The new single from Brooklyn’s favorite slacker-punk band—their only release of 2022—is “a stripped-down, 2-minute slap in the face” that captures, and encapsulates, the band’s live energy
———————————————————————————————
Since self-described slacker-punk band My Son The Doctor catapulted/cartwheeled/careened into the scene in 2019, we’ve all become well acquainted via lyric with the band members’ wardrobe staples (or at least those sung and shouted by singer Brian Hemmert in various songs):
Sailor hats, folded flower pants.
Overalls at night, a gimp suit.
A crushed velvet lapel (so fluffed!) and, lest we forget: Alligator…SHOES!
All the better to be the one … dancin’ in your basement.
(But do you have the style?)
(We digress.)
And now, just as NY Fashion Week ends, the ~swaggering~ band’s new aesthetic era begins, and it’s one they’re introducing with a brand-new single—their first, and only, of this year—which a day ahead of its wide release, I truly could not be more hyped to premiere here.
From shredding style icons My Son The Doctor, this is “MESH.”
Of course, this isn’t a fashion blog (~yet~), so beyond listing the clothes and accessories included in the lyrical catalogue (and perhaps occupying the closets) of one of my favorite bands in Brooklyn—the sartorial preferences of the songs’ featured characters, whom they’ve either built from scratch or, more likely, created based on the ideas, insecurities and impulses of themselves and other Brooklyn-dwelling twenty-somethings that exist in or have at some point have entered their orbit—we’re here to talk tunes, and you can’t mention My Son The Doctor without discussing their performance, the setting where the four friends come alive and thriiiiive.
As mentioned in previous premieres (I’ve called dibs-to-infinity on MSTD exclusives; sorry in advance, Rolling Stone), the challenge that naturally comes with being a band known for its live show—in this case, one characterized by constant movement, contagious chaos, endearing displays of intra-band affection and a complete disregard for any form of fourth wall—is how to take that experience from stage to studio and package the performance for later consumption.
With the music video for “Rubber Hands,” a recent release, MSTD were able to properly portray their personality, and they harnessed the visual medium to put their silliness on display, giving the internet an accurate sense of who they are as performers and people (“unfortunately, this is truly who we are”) and conveying what I have no choice but to describe as their ~vibe~: one best explained as a group of friends who are very serious about not taking themselves seriously, walking a fine weirdness line as they combine riffing and ripping, blend playfulness with prowess, and churn out some of Brooklyn’s most unique (and bizarre) bangers.
However, while the band has used video as a vehicle to showcase their creativity, capturing the real spirit of their live shows has been something that, they say, has eluded them—until now.
“I think we finally captured some of our live energy with this recording,” said MSTD guitarist Joel Kalow of the new single. “That’s been a huge goal of ours.”
Now back to “MESH” itself. As mentioned previously, in many of their songs, the band creates (and Brian embodies, references or serenades) a character, and in this case it’s a self-proclaimed soft boi with an epi script who goes to therapy and just wants to enjoy some sashimi and sweet times (is that so much to ask?!). As always, we don’t know precisely who it’s based on, but the band did provide a poem which, while it might not offer much insight into the meaning or origins of the song, does colorfully and creatively describe the sensation it aims to impart:
MESH is like cold mornings and hot nights.
MESH is like pulling the tarp off your hog and riding through mist. Total Freedom.
MESH is like watching your stepmom flirt with the Brunch waiter.
MESH is like screaming at your dad to give you back your childhood bongs.
MESH is like correcting your geology professor in front of your Freshman peers.
In other words: unbridled, a little sexy and absolutely unhinged. Classic My Son The Doctor.
—
While MSTD may have succeeded in capturing and encapsulating their live energy with this release, don’t miss your opp to MOSH TO “MESH” at the band’s single-release show on the Our Wicked Lady rooftop on September 22 with Spud Cannon, Dream Boat, and Gal Fieri. Get your tix here.
———————————————————————————————
Follow My Son The Doctor at @mysonthedoctor, buy their music on Bandcamp and add their songs to your Spotify playlists!
Feature image (provided by the band): Sara Laufer