It’s already June, and if no one tells you how they can barely believe it in the next few days, then you got away with murder, essentially.
That said, it is June. And with June comes PRIDE. Big Hassle – one of our favorite companies in the otherwise questionable and interestingly chaotic music industry – has curated a playlist featuring some of their most prominent talents. We got our hands on it so that you can get to know the Big Hassle roster… and party down all month long.
imperfect Fifth really is committed to celebrating LGBTQ+ joy and rights every month of the year, and will do what we can to uplift marginalized voices where we can. Please email meredith@imperfectfifth.com if you have any brands or talent you’d like us to highlight, projects to talk about, or something else that can help us support and uplift our community!
In March, indie darling duo Byland – comprised of husband/wife talents Alie and Jake Byland – released their entrancing, 10-track full-length Heavy For A While. One of our favorites was a very emotional track for Alie, titled “Two Circles.” The music video was released today, and we are massive fans of the use of color to tell a story with the artful visuals.
Alie wanted to explore the idea of post-death limbo with this music video, which explains the stark contrast and richness in the colors chosen. “Chris Cunningham did a phenomenal job of imagining a weird, compelling visual concept and putting together an amazing team to bring it to life,” Alie says.
“As the protagonist (Alie) explores her home, she starts breaking through into this larger space that’s a little bit unfamiliar, but still populated with memories and objects from her past,” explains Cunningham. “She finds herself naturally searching for an exit, no longer content with just existing alone in her old familiar environment (perhaps unconsciously preparing to move on). Eventually, she finds an exit door that leads… well, somewhere else. Where the hell that is, I have no idea. Absolute death? A DMT fever dream in the final firework show of neurons in the brain? An afterlife? Who knows.”
The video has a haunting feeling to it, much like the song it was created to accompany. Check it out in full below.
VIDEO CREDITS: Music video for the Byland song, “Two Circles” off of the record “Heavy for a While.” Director: Dark Details Director of Photography: Dylan Priest Producer: Paul Breslin Gaffer: Matt Lindberg Photographer: Nick Ward Production Assistants: Ayla Cole, Brantley Duke, Marcus Chavez Special thanks to Kate Becker and Harbor Island Studios, as well as Chris Mosson and Retro Camera.
The Dandy Warhols’ album release week swept New York City in March. With shows at Elsewhere, Gonzos, and Webster Hall, the Dandy Warhols introduced Rockmaker to the world. The Warhols’ Webster Hall show was epic, and is captured in the pictures below.
Modern pop outfit Kiss Bang is forever imprinted onto our minds as exceptionally fun convention/festival-goers. The duo took to the @imperfectfifth Instagram account during SXSW 2024 to give us a glimpse into their spring break fun. Not to mention the fact that they were attending SXSW as performers. (But really, do go on.)
We got to throw a few post-fest questions their way. Results below.
You approached strangers. You ran around. You tried to win things – and WON! What was your FAVORITE experience during your iF takeover?
We really did do it all haha! I think the best part of doing this takeover was really getting to explore SXSW. It felt like we went straight from one show to the next so this really gave us the opportunity to check it out.
Was there another experience that exceeded expectations during your trip to SXSW 2024?
We would say our last show at Hotel Vegas. It was the day of our EP release and performing to a packed out venue was the best feeling in the world.
Who was the best artist or act that you discovered (besides your damn selves) this year at SXSW?
We would have to say Shannon and the Clams! We had a chance to stop by their set and we’re blown away.
What was the best food you ate that week? (For real, always need suggestions.)
Terry Black’s!!! It was on our bucket list before we got to Austin and did not disappoint.
Any highlight moments from your SXSW performances you’d like to share?
One of our favorite moments was watching people who’d never heard us before singing along to our songs by the second chorus. With the EP only being out for a couple of weeks, it was incredible to see how quickly people were falling in love with this band.
What else would you like to share that’s coming down the stretch for Kiss Bang?
More music and more shows!!! We are so excited for what’s coming up 🙂
With her first, deep inhale at the top of the title track – which just so happens to be the first on Byland’s new release, Alie Byland signals a deep sigh of relief for us all. “Heavy For A While” is the vulnerable, soft intro to this 10-track masterpiece release, which is officially out now.
Byland – officially a duo comprised of Alie and her husband Jake, surname Byland – has chosen to create an album so beautifully relatable, especially post-pandemic. Says Alie, “It’s more so my own unfettered journey of finding a sense of home and comfortability with myself, wherever I am.”
With songs like “Postcard” and “Settle My Mind,” Byland addresses isolation in an expansive and thought-provoking way. The dissonance toward the end of “Settle My Mind” feels almost like the chaos that has been occurring inside of every human over the past 4 years, as we all grapple with our emotions and identities in the wake of so many mind-blowing global issues.
Alie and Jake, in particular, zoom in on emotions and thoughts from the darker COVID days, and a time when they were contemplating a cross-country move. They both worked separately, then married some of their ideas together and refined their work as a team to really work through the aforementioned isolation organically. And you can feel it in the songs – the composition and the lyrics. Melodies and lines serve as organic puzzle pieces building toward the whole picture – a true masterpiece of an album. To extract us from the humbling events of today, Alie’s voice carries us to another plane.
“Two Circles” addresses space and time itself, and was one of the first tracks I connected with upon first listening to Heavy For A While. Explains Alie: “[The track] feels like it changes meaning each time I get to sing it. I see myself in this song. I see others. I see love, pain, anger, frustration, joy, shame, angst, everything and nothing.” Its simplistic lyrics are open for interpretation, though each version feels like it addresses a relationship — with yourself, another, an emotion, an event in your life.
The pace of “Temporary Everything” wakes you up out of the gorgeous melody in “Two Circles,” giving sonic momentum to this section of the album. It grapples with the acceptance that everything in life is temporary. Alie gets a bit cheeky with the line “The end of the fucking world,” but she’s only saying what we are all thinking.
“Darts” comes back in slowly, almost like a lullaby when juxtaposed against the tracks that come before and after it. Then “Monstera” comes in wielding a whole different energy, a song Alie wrote about her childhood best friend – the first person she had musical dreams with – and how she grappled with the change of a big move – and a lifelong dream together. This track has a sense of urgency about it, a bit more grit, and also a sense of beautiful acknowledgment of those people who helped to set you on your trajectory. Alie took such a liking to the track that last fall’s tour (2023) was titled the “Monstera Tour.”
Sonically, “Like Flies” feels like a Tim Burton movie, especially when compared to its predecessors. There is almost an eery tone to the melody, cinematic and beautiful in its own right. Last track “End Scene” comes in like a brisk walk a the end of a daunting journey. The piano is the centerpiece of the track, the simplicity establishing a sense of peace – a firm ending to this whirlwind of emotions (and talent).
Upcoming Shows 3/29 – Seattle, WA – Easy Street Records (Album Release Celebration) 5/2 – Tacoma, WA – New Frontier Lounge 5/3 – Portland, OR – Alberta Street Pub 5/7 – Reno, NV – Cypress 5/8 – Eugene, OR – Sam Bond’s Garage 5/9 – Seattle, WA – The Crocodile (w/ Noah Gundersen & His Band) 5/11 – Santa Fe, NM – The Mystic (Alie solo) 5/16 – Everett, WA – Fisherman’s Village Music Fest 2024
Alongside its artful visual comes the new track “Dreamspeak” from genre-bending artist Nisa. The song itself comes across as hyper-aware, but of whom, you can only guess. Explains Nisa: “‘Dreamspeak’ is about the push-and-pull of wanting to fit in while growing tired of the artifice.”Most people can certainly identify with that idea. This song is easily relatable through Nisa’s lyrics.
Nisa sings as though comforting someone — is it her past or present self? Is it someone else? Either way, her vocal delivery makes this song feel both severely hopeless and carefully hopeful at the same time. (You have to hear it to understand it — or it’s maybe also just me. That’s fine.)
The video feels a touch 90s in its presentation, delivered with shots reminiscent of Paula Cole’s “Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?” and other videos featured on TRL at the time. The cool tones to the video create the coldness associated with the exhaustion the song is undoubtedly dealing with.
Feeling like you have to fit in is associated with feelings of comparison and high standards for your own life. It paralyzes people every day, and singing about it can and does help people destigmatize these thoughts a little bit further.
Get your first look at the song and its accompanying video below!
Catch Nisa LIVE On Tour This Spring! Tour + tickets here 5/7: Brooklyn, NY @ Baby’s All Right 5/8: Washington, DC @ Pie Shop 5/11: Boston, MA @ Lilypad 5/12: Philadelphia, PA @ MilkBoy
I’m not sure I could think of a better pairing than the indelible Samantha Fish and Jesse Dayton. Luckily, not only did they partner on a phenomenal album titled Death Wish Blues, but they are currently touring together with their incredibly unique styles of alternative blues. A more electric stage – and a more excited crowd – I had yet to see in 2024.
That all changed on Thursday, February 22nd. The Truman opened its doors to a full house, welcoming Samantha Fish back for a truly delightful hometown show. The band came out to near ear-piercing screams, and excited cheers of recognition with the first notes of the very first song. Smoke filled the crevices of the stage as Fish and Dayton’s mindblowing musicianship took over the warehouse space.
On Friday, genre-bending duo They Travel at Night – comprised of Chuck Howard and Lou Scanlon – released their debut EP, a 5-track feat named Entropy. Veterans of the industry in their respective rights, Howard and Scanlon’s influence is wide-ranging, a fact that is evidenced by this release, if you weren’t already familiar.
Beginning with the first track “Go On,” you can identify the quirky and endearing ways they enhance their tracks. It begins synth-heavy – like, 80s realm synth-heavy – and blossoms into something that, toned down, just as easily belongs in a 90’s movie. Cymbal-led “Fare Thee Well” changes pace for a while for dramatic effect, and lands more in the “I may belong on one of The O.C. soundtracks” category.
“Moment” begins with a guitar riff worthy of an oughts indie/emo band. The electronic breakdowns at 1:42 and 2:42 are really fun, I’m not sure how anyone could get through this song without a smile on their face. “Into It” builds dramatically, a ballad-like track that could, in my humble opinion, easily find its way to a Broadway musical. Entropy lands on “Colors,” an instrumental track that feels celebratory and squared to welcome success. I feel privileged to welcome false spring with this release in my back pocket.
Check out They Travel at Night’s Entropy below, and let us know what you think over on Instagram and Facebook!
Run Time: 1hr 25 mins Streaming: HULU Genre: Comedy, Action/Adventure, Thriller, Silly Adventure, Buddy Comedy, Mystery Suggested for: People and pets of all ages. Those who love Squid Games, Hunger Games, hunting, etc. Adoring fans of The Pepperwood Chronicles or other deep cut references from New Girl.
To tell you I know I will watch this movie a dozen times or more over the next 6 months is probably an understatement. Written, directed, produced, and starred in by none other than Jake Johnson (fka such gems as “Shady David Krumholtz” and “a deeply troubled, degenerate Oscar Isaac”), Self Reliance is a comedy thriller that pushes the needle on self-awareness. A heavily nuanced piece, it presents as a little more whacky, with adrenaline-inducing chase scenes and the inclusion of several familiar faces. My twin sister is in town, and it was the perfect way to spend the early hours of our Friday morning with Schmidt (the cat) in tow.
IMDb Description: Given the opportunity to participate in a life or death reality game show, one man discovers there’s a lot to live for.
Tommy (Jake Johnson) is a man not quite taking advantage of the prime of his life. He lives with his mom after a debilitating breakup and sticks to a daily routine that seems rigid and unfulfilling. He wakes up with a picture of his ex next to the alarm clock, rides the exercise bike watching the iPad with no sense of urgency, walks the same route to work, pushes paper at his desk all day, walks to the bar for a drink, and heads home. Everything seems gray, and very purposefully so.
One day, Andy Samberg – another producer on the project is The Lonely Island – pulls up alongside Tommy in a limo. He tells Tommy he doesn’t know why he has picked him up, but that people are waiting for him and the driver takes them to a warehouse where they drop Tommy off and urgently leave. Samberg’s quintessential over-the-top facial expressions and visible discomfort during the scene help to foreshadow a rough go for Tommy.
After following red arrows through a maze of warehouse corridors, Tommy finds himself facing a table of foreign men who tell him he has been invited to play a game where he is being hunted. It is all being broadcast to the dark web. Hunters could find him, but they might not. The only way he can avoid being killed is to stay in close proximity to another person for 30 days. If he survives that time frame, he gets $1 million. Sounds easy, so he accepts.
THIS PARAGRAPH HAS MILD SPOILERS. SKIP THIS SECTION IF YOU’D LIKE. Until his family hears his story about Andy Samberg picking him up in a limo and offering him a spot in a game where people hunt others for sport. Because he is stuck in a post-breakup depression haze, Tommy’s family – expertly played by Mary Holland, Emily Hampshire, and Nancy Lenehan – thinks his mental health has tanked and he just doesn’t want to be alone. When he furthers their theory about his sanity by physically moving his brother-in-law from the toilet mid-shit to prove to an assassin that he isn’t alone through a bathroom window in the middle of the night, they back out entirely. He recruits a houseless man to live and work with him so he is never alone, consequently loses his job, and is thrown into a hailstorm of a month. *******************
Joining Johnson in his debut effort is an insanely stacked cast. Aside from the aforementioned, Natalie Morales appears as Tommy’s ex. Anna Kendrick plays his love interest, a woman named Maddy who reaches out when Tommy posts a cryptic Craigslist ad to learn more about other players of this game. Christopher Lloyd makes an appearance, as well as Wayne Brady, Biff Wiff, Boban Marjanović, GaTa – whose work bringing mental health-focused projects to the table has held a healthy balance amidst his music and acting endeavors – and Eduardo Franco, who is pretty much everyone’s favorite human to be around.
My sister, Erin P.S. Zimmerman (a producer, filmmaker, and film critic) had a pointed takeaway from this fun watch. The man who wrote this movie has most likely experienced loneliness and pain, and come to his own existential conclusions. Humor and growth have been found in the process. Through Self Reliance, Jake Johnson has pinpointed the importance of community in the human experience. Though I’m sure the plotline was born from many inside jokes and comedic life experiences – and a flurry of incredible pop culture references – the core of the film is, truly, togetherness.
It is also, in my opinion, a sound testament to trusting your own gut and instincts through life. As terrifying as some of the situations were that the characters found themselves in, they had to work their their own intuition and ideas with the information they had to move forward. Watching these characters pause for thought, and then approach situations with unwarranted confidence is almost empowering. Because, truly, nothing different is happening to the people in Self Reliance than is happening to all of us at any point in our lives. Anything can happen to you at any moment. And you have to work with what you have in that moment to thrive — or even just to survive. Curveballs – like the cryptic messages from GaTa and the P.A. Ninjas – can be thrown your way at any time. You have to be aware and ready to create your own destiny. (You know, instead of meandering about as we all do from time to time for an extended period. Because meandering is cool.)
Another great piece to this film is that Tommy recognizes the people who are helping him pretty quickly. His character even goes so far as to acknowledge them along the way, and it is because he is waking up and beginning to notice the things around him a lot more — see the world more clearly. (You would too if assassins were hidden around your world, trying to take you out as soon as you’re not paying attention.)
A more detailed perspective from Erin:
As someone that works in the production industry, watching how the P.A. Ninjas were presented was lighthearted and hilarious, but also true. Knowing that Jake Johnson has touched many facets of the filmmaking workflow – writer, director, producer, and actor in this movie alone – he went into this project as a filmmaker who has a more well-rounded perspective of the process.
Though the P.A. Ninjas seem like a characature, they are very true to life in that they bend over backwards for everyone, they take care of the people who take care of them, they’re ninjas that seem to do everything and take care of everything. But they are necessary and he brought light to the fact that they are ninjas. It was a nice little nod to workforces in the industry that aren’t often acknowledged by the executives and top-billed cast, or anyone who has never been in their position before.
Coming out of the strikes of 2023, the details in this film seem all the more important as the creative community bands together again to go through a season of productivity.
Self Reliance is a little more fast paced, and it will require a bit of attention to catch all of the quips and references. Johnson’s genius mind will have you second-guessing your predictions, assumptions, and real-time assessments until the very end. Be ready to spot Ellen DeGeneres, Mario, a sumo wrestler, samurais, and more – and question everything you know – on this adventure.
