Battlemode - DON'T PANIC!

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You would think that after putting together a four day chiptune/VGM/nerdcore festival over six to eight venues (can't fully remember) last weekend, Battlemode would take some time off to recoup. Well, Boston's favorite chiptune idols are back with a new three song EP, DON'T PANIC!. It opens with "SW33TTOOTH," which we've previously covered and remains my favorite in their repertoire. The other two songs on the EP, "L'amore Toujours (Battlemode Mix)" and "Chasing Kaoss," help expand the band's sound. "L'amore Toujours (Battlemode Mix)" sounds like an absolute joyous celebration but also had more of a punk edge than we've heard from Battlemode's recordings and captures their live sound almost perfectly. "Chasing Kaoss" keeps the punk vibes going while also being a nearly fully pop song. That might be the true secret weapon of Battlemode. I'm the type of person that normally would recoil at the thought of music created with a Gameboy, but they've opened my mind up to an entire diverse genre. Plus, they quite often go full pop music complete with Autotune in their songs, but they make it work for me. If chiptune doesn't sound like your thing, DON'T PANIC! will change your mind.

You can listen to DON'T PANIC! below. The EP is out now on Lonely Ghost Records, and is available via Bandcamp. For more on Battlemode, check out the band's website.

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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Izzy Heltai - "Father"

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Photo by Joanna Chattman I've been referring to Northampton, MA based Izzy Heltai's music as mainstream modern folk with just enough of a unique spin to keep it appealing to music snobs, too. His latest single, "Father," might be the perfect example of that. It's a quiet, deeply personal song that starts off painfully sparse but ever so slowly builds and builds as it goes on. It walks that line between accessible/mainstream and indie expertly.  You can watch the video for "Father" below. Father , the upcoming debut album from Izzy Heltai, will be out October 9. You can pre-order a copy here . For more on Izzy Heltai, check out the artist's website .
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J Mascis - "See You At the Movies"

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Photo via Instagram Any time J Mascis releases new music will always be a big deal at If It's Too Loud... November will see the release of Elastic Days , his new solo album. Judging by the first single, "See You At the Movies," Elastic Days  will be exactly what we expect and want in a Mascis solo album. The first single is much prettier than Dinosaur Jr is. Mascis's solo work tends to be calmer and almost folky. "See You At the Movies" is exactly that, and is even almost orchestral in some places. You add in some of Mascis's guitar solos (a more tame version than Dino Jr's thunderous ones), and you've got a classic Mascis solo track. It's a typically great song, but at this point I'd like to see Mascis mix things up a bit. You can listen to "See You At the Movies" below. Elastic Days will be out November 9 on Sub Pop Records. There are some pretty reasonable pre-order bundles available, including a CD and t-shirt for $24....
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