Following the already-a-staple-of-our-summer sound “Pool Hopping” Illuminati Hotties put the tender in “tenderpunk” with the new single “u v v p.” It’s the latest from Illuminati Hotties album “Let Me Do One More” arriving in October on her Snack Shack Tracks imprint via Hopeless Records. That’s Buck Meek of Big Thief featured on the song, which is right out of yonder ’70s. “The road toward fulfillment is lonesome and dusty for a rambling ranger like yourself,” Sarah Tudzin says. “For when you need a deputy’s hand, a sling of something sweet, or just a breather in paradise, there’s ‘u v v p.’ I brought along my pal Buck Meek to remind you to say something about how special your beau may be to you, even if you’re too shy to muster up the courage.”
The official visual for illuminati hotties’ new single “u v v p (feat. Buck Meek)” off of the upcoming album ‘Let Me Do One More’ available October 1st, 2021 on Snack Shack Tracks/Hopeless Records!
Sarah Tudzin’s tenderpunk project illuminati hotties is back with their first new music since their acclaimed 2020 release “FREE I.H.: This Is Not the One You’ve Been Waiting For“, and the music-industry rigmarole that has dogged the band in the past is now behind them. In addition to sharing the video for their first single of 2021, “MMMOOOAAAAAYAYA” (pronounced “Moo!,” they say), Tudzin announced her own new label, Snack Shack Tracks, in partnership with L.A.-based indie label Hopeless Records, so when the one you have been waiting for comes out (a release window has yet to be revealed), you’ll have her to thank for it. “Somebody told me my music is too ‘cute’ to take seriously” Tudzin says of the band’s new single. “So I wrote them a love letter. I hope they’re laughing their patoots off.” “MMMOOOAAAAAYAYA” kicks “cute” to the curb with queasy guitars and synth stutters, with Tudzin contorting her voice as she sneers at pushes to make her art more “palatable” (read: profitable): “You think I wanna be a part of / Every self-appointed startup? / Every brand-approval markup? / Place that precious pretty product,” she mocks, having a blast as she colours outside the lines.
The official music video for “MMMOOOAAAAAYAYA” out now on Snack Shack Tracks/Hopeless Records!
Illuminati hotties, the exhilaratingly noisy project of Sarah Tudzin, has dealt with a lot over the years. From label disputes to unpaid royalties, it has been a rocky road to get to the point of independence. Today, illuminati hotties announces their third album “Let Me Do One More“, came out October 1st via Tudzin’s imprint label Snack Shack Tracks. To kick off the summer, the band shares “Pool Hopping,” the album’s second single following “MMMOOOAAAAAYAYA.” Tudzin uses the pool as a cheeky metaphor for relationships and her desire to find someone better.
Her spry lyrics and the beach-punk vibes of the song lend itself well to the equally fitting music video: Everyone is in a pool. Illuminati Hotties’ Sarah Tudzin went through some shit with her label last year, but she just announced her own imprint, Snack Shack Tracks. Its first song, a wild-eyed pop-punk ripper called “MMMOOOAAAAAYAYA,” is the sound you make when you are this close to losing it. The song opens with a few stabs of guitar and scattershot drums, but then Tudzin swoops in like a cheap vacuum, sucking up chaos and spreading it around. She’s setting up first dates (“Won’t you swing by after hours so you know just what you’re getting into?”) and sassing customers (“On the phone when they call me ‘Mister’/I say, ‘Ma’am, that’ll be just fine’”) and having bad trips (“Man, I was scared but I took his drugs”). She’s spiraling into depression (“I’m so sad I can’t do laundry”) and surging up on a mood swing (“I had it bad but now I’m back in the saddle, baby!”).
It’s all pulling toward that chorus—“Mmm/Ooo/Aaaaa/Ya ya”—the one-sided onomatopoeia of a conversation she can’t bear to keep having, while meanwhile her mind is racing, racing, racing through marketing strategy (“Place that precious pretty product!”) and U.S. politics (“The DNC is playing dirty!”) and sexual roleplay (“Call me, Daddy!”). “MMMOOOAAAAAYAYA” is a pressure valve release for digital-mental-emotional-spiritual overload, sneering and ironic, gross on purpose: In her video tribute-slash-parody of D’Angelo, Tudzin mugs for the camera shirtless and gets dressed like nachos in a goopy stream of something she describes as “slimey” and I might optimistically call “gruel.” It doesn’t make any goddamn sense (whose life does anymore); the final line hits with an orgasmic gasp, a Cruella de Vil laugh, and the total gracelessness of truth under capitalism: “If you’re not laughing, baby/Then you’re not making money!” Mmm-mmm-mmm.
Sarah Tudzin released her debut album as Illuminati Hotties, “Kiss Yr Frenemies”. It was named as one of the best albums of 2018, so naturally each bit of Hotties news this year has been something worth paying attention to. Amidst touring pretty relentlessly, Tudzin’s given us a couple new releases: “I Wanna Keep Your Dog” and a cover of Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna DanceWith Somebody,” and a standalone single called “ppl plzr”. And now, Tudzin’s back with one more new one called “Post-Everything.” As you might guess by the name, there’s a certain end-times vibe to the song. “The world’s burnin, so why the hell not,” Tudzin wrote in a note on Bandcamp before continuing, “Happy 2020.” On Twitter, she elaborated a bit more: “2019 was somehow the absolute Best & absolute Worst year of my life. so here’s a song about the apocalypse.” Fittingly, the lyrics feature snapshots of people losing it, screaming on the street in some form or another — they sound like pretty run-of-the-mill scenes in 2019, which is to say they do sound a bit like the encroaching end of the world.
When it comes to volume, Sarah Tudzin likes to keep listeners on their toes. “Kiss Yr Frenemies”, was her debut album as Illuminati Hotties, playfully leaps between a variety of decibel-dictated sonic moods from the indie-pop canon. Hushed acoustic reveries give way to knife-sharp stabs of guitar; contemplative, finger-picked tranquility crescendos to giant slabs of post-rock feedback and trumpet fanfare. “You only like me when I’m sad,” she sweetly sings during a quiet interlude on “Pressed 2 Death,” an otherwise boisterous rambler that’s dotted with kiss-offs.
Tudzin—who is technically Illuminati Hotties’ sole permanent member, although she records with a full band—is a veteran studio rat, and it shows in the album’s dynamic sounds. In addition to working as a production and engineering assistant to big-time indie producer Chris Coady (Beach House, TV on the Radio), she’s logged studio time with acts ranging from Porches to Macklemore and worked on the sound design for the original Broadway cast recording of Hamilton.
Her expertise gives her own tracks a funhouse-like quality, with an eruption of noise, six-stringed squeal, or purposely lo-fi effect around every corner. Even without knowing that additional vocals on the album are credited to “Everyone at Jesse’s Party,” you get the sense that she had fun making this record. Tudzin describes the sound of Illuminati Hotties as “tenderpunk,” and that feels right. Every emotional abrasion and pang of longing on Kiss Yr Frenemies is conveyed with just the right mix of sadness and acerbity. On the single “(You’re Better) Than Ever,” she confesses, “All the baddest words I knew came pouring out/When I heard you feel better/Better than ever.” Along with stylistic forebears Los Campesinos!,
Tudzin’s sound sometimes recalls indie-pop lifer Rose Melberg’s many projects, as well as 1990s Vancouver punks Cub—all acts that have regularly challenged the common notion that indie pop is all cloying sentiments and bookishly restrained instrumentation.
Delighted to welcome illuminati hotties to BSM. The new album ‘Free I.H: This Is Not the One You’ve Been Waiting For’ is out next Friday – and it might just be the most fun and interesting thing you hear this year. Earlier this month, artists like Lucy Dacus, PUP and Sadie Dupuis of Speedy Ortiz shared a SoundCloud link to a self-titled album by a band called Occult Classic. With a solid black album cover and no credits to be found, buzz about the album started to swirl on social media—though that probably wouldn’t have happened if the album wasn’t so mind-numbingly good. Fans immediately began to speculate about whether this was a supergroup whose members included the indie artists tweeting the link, but a close ear would tell you that Sarah Tudzin of Illuminati Hotties is indeed on lead vocals, later spelling out her band name several times on track seven “Content / Bedtime.” It was later confirmed as a new Illuminati Hotties mixtape, and it’s a big step up from their 2018 debut Kiss Yr Frenemies. It’s bolder, punkier and has some of the best rock hooks in recent memory. On their 12 songs (with goofy, lowercase track titles) and less than half-hour run time, you’ll hear tinges of phat electro-rock, invigorating riot grrrl and delectable twee-pop.
Sarah Tudzin, your main illuminati hottie depending on your point of view, has had herself a year. Well we all have but she has had some other challenges as well in regards to getting her sophomore release out in the world. Though it was tracked locally between drummer Tim Kmet’s rehearsal space and Tudzin’s home, “FREE IH” sounds like an homage to the bands you’d catch on club stages during a sleepless, electrifying cross-country tour. It’s a product of Sarah’s wide array of influences, ranging from snotty Californian forebears Dead Kennedys and Black Flag to the innovation and bravado of Death Grips and Cardi B.
With 12 songs clocking in at 23 minutes, Free I.H. condenses the hooks and hilarity of Kiss Yr Frenemies into 90-second blasts honouring the legacy of SoCal pop-punk miniaturists ranging from the Descendents to Joyce Manor. Elsewhere, Tudzin takes advantage of the format to attempt previously inconceivable experiments in Death Grips-styled noise, an homage to Trio’s “Da Da Da,” and the label-baiting venom of Clipse circa We Got It 4 Cheap — “First I made Frenemies Made a whole lotta frenemies/ Now I owe ‘em seven stacks/ And won’t even get the circle-p,” she snarls a la Drake’s “Energy” on “Superiority Complex (Big Noise).” But its closest precedent might actually be Marvin Gaye’s infamous Here, My Dear: A 1977 divorce settlement granted Gaye’s ex-wife half the royalties from his next album, which he subsequently used to publicly air out the entire bitter affair over his least commercial music to date.
In even better news, the album FREE I.H: This Is Not the One You’ve Been Waiting Foris out now and streaming everywhere! We told you it might just be the most interesting and goddamn catchy record you hear this year – now you can enjoy this absolute gem too.
All songs written & recorded by illuminati hotties illuminati hotties is Sarah TudzinAdditional music written by Zach Bilson & Tim Kmet Band Members:
Zach Bilson – Bass, Additional Vocals, Additional Guitar on “content//bedtime”
Tim Kmet – Drums
Anna Arboles – Guitars on “melatonezone”
Sarah Tudzin – Vocals, Guitars, Percussion, Noise,
Big Scary Monsters is an independent currently label based in Oxford. releases July 17th, 2020
Veteran producer and engineer Sarah Tudzin has worked on albums for major players like Slowdive, Amen Dunes and Macklemore (oh, and the Hamilton soundtrack, ). This year, however, she has made an excellent album of her own, with some help from “a rotating selection of her bffs,” per the Illuminati Hotties Facebook page. The band’s debut, Kiss Yr Frenemies, is a really fun and smart indie-rock album among one of the year’s best, for that matter. Tudzin is bone dry in delivering her lyrics, which pair the everyday with the profound in a startling, hilarious fashion. On “(You’re Better) Than Ever,” something as mundane as a pair of socks triggers a nugget of wisdom: “All my favorite socks are getting holes in them / All my favorite people got a load on them.” In other words, handle the things (and people) you love with care. The world is rough on them
Illuminati Hotties – (You’re Better) Than Ever Recorded Live – Daytrotter Studios
Sarah Tudzin has dubbed her band’s sound “tenderpunk,” which captures a fair bit of her modus operandi: Vibrant and aggressive, illuminati hotties‘ songs storm agreeably without obscuring the bleeding heart at their center. But that tenderpunk portmanteau still doesn’t quite convey the poppy, sunlit sound of Kiss Yr Frenemies and songs like “(You’re Better) Than Ever,” in which Tudzin craftily conveys a flood of mixed emotions: “Texted you a picture where you looked pretty,” she sings, adding, “and wondered if you saved the ones you had of me.”
On their Facebook page, Illuminati Hotties’ genre description reads “post-naptime burrito-core.” Jokes aside, the L.A. band’s jubilant rock would probably pair well with Mexican foods of all varieties, but not so much a midday nap. The group, whose only permanent member is longtime studio musician Sarah Tudzin, released Kiss Yr Frenemies, Tudzin’s first long player record under the moniker, in May. Tudzin, along with her band, stopped by Daytrotter to play a few songs from the record including ”(You’re Better) Than Ever,” “Shape Of My Hands,” “Cuff” and “Paying Off the Happiness.”
Illuminati Hotties – Paying Off The Happiness Recorded Live – Daytrotter Studios – Davenport, IA
Breakups are hard; but separating yourself from your partner’s pet is even harder. Illuminati Hotties seem to be well aware of this phenomenon, as their latest single—and first new music since last year’s Tiny Engines debut Kiss Yr Frenemies—is more an homage to a one-time date’s canine companion than it is to Iggy Pop. “One time I went on a date with someone I met through a dating app,” frontwoman Sarah Tudzin talked about the origins of “I Wanna Keep Yr Dog,” a staple of their recent live shows. “Their dog was much cuter than they were.”
You can check out the song below (complete with some stellar Corgi footage), and make sure to catch Illuminati Hotties when they grace their Austin showcase SXSW . As far as any news of dating-app type services specifically for meeting up with local singles’ dogs? .
illuminati hotties – I Wanna Keep Yr Dog Single out March 6th on Tiny Engines
As its title suggests, Kiss Yr Frenemies is an album about forgiveness. Sarah Tudzin’s debut full-length as Illuminati Hotties sees each stage of the grieving and coping that leads to radical acceptance — digging into the grey areas of flings and relationships, growing up and feeling the same. Her disposition shifts from lighthearted smirking to choking on her words. Mood swings are well-met with Tudzin’s diverse palette of influences and genres. She grits her teeth to synth and static booms, bobs her head to jangly guitars, whispers to echoey acoustics, and makes fart noises to a relentless riff. Moving forward is rarely a straight shot. It’s messy. There are distractions, setbacks, and diversions. Tudzin takes the winding road and brings us along for the ride.
Rarely is there an album that I can listen to and enjoy every song, but this album has certainly been able to get me to listen to it on repeat. Love this album already and looking forward to what else Illuminati Hotties has to offer.
Illuminati Hotties, aka L.A.’s Sarah Tudzin, seems plagued by the past on “Cuff.” But over a chorus of explosive guitars, backed by simple, steady drum programming, she settles on a solution: “I cuff my T-shirt sleeve / and grit my teeth / How else can I tell myself I can do most anything?”
In a new video for the track, featuring animation from Sam Lane, the protagonist is a humble fish that has fantasies of flight. As the chorus explodes, dreamy visions of possibilities flash, the colors shifting. For the film’s fish protagonist, despite the cost, hope remains. And for Tudzin, the final chorus offers relief in letting another in.
“After watching an animated short film that Sam created for part of her coursework at CalArts, I knew I wanted to collaborate with her on something,” Tudzin says. “The animation and storytelling she does is so sensitive, emotionally aware, and poignantly relatable – it sneaks right into your guts and twists them up in the most winsome way.”
The same can be said of Tudzin’s debut, a record that balances humor and heart, illuminating the ways in which we cope with coming into our own, no matter our age.
The Fat Angel Sings 