Echo Beach Radio 10 + Assemble Riot Grrrl #1

Listen. Play. Make a Zine. Save the World.

Not gonna lie folks, it hasn’t been a super fun few weeks. I suspect we’ll be invading the Cayman Islands over a golf course permitting dispute by Valentines Day at this rate. And as usual, when the world doesn’t make sense, music comes to the rescue.

Zines!

As a special bonus: I made a lot of Zines in 2024 - north of 3000. So here’s a short video on how to make your own efficiently. If you want to play along:

Here’s the PDF for the original 1991 Riot Grrrl Zine which changed the world. More over at 85bb65.com.

The Mixtape

Here’s the new music, or keep reading for thoughts and stories:

So What?

"Young Lion" – Sade (UK/Nigeria)

I hadn’t thought about silky smooth Sade in a minute, as the zoomers say, which is fair, given her rise to fame happened in the first Reagan administration. Young Lion is a song about her son Izaak, and is beautiful in it’s own right. It’s also a stunning opener to the outrageously good Transa collection of 45 songs in support of our Queer-and-in-crisis friends. Don’t sleep on the rest of the collection either, with high spots from Julien Baker, Lucy Liyou/Grouper, Sharon Van Etten/Ezra Furman and Adrianne Lenker.

"Eden" – Baths (USA)

Baths (Will Wiesenfeld) is a noisecore/glitch/electropop genius, and outdoes himself with this hypnogogic tour of LA. Seemed like a nice smooth way in. Electronica often calms me down. Especially when it’s drenched in layers and reverb.

"Pavement" – Mallrat (Australia)

There’s a lot of music coming out right now that seems to reflect on the loss of SOPHIE, arguably one of the most promising and innovative musicians and producers of the last 20 years (I featured a track from her posthumous album last month).

To me, Mallrat’s indie-pop crosses over into Sophie territory in "Pavement." Gen-Z is gonna do just fine.

"take me by the hand" – Oklou (France), Bladee (Sweden)

… see what I mean? This is a killer track from another next-gen SOPHIE, Oklou.

"Ferry Lady" – Panda Bear (USA/Portugal)

Panda Bear (aka Noah Lennox of Animal Collective) seems to be a “feat.” on every other track played by Sirius XMU sometimes, but for good reason - his voice and harmonies are like nobody else’s in the indie world. He’s also a nice bridge out of the electronic haze into some more core rock and roll in this mix.

"Sick Dogs" – hey, nothing (USA)

Hey, nothing, is rapidly becoming one of my favorite new artists in any genre, and right at the top of my “wanna see live” acts. They’re just a straight up killer garage band with something to say, and they could have emerged out of a 1996 basement in any suburb in the U.S.

"Open Wide" – Inhaler (Ireland)

I’m really uninterested in people who wanna hate on a band because they have famous parents, or are gay, or wear green, or whatever other BS people come up with to exercise their hate organs. Inhaler, which is indeed fronted by Bono’s son Elijah Hewson, age 25, is just a great band, and one of the few I would actually *want* to see in some giant stadium or festival. I dare you to hate this.

"After You" – Courting (UK)

It’s very hard not to compare Courting to other post-punk geniuses like Fontaine’s DC or maybe Yard Act, which is fine, we need lots of great bands. No idea if they are this tight live, but I’d love to find out. “Can we split off in groups of two…” is such a great hook. This is their third album, and they have improved and really found their voice a lot since their first EP, Grand National, cracked them into the indie playlists.

"Spells" – Freak Slug (UK)

For some reason, and I know this makes no sense, every time I hear this song I think of Yolandi’s voice and vibe in “Ugly Boy” from Die Antwoord. While Freak Slug’s genre ain’t Zef hip-hop, there’s a certain level of quirky slink that flavors them both. This song has been stuck in my head. A lot.

"It's a Mirror" – Perfume Genius (USA)

Perfume Genius (Mike Hadreas) is another clearly talented musician I don’t listen to often, but this song got on repeat a few weeks ago and it doesn’t seem to be going anywhere. I’m not exactly sure what it’s even about, other than loss, mental health, despair, and all that fun stuff.

"Guy Fawkes Tesco Dissociation" – jasmine.4t

A headphones-recommended little bit of bedroom pop. The lyrics are bonkers, the catchy is real, and the sense of insanity that we’re all feeling definitely comes through:

The deep freeze freezer you’ll see me there with my breathing regulated
Compensated and forgiving for all injuries I find
With my eye movement I’ll see you dent cans just to get the discount
We can rewind and un-dent reprocess and desensitise

There’s nothing in my head but the screaming
Got nothing left to dread but my leaving
The tub fills with my blood hits the ceiling
I won’t act but it’s all that I’m dreaming

But the real surprise is the ALBUM. Just dropped on the 17th of January, You Are The Morning is just beautiful and smart all the way through. It was hard to pick a favorite. Check out Elephant, or the ElliotSmithLike title track.

"Rebel Girl" – Bikini Kill (USA)

I’ve had Riot Grrrls on the brain lately. There was something about the early ‘90s that is feeling very now to me. The AIDS crisis was in full swing (and in San Francisco killing friends with regularity). Clinton won, but there was little sense of hope from that victory. Rodney King. Anita Hill. It was a moment.

As a 25 year old, already divorced loser (mistakes were made) who didn’t fit in with anyone in finance, hanging around record & comic book stores filled my soul. And that’s where the Zines were.

"Firefighters" – Being Dead (USA)

Is it surf-rock? punk? Who knows. Doesn’t matter. I struggled with which tune to pick from the incredible new album from Being Dead, EELS. There’s basically no song it I don’t like, but this is probably the easiest to just headbang to. Technically Firefighter dropped in the summer, and I listened to it a bunch then, but it’s worth the time for the whole album.

"Didn't Know Why" – Tunng (UK)

Eliot Smith meets Kraftwerk in half-time? Tunng’s “folktronica” (I hate myself) gem "Didn’t Know Why" is just interesting. There’s not much music that’s actually interesting coming out on the regular.

"DARE" – Torba

Totally new to me, Torba is a lookback into the late ’90s industrial scene: loud, black caverns where Nine Inch Nails was the soundtrack, Zima was the drink of choice, and you definitely didn’t want to use the bathroom. I have no idea who you are, Torba, but “3AM warehouse in Arlington, MA 1998” called, and they’re waiting for your set. Listen to the whole thing.

"affirmations" – June Henry

I have no idea who June Henry is, and this came up on a scroll through new music lists but ooooof. “affirmations" is just a voice memo, but it hurts, in a way that makes me think.

There is life beyond this
We will find our medicine
With friends like these who needs
Pharmacies or Governments
My feet are planted firmly
I’m not leaving Kansas
I won’t say I’m not afraid

BONUS ZINE VIDEO!

See ya soon. Be kind to each other.

Dave