Every week, 88Nine music director Erin Wolf shares a sonic gem she found using her nearly 20 years of new-music exploration experience. You can hear all her discoveries live on 88Nine at 10 p.m. every Monday on What’s All This: Adventures in New Music.
L.A. band Draag have just released lead single “Miracle Drug” from the forthcoming EP of the same name — their first new music since 2024’s lauded Actually, the quiet is nice.
Combining screamo, shoegaze and dream-pop elements, Draag give off a thick, swirly sound that’s as modern as it is nostalgic. But don’t let the dreamy elements fool you; this song is about the harsh realities and hurdles of life, told from a very personal perspective
Vocalist Adrian Acosta shared, “Living with an autoimmune condition is an invisible daily fight. Some days, you want a miracle drug to escape what feels like a prison in your body. But you don’t take your health for granted. And you learn how to appreciate life and super simple moments deeply. I feel like it’s given me a sharp vision of what really matters.”
The full EP from Draag arrives Jan. 23 via Smoking Room Records, and you can hear the title track as part of this episode by hitting the “Listen” button at the top of the page.
Best new indie music this week
- J Mascis, “Say It On”
- Yo La Tengo, Jad Fair, “Embarrassed Teen Accidentally Uses Rare Postage Stamp”
- Hand Habits, “Pin’s Island (At Dawn and Dusk)
- Liz Cooper, “Sorry That I Love You”
- Bory, “We’ll Burn That Bridge When We Get To It”
- Ratboys, “What’s Right?”
- Chutes, “Cards”
- Draag, “Miracle Drug”
- GUV, “Warmer Than Gold”
- Yumi Zouma, “95”
- Colleen, “Antidoto”
