Blast Flashes

Pretty Fancy Destroyer Photo by: Courtesy

Pretty Fancy Destroyer

Gateway song: “Moonflower”

The self-produced Pretty Fancy Destroyer is a nocturnal creature—all “late-night tension, surreal imagery, and altered-state experiences,” as vocalist Jason Muller puts it. Desert rock riffs and driving melodies define this project, especially on standout tracks “Stiletto Bayonet” and “Moonflower.” It’s moody but balanced by energetic guitar work that recalls much of the grit and atmosphere of early Queens of the Stone Age and Arctic Monkeys. It’s a world “where beauty and unease coexist,” Muller says. And we’re happily living in it. blastflashes.bandcamp.com. –AS

Creen Chameleon

Accolades Photo by: Courtesy

Accolades

Gateway song: “Downtown Love” featuring A Ron

Rapper Creed Chameleon embarks on his first solo project in four years after manning the mic with the Hawaiian-born hip-hop collective Dotwav. Across 11 tracks, Chameleon enters a flow state of rhymes that capture the cadence of ’90s hip-hop greats thanks to exceptional production by Hawaii’s Jojo Flow. “New Wav Outlawz,” featuring Sirrealist and Paradigm, plays fast and loose, like a Wu-Tang joint resurrected from the grave. And “Downtown Love,” with its speeding freestyles and soulful sample of Evelyn “Champagne” King, belongs on every summer playlist. linktr.ee/creedchameleon. –AS

Plague Doctor

Plague Doctor Photo by: Courtesy

Plague Doctor

Gateway song: “Doomroller”

Since its 2018 inception, Plague Doctor has remained a fixture on our list of bands worth following closely. The quartet stays firmly tethered to its sludge-drenched doom foundations, stretching songs beyond the five-minute mark and trusting a profoundly oppressive atmosphere to do the heavy lifting. Mountains of down-tuned, fuzz-saturated riffage collide with unsettling basslines and ghostly vocal laments, creating a sound that feels unearthed. Released last year, the self-titled EP continues to linger and swallow every room it enters. linktr.ee/plaguedoctor_lv. –GR

Roman Candle

Unadulterated Photo by: Courtesy

Unadulterated

Gateway song: “Blasphemous Act”

Three and a half years after the breakout spark of Discount Fireworks, Roman Candle returns with Unadulterated, its most expansive and meticulously rendered statement yet. Piper Ferrari commands the record with a magnetic conviction, weaving spoken word passages into a world of serrated guitars, taut basslines and punchy percussion. The opening track even features the cello, an instrument Ferrari learned specifically for the occasion. Reframing early 2000s screamo through a hardcore lens, the album balances cathartic intensity with an enduring creed in being heard. linktr.ee/romancandlex. –GR

Sonia Barcelona & Adam The DJ

Seven Zero Two Photo by: Courtesy

Seven Zero TwoGateway song: “Circles” 

Sonia Barcelona called this mash-up with Adam Rellah, known as the local muralist Pretty Done, a musical “side quest.” We’ll take several more. Seven Zero Two, much like Rellah’s artwork, feels like one epic scrawl of influences scratched into the surface. The album pulses with hyperactivity, building off a palette of hip-hop, dance-pop and turbulent guitar riffs that Barcelona’s vocals coast across easily. Buzzy dance primers like “Groove On” set the scene, just for it to be imploded by the bombastic electronica of tracks like “Sexy Terror.” It’s unpredictable fun for all occasions. linktr.ee/artofsonia. –AS

Click HERE to subscribe for free to the Weekly Fix, the digital edition of Las Vegas Weekly! Stay up to date with the latest on Las Vegas concerts, shows, restaurants, bars and more, sent directly to your inbox!