Whitewash

New York City indie whoosh-pop band Whitewash have been around a little over two years, but have been relatively quiet due to some band memebers having to move around. Then early 2014, the band settled into the city, released an EP and really started amping up the local gigging. Then during one of our worst winters ever the band made the wise decision to enter the studio to wrap up their debut LP, which from the sounds slipped out so far, hint at a record perfect for aimless, starry summer nights.

Now they might not be anyone’s idea of fashionistas, but they seem like they keep themselves out of stinky beardo mode. So, because of their moniker too, and the fact the weekend is here and many of you might be heading to the laundromat tomorrow, we asked the band to give us their best tips for keeping your duds clean.

Check out their suggestions and grab their debut, Shibboleth, out Tuesday, May 19, on Sad Cactus. - CMJ

Whitewash, a quartet of NYU students and jazz musicians, will release their first studio full-length, Shibboleth, on May 19 via Hudson Valley label Sad Cactus. The Mike Hurst-engineered album is lush and smooth, but the subject matter is nothing to toy with.

Their previously released track, Tentacle, was a treatise on human rights. Now we have this premiere of the equally sonic-rich Member. So listen up and check out Whitewash’s upcoming shows, below. - CMJ

NYC band Whitewash will release their debut album, Shibboleth, next week (5/19) via Sad Cactus Records. The band make moody, textural rock with some jazzy tendencies and is well worth checking out. You can do just that as a stream of the whole LP makes its premiere in this post. Stream it, and check out the video for "Tentacle," below.
Whitewash just played the soon-to-close Brooklyn Night Bazaar over the weekend and have a couple NYC shows this week as well. They'll play Aviv on Thursday (5/14) with Nicholas Nicholas, No Shoes, and The Britanys; then a free matinee show at Baby's All Right on Saturday (5/16) with Madam West, Looms, and Piers. They have a few other East Coast dates as well, and all are listed below. - BrooklynVegan

College musicians are always fun to interview. Though Fresh Meet is still in its infancy, the young men I’ve spoken to here are mature and wickedly bright, which permeates through their music. Perhaps the most redeeming quality of Fresh Meet is watching young bands grow in their sound, sans cynicism and over-production. Although I am not many years out of college, the subjects of Fresh Meet are inspiring, with vivacious curiosity. Luckily for me, Whitewash fit beautifully into the precedent we’ll try to establish here.
Whitewash, comprised of Sam Thornton (Lead Singer, Guitar), Jon Ben-Menachem (Bassist), Evan Glazman (Drums, Vocals), and Aram Demirdjian (Guitar), groove to a sound they don’t necessarily want to classify as “post-psychedelic,” but they gladly accept my comparison to Syd Barrett a la “See Emily Play.” The boys each bring their own panache to the group. Jon, who studies comparative lit, is sympathetic, well spoken, and blushes with politeness. Sitting together on the couch, Sam and Aram are classically cool. Hailing from California and Chicago, respectively, the boys were born to be in a band. I sit next to Evan, the most talkative and outwardly confident of the group.
Getting to know the boys was an absolute pleasure, and I hope you get to know them just as well with our interview. It’s your lucky day, because Whitewash wants to get to know you better, too. The band wants you to hear their second EP SHIBBOLETH, and by helping out their efforts via a donation, you can receive a painting by Sam, a private concert, or have Evan cook you dinner. The band just released their new single “Tentacle,” listen below. - Alt citizen

As rent continues to skyrocket in Williamsburg and Greenpoint, many prominent DIY venues in the area have been forced to close their doors. Ironically, as the borough continues to gentrify, the Brooklyn indie rock scene has never been more vibrant. Luckily, new venues like Aviv on Morgan Avenue are continuing to pop-up and keep the scene alive for up-and-coming indie bands like Whitewash, who headlined at Aviv on Friday night for their album release show. - Pancakes and Whiskey

Brooklyn band, Whitewash locally released their Fraud In Lisbon EP last November. Next month sees the EP get a national re-release on September 16th. Surviving the Golden Age is pleased to premiere the album’s lead single “Street Faces.” The track combines crunchy guitars that scream classic Stooges while the vocal harmonies are more conducive of any number of Elephant 6 bands. A great acoustic breakdown reminiscent of 70s psychedelia helps cement “Street Faces” retro sound. - Surviving the Golden Age

Not so "nasty" as to disturb your hangover, not so "gentle" that you'll want to take a nap, Whitewash's Fraud In Lisbon EP is a swooning balance of rock, space, and steady rhythm. It starts off easy and continues to build and release in waves -- a great little album to keep you cruising through a washed out winter day. - Underland NY

On Thursday, May 14, Whitewash celebrated the release of their album, Shibboleth, with a record release show at Brooklyn’s Aviv. Joining them on the bill for the night were Nicholas Nicholas, NO SHOES, The Britanys and visuals by Star Garden Light Show. - IMPOSE Magazine

When I clicked play on the first song on Whitewash’s debut EP, Fraud In Lisbon, I felt like I suddenly entered a state of pure euphoria, happy tears streaming down my face. You could definitely tell that I was in a glass case of emotion with no chance of getting out….ever.

The EP starts off with ‘Colors // In Absentia’ that begins with a riff that captivates all six of your senses and sends you to a place where there is a neverending supply of kittens, sweets, and all that is good in the world. Some tracks are chill and make you want to curl up with a cup of tea and some just make you want to dance a bit, albeit slowly. Fraud in Lisbon has fun instrumental jams and pretty good lyrics that, for some reason, give me a bit of a Radiohead vibe. I’ve probably listented to the album 81 times while writing this. [Free Download] @caaarlirose - Dingus

Whitewash is about as close to true garage rock as you can get these days. Because of the nature of music distribution and recording, not to mention the stunning lack of actual garages in Manhattan, they don’t make their music next to spilled over quarts of Pennzoil and a faded Farrah Fawcett poster. But, while the band’s music definitely runs deeper than the typical three-chord blues-rock of garage, Whitewash not only embraces the timeless songwriting ethos of the genre (all killer, no filler), they also carry its DIY mentality over to their recorded output.

Their debut EP, Fraud in Lisbon, was produced entirely on a beat-up laptop in an NYU dorm room, using only ProTools and four microphones. Oh, and did I mention that Jon (bass), Sam (guitar), Evan (drums), and Aram (guitar) were still college freshmen when they came together based on their shared love of Ween, Zeppelin and just about anything else? Like true DIY pioneers their music contains shades of whatever they want, with little regard for convention, as Bossa Nova and Noise Rock can arrive within a meter of each other. If I’ve done my job at all, you’ll be chomping at the bit to see this garage psychedelia outfit tear the doors off the hinges at the ThrdCoast Showcase at Friends & Lovers, this Friday, June 20th, as they share the bill with fellow rockers No Pop.

Fresh off three-fourths of the band’s return from the wider world, and in anticipation of the ThrdCoast Showcase, I tracked these guys down for an interview. In the DIY spirit of the group (and partially due to scheduling conflicts), I did little of the actual interviewing. Instead, the band did the work themselves, as they took my ten open-ended questions and ran with them. Each member contributed their own answers and distinct personality as they riffed on where they came from, what drives their musical output, and where they’re headed.

[CLICK LINK TO READ INTERVIEW W/ WHITEWASH] - ThrdCoast

NYU’s music scene boasts some of the most promising young bands out there. New band Whitewash is changing the game completely with a sound they describe as “post-psychedelic” – a combination of heavy, folky, and garage-tinged influences.

“We all come from such different musical backgrounds…we only have a little bit of jazz in common…it makes the sound a meld of everything we all played,” they told us. Citing bands such as Animal Collective, Tame Impala, and Ween, Whitewash has come up with something totally beyond other indie artists.

Sam Thornton (Lead Singer, Guitar, Liberal Studies), Jon Ben-Menachem (Bassist, CAS), Evan Glazman (Drums, Vocals, Gallatin), and Aram Demirdjian (Guitar, MCC), three of whom are roommates, found each other last year in Third North. “It was really fortunate because Sam and I lived across the hall from each other…I met Evan through asking about a Steinhardt program and then he brought in Aram later.”

They all now live in Carlyle, where they converted a formerly institutional dorm room into a music bunker. A set of drums abuts one of the beds as wires are draped carefully over bedposts. Every Tuesday, they sit down to write together with a solid twenty-song repertoire. Each of them alternates recording their parts while Jon intermittently mixes at his desk. Although none of them have any studio experience, they have managed to create a technically impressive and musically intricate set. They record and rehearse all between two desks and precariously placed amps.

Every member of Whitewash has been playing instruments since they can remember, ranging from trumpet to the synth, and they each alternate playfully between them when they’re messing around together. Each has a different background in ska, grunge/punk, jazz, and rock, and they meld to form a succinct, dream-like sound. Somehow they have found this endlessly intriguing common ground. Whitewash will make you remember why you started listening to music in the first place.

You can find three of their tracks on SoundCloud to get a taste of what’s to come. Those three tracks and four others will be on their EP out this November, all of which was recorded and mixed in Evan and Jon’s room. - NYU Local