The first building I stepped foot inside of after moving to Brooklyn in June was David Blaine’s The Steakhouse (DBTS for short). Montana and the Marvelles were wrapping up a practice and it took less than a minute for things to start coming across as familial. It was a sense that continuously expanded as time passed, making it incredibly clear that it was a venue that helped foster a tight-knit community of like-minded people. It’s in that spirit that the DBTS: BS compilation series was created.
DBTS: BS1, the first entry into the series, was a collection of demos, outcasts from a variety of notable projects all connected to the DBTS family in one way or another. It was an intriguing project that helped kick off would what prove to be a remarkably successful year for the residents of DBTS and their wide-reaching network of ridiculously talented friends.
Now, just ten months after the debut compilation, they’re issuing a sequel, DBTS: BS2. All of these songs are either sourced from idling projects, covers, castoffs that would otherwise be bound for homelessness, or early stage demos. Members of LVL UP, Downies, Slight, Porches., Painted Zeros, Glueboy, Bethlehem Steel, and Big Ups all contribute material through either their main vehicle, a side project, or as a solo or collaborative effort.
It’s an impressive effort from a collective that keeps spreading outward and gaining momentum without ever losing sight of a steadfast commitment to a DIY ethos. So, with all of that in mind, it’s with honor and admiration that I present the premiere of DBTS: BS2, the latest step forward for the makeshift family that’s given me a place that’s easy to consider as a home.
Initially, this was going to be a name-your-price ordeal for a limited time with all proceeds going towards funds to their neighbors at The Silent Barn, who are still running repairs after the venue caught fire several weeks ago. However, the presence of covers on the compilation prompted justified concerns over legal matters. Even with that being the case, The Silent Barn could still use as much help as they get, so if this is a compilation you find yourself enjoying, please consider showing your appreciation in the form of a donation to aid their recovery.
Stream DBTS: BS2 below and watch a collection of live footage from DBTS shot over the summer beneath the embed.
Over the course of the past year, there have been several hints dropped that this site would begin to integrate more film coverage into it’s regular day-to-day presentation of current releases in music. While film coverage will see an expanded role in the coming months, a music-oriented film premiere seemed to be the perfect place to set that slight change into motion. So, thanks to a generous offer from the excessively talented Nina Corcoran, I collected myself and dove into the heart of the New York Film Festival for the premiere of Paul Thomas Anderson’s Junun.
In the film world’s equivalent of a surprise release, many were taken aback when the project was unveiled a few months ago. For a director that previously averaged roughly four years between feature projects, the two year turnaround from The Master to Inherent Vice was deeply impressive. In tacking a third film onto that production rate just a year later, the director was nearing the realm of the miraculous. However, while Junjun‘s certainly bold, it’s very nature eschews the majority of what comprises Anderson’s fictional narratives- including an actual narrative.
The film itself runs for 54 minutes, in which Anderson presents a loving document of the recording sessions for a collaborative album featuring the considerable talents of Jonny Greenwood (the Radiohead guitarist and Anderson’s recently established go-to choice for score work) and noted Israeli composer Shye Ben Tzur. The duo travels to Rajasthan, India and pairs with a formidable collective of musicians who have dubbed themselves the Rajasthan Express.
Viewers are offered very little in the way of context or introduction (apart from a scene-setting title card), as the film immediately dives into a long, unedited take of the musicians committing sounds to record. Filmed from the center of the circle the musicians form, the camera continuously, deliberately swivels and occasionally falters in its motions, betraying the film’s limited resources (the film’s extremely small crew ran into customs issues with the equipment) while adding a surprising amount of depth and character.
After that initial sequence establishes the film’s tone, the ensuing footage offers up a snapshot of a process that serves as a (possibly unwitting) vessel for some much larger thematic subtext, most importantly the seamless merging of vastly different cultures. Junun takes great care in allowing this element of the film to thrive, occasionally offering vibrant (and fairly brief) asides that touch on the musicians’ daily struggles outside of their makeshift Mehrangarh Fort studio; “No shower. No toilet. Full power.” becomes one of the film’s most memorable rallying cries.
In weaving in and out of the studio, Anderson’s able to provide a palpable sense of place that heightens the organic feel of the recording process, which is sidetracked multiple times by a shortage of electricity (a recurring difficulty that provides Junun with some of its most human- and humorous- moments). It also provides a slight contextual illustration of the larger environment that housed the recording, an element that manifests in the music- which is strong enough to spark a near-religious experience. All of those thematic undercurrents collide in the film’s standout sequence, which makes expert use of Nigel Godrich’s drone and produces some startling aerial footage of rooftop bird-feeding, all while a memorably serene, guitar-driven piece elevates the film’s most atmospheric moment.
Several times throughout the course of Junjun, the compositions are framed in a way that manages to both be technically refined and relatively unobtrusive, relegating both filmmaker and viewer to what essentially amounts to an awed bystander. It’s an effect that’s utilized to maximum potential in the scenes where Anderson (or the select few other DP’s) are separated into exterior/interior positions, allowing for a fuller scope of the proceedings. In that separation, Anderson manages to find yet another complementary angle that effectively renders him another part of the artistic equation.
By the time the film’s wrapped, all of the key players have been granted their long-awaited introductions in closing slides and– true to the film– none of them were given a more significant slot than any of their collaborators. In underscoring the film’s thesis sequence, once again providing a setting where everyone’s on equal footing, Junun injected its closure with both gravity and elegance, allowing Anderson a full capitalization on an admirable statement.
After the film’s screening, Anderson sat down with Kent Jones– the director of the festival– and shared a deep appreciation for the 1960 classic Jazz On A Summer’s Day, a film which similarly eschewed traditional narrative in favor of an approach more suited to a diarist. In sharing anecdotes about the film’s process and on-the-fly evolution, Anderson was able to paint a compelling portrait of a project characterized by determination and a DIY ethos- which tends to be the art that’s most worthy of praise.
Watch a 2014 performance of “Alchemy” below and catch the film on MUBI, where it will be premiering online at 3 AM EST.
Back in March, Strange Relations quietly released the excellent -CENTRISM, a collection of songs teeming with a variety of great influences (indie pop, post-punk, new wave, no wave, hardcore, etc.). It’s an album that deserved greater circulation than it initially received- but, like all great bands that have the tenacity to reach wider platforms- they’re staunchly refusing to be dissuaded by something as trivial as small reception. I’m honored to be hosting the premiere of the music video for the shortest, sharpest, and fiercest song on -CENTRISM, “Panther’s Conquest”.
On -CENTRISM the song feels even more vicious than it does as a standalone piece, thanks to the sequencing choice to have it follow the record’s most gentle moment. Freed of sequential boundaries, the Lewis Wilcox-directed clip is allowed both a freedom and a fierceness that feels intrinsically tied to the spirit of the song. Utilizing striking visuals, great framing, brilliant editing, and a strong turn from Isabel Hendrix in the video’s central role, it plays on an unnerving sense of pulp to great effect.
Intercutting performance footage, cleverly placed snippets of lyrics, an empty, foreboding chair in a parking garage, a photoshoot, and more, “Panther’s Conquest” ultimately comes off as an exploration of personal identity, rendering it an accurate presentation of one of -CENTRISM‘s largest overarching narrative themes. As everything rapidly builds to what feels like may be a horrifying climax, the clip subverts expectations and ends with a different kind of powerful statement. It’s an elegant and graceful punctuation mark that makes the sentiments preceding it even more intriguing. Provocative, thoughtful, and full of beautiful neo-noir touches, it’s not a video to be missed.
Watch “Panter’s Conquest” below and order -CENTRISM here.
Over the course of the year, this site has done its best to pull Ben Seretan‘s work into focus. From an astounding self-titled effort to a melancholic short film, the material Seretan’s provided has been as fascinating as it has been compelling. Seretan’s had a knack for collaborations and the group he’s wrangled for this effort- a tape entitled Yellow Roses– (which is officially being released under the moniker Ben Seretan Group) is loaded with talent.
A month ago, Seretan gave the world a glimpse at Yellow Roses via a video of one of the extensive live sessions that went into its creation. Yellow Roses immediately stands out as one of 2015’s more niche releases, essentially a half an hour riff on deviations of the same song split into an A-side and a B-side for the cassette release. Coyly named “Take 2” and “Take 3”, the whole experience is easy to lose yourself in while it washes over everything.
Seretan’s shown a gift for tapping into music that manages to sustain a meditative sensibility before and the key phrase the release hinges on, “Yellow Roses”, once again feels like a do-or-die mantra. There’s a certain exhilarating desperation that the song evokes, providing it an intriguing sense of urgency on both sides, even as they approach 15-20 minutes in length. “Take 3”, the tape’s B-side, has a particularly tall order to film, registering as the back half of one larger connected experiment.
A song that could have easily been consumed by the weight manages to thrive by continuously subverting expectations, blooming into something that thrives on difficult circumstance. By continuously establishing new nuances, Seretan (and co.) have created something that’s both entirely unexpected and completely welcome. Hell, it may even prove to be unforgettable. Whatever it is, it’s certainly not worth missing. Just hit play and drift off to wherever your mind takes you.
Listen to the premiere of “Take 3” below and pre-order Yellow Roses from Death Rehearsal here.
While the lion’s share of attention for new music video releases will (deservedly) go to Kendrick Lamar’s earth-stopping video for “Alright“, videos worth your attention are still creeping in around the corners. “Alright” will be written about and praised on nearly every major musical platform, which is both a blessing and a curse. It’s artistry is undeniable but it can also make it hard for other worthy new releases to gain even a shred of attention.
One of those new clips that deserves a brighter spotlight comes courtesy of site favorites Big Air, who graciously allowed this site to premiere “Cemetery With A View” back when this place was still in fledgling mode. Now, the recently-relocated band is allowing another premiere, this time for their “Barking Dogs” music video. One of many highlights from the band’s exhilarating debut EP, Buds, the track itself is a succinct demonstration of what Big Air do best: craft hook-heavy basement pop that clothes itself in basement punk trappings.
The video separates itself from other similar clips with one crucial distinction: it was never intended to be the official music video. Created by a group of kids as a part of a summer film camp project, it conveys the group’s passion and enthusiasm for the project with a startling effortlessness. A DIY ethos permeates every facet of the clip, including its central narrative: a group of kids quite literally forming their own band, right down to their duct-taped cardboard instruments. The performances are all committed and the whole thing, understandably, carries a very youthful energy. Escapism is rarely this joyous.
Watch “Barking Dogs” below and keep an eye on this site for more updates on the band and their forthcoming releases.
Back towards the beginning of the year, this site ran a slightly overdue feature on Ben Seretan’s exquisite self-titled record. With Ben Seretan‘s breathtaking scope and sprawling ambition, it wouldn’t have been much of a surprise if the songwriter had taken a hiatus. Instead, Seretan’s subverted expectations and teamed up with Seattle musician Jesse Hughey for an official collaborative release. The two had previously met at a show in Alaska where they performed their songs on a flooded golf course while those in attendance danced on overlaying sheets of plastic. Afterwards, they kept in touch and began forming what would become “Ice Melting in the Back of a Pickup Truck” by passing demos to each other via email.
To add a sense of place to the proceedings, Seretan began editing both his footage and Nico Hadley’s footage together from a 2014-15 tour. The final result feels less like a music video and more like a short film, especially when taking the 19 minute run-time into account. Every frame comes across as considered, intending to evoke a sense of wonderment at the melancholic landscape that likely served as a strong inspirational factor for this collaboration. There’s no real narrative through line to speak of other than an tantalizing, subdued sense of exploration yet the imagery still manages to feel deeply intuitive. Even when the focus shifts from bleary landscapes to more vibrant scenery, it never loses its meditative pacing. Paired with the track itself, a smoldering ambient piece that continuously unfurls into appropriately cinematic places. It’s a hypnotic, expressive, and strangely moving piece of filmmaking that may make you wind up pining for a very certain kind of day.
Watch Ice Melting in the Back of a Pickup Truck below.
Back in September, the newly-relocated Young Jesus teased their forthcoming record with a punchy tune called “G”, which earned quite a few kind words from this site. It was a riveting look at what the band had in store after their last full-length, which is one of the finest records to have come out of the upper Midwest in the last several years (and a record I have no problem calling a masterpiece). Home was Young Jesus’ first major statement and it wound up doubling as a victory lap for their time in Chicago. Now based in Los Angeles, the band’s fine-tuned their sound and there’s a staggering maturity that’s present in Grow/Decompose, which is due out May 13 via Hellhole Supermarket. A few days ago, the band uncovered a little more of Grow/Decompose by unveiling the record’s opening track, a fragile acoustic-driven number that builds in intensity entitled “E.M.P.“. It’s a telling glimpse at what will undoubtedly stand as one of this year’s many great releases.
Today, it’s my honor to present the album teaser for Grow/Decompose, which stays in keeping with the band’s DIY ethos while simultaneously emphasizing their growing ambitions. Set to the melancholic instrumental “Father Son”, the teaser was animated and shot by guitarist/vocalist John Rossiter, whose unique artistic vision is on full display. As calming landscapes and swirls of colors fly by, a message begins to appear: WE ALL DISSOLVE TO THICKER DIRT THAN WE HAVE EVER KNOWN AND IN THE DIRT THERE GROWS A VINE GOD LABELED HOLY GHOST. It’s an arresting message that comes with a twinge of a more foreboding nature as “Father Son” begins to dissolve into an increasingly atonal warning. Mesmerizing, surreal, and deeply intriguing, the teaser’s a fine match for the record it’s promoting. Unyielding in its artistry and set in its convictions, it’s everything that makes Young Jesus one of the most exciting bands out there- and it’s just part of what will make Grow/Decompose a record that will be remembered fondly for years to come.
Watch the teaser for Grow/Decompose below and keep an eye on this site for more updates on the record.
Chicago trio Mutts have been steadily building a deeply impressive resume for over five years. Each time the band steps up to the plate, they improve on their previous best- leaving 2013’s extraordinary (acoustic-based) Object Permanenceas their current high-water mark. As unlikely as it seems considering Object Permanence‘s unfailing grace, the record they’re about to release- Fuel Yer Delusion vol. 4– may surpass it to take up the mantle of career-best. “Everyone Is Everyone” kicked off the pre-release roll-out for Fuel Yer Delusion vol. 4in exhilarating fashion with bandleader Mike Maimone passionately dismantling the politics of negative slurs- a stance that takes on a much more personal meaning considering Maimone spent the last few records grappling with the anxieties and emotional releases that accompanied his decision to come out.
“Black Ties & Diamonds” may not be as fiery as its predecessor but it’s just as- if not more- immediately gripping. Easily the band’s most atmospheric moment to date, “Black Ties & Diamonds” is as fire-and-brimstone as it is smoky haze, a classically noir-ish retreat down a murky riverbank. It’s an entirely new look for Mutts and one that suits them so naturally that it’s easy to forget their standard mode is blistering blues-infused noise-punk. As always, Maimone’s lyrics and keyboard work are just as sharp as Mutts’ rhythm section (which is made up of drummer Chris Pagnani and bassist Bob Buckstaff, respectively)- adding to their easily posited claim as one of the tightest units in the upper Midwest.
In lyric copy, “Black Ties & Diamonds” becomes a total deconstruction of a myriad of events, eventually revealing itself as a collection of vignettes that illustrate the trials of life’s overwhelmingly mundane nature. There’s a melancholic nature permeating throughout the track, accentuated by organ stabs, mood-heavy drumming, and frighteningly intuitive bass work. Musically, this veers far closer to the realms of Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds than the usually inevitable Tom Waits comparison the band’s so frequently earned in the past. It’s a complete anomaly in the band’s catalog; a minor headphones track in a sea of turned-to-11 explosives.
Production-wise, “Black Ties & Diamonds is the best Mutts have ever sounded electric- something that holds true for the rest of Fuel Yer Delusion vol. 4. This is a record that’s layered, sequenced, and mastered to perfection, with “Black Ties & Diamonds” standing out as the definitive track. Mutts aren’t done experimenting, moving forward, challenging themselves, or progressing. Not by a damn sight. “Black Ties & Diamonds” cements this as inexorable proof in stunning fashion, playing directly into the commendable ethics of one of America’s hardest-working bands. Don’t be too surprised to see their name starting to fight its way into regular conversation- and don’t make the mistake of ignoring something as subtly haunting as “Black Ties & Diamonds”.
Mutts will be throwing an LP release party for Fuel Yer Delusion vol. 4 which will be presented by Gapers Block and feature additional performances from Archie Powell & the Exports, The Kickback, and Pop Goes The Evil. This will take place on December 6 at The Metro. 8 pm. $12 at the door and $8 in advance. Don’t make the mistake of missing this one.
Stream “Black Ties & Diamonds” below and make sure to pick up Fuel Yer Delusion vol. 4 as soon as possible.
Another day down, another great batch of streams and videos to show for it. First off: a full record stream from The Growlers, who have a career-best on their hands with Chinese Fountain. Representing the music video side of things, there was YAWN’s fascinating video for “Flytrap” and then a whole host of great single song streams. New Orleans duo Caddywhompus started to gain some attention on the back of “Stuck“, Glish made a deep impression with their towering “Pretty Car“, and Radical Dads carved out a place for themselves with the jumpy “In the Water“. Sonic Avenues’ second exclusive track for the deluxe version of their classic self-titled surfaced, as did great brand-new songs from FF, Doe, and Allo Darlin‘. However, despite all those great candidates for a feature, there was one thing that kept creeping back up; Allah-Las music video for “Follow You Down”.
From the immediate outset, it becomes apparent that “Follow You Down” isn’t going to be overtly conventional. Mixing the band’s trademark 60’s garage-grit revivalism with a quasi-Western, the video coaxes as much intrigue out of that contrast as possible. With both mediums emphasizing the lo-fi (and the low-key) aspects of the band’s presentation, things in the Sasha Eisenman-directed clip get fairly ridiculous pretty quickly- but that doesn’t stop it from being compelling or losing any momentum. The actual story in the video’s a fairly straightforward narrative that plays out, in full accordance with their chosen style, like a great Western- right down to the quietly tragic/humorous ending. “Follow You Down” on its own was a fun rock n’ soul-tinged throwback but the video manages to give it new life. All in all, it’s an absolute blast and goes quite a ways in proving that sometimes the best videos come out of a band letting their guard down and allowing themselves to have fun.
Watch “Follow You Down” below and order the just-released Worship the Sun (which “Follow You Down” is taken off of) over at Allah-Las’ bandcamp.
It’s been an absolutely monstrous week for great new music and we’re not even halfway through it. First and foremost, it should be noted that Stereogum is now streaming LVL UP’s Hoodwink’d in full (this site’s current front-runner for Album of the Year), along with great new records from Spray Paint, Lower Plenty, and S. NPR, as always, has a few gems available in their First Listen series, King Tuff’s Black Moon Spelland Perfume Genius’ Too Brightamong them. Wander on over to the unending sprawl that is bandcamp and there are a few new things to unearth, like Cancers’ Fatten the Leechesand the unreasonably compelling split that comes courtesy of Follies and Wishbone. Similarly, Pitchfork Advance is offering up an early stream of upcoming stunners from Whirr and Foxes in Fiction, Stayand Ontario Gothic, respectively. On the single song side of things, there were outstanding new tunes that surfaced from site favorites Krill, a revitalized The Twilight Sad, a resurgent The Jazz June, and an intriguing new shoegaze project born out of the Deafheaven camp going by the name Creepers. As if all of that weren’t enough, there were also standout music videos emerging from a few intriguing corners of the musical spectrum that generally gets covered here, mostly from artists that exist on the fringes of their genre- Kevin Morby, Angel Olsen, Hiss Golden Messenger on the folksier side of things and the punk-leaning acts being well represented by Pet Sun and PS I Love You.
With all of that now existing in the world, anything getting the feature spot today had to be spectacular. Mitski (who recently made an introductory appearance on this site via Watch This) proved up to the challenge with the gnarled-but-beautiful basement pop rager “Townie”. Unsurprisingly, this song (and Bury Me At Makeout Creek, the upcoming record it’s attached to) comes via Double Double Whammy- who, between LVL UP, Follies and Wishbone, Krill, and this, had themselves one hell of a day- cementing that label’s reputation as one of the most exciting things in music. Pulling in an equal amount of influence from punk, post-punk, 90’s scuzz, powerpop, soul, and 50’s pop, “Townie” reveals itself to be something immediate and sublime before the gift of a chorus kicks in. Easily one of 2014’s best songs, it skyrockets the expectations for Bury Me At Makeout Creek and acts as an unforgettable introduction-at-large for Mitski. Everything here works on an extraordinary level, from the floating vocals to the tambourine attack to the feedback screeches to the fucking theremin section. “Townie” is as defiant as it is triumphant, adding an impressive amount of gravity with an unflinchingly honest lyric set. Package it all together and it becomes something completely irresistible that approaches levels of transcendence. Music doesn’t get much better than this.
Listen to “Townie” below and pre-order Bury Me At Makeout Creek from Double Double Whammy here.
Heartbreaking Bravery 