Black Nile - "Skyrim"

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Los Angeles' Black Nile continue their mission to bring jazz into the current century with their latest single. "Skyrim" was inspired by the iconic video game, and actually kind of sounds like video game music. Jazz and video game music have always been connected, but never quite like "Skyrim." It helps elevate video game music to the next level, and also makes an artform normally considered stodgy kind of fun. This one is completely different from the previous singles we've brought to you from Black Nile, but they all help make jazz more accessible to music fans overall.

Lawrence Shaw says of his band's latest single:

"We love video games. Me and Aaron have different sides of what we like and tend to gravitate to. I'm more fantasy MMORPG, so you can guess 'Skyrim' is me for sure. I grew up on RuneScape and World of Warcraft, and those play a part in my jazz upbringing, if you will, because again, I'm such an auditory listener. I listen heavy and I have deep reverence for music in different spaces and how it supports those spaces. So video game music is huge. It's huge in the way that the game is shaped, in the way that it's felt. You know, you wouldn't have a smooth jazz track on Skyrim. It's just not the vibe. It's just not what it brings to the table. Just like you wouldn't have soft classical piano over a Forza video game track. It just doesn't ring. It's not what the game entails. So games were another input for us, and then the music in the games was another input for us. And that definitely expresses itself."

You can listen to "Skyrim" below. Indigo Garden is due out April 10 on Mass MoCA Records. For more on Black Nile, check them out on Facebook and Instagram.

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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