It’s time for the second part of our Greenpointers Northside Showcase preview. We will be co-presenting with Shorewave Records. Yesterday, I highlighted David Pollack, Such Hounds, Honey Wild, and Half Moon. Those were just four of the eight bands that will be playing Muchmore’s (2 Havemeyer) tomorrow (6/14) starting at 1 PM, doors at noon. Oh, and did I mention it was free? Let’s get to know What Model Citizens, Haybaby, Cosmonaut, and The Meaning of Life a little better. By the way, if you are looking for other Northside shows of interest, check out this preview.
This is going to be an exciting afternoon, let me tell you. The lineup is diverse and fun. I hope at this point you believe in the Greenpointers music team seal of approval, but if you don’t, here’s a chance to get to know the bands better. We hope to see you Saturday. You can RSVP on Facebook here.
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What Model Citizens is the brainchild of Alex Musto and sits comfortably at the intersection of synth rock and dark electronic music. It’s edgy and nervy but will probably also make you dance. You can check out the song “Too Late” from album Ohn E Amas or the video for “Coming For Me,” which has a delightful dystopian vibe. According to Alex, a video for “Too Late” is coming soon. He says, “With out giving away any of the surprise I’ll just say giant robots and leave it at that!” Plus they have more dates lined up around the city this summer, check out the bandcamp page for more details.
GP: If you had to describe your sound as “If X had a baby with Y and the first record the child heard was Z,” what artists/genres would you plug in as X, Y, and Z?
Alex Musto: Though it’s been a while since algebra, I suppose my X, Y, and Z for your equation there would have to be Gang of Four, The Faint, and Sound Kapital by The Handsome Furs.
GP: What is one of your favorite summer jams and why?
AM: Not sure what’s leading the summer jams yet for 2014 but I’ve recently had St. Vincent and Darkside’s Psychic on repeat. St. Vincent’s new album is equal parts catchy, exuberant, and profoundly strange. Psychic on the other hand is complex and terrifying. There’s a certain horror to it that I can’t shake and that fascinates me.
GP: Is there anyone else you are looking forward to seeing at Northside?
AM: I’m always excited to play with Haybaby who are on this bill with us. It’ll be fun to check in with some other friends too, Happy Lives, Alien Trilogy, and Napoleon later on Saturday at Muchmore’s. I had originally been planning to catch Thee Oh Sees at Mccaren park but now that we’re in direct competition with them I’ll just encourage everyone to swing over to our show instead. Come check out some good local music! Thee Oh Sees go on hiatus and come back like several times a year, right? They’ll be back… probably.
GP: What is something you love about Greenpoint or the Northside?
AM: To be honest I haven’t spent much time up in Greenpoint. I went to a good Sushi place there once the name of which for the life of me I couldn’t remember. It’s certainly nice and quiet. Quieter, it seems, then where I live.
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Haybaby is a Brooklyn trio with a fuzzy garage rock base leavened with a little sweetness of melodic hooks and the indie rock touches in the vocals. It’s a mix that will surely be a powerhouse live. The band has video from performing “My Mother Tells Me” at 285 Kent that you all should check out. You can also hear their most recent EP Superpresent here. According to bassist Sam Yield, Haybaby is working on new material this summer for an EP release this fall ideally. He also answered my other questions.
GP: If you had to describe your sound as “If X had a baby with Y and the first record the child heard was Z,” what artists/genres would you plug in as X, Y, and Z?
Sam Yield: Pixies//Slint//Fever to Tell -Yeah Yeah Yeahs or Razorblade Suitcase -Bush
GP: What is one of your favorite summer jams and why?
SY: “The Wild Kindness” by the Silver Jews. I think the Steve Malkmus solo in that song is perfect: supremely unpretentious, and still heartbreaking.
GP: Is there anyone else you are looking forward to seeing at Northside?
SY: Duh, all our buds. To pick three at random (we love all our friend bands equally!!), Water, Sunflower Bean, and Baked always kill it.
GP: What is something you love about Greenpoint or the Northside?
SY: It’s nice to get away from the craziness of Williamsburg & Bushwick without having to go too far.
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I’m not sure “cosmonaut” is exclusively used to describe Russian astronauts or if it can describe any space-borne person, but that’s what I tend to think of hearing that word. Now, though, I’ll think about a Brooklyn band. Cosmonaut has a little bit of spaciness, more in the sense of dynamics and energy. You feel ready to take off listening to song like “Radio Silence.” The song is from a very recent 7″ you can check out or buy here. The video was directed by Greenpointer Cary Kehayan, by the way. Daniel Quinn answered my queries on behalf of the band.
GP: If you had to describe your sound as “If X had a baby with Y and the first record the child heard was Z,” what artists/genres would you plug in as X, Y, and Z?
Daniel Quinn: If Bruce Wayne and Patti Smith had a baby and the first record that child heard was “Marquee Moon” by Television.
GP: What is one of your favorite summer jams and why?
DQ: “Black Roses” by Charli XCX is a jam I associate closely with summer. The whole record kinda just feels like it should be listened to while you’re sweating and pretty drunk.
GP: Is there anyone else you are looking forward to seeing at Northside?
DQ: So many awesome bands are playing but I am particularly jazzed about The War on Drugs. I saw them in March and had my face melted. The new record is really blowing me away.Â
GP: What is something you love about Greenpoint or the Northside?
DQ: Man, what’s not to love? I’ve been here for years and I have zero desire to move. Our practice space is also here in a pretty desolate area. I love that there is so much going on in the neighborhood and some parts are really scenic but I love that there’s also a weird industrial side to it. It’s a great area to make music in. You can kind of just get lost and disconnect for the outside world.
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Last but certainly not least we have The Meaning of Life. This is another trio and like many of the other bands on the bill, they have some damn catchy songs. It’s a band that knows how to blend the dreamy, the sexy, the cool, and the rock and roll to great effect. Their latest song “She Never Screams,” a single from a forthcoming release, will shimmer into your heart. Oh, and they’ve made cool videos and cool mixtapes. If for some reason you miss them at our Showcase, they play another Saturday night at Matchless. Also, they have two performances set for 6/21: one at Fort Useless for Make Music NY and another at Slackgaze Festival’s “outdoor fundraiser extravaganza.”
GP: If you had to describe your sound as “If X had a baby with Y and the first record the child heard was Z,” what artists/genres would you plug in as X, Y, and Z?
The Meaning of Life: The Meaning of Life is if Christine McVie had a baby with Jesus and the Mary Chain and created moon pop rock Sade watching an episode of “House”?
GP: What is one of your favorite summer jams and why?
TMOL: Best Summer Jam that carried over from late Spring raspberry jam is Prince’s “Breakfast Can Wait”. It’s a helluva a sexy drug.
GP: Is there anyone else you are looking forward to seeing at Northside?
TMOL: Northside is great to hear bands you’ve never heard on accident. Cosmonaut, Haybaby’s new line-up, David Pollack are a few on this line-up.
GP: What is something you love about Greenpoint or the Northside?
TMOL: Greenpoint contains many of my close friends, good beers and a scenic view of the East River walkable in the summer or winter. It’s very nutritious in that way.
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It’s going to be a great show. Hope to see you tomorrow!