Cut of the Day: "Bury Our Friends," Sleater-Kinney

In 2006, when Sleater-Kinney played its final show ever at the Crystal Ballroom, an invisible clock began running, counting down to the legendary Portland-via-Olympia riot grrrls' eventual reunion. It just felt inevitable, considering the group didn't seem to implode with acrimony, and because, let's face it, no one stays broken up anymore these days.

Well, that clock has finally hit zero.

This morning, the band formally announced its reformation, to be accompanied by a tour and album of brand new material. The hints had been dropping all over the place in the last year, beginning when all three members—singer-guitarists Corin Tucker and Carrie Brownstein and drummer Janet Weiss—appeared onstage together at the Moda Center, joining in on Pearl Jam's encore of "Rockin' In the Free World." In September, Sub Pop announced a remastered box set of the S-K discography. Then, this past Friday, the Internet rumor mill went into overdrive, when it was revealed a seven-inch, featuring what was coyly referred to as "an unheard song" called "Bury Our Friends," would be included in the package. What's more, it was stamped with the date "1/20/15." What could it possibly mean?!?!?!

As suspected, that song turns out to be the first single off the band's upcoming eighth album, titled No Cities To Love, which was recorded in secret in Portland, San Francisco and Seattle and will indeed be released Jan. 20. The full track leaked out last night, and was followed today by a lyric video starring a bemasked Miranda July. 

Most fans would be happy enough just to have America's best punk band back in action, but based on "Bury Our Friends," this ain't gonna be some half-assed cash-grab reunion. It is an absolute monster jam that could've come from the sessions for 2005's bombastic swan-song, The Woods, with a big, stomping chorus and awesomely slinky riffs throughout.

The band has announced a slew of shows for the first quarter of 2015, beginning Feb. 8 in Spokane. No Portland date yet, but if I were you, I'd keep my ear to the streets for potential warmup gigs happening between now and then. 

WWeek 2015