Magana did a great interview with Firebird Magazine (you might remember them for their brilliant feature withFrog) where they talked ‘Teeth,’ Mitski, and her plans for upcoming ambient and orchestral music releases. Check it out here.
I was also fortunate enough to get to write another guest feature for Various Small Flames, this time reflecting on the memories and music of my time knowing and working with Jeni Magaña. It covers her better-known songs like “Inches Apart,” as well as compilation appearances, her CHUCK and Cloud covers, the pen pin pop project, and her more experimental work. This was a really nice experience for me so I hope you enjoy it too: “You Got Shit to Do: a Magana Restrospective By Audio Antihero Records”
“Feels equally at home in the era of doomy 60s girl pop and the modern age of dreampop and lushly-drawn indie music. Magañaâs vocals exude joy and pain in equal measure…” â Analogue Trash
“‘Teeth’ stands tall as tangible proof of the transformative power of music. With otherworldly melodies, evocative lyrics, and a production style that envelopes the listener, Magana offers a fourteen-track journey of healing and self-discovery.” â Broken 8 Records
âMagana has a dramatic, floating vocal style that puts her in line with a lot of the big âindie folkâ acts of today, but itâs her embrace of more adventurous instrumentation that sets Teeth apart from the crowd more than anything else.â â Rosy Overdrive
“Brutally vulnerable and beautifully breathtaking, âTeethâ is as visceral and raw as it is dramatically layered: Maganaâs sophomore album is an uncompromisingly intimate and spiritual rock record reckoning with trauma, inner connection, the fragility of the human experience, and what it means to be alive.” â Atwood Magazine
‘Teeth’ is released on Monday the 25th of March and it’s available for pre-order via Bandcamp. Its singles are available on Spotify.
Magana also recently spoke to South London’s Joyzine, which is another great interview worth reading:
There’ll also be a great in-depth interview with Magana on Saturday on the Hello GoodBye Show on London’s legendary Resonance FM. The show airs in London (FM & DAB) and Poland, plus it’ll be available to stream worldwide online. Check the link below for times and details.
Forever busy, Jeni Magaña is back on the road with Mitski now so if you’re going to any of those shows (dates here), please be sure to wave. She also played upright bass on the new single, which you can check out below:
FROG W/ HORSE JUMPER OF LOVE ON MARCH 23RD (FREE, NY):
Frog will be playing a free show with the amazing Horse Jumper of Love on Saturday (March 23rd). It takes place at the Blue Room on the Sarah Lawrence College campus. The event is hosted by the college’s WSLC radio station. Pretty cool.
Frog have released their first live performance film, âUnplugged and Unhinged.â This film by Jarod Walker was released on March 8th via the bandâs new Patreon where they will be premiering audio and video recordings of their shows going forward. A free seven-day trial is available.
Frog will also be touring the Northeast (Philadelphia, NYC, Boston/Somerville) this month, tickets and information are available at Songkick and Bands In Town.
Magana – “Break Free” Single Out Now:
Magana’s“Break Free” single is out now – available on Bandcamp, Spotify, etc. It’s taken from her ‘Teeth’ LP which is out on March 25th.
Antihero PR: Max Blansjaar – “Anna Madonna” Single Out Now:
A quick update from the world of Antihero PR, I’m working with Beanie Tapes on the upcoming debut album from Max Blansjaar. ‘False Comforts’ was produced by Katie Von Schleicher and Nate Mendelsohn and will be released on June 21st.
You can catch up with Magana through Linktree (or if you’re going to see Mitski on tour soon, be sure to wave!).
Magana and Bedbug both Top 5 on Hype Machine:
We’re also so grateful for all of the support that bedbug and Magana have been receiving. Today both artists are Top 5 in the Hype Machine“Most Posted Artists“ chart (plus making Top 20 appearances in the “Popular Now“ chart).
Though Magana is off on tour with Mitski at the moment, the hits keep on coming. “Paul,” the latest single from her upcoming ‘Teeth‘ LP is out now:
We’re so grateful to the ever-excellent Various Small Flames for premiering the song:
“Today we have the pleasure of sharing latest single, âPaulâ. A song where grief is transcribed almost verbatim, and tenderness, strangeness and plain disbelief can exist simultaneously.”
We’re so happy that the new Magana is getting picked up for airplay by Deb Grant and Tom Ravenscroft for BBC 6 Music’s New Music Fix and by Roddy Hart on BBC Radio Scotland. The reviews yesterday were lovely too:
âThe solo project of multi-instrumentalist and Bakersfield native Jeni Magaña (bassist for Mitski and Lady Lamb), Magana will release their sophomore album, âTeeth,â on March 25. The grief-stricken âPaulâ is the latest of four singles, which cover plenty of sonic and emotional ground.â â Buzz Bands LA
“As anticipation builds for the release of âTeethâ, fans can expect a sonic journey unlike any other, as Magana invites them to delve into the depths of her imagination and experience the enchanting world of Witchy Rock firsthand.” âPure Mzine
“Jeni Magaña, esteemed for her roles as the bassist for Mitski and Lady Lamb, ventures into new sonic territories with âPaul,â blending elements of Witchy Rock, Ghost Pop, and Acid Folk. Embarking on her solo journey, âPaulâ showcases Maganaâs artistry and her growth as an independent artist.” â The Daily Music Report
The single is taken from her ‘Teeth’ LP, which will be released on Monday, the 25th of March, to coincide with the peak illumination of the Worm Moon.
My Best Unbeaten Brother â “Slayer on a Sunny Day”:
Here’s a little bit of the lovely press coverage this new project from Ben and Adam Parker and bassist Ben Fry has received so far:
âAfter a ten year hiatus, the much lauded Parker brothers return to their literate and urgent ouevre with a new band and a new album.â â Electric Sound of Joy
âPairing a racing momentum with droll delivery in an attempt to look on the bright side and make the best of the present moment, no matter how difficult outside forces conspire to make such a mindset.â â Various Small Flames
âSomething in the song is growling at you instantly; the guitar lines have this edge to them that immediately has you on edgeâŠthe anticipation builds for that whole first minute. Then youâve the seemingly spoken vocal delivery that works through the track as the guitars stab and poke through your speakers; itâs this riotous bit of ramshackle rock nâ roll thatâs perfectly balanced to rip through your speakers.â â Austin Town Hall
Maganahas announced âTeeth,â her second album, which will be released on March 25th (to coincide with the Worm Moonâs peak illumination) through Audio Antihero and her own Colored Pencils imprint. Magana is the solo project of multi-instrumentalistJeni Magaña, who has spent the last few years on the road as bassist for Mitski (from Jimmy Kimmel toGlastonbury) andLady Lamb, as well as working with Emily Moore as one-half of the pen pin pop duo.
Spun from Magañaâs meditations and synth experiments, âTeeth,â which she describes as âWitchy Rock,â is unlike any of her past works. An album about âregrowth and a new view on the world,â its sound touches on Acid Folk, Alternative Pop, and even Krautrock as she tackles the bleakest and most brutally honest subjects of her songwriting career.
Bateman from Frog did an in-depth interview with Absent Sounds on CJAM 99.1 FM (Windsor & Detroit). It’s available now to stream on demand. Weadee and Weajue have a great show with a lot of really good guests (Fucked Up / Chris Walla) so check out their archive.
Frog Live (Philadelphia / NYC / Somerville):
Frog will be playing in Philadelphia, PA; NYC, NY, and Someville, MA, between March 14th and 16th. Tickets and info for all three shows can be found via Songkick.
The first in a series of releases is an absolute banger called “Nothing Matters to Me Now,” which is free/PWYW on Bandcamp now (plus streaming everywhere).
This surprise single has received some really nice support from sites and radio in Japan, Argentina, Slovakia, England, Wales, Czechia, New Zealand, Germany, and the USA. Thank you all so much. You can see some of it below:
It’s a gorgeous, glistening album that expands Dylan Gamez Citron’s much-loved solo bedroom pop project (as heard on classic records for Z Tapes and Joy Void) into a full band, capturing the energy, beauty, and urgency of influences like Cap’n Jazz, Modest Mouse, Owls, and Built to Spill.
Due to the great demand for tickets, the show has been moved into a larger venue! If you missed out the first around, be sure to grab tickets for Frog at Elsewhere (The Hall) on January 25th (tickets & info)!
If you’re one of many people only just learning about Frog now through ‘GROG,’ then check out these two introductory features on Various Small Flames:
The Parker brothers recently formed a new band, their first since 2013, called My Best Unbeaten Brother. They’ve put a song up on Spotify called “Slayer on a Sunny Day” which you can hear in these introductory playlists:
“Danielâs humdrum American portraiture and embodiment of passionate persistence have defined Frogâs sound for nearly a decade, and on Grog, a brotherly bond encourages those songwriting traits to get louder, bolder, and weirder without sacrificing any of the heart.” â Pitchfork
Frog CDs Available Now:
Grab them on Bandcamp or frog.band (where t-shirts are available too).
Frog Live:
Frog’s December 19th show has sold out (thanks for the house Frog!) but they’ll be supporting Ray Bull on Jan 25th at Elsewhere (Zone One) in Brooklyn, NY! Tickets & info.
As a part of Canary’s Unplugged series, this December 19th event will be a unique and intimate Frog performance in a gorgeous Manhattan venue. Also on the bill are Rachel Rose and Foxymoron. The boys are back in town.
Tickets are $10 in advance and $15 on the door (but the show is expected to sell out).
We’ve been thrilled to have seen Frog do so well on Hype Machine recently, with Frog topping both the “Popular Now” chart with “Black on Black on Black,” and also topping the overall Most Posted Artist chart.
Thanks to everyone who featured the album and everyone who helped with likes and shares, etc. We even saw old classics like “All Dogs Go To Heaven,” “Black Friday,” “Rubbernecking,” and “American“ in the Popular Now charts recently! Check Frog out on Hype Machine!
It has been wonderful to see more and more reviews and features rolling in from sites all around the world:
“Grog is, in many ways, a culmination of the greater Frog project: a refinement of the musical and lyrical themes Bateman has pursued his whole career, with fuller arrangements and a bounce that never quite materialized on older records.” â SWIM INTO THE SOUND
“Itâs held on to Count Batemanâs garage-y sound, but the shy persona and subdued grainy sound is replaced with something more confident, as if it had spent the last few years perfecting its dad bod.” â WMUC 90.5 FM
“…the discordant fervor of âDOOM SONG;â with itâs cacophonous guitar-driven jangle and droning vocals, brings to mind genre luminaries like Pile or even Modest Mouse with a touch of swampy twang. Its ascending, chromatic chord progression also brings to mind the haunting and soul-crushing crunch of Alice in Chainsâ âThem Bonesâ without ever dipping into grunge territory.” â BUFFABLOG
“Frog loves hooks and melodies, some review I read compared them to a cool seventies rock station. Vulfpeck sprang to mind when I listened to a few tracks. And Ween.” – CHRISTMAS A GO GO!
“…it seems that it’s by flitting around that they manage to make sense, and it’s clear that diversity is a source of unity here. Amazing! A deep love of music always pays dividends, as Frog once again brilliantly demonstrate.” – LE VILLAGE POP(“Album de la Semaine” feature)
“Grog kind of feels like an alternate-universe oldies station in how it picks and chooses sounds from throughout the past to create a new listening experience.”
“Grog kind of feels like an alternate-universe oldies station in how it picks and chooses sounds from throughout the past to create a new listening experience…If Kind of Blah is one of the best New York City albums Iâve heard, then GROG is about growing up in the suburbs of the only good city on this entire planet.”
“…thereâs no pretentiousness and you believe and feel every single moment. Bateman brothers put their whole souls in these songs and the overall result is a deeply moving and authentic collection.”
“Frog seems to have gathered a new sense of inventiveness and energy, coming up with that not easily definable sound between everything that was and is cool about New Zealandâs Flying Nun Records and left-field Americana, picking up pieces from everywhere and arranging them in a manner that suited Bateman brothersâ fancy.”
“The whole thing hangs together so well it feels almost operatic. Unlike some of the earlier Frog albums, this one is not something youâll come through unscathed, but youâll be a richer person for listening to it.”
“So, here we are, a writer who couldnât make it pay, writing about a label that couldnât make it pay, putting out an album by a band that couldnât really make it pay; a passion-project triumvirate doing what they can.”
"Butthole Surfers/was it worth it?," there's a hook to hang your hat onhttps://t.co/Ru1vC5YmwD
“Audio Antihero has released some of the most exciting indie rock and pop this side of Williamsburgâs gentrification â and with the release of frogâs latest album last week, the little label that could proves itâs not out of the game.”
Frog Interviews:
There’s also a brilliant (and unhinged) interview with Frog’s Danny Bateman on Tasteful Dissonance. Plus, if you missed it, there’s a great interview up on UChicago’s Firebird Magazine also.
Radio:
“GROG” was the “Record of Note” on Roddy Hart’s BBC Radio Scotland show last week! Keep tuning in to Roddy’s show as there’s some more cool Frog stuff coming soon!
In addition to BBC Scotland and BBC Introducing, Frog have been getting national airplay from FM4 in Austria and Radio 3 in Spain, plus GROG was “Album of the Week“ on The Breakdown. The band are also doing brilliantly on noncommercial radio, even making it into various charts. Thanks to stations like WKDU, WRUR, WMUC, CJRC, KXFM, Amazing Radio, KZSC, KHDX, Dandelion Radio, WMBR, KXCI, Radio DePaul, WNMC, Radio Free Brooklyn, WMSE, WHPK, KXLU, WRSU, WUNH, WUSC, WYSO, WQFS and many others! â€
University of Washington’s “Sphere of Influence” show even played an entire one-hour set of Frog classics yesterday! Killer playlist. Expect something similar from DJ Orb Gripper on LA’s KLMU Online Radio in the very near future.
Frog Win Award:
Some great news! The “Kings of Blah” Frog documentary by Alex Coppola won the YoFi Fest 2023 Audience Choice for Best Featurette!
Audio Antihero 