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5 songs to discover in San Diego in February

San Diego band The Inflorescence is shown in an undated photo.
Alex Tchoukhrova
San Diego band the Inflorescence is shown in an undated photo.

We're listening to new music from Thee Sacred Souls, The Inflorescence, Keni Can Fly, Julia Sage and the Bad Hombres and Author & Punisher.

'Are You Sorry' by The Inflorescence

The Inflorescence is the new moniker for the teen rockers formerly known as the Fluorescents, and they just put out their first single with the esteemed Kill Rock Stars label. It's called "Are You Sorry" and it's heavy, embittered, desperate and heartbroken, but has a total clarity and wisdom — as well as a vintage punk feel — that rounds everything out.

The Inflorescence - Are You Sorry (Official Music Video)

As the Fluorescents, they released a "Self Titled" EP in 2020 that was smart, catchy and unexpected, so the Inflorescence's forthcoming full-length album, "Remember What I Look Like" is highly anticipated. You can watch for that this summer.

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The band is playing two shows this month: Feb. 12 at the Casbah, opening for Schizophonics and the Wild Wild Wets, and Feb. 26 at Che Cafe.

'Trade of Hearts' by Thee Sacred Souls

Local souldies band Thee Sacred Souls has a brand new single, "Trade of Hearts," which is now out on streaming platforms, but will be released on vinyl later this month — Feb. 25. This band is continuing to crush it since signing to Daptone Records, and their latest track is a great follow-up to a pair of singles they put out last year, including "It's Our Love."

"Trade of Hearts" is another amazing listen, with a solid but lilting groove, a sweet intimacy and Thee Sacred Souls' signature nostalgia. Singer Josh Lane has a seemingly limitless, flawless voice and he's paired with crystalline harmonies and a call/response style from backup vocalist Jensine Benitez. The song comes out just in time for your Valentine's playlists, pairing imagery from a deck of cards — king, queen, hearts — with scenes from a blossoming love.

Thee Sacred Souls is performing at Music Box on Feb. 23, and at Pioneertown's Pappy & Harriet's (near Joshua Tree) on Feb. 24.Thee Sacred Souls local shows have a tendency to sell out so make your plans soon.

'Veering' by Keni Can Fly

Keni Can Fly is a San Diego-based alternative hip-hop musician who has been steadily releasing songs the past few years, building up to a forthcoming new album. In fact, a new single, "Mr. Wednesday" will drop on Feb. 3, so watch your streaming platforms — and watch this kind of absurd series of short reels teasing the track.

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Keni Can Fly's recent music is witty without compromising complexity, with a distinct freshness to his sound, but I'm starting at the beginning. The first track he released in 2020 was "Veering," which catapulted him to a sort of overnight success on streaming platforms, according to a profile in the University of San Diego student paper — where he is still a student, studying visual art.

"Veering" is moodier and more pensive than Keni Can Fly's more whimsical releases, and the song has two separate movements, the second more subdued than the first. It's a daring structure for a contemporary release but Keni pulls it off. Rich and textured without feeling overproduced, the track is loaded with vocal effects, synths, and steady, analog-sounding drums tying it all together.

Keni Can Fly performs Feb. 8 at Music Box, alongside local R&B/pop trio, We The Commas.

'I Shouldn't Stay' by Julia Sage and the Bad Hombres

San Diego guitarist and bilingual singer-songwriter Julia Sage just released a new album in December, "Desnuda," packed with brooding and evocative ballads with Chilean folk music influences. Many of the tracks on the album are sung in Spanish, and while there's an undertone of heartache and mournfulness to these tracks, there's a mystery and wonder, too. "I Shouldn't Stay" is one of the singles, sung in English with an infectious chorus of wordless vocables, aka a string of "la ra ra's." The song feels equal parts love song and cautionary tale. Sage is backed by her band, the Bad Hombres, which includes Grampadrew's Drew Douglas, along with some special guests like John Meeks on horns.

Julia Sage and the Bad Hombres will perform at the North Park Thursday Market on Feb. 3 from 3-5 p.m. on the North Park Way stage, as the market celebrates expanding into the new mini park.

'Drone Carrying Dead' by Author and Punisher

Local Tristan Shone has made a big, global splash with his one-man industrial/metal project Author & Punisher. He's known for his use of custom, machine-like musical instruments, and watching him perform is like watching a transformer or wizard play music, and his sound is entirely singular.

Shone is set to release a new album, "Krüller" on Feb. 11. The first single, "Drone Carrying Dead," brings something of a melodic detour from his usual wall-of-sound aesthetic — which isn't to say it's not sonically powerful and still a bit punishing. It's more like a (dare I say?) beautiful dose of doom. Given this tease from the forthcoming album, I'm looking forward to hearing the cover of Portishead's "Glory Box" that was recently revealed in the track listing.

Author & Punisher will embark on a European tour in March to support the release.

You can listen to a playlist of these songs on Spotify here.