October 2020 – 7th Level Music

The Beths release new single and announce Bandcamp livestream show for November 14th.

Earlier this summer, The Beths released their “lush, melodic” (New York Times) second album, Jump Rope Gazers, on Carpark Records. The new album has earned them nominations at the Aotearoa Music Awards for Best Group, Best Alternative Act, and Album of the Year. Previously in 2019, The Beths won Best Group and Best Alternative Act in addition to performing at the awards show.

Today, The Beths share the new video for “Mars, The God Of War.” Backed by buzzing guitar and crisp percussion, Elizabeth Stokes personifies the planet: “Mars, the god of war, is watching over me // So passively // From the twinkling scenery // Mars, the god of war // Pretending so serene // He’s keeping his hands clean.” As described by Stokes, the track is about communication and miscommunication through technological mediums, specifically while conveying anger. The accompanying video, directed by Callum Devlin and Annabel Kean of Sports Team, features The Beths comically attempting to pull off a heist. “The video has a really silly energy that everyone really embraced,” says Stokes. “With NZ being COVID-free, there’s a real palpable joy and euphoria in being able to get together and make something. We feel very lucky and Sports Team smashed it out of the park once again.“

Devlin and Kean add: “As well as being genius musicians, in our minds The Beths are defined by being a committed, intelligent and extremely efficient team, and have turned the collaborative inner workings of an indie rock band into an art in itself. We wanted to explore that side of the band in the ultimate team-up genre; a high stakes twist laden heist movie. Obviously. Also, we seem to find the idea of The Beths entering into a life of crime frankly hilarious. We love working with The Beths. No band is more committed to exhausting every possible gag out of a situation. We initially plotted out the entire film, but decided to abandon it in favour of making as gag-dense a video as possible, if that makes sense.”

Watch “Mars, The God Of War” Video

The Beths will livestream a performance from Auckland Town Hall on Nov. 14th at 5PM Eastern Timevia Bandcamp. “Soon, here in Auckland, New Zealand, we get to take the stage of our home’s beautiful Town Hall, and we would love you to join us. We’re trying to make something to come together for, online, around the world. We’ve been saying it over and over, we are so lucky to be able to play live shows right now. So we’re going to try to share that. We’ll be there for a warm-up hang out, and we’ll be in the chat throughout the performance too. Come and hang xo.” Tickets are available here.

Watch/Listen/Share:
“Mars, The God Of War” Video
“Jump Rope Gazers” Video
“Out of Sight” Video
“I’m Not Getting Excited” Video
“Dying to Believe” Video
“Live From House” live streams
Purchase Jump Rope Gazers

The Beths Tour Dates (tickets):
Fri. Nov. 6 – Auckland, NZ @ Town Hall
Sat. Nov. 7 – Gisborne, NZ @ Gisborne Beer Festival
Sat. Nov. 28 – Wellington, NZ @ Beers at the Basin
Sat. Dec. 19 – Hawkes Bay, NZ @ Black Barn Winery
Sun. Dec. 27 – Taupo, NZ @ Le Currents
Fri. Jan. 8 – Kerikeri, NZ @ Bay of Islands Festival
Tue. March 30 – Southampton, UK @ The Loft
Wed. March 31 – Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Social Club
Thu. April 1 – Manchester, UK @ Club Academy
Fri. April 2 – Glasgow, UK @ Saint Luke’s
Sat. April 3 – Dublin, IE @ The Workman’s Club
Mon. April 5 – Bristol, UK @ SWX
Tue. April 6 – Birmingham, UK @ Castle and Falcon
Wed. April 7 – London, UK @ O2 Kentish Town
Thu. April 8 – Brighton, UK @ Concorde 2
Fri. April 9 – Paris, FR @ Point Éphémère
Sat. April 10 – Lyon, FR @ Marché Gare – Hors les mursSun. April 11 – Milan, IT @ BIKO
Tue. April. 13 – Düdingen, CH @ Bad Bonn
Wed. April 14 – Lausanne, CH @ Le Romandie
Thu. April 15 – Munich, DE @ Kranhalle
Fri. April 16 – Vienna, AT @ B72
Sat. April 17 – Prague, CZ @ Underdogs’ Ballroom
Sun. April 18 – Belin, DE @ Lido
Tue. April 20 – Copenhagen, DK @ Vega Ideal Bar
Wed. April 21 – Hamburg, DE @ Molotow
Thu. April 22 – Cologne, DE @ Artheater
Fri. April 23 – Amsterdam, NL @ Paradiso Noord
Sun. April 25 – Brussels, BE @ Ancienne Belgique
Fri. Aug. 6 – Sun. Aug. 8 – San Francisco, CA @ Outside Lands

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[Thanks to Patrick at Pitch Perfect PR.]

Aaron Frazer releases “Only You” ahead of debut album out in early January 2021.

AARON FRAZER PHOTOGRAPHED IN NASHVILLE, TN FOR EASY EYE SOUND & SECRETLY CANADIAN

Aaron Frazer (of Durand Jones & The Indications) is pleased to announce his debut album, Introducing…, out January 8th, 2021 via Dead Oceans and Easy Eye Sound, alongside lead single, “Over You,” and its accompanying video. A testament to his wide-ranging influence and deep gratitude for his musical community, Introducing… is both loving and gracious, critical without losing hope, and a showcase of a young artist on a seriously soulful ascent. Working with producer Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys, Frazer expertly calibrates consciousness-raising, as previewed by early single “Bad News,” and the desire to be enveloped by love. Where previous songs were written in a partial state of turmoil, Frazer’s debut LP shows maturation and range.

Soft-spoken with the look of a slightly disaffected 1950s matinee idol, Frazer possesses a unique voice that’s both contemporary and timeless. The Brooklyn-based, Baltimore-raised songwriter first came into the international spotlight as the drummer and co-lead singer for Durand Jones & The Indications. He’s certainly created a community through his work with the Indications, gospel-soul project The Flying Stars of Brooklyn, and countless side shows in Bloomington and New York. Throughout, Frazer has used music to call attention to issues of inequity and injustice, while highlighting the work of organizations like the Poor People’s Campaign. “It’s important ethically to try to use music for good. If you have something to say politically, don’t hide it until it’s asked about,” he says, adding that Introducing… balances songs of happiness with more political messages.

The 12 songs on Introducing… combine ‘70s soul with Auerbach’s particular sensibilities, and include songs with a message in the key of Gil Scott-Heron, as well as uplifting tales of love told through a blend of disco, gospel, and doo-wop. The album was recorded in a week at Auerbach’s antique and ephemera-laden studio in Nashville following a rapid and prolific songwriting session. “Dan likes to have this writing process where you just let go and embrace the kind of pressure cooker environment that comes with extreme time limitation,” Aaron says, adding that the writing sessions pushed him creatively. Dan brought in legendary songwriters such as L. Russell Brown, who wrote hits for fellow falsetto Frankie Valli and co-wrote the album’s opening track, “You Don’t Wanna Be My Baby”. Dan adds: “As soon as Aaron started singing, Russell looked at me and his eyes lit up. He instantly understood Aaron; it was a perfect, effortless way to start the record.”

New single “Over You” is telling of the collaboration between Frazer and Auerbach. “‘Over You’ is inspired by the legendary northern soul 45s that electrified dance floors across the UK in the 1960s,” says Aaron. “Breakneck speeds and breakbeat drums challenged even the best dancers to pull out all the stops. Lyrically, ‘Over You’ captures a moment of despair in the darkest hour of a breakup. But sometimes to feel better, you just gotta shake your ass.” The accompanying video, directed by Marc Parroquin, visualizes this spirit, with a psychedelic color scheme, a slick car, and a smoky dancefloor.

Watch Aaron Frazer’s Video for “Over You”

For Introducing…, Auerbach called on a crew of heavy session players — including members of the Memphis Boys (who played on Dusty Springfield’s “Son of A Preacher Man” and Aretha Franklin’s “You Make Me Feel Like A Natural Woman”), symphony percussionist Sam Bacco,and several members of the Daptone-Big Crown Records universe .“I really didn’t want to make a retro record with Aaron; I wanted it to be its own thing, have its own sound. The crew had not made records together before, so it was a very fresh feeling that I think will strike a chord with people. There’s this amazing cross-section of musicians, young and old, with Aaron leading the way.” With a collaborative vision, Introducing… manages to hit the sweet spot between intuition, intentionality, and craft – a love song that’s both personal and universal.

Pre-order Introducing…

Introducing… Tracklist:
1. You Don’t Wanna Be My Baby
2. If I Got It (Your Love Brought It)
3. Can’t Leave It Alone
4. Bad News
5. Have Mercy
6. Done Lyin’
7. Lover Girl
8. Ride with Me
9. Girl on the Phone
10. Love Is
11. Over You
12. Leaning’ On Your Everlasting Love

Watch Video for Aaron Frazer’s “Bad News”

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[Thanks to Sam at Pitch Perfect PR.]

Soft Kill share new single – “Pretty Face” – from album due November 20th.

Today, the post-punk five piece, Portland’s Soft Kill share their second single “Pretty Face” from their forthcoming November 20th album release Dead Kids, R.I.P. City, their long awaited follow up to 2018’s ‘Savior’. Says the band’s Tobias Grave, “‘Pretty Face’ was written immediately after finding out about the loss of our friend Zachary Delong. It recounts some time we spent together on the edge of oblivion, late 2011 into the first weeks of 2012. Survivors guilt pouring out into song form” – ‘Relax your pretty face boy, the pain has left you.’

“We shot this to be a lyric video but we worked in some scenes, starting in Washington and traveling into the far north section of Portland, stopping by the abandoned dog track at Portland Meadows and ending at the motel made famous by Drugstore Cowboy. The imagery will resonate with some, I’m sure. The song is one we’ve played live for two years and it’s got a big cult following without ever having a studio version circulating.”

“Pretty Face” encapsulates listeners with its steady pulse of bass and cinematic-like guitar melodies, taking a slightly left field approach to post-punk with its triumphant and upbeat energy while still channeling the doom/gloom sound Portland’s Soft Kill has built their identity around. The song reflects the darker side of what the band has experienced the past few years. The single follows Soft Kill’s return last month when they dropped the lead doom pop single “Roses All Around.” It’s dark yet luminous in every sense, from its driving percussive beats, harmonic grooves and melodies, while also creating an opportunity to openly discuss its sociopolitical message that is especially prominent now as Portland has become the epicenter of unrest these past few months.

Soft Kill had been growing with pretty much every record – but a deep maturation, achieving a level of emotional intensity that, even for a band known for exactly that, was nothing short of awe-inspiring and inarguably a high water mark. The question then, was how do they possibly follow that up? Well, here we are, two years later with Dead Kids, R.I.P. City, and we can all set down our worry beads. Soft Kill, Tobias Grave, Conrad Vollmer, Owen Glendower, Daniel Deleon and Nicole Colbath, have in fact put any such concerns commandingly to rest.

Two years in the making, desperate, redemptive, its contrast of light and shadow favoring the latter, Dead Kids, R.I.P. City is like no other album in the genre, featuring the brave and abandoned, the tender and the afflicted, all teetering in memory on the edge of the city. For all the sadness and pain of addiction haunting it, however, the record, by its very existence, proves that hope doesn’t necessarily win but that, even if at great cost, it can. It’s what makes Dead Kids, R.I.P. City so powerful beyond just the scope of its dark luminous sound and indelible melodies, and is one of the many reasons you’ll carry it with you.

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[Thanks to Jo Murray.]

Lindstrøm and Prins Thomas announce “III.”

Lindstrøm and Prins Thomas announce their new album, III, out November 20th on Smalltown Supersound, and share its lead single, “Martin 5000.” III is their first outing together in eleven years, since 2009’s II, and as ever, Lindstrøm and Prins Thomas have crafted their own unique sonic world. This is expansive, luscious electronic music rich with texture and intricacy, patiently revealing every eccentricity while constantly pulling the listener in. Getting lost never sounded so good.

Since the release of II, Lindstrøm and Prins Thomas have remained more than busy with their respective solo careers, but work on III was taking place behind the scenes the whole time—slow and steady by sending files back and forth. “There’s a different process with every album,” Thomas explains. “With the first two albums, we had a door between separate rooms in the studio, so I could open my door and play him something. We also toured together a lot after the first album, and after that experience we realized that we work better together at a distance. We’re doing our best work by not worrying too much about what the other one of us is doing.“

Eventually, the bulk of III came together over the last year, as Lindstrøm and Prins Thomas teamed up to craft a lush and lovely work that recalls the hazy atmospherics of Air, the loose-fit jazz of Lonnie Liston Smith, and the genre-resistant electronic music that both artists have made their name on over the course of their impressive careers. “Our partnership is very democratic—we never turn down each other’s ideas. And if it goes wrong, we blame it on the other guy,” Thomas says with a laugh. “The tracks that Lindstrøm sent me this time were almost like standard house tracks. I already had an idea of what I wanted to do, so I forced those tracks into new shoes and dresses.”

III is an unexpectedly subtle album, but don’t mistake that descriptor for suggesting that this music is subdued. Listening to it is like taking a microscope to a petri dish—the further you zoom in, the more your naked eyes (or, in III‘s case, ears) can witness an environment teeming with life and kinetic energy. Above all else, III is a testament to the adventurousness of Lindstrøm and Prins Thomas when it comes to soundcraft. Both artists have established separate careers on bodies of work that feature infinite twists and turns, thrilling their audiences with the suggestion of where they’ve been and where they’re about to go. Together, they’ve crafted what might be their most beguiling and inviting work yet, a jeweled box of electronic music ornately crafted but never losing the sense of playfulness that so many have come to love from them.
Stream “Martin 5000”

Pre-order III

III Tracklist
1. Grand Finale
2. Martin 5000
3. Small Stream
4. Oranges
5. Harmonia
6. Birdstrik

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[Thanks to Patrick at Pitch Perfect PR.]

Gustaf claim what is “Mine” and sign with Royal Mountain Records.

Gustaf have announced their signing to Royal Mountain Records, alongside their debut single and video “Mine“. The first recorded material from a band who have played sold out shows around the United States based solely on word of mouth, “Mine” offers an engagingly weird and frantically off-kilter look into the all-encompassing world of the Brooklyn-based art-punk quintet.

LISTEN: to Gustaf “Mine” on YouTube

Vocalist Lydia Gammill explains: “This song is about having a false sense of entitlement. Someone who feels attacked or like they’re being pushed out of their own world and not getting the credit they deserve. Someone with a delusional sense of self whose anger and frustration is humorous like the superintendent in a college frat movie. The opening lines make it seem like the narrator is being criticized by someone else and their retaliation is like “you’ve got to be kidding me, you can’t say that about me! I invented water you punk!” …. sort of.“

———-

Formed in 2018, Brooklyn’s Gustaf have built a kind of buzz that feels like it comes from a different era. The art punk 5 piece are yet to release any recorded music, but rapidly established a reputation as one of New York’s “hardest working…and most reliably fun bands” (BrooklynVegan), and excitement about their danceable, ESG-inspired post punk has expanded outside of their city with remarkable effect despite their scant online presence. The band have found early champions in all quarters, catching the attention of luminaries like Beck – who had the band open for him at a secret loft party he played around the release of his latest album – the New York no wave legend James Chance, and have shared stages with buzzing indie acts like Omni, Tropical Fuck Storm, Dehd and Bodega, while word of mouth led to sell out shows when they played their first LA headline dates in late 2019.

While recent events have curtailed Gustaf’s live schedule, the band have remained relentless as ever in 2020, and entered the studio with producer Chris Coady (Beach House, Future Islands, TV On The Radio) to work on their first official release.

Mine 7″ is out on Royal Mountain Records on December 4th. It is available for pre-order here.

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[Thanks to Tom at Hive Mind PR.]

October and the Eyes profess “All My Love” on first single from upcoming EP.

New Zealand-born, London-based singer, songwriter and producer October and the Eyes announces her debut EP, Dogs and Gods, out November 20th on KRO Records. October recently signed to the label following an introduction by fellow musician and friend Yves Tumor. Today, she shares the lead single and video “All My Love,” a track that lures you into a warm embrace of October’s coy and breathy sweet-nothings.

“’All My Love’ is unfortunately a love song – something I told myself I would never write, yet here I am,” says October. “But it’s not all sweet. In fact, I would call it more of a lust song. It’s about being in love but lusting for something more. It’s about desire, greed, and infatuation with a stranger. The song became strangely prophetic in recent months as I watched the one I once loved self destruct from afar ‘in tin cans and other crumbs of temporary self satisfaction’ – a line I wrote before I could even comprehend that it would become remotely true. Because of this, the song is now tainted with a strange sadness that I’ll carry with me every time I perform it.”

Watch “All My Love” Video

October is no newcomer to music – despite only being 23, the New Zealand born musician has been involved in musical pursuits since she was a child. Heralding from a musical family, the prospect of pursuing music in one form or another was almost inescapable: A classical pianist mother, fanatic music fan father, and two older multi-instrumentalist brothers who were always holding their band practices in the family playroom. Having grown up in a small rural town in New Zealand’s wine country, she turned to songwriting as a means to stave off boredom, teaching herself how to record and produce her own music.

After moving to East London, October wrote and produced the Dogs and Gods EP, a dizzying, darkly kaleidoscopic, and dauntless collection of music. Thematically, the EP explores the complex dynamics of love, lust and infidelity in the 21st century.

Self-describing her music as “collage-rock,” October pulls musical inspiration from the likes of Bauhaus, Bowie, Siouxsie Sioux and Suicide, then squeezing her influences through the gauze of modernity and electronics. With nods to acid rock, psychobilly and post-punk, October and The Eyes’ music is equal parts nostalgia-drenched as it is future forward, employing layers of ambient synth drones, crunched guitar, jagged organ parts, and October’s theatrical voice, creating something entirely her own.

Watch “All My Love” Video:
https://orcd.co/octoberallmylove

Pre-order/pre-save Dogs and Gods:
https://orcd.co/octoberandtheeyes

Dogs and Godstracklist:
1. Playing God
2. All My Love
3. Wander Girl
4. You Deserve It
5. The Unraveling
6. Dark Dog

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[Thanks to Patrick at Pitch Perfect PR.]

CHAI sign to Sub Pop and release a song praising donuts. What’s not to like?

Watch CHAI’s Video for “Donuts Mind If I Do”
Japanese quartet CHAI are thrilled to announce their signing to Sub Pop. In celebration, they announce a new digital single and official video for “Donuts Mind If I Do” which is available digitally today.

“Donuts Mind If I Do” is lush with layered vocals and dreamy, laidback instrumentation. The track is mellow until the twins’ voices join together and its synth swells as they proclaim “Keep going on!” CHAI says: “When you’re feeling vigorous, when you’re feeling sick, You like what you like! No changing that! Even if what I like is as simple as a donut <3. It’s this type of song!”

The accompanying video, directed by Hideto Hotta, shows CHAI sitting on a grassy hill, enjoying colorful donuts. Later, they appear as older versions of themselves. “In order for various concepts of society, societal structures to have been built up and exist today, there had to be changes to those concepts, to those structures in every era to continue to lead to the next society…with that said, in this music video we explore the CHAI you know today, and then CHAI as elderly women,” explains Hotta. “On an all-white table cloth, eating donuts, sits CHAI. They can even sip on the tea in the teapot if they’d like! Ultimately time passes, and the elderly CHAI is still there, enjoying their last supper in the middle of the meadow, white-table cloth and all eating their donuts. CHAI changes physically, but one thing that does stand still is them living in their truth. If finding true happiness is one of the goals the human race is constantly in search of, then conveying this in this visual, spreading what happiness means to CHAI, to me, is something I feel is important in us living in our truths.”

The song is from CHAI’s forthcoming “Donuts Mind If I Do” b/w “Plastic Love” double A-side single. The second track, “Plastic Love,” will be available on all DSPs from Sub Pop on November 6th. Both songs will also be released together as a limited edition 7”, which is available to pre-order now from Bandcamp (on either orange or turquoise colored vinyl), and Sub Pop Mega Mart (on lime green vinyl). All three options will be available while supplies last. The “Donuts Mind If I Do” b/w “Plastic Love” 7” single will be available worldwide (excl. Japan and Asia) with an estimated ship date in late November.

CHAI is a revolutionary four-piece, made up of miracle twins Mana and Kana, and the impeccable rhythm section of Yuuki and Yuna. Combining their powerhouse musical prowess with “pinkish punk” sensibilities, CHAI has managed to create a huge splash in the music scene in their homeland, Japan, and abroad. Now ready to build on their infectious sound and musical accolades, CHAI is gearing up with their new label to release even more new music into the world.

Pre-order “Donuts Mind If I Do” b/w “Plastic Love”

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[Thanks to Jacob at Pitch Perfect PR.]

Alpha Hopper deliver “The Goods” with new single.

Buffalo, NY quartet Alpha Hopper announce their forthcoming third album Alpha Hex Index will be released via Portland, OR label Hex Records on November 6th, 2020. Today the band shares the first single, “The Goods” via Echoes & Dust HERE. (Direct Bandcamp.)

“A bartender, a personal trainer, a graphic designer, and an immigration attorney walk into a practice space…”

Formed in Buffalo, New York in 2014, Alpha Hopper creates a frenetic stew of guitar-driven rock’n’roll with ingredients from punk, hardcore, noise rock, and no-wave. Their 3rd LP Alpha Hex Index shows them deeper than ever down their rabbit hole. Sassy, snotty vocals punctuating the ever growing wall of catchy, bizarre riffs and prison break drum beats. Dummy math, noise-rock for art-punk drop outs.
For this album the band decided to record the effort themselves in their homes. Pandemic-related shelter in place recommendations caused some hiccups in being able to track the entire effort in a single block, and instead recording sessions were conducted in intervals when the members could safely get together and hash out their respective parts. Once they were satisfied with the mix they handed things over to engineer John Angelo (Gwar, Every Time I Die, Gas Chamber) to handle mastering duties.

Alpha Hex Index will be available on LP, CD and digital on November 20th, 2020.

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[Thanks to Dave as US / THEM Group.]

Review: Ela Minus – Acts of Rebellion

Gabriela Jimeno, otherwise known as Ela Minus, doesn’t allow herself to make music using computers. Everything has to be made with analog gear to give it a human touch. Her sharp new record, Acts of Rebellion, is no exception. Despite its political and personal shouts, the album is intertwined with themes of love. Club beats and ambient waves mix like a two-colored cocktail served in a high-end club that’s located in an abandoned warehouse with sawdust all over the floor.

Opening track “N19 5NF” builds its synths like a Jon Hopkins track and then drops win Vangelis-like touches to immediately take you from the moment into a bright future you can’t quite make out but know is within reach. Her lyrics on “They Told Us It Was Hard, but They Were Wrong” encourage us to embrace compassion (“When you love, you love it all, and nothing seems impossible.” Her vocal stylings on it remind me of early Ladytron tracks.

The deep house bass of “El Cielo No Es de Nadie” instantly gets you grooving, and Minus’ native Spanish vocals move around you like a sexy spectre. “You don’t want to understand, you’re choosing to lead us apart. But against all odds, you still won’t make us stop,” she sings on the anthem-like “Megapunk.” Minus was formerly a drummer in a Colombian punk band, so standing up to The Man is par for the course for her. She now does it with analog synths instead of a drum kit.

“Dominique” is a bouncy, lovely track that has beats James Murphy would love to have written, but don’t let the peppy synths fool you. The song is about dark depression that can come after a lover leaves for good. On “Tony,” Minus gets out of the house and into the dance club to dance until dawn and break out of her funk. The closer, “Close,” features Helado Negro, and has Minus singing about keeping her lover closer, even when they’re apart. It’s a fun track that has some lullaby-like synths mixing with soft electronic beats that seem to come from a dream.

The album also has three instrumental tracks, which I always appreciate. Minus knows that sometimes lyrics get in the way of grooves, and it’s best to let the grooves stretch without them.

Love is an act of rebellion in this day and age. Acts of Rebellion is a delightful reminder of this.

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[Thanks to Jessica at Pitch Perfect PR.]

Bleached call out “Stupid Boys” on new single.

Bleached – the Los Angeles-based duo of sisters Jessica and Jennifer Clavin – release an anthemic new single, “Stupid Boys.” It’s their first new material since Don’t You Think You’ve Had Enough?, “one of the year’s best rock albums, and far more than a survival tale” (Billboard), released last year on Dead Oceans. “Stupid Boys” is pertinent to today’s female empowerment movement, as the Clavin sisters directly call out harmful behavior. Jennifer’s voice buzzes over Jessica’s bright guitar, as they both chant all too familiar tropes: “Try to rebound with my best friend // I saw you slide into her DM’s // Get a tattoo of my first name // cross it out and tell me I’m lame.”

“Making light of a dark situation has been a tool I’ve used to get through challenging times,” says Jennifer Clavin “Specifically, a way I’ve often honored my recovery is to tell my story through my lyrics – this time the subject is crazy ex-boyfriends. This started out as a jokey song, something light-hearted, meant to be danced to…or so I thought. After the most recent flood of ‘me too’ call outs around men in the music scene, I returned to this song and felt somewhat surprised, because the lyrics actually aren’t so light-hearted, and they directly refer back to experiences related to the reckoning we just saw go down. I don’t wanna keep dwelling on the past and all its fucked up-ness, but I also don’t wanna ignore it and brush it under the rug like it never happened. What I do believe is that life is about finding a balance between the dark and light, and if I want inner peace I have to allow the light in to absorb the dark. So maybe this song has changed shape, just like our understanding of things change over time, with perspective, and now it is both a vessel for some painful memories and a testament to growth and healing, and to me, that’s what music is for. I’m proud of this song for so many reasons, but most especially because it strikes that balance for me, and I hope for you too.”

Listen to Bleached’s “Stupid Boys”

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[Thanks to Jessica at Pitch Perfect PR.]