WEQX has long been the preeminent independent station in the Capital Region of New York, broadcasting from Southern VT to an ever-expanding listening audience. NYS Music brings you a preview of artists to discover each week, just a taste of the talent waiting to be discovered by fans like you.
This week there will be two songs from each artist played, instead of the usual one.
Jade Relics: “Leave us Alone” and “Mandarine”
Jade Relics is a collective of Vermont Musicians featuring, Elder Orange, Rico James, IamE. Their music is danceable and infectious, with excellent production and instrumentation. Their songs “Leave us Alone” and “Mandarine” will be played on EQXposure.
Blur Beside You: “Stumble more than anything” and “Nothing Feels Real”
Blur Beside You is a shoegaze indie rock trio from New York and Florida. It features 3 founding members of the South Florida band, Mindlikewater, Jim Wells, Joseph Butera & Joseph Beaty. Their songs “Stumble more than anything” and “Nothing Feels Real” will be played on EQXposure.
Fine Grain: “Missing Adult” and “Calculate”
Fine Grain floats in between shoegaze haze and punk posturing. They are from Albany and stitch old punk with new to create their unique sound. Their songs “Missing Adult” and “Calculate” will be played on EQXposure.
Covering a band from Belgium is a first for NYS Music, and not without good reason. The Haunted Youth have been indie darlings in Belgium and The Netherlands since the 2021 release of their first single “Teen Rebel,” and in attending Reeperbahn Festival in Hamburg, Germany this past September, The Haunted Youth were one of the finalists for the ANCHOR Award, given out on the final day of the festival.
While The Haunted Youth did not win the ANCHOR Award (congrats to Cassia), they performed later that night at Angie’s to an industry crowd that saw lightning in a bottle. Seeing a band of this caliber perform in a club, having just played a main stage, who brought more energy to the room at the former, showed the nascent nature and the great potential for this Belgian band, who released their debut album Dawn of the Freak on November 4.
With hints of Australian indie rock band Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever, recurring themes on Dawn of The Freak reflect the lives of a band who first connected during the COVID lockdowns in Europe and persevered through the loneliness and disruption to their lives. Frontman Joachim Liebens put his heart and soul into Dawn Of The Freak, writing all the songs and producing the album. The group’s sound ties together influences including The Cure, Slowdive and My Bloody Valentine, with shoegaze and dream pop laying the foundation of the album’s tone. Balancing out the highs the group has experienced in the past two years, the lows from Lieben are deftly channeled into the music.
It’s therapy, a way of dealing with my existence. And I hope this album will be universal and accessible enough for others to enjoy it in the same way.
Joachim Liebens
Whether live or studio, The Haunted Youth have a ‘sound of a generation’ quality about them, one that is heard clearly on the second and third tracks, “Teen Rebel” and “Stranger.” The former is an excellent post teen-angst song for the ’20s, with a dream pop beat that reflects on wanting more, creating a sweet dilemna. “Stranger” has hints of lonelieness that soldiers along thanks to The Cure and Culture Club, with tastes of new wave channeled through Gen Z.
A steady bass tone spreads into melanchoic synth rock on the longest track of the album, “Gone,” with “Broken” having the catchiest guitar riff and full band sound among the whole album, and that’s saying something. Lieben’s voice adds subtle emotion in his intonations, making “I Feel Like Shit and I Wanna Die” more upbeat than the title might suggest, offering a ray of light amid the burden of his life.
The airy and dreamy “House Arrest” repeats the lines “In the night I was falling down” and “take me away,” a stark view of what lockdowns must have felt like in Europe, as opposed to America where they varied in response and success. The properly upbeat penultimate track “Coming Home” gives a feeling of redemption and hope as the album draws to a close.
“Fist in my Pocket,” the final track and only acoustic number, channels the repressed anger of a generation, angry but unable to rise up against the gravity of the world left for them. Again, a melancholic glimmer of hope is shared, with Liebens singing, “It’ll all be over someday soon, I promise you.” As dark as the lyrics can be, the message gives the listener a fair reminder and feeling that it’s okay to feel like shit sometimes.
After performances at Reeperbahn, Rock Werchter, Best Kept Secret, Pukkelpop, and Tomavistas, the group not only has the ANCHOR Awards nomination under their belt, but also have been nominated for the Music Moves Europe Awards.
The Haunted Youth will be playing sold-out album release shows in The Netherlands and the Main Hall of legendary Brussels venue Ancienne Belgique, followed by an extensive string of release and festival shows all over Europe in 2023. Here’s to hoping they can make their way State-side for shows in the near future.
Dawn of the Freak is now available on all streaming services and Bandcamp
Local to Albany, State Champs have released their newest acoustic single “Act Like That,” an energetic, bouncing track, and “Outta My Head,” with its stripped back guitar licks, both bringing vocal harmonies and breathing new life into the songs. Earlier this year, State Champs planted their flag firmly in pop-punk history with their 4th studio album, Kings Of The New Age, out now via Pure Noise Records.
Kings Of The New Age includes hit singles “Eventually”, “Everybody But You” (ft. Ben Barlow), “Outta My Head”, and “Just Sound.” Alongside this, seven new tracks featuring additional guest vocalists Chrissy Costanza, Mitchell Tenpenny, and Four Year Strong.
“If any band were to be crowned royalty amongst the current generation of pop-punk acts, we have little doubt the honor would go to New York’s State Champs.”
– Beyond The Stage Magazine
Starting in bedrooms and basements in 2010, State Champs quickly ascended in the pop punk scene owing as much to early Fall Out Boy and Green Day as latter-day Warped Tour bands. In 2022, Kerrang! declared them “one of the most authentic and well-respected bands in pop-punk. Derek DiScanio, Tyler Szalkowski, Ryan Scott Graham, and Evan Ambrosio deliver a strong message throughout Kings Of The New Age.
State Champs delivered their music and heartfelt message on extensive tours with bands like Fall Out Boy, 5 Seconds Of Summer, A Day To Remember, and Simple Plan; three different Warped Tours; and a co-headliner with Neck Deep.
“With their pop-punk flag firmly planted, State Champs may have just provided us with the soundtrack to help remind us of the carefree days and the endless possibilities of a summer that could change our lives for the better.”
– Chorus.fm
On the highly anticipated release, the band shares, “Kings of The New Age is our fourth album, the one that we spent the most time on, and the one that makes the biggest statement. After writing over 30 songs, we narrowed it down to 11 that best represent our mission as a band, and sonically, match the energy level we wanted to captivate heading into this new chapter.”
“We had a short press week back in June where we did some in studio acoustic sessions,” explains guitarist Tyler Szalkowski. “We fell in love with the acoustic versions of Act Like That and Outta My Head. We knew we had to get these recorded and get them out to you all. Enjoy and see you all very soon on the Kings of the New Age tour.”
“[Kings Of The New Age] is full of engaging, high-velocity pop punk songs that are great for summertime listening.”
Produced by Brandon “Brick” Lohr and Jason “J” Hubert, the inaugural Ramble Festival held at Camp Ramblewood in Darlington, MD from October 7-9, transpired smoothly, as fans enjoyed nearly perfect fall weather near the Susquehanna, mere miles from Pennsylvania. Camp Ramblewood has held other music events, but Ramble Fest hosted a wide variety of bluegrass, brass, indie rock, blues, country, Americana and folk music from Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, Massachusetts, Indiana, Colorado, California, and many other states, with fans traveling from all over the US and internationally to enjoy fun in the sun with cool nights & campfire jams.
Headlined by Leftover Salmon, Keller Williams, and The Traveling McCoury’s, along with many local and national bands, Ramble Festival had numerous activities, a busking competition, kids’ shows and play areas, yoga, charity auctions & raffles, live art painters, an on-site art gallery, and numerous clothing, food & art vendors. Art Director Lindsay Jamison and her staff of volunteers spent weeks getting the site and the art gallery in the Beer Hall ready for the event. Street Team lead Will Gibbons also ran the instrument raffle, where two fans won a guitar and banjo signed by the headliners, with proceeds donated to Backline and Rage Against Addiction.
Camping was superb. Ramblewood has 200 pristine acres on a rolling hillside, with a lake, fire pits, large cabins, and wide fields, with ample trees & grassy shade. Food & drink vending was plentiful, including local microbrews, and food trucks with typical festival fare such as pizza & burritos, as well as veggie and farm-to-table options. There was onsite parking for the thousand or so attendees (though the lot nearly filled up during the peak on Saturday night). There were a few RV spots (no power & water hook-ups), as well as car camping, but the best camping was near the stages.
Fri. Oct. 7: Abby Bryant & The Echoes, Caleb Stine Band, Kendall Street Company, Rufus Roundtree & Da B’More Brass Factory, Arkansauce, Bella’s Bartok, Big Something, Keller Williams Grateful Grass feat. The Hillbenders, Kendall Street Company & Dirty Grass Players – late-night in the barn.
Friday started off smooth and sunny, with Rufus Roundtreee and his band leading a second line march from the campsites down the hill, where Abby Bryant & The Echoes kicked off the weekend on the Main Stage. Abby is a vocalist & guitarist from Charlotte (since relocated to Asheville), who performed a mix of soul & Americana, with great instrumental work by her band & cohort in songwriting, guitarist Bailey Faulkner.
A quick jaunt up the hill and past the food trucks brought us to the Beer Hall, an indoor stage with standing room for a thousand. Caleb Stine & Band treated us to cool country with a tinge of bluegrass. Kendall Street Company from Charlottesville next played on the Main Stage, with thoughtful and often funny lyrics, great harmonies, and energetic, punk stylings, deft guitarwork, sax, and engaging vocals by lead singer Louis Smith.
Back at the Beer Hall, Rufus Roundtree, who is from Parliament Funkadelic, led his band Da B’More Brass Factory on vocals & trombone, with fiery NOLA-style, Go-go tinged funk, supported by trumpet, sax, tuba, guitar & drums. Arkansauce next tore up the Main Stage with speedy banjo riffing by Adam Collins, Ethan Bush on mando, Zac Archuleta on guitar, and Tom Andersen on upright bass.
The wildness of Bella’s Bartok engaged our feet as we returned to the Beer Hall, with fast, energetic fiendish horns, driven by lead singer Asher Putnam, with Alex Kogut on accordion, synth, and keyboards, Riley Goodemote on trombone, and Julia playing feisty washboard. Mixing sonic styles of Googol Bordello with punk, folk, and klezmer music, an amalgam of genres and theatrical sensibilities. They were a new discovery to me, and fan favorites by the end of their set.
Big Something, a hip hop pop rock fusion jam band from Burlington, NC, heated up the Main Stage at sunset, with Casey Cranford’s signature EWI and sax work driving the melodies along with dueling guitar monstrosities Jesse Hensley and Nick MacDaniels, with Josh Kagel on keys and trumpet, Doug Marshall on bass and Ben Vinograd on drums holding it down. Stylistically chameleons, they drift from tight riffs to expansive jams, sometimes evoking Lettuce, other times Lotus, and at times channeling Umphrey’s McGee, basically all over the place, with aplomb.
The incredible sound and lights apparently challenged the main stage power generator, which failed shortly thereafter, and was not resurrected until the next day. This only major glitch of the weekend was trouble, but thankfully, the production team planned generous stage switchover times, so crews had time to migrate Keller Williams over to the Beer Hall. Stage Manager George Barrick reactivated that stage, which had prepared to close for the night.
Keller and The Hillbenders treated us to his widely-popular Grateful Grass set. The Beer Hall was a bit crowded, so staff asked fans to help move tables and chairs out of the way, which quickly added enough space to get everyone inside – just in time, since the only few raindrops of the weekend fell outside and chilled the night air as temperatures fell into the low 40s. Keller & friends treated us to a fun-filled set of Dead classics, including a killer Scarlet > Stranger, and a trippy They Love Each Other back and forth into and out of Cumberland Blues, followed by a lovely Bird Song > Cassidy [24-bit SBD/Stage Matrix recording by George Barrick].
No proper first day would be complete without a late night set, held in the Ramble Stage, aka “The Barn” (a nice, cozy place to warm up as temps dropped further at night). Kendall Street Company joined The Dirty Grass Players, which was the most musicians jammed onto that tiny stage. The Barn was well-appointed, with brass chandeliers, hanging flower arrangements and festive lighting. There were two late-night picking circles, one at the Hill Camp w/ Bella’s Bartok, and another down at the Lake Camp, with Deer Creek Sharpshooters & Fishing for Hippies to end the night.
Sat. Oct. 8 – Dogs in a Pile, Arkansauce, Armchair Boogie, Dirty Grass Players, Toothless (kids set), Rev. Peyton’s Big Damn Band, Underground Springhouse, AJ Lee & Blue Summit, Kyle Hollingsworth Band, Leftover Salmon, Neighbor.
After much-needed rest, I arose Saturday morning to the distant sounds of another second line by Naptown Brass Band from Annapolis, MD. I ran up the hill to meet them as they marched down into the main field and kicked off the day for Charm City Junction, towing along recently-rousted dancing campers, led by the Vibe Tribe‘s Holly Reasner.
Arkansauce fired up the Beer Hall next. Saturday Bands played with some overlap, as there were 17 or more performance on Saturday. Dogs in a Pile was another great band that all my friends recommended. They had a great turnout, especially since they started around 1pm, and many campers partied quite late the night before.
Baltimore’s finest, the Dirty Grass Players kicked it up in the Beer Hall, with some overlap with Armchair Boogie on the main stage, another new band I really enjoyed. Toothless played a kids’ set on the small barn stage. Underground Springhouse continued in the Beer Hall, while Caleb Stine returned in the barn.
We kicked our socks off to Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band (a funny name, because it’s only 3 people). Hailing from Indiana, the “Big” is for Jayme Peyton, who is a ginormous human as well as guitarist. They’re a wild country blues band, with heavy guitar shredding and “reckless” washboard by Breezy Peyton. Breezy actually lit her washboard on fire in the middle of a song!!! The band and audience had a good laugh; neither eyebrows nor hair were burnt in the process.
AJ Lee & Blue Summit, a bluegrass/Americana band from Northern California, continued at the Beer Hall, playing towards dinnertime. Heading back to the Main Stage, I wolfed down some tasty mac & cheese from Cosmic Charlie’s Grateful Grill, one of my favorite food trucks conveniently located between the two biggest stages.
Maryland native Kyle Hollingsworth (from String Cheese Incident) and his Band lit up the main stage, with a mix of organ and keyboard-infused jammy rock, tight & funky drums, bass & guitar. They played a variety of originals and classics, rearranged with speed & intensity, sprinkled with riffs & quotes from various well-known songs. Kyle is a killer clavinet and synth player, playing with percussive rhythm, electric piano and effects, his talented band adding fuel to his fire.
Ramble’s resident emcee, Libby Eddy (plays fiddle in The Jakobs Ferry Stragglers), got up to announce Leftover Salmon dressed as a giant avocado. She wrote page-long summaries of each band. As she rattled off superlatives, Vince Herman (in a blue unicorn costume) laughed and told the audience, “first time our band has ever been introduced by an avocado“! Ramble Festival founders Brick and J dressed as a tiger and bumblebee, to fit the costume theme, “furry creatures”.
Another favorite band, Neighbor (founded by Pink Talking Fish’s keyboardist Richard James), capped off Saturday night in the barn, followed by late-night campfire jams by Fishing for Hippies, Caleb Stine, Annie Sellick, and Pat Bergeson.
Sun. Oct. 9 – Travers Brothership, Country Current, AJ Lee & Blue Summit, Woody! kids set, Neighbor, Bella’s Bartok, Busking Competition, Empire Strikes Brass, Armchair Boogie, Pink Talking Fish, The Travelin’ McCourys, AJ Lee & Blue Summit, Arkansauce, & Armchair Boogie – late-night in barn.
Travers Brothership, based near Asheville, started the last day off with searing blues guitar intensity by frontman Kyle Travers, who formed the band with his twin brother and drummer, Eric. They’ve played all over the US & Europe, and are widely praised. Their new album is slated to be released next year, so they played a song or two off their new album.
The bluegrass band, Country Current, is the US Navy’s official band, formed in 1973. They’ve played for Presidents Bush, Clinton, Obama, and have toured nationally as well as overseas. They are all Musician Petty Officers, wearing their uniforms proudly on stage in the Beer Hall, playing guitar, banjo, bass, drums, fiddle, mando, and pedal steel guitar.
AJ Lee and Blue Summit returned to play the main stage, followed by Muskrat Flats in the beer hall, and another special kids’ set by Woody!, who is Jon Wood of Dancing Bears, ELM, Psycho Killers, and other Baltimore-based bands. His 7-yr-old daughter Ella helped her dad set up his mic and danced with her friends and other kids in the barn.
Neighbor treated us again to another tasty set on the main stage in the mid afternoon, followed by another wild dance party by Bella’s Bartok in the Beer Hall. The horn-heavy Empire Strikes Brass hit the main stage in the afternoon, and Armchair Boogie returned to the Beer Hall to close out the afternoon.
Pink Talking Fish brought resounding thunder and intermingling of songs by Pink Floyd, Talking Heads, and Phish to the main stage, as a massive flurry of bubbles filled the air and caught the brilliant light trackers scanning over the field, filling it with geometric patterns and a spectrum of color.
Emcee Libby Eddy introduced The Traveling McCourys as “the best band on the planet!!!” – the final headliner set of the weekend. This long, wonderful weekend of music ended with a joint collaboration between AJ Lee & Blue Summit, Arkansauce, and Armchair Boogie, packed into the barn with as many fans as could still stand or dance, with a couple more campfire jams that lasted until 3 or 4 am.
Few festivals are successful upon inception, but through great planning, Ramble Festival attracted over a thousand people to its first annual event. They sold a hundred tickets at the “steepest discount” to fans on site.
“It takes a village”. I met dozens of staff, volunteers, artists, campers, production crew from Harford Sound, lighting engineers, photographers & videographers, vendors, artists, medical personnel (Bear Care), and vendors. There were zero injuries or problems, nobody got stuck in the mud, the weather was absolutely perfect, and the camping is the best of any music event I’ve attended. Everyone was friendly, helpful, fun, and smiling all weekend.
Brick and J are music lovers first and foremost. They hired a skilled team, adept at multiple roles. They asked their friend Phil Chorney (Charm City Bluegrass) to recruit a wide cast of musicians from all over. Skilled directors & coordinators were carefully chosen for Volunteers, Artists, Hospitality (Sandee Taylor), Marketing (Kelsey Riegger) and Media Coordination (Zach Ubaldini), as well as staff photographers Chris Gamber among many other pros.
Some of these bands I’d heard about, and saw them for the first time at Ramble Festival, a sentiment shared by many fans. I’ve seen all the headliners multiple times, which got me interested when J told me about Ramble at B Chord. I did some research on only a few of the bands I hadn’t seen, which left the rest as pleasant surprises.
Ramble Festival was quite smooth, even though it’s only in its first year. Everyone felt like family, with an atmosphere reminiscent of Catskill Chill, Bear Creek, and High Sierra Music Festival. Brick, J, Phil, and their wonderful cast & crew deserve accolades for making Ramble the best music and art experience of the year.
Bands largely based in Chautauqua and Erie County show up on a bi-weekly basis to take the stage at the Main Street Studios venue in Fredonia. Initially making cassettes for local bands, Foxhead Record Company rented out the building.
Foxhead record company logo
Follow the closure of the North Pole Strip Club (NPSC) house venue on Main Street, Felix Kellogg, Jake King and Liam Powers, the founders of the Foxhead label, talked with the owner of the space about their idea of launching DIY-shows. “Since we got to Fredonia, there was always live music going on”, explained King, “and it was always upperclassmen running it”.
(Credit: foxheadrecordco Instagram)
He pointed out there being a need for people to organize shows and Liam Powers also added in a prior lack of places for shows to happen, following the the North Pole Strip Club closing. The recognition of a need for performance outlets in town led to the transition of the company from focusing on making cassettes for bands to extending their business, bringing live concerts at one of the most popular venues in Fredonia.
Listen to Jake, Liam and Felix discuss more about the formation of their record company, the Fredonia music scene, and more in an exclusive interview below.
Interview with founders of Foxhead Record Company:
https://youtu.be/EG0mNXaG9Hw
A Fredonia-based artist, under the moniker Soup Kale and lead singer of the alternative band Karrot Kake, who performed at Main Street Studios on Saturday, 10/15, commented on the shift in the Fredonia music scene. In an interview below, he described a lot of jam bands being active in the area, along with reggae sounds being notable several years ago, before pop-punk more recently turned into the predominant element integrated in the scene.
Interview with Karrot Kake band musician Soup Kale:
https://youtu.be/t0kZki2MBDI
Interview with musician Soup Kale of Karrot Kake band
SAINT BLIND, real name Aaron, is another artist part of the line-up who performed at Main Street on the night of 10/15. He described working with many people involved in the Fredonia music scene, having joined multiple bands, including one with Jake King of Foxhead when he was in his teenage years, as well as composing a group known as the Blind Orchestra. The alternative/indie rock and synth-pop artist details more of his musical involvement and both upcoming and released works of his in an interview below.
Interview with musical artist SAINT BLIND:
https://youtu.be/RBNFz06i5TI
Interview with artist SAINT BLIND
Make sure to follow Foxhead on Instagram at @foxheadrecordco for updates on when shows are happening at Main Street Studios and original cassette releases. Also, follow Karrot Kake on Instagram @karrotkakemusic and on Spotify @Karrot Kake, and Kaleh @soupkale, as well as SAINT BLIND @saint_blind on Instagram to keep up with the latest news on their musical releases and performances.
A shining beacon in the Williamsburg neighborhood since it opened in 2017, the 1800-capacity structure originally occupied as a steel manufacturing plant, Brooklyn Steel, welcomed post-punk rockers Viagra Boys and Shame for their only New York show on Tuesday evening, October 18.
Brooklyn Steel | Photo by Michael Dinger
Viagra Boys, who hail from Sweden, are touring in support of their third studio album, Cave World, released by Year0001 this past July. Written during the COVID-19 pandemic and recorded last winter at Silence Studio and RMV Studio, the album was produced by Pelle Gunnerfeldt and DJ Haydn.
Sebastian Murphy of Viagra Boys | Photo by Michael Dinger
Joining Viagra Boys on the bill as a co-headliner was Shame, an English band from South London. Their debut album (Songs of Praise) was released in 2018, followed by Drunk Tank Pink in 2021 – both to critical acclaim via Dead Oceans, an independent record label based in Bloomington, Indiana.
Charlie Steen of Shame | Photo by Michael Dinger
In support of the co-headliners were Kills Birds, a trio of talented young rockers based in Los Angeles who are fronted by Nina Ljeti (born in Bosnia and whose family escaped to Canada soon after the Bosnian War began), along with guitarist Jacob Loeb and bassist Fielder Thomas. Formed in 2017, they released their debut self-titled album in 2019 on KRO Records. Their second album, Married, was recorded at Dave Grohl’s Studio 606 (by invitation from the man himself) and was released last year.
Taking the stage promptly at 7:30 pm, Kills Birds played an unrelenting, electric set for a little more than 30 minutes. Performing songs embodying a hybrid style of new wave punk and grunge – such as “Jesus Did,” Volcano,” “Natalie,” “Cough Up Cherries” and “Offside” – Kills Birds grabbed our collective attention with a visceral intensity spearheaded by Ljet’s energetic stage presence. Combined with Loeb’s scorching riffs and Thomas’ thumping basslines, Kills Birds has an undeniable chemistry that is sure to lead them down the path to a bright future.
Nina Ljeti of Kills Birds | Photo by Michael Dinger
Formed in 2015 and with three studio albums under their collective belt – Street Worms (2018), Welfare Jazz (2021) and the aforementioned Cave World – Viagra Boys have already gained a reputation as being an unapologetically raw live act. Led by frontman Sebastian Murphy (originally from California), whose debauched stage persona has led to comparisons with iconic performers Iggy Pop and Nick Cave, the sextet is rounded out by Henrik Höckert (bass), Tor Sjödén (drums), Oskar Carls (saxophone), Elias Jungqvist (keyboards) and Linus Hillborg (guitar).
With Viagra Boys and Shame flip-flopping their set order each night of the tour, it was the boys from Stockholm who were up first. Possessingan atypical vocal style to that of the everyday punk frontman, with yelling and screaming kept at a minimum, Murphy delivered the night’s first offering (“Ain’t No Thief” from Cave World) in his monotone, deadpan fashion. His lyrics are both cerebral and surreal, often drawing on themes of drug addiction that are laced with satire. Viagra Boys songs often invoke crude imagery, as embodied in the newly christened fan favorites also performed this night from Cave World, including “Troglodyte” and “Punk Rock Loser.”
Viagra Boys | Photo by Michael Dinger
As per usual, Murphy performed most of the hour long set shoeless and shirtless, displaying his tattoo-covered (he is also a tattoo artist by-day) and bloated beer belly. The driving force of the band, Murphy addressed the fervent crowd on more than one humorous occasion:
Listen up folks. It’s fucking beautiful to be up here. I literally felt like I was an olive marinating in some horrible alcohol this morning when I woke up. And I thought that I was gonna cry before the show. I was like, I can’t fucking do this man! I don’t got it in me anymore! But then I come out here, and I see all your beautiful fucking faces, it gives me reason to live one more day and make it back to Switzerland where I’ve got seven beautiful dogs and a fiancé. [I’ve also got] a couple of gerbils. One of them disappeared recently, I’m not gonna say where.
It’s probably a bit confusing for some of you that are here tonight that were at the last show in Brooklyn. Because, back then, I was incredibly good looking [with] the perfect specimen of a body. It was then, on the US tour, where I sampled some deep fried food every now and then, and I had some candy, and the occasional beer. And, I have become somewhat of a big boy. But I am proud of myself.
Viagra Boys’ 12-song set closed with the absurdly hilarious “Sports” and “Shrimp Shack” (a Swedish idiom for someone who hasn’t had to work hard to get where they are), both from their debut release (Street Worms) in 2018. In just a few short years since that time, Viagra Boys have created a brazen palette of heavily intoxicating punk melodies which often feature frantic guitar shredding, hefty drumbeats, meaty basslines, jazz-style keyboards and saxophone solos.
A perfect pairing with Viagra Boys, Shame are the British quintet of Charlie Steen (vocals), Sean Coyle-Smith (guitar), Eddie Green (guitar), Charlie Forbes (drums) and Josh Finerty (bass). Formed in 2014, around the same time as their tour mates, Shame took the stage at approximately 9:45 pm to Zac Brown Band’s “Chicken Fried” playing over the house PA.
Charlie Steen of Shame | Photo by Michael Dinger
In keeping with tradition of his homeland’s post-punk predecessors (the original wave formed in the late-1970s), Steen exudes a magnetic stage presence that demands your attention. Tuesday night, when he was not smoking a cigarette mid-song, instigating the mosh pit or crowd surfing, Steen was lurking along the stage apron with sweat streaked along his cheeks or smirking at bandmate Finerty after he successfully completed another of his signature, one-handed flips (while still holding his bass!).
Shame played their entire, 14-song distortion-filled set with an unbridled emotion that could only be accomplished by a band who has risen to success amid a grueling, relentless tour itinerary. Highlights of Shame’s night included back-to-back presentations of tracks from 2018’s Songs of Praise – “One Rizla” (introduced by Steen as “the first song [they] ever wrote”) and “Angie” for the first time on the current tour. With the emergence of post-punk peers IDLES and Fontaines D.C. in recent memory, it’s now time for Shame to breakthrough with their own brand of loud and abrasive punk anthems.
At the conclusion of their U.S. tour in Dallas, TX at the end of the month, Viagra Boys will head oversees with a slew of dates that will take them to Primarvera Sound in São Paulo, Brazil (November 6), followed by stopovers in Mexico, Germany, Netherlands, France, Italy, England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Denmark and finally, Norway (March 30, 2023). Up next for Shame will be a much-needed break, before embarking on a journey to Mexico City for the Hipnosis Festival on November 5.
Viagra Boys Setlist: Ain’t No Thief > Ain’t Nice > Troglodyte > Punk Rock Loser > Return to Monke > Secret Canine Agent > Slow Learner > Worms > Big Boy > Cold Play > Sports > Shrimp Shack
Shame Setlist: Dust on Trial > Alphabet > Fingers of Steel > Concrete > The Lick > Six Pack > Tasteless > Adderall > Born in Luton > Burning By Design > One Rizla > Angie > Water in the Well > Snow Day
Amid a 20-date fall tour of North America that kicked off in early-October, Violent Femmes played City Winery’s intimate Main Stage on a rain-soaked evening on Thursday, October 13 in the West Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan. The underground folk punk legends who formed in 1981 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin were gracing the City Winery stage yet again – for the fourth of five consecutive sell-outs.
Violent Femmes | Photo by Michael Dinger
As drenched concertgoers hustled into the venue’s main entrance along 11th Avenue to escape the downpour, there were several options to pass the time until showtime at 8:00 pm. Many participated in the free wine tasting featuring a Limited Edition Violent Femmes Cabernet Sauvignon – each of the five residency dates featured its own label artwork with band autographed bottles also available. Some patrons attended the art exhibit (“Live From the Cell Block: Will Livingston and His Silk Screen Machine”) taking place on the second level, a remarkable body of work featuring vintage-style concert posters Livingston created during his forty years in prison. While other fans who came for dinner and a show were seen seated at tables on either side of the standing floor orchestra section, or in the balcony section with a bird’s-eye view of the ‘action’ to unfold shortly.
City Winery Stage Backdrop | Photo by Michael DingerLimited Edition Wine Bottles | Photo by Michael Dinger
Preceded by Amy Ray (Indigo Girls) and Jeff Fielder who opened the October 9 and 10 shows, Alsarah and the Nubatones provided support for Violent Femmes on the October 11, 13 and 14 dates. Although their musical genre could not be any different from the post-punk headliner to follow, the East-African retro-pop group formed in Brooklyn in 2011 nonetheless quickly won the over the crowd. Performing on a stage bathed in soft violet and fuchsia light for more than 30 minutes, the five-piece ensemble enchanted the City Winery audience with Alsarah’s beautiful voice and soulful presence, accompanied by backing vocals from her sister Nahid. The dynamic fusion of sound was equally rounded out with pulsating basslines courtesy of Mawuena Kodjovi and warm timbre, low texture rhythms from Brandon Terzic playing an oud (an 11-string instrument similar to the lute).
Alsarah | Photo by Michael Dinger
During the stage turnover following Alsarah and the Nubatones’ set, I chatted with a lovely couple from Denmark who revealed to me that their entire vacation itinerary was planned around this specific concert, ever since it was originally announced in the early summer. With the cozy venue now quickly filling up in anticipation of Violent Femmes taking the stage, I surveyed the crowd surrounding me and noticed the age diversity of the attendees – many of whom were twentysomething – a testament to the everlasting legacy of the Femmes, and a point to which frontman and guitarist Gordon Gano would speak to in the closing moments of the night.
After a brief introduction of the band by City Winery’s emcee, Gano and his two bandmates – founding member Brian Ritchie (bass guitar) and John Sparrow (their drummer since 2016 who plays on a Weber charcoal kettle grill!) – appeared from stage left to loud applause from the nearly 400 fans in attendance. The trio was joined by longtime touring partner and multi-instrumentalist (including a 6-foot contrabass saxophone) Blaise Garza.
Gordon Gano | Photo by Michael DingerBrian Ritchie | Photo by Michael DingerJohn Sparrow | Photo by Michael DingerBlaise Garza | Photo by Michael Dinger
Over their nearly four decades together as a band, Violent Femmes have released ten studio albums, with their last being 2019’s Hotel Last Resort and for which they toured extensively. On this night of their residency stay, fans of the Femmes were indulged to a 21-song setlist, lasting for more than 90 minutes, that spanned their nearly four decade career. The most recent material played from their discography – which otherwise focused on the first twenty years of their career – was “Memory,” taken from their ninth studio album (We Can Do Anything, 2016).
However, if you came to this show hoping to witness live offerings from their stellar 1983 self-titled debut album, as I did, you were not disappointed. All the Femmes’ classics that made up their distinctive, early career sound were played, including “Good Feeling,” “Gone Daddy Gone,” “Blister in the Sun,” “Kiss Off” and “Add It Up.” Gano’s unmistakable, nasal-style voice, accompanied by Ritchie’s thumping bass lines (whether using his signature Ernie Ball acoustic or his MusicMan StingRay electric), was solidified with a solid percussion backbone provided by Sparrow (albeit via a minimalist approach using steel brushes on a non-traditional setup of drums). All of which afforded a superior listening experience in the state-of-the-art venue with custom-designed audio acoustics.
Brian Ritchie | Photo by Michael Dinger
In their new “home away from home,” the Femmes displayed an easy-going chemistry coupled with undeniable showmanship. The band were in top form, and so too were the audience, as many sang the chorus to any catchy lyrical pop nugget they recognized, while others chose to abandon their coveted dining table for any nearby space to dance in. The ‘stole-the-show” moment came when banjo ace and New York (Syracuse) native Tony Trischka made a special guest appearance on “Country Death Song” and “It’s Gonna Rain” – both from the Femmes’ sophomore studio album (Hallowed Ground, 1984) – the former of which Trischka performed the recorded version at the Secret Sound Studio at nearby West 24th Street.
Tony Trischka | Photo by Michael Dinger
The Violent Femmes’ tour culminates at The Eastern in Atlanta, Georgia on October 28. Tickets for remaining shows on the fall run are available here.
Violent Femmes | Photo by Michael Dinger
Violent Femmes Setlist: Prove My Love > Promise > Memory > Confessions > I’m Nothing > Life Is an Adventure > Country Death Song > It’s Gonna Rain > Breakin’ Up > Nightmares > Jesus Walking on the Water > Good Feeling > Dance, Motherfucker, Dance! > Gimme the Car > I Held Her In My Arms > Color Me Once > Gone Daddy Gone > Blister in the Sun > Kiss Off > Encore: In the Dark > Add It Up
It’s not every day you get the opportunity to be a part of Europe’s largest club festival, but over September 22-25, I traveled to Hamburg, Germany and experienced all that Reeperbahn Festival had to offer. Northern Europe’s version of South by Southwest, Reeperbahn has been going strong for 17 years, highlighting a wide variety of artists from across the European continent, and from around the world. Each year, the festival partners with another country, bringing artists from all over and press from the partner country, to see all that Hamburg has to offer.
Partnering with America in the post-pandemic era meant that the ability to travel overseas had more ease and certainty of flight status than anytime in the past three years. Hamburg reached out to NYS Music for coverage of the festival, and it was an opportunity impossible to pass up.
With 24 combined hours of travel planned, and only 60 hours to spend in Hamburg seeing indie and punk bands in small club settings, the stage for the weekend was quickly set. Add in learning a bit about Hamburg and the role the city plays not just geographically, but also in music history, plus seeing performances at truly marvelous once-in-a-lifetime venues, and this whirlwind trip to a gem of a port on the North Sea made for the perfect return trip to Europe.
Roller Disco
Reeperbahn is the area of Hamburg prime for entertainment and nightlife, with musicals, music venues, restaurants and a red light district that, all combined, offer a little something for everyone. ‘Ropewalk’ in English, the Reeperbahn was where rope was made, being just near the Elbe River that brings you well into the European continent or out to the North Sea, The British Isles and Scandinavia. This makes Hamburg “Das Tor zur Welt” – the Gateway to the World.
The Festival Village has its main grounds in the St. Pauli quarter of Hamburg, with a few stages, a Flatstock poster exhibit, roller skating disco, educational displays including water reclamation efforts and a few pop up band performances. Slightly underwhelming as it was – and intentionally so – the Festival Village is not a single-location music festival, but rather spread out across the Reeperbahn area at dozens of clubs and theaters, as well as outdoor stages in the median of the Reeperbahn. Flanked by the ‘dancing towers’ and the neon lights of the red light district, the nightlife was as vibrant as you’d find in Amsterdam. While not a city-wide festival, Reeperbahn gave a taste of what Hamburg has to offer, and left me wanting to return to see more of the city outside the entertainment center.
For comparison sake, take a psychedelic remix of St. Mark’s Place – multiple blocks worth – and with a paid wristband, you get to hop from club to club, seeing bands from across the country, all with the goal of finding their footing and making it to the next level.
This kind of festival of course does happen in America, with SXSW the inspiration, as co-founder and managing director Alexander Schulz shared during a dinner at Restaurant Nil with press from America, England, Denmark and Germany on Thursday evening. For an hour, Schulz entertained questions that got to the heart of why Reeperbahn is not just a notable festival for Europe, but a destination event that draws an international crowd.
Co-founder and managing director of Reeperbahn Festival, Alexander Schulz, breaks bread with journalists at Restaurant NIL.
Schulz sees Reeperbahn as a way to combine a consumer program with a professional program, with both audiences meeting in the evening. Add in the Reeperbahn ANCHOR awards show on Saturday, showcasing six international finalists, and a strong relationship with the city of Hamburg, and a recipe for success is served up each September.
Navigating the pandemic by partnering in 2020 with Denmark (from which fans could drive) and in 2021 with South Korea (although the festival was mostly virtual), the first year fully back in person brought in the USA and the hope of rekindling the flame that was dimmed for a year or so.
Dr. Carsten Brosda, Minister of Culture and Media for the city of Hamburg, proudly noted that the festival is much bigger than music, and with full capacity allowed and no restrictions, it didn’t take much to get the local and regional governments behind the Reeperbahn Festival. “Whenever something is possible, we do it,” said Brosda. With hundreds working the festival plus more pre and post, the feeling of doing things together has returned, as the culture, concerts and inspiration they provided were not something the city wanted to lose. In 2020, it was the first time seeing artists on a stage all year, following months of lockdown, and some bands didn’t want to leave the stage. Skip ahead to 2021 and a second period of lockdown made it more difficult to hold the 2021 event and was thus virtual.
While global inflation certainly impacted the 2022 event, and the German government maintained a public transportation mask mandate, Reeperbahn Festival served as the gateway to European music, and connected the rest of the world via the United States. This year’s lineup of bands was meant to appeal to the musical tastes of Americans: contemporary, classic rock, techno and electronic, plus German acts that have crossover (including Hamburg duo BOY)
Following dinner, I linked up with Justin and Sam from Aquarium Drunkard, based in Los Angeles. We headed to the Reeperbahn and to Drafthaus to see Afghan-Dutch artist Ferdous, who provided a taste of futuristic R&B, the first music of this 60 hour jaunt. Making the most of the club nature of the festival, we headed over to Molotow where four venues are contained under one roof, including an outdoor ‘Backyard’, the ‘Karatekeller’, the Club and the Skybar, the latter of which we caught the soundcheck and most of the performance of Montreal band Choses Sauvages. Watching the lead singer bust out Ric Ocasek vocals (and fit the look a bit when his sunglasses were on) gave a new wave of new wave, along with animated crowd interaction that commands a second viewing in the near future on this side of the pond.
Choses Sauvages
We headed to the Backyard for a brief taste of HighSchool, a post-punk trio from Melbourne, Australia. An 80s indie vibe resonated, along with a bassist who looked as though he had recently placed second in a Lou Reed look alike contest.
Next stop was Gruenspan – the largest stand-alone venue on the Reeperbahn with a capacity of 850 – for Vancouver-based Destroyer, one of the many recommendations provided to me by Parisian friend Benjo. When I first glanced at the lineup, not a single band was familiar, and this was not the ‘wow I am getting old if I don’t know any of these bands’ first takes. Dozens of unsigned bands and no true headliner of the festival made every band a new discovery, and thankfully some guidance helped line up acts that were well worth venturing to see. Notably, Gruenspan was the first venue that had any third party sponsorship with Rolling Stone banners around the second level, as corporate sponsorship was present at the festival, but not overwhelming as seen at large North American festivals.
Destroyer
Starting promptly at 11:30 pm with strong bass and drums, the groove was no doubt excellent and the performance quite lively, but the catch was the lead singer Dan Bejar. Destroyer itself was a unique offering, with Bejar adding the flair that made this show well worth the recommendation. Performing in the vein of a freak poet, Bejar would take a knee after his portion of the song was complete, the band behind him carrying the tune to completion. Odd for the uninitiated (myself included), the music was at times feedback and a slow grinding for the audience, but they delighted in it nonetheless. Perhaps there is a Western Canadian appeal to the European crowd, or what this westerner presumes to be European influence on a Vancouver export, yet this remained a fantastic band to catch live and an otherwise great discovery.
Friday of Reeperbahn began a little late, as jetlag and exhaustion had finally caught up with me, and the beds at Premier Inn certainly not helping by being so inviting following a long day at school, followed by 12 hours of planes, trains and automobiles, then 6 hours of club-hopping. The German saying ‘Es ist nicht der Alkohol, der den Káter verursacht, sein Aufwachen” (it’s not the alcohol that causes the hangover, its waking up) never rang truer, and one that has always stuck with me since a trip to Bavaria and Austria in 2011. While no one pursues a hangover, travel, time change and revelry were quite the combo to contend with.
Venturing out into the bustling Spielbudenplatz, I found excellent Vietnamese at Com Nieu 21. While pho would have been a good option, a noodle salad and summer rolls with a Vietnamese iced coffee worked nicely to push through the aforementioned Káter. Taking a walk just a few minutes off the main drag, I found the city to be immediately quieter and residential, with kids playing, riding scooters and enjoying the day.
I walked down towards the Elbe River for a boat cruise and tour of the port area along with bloggers from Lithuania, Brazil and England. Drinking Astra beers and eating fried fish sandwiches fresh from the Elbe that day, the boat cruise was accentuated with great music and company amid canals reminiscent of Amsterdam, with twists and turns as we navigated the port. Spectacular views of the city and the Elbphilharmonie, where we would see a live performance that evening, gave a full scope view of the city to all.
The Louisiana Star riverboat and the Elbphilharmonie
Disembarking at the Elbphilharmonie in HafenCity, and part of the Speicherstadt warehouse district (a UNESCO World Heritage site), we could see theaters for Der König Der Löwen (The Lion King) and Eiskönigin (Frozen) across the river, each of which had their own ferry for patrons. Hamburg is, after all, the third largest city in the world for musicals, with Hamilton having opened on October 6.
Located in the Kontorhaus business district with the Chilehaus, the Elbphilharmonie opened on January 11, 2017 and serves as a symbol of the city’s past, present and future. With an old warehouse serving as the foundation, when the Elbphilharmonie was constructed, supports were built into the river to ensure stability for this landmark on the Elbe River.
Mine
More than a concert venue, the building houses a Westin hotel, apartments, restaurants, conference rooms and a spa, plus the original cranes, all at a 866 Million Euro cost; while that price tag was controversial, the venue is a boon to the city and a must visit for anyone seeking acoustically perfect performance spaces. With the full concert hall having seating for 2100 created in a terraced manner so that no seat was more than 30 meters from the stage, the venue itself is decoupled from the rest of the building, ensuring that the sound is pristine with no outside interference.
Acoustics are so acute thanks to 10,000 individually shaped gypsum fiber panels, with a design for classical music in mind that ensures sound is distributed to each and every corner. What’s more, an organ was built inside the walls, and the stage location gives nearly a theater-in-the-round perspective to all in attendance.
Taking a closeup look at the stage before a performance by Mine (Mee-na), I marveled at the arrangement of the seating, the proximity to the stage, and the music that we would be experiencing shortly. Taking a seat alongside Erik, a music critic from Copenhagen, this 75 minute performance, while entirely in German, stands out as one of the most spectacular of the festival, and the calendar year.
Mine
Entering the stage were a 13-piece band, including five strings, three backup singers and Mine, the lead singer who describes her music as “German-language folk with hip hop, jazz and electronic elements” arrived on stage and began a most symphonic performance. Joined by three additional drummers for the second song, not knowing German didn’t help, as Mine spoke to the audience between songs, with laughs and applause at times in a show that got more upbeat as it progressed.
Projections on the stage from overhead were mixed with lighting, with a South Asian flair added to each song via percussion, guitar and theremin. Joined by a New York letter jacket sporting Fatoni, whom Mine dueted with on “ROMCOM” in 2017, this James Corden lookalike (and thankfully not Corden) stayed for a few tunes to freestyle rap, eliciting approval from the audience.
Then the bagpipes began, with a piper coming in from the wings to crush the one song he was there to play. Mine continued into the performance, alternating between melodic solo songs and heavier full band engagements, bringing out a pink-haired vocalist for a song that drew huge applause, and establishing herself as the perfect artist to perform tonight in this monumental venue. A total of 21 musicians performed with Mine over the course of the show, and the audience gave a standing ovation the likes of which are rarely seen at American live music performances. Mine was a highlight of the weekend in a venue that is just as incredible as photos and videos show.
Brooklyn Steel will welcome Swedish punk rockers Viagra Boys, all the way from Stockholm, for their only New York show on Tuesday, October 18. Viagra Boys are touring in support of their third studio album, Cave World, released by Year0001 in July. Written during the COVID-19 pandemic and recorded last winter at Silence Studio and RMV Studio, the album is produced by Pelle Gunnerfeldt and DJ Haydn.
Photo by Ollie Nordh
Viagra Boys, a name chosen as a pun to mans’ failed role in society, have already gained a reputation as being an unapologetically raw live act. They are led by frontman Sebastian Murphy, whose wild and energetic stage persona has led to comparisons with iconic performers Iggy Pop and Nick Cave. The sextet is rounded out by Henrik Höckert (bass), Tor Sjödén (drums), Oskar Carls (saxophone), Elias Jungqvist (keyboards) and Linus Hillborg (guitar).
Cave World Album Art
Joining Viagra Boys on the bill as a co-headliner are Shame, a post-punk band from South London, England. Formed in 2014, Shame are the quintet of Charlie Steen (vocals), Sean Coyle-Smith (guitar), Eddie Green (guitar), Charlie Forbes (drums) and Josh Finerty (bass). Their debut album (Songs of Praise) was released in 2018, followed by Drunk Tank Pink in 2021 – both to critical acclaim via Dead Oceans, an independent record label based in Bloomington, Indiana.
The show is at 7:30 pm, with doors at 6:30 pm. Tickets are on sale here.
Viagra Boys Tour Dates
October 2, 2022 – The Observatory North Park – San Diego, CA
October 4, 2022 – Hotel Congress Plaza – Tucson, AZ
October 5, 2022 – Sister – Albuquerque, NM
October 7, 2022 – Fox Theatre – Boulder, CO
October 8, 2022 – Gothic Theatre – Englewood, CO
October 10, 2022 – Red Flag – St. Louis, MO
October 11, 2022 – Brooklyn Bowl Nashville – Nashville, TN
October 12, 2022 – Headliners Music Hall – Louisville, KY
October 14, 2022 – Woodward Theater – Cincinnati, OH
October 15, 2022 – Mr. Smalls Theatre – Millvale, PA
October 17, 2022 – White Eagle Hall – Jersey City, NJ
October 18, 2022 – Brooklyn Steel – Brooklyn, NY
October 20, 2022 – Union Craft Brewing – Baltimore, MD
October 21, 2022 – Cat’s Cradle – Carrboro, NC
October 22, 2022 – The Orange Peel – Asheville, NC
October 23, 2022 – Terminal West – Atlanta, GA
October 27, 2022 – White Oak Music Hal – Houston, TX
October 31, 2022 – Granada Theater – Dallas, TX
November 6, 2022 – Primavera Sound – São Paulo, Brazil
November 18, 2022 – Festival Corona Capital – Mexico City, Mexico
December 7, 2022 – Astra Kulturhaus – Berlin, Germany
December 8, 2022 – Substage – Karlsruhe, Germany
December 9, 2022 – Paradiso Grote Zaal – Amsterdam, Netherlands
December 10, 2022 – TivoliVredenburg – Utrecht, Netherlands
December 11, 2022 – Bataclan – Paris, France
December 14, 2022 – X-tra Hotel – Zürich, Switzerland
December 15, 2022 – Fabrique – Milan, Italy
January 20, 2023 – Rock City – Nottingham, England
January 21, 2023 – Barrowland Ballroom – Glasgow, Scotland
January 23, 2023 – 3Olympia Theatre – Dublin, Ireland
January 24, 2023 – The Great Hall at Cardiff University – Cardiff, Wales
January 25, 2023 – O2 Academy Brixton – London, England
January 28, 2023 – Annexet – Stockholm, Sweden
February 19, 2023 – Paradiso – Amsterdam, Netherlands
NYC‘s Baby Got Back Talk, one of AfroPunk’s “Top 8 Punkest Bands on the Planet,” have just announced their new debut EP Existential Shred. The EP will be dropping later this Summer 2022 on Wiretap Records. They have been named one of Alternative Press’s ’17 black alternative bands leading the next generation.
Photo: Kate Hoos
Formed back in 2017, Baby Got Back Talk initially consisted of vocalist/bassist G’Ra Asim, synth op/vocalist Rhiana Hernandez, and lead guitarist/vocalist Jake Lazaroff. After years of sharing bills with local compatriots like Choked Up, Universe Ignore Her, and Gibbons (acts that were all anchored by the propulsive stick work of drummer Wes Ruiz) Baby Got Back Talk welcomed Ruiz into the fold. Now, they are an inseparable pair named one of The Utah Daily Chronicle’s top 5 Black Alternative Bands You Need to Know in 2021.
“We’re what punk looks like in the 2020s: driven by a DIY ethic, conversant with social issues–especially as they pertain to gender and race, enabled by inter-web, bankrolled by day jobs, powered by a rad likeminded community, resonant with the most venerable iterations of rock ‘n’ roll but firmly committed to injecting some new flavor into the mold.”
“On their upcoming EP Existential Shred New York pop punk band Baby Got Back Talk delve into the very nature of human existence. They tackle death, life changes, and the state of the world with excellent literary lyrics, plenty of synths, and a healthy dose of hope.”
– Punk News
Baby Got Back Talk is a D-I-why?-because-we-gotta punk party from New York City. The band teamed with producer John Naclerio (Just Surrender, The Audition) at Nada Recording Studios for their latest EP, ‘Existential Shred’ due out later this Summer 2022 on Wiretap Records.
“A catchy pop punk hook-fest that throws the middle finger to anyone claiming that being marginalized is “in” these days. “Model Minority” could become an anthem of importance for queer folks and POC in the punk scene today.”
– Tuned Up
The band has released a pair of EPs in 2017’s Take This The Wrong Way and 2018’s Up In Open Arms. Their full-length debut, 2020’s Genre Reveal Party, was mixed by Paul Leavitt (All Time Low, Senses Fail, Yellowcard).
