The deceptively named Adapting // Crawling harnesses and re-presents the blistering, bombastic, no-holds-barred essence of Iron Lung that established the band—and gave their self-operated record label legitimacy—in the first place. Go to Treble to read my short review of Iron Lung’s killer new record.
Seattle eardrum terrorists Mercy Ties are ready to blow away Boise and a handful of other cities in the West with selections from their catalog, which now includes their recently released first studio album in almost 10 years. Read my interview with the band’s two captains on New Noise.
Sentient Ruin Laboratories, an Oakland-based endeavor founded 11 years ago by an individual who goes by the name “M,” gives superb yet overlooked music—almost always of the heavy, experimental, and obscure variety—the exceptionally high quality that it deserves.
It seems like only a month ago when Julia Kugel of the garage-punk band Julia, Julia talked with yours truly about her three cats for an installment of Pet Sounds for New Noise. And it seems like only two months ago when this writer interviewed Kugel for a FLOOD feature about another one of her projects, the punk supergroup Julia & the Squeezettes. Well, that’s because it was.
So, it came as a surprise when Kugel dropped The Bad Penny a line over the weekend to say that she not only has a new single and upcoming album by another one of her projects, Soft Palms—but that she’s about to tour behind it too.
Soft Palms is an indie-pop band of the dreamy variety and also features Scott Montoya, formerly of the Growlers. On Friday, they released the succulent new single “Radio,” a jangly jingle that raises high hopes for Kugel and Montoya’s upcoming full-length, In Echo (Everloving). Check it our fer yerself right here:
Kugel—who is still perhaps best known for yet another one of her bands, the Coathangers—explained why the time was right for Soft Palms to roll out the catchy tune when they did.
“We just had to put out a song since it has been five years since the (self-titled) debut LP,” Kugel told The Bad Penny. “It was driving us crazy not to have new music out there. … ‘Radio’ was recorded and mixed here at our studio, and we also shot and edited the video here. We have no concrete release date (for the album) yet, but are working on it. And our goal is to win a Grammy, (so it will be well worth the wait).”
Montoya elaborated on their joint aspiration in a press statement.
“Julia and I have over 40 years combined experience in music. ‘Radio’ will be our combined 352nd track on our combined 46th release, but it’s the first time we’ve ever thought to submit our work to the Recording Academy for Grammy consideration,” said Montoya, who clearly has a knack for accounting. Our best bets are the categories of Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Alternative Music Performance, Best Alternative Music Album, Best Music Video and (since nothing released in 2020 counts) Best New Artist.”
In Echo is still awaiting a release date, but Soft Palms are so enthusiastic about their latest endeavor, they’re not wasting any time bringing at least some music from it to the people.
Here are Soft Palms’ upcoming performances:
4.18: Slo, CA – Libertine Brew
4.19: Visalia, CA – The Cellar Door
4.20: Reno, NV – Lo-Bar Social
4.22: Bend, OR – Silver Moon Brewing
4.24: Seattle, WA – Chop Suey
4.25: Eugene, OR – Sam Bond’s Garage
4.26: Portland, OR – Swan Dive
4.27: Sacramento, CA – Old Ironsides
5.1: Hermosa Beach, CA – Saint Rocke
For more on Soft Palms, their music and upcoming tour, head to their website and Bandcamp page.
Photo courtesy of JJ.
If you’re not at least tempted to dance along to every song on this record, produced by M. Ward masquerading as a pre-notorious Phil Spector, you’d best get your feet, ears and head checked. Read my short review Valerie June’s Owls, Omens, and Oracles (Concord) for Treble here.
Punchlove are drunk on a desire to distance themselves from any semblance of conventional beauty—and make bands like My Bloody Valentine and Lush sound like neat freaks in comparison–on their new song “Today You Can Learn the Secret.” Read my short review on Treble.
Don’t call Tapeworms more “mature”; call them more well-versed in—and more adept at—the priceless art of playfulness. Read my short review of their new album, Grand Voyage (Music Website), on Treble.
Shellac’s At Action Park was the consummately contrarian, anti-establishment record of the 1990s that didn’t belong in a record store’s hardcore bin. In many ways, the masterwork by Steve Albini, Bob Weston and Todd Trainer was the antithesis of every rock record that had come before it—a Paul Bunyan-size middle finger to the corporate machine regarded at the time as the enemy. Read my lengthy review of one of my favorite records ever for Treble, which inducted it into their Hall of Fame.
The grimy, groove-a-licious title track to yeule’s fourth album makes it nearly impossible not to count down the days until May 30, when the Singapore songwriter/producer dishes out Evangelic Girl Is a Gun (Ninja Tune). Read my short review on Treble.
Ever walk into a coffee shop and discover that four pigs are standing motionless behind the counter, holding pitchers half-full with milk, as patrons mindlessly guzzle it down by the glassful and a lonely guy sits by himself at a table, looking dejected and singing to himself? Apparently, Pyramids have (and David Lynch probably did too, RIP). That’s the visual that accompanies the melancholic, haunting electro-pop-rock precursor to the third album by the experimental Texas quintet:
They’re supposedly cutting that sound with black metal and God knows what else on the upcoming Pythagoras, but this song doesn’t back up that claim. It does, however, lay an unsettling groundwork for what’s to come.
The Bad Penny (beta) 