If Post Animal‘s When I Think Of You In A Castle had a theme, it would be chaos. The songs constantly shift through motifs and subgenres but in the best possible way. There are six* musicians throwing their hats into the ring and their collaboration takes on so many amalgamations it’s hard to keep the train on track. The album covers everything from psych and ambient to a touch of southern rock on “Susie“. This first project via Polyvinyl is a fusion of madmen’s genius that is sure to please all the kiddies no matter what genre they claim to worship.

A perfect example of what I’m talking about are songs like “Gelatin Mode” which begins with a heart attack inducing drums and transitioning to an explosion of dueling guitars. Then, Toledo’s drums switch it up to create a sway-worthy rhythm. From there the band goes into a full psychotic frenzy just to drop it back down to a slower tempo during the versus. Then, smack in the middle we’re propelled into a spacey, Tame Impala-esque void which, almost too quickly, we’re ripped back out of. This song reminds me of a long, exciting water slide. And that’s only track two!

“Victory Lap/ Danger Zone” and “Dirtpicker” are two other examples of the fantastical musical whiplash that Post Animal takes us on. “Victory Lap/ Danger Zone” is a perfect example where at first we’re taken down a heavy, heavy psyche road that builds until the boys are sonically bashing our ears drums with baseball bats and then it turns into a palatial, airy ballad. DEAR GOD THE SHEAR duality of this album is enough to lure in any unsuspecting human!

Tracks like “Tire Eyes” and “Ralphie” lend themselves to a retro air. This is definitely where the band is busting their pop song chaps. Here we are reminded of bands like Boston, Thin Lizzy, and Foghat.

When I Think Of You In A Castle was a long time coming for the band. Almost two years ago the entire band, including Joe keery who is no longer a touring member but still contributing to the ensemble, stayed at a lake house where they recorded the majority of the album. It wasn’t until much later when they were signed to Polyvinyl that this project would become a reality. Dalton Allison did the final mixing of the piece and Hirshfield’s brother Jared mastered it. I interviewed them back in the fall of 2016 when they had just made the trek to PAW PAW lake in Michigan to record this album. The album was supposedly, suppose to be called The Gators Are Back in 3D, but it seems that idea was thrown out. The band also share with me a few creepy stories of an old man who haunts the lake house where they recorded so it’s no surprise there are off supernatural vibes on the album.

Post Animal are currently headlining a grueling 48 city tour. As someone who has seen the band multiple times in different types of atmospheres and venues I can say that every show is a heart punching, enthralling ride that ends far too soon. Be sure to see them and pick their album up via Polyvinyl on 4/20!

* Dalton Allison: guitar, vocals, Jake Hirshland: keys, bass, vocals, Matt Williams: guitar, vocals, Joe Keery: guitar, vocals, Javier Reyes: guitar, Wesley Toledo: drums, vocals.

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New York-based (presumably soon-to-be Philly) musician Caroline Rose recently put out her second album Loner via New West Records. The album itself is five years in the making and those familiar with her first project may be surprised by her departure from Americana/Alt-Country sound to one of soulful organ and synth-backed pop songs. One thing that Rose hasn’t ditched, however, is her affinity for the color red.

Loner deals with some heavy issues including money, infidelity, and unplanned pregnancies but you’d never guess that from the guitar riffs and pulsating organ. The album opens up with the track “More Of The Same,” which is definitely where we see her sarcasm shine through, same with the track “Bikini” – a shot at the old school record producers and AR guys who objectify female artists. The song “Jeanie Becomes A Mom” is about an unwanted pregnancy but is addictive to sing along to with lyrics like ‘But the world doesn’t stop/ Even when you’re living in colour/No, the world doesn’t stop/Time is only gonna pass you by/Now you’re in real life’.

It’s exciting to see Rose evolve sonically and her soulful, lusty voice carries so well. The song “Getting To Me” is reminiscent of what Rose started off creating featuring strings but even within this callback it builds into a jittery pop song. I would even say that Rose is venturing into the world of soul – very danceable but in an old-school way.

This record is an amalgamation of many things. It shows how Rose has evolved and put her nose to the grindstone. She’s very obviously exposed herself to new instruments and techniques. “To Die Today” has a bit of a trip-hop vibe with a simultaneously dank guitar. This new adventure is one worth following.

Caroline Rose is also on a massive tour so be sure to catch her. Her live shows have been a raucous good time in support of this album. She’ll be gracing Portland, OR with her presence come June 13th.

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Last Wednesday I was at The Empty Bottle to catch Yuck for their Stranger Things tour. The venue is a well-loved staple in Chicago and even though it’s a little rough, it never has to justify itself. Unfortunately for Yuck, that hasn’t been the case lately.

The British band has spent a lot of time defending their sound and their somewhat new lineup. Many publications and fans have given them guff for either sounding too much like certain 90s bands or not enough like themselves. I think something that is being over looked is the fact that when they debuted in 2011, they were somewhat at the front of the 90s resurgence. They don’t get enough credit for that. Also, their front man quit and they kept going, most bands (especially after their first album) would have thrown in the towel. They are soldiering on and making the music they want to. I think too many fans expect groundbreaking, rerouted work every time. For Stranger Things they went to their roots and produced this album themselves. Max Bloom has stated in interviews that they just want to make music they like and have a good time playing it. I personally think that Stranger Things has some great tracks like the closer, “Yr Face”, “I’m OK”, and “Cannonball” (which is what they opened with on Wednesday). The album itself is about what front man Max Bloom went through personally since the last album and what they have learned about themselves a band.

Wednesday’s set was a relaxed vibe. They opened with “Cannonball” as I mentioned earlier and after few songs Max asked everyone how they were doing; bassist Mariko Doi was wearing pajamas. It is very apparent that Yuck does not care what you think of them. In an era where so much of music is about how you look and what you represent, it’s a breath of fresh air to see a band with a more nonchalant manner. Now, I’m not saying they are completely apathetic about their music, they wouldn’t make it otherwise, but it is nice to know that they aren’t going to waste their time getting into Twitter fights. They are just here to play music. They played “Holing Out” and “Get Away”, which are from their first album. This shows a lack of fear, they know they are going to be compared to their former selves and they don’t care. Their second to last song was “I’m OK“. This was very fitting. As a band they are going to be fine, they aren’t falling apart from the crappy reviews and they are going to keep on playing the music they want to play regardless of what you or I think. I was glad I got to see Yuck in this phase of their musical career and I’ll continue to support them. Here’s to the next phase kiddos.

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Back in October of 2017, I was covering LOSE YR MIND fest when I discovered BlackWater HolyLight. It sounded as if Ty Segall and Black Sabbath had a baby, a really pretty, well dressed, shredding baby. Fast forward a few months and I’m sitting at the bar at Creepy’s and low and behold the front women (Allison Faris, better known as Sunny) from BlackWater HolyLight is bartending. We bonded over our love of the band Wand, my obsession with Mikal Cronin, the fact that we’ve both been mansplained to and our collective love of the Portland music scene. I sat down with Sunny and discussed the making of BlackWater HolyLight’s new, self titled album and what it’s like to be in such a male dominated genre.

Rose Blanton: I know you were in Grandparents before, and now you’re in an all girl metal band. Can you share what it’s like being an all girl band that’s in a heavily male dominated genre

Sunny (Allison Faris): I know our music is heavy and going into it I wanted it to be metal but I didn’t really know how to do that and I now know the term metal needs to be used delicately because metalheads are sensitive to that. I think that our music is heavy and I would love to bring it in the direction of metal but it’s more heavy psych.

RB: Do you think men in the metal and psych arena find you and your band threatening?

S: Metal is a challenging genre to be apart of and it’s hard to listen to sometimes. You have to have a really specific place in your heart for it. I can’t speak for everyone but in my experience metalheads are sensitive about it because they’ve committed so much of their time diving into and understanding the genre and their catalog is large. I just think that if anything they don’t want people in the genre who don’t deserve it, it’s simultaneously bullshit, but I also understand. It’s also more than music, it’s a lifestyle and and an emotion and they are committed to it. It’s a really beautiful genre, I think. It’s super mathy and delicate. In terms of differences of being a woman in an all male band and a woman in all girl band it’s completely different. It’s light years apart. It wasn’t until we were really rolling that I saw it.

RB: Do you feel like working with women is a more collaborative, inclusive atmosphere?

S: Oh my god yeah, absolutely! It’s vastly different but I don’t claim to speak for everyone

RB: So with this new album your sound is so strong and powerful and I love seeing more and more women in the heavier genres. When I saw at Lose Yr Mind, I lost it. I’ve been wanting heavier female fronted bands

S: That’s so great to hear, thank you. You know, even though it’s 2018 and we are seeing more than ever women coming together and supporting each other, there’s still women who don’t support each other. I like being in this genre and still having the ability of being feminine in this band, I’ll wear beautiful, flowing dresses. I try and do my best to be supportive of the art that females are doing. If it feels good to you, do it. I might not have a personal taste for what you’re doing but it’s so vulnerable, so more power to them!

RB: What’s the creative process like for BlackWater HolyLight?

S:  This is how it works for the most part: I write the songs on bass or guitar. So I’ll have the bassline and vocal parts and I’ll show it to the girls and then they get to create their own parts and after we jam it for a while, suggestions and collaborations start flowing. I like to say I plant the seed but we all water it and make it what it is together. We end up teaching each other and learning together.

RB: How did the band form?

S: I worked with Sarah (Mckenna) at Bunk Bar and we talked a lot about music. And then Cat (Catherine Hoch) and Laura (Hopkins) I met years ago and knew they were musicians. I had this idea for a band and I knew that the girls would be good picks so I just sent them a text one day sharing my ideas for the bands and asked them if they wanted to get together. In the beginning, it was just me, Cat and Laura but eventually Sarah came in. It was really slow at first but we eventually realized we all really liked it. It was a long time before we booked our own show. We sold out that first one though, it was at the Liquor Store.

RB: How did you personally first get into music?

S: When I first moved here, I was singing for this dude in my dorm who had this little project and of my old bandmates were recording it and then I moved out of the dorms and started living with the dudes from Grandparents and they asked me to sing some songs with them. I was singing and playing tambourine with them and then the bass player quit and they kind of just handed me the bass and were like “oh we’ll teach you how to play.” This all happened back in 2012.I can’t remember the exact timeline. I was really afraid at first and it was a slow start. It took me a while and it wasn’t until Grandparents broke up that I was really determined.

RB: BlackWater HolyLight is signed to Ridingeasy records, how did that happen?

S: We had recorded a 4 song EP in the summer of 2016. So while we were still forming as a band, the guy who recorded us, Cameron (Spies) he asked us if he could shop it around. I had discovered Ridingeasy due to listening to Monolord. So I mentioned Ridingeasy and thought “might as well try.” So I said, send it to them and he shot it over and the next day I was on the phone with Daniel Haul and they signed us a few weeks later. They told us though, they don’t do EPs and that we had to write a record so I was just like, OK.It was crazy, and fantastic, and a blur. I feel super fortunate.

RB: What you are doing is such a breath of fresh air, it’s so great that he saw that and decided to give you a chance

S: My intention was just to be heavy and honest and reflect how crazy that last few years of my life had been. Now that the whole process of the first album is over and I’ve listened to it a 1000 times I have such a clear vision of where I want to go with the second one. It really took making the first one to know what heavy felt like to me, what I wanted to sound like and where I wanted to go. It took some threading for me to know that I have a much clearer vision and I’m really excited. I want it to be way heavier and I know how to do that know. I want to keep recording and release another album as soon as we can.

RB: What’s your view or opinion of the Portland music scene?

S: I think Portland music scene is an extremely special and unique thing. Most cities have separation of genres. In most cities, it’s impossible to have everyone in the music scene enjoy music collectively. The community I have been apart of has been really supportive and given off family vibes. Everyone helps each other and does art for each other. I think it’s as diverse as you make it to be. You can be apart of a big or small community. My experience has been inviting and supportive. I don’t think it’s really like this in every city. I feel like I can say I have 200 friends and I want the best for all of them. I even want my closest enemy to succeed and to take their art as far as they can take it.

BlackWater HolyLight’s new self titled album comes out April 12th. You can catch them life at their release party on 4/12 at Mississippi Studios.

The post It’s not Metal, but it’s Heavy. An interview with BlackWater HolyLight’s Sunny appeared first on Quip Magazine.

The Death Valley girls are part of the Burger Records family and it seems that family subscribes to a very powerful spirituality, the Church of Rock and Roll. I would go as far to say that Bonnie Bloomgarden is a rock and roll zealot. I was able to chat with her about her raucous religion along with the concepts behind the bands latest release Glow In The Dark and their upcoming west coast tour with Burger records.

Rosie Blanton: How are you feeling about the tour?

Bonnie Bloomgarden: They chose great bands for both nights. I’m kind of bummed I won’t get to see both nights. Such good bands and we’re all such good friends. I’m actually a little scared for how much fun it’s going to be.

RB: Just bring a big bottle of Ibuprofen.

BB: And tequila. It’s really a family thing too, like Sean and Lee are like family. It’s really crazy.

RB: Yeah, how has this past year with Burger records been?

BB: They really are like family, Sean’s girlfriend is a good friend of mine, she’s actually come on tour with us. They’re angels that are just trying to bring rock and roll to kids. They have great taste too. Our religion is rock and roll. We believe in Iggy like other people believe in God and Sean and Lee just feel the same way. After putting out the record last year we went on tour. And being on tour is like being a monk, you have to want for nothing, no desires. You just have to want that half hour that you get to play. Behind this record we go to tour for like a year and half. It was a dream. And this was all possible because of Burger. Burger is a great manifester. We manifested it too because we wholeheartedly believe in the power of rock and roll.

RB: Music is sacred, I completely agree. It’s universal. You mentioned you’re friends with Sean’s girlfriend, is that how you got in with Burger records? How did this relationship start?

BB: Actually when we first started the band, we couldn’t get a show and our dream was to play the Burger record shop. Somehow that ended up being our first show and we were there I was so nervous. We met them that day and we asked them to put out our tape and they agreed. I knew about Burger records before I was even in a band. The kids get a chance at Burger, they get a chance to play and place to play.

RB: I’m really glad Burger a Go Go is coming to Portland because that’s an essence of the old Portland music scene, giving everyone a chance to play. There’s still a lot of house shows and free shows. Everyone wants to be apart of it no matter their age or economic background. I think Burger records embodies that same vibe. The Portland music scene is a very supportive, nurturing scene.

BB: Yeah! Our good friends The Shivas live in Portland!

RB: With Glow in The Dark, can you tell what the creative process was like or what made it different from the other tapes you’ve put out?

BB: The first cassette, we recorded it in one and half days. And then Glow In The Dark, the first idea for it was a little weird. When I was a kid, they sent me to the looney bin for some mystical ideas I had. So when we were making this record, that’s the kind of ideas that we were making the record about. Then, this is a little complicated but I was walking down the street with our old drummer and she kind of notices this person that is acting really weird, and we realized that this person/ thing had no jaw and that it was basically just bones wrapped in leather. It was banging and screaming on the gas station window. I’m serious, it was a mummy. It wasn’t like a meth head or a hobo. There was no question in our minds that this was a mummy. We did some research and discovered that just two weeks prior the natural history museum had received a mummy from Chicago. Then they invited us to play their exhibit New secrets to the Tomb and what was even weirder was our booking agent had worked at the museum in Chicago were those mummies came from. We realized then that these mummies had never heard rock and roll before so we really had to do them justice. So we wrote this record for the mummies to hear.

RB: So Glow In The Dark is a record for mummies? That’s the most unique answer I’ve ever received. Pretty wild concept. I love what a radical concept this is. Maybe you guys are necromancers? Were you afraid your music would wake the mummies?

BB: Yeah I mean I really wanted that before but I made sure not to tell anyone that but once we saw the mummies in person at the exhibit I was like “please don’t wake up!” It’s weird because as much as you or I think about death after life, I never really thought about the bodies, so seeing them freaked me out.

RB: My next question is not nearly as deep but I feel like you’ll still enjoy it,what is your favorite scary movie?

BB: Texas Chainsaw Massacre it our favorite horror movie. I also love Rosemary’s Baby. The Shining is up their too. The classics ya know?

RB: The Timberline hotel is in Oregon, it’s on the top of Mount Hood!

BB: No way! We’ve got to make a stop there.

RB: What’s next for DVG?

BB: We’re just trying to get some new songs on to tapes. We’re talking things in a whole new direction and we’re pretty much going to be playing all new songs on the road.

The post Getting to know The Death Valley girls appeared first on Quip Magazine.

I was able to have a quick chat with Julia Kugel of The Coathangers. We were able to discuss the latest release comin from the threesome and short, west coast tour they’ll be doing with Burger Records via the Burger A Go GO tour.

Rosie Blanton: I love Burger Records, their headquarters are not too far from where I grew up and this tour is super female centric. How does that feel?

Julia Kugel: When Burgerama first started they did Burger A G Go and it was the first one that was all girl based stuff and we played that and it was awesome. So now they made a tour out of it and they asked us if we wanted to be on it and we were like hell yeah. We know most of the people on the tour so it’s going to be super fun and relaxed. It’s awesome to be a bankable band and not discounted. Burger is kind of the first one to do this, in a rock and roll kind of way.

RB: For a long time the punk genre has been a male populated genre and you guys have been doing this for over a decade, what kind of evolution have you witnessed in the genre, what’s changed?

JK: Yeah it was mostly all guys, but little by little more girls are coming. I don’t know how much the genre itself has changed. We made that music because it was our lifestyle. All the kids were drinking and partying and playing rock n roll. It is really cool to see way more girls playing. There’s some really badass girls though that started when we started too, like Thelma and The Sleaze. They were the craziest bunch of people and that’s what that scene or genre is about. I’ve seen the scene changed into more commercially based stuff.

RB: Do you think it’s become more welcoming to women?

JK: Yeah, but I also never felt like it wasn’t welcoming. But maybe that’s because we came from Atlanta. I remember in the practice space I used to get nervous because I was the only girl but later on I would see more women. All the bands in the genre were really encouraging though.

RB: So you guys never really felt ostracized?

JK: Dude, the girls were actually the meanest thing. One of our first interviews, it was girl and she said “well do you think you’re only popular because you’re cute?” We weren’t trifling. We just wanted to party. But I like to think things have changed. There’s more women in every genre.

RB: Parasite is the latest release from you guys and I’m sure that’s what your supporting mostly during this tour but is there anything else you guys are working on?

JK: We just recorded a live album actually. We played two nights at Alex’s Bar in long beach (I live right by there) My husband actually records and he really wanted to do this record and he encouraged us to do this. We ended up only using the second night. It’s trippy though because the songs span our entire career. It’s trippy to make a record in one night that spans your entire career. It was awesome, I loved recording in one night, so perfect. Which is great because we’re really more of a live band, studios can kind of be pressure rooms.

You can catch The Coathangers Friday 2/23 at Dante’s in Portland in support of the Burger A Go Go tour.

The post Quick interview with The Coathangers appeared first on Quip Magazine.

Dengue Fever is currently on their West Coast tour. The band has been together for over 15 years and has traveled the world, started their own record company and overcome a language barrier. Senon Williams, who plays bass for the outfit took time out of his busy schedule to sit down with me and discuss what it’s like to be apart of this band and his excitement to be featured in Burger’s femme centric tour Burger A Go GO.

Rose Blanton: Dengue Fever have been around for a while, you even have your record company so how did the Burger a Go Go tour happen?

Senon Williams: Our manager was in touch with Burger records and it probably had something to do with his insane record collection. He asked Burger if they wanted to put out some of our cassettes. We did a compilation of our whole career, even some unheard tracks and after that the two albums we put out via Tuk Tuk (our record company) we licensed the tapes to Burger.

RB: Tapes are having a resurgence right now

SW: Yeah, people want something physical and people just don’t like CDs so vinyl and cassettes just make more sense. It feels like music lives on those mediums.

RB: There’s also this obsession with nostalgia for the 70s and the 80s. Especially in my generation. I wouldn’t be surprised if in 20 years from now people have some weird obsession with CDS.

SW: Having a cassette or a record kind of forces you to listen to the whole album. Random play can be distracting. You can get into a groove and then the random play or shuffle can go wrong.

RB: I also like the ritual behind picking a record out. Alright let me segue here, Burger a go go is female/femme centric tour. What does that feel like for you as a guy and in this current political climate?

SW: I’m excited and I like the idea of it being a feminist tour and a feminist voice. I like the idea of hopefully this tour will show normalcy of women in rock. It bothers me when someone is like “oh it’s a girl bands” or the fact of a single women in your band is a novelty. I hope it inspires women to get more involved. The playing and performing of music is universal and I hope this tour makes it more normal. We need a conscious effort to shift. It’s a whole culture that needs to shift, not the individual.

RB: DF re-released your first two albums last year? What was the purpose behind that?

SW: Well when we made those back in the day we licensed them and those licenses finally expired so we re issued them on our album label. We could do it ourselves so we did. We launched our own label for that purpose and then we started putting our new stuff on it as well. The label is really run by ourselves and our managers and we just divide and conquer between the band. It’s a vehicle to do our thing.

RB: I know when DF first started you guys where doing covers and then you started writing original stuff, how hard of a transition was that?

SW: The first album we did, which was all Cambodian covers, we never really wanted to make that album. The boys in the band, we were used to performing original material. When we got Nimol, she had only ever done Cambodian songs, she had never been with anyone who wanted to write and when we first started, she couldn’t speak english. We were eager to record so we just did covers and them from there were started creating.

RB: That must have been a difficult hurdle, her not speaking english.

SW: In the beginning, she had a friend come with her to all our rehearsals, she was like Nimol’s translator. Nimol’s friend was very religious and we played a show were a punk band played and there was some nudity on stage and it freaked her friend out. She questioned what Nimol was doing so that was the end of the translator. It was hard in the beginning to explain what was going on. It just took a little while. She didn’t really start speaking english until about 8 years ago and we’ve been a band for 15 years.

RB: I’m really impressed that you guys strived and made it work, I feel like a lot of people would have given up

SW: It can still be difficult but I think what has kept us a band is personally we all love each other. Whatever happens we don’t take it to personal. We want to enjoy it and enjoy each other and cool shit keeps happening. It’s been a fun ride.

RB: It sounds like you guys have a really strong friendship which is definitely a theme with the Burger a Go Go tour, a lot of these bands have toured together or live together, do you know any of the bands on tour?

SW: Were not really homies with any of the bands but I’m looking forward to the bands! I’ve checked them out via youtube once I saw the bill. I’m actually excited because a lot of the bands on the bill are younger. It’s going be fun, it’s going be a mixed crowd. I’m excited !

RB: What’s next for DF?

SW: We’re working on a new album and I think it’s going to be a really beautifully, sentimental album. I want it to be this atmospheric song of hope that stretches across this new album.

The post Getting nostalgic with Dengue Fever appeared first on Quip Magazine.

ANT’LRD is the brainchild of Colin Blanton (no relation, don’t worry this FMJ is not practicing nepotism) While originally from Birmingham, Alabama he has spent the last few years in Chicago and now Portland. I had the chance to sit down with Blanton and talk about his latest release, upcoming collaborations, and sensory percussion.

RB: Cherubian took over two years to create, is that normal for you?

CB: No, early on I would write and record at the same time and do full construction in one setting. With Cherubian, I would take a bunch of songs that I had been working on and perform them live and see how far I could stretch them in a live setting. All these weird little improvisational things happen that can end up turning into more concrete ideas, the more you work with them. I decided to go that route and develop them and see what I like with the things I do live. Then I would let them sit for awhile and work, for like months, on new stuff and repeat the process until I had like a cache of songs. Once I was super comfortable with everything I would record it and then let it sit again for another few months and then I mixed it. It was an intentionally long process. I wanted the stuff to mature a little bit because I’ve recorded stuff in the past and realized going back I could have done so much more with it.

RB: Does the album have a theme at all?

CB: It’s all vaguely positive. The whole thing is a meditation on my friends. My friend, Kyle, and I call each other our lil baby cherubs. So it kind of translated to how I feel about my friends. The whole theme for the album is love and appreciation for friends and people that are close to you.

RB: I know you recorded and mixed this album yourself, but did anyone else help out?

CB: My friend Dave, who goes under the moniker Odd Nosdam, he mastered it for me. He’s based out of Berkley and he’s mastered my last three albums. I used to be obsessed with his music, and he’s been highly influential to me as a sound collector. I actually got to meet him at the height of my obsession, which was pretty big for me. I saw that he was playing this art opening in Chicago and I was thinking about moving there (this was back when I was living in Birmingham) so it felt like a perfect excuse to go up there. I showed up to the venue super early and by doing that I met Dave and two of my best friends I’ve ever had in my life, so showing up early and being a nerd payed off.

RB: You’ve done some splits and collaborations and been in bands before but do you prefer working solo?

CB: I like it alot. I prefer the ease that comes with planning or touring, I don’t have to consult with anyone. At the same time I love playing in bands. I’m pretty satisfied and it’s (my music)moving in a different direction. Although I am working on a collaboration with dolphin midwives called Loom. You should definitely check her out, it’s like ethereal harp jams through a bunch of petals.

RB: Can you speak at all to the music scene here, I know you lived in Chicago and they have surprisingly different dynamics.

CB: Before I even moved here I played a show at Human Flesh Body World, it’s a house venue that at the time, was inhabited by mostly transplants from Chicago. From my perspective there’s a lot more house shows here and little art space type venues. It’s different. The landscape here is just so different, chicago is just more of an urban environment with tons of apartments, etc so it’s a bit more challenging to have house shows there maybe.

RB: I think because of all the DIY spaces here in Portland, I personally think it creates a far more nurturing space…Do you have any favorite gear?

CB: Sensory percussion, I just got this like less than 3 weeks ago and it’s fully changed the way I approach music, especially drumming. It melds samples and percussion in a way that I’ve been waiting for. It takes like the tactile functionality of playing drums and adds in the endless world of sampling. I’ve been playing drums for nearly my entire life, but I went through a bit of a deep phase where I wanted to be more textural, so I stepped away from performing with a kit for awhile, and just focused my attention on texture made mostly with electronics. My Roland 404 sampler too, I’ve had it for a decade and it’s my cornerstone. Also any kind of field recorder.

RB: That is actually a great segue for my my next question. A Lot of samples seem like sounds you’ve pulled from the real world – do you just carry around a field recorded with you at all times?

CB: Yeah or a phone. I have a little cassette recorder that I’ve been using for years and it’s super handy. I take it everywhere with me.

RB: I bet you got some rad recordings from your recent tour in Japan

CB: oh yeah just people slurping ramen. They also have like all these coin operated machines that have cool little melodies. Also every train station has its own melody so that was cool to record. The idea behind this from what I’ve heard, you’re supposed to recognize your stop by sound so if you like fall asleep or something you won’t miss it.

RB: That’s really smart! You’re opening up for No Age in February, which is exciting! Will this be the biggest show you’ve played?

CB: I played with Tycho in chicago at Lincoln Hall once. I didn’t really know who he was at the time, and I just agreed to play and while I was loading in I learned that the show was sold out. That was probably the biggest crowd I’ve played in front of, it was like 500 people.

RB: How did you come up with the name ANT’LRD?

CB: There’s this band that I was obsessed with for a long time, Dymaxion. They were around in the 90s. They’re this weird surf/spy rock thing, but had a bunch of reel to reel tape players and samples going on. I’m not even sure if they had a real drummer or if it was tape loops. It had this fucked up, taped together, collagy sound and I got really obsessed with it. They had a song called Ant’lrd Ally. It’s my homage to them. My friend Kevin, who continued to work at Reckless Records after I moved here, told me how somebody found my record and brought it up to the counter and was like “Do you know what this is?” and Kevin said “ Yeah that’s my friend Colin” and the guy said “I made this word up”. It was one of the guys from Dymaxion. Kevin told him where I got the name from and dude was pretty surprised I think.

RB: That’s pretty wild, what a small world! Do you have a favorite track off of Cherubian?

CB: Maybe “Zoned Hugs N’ Harmony,” my friend Tom came up with that title. Sonically, I like the really scratchy melody of “Zoned Hugs N’ Harmony”. I liked how it made my brain feel. Cherry I really like, it’s like this signifier of my music moving in a more active direction.

RB: We talked about Dymaxion, are there other influences you can sight or just share with our readers who you’ve been listening too.

CB: Huerco S. They can sometimes be more beat driven, but they put out this record last year that’s really minimal, beautiful, ambient loops that kind of just start and stop. Great headphone music. The way that music pans. It’s like someone scrubbing your brain in a satisfying way. I also really love this band called Sumac, they’re metal. They’re all over the place, really. They are hard to pin down. Sometimes it’s really complex. Sometimes it’s brutal and heavy and sometimes it’s ethereal almost dark ambient. They have some songs that are around 12 minutes and you just warp into these zones and you’re like how is this still the same song? It’s such a transformation. 555, is this chap, Christopher Farstad. His music is super fantastic.It’s this synthy, warped, tropicalia kind of stuff. He’s really awesome to watch live because he plays some different wind instruments and makes live loops. Amenta Abioto is another one, she treads this line of hip hop and r&b with a very experimental nature to it, also makes live loops and uses auto tune in the most effective and pleasing way. She’s a portland local. Oh and Bitchin Bajas, and Don Gero.

RB: I know back in fall you did a short tour through Japan, did you play Cherubian on that tour?

CB: I made a whole new set just for that. We(Joe Bastardo and I) had to travel pretty light so I couldn’t bring all the gear that I normally play with so I just had to create all new stuff. I had a sampler, looping pedal, ipad. It was a tiny little table top setup that fit in my backpack. It was a fun challenge. It makes you stretch the resources you have.

RB: Will you play Cherubian at the No Age show?

CB: I played all that stuff to death when I was making it. I’m also using different gear now. With a lot of Cherubian I had a modular synth and an op-1, but I don’t even have that stuff any more. I sold it and bought this sensory percussion.It’s a whole new palate. So I can’t really recreate it. I still have all the samples, but it would come out totally different now.

RB: That’s interesting. Keeps things fresh and evolving. So what’s next for you?

CB: Keep writing new stuff. I want to try to go back to Japan in the fall. Steadily writing and recording. Making plans to tour in 2018 at some point. I’d really like to go to the east coast, I have a lot friends there that it would be good to see. I also have a collaborative record coming out with Benoit Pioulard at some point, and some shows with Sage as Loom lined up.

You can catch Colin Blanton at Mississippi Studios under the moniker Brin on February 22nd opening for No Age.

Photo credit: Joseph Bastardo

The post Breaking down “Cherubian” with ANT’LRD. An interview appeared first on Quip Magazine.

Blush is the bedroom spawn of ex-Darlings member Maura Lynch. During her eight-year stint with the band, she forged these songs in her bedroom and kept them under the moniker Blush. Once the Darlings ended things in 2015, she slowly began working with former members of Pill and Pop. 1280. Together, they helped Lynch’s solo project manifest itself into an outfit of languid pop songs. Lynch herself said she wanted to make simple, straight forward pop songs and she did just that.

Like most bands of the bedroom pop genre, there are nods to psych, and 60’s girl group and there’s even a tiny bit of sludge peeking through in the beginning of “Daisy Chain” while “Just Kidding Baby Don’t Blush” has a ramped up sing along tempo similar to Twin Peaks’ “Boomers”. Lynch gave us little treat and did her own interpretation of Mariah Carey’s “Fantasy,” which is definitely a top pop song for many millennials.

The tracks that made it onto her debut album are the residual leftovers of Lynch processing her late twenties. The album is composed of songs about all the myriad of ways love can work out, songs about working in an office and all of them through the lens of an artist. Blush’s music would have been a top choice for fictional GIRLS character Marnie or Jessa. There’s nothing deep or dark here, just a cis white female working out her post adolescent grief, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Sometimes in music we need easily digestible works. Not everything has to be some epic think-piece.

If you’ve found yourself listening to the likes of ALVVAYS or Snail Mail then add this to your round up and you’re sure to be pleased. Blush’s self titled album came out via Arrowhawk records back in December but you’ll have to wait until the end of February for the vinyl which is of the same rosey color as the makeup product the aforementioned band named themselves after.

The post Blush releases a self-titled record appeared first on Quip Magazine.

This list is by no means comprehensive or superlative. I definitely slept on some albums this year. There is also no emphasis on the numerology of these albums. I loved them all equally and for different reasons, just like my plants. These are the albums that I kept putting on this year. These are the albums that struck me in such a way I knew I had to see these people live. They are the albums that shaped my 2017, which, it seems, wasn’t an easy year for most people.

Japanese Breakfast – Soft Sounds From Another Planet

I’ve been a fan of Michelle’s music since she came out with her debut album Psychopomp. In fact, it was on my list last year. Let’s also commend the fact that this woman has been churning out an album a year and backed each one with an extensive tour. Soft Sounds From Another Planet gets a nod because it shows her maturity as a songwriter. SSFAP encompasses shoegaze along with these epic soundscapes that rush over you like a warm wave like you’re dunking your head under in the bathtub. Perfect for a hazy evening filled with friends or the moment in the road trip when you enter a desert state and the sun starts to set.

Tyler The Creator – Scum Fuck Flower Boy

We see another album full of maturity but also sticking to what he knows best. Tyler the Creator has dropped a little of his riotous, rebellious side and showed a softer, perhaps even sexually fluid side: ”I’ve been kissing white boys since 2004” Most of the maturity is seen in Tyler’s own untangling of personal issues. Loneliness (Boredom), toxic friendship (I Ain’t Got Time!), and sexual frustration (garden shed, glitter). They are sprawled across this album which, by the way, has been nominated for a Grammy. Tyler is trying to mature and he does it via lyrics and a cleaner, shorter album. (He also produced it.) We see much more methodical transitions, like the fact that “See You Again” is a radio request. We still see facets of the old Tyler that we love. Take “Who Dat Boy” for instance, this is the Tyler we fell in love with in “Odd Future”. He sticks to tradition by keeping track ten a two-parter (my personal favorite) While Tyler is no saint and he’s by no means using this album to right his wrongs, he is showing he’s learned from his mistakes.

Priests – Nothing Feels Natural

This band’s name is almost too on the nose but that’s the psychotic perfection of Priests. They hail from DC which is very close to Baltimore which is the catholic epicenter of the United States. Nothing Feels Natural is also freakishly on point with how counter-Coulter or non-mainstream media is feeling this year with he-who-shall-not-be-named as president. NFN is at its heart a punk album but they did a fantastic job of weaving in indie, surf rock, and even jazz while frontwoman Greer croons, cries, and bellows to the crowd. This could be the anthem of the year for those feeling a little more than discontent with the current political climate.

NE-HI – Offers

These chitown boys did something very rare. They made a sophomore album that surpassed their debut one. Offers is the end result of them touring behind their debut and learning who they are as an actual band. They rely more on lyrics and thoughtful riffs. Offers itself is definitely a coming-of-age album for NE-HI. Balla said he wanted the record to be “something of an act of solidarity with people who are trying to figure it all out. There was a lot of pressure and exhaustion and self-discovery in the process of writing and recording. We were trying to find our voice and we’re proud of the one we found.” I think listeners will definitely hear this in the lyrics of tracks like “Stay Young”, “Offers”, and “Out of Reach”. While NE-Hi is trying something new lyrically, they stay true to their rattling, jangling guitars. Their psycho surf influence is still prevalent on tracks “Buried on the Moon” and “Every Dent”. Songs like “Prove” pep things up a bit, but we still have Mikey’s and Jason’s long, lingering vocals to draw us in.

Homeshake – Fresh Air

Some believe we’ve been following Homeshake on his journey of love since the beginning. In The Shower and Midnight Snack were about him lusting after and eventually “getting the girl.” All relationships experience lulls – and perhaps with the miscommunication vibe happening on Fresh Air, we’re witnessing the first lull of this relationship. The title could also be referring to that first gulp of fresh air once the honeymoon cloud of sex and snuggling has cleared and things become more real. The third album for Sagar put him on my list because it’s deeper than his last two while serving up some of the best singles he’s created with tracks “Every Single Thing,”“Call Me Up,” and “Khmlwugh.” Sagar’s third album is an easy listen. Perfect for coffee shops, house parties, or even a booty call.

Sandy (Alex G) – Rocket

This album has a crazy evolution. It starts out this typical, indie folk singer-songwriter type of thing and then morphs into something… that’s a little beyond words. The metamorphosis starts with the track “Horse” and then just propels on this trajectory through what I can only imagine are the chasms of Alex G’s mind. Through dark wave, to almost rap, to autotune, synth-pop, and light punk . Then “Judg” happens and were back to why people have been comparing Alex G to Elliott Smith. There’s also some borderline country/alt-country happening with the track “Powerful Man.” The reason why this made it onto my list is that fact that I haven’t figured it out yet, I keep going back to it, keep trying to figure out it’s narrative, if it even has one.

Vagabon – Infinite Worlds

Although this album is only eight tracks long is does an incredible job of encompassing a lot of big ideas, ideas somewhat but not entirely unknown to the indie rock genre. Ideas of communities and safe spaces are a big part of Tamko’s lyrics. In songs like “Cleaning House” and “The Embers” this is made apparent. Tamko’s incorporation of pedals and synths is truly beautiful and paints some sort of ethereal landscape. Especially on tracks like Mal a L’aise. This album made my list because of the overall triumphant air it puts out.

Julie Byrne – Not Even Happiness

Byrne could be my generation’s answer to Joni Mitchell, not to say Miss Mitchell isn’t still relevant. But Byrne reminds me of Mitchell in the sense that here’s a woman with a haunting voice and captivating songwriting that punctures your hearts and lungs while trying to sing along. In her opener, she sings “To me, this city’s hell/ But I know you call it home/ I was made for the green/ Made to be alone”. This album came out two days before I moved from Chicago to Portland. Byrne is a traveler and a singular one at that. While Byrne IS writing love songs she also sings of herself. And while her lyrics are deep, her music is simple but not in a lacking way, in a way where it speaks for itself. It’s not all folky finger picking either. The track “I Live Now As A Singer” nods to herself and her generation and brings in some synthesized instrumentals.

Perfume Genius – No Shape

Just how Kate Bush’s Hounds of Love makes you want to run down hallways barefoot in a ballgown, Mike Hadreas’ No Shape does the same thing. It’s ravenous and undulating. There are actually quite a few similarities between the two albums. I think Hadreas might be paying homage to miss Bush. The video for “Slip Away” is almost a combination of the videos Bush shot for the title track on Hounds of Love and Running Up That Hill. The song Wreath even borrows a few lyrics from Bush. No Shape is a triumph because it allows the listeners (if they’ll let themselves) to throw away any shackles they’ve put on themselves. No Shape is also a proclamation of love and while Hadreas is happy to succumb to it, it can be overwhelming. It’s a beautiful album that rushes through the listeners like an irregular cold wind during a heat wave. You’re left appreciative but grasping for more.

The post Year-end roundup: Rose’s top albums of 2017 appeared first on Quip Magazine.

Front woman Michelle Zauner is from Eugene (Oregon) so seeing Japanese Breakfast at the Holocene in Portland meant a sold out show and a packed guest list. The “Beaver state” is Zauner’s homestead and a place were she crafted Psychopomp, however the majority of her musical portfolio was created in Philadelphia. There she was a member of more than a few indie bands and where she dwells today. Supporting her on the tour was another band from Philadelphia, Mannequin Pussy, whom I highly recommend catching in concert as well.

Zauner entered the stage in lit up sneakers and a chic, contemporary stark white two-piece. She opened the set with “Diving Women” and then went into “In Heaven,” a track that opened up her debut album. She continued to rage through her small catalogue playing mostly tracks from the new album, Soft Sounds From Another Planet. This was my second time seeing Zauner this year at the same venue so I’m quite familiar with her on-stage mannerisms. This time, she did a little repeat performance and told a story about getting so inebriated at her bachelorette party in Portland that she got kicked out of a strip club…

While Psychopomp deals with the heaviest of all issues – death, Soft Sounds from Another Planet not only goes in a different direction lyrically but also incorporates way more synth and has a heavy dance quality to it. Zauner herself took to cutting a rug to more than a few tracks during her set. However, guitars are definitely the protagonists of the album. The 90s shoegaze that she first gained popularity for is still ever present. Zauner managed to do something noteworthy with her sophomore record and not only maintained her foundational sound but grew and evolved through the lyrics and concept of the album.

Once the set wraped up, she immediately headed down to the merch table to personally thank, sign, and greet all of her fans, something I don’t see very often. After getting my tote signed I told her how impressing it was that she came right down here, she replied with “Of course, it’s my band, where else would I be?”

Props Zauner.

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