First Listen: New Releases for 15 August 2022

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Artist: The Vandoliers
Album: The Vandoliers
Quick Thoughts: We've been fans of The Vandoliers for a while, and this latest album is yet another great rootsy effort. They're so good at what they do in so many ways that it's difficult to find much fault in it, but it's just such a fun, classic sounding listen in many regards that it's difficult to find much fault in it. If you like the country flavor of things, give this a listen.
Songs of Note: "The Lighthouse," "Bless Your Drunken Heart," "I Hope Your Heartache's a Hit"

Artist: Dead Horses
Album: Brady Street
Quick Thoughts: Dead Horses have been around for a while, but I'm new to them. This album impressed me over and over again, and I loved so many songs from it - it's the sort of listenable folk that should be more popular than it is, and I don't know why it took me so long to discover them. You will fall in love with this album, I'm pretty certain of it.
Songs of Note: "Brady Street," "It's All Good," "Ok Kid," "Under Grey Skies"

Artist: Lauren Balthrop
Album: Things Will Be Different
Quick Thoughts: Lauren Balthrop is also new to me, and I did love what this album is doing. There's a true lo-fi quality to it that is unexpected in a lot of ways, but if you can hear songs like "Get Lost" and "Piece of Shit" and not be enamoured, I don't know what it will take.
Songs of Note: "Get Lost," "Bringing Me Down," "Piece of Shit"

Artist: Rat Tally
Album: In My Car
Quick Thoughts: We like Rat Tally here and there are a number of awesome moments in their long-awaited debut. A nice slice of indie alt-rock, this balances the louder rocking stuff with some introspective softer songs, and I honestly think this would be a highlight in any week, not just a quieter release window. Absolutely take some time with this one.
Songs of Note: "Longshot," "Zombies"

Of note:

* Mariel Buckley - Everywhere I Used to Be (A number of great moments here.)
* Tobe Nwigwe - moMINTS ("'Round here, if it smell funny, onions getting peeled" is a great line.)
* Hudson Mohawke - Cry Sugar
* Tony Molina - In the Fade
* Ohsees - A Foul Form
* Kiwi jr. - Chopper
* Sylvan Esso - No Rules Sandy
* Danger Mouse and Black Thought - Cheat Codes
* Kelsey Waldon - No Regular Dog
* Workhorse - No Photographs

EPs:

* Your Old Droog - Yodney Dangerfield
* 3l3d3p - PLYGRND
* Amythyst Kiah - Pensive Pop
* Young the Giant - ACT II: EXILE
* Texas Highway Killers - Texas Highway Killers

Live albums/Compilations/Reissues:

* Danny Elfman - Bigger. Messier. (Truly chaotic collection of remixes and collaborations.)

Also out:

* Erasure - Day-Glo (Based on a True Story)
* Collective Soul - Vibrating

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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