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Justus West – “Normal”

February 23, 2023

Hot off the presses is this new single from Justus West, a talented seven-time Grammy nominee hailing from Kansas City. “Normal” would seem to suggest an embrace of the “same shit, different day” mentality but is quite the opposite; about the song, Justus explains: “[Normal] is my letter to the new year, a reminder to not settle for the status quo and chase refreshing experiences.” Melodic vocals mixed with strong guitar throughout help keep this track hopeful and not turn into a checkbox of self-help platitudes. It’s a unique blend of indie-pop and hip hop influences that we think you’ll love – check it out on Spotify or Apple Music, and get acquainted with Justus himself via his new YouTube series below.

1 REBEL NATION – “television”

February 21, 2023

“television” is a nicely-layered, wispy single off of 1 REBEL NATION‘s 2022 album, PORCELAIN. The Los Angeles-based act takes a lot of cues from Melon Collie era Smashing Pumpkins as well as the more contemporary Beach House flavors. “television” feels like a non-stop screensaver that twists and turns in the best ways, with dreamy instrumentals, a bumping rhythm, and some strong hooks to boot [editor’s note: a screensaver was used on old computers in the olden days, google it.]. Don’t be fooled though, this is only a tip of the iceberg; the rest of the album delves into MORE directions and is most definitely worth a full listen. Check out “television” and the rest of PORCELAIN via 1 REBEL NATION’s Spotify.

Beano Naboo & The Real Keepers – “Strange Life”

February 21, 2023

“Strange Life” starts off as a rambling, quirky, bass-driven tune, but quickly turns contemplative and morose; a perfect encapsulation of the past three years. [editor’s note: Chris is okay, just dealing with some stuff and he’s okay.] Sean O’Brien’s (aka Beano Naboo) crooning vocals evokes some early aughts vibes as he ends commenting on (big surprise) what a strange life this is. A warped and warbly backing track full of piano and guitars, presumably performed by The Real Keepers, gives the song a nostalgic but of-the-moment sound. Definitely worth a listen. Check out “Strange Life” on Spotify and/or Apple Music.

Bliss Abyss – “Bill & Holly”

February 21, 2023

There is a couple named William and Holly somewhere who are presumably happy with having a song named after them. For the rest of us, Oakland California based Bliss Abyss put forth a subdued, albeit catchy, dream pop earworm. The song details the love story of two punks who ruled the street of Santa Cruz back in the day – it’s set off by gauzy synths and blippy drum elements that give it a romantic, bedroom-pop twist, even if the song is about two grimy punk kids. Give it a listen and check them out at their Spotify (or if you’re ever out on the west coast).

Seriously – “With Delight”

February 21, 2023

Surely this can’t be Seriously? Yes, it is (and don’t call me Shirley). “With Delight” is the first single off their upcoming album Built Environment on the label Earth Libraries out of Birmingham, AL. Crooning Morrissey-esque vocals combined with Proper Synth Usage (TM) give a nice callback to the 80’s in a similar vein of MGMT’s Little Dark Age LP. If the rest of their album (out June 16th) follows suit, this should be a solid listen for anyone who enjoys a tip of the cap to The Smiths with a nice contemporary spin.