Alt rock – Page 11 – 7th Level Music

Chicago’s Horsegirl release “Billy” and announce a spring tour.

Chicago’s Horsegirl, the trio of 17-19 year olds Penelope Lowenstein (she/her), Nora Cheng (she/her), and Gigi Reece (they/them), present “Billy,” their debut single/video via their new label, Matador. In conjunction, they announce a North American tour, during which they’ll make their SXSW debut and play their first show ever in many of these cities. Having only formed in 2019, Horsegirl’s first three singles captured the ears and attention of fans and critics worldwide, garnering early acclaim from the likes of Pitchfork, NPR, Stereogum, Sirius XMU, NME, BBC Music, and more. Following their appearance at the Pitchfork Music Festival this fall, where the trio performed for their biggest crowd yet, NYLONremarked “Horsegirl were welcome reminders of how rock music is better and more fun than it’s been in years.” Their new single “Billy” continues the band’s exciting early run and expands their already swelling wall of sound with three-part harmonies, overdriven guitars and unexpected tempo changes. Recorded at Chicago’s Electrical Audio and co-produced by the band and legendary producer John Agnello (Dinosaur Jr., Sonic Youth, Kurt Vile), “Billy” marks a significant evolution for the young band. The “Billy” 7”, out March 25 and available for pre-order today, features a cover of the Minutemen’s “History Lesson Part 2” on the b-side (available only on the 7”). Horsegirl discuss creating the song and video:

“There was a period of last year where the three of us spent every day together writing and recording. It was during this time, when we practically lived in Penelope’s basement, that ‘Billy’ was written. Penelope had recently read about Nick Drake’s alternate tunings prompting her to detune her guitar, while Nora overlaid a rhythmic vocal line detailing the life of a fictional character, Billy. At the time, we had been listening to a lot of New Zealand underground bands (80’s/90’s Flying Nun). With that scrappiness in mind, we worked the rest of the song out through improvising together, and ‘Billy’ quickly fell into place.

“‘Billy’ is our first release with a label, and it feels particularly special that it is with Matador, whom we have admired since we were young. After a year of hard work, we are very happy to finally share music, especially with those who have uplifted Horsegirl in the last year. We feel so thankful to have been able to record this song with John Agnello, whose work we adore, at Electrical Audio, a Chicago institution. Recording this song was a dream experience for us, and John has become a very trusted mentor.

“We shot the ‘Billy’ music video with our friends on a rainy Chicago day and feel particularly thankful for everyone who danced the twist with us, and those who gave us their apartment, camera equipment, film expertise, and feedback. This video is a love letter to our city and friends. The song is a love letter to past music scenes we wish we could have witnessed. Please listen to ‘Billy’ in your kitchen with a group of good friends and dance along– we can’t wait to share it with you.”

2022 will see much more from Horsegirl. Their tour will take place in the midst of Cheng and Reece wrapping up their freshmen years in college in New York City and Lowenstein nearing high school graduation in Chicago.
Watch Horsegirl’s Video for “Billy”

Pre-order “Billy” 7”1. Billy2. History Lesson Pt. 2 (Minutemen cover, available only on 7”)
Horsegirl Tour Dates
Wed. March 16 – Austin, TX @ SXSW
Thu. March 17 – Austin, TX @ SXSW
Sat. March 19 – Philadelphia, PA @ PhilaMOCA
Sun. March 20 – Washington, DC @ DC9
Tue. March 22 – New York, NY @ Market Hotel

Keep your mind open.

[Head over to the subscription box before you leave.]

[Thanks to Jaycee at Pitch Perfect PR.]

Piel share “Custodian” from upcoming album due December 10th.

Los Angeles quintet Piel today released their single “Custodian,” the opening track from their upcoming debut release A.K.A. Ma out December 10 via Birs Recordings. The song was debuted live for NPR Music’s Tiny Desk Concert where hosts praised Piel as “a very talented band” (Bob Boilen), remarking that “the lead singer’s voice is great and there’s something about the guitar that I just loved right away” (Raina Douris) and was included in NPR Music’s “Best Tiny Desk Contest Entries We Saw” list.

A.K.A. Ma is a six-song album and is largely dedicated to Thelma Lewis, the mother of lead singer and Piel co-founder, Tiki Lewis. The elder Lewis passed away in 2019, hence “Ma.”

The making of what would become A.K.A. Ma was not a conventionally produced album, but resulted in a formidable final piece of work. Jonathan Burkes, who initially recorded the songs before Birs was in the picture, handed over the tracks to producer, Cisco DeLuna. DeLuna (who championed the group and sought the green light from label owner, Scott Anderson, to get the record made), took what Burkes had and added additional instruments to the recordings. DeLuna’s production gave the songs a commercial radio glow, but without drowning out the band’s sound in the mix. This resulted in an indie-style/modern rock record that can capture the imagination of mainstream listeners, yet appease those in indie rock circles.

Piel lists nature, turbulence, resilience, injustice, mantras, light and dark and beyond among its influences (alongside artists like Joy Division, Sade and Pink Floyd). Piel matches it with a danceable rock sound, grounded by singer Tiki Lewis’ smooth delivery. According to Lewis: “while the bulk of A.K.A. Ma was completed pre-pandemic, divine sources are what guided us through the process, as well as through the dark aftermath of 2020.”

Keep your mind open.

[Don’t forget to subscribe before you go.]

[Thanks to Cody at Clandestine PR.]

Review: Weak Signal – Bianca

Bubbling up from NYC’s underground music scene, Weak Signal‘s new album, Bianca, roars with dark post-punk energy mixed with early 1990s alt-rock riffs.

“I’m the enemy of the world. Nothing ever really dies,” they sing on the album’s opener, “I’m a Fire,” putting down loud guitar riffs alongside their lyrics. The chugging bass on “Voice Inside My Head” is infectious.

“I don’t wanna go to work. Me and my friends were out all night…” opens the heavy, sludgy “Drugs in My System” – a song about dealing with party aftermaths. “Barely a Trace” sounds like a somewhat dusty, slightly warped record you’d hear playing on a jukebox at the back of a diner in a David Lynch film. “Come Back” is a simple, yet haunting track about regret and loss accentuated by rising synths and mantra-like guitar riffs.

“Zones” has this same kind of mantra sound before the bolder, faster “Don’t Turn Around,” which wouldn’t be out of place on a record from A Place to Bury Strangers. “Borderzone” is probably the mellowest track on the album, drifting in and out like smoke. “Devotion” brings back sharp-edged riffs that come into the track, rattle you a bit, and then meld back into the shadows.

“I’ll go where I want to go, and I’ll love who I want to love,” Mike Bones sings on “I’ll Stay,” a beautiful track about finding freedom through self-realization. “Sorry” is a nice companion to it. It’s still mellow, but a bit upbeat, and it’s a nice warm-up before the loud, weird finish of “Too Strong.”

It’s cool record, and perfect for certain moods (gray days, late nights).

Keep your mind open.

[Trace a line over to the subscription box while you’re here.]

[Thanks to Jake at Ramp Global.]

Review: The Beths – Auckland, New Zealand, 2020

Matching with an accompanying concert film, The Beths‘ Auckland, New Zealand, 2020 captures the band’s performance at Auckland Town Hall during the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic in one of the few countries that took the pandemic seriously at the time and was still able to hold live music events. The band’s joy at performing in front of a home crowd, and after so long of not being able to do so, is heard in every note – as is the bliss of the crowd.

The cheers before the opener of “I’m Not Getting Excited” are infectious, as is the opening guitar riff from Jonathan Pearce as Elizabeth Stokes actually encourages the audience to get so excited that their heads might explode. “Great No One” rocks and rolls straight into “Whatever” – with the whole crowd yelling / singing the title (and pretty much everything else) along with the band. “It’s not just the dawn that breaks,” Stokes sings on the sizzling “Mars (The God of War)” – a song about wishing she could move beyond a bad break-up.

The live version of “Future Me Hates Me” is as bouncy and loud as you’d hope it would be. “Jump Rope Gazers” is just as lovely live as on the album of the same name, if not more so. “Uptown Girl” blasts by you with some of Tristan Deck‘s fiercest drumming. His beats on “Happy Unhappy” get you dancing.

“Out of Sight” makes the turn toward the final act of the show, with Stokes thanking everyone behind the scenes at the show afterwards. You can hear the emotion in Stokes’ voice as she thanks the crowd before the band launches into “Don’t Go Away.” Benjamin Sinclair‘s bass line on “Little Death” is like a hummingbird zipping around the room. “Dying to Believe” closes the show, with the entire crowd singing along, before the band comes back for an encore of “River Run” that fades into a blissful state.

Not only is this a joyful recording, it’s also a good-sounding one. Stokes points out at one point that the sound crew has to work in a large, echoing chamber – and they do it quite well.

Keep your mind open.

[Why not subscribe while you’re here?]

[Thanks to Patrick at Pitch Perfect PR.]

Ovlov release “The Wishing Well” from upcoming new album – “Buds.”

Last month, Ovlov emerged from a long layoff following their beloved 2018 LP TRU to announce their 3rd full length Buds, with a track called “Land of Steve-O.” Described by NPR as a “track that transcends into an unhinged, euphoric catharsis before fading and forcing us back into reality,” the single was warmly received by outlets like Stereogum, FADER, Uproxx, Paste, MTV and BrooklynVegan, and set the stage for the Connecticut band to release one of the more anticipated full lengths of the fall on November 19th via longtime label home Exploding In Sound. Today, Ovlov are sharing their second single from the LP, a track called “The Wishing Well,” alongside a Stereogum feature that dives into the band’s history, and speaks to some of their peers about their enduring influence.

LISTEN
to Ovlov’s “Wising Well” on YouTube
&
READ:
Ovlov’s interview w/ Stereogum

Combining the band’s signature squall with singer/guitarist Steve Hartlett’s engaging sense of melody and backing vocals provided by Erin McGrath of Exploding In Sound label mates Dig Nitty, the track explores the way society treats people who are experiencing mental health issues.

“‘The Wishing Well’ is about how much I dislike and disagree with certain ways cops and some people of the DIY indie rock scene respond to a situation involving a person with mental health issues,” explains Hartlett. “”Ideally, only people who are well educated in mental health should be dealing with these situations, with methods that attempt to avoid harm on anyone involed, rather than these blanket procedures that are only designed to punish and seem emotionless.”

Keep your mind open.

[I wish you’d subscribe.]

[Thanks to Tom at Hive Mind PR.]

Review: Cuffed Up – Asymmetry

Cuffed Up‘s new EP, Asymmetry, is a powerhouse packed into just four songs about shame, regrets, bad health, rough relationships, and, yes, even a bit of hope and forward progress.

Opening track “Bonnie” puts a modern spin on the tale of infamous gangsters Bonnie and Clyde, framing it in the idea that Bonnie gets tired of Clyde’s crap and decides to stand up for herself. The back and forth vocals from guitarists / vocalists Sapphire Jewell and Ralph Torrefranca are almost as fiery as their guitar work. Meanwhile, drummer Joe Liptock instantly throws down the gauntlet for his bandmates (and himself for the rest of the record) with his powerful beats.

“Terminal,” a song about Torrefranca facing his own mortality, (“Every moment’s my last. The future’s got a plan for me.”) has a cool, hard swing to it. The guitars on “Canaries,” as well as Vic Ordonez‘s bass, sound like a wild, angry brawler who only pauses to wipe blood from his or her mouth and take another swig of beer before approaching the next foe. Closing track “One By One” has wild rhythms from Ordonez and Liptock and seems destined to fill a stadium one day.

Asymmetry is solid, and it definitely makes you wonder how much power Cuffed Up will put into a full album if they already jam this much into an EP.

Keep your mind open.

[Fly over to the subscription box while you’re here.]

[Thanks to Conor at Hive Mind PR.]

Live: Clutch, Stöner, King Buffalo – Piere’s – Ft. Wayne, IN – September 29, 2021

It’s always good to see Clutch. They never disappoint and always sound great live, so seeing them at a small venue just over an hour’s drive from my house was an easy decision. They’re on their thirtieth year as a band, which is quite impressive.

Opening for them were two other bands I was keen on catching, and the first was King Buffalo, who opened the night with a fine set of space / psych doom rock that was just what I needed after a weird day at work. There weren’t many in the crowd who’d heard of them before, but their merch table was packed immediately after their set. They won over a lot of fans. It would be great to see them on their own.

Up next were desert / stoner rock power trio Stöner, who were equally impressive with heavy bass, garage-psych drums, and cosmic fuzz guitar work. My wife was happy to hear them and understand their lyrics (topics ranging from ghosts to Evel Knievel). They also won over many fans in Ft. Wayne.

Stöner pummeling the crowd with heavy rock.

Clutch came out to a crowd that was, by now, fired up from seeing two bands that were alone worth the price of admission. They launched into a wild set, showing no rust at thirty years of age as a band. Among the highlights of the set were them playing “Far Country” from their first 7″ single back in 1991 and “Passive Restraints” (another early track). Another treat was a new single, the name of which I still can’t find, that has lyrics involving witchcraft, the Mayflower, and Nosferatu.

Clutch hitting it hard after almost two years off.

We overheard a guy on the way out telling his friend that he’d seen Clutch “twenty times” and “that’s probably in the top five” of shows he’d seen. It was a good one. All three bands were hungry for the stage and the energy gained from a live crowd. I certainly needed it, and I got it in spades.

Keep your mind open.

[Don’t forget to subscribe before you split.]

Parquet Courts creeps up on us with new single, “Black Widow Spider.”

Today, Parquet Courts share a new single/video, “Black Widow Spider,” from their forthcoming album, Sympathy For Life, out October 22nd on Rough Trade Records. In conjunction, they announce extensive touring plans for 2022, starting with a run of North American shows in the spring. Following their highly-praised lead single “Walking at a Downtown Pace,” “Black Widow Spider” kicks off with scorching guitar. In A Savage’s words, “I told [producer] Rodaidh McDonald that I wanted to find a sound that was equal parts Can, Canned Heat and This Heat. He was really into that and probably took some glee in having such a bizarre challenge.” It’s one of the many songs on the new album that began with the band improvising onto tape, after which they started editing and cutting up, leading to the verse.

The accompanying video, directed and animated by Shayne Ehman, is simply great. “We were inspired by the claymation master Art Clokey,” says Ehmman. “I wanted the video to feel like it was shot in the 1950’s and so I used very old lenses. One was a brass projection lens from the 1860’s and another was radioactive.”

WATCH PARQUET COURTS’ VIDEO FOR “BLACK WIDOW SPIDER”

Alongside the release of their first single last month, the band also announced the Power of Eleven – eleven global happenings that will occur around the release of the album. The first of these took place in Manhattan with the Gay & Lesbian Big Apple Corp marching band debuting “Walking At A Downtown Pace”. The second of these is happening in Tokyo in conjunction with Big Love Records, with an extremely limited “Black Widow Spider” 7” and t-shirt. More info for this event and the others has been revealed on the band’s website. Sign up to their mailing list for updates.

Sympathy For Life was built largely from improvised jams and produced in league with Rodaidh McDonald (The xx, Hot Chip, David Byrne) and John Parish (PJ Harvey, Aldous Harding, Dry Cleaning). Unlike its globally adored predecessor, 2018’s Wide Awake!, the focus fell on grooves rather than rhythm.

“Most of the songs were created by taking long improvisations and moulding them through our own editing,” explains Austin Brown. “The biggest asset we have as artists is the band. After 10 years together, our greatest instrument is each other. The purest expression of Parquet Courts is when we are improvising.” In a very real sense, the band sampled themselves, molding and chopping their rhythmic and melodic jams to create these songs, to manifest something new.

On Sympathy For Life, Parquet Courts’ thought-provoking rock is dancing to a new tune. The album finds the Brooklyn band at both their most instinctive and electronic, spinning their bewitching, psychedelic storytelling into fresh territory, yet maintaining their unique identity.

PARQUET COURTS TOUR DATES (TICKETS)

Thu. Oct. 28 – Saxapahaw, NC @ Haw River Ballroom ^
Fri. Oct. 29 – Richmond, VA @ The National ^
Sat. Oct. 30 – Baltimore, MD @ Ottobar ^
Sun. Oct. 31 – Lancaster, PA @ Tellus360 ^
Wed. Nov. 03 – Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground !
Thu. Nov. 04 – Portland, ME @ State Theatre !
Fri. Nov. 05 – Holyoke, MA @ Gateway City Arts !
Sat. Nov. 06 – Asbury Park, NJ @ The Stone Pony !
Mon. Nov. 15 – Dallas, TX @ Studio at the Factory
Wed. Nov. 17 – Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall
Fri. Nov. 19 – Austin, TX @ Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheatre
Sun. Nov. 21 – Mexico City, MX @ Corona Capital Music Festival
Sun. Feb. 27 – Asheville, NC @ The Orange Peel *
Mon. Feb. 28 – Athens, GA @ Georgia Theatre *
Wed. March 2 – Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playhouse *
Thu. March 3 – Birmingham, AL @ Saturn *
Fri. March 4 – Nashville, TN @ Cannery Ballroom *
Sat. March 5 – St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant *
Mon. March 7 – Lawrence, KS @ Liberty Hall *
Tue. March 8 – Omaha, NE @ The Waiting Room *
Thu. March 10 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue *
Fri. March 11 – Milwaukee, WI @ Turner Hall *
Sat. March 12 – Chicago, IL @ The Riviera Theatre *
Sun. March 13 – Detroit, MI @ MOCAD *
Tue. Mar. 15, 2022 – Millvale, PA @ Mr. Smalls Theatre *
Wed. Mar. 16, 2022 – Cleveland, OH @ Agora Theatre *
Thu. March 17 – Toronto, ON @ Queen Elizabeth Theatre *
Fri. March 18 – Montreal, QC @ Corona Theatre *
Thu. March 31 – Boston, MA @ Royale #
Fri. April 1 – Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel $
Sat. April 2 – Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel #
Mon. April 4 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club #
Tue. April 5 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Fillmore %
Fri. April 22 – Seattle, WA @ Showbox at the Market
Sat. April 23 – Vancouver, BC @ The Imperial
Mon. April 25 – Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom
Wed. April 27 – Oakland, CA @ Fox Theater
Thu. April 28 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern Theatre
Fri. April 29 – Pomona, CA @ The Glass House
Sat. April 30 – San Diego, CA @ The Observatory North Park
Sat. May 21 – Paris, FR @ La Trianon
Sun. May 22 – Antwerp, BE @ Trix
Tue. May 24 – Cologne, DE @ Stollwerck
Wed. May 25 – Berlin, DE @ Heimathafen Neukölln
Fri. May 27 – Hamburg, DE @ Uebel & Gefährlich
Sat. May 28 – Nijmegen, NL @ Doornroosje
Mon. May 30 – Amsterdam, NL @ Paradiso
Tue. May 31 – Lille, FR @ Le Grand Mix
Wed. June 1 – Lyon, FR @ Epicerie Moderne
Fri. June 3 – Barcelona, ES @ Primavera Sound
Wed. June 8 – Brighton, UK @ Chalk
Thu. June 9 – London, UK @ Brixton O2 Academy
Sat. June 11 – Dublin, IE @ Helix
Sun. June 12 – Manchester, UK @ Albert Hall
Mon. June 13 – Leeds, UK @ Stylus
Wed. June 15 – Glasgow, UK @ The Barrowland Ballroom
Thu. June 16 – Birmingham, UK @ O2 Institute

& supporting Portugal. The Man
^ w/ P.E.
! w/ Public Practice
* w/ Mdou Moctar
# w/ Hailu Mergia
% w/ Sun Ra Arkestra$ w/ Yu Su

Keep your mind open.

[Creep on over to the subscription box while you’re here.]

[Thanks to Jacob at Pitch Perfect PR.]

Hana Vu’s new single is a “Keeper.”

Today, Los Angeles-based artist Hana Vu releases “Keeper,” the newest single from her upcoming album Public Storage, out November 5th on Ghostly International, following “Maker” and “Everybody’s Birthday.” “Keeper” is a pulsating new wave cut, replete with soaring dreamy synths and a cool-voiced narrator. The accompanying video, directed by Meagen Houang and choreographed by Jas Lin, sees Vu honing in on her artistic craft, both sonically and physically. It was shot in a single take on 16mm film by cinematographer Andrew Yuyi Truong and it’s a compelling exploration of feeling unnoticed. “Shooting ‘Keeper’ was really an intense experience,” says Vu. “We had a few choreography rehearsals leading in, and then on shoot day we rehearsed for about 9 hours and only shot in the last hour.”

“When I listened to ‘Keeper,’ I thought about how we’re all trapped by different societal expectations — whether it’s from work, family, friends or the devil inside ourselves,” says Houang. “I wanted to make a video that expressed the feeling of not being seen when all you really want to do is explode. By shooting the video in a single take we never let the audience off the hook. Just like Hana, we’re trapped in a cycle of being constantly ignored. I set the film in a family environment because as viewers we usually associate families with a sense of security and safety. The family environment created a contrast to Hana’s bursting performance and underscored the pain of not being visible, even sometimes by your own relatives.”

Watch Hana Vu’s “Keeper” Video

Storage units hold possessions on pause from the outside world, objects capable of reconnecting us to a time or place. Vu grew up with her family making regular use of public storage spaces in Los Angeles, moving every few years, leaving a mix of the sacred and the mundane to sit inside concrete and steel. The 21-year-old musician sees the art of making and releasing songs in a similar sense: “these public expressions of thoughts, feelings, baggage, experiences that accumulate every year and fill little units such as ‘albums.’”

Public Storage builds on the sound of Vu’s early work, underscoring her strengths as a songwriter with a deeper sense of luster, sophistication, and urgency. She calls it “very invasive and intense sounding music,” refreshingly out of step with contemporary trends; this is music to engage with rather than lean back to. For the first time, she welcomes a co-producer, Jackson Phillips (Day Wave), who helps Vu create a vast, grainy, multifaceted world to stretch into vocally, her distinct contralto drifting freely between evocative low-lit ruminations and soulful, skyward bursts.

Listen To “Everybody’s Birthday”

Listen to “Maker”

Pre-order Public Storage

[Keep on moving over to the subscription box.]

[Thanks to Yuri at Pitch Perfect PR.]

Cuffed Up share “Bonnie” ahead of their “Asymmetry” EP due October 22nd.

Today, LA-based post-punk quartet Cuffed Up are sharing their driving and propulsive new single “Bonnie,” as well as well as announcing their new EP Asymmetry, out on October 22nd via Royal Mountain Records (Alvvays, Wild Pink, METZ). “Bonnie” sees vocalists & guitarists Ralph Torrefranca and Sapphire Jewell trading vocals amidst a relentless onslaught of soaring guitars and crashing drums and bass via Joe Liptock and Victor Ordonez.

WATCH: Cuffed Up’s “Bonnie” on YouTube

The band explains that ““Bonnie” is an anti-love anthem about the grief and pitfalls of a serious relationship crumbling due to lies and deceit. This is explored through the eyes of Bonnie (of Bonnie & Clyde fame), in an alternative universe where Clyde selfishly leaves Bonnie for dead. Bonnie is arrested and she decides to give Clyde up to the cops out of pure spite. Not because he left her in a dangerous situation — purely because of the end of their romantic, albeit toxic relationship.” With a video directed by Torrefranca (an award-winning filmmaker outside of Cuffed Up), it stars himself and Jewell in a role-reversal swapping Bonnie and Clyde.

Already seeing support for the EP from outlets like SPIN, Beats Per Minute, Buzz Bands LA, KEXP, KCRW in Los Angeles and Double J in Australia, Cuffed Up are heading out on a full US tour as main support for The Joy Formidable. Beginning in Seattle on 11/26, it will make stops in Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, New York, Philadelphia along the way, ending in Burlington on 12/18. Full routing below.
—–
For Asymmetry, Cuffed Up paired up with producer Brad Wood (Touché Amoré, Smashing Pumpkins, Liz Phair) spending a week honing the songs through experimentation with sounds and ideas and the result is a collaborative effort that tackles one’s own mortality, abandonment in relationships and reckoning with shame. It expands on their refreshing self-titled debut that saw love from the likes of KEXP, NME, DIY, Bandcamp, and The Line Of Best Fit, as well as Steve Lamacq (BBC Radio 6), Daniel P Carter (BBC Radio 1) and John Kennedy (Radio X) and a supporting run with Silversun Pickups.

Cohesive yet expansive, soaring yet direct, Asymmetry draws lines across the globe to the burgeoning post-punk scene in the UK, while also leaning into ‘90s indie rock and grunge, a loud and rhythmic rainbow of post-punk that is fluid and versatile. Whether it’s the aforementioned “Bonnie”, Torrefranca’s brutal reckoning with his own health struggles on “Terminal”, the inventive freeform of Jewell’s guitars in “Canaries” or Ordonez and Liptock’s fidgeting and dexterous rhythms in “One By One”, Asymmetry is a line in the sand for Cuffed Up, a declaration of intent from the young band who are poised to breakout from their West Coast home.

“Bonnie” is out now on Royal Mountain Records. It is available here. Asymmetry is out on October 22nd through Royal Mountain Records. You can pre-order it here.

Keep your mind open.

[Unleash the power of music in your e-mail inbox by subscribing.]

[Thanks to Conor at Hive Mind PR.]