For today’s Scene.Exchange feature, we’re turning our (nu-)gaze to Sweden, where in Gothenburg (Göteborg) — home to one of our fave fests Viva Sounds — the band Wolfschmidt has just released their new single “svalbard”…

… the latest addition to the full catalog — a hypnotizing, occasionally haunting, often headbang-inducing hurricane of sound — which you should take time to dive into in its entirety as they (and we!) prepare for the release of their upcoming debut album.

Like most Scene.Exchange bands, we came upon Wolfschmidt on the festival circuit, catching their captivating sets — a sonic swirl of crashes and caresses — at both New Colossus and Left of the Dial. By far our favorite form of discovery, it’s one that simultaneously serves as an endorsement of all of the above: a band hustling around the world to positively soak new audiences in sound + a team of curators prioritizing music over metrics and digging up incredible international bands to showcase them before they break.

On that front, consider Bands do BK/Scene.Exchange the middle(wo)man dedicated to delivering these bands from festival stages straight to your inbox. All with hopes you’ll commandeer the aux and pass on the new tunes you love — in this case, Wolfschmidt’s — to your friends. And then, idk, maybe book a trip to Sweden and go catch ‘em live.

Alright, MOVE OVER ABBA! In reading Wolfschmidt’s guide to Gothenburg, one can only imagine the Swedish talent being born and brewed today in what appears to be a city packed with unconventional creative spaces and some really rad-sounding rooms.

But don’t take our word for it. Read on to educate yourself on a sick slice of the Swedish scene — preferably while dousing your eardrums in some Wolfschmidt.

A guide to GOTHENBURG by WOLFSCHMIDT

Skip over to Sweden’s second-largest city — which honestly sounds like a Scandinavian brand of Bushwick? — with Wolfschmidt’s venue-packed guide to their hometown (also featuring pasta and pilsner).

First off, we had to make an effort not to just list ALL the places in Ringön, the part of town where we have our space. From around 2019, when some of us in the band started rehearsing there with other projects, up until now, the area has gone through a massive change. Back then, it was pretty much just an industrial area with local businesses and a few lunch restaurants. You’d get off the tram at night and walk the 15 minutes past the smelly recycling plant, rehearse, and go back home. Since then, music venues, breweries, and party-throwing garages have been popping up, making it a thriving community of urban culture. It’s simply where shit goes down. We can’t stress enough how much we love it out there. So, to the list:

Monument 031

THE spot for shows, in our opinion. A huge venue in an old industrial warehouse with two stages—one small and one huge. Carl and Markus who run the place, plus all of the staff, are just the best people. They are true heroes when it comes to keeping the live music scene alive. They always have the greatest mix of bookings; everything from local punk bands to international acts, mainly within grittier genres like different kinds of metal, hardcore, stoner, and sludge, but also indie rock and shoegaze. You can always go there and let yourself be surprised. We just saw Violent Magic Orchestra there, a Japanese group who play a mix of hyper-electronic music and black metal—’death rave’, in their own words. It was insane.

Made in Ringön

A great, multifaceted place run by another legend and driving force, Mikael. The place is kind of hard to describe in a single sentence. It’s a hub for graffiti artists, they do screen printing and clothing design, they host motor meet-ups, AND they put on shows. We actually had the release party for our EP there before it was an official music venue. But right now the place is going through a major renovation to soon be able to host more live shows, which is going to be epic.

Stigbergets Bryggeri (Bryggan)

Next door to Monument you have Stigbergets Bryggan, with a great outdoor stage right on the dock of the river. The bookings here are usually a bit softer than at Monument—more like major Swedish indie acts in a broader sense, ranging from rock to R&B and hip-hop. It’s a brewery, so great beer of course, and food.

Ivans Pilsnerbar

Pilsner, pasta, and techno is what they do. Great vibes in that place. Some of our lyrics have been written over a beer there. They’ve got TV screens with spinning 3D carrots. What else needs to be said really?

Sekten

Okay, so not to spend all our time talking about Ringön, we definitely need to mention Sekten—a great underground club run by the great people of the great band Mundane. Sekten (the cult/sect) is located in a small part of a large old brick building that used to be an industrial brewery. Since it’s not an official venue, you usually need to DM them on Instagram or go through the Facebook event to get on the guest list. It’s this kind of living-room-vibey venue where the band also rehearses and records, and books other bands for shows and parties. It’s just great.

Andra Långgatan / Järntorget

Since we are restricted to 7 places [editor’s note: I’m sorry! Maybe DM them for more?!], we need to lump some of the more legendary and perhaps mandatory (maybe even obvious?) venues together. Andra Långgatan is the main street for pubs, record stores, and tattoo shops, always flowing with people on the weekends. It connects to Järntorget, where you’ll find Pustervik—probably the most legendary venue in Gothenburg.

Stigbergstorget

At the other end of Andra Långgatan you have Stigbergstorget, with venues like Oceanen, Skeppet, Fyrens Ölkafé, Hängmattan, and Musikens Hus. All of them are great venues that are part of the yearly Viva Sounds Festival. [Editor’s note: A very BdBk-approved festival. Hope to see you there in November!]

PLUS! More Gothenburg bands to check out c/o Wolfschmidt:

Local bands from Gothenburg, organically recommended by Wolfschmidt:

Mud Grief // Boy With Apple // Rest Evergreen // Mundane // The Family Men

Stay tuned for more virtual visits to other cities’ scenes, coming your way soon via BdBK + Scene.Exchange <3

Feature image provided by the band.

Follow Wolfschmidt at @wolfschmidtband listen to music on Spotify and buy music on Bandcamp!

Follow BdBK at @bandsdobk and find more music stuff at bandsdobk.com.

Follow Scene.Exchange at @scene.exchange.

Share

On this rainy Thursday afternoon, allow us to transport you from your desk/couch/bus/bed to Music Hall of Williamsburg —

Not by teleportation (we don’t have the technology for that!) but instead via tunes as we time-travel back (metaphorically traversing time and space here) to July 23, 2026, when Brooklyn band SHAGGO hit the MHOW stage to play a show —

And recorded and released the damn thing.

The result: A live album that’s now available for your listening/purchasing pleasure on Bandcamp and—given MHOW’s forthcoming closure—will soon serve as not just a record but a true time capsule and local artistic artifact.

Of their release, SHAGGO says:

“We’re so excited to share this live album from our Music Hall show (recorded and mixed by Jeremy Snyder, who also worked on our upcoming LP!). It was such a special show for us (at a venue that won’t exist after this year!) and we’re so glad we could capture it, and give people a sneak peek at some of the unreleased songs we have coming out soon!”

If a listen is fueling your FOMO, look/listen no further than your next chance to actually experience the band live (which this time will in fact require leaving your aforementioned desk/couch/bus/bed).

First up it’s Tea Fest — a three-night/three-venue event featuring basically a billion Brooklyn bands and presented by our pals at Tealeaf Collective.

Grab your tix to catch SHAGGO at Hart Bar on September 7th!

SHAGGO will also be performing alongside some of our fave BK bands at RAGE FEST — a fundraiser for Ali Forney Center + PCRF + Make the Road — on/at Empire Stage on September 19th.

RSVP for that one right here!

Now, as you soundtrack your afternoon with the sweet (live!) sounds of SHAGGO, please enjoy the band’s Top 10—a list featuring Boston accents, business cazh and baseball (but once again: only as a concept!).

Yeehaw! Have a really nice night <3

SHAGGO’S TOP 10

1. AMTRAK <3

We completed a full East Coast tour with no car, just a few Amtrak tickets and a dream.

Shoutout hauling our instruments and gear onto an interstate train.

Public transportation so sustainable.

2. Having one concept song on each album

This is something we’ve done unintentionally. On Minor League on our first album the concept was, ‘what if someone gave birth at a baseball game’? - On our upcoming album (without giving too much away…) the concept song will be, “what if I had a shitty unpaid internship? But my workplace was Heaven, and my boss was God?”

3. Tacky lil keychains

Every time I go on a trip I like to bring the band back little key chains or sometimes guitar picks. Thea keeps the little llama keychain I brought back for her from Peru on her guitar bag and it makes me happy every time I see it. (Carina)

I love my keychain menagerie from my thoughtful and whimsical friend Carina, and if any fall off they become longstanding beloved apartment trinkets instead. I currently have an Icelandic horse on my keys and a Peruvian llama at home, open to new applicants always. (Lucy)

4. Accent work

Each practice there comes a time when Carina and Christine trail off into either an Australian accent or Boston accent. Only one of us is good at these accents (not naming names). This part of practice is integral to our writing process.

5. Shared Notes App note

-This is where it all happens… show dates… practice dates… band fund balance… we owe it all to the Notes App.

-Shout out Notes App.

-Pinned in my phone forever. (Lucy)

6. Baseball (as a concept)

For our first single “Minor League” we made an elaborate zero-budget baseball themed music video and ever since then a lot of people have started linking us with baseball? Sometimes people/friends will wear baseball jerseys to our shows which is very cute.

We also have nebulous plans as a band to go to a Mets game (let’s go Mets) — The Beautiful American Game.

7. Having an Important Band Group Chat and a Silly Band Group Chat

Shoutout Signal for bridging the gap between android and iphones —compartmentalization is key.

#WorkHardPlayHard

8. Business casual

We’ve been wearing blazers at shows to let you all know that we mean business — #WomenInStem.

9. SHAGGOWEEN (annual Halloween cover show)

Basically one of the main reasons I’m in a band. (Carina)

We don’t play about Halloween.

First Halloween show we went as Hole (hole-a-ween), last year we were SHAGGO-Kinney, this year we can’t say quite just yet but here’s a hint… there will be polka dots and bee-hive wigs.

10. The Leopardmen (Lucy’s dad’s 90’s band)

My dad and his friends wore DIY leopard onesies and performed in really random places (laundromats where the cops hated them, etc.) with songs such as “I’m From The South” and “I’m a Crustacean.” (Lucy)

He’s still close with his songwriter friend in the group, and they even came to our last show together and both loved it!

The Leopard Men reunited last year (in onesies and all) and also played “Big Trash Night” from one of my dad’s other bands, since we covered it too/it’s newly relevant! We hope to share a future bill with them <3

A huge inspiration on SHAGGO tbh.

Performance art in the highest.

Share

Subscribe now

Top 10 written + provided by SHAGGO. Follow the band at @shaggobk, listen to their songs on Spotify and buy music on Bandcamp.

Feature image provided by the band.

Welcome back to another edition of Scene.Exchange as we continue to connect bands across borders and explore cities by way of the artists responsible for making them cool. (Listen to some of those doing just that right here.)

Next up, we’re crab-walking (why not?!) over to Cardiff to visit our friends in Welsh art-rock outfit HMS Morris, part of the FOCUS Wales festival fam and a band who won us over way back with a rooftop SXSW show + a single called “Balls.”

For those just discovering the band’s “Balls” (etc.), now is the perfect time to get on board, because come October 30th, the band is set to drop their new record SACI HACS :

Albwm o systemau bach a defodau personol, wedi'u dyfeisio i helpu HMS Morris i oroesi bywyd modern. Efallai y dawn nhw'n ddefnyddiol i chi hefyd… neu beidio.

Or:

An album of small systems and personal rituals, invented to help HMS Morris survive modern life, which may be useful to you too…or not. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[*Shrug editor’s own]

The latest taste of that album is “Glue” — a song the band describes as being “about inventing stories for people you don’t know, then feeling disappointed when they don’t live up to the version of them you created in your head…[and] also about the opposite: wondering if people expect the person they see on stage, only to discover you’re actually an anti-social hermit who finds comfort in silence.”

A pivot that, for the record, we totally support.

The second single from the upcoming album is accompanied by a heavenly lyric video that sees the quartet reading books, playing harp, pumping iron and, naturally, name-dropping Agatha Christie (a ~window~ into their personal proclivities perhaps?!).

As you await SACI HACS release — perhaps with a pre-save?!— check out more music from HMS Morris while planning your now-necessary trip to their hometown via the group’s official guide to Cardiff. (We recommend a May jaunt so you can tie in a trip to Wrexham and discover more Welsh music magic at the aforementioned FOCUS Wales. Efficient!)

Read! Listen! And please, mwynhewch!

(Which *should* mean enjoy.) (Really hoping Google translate didn’t steer us wrong on that one.)

A guide to CARDIFF by HMS MORRIS

We’re all goin’ to Wales! The HMS Morris guide to the capital features the world’s oldest record store, the most celebrated venue in the Welsh-speaking universe and the perfect spot to soak up the sun while making friends with some geese.

Womanby Street

This is where live music in Cardiff comes from. Half a dozen venues and several bangin pubs are crammed into this much loved cobbled lane, in the middle of which is Clwb Ifor Bach, the most hallowed venue in the whole Welsh-speaking universe. Womanby is so important to the city that when developers announced plans to open a hotel on the street a few years ago (noise complaints and venue closures would have inevitably followed), the people of Cardiff successfully campaigned to change local planning policy in order to grant the clubs protected status — the first place in the UK to do so. It’s politically historic AND open late. Class.

Cardiff Market

Victorian covered market that was just starting to get scabby in the early 2000s but has now been re-invented as a hub of popup-style eateries (the pizza, pierogi, curry and bao are all tasty). As drummer boy Iestyn says: “You want embroidery? You want pasta? You want Kelly’s Records? You want plumbing supplies?” If the answer is yes: you can find all of these things in Cardiff Market. Singer/guitarist Heledd is also a big fan of the coffee at Hard Lines.

CULTVR

A mad venue built around a massive half-dome. The audience stands/sits in the inside of it, and visuals/films are projected all around them. They put on 360 film screenings (one of their big events last year was a film set to Dark Side of the Moon), host DJ/VJ sets, and put on gigs too (we’ve played there a couple of times — took a lot of work to create visuals for a whole set but totally worth it). If there’s something on when you happen to be in Cardiff, you should check it out!

The National Museum Wales

Big old stone and marble building. Free to get in. Nice and cool when it’s hot outside. Nice and dry when it’s wet outside. A pretty decent collection of art (the Rodin statues are really good). Bass/keys player Sam once did a performance art thing in there for an Icelandic artist, where he played an old Italian organ (which is still there) for hours at a time.

Sparrow (Splott) and Bike Lock (City Centre)

Two of Heledd’s favourite independent coffee shops in the city. Good vibes, and ample power and wifi supply. And you can literally lock up your bike at Bike Lock. They both also offer excellent people-watching opportunities — the scenes that play out on the streets of Splott can be particularly colourful.

Roath Park Lake

If you’ve got an hour to kill and the sun is shining, head here. You can hire a pedalo, buy an ice cream, or just make friends with the geese. The lake bit of the park also adjoins the botanical gardens, which has the cheapest plant nursery in the country if you fancy greening up your tour bus a bit.

Spillers Records

Last but not least: If you like vinyl, or like to feel as if you’re stepping into music history, you should probably pop down to Spillers, the oldest record store in the world. It’s been going since 1894 and has had to relocate twice, but is now a firm and favourite fixture of Morgan Arcade.

PLUS! More Cardiff bands to check out c/o HMS Morris:

Musicians from all over Wales are drawn to Cardiff by the strong collaborative music scene and the semi-reasonable rent prices. Our faves include:

Mellt - Check out their EP Big Bird which came out last year.

Rhodri Brooks - Has just released an album of glorious ambient pedal steel backed up by gentle acoustic guitars and synthesisers.

Sybs - Bilingual raucous post-punk/slacker outfit.

Em Koko - Specialises in industrial dream-pop, blending shoegaze, electronica and industrial rock. New releases on the way very soon by all accounts!

Stay tuned for more virtual visits to other cities’ scenes, coming your way soon via BdBK + Scene.Exchange <3

Feature image provided by the band.

Follow HMS Morris at @hmsmorris, listen to music on Spotify and buy music on Bandcamp!

Follow BdBK at @bandsdobk and find more music stuff at bandsdobk.com.

Follow Scene.Exchange at @scene.exchange.

Share

Happy Friday!

Because we’re big believers that the best way to explore the world is by band, today we the present the next edition of our editorial mission to turn artists we love into our personal Rick Steves-es whilst simultaneously turning you onto tunes we love from across the country and ‘round the globe.

The result: a far less lonely (and way more rockin’ ) planet.

This featured Scene.Exchange band is one I fell in love with this year during SXSW, when I met their crew in the Hotel Vegas crowd and followed them next door to the Low Down Lounge to catch their set later that night.

I’ve never been great at describing music itself, so I will leave that to the band bio:

“Nug is a musical group made up of four friends in Portland, OR. Blending and bending the genres of Post Punk, Indie Rock, Shoegaze, Nu-metal, Psych Rock, and probably some other things, Nug has been described we-think-affectionately as ‘Parquet Courts meets Grateful Dead’ and ‘a jam band for people who hate jam bands’ and ‘really friendly guys making loud music.’”

From an experiential perspective, let’s just say I got so sweaty whilst dancing so stupidly that I’m 100% sure the South By photographer is holding onto unflattering audience content to blackmail me down the line.

In other words: I had the time of my life. And then I went back for sonic seconds the very next night.

So without further ado, from Portland, Oregon to your inbox, please indulge in some ~artisanal artistry~ from our new pals in Nug.

As well as some sick video action featuring various animals and automobiles!!

And finally, for Portland planning purposes, the four-piece presents a few of their hometown hits. Plus, with Nug as your musical gateway drug, some local bands to serve as your soundtrack to the scene.

A guide to PORTLAND by NUG

For your next pass through Portland, the four pals have you covered with swimmin’ holes, synth nirvana and an internal debate over the city’s best bagels

Dorian’s Picks:

Speck’s Records

My neighborhood record shop in North Portland. Excellent record selection and super community-focused with regular DJ shows, in-store live shows, ambient Sundays, etc etc. This place is a true gem.

Bernstein’s Bagels

Fav bagels in Portland! Everyone who works here is so nice and they do a special schmear each week in both dairy and vegan options. I could eat this every day of my life and never get tired of it.

Turn! Turn! Turn!

Great small neighborhood music venue in North Portland. Many bands play their first show here, but they also book some mid-size regional acts from time to time. Some of my favorite shows I’ve seen have been here.

Mount Tabor

This is the opposite of a deep cut — basically Portland’s version of central park. But a sunset hang here in the summer is life-giving and instantly reminds me why I love this city so much.

Tyler’s Picks:

Process

A truly community-driven underground club. They bring in some of the best talent from around the world. And the best part: they don’t allow phones on the dance floor.

Sincerely, Bagel

I fancy myself a bagel connoisseur. These are hands down the best bagels in Portland. So fluffy with a perfect outer crust and a touch of tang from the sourdough. 🤌

Revival Drum Shop

A must-visit for any drummer. Unbelievable selection of vintage drums and other fun percussion instruments. And the friendliest staff in town.

Quarterworld

The dive bar of barcades. They have a Tesla coil and gigantic Jell-O shots.

Dustin’s Picks:

Mississippi Studios

I love that this venue strikes the perfect balance of a medium-sized intimate room with incredible sound and great vibes. Bonus that the connected Bar Bar has amazing burgers and fries.

Control Voltage

A synth-lover’s dream with a knowledgeable staff to help you find the perfect music doodad.

Eem

Thai and Texas BBQ fusion; need I say more?

Peninsula Park

When people think of Portland’s rose garden, they think of the one in Washington Park, but I’d dare say that Peninsula Park is a slept-on gem that’s equally as beautiful.

Jacob’s Picks:

Ota Tofu

America’s oldest tofu company, and also its best. Many local restaurants proudly name-drop Ota tofu on their menus. Go to the factory and buy some of their pre-fried tofu. Trust me on this one.

Lighthouse Restaurant and Bar

A great pit stop after a visit to Sauvie Island, Forest Park, or St. John’s. Just a high-quality old-school bar with good beer and gooder food.

Elk Rock Island

Portland’s best secret-ish swimming hole. A sometimes island, sometimes peninsula with unique rock formations, beautiful trees, small cliffs to jump off, and nice river views. Convenient to bike down to from Portland proper, or take the MAX train!

Cowbell Cheese Shop

A tiny cheese shop that’ll make you feel like you’re in Europe or one of those other places people go to in movies.

PLUS! More Portland bands to check out c/o Nug:

Buddy Wynkoop // Friends Friends // Nick Normal // Shop Regulars // Sit Pretty // High Glow // Shadowgraphs // Queen Rodeo // Mr. Boy // Forty Feet Tall // Only Only // Laughing About Nothing // Dog Daughter

Stay tuned for more virtual visits to other cities’ scenes, coming your way soon via BdBK + Scene.Exchange <3

Follow Nug at @nugtheband, listen to music on Spotify and buy music on Bandcamp!

Follow BdBK at @bandsdobk and find more music stuff at bandsdobk.com.

Follow Scene.Exchange at @scene.exchange.

Share

Subscribe now

Welcome to Scene.Exchange: the newest Bands do BK endeavor and the next step in our quest for world domination. (AKA an excuse to yell about bands we love across timezones—from Paris to Portland, Cardiff to Calgary.)

For bands, it’s the launch of a curated, worldwide network of artist ambassadors — a friendly face in every city. (More info here.)

For everyone else, this is an official return to BdBK’s roots. But instead of a guide to Brooklyn by bands, it’s bands’ guides to… everywhere else. A way for you to discover sweet new musical faces and places around the world.

Which! Brings us to the S.X debut + our first featured act.

Introducing The Jump Cuts — a rad, rad riot out of West Palm Beach. A band that evolved from four buds “deleting beers and blasting cigs” (the most rock ‘n’ roll kind of consumption) to four bandmates… prob still doing those things! Now while writing and performing tracks that hit that sweet spot between 2000s indie-rock and medium-intensity mosh pit. The first collection of which dropped via their truthfully titled 2025 album What A Fun Way To Kill Some Time.

Like 99% of our not-from-here faves, we discovered The Jump Cuts via New Colossus Fest, and the band’s newest single “Je Te Veux” (~I want you~) just dropped last week!

(You might recognize Max from BK bands Dead Tooth and Clone.)

Of the French-titled banger, the band says:

“This song is about how a real partner will always take your side no matter what. ‘I’d bury anyone to keep you. I’d bury anyone for you.’ It’s kinda funny to explore how far you’d go here.”

Catch The Jump Cuts when they hit NYC for a weekend residency this October. (Stay tuned for details.) In the meantime, enjoy vicarious vertigo + instant funnel-cake craving via one more music video below…

(Freeze frames don’t get much better than the above.)

…as you start planning your next trip to the Sunshine State.

Buy a plane ticket, break Grandma outta Del Boca Vista and make your way down south to thoroughly party with the punks.

A guide to WEST PALM BEACH by THE JUMP CUTS

For your next foray into Florida, these babez have got you covered with 7 spots featuring pinball, PM disco and the epicenter of their beach town’s alt scene

French Grill

Our neighborhood spot we walk down to after rehearsal. It’s an outdoor casual French restaurant that turns into a discotheque at night.

Respectables

Literally our Mecca. The epicenter of the alternative scene here in West Palm Beach. I’ve made so many friends here and the whole scene and staff here are super supportive of us.

Flanigan’s

If this isn’t on a Florida band’s top list, that’s sus. Walls covered with dudes holding big ass fish and the ribs deserve a Michelin star.

Tropical Smokehouse

Piggy backing off ribs, this bbq joint combines south florida carribean flavors with good ol southern American smokehouse BBQ. Such a unique institution in our little city.

Lost Weekend

This spot is right next door to Respects. You can find us bouncing between these 2 spots most weekends. Big pinball player and this is really the only spot in West Palm Beach with a line up of machines and they’re all in pretty good condition. I swear they started disabling the touchtones machine when they see me walk in now though.

Buccan Sandwich Shop

Holy smokes their beef carpaccio sandwich had the whole band in a chokehold for a couple months recently.

Harry’s Banana Farm

The divest of the dives. Not actually a banana farm. Some of the best hangs here.

PLUS! More West Palm Beach bands to check out c/o The Jump Cuts:

Daylily // BLABSCAM! // JM & The Sweets // StepdadFLA // Broot McCoy // Surfer Blood // Thirst // Billy Doom // AfterLife

Stay tuned for more virtual visits to other cities’ scenes, coming your way soon via BdBK + Scene.Exchange <3

Follow The Jump Cuts at @thejumpcutsrock, listen to music on Spotify and find all things The Jump Cuts at thejumpcuts.com!

Follow BdBK at @bandsdobk and find more music stuff at bandsdobk.com.

Follow Scene.Exchange at @scene.exchange.

Share

Take Evolfo ~flip it ‘n’ reverse it~ and you have Of Love (as in if music be the food…) — the band’s backwards Shakespearean-sourced namesake and the title of their brand-new record that’s very much OUT NOW.

«««« Listen on Bandcamp here. »»»»

The latest effort from BK’s by-far-favorite psych-rock-soul seven-piece, Of Love is a true labor of love, DIY down to the recording (at the band’s own studio Sound Home) and up to the release (on their brand-new label Food of Love Records).

It’s also a testament to the band’s process, friendship and philosophy. The album is a result of hundreds of hours of recorded jams — a creative capsule of time-earned closeness and chemistry from a band that took shape back in college at Berklee and has been playing together for more than a decade.

Of Evolfo’s go-with-the-musical-flow method, Rafferty Swink of the band says:

"We weren't thinking about anything other than expressing our hive mind, experimenting and trying to get into a deeper, connected space as a group. All of us are playing in a very uninhibited way, and I think that gives the record a lot of magic."

Music is magic, and with this release method (through their own label; opting out of Spotify), Evolfo is actively choosing to bypass the industry bullshit and keep the focus on the art itself. To ignore algorithms and metrics in favor of what feels good. To create something real — beautiful in its emotion and its honesty and even its imperfection. In other words: the good human stuff. That which can’t be bought or bot.

As Evolfo’s Matt Gibbs (a GEM who over just one coffee recently became one of my favorite people in this scene / city / maybe world) says:

"The art is only as good as what you learn about yourself while you're making it. I'd encourage people to take the rock stardom out of music and just make an album with your friends."

In other words: Do it for the love.

Check out Of Love whilst learning more about the seven members of Evolfo through their Top 10 below — a RIDER featuring deep breaths, automobile beats and the extreme importance of aural protection.

Enjoy! And have a nice long (inevitably sweaty) wknd <3

EVOLFO’S TOP 10

1. Hard-hitting interviews

There are some legendary tape recordings of us interviewing one another in the van. Ben has this little Sony 4 track portastudio and a funky 1/4” mic. He’s interviewed us, people at our shows, other bands. It’s a great way to pass the time. On one stormy overnight drive back from Chicago I think we even spoke a chaotic spirit into existence. We recorded the story of the hobgoblin Evolfo and his interdimensional, trouble-causing ways. We all felt the presence of this little spirit very clearly. Rafferty has also created some excellent fly-on-the-wall style tour docs from some footage of really early Evolfo tours. These are up on YouTube and really fun to watch. Please judge us not too harshly, we were very young.

2. Taking a dip in a babbler

Benji’s quest for the perfect babbler has been a long and winding one. His flame for a refreshing plunge has been doused time and time again. The few occasions on which the boys have heeded the call and stopped for a dip have been sublime examples of perfect serenity and ever lasting joy. Every missed babbler is a blow to the very soul of this world.

3. The co-pilot

Whoever is co-pilot on our long road trips is the DJ and it’s always so fun and enlightening to hear what is on their mind musically. What they’ve been listening to. Especially as we enter cities we’ll often start listening to bands from the area (”What a Fool Believes” never fails in CA). In addition, co-pilot will often lead a conversation with the driver to keep them alert and offer moments to open up about their life. The rewards and challenges. We call this “cracking the nut.” It has lead to some beautiful conversations that often spread throughout the van. It has allowed all of us to build better trust and empathy for one another at whatever point in their life they have arrived at.

4. Figure

Figure is a beat-making app. We have spent some long drives in the van passing the phone around and doing our own kind of “Against the Clock” type thing, where all get like 10 minutes to make a beat. Then we play them over the van speakers. It’s unique, fun, and encourages us to make new types of sounds in a new way. A nice way to flex the creativity when trapped, shrimp-shaped in a van seat for hours.

5. Breath

For years, Evolfo has huddled up before every show to breathe collectively as a single organism. It’s a moment to ground ourselves, let some gratitude flow, and sync our physiologies before taking the stage together. You may even catch us doing it on stage sometimes if we’re pressed for time. Usually, our resident wizard Rafferty Swink will lead us with a simple “breathe in, breathe out.” If there are band members who aren’t present, we might say something like “This one’s for [Jug, Karl, Ron].” This is some of the glue that has held all 7 of us together for nearly 15 years and made us willing disciples of the same cult.

6. A bird bath mouth

When someone falls asleep in the van with their head tilted so far back and their mouth wide open, it could feasibly be used as a bird bath.

7. La Croix

You gotta stay hydrated for a long session of rehearsal and rock-talk. Why not take your water a little spicy, with a whisper of whatever fruit flavor combos they’ve got in stock at Los Limones deli. Perennial favs include Pamplemousse, Tangerine, and Beach Plum.

8. The crazies

The Crazies appear when you drive 32 hours in one shot back from Austin, TX and by the time you are crossing into New York you are some sort of blithering madman. The Crazies sorta feel like drugs. Typically a driver who has a confirmed case must be removed for safety’s sake. It is also, in a way, a beautifully, artistically lucid state where my creativity may flow nicely. It takes several days to recover from the crazies.

9. Family dinners

Froup dinners after a long day of writing and recording. Getting a burger at Diner down the street and having a few bevs as a crew is an important part of the process. Spending time to gel as a unit and talk about things other than the band is crucial.

10. Ear plugs

My item to add to the rider is ear plugs. I have two pairs. One set for sleeping and one set for being in clubs/on stage. Everyone thinks they don't snore, but at some point everybody does (myself included) so getting a good sleep without my ear plugs is almost impossible when sharing close quarters. On the gig I have professional-style earplugs that are fitting to my ears to lower the decibel range and avoid fatigue or damage. Being a producer and mixer engineer as well as performing musician, I'm hyper-conscious of protecting my ear holes. They're the only pair I've got and living without sound wouldn't be living at all! To anyone out there reading this, you're not being cool or tough by damaging your hearing, you're just setting yourself up for later-in-life sadness and possible tinnitus.

Share

Top 10 written + provided by Evolfo. Follow the band at @evolfo and buy music on Bandcamp.

Feature image (provided by the band): Nicole Miller

HAPPY SUNDAY! How about a show?!

You might’ve seen miniature posters popping up around town (at least, the ones the artist hasn’t eaten) advertising TONIGHT’S concert at Union Pool.

The clever hands and brilliant brain behind the itty bitty ads (and the aforementioned show) belong to Tom Freeman, aka Covey, and this tiny marketing tactic is just one example of the non-stop creativity that fuel his project, extending far beyond music, to incorporate a universe of Frankensteined figurines (Class of Cardinal Sin), human teeth as Covey currency and a month-long, 24/7 livestream during which he headed to a cabin in the middle of nowhere, alone and sans phone, and recorded every part of the album-writing process.

One IG caption sums up the ethos that’s evident in everything Tom produces — from music to physical media to internet performance art:

“Art is everything that makes this project tick. Doing something unique, making something ive never seen anyone make, creating something that is so genuinely true to myself that I get lost in it. I push myself every single time I create, and i’ve entangled myself so thoroughly with covey that i genuinely don’t know where i start and covey stops.”

Love, care, intense originality and a definite penchant for the bizarre permeate everything Tom touches — including his live show. It’s been more than a year since Covey has played NYC, but that all changes TONIGHT, when the artist hits the stage at the perfect summer spot, Union Pool!

GRAB TIX HERE!

The first time we interviewed Tom (~2017/18), we met up in a cemetery off the Halsey stop…

(Photo: Ben Curry )

So it’s somewhat fitting that for this particular Top 10, the artist opted to write about bones. From the cranium to the tarsals (and a whole bunch of bone in between), please find a skeletal assessment + definitive ranking from one of our longtime favorite musicians, an artist in every sense of the word.

Everyone: Enjoy your Sunday — and enjoy the show!

Tom: Break a tibia, dude!!

COVEY’S TOP 10 (BONES)

10. Tibia

Mid bone, shares an apartment with fibula, and It gives the vibe that its always behind on rent.

9. Fibula

Pays rent for tibia and does it purely out of love since they’ve been best friends forever.

8. Patella

A flimsy bone suspended via rubber bands, weak, needs an update. Fuse it with the femur.

7. Tarsals / Meta tarsals

Pretty important bones, capable of carrying the load of the rest of the crew, but doing way too much. Too many small feeble bones. Fuse them together. And then fuse them to the femur.

6. Cranium

Super good bone here, responsible for arguably the most important organ in the game, but it has one fatal flaw. It needs to get its shit together faster out of the womb. The fontanelle often referred to as “the soft spot” on a baby’s head, is fucking crazy. What do you mean if i poke this babies head in this specific spot i’ll prod its brain? Nope.

5. Humerus

Not much to say about this bone really. Mid bone, mid list, it’s a bone.

4. Clavicle

Now we’re getting into real bone territory. Not only does this bone have a sick name, and looks cool under the skin, its name comes from the latin word clavicula, which means little key. What does that mean? I don’t know but it’s kinda cool. Only down side is its meat wrap is a bit thin and could be exposed to the air from a minor cut.

3. Ribcage

This is a solid collective of bones. The biker gang of bones some say. In unity they’re holding down the fort as a team. Mad respect, only down side is there’s a bit too much cartilage in the mix. Fuse it all into one, then fuse it to the femur.

2. Femur

As you’ve probably realized from my previous list entries, this is a solid bone. Biggest in the body, Can support 30 times your bodies weight, yet is engineered to be hollow with a dense structure surrounding the marrow, which lessens the weight so we aren’t hippos.

1. Sternum

Dead center, holds the ribcage together, so one might say its the leader of the biker gang, and certainly the main character of the skeletal system. It starts as a large piece of cartilage and ossifies (turns into bone) in the first year of our lives. The word ossifies alone is sick af, and the cranium could learn a thing or two from the sternum. Also it’s the name of my favorite song on the new album.

Always remember, your skeleton is begging to escape your body at all times. Don’t let it out.

Share

Subscribe now

Top 10 written + provided by Covey. Follow the artist at @coveysux , add songs to your Spotify playlists and buy music on Bandcamp.

Feature image provided by the artist.

Happy Sunday!

Quite aware it’s the Day of Rest™, but what better way to spend these hallowed, hopefully horizontal hours than the Mattress Factory?!

From Brooklyn art-rocker Grape Wayne, stoked to share a brand-new music video (premiering HERE and NOW) for exactly that!

Alongside the release, Grape (aka Grace) told us about the meaning/making of the video, her ~dark and twisted~ comrade in arts and the local creatives you can catch making a cameo:

“The music video for ‘Mattress Factory’ is a concept I thought up that tickled me, and made my friends ask ‘hey, are you okay?’ I doubt it! Thankfully, my friend and frequent collaborator Haley Wetherington, who also directed the music video for my last single ‘Many Things Are Destroying Me,’ is as fundamentally dark and twisted as I am and agreed to direct it. We enlisted the great Adam Kolodny to DP, who is neither dark nor twisted but good at camera. The video is about hating your job but still looking good in a suit. It’s about getting a second chance at love, but then that second chance turns out to be not love but actually a much worse job. And it’s about going to the mattresses, not to prepare for war, but to lie down. The video features cameos from local friends and musicians including Ben Hozie (who also produced the song) and Nikki Belfiglio from Bodega, Chris Yonker from Omni and Annie Hart from Au Revoir Simone.”

Once the video has been viewed and the weekend has wrapped, sleep-run over to Sleepwalk TOMORROW (Monday) night, where the artist will be celebrating the music video’s release alongside Anna Fox Rochinski and Atlanta artist Meghan Dowlen.

Grab your tix here! All whilst enjoying a Grape Wayne RIDER featuring one excellent emoji ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) , the painful purity of unrequited love and claiming the bathhouse as the new bar—

Plus a few works of art, philosophy and literature that inspired the new video (Wu Tang wisdom very much included).

Have a sweet Sunday <3

GRAPE WAYNE’S TOP 10

1. I paint what I want to see by Philip Guston

If you’re familiar with Guston it’s probably obvious the single art I made for “Mattress Factory” is inspired by his color palette. This book of interviews with him struck a million chords within me and I think will return to many times when I want to remember what’s important about making art. He was a genius, a political activist, and a devotee to the mysteries of beauty.

2. The Tao of Wu by the RZA

The line in MF “your body is like a car, once it stops get out of it” is inspired by a passage in this book where the Rza talks about what he believes happens after we die. The book is not just interesting from a Wu Tang enthusiast perspective and learning how one of the greatest hip-hop producers mixed all their hits in a basement in New Jersey, but his spiritual insights have also perma lodged in my brain.

3. Ram Dass

The line in MF “your body is like a shoe, once it breaks slip out of it” is inspired from a Ram Dass talk about how death is like taking off a tight shoe. Death is perfectly safe! He said. Funniest healer in the realm.

4. The Long Goodbye by Robert Altman

When pulling inspiration for the MF music video, I had the image of Elliot Gould going out to buy cat food in a suit and grumble mumbling to himself in my head. I wanted that kind of misanthropic energy for my character.

5. The woman from Harriet The Spy who refused to get out of bed

She did not see the point and that really resonates with me.

6. Autobiography of Red by Ann Carson

I read this book every year. It really astonished me the first time I read it. It is at once an ancient fable and a modern love story and an achingly gorgeous poem.

7. Unrequited love

The purity to love someone or something just for existing and not expect anything in return. It’s good for you!

8. Hanging out at the bathhouse instead of the bar

I’m drinking less and schvitzing more. Meet me there.

9. Roberto Benigni

Roberto Benigni is my only celebrity crush. I watch his Oscar acceptance speech when I am sad.

10. This ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) emoji

It’s me.

Share

Subscribe now

Top 10 written + provided by Grape Wayne. Follow the artist at @grapewayne add songs to your Spotify playlists and buy music on Bandcamp.

Feature image provided by the artist.

Sorry for the double-text, but time is of the essence!

The third volume of ALL MY FRIENDS— a true live love letter to NYC—is officially upon us tomorrow night, and it’s your once-in-at-least-this-lifetime chance (we can only assume) to see Monobloc + Catcher + D’Lourdes + Beau in the big ol’ beauty of a venue that is Sony Hall.

GRAB YOUR TIX HERE!

We’ve introduced you to a few of the acts so far by way of their favorite things (Monobloc is into basement buffets, dollar-store strolls and the cinematic experience that is the New York Mets while D’Lourdes digs bullying bigots, bringing back cigarettes and upholding the c*nty agenda), and now the time has come to shine the Substack spotlight on a group of noisy New Yorkers that you can call Catcher.

Born in 2021 and named to NME’s list of Essential Emerging Artists by 2022, Catcher is a band you’ve simply… gotta catch. The rare type of to-do you can, quite conveniently, cross-off your list as quick as (and exactly) tomorrow.

Enjoy the rest of your afternoon to the tunes of Catcher, a sonic experience that is best paired with one of the group’s preferred activities: walking, bathing or partaking in one of life’s simpler pleasures (like butter, or beer).

CATCHER’S TOP 10

1. Ito En Green Tea

It’s delicious and good for you and it comes in a bright green bottle.

2. Playing chess

Chess is humbling and inspiring and enriching and fun. It’s a lifelong pursuit that brings both joy and despair.

3. Acoustic music

This may sound funny coming from a loud amplified band, but I’ve really been enjoying playing and listening to truly acoustic music, regardless of the style. It forces you to really think about the the space where the music takes place and feel the resonance of the voices/instruments in a different way.

4. Extremely hot and long baths

Go into the bath with any problem: creative, personal, whatever. You will emerge with some solution if the bath is hot enough and long enough. Ideally in the dark with a few candles lit, and even some bubbles are fine.

5. John Cowper Powys

A true mystic and my favorite author, who I try to tell everyone about. Particularly A Glastonbury Romance. It’s brutally long but I promise you! I swear! It’s worth it. I’m looking forward to reading his autobiography.

6. Butter

I recently rediscovered cooking with butter which basically made everything I was doing before seem like I was eating burnt cardboard.

7. Keeping secrets

This one’s new for me and I’m getting better at it, kind of romantic when you think about it.

8. A good long walk

Always forget to do this one when I find myself sinking into a pit of self-despair but a few of these puppies will get you back on track.

9. A very cold beer and a very hot cigarette

Can be similar to a long walk but sometimes a few of these may be the reason you need the long walk in the first place.

10. Horticulture

Haven’t exactly gotten into this one yet but feels more and more appealing with age.

Share

Top 10 written + provided by Catcher. Follow the band at @catchertheband, add songs to your Spotify playlists and buy music on Bandcamp.

Feature image provided by the band.

We’re heading to Midtown this Wednesday, so it’s only fitting that one of the bands on the bill is a Broadway performer —

Though for the record, you shouldn’t expect show tunes.

At this edition of All My Friends—a live love letter to the NYC music scene— you’ll be treated to a heavy dose of D’Lourdes, an alt-rock artist (and, yes, Bway performer) whose sound has transcended TikTok (where their song “How Did You Get So Good?” went viral), translating into an in-your-face IRL experience designed for an audience they describe as “eclectic music fans, the queer community, and those who crave unbridled authenticity — the good, the bad, and the “f*ck it, let’s rally.”

D’Lourdes will be bringing their songs to the Sony Hall stage alongside Monobloc, Catcher and Beau THIS WEDNESDAY, and you can…

GRAB YOUR TIX HERE!

Preferably as you discover the 10 people/products/practices that personally delight D’Lourdes, from bullying bigots to bringing back cigarettes to doing their part to uphold the c*nty agenda 🫡

Thx for being here. Have a really great week <3

D’LOURDES’S TOP 10

1. Bullying bigots like it’s middle school

There are so many deeply evil people doing deeply evil things at this point that I personally think these people don’t deserve the time and energy it takes to explain to them why they’re being evil and why they shouldn’t be. They’ve clearly chosen their path, so I vote we bring back middle school bullying. For example: “you’re ugly” “you’re dumb” “you’re lame and stupid and a dork and a loser.” Bring back a retro “whatever major loser” with the hand gesture too. Mostly emphasize that they’re ugly. It’s quaint! Classic. Effective.

2. Hayley Williams

No one is doing it like Hayley Williams right now, she is one of one and the absolute blueprint to me. Obviously Paramore raised me but the reason I mention her now is how sick her current solo pivot is into this alt-pop alt-rock sound, and Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party is one of my favorite projects from last year. It’s so artistically free and untethered from any expectation of genre. It radiates an authenticity that I find inspiring and empowering, all while putting her fans’ input first and embracing being an independent artist. I’ve loved growing up and watching her become one of the greats and I don’t think it’s a hot take to say that she has one of greatest vocals of all time. She publicly stands ten toes down for what she believes in. We are all just lucky to be alive at the same time as <3 Hayley Williams <3

3. A mop/vacuum

When I say that a mop vacuum changed my life… I am unfortunately not joking it is my LIFELINE. It makes me feel like a normal adult human being who owns nice things and you know what, fuck yeah we all deserve to have nice things and live in clean spaces! Taking care of your space is real self-care, don’t let them tell you otherwise!

4. PASSION

Being nonchalant or too cool to care or express yourself or try something new is maybe one of the lamest things you can do in this life. So many of us stop ourselves from diving head first into the things we love because we don’t want to look lame, but worrying about that is maybe the lamest thing of them all?? I want to see you care I want to see you fail and try again and I want to see you hone in on your craft I want to see you fall in love and have fun and cry and get to fucking living I’m begging y’allllllllllllllllllll GO TAKE RISKS for your soul.

5. Bringing back cigarettes

Forever mourning the fact that we almost ended big tobacco but traded it in for indoor microplastic mystery liquid named shit like “icey grape tutu blast” or “creamsicle mountain drop moisture”. ***Let me clarify that this is NOT me attacking the people who vape, this is me being genuinely WORRIED about long term health. We already know what cigarettes do, so I don’t know, let’s bring that back??? Where you gotta step outside the bar and be mysterious in a leather jacket or whatever the fuck. We also as young people are lacking third spaces to actually connect and talk to people and hilariously, I really do think bringing back cigarettes would kinda help with that??

….. I may not be right but I do NOT think I’m wrong.

6. The show Couples Therapy

Few shows have taken my breath away the way Couples Therapy has, because WHAT DO YOU MEAN these are real people having completely real conversations. It is riveting and so unbelievable — if you don’t know it’s a show that follows couples in couples therapy and is entirely made up of their therapy sessions. Essentially, it’s incredibly well-edited piping hot tea from couples at the end of their rope. I just sit there watching it and gasping. It’s the type of shit they’re talking about when they say “real life is stranger than fiction.” HIGHLY recommend.

7. Hiding your social media apps

If you have an iPhone, go to your home screen, hold down whatever app has a chokehold on your life and select “hide and require Face ID”. It puts the app into a hidden folder on the very last page of your home screen and makes you give Face ID before opening it. I PROMISE it will make a huge difference in your screen time, if not make you aware of just how often you open your phone to mindlessly scroll. I love the internet as much as the next person, but allow me to get crunchy granola and say that it is actually taking away from the very real and physical and beautiful life right in front of you, pleaseeeee do everything you can to preserve your own presence in your own life.

8. 3-hour drives

I love living in a walkable city but having grown up in Texas I miss the cherished third space that is a car! I specify 3-hour drives because it’s just enough to clear your head, listen to a couple albums, maybe a bit of an audio book or podcast. If you’re with someone, it’s a perfect intimate conversation length. We also live in a multitasking world, so it’s one of these few activities we do as people that have a singular goal and that’s to get to wherever you’re going. If you’re smart you make it scenic and find the hole-in-the-wall restaurants on your way. I also find I write my best lyrics while driving. **do not text and drive** (:

9. Listening to music you don’t like

Maybe it’s convoluted to say this as another music artist but some of the most special musical experiences I’ve had were when I gave a chance to genres, artists, or albums that I did not like initially, or assumed I wouldn’t like, and especially when I am able to go to concerts for people I haven’t heard of before. And maybe I don’t end up liking them, but I think it’s important to take things in that aren’t for us sometimes, just like how I think it’s important to still read things you disagree with. It expands your worldview and can change your mind, and in our extremely curated algorithm-run world, it’s good to just try out a new vibe every now and again! It’s harder and harder to discover new things right now, so seek out what you could’ve missed that could potentially speak to you.

10. Gay people

The ONLY reason I exist is because of the gay and trans people who came before me and I do not take that lightly. Queer and trans BIPOC people constantly create the culture and everyone else is just playing catch up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We are all extremely lucky (even if things seem to be going the ass-opposite way) that queer people continue to create and function on another level and always will. Everything I do is and will forever be for the queer community, hand on my heart, I promise to uphold the c*nty agenda for as long as I live.

Share

Subscribe now

Top 10 written + provided by D’Lourdes. Follow the artist at @onthedlourdes, add songs to your Spotify playlists and find all things D’LOURDES at onthedlourdes.com!

Feature image (provided by the artist): Colin Lane

Goooood (almost) afternoon!

On this, the most Tuesday of Tuesdays, we’re psyched to introduce you to our new friends in Fully Furnished — a ~friendly psych rock experiment~ outta Brooklyn who just dropped their third single “Bedtime” earlier this month!

Of the single, the band says:

“‘Bedtime’ is the 2^nd single off our first EP (which is set to drop later this summer). Like many of these early songs for us, Luke and Jenna began to flesh out the song together as a duo but it didn’t even come close to what it is today until Kobi and Dori joined the band (we’d be nothing without Kobi’s electrifying synth parts and Dori’s dirty and flirty basslines). We put a lot of time and love and each of our personalities into this one. Very special shoutout to our drummer and in-house DIY producer/recording engineer Luke. We hope you find this one fun and funky and strange!”

We live for fun/funky/strange.

Check out more songs from Fully Furnished + catch them playing a stripped-down set at SONGS TO FREE THEM ALL — a backyard show raising money for bail funds, happening THIS FRIDAY with Slight Of and Kira Metcalf.

Bring a snack! Bring a drink! Bring a friend! DM 4 ADDRESS <3

Then SUNDAY! Catch Fully Furnished in all their full band glory, sonically dukin’ it out on stage at Dave’s Lesbian Bar’s fifth annual BATTLE OF THE BANDS at Bohemian Hall Beer Garden in Astoria!

Alright! Now please proceed to get personally acquainted with Fully Furnished via an absolutely impeccable Top 10 ft. squirrels, trench coats and the most soft and juicy rehearsal sustenance around.

Thx for listening! Thx for reading! Hope you have the best day of your life <3

FULLY FURNISHED’S TOP 10

1. Trench coats

Sexy yet sophisticated. Cunning yet confident. Fun, but also extremely flirty. All of these adjectives and more describe how we felt in matching trenchcoats filming our music video for “Bedtime” recently and playing out our 80s spy movie fantasy. The best part about a trenchcoat is of course that no one really knows what’s underneath (little black dress? bunch of gold watches? nothing at all?). In our case, we all had pajamas on underneath and it’s actually very obvious when looking back at the footage but hey one can still imagine! Music video dropping soon btw!

2. Wrestling

Pro Wrestling is iconic drag, stunt performance, sideshow bullshit, Commedia dell’arte, and Bible-level storytelling that can turn people’s real-life struggles across multiple generations into larger-than-life catharsis. It’s also dumb and gay. So we’re gonna play a queer femme wrestling themed battled of the bands in May, and we’re really pumped. We’re workshopping it now, but our shitck is probably going to be furniture. Luke’s gonna be a lamp. Boiling down a complicated life experience into a set of universally understood story beats is difficult. Making those beats entertaining is even harder. And yet, it’s a skill we all have. We use it 10 times a day without realizing it, and we use it when we make art. Colorful, silly, loud, personal, intricate, cathartic, dumb gay art.

3. Soft and juicy mango

No Fully Furnished rehearsal would be complete without passing around a bag of these like a joint. You might ask, “What makes them so special? I’ve had dried mango before!” But this isn’t dried mango. This mango is both soft and juicy. Name a better al dente, tropical, budget-friendly treat. It’s the perfect pick-me-up on a long train ride to the gig, gear in tow, hitting that late afternoon/early evening blood sugar slump. We revere you, O soft and juicy one, and we thank you for sustaining us.

4. Julee Cruise's Floating Into the Night

This album is like a long, warm hug from your best friend when you both are sad but for different reasons, so the hug feels extra comforting. Listening to this album makes us feel nostalgic for a time just before we were alive, before the age of brain rot and AI slop. It allows us to bathe in a single chord, strummed slowly and repeatedly over a warm synth pad, allowing our deteriorated attention spans to heal. Honorable mention goes to those Earth-shaking saxophone section chords on “Rockin’ Back Inside My Heart.” I mean, come on! Chills!

5. Four & Twenty Blackbirds

When is the last time you really treated yourself to a slice of pie in Gowanus? The quintessential New Yorker experience, which as everyone knows is eating a delicious slice of pie in Gowanus, is just sitting there waiting for you at Four & Twenty Blackbirds. They have fun flavors like salted caramel apple and it’s right around the corner from our rehearsal space so if you go come say hi to us too!

6. The 2 Extra Beats in the Electric Slide

Do the Electric Slide. Right now. Ok did you do it? WHY ARE THERE 2 EXTRA BEATS IN THE DANCE? We’ve been doing the Electric Slide over pretty much everything just to prove a point: People like weird timing, especially if they can dance to it regardless. There are probably video essays about this, but speaking on the Electric Slide feels like speaking on the great psychic network linking all fungi in the world. Even if you don’t claim to know about the extra 2 beats, you’ve done the dance, and you learned it by watching a group of individuals who were all watching each other thinking “why does this feel slightly off but still pretty great? I guess that’s what we want people to take away from a Fully Furnished set.

7. Prospect Park

Where to even begin. We’ve played two delightful impromptu shows there, and we hope to play more. We filmed a music video there late one night involving an alien and a sandwich. Luke and Kobi were sitting on a bench there when Luke played her a demo (of the song which we’re now officially recording as our next single) and asked if she wanted to join the band. Now, they ride their bikes through the park to and from every rehearsal and it helps them clear their minds. Prospect Park is truly sacred. This time of year, the blossoming fruit trees remind us that a brighter future is possible. And with summer just around the corner, we are anxiously awaiting the countless sun-kissed and popsicle-stained afternoons spent splayed out on a blanket, just a drop in an ocean of queers.

8. Squirrels

One thing about us is that we have some additional bandmates in our rotation. There are four of them and they are tiny squirrel puppet replicas of ourselves (Kobi Jr even plays a little triangle just like her mom). Parenthood is never easy but looking after our little squirrellies makes us better people every day and we wouldn’t change it for the world. Our first single is called Squirrelly, dedicated to our little ones!

The name was coined by Luke who called the original riff a “squirrelly” one the first time we ever played together.

9. Takanaka’s Rainbow Goblins Live Set

Masayoshi Takanaka’s 1981 performance of his concept album The Rainbow Goblins is something no one should live their life without seeing.

Groovy, campy, bizarre, and fever dreamy, this performance is everything we love and aspire to! Apparently the album is inspired by an actual children’s book about seven goblins who try to steal the colors of the rainbow. The best part is at minute 26 or so of the video where they come out wearing actual goblin heads (The Masked Singer WISHES!).

10. Divas in General

Whitney. Mariah. Dolly. Corgis. Gel pens. Our drummer Luke. All of these divas are generational talents and have something uniquely beautiful to bring to the table but at the end of the day they are all divas and we couldn’t love them more for that. Who is your favorite diva? Please reach out, we wanna know!

Top 10 written + provided by Fully Furnished. Follow the band at @fully_furnished_band, listen on Spotify and buy music on Bandcamp!

Feature image (provided by the artist): Human Flower Productions

Share

Subscribe now

We first caught Monobloc at SXSW in 2025, and while it’s borderline absurd to leave the state just to encounter a band from just down the bloc, it’s actually by far the dreamiest form of discovery. Because afterwards, back at home, you can simply hop on the train and go see them again.

In this particular case, the train in question will be taking you to Manhattan. On the evening of April 29th. Because that is exactly when and where you can catch Monobloc, who are playing the third installment of ALL MY FRIENDS — this round with Catcher, D’LOURDES and Beau! — at the extremely classy establishment that is Sony Hall.

GRAB YOUR TIX HERE!

Beyond Austin (and Midtown), Monobloc has toured around the world, from Tokyo to Mexico City, earning praise from Rolling Stone along the way.

Check out the songs as you learn more about Monobloc via their Top 10 — a list of faves from Ben and Mop of the band, featuring basement buffets, dollar-store strolls and the cinematic experience that is the New York Mets.

Read/listen on + enjoy the sun! We’ll see ya at Sony~

MONOBLOC’S TOP 10

1. Cherry Tavern

This has been a mainstay for the last few years for me, and not just because one of my best friends bartends there from time to time. It’s within walking distance of so many venues in LES, so it’s become the natural place for us to head to after a show or on the way back to the train. Lots of good times here. (Ben)

2. The Hindu Temple Canteen

If you haven’t been to Flushing, you’re missing out on one of my favorite neighborhoods in New York. It’s wildly different from everywhere else, but the highlight for me is this cafeteria-style, all-vegetarian restaurant in the basement of a Hindu temple. It’s some of the best Indian food I’ve had outside of India. Great bookstore too. (Ben)

3. Surfing in the Rockaways

Whenever I bring this up there’s a solid contingent of people who look at me like I’m completely crazy. More often than not the waves are total shit, but there’s usually around 3 or 4 days a year where it’s good, mostly lefts. I haven’t been out in a minute but it’s the best. Just sitting out in the ocean with no phone, no conversation, no music, just silence and the sound of the waves as the sun comes up. (Ben)

4. The New York Mets

I love the Mets because they somehow make every season feel like a movie, equal parts chaos, hope, and heartbreak. (Ben)

5. The Sensuous Bean on Columbus Avenue

I’ve been an insomniac my whole life. When I first moved to the city when I was 21 and dead broke, I’d take the J train into the city between 11PM and 1 AM when I couldn't sleep. I’d get off at Essex and just start wandering and listening to music. There were nights I’d walk for hours and end up here right when they opened and drink a coffee on some random rich person's brownstone stoop. (Ben)

6. Boss Coffee

Best enjoyed if you can find it hot. (Mop)

7. Moe’s Doughs in Greenpoint

Best donuts in the city. (Mop)

8. Walking down every aisle of a big dollar store

New York is full of dollar stores, and usually I just get what I came for and get out. But have you ever tried strolling every aisle and looking at everything they have in stock? It’s oddly therapeutic. (Mop)

9. The Ralph Lauren Flagship

This is a store but it rivals the best museums in the city in my book. It’s made up of two Upper East Side mansions across the street from one another, elaborately staged with some of the best clothing designs to ever come out of this country. You can spend all day here and leave inspired without even buying anything, and the last time I went they were giving out free cinnamon rolls. (Mop)

10. All Clad stainless steel pan

There’s literally no reason to use cheap shitty cookware in your kitchen. You can buy a used high-quality stainless steel pan on eBay for $30 and it’ll still last a lifetime and make the cooking experience endlessly easier and more enjoyable. (Mop)

Share

Subscribe now

Top 10 written + provided by Monobloc Follow Monobloc at @monobloc.online , add songs to your Spotify playlists and find all things Monobloc at monobloc.online.

Feature image provided by the band.

Happy Monday! Let’s get into it.

Today’s RIDER is from longtime BdBK fave Slight Of — the music and multimedia project from Jem Hill, the artist behind Other People, one of our most listened to (and most loved) albums of 2020.

Now, after dropping an album during the pandemic, Jem is at long last gearing up to release the record they wrote during it. A period when—unable to rehearse, play shows and tour—the artist retreated from our less-than-ideal reality, opting instead to explore others via video game.

Omniscient Eye (out later this year) is a product of that period — a collection of folk songs for the future. And we couldn’t be more stoked to report that the first single — “Sunsets on the Screen” — is out now!

(Though, important to note, intentionally not on Spotify.)

Instead, listen on Bandcamp / Tidal /Apple.

OR…

^RIGHT THERE.

Of the new track, Jem says:

“‘Sunsets on the Screen’ began as a song about a person living inside a video game. In a sense, I think we’re all living our own little simulations. Most of us have probably heard of Simulation Theory: the idea that we’re all living inside a massive computer program. That’s an interesting thought experiment, but I’m more interested in the simulations we construct ourselves: Are we living in a simulation of democracy? Is the American court system just a simulation of justice? I think there’s a reason people want to get lost in alternative worlds; the one we’re stuck in can be pretty bleak.”

For Jem, the process has always mirrored the product. Omniscient Eye is an interrogation of reality, so Hill rolled up their sleeves and built a new one, creating a video game to accompany the song that you can play right here.

Speaking of playing (aaayyy!) you can catch Jem playing a stripped-down set at the next edition of SONGS TO FREE THEM ALL — our backyard show series raising money for bail funds — on Friday, April 24th alongside Fully Furnished and Kira Metcalf.

DM 4 ADDRESS <3

Now read on for Jem’s RIDER — a list by a true creative and creator, packed with works by other ones, featuring trippy ‘80s art, a city planner-crafted video game and works by the authors that inspired the album.

Always a pleasure to pay a visit to your inbox—

Have a really, really, really great week <3

SLIGHT OF’S TOP 10

1. Mood Machine by Liz Pelly

Liz and I met the summer I moved to Brooklyn in 2014, back when she was working at Silent Barn and I was living in another show space nearby. We played in the first iteration of Trace Mountains and hung out at many of the same shows. When her book finally came out last year, I was surprised to see how many of the concepts she discussed had subconsciously made their way into the record I was working on. I’m fascinated by how algorithms are shaping our psyches and society as a whole. I think what is happening with Spotify and the music industry is just a microcosm of what is coming for the rest of the world. These AI companies are looking to remove friction from every aspect of our lives, but the reality is that struggle is often necessary. Not everything is meant to be easy. Music means more when you find it on your own; that’s how you develop a personal relationship with it. Art means more when you spend time and energy creating it. That’s why I think Liz’s book is so important. The implications of what she’s talking about stretch far beyond the music business.

2. Gamer Theory by Mackenzie Wark

I can’t remember how I stumbled across this book. I think I just saw it in a random bookstore, but I immediately knew I was going to buy it. I’ve spent hours listening to Mackenzie speak on YouTube. She has such a unique mind. For me, the premise of Gamer Theory boils down to the idea that, as an art form, games are not imperfect representations of reality—rather, reality is an imperfect representation of a game. What does that mean? In games, we have rules that we agree on and follow in order for the simulation to work, but in reality, rules do not apply. We structure our societies on the idea of “law and order,” but are these rules followed by everyone? Of course not. Life is just a game, and it’s rigged. Each chapter of the book uses a different game as a metaphor to look at the political philosophies that dominate our culture—Vice City, Katamari Damacy, and The Sims are a few of the games she tackles. If you’re into games and feel that there’s more beneath the surface than just pure “fun,” this is the book for you.

3. Skulls Example by Dear Nora

My friend Dave sent me this record—he always knows the stuff I’m gonna be obsessed with, and this album was no exception. Skulls Example feels like a film to me. When I listen to it, I see everything Katy Davidson is singing about so clearly. There’s something about the way they capture the language and mood of our time that feels so poignant. It’s hard as an artist to talk about modern technology and events without feeling clichéd and out of touch, but Katy sings about the internet, late capitalism, and cell phones while still maintaining a pastoral, poetic element to it all. The record really captures a specific time and place in America for me.

4. '80s Airbrush Art

I came across a sidewalk sale in Queens one day and this airbrushed poster caught my eye: It was a woman’s face floating in the sky above a tiger and her cub. Above them, a dove flew across an evening sky. It was completely absurd. I was obsessed. I didn’t buy it, but I regret that decision every day. The painting is called “Tigresa” by Patrignani, and since I saw it, I’ve been totally obsessed with ‘80s airbrushed art. I think most people nowadays call it “vaporwave,” but for me, that’s just the new stuff. The original art from that time has an element of surrealism filtered through the nihilistic commercialism of the Cold War era—it creates an effect that’s futuristic, pseudo-spiritual, and utterly vapid all at the same time. I love it.

5. The Dark Souls Trilogy

If video games are eventually talked about as literature, their Shakespeare will be Hidetaka Miyazaki, the writer/director of the Dark Souls series. The discourse about these games can be off-putting: they’re known for being extremely difficult, which is not untrue. The thing people don’t talk about as often is that the difficulty curve has created an incredibly dedicated community of players that is uncharacteristically warm and welcoming. On the surface, the game is as simple as “kill all the bad guys to win.” Dig deeper, however, and you’ll find a story with lore deep enough to rival Tolkien. In Dark Souls, overcoming challenges becomes synonymous with self-improvement. The games are often discussed as an allegory for battling depression. They are so masterfully constructed that, while moving through them, you begin to recognize the narrative structure as your own journey. This, of course, is what all good games strive for; Dark Souls just pulls it off seamlessly. Not to mention the mood created by the art and music is just so unique. I’ve played through all three multiple times at this point. I’m obsessed.

6. Doppelganger by Naomi Klein

Doppelganger starts with the anecdote that author Naomi Klein would often be confused with the right-wing conspiracy theorist Naomi Wolf, but the book is about far more than that. The title itself is a metaphor for the “doubles” we create of ourselves online. It touches on the political polarization of the pandemic and anti-vax conspiracies, but most importantly, the book explores why our sense of truth and meaning has been fundamentally altered in the age of the internet.

7. Laurie Anderson

During the pandemic, I watched a lecture series of Laurie’s on YouTube called Spending the War Without You. The word “lecture” is used pretty loosely here. In these talks, she combines music, poetry, and other performance mediums to convey ideas about creativity and the human condition. She’s one of those people who I can listen to talk about anything. There is a VR piece she helped create where you navigate through rooms made up of her writings. The breadth of her work in music, poetry, art, and technology is something that really inspires me. Her career is a great reminder that there’s no real roadmap made for us. Everyone is just making it up.

8. No One is Talking About This by Patricia Lockwood

Patricia Lockwood is one of my favorite living writers and poets. This is her first novel. It’s about an influencer who becomes famous for a viral tweet. The entire book is told through small, tweet-like vignettes, and it’s hilarious, thought-provoking, and heartbreaking all at the same time. Her poetry is much the same. Like Katy Davidson of Dear Nora, she has a way of writing about the internet that feels accurate and silly, yet poignant and poetic. She really captures the uncanny valley of our current era.

9. City Planner Plays

I love niche YouTube channels. City Planner Plays is run by an actual city planner in the U.S. who plays Cities: Skylines (a city-building video game). He builds these really beautiful virtual cities and towns and talks about the real-world theories and policies behind the design decisions he makes. It’s really cozy and interesting to listen to while I clean my room or just drift off to sleep.

10. Come on All You Ghosts by Matthew Zapruder

Another of my favorite living poets. This is a book I’ve read countless times. I often take it on the road with me and flip through it to remind myself why I like poems. I think poetry is one of the purest art forms in the sense that it does the most with the least. Just a few words—either spoken or on a page—can be really moving, you know? Zapruder is always someone I recommend when people tell me they don’t like poetry or that they “don’t get it.” He is completely unpretentious but doesn’t dumb his work down to be accessible. His poems in this book are dreamlike and whimsical, but never trite. It’s hard to choose a line from a poem that sums up what a writer is like, but I’ll try: “Sometimes / when I close my eyes / I hear a billion workers / in my skull / hammering nails from which / all the things I see / get hung.”

Top 10 written + provided by Slight Of. Follow Slight Of at @slightofband and buy music on Bandcamp!

Feature image (provided by the artist): Natalie Piserchio

Share

Subscribe now

Hello!

For those of you who like to plan ahead, we’re coming in with a whopping four days notice (who is she?!) to let you know about the Van Chamberlain show happening THIS SUNDAY at Union Pool!

A venue where, for the record, we’ve never had a bad time.

GRAB YOUR TICKETS HERE!

Now for your band du jour:

Van Chamberlain cranks out lush and layered indie rock that aims to ride the songwriting wave between past and present, nostalgia and discovery, and this round they’ll be bringing their songs to the Union Pool stage alongside the rad rhythms of Brooklyn’s Alejandro and the sweet sounds of Salem’s Charm Person.

In honor of Sunday’s show, Van Chamberlain kept it local, offering their favorite spots in the neighborhood for a RIDER/SETLIST hybrid that perfectly aligns with the tried n true BdBK mission to help you discover the best artist-approved spots in the borough.

Listen to some VC whilst reading on for a new neighborhood bucket list ft. a band-approved version of everything your heart (head/stomach/eyes/ears) might desire. Best of all, basically within a few blocks radius.

And have a really nice week(end) <3

VAN CHAMBERLAIN’S TOP 10

East Williamsburg Things We Love Most

Since our show this coming Sunday is at Union Pool in East Williamsburg and Van has lived off the Graham Ave stop for 10 years, and since our drummer Jacob literally just moved into the apartment upstairs, we’ve opted to make our top ten things we love most East Williamsburg-themed.

A lot of our songs and videos take place here. Namely, the lyrics to our latest single ”Running Through the World” were inspired by a late-night hang at Ore Bar, and our latest music videos , ”Miracle Drug” and ”Solutions”, were filmed right here in East Williamsburg. We even recorded our first LP on Graham Ave at Strange Weather.

We get endless inspiration from living here — it’s energy and the people. I think you could safely say that this neighborhood is major aspirational force for us making our music.

So w/o further adieu :

1. Cooper Park

Lesser known outdoor hang with very positive local energy and big trees abound. Our dog Murphy might love it there more than we do. We also shot our “Solutions” music video primarily in this magical spot.

2. Mother’s

Our go-to post show hang is always Mother’s burgers and watching their expertly curated 90’s action movies on the little tv above the bar.

3. Mo’s General Pizza

Up the street from our house, writing sessions and equally important creative breaks are usually spent over their bar pies.

4. Variety Coffee

Extremely addicted to their coffee 10 years in, equally addicted to zoning out and recalibrating on their bench out front.

5. Orient Ave.

Usually when a demo draft is complete, it’s sent to the headphones and taken on a listening walk down Orient. It’s just a magical tree lined street tucked off the main drag which always inspires the mind.

6. Ore Bar

A bar obv has to be on this list and this one is our regular meet-up spot. Cozy booths, dimly lit, and sake by the can. A lot of our musical plans have been dreamt up there.

7. Boom Service Records for their vinyl selection

I swear I manifested a copy of Neil Young’s Rust Never Sleeps my first time going in there, and every time since I’ve found a new record to draw inspiration from.

8. Weed Shop: Fire Farmers Corp.

They have Sherbinskis. Need I say more?

9. Our post-show hangover cure is hands down at Harefield Road

The most tried and true establishment of East Williamsburg. When you wake up and wanna die, Harefield Eggs and bloody mary are there for you.

10. Music Venue: Union Pool

We’ve seen so many legendary shows in this room and playing there is such a treat for us to look forward to. Come out!

Subscribe now

Share

Top 10 written + provided by Van Chamberlain. Follow the band at @vanchamberlain grab music on Bandcamp and add the songs to your Spotify playlists!

Feature image (provided by the band): Rory Shamlian

Happy First Day of Spring™!

Been a while since we whipped out a weekend SETLIST (though you can always peruse the archive!), but with the sun shining and birds chirping, there’s no better time than today to consult the pros of Parks Department.

By which we mean the band, founded by actual one-time members of the NYPD (don’t worry — not that one), who just released their latest single “Towel” earlier this week!

Out with dad rock — this is unc rock! A band of 30-something Brooklynites crafting songs that, in their meaning and their making, revolve around a stubborn refusal to succumb to the stereotypical trappings of so-called adulthood… an active decision to keep chasing the music dream.

Parks has been one of our favorite bands since discovery via WFUV NY Slice last year, and we’ve since booked them in venues, living rooms and backyards, plus — as of this weekend — BK’s favorite DIY space #EWEL, where they’ll be celebrating the single TOMORROW NIGHT!

Grab those tix via bandNada now!

Then read on for a weekend itinerary from Woody and the outdoor kids / party animals / sandwich aficionados that make up Parks Department.

Catch you at the Lodge on Saturday, where we plan to — as the band puts it— rock hard at a moderate volume. Have a really nice weekend <3

[BUT FIRST: PRESS PLAY]

FRIDAY

Most of us are in our 30s now, and that usually means that Friday days are spent crossing our i’s and dotting our t’s before going into the weekend. That may look like a couples therapy session debating the ethics/decision to have children, or swapping out bad, plastic clothing and furniture for good, second hand, natural clothes and furniture. Some of us met in social work school and you could even get therapy from one of us - jk, we wanna party with you, so we can’t work with you :(

Work sucks and we wanna party now. A lot of members of Parks Department have lived/live in Kensington/Ditmas Park area, and we recommend getting Pakistani food at Shandar on Coney Island avenue ( when I worked for NYC Parks I used to go a lot, it’s close enough to the south of Prospect Park). You gotta eat a little before you party. Then go to a local bar, or your friend’s house party, or have your own house party.

SATURDAY

It’s good to take the morning slowly, but it’s also important to get outside. We highly recommend walking to your local park - even if it’s cold - to get some fresh air. It’s good for you, and it’ll put you in a good place for the weekend. And, if you see anyone with their dog off-leash after 9am (or in a park with a dog run), please talk to them and ask them to put their dog back on a leash. Tell them that you know people who work for the Parks Dept (members of this band did) and that the dogs mess up the lawn, and the gardeners have to constantly clean up after them. Maybe ask them why they feel entitled to public space, and did they ever considered that, hey, maybe some people don’t like dogs at all, maybe some kids are even afraid of dogs? Ask them why they chose to spend their free-time parading a captive animal around limited green space in NYC instead of engaging in an actual, human conversation with someone else? Do they not want a 2-way dialogue? Why are they projecting their need for affection onto this animal - one completely removed from the conditions it was bred for - when they could be volunteering or protesting for greater good? Seriously, please do this. If you have a dog, please, keep it on a leash.

After you get some nature and civil discourse in, check out the local farmers’ markets. It’s good to eat well and local, and to support your microbiome - especially before you start abusing it when partying.

Now it’s time to party. We finally finished our record (after years and years of exploration) and put out a single, Towel. We’re celebrating by playing a sick, fun show at Econo Lodge in East Williamsburg. You can get tickets - and the address- here. We’re honored to be playing with friends Sara Devoe, Big Dog, and Good Deli. We are seriously going to be partying very hard after. Even though we play pre-dad rock, we believe partying is therapy.

After the show, we’ll go to some bar - unless someone is having a house party?? - like Coyote Club or something.

SUNDAY

You partied way too hard last night and you gotta get the fuck outta the city now. Take the Metro North to New Haven, to transfer to the CT Rail. There’re a lot of great little towns in northern CT where you can aimlessly walk around in nature, and think about how you ended up in your 30s still chasing the rock’n’roll pipe dream even though you have a great partner who just wants to settle down.

Or if that’s not chill, just go to Prospect Park, or the Russian Baths or some shit. Saunas are a proven way to sweat out all the microplastics we’ve clearly been absorbing in our debauched lifestyle. You could even go to the Turkish Baths in Manhattan and then get a sandwich at Pisillo Panini. I spent a decade driving around the 5 boroughs in my NYC Parks truck, trying different sandwiches. Surprisingly, one of the best ones is this authentic Italian place in the Financial District.

End the weekend thinking about why you partied so hard instead of getting more involved with the DSA or some other political organization. But then remember, it’s never too late to start getting more politically involved. Make plans to bring your partying INTO political action, or vice versa. We love you, thank you for coming to the show.

Itinerary above written + submitted by Parks Department. Follow the band at @parksdeptband, buy music on Bandcamp and add songs to your Spotify playlist!

Feature image (provided by the band): Adam LaValla

THE SETLIST by Bands do BK is a reader-supported publication that’s freeeee. BUT! If you want to become a paid subscriber to show some love and support the work BdBK is doing… well, hey. That’d be pretty rad of you. <3

Subscribe now

Share THE SETLIST by Bands do BK

Good morning! Today is the day!

Or rather… TONIGHT IS THE NIGHT!

Prepare yourself for the fifth-annual Bands do BK x New Colossus party — this round featuring 9 (!!!!) bands for your buck at Baker Falls!

[Buy festival badges at newcolossusfestival.com or grab a ticket for $20 at the door! Pre-game with a Spotify playlist featuring all of the bands here.]

This round we’ve also got the collab of our dreams with Solid Merch, who will be hosting a mixer w/ food and drinks at 5 pm and handing out exclusive CDs featuring sweet tracks from each featured band.

And speaking of featured bands, allow us to introduce you to MAKARA — a bangin’ band outta Bangkok, who will be hitting the showcase stage this evening at 10:45!

MAKARA is a KEXP-approved band fusing Molam (a traditional form of music born from Bangkok) with Japanese-inspired drum rhythms — epitomizing the international span of sounds you can only find at a fest like New Colossus.

Check ‘em out while scopin’ out their top 9 (close enough) — a list featuring Game of Thrones, Kraprow Moo Krob and future family battling with Beyblade.

Yeehaw! SEE YOU TONIGHT <3

MAKARA’S TOP…9

1. Beyblade

Beyblade has always been my favourite battling spinning top toy, and now as a 30‑year‑old I still battle! I cannot wait to spin and battle with my son.

2. Game of Thrones (Season 3 marathon)

Watching it for the third time feels epic — like a once‑in‑a‑lifetime journey. I just can’t get enough of it.

3. The surreal moment we found out we get to play at KEXP

We grew up listening to the kind of experimental sounds that KEXP showcases from around the world, it's so surreal to be invited to play on.

4. Kraprow Moo Krob (Thai Basil Crispy Pork)

One of Thailand’s signature dishes. The succulent meat has an aromatic fragrance, spicy taste and crispy texture all blended together. We love our eating our favourite moo krob.

5. Jimi Hendrix

Jimi Jimi Jimi! One of my top Jimi Hendrix’s live-recorded performances was his 1969 Woodstock set. This performance is iconic for its improvised rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner" and a long, experimental "Purple Haze" intro. It’s raw and fresh, yet revolutionary.

6. Vintage drums

I like collecting vintage musical instruments, especially drums. The modern ones just aren’t made the same way as before and the special texture can only come from aging.

7. 1960’s Raglan sleeves sweatshirt

Vintage sweatshirts are the holy grail for many vintage collectors. The Raglan sleeves have no shoulder seams at the shoulders to sharpen the silhouette. I love dressing up, I enjoy the stories behind clothes. It’s fun and functional. There are good things in life that you cannot buy with money like some vintage designs.

8. The morning with a kiss from my son

My 13-month-old son woke me (Q) up by kissing me and we played Peekaboo. For me, that is the most precious moment of the day

9. Our 2025 Japan tour was incredible! So many new experiences, new friends, and new fans.

The vibes were amazing, and we loved seeing our NgongNgong vinyl at Disk Union!

Share

Subscribe now

Top 10 written + provided by MAKARA. Follow the band at @makara_official.th, and add the songs to your Spotify playlists!

Feature image provided by the band.

THE NEW COLOSSUS FESTIVAL HAS OFFICIALLY COMMENCED!

And thus we’re extraordinarily stoked to continue our musical odyssey around the world (without ever leaving the LES).

That said, today’s featured band Midscale is one we did discover ~in the wild~ back in Paris in June, when they opened for Foxing at Point Éphémère and blew us away with their performance and the swirly sonics of their (presumably) croissant-fueled shoegaze.

As is BdBk custom, we assaulted them at the merch show with compliments in third-grade French (J’ADORRRRRE!) before begging them to apply (S’IL VOUS PLAAAAAAIT!) to New Colossus Fest.

Fast-forward nine months, and we couldn’t be more hyped to reunite with the band of talented sweethearts stateside as — ahead of their EP release in May — they rep their country in what’s basically our version of the Olympics. But with more drumsticks, fewer hockey sticks. And, for the record, no medals.

Midscale’s first New Colossus show is the Ditto showcase TONIGHT at Baker Falls at 11:15 PM. They’ll also be playing the Left of the Dial stage at Piano’s on Saturday at 9:15 PM.

And, most importantly….

[Buy festival badges at newcolossusfestival.com or grab a ticket for $20 at the door!]

They’ll be playing (8:30PM) at the BANDS DO BK PARTY THIS FRIDAY! Where we’ll be handing out, courtesy of our party partner Solid Merch, real-life CDs (peep here) featuring songs from each of the nine bands on the lineup.

Enjoy the incredible sounds of Midscale, then turn your gaze from your shoes for a moment and feast those eyes on the band’s Top 10 — a list featuring Twin Peaks, peak chips and a perfect Sunday in Paris.

See you at the show(s) <3

MIDSCALE’S TOP 10

1. Chase Bliss

It’s safe to say we’re obsessed with making weird noises and glitches coming out of our amps. Chase bliss pedals fulfill all of our needs.

2. Liverpool Football Club

Just the stupidest team. But also the best football team in the world.

3. Bret’s

This is peak potato chips experience. Tartiflette, Cheddar Jalapeño, Carbonara, Kebab, Yakitori… any flavour you name it. A national pride.

4. Sundays (practice days)

Sundays are good. You usually start them with band practice (good), then you see if you can manage a run, walk to a bakery and get a flat white and two pastries. You walk about two more kilometers, then watch the early premier league kick-off, a single pint of Guinness in hand. You go to a fancy shop and get all the ingredients for one of the recipes you saved off instagram and always said you would cook but never cook. You have a perfect album (2019’s album Duress by the band Froth) playing while you do it. Sit in the dark with your friends and watch a movie. Somehow lose track of time and go to bed around 2am. Peak life.

5. Leboncoin

The French craigslist, we find most of our gear through it amongst weirdos.

6. TAGABOW

Easily the most influential shoegaze band of the 2020s. If you care about the genre at all and enjoy pitched-up vocal chirps and drum ‘n’ bass skitters, then you need to give them your time.

7. Sarah Hottiaux (@oragegrise)

Our band wouldn’t exist in any visual form without her. She designed all of our artworks and all of our upcoming music videos. She’s also the sweetest and most caring person. We love her.

8. Canal de l’Ourcq

In between the Trabendo (best venue in Paris) and the Point Ephémère (second best venue in Paris) flows a canal where Paris is actually enjoyable. You’ll find the best bars in town, houseboats and probably one of us.

9. Twin Peaks

To start a conversation with our rhythm section, you might want to talk about flatwound strings on a 1984 medium-scale Japanese bass or 1974 Ludwig Classic Maple 3-ply drums. You may not have a good time, but at least you’ll hear them express themselves. On the other hand, if you want to see them come alive with a kind of inexhaustible sacred fire, just mention Twin Peaks. An incomprehensible passion for our two guitarists, who never made it through Season 1. It goes from simple references to a piece of music, a scene, or a line of dialogue, to the systematic collection of every logs we’ve come across on our travels. It’s a bit disturbing when you think about it.

10. KEXP

Catch all four of us in a room with a tv and there’s a high chance a KEXP live session is playing in the background. 90.3FM forever.

Share

Subscribe now

Top 10 written + provided by Midscale. Follow the band at @midscaleband, grab music on Bandcamp and add the songs to your Spotify playlists!

Feature image (provided by the band): Sarah Hottiaux

Happy Thursday!

Allow us to add some ~ambiance~ c/o voice-of-an-angel (maybe more like a sorceress??) Kira Metcalf, whose debut album Lessons in Majestic Humiliation is OUT NOW!

Of her debut, Kira says:

“Lessons in Majestic Humiliation is about subconsciously trying to fill a hole, the delicate process of extracting and discarding vices like splinters lodged in your foot, family and sex and relationships, the toxic and intoxicating, treasured and lost.”

(She is also a poet.)

It’s worth noting that while LIMH is a collection of originals, we first fell in love with Kira via Kate Bush cover back in 2022 (she was Wuthering Heights-ing before it was cool), where she combined her two loves—ethereal art pop + gritty ‘90s grunge—for a take that would surely be both Bush and Brontë approved.

Grab your ticket now to catch Kira (and that voice) on stage and in action with Pig Milk and Abbie Roper at Berlin on March 16th.

Then: TOUR TIME! Come April, Kira will be hitting the road with fellow Brooklynite and collaborator Honeycrush—

A tour that concludes with a homecoming show at Purgatory on April 10th.

Now go forth and live/learn/love to Lessons in Majestic Humiliation. Preferably while scoping out Kira’s top 10—a list that features cough-drop cocktails, Lord of the Rings quotes and goin’ outside for some tree-touchin’ time.

Have a very excellent evening <3

KIRA METCALF’S TOP 10

1. Celcius

If Zohran can have his sugar free red bull as a treat I can have my Retro Vibe Celsius. Imagine melting a 7-11 slurpee and then adding a bunch of crisp seltz. It’s gorgeous.

2. "The Bald and the Beautiful”

Nothing is more soothing or centering pre-show than Trixie and Katya. If my headphones are in, I’m hanging out with the girls.

3. Vocal mist

Seasonal depression isn’t the most daunting aspect of winter- it’s the dreaded winter voice. Your sinuses are a mess. The relentless heat in your apartment has air fried your nasal passages and that humidifier you invested in is really a glorified oil diffuser. Singing in winter is VERY different than any other season which is why I rely on my little vocal mister thing. If it looks like I’m vaping at the gig I’m actually breathing in vaporized saline solution.

4. Well whisky on the rocks with a cherry-flavored lozenge

Yes warming up yes vocal misting blablabla…Nothing lubes up the old vocal cords like the age-old combination of a cherry-flavored lozenge with some well whisky on the rocks.

5. Horror

Horror books, movies, and my favorite: docs about horror movies. After years of terrible anxiety + writing songs about the deep dark chasms of the spirit, I finally dipped a dainty toe into horror and I find it incredibly soothing! Life is terrifying and it’s nice to have a controlled outlet to experience fear. Favorites include Possession (if you’ve seen the “On Instinct” music video you already know), The Exorcist: 3, IT the novel (minus that one scene at the end), and the Queer for Fear doc series on Shudder.

6. Tree touching

I have a favorite tree in my neighborhood that has a long sturdy branch with a perfect hand divot. I like to stop by on my morning walks with Margaret (my dingo-adjacent dog) and say hi to my treee and hold onto the branch and look up at it and say “hiiii treeee” and then say nice things about life and tree and myself and my wishes for everyone I love and the world. If you’re ever in Ditmas Park hit me up and ill tell you where to find it!

7. Chips

If I could live on chips I’d never eat another square meal. Late July Jalapeño Lime chips are the vegan equivalent of Cool Ranch Doritos. Taki’s with chopsticks. Trader Joes cheese crunchies. The list is endless but they MUST be jam packed with flavor.

8. LOTR quotes

For every situation and occasion there is a perfect quote from Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy. Leaving an event? “I’m going now. I bid you all a very fond farewell.” Trying not to succumb to peer pressure? “DONT…TEMPT ME, FRODO.” Eating cherries? “And pits, pits, pits.” Get obscure with it. Make it your whole personality. Should we just watch the extended editions real quick?

9. Dinner parties

The cooking, the beverage pairing, the yapping, the friendship, the onus to clean one’s apartment. Nothing resets my brain like being with my belovèds and hosting (or attending!) a dinner party is simply the best means of socialization.

10. “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now”

The last 7 minutes of any car ride be it from a show, road trip, or Costco run, should always be Celine Dion’s piece de resistance. Remember that the first time there’s only 2 BABY’s and then the second chorus its BABY BABY BABY.

Share

Subscribe now

Top 10 written + provided by Kira Metcalf. Follow Kira Metcalf at @kirametcalf, buy music on Bandcamp and add songs to your Spotify playlists!

Feature image (provided by the artist): sarah clare simone-kirsimäe

Good afternoon,

Hope this blizzard finds you well.

In the midst of this sweet lil tundra, we’re finding ourselves fantasizing about the forthcoming sauna — the rock ‘n’ roll sorta steam room generated by hundreds of bodies crammed together, drinking, dancing and ~reveling~ to the sights/sounds/smells of live music.

On that note, it’s just eight days until the commencement of New Colossus Festival (!!!), where, for almost a week, we will be enjoying exactly that sweaty sonic experience at venues across the NYC LES. Which means it’s about time we reenter your inbox, continuing our promotional musical mission and introducing you to the incredible international bands making up 66.6666666666666666666666666% of the BdBK x Solid Merch 9-band (!!!!!) lineup.

[Buy festival badges at newcolossusfestival.com or grab a ticket for $20 at the door!]

Next up are Lisbon-based BdBK bffs Hause Plants — former Brooklyn residents, New Colossus alumni and part of the same party-hard Portuguese collective as last week’s Bad Tomato.

We’ve had the privilege of listening to the forthcoming debut album (set for release this year), which marks the band’s recent vibe veer into dance-punk — the sounds and energy of which you can surely expect from their NC fest set(s), transmitted via songs that, for now, you can only hear live.

In the meantime, familiarize yourself with what’s up and avail online...

And get to know the group IRL this Friday with a FREE DJ set in the front room of Sleepwalk, featuring sets by Hause Plants and fellow fest band Ditch Days.

RSVP HERE.

In the words of the band, Hause Plants is for fans of: “clubbing until reasonable hours; introducing friends to friends; Brooklyn Lagers; hanging out in bars; niche personal blogs.”

As for what they’re fans of, keep on keepin’ on(line) for a Top 10 from Gui featuring friendship, home-sweet-home in exclusively 3-day doses and the ~undisputed~ best song of 2025.

HAUSE PLANTS’ TOP 10

1. Undisputed best songs of the year

I usually hate it when everyone’s taste seems the same and there’s no critical thinking behind all the “best songs of the year” lists. However, sometimes a song is so good that it undisputedly deserves the #1 spot on every list. “Love Takes Miles” by Cameron Winter, the best song of 2025, belongs in that category.

2. 2016 millennial optimism

I was 21 when 2016 happened, so it’s wild to see such a big part of my coming-of-age years come back as a trend. It might also be the first time in the never-ending trend cycle that something I actually lived through, and watched fall out of fashion, has become trendy and desirable to a new generation.

3. Using things until exhaustion

Whether it’s clothes, a Fender guitar, a sofa, or a book that you’ve read a million times, I think it’s an amazing feeling to extend the lifespan of an object as much as possible and make it truly yours.

4. Beers

I just really love drinking beers.

5. Indie labels from the past

Deep diving on Wikipedia to find very niche, small indie labels and the artists they put out before the owners ran out of money or energy is a great way to discover new music.

6. Coming back home but just for three days

I love being on the road and traveling as much as possible, but nothing beats a shower in your own bathroom and a long night’s sleep in your own bed. Of course, after three days it gets boring and it’s time to get back on the road again.

7. Arguing that Alex Turner is the best songwriter of the millennium

Alex Turner is the lead singer of one of the biggest rock bands of the past two decades and he’s still underrated. Even on the worst song of the worst Arctic Monkeys album, he still writes:

Caricatures of your wrecking ball gown

In my mind all the time

I wanna be in that damsel patterned alley

Where you go for a smoke

And sorrow slow dances

The phones are lighting up

Taking no chances

Close but never close enough

8. 2001 - 2006

There’s a brief window in modern history when the Internet was already part of everyday life, but social media didn’t exist yet. That five-year period gave us some incredible movies, books, and records. And it will never be repeated.

9. Had a hard time coming up with this one

Maybe I just love 9 things and not 10?????

10. Friendship

I believe this one needs no explanation.

Share

Subscribe now

Top 10 written + provided by Hause Plants Follow the band at @hauseplants, grab music on Bandcamp and add the songs to your Spotify playlists!

Feature image (provided by the band): Manuel Casanova

Good morning! Allow me a brief business interlude.

On Instagram last Tuesday, I was stoked to formally announce — after very professionally adjusting my ponytail — the official launch of samsumpter.com!

But this isn’t just a URL. It’s more ways for us to work together! Specifically, the launch of a new set of offerings thoughtfully designed for independent artists and the great people, places and platforms that support them:

1. Consulting & Storytelling Services

Helping you find the hook

Let’s get personal. Drawing on my media background and industry experience, I’ll dive in to help you connect the dots, break through blocks and craft a unique and engaging band story for journalists, bookers and all your future fans.

Select a service.

2. SAMgmt.

Management services for the moment

I’m building a roster of artists I believe in with subscription services custom-fitted to meet your band’s evolving needs. Consider this management for the moment—structure, strategy and support that meets you where you are and helps you level up. An on-call industry professional planted proudly in your corner, offering guidance and assistance in the ways YOU need it most (while yeehaw!-ing every step of the way).

Join the roster.

3. Moderating, MCing & Media

Prepared with care, executed with enthusiasm

Live sessions. Listening parties. Festival panels. Interviews and articles. I approach every event and creative endeavor with warmth, energy and intent, doing my research to shine a thoughtful spotlight on my subjects and ensuring everyone feels seen—and heard.

(Bonus proof of professionalism: I managed to interview Stephan Jenkins of Third Eye Blind on stage without even once asking him to step back from that ledge my friend.)

Pass me the mic (and/or pen).

+ Prob other stuff!

Random assistance upon request

Why not ask? Maybe I can help.

Find more info on all of the above (+ peep my creds) at samsumpter.com and get in touch.

The truth is there’s just nothing I love more than working with bands!

I feel extraordinarily lucky to have found my purpose, and now I’m stoked to take this next step and go into music full-time so I can channel all of my time, energy and everything I’ve learned (a LOT) over the last 9 years in the industry to amplify the work of the artists I believe in.

If your passion is your music, my passion is supporting it—

Together, let’s turn it up 🤠