Static Ivory is an emerging and somewhat mysterious Dallas-based grunge/shoegaze duo, who released their debut single “Comedown” earlier this year. Clocking in at a little over two minutes, their sophomore single “Open-eyed” is an explosive and punishing, Nothing-like take on shoegaze featuring a glitchy introduction, thunderous drumming, fuzzy and distorted power chords, and a dreamy painterly bridge paired with mosh pit friendly hooks. Play loud, trip out and open up that fucking pit, y’all!
Tag: grunge
Throwback: Happy 78th Birthday, Neil Young!
JOVM’s William Ruben Helms celebrates Neil Young’s 78th birthday
Throwback: Happy 56th Birthday, Layne Staley!
JOVM’s William Ruben Helms celebrates the 56th anniversary of former Alice in Chains frontman Layne Staley’s birth.
Throwback: Happy Belated 59th Birthday, Chris Cornell!
JOVM’s William Ruben Helms belatedly celebrates Chris Cornell’s 59th birthday.
New Audio: Dallas’ Drowning in Goldfish Share a Grunge-Like Ripper
Emerging Dallas-based grunge/punk outfit Drowning in Goldfish independently released their full-length debut, Gotta Blast last October. Released earlier this year, the follow-up to their full-length debut, “Velvet” is a Bush-meets-A Place to Bury Strangers-like ripper built an expansive song structure featuring around sludgy power chords, thunderous drumming and mosh pit friendly hooks and choruses.
New Video: Friendship Commanders Share “120 Minutes MTV”-like “High Sun”
Today will be a busy day with a lot of running around: First I’ll be heading down to Coney Island for the Mermaid Parade. And then eventually, I’ll be at Clem’s for my second-ever DJ set. But there’s still business and the show must go on as best as it could, right?
So let’s get to it.
Nashville-based melodic, heavy duo Friendship Commanders — Buick Audra (vocals, guitar) and Jerry Roe (drums, bass) — have released two albums 2016’s Dave, 2018’s Steve Albini-produced Bill and two EPs 2020’s Hold On To Yourself and last year’s Release The Rest, an exclusive vinyl compilation of singles released since 2020, including “Stonechild”/”Your Reign Is Over,” which continued their ongoing collaboration with the engineering and mixing team of Kurt Ballou and Brad Boatright.
The Nashville-based duo’s forthcoming Kurt Ballou and Friendship Commanders co-produced third album MASS was recorded in Ballou’s Salem, MA-based studio, GodCity.
Last month, I wrote about album single, “Fail,” a grunge-inspired ripper built around fuzzy power chords, thunderous drumming and enormous mosh pit friendly hooks and choruses paired with Buick Audra’s expressive, Ann Wilson-like delivery. “Fail” manages to simultaneously evoke a cry for help and a desperate attempt to connect with another that just seems to fall a bit short.
The duo explained that the song was written to honor the memory of Spore‘s and Sunburned Hand of the Man‘s Marc Orleans, who committed suicide in June 2020. “We chose to make the song energetic, dissonant, and big, just as he would like it. Bit of a departure for us from our usual doomy vibe, but it’s still the same band, we think,” the band says.
MASS‘ third and latest single “High Sun” sees the Nashville-based duo adopting a 120 Minutes-era MTV alt-rock/shoegazey sound. While being a bit of a departure from the doomy heaviness they’re best known for, “High Sun” continues a run of a material rooted in lived-in experience with the new single further establishing the album’s overall concept: leaving a place you no longer feel welcome.
Throwback: Happy 58th Birthday, Greg Dulli!
JOVM’s William Ruben Helms celebrates Greg Dulli’s 58th birthday.
New Video: Nashville’s Friendship Commanders Share Grungy Ripper “Fail”
Nashville-based melodic, heavy duo Friendship Commanders — Buick Audra (vocals, guitar) and Jerry Roe (drums, bass) — have released two albums 2016’s Dave, 2018’s Steve Albini-produced Bill and two EPs 2020’s Hold On To Yourself and last year’s Release The Rest, an exclusive vinyl compilation of singles released since 2020, including “Stonechild”/”Your Reign Is Over,” which continued their ongoing collaboration with the engineering and mixing team of Kurt Ballou and Brad Boatright.
The Nashville-based duo’s forthcoming Kurt Ballou and Friendship Commanders co-produced third album MASS was recorded in Ballou’s Salem, MA-based studio, GodCity. The album’s second and latest single “Fail” is grunge-inspired ripper built around fuzzy power chords, thunderous drumming, enormous mosh pit friendly hooks and choruses paired with Audra’s expressive, Ann Wilson-like delivery. The song evokes both a desperate cry for help and a desperate attempt to connect with another that sadly seems to fall short. The duo explains that the song was written to honor the memory of Spore‘s and Sunburned Hand of the Man‘s Marc Orleans, who committed suicide in June 2020. “We chose to make the song energetic, dissonant, and big, just as he would like it. Bit of a departure for us from our usual doomy vibe, but it’s still the same band, we think,” the band says.
Directed, edited and shot by the band’s Jerry Roe, the accompanying video features Audra, Roe and Daniel Skiver, and is split between the band playing performing the song in a bare loft space and intimately shot footage of a desperate man, who’s at the end of his rope.
Slated for a June 2, 2023 release through Roswell Records/RCA Records, Foo Fighters‘ 11th album, the Greg Kurstin and Foo Fighters co-produced But Here We Are is informed and inspired by a year of staggering losses, personal introspection and bittersweet remembrances. While reportedly being a brutally honest and emotionally raw response to everything the band members have endured over the past year, But Here We Are is also a testament to the healing powers of music, friendship and family.
Fittingly, the 10-song album run the emotional gamut from rage and sorrow, to serenity and acceptance and all the myriad points in between. But the album is also marks the first chapter of the band’s new life.
The album’s first single, the anthemic album opener “Rescued” manages to channel The Colour and the Shape-era and There Is Nothing Left to Lose-era Foos but with a grizzled, hard-earned and harder-fought-for wisdom and maturity. Perhaps more than ever, there’s a weary, heartbroken exhaustion.. And yet, there’s also an irrepressible joy. Life will kick your ass and spit in your face. But if you’ve got your favorite tunes, your best pals and your family by your side, you can somehow get through almost anything.
But Here We Are is available for pre-order and presale now. All pre-orders and pre-saves include “Rescued” as an instant free download.
Throwback: Happy 56th Birthday, Kurt Cobain!
JOVM’s William Ruben Helms celebrates the 56th anniversary of Kurt Cobain’s birth.
Throwback: Happy 54th Birthday, Dave Grohl!
JOVM’s William Ruben Helms celebrates Dave Grohl’s 54th birthday.
Throwback: Happy 58th Birthday, Eddie Vedder!
JOVM’s William Ruben Helms celebrates Eddie Vedder’s 58th birthday.
Throwback: Happy 58th Birthday, Mark Lanegan!
JOVM’s William Ruben Helms celebrates the 58th anniversary of Mark Lanegan’s birthday.
Throwback: Happy 77th Birthday, Neil Young!
JOVM celebrates Neil Young’s 77th birthday.
Throwback: Happy (Belated) 55th Birthday, Layne Staley!
JOVM’s William Ruben Helms belatedly celebrates the 55th anniversary of Layne Staley’s birth.