The sugar sk*-*lls full-length release for Star Time may have been one of the most ambitious undertakings that YK has tackled to date.

Originally, sugar sk*-*lls served as the pseudonym for Ben Marcantel; a nom de plume that he has released music under since 2010. Over the years, he would collaborate with other artists – a split release with hobbledeions, a 2014 re-recorded version of a 2013 song with meadownoise and Lindsay Johns, a cover of a Kyle Hamlett song recorded by Coupler, a split release with Financier featuring Tye Bellar, Tom Senter and Seth West, etc. etc.

That last collaboration turned into something more. Seth West (aka Gray Worry) and Tye Bellar started working more closely with Marcantel on a new batch of songs. Always open to a collaboration, Marcantel allowed that hive mind to form. Over the course of several years, many weekends and more than a handful of bottles of Disaronno, a large set of songs came to fruition.

The entire recording process is a tale unto itself but after a long process, they had eight songs that were cohesive, compelling and altogether emotional. Star Time was ready and we decided to make something grand of the release process.

Three singles were chosen to lead up to the album’s release. Each of these “maxi-singles” would have at least two remixes of the album track, preferably from an artist that we all greatly respected. Lastly, each single would also contain yet another artist covering a different album track from the unreleased Star Time. Each single would also have a music video.

In hindsight, the plan is ludicrous and I’m incredibly happy that we embraced it and made it happen. The inclusion of a cover song from the unreleased full-length felt like a strange move at the time but it allows these singles to maintain an extra level of interest now that the album is released.

“Becomes Me”

“Becomes Me” kicked things off with an incredible video by Dycee Wildman. She is the co-founder of the Defy Film Festival, a filmmaker in her own right and an incredibly visioned creator. Her video for the single is nothing the band would have ever conjured with their own brains and no one could be more pleased about it than us.

The maxi-single contains remixes from Negro Justice x Cal Cuttah and Robbie Lynn Hunsinger. The two could not be more divergent in their styles but that’s exactly what makes it so compelling! RIFFT provided a cover of “Nothing” that transformed the song into a mind-bending psychdelic stoner metal journey.

“Two-Chambered”

I’m happy to report that each of these maxi-singles is truly impressive. There’s not a weak one in the entire bunch, which is a real testament to how the band understood their vision for sharing Star Time with the world.

“Two-Chambered” features remixes from Makeup and Vanity Set and Coupler; both giving a wonderfully unique new spin on the song, particularly in the final bridge that contains one of Sugar Sk*-*lls most heartbreaking sequences. Previous collaborator Kyle Hamlett joined forces with Luke Schneider for their Kyle Hamlett Duo project to cover “Undone,” a decidedly delicate and acoustic take on a unabashedly electronic song.

The video was created by Casey Pierce, a filmmaker we’ve enjoyed for his work with Twen, Jessie Baylin and even a little Gwar. Fun fact; the connection between Pierce and YK goes all the way back to 2010 thanks to Uncle Skeleton.

The video is a rather epic affair to say the least. It’s inspired by the 1982 cult classic, meditative, film Koyaanisqatsi by Godfrey Reggio. It spans space and time and, quite frankly, it’s incredibly satisfying.

“Crystal Orchids” featuring Cortney Tidwell

The maxi-singles were rounded out by the only track on the album featuring a lead guest vocalist, Cortney Tidwell. Her voice is absolutely sublime and if you are not familiar with any of her prior output, please indulge.

Remixes from Eve Maret, TAN and Both Eyes round out the remixes of the maxi-singles and they are, truly, wildly diverse from one another. I would have never expected to hear this particular trio back to back but it’s a wonderful listen. Meadownoise provides the final cover with “Honeycomb” – complete with a surprising use of accordion.

The video was created by Ben Marcantel himself; part visualizer, part programming and all immersive. The end of the piece has always felt quite satisfying in a way that invites additional viewings.

Star Time

Following up the release of three jam packed maxi-singles did not seem possible but, again, sugar sk*-*lls swung for the fences and knocked it out of the park.

The record, along with all of the remixes and covers, were printed to a double cassette offering. Tape 1 being the album and Tape 2 being a re-sequenced “mixtape” of all of the bonus material.

All of these promotional moves to garner more awareness of the album were impressive but none of them would be possible if the album itself wasn’t a compelling listen to begin with. From start to finish, Star Time finds its way through the largess expanses of the universe and the intimately personal of melancholy, longing and pain.. all wrapped in layers of thick synths, deep beats, vocoder and minute details that reward a proper headphone listen.

The trio played a handful of shows as well; a feat that Marcantel did not take on to often as a solo performer. Every show I attended, someone would remark how incredible their set was – rightfully so.

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Star Time was a beast of a record to unleash on the world but it felt great to have so many additional parties involved along the way. The subject matter of the record deserves care and introspection; which I hope we were able to provide.

I’m told that the eight songs that appear on Star Time are just the tip of the iceberg. The trio has worked up a much larger body of work that they’ve been refining and polishing. If you see them live, they’ve been playing them as of late. Exciting prospects for 2024 as far as I’m concerned.

The mastermind behind No Stress, Paul Horton, is a touring musician with Brittany Howard, a founding member of the jazz trio Concurrence, founding member of future group PS, a very good Instagrammer and a constant creator. His 2023 EP, Nocturne Op​.​1 No​.​1, came as a bit of a surprise for me as he had originally planned to release it himself before inquiring if I wanted to be involved. Of course I did.

The EP is a mind bending blend of samples, beats, soul, jazz, glitch, ambience and head bobbing good times. Much like 2021’s Prelude No. 1, this release defies categorization but invites a completely mesmerizing listening experience. The only drawback? The runtime is too damn short!

Shortly after the release, this review came down the @Threads tube from Forest Conner:

If you are a fan of the immortal J Dilla, I highly recommend checking out what

@no.s.t.r.e.s.s is doing. There’s clearly a respect for the past while at the same time communicating a forward momentum. Really great shit.

Conner is not a music critic, which makes that review hit even stronger. You gotta love it when an actual fan gets such delight from listening and understands the references being made.

Horton is an incredibly busy guy. I suspect 2024 will see numerous releases from him outside of the No Stress project but I’m really hoping he comes knocking on our door again for a Nocturne Op​.​1 No​.​2.

Get the full EP exclusively on Bandcamp. Stream “Here We Go” on your favorite streamer.

It may surprise you to know, dear reader, that Talking With Hands had the twenty-first release on YK Records back in 2013 with The World and Ourselves. Songwriter and every-instrument-performer Matt Smith blindly reached out to me in 2011 and sent me a record he had recorded with Jeremy Ferguson of Battle Tapes. Smith assumed my affinity for AIR, Jason Falkner and local band Kindercastle would be enough common ground for me to enjoy the record; he was right.

This isn’t a post about The World and Ourselves but the twin releases of Talking with Hands in 2023 are extra special because of that record released a full decade ago.

Pastiche

For 2023, we knew we wanted to release the second full-length album from Talking with Hands – an easy way to acknowledge the prior release and the ten years that had passed. We decided that releasing an EP before that event would serve as a nice way to re-introduce the project to the world and, thus, Pastiche was born.

The five song EP is comprised of all original songs but several of them were written as intentional tributes to the influences that shaped Talking With Hands. “Lucky” is the most clear nod to Smashing Pumpkins and their Siamese Dream era and “Terms and Conditions” serves as a Soundgarden tribute. Every artist is a result of their influences. Every bit of music put out into the world is a personalized filter of some prior inputs. Documentarian Kirby Ferguson put it best with his series Everything is a Remix.

Pastiche is an homage to some great influences and a glimpse into the diversity that Talking With Hands is exploring. “Cleanse” is a meditative ambient track and “Wasn’t Much” is an incredibly sweet acoustic tribute.

Get it on Bandcamp or stream it everywhere. Honestly, do both.

New Public Domain

Released exactly ten years after the debut, the sophomore full-length New Public Domain was unleashed for the world. Having ten years pass between your debut and your follow-up is not entirely surprising given how much time school, jobs and families can (and should) consume.

Fortunately, that ten years was more than ample opportunity for Matt Smith to expand his palette, his songwriting style and his recording prowess. New Public Domain was built entirely off of acoustic demos that Matt brought into his new Hyde Park home studio, Fun House. The resulting tracks are open and air-y but filled with layers and flourishes well worth a re-listen.

I quite like this announcement video we made.

It’s a great reflection of the excellent balance of humor, high art and collaborative DIY* that Talking with Hands is able to achieve. It’s also an effective teaser for a number of the tracks on the album. I’m convinced if someone hears the hook for “Talk Talk Talk” they’ll be undeniably drawn to hear the entire record!

New Public Domain has a few surprises worth taking note of. “World Song” and “Never My Love” are covers from Petula Clark and The Association respectively. While far from unknown tracks, they don’t stand out as completely obvious covers. “Memory’s Guest” and “Axis Aligned” are instrumental tracks, providing segues between portions of the record. Lastly (but not leastly), the title track “New Public Domain” is wildly different from the rest of the album – possibly a premonition of what may come on the next record or simply a means to make you pay extra attention to the thesis statement of the body of work. Whatever the reason, it’s great to hear even more diverse styles from the project.

Pick it up on Bandcamp and stream it all day, every day.

Oh, and the cover art for New Public Domain is a direct tribute to a very particular band. I won’t spell it out for you but I hope you catch it.

2024

The next Talking with Hands records** are already underway and being planned for a 2024 release. There will, hopefully, never be another ten year drought between albums.

*Yes, “Collaborative Do-It-Yourself” is an oxymoron but “Do It Ourselves” is not yet a common refrain.

**Yes, plural.

From the outside, 2023 was a quiet year for The Medium. Following up on their 2022 release, For Horses, they released a single for “She’s Got It” / “Moon Rocks” in 2023 – just two songs. However, those two songs may be the best they’ve put out into the world.

The lead track is mellow but gallops along. It’s psychedelic, it’s introspective, sweet and entirely catchy. I’m biased but it’s been in my heavy rotation all year. The b-side is equally as interesting, possibly moreso as it is an ode to a house plant.

There were some lineup changes with the band during the year but they still managed to hit the road with Future Crib for a long slew of dates. Frontman Shane Perry also released his own second solo album Frown Town 2 (not on YK but still well worth a listen!) and contributed to Country Death’s debut, Meat Bingo.

Pick up the single over on Bandcamp or streaming on your favorite streamer.

It’s safe to say, 2023 was the year of AI. Sure, the technology had existed prior but the accessibility to larger masses was really unleashed in 2023. There’s plenty to say about the dangers, responsibilities and concerns about AI moving forward but that’s not for this post; this is about the six singles forming the new New Man EP, The New New Man.

The tracks were recorded over a series of weekends with Patrick Damphier at the helm, producing along the way. The live incarnation of the band – Landon Ihde, Dan Sommers, Chad Stuible, Rollum Hass and Patrick himself – contributed to the recordings for the first time. Songs like “False Start” and “Oh Man!” have been in the live setlist for some time, so hearing them formalized into their recorded versions was quite an intriguing process.

After the songs were finalized, the promotional process got underway. Cody Newman, the New Man himself, dove headfirst into using the new Generative AI tools that were available.

Each track from the EP was set to be released as a standalone single over the course of many weeks. The cover art for each was dreamed up by various AI tools, driven by prompts from Newman’s mind. Some post-processing cleanup and we had six distinct covers and the EP cover itself; all thematically tied together

Newman continued down the rabbit hole of generative AI and put together a video for “False Start” that combines traditionally filmed segments re-imagined by AI tools and some completely new creations; all driven by his vision for the track.

AI technology is moving at lightspeed; so a video created and released in March of 2023 should look outdated by December of the same year (and beyond) but “False Start” holds up. The folks at Defy Film Fest agreed and screened the video as part of the gallery of innovative videos.

This post is largely focused on the artwork, video and promotional aspect of the record as that’s where YK was the most involved but these six songs are a delightful listen. Here’s what I wrote for the short bio on this release and I stand by every word.

The New New Man is infectiously catchy, amusingly witty and pushing the boundaries of what you expect from a pop song. The kind of pop songs that are inspired by Harry Nilsson, XTC or Jellyfish. The kind of pop songs with squishy keyboards, race whistles and vocal layering abound. The New New Man is full of delightful surprises; unexpected but pleasing in every form.

New Man Bio, 2023

These six songs are actually part of a larger batch of recordings that will hopefully be finalized in 2024. The project continuously surprises me by infusing original arrangements with nods to the past and the future.

Get the new New Man EP, The New New Man on Bandcamp and be sure to save it on your favorite streamer.

Back in 1998, I was working at Spongebath Records in Murfreesboro, TN. If you’re unfamiliar, it was an independent label with a fairly small roster* and some larger partnerships with several major labels – Dreamworks and Elektra most notably. The band Self was signed to both Spongebath and Dreamworks.. and since I worked at Spongebath, I worked with Self.

That’s a longwinded way of saying, because of that job I met the members of Self and, thus, met the bass player, Mac Burrus. I do not recall how our friendship started specifically but I know I’ve watched Mac play with Self more times than I can recall and through some turn of good fortune can call him my friend.

Mac moved to LA, Self was dropped from Dreamworks, Spongebath dissolved but we always stayed in touch. He would send me demos from time to time of tracks he was fleshing out. He sent me a track called “Indigo” in 2011. A track called “Be Careful” in 2012, “Impressionable” in 2020. Another called “Wasted” all the way back in 2010.

Without pestering, I would offer him regularly to release some of these songs in an official fashion. Receiving demos from your friends is a treat but sharing them with the world is a delight on another level.

Mac rekindled a friendship with Texas based brothers Justin and Brandon Tapp. Their respective bands had wound down over the years and they, too, found themselves with a batch of songs that had no formal home. A long distance song writing collaboration was formed; Telefone was an apt name.

They crafted and honed the songs through the pandemic and came to yk with a batch of co-written songs that evoke 60’s Pop as much as they do Jon Brion. The demos that Mac had sent me a decade prior – “Indigo”, “Wasted”, “Be Careful” and “Impressionable” – were now evolved into the final tracklisting along with others, maintaining all of their original magic along with a proper polish. The Tapp’s own songwriting contributions are a delightful pairing; unique in their own way but perfectly complimentary.

We were lucky enough to have some notable names involved with finalizing the record, strangely all Grammy nominees! Robbie Lackritz (Feist) mixed two of the tracks, Chris James (Prince, Self) mixed one of them and John Baldwin (Jesus Lizard**) mastered the whole thing – all Grammy nominees.

The band let me conjure up some packaging options for them and I’m rather proud of how it turned out. It’s a bit psychedelic, a bit modern and has an innersleeve with some rather outrageous text layouts!

The record was released in March of 2023. For promotion, the band shot a video for “Indigo” that contains a number of easter eggs for Self fans… some more obvious than others.*** Beyond that, it’s a nice poignant piece that reflects the mood of the song quite well.

Over on the band’s Instagram – @telefonetheband – they posted individual stories behind each song. If you’re a fan of learning more about the creative and collaborative process, they’re a great listen. They’re also short, so you’ve really no excuse not to check them out.

They also shared an influences playlist called Telefone Ring that’s available on Spotify and YouTube Music. I love an influences mix and Telefone offers some surprising contributions.

Mac’s songwriting has always been a compelling experience for me and the Tapp’s contributions captured my attention fully. I’ve listened to this record countless times, my favorite track always changing over time. Hopefully this is just the first of many records. I’ve still got some demos from Mac that need that Telefone touch.

*The Features were also signed to Spongebath. Read a bit more about that over here.

** John Baldwin has mastered a great many records on YK Records and “The Jesus Lizard” is far from his most noteworthy involvement.

*** there’s 9 Self easter eggs. Did you catch them all?

“Sea Ranch” / “Running Out”

I can’t speak to exactly what happened but after Tower Defense released In The City, something changed with the band. They wanted to break out of the cycle of writing a batch of songs, recording them in a studio, having them mixed / mastered / produced and putting them out into the world with large gaps of time between new music. Heading into 2023, they shared a game plan with me that would see them releasing more new music, more often. Happy to see it actually worked!

In March, we released a single for “Sea Ranch” coupled with a cover of The Cure’s “A Forest.” Both were recorded in the band’s home studio and mixed by drummer Jereme Frey. We were lucky enough to snag Patrick Damphier to master the tracks and local designer Benjamin Rumble came on to provide the artwork. The band even worked up videos for both tracks.

In June, they repeated the process with a new single for “Running Out” backed with a cover of The B-52’s “Give Me Back My Man.” Again, Patrick Damphier lent a hand for mastering and we were fortunate enough to get Jill Townsend from Fetching Pails to work up the artwork. The similar-yet-different art style is a very conscious choice to showcase some of the visual artists we love and to make it clear these songs are part of a specific era of the band.

A video for the title track was shot over the summer and released later in the year. The track is a rare occasion when Jereme sings lead, so they really pulled out all the stops. It’s a great video on its own and also yielded one of my favorite GIFs of all time.

The band plans to continue this trend in 2024 and I’m excited to share the results with everyone. Every recording from their “Tanglewood Compound” has improved by leaps and bounds, and they were good from the start!

Never Mind the Menagerie

Along with the two singles (and three videos) that the band unleashed on the world, they also wanted to celebrate a decade passing since their first release, Mind the Menagerie. While not a YK Records release, it is an album that I have spent a significant amount of time with and grabs me every time.

Back in 2013 when the album was first written and recorded, Currey May was not yet a member of the band. So, to celebrate the occasion the band decided to re-record three of the songs from the original release. This gave them an opportunity to change how the songs sound sonically and allowed them to capture the new guitar parts / vocal harmonies that Currey now provides. For more details on this process, I interviewed the band to get answers to all my hard hitting questions.

If it isn’t clear from watching that anniversary video, the band are very good friends. Sure, most bands are friends with one another but Tower Defense seem to ooze that friendship and it’s a true delight to work with them.

Looking forward to 2024 and releasing plenty of new music from them. In the meantime, go pickup this astonishingly good shirt to support them.