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).
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
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