The Paranoyds were a “deep pandemic” find for me. I caught them in the middle of a deep “I’m never going to dance while immersed in a crowd again” depression, which, sadly still persists. Anyways, it looks like Jack White may have done the same thing, and now this band that feels like it will make for an exceptionally hot and sweaty show is signed to Third Man Records. The first single from this deal is “Lizzie,” a garage rock dance floor anthem that is as much The B-52s and Devo as it is Riot Grrl.
The Paranoyd’s second full-length, Talk Talk Talk, is coming for you on September 9th. Preorder/presave details will be here shortly. You can play “Lizzie” loud enough to annoy the neighbors NOW in all the usual places!
I try to avoid using the same artist for the Single of the Week too soon after the last time. But Tianna Esperanza, daughter of Palmolive of The Slits and The Raincoats fame, has granted us with a song that is so different from the last time she was given this prestigious award that it just makes sense. This no wave, post-punk groove is inspired by the music of her mother. It’s also an homage to the life and experiences of growing up in the punk rock world that allowed her to grow up and live on her own terms and embrace her queerness. It’s as much a pride anthem as it is a Mother’s Day song.
This is the third single from Esperanza’s upcoming debut record. Yes, we are still waiting for a title and a release date. I’ll keep you posted with all the preorder/presave goodness. Until then, you can enjoy “Princess Slit and The Raincoat Prince” in all the usual places.
WHAT?!?! Someone your grandmother has heard of as our single of the week? Yup. It’s been a bit since John Legend has impressed me. But this track is equal parts perky and smooth. It could be dirty, but it could also get played at a wedding. And he’s got a verse from famous venue destroyer JID that’s pretty fantastic.
“Dope” is out now at your favorite Digital Service Provider. There’s a full-length record coming in the future at a time yet to be determined. And, speaking of a place where time doesn’t exist- John Legend is doing the whole Vegas Residency thing, which should be fun.
It’s almost always magical when folks that have worked behind the scenes start releasing material on their own. Carole King’s Tapestry, NERD’s In Search of…, J Dilla’s Donuts just to name a few… These are people with music in their veins, and all three of those records are timeless pieces of work. Spacemoth is the alias of engineer and producer Maryam Qudus who has worked on records by local legends such as Thao Nguyen, Toro y Moi, tUnE-yArDs, and mxmtoon to name a few. This week she graces us with the latest single from her upcoming record, No Past No Future, “Waves Come Crashing.” This track is a big, layered piece of genius that is equal parts “I just want to lay in the grass with headphones and let my brain swim” and “I want to play this loud and dance frantically around my apartment.”
“Waves Come Crashing” is available at all of your favorite places to listen to music. No Past No Future is coming your way on July 22nd and can be preordered here!
I wasn’t sure I was onboard with this whole Pop-Punk / 00’s Emo resurgance… This coming from someone that has seen blink-182 an unhealthy number of times. That being said, Hopeless Records is using this to fuel a really healthy modern roster, first picking up Destroy Boys who are definitely destroy. Now they are blessing us with Pinkshift! This Baltimore-based trio are on the heavier end of this scene, bordering on metalcore. Really, this song as about as effective as a triple espresso chased with a liter of Jolt Cola for getting your heart rate up.
“nothing (in my head)” is out now in all the usual places. I don’t know when preorders for a full length begin, but I’m definitely ready for more of this band.
I was going through press releases on Wednesday, listening to some tracks in order to pick a single of the week. There were some good songs. Then my partner says to me, “I don’t know if our kid will ever go to school at this point.” I thought it was COVID exasperation. I made a comment along the lines of, “not at this rate.” And then she said, “Um. Do you not know what happened?” I did not. But every knows now that somebody went on a rampage killing half a classroom full of 4th graders and their teacher while the cops literally hung out outside doing nothing. Fuckers.
So, I have the “Jeremy” video up there. Because back when this song came out we had an assault weapons ban and never really expected this to be something that happens ON THE REGULAR. I’ve been sick of it for a decade. You probably are, too. I can say with 100% certainty that, until we get 60 Senators that haven’t been bought out by the NRA, freezing them from doing anything right, this will never happen. But there is something that CAN happen, and quickly, too.
We haven’t had a Director of the Bureau Of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms since 2015. This is the arm of the government dedicated to regulating and enforcing firearm laws. Biden keeps submitting names and they keep getting axed. However, there is a man named Steven Dettelbach that is in confirmation hearings RIGHT NOW. He is pro-gun control and will have the power to do something without getting 60% of the senate on board. Right now, it’s time to contact your local senator to let them know that you need him confirmed. Word on the street is that Jon Tester (D-Mont.) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) are the Dems that are on the fence, so kindly encouraging them to confirm Dettelbach will get us far. Oh, and donating to Everytown is a good move, too.
Early in the pandemic, I went down a rabbit hole of surveys of music genres and scenes. One of the most captivating books I encountered was SKA: the Rhythm of Liberationby Heather Augustyn. It was a fantastic book the traced the evolution of Calypso and Ska music and how it came from the songs of enslaved people in the Carribean. “Watina” is a song that may not have been from this period, tells the story of the Garifuna people, a people that were forced into slavery and many of which were forced to migrate to the Americas. It’s performed by Calypso Rose, the 82 year old Calypso music legend that has been steadily releasing records since 1969!
You can enjoy “Watina” in all the usual places here. It’s the first single off Forever, which is due out on August 26th!
It’s looking like the new Metric album is going to be a winner. We are on the second single, “Doomscroller,” and its a 10 1/2 minute epic of jittery emotions that’s an epic dance song, a boombastic rocker, and dark piano ballad. The song is a journey that’s over before you realize it started, much like actual doomscrolling. Only this song won’t send you into a dark depression that fills you with a deep distrust of the universe.
On my first listen to “Dreamt I Talk To Horses,” my initial impression was “this song is uncomfortable.” Upon further listens, the vocals- both intensly human and clearly manipulated by digital sources, move from uncomfortable to deeply warm and inviting. This is clearly a pop song, but coming from someone that knows her way around the Throbbing Gristle catalog. This song is the kinda track that forces relistens because there are so many layers and sounds sneaking up on you that you can’t take it in all at once.
There are few songwriters that really understand how to convey the feelings of anxiety, desperation, and fear quite like Emily Haines. I’ve been waiting eagerly for the first pandemic-era release from Metric, because I was pretty sure we would get a track that would clearly validate the feelings of being stuck in a madness that’s out of our control. and they delivered tenfold. “All Comes Crashing” in a lot ways is classic Metric- pure, emotive vocals, post-punk guitars appearing out of nowhere beneath warm synths, and danceable beats to help ease the burden of the anxiety and provide just a little bit of optimism.
“All Comes Crashing” is the first single off their upcoming release, Formentera, which is due to be in your hands and ears July 8th. Preorder details coming soon. Also, there are few nights more cathartic than a Metric concert, and their 2022 North American Tour goes on sale TODAY at 10am local time. Check tour dates out here!
