The Afghan Whigs prepare for their 40th anniversary with a new song, Hollerado’s guitarist steps out on his own, and something weird out of Brooklyn made this week’s Five Songs You Must Hear list.
1. The Afghan Whigs, House of I
Single (Sub Pop)
Recommended If You Like: Bands that should have been bigger
If this were a just world, Cincinnati’s Afghan Whigs would have been one of the bigger bands of the 90s alt-rock revolution. Critically, they were. Commercially, not so much, which is a darn shame. They broke up in 2001, had a quick reunion in 2006, and have stuck together since 2011. The new single is their first bit of new material since 2022. The band is about to leave on their 40th-anniversary tour.
2. Nixon Boyd, Trouble of Your Own
Every Time We Turn a Corner (Royal Mountain Records)
RIYL: Hollerado fans, obviously
Every once in a while, you just gotta step away from the band to get some stuff out of your system. That’s what Hollerado guitarist Nixon Boyd has done with a solo record due on July 3. It’s a true DIY affair with Boyd recording everything at home and playing all the instruments himself.
4. Lip Critic, Legs in a Snare
Theft World (Partisan Records)
RIYL: Uncategorizable songs
Lip Critic is a four-piece band based in Brooklyn NYC with a sound that’s tough to put into any particular bucket. Electro-punk, maybe? Paste described them as “like the B-52s on ketamine.” And two drummers? Andis frontman Bret Kaser all right? More of this, please.
4. They Might Be Giants, Outside Brain
The World is to Dig (Idlewild Recordings)
RIYL: Quirky bands. Very, very quirky bands.
John Flansburgh and John Linnell are elder statemen of the alt-rock world, working together since 1982 without a break. Come April 14, they will release their 24th studio album. The title comes from a 1952 children’s book (there’s extra quirk credit), and the whole project is designed to be as positive as possible during what JF say’s is “a terrible political moment that I think is frightening everybody.”
5. Deer Fang, Broken ft. Seventh Dose
Single (Independent)
RIYL: Fuzz. And lots of it.
I love me some shoegaze, especially the kind with boy-girl vocals. And when it’s combined with grunge and punk, it was a chance to be super-awesome. And if a Canadian band can whip up this formula, all the better. Deer Fang is from St. Catharines and deserves to be heard by as many people as possible. Effective video, too.
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