Whimsical and sweet, the first time I heard “Paul” by Tuesday Faust, I was transported far, far away back to my elementary school field trips to the state fair and family summer vacations roaming the beach boardwalk carnival, watching the bright lights and listening to the lilting calypso themes emanating from various cash-grab rides.
Category: Blog
Chainsaw Charts 6/10/24
Chainsaw Charts
# | Artist | Record | Label |
1 | DISSIMULATOR | Lower Form Resistance | 20 Buck Spin |
2 | NECROFIER | Burning Shadows In The Southern Night | Season Of Mist |
3 | WRISTMEETRAZOR | Degeneration | Prosthetic |
4 | ABHORIA | Depths | Prosthetic |
5 | APE VERMIN | Andromedas Colossus | Self-Released |
6 | BLACKBRAID | Blackbraid II | Self-Released |
7 | BRODEQUIN | Harbinger of Woe | Season of Mist |
8 | HOPLITES | Παραμαινομένη | Self-Released |
9 | KNOCKED LOOSE | You Won’t Go Before You’re Supposed To | Pure Noise |
10 | NIMBIFER | Der böse Geist | Vendetta |
Afterhours Charts 6/10/24
Afterhours Charts
# | Artist | Record | Label |
1 | CAR CRASH AND SIREN | VARIOUS ARTISTS | Lost Frog |
2 | BASSVICTIM | Basspunk | Self-Released |
3 | KILL ALTERS | Suffocating Xpansion | DEATHBYSHEEP |
4 | PEPPERWOOD ENSEMBLE AND ATP | Train Of Thought | Makeyourowndontbiteme |
5 | KISS CARE AND PAR | Fan Club [EP] | Poclanos |
6 | LIP CRITIC | Hex Dealer | Partisan |
7 | MUDDYOUSH | Third From The Sun | Self-Released |
8 | MIDSTYLE | Midstyle2024 [EP] | ANGEL |
9 | CIGAR CIGARETTE | Natural History [EP] | Trash Casual |
10 | FLOATING POINTS | “Del Oro” [Single] | Ninja Tune |
Afterhours Adds
# | Artist | Record | Label |
1 | PEPPERWOOD ENSEMBLE AND ATP | Train Of Thought | Makeyourowndontbiteme |
2 | KILL ALTERS | Suffocating Xpansion | DEATHBYSHEEP |
3 | KISS CARE AND PAR | Fan Club [EP] | Poclanos |
4 | CIGAR CIGARETTE | Natural History [EP] | Trash Casual |
5 | FLOATING POINTS | “Del Oro” [Single] | Ninja Tune |
6 | MONACO AND POVOA | “GARÇON” [Single] | NIICETRAXX |
As summer’s warm and enthralling climate draws people outside, so does their willingness to switch up our habits. One thing I like to switch up is my music, saying goodbye to The Moon & Antarctica and hello to Sunbather.
Today, I present to you two of my favorite lighting-in-a-bottle rock projects released over the past months that I will definitely be having in my rotation this summer. Both of these projects expand out rock genre in ways I would have never imagined, and they do it with ease.
“Connla’s Well” by Maruja
Over the past year, Manchester post-punk band Maruja have made themselves ever present in the underground music scene with their debut EP, “Knocknarea”. With their tight, abrasive and poetic sound, the band has taken over Brixton’s rock scene at the Windmill. “Connla’s Well” is a second out-of-the-park home run for the group.
“Connla’s Well” feels like an extremely intense massage. Each aggressive drum hit or intense saxophone lick feels like a hot stone, gaining satisfaction through the pain. The soaring vocals cut through the mix, beating muscles and cartilage into a pulp. By the end, it might be the most relaxed you could ever feel.
One thing that I absolutely love about “Connla’s Well” and Maruja as a band is how much they play with momentum in a song. Through carefully layering their vibrating guitar and saxophone like they do on “The Invisible Man”, they can seamlessly make their riffs grow into a flaming asteroid hurling across the galaxy at breakneck speeds.
Maruja’s Alto Saxophonist, Joe Carroll, stated an interview by God Is In The TV, that their sound is influenced a lot by the freedom of funk, reggae, and jazz. And even through the thick and tortured sound, you can definitely make out a lot of that beauty. This is wildly apparent in the closer “Resisting Resistance”.
Overall, “Connla’s Well” is a heavy, brutal, yet gorgeous work of art that you will not regret checking out.
“Twice Around the Sun” by Ugly (UK)
Six-piece Cambridge band Ugly create an incredibly unique experience on their latest project, “Twice Around the Sun.” The project combines styles of choral singing, modern post-rock and 60s and 70s folk, creating a real rural, barnyard feel to the entire project. One of the really standout parts of this project is that all of the songs start really innocent, but grow to monstrous proportions throughout.
The first song, “The Wheel”, is a great example of their amazing progression. The song starts with some cute group singing, with light percussion and strings in the background. This may be a strange comparison, but this part feels like I am having a picnic with all the drawings I made in kindergarten. But then there’s an abrupt and loud halt in the momentum and the beat completely switches up. Now, it sounds like TOOL got a hold of these twangy instruments and are summoning a portal to the underworld with this psychedelic groove. It all feels so natural too, which makes it even more impressive.
This EP has some of the best synergy I have heard between members in quite a long time. All of the choral sections, guitar, and percussion all feel like one driving unit in this music. It really ends up making creating such a powerful noise after it all.
One of my favorite songs off of this EP though has to be “I’m Happy You’re Here”. It really takes its time and grows to such giant and beautiful heights. The harmonies are incredible, the end hook feels like you are waltzing on air into the clouds. It is definitely a strong contender of my song of they year.
Ugly’s “Twice Around the Sun” is one of the most interesting little pieces of music you could get your hands on this year, with a perfect vibe to enjoy throughout this pleasant, hot summer.
Jazz Charts 6/10/24
Jazz Charts
# | Artist | Record | Label |
1 | KAMASI WASHINGTON | Fearless Movement | Young |
2 | BADBADNOTGOOD | Mid Spiral: Order [EP] | XL |
3 | BADBADNOTGOOD | Mid Spiral: Growth [EP] | XL |
4 | DAVID BENOIT | Timeless | SRG Jazz |
5 | JAKE LECKIE | Planter of Seeds | Self-Released |
6 | JOE MARCINEK BAND | 1 River Street | Vintage League |
7 | ANDY MILNE | Time Will Tell | Sunnyside |
8 | IVANNA CUESTA | A Letter To The Earth | Orenda |
9 | TROY ROBERTS | Green Lights | Toy Robot |
10 | BK TRIO | Groovin On | Flat7Always |
Jazz Adds
# | Artist | Record | Label |
1 | KAMASI WASHINGTON | Fearless Movement | Young |
2 | BADBADNOTGOOD | Mid Spiral: Order [EP] | XL |
3 | BADBADNOTGOOD | Mid Spiral: Growth [EP] | XL |
4 | DAVID BENOIT | Timeless | SRG Jazz |
Underground Charts 6/10/24
Underground Charts
# | Artist | Record | Label |
1 | MILAN RING | Mangos | Astral People/PIAS |
2 | CADENCE WEAPON | Rollercoaster | MNRK |
3 | HALIMA | EXU [EP] | drink sum wtr |
4 | YAYA BEY | Ten Fold | Big Dada |
5 | POTATOHEAD PEOPLE | Eat Your Heart Out | Bastard Jazz |
6 | JAHAH | “Exclusively (Make It Official)” [Single] | Self-Released |
7 | NALIJ | “89 Escobar” [Single] | Self-Released |
8 | DOPE PROSE | “Never Had It” [Single] | Self-Released |
9 | MYLO MU | Serato Audio Effect Series Beat Tape | Self-Released |
10 | DANNY MILES | Beautiful Music | Urbnet |
Underground Adds
# | Artist | Record | Label |
1 | DENZEL CURRY | “Hot Ones” feat. TiaCorine & A$AP Ferg [Single] | Loma Vista/Concord |
2 | KHAL!L | HEART: Melodies Of The Eternal Flame | EQ |
3 | GROOVY | Crying In The Club [EP] | Warner |
4 | MO TURK | “Refresh (Single)” [Single] | Self-Released |
5 | TIKI JENKINS | “Who Told You (Single)” [Single] | Self-Released |
Top Charts 6/10/24
Top Charts
# | Artist | Record | Label |
1 | GLITTERER | Rationale | Anti- |
2 | STALEFISH | Stalefish Does America | Happen Twice |
3 | YUNGATITA | Shoelace & A Knot | Self-Released |
4 | MEAN JEANS | Blasted | Fat Wreck Chords |
5 | ADRIANNE LENKER | Bright Future | 4AD |
6 | EDO. G | We Do Good | Red Line |
7 | ERIK THE ARCHITECT | I’ve Never Been Here Before | Architect |
8 | IDLES | Tangk | Partisan |
9 | MANNEQUIN PUSSY | I Got Heaven | Epitaph |
10 | ARLO PARKS | My Soft Machine (Deluxe) | Transgressive/PIAS |
11 | ATMOSPHERE | Talk Talk [EP] | Rhymesayers |
12 | BLACKWINTERWELLS | mortal | Amuseio |
13 | BRISTLER | Cascades At Play [EP] | Mint 400 |
14 | BUILT TO SPILL | When The Wind Forgets Your Name | Self-Released |
15 | BUTCHER BROWN | Solar Music | Concord Jazz/Concord |
16 | CAKES DA KILLA | Black Sheep | Young Art |
17 | CHUCK STRANGERS | A Forsaken Lover’s Plea | Lex |
18 | CRUMB | AMAMA | Crumb |
19 | CZARFACE | Czartificial Intelligence | Silver Age/Virgin |
20 | DANNY BROWN | Quaranta | Warp |
21 | FLY ANAKIN | Skinemaxxx (Side B) | Lex |
22 | GOAT GIRL | Below The Waste | Rough Trade |
23 | HANA VU | Romanticism | Ghostly International/Secretly Group |
24 | KILLER MIKE | “EXIT 9” feat. Blxst (Clean) [Single] | Concord |
25 | LIME GARDEN | One More Thing | So Young |
26 | LIP CRITIC | Hex Dealer | Partisan |
27 | MAMALARKY | Pocket Fantasy | Fire Talk |
28 | MILAN RING | Mangos | Astral People/PIAS |
29 | MINT FIELD | Aprender A Ser | Felte |
30 | OMNI | Souvenir | Sub Pop |
Top Adds
# | Artist | Record | Label |
1 | HABIBI | Dreamachine | Kill Rock Stars |
2 | SABRINA SONG | You Could Stay In One Spot, and I’d Love You The Same | Self-Released |
3 | BONE HAUS | In Mourning | Self-Released |
4 | SOCCER MOMMY | “Lost” [Single] | Loma Vista/Concord |
5 | MAGGIE GENTLY | Wherever You Want To Go | Self-Released |
6 | TEENS IN TROUBLE | What’s Mine | Asian Man |
7 | IDAHO | Lapse | Arts & Crafts |
It’s been a while since I’ve jumped into another genre that sounds made up.
A kaleidoscope of influences — hardcore, post-hardcore, metal, new wave, disco, etc. — consistently infused with cheeky irreverence and borderline-effeminate vocality, sasscore is a truly magnificent musical monstrosity that spits in the face of hypermasculinity. Hipsters before hipsters were uncool.
The Compendium of Sass
A “compendium of sass” posted to the now-defunct website “Stuff You Will Hate” described sasscore as “all about tight pants, pink, snotty attitudes, sweaty dance parties, keyboards, androgynous Asian band members and explicit homoeroticism.”
According to the compendium’s anonymous author, sasscore is, plainly put, “Hardcore for the angry skinny boys full of sexual tension and a great collection of skinny ties and thrift store slim-fit suit jackets before those were even a thing that cool people wore.”
Scathing commentary aside, sasscore seems to perfectly encapsulate a highly-specific and lamentably short-lived era of late 90’s and early 2000’s aesthesis.
Just as “twee” describes a brief-but-irrefutably punctuating period of Moldy Peaches-listening, Oxford-wearing, tote bag-carrying proto-hipsterism, sasscore highlights the intersection of “hipster-scenester” male sexuality, “femme arthouse stuff,” and alternative music long before “hipster” became a derogatory term.
And it was polarizing, for sure. People either loved sasscore or absolutely hated it (evidently enough to psychoanalyze its fans on troll websites).
Why Hate Sass?
The anonymous author speculated that one reason the genre was met with such fervent resistance was due to the “latent discomfort hardcore has always had with male sexuality, be it heterosexual or homosexual.”
While there are certainly some points in the author’s manifesto that strike me as conjecture rather than analysis, I do agree that sasscore seems to find its roots in its opposition to the hegemonic masculinity of the hardcore scene.
As we’ve seen with other genres like riot grrrl, queer/homocore and egg punk, the “boy’s club” atmosphere of the hardcore scene is, to put it plainly, highly divisive. While nonconformity is the alleged crux of punk ethos, the veneration of hypermasculinity overshadows the scene’s diversity.
In a way, sasscore is the antithesis of the hypermasculine. While still majorly male-dominated, sasscore artists never shy away from the “feminine,” dressing somewhere between punks, hipsters and scene kids and infusing their instrumentation and stylistics with audacious and experimental styles.
The Emergence of Sass
Sass rose as a movement in the early 2000s with the work of bands like The Crimson Curse, Orchid, The Blood Brothers, Black Eyes (one of my favorite sass bands) and The Plot to Blow Up the Eiffel Tower.
At the same time, other bands such as Destroyer Destroyer, Tower of Rome and many others excluded sasscore’s post-hardcore influences, instead fusing sasscore with mathcore and grindcore. The resulting genre became known as white belt.
Some newer white belt bands that mix hardcore, slam, grind and metalcore revival include SeeYouSpaceCowboy, The Callous Daoboys, and .gif from god (who I saw live last year)
The Sound of Sass
According to Phillip Stounn of DIY Conspiracy, sasscore incorporates elements from genres within and outside of punk and is generally considered a post-hardcore style.
Key stylistic features include an “over-the-top, spastic edge, dissonant, chaotic guitars, occastional dance rhythms, synths and blast beats.”
In 2017, writer Ellie Kovach (influenced by “the compendium of sass”) described the genre’s “lisping vocals shouting incredibly erotic lyrics over chaotic guitar runs and keyboards” and “flamboyant, homoerotic clothing and behavior” as being primarily directed at hardcore’s “tough-guy” culture and “the PC crowd’s stifling lack of ability to have fun.”
Final Thoughts
I’m always a sucker for a genre that counters counterculture, and I always jump at the opportunity to elicit some early-2000’s nostalgia.
While sasscore certainly isn’t for everybody, I find that it’s my particular flavor of so-weird-it’s-almost-bad music. Would I play Black Eyes for my family? Probably not. But have I listened through their self-titled album more times than I can count? Absolutely.
If you’re someone interested in music with a “spastic edge,” then perhaps you should check out sasscore. If you like things a bit on the heavier side, check out white belt.
I never thought Squeeze would be a divisive band, but I thought wrong.
Whenever the band appears in conversation, it’s accompanied by a chorus of groans.
According to a certain subset of the population, Squeeze is a girl’s band.
Did the band garner an audience of young women? Of course they did; they were halfway decent-looking young men singing love songs.
But how does that change the sonic validity of a group?
Historically, teenage girls have always been on the cusp of greatness with who gets their fandom.
Sinatra, Elvis, The Beatles, Duran Duran, Madonna and Taylor Swift all captured teenage imaginations and were partially propelled to stardom because of it.
Now, we socially recognize the legitimacy of some of these artists as important to the fabric of pop-culture, but that was only until they gained a more adult audience.
So, what makes Squeeze different?
They ran in the same circles as Nick Lowe and Elvis Costello, being produced by the former and the latter appearing on 1981’s “Tempted” and “There’s no Tomorrow” and 1982’s “Black Coffee in Bed.”
Argybargy:
For all intents and purposes, they ran with a cool crowd and played cool music. But because of their designation as a radio pop band for teenagers, they lost their luster.
I was going through my own record collection, and I stumbled upon my beat up copy of “Argybargy,” the band’s third studio album released in 1980 – and I fell in love.
It was a dollar bin lark because I liked “Pulling Muscles (From the Shell)” — a slightly dirty ditty about naughty diversions at the beach — but I never really listened to it until I pulled it from the stacks.
And goddamn was it good.
With “Argybargy,” the band enjoyed a brief flash of global domination and to quote Chris Jones of the BBC, “If you’re going to own at least one Squeeze album, this has to be the one.”
It’s jazzy, it’s fun, there’s almost a doo-wop flair to the dueling vocals of Glen Tilbrook and Chris Difford and there’s a delightfully working class flair to the stories they tell — even with inconsistent songs — across the board it was a fun listen.
The album did well; they found an audience as young and spunky as their sound and they found their stride – good for them, because other bands would kill for a glimpse of that success.
So yeah, chicks dig squeeze (this chick certainly does) and maybe you should, too.
Perhaps we put too much weight on how popularity affects the “coolness” of something — a prevalent WKNC conversation — but I beg that something is popular for a reason…
You can call Squeeze whatever you want — New Wave, Pop, Airheaded-Teenie-Bopper-Love-Songs — whatever you want, but if the music sounds good and the band is respected by contemporaries, maybe we should respect it, too.
– Bodhi
Bar Italia began by accident. The members were all living in one building in Peckham, England in 2019. Jezmi Tarik Fehmi and Sam Fenton lived downstairs in a single shared apartment, making music as Double Virgo. Meanwhile, Nina Cristante lived upstairs, teaching pilates.
The name Double Virgo is self-referential, as Fehmi and Fenton share the same star sign. Their sound is rhythmic, emotive and dark.
Bar Italia formed later on, first signing to Dean Blunt’s music label Word Music before recently switching over to Matador Records to release their new project “The Twits.”
I was lucky enough to see Bar Italia play at Motorco Music Hall last March. Fehmi, Fenton and Cristante seemed to revel in their mysterious presence. They came on stage thirty minutes past nine p.m., played for strictly 50 minutes without pause and then left abruptly with a briefly whispered thank you to the crowd, only stopping to pass the set list off to a person standing near the front of the stage.