You know what we could go for right now? A hooky-as-hell glam-punk gem filled with bright and chiming guitars, sneering vocals, plenty of “whoa-whoa-whoa”s, and lyrics about being a kid trapped in a dead-end town. Doesn’t that sound nice? Jesus, it really does…

Enter the latest single from Milwaukee glam-punk lifer Daniel James and his Daniel James Gang. “Darkness Over This Town” is, well, exactly what we described above. It’s great. “There’s a big black cloud and you can’t see out the window,” James croaks in the song’s opening moments. He’s singing about a time when he and his co-conspirators were “just teenagers” and “so young and dumb,” but boy oh boy does the whole “big black cloud” thing resonate today…

Anyway, “Darkness Over This Town” is the centerpiece of a new four-song “maxi-single” from James’ recently revived solo project. (His previous band, Indonesian Junk, hung things up in 2023.) Other tracks include the previously released “Misery,” the hip-shaking “Lies,” and a menacing cover of New Model Army’s “The Hunt.” The collection is scheduled for release on January 28, but you can listen to it now, only on ye olde Milwaukee Record:

The “Darkness Over This Town” maxi-single was mixed by Ian Olvera and mastered by Justin Perkins at Mystery Room Mastering. Wanna see James live? You can catch him Friday, January 31 with his other band, Chinese Telephones, at Sabbatic; or Thursday, February 13 with his other other band, World In Action, at Cactus Club. At least this town won’t be plagued by a big black cloud with James and company playing in it. (Well…)

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