Every week, 88Nine music director Erin Wolf shares a sonic gem she found using her nearly 20 years of new-music exploration experience. You can hear all her discoveries live on 88Nine at 10 p.m. every Monday on What’s All This: Adventures in New Music.
Fazed on a Pony is the songwriting project of New Zealand’s Peter McCall, who creates memorably ramshackle songs that are satisfying hits of bittersweet and smart guitar rock. “Wrong Party” is one of two initial tracks for the project’s second full-length album, Swan.
Both songs carry an emotional immediacy, warmth and wit about living honestly in the face of inevitable uncertainty and disappointment, which serves as an unwitting example of how to be when life throws you those curves. The lyrics may tell a sad tale, but the music suggests it might just be OK in the end.
McCall’s mix of wry humor, sincerity and melodic instinct has drawn comparisons to MJ Lenderman, David Berman and Sparklehorse, which we’ll likely hear more of when Swan arrives Jan. 23.
For now, take a listen to “Wrong Party” from Fazed on a Pony as part of the latest episode of What’s All This, which is ready for you via the player at the top of the page. If you want to catch the broadcast version of the show every week, set your dial to 88Nine at 10 a.m. Mondays for another batch of the best music, hand-picked by yours truly.
Best new indie music this week
- Dry Cleaning, “Cruise Ship Designer”
- Geologist, “Tonic”
- Cardinals, “Masquerade”
- Joyce Manor, “Well, Whatever it Was”
- Gorillaz, “Damascus (ft. Omar Souleyman and Yasiin Bey)”
- Puma Blue, “Desire”
- Daphni, “Sad Piano House”
- Ladytron, “I See Red”
- Jenny on Holiday, “Good Intentions”
- Fazed on a Pony, “Wrong Party”
- Pullman, “Kabul”
- Bill Callahan, “Lonely City”
