fine china, “not thrilled”

fine china, “not thrilled”

It may have been twelve years since the re-issue of 1997 album The Jaws of Life on vinyl, but Fine China – comprised of Rob Withem, Greg Markov, and Thom Walsh – is proving they’ve still got chops, as they are set to release a new album next month on Velvet Blue Music, 20 years after they released their first album for the same label. Their latest track – “Not Thrilled” – gives us a little taste of what’s to come.

Withem wrote the song in one sitting, with the intent to create a pure pop single for the album. Glittering synth frames the track, a vintage UK punk tinge to the vocals as the soundscape finds its listener skipping, dancing, and even wiggling around. The lyrics might not hit the same high notes as the instrumentals, as Withem admitted, “The lyrics reflect common themes of my life as a middle-aged man; joy, anxiety, remorse, and melancholy.” But it’s beautiful to hear him touch on a wide variety of things in a fun way that is wildly attractive to the eardrums.

hobbyist, “teeth of the shark”

hobbyist, “teeth of the shark”

This month, Chicago-based duo Hobbyist – comprised of Holly Prindle and Marc Mozga – released a new album titled Sonic Cramps. The album is, admittedly, their take on events that occurred while they took up residence in Barcelona, Spain a year ago, focusing on their vantage point of what was happening politically in the United States at that time. But they didn’t release their gold mine of an album until they shared one last thing… the video for their track “Teeth of The Shark”.

The video itself has a very experimental feel to it, though comprised of what we assume are Holly’s normal, every day visuals. The experience is heightened when it is all thrown into time lapse, clear visuals blurring together and many settings becoming a single experience for the viewer. The song itself also feels very experimental, like beat poetry come to life.

Sonic Cramps is out now. Keep up with Hobbyist here.

kevin george, “high like this”

kevin george, “high like this”

While Connecticut-based 20-year-old artist and producer Kevin George prepares to drop his debut release LOVELAND on the world, he’s got some tricks up his sleeve leading up to it. Namely, the release of his new single “High Like This” and its accompanying video. Full of insanely trippy visuals – Seriously, how amazing is the movement in this video?! – the video takes you on a journey with George himself, while he croons some seductive and fun lyrics in different settings, the colors play well to captivate your attention. It’s really a remarkable work of art, an experience of sorts.

WARNING: It will be difficult to accept the fact that Kevin George is this talented out the gate. But he is, and we can’t wait for more.

Keep up with Kevin George here.

vanwyck, an average woman

vanwyck, an average woman

Today, Amsterdam-based indie folk singer/songwriter VanWyck released her latest, an eleven track gem of an album titled An Average Woman. But, from the very first notes of the title track, the listener is aware that VanWyck does not fit the “average” mold. In fact, it begs the listener to question what “average” is, and allows us the reminder to be cognizant of calling anyone or anything “normal”. After the beautiful trickle-slow intro that is “An Average Woman”, “Red River Girl” provides a little more mellifluous composition instrumentally, really utilizing the strings to pull at your heartstrings.

By “Listen to You Breathe”, it is quite obvious that this album is going to largely exist in a slow soundspace, which we are completely on board with. We have noticed a lot lately that bands have been bringing more upbeat tempos in to more introspective tracks to give them a dimension of feeling fun. What’s beautiful and alluring about VanWyck is that she sings the songs as she means them. There is depth and immense emotion in her vocals, something you certainly can’t teach.

This entire album is a keeper, moreso for a day when you feel like sipping a hot cup of tea and journaling, or you’re looking for a playlist for your family dinner. It brings up key concepts about confidence, freedom, and being a damn badass as a woman, in a smoky and intense way that only VanWyck could accomplish. With the spotlight on so many issues regarding women recently, it feels nice to cocoon inside art that understands the complex nature of the human female.

“Europa Escapes” might be one of our favorites because it is more theatrical and feels like the Wild Wild West, yet with a woman at the forefront on vocals, which you almost never find. In fact, we would compare this track to one of our favorite male vocalists Radiator King, edgy and drawing a different attitude than its predecessors. We are also completely enamored by last track “Whole Again”, which seems to be more about VanWyck’s personal journey, tying the piece together in only a way that she can. It’s uplifting, conscientiously empowered despite the careful, quiet nature of the instrumentals that lead us out and onto another musical journey in our day.

An Average Woman is available here.

rust dust, “wayfaring stranger” {premiere}

rust dust, “wayfaring stranger” {premiere}

Since the September release of his album Diviners and Shivs, Brooklyn-based outlaw folk musician Ardell Jason Shealy Stutts – more commonly referred to by his stage name Rust Dust – has been creating and releasing visuals to go along with the 13-track collection. His latest? A live recording of the man himself playing his track “Wayfaring Stranger” at Silver Springs Farm. Rustic and simple surroundings bring a humble and relatable feel to the experience, Rust Dust’s vocals reassuring in their delivery.

His beard will only sweeten the deal for ya.

Keep up with Rust Dust here.

the go! team, semicircle

the go! team, semicircle

UK-based musician Ian Parton has developed a new and invigorating sound in this second iteration of The Go! Team, live players Simone Odaranile (drums) and Angela ‘Maki’ Won-Yin Mak (vocals), as well as two original members, guitarist Sam Dook and rapper Ninja. With the help of a few more friends, the project releases its brand new album Semicircle on Friday. Just ahead of its release, we got a little listen to what’s to come and, boy, were we blown away!

From the very first notes of “Mayday” to the very end of twelfth song “Get Back Up”, you’ll be mesmerized by their energy and affinity for creating a fun and uplifting soundscape for us. Though the vocals in “Chain Link Fence” feel slightly like turn of the century bubble gum pop-meets-Jackson 5, we’re certainly not knocking it. In fact, it’s what drives the song and keeps our ears glued to what’s next. It isn’t until third track “Semicircle” that we notice how intense the musicianship is in the album. (Trust us, you’ll understand when you listen.)

Fourth track “Hey!” exists, for us, behind the montage scene of a chick flick, most likely when a shopping spree is taking place. But, boy, does it bring a vitality to the album that makes us want to play it everywhere! “The Answer’s No – Now What’s The Question?” – though one of the more hilarious titles we’ve seen in a while – demonstrates the band’s ability to create depth with an often addicting, sweet-as-candy sound to it. “Chico’s Radical Decade” takes us right back in time, no vocals to be heard to distinguish it as more modern. Close your eyes and picture the brown carpet, the fun hats, people probably saying “Groovy” whether it’s culturally relevant or not…

“All The Way Live” is as sticky sweet as its predecessors, which makes us realize we’re not getting out of this one without dancing. (And we thought we could fool our coworkers into thinking we were being productive!) But doesn’t the island vibe in “If There’s One Thing You Should Know ‘If There’s One Thing You Should Know'” make you wish that it was time for some warm weather around North America at the moment? (That’s OK… this album will still be ripe for the pickin’ once spring rolls around, we guarantee it.)

Though they certainly named a few of our faves in “Tangerine / Satsuma / Clementine”, it has a little more of a mellow tempo to it, bringing our heartbeat down just slightly and adding a head bob into our awkward back and forth dance movement. And with the sentiment of the title alone of “She’s Got Guns”, we’re groovin’ around the room. While we’re on board with both the title and the percussion in “Plans Are Like A Dream U Organise”, “Getting Back Up” is so inspirational in title, instrumentals, and chorus music, that we’d be surprised if a one of you didn’t end the album with a smile on your damn face.

Says Parton of the project:

It’s about reminding yourself of the good things in lifeWe don’t want to be dumbly optimistic and say, ‘Hey, isn’t everything great!’ but there’s something to be said for just getting on with it, for getting organized and not letting the fuckers get you down. Party for your right to fight!

Be sure to catch The Go! Team on tour soon if you’re in the UK!

Instore dates:
01/18 – Kingston, UK @ Banquet Records
01/19 – London, UK @ Rough Trade East
01/22 – Bristol, UK @ Rough Trade Bristol
01/23 – Nottingham, UK @Rough Trade Nottingham

Headlining/Festival dates:
* with GURR
# with Neon Saints Brass
+ with The Daniel Wakeford Experience

02/09 – Glasgow, UK @ QMU *
02/10 – Leeds, UK @ The Wardrobe *
02/11 – Brighton, UK @ The Haunt *#
02/15 – London, UK @ Electric Ballroom *+
02/16 – Newcastle, UK @ Riverside *
02/17 – Manchester, UK @ Gorilla * SOLD OUT
02/22 – Amsterdam, NL @ Paradiso
02/23 – Dunkirque @ Les 4 Ecluses
02/24 – St Malo @ Route Du Rock Festival
03/02 – Cologne, DE @ Gebäude 9
03/03 – Hamburg, DE @ Nochtspeicher
03/04 – Berlin, DE @ Bi Nuu
03/24 – Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom
03/25 – San Diego, CA @ Casbah
03/27 – San Francisco, CA @ Independent
03/29 – Portland, OR @ Doug Fir
03/30 – Seattle, WA @ Neumos
03/31 – Vancouver, BC @ Fox
04/03 – St. Paul, MN @ Turf Club
04/04 – Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall
04/05 – Detroit, MI @ El Club
04/06 – Toronto, ON @ Great Hall
04/08 – Boston, MA @ The Sinclair
04/09 – New York, NY@ Le Poisson Rouge

Keep up with The Go! Team here.

bridges, “bff”

bridges, “bff”

UK-based rock outfit Bridges – expertly comprised of Ethan, Josh, Henry, and Farkas – is revving up for some amazing things to happen in 2018. As it stands, they took some time to release a particularly amazing single at the end of 2017, an energetic – almost primal feeling – track titled “BFF”. Hand with your friends and play this loudly, jumping around and acknowledging the good you can find in the most simple of relationships.

You can find the single below, but there is also a bonus live video of Ethan and Joe beautifully performing a toned down version of “BFF” in a local church. There is a wholesomeness found in this version, a feeling of warmth that isn’t otherwise noticed. You may or may not have the video on repeat today, if we’re being honest.

Catch Bridges on one of their February stops in England below!

10 The Eagle Inn, Manchester
11 Parish, Huddersfield
12 Sunflower Lounge, Birmingham
13 Old Blue Last, London
15 Gwdihw Cafe Bar, Cardiff
17 Crofters Rights, Bristol

Tickets are available here. Keep up with Bridges here.

dean ween talks music history, the deaner album, and his forever studio

dean ween talks music history, the deaner album, and his forever studio

**Originally published Oct 22, 2016. Reposted with permission from the author.

Yesterday, the Dean Ween Group unleashed their debut album under the direction of founding member and frontman Dean Ween (Mickey Melchiondo). Formerly of the notorious American alternative rock band Ween (begun in 1984) – and still pulling inspiration from past work – Dean Ween has brought a new flare and energy to his catalogue with this new work. A rotating cast of incredible musicians finds their home with the musical project, various talents displayed on the recordings that were created in the incredible new(er) space that Dean Ween built from the ground up.

Shortly before the release of The Deaner Album, we got to sit down and speak with Dean Ween himself. Here’s a little bit from one of the most influential alternative musicians of our time.

Tell me about the studio you’re working from today.

Sure. I’ve ran it – and no exaggeration – over 25 buildings since when we started. It’s very hard to find a place where sound is not an issue, you know, privacy, security, neighbors, all that. So finally after being at this for 32 years, my friend’s father owns 200 acres and offered to work with me on my own spot. He’s a younger father, like only in his 50s. I’m 46 as of today. Yesterday was my birthday actually.

Oh wow, happy birthday!

Thank you. So, he said if you build a nice place you can have it. So I did, and sunk about $150,000 into it. Borrowed and built this beautiful place that I call my forever studio. It’s in the woods, I’m here all day everyday and all night every night. Every instrument, cable, amplifier I’ve ever owned is all here, it’s all set up. It’s very hard to force a studio into a vintage house. You know, we’ve had to do that – use the living room as a recording room, control room. So, I have everything perfect. It’s a gigantic live room for a band to play in, everything is mic’d up. Then there’s a giant control room with monitors, talk back, kitchens and showers and bathrooms. Musicians can stay here. You could blow up a bomb in here and you wouldn’t hear it outside since its soundproof.

We built it with being a studio in mind. We made it totally perfect and right. It’s so relaxing when you come here. It’s like a second home. We’re so respectful of it. I do not- a lot of time over the years, studios were too close to the bar, and the place turned into a hang, after hours. So it was very important to me that never happen here. So the couple years I’ve been here I respect it, and we keep it very clean. It’s very relaxing when you walk in. It’s all esthetically fun to look at and play with. I tell people don’t bring your junk here. I’ll put it outside if you do. I don’t want your broken amps or guitars. No I don’t want that poster. Take it with you when you leave.

Every time we move out of a place we end up throwing out half the shit- it’s like stuff that doesn’t work or will never get used. Some junk someone left while crashing there.

Well it’s cool to have your own space and establish your own rules.

Yeah. It’s really gorgeous.

Before all this happened, Ween, The Dean Ween Group… what’s the first album or song you remember listening to, and who introduced it to you?

Wow. That’s going back too far- I can remember pivotal things. Radio was a huge thing for me. Just seeing that radio isn’t as important as it used to be. That’s where you went. Even MTV doesn’t show videos anymore – it’s like reality shows. The local station would play the top 5 at 5 every night. The 5 most requested songs. So the fans were actually choosing them. I remember buying the 45s and taped the songs at 5, and would use my tape decks to edit out the announcer talking. Which was really hard.

I remember watching Teen Tot with my babysitter on Saturday Night Live – Steve Martin doing it – and she worked at like Gimbles the old department store. She bought it for me and the next time she babysat me she brought it and I was so happy. I listened to them and I still have it actually.

Musically, my babysitter had a bad brother. He was a bad kid, same age, and had his older brother’s record collection and A-tracks. I remember going over there and hearing Sleeper and Ziggy Stardust. The first *record* record I got on my own that I really coveted and wore out was the Beatles Red Album 1962 – 1966. Then they put out The Blue Record, 1966 – 1970. They had the lyrics with them. That was the thing that changed it with me. Reading the lyrics you know, “Yellow Matter Custard”, “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds”, all that. Just the visuals that went along with the lyrics are just so freaking great. I wore that record out until the needle went out the other side of the record.

Was that around the time that you decided you were going to pursue music?

I didn’t really know that until later. My father owned a car lot. There was a music store across the street. And I’ve learned this as a father, I don’t want to buy expensive stuff if I think it’s going to be a passing thing. And I want to be there to support him, but want him to appreciate it. So, my father bought me this guitar, it was probably unplayable. But I made it playable, made it look cool with stickers, painted it. Kinda sounded like a chord when you belted all six strings. I would play it with myself. Which meant I couldn’t play minor chords or you know, too much with it, but I was off to a start.

Then I really wanted a drum set after that. I had two cassette decks, so I would record the drums first, the foundation, I was like 11. And then I’d put the guitar on it. Of course I needed a bass but it was all cheap stuff. And then my father realized that I was really, really into this. And I started taking lessons, and at Christmas one year, I was like 13, he got me a real guitar, a Fender, and I started taking lessons, learning how to play without just that one chord. I was recording every day, starting to see concerts. I wanted to be that guy really badly. Not a singer, but a guitar player.

Yeah, my drumming was really good, still is. I played drums on the Ween records, people don’t realize that. You know I remember an interview once where Kurt Cobain said he wanted to be as big as Sonic Youth. That was his goal. And that really stuck with me. Because, it was the same thing with us, except, we wanted to be the Butthole Surfers. As big as the Butthole Surfers. I mean, that was my goal. I thought if we could get to that point, then we were really famous and really good.

I didn’t think about what I was going to do after high school. I wasn’t going to college, I knew Aaron wasn’t going to college, we figured we were just going to work. We wanted to get an apartment together, so we did the day we graduated high school. We made music there pretty much 24/7. We had been doing that in my parent’s bedroom for like 6 years already. So we had a lot of experience recording ourselves. We got a multi-track recorder, a 4 track, instead of just dubbing two tapes back and forth. I knew we weren’t going to go to college, I didn’t know where Ween was going to go, but as it turns out, we had put all our energy in the right places, and we got signed that summer.

So there was never really any guesswork to it. So that was in 1989, and our debut record came in 1990. It was a double record. It was almost to me like a greatest hit, of like 7 years of Ween. We had that much experience. So we got that one out of the way, the second and third ones were almost done already. The second one came out and we got signed. Then we were on Warner Brothers all of the sudden. So I never really had to think about it much. Like I said, we put our energy in the right places. We worked really, really, really hard on being good.

You know, it seems like a whirlwind thing, but it’s not. When Ween started out, it was very experimental and noisy. And it sounded like two twelve year olds, you know. But within a few years, we were happening. We were writing really clean songs. Choruses that you could remember, that were catchy, my parents were hearing it, they loved it. You know, I was still doing the same exact thing, it’s incredible. Really nothing has changed on the front end. I still work exactly the same way I did back then, you know, but with better music.

I heard there was about a year after Ween where you didn’t work with your guitar, really?

It was more like 6 or 7 months, I don’t really think that much about that. I’ve suffered from anxiety my entire life. Depression is something that was never in my vocabulary. I’ve never been depressed but when Ween split up, I lost everything. All I’d ever done was that. I mean, I’ve told you how long I’ve been at it, I just knew I couldn’t get out of bed, eat, shower, go out. The guitar was just another thing that got ignored during that 8 months. I didn’t mow the lawn either. I just didn’t do anything, just ran up debt. Only battle with depression I ever had. I was stuck. I really empathize with people who have it now.

If it weren’t for my friends, my friends saved my life, they were like, “You have to start playing again. You have to force yourself, even if you’re not into it. Go out. You don’t realize how much you miss it.” So I started and it didn’t feel right. But it took, and they were right. I got a band together, called it the Dean Ween Group, said “fuck it I’m still Dean Ween.” And when does Johnny Ramone cease to be Johnny Ramone? He dies, that’s the answer. Even when the Ramones broke up he was still Johnny Ramone. And with Ween being a duo and all that, I didn’t know who I was. Hard to explain, I lost my confidence, my career, my identity, sense of worth. Love. Hobby. Passion. I’ll never make that mistake again.

You’ve been working on The Deaner Album for a hot second. Any fun anecdotes from the recording process?

Yeah, it took a while to make, and then it happened like a tornado. When I got it going I really got it going. Up until that point, I had like two songs from like a year before and then it just like caught. I ended up replacing those songs with newer ones, when I was like totally back, when the group was happening and touring. People were commenting and fans wouldn’t go away, and good stuff like that. So the anecdotes have more to do with building the studio, and watching it go up, and really just visualizing it. Fantasizing about how long I was going to be in the studio. I swore I would come here every day, and do a song a day. All day, every day, all night. And I have for a couple years now. So I have this enormous catalog, just ready to go. The second Dean Ween record is done. It’s ready to go. It’s better than the first one, and I can’t wait to get it out there.

But for the touring, we’re playing everything. I don’t have to play Ween songs unless I feel like it. Which, I do, they’re mine too.

“Exercise Man” is pretty witty. What inspired that song?

I sang it to my son when he was like 2 or 3 in the car every time we saw some idiot jogging or riding his bike in the snow at 6 am. i would make up lyrics to songs and we’d sing them. Ironically enough I’ve recorded a few of them, he’s 15 now, they were just funny ideas. A lotta people say ween makes children’s music and I guess that’s partially true. evidenced by how many kid’s shows we’ve been involved in—especially spongebob.

Do you have a favorite song off of this album, by chance?

YES. “Bundle of Joy” is my hands down favorite. It was one of the last songs I wrote for the album too.

You have a pretty extensive tour coming up.

Yeah, that’s the first leg of it. We’re going to be out all of next year. We might even go overseas.

What are you most looking forward to about getting out on the road?

The food. I eat much better on the road because normal people need to eat a few times a day. The restaurants where I live totally suck. Honestly, the music and the camaraderie, read the lyrics to Willie Nelson’s “On the Road again”, Willie has a way of summing things up perfectly and that song is about touring. traveling will always represent the epitome of the American dream, especially for a young man. Getting to meet people and play music for them, the road is where u get all the love back from the people you’re hoping to reach with your music.

You have a fishing charter business? HOW do you find time to do all of these things?

I am very busy, just leave at that. even having a few spare hours feels like a victory. I took some time off to go fishing two nights ago and I enjoyed every second of it.

The Deaner Album is out now.

**Originally published Oct 22, 2016. Reposted with permission from the author.