LOCAL BOPS

There's a great big world outside of the studio, and few deftly weave a through line between outside and inside spaces quite like Field Guides, the project of the Brooklyn-based multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and graphic designer Benedict Kupstas. Incorporating field recordings of nature into his work, the sounds of environment scaffold Benedict's work in a way that creates a space evocative of situations in which they were written, inviting listeners into his world while creating a sense of emotional distance and allowing us to experience what he describes as “the feeling of being unmoored from the familiar.” Even on tracks when the outside world isn't sonically there, nature is a frequent touchstone in the Field Guides catalog, making for an evergreen energy that feels positively verdant. On this episode, I spoke with Benedict about the process and experiences that informed his new record Ginkgo, which included finding parallels between his own experiences and mythology, and a desire to make intangible, subjective experiences tangible. Our conversation devolved in a thoroughly enjoyable fashion into a wider discussion about the intersections of art and nature, transcendentalism, and the long road that lead to this album's creation. And, as you'd expect on this podcast, Benedict was kind enough to perform some acoustic versions of the tracks on the record—take a listen. SONGS USED: Margaret Cicadas in the Lemon Tree Condensate Follow Field Guides: http://fieldguides.bandcamp.com www.instagram.com/fieldguides Produced, mixed, and edited by Billy Coughlin (aka Bilco): instagram.com/bilco_bops Hosted by Connor Beckett: twitter.com/b_ck_tt instagram.com/b_ck_tt Follow LOCAL BOPS:
 localbops.com
 instagram.com/localbopsnyc www.patreon.com/localbopsnyc

There are few things more human than the desire to be desired, a theme that's at the center of indie songwriter Charlotte Rose Benjamin's LP Dreamtina. The record, which explores the occupational hazards of romantic engagements, charts infatuation in terms that give its central theme the requisite space, while never feeling too somber or overly serious: Benjamin cites Courtney Barnett and Liz Phair as songwriting influences, which bleed into her craft at the necessary moments to make for an album that's even-handed in its approach to dating around NYC. In this episode, I spoke with Charlotte Rose Benjamin about the themes at play on Dreamtina and the stories that informed its ten tracks, which include sitting in the parking lot of a Cumberland Farms, feeling lonely at the party, and what it's like to see your ex show up to a show that you're playing. And as is par for the course, Charlotte was kind enough to regale us with some acoustic cuts from the release—enjoy! SONGS USED: Cumbie's Parking Lot Slot Machine Satisfied Follow Charlotte Rose Benjamin: https://www.charlotterosebenjaminmusic.com/ https://www.instagram.com/charlotterosebenjamin/ Produced, mixed, and edited by Billy Coughlin (aka Bilco): http://instagram.com/bilco_bops Hosted by Connor Beckett: twitter.com/b_ck_tt http://instagram.com/b_ck_tt Follow LOCAL BOPS:
 http://localbops.com
 instagram.com/localbopsnyc www.patreon.com/localbopsnyc

I spend a lot of time on this podcast talking about the intersection of the city of New York and craft of my guests—which is only natural. This is, after all, a local music podcast. But on this episode with indie duo Miles and Becca Robinson a.k.a Drug Couple, the conversation, for the first time, focused on the ways folks can flourish—both as artists and as individuals—when you finally get away from the five boroughs. Miles and Becca left New York for a long weekend at the inception of the coronavirus pandemic for Vermont. And while their time away from the Big Apple ended up being far longer than they anticipated (they currently split their time between Brooklyn and there), it was that experience that informed the idyllic, triumphant tone behind their most recent effort, Stoned Weekend. On this episode we chatted at length about getting away from it all, but we also talked about Miles' untapped calling as a cult leader, predicting the end of the world, Yo La Tengo, and how to know you're exactly where you should be. Enjoy! SONGS USED: Missed Our Chance Lemon Trees Ben & Bongo Follow Drug Couple: https://drugcouplemusic.bandcamp.com/ www.instagram.com/drugcouple Produced, mixed, and edited by Billy Coughlin (aka Bilco): instagram.com/bilco_bops Hosted by Connor Beckett: twitter.com/b_ck_tt instagram.com/b_ck_tt Follow LOCAL BOPS:
 http://localbops.com
 instagram.com/localbopsnyc www.patreon.com/localbopsnyc

On this episode I'm talking to Mary Hood, a folk-inspired artist whose new music charts interpersonal drama in terms triumphant, centered around intimate lyricism and elevated by bombastic, uplifting, and electric instrumentation. Her most recent singles “Lake Sebago” and “Come Back Earth” serve as impressionistic ballads on intimacy and connection, continuing some of the themes established on her 2017 stripped-down effort, Fire and Gasoline. As Mary Hood's artistry expands into more open sonic spaces, she's quickly become one of my favorite rising artists in the Five Boroughs Over the course of our conversation, Mary and I spoke about influences—including our shared admiration of Fiona Apple, relocating to New York and getting your feet wet in the scene, the two-sided coin that is human interconnectedness, and her skills at naming houseplants (before inevitably killing them). Enjoy! SONGS USED: Lake Sebago Water The Fern Light Pollution Follow Mary Hood: https://maryhood.bandcamp.com/ www.instagram.com/mary_hood Produced, mixed, and edited by Billy Coughlin (aka Bilco): instagram.com/bilco_bops Hosted by Connor Beckett: twitter.com/b_ck_tt instagram.com/b_ck_tt Follow LOCAL BOPS:
 localbops.com
 instagram.com/localbopsnyc www.patreon.com/localbopsnyc

Repeat listeners of this program will know that my guests tend to be solo acts who have been working towards a singular sound over the course of several years, but on this episode I'm chatting with OMELAS, an upstart six-piece psych crust outfit whose fresh on the scene, yet has already arrived at a confident, identifiable sound. Their first single—and to date only released track—Blood Orange came out in the middle of last year, yet I was immediately entranced by the song's swaggering energy, boasting a contemporary psych sound replete with playful unison and technicolor textures. After hearing the track, and seeing Omelas perform live, I knew we had to have this novel outfit on the Bops program—thankfully, Omelas were kind enough to invite Bilco and me into the studio as they work on their first proper release. To that end, we talked about process and influence, the short history of this brand-new band, their cross-disciplinary approach that incorporates classical music and theater into their music, and, of all things, salad. And interspersed among our chaotic, free-roaming interview the band was kind enough to grace us with performances of three, unreleased tracks—enjoy! SONGS USED: Red Eye Soft Shake Wham Figure It Out Follow Omelas: https://omelas.bandcamp.com/ https://www.instagram.com/omelas_bk/ Produced, mixed, and edited by Billy Coughlin (aka Bilco): instagram.com/bilco_bops Hosted by Connor Beckett: twitter.com/b_ck_tt instagram.com/b_ck_tt Follow LOCAL BOPS:
 localbops.com
 instagram.com/localbopsnyc www.patreon.com/localbopsnyc

Well despite my best efforts to get this episode out ahead of the holidays, I failed you dear listener—but believe me when I say the wait was worth it. On this episode I'm sitting down with two time LOCAL BOPS alumnus, the venerable merry prankster himself JW Francis to recap what was a momentous twelves months and change for him — releasing two records, 2020's WE SHARE A SIMILAR JOY and 2021's WANDERKID, his jet setting across the Atlantic, as well an extended odyssey he took upon America's very own Appalachian Trail. Weirdly enough, this interview is also characterized by its own kind of wandering quality—we chatted about JW's music, of course, but we also took the scenic route to chat about his time as an NYC tour guide, stories from the trail, and other miscellany. And of course our guest was kind enough to regale us with a couple acoustic versions of his tunes, including two unreleased at the time of recording — enjoy. SONGS USED: Casino Cars Turtleneck Weather Follow JW Francis: https://jwfrancis.bandcamp.com/ https://www.instagram.com/jw__francis/ Produced, mixed, and edited by Billy Coughlin (aka Bilco): instagram.com/bilco_bops Hosted by Connor Beckett: twitter.com/b_ck_tt instagram.com/b_ck_tt Follow LOCAL BOPS:
 localbops.com
 instagram.com/localbopsnyc www.patreon.com/localbopsnyc

Cellist, songwriter, and synth enthusiast Laura Wolf likens the tracks on her extended play ARTIFACTS to a “time capsule,” given the fact that its conception is many moons in the rearview at this point, despite its release in November of 2021. That said Wolf's never been the type of artist to erase the page when it comes to her past creativity — she shares her demos freely on her bandcamp, and her oeuvre, much like the selections included in her most recent effort, span a number of micro genres within the space of art pop and electronic. On this episode I spoke with Wolf about her propensity to share her craft with the world, her process of walking the line when it comes to the synthetic and analogue components of her craft, and how she's changed since she wrote the songs she's just now sharing with the world at large. I hope you relish both our conversation as well as her performances in the LOCAL BOPS studio, enjoy. SONGS USED: Circles Good Veins Proud Follow Laura Wolf: laurawolfmusic.bandcamp.com/ www.instagram.com/laurawolfmusic/ Produced, mixed, and edited by Billy Coughlin (aka Bilco): instagram.com/bilco_bops Hosted by Connor Beckett: twitter.com/b_ck_tt instagram.com/b_ck_tt Follow LOCAL BOPS:
 localbops.com
 instagram.com/localbopsnyc www.patreon.com/localbopsnyc

On this episode I'm speaking with the indie rock performer Raavi Sita, a recent addition to the NYC scene by way of Boston who's been making waves in the five boroughs through their “emo lounge” instrumentation and their reminiscent songwriting prowess that navigates the minutiae of human connection. It's those various qualities of Raavi's sound that's quickly drawn me as a fan and appreciator of their craft, but as I learned over the course of this interview, there's much more beneath the surface — specifically we discussed their approach to revisiting their old tracks (most recently in the form of their redux of their 2018 song “All Over Again”), and how re-examining their own music gels with Raavi's own artistic philosophy that very much embraces the QUOTE-UNQUOTE “death of the author.” Alongside Raavi in the studio is collaborator and producer Justin Termotto, who lent some excellent additional context to the project's selected discography. And as is tradition in the BOPS studio, both Raavi and Justin were kind enough to perform a few tracks, both old and new, for our enjoyment — take a listen. SONGS USED: Lipstick Your Time AJ Follow Raavi: https://raavioli.bandcamp.com/ https://www.instagram.com/raaviband/ Produced, mixed, and edited by Billy Coughlin (aka Bilco): instagram.com/bilco_bops Hosted by Connor Beckett: twitter.com/b_ck_tt instagram.com/b_ck_tt Follow LOCAL BOPS:
 localbops.com
 instagram.com/localbopsnyc www.patreon.com/localbopsnyc

Have you ever wondered which subway train is best to cry on? New York three-piece outfit ALMA has — and over the course of their debut effort MOSAIC seeks to humanize New Amsterdam's disparate parts into a collection of indie pop tracks charting their respective relationships with the city.  It felt like an ambitious concept for a debut — but it didn't arise intentionally. We talked about its creation, feeling far from home (yet close at the same time), how water became a recurring motif throughout these dozen tracks, the intangible “spirit” that moves Alba, Melissa, and Lillie as artists, and their intention to stage MOSAIC as a live theatrical performance. TRACKS FEATURED: Fall Sips of Oxygen Pin in the Map Follow ALMA: http://almanoises.bandcamp.com www.instagram.com/almanoises Produced, mixed, and edited by Billy Coughlin (aka Bilco): instagram.com/bilco_bops Hosted by Connor Beckett: twitter.com/b_ck_tt instagram.com/b_ck_tt Follow LOCAL BOPS:
 localbops.com
 instagram.com/localbopsnyc www.patreon.com/localbopsnyc

For this episode, I spoke with Sean and Peter of the New York alternative rock project GLOM, an outfit known for a fuzzy instrumental disposition, one that belies a humanistic, and occasionally spiritual, lyrical content. It's a quality that I enjoy in particular about GLOM as a band—that's there's far more happening below the surface meriting a deep dive, facets of generally sunny music that obscure something deeper. To that end, we spoke at length about the tracks on their most recent effort Merit, the capitalist hellscape we all reside within, the band's predisposition towards four-letter words, and Wes Anderson. TRACKS FEATURED: She Has Made It to the Other Side 1221 FOMO Follow GLOM: https://newyorkglom.bandcamp.com/ www.instagram.com/newyorkglom Produced, mixed, and edited by Billy Coughlin (aka Bilco): instagram.com/bilco_bops Hosted by Connor Beckett: twitter.com/b_ck_tt instagram.com/b_ck_tt Follow LOCAL BOPS:
 localbops.com
 instagram.com/localbopsnyc www.patreon.com/localbopsnyc

It's not uncommon to feel a sense of gloom in today's America. Beyond the wider environmental decay that's happening the world over — and increasingly in our own backyard, if last month's weather in NYC was any indicator — there are social and economic realities that loom ever-present in the background of day to day life. Yet amid all of doom, we manage in our own small ways to create ephemeral moments of joy — and that Sisiphysian effort is the central theme of Matthew Danger Lippman's latest effort, Touchdown USA, a five track effort about “finding tiny moments of ecstasy, compassion, and erotic confusion amid the massive wave of history.” I sat down with Mr. Danger Lippman recently to talk about this effort, our mutual experiences of finding romance in the end times, his evolving relationship with the concept of intimacy, as well as his Kafka-esque desire to become a tarantula. TRACKS FEATURED: I Could Have Told You (Cover) And Tarantula Follow Matthew: https://matthewdangerlippman.bandcamp.com/ www.instagram.com/matthewdangerlippman Produced, mixed, and edited by Billy Coughlin (aka Bilco): instagram.com/bilco_bops Hosted by Connor Beckett: twitter.com/b_ck_tt instagram.com/b_ck_tt Follow LOCAL BOPS:
 localbops.com
 instagram.com/localbopsnyc www.patreon.com/localbopsnyc

Rumination often provides a path forwards, an avenue through which we can truly, finally let shit go. It's a process that songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Nico Hedley is well acquainted with, and, after years of playing in various backing bands (including that of his Whatever's Clever collaborator Ben Seretan), he's released his debut record Painterly, 9 tracks of AM country catharsis, a reflective journey back in time. On this episode, I spoke with Hedley about the long winding road that lead to this record, and over the course of our conversation we took the scenic route, discussing topics including closure, hyper self-criticism, the Emily Dickinson quote that informs the LP's title track, and the very human attempt to, gradually, “be less of an asshole.” Hedley was also gracious enough to perform three tracks from this effort in the LOCAL BOPS studio — enjoy. TRACKS FEATURED: Tennessee / Lioness Something To Make Painterly Follow Nico Hedley: http://nicohedley.bandcamp.com https://www.instagram.com/newyorksnico/ Produced, mixed, and edited by Billy Coughlin (aka Bilco): instagram.com/bilco_bops Hosted by Connor Beckett: twitter.com/b_ck_tt instagram.com/b_ck_tt Follow LOCAL BOPS:
 localbops.com
 instagram.com/localbopsnyc www.patreon.com/localbopsnyc

For this episode I spoke with folk musician and songwriter Livvy Marcus — who performs under the moniker Morninglory — about her 2021 debut record Livvy Marcus Eats Her Own Shoe, an album that she describes as “like a good banana bread, made in your kitchen with stuff that was getting a little overripe.” It's an apt self-description for an artist who, like many of her peers, worries about the ephemerality of songcraft — yet in the context of the mode through which Marcus waxes poetic on heartbreak and salad days, creates an interesting juxtaposition for a genre that's historically maintained a timeless quality. We talked at length about her own approach to songwriting, her personal philosophy about folk music, how she'd describe the spiritual flavor profile of footwear, and her predilection for using lampshades in album artwork over the course of a half-hour. Along the way we also got two hear two studio cuts of songs from her last record, as well as a new, incredibly spooky, unnamed track — take a listen. TRACKS FEATURED: Don't Forget Me Lenny Untitled Track Follow Been Stellar: http://morninglory.bandcamp.com https://www.instagram.com/morninglory.music/ Produced, mixed, and edited by Billy Coughlin (aka Bilco): instagram.com/bilco_bops Hosted by Connor Beckett: twitter.com/b_ck_tt instagram.com/b_ck_tt Follow LOCAL BOPS:
 localbops.com
 instagram.com/localbopsnyc www.patreon.com/localbopsnyc

One month ago, on the eve of their summer tour, I was incredibly blessed to sit down with rowdy garage rock band Been Stellar, a five piece outfit that I've admired for a long time; mainly because I feel the project has always been marked by a comfortably, chameleonic quality. I use that descriptor namely due to the fact that their sound has always maintained a dynamism that's necessary to “staying in the biz” as long as they have, shifting from lofi buzz to cleaner cut indie (and back again and so forth) in a manner that provides constant groove while simultaneously finding space for experimentation. Over the course of a half-hour and change we chatted about last year's Nihilist EP, its companion extended play dropping later this year, hitting the road after 2020's maladies, and which member of the band is most equipped to fight Julian Casablancas in single combat; along the way, the band found time to record a couple of in-studio performances, including two cuts that haven't yet dropped. I hope you enjoy our conversation as much as I did, because I truly couldn't think of a better band to open this new season of LOCAL BOPS. TRACKS FEATURED: Louis XIV Kids 1995 My Honesty Follow Been Stellar: 
http://instagram.com/beenstellar http://beenstellar.bandcamp.com Produced, mixed, and edited by Billy Coughlin (aka Bilco): http://instagram.com/bilco_bops Hosted by Connor Beckett: http://twitter.com/b_ck_tt http://instagram.com/b_ck_tt Follow LOCAL BOPS:
 http://localbops.com
 http://instagram.com/localbopsnyc http://www.patreon.com/localbopsnyc

Another month, another BOPS podcast (here's hoping I can start getting these out more quickly). While I'm a couple months behind on Sensations, the latest EP by NY based songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist Henry Grant, a singer-songwriter, I enjoyed it so much that I felt I need to give it space for conversation. Part of this is because the EP represents a distinct shift from a lot of Grant's music I'd heard before (incorporating textures far less synthetic than his last LP, City Mouse), which in the context of this release's primary theme of gratefulness, makes for a sunny, psych-y romp. I hope you enjoy listening to our conversation, as well as a few excerpts from this really excellent project. Tracks featured on this episode:
 Goin' In — Henry Grant Reunion — Henry Grant Want You Mad — Henry Grant Mutual Friend — Henry Grant Follow Henry Grant: 
https://www.instagram.com/henrygrant_nyc/ https://henrygrant.bandcamp.com/ Theme music by Ambient Mice:
 soundcloud.com/ambientmice/ Follow LOCAL BOPS:
 localbops.com
 www.instagram.com/localbopsnyc

Those who know me personally know that I am easily distracted, a quality that makes for entertaining-if-somewhat-nonsensical conversation but oftentimes put me at a disadvantage as a journalist. That said, I'm very pleased to present this extremely nonlinear interview with Elori Saxl about her recent record, “The Blue of Distance,” an album that splits the difference between ambient and neoclassical. “The Blue of Distance” was constructed during two distinct periods — half during a summer artist's retreat in the Adirondacks, and the other part, on a frozen lake in Wisconsin. It's an LP that's full of interesting dynamics — instrumentally, there's interplay between chamber orchestra and digitally manipulated field recordings of water and wind, which congeal into a final effort that's a pleasant, engaging groove — moreover, it's perfect listening for contemporary weather in New York, which seems to modulate between winter and summer depending on the day. While I wanted to explore the “headspace” of “Blue's” creation, the conversation between Saxl and myself drifted almost immediately to what constitutes a banger, how Saxl sees her own music as an extension of the “palpable groove” she enjoys in disco and house, and the closure that only truly comes with the passing of time. Tracks featured on this episode: Blue — Elori Saxl Wave III — Elori Saxl The Blue of Distance — Elori Saxl Wave I — Elori Saxl Follow Elori Saxl: http://elorisaxl.com https://www.instagram.com/elorisaxl/ http://elorisaxl.bandcamp.com Theme music by Ambient Mice: https://soundcloud.com/ambientmice/ Follow LOCAL BOPS: http://localbops.com Https://www.instagram.com/localbopsnyc