Category: Single Of The Week

Single of the Week: nowhere, man by tUnE-yArDs

Merrill Garbus has kept herself incredibly busy since 2018’s I Can Feel You Creep Into My Private Life. She’s been producing other people’s music, as well as scoring Boots Riley’s epic film Sorry To Bother You, as well as his yet to be named TV show project. I was actually thinking that she was about ready to let tUnE-yArDs go, and then this  chaotic piece of music landed on my headphones today, and, well, WOW! This is the biggest, noisiest thing that we’ve every gotten from Garbus & company, and I’m all in. She manages to keep her groove while attacking you with piano and electric guitar and feedback. So many emotions. So much happening, and it just feels like my brain right now. 

“nowhere, man” can be found in all of the usual places. No word yet on whether this is from an upcoming full length, or it’s just a one off track, but it’s a good one, so enjoy!

Single Of The Week: tonight by Alaina Castillo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ki2QhRMlNAc&feature=youtu.be

Do you remember a time when you would actually cancel on plans to go out because you wanted to stay home, alone? It’s hard to think about that, but there definitely was a time this was true. I’m sure when this is all over, and we get back out into the world, within about six months many of us will be back there. The joy of Alaina Castillo’s latest single, “tonight,” is it helps take you back to, um February, when we weren’t trapped in doors, and were able to do things like hug and share a straw and whatnot. The accompanying video is great, too! It’s clearly shot with socially distancing measures taken, without feeling like it was shot like that. 

You can purchase / stream “tonight” in all the usual places. One of the options is Tik Tok, so you can really make the president angry by listening on his least favorite platform! 

Single Of The Week: At It Again by Slow Pulp

Admittedly, when I saw this press release come to my inbox, I got my hopes up, thinking we had a new Pulp single. I looked at it again, and realized the name of the band is “Slow Pulp.” I was mad and refused to listen to it. Then, when trying to decide on my single of the week, I gave it a whirl. And, much to my delight, this balance of fuzzy and dreamy is right out of early 90’s / 4AD Records heaven! Coming in somewhere between Belly and Curve, “At It Again” is a fantastic song that deserves repeated plays, and will force you to forgive them for the name. 

Their debut album, Moveys, is coming out October 9th, and can be preordered / presaved from a a slew of places that you can find here!

Single Of The Week: Our Deal (Live In Studio 2020) by Best Coast

This week’s Single Of The Week is a bit of a cheat. It’s a great song, but it’s also 10 years old. HOWEVER there is a compilation coming out TODAY- That’s Friday, September 4th. And it’s ONLY AVAILABLE TODAY. It’s called Good Music To Avert The Collapse Of American Democracy, and is only available at Bandcamp. It’s the brainchild of Dave Eggers (of 826 Valencia) and funds raised will be donated to Fair Fight, and organization that is fighting for free and fair elections. Which we really, really need right now. 

So, please, buy the compilation. And, while you are floating around Bandcamp, remember that today is the day that Bandcamp doesn’t take any commissions from sales, so buy some records / merch from bands that can’t tour this year! 

Full Track Listing is after the jump Continue reading “Single Of The Week: Our Deal (Live In Studio 2020) by Best Coast”

Single Of The Week: Hysterical by Sad13

Sadie Dupuis of the excellent Speedy Ortiz is getting ready to give the world her 2nd solo album. But, before that happens, there’s the usual trickle of singles. That brings us to this week’s Single Of The Week, the addictive “Hysterical.” This song is catchy as hell, and is just one of those songs that immediately latches onto you! Ironically, it’s a song about comedians complaining that political correctness is killing comedy. The accompanying video, directed by Spinning Platters fave Jamie Loftus (At least follow her on Twitter. You won’t regret it.) and Kate Banford and features Loftus, Mitra Jouhari, Demi Adejuyigbe and some murderous ghosts. 

Sad13’s sophomore album, Haunted Painting, is coming out on September 25th, and physical copies can be preordered here, as well as digital copies for the excellent price of $6.66!

Single Of The Week: Bitch On Wheels by Body Double

“Bitch On Wheels” is the second single off Oakland-based punk band Body Double’s forthcoming album, Milk Fed. It’s a dreamy, fuzzy song with a wonderfully weird video attached. If you want to really understand what “awkward bliss” is, this is the track that will teach you about that. If that isn’t enough of a selling point, here’s what bandleader Candace Lazarou has to say about the track:

“At around 30 years old, underground musicians start admitting they like very popular bands. It’s too exhausting being niche! I wrote “Bitch On Wheels” right after I was in an all-girl Nine Inch Nails cover band called Miss Piggy, and I was finally forced to love a synthesizer. This song heavily features an Akai AX60, which I like because it only listens to my instructions half the time.”

Now I really want to see Miss Piggy play live, which will hopefully happen after the pandemic is over. In the meantime, you can preorder Milk Fed here on vinyl, or here on the streaming platforms. The record is due out September 18th!

Single Of The Week: SULA (Paperback) by Jamila Woods

In 2019, Jamila Woods gave us LEGACY! LEGACY!, a profound piece of work about reflecting on how your heroes connect to your own life. At least, that’s what I got out of it. As we know, art is subjective and you get out of it what makes sense to you. Woods could have continued spent 2020 completely quiet, but that doesn’t seem to be her way. Instead, she dropped this beauty of a ballad, “SULA (Paperback),” a reflection on the Toni Morrison novel, Sula. The song is pure Woods, drawing on elements of the piece of literature that inspired her, and making it something deeply personal. The arrangement is refreshing and tender, combining jazz ballad guitar with pedal steal and layered harmonies that just hit that part of your gut that makes you feel all warm and alive inside. 

“SULA (Paperback)” can be streamed in all the usual places, or you can purchase it off Bandcamp. While you are there, if you don’t already own LEGACY! LEGACY!, do yourself a favor and pick it up. It may never leave your turntable. 

Single Of The Week: Lights Out by Deep Sea Diver

It’s been far too long since Seattle’s Deep Sea Diver have graced our presence with new music. Today they graced our presence with a driving little number called “Lights Out,” complete with a new take on the “Lyric Video,” which I’m calling a “Lyrics and Guitar Tab” video. For those of you learning guitar this pandemic, this one’s for you! 

“Lights Out” is the first single off their upcoming record, Impossible Weight. You can pre-order/pre-save in all the usual places, but there are some extra special packages available from their Bandcamp page. They are even offering a “Pay It Forward” plan where you can purchase an extra copy of the record and the band will send it to someone struggling financially right now. And, since today is Bandcamp Day, if you preorder it today, the band gets EVERYTHING! Bandcamp waives their fees on the first Friday of each month. I will also recommend that you follow the band on Instagram, because they are very, very active while in quarantine, and they’ve got some good stuff pouring out of them.  

Single Of The Week: Club Zero by The Go-Go’s

Not a lot of good is happening in 2020. And, most specifically, not a lot of musicians can say that 2020 has been one of the biggest, most productive years in decades. Yet, somehow, LA punk groundbreakers, 42 years into their career, have been firing on all cylinders this year. Not only did bassist Kathy Valentine release a magnificent book chronicling her career, we also finally have a comprehension documentary from the band, detailing the long, sordid history of the band. Then, out of nowhere, we got their first new music in since 2001’s criminally underrated God Bless The Go-Go’s. The song, “Club Zero,” is the spiritual sequel to their 1997 hit “The Whole World Lost It’s Head.” Where TWWLIH was a jittery, anxious number about seemingly the entire world falling to pieces, “Club Zero” is a bold, confident injection of assurance. It’s the song we need right now- not another somber number about the fall of civilization, but a song to fire us up! A song that, in not so many words, reminds us that nobody else is going to take down fascism. Nobody else is going to stop police brutality. Nobody else is going to save our music venues. I’ve been feeling pretty dark lately, thinking that we aren’t going to survive this. We aren’t going to recover. That the combination of Trump and COVID-19 means the end of humanity. “Club Zero” tells you that’s only true if you let it be true. 

“Club Zero” can be found in all the usual places. The Go-Go’s premiers on Showtime tonight at 9/8c. The Go-Go’s, sadly, had to move their first full tour with the classic line-up since 2011 to 2021, and those tour dates are slowly trickling in and can be found here!

Single Of The Week: NOTDF by Le Fomo

This week’s single of the week comes from Le Fomo, and it’s extra special, because it tells a story about one of my favorite venues in San Francisco, El Rio! This is the story of, well, a nipple falling out of someone’s outfit while dancing. An experience that we’ve all experienced at some point. (For me, it was at The Sonics show at The New Parish, and the crowd was so raucous that my shirt ripped open. Apologies to the rest of that audience.) It’s a fun little disco number, perfect for reminiscing about El Rio and all the wonderful daytime dance parties with delicious fry bread being served up in the backyard, the intense punk shows in the side room, or all of the trouble you got into in college during their legendary $1 drink nights, only to be saved by Tamale Lady’s midnight arrival. (RIP Tamale Lady)

“NOTDF” is the lead single off their upcoming full length record, Swallow Me Whole, due out September 25th on Club Queen Records. If you purchase the single off Bandcamp, 50% of all proceeds will go straight to El Rio and helping keep this institution alive during the pandemic. El Rio is also selling t-shirts designed by local artists, so please check them out here if you want a stylish new shirt sent to your door.