The Northern Line - "Lightning Strikes"

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Photo by Harrison Searle

Seeing as I spent much of the 90's obsessed with Britpop and the Boston music scene, a band like The Northern Line seems like they formed just for me. The Boston band is made up of members of Strangeways, The Daily Pravda, The Luxury, and Looking Glass War, and just released their debut single. "Lightning Strikes" is heavily Britpop influenced, along with mod and modern alternative. The song doesn't quite sound like the Britpop megastars you normally associate with the sound. There is some Oasis, but "Lightning Strikes" sounds more like Ocean Colour Scene and Primal Sound. Of course, this is a Boston band so there is some grit along with garage rock/indie rock noise. The Northern Line is the type of band that would have taken over my twenties if they had existed way back then.

Bilvox (guitar and vocals) says of his band's single:

“‘Lightning Strikes’ is about moving past the struggle of life, the banality, the brow-beating of it all, and ‘When the lightning strikes..’ in your life, for that moment, you feel that joy. It’s about embracing those moments and living out loud. Buggering through the tricky bits of life and when the good things come to you, embrace them and celebrate them.” 

You can listen to "Lightning Strikes" below. For more on The Northern Line, 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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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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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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