The (Local) Fresh Six: Bizhiki, Sister Wendy, Flaco, Gully Boys, anni xo, and Ava Levy

For the Fresh Five Six we pick out five great new(ish) jams that we’re currently obsessing over. All of these songs come from local (Minnesota) bands/artists.

Bizhiki is a new local (WI) group that we were first hipped to at Broken Ice last February. The group consists of Dylan Bizhikiins Jennings, Joe Rainey Sr., and S. Carey (Jeremy Ylvisaker performed with the group when we saw them but doesn’t appear to be a permanent member). The group’s debut record Unbound will be released on July 19th via Jagjaguwar and looks to be a combination of traditional powwow vocals (via Jennings and Rainey Sr.) as well as beats/samples and Carey’s drumming and modulated vox.  This should be one to look out for – Joe Rainey’s solo album was one of 2022’s best and Carey has a long and impressive pedigree as well. 

Triptych II is the latest EP from Sister Wendy (which consists of wife and husband duo Greta Ruth and Zach Waldon). II follows the excellent I (2022)with more dreamy, melancholic folk/rock (with at least one foot slanted in a more experimental/psychedelic angle). Much more than its predecessor II feels firmly rooted in a more country/folk tradition, which makes for a lovely, grounded sound.  Mastering was done by Jonathan Waldo (formerly of Corrector Records (RIP)). Purchase/stream here.

Flaco is local artist/filmmaker Andrés Almarza. He’s a relative newcomer to the scene, releasing his first studio single “Someone Else” just a few weeks back. The single is a tender pop tune consisting of a guitar and keyboard melody, drums, autotuned vocals, and even some trumpet accents. Almarza appears to be a talented multi-instrumentalist and it should be interesting to follow where he goes from here. 

Pop/punk band Gully Boys have long been a fixture in the local scene for years now. The steady if slow stream of singles they have released over the past five years continues with “Bad Day,” a tune that feels upbeat despite the occasionally violent nature of its accompanying video (which was made entirely in the Sims or “The Queer Sims” as it’s called here). Enjoy the tune and keep your fingers crossed for an album sometime in the future. 

anni xo is a young pop musician with a handful of singles and an EP to their name, the latest of which “Red Eye” you can stream/watch. xo identifies as queer and in their words finds “solace in music as a means to explore their identity and embrace the complexities of life.”  Hopefully much more to come from xo in the future – keep abreast of their news on their website here.  

We’re keeping it pop up in here today! Ava Levy is another young pop/punk artist out of Minneapolis. “Cat Song” is a single just released a month or so back – it’s a breezy piece of melancholic pop with some nuanced guitar/keys/knob twiddling work providing a finely textured palette of instrumentation. Another brand new artist right out of the gates who should be one to watch.