Single Sentence Singles: April 2024 edition
In an effort to keep you all abreast of the latest local music that’s not album or music video related, we present the latest installment of our irregular feature, Single Sentence Singles. We take a listen to the latest local singles to hit Soundcloud, Spotify, Bandcamp, et al, and sum them up in one sentence.
Simple enough? Here we go.
Valentine, “Indiana Jonestown Massacre”
Former Bummer members Mike Gustafson and Sam Hutchinson teamed up with guitarist Zack Hames and vocalist Joe Truck to make a new batch of music designed to blow out your eardrums, while we impatiently await their debut EP Funeral Rock, playing this desert rock meets the Hives cut will keep your appetite sated.
pure xtc, “Fall Apart”
As the lyrics go, Taylor Hughes is the “Queen of the pity party,” but with the emphasis absolutely on the “party” portion of that statement, this is a song for joyously celebrating how your life’s going to complete shit, but you’re gonna make it through somehow.
pure xtc opens for the Ivy at RecordBar on Sunday, May 5. Details on that show here.
Christena Graves Band, “One Good Thing”
Frontwoman Christena Graves’ songwriting and heart-worn vocals are what draw you into her music, but it shouldn’t be left unmentioned that the band’s guitarist John Flynn is their secret weapon—His dreamy work combines with Audrey Herren’s cello, “One Good Thing” feels like falling into a hopeful dream of tomorrow.
Christena Graves Band plays O’Malley’s Pub in Weston on Friday, April 26, and Saturday, April 27. Details on that show here.
Tori Brooks and the Meltdowns, “The Biggest Ball of Twine in Minnesota”
Rudy Reboots is a collective of ska musicians and bands that come together to make ska cover tribute albums and on WEIRD- A Ska Punk Tribute To Al Yankovic, Lawrence’s Tori Brooks and the Meltdowns turn the UHF soundtrack cut into five minutes of ever-intensifying country ska madness, leaving me feeling like the double latte I’d had with breakfast was absolutely unnecessary.
The Greeting Committee x flipturn, “Where’d All My Friends Go?”
In addition to the return of the Greeting Committee making new music, we’re positively chuffed about all of the collabs they’re doing as part of it, be it last year’s “Talk About It” with Post Sex Nachos or this new track, wherein flipturn’s Dillon Basse sings a verse which perfectly complements Addie Sartino’s palpably plaintive vocals.
Gunslingers, “Teeth”
Chicago’s Lou Heneise teams up with Lawrence’s Monzie Leo and Derek Long—better known as the Big Sky—and Australian bassist Zac Watson for a song about fighting for life, and while the musicality of this track features some of the nimblest picking we’ve heard in a good long while, it’s the way Heneise delivers the lyrics with just the slightest snarl that’ll keep you coming back to listen whenever you need something to lift your spirits.
The Blast Monkeys, “I Probably Peaked in High School”
Every time Tonganoxie’s the Blast monkeys release a new track, we’re reminded of just how much fun this former duo, now three-piece makes music that feels like someone distilled early ’00s emo and ’90s Lookout Records pop-punk into a band we’d gladly, gleefully go see any night of the week so that we could bounce up and down like a goofy teenager again.
Do you have a new single to share? Email nicholas.spacek@gmail.com.
