New Music Friday - 6/17/2022

It’s a great New Music Friday with some artists with local DC ties. The amazing Bartees Strange has a new album out today and longtime DC band Flasher is back after a four-year hiatus. Combine that with new songs from beabadoobee and Funeral Chic. Let’s get to it.

Singles of the Week:

“10:36” by beabadoobee

I’m excited to hear new music from beabadoobee, whose debut album Fake It Flowers was one of my favorites from 2020. With layers of fuzzy guitars and staticky drum beats, there’s amazing textures to her new track. It’s not as straight-forward as her earlier music, but that’s okay. Like an onion, you can peel away at the layers to hear so many great parts of the song. For those that are curious, the song title comes from when she finished writing the song - “It’s basically about how I have this weird dependency on human contact to sleep.”

“Roman Candle” by Funeral Chic

I’m not what you’d consider a metal-head, but bands like Funeral Chic could change my mind. The new track off their upcoming release is spectacular. The track is groovy, infectious and heavy as hell. There’s a bit of Motorhead mixed with Iron Maiden. If you need something to take out your aggression to, this might work for you this weekend.

Albums of the Week:

Farm to Table by Bartees Strange

I’ve been waiting not so patiently for this one. DC’s own Bartees Strange is back with an even better album than his debut from 2020. Eclectic is the word that comes to me first when listening to the new release. The songs overall are a bit more accessible to a larger audience. Strange has a beautiful voice singing about success in dire times. The swirling “Heavy Heart” kicks things off with layer after layer of beautiful music. I’m feeling a little shoe-gazing too. Other favorites include “Mulholland Dr.” with Bartees belting, “I find it hard to get over this right now,” in between stabs of his fantastic guitar playing. Softer tracks like “Tours”, a song about both memories of his parents from his own vantage, as well as a take on the perspective of his father calling home from a military base, is beautiful. The soulful “Hennessy” closes out the album. It’s an album that explores themes as much as the genres he presents.

Love Is Yours by Flasher

The second full-length album from DC’s own Flasher is fine post-punk music that toys with pop music with a hint of disco. The now duo (bassist Daniel Spaerstein left the band in 2019) recorded the new record in DC in 2020. They drew from other artists that hadn’t played a role in their earlier work (influences like Arthur Russell, Air, and Kate Bush). They write a lot about forgiveness and moving on, after tumultuous times in between albums and tours. I love the track “Little Things” - It’s got just the right amount of Sonic Youth/Liz Phair mash-up. The harmonizing on “I’m Better” shines through the funky bass and crunching guitar. Probably my favorite track on the album.