Category: Single Of The Week

Single Of The Week: “The Moon Is In The Wrong Place” by Shannon & The Clams

As much as I *love* a Shannon & The Clams live show, I’ve yet to find myself actively listening to Shannon & The Clams at home.  “The Moon Is In The Wrong Place” marks Shannon & The Clams really does take the energy and enthusiasm of the band’s live set and turns it into 3:03 of pure psych pop andrenaline. I dare you not to dance to this one, or at least find yourself excited about sweeping the kitchen to it. 

“The Moon Is In The Wrong Place” is the first single of their upcoming record, also called The Moon Is In The Wrong Place, available in stores and at your local streaming service on May 10th. Preorders are happening now and you can select your preferred tripped out vinyl edition here! 

Single Of The Week: “BYE BYE” by Kim Gordon

Kim Gordon is well over 40 years into her career, and with every turn, she surprises me a little bit more. But “BYE BYE” is the last thing I expected to come out from her, and it’s bloody amazing. She has captured the soul and energy of HYPERPOP and has released a track that falls somewhere between Pussy Riot, Charli XCX, Nine Inch Nails, and her own Free Kitten project. Fresh and vital and noisy and… It’s just everything good about music in general. 

“BYE BYE” is the first single from Gordon’s second solo album, “The Collective,” coming your way on March 8th. Preorders can be done here. She’s also embarking on a very short tour this Spring, and those tickets can be secured here. 

Single of the Week: “Push” by Naomi Sharon ft Omah Lay

Afrobeat is having a serious, significant renaissance right now. So much good stuff coming out of the genre, and “Push” by Naomi Sharon is a track that has definitely been pumping the serotonin for me this week. It’s a simple, sexy, easygoing groove that feels utterly relaxed and somehow, well, “hot” at the same time. I love it. 

“Push” comes from Sharon’s debut album, Obsidian. You can find it at your favorite DSP! 

Single of the Week: “Misty Rose” by Sandra Kluge

I’ll be frank- I miss Tilly & The Wall. There is nothing more pleasing to me than taking the art of tap dance and using it as the primary percussion instrument in pop music. Sandra Kluge is the tap dancer/vocalist that’s filling the void right now. Although Tilly gave us indie and folk rock accompanied by tap, Kluge is squarely rooted in the jazz tradition, creating a sound that may be a bit more pure but still very inventive. “Misty Rose” is a great song, with layers of beauty propelled by the tap rhythms. 

“Misty Rose” can be found in all the usual places. I can’t wait for more from Sandra Kluge! 

SIngle of the Week: “Lounge Lizard’ by Molly Lewis

Originally, I was 100% on board with making the single off Andre 3000’s instrumental flute record by single of the week. BUT- He didn’t drop a single by press time. So how do we one up a record where all the leads are flute? How about this fire of an exotica jam from Molly Lewis, where the primary instrument is… WHISTLING! Holy crap! This song is genius, and I don’t want to stop listening to it! 

“Lounge Lizard” is the first single from On The Lips, coming your way on February 16th! You can always learn more about professional whistler Molly Lewis here. (No snark there. I legitimately think this is super rad) And, of course, if you need some wind TODAY, Andre 3000’s New Blue Sun is available to you immediately. 

Single of the Week: “Dominoes” by Mary Timony

It’s been 15 years since Mary Timony last graced our ears with a solo record. In that time, she’s been very busy, showing off her mad guitar skills in her own band, Ex Hex, as well as out-shining fellow guitar heroes Carrie Brownstein in Wild Flag and Mark Cisneros in Hammered Hulls. The fascinating thing about “Dominoes,” the lead single from her upcoming Untame The Tiger? It’s a tight, catchy, pop-rock song. There isn’t a blazing guitar solo. It’s warm and catchy and, dare I say, hit-worthy?  It’s a great song. 

Untame The Tiger is due to hit your eardrums on February 23rd. Preorders are available here! She also puts on an amazing show, and tour dates can be found here! 

Single of the Week: “Make It Up” by King Isis

My first thought, before I even took a chance with an artist called “King Isis,” was, “That’s an awfully brave name!” Digging deeper and learning that King Isis is named after the ancient Egyptian goddess and adding the gender play to that would definitely deeply offend that other organization that ruined the word. So, yeah, I’m already impressed. And the song? It’s a guitar-driven, slightly sludgy, yet incredibly catchy song that doesn’t remind me of anything, and it’s great. And the video is dark and weird and clearly filmed in Oakland, so it’s a bonafide win all around. 

“Make It Up” is available in all the usual places. More to come, of course… And you can find all that out here! 

Single of the Week: “DANCER” by IDLES

Somehow, in the many years I’ve been doing this column, we haven’t awarded IDLES with the Single Of The Week prize. THAT CHANGES THIS WEEK! Amazingly, the politically charged UK punk band gives us a song that’s just plain fun? I genuinely appreciate music and dancing, and it’s warm and fuzzy and fills me with great joy. 

“DANCER” is the first single off IDLES’ upcoming full-length record, TANGK, coming to you on February 16th. Preorders and such can be found here. 

Single of the Week: “Practice” by Jamila Woods featuring Saba

Chicago’s poet/singer/rapper Jamila Woods is very quickly becoming one of those rare artists that I’d buy anything from blind. Her latest record, Water Made Us, keeps dropping great singles. “Practice” is a sexy, romantic, and genuinely happy track. It’s such a nice relief from the exceptionally stressful news week we’ve had to listen to a song that’s such a joy. It’s also a rare video where every single person is naked, yet it’s somehow not NSFW?

Water Made Us is available to stream wherever you pay your monthly streaming dues to. The physical version of the record is coming October 24th, just a few days before my birthday, so if you feel like buying me this on vinyl, I’ll gladly accept it! Woods is also touring, and I’m pretty excited to see this show live. Tickets went on sale today! Continue reading “Single of the Week: “Practice” by Jamila Woods featuring Saba”

Single of the Week: “Out Alpha The Alpha” by Megan Thee Stallion

I guess we are getting a raunchy, musical adult update on The Parent Trap. And it’s called Dicks and it stars Nathan Lane, Megan Mullaly, and Megan Thee Stallion, and it seems pretty absurd. What isn’t absurd is how I’ve spent most of 2023 learning that Megan Thee Stallion is really, really talented. This piece is just chock-full of witty braggadocio, and I’m sure within the context of the film, it’s even wittier, but she is just a beast on the microphone. 

Dicks is in theaters on October 20th, and the soundtrack is out NOW!