A music blog dedicated to my ever-expanding tastes. A musical journey with endless pitstops along the way. Bringing you the best of what I see and hear.
Landlady is back! The music project of singer/songwriter/saxophonist/jack of all tradesman Adam Schatz and his illustrious group of friends have announced their latest release, following up 2021's self-titled. A song cycle, according to Schatz, "The Car Alarm" and "The Shaky Hand", the lead singles from Landlady's forthcoming fifth full length album Make Up / Lost Time, hint at the seamlessness of the album. Growing around a simple minor arpeggio sequence, there's a sense of unease before Adam Schatz utters his first words: an equally unsettling repetitive series of "no's" before he tethers them into a narrative. "No cause for alarm, we bet the farm, we've phoned for a ride home". Schatz's songwriting has always flourished in the unexpected and "The Car Alarm" is no exception as a tale of getting lost on the road is elevated to a practically nail-biting experience. Musically, it oscillates between optimism and despair, hope and hopelessness, and crests with the sublime harmonies of Kristin Slipp and Star Busby. As "The Car Alarm" reaches a fever pitch with Schatz crooning "I don't fear the dark, I fear no one when you ride shotgun", the shuffle into "The Shaky Hand" could almost be missed.
If "The Car Alarm" built on a growing sense of anxiety, "The Shaky Hand" is its inverse, briskly moving with unfettered jubilation as Schatz and company's "Cancel all your plans" repeats with string flourishes from Macie Stewart and Lia Kohl. Considering how fluidly the tracks blend together, it's unsurprising Landlady opted to released them together. While they can be enjoyed separately, they're enjoyed simultaneously as Schatz "Belt it into the mirror again" and "Going to beat the traffic again" later in the track have you wondering if "The Shaky Hand" takes place in the same car as "The Car Alarm". It's not until Schatz's repeats "Beat ourselves to the promise land" that really buttons the songs' interconnectedness. Schatz's lyricism often pairs humor and poignancy and "The Shaky Hand" illustrates why. A sort of introvert anthem, when Schatz sings "Winning bid to leave before the party dies, we'd be wise to leave before the party dies", it's not hard to imagine the song's character trying to leave a party early. Is it about knowing the right time to leave? Or leaving when you're ready to go? "The Shaky Hand" leaves it open especially with lyrics like "Call it ancient intuition or a consolation prize, we'd be wise to leave before the party dies". It might also be about leaving a party early enough to avoid getting stuck in traffic. The jury is still out. It's a dazzling taste of what the 17 track song cycle has to offer and in the hands of Schatz and his multitudes of collaborators, it's likely just the beginning.
"The Car Alarm" and "The Shaky Hand" are the second and third tracks from Landlandy's upcoming album Make Up / Lost Time out June 6th. You can pre-order the album now on digital or tape/LP.
When I was introduced to Brooklyn's Landlady during a Hometapes showcase at SXSW back in 2014, there was certainly a lot that would appeal to me - a stage full of members including two drummers, a style of music that deftly evades categorization but feels strikingly familiar but if I'm being completely honest the thing that sold me was the sincerity of frontman Adam Schatz. In a crowded bar in Austin, Texas during a festival where each band's goal is make the most of the brief amount of time allotted to make a lasting first impression on showgoers with tenuous attention spans, Schatz asked the crowd to engage. Not just with him but each other, with people who weren't in the room whether miles, ages, or lifetimes away in a sing-a-long on "Above My Ground". It was bold. It was unexpected. But most importantly, it was incredibly sincere. It was the kind of thing that made me immediately take notice and pursue every opportunity I could to see them again and again from small intimate sets in the back of Greenpoint's now defunct Manhattan Inn and Half Moon in Hudson, it was Schatz's initial openness that led me to discover through obsessive listens that Landlady were a damn good band. Over the years and through the albums, the lineup has changed but a few things have remained the same - the band is tight-knit and perform with an awing juxtaposition of playfulness and precision, Schatz's narrative subjects take the road less traveled but still achieve a beguiling universality, and Schatz is still disarmingly sincere. Even following their career for years, Schatz still manages to surprise with an ability root his songs in an inextinguishable honesty. "Why did my friend have to die?" Schatz asks on "Supernova", the first single for their fourth and self-titled album, and with such a succinct statement I knew the new record would be unlike any other.
With lyrics that hit you like a mack truck, "Supernova" still plays into Schatz's sense of connection. Personal loss and failures coalesce with a collective understanding: "At least I know everyone's having a harder day today". It's a statement he first delivers fully and clearly with it's resurgence broken up - into four part vocals harmonies, adlibs "At least I know I'm not okay", Schatz sings, and instrumental flourishes, Schatz lands on a feeling of interconnectedness despite his individual sadness. The fact that it's followed by "Sunshine" is a masterful display of tracklisting. "Hold your breath, hold mine instead for now" Schatz opens and despite the fact that he's played it live several times, it takes on new life here. It's almost uncharacteristically sparse - featuring Schatz on keys for much of it. It's tender, as close as Landlady could arguably come to a ballad as Schatz makes a declaration of mutual support - take care of me and I'll take care of you. It's a love song but one with much broader applications than typical romance. Along with "The Meteor", "Take The Hint", and "Supernova", "Sunshine" follows themes of the heat burning up or burning out, "Sunshine" is the only one which doesn't treat it as an inevitability. "Careful with the sunshine, I won't let it burn you up" Schatz delivers less like a warning and more an expression of care and protection.
Songs like "Sunshine" and "Nowhere To Hide", which have been played live by the band or Schatz at his solo sets for years find new life and meaning on an album that seems exceptionally timely. The core of Landlady's truths are about resilience and drawing comfort in little insular moments. Whether that be loudly singing along to "God Only Knows" on "Molly Pitcher", a game of Hearts on "Tooth and Nail", Landlady is about turning to each other in good times and bad and they tackle the subject with characteristic aplomb. Schatz doesn't claim to have all the answers as "Nowhere To Hide" attests but Landlady seems to posit that many of life's solutions lie in caring about others.
The most appealing thing about Landlady is that instead of songs on an album - it functions largely as a series of conversations both between narrative subjects and the songs themselves. There's references and callbacks - reoccurring themes and images but also solitary moments, self-contained episodes. Landlady coalesced into the version of the band they wanted to be on their second album Upright Behavior and yet each subsequent effort has expanded what the band is in a way that's been enjoyable to experience. A self-titled album tends to function as a reintroduction, signaling some sort of seismic shift in sound or mythology but Landlady doesn't need anything of the sort. There's no band that sounds like Landlady and each album has solidified that. There's a distinct sound that carries through without retracing its steps. Landlady is a band that makes music that's meant to entertain and challenge themselves and then invites listeners into that space and the result are songs and albums that are celebration of music and musicianship. Landlady arrives a little more than 4 years after the band's previous full length effort The World Is A Loud Place and wastes no time in drawing you into its embrace like an old friend. There's less guests and collaborators this time around but there's no shortage of dynamic musical ideas as Schatz has a wealth of new stories and witticisms to share.
Landlady, the fourth album from Landlady is out now and available to purchase from the band's Bandcamp with $5 of all proceeds going to The Okra Project.
Brooklyn based singer/songwriter Adam Schatz likes to keep himself busy. Whether it's been touring with his multitude of projects Father Figures, Man Man, and Landlady over the years, his most recent stint supporting This Is The Kit on saxophone, or assembling an eclectic crew of musicians and collaborators in the form of Adam Schatz's Civil Engineering or for his annual Holiday Spectacular, he's made sure to keep his schedule sufficiently booked. His most recent endeavor: Transmissions from Landladyland Live!, an offshoot of his Patreon hosted monthly radio show, is a series of concerts where Schatz weaves solo performances, group improvisations along with interviews in a similarly communal spirit that Schatz treats most of his efforts. The fact that Schatz somehow had time to record the solo material he's been performing live for some time is a bit of a marvel. And yet, found the time he has and the first new songs from his newly announced solo project Landlady's Own Adam Schatz has arrived in the form of keyboard-centric "Carolina" paired with a cover of Fiona Apple's "Every Single Night" Schatz arranged for saxophone and voice.
"Carolina" is quintessential Schatz, that pitch perfect blend of Schatz' jazz training, influences in funk and soul, and his effortless mastery of pop songcrafting. It's beginning is breezy and light featuring Schatz comfortably sat behind , and even though it's considered to be a solo effort, Schatz still enlists the aid of a couple friends and collaborators in the form of bartitone saxophonist Jonah Parzen-Johnson, trombonist Kevin Moehringer, and trumpeter Aaron Rockers as his horn section. As the songwriter behind Landlady, Schatz has often come up with beguiling song narratives that are more than your typical pop fare and "Carolina" is no different. However unlike songs like "Cadaver", "Girl", "X Ray Machine" even with the clues he offers, the actual subject of "Carolina" is a bit of a mystery. It's a song that essentially works - as all truly good pop songs do - on two levels. The first is the most universally applicable one of a sort of love-ish song; one that's not particularly tenderfooted. A tough love song as it were. Schatz in no uncertain terms essentially says "Get it together!". The second level essentially requires a bit of thought and cobbling together the pieces of the puzzle that Schatz provides. And that level exists for the music fans that enjoy a little lyrical analysis with their upbeat soul pop jam. But whether you belong to the first category of listener or the second, there's no denying "Carolina" is an absolute gem of a song - filled with unexpected moments like the brass breakdown at it's center which even still manages to surprise after countless listens.
No word yet if there's some sort of collections of Schatz songs forthcoming but he has promised plenty more where that came from so until then enjoy Schatz' take on Fiona Apple's "Every Single Night":
After releasing one of my absolute favorite collections of songs earlier this year in third full length album The World Is A Loud Place, Brooklyn quartet Landlady have released a new set of songs: a cover of Al Green's "Love And Happiness" and an original song by the name of "Share a Tree". Unfortunately, the release comes on the heels of some pretty devastating news for the music industry in the passing of Those Darlins' Jessi Zazu Wariner. Though based in Nashville, Jessi Zazu fostered a sense of community that extended far beyond her city. Landlady have always stuck out to me as a band who go beyond the standard expectation of just releasing good songs and playing good shows but a band that really seeks to build a sense of community both among the musicians they come across and befriend and musicians they know already but also among showgoers new and old. A lot of that is in a similar spirit to Jessi Zazu and Schatz has shared "Share a Tree" in tribute to her. The song is for and about her and the somewhat tricky nature of collaboration in general and it has her personal seal of approval.
Though it was written and recorded some time ago, it follows in line with Landlady's distinct of brand of dynamic soul pop. It's a song that is almost endlessly patient: padding along at a comfortable walking tempo. After nearly the length of a regular song, the band surges forward and the focus shifts from Schatz' narrative plodding to a sort of instrumental showcasing chasm where Schatz is freer to do emotive ad-libs and more actively engage with the rest of the band. It's a development section that's no doubt inspired by Landlady's time together and their actual ability to play together. It's probably much more evocative of the spontaneity of a Landlady live set than the band have leaned into before but really speaks to the subject matter as the band break out into an full on jam for nearly half the track. It's delightfully cathartic and hopefully as inspiring at it's intended to be towards motivating you to take stock in the simple joy of community.
You can donate to the Jessi Zazu memorial fund with proceeds going towards helping her family with funeral costs and anything extra going to a charities that she supported. You can also grab "Share a Tree" as well as their "Love and Happiness" cover from Landlady's Bandcamp. And if you haven't already make sure you listen to Landlady's brilliant third album The World Is A Loud Place.
A couple weeks back Brooklyn based quintet Landlady announced The World Is A Loud Place, their newest collection of jams out early next year and solidified the announcement with not one but two cuts from the upcoming album. Turns out releasing songs in pairs wasn't just a one-off decision as we once again get a twofer in the form of "Nina" and "Solid Brass". Much like "Electric Abdomen" and "Driving In California", the juxtaposition of the two songs makes them all the more enjoyable. The fact that "Nina" and "Driving In California" come one after another is another piece of the puzzle of how the album might proceed but if I've learned anything from the quartet it's to expect only the unexpected. The fivesome are a wildly inventive collective and Adam Schatz's gift of pulling inspiration from anywhere and everything means the songs can be about pretty much anything and are all the better for it.
"Nina" is not the sort of song that gives up its secrets easily. And that's OK. It's enjoyable regardless of your ability to piece together Schatz references. Landlady have never been the type of band to retreat into mysteries and they don't do so here. "Nina won't you let me be a servant to your every word"/"Nina won't you let you be a servant to your every breath" are Schatz's only mentions of the eponymous vixen and your interest in deciphering her importance has a lot to do with how Landlady play with form on the track. After an establishing main theme of the chorus, the band shifts to a sparse cantering section filled with climbing guitar figured and alternates between the two before finally giving way to a completely new third section. Schatz's love songs have never been explicitly just that but "Nina" is handled with sort of reverence and the sense of storytelling that comes through at not just a lyrical but at a band level ensure that its sense of admiration is handled thrillingly.
"Solid Brass" forms a sort of counterpoint to "Nina" both in form and vision. The love in "Nina" in a galvanizing one based in respect in adulation and "Solid Brass" handles it's subject with a sense of fun and delightful subtlety like that of an inside joke. The choruses metamorphose; changing words but not melody eventually becoming an amalgam of all its form and connecting the ideas into one phrase accompanied by the cathartic entrance of a choir of voices and a modulation. "You won't be sorry that you met me/I talk too much but rest assured you'll hear it lower in the morning". There's a lot happening to make such a moment satisfying but the self-referential, repetitive nature of the chorus unfurling into a sensible distillation of the song's ideas is an impressive feat of lyrical sleight of hand.
Landlady's third full length album The World Is A Loud Place is out January 20th on Hometapes.
Thank goodness Brooklyn quintet Landlady with their increasingly unnameable genre of music keeps themselves busy touring. That was not only how I got introduced to them but also how I learned that their follow up to their pretty much immaculate sophomore effort Upright Behavior was done. I wasn't exactly sure how frontman Adam Schatz and his fellow co-conspirators could possibly top themselves but if I learned anything from Landlady's vivacious live energy and articulate, intricate songcraft it was that it definitely could be done it was merely a matter of when.
Though Landlady's new album The World Is A Loud Place isn't out until early next year, their new singles "Electric Abdomen" and "Driving In California" are more than capable of tiding us over until then. They're decidedly different in sound, subject matter, and message but unmistakeably theirs in sound. Considering the varied but also shared musical backgrounds of the band's five members there's never been any shortage of tight knit playing and ecstatic grooves but "Electric Abdomen" is a wonderful slow burn. It builds upon a steady pulse gradually incorporating not only the quintet but a group of guest artists (like a string quartet form from friends/collaborators) and yet as is their way they manage to effortlessly avoid too much cacophony despite its dizzying assemblage of instruments.
"Driving In California" meanwhile changes gears from the funk vibes of "Electric Abdomen", reminiscent of "Washington State Is Important" from Upright Behavior in sound not just references to places the band has been. Its change in sound is a bit of an ironic twist considering it swaps out strings for a brass and woodwind section. But "Driving In California" has some things in common with its co-single namely a steady run up to more spirited involvement from the rest of the band. It's an interesting take on the tour-inspired song/album as Schatz reveals a love of travel and awe for the little things that make each new place unique. Schatz also humorously shifts from place to place eventually undercutting his initially stated love with each subsequent place.
Landlady are one of those rare bands seemingly composed of all of the traits you're looking for in all the bands: infectious catchy songs that are also meticulously crafted and involved? Check. An incredibly present sense of self? Check. Lyrics that are intelligent but also easy to remember and sing-a-long to? In spades. If you weren't already excited about a new Landlady album just by virtue of the band's existence "Electric Abdomen" and "Driving In California" function as fairly easy sell on the matter.
Landlady's third full length album The World Is A Loud Place is out January 20th on Hometapes. You can pre-order the record as well as deluxe album bundles with everything from tees to patches now.
