As previously mentioned, the site’s been dealing with some lingering technical issues so its been difficult to get in the regularly-scheduled posts. Last week saw nothing but a premiere and a few series features go up- nothing else. To make up for all of that missed time, tonight’s posts will be dedicated to last week’s best material in the three major categories. Music videos have been accounted for and now it’s onto the single songs. In keeping with the normal routine, there was an abundance of single streams so this will be the first of two posts dedicated to their coverage. A full stream post will follow and then this week’s coverage will be brought up to speed. Before all of that happens, there are a lot of songs to discuss- starting now.
Darlings showed they could balance their power with a staggering amount of casual finesse in the basement pop stopmper “I Love You Too“, Krill offered up an extremely tantalizing preview of their forthcoming album with the ragged “Torturer“, and The Golden Dregs strutted out some psych-pop via the subtly sun-splashed (and folk-inflected) “The Role of A Lifetime”. Reservoir showed an abundance of promise with the slow-building “Waves Erase“, Leggy continued a raucous streak with the decidedly punk “Grrrls Like Us“, Leapling unveiled the deeply intriguing “Silent Stone” from their upcoming Vacant Page LP, Twerps reassured everyone their Merge signing was no mistake via the shimmering “Shoulders“, and Snow Ghosts tapped into something transcendental and impossibly compelling with their hypnotically brooding single, “Bowline“.
It’s another dark brooder that earned this post’s feature spot, though; Laughing Fingers’ “Crutches”. Restless and bleak, “Crutches” emphasizes the singular talents of Chris Broom and Ian Taggart (the duo who make up Laughing Fingers) in the best ways possible. Heavy on atmosphere without skimping on melody or structure, Laughing Fingers created something that feels akin to the smoke that hovers over a battlefield. It boasts a relentlessly cynical worldview that accepts everything is cyclical in lyric copy, it’s the uncertainty of the music that pushes the song to a grandiose disquiet. At times, it’s almost as if “Crutches” moves in slow motion, allowing everything in the outside world to unfurl or unwind as it grapples with an intense internal battle. Everything ends when it turns to chaotic to contain; even the staccato stabs can’t hide the fact that everything’s about to fall completely apart, providing an extremely disconcerting end-cap to the song’s veiled intensity. In short: Laughing Fingers are a band who aren’t afraid to make something like “Crutches”- and “Crutches” is the kind of song that deserves to be dissected. Don’t be surprised if this song (or Two EP‘s) burrows itself out a permanent place in a lot of people’s collections.
Listen to “Crutches” below and order Two EP‘s from Death Rehearsal here.
[Please refer to Vol. 59 for the introductory paragraph.]
1. Two Inch Astronaut – Cigarettes, Boys And Movies (BreakThruRadio)
One of late 2014’s real gems was Two Inch Astronaut’s current career-highlight, Foulbrood. Filled with a nervous tension and exploring curious bridges between genres, the band zeroed in on the remarkable formula set out by their thrilling debut. Sound in structure, compelling in atmosphere, and engaging live, they make for perfect candidates to places like the venerable BreakThruRadio, which recently hosted a live session for the band which found them delivering a stunning live version of the excellent “Cigarettes, Boys And Movies”.
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2. Broncho (3voor12)
Snotty punk’ed out basement poppers Broncho recently swung through Le Guess Who? festival in Utrecht. 3voor12, as ever, was on hand to capture the band tearing through a manic set of earworm-friendly numbers. Broncho, for their part, deliver their songs with a wide-eyed gusto. Legs tap rapidly up and down, hips sway unapologetically, and the band loses themselves in their music. It’s an outwardly strong performance that suggests that Broncho, even having been on the scene for a handful of years, are nowhere close to being done.
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3. Liquor Store (3voor12)
Le Guess Who? (and 3voor12) not only managed to rope in Broncho for a stellar showcase but celebrated punk act Liquor Store as well. Anyone familiar with Liquor Store knows what the video immediately below holds in store: an abundance of snarling riffs, shouted lower-register lyrics, an off-the-cuff feel, and a whole lot of deceptive slop. For years the band’s built a sound that plays directly to their strengths as both songwriters and performers. Once this band steps on the gas pedal, they never decelerate; they only know how to apply pressure.
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4. Protomartyr (Sound Opinions)
Under Official Color of Right catapulted Protomartyr into the greater public’s eye on sheer strength. One of 2014’s most fascinating records, the band filled it with restraint and a tendency to lean towards an atmosphere of disquiet. At times it’s an almost unbearably tense experience that benefits from a vice-like grip rooted in unrelenting bleakness. Somehow that combination translates to an odd brand of contained catharsis when kept to a singular listening experience. Live, the band taps into the same mood without any kind of hesitation- and they strengthen it with their physical presence. Sound Opinions catches them exactly where they should, right in the act.
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Sonic Avenues (KEXP)
One of a handful of smaller bands going who can boast a near-perfect discography, Sonic Avenues have been the deserving center of praise from quite a few genre specialists. With both an incredible reissue and an incredible new record out in 2014, it’s felt (increasingly) like the band’s just a few steps shy of exploding. Affable and energetic, they deliver one of the best sets KEXP’s hosted in some time. None of them seem to be able to contain their excitement while playing and it’s a beautiful thing to watch- so quit reading and click play.
It’s been a few days since regular non-series content’s been posted on the site so tonight’ll amend that in two installments that cover the best material to have been released over the past two days. For full streams there was The Freezing Hands’ infectiously melodic Coma Cave ’13while Cellphone‘s frenetic, lo-fi “Human Rights” clip held down the music video territory. HOLY made a splash with the fuzz-pop of “Golden Fog” and Michael Feuerstack unveiled the entrancing “Clackity Clack“. Most importantly, though, Kal Marks followed advance streams of “Zimmerman” and “It Was A Very Hard Year” with the final track from their forthcoming Just A Lonely Fart EP, “Don’t Pussy Foot With A Pussy Footer”.
With both “Zimmerman” and “It Was A Very Hard Year” reaching (and in some cases exceeding) the stratospherical heights of Life Is Murder, the band’s extraordinary 2013 full-length, “Don’t Pussy Foot With A Pussy Footer” could have fallen flat and Just A Lonely Fart still would have ranked among the year’s best EP’s. Instead, the last track to trickle out into the public from the upcoming Exploding in Sound release opts to rev the engines, showcasing Kal Marks’ penchant for wiry aggression. “Don’t Pussy Foot With A Pussy Footer” is Kal Marks at their rawest and most straightforward, allowing the band to extend their claws and sink through the skin straight to the viscera. It’s a temporary abandonment of the tension/restraint dynamic that the band thrives on, leading to a staggeringly exhilarating release that punctuates the EP at its midway point. Raucous and sprawling, this is Kal Marks operating at their finest; kicking and screaming against the walls of frustration in a bid for a sense of greater freedom. “Don’t Pussy Foot A Pussy Footer” may sound like a title ripe for something lightly comedic rather than overwhelming bleak, but even in spite of the fact that this leans towards the latter it still offers a reprieve, a surge of momentum, and pure catharsis. Embrace its spell and don’t make the mistake of missing out on this EP. Follow the link and buy it below.
Listen to “Don’t Pussy Foot With A Pussy Footer” below and pre-order Just A Lonely Fart from Kal Marks’ bandcamp.
With a few days of silence and a Watch This-less Sunday firmly in the past, today’s left with a lot of material to catch up on. Two weeks has provided a lot of great performances spread across a sizable range of styles, from full set in-studio sessions to solo acoustic takes. All but one of the bands featured in what will be the first of three Watch This installments has previously been featured on the site- with a great band from Columbus being the lone debut. It’s a lot to admire, a lot to celebrate, and a lot to analyze. So, as always, sit back, adjust the settings, focus, and Watch This.
1. Big Ups (KEXP)
Big Ups‘ Eighteen Hours of Static was one of 2014’s first great releases. All wild-eyed ferocity and unrelenting momentum, it marked the emergence of one of the more exciting young bands. While it still stands as one of the more notable records of the year, it’s since been overshadowed by the band’s incendiary live performance (it’s not a mistake that they keep showing up in this series). Here, they light up KEXP’s studios with a characteristically fiery five-song performance that should only facilitate their ascension. This is a band that fully deserves their growing recognition, don’t make the mistake of letting them slip by unnoticed.
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2. Frankie Cosmos – Embody (Radio K)
Frankie Cosmos provided one of the most lovely sets of NXNE a few months back and since then, they’ve only grown more poised. Greta Kline’s an enviably gifted and incredibly prolific songwriter with a high ceiling. Nearly every Frankie Cosmos release has been a gem and ensured the band’s continued recognition. Airy pop songs like the excellent “Embody”, which they perform here for Radio K, are perfectly crafted pieces of- to quote the song- grace and lightness. It’s a warm embrace from an old friend, providing comfort and reassurance in equal measure; simply sublime.
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3. Spit (Live at Treehaus)
Spit‘s Getting Lowwas one of the year’s quiet self-released records, exceedingly excellent but completely unheralded. Easily one of the best submissions this site’s ever received, the project’s now evolved from a solo venture to a full band endeavor- and what a band. Completely expanding on the Exploding in Sound-style tendencies that Getting Low hinted at, they’ve come out of the gate swinging with vicious intent. Spit’s only got one real show under their belt and they’re already very much a band to watch. Fuzzed out and appropriately left of center, this is a band worth greeting with high expectations- with this full live show serving as definitive proof.
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4. Day Creeper – The Way You’re Told (The Mug and Brush Sessions)
Columbus, OH has been producing incredible bands at an alarming rate for some time now, with Day Creeper situated firmly in that pack. With a live show that’s just as ferocious as their recorded output, they’re always a great candidate for a feature performance- and the band absolutely lights up The Mug and Brush Sessions’ studio.
“The Way You’re Told” also serves as a tantalizing glimpse at the band’s upcoming Central States. If the rest of the record’s as good as this performance, they’ll have a serious contender on their hands.
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5. Cloud Nothings – Now Hear In (Exclaim!)
A lot’s been made of Dylan Baldi’s vocal takes for Cloud Nothings. In most assessments, Jayson Gerycz’s drumming usually works its way into the central conversation (and rightfully so) but one thing that’s continuously evaded scrutiny is Baldi’s inventive guitar work. Stripped all the way back to a solo acoustic performance, it’s an aspect that’s allowed greater focus and opens up the impressive levels of songwriting happening in Cloud Nothings at present. Here, Baldi’s both restrained and subtly aggressive, providing a commanding performance that contributes to Cloud Nothings’ status as one of today’s most exciting bands.
Yesterday this site’s coverage was exclusively dedicated to the premiere of Mutts’ incredible “Black Ties & Diamonds“, ensuring that there’d be quite a bit of material to catch up on today. There weren’t a lot of full streams to emerge but the ones that did made it count. Among them: Cloakroom‘s incredible new 7″, Michael Rault‘s sprightly psych-pop cassingle, Cross Wires’ spiky Your History DefacedEP, and Trust Punks’ snarling post-punk ripper Discipline. Each of those are good enough to have a shot at appearing in a few year-end lists and enhance each respective artist’s profile considerably.
In single stream territory, things got relentless with no less than 11 great songs fighting their way out into the world. These included another look at Cellphone‘s upcoming Excellent Condition with the blistering “No Wind In Hell“, Quarterbacks‘ completely revitalized full-band version of Quarterboy highlight “Center“, A Place To Bury Strangers’ unrelentingly aggressive industrial post-punk bruiser “Straight“, and Seagulls’ airy left-field pop number “You & Me”. Colleen Green teased the upcoming I Want To Grow Up with a career-best in the form of “Pay Attention“, Soft Fangs revealed the quietly mesmerizing “Dead Friends“, Elvis Perkins made an unexpected return with the lightly damaged pscyh-folk of “Hogus Pogus” in advance of the upcoming I Aubade, and Leapling celebrated their teaming with Exploding in Sound via the compelling bizzaro pop of “Crooked“. American Wrestlers teased their upcoming 7″ with the driving lo-fi psych-pop of “I Can Do No Wrong“, Noveller revealed the characteristically beautiful “Into The Dunes“, and Two Gallants unleashed a preview of their upcoming We Are Undone with the vicious title track.
Music videos were just as eventful thanks to efforts like Desperate Journalist‘s strikingly minimal clip for their arresting “Control“, an absolutely gorgeous turn-in for Blonde Redhead‘s “The One I Love“, and Belle & Sebastian’s playful nostalgia in the black-and-white-turned-multicolor “The Party Line“. Elvis Depressedly celebrated their Run For Cover Records signing with the endearingly weird video for “No More Sad Songs“, Dizzee Rascal continued his unlikely hot streak with the visual medium in the supernatural-tinged kung fu revenge tale contained in “Pagans“, and Hey Elbow conducted an unnerving psychedelic visual collage experiment for “Martin“. Viet Cong created an intensely disquieting clip to serve as an accompaniment for their excellent “Continental Shelf“, TOONS went the simple-and-charming route with “Sittin’ Back“, and Angel Olsen deliver the absurdly stunning Rick Alverson-directed “Windows” (which featured startlingly gorgeous cinematography) to round things out in a manner so stunning that it very nearly earned today’s feature spot.
Enter: MOURN. The young band recently became one of Captured Tracks’ most exciting acquisition since site favorites Perfect Pussy. Immediately standing out thanks to their surprisingly young age(s), MOURN seems to have caught just about everyone off-guard thanks to the enviable strengths of their songs. None of those songs landed with as fierce of an impact as their barn-burning “Otitis”. Unfailingly bleak and deeply impassioned, “Otitis” never goes for anything but a merciless kill. All of this played into why the song was previously featured on this site in the 53rd installment of Watch This, where the song grew even sharper fangs. MOURN has been available digitally for some time and comfortably stands as one of 2014’s most exhilarating releases with “Otitis” being its definitive exclamation point. From the wiry verse progressions, to the cavalcade of sharp hooks, to the intuitive harmony work, to the intimidatingly dark chorus, “Otitis” has put MOURN firmly on the map. All of the excitement rests in watching where they go from here.
Listen to “Otitis” below and pre-order MOURN from Captured Tracks here.
A few notheworthy full-lengths emerged over the course of this week’s closing stretch. Two of the finest, Vagabon’s Persian Gardenand VVHILE’s More, barely registered as blips on most site’s radars. Both stand as a very strong testament to the increasingly powerful (and ever-expanding) DIY punk scene and are well worth quite a few listens- and quite a bit of investment. Even with both of those records absolutely stacked with noterworthy songs, Two Inch Astronaut‘s third look at Foulbrood– following the title track and “Part of Your Scene“- managed to stand out.
It’s difficult to imagine Foulbrood not being heralded as one of the year’s best records around the time of its release. A case could be made for a little over half of the songs on the record being in the ranks of the year’s finest. “Dead White Boy”, in its nearly eight minute sprawl, is one of those songs. One of the record’s most definitive songs, it brings in cues from post-hardcore, math, shoegaze, and post-punk to create something deceptively subtle and naturally hypnotic. Teeming with restless lyrics that delve into some of the uncertainties of mortality, it’s one of the band’s most successful lyrical outings as well as one of their most arresting musically.
Veering from passage to passage, “Dead White Boy” also manages to succeed in terms of narrative-worthy dynamics. Alternately visceral and beautiful, it’s a unique entry in the band’s catalog and expertly taps into a somber mood that’s entirely new for Two Inch Astronaut and a surprisingly good look for a band hell-bent on remaining unpredictable. From the gorgeous falsettos in a sea of murky chaos to the unexpectedly jarring ending to the delicate bridge, there are no false notes here- not even the ones approaching atonality. Guitars surge, vocals soar, the bass courses, and the drums are next-level (all of which is par for the course for an Exploding in Sound-approved band but taken to extremes here). Everything clicks into place to create one of Two Inch Astronaut’s most engaging tapestries to date- and this is still only a hint of what Foulbrood has to offer.
Listen to “Dead White Boy” below and pre-order Foulbrood on Two Inch Astronaut’s bandcamp.
With another week behind us (and a few milestones), it’s time to look back at some of the best live videos that surfaced during that time. Unsurprisingly, there were a fair few videos vying for contention- and, in a rare case, there were too many worthy of feature spots to contain to just one installment of this series. To that end, these are the first five entries in what will be another two-part showcase for great live footage. A few bigger names make appearances in volume 52 but, as ever, their performances are characteristically exemplary and impossible to ignore. From a few revered songwriters to the emerging acts, there’s a lot to love. So, as always, sit back, dim the lights, lean in, and Watch This.
1. Two Inch Astronaut (BreakThruRadioTV)
Foulbrood, with all of its sharp left turns and subtle nuances, has a claim as one of 2014’s best records. With the title track and “Part of Your Scene” already hinting at just how much creative muscle’s being flexed on Foulbrood, one of the only real questions was how these songs would hold up in a live setting. With their Live Studio session for BreakThruRadio they put any doubts to rest; this is a band that’s ready to leave a lasting mark.
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2. Restorations – Tiny Prayers (Little Elephant)
Restorations have been building up a steady buzz around their name over the past few months and a large part of that’s due to their powerhouse live performances. Little Elephant proves to be the perfect venue to showcase their towering, Midwest-inflected basement punk. With LP3continuing to make the rounds and live turn-ins like the one featured here, a great future for Restorations is theirs for the taking.
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3. Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds – Stagger Less (Austin City Limits)
By this point one thing should be entirely evident; there will never be enough words to do Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds proper justice. Cave’s a freakish force of nature, a preacher who’s actually made of brimstone and fire, and the band he’s assembled behind him are talented enough to match Cave’s genius (a term that’s not used lightly). PBS’ notoriously white bread Austin City Limits series recently made the commendable decision to feature Cave and his collaborative partners for their most recent episode. Understandably, they saved the (brilliantly edited) profanity-riddled Murder Ballads classic “Stagger Lee” as a web exclusive. As can be safely expected, the performance is a killer.
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4. Jenny Lewis – Slippery Slopes (KCRW)
The Voyager is one of this year’s great road trip records, Jenny Lewis’ tour-ending show at Minneapolis’ famed First Avenue was an unforgettable display of charisma and raw talent, and Lewis remains one of this generations finest songwriters. Having already established a reputation as one of the more celebrated independent songwriters, Lewis could have easily relegated the rest of her career as a victory lap after various successes with both Rilo Kiley and as a solo act. Thankfully, for everyone, Lewis isn’t one to stay still- and will always be up to the task of providing a stunning performance, like this run through “Slippery Slopes” for KCRW.
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5. Fucked Up (Exclaim!)
Fucked Up are one of the more fascinating anomalies in music, a hardcore band that pisses off purists and appeals to people that aren’t normally into harsher genres. A band that makes records tethered to ambitiously sprawling narrative arcs, usually seeped in religion and heavily influenced by epics. Literary, self-aware, and visceral, their records hit like an anvil and their live shows tend to facilitate a palpable sense of community. A few recent performances and interview snippets are featured here in the excellent Coastal Frequencies series, courtesy of Exclaim!. It’s an excellent profile of one of the most interesting bands of the past 15 years.
Time to get unnecessarily personal, starting with a number. 365. 365 days, more accurately. It’s a long time to dedicate to anything and it’s the mark that this site hits today, with it’s 365th post. It’s been an insane (and insanely rewarding year), one that’s helped define the past year of my life. I owe this place a lot and it’s given me more than I’d ever hoped for- from one of my closest friends (and patron saint of Heartbreaking Bravery) to an overwhelming amount of support from the labels I genuinely love (especially in the cases of Double Double Whammy and Exploding in Sound) as well as more than a few artists- and guaranteed that this site wouldn’t be relegated to a passing interest. The reason I own a nice camera, the reason I flew out of the country, and a whole arsenal of reasons for my decisions to continue pursuing music journalism by any means possible can all be traced directly back to this site. It’s been humbling to watch it grow (in both size and scope) and it will be fascinating to look back on this very post a year from now as its constant evolution has the potential to open several intriguing doors. Even comparing yesterday’s Halloween post to the very first thing to be published here, there are more than a few noticeable differences.
With a wide set of rules for the site now firmly in place, from the every-50 post Mixtape to the every-Sunday Watch This, this site has kept me on my toes. Gender identifiers don’t get used, ethnicity doesn’t get specified, orientation and preferences are given a deep amount of respect, and everything is treated with empathy because music’s simply that: music. It’s a universal act of artistry that I built this site to support in the best way I could see fit: by shining spotlights on the emerging artists that truly deserved the attention. Granted, their have been a few names to get written up over the year- but that’s only because they either produced something masterful or remained true to a DIY ethos.
Keeping all of that in mind, I was fortunate enough to be gifted an opportunity to celebrate this year-in-existence mark with a showcase. Everything came together at the right time and I wound up putting together the first-ever Heartbreaking Bravery Presentsshowcase, featuring three bands that had earned positive reviews from this site. Meat Wave and Geronimo! were the first two bands to sign on, as they were touring from their home town of Chicago up to New York for CMJ as a predecessor to Geronimo!’s bittersweet goodbye, then- by some weird miracle- Mumblr wound up with a free night and an open tour slot and became a late addition. A Blue Harbor, a band that started off as a solo project and then turned into a band (full disclosure: I play bass in the full band version), provided the local support. Everyone piled into a basement venue called The Powerstrip and all three touring bands played their hearts out to a rotating cast of people that exceeded 100 by some margin. After playing a quick set, I set up camp and filmed the majority of Meat Wave, Mumblr, and Geronimo!‘s sets, which can now be seen below. I’ve played a lot of shows and I’ve seen quite a few more than I’ve played- but none have meant as much as this one. So, thanks to the bands for coming out and playing this, thanks to the readers for reading, thanks to the artists and labels for caring, thanks to the writers who have expressed interest in contributing content, and thanks to literally anyone else that has even been a tangential part of making this site’s continued existence possible. I will always be in your debt and you will always have my gratitude. Thank you. Here’s to another year of growth and positive change.
Without further ado: here’s the footage from this site’s first showcase. Enjoy.
A lot has happened in the four-day leave that this site took- a leave that officially ends with this post- and there are so many things to cover. It’d be foolish to pretend that this week didn’t just belong to Sleater-Kinney, who released a career-spanning box set, a new single (that was accompanied by a lyric video), and announced their official return. As tempting as it was to take a stab at waxing poetic over everything that band and their return means, their reputation’s already been earned and a million similarly-minded sites will be doing that in the weeks to come. Instead, today’s light will be shined elsewhere and ultimately fall on the band that’s earned the most mentions on this site without ever getting the feature spot. Before Girlpool gets their well-deserved due, though, all three of the regular fields will be recapped, in the order that follows: single stream, full stream, and music video.
Legendary Wings teased their upcoming basement punk ripper Do You See with the excellent “Weather Advisory” while Kal Marks did the same for their forthcoming EP with the forward-thinking bruiser “Zimmerman“. Portastatic proved they haven’t lost a step with the surprisingly great indie pop tune “Hey Salty” and Mitski‘s lead-up campaign for Bury Me At Makeout Creek remained perfect with the entrancing “I Will“. VLMA’s “Slime” and Cellphone‘s “Bad Medusa” were both post-punk stompers good enough to snag each act a handful of new followers. Chris Weisman celebrated the completion of his long-gestating album Monet In The 90‘s by previewing the record with the quietly mesmerizing “Working On My Skateboarding“. Vacation put forth an incredible Jesus And Mary Chain cover, Dirt Dress continued their impressive evolution with “Twelve Pictures“, and Caddywhompus continued extending what have become increasingly massive creative strides with the near-perfect “Entitled“. Davila 666 unveiled the tantalizing “Primero Muertas” in advance of their upcoming record, Pocos Años, Muchos Daños, just as Parts & Labor offered a glimpse at their upcoming record, Receivers, with the outstanding “Nowehre’s Nigh“. Art Is Hard’s Pizza Club series entered its final stretch with Broadbay’s newest noise-punk excursion “Plasticine Dream“, Primitive Parts made a rousing case for being a band to watch out for with “The Bench“, and Wildhoney became the latest act on the stacked Deranged roster to start breaking through on the strength of their towering shoegaze number “Fall In“. Circulatory System turned a few heads with the noise-damaged psych-pop of “It Never Made A Sound” and site favorites Saintseneca released a lovely Lucinda Williams cover. To round things out in the more ambient-leaning fields, there was a stunner from James Blake and a gentle new piece from The Greatest Hoax that easily swam its way into the realms of the sublime.
As for full streams, most of the talk in regards to this week will be dominated by the year-end-bound RTJ2, which is to be fully expected when a sophomore effort absolutely topples its heavily acclaimed predecessor- but don’t let that distract from a slew of other investment-worthy releases. Lace Curtains’ A Signed Piece of Paperalso managed to exceed the record it follows in terms of artistic merit- which is a trait that it shares with The Twilight Sad’s Nobody Wants To Be Here And Nobody Wants To Leave. The Unicorns’ Nick Thorburn made his uniquely charming score for the SERIAL podcastavailable via bandcamp and Fleeting Youth Records made their essential 33-track Blooming (A Fuzz-Fucked Compilation) mixtape (which more than lives up to its name) available for streaming via soundcloud. French For Rabbits premiered their arresting folk-inflected Spiritsover at Stereogum while NPR’s First Listen series hosted the premiere of Medicine‘s extraordinary Home Everywhere. The Omecs crafted a winsome throwback punk record which they’re now streaming on their bandcamp. Another record to be released via bandcamp, spit’s Getting Low, came dangerously close to being today’s feature by virtue of being a masterful work from an extremely promising songwriter (John Romano) that expertly straddles a curious line between Exploding in Sound and Orchid Tapes. Easily one of this month’s most fascinating records, it’s currently available over at bandcamp for a generous name-your-price fee. Don’t hesitate; this is music worth being in a wide array of collections.
In the music video category, Hurry had a blast with their clever clip for “Oh Whitney“, Dilly Dally got shrouded in smoke for “Candy Mountain“, and S gave the Tacocat bassist some peace of mind in the video for “Vampires“. Ought danced their hearts out in “New Calm, Pt. 2“, Thurston Moore conducted a nightmarish clip for “Speak to the Wild” (Los Angeles Police Department’s woodland excursion for “Enough Is Enough” was far less menacing), and Split Single inverted normalcy with their positioning for “Monolith“. Broken Water set things up with no shortage of caution in “Love and Poverty“, The Coathangers cheekily provided what’s ostensibly both a puppet-centric video and a left-field visual tour diary in “Drive“, and Beverly cemented their beautiful stylistic approach to the music video format with “Yale’s Life“. DTCV mined a bevvy of filmic influences and utilized them to perfection for “Electrostatic, Inc.” while Public Access TV took a similar route for “In The Mirror“. Allo Darlin’ kept things amusingly (and effectively) simple for “Bright Eyes“, Nano Kino set the airy “New Love” to a hypnotic visual collage, and Mannequin Pussy remained as energetic and unapologetic as ever with their lo-fi production for “My Baby (Axe Nice)“.
Now, that’s a lot of material to go through for just about anyone but none of those items hit with as hard of an impact as Girlpool‘s absolutely devastating animated video for “Plants and Worms”. From this video alone, it’s shockingly easy to see why such a huge subset of journalists and musicians have latched onto Girlpool so fiercely; their world-weariness, entirely relatable socio-political commentary, and compositional skills all suggest both an age and stage of career that’s vastly accelerated from the actuality of their current positions. The duo, Cleo Tucker and Harmony Tividad (17 & 18 years of age, respectively), are moving at an accelerated pace- release follows release, idea follows idea, and there’s barely any time for an active listener to breathe. Impressively, all of those pieces carry their own distinct identity and they’re frequently accompanied by weighty topics that most songwriters experience an immense struggle to present without tipping into the cloying or cliché. It can be hard to resist the temptation of excess when dealing with important messages and this is where Girlpool excels; not only are their thoughts presented articulately- they’re presented in a manner that’s plaintive enough to be devoid of any easy derision. There’s a deep-rooted humanism and empathy that’s present in their work which is something that will always be admirable- and in their deceptively minimal compositions, the music carries the burden of the weight of those topics to a degree that seems to mirror the band’s inherent level of mutual support.
For “Plants and Worms” they wound up pairing with illustrator Catleya Sherbow, whose art here also acts as a double for Girlpool’s processes. In the Rookie premiere of “Plants and Worms”, Tucker and Tividad give an interview that lends some insight to their history, ideals, and intentions, while revealing that “Plants and Worms” is about accepting the world and how much it has to offer once fear and trepidation is reduced to the point of near-elimination. Neither get any more specific than that- but they don’t need to because the illustration makes a variety of specific instances of everyday fear entirely evident: body image issues, self-image, depression, loneliness, and self-destruction. In Sherbow’s illustrations, everything’s presented as it would be in a children’s book; there’s a soft quality that undercuts the severity of the video’s implications providing a thoughtful contrast that suggests the darkest aspects of the song are universal- but also definitively states that they can be overcome. It’s a crushingly powerful video that becomes impossible to shake after one watch and positions Girlpool in the unlikely position of being a young duo who could (reasonably) become two of this generation’s sharpest social commentators. “Plants and Worms” is likely just the beginning- and it’s already too important to miss.
Watch “Plants and Worms” below and pre-order Girlpool (the EP which “Plants and Worms” is taken from) from Wichita here.
Today Watch This enjoys it’s 50th installment. There have been 245 videos or small playlists featuring great performances up to this point. In celebration of this, today’s entry into the series will take a route that the feature’s only explored twicebefore and revolve around videos that were self-shot. It’s been three months since parting ways with the handheld camera that was responsible for all of the earliest footage in the Heartbreaking Bravery archives. Over that time, a lot of songs have been filmed by a lot of great bands. All of the videos in today’s installment have never been featured anywhere else. Additionally, with this being a more personal endeavor, the restrictions on first-person narrative will be temporarily lifted. Now, with all of that said: sit back, turn the volume up, and Watch This.
1. Mitski (Live at Beat Kitchen)
I’ve made no qualms about my love for Mitski and her upcoming record Bury Me At Makeout Creek but seeing her live set added a new depth to that appreciation. Backed by half of LVL UP, Mitski’s songs were transformed into a force that was as beautiful as it was ragged. Having spent part of the day with Mitski prior to her set, she revealed a gentle nature that helped inform her music to a greater extent- rendering the moments where she strips her emotions raw all the more cathartic. In this set the songs featured are “Townie“, “First Love / Late Spring”, and “Drunk Walk Home”.
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2. Space Raft – Venus In Transit (Live at Crunchy Frog)
One of the best small band bills that Wisconsin’s seen this year was made up exclusively of in-state acts when Space Raft headlined Green Bay’s Crunchy Frog in mid-August. After incredible sets from the likes of The Midwestern Charm, Beach Patrol, and Midnight Reruns, Space Raft offered up a set that firmly cemented their reputation as one of Wisconsin’s most dynamic (live) bands. Here, they take a flawless run through “Venus In Transit“, a highlight from their rightfully acclaimed self-titled debut.
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3. Geronimo! – Spitting in the Ocean (Live at The Powerstrip)
Last night, Heartbreaking Bravery presented a basement show in Stevens Point that featured three bands which I’d previously written about within the confines of the site. Geronimo! played last and delivered a blistering set that made their imminent departure all the more bittersweet. Having spent the better part of this year casually fawning to anyone who’ll listen about the band’s extraordinary Cheap Trick, being able to provide a visible platform for both the band and that record was nothing short of an honor. In this clip, the band tears through a particularly vicious version of one of 2014’s best songs, “Spitting in the Ocean“.
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4. Pile – Special Snowflakes (Live at The Burlington Bar)
Another highlight from 2014, Pile’s “Special Snowflakes“, became an emphatic moment of reckoning when the band laid it to waste at The Burlington Bar towards the start of this month. Only one of a very small handful of live songs this year to give me violent chills, it also became the turning point that turned Pile’s set from a strong showcase into an unforgettable event. With the lighting appropriately dim, all it took was “Special Snowflakes” to temporarily transform The Burlington Bar into the river Styx.
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5. LVL UP (Live at Beat Kitchen)
At this point, LVL UP, Double Double Whammy (a label half of LVL UP founded and still runs), and Exploding in Sound may very well be responsible for earning the most words from this site over the past few months. Both labels had a hand in releasing Hoodwink’d, which easily stands out as one of the year’s best records. It was a record I formed a fierce connection with in a terrifyingly immediate manner. Taking all of that into account, my expectations for their live set at Chicago’s Beat Kitchen were high- likely unreasonably high. Any doubts that I had over whether or not they’d live up to those expectations- not to mention that connection- were assuaged before their first song drew to a close. By the end of their set, they’d solidified their status as one of my absolute favorite bands- which is why they’re closing out this set of videos. Contained in these videos are performances of “Annie’s A Witch“, “I Feel Ok“, “Hex“, “Roman Candle“, “Alabama West“, “Black Mass“, and “ELIXR (19)“.
It’s also worth noting that LVL UP recently ran into some van issues that have temporarily derailed their tour- to help combat this and set things right, they’re offering Hoodwink’d as a pay-what-you-want deal on their bandcamp in an effort to help secure the necessary funding to get everything back up and running. Site favorites Big Ups are doing the same with their Flagland split and putting all of the donations towards the repairs as well (Big Ups and LVL UP will be joining up for a tour when everything’s fixed). Donate whatever’s possible to help a great band made up of great people- and get a lot of great music in return. After all that’s said and done, go ahead and come back to Watch This.
Heartbreaking Bravery 