Reckoners - "We Saw It All"

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Photo by Mike Spencer

Boston rock and soul supergroup Reckoners are back with a new single. "We Saw It All" is a wonderfully chill and upbeat track that lands squarely between rock and soul. It has all of the smoothness of soul with some of the grit of rock. This is a killer roots/Americana track that is going to appeal to fans of folk, soul, garage rock, and even jam fans. Reckoners are the kind of band that can easily work at any outdoor summer music festival in New England with a virtually universal appeal. They're not rewriting the rules of any genre of music, yet no one sounds quite like Reckoners do.

Singer/guitarist Tim Gearan says of the band's latest single:

"Mother Nature holds up a mirror to mankind and asks, 'Do you see all the spectacular potential in all of this?' So we build, invent, and procreate, looking for ways to dignify our existence, and much of this is noble. I guess the idea is, we can stand back and observe our achievements, but in the end, a blanket of stars might be the most comfort we find, if it doesn’t overwhelm us."

You can listen to "We Saw It All" below. Reckoners' new album is due out in March. For more on Reckoners, check out the band's website.

On Repeat...

Minibeast - "High Sea"

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Somehow Peter Prescott of Mission of Burma and Volcano Suns has another band that I never knew about. Minibeast already released an album that I completely missed back in 2012, and they are currently at work on the follow up, Free Will. Based on a track from the upcoming album, "High Sea," Minibeast shares some common sonic ground with Mission of Burma, but with an added emphasis on the groovy side of things. It's basically the noise and dissonance of Burma but heard through a 60s surf groove, as if Frankie and Annette were punks. You can listen to "High Sea" below. Minibeast currently have a Kickstarter to help fund the final production of Free Will. You can get more information on that here . It should be out sometime in June.
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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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Midnight Peg - "Thirstland"

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Photo by Cecil Sykes Midnight Peg are an Edmonton, AB based band that are referred to as "madhouse punk." Their latest single, "Thirstland," is a just barely under control two minute burst of punk. You have guitar riffs that will make you think of At the Drive In, and somewhat spoken and yelled vocals which create a feeling of chaos throughout. This is a loud and angry track that is completely in your face. But, unlike most tracks this loud and punk based, "Thirstland" still keeps a sense of art in their music. Midnight Peg feel like a higher class of loud, angry punk rock. This one is great, with just enough of an emo undercurrent to make the song kind of melodic and almost palatable to a mainstream audience. You can listen to "Thirstland" below. Skinning is due out in October on Thousand Island Records. For more on Midnight Peg, check out the artist's website .
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