At this point, The Beths releasing a fantastic indie rock/pop song isn't a huge story. The New Zealand band just keeps cranking out great single after great single seemingly at ease. But something is just different about their latest. "Knees Deep" leans a little more towards the pop side of things. It's a little bit cleaner and more polished than what we normally hear from The Beths, but in a fantastic way. "Knees Deep" is the kind of song that should be a huge crossover hit, and it still could be if there is any justice in the world. It's undeniably catchy with mesmerizing guitar work. If you've somehow avoided jumping on The Beths' bandwagon so far, this one will basically force you onboard.
Singer/guitarist Liz Stokes says of the new single:
“I'm the kind of person who wants to go swimming, but takes like ten minutes to get all the way into the cold water, slowly and painfully. I hate this about myself, and am kind of envious of people who can just jump straight in the deep end. In a shocking twist, this is also a metaphor?! For how I wish I was the kind of person who was brave and decisive instead of cautious and scared.”
You can watch the video for "Knees Deep" below. Expert in a Dying Field is due out September 16 on Carpark Records, and can be pre-ordered here. For more on The Beths, check out the band's website. Upcoming tour dates are below the video.
Mon. Aug. 22 - Durham, NC @ Motorco Music Hall
Tue. Aug. 23 - Richmond, VA @ The Broadberry
Thu. Aug. 25 - Baltimore, MD @ Ottobar
Fri. Aug. 26 - Asbury Park, NJ @ Asbury Lanes
Sat. Aug. 27 - Portland, ME @ Portland House of Music
Sun. Aug. 28 - Montreal, QC @ Bar Le Ritz PDB
Wed. Aug. 31 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Spirit Hall
Thu. Sep. 1 - Columbus, OH @ A&R Music Bar
Thu. Sep. 15 - Melbourne, AU @ 170 Russell
Fri. Sep. 16 - Sydney, AU @ Metro Theatre
Sat. Sep. 17 - Brisbane, AU @ The Triffid
Tue. Sep. 20 - Adelaide, AU @ The Gov
Wed. Sep. 21 - Perth, AU @ Magnet House
Fri. Sep. 23 - Wellington, NZ @ Opera House
Sat. Sep. 24 - Nelson, NZ @ Theatre Royal
Fri. Sep. 30 - Christchurch, NZ @ James Hay Theatre
Sat. Oct. 1 - Dunedin, NZ @ The Glenroy
Fri. Oct. 7 - Auckland, NZ @ Auckland Town Hall
Thu. Feb. 16 - Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom
Fri. Feb. 17 - Seattle, WA @ Neumos
Wed. Feb. 22 - Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
Fri. Feb. 24 - Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall
Sun. Feb. 26 - Toronto, ON @ Phoenix Concert Theatre
Tue. Feb. 28 - Boston, MA @ The Sinclair
Thu. Mar. 2 - New York, NY @ Brooklyn Steel
Fri. Mar. 3 - Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
Sat. Mar. 4 - Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
Mon. Mar. 6 - Asheville, NC @ The Orange Peel
Tue. Mar. 7 - Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade - Heaven
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. ...
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 .
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....
