EP: Deap Vally – ‘American Cockroach’

Self-described as “songs for the underdog”, Deap Vally’s latest EP American Cockroach is a musical metamorphosis for the LA rock duo. With songs that shed their garage rock shell, Deap Vally have grown wings that weave through bluesy ballads, satire and sincerity on this four-track phenomenon, which is sonically kissed by the soft lips of collaboration, featuring the likes of bassist Jennie Vee (Eagles of Death Metal) and Ayse Hassan (ESYA/Savages).

Imagine a trashy bar with a single spotlight shining down on a beautiful, bluesy singer in a thigh-split dress. You’re downing a beer and watching her half-sprawled across a grand piano, serenading a crowd with songs saturated with sadness. That’s what listening to the opening track ‘Give Me A Sign’ feels like. With slow staccato beats, vocals that emulate the same sultriness of Lana Del Rey and Mazzy Star, ‘Give Me A Sign’ is a truly tender ballad. As vocalist Lindsey Troy says of the track, “[This] is a deeply personal song. It will always mark a very specific time in my life.”

‘I Like Crime’ is (as one YouTube commenter perfectly puts) a “cunnilingus bop,” with Jennie Vee shredding on the bass, Troy’s rasping vocals and Julie Edwards’ unwavering drumbeat giving the serial killer storyline of the lyrics some serious swagger. The titular ‘American Cockroach’ is a return to Deap Vally’s garage rock roots. It’s a sexy invitation for class war that would make even Karl Marx wet. Finishing strongly with ‘Better Off With Nothing’, Deep Vally’s collaboration with the talented Ayse Hassan is haunting yet radiant; the post-punk track is a perfect end to this brilliant EP.

Photo Credit: Ericka Clevenger

Jay Mitra
@punkofcolour

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Get In Her Ears @ Notting Hill Arts Club w/ ESYA 30.11.19

Get In Her Ears returned to Notting Hill Arts Club to host another evening of alt-pop and alternative sounds, headlined by the multi-talented ESYA aka Ayse Hassan of Savages/Kite Base/180 db. South London duo Scrounge also shared the bill, along with spoken word artist & drummer Eilis Frawley.

The task of opening the night fell to Berlin-based Eilis, who delivered her unique cacophony of live drums, electronic elements and spoken-word lyrics with captivating precision. Performing singles ‘Strangers’ and ‘Illusions’ (both championed by Radio X’s John Kennedy, who was in attendance), her one woman show felt all the more powerful as many of her songs are informed by feminist beliefs that align perfectly with GIHE.

Scrounge took to the stage next to perform their raucous post-punk anthems. Lucy & Luke’s live sets are always a raw, urgent affair and we felt every bass drum beat of tracks ‘Badoom’ and ‘Purpose’ rattle through our bones. The duo released their EP Ideal, earlier this year and it’s barely left our ears since. They’re firm favourites of GIHE and their heavy guitar riffs and knockout drumming sat perfectly between Eilis & ESYA’s sets.

Headlining the night and performing her last London show of 2019, ESYA hypnotized us with her dark, brooding electronics. Filled with buzzing synth textures, direct vocals and pummelling beats, her songs flesh out the absurdities of our relationships and interactions with each other. Set highlights included ‘Nothing’, ‘Everything’ and brand new single ‘Blue Orchid’, all lifted from her recent EP, Absurdity of ATCG (II) – Emergent Form. She multi-tasked triggering synths, singing and plucking bass strings like a pro throughout her set.

Huge thanks to the sound engineer and staff at Notting Hill Arts Club.

Follow the bands on Facebook for more updates: ESYA, Scrounge, Eilis Frawley.

Photo Credit: Jon Mo

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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WATCH: ESYA – ‘Blue Orchid’

“I only came here for the meat” broods ESYA on her latest track ‘Blue Orchid’, lifted from her new EP Absurdity of ATCG (II) – Emergent Form, released in digital form today (15th Nov). Filled with buzzing synth textures, direct vocals and pummeling beats; the song fleshes out the absurdities of our relationships and interactions with each other.

ESYA (aka Ayşe Hassan of Savages/Kite Base/180dB) has been busy cutting her teeth on the solo electronic music circuit since the release of her debut EP, Absurdity Of Being, in 2018. The first of a trio of records, Absurdity of ATCG (I), followed shortly after, and her latest release Absurdity of ATCG (II) – Emergent Form, now completes her “wonky exploration” of alternate personas.

Laced with themes of acceptance and growth, ESYA’s music is a captivating blend of experimental electronics and urgent lyricism. ‘Blue Orchid’ extrapolates on these elements, as do the other six tracks on the new EP. They’re also underscored by a scientific idea, as ESYA explains further:

“This EP is about becoming the next version of yourself, about engaging in the process of coming into being, or becoming prominent…ATCG refers to the building blocks in human DNA, that set the foundations of what we will be before we take our first breath along with the absurdity we encounter in the life/society we are born into. The intention is to be honest, abrasive and direct, confronting the things we fear the most.”

We can’t wait for ESYA to headline our next gig at Notting Hill Arts Club on Sat 30th November. Tickets are available on DICE, and you can find all the event info here. Watch the video for ‘Blue Orchid’ below (directed by Alex Keegan), and grab a copy of ESYA’s new EP on vinyl here.

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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Get In Her Ears w/ Hanya, 31.10.19

Mari & Kate were back in the studio on Halloween night playing loads of goosebump-inducing new music from the likes of Vulpynes, Pet Crow, ILL, Hinako Omori, bigfatbig, KLLO & REYKO.

They were joined in the studio by Heather from Brighton band Hanya, who spoke about the band’s upcoming single ‘Dream Wife’ and played acoustic renditions of a few of the band’s tracks.

Listen back:

 

Tracklist:

Nina Simone – ‘I Put A Spell On You’
ESYA – ‘Nothing’
Petrol Girls – ‘No Love For A Nation’
The Kut – ‘Bad Man’
Ex Void – ‘Only One’
Vulpynes – ‘Bitches Are Like Waves’
Brix & The Extricated – ‘Wolves’
KLLO – ‘Dissolve’
REYKO – ‘Don’t Mention My Name’
Foxcunt – ‘Anxiety Dream’
Instant Bin – ‘The Brightest Colours Ever Seen’
Pet Crow – ‘What We Doin’
ILL – ‘Kick Him Out The Disco’
Stereolab – ‘Tone Burst’
Trills – ‘Super Blue Moon’
Rookes – ‘Salvage’
Hinako Omori – ‘Aurelia’
Wilsen – ‘Ruiner’
Eilis Frawley – ‘illusions’
bigfatbig – ‘Science’
Cozy Slippers – ‘Not Hard To Say Goodbye’
Dilary Huff – ‘Overused Sayings’
Ellie Gowers – ‘Against The Tide’
Gold Baby – ‘Philadelphia’
The Cure – ‘A Forest’

 

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