Photo credit: Aaron Oxford
Watch: “2 Drink Minimum” official video featuring Fat Tony & Colleen Green at Stereogum or YouTube
Watch: “Since You’ve Been Gone” official video featuring Dams Of The West at PopMatters or YouTube
Stream: “Since You’ve Been Gone” featuring Dams Of The West and “You Don’t Love Me Anymore” featuring Photo Ops at Soundcloud or Spotify
Los Angeles-based musician
D.A. Stern is excited to present his new single
“2 Drink Minimum” featuring
Fat Tony and
Collen Green (stream). The track, out today, is the latest single to be lifted from
Mmxxtape out September 25 (
pre-order).
Mmxxtape features covers and collaborations with artists such as
Chris Tomson of Vampire Weekend, Alex Winston, Photo Ops, Party Nails and more. Watch the official video for “2 Drink Minimum,” directed by
Thaddeus Ruzicka, at
Stereogum or
YouTube. Stern had the following to share about the video and how it came together:
I called [director] Thaddeus Ruzicka because I was excited by the idea of a noir detective finding hotdogs at a crime scene and we just started spitballing the classic tropes and calling cards of the genre. The idea was to make a sort guerrilla-style “Sabotage” meets Raymond Chandler video, but Thad took it up a notch. And even more amazing than Fat Tony and Colleen Green agreeing to do the song was that they were down to be in the video. I’m really proud of this one and I haven’t eaten a hotdog since.
Last month D.A. Stern revealed the official video for
“Tall Girlfriend” from
Mmxxtape. The song features
Alex Winston and the video premiered at
American Songwriter and can also be shared at
Spotify. Stern says, “The video is pretty much a literal interpretation of a joke. The song follows, more or less, a set-up/punchline structure so we wanted the video to emphasize the humor behind it. It was obvious that we needed two people who were exceptionally mismatched in height so casting was everything. Thaddeus Ruzicka, who directed the video, took it up a notch by introducing a story about a tall businesswomen’s convention, which always reminded me of Romy and Michele in the best way.”
Few artists are equally skilled producers as they are songwriters. For Los Angeles-based, New Jersey-raised D.A. Stern, the two roles marry perfectly to showcase his playful deftness and signature wit. His full-length
Slumberland debut, 2018’s
Aloha Hola, was an impressive collection of ornate, hook-laden power-pop. Its proficiency and economy of writing recalled R.E.M. or Big Star while its simultaneously wry and introspective lyrics evoked Harry Nilsson. Though that album marked the first D.A. Stern release, his undeniable talent had been long evident. Raised in Bergen County, New Jersey, he cut his teeth in New York City’s music community with his band the Sanctuaries. After recording their LP in Nashville with longtime
Yo La Tengo producer Roger Moutenot, D.A. turned to engineering and production, honing his craft at
Beastie Boy Adam Yauch’s recording studio, Oscilloscope Laboratories. Working with such luminaries as
Kathleen Hannah, Cat Power, James Murphy, Mike D, and
Adrock quickly developed Stern’s studio chops as well has his Todd Rundgren-esque songwriting/producing double threat.
Now, based in Los Angeles, D.A. has enlisted friends he’s made throughout his journey to lend their vocals to a mixtape that highlights his progression. Tributes to “Weird” Al Yankovic, one of Stern’s heroes, featuring Dams of the West, aka Chris Tomson of Vampire Weekend, and Photo Ops on covers of the comedy icon’s non-parody originals. Guest spots from Alex Winston and Party Nails highlight Stern’s pop sensibilities with one original and a cover of Frank & Nancy Sinatra’s “Something Stupid.” Flexing his more experimental muscle, Stern’s collaborations with Fat Tony and Colleen Green on one track and Ben Hozie of Bodega on another demonstrate his diverse capabilities with nods to hip hop, film noir, noise, and modular synth soaked prog rock.
