Songs inspired by quarantine and lockdown are going to be a fact of life for the foreseeable future. It was (is?) such a massive part of everyone's lives for over a year, and it's impossible for art to not reflect that. Hopefully the rest of these songs is as good as Charming Disaster's. "Spooky Action" is one of Charming Disaster's cabaret meets folk that we've come to love from the duo. It's far more melancholy than their usual songs, and lacks the sense of humor and joy that permeates their music, but this wasn't exactly a fun time for most people so it's quite understandable. Instead, "Spooky Action" is a beautiful, sad ballad about loneliness and reuniting.
Since it is still a Charming Disaster song, it does have more flair than other quarantine inspired songs. The band explains:
"'Spooky action at a distance' is a quantum physics phenomenon where two particles that are physically separated affect each other as if they are still connected.
"We wrote this song when we were quarantined in two separate locations during the 2020 lockdown, and recorded it together after we were reunited, holed up in our studio like a couple of kids in a treehouse. It includes a secret message in Morse code."
You can listen to "Spooky Action" below. You can get a copy of the single on Bandcamp. For more on Charming Disaster, check out the band's website. Current tour dates are below the song.
Richmond, VA based producer/songwriter Abby Huston's music is described as indie, easy listening, soul, and R&B. Their most recent single, "Apartment," has echoes of all of those genres. It's a quiet, thoughtful track that still has the groove of soul or R&B. It's an almost painfully intimate song, the kind where you feel like you're listening in on someone's private thoughts. But, Huston has crafted a song that you'll feel yourself needing to listen to, and maybe even doing a slow little dance in your chair despite how chill it is.
In a press release, Abby Huston says of their new song:
"'Apartment’ is about depression and anxiety, self-doubt and acceptance through accountability. It’s about the stubborn resistances of our spirit and inner wisdom, and how that can settle into hopelessness, self-isolation, and negativity. It’s a reminder that we can accept the purpose and ability to transform into the people we want to be. “The lyrics show the arrival of this enlightenment, because for me, amidst everything else in the world, realization can come in like waves, like leases, like semesters, like days and verses—it took time. In the case of “Apartment,” acceptance didn’t come until the final chorus."
You can listen to "Apartment" below. The song is currently available as a single via Egghunt Records with an album due out in the Fall. You can get the single over at Bandcamp. For more on Abby Huston, check out the artist's Facebook.
When you first see that Homeboy Sandman has a song called "No Beef," you would assume it's the Urban Dictionary definition of "To fight or Scrap with another person." Instead the song is about Homeboy Sandman being vegan. In fact, it may very well be the best song about being vegan ever recorded. "No Beef" is an off-kilter alt-hip hop jam. Musically it doesn't quite sound like any other hip hop out there despite being purely hip hop (even without the sample from "La Di Da Di"). It's an interesting song that branches hip hop off into a direction it doesn't normally go into.
Homeboy Sandman says of the new song:
"I had psoriasis all over my body. It was driving me crazy. I asked the doctor “could it be something I’m eating?” She looked me dead in the eye, straight faced, “food has nothing to do with it.” Thank God for the intuition to disregard her “treatment plan” intended to make me a lifetime customer of the medical industry. Year and a half after removing all meat and dairy from my diet my skin is completely clear. I met a dude who told me he cured his diabetes eating plants. I talked to a guy just the other day who told me he cured his mother’s cancer. It’s all in The China Study you should read that. I’m not saying every body is the same. I’m just saying my doctor straight lied to me. Now that’s true, that’s why I never have no beef."
You can listen to "No Beef" below. Anjelitu is due out August 6 on Mello Music Group. You can pre-order a copy here. For more on Homeboy Sandman, check out the artist's Facebook.
Flossing is the new musical project of Heather Elle, formerly of BODEGA. Her new single, "Switch," is a surprisingly catchy electroclash/dance track with some hip hop influences about BDSM. (I have friends that would be disappointed that I didn't pick up on the subject matter based on the title alone...) It reminds me of some of the more mainstream electronica or trip hop of the late 90's mixed with some darker industrial, like Sneaker Pimps mixed with Ruby. It has just the slightest hints of darkness while still being an upbeat song.
Heather Elle says of the new single:
"‘Switch' is the most honest documentation of my psyche in 2020... a messy and perverse mental excavation. In its dual moods, the song represents the complexities of coinciding grieving processes — my mother passing suddenly before tour, ending a five-year relationship, leaving a band, and learning that my city and industry would be on an indefinite hold.”
You can watch the video for "Switch" below. Queen of the Mall is due out September 10 on Brace Yourself Records. For more on Flossing, check out the artist on Instagram and Bandcamp.
Little Hag came out of virtually nowhere to release what was probably If It's Too Loud...'s album of 2021, Whatever Happened to Avery Jane? (It was my #4 album of the year and Jeff's #2.) Avery Mandeville's musical project is back with a new-ish single, "Get Real." In a Facebook post, Little Hag states that this is a remixed song, possibly from her time recording music under the name Avery Mandeville. (It's hard to find her previous releases online...) This version of get real is a bizarre version of pop punk goes dirty protopunk. It's a lot edgier than what we got with the previous album. Of course, then the song takes a few unexpected swerves into the realm of Gwen Stefani style pop. Finally the song goes into more of an alt-singer/songwriter territory, so it's wonderfully all over the place while still sounding like parts of one cohesive song.
You can listen to "Get Real" below. Little Hag has two new releases coming out in the next two months: An EP titled Breakfast on August 11 and an album called Leash on September 24, both presumably on Bar None Records. You can pre-save/pre-order these here. Little Hag is playing a show this Friday (July 16) at the House of Independents in Asbury Park, NJ. For more on Little Hag, check out the artist on Facebook.
It's nice to see an artist cover their friends and peers instead of just their heroes and predecessors. It's a throwback to the early days of rock 'n' roll when everybody covered everybody. Shovels & Rope are masters of the cover, releasing three albums of covers (so far!) As part of Dualtone's twentieth anniversary, they were asked to cover Shakey Graves' "Dearly Departed." The original is a powerful, uplifting anthem, with foot stomping drums and an absolutely scream-along worthy chorus. Shovels & Rope slow the song way, way down and turn it into a quiet ballad. It's an interesting choice, since Shakey Graves' original features Esme Patterson and would have been absolutely perfect as is for the husband/wife duo of Shovels & Rope. But, the best covers are ones where the coverer puts their own spin on the song, and that's ultimately what this one is.
You can listen to Shovels & Rope's version of "Dearly Departed" below. The song will be included on Amerikinda: 20 Years of Dualtone which is currently on Spotify with physical copies available for pre-order here. For more on Shovels & Rope, check out the artist's website.
What else can we truly say about TORRES at this point? Mackenzie Scott's latest single, "Thirstier," starts off almost as a ballad. It's quiet, with gently strummed guitar over a faraway electronic beat. And, if that was all the song was, it would be a gorgeous ballad that we'd completely adore. Then, the rock kicks in making it a mid-90's style power pop rocker. "Thirstier" then goes full on loud/quiet/loud for the rest of the song, although even the quiet parts are less quiet after that. It's a love song about how intense a relationship can be even as it goes on, with a chorus that includes the lyrics "The more of you I drink / The thirstier of you I get."
You can watch the video for "Thirstier" below. Thirstier is due out July 30 on Merge Records. You can pre-order/pre-save a copy here. For more on TORRES, check out the artist's Facebook and Twitter. Upcoming tour dates are below the video.
Sun. Aug. 29 - Fairfield, CT @ StageOne Mon. Aug. 30 - Portsmouth, NH @ Press Room Tue. Aug. 31 - Cambridge, MA @ Sonia Fri. Sept. 3 - Buffalo, NY @ Mohawk Place Fri. Sept. 10 - Milwaukee, WI @ Summerfest Sat. Sept. 11 - Maquoketa, IA @ Codfish Hollow Barn Mon. Sept. 13 - Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Tavern Tue. Sept. 14 - Columbus, OH @ Ace of Cups Wed. Sept. 15 - Detroit, MI @ Marble Bar Thu. Sept. 16 - Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle Fri. Sept. 17 - Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry Sat. Sept. 18 - Kansas City, MO @ Record Bar Sun. Sept. 19 - St. Louis, MO @ Off Broadway Tue. Sept. 21 - Denver, CO @ Larimer Lounge Wed. Sept. 22 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court Sat. Sept. 25 - Boise, ID @ Treefort Music Festival Mon. Sept. 27 - Seattle, WA @ Tractor Tavern Tue. Sept. 28 - Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge Thu. Sept. 30 - San Francisco, CA @ Brick & Mortar Music Hall Fri. Oct. 1 - Santa Cruz, CA @ Atrium @ Catalyst Sat. Oct. 2 - San Diego, CA @ Soda Bar Sun. Oct. 3 - Los Angeles, CA @ Troubadour Mon. Oct. 4 - Phoenix, AZ @ Rebel Lounge Wed. Oct. 6 - Dallas, TX @ Deep Ellum Art Co. Thu. Oct. 7 - Houston, TX @ Bronze Peacock Fri. Oct. 8 - Austin, TX @ 3TEN @ ACL Live Mon. Oct. 11 - Chattanooga, TN @ House Show Tue. Oct. 12 - Atlanta, GA @ The Earl Wed. Oct. 13 - Asheville, NC @ ISIS Asheville Thu. Oct. 14 - Nashville, TN @ EXIT/IN Fri. Oct. 15 - Knoxville, TN @ Open Chord Sat. Oct. 16 - Durham, NC @ The Pinhook Sun. Oct. 17 - Washington, DC @ Union Stage Mon. Oct. 18 - Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s Thu. Oct. 21 - New York, NY @ The Bowery Ballroom Fri. March 11, 2022 - Glasgow, UK @ Mono Sat. March 12, 2022 - Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Social Club Sun. March 13, 2022 - Manchester, UK @ Night & Day Mon. March 14, 2022 - Bristol, UK @ Exchange Tue. March 15, 2022 - London, UK @ Bush Hall Thu. March 17, 2022 - Paris, FR @ La Boule Noire Fri. March 18, 2022 - Gent, BE @ Charlatan Sat. March 19, 2022 - Utrecht, NL @ Ekko Mon. March 21, 2022 - Berlin, DE @ Frannz Club Tue. March 22, 2022 - Hamburg, DE @ Uebel & Gefährlich (Turmzimmer) Wed. March 23, 2022 - Cologne, DE @ Bumann & SOHN Thu. March 24, 2022 - Heidelberg, DE @ Karlstorbahnhof Fri. March 25, 2022 - Zürich, CH @ Rote Fabrik Sat. March 26, 2022 - Bologna, IT @ Locomotiv
Artist: Attacca Quartet Album: Real Life Quick Thoughts: We don't do much, if any, modern classical here. Just not our lane. Attacca Quartet's new album, however, has me rethinking that. The string foursome do some really impressive and progressive stuff with their instruments and with the songwriting, to the point where pieces that involve acts lime TOKiMONSTA and Squarepusher sit alongside other originals, it all blends together perfectly. This is my favorite thing I've listened to this year by far, and you need to make time to give it a shot. Songs of Note: "Real Life," "Xetaka 1," "Remind U"
Artist: Covey Album: Class of Cardinal Sin Quick Thoughts: I wish I knew how to properly describe Covey. This debut album has a lot of emo overtones to it, but instead of being overly earnest and over-the-top, it shows a level of restraint and stability that gives the whole effort more weight. Each song feels almost perfectly crafted, and whether it's "Sam Jam" (which has stuck in my brain for months) or "1991" (which will stay in my brain for months), we're seeing the first album from a singer-songwriter who, if there's any justice, will make significant waves. Songs of Note: "1991," "Cut on the Crease," "Four Dollar Sandwich," "Sam Jam," "Point Mutation"
Artist: Dylan Cartlidge Album: Hope Above Adversity Quick Thoughts: Dylan Cartlidge has produced an album here that has some real deep thoughts and concepts throughout its runtime, but still has the feel of a summer party album. I fell in love with "Yellow Brick Road" some time ago, and listening to this album really solidified that it wasn't a one-off stroke of luck. This won't work for everyone, for sure, but I'm glad it exists and that I opened myself to it. Just a great listen. Songs of Note: "Brown Bread," "Yellow Brick Road," "Dare to Dream"
Artist: Drug Store Romeos Album: The world within our bedrooms Quick Thoughts: Drug Store Romeos provide some light, dreamy, electronic-tinged indie pop, and, man, it's just great. As someone who really enjoys the more reverb-heavy shoegaze-style stuff, this ticks a lot of boxes and ends up being a surprise favorite this week. It's out there, for sure, but you'll hear some of these songs and realize after a few listens how often you've been humming them to yourself. This is definitely worth your time. Songs of Note: "Secret Plan," "Walking Talking Marathon"
Artist: Half Waif Album: Mythopoetics Quick Thoughts: Half Waif is a favorite of ours, and her new album is Half Waif at her finest. We've loved her previous efforts, but this latest release is pretty great from start to finish. Solid melodies, strong songwriting, and earworms like "Horse Racing" make this one to look out for. Songs of Note: "Horse Racing," "Swimmer," "Fortress"
Artist: Daniel Avery Album: Together in Static Quick Thoughts: I didn't want this to get lost in the shuffle this week, but if you're looking for some instrumental ambient-adjacent electronic music perfect for the plague times we're exiting, don't miss this one. It's absolutely a superlative release this week. Songs of Note: "Endless Hours," "Midnight Sun"
Making a song this discordant yet this melodic is quite the feat. Cuffed Up has released "Canaries," which is this unbelievably intense post punk song rooted in 90's indie rock and grunge. It sounds like if Sonic Youth had tried to make the hit song that Geffen Records probably wanted them to. It's filled with these gloriously swirling, distorted guitars that seem to be fighting with each other for dominance as much as they're working together towards the same end. It's the kind of song that sounds like it could devolve into chaos at any second, but Cuffed Up hold it all together just enough. All of this with actual killer vocals are what is going to set "Canaries" apart from other current 90's inspired rock.
In a press release, the band explains the new song:
""Canaries'" is about going down a path that you know is wrong, yet you keep going because some form of shame is driving you. Sometimes, we become numb to the burdens we carry. "Carrying the weight of stones/with pins to his bones” reflects that and the need to be vulnerable with yourself and not accept fate as is.""
You can watch the video for "Canaries" below. The song is available as a single via Royal Mountain Records. You can get a copy here. For more on Cuffed Up, check out the band's website. Upcoming tour dates with The Joy Formidable are below the video.
11/26 - The Crocodile - Seattle, WA 11/27 - Doug Fir Lounge - Portland, OR 11/29 - The Independent - San Francisco, CA 11/30 - The Roxy Theatre - Los Angeles, CA 12/02 - Crescent Ballroom - Phoenix, AZ 12/04 - Bluebird Theater - Denver, CO 12/05 - The Riot Room - Kansas City, MO 12/07 - Turf Club - Minneapolis, MN 12/09 - Lincoln Hall - Chicago, IL 12/10 - A&R Music Hall - Columbus, OH 12/11 - Thunderbird Music Hall - Pittsburgh, PA 12/12 - 9:30 Club - Washington, DC 12/13 - The Sinclair - Boston, MA 12/14 - Bowery Ballroom - New York, NY 12/16 - Underground Arts - Philadelphia, PA 12/17 - Empire Underground - Albany, NY 12/18 - Higher Ground Showcase Lounge - Burlington, VT
If the previous singles from Durand Jones & The Indications revealed the neo-soul titans dabbling in disco, "The Way That I Do" leaps headfirst into the genre. "The Way That I Do" is a straight up disco jam. The song may be laced in old school soul, but it's fully a dance song that sounds like it could be from the late 1970's. It features Aaron Frazer's falsetto over some of the smoothest music (including strings) we've heard in decades. I think we're all well past the whole "Disco Sucks" thing, and if you're not, you're going to miss out on songs as fantastic as this one.
In a press release, Aaron Frazer says of the song:
“Whether on tour or spinning records, over the years we realized how much we love making people dance. When the first notes hit or the needle drops and the whole crowd lights up, that's a feeling we held onto all through 2020. And that's what we're bringing on 'The Way That I Do.' It's a run-to-the-dancefloor song for that special person who gets you shook, makes you wanna do more and be your best self. But it's also for everyone who's missed just getting together and movin' their ass! See y'all soon!”
You can watch the video for "The Way That I Do" below. Private Space is due out July 30 on Dead Oceans in association with Colemine Records. You can pre-order/pre-save a copy here. For more on Durand Jones & The Indications, check out the band's website. Upcoming tour dates are below the video.
Sat. Sep. 4 - Hershey, PA @ Harrisburg University At The Englewood Sun. Sep. 5 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Spirit Hall Tue. Sept. 7 - Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club w/ 79.5 Wed. Sep. 8 - Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer w/ 79.5 Fri. Sept. 10 - Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel w/ 79.5 Sat. Sept. 11 - Washington DC @ 9:30 Club w/ 79.5 Mon. Sept. 13 - Chicago, IL @ Vic Theatre w/ 79.5 Tue. Sept. 14 - Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line w/ 79.5 Thu. Sept. 16 - Denver, CO @ Gothic Theater w/ 79.5 Fri. Sept. 17 - Salt Lake City, UT @ The Commonwealth Room w/ 79.5 Mon. Sept. 20 - San Diego, CA @ Soma w/ 79.5 Mon. Sep. 21 - Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Palladium w/ 79.5 Wed. Sept. 22 - Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Palladium w/ 79.5 Thu. Sep. 23 - Santa Barbara, CA @ Santa Barbara Bowl w/ My Morning Jacket Fri. Sept. 24 - Dana Point, CA @ Ohana Fest Sat. Sep. 25 - Berkeley, CA @ Greek Theatre at UC Berkeley w/ My Morning Jacket Tue. Sep. 28 - Troutdale, OR @ Edgefield w/ My Morning Jacket Wed. Sep. 29 - Spokane, WA @ Spokane Pavilion at Riverfront w/ My Morning Jacket Fri. Oct. 1 - Seattle, WA @ Paramount Theater w/ My Morning Jacket Sat. Oct. 2 - Seattle, WA @ Paramount Theater w/ My Morning Jacket Sun. Oct. 3 - Bend, OR @ Les Schwab Ampitheater w/ My Morning Jacket Fri. Oct. 8 - Austin, TX @ Austin City Limits Music Festival Thu. Oct. 28 - Sun. Oct. 31 - Live Oak, FL @ Suwanee Hulaween Sun. May 22, 2022 - Monterey, CA @ California Roots Festival
