5.6 A wknd w/ Punchlove
The band on wasabi peas, live coding raves and their show TONIGHT at Our Wicked Lady
There’s no doubt that a study-abroad experience can enrich an individual’s life. You walk away with newly broadened horizons, an appreciation for new cultures, friendships and memories that will last a lifetime…
Or at least the earned right to pronounce it Barthelona, the ability to ask for a bathroom in precisely one other language and probably 10-15 lbs. acquired via croissant.
But for Brooklyn shoegazers and soon-to-be college grads Punchlove, it wasn’t so much about what they discovered while abroad, but what they gained when they came back.
In Spring 2020, NYU Music Technology students Jillian Olesen and Ethan Williams were in Prague when the pandemic rocked our world and ruined our plans, and the two were sent back home with less than 24 hours notice. Having connected over music while abroad, the artists felt the need to—in the words of Jillian—“start a project in order to salvage the year in some way.” The result was Punchlove, a new band rooted in shoegaze—“the only music that seemed to sound good to us during quarantine in the context of feeling pretty bummed and confused, like the rest of the world.”
Beyond simply salvaging the year, Punchlove is filed firmly under silver linings. In last week’s newsletter, we referenced a phenomenon we’ve dubbed the Bandemic, a wave of killer NYC bands formed in the last two years during COVID, and Punchlove is exhibit A—a truly killer group that might not have come to be if it weren’t for these ~unprecedented times~ and extraordinary circumstances.
Like Slow Fiction—another one of these bands—once live music was back, Punchlove seemed to explode onto the scene, appearing on what felt like every other bill in BK and Manhattan, all while writing and releasing some excellent music in the process. We were thrilled to premiere their double single Solstice // Ghost last September, and in terms of more recent releases, the band just dropped the YouTube video from their live session at WNYU in late March. Featuring exclusively new and unreleased music, the vid serves as a sweet sneak peak of more Punchlove to come, and as it’s Bandcamp Friday, we’d be remiss not to mention their latest release on the platform, the four-track “alive from the basement” EP, which includes recordings from that very WNYU session.
Once you hear the band live, you will, of course, want to see them live, so here’s some great and quite convenient news: You need look no further than TONIGHT at OUR WICKED LADY! As for what to do before and after that experience, ya know ya know ya know how it goes—
We’re stoked to share that our pals in Punchlove have hooked it up with a wknd itinerary just 4 u! Go forth, read up, listen up, live it up, and please have the truly glorious weekend that we know you deserve.
K, love you, byyyyyye.
[BUT FIRST: PRESS PLAY]
FRIDAY
No matter what day it is, we start our night at a deli on the Lower East Side called Yours Wholesome Foods. We love the staff and the food. The Dr. Snack wasabi peas are a must get item. We’ll mill around the deli for a bit then take our food back to one of our apartments to eat, drink a few beers, and watch bad Youtube videos. Then the night begins.
On Friday we’ll spend most of the night playing the Our Wicked Lady rooftop with No Kill, Queasy, and Snakeskin. We’re super excited for this bill, not to mention how much we love the venue. We might also take a quick jog over to Human Head records for a little crate digging (plus we love when men in cargo shorts help us find records).
SATURDAY
Saturday morning usually starts with a coffee from Matto. An ideal Saturday is usually spent outside at a park, with Prospect Park, Washington Square, and Tompkins Square being some particular favorites. An ideal Saturday afternoon also includes collecting all our gear at Joey’s apartment and making noise together (shoutout to Joey's roommates for putting up with this).
Then, this Saturday we’ll be bopping our way over to The Broadway to catch My Son The Doctor and Blonde Otter (two favs of ours). The Broadway is a favorite spot of ours, not only for the great acts that come through on the regular but also for their Sunday karaoke.
On any given weekend we might also end up at Trans-Pecos, Berlin, or Chaos Computer to see as much live music as possible in one weekend. There’s also a good chance you’ll run into us at @livecodenyc’s live coding raves, hosted in various locations around Brooklyn. At the end of the night we’ll work our way over to the Taco Bell Cantina under the J train and then over to a bar like KGB or Double Down Saloon for a nightcap.
SUNDAY
The Sunday morning (or more likely, afternoon) hangover is cured with an everything bagel from Pio Bagel in Downtown Brooklyn, or a bacon egg and cheese from Brooklyn Bagel. Almost every Sunday ends with a band meeting, a rehearsal, a few more beers, a few more bad Youtube videos, and one more trip to Yours Wholesome Foods.
Itinerary above written + submitted by Punchlove. Follow the band at @punchlovemusic, buy music on Bandcamp and add the songs to your Spotify playlists!
Feature image (provided by the band): Yusuf Husain
MORNING ANNOUNCEMENTS
In 100% shameless promo news: THE BANDS DO BK BOOK IS NOW AVAILABLE FOR PREORDER! This is a love letter to Brooklyn by bands and a love letter to Brooklyn bands by BdBK. Reserve your copy now! <3
It’s BANDCAMP FRIDAY, BABY—and by now you know what that means. The site is waiving all fees and it’s the perfect opp to score some sweet loot + support your fave artists. More good shit to consider: Ilithios is donating all proceeds from his 2020 album Florist and the forthcoming EP Panic to the Lilith Fund (the oldest abortion fund in Texas) through the end of the month, and Scout Gillett is donating 25% of all merch sales to the national network of abortion funds. (Know more artists donating funds? Let us know and we’ll add them here!)
In more good music // good cause news, BK folk guitarist/harpist/singer/songwriter/A+ human Lizzie No is featured on the comp Come Hell or High Water, proceeds from which will be split between the Transgender Education Network of Texas, Equality Texas and direct support of GoFundMe initiatives to relocate at-risk trans youth to safety.
RELEASE RADAR
New(ish) stuff from local artists we love, listed in no order whatsoever:
“Evil Ghosts” video // Sam and the Sea
“Red Flag” // Gardenia
“Nameless Harm” // Slow Fiction
“Dig Your Hips” // The Bobby Lees
“R.O.D. (Ride or Die)” // KiTTN
“Kellogg’s” // Razor Braids
“Gold Mind” // No Jersey
IT’S HAPPENIN’
Here’s a look at the shows we’ve got coming up this month. Mark your calendars and come hang!
5.18 BdBK Presents: Ernesto Hex & the Sunshine Magnetic EP Release w/ Papi Shiitake, Activity Partners and Jack Mogi & the After Party @ Bar Freda (tix here)
5.22 BdBK x New Colossus Fest Summer Sunday @ 18th Ward Brewing w/ War Violet + NEVVA + Marinara + Shred Flintstone + Mary Shelley (FREE!)
5.25 BdBK Presents: Phranque (album release) + Nuclear Family Fantasy (album release) + Ouster Nash + Hot Knives @ Our Wicked Lady (tix here)
5.28 BdBK Presents: Royal Blush, Baba Chevy, Le Big Zero, Mary Shelley @ Pet Rescue (DM 4 Address)
+ ICYMI
Around the blog + on the radio + from the archives:
PREMIERE: “Do Your Worst” from Ilithios
PREMIERE: “Rubber Hands” from My Son The Doctor
Thx 4 reading! Find more fun stuff at bandsdobk.com and @bandsdobk. <3