Slowdive have still got it. The British shoegaze legends reformed in 2014, and are now set to release their fifth album. The first single from that album, "kisses," just sounds like pure vintage 90's shoegaze. It's gorgeous and just oozing with fuzz. The song does have a bit of a pop center to it, so nowadays we would most likely refer to "kisses" as dream pop, but the two genres have a ton of crossover between them. Slowdive have crafted a wonderfully hypnotic song that stands alongside the best of their early 90's heyday, and we couldn't be happier for it.
Vocalist/guitarist Neil Halstead says of the new single:
“It wouldn’t feel right to make a really dark record right now. The album is quite eclectic emotionally, but it does feel hopeful.”
You can watch the video for "kisses" below. everything is alive is due out September 1 on Dead Oceans, and is available for pre-order here. For more on Slowdive, check out the band's website. Upcoming tour dates are below the video.
Sat. June 24 - Exeter, UK @ Phoenix [SOLD OUT] Sun. June 25 - Somerset, UK @ Glastonbury Festival Mon. July 17 - Perth, AU @ Astor Theatre [SOLD OUT] Wed. July 19 - Brisbane, AU @ Princess Theatre Fri. July 21 - Sydney, AU @ Enmore Theatre Sat. July 22 - Melbourne, AU @ Forum Sun. July 23 - Adelaide, AU @ Hindley St. Music Hall Wed. July 26 - Auckland, NZ @ Powerstation [SOLD OUT] Sat. July 29 - Niigata Prefecture, JP @ Fuji Rock Festival Sat. Aug. 5 - Mysłowice, PL @ Off Festival Fri. Aug. 11 - Sicily, IT @ Ypsigrock Festival Fri. Aug. 18 - Brecon Beacon, GB @ Green Man Festival Sat. Sep. 23 - Toronto, ON @ Queen Elizabeth Theatre Mon. Sep. 25 - Boston, MA @ Citizens House of Blues Boston Wed. Sep. 27 - New York, NY @ Webster Hall Thu. Sep. 28 - New York, NY @ Webster Hall Fri. Sep. 29 - Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer Sat. Sep. 30 - Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club Mon. Oct. 2 - Cleveland, OH @ The Roxy @ Mahall’s Tue. Oct. 3 - Chicago, IL @ Riviera Theatre Wed. Oct. 4 - St. Paul, MN @ Palace Theatre Fri. Oct. 6 - Denver, CO @ Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom Sat. Oct. 7 - Salt Lake City, UT @ The Union Mon. Oct. 9 - Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom Tue. Oct. 10 - Seattle, WA @ Showbox SoDo Thu. Oct. 12 - San Francisco, CA @ The Warfield Sat. Oct. 14 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Bellwether Mon. Oct. 30 - Glasgow, UK @ QMU Tue. Oct. 31 - Manchester, UK @ Ritz Wed. Nov. 1 - Bristol, UK @ SWX Fri. Nov. 3 - London, UK @ Troxy Sun. Nov. 5 - Belfast, UK @ Mandela Hall Mon. Nov. 6 - Dublin, IE @ National Stadium
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 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
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 .
