Fruit Bats (aka Eric D. Johnson) continue to make some of the most captivating mainstream neo-folk out in the world today. Their latest single, "It All Comes Back," is this warm folk/rock song that stands firmly in the world of the mainstream while having just enough of an almost experimental sound to keep things interesting. As with anything Johnson is involved with, "It All Comes Back" is a stunningly lovely track. It's the kind of song that could be good but middle of the road in another artist's hands, but Johnson just has this knack for being irresistible and elevating his songs to an entirely new level.
You can listen to "It All Comes Back" below. A River Running to Your Heart is due out April 14 on Merge Records. The album can be pre-ordered here. For more on Fruit Bats, check out the artist's website. Upcoming tour dates are below the song.
3/16-17 – Austin, TX – SXSW 4/12 – Indianapolis, IN – Hi-Fi 4/13 – Chicago, IL – Thalia Hall 4/14 – Minneapolis, MN – First Avenue 4/15 – Maquoketa, IA – Codfish Hollow 4/16 – Madison, WI – Majestic Theatre 4/18 – Toronto, ON, Canada – Phoenix Theatre 4/19 – Philadelphia, PA – Brooklyn Bowl 4/20 – New York, NY – Webster Hall 4/21 – Boston, MA – Royale 4/22 – Washington, DC – 9:30 Club 4/25 – Carrboro, NC – Cat's Cradle 4/27 – Nashville, TN – Brooklyn Bowl 4/28 – Scaly Mountain, NC – Bear Shadow + 4/29 – Atlanta, GA – Variety Playhouse 4/30 – Jacksonville, FL – Intuition Ale Works 5/10 – San Diego, CA – Belly Up Tavern 5/11 – Los Angeles, CA – The Theatre at Ace Hotel 5/12 – San Francisco, CA – The Chapel 5/13 – San Francisco, CA – The Chapel 5/14 – San Francisco, CA – The Chapel 5/17 – Austin, TX – Mohawk 5/19 – Denver, CO – Ogden Theatre 5/20 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Commonwealth Room 5/21 – Bozeman, MT – The Elm 5/24 – Boise, ID – Treefort Music Hall 5/25 – Portland, OR – Revolution Hall 5/26 – Seattle, WA – Showbox Market 5/27 – Vancouver, BC, Canada – Commodore Ballroom
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. ...
Photo by Joanna Chattman I've been referring to Northampton, MA based Izzy Heltai's music as mainstream modern folk with just enough of a unique spin to keep it appealing to music snobs, too. His latest single, "Father," might be the perfect example of that. It's a quiet, deeply personal song that starts off painfully sparse but ever so slowly builds and builds as it goes on. It walks that line between accessible/mainstream and indie expertly. You can watch the video for "Father" below. Father , the upcoming debut album from Izzy Heltai, will be out October 9. You can pre-order a copy here . For more on Izzy Heltai, check out the artist's website .
Photo via Instagram Any time J Mascis releases new music will always be a big deal at If It's Too Loud... November will see the release of Elastic Days , his new solo album. Judging by the first single, "See You At the Movies," Elastic Days will be exactly what we expect and want in a Mascis solo album. The first single is much prettier than Dinosaur Jr is. Mascis's solo work tends to be calmer and almost folky. "See You At the Movies" is exactly that, and is even almost orchestral in some places. You add in some of Mascis's guitar solos (a more tame version than Dino Jr's thunderous ones), and you've got a classic Mascis solo track. It's a typically great song, but at this point I'd like to see Mascis mix things up a bit. You can listen to "See You At the Movies" below. Elastic Days will be out November 9 on Sub Pop Records. There are some pretty reasonable pre-order bundles available, including a CD and t-shirt for $24....