Freelance Whales have been making their presence known to me steadily for the passed few weeks. It started when my talented friend Andrea Nakhla put together this video for Swapdoodles, our friends’ project, set to a Freelance Whales song. Since then I’ve been putting them on mixes, and just got the latest Porchswing mix and noticed they were sitting quite comfortably in between Wild America and True Womanhood. (Yes, I’ve linked it, but it’s members only so.. sorry). Anyway, I just came across this Stereogum exclusive video and it’s beautiful. Lyrically, they are unrivaled. The chorus for Generator Second Floor goes something like, “dont fix my smile, life is long enough, we will put this flesh into the ground again”. Weaving a dreamy tapestry of narratives, citing childhood stories and fantasies. With soft vocals and layered instrumentation it reminds me a little of Annuals, Beirut, or Broken Social Scene.

Immediately, I knew I’d like this band. And then I found out they’re from my hometown of Toronto. They’re called Mathemagic, and as far as I know their EP ‘Breaststroke’ hasn’t even been released yet. Before I go any further, did you know that Mathemagicians are real? Mathemagic is a real thing, as demonstrated by Arthur Benjamin in his TED talks about “lightning calculations and other feats of mathematical agility”. Back to the band- they’ve got that shimmering, hazy sound that makes everything steady along a slow-motion pace. It steadies your breathing. I’m two songs in and already in love. The repetitive phrase ‘it’s alright’ makes you believe that, hey, it really is. Toronto, sometimes I adore you.

Mathemagic- Breaststroke

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Mathemagic-High

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Hey friends, 

Exciting stuff here at FWBA, we’re in the beginning stages of completely revamping this space. I’m so excited about partnering with Cameron Woodward- social media guru/technology wizard/dude from Rushmore. Soon you’ll be able to connect with us on a new level, we want your feedback, we want you to hit us up, write us love letters, give us your thoughts and get involved. This may take some time but stick with us, we’ll be posting regularly like we always do. 

As we slowly transform this space into a more accessible, relevant forum for cool ‘ish and other projects we’re excited about, we want you on board with us. Thanks for keeping with us and sending us sweet messages. We love them. Feel free to write us at friendswithbotharms@gmail.com

Love, 

Nada and Andrea

La Strada- My New Home

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Fruit Bats are playing in LA on the 26th and of course the show is sold out and of course I can’t go anyway. I love their album ‘The Ruminant Band’ mostly because I just think ruminant is one of the most fantastic words, oh and that the collection of songs is spectacular.  They’re melodic, 70s country-jams that sound a little like Fleetwood Mac or Zeppelin or something. On their recent Daytrotter session they covered a Neil Young track about Charles Manson called ‘Revolution Blues/Union Blanket’ that’s super rad and a little creepy. I’m playing their album in my new car (yes new car) okay, well borrowed from a friend. This car has a name, and it’s called Skeletal Lightning, you’ll notice by the giant ‘Skeletal Lightning’ decal on the front, and Skeleton head in the backseat, oh and it’s also got lightning bolts on the side and it’s bright purple. This rules. Thanks David Young.

Fruit Bats- My Unusual Friend

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Fruit Bats- Beautiful Morning Light

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So you open for acts like Coldplay, Amy Winehouse, and Boy George..NBD. Sure, they’re like any swing cover band, borrowing (okay, robbing) from another era, but they do what they do really well. It’s authentic, and there’s a real sense of nostalgia that makes you wonder how on earth teenagers can conjure up the roots of soul and rock and blues in it’s pristine state, with hardcover vinyl, fuzzy recordings and super catchy songs. Also, three names rule, it makes me think of Sharon Lois and Bram- you know, the Canadian singing group that had that Elephant Show. No?  It just rolls off the tongue, you know? SharonLoisandBram..

Anyway, this group is brilliant. It’s like hey- do you like R&B, country, swing, Hawaiian, Gospel, Fifties? They’ve got that, oh yeah, and these three siblings have also mastered drums, harmonica, piano, lap steel, banjo, ukulele, accordion, xylophone, trombone etc etc. Oh right, and Kitty is 17.I’ll go so far as to say if you don’t like them, or at least appreciate what they do- you don’t like music. There, I said it. 

Kitty; Daisy & Lewis- Honolulu Rock-A-Roll

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Kitty; Daisy & Lewis- Buggin’ Blues

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Kitty; Daisy & Lewis- Goin Up The Country

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This isn’t new, I’m just listening and wanted to share.

Bobby Birdman- Only For A While 

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Bobby Birdman- Perfect for Light

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Gil Scott-Heron hasn’t released a thing in 13 years. He just released an album called ‘Im New Here’. He’s spent the passed decade in and out of prison for drug charges. He’s an activist, a poet, a musician, and a spoken-word artist. And now his voice carries the grittiness of age, weathered and strained- but he’s still got a few words to say. The first song off the album that I heard was ‘New York Was Killing Me’ which evokes that Tom Waits/ William Elliot Whitmore aesthetic, a plea to return to the South- much like his musical resurgence, he’s searching for something to keep him alive, to keep himself away from his own demons. He brings us back to America in his era, the days when he reigned- making us wonder how much of it has really changed, or if we’re still in a desperate societal unrest. The solidarity we feel in collective strife, or hopelessness is powerful in song, especially from the songwriters who’ve lived to tell about it. 

I thought his spoken word track ‘running’ was pretty poignant, maybe it was the distinctive narrative, the tone of his voice, but I really love it. 

Because I always feel like running 
Not away, because there is no such place 
Because, if there was I would have found it by now 
Because it’s easier to run, 
Easier than staying and finding out you’re the only one…who didn’t run 

Gil Scott-Heron- Running

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Gil Scott-Heron- New York is Killing Me

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Thunder Power are releasing their fourth EP March 2nd. Woo! Is there a more enigmatic voice than lead vocalist Kacynna Tompsett? She’s all things that are wonderful and raspy about Cat Power or Heartless Bastards but a bit sweeter. I’ve always loved the track ‘(Why don’t you go) take a hike’- a song that was described as:

“The smothering affection of a friend/lover who is clueless to hints to maybe back off a bit. Either that, or maybe it’s time s/he ought to just take a fucking hike and never come back. It’s the kind of dichotomy played out in so many relationships: the one who loves too much versus the one who loves not enough”

The backing of her seamlessly breezy voice makes this request all the more nonchalante, she’s got reserves of collected coolness that we could all use some more of. 

Thunder Power- (Why Don’t You Go) Take A Hike

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Thunder Power-Bite Marx

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Thunder Power- Heartifact

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Sometimes you need the uncomplicated songs. You want things to sound easy and soft, you can leave it on in the background and not have to think too much about it. It makes things like sleep and love and the great outdoors seem simple, like things you can methodically untangle in an afternoon- like it all has a formula anyway, and we’d all do good to take a step back and see it that way. It’s youth and young manhood. This is Two Bicycles, maybe I was so drawn to him because of his affiliation with Andy Shauf, (I’m almost positive they’re from the same hometown or are friends, at the very least- they’d exchange hellos if they ran into eachother) a beloved Canadian songwriter that I think is just lovely- or maybe its the general Canadian-ness of him. Even songs like ‘Violence’ are mild mannered and whispered. Anyway, his name is Jamison and he just released an EP entitled ‘The End’ and he seems like a real nice boy, don’t you think?

Two Bicycles- Violence

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Two Bicycles- Tonight

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For good measure- check out Andy Shauf too..

Andy Shauf- Your Heart

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Andy Shauf- Crushes

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The New Frightened Rabbit record is hasty, it’s aggressive, pulsing and feverish. A response to sexual repression, the rhythmic strides, the coarse vocals. It’s a stretch from the sweetly sad ballads of The Midnight Organ Fight, with only a few tracks that could’ve passed with a little less aggression, like ‘Swim Until You Can’t See Land’. Songs like ‘The Loneliness and the Scream’ encapsulate the aesthetic of this album, noisy and angry, working up an energy into a climax with a chorus of voices. Nothing Like You charges something like their ‘Backwards Walk’ as he says, “there is nothing like someone new, this girl she was nothing like you”. Admittedly I would’ve enjoyed a few more mellow tracks like Good Arms vs. Bad Arms- but this record shows their emotive musical progression, layered, more angst, and ‘more cant live with-cant live without [girls]‘.

Frightened Rabbit- Nothing Like You

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Frightened Rabbit- Man (Bag of Sand)

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