Clans - Ode To Nothing

1. Who is he?

He is Niko Monjarez a one-man band and music producer who hails from Detroit, Michigan, but fights out of Los Angeles, California. He makes music primarily under the moniker Clans but you'll see some of his stuff under other names like Street Jobs and Marathon. Ode To Nothing came from his second E.P. L.A. Royalty (July, 2018).

2. What kind of song is it?

Clans describes himself as indie punk rock but Ode To Nothing has one regular rock riff that opens this gem and then continues doing all the heavy lifting throwing in some pop breakdowns to keep it interesting. Ode To Nothing is an attack on his own ego and being a fake ass bitch and that carries a bit of righteous anger amidst the self-contempt. 

3. Who do Clans sound like?

Portugal. The Man, PARTYBABY, and Winnetka Bowling League.

4. Which bands have influenced Clans?

Mention has been made in passing to Owl City, Passion Pit, and Rival Sons.

5. What have people said about Ode To Nothing?

"This is the most underrated artist I have ever come across" - Reddit.

"Fucking awesome" - Reddit.

"Yeah this is brilliant"- YouTube Comments.

6. Anything else?

Clans zenith is the magnum opus Glendale. Have patience it builds slowly. The video is a low-key masterpiece.

The Crispies - Ring My Doorstep (feat. Superfertig)

1. Who are The Crispies? 

The Crispies are a garage/punk band from Vienna, Austria. They have been raising Valhalla since 2014 and Ring My Doorstep (March'17) is the fourth single from their debut album Death Row Kids (Oct'16). 

2. What kind of tune are they kicking it with?

Ring My Doorstep is a primal re-invention of Queen's Will We Will Rock You; stripped down to the bone and with grit not glam. Hip hop and punk rock come together into a song that swaggers into the party, oozing intensity and as cool as fuck. Slam-poet Anna adds some twist to the vodka.

3. Who do The Crispies sound like? 

The Orwells, PARTYBABY and The White Stripes. 

4. What is the good word from the press in regards to Ring My Doorstep? 

“Loud and raw” – Spill Magazine. 

“We call it strut-rock” – Super World Indie Tunes. 

“A punk manifesto” – FYH.

5. Which bands have inspired The Crispies? 

They have some love for Ezra Furman and Bass Drum Of Death.

6. Why should I listen to Ring My Doorstep? 

Because you love We Will Rock You. Because you want to listen to young wolves tearing it up. Because you want to listen to a band that matters.

7. What are The Crispies best songs?

Bad Blood is visceral. Noose'N'Go is a lackadaisical rattler. Outta The Sun races out of the blocks, primitive and dangerous. 

8. Any last words? 

The band all graduated music college together and are all left-handed. Makes for a convenient circle jerk.

“Said I’m lookin’ for a girl, need a woman”

St. Tropez are a garage punk band from Amsterdam, Holland. They have been tearing it up (in their recent reincarnation) since 2014 and have one long player in the vault. St. Tropez’s favorite music varies from Dinosaur Jr. and Wilco to Bach. They sound like Beck crossed with The Stooges. Democracy (Feb’17) is the lead single from their E.P. Debate (Feb’17) and is a greedy garage riff backing a hip hop influenced vocal delivery with a harsh word to say about the current political climate. 

“Are you scared to fight? Are you scared to choose?”