You are currently viewing the bark list: 3/22/2020 music roundup including laura wolf, steve hartlett, perennial, and dagwood

the bark list: 3/22/2020 music roundup including laura wolf, steve hartlett, perennial, and dagwood

welcome back to The Bark List, a weekly feature rounding up a bunch of music from Connecticut songwriters and artists!  27 brand new songs from across the state!  27!  while in quarantine, CT songwriters have been very busy, weaving that existential dread into great music.  check out this week’s songs below, and as always, if you like what you hear: share it with a friend!  and if you have the means, consider buying their music.  spotify is nice and all, but unless you plan on streaming a song multiple hundred times, bandcamp is best.  you can follow us on instagram and twitter for more music during the week.

laura wolf – “love in the time of quarantine”
technically a demo, this song features many of the things that we love about Laura Wolf’s music — it’s inventive, catchy, and idiosyncratic. “love in the time of quarantine” is the first of an increasing series of demos recorded at home while this whole covid-19 thing goes on. check out the bandcamp page for the demos as the collection grows (there are two tracks up now).

bebe machete – “corona 🙁 “
another song about covid-19, Bebé Machete ‘s song was featured in an instagram video (so check it out here if you want the visuals!). even though they’ve offered a challenge for anyone to identify the time signature of the second half of the song. the song reminds of what we loved so much about Bebé Machete’s debut album from last year: a lifetime and world of genres and style combine into something unique.

john rule 3 – “shut it down”
Jason Rule’s songwriting, with its “path-less-traveled” approach, is always surprising. “Shut It Down”, the first of a set of covid-19 demos (similar to Laura Wolf’s), is one of the most explosive songs Rule has released in some time (even more than Queen Moo’s 2019 “New Hell”!). imagine if Thin Lizzy mainlined a bunch of Pile records. the final 30-seconds of this song is crucial listening for this month.

elison jackson – “jaw”
depending on your view of quantum physics, Elison Jackson may no longer be a band that resides in Connecticut. because i see time non-linearly, Elison Jackson might always be a Connecticut band. the band was meant to play a show at Three Sheets with Glambat, but due to covid-19, we get this stunning song instead. just listen to this opening line, and you’ll have to finish the song: “calling out to everyone who caught one in the jaw / the fighter inside you must be cross.”

steve hartlett – “favorite friends”
through cryptic and oblique commentary on instagram, Steve Hartlett has hinted that a new Ovlov record is in the works. and while that’s exciting news, it doesn’t matter right now: he just released a solo EP! seven songs that are scaled back, intimate, but have all the same warm melodies you might expect from Stove and Ovlov. the song here, “Favorite Friends” might be one of my favorite songs he’s ever written.

ino – “come see me”
the Bridgeport band’s song dropped early on bandcamp this past friday! analog synthesizers and gorgeous vocals make this an extraordinary trip-hop track. expect the official release in early april!

shed life – “somewhere on the water”
late in 2019, Old Saybrook’s Shed Life teased us with “Scarface”. that song would be our first real taste of Stop Yelling & Have a Good Time, the band’s first EP. it’s loud, boisterous, and melancholy. even though these party animals love to have a good time, the creeping moments of quietness and solitude work their way into their music. i hope they’re keeping the shed warm in times of social-distancing.

perennial – “tooth plus claw”
we don’t have a musical preview of this one because it was sent out as an exclusive bonus. off the heels of 2019’s tightly-wound, fiery EP, Perennial sent out an mp3 of “Tooth Plus Claw” to folks that bought something from their bandcamp page recently. billed as an early look at their upcoming LP, Perennial in the Midnight Hour, if “Tooth Plus Claw” is any indication, the new album might be the best thing they’ve ever done.

mercy choir – “time is a luxury”
Paul Belbusti is back! released as something of a surprise, the new Mercy Choir album, Corinthian is a direct and immediate response to 2019’s Upturned in Everest. where Upturned was a large-scale, detailed record with all the bells and whistles, Corinthian is stripped back of production — it’s just Belbusti and his acoustic guitar. what we love about that is that it showcases just how wonderful a songwriter Belbusti is! it’s an added bonus that the songs — all about loneliness, melancholia, and isolation — come at the perfect time (even though these songs were recorded in early 2020).

photobooth (angelica padua) – “absurdityofexistence”
Two Headed Girl’s Angie Padua has a spinoff project. while she has steadily released her own solo works (and played in the live Ice Cream Orphan band), Photobooth is an acoustic solo venture. Photobooth’s debut EP is a two-songer, and “Absurdityofexistence” is our favorite of the pair. the other track, “Con-grad-ulations” is a sadly sweet (or sweetly sad) love letter to a graduating class.

dagwood – “do it again”
officially, this double-single is the follow-up to 2018’s Right on Time. but real dagheads know that this is the successor to 2020’s Dadwood ep Day Off. “Do It Again” is one of the best songs Dagwood has ever released. it’s one of those songs where the verses are so good that they could’ve easily been the chorus for some lesser band’s songs.

matthew thomas banta – “trophy shelf”
you may know him as the owner of beloved Middletown venue MAC 650, or you may know him as the bass player for Tier: Matt Banta is back with a debut single, a new music video, and an upcoming album. the dude has been incredibly busy. if you didn’t get a chance to see his solo gig with Queen Moo in early march, now’s your chance to hear what Solo Banta sounds like! “Trophy Shelf” is the first track from the upcoming album A Bundle of Books.

arcadia – “my friend”
we wrote about this song just a few days ago, and it has not left our heads since. the song signals a dramatic change in Arcadia’s sound — instead of the heavy grunge the band is known for, “My Friend” (and other half of the single, “Old Friend”) is a piano-driven track. they’re loud, ornate, and energetic!

sindler – “lol”
Private Language just released a new EP, Teeth (featured in last week’s Bark List), but Ryan Sindler is back with new music. released under his solo moniker, Sindler, “LOL” is a downtrodden and impossibly catchy single. it caught me within the first 9 seconds. if you need more than that, you’re just not listening.

fifac – “amb 01”
fuck FiFac. after releasing the world’s first “ambient diss track”, he tries his hand at his very own ambient track. the result is a scorching 8-minute long song that would raise the (remaining) hairs on Brian Eno’s head.

cowboyaloha – “earrings”
one of Hartford’s newest bands, Cowboyaloha has already played a few gigs across the state. “Earrings” is the band’s first proper release (to our knowledge), so jump in to see what the fuss is about! the band blends americana, folk, and alt-rock into a groove-laden, earthy sound.

the frozen ocean – “not like i used to”
Dave Swanson — who records under the name The Frozen Ocean — is an experienced musician, both in front of and behind the studio boards. his newest song, “Not Like I Used To”, makes that experience the subject, reflecting on how he (and maybe we) have changed as he’s gotten older.

gvrden – “river scene”
everyone loves GVRDEN! i am a fool, and i missed the release of “River Scene” in late februrary, so i hope to make amends now. the song is the first new track since 2019’s beloved Seasons EP, and it was produced with Jason Maas of the band Defeater. so if “River Scene” is new to you, enjoy! if it’s not, and you caught it in February, then enjoy it again!

mickey blurr – “new dawn fades” joy division cover
god i love Mickey Blurr. their latest project is the Quarantine Covers sessions. in times of covid-19, Mickey is releasing a new tune a day, often taking commissions (so if you want to see a song get Blurred / Blurrized, contact them now!). the first set of five covers features songs by Husker Du, Prince, Bjork, and the Replacement. below, you can check out the cover of “New Dawn Fades” by Joy Division.

musicbydoc13 – “it’s a vibe”
Hartford’s Musicbydoc13 just released a meaty EP called What’s Up Doc? the song embedded below is my favorite track on the EP: “It’s a Vibe”. the features a guest spot by Ozzy (not Osbourne) and some sparse minimalist production . stay with the song so you can hear the way Doc twists his flow to become urgent and then back to chill.

living weary – “drowning in the music” music video
this new music video by grunge-infused Living Weary was directed by Peter Torregrosa and filmed in the woods somewhere.

reduction plan – “meridian” music video
did you hear 2019’s pitch-perfect album (AE) Maeth by Reduction Plan? if not, they’re now making it easy for you: check out the music video for “Meridian” directed by Daniel Manning (the songwriter about RP). it is very spooky, moody, and cool, just like (AE) Maeth [sunglasses emoji]

good behavior – “if i had made a move”
Tommy Laydon’s new music as Good Behavior surprised me. we’ve known he was a good songwriter, but we weren’t expecting the subtle synths and pop direction that new tracks “if i had made a move” and “i wear makeup” take. it’s a far cry from the music he released as Thomas Laydon back in 2017! but hey, take a listen for yourself, and you’ll see how well the new sounds suit his songwriting style and voice.

maxthekid – “indecisive high”
from Darien, CT, Max Johns (AKA MaXtheKiD) has made a lot of music that weaves in and out of genres. his latest track, “indecisive high”, is a guitar-centered indie jam.

glennveryclose – “fall”
if you tell us you were expecting GlennVeryClose to release an EP of ukelele indie doom songs, then i will call you a damn liar. the EP, appropriately titled Uke Songs is four-tracks long, with each track themed with a season. my favorite track of the bunch, “Fall”, is embedded below.

tom laim – “pollen”
Tom Laim is from Tolland CT, and that’s pretty much all i know about them/him/the group. i love the mystery, especially when it is backed up with a song so goddamn catchy as “Pollen”.