Jesus the Dinosaur - "Sweet Nothing"

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Photo by Miryam Weiss and J Kimball

One of the challenges with writing about music is when you hear a song that you know is great but have no idea how to explain why it's great. That's the case with the latest from Boston folk rockers Jesus the Dinosaur. "Sweet Nothing" is a great song. The first new music from the band since 2022 and the first with their current five-piece line up, the song starts off quite good. It's a fairly simple and straightforward folk rock song, not quite committing to either genre, but maybe a little more rock. As it goes on, it becomes both more rock and more folk, adding in vocal harmonies as the song gets bigger and bigger. "Sweet Nothing" isn't redefining the genre, but it's also not a traditional folk rock song. Jesus the Dinosaur's latest is both mainstream enough for wide appeal, but creative enough to keep music snobs thrilled for its entire run. Sometimes a band just nails a song, and we don't know exactly why it works so well, and "Sweet Nothing" is one of those.

Tommy Ng (vocals, acoustic guitar) says of the band's latest single:

“For me personally, I’m describing what it feels like to be in a social setting while being maxed out on my social meter. I have a big people-pleasing problem (working on it), so I’ll keep pushing through social interactions even when I have nothing left to give, so what comes out of my mouth at that point is usually just that: filler, forced smiles, canned responses, bullshit. Just enough to pass as pleasing and agreeable to everyone. It all kind of makes me sick and I need a lot of alone time afterward. But that takes its toll, too.”

You can listen to "Sweet Nothing" below. Nothing to the Branches is due out May 15. For more on Jesus the Dinosaur, check out the band on Instagram.

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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