Started as the one-man post-punk project of Mitchell Vinokur, Two-Man Giant Squid slowly expanded as Vinokur recruited a childhood neighbor, a Ukrainian national, and his own fiancée to turn Two-Man Giant Squid into a much more dynamic five-piece. We’ve been fans of this band for so long that we featured them in our Bandcamp of the Day column back in 2023 for a single off their album Basement, as they slowly grew a reputation for their unique blend of art-punk, indie, and psych.
Now they’ve returned with their third, self-titled album due out March 7 on Mint 400 Records. On the new album, the band explore the thin line between passion and obsession, self-reflexively looking back on Vinokur’s involvement with the project. “I am the type of person who goes really far into whatever I’m doing,” Vinokur explains. “So far that it often strains the relationships in my life. It’s weird to think that doing what you love can also be destructive. I wanted this record to broadcast that internal fight.”
Today we’re debuting the first single off the new album entitled “Weird Recordings (you’ve got some).” A sharply angular track full of quirky energy and mathy rhythm changes, the single alternates between the straight-forward energy of The Strokes, the warm art-punk stylings of Modest Mouse, and the twee-pop familiarity of Belle and Sebastian, all in the same song. Somehow the disparate elements all blend together into one cohesive whole that becomes more compelling due to its sonic diversity, creating a track that’s likely to stick with you well beyond the first listen. Check out the single below.
Two-Man Giant Squid is out on March 7 from Mint 400 Records, and you can pre-save it here. Follow Two-Man Giant Squid on Instagram and TikTok for future updates.
