Stream: New singles from Adult Books, Mating Ritual and Melpo Mene

Quick bits on notable singles that arrived this past week, from Adult Books, Mating Ritual and Melpo Mene … ADULT BOOKS, “Grecian Urn” On the heels of last month’s single “Florence,” Adult Books (Nick Winfrey, Sina Salessi and Alex Galindo) are back with the title track of their sophomore album, “Grecian Urn,” out March 26 via Taxi Gauche Records. Winfrey continues to find ways to make post-punk-derived music interesting, here […]

03/06/2021 1

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Video: Crooked Teeth, ‘Light Me Up’ (feat. Talker)

Songwriter Tyson Evans has been flying the emo/pop-punk flag as Crooked Teeth, fashioning a sound that would have had his band ticketed for stardom (or at least a slot on Warped Tour) if it were, say, 2005. Evans loves pop hooks, he says, adding “I’m not afraid to be bombastic.” Noted. On the first Crooked Teeth single of 2021, “Light Me Up” (out today), Evans teams up with Talker (aka […]

03/05/2021 1

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Video: Jess Joy, ‘Thrashold’

The new video from Jess Joy comes with a trigger warning for violence — which, although merely mimed by the artist herself, delivers her heavy message. “Trashold,” the second single from Joy’s solo debut album, “Patreearchy” (out April 16 via Joyful Noise), is a broadside against oppression, especially as instigated by white males. She argues the power dynamic is ingrained in society, and incidents such as the death of George Floyd […]

03/05/2021 2

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Ears Wide Open: Even Kevin

Even Kevin is the UCLA-birthed duo of the Bay Area native Wil Sheets and L.A.’s Michael Zuker. The indie-surf rock group released their first EP last October and is gearing up to release their debut LP, “Pleasant Beach,” featuring their new single “The Rest of Our Lives” (out today). Zuker and Sheets both sing, play guitar and bass. It’s clear the two mesh, as their voices and style of playing […]

03/05/2021 2

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Premiere: COQUÍ, ‘Fall in Love’

Dating back to the music he released when he was part of Tapioca & the Flea, Samuel Jacob Lopez Jr. has always been adept at hitting the sweet spot, lyrically and melodically. He has juggled his solo project COQUÍ, launched in 2018, with other musical duties, including studio work and a touring gig with 30 Seconds to Mars. The son of a father who was a club DJ in Brooklyn […]

03/04/2021 1

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Video premiere: James Combs, ‘Circle Days’

Singer-songwriter James Combs has a catalog that spans more than two decades, including solo albums, tunes he penned for film and TV and, notably, the Laurel Canyonesque folk outfit Great Willow, launched in 2017 with singer-cellist Erin Hawkins. Combs is as adept at introspective confessionals as he is sharpening his pen to play topical folk singer. And like any artist whose work takes society’s pulse, there’s probably no period in […]

03/04/2021 2

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Watch: New videos from Warbly Jets, Left Field Messiah and Hey, King!

Enjoy these quick dispatches on new videos from Warbly Jets, Left Field Messiah and Hey, King! … WARBLY JETS, “Low Resolution” Samuel Shea and Julien O’neill signaled a new direction for Warbly Jets when they released the single “NASA” last November. “Low Resolution” is the follow-up from the swaggering duo, a tune that’s about 90% attitude and 10% Chris Greatti’s guitar solo. John Frost directs the Spike Jonze-inspired video, which […]

03/04/2021 2

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Video: Lionel Boy, ‘Flower Girl’

Sometimes you just need to slow the world down. Lionel Boy — Oahu-bred, Long Beach-based Lionel Deguzman — released his debut “Who Is Dovey?” last summer for Innovative Leisure, an EP that introduced island-flavored psychedelic chill&B. He returns today with the new single “Flower Girl,” a leisurely paced pop tune with warm keys, wraparound vocals and a vibe perfect for staring at the surf. At low tide. “It’s about watching someone […]

03/03/2021 3

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Video: Glaare, ‘Young Hell’

L.A. darkwavers Glaare are picking up where they left off with their 2017 debut album “To Deaf and Day” — clawing around the fringes of dream-pop and post-punk and singing the pain away, or keeping it at bay, amid dark, sophisticated soundscapes. Last week, the band — Rachel Pierce, Brandon Pierce, Rex Elle and Marisa Prietto — announced that their sophomore album “Your Hellbound Heart” would be out April 30 via Weyrd […]

03/03/2021 3