Leenalchi - "Bird"

By -

Photo by Swan Studio

According to the press release, "The music of Leenalchi is taken from pansori, a traditional Korean style of musical storytelling that tells epic tales of love, virtue, and sorrow." The Seoul based band has a new single out, and it's one of the most unique sounds we've heard in a while. "Bird" is a simple and complex track that (as far as Western sounds go) mixes indie rock, pop, hip hop, and R&B. This is one of those rare times that I can't compare a band or song to another artist. "Bird" has such a unique sound, even though it has some roots in music you already love. As soon as you listen to this song (repeatedly), you'll be joining us in a deep dive into Leenalchi's catalog. 

You can watch the video for "Bird" below. Here Comes That Crow is due out June 12 on Luaka Bop. For more on Leenalchi, check out the artist's website. Upcoming tour dates are below the video and include an October 31 date at The Drake in Amherst, MA.


Sun. June 21 - Ottawa, ON @ Ottawa Jazz    
Thu. June 25 - Toronto, ON @  Lee’s Palace   
Fri. June 26 - Montreal, QC @ Montreal Jazz Festival
Sat. June 27 - Vancouver, BC @ Vancouver Jazz Festival   
Sun. June 29 - San Francisco, CA @ Stern Grove Festival w/ Japanese Breakfast
Wed. July 8 - Seattle, WA @ Vera Project    
Sat. July 11 - Los Angeles @ The Getty
Fri. Oct. 9 - Durham, NC @ Good Moon Festival
Wed. Oct. 28 - Philadelphia, PA @ Asian Arts Initiative
Thu. Oct. 29 - Brooklyn, NY @ Pioneer Works
Sat. Oct. 31 - Amherst, MA @ Drake
Sun. Nov. 1 - Kingston, NY @ Assembly
Mon. Nov. 2 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Warhol Museum
Wed. Nov. 4 - Cleveland, OH @ Cleveland Museum of Art
Fri. Nov. 6 - Chicago, IL Sleeping Village
Sat. Nov. 7 - Minneapolis, MN @ The Cedar Cultural Center
Thu. Nov 12 - Amsterdam, NL @ Paradiso (Upstairs)
Fri. Nov 13 - Rotterdam, NL @ Grounds
Sun. Nov 15 - Berlin, DE @ Gretchen
Tue. Nov 17 - Hamburg, DE @ Knust
Wed. Nov 18 - Copenhagen, DK @ VEGA Musikkens Hus
Fri. Nov 20 - Aarhus, DK @ Turkis
Sat. Nov 21 - Groningen, NL @ VERA
Tue. Nov 24 - Dublin, IE @ Whelan's
Thu. Nov 26 - London, UK @ Jazz Cafe
Fri. Nov 27 - Bristol, UK @ The Jam Jar
Sat. Nov 28 - Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Social Club
Sun. Nov 29 - Manchester, UK @ Band on the Wall

On Repeat...

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

Indigo De Souza - "Heartthrob"

By -
Image
Photo by Hannah Sommer The latest from Indigo De Souza is a glorious mix of rock and pop music, stirred up in such a unique way. "Heartthrob" is an upbeat song that is guaranteed to make listeners want to dance. As dance focused as the song is, it has such a raw and rough element in its instrumentation that makes it rock based. Then there's De Souza's vocals that truly blend both genres. There's something a little extra rough about her singing that keeps the song from being pop, while she also has a slacker pop thing going on, too. "Heartthrob" might be the greatest definition of alt-pop possible. Indigo De Souza feels like one of those artists that is set to explode at any minute. Indigo De Souza says of her latest single: "I wrote ‘Heartthrob’ as a way to help process something that is often hard to talk about—the harmful ways I’ve been taken advantage of in my physical memory. ‘Heartthrob’ is about harnessing anger, and turning it into something ...
Read more

Julien Baker & TORRES - "Tuesday"

By -
Image
Photo by Ebru Yildiz Julien Baker and TORRES teaming up for a country album is one of the true joys of 2025. The pair's latest single, "Tuesday," is fronted by TORRES, and according to the press release is about "... trying to overcome and heal from the guilt, shame and religious abuse that so many people experience discovering their identity and growing up Queer." The song is a twangy, laid back country track that lands somewhere between classic country and modern pop music (but nowhere near the current country pop sound). I'm not typically a lyrics guy and don't normally pay attention to the lyrics of a song until after multiple listens, but the lyrics of "Tuesday" grabbed me immediately upon the first listen. This is the type of song that is going to demand your focus and attention.  You can watch the visualizer for "Tuesday" below. Send a Prayer My Way is due out April 18 on Matador Records, and is available for pre-order here . F...
Read more