CUSSING - "LUNGS"

By -


Hailing from Asbury Park, CUSSING are a pop/rock duo that redefine that genre with their sound. Their latest single, "LUNGS," is unquestionably a pop song. It's catchy as possible, but while most artists that are considered pop are polished, "LUNGS" is raw. The song is an interesting and irresistible mixture of pop and raw, DIY art punk. It's minimalist and edgy, but you're going to want to dance to it. They consider The Kills and Sleigh Bells as influences, and have played shows with If It's Too Loud... favorites like Perennial and TIFFY, all of which help describe CUSSING's sound and vibe. "LUNGS" is one of my favorite musical discoveries of the summer, and I can't wait to hear more from these folks.

You can listen to "LUNGS" below. HAVE YOU SEEN CUSSING? is due out August 14. For more on CUSSING, check out the band on Instagram.

On Repeat...

Ezra Furman - "Forever in Sunset"

By -
Image
Photo by Tonje Thilesen Ezra Furman has to be one of the most unique and yet all encompassing artists out today. Her latest single, "Forever In Sunset," combines elements of singer/songwriter fare, electronic music, and indie rock. It's an intense song that is almost a power ballad but is a little too heavy at times for that. It's a mish-mash of glam, adult contemporary, and post punk. That should not work at all, but most artists aren't Furman who apparently can do literally anything musically and make it masterful. Ezra Furman says of her new song: “The biggest influence on the lyrics of this song is a conversation I had with a friend of mine. When Covid was first hitting, she was talking to me a lot about how ready she felt. She was like, ‘people who have been comfortable in life are freaking out right now. But queer people like me have been in crisis before. I grew up poor and my family kicked me out when I was a teenager. My world has already ended plenty of ...
Read more

Derek Smith and the Cosmic Vultures - "Hollow Choir"

By -
Image
Photo by Gia Smith There's prolific, and then there's Derek Smith. The Boston musician's latest single with the Cosmic Vultures, "Hollow Choir," is his eightieth song in the past eight years. It also helps explain the genre psychedelic folk-rock. The song is a little over three minutes, but the genre makes it feel much more epic. It's smooth sounding with trippy little flourishes, particularly in the guitar. At times, it sounds almost Adult Contemporary, but it's far too psychedelic for that. It's the play between the mainstream and the alternative side of folk that makes "Hollow Choir" work so well. Derek Smith and the Cosmic Vultures have long had this ability to provide a little something for everyone, and their latest proves that more than previous ones have. Derek Smith says of his latest single: “This song sums up the feelings I have had towards my music career for the last few years. I am always being told what I should do or what I sh...
Read more

TORRES - "I got the fear"

By -
Image
Photo by Ebru Yildiz Somehow TORRES keeps surprising us with her music. The musical project of Mackenzie Scott has released a new single that features her vocals and acoustic guitar that would feel at home in a neo-folk song over a pre-programmed drum beat with sounds that at times are either a light squall of guitar feedback and electronic noises. The song has this haunting and unsettling feeling to it, despite sounding like it's trying to be upbeat. I'd say art doesn't always have to be a pleasant experience, but "I got the fear" can be a pleasant listening experience, except for the times it's not. Mackenzie Scott says of her latest single: “A collective dread has been mounting. Everyone I know is having a brawl with the universe, with themselves…wars, climate catastrophe, a pandemic, the worldwide regression on human rights, the political hellscape — it affects everybody, and I know we’re all feeling it in waves of varying degree all the time. I think it’s...
Read more