If you’ve suddenly found yourself spending a lot of time indoors, the introspective rock of Weak Signal is prime listening in the age of social distancing, and new single “Rolex” cuts right through the bullshit of all “necessary" social gatherings we’re thankfully avoiding this month (and likely next month [and the month after that probably]). The detached vocals of frontman Mike Bones parse a late night scene unflinchingly, an interior monologue detailing coked-out conversations and polite laughter, his hushed vox complimentary to a shuffling percussive line, sparse guitars and a walking bass line. This isn’t to say the band can’t make space for noisier segues, specifically during the track’s chorus, but even as electric power chords and budding snares enter the scene, the foggy, unfocused mindset remains, with Bones and bassist Sasha Vine crooning in unison, “yeah I know, without knowing.” Such quiet instrumental qualities and loose-form narratives may remind listeners of Stephen Malkmus’ word-association approach lyricism, or the understated indie of Yo La Tengo — give it a listen below.
Interview: Daisychain, Pandemics, and Cancelled Plans
With the news changing by the minute and country on the verge of a potential lockdown as a result of the spread of the Novel Coronavirus, we thought it would be a good time to reach out to a local band to learn how this will impact their Spring. Daisychain is the Garage Rock of Sophia Williams, Nickole Regala, Frankie Sripada, and Victor Martinez. They have spent the few years performing around the city and Midwest while working on their debut EP which is due on May 2nd.
They had been planning to head out on their Tweak’d Tour, starting on April 2nd, to spend a month finding new audiences and ramping up to their EP release at Cole’s on May 2nd. Now everything is either cancelled or soon to be, and we took the chance to talk with Sophie about how this is impacting Daisychain.
The Deli (TD): Has the upcoming Tweak’d Tour been cancelled or postponed?
Sophie Williams (SW): All the closures have definitely been affecting our April tour status. Some venues have already cancelled events, and we are anticipating that most, if not all venues will postpone or reschedule the shows.
TD: How much time went into planning the tour?
SW: We are pretty bummed; we’ve been planning this tour for the past four months and have spent countless hours reaching out to venues, bands, magazines and blogs.
TD: As a primarily touring band, how do you see the virus and our state’s response impacting your year and future plans?
SW: These cancellations will definitely affect our plans for the upcoming year; the tentative April TWEAK’D tour would have been our first time to the East Coast. We were hoping to get exposure in a different part of the country that we have not yet toured. We invested in merchandise that we were hoping to sell on tour.
We are planning to reschedule any cancelled shows and plan to tour throughout the rest of the year to new cities and regions. We are currently planning a southern USA tour in July and have high hopes for a successful tour.
As of right now, March 18th, you can help Sophie and Daisychain celebrate the release of their debut EP on May 2nd at Cole’s Bar.
Shortwave “Frozen Waves”
Shortwave has released a new single called "Frozen Waves". This is the beautifully ambient music of Dave Zagar, and the first new music from him since his 2019 debut album Phased.
The song is accompanied by a short film, created by Dave’s brother Andy Zagar, that truly brings to life the sounds and samples of the song.
The Rare Occasions release new single “Set It Right”
In these times of limited movement, nothing says that you can’t get the blood pumping inside your own home. If you need a track to help you get your body moving, consider The Rare Occasions‘ "Set It Right", a track pleading for kindness in the form of blistering indie rock. During these next few weeks, kindness will be necessary, as well as the need to dance. "Set It Right" is the perfect anthem in those cases; adding it to your end-of-the-world playlists would be wise. The Rare Occasions just appeared on the recent compilation cover album honoring Green Day’s Insomniac, featuring many of LA’s best up-and-coming indie bands. They’ll also release an EP in two parts over the course of the year. Take a listen to "Set It Right" below. – Will Sisskind
Dance Loud “Hollow”
Electronic Dance Music Duo Dance Loud has released visuals for the lead single, "Hollow", from their forthcoming album, The Moment, which is due out June 5th.
This is the work of Kristin Sanchez [DJ, producer, engineer] and Desereé Fawn Zimmerman [drums, guitar, vocals]
Photo Credit: Belén Romero
Adeline Hotel explores intimacy through soft folk on “Solid Love,” plays C’mon Everybody 5.9
Dan Knishkowy set off on the audacious task of treating the concepts of love and friendship ”with the gravity and wonder [they] deserve” on new LP Solid Love, doing so in his consummate early 70s folk fashion that feels ever patient and kind. Under the project name Adeline Hotel, Knishkowy brings in a slew of collaborators (including Winston Cook-Wilson of Office Culture, Ben Seretan, and Brigid Mae Power), succeeding in rendering the indescribable as emotional visceral. On the album’s title track, listeners are greeted with melting slide guitars and inviting acoustic arpeggios, which seamlessly segues to a rich tapestry of warm piano improvisation, shuffling brush drum-work, and occasional woodwind accents — though despite full accompaniment, the song remains evenhanded, never overwhelming even as each component becomes invariably more complex and rich. It immediately evokes Nick Drake’s Bryter Layter, and is recommended for those seeking a sensitive, plainspoken effort. Stream it below, and catch Adeline Hotel at C’mon Everybody on May 9th for their record release show. Photo by Chris Bernabeo
Teen Blush “Ramona”
Teen Blush has released has released his fourth single, "Ramona", via the New York label Birthdiy. This is the Dream Pop of Wicker Park’s Kenneth Foss, and these singles should be leading to a full-length debut album this summer.
Understudy “Without Sight, Without Sound”
Understudy is back with a new album, Without Sight, Without Sound, which was released via Chicago Research on March 8th. This is dark, lo-fi, Post Punk and Understudy’s fourth album in the last two years.
Yavin showcases modern grit in new single “Bitter”
Strange times, folks. For those of us who are finding time at home a bit of a blur, there is always music to liven things up. Boston’s Yavin provides a refreshing hit of electro-pop to romp in earnest. “Bitter” has all the sheen of sweet modernism: richly-layered hooks, a thumping bassline, and a much-desired summer evening vibe that feels so not far away. The young artist’s entire aesthetic is fit for the chaos and beauty of these present-day junctures; one can expect Yavin to become a talking point of the year, his single is just an intoxicatingly melancholic announcement too upbeat not to let loose to. Stream Yavin’s latest single below and stay healthy, New England. – Rene Cobar, photo by Eric Magnussen
Picante “Take You Down”
Picante recently released their debut single called "Take You Down". This is the funky Indie Pop of Mia Lentz and Zac Bron. The couple previously worked together on the occasional track for Bron’s solo project Breether.
Aftermath “Imagine”
Local Rock legends, Aftermath, have taken on the John Lennon classic "Imagine". This is the first new music from the group since their 2019 concept album, There Is Something Wrong.
Aftermath has been making music since 1985 and is the work of Kyriakos "Charlie" Tsiolis (Vocals), Steve Sacco (Guitar), Ray Schmidt (Drums), and George Lagis (Bass).
Cousins “III”
Cousins recently released their latest EP called "III". This is the first new music from the Folk Rock group since 2018’s self-titled album. The EP’s lead single is called "Wandering" and is accompanied by the video below.
This is the work of Colin Strand, Thad Luper, Josh Miller, Clark Cothern, and Jon Aren.