Justin R. Cruz Gallego, who you may know from Seattle band Dreamdecay, has been making hazy post-punk-inspired music on his own as J.R.C.G. for nearly a decade, with releases on John Dwyer’s Castle Face and Iron Lung. He’s now signed to Sub Pop and announced his first album for the label, Grim Iconic…(Sadistic Mantra), that will be out August 2. He co-produced it with Seth Manchester (The Body, Battles, Mdou Moctar) making for his most expansive record yet.
“I see this record as first and foremost a musical statement,” Gallego says. “I grew up in punk and DIY subcultures, but before that I had Latin music playing in the background through my childhood and every phase of adolescence. It was surprisingly natural to incorporate. I realized I wanted to go deeper into these rhythms. I wanted to make a record that felt as experimental as much as it felt from the perspective of a Latino. When I got a glimmer of that possibility, it felt exciting.”
The first single is “Dogear,” which mixes a funky, slamming krautrock groove with controlled feedback guitar squall, and Gage’s raw, impassioned delivery. “I wanted a song that felt playful in the way it attempted to be dissonant without taking itself too seriously,” Gallego says. You can watch the video below.
J.R.C.G. will be on tour with Mdou Moctar in June, including the NYC shows at Bowery Ballroom on 6/25 and Warsaw on 6/26. He’ll also be out on a headline tour in August and all dates are listed below.
Grim Iconic…(Sadistic Mantra)
1. Grim Iconic
2. 34
3. Dogear
4. Drummy
5. Liv
6. Party People (Heaven)
7. Junk Corrido
8. Cholla Beat
9. World i
J.R.C.G. – 2024 Tour Dates
Tue. Jun. 18 – Chicago, IL – Thalia Hall $
Wed. Jun. 19 – Detroit, MI – Magic Bag $
Thu. Jun. 20 – Cleveland, OH – Beachland Ballroom $
Fri. Jun. 21 – Buffalo, NY – Ashbury Hall $
Sun. Jun. 23 – Boston, MA- Paradise Rock Club $
Wed. Jun. 26 – Brooklyn, NY – Warsaw $
Thu. Jun. 27 – Washington, DC – 9:30 CLUB $
Fri. Jun. 28 – Philadelphia, PA – Union Transfer $
Fri. Aug. 02 – Portland, OR – Polaris Hall
Sat. Aug. 03 – Seattle, WA – Clock-Out Lounge
Thu. Aug. 15 – Reno, NV – Holland Project
Fri. Aug. 16 – San Fransisco, CA – Kilowatt Bar
Sun. Aug.18 Tucson – Congress
Tues. Aug. 20 – Austin, TX – Mohawk
Thu. Aug. 22- New Orleans, LA – Siberia
Fri. Aug. 23 – Atlanta, GA – 529
Sat. Aug. 24 – Nashville, TN – Hubba Hubba Tiki Tonk
Sun. Aug. 25 – Raleigh, NC – Kings
Tue. Aug. 27 – Richmond, VA – Warehouse
Wed. Aug. 28 – Washington, DC – Pie Shop
Fri. Aug. 30 – Providence, RI – AS220
$ w/ Mdou Moctar