Wild, weird, and wonderful, Gustaf put on a fun late afternoon set under the Angers sun. You could tell they were having a great time. I spoke with Lydia Gammill after the set and she told me they still couldn’t quite believe they’d just played a set in France.
This was the second time I’d seen Death Valley Girls in the same year, with the first being at Levitation France just two months prior. This set was more up close and personal (which is every show at Chicago’s Empty Bottle) and a bit more dangerous to boot. Lead singer Bonnie Bloomgarden delighted in walking out into the crowd to sing and mingle with fans.
Speaking of dangerous shows, Warm Drag‘s set at Levitation Austin was sexy and deadly, not unlike a panther. Blending dark electro with sultry vocals, the set had a lot of people grooving and trembling at the same time.
This was the second time I saw Automatic last year. Yes, the first time was in France in June. The trio had only improved in that short time, and they wowed the Austin crowd. The number of Automatic band shirts and tote bags we saw after their set was extensive.
This short set from Welsh power trio The Joy Formidable packed more wallop than most sets I saw from other bands that were twice as long. They were so fierce that lead singer / guitarist Ritzy Bryan headbutted bassist Rhydian Daffyd in the chest twice during the set.
Who’s in the top 15? Well, you’ll have to come back tomorrow to find out!
After a stellar year that saw them release their debut album and join IDLES on a largely sold-out nationwide tour, Brooklyn art punks Gustaf have returned with a fiery remix of their track “Design” by none other than the multi-time Grammy-winner Beck. Their friendship with Beck blossomed after he invited them to play a secret loft party at his New York apartment, and his re-work of their first ever recorded single comes alongside a throughly enjoyable Interview Magazine piece in which they discuss the merits of creating and sharing outside of the box. Today, they’re also announcing a slew of headline dates across the United States and the UK, as well as a Talkhouse conversation with tourmates IDLES.
LISTEN: to Beck’s remix of Gustaf’s “Design” on YouTube
Audio Drag For Ego Slobscame out via Royal Mountain Records on October 1st to rapturous praise from the likes of NPR, NME, BrooklynVegan, DIY, Paste, and the band will continue to prove why they are one of America’s most “reliably fun bands” as they head out on a full US headline tour with stops at SXSW, Treefort, Savannah Music Fest and many more, before jumping across the Atlantic for their first UK shows, a run that will see them appearing at Brighton’s The Great Escape festival.
Beck’s remix of Gustaf’s “Design” is out now on Royal Mountain Records. It is available to stream here.
Tour Dates
2022 3/10 – Washington, DC @ DC9 3/11 – Durham, NC @ Pinhook 3/11-12 – Savannah, GA @ Savannah Stopover Music Fest 3/13 – Atlanta, GA @ The Earl 3/15 – Dallas, TX @ Sundown at Granada 3/16-18 – Austin, TX @ SXSW 3/20 – Tucson, AZ @ Club Congress 3/21 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Echo 3/23 – San Francisco, CA @ Rickshaw Stop 3/23-27 – Boise, ID @ Treefort Music Fest 3/25 – Seattle, WA @ Sunset Tavern 3/26 – Portland, OR @ Bunk Bar 3/31 – Minneapolis, MN @ 7th St Entry 4/1 – Milwaukee, WI @ Colectivo 4/2 – Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle 4/3 – Columbus, OH @ Ace Of Cups 4/5 – Toronto, ON @ Garrison 4/7 – Burlington, VT – Higher Ground 4/8 – Portland, ME @ Portland House of Music 4/14 – Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s 4/15 – Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall 4/16 – New York, NY @ The Broadway 4/29 – Nottingham, United Kingdom @ Bodega 4/30 – Edinburgh, United Kingdom @ Stag & Dagger Edinburgh 5/1 – Glasgow, United Kingdom @ Stag & Dagger Glasgow 5/3 – Dublin, Ireland @ The Workman’s Club 5/4 – Manchester, United Kingdom @ YES / Pink Room 5/6 – Leeds, United Kingdom @ Headrow House 5/7 – Coventry, United Kingdom @ Coventry Central Library 5/8 – Birmingham, United Kingdom @ Hare & Hounds 5/9 – London, United Kingdom @ Moth Club (co-headline w/ Kills Birds) 5/10 – London, United Kingdom @ Moth Club (co-headline w/ Kills Birds) 5/11 – Cambridge, United Kingdom @ The Portland Arms 5/13 – Brighton, United Kingdom @ The Great Escape Festival 5/14 – Bristol, United Kingdom @ Crofters Rights
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)
Since forming in 2018, Brooklyn art punks Gustaf have been the subject of an unusual amount of buzz for a band who had never released a note of recorded music. Based entirely on the back of their live shows, the band found early champions in luminaries like Beck – who saw them perform 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. Last month the band released their first single, the Chris Coady (Beach House, TV on The Radio, Future Islands)-produced “Mine,” which earned immediate praise from spots like the NME, Paste, DIY, The Needle Drop and Exclaim, and today, Gustaf are sharing their second single, a track called “Design,” another slice of the band’s finely-tuned, off-kilter art-punk that sees them reunite with Coady as their producer.
Vocalist Lydia Gammill explains: “Although the title of the song is not the refrain (“desire’”, we named the track “Design” because it is a commentary on how our desires and critiques of others are a product of our design.” Gammill continues, “Like in “Mine”, the narrator addresses an invisible critic, arguing that the ills we believe to be unique to ourselves are the result of an oppressive system. However, in the end we’re just shouting at the back of someone’s head as they leave the room.”
