Artist: BALACLAVA
Title: MONEY GLITCH
Format: LP, CD, Digital
Label: Mothland
Distribution: The Orchard
Genre: Punk/ New Wave
Release Date: 22/01/2027
Birthed from NYC wastewater and soaked in formaldehyde, BALACLAVA (Queens, NY) answers the age-old question of what animated trash would sound like. Via a patented amalgamation of punk, new wave, and garage, the devilish masked outfit invites you into the fray, wasting no time and handing you a stiff cocktail of distorted drums, crunched-up bass, cranky guitars, swirling synths, and delay-soaked vocals.
BALACLAVA’s debut full-length, MONEY GLITCHis 28 minutes of new wave-infused lo-fi punk flush with candied synthetic leads, grainy in-the-red guitars, grimey bass riffs, hammer-struck drums, and delay-drenched vocals… It was creatively vomited in response to its surroundings. It is loud, in-your-face, deliberately obnoxious… yet highly melodic and full of hooks. Gritty, short, and to the point, its songs—some that you can sweat to, some that you can cry to—never overstay their welcome.
Though its aura might hint at witty detachment, MONEY GLITCH actually explores a deep range of personal and existential themes. Willfully, singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer Jonathan Dylan Joyce engages with a plethora of thorny subjects, poking at the complexities of human relationships and emotional hardship, juxtaposing begrimed NYC-informed storytelling and often abstruse character-driven narratives with introspective reflections on depression, addiction, escapism, morality, and spirituality. In turn, the lyrics possess a raw, visceral, and often jarring quality, characterized by a tone that shifts between conversational nonchalance and surreal melancholy.
Jonathan Dylan Joyce comments: “Every one of these songs was written during a 31-day songwriting marathon. Everyday during the month of August 2023, I wrote and recorded a song. One day. One song. Written and recorded. For 31 days straight. Out of those songs came theMONEY GLITCHrecord. With limited time each day, these songs did not have the space to dwell or churn into something they never were. In response to that limitation, each track became the expression of an exact moment in time. That very day. How I was feeling, what was on my mind, the conversations I had, the food I ate, the movies I watched, the music I was listening to, the smells I experienced, the job I came home from, the hangover I had, the mania I was feeling… it was all captured uniquely in each song. An exact moment in time. These 11 songs are my favorite from the month.”
BALACLAVA’s album was recorded by Joyce—who handled vocals, guitar, bass, and synthesizers, also tackling drums on the closer—alone in his basement, Steve Salerno and Hector Guillen joining him to add drums and percussion, as well as J Malzone making a quick cameo appearance on synthesizer. As a result, this 11-track collection stands as a testament to DIY craftsmanship, with a labyrinthine song sequence that feels unpredictable and frenetic, yet symbolic and purposeful. Mixed by Joey Distasio, mastered by Greg Obis, and featuring artwork by Jackson Glover, MONEY GLITCH drops on January 22nd, 2027 via Montréal boutique imprint Mothland.
Tracklist
1. CHURCH HYMN
2. BREATH AT A PARTY
3. SWIMMING UP
4. IN A TINY LITTLE JAR
5. WHAT A REGULAR DAY
6. SHES SHOOTIN
7. TIME FOR NEW SHOES
8. FRIGHTENED BY YOUR LORD
9. EMPTY SUPPER
10. RESEARCH THE DOLPHIN
11. JOHNNY TOMB
Links
Bandcamp: https://balaclavanyc.bandcamp.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/balaclava_is_a_band
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@balaclava8636
Label: https://www.mothland.com
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