Song of the Day: POW! - Liquid Daydream

Every Monday through Friday, we deliver a different song as part of our Song of the Day podcast subscription. This podcast features exclusive KEXP in-studio performances, unreleased songs, and recordings from independent artists that our DJs think you should hear. Today’s song, featured on the Afternoon Show with Kevin Cole, is “Liquid Daydream” by POW! from the 2015 album Fight Fire on Castle Face.

POW! - Liquid Daydream (MP3)

The garage rock force of San Francisco's POW! augments its raw power with noisy synths and breakneck rhythms. After gaining a degree of notoriety for having their debut album, 2014's Hi-Tech Boom, mentioned in John Dwyer's letter explaining why he left San Francisco, the band followed through on the album's premise with a set of a smart, snarling tunes describing life in a post-tech San Fran. The group's second album, this year's Fight Fire, continues to emphasize the band's ability to surround their distorted instrumentation with synthesized sonics that walk the line between a retro revival and a chilling, dystopian futurism. Despite its name, "Liquid Daydream" isn't the least bit tranquil or spacey. It's a focused, rapid fire track with slash and burn riffs to spare. The digital-based intro is the calm before the storm, quickly giving way to Blum's vocals and and a full-on assault from the rest of the band. Although there are plenty of atmospheric and textural elements augmenting the track, the band never loses sight of their namesake, making "Liquid Daydream" a spot-on soundtrack to a right hook to the face.

POW! will play a series of record release shows in California this week. If the band announce plans to tour outside of California, those dates will be posted on their Facebook page. For now, watch the video for track "Hi-Tech Boom":