No, T0W3RS is not an acceptable spelling for the game of Scrabble. And no, “Cups”, the latest song by the Raleigh, North Carolina project T0W3RS, is not a cover of the Anna Kendrick song of the same name. Instead, it’s a fun little tune that moves from spacey, echoey synths in the beginning to a joyous latter section, accented by some plinking percussion. Despite the name of the album that it’s on, TL;DR (internet lingo for “too long; didn’t read”), “Cups” is a song that wastes no time at all getting its point across.
TL;DR marks an important shift for T0W3RS. That moniker was once associated with a five-piece band fronted by Derek Torres; now, with members of the band having gone separate ways into differing projects, the name is being used by Torres in a solo capacity. “Cups” is a fine sample of what is to come for Torres’ solo take on the T0W3RS name.
Torres tells PopMatters this about the tune: “‘Cups’ is about wanting something that you know is bad for you. It’s about the emptiness that’s left behind.”
TL;DR will be out 11/11 via Phuzz.
In an act of musical kindness, T0W3RS has offered all of the music on his Bandcamp at a pay-what-you-will price.