Posts

The Klezmatics featuring Sofia Rei Cover Woody Guthrie

By -
Image
Photo Adrian Buckmaster, design Anna Nikolaenko Unfortunately, Woody Guthrie's iconic "Plane Wreck at Los Gatos (Deportees)" is becoming a very popular song to cover. The latest is from The Klezmatics featuring Sofia Rei. This new version is trilingual, with lyrics in English, Spanish, and Yiddish. Eighty years later it's still a timely song, giving the names and dignity back to migrant workers, it may even be more so now. The Klezmatics are also one of the more diverse sounding bands around today, with their bio naming Yiddish soul, punk, gospel, jazz, and folk as their genres. All of those are present in this cover, and the musical diversity only adds to the message of the song. Despite the somber message of the song, this version of "Plane Wreck at Los Gatos (Deportees)" is a true celebration of life and music. Vocalist, accordionist, pianist, and guitarist Lorin Sklamberg says of the new single: “ I’ve been singing Woody’s songs since I was a kid, since ...
Read more

Body Type - "And What Else?"

By -
Image
Photo by Jack Saltmiras Two of my favorite sounds are 90's indie rock and 60's girl groups, so I love any artist that combines those two styles. The latest we've discovered is Body Type. The Australian band have a stripped down post-punk sound mixed with the harmonies of doo wop on "And What Else?" The song grabbed me instantly, with the darkness of post-punk melding with the cheeriness of girl groups perfectly. The song is fairly laid back despite the strong groove throughout. While many artists are combining indie rock and 60's girl groups styles, no one is doing it quite like Body Type. Annabel Blackman (vocals, guitar) says of her band's new single: “The big chorus is a cathartic cry out against feeling insecure in a relationship, those mental twists your brain makes when statements of adoration make you feel sceptical and unworthy, but simultaneously hungry for more of that sweet stuff." You can watch the video for "And What Else?" belo...
Read more

Otoboke Beaver - "I Don't Need to Be in Your Strike Zone"

By -
Image
Photo by Mayumi Hirata We haven't heard from Otoboke Beaver in a while, but now the Japanese punks are back with a new single from an upcoming maxi-single. "I Don't Need to Be in Your Strike Zone" is a fast and noisy affair coming in at just over one minute. It's hyperactive and almost impossibly fast, with lots of yelling gang vocals and headache inducing tempo changes. Otoboke Beaver are never going to be for everyone, but they do instill an intense devotion from their fans. No one is a casual Otoboke Beaver fan, and songs like "I Don't Need to Be in Your Strike Zone" is exactly why. The best part is that we won't have to wait another four years for new music, since they already have two more singles planned for release in the next week! You can watch the video for "I Don't Need to Be in Your Strike Zone" below. Is the New Album Out Yet? is due for a physical release on June 4 via Damnably, and is available to pre-order through Ba...
Read more

Faith Eliott - "there's a cargo ship full of luxury cars on fire in the atlantic ocean"

By -
Image
Photo by Flannery O'Kafka Faith Eliott was raised in Minneapolis before moving to Scotland when they were thirteen. Their latest single, "there's a cargo ship full of luxury cars on fire in the atlantic ocean," is an amazing five and a half minute anti-folk track. It's a ramblin' kind of track that would make Bob Dylan proud, and discusses the modern world of technology in a biting way. It's funny as long as you don't think about it too deeply, and once you do it becomes sad. (Not the part about the luxury cars burning, but how overwhelming modern life can be.) The line about diagnosing yourself with ADHD with memes hit me a little extra hard. Faith Eliott has something extra special with this one, and I'll definitely be spending the rest of the week diving into their back catalog. Faith Elliot says of their latest single: “This was originally recorded to be on ‘dryas’ but when it came to finalising the track order, Robyn Dawson (who produced dryas...
Read more

lucky break - "Head Down"

By -
Image
Photo by Margaret Elle lucky break started off in New York City and is now based in San Francisco. The artist has a new single out, "Head Down," that's a slice of newfangled indie rock that's as based in pop as it is rock. It's a beautiful song with just enough of an edge to it to keep it from being pure pop. To me it sounds like late 90's Juliana Hatfield meets Blondshell. Plus, there's something summery about the song, and we could use that up here in the Northeast for this seemingly never ending winter. lucky break's vocals mesh with the music in "Head Down" in a way that perfectly complement each other. This might be the song with the biggest crossover potential that we've covered this year. lucky break says of her upcoming album: "'made it!' captures my life from 19 to 23 as I was  going through major transitions, finding my inner compass and figuring out how to live in alignment with my values." You can watch the v...
Read more

Deer Tick - "Everything Born"

By -
Image
Photo by Rich Ferri Providence's Deer Tick have released the second single from their forthcoming Providence concept album, and "Everything Born" ranks with their top songs. We repeatedly stated that 2023's Emotional Contracts felt like the band were swinging for the fences and trying to make a hit record that was truly great. For the upcoming Coin-O-Matic , they've pulled back and made a more personal record, and judging by a single like "Everything Born," they might just have a hit album on their hands. This new song is everything we love about Deer Tick. It's a rock song with roots in Americana, but is still a rough and edgy rock song while still being catchy and melodic. This latest is an Ian O'Neil track, and it's one of those near perfect rock songs that is going to blow some minds. Ian O'Neil (vocals and guitar) says of his band's latest single: “‘Everything Born’  was written quickly about the tenuousness of life and the preci...
Read more

Grandmas House - "DOG"

By -
Image
Photo by Marie Dutton Bristol's Grandmas House have a new single out, and we think you're going to love it. Of course, with a lot of music that we cover, "DOG" isn't going to be for everyone. It's an indie rock meets post-punk song that charges right at you. Delivered with raspy vocals, the song has a shockingly melodic sense. And, as much as it may not be for everyone, there is a strong mainstream alt-rock vibe in the song despite the strong noise factor. At times, "DOG" is almost hypnotic, and at others its charging straight at you at a pace that's both breakneck and midtempo. The song is also oddly dance friendly thanks to a strong sense of groove. If the music of Grandmas House works for you, it's going to become a near obsession. Grandmas House say of their latest single: “ ‘DOG’ is about a feeling, written whilst struggling with a chronic illness that no professional could explain. We all have something that burdens us in life, be it me...
Read more

Orcutt Shelley Miller and David Yow Cover Captain Beefheart

By -
Image
Photo by R Orcutt Experimental rock supergroup Orcutt Shelley Miller get a little extra super on their latest single. The trio have teamed with David Yow of The Jesus Lizard and Scratch Acid on a cover of Captain Beefheart's "Hot Head." If you're reading this article, you've probably already pressed play down below, and you should, because this is great. The guitars on this cover sound more like The Jesus Lizard than Orcutt Shelley Miller typically get, but the song sounds funkier than The Jesus Lizard typically are. I'm honestly not too familiar with the original, as Beefheart is one of those artists I know I need to spend more time with. This is kind of a crazy cover, and it's exactly as noisy as you want it to be. Plus, the b-side is a cover of Neil Young's timeless "A Man Needs a Maid" with Ethan Miller of Howlin Rain and Comets on Fire. It's still a noisy affair, but stays relatively true to Young's original. Bassist Ethan Miller...
Read more

J Mau & The Kiss Off - "Poison"

By -
Image
Photo by Zache Davis J Mau & The Kiss Off is lead by Justin Maurer, founder of Clorox Girls, Suspect Parts, LA Drugz, and Maniac. After a divorce, Maurer rediscovered classic country and finally understood it. This led to the formation of J Mau & The Kiss Off. Their new single, "Poison," is classic country through the lens of a punk lifer. As classic as "Poison" sounds, there's something modern sounding about it as well. It's twangy with more than a little bit of an edge. If you want your country to be vintage with a hint of menace, this one is going to be for you. You can watch the video for "Poison" below. The single is available now on Bandcamp . For more on J Mau & The Kiss Off, check out the band on Instagram and Facebook .
Read more

Palmyra Delran & Doppel Gang Cover Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich

By -
Image
You may know Palmyra Delran from her time with The Friggs, The Ramdams, or The Coolies. Now she's back with her latest band, Doppel Gang. The latest single from Palmyra Delran & Doppel Gang is a cover of the 1960's classic "Hold Tight." If that doesn't sound familiar to you (or you don't think you've ever heard of Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich), I assure you that as soon as you press play down below it will all come flooding back to you. "Hold Tight" is the kind of song that's embedded in your musical DNA, and if you ever went through an oldies phase you definitely know it. Delran's cover is a pure classic homage to vintage garage rock. It's all fuzzed out guitars and is fantastically tambourine heavy. Delran adds just the slightest modern sensibility to this version to keep it from being too identical to the original. This one is a lot of fun and is hitting multiple of my personal musical loves. Palmyra Delran says of he...
Read more

Merwulf - "The Mountain Lion"

By -
Image
Merwulf are one of the more interesting artists we've brought you in a while. The Portland, OR trio's latest single, "The Mountain Lion," is a slow and plodding song that is both discordant and melodic. The music is rather foreboding, and you have a sense of doom throughout, as well as an anticipation that the song is going to explode. But, as the song goes on, it becomes more melodic in such a slow way that you barely even notice. The song is both sunny and dark at separate times, and at some points it's both. Merwulf are also the odd band that doesn't include guitar, which also adds to the unique feel of "The Mountain Lion." You can watch the video for "The Mountain Lion" below. In the Golden Age is due out in May on Moodkiller Records. For more on Merwulf, check out the band's website .
Read more

Soraia - "Queens and Pharaohs"

By -
Image
Photo by Shannon Sophy Philadelphia garage rockers Soraia are back with a new single. "Queens and Pharaohs" keeps the huge rock and roll sound of Soraia intact, but adds just a little something extra. It's that sound that's both a monster begging to be played on large festival stages while also being perfect for dive bars. Plus, Soraia doesn't typically have such a vintage garage rock sound, but "Queens and Pharaohs" has the hints of the genre in the 70's. If you love glammed up garage rock, you most likely already love Soraia, but if you're just discovering them, welcome to the bandwagon! Lead vocalist ZouZou Mansour says of her band's latest single: “I'm not settling anywhere anymore, and I love it. Like, ‘who is this woman? She's such a badass.'" You can listen to "Queens and Pharaohs" below. For more on Soraia, check out the band's website .
Read more

The Real McKenzies - "I Wanna Eat Sardines (With Yer Mother)"

By -
Image
Vancouver's The Real McKenzies started out in 1992 and are still going strong with their Celtic punk sound. Their latest single, "I Wanna Eat Sardines (With Yer Mother)," is more punk rock than Celtic, but there is still plenty for fans of the genre to love. It's a fun rocker that comes blasting to you for under ninety seconds of killer punk. As anything that's even remotely Celtic punk, "I Wanna Eat Sardines (With Yer Mother)" is begging to be played full volume in a dingy pub. Not many bands could share the stage with NOFX, Rancid, Flogging Molly, and Metallica, but The Real McKenzies have pulled that off. You can watch the video for "I Wanna Eat Sardines (With Yer Mother)" below. On Yer Bike is due out May 29 on Stomp Records, and is available for pre-order through Bandcamp . For more on The Real McKenzies, check out the band's website .
Read more

Frenchy and the Punk - "War on War"

By -
Image
Photo by Nicola Bee We tend to love everything Frenchy and the Punk puts out, and their latest single is certainly no exception. "War on War" fits with in with the post-punk cabaret style of the duo which consists of Samantha Stephenson and Scott Helland (Deep Wound, Guitarmy of One). This one goes back to the more gothic New Wave style and is wonderfully synth heavy. I always seem to compare Frenchy and the Punk to Siouxsie and the Banshees meets Concrete Blonde, but that comparison always seems to work. If you miss the more theatrical side of post-punk and New Wave, "War on War" is going to be for you. Plus, it's the most danceable of the current crop of political songs we've brought you. Samantha Stephenson says of her band's latest single: "This song is not only about war but also the deterioration of truth and destruction of progress. It's the belief that the majority of people in this country and the world do not want to go backwards and d...
Read more