Dominic Angelella – Red State (Stream)

by Steven Spoerl

The week got off to a strong start today, with great new tracks emerging from Mozes and the Firstborn, all day, Lev Snowe, and Tokyo Police Club. Tennis System, Okkervil River, METZ, and David Hopkins handled the new music video front while a pair of curious full streams constituted the haul for that format, with a Stephen Steinbrink rarities retrospective and a commendable covers compilation to benefit AFSP. All of those items are worth looks and listens but today’s featured item falls to the ragged basement pop of Dominic Angelella’s explosive “Red State”.

A snappy sub-three minute track, “Red State” showcases both Angelella’s endearing narrative voice and musical control. Everything on “Red State”, despite its shaggy presentation, feels concise and deliberately articulated (including its gruff sensibility). It’s a perfect piece of the kind of basement pop this place was built to celebrate, something that seems destined to fly under the radar but hit a small group of targets with incredible force. Clever, fun, a little bit bleak, and immensely enjoyable, “Red State” isn’t just good enough to liven up any party where it gets played, it’s good enough to be remembered.

Listen to “Red State” below and pre-order Road Movie here.