RIYL: Porches, Lemonheads, Yuck, Wishy. New album ‘frog song’ due out 02/14 via K Records. Upcoming US and UK tour dates.

fish narc, the musical moniker of Olympia, WA-based songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Ben Funkhouser, recently announced his new album, ‘frog song’, due out February 14th via the legendary K Records. He’s back with another phenomenally catchy new single, ‘boxy volvo’. On album song Funkhouser fully embraces the guitar-forward indie rock that’s always informed his genre-hopping music. The album combines timeless songwriting with ’90s alternative grit and heart-on-sleeve lyricism to show off a whole new side of fish narc‘s world. ‘boxy volvo’ follows lead single ‘my ceiling’ and further illustrates his knack for era-spanning songcraft and infectious hooks. Where ‘my ceiling’ leaned into the heavier, fuzzed-out side of frog song, this new one is pure jangle pop bliss, the kind of song that would feel just as at home on a K Records release 30 yeas ago as it does today.

Over the past decade Funkhouser has been making a broad array of music under the fish narc banner. He first made a name for himself as a part of the Thraxxhouse and GothBoiClique collectives, helped to pioneer the wave of raw underground rap that exploded in the mid to late 2010s, and released numerous inventive solo albums, eventually catching the attention of K founder, Calvin Johnson, who recognized that Funkhouser‘s impressive and diverse body of work was operating in the same unconstrained DIY tradition that defined the long-running label. “It was clear from the first encounter that he has a vision and follows through in a trying to achieve it” Johnson explains. “Plus, his songs are catchy, the dancing in mandatory, the sing-along irresistible.” And that’s a fitting description of ‘frog song’, a record that feels satisfyingly familiar but deeply unique, all packed with big hooks and even bigger heart.

‘frog song’ tracklist:
1. my ceiling
2. old band
3. boxy volvo
4. return in flames
5. crystal ball
6. can you every really know?
7. cluefinder
8. interstate
9. never better
10. gas station
11. blueberry
12. disregulated

fish narc has a number of US and UK record release show celebrations lined up for February, including Rough Trade in-store performances in both countries. See full itinerary below.

Upcoming Shows:
01/24 Olympia, WA @ Capitol Theater w/ Pigeon Pit, Ragana, Physique
02/01 London, UK @ Rough Trade West (solo acoustic)
02/04 London, UK @ Shacklewell Arms w/ Hitmen, Middleman
02/14 New York, NY @ trans-pecos w/ They Are Gutting A Body Of Water (electronic set), the dallas cowboys, my world ends with you
02/15 New York, NY @ Rough Trade Manhattan (solo acoustic)
02/18 Boston, MA @ Rockwell w/ They Are Gutting A Body Of Water (electronic set), warmachine