If It's Too Loud...

I owe everyone an apology. The latest full length from Milwaukee's Brief Candles has been out for over a month, and I'm just letting you all know about it now. I know with some of my reviews I can drop the pretend professional journalist act and be a little over gushy. With Retreater I'm worried I'm not going to be gushy enough . It's just that good. The album starts off with "A Way Around," a lighter, bouncier shoegaze song that owes as much to 90's alternative power pop as it does anything. That leads into "Appearances," which is more discordant and with chuggier guitars, but still retains the same spirit. The third song, "Tiramusi," is more traditionally shoegaze, but does that by ramping up the noise and aggression factor. These three songs embody what is great about this album. None of the songs truly sound alike, but they all build off each other to make a cohesive unit. You're going to end up loving this. You can list...

Somehow I completely missed Tea Leigh & Luke Reed's series of singles back in 2012. I'm much more familiar with Reed's work with Bent Shapes (RIP) and Mini Dresses. In the past five years, Leigh opened Welcome Home, an all female tattoo shop in Brooklyn. The duo is back with a new single, "Underwater." The new single is remarkably stunning. It fits right into the dream pop genre and defines the word "lush." What truly sets it apart from the usual music called dream pop is how sparse it is despite having the lush dream pop sound. It's sparse enough to be almost considered folk, but just almost.  You can listen to "Underwater" below. If you like what you hear, you can download a copy for free thanks to The Native Sound. For more on their previous releases from 2012, be sure to check out their Bandcamp .

A solid week, given that it's the Thanksgiving holiday in the States... Artist : The Staves + yMusic Album : The Way is Read Quick Description : Hauntingly beautiful modern folk. Why You Should Listen : You like the idea of a combination of gorgeous strings and harmonic vocals. Overall Thoughts : I was into the previous Staves album because it felt like a strange modern folk record. Adding yMusic to the mix here gives The Staves some considerable attention-grabbing instrumentation to go with their already-haunting vocals. This is great in a way the Bjork or Sufjan records kind of aren’t, in that the weirdness is enhancing the experience as opposed to being the centerpiece, and the whole package feels a lot more modern and interesting as a result. I want to spend a lot more time with this, but this is absolutely the listen of the week for me. Recommendation : A must listen. Artist : Bjork Album : Utopia Quick Description : Latest from the Icelandic legend. Why You S...

Considering how much I love seeing bands in their hometown and how long I've been going to see Deer Tick, it's odd that I've never made it down to RI to see Deer Tick (festivals excluded.) Last Saturday, I headed down to Pawtucket to see night two of Deer Tick's three night two venue stand.  Breaking from this tour's format of An Evening with Deer Tick and playing two sets, one acoustic and one electric, this was an all electric evening. Deer Tick played in front of a thrilled hometown audience, and the energy between the performers and audience built all night. This was definitely a crowd that has been following the band for a while, and older songs like "Ashamed" and "Christ Jesus" garnered the biggest reaction. As the band continues to go on, frontman John McCauley relinquishes that role more and more, with guitarist Ian O'Neil and drummer Dennis Ryan taking over lead vocals for more of the sets. O'Neil did a fantastic, energetic c...

Photo by Ambar Navarro I usually have the "no using '4' for 'for' unless you're Prince" rule, but I'll give Anna Burch a pass on this one. Hailing from Detroit, Anna Burch's new single, "Asking 4 a Friend," will probably get her lumped into the neo-folk category, and while fans of that genre will end up liking this song, it's far from folk. Instead, the song is laid back yet still somehow quietly intense 90's infused indie rock. It reminds me of Juliana Hatfield going just a tiny bit country while fronting a Pavement that have decided to lose the adjective "quirky." Yeah, it's a pretty great song. You can listen to "Asking 4 a Friend" below. Anna Burch's debut solo album will be out in early 2018 on Polyvinyl. For more on Anna Burch, check her out on Facebook and Twitter .

Photo via Facebook In a case of worlds colliding for me, here's "Weird Al" Yankovic covering the Ramones' classic "Beat On the Brat." I was definitely more than a little worried that it would be an accordion heavy polka, like his covers tend to be. ("Worried" might not be the best choice of words, since I would have been just as happy with that.) However, this is a completely faithful cover of a legendary punk song, and you'd never know it was "Weird Al" if it wasn't for his distinctive voice. This version of the song will be available on Dr. Demento Covered in Punk , which features punk artists covering novelty songs and novelty artists covering punk songs. It will also feature covers by William Shatner, Colleen Green, Nobunny, Rasputina, and more! You can listen to "Weird Al" Yankovic's version of "Beat On the Brat" below. Dr. Demento Covered in Punk will be available on January 12. You can pre-orde...

We're getting toward the end of the year and, with Thanksgiving, new releases are slowing down. Artist : GFOTY Album : GTOFYBUCKS Quick Description : Bizarre anti-pop. Why You Should Listen : This is a necessary listen even if you end up not liking it. Overall Thoughts : GTOFY put out an EP last year that intrigued me, and this is closer to a full length than anything else, and it's just weird. There are snippets of covers, strange songs and structures, and yet it's utterly compelling. This is definitely an artistic effort, and it might turn off more people than it turns on, but this is one that I'll be diving back in on. There's just too much going on to ignore. Recommendation : Probably the most divisive release of the quarter. Artist : Pete International Airport Album : Safer With the Wolves... Quick Description : Dandy Warhols side project with some interesting droney rock. Why You Should Listen : We haven't had some good Dandys stuff in a w...

We've been fans of Edinburgh based Fuzzystar's debut album, Telegraphing , released just six months ago. Somehow we already have new music from Fuzzystar. "Superhero" keeps their sound of pure 90's indie rock joy going. It starts off in the shoegaze and dream pop realms, with lilting guitars swirling around monotone slacker vocals. (If you're old enough, you know that to us that is the highest of compliments.) The song doesn't really build, but at some point there is a transition to a sound reminiscent of earlier, more upbeat and poppy Built to Spill.  You can listen to "Superhero" below. The song will be available as a single on December 1 via Satellite Sounds. For more on Fuzzystar, check out their/his  website .

In what now appears to be a November tradition, Letters to Cleo came back to their hometown of Boston for a three night stand last week. This year's trio of shows was soaked in nostalgia (the Paradise was playing a pretty generic 90's alt-rock playlist with everything from Pixies to The New Radicals represented) with the band playing one of their albums in its entirety each night. This particular night was 1993's Aurora Gory Alice.  Blake Babies opened up the evening (and all three nights) with a rare performance. The trio of Juliana Hatfield, John Strohm, and Freda Love-Smith are a much beloved Boston institution and could have easily played their own trio of shows. Since the three are now spread out over Cambridge, Chicago, and Nashville, seeing them reform is far too rare of a treat for fans. The band played at their charmingly sloppy best, including their cover of Mission of Burma's "From Here to Burma" and a heartbreakingly glorious version of "...

Post punk is typically the artsier, less aggressive form of punk. Nobody told Shame that. Their new song, "One Rizla," is a pretty chilled out post punk songs, with the ambient feel of dream pop and the fuzzed out bliss of shoegaze. But while that may sound like the song could drift into twee territory, it's far too snotty too be considered twee by any measure. In fact, the song builds so slowly in both speed and aggression that you won't be able to even notice it until the near scream filled ending. It's not an explosive ending, but more of a just barely controlled seething rage leaking out just enough. This song is enough to put their upcoming album into all of our Most Anticipated of 2018 lists. You can watch the video for "One Rizla" below. Shame's debut album, Songs of Praise , will be out January 12 on Dead Oceans. You can pre-order the album here . For more on Shame, be sure to check out their website .

Dublin's The Eskies are coming back with their second album next month, and are previewing the first single from it, "All Good Men." According to their press release, they're described as folk/rock/Yiddish/Blues, and all of that is completely true. But "All Good Men" seems to be even more than that. It has a bit of a punk attitude, and any time a band is from Dublin and combines folk and punk, they're going to get compared to The Pogues. Plus, they have an folk rock anthem quality, so there's some Frank Turner in there. All of this is wrapped up in some old swing, which reminds me of Squirrel Nut Zippers. All of these elements also come together to have just a bit of a Gogol Bordello sound. "All Good Men" takes a bunch of elements that are already a bunch of elements and combines them all into a song that somehow blends together just about perfectly. You can watch the video for "All Good Men" below. The Eskies' second albu...

It's rare that a band's name completely matches their sound. J Eastman and The Drunk Uncles sound exactly what you'd expect them to sound like. Their latest single, "On Your Dime," is a blast of loud power pop that leans very heavily on the rock side of the genre. You can just feel the haze of booze that thickens the type of venue these guys play, and the crowds they're sure to attract. For added points, they inject just the slightest country twang to the song giving it an Uncle Tupelo feel. It all feels decidedly Minnesota (where the band is from). Granted, there's not a regional "sound" to Minnesota, but there's almost a regional "feel" to the state. You can listen to "On Your Dime" below. It will be included on their upcoming album. To be sure to stay updated on the album, check them out on Facebook and Bandcamp . On Your Dime by J Eastman and the Drunk Uncles

Photo by  Karen Sophia Colon Brooklyn's QWAM is set to release their debut EP in January, but right now we can listen to the first single, "Doggy Door." From the frantic opening of drum stick rattling, "Doggy Door" is an energetic thrash of a song. It's definitely punk while being on the slightly more mainstream side of the genre, but without being "pop punk" in the slightest. The mainstream description might be attributed to the Pennywise style "Whoah-oh-oh" chant along chorus, even though the whole song feels more like The Gits than 90's Warped Tour style punk. Plus, they throw in a disjointed guitar solo at the end that is discordantly beautiful. You can listen to "Doggy Door" below. QWAM's debut EP, Feed Me , will be out sometime in January. You can pre-order the EP now through Bandcamp . For more on QWAM, check them out on Facebook .

A slow-ish week. I'll be covering the new TayTay when it finally hits streaming services, but until then... Co-Albums of the Week : Artist : Kindling Album : Hush Quick Description : Local shoegazey goodness. Why You Should Listen : You're looking to harken back to a different time, but not the trendy stuff that's hitting today. Overall Thoughts : Holy crap this is absolutely wonderful , droney, almost shoegazey music. A band from Easthampton, I figured I’d like them when Spotify listed Infinity Girl as a comp, but this is so much better than that. Maybe my favorite of the week at this point, the vocals are gorgeous and drenched in reverb, they’re not afraid to get aggressive, and this is a rare act that sounds like something you’ve heard before even though you know it’s fully unique. Recommendation : Do not miss out on this at all, it’s a brilliant listen. Artist : Fever High Album : FHNY Quick Description : 1980s throwbacks, but more like a time machine ...

There are a few factors that can lead to a disastrous live performance. A fully seated venue, tables and waitresses taking orders, an early start time, and technical issues can make any band give a bad show. On Sunday night at the Iron Horse Music Hall The Deslondes faced all of these and shone through. A seated venue might be a perfect place for The Deslondes to perform. Even their most up tempo songs still come across as laid back. It was still a bit tough, since they did remark that they do usually ask the crowd to stand up and dance at one point, and with all the tables, there just wasn’t enough room. A few couples did wander way in the back near the back bar to find some room to dance, but the majority seemed to be fine with just watching the show. Somehow the appreciative crowd was able to keep up enough energy despite the tables and chairs to keep the show staying lively. What might work out in The Deslondes’ favor the most is their complete Southern charm. How many b...

Photo by Ken Sears For someone as obsessed with Sonic Youth as myself, I was uncharacteristically hesitant about going to his show at ONCE in Somerville last week. His latest album, Electric Trim , just hasn't been working for me. It's being billed as his Beatles influenced album, and while I hear that influence, I'm also hearing far too much jam band in it for my taste. Plus, members of Sonic Youth typically focus on their newer work than their older work, so there was little chance of him busting out any of my favorites from the Sonic Youth days. There might not have been a performance of "Cinderella's Big Score" that night, but the songs from Electric Trim  worked much better in a live setting than on the album. Ranaldo was armed exclusively with acoustic guitars, and had a bare bones line up of a drummer and a keyboard/electric guitar player. The most interesting part of the evening is that the typical noisy guitar solos were played by Raul Fernandez...

Photo by Danny Clinch Remember when we all thought American Band  was as political and as political as Drive-By Truckers would get? Well, here's a new single, "The Perilous Night." With this song, Patterson Hood gets specific, mentioning Putin and Charlottesville explicitly, and with an accompanying lyric video showing anti-Trump imagery and videos of Russia. Apparently American Band was a warm up. What's even more interesting is the actual song itself. Drive-By Truckers have always been Americana with punk tuned guitars, and that sound is almost completely absent. "The Perilous Night" sounds a lot more like the pop side of mid-90's alternative (think Gin Blossoms and Fountains of Wayne) mixed with soul, complete with an R&B chorus. It's an interesting choice to make their most commercially sounding single for their most abrasive and divisive topic. I can't imagine it wasn't done on purpose. You can watch the lyric video for ...

"Bitter Sweet," the latest single from Glasgow's The Van T's, brings together a lot of different elements. First of all, it's pure, straightforward rock music, the kind that's almost become a rarity in the world of music. It's the kind of big sound The Donnas kept alive for nowhere near enough years. It also keeps up a funky surf rock bassline throughout almost the entire song. And then there's the vocals. Twin sisters Hannah and Chloe Van Thompson keep the song awash in beautiful, swirling harmonies despite the clunk of noise behind them. Despite the song being a glorious straightforward rock song, it begins and ends in noisy chaos that will warm the hearts of Sonic Youth fans everywhere. "Bitter Sweet" is a better rock song than we could ever possibly deserve. You can watch the video for "Bittersweet" below. It's currently available for purchase on iTunes and other digital platforms. For more on The Van T's, check the...

Album of the Week : Artist : Fox Face Album : Spoil and Destroy Quick Description : Solid, energetic punk rock. Why You Should Listen : You're looking for something a little more authentic. Overall Thoughts : There has been no lack of female-fronted punk acts as of late, and Foxface definitely comes across as the rawest of the batch so far. It reminds me a lot of Be Your Own Pet, except it feels more authentic? And then I was won over for good with their take on “Toxic,” which was awesome. So this was a favorite of this week, and I can't wait to dive back in. Recommendation : Good for everyone, great for punk fans. Artist : Mark "Porkchop" Holder Album : Death and the Blues Quick Description : Garage-influenced blues rock. Why You Should Listen : Another authentic-sounding listen. Overall Thoughts : This is just a really fun, really solid blues rock record. Definitely some garage elements here, and would have really fit right in 15 years ago but work...

The excitement for the upcoming release of Belly's third album next year continues to build, and while we wait they've given us another gift. Belly has released a cover of "Hushabye Mountain" from the classic 1968 film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is one of those movies I know I watched a few dozen times as a kid but I don't remember even the smallest part of it. Even more surprising that this even exists is how true to the original version (sung by Dick Van Dyke) Belly's cover is. Belly's "Hushbye Mountain" is pure musical/show tune style, with just the slightest hint of Belly's 90's alt-rock god roots. The only real difference is that Belly fall on the creepier side than Dick Van Dyke's does, but don't we all? You can download Belly's cover of "Hushabye Mountain" over at PledgeMusic for free . Belly's new album (we'll never get sick of saying that) will be out in April. While you...

Photo by Zak Kaczmarek Stella Donnelly began her career in music in high school where she sang Green Day songs in her band. The western Australia artist has come quite a long way since then with the release of her debut single, "Boys Will Be Boys." This is an important, haunting song. It's a very sparse folk style song, with an accompanying video that should be watched along with the song. As Donnelly told NPR Music:  “ ’Boys Will Be Boys’ was written in late 2016 and  is an attempt at making sense of society's tendency to blame the victims of sexual assault and rape and make excuses for the perpetrators. Writing this also helped me work through things that had happened to not only my friends but to me as well, it helped me relieve a lot of the shame that victims are so often forced to feel in silence." The song, although beautifully performed, is one of the most uncomfortable listens you'll experience in a long time. You can watch the video for "B...