On June 15th, Culture Abuse will release their sophomore album Bay Dream. Featuring new single “Calm E,” Bay Dream is the Bay Area-bred band’s first full-length release for Epitaph Records.
“Calm E” embodies Culture Abuse’s kaleidoscopic sound with its textured guitar tones, feel-good melodies, and pummeling drumbeats. At turns delicate and volatile, the track also highlights frontman David Kelling’s nuanced but playful lyrics (“Well hello my lonely rollercoaster/I’m comin’ up so please scoot over”).
Produced, engineered, and mixed by Carlos de la Garza (Paramore, Jimmy Eat World, M83), Bay Dream follows Culture Abuse’s 2016 debut Peach. The album elevates their melody-heavy garage punk to a new level, drawing inspiration from artists as eclectic as Sly and the Family Stone, Paul Simon, and reggae legend Billy Boyo.
With the album’s lyrics largely informed by Kelling’s recent relocation from San Francisco to Los Angeles, physical and emotional movement play off each other effortlessly throughout Bay Dream.
“I wrote songs in my head until I got a guitar,” says Kelling in reflecting on Bay Dream’s expansive sonic palette. “Just going after the sound that I think each song needs individually, so the sound is in constant change.”
Along with Kelling, Culture Abuse features guitarists John Jr and Nick Bruder, bassist Shane Plitt, and drummer Ross Traver. Formed in 2013, the band signed to Epitaph Records earlier this year.
Next week, Culture Abuse will kick off a spring tour with Turnstile and label mates Touche Amore.
CULTURE ABUSE US TOUR DATES:
Apr 9 Cleveland, OH – The Agora Ballroom
Apr 10 Detroit, MI – Tangent Gallery
Apr 11 Chicago, CA – Bottom Lounge
Apr 12 St. Louis, MO – Fubar Saint Louis
Apr 13 Lawrence, KS – The Bottleneck
Apr 14 Denver, CO – Marquis Theater
Apr 15 Salt Lake City. UT – In The Venue
Apr 17 Seattle, WA – The Corazon
Apr 18 Portland, OR – Hawthorne Theatre
Apr 19 San Francisco, CA – Great American Music Hall
Apr 21 Santa Ana, CA – The Observatory
Apr 22 Tucson, AZ – The Rock
Apr 24 Austin, TX – Barracuda
Apr 25 Dallas, TX – RBC
Apr 26 Houston, TX – Houston Underground
Apr 27 Baton Rouge, LA – Spanish Moon
Apr 28 Tampa, FL – Crowbar
Apr 29 Birmingham, AL – Saturn Bar *
Apr 30 Memphis, TN – The Hi Tone Cafe
May 1 Nashville, TN – The End
May 2 Atlanta, GA – The Masquerade
May 4 Baltimore, MD – Otto Bar *
May 5 New York, NY – Warsaw
May 6 Philadelphia, PA – Theatre of Living Arts
May 7 Boston, MA – Paradise Rock Club
*Culture Abuse, Touche Amore, and Razorbumps (No Turnstile)
CULTURE ABUSE EU/UK TOUR DATES:
Jun 08 London – Download Festival
Jun 09 Manchester – Gorilla
Jun 10 London – Electric Ballroom
Jun 12 Amsterdam – Melkweg
Jun 13 Paris – Petit Bain
Jun 15 Nickelsdorf – Nova Rock
Jun 16 Hamburg – Logo
Jun 18 Leipzig – Conne Island
Jun 19 Prague – Eternia
Jun 20 Berlin – So 36
Jun 21 Karlsruhe – NCO Club
Jun 22 Belgium – Graspop Metal Meeting
Jun 23 Schessel – Hurricane Festival
Jun 24 Neuhausen ob Eck – Southside Festival
Jun 25 Poitou-Charentes – La Mars
Jun 26 Decines-Charpieu – Warm Audio
Jun 29 Antwerp – Sommer Glom @ Kavka
Jun 30 Munster – Vainstream Rockfest
Jun 9 – Jun 13 & Jun 16 & Jun 25 – Jun 26 with The Bronx
Jun 18-Jun 21 Modern Life is War and Cro Mag