Abby Huston - "Promise"

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Photo by Tyler Evans

Normally I wouldn't expect to like a song described as alternative, indie, and easy listening, but then I heard the latest from Abby Huston. The Richmond, VA based artist has released "Promise." The song isn't exactly what you have in mind when you hear the term easy listening, but it's not exactly not easy listening, either. The song has a strong R&B base over a more indie sound. It takes the groove of R&B and mixes it with the feel and edge of indie. It's truly a unique sound, and a song like "Promise" has a nearly unlimited potential to crossover into different fandoms.

Abby Huston says of their new single:

"It's kinda funny, but this song came out of me in a vision where I imagined myself as a TV-drama, brokenhearted, boy band type character. At the time Cam and I were watching a lot of Gilmore Girls during studio meal breaks, and watching the show as a kid, I'd always loved this bad boy character, Jessie, which cracks me up now...Cam stepped out for a minute to catch up with his sister and the mood and lyrics came over me. When he came back and I sang it for him and he brought in these keys that hit like the change of the seasons and the song developed from there. It reminds me of slow sunny days in our Richmond outskirts and finding things we can eat growing outside and playing pokemon emerald for the first time and tall grass and dogs and cats and our cars failing in rainstorms or sunshine."

You can listen to "Promise" below. AH HA is due out October 22 on Egghunt Records. You can pre-order a copy over at Bandcamp. For more on Abby Huston, be sure to check out their 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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Dutch ReBelle - "GOONIEZ"

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How is Dutch ReBelle not a national superstar at this point? The Boston MC just released "GOONIEZ," and I know I'm a bit out of touch with current mainstream hip hop, but this song is absolutely killer. It's a stripped down hip hop song that has this futuristic space age sound to it. Plus, ReBelle's flow is unsurpassed. You can't listen to her and not be completely sucked in. The song has a feel reminiscent of classic Missy Elliott. As much as I love that we can still see Dutch ReBelle in smaller Boston venues, "GOONIEZ" proves she should be playing much larger venues nationwide very, very soon. You can watch the video for "GOONIEZ" below. For more on Dutch ReBelle, check out the artist's website . 
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The Freqs - "Witch"

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Photo via Facebook When you're a rock band from Salem, MA, you have to have at least one song about witchcraft. The Freqs have fulfilled their obligation with a banger of a song. "Witch" is this giant monster of a song, filled with fuzz and strained, screaming vocals. This is the type of song that doesn't usually exist in this century. It's giving me some serious 90's flashbacks, like if Hum got aggressive or Alice in Chains decided to do some damage on the college charts. As great as the vocals are in "Witch," what's really drawing me in is the instrumental break down that takes over about halfway through. This is the kind of song to make the hipsters and the headbangers equally excited. You can listen to "Witch" below. For more on The Freqs, check out the band on Facebook and Instagram . The Freqs · Witch
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