Following a feature from The Washington Post, the fast-ascending Priests have dropped another track from their upcoming Don Giovanni debut, Bodies and Control and Money and Power. This follows the incendiary “Right Wing” and is just as off-the-rails as its predecessor. Sharp and serrated, it’s a thrillingly jagged manifest of frustration. In other words, it’s vintage Priests. Catchy beyond reason, the refrain “you put your fingers in other people’s mouths all day” teems with as much condescension as it does ambiguous sensuality. It’s a little abrasive, a little disconcerting, a little uncomfortable, and completely thrilling. Priests have always sounded best when they sounded like they’re diving towards a collision instead of away from it and “Doctor” may be the purest distillation of that to date. At this point, it’s almost a foregone conclusion that Bodies and Control and Money and Power is going to be getting a lot of year-end press. Only two songs in and it’s already hard to argue against that. Get on board or get out of the way, this is happening.
Listen to “Doctor” below and hum it during virtually every future check-up.
Unless Tenement officially confirms a 2014 release date, the Don Giovanni LP to get most excited about definitely goes to another Heartbreaking Bravery favorite: Priests. Bodies and Control and Money and Power (due out June 3rd) will be the band’s first release for the label and they’ve already released the first taste by way of “Right Wing”. Anyone familiar with the band shouldn’t be surprised by that title, as they’re one of the more fiercely political bands on their respective circuit right now. A lot of those politics are fairly apparent in vocalist Katie Alice Greer’s commendable work as The Media‘s interviews contributor. Another thing that won’t come as a surprise to those lucky enough to already be on board with the band: “Right Wing” is an aggressive piece of post-punk minimalism.
What does come of a bit as a surprise is how clean “Right Wing” sounds. Previously, the band’s penchant for the most blown-out lo-fi recording was one of their calling cards, so to make the jump to something as immaculately produced as “Right Wing” without losing any of their reckless abandon is a considerable feat. Make no mistake, this is still very much a Priests song- it feels as dangerous and barely-stable as anything the quartet’s committed to tape, carving out the same exhilarating territory despite existing in a completely different sonic realm (not too unlike Tweens’ Frenchkiss debut). A completely fuzzed out bass helps retain some of the band’s lo-fi aesthetic and the clean guitars go to work on cutting everything apart, drums urging them both forward as Greer acts as the vessel to provide the maelstrom with some sense of direction, even when completely consumed by it. It’s thrilling, vital, and maybe even necessary. Here’s hoping the band winds up with the attention they deserve.
Hear the catchy, infectious “Right Wing” below and make sure to give Popstrangers’ first taste of their upcoming album Fortuna (due out May 27th via Carpark Records), “Country Kills“, a listen as well- it was nearly the focus of this piece but Priests haven’t been covered as extensively here. Their was also no way in hell “Right Wing” wasn’t going to get a write-up, one listen and the understanding of that should be immediate. Listen to one, listen to the other, it doesn’t matter- but really, listening to both is the best-case scenario and the one that should definitely be chosen. Make the right choice. Enjoy.
Once again, an apology is in order; due to extensive travel (more on that in a minute) a regular Sunday Watch This posting proved impossible. This 15th installment is a more low-key affair than usual. Apart from two very, very electric full sets, the emphasis falls squarely on wistful moments. From a powerpop staple to Appalachian-infused up-and-comers with a serious punk pedigree to Katie Crutchfield’s signature defiant vulnerability, open wounds wind up being this week’s focal point. As each video proves in some small way, sometimes the best way to deal with open wounds is to address them.
While Saintseneca has earned multiple mentions on this site before, they’ve never wound up in Watch This. It’s a drastic oversight and this is a necessary correction. Their run-through of “Happy Alone” for BadRacket Recording is nothing short of outstanding. Saintseneca continues to find new ways to impress and up the respective anticipation for their ANTI- debut, Dark Arc.
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2. Matthew Caws – Inside of Love (KEXP)
When Nada Surf was still in the early stages of their career they were often written off as Weezer knockoffs. Many suspected they’d be unsustainable- and then they did the miraculous- they reinvented themselves and found themselves at the forefront of powerpop. Nada Surf’s Matthew Caws plays Let Go standout “Inside of Love” for KEXP here, as a part of the 15th anniversary celebration of Barsuk Records. It’s as winning now as it ever was.
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3. Great Thunder – It Takes So Much (Live at Saint Vitus)
Katie Crutchfield has one of the most arresting voices in all of music, writes emotionally crippling lyrics, and Great Thunder just made a fucking incredible record. A live performance showcasing all of those things? What more could anyone possibly want?
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4. Hop Along (Live at Saint Vitus)
While any lineup that includes both Crutchfield twins is can’t-miss material, it’ll take something genuinely special to make an impression in the face of that. Luckily, for everyone, beloved Philadelphia act Hop Along proved more than up to the task and unARTigNYC was on hand to film all of it. While Get Disowned is (still) incredible on its own merits, the band comes into their own in a live setting. This is an impassioned 46-minute masterclass on how to do things right. Absolutely necessary viewing (and listening) material.
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5. Priests (Live at The Pinch)
There have been recent claims that seeing Priests for the first time is akin to a religious experience and the live footage that continues to surface of the band goes a long way in supporting that theory. It doesn’t seem to matter when the footage is from, either. From the get-go this band’s been channeling the brooding intensity of Swans and deftly combining it with the politics of Sleater-Kinney and the discordant aesthetics of Sonic Youth at their most fearlessly minimal. All of that is why Priests are this week’s band to know. Extra note: shout-out to vocalist Katie Alice Greer for her outstanding interview work over at Fvck the Media. Be sure to go read that- but be sure to watch this.
Heartbreaking Bravery 