Cabaret-Inspired Indie Rock DUST BOWL FAERIES Release The Eerie “The Changeling” Single…New EP Out January 2023
“There are no waters of the sea as deep and marvelous as Ryder Cooley.” – INSTINCT MAGAZINE
“A faerie-tale fusion of dark cabaret, gothic polka and post-punk music.” – WGXC-FM Wave Farm
Hudson Valley, NY’s Goth, Rock, Cabaret, Vaudeville, and Folk
Release The Eerie Gospel of
“The Changeling”
Carnival Dust EP Out January 24th
Photo credit: Stephen Spera
JANUARY 10, 2023 (Hudson Valley, NY) — “Carnival Dust is a sonic re-creation of an empty cabaret covered in dust, closed and forgotten but still alive in people’s memories,” says Ryder Cooley, the singer, songwriter, accordion player, and bandleader for New York-based, cabaret-inspired indie band DUST BOWL FAERIES about their new album which comes out independently on January 24, 2023. A fascinating and scintillating fusion of Goth, Rock, Cabaret, Vaudeville, and Folk, the music of Dust Bowl Faeries transcends time and space, whispering ancient secrets through contemporary forms of communication. It’s a concoction that feels rooted in the mystic and the modern at the same time.
Their new single “The Changeling” is a perfect example of this transmutation. Fluidly switching between gospel, Motown-styled R&B and accordion-led propulsive pop, it’s music to be played in midnight forests. As she explains, “You can sneak in at night and still hear the music playing from a player piano or an old crank organ; the accordion, the singing saw… characters come to life one by one, the tattooed man, the bearded lady, some burlesque performers and aerialists, a carousel starts spinning, wooden horses begin to bob up and down on their poles, is it a dream, or is it real?”
Their upcoming six-song EP CARNIVAL DUST traipses across multiple fringe genres which maintains a tight grip on melodic pop constructs. “There’s a post-apocalyptic feeling to the Carnival Dust songs, which were recorded in one of our favorite venues, Helsinki Hudson,” states Ryder, keeping the band’s Hudson Valley, NY origins in check. “The venue has been closed since the beginning of the pandemic and recording in the empty nightclub felt like revisiting a forgotten cabaret where time stood still. As we recorded, we remembered all the wonderful shows that we played there and all the concerts we listened to and danced at in the before times. Those aural memories are part of these songs. There are some references to political corruption and social chaos embedded in the songs, which bring them into the present tense. There are also some mystical departures, which are timeless, transcendent, and offer a respite from the overall sinister tone of the music.”
The previously released single “Lost In Time” found the uniquely visionary band caught in time loops and nautical scenes. Its exquisitely filmed video was directed by filmmaker and constant Dust Bowl Faeries visual collaborator LISA M. THOMAS and is part of an independent short film that will be going out on the film festival circuit this year. Lisa describes, “The longer version of the film is bookended by a narrative of a day in the life of a film set gone wrong which culminates when the art director (played by Ryder) takes the stage and suddenly transports us into the magical faerie world of the ‘Lost in Time’ video.”
The follow-up to their critically hailed album The Plague Garden which was likened to a “freewheeling carnival set up on the outskirts of a small town,” by Rock and Roll Globe and as a “carnival of beguiling delights, ready to whirl you around the dancefloor of your mind” by Audiofemme, the Carnival Dust EP finds the band diving into explorations of goth, rock, cabaret, vaudeville, and folk. Accompanied by her rapturous accordion in the opening track “Cuckoo,” Ryder leads the band in a balladic tale that recalls the gypsy punk of Gogol Bordello and dark carnival roundelays of Emilie Autumn. With the haunting tones of the musical saw and Mikaela Davis‘ harp adding an eerie edge to “The Changeling,” Dust Bowl Faeries adds a propulsive doo-wop sensibility to its infectious chorus. The torchy rustic quality of “Clockwork Romance” channels a blusier tone, courtesy of the whiskey-soaked rasp of Rocket Faerie (a.k.a. Jon B. Woodin).
Starting in 2015 as an all-woman trio, Dust Bowl Faeries is committed to working with as many women-identified musicians and artists as possible, including their collaborative filmmaker Lisa M. Thomas (Thin Edge Films) who documents and adds visual flair to the band’s unique and arresting visuals. Now a multi-gendered band, they have released two EPs (2018’s The Dark Ride Mixes and 2019’s Beloved Monster) and a self-titled debut (produced by music critic Seth Rogovoy and featuring Tommy Stinson of The Replacements and Melora Creager of Rasputina). Their 2020 album The Plague Garden was hailed by WNYC/NPR, Outburn, Instinct, mxdwn, ReGen, Audiofemme, and Philadelphia Gay News, amongst many others.
CARNIVAL DUST EP
Tracking listing
Cuckoo
The Changeling
Medicine Show
The Old Ragdoll
Clockwork Romance
Lost In Time
“Carnival Dust is a collaborative project,” Ryder offers, explaining the synergistic nature of the record. “My friend Dennis Herbert wrote ‘Lost in Time.’ Joe Ford at South Brooklyn Sound recorded the song at Dennis’s enchanted house. Film Faerie Lisa M Thomas of Thin Edge Films produced and directed the ‘Lost in Time’ video, which was also partly shot at Dennis’s house. Mike Schoonmaker (former sound engineer at Helsinki Hudson) recorded, mixed and mastered all the other songs on the album. Jon B. Woodin wrote ‘Clockwork Romance’ and performed lead vocals and guitar on the song. Jon and I wrote ‘Medicine Show’ together during the pandemic. Stephen Spera shot the band photos and designed the album artwork. The whole thing was a wonderful team effort, and we enjoyed every minute of creating this album!”
The Dust Bowl Faeries is Ryder Cooley (Faerie Queen; accordion, singing saw, lead vocals), Jon B. Woodin (Rocket Faerie; guitar, vocals), Rubi LaRue (Feisty Faerie; lapsteel, vocals), Liz LoGiudice (River Faerie; bass, vocals) and Andrew Stein (Time Faerie; percussion).
