When a band pulls a publicity stunt to promote a new album, it definitely sticks with people. From Arcade Fire creating a fake Stereogum site with an album review to Yacht faking a sex tape scandal, there have been plenty of memorable ones.
But a particular band took a very simple yet effective approach while promoting their upcoming album in the pandemic.
On Wednesday evening, a mystery band dropped an album on Soundcloud, calling themselves "Occult Classic." It's an incredibly catchy, energetic pop and punk album with a great sense of humor, featuring songs with titles like "will i get cancelled if i write a song called, if you were a man you'd be so cancelled" and "content/bedtime."
It made its way to Twitter, where people immediately caught on:
https://t.co/zDUZhwVAEO
https://t.co/ntGp67MoZ3
https://t.co/OcjS78k31v
when the mystery album bangs https://t.co/WvAQF2Y6oA
this. is. very. good. https://t.co/GzTERtYJEg
Hehehe. Seriously tho one of the best things I've heard all year. https://t.co/NNr8juiNHo
Looks like it's been deleted but the Mystery Band album (presumably by Illuminati Hotties) that was posted on soundcloud last night (seems like a purposeful thing, not a leak) is extremely good, very much looking forward to a proper release
that new mystery album sounds like someone mixing over the ting tings . i’ve only listened to one song but i’ll participate in the conversation and say i liked it
So there's a legit #MysteryAlbum out right now and it's fucking incredible???? This is so fun. https://t.co/bKjgP59fFo
Wait this is actually, dare I say, baller https://t.co/HyJsXKqDGr
this slaps but does anyone know what’s going on https://t.co/lnfl8OyLJQ
Speculation quickly arose that the album is by either Speedy Ortiz's Sadie Dupuis or Illuminati Hotties — or perhaps even a supergroup. One of the songs, titled "content/bedtime," name-dropped Illuminati Hotties, so that made this theory stronger.
Mysterious new band called Occult Classic might be a pseudonymous Illuminati Hotties or a supergroup featuring Lucy Dacus, PUP and Sadie Dupuis from Speedy Ortiz... whoever it is, this album slaps. Power pop with a finger in the electrical socket. https://t.co/u3duF1b704
@sad13 is this a muhfuggin SUPERGROUP?
possibly a secret Illuminati Hotties (probably my favorite new band of 2018) album that gets a Dismemberment Plan comparison? I cannot imagine anything that is more My Shit https://t.co/3IX4NmNuyz
@no_wuckers @domalessio Around the 3 minute mark of track 7 - Content // Bedtime they sing, "Illuminati Hotties" so I think you're correct :)
@TheBrotographer content // bedtime says www dot illuminati hotties 👁 dont know whats going on but
But by the next day, the album had sadly disappeared, so those who weren't lucky enough to listen to it will have to wait until it's eventually released.
My money's on Illuminati Hotties, but who knows! Whoever it is, I'm glad they're keeping quarantine exciting.
