[SONG OF THE DAY] Gavin Turek - "Elevator"

“Hello Operator. Could you please patch me in to the Gavin Turek super fandom please? Yes, I’ll hold.”

Imma keep it 💯 with y’all, I have been a *casual* on this LITERAL ANGEL, which is a thing I can honestly say I deeply regret now after hearing the first taste of her forthcoming debut full-length, “Elevator”.

To be completely honest it’s kind of a dangerous song. I feel like if you’re not careful when you’re listening to this when you’re out and about minding your business that you might accidentally wink at someone in passing and they’ll end up falling in love with you, you feel me? The sexy vibes are contagious as hell with this one so BE CAREFUL!

And use protection. 😘

[SONG OF THE DAY] Husky Loops - "Let Go For Nothing"

Husky Loops at Elsewhere (zone one) on 3/5/2019

Back in November I casually evangelized the wonders of London trio Husky Loops courtesy of some diSKOAver weekly loving. Since then some cool shit has happened for the fellas. On Friday the band has released a new offering unto us, “Let Go For Nothing”, a first taste of their forthcoming debut full-length Music That Makes the World Better, which is due out this summer. The piano-forward track showcases a softer side to the band than we’ve previously seen, all the while maintaining their experimental sound.

Earlier in the week the band also made their North American debut appearance at Elsewhere on Tuesday, which yours truly was in attendance and therefore can confirm for the rest of y’all that these dudes fucking slap. Their energy is insanely infectious. It was sort of impossible for anyone to sit still for too long.

In summary, if you don’t like Husky Loops then you’re dead wrong.

I’m not sorry, these are the rules.

If you happen to be heading to SXSW next week (unlike me who will be attending couch by couch west), please do yourself a favor and make it a point to go see these guys. You absolutely won’t be disappointed.

Also buy them some BBQ and margaritas on my behalf.

[SONG OF THE DAY] MID CITY - "No Surrender"

Hold on to your fucking eardrums, fam. The thunder from down under is back!!!

Before I dive into this, I would like to file a formal complaint against time zones. I had to wait 16 additional hours than I feel like I should have to get my hands on this new nugget from Melbourne four-piece MID CITY and I’m SO OFFENDED BY TIME.

Anyway.

Before MID CITY came into my life I was kind of starting to get worried that I was *over* rock/indie rock, but it turns out everything I was coming in contact with was just boring me to tears. Leave it to Australia to show us how it’s done yet AGAIN.

The latest offering from the band, “No Surrender”, comes with the wondrous news that the band will be releasing their debut EP on April 5th, appropriately titled Die Waiting cause that’s definitely me now that I’ve heard their followup to "Old Habits”. Easing up just a tad on the gas, the four-piece continue to barrel along, guitars blazing, this time with a song about the impact of losing yourself in your online persona.

As lead singer Joel Griffith shared,

“’No Surrender’ is about the true impact of the digital age we find ourselves living in, making it too easy to lose yourself trying to impress. So, our digital reflection is our only concern. Now every day is for wrenching the spotlight. People become twisted, nightmarish versions of themselves catapulting through that rabbit hole. It's so easy and so indispensable that we become addicts not just to platforms but to a way of acting and portraying ourselves. We say shit we’d never say, we do shit we’d never do, we start to believe shit we’d never believe… “

[WATCH] Empath - "Soft Shape" (Official Video)

Philly lo-fi rockers Empath have announced their debut full-length album, Active Listening: Night On Earth, which drops in April. On the heels of the announcement, the band have shared lead single, “Soft Shape” along with the accompanying video. Following up their Crystal Reality Vol. 1 & 2 EPs, “Soft Shape” chugs fuzzy bass and plinky guitars through your eardrums, all the while weaving howling synths to and fro.

The video features the band performing in a spooky retro-looking house, including a room full of dolls. As you follow along you’ll find yourself thinking, “Somehow…this….actually….fits….perfectly?”

The band will be performing at SXSW in addition to a handful of gigs on the east coast. Dates below!

UPCOMING SHOWS:

Friday March 8 Savannah, GA @ Savannah Stopover Festival
Saturday March 9 Atlanta, GA @ The Earl
March 13 - 15 Austin, TX @ SXSW
Saturday March 16 Dallas, TX @ Not So Fun Weekend
Wednesday March 20 Columbus, OH @ Ace of Cups
Saturday April 6 Harrisonburg, VA @ MACROCK Festival 

[WATCH] tiLLie - "faith" (Official Video)

still taken from “faith” music video

tiLLie is back and she’s got some goodies for us! ✨

After releasing her infectious karma-laden anthem, “faith”, the shimmering songstress has unveiled not only the accompanying music video, but also news that she will be releasing her sophomore EP LOUD MOUTH on March 8th.

The video features our heroine cathartically dancing around in her bedroom before taking to the streets. Inspired by an actual evening in her own bedroom, she revealed the inspiration behind the video in a recent interview with Galore,

"I had just gotten home and was listening to the demo as I was washing my face and suddenly I just felt like I was a teenager in my bedroom again listening to a song that was written just for me. I started jumping on my bed and just had this cathartic dance party. So, the video basically became a recreation of that with the help of the ever so talented Erik Rojas. It represents what I hoped this song would feel like to whoever hears it and is going through the emotional rollercoaster of a bad break up or healing from abuse. There’s no endorphin boost quite like carefree dancing through all your feelings. I’ve done it since i was a kid and will do it till the day i can’t dance no more. It gives me a release like no other."

I love the symbolism of her working through her frustration while in her bedroom before hitting the streets celebrating the power that she’s reclaimed.

UPCOMING TOUR DATES

March 7th - Portland, OR @ Lola's Room

March 9th - San Francisco, CA @ Brick + Mortar

March 11th - Los Angeles, CA @ The Echo

March 12th - San Diego, CA @ Casbah

March 14th - Phoenix, AZ @ Valley Bar

March 15th - Tucson, AZ @ 191 Toole

March 18th - Dallas, TX @ Cambridge Room

March 19th - Houston, TX @ Bronze Peacock

March 21st - Austin, TX @ Stubbs Jr

March 24th - Atlanta, GA @ Purgatory

March 25th - Nashville, TN @ High Watt

March 27th - Chapel Hill, NC @ Local 506

March 28th - Washington, DC @ DC9

March 29th - Philadelphia, PA @ Voltage Lounge

March 30th - New York, NY @ Mercury Lounge

April 1st - Boston, MA @ Great Scott

April 2nd - Pittsburgh, PA @ Smiling Moose

April 4th - Detroit, MI @ Shelter

April 6th - Grand Rapids, MI @ The Stache

April 8th - Cleveland, OH @ Basement

April 9th - Columbus, OH @ Cambridge Room

April 11th - Chicago, IL @ Schubas

April 12th - Milwaukee, WI @ Shank Hall

April 14th - St. Paul, MN @ Amsterdam Hall

April 16th - Kansas City, MO @ Encore

April 17th - Denver, CO @ The Globe

April 18th - Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court

[LISTEN] HEALTH - "Feel Nothing"

photo credit: Faith Crawford

While we anxiously wait a little less than 2 weeks away for HEALTH’s latest album, Vol. 4 :: SLAVES OF FEAR, to hit the internet in its entirety, the band has released another song off the album via the Adult Swim Singles series. “Feel Nothing” is a fun name for a HEALTH track basically because it is impossible to not feel anything while listening to these guys. When I try to describe their music to people I normally say something like, “Their music is like the perfect soundtrack to intergalactic war.”

The intensity to which they constantly deliver their robust electrifying sound is something I’ve yet to fully acclimate to and I’ve been an active fan since their 2015 album, Death Magic. In fact, just the other day I wasn’t prepared for their other single, “STRANGE DAYS (1999)” to casually roll up in my Release Radar and I may or may not have yelped a little when then song abruptly hit my eardrums.

My body is so ready for them to head out on tour to support this record and not just because they’ll be at Elsewhere during birthday month. There’s nothing quite like having the bass from their live show rattling through your chest. They def have the power to bring you back to life in that regard.

HEALTH TOUR DATES

04/09 - Oakland, CA - The New Parish

04/10 - San Francisco, CA - The Independent

04/12 - Portland, OR - Doug Fir Lounge

04/13 - Vancouver, BC - Venue Nightclub

04/14 - Seattle, WA - Neumos

04/16 - Salt Lake City, UT - Urban Lounge

04/17 - Denver, CO - Bluebird Theater

04/19 - Saint Paul, MN - Amsterdam Bar & Grill

04/20 - Chicago, IL - Bottom Lounge

04/21 - Cleveland, OH - Grog Shop

04/22 - Detroit, MI - El Club

04/23 - Toronto, ON - Velvet Underground

04/25 - Brooklyn, NY - Elsewhere The Hall

04/26 - Boston, MA - The Sinclair

04/27 - Philadelphia, PA - Underground Arts

04/28 - Washington, DC - Rock N Roll Hotel

04/30 - Atlanta, GA - Masquerade - Purgatory

05/01 - Baton Rouge, LA - Spanish Moon

05/02 - Houston, TX - White Oak Music Hall

05/03 - Austin, TX - Mohawk

05/04 - Dallas, TX - Club Dada

05/06 - Santa Fe, NM - Meow Wolf

05/07 - Phoenix, AZ - Valley Bar

05/10 - Los Angeles, CA - Teragram Ballroom

[SONG OF THE DAY] Humans - "Going Late"

Good news, everyone! We’ve finally got a release date for the new Humans record!!!! 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻Oh my good Lorde do I need this batch of vibes like yesterday but I suppose I can wait until November 16th. The Vancouver duo chose to unveil the details alongside dropping the title track, “Going Late” complete with a video that’s basically a walking advertisement for the dope ass bomber jackets they sell as part of their merch offerings (the “Girls” edition of the Boys & Girls bomber is like legit at the top of my Mixmas List).

Now if you’ll excuse me I’m going to see about selling one of my kidneys so I can look cooler than all of you every fall for the rest of my life.

[SKOA PREMIERE] + [SONG OF THE DAY] Niki Black - "Not Coming Up"

IT’S FRIDAY, WITCHES!

Just in time for a weekend that will be undoubtedly be full of Halloween parties I have a song from LA siren Niki Black that is nothing short of supernatural. “Not Coming Up”, the debut single from her forthcoming EP, wastes no time in allowing you to get to know Black, who studied feminist theology in college, as she cries out, “don’t forgive me father”, which I assume is derivative from the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Whereas Christ was crying out for God to forgive those crucifying him for sinning against God, Black does not wish to seek for forgiveness, as the song is ultimately an arresting ode to her first queer relationship, which as we know, one does not need to seek any forgiveness for. “I felt the church to be central to the song’s idea of being denied entrance to heaven because of your sexuality,” explains Niki. Spoiler alert / non shocker here: Black is also tremendously involved in women’s rights and LGBT initiatives.

Her forthcoming EP, which is slated for an early 2019 release, offers up Black’s perspective on femme sexuality through her feminist theological lens. “I was enchanted by old Judaism, namely the mythology of the female demon Lilith, and how she mirrors Eve,” shares Niki. “The thousands of years of interpretations of the myths of the religious texts are goldmines in the way that they illuminate my creativity and thoughts, and also how they inform so many of our modern generation's conscience, especially when it comes to sexual politics.”

To a certain extent, the EP is like Dante's Divine Comedy, describing the journey from heaven to oblivion, or hell. “I wanted to retell that descent from a modern feminine perspective, one of the damned, which some of us may feel like sometimes, or all the time....whether it's from religion directly, from a relationship, or from yourself,” shares Niki.

Before today I didn’t have a playlist called “Songs To Sin To”, but here we are…

Have a safe weekend, fam! Happy sinning ;)