Ratboys - "The Window"

By -

Photo by Alexa Viscius

I keep saying 2023 is the year some of our favorite bands are levelling up, and I'm going to put Ratboys in that category with their latest single. "The Window" starts off as a gorgeous and heartbreaking power ballad of the folk pop variety. About half way through, it kicks into gear and shifts into a more indie rock/power pop track with the guitars matching singer Julia Steiner's emotions. We've been fans of the Chicago band for a while, and this is such a powerful and emotional song. Even without knowing the story behind it, "The Window" will sweep you up and hold you completely in its grasp for four and a half minutes.

Julia Steiner explains the story behind the band's new song:

“I wrote this song a few days after the death of my grandma in June of 2020. She didn’t have covid, but because of the pandemic my grandpa wasn’t able to visit her in person at the nursing home to say goodbye. He ended up standing outside her room and saying goodbye through an open window. A lot of the lyrics are direct quotes of things he said to her in those final moments.”

You can watch the video for "The Window" below. The album The Window is due out August 25 on Topshelf Records, and is available for pre-order here. For more on Ratboys, check out the band's website. Upcoming tour dates are below the video.


Fri. Aug. 25 - Chicago, IL @ Schubas Tavern - SOLD OUTThu. Sep. 21 - Champaign-Urbana, IL @ Pygmalion FestivalFri. 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 &Fri. Dec. 22 - Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall * =w/ Free Range&=w/ Another Michael^=w/ Ellis

On Repeat...

Liam Kazar - "Shoes Too Tight"

By -
Image
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. ...
Read more

Dutch ReBelle - "GOONIEZ"

By -
Image
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 . 
Read more

The Freqs - "Witch"

By -
Image
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
Read more