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- December 13, 2021
We take this week to reflect on some great new music that was recently dropped by some people we’ve had the pleasure of encountering throughout the year. Check out our featured picks for this week!
“abcdefu,” by GAYLE, featuring Royal & The Serpent: A collaboration to be remembered, these two powerhouses are rising in the punk and pop rock atmosphere all over the world with hit singles. After connecting over TikTok, Ryan Santiago (Royal & The Serpent) features a verse in GAYLE’s overwhelming breakup hit, “abcdefu.” (Watch our interviews with both rising rockstars here: Royal & The Serpent, GAYLE)
The original, amassing over 23 million streams and counting, has swelled in fame after going viral on social media. In this rendition, the duo further inspires originality, being unapologetically confident, and expressing emotion as a relief. Check it out below!
“Another year like that and we’d all be dead,” by FLORE: Rising indie pop artist met with us for her very first interview just over a year ago. Little did she know that her works would be featured in highly coveted playlists on all streaming platforms, and performances in the summer. Her brand new EP, ROMANIAC, calls upon her darker nature and isn’t afraid of biting back. With this being the leading single in the ranks, it too reflects on last year and dwells in its darkness.
“Blue Lights, Black Butterflies,” by Mia LJ: Featured on our second ever livestreaming event, “End of Summer Block Party,” this artist is rising in the music world with a fresh album. A track paving the way into blending therapy with sound, this song in particular depicts a vision the artist had after facing a tough breakup and deciding to dive into a state of meditation. Read about the meaning behind this track in our full article below:
“Honey Pot,” by Demon In Me: Alternative rock band from San Jose, these guys have just launched their latest album, I’m Gonna Love You Like You’re Already Gone. We were able to catch their set in the hills of Placerville at the Family Daycation Festival. This single quickly jumped in streams; so far amassing over a half a million as it breaks down the toxicity in a relationship and breaking free.
They quickly gained traction after their forming in late 2015 following the release of their first few singles. Playing regionally and on tours across the country, they faced adversity in their early beginnings, but nothing seemed to slow them as they continually overcame hardship and grew tighter knit together as a project. They’ll be going on tour soon, supporting Pure Noise Record’s Cory Wells, all over the western United States.
“Glimmer,” by The Seafloor Cinema: Riding off the high from the release of their latest album, this Sacramento-based blend of Midwestern emo, pop punk and math rock band is becoming known for the spinning of the unconventional in their works. We met them, too, at the Family Daycation Festival, and chatted with them about their newest project, In Cinemascope with Stereophonic Sound.
This single was paired with a music video, launched on the album’s release day. Filmed in LA and featuring a cameo from a special guest, “Glimmer” may be their next big hit!
“Drag,” by Aquageist: Featured before in the final episode of the Bay Area’s Quarantine Tapes, this Sacramento-based post-hardcore outfit is out with their next single, heavier than ever and showcasing a new side to the band’s sound.
Heavy bass riffs introduce the track’s first hook before singer, Joe Flores, pours into the scene with gritty and heavy vocals. Thought-provoking and inspiring, the track begins the new chapter past their debut EP, Lifeless On The Interstate, which upon first glance reflects on a car crash, but dives deeper into the spiral of mental health issues and the endless-seeming vicious cycle it can bring in self-destruction. We look forward to seeing what this new chapter brings.
“Spiral,” by Instinct: As the second single from Pacific Northwest-based metal project, we hear a fresh vocal take on the band’s next chapter that had never before been released. The band curates what is a very unique sound to Seattle, born out of a need to return to celebrating rough individuality in a city known for bucking the norm.
Capturing intense and building drums from our friend, Chance Woodard, we see his talents brought to light in the project’s most personal track to date. Poetic lyricism blends in with vocals that make the gut writhe in various emotions around mental health and breaking free from the spiral into the feelings of darkness and destruction. It bathes in the grit and brings to light the very real and relatable aspects of the darkness many of us face, all while introducing infectious guitar riffs and an overall, beautifully executed piece.
What was your favorite track this week? Let us know in the comments, and check out the tracks in full in our very own playlist!
