Thus far, budding New York art punks Bodega—one of Paste’s 15 young NYC bands you need to know in 2018—have given listeners two music “types.” The first is the “normal-length” songs with technology-related videos and the other is short songs with suggestive music videos. Latest release “Gyrate” falls into the latter category, along with recent single “Can’t Knock the Hustle.”
Both “Gyrate” and “Can’t Knock the Hustle” are less than two minutes long, harkening back to the band’s roots in punk—a genre often characterized as having songs that are short and fast. Bodega tackle the political side of punk through sexual liberation. While sex and sexuality remain particularly taboo in regards to women, Nikki Belfiglio of Bodega makes no attempts to circumnavigate or dilute the topic when discussing new song “Gyrate.”
“When I was a little girl I used to masturbate in public (once at a JC Penny perfume counter),” Belfiglio recalls. “My parents, not wishing to shame me told me I shouldn’t ‘gyrate’ in front of other people.”
The song itself is more radio-friendly, embracing pop lyricism. “Feel the vibes coming up through your toes. Let it all go. You must have to gyrate it,” Belfiglio sings.
The video, directed by Belfiglio, features tight shots of a woman’s neck, shoulders and hands, with an emphasis on how the body moves, which is highlighted through a simple background and minimal color.
“How Did This Happen?” and “Jack in Titanic” feature technology-oriented videos. The former is a recording of one of Bodega’s live shows, with the twist that a VR experience is available on desktop and the YouTube app. Central images in “Jack in Titanic” include a number of computer screens and an oversized computer mouse.
Bodega’s debut album Endless Scroll, recorded and produced by Austin Brown of Parquet Courts, will be out July 6. The band played its first shows outside of the U.S. this month, and after playing a string of dates in the States in June, Bodega will be headed abroad again for a recently expanded July tour. Watch the “Gyrate” music video below and see the band’s tour dates further down.
Bodega Tour Dates:
June
01 – Brooklyn, N.Y. @ Sunnyvale
16 – Toronto, Ontario @ The Rivoli
17 – Cleveland, Ohio @ Beachland Tavern
18 – Detroit, Mich. @ Marble Bar
19 – Chicago, Ill. @ Empty Bottle
21 – Nashville, Tenn. @ The High Watt
22 – Bloomington, Ind. @ The Bishop
23 – Lawrence, Kan. @ Jackpot
24 – Iowa City, Iowa @ The Mill
25 – St. Paul, Minn. @ Turf Club
26 – Milwaukee, Wis. @ The Cactus Club
27 – Columbus, Ohio @ Used Kids Records
28 – Athens, Ohio @ The Union
29 – Washington, D.C. @ DC9
30 – Philadelphia, Pa. @ Everybody Hits
July
04 – Bristol, U.K. @ The Fleece
05 – Brighton, U.K. @ The Haunt
07 – Cardiff, U.K. @ Clwb Ifor Bach
08 – Birkenhead, U.K. @ Birkenhead Library
10 – Manchester, U.K. @ Soup Kitchen
11 – Birmingham, U.K. @ The Sunflower Lounge
12 – London, U.K. @ The Dome
13 – Beccles, U.K. @ Latitude Festival
14 – Nottingham, U.K. @ Bodega Social Club
16 – Nijmegen, Netherlands @ Valkhof Festival
17 – Trier, Germany @ Exhaus
19 – Port Grimaud, France @ Plage de Rock w/ Parquet Courts
21 – Benicassim, Spain @ Benicassim Festival