For a while now, we've been hearing rumbilngs about a new album from Show Me The Body, the difficult-to-describe New York hardcore-ish band. They've done a lot of touring and put out a good amount of music in recent years, but they haven't released a proper album since Trouble The Water in 2022. Lately, they've been hard at work with Kenneth Blume, the guy who used to call himself Kenny Beats before producing Geese's Getting Killed. Last year, Show Me The Body released their Blume-produced cover of the Beastie Boys' "Sabotage," which had already been a live favorite. Today, SMTB share a motherfucker of a Blume-produced single.
The credits of Show Me The Body's new single "Dance In The USA" are fascinating. It's not just Kenneth Blume producing the track. Instead, Blume produced it with Klas Åhlund, the Teddybears member who is probably best-known as Robyn's primary collaborator. Show Me The Body introduced Blume to Åhlund and Blume's Putnam Hill studio last year.
"Dance In The USA" is just a beast-ass song. It's a pounding, rhythmic, hard-strutting riff-attack. Frontman Julian Cashwan Pratt's vocals lean into his declarative quasi-rap exhortation, and the trio locks into an off-kilter but elemental groove that switches tempos a few times. It has always been a challenge for Show Me The Body to capture the ferocity of their live show on record, but this song really pulls it off. In a press release, Pratt says, "'Dance In The USA’ is about how we employ style to survive in this reality. It’s how we embrace the struggle of ourselves, our families, and those around you. It’s the dance that we all do — how we hustle, the good and the bad things we do — just to get through it."
Jake Moore directed the extremely stylish "Dance In The USA" clip, which reinforces the idea that you can move to this song. The starkly-lit, bare-bones clip shows the band rocking out, and it's also got dancers from a bunch of different disciplines going off to the track. When the flamenco dancer starts two-stepping? Come on. This video has me all the way fired up.
Show Me The Body haven't announced their next album yet. But in addition to "Dance In The USA," they've started the rollout with the beginning of Julian Cashwan Pratt's new YouTube series Alone Together, in which he gets into deep conversations with friends, peers, and creative mentors. In the past couple of weeks, he's dropped the first two episodes, with Blu Anxxiety's Dracula O./Chi and radio host/show promoter Kasie Kirkland AKA Yung Manyne.
Also! If you can see Show Me The Body live, you should. Next month, they'll play Salt Lake City's Kilby Block Party and then head out on a quick West Coast run with Provoker, Ingrown, Clique, and Dry Socket. After that, they'll hit Europe with Deafheaven. Below, check out the "Dance In The USA" video, the Alone Together trailer, and Show Me The Body's tour dates.
TOUR DATES:
5/14 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge Backyard (Kilby Block Party Kick-off Show) *
5/15 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Block Party
5/16 - Boise, ID @ The Shredder *^
5/17 - Reno, NV @ Holland Project *^
5/19 - San Jose, CA @ The Ritz *^%#
5/20 - Sacramento, CA @ Harlow's *^%#
5/22 - Vancouver, BC @ Rickshaw ^%
5/23 - Spokane, WA @ District Bar ^%
5/24 - Tacoma, WA @ JAG Fest
8/12 - Paredes de Coura, Portugal @ Paredes de Coura Festival
8/19 - Wiesbaden, Germany @ Kesselhaus +
8/20 - Munster, Germany @ Sputnikhalle +
8/21 - Nijmegen, Netherlands @ Doornroosje +
8/22 - Kiewit, Belgium @ Pukkelpop Festival
8/23 - London, UK @ All Points East
8/24 - Copenhagen, Denmark @ Amager Bio +
8/25 - Stockholm, Sweden @ Slaktkyrkan +
8/26 - Oslo, Norway @ Rockefeller Music Hall +
* with Provoker
^ with Dry Socket
% with Ingrown
# with Clique
+ with Deafheaven
