Aaron Lee Tasjan - "Horror of it All"

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Photo by Shervin Lainez

Back in 2021, Aaron Lee Tasjan blew us away with Tasjan! Tasjan! Tasjan! It was my #4 album of that year, and saw Tasjan pushing the boundaries of country and alt-country further than possible. He's back with a new single that bursts through those boundaries, and keeps pushing. "Horror of it All" is a synth heavy song that is mostly pop, but also has a surprising amount of indie rock injected, too. It's a song obviously inspired by 80's synth-pop, but also 90's guitar heavy indie rock. Tasjan moves through these sounds masterfully and makes the entire thing blend together effortlessly. If we thought Tasjan! Tasjan! Tasjan! was hard to define, get ready for his next album!

Aaron Lee Tasjan says of his latest single:

“When I think of what scares me the most about ‘being myself,’ is that I’ll get rejected for it. This song examines the concepts of both rejection and self-acceptance through metaphors of childhood playground heartbreak and the dramatic nature of the teenage experience. The story is being told through the eyes of a young queer person. I wanted to use experiences from childhood in the song because I feel like those heartaches are the ones that are truly everlasting. In life, we have to deal with and learn from the heartbreaks of our youth. Those lessons stay with us because the pain of the experience can be processed but the memory of it happening always remains.”

You can watch the video for "Horror of it All" below. Stellar Evolution is due out April 12 on Blue Elan. For more on Aaron Lee Tasjan, check out the artist's website. Upcoming tour dates are below the video.


April 18, 2024 - Duck Room - St. Louis, MO

April 19, 2024 - SPACE - Chicago, IL

April 20, 2024 - Acorn - Three Oaks, MI

April 21, 2024 - Monarch Tavern - Toronto

April 23, 2024 - Middle East Up - Boston, MA

April 25, 2024 - Baby’s All Right - Brooklyn, NY

April 26, 2024 - Johnny Brenda’s - Philadelphia, PA

April 27, 2024 - DC9 - Washington, D.C.

April 28, 2024 - Cat’s Cradle Back - Raleigh, NC

April 30, 2024 - Grey Eagle - Asheville, NC

May 2, 2024 - The Blue Room - Nashville, TN

May 12, 2024 - The Casbah - San Diego, CA

May 14, 2024 - Moroccan Lounge - Los Angeles, CA

May 15, 2024 - Cafe Du Nord - San Francisco, CA

May 17, 2024 - Polaris - Portland, OR

May 18, 2024 - Sunset Tavern - Seattle, WA

May 21, 2024 - Globe Hall - Denver, CO

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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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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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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