Proles - Inauguration

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Boston darkwave quartet Proles (which features Gretchen Shae of Black Barbie and Gretchen Shae & The Middle Eight) have a brand new EP out today that features five new songs, a remix of "The Black Serenade," and a live version of "Drawn." Inauguration expands on the band's previous singles. The title track gets much more rock based and even delves into metal a bit, which we haven't heard from the band before. "The Slumber" grooves into a truly dark space despite being quite mellow, while "One for the Fire" gets oddly heavy for a song that's this synth heavy. There's also "Radio for Ghosts" that's perfect for your Halloween playlist needs. We've been fans of Proles' since their very first release two years ago, and Inauguration has made our fandom even stronger.

Jason O'Blivion (vocals/guitar) says of the band's new EP:

“It's always a feeling of accomplishment when you bring a project to fruition. Especially, when you can make it both manifest in physical reality and the ethereal plane of the digital realm. The music here can be an escape or a confrontation. It all depends on who receives the broadcast, and how they choose to interpret it. McLuhan was prophetic when he stated that the medium is the message.”

You can listen to Inauguration below. For more on Proles, check out the band on Instagram and Facebook. They'll be playing tonight (October 3) at Koto in Salem with Gossip Collar and Lipsmear, and October 26 at State Park in Cambridge with Ex-Hyena and Arto Vaun.

On Repeat...

The New Limits - "Normal Day"

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Photo via Facebook According to their Bandcamp profile, The New Limits are a "Boston ska band with a taste for rocksteady, reggae, soul, and rock n roll." They just released a single that shows off their sound perfectly. "Normal Day" is a laid back ska song dripping with soul. You know that joke that goes around every few months saying that ska is the sound that plays in a twelve year old's head when they get an extra mozzarella stick? The New Limits are the grown up version of that sound. This is ska/rocksteady for adults. It's ultra chilled out music with some of the best horns in the city. Even if you haven't listened to ska since your youth, you need to check out "Normal Day." This might help re-open the entire genre to you. The New Limits say of their latest single: " What is normal, anyway? Some of us just want a nine-to-five. Others cry at the thought. 'Normal Day' has nothing to do with quarantine and lots to do with figuri...
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The Beths - "Mother, Pray for Me"

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Photo by Annabel Kean For their latest single, New Zealand's The Beths have released "Mother, Pray for Me." This is a heartbreaking ballad consisting of Elizabeth Stokes' vocals and guitar with just the slightest hint of organ. It's a deeply personal song for Stokes, made obvious with how intimately the song comes across. It truly feels almost confessional, and it's quite simply beautiful. The Beths are most known for huge little indie rock gems perfect for bopping along to, but "Mother, Pray for Me" is quite the opposite. Stokes' vocals and lyrics are right up front on this one, and I can't imagine it any other way. Elizabeth Stokes says of her latest single: “I cried the whole time writing it. It's not really about my mother, it's about me — what I hope our relationship is, what I think it is, what it maybe actually is, and what I can or can't expect out of it.   “My mother is a first gen Indonesian immigrant, and very Catholic....
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Brennen Leigh - "Dumpster Diving"

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Photo by Lyza Renee Brennen Leigh has quickly become a favorite of ours, with her take on a classic country sound with a slight sense of humor. Her latest single, "Dumpster Diving," which she describes as a "trashy little tune," is everything we love about the musician. It's a vintage style country song that comes in at a punk like one minute, forty-eight seconds. With a chorus of "Dumpster diving, this ain't gonna last / Dumpster diving, 'cause baby you like trash..." how can you possibly resist. Leigh's latest gives us a decades old sound with modern sensibilities and her fantastic voice that's tailor made for this genre of music. It's almost like a collaboration between Loretta Lynn and Shel Silverstein, and who doesn't want to hear that? You can hear "Dumpster Diving" below. Don't You Ever Give Up On Love  is due out October 3 on Signature Sounds, and is available for pre-order here . For more on Brennen Leigh,...
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