Strange Vine releases 'Waking Dream,' its first new single in nearly two decades.

Plus, we know more about Valley Floor Records. And, is that Fashawn in a McDonald's commercial?

Sep 21, 2025

You guys. It’s actually happening.

Strange Vine fans will be giddy to know the duo (Ian Blesse + Toby Cordova) is releasing (has released, at this point) new music.

Back in May, there was a video teaser for “Through the Trees.” The song didn’t get an official release, though.

It did come with promises that the duo’s long awaited full-length would finally see the light of day. And now, we get “Waking Dream.”

This is the first single from the upcoming album and the band’s first official release of new music since the 2008 EP “Ghosts.”

A second single is expected for later this month in advance of the full album in November (fingers crossed and vinyl orders being what they are. There will be CDs, too).

“At this point, no one probably believes us because it’s taken so long,” says Blesse, who plays drums/keys and sings alongside Cordova’s guitar/bass/vocal work.

“For a long time there, it really felt like it would never happen. Life got pretty crazy while trying to learn how to be dads, decent husbands, provide for our families and still ‘chase the dragon’ [editor’s note: dragon = that gigging musician’s life].

On top of all that, the whole album is pretty tied up with our friend Corby, and it turns out that we have had a really hard time dealing with and moving on from it.”

Corby, is Corby Yates, who was a guitar prodigy and the duo’s lifelong friend and collaborator before his death in 2012.

There had been plans for a more strategic release, Blesse says, with full-on promotion and the like, but ultimately, “we kinda just realized that we needed to just let it go out into the world.”

The timing did work well. The band just finished a short-run of shows in the Pacific northwest opening for Robin Trower.

You can listen to “Waking Dream” now across digital platforms.

Valley Floor Records releases 7-inch from 123Death

Back in June, I speculated about Valley Floor Records, the non-record label fronting as a record label, possibly run by (or at the very least tied to) Rademacher front man Malcom Sosa.

That speculation appears to have some merit, as the (not) record label now has its first release. It’s a limited run 7-inch (on classic black vinyl) from the band 123Death.

Sosa appears to be in the band (playing bass, from the looks of things).

The band does straight forward indie pop rock; the kind of songs it would be real fun to sing along with while crammed in front of the stage at some sweaty nightclub.

You can check out “Parachute Pants” below and then go get the vinyl from the Valley Floor Records website.

McDonalds + Fashawn = extra value

Apparently, McDonalds has reinstated its extra value meals, which is big news … I guess.

I know about it only because I’ve seen the commercials that began airing earlier this month and really, I only saw those because they prominently feature the opening hook of Fashawn’s 2017 track “Pardon My G.”

“Never in a million years would I have thought my song would be featured in a McDonalds commercial,” the Fresno rapper wrote in a post on Instagram last week.

“This wouldn’t have been possible without any of you guys. Truly honored and humbled.”

The song was produced by Fresno producer Louie Lou of Reel Fonky Productions and while you can’t hear it in the commercials, it features verses from Snoop Dogg.

And it’s not the first time the song was used in a commercial. In 2019, it was used in an ad for the Swedish fintech company Klarna, in announcing its global partnership with Snoop Dogg.

Check out the full song below:

Bandgeeeek!

Ready for more?