The Bobby Lees - "Wendy"

By this time, it feels like we've heard the majority of The Bobby Lees's upcoming album, but I suppose when its release date was pushed back due to COVID-19, that's what happens. We're now a week away from the release of Skin Suit, and we have one last pre-release single for you. "Wendy" is exactly what we want from The Bobby Lees. It's high energy noisy blues based garage punk. It's buzzsaw guitars, vocals dripping with menace and attitude, and then handclaps to keep the party going. That's the true joy of "Wendy." It's a hard hitting garage punk jam that still sounds like you just walked into the best party in town.

You can listen to "Wendy" below. Skin Suit, the new album from The Bobby Lees, will be out July 17 on Alive Naturalsound Records. You can pre-order a copy here. For more on The Bobby Lees, check out their website.

Grace Gillespie - "Empty in the Capital"

London's Grace Gillespie has released a beautiful folk-adjacent song. "Empty in the Capital" is a light and breezy sounding pop song that still has its roots in the world of folk/rock. This is in stark contrast to the bleak lyrics, which of course are going to be viewed through the lens of quarantine and a global pandemic.

Gillespie says of the song:

"I wrote my new song, 'Empty in the Capital' just before lockdown about themes that were coming up in my own life. 

Then suddenly, Covid is here and we are all sharing in my isolation, fear and frustrations. I don’t like London at the best of times and the idea of being stuck here was almost scary to me. 

The track very much follows the pattern of a day for me. Much of my time is spent trying to reassure myself through rationalizing and acceptance, heard in the song’s verses, coupled with outbursts of inward frustration that I express in the choruses.  

I think it’s a pattern we have all been through throughout lockdown. We are trying with all our hearts to make the most of this gift of time and be ‘grateful for the day’ but then realizing that we are sipping coffee and trying to create (or just get on with work) while ambulances are filing past. 

'Empty in the Capital' is a realization that this juxtaposition is at the heart of all of life. There is always suffering and we are always perfecting a way to stick our head in the sand just to survive, I suppose."

You can watch the video for "Empty in the Capital" below. For more on Grace Gillespie, check her out on Facebook and Twitter.

Marlowe featuring A-F-R-O - "OG Funk Rock"

The collaborative project between producer L'Orange and rapper Solemn Brigham is quickly becoming one of our most anticipated of the summer. Marlowe has teamed with A-F-R-O on their latest single, "OG Funk Rock." It's a just short of two and a half minute funky as all hell hip hop track with all of the edge we're starting to expect with anything involving L'Orange. But, still true to any music from Marlowe, it's still a surprisingly fun song. Their upcoming album is going to be a must listen.

You can listen to "OG Funk Rock" below. Marlowe 2, the upcoming album from Marlowe (aka L'Orange and Solemn Brigham), will be out August 7 on Mello Music Group. You can pre-order a copy on Bandcamp. For more on L'Orange, check out his Facebook. For Solemn Brigham, check him out on Twitter.

Era Bleak - "Era Bleak"

Every now and then we get music submitted to us out of nowhere that blows me away. Era Bleak are the latest band to do that. Their new-ish song (also called "Era Bleak") is this highly danceable burst of post-punk meets riot grrrl. It's as intense as it is fun, which might be my very favorite style of punk. It's loud and obnoxious and just all around glorious.

Zach Brooks of Era Bleak explains their latest quarantine recorded videos:

"The year is 2020 and we are living in a 1980s punk dystopian sci-fi novel. A pandemic is raging. When we are not donning masks to go out in public, we have nothing to do besides smoke legal weed out of electronic cigarettes and lose ourselves in disinformation. The president of the United States is Jello Biafra's worst nightmare... a buffoon so grotesque we would have had a hard time believing the character was realistic had our current reality actually been a 1980s punk dystopian sci-fi novel.

So what better way to kill some hours of unemployment than VIDEO PUNKS! We can't practice! We can't play shows! Going to the grocery store is terrifying! But we all have shockingly good video cameras on us at all times.

Fuck Tiktok! VIDEO PUNKS!!!"

You can watch the video for "Era Bleak" below. Era Bleak's self-titled debut album will be out August 15 on Dirt Cult Records. You can pre-order a copy here. For more on Era Bleak, check them out on Facebook.

Miesha & The Spanks - "Unstoppable"

Miesha & The Spanks are a rock duo from Calgary. Due to Miesha recently having twins and... you know... 2020... they're slowly recording their follow up to 2018's Girls Girls Girls. The first single from their upcoming EP is out, and "Unstoppable" is a rock 'n' roll rager. It's a little too polished to be garage rock, and it's not huge enough to be an arena anthem. Instead, "Unstoppable" lives in the sweet spot between lo-fi indie garage rock and huge sounding rock while still having elements of both. This is just straight up big sounding garage rock that even the snobbiest of music fans won't be able to help but enjoy.

You can listen to "Unstoppable" below. Singles, the upcoming EP from Miesha & The Spanks will be out March 2021 (which is probably not a bad idea to wait nearly a year to release anything right now). For more on Miesha & The Spanks, check them out on Facebook and Twitter.

Ben Kweller - "American Cigarettes"

Photo via Facebook

I don't think I realized how much I've missed having Ben Kweller around until he disappeared for a few years. His latest single will make you thrilled he's back. "American Cigarettes" is exactly what we want from Kweller. This sounds like vintage early 2000's Ben Kweller, although a more mature, adult version. Plus, he adds in just enough Americana twang to make fans of 2009's Changing Horses happy. Basically, if you've been a fan of Kweller's for as long as we have, you're going to love "American Cigarettes." If you've somehow never heard Kweller before and upbeat alt-rock/pop jams with a little hint of twang are your thing, get ready to fall in love.

You can listen to "American Cigarettes" below. Circuit Boredom, Ben Kweller's long awaited new album, doesn't seem to have a release date, but will hopefully be out sometime before the end of 2020. For more on Ben Kweller, check out his website.

First Listen: New Releases for 3 July

An American Holiday weekend means a slow week, so we're doing this quick hit style:

Highlights:

* Dream Wife - So When You Gonna... (Great sophomore effort.)
* Little Kid - Transfiguration Highway (Solid, unexpected indie folk turn.)
* Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga (Soundtrack from the Netflix movie, checks all the right boxes.)
* Cocktails - Catastrophic Entertainment (Power pop lives!)
* bdrmm - Bedroom

Of note:

* A.A. Williams - Forever Blue
* Willie Nelson - First Rose of Spring
* Cuddle Magic - Bath
* Marchelle Bradanini - Only a Woman
* Denai Moore - Modern Dread
* Heather Leigh - Glory Days
* Too Much - Club Emotion
* Suzanne Vallie - Love Lives Where Rules Die
* LEECHES - Swollen Moon
* Nelson Can - Solo Desire: Remixed Together, Volume 2 (Synthesized)

EPs:

* Moon Panda - Make Well EP (Don't sleep on "Rick F**in Dalton.")
* Twin Peaks - Side A
* Flock of Dimes - Like So Much Desire
* Lynks Afrikka - Smash Hits, Vol. 1
* Skee Mask - Iss006

Also out:

* Paul Weller - On Sunset
* Deluxe - En confinement
* Ringo Deathstarr - Levitation Sessions


Back to normal next week!

Willy Mason - "Take It Off"

It's been years since we've had new music from Martha's Vineyard's Willy Mason. He's finally back with a new single, "Take It Off." "Take It Off" represents a gigantic departure in style for Mason. He's always been more of a folk troubadour with some very slight forays into indie rock sprinkled in his songs. "Take It Off" is an alt-rocker with blistering guitars. It still has those laid back troubadour vocals, but Willy Mason's voice is his voice. When the first electric guitar squall kicks in around second twenty, you know you're in for something different. It will be interesting to see if this is a new direction for Mason or just a brief dabble in a new sound.

You can listen to "Take It Off" below. The song is currently available as a free download on Willy Mason's Bandcamp. For more on Willy Mason, check out his website.

Bloodshot Records - Pandemophenia

We're huge fans of just about anything Bloodshot Records puts out, so we're thrilled that they recently released a digital only label b-sides, alternate versions, and covers compilation. Pandemophenia is a seventeen song compilation featuring all of our favorites from Bloodshot Records. "I'm Not There Yet" is as good as anything on Jason Hawk Harris's 2019 album Love & the Dark. William Elliott Whitmore has a new wonderfully rough sounding folk tune called "New Skateboard." Barrence Whitfield and the Savages share Soul Flowers of Titan bonus track "Dream of June." ROOKIE adds an acoustic, old-timey version of last year's "Hold on Tight."

And then there's the covers. Ruby Boots does a version of Tom Petty's "Keeping Me Alive," which may only exist as an outtake from the posthumous An American Treasure box set. Laura Jane Grace & The Devouring Mothers bring us a version of "This Land is Your Land" with the rarely included final verse. The Yawpers cover Motorhead's immortal "Ace of Spades" as the blistering hard rock track it is... with just the slightest hint of country. 

You can listen to The Yawpers's take on "Ace of Spades" below. Pandemophenia is available now via Bloodshot Records's Bandcamp. 

Thurston Moore - "Cantaloupe"

Photo via Facebook

After last year's three disc experimental album Spirit Counsel, it's great to hear Thurston Moore get back to actual songs again. "Cantaloupe" is really a mish-mash of all of Moore's favorite sounds. The track starts off with some grungy, sludgy guitar riffs. These are the kind of riffs seldom heard outside of a Melvins album these days. The song slowly morphs into more of an acid loving jam... but with some Detroit style proto-punk guitar solos. It's interesting to hear Moore play in so many of his style all at once, so if you've been a fan of all of his indie rock, jam band, heavy metal, etc. sounds, you're going to be heavily into his new sounds.

You can watch the video for "Cantaloupe" below. By the Fire, the upcoming album from Thurston Moore, will be out September 25. For more on Thurston Moore, check out his website.