The Dare is the New Soundtrack of Indie Sleaze
I'm back from hiatus by popular demand
Hey girls,
It’s Mo AKA DJ Gay Panic and this(!) is The Deviant Dispatch. I keep a faggoty ear to the ground, delivering you the latest news from my corner of the NYC underground: sloppy/artful drag shows, it-girl gossip, rock shows, cultural speculation, and ravey dance parties. There will be some nepotism at play, but how could there not be with such cool friends? You’re not paying me to be impartial! Speaking of money, support by become a patron for just $5 a month, share this newsletter with someone, or hit the heart button at the top of the post!
I’ve been up to a lot while I’ve been on hiatus this august. I turned 31 and celebrated by eating roasted duck and drinking lychee martinis. I devoured Cookie Mueller’s collection of writings titled Walking Through Clear Water in a Pool Painted Black. I spent around $100 bucks at the clothing store Lagoon. (can you spy me on their Instagram?) I saw whistleblower Chelsea Manning DJ at Elsewhere (she played a menacing remix of Britney Spear’s “Toxic”) and DJ’d a punk show celebrating bikers. I was gonna go to Bushwig but got too wiped out by the Heaven / Marc Jacobs party (plus it’s chicer not to go).
But what I keep thinking about, what seems to pop up whenever I look at a music journalist’s instagram or scroll on Tiktok, is the song “Girls” by The Dare. Who the fuck is The Dare? Exactly. This bloghouse artist has come from nowhere but is already making the NYC-based music industry perk up it’s ears.
Formerly known as Turtlenecked (the music in this era…did not grab anyone’s attention), The Dare is the new project from Harrison Patrick Smith. He’s a resident DJ at Manhattan basement club Home Sweet Home, playing deep cuts from groups like Daft Punk and Sleigh Bells. Now he’s making some very danceable music of his own.
The thing about “Girls” is that everyone who is 30+ and into indie music will recognize the references. The squelchy synth instrumental is pure electroclash, and Smith’s yelled vocals about girls who hate cops and buy guns is pure LCD Soundsystem. But the combination is irresistible: everyone I know who has heard “Girls” has listened to it like 50 times. I spied Mr Patrick Smith at the invite-only Heaven/Marc Jacobs NYFW party, so clearly he’s connected. Whether he’s the next coming of James Murphy or Micky Avalon, it’s the Dare’s moment.
Other electroclash revivalists to keep an eye on:
Club Eat
Scene darlings Club Eat are deeply entrenched in NYC’s techno scene, and are headlining at Elsewhere this week.
Lynks
By far the queerest (as in fuck you) of the acts on this list, Lynx embraces the modern alt cannon (see his excellent cover of Courtney Barnett’s “Pedestrian at Best.”)
Miss Madeline
A pop-loving girlie who’s take can be deliciously tinny.
Charlotte Adigéry & Bolis Pupul
The most-NPR ready of these acts, weaving social/political commentary over grooves as likely to at a cafe as a club.
Well that’s all the stuff I have to say right now, but here are some party recs. I’ll be back soon I promise.
XOXO
Mo
Club Eat (live), The Dare (DJ set)
When: Thursday 11pm
Where: Elsewhere, Zone 1
What: the electroclash and indie sleaze revival comes to Elsewhere for this late night show / dance moment. Pricey at the door sure (by this newsletter’s standards) but who knows when you’ll be able to see this iconic lineup again before they all blow up? Plus it’s free before midnight if you rsvp here.
How much: $27.40 on dice
Str8 to DVD: The 6th Anniversary
When: Friday
Where: C’mon Everybody
What: Formerly known as 1800-Hot-Glue, this drag show has been a monthly space for kooky numbers that could incorporate anything from My Chemical Romance to the Wii Shop Channel music.
How much: $12.36 on Dice
Gender Injection
When: Saturday, 8pm
Where: TV Eye
What: a punk-rock response to Body Hack (the techno party celebrating trans +nonbinary peeps and those who love them), this new party has trans-core scene ringleaders the Dilators playing alongside new local faves Tits Dick Ass. There’s also DJs after the show and vendors during.
How much: $10
Juicy Fruit
When: Saturday, 11:30pm
Where: Happyfun Hideaway
What: House of Quench diva DJ soo into it takes over Happyfun hideaway for a night of intense techno and probably some Black Eyed Peas.
How much: Free
Hairyoke
When: Sunday, 10pm
Where: C’mon Everybody
What: What could be better than singing karaoke with a bunch of drag queens? I dropped out as the VJ of this monthly karaoke party simply because I was tired of taking drunk people’s song requests, but oh how excited I am to be a patron. Hairyoke brings the wholesome magic every time.
