#132: The Colony Motel Expand Their Sound on New EP
Plus, Gentle Hen have a new single out, with an album on the way
This week in Freak Scene, Easthampton band the Colony Motel try something different on their new EP, and Northampton’s Gentle Hen mark a milestone with a new single.
After working in a rootsy Americana vein on their 2022 album Anywhere, Montana, the Colony Motel embrace a different sound on their new EP, Incandescent Twin. The five tracks here are at once more volatile, and also somehow watchful, with churning guitars from singer Brian Brown that coil around terse rhythm parts from bassist Shawn Gunderson and drummer Mark Schmittlein (Jim Gipe on synthesizers rounds out the sound).
The foursome set the tone with opener “Almah,” where Gipe’s synths curl and twist through blaring guitars (which Gunderson plays on this track) over a repeating bass lick and a relentless beat. Brown sings with an air of foreboding on “By the Hour,” his resonant voice cutting through the trebly scratch of muted guitar and glittering currents of synth before the song pivots into a middle section fueled by overdriven guitar and jittery drums. A track later, “O(xy)phelia” takes the alt-country vibe of Anywhere, Montana, and adds a shoegaze-y element with bright, descending guitar lines and atmospheric synths that give way to a soaring guitar break.
Earlier this week, the Colony Motel took part in Transformance (formerly Transperformance), the annual benefit for the arts in Northampton Public Schools. Fittingly, the Easthampton group took on the role of the Bottle Rockets, a St. Louis band that spent 30 years at the convergence of country, punk and rock before frontman Brian Henneman retired in 2021. The Colony Motel show a similar adventurous spirit in their music, and though their catalog so far is less extensive, that allows them plenty of room to expand.
Gentle Hen Find Their ‘Comfort Zone’
Happy birthday to Henning Ohlenbusch, who marks the date with the release of a new song by his band Gentle Hen. “Comfort Zone” is the first track on the band’s upcoming album Wink, and it’s the latest entry in the homebody subtext that characterized much of Gentle Hen’s previous album, 2024’s The Whole Point of the Trip.
In fact, Ohlenbusch and his bandmates — bassist Max Germer, drummer Brian Marchese and keyboardist Ken Maiuri — sound right at home here. “Comfort Zone” breezes along on a mix of airy guitars, subtly bright keyboards and a rhythm section that steers the whole thing. Ohlenbusch’s vocals have the dreamy, semi-wistful sound he does so well, on lyrics that emphasize the theme: “The further you roam / you want someone at home / to pull you into your comfort zone,” he sings.
“Comfort Zone” is the second single from Wink, following “Let’s Stay Up to Watch the Sunrise.” It’s all part of a busy year for Ohlenbusch, who in March released the solo album Almost Always Overwhelmed. (Marchese has been busy, too: one of his other bands, the Figments, this spring released The Wrong Way, their first album since 2013.) Wink is due Sept. 25.
This Weekend
Western Mass. multi-disciplinary artist Sable Island Pony plays a single-release show Saturday, Aug. 22, at City Space in Easthampton (tickets).
Winged Wheel, a band that includes Fred Thomas and ex-Sonic Youth drummer Steve Shelley, play Saturday, Aug. 22, at the Parlor Room with Gold Dust (tickets).
Upcoming Concerts
Hush Puppy, Zoë Pete Ford and NASCAR Mimosa play Aug. 29 at Wilder’s Barn in Conway.
Mirah play Oct. 1 with All Feels and Evan Greer at Holyoke Media in a show presented by Flywheel (tickets).
The Iron Horse in Northampton hosts Palmyra Oct. 20 (tickets), Natalie & Brittany Haas Oct. 29 (tickets), the Deslondes Nov. 5 (tickets), Daniel Lanois Trio Nov. 6 (tickets), Ukrainian bandura player Maryna Krut Nov. 10 (tickets via Umass Fine Arts Center), American Idol runner-up Crystal Bowersox Nov. 17 (tickets), LuxDeluxe Nov. 27 (tickets), Tall Heights Dec. 12 (tickets) and Yasmin Williams April 1 (tickets via UMass Fine Arts Center).
The Marigold Theater in Easthampton presents Lady Moon & the Eclipse Sept. 5 with beccs (tickets).
The Drake in Amherst hosts the Dead Tongues Sept. 24 (tickets), prog quartet Improvement Movement Sept. 26 (tickets), Korean band Insun Park & Generals Oct. 1 (tickets), Iron Lung and Dropdead Oct. 2 (tickets), Prince Daddy & the Hyena Oct. 12 (tickets), indie-soul band Oh He Dead Oct. 17 (tickets), Lady Lamb Oct. 24 (tickets), Pretty Sick Nov. 5 (tickets) and synthwave due New Constellations Nov. 6 (tickets).
Coming to Stone Church in Brattleboro: the Yawpers Oct. 2 (tickets), Great Lake Swimmers Oct. 6 (tickets), Angelo De Augustin Oct. 9 (tickets), Bobby Bare Jr. Oct. 11 (tickets), Ian Sweet Oct. 16 (tickets), Vermont “groovegrass” trio Jatoba Oct. 17 (tickets), Maplecore Fest Oct. 18 (tickets), Carise Blanton Oct. 22 (tickets), Nik Parr & the Selfless Lovers Oct. 24 (tickets), Haggis X-1 Oct. 25 (tickets) and the Barr Brothers Oct. 28 (tickets).
Infinity Hall in Hartford presents the Disco Biscuits Oct. 29 (tickets) and Peter Wolf Nov. 14 (tickets), while the Norfolk outpost has Asleep at the Wheel Oct. 16 (tickets).
The Space Ballroom in Hamden features Bayway Sept. 21 (tickets), June McDoom Oct. 21 (tickets), Giles Corey Nov. 4 (tickets), Men Without Hats Dec. 4 (tickets), Static Dress Dec. 5 (tickets) and Hanoi Rocks singer Michael Monroe April 29 (tickets).
That’s it for this week. Thank you for reading! Previous issues are available in the online archive. Freak Scene is free, but donations help make this happen and are gratefully accepted. If you’re able, please consider a paid subscription!
This Week’s Shows
The full concert calendar is available here for paid subscribers.
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