11.3 A wknd w/ Endearments
Kevin Marksson on the band's new EP, the best BEC and the 100% perfect Brooklyn pastime that is reading books in bars
First off, let’s just take a collective exhale after what felt like approximately 400 consecutive nights of Halloween (woooo-sahhhhh). Alright. HAPPY NOVEMBER, BABEZ! It’s crisp af out there. Let’s get into it.
We shall start, first and foremost, with a celebration.
HAPPY RELEASE DAY to Endearments, whose new EP It Can Be Like This is officially out today!
+ HAPPY BANDCAMP FRIDAY (more on that below)… so why don’t you go ahead and scoop that EP up over there.
For those unaquainted, Endearments is the BK dream-pop project of Kevin Marksson, which debuted in 2021 with Father of Wands, an EP that took breakup album to the next legal level by chronicling the dissolution of the artist’s marriage.
Released almost exactly two years later, the band’s new EP seeks to explore the next phase of life—and of love. A bright new beginning following a very major ending.
On the making of the record, Kevin shared the following:
“It Can Be Like This was a really exciting record to make because our first EP felt so much like a solo-record, and this one really feels like band effort with Anjali and Will. I also got to indulge my love of 80s pastiche—I was listening to a lot of Psychedelic Furs and Talk Talk the whole time we were writing it. Thankfully our producer, Abe Seiferth, was able to pull me back from some of my cheesier instincts, and really shape the sound into something that feels modern with just the right amount of nostalgia mixed in.”
He also, upon request, shot over a few thoughts on each of the five songs that comprise the new EP—a record that features love and drink and drugs and ends with a total bang of a ballad.
“Hazy Eyes”
“This is a fun tune about being high on molly on July 4, 2020, which if you were in NYC during lockdown you'll remember was the culmination of months of random and mysterious fireworks going off every single night. My landlord fled the city and I suddenly had unsanctioned roof access, so my girlfriend and I got high, listened to music, and watched 360-degrees of pyrotechnics. Very romantic!”
“Open Hand”
“This song is about foolishly and drunkenly calling an ex while stumbling home from a Les Savy Fav show in 2019—more universally it's about how it's hard when there are still a lot of feelings between you and someone you're no longer with. I was listening to a lot of Gang of Four when we wrote this, and Will is playing a variation on what was originally a drum machine sequence in the original demos, which is why it's such a precise and interesting beat.”
“Selfish”
“I say in press materials that this song is about the ‘liminal space’ before you tell someone you love them, but it's more about feeling like you can't tell someone you love them yet, and you're both still unpacking hurts from your last relationships. This is by far the band's favorite track on the album. It's got a real Bruce Springsteen-y bridge with big harmonies and Anjali absolutely ripping on guitar!”
”Existing Conditions”
“This is definitely the most cinematic song on the EP. It's about the romantic tension when a crush is turning into something deeper, especially when neither of you are sure if you're ready to start something new. The title is a reference to the now defunct Dave Arnold cocktail spot (RIP, another pandemic casualty), and the chorus has perhaps the oldest hook on the record—I think I wrote the melody in 2014.”
“Sober”
“Another song about being foolishly forthright with someone you have feelings for while drunk. Very similar to the closer on our first EP, ‘Sober’ was written very last-minute and was heavily shaped by what we did in the studio. Abe (Seiferth, our producer) had Anjali record tons of guitars to make the chorus sound HUGE, and every time we go back to it there are more and more parts added in. Never be afraid to close an album with a big melodramatic ballad!”
NEVER!
Listen to (and dare we say BUY?!) the EP now + grab your tickets to Endearments’ release show with Wetsuit and Big Bliss THIS WEDNESDAY at The Knitting Factory at Baker Falls.
Now get outside (hello, it’s beautiful!) and live the NYC dream that Endearments has drawn out for you below. (+ For bonus material and extra weekend inspiration, find your Wetsuit and Big Bliss SETLISTS here and here.)
Honestly, we’re just happy that there are absolutely zero costumes required. ENJOY 🍁
[BUT FIRST: PRESS PLAY]
FRIDAY
Good morning, sunshine! It’s RELEASE DAY!! After countless months of anticipation there are five glorious new Endearments songs waiting for you on the internet. Or better yet~ you ordered the EP on vinyl, and now you get the personal satisfaction of listening to physical media while your morning coffee brews. Feel the satisfying weight of the tonearm as you lower the needle onto the grooves. Hear the sizzle of eggs on the pan (over-easy is best). The smell of cardamom and cloves fills your kitchen from the Ethiopian coffee you bought at Bunna Cafe. It’s a total sensory experience!
Lunchtime comes fast, and you’re treating yourself today. You walk up the street to La Cantine, a charming luncheonette on the corner of Willoughby and St Nicholas. You can’t go wrong with their signature chicken cutlet sandwich (or one of its many daily variants). For once it’s not raining in Bushwick on the weekend, so you park yourself at an outside table and people-watch.
Evenings are for entertainment, and tonight we go hard. Make your way west to “home base” Our Wicked Lady, a venue that needs no introduction. You’re here to see Desert Sharks, Shred Flinstone, and The Dracu-Las tear it up on the roof. You order a whiskey soda off the rail, too many whiskey sodas. Before you know it you’re making conversation with your fellow show-goers; you’re dancing in the pit; you’re losing track of time; you’re pouring yourself into bed.
SATURDAY
Good morning, dummy! You have a HANGOVER!! Yesterday you forgot the most important rule of drinking (have a water every other drink), and now you’re paying the price. The perfect remedy is only a short jaunt away, but you are pickled. You pull your sorry self together and head northeast to Onderdonk Cafe in Ridgewood for what is secretly the best egg and cheese sandwich around. It’s always quiet here (even at 1pm on a Saturday), so it’s fine to take your time while you sip a kopi bajigur and stare at a sunbeam by the door.
You’ve been zoning out for almost an hour. Clearly the only thing that is going to cure this hangover is hair of the dog and some impeccable 70’s retro vintage decor. That means your next destination is Carousel on Wyckoff and Starr (so close to home). It’s still relaxed here at 2:30pm, and you admire the skylights and exposed beams from the plush conversation pit—it’s hard to believe this used to be someone’s apartment! You pull a copy of Our Band Could Be Your Life from your tote bag and start reading. The bar will be overrun in a few hours, but for now it’s all you.
The hours melt away as you sip a Moroccan 75. At some point you grabbed a sandwich from Queen of Falafel across the street, but it’s getting busy here and your next destination is a schlep. You generously tip the bartender and make your way southeast to The Broadway to see Laveda, Kierst, and Trophy Wife. It’s a show that makes you feel cool even just thinking about it. You arrive early to buy a ticket at the door and take it easy on the drinks this time.
SUNDAY
Good morning, grumpy! You live in a SOCIETY!! But sometimes living in a society means there are some random rotting Halloween pumpkins turning to liquid on your doorstep. You’re feeling responsible and civic-minded today, so you bag those decomposing gourds and walk them over to Sunset Community Garden where they’re collecting all kinds of organic fall-time detritus for composting.
You’re starting to think about an early lunch when your phone pings inside your pocket (why is your ringer on??)—it’s a text from your good friend Kevin, reminding you about the Endearments EP release show at the new Knitting Factory on Wednesday. Nothing could get you to step foot on a train this weekend, but a mid-week excursion sounds like fun. You buy your ticket early because Wetsuit and Big Bliss are playing too, and you know it’s going to be packed.
But that’s still a few days away, and you’re not done criss-crossing the Brooklyn-Queens border for food and weekend entertainment. You beeline toward T/Co Cuban Cafe, but are drawn in by the cozy vibes of Molasses Books as you pass it on Hart Street. You spend a few minutes digging for your next bar read, then hurry around the corner to T/Co (fka Millie’s) for their cafe con leche, mojo chicken sandwich, and calm Havana vibes. You scroll through your Insta feed and try to decide whether you should go see Sharkswimmer open for awakebutstillinbed tonight at Alphaville, or Lily Mayo at Hart Bar. Thankfully, with shows this good every night in Bushwick, there is no wrong answer~
Itinerary above written + submitted by Endearments. Follow the band at @endearmnts, buy music on Bandcamp and add the songs to your Spotify playlists!
Feature image (provided by the artist): Alex K. Brown
MORNING ANNOUNCEMENTS
Time is measured in BANDCAMP FRIDAYS, and as it is the first Friday of the month, another has officially arrived! You know the deal. Go freshen up your wardrobe with some sick band tees + buy some sweet vinyl to properly impress your guests next time you have a house party because TODAY Bandcamp is waiving ALL FEES, which means artists get alllllll the money you spend on their music and merch on the site. YEEHAW! Let the retail therapy commence!
IT’S ALMOST WAVYS WEEKEND!
Now in its third year, the The Wavy Awards is a ceremony (complete with red carpet) dedicated to celebrating diversity in the music industry. Info from the team— helmed by our friend Rebecca Autumn Sansom — below!
Event Details:
Date: Saturday, November 18th.
Venue: Abrons Art Center, 466 Grand St., New York, NY 10002, Lower East Side Manhattan
“Grab your early bird tickets now for an unforgettable experience: red carpet photos, networking with industry professionals, drinks by Radicle Wine, snacks from Trader Joe’s, and an epic after-party await! Time is running out to secure your spot at the rate of $50. The ticket price will increase to $75 on November 3rd. We look forward to seeing you at the Wavy Awards and celebrating together.”
RELEASE RADAR
New(ish) stuff from local (+ occasionally, once-local) artists we love, listed in no order whatsoever:
“The Heartbreak Store” // Lizzie No
“Pearls” // Skout
“Hells Kitchen” // Closebye
“You’re The One” // The Thing
“Hands” // Tetchy
“Bastards of Young” // Petite League
“Black Tongue” // Desert Sharks
It Can Be Like This // Endearments
IT’S HAPPENIN’
11.11 BdBK presents TURKEY SLAMDOWN w/ Bodega, My Son The Doctor, Work Wife, Mary Shelley, SQORE — all benefitting Make the Road NY @ Rubulad - Tix here
About Make the Road:
“Make the Road New York (MRNY) has reached an incredible milestone: 25 years of fighting for dignity and justice, and 25 years of working to shift the balance of power in New York and beyond. They have offices throughout New York City including, Bushwick Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, Long Island and Westchester. and have organized along 25 thousand members. The incredible body of work speaks for itself: from securing one of the strongest local wage theft laws in the country; to leading the way on immigration policies that are just and inclusive; to advocating for and ensuring the passage of laws to provide language access at the local and state level -- not to mention supporting the hundreds of thousands of individual members, students, and clients with our education, legal and health services.”
+ ICYMI
Around the blog + on the radio + from the archives:
SPOTLIGHT: ‘NIGHT AT THE ARCADE’ FROM DD WALKER’
PREMIERE: “SAME OLE LOVE (365 DAYS A YEAR)” FROM LOVETEMPO FT. PRINCE TERRENCE
THE SETLIST by Bands do BK is a reader-supported publication that’s freeeee. BUT! If you want to become a paid subscriber to show some love and support the work BdBK is doing… well, hey. That’d be pretty rad of you. <3
Thx 4 reading! Find more fun stuff at bandsdobk.com and @bandsdobk. <3
Order the Bands do BK BOOK (!) (out now via Lit Riot Press) here.