On the second half of today’s musical doubleheader, The Matinee ’22 v. 121 provides nine additional songs that address humanity’s frailty, arrogance, and gullibility while also reminding us how short life is.
For the first half of the twinbill, click here. All 18 songs are included on The Songs of September master playlist, which is on Spotify and SoundCloud.
Kate Bollinger – “Running” (Richmond, VA USA)
RIYL: Julia Jacklin, Molly Burch, Faye Webster
Earlier this year, Kate Bollinger released the fantastic Look at it in the Light EP. It was a record that quickly launched Bollinger up on our list of favorite new artists, and how could it not with tracks like “Look at it in the Light”, “Lady in the Darkest Hour”, and “Yards/Gardens”. At six tracks, it was a perfect introduction to the Virginian’s refreshing take on ’70s pop and jazz, but it also left us wanting more.
Luckily, Bollinger has released a new single, “Running”, which Sam Evian recorded, mixed, and produced. With the production stepped up just a notch, “Running” is a perfect continuation of all that made Bollinger’s debut EP so appealing. Starting with just Bollinger’s voice and some lightly strummed acoustic guitar, listeners are warmly welcomed. Some gentle guitar leads and layered vocals add more to the single’s vibe. It feels like the song barely becomes more than a whisper, but it slowly grows as some Omnichord and other layers are added. A gorgeous ending with some George Harrison-esque guitar parts tie everything together in a wonderful way.
Bollinger says the single is “about a failing relationship, a new time in my life, deep insecurity and anxiety, and wanting to be really known and loved by someone.” Her lyrics perfectly capture this theme:
“Play it safe
Or not at all
The way these things change
You know you’re bound to fall
Win the war
And shake the hands
I’ve grown this tall
Not knowing how to stand”
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Ron Gallo – “Entitled Man” (Nashville, USA)
RIYL: Mikal Cronin, Kyle Craft, Steve Gunn
Ron Gallo doesn’t get enough credit as one of rock’s finest musicians and guitarists. The Nashville-based artist also is one of the nicest, coolest, and talkative dudes around, and he always is looking out for friend and foe. Then again, we don’t think he has any enemies, except maybe for guys who think they are better than everyone and deserve everything. Not surprisingly, they are the target of his rollicking new single, “Entitled Man”.
Like the rock ‘n roll stars of the ’70s and ’80s, Gallo unleashes a relentless and fiery number. It rumbles at the start with an awesome bass line stringing the song along while Gallo fires off lyrical missiles in the direction of the “Entitled Man”. His words intensify as does his guitar, which includes a rapturous solo, as the song progresses. He basically punches the lowlifes in the face with his songwriting, calling them out for their pathetic behavior.
“She speaks to you with conviction and kindness
In addition to her beauty it’s plenty for you to misconstrue
You think it’s cute to cross the line
You think there’s just no way that she doesn’t want you
The entitled man
Keep your hands down your pants
Just because she walks before you
Doesn’t mean you mean anything to her now”
Keep on rocking Gallo! More tunes from Ron will be released in the coming months via Kill Rock Stars.
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Ruth Radelet – “Stranger” (Los Angeles, USA)
RIYL: Still Corners, Hope Sandoval, Chromatics
Last year, synth-rock outfit Chromatics called it quits after 20 years. While Johnny Jewel continues to make and produce music, the band’s other three members have largely been quiet. That is until last week when Ruth Radelet announced that her debut EP, The Other Side, will be released October 7th. If the first single from the record is a hint of what is to come, Radelet’s solo career should last as long as her previous band.
“Stranger” is a stunner. Mournful strings, deftly touched percussion, and a gentle guitar create the desert-like soundscape to this song about the unbreakable bonds between two people. Radelet’s voice calmly streams through the dreaminess, and she beautifully recounts what was, could be, and no longer is.
“Velvet night, it’s dark and lonely
City lights are the only thing inside
You’re the only thing that’s right
Fast cars and your driver make me feel so alive
I turn the wheel, I made this deal, don’t take the deal”
Blood Orange – “Jesus Freak Lighter” (Brooklyn, USA)
RIYL: Slowdive + Frank Ocean + Yves Tumor
Those involved in the music industry know that Dev Hynes is one of the most influential and inspiring artists around. Countless of musicians and bands have asked him to write songs for them, including Sky Ferreira, Kylie Minogue, Solange, FKA Twigs, Jessie Ware, Blondie, ASAP Rocky, Willow, Mac Miller, Blondie, and HAIM. Filmmakers also have reached out to the British-born Hynes to arrange the scores to their movies. His work as Blood Orange, however, often gets overlooked even though he’s crafted some of the most imaginative albums of the past decade-plus, including 2011’s Coastal Grooves and 2013’s Cupid Deluxe. Four years, however, have passed since the last, proper Blood Orange release, but this dry spell ends this week.
This Friday, Hynes will release the simply titled EP, Four Songs, via RCA Records. What the record will entail is still largely a mystery, but given how he’s treated other albums we do not expect each of the songs to sound like “Jesus Freak Lighter”. But if they do, we will not be complaining because the EP’s lead single is striking. Its foundation is reminiscent of Slowdive’s 2017 resurrection – richly-layered, immersive shoegaze. Hynes adds his own touches with his distant, lightly distorted vocal and a shimmering, electronic rhythm section to add to the song’s hypnotic nature. His lyrics are sparse, and they depict a man lost in another place that does not exist in this reality.
“Falling, fallingGot carried awayLiving in my headPhoto fantasySave it on my phone”
We cannot wait to hear the rest of the record and what Hynes has to offer.
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Hallan – “Money Talks” (Portsmouth, England)
RIYL: Kid Kapichi, Gang of Four, Shame
Hallan may yet to achieve the same fanfare as other English post-punk bands, but their time will come. Like their compatriots, the Portsmouth-formed collective have accepted the task of informing the masses about the problems that beset our society. Some are of our doing, but in many cases the issues are caused by those acting selfishly. This includes individuals who purport to be working in the service of God; however, in reality they are raising funds to finance their lavish mansions and luxury cars. This is told on the band’s latest single, “Money Talks”.
The majority of Hallan’s tunes are fast and furious, but Conor Clements (vocals), Joshua Tweedale (bass), Joshua Ransley (guitar), and Adam Mills (drum) ebb back on the gas pedal. Instead, they adopt a more patient yet starker tone, which provides a great setup for their message about the corruption that is sowed within US evangelical system. The use of actual, late-night infomercials adds to the song’s impact with “fathers” asking people to send their hard-earned money or other items, like firearms, to them. In return, they would be blessed with a gift from God, which might be a lower interest rate on their car or a clear path to the Pearly Gates. While we may shake our heads at these “ads”, tens of thousands of people believe in them.
This intelligent and entertaining single is out on Nice Swan Records.
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Fat Trout Trailer Park – “New Skin” (Brooklyn, USA)
RIYL: Drenge, JAWS, Bloc Party
Our introduction to Fat Trout Trailer Park happened very recently when the multinational duo shared the energetic and boisterous “Sleepy Peeps”. The song revealed that it is possible for two individuals to sound like a full-throttle, five-piece rock band. It also revealed why the folks at boutique label 22Twenty are bullish about Laurence Rushworth and Sean Raab’s potential. Their belief could pay off in significant ways very soon, as FTTP should eventually be mentioned in the same breath as Drenge, Highly Suspect, and Death from Above 1979. As proof, the pair offer “New Skin”.
FTTP’s newest single is feverish, intense, and jarring. It roars with the urgency of a band with nothing to lose and everything to gain. The guitar pummels and chimes while the percussion delivers hammering propulsion, and the two reach blistering heights in the song’s apex. Saab’s voice, likewise, is piercing, hollering with the desperation of a man trying to find clarity. An individual seeking to find answers to the depression that has him questioning his existence. “A lot of content, so little context / Never quite content, never did consent”, he repeats at different points of the track, revealing how mental illness can cause one to constantly search for answers until they find one that satisfies their frame of mind.
Look out NYC, you might have another band with star potential within your borders.
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Julie Odell – “Envelope” (New Orleans, USA)
RIYL: Nicole Atkins + The Walkman + Angel Olsen
Julie Odell struck a chord with us when shared the throwback “Cardinal Feather” in July. Odell has been active in the New Orleans scene for years, but she finally broke out on her own with her first two singles, the aforementioned “Cardinal Feather” as well as “Caterpillar”. Those two tracks alone proved the dynamic ability of Odell to create incredible music.
It’s almost impossible not to get drawn in by the energy on Odell’s latest single, “Envelope”. Some great guitar moments define the song’s opening, from the chords to the charming surfy lead that underscores it all. Add in a fantastic drumbeat and you have a track that’s as warm as it is fun sounding. It’s a perfect way for Odell to tell the joyful tale that inspired the single: a nice letter from a friend. “Envelope” is a reminder that even the simplest gestures can have a big, positive impact on all of us. For Odell, she made it a point to end the track with a proud exclamation, repeating “LOVE!” over and over as the song reaches its stunning conclusion.
Odell’s debut album, Autumn Eve, will be released September 30th on Frenchkiss Records. Pre-orders and pre-saves are available here.
Beth Orton – “Fractals” (Norwich, England)
RIYL: Destroyer, Fiona Apple, Reb Fountain
If anyone thinks music is a young person’s game, prove them wrong by sharing an image of the incomparable Beth Orton. The veteran singer-songwriter and innovator is constantly shifting and evolving. For instance, on the heartfelt “Forever Young”, Orton delved into the realm of trip-hop and downtempo. Her discography, for that matter, is laced with folktronica and art-folk, and she performed these genres before they became popular early this Century. With “Fractals”, she enters the world of indie crooners and delivers an exquisite number.
As Alabaster dePlume’s saxophone ruffles in the background alongside some terrific, jazzy rhythms, Orton simultaneously grabs the microphone and our hands and takes us on a trip down memory lane. Her words evoke images of the people we’ve loved and adored over time, and how they inspired us to achieve greatness. For Orton, specifically, the late legendary producers Andrew Weatherall and Hal Willner were her idols, and she memorializes them in this magical number.
“What in the world are we gonna do now
There’s nowhere to turn and there’s no one around
I s’pose in the end well that is what it is
You grow up alone and that’s what you get left
And nobody knows how to forgive
You thought it might all go away if you did
Now you’re every person in your dream
When anything happens it happens for real”
Orton’s new album, Weather Alive, releases September 23rd on Partisan Records. Pre-orders available here and on Bandcamp.
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Doom Flower – “Past Tense” (Chicago, USA)
RIYL: Cross Record, Horsegirl, Thom Yorke
Last year, Jess Price, Matt Lemke, and Bobby Burg released a fantastic, self-tiled debut as Doom Flower. The LP was an easy record to get immersed in. So intricately constructed with hypnotic basslines, background trumpets, and haunting synth, an understated beauty underscored the record’s powerful lyricism. Next year, Doom Flower will release their second full-length, Limestone Ritual, and with the announcement comes a new single.
“Past Tense” keeps a lot of what made Doom Flower’s debut as powerful as it was. Being a low-key affair on the surface, there are so many layers to the sound as more light shines on it. A fantastic beat played right off a vinyl record kicks things off before a guitar emerges. Price’s voice makes an instant impact, effortlessly switching between barely more than a mumble to something much bigger. As more elements are added, the song becomes a bit of a monster. As the conclusion approaches, the listener is left with some ethereal synth and that drumbeat that kicked everything off.
Doom Flower’s next album, Limestone Ritual, will be released January 6th, 2023 on Record Label. Pre-order it on Bandcamp.
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