Social Work premieres new version of “Good Girls”
You know how some people say keep all your receipts? You might also want to keep all your files, if you don't already. You never know what you might find. Take, for example, Will Butler, aka Social Work. Back when he was 19, he aimlessly wrote the track below — "Good Girls" — and thought nothing of it. Now here we are almost 10 years later with a new version and a brand new guitar solo, released on Text Me Records. Butler explains: I first wrote and recorded this song when I was 19 – sang the vocals (same vocal [...]
New Phone Who Dis? Showcase to feature Kyle Dion, Mars Today, Mikos Da Gawd, Social Work
San Francisco's Text Me Records brings back its monthly roster showcase and this month's edition features a nicely mixed crop of up-and-coming and seasoned R&B acts. At first glance, Kyle Dion looks like an amalgamation of R&B stars' best qualities — a retrofitted Frank Ocean (at certain angles) and gifted with a Gallant-esque falsetto. But there's an air of tenderness seeping through Kyle Dion that shines brightly in his music - songs such as "Cool Side of the Pillow" and "Hold on to Me" are vulnerable tracks in word and sound. His project, Painting Sounds, however, offers a more lively, [...]
Social Work releases new single: “Underweight”
Last week saw the release of "Underweight," the latest single from local Bay Area producer Social Work, or the other Will Butler. The track is Butler's third release since 2015 and first with San Francisco's Text Me Records. The track also doubles as the vocal debut of dreamqueen, the chosen moniker for Toro y Moi percussionist Brijean Murphy. Not one to get cozy in a single genre, Butler opens "Underweight" with a reggae-tinted organ splashing around a reverb-drenched snare drum. Despite the island overtones, the track is unequivocally laid out with an R&B and soul blueprint. The track crawls by in just over four minutes, but listening to [...]
Social Work releases bass-heavy pop adventure “Onda”
Art by Derek Barber Heads up: The "other Will Butler," as he's known around here, just put out bass-happy track that will likely get you happy (and dancing) too. He records under the name Social Work, and "Onda" is exactly the thoughtful, groovy romp our summer needs. The song marks his second release as Social work and was recorded in a trifecta of varying locations: Different Fur Studios, his apartment, and a compound in Marfa, Texas. He considers the making of the song to be a little bit of both a solo project and a more collaborative one. Working with [...]
Best of 2015: Will Butler of Social Work on Hickey Fest
Hickey Fest painting by Emily Schumaker It was the summer solstice and the wind was blowing in our hair on the way up Highway 101 — mostly because Maddie’s car window had just been smashed out in a Walgreen’s parking lot in West Oakland. They had snatched Derek’s backpack, and guitar pedals too — pretty inconvenient considering his upcoming set with Bells Atlas was one of the main attractions of the weekend. There wasn’t much we could do though; I dug through the garage for an extra delay pedal and we were off to Hickey Fest, a literal wide spot [...]
Social Work – “Funny Dancers”
Yesterday, Social Work was introduced to the world on SF Weekly with the release of "Funny Dancers". Social Work is a project centered around the production of Will Butler, who you should already know for his excellent writing work, (dinner with Lil B at Chez Panisse, anyone?) but also has an obvious talent for music. The life of "Funny Dancers" began as a track of the same name from locals Brass Magic. Butler sampled and modulated horns from the track and recorded most of the live instruments in various home studios and Different Fur (where it was mixed). Oakland's Madeline [...]