4.8 A wknd w/ HYPEMOM
The band('s "mom") on ABC Power Hour, Italian family dinners and the boys' big Saturday-night recital at Hart Bar
Listennnnnnn.
A weekend curated by a band? Cool.
A weekend curated by a band’s mom? Cooler.
A weekend curated by a band pretending to be their mom? Coolest.
So! Now that we’ve got our hierarchy established, I’m thrilled to share that our weekend from BK trio HYPEMOM falls 100% into the final category, thus making it by far the COOLEST SETLIST BdBK has EVER PRODUCED in the LONG AND STORIED (8-month) HISTORY OF THE SETLIST.
But first, a word on the band.
Here at BdBK, we love a bit. We’re suckers for a schtick. We will do terrible, terrible things in the name of a theme. And because we’d rather not be forced to do Comedians do BK (not alliterative!) (and probably depressing!!!), it’s the best of both worlds when a band offers us entertainment in the form of a long-running joke *and* has the sweet tunes to back it up—
Which brings us to the good news: Along with a gift for gag, SWEET TUNES HYPEMOM DOES HAVE!
We first discovered/enjoyed/fell in love with the band via Concessions, their tape that dropped back in March 2020 and has been reviewed 200x better than we could ever hope do by bless-ed Bandcamp usernMatt DeMello:
“Replacements hooks and enough snark to knock that copy of Infinite Jest right off your shelf. A Bushwick dirtbag's wet dream, and the total package at that. They'll give you a 90s emo hammer-on you'll never forget.”
Mental note to hire Matt.
ANYWAY! Two years later, the band is back with a more recent release, a double scoop of post-punk perfection that… unfortunately Matt has not yet reviewed.
Mental note to fire Matt.
(Lotta turnover here at BdBK hq.)
SO! This just means you’ll have to listen to Stairway / Episode 4 (the former an “off-kilter jazz/post-punk hybrid” and the latter a “full-on blastbeat banger”) yourselves—and then, even better, enjoy the music liiiive THIS SATURDAY at the band’s show with Minaxi, RONI and A Very Special Episode at Hart Bar!
Now, you may have questions about what to expect from a HYPEMOM show. Don’t worry — we have answers.
Do they show up to the gig in mom jeans?! No.
Do they bring cookies?! Also, no.
Do they TEAR IT THE FUCK UP?!?!?!? Yes, yes they do.
One outta three ain’t bad, so we’ll see you there. As for the rest of the weekend, read on! Your favorite (probably only!) Brooklyn band masquerading as their own mom has kindly crafted the most magical of itineraries for you and your own internal maternal figure to enjoy—and you know it’s gonna be a fun one.
Read on! Rock on! And maybe consider calling your mother.
We, and she, hope you have a really nice weekend. <3
[BUT FIRST: PRESS PLAY]
FRIDAY
ABC Power Hour: These ones with their ABC. Every weeknight they’re glued to the TV from 6:50 until 8. I get watching Jeopardy, but Wheel of Fortune? That Sajak is so smarmy, the way he talks down to Vanna. Anyway, Fridays are usually when the boys watch David Muir’s America Strong segment followed by Jeopardy and Wheel. They have a lot of rules about doing shots of whiskey when certain things happen — Lord of the Flies and Queen Victoria and that vulgar What Are You Wearing? category, to name a few. They either gather at one of their apartments or a bar called Do or Dive, which only shows Jeopardy. I guess there are mom-approved dive bars out there.
Family dinner: This one warms my heart, even if the whole family isn’t invited :p. Dinner at Bamonte’s is a tradition with their group of friends. They order gin martinis and a cold antipast, then manicotti or pork chops or branzino for their mains, and espresso with sambuca for dessert. Apparently Matthew orders tripe, which your Uncle Carmine used to love. Such an old soul, that one.
Bacchanalia: I always said, if you’re going to party, I’d rather you did it safely at home; I guess they finally listened. After the meal, the boys return home to listen to records and play Mrs. Pacman or Mario Kart 8 and smoke cannabis, which may be legal but I still blush mentioning it. They say they’re in bed before the witching hour, and with that display of gluttony I believe it.
SATURDAY
Puppy love: Thankfully all my boys have dogs now, so there’s a bit of responsibility in their lives. They’re usually up early enough to let them run free in parks like Fort Greene or Saratoga, but if not they swear by Forest Park in Queens. I’m told it’s 500+ acres of wooded trails. Not for nothing, but if they like the woods so much there’s plenty of room here in the backyard. I guess an hour and a half drive and some leftover risotto is no match for 15 minutes on the Jackie Robinson.
My handsome granddogs: Crab, Floof, and Locatelli
Fortunato Brothers: Their nonnas would be glad to know they still enjoy a pignoli cookie, and this Williamsburg bakery tastes almost as good as theirs. They order cappuccinos and plates of sfogliatelle and delicioso and reginelle and get a table a polite distance from the corner where the regulars sit. I keep telling the boys they should go over and practice their Italian but they never do. I don’t know why I spent all that money on those Muzzy tapes…
Desert Island Comics: I’ll never understand why comic books count as reading, but regardless this shop is a favorite of Matt’s. It really is a cute store, with lots of graphic novels, classic superhero comics, posters, art, and local “zines” (magazines, I guess). We stopped in there once to buy you a gift certificate and the owner was very knowledgeable — was his name Gabe? Your father can talk to people for hours and never remember a single detail about them.
Record shopping: I suppose our collections that they’ve picked over aren’t enough, so the boys will spend hours in and out of record stores. I’m told P.I.T. is a good one: part record & book store, part community organizing space, and future venue. I was pleasantly surprised to hear it’s run by leftists, we need more of that right now. You know I voted for Clinton the first time.
The big recital: Do you mind that we come to your performances? I especially want to see this one because of your friend Steve’s band, Minaxi. I like how their music is like yours but with less shouting. I don’t know A Very Special Episode but I was listening on your Spotify account and it reminds me of the college music station your father always calls into. And RONI sounds very fun. Finally some music I can dance to! Do you mind that I don’t dance at your performances?
SUNDAY:
Bagel breakfast: I’ve stopped asking if they’d like to go to mass years ago. I guess the lord our savior is no match for a pastrami egg and cheese with a hashbrown. Luke swears by Greenberg’s. I have nothing more to say on the matter, we can only give you so much CCD.
Cardiff Giant: I don’t know when drinking became an art form, but this place apparently “curates” their selections. It does have a rather charming backyard. Would you ask them where they get their string lights? I saw some at Michaels but do I really need to spend $52.95?
Analog Jeopardy: This is a tradition the boys and their friends started during the pandemic. Every Sunday, they video conference and play Jeopardy with an old board-game set and some lighters as buzzers. It’s like a big cyber roleplay game, I guess? Is that what your generation calls it?
Sunday Chinese: Perhaps their longest-standing tradition is ordering a small army’s worth of Chinese food on Sunday nights and eating in front of the television. Just writing this is giving me agita. I know you love China Express but those complimentary Brisk Iced Teas are just piling up in the back of the fridge, you know. You could be putting other things back there. Like vegetables.
Itinerary above written + submitted by HYPEMOM. Follow the band at @hypemomlovesyou , buy music on Bandcamp and add the songs to your Spotify playlists.
Feature image, provided by the band: Lee Bilsky
RELEASE RADAR
New(ish) stuff from local (+ once-local) artists we love, listed in no order whatsoever:
A Proper Mess // Le Big Zero
“Street Breeze” video // Delicate Steve
Soft Power // Ryan Egan
Days and Nights // Sooner
“DFS” // Grand Army Reapers
IT’S HAPPENIN’
Here’s a look at the shows we’ve got coming up next month and beyond. Mark your calendars and come hang!
4.12 STRONG LITTLE SONGS 3: A living-room fundraising show benefiting Ukraine featuring sets from War Violet, Slight Of, Bill Waters and Arlo Indigo (our co-organizer/cohost). BYOB/Donation-based/DM 4 Address.
+ ICYMI
Around the blog + on the radio + from the archives:
SPOTLIGHT: The Great American Novel from Proper.
Treefort Diary: Atlas Engine Does Boise
Thx 4 reading! Find more fun stuff at bandsdobk.com and @bandsdobk. <3