Category: Single Of The Week

Single of the Week: No Song. Let’s just do something about guns?

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. 

Single of the Week: “Watina” by Calypso Rose (featuring Carlos Santana & The Garifuna Collective)

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 Liberation by 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!

BONUS SINGLE: “Doomscroller” by Metric

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. 

Formentera is coming your way on July 8th. Preorders are happening right now, including a “natural” vinyl pressing and some super cute shirts! (Seriously. I may have to buy that one myself…) 

Single Of The Week: “Dreamt I Talk To Horses” by Katie Alice Greer

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. 

“Dreamt I Talk To Horses” is the second single from Barbarism, due out into the world digitally on June 24th and physically on October 1st. Preorders on her Bandcamp are ongoing! 

Single of the Week: “All Comes Crashing” by Metric

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! 

Single of the Week: “Suite: Jonny” by Faye Webster

Faye Webster is only 23 years old, yet has unleashed her magnum opus upon us with the haunting “Suite: Jonny.” This is an extended journey of story through song that belongs alongside Taylor Swift’s “All Too Well” or The Velvet Undergrounds’ “Sister Ray.” If you thought last year’s I Know I’m Funny, haha was a work of genius (and it is), it definitely didn’t prepare me at all for this stunner of a track. 

“Suite: Jonny” is the lead track off Car Therapy Sessions, an ep of mostly previously released tracks re-recorded and arranged for full orchestra. The record is out TODAY and you can grab it in either the physical or virtual world here. And don’t forget to catch Webster at Outside Lands 2022 on August 5th-7th! Tickets and details available here!

Single Of The Week: “Goodnight Moon” by Gabriella Marinaro

I kinda love a good, solid, melodramatic torch song. “Goodnight Moon” by Los Angeles’ Gabriella Marinaro may not be a torch song by strict definition, but in a concise 1:57 takes you on the same kind of emotional journey that the greats like Julie London or Amy Winehouse would take you through. 

“Goodnight Moon” is the first single off Marinaro’s EP, Inner Space, due out May 6th. Keep an eye out on her official page and her Bandcamp for more details on this release! 

Single Of The Week: “the dealer” by Nilüfer Yanya

I’ve DEFINITELY been sleeping on Nilüfer Yanya. “the dealer” is actually the 4th single off her second album, PAINLESS. It’s a frantic number that is so jittery it could be uncomfortable if the hook wasn’t so great. It’s a song that never “breathes,” the beat never drops, it just builds and then STOPS. It’s an emotional journey that she forces you on, whether you like it or not. And I like it. 

You can find PAINLESS in all the usual places! 

Single Of The Week: “sad disco” by mxmtoon

I’ve often said that the most rebellious music is disco. Being able to dance in the face of darkness is a far bolder move than anything presenting anger and violence. “sad disco” is one of the most vivid presentations of that feeling that I’ve ever heard. Oakland’s mxmtoon is clearly ready for the next level in her career, and this song is going to be the anthem for what may be the most confusing and weird Summer of our lives. 

“sad disco” is the first single off mxmtoon’s upcoming record, rising… out May 20th. You can enjoy the single here! And, after the jump, you can get an eyeful of tour dates! Continue reading “Single Of The Week: “sad disco” by mxmtoon”

Single of the Week: “IF THERE’S NO SEAT IN THE SKY (WILL YOU FORGIVE ME???)” by Saya Gray

HOLY SHIT! I said that out loud when I hit the 2nd minute of this song. It’s not so much a song as it’s a sonic journey that takes you through nearly a dozen emotions and genres in a tight 3 1/2 minutes. This song is potent and powerful. It’s “experimental” but doesn’t sacrifice emotion for being clever. Our single of the week is an adventure for the ears and the heart and even on the 100th relisten, you’ll still find something new that you missed. 

“IF THERE’S NO SEAT IN THE SKY (WILL YOU FORGIVE ME???)” the first single off Saya Gray’s debut record 19 Masters, is available in all the usual places on June 2nd.