The latest single from Chicago's Ratboys is their most country song of all of their recent singles. One thing we've always loved about the band is how they meld indie rock with country, so "Morning Zoo" feels almost like a back to basics for them. Of course, Ratboys were never quite a country band, and this certainly isn't a straight up country song. It's on the edge of the mainstream side of indie rock with country influences and a slight twang. The guitar work in "Morning Zoo" will instantly suck you in, and Julia Steiner's vocals and lyrics will keep you enthralled.
Julia Steiner says of the new single:
“The lyrics are meant to express the frustration and confusion that comes along with hanging out at a personal crossroads, where every day feels the same and the same big questions keep nagging at you from the back of your head. It’s that small, lingering feeling of numb indecision, of pesky anxiety- like disassociating at a stop sign or weighing all your biggest hopes and fears while stuck behind the longest freight train you’ve ever seen.”
You can listen to "Morning Zoo" below. The Window is due out August 25 via 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.
Wed. Aug. 23 - Chicago, IL @ Big Kids - Listening Party Fri. Aug. 25 - Chicago, IL @ Schubas Tavern - SOLD OUT 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 & Mon. Nov. 13 Brighton, UK @ Zahara Wed. Nov. 15 Glasgow, UK @ Hug & Pint Thu. Nov. 16 Manchester, UK @ YES Basement Fri. Nov. 17. Bristol, UK @ Rough Trade Sun. Nov. 19 London, UK @ Omeara Mon. Nov. 20 Paris, FR @ L’International Tue. Nov. 21 Antwerp, BE @ Bouckenborgh Wed. Nov. 22 Utrecht, NL @ Ekko Thu. Nov. 23 Amsterdam, NL @ Paradiso Fri. Nov. 24 Cologne, DE @ Yard Club Sat. Nov. 25 Hamburg, DE @ Nochtwache Sun. Nov. 26 Copenhagen, DK @ Vega Tue. Nov. 28 Berlin, DE @ Privatclub Thu. Nov. 30 Darmstadt, DE @ Oetinger Villa Fri. Dec. 22 - Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall • * =w/ Free Range & =w/ Another Michael ^ =w/ Ellis • =w/ Disq
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
One of my favorite things is going to see a diverse live bill. Anyone can put together a show with three pop punk bands on it, but it's a challenge (and far more interesting) to put three unique bands on the same show and have it work out perfectly. Saturday night at The Sinclair saw the steamcrunk of Walter Sickert & The Army of Broken Toys, doombrass heroes Eight Foot Manchild, and the baroque pop of Lovina Falls, and it was perfect. Opening the show was Lovina Falls, the current musical project of Valerie Forgione of Mistle Thrush. This was my third or fourth time seeing them in just a few months, and I'm still entertained every time. It's been interesting to watch Lovina Falls adjust and discover their sound over the past two or so years, and I think they've nailed their current sound down. It's an engaging blend of the baroque pop they started out with mixed with a more rock based sound. Songs like "Ellery Way" and "Vaulted" continue to ...
