Taxidermists

“No gimmicks, just stompy lo-fi DIY rock like they used to make in the 1980s.” - Bandcamp (New & Notable)

Taxidermists, the Western MA-based duo of Cooper B. Handy (LUCY) and Salvadore McNamara, today debuted their new single “Needles To Say” via Talkhouse, ahead of this Friday’s release of their new album 20247 (Danger Collective Records). A fuzzed-out and immediately appealing track bolstered by an impenetrable groove, “Needles To Say” finds the childhood best friends conversing in their own secret language. The lyrics feel like a maze, twisting and unraveling in repetition, showcasing Handy and McNamara’s sleight of hand with words. Stream "Needles To Say" at all DSPs HERE. Pre-order/pre-save 20247 HERE.

“Needles To Say” follows “Does The Wind Know” and “Shoot,” which earned support from The FADER (Songs You Need In Your Life), American Songwriter, FLOOD, Austin Town Hall, and more. Following a trip to Austin’s SXSW Music Festival this month, Taxidermists will celebrate the new album on a spring tour that will include stops at NYC’s Trans-Pecos on April 3rd and LA’s Permanent Records on April 12th; see below for a full itinerary.

Since meeting on Myspace as pre-teens in 2007, McNamara and Handy have wholeheartedly embraced a DIY ethos: no pretension, no gimmicks, and nothing to prove to anyone but themselves. Taxidermists operate as a band by striking a balance between virtuosic, passionate creative output and, in their own words, “just being able to shoot the shit and hang out.” This is the charm and appeal of 20247: it exudes love and warm familiarity, a clear product of two best friends working as a team to create something special. “We haven’t made a record like this in 12 years and we’ve learned so much since then,” they say. “We may not put out a ton of music, but we care about the music we make.”

During a Massachusetts winter in 2024, Handy and McNamara bought a small space heater and created the entirety of 20247 in McNamara’s garage studio while braving an average temperature of 39° F. Many of the songs were written and recorded in a single night, and the longest one clocks in at a mere 2:50. Recording everything to tape, they maintained their commitment to off-the-cuff analog output; 20247 feels rough around the edges and unmistakably human. Fractured, dynamic bursts of commotion collide with moments of measured restraint. The lyrics collage together uninhibited sketches that recollect a time, place, or feeling with abstract charm. The duo’s easy chemistry and free-spirited tendencies are a kismet combination, and 20247 sees this camaraderie reach new peaks.