bodega
photo: Mert Gafuroglou

Bodega channel anti-consumerist post-punk on debut (prod. Austin of Parquet Courts)

Brooklyn’s Bodega have been around for a while, having grown out of band Bodega Bay, shortening their name and condensing, morphing into a more focused sound that draws from situationist post-punk with a strong anti-consumerism streak. You may have seen them opening for Protomartyr, or at Jonathan Toubin’s Soul Clap a couple weeks ago with La Luz (where they were terrific).

Bodega have signed with What’s Yr Rupture? (Parquet Courts, Love is All, Royal Headache) who, this summer, will release their debut album which was produced by Austin Brown of Parquet Courts and mixed and mastered by Jonathan Schenke (Eaters, producer of Parquet Courts’ Light Up Gold). Details are still forthcoming, but they’ve just released their first single “How Did This Happen!?” which gives you a very good idea of what they’re all about. Slashing guitars, a driving beat, a shouted stick-in-your-head chorus, and lyrics that paraphrase Woody Guthrie while talking demonstrations, “marquees in 1080P,” and noting that “your playlist knows you better than your closer lover.” They pack in a lot in three minutes. You can check that out via the single’s interactive 360-video below.

If you’re heading to Austin for SXSW, Bodega will be there, and they’ve also got a few Brooklyn shows coming up: March 10 at Union Pool with Mind Spiders and Gift Wrap which is Brendan from B Boys (tickets), March 24 at Baby’s All Right with High Waisted and Eliot and the Ghost (tickets), and April 7 at Alphaville (details TBA). They’ll also be heading to the UK for a few shows including an appearance at this year’s Great Escape Festival. All dates are listed below.

BODEGA – 2018 Tour Dates:
March 10 – Brooklyn, NY @ Union Pool w/ Mind Spiders
March 13-17 – Austin, TX @ SXSW
March 24 – Brooklyn, NY @ Baby’s All Right w/ High Waisted
April 7 – Brooklyn, NY @ Alphaville
May 15 – London, UK @ The Social
May 16 – London, UK @ The Lock Tavern
May 17 – Brighton, UK @ The Great Escape
May 19 – Leeds, UK @ The Brudenell Social Club (Gold Sounds Festival)