Ken's Best of 2022 - #6: Ezra Furman - All of Us Flames

I was embarrassingly late getting into Ezra Furman. Of course, I had heard of Ezra Furman and heard of her music, but things just didn't click for me until this year. An absolutely life changing live show at Crystal Ballroom in June changed everything, and as the singles for All of Us Flames were released, I got more and more excited for the album. According to Wikipedia, Furman's musical styles are art pop, alternative pop, indie pop, and indie folk. Her music is all of those styles, but it is also just more. The songs on All of Us Flames don't really fit any specific genre. She just weaves from musical style to musical style between songs and often within the same song. This is the kind of album that feels completely unique while also feeling strangely familiar. The songs on the album have elements of indie rock, doo wop, classic rock, folk, 80's New Wave... Furman's music is truly without genre. The more time you spend with this album the more you'll be rewarded.

Songs of note: "Forever in Sunset," "Point Me Toward the Real," "Book of Our Names," and "Lilac and Black"

First Listen: New Releases for 26 August 2022

Artist: Bret McKenzie
Album: Songs Without Jokes
Quick Thoughts: You know Bret McKenzie from Flight of the Concords, and while this is billed as an album "without jokes," it's still a fun listen on a whole. This is some serious songwriting even while McKenzie isn't taking himself terribly seriously, and the result has a feeling of sitting in a piano bar, sipping a drink and having a grand old time. I really enjoyed this one.
Songs of Note: "That's L.A.," "A Little Tune," "Tomorrow Today"

Artist: Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith
Album: Let's Turn It Into Sound
Quick Thoughts: Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith is one of my favorite experimental-type electronic artists, and this specific album is honestly better listened as a whole rather than the parts. It's got a lot of interesting structures and soundscapes throughout, and it kept grabbing my attention across the whole runtime. If you're not against some more challenging listens, you owe it to yourself to give this a listen.
Songs of Note: "Check Your Translation"

Artist: Ezra Furman
Album: All Of Us Flames
Quick Thoughts: Ezra Furman keeps getting better and better. Their latest effort feels almost majestic in its presentation, with a ton of passion to go with its flourish. The end result is an album I liked quite a bit, but it's worth the time if only because it is such an honest, straightforward piece of art. They deserve all the credit in the world for this one.
Songs of Note: "Book Of Our Names," "Poor Girl a Long Way From Heaven," "Temple of Broken Dreams"

Artist: Nora Brown
Album: Long Time To Be Gone
Quick Thoughts: Speaking of honest, Nora Brown presents a super honest roots record that feels like it's recorded directly from the deck of a farmhouse. It's quiet and pure in all the right ways, and while I don't have much else to say about it, in a summer of a lot of roots records, this one certainly stands out.
Songs of Note: "Southern Texas," "Po' Black Sheep," "Rye Whiskey - Little Birdie," "Jenny Put the Kettle On," "Cumberland Gap"

Of note:

* Heather Nova - Other Shores (A solid collection of covers.)
* Valerie June - Under Cover (Also a solid collection of covers.)
* Rachika Nayar - Heaven Come Crashing (An interesting ambient-style album.)
* Muse - Will of the People (Muse are very good at what they do, and this sort of anthemic populist rock fits them well.)
* Let's Whisper - The In-Between Times
* Gently Tender - Take Hold of Your Promise!
* William Orbit - The Painter
* Chris Forsyth - Evolution Here We Come
* Marcus King - Young Blood
* Stella Donnelly - Flood
* Wormy - I'm Sweating All The Time
* Tommy McLain - I Ran Down Every Dream
* Julia Jacklin - PRE PLEASURE
* The Lounge Society - Tired of Liberty
* Duncan Sheik - Claptrap

EPs:

* Tropical Fuck Storm - Moonburn
* Savoir Faire - Think Twice
* Ron's Car - Who's Gonna Listen
* Arc Iris - We Found Home...
* Amy Dabbs - Baddest Gal
* Thanya Iyer - rest
* Centershift - Of...
* Evil - The Second Death
* Grampfather - 666G
* BRUX - BADBOI
* smntha - And Now I'm In Bed...
* Carlos Davey - Hambalt

Live albums/Compilations/Reissues:

* Water From Your Eyes - Structure Demos
* TDJ - TDJ123 DELUXE

Also out:

* Still and Form - From the Rot is a Gift
* Alanis Morissette - the storm before the calm

Ezra Furman - "Poor Girl a Long Way From Heaven"

Photo by Tonje Thilesen

There is no artist out there making music quite like Ezra Furman is. Her latest single, "Poor Girl a Long Way From Heaven," Furman takes her trademark unique blend of indie rock and pop and injects a little bit of gospel or spiritual music into it. Furman's music combines a vibe that is hers and hers alone with sounds that are almost familiar. "Poor Girl a Long Way From Heaven" has an interesting 1980's Madonna goes modern indie rock feel, which mostly comes from Furman's delivery. There aren't many (or truly, any) indie artists out there today that are going to remind you of gospel and Madonna, but that's the beauty of Ezra Furman.

Ezra Furman says of her new single:

“The spiritual life ain’t all pious platitudes. This song is about how weird it gets, when you’re in love with the Source of Being and She’s not texting you back. Ever since it hit me that I was never going to be loved and accepted on the scale of my pop star heroes, me and my bandmates have started to work on a different vision of pop, one more our own, one that gestures at the stranger truths of the human mind. Here we are in thrall to verbally adventurous nineties music like Bjork and Beck and the Silver Jews and them kinda non-linear geniuses.”

You can watch the video for "Poor Girl a Long Way From Heaven" below. All of Us Flames is due out August 26 on Bella Union, and can be pre-ordered here. For more on Ezra Furman, check out the artist's website. Upcoming tour dates are below the video.

Sun. Aug. 14 - Des Moines, IA @ Val Air Ballroom ^
Tues. Aug. 16 - Milwaukee, WI @ UWM Panther Arena ^
Wed. Aug. 17 - Indianapolis, IN @ TCU Amphitheater at White River State Park ^
Thu. Aug. 18 - Crickhowell, UK @ Green Man Festival
Tues. Aug  23 - Edinburgh, UK @ Edinburgh International Festival
Wed. Aug 24 – Leeds, UK, - Brudenell Social Club
Mon. Sep. 12 - Montreal, QC @ La Sala Rosa  !
Tue. Sep. 13 - Toronto, ON @ Rec Room  !
Wed. Sep. 14 - Detroit, MI @ The Loving Touch !
Thu. Sep. 15 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Mr Small's !
Fri. Sep. 16 - Baltimore, MD @ Ottobar !
Sun. Sep. 18 - Philadelphia, PA @ Underground Arts !
Mon. Sep. 19 - Providence, RI @ Fete Ballroom !
Tue. Sep. 20 - Boston, MA @ The Sinclair  !
Wed. Sep. 21 - New York, NY @ Webster Hall !
Thu. Sep. 22 - Dover, DE @ Firefly Festival
Mon. Oct. 31 - Bruges, BE @ Cactus Club
Tue. Nov. 1 - Paris, FR @ Le Trabendo
Wed. Nov. 2 - Utrecht, NL @ Tivoli Vredenburg
Thu. Nov. 3 - Hamburg, DE @ Uebel & Gefährlich
Sat. Nov. 5 - Cologne, DE @ Kulturkirche
Sun. Nov. 6 - Berlin, DE @ Festsaaal Kreutzberg
Mon. Nov. 7 - Prague, CZ @ Roxy
Tue. Nov. 8 - Vienna, AT @ Arena Wien
Wed. Nov. 9 - Graz, AT @ Dom Im Berg
Thurs. Nov. 10 – Leipzig, DE - TransCentury Update Festival
Sat. Nov. 12 - Fribourg, CH @ Fri-Son
Sun. Nov. 13 - Munich, DE @ Freiheitshalle
Mon. Nov. 14 - Frankfurt, DE @ Zoom
Wed. Nov. 16 - Brighton, UK @ St Georges Church
Thu. Nov. 17 - London, UK @ The Roundhouse
Sat. Nov. 19 - Birmingham, UK @ The Mill
Mon. Nov. 21 - Manchester, UK @ O2 Ritz
 
^ with Jack White
! with Art Moore supporting
All Oct/Nov shows are with The Golden Dregs supporting

Ezra Furman - "Lilac and Black"

Photo by Tonje Thilesen

The latest from Ezra Furman is what we've come to expect from the artist. "Lilac and Black" is a virtually genre-less song that borrows from many different styles while sounding entirely unique. There are elements of folk, pop, dance, punk, and all the multi-hyphenate genres in between, but it doesn't truly sound like any of those. It's a little too electronic to be rock, but too rock to be electronic. Plus, despite being about Furman's "queer girl gang" taking over a city from their oppressors, the song isn't as punk as you'd expect. It starts off quite quiet and contemplative. It does build and get more rock as it goes on, but the music never matches the venom in Furman's voice.

Ezra Furman says of her new song:

“I’ve started to think of us trans women as a kind of secret gang, scattered across the world. Or that we could be that. So I wrote this theme song for us, and gave us some gang colors: lilac and black. Unfortunately, being trans usually comes with some kind of threat to one’s well-being or even one’s life. The hostility toward us right now is intense and the stakes are high. This song is an expression of deep solidarity and willingness to defend our lives.Being an inherently peaceful person, I hate to imagine it, but there are times that violent self-defense, or defense of others, is the moral and necessary path. This song is about being ready for that. It’s also about how being trans so often feels like a war we never asked for. On top of the seemingly endless social stigma and barriers to our general thriving, various governments have now set in motion a concerted movement to virtually outlaw healthy trans existence. Let it be known: we demand safety, resources and dignity, and we are ready to fight for our lives and the lives of others.”

You can watch the video for "Lilac and Black" below. All of Us Flames is due out August 26 on ANTI- Records and Bella Union. The album can be pre-ordered here. For more on Ezra Furman, check out the artist's website. Upcoming tour dates are below the video.

Thu. Jul. 21  - Valencia, ES @ Diversity Festival

Sun. Jul. 24 - Hertfordshire, UK @ Standon Calling Festival

Sun. Aug. 14 - Des Moines, IA @ Val Air Ballroom ^

Tues. Aug. 16 - Milwaukee, WI @ UWM Panther Arena ^

Wed. Aug. 17 - Indianapolis, IN @ TCU Amphitheater at White River State Park ^

Thu. Aug. 18 - Crickhowell, UK @ Green Man Festival

Tues. Aug  23 - Edinburgh, UK @ Edinburgh International Festival

Wed. Aug 24 - Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Social Club

Mon. Sep. 12 - Montreal, QC @ La Sala Rosa  !

Tue. Sep. 13 - Toronto, ON @ Rec Room  !

Wed. Sep. 14 - Detroit, MI @ The Loving Touch !

Thu. Sep. 15 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Mr Small's !

Fri. Sep. 16 - Baltimore, MD @ Ottobar !

Sun. Sep. 18 - Philadelphia, PA @ Underground Arts !

Mon. Sep. 19 - Providence, RI @ Fete Ballroom !

Tue. Sep. 20 - Boston, MA @ The Sinclair  !

Wed. Sep. 21 - New York, NY @ Webster Hall !

Thu. Sep. 22 - Dover, DE @ Firefly Festival

Mon. Oct. 31 - Bruges, BE @ Cactus Club *

Tue. Nov. 1 - Paris, FR @ Le Trabendo *

Wed. Nov. 2 - Utrecht, NL @ Tivoli Vredenburg *

Thu. Nov. 3 - Hamburg, DE @ Uebel & Gefährlich *

Sat. Nov. 5 - Cologne, DE @ Kulturkirche *

Sun. Nov. 6 - Berlin, DE @ Festsaaal Kreutzberg *

Mon. Nov. 7 - Prague, CZ @ Roxy *

Tue. Nov. 8 - Vienna, AT @ Arena Wien *

Wed. Nov. 9 - Graz, AT @ Dom Im Berg *

Thurs. Nov 10 - Leipzig, DE @ Transcentiry Update Festival

Sat. Nov. 12 - Fribourg, CH @ Fri-Son *

Sun. Nov. 13 - Munich, DE @ Freiheitshalle *

Mon. Nov. 14 - Frankfurt, DE @ Zoom *

Wed. Nov. 16 - Brighton, UK @ St Georges Church *

Thu. Nov. 17 - London, UK @ The Roundhouse *

Sat. Nov. 19 - Birmingham, UK @ The Mill *

Mon. Nov. 21 - Manchester, UK @ O2 Ritz *

 

^ w/ Jack White

! w/ Art Moore

*w/ The Golden Dregs

Art Moore - "A Different Life"

Photo by Ulysses Ortega

The previous two singles from Art Moore (the new band featuring Taylor Vick of Boy Scouts and Sam Duerkes and Trevor Brooks of Ezra Furman's band) have had this unique sound that is folk-like but far too electronic to be fully folk. Their latest single dives even deeper into the world of synths and electronic music. "A Different Life" is much more of a pop song, albeit an alt-pop one. It's a song that is dripping with both sadness and optimism, as it's about heartbreak and the open world of possibilities that come after a break up.

Taylor Vick says of the new song:

"'A Different Life' was inspired by the experience of daydreaming up another version of your life. I can easily get caught up in the imaginary worlds in my head, overwhelmed by the endless possibilities and versions of me that exist within them. But I am most fascinated by the version just parallel to this one, the one with only a few differences or enhancements. This song is about the experience of longing for that not so far off possibility."

You can listen to "A Different Life" below. Art Moore's self-titled album is due out August 5 on ANTI- Records, and can be pre-ordered here. For more on Art Moore, check out the band's website. Upcoming tour dates are below the song.

Sep-12 Montreal, QC La Sala Rossa w/Ezra Furman
Sep-13 Toronto, ON The Rec Room w/Ezra Furman
Sep-14 Detroit, MI The Loving Touch w/Ezra Furman
Sep-15 Pittsburgh, PA Mr. Smalls Theatre w/Ezra Furman
Sep-18 Philadelphia, PA Underground Arts w/Ezra Furman
Sep-19 Providence, RI Fete Lounge w/Ezra Furman
Sep-20 Boston, MA The Sinclair w/Ezra Furman
Sep-21 New York, NY Webster Hall w/Ezra Furman

Live Shows: Ezra Furman, Evan Greer, and Tory Silver, Crystal Ballroom at Somerville Theater, Somerville, MA 6/9/22

Photo by Tonje Thilesen

Wednesday night I saw Paul McCartney play Fenway Park in front of almost forty thousand people, playing some of the most well known and beloved songs of all time. Despite being almost eighty years old, he played for almost three hours and wowed the crowd with fantastic songs, light shows, videos, fireworks, etc. Anything I went to see immediately after should have been a massive disappointment, but when the person you're seeing next is Ezra Furman, being disappointed is impossible.

Playing in front of a sold out crowd of five hundred, the show was just Ezra Furman solo with a borrowed guitar. As much love as the crowd showed McCartney the night before, Furman was shown just as much on a smaller scale. The crowd hung on every single word she sang and spoke, completely erasing my fears as they had been quite chatty at times during the openers. Words like enigmatic or captivating or mesmerizing don't do Furman's live show justice. She reminded me of artists like Elliott Smith, Kristin Hersh, and Tori Amos that have their own kind of stage presence that transfixes their fans. At one point Furman joked about an argument she was having in her head with an imaginary audience that was demanding hits, and her arguing back that she didn't have any hits. When she played "Love You So Bad" it was obvious she has one massive hit with her fans based on the audience reaction. I was a fairly casual Ezra Furman fan before Thursday night, but now I'm more of a diehard one.

Evan Greer played the last show I saw before lockdown, and hers was the last I was able to fully enjoy since the world seemed to fall apart just after her set. I really appreciated seeing her with things a bit more stable (maybe?). Focusing more on songs from 2021's Spotify is Surveillance, Greer played a short thirty minute set of her politically charged anti-capitalist folk punk, and led the crowd in a chant of "Fuck big tech!" at one point. "Back Row" is one of those songs that devastated me during the pandemic because I related to its theme of missing live music so desperately. Greer said that at one point she would have paid $500 to see the worst punk show ever, and I think we all related to that desire.

I discovered Tory Silver around when this show was first scheduled back in February. According to her electronic press kit, her big influences are The Beatles, Nirvana, and Feist. That truly summed up her set on Thursday night. It was a solo alt-rock set with electric guitar. Her songs were wonderfully moody and mushy, with the hard edge of Nirvana and the catchy beauty of The Beatles. Plus, they would meander around seemingly of their own free will. It's rare that a solo set can come across as unexpectedly fun as Silver's did, and I'm hoping to see a full band set sometime sooner than later.

Art Moore - "Muscle Memory"

Photo by Ulysses Ortega

Art Moore is the musical project of Taylor Vick (Boy Scout) and Ezra Furman collaborators Sam Durkes and Trevor Brooks. The trio's new single, "Muscle Memory," has a very distinct folk-like feel, if folk can be awash in synths. Typically I would never call any song with this many synths anything resembling folk, but "Muscle Memory" has a surprisingly organic feel to it even without relying on string instruments. It's a quiet, personal sounding song that is still somehow a mini-epic in size. 

Taylor Vick talks about the band's new single:

"Muscle Memory was inspired by the many phases of life we go through and the friendships that exist within them that inevitably transform as we continue through life. I wanted to write about this experience from a neutral perspective, one with the belief that it’s neither a good or bad thing but simply a given in life. It’s a more fictionalized version of my personal experience which was the kind of writing I gravitated towards most in this band." 

You can watch the video for "Muscle Memory" below. Art Moore's self-titled debut album is due out August 5 on ANTI-. The album can be pre-ordered here. For more on Art Moore, check out the band's website. Upcoming tour dates are below the video.

Sep-12 Montreal, QC La Sala Rossa w/Ezra Furman
Sep-13 Toronto, ON The Rec Room w/Ezra Furman
Sep-14 Detroit, MI The Loving Touch w/Ezra Furman
Sep-15 Pittsburgh, PA Mr. Smalls Theatre w/Ezra Furman
Sep-18 Philadelphia, PA Underground Arts w/Ezra Furman
Sep-19 Providence, RI Fete Lounge w/Ezra Furman
Sep-20 Boston, MA The Sinclair w/Ezra Furman
Sep-21 New York, NY Webster Hall w/Ezra Furman

Ezra Furman - "Forever in Sunset"

Photo by Tonje Thilesen

Ezra Furman has to be one of the most unique and yet all encompassing artists out today. Her latest single, "Forever In Sunset," combines elements of singer/songwriter fare, electronic music, and indie rock. It's an intense song that is almost a power ballad but is a little too heavy at times for that. It's a mish-mash of glam, adult contemporary, and post punk. That should not work at all, but most artists aren't Furman who apparently can do literally anything musically and make it masterful.

Ezra Furman says of her new song:

“The biggest influence on the lyrics of this song is a conversation I had with a friend of mine. When Covid was first hitting, she was talking to me a lot about how ready she felt. She was like, ‘people who have been comfortable in life are freaking out right now. But queer people like me have been in crisis before. I grew up poor and my family kicked me out when I was a teenager. My world has already ended plenty of times before, and we queers know what to do: we take care of each other, we help each other out, we have a network of support for the crises we know will hit us from time to time.’

"And then she lost her job and ended up moving in with me and my family for like three months. And she was right, we were okay and we were taking care of each other.

"That influenced a lot of what the whole record is about. But ‘Forever in Sunset’ is specifically a woman who’s been through some shit speaking to a new lover who is becoming attached to them, trying to warn the lover about how she is trouble, about how she has been through crises and they will come again. And that’s just how she lives, never settled, never safe, but also never defeated/finished - 'forever in sunset.'

"Sometimes it feels like crisis is hitting more and more of the general population. They think the world is ending. But people who have been through a personal apocalypse or two have something to teach them. The world doesn’t end, shit just happens and if we don’t die we have to take care of each other.”

You can watch the video for "Forever in Sunset" below. All of Us Flames is due out August 16 on ANTI- Records, and can be pre-ordered here. For more on Ezra Furman, check out the artist's website. Upcoming tour dates are below the video.

Thu. May 19 - Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom *
Sat. May 21 - San Francisco, CA @ August Hall *
Mon. May 23 - Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile *
Tue. May 24 - Vancouver, BC @ Hollywood Theatre *
Wed. May 25 - Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom *
Thu. May 26 - Boise, ID @ Visual Arts Collective *
Sat. May 28 - Denver, CO @ Gothic Theatre *
Mon. May 30 - Des Moines, IA @ Gas Lamp *
Tue. May 31 - Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line *
Wed. Jun. 1 - Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall *
Thu. Jun. 9 - Somerville, MA @ Crystal Ballroom (Ezra Solo)
Thu. Jul. 21  - Valencia, ES @ Diversity Festival
Sun. Jul. 24 - Hertfordshire, UK @ Standon Calling Festival
Sun. Aug. 14 - Des Moines, IA @ Val Air Ballroom ^
Tues. Aug. 16 - Milwaukee, WI @ UWM Panther Arena ^
Wed. Aug. 17 - Indianapolis, IN @ TCU Amphitheater at White River State Park ^
Thu. Aug. 18 - Crickhowell, UK @ Green Man Festival
Tues. Aug  23 - Edinburgh, UK @ Edinburgh International Festival
Mon. Sep. 12 - Montreal, QC @ La Sala Rosa  !
Tue. Sep. 13 - Toronto, ON @ Rec Room  !
Wed. Sep. 14 - Detroit, MI @ The Loving Touch !
Thu. Sep. 15 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Mr Small's !
Fri. Sep. 16 - Baltimore, MD @ Ottobar !
Sun. Sep. 18 - Philadelphia, PA @ Underground Arts !
Mon. Sep. 19 - Providence, RI @ Fete Ballroom !
Tue. Sep. 20 - Boston, MA @ The Sinclair  !
Wed. Sep. 21 - New York, NY @ Webster Hall !
Thu. Sep. 22 - Dover, DE @ Firefly Festival
Mon. Oct. 31 - Bruges, BE @ Cactus Club
Tue. Nov. 1 - Paris, FR @ Le Trabendo
Wed. Nov. 2 - Utrecht, NL @ Tivoli Vredenburg
Thu. Nov. 3 - Hamburg, DE @ Uebel & Gefährlich
Sat. Nov. 5 - Cologne, DE @ Kulturkirche
Sun. Nov. 6 - Berlin, DE @ Festsaaal Kreutzberg
Mon. Nov. 7 - Prague, CZ @ Roxy
Tue. Nov. 8 - Vienna, AT @ Arena Wien
Wed. Nov. 9 - Graz, AT @ Dom Im Berg
Sat. Nov. 12 - Fribourg, CH @ Fri-Son
Sun. Nov. 13 - Munich, DE @ Freiheitshalle
Mon. Nov. 14 - Frankfurt, DE @ Zoom
Wed. Nov. 16 - Brighton, UK @ St Georges Church
Thu. Nov. 17 - London, UK @ The Roundhouse
Sat. Nov. 19 - Birmingham, UK @ The Mill
Mon. Nov. 21 - Manchester, UK @ O2 Ritz
 
* w/ Grace Cummings
^ w/ Jack White
! w/ Art Moore

Art Moore - "Snowy"

Photo by Ulysses Ortega

Art Moore didn't form to write or release albums of music. Instead, the new band featuring Taylor Vick of Boy Scouts and Sam Durkes and Trevor Brooks of Ezra Furman's band, started working together with the intention of making music for film and television projects. The trio found working together easy and decided to form an actual band. Their first single, "Snowy," is the kind of song that blurs the line between indie rock, pop, and even Americana. Musically the song is too electronic to be folk, but it has that same easygoing, melodic feel you'd associate with folk. Vick's vocals have this unique melody that is going to be impossible to resist. The whole package creates this warm and dreamy vibe you're going to love.

Taylor Vick says of the band's new song:

"This song takes the perspective of a widow on a road trip, the thoughts they might have while traveling alone and having conversations as if they're still around. Snowy is that feeling that someone is right next to you, but you know they can't be."

You can watch the video for "Snowy" below. The song is available as a single via ANTI- Records. For more on Art Moore, check out the band's website. Upcoming tour dates opening for Ezra Furman are below the video.

Sep-12 Montreal, QC La Sala Rossa w/Ezra Furman
Sep-13 Toronto, ON The Rec Room w/Ezra Furman
Sep-14 Detroit, MI The Loving Touch w/Ezra Furman
Sep-15 Pittsburgh, PA Mr. Smalls Theatre w/Ezra Furman
Sep-18 Philadelphia, PA Underground Arts w/Ezra Furman
Sep-19 Providence, RI Fete Lounge w/Ezra Furman
Sep-20 Boston, MA The Sinclair w/Ezra Furman
Sep-21 New York, NY Webster Hall w/Ezra Furman

Ezra Furman - "Book of Our Names"

Photo by Buck Meek

The latest from Ezra Furman is a protest piano ballad. That might sound like an odd combination, but this is Ezra Furman so you know she makes it work. The driving force is Furman's vocals. They're not always the most pleasant as Furman strains with emotions at times, but it's always powerful. Of course, as with any music put out by Furman, "Book of Our Names" is hardly a straightforward piano ballad. There are some indie rock touches and some Wilco style noise throughout making the song much more compelling.

Ezra Furman says of her new song:

“This song is about what it feels like to live together under an empire that doesn’t value your lives. I sing it as a Jew and as a trans woman, knowing well the stakes and consequences of being part of a hated population. But it is a protest song intended for use by any movement for collective survival and freedom. I noticed that the book of the Bible called Exodus in English, the one where the Hebrews escape slavery in Egypt, is called the Book of Names in Hebrew. And I started to think that the act of saying names out loud, of seeing individuals in their full irreplaceable uniqueness, holds the seed of true liberation.”

You can watch the video for "Book of Our Names" below. The song is available as a single via ANTI- Records and Bella Union, and can be downloaded here. For more on Ezra Furman, check out the artist's website. Upcoming tour dates are below the video.

Thu. May 19 - Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom *

Sat. May 21 - San Francisco, CA @ August Hall *

Mon. May 23 - Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile *

Tue. May 24 - Vancouver, BC @ Hollywood Theatre *

Wed. May 25 - Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom *

Thu. May 26 - Boise, ID @ Visual Arts Collective *

Sat. May 28 - Denver, CO @ Gothic Theatre *

Mon. May 30 - Des Moines, IA @ Gas Lamp *

Tue. May 31 - Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line *

Wed. Jun. 1 - Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall *

Thu. Jun. 9 - Somerville, MA @ Crystal Ballroom (Ezra Solo)

Thu. Jul. 21  - Valencia, ES @ Diversity Festival 

Sun. Jul. 24 - Hertfordshire, UK @ Standon Calling Festival

Sun. Aug. 14 - Des Moines, IA @ Val Air Ballroom ^

Tues. Aug. 16 - Milwaukee, WI @ UWM Panther Arena ^

Wed. Aug. 17 - Indianapolis, IN @ TCU Amphitheater at White River State Park ^

Sun. Aug. 21 - Crickhowell, UK @ Green Man Festival

Tues. Aug  23 - Edinburgh, UK @ Edinburgh International Festival

Mon. Sep. 12 - Montreal, QC @ La Sala Rosa 

Tue. Sep. 13 - Toronto, ON @ Rec Room 

Wed. Sep. 14 - Detroit, MI @ The Loving Touch

Thu. Sep. 15 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Mr Small's

Sun. Sep. 18 - Philadelphia, PA @ Underground Arts

Mon. Sep. 19 - Providence, RI @ Fete Ballroom

Tue. Sep. 20 - Boston, MA @ The Sinclair 

Wed. Sep. 21 - New York, NY @ Webster Hall 

Thu. Sep. 22 - Dover, DE @ Firefly Festival

 

* w/ Grace Cummings

^ w/ Jack White

Ezra Furman - "Point Me Toward the Real"

Photo by Buck Meek

Ezra Furman seems to encompass many genres. Throughout her career she's dabbled in art pop, rock, indie pop, indie folk, etc. On her latest single, "Point Me Toward the Real," Furman has a new sound: Neo soul. The song is a slow jam with Furman crooning in her own style. It stays pretty true to the soul template except for flourishes that can only be found in a song by Ezra Furman. We bring you a fair amount of neo soul here, but never quite like Furman does it. "Point Me Toward the Real" leans heavily on the pop side of things while still being not even close to mainstream. 

Ezra Furman says of the new song:

“This is a neo-soul song about getting released from a psychiatric hospital, which has never happened to me. But really it’s a song about what you do right after abuse, imprisonment, a brush with death. Who do you call when it’s supposedly over? Where do you go? How do you know what you want?
 
“We’ve all recently been going through something terrifying. We’ve all made friends with death in the last two years. When I look to the future, I want to know who has my back? Whose back do I have? And what is real, what and who can I rely on? Point me toward the real; there’s no other direction I want to go.”

You can watch the video for "Point Me Toward the Real" below. The song is available as a single via Bella Union and ANTI- Records, and can be found here. For more on Ezra Furman, check out the artist's website. Upcoming tour dates can be found below the video.

Sun. Mar. 6 - Northampton, MA @ Iron Horse Music Hall (SOLD OUT)
Mon. Mar. 7 - Rochester, NY @ The Bug Jar
Tue. Mar. 8 - Columbus, OH @ Rumba Cafe (SOLD OUT)
Wed. Mar. 9 - Indianapolis, IN @ State Street Pub
Thu. Mar. 10 - Nashville, TN @ Third Man Records Blue Room
Sat. Mar. 12 - Atlanta, GA @ Aisle 5
Mon. Mar. 14 - Fort Worth, TX @ Tulips
Mar. 15-19 - Austin, TX @ SXSW
Thu. May 19 - Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom *
Sat. May 21 - San Francisco, CA @ August Hall *
Mon. May 23 - Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile *
Tue. May 24 - Vancouver, BC @ Hollywood Theatre *
Wed. May 25 - Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom *
Thu. May 26 - Boise, ID @ Visual Arts Collective *
Sat. May 28 - Denver, CO @ Gothic Theatre *
Mon. May 30 - Des Moines, IA @ Gas Lamp *
Tue. May 31 - Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line *
Wed. Jun. 1 - Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall *
Thu. Jun. 9 - Somerville, MA @ Crystal Ballroom (Ezra Solo)
Thu. Jul. 21  - Valencia, ES @ Diversity Festival 
Sun. Jul. 24 - Hertfordshire, UK @ Standon Calling Festival
Thu. Aug. 18 - Crickhowell, UK @ Green Man Festival
Mon. Sep. 12 - Montreal, QC @ La Sala Rosa 
Tue. Sep. 13 - Toronto, ON @ Rec Room 
Wed. Sep. 14 - Detroit, MI @ The Loving Touch
Thu. Sep. 15 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Mr Small's
Sun. Sep. 18 - Philadelphia, PA @ Underground Arts
Mon. Sep. 19 - Providence, RI @ Fete Ballroom
Tue. Sep. 20 - Boston, MA @ The Sinclair 
Wed. Sep. 21 - New York, NY @ Webster Hall 
Thu. Sep. 22 - Dover, DE @ Firefly Festival
 
* Support from Grace Cummings

Live Shows: Against Me!, Stef Chura, and Evan Greer, Gateway City Arts, Holyoke, MA 3/11/20

March 11 was a weird, weird night to go out to see live music. A global pandemic had just been declared, and what had started out as making the most of it and trying to have what could be one last night out before everyone gets confined to their houses turned into wondering if we should all be there. But, at least there was fantastic music to be heard.

Boston's Evan Greer was brought in for local support, and, as would be expected, a transgender, anti-capitalist folk singer very quickly won over Against Me! fans. Performing solo, songs like "Last iPhone" were stripped of the pop punk trappings and re-imagined as folk punk. "First Boy" and "Liberty Is a Statue" were perfect for the evening. Surprisingly, Greer was given about forty five minutes, which is a huge amount of time for local support. She truly won over the crowd and could have played for twice as long.

Stef Chura was the main draw for me. Midnight was my favorite album of 2019 and I have been dying to see her live for a few years now. Seeing as her music isn't nearly as political and far less punk than Against Me!, she didn't go over as well with the crowd. There was a lot of polite clapping (and some guy that felt the need to scream-yodel and yell out "Now that's what I call music!" during and in between some songs), but did win over most of the crowd by the end of the set. Playing as a four piece band, songs like "All I Do is Lie" and particularly "Method Man" had a new bite and really stressed the 90's indie rock influence in her music. She even brought Ezra Furman on stage to take on Will Toledo's part during "Sweet Sweet Midnight." I'm really looking forward to seeing her own headlining show one of these days.

Between Stef Chura and Against Me!'s set, all hell seemed to break loose. News broke that Tom Hanks had been diagnosed with COVID-19 and the NBA season was being suspended. I was right near the front of the stage and when the pop punk pushing and shoving started, I did something that is very rare for me: I bailed on my position and moved towards the back of the venue. It seems like the younger crowd is really sticking to the "It's just like the flu" line and the more hard edge punks still adopt the "We're all gonna die someday" attitude I never could. It wasn't that the pit was even remotely rough. I just couldn't imagine the person that smelled like cat pee was very adamant about washing their hands. When crowd surfing started, I just wanted to scream out "We're in a pandemic! Stop touching each other!"

From my spot towards the back of the crowd, I found it hard not to keep refreshing my news feeds. Like I said, it was a hell of an hour of news. But Against Me! kept pulling me back in. It helps that they aren't really promoting a new album, and every single song felt like a fan favorite. "Thrash Unreal," "I Was a Teenage Anarchist," and "White People for Peace" got huge (and deserved!) reactions from the crowd. "True Trans Soul Rebel?" So great live. It made me wish I could stop being paranoid and join everyone else jumping around at the front of the stage. Hopefully when everything settles down we can all try it again.

First Listen: New Releases for February 9

A busyish week this week.

Album of the Week:

Artist: Ruby Boots
Album: Don't Talk About It
Quick Description: Roots-adjacent music from someone who could be your new favorite.
Why You Should Listen: You haven't heard anything like this in a little while, even though you probably think you have.
Overall Thoughts: If Lydia Loveless and Margo Price had a baby and gave it to Kathleen Edwards to raise in her coffee shop, you might end up with Ruby Boots. A wonderful listen from start to finish that has a rock sensibility with the roots base behind it without sounding too much like either of them, it feels both raw and polished, dirty yet deliberate. I have no complaints here at all, and if you’re not hooked by “Infatuation,” I may need to ask what’s wrong with you.
Recommendation: Easily my favorite of the week.

Artist: Various Artists
Album: Black Panther soundtrack
Quick Description: Probably the most anticipated rap collaboration in years.
Why You Should Listen: The names involved alone make it worthwhile.
Overall Thoughts: The soundtrack to the heavily-anticipated movie is heavy on the current rap trends and there is really a lot here to like if you’re into what’s going on in rap music currently. Kendrick Lamar has a strong effort here, I’m predictably into the Schoolboy Q track. If I have any complaints, it might be that it feels uneven to someone like me who is a little more particular with his rap tastes, but if you’re into all the styles you’ll find enough to love here.
Recommendation: You'll find something to like here.

Artist: Yasutaka Nakata
Album: Digital Native
Quick Description: Electronic music with a Japanese flair.
Why You Should Listen: If you like electronic music, you'll probably find this refreshing.
Overall Thoughts: Japanese electronic music! The track that features Charli XCX was one I knew from a while ago which is why this landed on my radar, but it is interesting to hear the J-Pop influences throughout this album. I really enjoyed this as a bright, poppy effort.
Recommendation: Absolutely worth a listen.

Artist: Holy Motors
Album: Slow Sundown
Quick Description: Beautiful, lush indie record.
Why You Should Listen: It's definitely the most unique listen of the week.
Overall Thoughts: Lovely droney record with some Peaksy guitar and some nice shoegaze elements at times. Might not impress every listener, but this was one I truly didn’t expect to enjoy as much as I did.
Recommendation: Definitely worth the time.

Artist: Joan as Police Woman
Album: Damned Devotion
Quick Description: Latest from a severely underrated indie act.
Why You Should Listen: Joan as Police Woman always make something essential.
Overall Thoughts: You can never expect a typical record from Joan as Police Woman, and this is certainly no different. Constantly-shifting genres and intentionally slightly-off instrumentation make for a weird and awkward listen that I certainly loved. Not as solid as her last album, which had a more accessible flavor to it, but still a very great listen that reminds me why her albums are always among the first I go for when a new release is out.
Recommendation: Give this a shot.

Artist: Brigid Mae Power
Album: The Two Worlds
Quick Description: Off-center folky stuff.
Why You Should Listen: You want something a little different and quiet.
Overall Thoughts: I wanted to like this a lot more than I ended up liking it. Sort of folky, sort of slow, it felt a little more like a meandering album than something I truly enjoyed. This isn’t to say it may not work for any number of listeners, but this definitely didn’t do enough for me in a somewhat-busy week.
Recommendation: Didn't work for me, might for you.

Artist: Ahbi the Nomad
Album: Marbled
Quick Description: Independent rap music from an unfamiliar voice.
Why You Should Listen: He definitely has a lot going for him.
Overall Thoughts: An Indian rapper who does his share of dabbling in a lot of different genres, this may not be something that wins you over due to the mic skills as much as the way it dances around in tone and provides a different perspective on how rap can be approached. This isn’t going to necessarily win over someone who is really into, say, what’s on the Black Panther soundtrack this week, but if you’re looking for something a little different on the rap side of things, give this a spin.
Recommendation: Worth a listen.

Artist: David Duchovny
Album: Every Third Thought
Quick Description: Latest album from the a-list celeb.
Why You Should Listen: Actors-turned-musicians is often an embarrassing disaster. This is not.
Overall Thoughts: I still can’t believe this works. I enjoyed Duchovny’s previous album more than enough to give this new one a shot, and, believe it or not, it gets better. It’s incredibly difficult to take the fact that this is David Duchovny out of the equation, but his voice has a Mike Doughty tonality to it and the music itself is an homage of sorts to the sort of 1990s/2000s adult alternative alt-rock that it all comes together fairly cleanly. I promise this is worth your time. If “When the Whistle Blows” doesn’t work for you, I truly don’t know what to say.
Recommendation: Listen to this, legitimately one of the better listens this week.

Artist: Alela Diane
Album: Cusp
Quick Description: First solo album in close to five years from the folky.
Why You Should Listen: Alela Diane is very good, and not enough people know it.
Overall Thoughts: Alela Diane has been a favorite of mine for a while, and it’s been a minute since we got new music from her. The new album is a stark, gorgeous affair with a lot going for it – the songwriting is good, Diane’s voice as strong as ever. Good for those who are looking for something a little stripped down.
Recommendation: An essential listen this week.

Artist: Son Lux
Album: Brighter Wounds
Quick Description: Hard-to-categorize music from a group that is good at what it does.
Why You Should Listen: Think if Grizzly Bear was more adventurous?
Overall Thoughts: While my brain will always wrongly go to Son Volt initially on this act, the reality of Son Lux is that they make some challenging, complicated music that I always look forward to hearing even if I don’t always enjoy it. This album felt a little long at times, but the deliberate uncomfortableness that surrounds this listen ultimately makes up for it.
Recommendation: This won’t be for everyone, but it hit the right tone for me this time around.

Artist: The Wombats
Album: Beautiful People Will Ruin Your Life
Quick Description: Latest sadsack indie rock effort.
Why You Should Listen: They had such a strong debut that it's worth seeing if they can light that fire again.
Overall Thoughts: Ah, the Wombats. Another one of those late-aughts indie-like acts that struck it big (in this case, it was “Let’s Dance to Joy Division”) and have been trying to break through again ever since. This latest album, well, it doesn’t quite get there for me, and there is enough good here to at least give this one go, but it is unlikely to provide most listeners with anything of significance.
Recommendation: Good for fans, but, in a busy week, skip this one.

Artist: Ezra Furman
Album: Transangelic Exodus
Quick Description: New album from the solid singer-songwriter.
Why You Should Listen: Ezra Furman makes music that forces you to pay attention.
Overall Thoughts: Ezra Furman has been a condundrum for me ever since I discovered him, and this new album, in a way, is a really brutal and honest listen in a good way. There’s a lot of raw energy and confession in here that I love love love, and even on the songs that didn’t quite land for me, the overall feeling and effort here is second to none.
Recommendation: Absolutely one of the best listens of the week.

Artist: Franz Ferdinand
Album: Always Ascending
Quick Description: Latest from the British rock act.
Why You Should Listen: You too remember "Take Me Out."
Overall Thoughts: Listening to this, it’s hard to remember why this band was one of the biggest going for a while.
Recommendation: Skip this one entirely.

Artist: MGMT
Album: Little Dark Age
Quick Description: New album from the indie pop act.
Why You Should Listen: "Kids" was awesome and MGMT always does interesting music.
Overall Thoughts: MGMT had their huge smash with “Kids,” and then followed it up with some really odd duds. This is a return to form(?) for the group, which is back to doing some weird, accessible poppy stuff. It’s a decent listen, but not their best – it’s still something that may trigger a few positives for you.
Recommendation: Worth a shot if you're into it.


EPs of note:

* Shakey Graves - The Sleep EP
* The Oh Hellos - Euros
* OK Sweetheart - Far Away

Also out:

* Moviestar - Stupid People/Happy Days (reissues!)
* Legend of the Seagullmen - Legend of the Seagullmen