Late last year, The Stones (New York, not the UK) pretty much knocked the house down with their debut single: throwback rock ’n’ roll played with maximum swagger. Luckily, we didn’t have to wait long for a follow-up. Once again, it’s a two-song single, and once again it’s recorded live to tape.

The A-side, Leaning on a Domino, is a grooving, rock-and-rolling number built on cool guitar work and forward momentum—a song about a love that collapses if you breathe wrong, but you keep leaning into it anyway. On the flip, (I’m a) Drama Queen feels like a direct sequel to Rock ’n’ Roll Band. Where that song asked the rhetorical “Ain’t you glad that your man’s in a rock ’n’ roll band?”, this one proudly embraces being the loudest problem in the room (“I think you know just what I mean // That I’m the resident // President // Drama queen”).

So yes, in case it wasn’t clear: the ATW crew approves of The Stones. We think they’re pretty great. File this under: records we’d release ourselves if fear for expensive lawsuits weren’t a factor.

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp