This week in Freak Scene, New Haven-area singer Brooke Dougan gets 2026 off to an excellent start with her first album, and the Western Mass. minimalist punks Landowner have some thoughts on late capitalism on their new single.

Brooke Dougan already knew at 5 years old that she wanted to make music — “rock star” is what she said she wanted to be on one of those cute questionnaires that kindergarteners fill out. The New Haven-area singer took a big step closer with the release last week of My Dog My Dog My God.

Though it’s her first album, Dougan has been performing for years, on her own and as an occasional guitarist for Hamden R&B singer Esmer, and her experience shows in these 10 songs. Dougan is a self-assured singer with a throaty, soulful voice on catchy songs that demonstrate her skill as a lyricist. “Still have a hole in my chest from when I took too much to heart,” she sings on the opener, “Try Not to Listen,” where she’s accompanied by a pulsing backbeat and layers of intertwining guitars.

Dougan’s band on My Dog is the New Haven indie-rock group Pond View, whose members — Luke Krascewsk, Matt Nagy and Josh Sansone — flesh out Dougan’s vision on guitar, drums and bass, respectively. It’s an inspired collaboration among musicians who play together on these songs as if they’re reading each other’s minds. Swirls of spacey guitar swoop through the dreamy “Long Drive,” while a keening keyboard part and compact beat fuel “W.W.E.” as it burbles along, punctuated here and there with spikes of abraded slide guitar. “Cold Weather” is a particular standout thanks to bursts of guitar that crackle brightly between verses where Dougan harmonizes with herself on multi-tracked vocals. Later, she goes it (mostly) alone on “Cowboy Song,” fingerpicking a folky pattern on acoustic guitar while she sings as if she’s addressing an old friend who’s hiding from themselves.

The track is the one real slow jam on My Dog My Dog My God, and it offers a glimpse of Dougan as the solo-acoustic performer she was when she appeared in 2020 on the local music program Music with Purpose (the footage didn’t surface until 2022). Back then, the host, Lisa Catherine, asked Dougan about her goals. “Short term? To get an EP out,” Dougan replied. That turned into more of a long-term goal, given that the EP never materialized, but maybe that’s not such a bad thing. If nothing else, it gave Dougan time to grow into the songs on My Dog My Dog My God — and whether or not Dougan still wants to be a rock star, the songs on her debut radiate star power.

Landowner Question Late Capitalism on ‘Rival Males’

Turns out that Slant of Light won’t be the only band with new music when the Western Mass./Connecticut group plays the Drake Feb. 7. Landowner have a new album on the way, too, which the Western Mass. minimalist punk group previews with the song “Rival Males.”

Though the track is built a like a hardcore song, it’s more cerebral: the drums have a machine-like intensity underscored by guitars and bass that make tight turns at right angles, like the critter in the 1980 Atari game Centipede. Singer Dan Shaw barks out staccato lyrics that tap into the exploitative nature of late capitalism, which preaches a form of obedient consumption. “Compliance. Manage scarcity. Exploit the desperation of others,” Shaw bellows.

In the video that Landowner shot for the track, the visceral ferocity of hardcore is undercut by an audience that switches from choreographed slam dancing into calisthenic-like movements in unison, like automatons. It’s a statement at once cerebral and powerful.

Landowner’s new album, Assumption, is due Feb. 27. They perform with Slant of Light and Outro Feb. 7 at the Drake (tickets).

Support independent local media

Upcoming Concerts

It’s not a concert, but it is a rare opportunity to learn from a world-class guitarist: June Millington, co-founder of the rock band Fanny and, later, the Institute for the Musical Arts in Goshen, offers a virtual master class over four Thursdays in March. Described as “a deep dive into technique, sound-shaping, and ... well, whatever the hell she wants,” the class takes place on Zoom starting March 5. More information here.

The Iron Horse in Northampton brings in blues-rocker Walter Trout April 14 (tickets) and the Golden Hours, a new band formed by members of David Wax Museum and Lowland Hum, June 14 (tickets).

The Back Porch Festival will include the next installment of Signature Sounds' Songwriter Series, this time paying tribute to Johnny Cash. Artists including Ward Hayden, the Lonesome Brothers, Steve Sanderson, Lisa Bastoni, Christa Joy and the Deep River Ramblers will perform Cash songs March 22 at 3 p.m. at the Academy of Music (tickets).

Infinity Hall in Hartford hosts four Connecticut acts Feb. 21: Mystic Dead, the Alpaca Gnomes, the Professors of Sweet, Sweet Music and Roost (tickets). Blues guitarist Quinn Sullivan is there March 22 (tickets), while Walter Trout plays the Norfolk outpost April 16 (tickets).

Following the release last year of their very good album The Cosmic Selector, Vol. 1 (which I reviewed for Paste), Lord Huron play June 25 at Westville Music Bowl in New Haven (tickets).

The Space Ballroom in Hamden hosts electronic-pop singer vaultboy April 2 (tickets) and Albany punk band Prince Daddy and the Hyena June 7 (tickets).

Fantastic Cat returns to the area April 15 with a show at StageOne at FTC in Fairfield (tickets); the group's new album, Cat Out of Hell, is due April 13.

That’s all for this now — thank you for reading! If you like what you’ve seen, please share. Also, I’m always open to submissions. You can send music for coverage consideration to erdanton at gmail or reply to this email. Check out these guidelines first.

Freak Scene is free, but donations help make this happen, and are gratefully accepted. Previous issues are available in the online archive.