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Stream Royal Bangs’ ‘Octagon,’ a Shambling Ode to Growing (and Giving) Up

Royal Bangs

For years, Black Keys drummer Patrick Carney has touted Royal Bangs as one of his favorite bands. The blues-loving beat-keeper released the Knoxville unit’s first two albums — 2008’s We Breed Champions and 2009’s Let It Beep — through his own label, Audio Eagle, and now he’s taken his obsession one step further, working as producer on Royal Bangs’ upcoming fourth LP, Brass. “This is the first chance I’ve had to actually help them make an album,” Carney says in a statement. “They are one of those bands that just keep getting better and better and I couldn’t be more proud to have been involved with this album and band.”

Due September 17 via Modern Art Records, the follow-up to 2011’s Flux Outside has already yielded one single (“Better Run,” via Rolling Stone) and here comes the second, “Octagon.” Backed by percussive keyboard-mashing, vocalist Ryan Schaefer helps a bitter pill go down easy, singing, “We can be happy the rest of our lives / Do as they told us, we can get back in line / It’s not too late yet to give up our dreams / Live in the real world, get a job and go to sleep.” Give in and stream it below.