DECAYCAST Reviews: MAYA SONGBIRD “Cats From Venus” (Psychic Eye Records, 2022)

“Cats From Venus” is the newest full length offering from Bay Area stalwart and all around magical musical hybrid presence MAYA SONGBIRD, who between runnings her own label, Wired Weird Entertainment, The Magic Shop – a brick and mortar retail space in Oakland, CA as well as producing events, and meticulously handcrafting merch of a myraid of shapes and sizes, including a custom candle line which has garnered a cult following around the bay area, has found time to give us another stunning full length record of her signature style. “C F V has all the signature Maya Songbird musical stylings; retro, sexy synthesizers which create movement in the mind and body for even the most sour wallflower. “C F V” gives track after track of unmatched vocal performances over her queer and funky brand heavy electronic post punk / disco. A collection of ten soon to be favorites dance numbers which will last through your next three breakups.

“You let me know I’m not appreciated”

The songs on ” C F V…” are powerful, quirky femme anthems and demand their own space and time from each other and other works in the “genre” as a whole. “C F V” is a special and beautifully honest and unique album which only Maya Songbird can create. On “I Don’t Ever Have to Be Nice” the artist belts out the empowering, lines of self actualization over a heavy, hypnotic beat and stirs a pot of seductive sweets and spices for the perfect recipe of self empowerment.

https://psychiceye.bandcamp.com/album/cats-from-venus

“Cats From Venus” is Songbird’s most fully realized full length project to date. Released by Oakland, CA’s Psychic Eye Records “Cats From Venus” combines queer disco beats ala Patrick Cowley’s productions for Bay Area disco legend Sylvester, funky, sweaty, sensual, funky post-punk freaked out numbers topped with iconic vocal performances from Songbird on nearly every track. “Cats From Venus” is the queer party album packed with anthem after anthem lined up in a row for this fall 2022 which has left us in a world that’s both at once gifting beauty and breaking apart at the seems. We need Maya Songbird’s “Cats From Venus” now more than ever, but do we deserve it?

Via the artists website maysongbird.com, the artist states about “Cats from Venus” –

“This album I got a chance to really speak my truth and heal especially on human life/Live Again. I honestly can say when Live Again was recorded I was going through something tough. Promise me you will listen to every word I wrote on this song ok? Its really dope how Amelia the producer had driven up to oakland from la and we recorded I think “Live Again” and “You should be dancing” in my living room space.”

“Disco Bill” is one of the albums creative peaks, as it has the potential to move a room of thousands all the way down to driving a singular dance party at the end of an earbud. “Seduction”, another banger that’ll have you take over the steering wheel from the bus driver and crash the bus into a pond filled with LSD and neon pool noodles as you scatter away to the party, set a cop on fire to light the room just to make love on the dance floor.

Available on Cassette and CD from Psychic Eye Records and Wired Weird Ent now!

DECAYCAST MIXES : Farm To Tape : Episode 5

DECAYCAST MIXES : Farm To Tape : Episode 5

Next mix from the Farm To Tape series combining experimental, jazz, metal, noise, avant garde, neo-soul, hip hop and other interpretations  of experimental sonic musings.

 

farmtotaoe5

 

1. John Coltrane – Untitled Original 11383
2. Wizard Apprentice – I Am Invisible
3. The Fathers – B1 (Sound Advice)
4. Willie Dunn – Son of the Sun
5. Jess Sa Bi & Peter One – Apartheid
6. Sinkane – U’Huh
7. Maya Songbird – Merry Me
8. Signor Benedick the Moor – Belladonna
9. Spellling – Place Without a Form
10. Gnawed – In Ill Wake
11. Developer – Live @ Smiles for Miles in Dayton, OH 7/25/13
12. Beauty School – A1 (Crust Immersed)
13. Okkyung Lee – Hollow Water
14. Ilsa – Nasty, Brutish
15. Thou – The Changeling Prince
16. Drakkar – Crazy Loving You
17. Gita Pon Yeik – Ah Chit Yae
18. Zoe Keating – Hello Night

 

mixed by: Diego Aguilar-Canabal