It's no secret that we love everything Ratboys do. They tend to slide effortlessly between Americana and indie rock, and those are possibly our favorite genres, so they're an easy band for us to love. Their latest single, "It's Alive!," continues their quest for new sounds within those genres. For this one, the Chicago band go mid-90's laid back power pop with a tiny bit of twang for a sound that is instantly recognizable yet very unique. It's a fun kind of song that could have been a big hit in 1996. Back when alt-rock radio was a thing, "It's Alive!" could have easily been the song of the summer.
You can watch the video for "It's Alive!" below. The Window is due out August 25 on Topshelf Records, and is available for pre-order here. For more on Ratboys, check out their website. Upcoming tour dates are below the video.
Fri. Aug. 25 - Chicago, IL @ Schubas Tavern Thu. Sep. 21 - Champaign-Urbana, IL @ Pygmalion Festival Fri. Sep. 22 - Columbus, OH @ Rumba Cafe Sat. Sep. 23 - Washington, DC @ Songbyrd Tue. Sep. 26 - Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s Wed. Sep. 27 - New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom Thu. Sep. 28 - Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall Fri. Sep. 29 - Montreal, QC @ POP Montreal Sat. Sep. 30 - Toronto, ON @ Monarch Tavern Mon. Oct. 2 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Bottlerocket Social Hall Tue. Oct. 3 - Cleveland, OH @ No Class Wed. Oct. 4 - Ferndale, MI @ Magic Bag Fri. Oct. 6 - St. Paul, MN @ Turf Club Sat. Oct. 7 - Milwaukee, WI @ The Back Room at Colectivo Coffee Thu. Oct. 19 - Omaha, NE @ Reverb Sat. Oct. 21 - Denver, CO @ Globe Hall Sun. Oct. 22 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court Tue. Oct. 24 - Seattle, WA @ Madame Lou’s Wed. Oct. 25 - Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios Fri. Oct. 27 - San Francisco, CA @ Cafe du Nord Sat. Oct. 28 - Los Angeles, CA @ Lodge Room Highland Park Sun. Oct. 29 - San Diego, CA @ The Loft at UC San Diego Mon. Oct. 30 - Santa Ana, CA @ Constellation Room Tue. Oct. 31 - Phoenix, AZ @ Valley Bar Thu. Nov. 2 - San Antonio, TX @ Paper Tiger Fri. Nov. 3 - Austin, TX @ Empire Control Room & Garage Sat. Nov. 4 - Dallas, TX @ Club Dada
Photo by Sultana Garritano Brooklyn's DJ Haram has a new single out that shows off her trademark boom bap sprinkled with Middle Eastern instrumentation sound. "Fishnets" features verses from Bbymutha, SHA RAY, and August Fanon, and has an intense and almost menacing vibe, despite being an absolute banger of a track. It's hypnotic and immediately grabs your attention, and if you're unfamiliar with the trio of rappers on the song, you're sure to start pulling up their bodies of work. "Fishnets" is one of those songs that just feels cool and makes you need to hear more from all of the artists involved. DJ Haram says of her latest single: "‘Fishnets’ is for the eclectic bad bitches. The people united will never be defeated." You can listen to "Fishnets" below. Beside Myself is due out July 18 on Hyperdub, and is available for pre-order here . For more on DJ Haram, check out the artist on Instagram and Twitter . Upcoming tour dates a...
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. ...
Artist : COWBOY BOY Album : GOOD GIRL Quick Thoughts : While I don't know how I tripped up on COWBOY BOY, but it takes a lot for me not to be into a power pop band, and thus they charmed me from the very start. This is a quick hit album without any real negatives to point out - the vocals are great, the songs are fun while still being somewhat serious, and the whole package is a really solid listen from beginning to end. Songs of Note : "DREAM DREAM DREAM," "PET," "SHRINK," "INCONVENIENT" Artist : St. Lenox Album : Ten Songs of Worship and Praise for Our Tumultuous Times Quick Thoughts : St. Lenox does some earnest folk rock/indie pop, and this album does what it says on the tin: it's music about religion, but it's not religious music, if that makes any sense. St. Lenox lays it all out on the table, though - grappling with faith, belief (and the lack thereof), family... it's a heavy record in spite of its light presentatio...