Nap, "Clean Energy"

Nap's latest single, “Clean Energy”, follows in the steps of NYC bands like Oxford Collapse and Radio 4 that offered a college rock take on the post-punk of the early 80s. This song has everything: guitar screeching, an anthemic chorus, and a length that cuts off just at the end of your attention span. The guttural vocals and shifting song structure, however, is Nap to the core. Check out the snazzy video and stay tuned for their upcoming EP, “American Muscles”.

Shining Mirrors, “Holy Men”

The sacrosanct sounds of C86 are a musical territory that many Brooklyn bands aim to emulate. However in the super produced post-Grizzly Bear era most indie pop of this ilk runs toward the limpwristed variety rather than the crunchy blitheness of vintage Sarah or Slumberland Records. Enter Shining Mirrors, whose “Holy Men” hits the nail on the head. Coming off like a long-lost Orange Juice b-side, this is a 4 minute plus romp that never feels stale. The rave up at the end would be gratuitous in the hands of a lesser band, but for Shining Mirrors it gets you up and out the door to their next show.

Dog Shepherd, “Fuck My Job”

Is there a middle ground between The Weeknd and noise rock? You wouldn’t think so, but Dog Shepherd is out to prove you wrong. On “Fuck My Job”, off their “Dog Shepherd EP”, they alternate downtempo AutoTuned vocals with Pissed Jeans-style rave-ups. The strangest thing of all is that it works. Dog Shepherd is definitely a band you need on your radar for 2018.

Sodium Beast, “Stu Fernet”

Sodium Beast is a Bushwick band whose brooding post-punk carries a goth edge, much like vintage Sisters Of Mercy or Joy Division. They dropped the “Night Club Tonight” tape in September and “Stu Fernet” is the opening track. And what a track it is…the guitars wail like Black Dice, as singer Keith Diamond reveals “I don’t leave the house when I go out at night”. We feel your pain.

Dickicker, “Old Soul/Noodle”

Dickicker is a Bushwick band whose sound harkens back to the salad days of the mid-90’s, when “indie rock” was becoming mainstream but most people didn’t care about the difference. They’ve got it all: chunky palm-muted riffs, hoarse sing-alongs, and a hearty dose of self-deprecation. It all comes to a head on “Old Soul/Noodle”, a Pavement/Archers Of Loaf style jam that could have easily been a late night fixture on “120 Minutes”.

Woodhull, “Mr. Frosty”

Woodhull is one of the most interesting new bands on the Bushwick scene, due to their modern update on the goth rock sound. There’s no better introduction than “Mr. Frosty”, off their “Hot Shots” EP from June. The guitars buzz and jump chromatically, and the vocals go from demonic mutters to all out screamo. Let’s hope we get a full-length from these guys in 2018.

FAITH/VOID, “Four More Beers”

A lot of what we can only call fifth-wave emo at this point misses the elemental force of the original bands, instead verging on the soft rock. Not so FAITH/VOID. On “Four More Beers” they nail the stop-start rhythms of bands like Braid and Cap’n Jazz, and infuse it all with their own power pop energy. The biggest contrast to lesser “emo” bands comes when you realize they sound like they’re actually having FUN.

ESSi, “I,I”

In the Brooklyn music scene, the “experimental” and the “listenable” wage a constant battle. A lot of bands want to be “experimental” in the same way as their forebearers, and a lot of bands trying to be “listenable” end up being anything but. So mad props to ESSi for finding a way to bridge the two realms. “I,I” is two and a half minutes of guitar explosions and anguished howling. If it resembles anything, it’s dearly missed Bushwick band These Are Powers. However we get the sense from this track that ESSi are uncompromisingly verging out into a sonic terrain all their own.

Stuyedeyed, “Believer”

Music trends come and go, but one thing never goes away: psych rock. Put the listener into a heady zone and you will always find your stoned-out audience. On “Believer” Stuyedeyed channels a King Gizzard-style kraut groove into this smasher. Singer Nelson Espinal spits epithets, watery guitar solos come in and out, and the whole track rises and rises until the final “STOP”. Of course, the trippy Adult Swim video doesn’t hurt either.

Junta, “Imminent War”

Sometimes you just want a hardcore song that sounds like you're getting hit over the head with a brick. That’s what Junta delivers with their track, “Imminent War”. The eerie spoken word sample at the beginning only makes your jaw clench for what’s to come. Then the riff and D-beat come in and you can feel the pit exploding. The really smart move is the breakdown that ends the song, also serving as the song’s chorus. Junta’s ready for war, are you?

Fruit + Flowers, “Pick Fairy”

Almost every even remotely hip genre from the past has been repackaged by Brooklyn bands at this point, but rockabilly is not one of them. However, that hasn’t stopped Fruit + Flowers from dropping “Pick Fairy” as part of their excellent “Drug Tax” EP. This is a stomper Reverend Horton Heat would be jealous of, complete with chugging riff and Charles Dickens-quoting lyrics. Angelic harmonies sneak in out of nowhere, and just when you think the song’s over there’s a ripping solo. Good stuff.

Mean Siders, “Marco Polo”

There’s no subject matter for a song quite like the kiss off, and Mean Siders delivers their kiss off to the nice guys of the world, “Marco Polo”, in under 2 minutes. There’s some choice lyrics (such as “It’s obvious you’ll drop your pants/because you’re 24 now”), but there’s nothing mean about the punk energy, taunt drumming, and pool-chanting chorus. Watch out nice guys…Mean Siders is on your case.

Ted’s Dead, “Fuck Trump”

2017 was the year when everyone got a little more political, out of sheer necessity. But only one Bushwick band wrote the song that said what we all were thinking, “Fuck Trump”. The lyrics could really have just been those two words, but Ted’s Dead fill them out nicely with some punk vitriol. Come for the politics, stay for their live show that often features singer and bassist Ian Bentley standing on the drum set or jumping out into the crowd.

Dad, “Infirmary”

Dad is a Bushwick supergroup whose music ranges from doomy sludge to breakneck hardcore, often in the span of a single song. They’ve been busy this year (in the garage? The woodshop?), releasing a string of singles. But nothing sums up the Dad experience quite like “Infirmary”. There’s howling David Yow-style vocals, heavy riffs, an atmospheric breakdown, and it all still clocks in at around 2 minutes. If only your real Dad rocked this hard.

Lillet Blanc, “Be New”

Okay, so yes, they share a name with an aperitif. Get over that. Lillet Blanc is one of the newer dream pop bands on the Bushwick scene, but that description doesn’t really seem to do them justice. They are so impossibly fey they make CHVRCHES sound like Nickelback. So sit back and bask in the lush songcraft, as the chords twist and turn like vintage Night Manager. You’ve earned it, baby.

Toranavox, “Sun”

For a band with only two people Toranavox really lay down the heaviness. Their single “Sun” from earlier this year rides a start-stop rhythm into one of the year’s best tracks. Singer Ken Minami’s histrionic vocals are the kind you know only get crazier in a live setting. This is actually one of Toranavox’s more controlled songs, but it shows their power when they can rein it in and still deliver a gut punch like this.

The Black Black, “arrested development”

Fuzz bass. You either like it or you don’t. The same with minimalism. And dance rock. And I guess, everything. The point being that The Black Black has all of these things on “arrested development”. It jams. This is what post-Is This It? Strokes was always trying to be. However word has it The Black Black have a new lineup and a totally new sound (the Adjusted II EP came out in March). I bet they still jam though.