6.9 A wknd w/ Superbloom
The band on breakfast cake, dance-floor denting and their Saturday-night EP-release show at Brooklyn Made
Everyone over 30: First and foremost, go grab an icepack.
We’ve spent the morning experimenting, and it only takes 1.5 listens of the new Superbloom album to completely throw your neck out—
And that’s when listening to it alone, in a desk chair, at 11 a.m. (If it weren’t for the intro/outro action, some sweet n fuzzy little interludes and a couple slower songs, we’d probably be horizontal for the remainder of the weekend.) (AND NOT IN THE FUN WAY.)
If you’re not familiar with Superbloom, a briefing.
Upon realizing JT already brought sexy back circa 2006, the Brooklyn four-piece instead opted to revive grunge (you might have spotted them on Spotify’s ‘Smells Like Stream Spirit’ playlist) and have been simultaneously winning the hearts and further damaging the hearing of rock fans and ‘90s nostalgists since dropping their stellar debut album Pollen in 2021. (We are a part of this loyal, loving, soon-to-be-tinnitus-suffering group—“Mary on a Chain” grabbed a top slot on our own Spotify Wrapped that same year.)
A few members of the band are also, as recounted in a past spotlight, our former neighbors. And have yet to return the frisbee we accidentally thew in their yard two and a half years ago. BUT! Now’s not the time for that. (Especially since we’ve actually never owned a frisbee.) It is, of course, time to talk tunes. Specifically: Life’s a Blur , the aforementioned new beauty of a banger, which just dropped yesterday. And what better way to sum up the the idea behind the album than by simply sharing the nice note the band posted about it this morning:
"We’ve always been an albums over singles kind of band at heart. Products of the CD generation; the whole greater than the sum of its parts.
That’s the idea behind Life’s a Blur.
It was important for us to make a press-play-and-forget kind of record, where each track carries the same weight in the listening experience. We’re stoked with how it turned out and we hope you’re enjoying it too.”
You bet. SENDING YOU A VENMO REQUEST FOR THE BENGAY, BOYS!
Really though, it’s a rad piece of work, with a bunch of thought and a whole lotta of love obviously baked in. But—and here’s your call to action—DON’T TAKE OUR WORD FOR IT! Experience the face-melting, ear-ringing, neck-annihilating sensation that is Superbloom TOMORROW NIGHT at Brooklyn Made when they hit the stage for their release show with Woz (“NY's most outstanding gas attendant”), Stay Inside (coincidentally the same instructions we were issued earlier this week!) and wakelee (who recently dropped one of our favorite albums of the year, produced by Brian DiMeglio of Superbloom himself). Tix avail here.
And before/after the main event, the Superbloom dudes have got you covered with a wild weekend of rock-star appropriate anarchy. And it all starts with a very sugary breakfast.
Have a great few significantly-less-smoggy days, everyone! We’ll see you out there <3
[BUT FIRST: PRESS PLAY]
FRIDAY
I have a pretty non-negotiable cake-for-breakfast policy on Fridays, which I'll be adhering to over at Rita & Maria in Bed Stuy because their coffee is great and their cakes are ridiculous. Special shoutout to the Persian Love Cake with rose, pistachio, and cardamon, which is so good you’ll want to throw Department of State guidelines to the wind and book a one way flight to Iran to find out how they came up with such a good cake.
Post-cake, knock out some work in the afternoon but PLEASE for the love of god don’t work too hard (if at all). Our album release show is on Saturday, so Friday afternoon we’re biking to our studio in Carroll Gardens to get our final practice in, tighten up the set, and stress out about the show together. En route to the studio, grab a couple slices at Brooklyn's greatest slice shop F&F, but save the Cacio e Pepe slice for another day because you still gotta do stuff - I suggest the Partanna slice so you can blast your face with Calabrian chilis and honey before cranking your amp all the way up. To cap the night off, the Bed Stuy inclined can hang at Coyote Club, because who doesn’t like a very long bar counter, happy hour every day until 9pm (wild), and pinball. And also there’s a taco truck outside. "Say less", I hear you whisper.
SATURDAY
Get some espresso at Variety in Williamsburg. Take a walk to get the body moving before sound check. Call your family (if you have one) like a good functioning member of society. Get some hopefully non-wildfire-generated air in your lungs.
Saturday is Showday, and you’re coming to our album release party at Brooklyn Made in Bushwick. Show starts at 8 with a fully stacked out bill, and you get to see most of our new release ‘Life’s a Blur’ performed at our favorite spot. Joining the party are Wakelee with the sugary indie pop hits, Woz with the brooding jams, and Stay Inside with the face melting riffs, blooming arrangements, and heavy drum beats.
Most importantly: Brooklyn Made have arguably the best “green room” in town, which is essentially a penthouse apartment above the venue with an outdoor pool overlooking Bushwick. So as soon as soundcheck is over at 3pm, you’ll find us sipping beers poolside as we pretend to be famous while metaphorically and physically looking down on everyone from our green room / luxury condo / castle in the middle of Bushwick.
SUNDAY
The show was a banger, you had a few beers, then decided you should have a few more (you IDIOT) and before you knew what was happening you ended up at Black Flamingo putting dents in their dancefloor until 4am. So now it’s time to take care of yourself.
Wake up slow, roll over to Dunwell Donuts - strawberry is the best one, but you should grab a maple donut too “for a friend”. Stroll around, pop out and get a nice green juice, maybe some fresh fruit, take a bite of a mushroom, and bike over to spend the afternoon in Domino park. Grab a beer at Other Half and watch people work way harder than you playing volleyball. If you’re getting hungry and you feel like a quick detour into the city (it’s called Manhattan in case you haven’t heard of it) please do yourself a favor and go eat some soba noodles at Cocoron. Order the Mera Mera Dip Soba (the vegan one is just as good as the dead animal one). You will never regret it and also never forget it.
As the sun starts to turn, head south towards Prospect Park and go see our lovely buds at Gold Star. Matt will know your favorite beer by looking into your eyes, and Carter will cook up the best sandwich of your life - I suggest the vegan white bean and artichoke sandwich, or the charcuterie one with fig jam, unbeatable.
And as you’re getting ready for bed, looking back at this amazing weekend that only cost you $2450, please remember to drink some water.
Itinerary above written + submitted by Superbloom. Follow the band at @superbloomnyc, buy music on Bandcamp and add their songs to your Spotify playlists !
Feature image provided by the band.
MORNING ANNOUNCEMENTS
It’s the END OF AN ERA! Bittersweet to report that Bands do BK on Radio Free Brooklyn is no more. A HUGE thank you to the RFB team for providing Bands do BK with such an incredible platform for the last 3 1/2 years. It’s been a pleasure, and I (Sam) can’t thank everyone over there enough for the opportunity.
+ A note to everyone reading this that the station is always looking for new people to get involved, so if you’ve got a show idea, pitch it! And be sure to tune into Savage Good Boy, hosted by Sam Pinson of Mary Shelley, which will be taking over the Monday at 7:00 p.m. slot. You’re gonna love it.
It’s also the BEGINNING OF AN ERA! Stoked to share that I (Sam again) am making the move to FM — specifically 90.7 WFUV—as a fill DJ! So if you hear my voice in your Uber, DO NOT BE ALARMED. I’m not in the backseat, just on the radio.
Who let me in there?!
This week, we were proud to announce our 6/25 PRIDE showcase at Arlene’s Grocery ft. some truly incredible artists! Grab your tix here.
Andddd a reminder that our next living-room show raising money for Sweet Relief Musicians Fund is THIS TUESDAY at BdBK HQ. DM 4 address <3
RELEASE RADAR
New(ish) stuff from local (+ occasionally, once-local) artists we love, listed in no order whatsoever:
“99 Secrets” // Loose Buttons
“Fantasy (ba ba ba)” // Mary Vision
“Nice Work Job” // Baba Chevy
“Lakehouse” // Johnny Dynamite and the Bloodsuckers
“Cathedral of the Pines” lyric video // HNRY FLWR
IT’S HAPPENIN’
Here’s a look at the events we’ve got coming up. Mark your calendars and come hang!
6/9 BdBK presents: Locations. O. Wake, Lily Mao, Dogs on Shady Lane @ Alphaville - tix here
6/13 STRONG LITTLE SONGS living-room show w/ Debbie Dopamine, Nadia Kazmi, Ransom Pier, Arlo Indigo @ BdBK HQ (donation-based // BYOB // DM 4 address)
6/22 BdBK presents: Monograms (LP release), Pamphlets, Big Bliss @ Bar Sundown - tix here
6/25 BdBK presents PRIDE @ Arlene’s Grocery w/ QIRL, Tenderheart Bitches, Laura Danae, Strange Neighbors, Lily Mao - tix here
7/7 BdBK Presents: Yella Belly w/ High Waisted, Evan Charles and Joseph King @ Our Wicked Lady - tix here
+ ICYMI
Around the blog + on the radio + from the archives:
SPOTLIGHT: “Better Days” from Locations
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.