As the drummer for Tortoise and its offshoot project Isotope 217, John Herndon spent the ’90s helping to shape the face of the entire post-rock genre. Then, around the turn of the millennium, he took up hip-hop production under the name A Grape Dope. Herndon released a pair of A Grape Dope EPs in 2000 and 2003 along with scattered work under the moniker from the same era, but not until now has he gotten around to a full album. His debut LP, Arthur King Presents A Grape Dope: Backyard Bangers, is out this summer on Dangerbird, and today he’s sharing its latest single.

A collab with LA-based artist and illustrator Travis Millard, “Nod To The Peanuts” is a darkly smoldering indie-rock/hip-hop hybrid that makes me think of the Mountain Goats teaming up with Prefuse 73 (to hearken back to the era when A Grape Dope was first popping). It arrives today with a video featuring Herndon’s own footage and animation.

Check it out below along with the video for lead single and opening track “Puppet Clubbing.”

TRACKLIST:
01 “Puppet Clubbing”
02 “Duck Duck”
03 “Rats It’s Up”
04 “Rainbo Locals”
05 “Nod To The Peanuts”
06 “A Glorious Day”
07 “Who Aren’t You”
08 “Backyard Bangers”
09 “New Age Cave Age”
10 “You Don’t Have To”

Arthur King Presents A Grape Dope: Backyard Bangers is out 7/10 on Dangerbird. Buy “Nod To The Peanuts” here.