Melissa Carper is certainly not re-inventing country music. Her music is the epitome of "old timey," except she does bring a certain modern sensibility to her songs. Her latest single, "Somewhere Between Texas and Tennessee," is a perfectly simply country/folk song. She's also an expert of adding a little bit of humor and lightheartedness to her songs without coming across as jokey or turning them into a parody. Her sound comes from a pure love of the genre. A song like "Somewhere Between Texas and Tennessee" honors the past of country music while still looking forward.
You can listen to "Somewhere Between Texas and Tennessee" below. Borned In Ya is due out July 19 on Mae Music/Thirty Tigers, and is available for pre-order here. For more on Melissa Carper, check out the artist's website. Upcoming tour dates are below the song.
7/5 - Roskilde Festival - Roskilde, DK
7/6 - Huercasa Country Festival - Riaza (Segovia), ES*
7/18 - Showboat Saloon - Wisconsin Dells, WI
7/20 - 7/21 - Hiawatha Music Festival - Marquette, MI
7/25 - Globe Hall - Denver, CO
7/27 - Red Ants Pants Music Festival - White Sulphur Springs, MT
7/28 - Concerts on the Commons - Teton Village, WY
7/30 - Shrine Social Club - Boise, ID
8/1 - Fry Family Farm - Medford, OR
8/2-8/3 - Pickathon - Happy Valley, OR
8/4 - The Showdown - Portland, OR
8/6 - Tractor Tavern - Seattle, WA
8/7 - District Bar - Spokane, WA
8/8 - Lewis & Clark Brewery - Helena, MT
8/9 - Longstaff House - Missoula, MT
8/10 - The Harlo Music Project - Harlowton, MT
8/11 - Pub Station Taproom - Billings, MT
8/13 - Aggie Theatre - Fort Collins, CO
8/16 - The Heights Theater - Houston, TX%
8/17 - Longhorn Ballroom - Dallas, TX%
9/1 - Texas Ballroom - Omni Hotel - Fort Worth, TX*
9/5 - McGonigel's Mucky Duck - Houston, TX
9/6 - Old Quarter Acoustic Cafe - Galveston, TX
9/7 - The 04 Center - Austin, TX
9/11 - Schubas Tavern - Chicago, IL
9/12 - Lamplight Sessions - Mosinee, WI
9/13 - 7th St Entry - Minneapolis, MN
9/14 - Thrasher Opera House - Green Lake, WI
9/15 - Shank Hall - Milwaukee, WI
9/17 - Rose Bowl Tavern - Urbana, IL
9/18 - The Burl - Lexington, KY
9/19-9/21 - AmericanaFest - Nashville, TN
9/22 - The White Water Tavern - Little Rock, AR
9/27-9/29 - Sisters Folk Festival - Sisters, OR
10/13 - Red Dragon Listening Room - Baton Rouge, LA
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 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
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 .
