Heartbreaking Bravery

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Tag: Off the Record

August 24, 2014

Watch This: Vol. 41

The Watch This series, up to this point, has mostly placed the overall focus on videos that just feature a band performing. For the 41th installment, that rule gets slightly modified. With the exception of a typically astounding performance from Noun (Screaming Females’ Marissa Paternoster’s extraordinarily consistent solo project), every video to earn a feature spot in this volume features a brief interview with the band playing music. In the case of the videos that bookend this week’s Watch This, the result is incredibly endearing- while the rest manage to be moderately informative without stripping away a sense of playfulness. More importantly though, the performances included below are uniformly outstanding and deserved to be spotlighted. With that said, it was a very difficult class of videos to select from, thanks to the abundance of great performances that surfaced from artists like Unicycle Loves You, Cousins, Bahamas, Jenny Lewis, Hollow Boys, Cheap Girls, and St. Vincent. So, as always, pour a drink, grab a seat, adjust the contrast, turn up the volume, and Watch This.

1. White Lung, ft. Katie Crutchfield – Dead Star (Noisey)

In what seems like a gift tailor-made for this series, White Lung’s Mish Way and Waxahatchee’s Katie Crutchfield teamed up together for a pair of acoustic performances. Crutchfield holds down guitar and melody duty on this stripped-down take of White Lung’s excellent “Wrong Star”. Before the performance, the two share a few words and a palpable connection, subtly setting the stage for how complementary their musical abilities wind up being. Unsurprisingly, this is a gem of a performance that reaffirms both artist’s deserved status.

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2. White Reaper (Consequence of Sound)

Delivering a fiercely committed performance, White Reaper gives Consequence of Sound (and everyone else) a startling reminder of the strength of their debut EP. Here, they hold nothing back and just go full-throttle, emphasizing the kind of spastic energy that’s frequently a hallmark of the most entertaining live bands. In the short-form interview, the band discusses the meaning behind both “Half Bad” and “Oh Yeah”, giving a direct line of insight for their work- an increasing rarity. Starting and ending with two memorable performances, this is a can’t-miss video.

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3. Noun – You and Mr. Rogers (Don Giovanni)

Screaming Females’ Marissa Paternoster’s solo project, Noun, should be every bit as prominent as her main vehicle. After releasing an incredible 7″ and what’s one of the decade’s finest LP’s, Holy Hell, Paternoster understandably refocused on Screaming Females. Lately, though, she’s been playing solo shows with greater frequency and quietly unveiling new material. Here, Don Giovanni captures Paternoster delivering a gripping take on a song called “You and Mr. Rogers” that showcases her raw talent. It’s genuinely stunning, offering up a more fully-formed portrait of Paternoster’s quieter side. All of the applause at the end of the clip is absolutely warranted.

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4. Mannequin Pussy (BreakThruRadio)

Mannequin Pussy’s Kiss Me Tender EP was a beast of a release that was highlighted by the unrelentingly fierce “Kiss“, which also headlines their recent session for BreakThruRadio’s excellent Serious Business series. In the video, there’s the standard irreverent interview portion that is intercut with some blistering live footage of one of today’s more exciting new on-the-rise bands (it’s worth noting their first demos were released back in 2011). “My Baby (Axe Nice)” and “Anything” also get featured here, cementing Mannequin Pussy as another live act that’s not worth missing.

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5. Waxahatchee, ft. Mish Way – Coast to Coast (Noisey)

Returning to the collaboration of Katie Crutchfield and Mish Way, the pair reverse the featured project- this time delivering an arresting performance of Waxahatchee’s “Coast to Coast”. Way’s melody lines float along effortlessly, providing a welcome layer to an all-acoustic take of what was easily one of last year’s finest songs. Even though Cerulean Salt only came out last year (as did Groovy Kind of Love), this performance alone is enough to reignite excitement for whatever Crutchfield has in store next.

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December 15, 2013

Watch This: Vol. 4

As the year winds down it can be fun to look back. Especially for places like this that only came into existence recently and didn’t have the chance to share some noteworthy items due to their time-sensitive nature. That’s to say; today’s Watch This is going to differ a little from the first three. This round will be focused on and dedicated to some really impressive solo performances that happened in 2013. From Katie Crutchfield to Amos Pitsch, this Sunday round-up features some of this site’s favorite songwriting talents. Take some time out this Sunday to relax and review some of the year’s best moments.

1. Waxahatchee (NPR Tiny Desk Session)

There haven’t been very many things in recent memory that have been satisfying to watch progress as the ascension of the Crutchfield’s. Arguably, it was Katie’s Waxahatchee project that gave them their biggest early push towards their current notoriety. This session, courtesy of NPR, feels a little bit like validation. Then again, it’s hard to feel anything that doesn’t directly correlate with what Katie pours into these songs. One of the most arresting songwriters of our generation.


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2. Tenement – Hard to Say (Live at Nicey’s)

How Heartbreaking Bravery feels about this band is no secret (seriously, best band in existence, 2014 can’t get hear fast enough) so anytime something like this happens it’s worth featuring. The “this” in question being a solo set from frontman Amos Pitsch, an endlessly gifted and absurdly talented songwriter/all-around musician.  This video finds Pitsch playing this Blind Wink standout at an after-show that, incidentally, also featured Waxahatchee. Both artists deserve all the acclaim that’s sure to follow them.


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3. Mikal Cronin – Don’t Let Me Go (Off the Record Session)

Mikal Cronin’s MCII absolutely dominated this summer- and for good reason. Nearly every track on his recent masterpiece evoked very specific feelings that felt most appropriate in a summer setting. One of MCII‘s most stunning moments was also one of the collection’s most vulnerable; the bare-bones “Don’t Let Me Go.” Here, given a live hue, the song becomes an even more personal (and gorgeous) paean to quietly determined resolve.


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4. Noun – Misery (Live at Golden Tea House)

Screaming Females have been riding a wave of deserved success following last year’s astonishing Ugly, which would account for much of why Paternoster’s solo project has been a little more quiet than usual. While Noun certainly has been a less productive cabinet for Paternoster recently, it’s something deserving of just as much attention as her main vehicle. No new material has been released since Noun’s inspired Holy Hell LP, apart from a very limited reissue of the massive Forgotten Grin tape. Luckily for everyone, Don Giovanni Records was on hand to film a Noun set last month and footage surfaced yesterday of a new song called “Misery”, providing room for hope that Noun’s not quite done yet.


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5. Cloud Nothings – Psychic Trauma (They Shoot Music)

There are very few 2014 LP’s that will be more heavily anticipated than Cloud Nothings’ purportedly noisier, weirder, and more atonal follow-up to their 2011 best-of-decade contender Attack On Memory. Dylan Baldi & co. haven’t allowed much insight to this new record, apart from a few surprise showings at festivals and a mysterious teaser. Oh, there was also the time Baldi showed up to deliver an extraordinarily promising solo acoustic performance of the record’s likely lead-off single, tentatively titled “Pyschic Trauma”. Between this and the two upcoming Tenement collections alone, 2014 should be one hell of a year for music.


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