Rocket - "Wide Awake"

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Photo by Tanner Deutsch

Rocket have been making 90's inspired alt-rock, but their latest single ups the ante on that sound. "Wide Awake" is a mixture of shoegaze fuzz and the more jagged style of guitars that made me love Sonic Youth. Singer/bassist Alithea Tuttle's vocals have a dreamlike quality suited to dream pop or shoegaze, which contrasts delightfully with the more aggressive parts of the song. Despite not truly sounding like a song made in the 90's, "Wide Awake" has so many elements of that decade to give you little bursts of nostalgia. Plus, the video for the song is like a cross between Blur's "Charmless Man" and Beastie Boys' "(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (to Party)," in case you need a little more nostalgia thrown in.

Rocket say of their new single:

“R is for Rocket is about relationships, the most important part of life; relationships with your friends, your parents, your girlfriend or boyfriend, and most importantly your relationship with yourself. ‘Wide Awake’. is the perfect balance of all the elements of this record, after years in the making and countless versions, we’re excited to finally share it.” 

You can watch the video for "Wide Awake" below. R is for Rocket is due out October 3 on Transgressive Records/Canvasback. For more on Rocket, check out the band's website. Upcoming tour dates are below the video.


August 8th - Gothenburg, Sweden @ Way Out West Festival

August 10th - London, UK @ Gunnersbury Park ^ 

August 11th - London, UK @ Windmill Brixton SOLD OUT

August 12th - Halifax, UK @ The Piece Hall ^

August 13th - Scarborough, UK @ Scarborough Open Air Theatre ^ 

August 14th - Colchester, UK @ Colchester Castle Park ^ 

August 16th - Wales, UK @ Greenman Festival

Oct 27th - Phoenix, AZ @ Rebel Lounge

Oct 30th - Denton, TX @ Rubber Gloves

Oct 31st - Austin, TX @ Mohawk (Indoors)

Nov 3rd - Nashville, TN @ drkmttr

Nov 4th - Atlanta, GA @ Aisle 5

Nov 6th - Washington, DC @ DC9

Nov 7th - Philadelphia, PA @ Warehouse on Watts

Nov 8th - New York, NY @ Baby's All Right

Nov 11th - Toronto, ON @ The Garrison

Nov 13th - Columbus, OH @ Ace of Cups

Nov 14th - Chicago, IL @ Schubas Tavern

Nov 15th - Minneapolis, MN @ 7th St Entry

Nov 18th - Seattle, WA @ Barboza

Nov 19th - Portland, OR @ Polaris Hall

Nov 21st - San Francisco, CA @ Bottom of the Hill


^ w/ Smashing Pumpkins

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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