We are beyond stoked to help premiere "North Carolina Atomic Bomb," the electric opening salvo of the sophomore LP from London, Ontario synth-punks Mononegatives. In concert with Canadian music tip sheet Some Party we're sharing the first of 14 tracks packed into Crossing Visual Field, due April 21 through the UK's No Front Teeth and LA design collective Dowd Records. Below you can check out "North Carolina Atomic Bomb, a madcap speedrun of a song that slams the component parts of new wave through a lo-fi garage-punk aperture.
While you've missed our chance to get one, we should stop and marvel at the wild vinyl pressing Dowd prepared for the single. The limited-edition (and now decisively sold-out) lathe cut 7" features pop-up cutouts of the band (and their van!), effectively creating a moving diorama while it spins. It's gloriously unnecessary in the finest way, and you can see it in action on Instagram.
That single's just the latest clever swerve from Dowd. Last year the Californian label's in-house gear workshop issued The Sender, a Mononegatives-signature version of their Furs Face pedal, designed explicitly for synth and bass guitar use. I'm betting you can hear that at play here.
Mononegatives features Robbie Brake (Isölation Party) on guitar, synth, and vocals, with drummer David Cereghini, and bassist Aaron Wallis. The new record follows up on a pair of recent EPs from the trio, namely Counterclockwise Interjection and Frequencies Rotating Clockwise, as well as a split with Albany's Mystery Girl. Mononegatives issued their debut full-length, Apparatus Division, in 2020.
This story is part of a reporting partnership between Punknews.org and Some Party, a weekly newsletter covering independent Canadian rock music. Subscribe at someparty.ca.