We hope you had a great Thanksiving! We took that week off to eat a lot of carbs and listen to Connecticut music, and this week, we’re all out of carbs, baby. But in these two weeks, our favorite state musicians were busy releasing music. CT music can’t stop, won’t stop. This round-up also does not include several great releases that have come out this past Thursday or today (Friday), including LIT.MAJOR’s new album, Nonfiction, and a few great singles from folks we’ve never covered before. (You’ll see those releases in next week’s Bark List). It’s also Bandcamp Friday, and while we always post that Bandcamp disclaimer at the bottom of our round-ups, today is an especially good day to buy music from Bandcamp because the artists get the biggest cut possible until midnight tonight! Many of these bands are also playing live shows now (check out our event calendar for Only Good Gigs [tm]), so if you go, make sure you take a mask and don’t be a weirdo.
Our three special picks this week are the new album from Dr. Martino (No Outlet), Ovlov’s banger of a third album (Buds), and the DJ Mo Niklz mixtape with Armand Hammer, They Who Control the Weather.
Check out this Bark List’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. I know that tracking down songs on Bandcamp can be a pain in the ass, so if you discover new music on Spotify, consider throwing your playlists into this tool to quickly track down the Bandcamp page of these artists: https://hypem.com/merch-table/ .
You can follow us on instagram and twitter for more music during the week.
Albums + EPS:
Decent News – Televisual
It’s been unusually quiet from the Decent News crew for a few months now! Part metal, part industrial, full Lil Stinkers. Televisual is their first release since July 2020’s split with Chrome Corpse, and here, we have a mix of originals and covers. Their cover of Frankie Valli’s “Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You”, for example, is just silly and unexpected enough to take seriously. You can only find it on bandcamp at the moment, so be sure to check there first.
DJ Mo Niklz + Armand Hammer – They Who Control The Weather
Everybody knows Mo Niklz; half of Connecticut knows him for his outrageously good DJ sets, and the other half knows him for his outrageously good pickles. They Who Control The Weather is a curated mix of songs in collaboration with (perhaps our favorite hip hop group working outside of CT) Armand Hammer. You can grab this on digital, of course, but you gotta cop the cassette. (There’s currently no pickle + cassette bundles, but keep your eyes on that space just in case.)
Dr. Martino – No Outlet
CT power pop enthusiasts Dr. Martino release their… wait, seriously, is this Dr. Martino’s debut album? The beloved band have such a strong presence in the CT scene that it’s hard to believe that No Outlet is the band’s first proper album, after a run of truly lovely EPs (we’re big suckers for Caving In). No Outlet tops anything else the band has released so far, with songs mixing giant melodies, great riffs, and equal parts humor and punchy observations. Just try the first track, the incredible “Flights” – maybe our favorite song of theirs ever.
Generation Dead – The American Dream
Be careful when you’re looking for Generation Dead out there – there’s a New Zealand band of impostors, and because that country is about as far away from CT as possible, we can’t endorse them. But we CAN endorse the new punk band from Shelton CT. Their debut album is The American Dream, a fierce, loud, and fiercely loud broadcast in the face of American malaise.
LEKAYMI – LEKAYMI
We love Michael Slyne and the Family Stoned because they always leave us guessing. Their music is vivid, but leaves room for interpretation, not just in the lyrics, but in the cracks between the sounds. The newest missive from that wonderful corner of the CT music scene is LEKAYMI, an experimental album released with the simple message: “Michael/Aly got weird. Recorded in Fall 2021. New London Connecticut.” Make of the album what you will, as it slips in and out of surreal, exaggerated waves (and loops) of noise.
Harrison Lipton – Strawberryys
Harrison Lipton may have just moved to the West Coast, but we have to spotlight this set of excellent songs in Strawberryys. Gradually released as a string of sublime pop singles, Lipton’s songwriting craft is top-notch in these ultra-catchy indie tunes. Melancholia has never felt better.
Ovlov – Buds
No doubt, one of our favorite albums of the year. Ovlov’s third album is perhaps their most streamlined. The band has joked that this is their poppiest album, but don’t let that fool you – everything you love about Ovlov, from the deep-reference easter egg lyrics to the wall-of-distortion to their subdued anthem choruses, is still here. I never thought I’d type this sentence, but here we go: “I think my favorite song on the Ovlov record is that one about Spirited Away where their dad plays a saxophone solo.”
Rick Fallon – Songs and Music By
Quietly in July, Rick Fallon released the unofficial cut of Songs and Music by Rick Fallon on bandcamp. And now the full official release is here, in all of its throwback glory. If you told me this was a long-lost greatest hits compilation from the 1960s, I’d almost believe you. Straight-forward, direct indie rock that immediately accessing your heart with its retro vibes.
The Acoustic Suburbanites – Watercolors
The Acoustic Suburbanites, featuring Paul Neri on guitar and Dean Roumanis on double bass, originally wrote the instrumental Watercolors in 2003, but we’re celebrating its digital release! Recorded in Ivoryton and Westport, CT, the album is a relaxing, creative, and imaginative stroll through two musicians resonating vibrantly with one another.
Tyako Lyrik – Soul @ Ease
We missed Tyako Lyrik’s debut EP when it dropped in the early days of November. But we’re hoping you won’t be like us – check it out, and get wrapped up in its slick production, warm vocals, and gorgeous melodic lines. One of Norwalk’s finest!
Tyler Suarez X Michael Alderman – Sunday Soundscapes Vol. 1 & 2
Look, I know it’s hard to recommend a double-album right now; there’s a lot of great music to listen to, so a sprawling album of 52 songs might be intimidating. But trust me on this: Tyler Suarez and Michael Alderman’s new record is a lush, beautiful, mellow work of art. Abstract, but expressionistic in just the right ways, Sunday Soundscapes is perfect if you’re looking for a quick dose of serotonin or a long trip into late-night-noises.
Singles:
amaii – “Sudyumna”
We don’t know much about this artist other than that they’re (we think) from Middletown? Anyways, this song rules, as it combines chopped and processed cuts into a melancholy, lofi pop groove. It sounds like the internet, but in a good way!
Blackchai – “Sonny Chiba ft. 98Preem”
The newest track from one of CT’s proudest exports. He may be in Philly now, but this track feels like CT.
Brian Ember – “Peace on Earth / Little Drummer Boy”
When Brian Ember tells you that he’s releasing a Christmas song, you should be skeptical. Not because we think that he’s out to trick you (he’s on the Nice list, obvs), but because he’s always got a few surprises up his sleeve. And in his festive Christmas sweater sleeves this year, his cover of “Peace on Earth / Little Drummer Boy” as made famous of Bing Crosby and David Bowie features him doing both parts of the duet. And also? A very lovely trumpet solo.
BRIYO – “Interlude: Honey Loop 2” + “PLAYTIME プレイタイム”
A new duo of songs from Bridgeport’s BRIYO, combining a wealth of influences, ranging from obscure Japanese electronica to hometown CT hip hop production.
Cardinal Light – “Pudding”
Oh wow! We’ve been eagerly awaiting new Cardinal Light music after their three-song Grim Reality from 2019. “Pudding” may be familiar to you if you caught Grim Reality, but here, it is re-recorded and punched up. Weird, loud, and dark, just like we want it.
Carter Lee – “Might as Well”
Prolific songwriter and producer Carter Lee dropped his stunning The Goldenboy album earlier this year, packed to the roof with great beats and laid-back rhythms. His first track since then, “Might as Well”, carries on that trademark style, floating somewhere between nostalgic bliss and the stinging anxiety of the present.
Fast River – “Companion”
The newest preview from Fast River’s upcoming album, Revelry, following “I Don’t Know Anything” and “Why You’re Still Single”. What a busy year for the band, who also released Fox Trot at the Rock and Roll Show earlier this year as well.
Flight of Silence – “Again / Again”
Hartford’s Flight of Silence (led by Brian Eldridge, who has also played with Justin Chan & the Vices) has released a trickle of singles in the past year. “Supernatural / Superstitious”, for example, was one of our favorite songs that year. Now they’ve announced a full-length album that’ll be a home for these singles: Solstice. It drops on December 21, but you can check out these new songs – like “Again / Again” – right now!
Green Light – “Seen”
We love Green Light! The band JUST released Future Self in October, an album we are still spinning on the regular, and they’ve (Bill Cox + Courtney Seely) got a new track ready for you: “Seen”. This one feels a little more stripped back, but just as sweetly melodic and downcast as we want from them! The band aren’t afraid to take chances, and that’s one of the things that make each of their new songs a “must-listen”.
Number One Babe – “Carry It (In Your Hands)”
Hmmm, this is the second Number One Babe release with this artwork, which leads us to believe that maybe a new album or EP will be out soon? C’mon, N.O.B. – throw us NOB-heads a bone, lol. “Carry It (In Your Hands)” is a little looser and more psychedelic than some of Number One Babe’s previous tunes, and it’s the perfect feeling for the first week of December in New England.
Sam Nazz – “Amethyst”
Incredibly busy, Sam Nazz hasn’t released an ~official~ solo tune since 2020’s Stuck In My Room, but they’ve been playing with Cheem, Bowling Shoes, and 5ever since then. But somehow they found the time to write and record “Amethyst” (which follows in the color and/or mineral naming conventions of previous songs except for “Kestral”, what’s up with that?) for the upcoming ALL BALL split with Blanket Fort, Buggin, and Stand & Wave, which by the time you are reading this, is already out!
Try to Understand – “The Tyranny of Choice”
Poet-turned-songwriter Dan Creem’s new song “Tyranny of Choice”, a song about the confines of modern society, where the prospect of choosing can feel just as suffocating as having no choice at all. Fabian Golzales features on lead guitar, with all other instruments / vocals provided by Dan.
Was and When – “Crawling Back”
OK look, if this week doesn’t have a Josie’s Ring release of some sort, then you can count on a Was and When release. Mike Held likes to stay busy between his projects, and as a fan of both, we are all for it.
Music Videos:
Alternate Routes – Live Session (All My Love and Stronger)
The great folks at Kicker Pictures recorded this lovely, intimate live session with Bridgeport’s Alternate Routes. It’s been a minute since the band has release a new album, so this will help tame your hunger for new music. We especially love the little “VH1 Storytellers” vibe, as they describe where these two songs creatively came from.
Ashley Aisyah – “Bimbang (Melly Goeslaw)” ft. restha wirananda
Ashley may not be within Connecticut state lines, but that hasn’t stopped us from shouting-out here new music as she lives in Indonesia now.
Indigaux – “Digital Soup x 3RDwavve”
Indigaux brought their experimental cyber-punk faerie show to Boston, and they’ve got video to prove it. If you’ve slept on their live shows, let this be your warning: you don’t want miss the next one.
MightyMoonChew – “Mojo Jojo”
Yeah, this track was one of our favorites of 2020 – a late contestant because their wild, psychedelic 900 Grand came out at the very end of the year. The new video for “Mojo Jojo” – directed by the band itself, Mooncha, Mark da Mighty, and Chris Chew – features them jamming on a tennis / basketball court with fireworks in the background.
