by David Wilikofsky
In a world of information overload, how can you reliably discover great new music? For us, the answer is record labels. Great labels act as a stamp of quality; for the best, any album they put out is well worth your time. Labels need our support now more than ever, so if you like what you hear please head over to their site and order some music!
Double Double Whammy was started in 2011 by Dave Benton and Mike Caridi. They began by releasing records by their own band, LVL UP, in addition to other bands in the scene surrounding SUNY Purchase. The roster has expanded over the years, but the label’s vision has remained consistent. Records released by the label are some of the best indie rock albums out there; label alumni like Frankie Cosmos, Mitski and Porches have gone on to mainstream success, while others like Krill have cemented their cult classic status. As always, there were many more albums that easily could have landed on this list (this is another STACKED discography), so be sure to head over to their Bandcamp or website after checking out our picks below.
HOODWINK’D | LVL UP We’ll start things off with the band that launched the label. LVL UP may have broken up in 2018 after releasing their final album, Return To Love, on Sub Pop, but they left behind an untouchable and important body of work. Equal parts jangly and fuzzed out, they helped define the template for modern Brooklyn indie rock. Members of the band also helped run now defunct DIY venue David Blaine’s The Steakhouse, which along with contemporaries like Silent Barn and Shea Stadium were vital to fostering the Brooklyn music scene.
QUARTERBACKS | QUARTERBACKS Quarterback deal in quick bursts of energy; no song on this album lasts longer than two minutes, and most race forward at breakneck speed. That being said, Quarterbacks manage to cram more into a minute and change than many bands do in a whole album; for instance, “Usual”, the album opener, manages to perfectly capture the feeling of being stuck on an ex in under ninety seconds. Seemingly the band’s swan song, they haven’t released anything since this perfect LP.
THE BLUEST STAR | FREE CAKE FOR EVERY CREATURE Katie Bennett chose to end her long running Free Cake project with this 2018 album, and the band went out on a high note. A spiritual descendant of the Pacific Northwest twee released on labels like K Records, the songs on this album conjure up feelings of romance and hot summer nights. The songs are quiet and hushed and achingly beautiful. It’s indie pop perfection.
MEANS TO ME | LONG BEARD Leslie Bear creates etherial soundscapes in the guise of songs under her moniker Long Beard. This album, like its excellent predecessor Sleepwalker, is made for late night listening. At once pretty and melancholy, both albums perfectly capture those two a.m. vibes. This album, written after Bear toured with Japanese Breakfast and subsequently returned to her hometown to start a new job, explores notions of home and what makes a happy one.
EMILY ALONE | FLORIST Emily Alone plays like the album Nick Drake might have made if he’d ever followed up Pink Moon. It’s that good. Written in the wake of her mother’s death and a cross country move to California, Emily Sprague grapples with death, mortality and change. The instrumentation is spare, just Sprague’s voice accompanied by acoustic guitar. It’s a heartbreaking and powerful meditation on what it means to be alive.
The label also has a new release slated for the end of May (2ND GRADE | HIT TO HIT) that we’re eagerly anticipating. Check it out!