The Natvral is the new project of Kip Berman (formerly of The Pains of Being Pure at Heart). Look for new music coming in 2021. As the frontman of The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Kip Berman wrote songs about the thrills and ills of young adult life with the care and concern of a cool older sibling. Enter Tethers, Berman’s first solo record as The Natvral, where Kip finds his new project more aligned with the sounds of Bob Dylan, Neil. Young, and his long time hero Leonard Cohen.
But in this time away from the life of a touring artist, Berman discovered an unvarnished, broken folk rock sound – a marked departure from his previous work. Recorded over 7 days with producer Andy Savours (My Bloody Valentine, Black Country New Road, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart), Tethers is as raw in sound as it is nuanced and empathetic in its lyricism. Without effect pedals, overdubs or even a metronome, the resulting album feels free and unpretentious, recalling the strident obliqueness of Bob Dylan and Neil Young’s sonic primitivism – but drawn from a set of vividly detailed experiences all Berman’s own. Throughout, he is supported by former The Pains of Being Pure at Heart collaborators Jacob Sloan (bass), Brian Alvarez (drums), Sarah Chihaya (backing vocals) and Crystal Stilts/Woods Kyle Forester (organ).
Tethers was produced by Andy Savours, whose catalogue includes records with Berman’s previous band and others such as My Bloody Valentine. The album also features Pains collaborators Jacob Sloan, Brian Alvarez, and Sarah Chihaya, plus Kyle Forester of Crystal Stilts and Woods.
Berman led the Pains of Being Pure at Heart for more than a decade, beginning in 2007. The band broke up in 2019, following the release of The Echo of Pleasure in 2017. Berman released Know Me More, his first EP as the Natvral, in 2018.
Kip Berman singer/songwriter of The Pains of Being Pure at Heart has begun recording and performing as The Natvral. Drawing inspiration from the lyrical folk rock of icons like Richard and Linda Thompson, Leonard Cohen and Ted Leo, this EP finds Kip channeling his lyricism with newfound intimacy and emotional candor. This venture is neither solo project nor side project, but rather a chance for Berman to create new music that connects in sound and substance to his present life. Since the recording of the last Pains record in 2016, The Echo of Pleasure, Berman has become a father and traded his beloved Brooklyn for the collegiate charms of Princeton, NJ.
“Why Don’t You Come Out Anymore?” is taken from The Natvral’s forthcoming LP, “Tethers” on Kanine / Dirty Bingo Records.
“Why Don’t You Come Out Anymore?” is taken from The Natvral’s forthcoming LP, “Tethers” on Kanine / Dirty Bingo Records.
Tethers was produced by Andy Savours, whose catalogue includes records with Berman’s previous band and others such as My Bloody Valentine. The album also features Pains collaborators Jacob Sloan, Brian Alvarez, and Sarah Chihaya, plus Kyle Forester of Crystal Stilts and Woods.
Berman led the Pains of Being Pure at Heart for more than a decade, beginning in 2007. The band broke up in 2019, following the release of The Echo of Pleasure in 2017. Berman released Know Me More, his first EP as the Natvral, in 2018.
Kip Berman singer/songwriter of The Pains of Being Pure at Heart has begun recording and performing as The Natvral. Drawing inspiration from the lyrical folk rock of icons like Richard and Linda Thompson, Leonard Cohen and Ted Leo, this EP finds Kip channeling his lyricism with newfound intimacy and emotional candor. This venture is neither solo project nor side project, but rather a chance for Berman to create new music that connects in sound and substance to his present life. Since the recording of the last Pains record in 2016, The Echo of Pleasure, Berman has become a father and traded his beloved Brooklyn for the collegiate charms of Princeton, NJ.
“Why Don’t You Come Out Anymore?” is taken from The Natvral’s forthcoming LP, “Tethers” on Kanine / Dirty Bingo Records.
Kip Berman, formerly of the Pains of Being Pure at Heart, has announced his full-length debut from his solo project as The Natvral. The album is called “Tethers” and it’s out April 2nd on Kanine Records. Berman has also shared the first song from the album, “Why Don’t You Come Out Anymore?” .
“Why Don’t You Come Out Anymore?” is taken from The Natvral’s forthcoming LP, “Tethers” on Kanine / Dirty Bingo Records.
“Why Don’t You Come Out Anymore?” is taken from The Natvral’s forthcoming LP, “Tethers” on Kanine / Dirty Bingo Records.
Tethers was produced by Andy Savours, whose catalogue includes records with Berman’s previous band and others such as My Bloody Valentine. The album also features Pains collaborators Jacob Sloan, Brian Alvarez, and Sarah Chihaya, plus Kyle Forester of Crystal Stilts and Woods.
Berman led the Pains of Being Pure at Heart for more than a decade, beginning in 2007. The band broke up in 2019, following the release of The Echo of Pleasure in 2017. Berman released Know Me More, his first EP as the Natvral, in 2018.
Kip Berman singer/songwriter of The Pains of Being Pure at Heart has begun recording and performing as The Natvral. Drawing inspiration from the lyrical folk rock of icons like Richard and Linda Thompson, Leonard Cohen and Ted Leo, this EP finds Kip channeling his lyricism with newfound intimacy and emotional candor. This venture is neither solo project nor side project, but rather a chance for Berman to create new music that connects in sound and substance to his present life. Since the recording of the last Pains record in 2016, The Echo of Pleasure, Berman has become a father and traded his beloved Brooklyn for the collegiate charms of Princeton, NJ.
“Why Don’t You Come Out Anymore?” is taken from The Natvral’s forthcoming LP, “Tethers” on Kanine / Dirty Bingo Records.
Peel Dream Magazine is the musical vehicle for NYC’s Joe Stevens, who launched the band in 2018 with the critically acclaimed album “Modern Meta Physic,” a mysterious, liminal tribute to the hazy end of ‘90s dream-pop that found its place on numerous “Best of 2018” lists. Now Peel Dream are back with “Agitprop Alterna,” an album that pays homage to sonic and spiritual influences ranging from early Stereolab and Broadcast through stateside groups like Lilys and Yo La Tengo.. “Agitprop Alterna” finds Stevens channeling the collaborative spirit of the band’s live incarnation in the studio, deepening the connection between the existential and the interpretive first explored on “Modern Meta Physic.” It is a rejection of manipulation in all its forms and a buzzsaw against complacency; it’s a rare trick to agitate without being obvious, and perhaps that makes “Agitprop Alterna” the most Peel Dream Magazine-like statement yet.
What have you wound up doing with your free time during lockdown? Some online yoga classes? A walk in the park? Maybe finish the the novel that’s been lying beside your bed?
Well, New York outfit Peel Dream Magazine embarked on an intimidating creative pull. Their rightly lauded album ‘Agitprop Alterna’ was a significant statement, a sign that their dreamy, effects-laden guitar pop contained some unexpected depths, as well as a commitment to emotional rigour.
Mere weeks later, however, Peel Dream Magazine dropped a surprise – an eight track EP that drew upon those same sessions, acting as a kind of parallel statement to ‘Agitprop Alterna’.
Taken as a whole, that’s more than 20 songs, a universe that moves from neat Neu!-esque cosmiche moments through to My Bloody Valentine leaning pedal stompers. Something to adore.
Joe Stevens – Vocals, Guitars, Organ, Synth, Drones, Drum Machine Jo-Anne Hyun – Vocals Brian Alvarez – Drums on Pill, Escalator Ism, Too Dumb, Do It, and Eyeballs Kelly Winrich – Drums on Emotional Devotion Creator, Brief Inner Mission, NYC Illuminati, and Up and Up
All songs written by Peel Dream Magazine Mixed by Peel Dream Magazine and Kelly Winrich
Peel Dream Magazine, the project of musician Joe Stevens, combines off-center dream pop with classic shoegaze soundscapes. Both their 2018 debut album Modern Meta Physic and forthcoming LP Agitprop Alterna (out on April 3rd via Slumberland Records) exude a hypnotic quiet-loud dynamic, often aided by blurry synths and serene vocals. Mixing the glaring with the pacifying, Peel Dream Magazine are an exercise in dazzling, retro-meets-modern drone. The band’s 2020 follow-up Agitprop Alterna is much broader, thanks in part to the live members that appear here like vocalists Jo-Anne Hyun and Isabella Mingione and drummer Brian Alvarez, and also due to its emphasis on a more dynamic sound. It’s a caressing record with satisfying moments that are felt long after they pass—take for instance the innocent, fluttering keys that close “Brief Inner Mission,” which transition into the wonderfully filtered vocals and blown-out guitars of “NYC Illuminati.” Agitprop Alterna is a loungey, droning, space-age odyssey that might help even the most anxious among us escape for a bit.
It’s not without good reason that people have been likening Peel Dream Magazine to My Bloody Valentine, Stereolab and Yo La Tengo. Helmed by Joe Stevens, one of New York’s finest contemporary players, the outfit makes music that’s tender but savage, powerful but delicate and packed with beautiful discordance hiding its sumptuous melodies. ‘Agitprop Alterna’ is their second full-length release and it certainly adds fuel to the argument that people need to take this lot very seriously. In addition to the aforementioned, here it nods to Velvet Underground (notice the tripped out, opiate-hazed interludes throughout the album) and krautrock-leaning art pop. The record drones, drives, grooves and perplexes on its course, but most of all it unarguably impresses. Or at least that’s what we’ve got to say on the matter
Agitprop Alterna is out everywhere today Shout to everyone who made this possible, most importantly Slumberland Records and Tough Love Records
The Fat Angel Sings 