Brooklyn duo Washer craft burly rock numbers filled with sharp, introspective lyrics over dramatic post-hardcore melodies. The band’s sophomore release All Aboard builds and transcends the achievements of their debut through tight percussion and compact, atmosphere-shifting riffs. Kieran McShane (drums) and Mike Quigley (guitar/vocals) deliver fifteen tenacious and determined tracks, commencing with the bleak reflection of “ForgetEverything,” continuing on the pummelling “The Scab” and climaxing with the existentially inquisitive “Your Guess Is As Bad As Mine.” It’s an album filled with more questions than answers, awash with anxiety stemming from “No answer/No claim to truth.”
One of the year’s most unusual and invigorating concept albums comes from the Georgia-raised songwriter Mackenzie Scott. “Three Futures”, Scott’s third album under the name TORRES, explores a primitive yet radical subject for songwriting: embracing one’s own human body “as a mechanism of joy.” These new songs are vivid, sensual vignettes that confront lust (“Righteous Woman”), obsession (“Helen in the Woods”) and joy (“Bad Baby Pie”) before culminating with the mantra-like epic “To Be Given a Body.” Musically, the record is a sharp departure from Scott’s prior work
Brooklyn based songwriter Mackenzie Scott brings us her third album as Torres, having gained acclaim and attention since her debut in 2013. ‘Three Futures’ is an immediate and mature set of songs about femininity, gender and power. Mackenzie’s vocal breadth, especially in her range and movements from rough to smooth, prove her to be on a par with vocalists such as St. Vincent. Her guitar riffs and solos quirkily stagger over industrial and metronomic programmed beats, giving a sometimes-dizzying feeling of rhythmic push and pull. It’s a very well-formed and considered album .
In describing the album, Scott says it “is entirely about using the body that each of us has been given as a mechanism of joy”. The 10 original tracks on Three Futures embrace ecstasy, desire and indulgence rather than self-denial, and exude this idea via immersive music. Mechanized grooves are placed at the forefront, providing a framework for perforated electro-pop static, harsh gothic / industrial textures, and insistent Krautrock motifs.
For Three Futures, Scott reconnected with producer Rob Ellis (PJ Harvey), who worked on TORRES’ last album Sprinter, to record in Stockport and Dorset, England. David Tolomei (Beach House, Future Islands) mixed the album.
TORRES is the creative alter-ego of Brooklyn-based Mackenzie Scott. In describing the album, Scott says it “is entirely about using the body that each of us has been given as a mechanism of joy”. The 10 original tracks on Three Futures embrace ecstasy, desire and indulgence rather than self-denial, and exude this idea via immersive music. Mechanized grooves are placed at the forefront, providing a framework for perforated electro-pop static, harsh gothic / industrial textures, and insistent Krautrock motifs.
Based out of New York, where he relocated to two years back from his native Chicago, Cut Worms is the pseudonym of songwriter Max Clarke. Signed to the ever reliable Jagjaguwar Records imprint, Cut Worms are hotly tipped as one of the most exciting new acts on the planet, and have this week detailed the release of their debut EP, Alien Sunset. The record showcases a collection of what could loosely be termed demos, recorded over the last few years with side A focusing on his time in Chicago and side B being his New York recordings.
Ahead of that release, Cut Worms have also shared the video to their new single, Like Going Down Sideways. The track is a beautifully lo-fi offering, Max’s multi-tracked vocals accompanied by walls of fuzzy guitars and twanging lead-lines. It’s the vocal though that is consciously pushed front and centre, like Harry Nilsson or Scott Walker before him, there’s the flourish of an old-time crooner, but lurking beneath the surface is the raw, melodic equivalent of a mischievous glint in his eye. With the debut album, “proper and polished”, due next year, AlienSunset is a thrilling insight into the world of Cut Worms, that serves as both an introduction and a water mark for wherever Max’s music goes next.
Alien Sunset EP is out October 20tth via Jagjaguwar Records .
In the midst of their North American tour, Slothrust have a debuted a brand new track entitled “Milking The Snake,” striking a unique balance between the slowed-down heaviness of classic Black Sabbath and jangly uptempo garage rock.
Slothrust’sLeah Wellbaum discusses the song’s origins, stating “This song came about one day when I smoked some weed and watched a vice mini doc about milking snakes. Snake milking is amazing and strange.”
Slothrust impressed last year with their album “Everyone Else”, and now the Brooklyn trio are following that up with an EP of covers entitled Show Me How You Want It To Be. The collection features songs by everyone from Britney Spears to Black Sabbath, and today, they’ve shared their rendition of Marcy Playground’s nonsensical 1997 hit “Sex And Candy,” turning it into a hard-charging, fuzzed-out rocker complete with a blistering classic-rock guitar solo.
Crumb makes music that’s subtly psychedelic, as casually trippy as a micro-dose of LSD. On its recent EP, Locket, the Brooklyn quartet offers four songs that use indie rock as a gateway for more expansive sounds, continuing the heavily-detailed miniaturist mode that drew attention to their 2016 self-titled debut EP.
Psychedelia at its best works as a synthesis of opposites; happy contradictions animate Crumb’s work. The group is fronted by singer and guitarist Lila Ramani, whose unhurried delivery communicates a certain restlessness, as she leads her bandmates through intimate territory that seems emotionally vast. On the title track, for instance, she describes the effect that precipitation has on her emotional state: “Every time it rains,” Ramani sings, “I can feel my brain is moving, back and forth, upside down, east-west.”
The music on Locket bucks against the claustrophobia of the lyrics, with meaty bass from JesseBrotter and myriad flourishes from Brian Aronow, who plays a variety of instruments in service of the record’s quiet sonic diversity. It feels like a milder version of Tame Impala’s reverberating guitar, bass and synth combos, or a slightly more cheerful echo of Whitney’s melancholy Americana.
And Ramani, whose lyrics hint at heartbreak, is a remarkably easygoing vocalist, her voice winding its way around the riffage. On “Thirty-Nine,” she casually prompts the band to let loose with one of several killer instrumental breaks, singing deadpan, “I hope they’re ready for the hot, crispy sound.” That’s all it takes for the rest of the group to join in, with all the relaxed proficiency for which it’s becoming known.
Sincerity plays a key role in powerful pop music — candor is the catalyst for connecting an artist with their listenership. For indie-pop purists The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart , that’s never been a problem. From the band’s dreamiest shoegaze influences to its most lucid lyricism, The Pains of Being Pure At Heart the brainchild of Kip Berman, has found strength in heart-on-your-sleeve songwriting. Now, as the band gets ready to release its fourth full-length LP, The Echo Of Pleasure, that vulnerability has shifted away from its roots in the complexity of youth. Instead, Pains’ idealism is grounded in real adult love, expressed in its most ordinary and fantastic way on the band’s latest single, “When I Dance With You.”
The song opens with sweet harmonies courtesy of Jen Goma from A Sunny Day In Glasgow similar to those in Pains‘ 2014 single “Simple & Sure,”“When I Dance With You” tackles head-on. Berman repeats the line, “When I dance with you / I feel OK, feel OK,” in the song’s chorus — a pure, unassuming reflection of true love. The line has a sort of somber quality when placed next to the mature (and overtly practical) concerns later on: “I don’t know how I’ll make money / Just want enough so you never have to worry.” Love in pop music is often painted in grandiose gestures and massive moments, when sometimes it feels truest in just feeling “OK.” “It doesn’t look like a lot on paper,” Berman says of the song, “but the sentiment is the underpinning of what love is.”
NYC-based singer/songwriter Jeni Magana is a woman with a colourful musical history. Over the years, she has written advertising jingles, fronted a ‘90s cover band, and recorded with the Dropkick Murphys, among countless other projects. Until recently, however, she had never released any songs of her own, but that all changed when Golden Tongue– Magana’s debut EP
‘Golden Tongue’ is the debut EP from Brooklyn’s Jeni Magana. It’s a brief, bold and bitterly beautiful calling card from the young artist. Four tracks of brittle and erratic guitar pop. These are weary songs, delivered with both anger and acceptance. There’s a hint of the eccentric and a tinge of melodramatic but these songs sound as haunted and traveled as they do vital and honest. “With what is just the briefest of snapshot Magana has invited us into her world and in the process created something which feels expansive and breathlessly travelled.”
In the case of New York based Gracie and Rachel, the duo originates from California, fusing the calmness of the Pacific with the chaos New York can imprint on a mind. Their latest video for the track “(Un)comfortable” is a melancholic black and white four minutes, driven by both rich, layered violins (provided by Rachel), and ethereal vocals. The video displays both Gracie and Rachel, but they are never acting together, essentially existing on different planes. It’s a needed look at coexisting, the act of being supportive but separate as well.
Regarding the video, Rachel added, “Gracie’s perpetual motions are shown as both fractions and extensions of herself that may want to hold her back but ultimately can propel her forward. Without tangibly interacting, the varying entities guide one another through the acceptance of different forces.” The two met at a dance class in high school, and this extra talent in their life shines through– their motions are effortless and poised, exactly what their music exudes.
Gracie (Coates) and Rachel (Ruggles) are a remarkable new Brooklyn-based orchestral pop piano and violin duo with a tendency towards stark contrast in both sound and visuals. With strong vocals, a heightened sense of drama, and plenty of musical skill to make good on their pop promises, they are aiming high leading up to the release of their debut album. Joined by a live percussionist, they dropped by Serious Business Music in DUMBO, Brooklyn, to give us a preview of their incredible sound.
Gracie and Rachel are pleased to share their recent live in-studio session with BTR Today where we filmed our latest single, “Only A Child,” + recorded four other songs and gave an interview to boot. We may or may not share how high the ceilings in our studio loft are… Listen to the podcast to find out and watch the video of their current single.
Gracie and Rachel’s self-titled debut full length LP will be released June 23rd, 2017.
The Fat Angel Sings 