New Single and Album from Fear Of Men

Fear Of Men's Jess Weiss at FYF in 2013.

"Island"

I develop connections to bands. When I took my big journey out west to FYF in LA a few years ago, I was hanging between stages in the middle of the huge, dusty field and happened upon the set by Brighton UK's Fear Of Men. The haunting voice of Jess Weiss and the band's chiming guitars recalled some of the post-punk sounds of my youth, and I was hooked. Their debut full-length, Loom, was one of my favorite albums of 2014.

The other day, the band released the first single from their upcoming Fall Forever (due June 3rd via Kanine). On "Island," the bell-like guitar tones of Loom give way to something more electronic and effects-pedal driven. Fear Of Men retain their post-punk DNA but take things in a less traditional, more modern direction. Things are still anchored by Jess Weiss's vocal, and when she sings, "I will be what I want," it comes in the form of a calm declaration instead of an explosive epiphany.

Fear Of Men will be heading to Austin for some shows at this year's South By Southwest, and I'm going to try and stumble across them again while I'm there. They play closer to CDMHQ when they hit Brooklyn's Rough Trade on 3/22.

Fear Of Men on Tour

3/16 @ 12:25 PM - Spider House (SXSW ATX Pop Fest / Austin Town Hall Party)
3/16 @ 2:25 PM - Flamingo Cantina (SXSW Under The Radar Party)
3/16 @ 11:00 PM - Valhalla (SXSW Kanine Records Official Showcase)
3/18 @ 1:30 PM - Container Bar (SXSW Culture Collide Party)
3/18 @ 11:00 PM - Sidewinder (SXSW Flowerbooking Showcase)
3/19 @ TBA - Cheer Up Charlie's (SXSW Brooklyn Vegan Party)
3/22 - New York, NY @ Rough Trade