Released without any singles dropped beforehand, and made via e-mail between the bandmates during lockdown, Butterfly 3000 is one of KGATLW‘s best in a while. It blends electro beats with their masterful microtones and psych riffs, and would it be a “best of” list without at least one KGATLW record?
These ladies can do no wrong. Each album from them is a delight, and Wink adds some really fun electro and dance cuts to their repertoire. “Ping Pong” was one of my favorite singles of the year.
2021 was another good year for post-punk, and these Brits put out a solid record of it that included hints of prog-rock. It has plenty of sharp lyrics and angular guitars, as you’d want from such an album.
A new lineup and a new EP? Yes, APTBS came back from the pandemic with new members and this sharp EP covering topics such as loss, perseverance, and communication. There’s also plenty of their trademark distortion and flattening sound.
This is one of the best post-punk records of the year. Gustaf’s lyrics are funny and biting, and their chords and beats are absolutely intriguing. You’ll love this band within moments of just one song.
Who’s in the top 15 of last year? You’ll learn tomorrow!
Formed somewhat on a whim, Gustaf (Lydia Gammill – lead vocals, Tine Hill – bass, Vram Kherlopian – guitar, Melissa Lucciola – drums, Tarra Thiessen – percussion and vocals) were playing packed gigs across the country in record stores, apartments, basements, pubs, and even SXSW festival stages before they even cut their debut album – Audio Drag for Ego Slobs. The result is an album created by a band who’d cut their teeth on the road and came into the studio with a power pack of post-punk poppers.
“You say that I’m much to old to be low-fi,” Gammill sings on the opening track, “Mine.” The groove of it is undeniable, rooted in Hill’s bass lick and the tippity-tap of Lucciola’s hi-hat. The song seems to about reclaiming dignity and an attitude of “I really don’t give a rat’s ass.”
“Book” has Gammill demanding proof of erroneous claims of her life being false. It keeps the dance grooves rolling and into “Best Behavior.” “I wanted you to know that I was good today,” Gammill sings, possibly letting her lover know that she wasn’t up to anything naughty…Well, perhaps a bit. “Dream” is a song about weird love, with Thiessen repeating “We love you.” while Gammill claims, “You’re doing great.” and then both of them stating, “It was only a dream.”
Kherlopian’s guitar takes on a bit of a yacht rock feel, which I love, on “Liquid Frown” – a song that seems to be about being under so much relationship stress that it makes you nauseous. Hill’s bass is in full funk mode on “The Motions,” and the backing vocals are warped (like they are on many tracks) to reflect Gammill’s perplexed state of mind at the world in general. “Common sense seems so pedestrian,” Gammill sings on “Cruel” – one of the wittiest tracks on the album with the band flipping off romance.
On the flipside, “Dog” is about someone Gammill didn’t really find attractive or think much about until she saw the guy’s dog. “It took a little effort to see. Hey, who’s that pulling the leash?” “Package” ups the anger a bit before the slightly psychedelic “Happy” comes in to close the album with Gammill saying, “I hope you’re happy getting what you want…I’m out here singing alone.”
As the kids would say, don’t sleep on this album. It’s one of the best post-punk records of the year.
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 rapidly established a reputation as one of New York’s “hardest working…and most reliably fun bands” (BrooklynVegan), and early excitement about their danceable, ESG-inspired post punk expanded outside of their city with remarkable effect despite having released no recorded music and barely having an online presence. As a result of their magnetic live show the band found unlikely early champions, 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 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. They finally released recorded music in the form of their debut 7 inch at the end of 2020, which only furthered the growth of their reputation, earning them comparisons to acts like Television, Talking Heads, The B-52s and LCD Soundsystem from NPR (who made them a Slingshot artist for 2021), Paste, DIY, Under The Radar, BrooklynVegan and NME among many others.
Today, the band are announcing their debut LP, the magnificently titled Audio Drag For Ego Slobs, which will be out on October 1st on Toronto’s Royal Mountain Records (Wild Pink, Alvvays, Mac DeMarco), and sharing their new single “Book.”
“‘Book’ is a song about the fallacy and fight of getting ahead vs being a head. It is seeking validation in the wrong places and from the wrong people,” singer Lydia Gammil explains. “The hook, “I got ahead, I got a head” is a fun little taunt that we find either being thrown in our face or coming out our mouth. Everyone gets their moment up on the pedestal and everyone gets their turn falling off of it. Whether it’s up or down, ‘Book’ is about accepting whatever level you’re on.“
To coincide with the announce Gustaf are announcing an extensive itinerary of touring in the US, UK and Europe that will see them playing with IDLES and Pillow Queens. Full details can be found below.
Gustaf’s Audio Drag for Ego Slobs will be released on October 1st on Royal Mountain Records. It is available for preorder here.
Tour Dates 10/1 – Charlotte, NC – Snug Harbor 10/2 – Knoxville, TN – Mill and Mine 10/3 – Cincinatti, OH – MOTR Pub 10/4 – Cleveland, OH – Beachland Tavern 10/6 – Milwaukee, WI – Cactus Club 10/7 – Saint Paul, MN – Palace Theatre # 10/8 – Chicago, IL – Riviera Theatre # 10/9 – Detroit, MI – Saint Andrew’s Hall # 10/10 – Columbus, OH – Newport Music Hall # 10/12 – Boston, MA – House of Blues # 10/13 – Philadelphia, PA – The Fillmore # 10/15 – New York, NY – Terminal 5 # 10/16 – New York, NY – Terminal 5 # 10/17 – Washington, DC – 9:30 Club # 10/18 – Washington, DC – 9:30 Club # 10/20 – Asheville, NC – The Orange Peel # 10/21 – Nashville, TN – Cannery Ballroom # 10/22 – Atlanta, GA – Masquerade – Heaven Stage # 10/25 – Austin, TX – Stubb’s # 10/26 – Dallas, TX – Granada Theater # 10/27 – San Antonio, TX – Paper Tiger # 11/2 – Birmingham, UK – The Sunflower Lounge $ 11/3 – Bristol, UK – Rough Trade Bristol $ 11/4 – London, UK – The Dome $ 11/6 – Brighton, UK – Mutations Festival @ The Green Door Store 11/8 – Leeds, UK – Hyde Park Book Club $ 11/9 – Manchester, UK – YES (Pink Room) $ 11/10 – Liverpool, UK – Arts Club Loft $ 11/11 – London, UK – The Windmill, Brixton 11/13 – Utrecht, NL – Le Guess Who Festival 11/14 – Kortrijk, BE – Sonic City Festival 11/14 – Brussels, BE – Witloof Bar 11/16 – Berlin, DE – Cassiopeia 11/17 – Haldern, DE – Haldern Pop Bar 11/18 – Paris, FR – Les Femmes S’en Melent @ Petit Bain 11/19 – Lille, FR – The Black Lab 11/20 – Luxembourg City, LU – Rotondes Klub 12/09 – Portland, OR – Bunk Bar (headline)
