The Nude Party - "Hard Times (All Around)"

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Photo by Clark Hodgin

The latest from The Nude Party may be rooted in country and Americana, but "Hard Times (All Around)" isn't your standard country song. This one has a certain 70's groove you wouldn't normally associate with country. The song is a little bit country, a little bit rock 'n' roll, and even some funk and Southern rock thrown in. "Hard Times (All Around)" is just an upbeat party track despite the downer of a title. It has some of the coolest sounding keyboards around right now, accentuated by killer guitar licks. If I was going to compare this to another artist we're die hard fans of, I'd go with Aaron Lee Tasjan.

Patton Magee says of his band's new song:

"This song started as a half-finished tune that Don was demo’ing on piano. He sent me a recording of his piano playing as I was driving down to New York City listening to early Bob Dylan demos. There is a very old folk tune called 'Down on Penny’s Farm' recorded by some unknown duo called the Bentley Boys in 1929. In 1965, Bob Dylan repenned the same basic tune as 'Hard Times in New York Town,' lyrically making it relevant to him and his perception of New York City at the time. In that vein of tradition, but with an entirely different chord structure, fell out the lyrics for our 'Hard Times,' but somewhat modernized, I think. I had a lot of family flee from New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina and head for Houston, some never went back. Which inspired one of the lines."

You can listen to "Hard Times (All Around)" below. Rides On is due out on March 10 via New West Records. For more on The Nude Party, check out the band'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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