This is a new segment I'm thinking about doing every once and a while, especially if there's a shit ton of new releases coming up like there are right now. Below I'll list five singles I've been really enjoying recently, and if it's a teaser track, where to pre-order the project it's from.
AJJ - "Goodbye, Oh Goodbye"
Folk-punk legends AJJ (formerly known as Andrew Jackson Jihad) return after their name change with a poppier sound, continuing in the direction started on "Christmas Island". This new track (produced by John Congleton, I believe) features Sean Bonnette's typically droll, unique lyrics and delivery while distorted bass and cello saw away. AJJ have altered their sound to match their new style very well, making a unique and exciting new sound. The band has seen success with this song mainly due to their music video accompaniment, parodying OK Go's intricate videos. This is the lead single to "The Bible 2", out August 19th on Side One Dummy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDVCpm10SQI
www.thebible2.buzz
Clipping. - "Baby Don't Sleep"
This alternative hip-hop trio, fronted by Grammy-winner and star of "Hamilton" Daveed Diggs (who went to my middle school!), released this song around three hours ago. This song takes a step back from the style of their last album, "CLPPNG", stripping away most of the layers of samples and melodic moments to make a dark, sparse, noisy track more reminiscent of their first release, "Midcity". The lyrics are typically dark and heady, referencing time passing and the nature of human existence. The production is very basic but still textured, featuring long stretches of a rumbling low end and sudden bursts of shrill feedback. This song is the teaser track for their new release, "Splendor and Misery", an apparent concept album about a post-apocalyptic Earth and a spaceship containing the last human piecing together what happened. The computer aboard the ship falls in love with the main character, and he discovers music to understand how humans view each other. Hopefully the concept comes across throughout the album, as this lead single is fantastic in its dark simplicity. "Splendor and Misery" comes out September 9th on Sub Pop and Deathbomb Arc.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkVIRXPG7oY
http://deathbombarc.bigcartel.com/product/clipping-splendor-and-misery-cd-vinyl-cassette
https://megamart.subpop.com/releases/clipping/splendor_and_misery
Jeff Rosenstock - "Festival Song"
Former frontman of Bomb the Music Industry! Jeff Rosenstock has had a fairly successful solo career with the albums "I Look Like Shit" and "We Cool?". He brings a bright, fun, pop-punk style together with depressing, often hilariously wry lyrics about growing old, the world around him, friendship, drug and alcohol abuse, and music itself. He turns his eye on societal shifts and feeling useless in the face of endless change, forcing himself to believe that he is worth something. It's uplifting and depressing all at the same time. As a side note, I got to sing gang vocals on this track! It's currently pay-what-you-want on Bandcamp.
https://jeffrosenstock.bandcamp.com/track/festival-song
Death Grips - "More Than the Fairy (feat. Les Claypool)"
Following their excellent album "Bottomless Pit" comes this track from the experimental hip-hop group consisting of Stefan Burnett, Zach Hill and Andy Morin. This song features none other than Primus bassist extraordinaire Les Claypool as well! His contributions are fairly subtle, but the skittering, noisy bass line really make this song unique in Death Grips' catalog. It's fast-paced, propelled by Hill's trademark hit-everything-as-hard-and-as-fast-as-you-can approach to drums and Morin's freight train synth lines. The song is practically nonsensical lyrically, but the song sounds so great that its easy to let that fall by the wayside. There's no formal release for the track yet aside from a YouTube link.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWkJghqMSpo
Russian Circles - "Mota"
Russian Circles tread a careful line between genres, landing somewhere between post-rock and hard rock, occasionally incorporating metal elements but all the while keeping their instrumental approach epic-sounding and expansive. Their latest single is a fantastic exercise in tension building and release - it's a great post-rock song, and one of the best songs the band has put out. It's easy to forget you're listening to three people. The multiple parts of this song all work together to create a simultaneously brooding and uplifting mood. "Mota" is the lead single off of "Guidance", coming out August 5th on Sargent House.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWoJs4QkvwE
https://www.hellomerch.com/collections/russian-circles
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