Oakland's Mall Walk to release new 7", on tour in March & April

Oakland’s Mall Walk to release new 7″, on tour in March and April

(Photo Credit: Raynie Vratari)

Last year, Oakland’s Mall Walk released a five-song EP comprised of minimalist guitar work, spidery, walking bass lines, and steady rhythms. It’s a brand of dynamic rock with one leg in psychedelia and surf-rock, and the other in mechanical post-punk. Just announced via a premiere on Clash Magazine, Mall Walk will be releasing a new 7″ via guitarist/singer Rob I. Miller’s label – Vacant Stare Records – at the end of the month.

The new single “Criminal Code” starts with an upbeat, surfy guitar groove but quickly navigates into darker, more pensive territory. The tight drum and bass interplay that was all over their EP are the backbone of this new track as well, where Daniel Brown and Nicholas Clark maintain the songs mid-tempo strut and provide a backdrop for Rob’s guitar lines to fade in and out over. The hi-hats sound incredible. Its an interesting song who’s misty verses give way to a rocking instrumental chorus, building into a catchy vocal chant/hook before dissipating. Mall Walk’s music is unique in its distinctly American brand of bleak contentment.

They frequently play Oakland, but you can catch them this week at Bottom of Hill with like-minded minimalist art trio Naomi Punk. The group have several more March dates and are then gearing up for a thorough West Coast tour that takes them all the way down to Mexico. The tour is with melancholic rockers Lorelle meets The Obsolete, who hail from Guadalajara, México and play garage influenced, fuzzy rock. Listen to the single below, check out the tour dates, and look out for the 7″ on the 31st.

https://soundcloud.com/vacant-stare-records/a-criminal-code-1/s-KkWkn

Mall Walk March Tour:
03/11 – San Francisco, CA – Brick & Mortar w/ Naomi Punk, PC Worship, Dead Meat, and Al Lover.
03/13 – Los Angeles, CA – Silverlake Lounge w/ Corey & The Castaways and Girl Tears
03/14 – San Diego, CA – Tower Bar w/ Naomi Punk, PC Worship, and Sub Tropics
03/14 – San Diego, CA – The Porch (Later House Show) w/ Astral Touch, Kenichi Ricci, and more TBA.

Mall Walk April Tour with Lorelle meets The Obsolete:
04/02 – San Francisco, CA – Makeout Room
04/03 – Oakland, CA – The Night Light
04/04 – Davis, CA – Third Space Art Collective
04/05 – Eureka, CA – The Works
04/06 – Portland, OR – TBA
04/07 – Olympia, WA – Deadbeat
04/08 – Bellingham, WA – Make.Shift
04/09 – Seattle, WA – Highline
04/10 – Boise, ID – The Crux
04/11 – Salt Lake City, UT – TBA
04/12 – Las Vegas, NV – TBA
04/13 – Fullerton, CA – Continental Room
04/14 – Los Angeles, CA – The Smell
04/15 – San Diego, CA – Wooden Ships Collective
04/16 – Tijuana, Mexico – Moustache Bar
04/17 – Mexicali, Mexico – Shynomi Presenta
04/18 – Ensenada, Mexico – Kraken