“Radio Player” is a haunting and inspired new single from Salt Lake City’s Josaleigh Pollett, who is making their debut for Audio Antihero.
FFO: Sharon Van Etten / Half Waif / Why Oak
The Noisy – ‘The Secret Ingredient Is Even More Meat’ (Cassette & Digital)
A deluxe, expanded edition of the cult Philly group’s debut album.
FFO: Japanese Breakfast / Jay Som / Chappell Roan
The Noisy Live: Nov 2nd @ Liminal Space, Philadelphia, PA / Nov 5th @ PhilaMOCA, Philadelphia, PA (Philly Tenants Union Fundraiser) / November 9th @ Launderette Records, Philadelphia, PA (Album Launch)
Frog – ‘THE COUNT’ (Vinyl & Digital)
Frog return with their second full-length album of 2025.
FFO: Twilight Singers / Modest Mouse / Daniel Johnston
Glitchy Indie artist Leilani Patao shuns streaming and the algorithm on their gorgeous label debut.
FFO: Grumpy / Katie Dey / Caroline Polachek
Leilani Patao Live: Nov 8th @ The Living Gallery, Brooklyn, NY (EP Launch / DiskDrive Physical Media Celebration)
Nov 14th: Tiberius – ‘Troubadour’ (Cassette & Digital)
Non-binary-led Boston-based “Farm Emo” group mix Alt energy with rustic warmth on their label debut.
FFO: Greg Freeman / Frog / Pinegrove
Tiberius Live: Nov 13th @ Radio Bean, Burlington, VT / Nov 14th @ The Apohadion Theater, Portland, ME (W/ Dead Gowns & Bagcatcher) / Nov 15th – Warehouse XI, Boston, MA (Album launch W/ Winkler) / Nov 20th – A.I.R., Albany, NY / Nov 21st – The Rug Club, Philadelphia, NY / Nov 22nd – Cassette, Queens, NY (W/ Paper Lady & Dolly)
“Why we love it: Remember that time you first heard your favourite band? Remember the prickles on your neck and the rising chills and waves of euphoria that seemed to crash against each other? Remember playing that one song over and over, pausing it to catch the lyrics so you could sing along? Tiberius is your new favourite band. ‘Sag’ is that song.” – GOD IS IN THE TV ZINE
“The new lineup of the band is gearing up to release their first LP altogether (Wright’s fifth as Tiberius overall), and they’ve adopted an earthy, alt-country inflection that suits Wright’s tremulous voice perfectly. Troubador‘s rollicking lead single is called “Sag,” and it’s an absolute knockout, carrying that same rootsy spark that once made Cardinal such a hit.” – THE ALTERNATIVE
“In “Sag” Wright distills the agony of band life–the tantalizing proximity to success, the toll it can take on your psyche–into punchy couplets. There’s a great line about “dragging amps and dragging ass,” and once it’s time to “play a show, play a show, play a show,” they sound utterly exhausted.” – ALLSTON PUDDING
“The blistering spool of alt-rock catches vocalist and guitarist Brendan Wright “aggrandizing self-importance,” thrashing to the sound of their own existential unease.” – VANYALAND
“Boston’s Tiberius have developed a style of music they call ‘farm emo’. A combination of indie rock, punk and psychedelic sensibilities tied together by alt-country twang and as capable of rich ambient drift as it is punk fury or confessional emotion.” – VARIOUS SMALL FLAMES
“Whatever it is this is a fine fine song, a piece of music full of warm emotion, three cheers indeed, a crafted piece of music that builds so well, a piece of music that has us wanting to hear more of the forthcoming album.” – THE ORGAN
“Bostonian indie band Tiberius is the brainchild of Brendan Wright, who mixes grunge of the Pearl Jam variety with a bit of college rock to end up with something called “farm emo”.” – HERE COMES THE FLOOD
“Making melodic rock with a load of heart, their music is often softly spoken, until it needs to be something else, something more.” – ANALOGUETRASH
Avery Friedman just published a gorgeous live studio session version of “New Thing“ ahead of her August 10th show at Elsewhere (Zone One) in Brooklyn, NY – Tickets.
Avery’s ‘New Thing‘ album is out now, with cassette copies available, and vinyl coming soon via Softseed Music (plus, their exclusive variant version is available for pre-order here).
Philly dream pop/synth rock band The Noisy announce signing to Audio Antihero (Frog / Avery Friedman / Magana / CIAO MALZ) with “Twos,” a vampy, queer, and silent-movie-esque new music video from director Sam Cush, which teases ‘The Secret Ingredient is Even More Meat,’ an upcoming deluxe edition of their debut album.
Featuring practical effects and vampire makeup by Philly drag talent, “Twos” channels gothic-glam in the spirit of vintage cinema, dripping with theatrical flair and midnight movie camp. Starring local icon Miss Thing, the video follows the success of “Violet Lozenge,” The Noisy’s most recent drag-forward release, which WXPN praised as “glamorous, retro, and proudly queer.”
Front-person Sara Mae Henke (they/them) comments on the upcoming music video for “Twos”:
“I wrote this song like a pop song but wanted the production to bend towards Mannequin Pussy with sludgy guitars and twinkly keys. The music video literalizes the too much-ness of the story, Buffy the Vampire Slayer meets Grey Gardens meets two dates to the prom.”
The Noisy got its start in Knoxville, Tennessee, as a project of award-winning poet Sara Mae Henke. In spring 2023, after evolving from a solo project to a full band, they released “Morricone” with a Strega Nona meets Clint Eastwood music video, launching a crowdfunding campaign for their debut album, ‘The Secret Ingredient is More Meat.’ The band sold merch, raffled a cowboy hat, and ran a GoFundMe alongside a month-long tour, raising over $3,000 to bring this debut to life—an album for their queer community.To celebrate the first anniversary of ‘The Secret Ingredient is More Meat,’ Audio Antihero will be issuing a deluxe edition entitled ‘The Secret Ingredient is Even More Meat,’ which will include new and reimagined songs.
Praise for The Noisy:
“Dynamic sound, charming energy, and a confessional tell-all spirit that’s as charismatic as it is irresistible.” – ATWOOD MAGAZINE
“Glamorous, retro, and proudly queer.” – WXPN
“The Noisy’s sound isn’t exactly noisy in the abrasive sense, but it is boisterous, embracing the crunch of grungy pop rock and the twang of Sara Mae’s Knoxville roots to create a muscular and freely associated alt-country belter.” – POST-TRASH
“It sounds really formative. Being “sixteen and see-through” is such a vulnerable feeling, one that “Grenadine” captures really well.” – THE ALTERNATIVE
“Their work examines the surreal, the uncanny, body horror, and intimacy.…Their album The Secret Ingredient is More Meat is an intoxicating experience.” – RAINBOW RODEO
“Rich, polished pop-rock sound with pieces of dream/chamber pop, synth pop, and even a bit of electric alt-rock thrown in.” – ROSY OVERDRIVE
“Unconventional at every turn, with Sara Mae’s background as a poet coming through in their unique, free-form writing style.” – TROPICAL GOTH MAG
Avery Friedman’s “New Thing” single was just released (Bandcamp / Spotify), and we’d like to thank Caleb Campbell and Under the Radar Magazine for premiering the song for us.
“Her full-length debut, New Thing, is a work of raw singer/songwriter confessionalism, evoking the knotted melodies, homespun arrangements, and searing edges of musicians like Squirrel Flower, Babehoven, or Adrienne Lenker.“ –UNDER THE RADAR MAGAZINE
In addition to these transparent yellow cassette and clear blue vinyl editions, Softseed Music will also have an exclusive variant version available on their website. Cassettes will begin shipping at the end of April, and vinyl will begin shipping end of July.
“New Thing moves forward with a steady percussive stomp, building upon its foundation of churning guitars with chiming harmonies and swirling effects. Friedman makes the track’s later moments feel like a dissociative blur, adding new layers to the winding chord progressions until it turns from a reflective meditation to an elliptical folk rock spiral. Meanwhile, the lyrics mirror these undercurrents of creeping anxiety.” – UNDER THE RADAR MAGAZINE
“Singer-songwriter Avery Friedman delivers a potential cult classic with ‘Flowers Fell’.” – REAL GONE
“If you’re looking to fill your musical roster with one of our favorite up and coming indie pop artists, look no further than Avery Friedman! ‘Photo Booth’ is somehow only Avery’s second release, and it already sounds so much like she’s come into her own as an artist. We can’t wait to see what’s next!” – THE HONEY POP
“Having frequented bills with artists such as Sister. and Dead Gowns for the past year, Avery Friedman has consistently left an impression on those that have caught her sets, oftentimes performing solo, creating a space in which her vivid imagery and tender melodies greet new ears with welcome and understanding. Produced by James Chrisman (Sister.) and with contributions from Felix Walworth (Told Slant, Florist), “Flowers Fell” plays to the in-between moments as Friedman defines new beginnings.” – THE UGLY HUG
“There’s this beautiful feedback buzz coursing through, and then the bottom falls out, hurtling you into this beautiful dreamland of pop magnificence.” – AUSTIN TOWN HALL“Photo Booth represents a bit of a shift for Friedman. It’s a more electronic, chirpier sound, her take on alt-pop. It’s still sparse and whispery, but there’s some energy beneath her voice, and the hook is sneakily catchy. It’s a great song.” – THE ALTERNATIVE
The “Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point” film directed by Tyler Taormina (aka Audio Antihero alumni Cloud) was named the #2 movie of 2024 by Richard Brody for The New Yorker and it’s available now to stream too. I really recommend it.
I’d also like to dust off this gloomy guest feature I did for Various Small Flames last year:
“Expertly crafted pop songs…It’s a real gem, and it already seems likely that DelaCruz has a big future.” –KLOF MAG
“It’s an EP that rewards careful listening, with the kind of nooks and crannies that only can come from an artist approaching their work with a sense of exploration rather than a paint by numbers fealty to any particular genre or sound. It’s the kind of project that invites multiple listens, and when you check it out you’ll want to make sure that at least once that you listen with headphones.” – THE ALTERNATIVE
“The EP is a work that celebrates restlessness and idiosyncrasy. DelaCruz’s songs are slight and sometimes sparse, yet they are never boring. Her melodies rarely move as expected, darting and drifting atop hypnotic mazes of instrumentation. Some of the record’s most blissful moments come as these tracks’ knotted guitar work resolves into soaring choruses, pivoting between unconventional indie melodicism and clear-eyed pastoral pop songcraft.” –UNDER THE RADAR MAGAZINE
“I gotta say I dig the vibe so far. I’m not sure whether to call it twee rock or indie pop or just straight up indie rock, but the execution is crisp, the emotion is raw, and I find myself enjoying the song every time it comes on.” – INDIE SHUFFLE
“The EP feels grounded, raw, and real—a snapshot of an artist in motion, unafraid to lean into the messiness of creation. It’s an honest, emotionally open debut that leaves you wanting to hear what’s next.” – GOD IS IN THE TV
Audio Antihero is very excited to be working with CIAO MALZ, the NYC-based project from Malia DelaCruz with James Chrisman (Sister.), and Felix Walworth (Told Slant / Florist). If you’d like to say “hi!” to Malia, all her links are here.
Released just 1.5 weeks ago, we’ve been thrilled with the response for the single, which has been put into rotation by KEXP, as well as receiving airplay from BBC 6 Music (New Music Fix), BBC Radio Scotland(Roddy Hart), NPR: WFUV (NY Slice), and found national airplay on Kosmos 93.6 (Fresh Unlimited).
I initially met CIAO MALZ in 2023 via this lovely cover of Frog’s“You Know I’m Down,” and while it’s horrifying to be old enough to release records influenced by the records I’ve released, it’s also a pretty special thing too.
Having returned from hiatus at the end of 2023 for ‘Grog‘ by Frog, and been inundated since with with life changes, an insane pet cockatiel, and Antihero PR campaigns, this new Audio Antihero is a work-in-progress, and adding the first new artist to the label’s roster since 2016 (unless you count the different projects of Ben and Adam Parker), feels really really good.
As ever, if you’d like to potentially review/interview/feature CIAO MALZ then contact me via Antihero PR!
Early Press for CIAO MALZ:
“Expertly crafted pop songs…It already seems likely that DelaCruz has a big future.” – KLOF MAGAZINE
“Over propulsive drumming from Told Slant’s Felix Walworth, DelaCruz laments her ability to “find new ways to disappoint her,” but I’m not sure overcompensation has ever sounded so good.” – THE ALTERNATIVE
“Malia DelaCruz is gearing up to release Safe Then Sorry in early December, and I gotta say I dig the vibe so far. I’m not sure whether to call it twee rock or indie pop or just straight up indie rock, but the execution is crisp, the emotion is raw, and I find myself enjoying the song every time it comes on.” – INDIE SHUFFLE
“The winning combination of voice, lyrical content, and overall atmosphere makes the likes of British indie-folk visionary Richard Dawson a fitting musical comparison for MALZ’s approach as the well-considered stylings of Elliott Smith and Jordana.” – ANALOGUETRASH
“The Ciao Malz sound pairs equal parts upbeat energy and probing introspection to explore themes of identity and love in young life….Lead single ‘Two Feet Tall’ introduces the project to the uninitiated, embodying the release’s unguarded nature with lush textures and a binding sense of forward motion.” – VARIOUS SMALL FLAMES
“CIAO MALZ has also dropped the fiery debut single, “Two Feet Tall,” a breakneck indie rock anthem fueled by frustration.” – HIGHCLOUDS
“It ripples with glistening guitar motifs, twitchy percussion, and bittersweet vocal melodies that bristle with an undercurrent of longing and frustration. It’s a delicious earworm, ripe with glowing homespun melodies that approach tender feelings at a cautious angle.” – GOD IS IN THE TV
MAGANA has been continuing to get really excellent press for her recent ‘Teeth‘ album. The first of these that I’d to share is her brilliant interview with Giliann Karon for POST-TRASH:
She was also recently the “Me In 3” guest on BBC RADIO SCOTLAND with Jill O’Sullivan (thanks to Roddy Hart and Richard Bull):
Magana’s‘Teeth‘ was the “Record of Note” on BBC Scotland’sRoddy Hart show last night. Roddy played three songs from the album and said a lot of lovely things about it. If you missed it live, you can listen to it via BBC Sounds.
Something extra nice about it was that Roddy and his producer (The Raging Bull) had clearly done their research and pulled some great stuff from the Jeni’s track-by-track feature for The Alternative:
If you’re enjoying Magana-centric radio, then please remember that her session for Leo Gilbert is airing all month long via Dandelion Radio and Mixcloud:
“Lyrically, Magaña visits some stark and dark places, describing it as “witchy rock,” but it all fits so well with her song constructions and her quite warm, subtle voice, making an excellent musical and lyrical contrast, as a cup of hot coffee and cold sparkling water do.”
Audio Antihero 