Sublime‘s legacy remains strong, as the Southern California band continues to be an influence on next generation artists. The latest to pick up the mantle while offering their own twist is fellow SoCal musician DENM. The young artists has been releasing music since 2018, and dropping new singles since last year in anticipation of his debut full length Slum Beach Denny, coming out on May 14th. The most recent track, “Califas”, gets an assist from Jared Watson of local legends The Dirty Heads.
Moving between a punk chorus, and verses mixing Watson’s hip-hop influenced delivery and Denm‘s laid back, dub-inflected reggae vocals, “Califas” is pure Southern California style and an instant summer jam. The video for the track, directed by Brother Davey and Justin Segura, fits the vibe perfectly. Filmed all over SoCal, from desert sand dunes to the Huntington Beach streets, the visual pays a cultural homage to the warm golden state.
From the band performance on top of the tune, to the fish eye lens capturing Denm, Watson and friends hanging in a parking lot, those who grew up in the area (of which I’m one) can easily feel the vibes. And the high energy shots of Denm and Watson performing in the back of a moving convertible can’t help but bring to mind the Red Hot Chili Peppers‘ iconic “Scar Tissue” video (though this one is far more kinetic in the performance department).
Check out this video above and take a listen to the track here!
