Tag: Philadelphia PA

News/Announcements by William Ruben Helms

Announcements: Shoutouts to Patreon Patrons, Creatives Rebuild New York, Asian Arts Initiative and More

If you’ve been frequenting this site for a while, you’d know that I started this site 16 years ago this month. Yes, seriously, 16 years. That’s a long time to do just about anything, really.

As I’ve said many times here: When I started JOVM, I believed (rightfully) that I probably wouldn’t get a fair shot to do what I’ve done with this site on another outlet. And with even fewer publications out there, this work seems — to me, at least — to be more important than ever. 

Music media and the media world generally are incredibly homogeneous spaces. And as a result, the coverage you see as a consumer, reader and fan comes from a remarkably similar perspective, and usually is driven by the same motivations and concerns. Go and look at the editorial staff of your favorite music magazine or website or the news outlet you regularly consume. Then tell me what you see. 

When you do see some degree of diversity, it’s usually in an extremely limited fashion, And I guarantee you that it took years of fighting, complaining, cajoling and embarrassment to get one or two folks of color on the editorial staff. Add age and things take a very odd turn. 

Speaking of age, about a decade ago, I remember hearing that some well-known site was hiring a new editor. Some folks in the industry were referring to him as old. This editor was around 36. I was about 38. It struck me as being very odd. Since when is 36 old? Hell, at 47, I don’t feel old. My knees and my back occasionally remind me that I’m not as young as I used to be; but still, I’m not old. 

With JOVM I’ve managed to carve out a unique path for my myself — and in the media world. But it hasn’t been easy. Last year, I announced that JOVM had to go on a forced, indefinite hiatus. For a significant portion of the year before the hiatus, it had been extremely difficult to keep things going. Right before, the hiatus over a decade of music, arts and culture coverage were lost in the either because I couldn’t afford to pay the various subscriptions and fees that pop up across the month. Thankfully, through a mix of luck and the kind support of a very dear friend, who will remain anonymous upon their request, the hiatus was short-lived.

This site has long a testament to stubborn, determined tenacity and drive. But I’ll be honest here: All work — especially creative work — is impossible without money. We all know the cliched adages that time is money and that effort is money. But guess what? You need money to try to make money! And if you don’t have much money or any money, you find yourself in a vicious cycle centered around how do you get the money. It’s a miserable, stressful way to live, let alone to do anything. Believe me, I would know! That’s been the case with JOVM for the past 17 months. 

And over the course of JOVM’s 16 year history, I’ve covered music, art and culture with an eclectic, globally-informed perspective informed by growing up in Corona, Queens — and from my own life. 

To that end, I could use your support to keep this site and this work alive. 

First, if you’re able to, a donation of any amount is greatly appreciated. Every single penny, every single dollar helps keeps this site going. 

Or Venmo, if that’s more your style: https://venmo.com/u/William-Helms

Much like countless other folks out there, I’ve had a difficult time landing any kind of work in well over a year — this includes freelance work. If you have any leads for full-time, part-time, temporary or even project-based editorial, writing or photography work, please reach out. Work here in the five boroughs of NYC — or remote work would be ideal. So if you follow me on the various social media platforms, you can shoot me a DM. And if you know me IRL, feel free to send a text or an email or something. 

The other way you can help is tell your music loving friends, family and associates about this page. Share posts on social. Every eyeball means something. 

You can also support my following me on the following platforms:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/william_ruben_helms 

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/yankee32879 and https://www.twitter.com/joyofviolent 

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/williamrubenhelms.bsky.social

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheJoyofViolentMovement

Threads: https://www.threads.com/@william_ruben_helms

Mastodon: https://mastodon.social/@william_ruben_helms328

There are some folks I need to thank — as I always do — for their support:

  • Sash
  • Alice Northover
  • Bella Fox
  • Jenny MacRostie
  • Janene Otten 
  • Melanie Rodriguez 
  • Kitty
  • Megan Marshall
  • Velatine 
  • Modern Ideas

The helpful, hardworking and deeply dedicated folks at Creatives Rebuild New York. I’m humbled and proud to have been included in their 18-month Guaranteed Income for Artists program. Understandably, being included was also deeply vindicating. Someone out there thought my work — this very work! — was worth supporting financially. Obviously, the funds from it have managed to keep this labor of love going during one of the most uncertain periods in recent human history, while lessening some of the normal financial pressures of being an American artist, creator and journalist. 

I also found out about Asian Arts Initiative’s Sound Type Workshop through Creatives Rebuild New York. So, I just can’t thank those folks enough. And I’ll forever be in their debt. 

I must thank the folks at the Asian Arts Initiative in Philadelphia for selecting me for the Sound Type Music Writer Workshop. Being a part of the inaugural cohort was an honor. 

I must thank my pal and colleague Adam Bernard for chatting with me about JOVM and the site’s hiatus. You can check out the interview, in which I talk about how important it is to support independent journalists here: https://adambernard.blogspot.com/2025/09/saving-one-mans-movement-convo-with.html

I also have to thank my man John Morrison, Philly’s preeminent music journalist for the support and encouragement when I needed it most. 

Last announcement; I’ve been having major email issues over the past week as you may know. My old email has been restored. Please email me at william.ruben.helms@joyofviolentmovement.com. I may be migrating my email in the future and will let everyone know what my plans are for that in the future. I know it’s confusing but tech you know?

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: Jaco Jaco Shares Meditative “Over When It’s Over”

Tulsa-born, Philadelphia-based musician and visual artist Jacob Theriot is a lifelong singer/songwriter and musician, who first picked up bass when he was 12. His musical career began in earnest when he began writing and recording music in grade school with his brother and childhood friend. Those early efforts led to the acclaimed indie project Sports. 

After three albums and several international tours with Sports, Theirot relocated to Philadelphia, where began to explore and refine a sound that blends elements of funk, psych pop and 70s AM rock over a period of a handful of years. Those explorations led to Theirot’s solo recording project Jaco Jaco.

The Tulsa-born, Philadelphia-based artist has released two Jaco Jaco albums, 2024’s debut Splat and last year’s Gremlin, which included three singles I wrote about, the Thundercat and 70s jazz fusion/jazz funk-like “Favorite Kind of People,” the Quiet Storm R&B-meets-Steely Dan-like “Woman” and the Tame Impala meets Bobby Oroza-like “I Won’t Bother.”

Building upon a growing profile, the Philadelphia-based JOVM mainstay’s highly anticipated third album, On the Levee is slated for a July 10, 2026 release. The album will include the previously released “Wager,” and its final single, “Over When It’s Over,” “Over Is When It’s Over” is a melancholy, slow-burning tune that — to my ears, at least — sounds like a blend of Tame Impala, 70s AM rock. But at its core, the song is meditation on accepting constant change, with a bit of a sigh.

“The song is about watching the world fly on by, but finding yourself strangely at peace with it,” Theriot says.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: Index Shares a Bruising and Forceful Ripper

Formed last year, and currently split between Los Angeles and Philadelphia, Index — Alan Creedon (he/him) and Alex Lichtenauer (they/them) — is a subversive, electronics-influenced hardcore punk band featuring two close friends, who are also former members of Control Top, an act that I’ve covered here on this site. When Creedon and Lichtanauer started the band, it quickly became clear that their band’s sound would grow out of their friendship. Stripping away the dense orchestration of their previous band, Index sees the duo leaning into sweaty, visceral physicality with Creedon’s guitar intuitively locked into Lichtanauer’s drums, navigating complex rhythms. The result is music that feels as immediate as it does immediate — with the two longtime collaborators and friends reinvigorated by the act of creating something altogether new together.

Produced by Arthur Rizk, the duo’s debut single “Cellophane” was written across coasts, recorded at Show Me The Body‘s Corpus Studios and released through Lichtanaeur’s Get Better Records. The single is a bruising, eardrum shattering ripper that pairs snarling and roaring hardcore punk fury with pummeling rhythm and howled vocals. “Cellophane” captures someone barely holding it together in a brutal, absurdist hellscape. It’s the sort of song that would turn a room into a sweaty, moving mass of bodies.

“‘Cellophane’ is a song about self-deception and the rituals we perform to convince ourselves we’re holding it together,” the bicoastal based duo explain. “Musically, we wanted to move away from anything riff-based and write in a way that felt fluid and unstable. The two of us function as a single organism, threading through shifting time signatures rather than locking into them. We were interested in the physicality of electronic body music pushed through a hardcore framework. Something precise and controlled, but still capable of impact in a room.”

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: Joey Alexander Tackles a Beloved Jazz Standard

22 year-old, Balinese-born, Grammy Award-nominated composer and pianist Joey Alexander has spent more than a decade establishing himself as one of jazz’s most celebrated young artists, with his career starting in earnest back in 2013 when Wynton Marsalis invited him to play at Jazz at Lincoln Center Gala. Since then, Alexander has played with Wayne Shorter and Esperanza Spalding at the Obama White House, and he has been the subject of profiles on 60 Minutes, The New York Times, and a list of others.

Alexander’s third album, the Jason Olaine-produced Celestial Keeper is slated for a July 17, 2026 through Mack Avenue Records. Celestial Keeper sees the rising, young composer and pianist reflecting on creativity, faith, gratitude and personal transformation. Inspired by what Alexander describes as his “celestial keeper” — a spiritual force akin to a muse or guardian angel — the album explores the challenge of overcoming doubt and artist’s block. “There’s a spiritual force that reminds me of the gift of music that God has bestowed upon me,” Alexander explains. “That voice prompts me to keep the lamp burning or the music playing.”

The album comes during a pivotal chapter in the rising young artist’s life, following his family’s recent move back to his native Bali after spending years in New York and Baltimore. Immersing himself in Indonesia’s nature and rhythms — again — deeply shaped the album’s aura of beauty and wonder, “I live by the mountains, which are a constant reminder of the beauty of nature and the gift of life,” he says.

Celestial Keeper also sees the debut of Alexander’s latest trio: Kris Funn (bass) returns from 2023’s applauded Continuance and Jonathan Barber (drums), recording with the Balinese-born composer and pianist for the first time, after two years of touring. The trio is joined by Philadelphia-born Jaleel Shaw (saxophone) for three tracks. Alexander added vocals to the nix for the first time on the album, collaborating with with rising singer/songwriter Alita Moses on a new original “Whispers of Love” and Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter Lisa Fischer on a rendition of the beloved standard “My Funny Valentine.” And in a full circle moment, the album was produced by Jason Olaine, who produced Alexander’s 2015 debut, My Favorite Things.

Celestial Keeper’s first single, sees the Grammy Award-nominated composer and pianist, tackling the beloved standard, “Stella By Starlight.” Channeling Alexander’s lifelong love of Miles Davis and Bill Evans, the young Balinese delivers a vibrant and soulful take that showcases his ability to breathe new, youthful life into an oft-covered standard.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: Philly’s Sri Lanka Shares Brooding “Eventide”

Sri Lanka is a Philadelphia-based band that originally formed back in 1986. The band quickly established a sound that draws from goth and post-punk, as well as elements of alternative rock and psych rock. They saw extraordinary popularity in the Philadelphia and New York underground music scenes of the late 1980s and 1990s before going through a series of tumultuous lineup changes following the departure of founding member and the tragic death of frontman Brett Turner

Suffering from depression, Turner took his own life back in 1989, when he was 20. The band went on to try out several vocalists before landing on Jose Maldonado. And with Maldonado, the Philadelphia-based post punk outfit went on to record and release 1992’s Shadow and Ivy EP and 1993’s Here. Friction between band members Erb and Maldonado started early on and ultimately led to the band splitting down the middle shortly after the release of Here with Erb and Chairs going in one direction, Maldonado and Stein going in another. Rob Studt retired from music altogether.

Erb went on to rejoin his original founding partner Lee Daniels and formed the band [needle] in 1995.

Back in October 2020, the band announced the forthcoming release of Leviathan on their Facebook Fan page, after a 25 year hiatus. And that November, they released the album’s title track “Leviathan.” They also released two live recordings from Christmas 1998 at Philadelphia’s Club Memphis and February 1989 at Philadelphia’s Revival.

Late last year, the band shared “Solstice,” a driving with of goth-tinged post punk that seemingly channels Cocteau Twins and contemporaries like ACTORS, while showcasing the band’s ability to craft a driving and rousingly anthemic, catchy hook and chorus.

Leviathan‘s latest single “Eventide” continues a run of driving goth-leaning post punk — but unlike it’s immediate predecessor, there’s a more of a shoegaze element to the proceedings that adds to the song’s brooding, late night vibe.

News/Announcements by William Ruben Helms

Announcements: Shoutouts to Patreon Patrons, Creatives Rebuild New York and Asian Arts Initiative

Last year, I announced that JOVM had to go on a forced, indefinite hiatus. But for a significant portion of the year, before the hiatus, I could barely financially manage to keep the site going. At one point, over a decade of music, arts and culture coverage were lost in the ether — for a little while. 

So, as you can imagine, I had to figure out what I could do and what was next for JOVM. But thankfully, through some luck and the support of a friend, who will remain anonymous upon request, for their generosity and support, JOVM’s return would have been impossible. Thank you!

There are also a list of other folks that I must thank for their support. 

The Patreon Patrons, who have supported me through over the course of the past few years:

Sash

Alice Northover

Bella Fox

Jenny MacRostie

Janene Otten 

Also I have to thank the following for their donations: 

Melanie Rodriguez 

Kitty 

I must thank my pal and colleague Adam Bernard for chatting with me about JOVM and the site’s hiatus. You can check out the interview, in which I talk about how important it is to support independent journalists here: https://adambernard.blogspot.com/2025/09/saving-one-mans-movement-convo-with.html

I have to thank the helpful, hardworking and dedicated folks at Creatives Rebuild New York. I’m proud, gratified and humbled to have been included in their 18-month Guaranteed Income for Artists program. Understandably, being included was also deeply vindicating. Someone out there thought my work — this very work! — was worth supporting financially. Obviously, the funds from it have managed to keep this labor of love going during one of the most uncertain periods in recent human history, while lessening some of the normal financial pressures of being an American artist, creator and journalist. 

I also found out about Asian Arts Initiative’s Sound Type Workshop through Creatives Rebuild New York. So, I just can’t thank those folks enough. And I’ll forever be in their debt. 

I must thank the folks at the Asian Arts Initiative in Philadelphia for selecting me for the Sound Type Music Writer Workshop. Being a part of the inaugural cohort was an honor. 

I also have to thank my man John Morrison, Philly’s preeminent music journalist for the support and encouragement. 

Now, I must remind y’all, that The Joy of Violent Movement is a completely independent and completely D.I.Y. media outlet. Over the course of this site’s 15+ year history, I’ve used my fiercely independent stance to cover music with an eclectic and global perspective that a lot of other publications just don’t have — and will likely never have. 

To that end, I could use your support to continue to keep bringing you my unique global perspective on music. There are a number of ways that you can support this work. 

I’ve been told that some people would prefer to make a one-time donation because it’s easy and less of an obligation. So, if you’re able to make a one-time donation, there’s a donation box below. 

If you’re willing and able to support more regularly, please feel free to check out my Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheJoyofViolentMovement. 

Anything you can give is very much appreciated. It can and does make a real difference, y’all. 

I know that a lot of folks are struggling to make ends meet in an uncertain and tumultuous economic climate. So there are other, non-financial ways in which you can support this work. 

You can follow me on the following social platforms:

X/Twitter: @yankee32879 and @joyofviolent 

Instagram: @william_ruben_helms

Threads: @william_ruben_helms

Bluesky: @williamrubenhelms.bsky.social

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheJoyofViolentMovement

As always, if there are posts that you dig, share them with your friends. The more eyeballs on my work, the better.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: Philadelphia’s Sri Lanka Shares Brooding and Driving “Solstice”

Sri Lanka is a Philadelphia-based band that originally formed back in 1986. The band quickly established a sound that draws from goth and post-punk, as well as elements of alternative rock and psych rock. They saw extraordinary popularity in the Philadelphia and New York underground music scenes of the late 1980s and 1990s before going through a series of tumultuous lineup changes following the departure of founding member and the tragic death of frontman Brett Turner

Suffering from depression, Turner took his own life back in 1989, when he was 20. The band went on to try out several vocalists before landing on Jose Maldonado. And with Maldonado, the Philadelphia-based post punk went on to record and release 1992’s Shadow and Ivy EP and 1993’s Here. Friction between band members Erb and Maldonado started early on and ultimately led to the band splitting down the middle shortly after the release of Here with Erb and Chairs going in one direction, Maldonado and Stein going in another. Rob Studt retired from music altogether.

Erb went on to rejoin his original founding partner Lee Daniels and formed the band [needle] in 1995.

Back in October 2020, the band announced the forthcoming release of Leviathan on their Facebook Fan page, after a 25 year hiatus. And that November, they released the album’s title track “Leviathan.” They also released two live recordings from Christmas 1998 at Philadelphia’s Club Memphis and February 1989 at Philadelphia’s Revival.

Leviathan‘s latest single “Solstice” is a driving bit of goth-tinged post punk featuring shoegazer guitar textures and industrial thump that seemingly channels Cocteau Twins and contemporaries like ACTORS, while showcasing the band’s ability to craft a driving and rousingly anthemic, catchy hook and chorus.

The band explains that “Solstice” was a previously unrecorded song written back in 1991 that may arguably one of the best songs they’ve ever written.

News/Announcements by William Ruben Helms

News/Announcements: Shoutouts to Patreon Patrons, Creatives Rebuild NY and Asian Arts Initaitive

Last month I announced on Threads and Facebook that JOVM was going on a forced, indefinite hiatus. For a significant portion of this year, I just couldn’t financially manage all the various subscription fees to keep this site going as I had been — and as I would prefer.

In the two months prior to the hiatus, my business plan was pulled and the site was broken and essentially disappeared. Over a decade worth of music, arts and culture coverage were lost in the ether — seemingly forever or until I could figure out subscription fees.

With all the unexpected free time I had without JOVM-related work, I admittedly went through a bunch of different emotions. For the first handful of days, I felt extremely depressed. Getting out of bed, showering and putting on clothes was difficult.

By the third or fourth day, I realized that I needed to do something different or I’d fall into a very deep hole. I wound up going on several long walks with my Canon R6 Mark II in hand. It kept me busy. Hell, it kept my mind busy on something else. And initially at least, it didn’t matter if the photos would be shared anywhere or not. But I did wind up sharing them on Instagram — because that’s what you do, right?

Now, remember JOVM has been a daily part of my life for over 15 years. Work has gotten me through some of the most difficult periods of my life. Being able to return to this work — for you, dear reader — has been a great joy.

As always, there are some folks that I need to thank.

First, the Patreon Patrons, who have supported me through over the course of the past few years:

Sash

Alice Northover

Bella Fox

Jenny MacRostie

Janene Otten 

I must thank my pal and colleague Adam Bernard for chatting with me about JOVM and the site’s hiatus last month. You can check out the interview, in which I talk about how important it is to support independent journalists here: https://adambernard.blogspot.com/2025/09/saving-one-mans-movement-convo-with.html

I have to thank the helpful, hardworking and dedicated folks at Creatives Rebuild New York. I’m proud, gratified and humbled to have been included in their 18-month Guaranteed Income for Artists program. Understandably, being included was also deeply vindicating. Someone out there thought my work — this very work! — was worth supporting financially. Obviously, the funds from it have managed to keep this labor of love going during one of the most uncertain periods in recent human history, while lessening some of the normal financial pressures of being an American artist, creator and journalist. 

I also found out about Asian Arts Initiative’s Sound Type Workshop through Creatives Rebuild New York. So, I just can’t thank those folks enough. And I’ll forever be in their debt. 

I must thank the folks at the Asian Arts Initiative in Philadelphia for selecting me for the Sound Type Music Writer Workshop. Being a part of the inaugural cohort was an honor. 

I also have to thank my man John Morrison, Philly’s preeminent music journalist for the support and encouragement. 

Last but not least, I have to thank a friend, who will remain anonymous upon their request for their generosity and support. 

Now, I must remind y’all, that The Joy of Violent Movement is a completely independent and completely D.I.Y. media outlet. Over the course of this site’s 15+ year history, I’ve used my fiercely independent stance to cover music with an eclectic and global perspective that a lot of other publications just don’t have — and will likely never have. 

To that end, I could use your support to continue to keep bringing you my unique global perspective on music. There are a number of ways that you can support this work. 

I’ve been told that some people would prefer to make a one-time donation because it’s easy and less of an obligation. So, if you’re able to make a one-time donation, there’s a donation box below. 

If you’re willing and able to support more regularly, please feel free to check out my Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheJoyofViolentMovement. 

Anything you can give is very much appreciated. It can and does make a real difference, y’all. 

I know that a lot of folks are struggling to make ends meet in an uncertain and tumultuous economic climate. So there are other, non-financial ways in which you can support this work. 

You can follow me on the following social platforms:

X/Twitter: @yankee32879 and @joyofviolent 

Instagram: @william_ruben_helms

Threads: @william_ruben_helms

Bluesky: @williamrubenhelms.bsky.social

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheJoyofViolentMovement

As always, if there are posts that you dig, share them with your friends. The more eyeballs on my work, the better.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: Glimmer Returns with Bruising Yet Anthemic “Been Down”

Over the past couple of years New York-based grungegaze outfit and JOVM mainstays Glimmer — Jeff Moore (vocals, guitar), Jaye Moore (drums), Johnny Nicholls (guitar) and Kevin Dobbins (bass) — have released a handful of well-received singles have seen the quartet firmly establishing a sound that mixes elements of shoegaze, grunge and dream pop in a way that’s both nostalgia inducing and yet contemporary.

Building upon a growing profile, the band’s highly-anticipated full-length debut, Get Weak is slated for an October 3, 2025 vinyl release through Philadelphia-based label, Abandon Everything. Recorded with Jeff Berner at Brooklyn-based Studio G and mastered by Will Yip, Get Weak reportedly sees the band pairing their more pop-leaning singles with heavy-hitting alt-rock anthems and softer, more ethereal material

The album’s latest and last pre-release single “Been Down” features big, crunchy, Dinosaur Jr.-like riffs with even bigger, remarkably catchy The Colour and The Shape-era Foo Fighters-like hooks and forcefully propulsive drumming serving as a lush yet remarkably catchy bed for Jeff Moore’s dreamily plaintive delivery. “Been Down” showcases the band’s unerring knack for pairing big hooks and arena rock-like bombast with earnest, nostalgia-including lyricism. And while clearly drawing from 120 Minutes-era MTV alt rock, the new single continues a run of material that manages to sound incredibly contemporary.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: N3WYRKLA Returns with Swaggering and Defiant “Bad Luck”

Philadelphia-born N3WYRKLA (pronounced New York L.A.) is a rising pop artist: “Outside All Night,” her collaboration with Brent Faiyaz and A$AP Rocky earned RIAA Gold Certification and has led to over one million monthly listeners on DSPs.

Earlier this year, the Philadelphia-based phenom opened for FERG on the North American leg of his The Darold Tour. And back in May, she released the lead single from her highly-anticipated full-length debut, “Plastic Cup.” “Plastic Cup” is burning up the charts right now: the track jumped to #15 on the Urban Radio Charts.

Building upon a rapidly growing profile, the Philadelphia-born artist shared her latest single, the Hitmaka-produced “BAD LUCK,” which features her honey-soaked vocal paired with a contemporary retro/old-school soul-inspired production that brings the likes of Monophonics, Bobby Oroza, Daptone Records, Colemine Records and others to mind.

Ironically, the song isn’t a lament on the narrator’s bad luck, whether personally or romantically or on superstitions; but rather, a self-assured side-eye to fuckbois, players, flops, deadbeats that open says that trusting these dudes out there is just going to get you a case of bad luck — and perhaps worse. At its core, it’s a feminist anthem that says “you don’t have to deal with bullshit, ever.”

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: Bedolina Shares Rousingly Anthemic “We Are the Clock Ourselves Again”

Ken Gould is a Philadelphia-based singer/songwriter, musician, frontman and creative mastermind behind the emerging, experimental rock project Bedolina. The project’s name is derived from the Bedolina Map, a rock in the Italian Alps engraved with a complex topographical map and petroglyphs of people and animals amidst villages and roads, created between 1000 and 200 BC.

The Philadelphia-based band can trace its origins back to just before COVID-19 lockdowns: Gould brought four songs to Miner Street Recording‘s Brian McTear (Kurt Vile, Sharon van Etten) and Matt Poirier. When pandemic lockdowns caused the world to grind to a halt, Gould was allowed the opportunity to create a new, diverse set of introspective songs.

Tour cancellations allowed The War on Drugs‘ Charlie Hall (drums) and Robbie Bennet (drums), along with Dr. Dog‘s Frank McElroy to participate in the recording sessions for the material that would eventually comprise the band’s recently released sophomore album Sun and Flamingoes.

Sun and Flamingoes touches upon themes of surrealism, fascist dystopia and the unsettling nature of the modern world, while socially, the album’s material sees Gould and company establishing a sound that weaves together elements of experimental electronica, indie rock and classic pop among others.

The sophomore EP’s first single “We Are the Clock Ourselves Again” is a woozy rock anthem that showcases Gould’s unerring knack for pairing rousing and remarkably catch hooks and choruses with a relentless, driving rhythm and Dire Straits-like guitars. Featuring The War On Drugs’ Robbie Bennett (keys) and Charlie Hall (drums), “We Are the Clock Ourselves Again” as Gould explains is about “perceiving life through your innate sense of right and wrong.” Highlighting self-reliance, the song encourages those listening to march to the beat of their own “clock.”