On the Upbeat Presents... Arose Such a Clatter 2021

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It's Christmas Eve, so we've got a trio of final Christmas related releases for you. The first is from On the Upbeat which has released On the Upbeat Presents... Arose Such a Clatter 2021 the follow up to last year's all ska Christmas album. As with any ska compilation released in 2021, this won't be for everyone, and apologizes to your kids and spouses on my behalf, but if you think you'll like this, you're gonna love it. Before listening to this album, I had only heard of Half Past Two (who give their cover of Weezer's "Holiday" to the compilation), but you're going to discover a bunch of new favorite ska bands on this. Just the title of the first song is going to give you a clue as to what you're in for: "I Hate the Holidays" by Backyard Heroes. Urban Crater have a straight edge Christmas anthem with "XmasX." 

With an all ska Christmas compilation, you're going to get covers. Amy Gabba and the Almost Famous do a killer version of Darlene Love's beloved "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)." Joe Billy punks up "Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer," which is basically exactly what you want it to be. A ska version of Chuck Berry's "Run Rudolph Run" by The Guilty Parties is far more fun than it has any right to be. Millington's take on The Beach Boys' "Little Saint Nick" may just be perfect. We get our second ska cover of The Waitresses' "Xmas Wrapping," this time from Ego and the Appropriators. And of course there's a version of The Pogues' "Fairytale of New York" from The Resignators.

You can listen to Amy Gabba and the Almost Famous' version of "Baby (Please Come Home)" below. On the Upbeat Presents... Arose Such a Clatter 2021 can be downloaded via Bandcamp. It may be for the "name your price" option, but since all donations go to the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation, you really should give a little something.

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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