God, I love Shannon & The Clams. Channelling the playfulness – and the beehives – of the B52s, along with the sweet and spiky harmonies of the best ’60s girl groups, the Bay Area garage-rockers offer a fresh, fun take on rockabilly, delivered in a beautifully badass 21st century way.
With ‘Year of the Spider’, the second single from their upcoming sixth album, they retain their sense of fun, but there’s a real melancholy too. Underneath the big, bold choruses and cheeky rock ‘n’ roll posturing, front-person Shannon Shaw laments the serious illness of a family member. “Bad news called me on the phone…” – she sings – “The one you love; he needs a doctor. There were signs, I should I have known.”
Shaw’s strong and soulful voice soars, and is boosted further by the Clams’ woozy, psychedelic harmonies and raw, dirty production from the Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach. It’s a poppy, powerful song that’ll hook you in and break your heart. I love it.
Watch the fun-filled new video for ‘Year Of The Spider’ here:
Shannon & The Clams’ upcoming sixth album, also entitled Year Of The Spider, is set for release 20th August via Easy Eye Sound / Concord. Pre-order here.
Victoria Conway
@thepicsofvic
Photo Credit: Kristin Cofer
Get In Her Ears 
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