ganser

FIVE FAVOURITES: Ganser

Formed of Nadia Garofalo (keyboards/vocals), Alicia Gaines (bass/vocals), Charlie Landsman (guitar) and Brian Cundiff (drums), Chicago-based Ganser have garnered comparisons to the likes of 90s noise-makers Fugazi, Shellac, and Sonic Youth. The band have recently shared their new album, Just Look at That Sky, via Felte Records and it’s a defiant fusion of jolting rhythms, confrontational vocals and manic riffs.

We think one of the best ways to get to know a band is by asking what music inspired them to write in the first place. We caught up with bassist & vocalist Alicia Gaines to ask about her “Five Favourites” – five songs that she believes have inspired Ganser’s song-writing techniques on their latest record. Check out her choices below, and scroll down to watch Ganser’s video for ‘Projector’ at the end of this post.

 

1. Yeah Yeah Yeahs – ‘Date With a Night’
There is a songwriting mode we’ve utilized at times which I’ve jokingly called “Doom Hoedown” or “Doom Shuffle.” Before really getting into The Birthday Party and their ilk, my first concert back home with my high school friends was Yeah Yeah Yeahs. I remember being blown away by their raw delivery and Karen O’s command of her particular vocal style. It took us a while to tease out what songs lean into Nadia and my strengths as vocalists, but man the music’s like a glove for O’s voice here. Listening to this really makes me miss the chaos of playing live.

2. Ultravox – ‘Distant Smile’
For Ganser, it’s about contrast. The violence and serenity in this track really compliment each other. Red looks more red against green, and so on. In a way the form of this one is a backwards version of our track ‘Emergency Equipment and Exits’. I love how the back half of this song sounds like its running away from itself.

3. Talking Heads – ‘Life During Wartime’ (Live in Los Angeles 1983)
This live version has an inevitability that’s hard to escape. The faster tempo and incredible work by the band’s support vocalists adds to the urgency on this classic. Tina Weymouth is just a monster. I have a strained and complicated relationship to the history of particularly Black women backup singers for white bands, but my affinity for this song and album (Stop Making Sense) remains.

4. These Immortal Souls – ‘The King of Kalifornia’
When there isn’t really a template for voice or perspective, it’s a journey to find what feels natural or what you need to try on to see how it fits. I think this album (I’m Never Gonna Die Again) is the first time we’ve really waded into “cockiness” as an attitude, which isn’t something women are encouraged to do. It felt really good to really absorb the energy of Rowland and some of the 90’s British bands we love. Bravado feels like a lounge lizard to me. We free associated in that direction and that attitude crept into several songs on our new record.

5. Liars – ‘No.1 Against the Rush’
I’m so amazed every time I look at Liars’ range. I have a soft spot for ambivalent tone bands like Liars and Radiohead have. There’s always a sinister edge, a wistfulness to their music throughout their discography that’s extremely admirable. Our album Just Look at That Sky is really comfortable for ambivalence, but that takes time and living in the grey. We’re just here to eavesdrop.

Thanks to Alicia for sharing her favourite songs with us.
Watch the video for Ganser’s latest single ‘Projector’ below.

Order your copy of Ganser’s new album here.

Photo Credit: Kirsten Miccoli

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LISTEN: Ganser – ‘Lucky’

An abrasive jest at the futility of forcing self-growth; Chicago-based Ganser have shared their latest single, ‘Lucky’. Taken from their upcoming album, Just Look at That Sky, which is set for release on 31st July via Felte Records, the track is a brooding cacophony of post-punk noise.

Formed of Nadia Garofalo (keyboards/vocals), Alicia Gaines (bass/vocals), Charlie Landsman (guitar) and Brian Cundiff (drums); Ganser’s music has garnered comparisons to 90s noise-makers like Fugazi, Shellac, and Sonic Youth. Their jolting rhythms, confrontational vocals, and manic riffs fuse together to create defiant, jarring tunes; and new single ‘Lucky’ is a sturdy example of this.

“It’s a commentary on personal feelings of inadequacy, and how these feelings can often result in unhealthy or extreme behaviors.” explains Garofalo. “Especially now, as we are in a time of uncertainty, it feels like we have even less control over what is happening to and around us. Isn’t it shitty when things don’t work out the way we’d hoped?!” The exasperated repetition of lyric “Hell of a day kid” communicates this perfectly.

Ganser took on directing duties for the accompanying video to ‘Lucky’, which blends monochrome footage of the band, along with shots of a volatile encounter between two characters. Watch the video below and follow Ganser on Spotify & Facebook for more updates.

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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LISTEN: Mint Field – ‘Natural’

A hazy, off-kilter musing on the fluidity of language and life; Mint Field have shared their latest single, ‘Natural’. Released via Felte Records, the Mexico City-based group blur gritty guitar distortion with Estrella del Sol Sanchez’s gentle vocals to create their beguiling, grungy sounds.

Now formed of Estrella, Sebastian Neyra, and Callum Brown (Ulrika Spacek); Mint Field have moved cities and re-shuffled their line-up over the last year. Originally from the Mexican border town of Tijuana, the band now reside in Mexico City, and continue to create dreamy, distorted soundscapes. New track ‘Natural’ is a shining example of this, with its unusual rhythm section and layers of guitar. This is also the first time the band have introduced violin, strings and saxophone on to a track, with the help of guest collaborators Cathy Lucas (Vanishing Twin) and Nathan Pigott.

‘Natural’ is accompanied by a set of visuals (shot before the current lockdown), directed by Daniela Solis and Maria Ramirez. The footage captures the natural movement of light as time elapses, reflecting the themes of fluency and self-awareness within the song. The video was shot “all natural” too, with no post production effects. Watch the video below, and follow Mint Field on Spotify and Facebook for more updates.

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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EP: Sextile – ‘3’

Lovers of deviant but dance-able noise with an appetite for all things electronic should submerge themselves in the sound of Sextile‘s latest EP, 3. The L.A. duo released the record through Felte last week, and its a smoldering collection of tracks that seethe with an industrial, punk-infused bite.

The new release follows the band’s 2017 album Albeit Living and early 2018’s ‘Current Affair’ single. After various line-up shifts, Sextile are now comprised of Brady Keehn and Melissa Scaduto, who now favour synths over guitars. 3 was recorded in Los Angeles at their home and practice space using a KORG MS-10, a sequencer, a Fender Stratocaster and a LinnDrum.

3 jolts in to life with jagged synth grooves on ‘Disco’. The song would fit perfectly in a dimly lit basement bar, with moody vocals and snapping percussion punctuating the track. ‘Drop You’ follows with more of the pair’s fast-shifting drum beats, hazy synth textures and rowdy guitar riffs.

Midway through, ‘Paradox’ breaks in with its manic blur of synths and bass lines, leaving no room for respite. Prepare to lose your head to the penultimate ‘Spun’, which is two minutes of abrasive synths and punk-like vocals, that buzz with Sextile’s trademark intensity. This buzz bleeds in to final track ‘Hazing’, which is fueled by more jagged synth sequences, foreboding electronics and strung-out vocals.

Sextile are skilled in their ability to create infectious noise that urges listeners to dance, rebel, and reach out in to new sonic territories; and 3 is a short but savagely sweet example of this. Invest now.

Sextile UK 2018 Live Dates
Sept 18 London, UK @ Electrowerkz
Sept 19 Brighton, UK @ Hope & Ruin
Sept 20 Portsmouth, UK @ The Edge Of The Wedge

Follow Sextile on Facebook for more updates.

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

Kate CrudgingtonLeave a comment