Thank God someone is still doing 8-bit music. I can remember one evening during my rich high school years when I went to see the Anamanguchi release show for Dawn Metropolis at The Studio under Webster Hall. They were supported by Graffiti Monsters and Starscream; basically the most star-studded cast of 8-bit bands, and needless to say I was sold on the genre. What is it about 8-bit that gets the gut? It’s the nostalgia… those sounds that instantly make you think of endless nights pouring over Pokemon, Monster Rancher or Harvest Moon, listening to those same soundtracks over and over again.
Crying has got it down with their pop punk/8-bit fusion. Their new track, “Batang Killjoy”, is a restlessly uplifting anthem; it just keeps soaring higher, making me think of those exciting altitudes you’d reach in Sonic the Hedgehog. Those gameboy sounds are just a bitch of an ear worm, but they don’t dominate the song with a series of blips and bloops. Crying keep a solid foot in the realm of rock n’ roll by giving each layer an equal share; the guitar is still crunching’ and the drums are still thrashin’.
Crying’s forthcoming EP, Get Olde/Second Wind is out November 18 on Run For Cover. Stream it in full below, and read on for a full list of upcoming tour dates.
Crying tour dates:
November:
11 – Pittsburgh, PA – Rex Theater
12 – Buffalo – NY – Waiting Room
13 – Pontiac, MI – The Crofoot Ballroom
14 – Cleveland, OH – Grog Shop
15 – Chicago, IL – Bottom Lounge
16 – Lawrence, KS – Granada Theater
18 – Denver, CO – Marquis Theater
19 – Salt Lake City, UT – Kilby Court
21 – Oakland, CA – 924 Gilman
22 – Los Angeles, CA – The Roxy
23 – Anaheim, CA – Chain Reaction
25 – San Diego, CA – The Epicenter
26 – Mesa, AZ – Club Red
28 – Dallas, TX – The Prophet Bar
29 – Austin, TX – Red 7
30 – Houston, TX – Walters
December:
02 – Nashville, TN – The End
03 – Atlanta, GA – Masquerade
04 – Tampa, FL – Epic Problems
05 – Pembroke Pines, FL – Talent Farm
06 – Orlando, FL – Backbooth
07 – Jacksonville, FL – Underbelly
09 – Washington, DC – The Filmore
10 – Richmond, VA – The Broadberry
11 – Philadelphia, PA – The TLA
12 – New York, NY – Grammercy Theater
13 – Hamden, CT – The Space
14 – Boston, MA – The Paradise
15 – Brooklyn, NY – Music Hall of Williamsburg
