Landline, the duo of Oakland’s Matt Ferrara (Toyota) and LA’s Zoe Zag (Shirley Mistaken), just released their debut full length on Discontinuous Innovation. The two met in Chico in 2011, had a brief falling out, but reconnected in 2017 and started making an album over the internet, coordinated over late-night phone calls.

Unlike more famous long-distance collaborations, this isn’t some sort of sappy sentimental project; these songs evoke an air of a couple that kinds of hates each other but they know they’ve got too much chemistry to quit making music together. Landline’s self-described genre of “New Wave Punk Rock” is definitely appropriate, but it’s clear these two don’t really give a shit about genre boundaries. It’s energetic, it’s harsh, it’s fuzzy, it’s laid back, melodic, and clean. Hopefully these two can stick it out for a few more albums.

Look for live release shows with a full band featuring members of Toyota and Violence Creeps in LA and the Bay later this fall, and listen or purchase the cassette via Discontinuous Innovation below.