A DIY INDIEPOP VINYL & CASSETTE LABEL

The Ballet

At The Bathhouse video, from The Ballet

Al Blackstone -- an Emmy-winning choreographer, and a fan of the band -- approached me with the idea of collaborating on something, and a music video (which the band had never done) seemed fun and timely with the release of the new album. I'd seen a locker room cruising dance he'd choreographed for the Fire Island Dance Festival in 2015, so "At the Bathhouse" felt like the right song for us to work on together. We tossed around a few ideas, but everything really came together after Al found the space we used: an abandoned Boys' Club in the East Village (Manhattan) that's now a dance studio. Gay bathhouses are politically charged spaces for a number of reasons: their role in gay liberation, their stigmatization in the wake of the HIV/AIDS crisis, their promise as a kind of utopian space, but also their reality as a hierarchical space where societal norms of sexiness and attractiveness operate. This political charge can make it hard to raise the topic in a public way without taking some kind of stand: for or against, celebratory or critical. It was important to me to suspend judgement in order to approach the bathhouse with curiosity, excitement, anticipation, ambivalence, and humor -- which, for me, evokes what it feels like to be in a bathhouse. All the posing and non-verbal communication and the chasing or being chased, it can feel serious but also playful and, when you step back, quite funny. Al translated this approach into dance and a kind of narrative where we follow this group as it flows, assembles, and disassembles through the space. Bathhouses can seem hive-like, where everyone is doing their own little bee dance but when you zoom out it feels like one big coordinated organism, and I think Al captured that beautifully.
- Greg Goldberg, The Ballet

At The Bathhouse is taken from the album Daddy Issues, out now on 12” vinyl and digitally.

The Ballet - Daddy Issues [12"]

Artist: The Ballet
Title: Daddy Issues
Format: 12” LP on transparent vinyl
Cat#: Fika095LP
Release date: 26th May 2023
Bandcamp | Spotify

“The amiable embrace of ambivalence distinguishes Greg Goldberg and Craig Willse’s output as the Ballet from the work of their funny musical uncles, like the Magnetic Fields’ implacably ironic Stephin Merritt, the Hidden Cameras’ riot auteur Joel Gibb, even fairy godfathers Pet Shop Boys.”  Pitchfork [7.6]

Formed in 2005 by Greg Goldberg and Craig Willse, The Ballet marry wry poeticism with pop romanticism and a queer DIY ethos to create literate, infectious pop gems. The band self-released their first two albums: ​Mattachine! ​(2006) ​and Bear Life​ (2009). These records caught the attention of indie-label-legends Fortuna Pop!, who released their third album, ​I Blame Society,​ in 2013. After FortunaPop! closed shop, The Ballet partnered with Fika Recordings, who released their fourth album, the critically acclaimed Matchy Matchy, in 2019.

The Ballet have been joined by a few other musicians over the years including Ginger Brooks Takahashi and Michael O'Neill, who left in 2007 to join JD Sampson in MEN, as well as guest appearances on previous albums from Linton of The Aislers Set, Ramesh from Voxtrot, Scott Matthew, and Kaki King. 

In addition to citing Stephin Merritt as a formative influence, Goldberg—who writes and home-records all of the band’s songs—draws from an array of pop artists and periods; from 60’s bubblegum to 80’s synthpop and 90’s indiepop, fusing these genres in sophisticated and novel ways. 

On the Ballet’s new album, Daddy Issues, listeners may spot musical nods to the Velvet Underground, Frankie and Annette, Squeeze, Billy Idol, Lenny Kravitz, the Gothic Archies, Belle and Sebastian, and New Order, among others. Goldberg gravitates towards upbeat tempos, major keys, and basic chords, using these restrictions to craft simple, catchy melodies while also layering instruments in a way that keeps the ear engaged and rewards repeat listening.

The relatively light and smooth sound of Daddy Issues sets the tone for Goldberg’s unorthodox approach to his subject matter. As with previous Ballet albums, Daddy Issues offers a detail-rich examination of contemporary queer life, with a particular focus on the stigmatised desires, pleasures, and relations of gay men. Many queer artists have responded defensively to stigmatisation by asserting the political or psychological value of queer sex. Goldberg’s approach is different. Rather than defending queer sex, he aims to capture some of its complexity and nuance.

On Daddy Issues, Goldberg’s songs describe the appeal but also the challenges of promiscuity and non-monogamy (“Eenie Meenie,” “Two Boyfriends”). His songs find humour in the mundane “dangers” of queer life (“I’m on Drugs,” “At the Bathhouse”) and in the queer juxtaposition of perversion and gentleness (“Daddy’s Boy,” “CumDumpMike”). 

An extramarital affair is treated with the levity of a teenage crush, and masculinity is characterised as both hot and somewhat tedious (“A Married Man”). The narrators of Goldberg’s songs are hedonists who go dancing all night, use illicit substances, and have anonymous, public sex, but they also express loneliness, regret, melancholy, and self-loathing (“Since You’ve Been Gone,” “The Fountain of Youth,” “I Don’t Feel Like Dancing”). To use such negative feelings to stigmatise gayness is homophobic, but so is denying their existence. Daddy Issues avoids both these pitfalls, instead capturing the co-existence of ecstasy and agony with humour, tenderness, and a lack of judgment.

The album’s title references a popular psychological diagnosis for people who are supposedly looking for surrogate fathers in their sexual or romantic partners, but it also suggests the issues of so-called daddies (older gay men). Rather than offering an ethnographic or autobiographical account of what it’s like to be a daddy, Daddy Issues offers a meditation on the role of daddy, inviting listeners to imagine themselves in relation to it in various ways, while also questioning its coherence and stability. 

After all, nobody is born a daddy; it is something one becomes (or doesn’t become), feels like (or doesn’t feel like), and is seen as (or isn’t seen as), if only for the duration of an album.

The Ballet - At the Bathhouse [Digital]

Artist: The Ballet
Title: At the Bathhouse
Format: Digital Single
Cat#: Fika095SG2
Release date: 21st April 2023
Bandcamp | Spotify

At the Bathouse is the new single from The Ballet, taken from their forthcoming album Daddy Issues, describing the appeal but also the challenges of promiscuity and non-monogamy.

Formed in 2005 by Greg Goldberg and Craig Willse, The Ballet marry wry poeticism with pop romanticism and a queer DIY ethos to create literate, infectious pop gems. The band self-released their first two albums: ​Mattachine! ​(2006) ​and Bear Life​ (2009). These records caught the attention of indie-label-legends Fortuna Pop!, who released their third album, ​I Blame Society,​ in 2013. After FortunaPop! closed shop, The Ballet partnered with Fika Recordings, who released their fourth album, the critically acclaimed Matchy Matchy, in 2019.

The Ballet have been joined by a few other musicians over the years including Ginger Brooks Takahashi and Michael O'Neill, who left in 2007 to join JD Sampson in MEN, as well as guest appearances on previous albums from Linton of The Aislers Set, Ramesh from Voxtrot, Scott Matthew, and Kaki King. 

In addition to citing Stephin Merritt as a formative influence, Goldberg—who writes and home-records all of the band’s songs—draws from an array of pop artists and periods; from 60’s bubblegum to 80’s synthpop and 90’s indiepop, fusing these genres in sophisticated and novel ways. 

On the Ballet’s new album, Daddy Issues, listeners may spot musical nods to the Velvet Underground, Frankie and Annette, Squeeze, Billy Idol, Lenny Kravitz, the Gothic Archies, Belle and Sebastian, and New Order, among others. Goldberg gravitates towards upbeat tempos, major keys, and basic chords, using these restrictions to craft simple, catchy melodies while also layering instruments in a way that keeps the ear engaged and rewards repeat listening.

The relatively light and smooth sound of Daddy Issues sets the tone for Goldberg’s unorthodox approach to his subject matter. As with previous Ballet albums, Daddy Issues offers a detail-rich examination of contemporary queer life, with a particular focus on the stigmatised desires, pleasures, and relations of gay men. Many queer artists have responded defensively to stigmatisation by asserting the political or psychological value of queer sex. Goldberg’s approach is different. Rather than defending queer sex, he aims to capture some of its complexity and nuance.

The album’s title references a popular psychological diagnosis for people who are supposedly looking for surrogate fathers in their sexual or romantic partners, but it also suggests the issues of so-called daddies (older gay men). Rather than offering an ethnographic or autobiographical account of what it’s like to be a daddy, Daddy Issues offers a meditation on the role of daddy, inviting listeners to imagine themselves in relation to it in various ways, while also questioning its coherence and stability. 

After all, nobody is born a daddy; it is something one becomes (or doesn’t become), feels like (or doesn’t feel like), and is seen as (or isn’t seen as), if only for the duration of an album.

“I definitely can see where the comparisons with Stephin Merritt pop in when you listen to the Ballet, though I think that mostly revolves around some of the sexual themes and literary writing. For me, I think Greg Goldberg pulls on a slightly different hat though, with a much more electronic focus on the latest single. In listening here, there’s a definite bounce, perhaps a nod to acts like New Order, albeit spun through the lens of Goldberg and his writing partner Willse” Austin Town Hall

The Ballet - Two Boyfriends [Digital]

Artist: The Ballet
Title: Two Boyfriends
Format: Digital Single
Cat#: Fika095SG1
Release date: 17th March 2023
Bandcamp | Spotify

Two Boyfriends is the new single from The Ballet, taken from their forthcoming album Daddy Issues, describing the appeal but also the challenges of promiscuity and non-monogamy.

Formed in 2005 by Greg Goldberg and Craig Willse, The Ballet marry wry poeticism with pop romanticism and a queer DIY ethos to create literate, infectious pop gems. The band self-released their first two albums: ​Mattachine! ​(2006) ​and Bear Life​ (2009). These records caught the attention of indie-label-legends Fortuna Pop!, who released their third album, ​I Blame Society,​ in 2013. After FortunaPop! closed shop, The Ballet partnered with Fika Recordings, who released their fourth album, the critically acclaimed Matchy Matchy, in 2019.

The Ballet have been joined by a few other musicians over the years including Ginger Brooks Takahashi and Michael O'Neill, who left in 2007 to join JD Sampson in MEN, as well as guest appearances on previous albums from Linton of The Aislers Set, Ramesh from Voxtrot, Scott Matthew, and Kaki King. 

In addition to citing Stephin Merritt as a formative influence, Goldberg—who writes and home-records all of the band’s songs—draws from an array of pop artists and periods; from 60’s bubblegum to 80’s synthpop and 90’s indiepop, fusing these genres in sophisticated and novel ways. 

On the Ballet’s new album, Daddy Issues, listeners may spot musical nods to the Velvet Underground, Frankie and Annette, Squeeze, Billy Idol, Lenny Kravitz, the Gothic Archies, Belle and Sebastian, and New Order, among others. Goldberg gravitates towards upbeat tempos, major keys, and basic chords, using these restrictions to craft simple, catchy melodies while also layering instruments in a way that keeps the ear engaged and rewards repeat listening.

The relatively light and smooth sound of Daddy Issues sets the tone for Goldberg’s unorthodox approach to his subject matter. As with previous Ballet albums, Daddy Issues offers a detail-rich examination of contemporary queer life, with a particular focus on the stigmatised desires, pleasures, and relations of gay men. Many queer artists have responded defensively to stigmatisation by asserting the political or psychological value of queer sex. Goldberg’s approach is different. Rather than defending queer sex, he aims to capture some of its complexity and nuance.

The album’s title references a popular psychological diagnosis for people who are supposedly looking for surrogate fathers in their sexual or romantic partners, but it also suggests the issues of so-called daddies (older gay men). Rather than offering an ethnographic or autobiographical account of what it’s like to be a daddy, Daddy Issues offers a meditation on the role of daddy, inviting listeners to imagine themselves in relation to it in various ways, while also questioning its coherence and stability. 

After all, nobody is born a daddy; it is something one becomes (or doesn’t become), feels like (or doesn’t feel like), and is seen as (or isn’t seen as), if only for the duration of an album.

“Check out jangly first single Two Boyfriends” Brooklyn Vegan

“Two Boyfriends is a song heavily routed in gay culture, a somewhat tongue-in-cheek reflection on non-monogamy and promiscuity, reflected in the lyrics, “it started with a hook-up, and then another few, the problem was I liked him enough to see it through”. From there to a soundtrack that’s the middle ground of The Magnetic Fields and New Order, Greg struggles with commitment, decision making and most of all with his own tendency towards problems, ultimately he bows to his own pot-stirring tendencies, ‘monogamy is boring, though not intolerable, I’m collecting boyfriends, must mean that I love trouble’.” For The Rabbits

“I immediately thought of Magnetic Fields, Belle and Sebastian or Jens Lekman. The lyrics recall the work of The Hidden Cameras. In other words this is sweet pop with a focus on ‘a detail-rich examination of contemporary queer life, with a particular focus on the stigmatised desires, pleasures, and relations of gay men’.” Bandcamp Snoop

Winter Sprinter 2020: Sat 11th Jan: The Ballet + Keel Her + Mr Ben & The Bens

Fika Recordings proudly presents the return of annual Winter Sprinter!

Limited 4 day passes available from We Got Tickets - all super early and early bird passes now sold out.
Day tickets from We Got Tickets or from Dice.

Facebook event here.

THE BALLET

Queer New York duo the Ballet marry the DIY ethos of the Hidden Cameras with the wry poeticism of the Magnetic Fields and the romantic pop of Jens Lekman, to create literate, infectious pop gems. In addition to citing Stephin Merritt as an influence, Goldberg, who writes and home records all of the band’s songs, draws from an array of pop artists and periods, from 60’s bubblegum to 80’s synthpop and 90’s indiepop, fusing these in sophisticated and novel ways that reward repeat listening.

“The music is so lovely, all dewy guitars and dripping synth bells, that it makes you understand the appeal of intertwining with someone who doesn’t necessarily respect you.” Pitchfork

KEEL HER

Keel Her is the musical recording project of Rose Keeler-Schaffeler, from Winchester (UK). She began writing and recording "bedroom" music in 2007 for therapeutic reasons,[1] and has continued this as part of her daily routine since. As a child, Rose learnt the violin, but is largely a self-taught musician; she plays guitar, bass, keyboards and sings. Rose has described her writing process as being like a "stream of consciousness".

”Keel Her’s caustic sense of humour shines through on even its darkest moments” Loud and Quiet

MR BEN & THE BENS

Born as a recording project in a barn in Lancashire in 2012, Ben Hall recorded and self released 7 albums under Mr Ben. Now a complete outfit Mr Ben & the Bens sound like they were baptised in water from the church of indie classics, the songs of the Lancaster Polymath echo Belle & Sebastian, Teleman, Gorkys Zygotic Mynci and a bit of Bill Ryder-Jones his genuinely great modern songwriting.

The Ballet - Matchy Matchy [12"]

Artist: The Ballet
Title: Matchy Matchy
Format: 12” LP on black vinyl
Cat#: Fika072LP
Release date: 17th May 2019
Bandcamp | Spotify

Queer New York duo the Ballet marry the DIY ethos of the Hidden Cameras with the wry poeticism of the Magnetic Fields and the romantic pop of Jens Lekman, to create literate, infectious pop gems.

Formed in 2005 by Greg Goldberg and Craig Willse, the Ballet self-released two previous albums: Mattachine! (2006) and Bear Life (2009). These caught the attention of Fortuna Pop!, which released their third album, I Blame Society, in 2013. The Ballet has been joined by a few other musicians along the way including Ginger Brooks Takahashi and Michael O'Neill, who left in 2007 to join JD Sampson in MEN, as well as guest appearances on previous albums from Linton from The Aislers Set, Ramesh from Voxtrot, Scott Matthew, and Kaki King.

In addition to citing Stephin Merritt as an influence, Goldberg, who writes and home records all of the band’s songs, draws from an array of pop artists and periods, from 60’s bubblegum to 80’s synthpop and 90’s indiepop, fusing these in sophisticated and novel ways that reward repeat listening.

The Ballet’s new album, Matchy Matchy, is a return to the upbeat tenor of the band’s first two albums. While inspired by Goldberg’s experience navigating an open relationship with his boyfriend of 14 years, Matchy Matchy is not straightforwardly autobiographical; Goldberg writes from his experience, while also fantasizing about the perspective of his objects of desire, leaving ambiguous which is which. He is generally less melancholic than on I Blame Society, and fans will notice a return to earlier themes (“Looking” tackles Grindr, as “Personal” did Gaydar in 2006). Goldberg is not shy to write songs with explicitly queer subjects (“But I’m a Top,” “Messing Around,” “First Time in a Gay Bar”), while also taking on more universal longings, pleasures, and frustrations (“Jersey,” “Love Letter,” “Cry Baby”).

As the album’s title suggests, Matchy Matchy is also a meditation on sameness, both in its musical material (think limited chords in major keys, repeated phrases and constructions, and citations of Goldberg’s influences) and in its lyrical exploration of queer relationships and encounters. The album reclaims the insult of “matchy matchy,” finding value in repetition and doubling, both within the album and across the Ballet’s discography.

For press enquiries, please contact Jamie Otsa at Wall of Sound PR.

“This amiable embrace of ambivalence distinguishes Greg Goldberg and Craig Willse’s output as the Ballet from the work of their funny musical uncles, like the Magnetic Fields’ implacably ironic Stephin Merritt, the Hidden Cameras’ riot auteur Joel Gibb, even fairy godfathers Pet Shop Boys.
The music is so lovely, all dewy guitars and dripping synth bells, that it makes you understand the appeal of intertwining with someone who doesn’t necessarily respect you.” Pitchfork [7.6/10]

“The new single can only be described as a A-ha’s ‘Take on Me’ with the monochrome tones of The Smiths and it’s unbelievably catchy.” Attitude Magazine [premiere]

“‘Matchy Matchy’ is a beguiling album, one that plays with conceptions of not only sexuality but society as a whole. It’s an album for 2019.” Norman Records [9/10]

“The hooks are still in there, starring these light little keyboard notes maneuvering in and out behind that dancing guitar line. Sure Greg Goldberg has stylistic similarities to Stephin Merritt, but there’s this softness to his voice, a fragility that makes him feel just a touch more open and approachable.” Austin Town Hall

“Greg Goldberg and Craig Willse creates (often) catchy pop tunes with lyrics (often) about the queer community in one way or another, which is something that definitely can be said about the aforementioned Hidden Cameras.” Pennyblack Music

“the album is full of little pop anthems, in which the clean guitars are fused with the drum machines and some xylophone that another. This is the case of ' Looking ' or ' First in a Gay Bar ', which are brilliant. But the best of its more electronic side, appears in ' 20', a whole pop gem, for which many consolidated groups of the genre, would kill.” Don’t Eat The Yellow Snow

“The fact is that it is a beautiful, and irresistible, cut of synth-pop, for which many would kill. Among them his beloved Magnetic Fields .” Indienauta [Spanish]

“a sweet album, with a high playful tenderness” Written In Music [Dutch]

“The Ballet have succeeded in producing a record whose catchy sound never outshines the charm and depth of the lyrics” Lie in the Sound [German]

“The Ballet have become the sort of reliable, approachable yet pertinent little indie-pop act that it’s always good to have around.” The Soundboard

“this duo all the way from New York have fashioned an interesting way of marrying expressive DIY Indie music with some very pleasant and soothing instrumentation” The Independent Voice

“vocals akin with The Neighbourhood, but musically they have instrumentation and dance beats similar to that of Blaqk Audio or Scissor Sisters” Alt Corner

The Ballet - Love Letter [Digital]

Artist: The Ballet
Title: Love Letter
Format: Digital Single
Cat#: Fika072SG1
Release date: 12th April 2019
Bandcamp | Spotify

Following an appearance at Madrid Pop Fest 2019 in Spain last month, queer New York indie-pop duo The Ballet have released their new single ‘Love Letter’, which is out now on all good digital service providers.

‘Love Letter’ is the latest track to be taken from their fourth studio album,Matchy Matchy, which will be released by Fika Recordings on 17th May 2019.

Commenting on the new track, front man Greg Goldberg said: "I'm interested in the lengths we go through to keep our objects of desire around: trying to be on our best behavior, to be the person we think they want us to be, even at the expense of our integrity. It's a lot of work. I find poignant declarations of affection at the moment this all starts to unravel, maybe because these declarations seem particularly futile."

Previous single ‘But I’m A Top’ was added to Spotify’s Fresh Finds: Index playlist, with the track premiered with the UK’s best-selling gay magazine, Attitude.

Formed in 2005 by Greg Goldberg and Craig Willse, The Ballet marry the DIY ethos of the Hidden Cameras with the wry poeticism of the Magnetic Fields, and the romantic pop of Jens Lekman, to create literate, infectious pop gems.

Matchy Matchy is released 17th May 2019 via Fika Recordings

For press enquiries, please contact Jamie Otsa at Wall of Sound PR.

The Ballet join Fika Recordings

The Ballet have joined Fika Recordings! They’ll be releasing their new album Matchy Matchy in May.

Attitude Magazine unveiled the first track from the record earlier today - where you can listen to But I’m a Top.

The new single can only be described as a A-ha’s ‘Take on Me’ with the monochrome tones of The Smiths and it’s unbelievably catchy.

When talking about the single, Goldberg said: “’But I’m a Top’ is a playful response to the ways that gay culture can be attached to norms of masculinity and femininity.

“The narrator is frustrated with these norms and expresses a desire for others to see him/her as he sees himself/herself – a fantasy as compelling as it is impossible.”"

Matchy Matchy can be pre-ordered from us now on 12” vinyl and download.

The Smittens - Infinity Pools [Digital]

Artist: The Smittens
Title: Infinity Pools
Format: Digital
Cat#: Fika067SG4
Release date: 2nd November 2018
Bandcamp | Spotify

Ahead of 3 shows this weekend with The Ballet, The Smittens release their latest single Infinity Pools, taken from this summer’s LP City Rock Dove.

Infinity Pools is a homage to Spanish tontipop, and also inspired by Max’s longstanding love of tropicália. It’s a heady mix of pretentious experimentation and the most basic, simple, silly, absurdly infectious pop. 

The digital single comes with a brand new remix of Cats for Cats, superbly re-crafted by The Ballet, and a version of Sapphire from Nixon.

Catch The Smittens and The Ballet this weekend here:

Nov 2nd: The Radio Bean, Burlington VT
Nov 3rd: C’Mon Everybody, Brooklyn NY [3pm early free show]
Nov 4th: The Fire, Philadelphia PA

The Smittens - Infinity Pools