News
Plus L’Rain, Anjimile, GUM, Patio, and a Wrap-up of the Week’s Other Notable New Tracks
Aug 25, 2023
By Mark Redfern (with Andy Von Pip)
Welcome to the 26th Songs of the Week of 2023. Last week’s Songs of the Week was our first one after a month-long hiatus and there were a lot of strong choices (plus we put together a playlist of all the great songs we missed while on vacation). This week, the pickings weren’t as plentiful, but there were still some new tracks we liked. More
The Window Out Now via Topshelf
Aug 25, 2023
By Mark Redfern
Chicago indie rockers Ratboys have released a new album, The Window, today via Topshelf. Now that it’s out you can stream the whole thing here. Plus today we posted our new interview with the band about The Window, as well as our rave review of the album (both written by Mark Moody). More
The Window Due Out August 25 via Topshelf
Aug 10, 2023
By Kat Ramkumar
Chicago’s Ratboys have shared a new song titled “Morning Zoo,” which is the latest song from their upcoming studio album The Window. More
Album The Window due August 25th via Topshelf Records
Aug 10, 2023
By Andy Von Pip
Chicago’s Ratboys who release their new album, The Window, on August 25th share new track “Morning Zoo,” More
Plus Lael Neale, Blur, The Last Dinner Party, and a Wrap-up of the Week’s Other Notable New Tracks
Jun 30, 2023
By Mark Redfern (with Kat Ramkumar and Caleb Campbell)
Welcome to the 23rd Songs of the Week of 2023. This week our writers and editors Andy Von Pip, Caleb Campbell, Celine Teo-Blockey, Mark Moody, and Scott Dransfield all weighed in which songs were best and we came up with the stacked list below. We settled on a Top 14 this week, with lots of honorable mentions. More
The Window Due Out August 25 via Topshelf
Jun 29, 2023
By Kat Ramkumar
Chicago indie rockers Ratboys have shared a music video for their latest song, “The Window,” which is the title track for their upcoming album. More
Plus Lightning Dust, Glasser, Julie Byrne, and a Wrap-up of the Week’s Other Notable New Tracks
Jun 09, 2023
By Mark Redfern (with Kat Ramkumar)
Welcome to the 21st Songs of the Week of 2023. The theme this week was horns, three of the songs in the Top 4 feature some sort of brass instrument (saxophone, etc.). Stricken with indecision, we settled on a Top 13 this week. More
The Window Due Out August 25 via Topshelf
Jun 06, 2023
By Kat Ramkumar
Chicago rockers, Ratboys, have announced the release of their sixth studio album The Window, and shared a music video of its new single, “It’s Alive!” More
Plus ALL HANDS_MAKE LIGHT, Caroline Rose, Nation of Language, Indigo De Souza, and a Wrap-up of the Last Two Week’s Other Notable New Tracks
Mar 17, 2023
By Mark Redfern
Welcome to the tenth Songs of the Week of 2023. We didn’t do a Songs of the Week last week because I was sick with a bad cold (which still lingers) and we were putting the finishing touches on our latest print issue. So this week’s Songs of the Week encompasses songs from the last two weeks. More
Tour Will Feature Supporting Performances by Katie Malco, Thao, Dehd, and Ratboys
Apr 06, 2021
By Joey Arnone
Julien Baker has just announced a string of tour dates for later this year. Yes, you read that right, new tour dates! Katie Malco will be the opening act for all North American tour dates, with Thao as support for the September 2021 dates and Dehd supporting the October/November 21 dates. Ratboys will be the opening act for all of the 2022 European dates. More
Plus Silk Sonic, Mdou Moctar, James, and a Wrap-up of the Week's Other Notable New Tracks
Mar 05, 2021
By Mark Redfern (with Joey Arnone)
Welcome to the eighth Songs of the Week of 2021. It was a fairly quiet week on the news front, with President Joe Biden’s pandemic stimulus bill getting closer to passing in the Senate, but without a minimum wage hike. More
Available Now via Topshelf
Mar 04, 2021
By Joey Arnone
Chicago rock band Ratboys have shared a new song titled “Go Outside.” The country-tinged song is relevant to current times, but was actually written almost a year before the pandemic took hold. It is available now via Topshelf. More
Interviews
Aug 25, 2023
By Mark Moody
Ratboys’ Julia Steiner is quick to point out that The Window (releasing today on Topshelf) is not a concept album, but it is one in which Steiner and the band return to the theme of love more than a few times. More
Apr 02, 2021
By Mark Moody
Chicago’s Ratboys are celebrating the 10-year anniversary of their first release in 2021. The core of the band remain Julia Steiner (guitar, vocals) and Dave Sagan (guitar), who have been writing and recording partners from the beginning days of the band. More
Reviews
Oct 30, 2023
By Mark Moody
Ratboys brought their energetic live show to Denver and Under the Radar was there to see it. More
Aug 25, 2023
By Mark Moody
Julia Steiner is one of the best songwriters out there at the moment. Ratboys’ previous albums, including the Americana leaning G.N. and more impressionistic (in places) Printer’s Devil, already showcased Steiner’s songwriting prowess. More
Apr 01, 2021
By Mark Moody
No band has handled quarantine quite as admirably as Chicago’s Ratboys. More
Jul 19, 2017
By Will Butler
The ironic universality of American teenage fiction is admirable. Characters cry “nobody gets me,” as we sit at home, headphones on, nodding in agreement; blind to the irony. More
