By Charlie Maybee
New York City based rock band, The Upsides, are at it again with their new single, “Undercover Retro” which leans into a slightly psychedelic blues sound while maintaining a strong electric drive.
As the title track of their forthcoming EP, this is a more aloof track that holds its information close to the chest, “Full stop, undercover retro / you’re not too easy to let go” they sing through the chorus, “Won’t stop till the other side of ‘who knows’ / Well, I think you know from long ago”.
There’s something secretive about the way the lyrics are coded to vaguely gesture towards certain feelings or situations without giving us anything tangible. Any attempt at meaning-making seeps through your fingertips like sand which grants “Undercover Retro” a higher replay value. Multiple goes with the song will give you the time to sit with the opaqueness of the lyrics which is countered by the very direct and charged motion of the music.
Musically, the drums and bass really propel the song forward to give it that grounded blues feeling while the guitar provides the electricity and moodiness. The influence of modern blues rock like The Black Keys is undeniable, though “Undercover” retro feels much sleeker in guitar tone and production. It’s a nice song for moments of transit like riding the bus or walking down the street. Introspective enough to evoke stoic feelings while keeping you energized enough to keep moving forward.
“Undercover Retro” is available on major streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music. Find this and more great music on the Alchemical Records Multigenre Mixture playlist on Spotify.
Charlie Maybee is a dancer, musician, educator, and writer based in Charleston, South Carolina who currently teaches with the Dance Program at the College of Charleston. His primary work as an artist is with his performing collective, Polymath Performance Project, through which he makes interdisciplinary performance art that centers tap dance as the primary medium of expression and research. He also currently plays rhythm guitar for the Charleston-based punk band, Anergy, and releases music as a solo artist under the name Nox Eterna.
Join the Alchemical Records Street Team to promote these and other artists, live music, and music community organizations & events while receiving cool perks from artists throughout the region.
Allie Goertz is back with a brand new, mature, raw, and honest version of herself with “Peeled Back”: a tribute to Nine Inch Nails.
On June 21, D.C.-based pop-rock artist LJR released “You”, the fifth single from his forthcoming album “When the Sky Began to Fall”.
The D.C.-based band released their sophomore album, “The Renewal”, on June 30th.
Alchemical Records is a Washington, D.C. based music publication. We cover the Washington, D.C., Baltimore and Richmond, VA metro area music scenes, including band interviews, articles about your favorite musicians, new music and concert dates.
