Andrew Sa - "Lavender Cowboy"

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Photo by Alexa Viscius

There are a handful of labels that I'll check out everything they put out since it's always great. One of those is Bloodshot Records, and their latest artist is Andrew Sa. Sa's latest single is "Lavender Cowboy," a tribute to his late friend and mentor Patrick Haggerty. Haggerty was an icon of gay country with his band Lavender Cowboy. The song "Lavender Cowboy" is a great alt-country track that leans into the more traditionally country side of the genre. The song is a great one, with a tender, heartfelt sound. It's melancholy while also being celebratory. If you know and like the artists that Bloodshot Records puts out, you're going to love Andrew Sa. This is a great single from an artist we're looking forward to hearing more from.

Andrew Sa says of his new single:

"I was chasing that elusive happy/sad bop, writing most of the song on my tenor guitar in a hotel room near Seattle, WA following Patrick’s Celebration of Life. He inspired countless people and I wanted to capture the essence of that. The chorus was written with H.C. [McEntire] the night before the second Fidelitorium session. Luke Norton brought the memorable guitar melodies and the groove was inspired by Neil Young and Waylon Jennings. Like driving music for that endless highway. There's an old novelty/humor song by the same name that’s rather homophobic so I also hope to rewrite the narrative on the ‘Lavender Cowboy.’”

You can watch the video for "Lavender Cowboy" below. American Rough is due out June 26 on Bloodshot Records, and is available to pre-order here. For more on Andrew Sa, check out the artist on Instagram. Upcoming live dates are below the video.


Fri. June 26 - Chicago, IL @ Hideout 
Sun. June 28 - Evanston, IL @ SPACE

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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J Mascis - "See You At the Movies"

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Photo via Instagram Any time J Mascis releases new music will always be a big deal at If It's Too Loud... November will see the release of Elastic Days , his new solo album. Judging by the first single, "See You At the Movies," Elastic Days  will be exactly what we expect and want in a Mascis solo album. The first single is much prettier than Dinosaur Jr is. Mascis's solo work tends to be calmer and almost folky. "See You At the Movies" is exactly that, and is even almost orchestral in some places. You add in some of Mascis's guitar solos (a more tame version than Dino Jr's thunderous ones), and you've got a classic Mascis solo track. It's a typically great song, but at this point I'd like to see Mascis mix things up a bit. You can listen to "See You At the Movies" below. Elastic Days will be out November 9 on Sub Pop Records. There are some pretty reasonable pre-order bundles available, including a CD and t-shirt for $24....
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Izzy Heltai - "Father"

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Photo by Joanna Chattman I've been referring to Northampton, MA based Izzy Heltai's music as mainstream modern folk with just enough of a unique spin to keep it appealing to music snobs, too. His latest single, "Father," might be the perfect example of that. It's a quiet, deeply personal song that starts off painfully sparse but ever so slowly builds and builds as it goes on. It walks that line between accessible/mainstream and indie expertly.  You can watch the video for "Father" below. Father , the upcoming debut album from Izzy Heltai, will be out October 9. You can pre-order a copy here . For more on Izzy Heltai, check out the artist's website .
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