Escape Durgin - "Like Vultures"

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Photo via Facebook

When I was young, Lowell was kind of a joke. There was a 1995 documentary called High on Crack Street: Lost Lives in Lowell and it took literal decades to get that reputation off the city. The city has undergone an amazing transformation over the past decade or so, and nowhere is that more evident than its music scene. There isn't exactly a Lowell sound, but it seems to birth bands that take traditional genres and then add something unique to make it their own. I first discovered Escape Durgin earlier this year at The Town and The City Festival, and last Friday they released their debut single. "Like Vultures" is an alternative/emo song, but in true Lowell fashion that barely scratches the surface of what they do. It's a power ballad of sorts, but there's something oddly 80's sounding to the song... to me at least. It's kind of like if emo had sprouted up as a cultural force fifteen years before it did. Something about the guitar riff has an unexplainable 80's sound to it, in a fantastic way. "Like Vultures" might be one of the best debut singles we've covered in a while, and I don't mean just local singles, but overall.

You can listen to "Like Vultures" below. For more on Escape Durgin, check out the band on Instagram and Facebook.

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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