Been Stellar
Been Stellar are a NYC-based rock band who recently released their debut album, Scream from New York, NY. The record pulls from shoegaze and postpunk, heavy with layered guitars, huge drums, and chanted hymns from lead singer Sam Slocum, oftentimes coming back to the titular theme of New York City. The five-piece was signed to Dirty Hit after a drunken impromptu performance for label cofounder Jamie Osborne, and opened for label mainstay 1975 on their spring tour. You can listen to Scream from New York, NY here or catch them live on their EU/UK headlining tour this fall. Lucky for us, Been Stellar is here to tell us what they’re into.
Jul 2, 2024 BY
@been👉🧼
For those that are unfamiliar green soap is what is used to clean tattoos. I know this sounds crazy but arguably this could be one of the best smells on the planet. I feel like I’m on my strange addiction every time I get a tattoo cause I just want to smell the green soap bottle but I promise I’m not insane it smells amazing and is probably part of the reason I keep getting tattoos.
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I used to listen to this band a lot as a teenager and I’ve recently gotten back into them. I listen to this song whenever I feel like I’m overthinking . The lyrics “maybe there’s nothing only this moment” might be some of my favorite lyrics of all time. They’re so simple but remind me to be present. Shoutout to title fight for making this song. I love this song.
Jul 2, 2024
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Some say it’s a cult, and it might be. It’s definitely the “McDonald’s of meditation” but it really works for me and you don’t have to pay for it if you spend 5 minutes on google. Being calm and happy is crucial to making any good music, even if that music you make isn’t calm or happy. I think people tend to fetishize the struggling artist archetype, and I think that’s a very dangerous and inaccurate trend to follow. Find a way to settle your brain down.
Jul 2, 2024
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An incredible NYC band that never got their due. Some of their story has been told in Meet Me In The Bathroom, but watching this live performance really shows how white-hot and chaotic they were. This is one of the last gigs they played before they broke up, and it’s like watching a star supernova. Stewart Lupton is obviously amazing, but Paul Maroons guitar playing in particular is so underrated, like Rowland S. Howard meets Ennio Morricone meets Ron Ashton. He’s also a Gretsch player which I respect.
Jul 2, 2024
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I started to get really into the Lemonheads last summer. I just fell in love with Evan Dando’s voice and the catchiness of his songs and covers. I came across this acoustic live performance that really blew me away. There’s two Gram Parsons covers at the start of the set that are incredible versions. It’s just a really wonderful, candid portrait of how Dando performs. The DV tape skips are a nice touch. I downloaded the YouTube to mp3 and listen to it more than anything else.
Jul 2, 2024
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An old friend of mine would talk about this book a lot. Finally got around to reading it this past fall and it just sucked me in. July has such an incredible imagination and ability to craft worlds with her stories. It inspired me so much, and has really changed how I think about my own lyric writing
Jul 2, 2024
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This is my go to coffee shop in nyc. Before covid they would be open late serving really creative cocktails and playing albums on vinyl. Since then they’ve not really brought it back but I still love going since they don’t allow anyone to use laptops which creates more of a social environment. The coffee is also some of my favorite in the city and they bake everything in house.
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Anytime I meet someone who’s also a fan of Kenji we both start geeking out like kids. This man has taught me how to cook economically and his videos helped me develop a foundation of food science knowledge to help create a wide variety of dishes. He’s incredibly humble and encourages experimentation and creativity. I have his book “The Food Lab” and it’s probably the only cook book you would ever need.
Jul 2, 2024
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This song has two versions but my favorite is the slower one in this video. Both these artists are some of my favorites ever. Especially Milton Nascimento, his voice is very angelic and I never get tired of his songs. The descending octave to the sixth line that runs in the chords and the whole vibe of this video make me melt. I am obsessed with the moment when Chico lights up his cigarette in the break and smiles at Milton – they knew they had something really really special here and were very much in the zone.
Jul 2, 2024
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I just recently did a massive deep dive into PJ Harvey’s discography. With every new album she has challenged herself and added more to the realm of what a PJ song can be. She is always looking for things to improve and ways to be uncomfortable so her art can progress further. She’s a dream collaborator for me and probably my favorite artist out there right now. Listen to her discography from the beginning to the end — it's so cool to see the progress from Dry to I Inside the Old Year Dying.
Jul 2, 2024
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Life is so cool. I’m so thankful to wake up everyday and live on this earth. We get to experience so many things, feel so many emotions, and meet all different kinds of people. It’s easy to get stuck in the routine of living but sometimes it’s good to remind yourself of how crazy it really is.
Jul 2, 2024
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Art magazines have always been a huge wonder for me, probably because I’m too young to have been alive in their heyday. My dad used to write for Creem covering Detroit punk bands back in the day, and I grew up looking through all his old copies. This magazine, run by one one of my best friends Naz Kawakami, gives me that same feeling of belonging and obsession I used to get when I was a kid. Its graphic design in particular is incredible, reminds me a lot of what Chris Ashworth did with Raygun in the 90s. Def pick one up when you spot one.
Jul 2, 2024
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When I first saw this video, it made me want to visit Denton, TX. Basically a couple of art students put on this fake garage sale where the prices are designated by the “Price Master” who bellows out exorbitant numbers. My favorite bit is the way the employee working the garage sale addresses the talks about the Price Master: “I think he’s getting mad…” enjoy!
Jul 2, 2024
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I’ve been coming here for five years now for fresh pasta and imported Italian snacks. Everyone is incredibly friendly and the quality for how cheap the pasta is insane. Their sauces are pretty solid as well but their noodles and frozen ravioli is where it’s at.
Jul 2, 2024
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This book made me feel way less bad about myself. I find it so impressive that someone like Scott can be so vulnerable in a book like this and really expose his brain the way he did. The book is about divorce and cuts through the before and after — how they met and before they met and all. It made me feel so many emotions and really helped me get through a difficult time.
Jul 2, 2024