Ratboys - "The World, So Madly"

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Photo by Miles Kalchik

If you've been worried that Ratboys have been eschewing their country side in favor of their indie rock side, their latest single will put you at ease. "The World, So Madly" isn't exactly a country song, but it sees the Chicago band lean more heavily into their singer-songwriter side than we've seen in quite a while. The song has an optimistic and even a sunny feel, which is what we all need in New England as we're all firmly in winter's grasp. The song has a light feel, and even if it's more than a little folky there's still plenty of indie rock going on in "The World, So Madly." We've been huge fans of Ratboys since the early days of If It's Too Loud..., and this latest single could very well propel them to the stardom they deserve.

Vocalist Julia Steiner says of her band's latest single:

“Looking back at my voice memos, I recorded the original idea for this song on January 1st, 2023, and it feels like a song of new beginnings: we recorded it almost entirely in the morning throughout the sessions, and the lyrics focus on making peace with big life changes, and really with the ever-changing nature of life in general. I was thinking a lot about certain events unfolding in the news at the time, but I wanted to keep the lyrics open, so that anyone can listen and find their life in the song.”

You can listen to "The World, So Madly" below. Singin' to an Empty Chair is due out February 6 on New West Records, and is available to pre-order here. For more on Ratboys, check out the band's website. Upcoming tour dates are below the song and include February 28 at The Sinclair in Cambridge, MA and the Green River Festival in Greenfield, MA the weekend of June 19-21.


Wed. Feb. 25 - Detroit, MI @ El Club ~
Thu. Feb. 26 - Toronto, ON @ Lee's Palace ~
Fri. Feb. 27 - Montreal, QC @ Bar Le Ritz PDB ~
Sat. Feb. 28 - Cambridge, MA @ The Sinclair ~
Sun. March 1 - Hamden, CT @ Space Ballroom ~
Tue. March 3 - Philadelphia, PA @ First Unitarian Church ~
Thu. March 5 - Brooklyn, NY @ Warsaw ~
Fri. March 6 - Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club ~
Sat. March 7 - Richmond, VA @ The Broadberry ~
Sun. March 8 - Durham, NC @ Motorco Music Hall ~
Tue. March 10 - Asheville, NC @ The Grey Eagle ~
Wed. March 11 - Atlanta, GA @ Terminal West ~
Thu. March 12 - Nashville, TN @ The Basement East ~
Fri. March 13 - Louisville, KY @ Zanzabar ~
Sat. March 14 - Milwaukee, WI @ Vivarium ~
Tue. March 24 - St. Louis, MO @ Off Broadway •
Wed. March 25 - Kansas City, MO @ recordBar •
Thu. March 26 - Fayetteville, AR @ George's Majestic Lounge •
Fri. March 27 - Dallas, TX @ Club Dada •
Sat. March 28 - Austin, TX @ Mohawk •
Mon. March 30 - Albuquerque, NM @ Launchpad •
Tue. March 31 - Phoenix, AZ @ Valley Bar •
Wed. April 1 - San Diego, CA @ Soda Bar •
Fri. April 3 - Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom •
Sat. April 4 - San Francisco, CA @ August Hall •
Mon. April 6 - Vancouver, BC @ Biltmore Cabaret •
Tue. April 7 - Seattle, WA @ Neumos •
Wed. April 8 - Portland, OR @ Aladdin Theater •
Fri. April 10 - Boise, ID @ Shrine Social Club •
Sat. April 11 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Urban Lounge •
Mon. April 13 - Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theater •
Wed. April 15 - Omaha, NE @ The Waiting Room •
Thu. April 16 - Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line •
Fri. April 17 - Madison, WI @ Atwood Music Hall •
Sat. April 18 - Chicago, IL @ The Vic Theatre +

~ w/ Florry   • w/ villagerrr   + w/ Free Range

On Repeat...

Monday Mix: Newport Folk Festival 2014 Must See Bands

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With this weekend's upcoming Newport Folk Festival, we thought we'd highlight some of this year's can't miss acts. We're focusing on the bands playing smaller stages and earlier in the day. I mean, you're obviously going to see Ryan Adams and Jack White. Instead, these are the acts worth getting there early for, and seeking out the smaller stages. Phox Friday, 1:50, Quad Stage Phox hails from Baraboo, WI, the winter home of the Ringling Brothers' Circus. I'm not sure if that is connected to their music or not, but Phox has an otherworldly charm and a magical feel. They come across as a more grounded St. Vincent or a less intense version of early Tori Amos. Their music is simply beautiful and uplifting.  Reignwolf Friday, 2:55, Quad Stage Truly pushing the boundaries of what can be considered "folk" are Reignwolf. Reignwolf is Jordan Cook, who sounds like a mixture of The Black Keys and Queens of the Stone Age, mixed with just a lit...
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Minibeast - "High Sea"

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The Cairo Gang - "Be What You Are"

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Photo by Rachel Cassels The Cairo Gang is mostly Emmett Kelly, who recorded most of their upcoming album, Goes Missing,  on his own while travelling. "Be What You Are" is pure pop gold, reminiscent of British invasion bands like The Kinks and The Zombies. It features jangly guitars and some of the most infectious layered vocals you've heard in years. Luckily the beauty of this style of music is that it never quite sounds dated. It might sound like it's from a certain era that happened 50 years ago, but everything you've ever listened to since then borrows so heavily from it that it always sounds current. It's the kind of music you wish you hadn't missed, only now you haven't. Goes Missing  is due out June 23rd on God? Records. You can pre-order the album now, and be sure to check out The Cairo Gang's Facebook . Listen to "Be What You Are" below, and below that are tour dates, many opening for Mikal Cronin. Sat. Sept. 5 - Portlan...
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