Single Sentence Singles from Stephonne, Shay Lyriq, Hello Biplane, and more

Photo by Travis Young

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.

Stephonne, “Bloody Mary” 

Not for nothing did Stephonne create a Spotify playlist called “fang bang,” full of music for “for good girls turned baddies who eat boys for breakfast” because this late night banger is right on the spectrum of Kim Petras, Charli XCX, and PJ Harvey of songs which are either about fucking or murder or maybe both, resulting in what might indelicately be referred to as horny scared.

Kevin Morby, “Javelin” 

The first single from Kevn Morby’s upcoming album, Little Wide Open, once again sees the musician working his wordsmith storyteller muscles with a psychedelic country lope powering the instrumentation on a song which sees him at his most Dylan-esque, although the Go Team-inspired background shouts at the song’s midpoint and some choruses sung by Sylvan Esso’s Amelia Meath elevate it to something different and wonderful.

Kevin Morby plays the Uptown on Friday, May 29, with Liam Kazar. Details on that show here.

Eggs on Mars, “Good Morning (I Love You)” 

The title track to Eggs on Mars’ upcoming album out on Enigmatic Brunch is described by the band as something which turns melancholia “into gentle and melodic pop songs as a way to sort out what it means to be a good person to your friends, family, and neighbor,” and goodness if “Good Morning” doesn’t feel like exactly what you need to start your day, feeling like a sunrise warming your face and a cat sleeping in your lap.

Good Morning (I Love You) is out Tuesday, March 3, and you can pre-order it at Bandcamp.

Shay Lyriq, “Like Yeah” 

“Like Yeah” comes three songs into Shay Lyriq’s new album, Illa City Nights, and the production from Code Red lets the rapper’s words and flow breathe as it goes from wide open to packed with beats, samples, and a searing guitar riff, leaving us to wonder who’s going to be the wrestler, boxer, or MMA fighter who uses “Like Yeah” as their entrance music, because if this can’t get a crowd hyped, they’re probably dead.

Illa City Nights is out now and can be streamed on Spotify, Apple Music, and iTunes. Find links here.

Jason Beers, “Ready the Guillotine”

We know that Jason Beers can do damn near anything musically, thanks to his prodigious output over the years, but we weren’t prepared for “Ready the Guillotine” and the way it bridges cocktail jazz and Nuggets-era garage rock, sounding like a lost 45 from the late ’60s someone found way back in the racks at some Midwestern thrift shop, destined to pull big money on Discogs.

Hello Biplane, “Fetch” 

The second single off the Lawrence indie rockers’ upcoming How to Hold a Bug album, “Fetch” expresses “the importance of caring for other living things that happen to be alive at the same time as you,” says the band, and we’re feeling like this is going to become a massive audience sing-along to Spencer Goertz-Giffen and Braden Young’s harmonies, because it definitely reminds us of Lemuria’s “Pants,” and that’s never a bad thing.

Hello Biplane plays the Replay Lounge on Friday, February 27, with Suzannah Johannes and Lovely Late Bloomer. Details on that show here.

Hudson Electric, “Maelstrom” 

The only musician in town who can give Jason Beers a run for his money in terms of sheer output and quality, Chris Hudson plays here under the moniker of Hudson Electric which, as the name might suggest, exists in a rather less acoustic realm than his solo work or that of Gullywasher, but still doesn’t stop acoustic guitar and mandolin from flavoring “Maelstrom” with some Band-like flourishes.

Gullywasher plays the Replay Lounge on Sunday, March 1, with Cee Dee Vee. Details on that show here.

Kate Cosentino, “Two Kids in a Trench Coat” 

With insightful lyrics like “My secret’s out/ I don’t know what to do,” “Two Kids in a Trench Coat” might as well be the anthem for anyone still wondering if quoting cartoons more than books completely invalidates their ability to pay rent on time in terms of being looked at like an adult, and while Cosentino’s wondering if this always supposed to be such a shitshow, the song’s anything but, thanks to its stidently upbeat indie pop foundation.

Are you a local musician with a new single to share? Email nicholas.spacek@gmail.com