Godcaster 2019 (by Riley Buttery)
photo: Riley Buttery

Philly band Godcaster prep debut LP (listen to "Sassy Stick Boy")

Philadelphia’s Godcaster are tough to pin down, let alone define sonically. “Unhinged” hits the mark as a general descriptor, as they’re unafraid to shake the table and experiment with a little bit of everything. Following many singles and even more live shows, the band — Judson Kolk (lead vox, guitar), Bruce Ebersole (bass, vox, glockenspiel), David McFaul (keys, vox), Sam Pickard (drums), Lindsay Dobbs (trombone, vox), and Von Lee (vox, flute, tambourine)— are gearing up to release their debut album, Long Haired Locusts, on September 4 via Ramp Local (pre-order).

The album’s new single is “Sassy Stick Boy,” which introduces a side of them that has, thus far, been little seen. On the track, the speaker is aching for someone who has yet to show him the time of day; he’s yearning for them to “blow that fresh queen spearmint breath [his] way.” This track features Godcaster’s expert lyricism and quick wit, combined with a hellscape-affiliated poetic gaze. If they’re going to describe longing, it’s going to have to have some sort of illuminating, lurid twist, separating it from the lovelorn ballads you might find elsewhere. The song premieres in this post and you can listen below.

Godcaster have also just released a DIY concert-at-home video today, featuring six songs performed from their Philadelphia basement (the same location where Long Haired Locusts was recorded). Those include a few songs from the new album: electric dance anthem “Even Your Blood is Electric;” “Serpentine Carcass Crux Birth,” and “Sassy Stick Boy.” The video, shot in one take, features multiple set and costume changes, including what appears to be a seance (or sacrifice?). Check out the madness, filmed and edited entirely by the band themselves, below.

You can also check out a few other tracks from Long Haired Locusts, below.

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