Freshkills – yes, one word – are a five-piece tour guide to the lives, awkward conversations and head games that play out deep into the night in New York City’s dark bars and messy bedrooms. Each protagonist is motivated by sordid appetites, like moths attracted to blackness. Each song has the sound and feel of a mini-apocalypse.
The band comprises of vocalist Zachary Lipez, guitarists Johnny Rauberts and Timothy Murray, bassist Mitchell Jordan and drummer Jim Paradise. Upon listening, influences that spring to mind are Nation of Ulysses and Drive Like Jehu, as the band combines the lyrical flair of the former and the chops of the latter. Lipez’s red-lining vocals are infused with paranoia, aggravation and twisted vulnerability. The rhythms – though rarely slow – are controlled, ominous and sometimes hypnotic. The twin-guitar work is droning and breathtaking, and leads are rare.
Freshkills’ first album, the poetic, jarring, ‘Creeps and Lovers’ (Arclight Records 2006) , was produced by NYC hardcore stalwart Joel Hamilton and earned rave reviews from ‘scene-approved’ publications such as Vice (8.5 out of 10) and Punk Planet (“refreshing … idiosyncraticâ€). The band recently completed their second, self-released and self-titled album, produced by Alex Newport (At The Drive-In, The Locust, Two Gallants). Emphasizing hooks and streamlined song structures, without sacrificing any of their dissonance, dark sarcasm, or cutting social commentary, the result is brand new material that is immediate, unsettling and lasting.
Freshkills have performed live alongside Yeah Yeah Yeahs, TV on the Radio, Fiery Furnaces, The Giraffes, Agent Orange, Kid Congo, Foreign Islands, Bellmer Dolls, Chinese Stars, Stalkers, Bad Wizard, Made Out Of Babies, Demander and a wealth of other prominent acts. They will be embarking on an extensive tour in support of the new album, with upcoming shows in NYC and Brooklyn and across the States this fall.
CLICK HERE FOR A FOUR SONG SAMPLER OF THE FORTHCOMING ALBUM
“They nail all the cool-kid pre-reqs so well: jittery punk-fuzz guitars, baroque vocals, barely decipherable lyrics, natty outfits. If that doesn’t make you totally hate them, well then, you’ll probably love them.” Time Out New York
“Thunderous sexy bass over math-y rhythms and a saucy twin-guitar attack… Good stuff!!!†Village Voice
“Brimming with turmoil and anger while keeping hold of a hip swaggering shake. This Brooklyn Quintet is the s**t!†Ghetto Blaster
“Hours of practice, a dedication to songwriting, and a sizeable budget. These are all things that are less important to a good record than having a cool older brother – someone to break your Collective Soul tapes over your stupid head, as the older brothers of the Freshkills clearly did, and say “Hey you stupid idiot, here is Drive Like Jehu, Jesus Lizard, and Nation of Ulysses. Now quit being such a herb”. Vice