Dig ‘in: Queens Of The Stone Age, Far Caspian, Martin Frawley
Check out what the No Wristbands team is listening to and what’s in our show calendars this month on our latest Dig ‘in.
INCOMING
Queens Of The Stone Age - In Times New Roman (Matador Records LP)
Head Queen Josh Homme has had a pretty rough time in the six years since QOTSA last record Villains; a bitter divorce and custody battle, and the deaths of three close friends, Anthony Bourdain, Mark Lanegan, and Taylor Hawkins. While Homme has always been a bit of a bully—often using the gay slur f-word for unruly and ignorant audience members—Queens remain the premier hard-rock band in all of music. In Times New Roman is their 8th record in 27 years, and Homme has remained the sole member, building an incredible band around him, much like Jeff Tweedy has done with Wilco. Always a clever lyricist, Homme’s lyrics are particularly strong this time around. “Every living thing will die / From the king of the jungle to butterfly / Only sin is waiting too long”(‘Carnavoyeur’); “I don’t care what the people say / Going deaf deliberately / And the wolf’s on the creep with the sheep on the merry-go-round” (‘What the Peephole Say’); “Use once and destroy / Single servings of pain / A dose of emotion sickness/ I just can’t shake” (‘Emotion Sickness’). Notably, all members get song writing credits, a first, and the results are the most consistently outstanding Queens record since 2013’s Grammy nominated Like Clockwork. For a band composed of outstanding and sympathetic musicians, to these ears it’s bassist Michael Shuman who’s arisen to become the indelible structure and punk rock energy of QOTSA. Listen to how he glides underneath the one and only(!) guitar solo on the outstanding “Paper Machete,” and follows that with high melodic figures that wrap the main verses of “Negative Space.” So coolBeginning their tour in Europe a couple weeks back, Homme was all smiles and seemed genuinely—grateful—and gracious, onstage. Evolution. It’s good to see. -Wade Iverson
Far Caspian - The Last Remaining Light (A Tiny Library Recording LP)
Predisposed to a perfectionist personality, Joel Johnston struggled to finish his first Far Caspian LP, Ways To Get Out, back in 2020. Functioning as a self-recorded solo artist, it’s easy enough to image him getting caught up in his own head without outside reassurance. He was just passing his mid-twenties then and hadn’t anticipated the pressures of adjusting to young adulthood with an arts degree that offered little in the way of job prospects. When final mixes for the album were submitted nearly a year later, Johnston was re-energized and immediate set out to start working on the follow-up.
With the lessons he learned previously, the creation of The Last Remaining Light took a much more relaxed approach, filled with a lot of single takes. That said, the new album is an accomplished achievement—crisp sounding with a sense of dynamic not usually present in solo efforts. Johnston found inspiration from his daily commute, which brought a fresh perspective to his native Leeds cityscape. The record reflects that free-flowing mobility and serves as an intimate viewfinder into his life. Johnston revealed listening to Eno’s Discreet Music during his trips into the studio and like that effort, The Last Remaining Light gently infiltrates your consciousness before settling in with a comforting embrace. -Bruce Novak
Martin Frawley - The Wannabe (Trouble In Mind LP)
When Martin Frawley put out his first solo album, Undone at 31, after the demise of Twerps, the raw aftermath of the break-up permeated the record. While Frawley described it as therapeutic to be writing and playing again, the residue of crumbling relationships and pain-numbing drinking were plainly in sight. Four years on, Frawley has been able to process more of the fallout and The Wannabe is a more self-reflected take on addressing life decisions and prioritizing family. His perspective is informed by a recent marriage and the birth of a son, along with coming to terms with his relationship with his father Maurice, an admired songwriter and guitarist, who passed away at age 55 in 2009 from liver cancer.
The album’s opening track, “This Is Gonna Change Your Mind,” was originally hatched as a plea to keep Twerps together, and its resurrection here plays out as a fond remembrance and recognition for a need to carry-on. Frawley expresses redemption and wonderment in “Lola” for the new found happiness he now shares with his wife. “5th Of The 5th” looks back on the struggle to follow in his father’s footsteps and the hope that he’d be proud of who he’s become. The Wannabe closes out with a heartfelt “Given Everything,” a song that was co-written by Frawley’s father and bandmate Charlie Owen. In a moment of self-deprecation on the title track, Martin sings “I’m the wannabe / A half-arsed musician that no one wants to see.” All comparisons aside, he’s more than proved his worth and forged his own way forward, no longer needing to be looking back. -Bruce Novak
UPCOMING
Say Sue Me
Where: Empty Bottle / Directions
When: July 20, 9:00 PM
In seeking their own unique identity, the members of Say Sue Me turned to the west and American indie and underground music to mix with their Busan, South Korean heritage. As self-described introverts, shoegaze became a natural part of that equation, as did surf music for a band whose practice studio overlooks Gwangalli beach. Singing predominately in English also provided an emotional buffer for vocalist and lyricist Sumi Choi, who otherwise feels more exposed when emoting through her native tongue. To celebrate their tenth anniversary in 2022, Say Sue Me released the record10 that contained reworked versions of a couple of their classic songs plus covers of Yo La Tengo, Pavement and Guided By Voices among others. That was preceded a few years earlier by and EP filled with songs by the Ramones, Blondie and the Velvet Underground. While those influences infiltrate the band’s original material, they hardly define their overall impact. Lead guitarist Byungkyu Kim, who orchestrates Say Sue Me’s music, is a versatile musician skilled in the spectrum of loud and soft dynamics. Choi was welcomed into the band when they were searching out a singer due to the richness of her speaking voice, and her sense of melody and tone is hard to resist. Their third LP released last year, The Last Thing Left, reflects a growing maturity, offering more reflection and structure for an alternative brand of K-pop that’s deserving of mass appeal in its own right. -Bruce Novak
MJ Lenderman
Where: Pitchfork Red Stage - Union Park / Directions
When: July 22, 3:20 PM
MJ Lenderman is ready to play to the Chicago crowd right off the bat with his lead single about Michael Jordan, “Hangover Game,” from last year’s breakthrough album Boat Songs. You may know Lenderman as a member of Asheville North Carolina’s Wednesday, but he’s quite prolific as a solo artist as well. His influence in Wednesday is most clearly reflected in his affinity for indie alt-country twinged songs. “You Have Bought Yourself A Boat” gives off a chugging countryfied lo-fi stomp of Neil Young. Similar to the lyrics of bandmate Karly Hartzman, Lenderman explores the darker side of living, life isn’t always sunshine and smiles. Guitar playing, and more importantly fuzzed-out guitar solos, are tools in Lenderman’s toolbox that I look forward to seeing displayed at Pitchfork. -Mark Joyner
Jockstrap
Where: Pitchfork Red Stage - Union Park / Directions
When: July 23, 3:20 PM
Half the fun of the lead-up to Pitchfork Music Festival every year is speculating with friends on who you think is going to fill out the bill. I’d have bet almost anything on one of my favorite bands of the past couple of years, Black Country, New Road, being there this year, but I would not have been entirely right this year. What do I mean not entirely right? Well, London’s Jockstrap comprising BC,NR member Georgia Ellery is playing on Sunday at Pitchfork. Jockstrap’s music stands on its own outside of its shared lineage with BC,NR. Whereas BC,NR is more sprawling indie rock, Jockstrap blends Ellery’s gentle vocals and violin playing with electronic beats fashioned with partner Taylor Skye. What we are left with is a beautiful mix of delicate music paired with dancier beats on “Glasgow” and Bollywood-influenced beats with orchestral arpeggios on “Debra.” Seeing as Jockstrap’s music is a combination of violin with electronics, it will be interesting to see how they set up and perform in a festival setting, but I’d imagine the open field of the Red Stage will do their music justice. -Mark Joyner
UNCOVERED
Twerps - Range Anxiety (Chapter Music/Merge Records LP)
Bands born out of romantic relationships are a difficult thing to navigate. Martin Frawley and Julia MacFarlane were smitten with each other when they met and their creative collaborations gave juice to the Twerps when they formed out of Melbourne in 2008. By time the band wrapped up in 2017, the creative tension had become too much to bear. Despite being tagged as part of the Australian dolewave movement, ascribing them a melancholic disposition, Twerps buoyant melodies and jangly rhythms belied that categorization.
When it was released in 2015, Range Anxiety became the band’s second and final full length album. While it caught listeners off guard when Twerps imploded afterwards, there were indications of an uncertain future to be found. When speaking about the record at the time, MacFarlane divulged “To me it’s just terrifying—how does everyone stay happy and at the same time how do you be honest with what you want to do?” In the track “Simple Feelings,” Frawley sings “You were up / You were down / You weren’t always around / We were in / We were out / We’re always in doubt.” The inner turmoil served Twerps well with a suite of songs that land as bittersweet rather than outright bitter. By time Range Anxiety wraps up with the appropriately named “Empty Road,” Frawley is transfixed with a crush that he’s only comfortable tracking from a distance. He repeats over and over “That’s when I knew / I was following you.” When things feel unobtainable, who’s to fault the decision to just let things go? -Bruce Novak
We recommend listening along over at our Spotify page. Here’s this week’s content: