"cuz she's running late for a date" Photo by Christopher Chu
D.A. Stern (L.A. based / New Jersey raised producer, songwriter, creative) just released "Mmxxtape" an EP featuring covers and collaborations with artists such as Alex Winston, Fat Tony & Colleen Green, Chris Tomson of Vampire Weekend, Ben Hozie of BODEGA and more.
Here on AP, I tend to separate songs from the videos that accompany them but that is impossible here. By the way, I have a broad grin on my face while typing this because there is so much to revel in watching this crazy, hysterically funny, video as directed by Thaddeus Ruzicka and featuring D.A. Stern (himself), Fat Tony, Colleen Green, Charlie Ellis, Carter Scott, James Nichols II and Joshua Fu.
In fact, I only wish (is anyone listening?) that this is not just an Official Video for a thoroughly, at once, captivating cheeky song with a sort of 80's hip hop meets 80's cop- caper theme meets chill lounge punk song vibe but an actual trailer for a full movie. Yes, I want to watch a full movie as gum shoe detective D.A. Stern unravels this mystery involving dark fame and fetishes.
About the song D.A. Stern says:
"2 Drink Minimum" was born from a song that I was working on where I absolutely loved the track but couldn't figure out a vocal approach that did it justice. It's inspired by film noir and I wouldn't argue with someone for detecting a Twin Peaks influence. So I thought inviting a rapper would take the pressure off of having to come up with something and it might also add to the otherworldliness of the whole thing. Fat Tony is a new friend I made here in LA and Colleen Green is an old friend from my New York days. They also happen to be friends with each other and their sensibilities, despite representing seemingly disparate music, match really well. Surprisingly, some people have asked me if I wrote the lyrics to Tony's verse. I usually tell them to listen to it more closely.
-Robb Donker Curtius
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The track is from D.A. Stern's Mmxxtape will be released September 25, an EP featuring covers and collaborations with artists such as Alex Winston, Fat Tony & Colleen Green, Chris Tomson of Vampire Weekend, Ben Hozie of BODEGA and more.
Few artists are equally skilled producers as they are songwriters. For Los Angeles-based, New Jersey-raised D.A. Stern, the two roles marry perfectly to showcase his playful deftness and signature wit. His full-length Slumberland debut, 2018’s Aloha Hola, was an impressive collection of ornate, hook-laden power-pop. Its proficiency and economy of writing recalled R.E.M. or Big Star while its simultaneously wry and introspective lyrics evoked Harry Nilsson. Though that album marked the first D.A. Stern release, his undeniable talent had been long evident. Raised in Bergen County, New Jersey, he cut his teeth in New York City’s music community with his band the Sanctuaries. After recording their LP in Nashville with longtime Yo La Tengo producer Roger Moutenot, D.A. turned to engineering and production, honing his craft at Beastie Boy Adam Yauch’s recording studio, Oscilloscope Laboratories. Working with such luminaries as Kathleen Hannah, Cat Power, James Murphy, Mike D, and Adrock quickly developed Stern’s studio chops as well has his Todd Rundgren-esque songwriting/producing double threat.
Now, based in Los Angeles, D.A. has enlisted friends he’s made throughout his journey to lend their vocals to a mixtape that highlights his progression. Tributes to “Weird” Al Yankovic, one of Stern’s heroes, featuring Dams of the West, aka Chris Tomson of Vampire Weekend, and Photo Ops on covers of the comedy icon’s non-parody originals. Guest spots from Alex Winston and Party Nails highlight Stern’s pop sensibilities with one original and a cover of Frank & Nancy Sinatra’s “Something Stupid." Flexing his more experimental muscle, Stern’s collaborations with Fat Tony and Colleen Green on one track and Ben Hozie of Bodega on another demonstrate his diverse capabilities with nods to hip hop, film noir, noise, and modular synth soaked prog rock.
Connect with D.A.:
https://www.dasternmusic.com
https://www.instagram.com/davidschmavid
https://www.facebook.com/dasternmusic
Connect with Fat Tony:
https://www.instagram.com/fattonyrap
https://www.facebook.com/fattonyrap
https://twitter.com/fattonyrap
Connect with Colleen Green:
https://www.instagram.com/colleengree...
https://www.facebook.com/colleengreen420
https://twitter.com/colleengreen420
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