Track Of The Day: draag – ‘Trauma Kit’

Anxious thoughts melt away in a swirl of hazy guitars and uplifting electronics on ‘Trauma Kit’, the latest single from L.A. indie-shoegaze five-piece draag. Following on from their previous track ‘Ghost Leak’, ‘Trauma Kit’ continues to unravel the tensions that went in to creating the band’s upcoming EP, Clara Luz, which is set for release on 21st February.

Draag was originally a solo project fronted by Adrian Acosta, who was trained as a mariachi singer by his Father. After exploring the worlds of underground punk, no wave, and experimental jazz, Acosta soon met and added Jessica Huang, Nick Kelley, Ray Montes and Shane Graham to draag’s lineup. Together, the five piece create music that’s garnered comparisons to My Bloody Valentine and Sonic Youth.

The band have shared a dramatic set of visuals to accompany ‘Trauma Kit’, directed by Devonte Johnson, and co-directed by band members Acosta and Huang. They compliment the track’s cinematic, all-encompassing sound.

Having been tested by illness and personal turmoils throughout recording, draag’s new track and the collection of songs on their upcoming EP are about dealing with trauma, and how simultaneously difficult and empowering that can be.

Listen to ‘Trauma Kit’ below, and follow draag on Facebook & Spotify for more updates.

Photo Credit: Devonte Johnson

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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Track Of The Day: draag – ‘Ghost Leak’

A hazy ode to feeling inconsequential; L.A, shoegaze outfit draag have crafted a strung out, dreamy soundscape on their latest single ‘Ghost Leak’. The track is lifted from their upcoming EP Clara Luz, which is set for release on 21st February.

draag was originally a solo project, fronted by Adrian Acosta who was trained as a mariachi singer by his Father. After exploring the worlds of underground punk, no wave, and experimental jazz, Acosta soon met and added Jessica Huang, Nick Kelley, Ray Montes and Shane Graham to draag’s lineup. Together, the five piece create music that’s  garnered comparisons to My Bloody Valentine and Sonic Youth.

Speaking about their latest single, Jessica Huang explains: “‘Ghost Leak’ is the feeling of being completely invisible and inconsequential. It is also a message to someone we lost — to let them know they weren’t invisible.” draag’s new EP has been underscored by personal hardships, illness and isolation, but there’s a sense of hope that filters through their muddy soundscapes, making it easy to escape into their music.

Watch the video for ‘Ghost Leak’ below, and follow draag on Facebook for more updates.

Photo Credit: Devonte Johnson

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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Five Favourites: The Paranoyds

Set to release their debut album next month, LA band The Paranoyds have been treating our ears to singles such as ‘Carnage Bargain’, ‘Hungry Sam’ and ‘Trade Our Sins’ throughout this year, cementing us as firm fans who cannot wait for the full length release. Delivering striking grunge-fuelled anthems filled with scathing lyrical observations and languid, insouciant vocals, we just can’t get enough of The Paranoyds’ raucous rock grit and sunny, punk-pop energy.

We think one of the best ways to get to know a new band/artist is by asking them what music inspired them to write in the first place. We caught up with Lexi, Staz and Laila from The Paranoyds to talk about her ‘Five Favourites’ – five songs or albums that have influenced their songwriting techniques, or simply take them back to a specific feeling or time. Check out their choices below, and make sure you watch the band’s latest video for ‘Carnage Bargain’ at the end of this post.

Built to Spill – There’s Nothing Wrong with Love
We love Built to Spill! Staz and I went through a huge phase of non-stop listening to them in 2014. This album is so good, the songs are so friggin’ catchy. I think it’s impossible to listen to it and not belt out the lyrics. I love that indie, strat tone and how the guitars complement but also play off with each other. The tracks are misleading too, on the surface they seem like simple, straight-forward songs, but there are a lot of layers. Favourite song, ‘Car’
– Lexi 

X – WILD GIFT and UNDER THE BIG BLACK SUN
Every track is a banger on both of these iconic albums. I would throw Los Angeles, X’s first born in a lineup of legends, but I want to give these other records some love. You will always remember the time and place you got into X. These records forever hold that time in your life captive like a spell. I put on ‘The Once Over Twice’ and there I am 13 years old in my friends exhausted bedroom wondering if I’ll ever make anything that’ll sound this good and last this long, coming to life as soon as the right circuits touch. Those perfect imperfect harmonies, Chuck Berry guitar licks making sense with vulgar lyrics. And those keys! Good god! Some things last a long time and my love for X may last forever!
 – Staz

DEVO – Are We Not Men?
DEVO is a benchmark for The Paranoyds. When we’re writing songs, the thought running through our heads is “is this as weird and strange as a DEVO song?” Lexi and I first saw DEVO when we were 16 through a fence in Brooklyn and we were undoubtedly blown away. Staz often describes their live set as seeing lightning strike. I feel the same way listening to this album. It’s a rare piece of art that you can’t recreate, and you find something new in it with each listen.
– Laila 

The Strokes – Is This It?
We love this album like a guilty pleasure. It’s become a sort of tour tradition to blast the whole album in the van and have a group sing-a-long. These songs have the catchiest melodies and you can’t help but belt out the songs like you’re a teenager in your bedroom. What I love most is that all the tracks have the grit of classic rock and roll, but they also have the upbeat feel-good vibes of a disco song. It’s such a solid album that I always come back to. For me, it’s timeless and I’ll never get tired of it!
– Laila

Massive thanks to The Paranoyds for talking about their five favourite albums with us! 

Carnage Bargain, the upcoming debut album from The Paranoyds, is out 13th September via Suicide Squeeze. Watch the video for the title track here:

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LISTEN: Death Valley Girls – ‘Dream Cleaver’

Scuzzy riffs and a cosmic context inform ‘Dream Cleaver’, the latest single from doom-boogie LA rockers Death Valley Girls. Released via Suicide Squeeze, the track is “an anthem in praise of psychonaut and ethnobotonist Terrence McKenna, his research on “the spirit molecule” DMT and the possibility of trans-dimensional travel”.

Rolling rhythms and impassioned vocals permeate the new standalone single, which the band say is inspired by a desire to connect with the afterlife, whilst being in the midst of real life. The girls explain further: “Mr. Mckenna proposed that DMT (dimethyltryptamine) sent one to a “parallel dimension” and that literally enabled an individual to encounter “higher dimensional entities.” We believe that these entities hold the secrets of the universe and the afterlife! We became obsessed with trying to contact them, so we don’t have to wait till the afterlife to have some answers to these questions!”

It seems Death Valley Girls have the answers to questions we didn’t even know we needed answering, and we’re happy to swagger along to their mystical new offering. They have a sound rooted in nostalgia, but an outlook that spans the past, present, and future dimensions. Listen to ‘Dream Cleaver’ below and follow the band on Facebook for more updates.

Photo credit: Deb Frazin

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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