Here in the northeast, we’re in that peak/past peak moment with foliage. We balance precariously at this point for quite a few days before one day the weatherman pronounces decisively, “we’re past peak,” and you know it’s true. It’s also a time when we balance precariously between two radically different views of the future — […]
The No Longer Untold Stories of Bloom.exe
| Records
We are discussing here the new album, Untold Stories by Bloom.exe, a person residing in Toronto but coming from “elsewhere.” His music incorporates pop/rock/punk/noise/spoken word elements but builds it out of a wide variety of inputs from written texts (by the artist), spoken, sung, and shouted as well as sounds, found, created, and manipulated, layers and layers of sound interacting with words and ideas, themes raised and then left behind like scenes out the window of a car. He may or may not be an executable, but his work is so theatrical, emotional, and individual that you can’t find a category to hold it.
Step Outside – September 23, 2020
| Radio
Still catching up on tunes from prior weeks here on Bubble Wrap Radio as well as some new releases. Past artists with new tracks included Bob Mould’s new single “Forecast Rain” from his upcoming Merge release, as well as some typically grinding rock from Throwing Muses called “Dark Blue” from her recent record Sun Racket. We also enjoyed a couple more tracks from the new compilation Allopop from La Souterraine in Paris, which we believe to be their best comp yet. And, to cap off the evening, the new track “Hit The Floor” by Go-Go legends Rare Essence with Snoop Dog, no less — definitely check it out.
Take A Chance – September 10, 2020
| Radio
Music from Rennes, Trondheim, Mali, and more this week on Bubble Wrap, along with a big handful of American artists. “Worry” by Songhoy Blues topped the list of singles with a slap of funky rock power about keeping up the fight. Sharada Shashidhar does the weird jazz, Rïga constructs thrumming industrial rhythms and calls it “Mikrofilm.”
On the pop side, Eep’s “Hogar,” The Audio Particle’s “All There Is…”, and Syntax Valley’s “Are You Happy” (yes!) are all winners. “Are You Happy” even throws in a key change. We also liked the latest album from Philly artist Shelf Life (FLAWLESS) and led off our exploration of that record with “Worth.”
The World Churns – September 2, 2020
| Radio
Lots of great music from around the world to kick off the fall season including Postcards (dreampop from Beirut), Mexican Institute of Sound (mid tempo pop from Mexico City), Nearfield (electronica from Lisbon), and Seva Kavalenka (subway sounds from Minsk). There was also a bit of American music such as post rocking Old Canes from Lawrence, Kansas and some awesome punk pop courtesy of Syntax Valley (“a happy nihilist”) from Cape May.
Any Way You Look At It You Lose – August 12, 2020
| Radio
The heat wave continues inspiring a spate of “hot” songs on Bubble Wrap this week. Also, new songs by Chemtrails, the wryly cheery “Slag Heap Deity 1” (“we do our best we are unsuccessful!) as well as Fontaines D.C. with another slab of moody prose called “Televised Mind.” They remain a band to watch… Meanwhile, […]
Road Rise – August 5, 2020
| Radio
As summer winds to a close and students across the country prepare with degrees of trepidation to return to school and work, writing and releasing new music doesn’t seem to have been a top priority. From the very few new tunes to choose from, we had a few faves this week on Bubble Wrap. Among […]
Summer Waves – July 29, 2020
| Radio
Code Red! that’s where we’re at right now. It’s summer and pandemic or no, the heat is getting to us and we want a vacation! Alas, we cannot. So we staged a trip to the beach right here on Bubble Wrap, and despite the absence of actual sun, surf, or for that matter, beach, it almost felt like being there…. All it takes is the magic of recording technology and a lot of imagination. Of course we brought some tunes with us, because what’s the beach without a soundtrack?
And what a soundtrack it was. Highlights: revolutionary fervor from Bristol UK’s IDLES (“Grounds”), fervent gospel-backed joy from Kendall Morgan (“Rescue Me”), and more delightful hippy rock from King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard (“Honey”).
Stories In Song – July 22, 2020
| Radio
There is something about the dog days of summer, that time of lassitude, torpor, and ennui, that brings to mind that briefest of musical episodes, the story song. We featured a bunch of them on Bubble Wrap this week, dated as hell but still entertaining. “Ode to Billie Joe” was especially poignant, but there’s still […]
Create The World – July 15, 2020
| Radio
What can we say? It’s July, it’s still hot, it’s humid and sticky and dare we say? a bit depressing. But that does not stop us, no! Bubble Wrap continues to cheer itself up, along with our small company of supportive fans, to whom we say Thank You! for hanging out with us every Wednesday night from 7 to 9.
This week, we explored the inner recesses of Bandcamp’s lesser known luminaries among the NYP set. We found many worthy and intriguing artists including Louie Zong (“Photosynaestesia”), U-Turn Collective (“The Last Dime”), Public Practice (“Compromise”) and Wingtip Sloat (“Sabaretro”). The beauty of this kind of music is that it’s both diverse and utterly original.
High and Dry – July 8, 2020
| Radio
Midsummer is either behind us or just ahead, depending on your method of calculation. Beached in greater Brattleboro, we at Bubble Wrap are doing what we do best — carrying on. Fortunately, the music has been good lately. High points of this week’s show are so numerous, it would be easier to list the low points (were there any?). Perhaps but here are the top 5:
March On It – July 1, 2020
| Radio
Once a year we do a July 4 show on Bubble Wrap, despite how corny that is and the fact that we have grave misgivings about the direction our country is going. But be that as it may, and it certainly is this year, we nevertheless trotted out the patriotic tunes from turn-of-last-century marches and […]
Smoky Sandals – June 24, 2020
| Radio
This week on Bubble Wrap, we settled on BandCamp’s NYP releases as our primary source, and what a fascinating mix it dished up. We could start anywhere but what about Bloom.exe’s rant about everything on “Repetition, Repetition.” Surely there is no better place. Angelica Garcia’s “Lucifer Waiting” is the best thing I’ve heard out of LA in what seems like years. English Summer channel Morrissey (and a host of his contemporaries). We especially like the name of their record which is It’s Miserable But We Carry On.
Only In America – June 17, 2020
| Radio
In an atmosphere of unrest in a time of pandemic with little sign of help on the horizon, we trudge on through this thing called life. Bubble Wrap Radio continues to fulfill its mission of entertaining the listening public of Greater Brattleboro and Beyond! every Wednesday night from 7 to 9. This week, the revolution continues, leavened with introspection and a love subtheme. Not to neglect the new, we selected a few noteworthy Bandcamp NYP releases to feature: Tim Spacey‘s Junkolectric Mycatisgreen’s pandemic release Cat Means Four (get it?) were this week’s honorees.
Got To Be Real – June 10, 2020
| Radio
During turbulent times, music can be just the balm we need whether it’s angry, joyous, or sad. Mix and match to fit your mood. This week, Bubble Wrap featured more protest-inspired music including some new tracks just released in the last week. Among the standouts was K!MMORTAL’s “Breathe” which is about taking time to breathe so you can remember that you’re going to be all right. It’s a beautiful song with a message that works right as you’re listening to it. We also liked Peter CottonTale’s “Pray for Real” which is a quietly cheerful song about thankfulness and and a kind heart. “I pray for y’all” he sings, which says it all.