Les Big Byrd - "Hökvind"

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Photo by Dan Kendall

Hailing from Stockholm are Les Big Byrd, who are described as "Swedish psychedelic rock giants." The band's latest single, "Hökvind," shows off the band's heavier side. It's a swirling psychedelic song that doesn't neatly fit into any specific era of psychedelic rock. It's a monster of a seven minute track that sounds like it might include some electronic elements, and for a song this heavy it's quite dance friendly. Despite the volume of the song, there is a surprising hippe vibe to the song. It's at about the four minute mark that "Hökvind" truly takes off, with epic guitar solos/feedback, and a sound that will leave many jaws on the floor. Les Big Byrd have something unique and special with their latest.

Jocke Åhlund says of his band's latest single:

"A woolly fuzzed out riff drives a relentless freight train groove as deranged analog synths and feedbacking tape echo distorts the perspective. And on top of all that floats the spaced out, almost ethereal vocal harmonies."

You can listen to "Hökvind" below. Ruin Everything is due out June 5 on Chimp Limbs, and is available to pre-order through Bandcamp. For more on Les Big Byrd, check out the band on Instagram and Facebook

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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