Anna Butterss - "Doo Wop"

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Photo by Robbie Jeffers

I'm having a nearly impossible time trying to describe the new single from Anna Butterss. "Doo Wop" is kind of jazzy with some hip hop elements, but that certainly doesn't describe it. There's also a little bit of that indie folk/Americana sound that we cover a lot, but this is definitely not an indie folk song. Plus, there's an electronic sound collage vibe going throughout the entire song. Just when you think you might have a grasp on it, a noise rock/garage rock guitar squall blasts in out of nowhere disrupting everything you thought about the song. "Doo Wop" is one of the more interesting listens you'll have this week and is worth checking out even if this doesn't fully sound like your thing.

Anna Butterss says of her new song:

"'Doo Wop' came out of a lockdown challenge I set myself, which was to take samples from vocal jazz arrangements that I had sung in high school choir and turn them into songs that I would want to listen to today. The demo I had was pretty bare-bones when I brought it into the studio - mostly just the bass line, sample and a drum loop, so we replaced everything, re-recorded and changed the sample and built it up from there. A big musical inspiration (and collaborator and friend) of mine is Jeff Parker, and I think you can hear his influence coming through in some of the guitar parts here."

You can watch the video for "Doo Wop" below. Activities is due out July 8 on Colorfield Records, and can be pre-ordered over at Bandcamp. For more on Anna Butterss, check out the artist'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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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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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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