Dance to Bellows’ ‘Orange Juice’ With the Ghost of DIY

New York — and any city with people who dare to throw a DIY show — is under siege. In the wake of the tragedy at Ghost Ship, DIY spaces are being attacked in droves, with many going extinct. It's a tough time for young bands, and we must do all we can to fight for new music and all-inclusive (including all-ages) spaces.

The new video for "Orange Juice" by Bellows may not have been intended to be political, but it is. Shot entirely in the now-defunct Aviv space in Brooklyn, the video depicts Oliver Kalb performing to an empty room, showcasing the space and reminding anyone about some of the memories contained therein.

The lyrics, however, are less centered on DIY spaces, but do contain a nod to another defunct NYC space, Palisades:

Drinking orange juice from a tonic water bottle
I hate the way I always lose my cool
To be the way I wanted, but half of what I wanted was confused
Something cruel, I kept inside my pocket
I always end up sounding like a fool
End up running through a mess of bad behaviors
I’m lashing out whenever I’m with you

At the Palisades, with the tonic water bottle
The second band is saying that they’re through
So we move, but I wanna keep sippin’
I’ve always been a little bit aloof
Drinking orange juice from a tonic water bottle
You turn to me and ask me if I’m through
And I laugh at you, but I throw away my bottle
We pile up with Henry, Jack and Sue

Not so cool to have trouble saying sorry
Becoming what I never wanted to
Going blue, I’m having trouble breathing
So nervous whenever I talk to you
Drinking orange juice from a tonic water bottle
I brought it here to share the thing with you
And I knew that I was being careless, so sorry if I wasn’t very cool

All of that aside, let's talk about the actual jam, which is good. Damn good. Propelled by piano and harpsichord, with trap-inspired handclaps, the indie-pop track has a majesty that makes its presence felt the most once the distorted guitars punctuate the end of the second verse. Juxtaposed against the swells of the backing track, Kalb's relative monotone only adds to the drama. Good shit. Check it out above and order the Fist & Palm LP.