Well, suck me dry and call me Dusty. If the first week of 2024 is any indication of how things are gonna go, I’m gonna be busier than a one-legged man at an asskicking. And the guy who’s getting his ass kicked — while loving every second of it. Here are the artists putting the boot in today. Step right up, hoss:
Bib | Two-Faced Planet / Bigger Mind MV
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Bib are back with Biblical, a new five-song 7” showcasing what they are known for: Frantic, keep you on your toes, but equally poetic and self-reflective, hardcore punk. Since 2015, Bib have been crafting their own vibe, perhaps symptomatic of being from Omaha and not having to adhere to any local scene weighed down by a large history. Having toured extensively across the U.S. and Europe, Bib match their audio energy with manic shows to boot, all done the DIY way. After a demo, two EPs, a live tape and an LP, there’s still so much to explore and show who’s boss at quick rhythm changes, unusual song structures and dreamy soundscapes all packing a massive punch. Capturing Biblical was led by Arthur Rizk, a legend at the desk, and as expected it sounds huge. The tracks have a gritty feel, littered with a berserk urgency wrapped into lyrics that surround the ideas of life, death and the circle that it brings us through. Songs such as Two-Faced Planet talk about being born into a world of adversity and touches on thoughts of Location Dysphoria, when you simply feel guilty for existing, and how easily this world and the reality we are born in can be cruel and feel as if all things are working against you.”
Sleater-Kinney | Untidy Creature
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Our new single and video Untidy Creature is out now. It was the first song we wrote for Little Rope, although we didn’t know it at the time; we weren’t certain we were even working on another record. We also worried it had come too easy, the song featured two elements that come very naturally to Sleater-Kinney: A big guitar riff, an even bigger vocal. But as the year wore on, and our choices and bodily autonomy shrank, our feelings about the song changed. It became a gift, somewhere to put our darkest fears, and our deepest hopes. We sometimes feel trapped or angry, and yet still we breathe. Untidy Creature became the album closer, and one of our favorite songs to ever occupy that position. For the video, we wanted imagery that spoke to the themes which permeate Little Rope: Uncertainty, restlessness, urgency, all of the in-between and discomfiting states with which we’re forced to reckon. So, we came up with the idea of a woman holding her breath in a bathtub for the duration of the song, unsure of her motivations, not knowing whether she’s seeking escape, disappearance, absolution, or simply a moment of quiet and reprieve. We love the tension created by an act that defies both custom and comfort.”
Bob Vylan | Hunger Games
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “You are more than your ability to earn. Let this be your daily affirmation. Hunger Games is taken from the album Humble As The Sun, out April 5. Enjoy. Love, Bobby.”
Green Day | One Eyed Bastard
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “One Eyed Bastard started off as just a riff that I had — a shuffle, almost like a Black Sabbath kind of riff,” says frontman Billie Joe Armstrong. “Lyrically, I was just reflecting on bad times in life. That’s the thing about nostalgia, sometimes you think, ‘That was an awful time.’ Everybody’s got that ugly place in their life where they have to deal with ugly thoughts — it could be like revenge or whatever. Thankfully, I have an outlet in songwriting.”
Dez Dare | Got A Fire In My Socket
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Got A Fire In My Socket is a fuzzed-up, bass, and synth-driven, stomper that tackles the biggest question of all… as the wires fray from the burden of existence and the last sparks shimmer in your consciousness, the void has one simple question: ‘What tunes do you want playing on the way out?.’ The Stooges’ Real Cool Time? The Triffids’ A Trick of the Light? Judy & the Jerks’ Good Time? Nicki Minaj’s Red Ruby Da Sleeze? Whatever your taste, the small things matter. Make it a strong choice!”
Buck Meek | Cuero Dudes + Beauty Opens Doors
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Today, singer-songwriter and Big Thief guitarist Buck Meek shares two new singles, Cuero Dudes and Beauty Opens Doors, and gears up for his upcoming North American tour beginning later this month. Last year, Meek released his stunning third solo album Haunted Mountain. The album featured songs co-written with one of Buck’s long-time musical heroes Jolie Holland and gained universal acclaim. Now, to kickstart 2024, Meek has shared these two new singles, as well as a video for Cuero Dudes, a song that should sound familiar to those who have listened to the record. It’s a rollicking reworking of the track Cyclades, one of the album’s singles and live standouts. Meanwhile, Beauty Opens Doors was a song recorded during the making of Haunted Mountain, one Buck truly loved, but simply didn’t fit the album, so today it makes its way to the world.”
Britti | Lullaby
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Lullaby is the latest single from Britti’s debut 11-song album produced by Dan Auerbach. Softly swaying between subtle percussion and yearning pedal steel, Britti’s open-hearted vocals float through a perfectly curated atmosphere — Lullaby is an arrestingly beautiful ode to intimacy. With deep roots in her chosen home of New Orleans, Britti soaked in musical knowledge during her Louisiana upbringing from relatives who would gig with heroes like Dr. John and Allen Toussaint. After years of deferring her own musical dreams, a life-altering breakup, and a pandemic furlough, Britti now carries on the traditions of her community with a mission to help heal its generational traumas. As Britti explains it: “If I am the matriarch of healing for my ancestors, I want to know what my lineage went through so I can do that healing.” With plenty of horns, New Orleans flair, Shania Twain inspired twang, clear 90’s R&B influences, heartbreak, self-empowerment, and more, Hello, I’m Britti. is the perfect introduction to this artist’s effervescent spirit.”
David Nance & Mowed Sound | Mock The Hours
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “The prolific Omaha musician David Nance announces his self-titled debut record as David Nance & Mowed Sound, his latest group and recording project, out Feb. 9. He also presents its lead single/video Mock The Hours, a blistering song that sets the pace for how ferocious a band the Nance group can be. With this album, memories sprout back, like the sounds of a great rock song blasting from the neighbor’s truck as it revs away into the night. There is a definite connection to the past, but the swinging guitar boogie and snarled blues you might expect from Nance and company sounds leaner and completely hypnotic. What remains are 10 tracks from a well-oiled group so rhythmically together that the songs on the album seem as connected as links in a chain.”
Grieving | Tarpaulin
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Grieving are a band from Cambridge whose music is not as immediately morbid as their name might suggest. With a nod towards the needling DC hardcore of classic Dischord, early emo and to anthemic late ’90s / early ’00s indie-rock and punk, their debut EP, released pre-pandemic, saw ample support. The band share a new single, Tarpaulin, a song that bassist Jack Hurst attributes to: “personally approaching a sense of self-doubt, and accepting that certainty in life is rarely exactly that.”
