September 6, 2024 (Chicago, IL) – BEASTII drop new surf-punk single titled “Be Sweet” today HERE. Their new studio album titled, Follower, is available worldwide HERE. It’s Bandcamp Friday which means the band gets 100% of the proceeds, a great incentive for fans to consider.
“Be Sweet” presents a riddle of contradictions lyrically, enticing the listener to get off the fence and decide already a la The Clash: “should I stay or should I go?” Or as Kyle Decker writes in his album review “It’s upbeat and the lyrics reference the complexities of healthy relationships.”
BEASTII L-R: Kai Black, Jesse Fevvers, Jen Dot, Chris Lee, Asha Adisa.
BEASTII’s record release listening party is at Liar’s Club in Chicago on Friday, September 13th starting at 7 PM. There will be live performances by The Cell Phones, Orisun and Dusty Turrets. Tickets and information available HERE.
All the songs on Follower were written, performed, and produced by BEASTII, and recorded and mixed by Chris Lee at the VCR in Chicago, Illinois between January 2023 and March 2024. Lee has recorded hundreds of underground artists in Chicago, including notable acts such as Twin Peaks, Kenny Hoopla, Nnamdi, Show You Suck, Deeper, and Al Scorch.
BEASTII, founded by Jen Dot (aka Jen B. Larson, author of Hit Girls: Women of Punk in the USA, 1975-1983 and former Swimsuit Addition guitarist and singer) in Chicago in 2016, cite influences such as Wire, Au Pairs, Pylon, Soft Cell, Joy Division, Kate Bush, the Breeder’s, the B52’s, Moebius & Beerbohm, and Devo. Dot recorded the initial EP, Love Harder, over a few months, using a combination of live and electronic instruments. She had her friend, Chris Lee, master it. For live sets Jen and Chris put together a high-energy four-piece, combining elements from early ’80s post-punk, ’60s surf and garage rock, and ’90s alternative and grunge. Maureen Neer (Soddy Daisy and Bloodhype) and Becca Nisbet (Swimsuit Addition and The Baby Magic) joined them on bass and guitar, respectively.
BEASTII will appeal to fans of The Hives, the Buzzcocks, Gang of Four, Wire, PJ Harvey, the Cramps.
Album Art by Frank Okay
Follower track listing:
1. Justine
2. The Limit
3. Cosmic Bummer
4. Spilt Milk
5. Evil Eye
6. Double-Sided Cig
7. Sell Out
8. Butch Beach
9. Ghost Follower
10. Subliminal
11. Into the Ground
12. Trusted Mystik
13. Be Sweet
BEASTII is:
Jen Dot – vocals, guitar, keys, electronic drums
Jesse Fevvers – vocals, guitar, electronic drums
Chris Lee – drums, backing vocals
Asha Adisa – vocals, keys
Kai Black – bass, keys
Maureen Neer – vocals, bass
FIND BEASTII ONLINE