Category: Single Of The Week

Single Of The Week: “Chaise Longue” by Wet Leg

Live from the Isle of Wight comes, um, not The Who. Instead, we have the debut single from recent Domino Records signees Wet Leg. The song is called “Chaise Longue” and it’s a riff-heavy dance/rock number that is going to fill you with immense joy. Well, it will if you like dry, witty lyrics combined with an infectious groove that makes you long for the days of dancing in a sweaty club together. (SO SOON!!) Imagine the colorful witticisms and guitar mastery of Courtney Barnett combined with the elegant smuttiness of Jarvis Cocker and blasting at Popscene circa 2003. 

“Chaise Longue” is streaming in all of the usual places. Will we hear more from them? I sure as hell hope so. They are also touring the UK this fall, and I hope a trip across the pond will be happening sooner than later. 

Singles Of The Week: “Pool Hopping” by illuminati hotties & “Solar Power” by Lorde

UPDATE: Lorde’s 3rd full-length record, Solar Power, is coming out August 20th and can be preordered / presaved here. We’ve also got a 2022 tour for Lorde coming down the pike, so get yourself vaccinated if you haven’t already, and buy your tickets Monday, July 5th at 12pm local time!

Remember the immortal words of Kim Deal when she sang “Summer is ready when you are” a mere 28 years ago? Those words probably ring truer this year than ever before. Maybe because this is going to be a weird Summer where not everyone is going to be ready at the same time, but when you are ready for Summer, it’s going to be LIT AS FUCK. Not LIT AF. LIT AS FUCK. So lit that this week we didn’t have just one, but TWO singles about the impending Summer of hugs and sharing space with your friends again. “Pool Hopping” by illuminati hotties is a glorious piece of classic pop-punk that is perfect for blasting at your first barbecue in 15 months. And, dear God, I really can’t wait to eat with my friends again. 

“Pool Hopping” can be downloaded and streamed in all of the usual places, and their album Let Me Do One More will be coming your way October 1st. Preorder the fancy variant, or even the regular version HERE! Continue reading “Singles Of The Week: “Pool Hopping” by illuminati hotties & “Solar Power” by Lorde”

Single Of The Week: “How Not To Drown” by CHVRCHES featuring Robert Smith

When COVID hit, CHVRCHES were scattered all around the world. They were also due to play the biggest venues of their career, so not only were they not able to do a victory lap for Love Is Dead, but they weren’t able to even mourn the loss of the tour together. So what do they do? They write and record an album. And if the lead single, “How Not To Drown,” is any indication, these trials may have led to the best record of their career. This is a dark, moody track that is somehow also danceable. The band incorporates live bass and guitar, which is rare, and Lauren Mayberry’s voice blends with Robert Smith (yes, the guy from The Cure) in a beautiful way. 

“How Not To Drown” is out now on all the usual platforms, and their fourth studio record, Screen Violence, is in stores on August 27th. Preorders are currently happening. 

Single Of The Week: “High In The Grass” by Sleater-Kinney

2019’s The Center Won’t Hold was a brilliant departure for one of the greatest bands in American rock n roll history. Sleater-Kinney was due to embark on a massive co-headlining trek with Wilco to support the record, allowing them to play the largest venues of their career. However, we all lived through the hell that was 2020. Instead of resting on their laurels, Corin Tucker and Carrie Brownstein decided to “bubble” together and, for the first time in their 25+ years playing together, write, record, and produce an album as a duo. Their 10th full-length, Paths Of Wellness, is out June 11th. The first single was the bluesy, Brownstein-led “Worry With You.” The second single and our single of the week is the Tucker-led “High In The Grass,” a psychedelic rock number reminiscent of Tucker’s other band, Filthy Friends. It’s a great song and further evidence that Sleater-Kinney will continue to move forward, sonically. 

You can enjoy “High In The Grass” in all the usual places. Paths Of Wellness can be preordered/presaved in all the usual places, too! And that co-headlining tour with Wilco? It’s been rescheduled for 2022. Sadly, no California dates at this time, so Bay Area folks will need to book a plane ticket to catch this amazing double bill. 

Single Of The Week: “Barbara” by TEKE::TEKE

Holy psychedelic shit! This monster of a track is a 70’s spy movie blended with the very concept of joy and boiled down to 3:50 of horn and flute-driven rock n roll. I am pretty sure that Quentin Tarantino and Wes Anderson are battling to see who can write the film version of “Barbara” first. Canada’s TEKE::TEKE blend traditional Japanese instruments with horns, flutes, guitar, bass, and drums and a lovely and imaginative way. This track is AMAZING. 

“Barbara” is the lead single off TEKE::TEKE’s debut full-length, Shirushi, out now on Kill Rock Stars. You can purchase or stream this record in all of the usual places!

Single Of The Week: “Ladies and Gentlemen” by DVNCT

DVNCT is a modern R&B duo from New York. Or maybe New Jersey? It wasn’t clear from their bio. What is clear is that their latest single “Ladies and Gentlemen” is a dark masterpiece that’s closer to TV On The Radio or Algiers than most anything you’ll hear on mainstream radio today. It’s a classic soul heartbreak song only your heart isn’t merely broken. It’s pulverized. 

“Ladies and Gentlemen” can be heard in all the usual places. There is more to come in the near future from these folks, so be sure to follow them around on all of the socials!

Single of the Week: “NPC” by Ghoulies

Australia has been absolutely killing it the last few years. Like, seriously- all of the best acts seem to be coming from there: Courtney Barnett, Camp Cope, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, the list goes on. Heck, the only rock band to graduate to arenas in the last five years is the Aussie psych combo Tame Impala. For the next wave of acts to break across the Pacific, I give you Ghoulies. They do keyboard-driven, hyperactive punk rock, and they do it well. All the hooks you need and enough spunk to get the pit open, but songs so short that you aren’t likely to get hurt. “NPC” is the hookiest song on their upcoming 7″ full-length Reprogram. (7 songs in under 10 minutes!)

Reprogram is out in the digital world NOW and is coming out on vinyl on May 24th, 2021. It’s also Bandcamp Day, so if you preorder from Bandcamp today, the band gets EVERY PENNY!

Single Of The Week: “It’s Too Late” by Dana and the Wolf

This song is absolutely bonkers. It takes you on such a wild journey that I don’t even know where to begin! “It’s Too Late” by Dana and the Wolf is a potent autobiographical track the digs deep into the emotions that lead a couple to decide to stay a couple but no longer remain monogamous. Sonically, it’s a triumphant R&B torch song and a country heartbreak ballad at the same time, with a french horn riff that rips your heart out. 

“It’s Too Late” can be found in all of the usual places. Dana and the Wolf’s debut LP, LA FADE, is coming out this fall on VERO Music. 

Single Of The Week: “I Miss The Band” by Alanis Morissette

This song came out last Friday, but it deserves a little more attention. This track literally made me cry. Like, not even gentle tears. A full-on sob. I have yet to hear a song that really hits the profound darkness and loss the world has suffered from COVID and how heavy and long this fight has been going. “I Miss The Band” is just a masterpiece of a song. 

The proceeds from this single go to Backline Care, an organization that connects people who work in the music industry with mental health and wellness care. It’s not just musicians, but it’s road crew, box office staff, security, everyone that works in music. And we need it badly now. 

“I Miss The Band” is available in all of the usual places. Lord willing, Alanis is scheduled to hit the road late Summer with Garbage and Liz Phair. Tour dates are here, and I really hope we get this thing crushed in time for these shows to happen. So, please, for the love of God, MASK UP, VAXX UP, AND STAY ISOLATING! We are almost there!!!!

Single Of The Week: “The War Clock” by Various Artists

One the list of things you don’t know you needed- Kyp Malone of NYC art-rock legends TV On The Radio is in a psych-jazz band with John Dwyer of OSees and Dwyer-verse players Tom Dolas and Brad Caulkin. They are called Various Artists and their debut album is called Moon-Drenched. Or maybe this is just the band Bent Arcana’s second record? Either way, this track of a fierce piece of brain-melting fuckery that’s also 12 1/2 minutes of pure energy. Do you need something to help you focus on spreadsheets or cleaning the bathroom? This is it. Looking to get lost in your own head? This is also it. Just looking for guitar and sax fury? Yup! This is it.  The one thing “The War Clock” doesn’t sound like to me is actual war… The song is “happy” exciting, not “scary” exciting. You may interpret it as you wish. 

“The War Clock” can be played loud off Bandcamp and a full length, Moon-Drenched, is coming to this world on May 28th.