Fake Fruit originally started as the nomadic songwriting project of California native Hannah “Ham” D’Amato, who spent time living and performing in New York City and Vancouver, but it’s been a full-fledged band for half a decade. After she moved to the Bay Area in 2018, she enlisted guitarist Alex Post and drummer Miles MacDiarmid along with a rotating cast of bassists to flesh out her songs. Their first album, 2021’s Fake Fruit, earned acclaim from VICE, Bandcamp, and Pitchfork, who praised it as a, “whirlwind of biting critique, nervy post-punk guitars, and absurdist humor. Rarely does a first record speak with such a trenchant voice.” Where the debut was a collection of songs D’Amato wrote in different places with different lineups, the band’s latest effort Mucho Mistrust and its first for Carpark Records, is a reflection of a collaborative and democratic unit. “Through all of our extensive touring with so many bands we look up to, we have grown so much as musicians and people,” says D’Amato. “There's a lot more confidence and direction for how we write. I had always wanted to write more collaboratively. What does Fake Fruit sound like? How do we all write together? We do it so easily. It's incredible.” On the latest LP, Post offers lead vocals on a song they wrote called “Venetian Blinds” as well as dueling vocals on “Long Island Iced Tea.”Recorded live with producer Jack Shirley (Deafheaven, Home Is Where), there’s tangible immediacy and tour-tested chemistry throughout the tracklist. Listening to Mucho Mistrust, the propulsive energy of these songs stretches the limits of indie rock and is a reflection of the band’s voracious and eclectic tastes."Everyone in the band brings a wide range of musical influences to the table," says D'Amato. "Alex and I both DJ (sometimes together) around town. If you listen hard enough to the record, you can pick up on influences spanning across many genres and even a tongue-in-cheek nod to The Cars in 'Psycho.'” The adventurous LP is the result of a resilient band coming together no matter what. “Mucho Mistrust is about toeing the line between opting out and choosing to participate while knowing what the catch is,” says D’Amato. “It's about rolling up your sleeves, dusting yourself off, and starting again.” Diving into decades of electronica, crunchy sound effects, field recordings and animal sounds, dosed with an infectious Latin influence, Oakland-based abracadabra’s most recent album ‘shapes & colors’ (out on Manchester, UK label Melodic) shimmies with the charismatic energy of Lizzy Mercier Descloux, the dub hits of Scientist, and the idiosyncrasies of Deerhoof.  abracadabra, comprised of Chris Niles & Hannah Skelton, offers an unconventional alternative to traditional guitar pop chord progressions as they blend found sounds with danceable motifs. ‘shapes & colors’ has been described as “a mind-expanding experience, well worth the backwards time travel” (The Quietus). “If the fantasy of a King Tubby-produced Tom Tom Club floats your boat, then this infectious debut will surely hit the spot.” (Electronic Sound) and, it “Bristles with contemporary freshness and wonky charm” (Uncut). Their lead single ‘talk talk’ was a hit among the folks at the BBC, making its way onto The 6 Music Playlist. Fully representing this collage of sound live, abracadabra calls on some Bay Area heavy-hitters to bring a full 5-piece band to the stage, with Greg Poneris (Shame Waves) on drums, K. Dylan Edrich (Warp) on congas, bongos, and various Latin percussion, and Maria Donjacour (Medscool, Secret Secret) on guitar and synthesizers. Last year after releasing ‘shapes & colors’ they hit the road, touring to SXSW and supporting The Go! Team in the UK before embarking that winter on their first headline tour of Europe & the UK. This year they have stayed busy, sharing the stage with legends who inspired their sound such as ESG, Adrian Belew and Jerry Harrison, while watching ‘shapes & colors’ go number one on their favorite Bay Area radio station KALX. Dolly Creamer- self diagnosed as “3 parts doll parts, 2 parts cream parts” is a strong recipe of its own rhythm and spices! Something familiar like a rock group but something enlightened and expressive like a great painting. Something you want to touch but something also untouchable. Started in Tucson 2022 by Sarah Harris now residing in the City of Angels. Harris comes from a strong background of performing arts and poetry which is conveyed as indie rock but with an unfamiliar pulse. Its got country ruffles and punk roots- proper art rock or just proper rocker. Something that has started to disrupt a scene. Highly recommend keeping an eye on these folx they have something special cookin’! For information on our current COVID policy, please click here.