Counter Intuitive · February 26, 2021
There are bands that create music with a formula you can always rely on, a guarantee in expectation. Then there are bands like Nervous Dater, whose musical creativity creates a big, beautiful mess, like a purposeful paint splatter all over their albums. Their debut album
Don’t Be a Stranger carries their most popular song “Bad Spanish,” a track loaded with jitters, nerves, and lines like “I’ll bash my fucking head.” Four years later, Nervous Dater is back with their sophomore album,
Call in the Mess. The band has three members: Rachel Lightner carries most of the vocals and guitar, Matt Goetz adds more vocals and drums, and Kevin Cunningham grounds it all with bass. The trio work together in harmony, balancing each other’s strengths in the songwriting. The product is a collection of ten songs, each standing out as individuals while fitting into the puzzle.
New Music Reviews (3/1) KEXP
Each week, KEXP’s Music Director Don Yates (joined this week by DJs Alex and Gabriel Teodros) shares brief insights on new and upcoming releases. See what s coming up this week below, including reviews for new releases from
Julien Baker,
Cloud Nothings, and more.
Little Oblivions (Matador)
This Memphis-based artist’s powerful third album recasts her introspective folk-pop with a more expansive and muscular sound. With Baker playing every instrument herself, the album combines ringing guitars, piano, organ, synths, bass and drums for a full-band sound that brings additional anthemic heft to Baker’s confessional, sometimes self-lacerating lyrics revolving around addiction, loss, heartache and the limits of faith. DY
Photo: Nicole Hogan
Brooklyn punks Nervous Dater made their mark as a band to look out for with their 2017 debut,
Don’t Be A Stranger. Now, they’re back with their sophomore album,
Call In The Mess, out later this month. The band already shared two singles, “Middle Child” and “Tin Foil Hat,” and today, exclusively on
The A.V. Club, you can hear their latest single, “Farm Song.”
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“Farm Song” shows yet another side of Nervous Dater, veering into country territory. While previous single “Tin Foil Hat” is a heavy punk track, “Farm Song” takes Nervous Dater lead vocalist/guitarist Rachel Lightner back to the band’s vulnerable, relatable lyrics. The song looks back at pre-pandemic times, with Lightner questioning why they feel lonely when they’re surrounded by friends at shows in crowded basements.
Like many other outdoor activities, elk hunting also saw an increase in participation last year. The DNR saw over 44,000 license applications in 2020, which was over 2,000 more than 2019. They also gave out more licenses than the previous year. Throughout the two hunting periods, there were 214 elk harvested. In the second, 88% of hunters found success. Wildlife.