It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. It was the week of Ovlov’s new album announcement, and it was the week of Crag Mask’s final-ever three songs. This Bark List is a little smaller than last week’s, but it is nothing but bangers. Every album, every EP, every single, and every video you see on this page is great. And we have a few Bark List rookies, like KJ, Emmye Vernet, and Sofia Nunzia! We hope that this Bark List will be your gateway into something new, something that you’ll love. 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 special picks this week are three-song final set from Crag Mask, the new debut album from Emmye Vernet, and Siul Hughes‘ surprise EP HUGHES.
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:
Black Epheria – Long Play Omega
Black Epheria is the beautiful, abstract, nature-inspired project from Adam Matlock. Long Play Omega is the final Black Epheria album (written, Matlock says, after a yearlong cycle of observing a nearby patch of forest), and Colorado’s Fableglade Records are officially releasing it as a cassette. The album feels like pushing your hands into the moss and soil and for a brief moment, feeling like you are just as much part of the woods as the trees are.
Emmye Vernet – Tides
OK, this one was a big surprise for us. Emmye Vernet wasn’t yet on our radar, as Tides is her debut album. It’s a special, warm, close collection of songs. And it’s the rare album that invites you to imagine its creation, as conversations and other outdoor forest sounds are peppered throughout the tracklist. It makes you feel like you were sitting outside a tent as the song is being recorded, that you are an active audience as it is being made. You hear all the time that “music is a great friend”, but Tides lets you actually feel that friendship being formed in real time.
Fast River – Fox Trot at the Rock and Roll Show
Fast River has teased that new music will be coming very soon, and in the meantime their May release, Fox Trot at the Rock and Roll Show, is now on all streaming platforms. If you’re not quite ready for the fall to hit, this is a great way to keep a spring in your step. The band features Canyon, who you’ve probably seen playing solo in recent years too! https://www.instagram.com/canyoninabox/
New Haven Improvisers Collective – GoBruCcio
This new full-length album from the New Haven Improvisers Collective is a trio: Bob Gorry (guitar), Pete Brunelli (bass), and Peter Riccio (drums). You’re in good hands here, as these three been in constant orbit of New Haven music projects, and their history together makes GoBruCcio go down easy. Well, maybe “easy” isn’t the word, for an album that feels like a stained-glass window being pushed over onto wet asphalt. (And I mean that in a good way!) Recorded at Firehouse 12!
Siul Hughes – HUGHES
Love it when people play their cards close to their chests. The thing about Siul Hughes is that his music is an open book – the man will tell you what’s on his mind. It’s what makes his music great, and it makes him an interesting interview (you listened to our podcast, right?). And yet, when we interviewed Hughes, he didn’t hint that he had an EP coming out so soon. HUGHES is a cool, welcome change of pace from HUEMAN, one of our favorite albums of last year. The passing of time and a new set of collaborators make HUGHES an early favorite of 2021.
The Refectory – Noise Machine Repeater
I’m supposed to talk about music in this little blurb, but I want to share a quick anecdote. I think The Refectory and (fellow CT band) Standby are peas in a pod, and here’s why: you ask anybody in Connecticut about either band, and they’ll only have great things to say about the band and its music. Even if you ask Katie who only likes synthwave pop, she likes The Refectory and she likes Standby. So, if you don’t normally listen to mathy music or hardcore-adjacent bands, give Noise Machine Repeater a shot. It’s the perfect balance of melodic blasts of noise and proggy riffs.
Singles:
KJ – “Let Me Shine”
This artist might be new to us, but I’m already looking forward to the next KJ (Kristopher Jackson) song. New Haven-based, KJ has a knack of bringing you close with his music. Listen to “Let Me Shine” and you’ll hear what I mean, as the gentle acoustic guitar plays, you feel a sudden urge to listen intently. This song feels like shining a strong flashlight up at low-hanging clouds in the middle of the night.
Ovlov – “Land of Steve-O”
That’s right! Ovlov has a new song – their first official nu-nu since 2018’s TRU. “Land of Steve-O” comes with the announcement of a new album / vinyl package via the always-excellent Exploding in Sound Records. The early promo materials promise collaborations with Erin McGrath, Jordyn Blakely (of Smile Machine), and “Ted Hartlett shreds the alto sax solo on Track 6”. I remember some time last year, Steve Hartlett mentioned in an IG story that he was working on new Ovlov music and he thought it was some of the best music he’d ever written. That stuck with me, and now that we’ve got a taste of it with “Land of Steve-O”… the man was right.
River Hooks + Haunted Continents – “Can’t Stay Sober”
What an unexpected delight! We wouldn’t have thought that River Hooks (singer/producer from NYC) and Haunted Continents (James Downes) would have worked THIS. DAMN. GOOD. Part folk, part pop, and washed with a beautifully abstract layer of production. What does the song feel like? Tomorrow morning, pick up a dry leaf and drag its brittle edges across your cheek.
Sofia Nunzia – “Do or Die”
Up-and-coming songwriter Sofia Nunzia wrote and recorded “Do or Die” in Nashville, and it has a little of that signature Nashville twang to it. The song is a gentle, warm, smooth ballad, as serene as the steam from a coffee/tea rising to meet your face.
Taryn Balchunas – “Deja Vu – East Coast”
We don’t always feature covers on the Bark List, but how could we resist this? We haven’t listened to Olivia Rodrigo (she’s not from CT), but Taryn Balchunas has covered her song “Deja Vu” but changed the lyrics to be more specific to the East Coast. Very fun! We’re 100% in favor of re-recording hit songs and making then CT-relevant, like the Eagles’ “Hotel Connecticut” or Lorde’s “Stoned at the Luxury Nails & Spa Right Off Of Ella T Grasso Blvd”.
T!LT – “Promiseland”
Y’all T!LT has been busy in 2021, playing more shows since this summer than most bands do in a whole year. Their new “Promiseland” is a slick, pop-and-hip-hop influenced tracks that will get lodged squarely between your ears. The song feels like being a little buzzed and confused at a house show basement that’s lined with neon glow lights. Wait, did T!LT also announce an album? Maybe I dreamt that up. Give us a whole damn album, T!LT, the country needs it!
Music Videos:
Ashley Aisyah – “All of Our Futures”
Right now, Ashley Aisyah (Hamel) certainly holds the record for CT-artist-that-is-technically-furthest-away-from-CT. People give us guff for covering the occasional CT artist that has moved to Brooklyn or SUNY New Paltz. But we’ll be covering Ashley Aisyah’s music because (1) you can’t tell me what to do, and (2) are you serious, how could we not cover music as good as this? “All of Our Futures” is a live recording of a new original song, and if you’ve already watched that six times, also check out her cover of Birdy’s “Unbro”.
Crag Mask – “Three Last Songs”
Ask not for whom the bell tolls. It tolls for Crag Ass. 🙁 Earlier in 2021, the band recorded three brand spanking new songs at the State House (<3) in New Haven. Those three will count as the band’s final triplet, as they’ve now become Mesmer along with their new change in sound (which you can hear shades of in this video). Recorded by Kicker Pictures and Pat Dalton.
Sargasso – “d-0 (interlude)”
In case you haven’t checked it out yet, Sargasso have been previewing spots of their upcoming album X on their instagram account. Ten songs, ten short videos, made by ten different directors!
The Brazen Youth – “Cloud Parade”
Much like they did for “Hometown”, the Brazen Youth have released a live recording of their recent single “Cloud Parade” from Ashlawn!
T!LT – “Promiseland”
Shot by Joey Genovese – this awesome long-take drone shot follows the T!LT lads as they go swimming in their jeans.
