Ideally, this feature would need no introduction, but it has been a looooong minute since we’ve shared a new one, hasn’t it? So for any newcomers, let us provide a quick refresher: TRIPLE THREAT was created to help expose our readers to a wider array of local music. For our staff, it also provided an effective means of keeping tabs on a scene that is constantly growing and releasing ever more music. The premise has never changed—a spotlight on three new songs that climbed their way to the top of our local playlists. We give you a bit of insight into why we think they’re great, the music does the rest. Pretty simple, eh? So go on. Press play and enjoy.
Rose Hotel – “cool”
From the upcoming LP, A Pawn Surrender (Deluxe)
2024 was a banner year for Jordan Reynolds, one that saw the singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist assuming more creative risks and evolving as an artist. Anchoring much of that growth was the release of Rose Hotel’s label debut, A Pawn Surrender. The LP was full of luminous revelations, weaving lush indie rock, lo-fi, alt-country, and more into a dreamy latticework of immersive songcraft. So, perhaps it’s no surprise that Reynolds is kicking off the new year by releasing a digital-only deluxe edition of her breakout release. The 14-track effort features alternative versions of album cuts “Not Like That” and “Illusion Anyway,” as well as a pair of new offerings, “cool” and “Gas.”
Released early last week, “cool” is a tender, woozy song that shimmers with romantic yearning. Draped in languid guitar and gauzy textures, Reynolds’ delicate melodies dance and draw you in like so many hushed secrets. There’s trepidation in her voice, but also a glimmer of hope filtering through the waning daylight. It whispers that maybe, despite all our flaws and fears, love can win out. Rose Hotel has always had a penchant for conjuring weightless atmospheres, and “cool” sets you adrift, floating blissfully into the unknown. – Avery Shepherd
A Pawn Surrender (Deluxe) is out Jan. 24 via Strolling Bones. Pre-orders are available here.
More Info
Web: rosehotelmusic.com
Bandcamp: rosehotel.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @rosehotelmusic
Instagram: @rosehotel_
SoundCloud: @rose-hotel
Twitter: @rosehotelmusic
Ultra Lights – “It’s Your Funeral”
From the “It’s Your Funeral” b/w “People on the Planet” 7-inch
Okay, so technically “It’s Your Funeral” came out a couple of weeks ago, but holy smokes does this jammer demand your attention. Surely I’m not the only one that sorely misses Illegal Drugs’ pulverizing noise assault, so when John Robinson resurfaced with a new band in tow, it was cause to rejoice. Ultra Lights may not attack with the same white-hot fervor as his previous outfit, but what they lack in raw aggression, they make up in buzzing, effortless hooks. Case in point, “It’s Your Funeral” rumbles along with boozy swagger and clarity of purpose. Propelled by a cyclical guitar line and driving backbeat, Robinson spends much of the track cooly detailing the financial pressures of barely scraping by before baring his teeth on the rousing final verse. The end result feels messy yet cathartic like when you finally tell your asshole boss to kick rocks and quit mid shift. If you’re looking for local bands to keeps tabs on in 2025, make sure to put Ultra Lights at the top of your list. – Guillermo Castro
The “It’s Your Funeral” b/w “People on the Planet” 7-inch is out now via Chunklet Industries.
More Info
Web: ultralightsband.com
Bandcamp: ultralights.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @ultralights
Instagram: @ultralightsband
Hallucinojerks – “freddy you motherfuckin mutt”
From the standalone single
The last time I heard from Gokul Parasuram, he was crafting fabulously warped pop and prog rock concoctions as Freddy Chops. But that was way back in 2016 or 2017, and I had long lost track of the inventive musician and songwriter. As it turns out, Parasuram has spent the last several years releasing weirdo punk experiments under the moniker Hallucinojerks. Since 2020, he’s unleashed a veritable deluge of EPs and singles, resulting in dozens of recorded tracks spread out over 16 releases. His latest single, the freakishly visceral “freddy you motherfuckin mutt,” is a bonkers Zappa-esue ripper that thrashes about in all manner of spastic contortions. Never mind that it’s a song about getting attacked by a dog and the thirst for retaliation that follows—it’s Parasuram’s frantic stream-of-consciousness logic that’ll knock you on your ass. One moment you’re getting battered by a maniacal electro-metal groove, the next you’re tossed headfirst into a twisted punk-polka blender with an angry Weird Al mashing the buttons. It’s enough to make your head spin, which for Hallucinojerks seems like part of the thrill. – GC
More Info
Bandcamp: hallucinojerks.bandcamp.com
Instagram: @hallucinojerks