Hi! Hello! Here we are with some bite sized goodies and a taste of a some new things that we dug that came out in the last week(ish), quick fire responses to some great new music we think you should check out. This week was a little on the lighter side but still some sweet new tunes to check out, Chantal and Kate have the scoop on those below.
And though we can’t possibly cover all the music that is released each week (we wish!), we do get to as many songs as we can. As always, if you’re in a band or from a label, don’t hesitate to reach out and let us know about you! If we dig ya, you’ll get a nod in the column. Read on to find out what we dug the last week or so and check back every Friday for more:
Gibbons– Fuck Around And Find Out. Brand new music from the best pop punk duo you’ve probably never heard of (but really should have on your radar). It’s their first new music since their 2019 self titled debut EP, and it’s a zippy burst of saccharin angst with singer/guitarist Rachel Alicea laying her feelings of trying—and the warning to give her space to do so—out on the line. Her plaintive voice is the quintessential sound of the genre and pairs perfectly with her goddamn catchy as hell guitar work, the breakdown at the end of the song will make you bang your head and feel hope in the angst all at the same time.
Backed by her longtime partner in crime, drummer Wes Ruiz, who provides punchy, energetic drums, the pair are locked in and the sound is full. Sure it’s still DIY at its heart, but a big step up production wise from their previous work thanks in part to up and coming engineer/producer, Eamon McMullen, who has been making a name, and his mark, in the local Brooklyn scene. This is a one off single for now, but here’s hoping we hear more from this dynamic pop punk duo in the very near future. [KH]
High Waisted– Tan Lines. The self described “shit talking surf pop” band has a brand new groovy bossa nova to keep you warm and dreaming of summer right as the freeze of winter is starting to tighten its icy grip on us. The surfy guitar licks and sax mixed with the lush and dreamy vocals will keep you company during the cold season and have you more than ready to pour fruity oceanside cocktails at Rockaway Beach by time the city has thawed out. [KH]
Joe Rainey– once the reaper/d.m.ii. The Ojibwe Pow Wow artist has released a captivating new double single as part of the Psychic Hotline Singles Series. These new songs build off of the work of his beautiful debut album released earlier this year, Niineta. Like the album, the song blends traditional Pow Wow singing with electronic music and percussion along with samples and field recordings for a layered and emotional journey that will stop you in your tracks.
Via Bandcamp he shares that the new music is “Entering new sonic territory,” and “unleashes a vocal barrage over storming percussion, spectral vocal samples and unrelenting kick drum patterns provided by producer Andrew Broder. ‘once the reaper’ is a song of defiance, about confronting grief head-on, about fiercely guarding the memory of relatives taken too soon.” Rainey elaborated further via a press release saying “‘once the reaper’ means when the reaper comes for me, who knows if I’ll have a chance to punch him for the people he took too soon.”
“Joe is kicking down the doors, closed for too long to Native artists in America and demanding new space be made for Pow Wow singing- in the same conversation as any other modern music. He insists that his culture not be thoughtlessly shoved in the ‘World Music’ bin, not be relegated to the past, to be admired behind glass or in halls of academia-but blaring out of car windows, in the earbuds of a kid on the basketball court, and in dimly lit concert venues, rattling the subs.
Joe is not telling ancient stories – he is telling modern stories that often go unheard. It’s impossible not to hear this.”
Miriam Clancy– Head Like A Hole. This slice of indie rock has an eye turned toward the dichotomy of “our codependency with the internet:” all the knowledge of the word is at our fingertips, but is information overload killing us? I’m a big fan of all the gorgeous guitar tones on this one. Her full length Black Heart is out on January 20th; catch her in Brooklyn 12/29 at Pete’s Candy Store. [CW]
Quasi– Doomscrollers. The long running Portland duo are set to release their first album in nearly ten years, Breaking the Balls of History, and for the second single have released their sardonic take on the one thing everyone (justifiably) loves to hate (yet still does, myself included), doomscrolling. Mid tempo drums and ominous organ perfectly fit the mood of the song, with a chorus that everyone will relate to “Everybody baking bread, doomscrolling going out of their head.” The song is paired with a music video directed by B.A. Miale and features the band being driven around the various chaos of “the timeline” in a pickup truck (complete with “keep on trucking” plates) by a grim reaper like character. Breaking the Balls of History will release in full on 2/10/23 via SubPop. The duo play NYC at TV Eye on 3/16/23.
Skinny Pelembe– Like A Heart Won’t Beat. The dynamic, genre defying artist has just signed to Partisan Records and released his first single for the label (a new album is due next year). It blends gauzy soul and fuzzy rock for a song that will immediately having you hitting repeat as soon as it finishes, an intriguing peak into what is to come with the new record. [KH]
triton– orchids. The third single from the upcoming Geoff Rickly produced album, Sundown in Oaktown, features contributions from members of Thursday and MCR who leave their mark on the song which is a chill indie vibe with a nice laid back emo undercurrent. Songwriter Scott Murphy shares “This song started out as a kinda delicate acoustic song with just a little kiss of synth,” says Murphy. “Geoff (Rickly) had suggested making it a high-point of the record, the apex of a build of energy. We talked about making it big, and sounding more blown-out. With that in mind, I sent it off to Tim (Payne)and Jarrod (Alexander) to do their things on it.” Sundown in Oaktown will release in full on 1/27/23 and is available for pre-order now [KH]