Pls Pls Me has today premiered their new video for the single titled ‘Water Torture’. When I first heard Pls Pls Me last year I fell in love with their style and originality. And, when I interviewed them, I fell in love with their personalities and drive. Jimi Fish and Jessie Torrisi are two artists who could easily have brilliant solo careers but, when brought together, become this original thing that demands a listen and commands an audience.
With ‘Water Torture’, this is proven a solid fact. This video has that slow burn feel that captivates you with that first look and keeps you for a second. The song gives a sonic resilience to the recently disenfranchised and isolated with the assurance that we are not alone yet we can survive isolated. ‘Water Torture’ is a song of strength. And, almost like an anthem, it drives that point to the end and makes that end of the song a new beginning. Take a listen. Take a look. Take the message.
Check out our other features with Pls Pls Me HERE.
Featured image by Jason Leavy.
About ‘Water Torture’
‘Water Torture’ is Pls Pls Me’s send-off to Donald Trump. It is a description of how the duo felt the last 4 years, just hearing his voice. “For anyone who cares about racial justice, or the rising number of COVID deaths, or who wants this country to stand for more than celebrity or ego – it felt like he was taunting us,” Jessie says. Trump’s tweets, history of sexual harassment, his claim of being a super successful businessman while declaring bankruptcy 6 times, all find their way into this song.
Though they’ve been known to inject their politics into their music before, Pls Pls Me didn’t set out to write a song about Trump. One day, Jimi heard a sound clip by Brooklyn producer Noams on instagram. Instantly lyrics popped into his hand, so he reached out to Noams, who had never intended to make a song from the instrumental, and they struck a deal. Soon after, musicians from NYC to Austin TX lent their voices for the chorus; it turns out quite a few people felt bruised ‘n battered by 4 years of a Trump presidency.
The vision further came together when their New York photographer friend Jason Leavy flew out to California and they did a shoot at Hayes Mansion, San Jose, taking pictures masked up by the eery yet entrancing light of the swimming pool at night.
“For me, this song is a purge,” Jimi says. “I love our campiness and our ability to bring queerness to such a serious topic. Right now, America feels split in so many ways. While unity would be great, there will be none until we get the negativity out.”
Music, after all, is catharsis. And we could all use some of that after 2020.
About Pls Pls Me
Pls Pls Me is a Brooklyn-based queer electro pop duo who came together on a grey New Year’s Day in 2016. While launching QUEER MF, a local showcase and party for queer music, singer/multi-instrumentalists Jimi Fish and Jessie Torrisi bonded over writing songs about sex, longing, and surviving the age of Trump.
Their love of eclectic, hip hop-inflected production and otherworldly harmonies crystalized with last year’s long-awaited debut EP, Too Late. Jammerzine called them “a slow melodic burn… that hits in all the right places.” Analogue Trash calls their modern dream-pop “very doomy, but a lot of fun.” And OVRLD says Pls Pls Me are a cross of “early XX and Everything But the Girl.” Their latest track Water Torture, which is a send-off for Trump, is a departure from their summer love anthems.
But this band has a sonic range. More than anything, Pls Pls Me is the story of a deep friendship formed over late nights at the piano while pondering the power dynamics of love and the art of being queer. Their follow-up EP, produced by indie songstress Sarah Jaffe, is due out in Summer 2021.
LINKS:
https://plsplsme.nyc
https://www.facebook.com/PlsPlsMeNYC
https://open.spotify.com/artist/2GFPThWEgRKDMICtF5Nb85?si=JMN8DTqgQOKENVw2O1tY1g
https://www.instagram.com/plspls.me
https://www.twitter.com/PlsPlsMeNYC
https://www.soundcloud.com/plsplsme
https://www.youtube.com/user/YouPleasePleaseMe
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Someday – Last Lesson
Trippy and musically fantastic, the new track from Italian band Someday titled “Last Lesson” is a fast-paced hook-laden track with hooks galore and a steady two-speed rhythm that chugs along with carefree reckless abandon. Until you listen to the lyrics. But, as in life, happiness is always made sweeter from the bitterness of sadness. Let that be your last lesson.
About Someday
Seahorse Recordings presents the new 10-track album from Someday, called ‘This Doesn’t Exist’. Now based in Turin (Torino), this trio is comprised of Daniele Bianco, Michele Fierro, and Fabio Digitali. The first single from this album is ‘Last Lesson’.This is Someday’s debut album, entailing a search for balance and essentialness that may be appreciated by fans of early Tokyo Police Club and Foals, Bombay Bicycle Club, Placebo, Born Ruffians, Hot Hot Heat, and The Stills. The band cites numerous influences, including early Sparklehorse, The Smiths, Joy Division, Placebo, Sonic Youth, The Cure, Paolo Conte and La Crus.
“Our song ‘Last Lesson’ was inspired by a true story happened some years ago, a very common and sad story. What happened made me think that, sometimes, when “something strange embraces you” and you think you are helpless, you just have to wait, nothing else… because maybe the solution is simple but you can’t just see it,” says Daniele Bianco. “As usually happens with bands, the first album is both a starting point and a goal… I hope it’s only the beginning because we have a lot of other stories to tell, and some of them are ready for the telling.”
“‘Last Lesson’ came about naturally, as it often happens when music works well… we play, we look in each other’s eyes and we know immediately that the song just works. It sounds sweet and disturbing… like the feelings we often feel,” explains Michele Fierro. “We are very happy because it is like we always wanted it to. Every song has its particular feeling and it sounds like we imagined. We can’t wait to play it live.”
Aptly titled ‘This Doesn’t Exist’, the lyrics from this album speak about what no longer exists, never existed and will never exist. Lead tracks ‘Last Lesson’ and ‘Clean Couch’ are about people or animals that have gone to a better place. ‘Little Choices’ cites that we have no more achievable choices. ‘Shelters and Picture’ note places that are no longer reachable. ‘Jokes’ explores imaginary lives built on a lie, while ‘Maurizio’ tells of lives that have lost something very important. ‘Forgotten’ reveals certainties that are nothing but obvious illusions.
Through this album, the band highlight the trivial occurrences of ordinary lives, with shifting musical trajectories between dark and post-rock (Forgotten, Waitings, Little Choices) to indie pop (Clean Couch, Shelters, Picture), as well as new wave and light psychedelia (Last Lesson, Gliding, Jokes). ‘This Doesn’t Exist’ is full of black and white atmospheres but celebrates the many shades of grey in between.
Someday was formed in Collegno, a city close to Torino (Piedmont, Italy) by two childhood friends – Daniel Bianco (guitar/vocals/lyrics) and Michele Fierro (bass). Initially rehearsing in Michele’s living room and Daniel’s cellar, they began making demo tapes, had several singles on Italian music compilations, and eventually released their debut EP “Flowers in the Cellar” and two singles ‘Divano Pulito’ and ‘Rifugi’ in 2016, produced by Luca “Vicio” Vicini of Subsonica. They were then joined by drummer Federico Segato to form a trio, who was subsequently replaced by Fabio Digitali.
SOURCE: Official Bio
LINKS:
http://www.facebook.com/somedaytorino
http://someday.bandcamp.com
http://twitter.com/somedaytorino
http://soundcloud.com/somedaymusic
http://www.instagram.com/somedaytorino
http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCV_7mHdPn5FT-IHasZIuHVA -
ShapeShiftingAliens – Showing My Face
ShapeShiftingAliens is a Swedish duo, consisting of Niklas Rundquist and J.P Cleve on vocals. Together they create music and unusual and eccentric videos. Their inventive approach appealed to Nolan Cook of The Residents, leading them to collaborate with one another on ‘Shadows’, the final track from their 2017 eponymous album.
Rundquist and Cleve met when they were both working with Iodine Jupiter. Cleve is a producer and composer, live musician and studio musician (guitar) for artists and film, as well as touring and performing. Inspired by various film music composers and especially horror films, their music has also been influenced by the likes of David Bowie, Lou Reed, Goldfrapp, Air, Radiohead, Smashing Pumpkins, and Massive Attack.
In the early 80s, Rundquist participated on Lustans Lakejer‘s first record and performed with The Leather Nun. Since then he has been composing music for films, documentaries and commercials (i.e. the vignette for Sandrew Metronome) and has created music for Cirkus Cirkör, Iodine Jupiter, and various artists on the London scene. Today, Rundquist is once again part of The Leather Nun (on violin) and stands behind Brainshadow.
ShapeShiftingAliens signed to Swedish indie label The Sublunar Society in 2016. Since that time, they have released three singles – ‘Just a Boy’, ‘Stay’ and ‘Cut To The Bone’ – followed by their full-length ‘ShapeShiftingAliens’ LP.
The Sublunar Society is a record label and publishing company, founded by Marie Lundvall and Peder Bjoerk in 2013. Sublunar releases music and publishes literature for the international and national markets. The company also produces exclusive limited edition art products for collectors. The guiding spirit behind The Sublunar Society is one of artistic freedom and creative exploration beyond the conventional.
The ‘Showing My Face’ single is now available across online stores and streaming platforms, as well as through The Sublunar Society’s own Bandcamp.
LINKS:
http://www.sublunarsociety.net/artist/shapeshiftingaliens
http://www.facebook.com/shapeshiftingaliens
http://shapeshiftingaliens.sublunarsociety.net
http://twitter.com/shapeshal
http://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/shapeshiftingaliens/477620386
http://open.spotify.com/artist/32gDLBQt0KvaMsWTdXHgC8 -
Mint – Goodbye Beautiful
Mint drop their new video titled ‘Goodbye Beautiful’. Music with a message is more important than ever in these weird times that we live in and it’s nice to get those subtle reminders from time to time. Do we listen? Sure, sometimes. Sometimes not. But the important thing is that it is highlighted.
The music is upfront and in your face in a way to capture the mind and captivate the motivation. Combined with the contemporary visuals you get a contemplative look at contemporary times. Feel the need and urge to wake up and speak up. Some people won’t listen. But some will. Get the ones that will speak up with you.
We’re as scared and angry as any other person our age. If we can provide a soundtrack for people that can relate then we have made a difference. We’re not a protest band and not every song will be a protest. We can’t afford to take a day off work and travel to London to add our voice. But we’re not just going to watch TV and read online either.
ABOUT ‘GOODBYE BEAUTIFUL’
On ‘Goodbye Beautiful’ frontman, Zak has written a song that encapsulates the diverse issues his generation faces. Memories of hearing ‘Bella Ciao’ sung by the sole Italian family in his area inspired him to write a song to voice the resentments, fears, and concerns of the young over the environment and their future, as well as wider issues such as racism, animal cruelty and societal division. In three and a half minutes, Mint channel the broad scope of the song into a high-octane imperial march towards certain doom. Guitars careen through the mix mounting to an explosive and unforgettable chorus. It is a powerful statement of intent from a group that see the emotional resonance of music as a potential platform for uniting people. The accompanying video is compiled from footage taken by a friend of the band on his travels, interspersed with suggestive images: icebergs, waste, oil spillage, animal suffering, and protesters clamoring for revolution.
As they were developing the idea, the group reached out online and contacted organizations, bloggers and social media. “It was an amazing response and took us by surprise” confirms Sam (Veggie). “Most people were delighted to be involved and all added thanks and support.” “We’re hoping that we will touch upon people enough to make them think” Zak adds. “We hope that it will inspire them to do their bit”. Fans of the song can expect a raw honky-tonk acoustic version forthcoming too.
ABOUT MINT
Mint comes from the dolorous landscape of West Marsh, Grimsby. The northern and eastern boundaries are formed by Alexandra Dock, while the western edge is subsumed into the smog of the Pyewipe industrial area. The south is bordered by impassable railway tracks. It is an area with little hope, no tourists, and the dried-up husk of a once prosperous fishing industry. Zak, Veggie, Lenny and Bambi all attended the same school, though the semantics of the word ‘attended’ is loosely applied here. They formed a close bond while locking horns over their different music tastes. Guitarist Lenny drew inspiration from the avant-garde sounds of Nick Cave, The Birthday Party, and The Pop Group, while the other three members leaned towards indie classics and the harder edges of rock. They went on to study at Grimsby Institute and the idea to form a band was soon realized and became serious in 2018.
Being half Palestinian and sporting wild hair in an area affiliated with skinheads, frontman Zak Rashid had it hardest coming up, and started to look outside of his home town. He was a young pro skateboarder and surfer by day and taught himself graphic design by night. When he is not gigging he runs the (only NE) local surf shop and designs artwork for artists such as Lucy Spraggan, Black Honey and False Heads. Lenny works in the cafe next door whilst Bambi and Veggie work shifts in soup canning factories. Mint has enjoyed UK radio support from Radio 1 and playlisting on Radio X and has performed at all major UK festivals. In mid-2019 they started to realize their sound, an idiosyncratic fusion of indie melodies set to beefier instrumentation. Recently they have begun work with award-winning production team Sugar House and taken on management.
LINKS:
https://www.instagram.com/wearejustmint
https://open.spotify.com/artist/3P1VGtEN58XJY7P0TzIapp
https://soundcloud.com/wearejustmint
https://www.facebook.com/WeAreJustMint
https://twitter.com/wearejustmint