It seemed that the last bastion of New York DIY, The Glove, has passed away last summer. A relic of when spaces were free from the confines of legality structures and where artists would make some of their most lasting impressions with a community of engrossed individuals eager to feel a sense of anything could happen so just take the risk, be here now filtering through their shambled doors. The Yin Yangs were one of that scene’s most seminal acts, melding a choatic live performance that the trio comprised of Brendan Winick (bass), Alex Fippinger (drums), and Max Braun (vox, guitar) willingly bestowed upon kids like me who were getting their first taste of the underground music scene. The first time I’d ever seen the Yin Yangs was at their previous cassette release back in 2015 at Idio Gallery (RIP) with Bambara, MPHO and Prima where Braun’s shrieks of agony mixed with the groups bombastic grooves shook me to my core. Their controlled demolition style of playing deconstructed nearly every facet of what a song could do in my eyes at the time, especially on a track like, “Eating Wood” from their 2016 tape Taste that interwove from a jammy psych intro into a syncopated pop tune on par for what I could say would be a CYHSY style vocal by Braun before descending into a fuzzed climax that nearly every Yin Yangs performance would ensure have you thrown to the ground. The trio has been on an extended hiatus for nearly three years with each going to form other projects that lend their hand to why they were so dynamic… Winick when onto form Toyzanne who held a quirky post-punk mire, while Braun continued with the high energy sacrificial gigs of Retail and Flippinger added to the psych realm of Mary Vision. Last summer the group was meant to reunite at one of The Glove’s final shows before its untimely demise but due to personal commitments they were unable to perform.
After some months in anticipation, the group announced not only would they be reforming for a show at new Ridgewood venue Planet X but that they would also be releasing a tape as well from a 2015 recording of three shows at Shea Stadium (RIP). ” This album, titled ‘Live Well Is The Best Revenge’ represents most probably the best record of the band, who come to you from a recent past of 21st century New York City music that had a thriving not for profit venue scene”, says Winick. The tape captures the band in its most primal form where they relished in a kinetic intensity that skidded on the point of no return, a wash of euphoria from the reverb soaked grooves of “Bees” to the thunderous quake / spacey metamorphosis of “Disposition”. A limited run of cassette’s are now available for purchase via GP Stripes including at their release show tonight with ESSi, Sic Tic and Bug Fight (tickets). We invite you to listen to their haunting inflection of sardonic melody and mass hysteria, now available to stream below…
- Shooting
- Life In Space
- 21st Century
- USA
- RIP Everyone
- Disposition
- Heromonious Box
- Bees
- Electricity
- Quicksand
- Cowboy
- Fuck Me In My Sleep