Many years ago, there was a Saturday Night Live sketch about a DJ who refused to let the beat drop. It was presented as a bad thing, but I kept imagining a song where the tension continuously builds without release and thought- “YES!” And Nilüfer Yanya does it on “Like I Say (I runaway),” and it’s better than I could imagine.
This also means that Nilüfer Yanya is active again, and I can’t WAIT for the rest of the album, a tour, and everything else. For now, you can enjoy “Like I Say (I runaway)” in all the usual places.
OK. I’m not entirely sure if this is an actual “single,” but she played it on The Late Show, so I will pretend it is one. Anyway, I LOVE the new Maggie Rogers. I am very late to jump on this ship, but everyone to experience something for the first time? I was captivated by her set at Outside Lands last year, but this song is just a warm joy of an earworm. It’s firmly rooted in the Fleetwood Mac school of earnest soft rock, and there is no shame in that. Sometimes, you need something that’s just unapologetically nice and optimistic.
“The Kill” is a track off Maggie Rogers’s recently released Don’t Forget Me, which is available in all the usual places NOW! She’s also playing ARENAS!! Tour dates are here, and she’s even doing a fancy thing where the first allotment of tickets is being sold ONLY IN PERSON. For my fellow Bay Area folks, the Chase Center date on November 1st will have a special, box office-only sale THIS SATURDAY, April 20th, from 10 am – 1 pm. Yes, that is Record Store Day, so you gotta make some hard choices. Or find a store that opens at 8 am.
Normally, the Single Of The Week is a new release for that very same week. BUT- I missed this one. And now I can’t go more than a few hours without listening to it repeatedly. Saya Gray is clearly the living definition of being “post-genre.” In many ways, she’s a descendant of Bjork- eccentric yet accessible. She is unafraid to experiment and unworried about alienating people because creativity seems to ooze from her. “AA BOUQET FOR YOUR 180 FACE” is the first single off her latest release, QWERTY II. The whole thing is one lovely journey that spans genres and emotions the human brain has never before conjured.
QWERTY II is out now and ready for its place in your 2024 Top 10 lists.
I’ve listened to “The Kids” about 20 times in the last week. This song is SO GOOD! It’s like shoegaze meets country, but not in a 4AD kind of way. It’s such a timeless piece of music telling an incredibly modern story. I also appreciate any time someone tells Pete Townsend that he’s wrong.
“The Kids” is available in all the places you enjoy things. And, on May 20th, her next EP, Songs For No One Vol 2, will be available to you.
I’m a sucker for good political satire. Griefcat has managed to hit basically everything that frustrates me about conservative culture in a concise, hooky 3 minutes. The emotional journey, surprise punchlines, everything is lovely with “Love The Sinner.” They’ve essentially picked up where the great Garfunkel & Oates left off nearly a decade ago.
“Love The Sinner” is the latest single from their upcoming full length Late Stage Capitalism, which you’ll be able to enjoy on April 19th.
Well, holy shit. Sabrina Teitelbaum, aka Blondshell, put out the best debut record of last year… Maybe even the decade? There’s no way she’s going to one-up that perfect LP, is she? Well, her gift for characters and storytelling seems only to be getting better. Such a darkly honest and pure and risky piece of lyric! If “Docket” is a glimmer of what her sophomore record will be like… Well, we probably don’t deserve that record.
“Docket” is available in all the usual places. She’s also on the road for, well, a very long time. Hopefully, she will grace our presence in the Bay Area again soon, too. Until then, there are plenty of places for you to visit:
Jesus Christ, this song is heavy. I’m not quite sure how else to describe it. This song is one blistering blend of drop D-tuned guitars combined with vocals so emotionally volatile that King Isis sounds like they are singing through their heart, which they’ve ripped out of their own chest and smashed in your face. And seriously. They are so intense and heavy that they are the polar opposite of what the terrorist group ISIS stands for, reclaiming it with a guttural thunder. A reminder that Oakland, CA, is where all the best people on Earth are from.
“NVR RLLY” is the latest single from Shed and the latest EP from King Isis, and it just so happens to be out TODAY!
I’ll admit that the single of the week rarely finds itself on the darker end of the pop spectrum. But “Decoy” by the joyfully named Bree-on-uh is equal parts dark and warm and has been sticking to my soul for a full week now. This song definitely makes me feel bright, in all its minor key glory and is likely to do the same for you.
“Decoy” can be enjoyed in all the usual places. I expect good things to come from her, so follow her on the socials, too!
If you didn’t know Bay Area psych mastermind Spacemoth. had joined La Luz already, you’d know within a few notes of “Strange World.” It really is a perfect union- La Luz’s dreamscapes getting punched up by Spacemoth.’s trademark warmth and danceability. It’s the strongest song in what’s a very, very strong combined catalog of the two acts, and I can’t wait to hear more of this very, very holy union.
“Strange World” is the first single off News Of The Universe, coming May 24th. Preorders are happening now! The band will also be on the road for, well, what looks like ever! Dates can be found here!
Sometimes disparate elements can come together and make something more beautiful than you’d ever expect. “Moving” by Bay Area-based dream-popsters Torrey is equal parts dreamy and loud in all the right ways, making for a perfectly head swimmy 3:39 that will satisfy your need to disconnect from the horrors of reality while still helping you thrive within those horrors.
Torrey’s self-titled full-length is out March 8th on Slumberland Records. Preordering can be done here. They are also playing the stacked Oakland Weekender at Thee Stork Club, happening June 6th – 8th, alongside twee legends #poundsign#, All Girl Summer Fun Band, Seablite, Kids On A Crime Spree, and many, many more.
