Hello reader,
How are you today? Ready to discover more great music?
Today, we’re excited to introduce another emerging artist we highly recommend checking out—Los Angeles-based indie rock band The Two Seasons. The quartet of Chicago transplants features songwriter and singer Cory Clifford, who moved to L.A. several years ago after fronting garage pop Laverne (which had a series of releases on Dumpster Tapes) and Brit-pop-inspired solo music as Cory José.
The Two Seasons’ name came from a Chicago-based joke of “What are the two seasons in Chicago? Winter & Construction”, as well as a subtle reference to Frankie Valli’s Four Seasons.
In February, they released their debut single “Gallery,” which will appear on their forthcoming debut album. The band returned in April with another new single, “Simulator,” which we’re stoked to highlight for our Singles Spotlight series for you today.
“’Simulator’ is a song about dealing with depression, insecurity & angst in modern times. It’s a brief but powerful track waxing lyrical playfully like some of the band’s favorite artists outside of their genre, such as Silver Jews & Elvis Costello,” Clifford tells SWT.
“The track’s song structure is akin to early R.E.M., opening with a double-verse and having the bridge be just as much of the hook as the post-chorus repeat of the track’s name. It was recorded in a garage by Harry Ernest Gibbons from the LA Power Pop band, Sano.”
In SWT’s opinion, “Simulator” is a perfect introduction to the band (and the name-dropping from Clifford of some artists we’re a fan of as influences doesn’t hurt). It has a short but ever-infectious and jangly melody with commanding vocals that tie the whole thing up sublimely. It has fantastic lyrics from start to finish, including “Sometimes I don’t know/If my feels are real/Or are they reel-to-reel/Simulator.” It should appeal to fans of 2000s era garage rock and post-punk, though the band has a distinct spin on those genres of its own. We’re excited to see the band’s progression as they gear up and release their debut.
Below you can listen to “Simulator”:
Here’s “Gallery,” which is just as great:
You can follow the band at the links below:
Instagram: @thetwoseasonsband
TikTok: tiktok.com/@thetwoseasonsband
Bandcamp: thetwoseasons.bandcamp.com
Spotify: The Two Seasons on Spotify
Joshua is co-founder of Scummy Water Tower. He’s freelanced for a variety of newspapers, magazines, and websites, including: Rolling Stone, The Boston Globe, Chicago Sun-Times, Guitar World, MTV News, Grammy.com, Chicago Magazine, Milwaukee Magazine, MKE Lifestyle, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, A.V. Club, SPIN, Alternative Press, Under the Radar, Paste, PopMatters, American Songwriter, and Relix. You can email him at josh@scummywatertower.com.
