Featuring ex-members of Tea Elles and formally called The Baths, the Royal Baths are a band from San Francisco, CA that are in the same garage rock scene as bands like Ty Segall, Thee Oh Sees, and The Fresh & Onlys. Unlike those bands, though, the Royal Baths contrast with sunny San Francisco and it's sunny sounds and focus on a very dark and intense form of "stoner" psychedelia, whilst combining other, more melodic elements. A tape on Wizard Mountain and a 7" on Rad Key Records were previously released as The Baths. They have released a 7" on HoZac Records and their debut album "Litanies" on Woodsist. Their new album, "Better Luck Next Life" (Kanine Records), reflects the grit and grime of their adopted home of New York City and finds the Royal Baths delving deeper into dark soundscapes while maintaining their lo-fi aesthetics.

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There are at least two bands by the name Slowdance,
1)
The band Slowdance played their 11th (or possibly 12th) show March 31 2011, opening for PS I Love You and Diamond Rings at Glasslands. Unusually captivating for an unheralded opener, the quintet zipped through a quick set of tight and moody, occasionally Francophonic indie-pop. (This sat well with French-Canadian fans of the bill's headliners.) Slowdance bring keyboard and guitar and a rhythm section that can flip from a new wave throb to a spaghetti western rumble as easily as it delivers punchy indie-pop, all anchored by vocalist Quay Quinn-Settel's demure cheek and soprano dramatics. She recalled France Gall, and they did Stereolab, because language still counts (even the set-closing cover of New Order's "Consent" was not without its tie to France). Says Quinn-Settel: "I learned how to read in French before learning in English. It's half of me, it wouldn't feel right to sing in English alone. Plus the way the language shapes the mouth changes the timber of my voice, so it's nice to have both."

Other formative reference points Slowdance cite include Blondie, the Raincoats, and '70s synthwave, which help contextualize the tracks here for you to sample (the spaghetti-soaked "Spell," the coy "Sweetness," "Slashed Tires"' airy angst). Those are below, along with a mixtape playlist we asked the band to compile as the perfect primer to the aesthetic of Slowdance.

2)
A pop punk band from Tallahassee. That faded into complete obscurity in the Mid 00's


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