Category: Single Of The Week

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. 

Single Of The Week:”Sad Girl Party” by CYBERST3PH

Some weeks, I find a song that immediately inspires me to write about it. I find a clear and vivid emotional connection, and can easily articulate it. Other weeks, I go through emails and press releases, and a song just jumps out at me, and I don’t really know how to describe it. “Sad Girl Party” by CYBERST3PH is one of those. After hours of listening to new music from all across the spectrum, this song just *hit.* It filled me with that burst of serotonin that comes from hearing a song that just makes you happy. It has all the heart and sincerity of Diet Cig, but a shine to it that usually doesn’t work for a song like this, but just plain does. 

“Sad Girl Party” is available in all the usual places, and be sure to follow CYBERST3PH on Instagram, Twitter, and Spotify to stay in the loop on new music. 

Single Of The Week: “Manifest” by Revenge Wife

One of my favorite video tropes is the “female murdering their male partner” trope. Kesha gave us a great one in 2019 with “Raising Hell.” The Dixie Chicks’ “Earl” stands as a classic. And now Elizabeth Nistico, under her aptly named alter-ego Revenge Wife, brings us “Manifest.” This is a thrilling tale of love gone awry, and, quite honestly, this music video might be the best movie I’ve seen all year. (I also have a two-year-old that is trapped at home with me due to the pandemic, and when that kid is asleep, I’m either running this blog, working, or trying to make sure the house doesn’t fall to pieces, so there’s not a lot of time for movie watching. 3 minutes and 12 seconds IS my free time) The song itself is some hyperpop brilliance, and I’m really excited about all of this madness ending so I can enjoy this genre live. 

“Manifest” is the second single off Revenge Wife’s forthcoming EP Background Songs For Your Boring Life, Part 1. The release date is still TBA, but you can keep up with Nistico on Instagram and Twitch!

Single of the Week: “Polaroid” by Susan Darvishi

It’s been a long time since we’ve given you a hometown single of the week. A lot of that is due to, well, not going to shows and getting blown away by someone new live. Instead, we need to get blown away in our headphones, which is exactly what Susan Darvishi did. “Polaroid” is a big, classic new wave song, in the vein of Human League. The synths are warm and lovely, not cold like a lot of dance music suffers from. And the best part is the lyrics- we have a real story with a beginning, middle, and end that takes you on a night out. She actually brings you to a space where we can see our friends, meet new people, dance, and live life like we haven’t been able to in over a year at this point. It’s the perfect COVIDversary track, and, in its own way, is helping me remember that there is an end, and we will get to that place again. 

You can find “Polaroid” and the rest of her excellent catalog in all the usual places! Rumor has it a full length will be dropping before the year is out!