Today marks the release of Funnybone Records’ new compilation Room For You. It’s Funnybone Records’ third birthday, and they’re celebrating by giving back to the community and listeners. The gift? It’s a 24-track suite of tunes, some you will know, and some you won’t (because they’re debuting on this release!). The compilation is a sequel to 2019’s House Sounds, which showcased the label’s roster (along with a few friends). Room For You follows suit, reflecting many of the label’s all-stars while also highlighting some incredibly talented friends, like Lady Lamb, Mal Devisa, jodi, and Comet Pond, among others.
The proceeds from the compilation will be split between three organizations: Kamora’s Cultural Corner, The Loveland Foundation, and the National Queer and Trans Therapists of Color Network. Funnybone Records is setting a high bar for the fundraiser: $5000! They’ve already (at the time of writing this) raised $1000, so if you haven’t bought a copy of Room For You for yourself, head on over to bandcamp and treat yourself! And if you have bought a copy, then maybe you should buy a copy for your mom and dad, too.
You can also find the compilation streaming on spotify and other platforms. Below, you can see our track-by-track thoughts on Room For You!
Mild Monk – “Let It Out”
Connecticut ex-pat Mild Monk’s new song is a gorgeous introduction to the compilation. Mr. Monk always plays with out expectations, and “Let It Out” leans into his lush, melodic side. At right at the end? BAM, sneak flute attack!
Figurine – “Needing”
Originally debuted a few months ago, Figurine’s new song “Needing” is simply incredible. Stripped back, minimalist songwriting at its finest, Ashly LaRosa’s lyrics are at once narrative and impressionistic – we get a story delivered in images and feelings. The song’s gently layered production is immersive, just like the LaRosa’s voice. [Can’t wait until Figurine’s new album!]
Mal Devisa – “I Could Tell”
You know I feel about non-CT artists. But listen: Mal Devisa is an incredible songwriter and musician. She just released her new Vicious Nonbeliever earlier this year, so having a new unreleased track so soon feels like a blessing. Give it a listen and be astonished by how much Devisa can create using just her voice and a bass guitar.
Pearl Sugar – “Rollerblading”
Everybody loves Pearl Sugar. It’s true. “Rollerblading” has peeked its head on social media, and Room For You is a great home for this synth-pop wonderland. Scientists have shown that when Pearl Sugar’s music is played nearby, time dilates slightly, and things slow down – the world takes a warm sepia hue, and all your favorite memories glide before your eyes.
Luke Ellingson – “Prepared to be Bored” (feat. Daniprobably)
Okay folks, here it is: two great musicians that go great together. “Prepared to be Bored” is a collaboration between two of my favorite New Haveners, and it’s even louder and even better than you would have imagined. Listen to how those guitars erupt! Listen to the back-and-forth lyric exchanges! The beautiful harmonies! Song-monger, I’ll take all of this that you got.
Zanders – “Wholeheartedly”
In case you missed it, avant-jazz-pop-music-theater-punk trio Zanders released Concentration 64 earlier this year. It’s one of our very favorite releases of the year, and “Wholeheartedly” is a good encapsulation of why it’s just so great. Dynamic, harmonic, playful, and thoughtful. Check out our interview with Alex S. from Zanders for more insight on how (and why) their songs are unique.
Lady Lamb – “Southernly”
Anybody who kicks their tour off in Connecticut technically becomes a Connecticut citizen. I don’t make the rules – Ned Lamont does, and this controversial rule is now the law of the land. Lady Lamb, who kicked off the tour for the excellent Even in the Tremor in CT, is on this compilation! With a new song! That you haven’t until just now! “Southernly” is as lovely as music gets.
jodi – “tiny”
A never-before-heard tune from jodi! With humble synths and an acoustic guitar, “tiny” is a beautiful and pure tune. Nick Levine’s music has always been melancholic and welcoming, and this song is going to be perfect for the upcoming fall. This is jodi weather.
Namesake – “Prayer Wheel”
Every time I listen to a new Namesake song, I have astronomically high expectations. It’s not fair, I know. But here’s the thing, Peter and Crew always meet and exceed my hopes for how good their music will be. “Prayer Wheel” is no exception – a new song that is an absolute stunner. In a compilation chock full of incredible songs, “Prayer Wheel” stands as one of our favorites.
Comet Pond – “Glazer”
“Listen To Comet Pond And Try Not To Melt Challenge.” The very, very newest track from Massachusetts’ dreamy Comet Pond. Listening to “Glazer” makes me want to simply float away, out a window, and into the night sky.
Changeling – “It’s in the Air and It’s Full of Needles”
Changeling is the new project from Samuel Sandoval, Justin Holden, and Stadia (Dylan Healy). And if there’s any doubt, you’ll instantly recognize Sandoval’s acoustic guitar style. Imagine if Sandoval’s signature songwriting was gently unraveled with new sounds. We can’t wait to hear more.
Greetings – “Tide” (feat. Chad Browne-Springer and James Bird)
The star subject of recent documentary Ephemerality, Greetings has always been about collaboration. This time around, we see familiar partner-in-crime Chad Browne-Springer (who we will also see in an upcoming track) and James Birds. To listen to Greetings is to be an active participant in their warmly psychedelic music.
Niamh – “Fey”
Formerly known as Pleasuremad, Niamh (pronounced “Neave”) makes pop music that is truly wondrous. Even if they are singing about something melancholy, all of their music is infused with life and empathy. You can feel that soul and spirit in all of their songs, and the new “Fey” is no exception.
Joann Fabrix – “Carpet”
Wesleyan alumni Joann Fabrix released the wonderful-and-strange FABLE earlier this year. It’s percussive, inventive, and playful. “Carpet” appears to be an unreleased track, and it’s just as danceable as anything they’ve ever recorded.
Andres Ruiz – “En Las Calles” (feat. CD Ghost)
Buenos Aires-based Andrés Ruiz just released La Luna Me Quema last week, and you can find this stellar synthpop track on it. Released in the U.S. via Funnybone Records, it’s a retro, catchy tune that will make you want to wear some righteous aviator sunglasses and dance in the sunset.
AANI – “Ashes”
This new track from Aaron AANI Kisslinger is a snakey pop song. This circular composition will work its way into your subconscious with its shifty rhythms and repeated phrasing. The New York songwriter just released this song, so it’s still warm to the touch – be careful.
Bebé Machete – “Blueprint”
We love Bebé Machete’s ability to break down barriers in their pop music, whether that be simply the expectations of song structure, or the political ideology of colonization in America (and the world at large). This is Machete’s newest single, so if the most recent thing you’ve heard from them was their excellent A Metaphor Cannot Contain, check out what you’ve been missing!
.k – “Essence pt. 1”
Kayana Guity from Jelani Sei has been releasing some wonderfully abstract pop songs this year. “Essence pt. 1” is one of those collages, and when we first had it in our social media rotation, we got several DMs asking about it. If you love Guity’s work with Jelani Sei (and who doesn’t?), you’ll really dig this more experimental side of her songwriting.
Laura Wolf – “Good Veins”
Originally released last year, Laura Wolf is a scientist in the laboratory, cooking up experiments in sound. I can imagine Wolf in a labcoat, pouring beakers of cello into a glass, warmed by an Ableton Bunsen burner. I actually don’t know where this metaphor is going, but Laura Wolf is one of the artists that excites us most – her studio and live work are truly next-level.
Stadia – “Trellis”
The owner of Funnybone Records, Dylan Healy, also records music as Stadia! Their musical debut was earlier this year with Mood Ring, and “Trellis” is a song from that record. Their songs are marked by warm acoustics, sympathetic lyrics, and serene experimentation. You can hear all of that on “Trellis”! You can listen to our interview with Dylan Healy on the ctverses podcast!
Crag Mask – “Waver // Pacer”
“Waver // Pacer” premiered on our blog a few months ago, and to be honest with you, I still listen to it all the time, even though they don’t return my calls. The song is technically two tracks, welded together with a noisy interlude. What I love about it is that even though those halves are very different from one another, they work so well together. “Waver” is the most pop-centered song of their discography, with its rich synthesizers, and “Pacer” is a simmering slow burn.
King Bongo – “Cigarette”
The maddest lads. The psychedelic trio’s new record, World Power Love, features the song “Cigarette”, which you will definitely remember if you’ve seen them live recently. It’s impossibly catchy and cool. Well, I guess all of their songs are impossibly catchy and cool, but “Cigarette” is particularly impossibly catchy and impossibly cool.
Kelly Quigley – “Nothing Else”
Another excellent exclusive for the Room for You compilation. “Nothing Else” nestles itself in the space between dreaming and waking-up. Quigley’s guitar tone is the stuff dreams are made of, and when you hear the birds chirping at the end of the track, you’re still not sure if they are part of the dream, or the next day beginning.
Chad Browne-Springer – “Beirut”
A new song from Chad! You may have seen Chad put on one of his hallmark improvised live sets or his tightly funky Phat A$tronaut work. “Beirut” will subvert both of those expectations for a lo-fi acoustic closer. If Mild Monk’s intro track was a great, welcoming introduction, “Beirut” is the friend that hangs out with you at the end of the night while you sober up. The sun is coming up now, and you can see a few people driving to their morning work.
