Rubblebucket - "Go All the Way With Me"

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Photo by Shervin Lainez

Rubblebucket are one of those bands that can be hit or miss for me, and their latest single is one that definitely hits. "Go All the Way With Me" is a celebratory art-pop track, which defines most of the band's music. This is a mid-tempo dance track that sounds like a modern version of 80's New Wave, particularly a band like The Human League. To keep in the spirit of Rubblebucket, it also has that confusing feeling where it's somehow going to appeal to both indie rock fans and jam band fans at the same time. Usually only artists like Wilco and My Morning Jacket can pull that off, but Rubblebucket expertly do the same with alt-pop that commands you to dance. I truly can't think of any other bands with that ability, but no other band is Rubblebucket.

Frontwoman Kalvia Travers says of the new single:

"Working on this song with Alex was like going through a portal. I struggled a lot with the vocal part on this song. I was coming off 2 months of respiratory illness post-tour, and really laboring to open my lungs & heart into the high-flung reaches of melody & ecstatic love lyrics. Finally one night I shut all the windows, turned off the lights and sang into the mic I used live (rather than a studio mic). I pretended I was on stage, and I tried to think of all the people I want to go all the way through life with. All the people cheering me on and all the people I obsessively admire. My little baby niblings, my queer found family, my best friends, Alex, our family and larger community. As I sang and pictured their cute smiling faces. I cried more than I had in months. This went on for hours. So many tears the floor was wet. I felt so good the next day, like I’d had a deep tissue massage, and we had the takes. I felt really thankful for high ecstatic melody and lyrics of song opening me up in a whole new way."

You can watch the video for "Go All the Way With Me" below. Year of the Banana is due out October 18 on Egghunt Records, and is available for pre-order through Bandcamp. For more on Rubblebucket, check out the band's website.

On Repeat...

Liam Kazar - "Shoes Too Tight"

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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. ...
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The Freqs - "Witch"

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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
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Dutch ReBelle - "GOONIEZ"

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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 . 
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