Photo by Alex Hendriks
SF Bay Area discopunk trio The Crooked Stuff are pleased to announce that Girl at the Rock Shows have premiered the video for single “Shallow Shores”, lauding the record as “synth-rock perfection”, reminiscent of “The Faint meets Breathe Carolina.”
A heady blend of “discopunk and electrofunk” with roots in the DC hardcore scene (and the influence of ’80s new wave), the trio’s forthcoming album Synthetic Signals (The Unknown International, 7/31/26) carries “bitter yet melodic vocal delivery atop danceable rhythms.” (ReGen)
The Crooked Stuff is Tom Gorton (vocals, DC hardcore roots), John Varn (keys/synths, toured with Neal Schon and Greg Rolie of Santana and Journey), and Nick DeRyss (drums, from Day Wave on Harvest-Capitol Records).
The band’s September 2025 Darkphased EP landed at #10 NACC Top Adds (19 adds), #4 NACC Electronic Most Added, #3 Sub-Modern Albums, and #159 NACC Top 200, with 1,800+ Apple-tracked spins across 47 stations and 21 markets. Heavy rotation at WPRK Orlando (47 spins/week peak), specialty support from Live 105 (SF), KEXP (Seattle), and 91X (San Diego). The three tracks, Decimator, Black Holes, and Die This Way, will all appear on the upcoming Synthetic Signals album as well.
2026 live show highlights include three shows at Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Aaron Axelsen’s Popscene + Live 105 Soundcheck showcase in San Francisco, and a Live At Lagunitas summer season opening slot at the Lagunitas Brewery amphitheater. Upcoming dates include: Eureka Theater (Eureka, CA July 17), The Fern (Nevada City, CA July 18), Smiley’s (Bolinas, CA September 5). More summer and fall dates to be announced.
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