks your head in.

First indication that things have changed comes in the opener, “Confirmed Frenchman.” With its serpentne rhythm and Denée’s muted vocals, it sounds kinda like The Au Pairs, if the Au Pairs listened to a lot of Throbbing Gristle. From that point onwards, People With Faces careens maniacally and majestically between alt-fantasy screamers and boot-bottom dirt-rock scummery.

“Horse Cow Goat Pig Dog” slams like a feminist peak-form Black Sabbath (if only), and “Comedian” is a jaunty, chilling serial killer rave up. “G.N.A.T.S.” updates the Lamps sound into something punishing and darkly humorous, with Erkman screaming that women’s magazines saved his life.

Worth noting is the inclusion of two covers that have been part of Lamps’ live show since Segall joined in 2015. The straightforward and sinister take on Sexual Harassment’s “I Need a Freak” is skin-crawling background music for the worst date ever. And “I Owe It to the Girls,” by Floridian proto-no-wavers Teddy & The Frat Girls, twists the raw desperation of the original into a razor-sharp militant anthem.

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[Thanks to Jo Murray.]

Dream Nails get fit and free with new single – “Jillian.”

London punks Dream Nails have been the subject of considerable excitement in the UK since they first emerged on the DIY scene. Releasing a stream of singles and an EP, they have earned high praise from places like VICE, DAZED, The Guardian, Clash, Nylon and i-D who called the band “the best all-girl punk queertet since Bikini Kill.” Noted for their strong emphasis on empowerment from a queer feminist perspective and their involvement in a host of political causes, the band’s budding reputation has seen them tour in the UK and Europe with Cherry Glazerr and Anti-Flag, and make three consecutive appearances at Glastonbury all before releasing their first LP. Today the band are announcing their debut self-titled full length, which will be released August 28th by Dine Alone (City & Colour, Alexisonfire, The Chats) in North America and UK indie Alcopop! (Art Brut, Kississippi, Tigercub) for Rest of World.

WATCH: Dream Nails – “Jillian” video on YouTube

The band have been compared to The Slits (VICE) and Elastica (The Guardian) in the past, and shades of both are present on their latest single “Jillian,” a song about queerness, body positivity and problematic TV fitness celebrity Jillian Michaels.

“This is a song about realizing you’re queer while you’re doing a workout DVD,” explains singer Janey Starling. “It’s a personal-power anthem about finding the strength to come out; that’s what the line ‘I feel the fear leaving my body’ is all about.

“Both [bassist] Mimi and I discovered strength training through Jillian Michaels’ ‘30 Day Shred’ home DVD, and the catch-phrases were too good to not make a song from! Since then, she’s said some uncool and unkind stuff to Lizzo, which we were really gutted to hear. This song is very much about finding your own strength, regardless of your body shape.”

Dream Nails self-titled LP is due out August 28th via Dine Alone and Alcopop! Pre-orders for ‘Dream Nails’ are live today and can be found HERE. Physical vinyl bundle includes a 40-page signed zine. In true punk DIY fashion, the zine is handmade by the band, featuring lyrics, articles and background to the songs on the album.

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[Thanks to Tom at Hive Mind PR.]