If It's Too Loud...

Photo by John Andrews Olden Yolk's latest single, "Grand Palais," reminds me of a very specific slice of the 90's. It was a very brief time (in Boston, at least) when indie rockers started trading in their ironic t-shirts for thrift store polyester shirts. "Grand Palais" is all fuzzed out and groovy, and, to keep the Boston theme, reminds me of a pre-major label Jack Drag. According to the band, the song is  “... about the frivolous search to seek some semblance of spiritual understanding in various places, things, and people outside of ourselves. Much of the song was written through improvisation in the studio alongside percussionist  Booker Stardrum , whose frantic drumming is a driving force in the song. Weaving vocals, synthesizers, and tempo switches all encapsulate the dual feelings of desperation and euphoria found within this type of pursuit." You can listen to "Grand Palais" below. Living Theatre , the new album from Olden Yolk,...

Photo by John Andrews For the second single off their upcoming album, Olden Yolk went a completely different direction from "Cotton & Cane." While that song was a cheery version of psychedelia, "Distant Episode" is cold and distant. The track sung by Caity Shaffer is almost painfully sparse and definitely not a pop song. It's a non-traditional choice for a single, but still a captivating song. Olden Yolk says about the single: “‘ Distant Episode’ is about rituals of escape, the ties between women, and summoning courage. The title references a Paul Bowles story of the same name, about a linguistics professor whose tongue gets cut out. The video was inspired by a certain time of night, when you can walk down some street and see TV screens flickering on the inner walls of houses .” You can watch the video for "Distant Episode" below. Living Theatre , the new album from Olden Yolk, will be out May 17 on Trouble in Mind. You can pre-order a copy...

Photo by John Andrews Olden Yolk are back with a new album and single. "Cotton & Cane" sounds like an upbeat version of The Velvet Underground. It has some of the otherworldly qualities and psychedelic groove of their work with Nico, but more cheery and modern. The band says about the song/video: “ The woman who once lived in the house was an art collector, and there were these haunting paintings and ancient artifacts lining the halls. For us it was a space to reflect on all that had happened over the year and all that we were moving towards. At the time we started writing ‘Cotton & Cane,' Shane was thinking about his relationship with his father, and the lyrics of the song started to take on the tone of a conversation between them. Less than a week before we went into the studio, Shane’s father passed away, and the song’s meaning began to unfold completely; the confusion, the awe, the complex picture of his entire life. P. Nick Curran shot the film in the...