Destroy Boys - "Shadow (I'm Breaking Down)"

Photo by Ambar Navarro

Destroy Boys are one of those bands at the forefront of the new punk movement that may have a little more of a pop vibe but still has a punk edge. I'm sure some punk purists refuse to accept them as punk, but they're just wrong, especially when you hear their latest single. "Shadow (I'm Breaking Down)" might be the most traditionally punk song the trio has put out so far. It's driving guitars and pounding drums that are unmistakably punk, along with harmonies that would make Bad Religion proud. "Shadow (I'm Breaking Down)" isn't even remotely pop punk, but it is melodic punk. Destroy Boys have been a great band for a while, and 2023 might just see them make that next great leap forward.

You can listen to "Shadow (Breaking Down)" below. The single is available now via Hopeless Records. For more on Destroy Boys, check out their website. Upcoming tour dates are below the song.

7/14 - Irving Plaza - New York, NY  +

7/15 -  Black Cat - Washington, DC   #

7/16 - Preserving Underground -  Pittsburgh, PA #

7/18 - The Rec Room - Buffalo, NY #

7/19  - Beachland Ballroom - Cleveland, OH #

7/21 - El Club -  Detroit, MI #

7/22  - Metro - Chicago, IL +

8/8 - Proxima - Warsaw, Poland 

8/10 - Sziget Festival - Budapest, Hungary 

8/12 - Open Flair Festival - Eschwege, Germany 

8/13 - Taubertal Festival - Rothenburg Ob Der Tauber, Germany 

8/14 - Fluc - Vienna, Austria 

8/16 - Junkyard - Dortmund, Germany 

8/17 - Lux Club - Hannover, Germany 

8/18 - Paradiso - Amsterdam, Netherlands 

8/20 - Pukkelpop Festival - Hasselt, Belgium 

8/21 - Rescue Rooms - Nottingham, UK 

8/22 - The Fleece - Bristol, UK 

8/23 - CHALK - Brighton, UK 

8/26 - Mind The Gap Festival - Salt Lake City, UT 

9/2 - Bumbershoot - Seattle, WA 

9/24 - House of Blues - Anaheim, CA (Frank Turner’s Lost Evenings) 

10/15 - Lunario Del Auditorio Nacional - Mexico City, Mexico

+ destroyfest

#with gully boys & jigsaw youth 

^ with die spitz

Arny Margret - "i went outside"

Photo by Keiko Ichihara

Iceland's Arny Margret is just one of those artists that is impossibly compelling. Her latest single, "i went outside," skirts the mainstream of modern folk-pop, but eschews it in favor of her very own sound. As with any of her songs, "i went outside" focuses on Margret's vocals, which are charming and lovely in the way that virtually any listener is going to become a fan. This is a song that initially feels simple, but the deeper you listen, the more you'll hear going on. There is unexpected instrumentation and sounds throughout that add to how lush the song feels without taking away from Margret's vocals and lyrics. The more often and the more intently you listen, the more you'll be rewarded.

Arny Margret says of her upcoming EP:

“The EP is different than anything I’ve done. I push my voice more, I even scream at one point. The title track is the first song I've ever actually written broadly on piano. One of the tracks is so short, and doesn’t even have a chorus, it’s not the way you’d typically write a song. One track is played with a full band–it’s so much fuller, but it’s also much more raw. Through all the tracks on the EP, I think it's about figuring something out about myself. A lot of them are about me and how I am as a person, and what I do.”

You can listen to "i went outside" below. dinner alone is due out September 22 on One Little Independent Records. For more on Arny Margret, check out the artist's website. 

Genesis Owusu - "Tied Up!"

Photo by Bec Parsons

I'm not a huge dance music person, although I was in college in the late 90's, so obviously I did some dabbling then. But sometimes an artist comes around that completely defies you not to love their music no matter the genre, and Genesis Owusu is one of those. The Ghanian-Australian musician's latest single, "Tied Up!," is a pure dance track. It has a distinctly 90's feel to it, mixing mainstream dance music from that period with funk and hip hop. It's the kind of track that feels instantly familiar while also sounding completely fresh. It's like PM Dawn mixed with Madonna mixed with Parliament/Funkadelic, and is somehow even more fun than that sounds.

Genesis Owusu says of his new single:

“The Roach continues to run through an absurd world, trivially trying to make sense of it. Maybe looking internally, focusing inward instead of outward, will provide some guidance? Who knows.”

You can watch the video for "Tied Up!" below. Struggler is due out August 18 on Ourness/Awal, and is available for pre-order here. For more on Genesis Owusu, check out the artist's website. Upcoming tour dates are below the video.

10/12 Minneapolis, MN - Fine Line

10/13 Chicago, IL - Thalia Hall

10/14 Ferndale, MI - The Loving Touch

10/15 Pittsburgh, PA - Thunderbird Music Hall

10/17 Toronto, ON - The Velvet Underground

10/18 Montreal, QC - Le Studio TD

10/19 Boston, MA - The Sinclair

10/20 Brooklyn, NY - Elsewhere

10/21 Philadelphia, PA - Underground Arts

10/25 Washington, DC - Union Stage

10/27 Charlotte, NC - Visulite Theatre 

10/28 Atlanta, GA - Terminal West

10/29 Nashville, TN - The Basement East

10/31 Austin, TX - Empire Control Room & Garage

11/01 Dallas, TX - The Studio at The Factory

11/03 Denver, CO - Globe Hall

11/06 Los Angeles, CA - The Fonda Theatre

11/07 San Francisco, CA - The Independent

11/09 Seattle, WA - Neumos

11/10 Portland, OR - Star Theatre

11/11 Vancouver, BC - Rickshaw Theatre

11/15 London, UK - Heaven

11/16 Paris, FR - Café de la Danse

11/17 Berlin, DE - Hole44

12/01 Perth, AUS - Ice Cream Factory

12/08 Melbourne, AUS - Festival Hall

12/09 Canberra, AUS - UC Refectory

12/14 Brisbane, AUS - Fortitude Music Hall

12/15 Sydney, AUS - Hordern Pavilion

12/16 Adelaide, AUS - Hindley St Music Hall

Walter Sickert & The Army of Broken Toys - "Keep My Head"

We've been patiently awaiting the new single and video from Walter Sickert & The Army of Broken Toys to be released on July 22, but it turns out our steamcrunk favorites have made the song available on their Bandcamp early! "Keep My Head" sees the Army of Toys going where we never thought we'd see them: The world of the mainstream! Of course mainstream is relative, but this is by far their most accessible single to date. It starts off as an almost classical piece before the rock kicks in. "Keep My Head" lives in the world of straightforward alt-rock and posibly even adult contemporary... but through their very own filter. It's just the perfect balance of weird and mainstream that if this was the late 90's and/or modern rock radio was still a thing, this could almost be guaranteed to be a surprise hit. But in 2023, we'll have to rely on word of mouth to get this the attention it deserves.

You can listen to "Keep My Head" below. The video will be unveiled at The Sinclair on July 22 on a sick quadruple bill that also includes blog favorites Sapling, Astral Bitch, and Dropbear. For more information on the show and to get your tickets to the show of the summer, check out Walter Sickert & The Army of Broken Toys' website.

Sharkswimmer - "Glue"

Photo by Mitchell Wojcik

There are a lot of bands currently wearing their 90's influences on their sleeves, butBrooklyn's Sharkswimmer are going the extra mile. Their latest single, "Glue," is a perfectly fuzzed out track mixed with some of the poppiest hooks around in 2023. The song starts off with a wall of shoegaze style guitar, but as it goes on the harmony and melody starts coming out more and more. It includes some slacker vocals that end up being surprisingly catchy. "Glue" slowly seems to morph into different styles as it goes on that are barely noticeable. It's like Sharkswimmer found a way to cram My Bloody Valentine, The Lemonheads, Foo Fighters, and Nada Surf into one song, and they did it quite well.

You can listen to "Glue" below. Serenity is due out October 3 on Really Rad Records. For more on Sharkswimmer, check out the band on Instagram and Facebook.

Rachel Bobbitt - "Clay Feet"

Photo by Daniel Topete

Toronto's Rachel Bobbitt is going to hit the sweet spot for a lot of our readers. Her latest single, "Clay Feet," is being described as bedroom alt-pop, but there is so much more to the song. There's a lot of the modern folk or near folk sound similar to what artists like Lucy Dacus and Julia Jacklin are doing, but Bobbitt is adding a little more of a rock edge to the song. The rock side and volume of the song is more apparent as it builds and builds, but it's always there lingering just below the surface. It may peek out from time to time in the form of some shoegaze style fuzz, but towards the end it fully erupts. And then there's Bobbitt's voice, which expertly draws you in, and may end up taking over the entire song for you.

Rachel Bobbitt says of her new single:

“‘Clay Feet’ describes a love that is all consuming and desperate. While the song details the gentle and delicate moments within a relationship, it also alludes to a darker undercurrent of manipulation and control. Love can take you outside of yourself and make you do things you’d never expect- both good and bad.” 

You can watch the video for "Clay Feet" below. The Half We Still Have is due out August 4 on Fantasy Records, and is available for pre-order here. For more on Rachel Bobbitt, check out the artist's website.

Maple Glider - "Dinah"

Photo by Bridgette Winten

Naarm/Melbourne based artist Maple Glider (aka Tori Zietsch) has released a new single that shows off the pop side of her psych folk sound. Of course, as is the case with the best songs, the light, cheery sound of the music hides a darker message in the lyrics. "Dinah" is inspired by the bible story of a woman being victim blamed for being sexually assaulted. It's the kind of song that sounds like a perfect summer song until you actually pay attention to the lyrics. The upbeat vibe of the song makes the message that much more dark and disturbing.

Tori Zietsch says of her new song:

“For me, 'Dinah' is the scariest thing I’ve ever put out. It’s probably the most pop feeling song I’ve released, but it’s really quite an angry song. I have felt incredibly disturbed and frustrated and sad in the process of writing and putting it together. I wanted the video to be fast paced, colourful, and full of energy, the same kind of riled up energy I had when I wrote the song. But it also had to be silly, because I can’t help that.”

You can watch the video for "Dinah" below. I Get Into Trouble is due out October 13 on Pieater in Australia and Partisan everywhere else. The album is available for pre-order through Bandcamp. For more on Maple Glider, check out the artist on Instagram and Facebook.

First Listen: New and Missed Music for 7 July 2023

Artist: PJ Harvey
Album: I Inside the Old Year Dying
Quick Thoughts: PJ Harvey could rightfully claim an elder statesman status given her importance to the alternative rock landscape of the 1990s and 2000s, but instead, she keeps putting out albums that demonstrate her interest in creating compelling music instead of chasing any particular popularity. This latest album is a very artful effort, equal parts disquieting and attention-grabbing, and showcases a singer and songwriter comfortable in her place. I really loved this album - both as a musical endeavor and as a statement. A mandatory listen this week.
Songs of Note: "Autumn Term," "Seem an I," "I Inside the Old I Dying"

Artist: billy woods and Kenny Segal
Album: Maps
Quick Thoughts: Of some of the albums we missed from the first half of the year is this effort, which is a rap effort that isn't what you expect. The off-kilter start of "Kenwood Speakers" and "Soft Landing" morphs into a record that challenges as well as entertains. A superlative rap effort from this year.
Songs of Note: "Soundcheck," "Babylon by Bus," "Year Zero," "Waiting Around"

Artist: Kara Jackson
Album: Why Does the Earth Give Us People to Love
Quick Thoughts: I'll be honest, I have no clue how we missed the boat on Kara Jackson. Maybe it's her delivery, which is a deep and resonant presence, or maybe it's that her former status as Youth Poet Laureate bestows a air of overimportance to the whole affair. Either way, missing this one was a big mistake, because this is definitely one of the best albums of the year. It's as honest as anything you'll come across, bending serious tunes about love and loss to more lighthearted brutality like "dickhead blues." She's a voice in all senses of the word, and you shouldn't miss out on this one.
Songs of Note: "no fun/party," "dickhead blues," "free"

Artist: AJ Suede
Album: Ark Flashington
Quick Thoughts: A short rap concept-ish album (his third record in six months) with a ton going for it (especially given how prolific he is), this is an album you probably wouldn't want to miss in a busy week. The raps are great, the sampling especially solid, and the songs memorable. Check this one out.
Songs of Note: "Direct Currents," "Wild Bunch," "Most Black Superheroes"

Artist: Lauren Bousfield
Album: Salesforce
Quick Thoughts: A short album from breakcore producer/songwriter Lauren Bousfield makes a very loud racket while also making a statement about the potential of the genre as a whole. The song titles are as impenetrable as the music in many regards, and that's by design. It's hyperpop for people who wish 100 Gecs was more glitched out, and I'm here for it.
Songs of Note: "Mansions No One Wants to Buy For Any Price," "Headstone Prices on Credit," "Organized Abandonment Bird Migration Patters Relentless Bureaucratic Violence," "Narrow Down Concepts Force Meaning"

Artist: Taylor Swift
Album: Speak Now (Taylor's Version)
Quick Thoughts: I don't need to tell you whether or not to listen to this, because you've likely already made your decision about the megastar. For my money, though, this re-recording of Speak Now is an album I was incapable of appreciating when it came out. It's definitely the first real country->pop crossover effort we received, and what's telling to me, at least, is how comfortable she sits in both world during this point in her career. "Mean" is probably her best song of her country roots, but you can hear the immediate ability to switch gears in songs like "Better Than Revenge," which would have fit right in on a Can't Hardly Wait-style soundtrack. The re-recordings are fun, however, because it's someone playing their old selves straight, (usually) warts and all - a 30-something Taylor Swift can't make this record any more than the 20-something couldn't make Folklore, but the 20-something still had multiple songs that didn't make the cut in the vault at this point. She's our greatest living songwriter. It's Taylor's world, we just live in it.
Songs of Note: "Mean," "Better Than Revenge," "When Emma Falls in Love," "I Can See You"

Of note:

* Alice Phoebe Lou - Shelter
* Aluna - MYCELiUM
* Keep Shelly in Athens - Among Wolves
* Mariana in our Heads - Landscapes
* King Krule - Space Heavy
* AJ Suede - Indica Music
* AJ Suede and Televangel - Parthian Shots
* Julie Byrne - The Greater Wings
* Goat - The Gallow's Pole: Original Score
* The Lemon Twigs - Everything Harmony
* We Are Parasols - Body Horror
* Parannoul - After the Magic

Live albums/Compilations/Reissues:

* Lady Lamb - In the Mammoth Nothing of the Night (A 10-year anniversary edition of Ripely Pine with two hours of extras.)

Carsie Blanton - "Ugly Nasty Commie Bitch"

If you're in the public eye, you're going to have to deal with some nonsense on social media, especially if you tend to be vocal about your lefty politics. Carsie Blanton knows this better than most, as she tends to write quite a few songs from the perspective of her left politics. Inspired by some internet trolls, Blanton wrote the one minute instant epic classic "Ugly Nasty Commie Bitch." With lyrics like "I try to think but it hurts my brain, so I have an abortion and a fine champagne" and "In the evening when I'm on the rag, just rip up a couple of American flags," Blanton is taking her critics head on with her fantastic wit and uncanny ability to turn anything into a catchy song. And it even ends on a positive (?) note for unity against the rich. Let's just hope this one gets an official release.

You can watch Carsie Blanton perform "Ugly Nasty Commie Bitch" below. For more on Carsie Blanton, check out the artist's website.

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The Natvral - "A Glass of Laughter"

The Natvral, aka Kip Berman from The Pains of Being Pure at Heart's current Americana based project, has released a new song that fits right in line with his previous single. "Lucifer's Glory" was somewhere between Springsteen's more anthemic hits and Nebraska, and "A Glass of Laughter," the latest, moves even more towards the anthemic side of The Boss. It's a rollicking track that sounds like Springsteen doing his best Dylan through an indie rock filter. This is just great rock music that drops a lot of indie rock's pretention and isn't afraid to worship at the altars of the rock gods that came before.

Kip Berman says of his new song:

"In love, there are times after the good times— when sweet nothings give way to sour somethings, and what once passed for charming is viewed in a less forgiving light. Noble poverty may reveal itself as mere privation. The impulsive gestures of youth are now recast as irresponsibility.

"But let’s raise a glass, shall we - not to drown these sorrows, but to throw ‘em a lifeline. Heraclitus might’ve been right about the river. But it need not be a meditation on corruption or irretrievable loss. Time changes us, and not always for the worse. What was once can’t be again, or at least not exactly. But maybe it can be something else worth our time, a new good time waiting for us on the other side. Here’s to finding out."

You can watch the video for "A Glass of Laughter" below. Summer of No Light is due out September 1 on Dirty Bingo Records, and is available for pre-order here. For more on The Natvral, check out the artist's website.