The Week in Fresh Tracks [The Dead Weather, Escondido, The Ettes, Dogs of Oz, She the Killer, Classic Williams and More ]

Greetings, Cream readers! Are you in the mood to get your stream on? Here's a virtual buffet of fresh tracks from some of your favorite local artists — prepare to feast your ears!

AmericanaFest week is here, so maybe you're expecting a cornucopia of roots-rooted tunes, with gospel-inspired harmonies and raucous acoustic instruments aplenty. We've got a little bit of that, but there's also lots of good old fashioned rock 'n' roll, plus some dark electro-pop, gnarly post-hardcore, experimental hip-hop, power-pop and library-inspired funk. There's lots to hear, so let's dig in!

As always, send submissions to cream[at]nashvillescene[dot]com, and look back at past weeks in fresh tracks here.

The Dead Weather, "Cop and Go"

As the Sept. 25 release date nears for Dodge and Burn, the first LP in five years from Jack White, Alison Mosshart, "Little" Jack Lawrence and Dean Fertita, aka The Dead Weather, they've dropped quite a few notable teasers, like last week's "Hang You From the Heavens" demo video, and a performance of "I Feel Love" on The Late Show on Monday. The latest is "Cop and Go," a tune that's a bit Stooges-esque with a little of Blondie's sexually charged snarl mixed in.

Escondido, "Heart is Black"

Escondido, aka Jessica Maros and Tyler James, played their first Music City gig in a hot minute last month, bringing tunes from a forthcoming full-length they recorded while working in L.A. The driving "Heart is Black" is the first track to appear from Walking With a Stranger, which is due early next year. The track is a little more straight-ahead rock than The Ghost of Escondido's shimmery desert-pop.

The Ettes, "Live and Let Live"

Cassette Store Day 2015 is coming! Oct. 17, local record shops will be awash in special-edition cassettes from independent artists and labels, like Girlsville Records' Stupid Punk Boy compilation, which features among its 24 tracks The Ettes' gritty-as-hell cover of Love's "Live and Let Live." The comp also benefits a great cause: Chicago's Translife Center, which offers a wide range of support for transgender individuals. By the way, the full list of CSD 2015 releases includes a Chris Crofton/Daniel Pujol split, an Amerigo Gazaway trip-hop mixtape, and releases from Quichenight, Spoken Nerd, Boyscott and more.

Dogs of Oz, "Window Pain"

Speaking of "and more," teenage rock trio Dogs of Oz are set to release their debut full-length All Shook Up via Two Boots Pizza's Pizza Tape Records; various formats drop Oct. 2, and cassettes will be available for the first time Oct. 17 for CSD. The lead single, "Window Pain," is nugget of punked-up Southern rock.

Walking Man, Walking Man EP

After two years of relative quiet, it's great to hear from Walking Man again. The new EP features new tunes plus new recordings of the best stuff from their 2012-13 repertoire, like the field-holler/Afrobeat/Americana hybrid "Maybel."

Faux Ferocious, Faux Ferocious 

http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=1525317306/size=small/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/transparent=true/Faux Ferocious' self-titled debut full-length is the latest in Infinity Cat's Casey Weissbuch-curated cassette series. It's a red-hot ball of caterwauling, mid-fi pan-punk, which they take right to the edge of melting and bring it on back to tight drone boogie. 

She the Killer, "Witch Hazel"

http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=574371421/size=small/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/transparent=true/She the Killer, the post-hardcore outfit fronted by Take The Power Back's Katy Lyles, is slowly trickling out tracks from its next release. "Witch Hazel" is a brutal, riff-tastic screamer that makes me pretty excited to see what else they've got up their sleeves.

Blinds, Blinds EP

http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=3200824829/size=small/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/transparent=true/If AmericanaFest week has you climbing the walls, the debut EP from Brian Zaremba and friends is your antidote. Laced with wiry synths and jangly guitars, the tracks are a little bit Smiths, a little bit Echo and the Bunnymen, and all good.

Classic Williams feat. Sammy, "Lit Off a Check"

Your boy Classic, rappin' like he's got cash to burn! Actually, he's working damn hard on this new high-octane track, propelled along by Melvin Thomas' double-speed beat.

Scotty Rockwell, "Seems Like" feat. ThirdEyeG and MacDonald

As summer fades, sweet collab tracks are popping up all over the Music City hip-hop scene. Producer Khaed from Dojahouse and guest MCs ThirdEyeG and MacDonald from BZRK appeared on Rockwell the Ruler, and they're back to keep it weird.

Them Vibes, TV

http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=2812554979/size=small/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/transparent=true/It's only rock 'n' roll, and Them Vibes like it. This new EP shows the band's classic-rock side — "Hit 'n' Run" is what AC/DC's "Moneytalks" might sound like if the Stones got ahold of the riff first — but the cool experimental touches all over the swampy "Mama's Got a Secret" help them stretch it out.

Reno Bo, "Strange Maps" / "Box of Rain"

http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=1445544431/size=small/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/transparent=true/Back in June, power-pop pro Reno Bo dropped Lessons From a Shooting Star, his first full-length in five years. It's a gift that keeps on giving, in the form of cool single packages with a song from the album on one side and a cover on the flip. In July, it was "The Brighter Side" with The Byrds' "Have You Seen Her Face," and now we've got the mellow "Strange Maps" with a take on "Box of Rain," the opening track from The Grateful Dead's 1970 proto-mericana opus American Beauty. 

Magic in Threes, Return Of

http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=4011734198/size=small/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/transparent=true/Before we go, how 'bout we let Music City's own maestros of chill set the mood? The psych-soul-jazz outfit comes out of hibernation with their first full-length in since 2011, and like its '70s ancestors, it's a veritable mine for samples. Producers, take note!