We named the sharp-edged, hip-hop-tinged electronic rockers Lip Critic a Band To Watch last year on the strength of debut album Hex Dealer. Today they're back with their first new music in over a year, a pair of jagged and explosive new tracks called "Mirror Match" and "Second Life." The former song, the more uptempo of the two, comes with its own bespoke online pinball game, while the latter gets a music video like a public access cooking show.
Lip Critic's Bret Kaser will take it from here:
We were on tour near the end of 2024 and had just played our LA show. We had a two day gap before our next show in Santa Ana so we got a room at the hotel Casa Grande. That night after the drive I fell asleep watching Randy Johnson highlight reels. All the great moments from his time as a Diamondback, as well as his years on the Yankees and the Giants.
That night I had a dream I met a tall man with a body made entirely of radiant light wearing a baseball cap. He opened his arms and from them came two perpendicular rays that shot around me to form the shape of a diamond. When the tips of the rays connected I was engulfed in a thunderous sound, like that of a waterfall. It shook me so much that I woke up in a jolt. I woke to see that I had been writhing in my sleep and had completely displaced the other 3 members I had been sharing this queen bed with.
I apologized and brushed it off as another bad dream brought on by a late night binging baseball history videos on YouTube. Upon checking my phone, I saw I had received a text in the night from a number I didn’t recognize, offering us two days of unexpected studio time.
When we arrived at the studio that day, he opened the door wearing a fitted baseball cap, towering over our band with an average height of 5’8”. I instantly felt a familiarity. As he showed us around I felt a sense of having returned, like visiting your old elementary school once again for a younger siblings' graduation. He led us to the control room which was equipped with a speaker system large enough for a room quadruple the size. He stood at one corner and I sat in a chair directly opposite. The square room shifted to a diamond by our perspectives.
He turned the speakers up and without hesitation played us through a whirlwind of different music at an unbelievable volume, and I was engulfed in a thunderous sound, like that of a waterfall. "Mirror Match" and "Second Life" were two tracks made and completed in the two days at his studio.
Lip Critic and the Big Unit: an unstoppable combination. Hear the new songs below, but, fair warning, don't be surprised if the music leaves you feeling like this bird.
TOUR DATES:
07/19 - Market Hotel - Brooklyn, NY*
07/20 - Middle East Upstairs - Boston, MA*
07/21 - No Fun - Troy, NY*
07/22 - Bottlerocket - Pittsburgh, PA*
07/24 - Mahall’s - Cleveland, OH*
07/25 - Dirty Dungarees - Columbus, OH*
07/26 - T-Rex Fest - Grand Rapids, MI
07/27 - Wicker Park Fest - Chicago, IL
07/27 - Beat Kitchen (Wicker Park Aftershow) - Chicago, IL
07/29 - Zhora Darling - Minneapolis, MN*
07/30 - The Ship - Lawrence, KS*
08/01 - Marquis - Denver, CO*
08/02 - The DLC - Salt Lake City, UT*
08/03 - The Shredder - Boise, ID*
08/05 - Barboza - Seattle, WA*
08/06 - Polaris Hall - Portland, OR*
08/08 - Neck of the Woods - San Francisco, CA*
08/09 - Humdinger - San Luis Obispo, CA*
08/10 - Lodge Room - Los Angeles, CA*
08/11 - Casbah - San Diego, CA*
08/12 - Club Congress - Tucson, AZ*
08/14 - 29th Street Ballroom - Austin, TX*
08/15 - Club Dada - Dallas, TX*
08/16 - Siberia - New Orleans, LA*
09/23 - Charleston, SC - Music Farm+
09/24 - Knoxville, TN - Bijou Theatre+
09/27 - CBGB Festival - Under the K Bridge Park - Brooklyn, NY
10/01 - Austin, TX - Levitation Halloween
*(MSPAINT & Pat and the Pissers)
+(w/ Mannequin Pussy)
Did you know Randy Johnson is a professional sports photographer now? And so is Ken Griffey Jr.?
