Friday Five highlights music by Washtenaw County-associated artists and labels.

This week features electronic music by Dr. Peter Larson, ECOATM, and Rebecca Goldberg on the new Great Corner Sound label, garage rock by The Velvet Snakes, and sad folk-pop by Cece June.

Dr. Peter Larson, Field Drift 2
ECOATM, ECOATM
Rebecca Goldberg, Presence in Distance: Live at Imbue 9.0
Dr. Peter Larson's music projects and record label, Dagoretti, are frequent features in the Friday Five because both are so prolific. And now it turns out one record label isn't enough for Dr. Pete, so he's launched the electronic-oriented Great Corner Sound to accommodate his own wired sounds and those by artists he admires. The label has launched with three releases.

Larson's Field Drift 2, like its predecessor, is basically 10 improvised techno tracks, recorded live. But where Field Drift 1 felt a bit grimy, like someone just finding his way around the electronics—which was basically the case—the two songs currently streaming from the second volume sound more present and focused. 

Fred Thomas has had many guises, genres, and bands over the years, from folk and indie rock to noise and electronica, but I think the music he makes as ECOATM is the first time he's released drum 'n' bass tunes. The entire self-titled record was made on a Roland SP-404 sampler, too.

Rebecca Goldberg's Presence in Distance: Live at Imbue 9.0 is a collection of Detroit field recordings that she blended in a performance on April 6, 2023. The Presence in Distance project is all about immersive audio as is the Imbue series of concerts. Headphones are a must.

The Velvet Snakes, LIVE on WCBN 88.3 FM Ann Arbor
Ypsi-based noise-blues rockers The Velvet Snakes play a lot of shows around town but have yet to put out a studio release as far as I'm aware. These 19 fuzz-encrusted jams recorded live on WCBN-FM will have to suffice for now. While the Snakes posted their set to Bandcamp, there are also plenty of other Local Music Shows posted on the program's Soundcloud page. Recent sets include those by Sara Tea, Platonic Boyfriendz, Ken Kozora/Piotr Michalowski/Kenn Thomas, Wake Up Jamie, Cyrano Jones, King Sophia & Miguel Cicsne, Sex Change, Wild Shape, a 2002 performance by Saturday Looks Good to Me, and many, many more.

Cece June, "Coffee Turned Cold"
We will likely only be able to say "Ann Arbor's Cece June" for a little while longer because the Barcelona, Spain native is finishing up at the University of Michigan. She's teamed up with Kingfisher's Sam Uribe—one of the most talented people in town, both as a producer and a musician—for the first single off her forthcoming album. "Coffee Turned Cold" and its accompanying video are the epitome of sad-girl music—and I'm here for it. The music is sparse, the lyrics downhearted, and the video a depressive gem.

Christopher Porter is a library technician and the editor of Pulp.