Robber Robber - "New Year's Eve"

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Photo by Jackie Freeman

Vermont's Robber Robber are primarily a post-punk band, but their upcoming album sees them moving their sound in new directions. Their latest single, "New Year's Eve," is a bizarre song that wanders in whatever direction it sees fit. The sound has the kind of danceable beat a lot of post-punk has, but there's also a strong pop (albeit an odd version of pop) along with hip hop elements. Plus, the guitars are straight up mid 90's alt-rock. "New Year's Eve" is the kind of song that's going to elicit strong reactions. Listeners will either love or hate it, but while those that love it are going to love it more with each listen, even those that initially hate it might get won over if they give it a second or third try. Robber Robber are a surprisingly addictive band.

Nina Cates (vocals/guitar) says of the band's latest single:

“Some of our songs start out as the four of us jamming together and this one was like that." 

You can watch the video for "New Year's Eve" below. Two Wheels Move the Soul is out April 3 on Fire Talk Records, and is available for pre-order here. For more on Robber Robber, 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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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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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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