Jeanette Wall
This month we have the honor of presenting to you some Shea tracks handpicked by Jeanette Wall - someone who has dedicated years of her life to building up the artists she loves and the music they make through her Miscreant Records label.
An Indiana native, Jeanette first began her efforts in humble Syracuse DIY spaces working with bands like SSWAMPZZ & Quarterbacks. The Miscreant project proper started a bit more esoteric, as a zine for "artists, outsiders & everyone in between" which saw contributors from around the world. In time Jeanette started to focus her energy into making Miscreant a larger platform for her friends and artists she admires.
And so it's not surprising that Miscreant isn't just a label but something more akin to a family. The name "Miscreant" wasn't arbitrarily chosen, but intended to highlight the label's role for those who might not have found a home elsewhere and whose music acts as a vessel for healing & self-revelation. Now based in New York, Miscreant is thriving, putting out records by Shea faves like Bethlehem Steel, Vagabon & Fern Mayo.
Take a listen to Jeanette's giant list of Shea tracks - it's a great sampler of the incredible family she's built with Miscreant over the years.
- Luke Chiaruttini
Stephanie Griffin
There are few among us who can say they work as diligently as Stephanie Griffin. After her extensive travels from New Mexico to Washington to Georgia & everywhere in between eventually landed her in NYC, she quickly established her organizational & PR skills in both the DIY & non-profit worlds in just a few short years. Today you may know Stephanie as one of the people responsible for bringing you quality programming not only at our sister venue Silent Barn but also the equally-esteemed Flux Factory.
Not content to only facilitate the show-happening process at two of NYC's most well-respected art spaces, Stephanie also does a bit of archiving of her own in the form of band portraits, many of which you can see on her website along with many, many other amazing eclectic photographs from her travels.
Luckily for all of us her voluminous skills also extend to curating playlists and she's compiled for us a comprehensive collection of her favorite tracks. It's no coincidence her list contains many classic Shea faves as well. Take a listen and hear what wisdom comes from years of what the chefs at Silent Barn call "living in the stew."
-Luke Chiaruttini
Brett Davis & Sally Burtnick
The worlds of comedy & music aren't quite as divergent as they may at first seem. Performers take the stage looking for a genuine connection with the audeince, and so few style of art make that connection as raw & direct as standup comedy. With that in mind it makes a lot of sense that once a month we turn things over to Brett Davis & Sally Burtnick for their enigmatically titled Macaulay Culkin Show.
For the unitiated - the Culkin show features an ever changing roster of standup & improv comedians, tied together by constant hosts Brett & Sally. The duo has their fingers in a lot of comedy pies, including Brett's new weekly show on MNN, and it's always astonishing to see them pull together amazing lineups month after month. Over the past two years they've rounded up the likes of Jeneane Garofalo, H Jon Benjamin, Wyatt Cenac and nearly all new cast members of SNL - a long way from their humble origins in a New Jersey basement.
The show is celebrating its two year anniversary this sunday, and in honor of the occasion we've asked Brett & Sally talk about their favorite tracks from our live archives. Their list is rockin' & eclectic as you might expect and the two were kind enough to add their two cents on the their picks below. Luke Chiaruttini
Liquor Store “Commando”
Of all the bands on this list, I feel like Liquor Store would be the most likely live show where I would get injured via roughhousing.
Vulture Shit “Sweat Lodge”
A very very close 2nd to the above.
Downtown Boys “Maldito”
I haven’t seen the movie, but I have seen the trailer for World War Z. I don’t really like zombie movies. But there’s the part where all the zombies climb up each other to form a human mountain to climb over some sort of wall. I’d like to imagine this song soundtracking that scene.
Perfect Pussy "Driver"
See above.
Bueno “C-C-C-Convenient”
This song is really great and so catchy. They played it on my public access show weeks ago and I find myself singing it at least once a day to myself. Often while on the toilet. Sorry, Luke!
La Luz “Pink Slime”
I can’t say this is my favorite song. That honor belongs to Will Smith’s “A Nightmare On My Street” of course. But this is my favorite type of song. I’ll listen to pretty much anything with organs or organ sounds that doesn’t have Jim Morrison singing over them.
The Beets “Happy But On My Way”
These motherfuckers put fucking Carlito Caribbean Cool on their album cover.
King Krule “The Noose of Jah City”
I remember when this came out, I remember there was a lot of hype around this guy saw pics of King Krule and really wanted to be like "nah, fuck this guy” and avoided it. But then I gave it a chance and felt like a real dummy for avoiding it.
Ronnie Stone “Track 7”
From the Three Men & A Baby soundtrack but only if you just huffed spray paint.
Wise Blood “Loud Mouths”
This guy’s called Weyes Blood now or something. That’s weird.
Javelin - “C Town”
Fact: I have written secret raps to several Javelin songs that nobody has ever heard.
Jerry Paper “International Man of Melancholy”
We also had Jerry Paper on The Special. I thought meeting him in person might make his online persona (which is sometimes a CGI character) a little less magical. But nope, even more fascinating. I got to wear his magic robe!
Mr. Twin Sister “All Around And Away We Go”
One time I stayed in a hotel in St. Louis one summer and there was a rooftop pool and it was completely empty and I jumped in and the water was warm and the sun started setting so everything was pink and purple and that’s what this song reminds me of.
Home Blitz “Two Steps”
I made a movie called BANANAZZZ with my friend Kate Sweeney (gettin those plugs in) and there’s a scene directly after a long psychedelic sex(?) scene, where Darren goes “Austin, Texas…here we come!” This song kicks in and it’s waaay louder than the rest of the movie and every time we screen it they have to turn the volume down. It was my favorite part of every screening.
PWR BTTM “Track 3”
They are total rockstars. I think my friend Kevin said they look like they were shot with Homer Simpson’s makeup gun and I cannot think of a more apt description.
The Men “Turn It Around”
Best-case-scenario mid-life crisis rock n’ roll.
Screaming Females “Buried In The Nude"
It must feel really weird if you’re an actor or a musician and you end up working with, and possibly forming a friendship with some huge super-talented mega star like… let’s say Will Smith. The most amazing, super-talented individual in the world. You can’t ever truly be friends with Will Smith because you’re like—“oh, this is the guy that said ‘WELCOME TO EARTH’ and then punched an alien” and “oh, this is the guy that rapped with Freddy Krueger”. I’ve known Screaming Females for a very long time now and they are wonderful people to know and work with, but it’s always in the back of my head that they are one of the greatest bands in the world right now. They put out amazing stuff so consistently, they are so tight live and they stay true to their roots. I find everything they do so ad
PWR BTTM
This month’s Guest List was compiled for us by PWR BTTM, a Brooklyn based duo who released their forth LP “Ugly Cherries” this past September. As with their previous releases, “Ugly Cherries” is loaded with fuzzy punk riffs and catchy melodies. PWR BTTM’s lyrics often border between personal and political but are most often strikingly honest.
Much like PWR BTTM’s own recordings, there is consistency to the songs they chose, with waves of variation in tempo, genre, and tone. The list gives a big nod to some of the female-fronted punk bands in the area (“Pet Carrot” by Palehound, “Blondes Have More Fun” by Forth Wanderers, T-Rextasy). There are the frenzied vocals in “Store” by Palberta and the moodier repetition of Told Slant’s “Algae Bloom”, which add pleasant changes in pace. Not to give the rest away, PWR BTTM curated a solid list of songs that I’ll likely listen to, and re-listen to, more than a few times this week.
- Jane Wiseheart