Prophets of Rage - "Unfuck the World"

By -
Photo via Facebook
Last year, I had a very confusing relationship with Prophets of Rage. Combining Rage Against the Machine with Public Enemy and adding B Real of Cypress Hill in the Flava Flav role might have been the most exciting thing that ever happened to my inner teenage self. Unfortunately, the reality of that didn't live up to the expectations. First there was the tour with pit tickets selling for multiple hundreds of dollars (face value, not even through scalpers). Sure, they had $20 tickets, but those were waaaaaaaaaaaaay in the back. They gave a lot of the money raised on the expensive tickets to charities, but having the people that can afford those prices right up front seems contrary to the whole point. Hell, I knew Trump supporters that took a limo to go to the show. And then there was the whole virtually unlistenable EP they released last year. The worst part of it was that, in the 2016 political climate, Tom Morello and Chuck D couldn't write a song, and just covered their own music?

 Which leads me to "Unfuck the World," their new single. I decided to hate listen to it after it had been out a few days, expecting to fully hate it and just become angry. I wasn't expecting to actually like it. It's by far the best thing anyone involved in this group has issued in at least ten years. It's loud, it's angry, it's in your face politically.... It's literally everything I wanted this project to be when I first heard about it. Prophets of Rage are the driving force of Rage Against the Machine's music and Chuck D's unique forceful voice. It's literally a perfect combination, and it's about time.

 You can watch the Michael Moore directed video for "Unfuck the World" below. Prophets of Rage's new self-titled album will be out September 15. For more on Prophets of Rage, check out their website.

On Repeat...

Liam Kazar - "Shoes Too Tight"

By -
Image
Photo by Alexa Viscius This may be Liam Kazar's debut single, but the Chicago based musician already has an impressive resume, having worked with Jeff Tweedy, Chance the Rapper, Steve Gunn, Daniel Johnston, and others. "Shoes Too Tight" features childhood friend Spencer Tweedy on drums, Lane Beckstrom on bass, and Ohmme on vocals. It's an absurdly fun and groovy little song that is a party waiting to happen. What he gives us here is a timeless song that could truly have been released any time since the 1960's (ok... maybe not the 80's...) There are elements of classic rock, 60's crooners and R&B, indie rock, modern Americana... it's really just packed with everything in a cohesive song that maintains the vibe the entire way through. You can watch the video for "Shoes Too Tight" below. For more on Liam Kazar, check him out on Instagram and Twitter . He's also raising money on his Bandcamp for Constellation and The Hungry Brain. ...
Read more

The Freqs - "Witch"

By -
Image
Photo via Facebook When you're a rock band from Salem, MA, you have to have at least one song about witchcraft. The Freqs have fulfilled their obligation with a banger of a song. "Witch" is this giant monster of a song, filled with fuzz and strained, screaming vocals. This is the type of song that doesn't usually exist in this century. It's giving me some serious 90's flashbacks, like if Hum got aggressive or Alice in Chains decided to do some damage on the college charts. As great as the vocals are in "Witch," what's really drawing me in is the instrumental break down that takes over about halfway through. This is the kind of song to make the hipsters and the headbangers equally excited. You can listen to "Witch" below. For more on The Freqs, check out the band on Facebook and Instagram . The Freqs · Witch
Read more

Dutch ReBelle - "GOONIEZ"

By -
Image
How is Dutch ReBelle not a national superstar at this point? The Boston MC just released "GOONIEZ," and I know I'm a bit out of touch with current mainstream hip hop, but this song is absolutely killer. It's a stripped down hip hop song that has this futuristic space age sound to it. Plus, ReBelle's flow is unsurpassed. You can't listen to her and not be completely sucked in. The song has a feel reminiscent of classic Missy Elliott. As much as I love that we can still see Dutch ReBelle in smaller Boston venues, "GOONIEZ" proves she should be playing much larger venues nationwide very, very soon. You can watch the video for "GOONIEZ" below. For more on Dutch ReBelle, check out the artist's website . 
Read more