Genre Wander: Mercy Weiss - Kim Free - Playboy Manbaby
Mercy Weiss (ft Christopher and Erin Pellnat) - War.Background - Mercy Weiss is an unsigned singer-songwriter from Brooklyn, who currently lives in Los Angeles. Her unique songwriting and jazz-influenced vocals can be heard on a variety of collaborations with different musicians and producers. In 2016, she released the "Mercy EP" Bandcamp here - a collaboration with Christopher Pellnat, who is also the guitarist in the Poughkeepsie, NY based band, The Warp/The Weft.
"War" is another collaboration with Christopher Pellnat, with the addition of background vocals by Erin Pellnat, of the Brooklyn band, Caretaker. Mercy wrote war after talking with two homeless drunk veterans at Union Square Park in NYC one day.
It was in late August last year that we first featured Mercy, and the new song 'War' confirms (if ever it needed confirming) that Mercy Weiss is one very talented song writer and a beautiful singer. It's well worth checking out some of her other material and collaborations here.
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Background - Kim Free, is a violinist/songwriter from Los Angeles. She recently released “Make Me Yours,” the first EP from Slips.
Throughout 2017, she will be releasing several digital EPs in the run-up to the album. This record is produced by Alex DeGroot from Zola Jesus, and features Wavves drummer Brian Hill.
Kim Free will be playing two shows in LA this spring, at the Smell on January 27, and the Hi-Hat on March 28. Website here, and Facebook here.
The title song and first of three tracks on the EP 'Make Me Yours' is dreamy, melodic and blissful piece. Kim uses the violin in moderation allowing the other musicians space to contribute (Allen Bleyle – bass, Brian Hill – drums, Alex DeGroot – acoustic guitar). The second song 'Maui' continues the style and quality and for violin lovers third track 'River Park' really does showcase Kim Free's notable violin abilities. Looking forward to the next EP already!
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Playboy Manbaby - You Can Be A Fascist Too b/w I'd Like To Meet Your Parents.Background - Playboy Manbaby is the contradictory soundtrack to the contemporary life experience. Grimly sarcastic yet youthfully nihilistic music that seems to crash into things with a semi-coherent deliberation that can only be generated by a group of frail but over-caffeinated and eternally anxious young adults. Playboy Manbaby is the theme song to the sentiment “what the fuck am I doing with my life?” Indecisive in both message and genre but never lacking in sheer intensity.
The group hail from Phoenix, Arizona and consist of Robbie Pfeffer (vocals), Chris Hudson (bass), TJ Friga (guitar), David Cosme (trumpet), Chad Dennis (drums), and Austin Rickert (sax). Having been a regional powerhouse for over five years with two previously released cassette albums on their own Rubber Brothers label, these lads have have shared the stage with the likes of: Mike Watt & The Missing Men, King Khan & BBQ Show, King Khan & The Shrines, Rocket From The Crypt, Thee Oh Sees, Cosmonauts, The Spits, Black Flag, The Descendents, The Replacements, The Slackers, Teenage Bottlerocket, among countless others.
They've just wrapped up the mastering of their long overdue new LP "Don't Let It Be" (soon to be co-released by Dirty Water and Lolipop Records ) and these desert area DIY-veterans have just released with Dirty Water Records the first single off the album,"You Can Be A Fascist Too" in the run up to the US presidential inauguration on January 20th. Singer Robbie Pfeffer explains, “So, we weren’t supposed to put this out until February, but in light of recent events we feel like every societal catastrophe deserves a proper theme song." However one might feel about the election result and the seemingly endless division and hostility it has produced the world over, this track is sure to strike an abrasive chord in 2017.
On the B side and in their latest music video “I’d Like To Meet Your Parents", viewers are forced to watch two lovebirds looking to enjoy a night out at a place presumably called Crapriotti’s or La Doo Doo which serves only the best Rasberry Creme Shasta and Spaghetti ala Ketchup.
“We shot this video in my living room and tried to make it a terrible Italian restaurant,” says Pfeffer. “I wanted to make a video where the band is playing but aren’t really an important or central part of it. I didn’t tell the guys what the idea was, I just told them to show up at a certain time and then started yelling at them to paint their faces etc. I’m super glad how it turned out and I think everyone did a great job embracing their characters.” Website here, and Facebook here.
I just have to feature both songs from the new single by Playboy Manbaby. 'You Can Be A Fascist Too' is wonderfully manic with its full on punk desperation. 'I'd Like To Meet Your Parents' really comes to life with the video, the album is eagerly awaited.
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