If It's Too Loud...

Boston darkwave heroes Proles have a new single out for the new year. "The Following" is a synth heavy track, and perfect if you love synths or dark music. In the past two years since they first started out, we've come to love their blend of darkwave, but there's something about "The Following" that sounds particularly dark. The song is much rougher sounding than most music this heavy on synths, and I mean that as a compliment. It gives the song a sense of immediacy, and seems to blend the genre with the mid 80's releases of Sonic Youth. There's also a fantastic guitar solo in "The Following," which adds to the indie rock fuzz of the song. You can listen to "The Following" below. The song is available now via Bandcamp . For more on Proles, check out the band on Instagram and Facebook . The Following by Proles

I've been a fan of Olivia Dolphin's for a while now. The Providence artist has nailed the "piano driven witchy pop" genre perfectly, and I've been meaning to get out and see her live show for a while now. Unfortunately, it's taken far too long, but the stars finally aligned this past Saturday for her release show for her excellent EP All the Time We Spent. The fact that it was at Myrtle, one of my favorite venues, only sweetened the deal. Opening the show was Yonks, a band I was completely unfamiliar with. They play a blend of alt-rock, blues rock, and pop that initially seemed fairly straightforward, but really great. After their first song, I expected a good, solid set to help warm up the crowd. But as they played, I got sucked in more and more. As their set went on, it became more and more engaging, with subtleties that set them apart from other artists in their genre. It didn't hurt that Yonks fans showed up in force to sing and dance the night away. P...

Drive Thru Facelift is a new musical duo comprised of Nilagia McCoy and Mike Allen of The Jackights. Drive Thru Facelift are a complete departure from the members' other band, and are more of an industrial, goth, and protest band. Last week saw them release their debut single, which consists of the songs "Control" and "Call Him Daddy." These two new songs have an interesting sound and vibe to them. Both fit into an indie industrial sound, and are dripping with anger and disgust towards the direction our country continues to move in. However, they both have a heavy groove that is more dance friendly than mosh friendly. Both of there bands are mentioned in their press release, but it completely works to say that "Control" and "Call Him Daddy" are a mixture of Ministry and Garbage. This is a great and compelling first release, and we can't wait to hear what Drive Thru Facelift end up doing next. You can listen to "Control" and ...

One thing I can never seem to get enough of is the sound of vintage doo wop. Seattle's Chico Detour takes that sound and mixes it with another of my favorites on "Loma Prieta (Walk You Home)." The song is primarily a doo wop meets garage rock track, and I've been smitten since my very first listen. The song is such an ode to classic 50's R&B and pop, but with just enough of a rock based sound to give it an edge. What Chico Detour do with this song that is truly magical is that despite how vintage the roots of it are, "Loma Prieta (Walk You Home)" sounds modern. There's just enough of a layer of haze over the whole song that prevents it from fully being a throwback track. Chico Detour says of his latest single: “Sonically and visually, this song lives in that world where doo-wop romance meets garage-band honesty. We wanted it to feel warm, classic, and a little surreal like a memory you can’t quite place but know you’ve lived.” You can watch the v...

Photo by Christian Barker According to the press release, Dream Fatigue "blend pop melodies and grunge rock" on their latest single. After hearing "Be Your Anchor," I can't argue with that description, but there is much more to the Massachusetts band's latest. The song clocks in at a blistering one minute and fifty-three seconds, and there's a lot packed into that. Musically, "Be Your Anchor" is heavy and grungy, and in the true early 90's grunge spirit. However, the song has some serious pop hooks that remind me of the mid-to-late 90's post grunge sound, where it was still rock music, but a very poppy version of alt-rock. Dream Fatigue sound almost like a combination of Tad and Letters to Cleo, which is something I never thought I'd type out. You can listen to "Be Your Anchor" below. The single is out now on DAZE. For more on Dream Fatigue, check out the band on Instagram . They'll be playing The Sinclair on January 1...

Photo by Jenna Connolly Next month will see the release of Kerrin Connolly's indie pop rock concept album, and today we can hear the first single from it. "Quiet" sees the Boston artist blow away all expectations with pop music. The song is firmly a pop song, but Connolly does things so differently than the vast majority of pop musicians out there. It sounds like the pop rock of the 90's mixed with modern alt-pop and the creative explosion of 60's pop music. Throughout "Quiet," I was consistently blown away by the unexpected directions the song kept taking. It's a charming song that is impossibly catchy, with enough twists to keep even the snobbiest music fans engaged and entertained for its entire length. Kerrin Connolly says of her upcoming album: "This album explores the classic themes of a hero’s journey within the context of the creative process, grief, mental illness, and trying to exist simply in the modern world - but it’s also a love le...

Photo by Francois Rudaz Minneapolis group The Modern Era is back with their first new music since 2016. "Dear Anyone" is a killer alt-rock song that sounds like it was lifted straight from the 1990's. This could easily have been on a CD sampler that you picked up, and ended up becoming your favorite song on the compilation. The bass line in particular sounds extremely 90's, in the best possible way. "Dear Anyone" is giving me late 90's flashbacks, back when guitars were still grungy, but the songs were getting a little more polished and grooved a bit more. We're just discovering The Modern Era, but we're thrilled they're back with new music. You can watch the video for "Dear Anyone" below. The Modern Era have a new album due sometime in 2026. For more on the band, check them out on Facebook and Instagram .

Photo by Katy McElroy Detroit experimental supergroup Winged Wheel have a brand new single out that pushes their sound forward. "I See Poseurs Every Day" is a shockingly groovy and noisy single that is heavily rooted in psychedelia. There are some elements of proto-punk, garage rock, folk music, and funk throughout the song. Interestingly, while most modern experimental music tends to look to the future for inspiration (either electronic or pure noise), Winged Wheel look towards the past. "I See Poseurs Every Day" is more along the lines of classic rock than a modern sound. This is like an unexpected melding of The Stooges, ZZ Top, and Neil Young. In other words, this song is fantastic. You can watch the video for "I See Poseurs Every Day" below. Desert So Green is due out January 9 on 12XU, and is available to pre-order through Bandcamp . For more on Winged Wheel, check out the band on Instagram . Upcoming tour dates are below the video. ​ 9 Jan –  Amster...

This week has always been good for catching up on music we missed, and one of those releases is from So Many Dangers. The Providence fifth wave ska band released a single (EP?) back in October called Break the System. It's three songs that are distinctly ska but worthy of a new wave of ska. A song like "Break the System" sees everything we love about the genre, but an almost brand new style of it. It's probably more along the lines of skacore but noisier. Think noise rock goes ska. "Here's Your Love Song" is particularly chaotic with horns and guitars coming close to an all out war against each other. So Many Dangers are delivering three noisy and barely under control punk songs made even more so by the inclusion of horns. You can listen to Break the System below. The EP/single is out now via Bandcamp . For more on So Many Dangers, check out the band on Instagram . Break The System by So Many Dangers

Photo by Alicia Fretter Manchester's Brain Leak is a nu-riot grrrl band that has a video out for their new-ish single, "Save Me." This new song doesn't follow traditional the riot grrrl sound. It's a hazy and relatively quiet song, despite the tension lurking just beneath the surface. It's reminding me of a more raw and rough version of the current musical trend of indie rock meets pop. Although "Save Me" has some strong roots in pop, this is hardly Top 40 pop music. It's living in an interesting world where pop and indie rock live in the same space, and it never quite gives into either genre more than the other one. Brain Leak have an interesting and compelling sound that will make you curious enough to need more. Tara-Gabriella Engelhardt says of her band's new EP: “It’s a Frankenstein production in the best way.  This year I wanted to explore my sound, see how other people work, and figure out what I want for the next body of work.” You ca...

Artist : Isobel Waller-Bridge Album : Objects Quick Thoughts : Yes, it's Phoebe's sister, but don't let that overshadow what is a really gorgeous ambient soundscape. Waller-Bridge's musical history is mostly in the area of film and television scores, and this being the first proper album works really well as an cohesive piece of work. Honestly really enjoyed this, great for fans of folks like Claire Rousay. Songs of Note : "Tapes," "HZ," "Shoe," "Hoover," "Bill's Cat and Me" Artist : My Gay Banjo Album : Another World is in the Air Quick Thoughts : This made it on a friend's best-of playlist and I kind of fell in love with it. It's a quirky little folk record that openly borrows from countless classics and yet still feels fresh and unique. One of the more intriguing listens of the year, honestly, and deserves some attention. Songs of Note : "Staying Queer," "Drive Away," ...