If It's Too Loud...

Photo by Kate LaMendola There's a lot of bands that are doing the 90's alt-rock meets modern pop thing these days, but no one does it quite like Girl Tones. The sister duo have a new single out that perfectly straddles the two genres. It has this fantastic mixture of being both lo-fi based while being smoothly produced. It's reminding me of early and later versions of both Veruca Salt meets Liz Phair. There are hints of a 90s throwback sound while also sounding fully modern. This is a catchy and fun song that never fully commits to being either pop or rock, and why would you when you can be both? Singer Kenzie says of the band's latest single: “How helpless it feels when chaos strikes. One thing I’ve learned is to flip chaos on its head and make something new out of it. Pressure isn’t always a bad thing.” You can watch the video for "Volcano" below. The single is out now on Parallel Vision and Big Loud Rock. For more on Girl Tones, check out the band's web...

Photo by Heather DeFoggi Gerard For his upcoming album, Sean Thomas Gerard recorded in the corner of his garage which is also a playroom for his two daughters. Somehow, you can hear that vibe in his latest single, "Bright Side." The song just feels like home. It's a laid back indie folk/singer-songwriter track that is overflowing with warmth. The sing is on the mainstream side of its genres, but when you nail a sound like Gerard has, there's certainly nothing wrong with that. This is the type of song that is pleasant and enjoyable when you first start it, and then you end up liking it more and more as it goes. By the time it's over, you're going to want to listen again. By the third or fourth listen, "Bright Side" is going to end up one of your favorite songs of this young year. Sean Thomas Gerard says of his music: “I think about some day when I'm gone, my kids will be able to put on my records and feel like they can spend time with me again....

I feel like we could all use some positivity in our lives right now, so we're ending our week with the latest single from NOVA ONE. The project led by Providence's Roz Raskin just released "basketball court." It fits right in with the 1960's doo wop meets modern indie rock and pop sound that we've always loved from NOVA ONE, with a little something extra added in. Somehow, "basketball court" feels both more 60's and more modern than anything the band has released before. It's a little more electronic, and has some of the most delightful gang vocals I've ever heard. This might be the most charming song these folx have released to date, and if you're familiar with NOVA ONE, you know that's quite the statement. You can watch the video for "basketball court" below. how to kiss is due out March 6 on Community Records, and is available for pre-order through Bandcamp . For more on NOVA ONE, check out the artist on Instagram an...

"You Can Be So Ugly" is the kind of song you're going to fall in love with within the first seven seconds. Vona Vella have done something truly special here. The Nottingham based band have created this sound that is partly early The Strokes and partly dream pop. A lot of the guitars and vocals are reminiscent of the first Strokes album, but everything is a little more jangly and coated in a thing layer of haze. Not to mention that "You Can Be So Ugly" is almost too catchy, possibly due to a little bit of 60's doo wop hiding just under the surface. We were first won over by Vona Vella back in September, and "You Can Be So Ugly" has us even more enamored. Co-founders Izzy Davis and Dan Cunningham say of their new single: "It's about accepting the ugly side of friendships or relationships. Even your favourite people have that side to them but you learn to live with it if you want to be around them. It's saying 'you can be a right idio...

Photo credit: Eye of Doll It's been a while since we've heard from India Ramey, but now the country singer-songwriter is back with a new single. "Welcome to My Villain Era" is a barnburner of a song. It's as twangy as possible, and is overflowing with swagger. What's so perfect about this single is how country it is. This is true country without a hint of any modern pop country. It fits right in with classic artists like Wanda Jackson and Loretta Lynn, and modern artists like Margo Price. Plus, there's just enough of a rock edge and attitude. "Welcome to My Villain Era" is a fun, and kick ass song. India Ramey says of her upcoming album: “This album is the ‘healed’ me. I spent years as a people pleaser, not knowing how to have boundaries. I lost sight of who I really was. These songs are about reclaiming that.” You can listen to "Welcome to My Villain Era" below. Villain Era is due out May 8 on Copaco Records/Blue Elan Records. For more...

Photo by Chelsea Wheatley Sedona released Getting Into Heaven last spring, and the Los Angeles singer-songwriter is already back with a new single. "Hollywood" is a laid back slice of alt-pop. It's a gorgeous song that is a slow burn. It slowly grows in intensity without adding much more in volume or aggression. Sedona's vocals are truly the appeal of the song, with some of the 90's slacker thing meets modern pop vocals. If we were to compare "Hollywood" to other artists, we'd have to go with it's Chappell Roan meets Blondshell. Sedona is one of those captivating artists who feels like she should be huge. Sedona says of her latest single: “It isn’t easy being a woman, and it’s even harder being one in Hollywood. There’s a lot of loops, hoops, and fragile egos we have to jump through.” You can watch the video for "Hollywood" below. Super 8 Sextape is due out in the spring. For more on Sedona, check out the artist on Instagram and Facebo...

Photo courtesy of Backwoodz Studioz 2025 saw ELUCID release an album with Armand Hammer. This spring he's touring solo, and in the fall he'll be touring with Armand Hammer. Which, of course means he needs a new project. I Guess U Had to Be There sees ELUCID team with producer Sebb Bash. The first single from the album, "First Light," is about as stripped down as hip hop can possibly be. The only beats are quiet handclaps, and the instrumentation is barely there. It gives the song an intense and haunting feel, and makes you fully invested in ELUCID's vocals and flow. Not many artists could pull off a song like "First Light," but ELUCID is hardly your average artist. You can watch the video for "First Light" below. I Guess U Had to Be There is due out March 13 on Backwoodz Studioz, and is available for pre-order here . For more on ELUCID, check out the artist on Instagram .

Photo by Miles Kalchik If you've been worried that Ratboys have been eschewing their country side in favor of their indie rock side, their latest single will put you at ease. "The World, So Madly" isn't exactly a country song, but it sees the Chicago band lean more heavily into their singer-songwriter side than we've seen in quite a while. The song has an optimistic and even a sunny feel, which is what we all need in New England as we're all firmly in winter's grasp. The song has a light feel, and even if it's more than a little folky there's still plenty of indie rock going on in "The World, So Madly." We've been huge fans of Ratboys since the early days of If It's Too Loud..., and this latest single could very well propel them to the stardom they deserve. Vocalist Julia Steiner says of her band's latest single: “Looking back at my voice memos, I recorded the original idea for this song on January 1st, 2023, and it feels like...

Photo by Moni Haworth I don't think anyone is going to argue that Kim Gordon has had the most interesting solo career of any of her former Sonic Youth bandmates. She's been diving straightforward into a more electronic dance music sound, and playing in the trap genre. Her latest single, "NOT TODAY," sees the indie legend expanding her sound even more. This one is much more chill than her previous solo albums, and is more akin to her former band than she's gotten before. It has some of the indie rock noise I love (and miss), while still keeping her experiments with electronic music alive. Plus, there are little hints of soul and pop in "NOT TODAY," which I don't think anyone could have predicted. Kim Gordon keeps pushing the musical envelope, which is exceedingly rare for someone with more than four decades as a musician. Kim Gordon says of her latest single:  “I started singing in a way I hadn’t sung in a long time. This other voice came out.” You ca...

We like to think we do a pretty good job of bringing you new music, but every so often we do drop the ball. After seeing Modern Nature play The Rockwell Tuesday night, I can safely say we massively missed out on their excellent 2025 album The Heat Warps. Coming all the way from Cambridge, UK, Modern Nature took the tiny stage of The Rockwell in front of a decent crowd and quite simply blew everyone in attendance away. Usually when we say that, we are speaking about volume, or aggression, or noise. Instead, Modern Nature play a fairly quiet and mellow blend of indie rock. It was along the lines of Sonic Youth or Slint... just much more chill. Of curse, chill and mellow don't have to mean boring or not intense. Modern Nature's songs are rather intense despite how laid back their playing is. If you've never heard their single "Pharoh," do yourself a favor and check it out. It's an absolute masterpiece. Modern Nature were at their best when Jack Cooper and Tara Cu...

Dance music can be great, but it does get repetitive. No one can say that about GorgoPap. The Philadelphia based DJ has a new single out, "Rubber Bass." The song is a club song, and it's a killer song to dance to. But, it doesn't quite sound like anyone else. It sounds kind of like a DIY version of late 90's electronic dance music, only a modern version of that. For the first time in a long, long time, it's making me wish my club days weren't long behind me. "Rubber Bass" is a fun dance song, but it could also be perfect for listening at work. It's not quite what the kids would call a banger, but it's at least banger adjacent.  You can listen to "Rubber Bass" below. Reach 4 the Stars is due out February 6, and is available for pre-order through Bandcamp . For more on GorgoPap, check out the artist on Bandcamp . Reach 4 The Stars by GorpoPap

Photo by Aileen Lam Lucid Express are quickly becoming one of our favorite bands with a classic shoegaze sound. The Hong Kong band just released a new single, "Faux Sweetness." The new song has all of the fuzz and warmth we want with classic shoegaze, even though it leans into the poppier side of the genre. Despite how we music writers tend to feel about saying something is poppy, in the case of "Faux Sweetness" it's an asset. It only helps make the song even more lovely, and it's only poppy in the way a band like My Bloody Valentine had some songs that were poppy. If you love shoegaze and would like to see the classic version moved into the modern era, Lucid Express are going to be a godsend for you. Vocalist Kim Ho says of the new single: "o n 'Faux Sweetness' we return to some of our earliest indie pop influences while also mixing in some of the darker sounds we've picked up over years of experimenting in our studio space. It kind of led ...